2010-2017考研英语二历年真题及答案解析

[D]perform worse in lawsuits

24. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that outside directors .

[A]may stay for the attractive offers from the firm [B]have often had records of wrongdoings in the firm [C]are accustomed to stress-free work in the firm [D]will decline incentives from the firm

25. The author's attitude toward the role of outside directors is .

[A]permissive [B]positive [C]scornful [D]critical

Text 2

Whatever happened to the death of newspaper? A year ago the end seemed near. The recession threatened to remove the advertising and readers that had not already fled to the internet. Newspapers like the San Francisco Chronicle were chronicling their own doom. America's Federal Trade commission launched a round of talks about how to save newspapers. Should they become charitable corporations？ Should the state subsidize them ？ It will hold another meeting soon. But the discussions now seem out of date.

In much of the world there is the sign of crisis. German and Brazilian papers have shrugged off the recession. Even American newspapers， which inhabit the most troubled come of the global industry， have not only survived but often returned to profit. Not the 20% profit margins that were routine a few years ago， but profit all the same.

It has not been much fun. Many papers stayed afloat by pushing journalists overboard. The American Society of News Editors reckons that 13，500 newsroom jobs have gone since 2007. Readers are paying more for slimmer products. Some papers even had the nerve to refuse delivery to distant suburbs. Yet these desperate measures have proved the right ones and， sadly for many journalists， they can be pushed further.

Newspapers are becoming more balanced businesses， with a healthier mix of revenues from readers and advertisers. American papers have long been highly unusual in their reliance on ads. Fully 87% of their revenues came from advertising in 2008， according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD). In Japan the proportion is 35%. Not surprisingly， Japanese newspapers are much more stable.

The whirlwind that swept through newsrooms harmed everybody， but much of the damage has been concentrated in areas where newspaper are least distinctive. Car and film reviewers have gone. So have science and general business reporters. Foreign bureaus have been savagely cut off. Newspapers are less complete as a result. But completeness is no longer a virtue in the newspaper business.

26. By saying \-4， Para. 1)， the author indicates that

newspaper .

[A]neglected the sign of crisis [B]failed to get state subsidies

[C]were not charitable corporations [D]were in a desperate situation

27. Some newspapers refused delivery to distant suburbs probably because .

[A]readers threatened to pay less

[B]newspapers wanted to reduce costs

[C]journalists reported little about these areas

[D]subscribers complained about slimmer products

28. Compared with their American counterparts， Japanese newspapers are much more stable because they .

[A]have more sources of revenue [B]have more balanced newsrooms [C]are less dependent on advertising [D]are less affected by readership

29. What can be inferred from the last paragraph about the current newspaper business？

[A]Distinctiveness is an essential feature of newspapers. [B]Completeness is to blame for the failure of newspaper.

[C]Foreign bureaus play a crucial role in the newspaper business. [D]Readers have lost their interest in car and film reviews. 30. The most appropriate title for this text would be .

[A]American Newspapers： Struggling for Survival [B]American Newspapers： Gone with the Wind [C]American Newspapers： A Thriving Business [D]American Newspapers： A Hopeless Story

Text 3

We tend to think of the decades immediately following World War II as a time of prosperity and growth， with soldiers returning home by the millions， going off to college on the G. I. Bill and lining up at the marriage bureaus.

But when it came to their houses， it was a time of common sense and a belief that less could truly be more. During the Depression and the war， Americans had learned to live with less， and that restraint， in combination with the postwar confidence in the future， made small， efficient housing positively stylish.

Economic condition was only a stimulus for the trend toward efficient living. The phrase \more\， the architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe， who like other people associated with the Bauhaus， a school of design， emigrated to the United States before World War II and took up posts at American architecture schools. These designers came to exert enormous influence on the course of American architecture， but none more so that Mies.

Mies's signature phrase means that less decoration， properly organized， has more impact that a lot. Elegance， he believed， did not derive from abundance. Like other modern architects， he employed metal， glass and laminated wood-materials that we take for granted today buy that in the 1940s symbolized the future. Mies's sophisticated presentation masked the fact that the spaces he designed were small and efficient， rather than big and often empty.

The apartments in the elegant towers Mies built on Chicago's Lake Shore Drive， for example， were smaller-two-bedroom units under 1，000 square feet-than those in their older neighbors along the city's Gold Coast. But they were popular because of their airy glass walls， the views they afforded and the elegance of the buildings' details and proportions， the architectural equivalent of the abstract art so popular at the time.

