英语二 2012年阅读

英语二2012年阅读Text1Homeworkhasneverbeenterriblypopularwithstudentsandevenmanyparents,butinrecentyearsithasbeenparticularlyscorned.Schooldistrictsacrossthecountry,mostrecentlyLosAngelesUnified,arerevisingtheirthinkingonhiseducationalritual.Unfortunately,L.A.Unifiedhasproducedaninflexiblepolicywhichmandatesthatwiththeexceptionofsomeadvancedcourses,homeworkmaynolongercountformorethan10%ofastudent’sacademicgrade.Thisruleismeanttoaddressthedifficultythatstudentsfromimpoverishedorchaotichomesmighthaveincompletingtheirhomework.Butthepolicyisunclearandcontradictory.Certainly,nohomeworkshouldbeassignedthatstudentscannotdowithoutexpensiveequipment.Butifthedistrictisessentiallygivingapasstostudentswhodonotdotheirhomeworkbecauseofcomplicatedfamilylives,itisgoingriskilyclosetotheimplicationthatstandardsneedtobeloweredforpoorchildren.Districtadministratorssaythathomeworkwillstillbeapatofschooling:teachersareallowedtoassignasmuchofitastheywant.Butwithhomeworkcountingfornomorethan10%oftheirgrades,studentscaneasilyskiphalftheirhomeworkandseeverylittledifferenceontheirreportcards.Somestudentsmightdowellonstatetestswithoutcompletingtheirhomework,butwhataboutthestudentswhoperformedwellonthetestsanddidtheirhomework?Itisquitepossiblethatthehomeworkhelped.Yetratherthanempoweringteacherstofindwhatworksbestfortheirstudents,thepolicyimposesaflat,across-the-boardrule.Atthesametime,thepolicyaddressesnoneofthetrulythornyquestionsabouthomework.Ifthedistrictfindshomeworktobeunimportanttoitsstudents’academicachievement,itshouldmovetoreduceoreliminatetheassignments,notmakethemcountforalmostnothing.Conversely,ifhomeworkdoesnothingtoensurethatthehomeworkstudentsarenotassigningmorethantheyarewillingtoreviewandcorrect.Thehomeworkrulesshouldbeputonholdwhiletheschoolboard,whichisresponsibleforsettingeducationalpolicy,looksintothematterandconductspublichearings.ItisnottoolateforL.A.Unifiedtodohomeworkright.21.Itisimpliedinparagraph1thatnowadayshomework_____.[A]isreceivingmorecriticism[B]isnolongeraneducationalritual[C]isnotrequiredforadvancedcourses[D]isgainingmorepreferences22.L.A.Unifiedhasmadetheruleabouthomeworkmainlybecausepoorstudents_____.[A]tendtohavemoderateexpectationsfortheireducation[B]haveaskedforadifferenteducationalstandard[C]mayhaveproblemsfinishingtheirhomework[D]havevoicedtheircomplaintsabouthomework23.AccordingtoParagraph3,oneproblemwiththepolicyisthatitmay____.[A]discouragestudentsfromdoinghomework[B]resultinstudents'indifferencetotheirreportcards[C]underminetheauthorityofstatetests[D]restrictteachers'powerineducation24.AsmentionedinParagraph4,akeyquestionunansweredabouthomeworkiswhether______.[A]itshouldbeeliminated[B]itcountsmuchinschooling[C]itplacesextraburdensonteachers[D]itisimportantforgrades25.Asuitabletitleforthistextcouldbe______.[A]WrongInterpretationofanEducationalPolicy[B]AWelcomedPolicyforPoorStudents[C]ThornyQuestionsaboutHomework[D]AFaultyApproachtoHomeworkText2Prettyinpink:adultwomendonotrememerbeingsoobsessedwiththecolour,yetitispervasiveinouryounggirls’lives.Ttisnotthatpinkisintrinsicallybad,butitissuchatinysliceoftherainbowand,thoughitmaycelebrategirlhoodinoneway,italsorepeatedlyandfirmlyfusesgirls’identitytoappearance.Thenitpresentsthatconnection,evenamongtwo-year-olds,betweengirlsasnotonlyinnocentbutasevidenceofinnocence.Lookingaround,Idespairedatthesingularlackofimaginationaboutgirls’livesandinterests.Girls’attractiontopinkmayseemunavoidable,somehowencodedintheirDNA,butaccordingtoJoPaoletti,anassociateprofessorofAmericanStudies,itisnot.Childrenwerenotcolour-codedatalluntiltheearly20thcentury:intheerabeforedomesticwashingmachinesallbabiesworewhiteasapracticalmatter,sincetheonlywayofgettingclothescleanwastoboilthem.What’smore,bothboysandgirlsworewhatwerethoughtofasgender-neutraldresses.Whennurserycolourswereintroduced,pinkwasactuallyconsideredthemoremasculinecolour,apastelversionofred,whichwasassociatedwithstrength.Blue,withitsintimationsoftheVirginMary,constancyandfaithfulness,symbolisedfemininity.Itwasnotuntilthemid-1980s,whenamplifyingageandsexdifferencesbecameadominantchildren’smarketingstrategy,thatpinkfullycameintoitsown,whenitbegantoseeminherentlyattractivetogirls,partofwhatdefinedthemasfemale,atleastforthefirstfewcriticalyears.Ihadnotrealisedhowprofoundlymarketingtrendsdictatedourperceptionofwhatisnaturaltokins,includingourcorebeliefsabouttheirpsychologicaldevelopment.Takethetoddler.Iassumedthatphasewassomethingexpertsdevelopedafteryearsofresearchintochildren’sbehaviour:wrong.Turnsout,acdordingtoDanielCook,ahistorianofchildhoodconsumerism,itwaspopularisedasamarketingtrickbyclothingmanufacrurersinthe1930s.Tradepublicationscounselleddepartmentstoresthat,inordertoincreasesales,theyshouldcreatea“thirdsteppingstone”betweeninfantwearandolderkids’clothes.Ttwasonlyafter“toddler”becameacommonshoppers’termthatitevolvedintoabroadlyaccepteddevelopmentalstage.Splittingkids,oradults,intoever-tiniercategorieshasprovedasure-firewaytoboostprofits.Andoneoftheeasiestwaystosegmentamarketistomagnifygenderdifferences–orinventthemwheretheydidnotpreviouslyexist.26.Bysaying"itis...therainbow"(Line3,Para.1),theauthormeanspink______.[A]shouldnotbethesolerepresentationofgirlhood[B]shouldnotbeassociatedwithgirls'innocence[C]cannotexplaingirls'lackofimagination[D]cannotinfluencegirls'livesandinterests27.AccordingtoParagraph2,whichofthefollowingistrueofcolours？[A]Coloursareencodedingirls'DNA.[B]Blueusedtoberegardedasthecolourforgirls.[C]Pinkusedtobeaneutralcolourinsymbolisinggenders.[D]Whiteispreferedbybabies.28.Theauthorsuggeststhatourperceptionofchildren'spsychologicaldevelopmentwasmuchinfluencedby_____.[A]themarketingofproductsforchildren[B]theobservationofchildren'snature[C]researchesintochildren'sbehavior[D]studiesofchildhoodconsumption29.WemaylearnfromParagraph4thatdepartmentstoreswereadvisedto_____.[A]focusoninfantwearandolderkids'clothes[B]attachequalimportancetodifferentgenders[C]classifyconsumersintosmallergroups[D]createsomecommonshoppers'terms30.Itcanbeconcludedthatgirls'attractiontopinkseemstobe____.[A]clearlyexplainedbytheirinborntendency[B]fullyunderstoodbyclothingmanufacturers[C]mainlyimposedbyprofit-drivenbusinessmen[D]wellinterpretedbypsychologicalexpertsAStheindustryadvances,however,othersuitsmayhaveanevengreaterimpact.companiesareunlikelytofilemanymorepatentsforhumanDNAmolecules-mostarealreadypatentedorinthepublicdomain.firmsarenowstudyinghowgenesintcract,lookingforcorrelationsthatmightbeusedtodeterminethecausesofdiseaseorpredictadrug’sefficacy,companiesareeagertowinpatentsfor‘connectingthedits’,expaainshanssauer,alawyerfortheBIO.Theirsuccessmaybedeterminedbyasuitrelatedtothisissue,broughtbytheMayoClinic,whichtheSupremeCourtwillhearinitsnextterm.TheBIOrtcentlyheldaconventionwhichincludedseddionstocoachlawyersontheshiftinglandscapeforpatents.Eachmeetingwaspacked.31.itcanbelearnedfromparagraphIthatthebiotechcompanieswouldlike  A.theirexecutivestobeactiveB.judgestoruleoutgenepatentingC.genestobepatcntablcD.theBIOtoissueawarning32.thosewhoareagainstgenepatentsbelievethat----A.genetictestsarenotreliableB.onlyman-madeproductsarepatentableC.patentsongenesdependmuchoninnovatiaonD.courtsshouldrestrictaccesstogenetictests33.accordingtohanssauer,companiesareeagertowinpatentsfor----A.establishingdiseasecomelationsB.discoveringgeneinteractionsC.drawingpicturesofgenesD.identifyinghumanDNA34．