1998考研英语真题及解析.docx

1998考研英语真题及解析.docx

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1998考研英语真题及解析

1998年全国硕士研究生入学统一考试英语试题

SectionIClozeTest

UntilrecentlymosthistoriansspokeverycriticallyoftheIndustrialRevolution.They1thatinthelongrunindustrializationgreatlyraisedthestandardoflivingforthe2man.Buttheyinsistedthatits3resultsduringtheperiodfrom1750to1850werewidespreadpovertyandmiseryforthe4oftheEnglishpopulation.5contrast,theysawintheprecedinghundredyearsfrom1650to1750,whenEnglandwasstilla6agriculturalcountry,aperiodofgreatabundanceandprosperity.

Thisview,7,isgenerallythoughttobewrong.Specialists8historyandeconomics,have9twothings:

thattheperiodfrom1650to1750was10bygreatpoverty,andthatindustrializationcertainlydidnotworsenandmayhaveactuallyimprovedtheconditionsforthemajorityofthepopulace.

1.［A］admitted［B］believed［C］claimed［D］predicted

2.［A］plain［B］average［C］mean［D］normal

3.［A］momentary［B］prompt［C］instant［D］immediate

4.［A］bulk［B］host［C］gross［D］magnitude

5.［A］On［B］With［C］For［D］By

6.［A］broadly［B］thoroughly［C］generally［D］completely

7.［A］however［B］meanwhile［C］therefore［D］moreover

8.［A］at［B］in［C］about［D］for

9.［A］manifested［B］approved［C］shown［D］speculated

10.［A］noted［B］impressed［C］labeled［D］marked

SectionⅡReadingComprehension

Text1

Fewcreationsofbigtechnologycapturetheimaginationlikegiantdams.Perhapsitishumankind’slongsufferingatthemercyoffloodanddroughtthatmakestheideaofforcingthewaterstodoourbiddingsofascinating.Buttobefascinatedisalso,sometimes,tobeblind.Severalgiantdamprojectsthreatentodomoreharmthangood.

Thelessonfromdamsisthatbigisnotalwaysbeautiful.Itdoesn’thelpthatbuildingabig,powerfuldamhasbecomeasymbolofachievementfornationsandpeoplestrivingtoassertthemselves.Egypt’sleadershipintheArabworldwascementedbytheAswanHighDam.Turkey’sbidforFirstWorldstatusincludesthegiantAtaturkDam.

Butbigdamstendnottoworkasintended.TheAswanDam,forexample,stoppedtheNilefloodingbutdeprivedEgyptofthefertilesiltthatfloodsleft--allinreturnforagiantreservoirofdiseasewhichisnowsofullofsiltthatitbarelygenerateselectricity.

Andyet,themythofcontrollingthewaterspersists.Thisweek,intheheartofcivilizedEurope,SlovaksandHungariansstoppedjustshortofsendinginthetroopsintheircontentionoveradamontheDanube.Thehugecomplexwillprobablyhavealltheusualproblemsofbigdams.ButSlovakiaisbiddingforindependencefromtheCzechs,andnowneedsadamtoproveitself.

Meanwhile,inIndia,theWorldBankhasgiventhego-aheadtotheevenmorewrong-headedNarmadaDam.Andthebankhasdonethiseventhoughitsadvisorssaythedamwillcausehardshipforthepowerlessandenvironmentaldestruction.Thebenefitsareforthepowerful,buttheyarefarfromguaranteed.

Proper,scientificstudyoftheimpactsofdamsandofthecostandbenefitsofcontrollingwatercanhelptoresolvetheseconflicts.Hydroelectricpowerandfloodcontrolandirrigationarepossiblewithoutbuildingmonsterdams.Butwhenyouaredealingwithmyths,itishardtobeeitherproper,orscientific.ItistimethattheworldlearnedthelessonsofAswan.Youdon’tneedadamtobesaved.

11.ThethirdsentenceofParagraph1impliesthat________.

[A]peoplewouldbehappyiftheyshuttheireyestoreality

[B]theblindcouldbehappierthanthesighted

[C]over-excitedpeopletendtoneglectvitalthings（C）

[D]fascinationmakespeoplelosetheireyesight

12.InParagraph5,“thepowerless”probablyrefersto________.

[A]areasshortofelectricity

[B]damswithoutpowerstations

[C]poorcountriesaroundIndia（D）

[D]commonpeopleintheNarmadaDamarea

13.Whatisthemythconcerninggiantdams?

[A]Theybringinmorefertilesoil.

[B]Theyhelpdefendthecountry.

[C]Theystrengtheninternationalties.（D）

[D]Theyhaveuniversalcontrolofthewaters.

14.Whattheauthortriestosuggestmaybestbeinterpretedas________.

[A]“It’snousecryingoverspiltmilk”

[B]“Morehaste,lessspeed”

[C]“Lookbeforeyouleap”（C）

[D]“Hewholaughslastlaughsbest”

Text2

Well,nogainwithoutpain,theysay.Butwhataboutpainwithoutgain?

EverywhereyougoinAmerica,youheartalesofcorporaterevival.Whatishardertoestablishiswhethertheproductivityrevolutionthatbusinessmenassumetheyarepresidingoverisforreal.

