四级阅读真题
2021年12月英语四级真题及答案【共3套】
2021年12月英语四级真题及答案【共3套】第一套试题：一、听力理解1. A) He couldn't find his mobile phone.B) He was late for work.C) He missed the train.D) He had a traffic accident.2. A) The woman is a manager.B) The man is a customer.C) The woman is a sales assistant.D) The man is a repairman.3. A) He is a football player.B) He is a basketball player.C) He is a swimmer.D) He is a runner.4. A) The man wants to buy a new car.B) The woman is interested in buying a car.C) The man wants to sell his old car.D) The woman is a car salesman.5. A) The man is going to a party.B) The woman is going to a party.C) The man is going to a concert.D) The woman is going to a concert.二、阅读理解1. A) The importance of education.B) The benefits of exercise.C) The dangers of smoking.D) The value of friendship.2. A) They help students learn faster.B) They make students more confident.C) They improve students' health.D) They make students more creative.3. A) He has a strong sense of responsibility.B) He is very kind and helpful.C) He is very intelligent and hardworking.D) He is very popular among his classmates.4. A) It is very expensive.B) It is very difficult to find.C) It is very popular among students.D) It is very useful for learning English.5. A) He is a famous scientist.B) He is a famous actor.C) He is a famous writer.D) He is a famous musician.三、写作The Importance of English Learning英语学习在当今社会变得越来越重要。
2021年12月大学英语四级考试阅读理解真题及答案详解(全套)
2021年12月大学英语四级考试阅读理解真题及答案（全套）——幸福就好我亦安2021年12月大学英语四级考试阅读理解真题（一）【阅读】Section CDirections：There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.In recent years, a growing body of research has shown that our appetite and food intake are influenced by a large number of factors besides our biological need for energy, including our eating environment and our perception of the food in front of us.Studies have shown, for instance, that eating in front of the TV (or a similar distraction) can increase both hunger and the amount of food consumed. Evensimple visual cues, like plate size and lighting, have been shown to affect portion size and consumption.A new study suggested that our short-term memory also may play a role in appetite. Several hours after a meal, people's hunger levels were predicted not by how much they’d eaten but rather by how much food they'd seen in front of them —in other words, how much they remembered eating.This disparity (盖弃）suggests the memory of our previous meal may have a bigger influence on our appetite than the actual size of the meal, says Jeffrey M. Brunstrom, a professor of experimental psychology at the University of Bristol."Hunger isn't controlled solely by the physical characteristics of a recent meal. We have identified an independent role for memory for that meal，" Brunstrom says. "This shows that the relationship between hunger and food intake is more complex than we thought."These findings echo earlier research that suggests our perception of food can sometimes trick our body’s response to the food itself. In a 2021 study, for instance, people who drank the same 3S0-calorie (卡路里）milkshake on two separate occasions produced different levels of hunger-related hormones （荷尔蒙），depending on whether the shake’s label said it contained 620 or 140 calories. Moreover, the participants reported feeling more full when they thought they'd consumed a higher-calorie shake.What does this mean for our eating habits? Although it hardly seems practical to trick ourselves into eating less, the new findings do highlight the benefits of focusing on our food and avoiding TV and multitasking while eating.The so-called mindful-eating strategies can fight distractions and help us control our appetite, Brunstrom says.注意：此部份试题请在答题卡2上作答。
英语四级真题阅读理解(带翻译)
Passage1Reading leadership literature, you’d sometimes think that everyone has the potential to be an effective leader. 读领导文学，你有时会认为每个人都有可能成为一个有效的领导者。
I don’t believe that to be true. In fact, I see way fewer truly effective leaders than I see people stuck in positions of leadership who arc sadly incompetent and seriously misguided about their own abilities. 我不相信这是真的。
事实上，我认为真正有效的领导者的方式比我看到的人都陷在领导的职位上，遗憾的是他们自己的能力不称职，严重误导了他们。
Part of the reason this happens is a lack of honest self-assessment by those who aspire to（追求）leadership in the first place. 对产生这种现象的原因一部分是由那些渴望缺乏诚实的自我评估（追求）放在首位的领导We've all met the type of individual who simply must take charge. Whether it's adecision-making session, a basketball game, or a family outing, they can't help grabbing the lead dog position and clinging on to it for dear life. They believe they're natural born leaders.我们都遇到了个人的类型，他们必须负责。
6月大学英语四级阅读理解真题「卷三」（2）
6月大学英语四级阅读理解真题「卷三」（2）Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.Why do some people live to be older than others? You know the standard explanations: keeping a moderate diet, engaging in regular exercise, etc. But what effect does your personality have on your longevity(长寿)?Do some kinds of personalities lead to longer lives? A new study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society looked at this question by examining the personality characteristics of 246 children of people who had lived to be at least 100.The study shows that those living the longest are more outgoing, more active and less neurotic (神经质的) than other people. Long-living women are also more likely to be sympathetic and cooperative than women with a normal life span. These findings are in agreement with what you would expect from the evolutionary theory: those who like to make friends and help others can gather enough resources to make it through tough times.Interestingly, however, other characteristics that you might consider advantageous had no impact on whether study participants were likely to live longer. Those who were more self-disciplined, for instance, were no more likely to live to be very old. Also, being open to new ideas had no relationship to long life, which might explain all those bad-tempered old people who are fixed in their ways.Whether you can successfully change your personality as an adult is the subject of a longstanding psychological debate. But the new paper suggests that if you want long life, you shouldstrive to be as outgoing as possible.Unfortunately, another recent study shows that your mother ‟s personality may also help determine your longevity. That study looked at nearly 28,000 Norwegian mothers and found that those moms who were more anxious, depressed and angry were more likely to feed their kids unhealthy diets. Patterns of childhood eating can be hard to break when we‟re adults, which may mean that kids of depressed moms end up dying younger.Personality isn‟t destiny(命运), and everyone knows that individuals can learn to change. But both studies show that long life isn‟t just a matter of your physical health but of your mental health.51. The aim of the study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society is____.A)to see whether people‟s personality affects their life spanB)to find out if one‟s lifestyle has any effect on their healthC)to investigate the role of exercise in living a long lifeD)to examine all the factors contributing to longevity52. What does the author imply about outgoing and sympathetic people?A)They have a good understanding of evolution.B)They are better at negotiating an agreement.C)They generally appear more resourceful.D)They are more likely to get over hardship.53. What finding of the study might prove somewhat out of our expectation?A)Easy-going people can also live a relatively long life.B)Personality characteristics that prove advantageous actually vary with times.C)Such personality characteristics as self-discipline have noeffect on longevity.D)Readiness to accept new ideas helps one enjoy longevity.54. What does the recent study of Norwegian mothers show?A)Children‟s personality characteristics are invariably determined by theirmothers.B)People with unhealthy eating habits are likely to die sooner.C)Mothers‟influence on children may last longer than fathers‟.D)Mothers‟negative personality characteristics may affect their children‟s life spans.55.What can we learn from the findings of the two new studies?A)Anxiety and depression more often than not cut short one ‟s life span.B)Longevity results from a combination of mental and physical health.C)Personality plays a decisive role in how healthy one is.D)Health is in large part related to one‟s lifestyle.参考答案：选词填空26. 正确选项 G growing27. 正确选项 A dependent28. 正确选项 C fast29. 正确选项 F give30. 正确选项 H launch31. 正确选项 N successful32. 正确选项 I policy33. 正确选项 B designed34. 正确选项 O treatments35. 正确选项 E gained段落匹配36. 正确选项 D37. 正确选项 B38. 正确选项 F39. 正确选项 A40. 正确选项 L41. 正确选项 H42. 正确选项 C43. 正确选项 K44. 正确选项 B45. 正确选项 J仔细阅读Passage One46. 正确选项 D。
大学英语四级阅读真题附答案
大学英语四级阅读真题附答案Passage Onens 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.Well-XXX。
for example。
65% of men aged 62-74 with nal degrees are still in the workforce。
compared to only 32% of men with high school XXX contributed to this gap。
with high-XXX increased es。
while low-skilled workers struggle to keep up。
The XXX.The XXX increase in the number of elderly individuals。
who are living longer than ever before。
Over the next two decades。
the global n of individuals aged 65 XXX。
social welfare。
and the XXX.XXX ns。
XXX As a result。
XXX will need to find new and XXX.The aging of the n also has XXX social welfare programs。
XXX individuals reach retirement age。
XXX programs will increase。
XXX.Finally。
XXX workforce。
there will be a shortage of skilled workers。
XXX workers to fill the skills gap.In n。
XXX will have far-reaching XXX。
大学英语四级长篇阅读专项强化真题试卷6(题后含答案及解析)
大学英语四级长篇阅读专项强化真题试卷6(题后含答案及解析) 题型有：1.As Tourists Crowd Out Locals, Venice Faces “Endangered”List [A] On a recent fall morning, a large crowd blocked the steps at one of Venice’ s main tourist sites, the Rialto Bridge. The Rialto Bridge is one of the four bridges spanning the Grand Canal. It is the oldest bridge across the canal, and was the dividing line between the districts of San Marco and San Polo. But on this day, there was a twist; it was filled with Venetians, not tourists. [B] “ People are cheering and holding their carts in the air,”says Giovanni Giorgio, who helped organize the march with a grass-roots organization called Generazione ‘90. The carts he refers to are small shopping carts—the symbol of a true Venetian. “ It started as a joke,” he says with a laugh. “The idea was to put blades on the wheels! You know? Like Ben Hur. Precisely like that, you just go around and run people down. “[C] Venice is one of the hottest tourist destinations in the world. But that’s a problem. Up to 90,000 tourists crowd its streets and canals every day—far outnumbering the 55,000 permanent residents. The tourist increase is one key reason the city’ s population is down from 175,000 in the 1950s. The outnumbered Venetians have been steadily fleeing. And those who stick around are tired of living in a place where they can’ t even get to the market without swimming through a sea of picture-snapping tourists. Imagine, navigating through 50,000 people while on the way to school or to work.[D] Laura Chigi, a grandmother at the march, says the local and national governments have failed to do anything about the crowds for decades, because they’re only interested in tourism—the primary industry in Venice, worth more than $3 billion in 2015. “Venice is a cash cow,” she says, “and everyone wants a piece. “[E] Just beyond St. Mark’s Square, a cruise ship passes, one of hundreds every year that appear over their medieval (中世纪的) surroundings. Their massive wake creats waves at the bottom of the sea, weakening the foundations of the centuries-old buildings themselves. “ Every time I see a cruise ship, I feel sad,” Chigi says. “You see the mud it drags; the destruction it leaves in its wake? That hurts the ancient wooden poles holding up the city underwater. One day we’ll see Venice break down. “[F] For a time, UNESCO, the cultural wing of the United Nations, seemed to agree. Two years ago, it put Italy on notice, saying the government was not protecting Venice. UNESCO considers the entire city a World Heritage Site, a great honor that means Venice, at the cultural level, belongs to all of the world’s people. In 2014, UNESCO gave Italy two years to manage Venice’s flourishing tourism or the city would be placed on another list—World Heritage In Danger, joining such sites as Aleppo and Palmyra, destroyed by the war in Syria. [G] Venice’ s deadline passed with barely a murmur (嘟哝) this summer, just as UNESCO was meeting in Istanbul. Only one representative, Jad Tabet from Lebanon, tried to raise the issue. “For several years, the situation of heritage in Venice has been worsening, and it has nowreached a dramatic situation,” Tabet told UNESCO. “We have to act quickly, there is not a moment to waste. “[H] But UNESCO didn’ t even hold a vote. “ It’ s been postponed until 2017 ,”says Anna Somers, the founder and CEO of The Art Newspaper and the former head of Venice in Peril, a group devoted to restoring Venetian art. She says the main reason the U.N. cultural organization didn’ t vote to declare Venice a World Heritage Site In Danger is because UNESCO has become “ intensely politicized. There would have been some back-room negotiations. “[I] Italy boasts more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than any other country in the world, granting it considerable power and influence within the organization. The former head of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, which oversees heritage sites, is Francesco Bandarin, a Venetian who now serves as UNESCO’s assistant director-general for culture. [J] Earlier this year, Italy signed an accord with UNESCO to establish a task force of police art detectives and archaeologists (考古学家) to protect cultural heritage from natural disasters and terror groups, such as ISIS. The accord underlined Italy’s global reputation as a good steward of art and culture. [K] But adding Venice to the UNESCO endangered list—which is dominated by sites in developing and conflict-ridden countries—would be an international embarrassment, and could even hurt Italy’ s profitable tourism industry. The Italian Culture Ministry says it is unaware of any government efforts to pressure UNESCO. As for the organization itself, it declined a request for an interview. [L] The city’ s current mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, has ridiculed UNESCO and told it to mind its own business, while continuing to support the cruise ship industry, which employs 5, 000 Venice residents. [M] As for Venetians, they’ re beyond frustrated and hoping for a solution soon. “ It’ s a nightmare for me. Some situations are really difficult with tourists around,”says Giorgio as he navigates around a swelling crowd at the Rialto Bridge. “There are just so many of them. They never know where they are going, and do not walk in an orderly manner. Navigating the streets can be exhausting. “[N] Then it hits him; This crowd isn’ t made up of tourists. They’re Venetians. Giorgio says he’s never experienced the Rialto Bridge this way in all his 22 years. “ For once, we are the ones who are blocking the traffic,” he says delightedly. “ It feels unreal. It feels like we’ re some form of endangered species. It’ s just nice. The feeling is just pure. “But, he worries, if tourism isn’t managed and his fellow locals continue to move to the mainland, his generation might be the last who can call themselves native Venetians.1．The passing cruise ships will undermine the foundations of the ancient buildings in Venice.正确答案：E解析：该段前两句提到，在圣马可广场旁，一艘游轮经过，每年都会有数百艘像这样的游轮出现在这种中世纪环境中。
2022 年 12 月英语四级阅读真题(第一套)Text 2
2022 年 12 ⽉真题（第⼀套）Text 2Recognizing when a friend or colleague feels sad, angry or surprised is key to getting along with others.But a new study suggests that being sensitive to people's feelings may sometimes come with an extra dose of stress.This and other research challenge the prevailing view that is uniformly beneficial to its bearer.In a study, psychologists Myriam Bechtoldt of of Finance and Management in Germany asked 166 male university students a series of questions to measure their emotional intelligence.For example, they showed the students photographs of people's faces and asked them to what extent feelings such as happiness or disgust were being expressed.The students then had to give job talks in front of judges who displayed serious .The scientists measured concentrations of the in the students' saliva before and after the talk.In students who were rated more emotionally intelligent, the stress measures increased more during the experiment and took longer to go back to baseline.识别朋友或同事何时感到悲伤、愤怒或惊讶是与他⼈相处的关键。
2020年9月四级阅读真题(一)(含详细答案)
2020年9月大学英语四级真题试卷（一）Section AThere're three main types of financial stress people encounter.The first type is apparent in peopledebt-induced financial stress,credit cards and loans will be a central element.Often there'll be a car loan and perhaps a mortgage,but credit cards often seem to be the gateway to debt-related financial difficulties for many.destructive.It is experienced by those who have grown up in households where their parents regularlythey make will be the wrong one.Section BDoctor's orders;Let children just playA)Imagine a drug that could enhance a child's creativity and critical thinking.Imagine that this drug were simple to make,safe to take,and could be had for free.The nation's leading pediatricians(儿科医生)say this miracle compound exists.In a new clinical report,they are urging doctors to prescribe it liberally to the children in their care.B)"This may seem old-fashioned,but there are skills to be learned when kids aren't told what to do," said Dr.Michael Yogman,a Harvard Medical School pediatrician who led the drafting of the call to arms.Whether it's rough physical play,outdoor play or pretend play,kids derive important lessons from the chance to make things up as they go,he said.C)The advice,issued Monday by the American Academy of Pediatrics,may come as a shock to some parents.After spending years fretting(烦恼)over which toys to buy,which apps to download and which skill-building programs to send their kids to after school,letting them simply play—or better yet,playing with them—could seem like a step backward.The pediatricians insist that it's not.The academy's guidance does not include specific recommendations for the dosing of play.Instead,it asks doctors to advise parents before their babies turn two that play is essential to healthy development. D)"Play is not silly behavior,"the academy's report declares.It fosters children's creativity,cooperation, and problem-solving skills—all of which are critical for a21st-century workforce.When parents engage in play with their children,it builds a wall against the harmful effects of all kinds of stress,including poverty,the academy says.In the pediatricians'view,essentially every life skill that's valued in adults can be built up with play."Collaboration,negotiation,decision-making,creativity,leadership,and increased physical activity are just some of the skills and benefits children gain through play,"they wrote.The pediatricians'appeal comes as kids are being squeezed by increasing academic demands at school and the constant invasion of digital media.E)The trends have been a long time coming.Between1981and1997,detailed time-use studies showed that the time children spent at play declined by25percent.Since the adoption of sweeping education reforms in2001,public schools have steadily increased the amount of time devoted to preparing for standardized tests.The focus on academic"skills and drills"has cut deeply into recess (课间休息)and other time for free play.F)By2009,a study of Los Angeles kindergarten classrooms found that five-year-olds were so burdened with academic requirements that they were down to an average of just19minutes per day of "choice time,"when they were permitted to play freely with blocks,toys or other children.One in four Los Angeles teachers reported there was no time at all for"free play."Increased academic pressures have left30percent of U.S.kindergarten classes without any recess.Such findings prompted the American Academy of Pediatrics to issue a policy statement in2013on the"crucial role of recess in school."G)Pediatricians aren't the only ones who have noticed.In a report titled"Crisis in the Kindergarten,"a group of educators,health professionals and child advocates called the loss of play in early childhood "a tragedy,both for the children themselves and for our nation and the world."Kids in play-based kindergartens"end up equally good or better at reading and other intellectual skills,and they are more likely to become well-adjusted healthy people,"the Alliance for Childhood said in2009.Indeed,new