• 2026考研英語全程班 6班
• 26考研全科上岸規劃營「擇校▪規劃▪備考」
• 2026考研專業課復習資料「真題▪筆記▪講義▪題庫」

　

Section IUse of English

Directions：

Read the following text. Choose the best word（s） for each numbered blank and mark A， B， C or D on ANSWER SHEET 1. （10 points）

Weak dollar or no， $46，000 — the price for a single year of undergraduate instruction amid the red brick of Harvard Yard — is 1. But nowadays cost is 2 barrier to entry at many of America‘s best universities. Formidable financial-assistance policies have 3 fees or slashed them deeply for needy students. And last month Harvard announced a new plan designed to 4 the sticker-shock for undergraduates from middle and even upper-income families too。

Since then， other rich American universities have unveiled 5 initiatives. Yale， Harvard’s bitterest 6， revealed its plans on January 14th. Students whose families make 7 than $60，000 a year will pay nothing at all. Families earning up to $200，000 a year will have to pay an average of 10% of their incomes. The university will 8 its financial-assistance budget by 43%， to over $80m。

Harvard will have a similar arrangement for families making up to $180，000. That makes the price of going to Harvard or Yale 9 to attending a state-run university for middle-and upper-income students. The universities will also not require any student to take out 10 to pay for their 11， a policy introduced by Princeton in 2001 and by the University of Pennsylvania just after Harvard‘s 12. No applicant who gains admission， officials say， should feel 13 to go elsewhere because he or she can’t afford the fees。

None of that is quite as altruistic as it sounds. Harvard and Yale are， after all， now likely to lure more students away from previously 14 options， particularly state-run universities， 15 their already impressive admissions figures and reputations。

The schemes also provide a 16 for structuring university fees in which high prices for rich students help offset modest prices for poorer ones and families are less 17 on federal grants and government-backed loans。

Less wealthy private colleges whose fees are high will not be able to 18 Harvard or Yale easily. But America‘s state-run universities， which have traditionally kept their fees low and stable， might well try a differentiated 19 scheme as they raise cash to compete academically with their private 20. Indeed， the University of California system has already started to implement a sliding-fee scale。

1. ［A］ cheap［B］ reasonable［C］ high［D］ expensive

2. ［A］ still［B］ no［C］ becoming［D］ certain

3. ［A］ eliminated［B］ increased［C］ doubled［D］ decreased

4. ［A］ relieve［B］ suspend［C］ enhance［D］ diminish

5. ［A］ different［B］ same［C］ similar［D］ encouraging

6. ［A］ counterpart［B］ coordinator［C］ rival［D］ cooperator

7. ［A］ less［B］ more［C］ richer［D］ poorer

8. ［A］ enhance［B］ expand［C］ increase［D］ elevate

9. ［A］ incomparable［B］ comparable［C］ distinguishable［D］ identical

10. ［A］ part-time job［B］ work［C］ loans［D］ savings

11. ［A］ charge［B］ fare［C］ payment［D］ tuition

12. ［A］ policy［B］ implementation［C］ adjustment［D］ announcement

13. ［A］ pressured［B］ ashamed［C］ insecure［D］ unhappy

14. ［A］ cheaper［B］ more reasonable［C］ public［D］ better

15. ［A］ expanding［B］ shrinking［C］ enhancing［D］ diminishing

16. ［A］ chance［B］ model［C］ disposition［D］ location

17. ［A］ independent［B］ thankful［C］ detached［D］ reliant

18. ［A］ beat［B］ win［C］ copy［D］ follow

19. ［A］ pricing［B］ tuition［C］ scholarship［D］ financial aiding

20. ［A］ rivals［B］ counterparts［C］ coordinators［D］ cooperators

Section IIReading Comprehension

Part A

Directions：

Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A， B， C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. （40 points）

Text 1

It is the world’s fourth-most-important food crop， after maize， wheat and rice. It provides more calories， more quickly， using less land and in a wider range of climates than any other plant. It is， of course， the potato。

The United Nations has declared 2008 the International Year of the Potato. It hopes that greater awareness of the merits of potatoes will contribute to the achievement of its Millennium Development Goals， by helping to alleviate poverty， improve food security and promote economic development. It is always the international year of this or month of that. But the potato‘s unusual history means it is well worth celebrating by readers of The Economist because the potato is intertwined with economic development， trade liberalisation and globalisation。

Unlikely though it seems， the potato promoted economic development by underpinning the industrial revolution in England in the 19th century. It provided a cheap source of calories and was easy to cultivate， so it liberated workers from the land. Potatoes became popular in the north of England， as people there specialised in livestock farming and domestic industry， while farmers in the south （where the soil was more suitable） concentrated on wheat production. By a happy accident， this concentrated industrial activity in the regions where coal was readily available， and a potato-driven population boom provided ample workers for the new factories. Friedrich Engels even declared that the potato was the equal of iron for its “historically revolutionary role”。

The potato promoted free trade by contributing to the abolition of Britain’s Corn Laws — the cause which prompted the founding of The Economist in 1843. The Corn Laws restricted imports of grain into the United Kingdom in order to protect domestic wheat producers. Landowners supported the laws， since cheap imported grain would reduce their income， but industrialists opposed them because imports would drive down the cost of food， allowing people to spend more on manufactured goods. Ultimately it was not the eloquence of the arguments against the Corn Laws that led to their abolition — and more‘s the pity. It was the tragedy of the Irish potato famine of 1845， in which 1million Irish perished when the potato crop on which they subsisted succumbed to blight. The need to import grain to relieve the situation in Ireland forced the government， which was dominated by landowners who backed the Corn Laws， to reverse its position。

This paved the way for liberalisation in other areas， and free trade became British policy. As the Duke of Wellington complained at the time， “rotten potatoes have done it all。”

In the form of French fries， served alongside burgers and Coca-Cola， potatoes are now an icon of globalisation. This is quite a turnaround given the scepticism which first greeted them on their arrival in the Old World in the 16th century. Spuds were variously thought to cause leprosy， to be fit only for animals， to be associated with the devil or to be poisonous. They took hold in 18th century Europe only when war and famine meant there was nothing else to eat; people then realised just how versatile and reliable they were. As Adam Smith， one of the potato’s many admirers， observed at the time， “The very general use which is made of potatoes in these kingdoms as food for man is a convincing proof that the prejudices of a nation， with regard to diet， however deeply rooted， are by no means unconquerable。” Mashed， fried， boiled and roast， a humble tuber changed the world， and free-trading globalisers everywhere should celebrate it。

21. According to the text， what are the features of potatoes？

［A］ Lower price， quicker growing speed， less land required， and wider range of climate。

［B］ More calories， quicker growing speed， less labor required in growing and processing， and wider range of climate。

［C］ More calories， quicker growing speed， less land required， and wider range of climate。

［D］ More calories， quicker growing speed， less land required， and wider range of products to be made of。

22. What is the ultimate purpose of establishing 2008 the International Year of the Potato？

［A］ Promote the sales volume of potatoes all over the globe。

［B］ Help the farmers that grow potatoes but are still in poverty。

［C］ Promote a greater awareness of the merits of potatoes among the public。

［D］ Alleviate poverty， improve food security and promote economic development。

23. Friedrich Engels declared that the potato was the equal of iron for its “historically revolutionary role”， then according to the text， what does this “historically revolutionary role” refer to？

［A］ Its high volume of production， and consequently lower price， greatly supported the workers in the factories then。

［B］ It liberated workers from the land， thus providing labour force for the industry。

［C］ It changed the agriculture structure of England， which ultimately resulted in a shift from an agricultural country to an industrial one。

［D］ It can provide more calories， thus saving land for cotton growing， and consequently boosting the textile industry。

24. According to the text， which of the following is NOT true about Britain‘s Corn Laws？

［A］ These laws were ultimately abolished after a fierce argument in the Parliament。

［B］ Landowners supported the laws because domestic products were more expensive， and then they could gain more。

［C］ Industrialists opposed the laws because cheap imported grains would help them develop the market。

［D］ Irish potato famine of 1845 directly forced the government to reverse its position of sustaining these laws。

