考研真题历年英语二阅读

考研真题历年英语二阅读

考研真题历年英语二阅读1

Text4

Manypeopletalkedofthe288,000newjobsthe

LaborDepartmentreporledforJure,alongwiththe

dropintheunemploymenttaketo6Jpercent,atgood

news.Andtheywereright.Fornowitappearsthe

economyiscreatingjobsatadecentpace.Westill

havealongwaytogotogetbacktofullemployment,

butatleastwearenowfinallymovingforwardata

fasterpace.

Howeverthereisanotherimportantpartofthe

jobspicturethatwaslargelyovedookcd.Therewasa

bigjumpinthenumberofpeoplewhoreport

voluntarilyworkingpart-time.Thisfigureisnow

830,000(4,4percent)aboveitsyearagolevel.

BeforeexplainingtheconnectiontotheObamacare,

itisworthmakinganimportantdistinction.Many

peoplewhoworkpart-timejobsactuallywantfull-

timejobs.Theytakepart-timeworkbecausethisis

alltheycanget.Anincreaseininvoluntarypart-

timeworkisevidenceofweaknessinthelabormarket

anditmeansthatmanypeoplewillbehavingavery

hardtimemakingendsmeet.

Therewasanincreaseininvoluntarypart-timein

June,butthegeneraldirectionhasbeendown.

Involuntarypart-timeemploymentisstillfarhigher

thanbeforetherecession,butitisdownby

640,000(7.9percent)fromitsyearagolevel.

Weknowthedifferencebetweenvoluntaryand

involuntarypart-timeemploymentbecausepeopletell

us.ThesurveyusedbytheLaborDepartmentasks

peopleiftheyworkedlessthan35hoursinthe

referenceweek.Iftheansweris"yes."theyare

classifiedasworkingpart-time.Thesurveythenasks

whethertheyworkedlessthan35hoursinthatweek

becausetheywantedtoworklessthanfulltimeor

becausetheyhadnochoice.Theyareonlyelassified

asvoluntarypart-timeworkersiftheytellthe

surveytakertheychosetoworklessthan35hoursa

week.

Theissueofvoluntarypart-timerelatesto

Obamacarebecanseoneofthemainpurposeswasto

allowpeopletogetinsuranceoutsideofemployment.

Formanypeople,especiallythosewithserioushealth

conditionsorfamilymemberswithserioushealth

conditions,beforeObamacaretheonlywaytoget

insurancewasthroughajobthatprovidedhealth

insurance.

However,Obamacarehasallowedmorethan12

millionpeopletoeithergetinsurancethrough

Medicaidortheexchanges.Thesearepeoplewhomay

previouslyhavefelttheneedtogetafull-timejob

thatprovidedinsuranceinordertocoverthemselves

andtheirfamilies.WithObamacarethereisnolonger

alinkbetweenemploymentandinsurance.

36.Whichpartofthejobspicturewasneglected?

A.Theprospectofathrivingjobmarket.

B.Theincreaseofvoluntarypart-timejobs.

C.Thepossibilityoffullemployment.

D.Theaccelerationofjobcreation.

37.Manypeopleworkpart-timebecausethey

A.preferpart-timejobstofull-timejobs

B.feelthatisenoughtomakeendsmeet

C.cannotgettheirhandsonfull-timejobs

D.haven'tseentheweaknessofthemarket

38.Involuntarypart-timeemploymentintheUS

A.ishardertoacquirethanoneyearago

B.showsageneraltendencyofdecline

C.satisfiestherealneedofthejobless

D.islowerthanbeforetherecession

39.ItcanbelearnedthatwithObamacare,.

A.itisnolongereasyforpart-timerstoget

insurance

B.employmentisnolongerapreconditiontoget

insurance

C.itisstillchallengingtogetinsurancefor

familymembers

D.full-timeemploymentisstillessentialfor

insurance

40.Thetextmainlydiscusses.

A.employmentintheUS

B.part-timerclassification

C.insurancethroughMedicaid

D.Obamacare'strouble

考研真题历年英语二阅读2

Text4

Whenthegovernmenttalksaboutinfrastructure

contributingtotheeconomythefocusisusuallyon

roads,raiIways,broadbandandenergy.Housingis

seldommentioned.

Whyisthat?Tosomeextentthehousingsector

mustshouldertheblame.Wehavenotbeengoodat

munieatingtherealvaluethathousingcancontribute

toeconomicgrowth.Thenthereisthescaleofthe

typicalhousingproject.Itishardtoshovefor

attentionamongmultibillion-poundinfrastructure

project,soitisinevitablethattheattentionis

focusedelsewhere.Butperhapsthemostsignificant

reasonisthattheissuehasalwaysbeenso

politicallycharged.

