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2014年英語一考研答案詳細(xì)介紹如下，希望可以幫助到您：
Section I Use of Language
Directions:
Read the following text. Choose the best word(S) for each numbered blank and mark A, B ,C or D on ANSWER SHEET. (10 Points)
As many people hit middle age, they often start to notice that their memory and mental clarity are not what they used to be. We suddenly can't remember 1 we put the keys just a moment ago, or an old acquaintance's name, or the name of an old band we used to love. As the brain 2 , we refer to these occurrences as "senior moments." 3 seemingly innocent, this loss of mental focus can potentially have a(an) 4 impact on our professional, social, and personal 5 .
Neuroscientists, experts who study the nervous system, are increasingly showing that there's actually a lot that can be done. It 6 out that the brain needs exercise in much the same way our muscles do, and the right mental 7 can significantly improve our basic cognitive 8 . Thinking is essentially a 9 of making connections in the brain. To a certain extent, our ability to 10 in making the connections that drive intelligence is inherited. 11 , because these connections are made through effort and practice, scientists believe that intelligence can expand and fluctuate 12 mental effort.
Now, a new Web-based company has taken it a step 13 and developed the first "brain training program" designed to actually help people improve and regain their mental 14 .
The Web-based program 15 you to systematically improve your memory and attention skills. The program keeps 16 of your progress and provides detailed feedback 17 your performance and improvement. Most importantly, it 18 modifies and enhances the games you play to 19 on the strengths you are developing--much like a(n) 20 exercise routine requires you to increase resistance and vary your muscle use.
1.[A]where [B]when [C]that [D]why
2.[A]improves [B]fades [C]recovers [D]collapses
3.[A]If [B]Unless [C]Once [D]While
4.[A]uneven [B]limited [C]damaging [D]obscure
5.[A]wellbeing [B]environment [C]relationship [D]outlook
6.[A]turns [B]finds [C]points [D]figures
7.[A]roundabouts [B]responses [C]workouts [D]associations
8.[A]genre [B]functions [C]circumstances [D]criterion
9.[A]channel [B]condition [C]sequence [D]process
10.[A]persist [B]believe [C]excel [D]feature
11.[A]Therefore [B]Moreover [C]Otherwise [D]However
12.[A]according to [B]regardless of [C]apart from [D]instead of
13.[A]back [B]further [C]aside [D]around
14.[A]sharpness [B]stability [C]framework [D]flexibility
15.[A]forces [B]reminds [C]hurries [D]allows
16.[A]hold [B]track [C]order [D]pace
17.[A] to [B]with [C]for [D]on
18.[A]irregularly [B]habitually [C]constantly [D]unusually
19.[A]carry [B]put [C]build [D]take
20.[A]risky [B]effective [C]idle [D]familiar
答案：1-5 ABDCA
6-10 ACBDC
11-15 DABAD
16-20 BDCCB
1. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [A]
[考點分析] 上下文語義和連詞辨析
[選項分析] 本題考查連詞。根據(jù)上下文意思，首先可以排除[B][C][D]。這句話中 where 引導(dǎo)一個狀語語從句，主要是說記不清把鑰匙放在哪里了。
2. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [B]
[考點分析] 上下文語義和動詞辨析
[選項分析] As the brain 2 we refer to these occurrences as "senior moments這句話的意思是“由于大腦 2 我們稱這些現(xiàn)象為“瞬間性老年癡呆”，由此可以排除[A] 和 [C]。[D]collapse意為：使倒塌，使崩潰，不符合題意。fades考察熟詞僻意，通常意思為褪色，逝去。還有衰老的意思，這里就考察是衰老的意思。從前文可以看出，文章講的是隨著年齡增長，大腦衰老。所以選[B]
3. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [D]
[考點分析] 邏輯銜接題
[選項分析] [A] if 表示假設(shè)“如果”。[B] Unless “除非，如果不”。[C]Once “一旦”。[D]While，“雖然，然而”表轉(zhuǎn)折。這句話的意思是雖然表面上看起來沒什么，但是危害很大，前后位轉(zhuǎn)折關(guān)系，所以選D。
4. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [C]
[考點分析] 上下文語義和詞匯辨析
[選項分析] 這四個選項均為形容詞，[A] 表示“不均勻”， [B] 表示“有限的”， [C] 表示“有破壞性的，損壞的”， [D] 表示“模糊的，晦澀的”。這句話意思是這種精神能量的缺失會給我們帶來……的影響。根據(jù)上下文的意思，可以排除 [A] 和 [D]。而“有限的影響”顯然不足以表達危害的嚴(yán)重性，故可以排除[B] 選項。[C] “帶來有害的影響”最符合作者意圖。
5. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [A]
[考點分析] 上下文語義和名詞辨析
[選項分析] 本句話含義是這種精神能量的缺失會給我們的職業(yè)、社交還有個人……帶來有害的影響。[A] wellbeing “幸福”。[B]environment “環(huán)境”。[C] relationship “關(guān)系”。[D] outlook “展望”。and連接若干名詞，這些名詞應(yīng)該為同一類，職業(yè)、社交都是和個人相關(guān)，排除[B] 和[D]，[C] personal relationship就是social的意思，不能重復(fù)，選擇[A]，個人幸福。
6. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [A]
[考點分析] 固定搭配
[選項分析] [A] it turns out that “原來，其實” 。[B]it finds out that“本文發(fā)現(xiàn)”。[C] it points out that“指出”。[D] it figures out that“本文發(fā)現(xiàn)”。It代表神經(jīng)科學(xué)，這句話的意思是越來越多的精神學(xué)家們都表示，大腦其實跟肌肉一樣需要練習(xí)運動。這里給出的是神經(jīng)科學(xué)的結(jié)論，因此選擇it turns out that
7. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [C]
[考點分析] 上下文語義和名詞辨析
