Section I Use of English
Directions :
Read the following text.Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A,B,Cor D on the ANSWER SHEET.(10 points)
People have speculated for centuries about a future without work,Today is no different,with academics,writers,and activists once again _ 1 _ that technology is replacing humanworkers. Some imagine that the coming work-free world will be defined by _ 2_:A fewwealthy people will own all the capital,and the masses will struggle in an impoverished wasteland.
A different and not mutually exclusive _ 3_ holds that the future will be a wasteland ofa different sort,one _ 4 _by purposelessness: Without jobs to give their lives_ 5 _,peoplewill simply become lazy and depressed._ 6_, today's unemployed don't seem to be having agreat time.One Gallup poll found that 20 percent of Americans who have been unemployedfor at least a year report having depression,double the rate for _ ?_ Americans.Also,someresearch suggests that the _ 8 _ for rising rates of mortality,mental-health problems,andaddiction _ 9 _ poorly-educated,middle-aged people is a shortage of well-paid jobs. Perhapsthis is why many _ 10__ the agonizing dullness of a jobless future.
But it doesn't _11_ follow from findings like these that a world without work would befilled with unease.Such visions are based on the_ 12_of being unemployed in a society builton the concept of employment. In the_ 13_ of work,a society designed with other ends inmind could _ 14 _ strikingly different circumstances for the future of labor and leisure.Today,the _ 15_ of work may be a bit overblown.“Many jobs are boring,degrading,unhealthy,and a waste of human potential,”says John Danaher,a lecturer at the NationalUniversity of Ireland in Galway.
These days,because leisure time is relatively _ 16_ . for most workers,people use theirfree time to counterbalance the intellectual and emotional _ 17_of their jobs.“When l comehome from a hard day's work,l often feel _ 18_,”Danaher says,adding,"In a world inwhich 1 don't have to work,I might feel rather different”-perhaps different enough to throwhimself _ 19_ a hobby or a passion project with the intensity usually reserved for _ 20_ matters.
1.[A] boasting [B]denying [C] warning [D] ensuring
2.[A] inequality [B] instability [C]unreliability [D] uncertainty
3.[A] policy [B] guideline [C] resolution [D] prediction
4.[A] characterized [B] divided [C]balanced [D] measured
5.[A] wisdom [B] meaning [C]glory [D]freedom
6.[A] Instead [B] Indeed [C] Thus [D] Nevertheless
7.[A] rich [B] urban [C]working [D] educated
8.[A] explanation [B]requirement [C]compensation [D] substitute
9.[A] under [B] beyond[ C]alongside [D] among
10.[A] leave behind[B]make up [C]worry about [D] set aside
11.[A] statistically [B]occasionally [C]necessarily [D] economically
12.[A]chances [B]downsides [C]benefits [D] principles
13.[A] absence [B] height [C]face [D]course
14.[A] disturb [B]restore [C] exclude [D] yield
15.[A] model [B] practice [C] virtue [D] hardship
16.[A] tricky [B] lengthy [C]mysterious [D] scarce
17.[A] demands [B] standards [C] qualities [D] threats
18.[A] ignored [B] tired [C]confused [D] starved
19.[A] off [B]against [C] behind [D]into
20.[A]technological [B] professional [C] educational [D] interpersonal
Section l Reading Comprehension
Part A
Directions:
Read the following four texts. Answer the questions after each text by choosing A,B,C orD. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET.(40 points)
Text 1
Every Saturday morning,at 9 am,more than 50,000 runners set off to run 5km aroundtheir local park.The Parkrun phenomenon began with a dozen friends and has inspired 400events in the UK and more abroad. Events are free,staffed by thousands of volunteers.Runners range from four years old to grandparents; their times range from AndrewBaddeley's world record 13 minutes 48 seconds up to an hour.
Parkrun is succeeding where London's Olympic“ legacy”is failing. Ten years ago on Monday,it was announced that the Games of the 30t Olympiad would be in London.Planning documents pledged that the great legacy of the Games would be to lever a nation ofsport lovers away from their couches.The population would be fitter,healthier and producemore winners. It has not happened. The number of adults doing weekly sport did rise,bynearly 2 million in the run-up to 2012—but the general population was growing faster.Worse,the numbers are now falling at an accelerating rate.The opposition claims primary school pupils doing at least two hours of sport a week have nearly halved.Obesity has risenamong adults and children.Official retrospections continue as to why London 2012 failed to“inspire a generation.”The success of Parkrun offers answers.
