大学英语四级考试15选10专项训练

大学英语四级考试15选10专项训练
Unit One
Directions: In this passage there are ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once. Questions 1 to 10 are based on the following passage.
Looking back on years of living in a working-class home in the North of England, I should say that a good living room must 11 three principal things: homeliness, warmth and plenty of good food. The living-room is the warm heart of the family and 12 often slightly stuffy to a middle-class visitor. It is not a social centre but a family center; little entertaining goes on there or in the front room, if there 13 to be one; you do not entertain in anything approaching the middle-class 14 The wife's social life outside her 15 family is found over the washing-line, at the little shop on the corner, visiting relatives at a moderate 16 occasionally, and perhaps now and again a visit with her husband to his pub or club. Apart from these two places, he has just his work and his football matches. They will have, each of them, friends at all these places, who may well not know what the inside of their house is like, having never "stepped across the threshold," as the old 17 phrase has it. The family hearth is 18 for the family itself, and those who are "something to us"(another favorite formula) and who look in for a talk or just to sit. Much of the free time of a man and his wife will 19 be passed at that hearth. Just staying in is still one of the most common leisure-time 20
A. happens
B. professio
ns
C. sense
D. nevertheles
s
E. fashioned
F. distance
G. immediat
H. usually
e
J. preserved K. imitate L. provide
I.
occupations
M. therefore N reserved 0. contribut
e
Unit Two
Passage 2
Flying over a desert area in an airplane, two scientists looked down with trained eyes at trees and bushes. After an hour's 11 one of the scientists wrote in his book, "Look here for 12 metal. " Scientists in another airplane, flying over a mountain region, sent a 13 to other scientists on the ground, "Gold possible. " Walking across hilly ground, four scientists reported, "This ground should be searched for metals. " From an airplane over a hilly wasteland a scientist sent back by radio one word, "Uranium. "
None of the scientists had X-ray eyes: they had no 14 powers for looking down below the earth's surface. They were 15 putting to use one of the newest methods of 16 minerals in the ground—using trees and plants as 17 that certain minerals may lie beneath the ground on which the trees and
plants are growing.
This newest method of searching for minerals is 18 on the fact that minerals deep in the earth may 19 the kind of bushes and trees that grow on the surface. At Watson Bar Creek, a brook six thousand feet high in the mountains of British Columbia, Canada, a mineral search group gathered bags of tree seeds. Boxes were filled with small branches from the trees. Roots were dug and put into boxes. Each bag and box was 20 marked. In a scientific laboratory the parts of the forest trees were burned to ashes and tested.
Each small part was examined to learn whether there were minerals in it.
A. signs
B. sufficiently
C. locating
D. affect
E. merely
F. magic
G. hints
H. carefully
I. finding J. message K. flight L. probable
N. based O. information
M.
revealing
Unit Three
.
Passage 2
America's most famous woman is the Goddess of Liberty, i. e. the Statue of Liberty.
It was first thought of in 1865 by Edouard de Laboulaye and designed by another Frenchman, Frederic Bartoldi. They wanted to 11 liberty and friendship.
It was hoped that the monument would be completed by 1876 when America 12 its centennial. Fund raising and the 13 of the statue in France went slowly. It was 1885 when the 214 crates containing the statue reached New York.
Americans were initially 14 for they had not raised the money to pay for the erection of the base. Fund raising by popular subscription was behind 15 . One fund raising method used was to have popular Americans write letters which were then sold in public.
The base and statue, 16 272 feet tall, were completed in 1886. From a 17 standpoint, the statue is a marvel. The inner structure was designed by the French engineer, Alexandre Eiffel. His design for the stressed copper skin of the statue anticipated many of the 18 utilized in modern aircraft.
After a century, the monument began to show signs of getting worse in 19 . Just as
Frenchmen had created the Statue, so it was with restoration.
A Frenchman noted the decay and French and American craftsmen and contributions brought about the renewal of the Statue in time for its centennial.Liberty is still 20 in France and the United States.
A.
completely
B. measures
C. popular
D. together
E. honor
F. manufact
ure
G. schedule H. reward
I. celebrated J. principles K. embarras
sed
L. technical
M. voluntary N condition
s
0. discoura
ged
Unit Four
Passage 2
Sophy Brent came to visit me nearly every day. She made me feel uneasy most of the time. She smoked 11 and never used an ashtray. She followed me into the kitchen while I made tea or coffee or supper and 12 herself to the children's orange juice. She made a great hit with my two-year-old daughter Flora, who would 13 about her for hours and refer to her lovingly as "sofa", and she was always talking about my husband and asking me where he was.