[選項分析] 這四個選項均為名詞。[A] roundabouts迂回路線。[B]responses回應(yīng)。[C]workouts鍛煉，練習(xí)。[D]associations協(xié)會。[C]workouts鍛煉，練習(xí)與前文出現(xiàn)的exercise都有“鍛煉，練習(xí)”的意思，近義詞復(fù)現(xiàn)，所以選[C]
8. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [B]
[考點分析] 上下文語義和名詞辨析
[選項分析] 這四個選項均為名詞。[A]genre類型，種類。[B]functions功能。[C]circumstances情況，環(huán)境。[D]criterion批評判斷的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)、準(zhǔn)則。這句話的意思是正確的智力運動能極大地提高我們最基本的認(rèn)知功能，根據(jù)語義，選擇[B]functions功能。
9. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [D]
[考點分析] 上下文語義和名詞辨析
[選項分析] 這四個選項均為名詞。[A] channel通道，頻道。[B]condition條件。[C]sequence順序，序列。[D]process過程，步驟。根據(jù)常識，思考是一個過程，并且通過腦神經(jīng)相互接觸來完成，其他選項表示渠道、序列、條件，均不符合常識。因此正確答案是表示過程的[D]選項。這句話的意思是思考是大腦神經(jīng)連接必要的過程。
10. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [D]
[考點分析] 上下文語義和動詞辨析
[選項分析] 這四個選項均為動詞。[A] persist堅持。[B] believe相信。[C] excel超過。[D] feature特色。本句句意，在某種程度來講，我們在進行神經(jīng)連接(直接影響人的聰明程度)方面的特殊能力是與生俱來的。excel 有超過擅長的意思，表示在某個方面出眾，放在此處符合題意，因此正確答案為[B]。
11. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [D]
[考點分析] 邏輯銜接題
[選項分析] 本題需要的是一個副詞，而且位于句首，因此考察的是句關(guān)系。通過前后句意義來定答案，前一句強調(diào)的是智力是與生俱來的(inherited)，而后一句則認(rèn)為是可以通過腦力活動(mental effort)會有所波動，兩句意義明顯相反，故正確答案為[D] However。
12. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [A]
[考點分析] 上下文語義和短語辨析
[選項分析] 本題并不難，可以理解為：智力可以……腦力活動得到提升或出現(xiàn)波動。 [B]regardless of “不管，不顧”不合邏輯。[C]apart from“除……之外”也不合適。[D]instead of “代替”明顯不符。故[A]為正確答案。
13. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [B]
[考點分析] 上下文語義和固定搭配
[選項分析] 本題考察的是固定搭配：take a step ……，能搭配只有A和C，分別指“采取進一步措施”和“讓到一邊去”，無論從邏輯上還是從句意上都是A符合。
14. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [A]
[考點分析] 上下文語義和詞匯辨析
[選項分析] 本題考察的是動賓搭配：improve and regain sb’s mental ……，再根據(jù)前文一直在講如何提高“智力”，因此可以排除A(模式)和B(穩(wěn)定性)，C(靈活性)和D(鋒利性，尖銳性)容易混淆，C有一定的干擾性，但雙比之下，D更契合前文，故選D。
15. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [D]
[考點分析] 上下文語義和詞匯辨析
[選項分析] 空格所在句的意思是說這個網(wǎng)絡(luò)課程可以_____系統(tǒng)地改善你的記憶力和注意力。而且此處需要填入的動詞需要與to進行搭配。根據(jù)搭配關(guān)系直接排除A,B。本文的主題介紹的是使人聰明的腦力鍛煉法，感情色彩是中性的，此處的D選項force排除，所以最恰當(dāng)?shù)氖荄。
16. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [B]
[考點分析] 上下文語義和固定搭配
[選項分析] 空格所在句的意思是說這個培訓(xùn)課程還可以_____學(xué)習(xí)進度，并且給予詳盡的信息反饋。根據(jù)語境，空格缺少的詞匯意義為跟蹤學(xué)習(xí)進度，分析四個選項，直接排除A hold, C order; 辨析B,D兩個選項，與D選項的pace搭配的介詞應(yīng)該為with，即，keep pace with，所以排除，B選項為正確答案，keep track of 意思為跟蹤。
17. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [C]
[考點分析] 上下文語義和介詞
[選項分析] 本題考查介詞，根據(jù)空格前后語境，空格所缺少的介詞意義為關(guān)于你的表現(xiàn)作出詳細(xì)的反饋，四個選項中只有D有關(guān)于的意思。
18. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [C]
[考點分析] 上下文語義和詞匯辨析
[選項分析] 空格所在句的意思是說更加重要的是，它會_____調(diào)整并升級有關(guān)訓(xùn)練游戲。通過前后句的語境，所用詞匯均為褒義詞，所以，從感情色彩方面可以排除A，B習(xí)慣性的主語應(yīng)該為人，直接排除。B經(jīng)常的，D異乎尋常的代入，發(fā)現(xiàn)C比較符合題意。
19. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [C]
[考點分析] 上下文語義和詞匯辨析
[選項分析] 空格所在句的意思是說它會經(jīng)常調(diào)整并升級有關(guān)訓(xùn)練游戲，以促進腦力的不斷____。本題所缺少的動詞需要與介詞on 搭配，A put on 穿上，增加；B carry on 執(zhí)行；C build on 在……基礎(chǔ)上增加，構(gòu)建；D take on 呈現(xiàn)；代入空格發(fā)現(xiàn)只有C適合，A,B,D都不與空格后面的development 相搭配。
20. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [C]
[考點分析] 上下文語義和詞匯辨析
[選項分析] 本題涉及的是一個含不定式作后定的句子，所缺詞匯為形容詞修飾exercise routine，根據(jù)前后情感一致的邏輯，通過后面的不定式中的關(guān)鍵詞increase寺和vary your muscle use等信息反推所需詞匯為正向詞匯，直接排除A和B，D是中性，只有C(有效的)符合邏輯，故為正確答案。
Section II Reading Comprehension
Part A
Directions: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C, D. Mark your choice on ANSWER SHEET 1. (40 points)
Text 1
In order to “change lives for the better” and reduce “dependency,” George Orbome, Chancellor of the Exchequer, introduced the “upfront work search” scheme. Only if the jobless arrive at the jobcentre with a CV register for online job search, and start looking for work will they be eligible for benefit-and then they should report weekly rather than fortnightly. What could be more reasonable?
More apparent reasonableness followed. There will now be a seven-day wait for the jobseeker’s allowance. “Those first few days should be spent looking for work, not looking to sign on.” he claimed. “We’re doing these things because we know they help people say off benefits and help those on benefits get into work faster” Help? Really? On first hearing, this was the socially concerned chancellor, trying to change lives for the better, complete with “reforms” to an obviously indulgent system that demands too little effort from the newly unemployed to find work, and subsides laziness. What motivated him, we were to understand, was his zeal for “fundamental fairness”-protecting the taxpayer, controlling spending and ensuring that only the most deserving claimants received their benefits.