Parkrun is not a race but a time trial: Your only competitor is the clock. The ethoswelcomes anybody. There is as much joy over a puffed-out first-timer being clapped over theline as there is about top talent shining.The Olympic bidders,by contrast,wanted to getmore people doing sport and to produce more elite athletes.The dual aim was mixed up: Thestress on success over taking part was intimidating for newcomers.
Indeed,there is something a little absurd in the state getting involved in the planning ofsuch a fundamentally “grassroots”concept as community sports associations.If there is a rolefor government,it should really be getting involved in providing common goods--making sure there is space for playing fields and the money to pave tennis and netball courts,and encouraging the provision of all these activities in schools.But successive governments have presided over selling green spaces,squeezing money from local authorities and declining attention on sportin education.Instead of wordy,worthy strategies,future governments need to do more toprovide the conditions for sport to thrive.Or at least not make them worse.
21. According to Paragraph 1,Parkrun has
[A] gained great popularity
[B] created many jobs
[C]strengthened community ties
[D] become an official festival
22.The author believes that London's Olympic"legacy" has failed to__
[A] boost population growth
[B] promote sport participation
[C] improve the city's image
[D] increase sport hours in schools
23. Parkrun is different from Olympic games in that it__·
[A] aims at discovering talents
[B]focuses on mass competition
[C]does not emphasize elitism
[D]does not attract first-timers
24. With regard to mass sports,the author holds that governments should _—.
[A] organize“grassroots”sports events
[B] supervise local sports associations
[C]increase funds for sports clubs
[D] invest in public sports facilities
25.The author's attitude to what UK governments have done for sports is———
[A] tolerant
[B] critical
[C]uncertain
[D] sympathetic
Text 1
每个星期六上午9点,超过50000 名跑步者开始绕着当地公园跑5公里。Parkrun现象开始于十几个朋友,并在英国引发了400项活动,在全国范围内就更多了。这些活动都是免费的,由成千上万的志愿者组织。跑步者年龄跨度从四岁到祖父母年纪的人都有;跑步的时间范围从安德鲁·巴德利的世界纪录13分48秒到一小时。
伦敦奥运会“遗产”没做到的,Parkrun做到了。十年前的一个星期一,宣布第30届奥运会将在伦敦举行。规划文件承诺,奥运会的伟大遗产能使体育爱好者远离沙发。民众的体格将变得更好、更健康,并产生更多的冠军。但这些并没有发生。在备战2012年奥运会期间,每周坚持运动的人数的确有所上升,增加了近200万-—但总人口增长更快。更糟糕的是,现在正以加速的趋势下降。反对党声称,每周至少进行两小时运动的小学生几乎减少了一半。成人和儿童的肥胖率都上升了。官方不断在反思为什么2012年伦敦奥运会未能“激励一代人”。Parkrun的成功提供了答案。
Parkrun不是赛跑,而是一场与时间的较量:你唯一的竞争对手是时间。这种精神欢迎任何人参加。当第一次参加的人气喘吁吁地越过终点线﹐众人报以热烈掌声,给他带来的喜悦和顶尖运动员取得辉煌成就时是一样的。与之相反,奥运会的申办者想要让更多的人从事体育运动并产生更多的精英运动员。这两个目标被混淆了:成功的压力超过了参赛的乐趣,吓退了第一次参加的新人。
的确,让国家像社区体育协会一样参与规划这样一个“草根”的概念是有点荒唐。如果政府要在当中发挥作用,它应该参与提供公共设施——确保有兴建运动场地的空间和建设网球和无挡板篮球场的资金,并鼓励学校提供所有这些活动所需的设施。但是历届政府都在组织出售绿地,从地方政府挤占资金以及对学校体育运动的关注不断下降。不需要冗长的、让人称道的策略,未来政府需要做更多的实事,为运动发展提供条件。或者至少不会使它们变得更糟。
21.答案A
本题是细节题。根据题干定位至首段,该段提到每周六大约有五万多人都会在他们当地的公园里跑步,跑步的年龄跨度之大:从4岁的小朋友到祖父母年纪的人都有;跑步所用的时间跨度也很大:从世界纪录的13分48秒到一个小时。可知,这是一项全民运动,故答案选[A]项“得到了普及”。[B]项“创造了很多就业机会”.[C]项“增强了社会的凝聚力”和[D]项“成为一个官方的节日”在文中并未提及,故排除。
22.答案B
本题是细节题。根据题干关键词London's Olympic“legacy”定位至第二段。该段前半部分讲了在最初的时候奥运会的目标,然而,事实却事与愿违,更糟糕的是,现在正以加速的趋势下降,可知,奥运会并没有推动大众的参与性,与预期的目标不符,故答案选[B]。
