综合英语专四阅读训练

专四阅读训练方法
专四阅读训练方法主要包括以下步骤：
1. 词汇积累：阅读理解的第一步就是词汇积累，专四考试对词汇量有一定要求，考生需熟练掌握一定数量的词汇。

可以通过背单词书籍、记忆卡片等方式进行词汇积累。

2. 理解长难句：长难句是阅读理解中的一大难点，考生需要通过大量的练习和精读来提高长难句的理解能力。

3. 掌握阅读技巧：阅读理解不仅要求理解文章内容，还需要掌握一定的阅读技巧，如略读、扫读、预测答案等。

这些技巧可以通过做阅读理解练习和参加阅读技巧课程来提高。

4. 多做真题：历年真题是了解考试形式和考试内容的最好方式，通过多做真题，考生可以熟悉考试难度和题型，找到自己的薄弱环节，有针对性地进行改进。

5. 模拟考试：模拟考试可以帮助考生熟悉考试流程和时间限制，提高答题效率，避免因为时间不够或流程不熟悉而影响成绩。

6. 反思与总结：每次练习或模拟考试后，考生应该对自己的答案进行反思和总结，找出自己的不足之处，有针对性地进行改进。

以上是专四阅读训练的一些方法，希望对你有所帮助。

同时建议寻找一位经验丰富的老师或导师进行指导，他们的经验和技巧将对你的备考过程起到重要的推动作用。

2023英语专四阅读练习及答案汇总2023英语专四阅读练习及答案汇总成长与家庭危机The adolescent, with his passion for sincerity, always respects a parent who admits that he is wrong, or ignorant, or even that he has been unfair or unjust. What the child cannot forgive is the parent's refusal to admit these charges if the child knows them to be true.1. According to the passage, children would arouse parents' disappointment forB. talking back to their parents.C. plaining home-made dishes.D. making some spiteful remark.2. When adolescents feel disillusion with their parents, it means that theyA. feel disappointed with their parents.B. are developing into maturity.C. just want to hurt their parents.D. are expressing their discontentment.3. Adolescents in Victorian timesA. had shown more respect for parents than today.B. always answered back to deal with the problem.C. admired the authoritarian attitude of their parents.D. were too afraid to tell what they really thought.4. What is the tone of the passage?A. Critical.B. Humorous.C. Serious.D. Ambiguous.5. What does this passage mainly discuss?A. Children will bee more and more mature when growing up.B. Parents have to change their ways in educating their children.C. The conflicts between parents and their children are inevitable.D. Parents have made mistakes in munication with children.答案解析：1.[A]细节判断题。

2023年英语专四考试阅读精选试题练习2023年英语专四考试阅读精选试题练习Racket, din clamor, noise, whatever you want tocall it, unwanted sound is America's most widespread nuisance. But noise is more than just a nuisance. It constitutes a real and present danger to people's health. Day and night, at home, at work, and at play, noise can produce serious physical and psychological stress. No one is immune to this stress. Though we seem to adjust to noise by ignoring it, the ear, in fact, never closes and the body still responds—sometimes with extreme tension, as to a strange sound in the night.The annoyance we feel when faced with noise is the most mon outward symptom of the stress building up inside us. Indeed, because irritability is so apparent, legislators have made public annoyance the basis of many noise abatement programs. The more subtle and more serious health hazards associated with stresscaused by noise traditionally have been given much less attention. Nevertheless, when we are annoyed or made irritable by noise, we should consider these symptoms fair warning that other thing may be happening to us, some of which may be damaging to our health.Of many health hazards to noise, hearing loss is the most clearly observable and measurable by health professionals. The other hazards are harder to pin down. For many of us, there may be a risk that exposure to the stress of noise increasessusceptibility to disease and infection. The more susceptible among us may experience noise as a plicating factor in heart problems and other diseases. Noise that causes annoyance and irritability in health persons may have serious consequences for these already ill in mind or body.Noise affects us throughout our lives. For exle, there are indications of effects on the unborn child when mothers are exposed to industrial andenviro____ental noise. During infancy and childhood,youngsters exposed to high noise levels may have trouble falling asleep and obtaining necessary amounts of rest.1.In Paragraph 1, the phrase "immune to" are used to mean ___.A.unaffected byB.hurt byC.unlikely to be seen byD.unknown by2.The author's attitude toward noise would best be described as ___.A.unrealisticB.traditionalC.concernedD.hysterical3.Which of the following best states the main idea of the passage?A.Noise is a major problem; most people recognize its importance.B.Although noise can be annoying, it is not a major problem.C.Noise is a major problem and has not yet been recognized as such.D.Noise is a major problem about which nothing can be done.4.The author condemns noise essentially because it ___.A.is against the lawB.can make some people irritableC.is a nuisanceD.in a ganger to people's health5.The author would probably consider research about the effects noise has on people to be ___.A.unimportantB.impossible.C.a waste of moneyD.essential答案：ACCDD。

