专业四级 阅读练习1-6

Exercises 1Text 1There were several reasons why the Industrial Revolution started in Great Britain rather than in France, the other great power of the day. In the first place, Britain had the money necessary to finance the larger enterprises. England's supremacy on the seas had encouraged commerce, and Englishmen had been amassing wealth through their commerce and industry. The newly rich class in that country were not the aristocratic group, but merchants and businessmen who were willing to devote themselves to industry and scientific agriculture. The wealth of France, on the other hand, was largely in the hands of the nobility, and they were not willing to do the necessary work to develop industry. In the second place, Great Britain had undertaken very early the manufacturing of inexpensive and more practical products for which there would be ever-growing demand from the people, especially the new middle class. On the other hard, France produced articles in the 'luxury class. These could never be turned out in quantities because they demanded individuality. England was the producer of goods that were produced in quantities, and if she could find a cheaper means of producing them, her markets would grow. So she was ready for methods that would make it possible to manufacture in large quantities. In the third place, for a long time England had large numbers of semiskilled workers. When the feudal system broke down in England and the manors were turned to sheep raising, numbers of Englishmen went to the towns. There they engaged in weaving, making shows, wood carving and many other occupations that developed skills. When the Industrial Revolution began, these men were available for the work on the new machines. Moreover they were free men who could move from place to place as the need for workers arose. This had not been the case in France, which was still chiefly an agricultural country with peasants bound to their masters in many ways so they could not easily move to the cities. In the fourth place, coal was abundant in Great Britain, and a large amount of this cheap fuel was necessary for running the factories. There was coal in northern France, too, but France was late in tapping such resources because really everyone depended directly or indirectly on farming for his living.1. Britain had the money necessary to develop industry because[ A ] Britain was much wealthier than France at that time[ B ] Britain government encouraged the development of industry[ C ] the merchants and businessmen were willing to finance the industry[D] the aristocratic group was willing to develop the industry2. According to the passage, French people attached importance to[A] the quantities of the articles [ B ] the individuality of the articles[ C ] the practicality of the articles [D] the price of the articles3. Which of the following statements is true?[ A ] The wealth of France was largely in the hands of the new middle class.[B] French people were bound to the new machines.[ C] France was more likely to produce goods in qualities.[D] France could not get free workers necessary to the industry.4. When the Industrial Revolution began, Englishmen[A] were busy amassing wealth through commerce and industry[ B ] had found a cheaper means of producing goods needed in quantities[ C ] depended on farming for their living[ D] could move from place to place as the need for workers arose5. What can be inferred from the passage?[A] The demand for luxury goods was limited.[B] Industrial Revolution was the result of the interaction of various factors.[ C ] French people preferred farming to industry and commerce.[D] Coal was very important to people's life.Text 2Becket not only traveled light, he lived light. In all over the world he owned just the clothes he stood up in, a full suitcase and a bank account. Arriving anywhere with these possessions, he might just as easily put up for a month or a year as for a single night. For long stays, not less than a month, he might take a furnished flat, sometimes even a house. But whatever the length, he rarely needed anything he did not have with him. He was, he liked to think, a self-contained person.Becket had one occasional anxiety: the suspicion that he owned more than that would fit comfortably into the case. The feeling, when it came, was the signal for him to throw something away or just leave it lying about. This was the automatic fate of his worn-out clothes for example. Having no use for choice or variety, he kept just a raincoat, a suit, a pair of shoos and a few shirts, socks and so on; no more in the clothing line. He bought and read many books, and left them wherever he happened to be sitting when he finished them. They quickly found new owners.Becket was a professional traveler, interested and interesting. He liked to get the feeling of a place by living in it, reading its newspapers, watching its TV, discussing its affairs. Though Becket's health gave him no cause for alarm, he made a point of seeing a doctor as soon as he arrived anywhere. "A doctor knows a place and its people better than anyone", he used to say. He never went to see a doctor; he always sent for one; that, he found, was the quickest way to confidences, which came out freely as soon as he mentioned that he was a writer.Becket was an artist as well. He painted pictures of his places and, when he had gathered enough information, he wrote about them. He sold his work, through an agent, to newspapers and magazines. It was an agreeable sort of life for a good social mixer, and as Becket never stayed anywhere for lung, he enjoyed the satisfying advantage of paying very little in tax.6.What do we kno2w about Becket’s possessions?