2015考研英语阅读真题

Text1

Anewstudysuggeststhatcontrarytomostsurveys,peopleareactuallymorestressedathomethatatwork.Researchersmeasuredpeople’scortisol,whichisstressmarker,whiletheywereatworkandwhiletheywereathomeandfoundithigheratwhatissupposedtobeaplaceofrefuge.

“Furthercontradictingconventionalwisdom,wefoundthatwomenaswellasmenhavelowerlevelsofstressatworkthanathome,”writesoneoftheresearchers,SarahDamaske.Infactwomenevensaytheyfeelbetteratwork,shenotes,“Itismen,notwomen,whoreportbeinghappierathomethanatwork.”Anothersurpriseisthatthefindingsholdtrueforboththosewithchildrenandwithout,butmoresofornonparents.Thisiswhypeoplewhoworkoutsidethehomehavebetterhealth.

Whatthestudydoesn’tmeasureiswhetherpeoplearestilldoingworkwhenthey’reathome,whetheritishouseholdworkorworkbroughthomefromtheoffice.Formanymen,theendoftheworkdayisatimetokickback.Forwomenwhostayhome,theynevergettoleavetheoffice.Andforwomenwhoworkoutsidethehome,theyoftenareplayingcatch-up-with-householdtasks.Withtheblurringofroles,andthefactthatthehomefrontlagswellbehindtheworkplaceinmakingadjustmentsforworkingwomen,it’snotsurprisingthatwomenaremorestressedathome.

Butit’snotjustagenderthing.Atwork,peopleprettymuchknowwhatthey’resupposedtobedoing:working,makingmoney,doingthetaskstheyhavetodoinordertodrawanincome.Thebargainisverypure:Employeeputsinhoursofphysicalormentallaborandemployeedrawsoutlife-sustainingmoola.

Onthehomefront,however,peoplehavenosuchclarity.Rareisthehouseholdinwhichthedivisionoflaborissoclinicallyandmethodicallylaidout.Therearealotoftaskstobedone,thereareinadequaterewardsformostofthem.Yourhomecolleagues-yourfamily-havenoclearrewardsfortheirlabor;theyneedtobetalkedintoit,orifthey’reteenagers,threatenedwithcompleteremovalofallelectronicdevices.Plus,they’reyourfamily.Youcannotfireyourfamily.Youneverreallygettogohomefromhome.

Soit’snotsurprisingthatpeoplearemorestressedathome.Notonlyarethetasksapparentlyinfinite,theco-workersaremuchhardertomotivate.

21.AccordingtoParagraph1,mostprevioussurveysfoundthathome____D___

[A]wasanunrealisticplaceforrelaxation

[B]generatedmorestressthantheworkplace

[C]wasanidealplaceforstressmeasurement

[D]offeredgreaterrelaxationthantheworkplace

22.AccordingtoDamaske,whoarelikelytobethehappiestathome?B

[A]Workingmothers

[B]Childlesshusbands

[C]Childlesswives

[D]Workingfathers

23.Theblurringofworkingwomen’srolesreferstothefactthey___A____

[A]theyarebothbreadwinnersandhousewives

[B]theirhomeisalsoaplaceforkickingback

[C]thereisoftenmuchhouseworkleftbehind

[D]itisdifficultforthemtoleavetheiroffice

24.Theword“moola”(Line4,Para4)mostprobablymeans___C____

[A]energy

[B]skills

[C]earnings

[D]nutrition

25.Thehomefrontdiffersfromtheworkplaceinthat___B____

[A]homeishardlyacozierworkingenvironment

[B]divisionoflaborathomeisseldomclear-cut

[C]householdtasksaregenerallymoremotivating

[D]familylaborisoftenadequatelyrewarded

Text2

Foryears,studieshavefoundthatfirst-generationcollegestudents-thosewhodonothaveaparentwithacollegedegree-lagotherstudentsonarangeofeducationachievementfactors.Theirgradesarelowerandtheirdropoutratesarehigher.Butsincesuchstudentsaremostlikelytoadvanceeconomicallyiftheysucceedinhighereducation,collegesanduniversitieshavepushedfordecadestorecruitmoreofthem.Thishascreated“aparadox”inthatrecruitingfirst-generationstudents,butthenwatchingmanyofthemfail,meansthathighereducationhas“continuedtoreproduceandwiden,ratherthanclose”abachievementgapbasedonsocialclass,accordingtothedepressingbeginningofapaperforthcominginthejournalPsychologicalScience.