research demonstrates why playing with blocks might have been time better spent,Yogman said.The trial assessed the effectiveness of an early mathematics intervention(干预)aimed at preschoolers.The results showed almost no gains in math achievement.H)Another playtime thief:the growing proportion of kids'time spent in front of screens and digital devices,even among st year,Common Sense Media reported that children up through age eight spent an average of two hours and19minutes in front of screens each day,including an average of42minutes a day for those under two.This increase of digital use comes with rising risks of obesity,sleep deprivation and cognitive(认知的),language and social-emotional delays,the American Academy of Pediatrics warned in2016.I)"I respect that parents have busy lives and it's easy to hand a child an iPhone,"Yogman said."But there's a cost to that.For young children,it's much too passive.And kids really learn better when they're actively engaged and have to really discover things."J)The decline of play is a special hazard for the roughly1in5children in the United States who live in poverty.These14million children most urgently need to develop the resilience(韧劲)that is cultivatedwith play.Instead,Yogman said,they are disproportionately affected by some of the trends that are making play scarce:academic pressures at schools that need to improve test scores,outside play areas that are limited or unsafe,and parents who lack the time or energy to share in playtime.K)Yogman also worries about the pressures that squeeze playtime for more affluent kids."The notion that as parents we need to schedule every minute of their time is not doing them a great service,"he said.Even well-meaning parents may be"robbing them of the opportunity to have that joy of discovery and curiosity—the opportunity to find things out on their own."L)Play may not be a hard sell to kids.But UCLA pediatrician Carlos Lerner acknowledged that the pediatricians'new prescription may meet with skepticism(怀疑)from parents,who are anxious for advice on how to give their kids a leg up in the world.They should welcome the simplicity of the message,Lerner said."It's liberating to be able to offer them this advice:that you spending time with your child and letting him play is one of the most valuable things you can do,"he said."It doesn't have to involve spending a lot of money or time,or joining a parenting group.It's something we can offer that's achievable.They just don't recognize it right now as particularly valuable.”36.Increased use of digital devices steals away children's playtime.37.Since the beginning of this century,an increasing amount of time has been shifted in public schools from recess to academic activities.38.It has been acknowledged that while kids may welcome pediatricians'recommendation，their parents may doubt its feasibility.39.According to some professionals,deprivation of young children's playtime will do harm not only to children themselves but to the country and the world.40.By playing with children,parents can prevent them from being harmed by stress.41.Playing with digital devices discourages kds from active discovery,according to pediatrician Dr. Michael Yogman.42.The suggestion of letting children simply play may sound like going backwards to parents who want to help build their children's skills.43.Dr.Michael Yogman believes the idea that parents should carefully schedule children's time may not be helpful to their growth.44.One quarter of teachers in an American city said that children in kindergartens had no time for playing freely.45.According to a pediatrician,no matter what kind of play children engage in,they are leaming how to create things.Section CPassage OneAmericans spend billions of dollars each year trying to change their weight with diets,gym memberships and plastic surgery.Trying to live up to the images of"perfect"models and movie heroes has a dark side:anxiety, depression,as well as unhealthy strategies for weight loss or muscle gain.It also has a financial cost. Having an eating disorder boosts annual health care costs by nearly US$2,000per person.Why is there both external and internal pressure to look"perfect"?One reason is that society rewards people who are thin and healthy-looking.Researchers have shown that body mass index is related to wages and income.Especially for women,there is a clear penalty at work for being overweight or obese. Some studies have also found an impact for men,though a less noticeable one.While the research literature is clear that labor market success is partly based on how employers and customers perceive your body image,no one had explored the other side of the question.Does a person's own perception of body image matter to earnings and other indicators of success in the workplace?Our recently published study answered this question by tracking a large national random sample of Americans over a critical time period when bodies change from teenage shape into adult form and when people build their identities.As in other research,women in our sample tend to over-perceive their weight—they think they're heavier than they are—while men tend to under-perceive theirs.We found no relationship between the average person's self-perception of weight and labor market outcomes,although self-perceived weight can influence self-esteem(自尊心),mental health and health behaviors.While the continued gender penalty in the labor market is frustrating,our finding that misperceived weight does not harm workers is more heartening.Since employers'perception of weight is what matters in the labor market,changing discrimination laws to include body type as a category would help.Michigan is the only state that prohibits discrimination on the basis of weight and height.We believe expanding such protections would make the labor market more fair and efficient.46.What does the author say may have an adverse impact on people?A.Undergoing plastic surgeries in pursuit of beauty.B.Imitating the lifestyles of heroes and role models.C.Striving to achieve perfection regardless of financial cost.D.Attempting to meet society's expectation of appearance.47.What have researchers found out about people’s earnings?A.They are closely related to people's social status.B.They have to do with people's body weight and shape.C.They seem to matter much less to men than to women.D.They may not be equal to people's contributions.48.What does the author’s recent study focus on?A.Previous literature on indicators of competitiveness in the workplace.B.Traits that matter most in one's pursuit of success in the labor market.C.Whether self-perception of body image impacts one's workplace success.D.How bosses'perception of body image impacts employees'advancement.49.What is the finding of the author’s recent research?A.Being overweight actually does not do much harm to the overall well-being of employees.B.People are not adversely affected in the workplace by false self-perception of body weight.C.Self-esteem helps to combat gender inequality in the workplace.D.Gender inequality continues to frustrate a lot of female employees.50.What does the author think would help improve the situation in the labor market?A.Banning discrimination on the basis of employees'body image.B.Expanding protection of women against gender discrimination.C.Helping employees change their own perception of beauty.D.Excluding body shape as a category in the labor contract.Passage twoThe work-life balance is dead.By this,I'm not advocating that you should give up your pursuit of having a fulfilling career and a thriving personal life,and I'm definitely not saying that you have to give up one to have the other.I also acknowledge that we have a work-life problem,but I'm arguing that the concept of balance has never been helpful,because it's too limiting.You see,our language makes a difference,and how we refer to things matters because it affects our thinking and therefore our actions.At the minimum,most of us work because we want to be able to support ourselves,our families,and the people around us.In the ideal world,we're all doing work that we're proud of and that provides meaning and purpose to us.But even if your job doesn't give you shivers of joy each new day,working is a part of what each of us does and the contribution we make to society.When you separate work and life,it's a little bit harder to make that connection.But when you think of work as part of a full life and a complete experience,it becomes easier to see that success in one aspect often supports another. Losing your balance and falling isn't pleasant.A goal to balance suggests that things could quickly get off balance,and that causes terrible outcomes.It's more constructive to think of solutions that continue to evolve over shifts in life and work.Rather than falling or failing,you may have good days or better days or not-so-good days.These variations are normal,and it's more useful to think of life as something that is ever evolving and changing,rather than a high-risk enterprise where things could go wrong with one misstep.How we talk to ourselves matters,and how we talk about issues makes a difference.Let's bury"work-life balance"and think bigger and better about work-life fulfillment to do a little less balancing and a lot more living.51.What does the author suggest by saying"The work-life balance is dead"?A.The hope of achieving a thriving life is impossible to realize.B.The pursuit of a fulfilling career involves personal sacrifice.C.The imbalance between work and life simply doesn't exist anymore.D.The concept of work-life balance contributes little to a fulfilling life.52.What does the author say about our use of language?A、It impacts how we think and behave.B、It changes with the passage of time.C、It reflects how we communicate.D、It differs from person to person.53.What does the author say we do in an ideal world?A.We do work that betters the lives of our families and friends.B.We do work that gives us bursts of joy each new day.C.We do meaningful work that contributes to society.D.We do demanding work that brings our capacity into full play.54.What does the author say about life?A.It is cyclical.B.It is dynamic.C.It is fulfilling.D.It is risky.55.What does the author advise us to do?A.Make life as simple as possible.B.Talk about balance in simpler terms.C.Balance life and work in a new way.D.Strive for a more fulfilling life.26.（I）空格前是定冠词the，后面是名词词组ups and downs，因此空格处应填入形容词。
四级阅读真题
passage 1Questions 1 to 5 are based on the following passage.Interest in pursuing international careers has soared in recent years, enhanced by chronic (长久的) personnel shortages that are causing companies to search beyond their home borders for talent. Professionals seek career experience outside of their home countries for a variety of reasons. They may feel the need to recharge their batteries with a new challenge. They may want a position with more responsibility that encourages creativity and initiative. Or they may wish to expose their children to another culture, and the opportunity to learn a second language.When applying for a job, one usually has to submit a resume or curriculum vitae (CV). The two terms generally mean the same thing: a one-or two-page document describing one’s educational qualifications and professional experience. However, guidelines for preparing a resume are constantly changing. The best advice is to find out what is appropriate regarding the corporate (公司) culture, the country culture, and the culture of the person making the hiring decision. The challenge will be to embrace two or more cultures in one document. The following list is a good place to start.●“Educational requirements differ from country to country. In almost every case of ‘cross-border’job hunting, just stating the title of your degree will not bean adequate description. Provide the reader with details about your studies and any related exp erience.”●Pay attention to the resume format you use-chronological or reverse-chronological order. Chronological order means listing your ‘oldest’work experience first. Reverse-chronological order means listing your current or most recent experience first. Most countries have preferences about which format is most acceptable. If you find no specific guidelines, the general preference is for the reverse-chronological format.”●If you are submitting your resume in English, find out if the recipient (收件人) uses British English or American English because there are variations between the two versions. For example, university education is often referred to as ‘tertiary education’in the United Kingdom, but this term is almost never used in the United States. A reader who is unfamiliar with these variations may assume that your resume contains errors.1. Companies are hiring more foreign employees because ________.A) they find foreign employees are usually more talentedB) they need original ideas from employees hired overseasC) they want to expand their business beyond home bordersD) they have difficulty finding qualified personnel at home2. The author believes that an individual who applies to work overseas ________.A) is usually creative and full of initiativeB) aims to improve his foreign language skillsC) is dissatisfied with his own life at homeD) seeks either his own or his children’s development3. When it comes to resume writing, it is best to ________.A) take cultural factors into considerationB) learn about the company’s hiring processC) follow appropriate guidelines for job huntingD) know the employer’s personal likes and dislikes4. When writing about qualifications, applicants are advised to ________.A) stress their academic potential to impress the decision makerB) give the title of the university degree they have earned at homeC) provide a detailed description of their study and work experiencesD) h ighlight their keen interest in pursuing a ‘cross-border’ career5. According to the author’s last piece of advice, the applicants should be aware of ________.A) the different educational systems in the US and the UKB) the differences between the varieties of EnglishC) the recipient’s preference with regard to the formatD) the distinctive features of American and British culturepassage 2Questions 6 to 10 are based on the following passage.Educating girls quite possibly yields a higher rate of return than any other investment available in the developing world. Women’s education may be unusual territory for economists, but enhancing women’s contribution to development is actually as much an e conomic as a social issue. And economics, with its emphasis onincentives (激励), provides guideposts that point to an explanation for why so many girls are deprived of an education.Parents in low-income countries fail to invest in their daughters because they do not expect them to make an economic contribution to t he family: girls grow up only to marry into somebody else’s family and bear children. Girls are thus seen as less valuable than boys and art kept at home to do housework while their brothers are sent to school-theprophecy (预言) becomes self-fulfilling, trapping women in a viciouscircle (恶性循环) of neglect.An educated mother, on the other hand, has greater earning abilities outside the home and faces an entirely different set of choices. She is likely to have fewer but healthier children and can insist on the development of all her children, ensuring that her daughters are given a fair chance. The education of her daughters then makes it much more likely that the next generation of girls, as well as of boys, will be educated and healthy. The vicious circle is thus transformed into a virtuous circle.Few will dispute that educating women has great social benefits. But it has enormous economic advantages as well. Most obviously, there is the direct effect of education on the wages of female workers. Wages rise by 10 to 20 per cent for each additional year of schooling. Such big returns are impressive by the standard of other available investments, but they are just the beginning. Educating women also has a significant impact on health practices, including family planning.6. The author argues that educating girls in developing countries is ________.A) troublesomeB) labor-savingC) rewardingD) expensive7. By saying “... the prophecy becomes self-fulfilling...” (Lines 45, Para. 2). the author means that ________.A) girls will turn out to be less valuable than boysB) girls will be capable of realizing their own dreamsC) girls will eventually find their goals in life beyond reachD) girls will be increasingly discontented with their life at home8. The author believes that a vicious circle can turn into a virtuous circle when ________.A) women care more about educationB) girls can gain equal access to educationC) a family has fewer but healthier childrenD) parents can afford their daughters’ education9. What does the author say about women’s education?A) It deserves greater attention than other social issues.B) It is now given top priority in many developing countries.C) It will yield greater returns than other known investments.D) It has aroused the interest of a growing number of economists.10. The passage mainly discusses ________.A) unequal treatment of boys and girls in developing countriesB) the potential earning power of well-educated womenC) the major contributions of educated women to societyD) the economic and social benefits of educating womenpassage 3Questions 11 to 15 are based on the following passage.Speeding off in a stolen car, the thief thinks he has got a great catch. But he is in for an unwelcome surprise. The car is fitted with a remote immobiliser (锁止器), and a radio signal from a control centre miles away will ensure that once the thief switches the engine off, he will not be able to start it again.The idea goes like this. A control box fitted to the car contains a mini-cellphone, a micro-processor and memory, and a GPS (全球定位系统) satellite positioning receiver. If the car is stolen, a coded cellphone signal will tell the control centre to block the ve hicle’s engine management system and prevent the engine being restarted.In the UK, a set of technical fixes is already making life harder for car thieves. ‘The pattern of vehicle crime has changed,’ says Martyn Randall, a security expert. He says it would only take him a few minutes to teach a person how to steal a car, using a bare minimum of tools. But only if the car is more than 10 years old.Modern cars are far tougher to steal, as their engine management computer won’t allow them to start unless they receive a unique ID code beamed out by the ignition (点火) key. In the UK, technologies like this have helped achieve a 31% drop in vehicle-related crime since 1997.But determined criminals are still managing to find other ways to steal cars, often by getting bold of the owner’s keys. And key theft is respons ible for 40% of the thefts of vehicles fitted with a tracking system.If the car travels 100 metres without the driver confirming their ID, the system will send a signal to an operations centre that it has been stolen. The hundred metres minimum avoids false alarms due to inaccuracies in the GPS signal.Staff at the centre will then contact the owner to confirm that the car really is missing, and keep police informed of the vehicle’s movements via the car’s GPS unit.11. What’s the function of the remote immobilizer fitted to a car?A) To help the police make a surprise attack on the car thief.B) To allow the car to lock automatically when stolen.C) To prevent the car thief from restarting it once it stops.D) To prevent car theft by sending a radio signal to the car owner.12. By saying “The pattern of vehicle crime has changed” (Lines 1-2. Para. 3), Martyn Randall suggests that ________.A) it takes a longer time for the car thief to do the stealingB) self-prepared tools are no longer enough for car theftC) the thief has to make use of computer technologyD) the thief has lost interest in stealing cars over 10 years old13. What is essential in making a modem car tougher to steal?A) A coded ignition key.B) A unique ID card.C) A special cellphone signal.D) A GPS satellite positioning receiver.14. Why does the tracking system set a 100-metre minimum before sending an alarm to the operations centre?A) To leave time for the operations centre to give an alarm.B) To keep police informed of the ca r’s movements.C) To give the driver time to contact the operations centre.D) To allow for possible errors in the GPS system.15. What will the operations centre do first after receiving an alarm?A) Start the tracking system.B) Contact the car owner.C) Block the car engine.D) Locate the missing car.Passage FourQuestions 16 to 20 are based on the following passage.Psychiatrists (精神病专家) who work with