23.答案C
本题是推断题。根据题干关键词Parkrun is different from Olympic games可知,本题考察
Parkrun和Olympic的区别,定位至第三段。该段首句提到,Parkrun不是赛跑,而是一场与时间的较量,说明它不是以竞赛为目的,因此排除[A]项“为了发现人才”和[B]项“注重大规模竞争”;根据该段末句提到的,(奥运会)成功的压力超过了参赛的乐趣,吓退了第一次参加的新人。可知,[D]项“不吸引第一次参加的新人”是奥运会的特点,故排除;因为Parkrun不是比赛,所以就不强调精英主义,故答案选[C]。
24.答案D
本题是细节题。根据题干关键词that governments should可推测,该题考察的是对于Parkrun这一项大众运动,政府应该做点什么,因此定位至第四段。该段提到,作者希望政府能够为Parkrun提供公共设施,确保有空间和资金兴建各类运动场地并鼓励学校提供相应运动设施,即政府应投资公共体育设施,故答案选[D]。
25.答案B
本题是观点题。根据题干关键词the author's attitude to what UK governments have donefor sports定位至第四段。该段作者提出了自己对政府的期许,随后用转折词But表明,政府事实上并未达到这一期许。政府所做的是卖地,从地方政府压榨金钱且不重视学校的体育运动。可知,此处作者指责政府的一系列行为,故答案选[B]项“批判的”。[A]项tolerant“宽容的,容忍的”.[C]项uncertain“含糊的,不确定的”和[D]项 sympathetic“同情的,赞同的”均不符合题意,故排除。
Text 2
With so much focus on children's use of screens,it's easy for parents to forget about theirown screen use.“Tech is designed to really suck you in,”says Jenny Radesky in her study ofdigital play,“and digital products are there to promote maximal engagement.It makes it hardto disengage,and leads to a lot of bleed-over into the family routine.”
Radesky has studied the use of mobile phones and tablets at mealtimes by giving mother-child pairs a food-testing exercise. She found that mothers who used devices during theexercise started 20 per cent fewer verbal and 39 per cent fewer nonverbal interactions withtheir children.During a separate observation,she saw that phones became a source of tensionin the family. Parents would be looking at their emails while the children would be makingexcited bids for their attention.
Infants are wired to look at parents’faces to try to understand their world,and if thosefaces are blank and unresponsive-—-as they often are when absorbed in a device—it can beextremely disconcerting for the children.Radesky cites the “still face experiment”devised bydevelopmental psychologist Ed Tronick in the 1970s. In it,a mother is asked to interact withher child in a normal way before putting on a blank expression and not giving them any visualsocial feedback:The child becomes increasingly distressed as she tries to capture her mother'sattention.“Parents don't have to be exquisitely present at all times,but there needs to be abalance and parents need to be responsive and sensitive to a child's verbal or nonverbalexpressions of an emotional need,” says Radesky.
On the other hand,Tronick himself is concerned that the worries about kids’use ofscreens are born out of an“oppressive ideology that demands that parents should always beinteracting”with their children:“It's based on a somewhat fantasised,very white,veryupper-middle-class ideology that says if you're failing to expose your child to 30,000 wordsyou are neglecting them.”Tronick believes that just because a child isn't learning from thescreen doesn't mean there's no value to it-particularly if it gives parents time to have ashower, do housework or simply have a break from their child.Parents,he says,can get a lotout of using their devices to speak to a friend or get some work out of the way.This can makethem feel happier,which lets them be more available to their child the rest of the time.
