考研英语(二)真题及答案解析

2017年考研英语(二)真题及答案解析

　　Section I Use of English

　　Directions:

　　Read the following text. Choose the best word (s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)

　　People have speculated for centuries about a future without work .Today is no different, with academics, writers, and activists once again _1_ that technology be replacing human workers. Some imagine that the coming work-free world will be defined by _2_ . A few wealthy people will own all the capital, and the masses will struggle in an impoverished wasteland.

　　A different and not mutually exclusive _3_ holds that the future will be a wasteland of a different sort, one _4 _by purposelessness: Without jobs to give their lives _5_ , people will simply become lazy and depressed. _6_ , today's unemployed don't seem to be having a great time. One Gallup poll found that 20 percent of Americans who have been unemployed for at least a year report having depression, double the rate for _7_ Americans. Also, some research suggests that the _8_ for rising rates of mortality, mental-health problems, and addicting _9_ poorly-educated middle-aged people is shortage of well-paid jobs. Perhaps this is why many __10_ the agonizing dullness of a jobless future.

　　But it doesn't __11__ follow from findings like these that a world without work would be filled with unease. Such visions are based on the __12__ of being unemployed in a society built on the concept of employment. In the __13__ of work, a society designed with other ends in mind could __14__ strikingly different circumstanced for the future of labor and leisure. Today, the __15__ of work may be a bit overblown. "Many jobs are boring, degrading, unhealthy, and a waste of human potential," says John Danaher, a lecturer at the National University of Ireland in Galway.

　　These days, because leisure time is relatively __16__ for most workers, people use their free time to counterbalance the intellectual and emotional __17__ of their jobs. "When I come home from a hard day's work, I often feel __18__ ," Danaher says, adding, "In a world in which I don't have to work, I might feel rather different"—perhaps different enough to throw himself __19__ a hobby or a passion project with the intensity usually reserved for __20__ matters.

　　1.[A] boasting [B] denying [C] warning [D] ensuring

　　动词词义辨析。作家学者警示人们技术会代替人类劳动。boast吹嘘、自负。deny否认。ensure确保。Warning警示，警告。因此答案为C选项。

　　2.[A] inequality [B] instability [C] unreliability [D] uncertainty

　　上下文理解。根据后文富人会拥有所有资产，贫困地区也会扎堆，可以看出此处想表达不平等的意思。Inequality不平等，instability不稳定性，unreliability不可靠性，uncertainty不确定性。因此答案为A选项。

　　3.[A] policy [B]guideline [C] resolution [D] prediction

　　词义辨析。policy政策，guideline指导方针，resolution决心，prediction预测。该句意为另外一种预测认为…。因此答案为D选项。

　　4.[A] characterized [B]divided [C] balanced [D]measured

　　动词词义辨析。该句意为未来社会的特点是无目的性。因此答案为A选项

　　5.[A] wisdom [B] meaning [C] glory [D] freedom

　　词义辨析，上下文理解。没有了工作富裕生活的意义，人们会变得懒散沮丧。其他几项不符合题意。因此答案为B选项。

　　6.[A] Instead [B] Indeed [C] Thus [D] Nevertheless

　　考查副词。Indeed实际上，那些失业者生活并不美好。因此答案为B选项。

　　7.[A] rich [B] urban [C]working [D] educated

　　上下文理解。前面提到失业的美国人在和工作的美国人做对比。因此答案为C选项。

　　8.[A] explanation [B] requirement [C] compensation [D] substitute

　　词义辨析。死亡率升高，心理健康问题等是因为没有工资待遇较好的工作，这就解释了原因问题。Explanation符合题意，因此答案为A选项。

　　9.[A] under [B] beyond [C] alongside [D] among

　　介词辨析。没有受到良好教育的中年人中间这些问题比较严重。因此答案为D选项。

　　10.[A] leave behind [B] make up [C] worry about [D] set aside

　　固定搭配意思辨析。Worry about担心，leave behind丢弃，使落后make up 组成，set aside 留出，把…放在一旁。该句意为这就是为什么人们担心未来无工作的无聊。因此答案为C选项。

　　11.[A] statistically [B] occasionally [C] necessarily [D] economically

　　副词词义辨析。Necessarily必然地，statistically统计地，occasionally偶然地，economically经济上地。该句想表达并不必然的意思。因此答案为C选项。

