MBA 联考阅读理解应试教程 A Course of MBA Reading Comprehension

1. MBA联考阅读理解应试教程A Course ofMBA Reading Comprehension

2. 三、词语释义题 词语释义题与一般的词汇测试题不同，它要求考生推测某个超纲词或某个基本词汇或短语、语句在具体语境中的特定含义。 考生要基于上下文来猜测它们的真正的含义。 词语释义题一般有两种类型：1）对某个单个的词或词组进行释义；2）就某个句子进行释义。 词语释义题在阅读理解试题中占的比例为5%左右。 解题步骤： 1）用查读法迅速在文章中找到要解释的词语或语句； 2）研读该词语或语句所在的句子和它的上下句子； 3）结合A，B，C和D选项的解释确定其在文中的特定含义。

3. [例33] 2002年全国MBA入学联考英语试题阅读部分第一篇文章 Shoppers who have flocked to online stores for their holiday shopping are losing privacy with every mouse click, according to a new report. The study by the Washington-based Electronic Privacy Information Center scrutinized（仔细审查）privacy policies on 100 of the most popular online shopping sites and compared those policies with a set of basic privacy principles that have come to be known as “fair information practices.” The group found that none of the 100 sites met all of the basic criteria for privacy protection, which include giving notice of what information is collected and how it is used, offering consumers a choice over whether the information will be used in certain ways, allowing access to data that give consumers a chance to see and correct the information collected, and instituting the kind of security measures that ensure that information won’t fall into the wrong hands.

4. “This study shows that somebody else, other than Santa, is reading your Christmas list,” said Jeff Chester, executive director of the Center for Media Education, which also worked on the survey. The online privacy of children is protected by Federal Trade Commission rules, but adults do not share the same degree of privacy protection. The government, like the online shopping industry, favors self-regulation over imposition of further government restrictions on electronic commerce. Marc Rosenberg, executive director of the privacy group, said the study showed that self-regulations had failed. “We need legislation to enforce fair information practices,” he said, “Consumers are at greater risk than they were in 1997,” when the group released its first report. The survey also asked whether the 100 sites used “profile-based” advertising, and whether the sites incorporate “cookies” technology, which gives Web sites basic information on visitors. Profiling is the practice of gathering information about consumers’ interests by tracing their movements online. The information is then used to create targeted

5. advertising on Web sites. All but 18 of the top shopping sites did display a privacy policy, a major improvement over the early days of electronic commerce, when such policies were scarce. But that did not satisfy the privacy group: “Companies are posting privacy policies, but these policies are not the same thing as fair information practices,” Rosenberg said. The sites also did not perform well by other measures, the group said. It found that 35 of the sites feature profile-based advertising, and 87 percent use cookies. The group concluded that the policies that were posted “are typically confusing, incomplete, and inconsistent.” The report, “Surfer Beware III: Privacy Policies Without Privacy Protection,” is the third such survey by the group. It called for further development of technologies that help consumers protect their privacy and even anonymity when exploring the Internet.

6. 51. What does the sentence “This study shows that somebody else, other than Santa, is reading your Christmas list” mean? A.The study shows that someone else would buy consumers a gift for Christmas. B.The study shows that consumers’ privacy is being invaded. C.The study shows that companies want to make a Christmas list for children. D.The study shows that Santa would not bring the Christmas gifts this year.

7. [例34] 2002年全国MBA入学联考英语试题阅读部分第二篇文章第一、二段 Suppose you go into a fruiterer’s shop, wanting an apple – you take up one, and on biting it you find it is sour; you look at it, and see that it is hard and green. You take up another one, and that, too, is hard, green, and sour. The shopman offers you a third; but, before biting it, you examine it, and find that it is hard and green, and you immediately say that you will not have it, as it must be sour, like those that you have already tried. Nothing can be more simple than that, you think; but if you will take the trouble to analyze and trace out into its logical elements that has been done by the mind, you will be greatly surprised. In the first place you have performed the operation of induction. You find that, in two experiences, hardness and greenness in apples went together with sourness. It was so in the first case, and it was confirmed by the second. True, it is a very small basis, but still it is enough from which to make an induction; you generalized the facts, and you expect to find sourness in apples where you get hardness and greenness. You found upon that a

