National Entrance Test of English for MA/MS Candidates (NETEM)

　　Section I Use of English

　　Directions:

　　Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on ANSWER SHEET 1. (10 points)

　　Research on animal intelligence always makes me wonder just how smart humans are  1  the fruit-fly experiments described in Carl Zimmer’s piece in the Science Times on Tuesday. Fruit flies who were taught to be smarter than the average fruit fly 2 to live shorter lives. This suggests that 3 bulbs burn longer, that there is a(n) 4 in not being too terrifically bright。

　　Intelligence, it 5 , is a highpriced option. It takes more upkeep, burns more fuel and is slow 6 the starting line because it depends on learning—a (an) 7 process—instead of instinct. Plenty of other species are able to learn, and one of the things they’ve apparently learned is when to 8 。

　　Is there an adaptive value to 9 intelligence? That’s the question behind this new research. I like it. Instead of casting a wistful glance10at all the species we’ve left in the dust I.Q.wise, it implicitly asks what the real 11of our own intelligence might be. This is12the mind of every animal we’ve ever met。

　　Research on animal intelligence also makes me wonder what experiments animals would13on humans if they had the chance. Every cat with an owner, 14, is running a small-scale study in operant conditioning. We believe that15animals ran the labs, they would test us to16the limits of our patience, our faithfulness, our memory for terrain. They would try to decide what intelligence in humans is really17, not merely how much of it there is.18, they would hope to study a19question: Are humans actually aware of the world they live in?20 the results are inconclusive。

　　1.［A］Suppose［B］Consider［C］Observe［D］Imagine

　　2.［A］tended［B］ feared［C］happened［D］threatened

　　3.［A］thinner［B］ stabler［C］lighter［D］dimmer

　　4.［A］tendency［B］advantage［C］inclination［D］priority

　　5.［A］insists on［B］sums up［C］turns out［D］puts forward

　　6.［A］off［B］behind［C］over［D］along

　　7.［A］incredible［B］spontaneous［C］inevitable［D］gradual

　　8.［A］fight［B］doubt［C］stop［D］think

　　9.［A］invisible［B］limited［C］indefinite［D］different

　　10.［A］upward［B］forward［C］afterward［D］backward

　　11.［A］features［B］influences［C］results［D］costs

　　12.［A］outside［B］on［C］by［D］across

　　13.［A］deliver［B］carry［C］perform［D］apply

　　14.［A］by chance［B］in contrast［C］as usual［D］for instance

　　15.［A］if［B］unless［C］as［D］lest

　　16.［A］moderate［B］overcome［C］determine［D］reach

　　17.［A］at［B］for［C］after［D］with

　　18.［A］Above all［B］After all［C］However［D］Otherwise

　　19.［A］fundamental［B］comprehensive［C］equivalent［D］hostile

　　20.［A］By accident［B］ In time［C］So far［D］Better still

　　Section II Reading Comprehension

　　Part A

　　Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. (40 points)

　　Text 1

　　Habits are a funny thing. We reach for them mindlessly, setting our brains on autopilot and relaxing into the unconscious comfort of familiar routine. “Not choice, but habit rules the unreflecting herd,” William Wordsworth said in the 19th century. In the everchanging 21st century, even the word “habit” carries a negative implication。

　　So it seems paradoxical to talk about habits in the same context as creativity and innovation. But brain researchers have discovered that when we consciously develop new habits, we create parallel synaptic paths, and even entirely new brain cells, that can jump our trains of thought onto new, innovative tracks。

　　Rather than dismissing ourselves as unchangeable creatures of habit, we can instead direct our own change by consciously developing new habits. In fact, the more new things we try—the more we step outside our comfort zone—the more inherently creative we become, both in the workplace and in our personal lives。

　　But don’t bother trying to kill off old habits; once those ruts of procedure are worn into the brain, they’re there to stay. Instead, the new habits we deliberately ingrain into ourselves create parallel pathways that can bypass those old roads。

　　“The first thing needed for innovation is a fascination with wonder,” says Dawna Markova, author of The Open Mind . “But we are taught instead to ‘decide,’ just as our president calls himself ‘the Decider.’ ” She adds, however, that “to decide is to kill off all possibilities but one. A good innovational thinker is always exploring the many other possibilities?！?/p>

　　All of us work through problems in ways of which we’re unaware, she says. Researchers in the late 1960s discovered that humans are born with the capacity to approach challenges in four primary ways: analytically, procedurally, relationally (or collaboratively) and innovatively. At the end of adolescence, however, the brain shuts down half of that capacity, preserving only those modes of thought that have seemed most valuable during the first decade or so of life。

　　The current emphasis on standardized testing highlights analysis and procedure, meaning that few of us inherently use our innovative and collaborative modes of thought. “This breaks the major rule in the American belief system—that anyone can do anything,” explains M. J. Ryan, author of the 2006 book This Year I Will... and Ms. Markova’s business partner. “That’s a lie that we have perpetuated, and it fosters commonness. Knowing what you’re good at and doing even more of it creates excellence?！?This is where developing new habits comes in。

　　21.In Wordsworth’s view，“habits” is characterized by being

　?。跘］casual.［B］ familiar.［C］ mechanical.［D］changeable。

　　22.Brain researchers have discovered that the formation of new habits can be

　?。跘］predicted.［B］ regulated.［C］ traced.［D］ guided。

　　23.The word “ruts”(line 1, paragraph 4) is closest in meaning to

　?。跘］tracks.［B］series.［C］characteristics.［D］ connections。

　　24.Dawna Markova would most probably agree that

　?。跘］ideas are born of a relaxing mind.［B］innovativeness could be taught。

　?。跜］decisiveness derives from fantastic ideas.［D］curiosity activates creative minds。

　　25.Ryan’s comments suggest that the practice of standard testing

　?。跘］prevents new habits from being formed。

　?。跙］no longer emphasizes commonness。

　?。跜］maintains the inherent American thinking mode。

　　［D］complies with the American belief system。

　　Text 2

　　It is a wise father that knows his own child, but today a man can boost his paternal (fatherly) wisdom—or at least confirm that he’s the kid’s dad. All he needs to do is shell out $30 for a paternity testing kit (PTK) at his local drugstore—and another $120 to get the results。

　　More than 60,000 people have purchased the PTKs since they first became available without prescriptions last years, according to Doug Fogg, chief operating officer of Identigene, which makes the overthecounter kits. More than two dozen companies sell DNA tests directly to the public, ranging in price from a few hundred dollars to more than $2500.

