2023年考研外語考前密押卷2

考研外語考前密押卷2

一、UseofEnglish

1、ThecelebrationoftheNewYearistheoldestoneofallholidays.Itwasfirst【1】in【2】Babylonabout4,000yearsago.NewYear'sDayisan【3】nationalholiday,andbanksandofficeswillbeclosed.ManyfamilieshaveNewyear'sDay【4】.

Traditionally,itwasthoughtthatitcould【5】thelucktheywouldhave【6】thecomingyearby【7】theydidorateonthefirstdayoftheyear.Forthatreason,ithasbecomecommonfor【8】tocelebratethefirstfewminutesofa【9】newyearinthe【10】withthefamilyandfriends.Partiesoftenlastintothemiddleofthenightaftertheringingofanewyear.ItwasoncebelievedthatthefirstvisitoronNewYear'sDaywouldbring【11】goodluckorbadlucktotherestoftheyear.Itwasparticularlyluckyifthatvisitor【12】tobeatalldark-hairedman.

TraditionalNewYear's【13】arealsothoughttobringluck.PeopleinmanypartsoftheUScelebratetheNewYearby【14】black-eyedpeasandcabbage.Black-eyedpeashavebeenconsideredgoodluckinmanycultures.Cabbageleavesareconsidereda【15】ofprosperity,being【16】ofpapercurrency.OthertraditionsoftheseasonincludethemakingofNewYear'sresolutions.Thattraditionalso【17】backtotheearlyBabylonians.Popularmodernresolutionsmightincludethe【18】toloseweightorquitsmoking.

Thesong,"AuldLangSyne",issungatthe【19】ofmidnightinalmosteveryEnglish-speakingcountryintheworldtobringintheNewYear."AuldLangSyne"literally【20】"yearningfortheolddays."

(1)

A.remarked

B.commented

C.observed

D.viewed

2、(2)

A.prehistoric

B.ancient

C.past

D.old

3、(3)

A.official

B.regional

C.private

D.financial

4、(4)

A.expenses

B.sacrifices

C.get-togethers

D.pursuits

5、(5)

A.recall

B.affect

C.compromise

D.enhance

6、(6)

A.throughout

B.during

C.through

D.within

7、(7)

A.which

B.means

C.when

D.what

8、(8)

A.folks

B.adults

C.ghosts

D.farmers

9、(9)

A.logo

B.trademark

C.calendar

D.brand

10、(10)

A.firm

B.company

C.corporation

D.venture

11、(11)

A.neither

B.not

C.either

D.but

12、(12)

A.happened

B.occurred

C.tookplace

D.brokeout

13、(13)

A.beverage

B.feedback

C.banquets

D.foods

14、(14)

A.steaming

B.picking

C.consuming

D.roasting

15、(15)

A.symbol

B.mark

C.hint

D.sign

16、(16)

A.genetic

B.representative

C.gorgeous

D.strict

17、(17)

A.emerges

B.exempts

C.dates

D.departs

18、(18)

A.pronunciation

B.revenge

C.review

D.promise

19、(19)

A.stroke

B.status

C.stereotype

D.stride

20、(20)

A.fuses

B.means

C.coincides

D.generates

二、ReadingComprehension

1、PartA

Directions:Readthefollowingfourtexts.AnswerthequestionsbeloweachtextbychoosingA,B,CorD.(40points)

OnthegroundflooroftheFederalReservebuildinginWashington,DC,thereisanelectronicgamewhichtestsavisitor'sskillatsettinginterestrates.Youhavetodecidehowtorespondtoeventssuchasrisinginflationorastockmarketcrash.Ifyougetalltheanswersright,themachinedeclaresyouthenextFedchairman.Inreallife,becauseofhugeuncertaintiesaboutdataandhowtheeconomyworks,thereisnoobviouslyrightanswertothequestionofwhentochangeinterestrates.NoristhereanyeasytestofwhowillmakethebestFedchairman.SowhowouldTheEconomistSelectforthejob?

AlanGreenspanwillretireasFedchairmanonJanuary31st,afteramere18yearsinthejob.SoGeorgeBushneedstonominateasuccessorsoon.Mr.Bushhasapenchantforpickinghispalstofilltopjobs:lastweekhenominatedhispersonallawyerHarrietMierstotheSupremeCourt.ButhispersonalbankmanagerreallywouldnotcutthemustardasFedchairman.Thisisthemostimportanteconomic-policyjobinAmerica—indeedinthewholeworld.TheFedchairmansetsinterestrateswiththeaimofcontrollinginflation,whichinturnhelpsdeterminethevalueofthedollar,theworld'smainreservecurrency.Itishardlysurprisingthatfinancialmarketsworldwidecanriseorfallonhiseveryword.