[ A] He had enough baggage to stay for one night.[ B ] He carried all of them around with him.[ C ] He had thrown or given them away.[ D ] He left most of his things at home when he traveled.7. Becket took over a flat when[A] there were no suitable hotels[ B] he meant to stay somewhere for several nights[ C ] he was sure of staying a year or more[ D ] he expected not to move on for a month at least8. How did Becket feel about taxation?[ A] It worried him, so he kept moving from place to place.[ B] He hated it, so he broke the tax laws.[ C ] He was pleased he could honestly avoid it.[ D ] He felt ashamed of not paying taxes.9. If anything worried Becket, it was[ A ] the thought of having too much baggage[B] his habit of leaving things lying about[ C] the fact that he owned so little[ D ] the poor state of his clothes10. Becket did not keep books because[A] he had not interest in literature[ B ] the books he read belonged to other people[ C ] he had no room in his case for them[ D] he preferred to give them to his friendsText 3Representatives of Callahan Media Associates (CMA) announced today that the news agency would attempt to buy the National Broadcasting System (NBS), the second largest television and radio network in the United States. Ronald Callahan, son of Jessica Callahan, who started CMA, told reporters that he expects his company's offering price to be high enough to win out over other offers. He indicated that NBS executives had already discussed reorganization plans that might result from a CMA takeover.A native of the United Kingdom, Jessica Callahan began to buy newspapers, magazines, and radio stations in the United States eight years ago, and CMA now owns or controls more than fifteen news organizations here. Before she became a leader in media in this country, she had established her family-owned company as one of the most important forces in British TV and newspapers. Callahan started her news career more than twenty-five years ago, and she had worked as a reporter on three different papers when she took the job of editor of England's Birmingham Herald, a newspaper that had been experiencing financial difficulties for several years. Her success in raising the news reporting standards as well as making the Herald into a profitable business gained Callahan the attention and respect of the British news establishment. By the time she was 35, she had become a publisher and started CMA., which is now one of the largest media organizations in the world.Callaban had never visited the United States before she came to Miami and became the publisher of the Miami Journal almost eight years ago, but she had been reading the newspaper for several years, and she said that she liked the paper's style. After she had owned the Journal for just over a year, she bought a small radio station in Georgia, and in the next five years she went on to acquire news organizations in several different parts of the country.If CMA becomes the owner of NBS, for the first time it will have control over a nationwide TV network. In an interview last week, Philip Rosen, the president of NBS, said that he was not very happy about the purchase. He agreed that Callaban and CMA had done a lot to help American newspapers become more financially secure, but he expressed fears that the new management was going to make news coverage on NBS irresponsible. He stated that he hoped he could remain with NBS but said that this might not be possible.11. The writer thinks that CMA's offer to buy the National Broadcasting System is probably[A] the only one [ B ] a good one[ C ] unacceptably low [ D ] of great competition12. Jessica Callaban captured the confidence of the press after she became the editor of BirminghamHerald because[ A ] she was experienced [ B ] she had strong financial background[C] since then it started to make money [D] she enjoyed good popularity13. Jessica Callaban has never[A] visited the United States [ B] owned a national TV network[C] worked as an editor [D] read the Miami Journal14. The attitude of NBS top executive to the CMA takeover was that[ A] he was opposed to the purchase[ B] he hoped the takeover would not affect the system's fame[ C ] he was afraid NBS would suffer serious financial loss[D] he could not leave his present position15. Which of the following can be the best title for this passage7[ A] Jessica Callahan- a Successful Woman [B] CMA -- from British to USA[C] CMA Buying NBS? [ D] CMA's Attractive Offer to NBS Text 4(149)In most people the left side of the brain deals with such things as logic, language, reasoning,number, linearity and analysis, the so-called "academic" activities. While the left side is engaged in these activities, the tight side is in the "alpha wave" or resting state. The right side of the brain deals with rhythm, music, images and imagination, color, parallel processing, daydreaming, face recognition, and pattern or map recognition.Researches showed that when people were encouraged to develop a mental area they had previously considered weak, this development, rather than detracting from other areas, seemed to produce an effect in which all areas of mental performance improved.At first glance, history seemed to deny this finding, for most of the "great brains" appeared very lopsided in mental terms: Einstein and other scientists seemed to be mostly "left-brain" dominant, while Picasso, Cezanne and other artists and musicians appeared to be "tight-brain" dominant.A more thorough investigation, however, unearthed some fascinating facts; Einstein failed mathematics at school, but