2009年考研英语阅读理解精读100篇(高分版)TEXT4

2009考研英语阅读理解精选试题及答案解析Unit1Part ADirections:Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. （40 points）Text 1It's plain common sense - the more happiness you feel, the less unhappiness you experience. It's plain common sense, but it's not true. Recent research reveals that happiness and unhappiness are not really two sides of the same emotion. They are two distinct feelings that, coexisting, rise and fall independently.People might think that the higher a person's level of unhappiness, the lower their level of happiness and vice versa. But when researchers measure people's average levels of happiness and unhappiness, they often find little relationship between the two.The recognition that feelings of happiness and unhappiness can co-exist much like love and hate in a close relationship may offer valuable clues on how to lead a happier life. It suggests, for example, that changing or avoiding things that make you miserable may well make you less miserable, but probably won't make you any happier. That advice is backed up by an extraordinary series of studies which indicate that a genetic predisposition for unhappiness may run in certain families. On the other hand, researchers have found happiness doesn't appear to be anyone's heritage. The capacity for joy is a talent you develop largely for yourself.Psychologists have settled on a working definition of the feeling - happiness is a sense of subjective well-being. They have also begun to find out who's happy, who isn't and why. To date, the research hasn't found a simple formula for a happy life, but it has discovered some of the actions and attitudes that seem to bring peoplecloser to that most desired of feelings.Why is unhappiness less influenced by environment? When we are happy, we are more responsive to people and keep up connections better than when we are feeling sad. This doesn't mean, however, that some people are born to be sad and that's that. Genes may predispose one to unhappiness, but disposition can be influenced by personal choice. You can increase your happiness through your own actions.1. According to the text, it is true thatA．unhappiness is more inherited than affected by environment.B．happiness and unhappiness are mutually conditional.C．unhappiness is subject to external more than internal factors.D．happiness is an uncontrollable subjective feeling.2. The author argues that one can achieve happiness byA． maintaining it at an average level.B．escaping miserable occurrences in life.C．pursuing it with one's painstaking effort.D．realizing its coexistence with unhappiness.3. The phrase "To date" (Par.4) can be best replaced byA．As a result.B．In addition.C．At present.D．Until now.4. What do you think the author believes about happiness and unhappiness?A．One feels unhappy owing to his miserable origin.B．They are independent but existing concurrentlyC．One feels happy by participating in more activities.D．They are actions and attitudes taken by human beings.5. The sentence "That's that" (Par. 5) probably means: Some people are born to be sadA．and the situation cannot be altered.B．and happiness remains inaccessible.C．but they don't think much about it. D．but they remain unconscious of it.。

Text 1习惯是一件有趣的事。

我们是无意识地在进行我们的习惯，它们是我们的大脑进入自动航行模式，轻松的体会熟悉行为的无意识的舒适。

威廉姆·沃德华兹在19世纪说过：“我们毫无选择，但是习惯也主宰着无意识的兽群。

”在变化不断的21世纪，即使“习惯”这个词都有消极的含义。

所以当将谈论习惯有创造性和创新性的内涵时是恰恰是相反的。

但是大脑研究者已经发现当我们有意识的形成新的习惯的时候，我们创造了相似的突触路径甚至是全新的脑细胞，我们可以将我们的思考跳跃到完全新的不一样的路径。

但是不要麻烦去去除旧习惯；一旦这些程序的路径进入海马体，它们就会留在那里了。

我们刻意养成的习惯会形成类似的路径且能绕过旧路径。

“创新首先要对好奇着迷，”《开放性思维》的作者及专业思考合伙人的行政改革顾问当娜·马克沃说，“而我们却被教去‘决定’，我们的总统成他自己为‘决裁者’。

”然而她还说，“做决定是只留下一个可能而否定其他所有的。

一个好的创新性思维的人总是探索许多其他的可能性。

”她说，我们所有人有通过我们了解的方式解决问题。

19世纪70年代后期的研究者认为人类生来就有四种解决问题应对挑战的能力：分析，程序，关联和创新。

然而在青春期大脑会关闭一半的能力，只留下对我们前十来年左右用的思考模式。

现在的标准化考试的重点强调分析和程序，意味着我们几乎不会因其使用创新和关联的思考模式。

“这可能会打破美国信念体系中的主要规则——每个人能做所有事，”2006年的一本书《这些年，我将...》的作者M.J.Ryan以及马克沃小姐的工作伙伴解释说“这是一个们已经延续下去的谎言，这回培养平凡。

知道你自己的长处并且更多的去开发它将会创造卓越。

”这是培养习惯的由来。

6paragraphs（6个段落，以及每个段落的总结）解释习惯习惯的积极意义和习惯的作用机制新旧习惯的关系对好奇着迷是一种习惯，而我们被教育做决定，而不是创新性的思考，探索各种可能性人类有四种应对挑战的能力现在的教育注重于前两个能力。