Losing a job is hurting: you don’t skip down to the jobcentre with a song in your heart, delighted at the prospect of doubling your income from the generous state. It is financially terrifying, psychologically embarrassing and you know that support is minimal and extraordinarily hard to get. You are now not wanted; you support is minimal and extraordinarily hard to get. You are now not wanted; you are now excluded from the work environment that offers purpose and structure in your life. Worse, the crucial income to feed yourself and your family and pay the bills has disappeared. Ask anyone newly unemployed what they want and the answer is always: a job.
But in Osborneland, your first instinct is to fall into dependency —permanent dependency if you can get it — supported by a state only too ready to indulge your falsehood. It is as though 20 years of ever-tougher reforms of the job search and benefit administration system never happened. The principle of British welfare is no longer that you can insure yourself against the risk of unemployment and receive unconditional payments if the disaster happens. Even the very phrase “jobseeker’s allowance” — invented in 1996 — is about redefining the unemployed as a “jobseeker” who had no mandatory right to a benefit he or she has earned through making national insurance contributions.Instead, the claimant receives a time-limited “allowance,” conditional on actively seeking a job; no entitlement and no insurance, at ?71.70 a week, one of the least generous in the EU.
真題解析：文章概括：政府大臣Grorge Osbome提出了一個項目幫助失業(yè)的人找工作。
21.George Osborne’s scheme was intended to
[A]provide the unemployed with easier access to benefits.
[B]encourage jobseekers’ active engagement in job seeking.
[C]motivate the unemployed to report voluntarily.
[D]guarantee jobseekers’ legitimate right to benefits.
答案：B 細(xì)節(jié)題。本道題的關(guān)鍵是intended to問的是目的，所以我們也應(yīng)該去尋找體現(xiàn)目的性的詞匯，所以在首段首句看到了in order to ,則后面的內(nèi)容即為本題答案，結(jié)合后面找工作的內(nèi)容則選擇B選項。
22.The phrase “to sign on”(Line 3,Para.2) most probably means
[A]to check on the availability of jobs at the jobcentre.
[B]to accept the government’s restrictions on the allowance.
[C]to register for an allowance from the government.
[D]to attend a governmental job-training program.
答案： C 詞義句意題。先根據(jù)題干定位到第二段第三行，to sign on前面有一個很明顯的not，則我們可以推知，這一定是前面的反義，我們只要讀懂前面半部分就可以了，前面說應(yīng)該spend looking for work，正好和A選項相符，所以我們只要選擇一個相反的選項即可，則選擇C選項。
23.What promoted the chancellor to develop his scheme?
[A]A desire to secure a better life for all.
[B]An eagerness to protect the unemployed.
[C]An urge to be generous to the claimants.
[D]A passion to ensure fairness for taxpayers.
答案:A 細(xì)節(jié)題。本道題的關(guān)鍵是題目中的prompted和chancellor，根據(jù)chancellor能定位到二段第五行，再向下尋找則可發(fā)現(xiàn)motivate和prompt是對應(yīng)的，所以看本句即可發(fā)現(xiàn)和A選項是對應(yīng)的。
24.According to Paragraph 3, being unemployed makes one one feel
[A]uneasy.
[B]enraged.
[C]insulted.
[D]guilty.
答案: A 細(xì)節(jié)題。本道題根據(jù)unemployed回到文中定位在第三段的最后一句，沒有感覺相關(guān)內(nèi)容，所以需要向前找答案，再根據(jù)本段第一句話中的losing a job即可判定答案在第二句，因此選擇A選項。另我們會發(fā)現(xiàn)BCD三個選項趨于強烈和負(fù)面，所以，我們選擇A選項。
25.To which of the following would the author most probably agree?
[A]The British welfare system indulges jobseekers’ laziness.
[B]Osborne’s reforms will reduce the risk of unemployment.
[C]The jobseekers’ allowance has met their actual needs.
[D]Unemployment benefits should not be made conditional.
答案:B 細(xì)節(jié)題。本題題根據(jù)選項定位。A選項根據(jù)大寫字母The British welfare system定位到最后一段的第三句，原文是“no longer”，選項與原文反向干擾。B選項根據(jù)Osborne’s reforms
定位到第一段第二句，可以得出該項目可減少失業(yè)危險，所以B為正確答案。C選項根據(jù)題干“the jobseekers’ allowance”定位到最后一段倒數(shù)第二句，該句提到“no fundamental right”，恰與C選項表意相反，所以C是反向干擾。D選項根據(jù)題干“conditional”定位到最后一段最后一句，其中只提到“conditional on actively seeking a job…”，并沒有要說以后應(yīng)該怎樣，所以屬于無中生有。
Text 2
All around the world, lawyers generate more hostility than the members of any other profession---with the possible exception of journalism. But there are few places where clients have more grounds for complaint than America.
During the decade before the economic crisis, spending on legal services in America grew twice as fast as inflation. The best lawyers made skyscrapers-full of money, tempting ever more students to pile into law schools. But most law graduates never get a big-firm job. Many of them instead become the kind of nuisance-lawsuit filer that makes the tort system a costly nightmare.
There are many reasons for this. One is the excessive costs of a legal education. There is just one path for a lawyer in most American states: a four-year undergraduate degree at one of 200 law schools authorized by the American Bar Association and an expensive preparation for the bar exam. This leaves today’s average law-school graduate with $100,000 of debt on top of undergraduate debts. Law-school debt means that they have to work fearsomely hard.
Reforming the system would help both lawyers and their customers. Sensible ideas have been around for a long time, but the state-level bodies that govern the profession have been too conservative to implement them. One idea is to allow people to study law as an undergraduate degree. Another is to let students sit for the bar after only two years of law school. If the bar exam is truly a stern enough test for a would-be lawyer, those who can sit it earlier should be allowed to do so.Students who do not need the extra training could cut their debt mountain by a third.The other reason why costs are so high is the restrictive guild-like ownership structure of the business. Except in the District of Columbia, non-lawyers may not own any share of a law firm. This keeps fees high and innovation slow. There is pressure for change from within the profession, but opponents of change among the regulators insist that keeping outsiders out of a law firm isolates lawyers from the pressure to make money rather than serve clients ethically.
