2019广东财经大学考研初试真题：613-英语水平考试

　　广东财经大学硕士研究生入学考试试卷

　　考试年度：2019年 　　　 考试科目代码及名称：613-英语水平考试(自命题)

　　适用专业：050201 英语语言文学

　　[友情提醒：请在考点提供的专用答题纸上答题，答在本卷或草稿纸上无效!]

　　一、Gap Filling 选词填空(用单词列表选词完成段落)(30题，每题1分，共30分)

　　Passage One: fill in the gaps with the proper form of given words

　　pose, exaggerate,　accelerate, extinct, exist, perception，wealthy,

　　magnify, starve, head, run, predict, abundant, conception, reduce

　　For many environmentalists, the world seems to be getting worse. They have developed a hit list of our main fears: natural resources are 1 out? The population is ever growing, leaving less and less to eat? Species are becoming 2 in vast numbers, and the planet's air and water are becoming ever more polluted.

　　But a quick look at the facts shows a different picture. First, energy and other natural resources have become more 3 not less so, since the book 'The Limits to Growth' was published in 1972 by a group of scientists. Second, more food is now produced per 4 of the world's population than at any time in history. Fewer people are 5 . Third, although species are indeed becoming extinct, only about 0.7% of them are expected to disappear in the next 50 years, not 25~50%, as has so often been 6 . And finally, most forms of environmental pollution either appear to have been 7 , or are transient - associated with the early stages of industrialization and therefore best cured not by restricting economic growth, but by 8 it. One form of pollution - the release of greenhouse gases that causes global warming - does appear to be a phenomenon that is going to extend well into our future, but its total impact is unlikely to 9 a devastating problem. A bigger problem may well turn out to be an inappropriate response to it.

　　Yet opinion polls suggest that many people nurture the belief that environmental standards are declining and some factors seem to cause this disjunction between 10 and reality.

　　Passage Two: fill in the gaps with the proper form of given words

　　transplant, solution, gradually, transport, elemental, conflict, continually, mobile,

　　couple, agriculture, including, compromise, require, primary, consist

　　The typical pre-industrial family not only had a good many children, but numerous other dependents as well---grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins. Such "extended" families were suited for survival in slow paced 11 societies. But such families are hard to 12 . They are immobile.

　　Industrialism demanded masses of workers ready and able to move off the land in pursuit of jobs, and to move again whenever necessary. Thus the extended family 13 shed its excess weight and the so-called "nuclear" family emerged---a stripped-down, portable family unit 14 only of parents and a small set of children. This new style family, far more 15 than the traditional extended family, became the standard model in all the industrial counties.

　　Super-industrialism, however, the next stage of eco-technological development, 16 even higher mobility. Thus we may expect many among the people of the future to carry the streamlining process, a stepfather by remaining children, cutting the family down to its more 17 components, a man and a woman. Two people, perhaps with matched careers, will prove more efficient at navigating through education and social status, through job changes and geographic relocations, than the ordinarily child-cluttered family.

　　A 18 may be the postponement of children, rather than childlessness. Men and women today are often torn in 19 between a commitment to career and a commitment to children. In the future, many 20 will sidestep this problem by deferring the entire task of raising children until after retirement.

　　Passage Three: fill in the gaps with the proper form of given words

　　tip , slight, examine, specify, nuisance, associate, sensitive, indicate, superior，suspicious, peak, abundant, treat, prohibit, visual, prevent

　　A rat or pigeon might not be the obvious choice to tend to someone who is sick, but these creatures have some 21 skills that could help the treatment of human diseases.

　　Pigeons are often seen as dirty birds and an urban 22 , but they are just the latest in a long line of animals that have been found to have abilities to help humans. Despite having a brain no bigger than the 23 of your index finger, pigeons have a very impressive 24 memory. Recently it was shown that they could be trained to be as accurate as humans at detecting breast cancer in images.

　　Rats are often 25 with spreading disease rather than 26 it, but this long-tailed animal is highly 27 . Inside a rat's nose are up to 1,000 different types of olfactory receptors , whereas humans only have 100 to 200 types. This gives rats the ability to detect 28 smells. As a result, some rats are being put to work to detect TB. When the rats detect the smell, they stop and rub their legs to 29 a sample is infected.

　　Traditionally, a hundred samples would take lab technicians more than two days to 30, but for a rat it takes less than 20 minutes. This rat detection method doesn't rely on specialist equipment. It is also more accurate — the rats are able to find more TB infections and, therefore, save more lives.