8. general law, that all hard and green apples are sour; and that, so far as it goes, is a perfect induction. Well, having got your natural law in this way, when you are offered another apple which you find it hard and green, you say, “All hard and green apples are sour; this apple is hard and green; therefore, this apple is sour.” That train of reasoning is what logicians call a syllogism (三段论法), and has all its various parts and terms – its major premises, its minor premises, and conclusion. And, by the help of further reasoning, which, if drawn out, would have to be exhibited in two or three other syllogisms, you arrive at your final determination. “I will not have that apple.” So that, you see, you have, in the first place, established a law by induction, and upon that you have founded a deduction, and reasoned out the special particular case. 56. The term “natural law” as it appears in the text refers to __________. A. common sense B. the result of an induction C. the order of nature D. a scientific discovery

9. [例文35] 2003年全国MBA入学联考英语试题阅读部分第四篇文章 The truly incompetent may never know the depths of their own incompetence, a pair of social psychologists said on Thursday. "We found again and again that people who perform poorly relative to their peers ( 同等人)tended to think that they did rather well. " Justin Kruger, co-author of a study on the subject, said in a telephone interview. Kruger and co-author David Dunning found that when it came to a variety of skills--logical reasoning, grammar, even sense of humor--people who essentially were inept( 无能的；愚蠢的) never realized it , while those who had some ability were self-critical. It had little to do with innate modesty, Kruger said, but rather with a central paradox:Incompetents lack the basic skills to evaluate their performance realistically. Once they get those skills, they know where they stand, even if that is at the bottom.

10. Americans and Western Europeans especially had an unrealistically sunny assessment of their own capabilities, Dunning said by telephone in a separate interview, while Japanese and Koreans tended to give a reasonable assessment of their performance. In certain areas, such as athletic performance, which can be easily quantified, there is less self-delusion(欺骗), the researchers said. But even in some cases in which the failure should seem obvious, the perpetrator is blithely (愉快的；快活的) unaware of the problem. This was especially true in the areas of logical reasoning, where research subjects--students at Cornell University, where the two researchers were based--often rated themselves highly even when they flubbed(搞得一团糟) all questions in a reasoning test. Later, when the students were instructed in logical reasoning, they scored better on a test but rate themselves lower, having learned what constituted competence in this area. Grammar was another area in which objective knowledge was helpful in determining competence, but the more subjective area of

11. humor posed different challenges, the researchers said. Participants were asked to rate how funny certain jokes were, and compare their responses with what an expert panel of comedians thought. On average, participants overestimated their sense of humor by about 16 percentage points. This might be thought of as the "above-average effect ", the notion that most Americans would rate themselves as above average, a statistical impossibility. The researchers also conducted pilot studies of doctors and gun enthusiasts. The doctors overestimated how well they had performed on a test of medical diagnoses and the gun fanciers thought they knew more than they actually did about gun safety. So who should be trusted: The person who admits incompetence or the one who shows confidence? Neither, according to Dunning. "You can't take them at their word. You've got to take a look at their performance,“ Dunning added.

12. 65. What do you know about "above-average effect" based on the passage? A. Most Americans assess themselves as above average. B. American doctors overestimated how well they had performed on a test of medical diagnoses. C. American gun enthusiasts thought they knew more than they actually did about gun safety. D. All of the above.

13. 四、推断题 推断题是阅读理解试题中高难度的一种题型，要求考生根据阅读材料所提供的信息来进行推理、归纳，从而得出合乎逻辑的推断。 推断题的答案一般不能在原文中直接找到，但大部分文章都会给出间接的提示，考生首先要弄懂文章表面的意思，然后从字里行间中根据某些线索进行合理的归纳或推理。掌握文章的主旨有助于合理的推理。 推断题的设计有一个特点：某一个选项是正确答案，其他三个选项一般都是文中的某个细节。也就是说，其他三个选项在文章中都有出处。 解题方法：用做细节题的方法将各选项与原文定位处进行对比，逐一排除与原文内容不符的选项。