In fact,allowing non-lawyers to own shares in law firms would reduce costs and improve services to customers, by encouraging law firms to use technology and to employ professional managers to focus on improving firms’ efficiency. After all, other countries, such as Australia and Britain, have started liberalizing their legal professions. America should follow.
26.a lot of students take up law as their profession due to
[A]the growing demand from clients.
[B]the increasing pressure of inflation.
[C]the prospect of working in big firms.
[D]the attraction of financial rewards.
答案：D。該題是因果細(xì)節(jié)題，考察細(xì)節(jié)。首先，根據(jù)段落定位原則模糊定位，定位到前幾段。其次，再精確定位，題干中有關(guān)鍵詞“students”“law”“profession”，回到原文尋找相關(guān)信息。第一段未發(fā)現(xiàn)相關(guān)信息，然后到第二段看到“The best lawyers made skyscrapers-full of money, tempting ever more students to pile into law schools.”與題干有重合之處，選項D是該句的同義替換。A、B、C三個選項根據(jù)原文個別詞匯“clients”“inflation”“big-firm”等進行干擾。注意，第一段的But是個假轉(zhuǎn)折詞，并非答案處。
27.Which of the following adds to the costs of legal education in most American states?
[A]Higher tuition fees for undergraduate studies.
[B]Admissions approval from the bar association.
[C]Pursuing a bachelor’s degree in another major.
[D]Receiving training by professional associations.
答案：C。該題是細(xì)節(jié)題，考察細(xì)節(jié)。首先根據(jù)段落定位原則定位到第三段。其次，根據(jù)題干關(guān)鍵詞“the costs of legal education”精確定位到第三段第二句話“One is the excessive costs of a legal education.”問題是“which of the following adds to the costs of legal education”，因此定位句的下一句就是答案，即“There is just one path for a lawyer in most American states: a four-year undergraduate degree in some unrelated subject, then a three-year law degree at one of 200 law schools accredited by the American Bar Association and an expensive preparation for the bar exam.”分析選項可知，選項C恰當(dāng)概況了該句子的涵義。A選項利用三段末尾的“This leaves today’s average law-school graduate with $100,000 of debt on top of undergraduate debts.”進行干擾。B選項無中生有。D選項根據(jù)四段最后一句出現(xiàn)的“training”個別詞匯進行干擾。
28.Hindrance to the reform of the legal system originates from
[A]lawyers’ and clients’ strong resistance.
[B]the rigid bodies governing the profession.
[C]the stem exam for would-be lawyers.
[D]non-professionals’ sharp criticism.
答案：B。該題是原因細(xì)節(jié)題，問來源。首先段落定位原則定位到第四段。其次，根據(jù)題干關(guān)鍵詞“the reform of the legal system”定位到第二句“Sensible ideas have been around for a long time, but the state-level bodies that govern the profession have been too conservative to implement them.”選項B即為該句的同義替換。
29.The guild-like ownership structure is considered “restrictive” partly because it
[A]bans outsiders’ involvement in the profession.
[B]keeps lawyers from holding law-firm shares.
[C]aggravates the ethical situation in the trade.
[D]prevents lawyers from gaining due profits.
答案：A。該題為因果細(xì)節(jié)題，問原因。根據(jù)段落定位原則定位至倒數(shù)第二段。其次，題干中出現(xiàn)“the guild-like ownership structure”，精確定位到第二句“Except in the District of Columbia, non-lawyers may not own any share of a law firm. This keeps fees high and innovation slow.”此外，在該段最后一句提到“…keeping outsiders out of a law firm isolates lawyers from the pressure to make money rather than serve clients ethically.”從而可以得出答案選A。
30.In this text, the author mainly discusses
[A]flawed ownership of America’s law firms and its causes.
[B]the factors that help make a successful lawyer in America.
[C]a problem in America’s legal profession and solutions to it.
[D]the role of undergraduate studies in America’s legal education.
答案：C。該題為文章主旨題，考察文章中心。該篇文章屬于問題解決型文章，前5段均在說美國法律職業(yè)存在的問題，最后一段提出了解決措施“allowing non-lawyers to own shares in law firms would reduce costs and improve services to customers, by encouraging law firms to use technology and to employ professional managers to focus on improving firms’ efficiency.”。因此，該篇屬于問題解決型文章，選C。其他幾個選項均為文中的個別細(xì)節(jié)，以偏概全。
Text 3
The US$3-million Fundamental physics prize is indeed an interesting experiment, as Alexander Polyakov said when he accepted this year’s award in March. And it is far from the only one of its type. As a News Feature article in Nature discusses, a string of lucrative awards for researchers have joined the Nobel Prizes in recent years. Many, like the Fundamental Physics Prize, are funded from the telephone-number-sized bank accounts of Internet entrepreneurs. These benefactors have succeeded in their chosen fields, they say, and they want to use their wealth to draw attention to those who have succeeded in science.
What’s not to like? Quite a lot, according to a handful of scientists quoted in the News Feature. You cannot buy class, as the old saying goes, and these upstart entrepreneurs cannot buy their prizes the prestige of the Nobels, The new awards are an exercise in self-promotion for those behind them, say scientists. They could distort the achievement-based system of peer-review-led research. They could cement the status quo of peer-reviewed research. They do not fund peer-reviewed research. They perpetuate the myth of the lone genius.
The goals of the prize-givers seem as scattered as the criticism.Some want to shock, others to draw people into science, or to better reward those who have made their careers in research.
As Nature has pointed out before, there are some legitimate concerns about how science prizes—both new and old—are distributed. The Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, launched this year, takes an unrepresentative view of what the life sciences include.But the Nobel Foundation’s limit of three recipients per prize, each of whom must still be living, has long been outgrown by the collaborative nature of modern research—as will be demonstrated by the inevitable row over who is ignored when it comes to acknowledging the discovery of the Higgs boson. The Nobels were, of course,themselves set up by a very rich individual who had decided what he wanted to do with his own money. Time, rather than intention, has given them legitimacy.
As much as some scientists may complain about the new awards, two things seem clear. First, most researchers would accept such a prize if they were offered one. Second, it is surely a good thing that the money and attention come to science rather than go elsewhere, It is fair to criticize and question the mechanism—that is the culture of research, after all—but it is the prize-givers’ money to do with as they please. It is wise to take such gifts with gratitude and grace.