older parents say that maturity can be an asset in child rearing-older parents are more thoughtful, use less physical discipline and spend more time with their children. But raising kids takes money and energy. Many older parents find themselves balancing their limited financial resources, declining energy and failing health against the growing demands of an active child. Dying and leaving young children is probably the older parents’ biggest, and often unspoken, fear. Having late-life children, says an economics professor, often means parents, particularly fathers, “end up retiring much later.” For many, retirement becomes an unobtainable dream.Henry Metcalf, a 54-year-old journalist, knows it takes money to raise kids. But he’s also w orried that his energy will give out first. Sure, he can still ride bikes with his athletic fifth grader, but he’s learned that young at heart doesn’t mean young. L ately he’s been taking afternoon naps (午睡) to keep up his energy. “My body is aging,”says Metcalf. “Y ou can’t get away from that.”Often, older parents hear the ticking of another kind of biological clock. Therapists who work with middle-aged and older parents say fears about aging are nothing to laugh at. “They worry they’ll be mistaken for gran dparents, or that they’ll need help getting up out of those little chairs in nursery school,” says Joann Galst, a New York psychologist. But at the core of those little fears there is often a much bigger one: “that they won’t be alive long enough to support and protect their child,” she says.Many late-life parents, though, say their children came at just the right time. After marrying late and undergoing years of fertility (受孕) treatment, Marilyn Nolen and her husband. Randy, had twins. “We both wanted children,”says Marilyn, who was 55 when she gave birth. The twins have given the couple what they desired for years, “a sense of family.” Kids of older dads are often smarter, happier and more sociable because their fathers are more involved in their lives. “The dads are older, more mature,” says Dr. Silber, “and more ready to focus on parenting.”16.Why do psychiatrists regard maturity as an asset in child rearing?A) Older parents are often better prepared financially.B) Older parents can take better care of their children.C) Older parents are usually more experienced in bringing up their children.D) Older parents can better balance their resources against children’s demands.17.What does the author mean by saying “For many, retirement becomes an unobtainable dream” (Lines 7-8, Para. 1)?A) They are reluctant to retire when they reach their retirement age.B) They can’t obtain the retirement benefits they have dreamed of.C) They can’t get full pension unless they work some extra years.D) They have to go on working beyond their retirement age.18.The author gives the example of Henry Metcalf to show that ________.A) older parents should exercise more to keep up with their athletic childrenB) many people are young in spirit despite their advanced ageC) older parents tend to be concerned about their aging bodiesD) taking afternoon naps is a good way to maintain energy19.What’s the biggest fear of older parents according to New York psychologist Joan Galst?A) Approaching of death.B) Slowing down of their pace of life.C) Being laughed at by other people.D) Being mistaken for grandparents.20.What do we learn about Marilyn and Randy Nolen?A) They thought they were an example of successful fertility treatment.B) Not until they reached middle age did they think of having children.C) Not until they had the twins did they feel they had formed a family.D) They believed that children born of older parents would be smarter.Passage FiveQuestion 21 to 25 are based on the following passage.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 pl ain 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 world in 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 dines don’t notice or care.As a result, some restaurants are turning up the pressure to sell bottled water. According to an article in The Street Journal, some of the more shameless tactics include placing attractive bottles on thetable for a visual sell, listing brands on the menu without prices, and pouring bottled water without even asking the dinners 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.21. 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.22. By saying “ My dog could tell the difference between bottled and tap water” (Line 4, Para 2), von Wiesenberg 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 taste23. 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 names24. 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 wa ter satisfied diners’ desire to fashionable.25. 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.。
英语四级真题试卷及答案
英语四级真题试卷及答案一、听力理解1. Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D), and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.1. A) She's going to clean the kitchen.B) She's going to clean the bathroom.C) She's going to clean the living room.D) She's going to clean the bedroom.2. A) He's going to the library.B) He's going to the classroom.C) He's going to the gym.D) He's going to the cafeteria.3. A) The man is a teacher.B) The man is a student.C) The man is a doctor.D) The man is a lawyer.4. A) She's going to the cinema.B) She's going to the theater.C) She's going to the museum.D) She's going to the concert.5. A) The woman is happy.B) The woman is sad.C) The woman is angry.D) The woman is surprised.6. A) He's going to the beach.B) He's going to the mountains.C) He's going to the desert.D) He's going to the forest.7. A) The man is cooking.B) The man is eating.C) The man is sleeping.D) The man is watching TV.8. A) She's going to the airport.B) She's going to the train station.C) She's going to the bus station.D) She's going to the subway station.9. Directions: In this section, you will hear 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, some questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once.After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D), and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.9. A) They are talking about a party.B) They are talking about a movie.C) They are talking about a book.D) They are talking about a play.10. A) The man is going to the party.B) The woman is going to the party.C) Both of them are going to the party.D) Neither of them is going to the party.11. A) They are talking about a class.B) They are talking about a test.C) They are talking about a project.D) They are talking about a holiday.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. A) The man is a teacher.B) The man is a student.C) The man is a doctor.D) The man is a lawyer.13. A) He's going to the library.B) He's going to the classroom.C) He's going to the gym.D) He's going to the cafeteria.14. A) The woman is happy.B) The woman is sad.C) The woman is angry.D) The woman is surprised.15. A) They are talking about a party.B) They are talking about a movie.C) They are talking about a book.D) They are talking about a play.二、阅读理解1. Directions: In this section, there is a passage withten blanks. You are required to select one word for eachblank from a list of choices given in a word bank followingthe passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may notuse any of the words in the bank more than once.Questions 16 to 25 are based on the following passage.Despite these challenges, the Internet remains a powerful tool that has the potential to bring about positive change in the world. It has connected people from different parts of the world and has facilitated the sharing of ideas and knowledge. It has also provided a platform for marginalized voices to be heard and has empowered individuals to take action on issues they care about.2. Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.Questions 26 to 35 are based on the following passage.B. The Internet has connected people from different parts of the world and has facilitated the sharing of ideas and knowledge.C. The Internet has brought about some challenges, such as the issue of online privacy.D. The Internet has provided a platform for marginalized voices to be heard and has empowered individuals to take action on issues they care about.E. The Internet has made it easier for us to access information.F. The Internet has the potential to bring about positive change in the world.G. The Internet has led to the spread of fake news and the creation of echo chambers.I. The Internet has facilitated the sharing of ideas and knowledge.27. The Internet has made it easier for us to access information.28. The Internet has brought about some challenges, such as the issue of online privacy.29. The Internet has connected people from different parts of the world and has facilitated the sharing of ideas and knowledge.30. The Internet has provided a platform for marginalized voices to be heard and has empowered individuals to take action on issues they care about.31. The Internet has led to the spread of fake news and the creation of echo chambers.32. The Internet has the potential to bring aboutpositive change in the world.35. The Internet has facilitated the sharing of ideas and knowledge.3. Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.Questions 36 to 45 are based on the following passage.B. The Internet has connected people from different parts of the world and has facilitated the sharing of ideas and knowledge.C. The Internet has brought about some challenges, such as the issue of online privacy.D. The Internet has provided a platform for marginalized voices to be heard and has empowered individuals to take action on issues they care about.E. The Internet has made it easier for us to access information.F. The Internet has the potential to bring about positive change in the world.G. The Internet has led to the spread of fake news and the creation of echo chambers.I. The Internet has facilitated the sharing of ideas and knowledge.37. The Internet has made it easier for us to access information.38. The Internet has brought about some challenges, such as the issue of online privacy.39. The Internet has connected people from different parts of the world and has facilitated the sharing of ideas and knowledge.40. The Internet has provided a platform for marginalized voices to be heard and has empowered individuals to take action on issues they care about.41. The Internet has led to the spread of fake news and the creation of echo chambers.42. The Internet has the potential to bring aboutpositive change in the world.45. The Internet has facilitated the sharing of ideas and knowledge.三、翻译46. Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.随着互联网的普及，人们的生活发生了翻天覆地的变化。
大学英语四级阅读习题及答案
大学英语四级阅读习题及答案大学英语四级阅读习题(一)1、A2、D3、C4、C5、B大学英语四级阅读习题答案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 for future 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大学英语四级阅读习题(二)Long after the 1998 World Cup was won, disappointed fans were still cursing the disputed refereeing (裁判) decisions that denied victory to their team. A researcher was appointed to study the performance of some top referees.The researcher organized an experimental tournament (锦标赛) involving four youth teams. Each match lasted an hour, divided into three periods of 20 minutes during which different referees were in charge.Observers noted down the referees errors, of which there were 61 over the tournament. Converted to a standard match of 90 minutes, each referee made almost 23 mistakes, a remarkably high number.The researcher then studied the videotapes to analyse the matches in detail. Surprisingly, he found that errors were more likely when the referees were close to the incident. When the officials got it right, they were, on average, 17 meters away from the action. The average distance in the case of errors was 12 meters. The research shows the optimum (最佳的) distance is about 20 meters.There also seemed to be an optimum speed. Correct decisions came when the referees were moving at a speed of about 2 meters per second. The average speed for errors was 4 meters per second.If FIFA, footballs international ruling body, wants to improve the standard of refereeing at the next World Cup, it should encourage referees to keep their eyes on the action from a distance, rather than rushing to keep up with the ball, the researcher argues.He also says that FIFAs insistence that referees should retire at age 45 may be misguided. If keeping up with the action is not so important, their physical condition is less critical.21. The experiment conducted by the researcher was meant to ________.A) review the decisions of referees at the 1998 World CupB) analyse the causes of errors made by football refereesC) set a standard for football refereeingD) reexamine the rules for football refereeing22. The number of refereeing errors in the experimental matches was ________.A) slightly above averageB) higher than in the 1998 World CupC) quite unexpectedD) as high as in a standard match23. The findings of the experiment show that ________.A) errors are more likely when a referee keeps close to the ballB) the farther the referee is from the incident, the fewer the errorsC) the more slowly the referee runs, the more likely will errors occurD) errors are less likely when a referee stays in one spot24. The word “officials” (Line 2, Para. 4) most probably refers to ________.A) the researchers involved in the experimentB) the inspectors of the football tournamentC) the referees of the football tournamentD) the observers at the site of the experiment25. What is one of the possible conclusions of the experiment?A) The ideal retirement age for an experienced football referee is45.B) Age should not be the chief consideration in choosing a football referee.C) A football referee should be as young and energetic as possible.D) An experienced football referee can do well even when in poor physical condition.。
英语四级真题试卷
英语四级真题试卷一、阅读理解阅读理解一Passage APassage A is adapted from a recent news article.1.What is the passage mainly about?– A. The importance of volunteering in local communities.– B. The benefits of giving back to society.– C. The impact of volunteer work on personal development.– D. The need for more volunteers in hospitals and schools.2.According to the passage, what percentage of Americans volunteer their time?– A. 25%– B. 35%– C. 45%– D. 55%3.What is one example of a volunteer organization mentioned in the passage?– A. Red Cross– B. UNICEF– C. Greenpeace– D. Doctors Without BordersPassage BPassage B is adapted from a magazine article about the importance of education.4.According to the passage, what is the key to success?– A. Intelligence– B. Hard work– C. Luck– D. Family connections5.What is the main idea of the second paragraph?– A. Education is a basic right.– B. Education is the foundation for a strong economy.– C. Education is the key to social mobility.– D. Education is too expensive for many people.6.What is one example of an educational program mentioned in thepassage?– A. Teach for America– B. Peace Corps– C. Greenpeace– D. Doctors Without Borders阅读理解二Passage CPassage C is adapted from a book about climate change and its effects on the environment.7.What is climate change?– A. A natural phenomenon– B. A man-made problem– C. A political agenda– D. A scientific theory8.According to the passage, what are some potential consequences ofclimate change?– A. Rising sea levels– B. Increased hurricanes and wildfires– C. Changes in weather patterns– D. All of the above9.What evidence does the author provide to support their claims?– A. Scientific studies– B. Personal anecdotes– C. Opinions from experts– D. None of the abovePassage DPassage D is adapted from a blog post about the benefits of renewable energy.10.According to the passage, what is one advantage of renewable energy?– A. It is cheaper than fossil fuels.– B. It is more reliable than traditional energy sources.– C. It reduces dependence on foreign oil.– D. It creates jobs in the green energy sector.11.What is the main argument presented in the passage?– A. Renewable energy is the only solution to the climate crisis.– B. Renewable energy is an important part of a sustainable future.– C. Renewable energy is too expensive to implement.– D. Renewable energy is unreliable and inefficient.12.What is one example of a renewable energy source mentioned in thepassage?– A. Solar power– B. Nuclear power– C. Natural gas– D. Oil二、听力理解听力理解一Conversation 1M: Did you hear about the new restaurant that opened downtown? W: No, I hadn’t heard. What’s it called?Q13. What are the speakers talking about? - A. A new store - B. A new restaurant - C. A new movie theater - D. A new museumConversation 2M: Are you coming to the party tonight? W: I’m not sure yet. I hav e a lot of work to do.Q14. What is the woman’s reason for not being certain about attending the party? - A. She has other plans. - B. She has work to do. - C. She doesn’t want to go. - D. She forgot about the party.Conversation 3M: I can’t find my keys anywhere. Have you seen them? W: I think I saw them on the kitchen counter earlier.Q15. Where are the man’s keys? - A. In the kitchen - B. In the living room - C. In his pocket - D. On the table听力理解二Conversation 4M: I’m thinking about getting a new car. What do you think? W: I think you should consider buying a used car instead.Q16. What is the man considering purchasing? - A. A new house - B. A new car - C. A used car - D. A used houseConversation 5M: Do you have any plans for the weekend? W: I’m thinking about going hiking, but I haven’t decided yet.Q17. What is the woman considering doing? - A. Going hiking - B. Going swimming - C. Going shopping - D. Going to a movieConversation 6M: I’m not feeling well. I think I might be coming down with a cold. W: You should go see a doctor if you’re not feeling better soon.Q18. What does the woman suggest the man do? - A. Take medicine - B. Rest at home - C. See a doctor - D. Drink lots of water三、写作作文一题目：The Advantages and Disadvantages of Online ShoppingWith the rise of e-commerce, online shopping has become increasingly popular. In this essay, we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of online shopping.On the one hand, online shopping offers convenience and accessibility. Customers can browse and purchase products from the comfort of their own homes, avoiding the hassle of crowded shopping malls and long queues. Online shopping also provides a wide variety of products to choose from, often at lower prices compared to physical stores. Additionally, online reviews and ratings allow customers to make informed decisions and ensure the quality of the products they are purchasing.On the other hand, there are some disadvantages to online shopping. One major drawback is the lack of physical interaction with the product before making a purchase. Customers are unable to try on clothing or test the functionality ofelectronic devices. Additionally, the wait time for shipping and delivery can be a disadvantage for those who require immediate access to their purchases. Lastly, there is always a risk of fraud and online scams, which can result in financial loss and identity theft for unsuspecting customers.In conclusion, online shopping has its advantages and disadvantages. While it offers convenience and a wide selection of products, it lacks the physical experience and carries the risk of fraud. It is important for consumers to weigh these pros and cons and make informed decisions when engaging in online shopping.作文二题目：The Importance of Learning a Second LanguageLearning a second language has become increasingly important in today’s interconnected world. In this essay, we will discuss the importance of learning a second language.Firstly, learning a second language enhances communication and fosters cultural understanding. In today’s globalized society, the ability to communicate in multiple languages is highly valued. It allows individuals to engage with people from different cultures and backgrounds, promoting tolerance and empathy. Additionally, learning a second language opens up opportunities for travel, work, and study abroad.Secondly, learning a second language improves cognitive skills and brain function. Research has shown that bilingual individuals have better attention control, problem-solving skills, and cognitive flexibility compared to monolingual individuals. Learning a second language exercises the brain and enhances overall mental capacity.Lastly, learning a second language enhances career prospects. In today’s competitive job market, employers often prioritize candidates with bilingual or multilingual abilities. A second language can set an individual apart from other applicants and increase their chances of career advancement and international opportunities.In conclusion, learning a second language has numerous benefits. It improves communication, promotes cultural understanding, enhances cognitive skills, and provides better career prospects. It is never too late to start learning a second language and reap the rewards it brings.。
