2017年考研英语真题与翻译

平线之外东西的好奇心，早期的波利尼西亚人首次踏上了夏威夷海岸，而同样的好奇心则鼓舞今天的天文学家去探索天堂。那些要求拆除冒纳凯阿火山上所有望远镜或禁止未来所有发展的呼吁忽视了一个事实，那就是天文学和夏威夷文化都在探寻解答有关于我们是谁、我们来自哪里以及我们到哪里去这样的宏大问题。也许这就是我们探索繁星天空的原因，好像我们正在回应一个原始的召唤，去了解我们自己以及我们真正的祖先起源。

天文学界正在做出妥协，他们改变了对冒纳凯阿火山的使用方式。他们在岛上选了一个尽可能隐蔽的地方来修建30米望远镜观望台，并尽可能避免对考古和环境造成影响。为了限制冒纳凯阿火山上望远镜的数量，旧的望远镜在达到使用年限时就会被移除，并让它们的原址回归到自然状态。因此，任何人都应被欢迎在冒纳凯阿火山拥抱他们的文化遗产，研究天空的繁星。

Text 3

Robert F. Kennedy once said that a country’s GDP measures ―everything except that which makes life worthwhile.‖ With Britain voting to leave the European Union, and GDP already predicted to slow as a result, it is now a timely moment to assess what he was referring to.

The question of GDP and its usefulness has annoyed policymakers for over half a century. Many argue that it is a flawed concept. It measures things that do not matter and misses things that do. By most recent measures, the UK’s GDP has been the envy of the Western world, with record low unemployment and high growth figures. If everything was going so well, then why did over 17 million people vote for Brexit, despite the warnings about what it could do to their country’s economic prospects?

A recent annual study of countries and their ability to convert growth into well-being sheds some light on that question. Across the 163 countries measured, the UK is one of the poorest performers in ensuring that economic growth is translated into meaningful improvements for its citizens. Rather than just focusing on GDP, over 40 different sets of criteria from health, education and civil society engagement have been measured to get a more rounded assessment of how countries are performing.

While all of these countries face their own challenges,there are a number of consistent themes.Yes,there has been a budding economic recovery since the 2008 global crash,but in key indicators in areas such as health and education, major

economies have continued to decline. Yet this isn’t the case with all countries. Some relatively poor European countries have seen huge improvements across measures including civil society , income equality and the environment.

This is a lesson that rich countries can learn: When GDP is no longer regarded as the sole measure of a country’s success, the world looks very different .

So, what Kennedy was referring to was that while GDP has been the most common method for measuring the economic activity of nations,as a measure,it is no longer enough.It does not include important factors such as environmental quality or education outcomes – all things that contribute to a person’s sense of well-being.

The sharp hit to growth predicted around the world and in the UK could lead to a decline in the everyday services we depend on for our well-being and for growth.But policymakers who refocus efforts on improving well-being rather than simply worrying about GDP figures could avoid the forecasted doom and may even see progress.

31.Robert F.Kennedy is cited because he_________. [A]praised the UK for its GDP [B]identified GDP with happiness [C]misinterpreted the role of GDP [D]had a low opinion of GDP

32.It can be inferred from Paragraph 2 that________. [A]the UK is reluctant to remold its economic pattern

[B]GDP as the measure of success is widely defied in the UK [C]the UK will contribute less to the world economy

[D]policymakers in the UK are paying less attention to GDP

33.Which of the following is true about the recent annual study ? [A]It is sponsored by 163 countries. [B]It excludes GDP as an indicator. [C]Its criteria are questionable. [D]Its results are enlightening.

