2008年考研英语完形填空真题解析

　　The idea that some groups of people may be more intelligent than others is one of those hypotheses that dare not speak its name. But Gregory Cochran is  1  to say it anyway. He is that  2  bird, a scientist who works independently  3  any institution. He helped popularize the idea that some diseases not 4 thought to have a bacterial cause were actually infections, which aroused much controversy when it was first suggested。

　　5  he, however, might tremble at the  6  of what he is about to do. Together with another two scientists, he is publishing a paper which not only  7  that one group of humanity is more intelligent than the others, but explains the process that has brought this about. The group in  8  is a particular people originated from central Europe. The process is natural selection。

　　This group generally does well in IQ test,  9  12-15 points above the  10  value of 100, and have contributed  11  to the intellectual and cultural life of the West, as the  12  of their elites, including several world-renowned scientists,  13  . They also suffer more often than most people from a number of nasty genetic diseases, such as breast cancer. These facts,  14  , have previously been thought unrelated. The former has been  15  to social effects, such as a strong tradition of  16  education. The latter was seen as a (an)  17  of genetic isolation. Dr. Cochran suggests that the intelligence and diseases are intimately  18  . His argument is that the unusual history of these people has  19  them to unique evolutionary pressures that have resulted in this 20  state of affairs。

　　1. ［A］ selected［B］prepared［C］ obliged［D］ pleased

　　2. ［A］ unique［B］particular［C］ special［D］ rare

　　3. ［A］ of［B］with［C］ in［D］ against

　　4. ［A］ subsequently［B］presently［C］ previously［D］ lately

　　5. ［A］ Only［B］ So［C］ Even［D］ Hence

　　6. ［A］ thought［B］sight［C］ cost［D］ risk

　　7. ［A］ advises［B］suggests［C］ protests［D］ objects

　　8. ［A］ progress［B］fact［C］ need［D］ question

　　9. ［A］ attaining［B］common［C］ mean［D］ calculating

　　10. ［A］ normal［B］common［C］ mean［D］ total

　　11. ［A］ unconsciously［B］disproportionately［C］ indefinitely［D］ unaccountably

　　12. ［A］ missions［B］fortunes［C］ interests［D］ careers

　　13. ［A］ affirm［B］witness［C］ observe［D］ approve

　　14. ［A］ moreover［B］therefore［C］ however［D］ meanwhile

　　15. ［A］ given up［B］got over［C］ carried on［D］ put down

　　16. ［A］ assessing［B］supervising［C］ administering［D］ valuing

　　17. ［A］ development［B］origin［C］ consequence［D］instrument

　　18. ［A］ linked［B］integrated［C］ woven［D］ combined

　　19. ［A］ limited［B］subjected［C］ converted［D］ directed

　　20. ［A］ paradoxical［B］incompatible［C］ inevitable［D］ continuous

　　文章背景

　　这是一篇介绍个人学术观点的说明文，文章内容主要围绕一部分人是否比另外一部分人聪明这个主题展开。该文原文刊登在2005年6月2日的《经济学人》杂志上，原文的标题是The Evolution of Intelligence(智力的进化)，命题专家对原文进行了一定的简化，但是意思没有发生丝毫的变化。

　　文章结构

　　文章采用了总分的叙述方式，文章第一段的前两句话就是文章叙述的主题，全片文章围绕这个主题展开。

　　第一段：

　　The idea that some groups of people may be more intelligent than others is one of those hypotheses that dare not speak its name. But Gregory Cochran is  1  to say it anyway。(总述)

　　第二段：

　　Together with another two scientists, he is publishing a paper which not only  7  that one group of humanity is more intelligent than the others, but explains the process that has brought this about。(分述)

　　第三段：

　　This group generally does well in IQ test…

　　They also suffer more often than most people from a number of nasty genetic diseases…

　　His argument is that the unusual history of these people has  19  them to unique evolutionary pressures that have resulted in this   20  state of affairs。(结论)

　　答案详解

　　1.【解析】［B］ 语义衔接题。本题目选择动词过去分词形式，构成be…to 的结构，在句子中充当谓语。 选项A. selected 选择；B. prepared 准备；C. obliged迫使，责成；D. pleased 高兴。前边相邻句子The idea that some people may be more intelligent than others is one of those hypotheses that dare not speak its name. “一些人比另一些人聪明，这一观点一直是人们不敢明确提出来的假设之一。” 本题所在句子由But一词引导，在句义上与前一句相反，即“打算或准备说了”，故选B。

　　2.【解析】［D］ 语义衔接/词汇辨析题。本题目选择形容词，在句子中充当定语。选项A. unique 独一无二的；B. particular 特殊的，特别的；C. special 特殊的；D. rare 珍惜的，罕见的，珍贵的。rare birds意为“稀世珍品，旷世奇才，罕见人(物)”， Gregory Cochran打破常规，准备说了，因此像是“出头鸟”。

　　3.【解析】［A］ 惯用衔接题。independent其后应搭配of，意为“独立于，不依赖于”。还应注意dependent后面还可搭配on，但意为“依赖于， 依靠于”。He is that rare bird, a scientist who works independentlyany institution. “他就是那个稀有之人，是一位不依赖于任何机构的独立的科学家”。

　　4.【解析】［C］ 语义衔接题。本题目选择副词，在句子中充当状语。句子叙述到He helped popularize the idea that some diseases notthought to have a bacterial cause were actually infections, which ruffled many scientific feathers when it was first suggested. “他普及了这种观点，即某些以前人们认为不是由细菌引起的疾病实际上是传染病，这一观点一经提出就引起了极大争议。” 分析本句结构可以看出：that引导的是同位语从句，说明idea的内容，从句中some diseases not…thought to have a bacterial cause是主语部分， 谓语是were actually infections…，而后面which 引导的非限制定语从句是修饰the idea这个名词的。解本题的关键词是actually “实际上”，隐含转折之意，即过去的看法和实际情况不同。选项A. subsequently 随后；B. presently 当前；C. previously 先前；D. lately近来，最近。为了与本句子中的“actually，实际上”相互呼应，要体现时间上的先后交替关系。因此，正确答案为C。