Financialmarketsaretypicallymorevolatileduringthefirstyearafterthehandovertoanewchairmanthanduringtherestofhistenure.InOctober1987,barelytwomonthsafterMr.Greenspantookoffice,thestockmarketcrashed.Currentconditionsforahandoverarehardlyideal.America'seconomyhasneverlookedsounbalanced,withanegativehouseholdsavingsrate,ahousingbubble,aheftybudgetdeficit,arecordcurrent-accountdeficitandrisinginflation.FiguresdueonOctober14thareexpectedtoshowthatthe12-monthrateofinflationhasrisenabove4%—itshighestsince1991.

Whichofthefollowingquestionsdoesthetextdiscuss?

A.Whatisthecontentoftheelectronicgame?

B.WhocouldfillAlanGreenspan'sshoes?

C.Howtorespondtoeventssuchasrisinginflation?

D.Whocouldchangeinterestrates?

2、

Thephrase"cutthemustard"inthesecondparagraphmostprobablymeans

A.bequalified

B.lowerinterestrate

C.beacquisitive

D.spendspree

3、

Whichofthefollowingwordsbestdefinestherelationshipbetweenthevalueofdollarandsettingofinterestrates?

A.Counteractive.

B.Naive.

C.Interactive.

D.Novel.

4、

Whichofthefollowing,accordingtothetext,isacommonphenomenon?

A.Financialmarketsandstockmarketscrashduetothehandover.

B.CommentbytheFedchairmanareinvalidintheworldfinancialmarkets,

C.Inflationrisesabove4%—recordhighlevel.

D.RemarksbytheFedchairmancanswaytheworldfinancialmarkets.

5、

Theauthormentions"ahousingbubble"inthelastparagraphsoasto

A.clarifythefactthatAlanGreenspanwillretireasFedchairman

B.exemplifytherumorthatMr.Bushhasapenchantforpickinghispalstofilltopjobs

C.illustratethenotionthatthepresentsituationsforahandoverarehardlyideal

D.refutethetheorythatAmericaneconomyhasneverlookedsounbalanced

6、"TheessentialqualitiesofatruePan-Americanism",remarkedFranklinRooseveltin1933,"mustbethesameasthosewhichconstituteagoodneighbour,namelymutualunderstandingand...asympatheticappreciationoftheother'spointofview."ThatisadvicewhichtheUnitedStateswoulddowelltoheedinitsrelationswithitsimmediateneighbours,CanadaandMexico.MostAmericansmaynotbeawareofit,butfrustrationsandresentmentsarebuildingjustacrosstheirborderstobothsouthandnorth.

Ofcourse,neighbourlytiesinNorthAmericaarecloserthaninRoosevelt'sday.UndertheNorthAmericanFree-TradeAgreement(NAFTA),tradeamongthethreecountrieshasmorethandoubledsince1994andcross-borderinvestmentclimbedevenfaster.IntheaftermathoftheterroristattacksofSeptember11th2022,theUnitedStatesmovedquicklytosign"smartborder"agreementswithbothCanadaandMexico,totrytoensurethatthedemandsofsecuritydidnotinterrupttrade.Bythestandardsofmuchofthe20thcentury,politicaltiesbetweentheUnitedStatesandMexicoarewarm.

Yetgotoeitherborderandyouwouldn'tknowallthis.Fedupwiththeflowofillegalmigrantsfromthesouth,thegovernorsofArizonaandNewMexicothismonthdeclaredastateofemergency.ViolencebetweendruggangsrecentlyledtheUnitedStatestemporarilytocloseitsconsulateinNuevoLaredo,thebusiestborder-crossingpoint.TheAmericanambassadorbluntlycriticisesMexicoforitsfailuretopreventdrug-relatedviolencealongtheborder.ThathaspromptedretaliatoryverbalblastsfromMexicanofficials.

Canada'smoodisnotmuchmorecordial.SinceSeptember11th,CanadiansandAmericansalikehavebecomelesskeenonpoppingoverwhattheylikedtocall"theworld'slongestundefendedborder"forshoppingorrecreation.CanadiansincreasinglydisagreewithAmericansovermattersasvariedastheIraqwarandgaymarriage.TheyaredisillusionedwithNAFTA,claimingithasfailedtopreventtheUnitedStatesfromunlawfullypunishingtheirexportsof,forexample,lumber.

Sowhat?Frictionisinthenatureofinternationalrelations,andtheproblemsonthenorthernborderaredifferentfromthoseinthesouth.Yetthereisacommondenominator.Americanstendtoseesecurity,migration,drugs,eventrade,asdomesticpoliticalissues.ButsotheyareforCanadaandMexicotoo.Likeitornot,Americansrelyontheirneighboursforprosperity,energyandhelpwithsecurity.Itbehoovesallthreecountriestoshowsome"sympatheticunderstanding".

