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Reading Comprehension 1
Mr Gordon is right that the second industrial revolution involved never-to-be-repeated changes.But that does not mean that driverless cars count for nothing.Messrs Erixon and Weigel are also right to worry about the West's dismal recent record in producing new companies.But many old firms are not run by bureaucrats and have reinvented themselves many times over:General Electric must be on at least its ninth life.And the impact of giant new firms born in the past 20 years such as Uber,Google and Facebook should not be underestimated:they have all the Schumpeterian characteristics the authors admire.
On the pessimists'side the strongest argument relies not on closely watching corporate and investor behavior.but rather on macro-level statistics on productivity.The figures from recent years are truly dismal.Karim Foda,of the Brookings Institution,calculates that labor productivity in the rich world is growing at its slowest rate since Total factor productivity(which tries to measure innovation)has grown at just 0.1%in advanced economies since 2004,well below its historical average.
Optimists have two retorts.The first is that there must be something wrong with the figures.One possibility is that they fail to count the huge consumer surplus given away free of charge on the internet.But this is unconvincing.The official figures may well be understating the impact of the internet revolution,just as they downplayed the impact of electricity and cars in the past,but they are not understating it enough to explain the recent decline in productivity growth.
Another,second line of argument that the productivity revolution has only just begun is more persuasive.Over the past decade many IT companies may have focused on things that were more"fun than fundamental"in Paul Krugman's phrase.But Silicon Valley's best companies are certainly focusing on things that change the material world.
Uber and Airbnb are bringing dramatic improvements to two large industries that have been more or less stuck for decades.Morgan Stanley estimates that driverless cars could result in$507 billion a year of productivity gains in America,mainly from people being able to stare at their laptops instead of at the road.
1.What has led to the pessimistic opinion concerning the world's economy?
A.It is based on macro-level statistics on productivity.
B.It is based on close observation on corporate and investor behavior.
C.It is due to the fact that many old firms are not run by bureaucrats.
D.It is due to the fact that not enough new firms have been created.
2.The first argument on the optimists'side is unconvincing because the official figures ________.
A.a(chǎn)re both wrong and unconvincing
B.downplay the internet revolution
C.fail to include the consumer surplus
D.can't explain the decline in productivity growth
3.What is true about the IT companies in Silicon Valley?
A.They have only focused on the fun part of life.
B.They have made a difference in the real world.
C.They have more persuasive productivity.
D.They have only just begun to develop.
4.How can driverless cars benefit American industries?
A.Driverless cars have revived two large American industries.
B.The sale of driverless cars can reach hundreds of billion dollars.
C.Thanks to them people free from driving can do more creative work.
D.Driverless cars have stimulated the development of Uber and Airbnb.
【參考翻譯】
戈登說的沒錯,第二次工業(yè)革命包含了無法重復(fù)的變化。但這并不意味著無人駕駛汽車一無是處。埃里克松和魏格爾對西方最近在創(chuàng)建新公司方面糟糕的記錄的擔(dān)憂也是正確的。但是,許多老公司并不是由官僚們管理的,并且已經(jīng)多次自我改造:通用電氣至少已經(jīng)進(jìn)入第九個生命了。過去20年里誕生的Uber、谷歌和Facebook等新興巨頭的影響不應(yīng)被低估:它們擁有作者所推崇的熊彼特式特征。
在悲觀主義者看來,最有力的論據(jù)不在于密切關(guān)注企業(yè)和投資者的行為。而是在生產(chǎn)率的宏觀統(tǒng)計數(shù)據(jù)上。近年來的數(shù)據(jù)確實令人沮喪。布魯金斯學(xué)會(Brookings Institution)的卡利姆?福達(dá)(Karim Foda)估計,自2004年以來,發(fā)達(dá)經(jīng)濟(jì)體的全要素生產(chǎn)率(旨在衡量創(chuàng)新)僅增長0.1%,遠(yuǎn)低于歷史平均水平以來,發(fā)達(dá)的勞動生產(chǎn)率增速最慢。
樂觀者有兩個反駁。首先,數(shù)據(jù)肯定有問題。一種可能是,他們沒有計算出互聯(lián)網(wǎng)上免費(fèi)贈送的巨大消費(fèi)者剩余。但這并不令人信服。數(shù)據(jù)很可能低估了互聯(lián)網(wǎng)革命的影響,就像他們過去低估了電力和汽車的影響一樣,但他們低估的程度不足以解釋最近生產(chǎn)率增長的下降。
生產(chǎn)率革命才剛剛開始的第二種說法更具說服力。在過去的十年里,許多IT公司可能把重點放在了保羅?克魯格曼(Paul Krugman)所說的更“有趣而非根本”的事情上。但硅谷最好的公司肯定專注于改變物質(zhì)世界的事情。
優(yōu)步(Uber)和Airbnb正在給兩個或多或少停滯了幾十年的大行業(yè)帶來戲劇性的改善。摩根士丹利(Morgan Stanley)估計,無人駕駛汽車每年可能為美國帶來5,070億美元的生產(chǎn)率增長,主要是因為人們可以盯著筆記本電腦而不是在路上看。
Reading Comprehension 2
Winston Churchill was one of the central statesmen of the 20 th century and,almost 50 years after his death,remains a subject of enduring fascination.Part of the current interest in this venerable figure can be attributed to two superb biographies written in the 1980s by historian William Manchester:"The Last Lion:Visions of Glory"and"The Last Lion:Alone."These two books examined the first two-thirds of Churchill's life.