Butthearticleisactuallyquiteoptimistic,asitoutlinesapotentialsolutiontothisproblem,suggestingthatanapproach(whichinvolvesaone-hour,next-to-no-costprogram)canclose63percentoftheachievementgap(measuredbysuchfactorsasgrades)betweenfirst-generationandotherstudents.

Theauthorsofthepaperarefromdifferentuniversities,andtheirfindingsarebasedonastudyinvolving147students(whocompletedtheproject)atanunnamedprivateuniversity.Firstgenerationwasdefinedasnothavingaparentwithafour-yearcollegedegree.Mostofthefirst-generationstudents(59.1percent)wererecipientsofPellGrants,afederalgrantforundergraduateswithfinancialneed,whilethiswastrueonlyfor8.6percentofthestudentswitatleastoneparentwithafour-yeardegree.

Theirthesis-thatarelativelymodestinterventioncouldhaveabigimpact-wasbasedontheviewthatfirst-generationstudentsmaybemostlackingnotinpotentialbutinpracticalknowledgeabouthowtodealwiththeissuesthatfacemostcollegestudents.Theycitepastresearchbyseveralauthorstoshowthatthisisthegapthatmustbenarrowedtoclosetheachievementgap.

Manyfirst-generationstudents“struggletonavigatethemiddle-classcultureofhighereducation,learnthe‘rulesofthegame,’andtakeadvantageofcollegeresources,”theywrite.Andthisbecomesmoreofaproblemwhencollagesdon’ttalkabouttheclassadvantageanddisadvantagesofdifferentgroupsofstudents.BecauseUScollegesanduniversitiesseldomacknowledgehowsocialclasscanaffectstudents’educationalexperience,manyfirst-generationstudentslacksightaboutwhytheyarestrugglinganddonotunderstandhowstudents’likethemcanimprove.

26.Recruitingmorefirst-generationstudentshas__C_____

[A]reducedtheirdropoutrates

[B]narrowedtheachievementgao

[C]misseditsoriginalpurpose

[D]depressedcollegestudents

27.Theauthoroftheresearcharticleareoptimisticbecause___A____

[A]theproblemissolvable

[B]theirapproachiscostless

[C]therecruitingratehasincreased

[D]theirfindingappealtostudents

28.Thestudysuggeststhatmostfirst-generationstudents___C___

[A]studyatprivateuniversities

[B]arefromsingle-parentfamilies

[C]areinneedoffinancialsupport

[D]havefailedtheircollage

29.Theauthorofthepaperbelievethatfirst-generationstudents__D_____

[A]areactuallyindifferenttotheachievementgap

[B]canhaveapotentialinfluenceonotherstudents

[C]maylackopportunitiestoapplyforresearchprojects

[D]areinexperiencedinhandlingtheirissuesatcollege

30.Wemayinferfromthelastparagraphthat__D_____

[A]universitiesoftenrejectthecultureofthemiddle-class

[B]studentsareusuallytoblamefortheirlackofresources

[C]socialclassgreatlyhelpsenricheducationalexperiences

[D]collegesarepartlyresponsiblefortheprobleminquestion

Text3

Evenintraditionaloffices,“thelinguafrancaofcorporateAmericahasgottenmuchmoreemotionalandmuchmoreright-brainedthanitwas20yearsago,”saidHarvardBusinessSchoolprofessorNancyKoehn.Shestartedspinningoffexamples.“IfyouandIparachutedbacktoFortune500companiesin1990,wewouldseemuchlessfrequentuseoftermslikejourney,mission,passion.Thereweregoals,therewerestrategies,therewereobjectives,butwedidn’ttalkaboutenergy;wedidn’ttalkaboutpassion.”

Koehnpointedoutthatthisneweraofcorporatevocabularyisvery“team”-oriented—andnotbycoincidence.“Let’snotforgetsports—inmale-dominatedcorporateAmerica,it’sstillabigdeal.It’snotexplicitlyconscious;it’stheideathatI’macoach,andyou’remyteam,andwe’reinthistogether.TherearelotsandlotsofCEOsinverydifferentcompanies,butmostthinkofthemselvesascoachesandthisistheirteamandtheywanttowin.”

Thesetermsarealsointendedtoinfuseworkwithmeaning—and,asKhuranapointsout,increaseallegiancetothefirm.“Youhavetheimportationofterminologythathistoricallyusedtobeassociatedwithnon-profitorganizationsandreligiousorganizations:Termslikevision,values,passion,andpurpose,”saidKhurana.