26. According to Jenny Radesky,digital products are designed to .
[A]simplify routine matters
[B]absorb user attention
[C] better interpersonal relations
[D] increase work efficiency
27. Radesky's food-testing exercise shows that mothers'use of devices
[A] takes away babies' appetite
[B] distracts children's attention
[C]slows down babies’verbal development
[D]reduces mother-child communication
28. Radesky cites the“still face experiment”to show that
[A] it is easy for children to get used to blank expressions
[B] verbal expressions are unnecessary for emotional exchange
[C]children are insensitive to changes in their parents'mood
[D] parents need to respond to children's emotional needs
29.The oppressive ideology mentioned by Tronick requires parents to
[A] protect kids from exposure to wild fantasies
[B]teach their kids at least 30,0o0 words a year
[C]ensure constant interaction with their children
[D]remain concerned about kids’use of screens
30. According to Tronick,kids'use of screens may
[A] give their parents some free time
[B] make their parents more creative
[C]help them with their homework
[D] help them become more attentive
Text 2
由于对儿童使用屏幕设备的高度关注,父母很容易忘记自己也在使用屏幕。“科技的设计目的就是要把你真正吸引进去,”"珍妮·拉德斯基在她的一份关于数字游戏研究中说,"数码产品就是要最大限度地提高参与度。使人们很难摆脱它,它还会大量渗透到家庭日常生活中。”
拉德斯基通过对多对母子在吃东西时进行测试,研究了在进餐时使用手机和平板电脑的影响。她发现,在测试期间使用电子设备的母亲与孩子言语上的互动减少了20%,而非言语上的交流则减少了39%。在另一项观察实验中,她发现手机会成为家庭关系紧张的原因之一。当孩子兴奋地叫喊父母,想引起他们注意时,父母却在看着他们的电子邮件。
婴儿天生就会通过观察父母的脸来试图了解他们的世界,如果父母脸上毫无表情和反应——沉迷电子设备时通常就是这种表情——孩子会感到很迷惑不安。拉德斯基引用了20世纪70年代发展心理学家艾德·特罗尼克设计的“面无表情实验”。在实验中,母亲先是被要求与孩子进行正常交流,然后变得面无表情,不给孩子任何看得见的社交反应:孩子试图吸引母亲的注意力,同时会变得越来越沮丧。“父母不必在任何时候都细致敏感,但需要有一个平衡,父母需要对孩子语言或非语言表达的情绪需求做出反应并保持敏感,”"拉德斯基说。
另一方面,特罗尼克本人担心的是,关于孩子们使用电子设备的焦虑是出于一种“压迫性的意识形态,该理念要求父母应该与孩子一直保持互动”:“这想法有点过于理想化,是典型的白人中上层阶级的想法,这就是说,如果你的孩子接触不到3万个单词,你就是忽略了他们。”特罗尼克认为,即使孩子没有从屏幕中学到东西但并不代表这是没有价值的—-特别是如果它能让父母有时间去洗个澡,做家务或只是让他们离开孩子去休息一下。他说,父母使用电子设备也有不少好处,如与朋友交谈或处理掉一些工作。这会让他们感到快乐,这样他们就能在其余的时间里更好地带孩子。
26.答案B
本题是细节题。根据题干关键词Jenny Radesky定位至首段。该段提到,科技的设计目的就是要把你真正吸引进去……数码产品就是要最大限度地提高参与度﹐使人们很难摆脱它。说明数码产品的设计目的是让人参与其中,故答案选[B]项“吸引用户的注意力”。27.答案D
本题是细节题。根据题干关键词food-testing 和 mothers'use of devices定位至第二段。该段提到,在测试期间使用电子设备的母亲与孩子言语上的互动减少了20%,而非言语上的交流则减少了39%。说明食物测试表明,母亲使用电子设备减少了母子间的交流沟通,故答案选[D]。
28.答案D
本题是细节题。根据题干关键词Radesky和 still face experiment定位至第三段。该段第二至四句讲述了实验内容,即当母亲面无表情时,孩子会变得沮丧。随后指出,父母需要对孩子的情绪需求做出反应并保持敏感。因此拉德斯基引用该实验的目的是为了说明“父母需要回应孩子的情感需求”,故答案选[D]。
29.答案C
本题是细节题。根据题干关键词oppressive ideology和Tronick定位至末段首句。该句提到,压迫性的意识形态理念要求父母应该与孩子一直保持互动。故答案选[C]项“确保与孩子们持续互动”,其中 constant interaction与原文的always be interacting相对应。
30.答案A
本题是细节题。根据题干关键词Tronick 和 kid's定位至末段最后三句。该段破折号后解释了kid's use of screens的具体目的,即父母可以有时间洗澡、做家务、休息。说明孩子使用电子屏幕可以“给他们的父母一些空闲时间”,故答案选[A]。
Text 3
Today,widespread social pressure to immediately go to college in conjunction withincreasingly high expectations in a fast-moving world often causes students to completelyoverlook the possibility of taking a gap year. After all,if everyone you know is going tocollege in the fall,it seems silly to stay back a year,doesn't it?And after going to school for12 years,it doesn't feel natural to spend a year doing something that isn't academic.
But while this may be true,it's not a good enough reason to condemn gap years.There'salways a constant fear of falling behind everyone else on the socially perpetuated“race to thefinish line,”whether that be toward graduate school,medical school or a lucrative career.Butdespite common misconceptions,a gap year does not hinder the success of . academicpursuits-in fact,it probably enhances it.