Unfortunately,after completing the second volume,Manchester's health declined and the rest of the project stalled.So great was public interest in the long-delayed final volume that it was the subject of a front page story in The New York Times.
Eventually,in 2003,Manchester asked his friend Paul Reid to complete the trilogy.Now,nearly a decade later,Reid has published The Last Lion,the final piece of this monumental undertaking.Reid starts when Churchill was appointed prime minister in May 1940 and follows him through his death in While most of this volume is appropriately devoted to World War II,it also includes the vast expansion of the British welfare state following the war,the start of the Cold War and the enormous dangers it carried,and the loss of the British Empire.
Reid has written a thorough and complete analysis of these years,and it is a worthy finale to the first two volumes.Exhaustively researched and carefully written,it draws on a full range of primary and secondary materials.This book will be essential reading for those who enjoyed the first two volumes and those with a deep interest in understanding this seminal figure and his place in history.
Reid does a wonderful job of capturing Churchill in all his complexity.He gives Churchill great praise for his personal courage and inspirational leadership during the dark days whenBritain stood alone,but he is equally clear about Churchill's poor strategic judgments,such as the efforts to defend Greece andCrete,the Allied assault on Anzio,and the decision to send the battleshipPrince of Walesand battle cruiser Repulse to theSouth China Seawithout adequate air cover where they were promptly sunk by the Japanese.
He highlights Churchill's naivetéin dealing with Soviet Premier Stalin in the early years of the war,but praises his prescience in anticipating Stalin's land grab in Eastern Europeat the end of the conflict.Reid also gives welcome attention to aspects of the war―such as Churchill's fear that the United Statesmight decide to put its primary emphasis on defeating Japan regardless of the"Germany first"understanding he shared with Roosevelt that have received little attention in other books.
5.What can be known about the two biographies of Churchill?
A.They were written in an interesting style.
B.They were written prior to Churchill's death.
C.They are mainly written from a historical point of view.
D.They have helped intrigue the readers over a long period.
6.Why did the biography once become a front page story in The New York Times?
A.People were looking forward to the publication of the final volume.
B.Readers were angry with the author for the delay of the final volume.
C.The publication of the final volume was then a heatedly discussed issue.
D.Readers wanted to know who would be the new author of the final volume.
7.Why does the third volume prove to be worthy?
A.It is widely read and welcomed by readers.
B.It involves enough details in Churchill's life.
C.It is based on thorough and reliable research.
D.It offers a unique understanding of Churchill.
8.What can we know about Churchill through the third volume?
A.He is a man with complexity.
B.He pulled Britain through WWII.
C.He made many strategic mistakes.
D.He is courageous and inspirational.