Material4_4综合英语专四阅读训练Material 4-4Text AIt has always been difficult for the philosopher or scientists to fit time into his view of the universe. Prior to Einsteinian physics, there was no truly adequate formulation of the relationship of time to the other forces in the universe, even though some empirical equations included time qualities. However, even the Einsteinian formulation is not pefhaps totally adequate to the job of fitting time into the proper relationship with the other dimensions, as they are called, of space. The primary problem arises in relation to things that might be going faster than the speed of light,or have other strange properties.Examination of the Lorentz-Fitsgerald formulas yields the interesting speculation that if something did actually exceed the speed of light it would have its mass expressed as an imaginary number and would seem to be going backwards in time. The barrier to exceeding the speed of light is the apparent need to have an infinite quantity of mass moved at exactly the speed of light. If this situation could be leaped over in a large quantum jump—which seems highly unlikely for masses that are large in normal circumstances—then the other side may be achievable.The idea of going backward in time is derived from the existence of a time vector that is negative, although just what this might mean to our senses in the unlikely circumstance of our experiencing this state cannot be conjectured. There have been, in fact, some observations of particle chambers which have led some scientists to speculate that a particle called the tachyonmay exist with the trans-light properties we have just discussed.The difficulties of imagining and coping with these potential implications of our mathematical models points out the importance of studying alternative methods of notation for advanced physics. Professor Zuckerkandl, in his book Sound and Symbol, hypothesized that it might be better to express the relationships found in quantum mechanics through the use of a notation derived from musical notations. To oversimplify greatly, he argues that music has always given time a special relationship to other factors or parameters or dimensions. Therefore, it might be a more useful language in which to express the relationships in physics where time again has a special role to play, and cannot be treated as just another dimension.The point of this, or any other alternative to the current methods of describing basic physical processes, is that time does not appear—either by common experience or sophisticated scientific understanding—to be the same sort of dimension or parameter as physical dimensions, as is deserving of completely special treatment, in a system of notation designed to accomplish that goal.One approach would be to consider time to be a field effect governed by the application of energy to mass—that is to say, by the interaction of different forms of energy, if you wish to keep in mind the equivalence of mass and energy. The movement of any normal sort of mass is bound to produce a field effect that we call positive time. An imaginary mass would produce a negative time field effect. This is not at variance with Einstein's theories, since the "faster" a given mass moves the more energy was applied toit and the greater would be the field effect. The time effectspredicted by Einstein and confirmed by experience are, it seems, consonant with this concept.1. The passage supports the inference that .A. Einstein's theory of relativity is wrongB. the Lorentz-Fitzgerald formulas contradict Einstein's theoriesC. time travel is clearly possibleD. it is impossible to travel at precisely the speed of light2. The tone of-the passage is .A. critical but hopefulB. hopeful but suspiciousC. suspicious but speculativeD. speculative but hopeful3. Which of the following can be best described as the central idea of the passage?A. Anomalies in theoretical physics notation permit intriguing hypotheses and indicatethe need for refined notation of the time dimension.B. New observations require the development of new theories and new methods of describing the new theories.C. Einsteinian physics can be much improved in its treatment of tachyons.D. Time requires a more imaginative approach than tachyons.4. According to the author, it is too soon to .A. call Beethoven a physicistB. adopt proposals such as Zuckerkandl'sC. plan for time travelD. study particle chambers for tachyon traces5. It can be inferred that the author sees Zuckerkandl as believing that mathematics is a( n)A. necessary evilB. languageC. musical notationD. great hindrance to full understanding of physicsText DIt sounds clichéd and somewhat sappy, but it does bear repeating that children are our most vulnerable citizens. In fact, it was the impending birth of our first son in 1988 that played heavily into our decision to start E Magazine. We were at a local breakfast place on our way to work, reading New York Times stories about that year's "Greenhouse Summer," describing what we all now know to be one of the effects of global warming. It was our first realization, as new parents-to-be, that we really were going to leave a terrible legacy for future generations if we didn't do something about mounting environmental problems.Sentimental or not, 1 often think about how crucial it is to consider our youngest when weighing important issues. If you've read this page often you've heard me go on about the 35 ,000 children globally who die every day (one every three seconds) from air- and water-borne diseases and water and food shortages—and about the horrible and related economic inequalities that only worsen each day around the world, largely due to neglect.Despite these frightful conditions, I often hear people and news pundits dismiss the plight of the poor and destitute as simply the result of their own lack of ambition and therefore not worthy of our attention. Not worthy of welfare or higher minimum wages thatmight help them rise up and out of a vicious cycle. Not worthy of the financial aid that might enable their crippledeconomies to better serve their needs. Or not worthy of coming to America, where opportunities might be greater. Instead, many seek to close our borders and force them to deal with their own problems.But how often do we consider the plight of the children of the people with whom we choose not to sympathize? Can they be blamed for the circumstances that cause them to live in such abject poverty, to have no safe food or potable water? Bringing it home to issues we struggle with day-to-day in the U. S. , did our children create the conditions that resulted in the toxic fumes, chemicals and mercury pollution in the environment that cause their asthma, childhood cancer and autism? When we propose cutting $100million from food subsidy programs for the poor, do we stop to think about the children of these low-income families who will go hungry? And when we allow our medical-industrial complex to effectively deny affordable healthcare to millions of our citizens, do we consider that children are many among those who may have to go without needed treatments?It's "easy to be hard," proclaimed a 1967 song from the musical, Hair (later popularized by the pop group Three Dog Night). Not so easy, though, when one considers the youngest victims.6. The author argues that children are the most vulnerable because .A. they will suffer from the effects of worsening environmentB. they are more sensitive to the changing climate than adultsC. they are far more likely to develop various diseases than adultsD. they know nothing about the harmful effects of globalwarming7. The word "legacy" in Paragraph 2 most probably refers to .A. heritageB. traditionC. inheritanceD. environment8. It can be inferred that E Magazine is devoted to the issue of .A. economic inequalitiesB. economic environmentC. environmental protectionD. effects of global warming9. The author believes that the life of poor people may be improved if .A. they are more ambitious and aggressiveB. they can deal with their problems boldlyC. they are not neglected by the rich peopleD. they are given more aid and opportunities10. The author suggests that the children of the poor people should .A. enjoy free medical-care programsB. be taken into sufficient considerationC. have ample safe food and potable waterD. live in an environment without pollution。

英语专四考试阅读理解练习题英语专四考试阅读理解练习题只有经过地狱般的磨练，才能炼出创造天堂的力量。

只有流过血的'手指，才能弹奏出世间的绝唱。

以下是店铺为大家搜索整理的英语专四考试阅读理解练习题，希望能给大家带来帮助!In the last 500 years, nothing about people——not their clothes, ideas, or languages——has changed as much as what they eat. The original chocolate drink was made from the seeds of the cocoa tree by South American Indians. The Spanish introduced it to the rest of the rest of the world during the 1500’s. And although it was very expensive, it quickly became fashionable. In London shops where chocolate drinks were weaved became important meeting places. Some still exist today.The potato is also from the New World. Around 1600, the Spanish brought it from Peru to Europe, where it soon was widely grown. Ireland became so dependent on it that thousands of Irish people starved when the crop failed during the “Potato Famine” of 1845-6, and thousands more were forced to emigrate to America.There are many other foods that have traveled from South America to the Old World. But some others went in the opposite direction. Brazil is now the World’s largest grower of coffee, and coffee is an important crop in Colombia and other South American countries. But it is native to Ethiopia. It was first made into a dink by Arabs during the 1400’s.According to an Arabic legend, coffee was discovered when a goatherd name Kaldi noticed that his goats were attracted to the red berries on a coffee bush. He tried on and experienced the “wide awake” feeling that one –third of the world’spopulation now starts the day with.1. According to the passage, which of the following has changed the most in the last 500 years?A. Food.B. Chocolate.C. Potato.D. Coffee.2. “Some”in“Some still exist today”means _____.A. some cocoa tressB. some chocolate drinksC. some shopsD. some South American Indians3. Thousands of Irish people starved during the “Potato Famine” because_____.A. they were so dependent on the potato that they refused to eat anything elseB. they were forced to emigrate to AmericaC. the weather conditions in Ireland were not suitable for growing the potatoD. the potato harvest was bad4. Coffee originally came from_____.A. BrazilB. ColombiaC. EthiopiaD. Arabia5. The Arabic legend is used to prove that_____.A. coffee was first discovered by KaldiB. coffee was first discovered by Kaldi’s goatsC. coffee was first discovered in South American countriesD. coffee drinks were first made by Arabs答案解析1.【答案】A推理题。

