2007年考研英语(一)真题与答案

2007

年考研英语（一）试题

Section I

Use of English

Directions:

Read the

following

text.

Choose the

best word(s)

for

each numbered blank and mark [A], [B], [C] or [D]

on

ANSWER SHEET 1

. (10 points)

By

1830 the former

Spanish and Portuguesecolonies had become

independent nations.

The

roughly

20

million___1___

of

these nations

looked

___2___ to

the future.

Born

in

the crisis of

the old

regime and

Iberian

Colonialism,

many of

the leaders

o

f

independence___3___ the

ideals of representative government, careers ___4___ to talent, freedom

of commerce and trade, the ___5___ to private property, and a belief in

the individual as the basis of society. ___6___ there was a belief that the

new nations should be sovereign and independent states, large enough to

be economically viable and integrated by a ___7___ set of laws.

On the issue of ___8___ of religion and the position of the church,

___9___,

there

was

less

agreement ___10___

the

leadership. Roman

Catholicism had been the state religion and the only one ___11___ by the

Spanish crown.

___12___ most leaders sought to

maintain

Catholicism

___13___ the official religion of the new states, some sought to end the

___14___ of other faiths. The defense of the Church became

a rallying

___15___ for the conservative forces.

The

ideals

of

the

early

leaders

of

independence were

often

egalitarian, valuing equality of everything. Bolivar had received aid from

Haiti

and

had

___16___ in

return

to

abolish

slavery

in

the

areas he

liberated. By 1854 slavery had been abolished everywhere except S

a

p

i

n

’

s

___17___ colonies. Early

promises to

end Indian

tribute

and taxes on

people of

mixed

origin

came much ___18___ because

t

he new nations

still

needed

t

he revenue

s

uch policies

___19___. Egalitarian sentiments

were

often

tempered by

fears

that

the

mass of

the

___20___ self-rule and democracy.

1.

[A] natives[B] inhabitants[C] peoples[D] individuals

2.

[A] confusedly[B] cheerfully[C] worriedly[D] hopefully

3.

[A] shared[B] forgot[C] attained[D] rejected

was

population

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

[A] related[B] close[C] open[D] devoted

[A] access[B] succession[C] right[D] return

[A] Presumably[B] Incidentally[C] Obviously[D] Generally

[A] unique[B] common[C] particular[D] typical

[A] freedom[B] origin[C] impact[D] reform

[A] therefore[B] however[C] indeed[D] moreover

10.

[A] with[B] about[C] among[D] by

11.

[A] allowed[B] preached[C] granted[D] funded

12.

[A] Since[B] If[C] Unless[D] While

13.

[A] as[B] for[C] under[D] against

14.

[A] spread[B] interference[C] exclusion[D] influence

15.

[A] support[B] cry[C] plea[D] wish

16.

[A] urged[B] intended[C] expected[D] promised

17.

[A] controlling[B] former[C] remaining[D] original

18.

[A] slower[B] faster[C] easier[D] tougher

19.

[A] created[B] produced[C] contributed[D] preferred

20.

[A] puzzled by

，

[B] hostile to

[C] pessimistic about

，

[D] unprepared for

Section 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

1

. (40 points)

Text 1

If you were to examine the birth certificates of every soccer player in

2006

’

s World Cup t

o

urnamnet

,

you would most likely find a noteworthy

quirk: elite soccer players are more likely to have been born in the earlier

months of

the year than in

the later months. If

you

then examined the

European national youth teams that feed the World Cup and professional

ranks,

you

would

find

this

strange

phenomenon

to

be

even

more

pronounced.

What

might

account for

this

strange phenomenon?Here are a few

a)

certain

astrological

signs

confer

superior

soccer skills;

guesses:

b)

winter-born

babies

tend

to

have

higher

oxygen

capacity,

which

increases soccer stamina;

c)

soccer-mad parents are more

likely

to

conceive children in springtime, at the annual peak of soccer mania;

d)

none of the above.

Anders Ericsson, a 58-year-old psychology professor at Florida State

University,

says he

believes strongly

in

―

noneof

the

above.

‖

Ericsson

grew up in Sweden, and studied nuclear engineering until he realized he

would have more opportunity to conduct his own research if he switched

to

psychology.

His

first

experiment,

nearly

30

years

ago,

involved

memory:

training

a

person to

hear and then repeat a

random series of

numbers.

―

With the first subject, after about 20 hours of training, his digit

span had risen from 7 to 20,

‖

Ericsson recalls.

―

He kept improving, a

‖

after about

2

00 hours of training he had risen to over 80 numbers.

This success, coupled with later research showing that memory itself

is

not

genetically

determined, led

Ericsson to

conclude that the

act of

memorizing is more of a cognitive exercise than an intuitive one. In other

words,

whatever

inborn

differences two

people

may

exhibit

in

their

abilities to memorize, those differences are swamped by how well each

person

―

encodesth

‖

e

information.

And

the

best way

to

learn

how

to

encode information

meaningfully,

Ericsson

determined, was

a

process

known as deliberate practice. Deliberate practice entails more than simply

repeating

a

task.