【參考翻譯】
溫斯頓·丘吉爾是20世紀(jì)最重要的政治家之一,在他去世將近50年后,他仍然是一個令人著迷的話題。目前人們對這個令人尊敬的人物的興趣部分可以歸功于歷史學(xué)家威廉·曼徹斯特(William Manchester)在上世紀(jì)80年代寫的兩本杰出傳記:《最后的獅子:榮耀的愿景》(the Last Lion:Visions of Glory)和《最后的獅子:孤獨(dú)》(the Last Lion:Alone)。這兩本書審視了丘吉爾前三分之二的人生。
不幸的是,在完成了第二卷之后,曼徹斯特的健康狀況開始下降,其余的項目也停滯不前。公眾對這部拖延已久的最終作品的興趣如此濃厚,以至于它成了《紐約時報》(New York Times)頭版新聞的主題。
最終,在2003年,曼徹斯特邀請他的朋友保羅·里德來完成三部曲。近十年后的今天,里德出版了《最后的獅子》,這是這一不朽事業(yè)的最后一篇。里德開始當(dāng)丘吉爾在1940年5月被任命為總理,他通過他的死雖然大多數(shù)的體積是適當(dāng)?shù)刂铝τ谑澜绱髴?zhàn),還包括之后的英國福利的巨大擴(kuò)張戰(zhàn)爭,冷戰(zhàn)的開始,它攜帶的巨大危險,大英帝國的損失。
里德寫了一篇詳盡的分析這些年來,這是一個有價值的結(jié)局前兩卷。經(jīng)過詳盡的研究和認(rèn)真的寫作,它采用了全面的初級和二級材料。對于那些喜歡前兩卷的人以及那些對了解這位開創(chuàng)性人物及其在歷史上的地位有濃厚興趣的人來說,這本書將是必不可少的讀物。
里德出色地抓住了丘吉爾的全部復(fù)雜性。他給丘吉爾偉大的贊美對他個人的勇氣和鼓舞人心的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)在黑暗的日子里whenBritain獨(dú)自站在那里,但他也同樣清楚丘吉爾的可憐的戰(zhàn)略判斷,比如努力捍衛(wèi)希臘andCrete,盟軍襲擊安齊奧,決定把battleshipPrince Walesand巡洋戰(zhàn)艦擊退theSouth中國Seawithout足夠的空中掩護(hù),他們立即被日本擊沉。
他強(qiáng)調(diào)了丘吉爾在戰(zhàn)爭初期與蘇聯(lián)總理斯大林的交往中表現(xiàn)出的天真,但贊揚(yáng)了他的先見之明,即在沖突結(jié)束時預(yù)見到斯大林將占領(lǐng)東歐的土地。里德還對戰(zhàn)爭的各個方面給予了可喜的關(guān)注,比如丘吉爾擔(dān)心美國可能會將其主要重點放在打敗日本上,而不管他與羅斯福的“德國第一”共識在其他書中沒有得到多少關(guān)注。
Reading Comprehension 3
Asteroids and comets that repeatedly smashed into the early Earth covered the planet's surface with molten rock during its earliest days,but still may have left oases of water that could have supported the evolution of life,scientists say.The new study reveals that during the planet's infancy,the surface of the Earth was a hellish environment,but perhaps not as hellish as often thought,scientists added.
Earth formed about 4.5 billion years ago.The first 500 million years of its life are known as the Hadean Eon.Although this time amounts to more than 10 percent of Earth's history,little is known about it,since few rocks are known that are older than 3.8 billion years old.
For much of the Hadean,Earth and its sister worlds in the inner solar system were pummeled with an extraordinary number of cosmic impacts."It was thought that because of these asteroids and comets flying around colliding with Earth,conditions on early Earth may have been hellish,"said lead study author Simone Marchi,a planetary scientist at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder,Colorado.This imagined hellishness gave the eon its name—Hadean comes from Hades,the lord of the underworld in Greek mythology.
However,in the past dozen years or so,a radically different picture of the Hadean began to emerge.Analysis of minerals trapped within microscopiczircon crystals dating from this econ"suggested that there was liquid water on the surface of the Earth back then,clashing with the previous picture that the Hadean was hellish,"Marchi said.This could explain why the evidence of the earliest life on Earth appears during the Hadean—maybe the planet was less inhospitable during that eon than previously thought.
The exact timing and magnitude of the impacts that smashed Earth during the Hadean are unknown.To get an idea of the effects of this bombardment,Machi and his colleagues looked at the moon,whose heavily cratered surface helped model the battering that its close neighbor Earth must have experienced back then.