英语专四阅读预测题（1）As many as one thousand years ago in the Southwest, the Hopi and Zuni Indians of North America were building with adobe－sun baked brick plastered with mud. Their homes looked remarkably like modern apartment houses. Some were four stories high and contained quarters for perhaps a thousand people, along with store rooms for grain and other goods. These buildings were usually put up against cliffs, both to make construction easier and for defense against enemies. They were really villages in themselves, as later Spanish explorers must have realized since they called them "pueblos", which is Spanish for town.The people of the pueblos raised what are called"the three sisters" - corn, beans, and squash. They made excellent pottery and wove marvelous baskets, some so fine that they could hold water. The Southwest has always been a dry country, where water is scarce. The Hopi and Zuni brought water from streams to their fields and gardens through irrigation ditches. Water was so important that it played a major role in their religion. They developed elaborate ceremonies and religious rituals to bring rain.The way of life of less settled groups was simpler and more strongly influenced by nature. Small tribes such as the Shoshone and Ute wandered the dry and mountainous lands between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. They gathered seeds and hunted small animals such as small rabbits and snakes. In the Far North the ancestors of today’s Inuit hunted seals, walruses, and the great whales. They lived right on the frozen seas in shelters called igloos built of blocks of packed snow. When summer came, they fished for salmon and hunted the lordly caribou.The Cheyenne, Pawnee, and Sioux tribes, known as the Plains Indians, lived on the grasslands between the Rocky Mountains and the Mississippi River. They hunted bison, commonly called the buffalo. Its meat was the chief food of these tribes, and its hide was used to make their clothing and covering of their tents and tipis.16. What does the passage mainly discuss?A. The architecture of early American Indian buildings.B. The movement of American Indians across North America.C. Ceremonies and rituals of American Indians.D. The way of life of American Indian tribes in early North America.17. It can be inferred from the passage that the dwellings of the Hopi and Zuni were______.A. very smallB. highly advancedC. difficult to defendD. quickly constructed专业四级阅读练习（2）Human beings have used tools for a very long time. In some parts of the world you can still find tools that people used more than two million years ago. They made these tools by hitting one stone against another. In this way, they broke off pieces from one of the stones. These chips of stone were usually sharp on one side. People used them for cutting meat and skin from dead animals, and also for making other tools out of wood.Human beings needed to use tools because they did not have sharp teeth like other meat eating animals, such as lions and tigers. Tools helped people to get food more easily. Working with tools also helped to develop human intelligence. The human brain grew bigger, and human beings began to invent more and more tools and machines. The stone chip was one of the first tools that people used, and perhaps it is the most important. Some scientists say that it was the key to success of mankind.24. The stone chip is thought to be the most important tool because it ______.A. was one of the first toolsB. developed human capabilitiesC. led to the invention of machinesD. was crucial to the development of mankind25. At the end of the passage the author seems to suggest that life in future is ______.A. disastrousB. unpredictableC. excitingD. colorful英语专四阅读预测题（3）About 5,000 years ago, the Egyptians and other people in the Near East began to use pictures as kind of writing. They drew simple pictures or signs to represent things and ideas, and also to represent the sounds of their language. The signs these people used became a kind of alphabet.The Egyptians used to record information and to tell stories by putting picture writing and pictures together. When animportant person died, scenes and stories from his life were painted and carved on the walls of the place where he was buried. Some of these pictures are like modern comic strip stories. It has been said that Egypt is the home of the comic strip. But, for the Egyptians, pictures still had magic power. So they did not try to make their way of writing simple. The ordinary people could not understand it.By the year 1,000 BC, people who lived in the area around the Mediterranean Sea had developed a simpler system of writing. The signs they used were very easy to write, and there were fewer of them than in the Egyptian system. This was because each sign, or letter, represented only one sound in their language. The Greeks developed this system and formed the letters of the Greek alphabet. The Romans copied the idea, and the Roman alphabet is now used all over the world.These days, we can write down a story, or record information, without using pictures. But we still need pictures of all kinds: drawing, photographs, signs and diagrams. We find them everywhere: in books and newspapers, in the street, and on the walls of the places where we live and work. Pictures help us to understand and remember things more easily, and they can make a story much more interesting.27. Pictures of animals were painted on the walls of caves in France and Spain because______.A. the hunters wanted to see the picturesB. the painters were animal loversC. the painters wanted to show imaginationD. the pictures were thought to be helpful28. The Greek alphabet was simpler than the Egyptian system for all the following reasons EXCEPT that______.A. the former was easy to writeB. there were fewer signs in the formerC. the former was easy to pronounceD. each sign stood for only one sound29. Which of the following statements is TRUE?A. The Egyptian signs later became a particular alphabet.B. The Egyptians liked to write comic strip stories.C. The Roman alphabet was developed from the Egyptian one.D. The Greeks copied their writing system from the Egyptians.30. In the last paragraph, the author thinks that pictures ______.A. should be made comprehensibleB. should be made interestingC. are of much use in our lifeD. have disappeared from our life英语专四阅读预测题（4）There 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.22. 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.23. 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.24. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a common element of theater and ritual?A. Dance.B. Costumes.C. Music.D. Magic.25. 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.26. 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.