2018考研英语二真题.pdf

2018 年全国硕士研究生入学统一考试英语(二)本文由凯程陆老师整理Section Use of EnglishDirections: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)Why do people read negative Internet comments and do other things that will obviously bepainful?Because humans have an inherent need to1uncertainty,according to a recentstudy in Psychological Science.The new research reveals that the need to know is strong thatpeople will2to satisfy their curiosity even when it is clear the answer will3In a series of experiments,behavioral scientists at the University of Chicago and theWisconsin school of Business tested students willingness to4themselves to unpleasantstimuli in an effort to satisfy curiosity.For one5,each participant was shown a pile of pensthat the researcher claimed were from a previous experiment.The twist?Half of the pens would6an electric shock when clicked.Twenty-seven students were told with pens were electrified;another twenty-seven weretold only that some were electrified.7left alone in the room.The students who did not knowwhich ones would shock them clicked more pens and incurred more shocks than the studentswho knew that would8.Subsequent experiments reproduced this effect with other stimuli,9the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard and photographs of disgusting insects.The drive to10is deeply rooted in humans,much the same as the basic drives for11or shelter,says Christopher Hsee of the University of Chicago.Curiosity is often considered agood instinctit can12new scientific advances,for instancebut sometimes such13can backfire.The insight that curiosity can drive you to do14things is a profound one.Unhealthycuriosity is possible to15,however.In a final experiment,participants whowere encouraged to16how they would feel after viewing an unpleasant picture were lesslikely to17to see such an image.These results suggest that imagining the18offollowing through on ones curiosity ahead of time can help determine19it is worth theendeavor.Thinking about long-term20is key to reducing the possible negative effects ofcuriosity,”Hsee says.In other words,dont read online comments.1.A.ignore B.protect C.discuss D.resolve2.A.refuse B.seek C.wait D.regret3.A.rise B.last C.hurt D.mislead4.A.alert B.expose C.tie D.treat5.A.trial B.message C.review D.concept6.A.remove B.deliver C.weaken D.interrupt7.A.Unless B.If C.When D.Though8.A.change B.continue C.disappear D.happen9.A.such as B.rather than C.regardless of D.owing to10.A.disagree B.forgive C.discover D.forget11.A.pay B.food C.marriage D.schooling12.A.begin with B.rest on C.lead to D.learn from13.A.inquiry B.withdrawal C.persistence D.diligence14.A.self-deceptive B.self-reliant C.self-evident D.self-destructive15.A.trace B.define C.replace D.resist16.A.conceal B.overlook C.design D.predict17.A.choose B.remember C.promise D.pretend18.A.relief B.outcome C.plan D.duty19.A.how B.why C.where D.whether20.A.limitations B.investments C.consequences D.strategiesSection IIReading ComprehensionPart ADirections:Read the following four texts.Answer the questions below each text by choosing A,B,Cor D.Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET.(40 points)Text 1It is curious that Stephen Koziatek feels almost as though he has to justify his efforts to givehis students a better future.Mr.Koziatek is part of something pioneering.He is a teacher at a New Hampshire highschool where learning is not something of books and tests and mechanical memorization,butpractical.When did it become accepted wisdom that students should be able to name the 13thpresident of the United States but be utterly overwhelmed by a broken bike Chain?As Koziatek know,there is learning in just about everything.Nothing is necessarily gained byforcing students to learn geometry at a graffitied desk stuck with generations of discardedchewing gum.They can also learn geometry by assembling a bicycle.But hes also found a kind of insidious prejudice.Working with your hands is seen as almosta mark of inferiority.School in the family of vocational education“have that stereotype.that its for kids who cant make it academically,”he says.On one hand,that viewpoint is a logical product of Americas evolution.Manufacturing is notthe economic engine that it once was.The job security that the US economy once offered to highschool graduates has largely evaporated.More education is the new principle.We want more forour kids,and rightfully so.But the headlong push into bachelors degrees for alland the subtle devaluing of anythinglessmisses an important point:Thats not the only thing the American economy needs.Yes,abachelors degree opens moredoors.Buteven now,54 percent of the jobs in the country aremiddle-skill jobs,such as construction and high-skill manufacturing.But only 44 percent ofworkers are adequately trained.In other words,at a time when the working class has turned the country on its politicalhead,frustrated that the opportunity that once defined America is vanishing,one obvious solutionis staring us