　　12.[A] chances [B] downsides [C] benefits [D] principles

　　理解上下文。前面说没有工作会导致不安，这些观念是来源于在职业概念的社会中失业的消极面。

　　13.[A] absence [B] height [C] face [D] course

　　固定搭配。In absence of 缺乏，in height of 在…高度，in face of 面临，in course of 在…中。该句意为如果没有工作，也就是in absence of job.因此答案为A选项。

　　14.[A] disturb [B] restore [C] exclude [D] yield

　　动词词义辨析。没有工作的社会能为人们带来放松。Yield 有获得，带来的意思，disturb打扰，妨碍，restore恢复，交还，exclude排斥。因此答案为D选项。

　　15.[A] model [B] practice [C] virtue [D] hardship

　　词义辨析。根据后面工作的缺点可以推测此处想表达工作的优点被过分夸大了。Virtue优点，好处。因此答案为C选项。

　　16.[A] tricky [B] lengthy [C] mysterious [D] scarce

　　词义辨析和上下文理解。休闲时间对工作人来说相对较少。因此答案为D选项。

　　17.[A] demands [B] standards [C] qualities [D] threats

　　词义辨析。闲暇时间来平衡人们的智力和情感需求。因此答案为A选项。

　　18.[A] ignored [B] tired [C] confused [D] starved

　　词义理解。下班回到家感觉到疲惫。Starved饥饿的。因此答案为B选项。

　　19.[A] off [B] against [C] behind [D] into

　　固定搭配和介词使用。Throw into投身于， throw off摆脱，throw against扔掉，throw behind抛开。投身到自己的爱好之中。因此答案为D选项。

　　20.[A] technological [B] professional [C] educational [D] interpersonal

　　词义辨析。一些需要专业技能的项目。因此答案为B选项。

　　Section II Reading Comprehension

　　Part A

　　Directions:

　　Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)

　　Text 1

　　Every Saturday morning, at 9 am, more than 50,000 runners set off to run 5km around their local park. The Parkrun phenomenon began with a dozen friends and has inspired 400 events in the UK and more abroad. Events are free, staffed by thousands of volunteers. Runners range from four years old to grandparents; their times range from Andrew Baddeley's world record 13 minutes 48 seconds up to an hour.

　　Parkrun is succeeding where London's Olympic "legacy" is failing. Ten years ago on Monday, it was announced that the Games of the 30th Olympiad would be in London. Planning documents pledged that the great legacy of the Games would be to level a nation of sport lovers away from their couches. The population would be fitter, healthier and produce more winners. It has not happened. The number of adults doing weekly sport did rise, by nearly 2 million in the run—up to 2012—but the general population was growing faster. Worse, the numbers are now falling at an accelerating rate. The opposition claims primary school pupils doing at least two hours of sport a week have nearly halved. Obesity has risen among adults and children. Official retrospections continue as to why London 2012 failed to "inspire a generation." The success of Parkrun offers answers.

　　Parkun is not a race but a time trial: Your only competitor is the clock. The ethos welcomes anybody. There is as much joy over a puffed-out first-timer being clapped over the line as there is about top talent shining. The Olympic bidders, by contrast, wanted to get more people doing sports and to produce more elite athletes. The dual aim was mixed up: The stress on success over taking part was intimidating for newcomers.

　　Indeed, there is something a little absurd in the state getting involved in the planning of such a fundamentally "grassroots", concept as community sports associations. If there is a role for government, it should really be getting involved in providing common goods—making sure there is space for playing fields and the money to pave tennis and netball courts, and encouraging the provision of all these activities in schools. But successive governments have presided over selling green spaces, squeezing money from local authorities and declining attention on sport in education. Instead of wordy, worthy strategies, future governments need to do more to provide the conditions for sport to thrive. Or at least not make them worse.

　　21. According to Paragraph1, Parkrun has ____.

　　[A] gained great popularity

　　[B] created many jobs

　　[C] strengthened community ties

　　[D] become an official festival

　　解析： [A] gained great popularity.意思是很受欢迎。通过题干可以定位在第一段，可以通过，每天超过五万人跑步、引发了400场运动在英国和在国外等信息得知，公园跑很受欢迎。

　　22. The author believes that London's Olympic"legacy" has failed to ____.

　　[A] boost population growth

　　[B] promote sport participation

　　[C] improve the city's image

　　[D] increase sport hours in schools

　　解析：[B] promote sport participation表示提升运动参与度。通过题干伦敦和奥林匹克遗产可以定位到第二段，题目问的是伦敦奥运会的遗产没有做成什么事，题干中的failed to可以对应第二段即使看到了failing，但并没有答案。再往下看，伦敦奥运会承诺，人口将会更健康、更多冠军，但这并没有发生，not happed才真正对应failed to.