numbered among his other activities violin playing, art, sailing, and imagination games.To his imagination games Einstein gave credit for many of his more significant scientific insights. While day-dreaming on a hill on a summer day, he imagined tiding sunbeams to the far extremities of the universe, and upon finding himself returned, "illogically", to the surface of the sun, he realized that the universe must indeed be curved, and that his previous "logical" training was incomplete. The numbers, formulas, equations and words he wrapped around this new image gave us the theory of relativity -- a left and right brain synthesis.Similarly the great artists turned out to be "both-brained". Rather than notebooks filled with stories of drunken parties, and paint slapped on haphazardly to produce masterpieces, entries similar to the following were found:"Up at 6 am. Spent seventeenth day on painting six of the latest series. Mixed four parts orange with two parts yellow to produce color combination which I placed in upper left-hand corner of canvas, to act in visual opposition to spiral structures in lower tight-hand comer, producing desired balance in eye of the perceiver."A telling example of just how an artist works.16. With which type of activity is the right side of the brain concerned?[A] logical. [B] Social. [ C] Visual. [ D] Mathematical.17. At school, Einstein seemed to have been[A] left-brain dominant [ B ] very lopsided in mental terms[c] very well-balanced in mental terms [ D] right-brain dominant18. What does a careful study of history show7[A] Great scientists have a dominant left side of the brain.[ B ] Great artists have one side of the brain dominant.[ C] Some famous scientists reveal strong right-brain characteristics.[ D] There is no evidence for the left-fight brain distinction.19. According to the writer, Einstein's theory of relativity was the result of[A] a dream [B] reason and imagination combined[ C ] further logical training [D] pure imagination20. The purpose of the extract from an artist's notebook is to show that[A] it is important to plan a painting in detail[ B ] a lot of left-brain activity goes into a work of art[ C] artists are dominantly fight-brained[D] artists are dominantly left-brainedExercises 2Text 1Parents are often upset when their children praise the homes of their friends and regard it as a slur on their own cooking, or cleaning, or furniture, and often are foolish enough to let the teenagers see that they are annoyed. They may even accuse them of disloyalty, or make some unpleasant remark about the friends' parents. Such a loss of dignity and descent into childish behavior on the part of the adults deeply shocks theteenagers, and makes them decide that in future they will, not talk to their parents about the places or people they visit. Before very long the parents will be complaining that the child is so secretive and never tells them anything, but they seldom realize that they have brought this on themselves.Disillusionment with the parents, however good and adequate they may be both as parents and as individuals, is to some degree inevitable. Most children have such a high ideal of their parents, unless the parents themselves have been unsatisfactory, that it can hardly hope to stand up to a realistic evaluation. Parents would be greatly surprised and deeply touched if they realized how much belief their children usually have in their character and infallibility, and how much this faith means to a child. If parents were prepared for this teen-aged reaction, and realized that it was a sign that the child was growing up and developing valuable powers of observation and independent judgment, they would not be so hurt, and therefore would not drive the child into opposition by resenting and resisting it.The teenager, with his passion for sincerity, always respects a parent who admits that he iswrong, or ignorant, or even that he has been unfair or unjust. What the child can't forgive is the parents' refusal to admit these charges if the child knows them to be true.Victorian parents believed that they kept their dignity by retreating behind an unreasoning authoritarian attitude; in fact they did nothing of the kind, but children were then too frightened to let them know how they really felt. Today we tend to go to the other extreme, but on the whole this is a healthier attitude both for the child and the parent. It is always wiser and safer to face up to reality, however painful it may be at the moment. 1. According to the passage, when the children praise the homes of their friends, their parents tend not to[A] be sad [ B ] speak bad words about the friend's parents[ C ] praise with them [ D] regard the praise as a slur on their own home2. In paragraph 2, by "high ideal", the author means[ A ] the realistic evaluation[B] children's deep belief in their parents' character and infallibility[ C] the parents' preparation for the adolescent reaction[ D] parents' being good and adequate3. According to the passage, what can't be accepted by the teenager7[ A] The parents' ignorance. [ B ] His own slur.[ C ] The parents' refusal to admit their mistakes. [D] His resentment to his parents.4. In the first sentence of paragraph 4, "retreating behind an unreasoning authoritarian attitude" may mean[A] not caring about their children's behavior[ B] stating no reason for their attitude[ C ] drawing back from their unreasonable authoritarian attitude[ D] covering themselves with an unreasonable strict attitude5. According to the passage, which statement is true?[A] The children may forgive their parents at all times.