Itcanbeinferredfromthefirstparagraphthat______.

A.theessentialqualitiesofatruePanAmericanismweredefinedbyFranklinRoosevelt

B.mutualunderstandingisoneofthemostfar-reachingelementsinNorthAmerica

C.FewAmericansmaybeawareofothers'pointofview

D.America'sfriendshipwithCanadaandMexicorisksgoingsour

7、

Politicalrelationshipisdiscussedinthetextsoasto______.

A.illustrateCanada'scordialmoodtowardMexicoandAmerica

B.interprettheimprovedneighbourlytiesinNorthAmerica

C.foretelltheprospectofinternationalrelations

D.gaugetheflowofillegalmigrantsfromMexico

8、

Theterm"thesouth"inthethirdparagraphmostprobablyrefersto______.

A.theSouthernpartofAmerica

B.Mexico

C.theSouthernhemisphere

D.theSouthAfrica

9、

Accordingtothetext,AmericaandCanadahaveyettoreachconsensuson______.

A.lumberexport

B.theIraqreconstruction

C.homomarriage

D.defenseoftheworld'slongestborder

10、

Inthelastparagraphofthetext,theauthorintendstodefine______.

A.thefrictionofthenorthernborder

B.thesignificanceofinternationalties

C.thedifferencebetweenCanadiansandMexicans

D.theimportanceofbeinggoodneighbours

11、Ithaslongbeenthesubjectofspeculationamongthepoliceandcriminologists:whatwouldhappenifalltheofficerswhonowspendsomuchoftheirtimetakingstatements,profilingcriminalsandmovingpiecesofpaperaroundweresuddenlyputonthestreets?CrimefiguresreleasedbyLondon'sMetropolitanPolicethisweekprovidethebestansweryet.

FollowingthebombingsofJuly7thand21st,thousandsofpoliceofficersmaterialisedonLondon'spavements,manyofthemsportingbrightlycolouredjackets.Drawnfromalloverthecity,theywereassignedtoguardpotentialtargetssuchasrailwaystations.Thepolicepresencewasespeciallyheavyinthebombedboroughs:Camden(whichwasstruckthreetimes),HammersnrithandFulham,Lamheth,TowerHamlets,WestminsterandtheCityofLondon.

Theshowofforcedidnotjustscareoffterrorists.TherewaslesscrimeinJulythaninMayorJune,whichasunusual:thewarmermonthtendstobringoutcriminaltendencies,aswindowsareleftopenandalcoholisimbibedalfresco.Butthechillingeffectwasmuchstrongerinthesixboroughsthatweretargetedbyterrorists.There,overallcrimewasdownby12%comparedwithJuly2022.IninnerLondonasawhole,crimefellby6%.ButinouterLondon,wherethebluelinewasthinner,itwentupslightly.

SimonFoy,whotrackssuchtrendsattheMetropolitanPolice,saysthatcrimefellparticularlysteeplyonthedaysoftheattacks,partlybecauseoftheoverwhelmingpolicepresenceandpartlybecause"evencriminalswerewatchingtheirtelevisions".Whatissignificantisthatcrimebarelyrosethereafter.ThatwasachangefromtheaftermathofSeptember11th2022,whencrimequicklysoaredjustabouteverywhere—possiblybecauseofficersweredeployedonlyintheverycentreofLondon.

"Thereceivedwisdomamongcriminologistsisthatmarginalchangesinvisiblepatrollinghavelittleornoeffectoncrime,"saysMikeHough,acriminologistatKing'sCollegeLondon.July'sexperimentshouldputthatargumenttorest.Evenifoffendersdonotmakerationalcalculationsabouttheoddsofbeingcaught—whichwaslowbothbeforeandafterthebombings—theywillbemovedbyadisplayofoverwhelmingforce.

Whatdoestheword"materialise"meaninthesecondparagraph?

A.bomb

B.investigate

C.provoke

D.appear

12、

Whichofthefollowingfacts,accordingtothirdparagraphofthetext,willbetakenforgrantedbyBritish?

A.Thewarmermonthtendstoresultincriminaltendency.

B.CrimewentupslightlyinJuly.

C.Theshowofforcedidputanendtoterrorists.

D.BombingsareinevitableinouterLondon.

13、

Itcanbeinferredfromthetextthatthecrimeoccurrencemaybeassociatedwith______.

A.thetrendswhichcanbetracks

B.thedeploymentoftheblueline

C.theoverwhelmingpresenceofcriminalsinLondon

D.thenumberofthedaysofterroristattacks

14、

Theauthor'sattitudetowardMikeHough'sremarkis______.