25. Why were potatoes at last accepted by Europeans？

［A］ They changed their diet to a more diversified trend。

［B］ French fries swept all over the world alongside burgers and Coca-Cola。

［C］ Potatoes saved them when war and famine stroke Europe in 18th century。

［D］ It became very important goods for Europe in trading with Asia。

Text 2

Twenty-seven years ago， Egypt revised its secular constitution to enshrine Muslim sharia as “the principal source of legislation”。 To most citizens， most of the time， that seeming contradiction — between secularism and religion — has not made much difference. Nine in ten Egyptians are Sunni Muslims and expect Islam to govern such things as marriage， divorce and inheritance. Nearly all the rest profess Christianity or Judaism， faiths recognised and protected in Islam. But to the small minority who embrace other faiths， or who have tried to leave Islam， it has， until lately， made an increasingly troubling difference。

Members of Egypt’s 2，000-strong Bahai community， for instance， have found they cannot state their religion on the national identity cards that all Egyptians are obliged to produce to secure such things as driver‘s licenses， bank accounts， social insurance and state schooling. Hundreds of Coptic Christians who have converted to Islam， often to escape the Orthodox sect’s ban on divorce， find they cannot revert to their original faith. In some cases， children raised as Christians have discovered that， because a divorced parent converted to Islam， they too have become officially Muslim， and cannot claim otherwise。

Such restrictions on religious freedom are not directly a product of sharia， say human-rights campaigners， but rather of rigid interpretations of Islamic law by over-zealous officials. In their strict view， Bahai belief cannot be recognised as a legitimate faith， since it arose in the 19th century， long after Islam staked its claim to be the final revelation in a chain of prophecies beginning with Adam. Likewise， they brand any attempt to leave Islam， whatever the circumstances， as a form of apostasy， punishable by death。

But such views have lately been challenged. Last year Ali Gomaa， the Grand Mufti， who is the government‘s highest religious adviser， declared that nowhere in Islam’s sacred texts did it say that apostasy need be punished in the present rather than by God in the afterlife. In the past month， Egyptian courts have issued two rulings that， while restricted in scope， should ease some bothersome strictures。

Bahais may now leave the space for religion on their identity cards blank. Twelve former Christians won a lawsuit and may now return to their original faith， on condition that their identity documents note their previous adherence to Islam。

Small steps， perhaps， but they point the way towards freedom of choice and citizenship based on equal rights rather than membership of a privileged religion。

26. According to the text， what impact did the revision of Egypt‘s secular constitution have on its citizens’ lives？

［A］ It did not make much difference to all the citizens。

［B］ Most of the Muslims felt that there was no much difference， but Christians， Judaists and people who embraced other religions felt increasing troubles。

［C］ Muslims， Christians and Judaists were protected in Islam， thus feeling no much difference， while other who embraced other faiths felt increasingly troubling difference。

［D］ Only Buddhists were specially treated， while others not。

27. What trouble may people who are neither Muslims nor Christians nor Judaists encounter according to the text？

［A］ They cannot preserve their own customs。

［B］ They cannot state their religion on the national identity cards。

［C］ They will not be able to divorce。

［D］ They cannot leave Egypt。

28. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the text？

［A］ Bahai belief is a legitimate faith according to some Islamic officials。

［B］ Any attempt to leave Islam will be punishable by death， whatever the situation is。

［C］ Bahai belief is a religion that boasts a long history。

［D］ Islamic officials tend to employ strict interpretations of Islamic law when it comes to the issue of religious freedom。

29. What progress has now been made toward religious freedom？

［A］ They can revert to their original faith freely， as long as it is clearly stated on their ID cards that they used to be in Islam。

［B］ People may be freely reverted to their original faith， on condition that their children remain in Islam。

［C］ To those who converted to Islam， only their children can be reverted to their original faith。

［D］ The government has officially declared that such restriction on religious freedom would be abolished。

30. What is the main purpose of this text？

［A］ To introduce the status quo of religious freedom in Egypt。

［B］ To ask for help in alleviating the restricted religious freedom in Egypt。

［C］ To force the government into action of some changes。

［D］ To promote the idea that freedom of choice and citizenship shall be based on equal rights rather than membership of a privileged religion。

Text 3

Remember Second Life， the virtual world that was supposed to become almost as important as the first one？ Now populated by no more than 84，000 avatars at a time， it has turned out to be a prime example of how short-lived Internet fads can be. Yet if many adults seem to have given up on virtual worlds， those that cater to children and teenagers are thriving. Several have even found a way to make money。

In America， nearly 10 million children and teenagers visit virtual worlds regularly， estimates eMarketer， a market researcher — a number the firm expects to increase to 15 million by 2013. As in January， there were 112 virtual worlds designed for under-18s with another 81 in development， according to Engage Digital Media， a market research firm。

All cater to different age groups and tastes. In Club Penguin， the market leader， which was bought by Disney in 2007 for a whopping $700 million， primary-school children can take on a penguin persona， fit out their own igloo and play games. Habbo Hotel， a service run from Finland， is a global hangout for teenagers who want to customise their own rooms and meet in public places to attend events. Gaia Online， based in Silicon Valley， offers similar activities， but is visited mostly by older teens who are into Manga comics。

Not a hit with advertisers， these online worlds earn most of their money from the sale of virtual goods， such as items to spruce up an avatar or a private room. They are paid for in a private currency， which members earn by participating in various activities， trading items or buying them with real dollars。

This sort of stealth tax seems to work. At Gaia Online， users spend more than $1 million per month on virtual items， says Craig Sherman， the firm‘s chief executive. Running such a virtual economy is not easy， which is why Gaia has hired a full-time economist to grapple with problems that are well known in the real world， such as inflation and an unequal distribution of wealth。

There are other barriers that could limit the growth of virtual worlds for the young， but the main one is parents. Many do not want their offspring roaming virtual worlds， either because they are too commercial or are thought to be too dangerous. Keeping them safe is one of the biggest running costs， because their sponsors have to employ real people to police their realms。

Youngsters are also a fickle bunch， says Simon Levene of Accel Partners， a venture-capital firm. Just as children move from one toy to another， they readily switch worlds or social networks， often without saying goodbye。

Even so， Debra Aho Williamson， an analyst at eMarketer， believes “these worlds are a training ground for the three-dimensional web”。 If virtual worlds for adults， which so far have been able to retain only hardcore users， manage to hang on for a few years， they may yet have a second life。

31. In the first paragraph it says that “Several have even found a way to make money”。 Which of the following could possibly be the “way”？

［A］ Sales of the copies of the game。

［B］ Sales of virtual goods in the game。

［C］ Sales of game peripheral goods， such as dolls and OST CDs。

［D］ Development of different games towards gamers of different ages。

32. Why do online games not mean “a hit with advertisers”？

［A］ The advertisers do not have appropriate ways to advertise in the online world。

［B］ Online game companies do not want to cooperate with the advertisers。

［C］ The profit pattern of online games does not leave much space for them。

［D］ The advertisers deem that online games will not be a rising industry。

33. Which of the following may NOT be the barriers to limit the growth of virtual worlds？

［A］ Inflation and unequal distributions of wealth can also happen in the virtual world。

［B］ The virtual world could grow complicated enough to force employment of special staff to manage it。

［C］ Parents would keep their children from the online games in order to keep them safe。

［D］ The online game companies will have to keep the virtual world safe， at some rather high cost。

34. What can we infer from Simon Levene’s comments？

［A］ Young people will usually change games。

［B］ Young people are only attracted by the novelties in the games。

［C］ Game companies will have to use various measures to keep young people continuing playing their games。

［D］ Current prosperity of online games market may not last long due to the capriciousness of young people。

35. What may “stealth tax” in “This sort of stealth tax seems to work” refer to？

［A］ Online world promotes transaction without seeing the currencies， thus boosting the consumption。

［B］ Things in the online world do not need to be taxed， and then is cheaper than actual ones。

［C］ Companies have already paid the tax for the players。

［D］ People buy things in the online world in a largely unnoticed way， either by himself or by others。