　　Among the most popular : paternity and kinship testing , which adopted children can use to find their biological relatives and families can use to track down kids put up for adoption. DNA testing is also the latest rage among passionate genealogists—and supports businesses that offer to search for a family’s geographic roots。

　　Most tests require collecting cells by swabbing saliva in the mouth and sending it to the company for testing. All tests require a potential candidate with whom to compare DNA。

　　But some observers are skeptical, “There is a kind of false precision being hawked by people claiming they are doing ancestry testing,” says Trey Duster, a New York University sociologist. He notes that each individual has many ancestors—numbering in the hundreds just a few centuries back. Yet most ancestry testing only considers a single lineage, either the Y chromosome inherited through men in a father’s line or mitochondrial DNA, which is passed down only from mothers. This DNA can reveal genetic information about only one or two ancestors, even though, for example, just three generations back people also have six other greatgrandparents or, four generations back, 14 other greatgreatgrandparents。

　　Critics also argue that commercial genetic testing is only as good as the reference collections to which a sample is compared. Databases used by some companies don’t rely on data collected systematically but rather lump together information from different research projects. This means that a DNA database may have a lot of data from some regions and not others, so a person’s test results may differ depending on the company that processes the results. In addition, the computer programs a company uses to estimate relationships may be patented and not subject to peer review or outside evaluation。

　　26.In paragraphs 1 and 2 , the text shows PTK’s

　?。跘］easy availability.［B］flexibility in pricing。

　?。跜］successful promotion.［D］popularity with households。

　　27.PTK is used to

　?。跘］locate one’s birth place.［B］promote genetic research。

　　［C］identify parentchild kinship. ［D］choose children for adoption。

　　28.Skeptical observers believe that ancestry testing fails to

　?。跘］trace distant ancestors.［B］rebuild reliable bloodlines。

　　［C］fully use genetic information.［D］achieve the claimed accuracy。

　　29.In the last paragraph ,a problem commercial genetic testing faces is

　　［A］disorganized data collection.［B］overlapping database building。

　　［C］excessive sample comparison.［D］lack of patent evaluation。

　　30.An appropriate title for the text is most likely to be

　?。跘］ Fors and Againsts of DNA Testing［B］DNA Testing and It’s Problems

　　［C］DNA Testing Outside the Lab［D］Lies behind DNA Testing

　　Text 3

　　The relationship between formal education and economic growth in poor countries is widely misunderstood by economists and politicians alike. Progress in both areas is undoubtedly necessary for the social, political and intellectual development of these and all other societies; however, the conventional view that education should be one of the very highest priorities for promoting rapid economic development in poor countries is wrong. We are fortunate that is it, because building new educational systems there and putting enough people through them to improve economic performance would require two or three generations. The findings of a research institution have consistently shown that workers in all countries can be trained on the job to achieve radically higher productivity and, as a result, radically higher standards of living。

　　Ironically, the first evidence for this idea appeared in the United States. Not long ago, with the country entering a recessing and Japan at its prebubble peak, the U.S. workforce was derided as poorly educated and one of the primary cause of the poor U.S. economic performance. Japan was, and remains, the global leader in automotiveassembly productivity. Yet the research revealed that the U.S. factories of Honda, Nissan, and Toyota achieved about 95 percent of the productivity of their Japanese counterparts—a result of the training that U.S. workers received on the job。

　　More recently, while examining housing construction, the researchers discovered that illiterate, non-English-speaking Mexican workers in Houston, Texas, consistently met best-practice labor productivity standards despite the complexity of the building industry’s work。

　　What is the real relationship between education and economic development? We have begun to suspect that continuing economic growth promotes the development of education even when governments don’t force it. After all, that’s how education got started. When our ancestors were hunters and gatherers 10,000 years ago, they didn’t have time to wonder much about anything besides finding food. Only when humanity began to get its food in a more productive way was there time for other things。

　　As education improved, humanity’s productivity potential increased as well. When the competitive environment pushed our ancestors to achieve that potential, they could in turn afford more education. This increasingly high level of education is probably a necessary, but not a sufficient, condition for the complex political systems required by advanced economic performance. Thus poor countries might not be able to escape their poverty traps without political changes that may be possible only with broader formal education. A lack of formal education, however, doesn’t constrain the ability of the developing world’s workforce to substantially improve productivity for the foreseeable future. On the contrary, constraints on improving productivity explain why education isn’t developing more quickly there than it is。

　　31.The author holds in paragraph 1 that the importance of education in poor countries

　?。跘］is subject to groundless doubts. ［B］has fallen victim of bias。

　　［C］is conventionally downgraded. ［D］has been overestimated。

　　32.It is stated in paragraph 1 that construction of a new educational system

　?。跘］challenges economists and politicians. ［B］takes efforts of generations。

　?。跜］demands priority from the government.［D］requires sufficient labor force。

　　33.A major difference between the Japanese and U.S workforces is that

　?。跘］the Japanese workforce is better disciplined.［B］the Japanese workforce is more productive。

　?。跜］the U.S workforce has a better education.［D］the U.S workforce is more organized。

　　34.The author quotes the example of our ancestors to show that education emerged

　?。跘］when people had enough time.［B］prior to better ways of finding food。

　?。跜］when people on longer went hungry. ［D］as a result of pressure on government。

　　35.According to the last paragraph , development of education

　?。跘］results directly from competitive environments.［B］does not depend on economic performance。

　?。跜］follows improved productivity.［D］cannot afford political changes。

　　Text 4

　　The most thoroughly studied intellectuals in the history of the New World are the ministers and political leaders of seventeenthcentury New England. According to the standard history of American philosophy, nowhere else in colonial America was “so much important attached to intellectual pursuits。” According to many books and articles, New England’s leaders established the basic themes and preoccupations of an unfolding, dominant Puritan tradition in American intellectual life。

　　To take this approach to the New Englanders normally mean to start with the Puritans’ theological innovations and their distinctive ideas about the church—important subjects that we may not neglect. But in keeping with our examination of southern intellectual life, we may consider the original Puritans as carriers of European culture adjusting to New World circumstances. The New England colonies were the scenes of important episodes in the pursuit of widely understood ideals of civility and virtuosity。

