charge tuition fees, where- as the rest had to apply elsewhere. As a result, a higher proportion of lottery-winners than losers went to college. After a year, Mr. Perez-Arce found, the lottery-winners were more patient than the losers. Since the process was random, he concluded that higher education can make people place more weight on the future.
31. The “marshmallow” experiment is a test about_______ . [A] accepting temptation [B] avoiding outcomes [C] deferring gratification [D] eating the confection
32. All of the following make the new research differ from the previous ones EXCEPT _______ .
[A] the researchers tracked all the subjects
[B] the researchers surveyed a much wider range of children [C] the researchers explained the children’s parental background [D] the researchers considered the parents’ cognitive ability 33. It is believed that individuals who are impatient_______ . [A] tend to get benefits at once [B] are able to delay rewards
[C] would rather wait for the bigger reward
[D] are probably deterred by potential punishments
34 . People who fret that a person ’ s criminal path is set already can take the remedial action of _______ .
[A] keeping healthy
[B] attaining higher incomes [C] receiving higher education [D] avoiding punishments
35. It is concluded that educational attainment and patience are related because_______ .
[A] patience helps students to do better
[B] gratification is delayed by receiving higher education [C] schooling makes people less likely to postpone rewards [D] higher education can make people value the future more Text 4
Ever since Muzak started serenading patrons of hotels and restaurants in the 1930s, piped-in music has been part of the consumer experience. Without the throb of a synthesiser or a guitar’s twang, shoppers would sense something missing as they tried on jeans or filled up trolleys. Special- ists like Mood Media, which bought Muzak in 2011, devise audio programmes to influence the feel of shops and cater to customers’ tastes. The idea is to entertain, and thereby prolong the time shop-pers spend in stores, says Claude Nahon, the firm’s international chief. Music by famous artists works better than the generic stuff that people associate with Muzak. The embarrassing brand name was dropped in 2013.
Online shopping is an under-explored area of merchandising musicology. A new study commis- sioned by eBay, a shopping website, aims to correct that. Some 1,900 participants were asked to simulate online shopping while listening to different sounds. Some results were
unsurprising. The noise of roadworks and crying babies soured shoppers’ views of the products on offer. Chirruping birds encouraged sales of barbecues but not blenders or board games.
Sounds associated with quality and luxury seemed to be hazardous for shoppers’ wallets. The study found classical music and restaurant buzz caused them to overestimate the quality of goods on offer and to pay more than they should. That backs up earlier research which found that shoppers ex- posed to classical music in a wine store bought more expensive bottles than those hearing pop.
EBay wants consumers to avoid such unhealthy influences when shopping online. It has blend- ed birdsong, dreamy music and the sound of a rolling train—thought to be pleasant but not overly se- ductive—to help them buy more sensibly. Retailers could presumably counter by turning up the Chopin. “Classical music does seem to be the way to go” if your only interest is the narrow one of squeezing as much money as possible from your clientele, says the study’s author, Patrick Fagan, a lecturer at Goldsmiths, part of the University of London.
Few trad itional shops are likely to use that tactic. H&M, a clothes retailer, airs “trendy, up-tempo” music from new artists, while Nespresso’s coffee boutiques go for “lounge-y” sounds, says Mr. Nahon. Grocery stores, with a broad following, play top 40 hits. The tempo tends to be slower in the mornings, when shoppers are sparser and older, and becomes more quick and lively as the day goes on.
36. The brand name Muzak was dropped in 2013 because it _______ . [A] was outdated
[B] was bought by Mood Media in 2011 [C] was often associated with generic music [D] entertained customers better
37. The sound of _______may increase sales of board games_______ . [A] roadworks [B] crying babies [C] chirruping birds [D] classic music
38. The word “hazardous” (Para. 3) probably means_______ . [A] safe [B] dangerous [C] helpful [D] lucky
39. The sound which helps customers buy more sensibly_______ . [A] belongs to classical music
[B] includes the sound of a rolling train [C] sounds noisy and unpleasant [D] is overly seductive
40. It can be inferred that a fashion shop should play________to attract customers. [A] trendy and up-tempo music [B] “lounge-y” music [C] slow and tender music [D] quick and lively music Part B
Directions:
Read the following text and match each of the numbered items in the left column to its
correspond- ing information in the right column. There are two extra choices in the right column. Mark your an- swers on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)
A Picasso painting valued at about $140 million is the centerpiece of a new type of auction at Christie’s, combining Modern and contemporary artworks spanning 100 years, that will kick-start its postwar and contemporary sales in New York in May.