Studies from the United States and Australia show that students who take a gap year are
generally better prepared for and perform better in college than those who do not.Rather thanpulling students back,a gap year pushes them ahead by preparing them for independence,new responsibilities and environmental changes—all things that first-year students oftenstruggle with the most.Gap year experiences can lessen the blow when it comes to adjustingto college and being thrown into a brand new environment,making it easier to focus onacademics and activities rather than acclimation blunders.
lf you're not convinced of the inherent value in taking a year off to explore interests,thenconsider its financial impact on future academic choices.According to the National Center forEducation Statistics,nearly 80 percent of college students end up changing their majors atleast once.This isn't surprising,considering the basic mandatory high school curriculumleaves students with a poor understanding of the vast academic possibilities that await them incollege.Many students find themselves listing one major on their college applications,butswitching to another after taking college classes.It's not necessarily a bad thing,butdepending on the school,it can be costly to make up credits after switching too late in thegame. At Boston College,for example,you would have to complete an extra year were you toswitch to the nursing school from another department.Taking a gap year to figure things outinitially can help prevent stress and save money later on.
31.One of the reasons for high-school graduates not taking a gap year is that
[A] they think it academically misleading
[B] they have a lot of fun to expect in college
[C]it feels strange to do differently from others
[D] it seems worthless to take off-campus courses
32. Studies from the US and Australia imply that taking a gap year helps _
[A] keep students from being unrealistic
[B]lower risks in choosing careers
[C]ease freshmen's financial burdens
[D] relieve freshmen of pressures
33. The word“acclimation”(Para. 3) is closest in meaning to
[A] adaptation
[B]application
[C] motivation
[D] competition
34. A gap year may save money for students by helping them_
[A] avoid academic failures
[B]establish long-term goals
[C] switch to another college
[D] decide on the right major
35.The most suitable title for this text would be __.
[A] In Favor of the Gap Year
[B] The ABCs of the Gap Year
[C] The Gap Year Comes Back
[D] The Gap Year:A Dilemma
Text 3
如今,社会要求高中生毕业后立马上大学,这种广泛的压力加上快速发展的世界赋予学生越来越高的期待,往往导致学生完全忽视了空档年这一选择。毕竟,如果你身边的所有人都在秋季去上大学了,而你却要落后一年,看起来似乎很愚蠢,不是吗?况且之前已经上了12年学,现在要花一年的时间做跟学习无关的事情,让人感觉不太自然。
这种想法可能没错,但它并不是拿来谴责空档年的充分理由。社会中长存着一场“跑向终点线的比赛”,无论终点线后是研究生院、医学院或赚钱的职业,每个人总是害怕落后于其他人。与常见的误区相反,空档年并不妨碍在学术追求上取得成功——事实上,它可能会起促进作用。
来自美国和澳大利亚的研究表明,那些经历过空档年的学生与没有休整过的学生相比,通常对大学生活的准备更充分,在校的表现也更好。空档年并不会拖学生的后腿,而是促使他们进步,让他们更能适应未来的独立生活、新的责任和环境变化——这些往往都是一年级新生最难应付的事情。空档年的经历能让学生在调整状态适应大学生活、身处全新环境的时候不至于受到太大的冲击,使学生更容易专注于学业和学生活动上,而不是总关注适应期犯下的错误。
如果你还不相信休整一年去寻找自己的兴趣这种做法的内在价值,那就要想想它对未来学业选择的经济影响。根据国家教育统计中心统计,近80%的大学生整个大学期间至少换过一次专业。这并不奇怪,毕竟高中的基础必修课程并不能让学生了解在大学里等待着他们的专业选择是很广泛的。很多学生都是在申请大学时填了一个专业,而在上大学后换了另一个专业。这不一定是一件坏事,不过在某些学校,太晚换专业的话会为补上学分而花很多的钱。例如,在波士顿大学,如果你从其他院系转到护理学院,你将需要再多读一年。在一开始就用空档年把一切想清楚,能在日后帮你减轻压力并省钱。
31.答案c
本题是细节题。根据题干关键词high-school 和 gap year定位至首段。该段提到,如果你身边的所有人都在秋季去上大学了,而你却要落后一年,看起来似乎很愚蠢,不是吗?说明高中毕业生不选择空档年的原因之一是“他们感觉和其他人做不一样的事很奇怪”,故答案选[C]。
32.答案D
本题是细节题。根据题干关键词studies from the US and Australia定位至第三段。该段首句就指出研究的结论:休空档年的学生准备更充分且表现更好;该段第二句对具体准备作进一步解释;第三句则提到空档年可以降低大学生活中受到的冲击。可知,来自美国和澳大利亚的研究暗示,休空档年有助于“缓解新生压力”,故答案选[D],其中 freshmen与文中的first-year students相对应。
33.答案A
本题是词义推断题。根据题干定位至第三段末句。该词出现在making it…的伴随状语中,解释补充说明前半句所提到的内容。主句提到空档年让学生在适应大学新环境时免受太大打击,说明making it…的逻辑主语也是“空档年”并继续说明其作用,让学生不再受acclimation的影响,可知,acclimation应与前面提到的适应( adjusting)环境同义,故答案选[A]项“适应”。[B]项“申请”.[C]项“动力”和[D]项“竞争”均不符合题意,故排除。