　　23. Parkrun is different from Olympic games in that it ___.

　　[A] aims at discovering talents

　　[B] focuses on mass competition

　　[C] does not emphasize elitism

　　[D] does not attract first-timers

　　解析：[C] does not emphasize elitism，公园跑步和奥运会不同在于，它并不强调精英主义。这道题定位在第三段的中间，奥林匹克的倡导者相反，想要更多的参与运动创造更多的精英。

　　24. With regard to mass sport, the author holds that governments should .

　　[A] organize "grassroots" sports events

　　[B] supervise local sports associations

　　[C] increase funds for sports clubs

　　[D] invest in public sports facilities

　　解析：[D] invest in public sports facilities，提到大众体育，作者认为政府应该投资公共的体育设施。政府在第四段的中间，讲到政府应该训练的空间、用钱去铺设网球场。这里是答案的同意转换。

　　25. The author's attitude to what UK governments have done for sports is .

　　[A] tolerant

　　[B] critical

　　[C] uncertain

　　[D] sympathetic

　　解析：[B] critical作者对英国政府对体育的态度是批判的。最后一段but转折后说，继任的政府卖绿地、减少本地政府的预算同时减少在体育方面的关注度，所以持批判态度。

　　Text 2

　　With so much focus on children's use of screens, it's easy for parents to forget about their own screen use. "Tech is designed to really suck on you in," says Jenny Radesky in her study of digital play, "and digital products are there to promote maximal engagement. It makes it hard to disengage, and leads to a lot of bleed-over into the family routine. "

　　Radesky has studied the use of mobile phones and tablets at mealtimes by giving mother-child pairs a food-testing exercise. She found that mothers who sued devices during the exercise started 20 percent fewer verbal and 39 percent fewer nonverbal interactions with their children. During a separate observation, she saw that phones became a source of tension in the family. Parents would be looking at their emails while the children would be making excited bids for their attention.

　　Infants are wired to look at parents' faces to try to understand their world, and if those faces are blank and unresponsive—as they often are when absorbed in a device—it can be extremely disconcerting foe the children. Radesky cites the "still face experiment" devised by developmental psychologist Ed Tronick in the 1970s. In it, a mother is asked to interact with her child in a normal way before putting on a blank expression and not giving them any visual social feedback; The child becomes increasingly distressed as she tries to capture her mother's attention. "Parents don't have to be exquisitely parents at all times, but there needs to be a balance and parents need to be responsive and sensitive to a child's verbal or nonverbal expressions of an emotional need," says Radesky.

　　On the other hand, Tronick himself is concerned that the worries about kids' use of screens are born out of an "oppressive ideology that demands that parents should always be interacting" with their children: "It's based on a somewhat fantasized, very white, very upper-middle-class ideology that says if you're failing to expose your child to 30,000 words you are neglecting them." Tronick believes that just because a child isn't learning from the screen doesn't mean there's no value to it—particularly if it gives parents time to have a shower, do housework or simply have a break from their child. Parents, he says, can get a lot out of using their devices to speak to a friend or get some work out of the way. This can make them feel happier, which lets then be more available to their child the rest of the time.

　　26. According to Jenny Radesky, digital products are designed to ______.

　　[A] simplify routine matters

　　[B] absorb user attention

　　[C] better interpersonal relations

　　[D] increase work efficiency

　　解析：[B] absorb user attention。根据JR，数码产品被设计为了吸引用户的注意。根据JR定位在第一段，他说了一句话：科技被设计去suck on you in.  suck和absorb是同意转换词。

　　27. Radesky's food-testing exercise shows that mothers' use of devices ______.

　　[A] takes away babies' appetite

　　[B] distracts children's attention

　　[C] slows down babies' verbal development

　　[D] reduces mother-child communication

　　解析：[D] reduces mother-child communication.R的食品测试展示了妈妈使用设备会降低妈妈和孩子间的交流。是原文第二段fewerverbal and 39% fewer nonverbal interaction的同意转换。

