2012考研英語一真題及答案

1、2012考研英語一真題及答案2012 考研英語（一）真題及答案Section I Use of EnglishDirections: 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)The ethical judgments of the Supreme Court justices have become an important issue recently. The court canno

2、t _1_ its legitimacy as guardian of the rule of law _2_ justices behave like politicians. Yet, in several instances, justices acted in ways that _3_ the court s reputation for being independent and impartial.Justice Antonin Scalia, for example, appeared at political events. That kind of activity mak

3、es it less likely that the court s decisions will be _4_ as impartial judgments. Part of the problem is that the justices are not _5_by an ethics code. At the very least, the court should make itself _6_to the code of conduct that _7_to the rest of the federal judiciary.This and other similar cases

4、_8_the question of whether there is still a _9_between the court and politics.The framers of the Constitution envisioned law _10_having authority apart from politics. They gave justices permanent positions _11_they would be free to _12_ those in power and have no need to _13_ political support. Our

5、legal system was designed to set law apart from politics precisely because they are so closely _14_.Constitutional law is political because it results from choices rooted in fundamental social _15_ like libertyand property. When the court deals with social policy decisions, the law it _16_ is inesca

6、pably political-whichis why decisions split along ideological lines are so easily _17_ as unjust.The justices must _18_ doubts about the court s legitimacy by making themselves _19_ to the code of conduct.That would make rulings more likely to be seen as separate from politics and, _20_, convincing

7、as law.1. Aemphasize2. Awhen3. ArestoredBmaintainBlestBweakenedCmodifyD recognizeCbeforeD unlessCestablished D eliminated5. AadvancedBcaughtCboundDfounded6. AresistantBsubjectCimmuneDprone7. AresortsBsticksCloadsDapplies8. AevadeBraiseCdenyDsettle9. AlineBbarrierCsimilarityDconflict10. AbyBasCthough

8、Dtowards11. AsoBsinceCprovidedDthough12. AserveBsatisfyCupsetDreplace13. AconfirmBexpressCcultivateDoffer14. AguardedBfollowedCstudiedDtied15. AconceptsBtheoriesCdivisionsDconceptions16. AexcludesBquestionsCshapesDcontrols17. AdismissedBreleasedCrankedDdistorted18. AsuppressBexploitCaddressDignore19

9、. AaccessibleBamiableCagreeableDaccountable4. AchallengedBcompromised Csuspected D accepted20. Aby all mesns Batall costsCin a word Das a resultSection II Reading ComprehensionPart ADirections: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your an

10、swers on ANSWER SHEET 1. (40 points) Text 1Come on Everybody ' s doing it. That whispered message, half invitation and half forcing, is what most of us think of when we hear the words peer pressure. It usually leads to no good-drinking, drugs and casual sex. But in her new book Join the Club, Ti

11、na Rosenberg contends that peer pressure can also be a positive force through what she calls the social cure, in which organizations and officials use the power of group dynamics to help individuals improve their lives and possibly the word.Rosenberg, the recipient of a Pulitzer Prize, offers a host

12、 of example of the social cure in action: In South Carolina, a state-sponsored antismoking program called Rage Against the Haze sets out to make cigarettes uncool. In South Africa, an HIV-prevention initiative known as LoveLife recruits young people to promote safe sex among their peers.The idea see

13、ms promising ， and Rosenberg is a perceptive observer. Her critique of the lameness of many pubic-health campaigns is spot-on: they fail to mobilize peer pressure for healthy habits, and they demonstrate a seriously flawed understanding of psychology. ” Dare to be different, please don t smoke! ” pl

14、eads one billboard campaign aimed at reducing smoking among teenagers-teenagers, who desire nothing more than fitting in. Rosenberg argues convincingly that public-health advocates ought to take a page from advertisers, so skilled at applying peer pressure.But on the general effectiveness of the soc

15、ial cure, Rosenberg is less persuasive. Join the Club is filled with too much irrelevant detail and not enough exploration of the social and biological factors that make peer pressure so powerful. The most glaring flaw of the social cure as it s presented here is that it doesn t work very well for v

16、ery long. Rage Against the Haze failed once state funding was cut. Evidence that the LoveLife program produces lasting changes is limited and mixed.There s no doubt that our peer groups exert enormous influence on our behavior. An emerging body of research shows that positive health habits-as well a

17、s negative ones-spread through networks of friends via social communication. This is a subtle form of peer pressure: we unconsciously imitate the behavior we see every day.Far less certain, however, is how successfully experts and bureaucrats can select our peer groups and steer their activities in

18、virtuous directions. It s like the teacher who breaks up the troublemakers in the back row by pairing them with better-behaved classmates. The tactic never really works. And that s the problem with a social cure engineered from the outside: in the real world, as in school, we insist on choosing our

