[2010四级] 12月四级强化备考：阅读练习(9)
2010年12月大学英语四级考试真题和答案及解析
2010年12月大学英语四级考试真题和答案及解析月大学英语四级考试真题和答案及解析Part I Writing (30 minutes) Directions ：For For this this this part, part, part, you you you are are are allowed allowed allowed 30 30 30 minutes minutes minutes to to to write write write a a a short short essay essay entitled entitled entitled How How Should Parents Help Children to Be Independent? You should write at least 150 words following the outline given below. 1. 目前不少父母为孩子包办一切目前不少父母为孩子包办一切2. 为了让孩子独立, 父母应该……How Should Parents Help Children to Be Independent? . . . Part II 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 marked [A], [A], [A], [B], [B], [B], [C] and [C] and [D]. [D]. For For For questions questions questions 8-10, 8-10, 8-10, complete complete complete the the the sentences sentences sentences with with with the the the information information given in the passage. A Grassroots Remedy Most of us spend our lives seeking the natural world. To this end, we walk the dog, play golf, go go fishing, fishing, fishing, sit sit sit in in in the the the garden, garden, garden, drink drink drink outside outside outside rather rather rather than than than inside inside inside the the the pub, pub, pub, have have have a a a picnic, picnic, picnic, live live live in in in the the suburbs, go to the seaside, buy a weekend place in the country. The most popular leisure activity in Britain is going for a walk. And when joggers (慢跑者) jog, they don ’t run the streets. Every one of them instinctively heads to the park or the river. It is my profound belief that not only do we all need nature, but we all seek nature, whether we know we are doing so or not. But But despite despite despite this, this, our our children children children are are are growing growing growing up up up nature-deprived nature-deprived nature-deprived ((丧失). ). I I I spent spent spent my my my boyhood boyhood climbing trees on Streatham Common, South London. These days, children are robbed of these ancient ancient freedoms, freedoms, freedoms, due due to to problems problems problems like like like crime, crime, crime, traffic, traffic, traffic, the the the loss loss loss of of of the the the open open open spaces and spaces and odd odd new new perceptions about what is best for children, that is to say, things that can be bought, rather than things that can be found. The truth is to be found elsewhere. A study in the US: families had moved to better housing and and the the the children children children were were were assessed assessed assessed for for for ADHD ADHD —attention attention deficit deficit deficit hyperactivity hyperactivity hyperactivity disorder disorder disorder ((多动症). Those whose accommodation had more natural views showed an improvement of 19%; those who had the same improvement in material surroundings but no nice view improved just 4%. A A study study study in in in Sweden Sweden Sweden indicated indicated indicated that that that kindergarten kindergarten kindergarten children children children who who who could could could play play play in in in a a a natural natural environment environment had had had less less less illness illness illness and and and greater greater greater physical physical physical ability ability ability than than than children children children used used used only only only to to to a a a normal normal playground. playground. A A A US US US study study study suggested suggested suggested that that that when when when a a a school school school gave gave gave children children children access access access to to to a a a natural natural environment, academic levels were raised across the entire school. Another study found that children play differently in a natural environment. In playgrounds, children create a hierarchy (等级) based on physical abilities, with the tough ones taking the lead. But when a grassy area was planted with bushes, the children got much more into fantasy play, and the social hierarchy was now based on imagination and creativity. Most Most bullying bullying bullying ((恃强凌弱) ) is is is found found found in in in schools schools schools where where where there there there is is is a a a tarmac tarmac tarmac ((柏油碎石) playground; the least bullying is in a natural area that the children are encouraged to explore. This reminds me unpleasantly of Sunnyhill School in Streatham, with its harsh tarmac, where I used to hang about in corners fantasising about wildlife. But children are frequently discouraged from involvement with natural spaces, for health and safety reasons, for fear that they might get dirty or that they might cause damage. So, instead, the damage is done to the children themselves: not to their bodies but to their souls. One of the great problems of modern childhood is ADHD, now increasingly and expensively treated treated with with with drugs. drugs. drugs. Y et Y et one one one study study study after after after another another another indicates indicates indicates that that that contact contact contact with with with nature nature nature gives gives gives huge huge benefits to ADHD children. However, we spend money on drugs rather than on green places. The life of old people is measurably better when they have access to nature. The increasing emphasis for the growing population of old people is in quality rather than quantity of years. And study after study finds that a garden is the single most important thing in finding that quality. In wider and more more difficult difficult areas areas of of life, there is is evidence evidence to indicate indicate that that natural surroundings improve all kinds of things. Even problems with crime and aggressive behaviour are reduced when there is contact with the natural world. Dr William Bird, researcher from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, states in his study, “A natural environment can reduce violent behaviour because its restorative process helps reduce anger and impulsive behaviour.” Wild places need encouraging for this reason, no matter how small their contribution. e W e tend tend tend to to to look look look on on on nature nature nature conservation conservation conservation as as as some some some kind kind kind of of of favour favour favour that that that human human human beings beings beings are are granting to the natural world. The error here is far too deep: not only do humans need nature for themselves, themselves, but but but the the the very very very idea idea idea that that that humanity humanity humanity and and and the the the natural natural natural world world world are are are separable separable separable things things things is is profoundly damaging. Human beings are a species of mammals (哺乳动物). For seven million years they lived on the planet as part of nature. Our ancestral selves miss the natural world and long for contact with non-human life. Anyone who has patted a dog, stroked a cat, sat under a tree with a pint of beer, given given or or or received received received a a a bunch bunch bunch of of of flowers flowers flowers or or or chosen chosen chosen to to to walk walk walk through through through the the the park park park on on on a a a nice nice nice day, day, understands that. We need the wild world. It is essential to our well-being, our health, our happiness. Without the wild world we are not more but less civilised. Without other living things around us we are less than human. Five ways to find harmony with the natural world Walk: Walk: Break Break Break the the the rhythm rhythm rhythm of of permanently permanently being being being under under under a a a roof. roof. roof. Get Get Get off off off a a a stop earlier, stop earlier, make make a a circuit of the park at lunchtime, walk the child to and from school, get a dog, feel yourself moving in moving air, look, listen, absorb. Sit: Take a moment, every now and then, to be still in an open space. In the garden, anywhere that ’s not in the office, anywhere out of the house, away from the routine. Sit under a tree, look at water, feel refreshed, ever so slightly renewed. Drink: Drink: The The The best best best way way way to to to enjoy enjoy enjoy the the the natural natural natural world world world is is is by by by yourself; yourself; yourself; the the the second second second best best best way way way is is is in in company. Take a drink outside with a good person, a good gathering: talk with the sun and the wind with birdsong for background. Learn: Learn: Expand Expand Expand your your your boundaries. boundaries. boundaries. Learn Learn Learn five five five species species species of of of bird, bird, bird, five five five butterflies, butterflies, butterflies, five five five trees, trees, trees, five five bird songs. That way, you see and hear more: and your mind responds gratefully to the greater amount of wildness in your life. Travel: Travel: The The The places places places you you you always always always wanted wanted wanted to to to visit: visit: visit: by by by the the the seaside, seaside, seaside, in in in the the the country, country, country, in in in the the the hills. hills. Take a weekend break, a day-trip, get out there and do it: for the scenery, for the way through the woods, woods, for for for the the the birds, birds, birds, for for for the the the bees. bees. bees. Go Go Go somewhere somewhere somewhere special special special and and and bring bring bring specialness specialness specialness home. home. home. It It It lasts lasts forever, after all. 上作答。
2010年12月英语四六级考试阅读提高练习（7）
阅读理解在⼤学英语四级考试中占有很⼤⽐重，提⾼阅读速度和效率是决胜英语四级考试阅读理解题的关键。
为了帮助⼴⼤考⽣有效提⾼阅读速度，我们整理了以下资料，供考⽣复习。
In the last two hundred years there have been great changes in the method of production of goods. This is now also true of the building industry; for mechanization has been introduced. System building can save both time and money. The principle of system building is that the building is made from a set of standard units. These are either made at the building-site or at a factory. Some designers, in fact, are standardizing the dimensions of rooms. They are made in multiples of a single fixed length, usually ten centimeters. This is called a modular (标准件的) system, and it means that manufactures can produce standardized fittings at a lower cost. The most important fact about system building is its speed. A ten-storey flat, for example, can be completed in four months. There are several new methods of system building. One is the panel method. In this case, the construction company sometimes erects a factory on the site. The walls and floors of the building, called panels, are cast in a horizontal or vertical position. Conduits for electrical wires and sleeves for pipes are cast in the panels when they are being made. The moulds for making these castings are situated all around the building. After the concrete panels are cast, they are allowed to set and harden for a week. Next they are lifted by a tower crane on to any section of the building. There the panels are cemented together at their joints and the floor covering is laid. After the panels have been cemented together, the crane lifts a case into the area. It contains all the fittings to be installed, such as wash-basins, radiators and pipes. Finishing tradesmen, such as plumbers, plasterers, painters and electricians, follow behind to complete the work. In some building developments, in some countries, whole flats with internal features like their bathrooms, bedrooms and connecting stairs, and weighing as much as twenty tons, are carried to the building-site ready-made. A giant overhead crane is used to lift them into position. In the future, this method may become more widespread. 1. The main difference between panel method and the method discussed in the last paragraph is_______. A. the latter uses ready-made internal features B. panels are cast in a level position C. the former is used to build walls and floors while the latter to construct bathrooms or bedrooms D. the former is more expensive than the latter 2. Which of these statements is TRUE of system building?A. It employs more men.B. It is difficult and dangerous.C. It can save both time and money.D. It means less mechanization. 3. According to the passage, the principle of system building is that_______. A. construction methods are safer B. buildings are made from a set of standardized units C. similar buildings can be produced D. all units are produced on the site 4. The usual fixed length in the modular system is_______.A. twenty centimetersB. ten millimetersC. fifty centimetersD. ten centimeters 5. What lifts the concrete panels onto the building?A. Cranes.B. Man-power.C. Pulleys.D. Hydraulic jacks.1. A2. C3. B4. D5. A。
2010年12月四级真题阅读部分(附答案详解)
