2014年全国硕士研究生入学考试英语二真题

Section I Use of EnglishDirections:

Read the following text. Choose the best word（s） for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on ANSWER SHEET. （10 points）Thinner isn't always better. A number of studies have __1___ that normal-weight people are in fact at higher risk of some diseases compared to those who are overweight. And there are health conditions for which being overweight is actually ___2___. For example, heavier women are less likely to develop calcium deficiency than thin women. ___3___ among the elderly, being somewhat overweight is often an ___4___ of good health.

Of even greater ___5___ is the fact that obesity turns out to be very difficult to define. It is often defined ___6___ body mass index, or BMI. BMI ___7__ body mass divided by the square of height. An adult with a BMI of 18 to 25 is often considered to be normal weight. Between 25 and 30 is overweight. And over 30 is considered obese. Obesity, ___8___,can be divided into moderately obese, severely obese, and very severely obese.

While such numerical standards seem 9 , they are not. Obesity is probably less a matter of weight than body fat. Some people with a high BMI are in fact extremely fit, 10 others with a low BMI may be in poor 11 .For example, many collegiate and professional football players 12 as obese, though their percentage body fat is low. Conversely, someone with a small frame may have high body fat but a 13 BMI.

Today we have a（an） _14 _ to label obesity as a disgrace.The overweight are sometimes_15_in the media with their faces covered. Stereotypes _16_ with obesity include laziness, lack of will power,and lower prospects for success.Teachers,employers,and health professionals have been shown to harbor biases against the obese. _17_very young children tend to look down on the overweight, and teasing about body build has long been a problem in schools.

1. [A] denied [B] conduced [C] doubled [D] ensured

2. [A] protective [B] dangerous [C] sufficient [D]troublesome

3. [A] Instead [B] However [C] Likewise [D] Therefore

4. [A] indicator [B] objective [C] origin [D] example

5. [A] impact [B] relevance [C] assistance [D] concern

6. [A] in terms of [B] in case of [C] in favor of [D] in of

7. [A] measures [B] determines [C] equals [D] modifies

8. [A] in essence [B] in contrast [C] in turn [D] in part

9. [A] complicated [B] conservative [C] variable [D] straightforward

10. [A] so [B] unlike [C] since [D] unless

11. [A] shape [B] spirit [C] balance [D] taste

12. [A] start [B] quality [C] retire [D] stay

13. [A] strange [B] changeable [C] normal [D] constant

14. [A] option [B] reason [C] opportunity [D] tendency

15. [A] employed [B] pictured [C] imitated [D] monitored

16. [A] [B] combined [C] settled [D] associated

17. [A] Even [B] Still [C] Yet [D] Only

18. [A] despised [B] corrected [C] ignored [D] grounded

19. [A] discussions [B] businesses [C] policies [D] studies

20. [A] for [B] against [C] with [D] withoutSection

 II Reading 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. （40 points）

Text 1

What would you do with 590m? This is now a question for Gloria Mackenzie, an 84-year-old widow who recently emerged from her small, tin-roofed house in Florida to collect the biggest undivided lottery jackpot in history. If she hopes her new-found for tune will yield lasting feelings of fulfillment, she could do worse than read Happy Money by Elizabeth Dumn and Michael Norton.

These two academics use an array of behavioral research to show that the most rewarding ways to spend money can be counterintuitive. Fantasies of great wealth often involve visions of fancy cars and extravagant homes. Yet satisfaction with these material purchases wears off fairly quickly what was once exciting and new becomes old-hat; regret creeps in. It is far better to spend money on experiences, say Ms Dumn and Mr Norton, like interesting trips, unique meals or even going to the cinema. These purchases often become more valuable with time-as stories or memories-particularly if they involve feeling more connected to others.

This slim volume is packed with tips to help wage slaves as well as lottery winners get the most “happiness bang for your buck.” It seems most people would be better off if they could shorten their commutes to work, spend more time with friends and family and less of it watching television （something the average American spends a whopping two months a year doing, and is hardly jollier for it）。Buying gifts or giving to charity is often more pleasurable than purchasing things for oneself, and luxuries are most enjoyable when they are consumed sparingly. This is apparently the reason MacDonald's restricts the availability of its popular McRib - a marketing trick that has turned the pork sandwich into an object of obsession.