英语四级阅读理解真题与答案详解
Part IV Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth) (25 minutes)Section AQuestions 47 to 56 are based on the following passage.A bookless life is an incomplete life. Books influence the depth and breadth of life. They meet the natural 47______ for freedom, for expression, for creativity and beauty of life. Learners, therefore, must have books, and the right type of book, for the satisfaction of their need. Readers turn 48______ to books because their curiosity concerning all manners of things, their eagerness to share in the experiences of others and their need to 49______ from their own limited environment lead them to find in books food for the the mind and spirit. Through their reading they find a deeper significance to life as books acquaint them with life in the world as it was and it is now. They are presented with a 50______of human experiences and come to 51______ other ways of thought and living. And while 52______ their own relationships and responses to readers often find that the 53______ in their stories are going through similar adjustments, which help to clarify and give significance to their own.Books provide 54______ material for readers' imagination to grow. Imagination is a valuable quality and a motivating power, and stimulates achievement. While enriching their imagination, books 55______ their outlook, develop a fact-finding attitude and train them to use leisure 56______. The social and educational significance of the readers' books cannot be overestimated in an academic library.Section BPassage oneQuestion 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.If you’re a male and you’re reading this , congratulations : you’re a survivor. According to statistics, you’re more than twice as likely to die of skin cancer than a woman ,and nine times more likely to die of AIDS . Assuming you make it to the end of your natural term, about 78years for men in Australia , you’ll die on average five years before a woman.There’re many reasons for this ---typically , men take more risks than women and are more likely to drink and smoke—but perhaps more importantly , men don’t go to the doctor.“men aren’t seeing doctors as often as they should ,” says Dr.Gullotta . “this is particularly so for the over-40s, when diseases tend to strike .”Gullotta say a healthy man should visit the doctor every year or two . For those over 45,it should be at least once a year .Two months ago Gullotta saw a 50-year-old man who had delayed doing anything about his smo ker’s cough for a year .“when I finally saw him it had already spread and he has since died from lung cancer ,” he says. “Earlier detection and treatment may not have cured him but it would have prolonged his life .”According to a recent survey ,95% of women aged between 15 and early 40s see a doctor once a year , compared to 70% of men in the same age group.“A lot of men think they’re invincible(不可战胜的),” Gullatta says . “they only come in when a friend drops dead on the golf course and the y think ,’Geez,if it could happen to him ,……’ ”Then there’s the ostrich approach .”Some men are scared of what might be there and would rather not know ,” says Dr.Ross Cartmill.“most men get their cars serviced more regularly than they service th eir bodies ,” Garmill says .He believes most diseases that commonly affect men could be addressed by preventive check-ups.Regular check-us for men would inevitably lace strain on the public purse , Cartmill says . “but prevention is cheaper in the long ru n than having to treat the disease . Besides , the ultimate cost is far greater :it’s called premature death .”注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答57．Why does the author congratulate his male readers at the beginning of the passage ?A)They are more likely to survive serious diseases todayB）Their average life span has been considerably extendedC)They have lived long enough to read this articleD)They are sure to enjoy a longer and happier life58.What does the author state is the most important reason men die five years earlier on average than women ?A)men drink and smoke much more than womenB)men don’t seek medical care as often as womenC)men aren’t as cautious as women in face of dangerD)men are more likely to suffer from fatal disease59.Which of the following best completes the sentence “Geez ,if it could happen to him, ...”(line 2, para.8)A)it could happen to me ,tooB）I should avoid playing golfC)I should consider myself luckyD)it would be a big misfortune60. what does Dr.Ross Cartmill mean by “the ostrich approach “(Line 1 ,Para 9)A)A cause attitude towards one’s health conditionsB)A new therapy for certain psychological problemsC)Refusal to get medical treatment for fear of the pain involvedD)Unwillingness to find out about one’s disease because of fear61.What does Cartmill say about regular check-ups for men ?A)They may increase public expenseB)They will save money in the long runC)They may cause psychological strain s on menD)They will enable men to live as long as womenPassage twoQuestion 62 to 66 are based on the following passage.High-quality customer service is preached by many, but actually keeping customers happy is easier said than done.Shoppers seldom complain to the manager or owner of a retail store ,but instead will alert their friends, relatives, co-workers, strangers and anyone who will listen.Store managers are often the last to hear complaints,and often find out only when their regular customers decide to frequent their competitors, according to study jointly conducted by Verde Group and Wharton School.“storytelling hurts retailers and entertains consumers” said Paula Courtney, Preside nt of the Verde Group. “The store losers the customer, but the shopper must also find a replacement”On average, every unhappy customer will complain to at least four others, and will no longer visit the specific store. For every dissatisfied customer, a store will lose up to three more due to negative reviews. The resulting “snowball effect” can be disastrous to retailers.According to the research, shopper who purchased clothing encountered the most problem Ranked second and third were grocery and electronics customers.The most common complaints include filled parking lots, cluttered shelves over loaded racks, out-of-stock items, long check-out lines, and rude salespeople.During peak shopping hours, some retailers solved the parking problems by getting moonlighting (业余兼职的) local police to work as parking attendants. Some hired flag wavers to direct customers to empty parking spaces. This guidance eliminated the need for customers to circle the parking lot endlessly , and avoided confrontation between those eyeing the same parking space.Retailers can relieve the headaches by redesigning store layouts, pre-stocking sales items, hiring speedy and experienced cashiers , and having sales representatives on hand to answer question .Most importantly , salespeople should be diplomatic and polite with angry customers .“Retailers who’er responsive and friendly are more likely to smooth over issues than those who aren’t so friendly , “ said professor Stephen Hoch .” Maybe something as simple as a greeter at the store entrance would help .“Customers can also improve future shopping experiences by filing complaints to the retailer , instead of complaining to the rest of the world . Retailers are hard-pressed to improve when they hace no idea what is wrong.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
2022年12月大学英语四级阅读理解真题答案
四级阅读理解答案（试卷是花卷，着重看选项后内容）阅读第1套文章开头Parenting brings fathers more joy than it does...26.K involving27.B associated span28.L note29.A additional30.D cultivate Spa31.E depressive32.H however33.G emotions34.F directly35.I implications【长篇阅读】36.[C]People often grant a request just because they want to appear polite and helpful.37.[H]It's no easy job learning to say“no”to opportunities that were once considered worth grasping.38.[E]When you decline a request，you are saving your future time.39.[B]People sometimes struggle to do things that are simply a waste of time.40.[I]Doing efficiently what is not worth doing is the most useless effort.41.[C]It's especially difficult for people to decline to do what their superiors ask them to do.42.[A]People agree to do too many things they are in fact unwilling to do.43.[G]According to one famous entrepreneur，innovation means refusal to do an enormous number of things.44.[D]It is an essential aspect of life to cooperate with other people.45.[F]Refusing a request is sometimes seen as a privilege not enjoyed by ordinary people.【仔细阅读1】文章开头We are eating more fish than ever these days.46.What does the author say is remarkable about the fish we eat？B）They are mostly farmed.47.What do we need to do if we keep consuming fish at the current rateD）Expand the scale of fish-farming continuously.48.What does the author say about China in terms of aquatic food？C）It raises more fish than caught from the wild.49.Why does the author say aquaculture is so important these days？A）It is a must for feeding the world's fast-growing population.50.What does the author imply by saying aquaculture is no silver bulletC）Fish-farming may cause serious problems too.【仔细阅读2】文章开头In2020，the Nobel Peace Prize was...51.What does the WEP's winning of the Nobel Peace Prize make us realize？D）It is morally wrong to think helping the poor is not our business.52.What do we learn about the WEP's effort to eliminate hunger？B）It is still far from its goal despite the progress made.53.What will happen when food aid is offered at a price？A）The rich will become richer and the poor poorer.54.How can scientists help cope with poverty and hungerB）By sharing expertise with peers in poverty stricken nations55.What message does the author try to convey at the end of the passage？C）Poor nations should enhance their own ability to solve their food shortages.阅读第2套选词填空文章开头Researchers，writing in the...26.L)ranging27.H)measured28.B)certificates29.M)relative30.E)differences31.O)targeting32.C)connected33.D)demonstrates34.A)acknowledge35.F)establish【长篇阅读】文章标题The hidden costs colleges don't want you to know about36.[I]There is another depressing reality hidden within even the largest financial aid packages...37.[G]If you are low-income student who will be attending school out-of-state,make sure you know if you can use your state benefits...38.[B]At my well-respected,private,four-year university in Washington,DC,which boasts a yearly tuition of$44,046...39.[D]Schools will charge you whatever they can.The costs of any damages to the dorm,including elevators,bathrooms..…40.[L]Students and families must also understand their ability to self-advocate...41.[A]This fall,thousands of college students from across the country will begin their undergraduate careers at colleges..…42.[J]Yes,I chose to attend an expensive university far from my hometown...43.[I]There is another depressing reality hidden within even the largest financial aid packages....44.[C]Universities today are in the business of making money,and mine is no exception...45.[H]you plan on paying off bills in your student account with a credit card,be aware of any additional costs...【仔细阅读1】文章开头To write his2010book，The5-Factor World Diet...46.What characterizes Japanese and Chinese foods？A）Variety.47.What is typical of Americans in the way of eating？B）They tend to eat quite a lot.48.What features in Mediterranean，Nordic and Okinawan diets？C）Seasonal local produce.49.What do people in most healthy eating cultures have in common？D）They attach great importance to their meals.pared with the average American，people in healthy societies_B）do considerably more walking【仔细阅读2】文章开头Recognizing when'a friend or colleague feels sad.…51.What is the finding of the new study？C）People who are aware of others'feelings may experience more stress.52.What was the purpose of psychologist Myriam Bechtoldt's experiment？B）To assess the impacts of being emotionally clever.53.What does the finding of Myriam Bechtoldt's study indicate？D）People may suffer from having a high emotional intelligence.54.What do we learn about emotional intelligence from a number of studies？C）Some people may take advantage of it and benefit themselves.55.What do we learn about emotional intelligence from a number of studies A）Avoid burdening themselves with others'feelings.阅读第3套Phones influence all aspects of teenage life...26.D）constantly28.H）nationally29.G）inseparable30.A）absorbed31.L）specific32.E）context33.J）shape34.C）behavior35.F）exercise【长篇阅读】标题Evil Genius36.[D]A behavior that does not conform to social norms may be described as being deviant.37.[J]Various experiments found that participants who cheated in the initial task performed better in the creativity test.38.[B]People may be simply considered evil if their behaviors are morally unacceptable to us.39.[G]The research published by two scientists was intended to examine the relationship between dishonesty and creativity.40.[A]The author's lectures sparked lively discussions in his class.41.[I]The researchers tested the participants'creativity by asking them to play a word game.42.[K]It is time we realized that deviance may be capable of doing both good and harm to individuals and society.43.[C]The reasons for people's evil behaviors can be explained in more ways than one.44.[H]The math task in one experiment was designed to test participants'tendency to cheat.45.[F]Some creative ideas have turned out to do harm to human society.【仔细阅读1】文章开头Even though we are living in an age where46.D）Shifting people's perspective on aging.47.A）He wanted to make it more pleasant for seniors.48.D）He acted in violation of the state law.49.C）Getting old is by no means something miserable.50.A）It is gaining ground in many countries.【仔细阅读2】Passage Tow文章开头Research shows that in developed countries，51.B）People from different social groups vary in their dietary habits.52.A）A better understanding of the relationship between social class and health.53.D）They do not lack food knowledge or budgeting skills.54.C）Enabling them to have more access to nutritious foods.55.B）Choose diets that are both healthy and affordable.。
四级真题——阅读训练(4
四级真题——阅读训练（4.1）队别： [填空题] *请输入数字Section BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage -with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.The quiet heroism of mail delivery[A]On Wednesday, a polar wind brought bitter cold to the Midwest. Overnight, Chicago reached a low of 21 degrees Fahrenheit below zero, making it slightly colder than Antarctica （南极洲），Alaska, and the North Pole. Wind chills were 64 degrees below zero in Park Rapids, Minnesota and 45 degrees below zero in Buffalo, North Dakota, according to the National Weather Service. Schools, restaurants, and businesses closed, and more than 1,000 flights were canceled.[B]Even the United States Postal Service （USPS） suspended mail delivery. "Due to this arctic outbreak and concerns for the safety of USPS employees/9 USPS announced Wednesday morning, "the Postal Service is suspending delivery Jan. 30 in some 3-digit ZIP Code locations." Twelve regions were listed as unsafe on Wednesday, on Thursday, eight remained.[C]As global surface temperatures increase, so does the likelihood of extreme weather. In 2018 alone, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, mudslides, and other natural disasters cost at least $49 billion in the United States. As my colleague Vann Newkirk reported, Puerto Rico is still confronting economic and structural destruction andresource scarcity from 2017's Hurricane Maria. Natural disasters can wreck a community 5s infrastructure, disrupting systems for months or years. Some services, however, remind us that life will eventually return, in some form, to normal.[D]Days after the deadly 2017 wildfires in Santa Rosa, California, a droned无人机）caught footage （连续镜头）of a USPS worker, Trevor Smith, driving through burned homes in that familiar white van, collecting mail in an affected area. The video is striking: The operation is familiar, but the scene looks like the end of the world. According to Rae Aim Haight, the program manager for the national-preparedness office at USPS, Smith was fulfilling a request made by some of the home owners to pick up any mail that was left untouched. For Smith, this was just another day on the job. "I followed my route like I normally do,” Smith told a reporter. As I came across a box that was up but with no house, I checked, and there was mail—outgoing mail—in it. And so we picked those up and carried on.“"[E]USPS has sophisticated emergency plans for natural disasters. Across the country,285 emergency management teams are devoted to crisis control. These teams are trained annually using a framework known as the three Ps: people, property, product. After mail service stops due to weather, the agency's top priority is ensuring that employees are safe. Then it evaluates the health of infrastructure, such as the roads that mail carriers drive on. Finally, it decides when and how to re-open operations. If the destruction is extreme, mail addressed to the area will get sent elsewhere. In response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, USPS redirected incoming New Orleans mail to existing mail facilities in Houston. Mail that was already processed in New Orleans facilities was moved to an upper floor so it would be protected from water damage.[F]As soon as it's safe enough to be outside, couriers｛由K递员）start distributing accumulated mail on the still-accessible routes. USPS urges those without standing addresses to file change-of-address forms with their new location. After Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, mail facilities were set up in dozens of locations across the country in the two weeks that USPS was unable to provide street delivery.[G]Every day, USPS processes, on average, 493.4 million pieces of mail一anything from postcards to Social Security checks to medicine. Spokespeople from both USPS and UPS told me all mail is important. But some mail can be extremely sensitive and timely. According to data released in January 2017, 56 percent of bills are paid online, which means that just under half of payments still rely on delivery services to be completed.[H]It can be hard to identify which parcels are carrying crucial items such as Social Security checks, but USPS and UPS try their best to prioritize sensitive material. They will coordinate with the Social Security Administration to make sure that Social Security checks reach the right people in a timely fashion. After Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Michael last fall, USPS worked with state and local election boards to make sure that absentee ballots were available and received or time.[I]Mail companies are logistics (3iE) companies, which puts them in a special position to help when disaster strikes. In a 2011 USPS case study, the agency emphasized its massive infrastructure as a "unique federal asset" to be called upon in a disaster or terrorist attack. "I think we're unique as a federal agency," USPS official Mike Swigart told me, "because we're in literally every community in this country... We're obligated to deliver to that point on a daily basis."[J]Private courier companies, which have more dollars to spend, use their expertise in logistics to help revitalize damaged areas after a disaster. For more than a decade, FedEx has supported the American Red Cross in its effort to get emergency supplies to areas affected by disasters, both domestically and internationally. In 2012, the company distributed more than 1,200 MedPacks to Medical Reserve Corps groups in California. They also donated space for 3.1 million pounds of charitable shipping globally. Last October, the company pledged $1 million in cash and transportation support for Hurricanes Florence and Michael. UPS's charitable arm, the UPS Foundation, uses the company5 s logistics to help disaster-struck areas rebuild. "We realize that as a company with people, trucks, warehouses, we needed to play a larger role： said Eduardo Martinez,the president of the UPS Foundation, The company employs its trucks and planes to deliver food, medicine, and water. The day before I spoke to Martinez in November, he had beer touring the damage from Hurricane Michael in Florida with the American Red Cross. “We have an obligation to make sure our communities are thriving,9, he said.