2021年全国硕士研究生入学统一考试英语二试题及答案.pdf

2021 年全国硕士研究生入学统一考试英语（二）试题Section I Use of EnglishDirections: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)Its not difficult to set targets for staff.It is much harder,1,to understand theirnegative consequences.Most work-related behaviors have multiple components.2one andthe others become distorted.Travel on a London bus and youll3see how this works with drivers.Watch peopleget on and show their tickets.Are they carefully inspected?Never.Do people get on withoutpaying?Of course!Are there inspectors to4that people have paid?Possibly,but very few.And people who run for the bus?They are5.How about jumping lights?Buses do soalmost as frequently as cyclists.Why?Because the target is6.People complained thatbuses were late and infrequent.7,the number of buses and bus lanes were increased,anddrivers were 8 or punished according to the time they took.And drivers hit these targets.But they9 hit cyclists.If the target was changed to 10,you would have more inspectors and more sensitivepricing.If the criterion changed to safety,you would get more 11 drivers who obeyed traffic laws.But both these criteria would be at the expense of time.There is another 12:people becameimmensely inventive in hitting targets.Have you 13 that you can leave on a flight an hour late butstill arrive on time?Tailwinds?Of course not!Airlines have simply changed the time a 14 ismeant to take.A one-hour flight is now ballad as a two-hour flight.The 15 of the story is simple.Most jobs are multidimensional,with multiple criteria.Choose one criterion and you may well 16others.Everything Can be done faster and made cheaper,but there is a 17.Setting targets can anddoes have unforeseen negative consequences.This is not an argument against target-setting.But it is an argument for exploringconsequences first.All good targets should have multiple criteria 18 critical factors such astime,money,quality and customer feedback.The trick is not only to 19 just one or even twodimensions of the objective,but also to understand how to help people better 20 the objective.1.A thereforeB howeverC againD moreover2.A EmphasizeB IdentifyC AssessD Explain3.A nearlyB curiouslyC eagerlyD quickly4.A claimB proveC checkD recall5.A threatenedB ignoredC mockedD blamed6.A punctualityB hospitalityC competitionD innovation7.A YesB SoC BesidesD Still8.A hiredB trainedC rewardedD grouped9.A onlyB ratherC onceD also10.A comfortB revenueC efficiencyD security11.A friendlyB quietC cautiousD diligent12.A purposeB problemC prejudiceD policy13.A reportedB revealedC admittedD noticed14.A breakB tripC departureD transfer15.A moralB backgroundC styleD form16.A interpretB criticizeC sacrificeD tolerate17.A taskB secretC productD cast18.A leading toB calling forC relating toD accounting for19.A specifyB predictC restoreD create20.A modifyB reviewC presentD achieveSection II Reading ComprehensionPart ADirections:Read the following four texts.Answer the questions below each text by choosing A,B,C orD.Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET.(40 points)Text 1“Reskilling”is something that sounds like a buzzword but is actually a requirement if weplan to have a future in which a lot of would-be workers do not get left behind.We know we aremoving into a period where the jobs in demand will change rapidly,as will the requirements of thejobs that remain.Research by the World Economic Forum finds that on average 42 percent of the“core skills”within job roles will change by 2022.That is a very short timeline.The question of who should pay for reskilling is a thorny one.For individual companies,thetemptation is always to let go of workers whose skills are no longer in demand and replace themwith those whose skill are.That does not always happen.AT&T is often given as the goldstandard of a company that decided to do a massive reskilling program rather than go with afire-and-hire strategy.Other companies had also pledged to create their own plans.When the skillsmismatch is in the broader economy.Though,the focus usually turns to government to handle.Efforts in Canada and elsewhere have been arguably languid at best.And have given us a situationwhere we frequently hear of employers begging for workers.Even at times and in regions whereunemployment is high.With the pandemic,unemployment is very high indeed.In February,at 3.5 percent and 5.5P.C.respectively,unemployment rates in Canada and the U.S.were at generational lows andworker shortages were everywhere.As of May,those rates had spiked up to 13.3 P.C.and 13.7percent,and although may worker shortages,has disappeared,not all had done so.In the medicalfield,to take an obvious example.The pandemic meant that there were still clear shortages,ofdoctors,nurse and other medical personnel.Of course,it is not like you can take an unemployed waiter and train him to be a doctor.In afew weeks.But even if you cannot close the gap,maybe you can close others and doing so wouldbe to the benefit of all concern.That