2008年考研英語模擬試題二及答案解析

　　Text 4

　　When a disease of epidemic proportions rips into the populace， scientists immediately get to work， trying to locate the source of the affliction and find ways to combat it. Oftentimes， success is achieved， as medical science is able to isolate the parasite， germ or cell that causes the problem and finds ways to effectively kill or contain it. In the most serious of cases， in which the entire population of a region or country may be at grave risk， it is deemed necessary to protect the entire population through vaccination， so as to safeguard lives and ensure that the disease will not spread.

　　The process of vaccination allows the patient's body to develop immunity to the virus or disease so that， if it is encountered， one can ward it off naturally. To accomplish this， a small weak or dead strain of the disease is actually injected into the patient in a controlled environment， so that his body's immune system can learn to fight the invader properly. Information on how to penetrate the disease's defenses is transmitted to all elements of the patient's immune system in a process that occurs naturally， in which genetic information is passed from cell to cell. This makes sure that， should the patient later come into contact with the real problem， his body is well equipped and trained to deal with it， having already done so before.

　　There are dangers inherent in the process， however. On occasion， even the weakened version of the disease contained in the vaccine proves too much for the body to handle， resulting in the immune system succumbing， and， therefore， the patient's death. Such is the case of the smallpox vaccine， designed to eradicate the smallpox epidemic that nearly wiped out the entire Native American population and killed massive numbers of settlers. Approximately 1 in 10，000 people who receives the vaccine contract the smallpox disease from the vaccine itself and dies from it. Thus， if the entire population of the United States were to receive the Smallpox Vaccine today， 3000 Americans would be left dead.

　　Fortunately， the smallpox virus was considered eradicated in the early 1970s， ending the mandatory vaccination of all babies in America. In the event of a re-introduction of the disease， however， mandatory vaccinations may resume， resulting in more unexpected deaths from vaccination. The process， which is truly a mixed blessing， may indeed hide some hidden curses.

　　36.The best title for the text may be��

　　[A] “Vaccinations： A Blessing or A Curse”

　　[B] “Principles of Vaccinations”

　　[C] “Vaccines： Methods and Implications”

　　[D] “A Miracle Cure Under Attack”

　　37.What does the example of the Smallpox Vaccine illustrate？

　　[A] The possible negative outcome of administering vaccines.

　　[B] The practical use of a vaccine to control an epidemic disease.

　　[C] The effectiveness of vaccines in eradicating certain disease.

　　[D] The method by which vaccines are employed against the disease.

　　38.The phrase “ward it off naturally” （Paragraph 2） most probably means��

　　[A] dispose of it naturally [B] fight it off with ease

　　[C] see to it reluctantly [D] split it up properly

　　39.Which of the following is true according to the text？

　　[A] Saving the majority would necessarily justify the death of the minority.

　　[B] The immune system can be trained to fight weaker versions of a disease.

　　[C] Mandatory vaccinations are indispensable to the survival of the populace.

　　[D] The process of vaccination remains a mystery to be further resolved.

　　40.The purpose of the author in writing this passage is��

　　[A] to comment and criticize [B] to demonstrate and argue

　　[C] to interest and entertain[D] to explain and inform

　Part B
　　Sample one

　　Directions：

　　In the following text， some sentences have been removed. For Questions 41-45， choose the most suitable one from the list A-G to fit into each of the numbered blanks. There are two extra choices， which do not fit in any of the blanks. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. （10 points）

　　We are seeing a series of paradoxes at the turn of the millennium. On the one hand， globalization means that national frontiers are becoming increasingly meaningless， but on the other， we are being swept by a wave of parochialism， with countries clinging to the notion of sovereignty.41）�盉ut there are so many factors in the world that make this position increasingly meaningless. Governments no longer have complete control over their economic and monetary policies， and many multinationals now have greater profits than individual country's GDP.

　　The end of the cold war has brought its own dangers and we need to find a new balance of power in the world. It has also spawned many conflicts. Governments must be prepared to surrender some authority to global and regional institutions or we risk world disorder. It is tragic that， just when we need a strong international organization， the United Nations is starved of funds and often sidelined by its own member states. What happened in East Timor was unforgivable because it was foreseeable. Angola has been another sad instance of international vacillation. 42）��

　　I do think world war is less likely for the present， although I worry about the proliferation of nuclear weapons at one end and lethal small arms at the other. 43）��

　　Another worry stems from the huge economic imbalances in a world where the richest 20 per cent have 86 per cent of global GDP， and the 20 poorest countries only one per cent.

　　Humanitarian aid is no more than a palliative. 44）�盩he international implications of， for example， the collapse of Africa are unthinkable. There must be a new concept of security based not just on military and defense matters but on economic and social concerns too. 45）��

　　The global pendulum has swung too far towards a total dependence on market forces， but finding some point of balance in the middle is extremely difficult. I am by nature optimistic， but in my gloomier moments I sometimes think the only solution will be an invasion from outer space-then at last everyone would unite！