　　28. Radesky's cites the "still face experiment" to show that _______.

　　[A] it is easy for children to get used to blank expressions

　　[B] verbal expressions are unnecessary for emotional exchange

　　[C] children are insensitive to changes in their parents' mood

　　[D] parents need to respond to children's emotional needs

　　解析：[D] parents need to respond to children’s emotional needs。R引用这句话的意思是父母需要对儿童的情感需求做出反应。是因为第三段第一句说婴儿看到父母的脸去理解这个世界，如果父母没有表情或回应会对孩子产生不好的影响。那么这里就需要父母对儿童的情感需求做出回应。

　　29. The oppressive ideology mentioned by Tronick requires parents to_______.

　　[A] protect kids from exposure to wild fantasies

　　[B] teach their kids at least 30,000 words a year

　　[C] ensure constant interaction with their children

　　[D] remain concerned about kid's use of screens

　　解析：[C] ensure constant interaction with their children。被T所提到的压抑的理论需要父母去确保一直和他们的孩子继续沟通。通过oppressive ideology可以定位在第四段的第二句，这里提到这种压抑的理论要求父母应该一直和孩子保持沟通和交流。这里always和选项中的constant是同义转换。

　　30. According to Tronick, kid's use of screens may_______.

　　[A] give their parents some free time

　　[B] make their parents more creative

　　[C] help them with their homework

　　[D] help them become more attentive

　　解析：[A] give their parents some free time。根据T,孩子使用喊叫可能是他们父母一些自由的时间。通过Tronick和screen我们可以定位在第四段的中后部分，T认为，因为孩子并不是从尖叫中学会什么，也就意味着孩子尖叫并不意味着要吸引别人的重视，相反是尖叫孩子让父母去洗澡、做家务或就是别打扰孩子。这几句话对应选项里的free time，所以做题千万别靠自己的臆测而一定要根据原文。

　　Text 3

　　Today, widespread social pressure to immediately go to college in conjunction with increasingly high expectations in a fast-moving world often causes students to completely overlook the possibility of taking a gap year. After all, if everyone you know is going to college in the fall, it seems silly to stay back a year, doesn't it? And after going to school for 12 years, it doesn't feel natural to spend a year doing something that isn't academic.

　　But while this may be true, it's not a good enough reason to condemn gap years. There's always a constant fear of falling behind everyone else on the socially perpetuated "race to the finish line," whether that be toward graduate school, medical school or lucrative career. But despite common misconceptions, a gap year does not hinder the success of academic pursuits—in fact, it probably enhances it.

　　Studies from the United States and Australia show that students who take a gap year are generally better prepared for and perform better in college than those who do not. Rather than pulling students back, a gap year pushes them ahead by preparing them for independence, new responsibilities and environmental changes—all things that first-year students often struggle with the most. Gap year experiences can lessen the blow when it comes to adjusting to college and being thrown into a brand new environment, making it easier to focus on academics and activities rather than acclimation blunders.

　　If you're not convinced of the inherent value in taking a year off to explore interests, then consider its financial impact on future academic choices. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, nearly 80 percent of college students end up changing their majors at least once. This isn't surprising, considering the basic mandatory high school curriculum leaves students with a poor understanding of themselves listing one major on their college applications, but switching to another after taking college classes. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but depending on the school, it can be costly to make up credits after switching too late in the game. At Boston College, for example, you would have to complete an extra year were you to switch to the nursing school from another department. Taking a gap year to figure things out initially can help prevent stress and save money later on.

　　31. One of the reasons for high-school graduates not taking a gap year is that .

　　[A] they think it academically misleading

　　[B] they have a lot of fun to expect in college

　　[C] it feels strange to do differently from others

　　[D] it seems worthless to take off-campus courses

　　解析：[C] it feels strange to do differently from others。高中毕业生不进行间隔年起其中的一个原因是，这会让他们感觉和其他人不一样。这里找不到明显的定位词，但是high school graduates我们还是可以看到第一段的college,而文章的stay back a year也就是题目里的gap year，那么文章里的silly，对应选项宗的strange,之所以不间隔年会让人觉得很蠢很奇怪。

　　32. Studies from the US and Australia imply that taking a gap year helps .

　　[A] keep students from being unrealistic

　　[B] lower risks in choosing careers

　　[C] ease freshmen's financial burdens

　　[D] relieve freshmen of pressures

　　解析：[D] relieve freshmen of pressures。来自于美国和澳大利亚的研究表明了进行间隔年会让新生减少压力。通过美国和澳大利亚，我们可以定位到第二段第一句：从美国和澳大利亚的研究表明，那些进行间隔年的学生通常能更好地准备和表现得更好比那些没有的同学。ABCD四个选项只有D选项最相关。