I could not decide why she chose my 14 , although I realized that nobody else paid her very much attention. Her situation was very difficult in that she was 15 out of drama school and only nineteen, but being 16 to play a leading part in a company of fairly 17 and experienced actors. They would not have liked her much even if she had been good, and as, from all accounts, she was not good so they took every 18 to run her down. I think she thought that I
was the only person around who was both unconnected with the theatre and tolerably 19 . To associate with me was not, at any rate, to step down the scale. And for my part, although I felt troubled by her I did not dislike her. There was something genuinely outstanding in her personality, and she had such physical 20 that with me she could get away with anything. She was nice to have around, like flowers or a bowl of fruit.
A. helped
B. smart B. constantl
y
D. treated
E.
required
F. supreme
G. hang
H. charm
I. continually J. company K. opportuni
ty
L. distinguish
ed
M. straight N. partner O. disappoin
ted
Unit Five
Passage 2
Many people often enjoy eating out either before or after a visit to the theatre. However, most of us would rather keep the two 11 separate. One man who thinks that they can be successfully combined has not only expressed his ideas in a recent book, but also set up an establishment where the theory is put very 12 into practice. The man is Paul Thornton, and the place is the Hollics, an old farmhouse.
Whenever I visit a new restaurant, I feel the same excitement that keen theatre-goers must experience on opening night. I had this feeling last Friday evening at dusk, as my wife and I were taking a walk in the beautiful gardens of the restaurant 13 after we had arrived. Dinner was as excellent as we had been 14 . There is no menu, for Mr. Thornton creates his meals rather as a director produces a play. Nevertheless, the various combinations of 15 at each
polar bears 18 for food and the result is again snow in the hut. The ready-chopped wood is also very important.
A traveler visiting the hut in the middle of the dark time and perhaps in bad weather, his feet, hands and face bitten by the frost, will have his difficulties doubled if the wood he left has been used up by others and he had nothing with which to 19 a fire.
Ten or more years ago there were enough hunters to look after most of the huts, but now many buildings have become useless because there is no one to repair them and because of
20
A. worse
B. peculiar
C. laid
D. light
E. generally
F. order
G. particula
r
H. convention
s
I. carelessness J． differenc
e
K. built L. fashions
M. searching N. ordinaril
y
O. result
Unit Seven
Passage 2
Most of us trade money for entertainment. Movies, concerts and shows are enjoyable but 11 .If you think that you can't have a good time without spending a lot of money, read on. A little resourcefulness and a few minutes of newspaper-scanning should give you some pleasant surprises.
People may be the most interesting show in a large city. 12 through busy streets and see what everybody else is doing. You will probably see people from all over the world; you will 13 see people of every age, size, and shape, and you'll get a free fashion show, too. Window-shopping is also a 14 sport if the stores are closed.
Check the listings in your neighborhood paper. Local colleges or schools often 15 the public to hear an interesting speaker or a good 16 . The film or concert series at the local public library probably won't cost you a penny. Be sure to check commercial advertisements too. A flea market can provide hours of pleasant looking round. Perhaps you can find a free
cooking or crafts 17 in a department store.
Plan ahead for some activities. It is always more pleasant not to have people in front of you in a museum or at a zoo. You may save some money, too, since these places often 18 aside one or two free 19 days at slow times during the week. Make sure that you are including the indispensable 20 that people travel miles to see. If you feel like taking an interesting walk, find a free walking tour, or plan one yourself.
Unit Eight Passage 2
When a person feels low, blue, or down in the clumps, it usually means he has been hurt, disappointed, or saddened by something that causes a confused and listless feeling. There is 11 a type of music called "the blue", a low, mournful, sad sound to 12 these universal human feelings.
Depression is another name for this mood. Feeling depressed is a normal and natural 13 to experiences of loss, failure, and undeserved bad luck. Indeed, it has been pointed out that without depression, we would 14 much of the world's great tragic literature, music, and art. A.
expensive
B. Wonder
C.debate
D. admission
E. set
F. Wander
G.safe
H. addition
I. valuable
J. dispute
K.welco me
L. confidently M. sights N. demonstratio n O.certai nly
In some cases, however, depression becomes something more than just 15 feelings of blues or letdown. A large number of people suffer from what psychiatrists call "depressive illness. " Depressive illness is more 16 and lasts longer than common listless feelings. Sometimes a serious 17 of depression can begin with the loss of a loved one or a change of job. Many times, in very
18 cases, there doesn't seem to be any circumstance serious enough to have caused the depression.