　　二、Proofreading and error correction 改错题 (15题，每题2分，共30分)

　　Passage One

　　Three passions have governed my life: the longing for love, the search into knowledge, and the unbearable __1__pity for the suffering of mankind. I have sought of love, first, because it brings ecstasy--ecstasy so great because I would often have __2__sacrificed all the rest of my life for a few hours for this joy. I have sought it, next, because it relieves loneliness--that terrible loneliness which one shivering consciousness __3__looks over the rim of the world into the cold unfathomable lifeless abyss. I have sought it, then, because in the __4__union of love I have seen, in a mystic miniature, the prefiguring vision of the heaven where saints and poets __5__have imagined. This is what I sought, and though it might seem too good for human life, this is what--at last--i have found.

　　With equal passionate I have sought knowledge. I have wished __6__to understand the hearts of men. I have wished to know why the stars shine...A little this, but not much, I have achieved. __7__Love and knowledge, so far as they were possible, led upward toward the heavens. But it always pity brought __8__me back to earth. Echoes of cries of pain reverberate in my heart. Children in famine, victims tortured by oppressors, helpless old people--a hated burden to their sons, and the whole world of loneliness, poverty and pain make a mock of what __9__human life should be. I long to alleviate the evil, but I cannot, and I too suffer. This has been my life. I have found it worth of living, and would gladly live it again if the chance __10__were offered me.

　　Passage Two

　　Since 1965, when is equipment became operational, a device called Eros has been helped to make sky traffic__11__safe. Eros is short for Eliminate Range Zero System−range zero meaning collision. Basically Eros is a computer system measures, with great speed and precision, closing__12__speed ( the speed at which two objects are approaching each other ) and range (the distance apart of the objects ).Eros can warn aircraft approachable each other at jet__13__speeds and can provide protection for as many as a thousand aircraft in wide area. The pilot of an Eros−equipped aircraft heading for a collision hear a warning noise in his ear−phones__14_when his airborne computer calculates that he is within thirty seconds or half a mile ( whichever occurs first ) of other aircraft.__15__At the same time, a flashing red arrow on the device's indicator panel instructs him to descend. Simultaneously, in the other aircraft, the signal is automatically reversed: the flashing arrow tells the pilot to climb. The newer Eros II system can accommodate a total of two thousand aircraft at one time within a 140−mile radius. Every three seconds, each Eros−equipped plane automatically reports to ground stations and to similarly equipped aircraft its precise range, altitude and approach rate. The producers of Eros, the McDonnell Dougals Corporation in the U.S., are now studying the fitting of Eros and will do more make the sky safer: they will also lighten the work of air−traffic controllers and increase the efficiency of airports.

　　三、Sentence Completion 完成句子(根据提供的词，用合适的形式完成句子) (15题，每题2分，共30分)

　　1. The on a car or other vehicle is the system of gears and shafts by which the power from the engine reaches and turns the wheels. (transmit)

　　2. If the warranty is limited, the terms may you to a replacement or refund.(title)

　　3. If someone or something is for a particular event or situation, they are the cause of it or they can be blamed for it. (responsibility)

　　4. As the day set for drew near, I told my wife that I could not accompany them. (depart)

　　5. He was acting out his feelings of by being overly aggressive. (inferior)

　　6.You have no idea of the of it, I was going completely mad and I wouldn't have

　　stuck it so I knew I had to leave. (awe)

　　7. I knew from the beginning that there was no for what I was doing. (justify)

　　8. He further his activity by convincing himself that he was actually

　　promoting peace. (rational)

　　9. I honestly don't know how I will react the next time I meet a dangerous

　　situation. (potential)

　　10. I have a particular responsibility to I make the right decision. (sure)

　　11. He seemed so sure of his decision, how could he flip-flop so now? (dramatic)

　　12. Independent thinking is an absolute in study. (necessarily)

　　13.Funding also will increase the , quality, and relevance of basic education.(access)

　　14. One of the main design concerns was the building's environmental and

　　appropriation. (adapt)

　　15. It is significantly more compact than any laptop, with no loss in

　　functionality. (compare)

　　四、Reading Comprehension 阅读理解(30题，每题2分，共60分)

　　Passage One

　　To understand the marketing concept, it is only necessary to understand the difference between marketing and selling. Not too many years ago, most industries concentrated primarily on the efficient production of goods, and then relied on "persuasive salesmanship" to move as much of these goods as possible. Such production and selling focuses on the needs of the seller to produce goods and then convert them into money.