　　33. The word "acclimation" (Line 8, Para. 3) is closest in meaning to .

　　[A] adaptation

　　[B] application

　　[C] motivation

　　[D] competition

　　解析：[A] adaptation。这个单词的意思是顺应。这个单词定位在第三段，看单词所在的那一句话：间隔年可以缓解冲击，当涉及调整适应大学和被丢到一个新的环境中，让人更容易聚焦在学术和活动的领域，而非_____错误。前面都在说间隔年的好处，拿意味着后面也应该说间隔年的好处，把四个词都代入其中：顺应错误、申请错误、激励错误和竞争错误，而非顺应错误是最符合原文题意的。

　　34. A gap year may save money for students by helping them .

　　[A] avoid academic failures

　　[B] establish long-term goals

　　[C] switch to another college

　　[D] decide on the right major

　　解析：[D] decide on the right major。间隔年可能可以通过帮助他们决定选择正确的专业而省钱。

　　通过出题顺序和行文顺序一致的原则，我们往下看，原文中的financial和题干中money是同义词。文章说：如果你并没有找到你内在的兴趣，用一年的时间去探索你的兴趣，这会对你今后学术的选择产生经济上的影响。经济上的影响就是题干中的省钱，那么探索你的兴趣就是帮组他们选择一个正确的专业。这里要看懂才能作对题。

　　35. The most suitable title for this text would be .

　　[A] In Favor of the Gap Year

　　[B] The ABCs of the Gap Year

　　[C] The Gap Year Comes Back

　　[D] The Gap Year: A Dilemma

　　解析：[A] In Favor of the Gap Year。文章最好的标题是倡导间隔年。这种标题题就是看每段的首句：第一段说今天社会压力很大，毕业生都忽略间隔年了。第二段说：没有足够的理由去批评间隔年，话锋一转。第三段说美国和澳洲的研究说间隔年能让学生更好地准备和更好地表现。第四段说，如果你没找到自己内在的兴趣，用一年的时间去探索，对你未来的学术选择会有经济方面的影响。所以作者是倡导间隔年的，选A。

　　Text 4

　　Though often viewed as a problem for western states, the growing frequency of wildfires is a national concern because of its impact on federal tax dollars, says Professor Max Moritz, a specialist in fire ecology and management.

　　In 2015, the US Forest Service for the first time spent more than half of its $5.5 billion annual budget fighting fires—nearly double the percentage it spent on such efforts 20 years ago. In effect, fewer federal funds today are going towards the agency’s other work—such as forest conservation, watershed and cultural resources management, and infrastructure upkeep—that affect the lives of all Americans.

　　Another nationwide concern is whether public funds from other agencies are going into construction in fire-prone districts. As Moritz puts it, how often are federal dollars building homes that are likely to be lost to a wildfire?

　　“It’s already a huge problem from a public expenditure perspective for the whole country,” he says.” We need to take a magnifying glass to that. Like, “Wait a minute, is this OK?” “Do we want instead to redirect those funds to concentrate on lower-hazard parts of the landscape?”

　　Such a view would require a corresponding shift in the way US society today views fire, researchers say.

　　For one thing, conversations about wildfires need to be more inclusive. Over the past decade, the focus has been on climate change—how the warming of the Earth from greenhouse gases is leading to conditions that worsen fires.

　　While climate is a key element, Moritz says, it shouldn’t come at the expense of the rest of the equation.

　　“The human systems and the landscapes we live on are linked, and the interactions go both ways,” he says. Failing to recognize that, he notes, leads to “an overly simplified view of what the solutions might be. Our perception of the problem and of what the solution is becomes very limited.”

　　At the same time, people continue to treat fire as an event that needs to be wholly controlled and unleashed only out of necessity, says Professor Balch at the University of Colorado. But acknowledging fire’s inevitable presence in human life is an attitude crucial to developing the laws, policies, and practices that make it as safe as possible, she says.

　　“We’ve disconnected ourselves from living with fire,” Balch says. “It is really important to understand and try and tease out what is the human connection with fire today.”