[K]Rebuilding can take a long time, and even then, impressions of the disaster may still remain. Returning to a normal life can be difficult, but some small routines—mail delivery being one of them—may help residents remember that their communities arestill their communities. "When they see that carrier back out on the street,5, Swigart said, “that's the first sign to them that life is starting to return to normal.”36.The United States Postal Service has a system to ensure its employees' safety. [单选题] *ABCDE(正确答案)FGHIJK37.One official says USPS is unique in that it has more direct reach to communities compared with other federal agencies. [单选题] *ABCEFGHI(正确答案)JK38.Natural disasters can have a long-lasting impact on community life. [单选题] *ABC(正确答案)DEFGHIJK39.Mail delivery service is still responsible for the completion of almost half of payments. [单选题] *ABCDFG(正确答案)HIJK40.The sight of a mailman on the street is a reassuring sign of life becoming normal again. [单选题] *ABCDEFGHIJK(正确答案)41.After Hurricane Katrina interrupted routine delivery, temporary mail service points were set up. [单选题] *ABCDF(正确答案)GHIJK42.Postal service in some regions in the U.S. was suspended due to extreme cold weather. [单选题] *AB(正确答案)CDEFGHIJK43.Private postal companies also support disaster relief efforts by disstributing urgent supplies. [单选题] *ABCDFGHIJ(正确答案)K44.A dedicated USPS employee was on the job carrying out duties in spite of extreme conditions. [单选题] *ABCD(正确答案)EFGHIJK45.Postal services work hard to identify items that require priority treatment. [单选题] * ABCDEGH(正确答案)IJKPassage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.Professor Ashok Goel of Georgia Tech developed an artificially intelligent teaching assistant to help handle the enormous number of student questions in the online class, Knowledge-Based Artificial Intelligence. This online course is a core requirement of Georgia Tech's online Master of Science in Computer Science program. Professor Goel already had eight teaching assistants, but that wasn't enough to deal with the overwhelming number of daily questions from students.Many students drop out of online courses because of the lack of teaching support. When students feel isolated or confused and reach out with questions that go unanswered, their motivation to continue begins to fade. Professor Goel decided to do something to remedy this situation and his solution was to create a virtual assistant named Jill Watson, which is based on the IBM Watson platform.Goel and his team developed several versions of Jill Watson before releasing her to the online forums. At first, the virtual assistant wasn't too great. But Goel and his team sourced the online discussion forum to find all 40,000 questions that had ever been asked since the class was launched. Then they began to feed Jill with the questions and answers. After some adjustments, and sufficient time, Jill was able to answer the students9 questions correctly 97% of the time. The virtual assistant became so advanced and realistic that the students didn't know she was a computer. The students, who were studying artificial intelligence, were interacting with the virtual assistant and couldn't tell it apart from a real human being. Goel didn't inform them about Jill's true identity until April 26. The students were actually very positive about the experience.The goal of Professor GoeFs virtual assistant next year is to take over answering 40% of all the questions posed by students on the online forum. The name Jill Watson will, of course, change to something else next semester. Professor Goel has a much rosier outlook on the future of artificial intelligence than, say, Elon Musk, Stephen Hawking, Bill Gates or Steve Wozniak.46.What do we learn about Knowledge-Based Artificial Intelligence ? [单选题] *A)It is a robot that can answer students' questions.B)It is a course designed for students to learn online.(正确答案)C)It is a high-tech device that revolutionizes teaching.D)It is a computer program that aids student learning.47 .What problem did Professor Goel meet with ? [单选题] *A)His students were unsatisfied with the assistants.B)His course was too difficult for the students.C)Students9 questions were too many to handle.(正确答案)D)Too many students dropped out of his course.48.What do we learn about Jill Watson ? [单选题] *A) She turned out to be a great success.(正确答案)B) She got along pretty well with students.C) She was unwelcome to students at first.D) She was released online as an experiment.49.How did the students feel about Jill Watson? [单选题] *A) They thought she was a bit too artificial.B) They found her not as capable as expected.C) They could not but admire her knowledge.D) They could not tell her from a real person.(正确答案)50. What does Professor Goel plan to do next with Jill Watson? [单选题] *A)Launch different versions of her online.B)Feed her with new questions and answers.C)Assign her to answer more of students9 questions.(正确答案)D)Encourage students to interact with her more freely.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.Thinking small, being engaging, and having a sense of humor don't hurt. Those are a few of the traits of successful science crowdfunding efforts that emerge from a recent study that examined nearly 400 campaigns. But having a large network and some promotional skills may be more crucial.Crowdfunding, raising money for a project through online appeals, has taken off in recent years for everything from making movies to producing water-saving gadgets. Scientists have tried to tap Internet donors, too, with mixed success. Some raised more than twice their goals, but others have fallen short of reaching even modest targets.To determine what separates science crowdfunding triumphs from failures, a team led by science communications scholar Mike Schafer of the University of Zurich examined the content of the webpages for 371 recent campaigns.Four traits stood out for those that achieved their goals, the researchers report in Public Understanding of Science. For one, they use a crowdfunding platform that specializes in raising money for science, and not just any kind of project. Although sites like Kickstarter take all comers, platforms such as Experiment, com and Petridish. org only present scientific projects. For another, they present the project with a funny video because good visuals and a sense of humor improved success. Most of them engage with potential donors, since projects that answered questions from interested donors fared better. And they target a small amount of money. The projects included in the study raised $4000 on average, with 30% receiving less than $1000. The more money a project sought, the lower the chance it reached its goal, the researchers found.Other factors may also significantly influence a project's success, most notably, the size of a scientist's personal and professional networks, and how much a researcherpromotes a project on their own. Those two factors are by far more critical than the content on the page. Crowdfunding can be part of researchers5 efforts to reach the public, and people give because "they feel a connection to the person" who is doing the fundraising—not necessarily to the science.51.What do we learn about the scientists trying to raise money online for their projects? [单选题] *A)They did not raise much due to modest targets.B)B) They made use of mixed fundraising strategies.C)Not all of them achieved their anticipated goals.(正确答案)D)D) Most of them put movies online for the purpose.52.What is the purpose of Mike Schafer's research of recent crowdfunding campaigns? [单选题] *A)To create attractive content for science websites.B)B) To identify reasons for their different outcomes.(正确答案)C)To help scientists to launch innovative projects.D)D) To separate science projects from general ones.53.What trait contributes to the success of a crowdfunding campaign? [单选题] *A)The potential benefit to future generations.B)B) Its interaction with prospective donors.(正确答案)C)Its originality in addressing financial issues.D)D) The value of the proposed project.54.What did the researchers think of the financial targets of crowdfunding projects? [单选题] *A)They should be small to be successful.(正确答案)B)B) They should be based on actual needs.C)They should be assessed with great care.D)D) They should be ambitious to gain notice.55.What motivates people to donate in a crowdfunding campaign ? [单选题] *A)The ease of access to the content of the webpage.B)Their desire to contribute to the cause of science.C)The significance and influence of the project itselfD)Their feeling of connection to the scientists themselves.(正确答案)。
大学英语四级真题阅读练习10套(附参考答案)
大学英语4级真题Passage 1The endless debate about “work-life balance’’ often contains a hopeful footnote about stay-at-home dads. If American society and business won5t make it easier on future female leaders who choose to have children, there is still the ray of hope that increasing numbers of full-time fathers will. But based on today’s socioeconomic trends, this hope is, unfortunately, misguided.It’s true that the number of men who have left work to do their thing as full-time parents has doubled in a decade, but ifs still very small：only 0. 8% of married couples where the stay-at-home father was out of the labor force for a year. Even that percentage is likely inflated by men thrust into their caretaker role by a downsizing. This is simply not a large enough group to reduce the social stigma(污名)and force other adjustments necessary to supporting men in this decision, even if only for a relatively short time.Even shorter times away from work for working fathers are already difficult. A study found that 85% of new fathers take some time off after the birth of a child—but for all but a few, it’s a week or two at most. Meanwhile, the average for women who take leave is more than 10 weeks. Such choices impact who moves up in the organization. While you’re away, someone else is doing your work, making your sales, taking care of your customers. That can’t help you at work. It can only hurt you. Women, of course, face the same issues of returning after a long absence. But with many more women than men choosing to leave the workforce entirely to raise families, returning from an extended parental leave doesn’t raise as many eyebrows as it does for men.Women would make more if they didn't break their earning trajectory (轨迹）by leaving the workforce, or if higher-paying professions were more family-friendly. In the foreseeable future, stay- at-home fathers may make all the difference for individual families, but their presence won’t reduce the numbers of high-potential women who are forced to choose between family and career.56.What gives women a ray of hope to achieve work-life balance?A)More men taking an extended parental leave.B)Peopled changing attitudes towards family.C)More women entering business management.D)The improvement of their socioeconomic status.57.Why does the author say the hope for more full-time fathers is misguided?A)Women are better at taking care of children.B)Many men value work more than their family.C)Their number is too small to make a difference.D)Not many men have the chance to stay at home.58.Why do few men take a long parental leave?A)A long leave will have a negative impact on their career.B)They just have too many responsibilities to fulfill at work.C)The economic loss will be too much for their family to bear.D)They are likely to get fired if absent from work for too long.59.What is the most likely reaction to men returning from an extended parental leave?A) Jealousy. C) Admiration. B) Surprise.D) Sympathy.60.What does the author say about high-potential women in the not-too-distant future?A)They will benefit from the trend of more fathers staying at home.B)They will find high-paying professions a bit more family-friendly.C)They are unlikely to break their career trajectory to raise a family.D)They will still face the difficult choice between career and children.答案：BCABDPassage 2Some of the world’s most significant problems never hit headlines. One example comes from agriculture. Food riots and hunger make news. But the trend lying behind these matters is rarely talked about. This is the decline in the growth in yields of some of the world’s major crops. A new study by the University of Minnesota and McGill University in Montreal looks at where, and how far, this decline is occurring.The authors take a vast number of data points for the four most important crops :rice, wheat, com and soyabeans (大豆).They find that on between 24% and 39% of all harvested areas, the improvement in yields that took place before the 1980s slowed down in the 1990s and 2000s. There are two worrying features of the slowdown. One is that it has been particularly sharp in the world’s most(人口多的）countries, India and China. Their ability to feed themselves has been an important source of relative stability both within the countries and on world food markets. That self-sufficiency cannot be taken for granted if yields continue to slow down or reverse.Second, yield growth has been lower in wheat and rice than in com and soyabeans. This is problematic because wheat and rice are more important as foods, accounting for around half of all calories consumed. Com and soyabeans are more important as feed grains. The authors note that “we have preferentially focused our crop improvement efforts on feeding animals and cars rather than on crops that feed people and are the basis of food security in much of the world. ”, The report qualifies the more optimistic findings of another new paper which suggests that the world will not have to dig up a lot more land for farming in order to feed 9 billion people in 2050, as the Food and Agriculture Organisation has argued.Instead, it says, thanks to slowing population growth, land currently ploughed up for crops might be able to revert (回返）to forest or wilderness. This could happen. The trouble is that the forecast assumes continued improvements in yields, which may not actually happen.61.What does the author try to draw attention to?A) Food riots and hunger in the world.C) The decline of the grain yield growth.B) News headlines in the leading media.D) The food supply in populous countries.62.Why does the author mention India and China in particular?A)Their self-sufficiency is vital to the stability of world food markets.B)Their food yields have begun to decrease sharply in recent years.C)Their big populations are causing worldwide concerns.D)Their food self-sufficiency has been taken for granted.63.What does the new study by the two universities say about recent crop improvement efforts?A)They fail to produce the same remarkable results as before the 1980s.B)They contribute a lot to the improvement of human food production.C)They play a major role in guaranteeing the food security of the world.D)They focus more on the increase of animal feed than human food grains.64.What does the Food and Agriculture Organisation say about world food production in thecoming decades?A)The growing population will greatly increase the pressure on world food supplies.B)The optimistic prediction about food production should be viewed with caution.C)The "slowdown of the growth in yields of major food crops will be reversed.D)The world will be able to feed its population without increasing farmland.65.How does the author view the argument of the Food and Agriculture Organisation?A)It is built on the findings of a new study.B)It is based on a doubtful assumption.C)It is backed by strong evidence.D)It is open to further discussion.答案：CADDBPassage 3Junk food is everywhere. We’re eating way too much of it. Most of us know what we’re doing and yet we do it anyway.So here’s a suggestion offered by two researchers at the Rand Corporation : Why not take a lesson from alcohol control policies and apply them to where food is sold and how it’s displayed?“Many policy measures to control obesity(肥胖症）assume that people consciously and rationally choose what and how much they eat and therefore focus on providing information and more access to healthier foods,” note the two researchers.“In contrast,” the researchers continue, “ many regulations that don’t assume people make rational choices have been successfully applied to control alcohol, a substance—like food—of which immoderate consumption leads to serious health problems. ’’The research references studies of peopled behavior with food and alcohol and results of alcohol restrictions, and then lists five regulations that the researchers think might be promising if applied to junk foods. Among them:Density restrictions：licenses to sell alcohol aren’t handed out unplanned to all comers but are allotted (分配) based on the number of places in an area that already sell alcohol. These make alcohol less easy to get and reduce the number of psychological cues to drink.Similarly, the researchers say, being presented with junk food stimulates our desire to eat it. So why not limit the density of food outlets, particularly ones that sell food rich in empty calories? And why not limit sale of food in places that aren5t primarily food stores?Display and sales restrictions: California has a rule prohibiting alcohol displays near the cash registers in gas stations, and in most places you can’t buy alcohol at drive-through facilities. At supermarkets, food companies pay to have their wares in places where they’re easily seen. One could remove junk food to the back of the store and ban them from the shelves at checkout lines. The other measures include restricting portion sizes, taxing and prohibiting special price deals for junk foods, and placing warning labels on the products.56.What does the author say about junk food?A)People should be educated not to eat too much.B)It is widely consumed despite its ill reputation.C)Its temptation is too strong for people to resist.D)It causes more harm than is generally realized.57.What do the Rand researchers think of many of the policy measures to control obesity?A) They should be implemented effectively.C) They are based on wrong assumptions.B) They provide misleading information.D) They help people make rational choices.58.Why do policymakers of alcohol control place density restrictions?A)Few people are able to resist alcohol’s temptations.B)There are already too many stores selling alcohol.C)Drinking strong alcohol can cause social problems.D)Easy access leads to customers’ over-consumption.59.What is the purpose of California’s rule about alcohol display in gas stations?A)To effectively limit the density of alcohol outlets.B)To help drivers to give up the habit of drinking.C)To prevent possible traffic jams in nearby areas.D)To get alcohol out of drivers’ immediate sight.60.What is the general guideline the Rand researchers suggest about junk food control?A)Guiding people to make rational choices about food.B)Enhancing people’s awareness of their own health.C)Borrowing ideas from alcohol control measures.D)Resorting to economic, legal and psychological means.答案：CCDDCPassage 4Kodak’s decision to file for bankruptcy (破产）protection is a sad, though not unexpected, turning point for a leading American corporation that pioneered consumer photography and dominated the film market for decades, but ultimately failed to adapt to the digital revolution.Although many attribute Kodak’s downfall to “complacency ( 自满)”that explanation doesn’t acknowledge the lengths to which the company went to reinvent itself. Decades ago, Kodak anticipated that digital photography would overtake film—and in fact, Kodak invented the first digital camera in 1975—but in a fateful decision, the company chose to shelf its new discovery to focus on its traditional film business.It wasn’t that Kodak was blind to the future, said Rebecca Henderson, a professor at Harvard Business School, but rather that it failed to execute on a strategy to confront it. By the time the company realized its mistake, it was too late.Kodak is an example of a firm that was very much aware that they had to adapt, and spent a lot of money trying to do so, but ultimately failed. Large companies have a difficult time switching to new markets because there is a temptation to put existing assets into the new businesses.Although Kodak anticipated the inevitable rise of digital photography, its corporate(企业的）culture was too rooted in the successes of the past for it to make the clean break necessary to fully embrace the future. They were a company stuck in time. Their history was so important to them. Now their history has become a liability.Kodak’s downfall over the last several decades was dramatic. In 1976, the company commanded 90% of the market for photographic film and 85% of the market for cameras. But the 1980s brought new competition from Japanese film company Fuji Photo, which undermined Kodak by offering lower prices for film and photo supplies. Kodak’s decision not to pursue the role of official film for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics was a major miscalculation. The bid went instead to Fuji, which exploited its sponsorship to win a permanent foothold in the marketplace.61.What do we learn about Kodak?A)It went bankrupt all of a sudden.B)It is approaching its downfall.C)It initiated the digital revolution in the film industry.D)It is playing the dominant role in the film market.62.Why does the author mention Kodak’s invention of the first digital camera?A)To show its early attempt to reinvent itself.B)To show its effort to overcome complacency.C)To show its quick adaptation to the digital revolution.D)To show its will to compete with Japan’s Fuji Photo.63.Why do large companies have difficulty switching to new markets?A)They find it costly to give up their existing assets.B)They tend to be slow in confronting new challenges.C)They are unwilling to invest in new technology.D)They are deeply stuck in their glorious past.64.What does the author say Kodak’s history has become?A) A burden.B) A mirror.C) A joke.D) A challenge.65.What was Kodak’s fatal mistake?A) Its blind faith in traditional photography.C) Its refusal to sponsor the 1984 Olympics.B) Its failure to see Fuji Photo’s emergence.D) Its overconfidence in its corporate culture.