Theofficialstatisticsaremildlydiscouraging.Theyshowthat,ifyoulumpmanufacturingandservicestogether,productivityhasgrownonaverageby1.2%since1987.Thatissomewhatfasterthantheaverageduringthepreviousdecade.Andsince1991,productivityhasincreasedbyabout2%ayear,whichismorethantwicethe1978-87average.Thetroubleisthatpartoftherecentaccelerationisduetotheusualreboundthatoccursatthispointinabusinesscycle,andsoisnotconclusiveevidenceofarevivalintheunderlyingtrend.Thereis,asRobertRubin,thetreasurysecretary,says,a“disjunction”betweenthemassofbusinessanecdotethatpointstoaleapinproductivityandthepicturereflectedbythestatistics.

Someofthiscanbeeasilyexplained.Newwaysoforganizingtheworkplace--allthatre-engineeringanddownsizing--areonlyonecontributiontotheoverallproductivityofaneconomy,whichisdrivenbymanyotherfactorssuchasjointinvestmentinequipmentandmachinery,newtechnology,andinvestmentineducationandtraining.Moreover,mostofthechangesthatcompaniesmakeareintendedtokeepthemprofitable,andthisneednotalwaysmeanincreasingproductivity:

switchingtonewmarketsorimprovingqualitycanmatterjustasmuch.

Twootherexplanationsaremorespeculative.First,someofthebusinessrestructuringofrecentyearsmayhavebeenineptlydone.Second,evenifitwaswelldone,itmayhavespreadmuchlesswidelythanpeoplesuppose.

LeonardSchlesinger,aHarvardacademicandformerchiefexecutiveofAuBongPain,arapidlygrowingchainofbakerycafes,saysthatmuch“re-engineering”hasbeencrude.Inmanycases,hebelieves,thelossofrevenuehasbeengreaterthanthereductionsincost.Hiscolleague,MichaelBeer,saysthatfartoomanycompanieshaveappliedre-engineeringinamechanisticfashion,choppingoutcostswithoutgivingsufficientthoughttolong-termprofitability.BBDO’sAlRosenshineisblunter.Hedismissesalotoftheworkofre-engineeringconsultantsasmererubbish--“theworstsortofambulancechasing.”

15.Accordingtotheauthor,theAmericaneconomicsituationis________.

[A]notasgoodasitseems

[B]atitsturningpoint

[C]muchbetterthanitseems（A）

[D]neartocompleterecovery

16.Theofficialstatisticsonproductivitygrowth________.

[A]excludetheusualreboundinabusinesscycle

[B]fallshortofbusinessmen’santicipation

[C]meettheexpectationofbusinesspeople（B）

[D]failtoreflectthetruestateofeconomy

17.Theauthorraisesthequestion“whataboutpainwithoutgain?

”because________.

[A]hequestionsthetruthof“nogainwithoutpain”

[B]hedoesnotthinktheproductivityrevolutionworks

[C]hewondersiftheofficialstatisticsaremisleading（B）

[D]hehasconclusiveevidencefortherevivalofbusinesses

18.WhichofthefollowingstatementsisNOTmentionedinthepassage?

[A]Radicalreformsareessentialfortheincreaseofproductivity.

[B]Newwaysoforganizingworkplacesmayhelptoincreaseproductivity.

[C]Thereductionofcostsisnotasurewaytogainlong-termprofitability.（A）

[D]Theconsultantsareabunchofgood-for-nothings.

Text3

Sciencehaslonghadanuneasyrelationshipwithotheraspectsofculture.ThinkofGallileo’s17th-centurytrialforhisrebellingbeliefbeforetheCatholicChurchorpoetWilliamBlake’sharshremarksagainstthemechanisticworldviewofIsaacNewton.Theschismbetweenscienceandthehumanitieshas,ifanything,deepenedinthiscentury.

Untilrecently,thescientificcommunitywassopowerfulthatitcouldaffordtoignoreitscritics--butnolonger.Asfundingforsciencehasdeclined,scientistshaveattacked“anti-science”inseveralbooks,notablyHigherSuperstition,byPaulR.Gross,abiologistattheUniversityofVirginia,andNormanLevitt,amathematicianatRutgersUniversity;andTheDemon-HauntedWorld,byCarlSaganofCornellUniversity.

Defendersofsciencehavealsovoicedtheirconcernsatmeetingssuchas“TheFlightfromScienceandReason,”heldinNewYorkCityin1995,and“ScienceintheAgeof（Mis）information,”whichassembledlastJunenearBuffalo.

Anti-scienceclearlymeansdifferentthingstodifferentpeople.GrossandLevittfindfaultprimarilywithsociologists,philosophersandotheracademicswhohavequestionedscience’sobjectivity.Saganismoreconcernedwiththosewhobelieveinghosts,creationismandotherphenomenathatcontradictthescientificworldview.

Asurveyofnewsstoriesin1996revealsthattheanti-sciencetaghasbeenattachedtomanyothergroupsaswell,fromauthoritieswhoadvocatedtheeliminationofthelastremainingstocksofsmallpoxvirustoRepublicanswhoadvocateddecreasedfundingforbasicresearch.

FewwoulddisputethatthetermappliestotheUnabomber,whosemanifesto,publishedin1995,scornsscienceandlongsforreturntoapre-technologicalutopia.Butsurelythatdoesnotmeanenvironmentalistsconcernedaboutuncontrolledindustrialgrowthareanti-science,asanessayinUSNews&WorldReportlastMayseemedtosuggest.

Theenvironmentalists,inevitably,respondtosuchcritics.Thetrueenemiesofscience,arguesPaulEhrlichofStanfordUniversity,a