2010年考研英语(一)真题阅读A(共7页).doc

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1、精选优质文档-倾情为你奉上 2010年阅读ASection IIReading ComprehensionPart ADirections: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 1Of all the changes that have taken place in English-language newspapers during the

2、 past quarter-century, perhaps the most far-reaching has been the inexorable decline in the scope and seriousness of their arts coverage. It is difficult to the point of impossibility for the average reader under the age of forty to imagine a time when high-quality arts criticism could be found in m

3、ost big-city newspapers. Yet a considerable number of the most significant collections of criticism published in the 20th century consisted in large part of newspaper reviews. To read such books today is to marvel at the fact that their learned contents were once deemed suitable for publication in g

4、eneral-circulation dailies.We are even farther removed from the unfocused newspaper reviews published in England between the turn of the 20th century and the eve of World War II, at a time when newsprint was dirt-cheap and stylish arts criticism was considered an ornament to the publications in whic

5、h it appeared. In those far-off days, it was taken for granted that the critics of major papers would write in detail and at length about the events they covered. Theirs was a serious business, and even those reviewers who wore their learning lightly, like George Bernard Shaw and Ernest Newman, coul

6、d be trusted to know what they were about. These men believed in journalism as a calling, and were proud to be published in the daily press. “So few authors have brains enough or literary gift enough to keep their own end up in journalism,” Newman wrote, “that I am tempted to define journalism as a

7、term of contempt applied by writers who are not read to writers who are.”Unfortunately, these critics are virtually forgotten. Neville Cardus, who wrote for the Manchester Guardian from 1917 until shortly before his death in 1975, is now known solely as a writer of essays on the game of cricket. Dur

8、ing his lifetime, though, he was also one of Englands foremost classical-music critics, a stylist so widely admired that his Autobiography (1947) became a best-seller. He was knighted in 1967, the first music critic to be so honored. Yet only one of his books is now in print, and his vast body of wr

9、itings on music is unknown save to specialists.Is there any chance that Carduss criticism will enjoy a revival? The prospect seems remote. Journalistic tastes had changed long before his death, and postmodern readers have little use for the richly upholstered Vicwardian prose in which he specialized

10、. Moreover, the amateur tradition in music criticism has been in headlong retreat.21.It is indicated in Paragraphs 1 and 2 thatA arts criticism has disappeared from big-city newspapers.B English-language newspapers used to carry more arts reviews.C high-quality newspapers retain a large body of read

11、ers.D young readers doubt the suitability of criticism on dailies.22.Newspaper reviews in England before World War II were characterized byA free themes.B casual style.C elaborate layout.D radical viewpoints.23.Which of the following would Shaw and Newman most probably agree on?A It is writers duty

12、to fulfill journalistic goals.B It is contemptible for writers to be journalists.C Writers are likely to be tempted into journalism.D Not all writers are capable of journalistic writing.24.What can be learned about Cardus according to the last two paragraphs?A His music criticism may not appeal to r

13、eaders today.B His reputation as a music critic has long been in dispute.C His style caters largely to modern specialists.D His writings fail to follow the amateur tradition.25.What would be the best title for the text?A Newspapers of the Good Old DaysB The Lost Horizon in NewspapersC Mournful Decli

14、ne of JournalismD Prominent Critics in MemoryText 2Over the past decade, thousands of patents have been granted for what are called business methods. A received one for its one-click online payment system. Merrill Lynch got legal protection for an asset allocation strategy. One inventor patented a t

15、echnique for lifting a box.Now the nations top patent court appears completely ready to scale back on business-method patents, which have been controversial ever since they were first authorized 10 years ago. In a move that has intellectual-property lawyers abuzz the U.S. court of Appeals for the fe

16、deral circuit said it would use a particular case to conduct a broad review of business-method patents. In re Bilski, as the case is known , is a very big deal, says Dennis D. Crouch of the University of Missouri School of law. It has the potential to eliminate an entire class of patents.Curbs on bu

17、siness-method claims would be a dramatic about-face, because it was the federal circuit itself that introduced such patents with its 1998 decision in the so-called state Street Bank case, approving a patent on a way of pooling mutual-fund assets. That ruling produced an explosion in business-method

18、patent filings, initially by emerging internet companies trying to stake out exclusive rights to specific types of online transactions. Later, more established companies raced to add such patents to their files, if only as a defensive move against rivals that might beat them to the punch. In 2005, I

19、BM noted in a court filing that it had been issued more than 300 business-method patents despite the fact that it questioned the legal basis for granting them. Similarly, some Wall Street investment films armed themselves with patents for financial products, even as they took positions in court case

20、s opposing the practice.The Bilski case involves a claimed patent on a method for hedging risk in the energy market. The Federal circuit issued an unusual order stating that the case would be heard by all 12 of the courts judges, rather than a typical panel of three, and that one issue it wants to e

21、valuate is whether it should reconsider its state street Bank ruling.The Federal Circuits action comes in the wake of a series of recent decisions by the supreme Court that has narrowed the scope of protections for patent holders. Last April, for example the justices signaled that too many patents w

22、ere being upheld for inventions that are obvious. The judges on the Federal circuit are reacting to the anti-patent trend at the Supreme Court, says Harold C. Wegner, a patent attorney and professor at George Washington University Law School.26.Business-method patents have recently aroused concern b

23、ecause ofA their limited value to businessB their connection with asset allocationC the possible restriction on their grantingD the controversy over their authorization27.Which of the following is true of the Bilski case?A Its ruling complies with the court decisionsB It involves a very big business

24、 transactionC It has been dismissed by the Federal CircuitD It may change the legal practices in the U.S.28.The word about-face (Line 1, Para 3) most probably meansA loss of good willB increase of hostilityC change of attitudeD enhancement of dignity29.We learn from the last two paragraphs that busi

