考研英语历年真题阅读.pdf

全国硕士研究生入学统一考试英语试题PARTA 2015年全国硕士研究生入学统一考试英语试题 Text1 KingJuanCarlosofSpainonceinsisted“kingsdon’tabdicate,theydareintheirsleep”Butembarrass-ing scandalsandthepopularityoftherepublicanleftintherecentEuro-electionshaveforcedhimtoeathiswordsand standdown So,doestheSpanishcrisissuggestthatmonarchyisseeingitslastdays?Doesthatmeanthewritingis onthewallforallEuropeanroyals,withtheirmagnificentuniformsandmajesticlifestyle? TheSpanishcaseprovidesargumentsbothforandagainstmonarchy Whenpublicopinionisparticularly plorised,asitwasfollowingtheendoftheFrancoregime,monarchscanriseabove“mere”politicsand“embody”a spiritofnationalunity Itisthisapparenttranscendenceofpoliticsthatexplainsmonarchs’continuingpopularitypolarized Andalso, theMiddleEastexcepted,Europeisthemostmonarch-infestedregionintheworld,with 10kingdoms(notcounting VaticanCityandAndorra) ButunliketheirabsolutistcounterpartsintheGulfandAsia,mostroyalfamilieshave survivedbecausetheyallowvoterstoavoidthedifficultsearchforanon-controversialbutrespectedpublicfigure Evenso,kingsandqueensundoubtedlyhaveadownside Symbolicofnationalunityastheyclaimtobe,their veryhistory—andsometimesthewaytheybehavetoday–embodiesoutdatedandindefensibleprivilegesand inequalities AtatimewhenThomasPikettyandothereconomistsarewarningofrisinginequalityandthe increasingpowerofinheritedwealth,itisbizarrethatwealthyaristocraticfamiliesshouldstillbethesymbolicheart ofmoderndemocraticstates Themostsuccessfulmonarchiesstrivetoabandonorhidetheiroldaristocraticways Princesandprincesses haveday-jobsandridebicycles,nothorses(orhelicopters) Evenso,thesearewealthyfamilieswhopartywiththe international1%,andmediaintrusivenessmakesitincreasinglydifficulttomaintaintherightimage WhileEurope’smonarchieswillnodoubtbesmartenoughtosurviveforsometimetocome,itistheBritish royalswhohavemosttofearfromtheS