　　36. More frequent wildfires have become a national concern because in 2015 they .

　　[A] exhausted unprecedented management efforts

　　[B] consumed a record-high percentage of budget

　　[C] severely damaged the ecology of western states

　　[D] caused a huge rise of infrastructure expenditure

　　解析：[B] consumed a record-high percentage of budget。更多常见的野外火灾成为了国际关心的主题在2015年是因为它花费了大量的预算。根据2015和national concern 可以定位在第一段和第二段，其中第一段重合的关键词更多，nationalconcern . wildfire和because，第二段只是更具体说明，所以真正的原因在第一段：因为它会影响联邦税收。如果你看不懂，再加上第二段说2015年花了一半多的预算，就和B选项对应了。

　　37.Moritz calls for the use of “a magnifying glass” to ____.

　　[A] raise more funds for fire-prone areas

　　[B] avoid the redirection of federal money

　　[C] find wildfire-free parts of the landscape

　　[D] guarantee safer spending of public funds

　　解析:[D] guarantee safer spending of public funds。M倡导使用放大镜去保证安全地使用公共资金。

　　通过题干中的magnifyingglass 可以定位在第四段的中间：我们需要使用magnifying glass 去做这个。根据that指代上文的原则，我们往上看到第一句话：从公共支出的前景看，对于整个国家，这已经是非常大的问题。这里的意思就是支出比较多，而magnifying glass自然就是控制支出的，选项里的spending和文章中的expenditure是同义转换的。

　　38.While admitting that climate is a key element， Moritz notes that ____.

　　[A] public debates have not settled yet

　　[B] fire-fighting conditions are improving

　　[C] other factors should not be overlooked

　　[D] a shift in the view of fire has taken place

　　解析：[C] other factors should not be overlooked。当承认气候是一个关键因素，M认为其他因素也不能被忽略。通过climate、M这个人名和出题顺序和行文顺序一致的原则，我们可以定位在第七段：当气候是关键因素时，完全对应了题干。M说不能在损坏剩下同等重要的为前提。言外之意就是不能忽略其他因素，这里有个短语at the expense of表示“在损害某事物的情况下”

　　39.The overly simplified view Moritz mentions is a result of failing to ___.

　　[A] discover the fundamental makeup of nature

　　[B] explore the mechanism of the human systems

　　[C] maximize the role of landscape in human life

　　[D] understand the interrelations of man and nature

　　解析：[D] understand the interrelations of man and nature。M提到的过度简化的观点其实是没有理解人和自然间的关系。通过oversimplified我们可以定位在倒数第三段的中间。他认为，没有注意到那一点，会导致一个过度简化的解决方案。同样也是考的指代，that指代，第一句的：人类和我们所居住的自然是相联系的。所以原文来了个同义转换。

　　40.Professor Balch points out that fire is something man should ____.

　　[A] do away with

　　[B] come to terms with

　　[C] pay a price for

　　[D] keep away from

　　解析：[B] come to terms with。B教授指出火和人应该和谐相处。通过B教授我们可以定位在倒数第二段，but后是重点：但是，承认火是不可避免地出现在人类的生活中是一种态度，这种态度对法律、政策和实践的发展都非常关键，且可以尽可能地使火变得安全。所以A do way with 废除、C付出代价、D远离都不符合题意，只有come to term表示与…达成协议、妥协、让步的意思才是正确的同义转换。

　　Part B

　　Directions:

　　Read the following text and match each of the numbered items in the left column to its corresponding information in the right column. There are two extra choices in the right column. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)

　　The decline in American manufacturing is a common refrain, particularly from Donald Trump. "We don't make anything anymore," he told Fox News, while defending his own made-in-Mexico clothing line.

　　Without question, manufacturing has taken a significant hit during recent decades, and further trade deals raise questions about whether new shocks could hit manufacturing.

　　But there is also a different way to look at the data.

　　Across the country, factory owners are now grappling with a new challenge: instead of having too many workers, they may end up with too few. Despite trade competition and outsourcing, American manufacturing still needs to replace tens of thousands of retiring boomers every years. Millennials may not be that interested in taking their place, other industries are recruiting them with similar or better pay.

　　For factory owners, it all adds up to stiff competition for workers—and upward pressure on wages. "They're harder to find and they have job offers," says Jay Dunwell, president of Wolverine Coil Spring, a family-owned firm, "They may be coming [into the workforce], but they've been plucked by other industries that are also doing an well as manufacturing," Mr. Dunwell has begun bringing high school juniors to the factory so they can get exposed to its culture.

　　At RoMan Manufacturing, a maker of electrical transformers and welding equipment that his father cofounded in 1980, Robert Roth keep a close eye on the age of his nearly 200 workers, five are retiring this year. Mr. Roth has three community-college students enrolled in a work-placement program, with a starting wage of $13 an hour that rises to $17 after two years.