　　Marketing, on the other hand focuses on the wants of consumers. It begins with first analyzing the preferences and demands of consumers and then producing goods that will satisfy them. This eye-on-the-consumer approach is known as the marketing concept which simply means that instead of trying to sell whatever is easiest to produce or buy for resale, the makers and dealers first endeavor to find out what the consumer wants to buy and then go about making it available for purchase.

　　This concept does not imply that business is benevolent or that consumer satisfaction is given priority over profit in a company. There are always two sides to every business transaction-the firm and the customer-and each must be satisfied before trade occurs. Successful merchants and producers, however, recognize that the surest route to profit is through understanding and catering to customers. A striking example of the importance of catering to the consumer presented itself in mid-1985, when Coca Cola changed the flavor of its drink. The nonacceptance of the new flavor by a significant portion of the public brought about a prompt restoration of the Classic Coke, which was then marketed alongside the new. King Customer ruled!

　　1.The marketing concept discussed in the passage is, in essence

　　A) a form of persuasive salesmanship.

　　B) the customer-centred approach.

　　C) making goods available for purchase.

　　D) the practice of turning goods into money.

　　2.What was the main concern of industrialists before the marketing concept was widely accepted?

　　A) The needs of the market.

　　B) The preferences of the dealer,

　　C) The efficiency of production.

　　D) The satisfaction of the user.

　　3. According to the passage, "to move as much of these goods as possible"(Line 3, Para.l) means

　　A) to redesign these goods for large-scale production.

　　H) to transport goods as efficiently as possible.

　　C) to sell the largest possible amount of goods.

　　D) to dispose of these goods in large quantities.

　　4.What does the restoration of the Classic Coke best illustrate?

　　A) Products must be designed to suit the taste of the consumer.

　　B) Consumers with conservative tastes are often difficult to please.

　　C) It takes time for a new product to be accepted by the public.

　　D) Traditional goods have a stronger appeal to the majority of people.

　　5. In discussing the marketing concept, the author focuses on

　　A) its social impact.

　　B) its theoretical basis.

　　C) its possible consequence.

　　D) its main characteristic.

　　Passage Two

　　The majority of successful senior managers do not closely follow the classical rational model of first clarifying goals, assessing the problem, formulating options, estimating likelihoods of success, making a decision, and only then taking action to implement the decision. Rather, in their day-by-day tactical maneuvers, these senior executives rely on what is vaguely termed intuition to manage a network of interrelated problems that require them to deal with ambiguity, inconsistency, novelty, and surprise; and to integrate action into the process of thinking.

　　Generations of writers on management have recognized that some practicing managers rely heavily on intuition. In general, however, such writers display a poor grasp of what intuition is. Some see it as the opposite of rationality; others view it as an excuse for capriciousness.

　　Isenberg's recent research on the cognitive processes of senior managers reveals that managers' intuition is neither of these. Rather, senior managers use intuition in at least five distinct ways. First, they intuitively sense when a problem exists. Second, managers rely on intuition to perform well-learned behavior patterns rapidly. This intuition is not arbitrary or irrational, but is based on years of painstaking practice and hands-on experience that build skills. A third function of intuition is to synthesize isolated bits of data and practice into an integrated picture, often in an Aha! experience. Fourth, some managers use intuition as a check on the results of more rational analysis. Most senior executives are familiar with the formal decision analysis models and tools, and those who use such systematic methods for reaching decisions are occasionally leery of solutions suggested by these methods which run counter to their sense of the correct course of action. Finally, managers can use intuition to bypass in-depth analysis and move rapidly to engender a plausible solution. Used in this way, intuition is an almost instantaneous cognitive process in which a manager recognizes familiar patterns.

　　One of the implications of the intuitive style of executive management is that thinking is inseparable from acting. Since managers often know what is right before they can analyze and explain it, they frequently act first and explain later. Analysis is inextricably tied to action in thinking/acting cycles, in which managers develop thoughts about their companies and organizations not by analyzing a problematic situation and then acting, but by acting and analyzing in close concert.

　　Given the great uncertainty of many of the management issues that they face, senior managers often instigate a course of action simply to learn more about an issue. They then use the results of the action to develop a more complete understanding of the issue. One implication of thinking/acting cycles is that action is often part of defining the problem, not just of implementing the solution.