Rather, it

involves

setting

specific

goals,

obtaining

immediate

feedback

and

concentrating

as

much

on

technique

as

on

outcome.

Ericsson

and

his

colleagues have

thus

taken

to

studying

expert

performers in a wide range of pursuits, including soccer. They gather all

the data they can, not just performance statistics and biographical details

but

also

the

results

of

their

own

laboratory

experiments

with

high

achievers. Their

work

makes a

rather

startling

assertion: the

trait

we

commonly

call

talent

is

highly

overrated. Or,

put

another way,

expert

performers

–

whether

in

memory

or

surgery,

ballet

or

computer

programming

–

are nearly always made, not born.

21.

The birthday phenomenon found among soccer players is mentioned

to

[A] stress the importance of professional training.

[B] spotlight the soccer superstars in the World Cup.

[C] introduce the topic of what makes expert performance.

[D] explain why some soccer teams play better than others.

22.

The word

―

mania

‖

(Line 4, Paragraph 2) most probably means

[A] fun.

[B] craze.

[C] hysteria.

[D] excitement.

23.

According to Ericsson, good memory

[A] depends on meaningful processing of information.

[B] results from intuitive rather than cognitive exercises.

[C] is determined by genetic rather than psychological factors.

[D] requires immediate feedback and a high degree of concentration.

24.

Ericsson and his colleagues believe that

[A] talent is a dominating factor for professional success.

[B] biographical data provide the key to excellent performance.

[C] the role of talent tends to be overlooked.

[D] high achievers owe their success mostly to nurture.

25.

Which of the following proverbs is closest to the message the text

tries to convey?

[A]

―

Faith will move mountains.

[B]

―

One reaps what one sows.

[C]

―

Practice makes perfect.

[D]

―

Like father, like son.

‖

‖

‖

‖

Text 2

For the past several years, the Sunday newspaper supplement Parade

―

Ask Marilyn.

‖

People are invited to query

has featured a column called

Marilyn

vos

Savant, who

at

age 10

had

tested at

a

mental

level

of

someone about 23

years old;

that gave her an IQ

of

228

–

the highest

score

ever

recorded. IQ

tests ask

you

to

complete

verbal

and

visual

analogies, to

envision

paper after

it

has been folded

and

cut,

and

to

deduce numerical

sequences,among other

similar

tasks. So it

is

a

bit

confusing

when

vos

Savant fields

such

queries from

the

average Joe

(whose IQ is 100) as, What

’

s the difference between love and fondness?

’

s not obvious how th

Or what is the nature of luck and coincidence? It

capacity to visualize objects and to figure out numerical patterns suits one

to

answer

questions

that

have

eluded

some

of

the

best

poets

and

philosophers.

Clearly, intelligence encompasses more than a score on a test. Just

what

does

it

mean

to

be

smart?

How

much

of

intelligence

can

be

specified, and how much can we learn about it from neurology, genetics,

computer science and other fields?

The defining term of intelligence in humans still seems to be the IQ

score, even though IQ tests are not given as often as they used to be. The

test comes primarily in two forms: the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale

and the Wechsler Intelligence Scales (both come in adult and children

version).

Generally

costing

several hundred

dollars,

they

are

usually

given

only

by

psychologists,

although

variations

of

them

populate

bookstores and the World Wide Web. Superhigh scores like vos Savant

are

no

longer

possible, because scoring

is

now

based on

a

statistical

population distribution among age peers, rather than simply dividing the

mental

age by

the

chronological

age

and

multiplying

by

100.

Other

standardized tests, such as the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) and the

Graduate Record Exam (GRE), capture the main aspects of IQ tests.

’

s

Such standardized

t

ests may not

assessall

the important

elements

necessary to succeed in school and in life, argues Robert J. Sternberg. In

his article

―

How Intelligent Is Intelligence Testing?

traditional test best assess analytical and verbal skills but fail to measure

creativity

and practical knowledge, components

a

lso critical

to

problem

solving and life success. Moreover, IQ tests do not necessarily predict so

well once

populations or situations

change.

R

esearch hasfound

that IQ

predicted

leadership skills

when

the tests were

given

under low-stress

conditions, but under high-stress conditions, IQ was negatively correlated

with leadership

–

that is, it predicted the opposite. Anyone who has toiled

through

SAT will

testify

that test-taking skill

also matters, whether it`s

knowing when to guess or what questions to skip.

26.

Which of the following may be required in an intelligence test?

[A] Answering philosophical questions.

[B] Folding or cutting paper into different shapes.

[C] Telling the differences between certain concepts.

[D] Choosing words or graphs similar to the given ones.

27.

What can be inferred about intelligence testing from Paragraph 3?

[A] People no longer use IQ scores as an indicator of intelligence.

[B] More versions of IQ tests are now available on the Internet.

[C]

The

test contents and formats for

adults and children

may

be

different.

‖

, Sternberg no

[D]

Scientists

have

defined

the

important

elements

of

human

intelligence.

28.