2010年12月大学英语四级真题阅读部分Part II Reading Comprehension(Skimming and Scanning) (15minutes)Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go overthe passage quickly and answer the questio ns on Answer Sheet1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the fourchoices marked [A], [B], [C] and [D]. For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with theinformation given in the passage.A Grassroots RemedyMost of us spend our lives seeking the natural world. To this end, we walk the dog, play golf,go fishing, sit in the garden, drink outside rather than inside the pub, have a picnic, live in thesuburbs, go to the se aside, buy a weekend place in the country. The most popular leisure activityin Britain is going for a walk . And when joggers (慢跑者) jog, they don’t run the streets. Every oneof them instinctively heads to the park or the river. It is my profound belief that not only do we allneed nature, but we all seek nature, whether we know we are d oing so or not.But despite this, our children are growing up nature-deprived (丧失). I spent my boyhoodclimbing trees on Streatham Common, South London. These days, children are robbed of theseancient freedoms, due to problems like crime, traffic, the loss of the open spaces and od d newperceptions about what is best for children, that is to say, things that can be bought, rather thant hings that can be found.The truth is to be found elsewhere. A study in the US: families had moved to better housingand the chil dren were assessed for ADHD—attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (多动症). Thosewhose accommodation had more natural views showed an improvement of 19%; those who hadthe same improvement in material surroundings but no nice view improved just 4%.A study in Sweden indicated that kindergarten children who could play in a naturalenvironment had less illness and greater physical ability than children used only to a normalplayground. A US study suggeste d that when a school gave children access to a naturalenvironment, academic levels were raised across the entire school.Another study found that children play differently in a natural environment. In playgrounds,children crea te a hierarchy (等级) based on physical abilities, with the tough ones taking the lead.But when a grassy area was planted with bushes, the children got much more into fantasy play,and the social hierarchy was now based on i magination and creativity.Most bullying (恃强凌弱) is found in schools where there is a tarmac (柏油碎石) playground;the least bullying is in a natural area that the children are encouraged to explore. This reminds meunpleasantly of Sunnyhill School in Streatham, with its harsh tarmac, where I used to hang a boutin corners fantasising about wildlife.But children are frequently discouraged from involvement with natural spaces, for health andsafety reas ons, for fear that they might get dirty or that they might cause damage. So, instead,the damage is done to the children themselves: not to their bodies but to their souls.One of the great problems of modern childhood is ADHD, now increasingly and expensivelytreated with drugs. Yet one study after another indicates that contact with nature gives hugebenefits to ADHD childr en. However, we spend money on drugs rather than on green places.The life of old people is measurably better when they have access to nature. The increasingemphasis fo r the growing population of old people is in quality rather than quantity of years. Andstudy after study fi nds that a garden is the single most important thing in finding that quality.In wider and more difficult areas of life, there is evidence to indicate that natural surroundingsimprove a ll kinds of things. Even problems with crime and aggressive behaviour are reduced whenthere is contact with the natural world.Dr William Bird, researcher from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, states in hisstudy, “A natural environment can reduce violent behaviour because its restorative process helpsreduce anger and impulsive behaviour.” Wild places need encouraging for this reason, no matterhow small their contri bution.We tend to look on nature conservation as some kind of favour that human beings aregranting to the n atural world. The error here is far too deep: not only do humans need nature forthemselves, but the ver y idea that humanity and the natural world are separable things isprofoundly damaging.Human beings are a species of mammals (哺乳动物). For seven million years they lived on theplanet as part of nature. Our ancestral selves miss the natu ral world and long for contact with non-human life. Anyone who has patted a dog, stroked a cat, sat un der a tree with a pint of beer, givenor received a bunch of flowers or chosen to walk through the park o n a nice day, understandsthat.We need the wild world. It is essential to our well-being, our health, our happiness. Without thewild wor ld we are not more but less civilised. Without other living things around us we are less thanhuman.Five ways to find harmony with the natural worldWalk: Break the rhythm of permanently being under a roof. Get off a stop earlier, make acircuit of the p ark at lunchtime, walk the child to and from school, get a dog, feel yourself movingin moving air, look, li sten, absorb.Sit: Take a moment, every now and then, to be still in an open space. In the garden,anywhere that’s not in the office, anywhere out of the house, away from the routine. Sit under atree, look at water, feel ref reshed, ever so slightly renewed.Drink: The best way to enjoy the natural world is by yourself; the second best way is incompany. Take a drink outside with a good person, a good gathering: talk with the sun and thewind with birdsong for b ackground.Learn: Expand your boundaries. Learn five species of bird, five butterflies, five trees, five birdsongs. Tha t way, you see and hear more: and your mind responds gratefully to the greateramount of wildness in y our life.Travel: The places you always wanted to visit: by the seaside, in the country, in the hills. Takea weeken d break, a day-trip, get out there and do it: for the scenery, for the way through thewoods, for the birds , for the bees. Go somewhere special and bring specialness home. It lastsforever, after all.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
2010年12月英语四级真题及答案(含解析)
2010年12月英语四级真题答案解析【作文范文】范文1:Today in China, many families have only one child. So the children usually doted upon by all family members. Gradually some of them get used to depending on their parents and family members, as a result they lack the ability to face their lives by themselves.There are some ways to help children to be independent. First, the child should have a chance to see the world around him individually to understand that there are various people and competitions in their lives, and learn to find his right position in the society only by individual efforts. Second, it is impossible to ask a child not to depend on parents at once.The parents may give the child enough help and space to make him feel comfortable. A child needs help from their families. Because without any help, the child may lose his faith. Thirdly, parents can help their children make their own decisions, which can challenge his ability to deal with problems. A child should be praised when he is successful or encouraged when he fails.To be independent is vital for the children, because no parents can go with their children for the whole life. Only an independent person can live and enjoy a full and meaningful life.范文2：Nowadays, more and more parents indulge their children too much, showing too much love to them. The parents get used to make an arrangement of everything for their children. As result, many adult children will not deal with things by themselves but depend on their parents strongly.How should parents help children to be independent? On the one hand, parents should try to tell the children the importance of independence at an early age. If the children have no awareness early, how can we expect them to achieve independence later. On the other hand, let the children always have a try by themselves before asking for help. Let them know that independent thinking is an absolute necessity in their life.Helping children towards independence will always be our businesses.【快速阅读】（1）选A: People instinltively seek nature in different ways.解析：问题是作者的profound belief，第一段的最后一句给出了答案，whether we know we are doing so or not （不管我们知道与否）相当于句中的instinctively（本能地）.（2）选D: Things that are purchased.解析：文中第二段最后一句给出了答案，“odd new perceptions about what is best for child ren, that is to say, things that can be bought”，奇怪的新观念，什么对孩子最好，能买到的东西。
12月英语四级阅读理解真题及答案
12月英语四级阅读理解真题及答案•相关推荐12月英语四级阅读理解真题及答案四级阅读的难度貌似每年都会有所提升，所以考试备考时一定不能缺少真题复习，掌握考点大致方向，以下是小编整理的12月英语四级阅读理解真题及答案，希望对大家有所帮助。
12月英语四级阅读理解真题及答案篇1Questions 36 to 45 are based on the following passage.For decades, Americans have taken for granted the United States’ position in the development of new technologies. The innovations (创新) resulted from research and development during World War II and afterwards were __36__ to the prosperity of the nation in the second half of the 20th century. Those innovations, upon which virtually all aspects of __37__ society now depend, were possible because the United States __38__ then the world in mathematics and science education. Today, however, despite increasing demand for workers with strong skills in mathematics and science, the __39__ of degrees awarded in science, math, and engineering are decreasing.The decline in degree production in what are called the STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering, and math) seems to be __40__ related to the comparatively weak performance by U.S. schoolchildren on international assessments of math and science. Many students entering college have weak skills in mathematics. According to the 2005 report of the Business-Higher Education Forum, 22 percent of college freshmen must take remedial (补习的) math __41__. and less than half of the students who plan to major in science or engineering __42__ complete a major in those fields.The result has been a decrease in the number of American college graduates who have the skills, __43__ in mathematics, to power a workforce that can keep the country at the forefront (前沿) of innovation and maintain its standard of living. With the __44__ performance of American students in math and science has come increased competition from students from other countries that have strongly supported education in these areas. Many more students earn __45__ in the STEM disciplines in developing countries, especially China, than in the United States.A) acceleratingB) actuallyC) closelyD) contemporaryE) coursesF) criticalG) decliningH) degreesI) especiallyJ) futureK) ledL) metM) proceduresN) proportionsO) spheres12月英语四级阅读理解真题及答案篇2Among the more colorful characters of Leadville’s golden age were H.A.W.Tabor and his second wife, Elizabeth McCourt, better known as “Baby Doe”. Their history is fast becoming one of the legends of the Old West. Horace Austin Warner T abor was a school teacher in Vermont. With his first wife and two childrenhe left Vermont by covered wagon in 1855 to homestead in Kansas. Perhaps he did not find farming to his liking, or perhaps he was lured by rumors of fortunes to be made in Colorado mines. At any rate, a few years later he moved west to the small Colorado mining camp known as California Gulch, which he later renamed Leadville when he became its leading citizen. “Great deposits of lead are sure to be found here.” he said.As it turned out, it was silver, not lead, that was to make Leadville’s fortune and wealth. Tabor knew little about mining himself, so he opened a general store, which sold everything from boots to salt, flour, and tobacco.『It was his custom to “grubstake” prospective miners, in other words, to supply them with food and supplies, or“grub”, while they looked for ore, in return for which he would get a share in the mine if one was discovered.』①He did this for a number of years, but no one that he aided ever found anything of value.Finally one day in the year 1878, so the story goes, two min ers came in and asked for “grub”. Tabor had decided to quit supplying it because he had lost too much money that way. These were persistent, however, and Tabor was too busy to argue with them. “Oh help yourself. One more time won’t make any difference,” He said and went on selling shoes and hats to other customers. The two miners took $17 worth of supplies, in return for which they gave Tabor a one-third interest in their findings. They picked a barren place on the mountain side and began to dig. After nine days they struck a rich vein of silver. Tabor bought the shares of the other two men, and so the mine belonged to him alone. This mine, known as the “Pittsburgh Mine,” made 1 300 000 for Tabor in return for his $17 investment.Later Tabor bought the Matchless Mine on another barrenhillside just outside the town for $117 000. This turned out to be even more fabulous than the Pittsburgh, yielding $35 000 worth of silver per day at one time. Leadville grew. Tabor became its first mayor, and later became lieutenant governor of the state.1. Leadville got its name for the following reasons EXCEPT ______.A. because Tabor became its leading citizenB. because great deposits of lead is expected to be found thereC. because it could bring good fortune to TaborD. because it was renamed2. The word “grubstake” in paragraph 2 means ______.A. to supply miners with food and suppliesB. to open a general storeC. to do one’s contribution to the development of the mineD. to supply miners with food and supplies and in return geta share in the mine, if one was discovered3. Tabor made his first fortune ______.A. by supplying two prospective miners and getting in return a one-third interest in the findingsB. because he was persuaded by the two miners to quit supplyingC. by buying the shares of the otherD. as a land speculator4. The underlying reason for Tabor’s life career is ______.A. purely accidentalB. based on the analysis of miner’s being very poor and their possibility of discovering profitable mining siteC. through the help from his second wifeD. he planned well and accomplished targets step by step5. If this passage is the first part of an article ,who might be introduced in the following part?A. Tabor’s life.B. Tabor’s second wife, Elizabeth McCourt.C. Other colorful characters.D. Tabor’s other careers.答案解析:1. C 细节题。
12月CET-4阅读理解模拟试题及答案