Section I Use of Language
Directions:
Read the following text. Choose the best word(S) for each numbered blank and mark A, B ,C or D on ANSWER SHEET. (10 Points)
As many people hit middle age, they often start to notice that their memory and mental clarity are not what they used to be. We suddenly can't remember 1 we put the keys just a moment ago, or an old acquaintance's name, or the name of an old band we used to love. As the brain 2 , we refer to these occurrences as "senior moments." 3 seemingly innocent, this loss of mental focus can potentially have a(an) 4 impact on our professional, social, and personal 5 .
Neuroscientists, experts who study the nervous system, are increasingly showing that there's actually a lot that can be done. It 6 out that the brain needs exercise in much the same way our muscles do, and the right mental 7 can significantly improve our basic cognitive 8 . Thinking is essentially a 9 of making connections in the brain. To a certain extent, our ability to 10 in making the connections that drive intelligence is inherited. 11 , because these connections are made through effort and practice, scientists believe that intelligence can expand and fluctuate 12 mental effort.
Now, a new Web-based company has taken it a step 13 and developed the first "brain training program" designed to actually help people improve and regain their mental 14 .
The Web-based program 15 you to systematically improve your memory and attention skills. The program keeps 16 of your progress and provides detailed feedback 17 your performance and improvement. Most importantly, it 18 modifies and enhances the games you play to 19 on the strengths you are developing--much like a(n) 20 exercise routine requires you to increase resistance and vary your muscle use.
1.[A]where [B]when [C]that [D]why
2.[A]improves [B]fades [C]recovers [D]collapses
3.[A]If [B]Unless [C]Once [D]While
4.[A]uneven [B]limited [C]damaging [D]obscure
5.[A]wellbeing [B]environment [C]relationship [D]outlook
6.[A]turns [B]finds [C]points [D]figures
7.[A]roundabouts [B]responses [C]workouts [D]associations
8.[A]genre [B]functions [C]circumstances [D]criterion
9.[A]channel [B]condition [C]sequence [D]process
10.[A]persist [B]believe [C]excel [D]feature
11.[A]Therefore [B]Moreover [C]Otherwise [D]However
12.[A]according to [B]regardless of [C]apart from [D]instead of
13.[A]back [B]further [C]aside [D]around
14.[A]sharpness [B]stability [C]framework [D]flexibility
15.[A]forces [B]reminds [C]hurries [D]allows
16.[A]hold [B]track [C]order [D]pace
17.[A] to [B]with [C]for [D]on
18.[A]irregularly [B]habitually [C]constantly [D]unusually
19.[A]carry [B]put [C]build [D]take
20.[A]risky [B]effective [C]idle [D]familiar
答案：1-5 ABDCA
6-10 ACBDC
11-15 DABAD
16-20 BDCCB
1. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [A]
[考點分析] 上下文語義和連詞辨析
[選項分析] 本題考查連詞。根據(jù)上下文意思，首先可以排除[B][C][D]。這句話中 where 引導(dǎo)一個狀語語從句，主要是說記不清把鑰匙放在哪里了。
2. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [B]
[考點分析] 上下文語義和動詞辨析
[選項分析] As the brain 2 we refer to these occurrences as "senior moments這句話的意思是“由于大腦 2 我們稱這些現(xiàn)象為“瞬間性老年癡呆”，由此可以排除[A] 和 [C]。[D]collapse意為：使倒塌，使崩潰，不符合題意。fades考察熟詞僻意，通常意思為褪色，逝去。還有衰老的意思，這里就考察是衰老的意思。從前文可以看出，文章講的是隨著年齡增長，大腦衰老。所以選[B]
3. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [D]
[考點分析] 邏輯銜接題
[選項分析] [A] if 表示假設(shè)“如果”。[B] Unless “除非，如果不”。[C]Once “一旦”。[D]While，“雖然，然而”表轉(zhuǎn)折。這句話的意思是雖然表面上看起來沒什么，但是危害很大，前后位轉(zhuǎn)折關(guān)系，所以選D。
4. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [C]
[考點分析] 上下文語義和詞匯辨析
[選項分析] 這四個選項均為形容詞，[A] 表示“不均勻”， [B] 表示“有限的”， [C] 表示“有破壞性的，損壞的”， [D] 表示“模糊的，晦澀的”。這句話意思是這種精神能量的缺失會給我們帶來……的影響。根據(jù)上下文的意思，可以排除 [A] 和 [D]。而“有限的影響”顯然不足以表達危害的嚴(yán)重性，故可以排除[B] 選項。[C] “帶來有害的影響”最符合作者意圖。
5. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [A]
[考點分析] 上下文語義和名詞辨析
[選項分析] 本句話含義是這種精神能量的缺失會給我們的職業(yè)、社交還有個人……帶來有害的影響。[A] wellbeing “幸福”。[B]environment “環(huán)境”。[C] relationship “關(guān)系”。[D] outlook “展望”。and連接若干名詞，這些名詞應(yīng)該為同一類，職業(yè)、社交都是和個人相關(guān)，排除[B] 和[D]，[C] personal relationship就是social的意思，不能重復(fù)，選擇[A]，個人幸福。
6. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [A]
[考點分析] 固定搭配
[選項分析] [A] it turns out that “原來，其實” 。[B]it finds out that“本文發(fā)現(xiàn)”。[C] it points out that“指出”。[D] it figures out that“本文發(fā)現(xiàn)”。It代表神經(jīng)科學(xué)，這句話的意思是越來越多的精神學(xué)家們都表示，大腦其實跟肌肉一樣需要練習(xí)運動。這里給出的是神經(jīng)科學(xué)的結(jié)論，因此選擇it turns out that
7. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [C]
[考點分析] 上下文語義和名詞辨析