in the face.There is a gap in working-class jobs,but the workers who need those jobsmost arent equipped to do them.Koziateks Manchester School of Technology High School istrying to fill that gap.Koziateks school is a wake-up call.When education becomes one-size-fits-all,it risksoverlooking a nations diversity of gifts.21.A broken bike chain is mentioned to show studentslack of.A.academic trainingB.practical abilityC.pioneering spiritD.mechanical memorization22.There exists the prejudice that vocational education is for kids who.A.have a stereotyped mindB.have no career motivationC.are financially disadvantagedD.are not academically successful23.we can infer from Paragraph 5 that high school graduates.A.used to have more job opportunitiesB.used to have big financial concernsC.are entitled to more educational privilegesD.are reluctant to work in manufacturing24.The headlong push into bachelors degrees for all.A.helps create a lot of middle-skill jobsB.may narrow the gap in working-class jobsC.indicates the overvaluing of higher educationD.is expected to yield a better-trained workforce25.The authors attitude toward Koziateks school can be described as.A.tolerantB.cautiousC.supportiveD.disappointedText 2While fossil fuelscoal，oil，gasstill generate roughly 85 percent of the worlds energysupply,its clearer than ever that the future belongs to renewable sources such as wind andsolar.The move to renewables is picking up momentum around the world：They now account formore than half of new power sources going on line.Some growth stems from a commitment by governments and farsighted businesses to fundcleaner energy sources.But increasingly the story is about the plummetingprices of renewables，especially wind and solar.The cost of solar panels has dropped by 80 percent and the cost of windturbines by close to one-third in the past eight years.In many parts of the world renewable energy is already a principal energy source.In Scotland，for example，wind turbines provide enough electricity to power 95 percent of homes.While therest of the world takes the lead，notably China and Europe，the United States is also seeing aremarkable shift.In March，for the first time，wind and solar power accounted for more than 10percent of the power generated in the US，reported the US Energy Information Administration.President Trump has underlined fossil fuelsespecially coalas the path to economicgrowth.In a recent speech in Iowa，he dismissed wind power as an unreliable energy source.Butthat message did not play well with many in Iowa，where wind turbines dot the fields and provide36 percent of the states electricity generationand where tech giants like Microsoft are beingattracted by the availability of clean energy to power their data centers.The question“what happens when the wind doesnt blow or the sun doesnt shine?”hasprovided a quick put-down for skeptics.But a boost in the storage capacity of batteries is makingtheir ability to keep power flowing around the clock more likely.The advance is driven in part by vehicle manufacturers，who are placing big bets onbattery-powered electric vehicles.Although electric cars are still a rarity on roads now,thismassive investment could change the picture rapidly in coming years.While theres a long way to go，the trend lines for renewables are spiking.The pace ofchange in energy sources appears to be speeding upperhaps just in time to have a meaningfuleffect in slowing climate change.What Washington doesor doesn t doto promote alternativeenergy may mean less and less at a time of a global shift in thought.26.The word“plummeting”（Line 3，Para.2）is closest in meaning to.A.stabilizingB.changingC.fallingD.rising27.According to Paragraph 3，the use of renewable energy in America.A.is progressing notablyB.is as extensive as in EuropeC.faces many challengesD.has proved to be impractical28.It can be learned that in Iowa,.A.wind is a widely used energy sourceB.wind energy has replaced fossil fuelsC.tech giants are investing in clean energyD.there is a shortage of clean energy supply29.Which ofthe following is true about clean energy according to Paragraphs 5&6?A.Its application has boosted battery storage.B.It is commonly used in car manufacturing.C.Its continuous supply is becoming a reality.D.Its sustainable exploitation will remain difficult.30.It can be inferred from the last paragraph that renewable energy.A.will bring the US closer to other countriesB.will accelerate global environmental changeC.is not really encouraged by the US governmentD.is not competitive enough with regard to its costText 3The power and ambition of the giants of the digital economy is astonishingAmazon hasjust announced the purchase of the upmarket grocery chain Whole Foods for$13.5bn，but twoyears ago Facebook paid even more than that to acquire the WhatsApp messaging service，whichdoesnt have any physical product at all.What WhatsApp offered Facebook was an intricate andfinely detailed web of its usersfriendships and social livesFacebook