2000年考研英語閱讀理解

1、2000 Text 1  A history of long and effortless success can be a dreadful handicap, but, if properly handled, it may become a driving force. When the United States entered just such a glowing period after the end of the Second World War, it had a market eight times larger than any competitor, giv

2、ing its industries unparalleled economies of scale. Its scientists were the world's best, its workers the most skilled. America and Americans were prosperous beyond the dreams of the Europeans and Asians whose economies the war had destroyed.  It was inevitable that this primacy should have

3、 narrowed as other countries grew richer. Just as inevitably, the retreat from predominance proved painful. By the mid-1980s Americans had found themselves at a loss over their fading industrial competitiveness. Some huge American industries, such as consumer electronics, had shrunk or vanished in t

4、he face of foreign competition. By 1987 there was only one American television maker left, Zenith. (Now there is none: Zenith was bought by South Korea's LG Electronics in July.) Foreign-made cars and textiles were sweeping into the domestic market. America's machine-tool industry was on the

5、 ropes. For a while it looked as though the making of semiconductors, which America had invented and which sat at the heart of the new computer age, was going to be the next casualty.  All of this caused a crisis of confidence. Americans stopped taking prosperity for granted. They began to beli

6、eve that their way of doing business was failing, and that their incomes would therefore shortly begin to fall as well. The mid-1980s brought one inquiry after another into the causes of America's industrial decline. Their sometimes sensational findings were filled with warnings about the growin

7、g competition from overseas.  How things have changed! In 1995 the United States can look back on five years of solid growth while Japan has been struggling. Few Americans attribute this solely to such obvious causes as a devalued dollar or the turning of the business cycle. Self-doubt has yiel

8、ded to blind pride. "American industry has changed its structure, has gone on a diet, has learnt to be more quick-witted," according to Richard Cavanaugh, executive dean of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. "It makes me proud to be an American just to see how our businesses

9、are improving their productivity," says Stephen Moore of the Cato Institute, a think-tank in Washington, D.C. And William Sahlman of the Harvard Business School believes that people will look back on this period as "a golden age of business management in the United States."51. The U.S

10、. achieved its predominance after World War because_.  A it had made painstaking efforts towards this goal  B its domestic market was eight times larger than before  C the war had destroyed the economies of most potential competitors  D the unparalleled size of its workforce had

11、given an impetus to its economy52. The loss of U.S. predominance in the world economy in the 1980s is manifested in the fact   that the American _.A TV industry had withdrawn to its domestic marketB semiconductor industry had been taken over by foreign enterprisesC machine-tool industry ha

12、d collapsed after suicidal actionsD auto industry had lost part of its domestic market53. What can be inferred from the passage?A It is human nature to shift between self-doubt and blind pride.B Intense competition may contribute to economic progress.C The revival of the economy depends on internati

13、onal cooperation.D A long history of success may pave the way for further development.54. The author seems to believe the revival of the US economy in the 1990s can be attributed to   the_.A turning of the business cycleB restructuring of industryC improved business managementD success in

14、education 核心詞匯1. effortless 沒有努力的2. dreadful 可怕的3. handicap 障礙4. handle 處理；解決5. drive 驅(qū)動；driving force 驅(qū)動力6. glowing 光輝的；燦爛的7. competitor 競爭對手8. unparalleled 無可比擬的；unmatched=matchless 無可比擬的9. skilled 熟練的10. beyond 超出11. inevitable 不可避免的12. primacy 主導(dǎo)地位13. narrow 縮小14. retreat 撤退；后退15. predomina

15、nce 絕對主導(dǎo)地位16. at a loss over 對不知所措17. fade 消退；減弱18. competitiveness 競爭力19. shrink 縮小；萎縮20. vanish 消失21. in the face of 面對22. textile 紡織品23. sweep into 涌入24. domestic 國內(nèi)25. on the ropes 危在旦夕；命懸一線26. casualty 犧牲品27. cause 引起28. takefor granted 想當然29. inquiry 調(diào)查；詢問30. sensational 轟動一時的31. look back on

16、回顧32. solid 穩(wěn)定；固定33. attributeto 把.歸因于34. solely 僅僅35. devalue 貶值36. self-doubt 自我懷疑37. yield to 讓位于38. blind pride 盲目自豪39. go on a diet 減肥；裁剪機構(gòu)40. quick-witted 才智敏捷 難句精解A history of long and effortless success can be a dreadful handicap, but, if properly handled, it may become a driving force.