　　The early settlers of Massachusetts Bay included men of impressive education and influence in England. Besides the ninety or so learned ministers who came to Massachusetts church in the decade after 1629, there were political leaders like John Winthrop, an educated gentleman, lawyer, and official of the Crown before he journeyed to Boston. There men wrote and published extensively, reaching both New World and Old World audiences, and giving New England an atmosphere of intellectual earnestness。

　　We should not forget, however, that most New Englanders were less well educated. While few craftsmen or farmers, let alone dependents and servants, left literary compositions to be analyzed, it is obvious that their views were less fully intellectualized. Their thinking often had a traditional superstitions quality. A tailor named John Dane, who emigrated in the late 1630s, left an account of his reasons for leaving England that is filled with signs. Sexual confusion, economic frustrations , and religious hope—all name together in a decisive moment when he opened the Bible, told his father the first line he saw would settle his fate, and read the magical words: “come out from among them, touch no unclean thing , and I will be your God and you shall be my people。” One wonders what Dane thought of the careful sermons explaining the Bible that he heard in puritan churches。

　　Meanwhile , many settlers had slighter religious commitments than Dane’s, as one clergyman learned in confronting folk along the coast who mocked that they had not come to the New world for religion . “Our main end was to catch fish. ”

　　36. The author holds that in the seventeenthcentury New England

　?。跘］Puritan tradition dominated political life。

　?。跙］intellectual interests were encouraged。

　?。跜］politics benefited much from intellectual endeavors。

　?。跠］intellectual pursuits enjoyed a liberal environment。

　　37. It is suggested in Paragraph 2 that New Englanders

　?。跘］experienced a comparatively peaceful early history。

　?。跙］brought with them the culture of the Old World。

　?。跜］paid little attention to southern intellectual life。

　?。跠］were obsessed with religious innovations。

　　38. The early ministers and political leaders in Massachusetts Bay

　?。跘］were famous in the New World for their writings。

　?。跙］gained increasing importance in religious affairs。

　　［C］abandoned high positions before coming to the New World。

　　［D］created a new intellectual atmosphere in New England。

　　39. The story of John Dane shows that less welleducated New Englanders were often

　　［A］influenced by superstitions. ［B］troubled with religious beliefs。

　　［C］puzzled by church sermons. ［D］frustrated with family earnings。

　　40. The text suggests that early settlers in New England

　　［A］were mostly engaged in political activities.［B］were motivated by an illusory prospect。

　　［C］came from different intellectual backgrounds.［D］left few formal records for later reference。

　　Part B

　　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 blank. There are two extra choices, which do not fit in any of the gaps. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. (10 points)

　　Coinciding with the groundbreaking theory of biological evolution proposed by British naturalist Charles Darwin in the 1860s, British social philosopher Herbert Spencer put forward his own theory of biological and cultural evolution. Spencer argued that all worldly phenomena, including human societies, changed over time, advancing toward perfection. 41.              。

　　American social scientist Lewis Henry Morgan introduced another theory of cultural evolution in the late 1800s. Morgan, along with Tylor, was one of the founders of modern anthropology. In his work, he attempted to show how all aspects of culture changed together in the evolution of societies.42.                                                。

　　In the early 1900s in North America, Germanborn American anthropologist Franz Boas developed a new theory of culture known as historical particularism. Historical particularism, which emphasized the uniqueness of all cultures, gave new direction to anthropology. 43.                                    。

　　Boas felt that the culture of any society must be understood as the result of a unique history and not as one of many cultures belonging to a broader evolutionary stage or type of culture. 44.                                                          。

　　Historical particularism became a dominant approach to the study of culture in American anthropology, largely through the influence of many students of Boas. But a number of anthropologists in the early 1900s also rejected the particularist theory of culture in favor of diffusionism. Some attributed virtually every important cultural achievement to the inventions of a few, especially gifted peoples that, according to diffusionists, then spread to other cultures. 45.                                                        。

　　Also in the early 1900s, French sociologist Emile Durkheim developed a theory of culture that would greatly influence anthropology. Durkheim proposed that religious beliefs functioned to reinforce social solidarity. An interest in the relationship between the function of society and culture—known as functionalism—became a major theme in European, and especially British, anthropology。

　?。跘］ Other anthropologists believed that cultural innovations, such as inventions, had a single origin and passed from society to society. This theory was known as diffusionism。

　?。跙］ In order to study particular cultures as completely as possible, Boas became skilled in linguistics, the study of languages, and in physical anthropology, the study of human biology and anatomy。

　?。跜］ He argued that human evolution was characterized by a struggle he called the “survival of the fittest,” in which weaker races and societies must eventually be replaced by stronger, more advanced races and societies。

　?。跠］ They also focused on important rituals that appeared to preserve a people’s social structure, such as initiation ceremonies that formally signify children’s entrance into adulthood。

　　［E］ Thus, in his view, diverse aspects of culture, such as the structure of families, forms of marriage, categories of kinship, ownership of property, forms of government, technology, and systems of food production, all changed as societies evolved。

　　［F］Supporters of the theory viewed as a collection of integrated parts that work together to keep a society functioning。

　　［G］ For example, British anthropologists Grafton Elliot Smith and W. J. Perry incorrectly suggested, on the basis of inadequate information, that farming, pottery making, and metallurgy all originated in ancient Egypt and diffused throughout the world. In fact, all of these cultural developments occurred separately at different times in many parts of the world。

　　Part C

　　Directions:

　　Read the following text carefully and then translate the underlined segments into Chinese. Your translation should be written carefully on ANSWER SHEET 2. (10 points)

　　There is a marked difference between the education which every one gets from living with others, and the deliberate educating of the young. In the former case the education is incidental; it is natural and important, but it is not the express reason of the association。(46)It may be said that the measure of the worth of any social institution is its effect in enlarging and improving experience; but this effect is not a part of its original motive. Religious associations began, for example, in the desire to secure the favor of overruling powers and to ward off evil influences; family life in the desire to gratify appetites and secure family perpetuity; systematic labor, for the most part, because of enslavement to others, etc. (47)Only gradually was the by-product of the institution noted, and only more gradually still was this effect considered as a directive factor in the conduct of the institution. Even today, in our industrial life, apart from certain values of industriousness and thrift, the intellectual and emotional reaction of the forms of human association under which the world’s work is carried on receives little attention as compared with physical output。