　　At a worktable inside the transformer plant, young Jason Stenquist looks flustered by the copper coils he's trying to assemble and the arrival of two visitors. It's his first week on the job. Asked about his choice of career, he says at high school he considered medical school before switching to electrical engineering. "I love working with tools. I love creating." he says.

　　But to win over these young workers, manufacturers have to clear another major hurdle: parents, who lived through the worst US economic downturn since the Great Depression, telling them to avoid the factory. Millennials "remember their father and mother both were laid off. They blame it on the manufacturing recession," says Birgit Klohs, chief executive of The Right Place, a business development agency for western Michigan.

　　These concerns aren't misplaced: Employment in manufacturing has fallen from 17 million in 1970 to 12 million in 2013. When the recovery began, worker shortages first appeared in the high-skilled trades. Now shortages are appearing at the mid-skill levels.

　　"The gap is between the jobs that take to skills and those that require a lot of skill," says Rob Spohr, a business professor at Montcalm Community College. "There're enough people to fill the jobs at McDonalds and other places where you don't need to have much skill. It's that gap in between, and that's where the problem is. "

　　Julie Parks of Grand Rapids Community points to another key to luring Millennials into manufacturing: a work/life balance. While their parents were content to work long hours, young people value flexibility. "Overtime is not attractive to this generation. They really want to live their lives," she says.

　　41.Jay Deuwell

　　42. Jason Stenquist

　　43. Birgit Klohs

　　44. Rob Spohr

　　45.Julie Parks

　　[A] says that he switched to electrical engineering because he loves working with tools.

　　[B] points out that there are enough people to fill the jobs that don't need much skill.

　　[C] points out that the US doesn't manufacture anything anymore.

　　[D] believes that it is important to keep a close eye on the age of his workers.

　　[E] says that for factory owners, workers are harder to find because of stiff competition.

　　[F] points out that a work/life balance can attract young people into manufacturing.

　　[G] says that the manufacturing recession is to blame for the lay-off the young people's parents.

　　参考答案：

　　EAGBF

　　41. 41.E。【解祈】根据Jay Deuwell定位至第五段第三行，该段第二行为其直接引语“They’re harder?to?find?and?they?have?job?offers”，把?they?还原为五段句苢?factory?owners。五段前两句 话中细书信息factory?owners、stiff?competition、harder?to?find均与E选项中大量信息构成替换，故选E。

　　42.A。【解祈】根据Jason?Stenquist定位至第七段首句，在该段后两句，提到he?considered medical?school?before?switching?to?electronical?engineering?以及?I?love?working?with?tools?均能和A选项中表达相符，故选A。

　　43.?G。【解祈】根据Birgit Klohs定位至第八段第五行，人名前—句提到they blame it on the manufacturing?recession,代词承前指代，上一句提到了?their?father?and?mother?both?were?laid off,这两句和G选项中信息能够成完全的同意替换，故选G。

　　44.B。【解祈】根据Rob Spohr定位至第十段第二行，该段第三行提到there are?enough?people to?fill?the?jobs?at?McDonalds?and?other?places?'vhere?you?don’t?need?to?have?much?skill,该句能跟B选项完全地同意替换，故选B。

　　45.F。【解祈】根据MieParks，定位至第末端首行，在第二行提到luring…into?manufacturing: a?work?life?balance，lure和attract构成同意替换，该句和F选项意思相同，故选F。

　　Section III Translation

　　46.Directions:

　　Translate the following text into Chinese. Write your translation neatly on the ANSWER SHEET. (15 points)

　　My dream has always been to work somewhere in an area between fashion and publishing. Two years before graduating from secondary school, I took a sewing and design course thinking that I would move on to a fashion design course. However, during that course I realized I was not good enough in this area to compete with other creative personalities in the future, so I decided that it was not the right path for me. Before applying for university I told everyone that I would study journalism, because writing was, and still is, one of my favourite activities. But, to be honest, I said it , because I thought that fashion and me together was just a dream—I knew that no one could imagine me in the fashion industry at all! So I decided to look for some fashion-related courses that included writing. This is when I noticed the course "Fashion Media & Promotion."

　　My dream has always been to work somewhere in an area between fashion and publishing.

　　我的梦想一直是在时尚界或者出版界找份工作。

　　分析：简单句型，直接翻译即可。

　　Two years before graduating from secondary school, I took a sewing and design course thinking that I would move on to a fashion design course.