"We also looked at highly siderophile elements(elements that bind tightly to iron),such as gold,delivered to Earth as a result of these early collisions,and the amounts of these elements tells us the total mass accreted by Earth as the results of these collisions,"Marchi said.Prior research suggests these impacts probably contributed less than 0.5 percent of the Earth's present-day mass.The researchers discovered that"the surface of the Earth during the Hadean was heavily affected by very large collisions,by impactors[?m'p?kt?]larger than 100 kilometers(60 miles)or so—really,really big impactors,'Marci said."When Earth has a collision with an object that big,that melts a large volume of the Earth's crust and mantle,covering a large fraction of the surface,"Marchi added.These findings suggest that Earth's surface was buried over and over again by large volumes of molten rock—enough to cover the surface of the Earth several times.This helps explain why so few rock survive from the Hadean,the researchers said.
9.Why is little known about the Earth's first 500 million years?
A.Because it is an imagined period of time.
B.Because this period is of little significance.
C.Because it is impossible to know about this period.
D.Because no rocks are available as research evidence.
10.Why is the early Earth imagined to be hellish?
A.Because it was often smashed by asteroids and comets.
B.Because back then Hades,the lord of Hell,resigned.
C.Because it was so according to Greek mythology.
D.Because back then there was no life.
11.Why was the early Earth in fact less inhospitable than often thought?
A.Because minerals of the Hadean have been found suggesting the existence of life.
B.Because the clashing brought by asteroids and comets was not completely damaging.
C.Because during the Hadean there already existed the evidence of life.
D.Because there had already been liquid water on the Earth back then.
12.How can the moon help with the understanding of the impacts that smashed the Earth?
A.The moon once smashed into the Earth too.
B.The moon was battered earlier than the Earth.
C.The moon,as a close neighbor,is easier to observe.
D.The moon's surface is heavily cratered as the Earth's.
【參考翻譯】
科學(xué)家說,在地球早期,不斷撞擊地球的小行星和彗星在其表面覆蓋著熔巖,但仍有可能留下了支持生命進(jìn)化的綠洲??茖W(xué)家補(bǔ)充說,這項新的研究表明,在行星的嬰兒期,地球表面是一個地獄般的環(huán)境,但可能不像人們通常認(rèn)為的那么地獄般的環(huán)境。
地球大約在45億年前形成。它生命的前5億年被稱為冥古宙。盡管這段時間占地球歷史的10%以上,但我們對它知之甚少,因為我們所知道的年代超過38億年的巖石很少。
對于大多數(shù)冥人來說,地球及其太陽系內(nèi)部的姐妹世界受到了巨大的宇宙沖擊?!叭藗冋J(rèn)為,由于這些圍繞地球飛行的小行星和彗星與地球相撞,早期地球的環(huán)境可能是地獄般的,”該研究的主要作者、科羅拉多州博爾德西南研究所的行星科學(xué)家西蒙娜·馬爾基(Simone Marchi)說。希臘神話中,冥王冥王是冥府世界的主宰。
然而,在過去十幾年左右的時間里,一幅截然不同的冥王圖景開始浮現(xiàn)。馬爾基說,對從這段經(jīng)濟(jì)時期以來被困在顯微鏡下鋯石晶體中的礦物質(zhì)的分析“表明當(dāng)時地球表面有液態(tài)水,這與之前認(rèn)為冥古宙是地獄的說法相沖突”。這就可以解釋為什么地球上最早的生命出現(xiàn)在哈代——也許在那個年代,地球并不像之前想象的那樣荒涼。
撞擊地球的確切時間和強(qiáng)度尚不清楚。為了了解這種轟擊的影響,Machi和他的同事觀察了月球,月球表面有大量的坑坑洼洼,模擬了當(dāng)時它的近鄰地球所經(jīng)歷的撞擊。
Marchi說:“我們還研究了由于這些早期碰撞而傳遞到地球的高親鐵元素(與鐵緊密結(jié)合的元素),比如黃金,這些元素的數(shù)量告訴我們這些碰撞的結(jié)果是地球吸收的總質(zhì)量?!毕惹暗难芯勘砻?,這些影響可能只占目前地球質(zhì)量的0.5%。研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn),“在冥河期間,地球表面受到非常大的碰撞,受到撞擊物的嚴(yán)重影響”。超過100公里(60英里)或者非常非常大的撞擊物?!爱?dāng)?shù)厍蚺c這么大的物體發(fā)生碰撞時,會融化大量的地殼和地幔,覆蓋表面的很大一部分,”Marchi補(bǔ)充說。這些發(fā)現(xiàn)表明,地球表面被大量的熔融巖石一次又一次地掩埋,足以覆蓋地球表面好幾次。研究人員說,這有助于解釋為什么在冥河中幸存下來的巖石如此之少。
Reading Comprehension 4
From beach balls,pool toys,and jump houses,inflatable technology takes a big step forward for its next frontier:space station.A new kind of tech will be aboard Space X's eighth supply m to the International Space Station(ISS).A compressed living module will be delivered and attached to the station where,in the void of space,it will expand into a new habitat for astronauts.