promised the European commission then that it would not link phone numbers toFacebook identities，but it broke the promise almost as soon as the deal went throughEvenwithout knowing what was in the messages，the knowledge of who sent them and to whom wasenormously revealing and still could beWhat political journalist，what party whip，would notwant to know the makeup of the WhatsApp groups in which Theresa Mays enemies arecurrentlyplotting?It may be that the value of Whole Foods to Amazon is not so much the 460shops it owns,but the records of which customers have purchased what.Competition law appears to be the only way to address these imbalances of powerBut it isclumsy.For one thing,it is very slow compared to the pace of change within the digital economy.By the time a problem has been addressed and remedied it may have vanished in themarketplace,to be replaced by new abuses of powerBut there is a deeper conceptual problem,too.Competition law as presently interpreted deals with financial disadvantage to consumersand this is not obvious when the users of these services dont pay for themThe users of theirservices are not their customersThat would be the people who buy advertising from themandFacebook and Google，the two virtual giants，dominate digital advertising to the disadvantage ofall other media and entertainment companiesThe product theyre selling is data，and we，the users，convert our lives to data for thebenefit of the digital giants.Just as some ants farm the bugs called aphidsfor the honeydew theyproduce when they feed,so Google farms us for the data that our digital lives yieldAnts keeppredatory insects away from where their aphids feed;Gmail keeps the spammers out of ourinboxes.It doesnt feel like a human or democratic relationship，even if both sides benefit31.According to Paragraph 1,Facebook acquired WhatsApp for its.A.digital productsB.user informationC.physical assetsD.quality service32.Linking phone numbers to Facebook identities may.A.worsen political disputesB.mess up customer recordsC.pose a risk to Facebook usersD.mislead the European commission33.According to the author,competition law.A.should serve the new market powersB.may worsen the economic imbalanceC.should not provide just one legal solutionD.cannot keep pace with the changing market34.Competition law as presently interpreted can hardly protect Facebook users because.A.they are not defined as customersB.they are not financially reliableC.the services are generally digitalD.the services are paid for by advertisers35.The ants analogy is used to illustrate.A.a win-win business model between digital giantsB.a typical competition pattern among digital giantsC.the benefits provided for digital giantscustomersD.the relationship between digital giants and their usersText 4To combat the trap of putting a premium on being busy,Cal Newport,author of Deep work:Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted world,recommends building a habit of“deep work”the ability to focus without distraction.There are a number of approaches to mastering the art of deep workbe it lengthy retreatsdedicated to a specific task;developing a daily ritual;or taking a“journalistic”approach toseizing moments of deep work when you can throughout the day.Whichever approach,the key isto determine your length of focus time and stick to it.Newport also recommends“deepscheduling”to combat constant interruptions and getmore done in less time.“At any given point,Ishould have deep work scheduled for roughly thenext month.Once on the calendar I protect this time like Iwould a doctors appointment orimportant meeting”,he writes.Another approach to getting more done in less time is to rethink how you prioritize your dayin particular how we craft our to-do lists.Tim Harford,author of Messy:The Power of Disorderto Transform Our Lives,points to a study in the early 1980s that divided undergraduates into twogroups:some were advised to set out monthly goals and study activities;others were told to planactivities and goals in much more detail,day by day.While the researchers assumed that the well-structured daily plans would be most effectivewhen it came to the execution of tasks,they were wrong:the detailed daily plans demotivatedstudents.Harfordarguesthatinevitabledistractionsoftenrenderthedailyto-dolistineffective,while leaving room for improvisation in such a list can reap the best results.In order to make the most of our focus and energy.We also need to embrace downtime,oras Newport suggests,“be lazy.”“Idleness is not just a vacation,an indulgence or a vice;it is as indispensable to be brain asVitamin D is to the body.idlenessis,paradoxically,necessary to getting any work done,”heargues.Srini Pillay,an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School,believes thiscounter-intuitive link between downtime and productivity may be due to the way our brainsoperate When our brains switch between being focused and unfocused on a task,they tend to bemore efficient.“What pe