TEXT 2 He emerged, all of a sudden, in 1957: the most explosive new poetic talent of the English post-war era. Poetry specialised, at that moment, in the wry chronicling of the everyday. The poetry of Yorkshire-born Ted Hughes, first published in a book called "The Hawk in the Rain" when he was 27, was unlike anything written by his immediate predecessors. Driven by an almost Jacobean rhetoric, it had a visionary fervour. Its most eye-catching characteristic was Hughes’s ability to get beneath the skins of animals: foxes, otters, pigs. These animals were the real thing all right, but they were also armorial devices-symbols of the countryside and lifeblood of the earth in which they were rooted. It gave his work a raw, primal stink. It was not only England that thought so either. Hughes’s book was also published in America, where it won the Galbraith prize, a major literary award. But then, in 1963, Sylvia Plath, a young American poet whom he had first met at Cambridge University in 1956, and who became his wife in the summer of that year, committed suicide. Hughes was vilified for long after that, especially by feminists in America. In 1998, the year he died, Hughes broke his own self-imposed public silence about their relationship in a book of loose-weave poems called "Birthday Letters".In this new and exhilarating collection of real letters, Hughes returns to the issue of his first wife’s death, which he calls his "big and unmanageable event". He felt his talent muffled by the perpetual eavesdropping upon his every move. Not until he decided to publish his own account of their relationship did the burden begin to lighten. The analysis is raw, pained and ruthlessly self-aware. For all the moral torment, the writing itself has the same rush and vigour that possessed Hughes’s early poetry. Some books of letters serve as a personalised historical chronicle. Poets’letters are seldom like that, and Hughes’s are no exception. His are about a life of literary engagement: almost all of them include some musing on the state or the nature of writing, both Hughes’s own or other people’s. The trajectory of Hughes’s literary career had him moving from obscurity to fame, and then, in the eyes of many, to life-long notoriety. These letters are filled with his wrestling with the consequences of being the part-private, part-public creature that he became, desperate to devote himself to his writing, and yet subject to endless invasions of his privacy. Hughes is an absorbing and intricate commentator upon his own poetry, even when he is standing back from it and good-humouredly condemning himself for "its fantasticalia, its pretticisms and its infinite verballifications". He also believed, from first to last, that poetry had a special place in the education of children. "What kids need", he wrote in a 1988 letter to the secretary of state for education in the Conservative government, "is a headfull [sic] of songs that are not songs but blocks of refined and achieved and exemplary language." When that happens, children have "the guardian angel installed behind the tongue". Lucky readers, big or small. 1．The poetry of Hughes’s forerunners is characteristic of ______ [A] its natural, crude flavor. [B] its distorted depiction of people’s daily life. [C] its penetrating sight. [D] its fantastical enthusiasm. 2.The word "vilified" (Line 3, Paragraph 2)most probably means _____ [A] tortured [B] harassed [C] scolded [D] tormented 3．According to the third paragraph, Hughes’s collection of letters are _____ [A] personal recollection of his life. [B] personalised historical chronicle of his literary engagement. [C] reflections of his struggle with his devotion and the reality. [D] his meditation on the literary world. 4. From the letters, we may find the cause of Hughes’s internal struggle is _____ [A] his devotion to the literary world. [B] that he is a part-private, part-public creature. [C] that he is constrained by the fear of his privacy being invaded. [D] his fame and notoriety. 5. By "lucky readers" in the last sentence, the author means_____ [A] children who read poetry. [B] children who have a headfull of songs. [C] children who own blocks of refined and achieved and exemplary language. [D] children who have the guardian angel installed behind the tongue 篇章剖析： 本⽂讲述了英国诗⼈特德·休斯作品的特点和其所反映的诗⼈的⼀些情况。

2009年考研英语阅读理解精读100篇（高分版）TEXT4在经过半年多时间的痛苦创作之后，我也可以长长的松一口气，如期向我的学生们兑现6月份来我博客免费下载《2009考研英语阅读理解精读100篇（高分版）》的承诺了。

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主要适合的考研人群为业已通过四级考试并希望能在考研英语考试中考取70分以上成绩的考生。