34.答案D
本题是细节题。根据题干关键词save money定位至末段。该段首句就提到,空档年对未来学业选择的经济影响。随后指出,大学生普遍存在转专业的现象,而转专业得花不少钱,而空档年可以让你在上大学之前就考虑清楚﹐选择恰当的专业,避免因转专业而花钱。说明空档年可以帮助学生省钱,方式是帮助他们“选择恰当的专业”,故答案选[D]。
35.答案A
本题是主旨大意题。文章首段提到了现在学生不休空档年的原因;第二段首句But转折之后引出主题,这种想法可能没错,但它并不是拿来谴责空档年的充分理由,该段还指出空档年不但不会阻碍成功,还起到促进作用;最后两段分述了空档年的两个好处。可知,文章主要是说空档年的好处,故答案选[A]项“支持空档年”。
Text 4
Though often viewed as a problem for western states,the growing frequency of wildfiresis a national concern because of its impact on federal tax dollars,says Professor Max Moritz,a specialist in fire ecology and management.
In 2015,the US Forest Service for the first time spent more than half of its $ 5.5 billionannual budget fighting fires—nearly double the percentage it spent on such efforts 20 yearsago. In effect,fewer federal funds today are going towards the agency's other work—such asforest conservation,watershed and cultural resources management,and infrastructureupkeep-that affect the lives of all Americans.
Another nationwide concern is whether public funds from other agencies are going intoconstruction in fire-prone districts. As Moritz puts it,how often are federal dollars buildinghomes that are likely to be lost to a wildfire?
“It 's already a huge problem from a public expenditure perspective for the wholecountry,”he says.“We need to take a magnifying glass to that.Like,‘Wait a minute,is thisOK?’Do we want instead to redirect those funds to concentrate on lower-hazard parts of thelandscape?”
Such a view would require a corresponding shift in the way US society today views fire,researchers say.
For one thing,conversations about wildfires need to be more inclusive.Over the pastdecade,the focus has been on climate change—how the warming of the Earth fromgreenhouse gases is leading to conditions that worsen fires.
While climate is a key element,Moritz says,it shouldn 't come at the expense of the restof the equation.
“The human systems and the landscapes we live on are linked,and the interactions goboth ways,”he says. Failing to recognize that,he notes,leads to "an overly simplified viewof what the solutions might be.Our perception of the problem and of what the solution isbecomes very limited."
At the same time,people continue to treat fire as an event that needs to be whollycontrolled and unleashed only out of necessity,says Professor Balch at the University ofColorado.But acknowledging fire's inevitable presence in human life is an attitude crucial todeveloping the laws,policies,and practices that make it as safe as possible,she says.
“We've disconnected ourselves from living with fire,”Balch says.“It is really importantto understand and try and tease out what is the human connection with fire today.”
36. More frequent wildfires have become a national concern because in 2015 they_
[A〕 exhausted unprecedented management efforts
[B]consumed a record-high percentage of budget[Cseverely damaged the ecology of western states[D] caused a huge rise of infrastructure expenditure37. Moritz calls for the use of“a magnifying glass”to
[A]raise more funds for fire-prone areas
[B]avoid the redirection of federal money[Cfind wildfire-free parts of the landscape[D] guarantee safer spending of public funds
38. While admitting that climate is a key element,Moritz notes that.
[A] public debates have not settled yet
[B]fire-fighting conditions are improving[C]other factors should not be overlooked[D] a shift in the view of fire has taken place
39. The overly simplified view Moritz mentions is a result of failing to __
[A] discover the fundamental makeup of nature
[B]explore the mechanism of the human systems[C]maximize the role of landscape in human life[D]understand the interrelations of man and nature
