2014年12月大学英语六级考试备考资料《阅读理解》考前训练(21-30)及答案

2014年12月大学英语六级考试备考资料《阅读理解》考前训练（21-30）及答案
考前训练(21)
How to Deal With Difficult People
In 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, lost career 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 acknowledge this, 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 my schedule, 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'm over-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.
10. According to the author, one effective way to deal with a demanding friend is______.
答案：
1. Y
2. N
3. N
4. Y
5. NG
6. Y
7. N
8. show respect
9. give up 10. punting
考前训练(22)
A growing world population and the discoveries of science may 11 this pattern of 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 electric power for new industries; industrial chemistry provides fertilizers to suit particular soils; aero planes spray crops to destroy insects and many plant diseases.
A. ensure
B. violently
C. alter
D. harmful
E. cultivated
F. unique
G. transplanted
H. yield
I. consequence
J. output
K. extra
L. steadily
M. tiny
N. unfavorable
O. produce
答案：
11. C 12. I 13. L 14. K 15. H 16. E 17. M 18. J 19. N 20. A
考前训练(23)
The 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 are constantly 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 in
A. what he wears
B. how tall he is
C. how happy he is
D. what color he dyes his hair
22. Some people are often surprised by what other people do. According to Berger, that is mainly because_______.
A. some people are more emotional than others
B. some people are not aware of the fact that we will never completely know another person
C. some people are sensitive enough to sense the change of other people's attitudes
D. some people choose to keep to themselves
23. 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 person
B. we often get information in a casual and inexact way
C. we pay more attention to other people's motivations and emotions • 62 •
D. we often have face-to-face conversation with him
24. There are things that we find preventing us from knowing others. These things are
A. disclosures
B. deceptions
C. stimuli
D. interactions
25. This passage mainly concerns_______.
A. the relationship between people
B. the perception of other people
C. secrets and deceptions of people
D. people's attitudes and characters
答案：
21. C 22. B 23. B 24. B 25. B
考前训练(24)
Modern 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 a six-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 dying
C. prolonging the period of clinical death
D. the nature of clinical death
27. The best statement of the main idea of this passage is that
A. modem scientists divide the process of dying into clinical and biological death
B. biological death occurs when vital organs have suffered permanent damage
C. scientists have found a way to prolong the period of clinical death
D. cooling delays the processes leading to biological death
28. One characteristic of clinical death is______.
A. lasting damage to the lungs
B. destruction of the tissues
C. temporary non-functioning of the heart
D. that the organism cannot be revived
29. According to the passage, cooling an organism
A. speeds up the body's metabolism
B. slows disintegration of body tissues
C. prevents damage to organs
D. revives damaged organs
30. One possible benefit of the experiment discussed in the passage is______.
A. less crowded cities
B. victory over death
C. protection against fatal injury
D. fewer deaths from heart attacks
答案：
26. C 27. C 28. C 29. B 30. D
考前训练(25)
Three Kinds of Fatigue
Fatigue is one of the most common complaints brought to doctors, friends, and relatives. You'd think in this era of labor-saving devices and convenient transportation that few people would have reason to be so tired. But probably more people complain of fatigue today than in the days when hay was baled by hand and laundry scrubbed on a washboard.
The causes of modern-day fatigue are diverse and only rarely related to excessive physical exertion. The relatively few people who do heavy labor all day long almost never complain about being tired, perhaps because they expect to be. Today, physicians report, tiredness is more likely a consequence of under-exertion than of wearing yourself down with over-activity. In fact, increased physical activity is often prescribed as a cure for lowering energy.
Physical. This is the well-known result of overworking your muscles to the point where metabolic (新成代谢的) waste products—carbon dioxide and lactic acid (乳酸)—accumulate in our blood and reduce your strength. Your muscles can't continue to work efficiently in a bath of these chemicals. Physical fatigue is usually a pleasant tiredness, such as that which you might experience after playing a hard set of tennis, chopping wood, or climbing a mountain. The cure is simple and fast: You rest, giving your body a chance to get rid of accumulated wastes and restore muscle fuel.
