Is the literary critic like the poet, responding creatively, intuitively, subjectively to the written word as the poet responds to human experience? Or is the critic more like a scientist, following a series of demonstrable, verifiable steps, using an objective method of analysis?
For the woman who is a practitioner of feminist literary criticism, the subjectivity versus objectivity, or critic-as-artist-or-scientist, debate has special significance; for her, the question is not only academic, but political as well, and her definition will provoke special risks whichever side of the issue it favors. If she defines feminist criticism as objective and scientific—a valid, verifiable, intellectual method that anyone, whether man or woman, can perform—the definition not only makes the critic-as-artist approach impossible, but may also hinder accomplishment of the utilitarian political objectives of those who seek to change the academic establishment and its thinking, especially about sex roles. If she defines feminist criticism as creative and intuitive, privileged as art, then her work becomes vulnerable to the prejudices of stereotypic ideas about the ways in which women think, and will be dismissed by much of the academic establishment. Because of these prejudices, women who use an intuitive approach in their criticism may find themselves charged with inability to be analytical, to be objective, or to think critically. Whereas men may be free to claim the role of critic-as-artist, women run different professional risks when they choose intuition and private experience as critical method and defense.
These questions are political in the sense that the debate over them will inevitably be less an exploration of abstract matters in a spirit of disinterested inquiry than an academic power struggle, in which the careers and professional fortunes of many women scholars only now entering the academic profession in substantial numbers will be at stake, and with them the chances for a distinctive contribution to humanistic understanding, a contribution that might be an important influence against sexism in our society.
As long as the academic establishment continues to regard objective analysis as “masculine” and an intuitive approach as “feminine,” the theoretician must steer a delicate philosophical course between the two. If she wishes to construct a theory of feminist criticism, she would be well advised to place it within the framework of a general theory of the critical process that is neither purely objective nor purely intuitive. Her theory is then more likely to be compared and contrasted with other theories of criticism with some degree of dispassionate distance. (418 words)
31. Which of the following titles best summarizes the content of the text?
[A] How Theories of Literary Criticism Can Best Be Used
[B] Problems Confronting Women Who Are Feminist Literary Critics
[C] A Historical Overview of Feminist Literary Criticism
[D] Literary Criticism: Art or Science?
32. According to the author, the debate has special significance for the woman who is a theoretician of feminist literary criticism because
[A] women who are literary critics face professional risks different from those faced by men who are literary critics.
[B] there are large numbers of capable women working within the academic establishment.
[C] there are a few powerful feminist critics who have been recognized by the academic establishment.
[D] like other critics, most women who are literary critics define criticism as either scientific or artistic.
33. The author specifically mentions all of the following as difficulties that particularly affect women who are theoreticians of feminist literary criticism EXCEPT the
[A] tendency of a predominantly male academic establishment to form preconceptions about women.
[B] limitations that are imposed when criticism is defined as objective and scientific.
[C] likelihood that the work of a woman theoretician who claims the privilege of art will be viewed with prejudice by some academics.
[D] tendency of members of the academic establishment to treat all forms of feminist literary theory with hostility.
34. It can be inferred that the author would define as “political”(Line 1, Para. 3) the questions that
[A] cannot be resolved without extensive debate.
[B] are primarily academic in nature and open to abstract analysis.
[C] are contested largely through contention over power.
[D] will be debated by both men and women.
35. Which of the following is most likely to be one of the “utilitarian political objectives” mentioned by the author?
[A] To forge a new theory of literary criticism.
[B] To pursue truth in a disinterested manner.
[C] To demonstrate that women are interested in literary criticism that can be viewed either subjectively or objectively.
[D] To convince the academic establishment to revise the ways in which it assesses women scholars professional qualities.
Text4
Recent years have brought minority-owned businesses in the United States unprecedented opportunities—as well as new and significant risks. Civil right activists have long argued that one of the principal reasons why Blacks, Hispanics and other minority groups have difficulty establishing themselves in business is that they lack of access to the sizable orders and subcontracts that are generated by large companies. Now Congress, in apparent agreement, has required by law that businesses awarded federal contracts of more than $500, 000 do their best to find minority subcontractors and record their efforts to do so on forms filed with the government. Indeed, some federal and local agencies have gone so far as to set specific percentage goals for apportioning parts of public works contracts to minority enterprises.