　　But in dealing with the young, the fact of association itself as an immediate human fact, gains in importance。(48)While it is easy to ignore in our contact with them the effect of our acts upon their disposition, it is not so easy as in dealing with adults. The need of training is too evident; the pressure to accomplish a change in their attitude and habits is too urgent to leave these consequences wholly out of account. (49)Since our chief business with them is to enable them to share in a common life we cannot help considering whether or not we are forming the powers which will secure this ability. If humanity has made some headway in realizing that the ultimate value of every institution is its distinctively human effect we may well believe that this lesson has been learned largely through dealings with the young。

　　(50)We are thus led to distinguish, within the broad educational process which we have been so far considering, a more formal kind of education—that of direct tuition or schooling. In undeveloped social groups, we find very little formal teaching and training. These groups mainly rely for instilling needed dispositions into the young upon the same sort of association which keeps the adults loyal to their group。

　　Section III  Writing

　　Part A

　　51. Directions:

　　Restrictions on the use of plastic bags have not been so successful in some regions. “White pollution ”is still going on. Write a letter to the editor(s) of your local newspaper to

　　1)give your opinions briefly and,

　　2) make two or three suggestions

　　You should write about 100 words. Do not sign your own name at the end of the letter. Use "Li Ming" instead. You do not need to write the address。(10 points)

　　Part B

　　52. Directions:

　　In your essay, you should

　　1) describe the drawing briefly,

　　2) explain its intended meaning, and then

　　3) give your comments。

　　You should write neatly on ANSHWER SHEET 2. (20 points)

　　2009年全國碩士研究生入學考試英語試題答案與解析

　　Section I Use of English

　　Directions:

　　Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on ANSWER SHEET 1. (10 points)

　　Research on animal intelligence always makes me wonder just how smart humans are  1  the fruit-fly experiments described in Carl Zimmer’s piece in the Science Times on Tuesday. Fruit flies who were taught to be smarter than the average fruit fly 2 to live shorter lives. This suggests that 3 bulbs burn longer, that there is a(n) 4 in not being too terrifically bright。

　　Intelligence, it 5 , is a highpriced option. It takes more upkeep, burns more fuel and is slow 6 the starting line because it depends on learning—a (an) 7 process—instead of instinct. Plenty of other species are able to learn, and one of the things they’ve apparently learned is when to 8 。

　　Is there an adaptive value to 9 intelligence? That’s the question behind this new research. I like it. Instead of casting a wistful glance10at all the species we’ve left in the dust I.Q.wise, it implicitly asks what the real 11of our own intelligence might be. This is12the mind of every animal we’ve ever met。

　　Research on animal intelligence also makes me wonder what experiments animals would13on humans if they had the chance. Every cat with an owner, 14, is running a small-scale study in operant conditioning. We believe that15animals ran the labs, they would test us to16the limits of our patience, our faithfulness, our memory for terrain. They would try to decide what intelligence in humans is really17, not merely how much of it there is.18, they would hope to study a19question: Are humans actually aware of the world they live in?20 the results are inconclusive。

　　對動物智能進行的研究總是讓我想了解人類到底有多聰明。不妨考慮一下卡爾·齊默周二發表在《科學時報》雜志上的對于果蠅實驗的描述，那些學得比普通果蠅更聰明的果蠅往往壽命比較短。這讓人想起比較暗淡的燈泡照明時間反而比較長，不那么聰明也有自身的優勢。

　　事實證明，聰明是一種昂貴的選擇。它需要更多的保養，消耗更多的燃料，起步慢，這是因為聰明依賴學習——一個漸進的過程——而不是本能。許多其他物種都能夠學習，它們顯然已經學會的一件事就是什么時候停止學習。

　　是否有一個有限聰明的適應值呢？這是該項研究背后的問題。我喜歡它。該研究不是要我們對那些在智力方面已被人類遠遠拋在后面的物種投以悲憐的眼光，而是含蓄地提出一個問題：人類智慧的真正代價可能是什么。而這是我們遇見所有動物都在思考的問題。

　　研究動物智能也讓我想知道如果動物有機會的話，它們會對人類進行何種實驗。例如，每一只有主人的貓都在進行一項有關操作性條件反射的小規模研究。我認為，如果讓動物管理實驗室的話，它們會對我們進行測試，來確定我們的忍耐度、我們的忠誠度、我們對地域的記憶力。它們將設法確定人類智慧的用途，而不僅僅是人類有多少智慧。更重要的是，它們希望研究一個基本問題：人類是否真正了解他們生活的這個世界？迄今為止，結果尚不確定。

　　1. ［A］Suppose［B］Consider［C］Observe［D］Imagine

　　2. ［A］tended［B］feared［C］happened［D］threatened

　　3. ［A］thinner［B］stabler［C］lighter［D］dimmer

　　4. ［A］tendency［B］advantage［C］inclination［D］priority

　　5. ［A］insists on［B］sums up［C］turns out［D］puts forward

　　6. ［A］off［B］behind［C］over［D］along

　　7. ［A］incredible［B］spontaneous［C］inevitable［D］gradual

　　8. ［A］fight［B］doubt［C］stop［D］think

　　9. ［A］invisible［B］limited［C］indefinite［D］different

　　10. ［A］upward［B］forward［C］afterward［D］backward

　　11. ［A］features［B］influences［C］results［D］costs

　　12. ［A］outside［B］on［C］by［D］across

　　13. ［A］deliver［B］carry［C］perform［D］apply

　　14. ［A］by chance［B］in contrast［C］as usual［D］for instance

　　15. ［A］if［B］unless［C］as［D］lest

　　16. ［A］moderate［B］overcome［C］determine［D］reach

　　17. ［A］at［B］for［C］after［D］with

　　18. ［A］Above all［B］ After all［C］ However［D］Otherwise

　　19. ［A］fundamental［B］comprehensive［C］equivalent［D］ hostile

　　20. ［A］By accident［B］In time［C］So far［D］ Better still

　　【內容提要】  本文圍繞對動物智能的研究展開話題，說明智慧也是要付出代價的，并假想若是動物對人類智能進行研究的話，會是什么狀況。

　　1.【正確答案】B

　　【考查重點】語義銜接/詞匯辨析

　　【解題過程】本題目選擇動詞，放在祈使句句首。選項A. suppose認為，假定；B. consider考慮；C. observe 觀察；D. imagine 想象。文章開篇指出：Research on animal intelligence always makes us wonder just how smart humans are。“對動物智慧的研究總是讓我對人類到底有多聰明感到好奇”，接著舉了果蠅的例子，該句要選擇的動詞應與上句在語義上銜接。用consider意為“讓讀者考慮一下(果蠅實驗)”，從而引出下文，其他選項均不符合題意。