希望考研的XDJM们再接再厉，每个人都能取得好成绩。

TEXT FOURJust as Norman Mailer, John Updike and Philip Roth were at various times regarded as the greatest American novelist since the second world war, John Ashbery and Robert Lowell vied for the title of greatest American poet. Yet the two men could not be more different. Lowell was a public figure who engaged with politics-in 1967 he marchedshoulder-to-shoulder with Mailer in protest against the Vietnam war, as described in Mailer’s novel "The Armies of the Night". Lowell took on substantial themes and envisioned himself as a tragic, heroic figure, fighting against his owndemons. Mr Ashbery’s verse, by contrast, is more beguilingly casual. In his hands, the making of a poem can feel like the tumbling of dice on a table top. Visible on the page is a delicately playful strewing of words, looking to engage with each other in a shyly puzzled fashion. And there is an element of Dada-like play in his unpredictability of address with its perpetual shifting of tones.Lowell, who died in 1977 at the age of 60, addressed the world head on. By contrast, Mr Ashbery, who celebrated his 80th birthday earlier this year, glances wryly at the world and its absurdities. In this edition of his later poems, a substantial gathering of verses selected from six volumes published over the past 20 years, his poetry does not so much consist of themes to be explored as comic routines to be improvised. He mocks the very idea of the gravity of poetry itself. His tone can be alarmingly inconsequential, as if the reader is there to be perpetually wrong-footed. He shifts easily from the elevated to the work-a-day. His poems are endlessly digressive and there are often echoes of other poets in his writings, though these always come lightly at the reader, as though they were scents on the breeze.Lowell wrote in strict formal measures; some of his lastbooks consisted of entire sequences of sonnets. Mr Ashbery can also be partial to particular forms of verse, though these tend to be of a fairly eccentric kind-the cento (a patchwork of other poets’works), for example, and the pantoum (a Malaysian form, said to have been introduced to 19th-century Europe by Victor Hugo). Often he writes in a free-flowing, conversational manner that depends for its success upon the fact that the ending of lines is untrammelled by any concern about whether or not they scan. Within many of his poems, there often seems to be a gently humorous antagonism between one stanza and the next. Mr Ashbery likes using similes in his poetry. This is often the poet’s stock-in-trade, but he seems to single them out in order to send up the very idea of the simile in poetry, as in "Violets blossomed loudly/ like a swear word in an empty tank".Life, for Lowell, was a serious matter, just as he was a serious man. Mr Ashbery’s approach, as evinced by his poetry, is more that of a gentle shrug of amused bewilderment. Unlike Lowell’s, his poems are neither autobiographical nor confessional. He doesn’t take himself that seriously. "Is all of life a tepid housewarming?" For a poet this is a tougher question to answer than you might think.1.The word "substantial" (Line 4, Paragraph 1) most probably means_____.[A] serious[B] big[C] important[D] real2. The last words of Lowell mean that_____.[A] the world should go forward without stopping.[B] the world should not mourn for him.[C] the world should forget him totally.[D] the world should go on its path for a bright future.3. Which one of the following is NOT the characteristics of Ashbery’s poetry?[A] Some lines are borrowed from the other poets’works.[B] Stanzas are different from each other in one poem.[C] Words are scattered casually in his poetry.[D] Tones are continuously changing from the highbrow to the common.4. Mr. Ashbery’s similes in poetry are different from that of the other poets in that_____.[A] he likes to single them out.[B] he uses them in an eccentric way.[C] he uses simile for simile.[D] he uses simile to express his complex thought.5. Why the author think the question Ashbery raised isa tougher one for a poet than we might think?[A] Because a poet looks at things in a very complicated way.[B] Because a poet takes life seriously.[C] Because this question is a difficult one.[D] Because the theme of life is worth thinking for a poet.篇章剖析：这篇文章介绍了美国诗人Ashbery和其诗歌的特点，文章虽然是以两个诗人对比的形式写作的，但是却对Ashbery着墨偏多，另外一个诗人洛厄尔只是一个陪衬而已。