英语专四阅读预测题（5）Most earthquakes occur within the upper 15 miles of the earth's surface. But earthquakes can and do occur at all depths to about 460 miles. Their number decreases as the depth increases. At about 460 miles one earthquake occurs only every few years. Near the surface earthquakes may run as high as 100 in a month, but the yearly average does not vary much. In comparison with the total number of earthquakes each year, the number of disastrous earthquakes is very small.The extent of the disaster in an earthquake depends on many factors. If you carefully build a toy house with an erect set, it will still stand no matter how much you shake the table. But if you build a toy house with a pack of cards, a slight shake of the table will make it fall. An earthquake in Agadir, Morocco, was not strong enough to be recorded on distant instruments, but it completely destroyed the city. Many stronger earthquakes have done comparatively little damage. If a building is well constructed and built on solid ground, it will resist an earthquake. Most deaths in earthquakes have been due to faulty building construction or poor building sites. A third and very serious factor is panic. When people rush out into narrow streets, more deaths will result.The United Nations has played an important part in reducing the damage done by earthquakes. It has sent a team of experts to all countries known to be affected by earthquakes. Working with local geologists and engineers, the experts have studied the nature of the ground and the type of most practical building code for the local area. If followed, these suggestions will make disastrous earthquakes almost a thing of the past.There is one type of earthquake disaster that little can be done about. This is the disaster caused by seismic sea waves, or tsunamis. (These are often called tidal waves, but the name is incorrect. They have nothing to do with tides.) In certain areas, earthquakes take place beneath the sea. These submarine earthquakes sometimes give rise to seismic sea waves. The waves are not noticeable out at sea because of their long wave length. But when they roll into harbors, they pile up into walls of water 6 to 60 feet high. The Japanese call them "tsunamis", meaning "harbor waves", because they reach a sizable height only in harbors.Tsunamis travel fairly slowly, at speeds up to 500 miles an hour. An adequate warning system is in use to warn all shores likely to be reached by the waves. But this only enables people to leave the threatened shores for higher ground. There is no way to stop the oncoming wave.18. Which of the following CANNOT be concluded from the passage?A. The number of earthquakes is closely related to depth.B. Roughly the same number of earthquakes occur each year.C. Earthquakes are impossible at depths over 460 miles.D. Earthquakes are most likely to occur near the surfaces.19. The destruction of Agadir is an example of ______.A. faulty building constructionB. an earthquake's strengthC. widespread panic in earthquakesD. ineffective instruments20. The United Nations' experts are supposed to______.A. construct strong buildingsB. put forward proposalsC. detect disastrous earthquakesD. monitor earthquakes21. The significance of the slow speed of tsunamis is that people may______.A. notice them out at seaB. find ways to stop themC. be warned early enoughD. develop warning systems英语TEM4阅读理解模拟题（6）It was the worst tragedy in maritime (航海的) history, six times more deadly than the Titanic.When the German cruise ship Wilhelm Gustloff was hit by torpedoes (鱼雷) fired from a Russian submarine in the final winter of World War II, more than 10,000 people - mostly women, children and old people fleeing the final Red Army push into Nazi Germany - were packed aboard. An ice storm had turned the decks into frozen sheets that sent hundreds of families sliding into the sea as the ship tilted andbegan to go down. Others desperately tried to put lifeboats down. Some who succeeded fought offthose in the water who had the strength to try to claw their way aboard. Most people froze immediately. Tll never forget the screams," says Christa Ntitzmann, 87, one of the 1,200 survivors. She recalls watching the ship, brightly lit, slipping into its dark grave - and into seeming nothingness, rarely mentioned for more than half a century.Now Germanys Nobel Prize-winning author Gtinter Grass has revived the memory of the 9,000 dead, including more than 4,000 children - with his latest novel Crab Walk, published last month. The book, which will be out in English next year, doesnt dwell on the sinking; its heroine is a pregnant young woman who survives the catastrophe only to say later: "Nobody wanted to hear about it, not here in the West (of Germany) and not at all in the East." The reason was obvious. As Grass put it in a recent interview with the weekly Die Woche: "Because the crimes we Germans are responsible for were and are so dominant, we didn\’t have the energy left to tell of our own sufferings.The long silence about the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff was probably unavoi dable - and necessary. By unreservedly owning up to their countrys monstrous crimes in the Second World War, Germans have managed to win acceptance abroad, marginalize ( 使...不得势) the neo- Nazis at home and make peace with their neighbors. Todays unified Germany is more prosperous and stable than at any time in its long, troubled history. For that, a half century of willful forgetting about painful memories like the German Titanic was perhaps a reasonable price to pay. But even the most politically correct Germans believe that they ye now earned the right to discuss the full historical record. Not to equate German suffering with that of its victims, but simply to acknowledge a terrible tragedy.21、Why does the author say the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff was the worst tragedy in maritime history?A) It was attacked by Russian torpedoes. B) Most of its passengers were frozen to death.C) Its victims were mostly women and children. D) It caused the largest number of casualties.22、Hundreds of families dropped into the sea whenA) a strong ice storm tilted the ship B) the cruise ship sank all of a suddenC) the badly damaged ship leaned toward one side D) the frightened passengers fought desperately for lifeboats23、The Wilhelm Gustloff tragedy was little talked about for more than half a century because GermansA) were eager,to win international acceptance B) felt guilty for their crimes in World War IIC)~ad been pressured to keep silent about it D) were afraid of offending their neighbors24、How does Gunter Grass revive the memory of the Wilhelm Gustloff tragedy?A) By presenting the horrible scene of the torpedo attack. B) By describing the ships sinking in great detail.C) By giving an interview to the weekly Die Woche. D) By depicting the survival of a young pregnant woman.25、It can be learned from the passage that Germans no longer think thatA) they will be misunderstood if they talk about the Wilhelm Gustloff tragedyB) the Wilhelm Gustloff tragedy is a reasonable price to pay for the nations past misdeedsC) Germany is responsible for the horrible crimes it committed in World War IID) it-is wrong to equate their sufferings with those of other countries英语专四阅读预测题（7）Certainly no creature in the sea is odder than the common sea cucumber. All living creature，especially human beings，have their peculiarities，but everything about the little sea cucumber seems unusual. What else can be said about a bizarre animal that，among other eccentricities，eats mud，feeds almost continuously day and night but can live without eating for long periods，and can be poisonous but is considered supremely edible by gourmets？