Nevertheless,theaffordablehousingsituationis

desperate.Waitinglistsincreaseallthetimeandwe

aresimplynotbuildingenoughnewhomes.

Theprehensivespendingreviewoffersan

opportunityforthegovernmenttohelprectifythis.

Itneedstoputhistoricalprejudicestoonesideand

takesomestepstoaddressoururgenthousingneed.

Therearesomeindicationsthatitispreparingto

dojustthat.Themunitiesminister,DonFoster,has

hintedthatGeorgeOsborne,Chancellorofthe

Exchequer,mayintroducemoreflexibilitytothe

currentcapontheamountthatlocalauthoritiescan

borrowagainsttheirhousingstockdebt.Evidence

showsthat60,000extranewhomescouldbebuiltover

thenextfiveyearsifthecapwerelifted,

increasingGDPby0.6%.

Ministersshouldalsolookatcreatinggreater

certaintyintherentalenvironment,whichwouldhave

asignificantimpactontheabilityofregistered

providerstofundnewdevelopmentsfromrevenues.

Butitisnotjustdowntothegovernment.While

thesemeasureswouldbeweleintheshortterm,we

mustfaceuptothefactthattheexisting?4.5bn

programmeofgrantstofundnewaffordablehousing,

settoexpirein20XX,isunlikelytobeextended

beyondthen.TheLabourpartyhasrecentlyannounced

thatitwillretainalargepartofthecoalition's

spendingplansifreturnstopower.Thehousing

sectorneedstoacceptthatweareveryunlikelyto

everreturntoeraoflarge-scalepublicgrants.We

needtoadjusttothischangingclimate.

36.Theauthorbelievesthatthehousingsector_

[A]hasattractedmuchattention

[B]involvescertainpoliticalfactors

[C]shoulderstoomuchresponsibility

[D]haslostitsrealvalueineconomy

37.Itcanbelearnedthataffordablehousing

has_

[A]increaseditshomesupply

[B]offeredspendingopportunities

[C]sufferedgovernmentbiases

[D]disappointedthegovernment

38.AccordingtoParagraph5,GeorgeOsborne

may.

[A]allowgreatergovernmentdebtforhousing

[B]stoplocalauthoritiesfrombuildinghomes

[C]preparetoreducehousingstockdebt

[D]releasealiftedGDPgrowthforecast

39.Itcanbeinferredthatastablerental

environmentwould.

[A]lowerthecostsofregisteredproviders

[B]lessentheimpactofgovernmentinterference

[C]contributetofundingnewdevelopments

[D]relievetheministersofresponsibilities

40.Theauthorbelievesthatafter20XX,the

governmentmay.

[A]implementmorepoliciestosupporthousing

[B]reviewtheneedforlarge-scalepublicgrants

[C]renewtheaffordablehousinggrantsprogramme

[D]stopgenerousfundingtothehousingsector

考研真题历年英语二阅读3

Text4

Europeisnotagender-equalityheaven.In

particular,thecorporateworkplacewillneverbe

pletelyfamily—friendlyuntilwomenarepartof

seniormanagementdecisions,andEurope,stop

corporate-governancepositionsremainoverwhelmingly

male.indeed,womenholdonly14percentofpositions

onEuropecorporateboards.

TheEuropeUnionisnowconsideringlegislationto

pelcorporateboardstomaintainacertainproportion

ofwomen-upto60percent.Thisproposedmandatewas

bornoffrustration.Lastyear,EuropeCommission

VicePresidentVivianeRedingissuedacallto

voluntaryaction.Redinginvitedcorporationstosign

upforgenderbalancegoalof40percentfemaleboard

membership.Butherappealwasconsideredafailure：

only24paniestookitup.

Doweneedquotastoensurethatwomencan

continuetoclimbthecorporateLadderfairyasthey

balanceworkandfamily?

“Personally,Idon'tlikequotas,wRedingsaid

recently."Butilikewhatthequotasdo."Quotas

getaction：theyaopenthewaytoequalityandthey

breakthroughtheglassceiling,“accordingto

Reding,aresultseeninFranceandothercountries

withlegallybindingprovisionsonplacingwomenin

topbusinesspositions.

IunderstandReding,sreluctance-andher

frustration.Idon,tlikequotaseither；theyrun

countertomybeliefinmeritocracy,governmentby

thecapable.Bur,whenoneconsiderstheobstaclesto

achievingthemeritocraticideal,itdoeslookasif

afairerworldmustbetemporarilyordered.

