6A文1996考研英语阅读真题打印版.docx

6A文1996考研英语阅读真题打印版.docx

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6A文1996考研英语阅读真题打印版

【20XX】Passage1

Ahistoryoflongandeffortlesssuccesscanbeadreadfulhandicap,but,ifproperlyhandled,itmaybecomeadrivingforce.WhentheUnitedStatesenteredjustsuchaglowingperiodaftertheendoftheSecondWorldWar,ithadamarketeighttieslargerthananycompetitor,givingitsindustriesunparalleledeconomiesofscale.Itsscientistsweretheworld’sbest,itsworkersthemostskilled.AmericaandAmericanswereprosperousbeyondthedreamsoftheEuropeansandAsianswhoseeconomiesthewarhaddestroyed.

Itwasinevitablethatthisprimacyshouldhavenarrowedasothercountriesgrewricher.Justasinevitably,theretreatfrompredominanceprovedpainful.Bythemid-1980sAmericanshadfoundthemselvesatalossovertheirfadingindustrialcompetitiveness.SomehugeAmericanindustries,suchasconsumerelectronics,hadshrunkorvanishedinthefaceofforeigncompetition.By1987therewasonlyoneAmericantelevisionmakerleft,Zenith.（Nowthereisnone:

ZenithwasboughtbySouthKorea’sLGElectronicsinJuly.）Foreign-madecarsandtextilesweresweepingintothedomesticmarketAmerica’smachine-toolindustrywasontheropes.Forawhileitlookedasthoughthemakingofsemiconductors,whichAmericahadwhichsatattheheartofthenewcomputerage,wasgoingtobethenextcasualty.

Allofthiscausedacrisisofconfidence.Americansstoppedtakingprosperityforgranted.Theybegantobelievethattheirwayofdoingbusinesswasfailing,andthattheirincomeswouldthereforeshortlybegintofallaswell.Themid-1980sbroughtoneinquiryafteranotherintothecausesofAmerica’sindustrialdecline.Theirsometimessensationalfindingswerefilledwithwarningsaboutthegrowingcompetitionfromoverseas.

Howthingshavechanged!

In1995theUnitedStatescanlookbackonfiveyearsofsolidgrowthwhileJapanhasbeenstruggling.FewAmericansattributethissolelytosuchobviouscausesasadevalueddollarortheturningofthebusinesscycle.Self-doubthasyieldedtoblindpride.”Americanindustryhaschangeditsstructure,hasgoneonadiet,haslearnttobemorequick-witted,”accordingtoRichardCavanaugh,executivedeanofHarvard’sKennedySchoolofGovernment,”ItmakesmeproudtobeanAmericanjusttoseehowourbusinessesareimprovingtheirproductivity,saysStephenMooreoftheCatoInstitute,athink-tankinWashington,DC.AndWilliamSahlmanoftheHarvardBusinessSchoolbelievesthatpeoplewilllookbackonthisperiodas”agoldenageofbusinessmanagementintheUnitedStates.”

51.TheU.S.achieveditspredominanceafterWorldWarⅡbecause_____.

［A］ithadmadepainstakingeffortstowardsthisgoal

［B］itsdomesticmarketwaseighttimeslargerthanbefore

［C］thewarhaddestroyedtheeconomiesofmostpotentialcompetitors

［D］theunparalleledsizeofitsworkforcehadgivenanimpetustoitseconomy

52.ThelossofU.S.predominanceintheworldeconomyinthe1980sismanifestedinthefactthattheAmerican_____.

［A］TVindustryhadwithdrawntoitsdomesticmarket

［B］semiconductorindustryhadbeentakenoverbyforeignenterprises

［C］machine-toolindustryhadcollapsedaftersuicidalactions

［D］autoindustryhadlostpartofitsdomesticmarket

53.Whatcanbeinferredfromthepassage?

［A］Itishumannaturetoshiftbetweenself-doubtandblindpried.

［B］Intensecompetitionmaycontributetoeconomicprogress.

［C］Therevivaloftheeconomydependsoninternationalcooperation.

［D］Alonghistoryofsuccessmaypavethewayforfurtherdevelopment.

54.TheauthorseemstobelievetherevivaloftheU.S.economyinthe1990scanbeattributedtothe____.

