专四强化训练

专四强化训练测试2Text AThe Internet, E-commerce and globalization are making a new economic era possible. In the future, capitalist markets will largely be replaced by a new kind of economic system based on networked relationships, contractual arrangements and access rights.Has the quality of our lives at work, at home and in our communities increased in direct proportion to all the new Internet and business-to-business Internet services being introduced into our lives? I have asked this question of hundreds of CEOS and corporate executives in Europe and the United States. Surprisingly, virtually everyone has said,"No, quite contrary." The very people responsible for ushering in what some have called a "technological renaissance" say they are working longer hours, feel more stressed, are more impatient, and are even less civil in their dealings with colleagues and friends--not to mention strangers. And what's more revealing, they place much of the blame on the very same technologies they are so aggressively championing.The techno gurus (领袖) promised us that access would make life more convenient and give us more time. Instead, the very technological wonders that were supposed to liberate us have begun to enslave us in a web of connections from which there seems to be no easy escape.If an earlier generation was preoccupied with the quest to enclose a vast geographic frontier, the .com generation, it seems, is more caught up in the colonization of time. Every spare moment of our time is being filled with some form of commercial connection, making time itself the most scarce of all resources. Our e-mail, voice mail and cell phones, our 24-hour Interact news and entertainment all seize for our attention.And while we have created every kind of labor-and time-saving device to service our needs, we are beginning to feel like we have less time available to us than any other humans in history. That is because the great proliferation of labor-and-time-saving services only increases the diversity, pace and flow of commodified activity around us. For example, e-mail is a great convenience. However, we now find ourselves spending much of our day frantically responding to each other's electronic messages. The cell phone is a great time-saver,Except now we are always potentially in reach of someone else who wants our attention.Social conservatives talk about the decline in civility and blame it on the loss of a moral compass and religious values. Has anyone bothered to ask whether the hyper speed culture is making all of us less patient and less willing to listen and defer, consider and reflect?Maybe we need to ask what kinds of connections really count and what types of access really matter in the e-economy era. ff this new technology revolution is only about hyper efficiency, then we risk losing something even precious than time--our sense of what it means to be a caring human being.1. According to the passage, corporate executives think thatA. technology renaissance should be pushed forward.B. technology has a profound impact on their lives.C. technology actually results in a decline in their life quality.D. technology should be aggressively championed.2. Which of the following is NOT true?A. Technology was supposed to free people.B. The .corn generation became slaves of technology.C. New technologies occupy much of our time.D. It is difficult to avoid the influence of technology wonders.3. What is the most valuable resource for the .com generation?A. Technological wonders.B. Access to information.C. Time.D. Time saving devices.4. In the sixth paragraph, the author implied thatA. social conservatives blamed the loss of morality on technology.B. the .com generation was less civil than the earlier generations.C. the hyper speed culture led to the decline in civility.D. technology might make people less impatient.5. An appropriate title for the passage might beA. The New Internet Life.B. The Drawbacks of too Much Access.C. The Failure of Technological Renaissance.D. The Declining Quality of Life.Text BWhat we know of prenatal development makes all this attempt made by a mother to mold the character of her unborn child by studying poetry, art, or mathematics during pregnancy seem utterly impossible. How could such extremely complex influences pass from the mother to the child? There is no connection between their nervous systems. Even the blood vessels of mother and child do not join directly. An emotional shock to the mother will affect her child, because it changes the activity of her glands and so the chemistry her blood. Any chemical change in the mother’s blood will affect the child for better or worse. But we can not see how a looking for mathematics or poetic genius can be dissolved in blood and produce a similar liking or genius in the child.In our discussion of instincts we saw that there was reason to believe that whatever we inherit must be of some very simple sort rather than any complicated or very definite kind of behavior. It is certain that no one inherits a knowledge of mathematics. It may be, however, that children inherit more or less of a rather general ability that we may call intelligence. If very intelligent children become deeply interested in mathematics, they will probably make a success of that study.As for musical ability, it may be that what is inherited is an especially sensitive ear, a peculiar structure of the hands or the vocal organs connections between nerves and muscles that make it comparatively easy to learn the movements a musician must execute, and particularly vigorous emotions. If these factors are all organized around music, the child may become a musician. The same