[選項分析] 這四個選項均為名詞。[A] roundabouts迂回路線。[B]responses回應(yīng)。[C]workouts鍛煉，練習(xí)。[D]associations協(xié)會。[C]workouts鍛煉，練習(xí)與前文出現(xiàn)的exercise都有“鍛煉，練習(xí)”的意思，近義詞復(fù)現(xiàn)，所以選[C]
8. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [B]
[考點分析] 上下文語義和名詞辨析
[選項分析] 這四個選項均為名詞。[A]genre類型，種類。[B]functions功能。[C]circumstances情況，環(huán)境。[D]criterion批評判斷的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)、準(zhǔn)則。這句話的意思是正確的智力運動能極大地提高我們最基本的認(rèn)知功能，根據(jù)語義，選擇[B]functions功能。
9. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [D]
[考點分析] 上下文語義和名詞辨析
[選項分析] 這四個選項均為名詞。[A] channel通道，頻道。[B]condition條件。[C]sequence順序，序列。[D]process過程，步驟。根據(jù)常識，思考是一個過程，并且通過腦神經(jīng)相互接觸來完成，其他選項表示渠道、序列、條件，均不符合常識。因此正確答案是表示過程的[D]選項。這句話的意思是思考是大腦神經(jīng)連接必要的過程。
10. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [D]
[考點分析] 上下文語義和動詞辨析
[選項分析] 這四個選項均為動詞。[A] persist堅持。[B] believe相信。[C] excel超過。[D] feature特色。本句句意，在某種程度來講，我們在進行神經(jīng)連接(直接影響人的聰明程度)方面的特殊能力是與生俱來的。excel 有超過擅長的意思，表示在某個方面出眾，放在此處符合題意，因此正確答案為[B]。
11. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [D]
[考點分析] 邏輯銜接題
[選項分析] 本題需要的是一個副詞，而且位于句首，因此考察的是句關(guān)系。通過前后句意義來定答案，前一句強調(diào)的是智力是與生俱來的(inherited)，而后一句則認(rèn)為是可以通過腦力活動(mental effort)會有所波動，兩句意義明顯相反，故正確答案為[D] However。
12. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [A]
[考點分析] 上下文語義和短語辨析
[選項分析] 本題并不難，可以理解為：智力可以……腦力活動得到提升或出現(xiàn)波動。 [B]regardless of “不管，不顧”不合邏輯。[C]apart from“除……之外”也不合適。[D]instead of “代替”明顯不符。故[A]為正確答案。
13. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [B]
[考點分析] 上下文語義和固定搭配
[選項分析] 本題考察的是固定搭配：take a step ……，能搭配只有A和C，分別指“采取進一步措施”和“讓到一邊去”，無論從邏輯上還是從句意上都是A符合。
14. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [A]
[考點分析] 上下文語義和詞匯辨析
[選項分析] 本題考察的是動賓搭配：improve and regain sb’s mental ……，再根據(jù)前文一直在講如何提高“智力”，因此可以排除A(模式)和B(穩(wěn)定性)，C(靈活性)和D(鋒利性，尖銳性)容易混淆，C有一定的干擾性，但雙比之下，D更契合前文，故選D。
15. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [D]
[考點分析] 上下文語義和詞匯辨析
[選項分析] 空格所在句的意思是說這個網(wǎng)絡(luò)課程可以_____系統(tǒng)地改善你的記憶力和注意力。而且此處需要填入的動詞需要與to進行搭配。根據(jù)搭配關(guān)系直接排除A,B。本文的主題介紹的是使人聰明的腦力鍛煉法，感情色彩是中性的，此處的D選項force排除，所以最恰當(dāng)?shù)氖荄。
16. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [B]
[考點分析] 上下文語義和固定搭配
[選項分析] 空格所在句的意思是說這個培訓(xùn)課程還可以_____學(xué)習(xí)進度，并且給予詳盡的信息反饋。根據(jù)語境，空格缺少的詞匯意義為跟蹤學(xué)習(xí)進度，分析四個選項，直接排除A hold, C order; 辨析B,D兩個選項，與D選項的pace搭配的介詞應(yīng)該為with，即，keep pace with，所以排除，B選項為正確答案，keep track of 意思為跟蹤。
17. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [C]
[考點分析] 上下文語義和介詞
[選項分析] 本題考查介詞，根據(jù)空格前后語境，空格所缺少的介詞意義為關(guān)于你的表現(xiàn)作出詳細(xì)的反饋，四個選項中只有D有關(guān)于的意思。
18. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [C]
[考點分析] 上下文語義和詞匯辨析
[選項分析] 空格所在句的意思是說更加重要的是，它會_____調(diào)整并升級有關(guān)訓(xùn)練游戲。通過前后句的語境，所用詞匯均為褒義詞，所以，從感情色彩方面可以排除A，B習(xí)慣性的主語應(yīng)該為人，直接排除。B經(jīng)常的，D異乎尋常的代入，發(fā)現(xiàn)C比較符合題意。
19. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [C]
[考點分析] 上下文語義和詞匯辨析
[選項分析] 空格所在句的意思是說它會經(jīng)常調(diào)整并升級有關(guān)訓(xùn)練游戲，以促進腦力的不斷____。本題所缺少的動詞需要與介詞on 搭配，A put on 穿上，增加；B carry on 執(zhí)行；C build on 在……基礎(chǔ)上增加，構(gòu)建；D take on 呈現(xiàn)；代入空格發(fā)現(xiàn)只有C適合，A,B,D都不與空格后面的development 相搭配。
20. [標(biāo)準(zhǔn)答案] [C]
[考點分析] 上下文語義和詞匯辨析
[選項分析] 本題涉及的是一個含不定式作后定的句子，所缺詞匯為形容詞修飾exercise routine，根據(jù)前后情感一致的邏輯，通過后面的不定式中的關(guān)鍵詞increase寺和vary your muscle use等信息反推所需詞匯為正向詞匯，直接排除A和B，D是中性，只有C(有效的)符合邏輯，故為正確答案。
Section II Reading Comprehension
Part A
Directions: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C, D. Mark your choice on ANSWER SHEET 1. (40 points)
Text 1
In order to “change lives for the better” and reduce “dependency,” George Orbome, Chancellor of the Exchequer, introduced the “upfront work search” scheme. Only if the jobless arrive at the jobcentre with a CV register for online job search, and start looking for work will they be eligible for benefit-and then they should report weekly rather than fortnightly. What could be more reasonable?
More apparent reasonableness followed. There will now be a seven-day wait for the jobseeker’s allowance. “Those first few days should be spent looking for work, not looking to sign on.” he claimed. “We’re doing these things because we know they help people say off benefits and help those on benefits get into work faster” Help? Really? On first hearing, this was the socially concerned chancellor, trying to change lives for the better, complete with “reforms” to an obviously indulgent system that demands too little effort from the newly unemployed to find work, and subsides laziness. What motivated him, we were to understand, was his zeal for “fundamental fairness”-protecting the taxpayer, controlling spending and ensuring that only the most deserving claimants received their benefits.