　　2.【正確答案】A

　　【考查重點】語義銜接/固定搭配

　　【解題過程】本題目選擇動詞(過去式)，與介詞“to”構成動詞短語，在句子中充當謂語。選項A. tended to易于，往往會……；B. feared to 害怕做某事；C. happened to 碰巧做某事；D. threatened to 威脅要做某事。Fruit flies who were taught to be smarter than the average fruit flyto live shorter lives. 原文講述的是在實驗中經常發生的一種情況，即“通過訓練變得更聰明的果蠅，其壽命往往比普通果蠅短”。故選A。

　　3.【正確答案】D

　　【考查重點】語義銜接/詞匯辨析

　　【解題過程】本題目選擇形容詞比較級，在句中作定語修飾bulbs。This suggests thatbulbs burn longer, .。.“這讓人想起……的燈泡照明時間比較長……。”上句講到“聰明的果蠅壽命往往較短”，這句接著用燈泡作類比，承接上句語義，應該是越不亮的燈泡用的時間越長，所以選D　dimmer 較暗的；選項C　lighter更亮的，與前文意思相悖； A　thinner 更薄的，更瘦的；B　stable 更穩定的；該兩項均不符合題意。

　　4.【正確答案】B

　　【考查重點】詞匯辨析/固定搭配

　　【解題過程】本題目選擇名詞，并與in搭配。選項A. tendency 趨勢，傾向，后面常接介詞for或動詞不定式，如：a tendency for sth?；騛 tendency to do sth。(做)某事的傾向；B. advantage 優勢，后常接介詞in，即an advantage in sth. 在某方面具有優勢；C. inclination傾向，意愿，傾斜度，后常接介詞for或動詞不定式，即an inclination for sth?；騛n inclination to do sth。想做某事；D. priority 優先權，后常接over，如：take priority over sth./sb. (比某事/某人)具有優先權。且從上下文語義來看，前面說聰明的果蠅壽命短，越不亮的燈泡用的時間越長，所以這里語義應為“不太聰明(燈泡不太亮)是有優勢的”，故B為正確選項。注意，bright在此處是一語雙關，既可表示“燈泡不那么亮”，也可表示“人不那么聰明”。

　　5.【正確答案】C

　　【考查重點】語義銜接/詞匯辨析

　　【解題過程】本題目要選擇動詞短語，使插入語完整。從上文可知，“聰明的果蠅壽命往往較短”，以及“不太聰明是有優勢的”，由此推出的結果是：聰明也是要付出代價的。C. turn out意為“結果是……”，把it turns out用作插入語，使該句與上段內容緊緊聯系起來，因此選C。A. insist on堅持；B. sum up總計，總結；D. put forward提出。這三項均不符合題意。

　　6.【正確答案】A

　　【考查重點】語義銜接

　　【解題過程】本題目選擇介詞，體現與the starting line(起跑線)的邏輯關系。選項B. behind和C. over可以首先排除，因為這里沒有涉及空間位置關系；若選D. along則是“沿著起跑線徘徊”之意，這與后面的process意思不符；選項A. off 有“離開”之意，slow off the starting line表示“離開起跑線慢了”，即“起步慢了”，但仍在進步，與后文邏輯一致，故選A。

　　7.【正確答案】D

　　【考查重點】語義銜接/詞匯辨析

　　【解題過程】本題目選擇形容詞，做process的定語。破折號表示對前面內容即learning的解釋。這里把learning(學習)與instinct(本能)作對比，結合前文的slow，以及學習自身的特點可知，只有gradual“漸進的” 符合題意。其它三項A. incredible 難以置信的；B. spontaneous 自發的；C. inevitable 不可避免的；均不符合題意，故本題答案為D。

　　8.【正確答案】C

　　【考查重點】語義銜接/詞匯辨析

　　【解題過程】Plenty of other species are able to learn, and one of the things they’ve apparently learned is when to?！霸S多其它物種都能夠學習，它們顯然已經學會的一件事就是什么時候……學習?！庇缮衔目芍斆餍枰獙W習，很多物種都能夠學習，但都沒有變聰明，這是因為它們還學會了適時停止學習。因此選C。其它三項在語義上均不通。

　　9.【正確答案】B

　　【考查重點】語義銜接/詞匯辨析

　　【解題過程】本題目選擇形容詞，作定語修飾intelligence。由上文可知，智慧越多，付出的代價越多，因此智慧肯定是有限的，而且根據value也可以推斷這里是關于intelligence多少的問題。選項A.invisible 看不見的；C. indefinite 不確定的；D. different 不同的；均與數量多少無關，只有limited“有限的，不多的”符合題意，故選B。

　　10.【正確答案】D

　　【考查重點】語義銜接/詞匯辨析

　　【解題過程】本題目選擇副詞以表明邏輯關系。“we’ve left in the dust I.Q.wise”是定語從句，修飾the species。cast a glance at.。.意為“對……投以目光”；“leave sb. in the dust”是固定搭配，“將某人遠遠拋在后面”的意思；I.Q.wise是派生詞，后綴wise表示方式，意為“在I.Q。方面”。這句話是說“該研究不是要我們對那些在智力方面已被人類遠遠拋在后面的物種投以悲憐的眼光?！比祟惪催@些被拋在后面的物種，自然是往后看了，所以D. backward為正確選項，A. upward向上；B. forward向前；C. afterward 之后，后來(表時間)；該三項均不符合題意。

　　11.【正確答案】D

　　【考查重點】語義銜接/詞義辨析

　　【解題過程】本題目選擇名詞，做賓語從句的主語。...it implicitly asks what the real of our own intelligence might be. “這項實驗含蓄地提出一個問題：人類智慧的真正……可能是什么?！鼻拔囊呀浱岬絀ntelligence...is a highpriced option，因此應選D.costs。選項A.features 特征；B.influences 影響；C.results 結果，均不符合題意。

　　12.【正確答案】B

　　【考查重點】固定搭配。

　　【解題過程】本題目選擇介詞，與mind搭配。on one’s mind或on the mind of sb. 是固定短語，意為“有心事，總是想著”，其它三項均不能與mind構成固定搭配。