40. Professor Balch points out that fire is something man should.
[A] do away with
[B] come to terms with
[C] pay a price for
[D] keep away from
Text 4
尽管一般认为野火只是西部各州的问题,但野火日益频发,对联邦税收已造成一定影响,这使其成为全国性的问题,火灾生态和消防管理专家马克斯·莫里茨教授说。
2015年,美国林务局首次将其过半的年度预算(55亿美元)用于消防工作——这一比例几乎是20年前的两倍。实际上,林务局在其他的工作上用钱更少——如森林保护,流域和文化资源管理以及基础设施维护—-—这些都影响着所有美国人的生活。
另一个全国性的问题是,其他部门的公共资金是否用在了火灾易发地区的建筑中。正如莫里茨提出这样一个问题:有多少靠联邦税收建起来的房子以后很可能被野火摧毁呢?
“从公共支出角度看,这对全国人民来说已经是个大问题了,”他说。“我们得用放大镜来看。例如,(我们可以问问)‘等一下,这样做好吗?'我们要不要把资金转向火灾隐患没那么大的地区呢?”
这种观点要求美国社会换一种方式看待火灾,研究人员说。
一方面,讨论野火时要全面一些。在过去十年中,人们的关注点一直在气候变化上——地球因为温室气体变暖,从而带来了很多更易发生火灾的情况。
虽然气候也是一个关键因素﹐莫里茨说,但不能因此忽视其他影响因素。
“人类社会与我们所处的环境是相联系的,其中的互动是双向的,”他指出。未能意识到这一点会导致“在思考可能的解决办法时观点过于简单。我们对问题和解决办法的认知就会变得很局限。”
与此同时,人们依然把火看作一种必须完全控制住、必要时才释放的东西,科罗拉多大学的鲍尔奇教授说。但我们要认识到火在人类生活中是不可避免的,这种态度对法律和政策的制定,以及将火尽量控制在安全范围之内都非常关键,她说。
“我们的生活已与火脱离,”鲍尔奇说。“理解好﹑并尽量弄清楚如今人跟火的关系确实非常重要。”
36.答案B
本题是细节题。根据题干关键词wildfires、national concern和 2015定位至第二段。该段首句提到,2015年美国林务局首次将其过半的年度预算用于消防工作,与[B]项“占用的预算比例创纪录新高”同义,故答案选[B],其中 , budget为原词复现, high 与文中的more than同义,consumed 与文中的 spent同义。[A]项“耗费的管理精力是前所未有的”、[C]项“严重破坏了西部各州的生态”和[D]项“导致基础设施的开支剧增”均不符合题意,故排除。
37.答案D
本题是细节题。根据题干关键词Moritz和 a magnifying glass 定位至第四段。该段提到应用放大镜来看这个问题,故第二句中 that 指代的内容即为答案。首句提到,从公共支出角度看,野火对全国人民来说已经是个大问题了,因此 that 指的是“公共支出”问题,且该段末句提到,是否将资金转到风险较低的地方,说明莫里茨呼吁使用“放大镜”是为了“确保公共支出用在更有保障的地方”,故答案选[D]。[A]项“为火灾易发地区筹集更多资金”根据第三段可知,文中只提到了资金流向,并未提到为这些地区筹款,故排除;第四段末句疑问句实际是说建议资金应该重新转向更可靠的地方,[B]项“避免重新分配联邦资金”与原文所述意思相反,故排除;[C]项“找出没有火灾隐患的地方”根据第四段末句提到的,钱应花在火灾隐患较低的地方,而不是要通过“放大镜”找出没有火灾隐患的地方,故排除。
38.答案c
本题是细节题。根据题干关键词climate is a key element定位至第七段。该段提到,虽然气候也是一个关键因素,但不能因此忽视其他影响因素。说明,在承认气候是关键因素的同时,莫里茨也提到“其他因素也不应被忽视”,故答案选[C]。
39.答案D
本题是细节题。根据题干关键词overly simplified view定位至第八段第二句。该句指出,是Failing to recognize that导致了这种观点的产生。题干中的a result of就是问这种观点产生的原因,因此只需了解文中 that所指代的内容即可。前一句提到,人类社会与我们所处的环境是相联系的,其中的互动是双向的,故答案选[D]项“明白人与自然的相互关系”,其中, interrelations“相互关系”与文中的interactions 相对应。
40.答案B
本题是细节题。根据题干关键词Professor Balch定位至最后两段。倒数第二段提到,人们目前还认为火应完全受到控制,只有在必要时才释放;后一句中的But表转折引出重点,指出“承认火在人类生活中是不可避免的非常关键”,因此,鲍尔奇教授建议我们应接受火的必然存在。[B]项come to terms with sth.意为“对某事做出让步妥协,接受某事”,与文中所述同义,故答案选[B]。
Part B
Directions:
Read the following text and match each of the numbered items in the left column to itscorresponding information in the right column.There are two extra choices in the rightcolumn. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)
The decline in American manufacturing is a common refrain,particularly from DonaldTrump.“We don't make anything anymore,”he told Fox News,while defending his ownmade-in-Mexico clothing line.