Afterall,fourdecadesofevidencehasnowshown

thatcorporationsinEuropeastheUSareevadingthe

meritocratichiringandpromotionofwomentotop

position-nomatterhowmuch“softpressure”is

putuponthem.Whenwomendobreakthroughtothe

summitofcorporatepower-as,forexample,Sheryl

SandbergrecentlydidatFacebook—theyattract

massiveattentionpreciselybecausetheyremainthe

exceptiontotherule.

Ifappropriatepubicpolicieswereinplaceto

helpallwomen---whetherCEOsortheirchildren's

caregivers一andallfamilies,Sandbergwouldbeno

morenewsworthythananyotherhighlycapableperson

livinginamorejustsociety.

36.IntheEuropeancorporateworkplace,

generally.

[A]womentakethelead

[B]menhavethefinalsay

[C]corporategovernanceisoverwhelmed

[D]seniormanagementisfamily-friendly

37.TheEuropeanUnion'sintendedlegislationis

[A]areflectionofgenderbalance

EB]areluctantchoice

[C]aresponsetoReding'scall

[D]avoluntaryaction

38.AccordingtiReding,quotasmayhelpwomen

[A]gettopbusinesspositions

[B]seethroughtheglassceiling

[C]balanceworkandfamily

[D]anticipatelegalresults

39.Theauthor'sattitudetowardReding'sappeal

isoneof.

[A]skepticism

[B]objectiveness

[C]indifference

[D]approval

40.Womenenteringtopmanagementbeeheadlines

duetothelackof.

[A]moresocialjustice

[B]massivemediaattention

[C]suitablepublicpolicies

[D]greater“softpressure”

考研真题历年英语二阅读4

Text4

It'snosurprisethatJenniferSenior's

insightful,provocativemagazinecoverstory,"I

loveMyChildren,IHateMyLife,“isarousing

muchchatter-nothinggetspeopletalkinglikethe

suggestionthatchildrearingisanythinglessthana

pletelyfulfilling,life-enrichingexperience.

Ratherthanconcludingthatchildrenmakeparents

eitherhappyormiserable,Seniorsuggestsweneed

toredefinehappiness：insteadofthinkingofitas

somethingthatcanbemeasuredbymoment-to-moment

joy,weshouldconsiderbeinghappyasapast-tense

condition.Eventhoughtheday-to-dayexperienceof

raisingkidscanbesoul-crushinglyhard,Senior

writesthat“theverythingsthatinthemoment

dampenourmoodscanlaterbesourcesofintense

gratificationanddelight.w

Themagazinecovershowinganattractivemother

holdingacutebabyishardlytheonlyMadonna-and-

childimageonnewsstandsthisweek.Therearealso

storiesaboutnewlyadoptive-andnewlysingle-

momSandraBullock,aswellastheusual“Jennifer

Anistonispregnantwnews.Practicallyeveryweek

featuresatleastonecelebritymom,ormom-to-be,

smilingonthenewsstands.

Inasocietythatsopersistentlycelebrates

procreation,isitanywonderthatadmittingyou

regrethavingchildrenisequivalenttoadmittingyou

supportkitten-killing?Itdoesn'tseemquite

fair,then,toparetheregretsofparentstothe

regretsofthechildren.Unhappyparentsrarelyare

provokedtowonderiftheyshouldn,thavehadkids,

butunhappychildlessfolksarebotheredwiththe

messagethatchildrenarethesinglemostimportant

thingintheworld：obviouslytheirmiserymustbea

directresultofthegapingbaby-sizeholesintheir

lives.

Ofcourse,theimageofparenthoodthatcelebrity

magazineslikeUsWeeklyandPeoplepresentishugely

unrealistic,especiallywhentheparentsaresingle

motherslikeBullock.Accordingtoseveralstudies

concludingthatparentsarelesshappythanchildless

couples,singleparentsaretheleasthappyofall.

Noshockthere,consideringhowmuchworkitisto

raiseakidwithoutapartnertoleanon；yettohear

SandraandBritneytellit,raisingakidontheir

“own”(read：withround-the-clockhelp)isapiece

ofcake.

It，shardtoimaginethatmanypeoplearedumb

enoughtowantchildrenjustbecauseReeseand

Angelinamakeitlooksoglamorous：mostadults

understandthatababyisnotahaircut.Butit's

interestingtowonderiftheimagesweseeeveryweek

ofstress-free,happiness-enhancingparenthood

aren'tinsomesmall,subconsciouswaycontributing

toourowndis