［A］turningofthebusinesscycle［B］restructuringofindustry

［C］improvedbusinessmanagement［D］successineducation

【20XX】Passage2

Beingamanhasalwaysbeendangerous.Thereareabout105malesbornforevery100females,butthisratiodropstonearbalanceattheageofmaturity,andamong70-year-oldstherearetwiceasmanywomenasmen.Butthegreatuniversalofmalemortalityisbeingchanged.Now,bybabiessurvivealmostaswellasgirlsdo.Thismeansthat,forthefirsttime,therewillbeanexcessofboysinthosecrucialyearswhentheyaresearchingforamate.Moreimportant,anotherchancefornaturalselectionhasbeenremoved.Fiftyyearsago,thechanceofababy（particularlyaboybaby）survivingdependedonitsweight.Akilogramtoolightortooheavymeantalmostcertaindeath.Todayitmakesalmostnodifference.Sincemuchofthevariationisduetogenesonemoreagentofevolutionhasgone.

Thereisanotherwaytocommitevolutionarysuicide:

stayalive,buthavefewerchildren.Fewpeopleareasfertileasinthepast.Exceptinsomereligiouscommunities,veryfewwomenhas15children.Nowadaysthenumberofbirths,liketheageofdeath,hasbecomeaverage.Mostofushaveroughlythesamenumberofoffspring.Again,differencesbetweenpeopleandtheopportunityfornaturalselectiontotakeadvantageofithavediminished.Indiashowswhatishappening.Thecountryofferswealthforafewinthegreatcitiesandpovertyfortheremainingtribalpeoples.Thegrandmediocrityoftodayeveryonebeingthesameinsurvivalandnumberofoffspringmeansthatnaturalselectionhaslost80%ofitspowerinupper-middle-classIndiacomparedtothetribes.

Forus,thismeansthatevolutionisover;thebiologicalUtopiahasarrived.Strangely,ithasinvolvedlittlephysicalchangeNootherspeciesfillssomanyplacesinnature.Butinthepass100,000yearseventhepass100yearsourliveshavebeentransformedbutourbodieshavenot.Wedidnotevolve,becausemachinesandsocietydiditforus.Darwinhadaphrasetodescribethoseignorantofevolution:

they“lookatanorganicbeingasaveragelooksataship,asatsomethingwhollybeyondhiscomprehension.”Nodoubtwewillremembera20thcenturywayoflifebeyondcomprehensionforitsugliness.ButhoweveramazedourdescendantsmaybeathowfarfromUtopiawewere,theywilllookjustlikeus.

55.Whatusedtobethedangerinbeingamanaccordingtothefirstparagraph?

［A］Alackofmates.［B］Afiercecompetition.

［C］Alowersurvivalrate.［D］Adefectivegene.

56.WhatdoestheexampleofIndiaillustrate?

［A］Wealthypeopletendtohavefewerchildrenthanpoorpeople.

［B］Naturalselectionhardlyworksamongtherichandthepoor.

［C］Themiddleclasspopulationis80%smallerthanthatofthetribes.

［D］Indiaisoneofthecountrieswithaveryhighbirthrate.

57.Theauthorarguesthatourbodieshavestoppedevolvingbecause____.

［A］lifehasbeenimprovedbytechnologicaladvance

［B］thenumberoffemalebabieshasbeendeclining

［C］ourspecieshasreachedthehigheststageofevolution

［D］thedifferencebetweenwealthandpovertyisdisappearing

58.Whichofthefollowingwouldbethebesttitleforthepassage?

［A］SexRationChangesinHumanEvolution

［B］WaysofContinuingMan’sEvolution

［C］TheEvolutionaryFutureofNature［D］HumanEvolutionGoingNowhere

【20XX】Passage3

Whenanewmovementinartattainsacertainfashion,itisadvisabletofindoutwhatitsadvocatesareaimingat,for,howeverfarfetchedandunreasonabletheirprinciplesmayseemtoday,itispossiblethatinyearstocometheymayberegardedasnormal.WithregardtoFuturistpoetry,however,thecaseisratherdifficult,forwhateverFuturistpoetrymaybeevenadmittingthatthetheoryonwhichitisbasedmayberight,itcanhardlybeclassedasLiterature.