Designed by Bigelow Aerospace,the inflatable space habitat is one area NASA is exploring for potential deep space habitats and other advanced space missions."The'Bigelow Expandable Activity Module,'or the BEAM,is an expandable habitat that will be used to investigate technology and understand the potential benefits of such habitats forhuman missions to deep space,"NASA Administrator Charles Bolden wrote in a blog post.
The habitats could be a way to"dramatically increase"the space available for astronauts while also offering added protection from the dangers of space,like radiation and space debris,the NASA press release says.
But how is an inflatable space station supposed to be a viable means of housing for space travelers?BEAMs are far more than balloon-like rooms where astronauts can take asylum.Technically,the modules don't inflate―they expand,according to the company.And beyond just air,the habitats are reinforced with an internal metal structure.The outside is composed of multiple layers of material including things like rubber and kevlar to protect from any speeding debris.
Inside SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft on the way to the ISS,the BEAM will be approximately 8 feet in diameter.It will expand once deployed in space to offer 565 cubic feet of space for astronauts."It'll be the first time human beings will actually step inside this expandable habitat in space,"former astronaut George Zamka,who has worked for Bigelow Aerospace,told USA Today.["There won't be this sense of it being like a balloon."]
But astronauts won't be getting inside the module for some time yet.The BEAM will be attached to the Tranquility Node and deployed.Inside the module are a series of tools that will help the crew of the ISS monitor different aspects of the expandable area to see how it acts in space.The crew will watch heat,radiation,orbital debris,and provide information about the viability of using similar modules in the future.
The testing is scheduled to go on for a two-year time period,after which the module will be released and burn up in the atmosphere.NASA's partnership with Bigelow fits Mr.Bolden's desire to help grow a robust private sector industry to commercialize aspects of space―a process he sees as vital if humans want to reach farther cosmic destinations."The world of low Earth orbit belongs to industry,"Bolden said at a press conference in January.
13.What is special about the new living module on SpaceX's eighth mission to ISS?
A.It is expandable.
B.It is going to deep space.
C.It looks like a toy.
D.It will not return to Earth.
14.What is the purpose of designing the inflatable space habitat?
A.It is to find out its potential capacity.
B.It is to give a try on a new technology.
C.It is to save time and money in production.
D.It is to see if it can be applied in deep space.
15.What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 5 mean?
A.The habitat will not be a balloon-like room.
B.The habitat will not feel like a balloon.
C.The habitat will be like a senseless balloon.
D.The habitat will be a different kind of balloon.
16.Why does NASA intend to commercialize aspects of space?
A.It can save NASA time and energy.
B.It is necessary for a robust industry.
C.It is crucial for further space explorations.
D.It meets both NASA's and Bigelow's needs.
【參考翻譯】
從沙灘球、泳池玩具和跳房子,充氣技術(shù)為它的下一個前沿領(lǐng)域邁出了一大步:空間站。一種新的技術(shù)將出現(xiàn)在X號空間給國際空間站(ISS)的第8個補(bǔ)給m號上。一個壓縮的生活艙將被運(yùn)送到空間站,在那里,在太空的空隙中,它將擴(kuò)展為宇航員的新棲息地。
由畢格羅航空航天公司(Bigelow Aerospace)設(shè)計的充氣太空棲息地是美國宇航局(NASA)正在探索的潛在深空棲息地和其他先進(jìn)太空任務(wù)的一個領(lǐng)域。美國宇航局局長查爾斯·博爾登在一篇博客文章中寫道:“‘畢格羅可擴(kuò)展活動模塊’(簡稱BEAM)是一種可擴(kuò)展的棲息地,它將被用來研究技術(shù),并了解這種棲息地對人類深入太空任務(wù)的潛在好處?!?/p>
美國航空航天局的新聞發(fā)布會上說,這些棲息地可以“大大增加”宇航員的可用空間,同時提供額外的保護(hù),使他們免受太空輻射和太空碎片等危險。
但是充氣式空間站怎么可能成為太空旅行者的一種可行的居住方式呢?光束遠(yuǎn)不止像氣球一樣的房間,宇航員可以在里面避難。該公司表示,從技術(shù)上講,這些模塊不會膨脹——它們會擴(kuò)張。除了空氣,棲息地還被內(nèi)部的金屬結(jié)構(gòu)加固。外部由多層材料組成,包括橡膠和凱夫拉爾纖維,以防止任何超速碎片。
在前往國際空間站的途中,SpaceX公司的“龍”號宇宙飛船內(nèi)的光束直徑約為8英尺。一旦部署到太空中,它將擴(kuò)大,為宇航員提供565立方英尺的空間。曾在畢格羅航空航天公司工作的前宇航員喬治·贊姆卡在接受《今日美國》采訪時說:“這將是人類第一次真正進(jìn)入這個可擴(kuò)展的太空棲息地?!?“不會有像氣球一樣的感覺?!?