　　13.【正確答案】C

　　【考查重點】固定搭配

　　【解題過程】本題目選擇動詞，作為wonder引導的賓語從句的謂語。選擇的動詞應與experiments搭配。選項A. deliver 遞送；D. apply 應用；兩者均不能與experiments搭配。若用carry，則為carry out experiments，故只能選C. perform 執行，perform experiments意為“做實驗”。

　　14.【正確答案】D

　　【考查重點】詞匯辨析

　　【解題過程】本題目選擇介詞短語在句中做插入語，表明邏輯關系。前文已經講到作者很好奇，如果動物有機會的話，會對人類進行何種實驗。本句接著說Every cat with an owner, , is running a smallscale study in operant conditioning?！懊恳恢挥兄魅说呢埗荚谶M行一項有關操作性條件反射的小規模研究。”這是以cat為例進一步論述動物對人進行實驗，因此應選擇表示舉例的介詞短語，故選D. for instance 例如。選項A. by chance 偶然；B. in contrast與……相比；C. as usual像往常一樣；均不符合題意。

　　15.【正確答案】A

　　【考查重點】邏輯銜接

　　【解題過程】本題目選擇連詞，體現句子之間的邏輯關系。由ran，would可知，本句使用了虛擬語氣，是對動物可能對人類進行實驗進行了假設，故選A。選項B. unless 除非；C. as因為；D lest 唯恐，均不符合題意。

　　16.【正確答案】C

　　【考查重點】語義銜接/詞匯辨析

　　【解題過程】 本題目選擇動詞，與limits搭配，作為test的目的。選項A. moderate 緩和；B. overcome克服；D. reach 達到。既然作為測試的目的，應為確定某些內容，故選C. determine,這里是“查明，測定”的意思。

　　17.【正確答案】B

　　【考查重點】語義銜接/詞義辨析

　　【解題過程】本題目選擇介詞，體現邏輯關系。該句承接上一句，繼續論述假設動物對人類進行實驗的內容。選項A. at表示方位； C. after表示時間；D. with表示伴隨，均不符合語義，只有B. for表示目的，構成what...for符合語境，表明動物們想了解人類智慧是用來干什么的。

　　18.【正確答案】A

　　【考查重點】邏輯銜接

　　【解題過程】本題目選擇邏輯關系詞，體現前后句子之間的邏輯關系。前面兩句解釋了假設動物對人類進行實驗會進行的的內容：它們想了解人類的某些極限，想知道人類智慧的用途。本句與前兩句構成并列排比，they would hope to study aquestion“它們希望研究一個問題”，與前兩句應為順承關系，表示強調或遞進，所以B. After all畢竟；C. However但是；D. Otherwise 否則；三者均不符合題意，只有Above all“首先，尤其是”符合題意。

　　19.【正確答案】 A

　　【考查重點】語義銜接/詞匯辨析

　　【解題過程】本題目選擇形容詞，作定語修飾question。選項A. fundamental基本的；B. comprehensive 綜合的；C. equivalent 相等的；D. hostile 敵對的。由下文可知，這個question是Are humans actually aware of the world they live in? “人類是否真正了解他們生活的這個世界？”這應該是個最基本的問題，故選A。

　　20.【正確答案】 C

　　【考查重點】邏輯銜接/詞匯辨析

　　【解題過程】本題目選擇短語體現與前面句子的邏輯關系。前面句子提出一個問題，本句講the results are inconclusive. “……結果是不確定的。”因此， 選項C so far“迄今為止”最符合題意，A. By accident偶然；B In time 及時；D. Better still更好；三者都不符合語義。

　　Section Ⅱ Reading Comprehension

　　Part A

　　Directions:

　　Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. (40 points)

　　Text 1

　　Habits are a funny thing. We reach for them mindlessly, setting our brains on autopilot and relaxing into the unconscious comfort of familiar routine. “Not choice, but habit rules the unreflecting herd,” William Wordsworth said in the 19th century. In the everchanging 21st century, even the word “habit” carries a negative implication。

　　So it seems paradoxical to talk about habits in the same context as creativity and innovation. But brain researchers have discovered that when we consciously develop new habits, we create parallel paths, and even entirely new brain cells, that can jump our trains of thought onto new, innovative tracks。

　　Rather than dismissing ourselves as unchangeable creatures of habit, we can instead direct our own change by consciously developing new habits. In fact, the more new things we try—the more we step outside our comfort zone—the more inherently creative we become, both in the workplace and in our personal lives。

　　But don’t bother trying to kill off old habits; once those ruts of procedure are worn into the brain, they’re there to stay. Instead, the new habits we deliberately press into ourselves create parallel pathways that can bypass those old roads。

　　“The first thing needed for innovation is a fascination with wonder,” says Dawna Markova, author of The Open Mind. “But we are taught instead to ‘decide,’ just as our president calls himself ‘the Decider.’” She adds, however, that “to decide is to kill off all possibilities but one. A good innovational thinker is always exploring the many other possibilities。”

　　All of us work through problems in ways of which we’re unaware, she says. Researchers in the late 1960 discovered that humans are born with the capacity to approach challenges in four primary ways: analytically, procedurally, relationally (or collaboratively) and innovatively. At the end of adolescence, however, the brain shuts down half of that capacity, preserving only those modes of thought that have seemed most valuable during the first decade or so of life。

　　The current emphasis on standardized testing highlights analysis and procedure, meaning that few of us inherently use our innovative and collaborative modes of thought. “This breaks the major rule in the American belief system—that anyone can do anything,” explains M. J. Ryan, author of the 2006 book This Year I Will...and Ms. Markova’s business partner. “That’s a lie that we have perpetuated, and it fosters commonness. Knowing what you’re good at and doing even more of it creates excellence?！?This is where developing new habits comes in。

　　習慣是一種有趣的現象。我們無意識地養成了習慣，任由大腦自動操作，且不知不覺在熟悉的常規中感到輕松舒適?！安⒎沁x擇，而是習慣會控制那些沒有思想的人?！?9世紀時，威廉·華茲華斯說。在千變萬化的21世紀，甚至“習慣”這個詞本身也帶有負面涵義。

　　因此，在創造和革新的背景下來談論習慣，似乎顯得有點矛盾。但大腦研究人員發現，當我們有意識地培養新的習慣，就創建了平行路徑，甚至是全新的腦細胞，可以讓我們思緒的列車跳轉到新的創新軌道上來。