17、    該句是一個并列句，由前后兩個轉(zhuǎn)折關(guān)系的分句組成，其間的連詞為but。but與后一個分句之間又插入一個由if引導(dǎo)的條件狀語if properly handled，該狀語原來是一個if引導(dǎo)的條件狀語從句，即if it(a history of long and effortless success) is properly handled，其中的it is由于和該分句的主句部分主謂語一致而被省略掉了。    本句結(jié)構(gòu)比較簡明，只需注意but與it may become a driving force之間的if結(jié)構(gòu)是一個插入語，并且

18、是一個省略了主語和系動詞的被動語態(tài)。此外handicap意為“不利條件”。 Its scientists were the world's best, its workers the most skilled. America and Americans were prosperous beyond the dreams of the Europeans and Asians whose economies the war had destroyed.    前一句中its workers the most skilled是一個伴隨狀語，省略了其

19、中的being，補齊成分后應(yīng)為its workers being the most skilled。后一句中beyond the dreams of the Europeans and Asians作prosperous的狀語，beyond為介詞，是“超越，超出”的意思。而whose economies the war had destroyed作定語從句修飾the Europeans and Asians，原形是the war had destroyed the economies of the Europeans and Asians。    注意beyond

20、一詞的意思，它表示“在之外”。 For a while it looked as though the making of semiconductors, which America had invented and which sat at the heart of the new computer age, was going to be the next casualty.    該句帶有一個表語從句，其表語從句中又套有兩個并列的定語從句。全句主句部分的主謂結(jié)構(gòu)是it looked.，as though（即as if好像）引導(dǎo)的從句是looked（

21、看上去）的表語。表語從句中主語為the making of semiconductors，謂語為was going to be，而逗號之間的兩個which從句是the making of semiconductors的非限定性定語，同時又是插入語。    注意理解the next casualty的含義，casualty本意為“傷亡”，此處是“被國外產(chǎn)品擊敗的美國本土產(chǎn)業(yè)”。 Their sometimes sensational findings were filled with warnings about the growing competiti

22、on from overseas.    英語的句式詞匯一般都比較簡練，如果將本句用中國人習(xí)慣的語式講出應(yīng)該如下：Their sometimes surprising findings about the causes of American's industrial decline are full of the warnings about the growing competition from overseas nations.    sensational即surprising。另外注意本句的中心意思在句末的the

23、growing competition from overseas。 Few Americans attribute this solely to such obvious causes as a devalued dollar or the turning of the business cycle. Self-doubt has yielded to blind pride.     attribute. to.將歸功或歸咎于。solely作狀語修飾attribute，this指代上一句中的five years of solid growt

24、h，此外as a devalued dollar or the turning of the business cycle作賓語such obvious causes的補語。     yield to是“向屈服”，即“被取代”。此處使用了現(xiàn)在完成時，證明這種狀態(tài)到現(xiàn)在已成型。 試題解析51. C 意為：戰(zhàn)爭摧毀了多數(shù)潛在的競爭國的經(jīng)濟。    第一段指出，第二次世界大戰(zhàn)以后，美國進入一個欣欣向榮的(glowing)發(fā)展時期，它擁有八倍于其他任何一個競爭國家的市場，工業(yè)經(jīng)濟發(fā)展到空前規(guī)模，它擁有世界上最優(yōu)秀的科學(xué)家和