在经过半年多时间的痛苦创作之后，我也可以长长的松⼀⼝⽓，如期向我的学⽣们兑现6⽉份来我博客免费下载《2009考研英语阅读理解精读100篇（⾼分版）》的了。

本书共分为25个单元，每个单元有4篇⽂章，难度偏⾼。

主要适合的考研⼈群为业已通过四级考试并希望能在考研英语考试中考取70分以上成绩的考⽣。

希望考研的XDJM们再接再厉，每个⼈都能取得好成绩。

TEXT TEN A boy or a girl? That is usually the first question asked when a woman gives birth. Remarkably, the answer varies with where the mother lives. In rich countries the chances of its being a boy are about 5% higher than in poor ones. Equally remarkably, that figure has been falling recently. Several theories have been put forward to explain these observations. Some argue that smoking plays a role, others that diet may be important. Neither of these ideas has been supported by evidence from large studies. But new research points to a different factor: stress. Strange as it might seem, the terrorist attacks of September 11th 2001 shed light on the enigma. Studies noting the sex of babies conceived in New York during the week of the attacks found a drop in the ratio of males to females. That is consistent with earlier studies, which revealed a similar shift in women who became pregnant during floods and earthquakes and in time of war. Moreover, a study carried out eight years ago by researchers at the University of Aarhus, in Denmark, revealed that women who suffered the death of a child or spouse from some catastrophic illness around the time they conceived were much more likely to give birth to girls than to boys. Taken together, these results suggest that acute stress to a woman at the time of conception shifts the sex ratio towards girls. However, Carsten Obel, a researcher at Aarhus who was not involved in the earlier study, wondered if the same might be true of chronic stress too. In a paper just published in Human Development, he shows that it is. Dr Obel used a set of data collected between 1989 and 1992. During that period 8,719 expectant mothers were asked to fill in questionnaires that inquired, among other things, about their level of stress. Dr Obel found that the more stressed a mother had been, the less chance she had of having given birth to a boy. Only 47% of children born to women in the top quartile of stress were males. That compared with 52% for women in the bottom quartile. Dr Obel suspects the immediate cause is that male pregnancies are more likely to miscarry in response to stress than female pregnancies are, especially during the first three months. However, that is difficult to prove. More intriguing, though, is the ultimate cause, for he thinks it might be adaptive, rather than pathological. That is because the chances are that a daughter who reaches adulthood will find a mate and thus produce grandchildren. A son is a different matter. Healthy, strapping sons are likely to produce lots of grandchildren, by several women-or would have done in the hunter-gatherer societies in which most human evolution took place. Weak ones would be marginalised and maybe even killed in the cut and thrust of male competition. If a mother’s stress adversely affects the development of her fetus then selectively aborting boys, rather than wasting time and resources on bringing them to term, would make evolutionary sense. That, in turn, would explain why women in rich countries, who are less likely to suffer from hunger and disease, are more likely to give birth to sons. That this likelihood is, nevertheless, falling suggests that rich women’s lives may be more stressful than they used to be. 1. The author begins the passage by_____. [A] presenting an argumentation [B] explaining a phenomenon [C] raising a question [D] making a comparison 2. The ratio of giving birth to a boy is falling in rich countries because_____. [A] the terrorist attacks of September 11th 2001 exerted huge negative impact [B] women are facing greater pressure than past [C] women are under new pressure now which they seldom faced in the past [D] male pregnancies are more easily to miscarry 3. Which of the following can explain Dr Obel’s opinion that the ultimat cause is adaptive rather than pathological? [A] 47% of children born to women in the top quartile of stress were males while 52% in the bottom quartile. [B] Women in rich countries are more likely to give birth to boys [C] Women selectively abort boys rather than waste time and resources on bringing them to term for fear of male competition. [D] Women who suffer from calamity in conception are more likely to give birth to girls. 4. Women in the hunter-gatherer societies are more likely to give birth to daughters because_____. [A] they agree that giving birth to daughters is beneficial in the evolutionary sense [B] sons are likely to produce lots of grandchildren with several women [C] they think it is a better practice for a daughter to produce grandchildren with only one mate [D] they think bringing sons to term is wasting time and resources. 5.From this passage, we may draw a conclusion that_____. [A] acute stress is more likely to cause women to choose aborting boys than chronic stress. [B] stress to a woman at the time of conception, whether acute or chronic, will shift the sex ratio towards girls. [C] more girls will be born in the future because today’s women, in both rich and poor countries, suffer from increasing pressure. [D] chronic stress is more decisive in influencing the women’s pregnancies. ⽂章剖析： 这篇⽂章是介绍影响婴⼉出⽣性别原因的⼀个新的研究成果－－压⼒。