34.In the last two paragraphs , the author suggests that_________. [A]the UK is preparing for an economic boom [B]high GDP foreshadows an economic decline [C]it is essential to consider factors beyond GDP [D]it requires caution to handle economic issues

35.Which of the following is the best title for the text ? [A]High GDP But Inadequate Well-being, a UK Lesson [B]GDP Figures, a Window on Global Economic Health [C]Rebort F. Kennedy,a Terminator of GDP [D]Brexit, the UK’s Gateway to Well-being

Text 3

全文翻译

罗伯特·肯尼迪曾说过，一个国家的GDP能衡量“除了使生活变得有意义的事之外的任何事物。”由于英国投票决定脱离欧盟，其GDP预计会出现下跌。现在是时候来思考肯尼迪所说的话了。

有关对GDP及其有用性的质疑已经困扰政策制定者超过半世纪了。许多人认为GDP是一个有瑕疵的概念。其衡量一些无关紧要的事物，而没有衡量一些重要的事物。最近的衡量结果表明，英国的GDP因其低失业率以及高增长而令西方世界羡慕。如果一切进展得如此顺利，那为什么1.7亿人在被警告说脱欧将会影响国家经济前景的情况下还要投票支持脱离欧盟呢？

最近一份调查了各国和它们将经济增长转换为幸福感能力的年度报告可能会对上述问题有一定的启示性作用。在163个被调查的国家中，英国在确保将增长转化为公民生活水平提升方面是表现得最差的国家之一。这次调查并没有将衡量重心放在GDP上，其还涉及到了包括健康、教育以及公民社会参与度等40多项不同的指标，以求对接受调查的国家的表现做一个更加全面的评估。

尽管这些国家都面临挑战，但仍然存在许多持续性的主题。确实，自2008年全球衰退以来，经济复苏缓慢，但主要经济体在医疗和教育领域的关键性指标呈现出继续下滑的态势。然而，这并不是所有国家面临的情况。一些相对贫困的欧洲国家在公民社会、收入平等以及环保等指标上都取得了显著的进步。

这是富裕国家需要学习的经验：当GDP不再被视为衡量国家成功的唯一标

准时，这个世界会变得与众不同。

所以，肯尼迪的言外之意是，尽管GDP是最常用的衡量一个国家经济活动的方法之一，但作为衡量指标，GDP已经不够用了。其并不包括一些重要的因素，比如环境质量或教育成果这些能提升人类幸福感的事物。

意料中全世界及英国经济增长的受挫会导致我们幸福感和经济增长所依赖的日常服务有所下滑。但那些将重心重新放在如何提升幸福感上，而不是简单考虑GDP数据的政策制定者将会避开可以预见的风暴，并能看到进步。

Text 4

In a rare unanimous ruling, the US Supreme Court has overturned the corruption conviction of a former Virginia governor, Robert McDonnell. But it did so while holding its nose at the ethics of his conduct, which included accepting gifts such as a Rolex watch and a Ferrari automobile from a company seeking access to government.

The high court’s decision said the judge in Mr. McDonnell’s trial failed to tell a jury that it must look only at his ―official acts,‖ or the former governor’s decisions on ―specific‖ and ―unsettled‖ issues related to his duties.

Merely helping a gift-giver gain access to other officials, unless done with clear intent to pressure those officials, is not corruption, the justices found.

The court did suggest that accepting favors in return for opening doors is ―distasteful‖ and ―nasty.‖ But under anti-bribery laws, proof must be made of concrete benefits, such as approval of a contract or regulation. Simply arranging a meeting, making a phone call, or hosting an event is not an ―official act‖.

The court’s ruling is legally sound in defining a kind of favoritism that is not criminal. Elected leaders must be allowed to help supporters deal with bureaucratic problems without fear of prosecution for bribery.―The basic compact underlying representative government,‖ wrote Chief Justice John Roberts for the court,―assumes that public officials will hear from their constituents and act on their concerns.‖

But the ruling reinforces the need for citizens and their elected representatives, not the courts, to ensure equality of access to government. Officials must not be allowed to play favorites in providing information or in arranging meetings simply because an individual or group provides a campaign donation or a personal gift. This type of integrity requires well-enforced laws in government transparency, such as records of official meetings, rules on lobbying, and information about each elected leader’s source of wealth.

Favoritism in official access can fan public perceptions of corruption. But it is