英语四级快速阅读专项练习(含答案解析).docx

英猪四怨快速闻筱专顼体习（金备案解斩丿
（一）Skimming and Scanning
Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked [A], [B], [C] and [D]. For question 8-10, complete the sentences with the in formation give n in the passage ・
Animals on the Move
It looked like a seene from “Jaws” but without the dramatic music. A huge shark was slowly swimming through the water, its tail swinging back and forth like the pendulum of a clock・Suddenly sensitive nerve ending in the shark， s skin picked up vibrations of a struggling fish. The shark was immediately transformed into a deadly, efficient machine of death・ With muscles taut, the shark knifed through the water at a rapid speed・ In a flash the shark caught its victim, a large fish, in its powerful jaws・ Then, jerking its head back and forth, the shark tore huge chunks of flesh from its victim and swallowed them・ Soon the action was over.
Moving to Survive
In pursui ng its prey, the shark dem on strated in a dramatic way the imports nt role of movement, or locomotion, in animals・
Like the shark, most animals use movement to find food. They also use locomotion to escape en emies, find a mate, and explore new territories. The methods of locomoti on in elude crawling, hopping, slithering, flying, swimming, or walking・
Humans have the added advantage of using their various inventions to move about in just about any kind of environ me nt. Automobiles, rockets, and submari nes tra nsport huma ns from deep oceans to as far away as the moon. However; for other animals movement came about naturally through millions of years of evolution. One of the most successful examples of animal locomotion is that of the shark. Its ability to quickly zero in on its prey has always impressed scientists. But it took a detailed study by Duke University marine biologists S. A・ Wainwright, F. Vosburgh, and J. H. Hebrank to find out how the sharks did it. In their study the scientists observed sharks swimming in a tank at Marine land in Saint Augustine, Fla. Movies were taken of the sharks' movements and analyzed. Studies were also made of shark skin and muscle.
Skin Is the Key
The biologists discovered that the skin of the shark is the key to the animaT s high efficiency in swimming through the water. The skin contains many fibers that crisscross like the in side of a belted radial tire・ The fibers are called collagen fibers・ These fibers can either store or release large amounts of energy depending on whether the fibers are relaxed or taut. When the fibers are stretched, energy is stored in them the way energy is stored in the string of a bow when pulled tight. When the energy is released, the fibers become relaxed.
The Duke University biologists have found that the greatest stretching occurs where the shark bends its body while swimming. During the body' s back and forth motion, fibers along the outside part of the bending body stretch greatly・Much potential energy is stored in the fibers. This energy is released when the shark，s body snaps back the other way.
As energy is alternately stored and released on both sides of the animaT s body, the tail whips strongly back and forth・ This whip-like action propels the animal through the water like a living bullet.
Source of Energy
What causes the fibers to store so much energy? In finding the answer the Duke University scie ntists I ear ned that the shark，s similarity to a belted radial tire does n' t stop with the skin. Just as a radial tire is inflated by pressure, so, too, is the area just under the shark' s collagen u radials ” ・ In stead of air pressure, however, the pressure in the shark may be due to the force of the blood pressing on the collagen fibers・
When the shark swims slowly, the pressure on the fibers is relatively low. The fibers are more relaxed, and the shark is able to bend its body at sharp angles. The animal swims this way when looking around for food or just swimming・ However; when the shark detects an important food source, some fantastic involuntary changes take place・
The pressure inside the animal may in crease by 10 times ・ This pressure cha nge greatly stretches the fibers, enabling much energy to be stored・
This energy is then transferred to the tail, and the shark is off. The rest of the story is predictable.
Dolphin Has Speed Record
Another fast marine animal is the dolphin. This seagoing mammal has been clocked at speeds of 32 kilometers (20 miles) an hour. Biologists studying the dolphin have discovered that, like the shark, the animal s efficient locomotion can be traced to its skin. A dolphin‘ s skin i s made up in such a way that it offers very little resista nee to the water flowing over it. Normally when a fish or other object moves slowly through the water, the water flows smoothly past the body. This smooth flow is known as laminar flow. However, at faster speeds the water becomes more turbulent along the moving fish・This turbulenee muses friction and slows the fish down.