Text 4

Scores of workers from MTV Networks walked off the job yesterday afternoon， filling the sidewalk outside the headquarters of its corporate parent， Viacom， to protest recent changes in benefits. The walkout highlighted the concerns of a category of workers who are sometimes called permalancers： permanent freelancers who work like full-time employees but do not receive the same benefits。

Waving signs that read “Shame on Viacom，” the workers， most of them in their 20s， demanded that MTV Networks reverse a plan to reduce health and dental benefits for freelancers beginning On Jan. 1st. In a statement， MTV Networks noted that its benefits program for full-time employees had also undergone changes， and it emphasized that the plan for freelancers was still highly competitive within the industry. Many freelancers receive no corporate benefits. But some of the protesters asserted that corporations were competing to see which could provide the most mediocre health care coverage. Matthew Yonda， who works at Nickelodeon， held a sign that labeled the network “Sick-elodeon。” “I‘ve worked here every day for three years — I’m not a freelancer，” Mr. Yonda said. “They just call us freelancers in order to bar us from getting the same benefits as employees。”

The changes to the benefits package were announced last Tuesday. Freelancers were told that they would become eligible for benefits after 160 days of work， beginning in January. While that eased previous eligibility rules， which required freelancers to work for 52 weeks before becoming eligible， it would have required all freelancers not yet eligible for benefits to start the waiting period over again on Jan. 1st. The 401（k） plan was also removed. On Thursday， acknowledging the complaints， MTV Networks reinstated the 401（k） plan and said freelancers who had worked consistently since March would be eligible。

Fueled by a series of blog posts on the media Web site Gawker — the first post was headlined “The Viacom Permalance Slave System” — a loose cohort of freelancers created protest stickers and distributed walkout fliers last week. Caroline O‘Hare， a unit manager who has worked for MTV for more than two years， said the new health care plan — with higher deductibles and a $2，000 cap on hospital expenses each year — had provoked outrage. “They think they can treat us like children that don’t have families， mortgages or dreams of retirement，” she said。

Outside Viacom‘s headquarters， several workers held posters with the words， “There’s too many of us to ignore。” It was unclear how many freelancers are on the company‘s payroll; an MTV Networks’ spokeswoman said the figure was not known because it rises and falls throughout the year. The company has 5，500 full-time employees， excluding freelancers， around the world。

Two freelancers and one full-time employee， who asked not to be identified for fear of retribution， estimated that the percentage of freelancers in some departments exceeded 75 percent. Another labor action is expected to take place outside Viacom later this week. Members of the Writers Guild of America， who have been on strike for five weeks， are expected to picket there on Thursday。

36. Which of the following is NOT true on MTV Networks‘ new benefits plan for freelancers？

［A］ Its benefits plan for freelancers is highly competitive in the industry。

［B］ Its freelancers cannot get the same benefits as the full-time employees do。

［C］ The freelancers who are not eligible for benefits should start the waiting period over again on Jan. 1st。

［D］ The freelancers are against the new plan which substantially undermined their benefit。

37. What can we infer from the assertion that “corporations were competing to see which could provide the most mediocre health care coverage”？

［A］ Some benefits packages for full-time employees have already been a standard for freelancers。

［B］ Those who provide lesser health care coverage will be degraded in the industry evaluation。

［C］ Some companies use mediocre health care coverage as an edge in attracting freelancers。

［D］ It is a common practice for the companies not to provide adequate health care coverage for freelancers。

 

38. What does the word “reinstate” （Line 6， Paragraph 3） most probably mean？

［A］ redesign［B］ repair［C］ restore［D］ reset

39. Why did the MTV Networks’ spokeswoman say the number of freelancers was unclear？

［A］ The figure rises and falls all over the year。

［B］ The company wants to keep it as a secret so that they can better stand the protest。

［C］ As they are only freelancers， their payrolls are not included in the financial system of the company。

［D］ They do not want to treat freelancers the same as full-time employees。

40. Which of the following is NOT true according to the text？

［A］ Government may intervene in this dispute。

［B］ Strike will continue and labours union may intervene。

［C］ Companies decided to compromise with these freelancers。

［D］ Some freelancers have filed law suits against Viacom。

Part B

Directions：

In the following article， some sentences have been removed. For Questions 41-45， choose the most suitable one from the list A-G to fit into each of the numbered blanks. There are two extra choices， which do not fit in any of the blanks. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. （10 points）

Long before man lived on the Earth， there were fishes， reptiles， birds， insects， and some mammals. Although some of these animals were ancestors of kinds living today， others are now extinct， that is， they have no descendants alive now. Nevertheless， we know a great deal about many of them because their bones and shells have been preserved in the rocks as fossils. 41. That kind of rock in which the remains are found tells us much about the nature of the original land， often of the plants that grew on it， and even of its climate。

When an animal dies， the body， its bones， or shell， may often be carried away by streams into lakes or the sea and there get covered up by mud. If the animal lived in the sea its body would probably sink and be covered with mud. More and more mud would fall upon it until the bones or shell become embedded and preserved. 42. Thus it follows that there must be many kinds of mammals， birds， and insects of which we know nothing。

43. Later forms are more complex， and among these are the sea-lilies， relations of the star-fishes， which had long arms and were attached by a long stalk to the sea bed， or to rocks. There were also crab-like creatures， whose bodies were covered with a horny substance. The body segments each had two pairs of legs， one pair for walking on the sandy bottom， the other for swimming. The head was a kind of shield with a pair of compound eyes， often with thousands of lenses. They were usually an inch or two long but some were 2 feet。

The shellfish have a long history in the rock and many different kinds are known. Of these， the ammonites are very interesting and important. They have a shell composed of many chambers， each representing a temporary home of the animal. As the young grew larger it grew a new chamber and sealed off the previous one. Thousands of these can be seen in the rocks on the Dorset Coast。

The first animals with true backbones were fishes， first known in the rocks of 375 million years ago. About 300 million years ago the amphibians， the animals able to live both on land and in water， appeared. They were giant， sometimes 8 feet long， and many of them lived in the swampy pools in which our coal seam， or layer， formed. 44. About 75 million years ago the Age of Reptiles was over and most of the groups died out. The mammals quickly developed， and we can trace the evolution of many familiar animals such as the elephant and horse. 45.

［A］ The best index fossils tend to be marine creatures. These animals evolved rapidly and spread over large areas of the world。

［B］ The amphibians gave rise to the reptiles and for nearly 150 million years these were the principal forms of life on land， in the sea， and in the air。

［C］ Many of the later mammals， though now extinct， were known to primitive man and were featured by him in cave paintings and on bone carvings。

［D］ Nearly all of the fossils that we know were preserved in rocks formed by water action， and most of these are of animals that lived in or near water。

［E］ The earliest animals whose remains have been found were all very simple kinds and lived in the sea。

［F］ Many factors can influence how fossils are preserved in rocks. Remains of an organism may be replaced by minerals， dissolved by an acidic solution to leave only their impression， or simply reduced to a more stable form。

［G］ From them we can tell their size and shape， how they walked， the kind of food they ate. Very occasionally the rocks show impression of skin， so that， apart from color， we can build up a reasonably accurate picture of an animal that died millions of years ago。

Part C

Directions：

Read the following text carefully and then translate the underlined segments into Chinese. Your translation should be written clearly on ANSWER SHEET 2. （10 points）

It is hard to get a grip on food. The UN‘s World Health Organisation worries about diminishing supplies and increased prices in poor countries; recent riots and near-riots in Haiti， Bangladesh and Egypt were sparked by the growing cost of wheat and rice. But， as Paul Roberts observes in “The End of Food”， the developed world has lived through “a near miraculous period during which the things we ate seemed to grow only more plentiful， more secure， more nutritious， and simply better。” 46. In the second half of the 20th century， world output of corn， wheat and cereal crops more than tripled. Yet there is not enough to feed the rich， the aspirational and the poor in the world. A golden age has been transformed quite suddenly into a global crisis。

