2008年考研英语真题与解析

1 1 2008 年全国硕士研究生招生考试英语（一）试题 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 ANSWER SHEET 1. (10 points) The idea that some groups of people may be more intelligent than others is one of those hypotheses that dare not speak its name. But Gregory Cochran is 1 to say it anyway. He is that 2 bird, a scientist who works independently3 any institution. He helped popularize the idea that some diseases not 4thought to have a bacterial cause were actually infections, which aroused much controversy when it was first suggested. 5 he, however, might tremble at the 6 of what he is about to do. Together with another two scientists, he is publishing a paper which not only 7 that one group of humanity is more intelligent than the others, but explains the process that has brought this about. The group in 8are a particularpeople originated from central Europe. The process is natural selection. This group generally do well in IQ test, 9 12-15 points above the 10 value of 100, and have contributed 11 to the intellectual and cultural life of the West, as the 12 of their elites, including several world-renowned scientists, 13 . They also suffer more often than most people from a number of nasty genetic diseases, such as breast cancer. These facts, 14 , have previously been thought unrelated. The former has been 15 to social effects, such as a strong tradition of 16 education. The latter was seen as a (an) 17 of genetic isolation. Dr. Cochran suggests that the intelligence and diseases are intimately 18 . His argument is that the unusual history of these people has19 them to unique evolutionary pressures that have resulted in this 20 state of affairs. 1.A selectedB preparedC obligedD pleased 2.A uniqueB particularC specialD rare 3.A ofB withC inD against 4.A subsequentlyB presentlyC previouslyD lately 5.A OnlyB SoC EvenD Hence 6.A thoughtB sightC costD risk 7.A advisesB suggestsC protestsD objects 8.A progressB factC needD question 9.A attainingB scoringC reachingD calculating 10.A normalB commonC meanD total 11.A unconsciouslyB disproportionatelyC indefinitelyD unaccountably 12.A missionsB fortunesC interestsD careers 13.A affirmB witnessC observeD approve 14.A moreoverB thereforeC howeverD meanwhile 15.A given upB got overC carried onD put down 2 2 16.A assessingB supervisingC administeringD valuing 17.A developmentB originC consequenceD instrument 18.A linkedB integratedC wovenD combined 19.A limitedB subjectedC convertedD directed 20.A paradoxicalB incompatibleC inevitableD continuous 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 ANSWER SHEET 1. (40 points) Text 1 While still catching up to men in some spheres of modern life, women appear to be way ahead in at least one undesirable category. “Women are particularly susceptible to developing depression and anxiety disorders in response to stress compared to men,” according to Dr. Yehuda, chief psychiatrist at New Yorks Veterans Administration Hospital. Studies of both animals and humans have shown that sex hormones somehow affect the stress response, causing females under stress to produce more of the trigger chemicals than do males under the same conditions. In several of the studies, when stressed-out female rats had their ovaries (the female reproductive organs) removed, their chemical responsesbecame equal to those of the males. Adding to a womans increased dose of stress chemicals, are her increased “opportunities” for stress. “Its not necessarily that women dont cope as well. Its just that they have so much more to cope with,” says Dr. Yehuda. “Their capacity for tolerating stress may even be greater than mens,” she observes, “its just that theyre dealing with so many more things that they become worn out from it more visibly and sooner.” Dr. Yehuda notes another difference between the sexes. “I think that the kinds of things that women are exposed to tend to be in more of a chronic or repeated nature. Men go to war and are exposed to combat stress. Men are exposed to more acts of random physical violence. The kinds of interpersonal violence that women are exposed to tend to be in domestic situations, by, unfortunately, parents or other family members, and they tend not to be one-shot deals. The wear-and-tear that comes from these longer relationships can be quite devastating.” Adeline Alvarez married at 18 and gave birth to a son, but was determined to finish college. “I struggled a lot to get the college degree. I was living in so much frustration that that was my escape, to go to school, and get ahead and do better.” Later, her marriage ended and she became a single mother. “Its