For some fifty million years，despite all its eccentricities，the sea cucumber has subsisted on its diet of mud. It is adaptable enough to live attached to rocks by its tube feet，under rocks in shallow water，or on the surface of mud flats. Common in cool water on both Atlantic and Pacific shores，it has the abilityto suck up mud or sand and digest whatever nutrients are present.Sea cucumbers come in a variety of colors，ranging from black to reddish brown to sand color and nearly white. One form even has vivid purple tentacles. Usually the creatures are cucumber shaped-hence their name-and because they are typically rock inhabitants，this shape，combined with flexibility，enables them to squeeze into crevices where they are safe from predators and ocean currents.Although they have voracious appetites，eating day and night，sea cucumbers have the capacity to become quiescent and live at a low metabolic rate-feeding sparingly or not at all for long periods，so that the marine organisms that provide their food have a chance to multiply. If it were not for this faculty，they would devour all the food available in a short time and would probably starve themselves out of existence.But the most spectacular thing about the sea cucumber is the way it defends itself. Its major enemies are fish and crabs，when attacked，it squirts all its internal organs into water. It also casts off attached structures such as tentacles. The sea cucumber will eviscerate and regenerate itself if it is attacked or even touched；it will do the same if the surrounding water temperature is too high or if the water becomes too polluted.1. According to the passage，why is the shape of sea cucumbers important？A. It helps them to digest their food.B. It helps them to protect themselves from danger.C. It makes it easier for them to move through the mud.D. It makes them attractive to fish.2. The fourth paragraph of the passage primarily discusses______.A. the reproduction of sea cucumbersB. the food sources of sea cucumbersC. the eating habits of sea cucumbersD. threats to sea cucumbers' existence3. What can be inferred about the defence mechanisms of the sea cucumber？A. They are very sensitive to surrounding stimuli.B. They are almost useless.C. They require group cooperation.D. They are similar to those of most sea creatures.4. Which of the following would NOT cause a sea cucumber to release its internal organs into the water？A. A touchB. FoodC. Unusually warm waterD. Poll ution.TEM4阅读模拟练习预测题（8）Municipal sewage is of relatively recent origin as a pollutant. It was first brought topublic attention in the 19th century by a London physician who showed that the city's cholera outbreak had been caused by just one contaminated well. Even though the contamination of drinking water by disease germs has been nearly eliminated in this country, hundreds of communities are still discharging raw sewage into streams and rivers. When we consider that this sewage contains effluents fro m toilets, hospitals, laundries,industrial plants, etc., then the potential of the pollutants as a health hazard is apparent.The problem of municipal sewage disposal is complicated by the fact that, years ago, mostcities combined their storm and waste disposal sewers. Many of these combined systems work well, but others cannot cope with sudden heavy rains. When such storms occur, water mixed with sewage may flood and disable treatment plants unless bypassed, untreated, into a stream. In either case, the people may have little protection for several days from these wastes that may contain disease germs. Evenif adequately treated to eliminate the health hazard, sewage is aestheticallyundesirable because of odors and colors produced. Detergents have posed a particular disposal problem. Although there is no indication that they are injurious to health, they can cause foaming, which can clog treatment plants and, at the least, spoil the scenic beauty of streams. Rural and suburban residents should be aware that septic tanks and cesspools are a potential source of pollution to ground water supplies. This is especially true in thesuburban areas with a high population density and with no municipal sewage disposal and treatment system available. In some areas, sewage disposal is accomplished by cesspools. Soil research is furnishing guidelines for more effective and safer use of systems such as these.1. This passage is concerned primarily with the _____ .A. problems of waste disposalB. dangers of drinking from wellsC. turbidity of polluted waterD. outbreak of cholera 2. The author mentions the London cholera epidemic to _____ .A. prove that the city refused to deal with pollutionB. prove that medical science once knew little about pollutionC. introduce the idea of contaminated water suppliesD. recall a historical fact3. In densely populated suburban areas, a danger exits from _____ . A. streams that do not flow directly to open bodies of water B. cesspools and septic tanks that contaminate water supplies C. storm and waste disposal sewers that have been combined D. the undesirable odors of sewage4. In developing the main point, the author makes use of _____ . A. scientific arguments B. convincing testimony C. common sense observations D. analogy （1）D B（2）D B（3）D C A C（4）A C D D A（5）C A B C（6）D C B D A（7）B C A B（8）A C B C Before the mid 1860's, the impact of the railroads in the United States was limited, in the sense that the tracks ended at this Missouri River, approximately the center of the country. At the point the trains turned their freight, mail, and passengers over to steamboats, wagons, and stagecoaches. This meant that wagon freighting, stage coaching, and steam boating did not come to an end when the first train appeared; rather they became supplements or feeders. Each new “end of track” became a center for animal drawn or waterborne transportation. The major effect of the railroad was to shorten the distance that had to be covered by the older, slower, and more costly means. Wagon freighters continued operating throughout the 1870’s and 1880’s and into the 1890’s. Although over constantly shrinking routes, and coaches and wagons continued to crisscross the West wherever the rails had not yet been laid. The beginning of a major change was foreshadowed in the later 1860’s, when the Union Pacific Railroad at last began to build westward from the Central Plains city of Omaha to meet the Central Pacific Railroad advancing eastward from California through the formidable barrier of the Sierra Nevada. Although President Abraham Lincoln signed the original Pacific Railroad bill in 1862 and a revised, financially much more generous version in 1864, little construction was completed until 1865 on the Central Pacific and 1866 on the Union Pacific. The primary reason was skepticism that a Railroad built through so challenging and thinly settled a stretch of desert, mountain, and semiarid plain could pay a profit. In the words of an eco nomist, this was a case of “premature enterprise”, where not only the cost of construction but also the very high risk deterred private investment. In discussing the Pacific Railroad bill, the chair of the congressional committee bluntly stated that without government subsidy no one would undertake so unpromising a venture; yet it was a national necessity to link East and West together. 16. The author refers to the impact of railroads before the late 1860's as “limited” because ____.A. the track did not take the direct route from one city to the nextB. passengers and freight had to transfer to other modes of transportation to reach western destinationsC. passengers preferred stagecoachesD. railroad travel was quite expensive17. What can be inferred about coaches and wagon freighters as the railroad expanded?A. They developed competing routes.B. Their drivers refused to work for the railroads.C. They began to specialize in private investment.D. There were insufficient numbers of trained people to operate them.18. Why does the author mention the Sierra Nevada in line 17?A. To argue that a more direct route to the West could have been taken.B. To identify a historically significant mountain range in the West.C. To point out the location of a serious train accident.D. To give an example of an obstacle faced by the central pacific.19. The word “subsidy” in line 27 is closest in meaning to ____.A. persuasionB. financingC. explanationD. penalty 16. B17. D18. D19. B。