09专四阅读真题⽂章来源于络，仅供参考 [1] 阅读⼀ Text A or C? Windows Setup CD It was late in the afternoon, and I was putting the final burnishes on a piece of writing that I was feeling pretty good about. Yes, okay, it was an e-mail, but it was a clever one and I hated to lose it. My cursor had frozen. I tried to shut the computer down, and it seized up altogether. Unsure of what else to do, I yanked the battery out. Unfortunately, Windows had been in the midst of a delicate and crucial undertaking. The next morning, when I turned my computer back on, it informed me that a file had been corrupted and Windows would not load. More graciously, it offered to repair itself by using the Windows Setup CD. I opened the special drawer where I keep CDs. But no Windows CD. I was forced to call the computer company's Global Support Center. My call was answered by a woman in some unnamed, far-off land. I find it vexing to make small talk with someone when I don't know what continent they're standing on. Suppose I were to comment on the beautiful weather we've been having when there was a monsoon at the other end of the phone? So I got right to the point. "My computer is telling me a file is corrupted and it wants to fix itself, but I don't have the Windows Setup CD." "So you're having a problem with your Windows Setup CD." She had apparently been dozing and, having come to just as the sentence ended, was attempting to cover for her inattention. I recognized the technique from a thousand breakfast conversations. It quickly became clear that the woman was not a computer technician. Her job was to serve as a gatekeeper, a human shield for the techs, who were off in the back room, or possibly another far-off continent, playing cards and burning CDs for their friends. Her sole duty, as far as I could tell, was to raise global stress levels. To make me disappear, the woman gave me the phone number for Windows' creator, Microsoft. This is like giving someone the phone number for, I don't know, North America. Besides, the CD worked; I just didn't have it. No matter how many times I repeated my story, we came back to the same place. She was unflappable and resolutely polite. When my voice hit a certain decibel, I was passed along, like a hot, irritable potato, to a technician. "You don't have the Windows Setup CD, ma'am, because you don't need it," he explained cheerfully. "Windows came preinstalled on your computer!" "But I do need it." "Yes, but you don't have it." We went on like this for a while. Finally, he offered to walk me through the use of a different CD, one that would erase my entire system. "Of course, you'd lose all your e-mail, your documents, your photos." It was like offering to drop a safe on my head to cure my headache. "You might be able to recover them, but it would be expensive." He sounded delighted. "And it's not covered by the warranty!" The safe began to seem like a good idea, provided it was full. I hung up the phone and drove my computer to a small, friendly repair place I'd heard about. A smart, helpful man dug out a Windows CD and told me it wouldn't be a problem. An hour later, he called to let me know it was ready. I thanked him, and we chatted about the weather, which was the same outside my window as it was outside his. [2] 阅读⼆ Reading Text B Phony Phone Calls / Hello? I'm Glad You Called FINALLY, a cellphone service available to everyone, everywhere - free! No overage charges, no hidden fees, no contracts and no dropped calls, ever. Probably thousands of people have already been using it, but I just discovered it, so I'm going to claim it and also name it: Fake Foning. The technology has been working well for me at the office, but there are infinite applications. Virtually any public space. Say you work at a big university with lots of talky faculty members - not to mention talky students - buzzing about. Now, say you need to use the restroom. The trip down the hall will, you know, take approximately one hour. Because a person can't walk into those talky people without getting pulled aside for a question, a bit of gossip, a new read on a certain line of Paradise Lost. So, a cellphone. Any cellphone. Just pick it up. Don't dial. Just hold that phone to your face and start talking. Walk confidently down the hall engaged in fake conversation, making sure to tailor both the tenor and content to the person standing before you whom you are trying to evade.2 For standard colleague avoidance, I suggest fake chatting about fake business: "Yes, and that's why I'm glad you called, because we really need to hammer out the details. What's that? Yes, I read Page 12, but if you look at the bottom of 4, I think you can see the problem begins right there." Be animated. Be engrossed in your fake fone conversation. Make eye contact with the people passing, nod to them, gesture keen interest in talking to them at a later time, 3point to your phone, shrug and move on. Shoppers should consider fake foning anytime they spot a talky neighbor in the produce department pinching unripe peaches. Without your phone at your face, you'd be in for a 20-minute speech on how terrible the world is. Singles feeling shy about entering a bar to meet the cute woman sitting in the window should fake fone their way into that bar, fake chat their way right toward the cute one, using fake fone conversation such as: "Thank you. Yeah, I feel really good about the award. I know, it's a lot of money. Maybe I can buy that houseboat! Just kidding. I'll donate the first million to the refugees who so desperately need it, then invest." You'd want, of course, to carry this fake conversation on at a high volume as you approach the cute one. And then you should pretend your fake caller has to go, leaving you abruptly alone. Look sad. If the cute one starts up a conversation with you and asks you about the award or the refugees, well, you're on your own.4 One important caution about fake foning. The other day I was fake foning my way past a colleague, and he was actually following me to get my attention. I knew he wanted to ask about a project I had not yet finished. I was trying to buy myself some time, so I continued fake foning with my doctor. "So I don't need the operation? Oh, doctor, that is the best news." And then: Brrrrrrng! Brrrrrrng! Brrrrrrng! My phone started ringing, right there while it was planted on my face. My colleague looked at me, and I at him, and naturally I gasped. "What is the matter with this thing?" I said, pulling the phone away to look at it, and then putting it back to my ear. "Hello? Are you still there?" Oops [3] 阅读三 Reading Text D The Card Tactic Not long ago, a mysterious Christmas card dropped through our mail slot. The envelope was addressed to a man named Raoul, who, I was relatively certain, did not live with us. The envelope wasn't sealed, so I opened it. The inside of the card was blank. My husband explained that the card was both from and to the newspaper deliveryman. His name was apparently Raoul, and Raoul wanted a holiday tip. We were meant to put a check inside the card and then drop the envelope in the mail. When your services are rendered at 4 a.m., you can't simply hang around, clearing your throat like a bellhop. You have to be direct. So I wrote a nice holiday greeting to this man whom I had never seen or met, this man who, in my imagination, fires The New York Times from a howitzer aimed at our front door, causing more noise with mere newsprint than most people manage with sophisticated black market fireworks. With a start, I realized that perhaps the reason for the 4 a.m. wake-up thonks was not ordinary rudeness but carefully executed spite: I had not tipped Raoul in Christmases past. I honestly hadn't realized I was supposed to. This was the first time he'd used the card tactic. So I got out my checkbook. Somewhere along the line, holiday tipping went from an optional thank-you for a year of services well rendered to a Mafia-style protection racket. Several days later, I was bringing our garbage bins back from the curb when I noticed an envelope taped to one of the lids. The outside of the envelope said MICKEY. Unless a small person named Mickey had taken up residence in our garbage can and this missive was intended for him, it had to be another tip solicitation, this time from our garbage collector. Unlike Raoul, Mickey hadn't enclosed his own Christmas card from me. In a way, I appreciated the directness. "I know you don't care how merry my Christmas is, and that's fine," the gesture said. "I want $30, or I'll 'forget' to empty your compost bin some hot summer day."。