　　我們不用因為自己是受習慣影響的一成不變的生物而否定自己，相反我們可以通過有意識的培養新習慣來指導改變。事實上，我們對新事物嘗試得越多，就會越遠地走出自己的舒適地帶，在職場及個人生活中變得越有創造性。

　　但是，不要白費力氣試圖戒除舊習慣；一旦這些慣有程序融進腦部，它們就會留在那里。相反，我們有意使之根深蒂固的新習慣會創建平行路徑，它們可以繞過原來那些路徑。

　　《開放思想》一書的作者達瓦納·馬克瓦說：“革新所需要的第一樣東西就是對好奇的著迷。然而我們被教導去做‘決定’，就像我們的總裁稱呼自己為‘決策者’那樣。”她接著說，“但是，決定意味著除了一種可能性外，其他的都被扼殺了。優秀的具有革新精神的思想家總是在探尋著許多其他的可能性?！?/p>

　　她說，我們都是通過一些自己沒有意識到的方法解決問題的。研究人員在20世紀60年代末發現人類天生主要用四種方法應對挑戰：分析法，程序法，相關法(或合作法)和創新法。但是在青春期結束，大腦關閉一半的能力，僅僅保留了那些大約在生命最開始的十幾年時間里似乎是最為寶貴的思維方式。

　　目前標準化測試主要強調分析法和程序法這兩種方式，也就是說，我們中很少有人會本能地使用創新和合作的思維方式。M.J。瑞恩是2006年出版的著作《今年我將……》一書的作者以及馬克瓦女士的商業合作伙伴，她解釋說：“這打破了美國信念體系里的主要規則—任何人都可以做任何事。這是一個我們已經使之永久化的謊言，這會造成平庸。了解你擅長什么，再多做一些就會成就卓越。”這正是培養新習慣的用武之地。

　　第一段中心句：In the everchanging 21st century, even the word “habit” carries a negative connotation. 在千變萬化的21世紀，甚至習慣這個詞本身也帶有負面涵義。

　　第二段中心句：But brain researchers have discovered that when we consciously develop new habits, we create parallel paths, and even entirely new brain cells, that can jump our trains of thought onto new, innovative tracks. 但大腦研究人員發現，當我們有意識地培養新的習慣，就創建了平行路徑，甚至是全新的腦細胞，可以讓我們思緒的列車跳轉到新的創新軌道上。

　　第三段中心句：Rather than dismissing ourselves as unchangeable creatures of habit, we can instead direct our own change by consciously developing new habits. 我們不用因為自己受習慣影響的一成不變的生物而否定自己，相反我們可以通過有意識的培養新習慣來指導改變。

　　第四段中心句：But don’t bother trying to kill off old habits; once those ruts of procedure are worn into the hippocampus, they’re there to stay. 但是，不要白費力氣試圖戒除舊習慣；一旦這些慣有程序融進腦部，它們就會留在那里。

　　第五段中心句：“The first thing needed for innovation is a fascination with wonder,” says Dawna Markova, author of “The Open Mind” and an executive change consultant for Professional Thinking Partners. 《開放思想》一書的作者達瓦納·馬克瓦說：“革新需要的第一樣東西就是對好奇的著迷。”

　　第六段中心句：All of us work through problems in ways of which we’re unaware, she says. 她說，我們都是通過一些自己沒有意識到的方法解決問題的。

　　第七段中心句：The current emphasis on standardized testing highlights analysis and procedure, meaning that few of us inherently use our innovative and collaborative modes of thought. 目前標準化測試主要強調分析法和程序法這兩種方式，也就是說，我們中很少有人會本能地使用創新和合作的思維方式。

　　【答案】C D A D A(解析略)

　　Text 2

　　It is a wise father that knows his own child, but today a man can boost his paternal (fatherly) wisdom—or at least confirm that he’s the kid’s dad. All he needs to do is shell out $30 for paternity testing kit (PTK) at his local drugstore—and another $120 to get the results。

　　More than 60,000 people have purchased the PTKs since they first become available without prescriptions last year, according to Doug Fog, chief operating officer of Identigene, which makes the overthecounter kits. More than two dozen companies sell DNA tests directly to the public, ranging in price from a few hundred dollars to more than $2500.

　　Among the most popular: paternity and kinship testing, which adopted children can use to find their biological relatives and families can use to track down kids put up for adoption. DNA testing is also the latest rage a many passionate genealogists—and supports businesses that offer to search for a family’s geographic roots。

　　Most tests require collecting cells by webbing saliva in the mouth and sending it to the company for testing.All tests require a potential candidate with whom to compare DNA。

　　But some observers are skeptical. “There is a kind of false precision being hawked by people claiming they are doing ancestry testing,” says Trey Duster, a New York University sociologist. He notes that each individual has many ancestors—numbering in the hundreds just a few centuries back. Yet most ancestry testing only considers a single lineage, either the Y chromosome inherited through men in a father’s line or mitochondrial DNA, which is passed down only from mothers. This DNA can reveal genetic information about only one or two ancestors, even though, for example, just three generations back people also have six other greatgrandparents or, four generations back, 14 other great-great-grandparents。

　　Critics also argue that commercial genetic testing is only as good as the reference collections to which a sample is compared. Databases used by some companies don’t rely on data collected systematically but rather lump together information from different research projects. This means that a DNA database may differ depending on the company that processes the results. In addition, the computer programs a company uses to estimate relationships may be patented and not subject to peer review or outside evaluation。

　　俗話說，賢父知己子，但是如今男人可以提升自己的智慧，至少可以確認自己是孩子的父親了。他所要做的就是在住所附近的藥店里付30美元買一個父子關系測試包(PTK)，然后另支付120美元以獲得結果。

　　道格·福格是Identigene(生產這種在藥店可以出售的測試包的公司)的首席運營官，他指出，自從去年PTK無需處方就可以買到以來，購買者已經超過6萬人。超過24家公司直接向公眾出售DNA檢測工具，價格從幾百美元到2500多美元不等。

　　最受歡迎的DNA測試是父子和血緣關系檢測，被收養的孩子可以利用它找到自己的生物學親屬，家庭也可以用它來追蹤到被收養的孩子。DNA檢測最近不受到許多熱心的族譜學家追捧，還為那些提供家族尋根服務的公司提供了支持。

