2014英语二阅读真题英语考研资料免费分享(1).pdf

20142014 英语二阅读真题英语二阅读真题Text 1What would you do with$590m?This is now a question for GloriaMacKenzie,an 84-year-old widow who recently emerged from her small,tin-roofed house in Florida to collect the biggest undivided lottery jackpotin history.If she hopes her new-found fortune will yield lasting feelingsof fulfilment,she could do worse than read Happy Money by ElizabethDunn and Michael Norton.These two academics use an array of behavioral research to showthat the most rewarding ways to spend money can be counterintuitive.Fantasies of great wealth often involve visions of fancy cars andextravagant homes.Yet satisfaction with these material purchases wearsoff fairly quickly.What was once exciting and new becomes old-hat;regret creeps in.It is far better to spend money on experiences,say MsDunn and Mr Norton,like interesting trips,unique meals or even going tothe cinema.These purchases often become more valuable with timeasstories or memoriesparticularly if they involve feeling more connectedto others.This slim volume is packed with tips to help wage slaves as well aslottery winners get the most“happiness bang for your buck.”It seemsmost people would be better off if they could shorten their commutes towork,spend more time with friends and family and less of it watchingtelevision(something the average American spends a whopping twomonths a year doing,and is hardly jollier for it).Buying gifts or giving tocharity is often more pleasurable than purchasing things for oneself,andluxuries are most enjoyable when they are consumed sparingly.This isapparently the reason McDonalds restricts the availability of its popularMcRiba marketing trick that has turned the pork sandwich into anobject of obsession.Readers of Happy Money are clearly a privileged lot,anxious aboutfulfilment,not hunger.Money may not quite buy happiness,but people inwealthier countries are generally happier than those in poor ones.Yet thelink between feeling good and spending money on others can be seenamong rich and poor people around the world,and scarcity enhances thepleasure of most things for most people.Not everyone will agree with theauthors policy ideas,which range from mandating more holiday time toreducing tax incentives for American homebuyers.But most people willcome away from this book believing it was money well spent.21.According to Dunn and Norton,which of the following is the mostrewarding purchase?A A big house.B A special tour.C A stylish car.D A rich meal.22.TheauthorsattitudetowardAmericanswatchingTVis.A criticalB supportiveC sympatheticD ambiguous23.McRib is mentioned in Paragraph 3 to show that.A consumers are sometimes irrationalB popularity usually comes after qualityC marketing tricks are often effectiveD rarity generally increases pleasure24.According to the last paragraph,Happy Money.A has left much room for readers criticismB may prove to be a worthwhile purchaseC has predicted a wider income gap in the USD may give its readers a sense of achievement25.This text mainly discusses how to.A balance feeling good and spending moneyB spend large sums of money won in lotteriesC obtain lasting satisfaction from money spentD become more reasonable in spending on luxuriesText 2An article in Scientific American has pointed out that empiricalresearch says that,actually,you think youre more beautiful than you are.We have a deep-seated need to feel good about ourselves and wenaturally employ a number of self-enhancing strategies to achieve this.Social psychologists have amassed oceans of research into what they callthe“above average effect”,or“illusory superiority”,and shown that,forexample,70%of us rate ourselves as above average in leadership,93%indriving and 85%at getting on well with othersall obviously statisticalimpossibilities.We rose-tint our memories and put ourselves into self-affirmingsituations.We become defensive when criticised,and apply negativestereotypes to others to boost our own esteem.We stalk around thinkingwere hot stuff.Psychologist and behavioural scientist Nicholas Epley oversaw a keystudy into self-enhancement and attractiveness.Rather than have peoplerate their beauty compared with others,he asked them to identify originalphotograph of themselves from a lineup including versions that had beenaltered to appear more and less attractive.Visual recognition,reads thestudy,is“an automatic psychological process,occurring rapidly andintuitively with little or no apparent conscious deliberation,”If thesubjects quickly chose a falsely flattering imagewhich most didtheygenuinely believed it was really how they looked.Epley found no significant gender difference in responses.Nor wasthere any evidence that those who self-enhanced the most(that is,theparticipants who thought the most positively doctored pictures were real)were doing so to make up for profound insecurities.In fact,those whothought that the images higher up the attractiveness scale were realdirectly corresponded with those who showed other markers for havinghigher self-esteem.“I dont think the findings that we have are anyevidence of personal delusion,”says Epley.“Its a reflection simply ofpeople generally thinking well of themselves.”If you are depressed,youwont be self-enhancing.Knowing the results of Epleys study,it makes sense that manypeople hate photographs of themselves viscerallyon one level,theydont even recognise the person in the picture as themselves.Facebook,therefore,is a self-enhancers paradise,where people can share only themost flattering photos,the cream of their wit,style,beauty,intellect andlifestyles.Its not that peoples profiles are dishonest,says Catalina Tomaof Wisconsin-Madison University,“but they portray an idealised versionof themselves.”26.According to the first paragraph,social psychologists have foundthat.A our self-ratings are unrealistically highB illusory superiority is a baseless effectC our need for leadership is unnaturalD self enhancing strategies are ineffective27.Visual recognition is believed to be peoples.A rapid matchingB conscious choiceC intuitive responseD automatic self-defence28.Epleyfoundthatpeoplewithhigherself-esteemtendedto.A underestimate their insecuritiesB believe in their attractivenessC cover up their depressionsD oversimplify their illusions29.The word“viscerally”(Line 2,Para.5)is closest in meaningto.A instinctivelyB occasionallyC particularlyD aggressively30.It can be inferred that Facebook is a self-enhancers paradisebecause people can.A present their dishonest profilesB define their traditional lifestylesC share their intellectual pursuitsD withhold