09年英语一text4 -回复The topic for this article is "The Impact of Global Warming on Polar Ice Caps."Introduction:Global warming, an alarming environmental problem, has been a point of concern for scientists and environmentalists for decades. One of the most affected regions by this phenomenon is the polar ice caps. This article aims to delve into the issue of how global warming has been impacting the polar ice caps and the consequences it has for the planet. By providing a step-by-step analysis, we will explore the causes, effects, and potential solutions to mitigate this crisis.Step 1: Understanding the Causes of Global Warming:Global warming is primarily caused by the greenhouse gas effect. Human activities such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation lead to the release of large amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. These gases trap excessive heat from the sun within the Earth's atmosphere, resulting in a rise in global temperatures.Step 2: The Direct Impact on Polar Ice Caps:The rise in global temperatures has a direct impact on the polar ice caps. The Arctic, located in the northern hemisphere, and the Antarctic, in the southern hemisphere, are the two polar regions predominantly affected. Due to the warming trend, polar ice caps are rapidly melting. This melting process has serious implications for the environment, wildlife, and the overall stability of the Earth's climate system.Step 3: The Consequences of Melting Polar Ice Caps:The melting of polar ice caps has numerous consequences. Firstly, it leads to a rise in sea levels. As the ice melts, it adds more water to the oceans, causing coastal areas to become increasingly vulnerable to flooding and erosion. Additionally, the loss of ice reduces the planet's ability to reflect sunlight back into space, further exacerbating the global warming effect.Step 4: Impact on Wildlife and Ecosystems:The polar regions are home to a diverse range of wildlife species, including polar bears, penguins, seals, and numerous fish species. The melting of ice adversely affects their habitats, forcing them to adapt or migrate, often disrupting entire ecosystems. For example,polar bears rely on sea ice platforms to hunt seals, but with the reduction in ice cover, these bears face increased difficulty finding food, ultimately threatening their survival.Step 5: Climatic Changes Beyond the Poles:The melting of polar ice caps also affects climatic patterns globally. The release of freshwater from the melting ice can disrupt ocean currents responsible for regulating temperatures, resulting in altered weather patterns and the potential for extreme events such as hurricanes and typhoons. Moreover, the loss of reflective ice surfaces contributes to a positive feedback loop, causing further warming and amplifying the effects of global warming on a global scale.Step 6: Potential Solutions:To mitigate the impact of global warming on polar ice caps, several measures need to be taken. Implementing international policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is crucial. Transitioning to renewable energy sources, promoting afforestation, and increasing energy efficiency are vital steps. Additionally, protecting and expanding marine protected areas in the polar regions can help safeguard vulnerable ecosystems and wildlife.Conclusion:The impact of global warming on polar ice caps is evident andfar-reaching. Rising global temperatures, caused byhuman-induced climate change, have led to the rapid melting of ice in the polar regions. This not only results in rising sea levels but also has severe consequences for wildlife, ecosystems, and global climate patterns. By taking immediate action and adopting sustainable practices, we can hope to mitigate the crisis and preserve our planet for future generations.。

2009 Text 4（英语⼆）⽂明The most thoroughly studied intellectuals in the history of the new world are the ministers and of seventeenth-century New England.According to the standard history of American philosophy, nowhere else in colonial America was "So much importance attached to intellectual pursuits. "According to many books and articles, New England's leaders established the basic themes and preoccupations of an unfolding, dominant Puritan tradition in American intellectual life.To take this approach to the normally means to start with the ' theological innovations and their distinctive ideas about the church — important subjects that we may not neglect.But in keeping with our examination of southern intellectual life, we may consider the original Puritans as carriers of European culture adjusting to New world circumstances.The New England colonies were the scenes of important episodes in the pursuit of widely understood ideals of civility and virtuosity.The early settlers of Bay included men of impressive education and in fluence in England.political leaders 在新⼤陆的历史上，被研究得最彻底的学者是 17 世纪新英格兰的牧师和政治领袖们。

A history of long and effortless success can be a dreadful handicap, but, if properly handled, it may become a driving force. When the United States entered just such a glowing period after the end of the Second World War, it had a market eight times larger than any competitor, giving its industries unparalleled economies of scale. Its scientists were the world's best, its workers the most skilled. America and Americans were prosperous beyond the dreams of the Europeans and Asians whose economies the war had destroyed.It was inevitable that this primacy should have narrowed as other countries grew richer. Just as inevitably, the retreat from predominance proved painful. By the mid-1980s Americans had found themselves at a loss over their fading industrial competitiveness. Some huge American industries, such as consumer electronics, had shrunk or vanished in the face of foreign competition. By 1987 there was only one American television maker left, Zenith. (Now there is none: Zenith was bought by South Korea's LG Electronics in July。