Losing a job is hurting: you don’t skip down to the jobcentre with a song in your heart, delighted at the prospect of doubling your income from the generous state. It is financially terrifying, psychologically embarrassing and you know that support is minimal and extraordinarily hard to get. You are now not wanted; you support is minimal and extraordinarily hard to get. You are now not wanted; you are now excluded from the work environment that offers purpose and structure in your life. Worse, the crucial income to feed yourself and your family and pay the bills has disappeared. Ask anyone newly unemployed what they want and the answer is always: a job.
But in Osborneland, your first instinct is to fall into dependency —permanent dependency if you can get it — supported by a state only too ready to indulge your falsehood. It is as though 20 years of ever-tougher reforms of the job search and benefit administration system never happened. The principle of British welfare is no longer that you can insure yourself against the risk of unemployment and receive unconditional payments if the disaster happens. Even the very phrase “jobseeker’s allowance” — invented in 1996 — is about redefining the unemployed as a “jobseeker” who had no mandatory right to a benefit he or she has earned through making national insurance contributions.Instead, the claimant receives a time-limited “allowance,” conditional on actively seeking a job; no entitlement and no insurance, at ?71.70 a week, one of the least generous in the EU.
真題解析：文章概括：政府大臣Grorge Osbome提出了一個項目幫助失業(yè)的人找工作。
21.George Osborne’s scheme was intended to
[A]provide the unemployed with easier access to benefits.
[B]encourage jobseekers’ active engagement in job seeking.
[C]motivate the unemployed to report voluntarily.
[D]guarantee jobseekers’ legitimate right to benefits.
答案：B 細(xì)節(jié)題。本道題的關(guān)鍵是intended to問的是目的，所以我們也應(yīng)該去尋找體現(xiàn)目的性的詞匯，所以在首段首句看到了in order to ,則后面的內(nèi)容即為本題答案，結(jié)合后面找工作的內(nèi)容則選擇B選項。
22.The phrase “to sign on”(Line 3,Para.2) most probably means
[A]to check on the availability of jobs at the jobcentre.
[B]to accept the government’s restrictions on the allowance.
[C]to register for an allowance from the government.
[D]to attend a governmental job-training program.
答案： C 詞義句意題。先根據(jù)題干定位到第二段第三行，to sign on前面有一個很明顯的not，則我們可以推知，這一定是前面的反義，我們只要讀懂前面半部分就可以了，前面說應(yīng)該spend looking for work，正好和A選項相符，所以我們只要選擇一個相反的選項即可，則選擇C選項。
23.What promoted the chancellor to develop his scheme?
[A]A desire to secure a better life for all.
[B]An eagerness to protect the unemployed.
[C]An urge to be generous to the claimants.
[D]A passion to ensure fairness for taxpayers.
答案:A 細(xì)節(jié)題。本道題的關(guān)鍵是題目中的prompted和chancellor，根據(jù)chancellor能定位到二段第五行，再向下尋找則可發(fā)現(xiàn)motivate和prompt是對應(yīng)的，所以看本句即可發(fā)現(xiàn)和A選項是對應(yīng)的。
24.According to Paragraph 3, being unemployed makes one one feel
[A]uneasy.
[B]enraged.
[C]insulted.
[D]guilty.
答案: A 細(xì)節(jié)題。本道題根據(jù)unemployed回到文中定位在第三段的最后一句，沒有感覺相關(guān)內(nèi)容，所以需要向前找答案，再根據(jù)本段第一句話中的losing a job即可判定答案在第二句，因此選擇A選項。另我們會發(fā)現(xiàn)BCD三個選項趨于強烈和負(fù)面，所以，我們選擇A選項。
25.To which of the following would the author most probably agree?
[A]The British welfare system indulges jobseekers’ laziness.
[B]Osborne’s reforms will reduce the risk of unemployment.
[C]The jobseekers’ allowance has met their actual needs.
[D]Unemployment benefits should not be made conditional.
答案:B 細(xì)節(jié)題。本題題根據(jù)選項定位。A選項根據(jù)大寫字母The British welfare system定位到最后一段的第三句，原文是“no longer”，選項與原文反向干擾。B選項根據(jù)Osborne’s reforms
定位到第一段第二句，可以得出該項目可減少失業(yè)危險，所以B為正確答案。C選項根據(jù)題干“the jobseekers’ allowance”定位到最后一段倒數(shù)第二句，該句提到“no fundamental right”，恰與C選項表意相反，所以C是反向干擾。D選項根據(jù)題干“conditional”定位到最后一段最后一句，其中只提到“conditional on actively seeking a job…”，并沒有要說以后應(yīng)該怎樣，所以屬于無中生有。
Text 2
All around the world, lawyers generate more hostility than the members of any other profession---with the possible exception of journalism. But there are few places where clients have more grounds for complaint than America.
During the decade before the economic crisis, spending on legal services in America grew twice as fast as inflation. The best lawyers made skyscrapers-full of money, tempting ever more students to pile into law schools. But most law graduates never get a big-firm job. Many of them instead become the kind of nuisance-lawsuit filer that makes the tort system a costly nightmare.
There are many reasons for this. One is the excessive costs of a legal education. There is just one path for a lawyer in most American states: a four-year undergraduate degree at one of 200 law schools authorized by the American Bar Association and an expensive preparation for the bar exam. This leaves today’s average law-school graduate with $100,000 of debt on top of undergraduate debts. Law-school debt means that they have to work fearsomely hard.
Reforming the system would help both lawyers and their customers. Sensible ideas have been around for a long time, but the state-level bodies that govern the profession have been too conservative to implement them. One idea is to allow people to study law as an undergraduate degree. Another is to let students sit for the bar after only two years of law school. If the bar exam is truly a stern enough test for a would-be lawyer, those who can sit it earlier should be allowed to do so.Students who do not need the extra training could cut their debt mountain by a third.The other reason why costs are so high is the restrictive guild-like ownership structure of the business. Except in the District of Columbia, non-lawyers may not own any share of a law firm. This keeps fees high and innovation slow. There is pressure for change from within the profession, but opponents of change among the regulators insist that keeping outsiders out of a law firm isolates lawyers from the pressure to make money rather than serve clients ethically.