答案：BADACPassage 5When it’s five o’clock, people leave their office. The length of the workday, for many workers, is defined by time. They leave when the clock tells them they’re done.These days, the time is everywhere: not just on clocks or watches, but on cell-phones and computers. That may be a bad thing, particularly at work. New research shows that clock-based work schedules hinder morale (士气) and creativity.Clock-timers organize their day by blocks of minutes and hours. For example：a meeting from 9 a. m. to 10 a. m. , research from 10 a. m. to noon, etc. On the other hand, task-timers have a list of things they want to accomplish. They work down the list, each task starts when the previous task is completed. It is said that all of us employ a mix of both these types of planning.What, then, are the effects of thinking about time in these different ways? Does one make us more productive? Better at the tasks at hand? Happier? In experiments conducted by Tamar Avnet and Anne-Laure Sellier, they had participants organize different activities—from project planning, holiday shopping, to yoga —by time or to-do list to measure how they performed under “clock time vs “task time.” They found clock timers to be more efficient but less happy because they felt little control over their lives. Task timers are happier and more creative, but less productive. They tend to enjoy the moment when something good is happening, and seize opportunities that come up.The researchers argue that task-based organizing tends to be undervalued and under-supported in business culture. Smart companies, they believe, will try to bake more task-based planning into their strategies.This might be a small change to the way we view work and the office, but the researchersargue that it challenges a widespread characteristic of the economy: work organized by dock time. While most people will still probably need, and be, to some extent, clock-timers, task-based timing should be used when perfoming a job that requires more creativity. It’ll make those tasks easier, arid the task- doers will be happier.56.What does the author think of time displayed everywhere?A)It makes everybody time-conscious.B)It is a convenience for work and life.C)It may have a negative effect on creative work.D)It clearly indicates the fast pace of modem life.57.How do people usually go about their work according to the author?A)They combine clock-based and task-based planning.B)They give priority to the most urgent task on hand.C)They set a time limit for each specific task.D)They accomplish their tasks one by one.58.What did Tamar Avnet and Anne-Laure Sellier find in their experiments about clocks timers?A) They seize opportunities as they come up.C) They have more control over their lives.B) They always get their work done in time.D) They tend to be more productive.59.What do the researchers say about today’s business culture?A)It does not support the strategies adopted by smart companies.B)It does not attach enough importance to task-based practice.C)It places more emphasis on work efficiency than on workers5 lives.D)It aims to bring employees, potential and creativity into full play.60.What do the researchers suggest?A)Task-based timing is preferred for doing creative work. B)It is important to keep a balance between work and life.C)Performing creative jobs tends to make workers happier. D)A scientific standard should be adopted in job evaluation.答案：CADAAPassage 6Martha Stewart was charged, tried and competed of a crime in 2004. As she neared the end of her prison sentence, a well-known columnist wrote that she was “ paying her dues,” and that “ there is simply no reason for anyone to attempt to deny her right to start anew.”Surely, the American ideal of second chances should not be reserved only for the rich and powerful. Unfortunately, many federal and state laws impose post-conviction restrictions on a shockingly large number of Americans, who are prevented from ever fully paying their debt to society.At least 65 million people in the United States have a criminal record. This can result in severe penalties that continue long after punishment is completed.Many of these penalties are imposed regardless of the seriousness of the offense or the person’s individual circumstances. Laws can restrict or ban voting, access to public housing, and professional and business licensing. They can affect a person’s ability to get a job and qualification for benefits.In all, more than 45, 000 laws and rules serve to exclude vast numbers of people from fullyparticipating in American life.Some laws make sense. No one advocates letting someone convicted of pedophilia（恋童癖）work in a school. But too often collateral(附随的）consequences bear no relation to public safety. Should a woman who possessed a small amount of drugs years ago be permanently unable to be licensed as a nurse?These laws are also counterproductive, since they make it harder for people with criminal records to find housing or land a job, two key factors that reduce backsliding.A recent report makes several recommendations, including the abolition of most post-conviction penalties, except for those specifically needed to protect public safety. Where the penalties are not a must, they should be imposed only if the facts of a case support it.The point is not to excuse or forget the crime. Rather, it is to recognize that in America’s vast criminal justice system, second chances are crucial. It is in no one’s interest to keep a large segment of the population on the margins of society.61.What does the well-known columnist’s remark about Martha Stewart suggest?A)Her past record might stand in her way to a new life.B)Her business went bankrupt while she was in prison.C)Her release from prison has drawn little attention.D)Her prison sentence might have been extended.62.What do we learn from the second paragraph about many criminals in America?A)They backslide after serving their terms in prison.B)They are deprived of chances to turn over a new leaf.C)They receive severe penalties for committing minor offenses.D)They are convicted regardless of their individual circumstances.63.What are the consequences for many Americans with a criminal record?A) They remain poor for the rest of their lives.C) They are marginalized in society.B) They are deprived of all social benefits.D) They are deserted by their family.64.What does the author think of the post-conviction laws and rules?A)They help to maintain social stability.B)Some of them have long been outdated.C)They are hardly understood by the public.D)A lot of them have negative effects on society.65.What is the author’s main purpose in writing the passage?A)To create opportunities for criminals to reform themselves.B)To appeal for changes in America’s criminal justice system.C)To ensure that people with a criminal record live a decent life.D)To call people’s attention to prisoners’ conditions in America.答案：ABCDBPassage 7The wallet is heading for extinction. As a day-to-day essential，it will die off with the generation who read print newspapers. The kind of shopping—where you hand over notes and count out change in return—now happens only in the most minor of our retail encounters, like buying a bar of chocolate or a pint of milk from a comer shop. At the shops where you spend any real money, that money is increasingly abstracted. And this is more and more true, the higher upthe scale you go. At the most cutting-edge retail stores—Victoria Beckham on Dover Street, for instance—you don’t go and stand at any kind of cash register when you decide to pay. The staff are equipped with iPads to take your payment while you relax on a sofa.Which is nothing more or less than excellent service, if you have the money. But across society, the abstraction of the idea of cash makes me uneasy. Maybe I’m just old-fashioned. But earning money isn’t quick or easy for most of us. Isn’t it a bit weird that spending it should happen in half a blink (眨眼）of an eye? Doesn’t a wallet—that time-honoured Friday-night feeling of pleasing, promising fatness—represent something that matters?But I’ll leave the economics to the experts. What bothers me about the death of the wallet is the change it represents in our physical environment. Everything about the look and feel of a wallet—the way the fastenings and materials wear and tear and loosen with age, the plastic and paper and gold and silver, and handwritten phone numbers and printed cinema tickets—is the very opposite of what our world is becoming. The opposite of a wallet is a smartphone or an iPad. The rounded edges, cool glass，smooth and unknowable as a pebble (鹅卵石）. Instead of digging through pieces of paper and peering into comers, we move our fingers left and right. No more counting out coins. Show your wallet, if you still have one. It may not be here much longer.56.What is happening to the wallet?A) It is disappearing.C) It is becoming costly,B) It is being fattened.D) It is changing in style.57.How are business transactions done in big modem stores?A)Individually.C) In the abstract.B)Electronically.D) Via a cash register.58.What makes the author feel uncomfortable nowadays?A)Saving money is becoming a thing of the past.B)The pleasing Friday-night feeling is fading.C)Earning money is getting more difficult.D)Spending money is so fast and easy.59.Why does the author choose to write about what’s happening to the wallet?A)It represents a change in the modem world.B)It has something to do with everybody’s life.C)It marks the end of a time-honoured tradition.D)It is the concern of contemporary economists.60.What can we infer from the passage about the author?A)He is resistant to social changes.B)He is against technological progress.C)He feels reluctant to part with the traditional wallet.D)He feels insecure in the ever-changing modem world.答案：ABDADPassage 8Everybody sleeps, but what people stay up late to catch—or wake up early in order not to miss— varies by culture.From data collected, it seems the things that cause us to lose the most sleep, on average, are sporting events, time changes, and holidays.Around the world, people changed sleep patterns thanks to the start or end of daylight savings time, Russians, for example, began to wake up about a half-hour later each day after President Vladimir Putin shifted the country permanently to “winter time” starting on October 26.Russia’s other late nights and early mornings generally correspond to public holidays. On New Year’s Eve, Russians have the world’s latest bedtime，hitting the hay at around 3:30 a.m.、Russians also get up an hour later on International Women’s Day, the day for treating and celebrating female relatives.Similarly, Americans, late nights, late mornings, and longest sleeps fall on three-day weekends. Canada got the least sleep of the year the night it beat Sweden in the Olympic hockey （冰球）. The World Cup is also chiefly responsible for sleep deprivation(剥夺）.The worst night for sleep in the U. K was the night of the England-Italy match on June 14. Brits stayed up a half-hour later to watch it, and then they woke up earlier than usual the next morning thanks to summer nights, the phenomenon in which the sun barely sets in northern countries in the summertime. That was nothing, though, compared to Germans, Italians, and the French, who stayed up around an hour and a half later on various days throughout the summer to watch the Cup.It should be made clear that not everyone has a device to record their sleep patterns; in some of these nations, it’s likely that only the richest people do. And people who elect to track their sleep may try to get more sleep than the average person. Even if that’s the case, though, the above findings are still striking. If the most health-conscious among us have such deep swings in our shut-eye levels throughout the year, how much sleep are the rest of us losing?61.What does the author say about peopled sleeping habits?A) They are culture-related.C) They change with the seasons.B) They affect peopled health.D) They vary from person to person.62.What do we learn about the Russians regarding sleep?A)They don’t fall asleep until very late.C)They get less sleep on public holidays.B)They don’t sleep much on weekends.D)They sleep longer than people elsewhere.63.What is the major cause for Europeans’ loss of sleep?A)The daylight savings time.C)The World Cup.B)The colorful night life.D)The summertime.64.What is the most probable reason for some rich people to use a device to record their sleep patterns?A) They have trouble falling asleep.C) They are involved in a sleep research.B) They want to get sufficient sleep.D) They want to go to bed on regular hours.65.What does .the author imply in the last paragraph?A)Sleeplessness does harm to peopled health.B)Few people really know the importance of sleep.C)It is important to study our sleep patterns.D)Average people probably sleep less than the rich.答案：ACCBBPassage 9Could you reproduce Silicon Valley elsewhere, or is there something unique about it?It wouldn't be surprising if it were hard to reproduce in other countries, because you couldn't reproduce it in most of the US either. What does it take to make a Silicon Valley?It's the right people. If you could get the right ten thousand people to move from Silicon Valley to Buffalo, Buffalo would become Silicon Valley.You only need two kinds of people to create a technology hub (中心) : rich people and nerds (痴迷科研的人).Observation bears this out. Within the US, towns have become star, up hubs if and only if they have both rich people and nerds. Few startups happen in Miami, for example, because although it's full of rich people, it has few nerds. It's not the kind of place nerds like.Whereas Pittsburgh has the opposite problem: plenty of nerds, but no rich people.The top US Computer Science departments are said to be MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, and Carnegie-Mellon. MIT yielded Route 128.Stanford and Berkeley yielded Silicon Valley. But what did Carnegie-Mellon yield in Pittsburgh? And what happened in Ithaca, home of Cornell University, which is also high on the list?I grew up in Pittsburgh and went to college at Cornell, so I can answer for both. The weather is terrible, particularly in winter, and there's no interesting old city to make up for it, as there is in Boston. Rich people don't want to live in Pittsburgh or Ithaca. So while there're plenty of hackers (电脑迷) who could start startups, there's no one to invest in themDo you really need the rich people? Wouldn't it work to have the government invest in the nerds?No, it would not. Start up investors are a distinct type of rich people. They tend to have a lot of experience themselves in the technology business. This helps them pick the right startups, and means they can supply advice and connections as well as money. And the fact that they have a personal stake in the outcome makes them really pay attention.56.What do we learn about Silicon Valley from the passage?A. Its success is hard to copy anywhere else.B. It is the biggest technology hub in the US.C. Its fame in high technology is incomparable.D. It leads the world in information technology.57.What makes Miami unfit to produce a Silicon Valley?A. Lack of incentive for investment.B. Lack of the right kind of talents.C. Lack of government support.D. Lack of famous universities.58.In what way is Carnegie-Mellon different from Stanford, Berkeley and MIT?A. Its location is not as attractive to rich people.B. Its science departments are not nearly as good.C. It does not produce computer hackers and nerds.D. It does not pay much attention to business startups.59.What does the author imply about Boston?A. It has pleasant weather all year round.。
2023年3月英语四级阅读真题及答案(第一套)
选词填空文章开头：It's a fantasy that goes back centuries:a message in a bottle...答案速查26.O alike27.D struck28.L delight29.C suspect30.l intense31.A wore32.M colorful33.H mess34.B wildlife35.N bore长篇阅读文章标题Hyphenating your last name after marriage?答案速查36-40：HDIAJ41-45：BEGLF题干、答案和定位处36. Many people today still find name hyphenation upon marriage unacceptable.36.H 【定位】 If you care about outside opinions on your name, you should know that a large portion of today's society is annoyed by the hyphenated name.37.As a compromise,a bride will in most cases adopt a name that combines the couple' s last names.37.D【定位】Most of the time，though，the most popular compromise is to hyphenate your last name and the last name of your groom.38.The bride should consider adopting her groom's last name whether he feels strongly about it or not.38.I 【定位】 Whether your future husband insisting on your adopting his last name is a red flag to you or not, it is still something that you should take into consideration.39.Making preparations for marriage causes a lot of stress.39.A 【定位】 While being married is great and wonderful,the act of getting married can be quite stressful.40.Hyphenating the last names could be a win-win solution should arguments arise about what name to adopt upon marriage.40.J 【定位】One spouse wants a complete name change. The other spouse wants no name change. Hyphenating the two names is a way for each person to,at least a little bit,"win"the argument.41.It used to be considered socially unacceptable for a bride to retain her maiden name.41.B 【定位】The act of keeping her own last name was considered taboo and people' s eyebrows would raise right of their faces...42.The bride who adopts a hyphenated last name after marriage can maintain connections with their past achievements.42.E【定位】It allows you to stay connected to accomplishments that you achieved before you got married.43.Hyphenating names allows the bride to preserve her own identity while respecting tradition.43.G 【定位】At the the time，your name is associated with the identity you' ve built up and hyphenation allows you to respect that while also respecting tradition and your husband's family 's identity.44. No matter what name the bride adopts, it is most important that the newly weds truly love each other.44.L 【定位】At the end of the day，whether you each keep your names,... what matters is that you love each other and are going to be joining your lives together.45.Legally speaking,the bride is free to choose whatever name she prefers.45.F 【定位】 While tradition is one thing，there isn' t any logical reason to completely change your name.Passage One文章开头It’s good to be答案46-50: ABDAC46.What do we learn from the passage about the brightest people?A) They can make silly mistakes in straightforward situations.47.What accounts for the existence of intelligent people' s logical blind spots?B) Too much faith in their ability to think.48.How do smart people react when they are found to be wrong?D) They may get offended.49.What may happen to smart people who find it difficult to accept suggestions?A)They may suffer in their professional and private life.50.What is said about those working with or under overachieving people?C) They are under increasing pressure.Passage Two文章开头Of the endless troubles that come with being..答案51-55：DADCB51.Why is the U.S. State Department launching an online learning program for refugees?[D]To help them to meet new employment standards.52.What do we know about "Coursera for Refugees”?A) It provides refugees with a wide range of courses free of charge.53.What does the passage say is a consequence of the global migrant crisis?D)Refugees find it more difficult to get a job.54.What does the author say causes refugees'difficulty in taking online courses?C)Lack of langguage skills55.What did the joint study find about the MOOCs several years ago?B) They benefited most of the learners.。