[ B ] The parents realize that they are responsible for the secretiveness of their children.[C] If the parents act improperly, their children would always regard themselvesas the most ideal.[D] The children would respect their parents as long as they admit their wrong doings.Text 2A few years ago it was fashionable to speak of a generation gap, a division between young people and their elders. Parents complained that children did not show them proper respect and obedience, while children complained that their parents did not understand them at all. What had gone wrong? Why had the generation gap suddenly appeared? Actually, the generation gap has been around for a long time. Many critics argue that it is built into the fabric of our society.One important cause of the generation gap is the opportunity that young people have to choose their own life style. In more traditional societies, when children grow up, they are expected to live in the same area as their parents, to marry people that their parents know and approve of, and often to continue the family occupation. In our society, young people often travel great distances for their (11) education, move out of the family home at an early age, marry or live with people whom their parents have never met, and choose occupations different from those of their parents.In our upwardly mobile society, parents often expect their children to do better than they did : to find better jobs, to make more money, and to do all the things that they were unable to do. Often, however, the ambitions that parents have for their children are another cause of the division between them. Often, they discover that they have very little in common with each other.Finally, the speed at which changes take place in our society is another cause of the gap between the generations. In a traditional culture, elderly people are valued for their wisdom, but in our society the knowledge of a lifetime may become obsolete overnight. The young and the old seem to live in two very different worlds, separated by different skills and abilities.No doubt, the generation gap will continue to be a feature of American life for some time to come. Its causes are rooted in the freedoms and opportunities of our society, and in the rapid pace at which society changes.6. The main idea of the first paragraph is that[ A] the generation gap suddenly appeared[ B] the generation gap is a feature of American life[ C ] how people can reduce the generation gap[ D ] many critics argue over the nature of the generation gap7. The word "around" in paragraph 1 means[ A ] on all sides [ B ] in every direction[ C ] near [ D ] in existence8. Which one is NOT the cause of the generation gap?[A] Young people like to choose their own life styles.[ B] American society is changing very fast.[ C ] Parents place high hopes on their children.[ D] Modem education makes them think differently.9. In American society, young people often[A] rely on their parents to make a living[B] stay with their parents in order to get an opportunity for higher education[ C ] seek the best advice from their parents[ D ] have very little in common with their parents10. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the reading passage?[A] Parents should be more tolerable towards their children.[ B ] The younger generation should value the older generation for their wisdom.[ C ] The generation gap is partly created by the elder generation.[ D] the generation gap should be avoidable in American society.Text 3The best age to begin a serious study of ballet is eight to ten for girls; boys may begin somewhat later. Younger children may be harmed by the strenuous physical demands of a ballet class, and older children gradually lose the flexibility required to attain good turnout. If training is begun after the late teens, it is probably unrealistic to hope for a professional career.All dancers, no matter how experienced or proficient, take daily class to keep their bodies flexible and strong. Most ballet classes begin with exercises at the barre, a round horizontal bar that the dancer holds onto for support. These exercises warm up and stretch the muscles, work the tendons to make them flexible, and loosen the joints. The second part of the class is done without the support of the barre and is called center practice. It usually begins with slow, sustained exercises that develop the dancer' s sense of balance and fluidity of movement. Slow exercises are followed by quick movements, beginning with small jumps and progressing to large traveling steps, turns, and leaps. Class generally lasts an hour and a half.As the dancer grows more proficient, the exercises at the barre become more complicated, although based on the same movements taught to beginners. The steps performed in the center become quicker or slower, larger, more complex, and more physically demanding. Eventually dancers go to class not so much to learn new steps as to maintain their performing standards.Some frequently seen positions include the arabesque, in which the dancer extends one leg backward in a straight line, and the attitude, a leg extension forward or back with a bent knee. Turning steps include the pirouette, a turn on one leg with the other leg raised; and the fouett, in which the free leg whips around to provide impetus for the turns, Among the steps of elevation are the entrechat, in which the dancer jumps straight up and beats the calves of the legs together in midair, and the jet, a leap from one foot onto the other. These steps include many different variations.Besides the basic class, women often attend classes in point work. Men and women learn to dance together in