In fact,allowing non-lawyers to own shares in law firms would reduce costs and improve services to customers, by encouraging law firms to use technology and to employ professional managers to focus on improving firms’ efficiency. After all, other countries, such as Australia and Britain, have started liberalizing their legal professions. America should follow.
26.a lot of students take up law as their profession due to
[A]the growing demand from clients.
[B]the increasing pressure of inflation.
[C]the prospect of working in big firms.
[D]the attraction of financial rewards.
答案：D。該題是因果細(xì)節(jié)題，考察細(xì)節(jié)。首先，根據(jù)段落定位原則模糊定位，定位到前幾段。其次，再精確定位，題干中有關(guān)鍵詞“students”“law”“profession”，回到原文尋找相關(guān)信息。第一段未發(fā)現(xiàn)相關(guān)信息，然后到第二段看到“The best lawyers made skyscrapers-full of money, tempting ever more students to pile into law schools.”與題干有重合之處，選項D是該句的同義替換。A、B、C三個選項根據(jù)原文個別詞匯“clients”“inflation”“big-firm”等進行干擾。注意，第一段的But是個假轉(zhuǎn)折詞，并非答案處。
27.Which of the following adds to the costs of legal education in most American states?
[A]Higher tuition fees for undergraduate studies.
[B]Admissions approval from the bar association.
[C]Pursuing a bachelor’s degree in another major.
[D]Receiving training by professional associations.
答案：C。該題是細(xì)節(jié)題，考察細(xì)節(jié)。首先根據(jù)段落定位原則定位到第三段。其次，根據(jù)題干關(guān)鍵詞“the costs of legal education”精確定位到第三段第二句話“One is the excessive costs of a legal education.”問題是“which of the following adds to the costs of legal education”，因此定位句的下一句就是答案，即“There is just one path for a lawyer in most American states: a four-year undergraduate degree in some unrelated subject, then a three-year law degree at one of 200 law schools accredited by the American Bar Association and an expensive preparation for the bar exam.”分析選項可知，選項C恰當(dāng)概況了該句子的涵義。A選項利用三段末尾的“This leaves today’s average law-school graduate with $100,000 of debt on top of undergraduate debts.”進行干擾。B選項無中生有。D選項根據(jù)四段最后一句出現(xiàn)的“training”個別詞匯進行干擾。
28.Hindrance to the reform of the legal system originates from
[A]lawyers’ and clients’ strong resistance.
[B]the rigid bodies governing the profession.
[C]the stem exam for would-be lawyers.
[D]non-professionals’ sharp criticism.
答案：B。該題是原因細(xì)節(jié)題，問來源。首先段落定位原則定位到第四段。其次，根據(jù)題干關(guān)鍵詞“the reform of the legal system”定位到第二句“Sensible ideas have been around for a long time, but the state-level bodies that govern the profession have been too conservative to implement them.”選項B即為該句的同義替換。
29.The guild-like ownership structure is considered “restrictive” partly because it
[A]bans outsiders’ involvement in the profession.
[B]keeps lawyers from holding law-firm shares.
[C]aggravates the ethical situation in the trade.
[D]prevents lawyers from gaining due profits.
答案：A。該題為因果細(xì)節(jié)題，問原因。根據(jù)段落定位原則定位至倒數(shù)第二段。其次，題干中出現(xiàn)“the guild-like ownership structure”，精確定位到第二句“Except in the District of Columbia, non-lawyers may not own any share of a law firm. This keeps fees high and innovation slow.”此外，在該段最后一句提到“…keeping outsiders out of a law firm isolates lawyers from the pressure to make money rather than serve clients ethically.”從而可以得出答案選A。
30.In this text, the author mainly discusses
[A]flawed ownership of America’s law firms and its causes.
[B]the factors that help make a successful lawyer in America.
[C]a problem in America’s legal profession and solutions to it.
[D]the role of undergraduate studies in America’s legal education.
答案：C。該題為文章主旨題，考察文章中心。該篇文章屬于問題解決型文章，前5段均在說美國法律職業(yè)存在的問題，最后一段提出了解決措施“allowing non-lawyers to own shares in law firms would reduce costs and improve services to customers, by encouraging law firms to use technology and to employ professional managers to focus on improving firms’ efficiency.”。因此，該篇屬于問題解決型文章，選C。其他幾個選項均為文中的個別細(xì)節(jié)，以偏概全。
Text 3
The US$3-million Fundamental physics prize is indeed an interesting experiment, as Alexander Polyakov said when he accepted this year’s award in March. And it is far from the only one of its type. As a News Feature article in Nature discusses, a string of lucrative awards for researchers have joined the Nobel Prizes in recent years. Many, like the Fundamental Physics Prize, are funded from the telephone-number-sized bank accounts of Internet entrepreneurs. These benefactors have succeeded in their chosen fields, they say, and they want to use their wealth to draw attention to those who have succeeded in science.
What’s not to like? Quite a lot, according to a handful of scientists quoted in the News Feature. You cannot buy class, as the old saying goes, and these upstart entrepreneurs cannot buy their prizes the prestige of the Nobels, The new awards are an exercise in self-promotion for those behind them, say scientists. They could distort the achievement-based system of peer-review-led research. They could cement the status quo of peer-reviewed research. They do not fund peer-reviewed research. They perpetuate the myth of the lone genius.
The goals of the prize-givers seem as scattered as the criticism.Some want to shock, others to draw people into science, or to better reward those who have made their careers in research.
As Nature has pointed out before, there are some legitimate concerns about how science prizes—both new and old—are distributed. The Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, launched this year, takes an unrepresentative view of what the life sciences include.But the Nobel Foundation’s limit of three recipients per prize, each of whom must still be living, has long been outgrown by the collaborative nature of modern research—as will be demonstrated by the inevitable row over who is ignored when it comes to acknowledging the discovery of the Higgs boson. The Nobels were, of course,themselves set up by a very rich individual who had decided what he wanted to do with his own money. Time, rather than intention, has given them legitimacy.
As much as some scientists may complain about the new awards, two things seem clear. First, most researchers would accept such a prize if they were offered one. Second, it is surely a good thing that the money and attention come to science rather than go elsewhere, It is fair to criticize and question the mechanism—that is the culture of research, after all—but it is the prize-givers’ money to do with as they please. It is wise to take such gifts with gratitude and grace.
文章來源：2014年英語一考研答案