　　中学毕业之前的两年，我学习了一门缝纫和设计的课程，想着我可以继续学习时尚设计的课程。

　　分析：thinking that 伴随状语。Move on 继续。整体句子比较简单。

　　However, during that course I realized that I was not good enough in this area to compete with other creative personalities in the future, so I decided that it was not the right path for me.

　　然而这门课程让我意识到，将来在这个领域我并没有足够优秀去和其他创新人才竞争。因此我认为这条路并不适合我。

　　分析：during that course 是时间状语，I 是主语，realized是谓语动词，that引导宾语从句，其中personalities不能理解为个性，品格，在文中应该指精英，人才，so引导的结果状语从句中也是主语，谓语加宾语从句的结构。

　　Before applying for university I told everyone that I would study journalism, because writing was, and still is, one of my favorite activities.

　　申请大学之前，我告诉所有人我会学新闻，因为写作曾经是我的最爱之一，现在也是。

　　分析：Before 引导时间状语，that引导宾语从句，because引导原因状语从句，本句要注意writing was, and still is, one of my favorite activities这一部分中was 和is的翻译方法，表示过去和将来的状态，过去是，现在也是。

　　But, to be absolutely honest, I said it, because I thought that fashion and me together was just a dream - I knew that no one, apart from myself, could imagine me in the fashion industry at all!

　　但是说实话，我这么说是因为我觉得从事设计对我来说只是一个梦想。我知道除了我自己，压根没人能想象到我会干这一行。

　　分析：主句是主谓宾结构I said it，because引导原因状语从句，从句中是I thought that主谓加宾从结构。注意小句的关系。全句意为：但是说实话，我这么说是因为我觉得从事设计对我来说只是一个梦想。我知道除了我自己，压根没人能想象到我会干这一行。

　　So I decided to look for some fashion-related courses that included writing. This is when I noticed the course "Fashion Media & Promotion."

　　因此我决定找一些与时尚有关又包含写作的课程，就在这时，我注意到了“时尚媒体与推广”的课程。

　　Section III

　　Part A

　　47.Directions:

　　Suppose you are invited by Professor Williams to give a presentation about Chinese culture to a group of international students.Write a reply to

　　1)Accept the invitation ,and

　　2)Introduce the key points of your presentation.

　　You should write about 100 words on the ANSWER SHEET.

　　Do not use your own name.Use “Li Ming” instead.

　　Do not write your address.(10 points).

　　参考例文：

　　Dear Professor，

　　It’s really my great honor to receive your invitation for the Chinese culture presentation. I am very happy to accept it and show sincere thanks for your invitation.

　　As for the content of the presentation, to begin with, I would like to introduce tasty Chinese food which must be attractive to the students. Moreover, traditional Chinese arts like opera and calligraphy will be the second part for they are the elements which mostly represent the essence of Chinese culture. Finally, the presentation will show the typical Chinese architectures which includes The Palace Museum and Beijing Siheyuan.

　　I am sure the students will enjoy the presentation and learn more about Chinese culture. Thanks for your invitation again.

　　Yours Sincerely

　　Ling Ming

　　Part B

　　Write an essay based on the following chart.In your writing,you should

　　1)interpret the chart,and

　　2)Give your comments.

　　You should write about 150 words on the ANSWER SHEET.(15points)

　　参考例文

　　The above chart demonstrates clearly that changes have taken place in the amount of museums and visitors. From the figures, there is no doubt that the number of visitors witnessed an increase from 6378 in the year of 2013 to 7811 in 2015.In the meantime, the figure of museums has a subtle rise in the two years from 4165 to 4697 which is not in the same step with the increase of visitors.

　　The rise of amount of museums and visitors indicates that there is a significant improvement of people’s living standards. They tend to care more about entertainment and traveling which represent higher life quality. What accounts for this trend? From my own view, this situation is caused mainly by two factors. At the beginning, with the development of economy, an increasing number of people are getting better paid as well as the social welfare. People begin to spend more money and energy on entertainment which leads to the increase of visitors. Furthermore, the government pays more attention to the life quality of people and then support the construction of museums. In this way, it is not weird to see the rise of museums.

　　Taking into account what has been discussed so far, we could draw a sound conclusion that the increase of museums and visitors will keep going to fulfill people’s demand on life quality. It will also promote the development of the nation’s culture.

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