Corporate response appears to have been substantial. According to figures collected in 1977, the total of corporate contracts with minority businesses rose from $77 million in 1972 to 1.1 billion in 1977. The projected total of corporate contracts with minority businesses for the early 1980's is estimated to be over $3 billion per year with no letup anticipated in the next decade.
Promising as it is for minority businesses, this increased patronage poses dangers for them, too. First, minority firms risk expanding too fast and overextending themselves financially, since most are small concerns and, unlike large businesses, they often need to make substantial investment in new plants, staff, equipment and the like in order to perform work subcontracted to them. If, thereafter, their subcontracts are for some reason reduced, such firms can face potentially crippling fixed expenses. The world of corporate purchasing can be frustrating for small entrepreneurs who get requests for elaborate formal estimates and bids. Both consume valuable time and resources, and a small company's efforts must soon result in orders, or both the morale and the financial health of the business will suffer.
A second risk is that White-owned companies may seek to cash in on the increasing apportionment through formation of joint ventures with minority-owned concerns. Of course, in many instances there are legitimate reasons for joint ventures; clearly, White and minority enterprises can team up to acquire business that neither could acquire alone. But civil right groups and minority business owners have complained to Congress about minorities being set up as “fronts” with White backing, rather than being accepted as full partners in legitimate joint ventures.
Third, a minority enterprise that secures the business of one large corporate customer often runs the danger of becoming and remaining dependent. Even in the best of circumstances, fierce competition from larger, more established companies makes it difficult for small concerns to broaden their customer bases; when such firms have nearly guaranteed orders from a single corporate benefactor, they may truly have to struggle against complacency arising from their current success. (469 words)
Notes: civil rights activists公民权利激进分子。Hispanics西班牙后裔美国人。sizable orders大额订单。subcontract转包合同。on forms filed with the government在政府存档备案。percentage goals指标。apportionment分配，分派。public works市政工程。letup减弱，缓和。promising as it is... 这是as引导的让步状语从句，表语倒装了。patronage优惠。concern n. 公司。and the like以及诸如此类的。crippling fixed expenses引起损失的固定开支。the world of大量的。bid投标。to cash in on...靠…赚钱。team up一起工作，合作。fronts在此处意为“摆门面”。complacency自满。
36. The primary purpose of the text is to
[A] present a commonplace idea and its inaccuracies.
[B] describe a situation and its potential drawbacks.
[C] propose a temporary solution to a problem.
[D] analyze a frequent source of disagreement.
37. According to the text, civil rights activists maintain that one disadvantage under which minority-owned businesses have traditionally had to labor is that they have
[A] been especially vulnerable to government mismanagement of the economy.
[B] been denied bank loans at rates comparable to those afforded larger competitors.
[C] not had sufficient opportunity to secure business created by large corporations.
[D] not been able to advertise in those media that reach large numbers of potential customers.
38. The text suggests that the failure of a large business to have its bids for subcontracts result quickly in orders might cause it to
[A] experience frustration but not serious financial harm.
[B] have to record its efforts on forms filed with the government.
[C] increase its spending with minority subcontractors.
[D] revise its procedure for making bids for federal contracts and subcontracts.
39. The author implies that a minority-owned concern that does the greater part of its business with one large corporate customer should
[A] avoid competition with larger, more established concerns by not expanding.
[B] concentrating on securing even more business from that corporation.
[C] use its influence with the corporation to promote subcontracting with other minority concerns.
[D] try to expand its customer bases to avoid becoming dependent on the corporation.
40. According to the organization of the text, it most likely appeared in
[A] a business magazine.
[B] an accounting textbook.
[C] a dictionary of financial terms.
[D] a yearbook of business statistics.
Part B
Directions:
| 考研英语真题 | 考研数学真题 | 政治真题 |
专业课真题 | ||||
| 英语一真题 | 英语二真题 | 数学一真题 | 数学二真题 | 数学三真题 | 数农真题 | ||
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专业课答案 | ||||
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