12月CET-4阅读理解模拟试题及答案At dawn on September 5th, 1972 a band of “Black September” Arab guerrillas broke into the Israeli building in the Olympic village near Munich where 10,000 athletes were staying. Over 250 plain clothes police had been brought into the village, following a tip off of trouble ahead, but none of them saw the Arabs scale the fence. They burst into the Israeli building with submachine guns blazing at 5:10 am. Some Israeli athletes escaped through the windows and side doors. Nine were taken hostage. The guerrillas demanded the release of 200 Palestinians held in Israeli jails and a safe passage out of Germany. Within hours the Olympic village was surrounded by 13000 police. The Olympic Games were suspended. After some negotiations, the terrorists were told they would be flown with their hostages to an Arab country. They were taken by helicopter to the Furstenfield military airport 25 miles from Munich. Just before midnight the guerrillas and their hostages began to walk across the tarmac to a waiting Boeing 727 aircraft. Suddenly al the airport lights were turned out and German police sharp shooters opened fire. The rescue attempt failed tragically. In the gun battle all nine hostages were killed, as well as four Arabs and one policeman. Three Arabs were captured and one escaped into the nearby woods. On the 8th, Israeli planes bombed ten guerilla bases in revenge for Munich massacre.21.The most possible reason for Israeli athletes being attacked and kidnapped is that ____.A.they had a conflict with the Arab guerrillasB.the Arab guerrillas wanted to save the Palestinians held in Israeli jailsC.the German Government hated IsraelD.the Arab guerrillas hoped to get a large sum of money22.When the trouble took place, the Olympic Games ____.A.were completedB.were going onC.were to be finishedD.were to take place23.The terrorists were told that they would be probably sent by air to ____.A.ItalyB.IndiaC.SyriaD.Nigera24.How many Arabs were there as terrorists?A.Seven.B.Eight.C.Nine.D.It wasn’t mentioned.25.What do you think Palestine and Israel would act next?A.They would begin another conflict.B.They would begin to negotiate.C.They would try to improve each other’s relation.D.They would turn to UN.参考答案：21.答案B。
2010年12月英语四级真题阅读
2010年12月选词填空What determines the kind of person you are?What factors make you more or less bold, intelligent, or able to read a map?All of these are influenced by the interaction of your genes and the environment in which you were raised.The study of how genes and environment interact to influence psychological activity is known as behavioral genetics.Behavioral genetics has made important contributions to the biological revolution,providing information about the extent to which biology influences mind, brain and behavior.Any research that suggests that abilities to perform certain behaviors are based in biology is controversial.Who wants to be told that there are limitations to what you can achieve based on something that is beyond your control, such as your genes?It is easy to accept that genes control physical characteristics such as sex, race and eye color.But can genes also determine whether people will get divorced, how smart they are, or what career they are likely to choose?A concern of psychological scientists is the extent to which all of these characteristics are influenced by nature and nurture(养育), by genetic makeup and the environment.Increasingly, science indicates that genes lay the groundwork for many human traits. From this perspective,people are born essentially like undeveloped photographs: The image is already captured, but the way it eventually appears can vary based on the development process.However, the basic picture is there from the beginning.2010年12月阅读1It is pretty much a one-way street. While it may be common for university researchers to try their luck in the commercial world,there is very little traffic in the opposite direction. Pay has always been the biggest deterrent,as people with families often feel they cannot afford the drop in salary when moving to a university job. For some industrial scientists,however, the attractions of academia outweigh any financial considerations.Helen Lee took a 70% cut in salary when she moved from a senior post in Abbott Laboratories to a medical department at the University of Cambridge.Her main reason for returning to academia mid-career was to take advantage of the greater freedom to choose research questions.Some areas of inquiry have few prospects of a commercial re turn, and Lee’s is o ne of them.The impact of a salary cut is probably less severe for a scientist in the early stages of a career.Guy Grant, now a research associate at the Unilever Centre for Molecular Informatics at the University of Cambridge,spent two years working for a pharmaceutical company before returning to university as a post-doctoral researcher.He took a 30% salary cut but felt it worthwhile for the greater intellectual opportunities.Higher up the ladder, where a pay cut is usually more significant,the demand for scientists with a wealth of experience in industry is forcing universities to make the transition to academia more attractive,according to Lee. Industrial scientists tend to receive training that academics do not,such as how to build a multidisciplinary team, manage budgets and negotiate contracts.They are also well placed to bring something extra to the teaching side of an academic role that will help students get a job when they graduate, says Lee,perhaps experience in manufacturing practice or product development.“Only a small number of undergraduates will continue in an academic career.So someone leaving university who already has the skills needed to work in an industrial lab has far more potential in the job market than someone who has spent all their time on a narrow research project.”2010年12月阅读2Being sociable looks like a good way to add years to your life.Relationships with family, friends, neighbours, even pets, will all do the trick,but the biggest longevity boost seems to come from marriage or an equivalent relationship.The effect was first noted in 1858 by William Farr, who wrote that widows and widowers were at a much higher risk of dying than their married peers.Studies since then suggest that marriage could add as much as seven years to a man’s life and two to a wom an’s.The effect holds for all causes of death, whether illness, accident or self-harm.Even if the odds are stacked against you, marriage can more than compensate.Linda Waite of the University of Chicago has found that a married older man with heart disease can expect to live nearly four years longer than an unmarried man with a healthy heart.Likewise, a married man who smokes more than a pack a day is likely to live as long as a divorced man who doesn’t smoke.There’s a flip side, however, as partners are more likely to become ill or die in the couple of years following their spouse’s death,and caring for a spouse with mental disorder can leave you with some of the same severe problems.Even so, the odds favour marriage.In a 30-year study of more than 10,000 people, Nicholas Christakis of Harvard Medical School describes how all kinds of social networks have similar effects.So how does it work? The effects are complex, affected by socio-economic factors, health-service provision, emotional support and other more physiological mechanisms.For example, social contact can boost development of the brain and immune system,leading to better health and less chance of depression later in life.People in supportive relationships may handle stress better.Then there are the psychological benefits of a supportive partner.A life partner, children and good friends are all recommended if you aim to live to 100.The ultimate social network is still being mapped out,but Christakis says: “People are interconnected, so their health is interconnected.”2010年12月完形填空Over half the world’s people now live in cities.The latest “Global Report on Human Settlements” says a significant change took place last year.The report came out this week from U.N. Habitat, a United Nations agency.A century ago, less than five percent of all people lived in cities.By the middle of this century it could be seventy percent, or almost six and a half billion people.Already three-fourths of people in developed countries live in cities.Now most urban population growth is in the developing world.Urbanization can lead to social and economic progress,but also put pressure on cities to provide housing and services.The new report says almost two hundred thousand people move into cities and towns each day.It says worsening inequalities, driven by social divisions and differences in wealth , could result in violence and crime unless cities plan better.Another issue is urban sprawl.This is where cities expand quickly into rural areas, sometimes at a much faster rate than urban population growth.Sprawl is common in the United States. Americans move a lot.In a recent study, Art Hall at the University of Kansas found that people are moving away from the major cities to smaller ones.He sees a trend toward “de-urbanization” across the nation.But urban economies still provide many possibilities that rural areas do not.2010年12月选词填空Determines 决定factors 因素bold 大胆intelligent 智能able to 能够influenced 影响interaction 互动genes 基因raised 提高interact to 互动psychological 心理activity活动is known as被称为behavior行为genetics 遗传学Behavioral 行为genetics 遗传学contributions 贡献biological 生物revolution 革命providing 提供information 信息extent 程度biology 生物学mind 头脑brain 大脑research 研究suggests 建议abilities 能力perform 执行certain 一定behaviors 行为controversial 有争议的limitations 限制control 控制genes 基因accept 接受physical 物理characteristics 特点sex 性race 种族eye color 眼睛的颜色determine 确定divorced 离婚smart 聪明career 事业concern 关注psychological 心理extent to 程度characteristics 特点influenced 影响nature 自然nurture 培养genetic 遗传make up 组成Increasingly 日益Science 科学indicates 表明lay 躺groundwork 基础human 人类traits 特征perspective 视角essentially 本质上undeveloped 欠发达photographs 照片captured 捕获eventually 最后appears 出现development 发展process 过程basic 基本beginning 开始2010年12月阅读1pretty 漂亮one-way 单向common 普通的commercial 商业traffic 交通opposite 相反的direction. 方向Pay 支付Deterrent 威慑afford 负担the drop 下降的salary 工资moving to 搬到industrial 工业scientists 科学家attractions 景点academia (学术界) outweigh 超过financial 金融considerations 考虑Helen Lee 海伦·李a 70% cut 减少70%的salary 工资senior post高级职位Abbott Laboratories 雅培制药medical department 医疗部门returning to 回到academia 学术界mid-career 中期inquiry 询价prospects 前景commercial 商业i mpact影响less severe 不那么严重in the early stages of 在早期Guy男人Grant允许associate 交往Unilever 联合利华Molecular Informatics 分子信息post-doctoral博士后worthwhile很值得intellectual 知识份子opportunities 机会Higher up 更高the ladder 梯子 a pay cut 减薪significant 显著demand 需求scientists 科学家 a wealth of 丰富的experience 经验industry 工业forcing 强制的academia 学术界attractive 迷人的Industrial 工业tend to 倾向于receive training 接受培训academics 学者such as 比如multidisciplinary多学科manage 管理budgets 预算negotiate 谈判contracts 合同placed to 放置extra 额外academic 大学生学术的role 角色experience 经验manufacturing 制造practice 实践product 产品development 开发a small number of 少量的undergraduates 在校生continue 继续academic career 学术生涯skills 技能industrial 工业的lab 实验室potential 潜在narrow 狭窄的有限的research project 调研报告2010年12月阅读2sociable 社交add 添加Relationships 关系Pets 宠物Trick 轨迹boost 提高marriage 婚姻equivalent 等效relationship 关系Noted 指出William 威廉widows and widowers鳏夫寡妇higher risk 更高的危险dying 死亡peers 同行add 添加as much as 尽可能多holds 持有illness 疾病accident 事故self-harm 自残Even if 即使the odds 可能性stacked 堆叠against 攻击marriage 婚姻compensate 补偿heart disease 心脏病expect to 期望Likewise 同样a pack a day 一天一包烟的 a divorced man 一个离过婚的男人 a flip side 一个反面the couple of years 好几年spouse’s death配偶的死亡caring 关怀spouse 配偶mental精神disorder 混乱Even so即便如此the odds favour机会青睐Nicholas 尼古拉斯Harvard Medical School哈佛医学院describes 描述networks 网络similar 类似complex 复杂socio-economic factors经济因素health-service 卫生健康服务provision 规定emotional 情感support 支持mechanisms 机制social contact 社会交往boost 提高development 发展brain 大脑immune system 免疫系统depression 抑郁症supportive 支持relationships 关系handle 处理stress 压力psychological 心里benefits 效益supportive支持的partner 伙伴ended 结束aim to 目的ultimate 最终social network 社会网络mapped out 绘制出来Christakis says 克里斯塔基斯说Interconnected 互联2010年12月完形填空latest 最新的Settlements 定居点significant 明显的took place 发生came out 出来U.N 联合国Habitat 产地United Nations联合国agency机构percent of 百分比three-fourths 四分之三urban 城市Urbanization 城市化social 社会economic progress 经济发展pressure 压力迫使provide 提供housing 住房services 服务worsening 恶化inequalities 不平等driven 驱动divisions 部门differences in wealth 财富差异result 结果violence 暴力crime 犯罪unless 除非cities plan better更好地规划城市expand 扩大rural 农村rate 比率urban 城市population growth人口增长Sprawl 扩张common 共同United States 美国 a recent study 一个最近的研究Art Hall 艺术走廊Kansas 堪萨斯州moving away 离开major cities 主要城市trend 趋势toward 为了，向urbanization 城市化across the nation 全国urban 城市economies 经济provide 提供possibilities 可能性rural农村。
2010年12月大学英语四级考试阅读提高训练(四)
Happห้องสมุดไป่ตู้ness
It's hard to say exactly when ordinary Americans, no less than psychiatrists (精神病学家) began insisting that sadness is pathological (病态的). But by the end of the millennium that attitude was well established. In 1999, Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman was revived on Broadway 50 years after its premiere. A reporter asked two psychiatrists to read the script. Their diagnosis: Willy Loman was suffering from clinical depression, a pathological ^condition that could and should be treated with drugs. Miller was appalled. "Loman is not a depressive," he told The New York Times. " He is weighed down by life. There are social reasons for why he is where he is. "What society once viewed as an appropriate reaction to failed hopes and dashed dreams, it now regards as a psychiatric illness.