The trend toward \more modest and efficient houses-usually around 1，200 square feet-than the spreading two-story ones he had designed in the 1890s and the early 20th century.

The \Study Houses\commissioned from talented modern architects by California Arts & Architecture magazine between 1945 and 1962 were yet another homegrown influence on the \more\， new materials and forthright detailing. In his Case Study House， Ralph everyday life - few American families acquired helicopters， though most eventually got clothes dryers - but his belief that self-sufficiency was both desirable and inevitable was widely shared.

31. The postwar American housing style largely reflected the Americans' .

[A]prosperity and growth [B]efficiency and practicality [C]restraint and confidence [D]pride and faithfulness

32. Which of the following can be inferred from Paragraph 3 about Bauhaus？

[A]It was founded by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

[B]Its designing concept was affected by World War II. [C]Most American architects used to be associated with it. [D]It had a great influence upon American architecture.

33. Mies held that elegance of architectural design .

[A]was related to large space [B]was identified with emptiness

[C]was not reliant on abundant decoration [D]was not associated with efficiency

34. What is true about the apartments Mies building Chicago's Lake Shore Drive？

[A]They ignored details and proportions.

[B]They were built with materials popular at that time. [C]They were more spacious than neighboring buildings. [D]They shared some characteristics of abstract art.

35. What can we learn about the design of the \？

[A]Mechanical devices were widely used.

[B]Natural scenes were taken into consideration [C]Details were sacrificed for the overall effect. [D]Eco-friendly materials were employed.

Text 4

Will the European Union make it? The question would have sounded strange not long ago. Now even the project's greatest cheerleaders talk of a continent facing a \triangle\of debt， population decline and lower growth.

As well as those chronic problems， the EU face an acute crisis in its economic core， the 16 countries that use the single currency. Markets have lost faith that the euro zone's economies， weaker or stronger， will one day converge thanks to the discipline of sharing a single currency， which denies uncompetitive members the quick fix of devaluation.

Yet the debate about how to save Europe's single currency from disintegration is stuck. It is stuck because the euro zone's dominant powers， France and Germany， agree on the need for greater harmonization within the euro zone， but disagree about what to harmonies.

Germany thinks the euro must be saved by stricter rules on borrow spending and competitiveness， barked by quasi-automatic sanctions for governments that do not obey. These might include threats to freeze EU funds for poorer regions and EU mega-projects and even the suspension of a country's voting rights in EU ministerial councils. It insists that economic co-ordination should involve all 27 members of the EU club， among whom there is a small majority for free-market liberalism and economic rigour； in the inner core alone， Germany fears， a small majority favour French interference.

A \camp headed by French wants something different： \economic government\within an inner core of euro-zone members. Translated， that means politicians intervening in monetary policy and a system of redistribution from richer to poorer members， via cheaper borrowing for governments through common Eurobonds or complete fiscal transfers. Finally， figures close to the France government have murmured， curo-zone members should agree to some fiscal and social harmonization： e.g.， curbing competition in corporate-tax rates or labour costs.

It is too soon to write off the EU. It remains the world's largest trading block. At its best， the European project is remarkably liberal： built around a single market of 27 rich and poor countries， its internal borders are far more open to goods， capital and labour than any comparable trading area. It is an ambitious attempt to blunt the sharpest edges of globalization， and make capitalism benign. 36. The EU is faced with so many problems that . [A] it has more or less lost faith in markets [B] even its supporters begin to feel concerned

[C] some of its member countries plan to abandon euro [D] it intends to deny the possibility of devaluation

37. The debate over the EU's single currency is stuck because the dominant powers .

[A] are competing for the leading position [B] are busy handling their own crises

[C] fail to reach an agreement on harmonization [D] disagree on the steps towards disintegration

38. To solve the euro problem ，Germany proposed that .

[A] EU funds for poor regions be increased [B] stricter regulations be imposed

[C] only core members be involved in economic co-ordination [D] voting rights of the EU members be guaranteed

39. The French proposal of handling the crisis implies that __ __. ［A］poor countries are more likely to get funds

［B］strict monetary policy will be applied to poor countries ［C］loans will be readily available to rich countries ［D］rich countries will basically control Eurobonds

40. Regarding the future of the EU， the author seems to feel __ __. ［A］pessimistic ［B］desperate ［C］conceited ［D］hopeful

Part B

Directions： Read the following text and answer the questions by finding information from the right column that corresponds to each of the marked details given in the left column. There are two extra choices in the right column. Mark your answer on ANSWER SHEET 1. （10 points）

Leading doctors today weigh in on the debate over the government’s role in promoting public health by demanding that ministers impose “fat taxes” on unhealthy food and introduce cigarette-style warnings to children about the dangers of a poor diet.

