2020考研英语一真题
2020考研英语一真题-CAL-FENGHAI-(2020YEAR-YICAI)_JINGBIAN
2020考研英语一真题
Section I Use of English
Directions:
Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for eachnum-
bered blank and mark [A], [B], [C], or [D] on the ANSWERSHEET.
(10 points)
Even if families don't sit down to eat together as
frequently as
before, millions of Britons will nonetheless have got a sharethis
weekend of one of that nation's great traditions: the Sundayroast.
1 a
cold winter's day, few culinary pleasures can 2 it. Yet as wereport
now. The food police are determined our health. That this 3should be
rendered yet another quality pleasure 4 to damage ourhealth.
The Food Standards Authority (FSA) has 5 a publicworming
about the risks of a compound called acrylamide that formsin some foods cooked 6 high temperatures. This means that peopleshould 7
crisping their roast potatoes, reject thin—crust pizzas andonly
8 toast
their bread. But where is the evidence to support suchalarmist advice?
9 studies have shown that acrylamide can cause neurologicaldamage
in mice, there is no 10 evidence that it causes cancer inhumans.
Scientists say the compound is 11 to cause cancer buthave no
hard scientific proof 12 the precautionary principle it couldbe argued
that it is 13 to follow the FSA advice. 14, it was rumouredthat smok-
ing caused cancer for years before the evidence was found toprove a
15.
Doubtless a piece of boiled beef can always be 16 up onSunday
alongside some steamed vegetables, without the Yorkshirepudding
and no wine. But would life be worth living 17, the FSAsays it is
not telling people to cut out roast foods 18, but reduce theirlifetime
intake. However its 19 risks coming a cross as being pushyand over-
protective. Constant health scares just 20 with one listening.
1. [A] In[B] Towards[C] On[D] Till
2. [A] match[B] express[C] satisfy[D] influence
3. [A] patience[B] enjoyment[C] surprise[D]concern
4 .[A] intensified[B] privileged[C] compelled[D]guaranteed
5. [A] issued[B] received[C] compelled[D]guaranteed
6. [A] under[B] at[C] for[D] by
7. [A] forget[B] regret[C] finish[D] avoid8. [A] partially [B] regularly[C] easily[D] initially
9. [A] Unless[B] Since[C] If[D] While
10. [A] secondary[B] external[C] conclusive[D] negative
11. [A] insufficient[B] bound[C] likely[D] slow
12. [A] On the basis of[B] At the cost of[C] In additionto[D] In
contrast to
13. [A] interesting[B] advisable[C] urgent[D]fortunate
14. [A] As usual[B] In particular[C] By definition[D] After
all
15. [A] resemblance[B] combination[C] connection[D] pat-
tern
16. [A] made[B] served[C] saved[D] used
17. [A] To be fair[B] For instance[C] To be brief[D] In gen-
eral
18. [A] reluctantly[B] entirely[C] gradually[D]carefully
19. [A] promise[B] experience[C] campaign[D]competition
20. [A] follow up[B] pick up[C] open up[D] endup .
Section II Reading Comprehension
Part A Directions:
Read the following four texts. Answer the questionsbelow each
text by choosing [A], [B], [C], or [D]. Mark your answers onthe
ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)
Text 1
A group of labour MPs, among them Yvette Cooper, arebring-
ing in the new year with a call to institute a UK“town ofculture”
award. The proposal is that it should sit alongside theexisting city of
culture title, which was held by Hull in 2017 and has beenawarded to
Coventry for zoz1. Cooper and her colleagues argue that thesuccess
of the crown for Hull, where it brought in￡220m ofinvestment and
an avalanche of arts, out not to be confined to cities.
Britain'town, it
is true are not prevented from applying, but they generallylack the
resources to put together a bit to beat their bigger
competitions. A
town of culture award could, it is argued, become an annualevent, at-
tracting funding and creating jobs.
Some might see the proposal as a boo by prize for the factthat
Britain is no longer be able to apply for the much moreprestigious
title of European capital of culture, a sough-after awardbagged by
Glasgow in 1990 and Liverpool in 2008. A cynic mightspeculate
that
the UK is on the
verge of disappearing into an endless fever of
self-celebration in
its desperation to reinvent itself for the post-Brexit
world:after town
of culture, who knows that will follow—village of culture?Suburb of
culture Hamlet of culture
It is also wise lo recall that such titles are not a cure-all. Abadly
run“year of culture”washes in and out of a place like thetide, bring-
ing prominence for a spell but leaving no lasting benefits tothe com-
munity. The really successful holders of such titles are thosethat do a
great deal more than fill hotel bedrooms and bring inhigh-profile arts
events and good press for a year. They transform the
aspirations of the
people who live there; they nudge the self-image of the cityinto a
bolder and more optimistic light. It is hard to get right, andrequires a
remarkable degree of vision, as well as cooperation betweencity au-
thorities, the private sector, community. groups and culturalorganisa-
tions. But it can be done: Glasgow's year as European capitalof cul-
ture can certainly be seen as one of complex series of
factorsthat have
turned the city into the power of art, music and theatre that itremains
today.