25、技術(shù)最高的工人。美國的繁榮和美國人的富裕水平，是歐洲人和亞洲人做夢也達不到的，因為戰(zhàn)爭摧毀了他們的經(jīng)濟。A意為：它已經(jīng)為實現(xiàn)這一目標付出了艱苦的努力。該選項錯在Painstaking 與原文的effortless相反。B選項錯在before上，應(yīng)該改為比其它競爭對手。D錯誤在unparalled在原文是修飾economies of scale而不是修飾workforce。 52. D 意為：汽車工業(yè)失去了部分國內(nèi)市場。    第二段第六句提到，進口車和紡織品涌進（美國）國內(nèi)市場，這意味著美國失去了部分國內(nèi)市場。A意為；電視工業(yè)萎縮回到了國內(nèi)市場（即：該工

26、業(yè)失去了國際市場）。根據(jù)第二段，到80年代中期，面對其工業(yè)競爭力的日益衰退，美國人感到無計可施(at a loss)，美國某些大的行業(yè)如電子消費品在園際競爭的壓力下，面臨萎縮或消亡的威脅。到1987年為止，美國僅存的電視制造商只有Zenith一家了（現(xiàn)在已蕩然無存：Zenith于7月份（指文章寫作年代的7月份）被韓國LG電子有限公司購買）。這里并沒有直接提到美國電視失去國際市場，事實上，它連國內(nèi)市場也保不住了。    B半導(dǎo)體行業(yè)被外國公司接管。第二段最后一句提到，在一段時間內(nèi)，半導(dǎo)體制造業(yè)似乎要成為下一個受害者，雖然美國是半導(dǎo)體的發(fā)明者，而且半導(dǎo)體又處于新的計算

27、機時代的核心位置（即：在新的時代中起著關(guān)鍵作用）。本句中casualty意為“傷亡”、“受害者”，與上一句中be on the ropes（美語俚語，意為“即將完蛋”）相照應(yīng)。這里所說的是半導(dǎo)體制造商似乎(as though)要失去國內(nèi)外市場而不是被國外企業(yè)接管。C機床制造業(yè)自取滅亡。第二段提到了機床制造業(yè)“危在旦夕”(on the ropes)。這顯然也是說它正在失去國內(nèi)外市場，并未提到它的消失。 53. B 意為：激烈的競爭可能促進經(jīng)濟的發(fā)展。    第三段提到，嚴峻的現(xiàn)實（this指上一段中提到的諸多現(xiàn)狀）使美國人失去了自信，他們不再認為繁榮是自然

28、而至的事，他們開始認識到自己的經(jīng)營方式存在嚴重問題(failing)。在80年代中期，他們開始挖掘美國經(jīng)濟衰退的原因，他們有時有些轟動一時(sensational)發(fā)現(xiàn)，其中往往提示人們警惕外來競爭。第四段提到了90年代的經(jīng)濟復(fù)蘇。其中的含義是：在競爭的壓力下，美國人在80年代進行了自我反思和產(chǎn)業(yè)結(jié)構(gòu)調(diào)整，因此帶來了90年代的經(jīng)濟復(fù)蘇。A意為：在自我懷疑和盲目驕傲之間擺來擺去是人的本性。（即：人傾向于在這兩種心態(tài)之間搖擺）。C經(jīng)濟的復(fù)蘇取決于國際間的合作。屬于無中生有的選項。D長期的成功可以為進一步的發(fā)展鋪平道路。這個選項錯在主語沒有把原文中的內(nèi)容講完整，第一段第一句說到一個沒有努力就能獲得漫

29、長成功的歷史，如果處理得當就能是一種驅(qū)動力，所以該選項的主語沒說完整。 54. A 經(jīng)濟周期的轉(zhuǎn)機。    在第四段，作者指出，截止到1995年，美國已經(jīng)經(jīng)歷了五年的穩(wěn)定（經(jīng)濟）增長，而日本卻在困境中掙扎，但是，美國人并不將這一增長看做是美元貶值或經(jīng)濟周期的轉(zhuǎn)機等明顯的因素直接帶來的，而是由自我懷疑變?yōu)槊つ康尿湴痢＿@里作者實際上對當前美國人的盲目樂觀情緒進行了批評，認為，90年代的增長是由美元貶值或經(jīng)濟周期的轉(zhuǎn)機等因素造成的。屬于正話反說的情況。B產(chǎn)業(yè)結(jié)構(gòu)的調(diào)整。根據(jù)Richard Cavanaugh的看法，美國經(jīng)濟的持續(xù)增長是由產(chǎn)業(yè)結(jié)構(gòu)的調(diào)整造成，他認