seems to be the case in Sweden:when forced to furlough 90P.C.of their cabin staff.Scandinavian Airline decided to start up a short retaining program thatres killed the laid-off workers to support hospital staff.The effort was a collective one andinvolved other companies as well as a Swedish university.21.Research by the World Economic Forum suggests_.A an increase in full-time employmentBan urgent demand for new job skillsC a steady growth of job opportunitiesDa controversy re about the“core skills”22.AT&T is cited to show_.A an alternative to the fire-and-hire strategyB an immediate need for government supportC the importance of staff appraisal standardsDthe characteristics of res-killing programs23.Efforts to resolve the skills mismatch in Canada_.A have driven up labour costsB have proved to be inconsistentC have met with fierce oppositionD have appeared to be insufficient24.We can learn from Paragraph 3 that there was_.A a call for policy adjustmentB a change in hiring practicesC a lack of medical workersDa sign of economic recovery25.Scandinavian Airlines decided to_.A create job vacancies for the unemployedB prepare their laid-off workers for other jobsC retrain their cabin staff for better servicesD finance their staffs college educationText 2With the global population predicted to hit close to 10 billion by 2050,and forecasts thatagricultural production in some regions will need to nearly double to keep pace,food security isincreasingly making headlines.In the UK,it has become a big talking point recently too,for arather particular reason:Brexit.Brexit is seen by some as an opportunity to reverse a recent trend towards the UK importingfood.The country produces only about 60 per cent of the food it eats,down from almostthree-quarters in the late 1980s.A move back to self-sufficiency,the argument goes,would boostthe farming industry,political sovereignty and even the nations health.Sounds great but howfeasible is this vision？According to a report on UK food production from the University of Leeds，UK，85 per centof the countrys total land area is associated with meat and dairy production.That supplies 80 percent of what is consumed,so even covering the whole country in livestock farms wouldnt allowus to cover all our meat and dairy needs.There are many caveats to those figures,but they are still grave.To become much moreself-sufficient,the UK would need to drastically reduce its consumption of animal foods,andprobably also farm more intensively meaning fewer green fields and more factory-styleproduction.But switching to a mainly plant-based diet wouldnt help.There is a good reason why the UKis dominated by animal husbandry:most of its terrain doesnt have the right soil or climate togrow crops on commercial basis.Just 25 per cent of the countrys land is suitable forcrop-growing,most of which is already occupied by arable fields.Even if we converted all thesuitable land to fields of fruit and veg which would involve taking out all the nature reservesand removing thousands of people from their homes we would achieve only a 30 per centboost in crop production.Just 23 per cent of the fruit and vegetables consumed in the UK are currently home-grown,soeven with the most extreme measures we could meet only 30 per cent of our fresh produce needs.That is before we look for the space to grow the grains,sugars,seeds and oils that provide us withthe vast bulk of our current calorie intake.26.Some people argue that food self-sufficiency in the UK would_.A be hindered by its population growthB contribute to the nations well-beingC become a priority of the governmentD post a challenge to its farming industry27.The report by the University of Leeds showed that in the UK_.A farmland has been inefficiently utilisedB factory style production needs reformingC most land is used for meat and dairy productionD more green fields will be converted for farming28.Crop-growing in the UK is restricted due to_.A its farming technologyB its dietary traditionC its natural conditionsD its commercial interests29.It can be learned from the last paragraph that British people_.A rely largely on imports for fresh produceB enjoy a steady rise in fruit consumptionC are seeking effective ways to cut calorie intakeD are trying to grow new varieties of grains30.The authors attitude to food self-efficiency in the UK is_.A defensiveB doubtfulC tolerantD optimisticText 3When Microsoft bought task management app Wunderlist and mobile calendar Sunrise in2015,it picked two newcomers that were attracting considerable buzz in Silicon Valley.Microsofts own Office dominates the market for“productivity”software,but the start-upsrepresented a new wave of technology designed from the ground up for the smartphone world.Both apps,however,were later scrapped after Microsoft said it had used their best features inits own products.Their teams of engineers stayed on,making them two of the many“acqui-hires”that the biggest companies have used to feed their great hunger for tech talent.To Microsofts critics,the fates of Wunder list and Sunrise are examples of a remorselessdrive by Big Tech to chew up any innovative companies that lie in their path.