历年考研真题英语二阅读理解.doc

历年考研真题英语二阅读理解 历年考研真题英语二阅读理解1Text 2For years, studies have found that first-generation college students-those who do not have a parent with a college degree-lag other students on a range of education achievement factors. Their grades are lower and their dropout rates are higher. But since such students are most likely to advance economically if they succeed in higher education, colleges and universities have pushed for decades to recruit more of them. This has created "a paradox" in that recruiting first-generation students, but then watching many of them fail, means that higher education has "continued to reproduce and widen, rather than close" achievement gap based on social class, according to the depressing beginning of a paper forthcoming in the journal Psychological Sciense.But the article is actually quite optimistic, as it outlines a potential solution to this problem, suggesting that an approach(which involves a one-hour, next-to-no-cost program) can close 63 percent of the achievement gap(measured by such factors as grades)between first-generation and other students.The authors of the paper are from different universities, and their findins are based on a study involving 147 students(who completed the project)at an unnamed private unive rsity.First generation was defined as not having a parent with a fou r-year college degree Most of the first-generation students(59.1 percent) were recipients of Pell Grants，a federal g rant for undergraduates with financial need，while this was true only for 8.6 percent of the students wit at least one parent with a four-year degreeTheir thesis-that a relatively modest inte rvention could have a big impact-was based on the view that first-gene ration students may be most lacking not in potential but in practical knowledge about how to deal with the issues that face most college students They cite past resea rch by several authors to show that this is the gap that must be na rrowed to close the achievement gap.Many first-gene ration students"struggle to navigate the middle-class culture of higher education，learn therules of the game，and take advantage of college resou rces," they write And this becomes more of a problem when collages dont talk about the class advantage and disadvantages of different groups of students Because US colleges and universities seldom acknowledge how social class can affect students educational expe rience，many first-gene ration students lack sight about why they a re struggling and do not unde rstand how students like them can improve26. Recruiting more first-generation students hasAreduced their d ropout ratesBnarrowed the achievement gaoC missed its original pu rposeDdepressed college students27 The author of the research article are optimistic becauseAthe problem is solvableBtheir approach is costlessq the recruiting rate has increasedDtheir finding appeal to students28 The study suggests that most first-gene ration studentsAstudy at private universitiesBare from single-pa rent familiesq are in need of financial supportDhave failed their collage29. The author of the paper believe that first-generation studentsAa re actually indifferent to the achievement gapBcan have a potential influence on othe r studentsC may lack opportunities to apply for resea rch projectsDare inexperienced in handling their issues at college30.We mayinfer from the last paragraph that-Auniversities often rect the culture of the middle-classBstudents are usually to blame for their lack of resourcesCsocial class g reatly helps en rich educational experiencesDcolleges are partly responsible for the problem in question答案：26.C missed its original purpose27.A the problem is solvable28.C are in need of financial support29.D are inexperienced in handling issues at college30.D colleges are partly responsible for the problem in question历年考研真题英语二阅读理解2Text 2While fossil fuelsstill generate roughly 85 percent of the worlds energy supply, its clearer than ever that the future belongs to renewable sources such as wind and solar. The move to renewables is picking up momentum around the world: They now account for more than half of new power sources going on line.Some growth stems from a commitment by governments and farsighted businesses to fund cleaner energy sources. But increasingly the story is about the plummeting prices of renewables, especially wind and solar. The cost of solar panels has dropped by 80 percent and the cost of wind turbines by close to one-third in the past eight years.In many parts of the world renewable energy is already a principal energy source. In Scotland, for example, wind turbines provide enough electricity to power 95 percent of homes. While the rest of the world takes the lead, notably China and Europe, the United States is also seeing a remarkable shift. In March, for the first time, wind and solar power accounted for more than 10 percent of the power generated in the US, reported the US Energy Information Administration.President Trump has underlined fossil fuelsespecially coalas the path to economic growth. In a recent speech in Iowa, he dismissed wind power as an unreliable energy source. But that message did not play well with many in Iowa, where wind turbines dot the fields and provide 36 percent of the states electricity generationand where tech giants like Microsoft are being attracted by the availability of clean energy to power their data centers.The question “What happens when the wind doesnt blow or the sun doesnt shine?” has provided a quick put-down for skeptics. But a boost in the storage capacity of batteries is making their ability to keep power flowing around the clock more likely.The advance is driven in part by vehicle manufacturers, who are placing big bets on battery-powered electric vehicles. Although electric cars are still a rarity on roads now, this massive investment could change the picture rapidly in coming years.While theres a long way to go, the trend lines for renewables are spiking. The pace of change in energy sources appears to be speeding upperhaps just in time to have a meaningful effect in slowing climate change. What Washington doesor doesnt doto promote alternative energy may mean less and less at a time of a global shift in thought.26. The word “plummeting”(Line 3, Para. 2) is closest in meaning to .A stabilizingB changingC fallingD rising27. According to Paragraph 3, the use of renewable energy in America .A is progressing notablyB is as extensive as in EuropeC faces many challengesD has proved to be impractical28. It can be learned that in Iowa, .A wind is a widely used energy sourceB wind energy has replaced fossil fuelsC tech giants are investing in clean energyD there is a shortage of clean energy supply29. Which of the following is true about clean energy according to Paragraphs 56?A Its application has boosted battery storage.B It is commonly used in car manufacturing.C Its continuous supply is becoming a reality.D Its sustainable exploitation will remain difficult.30. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that renewable energy_.A will bring the USA closer to other countries.B will accelerate global environmental change.C is not really encouraged by the USA government.D is not competitive enough with regard to its cost.历年考研真题英语二阅读理解3Text 2An article in Scientific America has pointed out that empirical research says that, actually, you think youre more beautiful than you are. We have a deep-seated need to feel good about ourselves and we naturally employ a number of self-enhancing strategies to research into what the call the “above average effect”, or “illusory superiority”, and shown that, for example, 70% of us rate ourselves as above average in leadership, 93% in driving and 85% at getting on well with othersall obviously statistical impossibilities.We rose tint our memories and put ourselves into self-affirming situations. We become defensive when criticized, and apply negative stereotypes to others to boost our own esteem, we stalk around thinking were hot stuff.Psychologist and behavioral scientist Nicholas Epley oversaw a key studying into self-enhancement and attractiveness. Rather that have people simply rate their beauty compress with others, he asked them to identify an original photogragh of themselves from a lineup including versions that had been altered to appear more and less attractive. Visual recognition, reads the study, is “an automatic psychological process occurring rapidly and intuitively with little or no apparent conscious deliberation”. If the subjects quickly chose a falsely flattering image- which must did- they genuinely believed it was really how they looked. Epley found no significant gender difference in responses. Nor was there any evidence that, those who self-enhance the must (that is, the participants who thought the most positively doctored picture were real) were doing so to make up for profound insecurities. In fact those who thought that the images higher up the attractiveness scale were real directly corresponded with those who showed other makers for having higher self-esteem. “I dont think the findings that we having have are any evidence of personal delusion”, says Epley. “Its a reflection simply of people generally thinking well of themselves. If you are depressed, you wont be self-enhancing. Knowing the results of Epley s study,it makes sense that why people heat photographs of themselves Viscerally-on one level, they dont even recognise the person in the picture as themselves, Facebook therefore ,is a self-enhancers paradise,where people can share only the most flattering photos, the cream of their wit ,style ,beauty, intellect and lifestyle its not that peoples profiles are dishonest,says catalina toma of WisconMadison university ,”but they portray an idealized version of themselves.26. According to the first paragraph, social psychologist have found that _.A our self-ratings are unrealistically highB illusory superiority is baseless effectC our need for leadership is unnaturalD self-enhancing strategies are ineffective27. Visual recognition is believed to be peoples_A rapid watchingB conscious choiceC intuitive responseD automatic self-defence28. Epley found that people with higher self-esteem tended to_A underestimate their insecuritiesB believe in their attractivenessC cover up their depressionsD oversimplify their illusions29.The word “Viscerally”(Line 2,para.5) is closest in meaning to_.AinstinctivelyBoccasionallyCparticularlyDaggressively30. It can be inferred that Facebook is self-enhancers paradise because people can _.Apresent their dishonest profilesBdefine their traditional life stylesCshare their intellectual pursuitsDwithhold their unflattering sides历年考研真题英语二阅读理解4Text 2A century ago, the immigrants from across the Atlantic inclued settlers and sojourners. Along with the many folks looking to make a permanent home in the United States came those who had no intention to stay, and 7millin people arrived while about 2 million departed. About a quarter of all Italian immigrants, for exanmle, eventually returned to Italy for good. They even had an affectionate nickname, “uccelli di passaggio,” birds of passage.Today, we are much more rigid about immigrants. We divide nemcomers into two categories: legal or illegal, good or bad. We hail them as Americans in the making, or our broken immigrantion system and the long political paralysis over how to fix it. We dont need more categories, but we need to change the way we think about categories. We need to look beyond strick definitions of legal and illegal. To start, we can recognize the new birds of passage, those living and thriving in the gray areas. We might then begin to solve our immigration challenges.Crop pickers, violinists, construction workers, entrepreneurs, engineers, home health-care aides and physicists are among todays birds of passage. They are energetic participants in a global economy driven by the flow of work, money and ideas .They prefer to come and go as opportunity calls them , They can manage to have a job in one place and a family in another.With or without permission, they straddle laws, jurisdictions and identities with ease. We need them to imagine the United States as a place where they can be productive for a while without committing themselves to staying forever. We need them to feel that home can be both here and there and that they can belong to two nations honorably.Accommodating this new world of people in motion will require new attitudes on both sides of the immigration battle .Looking beyond the culture war logic of right or wrong means opening up the middle ground and understanding that managing immigration today requires multiple paths and multiple outcomes. Including some that are not easy to accomplish legally in the existing system.26 “Birds of passage” refers to those who_A immigrate across the Atlantic.B leave their home countries for good.C stay in a foregin temporaily.D find permanent jobs overseas.27 It is implied in paragraph 2 that the current immigration stystem in the US_A needs new immigrant categories.B has loosened control over immigrants.C should be adopted to meet challenges.D has been fixeed via political means.28 According to the author, todays birds of passage want_A fiancial incentives.B a global recognition.C opportunities to get regular jobs.D the freedom to stay and leave.29 The author suggests that the birds of passage today should be treated _A as faithful partners.B with economic favors.C with regal tolerance.D as mighty rivals.30 选出最适合*的标题A come and go: big mistake.B living and thriving : great risk.C with or without : great risk.D legal or illegal: big mistake.考研英语二