factors, in other circumstance might be organized about some other center of interest. The rich emotional equipment might find expression in poetry. The capable fingers might develop skill in surgery. It is not the knowledge of music that is inherited, then nor even the love of it, but a certain bodily structure that makes it comparatively easy to acquire musical knowledge and skill. Whether that ability shall be directed toward music or some other undertaking may be decided entirely by forces in the environment in which a child grows up.6. Which of the following statements is not true?A. Some mothers try to influence their unborn children by studying art and other subjects during their pregnancy.B. It is utterly impossible for us to learn anything about prenatal development.C. he blood vessels of mother and child do not join directly.D. There are no connection between mother’s nervous systems and her unborn child’s.7. A mother will affect her unborn baby on the condition that ____.A. she is emotionally shockedB. she has a good knowledge of inheritanceC. she takes part in all kind of activitiesD. she sticks to studying8. According to the passage, a child may inherit____.A. everything from his motherB. a knowledge of mathematicsC. a rather general ability that we call intelligenceD. her mother’s musical ability9. If a child inherits something from his mother, such as an especially sensitive ear, a peculiar structure of the hands or of the vocal organs, he will ____.A. surely become musicianB. mostly become a poetC. possibly become a teacherD. become a musician on the condition that all these factors are organized around music10. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?A. Role of Inheritance.B. An Unborn Child.C. Function of instincts.D. Inherited Talents.Text CThere are many theories about the beginning of drama in ancient Greece. The one most widely accepted today is based on the assumption that drama evolved from ritual. The argument for this view goes as follows. In the beginning，human beings viewed the natural forces of the world，even the seasonal changes，as unpredictable，and they sought through various means，to control these unknown and feared powers. Those measures which appeared to bring the desired results were then retained and repeated until they hardened into fixed rituals. Eventually stories arose which explained or veiled the mysteries of the rites. As time passed some rituals were abandoned，but the stories，later called myths，persisted and provided material for art and drama.Those who believed that drama evolved out of ritual also argue that those rites contained the seed of theater because music，dance，masks，and costumes were almost always used. Furthermore，a suitable site had to be provided for performances，and when the entire community did not participate，a clear division was usually made between the "acting area" and the "auditorium". In addition，there were performers，and，since considerable importance was attached to avoiding mistakes in the enactment of rites，religious leaders usually assumed that task. Wearing masks and costumes，they often impersonated other people，animals，or supernatural beings，and mimed the desired effect-success in hunt or battle，the coming rain，the revival of the Sun-as an actor might. Eventually such dramatic representations were separated from religious activities.Another theory traces the theater‘s origin from the human interest in storytelling. According to this view，tales （about the hunt，war，or other feats）are gradually elaborated，at first through the use of impersonation，action，and dialogue by a narrator and then through the assumption of each of the roles by a different person. A closely related theory traces theater to those dances that are primarily rhythmical and gymnastic or that are imitations of animal movements and sounds.11. What does the passage mainly discuss？A. The origins of theater.B. The role of ritual in modern dance.C. The importance of storytelling.D. The variety of early religious activities.12. What aspect of drama does the author discuss in the first paragraph？A. The reason drama is often unpredictable.B. The seasons in which dramas were performed.C. The connection between myths and dramatic plots.D. The importance of costumes in early drama.13. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a common element of theater and ritual？14. According to the passage，what is the main difference between ritual and drama？A. Ritual uses music whereas drama does not.B. Ritual is shorter than drama.C. Ritual requires fewer performers than drama.D. Ritual has a religious purpose and drama does not.15. The passage supports which of the following statements？A. No one really knows how the theater began.B. Myths are no longer represented dramatically.C. Storytelling is an important part of dance.D. Dramatic activities require the use of costumes.Text DWhen I was a child in Bra in Italy, hardly any mothers had a job, grandmothers lived with their children and grandchildren, and lunch and dinner were rites (仪式) you couldn't miss. Even if the world was collapsing around you, you would go home at a set time, sit down at the table and eat a full meal fondly prepared by the women of the house. Most ingredients came from local markets, though a lot of the vegetables were grown directly in our allotments, and meat came from animals raised by friends or acquaintances. The most "exotic" foods were bought at the neighborhood grocer's shop.This typically Italian family scene has changed radically. In the 1960s and 1970s, the advent of supermarkets and cheap, mass-produced food swathed community-based economies. The boom years brought new