In a dolphin the skin is so flexible that it bends and yields to the waviness of the water. The waves, in effect, become tucked into the skin' s folds. This allows the rest of the water to move smoothly by in a laminar flow. Where other animals would be slowed by turbulent water at rapid speeds, the dolphin can race through the water at record breaking speeds・
Other Animals Less Efficient
Not all animals move as efficiently as sharks and dolphins. Perhaps the greatest loser in locomotion efficiency is the slug・ The slug, which looks like a snail without a shell, lays down a slimy trail over which it crawls・ It uses so much energy producing the slimy mucus and crawling over it that a mouse traveling the same distanee uses only one twelfth as much energy.
Scientists say that because of the slug' s inefficient use of energy, its lifestyle must be restricted. That is, the animals are forced to confine themselves to small areas for obtaining food and finding proper living conditions. Have humans ever been faced with this kind of problem?
1.According to the passage, a shark can use movement to do something
exce pt ___________ ■
[A]to find food
[B]to avoid being chased by its enemies
[C]to find a new place to live
[D]to show its braveness
2.Examples of automobiles, rockets and submarines are used to show that
[AJhumans are the most clever living creatures in the world
[B]human inventions enable us to travel in almost any kind of environment
[CJhumans are very successful in inventing transportation tools
[D]humans can，t move like other animals in any circumstances
3.What is the key to the shark" s swift locomotion in water?
[A]The skin. [B]The tail. [C]The muscle. [D]The jaw.
4.According to the Duke University scientists, when does the shark stretch its collagen fibers to the greatest extent?
[A]When moving its tail rapidly.
[B]When finding its preys.
[C]When staying without any movement・
[D]When bending its body in swimming.
5.Why is the area just under the shark' s collagen fibers similar to a belted radial tire?
[A]Because it is also full of blood pressure.
[B]Because it is also filled of air pressure・
[C]Because it is also inflated by pressure.
[D]Because it also can be used again and again.
6.A laminar flow is formed when a fish swims _________________ ・
[AJslowly through the water
[B]rapidly through the water
[C]against the current [D]at the fastest speed in water
7・Consuming the equal amount of energy as a slug does, a mouse can travel ____________ as long as a slug.
[A]one twelfth times
[B]the same
[C]12 times
[D]1.2 times
8.A shark finds its prey by ________________ .
9.According to the passage, ________________ can be compared to the string of a bow for both of them store energy when stretched.
10.When the shark detects an important food source, _____________________________ take place.
(二)
Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1・ For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked E A I, I B 3, I C I and IDa. For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.
About Story Reader
Parents dearly hope their children learn to read well. They also hope their children learn to read quickly and easily, so that they，re ready for the dema nds put on them by school and the world.
Kids want to learn how to read, but they also crave entertainment, whether it' s quiet and passive or dynamic and interactive. The aims of the Story Reader line of electronic books are to entertain children and to introduce them to the process
of learning how to read in a gentle and enjoyable way・ In this article, we? II show you how Story Reader works and if it accomplishes that goal.
Story Reader is a compact, roughly 12-inch-by-12-inch plastic case (with a carrying handle ) that ope ns to reveal an actual book that fits sn ugly into the Reader itself. Story Reader" s core feature is that it ''reads11 the book aloud to a child as he follows along. The child turns the pages when prompted by the Story Reader or at his own pace.
Books have both text and illustrations. The electronic book responds to the child' s wishes. The Story Reader speaks the text for the curre nt page .If the child tur ns back a few pages, the Reader recog nizes that page and reads it agai n. Kids react well to this in teractivity because it in stills a sense of cun trol over the story ・
There are Three Story Reader Products
The basic Story Reader, introduced in 2003, is as described above and is in tended for kids three years of age and older.