英语四级阅读理解强化练习及答案
英语四级阅读理解强化练习及答案英语四级阅读理解强化练习1：Acculturation, which begins at birth, is the process of teaching new generations of children the customs and values of the parents culture. How people treat newborns, for example, can be indicative of cultural values. In the United States it is not uncommon for parents to put a newborn in a separate room that belongs only to the child. This helps to preserve parents privacy and allows the child to get used to having his or her own room, which is seen as a first step toward personal independence. Americans traditionally have held independence and a closely related value, individualism, in high esteem. Parents try to instill these prevailing values in their children. American English expresses these value preferences: children should "cut the (umbilical) cord" and are encouraged not to be "tied to their mothers apron strings." In the process of their socialization children learn to "look out for number one" and to "stand on their own two feet".Many children are taught at a very early age to make decisions and be responsible for their actions. Often children work for money outside the home as a first step to establishing autonomy. Nine-or ten-year-old children may deliver newspapers in their neighborhoods and save or spend their earnings. Teenagers (13 to 18 years) may baby-sit neighbors homes in order to earn a few dollar a week. Receiving a weekly allowance at an early age teaches children to budget their money, preparing them forfuture financial independence. Many parents believe that managing money helps children learn responsibility as well as appreciate the value of money.21. According to this passage, the way people treat newborns _____.A) is a sign of their customsB) is an indication of their level of knowledgeC) symbolizes their social systemD) varies from culture to culture22. The expression, "to cut the cord", is used to show that _____.A) children dont like their parentsB) parents dont feel close to their childrenC) parents would not like to live together with their childrenD) independence from ones family is an important personal goal in USA23. Children who are "tied to the apron strings" _____.A) are caught in their mothers apronsB) must always wear an apron when they eatC) are very dependent on their mothersD) are independent from their parents24. American people often let their children work for money outside the home at a very early age because _____.A) children have to earn money to help the familyB) they need more moneyC) they want them to begin establishing autonomyD) children have to save money for future use25. It can be inferred from this passage that _____.A) Americans are money loversB) Americans admire independenceC) Americans are good at decision-makingD) Americans are all responsible英语四级阅读理解强化练习答案：ADCCB英语四级阅读理解强化练习2：Many people believe that the glare from snow causes snowblindness. Yet, dark glasses or not, they find themselves suffering from headaches and watering eyes, and even snowblindness, when exposed to several hours of "snow light".The United States Army has now determined that glare from snow does not cause snowblindness in troops in a snow-covered country. Rather, a mans eyes frequently find nothing to focus on in a broad expanse of barren snow-covered terrain. So his gaze continually shifts and jumps back and forth over the entire landscape in search of something to look at. Finding nothing, hour after hour, the eyes never stop searching and the eyeballs become sore and the eye muscles ache. Nature offsets this irritation byproducing more and more fluid which covers the eyeballs. The fluid covers the eyeball in increasing quantity until vision blurs, then is obscured, and the result is total, even though temporary, snowblindness.Experiments led to the Army to a simple method of overcoming this problem. Scouts ahead of a main body of troops are trained to shake snow from evergreen bushes, creating a dotted line as they cross completely snow-covered landscape. Even the scouts themselves throw lightweight, dark colored objects ahead on which they too can focus. The men following can then see something. Their gaze is arrested. Their eyes focus on a bush and having found something to see, stop scouring the snow-blanketed landscape. By focusing their attention on one object at a time, the men can cross the snow without becoming hopelessly snowblind or lost. In this way the problem of crossing a solid white terrain is overcome.26. To prevent headache, watering eyes and blindness caused by the glare from snow, dark glasses are _____.A) indispensableB) usefulC) ineffectiveD) available27. When the eyes are sore tears are produced to _____.A) clear the visionB) remedy snowblindnessC) ease the irritationD) loosen the muscles28. Snowblindness may be avoided by _____.A) concentrating on the solid white terrainB) searching for something to look at in snow-covered terrainC) providing the eyes with something to focus onD) covering the eyeballs with fluid29. The eyeballs become sore and the eye muscles ache because _____.A) tears cover the eyeballsB) the eyes are irritated by blinding sunlightC) the eyes are irritated by blinding snowD) there is nothing to focus on30. A suitable title for the passage would be _____.A) Snowblindness and How to Overcome ItB) Natures Cure for SnowblindnessC) Soldiers in the SnowD) Snow Vision英语四级阅读理解强化练习答案：CCCDA。
2010年12月四级听力与阅读答案与解析
2012年12月四级听力与阅读答案与解析Part ⅢListening Comprehension Section A短对话（11~18）答案及解析：11. A) The man should visit the museums. B) She can‟t stand the hot weather. C) The beach resort is a good choice. D) She enjoys staying in Washington. 答案：D解析：Woman最后说到I‟ll be happy here no matter what the temperature. 这表明了她待在这里很愉快，很享受待在华盛顿，故选D。
12. A) Her new responsibilities in the company.B) What her job prospects are.C) What the customers‟feedback is. D) The director‟s opinion of her work. 答案：D解析：Woman说到but I wish the director would give me some feedback. 这表明了她希望得到director的意见（即反馈），故选D。
13. A) Combine her training with dieting. B) Repeat the training every three days. C) Avoid excessive physical training. D) Include weightlifting in the program. 答案：C解析：Man以自己上次因运动（举重）过量而受伤为例，建议女士应该量力而行，避免过量运动，故选C。
14. A) When she will return home. B) Whether she can go by herself. C) Whether she can travel by air. D) Whether she will completely recover. 答案：C解析：Man开头就说到I‟m worried about her going on a plane. 从中可知，他担心的是年老的母亲能不能乘飞机，故选C。
12月英语四级考试阅读备考习题
12月英语四级考试阅读备考习题2016年12月英语四级考试阅读备考习题英语四级阅读在考试中占有分数的`比例很大，拿下阅读基本上英语四级考试就成功了一半。
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There was on shop in the town of Mufulira, which was notorious for its color bar. It was a drugstore. While Europeans were served at the counter, a long line of Africans queued at the window and often not only were kept waiting but, when their turn came to be served, were rudely treated by the shop assistants. One day I was determined to make a public protest against this kind of thing, and many of the schoolboys in my class followed me to the store and waited outside to see what would happen when I went in.I simply went into the shop and asked the manager politely for some medicine. As soon as he saw me standing in the place where only European customers were allowed to stand he shouted at me in a bastard language that is only used by an employed when speaking to his servants. I stood at the counter and politely requested in English that I should be served. The manager became exasperated and said to me in English, “If you stand there till Christmas I will never serve you.”I went to the District commissione r’s office. Fortunately the District Commissioner was out, for he was one of the old school; however, I saw a young District Officer who was a friend of mine. He was very concerned to hear my story and told me that if ever I wanted anything more from the drugstore all I had to do was come to him personally and he would buy my medicine for me. I protested that that was not good enough. I asked him toaccompany me back to the store and to make a protest to the manager. This he did, and I well remember him saying to the manager, “Here is Mr. Kaunda who is a responsible member of the Urban Advisory Council, and you treat him like a common servant.” The manager of the drugstore apologized and said, “If only he had introduced himself and explained who he was, then, of course I should have given him proper service.” I had to explain once again that he had missed my point. Why should I have to introduce myself every time I went into a store…any more than I should have to buy my medicine by going to a European friend? I want to prove that any man of any color, whatever his position, should have the right to go into any shop and buy what he wanted.1.“Color bar” in the first paragraph comes closest in meaning to ___.A.a bar which is painted in different colors.B.the fact that white and black customers are served separately.C.a bar of chocolate having different colors.D.a counter where people of different colors are served with beer.2.The writer was, at the time of the story, ___.A.a black school teacherB.an African servantC.a black, but a friend of EuropeansD.a rich black3.The manager of the drugstore shouted at the writer in a bastard language because ___.A.he hadn’t learned to speak polite English.B.he thought the writer wouldn’t understand English.C.that was the usual language used by Europeans when speaking to Africans.D.that was the only language he could speak when he was angry.4.In the third paragraph, “he was one of the old school” means ___.A.he believed in the age-old practice of racial discrimination.B.he was a very old man.C.he graduated from an old, conservative school.D.he was in charge of an old school.5.Why didn’t the writer wait at the window of the drugstore like other black African?A.Because he thought he was educated and should be treated differently.B.Because he thought, being an important person, he should not be kept waiting.C.Because he thought his white friends would help him out.D.Because he wanted to protest against racial discrimination.答案：BACAD。
12月英语六级阅读理解强化练习题及答案
12月英语六级阅读理解强化练习题及答案A strange thing about humans is their capacity for blind rage. Rage is presumably an emotion resulting from survival instinct, but the surprising thing about it is that we do not deploy it against other animals. If we encounter a dangerous wild animal - a poisonous snake or a wild cat - we do not fly into a temper. If we are unarmed, we show fear and attempt to back away; if we are suitably armed, we attack, but in a rational manner not in a rage. We reserve rage for our own species. It is hard to see any s urvival value in attacking one’s own, but if we take account of the long competition, which must have existed between our own subspecies and others like Neanderthal man - indeed others still more remote from us than Neanderthal man - human rage becomes more comprehensible. ?In our everyday language and behavior there are many reminders of those early struggles. We are always using the words “us and them”. “Our” side is perpetually trying to do down the “other” side. In games we artificially create other su bspecies we can attack. The opposition of “us” and “them” is the touchstone of the two-party system of “democratic” politics. Although there are no very serious consequences to many of these modern psychological representations of the “us and them” emotion, it is as well to remember that the original aim was not to beat the other subspecies in a game but to exterminate it. ?The readiness with which humans allow themselves to be regimented has permitted large armies to be formed, which, taken together with the “us and them” blind rage, has led to destructive clashes within our subspecies itself. The First WorldWar is an example in which Europe divided itself into two imaginary subspecies. And there is a similar extermination battle now in Northern Ireland. The idea that there is a religious basis for this clash is illusory, for not even the Pope has been able to control it. The clash is much more primitive than the Christian religion, much older in its emotional origin. The conflict in Ireland is unlikely to stop until a greater primitive fear is imposed from outside the community, or until the combatants become exhausted.31.A suitable title for this passage would be____. ?A) Why Human Armies Are Formed?B) Man’s Anger Against Rage?C) The Human Capacity for Rage?D) Early Struggles of Angry Man ?32.According to the author, the surprising aspect of human anger is____. ?A) its lengthy and complex development?B) a conflict such as is now going on in Northern Ireland?C) that we do not fly into a temper more often?D) that we reserve anger for mankind ?33.The passage suggests that____. ?A) historically, we have created an “us” versus “them” societyB) humans have had a natural disinclination toward formal groupingC) the First World War is an example of how man has always avoided domination?D) the emotional origin of the war in Ireland is lost in time ?34.From the passage we can infer that ____. ?A) the artificial creation of a subspecies unlike us issomething that never happens?B) games are psychologically unhealthy?C) any artificially created subspecies would be our enemy?D) the real or imagined existence of an opposing subspecies is inherent in man’s activities ?35.The author believes that a religious explanation for the war in Northern Ireland is____. ?A) founded in historical fact B) deceptive?C) apparent D) probably accurate答案：CDADB。
12月英语四级阅读考试训练（九）
解题技巧 作者对于⽂中⼈或物的感情⾊彩是阅读理解题⽬的常考点。
作者的态度或褒或贬或中⽴，或关⼼或不在意，或喜欢或厌恶，或坚信或怀疑。
在以第⼀⼈称⾏⽂的⽂章中，应留意那些可以直接表⽰作者态度的动词(doubt,appreciate,concern等)。
在以⼀种客观论述的⼿法⾏⽂的⽂章中，应特别注意形容词和副词等暗含作者态度的词汇。
⼀些特殊句式(祈使句，疑问句，感叹句)本⾝也包含作者的态度。
练习：来源：考试⼤的美⼥编辑们 As soon as it was revealed that a reporter for Progressive magazine had discovered how to make a hydrogen bomb, a group of firearm fans formed the National Hydrogen Bomb Association, and they are now lobbying against any legislation to stop Americans from owning one. “The Constitution,” said the association’s spokesman, “gives everyone the right to own arms. It doesn’t spell out what kind of arms. But since anyone can now make a hydrogen bomb, the public should be able to buy it to protect themselves.” “Don't’ you think it’s dangerous to have one in the house, particularly where there are children around?” “The National Hydrogen Bomb Association hopes to educate people in the safe handling of this type of weapon. We are instructing owners to keep the bomb in a locked cabinet and the fuse separately in a drawer. “Some people consider the hydrogen bomb a very fatal weapon which could kill somebody.” The spokesman said, “Hydrogen bombs don’t kill people ----people kill people. The bomb is for self-protection and it also has a deterrent effect. If somebody knows you have a nuclear weapon in your house, they’re going to think twice about breaking in.” “But those who want to ban the bomb for American citizens claim that if you have one locked in the cabinet, with the fuse in a drawer, you would never be able to assemble it in time to stop an intruder.” “Another argument against allowing people to own a bomb is that at the moment it it very expensive to build one. So what your association is backing is a program which would allow the middle and upper classes to acquire a bomb while poor people will be left defenseless with just handguns.”考试⼤论坛 Q:From the tone of the passage we know that the author is ________ A. doubtful about the necessity of keeping H-bombs at home for safety B. unhappy with those who vote against the ownership of H-bombs C. not serious about the private ownership of H-bombs D. concerned about the spread of unclear weapons. 答案: 选D。