their unflattering sidesText 3The concept of man versus machine is at least as old as the industrialrevolution,but this phenomenon tends to be most acutely felt duringeconomic downturns and fragile recoveries.And yet,it would be amistake to think we are right now simply experiencing the painful side ofa boom and bust cycle.Certain jobs have gone away for good,outmodedby machines.Since technology has such an insatiable appetite for eatingup human jobs,this phenomenon will continue to restructure oureconomy in ways we cannot immediately foresee.When there is rapid improvement in the price and performance oftechnology,jobs that were once thought to be immune from automationsuddenly become threatened.This argument has attracted a lot ofattention,via the success of the book Race Against the Machine,by ErikBrynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee,who both hail from MITs Center forDigital Business.This is a powerful argument,and a scary one.And yet,John Hagel,author of The Power of Pull and other books,says Brynjolfsson andMcAfee miss the reason why these jobs are so vulnerable to technologyin the first place.Hagel says we have designed jobs in the U.S.that tend to be“tightlyscripted”,and“highly standardized”ones that leave no room for“individual initiative or creativity”.In short,these are the types of jobsthat machines can perform much better at than human beings.That is howwe have put a giant target sign on the backs of American workers,Hagelsays.Its time to reinvent the formula for how work is conducted,since weare still relying on a very 20th century notion of work,Hagel says.In ourrapidly changing economy,we more than ever need people in theworkplace who can take initiative and exercise their imagination“torespond to unexpected events”.That is not something machines are goodat.They are designed to perform very predictable activities.As Hagel notes,Brynjolfsson and McAfee indeed touched on thispoint in their book.We need to reframe race against the machine as racewith the machine.In other words,we need to look at the ways in whichmachines can augment human labor rather than replace it.So then theproblem is not really about technology,but rather,“how do we innovateour institutions and our work practices?”31.Accordingtothefirstparagraph,economicdownturnswould.A ease the competition of man vs.machineB highlight machines threat to human jobsC provoke a painful technological revolutionD outmode our current economic structure32.The authors of Race Against the Machine argue that.A technology is diminishing mans job opportunitiesB automation is accelerating technological developmentC certain jobs will remain intact after automationD man will finally win the race against machine33.Hagel argues that jobs in the U.S.are often.A performed by innovative mindsB scripted with an individual styleC standardized without a clear targetD designed against human creativity34.Accordingtothelastparagraph,BrynjolfssonandMcAfeediscussed.A the predictability of machine behavior in practiceB the formula for how work is conducted efficientlyC the ways machines replace human labor in modem timesD the necessity of human involvement in the workplace35.Which of the following could be the most appropriate title for thetext?A How to Innovate Our Work Practices?B Machines Will Replace Human LaborC Can We Win the Race Against Machines?D Economic Downturns Stimulate InnovationsText 4When the government talks about infrastructure contributing to theeconomy 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 theblame.We have not been good at communicating the real value thathousing can contribute to economic growth.Then there is the scale of thetypical housing project.It is hard to shove for attention amongmultibillion-pound infrastructure projects,so it is inevitable that theattention is focused elsewhere.But perhaps the most significant reason isthat the issue has always been so politically charged.Nevertheless,the affordable housing situation is desperate.Waitinglists increase all the time and we are simply not building enough newhomes.The comprehensive spending review offers an opportunity for thegovernment to help rectify this.It needs to put historical prejudices to oneside and take some steps to address our urgent housing need.There are some indications that it is preparing to do just that.Thecommunities minister,Don Foster,has hinted that George Osborne,Chancellor of the Exchequer,may introduce more flexibility to thecurrent cap on the amount that local authorities can borrow against theirhousing stock debt.Evidence shows that 60,000 extra new homes couldbe built over the next five years if the cap were lifted,increasing GDP by0.6%.Ministers should also look at creating greater certainty in the rentalenvironment,which would have a significant impact on the ability ofregistered providers to fund new developments from revenues.But it is not just down to the government.While these measureswould be welcome in the short term,we must face up to the fact that theexisting 4.5bn programme of grants to fund new affordable housing,setto expire in 2015,is unlikely to be extended beyond then.The Labourparty has recently announced that it will retain a large part of thecoalitions spending plans if it returns to power.The housing sector needsto accept that we are very unlikely to ever return to the era of large-scalepublic grants.We need to adjust to this changing climate.While the governments commitment to long-term funding may havechanged,the very pressing need for more affordable housing is real and isnot going away.36.The author believes that the housing sector.A has attracted much attentionB involves certain political factorsC shoulders too much responsibilityD has lost its real value in economy37.It can be learned that affordable housing has.A increased its home supplyB offered spending opportunitiesC suffered government biasesD disappointed the government38.According to Paragraph 5,George Osborne may.A allow greater government debt for housingB stop local authorities from building homesC prepare to reduce housing stock debtD release a lifted GDP growth forecast39.Itcanbeinferredthatastablerentalenvironmentwould.A lower the costs of registered providersB lessen the impact of government interferenceC contribute to funding new developmentsD relieve the ministers of responsibilities40.Theauthorbelievesthatafter2015,thegovernmentmay.A implement more policies to support housingB review the need for large-scale public grantsC renew the affordable housing grants programmeD stop generous funding to the housing sector