Mr Roberts insists that modern agribusiness is unsustainable and becoming more so. “Precisely at the moment in history when we need to shift our system of food production into overdrive， our agricultural engine is breaking down，” he says. The industry has taken cheap oil for granted. Oil fuels transportation and farm machinery， and natural gas is the basis of synthetic nitrogen production （prices have tripled since 2002）。 Agriculture accounts for three-quarters of freshwater use， and water is becoming an increasingly scarce and expensive resource. Climate change makes some old assumptions about farming redundant. 47. A combination of these factors， he says， will ultimately force a complete rethinking of the way we make food。

For years government subsidies held down grain prices， making food cheaper. 48. Water was also plentiful — it takes 1，000 tonnes of water to produce a tonne of grain — and an ingenious process known as Haber-Bosch makes synthetic nitrogen fertiliser easily available to grain farmers. Ruthless price-cutting at supermarkets means consumers have grown accustomed to eating too much. （In the late 19th century， Europeans already thought Americans ate three or four times more than was necessary。） The most damaging consequence is that by 2000 31% of American adults were obese， with another 16% defined as overweight. American airlines spend $275 million a year more on fuel simply to lift the heavier passengers. Mr Roberts claims that every year obesity causes 400，000 premature deaths in America. Food has become as deadly as tobacco。

A fruitful start would be to halve the size of portions in all American restaurants， but most consumers are reluctant rethinkers. 49. Eating organic product could be a partial solution， although one study suggests that the cost of avoiding intensive farm chemicals would mean a 31% increase in food prices. Government scientists believe that genetically modified crops might be the only way out of the crisis， but a majority of consumers are reluctant to listen。

Is there a model for the future？ 50. Fashionably， Mr. Roberts believes that a local system based on easily obtainable seasonal foods that do not need to be transported huge distances would form part of a solution. The economics and greenery of this are far from proven. Mr Roberts can find only one country that has made “serious efforts” in this direction： Cuba， hardly a comforting example. The coming food crisis， warns the author， is as intractable as global warming， and no less urgent。

Section III Writing

Part A

51. Directions：

One of your pen friends， John， will be visiting your city. However， for some reasons， you cannot meet him at the airport on time. Write a letter asking him to wait for you at the airport and tell him how to recognize you. Your letter should be no less than 100 words. You don’t need to write the address. Don‘t sign your own name at the end of the letter. Use Roger instead. （10 points）

Part B

52. Directions：

Study the following drawing carefully and write an essay in which you should

1） describe the drawing；

2） interpret its meaning；

3） support your view with examples。

You should write about 160-200 words neatly on ANSWER SHEET 2.（20 points）

考研2011考研英語最后點題第二套參考答案

Section IUse of English

【先睹為快】

1. D2. B3. A4. A5. C6. C7. A8. B9. B10. C

11. D12. D13. A14. A15. C16. B17. D18. C19. A20. B

【文章大意】

哈佛等私立大學雖然學費高昂，但是它們提出了一系列助學金政策來幫助中低收入家庭。哈佛宣布其政策之后，其他的私立學校也相繼跟進，他們紛紛宣稱學生不該因付不起學費而被迫往它處求學，并以此與公立學校競爭。他們還設立了一種大學收費模式——對富裕學生施行高收費，以此來幫助補貼較困難的以及不符合領取聯邦津貼和政府貸款條件的家庭的學生。

【答案透析】

1. 【答案】 D。

形容詞辨析，首先這里的主干部分是$46，000 is…，price是在破折號內的，因此可以把high排除掉。而再看后文里的獎助學金之類的政策，可以說這筆學費應該是很高的，而非合理的或便宜的，故選擇expensive。

2. 【答案】 B。

既然前文提到這些學校的學費很貴，那么從邏輯上說進這些學校學費該是一個很大的障礙。而本句有一個轉折，說明應當是沒有障礙，因此選擇no。

3. 【答案】 A。

首先本句的結構是一個讓步的關系，即需要填入的這個動詞的程度應當比or后面的成分更深。那么看or后面的slashed them deeply for needy students，為需要的學生大大降低了學費，那么可以推斷出B項和C項不合適。而D項和A項相比，D項是普通意義上的減少，并不會比大大降低有多少程度上的遞進，故選擇A項。

4. 【答案】 A。

A項緩和，B項中止，C項加強，D項減少。結合這個動詞的賓語sticker-shock，這是一個美國術語，直譯是“標簽震驚”，也就是看了標簽上的價錢后震驚不已，形容定價太高。那么前述的減免學費政策自然應當是緩和這種震驚。C項在意思上肯定不對，B、D不適用于這種抽象性的對象。

5. 【答案】 C。

從后文看，耶魯等大學也出臺了相應的減免學費政策，那么應當是similar；前文并未提及哈佛的具體措施，所以same無從談起。

6. 【答案】 C。

哈佛和耶魯的關系，相提并論、相互競爭，乃至相互合作都是可以的。那么重點需要理解bitterest這個單詞的修飾作用，bitter在這里是指顯示出嫉妒、怨恨或失望的，因此結合選項，rival最為合適。

7. 【答案】 A。

結合文章主題是減免學費的高校財政支持政策，那么能夠享受這些政策的應該是低收入家庭，所以是less than…。poorer than 后面的所比較對象不符合語法規范，故不選。

8. 【答案】 B。

根據后面的by 43%判斷，expand和increase比較合適，enhance和elevate都不能在后面加上具體的百分比。而increase后面的賓語更多的是具體的數值，而不是僅僅一個budget，故expand最為合適。

9. 【答案】 B。

前文說哈佛也對年收入接近18萬美元的家庭有相應的學費減免計劃，如此一來，進入哈佛學習的學費將相應降低，那么這和州立大學的學費相比呢？一般來說哈佛等私立大學的學費會比公立大學的學費高，有了這個計劃，則相應降低，故應當是comparable，可比較的，比得上的。

10. 【答案】 C。

take out是一個固定搭配，意為“獲取，辦理”。后文的動詞為支付，則可以判斷出是要通過借款或者打工來支付，take out part-time job不符合搭配，使用take part-time jobs即可。savings或work都不符合題意。

11. 【答案】 D。

A項charge一般指收費，B項一般指交通費，C項指付款、報酬，綜合全文，都是在說學費，故選出D項。

12. 【答案】 D。

本文第一段說“And last month Harvard announced a new plan”，那么可以判斷出這里指代前文哈佛的announcement；若選擇implementation，由于本處并未提及該公告，故應當有 implementation of…之類。policy會造成語義殘缺，而adjustment并未在文中提及。

13. 【答案】 A。

本句是說任何獲得入學許可的同學都不會因為無力負擔學費而覺得該去其他地方。A項有壓力的，語義合適；B項羞愧的，這不符合常識，或者說并非常態；C項不安全和D項不高興在文中都未曾提及。

14. 【答案】 A。

本題要抓住后面的particularly state-run universities，前文說到哈佛和耶魯之類的大學經過學費減免計劃之后學費同公立大學差不多，那么這里結合選項，cheaper最為合適，more reasonable未有提及，public則意思不對，即previously public說明之前是公立，現在是私立了；better也未有提及。

15. 【答案】 C。

首先根據句意判斷，哈佛耶魯與公立學校競爭以招來更多的學生，這肯定是有積極意義的，所以像shrink和diminish這樣的含有消極意義的詞匯不符合題意。同時這個動詞的賓語是reputation和figure，expand無法與reputation搭配，故選擇C。

16. 【答案】 B。

此處的scheme指代前面各大高校的資助政策，后面是說分別收費有助于減少對聯邦貸款的依賴，那么結合選項，應當是model最為合適。文中并未提及有關高校學費區分的困難及機會，故A項不選。disposition和location都不符合文意。

17. 【答案】 D。

既然對于學生的學費進行了區分收取，那么中低收入家庭所要負擔的學費就較之前少一些，故可以不用再大規模地向聯邦借貸。“The universities will also not require any student to take out loans to pay for their tuition”從這句話可以推斷。故應該是依賴程度更低，故選D。

18. 【答案】 C。

A項打敗，B項贏得，C項模仿，D項跟隨。這里是說學費高昂但是財力并不雄厚的私立學校并不能輕松哈佛和耶魯，文中并未提及相互競爭的內容，故 A、B項錯誤。從全文來看應當是說他們也想引入區分收費的政策，所以應當是copy，選項follow應當為follow one’s example方為合適，故選C。