Two years ago, a Danish environmentalist called Bjorn Lomborg had an idea. We all want to makethe world a better place but, given finite resources, we should look for the most cost-effective ways ofdoing so. He persuaded a bunch of economists, including three Nobel laureates, to draw up a list ofpriorities. They found that efforts to fight malnutrition and disease would save many lives at modestexpense, whereas fighting global warming would cost a colossal amount and yield distant and uncertainrewards. That conclusion upset a lot of environmentalists. This week, another man who upsets a lot of peopleembraced it. John Bolton, America’s ambassador to the United Nations, said that Mr Lomborg’ sCopenhagen Consensus provided a useful way for the world body to get its priorities straight. Too oftenat the UN, said Mr Bolton, everything is a priority. The secretary-general is charged with carrying out9,000 mandates, he said, and when you have 9,000 priorities you have none. So, over the weekend, Mr Bolton sat down with UN diplomats from seven other countries to rank40 ways of tackling ten global crises. The problems addressed were climate change, communicablediseases, war, education, financial instability, governance, malnutrition, migration, clean water andtrade barriers. Given a notional $ 50 billion, how would the ambassadors spend it to make the world a better place?Their conclusions were strikingly similar to the Copenhagen Consensus. After hearing presentations fromexperts on each problem, they drew up a list of priorities. The top four were basic health care, betterwater and sanitation, more schools and better nutrition for children. Averting climate change came last. The ambassadors thought it wiser to spend money on things they knew would work. Promotingbreast-feeding, for example, costs very little and is proven to save lives. It also helps infants grow upstronger and more intelligent, which means they wilt earn more as adults. Vitamin A supplements cost aslittle as $1, save lives and stop people from going blind. And so on. For climate change, the trouble is that though few dispute that it is occurring, no one knows howsevere it will be or what damage it will cause. And the proposed solutions are staggeringly expensive. Mr Lomborg reckons that the benefits of implementing the Kyoto protocol would probably outweigh thecosts, but not until 2100. This calculation will not please A1 Gore. Nipped at the post by George Bushin 2000, Mr Gore calls global warming an onrushing catastrophe and argues vigorously that curbing itis the most urgent moral challenge facing mankind. Mr Lomborg demurs. We need to realise that there are many inconvenient truths, he says. Butwhether he and Mr Bolton can persuade the UN of this remains to be seen. [460 words] 1. According to some economists, fighting global warming A. is of little help to make the world a better place B. is as favorable as fighting malnutrition and disease C. is not the first priority for us to make the world better D. is one of the priorities for us to make the world better 2. By saying everything is a priority, John Bolton means that A. it is reasonable to think of fighting global warming as a priority B. if you thought that way, there would be no priority at all C. it is a useful way for the UN to get its priorities straight D. every mandate to be carried out is actually a priority 3. According to some UN diplomats, A. fighting global warming is worth spending a huge amount of money on B. promoting breast-feeding is more urgent than fighting global warming C. averting climate change should be excluded from the list of priorities D. there are at least 40 effective ways to tackle the top ten global crises 4. Accordint to the text, Mr Lomborg A. doubts whether climate change is occurring B. proposes an ideal solution for climate change C. knows clearly how severe the future climate change will be D. questions the immediate benefits of averting climate change 5. It seems that the UN A. still takes averting climate change as a priority B. fails to realize many inconvenient truths in the world C. has its crucial policies challenged by many member countries D. is trying to tackle all the global crises to make the world better难句透析 ①we all want to make the world a better place but，given finite resources，we should look for the most costeffective ways of doing so． 【结构】本句是由⽤逗号和“but”连接的两个分句组成的并列句。

2009考研英语阅读理解精读（一）作者：新东方印建坤第一篇European Union environmental officials have determined that two kinds of genetically modified corn could harm butterflies, affect food chains and disturb life in rivers and streams, and they have proposed a ban on the sale of the seeds, which are made by DuPont Pioneer, Dow Agrosciences and Syngenta. The preliminary decisions are circulating within the European Commission, which has the final say. Some officials there are skeptical of a ban that would upset the powerful biotechnology industry and could exacerbate tensions with important trading partners like the United States. The seeds are not available on the European market for cultivation.In the decisions, the environment commissioner, Stavros Dimas, contends that the genetically modified corn, or maize could affect certain butterfly species, specifically the monarch,and other beneficial insects. For instance, research this year indicates that larvae of the monarch butterfly exposed to the genetically modified corn ''behave differently than other larvae.'' In the decision concerning the corn seeds produced by Dow and Pioneer, Mr. Dimas calls ''potential damage on the environment irreversible.'' In the decision on Syngenta's corn, he says that ''the level of risk generated by the cultivation of this product for the environment is unacceptable.''A decision by the European Union to bar cultivation of the genetically modified crops would be the first of its kind in the trade bloc, and would intensify the continuing battle over genetically modified corn. Banning the applications for corn crops also would mark a bold new step for European environmental authorities, who are already aggressively pursuing regulations on emissions from cars and aircraft, setting it at odds with the United States and angering industries.''These products have been grown in the U.S. and other countries for years,'' said Stephen Norton, a spokesman for the United States trade representative. ''We are not aware of any other case when a product has been rejected after having been reviewed and determined safe'' by European food safety authorities, he said.Barbara Helfferich, a spokeswoman for Mr. Dimas, declined to comment on the specifics of the procedure because commissioners had not yet made a final decision. But she said that the European Union was within its rights to make decisions based on the ''precautionary principle'' even when scientists had found no definitive evidence proving products can cause harm. She said that the decisions by Mr. Dimas could go before the commission within a few weeks, but she said that no date had been set. In the decisions, Mr. Dimas cited recent research showing that consumption of genetically modified ''corn byproducts reduced growth and increased mortality ofnontarget stream insects'' and that these insects ''are important prey for aquatic and riparian predators'' and that this could have ''unexpected ecosystem-scale consequences.''Although still preliminary, his decisions could drastically tilt the policy against future approvals of genetically modified crops, said Nathalie Moll, a spokeswoman for Europabio, an industry group with 80 members including Syngenta, Pioneer and Dow. Europabio says that the crops grown using the genetically modified corn are already imported into several European countries, including France and Germany, where they are used to feed animals like cows and chickens.Rob Gianfranceschi, spokesman at the United States mission to the European Union in Brussels, said it was too early to comment on a decision that had not yet been formalized. But he made clear that the United States remained frustrated with European policies on genetically modified crops.1. The preliminary decisions are made by_____.[A] DuPont Pioneer, Dow Agrosciences and Syngenta[B] European Union environmental officials[C] European Commision[D] Starvros Dimas2. To the decisions, the European Commission officials’ attitudes are _____.[A] skeptical[B] controversial[C] contradictory[D] divergent3. About the decisions, which one of the following statements is TRUE?[A] The decisions aims to put a ban the sale of the seeds of genetically modified corn due to political and biological concerns.[B] The decisions are warmly embraced by all EU members but bitterly rejected by their trade partners.[C] The decisions could probably be made even if no definitive evidence proving the products harmful is found.[D] there is high possibility that the decisions would be approved by the European Commission.4. Mr. Dimas cited many researches on the genetically modified corn in his decision in order to_____.[A] dispel some officials’ doubt on his decisions[B] enhance the strength of his decision-making[C] demonstrate the latest achievement of his decision[D] assure that they can be presented before the commission with solid evidence5. The word “tilt” (Line 1, Paragraph 6) most probably means_____.[A] incline[B] affect[C] induce[D] evoke文章剖析：这篇文章介绍了联合国环境官员就转基因食品提出的决议的一些情况。