freedom and money to spend, on food but also on leisure. Women were emancipated at last and started to go out to work. Convenience foods were all the rage. Home-baked cakes and handmade pasta were out; factory-produced replicas were in. In the late 1980s, food processing became an out-and-out revolution. In the subsequent loss of domestic and artisanal (手工制作的) savoir-faire, traditional produce and biodiversity were threatened.The food production revolution that transformed Europe and North America meant more and cheaper food for all. But there were negative effects, too: environmental harm and a loss of cultural identity. Now that emerging nations are following in our footsteps, the downside is evident. If we can't force those countries who are starting to glimpse emancipation from poverty to avoid our bad examples, we can at least propose more sustainable models of producing food.It is important to trigger the virtuous processes that lead to food that tastes great, is ecologically benign, and is produced and consumed in a way that is fair to all. We must look to the past. We need to learn from what we have forgotten or set aside in the name of modernity. The values of rural societies are the values we have to restore to our food, and hence to our culture.These values teach us that food is better when it is fresh and seasonal, when it is produced close to home, and when it is eaten with the people we love. I'm not advocating a return to the family scene of my childhood; such environments were often indicative of poverty and social backwardness. And going back to the old days would force women back into the kitchen. But we can find ideas in the past that we might apply in our increasingly complex society, and so ensure a serene future for ourselves and the earth.Food is central to our lives. It would be wrong to turn it into nothing more than a fuel enabling us to move faster, hence accelerating the consumption of the earth and its resources. In fact, it would be the worst mistake we could ever make.16, We can learn from the beginning of the passageA. women were not willing to go out for work in the past.B. families ate lunch at a fixed time at home.C. most of the vegetables people ate were produced by themselves.D. foods sold in the grocer's shop were rare and fresh.17. "out-and-out" in Paragraph Two meansA. complete.B. successful.C. controversial.D. futile.18. Which of the following statements about changes that took place after 1960s is INCORRECT?A. There were more supermarkets and food was cheap.B. Women were freed from house chores and began to work.C. Home-baked cakes and handmade pasta disappeared.D. Traditional produce was threatened due to environmental pollution.19. We can learn from Paragraph 5 thatA. the author felt disappointed at the food production revolution.B. food is most delicious when it is fresh and homemade.C. the author would rather go back to his childhood.D. applying ideas in the past to modern society would do us good.20. The main purpose of the passage isA. to describe the Italian tradition.B. to explain the needs of modern food processing.C. to raise concern about sustainable food-producing.D. to persuade parents to make more homemade food.ClozeHave you ever wondered what our future is like? Practically all people _1_ a desire to predict their future _2_. Most people seem inclined to _3_ this task using causal reasoning. First we _4_ recognize that future circumstances are _5_ caused or conditioned by present ones. We learn that getting an education will _6_ how much money we earn later and that swimming beyond the reef may bring an unhappy _7_ with a shark.Second, people also learn that such _8_ of cause and effect are probabilistic(可能的) in nature. That is, the effects occur more often when the causes occur than when the causes are _9_, but not always. Thus, students learn that studying hard _10_ good grades in most instances, but not every time. Science makes these concepts of causality and probability more _11_ and provides techniques for dealing _12_ then more accurately than does causal human inquiry. In looking at ordinary human inquiry, we need to _13_ between prediction and understanding. Often, even if we don't understand why, we are willing to act _14_ the basis of a demonstrated predictive ability.Whatever the primitive drives _15_ motivate human beings, satisfying them depends heavily on the ability to _16_ future circumstances. The attempt to predict is often played in a _17_ of knowledge and understanding. If you can understand why certain regular patterns _18_, you can predict better than if you simply observe those patterns. Thus, human inquiry aims _19_ answering both "what" and "why" question, and we pursue these _20_ by observing and figuring out.1. [A]exhibit [B]exaggerate [C]examine [D]exceed2. [A]contexts [B]circumstances [C]inspections [D]intuitions3.[A]underestimate [B]undermine [C]undertake [D]undergo4. [A]specially [B]particularly [C]always [D]generally5. [A]somehow [B]somebody [C]someone [D]something6. [A]enact [B]affect [C]reflect [D]inflect7. [A]meeting [B]occurrence [C]encounter [D]contact8. [A]patterns [B]designs [C]arrangements[D]pictures9. [A]disappointed [B]absent [C]inadequate [D]absolute10.[A]creates [B]produces [C]loses [D]protects11.[A]obscure [B]indistinct [C]explicit [D]explosive12.[A]for [B]at [C]in [D]with13.[A]distinguish [B]distinct [C]distort [D]distract14.[A]at [B]on [C]to [D]under15.[A]why [B]how [C]that [D]where16.[A]predict [B]produce [C]pretend [D]precede17.[A]content [B]contact [C]contest [D]context18.[A]happen [B]occur [C]occupy [D]incur19.[A]at [B]on [C]to [D]beyond20.[A]purposes [B]ambitions [C]drives [D]goals。