19. 【答案】 A。

根據前文copy哈佛或耶魯的表述，可以推斷出他們也是要區分收費，那么便是pricing。

20. 【答案】 B。

這里前面是說公立大學，那么與之競爭的對應者應當是私立大學，那么應該是private counterparts，故選擇B。

【難句聚焦】

1. Harvard and Yale are， after all， now likely to lure more students away from previously cheaper options， particularly state-run universities， enhancing their already impressive admissions figures and reputations。

【分析】主體結構是Harvard and Yale are now likely to lure…。After all作整句的狀語。particularly后面這一部分作options的同位語，現在分詞enhancing引導目的狀語。

2. But America‘s state-run universities， which have traditionally kept their fees low and stable， might well try a differentiated pricing scheme as they raise cash to compete academically with their private counterparts。

【分析】主體結構是America’s state-run universities might well try…。which引導一個非限制性定語從句。as引導一個原因狀語從句。

Section IIReading Comprehension

Part A

Text 1

【先睹為快】

21. C 22. D 23. B 24. A 25. C

【答案透析】

21. 【答案】 C。

本題需要仔細閱讀第一段第二句“It provides more calories， more quickly， using less land and in a wider range of climates than any other plant”這便說的是馬鈴薯的特點。那么結合選項，A項的lower price文中沒有提及，B項的less labor in processing未有提及，D項中的wider range of products to be made of也未有提及，故選C。

22. 【答案】 D。

求解本題需要找到“It hopes that greater awareness of the merits of potatoes will contribute to the achievement of its Millennium Development Goals， by helping to alleviate poverty， improve food security and promote economic development”。這一句有三層意思，一是讓人們增進對馬鈴薯優點的了解，二是有助于減少貧困、提高食品安全性以及促進經濟的發展，三是實現聯合國的千年發展目標。第一層是活動本身的目的，第二層是手段，第三層是最終目標。而A、B項在文中都未有提及，故結合問題，D項最為合適。

23. 【答案】 B。

A項說馬鈴薯產量高，價格便宜，有力支持了工廠的工人，但文中并未有此表述，故不選。B項說使人們脫離了田地間的勞作，從而為工業提供了勞動力，這在第三段中可以找到對應的表述，故選。C項說改變了英國的農業結構，文中也沒有表述。D項說提供更多的熱量是正確的，但是提供更多的土地供棉花種植卻并不正確。

24. 【答案】 A。

A項說是經過議會激烈辯論后被廢除的，而在文中是說最終并不是口若懸河的辯論而是同情廢止了《谷物法》，故答案選A項。B項說國內產品更貴，地主可以賺更多的錢，對應文中“廉價進口的谷物會降低他們的收益”。C項說進口谷物有助于他們開拓市場，這需要找到文中說的進口谷物“會降低食物價格，從而讓人們在制造好的商品上花費更多”，這兩者意思相同。D項則是第四段的最后兩句的總結。

25. 【答案】 C。

本題求解在最后一段中的“They took hold in 18th-century Europe only when war and famine meant there was nothing else to eat; people then realised just how versatile and reliable they were”。A項文中沒有提及，B項是馬鈴薯被歐洲人接受之后呈現的現象，C項則可以直接對應，D項文中也未有提及，故選擇C。

【難句聚焦】

1. Unlikely though it seems， the potato promoted economic development by underpinning the industrial revolution in England in the 19th century。

【分析】本句主體結構是the potato promoted economic development。前面的unlikely though it seems調整容易理解的句序應當為unlikely it seems， though，…。

2. Ultimately it was not the eloquence of the arguments against the Corn Laws that led to their abolition — and more‘s the pity。

【分析】本句為強調句結構，it is （not） that…。And more’s the pity 還原成句子就是 it is more the pity that…。

【譯海拾貝】

在世界的糧食作物中，它的重要性僅次于玉米、小麥和稻谷。與其它農作物相比，它能夠提供更多的熱量，生長速度更快，而所占土地面積卻比它們要少，適宜它生長的氣候條件也更廣。它，當然就是馬鈴薯了。

聯合國已經宣布2008年為“馬鈴薯國際年”。它希望人們了解馬鈴薯的優點后將有助于減少貧困、提高食品安全性以及促進經濟的發展，從而實現聯合國的千年發展目標。它不是這個的國際年就是那個的國際月。但是馬鈴薯不尋常的歷史意味著它非常值得《經濟學家》讀者們贊美——因為馬鈴薯的歷史與經濟發展、貿易自由化及全球化是交織在一起的。

雖然馬鈴薯其貌不揚，但是它確實為英國19世紀的工業革命打下了基礎，推動了其經濟的發展。它是價廉的熱量來源，也很容易栽種，因此使人脫離了田地間的勞作。馬鈴薯在英國北方種植廣泛，因為北方的人專門從事牲畜農業和家庭產業，而南方的農場主（這里的土壤更適合種馬鈴薯）則種植小麥。完全巧合的是，這使得工業集中在這個煤炭資源豐富的地區，而馬鈴薯產業導致了人口的大量剩余，這又為新的工廠提供了充足的勞動力。弗里德·恩格斯甚至宣稱馬鈴薯“歷史性的革命作用”可以與鐵相提并論。

馬鈴薯促進了自由貿易的發展，使英國的《谷物法》被廢除——而這也促成了1843年《經濟學家》的創立�！豆任锓ā废拗萍Z食進口到英國以保護國內的小麥生產商。土地擁有者支持這項法律，因為便宜的進口糧食會讓他們的收入減少，但工廠主則反對這項法律，因為進口會讓食品價格降低，這樣人們就會把更多的錢花在工業產品上。最終并不是口若懸河的辯論而是同情廢止了《谷物法》。起因是1845年愛爾蘭馬鈴薯歉收，由于他們所賴以生存的馬鈴薯得了枯萎病，導致了一百萬愛爾蘭人死亡。愛爾蘭需要進口糧食來緩解災情，這迫使由支持《谷物法》的土地擁有者所組成的政府不得不改弦易轍。

這就為其它領域的自由化鋪平了道路，自由貿易也就成為了英國的政策。當時的惠靈頓公爵苦嘆道：“腐爛的馬鈴薯實現了這所有的目標。”

馬鈴薯以炸薯條的形式跟夾餅和可樂一起出售，它現在已經是全球化的標志。這完全是個轉變，考慮到在十六世紀它們傳到舊大陸的時候人們心存疑慮。馬鈴薯當時被認為會引起麻風病，只適合動物吃，與惡魔有關，而且有毒。只有在十八世紀的歐洲，當戰爭和饑荒使人們無以為食的時候，它們才被接受；直到那時，人們才知道馬鈴薯的用途是多么的廣，又是多么的可靠。正如眾多的馬鈴薯的贊賞者之一亞當·斯密斯所言，“這些國家對于馬鈴薯作為食物的利用完全可以讓人相信：一個民族對于飲食的偏見，不管是多么根深蒂固，也決不會不可改變。”通過搗碎、油炸、清煮和烘烤，小小的馬鈴薯改變了這個世界，每個自由貿易的全球化者都應該贊美它。

Text 2

【先睹為快】

26. C 27. B 28. D 29. A 30. D

【答案透析】

26. 【答案】 C。

A項，沒有影響所有的公民，但是第一段中明確說明有一小部分所受影響嚴重，故A項錯誤。B項，只有穆斯林沒覺得有變化，而其他宗教的信徒都覺得有區別，但是文中是說Nearly all the rest profess Christianity or Judaism， faiths recognised and protected in Islam，故B項也不對。C項，穆斯林，基督徒和猶太教徒都不會受太大影響，除了一小部分其他信仰者或是那些試圖脫離伊斯蘭教者，故此C正確。D項提到了佛教徒，但是文中并未提及，故D項不選。

27. 【答案】 B。

本題需要注意第二段。A項不能保持他們自己的習俗，文中并未提及，故不選。B項不能在身份證上表明他們的宗教信仰，這可以在第二段所舉的例子中找到對應表述，故正確。C項說不能離婚，第二段中的表述是很多人因為不能離婚而從基督教轉換到伊斯蘭教，但并沒有說明其他宗教的情況，故不選。D項不能離開埃及，文中也沒有提及，故不選。