25、ness-method patentsA are immune to legal challengesB are often unnecessarily issuedC lower the esteem for patent holdersD increase the incidence of risks30.Which of the following would be the subject of the text?A A looming threat to business-method patentsB Protection for business-method patent hol

26、dersC A legal case regarding business-method patentsD A prevailing trend against business-method patentsText 3In his book The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell argues that social epidemics are driven in large part by the acting of a tiny minority of special individuals, often called influentials, who

27、are unusually informed, persuasive, or well-connected. The idea is intuitively compelling, but it doesnt explain how ideas actually spread.The supposed importance of influentials derives from a plausible sounding but largely untested theory called the two step flow of communication: Information flow

28、s from the media to the influentials and from them to everyone else. Marketers have embraced the two-step flow because it suggests that if they can just find and influence the influentials, those selected people will do most of the work for them. The theory also seems to explain the sudden and unexp

29、ected popularity of certain looks, brands, or neighborhoods. In many such cases, a cursory search for causes finds that some small group of people was wearing, promoting, or developing whatever it is before anyone else paid attention. Anecdotal evidence of this kind fits nicely with the idea that on

30、ly certain special people can drive trendsIn their recent work, however, some researchers have come up with the finding that influentials have far less impact on social epidemics than is generally supposed. In fact, they dont seem to be required of all.The researchers argument stems from a simple ob

31、serving about social influence, with the exception of a few celebrities like Oprah Winfreywhose outsize presence is primarily a function of media, not interpersonal, influenceeven the most influential members of a population simply dont interact with that many others. Yet it is precisely these non-c

32、elebrity influentials who, according to the two-step-flow theory, are supposed to drive social epidemics by influencing their friends and colleagues directly. For a social epidemic to occur, however, each person so affected, must then influence his or her own acquaintances, who must in turn influenc

33、e theirs, and so on; and just how many others pay attention to each of these people has little to do with the initial influential. If people in the network just two degrees removed from the initial influential prove resistant, for example, the cascade of change wont propagate very far or affect many

34、 people.Building on the basic truth about interpersonal influence, the researchers studied the dynamics of populations manipulating a number of variables relating of populations, manipulating a number of variables relating to peoples ability to influence others and their tendency to be influenced. O

35、ur work shows that the principal requirement for what we call global cascades the widespread propagation of influence through networks is the presence not of a few influentials but, rather, of a critical mass of easily influenced people.31.By citing the book The Tipping Point, the author intends toA

36、 analyze the consequences of social epidemicsB discuss influentials function in spreading ideasC exemplify peoples intuitive response to social epidemicsD describe the essential characteristics of influentials.32.The author suggests that the two-step-flow theoryA serves as a solution to marketing pr

37、oblemsB has helped explain certain prevalent trendsC has won support from influentialsD requires solid evidence for its validity33.What the researchers have observed recently shows thatA the power of influence goes with social interactionsB interpersonal links can be enhanced through the mediaC infl

38、uentials have more channels to reach the publicD most celebrities enjoy wide media attention34.The underlined phrase these people in paragraph 4 refers to the ones whoA stay outside the network of social influenceB have little contact with the source of influenceC are influenced and then influence o

39、thersD are influenced by the initial influential35.what is the essential element in the dynamics of social influence?A The eagerness to be acceptedB The impulse to influence othersC The readiness to be influencedD The inclination to rely on othersText 4Bankers have been blaming themselves for their

40、troubles in public. Behind the scenes, they have been taking aim at someone else: the accounting standard-setters. Their rules, moan the banks, have forced them to report enormous losses, and its just not fair. These rules say they must value some assets at the price a third party would pay, not the

41、 price managers and regulators would like them to fetch.Unfortunately, banks lobbying now seems to be working. The details may be unknowable, but the independence of standard-setters, essential to the proper functioning of capital markets, is being compromised. And, unless banks carry toxic assets a

42、t prices that attract buyers, reviving the banking system will be difficult.After a bruising encounter with Congress, Americas Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) rushed through rule changes. These gave banks more freedom to use models to value illiquid assets and more flexibility in recogni

43、zing losses on long-term assets in their income statement. Bob Herz, the FASBs chairman, cried out against those who question our motives. Yet bank shares rose and the changes enhance what one lobby group politely calls the use of judgment by management.European ministers instantly demanded that the

44、 International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) do likewise. The IASB says it does not want to act without overall planning, but the pressure to fold when it completes it reconstruction of rules later this year is strong. Charlie McCreevy, a European commissioner, warned the IASB that it did not li

45、ve in a political vacuum but in the real word and that Europe could yet develop different rules.It was banks that were on the wrong planet, with accounts that vastly overvalued assets. Today they argue that market prices overstate losses, because they largely reflect the temporary illiquidity of mar

46、kets, not the likely extent of bad debts. The truth will not be known for years. But banks shares trade below their book value, suggesting that investors are skeptical. And dead markets partly reflect the paralysis of banks which will not sell assets for fear of booking losses, yet are reluctant to

47、buy all those supposed bargains.To get the system working again, losses must be recognized and dealt with. Americas new plan to buy up toxic assets will not work unless banks mark assets to levels which buyers find attractive. Successful markets require independent and even combative standard-setter

48、s. The FASB and IASB have been exactly that, cleaning up rules on stock options and pensions, for example, against hostility from special interests. But by giving in to critics now they are inviting pressure to make more concessions.36.Bankers complained that they were forced toA follow unfavorable asset evaluation rulesB collect payments from third partiesC cooperate with the price managersD reevaluate some of their assets