This,inbrief,iswhattheFuturistsays;foranoiseandviolenceandspeed.Consequently,ourfeelings,thoughtsandemotionshaveundergoneacorrespondingchange.Thisspeedingupoflife,saystheFuturist,requiresanewformofexpression.Wemustspeedupourliteraturetoo,ifwewanttointerpretmodernstress.Wemustpouroutalargestreamofessentialwords,unhamperedbystops,orqualifyingadjectives,offiniteverbs.Insteadofdescribingsoundswemustmakeupwordsthatimitatethem;wemustusemanysizesoftypeanddifferentcoloredinksonthesamepage,andshortenorlengthenwordsatwill.

Certainlytheirdescriptionsofbattlesareconfused.ButitisalittleupsettingtoreadintheexplanatorynotesthatacertainlinedescribesafightbetweenaTurkishandaBulgarianofficeronabridgeoffwhichtheybothfallintotheriverandthentofindthatthelineconsistsofthenoiseoftheirfallingandtheweightsoftheofficers:

“Pluff!

Pluff!

Ahundredandeighty-fivekilograms.”

This,thoughitfulfillsthelawsandrequirementsofFuturistpoetry,canhardlybeclassedasLiterature.Allthesame,nothinkingmancanrefusetoaccepttheirfirstproposition:

thatagreatchangeinouremotionallifecallsforachangeofexpression.Thewholequestionisreallythis:

haveweessentiallychanged?

59.Thispassageismainly____.

［A］asurveyofnewapproachestoart［B］areviewofFuturistpoetry

［C］aboutmeritsoftheFuturistmovement

［D］aboutlawsandrequirementsofliterature

60.Whenanovelliteraryideaappears,peopleshouldtryto_____.

［A］determineitspurposes［B］ignoreitsflaws

［C］followthenewfashions［D］accepttheprinciples

61.Futuristsclaimthatwemust____.

［A］increasetheproductionofliterature［B］usepoetrytorelievemodernstress

［C］developnewmodesofexpression［D］avoidusingadjectivesandverbs

62.TheauthorbelievesthatFuturistpoetryis_____.

［A］basedonreasonableprinciples［B］newandacceptabletoordinarypeople

［C］indicativeofbasicchangeinhumannature

［D］moreofatransientphenomenonthanliterature

【20XX】Passage4

AimlessnesshashardlybeentypicalofthepostwarJapanwhoseproductivityandsocialharmonyaretheenvyoftheUnitedStatesandEurope.ButincreasinglytheJapaneseareseeingadeclineofthetraditionalwork-moralvalues.Tenyearsagoyoungpeoplewerehardworkingandsawtheirjobsastheirprimaryreasonforbeing,butnowJapanhaslargelyfulfilleditseconomicneeds,andyoungpeopledon’tknowwheretheyshouldgonext.

Thecomingofageofthepostwarbabyboomandanentryofwomenintothemale-dominatedjobmarkethavelimitedtheopportunitiesofteen-agerswhoarealreadyquestioningtheheavypersonalsacrificesinvolvedinclimbingJapan’srigidsocialladdertogoodschoolsandjobs.Inarecentsurvey,itwasfoundthatonly24.5percentofJapanesestudentswerefullysatisfiedwithschoollife,comparedwith67.2percentofstudentsintheUnitedStates.Inaddition,farmoreJapaneseworkersexpresseddissatisfactionwiththeirjobsthandidtheircounterpartsinthe10othercountriessurveyed.

Whileoftenpraisedbyforeignersforitsemphasisonthebasics,Japaneseeducationtendstostresstesttakingandmechanicallearningovercreativityandself-expression.”Thosethingsthatdonotshowupinthetestscorespersonality,ability,courageorhumanityarecompletelyignored,”saysToshikiKaifu,chairmanoftherulingLiberalDemocraticParty’seducationcommittee.”Frustrationagainstthiskindofthingleadskidstodropoutandrunwild.”LastyearJapanexperienced2,125incidentsofschoolviolence,including929assaultsonteachers.Amidtheoutcry,manyconservativeleadersareseekingareturntotheprewaremphasisonmoraleducation.LastyearMitsuoSetoyama,whowastheneducationminister,raisedeyebrowswhenhearguedthatliberalreformsintroducedbytheAmericanoccupationauthoritiesafterWorldWarⅡhadweakenedthe“Japanesemoralityofrespectforparents.”

ButthatmayhavemoretodowithJapaneselife-styles.”InJ