14. [例文36] 2001年全国MBA入学联考英语试题阅读部分第一篇文章最后一段 Letting the bank fail seemed too risky. It was estimated that more than 100 other banks had placed enough funds in Continental to put them at risk if Continental failed. Thus, on a rainy Thursday at the end of July, the FDIC in effect nationalized Continental Illinois at a cost Of $ 4. 5 billion. This kept the bank's doors open and prevented a chain reaction. However, in all but a technical sense. Continental had become the biggest bank failure in U.S. history. 33. The nationalization of Continental________. A. saved it B. made "hot money" owners continue to pull their funds out of Continental C. almost brought down the banking system D. fired many high-ranking officers

15. [例37] 2002年全国MBA入学联考英语试题阅读部分第一篇文章 Shoppers who have flocked to online stores for their holiday shopping are losing privacy with every mouse click, according to a new report. The study by the Washington-based Electronic Privacy Information Center scrutinized（仔细审查）privacy policies on 100 of the most popular online shopping sites and compared those policies with a set of basic privacy principles that have come to be known as “fair information practices.” The group found that none of the 100 sites met all of the basic criteria for privacy protection, which include giving notice of what information is collected and how it is used, offering consumers a choice over whether the information will be used in certain ways, allowing access to data that give consumers a chance to see and correct the information collected, and instituting the kind of security measures that ensure that information won’t fall into the wrong hands.

16. “This study shows that somebody else, other than Santa, is reading your Christmas list,” said Jeff Chester, executive director of the Center for Media Education, which also worked on the survey. The online privacy of children is protected by Federal Trade Commission rules, but adults do not share the same degree of privacy protection. The government, like the online shopping industry, favors self-regulation over imposition of further government restrictions on electronic commerce. Marc Rosenberg, executive director of the privacy group, said the study showed that self-regulations had failed. “We need legislation to enforce fair information practices,” he said, “Consumers are at greater risk than they were in 1997,” when the group released its first report. The survey also asked whether the 100 sites used “profile-based” advertising, and whether the sites incorporate “cookies” technology, which gives Web sites basic information on visitors. Profiling is the practice of gathering information about consumers’ interests by tracing their movements online. The information is then used to create targeted BC

17. advertising on Web sites. All but 18 of the top shopping sites did display a privacy policy, a major improvement over the early days of electronic commerce, when such policies were scarce. But that did not satisfy the privacy group: “Companies are posting privacy policies, but these policies are not the same thing as fair information practices,” Rosenberg said. The sites also did not perform well by other measures, the group said. It found that 35 of the sites feature profile-based advertising, and 87 percent use cookies. The group concluded that the policies that were posted “are typically confusing, incomplete, and inconsistent.” The report, “Surfer Beware III: Privacy Policies Without Privacy Protection,” is the third such survey by the group. It called for further development of technologies that help consumers protect their privacy and even anonymity when exploring the Internet. D A

18. 53. It could be drawn from the passage that ___________. A. the Washington-based Electronic Privacy Information Center has released at least 3 reports concerning the online privacy B. adults cannot get any online privacy protection C. both the online privacy of children and that of adults are not protected by FTC rules D. only 18 of the top shopping sites displayed a privacy policy nowadays

19. [例文38] 2002年全国MBA入学联考英语试题阅读部分第二篇文章最后一段 Well now, suppose, having got your conclusion of the law, that at some times afterwards, you are discussing the qualities of apple with a friend; you will say to him, "It is a very curious thing, but I find that all hard and green apples are sour!" Your friend says to you, "But how do you know that?" You at once reply, "Oh, because I have tried them over and over again, and have always found them to be son. " Well, if we were talking science instead of common sense, we should call that an experimental verification. And, if still opposed, you go further, and say, "I have heard from people. In Somersetshire and Devonshire, where a large number of apples are grown, and in London, where many apples are sold and eaten, that they have observed the same thing. It is also found to be the case in Normandy, and in North America. In short, I find it to be the universal experience of mankind wherever attention has been directed to the subject. " Whereupon, your friend, unless he is a very unreasonable man, agrees with you, and is perhaps he does not know he believes it, that the more extensive verifications have been made, and

20. results of the same kind arrived at--that the more varied the conditions under which the same results are attained, the more certain is the ultimate conclusion, and he disputes the question no further. He sees that the experiment has been tried under all sorts of conditions, as to time, place, and people, with the same result; and he says with you, therefore, that the law you have laid down must be a good one, and he must believe it. 58. The writer is probably __________________. A. French B. English C. American D. None of the above