英语四级考试强化阅读训练题及答案？
英语四级考试强化阅读训练题及答案？英语四级考试强化阅读训练题***一***How could we possibly think that keeping animals in cages in unnatural environments-mostly for entertainment purposes-is fair and respectful?Zoo officials say they are concerned about animals. However, most zoos remain “collections” of interesting “things” rather than protective habitats ***栖息地***. Zoos teach people that it is acceptable to keep animals bored, lonely, and far from their natural homes.Zoos claim ***声称*** to educate people and save endangered species***物种***, but visitors leave zoos without having learned anything meaningful about the animals’ natural behavior, intelligence, or beauty. Zoos keep animals in ... all spaces or cage s, and most signs only mention the species’ name, diet, and natural range***分布区***. The animals’ normal behavior is seldom noticed because zoos don’t usually take care of the animals’ natural needs.The animals are kept together in ... all spaces, with no privacy and little opportunity for mental and physical exercise. This results in unusual and self-destructive behavior called zoochosis.A worldwide study of zoos found that zoochosis is mon among animals kept in ... all spaces or cages. Another study showed that elephants spend 22 percent of their time making repeated head movements or biting cage bars, and bears spend 30 percent of their time walking back and forth, a sign of unhappiness and pain.Furthermore, most animals in zoos are not endangered. Captive breeding***圈养繁殖***of endangered big cats, Asian elephants, and other species has not resulted n their being sentback to the wild. Zoos talk a lot about their captive breeding programs because they do not want people to worry about a species dying out. In fact, baby animals also attract a lot of paying customers. Haven’t we seen enough petitions to name baby animals?Actually, we will save endangered species only if we save their habitats and put an end to the reasons people kill them. Instead of supporting zoos, we should support groups that work to protect animals’ natural habitats.1. How would the author describe the animals’ life in zoos?A. Dangerous.B. Unhappy.C. Natural.D. Easy.2. In the state of zoochosis, animals _________.A. remain in cagesB. behave strangelyC. attack other animalsD. enjoy moving around3. What does the author try to argue n the passage?A. Zoos are not worth the public support.B. Zoos fail in their attempt to save animals.C. Zoos should treat animals as human beings.D. Zoos use animals as a means of entertainment.4. The author tries to persuade readers to accept his argument mainly by _____.A. pointing out the faults in what zoos doB. using evidence he has collected at zoosC. questioning the way animals are protectedD. discussing the advantages of natural habitats5. Although he argues against zoos, the author would still agree that _______.A. zoos have to keep animals in ... all cagesB. most animals in zoos are endangered speciesC. some endangered animals are reproduced in zoosD. it’s acceptable to keep animals away from their habitats 英语四级考试强化阅读训练题答案1. B2. B3. A4. A5. C英语四级考试强化阅读训练题***二***There are three kinds of goals: short-term,medium-range and long-term goals. Short-range goals are those that usually deal with current activities,which we can apply on a daily basis.Such goals can be achieved in a week or less,or two weeks,or possible months.It should be remembered that just as a building is no stronger than its foundation ,out long-term goals cannot amount to very munch without the achievement of solid short-term goals.Upon pleting our short-term goals,we should date the occasion and then add new short-term goals that will build on those that have been pleted.The intermediate goals bukld on the foundation of the short-range goals.They might deal with just one term of school or the entire school year,or they could even extend for several years.Any time you move a step at a time,you should never allow yourself to bee discouraged or overwhelmed. As you plete each step,you will enforce the belief in your ability to grow adn succeed.And as your list of pletion dates grow,your motivation and desire will increase.Long-range goals may be related to our dreams of the future. They might cover five years or more. Life is not a static thing.We should never allow a long-term goal to limit us or our course of action.1.Our long-term goals mean a lot______.A.if we plete our short-range goalsB.if we cannot reach solid short-term goalsC.if we write down the datesD.if we put forward some plans2.New short-term goals are bulid upon______.Ao years B.long-term goalsC.current activitiesD.the goals that have been pleted3.When we plete each step of our goals ,______.A.we will win final successB.we are overwhelmedC.we should build up confidence of successD.we should strong desire for setting new goals4.Once our goals are drawn up,_______.A.we should stick to them until we plete themB.we may change our goals as we have new ideas and opportunitiesC.we had better wait for the exciting news of successD.we have made great decision5.It is implied but not stated in the passage that ______.A.those who habe long-term goals will succeedB.writing down the dates may discourage youC.the goal is only a guide for us to reach our desinationD.every should have a goal英语四级考试强化阅读训练题答案adcbc。
大学英语四级考试阅读强化训练带答案
大学英语四级考试阅读强化训练带答案在平平淡淡的日常中，我们最不陌生的就是练习题了，学习需要做题，是因为这样一方面可以了解你对知识点的掌握，熟练掌握知识点！同时做题还可以巩固你对知识点的运用！你所见过的习题是什么样的呢？以下是我为大家收集的大学英语四级考试阅读强化训练带答案，供大家参考借鉴，希望可以帮助到有需要的朋友。
大学英语四级考试阅读强化训练带答案3Art is considered by many people to be little more than a decorative means of giving pleasure. This is not always the case, however; at times, art may be seen to have a purely functional side as well. Such could be said of the sandpaintings of the Navaho Indians of the American Southwest; these have a medicinal as well as an artistic purpose.According to Navaho traditions, one who suffers from either a mental or a physical illness has in come way disturbed or come in contact with the supernatural—perhaps a certain animal, a ghost, or the dead. To counteract this evil contact, the ill person or one of his relatives will employ a medicine man called a “singer” to perform a healing ceremony which will attract a powerful supernatural being.During the ceremony, which may last from 2 to 9 days, the “singer” will produce a sandpainting on the floor of the Navaho hogan.On the last day of the ceremony, the patient will sit on this sandpainting and the “singer” will rub the ailing parts of the patient’s body with sand from a specific figure in the sandpainting. In this way the patient absorbs the power of that particular supernatural being and becomes strong like it. After the ceremony, the sandpainting is then destroyed and disposed of so its power will not harm anyone.The art of sandpainting is handed down from old “singer” to their students. The material used are easily found in the areas the Navaho inhabit; brown, red, yellow, and white sandstone, which is pulverized by being crushed between 2 stones much as corns is ground into flour. The “singer” holds a small amount of this sand in his hand and lets it flow between his thumb and fore-finger onto a clean, flat surface on the floor. With a steady hand and great patience, he is thus able to create designs of stylized people, snakes and other creatures that have power in the Navaho belief system. The traditional Navaho does not allow reproduction of sandpaintings, since he believes the supernatural powers that taught him the craft have forbidden this; however, such reproductions can in fact be purchased today in tourist shops in Arizona and New Mexico. These are done by either Navaho Indians or by other people who wish to preserve this craft.1.The purpose of the passage is to ___.A.discuss the medical uses of sandpaintings in medieval Europe.B.study the ways Navaho Indians handed down their painting art.C.consider how Navaho “singer” treat their ailments with sandpaintings.D.tell how Navaho Indians apply sandpainting for medical purposes.2.The purpose of a healing ceremony lies in ___.A.pleasing the ghostsB.attracting supernatural powersC.attracting the ghostsD.creating a sandpainting3.The “singer” rubs sand on the patient because ___.A.the patient receives strength from the sandB.it has pharmaceutical valueC.it decorates the patientD.none of the above4.What is used to produce a sandpainting?A.PaintB.Beach sandC.Crushed sandstoneD.Flour5.Which of the following titles will be best suit the passage?A.A New Direction for Medical ResearchB.The Navaho Indians’ SandpaintingC.The Process of Sandpainting CreationD.The Navaho Indians’ Medical History答案：DBACB【大学英语四级考试阅读强化训练带答案】。
[2010四级] 12月四级强化备考：阅读练习(11)
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[2010四级] 12月四级强化备考：阅读练习(11)Unit ElevenPassage 1Learn How to ListenThe people in the room were tense. Five young engineers were sitting with their boss. They were trying to settle details of an important new plant site for a major client.Suddenly one of the young engineers gave what he thought was a good solution to the problem. What he had to say was greeted by an uncomfortable silence. The boss then laughingly pointed out that the same proposal had been made and turned down some minutes before.The incident seemed funny at the time. But several months later it didn't. After the project had been successfully finished, most of the engineers who had worked on it were promoted. But the young man who had made a fool of himself at the meeting was passed over.What had happened? The young engineer swore that he had never heard the proposal made and rejected. He was right. He was a victim of a bad listening habit that he didn't know he had.Bad listening habits can hurt you a lot in your daily living. Much of your success, both in your work and social life, is related to how you listen. A number of major industries and more than twenty leading colleges have become very concerned about our bad listening habits. They have set up "listening clinics" and courses to find out what is wrong. And what to do about it! Why You Must Hear CorrectlyMy own experience as a teacher in one of these clinics has taught me that many people who seem to be listening miss important points. Therefore, they draw wrong conclusions from what is said. That is a serious problem when you consider our attitudes toward other people and success on the job. These attitudes are shaped more by the persuasive spoken word than by any other means of communication.What are the faulty hearing habits that hurt us in so many ways? Here are some of the more common ones I've observed in a close study of my many clinic students.Our minds won't wait. Our thoughts can race along from four to ten times • 72 •faster than most people speak. So, while we are waiting for the words to come in, our thoughts tend to go off on a tangent(突然改变想法) And sometimes they remain away too long.Your boss, perhaps, is discussing a situation with you. You want to hear it all. But what happens? Your mind tunes out. It comes back and tunes out again. Why doesn't someone kill that fly? I wonder who just came into the other room? Suddenly a few words come through. "Since you agree with my suggestion," your boss says. . . What did he suggest? Such tuning-out gaps are common—and sometimes costly.We think we know already. We're so sure we know what the speaker is going to say that we listen with just "half an ear. "A newspaper publisher once told me how this listening habit cost him a big gum of money.A regular client telephoned an order for a new series of ads. The person taking the order simply wrote out a standard order form. Not until too late did the publisher learn that the client had wanted the new ads to be four times as large as the old. But the smaller ads had already been set in type by then. So the client decided to run them.One clerk's job around that newspaper office was pretty shaky for a time.We're looking not listening. How often in introductions has a name failed to stick because your mind was in the way its owner looked or acted? For the same reason, and far more often than you may think, other information fails to come through.We are busy listeners. We try to listen while giving part of our attention to a newspaper, or a radio or TV program. Outside noises also bid for a share of our attention. No wonder we don't really "hear. "We miss the big idea. Once I gave my students a list of vocabulary words from a recording of a newscast. The students were to listen for thesewords and decide how they were used in context.Then I questioned them about the general content. They replied, "Oh, we weren't listening for that; we were just listening for the words. "The poor listener "just hears words. " Have you ever had the feeling that a upeaker said a lot but that you didn't quite "get" it all? This may have been the speaker's fault. Or perhaps you haven't learned to look for the main ideas and the important supporting details.Our emotions make us deaf. Do you recall a speech or conversation that got you riled up(激怒)? How well did you listen once your blood started to boil?When someone offers opposing ideas on a subject like religion or politics , we often feel it is risky to listen. Most of us have strong opinions on these subjects. We are afraid* we might hear something that could make us question our own views. We mentally stop listening while we plan our verbal counter-attack.These are some of the common listening faults. Fortunately, with so little effort, you can correct any of them. I suggest these six ways to make yourself a better listener;(1) Learn to concentrate. It's an important part of listening. Practice such games as "Take 2, plus 3, minus 5, plus 4 times 2, minus 6—what's the answer?" Similar exercises are used in listening-training courses.(2) Run a TV test. With a friend or relative listen to a radio or television talk. See how many of the ideas presented you can recall. You may find yourself lost. "Well, he sort of talked about. . . And then he said. . . and then. . . " If so, you may have missed the main point. With the other listener, try to agree on a pretty specific statement of the main ideas.(3) Cut out distractions. Resolve to put aside the newspaper and stop half-listening to a radio or TV program when someone is trying to talk to you.(4) Accept controversy. When someone brings up a controversial subject, don't automatically go "deaf". Check all-too-natural wish to stop listening while thinking up sharp remarks to deliver in the next silence.Instead, plan a question based on his remarks. Don't plan the kind that will cut the opposition down to size. But plan one that will make sure you are getting what is being said.(5) Repeat instructions. Practice repeating instructions and directions correctly. Unless you can do so, you obviously will not be able to carry them out properly.