但是宇航員在一段時間內(nèi)還不能進(jìn)入太空艙。光束將連接到寧靜節(jié)點并部署。在太空艙內(nèi)部有一系列的工具,可以幫助國際空間站的工作人員監(jiān)視可擴(kuò)展區(qū)域的不同方面,觀察它在太空中的活動。機(jī)組人員將觀察熱量、輻射、軌道碎片,并提供未來使用類似模塊的可行性信息。
測試計劃進(jìn)行兩年時間,之后模塊將被釋放并在大氣中燃燒。美國航空航天局與畢格羅的合作符合博爾登先生的愿望,即幫助發(fā)展一個強(qiáng)大的私營產(chǎn)業(yè),將太空的各個方面商業(yè)化——他認(rèn)為,如果人類想要到達(dá)更遠(yuǎn)的宇宙目的地,這一過程至關(guān)重要。博爾登在1月份的新聞發(fā)布會上說:“近地軌道世界屬于工業(yè)?!?/p>
Reading Comprehension 5
Of all the people on my holiday shopping list,there was one little boy for whom buying a gift had become increasingly difficult.He's a wonderful child,adorable and loving,and he's not f irritable or spoiled.Though he lives across the country from me,I receive regular updates and photos,and he likes all the things that the boys his age want to play with.Shopping for him should be easy,but I find it hard to summon up any enthusiasm,because in all the years I've giv presents,he never once sent me a thank-you note.
"Sending thank-you notes is becoming a lost art,"mourns Mary Mitchell,a syndicated columnist known as"Ms.Demeanor"and author of six etiquette books.In her view,each generation,compared with the one before,is losing a sense of consideration for other people."Without respect,"she says,"you have conflict."
Ms.Demeanor would be proud of me:I have figured out a way to ensure that my children always send thank-you notes.And such a gesture is important,says Ms.Demeanor,because"a grateful attitude is a tremendous life skill,an efficient and inexpensive way to set ourselves apart in the work force and in our adult lives.Teach your children that the habit of manners comes from inside―it's an attitude based on respecting other people."
A few years ago,as my children descended like piranhas on their presents under the Christmas tree,the only attitude I could see was greed.Where was the appreciation of time and effort?
A thank-you note should contain three things:an acknowledgement of the gift(Love the tie with the picture of a hose on it);a recognition of the time and effort spent to select it(You must have shopped all over the state to find such a unique item!);a prediction of how you will use your gift or the way it has enhanced your life(I'll be sure to wear it to the next Mr.Ed convention!).
So,five years ago,in one of my rare flashes of parental insight,I decided that the most appropriate time to teach this basic courtesy is while the tinsel is hot.To the horror of my children,I announced that henceforth every gift received will be an occasion for a thank-you note written immediately,on the spot.I have explained to my kids how I have reacted to not hearing from the little boy―how it made me fell unappreciated and unmotivated to repeat the process next year.
I have reluctantly given my kids the green light to send e-mail thank-you notes;though hand-lettered ones(at least to me)still seem friendlier.But pretty much any thank-you makes the gift giver feel special―just as,we hope,the recipient feels.It's a gesture that perfectly c the spirit of the holidays.
17.The author felt unmotivated when buying a gift for the little boy because he ________.