21. 五、是非判断题 是非判断题主要询问各选项的陈述是否与文章中的事实相符或不相符。 问题既可以针对文章中的细节进行设计，也可以针对某一句话，某一个段落，甚至整个篇章的推断进行设计。答案或者是文章的内容，或者是文章以外的内容。 解题方法：使用排除法，将选项分别带进原文，查明各选项是否与原文内容相符或不符。 是非判断题出题率较高，占阅读理解题量的30%左右，仅次于细节题，因此，要引起足够重视。

22. [例39] 2000年全国MBA入学联考英语试题阅读部分第一篇文章 In recent years many countries of the world have been faced with the problem of how to make their workers more productive. Some experts claim the answer is to make jobs more varied. But do more varied jobs lead to greater productivity? There is evidence to suggest that while variety certainly makes the workers’ life more enjoyable, it does not actually make them work harder. As far as increasing productivity is concerned, then variety is not an important factor. Other experts feel that giving the workers freedom to do their jobs in their own way is important and there is no doubt that this is true. The problem is that this kind of freedom cannot easily be given in the modern factory with its complicated machinery which must be used in a fixed way. Thus while freedom of choice may be important, there is usually very little that can be done to create it. Another important consideration is how much each worker contributes to the product he is making. In most of factories employers are now experimenting with having many

23. small production lines rather than one large one, so that each worker contributes more to the production of the cars on his line. It would seem that not only is degree of worker contribution an important factor, but it is also one we can do something about. To what extent does more money lead to greater productivity? The workers themselves certainly think this important. But perhaps they want more money only because the work they do is so boring. Money just lets them enjoy their spare time more. A similar argument may explain demands for shorter working hours. Perhaps if we succeed in making their jobs more interesting, they will neither want more money, nor will shorter working hours be so important to them.

24. 21. Which of these possible factors leading to greater productivity is NOT true? A. To make jobs more varied. B. To give the workers freedom to do their jobs in their own way. C. Degree of worker contribution. D. Demands for longer working hours.

25. [例40] 2000年全国MBA入学联考英语试题阅读部分第二篇文章 The Internet can make the news more democratic, giving the public a chance to ask questions and seek out facts behind stories and candidates, according to the head of the largest US on-line service. “But the greatest potential for public participation is still in the future,” Steve Case, Chairman of America On-line, told a recent meeting on Journalism and the Internet sponsored by the Freedom Forum （讨论会）. However, some other experts often say the new technology of computers is changing the face of journalism, giving reporters access to more information and their readers a chance to ask questions and turn to different sources. “You don’t have to buy a newspaper and be confined to the four corners of that paper any more,” Sam Meddis, on-line technology editor at USA Today, observed about the variety of information available to computer users. A C B

26. But the experts noted the easy access to the Internet also means anyone can post information for others to see. “ Anyone can say anything they want, whether it’s right or wrong,” said Case. Readers have to determine for themselves who to trust. “In a world of almost infinite voices, respected journalists and respected brand names will probably become more important, not less,” Case said. The Internet today is about where radio was 80 years ago, or television 50 years ago or cable 25 years ago, he said. But it is growing rapidly because it provides people with fast access to news and a chance to comment on it. D 26. It can be inferred from this passage that the fact that ________ may NOT be regarded as an advantage of the Internet. A. the news can be made more democratic B. the public can turn to different sources C. the public can get a chance to ask questions D. anything can be posted on the Internet for others to see

27. 28. Which of the following statements is true? A. Only respected journalists can post information on the Internet for others to see. B. Respected journalists will probably become more important than before. C. Everyone is using the Internet now. D. The greatest potential of public participation of the Internet is in the near future.

28. [例文41] 2001年全国MBA入学联考英语试题阅读部分第五篇文章 In a sense, the new protectionism is not protectionism at all, at least not in the traditional sense of the term. The old protectionism referred only to trade-restricting and trade-expanding devices, such as the tariff or export subsidy. The new protectionism is much broader than this; it includes interventions into foreign trade but is not limited to them. The new protectionism, in fact, refers to how the whole of government intervention into the private economy affects international trade. The emphasis on trade is still there, thus came the term "protection. " But what is new is the realization that virtually all government activities can affect international economic relations. The emergence of the new protectionism in the Western world reflects the victory of the interventionist, or welfare economy over the market economy. Jab Tumiler writes, "The old protectionism…coexisted, without any apparent intellectual difficulty with the acceptance of the market as a national as well as an international economic distribution mechanism -- indeed, protectionists as well as (if not more than) free