Material4_7综合英语专四阅读训练Material 4-7Text AYou probably already know that a viselike pressure in the chest is the most common physical sign of a heart attack. You may even be aware that the body sometimes has the pain of a heart I attack, sending to the neck, jaw or arms. But do you know the second, third or fourth most J common sign of a heart attack? You should. According to a study in Journal of the American 1 Medical Association (JAMA), recognizing the less common signs of a heart attack could save I your life or that of someone you love.Speed makes a difference. Heart-attack victims who don't experience chest pain typically put off going to the hospital—by an average of two hours, the JAMA study found. When these patients finally show up at the emergency room, it often takes doctors longer to make the right diagnosis. Their heart isn't getting potentially life-saving treatment with clot-busting drugs, or emergency angioplasty. These delays help explain why a heart-attack patient who doesn't experience chest pains is twice as likely to die at the hospital as someone who does.By studying a computerized data of more than 430,000 people who suffered heart attacks across the U. S., it was determined that there are six major risk factors that increase the chances that any heart attack you suffer will be atypical. These six risk factors include; having a weak heart (from congestive heart disease), diabetes or a history of stroke; being 65 or older, female or from a minority group. The increased risk is cumulative: If a 75-year-old black woman has a heart attack, her chances ofexperiencing chest pain are less than 50%.Apparently diabetics feel less pain because of nerve damage caused by their condition, but no one knows why women or the elderly are more likely to suffer painless heart attacks. So what, besides chest pain, should you watch for? Probably the next biggest tip-off is extreme shortness of breath. Indeed, many cardiologists consider difficulty breathing to be as good an indicator of a possible heart attack as chest pain. Other less specific signs include nausea, profuse sweating and fainting. Some heart-attack victims describe a sudden, overwhelming sense of doom or feel pain under their scapula.Be particularly suspicious of any "heartburn" that gets worse if you walk around or otherwise exert yourself physically. Don't try to drive yourself to the hospital. Call an ambulance. Then, if you think of it, chew on an aspirin; 325 mg is the recommended dose, and chewing gets the drug into the bloodstream faster. A single tablet can stave off some of the damage. Above all, don't tell yourself, "I can't be having a heart attack; I'm not feeling any chest pains." Let a doctor make the final call.1. According to the first paragraph, the common signs of a heart attack does NOT include_____.A. a great pressure in the chestB. certain chest painC. serious headacheD. spreading neck pain2. What does "Speed makes a difference." in Para. 2 mean?A. Haste can help distinguish between heart attacks and other diseases.B. Speed can help save the patient's life when suffering a heart attack.C. Doctors should make the right diagnosis with high speed.D. Patients should adopt different speeds to go to hospital.3. Which of the following will experience the LEAST chest pain when having a heart attack?A. A 67-year-old man who has a history of stroke for 5 years.B. A 30-year-old lady who is always sweating and fainting.C. A 67-year-old black woman who has diabetes since her birth.D. A 40-year-old sportsman who suffers arms' pain very often.4. We can infer from the text that_______.A. diabetics will feel less chest pain because their nerves are hurt by their heartattackB. people are clear about why ladies or the elderly suffer less chest pain in a heartattackC. many common signs should be taken seriously when suffering a heart attackD. extreme shortness of breath is as good a sign of a possible heart attack as chestpain5. Which of the following measures can a person take if he suffers a heart attack?A. Take an aspirin down with water.B. Attempt to drive himself to the hospital.C. Help himself to be a little optimistic.D. Take it seriously and call an ambulance.Text BResearch has uncovered that culture is a determining factor when interpreting facial emotions. The study reveals that incultures where emotional control is the standard, such as Japan, focus is placed on the eyes to interpret emotions. Whereas in cultures where emotion is openly expressed, such as the United States, the focus is on the mouth to interpret emotion.Across two studies, using computerized icons and human images, the researchers compared how Japanese and American cultures interpreted images, which conveyed a range of emotions. "These findings go against the popular theory that the facial expressions of basic emotions can be universally recognized," said University of Alberta researcher Dr. Takahiko Masuda. "A person's culture plays a very strong role in determining how they will perceive emotions and needs to be considered when interpreting facial expression."These cultural differences are even noticeable in computer emoticons, which are used to convey a writer's emotions over email and text messaging. Consistent with the research findings, the Japanese emoticons for happiness and sadness vary in terms of how the eyes are depicted, while American emoticons vary with the direction of the mouth. In the United States the emoticons:) and; -) denote a happy face, whereas the emoticons; (or:-( denote a sad face. However, Japanese tend to use the symbol (V) to indicate a happy face, and ( ;_;) to indicate a sad face.When participants were asked to rate the perceived levels of happiness or sadness expressed through the different computer emoticons, the researchers found that theJapanese still looked to the eyes of the emoticons to determine its emotion." We think it is quite interesting and appropriate that a culture that tends to mask its emotions, such as Japan, would focus on a person's eyes when determiningemotion, as eyes tend to be quite subtle," said Masuda. "In the United States, where overt emotion is quite common, it makes sense to focus on the mouth, which is the most expressive feature on a person's face."These findings are published in the current issue of The Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. The results also suggest the interesting possibility that the Japanese may be better than Americans at detecting "false smiles". If the-position of the eyes is the key to whether someone's smile is false or true, Japanese may be particularly good at detecting whether someone is lying or being "fake". However, these questions can only be answered with future research.6. It is revealed in a study that______.A. eyes are used to control emotionsB. mouth is used to express emotionsC. facial emotions vary with culturesD. culture determines facial emotions7. Most people believe that_______ .A. facial emotions can be universally interpretedB. culture determines how one perceives emotionsC. human images convey a wide range of emotionsD. culture should be considered in interpreting emotions8. It is obvious that emoticons are_______.A. more noticeable than human imagesB. icons used to convey human emotionsC. used much more in Japan than in AmericaD. used to denote happiness rather than sadness9. There is no doubt that______.A. eyes are less used to express overt emotionsB. eyes are usually depicted to indicate a happy faceC. the Japanese is particularly good at detecting "false smiles"D. the Japanese is good at detecting whether someone is lying10. It can be inferred from the text that culture______.A. primarily focuses on the eyes to interpret emotionsB. tends to focus on the mouth to interpret emotionsC. plays a key role in determining facial emotionsD. is a key to interpreting facial emotions。