Each book has a small companion cartridge that slides into a port on the case and contains the audio encoded into its memory for the story.
The device has a volume control but no on/off switch-a deliberate choice so kids can simply open it up and begin reading. It takes four AAA batteries (or operates on household current with an optional adaptor) and retails for around $20.
Find out more information about the more than 60 titles at the Story Reader website・
Early in 2006, Publications In ter national, Ltd.-Story Reader s publisher-i ntroduced My First Story Reader, designed for newborns to kids up to age three. As with the original, a narrator reads the story aloud, this time from a 12-page book made from a heavier paperstock that in eludes sound effects and music to en live n the experie nee.
My First Story Reader features two play modes, one with narration, the other that asks questions about the images on each page・ The child can press any of three buttons to answer basic questions about shapes and colors. The last two pages of
each My First Story Reader book features a sing-along rhyming melody. My First Story Reader retails for about $20.
Late in 2006, Publications In ter natio nal in troduced a video versio n of Story Reader called Story Reader Video Plus for kids up to the age of seven. Retailing for about $35, it combines a stand・alone Story Reader with an "Animated Story Mode11
that plays through your televisi on and in eludes a H Lear ning Game Mode11.
The Animated Story Mode works just as it sounds-when you connect it to your television through
color-coded cables, the story appears on screen and changes as your child turns the pages. Kids get to the Learning Game Mode by turning to the
last page of the book・ There, they can choose from five educational games・ While it depends on the story, gen erally there are patter n games, memory games, and platform games ・ Similar to Ninte ndo games like Super Mario Brothers, in a platform game the child uses the in eluded controller to guide him through the environment and conquer obstacles・
Story Reader Video Plus isn' t a video game, tech nically, and Publications In ter national bills the Story Reader line more as electronic books than toys. This reassures many parents, and it' s why Story Reader is sold in bookstores and in the book section of major retailers・
What about the Educational Underpinnings of Story Reader?
Studies show an alarming decline in reading rates among all age groups in America, especially among the young.
Children are bombarded on a daily basis with multiple forms of entertainment that compete with traditional learning.
Kids naturally emulate the adults in their lives, and seeing their parents and other family members enjoy reading is a powerful motivator. Establishing and keeping a Read-At-Home Night helps families spend time together and helps form lifelong reading habits in children.
Here' s how you do it:
•Set aside one night a week in your household and call it M Read-At-Home Hour H-or anything you prefer. Establish a time allotment that works for your family, for example, 30 minutes or an hour.
•Minimize interruptions from the TV, computer, and video games-and turn on the telephone answering machine・
•Choose one book for the en tire family to read aloud together, or en courage in dividual family members to choose their own books to read quietly・ Electronic books can work in this con text, as well.
•Fin ally, sit down, relax, and read ・
1.The aims of the Story Reader line of electronic books are _
[A]to entertain and teach children
[B]to play with the child
[C]to ease the parents' burden
[D]to ease the teachers， burden
2.Story Reader" s key characteristic is that _
[A]it "reads" the book which the child likes
[B]it "reads" the book while the child plays
[C]it "reads" the book while the child follows along
[D]it "reads" the book while the parent works
3.Children _ are suitable users of the basic Story Reader.
[A]up to six mon ths old
[B]up to age one
[C]up to age two
[D]up to age three
4.The basic Story Reader for sale is about _
[A]12 dollars
[B]20 dollars
[C]35 dollars
[D]60 dollars
5・ My First Story Reader is characteristic with
[A]two play modes
[B]three play modes
[C]four play modes
[D]five play modes
6.Story Reader Video Plus is a video version of Story Reader designed for _
[A]newborns to kids up to age three
[B]newborns to kids up to age seven
[C]children up to the age of five
[D]children up to the age of seven
7.How many games can children choose from the Animated Story Mode?
[A]four
[B]five
[C]six
[D]seven
8.If the Story Reader speaks the text for the current page, but the child turns back a few pages, it will ___________
te in 2006, we can infer that there were Story Reader products ____________ .