29. traders stood for laissez-faire(放任政策). Now, as in the 1930's, protectionism is an expression of a profound skepticism as to the ability of the market to distribute resources and incomes to societies' satisfaction.” It is precisely this profound skepticism of the market economy that is responsible for the protectionism. In a market economy, economic change of various colors implies redistribution of resources and incomes. The same opinion in many communities apparently is that such redistributions often are not proper. Therefore, the government intervenes (干涉；干预) to bring about a more desired result. The victory of the welfare state is almost complete in northern Europe. In Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, and the Netherlands, government intervention in almost all aspects of economic and social life is considered normal. In Great Britain this is only somewhat less true. Government traditionally has played a very active role in economic life in France and continued to do so. Only West Germany dares to go against the tide towards excessive interventionism in Western Europe. It

30. also happens to be the most successful Western European economy. The welfare state has made significant progress in the United States as well as in Western Europe. Social security, unemployment insurance, minimum-wage laws, and rent control are by now traditional welfare state elements on the American scene. 48. Which of the following statements is NOT a characteristic of a welfare state mentioned in this passage? A. Free education is available to a child. B. Laws are made to fix the minimum wage. C. A jobless person can be insured. D. There are regulations for rent.

31. [例文42] 2002年全国MBA入学联考英语试题阅读部分第四篇文章第四段及以后的内容 As you can imagine, changing a company's corporate culture can be very difficult. But some managers try to do just that when they feel the current culture is weak, or when the organization's objectives change and the old culture no longer fits. Sometimes the competitive situation of a company changes; electric utilities, which once had their profits guaranteed by public regulation, now face capitalist-style competition. Firms that were comfortably competing against other American companies now find themselves fighting competitors from overseas, too. Management expert Peter Drucker feels that, rather than trying to change culture, managers should focus on changing employees' habits, as follows: - Define what results are needed. Specify in measurable terms what the organization (or department, or office) needs to achieve.

32. - Determine where these results are already being achieved within the current organization. Analyze the departments that are already effective. Find out what they are doing differently from the rest. - Determine what top management can do to encourage these good results. Drucker suggests that executives openly ask what they can do to help, and then do it. - Change the reward system--or develop a new one--to recognize these effective habits. When employees realize that the organization really does reward the new approach, they will adopt it much more quickly. Whether one wants to change an organization's culture or not, it is important to choose managers and employees whose personal styles fit the organizations' goals.

33. 63. According to the author, which of the following is true? A. The corporate culture of a corporation can be hard to change. B. The corporate culture of a corporation should never be changed. C. Strong corporate cultures should not be changed. D. Strong corporate culture is harder to be changed than weak ones. 注意：一般来说，选项中若含有像always, all, never, only, any 等绝对词，这个选项绝大多数不是正确选项。

34. [例43] 2003年全国MBA入学联考英语试题阅读部分第一篇文章 A little more than a century ago, Michael Faraday, the noted British physicist, managed to gain audience with a group of high government officials, to demonstrate an electrochemical principle, in the hope of gaining support for his work. After observing the demonstrations closely, one of the officials remarked bluntly, “It’s a fascinating demonstration, young man, but just what practical application will come of this?” “I don’t know,” replied Faraday, “but I do know that 100 years from now you’ll be taxing them.” From the demonstration of a principle to the marketing of products derived from that principle is often a long, involved series of steps. The speed and effectiveness with which these steps are taken are closely related to the history of management, the art of getting things done. Just as management applies to the wonders that have evolved from Faraday

35. and other inventors, so it applied some 4,000 years ago to the working of the great Egyptian and Mesopotamian import and export firms… to Hannibal’s remarkable feat of crossing the Alps in 218 B.C. with 90,000 foot soldiers, 12,000 horsemen and a “conveyor belt” of 40 elephants… or to the early Christian Church, with its world-shaking concepts of individual freedom and equality. These ancient innovators were deeply involved in the problems of authority, divisions of labor, discipline, unity of command, clarity of direction and the other basic factors that are so meaningful to management today. But the real impetus to management as an emerging profession was the Industrial Revolution. Originating in 18th-century England, it was triggered by a series of classic inventions and new processes; among them John Kay’s flying Shuttle in 1733. James Hargreaves’ Spinning Jenny in 1770, Samuel Crompton’s Mule Spinner in 1779 and Edmud Cartwright’s Power Loom in 1785.