( 6) Help others listen. I suspect we encourage bad listening habits in our children by repeating our demands several times before they obey. As much as possible, we should give them a command once. If they do not "hear" it, we should give them some penalty. This way they will learn to listen the first time. And we might set them a good example by listening to them the first time.Good listening isn't easy. Hearing, understanding, and remembering take a great deal of energy. It is hard to listen properly and do anything else at the same time. But it pays off.By recognizing and correcting any listening faults that may be hurting you, good things may happen. You may listen your way to closer friendships and better relations with your family. You may also get larger pay checks and ♦ 74 •general success in life.1. One of the major clients had just cancelled his order and so the people in the room were tense.2. Poor listening habits may cause one to fail in examinations.3. The newspaper publisher suffered a big loss of money because the ads were not to the requirements in size by the client.4. Poor memory is responsible for failure to remember a person's name being introduced.5. In learning to listen you should be strict with your child as well as with yourself.6. Good listening habit is of great value in many ways.7. When you are talked to, it is advisable for you to run a TV test.8. Our attitudes toward other people and success on the job are largely shaped by the9. Noise from radio or TV programs tends to______our attention away from listening.10. Sometimes we pay so much attention to a person's looks or actions that his namePassage 2Personality is, to a large extent, inherent—A-type parents, usually bring about A-type children. But the environment must also have a 11 effect, wince if competition is important to the parents it is likely to become a major 12 in the lives of their children.One place where children soak up A characteristics is school, which is, by its very nature, a highly competitive institution. Too many schools 13 the " win at all costs" moral standard and measure their success by sporting achievements. The current 14 for making children compete against their classmates or against the clock produces a two-layer system, in which competitive A types seem in some way better than their B-type fellows. Being 15 keen to win can have dangerous consequences: remember that Pheidippides, the first marathon runner, dropped dead seconds after saying; "cheers, we conquer!"By far the worst form of competition in schools is the extreme 16 on examinations. It is a rare school that allows pupils to 17 on those things they do well. The merits of competition by examination are somewhat 18 , but competition in the certain knowledge of failure is positively harmful.Obviously, it is neither 19 nor desirable that all A youngsters change into B's. The world needs types, and schools have an important duty to try to 20 a child's personality to his possible future employment. It is top management.A. enoughB. fitC. emphasisD. practicalE. innumerableF. concentrateG. adoptH. questionableI. profound J. factor K. too L. substanceM. passion N. emotion O. fixPassage 3The English policeman has several nicknames ( 绰号 ) but the most frequently used are "copper" and "bobby". The first name comes from the verb "to cop " (which is also slang ) , meaning " to take " or " to capture ", and the second comes from the first name of Sir Robert Peel, the nineteenth-century politician, who was the founder of the police force as we know it today. An early nickname for the policeman was "peeler", but this one has died out.Whatever we may call them, the general opinion of the police seems to be a favorable one; except, of course, among the criminal part of the community where the police are given more derogatory nicknames which originated in America, such as "fuzz" or "pig". Visitors to England seem nearly always to be very impressed by the English police. It has, in fact, become a standing joke that the visitor to Britain, when asked for his views of the country, will always say, at some point or other, "I think your policemen are wonderful. "Well, the British bobby may not always be wonderful but he is usually a very friendly and helpful sort of character. A music-hall song of some years ago was called "If You Want To Know The Time, Ask A Policeman". Nowadays, most people own watches but they still seem to find plenty of other questions to ask the policeman. In London, the policemen spend so much of their time directing visitors about the city that one wonders how they ever find time to do anything else!Two things are immediately noticeable to the stranger when he sees an English policeman for the first time. The first is that he does not carry a pistol (手枪) and the second is that he wears a very distinctive type of headgear, the policeman's helmet. His helmet, together with his height, enable an English policeman to be seen from a considerable distance, a fact that is not without its usefulness. From time to time it is suggested that the policeman should be given a pistol and that hishelmet should be taken from him, but both these suggestions are resisted by the majority of the public and the police themselves.21. Nowadays British people call the policeman_______.A. pigB. peelerC. fuzzD. bobby22. Which of the following statements is TRUE?A. There are fewer criminals in America than in Britain.B. The English police usually leave a deep impression on visitors.C. The British bobby is friendly but not helpful.D. The English police enjoy having pistols.23. If you see an English policeman for the first time, you will probably notice at once thatA. he often tells people timeB. he is usually very helpfulC. he has a helmet on his headD. he wears special clothes24. That an English policeman can be seen from some distance is _______.A. of some help to peopleB. of no help to peopleC. very strange and funnyD. a standing joke25. Visitors praise the English police because_______.A. they are armed with modern equipmentB. they obey ordersC. they are often given thanks by peopleD. they are polite and helpfulPassage 4Most young people enjoy some form of physical activity. It may be walking, cycling or swimming, or in winter, skating or skiing. It may be a game of some kind—football, hockey, golf, or tennis. It may be mountaineering.Those who have a passion for climbing high and difficult mountains are often looked upon with astonishment. Why are men and women willing to sufferand hardship, and to take risks on high mountains? This astonishment is caused probably by the difference between mountaineering and other forms of activity to which men give their leisure.Mountaineering is a sport and not a game. There are no man-made rules, as there are for such games as golf and football. There are, of course, rules of a different kind which it would be dangerous to ignore, but it is this freedom from man-made rules that makes mountaineering attractive to many people. Those who climb mountains are free to use their own methods.If we compare mountaineering and other more familiar sports, we might think that one big difference is that mountaineering is not a "team game". Weshould be mistaken in this. There are, it is true, no " matches" between "teams" of climbers, but when climbers are on a rock face linked by a rope on which their lives may depend, there is obvious teamwork.The mountain climber knows that he may have to fight forces that are stronger and more powerful than man. He has to fight the forces of nature. His sport requires high mental and physical qualities.A mountain climber continues to improve in skill year after year. A skier (滑雪手) is probably past his best by the age of thirty, and most international tennis champions are in their early twenties. But it is not unusual for a man of fifty or sixty to climb the highest mountains in the Alps. They may take more time than younger men, but they probably climb with more skill and less waste of efforts, and they certainly experience equal enjoyment.26. Mountaineering involves_______.A. coldB. hardshipC. physical riskD. all of the above27. The difference between a sport and a game has to do with the kind ofA. activityB. rulesC. uniformD. participants28. Mountaineering can be called a team sport becauseA. it is an Olympic eventB. teams compete against each otherC. mountaineers depend on each other while climbingD. there are 5 climbers in each team29. Mountaineers compete against_______.A. natureB. each otherB. other teams D: international standards30. The best title for the passage is_______.A. Mountaineering Is Different from Golf and FootballB. Mountaineering Is More Attractive than Other SportsC. MountaineeringD. Mountain Climbers参考答案：Unit ElevenI. N 2. NG 3. Y 4. N 5. Y 6. Y 7. N8. persuasive spoken word 9. distract 10. fails to stickII. I 12. J 13. G 14. M 15. K 16. C 17. F 18.H 19. D 20. B 21. D 22. B 23. C 24. A 25. D 26. D 27.B 28.C 29. A 30. C。
[2010四级] 12月四级强化备考：阅读练习(16)
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Unit SixteenPassage 1What Will Space People Look Like?Once we are in space, the question arises—will we be the only ones? Will we find other intelligent beings plying (往返于) the space ways, and if so, what will they be like? We cannot predict everything, of course, but we do have a good idea of what space people might look like.Suppose that this evening a spaceship from somewhere outside the solar system landed unnoticed in your neighborhood. Suppose you saw three beings from that ship walk down the road in front of your house at dusk. Would you run screaming to the telephone to call the police? No, the chances are that you wouldn't even give them a second look.We can be almost certain that our visitors from space will not have three eyes, webbed (有蹼的) feet, or television antennae growing out of their foreheads. Instead, scientists theorize, they will probably bear a strong resemblance to the man next door.The reason we can make this assumption is that science has shown that the shape of a living body is not accidental.There are rules of "biological construction" that help us picture presumed visitors before they actually step out of their spaceship.In applying the rules, we have to make just two assumptions. The first is that the bodies of spacemen consist of protoplasm (原生质) like ours. The second is that they are intelligent, which is an inescapable fact once we accept the idea that they are capable of building a spaceship.With those assumptions in mind, we can paint this portrait of the man from Planet X. :He breathes air. Water breathers might develop some intelligence, but they could not smelt (熔炼) metals under water. This means that any development above the level of our own Stone Age is the accomplishment of air breathers.He eats both plants and meat. A strict plant-eater spends too much time stuffing himself with food to build the kind of civilization which is necessary to produce a spaceship. Animals which can digest meat onlywould not be likely to survive the occasional adverse periods which very likely occur on all planets and wipe out the less adaptable forms of life.He's probably not much larger than the largest human being. The limiting factor here is something called the spare-cube law. If you double the height of a, person without changing his proportions, you have a being with weight times the weight. This means that a person 12 feet tall, for example, must be clumsy and cannot perform precision work. And precision work will be essential, of course, in building the spaceship.He weighs at least 40 pounds, and probably more. A brain of a certain size and complexity would be required for the building of a spaceship. The brain of our spacemen would weigh at least 2 pounds. And from our studies of animals on earth, we know that a body weighing at least 40 pounds is required to support a 2-pound brain.He has a skull of some kind. The most valuable organ of an intelligent being is his brain, and his brain must be protected in some manner against injury.He has two eyes and ears. The "three-eyed man from space" is not a very likely creation. Two eyes are better than one for the purpose of judging distance and shape, but three would not be better than two. The same goes for ears. More eyes and ears would be useful as spares in case of accidents but earth organisms, at least, do not run to spares. We do not know the reason for this but it is logical to assume that life on other planets would not have developed along different lines.The eyes and ears are near the brain. Information gathered by eyes and ears must reach the brain quickly in order to be useful. This transmission by the nerves is slow. Therefore the sense organs must be close to the brain to shorten the time lag between information and reaction.He has "hands" and "feet". We know that our spacemen will walk erect. In order to survive, any being must be able to move around. But in order to build he would need something resembling our hands. Somewhere along the line of his development he would have had to free one pair of legs to allow them to become hands. The only way to do this is to learn to stand.Also, it is almost certain that once on his back legs he would develop bending fingers and a thumb. To produce a high state of development he would need to pick up things, to be able to grasp, hold, push and pull. Why not tentacles (触须) , such as on an octopus? Because tentacles can pull but cannot push effectively.Now that we've drawn a rough portrait of the Man from Planet X, is there anything we can guess about Planet X itself?Here again the answer is a familiar one; his planet is probably very much like ours. We would probably be able to live on it.First of all, Planet X can't be much larger or much smaller than the earth. If it were much bigger, the gravity would be so crushingly great that life would never even get started. If it were too small, it would not have sufficient gravitational pull to hang on to its gases and there would be no "air" to breathe.The planet's atmosphere would be much like ours. There are only two chemical combinations that are complex enough to support life: the carbon-oxygen-hydrogen cycle we live on, and the chlorine-fluoride (氟化氯) , methane cycle. The latter is a highly explosive mixture and though it is conceivable that somewhere there could be a life-form living on it, it is not likely. This cycle is so complex that the chances are heavily in favor of oxygen-based life developing long before the chlorine-based form of got a chance.Planet X would have land and sea masses and a climate with drastic changes like ours. If the climate were static there would be no incentive for our visitor's race to build anything. Variable hot and cold, wet and dry seasons are needed to push him around. And, of course, there would have to be land for our spaceman to live on and water for him to drink.All this tells that our visitor is from outside our solar system, since none of our sun's planets, besides the earth, is capable of supporting intelligent life. It also tells us something else: our space visitor is a good bit more advanced than we are.Whether it is because his race is more intelligent, or just because Planet X is older than the earth and he has had more time to develop, we cannot tell. But the fact is that he has come from outer space. The nearest star system to us is Alpha Centauri, four light-years away. So our visitor has come a minimum of four light-years. Our science, just on the edge