The demands follow comments made last week by the health secretary, Andrew Lansley, who insisted the government could not force people to make healthy choices and promised to free businesses from public health regulations.

But senior medical figures want to stop fast-food outlets opening near schools, restrict advertising of products high in fat, salt or sugar, and limit sponsorship of sports events by fast-food producers such as McDonald’s.

They argue that government action is necessary to curb Britain’s addiction to unhealthy food and help halt spiraling rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Professor Terence Stephenson, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said that the consumption of unhealthy food should be seen to be just as damaging as smoking or excessive drinking.

“Thirty years ago, it would have been inconceivable to have imagined a ban on smoking in the workplace or in pubs, and yet that is what we have now. Are we willing to be just as courageous in respect of obesity? I would suggest that we should be,” said the leader of the UK’s children’s doctors.

Lansley has alarmed health campaigners by suggesting he wants industry rather than government to take the lead. He said that manufacturers of crisps and candies could play a central role in the Change4Life campaign, the centerpiece of government efforts to boost healthy eating and fitness. He has also criticized the celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s high-profile attempt to improve school lunches in England as an example of how “lecturing” people was not the best way to change their behaviour.

Stphenson suggested potential restrictions could include banning TV advertisements for foods high in fat, salt or sugar before 9 pm and limiting them on billboards or in cinemas, “If we were really bold, we might even begin to think of high-calorie fast food in the same way as cigarettes-by setting strict limits on advertising, product placement and sponsorship of sports events,” he said.

Such a move could affect firms such as McDonald’s, which sponsors the youth coaching run by the Football Association. Fast-food chains should also stop offering “inducements” such as toys, cute animals and mobile phone credit to lure young customers, Stephenson said.

Professor Dinesh Bhugra, president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said: “If children are taught about the impact that food has on their growth, and that some things can harm, at least

information is available up front.”

He also urged councils to impose “fast-food-free zones” around schools and hospitals-areas within which takeaways cannot open.

A Department of Health spokesperson said: “We need to create a new vision for public health where all of society works together to get healthy and live longer. This includes creating a new ‘responsibility deal’ with publish a white paper setting out exactly how we will achieve this.”

The food industry will be alarmed that such senior doctors back such radical moves, especially the call to use some of the tough tactics that have been deployed against smoking over the last decade. [A] “fat taxes” should be imposed on fast-food producers such as McDonald’s. 41. Andrew Lansley held that [B] the government should ban fast-food outlets in the neighborhood of schools. 42.Terence Stephenson agreed that [C] “lecturing” was an effective way to improve school lunches in England. 43.Jamic Oliver seemed to believe [D] cigarette-style warnings should be that introduced to children about the dangers of a poor diet. 44. Dinesh Bhugra suggested that [E] the producers of crisps and candies could contribute significantly to the Change4Life campaign. 45. A Department of Health [F] parents should set good examples for spokeperson proposed that their children by keeping a healthy diet at home. [G] the government should strengthen the sense of responsibility among businesses. Section Ⅲ Translation

46．Direction：In this section there is a text in English. Translate it into Chinese， write your translation on ANSWER SHEET 2. (15points)

Who would have thought that， globally， the IT industry produces about the same volumes of greenhouse gases as the world's airlines do-rough 2 percent of all CO2 emissions?

Many everyday tasks take a surprising toll on the environment. A Google search can leak between 0.2 and 7.0 grams of CO2 depending on how many attempts are needed to get the \deliver results to its users quickly， then， Google has to maintain vast data centres round the world， packed with powerful computers. While producing large quantities of CO2， these computers emit a great deal of heat， so the centres need to be well air-conditioned， which uses even more energy.

However， Google and other big tech providers monitor their efficiency closely and make improvements. Monitoring is the first step on the road to reduction， but there is much to be done， and not just by big companies.

Section Ⅳ Writing

Part A

47. Directions:

Suppose your cousin LI MING has just been admited to a university write him/her a letter to: (1)Congratulate him/her,and

(2)give him/her suggestions on how to get prepared for university life you should write about 100 words on ANSWER SHEET 2.

Do not sign your own name at the end of the letter,Use “zhangwe” instead. Do not write the address. (10 points)

Part B