Readers of “HappyMoney” are clearly a privileged lot, anxious about fulfillment, not hunger.Money may not quite buy happiness, but people in wealthier countries are generally happier than those in poor ones. Yet the link between feeling good and spending money on others can be seen among rich and poor people around the world, and scarcity enhances the pleasure of most things for most people. Not everyone will agree with the authors' policy ideas, which range from mandating more holiday time to reducing tax incentives for American homebuyers. But most people will come away from this book believing it was money well spent。

21.According to Dumn and Norton,which of the following is the most rewarding purchase?

[A]A big house[B]A special tour[C]A stylish car[D]A rich meal

22.The author's attitude toward Americans' watching TV is

[A]critical[B]supportive[C]sympathetic[D]ambiguous

23.Macrib is mentioned in paragraph 3 to show that

[A]consumers are sometimes irrational[B]popularity usually comes after quality[C]marketing tricks are after effective[D]rarity generally increases pleasure

24.According to the last paragraph,Happy Money

[A]has left much room for readers'criticism[B]may prove to be a worthwhile purchase[C]has predicted a wider income gap in the us[D]may give its readers a sense of achievement

25.This text mainly discusses how to

[A]balance feeling good and spending money[B]spend large sums of money won in lotteries[C]obtain lasting satisfaction from money spent[D]become more reasonable in spending on luxuries

Text 2

An article in Scientific America has pointed out that empirical research says that, actually, you think you're more beautiful than you are. We have a deep-seated need to feel good about ourselves and we naturally employ a number of self-enhancing strategies to research into what the call the “above average effect”， or “illusory superiority”， and shown that, for example, 70% of us rate ourselves as above average in leadership, 93% in driving and 85% at getting on well with others—all obviously statistical impossibilities.

We rose tint our memories and put ourselves into self-affirming situations. We become defensive when criticized, and apply negative stereotypes to others to boost our own esteem, we stalk around thinking we're hot stuff.

Psychologist and behavioral scientist Nicholas Epley oversaw a key studying into self-enhancement and attractiveness. Rather that have people simply rate their beauty compress with others, he asked them to identify an original photogragh of themselves' from a lineup including versions that had been altered to appear more and less attractive. Visual recognition, reads the study, is “an automatic psychological process occurring rapidly and intuitively with little or no apparent conscious deliberation”。 If the subjects quickly chose a falsely flattering image- which must did- they genuinely believed it was really how they looked. Epley found no significant gender difference in responses. Nor was there any evidence that, those who self-enhance the must （that is, the participants who thought the most positively doctored picture were real） were doing so to make up for profound insecurities. In fact those who thought that the images higher up the attractiveness scale were real directly corresponded with those who showed other makers for having higher self-esteem. “I don't think the findings that we having have are any evidence of personal delusion”， says Epley. “It's a reflection simply of people generally thinking well of themselves‘。 If you are depressed, you won't be self-enhancing. Knowing the results of Epley 's study,it makes sense that why people heat photographs of themselves Viscerally-on one level, they don't even recognise the person in the picture as themselves, Facebook therefore ,is a self-enhancer's paradise,where people can share only the most flattering photos, the cream of their wit ,style ,beauty, intellect and lifestyle it's not that people's profiles are dishonest,says catalina toma of Wiscon—Madison university ,”but they portray an idealized version of themselves.

26. According to the first paragraph, social psychologist have found that ______.

[A] our self-ratings are unrealistically high

[B] illusory superiority is baseless effect

[C] our need for leadership is unnatural

[D] self-enhancing strategies are ineffective

27. Visual recognition is believed to be people's______

[A] rapid watching[B] conscious choice[C] intuitive response[D] automatic self-defence

28. Epley found that people with higher self-esteem tended to______

[A] underestimate their insecurities[B] believe in their attractiveness[C] cover up their depressions[D] oversimplify their illusions29.The word “Viscerally”（Line 2,para.5） is closest in meaning to_____.