of interplanetary flight, couldn't even begin to tackle such an interstellar voyage. We would have a lot to learn from such a visitor.1. Intelligent life is certain to be found on other planets of the solar system than the earth.2. Spacemen would have to fly a distance of 4 light years to visit us.3. The bodies of spacemen are made up of protoplasm.4. In the near future, space light will be an almost everyday occurrence.5. The occasional adverse periods on all planets require intelligent beings to eat meat for survival.6. The judgment of distances increases with the number of eyes.7. The passage mainly tells us about spacemen's resemblance to human beings and requirements of life-supporting planets.8. The only way for legs to become hands is to_______.9. In order to support life, a planet must have a size_______the earth.10. The atmosphere of life-supporting planets containonly_______chemical combinations.Passage 2If you are looking for information, library shelves are a good place to start. But if you need up-to-the-minute data or have specialized needs, you may find a computerized database more useful, less expensive, and less time 11 .A database, a file of information on one subject or family of subjects, can be stored and 12 in a computer's memory. The speed of the computer then 13 you to recall any item in this file almost 14The three main types of databases are statistical, bibliographic, and full text. Statistical databases store 15 amounts of numerical data, such as wage and price indexes, census information, foreign 16 rates and bond prices. Bibliographic databases store references to and summaries of articles in periodicals and newspapers. Full-text databases offer the complex texts of such 17 as newspaper, magazine, and journal articles.Thousands of databases exist today, and their numbers are growing. Many companies have their in-house database, which is 18 to employees through computer terminals or microcomputers. In addition, several hundred commercial databases are now available to the 19 , with literally millions of items of information readily obtainable. These databases 20 specific fields, such as law and financial forecasting, or general information, such as sports and weather data.A. exchangeB. publicC. instantlyD. coverE. enablesF. consumingG. remainedH. materialsI. hide J. intensively K. vast L. communicationsM. exhausting N. accessible 0. maintainedPassage 3In order to give you as much help as possible, I have drawn up a list of questions that you ought to ask yourself.v "Have I given thought to what I would like to be doing in 15 to 20 years from now?" Bear in mind that the career you choose will affect the future courseof your life. It will partially determine your range of friends, your choice of husband or wife, where you live, your recreational activities, and other important aspects of your life."Have I a clear knowledge of my abilities and aptitudes, as well as my interests and aims?" Be honest about your weak points as well as your strong ones. Take a really good look at yourself and give real thought to the kind of person you are, what you are good at, and what kind of person you want to be."Do I know the kind of occupation in which people like myself tend to find success and satisfaction?" Once you have examined and found out about yourself, your next question is what you can really do with yourself. You can gain some idea of what other people, with similar abilities and interests, consider to be important and challenging in the careers that interest you. Watch these people at work."Have I weighed carefully the immediate advantages against the long-term prospects offered by the jobs I am considering?" Will the occupation you select give you satisfaction, not just when you start, but in the years to come? Realize now the importance of education in all fields, technical and professional. Remember that when promotion occurs, preference is usually given to educated persons—other things being equal."Have I talked about my job preference with my careers master, my parents, teachers and my headmaster?" Remember they have a tremendous fund of experience from which you should benefit. They can stimulate you to give careful thought to what you really want to do, and offer useful suggestions as to how you might take full advantage of your personal qualities and qualifications.21. The main idea of Paragraph 2 is that a person choosing a career should_______.A. choose his career very carefullyB. make up his mind but be prepared to change it laterC. choose a career that fits the kind of life he leadsD. try to foresee how a career will affect his life22. Which of these words is nearest in meaning to "aptitudes"?A. Talents.B. Preferences.C. Standards.D. Attitudes.23. The fifth paragraph is mainly concerned with_______.A. the presentB. educationC. long-term prospectsD. immediate advantages24. When we say that a career has "challenge", we mean that itis_______.A. demandingB. easyC. well-paidD. satisfying25. This passage focuses on_______.A. how you can choose the right careerB. whether you know your abilities and aptitudesC. whether you have weighed the immediate advantages ag ainst the long-term prospects offered by the jobD. whether you have talked about your job preferences with your careers master, your parents, teachers and headmasterPassage 4Of all the continents, the most drastic reduction in wildlife has occurred in North America, where the transition from a rural to a highly industrialized society has been most rapid. Among the victims are birds, mammals, and fish. We will never again see the passenger pigeon or the eastern elk. They have been wiped out. Of many other species, only a few representatives still survive in the wild. The U. S. Department of the Interior has put no fewer than 109 species on the endangered species list. (An endangered species is one with poor prospects for survival and in need of protection. ) This list includes everything from the timber wolf to the whooping crane. Even the bald eagle, our national symbol, is threatened.Animals that kill other game for food are called predators. The predators include the wolf, mountain lion, fox, bobcat, and bear. Attack against these animals began with the arrival of the first European settlers, who wished to protect their livestock. Eventually, a reward was offered to hunters for every predator that was killed. This reward is called a bounty. Ironically, the Federal government is the chief founder of predator-control programs.The settlers also brought in their Old World fears and superstitionsconcerning predators. Whether preying (捕食) on livestock or not, predators were shot on sight. This attitude continues to this day for coyotes, eagles, foxes, mountain lions, and bobcats, and is largely responsible for placing the eastern timber wolf, grizzly bear, and bald eagle on the endangered species list.Yet every animal, including the predator, has its place in nature's grand design. Predators help maintain the health of their prey species by eliminating the diseased, young, old and injured. Predators like the mountain lion and the wolf help to keep the deer herds healthy. Occasional loss of livestock must be weighed against the good these animals do in maintaining the balance of nature.26. In North America, the number of wild animals has reduced most greatly mainly because_______.A. the birds, mammals and fish there are most predatorsB. the development there has been at the highest paceC. only a few species still live in the worldD. many species have been put on the endangered species list27. The first European settlers killed predators chiefly in order to_______.A. eat their meatB. protect themselvesC. please the Federal governmentD. protect their livestock28. Some animal species are in danger of disappearing altogether from the earth as a result of_______.A. people's superstitious attitudeB. people's dislike of some animals, such as bald eagleC. people's hunting gamesD. the self-killing of the predators29. Bounty hunters are people who_______.A. take care of wilderness areasB. preserve our wildlifeC. kill meat-eating animals for moneyD. work in the fund of predator-control programs30. According to the writer, even if the meat-eating animals sometimes caused losses of livestock, man should_______.A. estimate the value of predatorsB. compare the losses with the benefits of predatorsC. keep the balance of natureD. raise more livestock参考答案：Unit SixteenI. N 2. Y 3. Y 4. NG 5. N 6. N 7. Y 8. learn to stand 9. similar to 10. twoII. F 12. O 13. E 14. C 15. K 16. A 17. H 18. N 19. B 20. D 21. A 22. A 23. C 24. A 25. A 26. B 27.D 28. A 29. C 30. B。
12月英语四级阅读理解强化练习题
12月英语四级阅读理解强化练习题Reaching new peaks of popularity in North America is Iceberg Water, which is harvested from icebergs off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.Arthur von Wiesenberger, who carries the title Water Master, is one of the few water critics in North America. As a boy, he spent time in the larger cities of Italy, France and Switzerland, where bottled water is consumed daily. Even then, he kept a water journal, noting the brands he liked best. “My dog could tell the difference between bottled and tap water,” He says.But is plain tap water all that bad? Not at all. In fact, New York’s municipal water for more than a century was called the champagne of tap water and until recently considered among the best in the worldin terms of both taste and purity. Similarly, a magazine in England found that tap water from the Thames River tasted better than several leading brands of bottled water that were 400 times more expensive.Nevertheless, soft-drink companies view bottled water as the next battle-ground for market share—this despite the fact that over 25 percent of bottled water comes from tap water: PepsiCo’s Aquafina and Coca-Cola’s Dasani are both purified tap water rather than spring water.As diners thirst for leading brands, bottlers and restaurateurs salivate (垂涎) over the profits. A restaurant’s typical mark-up on wine is 100 to 150 percent, whereas on bottled water it’s often 300 to 500 percent. But since water is much cheaper than wine, and many of the fancier brands aren’t available in stores, most diners don’t notice or care.As a result, some restaurants are turning up the pressure tosell bottled water. According to an article in The Street Journal, some of the more shameless tactics include placing attractive bottles on the table for a visual sell, listing brands on the menu without prices, and pouring bottled water without even asking the diners if they want it.Regardless of how it’s sold, the popularity of bottled water taps into our desire for better health, our wish to appear cultivated, and even a longing for lost purity.57. What do we know about Iceberg Water from the passage?A) It is a kind of iced water.B) It is just plain tap water.C) It is a kind of bottled water.D) It is a kind of mineral water.58. By sa ying “My dog could tell the difference between bottled and tap water” (Line 4 Para.2), von Wiesenberger wants to convey the message that ________.A) plain tap water is certainly unfit for drinkingB) bottled water is clearly superior to tap waterC) bottled water often appeals more to dogs tasteD) dogs can usually detect a fine difference in taste59. The “fancier brands” (Line 3 Para. 5) refers to ________.A) tap water from the Thames RiverB) famous wines not sold in ordinary storesC) PepsiCo’s Aquafina and Coca-Cola’s DasaniD) expensive bottled water with impressive names60. Why are some restaurants turning up the pressure to sell bottled water?A) Bottled water brings in huge profits.B) Competition from the wine industry is intense.C) Most diners find bottled water affordable.D) Bottled water satisfied diners’ desire to fashionable.61. According to passage, why is bottled water so popular?A) It is much cheaper than wine.B) It is considered healthier.C) It appeals to more cultivated people.D) It is more widely promoted in the market. 参考答案：57. C 58. B 59. D 60.A 61. B。
12月大学英语四级阅读理解冲刺试卷(九)
文化背景对商业运作的影响Culture is one of the most challenging elements of the international marketplace. 『This system of learned behavior patterns characteristic of the members of a given society is constantly shaped by a set of dynamic variables: language, religion, values and attitudes, manners and customs, aesthetics, technology, education, and social institutions.』① To cope with this system, an international manager needs both factual and interpretive knowledge of culture. To some extent, the factual knowledge can be learned; its interpretation comes only through experience.The most complicated problems in dealing with the cultural environment stem from the fact that one cannot learn culture—one has to live it. Two schools of thought exist in the business world on how to deal with cultural diversity. One is that business is business the world around, following the model of Pepsi and McDonald’s. In some cases, globalization is a fact of life; however, cultural differences are still far from converging.The other school proposes that companies must tailor business approaches to individual cultures. Setting up policies and procedures in each country has been compared to an organ transplant; the critical question centers around acceptance or rejection. The major challenge to the international manager is to make sure that rejection is not a result of cultural myopia or even blindness.Fortune examined the international performance of a dozen large companies that earn 20 percent or more of their revenue overseas. The internationally successful companies all share an important quality: patience. They have not rushed into situations but rather built their operations carefully by following the most basic business principles. These principles are to know your adversary, know your audience, and know your customer.1. According to the passage, which of the following is true?A. All international managers can learn culture.B. Business diversity is not necessary.C. Views differ on how to treat culture in business world.D. Most people do not know foreign culture well.2. According to the author, the model of Pepsi ______.A. is in line with the theories of the school advocating the business is business the world aroundB. is different from the model of McDonald’sC. shows the reverse of globalizationD. has converged cultural differences3. The two schools of thought ______.A. both propose that companies should tailor business approaches to individual culturesB. both advocate that different policies be set up in different countriesC. admit the existence of cultural diversity in business worldD. Both A and B4. This article is supposed to be most useful for those ______.A. who are interested in researching the topic of cultural diversityB. who have connections to more than one type of cultureC. who want to travel abroadD. who want to run business on International Scale5. According to Fortune, successful international companies ______.A. earn 20 percent or more of their revenue overseasB. all have the quality of patienceC. will follow the overseas local culturesD. adopt the policy of internationalization词汇与短语1. dynamic adj. 动态的2. variable n. 变量3. aesthetics n. 美学4. factual adj. 事实的5. interpretative adj. 解释的6. converge v. 聚合7. transplant v. 移植8. myopia n. 近视9. adversary n. 对手长难句解析①【解析】此句虽然很长，但考生只要认清它的主干，就很容易了解本句的意思。