英语专业四级考试阅读理解题库题库概述本题库针对英语专业四级考试阅读理解部分，共包含10篇文章，每篇文章设有5道题目。

题目类型包括事实细节题、推理判断题、主旨大意题和词义猜测题。

本题库旨在帮助考生熟悉考试题型，提高阅读理解能力。

题库内容文章1：Passage：Questions：1. What is the main idea of the passage?B. The Internet brings both benefits and challenges.C. The Internet causes information overload and privacy issues.D. We should reduce our reliance on the Internet.2. According to the passage, what is one of the challenges brought by the Internet?B. Information overload.C. Online privacy issues.D. Entertainment addiction.3. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?B. The Internet provides various forms of entertainment.C. Information overload makes it difficult to find useful information.D. The Internet has no influence on our daily life.文章2：Passage：Questions：1. What is the main topic of the passage?A. Global warming.B. Carbon emissions.C. Renewable energy.D. International cooperation.2. According to the passage, what is one of the main causes of global warming?A. Deforestation.B. Carbon emissions.C. Solar power generation.D. Wind power generation.3. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?A. Global warming is a serious problem.C. Renewable energy sources are important for achieving the goal of reducing carbon emissions.D. Solar power is the only solution to global warming.文章3：Passage：In recent years, the sharing economy has gained popularity. Services such as ride-sharing and home-sharing have made it easier for people to access goods and services on-demand. However, the sharing economy also raises concerns about regulation and safety.Questions：1. What is the main idea of the passage?B. The sharing economy brings regulation and safety concerns.C. The sharing economy is the future of business.D. Regulations should be implemented to control the sharing economy.2. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?A. The sharing economy has no impact on the traditional economy.B. Ride-sharing services have made transportation more convenient.C. The sharing economy is only popular in developed countries.D. Safety concerns are the main reason for the regulation of the sharing economy.3. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?A. The sharing economy has gained popularity in recent years.B. Home-sharing services have made it easier to find affordable housing.C. The sharing economy raises concerns about regulation and safety.D. The sharing economy is not a threat to traditional businesses.文章4：Passage：Virtual reality (VR) is an emerging technology that has the potential to revolutionize various industries, including gaming, education, and healthcare. VR technology creates immersive experiences that can help solve real-world problems and improve people's lives.Questions：1. What is the main idea of the passage?A. VR technology is an emerging technology.B. VR technology has the potential to revolutionize various industries.C. VR technology is already widely used in healthcare.D. VR technology is a threat to traditional education.2. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?A. VR technology is only used in gaming.B. VR technology creates immersive experiences.C. VR technology is only used in developed countries.D. VR technology has no real-world applications.3. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?A. VR technology can help solve real-world problems.B. VR technology can improve people's lives.C. VR technology has the potential to revolutionize various industries.D. VR technology is only used in the gaming industry.文章5：Passage：A study conducted by researchers at Oxford University found that regular exercise can improve cognitive function in older adults. The study involved a group of participants aged 65 to 75 years old, who were assigned to either an exercise group or a control group. The exercise group engaged in moderate-intensity aerobic exercises for 30 minutes, three times a week, for a period of 12 weeks.Questions：1. What was the main objective of the study conducted by Oxford University researchers?A. To investigate the effect of regular exercise on cognitive function in older adults.B. To determine the best exercise routine for improving cognitive function.D. To identify the cause of cognitive decline in older adults.2. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?A. The study involved participants aged 55 to 65 years old.B. The exercise group engaged in high-intensity aerobic exercises.C. The study lasted for a period of 8 weeks.D. The participants in the control group did not engage in any physical activity.3. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?A. The study was conducted by researchers at Oxford University.B. Regular exercise can improve cognitive function in older adults.C. The study involved a group of participants aged 65 to 75 years old.D. The exercise group engaged in moderate-intensity aerobic exercises for 30 minutes, three times a。

专四英语阅读题专四英语阅读题下面是店铺给大家提供的.专业四级的英语阅读题及答案，欢迎大家参考练习!第一篇：What 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 makeit 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.1. 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. The 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.2. 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 studying3. 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 ability4. 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 music5. 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 T alents第二篇：The case for college has been accepted without question for more than a generation. All high school graduates ought to go, says conventional wisdom and statistical evidence, because college will help them earn more money, become "better" people, and learn to be more responsible citizens than those who don't go.But college has never been able to work its magic for everyone. And now that close to half our high school graduates are attending, those who don't fit the pattern are becoming more numerous, and more obvious. College graduates are selling shoes and driving taxis; college students interfere with each other's experiments and write false letters of recommendation in the intense competition for admission to graduate school. Other find no stimulation in their studies, and drop out—often encouraged by college administrators.Some observers say the fault is with the young people themselves—they are spoiled and they are expecting too much.But that is a condemnation of the students as a whole, and doesn't explain all campus unhappiness. Others blame the state of the world, and they are partly right. We have been told that young people have to go to college because our economy can't absorb an army of untrained eighteen-year-olds. But disappointed graduates are learning that it can no longer absorb an army of trained twenty-two-year-olds, either.Some adventuresome educators and watchers have openly begun to suggest that college may not be the best, the proper, the only place for every young person after the completion of high school. We may have been looking at all those surveys and statistics upside down, it seems, and through the rosy glow of our own remembered college experiences. Perhaps college doesn't make people intelligent, ambitious, happy, liberal, or quick to learn things—may it is just the other way around, and intelligent, ambitious, happy, liberal, quick-learning people are merely the ones who have been attracted to college in the first place. And perhaps all those successful college graduates would have been successful whether they had gone to college or not. This is heresy to those of us who have been brought up to believe that if a little schooling is good, more has to be much better. But contrary evidence is beginning to mount up.1.According to the author, ___.A.people used to question the value of college education.B.people used to have full confidence in higher education.C.all high school graduates went to college.D.very few high school graduates chose to go to college.2.In the 2nd paragraph, "those who don't fit the pattern" refer to___.A.high school graduates who aren't suitable for collegeeducation.B.college graduates who are selling shoes and driving taxis.C.college students who aren't any better for their higher education.D.high school graduates who failed to be admitted to college.3.The dropout rate of college students seems to go up because___.A.young people are disappointed with the conventional way of teaching at college.B.many people are required to join the army.C.young people have little motivation in pursuing a higher education.D.young people don't like the intense competition for admission to graduate school.4.According to the passage, the problems of college education partly originate in the fact that___.A.society cannot provide enough jobs for properly trained graduates.B.High school graduates do not fit the pattern of college education.C.Too many students have to earn their own living.D.College administrators encourage students to drop out.5.In this passage the author argues that___.A.more and more evidence shows college education may not be the best thing for high school graduates.B.College education is not enough if one wants to be successful.C.College education benefits only the intelligent, ambitious, and quick-learning people.D.Intelligent people may learn quicker if they don't go tocollege.>>>>>>参考答案<<<<<<第一篇：BACDA第二篇：BCCAA。