英语四级阅读真题
Passage OneThe predictability of our mortality rates is something that has long puzzled social scientists. After all, there is no natural reason why 2,500 people should accidentally shoot themselves each year or why 7,000 should drown or 55,000 die in their cars. No one establishes a quota for each type of death. It just happens that they follow a consistent pattern year after year.A few years ago a Canadian psychologist named Gerald Wilde became interested in this phenomenon. He noticed that mortality rates for violent and accidental deaths throughout the Western world have remained oddly static throughout the whole of the century, despite all the technological advances and increases in safety standards that have happened in that time. Wilde developed an intriguing theory called “risk homeostasis” . According to this theory, people instinctively live with a certain level of risk. When something is made safer, people will get around the measure in some way to reassert the original level of danger. If, for instance, they are required to wear seat belts, they will feel safer and thus will drive a little faster and a little more recklessly, thereby statistically canceling out the benefits that the seat belt confers. Other studies have shown that where an intersection is made safer, the accident rate invariably falls there but rises to a compensating level elsewhere along the same stretch of road. It appears, then, that we have an innate need for danger.In all events, it is becoming clearer and clearer to scientists that the factors influencing our lifespan are far more subtle and complex than had been previously thought. It now appears that if you wish to live a long life, it isn‟ t simply a matter of adhering to certain precautions … eating the right foods, not smoking, driving with care . You must also have the right attitude . S cientists at the Duke University Medical Center made a 15-year study of 500 persons personalities and found, somewhat to their surprise, that people with a suspicious or mistrustful nature die prematurely far more often than people with a sunny disposition. Looking on the bright side, it seems, can add yearsto your life span.11.What social scientists have long felt puzzled about is why.A) the mortality rate can not be predictedB) the death toll remained stable year after yearC) a quota for each type of death has not come into beingD) people lost their lives every year for this or that reason12.In his research,Gerald Wilde finds that technological advances and increases in safety standards.A) have helped solve the problem of so high death rateB) have oddly accounted for mortality rates in the past centuryC) have reduced mortality rates for violent and accidental deathsB) our fast and reckless drivingC) our ignorance of seat belt benefitsPage 1D) our instinctive interest in speeding14.By saying“…statistically canceling out the benefits that the seat belt confers”(Para.2),the author means.A) wearing seat belts does not have any benefits from the statistic point of viewB) deaths from wearing seat belts are the same as those from not wearing themC) deaths from other reasons counterbalance the benefits of wearing seat beltsD) wearing seat belts does not necessarily reduce deaths from traffic accidents15.Which of the following may contribute to a longer life span?A) Showing adequate trust instead of suspicion of othersB) Eating the food low in fat and driving with great careC) Cultivating an optimistic personality and never losing heartD) Looking on the bright side and developing a balanced level of riskPassage TwoIn California the regulators, the utilities and the governor all want the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to cap spot (现货的) market prices. The Californians claim it will rein in outrageous prices. Federal regulators have refused. The battle is on.Governor Gray Davis says,“I‟m not happy with the Federal Regulatory Commission at all. They‟re living in an ivory tower. If their bills were going up like the people in S an Diego, they would know that this is a real problem in the real world.”As part of deregulation, price caps were removed to allow for a free market. Timing is everything; natural gas prices had already skyrocketed. Demand was high from California‟s booming economy. No new power plants had been built here in ten years, and power producers had the right to hike prices along with demand. And hike them they did.Loretta Lynch of the Public Utilities Commission says, ” This commission and all of California was beating down the door of federal regulators to say… help us impose reasonable price caps t o help to keep our market stable.”Federal regulators did ask for longer-term contracts between power producers and the utilities to stabilize prices. The federal commission, unavailable for comment on this story, released a recent statement defending its position not to re-regulate.Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Dec. 15,2000: “The commission?s intention is to enable the markets to catch up to current supply and demand problems and not to reintroduce command and control regulation that has helped to produce the current crisis.”Some energy experts believe that, without temporary price caps, the crisis will continue.Severin Borenstein of the U.C. Energy Institute says,“Some federal regulators have a blind commitment to making the market work and I think part of the problem is they really don?t understand what?s going on.”Gary Ackerman of the Western Power Trading Forum says,“He‟s dead wrong about that. The federal regulators understand far better than any individual state that, though it might be painful and itcertainly is painful in California, price caps don‟t work. They never work.”16.The battle between Californians and federal regulators is about.A) control over the price of powerB) necessity of removing price capsC) hiking the energy prices in CaliforniaD) a regulation concerning power supplyernor Gray Davis was dissatisfied with the Federal Regulatory Commission because.A) they did not know what the real problem wasB) they were living an easy life in an ivory towerC) they could not experience the life in San DiegoD) they turned a blind eye to the situation in California18.The Federal Commission uncapped the energy price with the intention to.A) help California’s economy booming steadilyB) prevent power price from going up any furtherC) enable the market to deal with supply and demand problemsD) have contracts signed between power producers and the utilities19.To help keep prices from going higher,people and groups in California.A) imposed reasonable price capsB) beat down the door of federal regulatorsC) urged the federal authorities to take actionD) struggled against federal policy to hike prices20.Energy experts against price caps believe that.A) the present situation in California will continue unless there is price controlB) the current crisis is partly attributed to previous command and control policyC) price caps can temporarily solve energy problems an individual state meets withD) they do understand what is going on in California and will take proper measuresPassage ThreeAnother cultural aspect of nonverbal communication is one that you might not think about: space. Every person perceives himself to have a sort of invisible shield surrounding his physical body. When someone comes too close, he feels uncomfortable. When he bumps onto someone, he feels obligated to apologize. But the size of a person‟s “comfort zone” depends on his cu ltural ethnic origin. For example, in casual conversation, many Americans stand about four feet apart. In other words, theyWhen Americans are talking, they expect others to respond to what they are saying. To Americans, polite conversationalists empathize by displaying expressions of excitement or disgust, shock or sadness. People with a “poker face”, whose emotions are hidden by a deadpan expression, are looked upon with suspicion. Americans also indicate their attentiveness in a conversation by raising theireyebrows, nodding, smiling politely and maintaining good eye contact. Whereas some cultures viewPage 3direct eye contact as impolite or threatening, Americans see it as a sign of genuineness and honesty. If a person doesn‟t look you in the eye, American might say, you should question his motives— or assume that he doesn‟t like you. Yet with all the concern for eye contact, Americans still considerstaring—especially at strangers —to be rude.21.What the author discussed in the previous section is most probably about.A)classification of nonverbal communicationB) the reasons why people should think about spaceC) the relationship between communication and spaceD) some other cultural aspects of nonverbal communication22.How far people keep to each other while talking is closely associated with their.A) origin B) culture C) custom D) nationality23.When an Italian talks to an Arabian on informal occasions,.A) he stands about four feet awayB) “comfort zone” does not existC) keeping close enough is preferredD) communication barriers may emerge24.A“poker face”(Line3,Para.2)refers to a face which is.A) attentive B) emotional C) suspicious D) expressionless25.In a conversation between friends,Americans regard it as sincere and truthful to.A) maintain direct eye contactB) hide emotions with a deadpan expressionC) display excitement or disgust, shock or sadnessD) raise their eyebrows,nod and smile politelyPassage FourWe all know that DNA has the ability to identify individuals but, because it is inherited, there are also regions of the DNA strand which can relate an individual to his or her family (immediate and extended), tribal group and even an entire population. Molecular Genealogy ( 宗谱学) can use this unique identification provided by the genetic markers to link people together into family trees. Pedigrees (家谱) based on such genetic markers can mean a breakthrough for family trees where information is incomplete or missing due to adoption, illegitimacy or lack of records. There are many communities and populations which have lost precious records due to tragic events such as the fire in the Irish courts during Civil War in 1921 or American slaves for whom many records were never kept in the first place.The main objective of the Molecular Genealogy Research Group is to build a database containing over 100,000 DNA samples from individuals all over the world. These individuals will have provided a pedigree chart of at least four generations and a small blood sample . Once the database has enough samples to represent the world genetic make-up, it will eventually help in solving many issues regarding genealogies that could not be done by relying only on traditional written records. Theoretically, any individual will someday be able to trace his or her family origins through thisdatabase.In t h e meantime, as the database is being created, molecular genealogy can already verify possible or suspected relationships between individuals.“For example, if two men sharing the same last name believe that they are related, but no written record proves this relationship, we can verify this possibility by collecting a sample of DNA from both and looking for common markers (in this case we can look primarily at the Y chromosome ( 染色体)),”explains Ugo A. Perego, a member of theBYU Molecular Genealogy research team.26.People in a large area may possess the same DNA thread because.A) DNA is characteristic of a regionB) they are beyond doubt of common ancestryC) DNA strand has the ability to identify individualsD) their unique identification can be provided via DNA27.The possible research of family trees is based on the fact that.A) genetics has achieved a breakthroughB) genetic information contained in DNA can be revealed nowC) each individual carries a unique record of who he is and how he is related to othersD) we can use DNA to prove how distant an individual is to a family, a group or a population28.The Molecular Genealogy Research Group is building a database for the purpose of.A) offering assistance in working out genealogy-related problemsB) solving many issues without relying on traditional written recordsC) providing a pedigree chart of at least four generations in the worldD) confirming the assumption that all individuals are of the same origin29.If two men suspected for some reason they have a common ancestor,.A) we can decide according to their family treeB) we can find the truth from their genetic markersC) we can compare the differences in their Y chromosomeD) we can look for written records to prove their relationship30.Which of the following CANNOT be inferred from the passage?A) We are a walking,living,breathing record of our ancestorsB) Many American slaves did not know who their ancestors were.Page 5C) An adopted child generally lacks enough information to prove his identity.D) Molecular genealogy can be used to prove a relationship between individuals.BDACC ADCCB DBCDA BCABCPage 5。
四级考试真题(阅读)
试题练习(阅读)一、In the 2006 film version of The Devil Wears Prada, Miranda Priestly, played by Meryl Streep, scold her unattractive assistant for imagining that high fashion doesn’t affect her. Priestly explains how the deep blue color of the assistant’s swe ater descended over the years from fashion shows to department stores and to the bargain bin in which the poor girl doubtless found her garment.This top-down conception of the fashion business couldn’t be more out of date or at odds with feverish world described in Overdressed, Elizabeth Cline’s three-year indictment of “fast fashion”. In the last decades or so, advances in technology have allowed mass-market labels such as Zara, H&M, and Uniqlo to react to trends more quickly and anticipate demand more precisely. Quckier turnrounds mean less wasted inventory, more frequent releases, and more profit. Those labels encourage style-conscious consumers to see clothes as disposal—— meant to last only a wash or two, although they don’t advertise that——and to renew their wardrobe every few weeks. By offering on-trend items at dirt-cheap prices, Cline argues, these brands have hijacked fashion cycles, shaking all industry long accustomed to a seasonal pace.The victims of this revolution, of course, are not limited to designers. For H&M to offer a 5.95 knit miniskirt in all its 2300-plus stores around the world, it must rely on low-wage, overseas labor, order in volumes that strain natural resources, and use massive amount of harmful chemicals.Overdressed is the fashion world’s answer to consumer activist bestsellers like Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Mass-produced clothing, like fast food, fills a hunger and need, yet is non-durable, and wasteful,” Cline argues, Americans, she finds, buy roughly 20 billion garments a year——about 64 items per person——and no matter how much they give away, this excess leads to waste.Towards the end of Overdressed, Cline introduced her ideal, a Brooklyn woman named SKB, who, since 2008 has make all of her own clothes——and beautifully. But as Cline is the first to note, it took Beaumont decades to perfect her craft; her example, can’t be knocked off.Though several fast-fashion companies have made efforts to curb their impact on labor and the environment——including H&M, with its green Conscious Collection Line——Cline believes lasting-change can only be effected by the customer. She exhibits the idealism common to many advocates of sustainability, be it in food or in energy. Vanity is a constant; people will only start shop ping more sustainably when they can’t afford to it.21. Priestly criticizes her assistant for her[A] poor bargaining skill.[B] insensitivity to fashion.[C] obsession with high fashion.[D]lack of imagination.22. According to Cline, mass-maket labels urge consumers to[A] combat unnecessary waste.[B] shut out the feverish fashion world.[C] resist the influence of advertisements.[D] shop for their garments more frequently.23. The word “indictment” (Line 3, Para.2) is closest in meaning to[A] accusation.[B] enthusiasm.[C] indifference.[D] tolerance.24. Which of the following can be inferred from the lase paragraph?[A] Vanity has more often been found in idealists.[B] The fast-fashion industry ignores sustainability.[C] People are more interested in unaffordable garments.[D] Pricing is vital to environment-friendly purchasing.25. What is the subject of the text?[A] Satire on an extravagant lifestyle.[B] Challenge to a high-fashion myth.[C] Criticism of the fast-fashion industry.[D] Exposure of a mass-market secret.二、Junk food is everywhere. We’re eating way too much of it. Most of us know what we’re doing and yet we do it anyway.So here’s a suggestion offered by two researchers at the Rand Corporation: Why not take a lesson from alcohol control policies and apply them to where food is sold and how it’s displayed?“Many policy measures to control obesity（肥胖症）assume that people consciously and rationally choose what and how much they eat andtherefore focus on providing information and more access to healthier foods,” note the two researchers.“In contrast,” the researchers continue, “many regulations that don’t assume people make rational choices have been successfully applied to control alcohol, a substance —like food —of which immoderate consumption leads to serious health problems.”The research references studies of people’s behavior with food and alcohol and results of alcohol restrictions, and then lists five regulations that the researchers think might be promising if applied to junk foods. Among them:Density restrictions: licenses to sell alcohol aren’t handed out unplanned to all comers but are allotted（分配）based on the number of places in an area that already sell alcohol. These make alcohol less easy to get and reduce the number of psychological cues to drink.Similarly, the researchers say, being presented with junk food stimulates our desire to eat it. So why not limit the density of food outlets, particularly ones that sell food rich in empty calories? And why not limit sale of food in places that aren’t primarily food stores?Display and sales restrictions: California has a rule prohibiting alcohol displays near the cash registers in gas stations, and in most places you can’t buy alcohol at driv e-through facilities. At supermarkets, food companies pay to have their wares in places where they’re easily seen. One could remove junk food to the back of the store and ban them from the shelves at checkout lines. The other measures include restrictingportion sizes, taxing and prohibiting special price deals for junk foods, and placing warning labels on the products.57. What does the author say about junk food?A) People should be educated not to eat too much.B) It is widely consumed despite its ill reputation.C) Its temptation is too strong for people to resist.D) It causes more harm than is generally realized.58. What do the Rand researchers think of many of the policy measures to control obesity?A) They should be implemented effectively.B) They provide misleading information.C) They are based on wrong assumptions.D) They help people make rational choices.59. Why do policymakers of alcohol control place density restrictions?A) Few people are able to resist alcohol’s temptations.B) There are already too many stores selling alcohol.C) Drinking strong alcohol can cause social problems.D) Easy access leads to customers’ over-consumption.60. What is the purpose of California’s rule about alcohol display in gas stations?A) To effectively limit the density of alcohol outlets.B) To help drivers to give up the habit of drinking.C) To prevent possible traffic jams in nearby areas.D) To get alcohol out of drivers’ immediate sight.61. What is the general guideline the Rand researchers suggest about junk food control?A) Guiding people to make rational choices about food.B) Enhancing people’s awareness of their own health.C) Borrowing ideas from alcohol control measures.D) Resorting to economic, legal and psychological means.