[A]instinctively[B]occasionally[C]particularly[D]aggressively

30. It can be inferred that Facebook is self-enhancer's paradise because people can _____.

[A]present their dishonest profiles[B]define their traditional life styles[C]share their intellectual pursuits[D]withhold their unflattering sides

Text 4

When the government talks about infrastructure contributing to the economy the focus is usually on roads, railways, broadband and energy. Housing is seldom mentioned.

Why is that? To some extent the housing sector must shoulder the blame. We have not been good at communicating the real value that housing can contribute to economic growth. Then there is the scale of the typical housing project. It is hard to shove for attention among multibillion-pound infrastructure project, so it is inevitable that the attention is focused elsewhere. But perhaps the most significant reason is that the issue has always been so politically charged.

Nevertheless, the affordable housing situation is desperate. Waiting lists increase all the time and we are simply not building enough new homes.

The comprehensive spending review offers an opportunity for the government to help rectify this. It needs to put historical prejudices to one side and take some steps to address our urgent housing need.

There are some indications that it is preparing to do just that. The communities minister, Don Foster, has hinted that George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, may introduce more flexibility to the current cap on the amount that local authorities can borrow against their housing stock debt. Evidence shows that 60,000 extra new homes could be built over the next five years if the cap were lifted, increasing GDP by 0.6%.

Ministers should also look at creating greater certainty in the rental environment, which would have a significant impact on the ability of registered providers to fund new developments from revenues.

But it is not just down to the government. While these measures would be welcome in the short term, we must face up to the fact that the existing ￡4.5bn programme of grants to fund new affordable housing, set to expire in 2015,is unlikely to be extended beyond then. The Labour party has recently announced that it will retain a large part of the coalition's spending plans if returns to power. The housing sector needs to accept that we are very unlikely to ever return to era of large-scale public grants. We need to adjust to this changing climate.

36. The author believes that the housing sector__

[A] has attracted much attention[B] involves certain political factors[C] shoulders too much responsibility[D] has lost its real value in economy

37. It can be learned that affordable housing has__

[A] increased its home supply[B] offered spending opportunities[C] suffered government biases[D] disappointed the government

38. According to Paragraph 5,George Osborne may_______.

[A] allow greater government debt for housing[B] stop local authorities from building homes[C] prepare to reduce housing stock debt[D] release a lifted GDP growth forecast

39.It can be inferred that a stable rental environment would_______.

[A]lower the costs of registered providers[B]lessen the impact of government interference[C]contribute to funding new developments[D]relieve the ministers of responsibilities

40.The author believes that after 2015,the government may______.

[A]implement more policies to support housing[B]review the need for large-scale public grants[C]renew the affordable housing grants programme[D]stop generous funding to the housing sectorSection

 III Translation

Directions:Translate the following text from English into Chinese. Write your translation on ANSWER SHEET 2. （15 points）

Most people would define optimism as endlessly happy, with a glass that's perpetually half fall. But that's exactly the kind of false deerfulness that positive psychologists wouldn't recommend. “Healthy optimists means being in touch with reality.” says Tal Ben-Shahar, a Harvard professor, According to Ben- Shalar,realistic optimists are these who make the best of things that happen, but not those who believe everything happens for the best.

Ben-Shalar uses three optimistic exercisers. When he feels down-sag, after giving a bad lecture-he grants himself permission to be human. He reminds himself that not every lecture can be a Nobel winner; some will be less effective than others. Next is reconstruction, He analyzes the weak lecture, leaning lessons, for the future about what works and what doesn't. Finally, there is perspective, which involves acknowledging that in the ground scheme of life, one lecture really doesn't matter.

Section IV

 WritingPart A

47. Directions: Suppose you are going to study abroad and share an apartment with John, a local student. Write him to email to

1）tell him about your living habits, and

2）ask for advice about living there.

You should write about 100 words on answer sheet.

Do not use your own name.

Part B

48. Directions:Write your essay on ANSWER SHEET. （15 points）You should interpret the chart, and give your comments.

You should write about 150 words on the ANSWER SHEET. （15points）