Bysaying“eachmeetingwaspacked”(line4,para6)theauthormeansthat  A.thesupremecourtwasauthoritativeB.theBIOwasapowerfulorganizationC.genepatentingwasagreatconcernD.lawyerswerekeentoattendconventiongs35.generallyspeaking,theauthor’sattitudetowardgenepatentingis----A.criticalB.supportiveC.scornfulD.objectiveText4Thegreatrecessionmaybeover,butthiseraofhighjoblessnessisprobablybeginning.Beforeitends,itwilllikelychangethelifecourseandcharacterofagenerationofyoungadults.Andultimately,itislikelytoreshapeourpolitics,ourculture,andthecharacterofoursocietyforyears.Noonetriesharderthanthejoblesstofindsilverliningsinthisnationaleconomicdisaster.Manysaidthatunemployment,whileextremelypainful,hadimprovedtheminsomeways;theyhadbecomelessmaterialisticandmorefinanciallyprudent;theyweremoreawareofthestrugglesofothers.Inlimitedrespects,perhapstherecessionwillleavesocietybetteroff.Attheveryleast,ithasawokenusfromournationalfeverdreamofeasyrichesandbiggerhouses,andputanecessaryendtoaneraofrecklesspersonalspending.Butforthemostpart,thesebenefitsseemthin,uncertain,andfaroff.InTheMoralConsequencesofEconomicGrowth,theeconomichistorianBenjaminFriedmanarguesthatbothinsideandoutsidetheU.S.,lengthyperiodsofeconomicstagnationordeclinehavealmostalwaysleftsocietymoremean-spiritedandlessinclusive,andhaveusuallystoppedorreversedtheadvanceofrightsandfreedoms.Anti-immigrantsentimenttypicallyincreases,asdoesconflictbetweenracesandclasses.Incomeinequalityusuallyfallsduringarecession,butithasnotshrunkinthisone,.Indeed,thisperiodofeconomicweaknessmayreinforceclassdivides,anddecreaseopportunitiestocrossthem---especiallyforyoungpeople.TheresearchofTillVonWachter,theeconomistinColumbiaUniversity,suggeststhatnotallpeoplegraduatingintoarecessionseetheirlifechancesdimmed:thosewithdegreesfromeliteuniversitiescatchupfairlyquicklytowheretheyotherwisewouldhavebeeniftheyhadgraduatedinbettertimes;itisthemassesbeneaththemthatareleftbehind.Intheinternetage,itisparticularlyeasytoseetheresentmentthathasalwaysbeenhiddenwinthinAmericansociety.Moredifficult,inthemoment,isdiscerningpreciselyhowtheseleantimesareaffectingsociety’scharacter.Inmanyrespects,theU.S.wasmoresociallytolerantenteringthisresessionthanatanytimeinitshistory,andavarietyofnationalpollsonsocialconflictsincethenhaveshownmixedresults.Wewillhavetowaitandseeexactlyhowthesehardtimeswillreshapeoursocialfabric.Buttheycertainlyit,andallthemoresothelongertheyextend.36.Bysaying“tofindsilverlinings”（Line1,Para.2）theauthorsuggestthatthejoblesstryto___.[A]seeksubsidiesfromthegovemment[B]explorereasonsfortheunermployment[C]makeprofitsfromthetroubledeconomy[D]lookonthebrightsideoftherecession37.AccordingtoParagraph2,therecessionhasmadepeople_____.[A]realizethenationaldream[B]struggleagainsteachother[C]challengetheirlifestyle[D]reconsidertheirlifestyle38.BenjaminFriedmanbelievethateconomicrecessionsmay_____.[A]imposeaheavierburdenonimmigrants[B]bringoutmoreevilsofhumannature[C]Promotetheadvanceofrightsandfreedoms[D]easeconflictsbetweenracesandclasses39.TheresearchofTillVonWachthersuggeststhatinrecessiongraduatesfromeliteuniversitiestendto_____.[A]lagbehindtheothersduetodecreasedopportunities[B]catchupquicklywithexperiencedemployees[C]seetheirlifechancesasdimmedastheothers’[D]recovermorequicklythantheothers40.Theauthorthinksthattheinfluenceofhardtimesonsocietyis____.[A]certain[B]positive[C]trivial[D]destructive