Without question,manufacturing has taken a significant hit during recent decades,andfurther trade deals raise questions about whether new shocks could hit manufacturing.
But there is also a different way to look at the data.
Across the country,factory owners are now grappling with a new challenge: Instead of
having too many workers,they may end up with too few. Despite trade competition andoutsourcing,American manufacturing still needs to replace tens of thousands of retiringboomers every year. Millennials may not be that interested in taking their place.Otherindustries are recruiting them with similar or better pay.
For factory owners,it all adds up to stiff competition for workers—and upward pressureon wages.“They're harder to find and they have job offers,”says Jay Dunwell,president ofWolverine Coil Spring,a family-owned firm,“They may be coming [into the workforce],butthey've been plucked by other industries that are also doing as well as manufacturing,”Mr.Dunwell has begun bringing high school juniors to the factory so they can get exposed to itsculture.
At RoMan Manufacturing,a maker of electrical transformers and welding equipment thathis father cofounded in 1980,Robert Roth keeps a close eye on the age of his nearly 200workers. Five are retiring this year.Mr. Roth has three community-college students enrolledin a work-placement program,with a starting wage of $ 13 an hour that rises to $ 17 aftertwo years.
At a worktable inside the transformer plant,young Jason Stenquist looks flustered by thecopper coils he's trying to assemble and the arrival of two visitors.It 's his first week on thejob. Asked about his choice of career,he says at high school he considered medical schoolbefore switching to electrical engineering.“1 love working with tools. 1 love creating.”hesays.
But to win over these young workers,manufacturers have to clear another major hurdle:parents,who lived through the worst US economic downturn since the Great Depression,telling them to avoid the factory.Millennials“remember their father and mother both werelaid off. They blame it on the manufacturing recession,”says Birgit Klohs,chief executive of The Right Place,a business development agency for western Michigan.
These concerns aren't misplaced:Employment in manufacturing has fallen from 17million in 1970 to 12 million in 2015. When the recovery began,worker shortages firstappeared in the high-skilled trades.Now shortages are appearing at the mid-skill levels.
“The gap is between the jobs that take no skills and those that require a lot of skill,”saysRob Spohr,a business professor at Montcalm Community College.“There're enough peopleto fill the jobs at McDonalds and other places where you don't need to have much skill. It 'sthat gap in between,and that's where the problem is.”
Julie Parks of Grand Rapids Community College points to another key to luringMillennials into manufacturing: a work/life balance. While their parents were content to worklong hours,young people value flexibility.“Overtime is not attractive to this generation.They really want to live their lives,”she says.
Section Translation
46.Directions:
Translate the following text into Chinese.Write your translation on the ANSWER SHEET.( 15 points)
My dream has always been to work somewhere in an area between fashion andpublishing. Two years before graduating from secondary school,I took a sewing and designcourse thinking that I would move on to a fashion design course.However,during that coursel realised that Il was not good enough in this area to compete with other creative personalitiesin the future,so I decided that it was not the right path for me.Before applying for universityl told everyone that I would study journalism,because writing was,and still is,one of myfavourite activities. But,to be honest,l said it,because l thought that fashion and metogether was just a dream—l knew that no one could imagine me in the fashion industry at all!So I decided to look for some fashion-related courses that included writing. This is when Inoticed the course“Fashion Media &. Promotion”.
Section N Writing
Part A
47. Directions :
Suppose you are invited by Professor Williams to give a presentation about Chinesculture to a group of international students. Write a reply to
l) accept the invitation,and
2) introduce the key points of your presentation.
You should write about 100 words on the ANSWER SHEET.Do not use your own name. Use“Li Ming”instead.
Do not write the address. (10 points)
Part B
48. Directions:
write an essay based on the chart below. In your writing,you should1 ) interpret the chart,and
2) give your comments.
You should write about 150 words on the ANSWER SHEET. ( 15 points>