Material4_8综合英语专四阅读训练Material 4-8Text AAn assumption is something taken for granted. Everyone makes assumptions—you have to in order to say anything. As a critical reader, you need to determine what the assumption is and then decide whether you agree or disagree with the assumption. Once you decide, your attitude toward the argument will change. Careful, honest writers know what their assumptions are and lay the most important ones out for all to judge. Hidden assumptions may be all right for humor or fairly harmless in topical journalism, but they can be dangerous in serious written argument. Important assumptions should be explicit and detailed, for then the reader can judge their validity. If you do not agree with a writer's assumptions, then you will never agree with his/her arguments.As indicated above, an assumption is a belief that we take for granted as a basis for an assertion. All kinds of statements rely on assumptions—questions, commands, promises, and assertions. The simple command "Pass the salt" is based on several assumptions, including that the salt can be passed, that you can pass it, and that I have the right to ask you to pass it. Some assumptions are unexpressed. We would be the joke of the neighborhood if we went around articulating our assumptions every time we asked someone to pass the salt. We get into trouble, however, when we fail to recognize important assumptions that subtly guide our thoughts.Sophocles said, "Reason is God's crowning gift to man." A statement like this seems innocent enough. When we think aboutit, we easily recognize that he was basing the statement on two major assumptions: (1) that man has a mind, and (2) that God exists. Hidden in the statement, however, are some subtle assumptions that we may or may not support, including; (1) God is a personal force capable of making a gift; (2) reason is a more important gift than heart, soul, or body; and (3) woman's mind is not a gift of God. Once we articulate these assumptions, we might heave a sigh.1. According to this passage, an assumption is________.A. something that everyone knowsB. the idea the writer wants to emphasizeC. the reader's knowledge about the topicD. foundation of the writer's reasoning2. Assumptions are important for critical readers because they can help readers to_______.A. grasp the topic exactlyB. understand the argument passage exactlyC. evaluate the argument passageD. compare the argument passage with similar argument passages3. The author's attitude toward Sophocles' statement is_________.A. positiveB. negativeC. neutralD. not mentioned4. What can we infer from the passage?A. A good writer should clearly state all his assumptions.B. Once we find assumptions, we will find the writer's problems.C. We need not clearly express our assumptions in oral communication.D. Major assumptions are important for both the writer and the reader.Text BIt is hard to conceive of a language without nouns or verbs. But that is just what Riau Indonesian is, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, in Leipzigstates. Dr. Gil has been studying Riau for the past 12 years. Initially, he says, he struggled with the language, despite being fluent in standard Indonesian. However, a breakthrough came when he realized that what he had been thinking of as different parts of speech were, in fact, grammatically the same. For example, the phrase "the chicken is eating" translates into colloquial Riau as "ayam makan". Literally, this is pie, the phrase "chicken eat". But the same pair of words also have meanings as diverse as "the chicken is making somebody eat", "somebody is eating where the chicken is". There are, he says, no modifiers that distinguish the tenses of verbs. Nor are there modifiers for nouns that distinguish the definite from the indefinite. Indeed, there are no features in Riau Indonesian that distinguish nouns from verbs. The categories, he says, are imposed because the languages that western linguists are familiar with have them.This sort of observation flies in the face of conventional wisdom about what language is Most linguists are influenced by the work of Noam Chomsky—in particular, his theory of " deep grammar". According to Dr. Chomsky, people are born with a sort of linguistic template in the brains. This is a set of rules that allows children to learn a language quickly, but also imposes constraints and structure on what is learnt. Evidence in support of this theoryincludes the tendency of children to make systematic mistakes which indicate a tendency to impose rules on what turn to be grammatical exceptions (e. g. "I dided it" instead of "I did it"). There is also the ability of the children of migrant workers to invent new languages known as Creoles out of the grammatically incoherent pidgin spoken by their parents. Exactly what the deep grammar consists of is still not clear, but a basic distinction between nouns and verbs would probably be one of its minimum requirements.Dr. Gil contends, however, that there is a risk of unconscious bias leading to the conclusion that a particular sort of grammar exists in an unfamiliar language. That is because it is easier for linguists to discover extra features in foreign languages—for example, tones that change the meaning of words, which are common in Indonesian but do not exist in European languages—the to realize that elements which are taken for granted in a linguist's native language may be absent from another. Despite the best intentions, he says, there is a tendency to fit languages into mould. And since most linguists are westerners, that mould is usually an Indo-European language from the West.It needs not, however, be a modern language. Dr. Gil's point about bias is well illustrate by the history of the study of the world's most widely spoken tongue. Many of the people who developed modern linguistics had had an education in Latin and Greek. As a consequence, English was often described until well into the 20th century as having six different noun cases, because Latin has six. Only relatively recently did grammarians begin a debate over noun cases in English Some now contend that it does not have noun cases at all, others that it has two while still others maintain that there are three or four cases.The difficulty is compounded if a linguist is not fluent in the language he U studying. The process of linguistic fieldwork is a painstaking one, fraught with pitfalls. Its mainstay is the use of "informants" who tell linguists, in interviews and on paper, about their language. Unfortunately, these informants tend to be better-educated than their fellows, and are often fluent in more than one language.5. Which of the following statements is NOT true of Riau Indonesian?A. It is quite different from standard Indonesian.B. It shares some features with western languages.C. There are no distinct features between nouns and verbs.D. It is hard for western linguists to differentiate verb tenses.6. ________ cannot serve as evidence of Noam Chomsky's theory of "deep grammar".A. "He never forgaved her for teasing him. "B. "She beganed to feel a sense of panic. "C. "Sheeps were grazing on the hillside. "D. "There are a desk and two chairs here. "7. It can be inferred from the third paragraph that_______.A. linguists tend to choose a better way to explain unfamiliar languagesB. Riau Indonesian belongs to the Indo-European language familyC. Riau Indonesian might not fit into an existing mouldD. Dr. Gil's argument has been criticized by other linguists8. The author's attitude towards Dr. Gil's contentions is one of _______.A. disbeliefB. deprecationC. corroborationD. ambiguity9. The word "pitfalls" in the last paragraph probably means_______.A. problemsB. grievanceC. punsD. knowledge10. If there is another paragraph following the passage, it might talk about________.A. what the results of Dr. Gil's research on Riau IndonesianB. what the results of linguists' research on Riau IndonesianC. how Dr. Gil carries out his research on Riau IndonesianD. how linguists carry out their research on Riau Indonesian。