People nowadays can no longer

achieve IQ

scores as high

as vos

Savant

’

s because

[A]

the

scores

are

obtained

through

different

computational

procedures.

[B] creativity rather than analytical skills is emphasized now.

[C] vos Savant

’

s case is an extreme one that will not repeat.

[D] the defining characteristic of IQ tests has changed.

29.

We can conclude from the last paragraph that

[A] test scores may not be reliableindicators of one

[B] IQ scores and SAT results are highly correlated.

[C] testing involves a lot of guesswork.

[D] traditional test are out of date.

30.

What is the author

[A] Supportive.

[B] Skeptical.

[C] Impartial.

[D] Biased.

Text 3

During

the past generation, the American

middle-class family

that

’

s attitude towards IQ tests?

’

s ability.

once could

count

on hard work

and fair

play

to

keep itself

financially

secure had been transformed by economic risk and new realities. Now a

pink slip, a bad diagnosis, or a disappearing spouse can reduce a family

from solidly middle class to newly poor in a few months.

In

just

one

generation, millions

of

mothers have

gone to

work,

transforming basic family economics. Scholars, policymakers, and critics

of all stripes have debated the social implications of these changes, but

few have looked at the side effect: family risk has risen as well. Today

families have budgeted to the limits of their new two-paycheck status. As

a result, they have lost the parachute they once had in times of financial

setback

–

a

back-up

earner

(usually

Mom)

who

could

go

into

the

workforce

if

the

primary

earner

got

laid

off

or

fell

sick.

This

―

adde-dworker

effect

‖

could

support

the

safety

net

offered

by

unemployment insurance or disability insurance to help families weather

bad times. But

today, a disruption

to

family

fortunes can no longer be

made up with extra income from an otherwise-stay-at-home partner.

During

the same

p

eriod, families

have been asked

t

o

absorb

m

uch

more

risk

their

retirement income.

Steelworkers, airline

employees,

in

and now those in the auto industry are joining millions of families who

must worry

about interest rates, stock market fluctuation,

and the harsh

reality that they may outlive their retirement money. For much of the past

year,

President

Bush

campaigned

to

move

Social

Security

to

a

saving-account

model,

with

retirees

trading

much

or

all

of

their

guaranteed payments for payments depending on investment returns. For

younger families, the picture is not any better. Both the absolute cost of

healthcare and the share of it borne by families have risen

–

a

nd newly

fashionable health-savings plans are spreading from

legislative

halls to

Wal-Mart workers, with much higher deductibles and a large new dose of

investment

risk

for

families

fu

’

t

ure

healthcare. Even

demographics are

working

against the middle

class family,

as the odds of

having a weak

elderly

parent

–

and all

the

attendant need for

physical

and financial

assistance

–

h

ave jumped eightfold in just one generation.

From

the

middle-class

family

perspective,

much

of

this,

understandably, looks

far

less

like

an

opportunity

to

exercise more

financial

responsibility,

and

a

good

deal

more

like

a

frightening

acceleration of

the

wholesale shift

of

financial

risk

onto

their

already

overburdened shoulders. The financial fallout has begun, and the political

fallout may not be far behind.

31.

Today

’

s doub-l

i

e

ncome families are at greater financial risk in that

[A] the safety net they used to enjoy has disappeared.

[B] their chances of being laid off have greatly increased.

[C] they are more vulnerable to changes in family economics.

[D] they are deprived of unemployment or disability insurance.

32.

As a result of President Bush

[A] a higher sense of security.

[B] less secured payments.

[C] less chance to invest.

[D] a guaranteed future.

’

s reform, retired people may have

33.

According to the author, health-savings plans will

[A] help reduce the cost of healthcare.

[B] popularize among the middle class.

[C] compensate for the reduced pensions.

[D] increase the families

’

investment risk.

34.

It can be inferred from the last paragraph that

[A] financial risks tend to outweigh political risks.

[B] the middle class may face greater political challenges.

[C] financial problems may bring about political problems.

[D] financial responsibility is an indicator of political status.

35.

Which of the following is the best title for this text?

[A] The Middle Class on the Alert

[B] The Middle Class on the Cliff

[C] The Middle Class in Conflict

[D] The Middle Class in Ruins

Text 4

It

never rains

but it

pours. Just as bosses

a

nd boards have finally

sorted out their worst accounting and compliance troubles, and improved

their

feeble

corporation

governance, a

new

problem

threatens to

earn

them

–

especially in America

–

the sort of nasty headlines that inevitably

lead to heads rolling in the executive suite: data insecurity. Left, until now,

to

odd, low-level

IT

staff

to

put

right,

and seen as a concern only

of

data-rich industries such as banking, telecoms and air travel, information

protection

is

now

high

on

the

boss

’

sagenda in

businesses

o

f

every

variety.

Several massive leakages of customer and employee data this yea

–

r

from

organizations as diverse

as Time

Warner, the

American

defense

contractor

Science

Applications

International

Corp

and

even

the

University of California, Berkeley

–

have left managers hurriedly peering

into

their

intricate

IT

systems and

business processes in

search

of

potential vulnerabilities.