A“town of culture”could be not just about the arts butabout
honouring a town's peculiarities
—helping sustain its high street, supporting local facilitiesand
above all celebrating its people and turn it into action.
21. Cooper and her colleagues argue that a“town ofculture”
award could
[A] consolidate the town-city ties in Britain.
[B] promote cooperation among Britain's towns.
[C] increase the economic strength of Britain's towns.[D] focus Britain's limited resources on cultural events.22. According to Paragraph 2, the proposal might beregarded by
some as
[A] a sensible compromise.
[B] a self-deceiving attempt.
[C] an eye-catching bonus.
[D] an inaccessible target.
23. The author suggests that a title holder is successfulonly if it
[A] endeavours to maintain its image.
[B] meets the aspirations of its people.
[C] brings its local arts to prominence.
[D] commits to its long-term growth.
24. Glasgow is mentioned in Paragraph 3 to present[A] a contrasting case. (B] a supporting example.
[C] a background story.
[D] a related topic.
25. What is the author's attitude towards the proposal[A] Skeptical.
[B] Objective.
[C] Favourable.
[D] Critical.
Text 2
Scientific publishing has long been a licence to printmoney. Sci-
entists need journals in which to publish their research, sothey will
supply the articles without monetary reward. Other scientistsperform
the specialised work of peer review also for free, because itis a cen-
tral element in the acquisition of status and the production ofscien-
tific knowledge.
With the content of papers secured for free, the publisherneeds
only find a market for its journal. Until this century,
university librar-
ies were not very price sensitive. Scientific publishersroutinely report
profit margins approaching 40% on their operations, at atime when
the rest of the publishing industry is in an existential crisis.
The Dutch giant Elsevier, which claims to publish 25% ofthe
scientific papers produced in the world, made profits ofmore than
￡900m last year, while UK universities alone spent morethan
￡210m
in 2016 to enable researchers to access their own publiclyfunded re-
search; both figures seem to rise unstoppably despiteincreasingly
desperate efforts to change them.
The most drastic, and thoroughly illegal, reaction hasbeen the
emergence of Sci-Hub, a kind of global photocopier forscientific pa-
pers, set up in 2012, which now claims to offer access toevery pay-
walled article published since 2015. The success of Sci-Hub,which
relies on researchers passing on copies they have themselveslegally
accessed, shows the legal ecosystem has lost legitimacyamong is us-
ers and must be transformed so that it works for all
participants.
In Britain the move towards open access publishing hasbeen
driven by funding bodies. In some ways it has been verysuccessful.
More than half of all British scientific research is now
published under open access terms: either freely availablefrom
the moment of publication, or paywalled for a year or moreso that the
publishers can make a profit before being placed on generalrelease.
Yet the new system has not worked out any cheaper forthe uni-
versities. Publishers have responded to the demand that theymake
their product free to readers by charging their writers fees tocover the
costs of preparing an article. These range from around￡500 to $5,000.
A report last year pointed out that the costs both of
subscriptions and
of these“article preparation costs had been steadily rising ata rate
above inflation. In some ways the scientific publishingmodel resem-
bles the economy of the social internet: labour is providedfree
in ex-
change for the hope of status, while huge profits are madeby a few
big firms who run the market places. In both cases, we needa re-
balancing of power.
26. Scientific publishing is seen as“a licence to printmoney”
partly because
[A] its funding has enjoyed a steady increase.
[B] its marketing strategy has been successful.
[C] its payment for peer review is reduced.
[D] its content acquisition costs nothing.
27. According to Paragraphs 2 and 3, scientific publishersElse-
vier have
[A] thrived mainly on university libraries.
[B] gone through an existential crisis.
[C] revived the publishing industry.
[D] financed researchers generously.
28. How does the author feel about the success of
Sci-Hub?
[A] Relieved.
[B] Puzzled.
[C] Concerned.
[D] Encouraged.
29. It can be learned from Paragraphs 5 and 6 that openaccess
terms .
[A] allow publishers some room to make money.
[B] render publishing much easier for scientists.
[C] reduce the cost of publication substantially
[D] free universities from financial burdens.
30. Which of the following characteristics the scientificpublish-
ing model?
[A] Trial subscription is offered.
[B] Labour triumphs over status.
[C] Costs are well controlled. [D]The few feed on themany.
Text 3
Progressives often support diversity mandates as a path toequali-
ty and a way to level the playing field. But all too often suchpolicies
are an insincere form of virtue-signaling that benefits onlythe most
privileged and does little to help average people.
A pair of bills sponsored by Massachusetts state SenatorJason
Lewis and House Speaker Pro Tempore Patricia Haddad, toensure
“gender parity”on boards and commi ssions, provide acase in
point.
Haddad and Lewis are concerned that more than half thestate-
government boards are less than 40 percent female. In orderto ensure
that elite women have more such opportunities, they haveproposed
imposing government quotas. If the bills become law, stateboards
and commissions will be required to set aside 50 percent ofboard
seats for women by 2022.