19、own friends.21. According to the first paragraph, peer pressure often emerges asA a supplement to the social cureB a stimulus to group dynamicsC an obstacle to school progressD a cause of undesirable behaviors22. Rosenberg holds that public advocates shouldA recruit professional advertisersB learn f

20、rom advertisers experience C stay away from commercial advertisers D recognize the limitations of advertisements 23. In the author s view, Rosenberg s book fails to A adequately probe social and biological factorsB effectively evade the flaws of the social cureC illustrate the functions of state fun

21、ding Dproduce a long-lasting social effect24. Paragraph 5shows that our imitation of behaviorsA is harmful to our networks of friendsB will mislead behavioral studiesC occurs without our realizing itD can produce negative health habits25. The author suggests in the last paragraph that the effect of

22、peer pressure isA harmfulB desirableC profoundD questionableText 2A deal is a deal-except, apparently ,when Entergy is involved. The company, a major energy supplier in New England, provoked justified outrage in Vermont last week when it announced it was reneging on a longstanding commitment to abid

23、e by the strict nuclear regulations.Instead, the company has done precisely what it had long promised it would not challenge the constitutionality of Vermont s rules in the federal court, as part of a desperate effort to keep its Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant running. It s a stunning move.The c

24、onflict has been surfacing since 2002, when the corporation bought Vermont s only nuclear power plant, an aging reactor in Vernon. As a condition of receiving state approval for the sale, the company agreed to seek permission from state regulators to operate past 2012. In 2006, the state went a step

25、 further, requiring that any extension of the plant s license be subject to Vermont legislature s approval. Then, too, the company went along.Either Entergy never really intended to live by those commitments, or it simply didn t foresee what wouldhappen next. A string of accidents, including the par

26、tial collapse of a cooling tower in 207 and the discovery of an underground pipe system leakage, raised serious questions about both Vermont Yankee s safety and Entergy ' s management - especially after the company made misleading statements about the pipe. Enraged by Entergy s behavior, the Ver

27、mont Senate voted 26 to 4 last year against allowing an extension.Now the company is suddenly claiming that the 2002 agreement is invalid because of the 2006 legislation, and that only the federal government has regulatory power over nuclear issues. The legal issues in the case are obscure: whereas

28、the Supreme Court has ruled that states do have some regulatory authority over nuclear power, legal scholars say that Vermont case will offer a precedent-setting test of how far those powers extend. Certainly, there are valid concerns about the patchwork regulations that could result if every state

29、sets its own rules. But had Entergy kept its word, that debate would be beside the point.The company seems to have concluded that its reputation in Vermont is already so damaged that it has noting left to lose by going to war with the state. But there should be consequences. Permission to run a nucl

30、ear plant is a poblic trust. Entergy runs 11 other reactors in the United States, including Pilgrim Nuclear station in Plymouth. Pledging to run Pilgrim safely, the company has applied for federal permission to keep it open for another 20 years. But as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) reviews

31、 the company s application, it should keep it mind what promises from Entergy are worth.26. The phrase“reneging on ” (Line 3.para.1) is closest in meaning toA condemning.B reaffirming.C dishonoring.D securing.27. By entering into the 2002 agreement, Entergy intended toA obtain protection from Vermon

32、t regulators.B seek favor from the federal legislature.C acquire an extension of its business license .D get permission to purchase a power plant.28. According to Paragraph 4, Entergy seems to have problems with itsA managerial practices.B technical innovativeness.C financial goals.D business vision

33、29. In the author s view, the Vermont case will testA Entergy s capacity to fulfill all its promises.B the mature of states patchwork regulations.C the federal authority over nuclear issues .D the limits of states power over nuclear issues.30. It can be inferred from the last paragraph thatA Entergy

34、 s business elsewhere might be affected.B the authority of the NRC will be defied.C Entergy will withdraw its Plymouth application.D Vermont s reputation might be damaged.Text 3In the idealized version of how science is done, facts about the world are waiting to be observed and collected by objectiv

35、e researchers who use the scientific method to carry out their work. But in the everyday practice of science, discovery frequently follows an ambiguous and complicated route. We aim to be objective, but we cannot escape the context of our unique life experience. Prior knowledge and interest influenc

36、e what we experience, what we think our experiences mean, and the subsequent actions we take. Opportunities for misinterpretation, error, and self-deception abound.Consequently, discovery claims should be thought of as protoscience. Similar to newly staked mining claims, they are full of potential.