30、為美國的產(chǎn)業(yè)正在“節(jié)食”(go on a diet)，正在變得更加理智。但這并不是作者的觀點。參閱第四段。C經(jīng)營管理的改善。根據(jù)Stephen Moore的看法，美國的經(jīng)濟正在提高其生產(chǎn)率。但這也不是作者的觀點。參閱第四段。D教育上的成功。屬于無中生有的選項。 參考譯文    一段長時間并且不費力而成功的歷史可能成為一種可怕的不利因素，但若處理得當，這種不利因素也有可能轉(zhuǎn)化為一種積極的推動力。二戰(zhàn)結(jié)束后，美國恰好進入了這樣的一個輝煌時期，當時，它擁有比任何競爭者大8倍的市場，這使其工業(yè)經(jīng)濟具有前所未有的規(guī)模經(jīng)濟。美國的科學(xué)家是世上最優(yōu)秀的，它的工人是最富

31、于技術(shù)的。美國的國富民強是那些經(jīng)濟遭到戰(zhàn)爭破壞的歐亞諸國做夢也無法/想到的或達到的。    隨著其他國家日益強盛，美國的這一優(yōu)勢地位逐漸下降是不可避免的。從優(yōu)勢地位上退出的痛苦也同樣是不可避免的。到了80年代中期，面對其日益衰退的工業(yè)競爭力，美國人感到不知所措。面對國外競爭，一些大型的美國工業(yè)，如消費電子產(chǎn)業(yè)，已經(jīng)萎縮或漸漸消失。到1987年，美國只剩下Zenith這一家電視生產(chǎn)商。（現(xiàn)在一家也沒有了：Zenith于當年7月被韓國LG電器公司收購。）外國制造的汽車和紡織品正在大舉進入國內(nèi)市場。美國的機床工業(yè)也危在旦夕。人們曾一度感覺下一個在海外品牌面前全軍覆沒的似

32、乎該輪到美國的半導(dǎo)體制造業(yè)了，而在新計算機時代有著核心作用的半導(dǎo)體正是美國人發(fā)明的。    所有這一切導(dǎo)致了信任危機。美國不再視繁榮為理所當然之事。他們開始相信自己的商業(yè)經(jīng)營方式不靈了，也相信不久他們的收入也會因此而下降。80年代中期，人們對美國工業(yè)衰退的成因作了一次又一次的探尋。在美國人那些有時聳人聽聞的發(fā)現(xiàn)中充滿著對其他國家日益增長的經(jīng)濟競爭的警告之詞。    情況的變化真快！1995年，當日本還在奮力拼搏的時候，美國卻可以對5年的穩(wěn)固發(fā)展作一回顧了。沒幾個美國人將這一巨變單純歸因于美元貶值或商業(yè)周期循環(huán)這些顯而易見的原因。到如今

33、，對自身的懷疑已被盲目樂觀所取代?！懊绹墓I(yè)已經(jīng)改變了結(jié)構(gòu)，消除了滯脹，學(xué)會了明智”，這是哈佛大學(xué)肯尼迪管理學(xué)院行政院長理查德·卡佛納的看法。華盛頓特區(qū)的智囊團卡托研究院的史蒂芬·莫爾說：“看到我們的企業(yè)正在提高自身的生產(chǎn)率，作為一個美國人，我感到自豪?！惫鹕虒W(xué)院的威廉·薩爾曼相信人們將會把這一時期視為“美國企業(yè)管理的黃金時代”。 2000 Text 2  Being a man has always been dangerous. There are about 105 males born for every 100 females,

34、but this ratio drops to near balance at the age of maturity, and among 70-year-olds there are twice as many women as men. But the great universal of male mortality is being changed. Now, boy babies survive almost as well as girls do. This means that, for the first time, there will be an excess of bo