Some psychiatrists suggest that the key feature in depression is change. The person becomes different from the way before the onset of his depression. He may even become the opposite of his usual self. There are many examples: the businessman who becomes a wanderer, the mother who wants to 19 her children and herself. Instead of seeking satisfaction and pleasure, the depressed person 20 it.
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
Unit Ten
Passage 2
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. engagem
C. customary
D. social
ent
E. inform
F. invitation
G. advance
H. absence
I. heavily J. associate K. expected L. assumes
M. habitual N. arise O. communica
tes
Unit Eleven
Passage 2
Personality 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. enough
B. fit
C. emphasi
s
D. practical
E. innumerable
F.
concentrate
G. adopt H. questionabl
e
I. profound J. factor K. too L. substance
M. passion N. emotion O. fix
UNIT 12
Passage 2
As the 11 of life continues to increase, we are fast losing the art of relaxation. Once you are in habit of rushing through life, being on the go from morning till night, it is hard to slow down. But relaxation is essential for a healthy mind and body.
Stress is a natural part of everyday life and there is no way to avoid it. In fact, it is not the bad thing it is often 12 to be. A certain amount of stress is 13 to provide motivation and give purpose to life. It is only when the stress gets out of control that it can lead to poor 14 and ill health.
The amount of stress a person can 15 depends very much on the individual. Some people are not afraid of stress, and such characters are 16 prime material for managerial responsibilities. Others lose heart at the first signs of 17 difficulties. When exposed to stress, in whatever form, we react both chemically and physically. In fact we make choice between "fight" or "flight" and in more primitive days the choices made the difference between life or death. The crises we meet today are unlikely to be so 18 , but however little the stress, it involves the same response. It is when such a reaction lasts long, through continued 19 to stress, that health becomes endangered. Such serious conditions as high blood pressure and heart disease have established links with stress. Since we cannot 20 stress from our lives(it would be unwise to do so even if we could) , we need to find ways to deal with it.
A . cancel B. pace C. extreme D.
automatically
E. remove
F. vital
G.
performanc
e
H. supposed
I. rate J.
exposure K.
achievemen
t
L. unusual
M obviously N
withstand
O harsh Unit Thirteen
Passage 2
What is your favorite color? Do you like yellow, orange, red? If you do, you must be an optimist, a leader, an active person who 11 life, people and excitement. Do you prefer greys and blues? Then you are probably quiet, shy, and you would rather follow than lead. You 12 to be a pessimist. At least, this is what psychologists tell us, and they should know, because they have been seriously studying the meaning of color preference, as well as the effect that colors have on human beings. They tell us, among other 13 , that we do not choose our favorite color as we grow up—we are born with our preference. If you happen to love brown, you did so, as soon as you opened your eyes, or at least as soon as you could see clearly. Colors do 14 our moods—there is no doubt about it. A yellow room makes most people feel more cheerful and more relaxed than a dark green one; and a red dress brings warmth and cheer to the saddest winter day. On the other hand, black is 15 .A black bridge over the Thames River, near London, used to be the 16 of more suicides than any other bridge in the area—until it was repainted green. The number of suicide attempts immediately fell 17 ; perhaps it would have fallen even more if the bridge had been done in pink or baby blue. Light and 18 colors make people not only happier but more active. It is
an 19 fact that factory workers work better, harder, and have fewer 20 when their machines are painted orange rather than black or grey.
A. bright
B. scene
C. wholly
D. favor
E. facts
F. depressing
G. accidents
H. interfere
I. established J. incidents K. disgustin
g
L. sharply
M. enjoys N. tend O. influence Unit Fourteen
Passage 2
Women are also underrepresented in the administration and this is because there are so few women 11 professors. In 1985, Regent Beryl Milburn produced a report blasting the University of Texas System administration for not 12 women. The University was rated among the lowest for the system. In a 1587 update, Milburn 13 and praised the progress that was made and called for even more 14
One of the positive results from her study was a system-wide program to inform women of available administrative jobs.
College of Communication Associate Dean, Patricia Witherspoon, said it is important that woman be 15 when it comes to relocating if they want to 16 in the ranks.
Although a woman may face a chilly 17 on campus, many times in order for her to succeed, she must rise above the problems around her and concentrate on her work.