　　6. According to the text, senior managers use intuition in all of the following ways EXCEPT to

　　A) Speed up of the creation of a solution to a problem.

　　B)Identify a problem.

　　C) Bring together disparate facts.

　　D) Stipulate clear goals.

　　7. The text suggests which of the following about the writers on management mentioned in line 1, Par. 2?

　　A) They have criticized managers for not following the classical rational model of decision analysis.

　　B) They have not based their analyses on a sufficiently large sample of actual managers.

　　C) They have relied in drawing their conclusions on what managers say rather than on what managers do.

　　D) They have misunderstood how managers use intuition in making business decisions.

　　8. It can be inferred from the text that which of the following would most probably be one major difference in behavior between Manager X, who uses intuition to reach decisions, and Manager Y, who uses only formal decision analysis?

　　A) Manager X analyzes first and then acts; Manager Y does not.

　　B) Manager X checks possible solutions to a problem by systematic analysis; Manager Y does not.

　　C) Manager X takes action in order to arrive at the solution to a problem; Manager Y does not.

　　D) Manager Y draws on years of hands-on experience in creating a solution to a problem; Manager X does not.

　　9. The text provides support for which of the following statements?

　　A) Managers who rely on intuition are more successful than those who rely on formal decision analysis.

　　B) Managers cannot justify their intuitive decisions.

　　C) Managers’ intuition works contrary to their rational and analytical skills.

　　D) Intuition enables managers to employ their practical experience more efficiently.

　　10. Which of the following best describes the organization of the first paragraph of the text?

　　A) An assertion is made and a specific supporting example is given.

　　B) A conventional model is dismissed and an alternative introduced.

　　C) The results of recent research are introduced and summarized.

　　D) Two opposing points of view are presented and evaluated.

　　Passage Three

　　Chronobiology might sound a little futuristic – like something from a science fiction novel, perhaps – but it’s actually a field of study that concerns one of the oldest processes life on this planet has ever known: short-term rhythms of time and their effect on flora and fauna. This can take many forms. Marine life, for example, is influenced by tidal patterns. Animals tend to be active or inactive depending on the position of the sun or moon. Numerous creatures, humans included, are largely diurnal – that is, they like to come out during the hours of sunlight. Nocturnal animals, such as bats and possums, prefer to forage by night. A third group are known as crepuscular: they thrive in the low light of dawn and dusk and remain inactive at other hours. When it comes to humans, chronobiologists are interested in what is known as the circadian rhythm. This is the complete cycle our bodies are naturally geared to undergo within the passage of a twenty-four hour day. Aside from sleeping at night and waking during the day, each cycle involves many other factors such as changes in blood pressure and body temperature. Not everyone has an identical circadian rhythm. ‘Night people’, for example, often describe how they find it very hard to operate during the morning, but become alert and focused by evening. This is a benign variation within circadian rhythms known as a chronotype. Scientists have limited abilities to create durable modifications of chronobiological demands. Recent therapeutic developments for humans such as artificial light machines and melatonin administration can reset our circadian rhythms, for example, but our bodies can tell the difference and health suffers when we breach these natural rhythms for extended periods of time. Plants appear no more malleable in these three respects; studies demonstrate that vegetables grown in season and ripened on the tree are far higher in essential nutrients than those grown in greenhouses and ripened by laser. Knowledge of chronobiological patterns can have many pragmatic implications for our day-to-day lives. While contemporary living can sometimes appear to subjugate biology – after all, who needs circadian rhythms when we have caffeine pills, energy drinks, shift work and cities that never sleep? – keeping in synch with our body clock is important. The average urban resident, for example, rouses at the eye-blearing time of 6.04 a.m., which researchers believe to be far too early. One study found that even rising at 7.00 a.m. has deleterious effects on health unless exercise is performed for 30 minutes afterward. The optimum moment has been whittled down to 7.22 a.m.; muscle aches, headaches and moodiness were reported to be lowest by participants in the study who awoke then. Once you’re up and ready to go, what then? If you’re trying to shed some extra pounds, dieticians are adamant: never skip breakfast. This disorients your circadian rhythm and puts your body in starvation mode. The recommended course of action is to follow an intense workout with a carbohydrate-rich breakfast; the other way round and weight loss results are not as pronounced. Morning is also great for breaking out the vitamins. Supplement absorption by the body is not temporal-dependent, but naturopath Pam Stone notes that the extra boost at breakfast helps us get energised for the day ahead. For improved absorption, Stone suggests pairing supplements with a food in which they are soluble and steering clear of caffeinated beverages. Finally, Stone warns to take care with storage; high potency is best for absorption, and warmth and humidity are known to deplete the potency of a supplement. After-dinner espressos are becoming more of a tradition – we have the Italians to thank for that – but to prepare for a good night’s sleep we are better off putting the brakes on caffeine consumption as early as 3 p.m. With a seven hour half-life, a cup of coffee containing 90 mg of caffeine taken at this hour could still leave 45 mg of caffeine in your nervous system at ten o’clock that evening. It is essential that, by the time you are ready to sleep, your body is rid of all traces. Evenings are important for winding down before sleep; however, dietician Geraldine George warns that an after-five carbohydrate-fast is more cultural myth than chronobiological demand. This will deprive your body of vital energy needs. Overloading your gut could lead to indigestion, though. Our digestive tracts do not shut down for the night entirely, but their work slows to a crawl as our bodies prepare for sleep. Consuming a modest snack should be entirely sufficient.