A.purposely intended not to show gratitude for her kindness and consideration
B.had never expressed appreciation of the gifts he received in previous years.
C.had no idea how thoughtful she was in choosing a gift for him
D.didn't like any of the gift she had given him
18.According to Ms.Demeanor,showing appreciation has the benefit of ________.
A.forming the habit of good manners
B.regaining the lost art of expressing thanks
C.motivating the gift giver to buy more gifts
D.distinguishing oneself from others in work and life
19.In a thank-you note,"The book will be my good companion when I am alone"serves as ________.
A.a(chǎn) recognition of the time and effort spent to select it
B.a(chǎn)n announcement of how it has enhanced your life
C.a(chǎn) prediction of how you will use your gift
D.a(chǎn)n acknowledgement of the gift
20.What does the author mean by"while the tinsel is hot(Line 2,Para.6)?
A.The moment her kids receive a gift.
B.The moment she starts choosing gifts for each kid.
C.When the art of sending thank-you notes isn't lost yet.
D.When her kids still remember who bought the gifts for them.
【參考翻譯】
在我假日購物清單上的所有人當(dāng)中,有一個小男孩買禮物變得越來越困難。他是一個很好的孩子,可愛又可愛,他不暴躁也不嬌生慣養(yǎng)。雖然他住在離我很遠(yuǎn)的地方,但我定期收到他的最新消息和照片,他喜歡和他同齡的男孩玩的所有東西。為他買東西應(yīng)該很容易,但我發(fā)現(xiàn)很難鼓起任何熱情,因為在我送禮物的這些年里,他從來沒有給過我一封感謝信。
“發(fā)送感謝信正在成為一種失傳的藝術(shù),”被稱為“Ms”的專欄作家瑪麗·米切爾(Mary Mitchell)表示。他著有六本禮儀書籍。在她看來,與以前相比,每一代人都在失去為他人著想的意識?!皼]有尊重,”她說,“你會有沖突?!?/p>
特拉姆女士會為我感到自豪的:我已經(jīng)找到了一種方法,確保我的孩子們總是給我發(fā)感謝信。特拉姆女士說,這樣的姿態(tài)很重要,因為“感恩的態(tài)度是一種巨大的生活技能,是一種高效、廉價的方式,可以讓我們在工作和成年生活中脫穎而出?!苯逃愕暮⒆?,禮貌的習(xí)慣來自內(nèi)心——這是一種基于尊重他人的態(tài)度。
幾年前,當(dāng)我的孩子們像披著禮物的水虎魚一樣在圣誕樹下降落時,我能看到的態(tài)度就是貪婪。時間和努力的價值在哪里?
一封感謝信應(yīng)該包含三個方面:確認(rèn)的禮物(愛的領(lǐng)帶的照片一個軟管);承認(rèn)所花費(fèi)的時間和精力來選擇它(你必須有購物的找到這樣一個獨(dú)特的項目?。?,預(yù)測你將如何使用你的禮物或者是它提高了你的生活方式(我一定會穿它到下一個先生約定?。?/p>
因此,五年前,在我少有的一次親歷親為中,我決定最合適的時間來教授這種基本的禮貌,是在金箔很燙的時候。令我的孩子們驚恐的是,我宣布從今以后,我收到的每一份禮物都將成為一個當(dāng)場寫感謝信的機(jī)會。我向我的孩子們解釋了我對沒有收到這個小男孩的消息的反應(yīng)——這讓我感到不被欣賞,也沒有動力在明年重復(fù)這個過程。
我不情愿地給我的孩子們發(fā)電子郵件感謝信;盡管手寫的感謝信(至少對我來說)看起來更友好。但幾乎所有的感謝——你讓送禮物的人感到特別——就像我們希望的那樣,接收者也會有特別的感覺。這是一種完美的姿態(tài)——節(jié)日的精神。
English-Chinese Translation
Economics is no different.Supply,demand,elasticity,comparative advantage,consumer surplus,deadweight loss--these terms are part of the economist's language.In the coming chapters,you will encounter many new terms and some familiar words that economists use in specialized ways.(1)At first,this new language may seem needlessly arcane.But,as you will see,its value lies in its ability to provide you a new and useful way of thinking about the world in which you live.
Economists try to address their subject with a scientist's objectivity.They approach the study of the economy in much the same way as a physicist approaches the study of matter and a biologist approaches the study of life:(2)They devise theories,collect data,and then analyze these data in an attempt to verify or refute their theories.