Pathological (病理的). Here fatigue is a warning sign or consequence of some underlying physical disorder, perhaps the common cold or flu or something more serious like diabetes or cancer. Usually other symptoms besides fatigue are present that suggest the true cause.
Even after an illness has passed, you're likely to feel dragged out for a week or more. Take your fatigue as a signal to go slow while your body has a chance to recover fully even if all you had was a cold. Pushing yourself to resume full activity too soon could lead to a relapse (旧病复发) and almost certainly will prolong our period of fatigue.
Even though illness is not frequent cause of prolonged fatigue, it's very important that it not be overlooked. Therefore, anyone who feels drained of energy for weeks on end should have a thorough physical check-up. But even if nothing shows
up as a result of the various medical tests, that doesn't mean there's nothing wrong with you.
Psychological. Emotional problems and conflicts, especially depression and anxiety, are by far the most common causes of prolonged fatigue. Fatigue may represent a defence mechanism that prevents you from having to face the true cause of your depression, such as the fact that you hate your job. It is also your body's safety mechanism for expressing repressed emotional conflicts, such as feeling trapped in an ungrateful role or an unhappy marriage. When such feelings are not expressed openly, they often come out as physical symptoms, with fatigue as one of the most common manifestations. "Many people who are extremely fatigued don't even know they're depressed," Dr. Bulette says. "They're so busy distracting themselves or just worrying about being tired that they don't recognize their depression. "
There is a great deal you can do on your own to deal with both severe prolonged fatigue and those periodic washed-out feelings. Vitamins and tranquilizers (镇静剂) are almost never the right answer, sleeping pills and alcohol are counterproductive, and caffeine is at best a temporary solution that can backfire with abuse and cause life-disrupting symptoms of anxiety. Instead, you might try: Diet
If you eat a small breakfast or none at all, you're likely to experience mid-morning fatigue, the result of a drop in blood sugar, which your body and brain depend on for energy. For peak energy in the morning, be sure to eat a proper breakfast, low in sugar and fairly high in protein, which will provide a steady supply of blood sugar throughout the morning. Coffee and a doughnut are almost worse than nothing, providing a brief boost and then letting you down with a thud.
Exercise
Contrary to what you may think, exercise enhances, rather than saps, energy. Regular conditioning exercises, such as jogging, cycling, or swimming, help you to resist fatigue by increasing your body's ability to handle more of a work load. You get tired less quickly because your capability is greater.
Exercise also has a well-recognized tranquilizing effect, which helps you work in a more relaxed fashion and be less dragged down by the tensions of your day. At the end of a day exercise can relieve accumulated tensions, give you more energy in the evening, and help you sleep more restfully.
Sleep
If you know you're tired because you haven't been getting enough sleep, the
solution is simple: Get to bed earlier. There's no right amount of sleep for everyone, and generally sleep requirements decline with age. Find the amount that suits you best, and aim for it. Insomnia(失眠) and other sleep disorders should not be treated with sleeping pills, alcohol, or tranquilizers, which can actually make the problem worse. Know yourself
Try to schedule your most difficult jobs for the time of day when you're at your peak. Some are "morning people" who tire by mid-afternoon; others do their best work in the evening. Don't overextend yourself, trying to climb the ladder of success at a record pace or to meet everyone's demands or expectations. Decide what you want to do and what you can handle comfortably, and learn to say no to additional requests. Recognize your energy cycles and plan accordingly. Many women have a low point premenstrually, during which time extra sleep may be needed and demanding activities are particularly exhausting. , Take breaks
No matter how interesting or demanding you work, you'll be able to do it with more vigor if now and again you stop, stretch, and change the scenery. Instead of coffee and a sweet roll on your break, try meditation, yoga, callisthenics(健美操) , or a brisk walk. Even running up and down the staircase can provide refreshment from a sedentary(久坐的) job. If your job is physically demanding, relax in a quiet place for a while. The do-something-different rule also applies to vacation; "getting away from it all" for a week or two or longer can be highly revitalizing, helping you to put things in perspective and enabling you to take your job more in stride upon your return.