A.consent

B.ambivalent

C.denial

D.approval

15、

Whichofthefollowingwouldbethebesttitleforthetext?

A.LondonBombingsAreSevere.

B.TerroristsAreScaredOff.

C.TerrorismCutsCrime.

D.MarginalChangesTakePlace.

16、Lastweekend,sportsmenandwomenofanunusuallyhardydispositiondescendedonSherborne,aprettyDorsettown.There,theyswamtwicearoundSherborneCastle'slake,cycled180kmandthenranamarathon.Thewinnersofthisgruellingrace—Britain'sinauguralIronmantriathlon—wererewardedwithaspotinaprestigiousraceinHawaii,whereyetmorepainawaits.

ForasportbarelyknowninBritainfiveyearsago,triathlonhasgrownatasprinter'space.ThisyeartheBritishTriathlonAssociation,thegoverningbody,willsanctionsome450triathlons,duathlons(runningandbiking)andaquathlons(runningandswimming).Thesevaryfromtoughracesaimedatendurancejunkiestoshortereventsdesignedtolurenewcomers.ByfarthemostsuccessfulistheLondontriathlon,which,threeweeksago,brought8,000—halfofthemfirst-timers—totheRoyalVictoriaDockineastLondon.Thatmadeittheworld'sbiggest.

Thereareechoesofthejoggingcrazeoftheearly1980s.BothsportsareAmericanexports;bothhavegrownpartlythankstotelevisioncoverage.InclusionintheOlympicandCommonwealthgameshasconferredcredibilityandstatefundingontriathlon.Evenbetter,Britain'sprofessionaltriathletesaredoingratherwellontheinternationalcircuit.

Therearepracticalreasonsforthegrowthofthesport,too.NickRusling,eventdirectoroftheLondontriathlon,pointsoutthatestablishedeventssuchastheLondonmarathonandGreatNorthRunarehugelyover-subscribed(thisyearthemarathonreceived98500applicationsfor36000places).Triathlonoffersamorereliableroutetoexhaustion,andafreshchallengetoathleteswhoarelikelytocross-trainanyway.

Thesportwillnotsoonsupplant"thegreatsuburbanEverest",asChrisBrasher,founderoftheLondonmarathon,describedhisevent.Thesport'stripartitenaturemeansthatputtingoneventsisfiendishlycomplex,afactreflectedinhighentryfees:competitorsatlastweekend'sIronmanraceforkedout￡220.Shortereventsarecheaper,butparticipantsmuststillprovidetheirownbicyclesandwetsuitsandpayfortraining.ComparedwiththeinhabitantsofNewham,theLondonboroughwherethisyear'sLondontriathlonwasheld,competitorsappearedoverwhelminglywhiteandmiddleclass.

Anotherdragongrowthisashortageofsuitablevenuesinasmallisland—aproblemexacerbatedbysafetyfears.Butthatoughttobelessofahindranceinfuture.Twocourtdecisions,in2022andearlierthisyear,havefirmlyestablishedthattheownersoflargebodiesofwatermaynotbeheldresponsiblewhenadultsinjurethemselvesasaresultofextravagantsportingactions.

Themeaningoftheword"gruelling"inthefirstparagraphismostcloseto______.

A.competitive

B.exhausting

C.grand

D.gruesome

17、

Itcanbelearnedfromthesecondparagraphofthetextthat______.

A.triathlonisafast-growingsportinUK

B.Britainusedtobebarelyknown

C.triathlonisaprestigiousraceinUSA

D.Hawaiiusedtobeaspotofpains

18、

Triathlon,accordingtothetext,originatedin______.

A.Britain

B.Greece

C.USA

D.Brazil

19、

Thethirdandfourthparagraphsconcentrateon______.

A.thepracticalreasonsforthegrowthofswimming

B.theechoesofjoggingcrazeoftheearly1980s

C.thereasonsforthewidetelevisioncoverage

D.thedrivingforcesbehindthedevelopmentoftriathlon

20、

Theelaborationinthelastbutoneparagraphconcerns

A.onedragonthedevelopmentoftriathlon

B.therapidsupplantoftriathlon

C.onenotionadvancedbyChrisBrasher

D.theemergenceofoverwhelminglywhiteandmiddleclass

21、PartC

Directions:ReadthefollowingtextcarefullyandthentranslatetheunderlinedsegmentsintoChinese.(10points)

ReadthefollowingtextcarefullyandthentranslatetheunderlinedsegmentsintoChinese.YourtranslationshouldbewrittenclearlyonANSWERSHEET2.

TheclueliesintheJapanesenamethathasbeenadoptedforthemaroundtheworld:tsunami.(46