06年考研英语模拟试题(二)
北京新航道学校考研阅读主讲 印建坤
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)
America/'s Federal Reserve cut interest rates by another quarter- point, to 3.75%. Wall Street, which had been 1 for a sixth half- point cut, was disappointed. The Dow fell by 2% 2 the week. The past week/'s economic statistics gave mixed signals. Exports dropped by 2% in both March and April, largely 3 a decline in high- tech investment 4 ; the merchandise-trade 5 widened to $458 billion in the 12 months 6 April. 7 , the Conference Board/'s index of consumer confidence was higher than 8 in June.
Concerns 9 inflation in the euro area 10 . Preliminary data 11 that German consumer-price inflation fell to 3.1% in the year to June, from 3.5% in May; wage growth 12 to 1.4% in April, a real pay cut of 1.5%. Some economists fear that Germany is on the 13 of recession. The IFO index of business confidence dropped more 14 than expected in May, and the institute has cut its forecast of GDP 15 this year to only 1.2%, well 16 the German government/'s forecast of 2%.
The euro area/'s current-account deficit narrowed to $30 billion in the 12 months to April. Britain/'s deficit in the first quarter was its smallest 17 1998, 18 record investment income.
There was more bad news from Japan, 19 retail sales in large stores fell by 3.2% in May, the 37th consecutive monthly fall. The yen fell 20 the dollar, touching almost Yen 125 on one point.
1. A expectingB. hopingC. wishing D. dreaming
2. A. in B. above C. during D. over
3. A. because of B. as a consequence of C. because D. thanks to
4. A. at home B. home C. at abroad D. abroad
5.A. deficit B. shortage C. scarcity D. shortfall
6. A. to B. until C. up D. onto
7. A. Although B.Therefore C. However D. Hence
8. A. projected B. planned C. predicted D. expected
9. A. over B. for C. about D. above
10. A. stopped B. eased C. relieved D. improved
11. A. showed B. demonstrated C. illustrated D. explained
12. A. reduced B. cut C. slow D. lessoned
13. A. edge B. rim C. lip D. brink
14. A stridently B. sharply C. harshly D.severely
15. A. growth B. rise C. increase D. escalation
16.A above B. below C. high D. low
17. A. after B since C. until D. towards
18. A, owe to B. because of C. on account of D. thanks to
19. A. where B. which C. what D. who
20. A. in opposition to B. opposed to C. against D. versus
Section Ⅱ Reading Comprehension
Part A
TEXT 1
WHAT is going on in Myanmar? European diplomats ventured- into the capital Yangon, formerly Rangoon, this week to discuss the junta/'s recent charm offensive, and came away little the wiser, though there are plenty of encouraging signs. On January 26th it was revealed that the government had freed over 80 political prisoners. One of them was Tin Oo, the vice chairman of the National League for Democracy, which won an election in 1990 that the generals have never honored. The prisoner release followed an announcement by the UN that Aung San Suu Kyi, who heads the NLD and has been consistently demonized by the government, had been meeting some of the junta/'s top generals.
Both of these gestures are extraordinary. The generals have been rounding up NLD members relentlessly over the past couple of years, in an effort to eradicate any remnants of an opposition. They have been even more dogged in their efforts to discredit Miss Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel peace prize for opposing them and who remains the rallying point for the regime/'s detractors around the world. Last August the government blockaded a road for days to prevent her from visiting supporters outside the city. Since then she has been under virtual house arrest.
So why have the generals suddenly relaxed their grip? The most likely answer is that they think they can afford to, not that they have to. Though western countries maintain sanctions against the regime, it is hard to believe that it is now buckling. Most Asian countries are still happy to do business with Myanmar, and China especially is doing roaring cross-border trade.
Nor should one read too much into reports of a split between reformers and hardliners. Trade restrictions and multi-tiered exchange rates do indeed distort some parts of the economy grotesquely. And Khin Nyunt, one of the junta/'s top generals, does appear to support making some changes. But there is not much chance of anything dramatic happening. "The thing that they all agree about is that any economic reform would cause chaos in the country," says one western businessman who pops in and out from Thailand. And although the government/'s growth figures are overblown, the economy is nevertheless slightly expanding, rather than contracting.
Moreover, even the "reformers" within the junta have little interest in loosening up politically. They do not think they need to do so to improve the economy, and they certainly do not feel vulnerable politically. The military regime, says a recent report by the International Crisis Group, a think-tank, is "as strong as at any time in the country/'s history". The army has roughly doubled in size since 1988, when it bloodily suppressed a wave of protest and installed itself in power.
Unfortunately for Myanmar/'s democrats, the generals appear to be so well entrenched that they can now afford to work on their public relations. There is no harm in releasing opponents if the opposition is no longer a threat. And if Miss Suu Kyi is becoming irrelevant, there is no harm in meeting her to discuss the terms of surrender.
21. Which one is not about Suu Kyi?
A She won the Nobel Peace Prize.
B She suffered the torture from the generals.
C The generals eradicated her.
D The NLD members had been suspicious and got rid of by the generals.
22. The reason why the generals relaxed their grip is
A they think the prisoners are not a real threat to them.
B the western countries maintain sanctions against it.
C they have to do so because of UN’ negotiations.
D the economy is on the edge of stopping.
23. The expression“buckling”(line 4, para 3)most probably means
A. prosperous
B. fast-increased
C. exciting
D. terrible
24. The economy in Myanmar is
A dramatically changi