28. 【答案】 D。

A項一些伊斯蘭官員認為巴哈教是合法宗教，但是第四段中說“他們認為，嚴格看來，巴哈教信仰不能被承認是一種合法的信仰”，故A項不正確。B項說任何試圖離開伊斯蘭教的行為，不管什么情況，都應被處以死刑，貌似和文中符合，但是原文是they brand，污蔑，因此事實并非如此，B不正確。C項巴哈教有很長的歷史，但是文中說其僅產生于19世紀，故C不正確。D項伊斯蘭官員總是傾向于采取嚴格的伊斯蘭法律解釋，這與文中所述符合，故選擇D項。

29. 【答案】 A。

本題主要在倒數第二段，是說有些基督徒贏得了官司，可以返回原來的信仰，只是要在身份證上注明自己曾經信仰過伊斯蘭教。那么回過頭來看選項，A 項符合文意；B項說孩子仍需信仰伊斯蘭教，這文中并未提及；C項說只有孩子能夠返回原來的信仰，同樣文中也沒有提及；D項政府公開宣稱不再限制宗教自由，這在文中也沒有說明。故A項正確。

30. 【答案】 D。

全文的目的需要看一下最后一段，“這些公民權利應該是平等的而不能依據一個人的宗教身份而有什么特權”，然后再看選項。A項說是介紹埃及的宗教自由現狀，文中有很大一部分著墨于此，但這只是手段，并非目的。B項說呼吁埃及拓寬宗教自由，這在文中并未看到。C項說迫使政府采取措施改善現狀，一篇文章并不能產生迫使的作用，況且還是外國人寫的文章。D項意思與最后一段的意思比較符合，是通過文章宣傳平等的概念，借宗教自由之名呼吁平等的公民權利。

【難句聚焦】

1. But to the small minority who embrace other faiths， or who have tried to leave Islam， it has， until lately， made an increasingly troubling difference。

【分析】主體結構是it has made an increasingly troubling difference。to the small 一句引導的是狀語，而until lately是插入的時間狀語。

2. Such restrictions on religious freedom are not directly a product of sharia， say human-rights campaigners， but rather of rigid interpretations of Islamic law by over-zealous officials。

【分析】主體結構是such restrictions are not a product of… but rather of…。say human rights campaigners是插入語。rather在這里用以提出更為確切的說法，表示兩者比較，正確的為后者。

【譯海拾貝】

27年前，埃及修改了它的世俗憲法，強調要以伊斯蘭教教法作為“立法之根本”。對大多數埃及公民來說，在大多數時候，這種看上去的矛盾——世俗和宗教之間——似乎并沒有造成多少影響。十分之九的埃及人是遜尼派穆斯林，他們希望用伊斯蘭教規來管理諸如結婚、離婚以及繼承之類的事情。其他的埃及人幾乎全都是基督徒或是信仰猶太教，這兩種宗教在伊斯蘭教中是得到認同和保護的宗教。但近來，對于一小部分其他信仰者或是那些試圖脫離伊斯蘭教者，這次修憲導致的差異使他們越來越覺得麻煩重重。

例如達到2000之多的巴哈教社區的成員們已經發現他們不能在身份證上表明他們的宗教信仰，而所有埃及人都有義務這樣做來獲得諸如駕照、銀行帳戶、社會保險以及享受公立教育等。數百名曾經因逃避正教在離婚上的禁令而皈依到伊斯蘭教的基督徒（科普特教會：埃及的基督教會，信奉基督一性論的教義）發現他們無法恢復原來的信仰。在有些情況下，信仰基督長大的孩子們發現因其離婚父母皈依伊斯蘭教，而使他們自己被列入正式穆斯林，并且喪失了信仰其他宗教的權利。

人權運動人士表示，這樣一些對宗教信仰自由的限制約束并不是直接源自伊斯蘭教法，而是狂熱的官員通過伊斯蘭法律進行的強行解釋。他們認為，嚴格看來，巴哈教信仰不能被承認是一種合法的信仰，這是因為它產生于19世紀，不久之后，伊斯蘭教宣稱獲得了始于亞當一系列預言中的最終啟示。同樣，這些官員誣蔑任何試圖離開伊斯蘭教的行為，不管什么情況，都屬于背教并需要用死刑來進行懲處。

但是最近這樣的觀點受到了質疑。伊斯蘭教大法學家Ali Gomaa作為政府最高宗教顧問，在去年宣布，在伊斯蘭教那神圣的經文里沒有哪里提到過背教必須像現在那樣接受死刑的處罰，事實上，根據經文，這種懲罰應該是死后由真主作出。在過去的一個月，埃及法院已經作出兩項規定，在保留限制范圍的同時，放寬一些令人感到麻煩的約束。

也許現在巴哈教徒可以在他們的身份證上為其宗教信仰而留下空余。12名前基督徒贏得了一場訴訟，他們也許現在可以回到他們原來的信仰了，條件是他們的身份文件要注明他們以前曾經信仰伊斯蘭教。

這也許只能算是一個小小的進步，但他們為選擇自由和公民權利指明了前進的道路。這些公民權利應該是平等的而不能依據一個人的宗教身份而有特權之分。

Text 3

【先睹為快】

31. B 32. C 33. A 34. D 35. A

【答案透析】

31. 【答案】 B。

雖然這一句出現在第一段，但是答案需要到第四段中去找，第四段提到“這些虛擬世界的利潤來源是虛擬物品的銷售”。那么可以判斷出既不是游戲拷貝，也不是游戲衍生品，更不是游戲產品細分年齡，故選擇B項。

32. 【答案】 C。

本題的答案同樣在第四段，because后面給出了原因，說主要利潤來源是游戲里的虛擬物品的銷售，這種盈利模式之下廣告商很難從中獲取分成，因為這是以虛擬貨幣完成的，虛擬貨幣的獲得只有一部分通過實際貨幣獲得，因此降低了廣告商的盈利空間，因此C項符合文意。A項說沒有合適的方式進行廣告，大體上也是正確，但是和C項相比，C項更為具體。B項說有些公司并不愿意和廣告商合作，這按常理判斷應該不會，因為與廣告商合作對于公司來說基本上是利大于弊。D項說廣告商不認為網絡游戲有前途，這無法從文中得到，因此綜合來看C項最符合文意。

33. 【答案】 A。

阻礙網絡游戲產業的發展的因素文中總共提到了三點，第五段后半部分提到運營過于復雜，第六段中提到的父母的壓力和保證線上世界的安全。再結合選項，可以看出A項與原文不符，通貨膨脹和財富分配不均都屬于現實中的問題，故選擇A項。

34. 【答案】 D。

本題需要掌握最后兩段，看原文的這段話，是說年輕人玩網游并不意味著會從一而終，喜新厭舊是常事，言下之意是說雖然網絡游戲市場現在一派繁榮，但是能持續多久卻是個未知數。后面一段接著又說了這些公司應該吸引這些玩家更久一點。結合起來看，由此可以推斷出D選項符合題意。A項就是原文的字面意思，B項也是字面意思，可以從兒童和玩具的例子中得出，C項并不能推斷出來，因為原文并未有提及任何解決方案，只是說明了會存在的問題。

35. 【答案】 A。

本句為第五段的第一句，那么this sort of肯定是承前指代，即指代第四段的內容，也就是虛擬交易，虛擬物品，虛擬貨幣等內容，沒有使用真實貨幣即進行了交易，結合選項可知A項最符合，B和C都沒有提及，而D項說人們在網絡世界里購物都是不為他人所知的，運用常識判斷，可以得知其并不完全符合實際情況。

【難句聚焦】

1. Not a hit with advertisers， these online worlds earn most of their money from the sale of virtual goods， such as items to spruce up an avatar or a private room。

【分析】主體結構為these online worlds earn most of their money from the sale of virtual goods。Not a hit with advertisers為狀語，such as作the sale of virtual goods的同位語。