37、But it takes collective scrutiny and acceptance to transform a discovery claim into a mature discovery. This is the credibility process, through which the individual researcher s me, here, nowbecomes the community s anyone, anywhere, anytime. Objective knowledge is the goal, not the starting point.O

38、nce a discovery claim becomes public, the discoverer receives intellectual credit. But, unlike with mining claims, the community takes control of what happens next. Within the complex social structure of the scientific community, researchers make discoveries; editors and reviewers act as gatekeepers

39、 by controlling the publication process; other scientists use the new finding to suit their own purposes; and finally, the public (including other scientists) receives the new discovery and possibly accompanying technology. As a discovery claim works it through the community, the interaction and con

40、frontation between shared and competing beliefs about the science and the technology involved transforms an individual s discovery claim into the community s credible discovery.Two paradoxes exist throughout this credibility process. First, scientific work tends to focus on some aspect ofprevailing

41、Knowledge that is viewed as incomplete or incorrect. Little reward accompanies duplication and confirmation of what is already known and believed. The goal is new-search, not re-search. Not surprisingly, newly published discovery claims and credible discoveries that appear to be important and convin

42、cing will always be open to challenge and potential modification or refutation by future researchers. Second, novelty itself frequently provokes disbelief. NobelLaureate and physiologist Albert Azent-Gyorgyi once described discovery as “ seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has th

43、ought. ” But thinking what nobody else has thought and telling others what they have missed may not change their views. Sometimes years are required for truly novel discovery claims to be accepted and appreciated.In the end, credibility “happens" to a discovery claim - a process that correspond

44、s to what philosopher Annette Baier has described as the commons of the mind. “ We reason together, challenge, revise, and complete each other s reasoning and each other s conceptions of reason. ”31. According to the first paragraph, the process of discovery is characterized by itsA uncertainty and

45、complexity.B misconception and deceptiveness.C logicality and objectivity.D systematicness and regularity.32. It can be inferred from Paragraph 2 that credibility process requiresA strict inspection.Bshared efforts.C individual wisdom.Dpersistent innovation.33.Paragraph 3 shows that a discovery clai

46、m becomes credible after itA has attracted the attention of the general public.Bhas been examined by the scientific community.C has received recognition from editors and reviewers.Dhas been frequently quoted by peer scientists.34. Albert Szent-Gy?rgyi would most likely agree thatA scientific claims

47、will survive challenges.Bdiscoveries today inspire future research.C efforts to make discoveries are justified.Dscientific work calls for a critical mind.35. Which of the following would be the best title of the test?A Novelty as an Engine of Scientific Development.BCollective Scrutiny in Scientific

48、 Discovery.C Evolution of Credibility in Doing Science.DChallenge to Credibility at the Gate to Science.Text 4If the trade unionist Jimmy Hoffa were alive today, he would probably represent civil servant. When Hoffa sTeamsters were in their prime in 1960, only one in ten American government workers

49、belonged to a union;now 36% do. In 2009 the number of unionists in America s public sector passed that of their fellow membersin the private sector. In Britain, more than half of public-sector workers but only about 15% of private-sector ones are unionized.There are three reasons for the public-sect

50、or unions thriving. First, they can shut things down without suffering much in the way of consequences. Second, they are mostly bright and well-educated. A quarter of America s public-sector workers have a university degree. Third, they now dominate left-of-centre politics. Some of their ties go bac

51、k a long way. Britain s Labor Party, as its name implies, has long been associated with trade unionism. Its current leader, Ed Miliband, owes his position to votes from public-sector unions.At the state level their influence can be even more fearsome. Mark Baldassare of the Public Policy Institute o

52、f California points out that much of the state s budget is patrolled by unions. The teachers unions keep an eye on schools, the CCPOA on prisons and a variety of labor groups on health care.In many rich countries average wages in the state sector are higher than in the private one. But the real gain

53、s come in benefits and work practices. Politicians have repeatedly “ backloaded ” public-sector pay deals, keeping the pay increases modest but adding to holidays and especially pensions that are already generous.Reform has been vigorously opposed, perhaps most egregiously in education, where charte

54、r schools, academies and merit pay all faced drawn-out battles. Even though there is plenty of evidence that the quality of the teachers is the most important variable, teachers unions have fought against getting rid of bad ones and promoting good ones.As the cost to everyone else has become clearer

55、, politicians have begun to clamp down. In Wisconsin the unions have rallied thousands of supporters against Scott Walker, the hardline Republican governor. But many within the public sector suffer under the current system, too.John Donahue at Harvard s Kennedy School points out that the norms of cu

56、lture in Western civil services suit those who want to stay put but is bad for high achievers. The only American public-sector workers who earn well above $250,000 a year are university sports coaches and the president of the United States. Bankers fat pay packets have attracted much criticism, but

57、a public-sector system that does not reward high achievers may be a much bigger problem for America.36. It can be learned from the first paragraph thatA Teamsters still have a large body of members.B Jimmy Hoffa used to work as a civil servant.C unions have enlarged their public-sector membership.Dthe government has improved its relationship with unionists.37. Which of the following is true of Paragraph 2?A Public-sector unions are prudent