　　許多測試需要從唾液中獲取細胞，將唾液送至公司進行檢測。所有的測試都需要另外一個相關人員的DNA進行比對。

　　但是觀察家們持懷疑態度。紐約州立大學的社會學家特洛伊·達斯特說，“那些聲稱可以進行血統檢測的人，他們兜售的測試有一定的不準確性”。他注意到每個人都有許多祖先，僅幾個世紀以前就有幾百個之多。但是多數血統檢測只考慮某個單一系統，或者是遺傳自父親的Y染色體，或者是只由母親遺傳的線粒體DNA。這個DNA只揭示了一兩個祖先的基因信息。但是，僅僅3代之前，除了曾祖父母，他們還有6個外曾祖父母，或者4代以前，除了曾曾祖父母，他們還有14個外曾曾祖父母。

　　批評家們還爭論說商業性基因檢測的好壞取決于參照基因數據庫的好壞，參照基因數據庫是用來同樣本進行對比的。一些公司使用的數據庫里的數據并非系統性的采集而得，而是將不同研究項目的信息胡亂搜集在一起。這意味某個DNA數據庫可能會從某些地區收集很多信息，而在別的地區不收集信息，所以一個人的測試結果會隨著測試公司的不同而不同。此外，公司用來評估血緣關系的電腦程序可能申請了專利，不能對其進行同行審查或外界評估。

　　第一段中心句：All he needs to do is shell out $30 for paternity testing kit (PTK) at his local drugstore – and another $120 to get the results. 他所要做的就是在住所附近的藥店里付30美元買一個父子關系測試包(PTK)，然后另支付120美元以獲得結果。

　　第二段中心句：More than 60,000 people have purchased the PTKs since they first become available without prescriptions last years, according to Doug Fog, chief operating officer of Identigene, which makes the overthecounter kits.  Doug Fogg是Identigene(生產這種在藥店可以出售的測試包的公司)的首席運營官，該公司生產了在藥店可以售出的這個測試包，他指出去年PTK無需處方就可以買到，自那以來，購買者已經超過6萬人。

　　第三段中心句：Among the most popular: paternity and kinship testing, which adopted children can use to find their biological relatives and latest rage a many passionate genealogistsand supports businesses that offer to search for a family’s geographic roots . 最受歡迎的DNA測試是父子和血緣關系檢測，被收養的孩子可以利用它找到自己的生物學親屬，家庭可以用它來追蹤到被收養的孩子。

　　第四段中心句：Most tests require collecting cells by webbing saliva in the mouth and sending it to the company for testing. 許多測試需要收取口中的唾液來獲取細胞，將唾液送至公司進行檢測。

　　第五段中心句：But some observers are skeptical. 但是觀察家們持懷疑態度。

　　第六段中心句：Critics also argue that commercial genetic testing is only as good as the reference collections to which a sample is compared. 批評家們還爭論說商業性基因檢測的好壞取決于參照基因數據庫的好壞，參照基因數據庫是用來同樣本進行對比的。

　　答案A C D A B(解析略)

　　Text 3

　　The relationship between formal education and economic growth in poor countries is widely misunderstood by economists and politicians alike. Progress in both areas is undoubtedly necessary for the social, political and intellectual development of these and all other societies; however, the conventional view that education should be one of the very highest priorities for promoting rapid economic development in poor countries is wrong. We are fortunate that it is, because building new educational systems there and putting enough people through them to improve economic performance would require two or three generations. The findings of a research institution have consistently shown that workers in all countries can be trained on the job to achieve radical higher productivity and, as a result, radically higher standards of living。

　　Ironically, the first evidence for this idea appeared in the United States. Not long ago, with the country entering a recessing and Japan at its prebubble peak, the U.S. workforce was derided as poorly educated and one of primary cause of the poor U.S. economic performance. Japan was, and remains, the global leader in automotiveassembly productivity. Yet the research revealed that the U.S. factories of Honda, Nissan, and Toyota achieved about 95 percent of the productivity of their Japanese counterparts—a result of the training that U.S. workers received on the job。

　　More recently, while examining housing construction, the researchers discovered that illiterate, non-English-speaking Mexican workers in Houston, Texas, consistently met best-practice labor productivity standards despite the complexity of the building industry’s work。

　　What is the real relationship between education and economic development? We have to suspect that continuing economic growth promotes the development of education even when governments don’t force it. After all, that’s how education got started. When our ancestors were hunters and gatherers 10,000 years ago, they didn’t have time to wonder much about anything besides finding food. Only when humanity began to get its food in a more productive way was there time for other things。

　　As education improved, humanity’s productivity potential increased as well. When the competitive environment pushed our ancestors to achieve that potential, they could in turn afford more education. This increasingly high level of education is probably a necessary, but not a sufficient, condition for the complex political systems required by advanced economic performance. Thus poor countries might not be able to escape their poverty traps without political changes that may be possible only with broader formal education. A lack of formal education, however, doesn’t constrain the ability of the developing world’s workforce to substantially improve productivity for the foreseeable future. On the contrary, constraints on improving productivity explain why education isn’t developing more quickly there than it is。

　　貧窮國家中正規教育與經濟發展之間的關系為經濟學家及政治家們普遍誤解。毫無疑問，在這兩個方面都有所進步，對于這些國家及其他國家的社會、政治及學術發展而言是必要的，但是那種認為教育是促進貧窮國家經濟快速發展的重中之重的傳統觀點是錯誤的。我們慶幸這個觀念不對，因為創立新的教育體制，讓足夠多的人接受教育以推動經濟發展需要兩代或三代人來完成。一家研究機構的研究成果一再表明：所有國家的工人都可以進行在職培訓以大幅度提高生產率，從而提高生活水平。

　　具有諷刺意味的是，這一觀點的首個證據出現在美國。不久前，隨著美國經濟陷入衰退，日本正處于泡沫破滅前的高峰期，美國工人被嘲諷沒有受過良好教育，并且被認為這是美國經濟不景氣的主要原因之一。在全球，不管過去還是現在，日本一直是汽車組裝生產力的領袖。然而，研究表明豐田、尼桑和本田位于美國工廠的生產率大約是日本同行的95%，這是美國工人接受在職培訓的結果。

　　最近，在進行住戶建設檢查時，研究人員發現在德克薩斯州的休斯頓，盡管房地產行業的工作非常復雜，但是未受過教育的，英語不是母語的墨西哥工人總是能夠達到最佳的勞動生產率標準。