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[2010四级] 12月四级强化备考：阅读练习(9)Unit NinePassage 1How to Deal With Difficult PeopleIn New York City one day, a businesswoman got into a taxi. Because it was rush hour and she was hurrying for a train, she suggested a route. "I've been a cabby(车夫) for 15 years!" the driver yelled. "You think I don't know the best way to go?"The woman tried to explain that she hadn't meant to offend him, but the driver kept yelling. She finally realized he was too upset to be reasonable. So she did the unexpected. "You know, you're right," she told him. "It must seem dumb for me to assume you don't know the best way through the city. "Taken aback, the driver flashed his rider a confused look in the rear-view mirror, turned down the street she wanted and got her to the train on time. "He didn't say another word the rest of the ride," she said, "until I got out and paid him. Then he thanked me. "When you encounter people like this cab driver, there's an irresistible urge to dig in your heels. This can lead to prolonged arguments, soured friendships, lostcareer opportunities and broken marriages. As a clinical psychiatrist, I've discovered one simple but extremely unlikely principle that can prevent virtually any conflict or other difficult situation from becoming a recipe for disaster.The key is to put yourself in the other person's shoes and look for the truth in what that person is saying. Find a way to agree. The result may surprise you.Sulkers Steve's 14-year-old son, Adam, had been irritable for several days. When Steve asked why, Adam snapped, "Nothing's wrong! Leave me alone!" and stalked off to his room.We all know people like this. When there's problem, they may sulk（生闷气） or act angry and refuse to talk.So what's the solution? First, Steve needs to ask himself why Adam won't talk. Maybe the boy is worried about something that happened at school. Or he might be angry at his dad but afraid to bring it up because Steve gets defensive whenever he is criticized. Steve can pursue these possibilities the next time they talk by saying, "I noticed you're upset, and I think it would help to get the problem out in the open. It may be hard because I haven't always listened very • 58 •well. If so, I feel bad because I love you and don't want to let you down. "If Adam still refuses to talk, Steve can take a different tack: "I'm concerned about what's going on with you, but we can talk things over later, when you're more in the mood. "This strategy allows both sides to win: Steve doesn't have to compromise on the principle that ultimately the problem needs to be talked out and resolved. Adam saves face by being allowed to withdraw for a while.Noisy critics. Recently, I was counselling a businessman named Frank who lends to be overbearing(专横的) when he's upset. Frank told me that I was too absent-minded with money and that he shouldn't have to pay at each of our sessions. He wanted to be billed monthly.I felt annoyed because it seemed Frank always had to have things his way. I explained that I had tried monthly billing, but it hadn't worked because some patients didn't pay. Frank argued that he had impeccable (无可挑剔的 ) credit and knew much more about credit and billing than I did.Suddenly I realized I was missing Frank's point. "You are right," I said. " I'm being defensive. We should focus on the problems in your life and not worry so much about money. "Frank immediately softened and began talking about what was really bothering him, which were some personal problems. The next time we met, he handed me a check for 20 sessions in advance!There are times, of course, when people are unreasonably abusive and you may need to just walk away from the situation. But if the problem is one that you want solved, it's important to allow the other person to keep some self-esteem. There's nearly always a grain of truth in the other person's point of view. If you acknowledgethis, he or she will be less defensive and more likely to listen to you.Complainers. Brad is a 32-year-old Detroit chiropractor (按摩师) who recently described his frustration with a patient of his: "I ask Mr. Barry, 'How are you doing?' and he dumps out his whole life story-his family problems and his financial difficulties. I give him advice, but he ignores everything I tell him. "Brad needs to recognize that habitual complainers usually don't want advice. They just want someone to listen and understand. So Brad might simply say : "sounds like a rough week, It's no fun to have unpaid bills, people nagging you, and this pain besides. " The complainer will usually run out of gas and stop complaining. The secret is not to give advice. Just agreeing and validating a person's point of view will make that person feel better.Demanding friends. Difficult people aren't always -, angry or just complaining. Sometimes they are difficult because of the demands they place upon us. Maybe a friend puts you on the spot with a request to run an errand for him while he's out of town. If you have a crowded schedule, you may agree but end up angry and resentful. Or if you say no in the wrong way, your friend may feel hurt and unhappy. The problem is that, caught off guard, you don't know how to deal with the situation in a way that avoids bad feelings.One method I've found helpful is "punting". You're punting when you tell the person you need to think about the request and that you'll get back about it. Say a colleague calls and pressures me to give a lecture at his university. I've learned to say, "I'm flattered that you thought of me. Let me check myschedule, and I'll call you back. "This gives me time to deal with any feelings of guilt if I have to say no. Suppose I decide it is better to decline; punting allow me to plan what I will say when I call back, "I appreciate being asked," I might indicate, "but I find I'mover-committed right now. However, I hope you'll think of me in the future. "Responding to difficult people with patience and empathy can be tough, especially when you feel upset. But the moment you give up your need to control or be right, the other person will begin relaxing and start listening to you. The Greek philosopher Epictetus understood this when he said nearly 2, 000 years ago, "If someone criticizes you, agree at once. Mention that if only the other person knew you well, there would be more to criticize than that !"Real communication results from a spirit of respect for yourself and for the other person. The benefits can be amazing.1. The principle the writer has discovered to stop any conflict from going worse is to find a way to agree.2. The taxi driver thanked the businesswoman because she was very polite to him.3. Difficult people mentioned in the passage include those who give occasional complaints.4. One way to deal with the person who is unreasonably abusive is to walk away from the situation.5. If Mr. Barry had followed Brad's advice, he would have solved all his personal problems.6. What habitual complainers need is a good listener.7. It will end up in unhappiness whether you have satisfied your friend's request or not.8. You will be rewarded with a real communication if you______for others.9. A difficult person can become a relaxing and good conversational partner if you______your control.• 60 •10. According to the author, one effective way to deal with a demanding friend is______.Passage 2A growing world population and the discoveries of science may 11 this patternof distribution in the future. As men slowly learn to master diseases, control floods, prevent famines, and stop wars, fewer people die every year; and in 12 the population of the world is 13 increasing. In 1925 there were about 2,000 million people in the world; by the end of the century there may well be over 4,000 million.When numbers rise the 14 mouths must be fed. New lands must be I bought under cultivation, or land already farmed made to 15 larger crops. In some areas the accessible land is largely so intensively 16 that it will be difficult to make it provide more food. In some areas the population is so dense that the land is parceled out in units too 17 to allow for much improvement in farming methods. Were a larger part of this farming population drawn off into industrial occupations, the land might be farmed much more productively by modern methods.There is now a race for science, technology, and industry to keep the 18 of food rising faster than the number of people to be fed. New strains of crops are being developed which will thrive in 19 climates; irrigation and dry-farming methods bring poor lands under the plough, dams hold back the waters of great rivers to 20 water for the fields in all seasons and to provide electricpower for new industries; industrial chemistry provides fertilizers to suit particular soils; aero planes spray crops to destroyinsects and many plant diseases.A. ensureB. violentlyC. alterD. harmfulE. cultivatedF. uniqueG.transplanted H. yield I.consequence J. output K.extra L. steadily M. tiny N. unfavorable O. producePassage 3The process of perceiving others is rarely translated (to ourselves or others) into cold, objective terms. "She was 5 feet 8 inches tall, had fair hair, and wore a colored skirt. " More often, we try to get inside the other person to pinpoint (强调 ) his or her attitudes, emotions, motivations, abilities, ideas, and characters. Furthermore, we sometimes behave as if we can accomplish this difficult job very quickly—perhaps with a two-second glance.We try to obtain information about others in many ways. Berger suggests several methods for reducing uncertainties about others; who are known to you so you can compare the observed person's behavior with the known others' behavior, observing a person in a situation where social behavior is relatively unrestrained or where a wide variety of behavioral responses are called for, deliberately structuring the physical or social environment so as to observe the person's responses to specific stimuli (刺激因素) , asking people who have had or have frequent contact with the person about him or her, and using various strategies in face-to-face interaction to uncover information about another person—question, self-disclosures, and so on.Getting to know someone is a never-ending task, largely because people areconstantly changing and the methods we use to obtain information are often imprecise. You may have known someone for ten years and still know very little about him. If we accept the idea that we won't ever fully know another person, it enables us to deal more easily with those things that get in the way of accurate knowledge such as secrets and deceptions. It will also keep us from being too surprised or shocked by seemingly inconsistent behavior. Ironically, those things that keep us from knowing another person too well(e. g. secrets and deceptions) may be just as important to the development of a satisfying relationship as those things that enable us to obtain accurate knowledge about a person (e. g. disclosures and truthful statement).21. According to the passage, if we perceive a person, we are likely to be interested inA. what he wearsB. how tall he isC. how happy he isD. what color he dyes his hair22. Some people are often surprised by what other people do. According to Berger, that is mainly because_______.A. some people are more emotional than othersB. some people are not aware of the fact that we will never completely know another personC. some people are sensitive enough to sense the change of other people's attitudesD. some people choose to keep to themselves23. We may have known someone for ten years and still know very little about him because_______.A. we don't accept the idea that we might never fully know another personB. we often get information in a casual and inexact wayC. we pay more attention to other people's motivations and emotions • 62 •D. we often have face-to-face conversation with him24. There are things that we find preventing us from knowing others. These things areA. disclosuresB. deceptionsC. stimuliD. interactions25. This passage mainly concerns_______.A. the relationship between peopleB. the perception of other peopleC. secrets and deceptions of peopleD. people's attitudes and charactersPassage 4Modern scientists divide the process of dying into two stages—clinical or (emporary death and biological death. Clinical death occurs when the vital organs, such as the heart or lungs, have ceased to function, but have not suffered permanent damage. The organism can still be revived (复活). Biological death occurs when changes in the organism lead to the disintegration(解体) of vital cells and tissues. Death is then irreversible and final.Scientists have been seeking a way to prolong the period of clinical death so (hat the organism can be revived before biological death occurs. The best method developed so far involves cooling of the organism, combined with narcotic(麻醉的)sleep. By slowing down the body's metabolism(新成代谢) , cooling delays the processes leading to biological death.To illustrate how this works, scientists performed an experiment on asix-year-old female monkey called Keta. The scientists put Keta to sleep with a narcotic. Then they surrounded her body with ice-bags and began checking her body temperature. When it had dropped to 28 degrees the scientists began draining blood from an its body. The monkey's blood pressure decreased and an hour later both the heart and breathing stopped; clinical death set in. For twenty minutes Keta remained in this state. Her temperature dropped to 22 degrees. At this point the scientists pumped blood into its body in the direction of the heart and started artificial breathing. After two minutes the monkey's heart became active once more. After fifteen minutes, spontaneous breathing began, and after four hours Keta opened her eyes and lifted her head. After six hours, when the scientists tried to give her a penicillin injection, Keta seized the syringe and ran with it around the room. Her behavior differed little from that of a healthy animal.26. This passage focuses on_______.A. the difference between biological and clinical death.B. the process of dyingC. prolonging the period of clinical deathD. the nature of clinical death27. The best statement of the main idea of this passage is thatA. modem scientists divide the process of dying into clinical and biological deathB. biological death occurs when vital organs have suffered permanent damageC. scientists have found a way to prolong the period of clinical deathD. cooling delays the processes leading to biological death28. One characteristic of clinical death is______.A. lasting damage to the lungsB. destruction of the tissuesC. temporary non-functioning of the heartD. that the organism cannot be revived29. According to the passage, cooling an organismA. speeds up the body's metabolismB. slows disintegration of body tissuesC. prevents damage to organsD. revives damaged organs30. One possible benefit of the experiment discussed in the passage is______.A. less crowded citiesB. victory over deathC. protection against fatal injuryD. fewer deaths from heart attacks参考答案：Unit NineI. Y 2. N 3. N 4. Y 5. NG 6. Y 7. N 8. showrespect 9. give up 10. puntingII. C 12. I 13. L 14. K 15. H 16. E 17. M 18. J 19.N 20. A 21. C 22. B 23. B 24. B 25. B 26. C 27. C 28. C 29.B 30. D。