1. According to the passage, it is hard for people to find causes of tiredness when they are leading a comfortable and convenient life.
2. Causes of certain types of fatigue are discussed and some suggestions are put forward in the passage.
3. Most people don't want to talk about their unhappy feelings with others.
4. Physical fatigue is good because it brings us a lot of pleasure.
5. Psychological fatigue is the likely response of our body to emotional problems and conflicts.
6. Coffee and a doughnut make the satisfying breakfast as they provide people with the desired energy.
7. When you have a prolonged fatigue, it is necessary to have a thorough physical check-
up even if there is nothing wrong with you.
8. No matter how interesting or demanding your work, you need to______.
9. From the passage, it can be seen that the author's attitudes towards the approach to dealing with modern-fatigue is______.
10. According to physicians' report, tiredness more probably results from______.
答案：
1. N
2. Y
3. NG
4. N
5. Y
6. N
7. N
8. take breaks
9. positive 10. under-exertion
考前训练(26)
In the United States, it is not 11 to telephone someone very early in the morning. If you telephone him early in the day, while he is shaving or having breakfast, the time of the call shows that the matter is very important and requires immediate attention. The same meaning is attached to telephone calls made after 11: 00 p. m. . If someone receives a call during sleeping hours, he 12 it's a matter of life and death. The time chosen for the call 13 its importance.
In 14 life, time plays a very important part. In the U. S. A. , guests tend to feel they are not highly regarded if the 15 to a dinner party is extended only three or four days before the party date. But it is not true in all countries. In other areas of the world, it may be considered foolish to make an appointment too far in 16 because plans which are made for a date more than a week away tend to be forgotten. The meaning of time differs in different parts of the world. Thus, misunderstandings 17 between people from cultures that treat time differently.
Promptness is valued 18 in American life, for example. If people are not prompt, they may be regarded as impolite or not fully responsible. In the U. S. no one would think of keeping a business 19 waiting for an hour, it would be too impolite. A person who is 5 minutes late is 20 to make a short apology. If he is less than 5 minutes late, he will say a few words of explanation, though perhaps he will not complete the sentence.
A. highly
B. engagement
C. customary
D. social
E. inform
F. invitation
G. advance
H. absence
I. heavily J. associate K. expected L. assumes
M. habitual N. arise O. communicates
答案：
11. C 12. L 13. O 14. D 15. F 16. G 17. N 18. A 19. J 20. K
考前训练(27)
At the close of each business day, most trained teachers, administrators, politicians, and statesmen make objective analyses of all that has transpired. They then carefully evaluate performance in the achievement of certain specified objectives. You, as a student, would be wise to adopt the same practice and reflect upon your performance in relating to the achievement of certain personal and educational objectives.
First, what was your purpose, your motivational force in seeking an education? Did you seek an education in active performance, or did you seek to be educated in passive reception and automatic acquisition(获取) of information that was fed to you? Was the profit motive your primary motivation for obtaining an education? Do you want a better education for the sole purpose of getting a better job? What does the educational process really mean to you?
We are part of a world in which men thrill to the touch of gold and hearts respond to the word money instead of being thrilled by the thought of good. We five in a world in which we are taught that the pursuit of happiness is an equation for the most rapid acquisition of money, by whatever means.
If profit and money are your first priorities, and compassion and commitment to people your least concern, you have done little other than accumulate some facts and compile some information for future reference. If making money is your daydream and losing money your nightmare, if poverty is your worst fear and making money your most fervent prayer, you have missed the opportunity for education. You have failed yourself and have only received Nome instruction.
21.. This passage suggests that students should______.
A. assess their aims for learning
B. learn more to earn more
C. evaluate their politicians and statesmen
D. keep knowledge to themselves
22.The educational procedure should be one in which the student______.
A. does what he is told
B. gets a better education to get a better job
C. makes principles of education for self-betterment of their aims
D. approaches the benefits of being well-off
23. The author seems to feel that______.
A. people's welfare should be the chief concern in learning。