　　11. In order to lose weight, we should

　　A) avoid eating breakfast

　　B) eat a low carbohydrate breakfast

　　C) exercise before breakfast

　　D) exercise after breakfast

　　12. Which is NOT mentioned as a way to improve supplement absorption?

　　A) avoiding drinks containing caffeine while taking supplements

　　B) taking supplements at breakfast

　　C) taking supplements with foods that can dissolve them

　　D) storing supplements in a cool, dry environment

　　13. The best time to stop drinking coffee is

　　A) mid-afternoon

　　B) 10 p.m.

　　C) only when feeling anxious

　　D) after dinner 6

　　14. In the evening, we should

　　A) stay away from carbohydrates

　　B) stop exercising

　　C) eat as much as possible

　　D) eat a light meal

　　15. Which of the following phrases best describes the main aim of Reading Passage 1?

　　A) to suggest healthier ways of eating, sleeping and exercising

　　B) to describe how modern life has made chronobiology largely irrelevant

　　C) to introduce chronobiology and describe some practical applications

　　D) to plan a daily schedule that can alter our natural chronobiological rhythms

　　Passage Four

　　While the mission of public schools has expanded beyond education to include social support and extra-curricular activities. the academic schedule has changed little in more than a century.

　　Reclaiming the school day for academic instruction and escaping the timebound traditions of education are vital steps in the school-reform process, says a report released today by the National Education Commission on Time and Learning.

　　The commission's report, titled "Prisoners of Time," calls the fixed clock and calendar in American education a “fundamental design flaw" in desperate need of change. "Time should serve children instead of children serving time." the report says.

　　The two-year commission found that holding American students to "world-class standards." will require more time for classroom instruction. "We have been asking the impossible of our students-that they learn as much as their foreign peers while spending half as much as in core academic subjects." it states.

　　The Commission compared the relationships between time and learning in Japan. Germany, and the United States and found that American students receive less than half the basic academic instruction that Japanese and German students are provided. On average. American students can earn a high school diploma if they spend only 41 percent of their school time on academics, says the report.

　　American students spend an average of three hours a day on "core" academics such as English math, science, and history. the commission found. Their report recommends offering a minimum of 5.5 hours of academics every school day.

　　The nine-member commission also recommends lengthening the school day beyond the traditional six hours.

　　"If schools want to continue offering important activities outside the academic core, as well as serving as a hub for family and community services, they should keep school doors open longer each day and each year." says John Hodge Jones, superintendent of schools in Murfreesboro, Tenn., and chairman of the commission.

　　The typical school year in American public schools is 180 days. Eleven states allow school years of 175 days or less, and only one state requires more than 180 day.

　　"For over a decade. education reform advocates have been working Feverishly to improve our schools,” says Milton Goldberg. executive director of the commission. "But... if reform is to truly take hold, the six-hour, 180-day school year should be relegated to museums-an exhibit from our education past."