35、ys in those crucial years when they are searching for a mate. More important, another chance for natural selection has been removed.Fifty years ago, the chance of a baby(particularly a boy baby) surviving depended on its weight. A kilogram too light or too heavy meant almost certain death. Today it

36、makes almost no difference. Since much of the variation is due to genes, one more agent of evolution has gone.  There is another way to commit evolutionary suicide: stay alive, but have fewer children. Few people are as fertile as in the past. Except in some religious communities, very few wome

37、n have 15 children. Nowadays the number of births, like the age of death, has become average. Most of us have roughly the same number of offspring. Again, differences between people and the opportunity for natural selection to take advantage of it have diminished. India shows what is happening. The

38、country offers wealth for a few in the great cities and poverty for the remaining tribal peoples. The grand mediocrity of today everyone being the same in survival and number of offspring means that natural selection has lost 80% of its power in upper-middle-class India compared to the tribes. 

39、 For us, this means that evolution is over; the biological Utopia has arrived. Strangely, it has involved little physical change. No other species fills so many places in nature. But in the past 100,000 years even the past 100 years our lives have been transformed but our bodies have not. We did not

40、 evolve, because machines and society did it for us. Darwin had a phrase to describe those ignorant of evolution: they "look at an organic being as a savage looks at a ship, as at something wholly beyond his comprehension." No doubt we will remember a 20th century way of life beyond compre

41、hension for its ugliness. But however amazed our descendants may be at how far from Utopia we were, they will look just like us.55. What used to be the danger in being a man according to the first paragraph?  A A lack of mates.           &#

42、160;          B A fierce competition.  C A lower survival rate.                D A defective gene.56. What does the example of India illustrate?  A Wealthy people te

43、nd to have fewer children than poor people.  B Natural selection hardly works among the rich and the poor.  C The middle class population is 80% smaller than that of the tribes.  D India is one of the countries with a very high birth rate.57. The author argues that our bodies have sto

44、pped evolving because_.A life has been improved by technological advanceB the number of female babies has been decliningC our species has reached the highest stage of evolutionD the difference between wealth and poverty is disappearing58. Which of the following would be the best title for the passag

45、e?A Sex Ration Changes in Human Evolution.B Ways of Continuing Man's Evolution.C The Evolutionary Future of Nature.D Human Evolution Going Nowhere. 核心詞匯1. ratio 比率2. drop 下降3. maturity 成熟4. universal 普遍性5. mortality 死亡；morality 道德6. excess 過剩7. crucial 關(guān)鍵的8. natural selection 自然選擇9. make no

46、 difference 無差別10. variation 變化11. due to 因為12. agent 途徑；代理13. evolution 進化14. commit 犯，做；致力于15. suicide 自殺16. fertile 肥沃的17. offspring 后代18. diminish 縮??；減少19. poverty 貧困20. remaining 剩余的；剩下的21. mediocrity 平庸；普通；普遍化22. compared to 與相比23. evolution 進化24. involve 涉及到25. transform 改變26. ignorant 無知的27.

47、 savage 野蠻人28. beyond comprehension 不能理解29. descendant 后代30. however amazed 無論怎樣吃驚 難句精解There are about 105 males born for every 100 females, but this ratio drops to near balance at the age of maturity, and among 70-year-olds there are twice as many women as men.   該句是由三個遞進關(guān)系的簡單句組成的并列句

48、，句法結(jié)構(gòu)比較清晰。   第一個分句的關(guān)鍵詞在born，表明該比數(shù)是嬰兒出生時的性別比例；第二個分句的關(guān)鍵詞在near balance（接近持平）和at the age of maturity，表示性別比例的持平狀態(tài)發(fā)生在成年時期；第三個分句的70-year-olds指代的是“70歲的人們”，作名詞。 Again, differences between people and the opportunity for natural selection to take advantage of it have diminished.   