2. Running such a virtual economy is not easy， which is why Gaia has hired a full-time economist to grapple with problems that are well known in the real world， such as inflation and an unequal distribution of wealth。

【分析】主體結構為Running such a virtual economy is not easy，動詞ing形式作主語，后面跟一個非限制性定語從句。在這個定語從句里，why作關系副詞，其后的that引導一個定語從句。

【譯海拾貝】

還記得“第二人生”嗎，那個曾經被認為將會與現實生活同樣重要的虛擬世界？但現在，其同時在線人數最多不超過8萬4千人，極好地證明了網絡流行到底有多短命。如果說許多成年人看起來好像已經脫離了虛擬世界，那么那些能夠迎合兒童和青少年的虛擬世界卻正在興盛起來。它們中的有些甚至已經找到了生財之道。

在美國，將近有一千萬的兒童和青少年定期訪問各種網絡游戲，一個名為eMarketer的市場調查公司估計，到2013年該人數將上升至一千五百萬人。根據EDM（Engage Digital Media，一個市場調研公司）的統計，截至今年1月，已經有112個虛擬社區是為18歲（含）以下青少年設計的，同時，另外81個正在開發中。

這些游戲合起來可以滿足各種年齡層和各種不同口味的群體的偏好。在企鵝俱樂部（Club Penguin，游戲市場的領先者，于2007年被迪斯尼以7億美元的高價收購）那款游戲里，小學生們能夠扮演企鵝，裝備他們自己的小冰屋，玩各種各樣的游戲。哈伯旅館（Habbo Hotel），來自于芬蘭的線上服務，成為了全球青少年聚集的巢穴。利用這項服務，青少年們可以定制自己的房間，也能夠參與到公共事件中去。誕生于硅谷的 Gaia Online也提供了相似的游戲，但是它的用戶群集中在年齡稍大的青少年中，他們往往非常熱愛動漫。

然而這些游戲并不需要廣告宣傳，主要靠銷售虛擬的物品來盈利，比如用于裝扮虛擬人物或個人房間的物品。它們往往用虛擬貨幣支付，這些貨幣可以通過參與豐富多彩的活動、虛擬交易和付出真實美元來獲得。

這種隱匿負擔的方式似乎很有效果。Gaia Online的總裁克雷格·謝爾曼表示，用戶們每月在虛擬物品上的花費超過一百萬美元。但經營這樣一個虛擬經濟并不容易，這也是為什么Gaia會聘請全職的經濟學家來處理各種在現實世界中都會遇到的問題，比如通貨膨脹和財富分配不均。

當然，許多制約因素都能夠抑制青少年虛擬游戲的增長，但主要的壓力來自父母。很多家長都不愿意他們的孩子游弋于虛擬世界中，一方面是因為這些游戲過于商業化，另一方面他們覺得太危險。讓這些游戲環境變得安全是一件十分燒錢的事情，因為它們的運營商不得不雇傭真人來管理自己建立起來的王國。

風險資本公司Accel Partners的西門·萊文表示，年輕人是一群讓人捉摸不定者，就像兒童對玩具喜新厭舊一般，他們常常不用告別就很容易變換自己主攻的游戲世界或者社交網絡。

即使是這樣，eMarketer公司的分析師Debra Aho Williamson認為“這些虛擬社區為三維網絡奠定了基礎”。如果那些迄今為止只能夠抓住核心用戶的成人虛擬游戲還能夠再堅持幾年的話，它們也許還能迎來自己的第二春吧。

隱匿負擔：直譯的詞，是指利用不讓人們接觸紙幣的方式來完成交易，從而鼓勵多消費，典型的例子是信用卡。其心理學依據是，當人們進行交易時，如果手能夠親自接觸通貨，人們會產生惜買的情緒。

Text 4

【先睹為快】

36. C 37. D 38. C 39. B 40. A

【答案透析】

36. 【答案】 C。

題目要求找出和新福利方案不符合的一項，關于A在第二段有所提及，是MTV為自己辯護的證據；B在全文中都有體現，第一段工人罷工的原因就是自由職業者不能和正式員工享受一樣的福利；選項C在文章的第三段提到，雖然一開始計劃改變后是這樣規定的，但因職員的抗議，公司又重新恢復了401方案，只要從三月份以來一直在工作的員工就可以享受新的福利方案。選項D，全文中各個段落都提到了這一點。因此，只有C是符合題意的。

37. 【答案】 D。

題目說從“公司在互相較勁看誰能提供最普通的醫療保健保險”這句我們可以得到什么信息，首先要注意mediocre是個貶義詞，那么most mediocre，其意思也就是說看誰提供的醫療健康保險最少，覆蓋范圍最小，最能節省成本，也就是說大家都不提供適當的健康醫療保險。再來看選項，A說已經成為了標準，這顯然是不正確的；B說提供醫療健康保險較低的在行業評分中會被降級，這在文中完全沒有提及；C項說有些公司用基本的健康醫療保險作為招聘的一項優勢，這并未提及；D項說公司大都不提供適當的健康醫療保險，這符合文意，故D項符合題意。

38. 【答案】 C。

首先看到reinstate這個詞是由re開頭的，因此這個單詞應該有“重復”或者“重新”的意思。有了這個前提，再結合上下文來看，401方案取消后，員工進行了抗議，因此MTV對該方案采取了一定行動�？梢酝茰y，是一種公司緩和氣氛而作的努力，那么應該是恢復了該方案。答案為C。選項 A，redesign重新設計，也即推翻重來，但文中是說恢復實施，故A不正確。B項repair，修理，與后面的賓語不搭配，故不選。D項reset，重新設置，也有推翻重來的意思，故也不符合文意。

39. 【答案】 B。

第五段中提到，目前工資薪水冊上有多少自由職員還不清楚，一位MTV網絡發言人聲稱是因為這個數字全年都來回波動，這很明顯是一個托辭，因為每家公司都會有其各種人員的登記，要掌握具體的數據并不困難。只是公布該數據對公司不利，因為這會暴露公司自知其擁有大量的自由職員，因此公司不想讓外人知道這些數據，以便于在這場罷工斗爭中爭取有利形勢。因此B為正確答案。A項僅僅是其表面宣稱的原因，并不如B項有說服力。C項無從得知，而D選項可能是其公司的一貫態度，因而也可以作為原因，但是與B項相比，D項只是一種手段，B項才是真正的原因。

40. 【答案】 A。

A項說政府部門會介入，而文中僅提及了美國作家協會，這并非政府部門，故不符合文意。B項說罷工仍會繼續，而工會會介入，這在最后一段可以找到對應表述。C項說公司決定和自由職業者妥協，這可以從公司恢復401計劃判斷出來。D項說有些自由職業者已經告了Viacom，這在最后一段也有相關表述，故選擇A。

【難句聚焦】

1. Waving signs that read“Shame on Viacom，” the workers， most of them in their 20s， demanded that MTV Networks reverse a plan to reduce health and dental benefits for freelancers beginning on Jan. 1st。

【分析】主體結構為The workers demanded that…。這是一個復合句，前面的現在分詞短語作為主語的伴隨狀語；most of them in their 20s是主語的修飾語；謂語demand后是一個賓語從句，在該從句中，beginning on Jan 1st是一個現在分詞短語作a plan的定語。

2. While that eased previous eligibility rules， which required freelancers to work for 52 weeks before becoming eligible， it would have required all freelancers not yet eligible for benefits to start the waiting period over again on Jan. 1st。

【分析】主體結構為While that eased… it would have…。這是一個并列句，前半分句中有一個which引導的非限定定語從句修飾previous eligibility rules，后半分句中not yet eligible for benefits是后置定語用來修飾all freelancers。

【譯海拾貝】

昨天下午，MTV網絡的許多工人進行罷工，他們站滿了其上級公司Viacom總部外的人行道，抗議最近福利方面的變化。這次罷工突出反映了有時被稱為永久的自由職業者的這么一類工人的憂慮：他們和全職員工一樣工作，但是卻得不到同樣的福利。