　　16. Compared with the academic courses more than a hundred years ago, the academic courses now___________.

　　A) include some extra-curricular activities

　　B) focus more on education of social support

　　C) demand students' more contribution of time

　　D) remain more or less what they used to be

　　17. The researches by the commission mentioned in the passage are most concerned about

　　A) the time attributed to academic learning

　　B) the components of school education

　　C) the changes in education in the recent century

　　D) the fashion of education management

　　18. As it is mentioned in the passage. schools in the United States do the following except

　　A) provide important outside-academic activities

　　B) serve social units such as family and community

　　C) arrange six-hour teaching and learning every day

　　D) have competition with schools of other countries

　　19. American students differ from those in Japan. Germany in that

　　A)they stay at school for a shorter time every day

　　B) they do not learn as much as their counterparts abroad

　　C) they devote less time to academic learning

　　D) they earn a high school diploma more easily

　　20. Executive director of the commission Milton Goldberg would most probably agree that

　　A) what the education reform advocates have done is not good enough

　　B) they time of school day and school year should be extended

　　C) visiting museums can improve students' academic learning ability

　　D) social support and extra-curricular activities should be cancelled

　　Passage Five

　　Office workers who would normally step into a pub or gym to cope with the stress of a working day are being invited instead to sit in front of a painting.

　　Manchester Art Gallery has recruited two of the country's leading experts in stress management to choose pictures that are guaranteed to leave even the most frantic feeling at ease which the world. They have created the "tranquility tour" which allows city-centre workers to spend their lunch hour taking a soothing tour of what are described as "some of the most relaxing and inspiring paintings ever committed to canvas”. The free tour takes the visitor through several centuries of paintings, from the Victorian aesthetic movement through the PreRaphaelite school, to modern abstract art.

　　Kim Gowland, a gallery executive. said: "Looking at art is a stress-relieving activity. What we are trying to do is encourage people who work in the city to spend half an hour of their lunchbreak in the gallery. to chill out rather than rush around the shops."

　　The five works chosen by Andrew Loukes. the gallery's manager, are: John Roddam Spencer Stanhope’s The Waters of Lethe (1880), Turner's Thomson’s Aeolian Harp (1809), Sir John Everett Millais’s Autumn Leaves (1856), James Durden’s Summer in Cumberland (1925) and Bridget Riley’s Zephyr (1976).

　　Mr. Loukes said: "We chose five pictures that suggest restfulness. We also warmed to display the breadth of the collection. We are particularly strong in early-19th and early-20th-century British art."

　　Their therapeutic powers have been endorsed by Olga Gregson and Terry Looker from the Department of Biological Sciences at Manchester Metropolitan University. Dr. Gregson said that "research shows that stress levels have reduced and moods changed for the better” when subjects looked at paintings.

　　"Although art appreciation is very much a matter of personal choice, it is true that some works of art appeal to almost everyone, and that some paintings have qualities that can induce relaxation in most people." Dr. Gregson said. "Great painters such as Leonardo da Vinci were masters of techniques that could evoke particular responses in the viewer."

　　Dr. Gregson said the gallery represented an "oasis of calm". "You have got this wonderful opportunity to evoke a different kind of psycho physiological response."

　　21. What is done by the Manchester Art Gallery is intended to

　　A) find out the relation between paintings and stress-easing

　　B) promote its magnificent collection of British art

　　C) reduce working people's stress levels by art appreciation

　　D) provide an alternative of pastime for consumers

　　22. The tour is named “tranquility tour" because

　　A) it is expected to play a soothing role

　　B) it displays paintings through centuries

　　C) it comprises paintings of various styles

　　D) it only takes a half hour around lunch time

　　23. What does Kim Gowland points out about city-center workers?

　　A) They are pressed by family burden as well as their careers.

　　B) They like going shopping during their short lunchbreak.

　　C) They shouldn't rush around the gallery while looking at art.

　　D) Looking at art is much better than going to pubs or gyms.

　　24. According to the author, the painting's impact on relieving stress is

　　A) based on personal experiences

　　B) vaned from people to people

　　C) in need of further study

　　D) scientifically proven

　　25. It is indicated by Dr. Gregson that da Vinci's paintings can

　　A) suggest restfulness

　　B) arouse diverse feelings

　　C) capture almost everyone

　　D) ease stress in most people

　　Passage Six

　　The first clue came when I got my hair cut.The stylist offered not just

　　the usual coffee or tea but a complimentary nail—polish change while I waited for my hair to dry.Maybe she hoped this little amenity would slow

　　the growing inclination of women to stretch each haircut to last four months

　　while nursing our hair back to Whatever natural colour we long ago forgot.