36. 54. A problem of management NOT mentioned in this passage is ______. A. the problem of command B. division of labor C. control by authority D. competition

37. 六、判断作者观点和态度题 此题型主要针对作者对某一问题的观点和态度提问。 判断作者观点和态度题在MBA联考英语阅读理解试题中出题率最低。 解题方法： 1）认真阅读文章的开头和结尾，因为开头和结尾对于文章（尤其是议论文）都是最能提供信息的地方。 为了能让读者迅速把握自己的观点，作者往往一开始就提出自己的观点，并在文章结束时再换一种方式重复一遍。 2）注意文章中能表达作者态度的形容词和副词，如作者如果想支持或赞美某一件事或观点，会用一些积极的形容词，诸如good, wonderful 等，反之就会用一些非积极的形容词如bad, noisy 等。

38. 常用来表示作者态度的形容词：

39. [例文44] 1997年全国MBA入学联考英语试题阅读部分第三篇文章 In the United States, it is not customary to telephone someone very early in the morning. If you telephone him early in the day, while he is shaving or having breakfast, the time of the call shows that the matter is very important and requires immediate attention. The same meaning is attached to telephone calls made after 11:00 p. m.. If someone receives a call during sleeping hours, he assumes it's a matter of life and death. The time chosen for the call communicates its importance. In social life, time plays a very important part. In the U. S. A., guests tend to feel they are not highly regarded if the invitation to a dinner party is extended only three or four days before the party-date. But it is not true in all countries. In other areas of the world it may be considered foolish to make an appointment too far in advance because plans which are made for a date more than a week away tend to be forgotten. The meaning of time differs in different parts of the world. Thus, misunderstandings arise between people from various cultures that treat time differently; promptness(准时) is valued highly in American

40. life, for example. If people are not prompt, they may be regarded as impolite or not fully responsible. In the U. S., no one would think of keeping a business friend waiting for an hour; it would be too impolite. A person who is 5 minutes late is expected to make a short apology. If he is less than 5 minutes late, he will say a few words of explanation, though perhaps he will not complete the sentence. 35. According to the passage, the author of the article may agree with which of the following statements? A. It is appropriate to send your invitation cards three or four days before a dinner party-date in the U. S. B. It may be appropriate to send your invitation cards to your guests three or four days before a dinner party-date in some cultures. C. It is best for one to make telephone calls at night because it costs much less. D. If one is less than 5 minutes late, he has to make a short apology.

41. [例文45] 1999年全国MBA入学联考英语试题阅读部分第一篇文章 Around the world more and more people are taking part in dangerous sports and activities. Of course, there have always been people who have looked for adventure—those who have climbed the highest mountains, explored unknown parts of the world or sailed in small boats across, the greatest oceans. Now, however, there are people who seek an immediate excitement from a risky activity which may only last a few minutes or even seconds. I would consider bungee jumping to be a good example of such an activity. You jump from a high place (perhaps a bridge or a hot-air balloon) 200 meters above the ground with an elastic rope tied to your ankles. You fall at up to 150 kilometers an hour until the rope stops you from hitting the ground. It is estimated that two million people around the word have now tried bungee jumping. Other activities which most people would say are as risky as bungee jumping involve jumping from tall buildings and diving into the sea from the top of high cliffs.

42. Why do people take part in such activities as these? Some psychologists suggest that it is because life in modem societies has become safe and boring. Not very long ago, people's lives were constantly under threat. They had to go out and hunt for food; diseases could not easily be cured; and life was a continuous battle for survival. Nowadays, according to many people, life offers little excitement. They live and work in comparatively safe environment; they buy food in shops; and there are doctors and hospitals to look after them if they become ill. The answer for some of these people is to seek danger in activities such as bungee jumping. 24. The writer of the passage has a(n) ________ attitude towards dangerous sports. A. positive B. negative C. objective D. subjective

43. MBA 阅读理解练习II Passage 1 B D D A Passage 2 B C C A Passage 3 B A B D Passage 4 C A C A