這些工人大多數都是二十多歲，他們手中揮舞著寫有“Viacom無恥”的標語，要求MTV網絡收回于1月1日開始實施的減少自由職業者健康和牙齒醫療方面福利的計劃。MTV網絡提到其全職員工的福利計劃也發生了一些變化，并且強調對自由職業者的福利計劃在本行業來說還是有一定優勢的。許多自由職業者沒有任何的公司福利。但是一些抗議者聲稱公司在互相較勁看誰能提供最普通的醫療保健保險。在Nickelodeon工作的Matthew Yonda手持的標語將該網絡叫做“惡心的elodeon”。“我三年來每天都在這里工作——我不是自由職業者”，Yonda說，“他們叫我們自由職業者，目的就是不讓我們享受和正式員工一樣的福利待遇。”

福利待遇變化是上周二公布的，自由職業者被告知他們將從1月起，工作160天后才能有資格享受福利。雖然這樣一來放寬了以前的資格規定（該規定要求自由職業者在成為合格人員前必須工作52周），但卻要求所有還未有資格享受福利的自由職業者從1月1日重新開始計算等待期。401（k）計劃也被取消了。星期四，MTV網絡在收到申訴后又恢復了401（k）計劃，宣布從三月以來就一直工作的自由職業者將有資格享受福利。

媒體網Gawker上一系列的博客公告更是火上加油（第一篇公告標題為“Viacom的永久自由職業者奴隸體系”），一群組織松散的自由職業者上周做了抗議張貼物并散發罷工傳單。Caroline O‘Hare 是曾在MTV工作過兩年多的部門經理，她說這個新的健康保障計劃——有更高的扣除條款，并設定了每年醫療花費2000美元的最高限額——已經引起了公憤。 “他們覺得可以對待我們像對待沒有家庭、抵押和退休夢想的孩子一樣。”她這樣說。

在Viacom總部外，幾個工人手中的條幅這樣寫著：“我們人數眾多，不容忽視。”還不清楚到底有多少自由職業者劃入該公司的薪水冊中，MTV 網絡一位女發言人聲稱由于一年中這個數字時高時低，所以現在這個數字還不能確定。該公司除自由職業者外，在全世界有5500名全職員工。

兩個自由職業者和一個全職員工估計在某些部門自由職業者的比例超過75%，這三個人因害怕被公司報復而要求不公開他們身份。另外一項勞動訴訟可能將于本周晚些時候在Viacom外進行。已經罷工五周的美國作家協會的成員，有望于周四在此當糾察員。

Part B

【先睹為快】

41. G 42. D 43. E 44. B 45. C

【文章大意】

地球上曾經有過的動物中，有很多我們已無緣再見，只有通過化石我們才能對那些已消失的動物稍有了解。能夠留下化石的動物一般都生活在水邊，例如河、湖、海洋等。在化石中發現的最早的動物的結構都很簡單，后來出現了結構較復雜的魚類，它們長有脊椎骨，還有貝類等甲殼動物，再接著就是兩棲動物和爬行動物，再后來是哺乳動物，其中一些比較后期的化石，在原始人的巖畫上我們已經可以看到。

【答案透析】

41. 【答案】 G。

前面說人類出現之前很多動物生命形態都滅絕了，但是它們身體的骨骼等組成部分卻保存在化石里。而后面則說此類巖石能告訴我們不少信息，那么可以判斷中間這一部分應當也是在說明有關化石的內容，而且是我們從化石中可以獲得什么內容，故可以選擇出G。

42. 【答案】D。

前面說了水生動物化石的形成過程，后面說我們就會知道有很多類的哺乳動物和鳥類之類，因此中間應該繼續化石形成的討論，故可以選擇D。

43. 【答案】 E。

后一句講到了later forms are more complex，那么這必然是與前一句中所述內容進行比較，結合選項，可以判斷出選項E正確，因為E中講述了早期的一些化石。

44. 【答案】 B。

這一段在說動物的進化，魚類——兩棲動物，那么之后按照進化順序，就應該是爬行動物，再是哺乳動物。結合選項，B最合適。

45. 【答案】 C。

接上文講爬行動物的時代終結，之后便是哺乳動物，那么選項中講哺乳動物的C便為正確選項。

Part C

46. In the second half of the 20th century， world output of corn， wheat and cereal crops more than tripled. Yet there is not enough to feed the rich， the aspirational and the poor in the world. A golden age has been transformed quite suddenly into a global crisis。

【分析】 more than在這里做副詞。aspiration是指渴望，熱切希望，那么句中包含在rich和poor之間，the aspirational則可以譯為朝著中產階級奮斗的人們。the poor譯為窮苦的人。

【譯文】20世紀下半葉，世界玉米、小麥以及谷物產量增長三倍多，可是仍不足以養活全世界人民，包括富人、窮人以及那些正努力朝著中產階級奮斗的人們。黃金時代突然演變成了全球性危機。

47. A combination of these factors， he says， will ultimately force a complete rethinking of the way we make food。

【分析】主體結構是combination will force a rethinking。the way后面是一個定語從句。

【譯文】這些因素合在一起，他說，將最終迫使我們重新思考我們的糧食生產方式。

48. Water was also plentiful — it takes 1，000 tonnes of water to produce a tonne of grain — and an ingenious process known as Haber-Bosch makes synthetic nitrogen fertiliser easily available to grain farmers。

【分析】 復合句。Water was plentiful 和 process makes fertiliser…。破折號中間的為插入語，known as 作定語修飾process，easily后面作補語。

【譯文】水資源也比較充足——盡管生產一噸糧食就需要1000噸水——而且利用哈伯博施法的發明，使得農民們可以獲得廉價的氮肥。

49. Eating organic product could be a partial solution， although one study suggests that the cost of avoiding intensive farm chemicals would mean a 31% increase in food prices。

【分析】復合句。although引導一個讓步狀語從句，其中that引導一個賓語從句。

【譯文】進食有機食物或許能在一定程度上解決問題，可一項研究表明，如果要避免大量使用農業化學肥料，糧食價格將要上漲31%。

50. Fashionably， Mr. Roberts believes that a local system based on easily obtainable seasonal foods that do not need to be transported huge distances would form part of a solution。

【分析】第一個that后面整個句子是一個賓語從句，即Mr. Roberts believes that…，這個賓語從句的主體結構是a local system would form…，based on…為 system的定語，其中嵌套that引導的定語從句修飾seasonal foods。

【譯文】按照普遍的觀點，Roberts認為建立一種以容易獲取的應季食物為基礎的本地體系，以使食物不需要長距離運輸，將會是解決方案的一部分。

Section IIIWriting

Part A

Dear John，

I am really happy that you can make this visit to our city. After all these years of correspondence， I cannot wait to see you， to hear your narration of your life in your city， and to discuss all those unfinished topics. However， I regret to inform you that I will not be able to meet you at the airport on time。

The reason is that your flight will arrive early in the morning， and the most probable time I can make to the airport will be around an hour after your scheduled landing. So would you please wait for me in the arrival lounge after you pick up your luggage？ You may have a cup of coffee in the café there。

By the way， as we have never met I must tell you how to identify me in the crowd： I will wear a blue and white stripes polo shirt， blue jeans， and a white baseball hat. Moreover I will have a piece of China Daily at hands。

Hope we can meet soon。

Sincerely yours，

Roger

Part B

Groups of bees work together to produce honey. Their great efforts are unselfish， as all the honey they have produced is for an entire group rather than a single individual. The drawing above suggests that people should selflessly dedicate themselves to their community as a whole. This spirit of dedication requires faith. Selfless hard work is the embodiment of responsibility and strength。

The health of nations requires a spirit of devotion. Chinese teachers， doctors and athletes who all work for the benefit of their country， for example， are devoting themselves regardless of fame or fortune. They are dedicated to the society they live in. No matter what type of job one holds， one should work hard and earnestly to improve one’s community。

The results of dedication， however， depend not only on one‘s willingness to give but also on one’s ability. If you are enthusiastic about devoting yourself to your country， but do not have the skills it takes to do so， you cannot effect many changes. The more competent one is， the greater one‘s contribution will be. Therefore， it is essential that students focus on their studies and enhance their skills in order to properly give back to society。