pas de deux, or partnering class. Some ballet schools also teach mime, the conventional hand gestures used to tell the story in olderballets such as Giselle and Swan Lake. These handgestures have become codified (for instance, an invitation to dance is indicated by circling the hands above the head) and are less realistic than the type of mime popularized by the French pantomimist Marcel Marceau.11. A seven-year-old girl cannot learn ballet because[ A] she is too young to learn the skills yet[ B ] her body is not strong enough[C] her body is no longer flexible[ D] it is unrealistic to hope for a professional career12. One of the objectives of center practice is to[A] make the muscles flexible [ B ] loosen the joints[ C ] practise leaps [ D] keep the body strong13. In the fouett, the dancer[A] tums on one leg [ B ] balances herself on one leg[C] jumps straight up [ D] extends one leg backward14. In mime, a dancer can use hand gesture[ A] to express invitation to dance[B] to tell the story of the ballet at the beginning[ C ] to enhance their positions[ D] to help increase the turning speed15. It is true that[A] the French ballet is more popular than conventional ballet[ B ] pas de deux is not considered part of the basic class[C] experienced dancers exercise less often than beginners[ D] children usually hold onto the bar to practise until they are old enough Text 4Fire and ice may seem like strange bedfellows, but a growing number of scientists believe the greatest store of clean-burning fuel available to future generations may lie frozen in combustible ice crystals below the ocean floor.This resource, known as gas or methane hydrates, is thought to exist in vast deposits below the world's continental margins where organic sediments have been trapped for many millions of years by pressure and cold. Preliminary evidence suggests these reserves may dwarf oil, coal and natural gas combined.Charles Paul, chief scientist on a recent expedition to explore the Blake Ridge off the Carolina coast, said that formation alone may hold enough methane to meet U.S. natural gas needs for 105 years. "Gas hydrates may make up about 5 percent" of the sediment in this huge outcropping some 2,800 feet (860 meters) below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean on the margins of the Noah American continental shelf. Paul, a senior scientist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in Moss Landing, California, was co-chief scientist on a recent expedition of the Ocean Drilling Program, a 15-year-old international partnership to explore the mysterious world below the ocean floor managed by the Joint Oceanographic Institutions and funded in part by the National Science Foundation. The largest international Earth science research project in the world, the ODP has seven international partners representingmore than 20 nations, including European countries, Australia, China and Japan. The program's drill ship JOIDES Resolution is arguably the world's most sophisticated floating laboratory, capable of extracting core samples from hundreds of yards (meters) below the deep sea floor and bringing them intact to the surface.GONE BEFORE YOU LOOKThat is essential, Paul said in a phone interview, "because humans and gas hydrates are normally incompatible. They decompose very quickly in conditions where we are comfortable viewing them. It's only by accident that we even see any gas hydrates in nature, By the time you look at them the thing you're looking for is gone." Methane hydrates were first discovered below the Arctic permafrost by oil companies at the end of the 19th century, and it may well be in the Arctic that exploitation first becomes commercially feasible. That is because they are formed by a combination of relatively low temperatures and high pressures."At temperatures around 40 degrees below zero centigrade ( - 44'F ), they can be found near the surface," said Paul. At 20 degrees centigrade (70~1'), though, you have to look nearly two miles (3 km) below the ocean surface to find them. "A lot would depend on the price of natural gas," Farrell told Reuters in an interview. "As with any natural resource, the feasibility of extraction is to a great extent controlled by price, ff demand is high, then 15 years may be a reasonable goal 'for commercial extraction'. '16. when the author said "Fire and ice may seem like strange bedfellows", his purpose is to[ A] mention a common sense.[ B ] show that there is so popular fallacy in this belief[ C ] attract the reader's attention[ D ] prepare a contrast for the introduction of the hydrates.17. What is the meaning of "reserves may dwarf oil, coal and natural gas combined"?[ A ] If oil, coal and natural gas are combined, the reserve is nominal by comparison.[ B ] The summing up of the three resources is still smaller than the amount of the reserves.[ C ] If we utilize the reserves, we don't need the three resources any longer[ D ] The reserves will be a substitute for the three resources.18. Which of the following places will be the first to make Methane hydrates an industry?[ A ] Atlantic Ocean on the margins of the North American continental shelf.[ B ] Moss Landing. [ C ] In the Arctic. [ D ] It is uncertain.19. Why were the Methane hydrates first discovered in the Arctic?[Al That is due to the high pressure and low temperature there.[ B] Because the Arctic has more Methane hydrates than other places.[ C] Because it is less difficult to drill the Methane hydrates out in Arctic.[D] Because in the Arctic, the pressure is high enough to keep the Methanehydrates intact when digging out.20. What can not be inferred from the passage?。