　　Then there was the appliance salesman who offered to carry my bags as we toured themicrowave aisle.When I called my husband to ask him to check some specs online，the salesman offered a pre-emptive discount lest the surfing turn up

　　the same model cheaper in another store.That night，for the first time，I saw the Hyundai ad promising shoppers that if they buy a car and then lose their job

　　in the next year，they can return it.

　　Suddenly everything’s on sale.The upside to the economic downturn is the immense

　　incentive it gives retailers to treat you like a queen for a day.During the flush

　　times, salespeople were surly, waiters snobby.But now the customer rules just for

　　showing up. There’s more room to stretch out on the flight，even in a coach.

　　The malls have that serene aura of undisturbed wilderness, with scarcely a shopper in

　　sight.Every conversation with anyone selling anything is a pantomime of pain and

　　bluff.Finger the scarf, then start to walk away, and its price floats silkily

　　downward.When the mechanic calls to tell you that brakes and a timing belt and

　　other services will run close to $2,000，it's time to break out the newly perfected art

　　of the considered pause.You really don't even have to say anything pitiful before

　　he'll offer to knock a few hundred dollars off.

　　Restaurants are also caught in a fit of ardent hospitality, especially around Wall Street: Trinity Place offers $3 drinks at happy hour any day the market goes down, with

　　the slogan “Markettanked? Get tanked!”--which ensures a lively crowd for the closing bell.The "21" Club has decided that men no longer need to wear ties，so long as

　　they bring their wallets.Food itself is friendlier：you notice more comfort food，a truce between chef and patron that is easier to enjoy now that you can get a table

　　practically anywhere.New York Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni characterizes

　　the new restaurant demeanor as “extreme solicitousness tinged without right

　　desperation.” “You need to hug the customer,” one owner told him.

　　There's a chance that eventually we'll return all this kindness with the extravagant

　　spending that was once decried but now everyone is hoping will restart the economy.

　　But human nature is funny that way. In dangerous times，we clench and squint

　　at the deal that looks too good to miss，suspecting that it must be too good to

　　be true.Is the store with the super cheap flat screens going to go bust and thus

　　not be there to honor the “free” extended warranty? Is there something wrong with

　　that free cheese? Store owners will tell you horror stories about shoppers with attitude，who walk in demanding discounts and flaunt their new power

　　at every turn. These store owners wince as they sense bad habit forming：

　　Will people expect discounts forever? Will their hard-won brand luster be forever cheapened, especially for items whose allure depends on their being ridiculously priced?

　　There will surely come a day when things go back to “normal”;retail sales even

　　inched up in January after sinking for the previous six months.But I wonder

　　what it will take for US to see those $545 Sigerson Morrison studded

　　toe-ring sandals as reasonable? Bargain-hunting can be addictive regardless of

　　the state of the markets，and haggling is a low-risk, high-value contact sport.

　　Trauma digs deep into habit，like my 85-year—old mother still calling

　　her canned-goods cabinet “the bomb shelter.” The children of the First Depression

　　were saving string and preaching sacrifice long after the skies cleared.They

　　came to be called the “greatest generation.” As we learn to be decent stewards of

　　our resources，who knows what might come of it? We have lived in an age of

　　wanton waste，and there is value in practicing conservation that goes far beyond

　　our own bottom line.

　　26.According to the passage，what does “the first clue” suggest?

　　A) Shops try all kinds of means to please customers.

　　B) Shops，large or small，are offering big discounts.

　　C) Women tend to have their hair cut less frequently.

　　D) Customers refrain from buying things impulsively.

　　27.Which of the following best depicts the retailers now?

　　A) Bad-tempered. B) Highly motivated.

　　C) Over-friendly. D) Deeply frustrated.

　　28.What does the author mean by “the newly perfected art of the considered pause”?

　　A) Customers now rush to buy things on sale.

　　B) Customers have got a sense of superiority.

　　C) Customers have learned how to bargain.

　　D) Customers have higher demands for service.

　　29.According to the passage，“shoppers... flaunt their new power at every turn”

　　means that shoppers would

　　A) keep asking for more discounts.

　　B) like to show that they are powerful.

　　C) like to show off their wealth.

　　D) have more doubts or suspicion.

　　30. What is the author's main message in the last two paragraphs?

　　A) Extravagant spending would boost economic growth.

　　B) One's life experience would turn into lifelong habits.

　　C) Customers should expect discounts for luxury goods.

　　D) The practice of frugality is of great importance.