三、Kodak’s decision to file for bankruptcy（破产）protection is a sad, though not unexpected, turning point for a leading American corporation that pioneered consumer photography and dominated the film market for decades, but ultimately failed to adapt to the digital revolution.Although many attribute Kodak’s downfall to “complacency(自满) ,” that explanation doesn’t acknow-ledge the lengths to which the company went to reinvent itself. Decades ago, Kodak anticipated that digital photography would overtake film — and in fact, Kodak invented the first digital camera in 1975 — but in a fateful decision, the company chose to shelf its new discovery to focus on its traditional film business.It wasn’t that Kodak was blind to the future, said Rebecca Hender son, a professor at Harvard Business School, but rather that it failed to execute on a strategy to confront it. By the time the company realized its mistake, it was too late.Kodak is an example of a firm that was very much aware that they had to adapt, and spent a lot of money trying to do so, but ultimately failed. Large companies have a difficult time switching into new marketsbecause there is a temptation to put existing assets into the new businesses.Although Kodak anticipated the inevitable rise of digital photography, its corporate（企业的） culture was too rooted in the successes of the past for it to make the clean break necessary to fully embrace the future. They were a company stuck in time. Their history was so important to them. Now their history has become a liability.Kodak’s downfall over the last several decades was dramatic. In 1976, the company commanded 90% of the market for photographic film and 85% of the market for cameras. But the 1980s brought new competition from Japanese film company Fuji Photo, which undermined Kodak by offering lower prices for film and photo supplies. Kodak’s decision not to pursue the role of official film for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics was a major miscalculation. The bid went instead to Fuji, which exploited its sponsorship to win a permanent foothold in the marketplace.62. What do we learn about Kodak?A) It went bankrupt all of a sudden.B) It is approaching its downfall.C) It initiated the digital revolution in the film industry.D) It is playing a dominant role in the film market.63. Why does the author mention Kodak’s invention of the first digital camera?A) To show its early attempt to reinvent itself.B) To show its effort to overcome complacency.C) To show its quick adaptation to the digital revolution.D) To show its will to compete with Japan’s Fuji photo.64. Why do large companies have difficulty switching to new markets?A) They find it costly to give up their existing assets.B) They tend to be slow in confronting new challenges.C) They are unwilling to invest in new technology.D) They are deeply stuck in their glorious past.65. What does the author say Kodak’s history has become?A) A burden.B) A mirror.C) A joke.D) A challenge.66. What was Kodak’s fatal mistake?A) Its blind faith in traditional photography.B) Its failure to see Fuji photo’s emergence.C) Its refusal to sponsor the 1984 Olympics.D) Its overconfidence in its corporate culture.四、 Questions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.In times of economic crisis. Americans turn to their families for support. If the Great Depression is any guide, we may see a drop in our skyhigh divorce rate. But this won’t necessarily represent. an increase in happy marriages. In the long run, the Depression weakened American families, and the current crisis will probably do the same.We tend to think of the Depression as a time when families pulled together to survive huge job losses, By 1932. when nearly one-quarter of the workforce was unemployed, the divorce rate had declined by around 25% from 1929 But this doesn’t mean people were suddenly happier with their marriages. Rather, with incomes decreasing and insecure jobs, unhappy couples often couldn’t afford to divorce. They feared neither spouse could manage alone.Today, given the job losses of the past year, fewer unhappy couples will risk starting separate households, Furthermore, the housing market meltdown will make it more difficult for them to finance their separations by selling their homes.After financial disasters family members also tend to do whatever they can to help each other and their communities, A 1940 book. The Unemployed Man and His Family, described a family in which the husband initially reacted to losing his job “with tirele ss search for work.”He was always active, looking for odd jobs to do.The problem is that such an impulse is hard to sustain Across the country, many similar families were unable to maintain the initial boost in morale(士气). For some, the hardships of life without steady work eventually overwhelmed their attempts to keep their families together. The divorce rate rose again during the rest of the decade as the recovery took hold.Millions of American families may now be in the initial stage of their responses to the current crisis, working together and supporting one another through the early months of unemployment.Today’s economic crisis could well generate a similar number of couples whose relationships have been irreparably(无法弥补地)ruined. So it’s only whe n the economy is healthy again that we’ll begin to see just how many broken families have been created.57.In the initial stage, the current economic crisis is likely to__________.A)tear many troubled families apartB)contribute to enduring family tiesC)bring about a drop in the divorce rateD)cause a lot of conflicts in the family58.In the Great Depression many unhappy couples close to stick together becauseA)starting a new family would be hardB)they expected things would turn betterC)they wanted to better protect their kidsD)living separately would be too costly59.In addition to job losses. What stands in the way of unhappy couples getting a divorce?A)Mounting family debtsB)A sense of insecurityC)Difficulty in getting a loanD)Falling housing prices60.What will the current economic crisis eventually do to some married couples?A)It will force them to pull their efforts togetherB)It will undermine their mutual understandingC)It will help strengthen their emotional bondsD)It will irreparably damage their relationship61.What can be inferred from the last paragraph?A)The economic recovery will see a higher divorce rateB)Few couples can stand the test of economic hardshipsC)A stable family is the best protection against poverty.D)Money is the foundation of many a happy marriage五、 People are being lured (引诱)onto Facebook with the promise of a fun, free service without realizing they’re paying for it by giving up toads of personal information. Facebook then attempts to make money by selling their data to advertisers that want to send targeted messages.Most Facebook users don’t realize this is happening. Even if they know what the company is up to, they still have no idea what they’re paying for Fac e book because people don’t really know what their personal data is worth.The biggest problem, however, is that the company keeps changing the rules Early on you keep everything private. That was the great thingabout facebook you could create own little private network. Last year. The company changed its privacy rules so that many things you city. Your photo, your friends’ names-were set, by default (默认)to be shared with every one on the Internet.According to Facebook’s vice-president Elliot Schrage, the company is simply making changes to improve its service, and if people don’t share information They have a “less satisfying experience”.Some critics think this is more about Facebook looking to make more money. In original business model, which involved selling ads and putting then At the side of the pages totally Who wants to took at ads when they’re online connecting with their friends?The privacy issue has already landed Facebook in hot water in Washington. In April. Senator Charles Schumer called on Facebook to change its privacy policy. He also urged the Federal Trade Commission to set guidelines for social-networking sites.“I think the senator rightly communicated that we had not been clear about what the new products were and how people could choo se to use them or not to use them,” Schrage admits.I suspect that whatever Facebook has done so far to invade our privacy, it’s only the beginning. Which is why I’m considering deactivating(撤销)my account. Facebook is a handy site, but I’m upset by the ide a that my information is in the hands of people I don’t That’s too high a price to pay.62.What do we learn about Facebook from the first paragraph?A)It is a website that sends messages to targeted users.B)It makes money by putting on advertisements.C)It profits by selling its users’ personal data.D)It provides loads of information to its users.63.What does the author say about most Facebook users?A)They are reluctant to give up their personal information.B)They don’t know their persona l data enriches Facebook.C)They don’t identify themselves when using the website.D)They care very little about their personal information.64.Why does Facebook make changes to its rules according to Elliot Schrage?A)To render better service to its users.B)To conform to the Federal guidelines.C)To improve its users’ connectivity.D)To expand its scope of business.65.Why does Senator Charles Schumer advocate?A)Setting guidelines for advertising on websites.B)Banning the sharing of user s’ personal information.C)Formulating regulations for social-networking sites.D)Removing ads from all social-networking sites.66.Why does the author plan to cancel his Facebook account?A)He is dissatisfied with its current service.B)He finds many of its users untrustworthy.C)He doesn’t want his personal data abused.D)He is upset by its frequent rule changes.六、On a five to three vote, the Supreme Court knocked out much of Arizona’s immigration law Monday-a modest policy victory for the Obama Administration. But on the more important matter of the Constitution,the decision was an 8-0 defeat for the Administration’s effort to upset the balance of power between the federal government and the states.In Arizona v. United States, the majority overturned three of the four contested provisions of Arizona’s controversial plan to have state and local police enforce federal immigration law. The Constitutional principles that Washington alone has the power to “establish a uniform Rule of Naturalizat ion ”and that federal laws precede state laws are noncontroversial . Arizona had attempted to fashion state policies that ran parallel to the existing federal ones.Justice Anthony Kennedy, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and the Court’s liberals, ru led that the state flew too close to the federal sun. On the overturned provisions the majority held the congress had deliberately “occupied the field” and Arizona had thus intruded on the federal’s privileged powers.However,the Justices said that Arizona police would be allowed to verify the legal status of people who come in contact with law enforcement.That’s because Congress has always envisioned joint federal-state immigration enforcement and explicitly encourages state officers to share information and cooperate with federal colleagues.Two of the three objecting Justice-Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas-agreed with this Constitutional logic but disagreed about which Arizona rules conflicted with the federal statute.The only major objection came from Justice Antonin Scalia,who offered an even more robust defense of state privileges going back to the alien and Sedition Acts.The 8-0 objection to President Obama turns on what Justice Samuel Alito describes in his objection as “a shocking assertion asse rtion of federal executive power”.The White House argued that Arizona’s laws conflicted with its enforcement priorities,even if state laws complied with federal statutes to the letter.In effect, the White House claimed that it could invalidate any otherwise legitimate state law that it disagrees with .Some powers do belong exclusively to the federal government, and control of citizenship and the borders is among them. But if Congress wanted to prevent states from using their own resources to check immigration status, it could. It never did so. The administration was in essence asserting that because it didn’t want to carry out Congress’s immigration wishes, no state should be allowed to do so either. Every Justice rightly rejected this remarkable claim.36.Three provisions of Arizona’s plan were overturned because they[A]deprived the federal police of Constitutional powers.[B]disturbed the power balance between different states.[C]overstepped the authority of federal immigration law.[D] contradicted both the federal and state policies.37.On which of the following did the Justices agree,according to Paragraph4?[A]Federal officers’ duty to withhold immigrants’information.[B]States’ independence from federal immigration law.[C]States’ legitimat e role in immigration enforcement.[D]Congress’s intervention in immigration enforcement.38. It can be inferred from Paragraph 5 that the Alien and Sedition Acts[A] violated the Constitution.[B]undermined the states’ interests.[C] supported the federal statute.[D] stood in favor of the states.39.The White House claims that its power of enforcement[A]outweighs that held by the states.[B]is dependent on the states’ support.[C]is established by federal statutes.[D]rarely goes against state laws.40. What can be learned from the last paragraph?[A]Immigration issues are usually decided by Congress.[B]Justices intended to check the power of the Administrstion.[C]Justices wanted to strengthen its coordination with Congress.[D]The Administration is dominant over immigration issues.。
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第一篇 Could you reproduce Silicon Valley elsewhere, or is there something unique about it? It wouldn’t besurprising if it were hard to reproduce in other countries, because youcouldn’t reproduce it in most of the US either. What does it take to make aSilicon Valley? It’s the rightpeople. If you could get the right ten thousand people to move from SiliconValley to Buffalo, Buffalo would become Silicon Valley. You only needtwo kinds of people to create a technology hub （中心）:rich people and nerds （痴迷科研的人）. Observationbears this out. Within the US, towns have become startup hubs if and only ifthey have both rich people and nerds. Few startups happen in Miami, forexample, because although it’s full of rich people, it has few nerds. It’s notthe kind of place nerds like. WhereasPittsburg has the opposite problem: plenty of nerds, but no rich people. Thetop US Computer Science departments are said to be MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, andCarnegie-Mellon. MIT yielded Route 128. Stanford and Berkeley yielded SiliconValley. But what did Carnegie-Mellon yield in Pittsburgh? And whathappened in Ithaca, home of Cornell University, which is also high on the list. I grew up inPittsburgh and went to college at Cornell, so I can answer for both. Theweather is terrible, particularly in winter, and there’s no interesting oldcity to make up for it, as there is in Boston. Rich people don’t want to livein Pittsburgh or Ithaca. So while there are plenty of hackers （电脑迷）who could start startups, there’s no one to invest in them. Do you reallyneed the rich people? Wouldn’t it work to have the government invest the nerds?No, it would not. Startup investors are a distinct type of rich people. Theytend to havea lot of experience themselves in the technology business. Thishelps them pick the right startups, and means they can supply advice andconnections as well as money. And the fact that they have a personal stake inthe outcome makes them really pay attention.56. What do welearn about Silicon Valley from the passage?A) Its success is hard to copy any where else.B) It is the biggest technology hub in the US.C) Its fame in high technology is incomparable.D) It leads the world in information technology.57. What makesMiami unfit to produce a Silicon Valley?A) Lack of incentive for investments.B) Lack of the right kind of talents.C) Lack of government support.D) Lack of famous universities.58. In that wayis Carnegie-Mellon different from Stanford, Berkeley and MIT?A) Its location is not as attractive to rich peopleB) Its science department are not nearly as goodC) It does not produce computer hackers and nerdsD) It does not pay much attention to business startups59. What doesthe author imply about Boston?A) It has pleasant weather all year round.B) It produces wealth as well as high-techC) It is not likely to attract lots of investor and nerds.D) It is an old city with many sites of historical interest.60. What doesthe author say about startup investors?A) They are especially wise in making investments.B) They have good connections in the government.C) They can do more than providing money.D) They are enough to invest in nerds.参考答案：56. A此题难度不大，根据题干中的“Silicon Valley”可定位第一段，第一段尾句“is there something unique about it?”直接把答案引向第二段。
精读第二段“it wouldn’t be surprising if it were hard to reproduce in othercountries”，可知该句与A选项“Its success is hard to copy anywhere else.”为同义替换关系，故选A，其他三项均为无中生有。
57. B此题难度不大，根据题干中“Miami”可定位至原文第五段，该段表明迈阿密只有有钱人，而缺少“痴迷于技术的人”，所以无法成为科技中心，该含义对应B选项，为统一替换关系，选项中的“the right kind oftalents”替换了原文的“nerds”。
58. A此题难度不高，根据题干中的“Carnegie-Mellon”和“Stanford”，“Berkeley”，“MIT”容易定位到原文第六段，第六段段位抛出问题，所以顺势往第七段找答案。
第七段中详细描述了卡内基梅隆大学所在的匹兹堡的不同之处：“The weather is terrible”，“rich people don’t want to live in Pittsburgh or Ithaca”，这些信息都指向了A选项，为高度概括关系。
59. D该题难度较高，根据题干中的“Boston”可定位至原文的第七段。
原文提到Boston的句子为“as there is in Boston”，as在这里表对比，意为“波士顿却有”，那么前文一定指出了匹兹堡没有某物，所以关键句在于具体是什么，故往前文查找，发现前文提到的是“and there’s no interesting old city to make up for it”，意思是匹兹堡不仅天气恶劣，而且也没有有趣的老城区，但是波士顿却与之相反，固选择D，表示“波士顿有着很多历史古迹”。
60. C本题难度不高，根据核心名词概念“startup investors”可定位到原文最后一段，原文清晰地表述了，startup investors不仅能够提供资金帮助，还能提供很多建议，所以C选项“他们不仅能提供资金”是最好的答案，和原文关系为高度概括。
第二篇 It’s nice to have people of like mindaround. Agreeable people boost your confidence and allow you to relax and feelcomfortable. Unfortunately, that comfort can hinder the very learning that canexpand your company and your career. It’s nice to have people agree, but youneed conflicting perspectives to dig out the truth. If everyone around you hassimilar views, your work will suffer from confirmation bias. (偏颇) Take a look at your own network. Do youcontacts share your point of view on most subjects? It yes, it’s time to shakethings up. As a leader, it can be challenging to create an environment in whichpeople will freely disagree and argue, but as the saying goes: Fromconfrontation comes brilliance. It’s not easy for most people to activelyseek conflict. Many spend their lives trying to avoid arguments. There’s noneed to go out and find people you hate, but you need to do someself-assessment to determine where you have become stale in your thinking. Youmay need to start by encouraging your current network to help you identify yourblind spots. Passionate, energetic debate does notrequire anger and hard feelings to be effective. But it does require moralstrength. Once you have worthing opponents, set some ground rules so everyoneunderstands responsibilities and boundaries. The objective of this debatinggame is not to win but to get to the truth that will allow you to move faster,and better. Fierce debating can hurt feelings,particularly when strongpersonalities are involved. Make sure your check inwith your opponents so that they are not carrying the emotion of the battlesbeyond the battlefield. Break the tension with smiles and humor to reinforcethe idea that this is friendly discourse and that all are working toward acommon goal. Reword all those involved in the debatesufficiently when the goals are reached. Let your sparring partners (拳击陪练) know how much you appreciate their contribution. The more theyfeel appreciated, the more they’ll be willing to get into the ring next time.61.What happens when you have like-mindedpeople around you all the while?A) It will help your companyexpand more rapidly.B) It will be create a harmoniousworking atmosphere.C) It may prevent your businessand career from advancing.D) It may make you fell uncertainabout your own decision.62.What does the author suggest leaders do?A) Avoid arguments with businesspartners.B) Encourage people to disagreeand argue.C) Build a wide and strongbusiness network.D) Seek advice from their worthycompetitors.63.What is the purpose of holding a debate?A) To find out the truth about anissue.B) To build up people’s moralstrength.C) To remove misunderstandings.D) To look for worthy opponents.64.What advice does the author give topeople engaged in a fierce debate?A) They listen carefully to theiropponents’ views.B) They slow due respect for eachother’s beliefs.C) They present their viewsclearly and explicitly.D) They take care not to hurt eachother’s feelings.65.How should we treat our rivals after asuccessful debate?A) Try to make peace with them.B) Try to make up the differences.C) Invite them to the ring nexttime.D) Acknowledge their contribution.参考答案：61. C该题难度不大，根据“like-minded people”定位到首段，首段指出这类人可以给人信息并令人感到舒服，后面用“unfortunately”表转折，后面的表述“这种舒服会让你意识不到你可以扩大你的公司和事业”，对应C选项，同义替换。