To beginners,it can seem odd to claim that economics is a science.After all,economists do not work with test tubes or telescopes.(3)The essence of science,however,is the scientific methods--the dispassionate development and testing of theories about how the world works.
This method of inquiry is as applicable to studying a nation's economy as it is to studying th earth's gravity or a species'evolution.(4)As Albert Einstein once put it,"The whole of nothing more than the refinement of everyday thinking."(225words)
【參考翻譯】
經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)也不例外。供給、需求、彈性、比較優(yōu)勢、消費(fèi)者剩余、無謂損失——這些術(shù)語都是《經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)人》語言的一部分。在接下來的章節(jié)中,你將會遇到許多經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家在專業(yè)領(lǐng)域使用的新術(shù)語和一些熟悉的詞匯。但是,正如你將看到的,它的價值在于它能為你提供一種新的和有用的方式來思考你所生活的世界。
經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家試圖以科學(xué)家的客觀性來論述他們的課題。他們研究經(jīng)濟(jì)的方式與物理學(xué)家研究物質(zhì)的方式和生物學(xué)家研究生命的方式非常相似:他們設(shè)計理論,收集數(shù)據(jù),然后分析這些數(shù)據(jù),試圖驗證或反駁他們的理論。
對初學(xué)者來說,聲稱經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)是一門科學(xué)似乎有點奇怪。畢竟,經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家不使用試管或望遠(yuǎn)鏡。然而,科學(xué)的本質(zhì)是科學(xué)方法——冷靜地發(fā)展和檢驗關(guān)于世界如何運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)的理論。
這種探究方法既適用于研究一個的經(jīng)濟(jì),也適用于研究地球引力或物種進(jìn)化。
Chinese- English Translation
為了找到實驗室試驗的替代實驗,經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家會密切關(guān)注由歷史提供的自然實驗。例如,當(dāng)中東的一次戰(zhàn)爭中斷了原油供應(yīng)時, 油價在全球范圍內(nèi)狂漲。對于石油及石油產(chǎn)品的消費(fèi)者來說,這樣的一次事件會降低生活水平。 對于經(jīng)濟(jì)決策者來說,它給他們出了一道難題,即如何做出最佳應(yīng)對。但對于經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家來說,它為研究重要自然資源對世界經(jīng)濟(jì)的影響提供了一次機(jī)會, 且這種機(jī)會在戰(zhàn)時的油價飛漲結(jié)束很久依然存在。因此,整本書中,我們會分析很多歷史事件。這些歷史事件值得研究,因為,它們讓我們對舊時的經(jīng)濟(jì)有所了解,更重要的是,因為它們使我們能夠說明和評價當(dāng)今的經(jīng)濟(jì)理論。
【參考翻譯】
To find alternatives to laboratory experiments, economists pay close attention to natural experiments provided by history. When a war in the Middle East disrupted crude supplies, for example, oil prices soared around the world. For consumers of oil and petroleum products, such an event would lower living standards. For economic policymakers, it presents them with a dilemma of how best to respond. But for economists, it offers an opportunity to study the impact of important natural resources on the world economy, and that opportunity persisted long after the wartime surge in oil prices ended. So throughout the book, we're going to analyze a lot of historical events. These historical events are worth studying because they give us a sense of the economy of the past and, more importantly, because they enable us to explain and evaluate the economic theory of the present day.
Short Essay Writing
Write a composition in no less than 150 words on the topic:What Do You Think of Advanced Artificial Intelligence.Read the following words in English.You should write according to the outline given below.Write your composition on the ANSWER SHEET.
1.Google's DeepMind Alpha Go program has beaten all the world champions of the game Go in a series of battles between man and artificial intelligence.
2.Some people fear advanced artificial intelligence because?
3.Your attitude towards advanced artificial intelligence.
【參考翻譯】
寫一篇不少于150字的作文,題目是:你認(rèn)為高級人工智能怎么樣?閱讀下面的英文單詞。你應(yīng)該按照下面的提綱來寫。把你的作文寫在答題紙上。
1.谷歌的DeepMind Alpha Go程序在一系列人機(jī)大戰(zhàn)中擊敗了圍棋的所有世界冠軍。
2.有些人害怕高級人工智能是因為?
3.你對高級人工智能的態(tài)度。
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