10.Like Super Mario Brothers, children in a platform game use the included controllers
(三)
Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes)
Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked [A], [B], [ C ]and [D]> For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.
The Right Amount of Energy
We all enjoy being aro und people with en ergy ・ They in spire us. They are stimulati ng, fun, and uplifting. An energetic person has passion in his voice, a bounce in his step, and a smile on his face・Energy makes a person likable, and likability is a
key ingredient in persuasive communications. Many business professionals underestimate the energy level required to gen erate enthusiasm among their liste ners ・ But electrifyi ng speakers bring it. They have an energy that is several levels higher than the people they are attempt!ng to in fluence.
Most business professionals could use an energy boost for public speaking situations such as Webi nars, podcasts, staff meeti ngs, con fere nee calls, and televisi on and radio interviews. Each of these opportunities requires a higher level of energy
than would n ormally be appropriate if you were just chatti ng to some one in the hallway. But how do you project the right level of vigor without seeming over the top? By weighing yourself on an energy scale. And on this scale, more is better.
The Energy Scale
Recently I helped an executive prepare for his first major presentation in his new role・
"Tell me where your energy is right now on a scale of one to ten/ I asked・"One being fast asleep and ten being Jim Cramer on Mad Money. You know, the guy who' s yelling and gesturing wildly on his CNBC show. Where are you now?H
H A three/* the speaker replied.
H OK, what would it feel like to be a seven, eight or nine? Give it a try,111 suggested.
If they5 re being honest, most presenters place themselves at a three to six on the energy scale・That means there is plenty of room to boost your energy while not appearing too zany・ But keep in mind, once you hit a ten or higher, you could be the next YouTube (GOOG) hit-which is not necessarily your top objective! Here are several surefire strategies to boost your energy presence.
1.Practice leaving your comfort zone.
Record several minutes of your presentation as you would normally deliver it: Play it back, preferably with some one else watching and liste ning as well- Ask yourself and the observer, where am I on the energy scale? Now try it again. This time,
break out of your comfort zone. Ham it up. Raise your voice・ Use big gestures. Put a big smile on your face・ Get to a point where you would feel slightly awkward and uncomfortable. Now watch it. Most likely your energy level will be far more engaging and still remain appropriate fur the situation.
2.Smile and have fun.
Why do most people seem to enjoy Virgin entrepreneur Richard Branson? Because the guy has fun and it shows・ He always has a warm, engaging smile on his face. Of course, you can argue that it" s easy to walk aro und with a smile when you' re worth $4 billi on! But seriously, smile .It won，t hurt and it will make you more likable. Most business professionals don' t smile as much as they should during presentations. r m helping some executives prepare for CES, the big Consumer Electronics Show in
January where they will announce new products・ They get so caught up in the slides and what they' re going to say ( as they should during preparation ), they forget that new products bring joy to their consumers・ In most cases-with the exception of bad news, of course-the first and last thing you say to yourself before launching into your presentation should be, “Have
3・ Get your body moving.
Many people are uncomfortable using expansive hand gestures. Don? t be. I spoke to David McNeill at the University of Chicago, who is known for his research into gesture and speech・ He says that clear, con fide nt speakers use hand gestures and that the gestures leave a positive impression on listeners・He went on to say that using gestures will help you speak better because for most of us it takes effort not to use gestures・
Don，t be afraid of using your hands.
AOL' s (TWX) is one of my favorite video search engines・ I use it to retrieve clips of business speakers to study their body Ianguage. Symantec' s (SYMC) John Thompson, Oracle' s (ORCL) Larry Ellison, Cisco' s (CSCO) John Chambers, and eBay' s (EBAY) Meg Whitman are excellent examples of people with con fident, en ergetic body Ian guage.
4.Study TV and radio personalities.