The bills are similar to a measure recently adopted inCalifornia,
which last year became the first state to require genderquotas for pri-
vate companies. In signing the measure, California GovernorJerry
Brown admitted that the law, which expressly classifiespeople on the
basis of sex, is probably unconstitutional.
The US Supreme Court frowns on sex-based
classifications un-
less they are designed to address an“important”policyinterest, Be-
cause the California law applies to all boards, even wherethere is no
history of prior discrimination, courts are likely to rule thatthe law
violates the constitutional guarantee of“equal protection”.But are such government mandates even necessary?Female par-
ticipation on corporate boards may not currently mirror thepercentage
of women in the general population, but so what?
The number of women on corporate boards has beensteadily in-
creasing without government interference. According to astudy by
Catalyst, between 2010 and 2015 the share of women on theboards of
global corporations increased by 54 percent.
Requiring companies to make gender the primary
qualification
for board membership will inevitably lead to less
experienced private
sector boards. That is exactly what happened when Norwayadopted a
nationwide corporate gender quota.
Writing in The New Republic, Alice Lee notes thatincreasing
the number of opportunities for board membership withoutincreasing
the pool of qualified women to serve on such boards has ledto a
“golden skirt”phenomenon. where the same elite womenscoop up
multiple seats on a variety of boards.
Next time somebody pushes corporate quotas as a way topro-
mote gender equity, remember that such policies are largelyself-
serving measures that make their sponsors feel good but dolittle to
help average women.
31. The author believes hat the bills sponsored by Lewisand
Haddad will
[A] help lite to reduce gender bias.
[B] pose a threat to the state government.
[C] raise women's position in politics.
[D] greatly broaden career options.
32. Which of the following is true of the Californiameasure?
[A] It has irritated private business owners.
[B] It is welcomed by the Supreme Court. [C]It may goagainst
the Constitution.
[D] It will settle the prior controversies.
33. The author mentions the study by Catalyst to illustrate[A] the harm from arbitrary board decision.
[B] the importance of constitutional guarantees.
[C] the pressure on women in global corporations.
[D] the needlessness of government interventions.
34. Norway's adoption of a nationwide corporate genderquota
has led to
[A] the underestimation of elite women's role.
[B] the objection to female participation on bards.
[C] the entry of unqualified candidates into the board.[D] the growing tension between Labor and management.
35. Which of the following can be inferred from the text?IAI Women's need in employment should be considered[B] Feasibility should be a prime concern in
policymaking.
[C] Everyone should try hard to promote social justice.[D] Major social issues should be the focus of legislation.Text 4
Last Thursday, the French Senate passed a digital servicestax,
which would impose an entirely new tax on large
multinationals that
provide digital services to consumers or users in France.Digital ser-
vices include everything from providing a platform forselling goods
and services online to targeting advertising based on userdata. and
the tax applies to gross revenue from such services. ManyFrench pol-
iticians and media outlets have referred to this as a“GAFAtax,
meaning that it is designed to apply primarily to companiessuch
as
Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon—in other words,multina-
tional tech companies based in the United States.
The digital services tax now awaits the signature ofPresident
Emmanuel Macron, who has expressed support for themeasure, and it
could go into effect within the next few weeks. But it hasalready
sparked significant controversy, with the Unite States
traderepre-
sentative opening an investigation into whether the taxdiscriminates
against American companies, which in turn could lead totrade
sanc-
tions against France.
The French tax is not just a unilateral move by onecountry in
need of revenue. Instead, the digital services tax is part of amuch
larger trend, with countries over the past few years
proposing or put-
ting in place an alphabet soup of new international taxprovisions.
These have included Britain's DPT (diverted profits
tax),Australia's
MAAL (multinational antiavoidance law), and India's SEP(signifi-cant economic presence) test, to. name but a few. At thesame time,
the European Union, Spain, Britain and several othercountries have
all seriously contemplated digital services taxes.
These unilateral developments differ in their specifics, butthey are all designed to tax multinationals on income and revenuethat
countries believe they should have a right to tax, even ifinternational
tax rules do not grant them that right. In other words, theyall share a
view that the international tax system has failed to keep upwith the
current economy.
In response to these many unilateral measures, the
Organization
for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) iscurrently
working with 131 countries to reach a consensus by the endof 2020
on an international solution. Both France and the UnitedStates
are
involved in the organization's work, but France's digitalservices tax
and the American response raise questions about what thefuture
holds for the international tax system.
France's planned tax is a clear waning: Unless a broadconsensus
can be reached on reforming the international tax system.other
na-
tions are likely to follow suit, and American companies willface a
cascade of different taxes from dozens of nations that willprove
burdensome and costly.
36. The French Senate has passed a bill to
[A] regulate digital services platforms.
[B] protect French companies' interests.
[C] impose a levy on tech multinationals.
[D] curb the influence of advertising.
37. It can be learned from Paragraph 2 that the digitalservices
tax
[A] may trigger countermeasures against France.
[B] is apt to arouse criticism at home and abroad.
[C] aims to ease international trade tensions.
[D] will prompt the tech giants to quit France.