Until women make up a greater 18 of the senior positions in the University and all academia, inequalities will exist.
"Women need to spend their energies and time doing scholarly activities that are important here at the University. " Spirduso said. "If they do that they will be 19 in this system. If they spend their time in little groups mourning the sexual discrimination that they think exists here, they are 20 wasting valuable study time. "
A. full
B. recalled
C. improvem
ent
D. rise
E. encouraging
F. flexible
G. recognize
d
H. idly
I. ratio J. persuadi
ng
K. movable L. possibly
M. successful N. climate O. percentag
e
Unit Fifteen
Passage 2
In October 1987, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards began its work to set new standards of accomplishment for the teaching profession and to improve the 11 of education available to all children in the United States. Teachers are 12 to students and their learning. They must act on the belief that all students can learn. They must recognize 13 differences in their students and adjust their practice 14 . They must know that their mission extends beyond developing the cognitive capacity of their students. They must be 15 with their students' self-concept, with their motivation, and with the development of character.
Teachers must know the subjects they teach and how to teach them. They must 16 specialized knowledge of how to convey a subject to students. Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning. They must call on 17 methods to meet their goals, knowing and being able to 18 a variety of instructional skills. Teachers must think systematically about their practice and learn from experience, seeking the 19 of others and drawing on education research and scholarship to improve their practice.
As members of learning communities, teachers contribute to school effectiveness by collaborating with other professionals. They take ___20 of
community resources, cultivating knowledge of their school's community as a powerful resource for learning.
A. employ
B. advice
C. quantity
D. committed
E. command
F. consulte
d G. manual H. approximat
ely
I. concerned J. advantag
e
K. multiple L. accordingly
M.
N. embrace O. quality
individual
Unit Sixteen
Passage 2
If 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 14
The 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. exchange
B. public
C. instantly
D. cover
G. remained H. materials
E. enables
F. consumi
ng
I. hide J. intensive K. vast L. communica
inevitably ns
E. alone
F. counts
G. prejudice
H. physical
I. mobile J. indifferen
tly K. withdra
w
L. progressive
M. regular N. accounts O. draw
Unit Eighteen
Passage 2
Social customs and ways of behaving change. Things which were considered impolite many years ago are now 11 . Just a few years ago, it was 12 impolite behavior for a man to smoke on the street. No man who thought of himself as being a gentleman would make a 13 of himself by smoking when a lady was in a room. Customs also differ from country to country. Does a man walk on the left or the right of a woman in your country? Or doesn't it 14 ? What about table manners? Should you use both hands when you are eating? Should you leave one in your lap, or on the table?
The Americans and the British not only speak the same language but also 15 a large number of social customs. For example, in both America and England people shake hands when they meet each other for the first time. Also, most Englishmen will open a door for a woman or offer their seat to a woman, and so will most Americans. 16 is important both in England and in America. That is, if a dinner invitation is for 7 o'clock, the dinner guest either arrives 17 to that time or calls up to explain his 18
The important thing to remember about social customs is not to do anything that might make other people feel uncomfortable— 19 if they are your guests. There is an old story about a man who gave a formal dinner party. When the food was served, one of the guests started to eat his peas with a knife. The other guests were amused or shocked, but the 20 calmly picked up his knife
and began eating in the same way.
B. attainable
C. close
D. delay
A.
especially
F. host
G. delivery
H. Preparation
E.
considered
L. acceptable
I. share J. fool K. specifical
ly
0. care
M. matter N. Promptne
ss
Unit Nineteen
Passage 2
The economy of the United States after 1952 was the economy of a well-fed, almost fully employed people. Despite 11 alarms, the country escaped any postwar depression and lived in a 12 of boom. An economic survey of the year 1955, a typical year of the 1950's, may be typical as 13 the rapid economic growth of the decade. The national output was 14 at 10 percent above that of 1954(1955 output was estimated at 392 billion dollars). The production of manufactures was about 40 percent more than it had 15 in the years immediately following World War I . The country's business spent about 30 billion dollars for new factories and machinery. National income 16 for spending was almost a third greater than it had been in 1950. Consumers spent about 256 billion dollars; that is about 700 million dollars a day, or about twenty-five million dollars every hour, all round the 17 . Sixty-five million people held jobs and only a little more than two million wanted jobs but could not find them. Only agriculture 18 that it was not sharing in the boom. To some observers this was a sad reflection of the mid-1920's. As farmers' share of their products 19 , marketing costs rose. But there were, among the observers of the national economy, a few who were。