49、; 注意differences between people和the opportunity for natural selection to take advantage of it是兩個并列的主語，千萬不要理解成people與the opportunity是between的并列賓語。    and連接的兩個并列部分是differences between people和the opportunity for natural selection to take advantage of it，而不是people和the opportunity。另外注意句中的it

50、指代的是differences between people。 The grand mediocrity of todayeveryone being the same in survival and number of offspring means that natural selection has lost 80 of its power in upper-middle-class India compared to the tribes.   該句的主語是The grand mediocrity，謂語是means，其后跟著that引導(dǎo)的賓語從句that

51、natural selection has lost 80 of its power in upper-middle-class India compared to the tribes，其中compared to the tribes是分詞結(jié)構(gòu)作狀語，省略了if/when being。破折號中間everyone being the same in survival and number of offspring是典型的插入語，其中survival和number of offspring都是介詞in的賓語。   grand在此處不是“宏偉，壯麗”的意思，而是“程度很深”；m

52、ediocrity也非“平庸，平?！保恰捌骄被颉罢壑浴?；offspring是“后代”。另外要理解natural selection has lost 80 of its power in upper-middle-class India的意思，這里是指在原來的社會不平等的情況下，印度中上層階級擁有一些能使自己在自然選擇中處于優(yōu)勢的特權(quán)，而隨著醫(yī)療和衛(wèi)生條件的改變，下層人民也擁有同樣的生存條件，因此中上層階級就喪失了80的自然選擇中的優(yōu)勢。 Darwin had a phrase to describe those ignorant of evolution: they &qu

53、ot;look at an organic being as a savage looks at a ship, as at something wholly beyond his comprehension."   冒號后的句子是主句中a phrase的同位語。該同位語從句中的結(jié)構(gòu)是A does something as B does something（A做某事的樣子正像B做某事的樣子）。   those ignorant of evolution指對生物進化過程一無所知的人，其后的they也指代這些人。最后的his指代前面的a savag

54、e。beyond his comprehension超出了他的理解范圍。 試題解析55. C 意為；較低的存活率。第一段第一、二句指出，做男人總是有危險的。出生時男孩比例高于女孩，到成熟期時男女比例已持平，到70歲時男人僅剩女人數(shù)量的一半了。所以可以理解為男人的死亡率高，也就是生存率低。A配偶的缺乏。第一段第四、五句提到，現(xiàn)在，男孩的存活率幾乎與女孩一樣了，這意味著，到尋找配偶的關(guān)鍵年齡時，就會有多余的男孩（找不到配偶）。這兩句話僅是論據(jù)，說明本段第三句指出的現(xiàn)象：過去普遍存在的男人死亡率高的現(xiàn)象正在改變。B激烈的競爭。屬于無中生有的選項。D有缺陷的基因。第一段最后一句指出，既然其中

55、的差別都是由基因造成的，另一個進化因素不復(fù)存在了。這里并未提到基因的缺陷造成男人的高死亡率。 56. B 意為：自然選擇的法則基本不適用于窮富的差別。    印度的例子用于說明第二段第六句指出的觀點：不同的人面對自然選擇時所可利用的優(yōu)劣勢差別已經(jīng)變小。根據(jù)下文這一句應(yīng)理解為：在存活率問題上，富人和窮人幾乎面臨著同樣的機會，即富人已漸失其優(yōu)勢。另請參閱本段最后一句。A富人（家庭）一般比窮人孩子少。文章中提到不分窮人和富人，每個家庭孩子的數(shù)量都幾乎相等。C中產(chǎn)階級人口數(shù)量比部落人口少80。第二段最后一句的意思是：今天的總平均趨勢存活率和孩子數(shù)量的平均化意味著

56、自然選擇在印度的中高層家庭人口中與部落人口相比已失去80的控制力；即：中高階層不再擁有絕對的生存優(yōu)勢，并沒有提到人口少了80%，命題者把80%借來修飾人口。D印度是出生率很高的國家之一。相反，文章中提到印度也是一個出生率在下降的國家。 57. A 意為：技術(shù)的進步改進了生命（的質(zhì)量）。    第三段第四、五句指出，在過去的10萬年乃至100年中，我們的生活得到了改變，但是身體卻沒有改變，我們（的身體）沒有進化的原因是機器和社會使其然。這里所說的“機器”當指技術(shù)。B女嬰數(shù)量減少了。參閱第55、56題題解。C我們這種物種（指人）已達到最高進化階段。雖然在第三