Scheduled for May 11, “Looking Forward to the Past” is an evening sale of about 25 lots orga- nized by Loic Gouzer, of Christie’s postwar and contemporary art department. Mr. Gouzer was also the specialist responsible for Christie’s much-hyped “If I Live I’ll See You Tuesday” auction of 35 works by fashionable contemporary names, which raised $134.6 million last May.
“Traditionally, people would start by collecting Impressionist and Modern art, and then gradu- ally turn to contemporary,” Mr. Gouzer said. “Recently, we’re seeing the contrary. Collectors start with contemporary, and then they start to look for other works that have quality, relevance and fresh- ness.”
Picasso, who died at 91 in 1973, has nevertheless traditionally been included in auctions of Im- pressionist and Modern art. But Christie’s said that the broadening client base at the week of con- temporary art sales in New York was crucial in persuading an unidentified seller to come forward with Picasso’s 1955 canvas “Les Femmes d’Alger (Version ‘O’),” around which the auction house fashioned its “Looking Forward to the Past” sale. Inspired by Eugene Delacroix’s 1834 Orientalist masterpiece, “Women of Algiers,” this was one of a number of works Picasso produced in the 1950s and 1960s in response to earlier artists he admired. This particular painting was last seen on the mar- ket in November 1997, when it was bought by the London dealer Libby Howie, on the behalf of a client, for $31.9 million at Christie’s auction from the collection of the Americans Victor and Sally Ganz.
Christie’s new valuation of about $140 million on this superior Picasso ranks as one of the highest estimates ever put on an artwork at auction. Francis Bacon’s “Three Studies of Lucian Freud,” which sold for a record $142.4 million at Christie’s in November 2013, carried a presale es timate of more than $85 million. Christie’s has guaranteed the seller of “Les Femmes d’Alger (Ver sion ‘O’)” an undisclosed minimum price. It would not specify whether this guarantee had been funded by the auction house or by a third party.
Last week, Mr. Gouzer posted an image of a 1938 Picasso painting of Dora Maar on Instagram. That work will be in his sale with an estimate of more than $50 million. But there are still gaps, Mr. Gouzer said. “I’m still looking for a 1960s Carl Andre.” [A] is an auction organized by Loic Gouzer. 41. Looking Forward to the Past 42. Les Femmes d’Alger (Version ‘O’) 43. Women of Algiers 44. Three Studies of Lucian Freud 45. Dora Maar [B] is an evening sale of 35 contemporary works. [C] is Picasso’s 1955 painting valued at about $140 million. [D] is Picasso’s 1938 painting estimated more than $50 million. [E] is Eug e ne Delacroix’s 1834 Orientalist master- piece. [F] was produced by Francis Bacon in the 1950s and 1960s. [G] set a record of $142.4 million at Christie’s. Section Ⅲ Translation 46. Directions:
Translate the following text into Chinese. Write your translation on the ANSWER SHEET.
(15 points)
Jobs’ genius for creating products and his marketing talent have long been hailed. All of that comes through in Becoming Steve Jobs, Schlender’s and Tetzeli’s new book.
They contend that Jobs was a far more complex and interesting man than the half-genius / half-jerk stereotype, and a good part of their book is an attempt to craft a more rounded portrait. What makes their book important is that they also contend—persuasively, I believe—that, the stereotype notwithstanding, he was not the same man in his prime that he had been at the beginning of his career. The inexperienced, impulsive, arrogant youth who co-founded Apple was very differ-ent from the mature and thoughtful man who returned to his struggling creation and turned it into a company that made breathtaking products while becoming the dominant technology company of our time. Had he not changed, they write, he would not have succeeded.
Section Ⅳ Writing Part A
47. Directions:
Suppose you are applying for a volunteer for an international conference. Write an email to the committee to
1) express your interest to be the volunteer, and
2) show your skills that will help you for the volunteering. You should write about 100 words on the ANSWER SHEET.
Do not use your own name. Use “Li Ming” instead. Do not write your address. (10 points) Part B
48. Directions:
Write an essay based on the following chart. In your essay, you should 1) interpret the chart, and 2) give your comments.
You should write at least 150 words.
Write your essay on the ANSWE SHEET. (15 points)
2016考研英语二考前终极预测题及答案解析(1)