Stars of television and radio who score high on the likability scale have high-energy personalities ・ I had a conversation with Suze Orman over the phone a couple of years ago and remember it to this day. Her energy comes right through the speaker. What you see on her CNBC show is what you get behind the seenes. High energy・ The other day I watched Food Network (SSP) star Rachael Ray sign books at a mall where I happened to be shopping・Sometimes critics poke fun at her M perky M personality and phrases like "yum-o/ but the fact is she has energy and millions of viewers enjoy it. The networkmorning-show hosts are typically chosen for their energetic personalities・ Today s Matt Lauer on NBC (GE) and The EarlyShow, s Julie Chen on CBS (CBS) are excellent examples, but there are many others on morning television.
Remember, maintaining an energetic presenee is very difficult to do unless you' re involved with somethi ng you enjoy. If you are truly passi on ate about your compa ny, product, or service, then show it. Speak with energy and vitality. Your listeners
will love you for it.
1.From the first paragraph, what is a key point in persuasive communication?
[A]Stimulation.
[B]Uplitting.
[C]Fun.
[D]Likability.
2.Have an en ergy several levels higher tha n the people they are attempt! ng to in fluence ・
[A]Electrifying speakers
[B]Business professionals
[C]Und.vnamic persons
[D]Listeners
3.How do people show the right level of energy without seeming over the top' ?
[A]By underestimating the energy level.
[B]By undervaluing the energy level.
[C]By estimating an energy scale・
[D]By using a lower level of energy・
4.The scale of the energy is
[A]seven, eight or nine
[B]ten or higher
[C]three to six
[D]one to ten
5.What does the example mean in the third paragraph?
[A]There is little room to boost your energy while not appeanng too zany.
[B]There is a little room to boost your energy while not appearing too zany.
[C]There is much room to boost your energy while not appearing too zany.
[D]There is no room to boost your energy while not appearing too zany.
6.Why is Virgi n en trepre neur Richard Brans on popular?
[A]Because he has fun and it shows・
[B]Because he doesn' t smile as much as he should during presentations・
[C]Because he is very humorous・
[D]Because he is famous.
7.David McNeill says that con fide nt speakers use _
[A]hand gestures
[B]speech
[C]smile
[D]expression
8.1 use AOL' s (TWX) to retrieve clips of business speakers to _____________
9.Stars of television and radio who score high on the lik ability scale have ____________
10.Maintaining an energetic presenee is very difficult to do unless ___________
（四）
The Earth
Power and Light
Compared to the rest of the universe, the Earth is very small. Our planet and seven others orbit the Sun, which is only one of about 200 billion stars in our galaxy. Our galaxy, the Milky Way, is part of the un iverse, which in eludes millions of other
galaxies and their stars and planets・ By comparison, the Earth is microscopic・
Compared to a pers on, on the other hand, the Earth is en ormous .It has a diameter of 7,926 miles ( 12,756 kilometers) at the equator; and it has a mass of about 6 x 1024 kilograms・ The Earth orbits the Sun at a speed of about 66,638 miles per hour (29.79 kilometers per second)・ Don' t dwell on those nu mbers too long, though; to a lot of people, the Earth is in conceivably, mind-bogglingly big. And it? s just a fraction of the size of the Sun.
From our perspective on Earth, the Sun looks very small・ This is because it' s about 93 million miles away from us. The Sun， s diameter at its equator is about 100 times bigger than Earth' s, and about a milli on Earths could fit in side the Sun. The
Sun is inconceivably, mind-bogglingly bigger.
But without the Sun, the Earth could not exist .In a sen se, the Earth is a giant machi n 巳full of moving parts and complex systems. All those systems need power, and that power comes from the Sun.
The Sun is an enormous nuclear power source-through complex reactions, it transforms hydrogen into helium, releasing light and heat・ Because of these reactions, every square meter of our planet s surface gets about 342 Watts of energy from the Sun every year. This is about 1.7 ~ 1017 Watts total, or as much as 1.7 billion large power plants could generate・ You can learn about how the Sun creates energy in How the Sun Works.
When this energy reaches the Earth, it provides power for a variety of reactions, cycles and systems .It drives the circulati on of the atmosphere and the ocea ns. It makes food for plants, which many people and animals eat・ Life on Earth could not exist without the Sun, and the planet itself would not have developed without it.