Thisnewfocusonpersonalfulfillmentcanhelpkeepemployeesmotivatedamidincreasinglylouddebatesoverwork-lifebalance.The“mommywars”ofthe1990sarestillgoingontoday,promptingargumentsaboutwhywomenstillcan’thaveitallandbookslikeSherylSandberg’sLeanIn,whosetitlehasbecomeabuzzwordinitsownright.Termslikeunplug,offline,life-hack,bandwidth,andcapacityareallaboutsettingboundariesbetweentheofficeandthehome.Butifyourworkisyour“passion,”you’llbemorelikelytodevoteyourselftoit,evenifthatmeansgoinghomefordinnerandthenworkinglongafterthekidsareinbed.

Butthisseemstobetheironyofofficespeak:Everyonemakesfunofit,butmanagersloveit,companiesdependonit,andregularpeoplewillinglyabsorbit.AsNunbergsaid,“Youcangetpeopletothinkit’snonsenseatthesametimethatyoubuyintoit.”Inaworkplacethat’sfundamentallyindifferenttoyourlifeanditsmeaning,officespeakcanhelpyoufigureouthowyourelatetoyourwork—andhowyourworkdefineswhoyouare.

ACDAC

31.AccordingtoNancyKoehn,officelanguagehasbecome_____

[A]moreemotional

[B]moreobjective

[C]lessenergetic

[D]lessstrategic

32.“team”-orientedcorporatevocabularyiscloselyrelatedto_______

[A]historicalincidents

[B]genderdifference

[C]sportsculture

[D]athleticexecutives

33.Khuranabelievesthattheimportationofterminologyaimsto______

[A]revivehistoricalterms

[B]promotecompanyimage

[C]fostercorporatecooperation

[D]strengthenemployeeloyalty

34.ItcanbeinferredthatLeanIn________

[A]voicesforworkingwomen

[B]appealstopassionateworkaholics

[C]triggersdcbatesamongmommies

[D]praisesmotivatedemployees

35.Whichofthefollowingstatementsistrueaboutofficespeak?

[A]Managersadmireitbutavoidit

[B]Linguistsbelieveittobenonsense

[C]Companiesfindittobefundamental

[D]Regularpeoplemockitbutacceptit

Text4

Manypeopletalkedofthe288,000newjobstheLaborDepartmentreportedforJune,alongwiththedropintheunemploymentrateto6.1percent,asgoodnews.Andtheywereright.Fornowitappearstheeconomyiscreatingjobsatadecentpace.Westillhavealongwaytogotogetbacktofullemployment,butatleastwearenowfinallymovingforwardatafasterpace.

However,thereisanotherimportantpartofthejobspicturethatwaslargelyoverlooked.Therewasabigjumpinthenumberofpeoplewhoreportvoluntarilyworkingpart-time.Thisfigureisnow830,000(4.4percent)aboveitsyearagolevel.

BeforeexplainingtheconnectiontotheObamacare,itisworthmakinganimportantdistinction.Manypeoplewhoworkpart-timejobsactuallywantfull-timejobs.Theytakepart-timeworkbecausethisisalltheycanget.Anincreaseininvoluntarypart-timeinJune,butthegeneraldirectionhasbeendown.Involuntarypart-timeemploymentisstillfarhigherthanbeforetherecession,butitisdownby640,000(7.9percent)fromitsyearagolevel.

Weknowthedifferencebetweenvoluntaryandinvoluntarypart-timeemploymentbecausepeopletellus.ThesurveyusedbytheLaborDepartmentaskspeopleiftheyworkedlessthan35hoursinthereferenceweek.Iftheansweris“yes,”theyareclassifiedasworkingpart-time.Theysurveythenaskswhethertheyworkedlessthan35hoursinthatweekbecausetheywantedtoworklessthanfulltimeorbecausetheyhadnochoice.Theyareonlyclassifiedasvoluntarypart-timeworkersiftheytellthesurveytakertheychosetoworklessthan35hoursaweek.

Theissueofvoluntarypart-timerelatestoObamacarebecauseoneofthemainpurposeswastoallowpeopletogetinsuranceoutsideofemployment.Formanypeople,especiallythosewithserioushealthconditionsoffamilymemberswithserioushealthconditions,beforeObamacaretheonlywaytogetinsurancewasthroughajobthatprovidedhealthinsurance.

However,Obamacarehasallowedmorethan12mi