2014年全国硕士研究生入学统一考试英语试题SectionIUseofEnglishDirections:Readthefollowingtext.Choosethebestword(s)foreachnumberedblankandmarkA,B,CorDontheANSWERSHEET.(10points)Asmanypeoplehitmiddleage,theyoftenstarttonoticethattheirmemoryandmentalclarityarenotwhattheyusedtobe.Wesuddenlycan’tremember1weputthekeysjustamomentago,oranoldacquaintance’sname,orthenameofanoldbandweusedtolove.Asthebrain2,werefertotheseoccurrencesas“seniormoments.”3seeminglyinnocent,thislossofmentalfocuscanpotentiallyhavea(n)4impactonourprofessional,social,andpersonal5.Neuroscientists,expertswhostudythenervoussystem,areincreasinglyshowingthatthere’sactuallyalotthatcanbedone.It6outthatthebrainneedsexerciseinmuchthesamewayourmusclesdo,andtherightmental7cansignificantlyimproveourbasiccognitive8.Thinkingisessentiallya9ofmakingconnectionsinthebrain.Toacertainextent,ourabilityto10inmakingtheconnectionsthatdriveintelligenceisinherited.11,becausetheseconnectionsaremadethrougheffortandpractice,scientistsbelievethatintelligencecanexpandandfluctuate12mentaleffort.Now,anewWeb-basedcompanyhastakenitastep13anddevelopedthefirst“braintrainingprogram”designedtoactuallyhelppeopleimproveandregaintheirmental14.TheWeb-basedprogram15youtosystematicallyimproveyourmemoryandattentionskills.Theprogramkeeps16ofyourprogressandprovidesdetailedfeedback17yourperformanceandimprovement.Mostimportantly,it18modifiesandenhancesthegamesyouplayto19onthestrengthsyouaredeveloping—muchlikea(n)20exerciseroutinerequiresyoutoincreaseresistanceandvaryyourmuscleuse.1.[A]where[B]when[C]that[D]why2.[A]improves[B]fades[C]recovers[D]collapses3.[A]If[B]Unless[C]Once[D]While4.[A]uneven[B]limited[C]damaging[D]obscure5.[A]wellbeing[B]environment[C]relationship[D]outlook6.[A]turns[B]finds[C]points[D]figures7.[A]roundabouts[B]responses[C]workouts[D]associations8.[A]genre[B]functions[C]circumstances[D]criterion9.[A]channel[B]condition[C]sequence[D]process10.[A]persist[B]believe[C]excel[D]feature11.[A]Therefore[B]Moreover[C]Otherwise[D]However12.[A]accordingto[B]regardlessof[C]apartfrom[D]insteadof13.[A]back[B]further[C]aside[D]around14.[A]sharpness[B]stability[C]framework[D]flexibility15.[A]forces[B]reminds[C]hurries[D]allows16.[A]hold[B]track[C]order[D]pace17.[A]to[B]with[C]for[D]on18.[A]irregularly[B]habitually[C]constantly[D]unusually19.[A]carry[B]put[C]build[D]take20.[A]risky[B]effective[C]idle[D]familiarSectionⅡReadingComprehensionPartADirections:Readthefollowingfourtexts.AnswerthequestionsbeloweachtextbychoosingA,B,CorD.MarkyouranswersontheANSWERSHEET.(40points)Text1Inorderto“changelivesforthebetter”andreduce“dependency”GeorgeOsborne,ChancelloroftheExchequer,introducedthe“upfrontworksearch”scheme.OnlyifthejoblessarriveatthejobcentrewithaCV,registerforonlinejobsearch,andstartlookingforworkwilltheybeeligibleforbenefitandthentheyshouldreportweeklyratherthanfortnightly.Whatcouldbemorereasonable?Moreapparentreasonablenessfollowed.Therewillnowbeaseven-daywaitforthejobseeker’sallowance.“Thosefirstfewdaysshouldbespentlookingforwork,notlookingtosignon.”heclaimed.“We’redoingthesethingsbecauseweknowtheyhelppeoplestayoffbenefitsandhelpthoseonbenefitsgetintoworkfaster.”Help?Really?Onfirsthearing,thiswasthesociallyconcernedchancellor,tryingtochangelivesforthebetter,completewith“reforms”toanobviouslyindulgentsystemthatdemandstoolittleeffortfromthenewlyunemployedtofindwork,andsubsidizeslaziness.Whatmotivatedhim,weweretounderstand,washiszealfor“fundamentalfairness”—protectingthetaxpayer,controllingspendingandensuringthatonlythemostdeservingclaimantsreceivedtheirbenefits.Losingajobishurting:youdon’tskipdowntothejobcentrewithasonginyourheart,delightedattheprospectofdoublingyourincomefromthegenerousstate.Itisfinanciallyterrifying,psychologicallyembarrassingandyouknowthatsupportisminimalandextraordinarilyhardtoget.Youarenownotwanted;yousupportisminimalandextraordinarilyhardtoget.Youarenownotwanted;youarenowexcludedfromtheworkenvironmentthatofferspurposeandstructureinyourlife.Worse,thecrucialincometofeedyourselfandyourfamilyandpaythebillshasdisappeared.Askanyonenewlyunemployedwhattheywantandtheanswerisalways:ajob.ButinOsborneland,yourfirstinstinctistofallintodependency—permanentdependencyifyoucangetit—supportedbyastateonlytooreadytoindulgeyourfalsehood.Itisasthough20yearsofever-tougherreformsofthejobsearchandbenefitadministrationsystemneverhappened.TheprincipleofBritishwelfareisnolongerthatyoucaninsureyourselfagainsttheriskofunemploymentandreceiveunconditionalpaymentsifthedisasterhappens.Eventheveryphrase“jobseeker’sallowance”isaboutredefiningtheunemployedasa“jobseeker”whohadnofundamentalrighttoabenefitheorshehasearnedthroughmakingnationalinsurancecontributions.Instead,theclaimantreceivesatime-limited“allowance,”conditionalonactivelyseekingajob;noentitlementandnoinsurance,at£71.70aweek,oneoftheleastgenerousintheEU.21.GeorgeOsborne’sschemewasintendedto.[A]providetheunemployedwitheasieraccesstobenefits[B]encouragejobseekers’activeengagementinjobseeking[C]motivatetheunemployedtoreportvoluntarily[D]guaranteejobseekers’legitimate