To a casual observer; the Sun' s most visible contributions to life are light, heat and weather.
Night and Day
Some of the Sun' s biggest impacts on our planet are also its most obvious. As the Earth spins on its axis, parts of the planet are in the Sun while others are in the shade .In other words, the Sun appears to rise and set・The parts of the world that are in daylight get warmer while the parts that are dark gradually lose the heat they absorbed during the day・
You can get a sense of how much the Sun affects the Earth' s temperature by standing outside on a partly cloudy day.
When the Sun is behind a cloud, you feel noticeably cooler than when it isn' t・ The surface of our planet absorbs this heat from the Sun and emits it the same way that pavement continues to give off heat in the summer after the Sun goes down. Our
atmosphere does the same thing-it absorbs the heat that the ground emits and sends some of it back to the Earth.
The Earth9 s relationship with the Sun also creates seasons・ The Earth? s axis tips a little-about 23.5 degrees. One hemisphere points toward the Sun as the other points away・ The hemisphere that
points toward the Sun is warmer and gets more light-it，s summer there, and in the other hemisphere it/ s win ter. This effect is less dramatic n ear the equator tha n at the poles, since the equator receives about the same amount of sun light all year. The poles, on the other hand, receive no sun light at all duri ng their win ter mon ths z which is part of the reason why they' re froze n.
Most people are so used to the differences between night and day (or summer and winter) that they take them for granted・
But these changes in light and temperature have an enormous impact on other systems on our planet. One is the circulation of air through our atmosphere. For example:
The Sun shines brightly over the equator. The air gets very warm because the equator faces the Sun directly and because the ozone layer is thinner there.
As the air warms, it begins to rise, creating a low pressure system. The higher it rises, the more the air cools・ Water condenses as the air cools, creating clouds and rainfall. The air dries out as the rain falls・ The result is warm, dry air, relatively high in our atmosphere・
Because of the lower air pressure, air rushes toward the equator from the north and south・ As it warms, it rises, pushing the dry air away to the north and the south.
The dry air sinks as it cools, creating high-pressure areas and deserts to the north and south of the equator.
This is just one piece of how the Sun circulates air around the world-ocean currents, weather patter ns and other factors also play a part. But in gen eral, air moves from high-pressure to low-pressure areas, much the way that high-pressure air rushes from the mouth of an inflated ballo on whe n you let go. Heat also gen erally moves from the warmer equator to the cooler poles ・
Imagine a warm drink sitting on your desk-the air around the drink gets warmer as the drink gets colder. This happens on Earth on an enormous scale・
The Coriolis Effect, a product of the Earth' s rotation, affects this system as well. It causes large weather systems, like hurricanes z to rotate. It helps create westward-running trade winds near the equator and eastward-running jet streams in the northem and southern hemispheres・These wind patter ns move moisture and air from one place to ano ther, creating weather patterns. (The Coriolis Effect works on a large scale-it doesn' t really affect the water draining from the sink like some people suppose・)
The Sun gets much of the credit for creating both wind and rain. When the Sun warms air in a specific location, that air rises, creating an area of low pressure. More air rushes in from surrounding areas to fill the void, creating wind. Without the Sun, there wouldn' t be wind. There also might not be breathable air at all.
Water and Fire
The Sun has a huge effecton our water. It warms the oceans around the tropics, and its absence cools the water around the poles・ Because of this, ocean currents move large amounts of warm and cold water, drastically affecting the weather and
climate around the world. The Sun also drives the water cycle, which moves about 18,757 cubic miles (495,000 cubic kilometers) of water vapor through the atmosphere every year.
If you' ve ever gotten out of a swimming pool on a hot day and realized a few minutes later that you were dry again, you have firsthand experienee with evaporation. If you， ve seen water form on the side of a cold drink, you' ve seen condensation in
action. These are primary components of the water cycle, also called the hydrologic cycle, which。