57、段中作者的確提到了進化已經(jīng)結(jié)束(evolution is over)，但是造成這種現(xiàn)象的原因卻只有在第五句中才提到。D貧富差別正在逐漸消失。即使在第二段，文章也沒有提到貧富差別的消失，提到的只是貧富家庭在嬰孩存活率和孩子平均數(shù)量上差別正在縮小。 58. D 意為：人的進化已窮盡。    在第一段闡述男人死亡率降低的原因時，作者就指出了進化機制已不再起作用，第二段在討論每個家庭孩子平均數(shù)量減少這一現(xiàn)象時，作者再次指出自然進化機制已不能再左右人口的出生率，即：人不再通過多生孩子來保持人口的均衡。在總結(jié)全文的第三段時，作者直截了當?shù)刂赋?，進化已經(jīng)結(jié)束。A人的進

58、化過程中性別比例的改變。這一點僅在第一段提到了，所以，該選擇項不足以概括全文內(nèi)容。B保持人類進化的方法，與全文主旨恰恰相反。C大自然未來的進化。本文側(cè)重點在于探討人口的結(jié)構(gòu)變化與進化過程的關(guān)系，而不是泛泛地談?wù)摯笞匀坏倪M化，范圍太大。 參考譯文    做男人總是充滿危險，出生時男女比例大約是105:100，但到了成熟期，這一比例幾乎持平，而在70歲的老人中女性是男性的兩倍，但是男性死亡率普遍偏高這種情況正在改變，現(xiàn)在男嬰存活率幾乎同女嬰一樣高。這就意味著男孩到了尋找伴侶的關(guān)鍵年齡將首次出現(xiàn)男孩過剩現(xiàn)象。更重要的是，又一次自然選擇的機會不復(fù)存在了。50年前

59、，嬰兒（尤其是男嬰）存活的機會取決于體重，過輕或過重幾乎意味著必死無疑。今日體重幾乎不起什么作用，因為大部分差異是由基因引起的，又一個進化的因素消失了。    進化自殺還有另一種方法：存活，但少生孩子?，F(xiàn)在沒有幾個人像過去那樣具有旺盛的生育力。除了在一些宗教社區(qū)之外，沒有幾名婦女有15個孩子。當今嬰兒出生的數(shù)量同死亡年齡一樣已趨于平均化，我們多數(shù)人的子女數(shù)量大致相同。人與人之間的差異和利用差異進行自然選擇的機會再一次減少。印度可以說明正在發(fā)生的一切。這個國家給大城市里的少數(shù)人提供財富，而給其余的各部落民族以貧困。今天這種極其顯著的平均化每個人的生存機會和子女數(shù)量都

60、相同意味著與部落相比較，自然選擇在印度中、上層已經(jīng)失去了80的效力。對我們來說，這意味著進化已經(jīng)結(jié)束；生物學(xué)上的烏托邦已經(jīng)降臨。奇怪的是，這一過程幾乎絲毫沒有牽涉到身體上的變化，沒有其他物種充斥著自然中如此多的空間。但在過去的10萬年甚至過去的100年中，我們的生活發(fā)生了變化，但我們的身體卻沒變。我們沒有進化。因為機器和社會替我們辦了這一切。達爾文有一句話描述那些對進化一無所知的人，他們“看有機的生命如同野人看船，好像看某種完全不能理解的東西”。毫無疑問，我們將記住20世紀的生活方式，盡管對其丑陋之處不得其解，但是，不管我們的子孫后代對我們離烏托邦的理想境界還差多遠感到有多么驚訝，他們的樣子會同我們差不了多少。 2000 Text 3  When a new movement in art attains a certain fashion, it is advisable to find out what its advocates are aiming at, for, however farfetched and unreasonable their principles may seem today, it is po