“They bought theseedlings and closed them down,”complained Paul Amold,a partner at San Francisco-basedSwitch Ventures,putting an end to businesses that might one day turn into competitors.Microsoftdeclined to comment.Like other start-up investors,Mr Arnolds own business often depends on selling start-ups tolarger tech companies,though he admits to mixed feelings about the result:“I think these thingsare good for me,if I put my selfish hat on.But are they good for the American economy?I dontknow.”The US Federal Trade Commission says it wants to find the answer to that question.Thisweek,it asked the five most valuable US tech companies for information about their many smallacquisitions over the past decade.Although only a research project at this stage,the request hasraised the prospect of regulators wading into early-stage tech markets that until now have beenbeyond their reach.Given their combined market value of more than$5.5 trillion,rifling through such smalldeals many of them much less prominent than Wunderlist and Sunrise might seem besidethe point.Between them,the five biggest tech companies have spent an average of only$3.4billion a year on sub-$1 billion acquisitions over the past five years a drop in the oceancompared with their massive financial reserves,and the more than$130 billion of venture capitalthat was invested in the US last year.However,critics say the big companies use such deals to buy their most threatening potentialcompetitors before their businesses have a chance to gain momentum,in some cases as part of a“buy and kill”tactic to simply close them down.31.What is true about Wunderlist and Sunrise after their acquisitions?A.Their engineers were retained.B.Their market values declined.C.Their tech features improved.D.Their products were re-priced.32.Microsofts critics believe that the big tech companies tend to_.A.exaggerate their product qualityB.eliminate their potential competitorsC.treat new tech talent unfairlyD.ignore public opinions33.Paul Arnold is concerned that small acquisitions might_.A.weaken big tech companiesB.worsen market competitionC.harm the national economyD.discourage start-up investors34.The US Federal Trade Commission intends to_.A.limit Big Techs expansionB.encourage research collaborationC.examine small acquisitionsD.supervise start-ups operations35.For the five biggest tech companies,their small acquisitions have_.A.brought little financial pressureB.raised few management challengesC.set an example for future dealsD.generated considerable profitsText 4Were fairly good at judging people based on first impressions,thin slices of experienceranging from a glimpse of a photo to a five-minute interaction,and deliberation can be not onlyextraneous but intrusive.In one study of the ability she called“thin slicing,”the late psychologistNalini Ambady asked participants to watch silent 10-second video clips of professors and to ratethe instructors overall effectiveness.Their ratings correlated strongly with studentsend-of-semester ratings.Another set of participants had to count backward from 1,000 by nines asthey watched the clips,occupying their conscious working memory.Their ratings were just asaccurate,demonstrating the intuitive nature of the social processing.Critically,another group was asked to spend a minute writing down reasons for theirjudgment,before giving the rating.Accuracy dropped dramatically.Ambady suspected thatdeliberation focused them on vivid but misleading cues,such as certain gestures or utterances,rather than letting the complex interplay of subtle signals form a holistic impression.She foundsimilar interference when participants watched 15-second clips of pairs of people and judgedwhether they were strangers,friends,or dating partners.Other research shows were better at detecting deception from thin slices when we rely onintuition instead of reflection.“Its as if youre driving a stick shift,”says Judith Hall,apsychologist at Northeastern University,“and if you start thinking about it too much,you cantremember what youre doing.But if you go on automatic pilot,youre fine.Much of our social lifeis like that.”Thinking too much can also harm our ability to form preferences.College students ratings ofstrawberry jams and college courses aligned better with experts opinions when the studentswerent asked to analyze their rationale.And people made car-buying decisions that were bothobjectively better and more personally satisfying when asked to focus on their feelings rather thanon details,but only if the decision was complexwhen they had a lot of information to process.Intuitions special powers are unleashed only in certain circumstances.In one study,participants completed a battery of eight tasks,including four that tapped reflective thinking(discerning ru