09专四真题及答案解析在备考英语专业四级考试（即专四）的过程中，了解和熟悉以往的真题以及正确答案的解析是非常重要的。

通过对真题的练习和分析，考生能够更好地了解所需掌握的知识点和答题技巧，提升自己的应试能力。

在09年的专四考试中，阅读理解部分是考生们需要重点关注的内容之一。

以下是一道来自09年的专四阅读理解真题及答案解析：Passage 1：Adolescence is often considered a culture apart fromthat of preadolescent children and adults. As such, adolescence is often viewed as a unitary psychological construct when, in fact, a quick review of the research literature reveals that the psychological experience of adolescents is variegated (多变的 ). Although mostadolescents successfully navigate the perils of thetransition from childhood to adulthood, a significantminority reports high levels of stress and relative vulnerability (脆弱性 ).A wealth of research tells us that social networksupport helps adults cope with stress and buffers (缓冲) negative psychological and physical consequences (结果). But despite the centrality (关键性) of social relationships to adolescents' emotional well-being, we know surprisinglylittle about the role of social networks during adolescence.In order to investigate this, we analyzed data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Our results offer valuable insights into the effects of relationships on adolescents' psychological well-being. First, similar to previous reports (报告), our findings indicate that adolescents with strong relationships report lower levels of depressive symptoms. Second, and equally important, the findings suggest that the disadvantages of having few friends or being isolated are most serious for adolescents. For adults, it is the quality, rather than the quantity (数量), of social relationships that primarily matters. But for adolescents, mere numbers also seem to count.Our results offer no clue as to why larger numbers of relationships are important, but an explanation emerges from the literature on peer status popularity. Popularity can be a double-edged sword (两面刃)—it seems to offer someprotective benefits, but it is also associated with negative psychological consequences. For example, popular boys tend to be physically aggressive and are at greater risk for substance abuse (滥用). Furthermore, popular adolescents are at increased risk for poor academic performance, delinquency (违法行为) and adjustment problems (适应问题).Although our results shed light on the importance of social relationships during adolescence, there is little research focusing on how the quality of social relationships affects adolescents' psychological well-being. Do positive relationships with adults or with peers predict fewer symptoms of depression, anxiety, or substance abuse? Arethere critical transition points, such as changing schools, that disrupt the normal course of friendship development and place adolescents at increased risk for adjustment problems?In conclusion, social networks play a vital role in the emotional well-being of adolescents. Larger numbers of relationships seem to be important, possibly because of the association between popularity and psychological distress. Future research should aim to investigate the effects of the quality of social relationships on adolescents' psychological well-being, and explore how critical transitions impact friendship development.题目：The passage mainly discusses ________.A. the importance of social networks in adolescenceB. the different psychological experiences of adolescentsC. the popularity of adolescents and its impact on psychological well-beingD. the negative consequences of weak socialrelationships in adolescence答案解析：本文主要讨论的是社交网络在青少年中的重要性。

2009Text 1Habits are a funny thing. We reach for them mindlessly, setting our brains on auto-pilot and relaxing into the unconscious comfort of familiar routine. “Not choice, but habit rules the unreflecting herd,” William Wordsworth said in the 19th century. In the ever-changing 21st century, even the word “habit” carries a negative implication.So it seems paradoxical to talk about habits in the same context as creativity and innovation. But brain researchers have discovered that when we consciously develop new habits, we create parallel paths, and even entirely new brain cells, that can jump our trains of thought onto new, innovative tracks.Rather than dismissing ourselves as unchangeable creatures of habit, we can instead direct our own change by consciously developing new habits. In fact, the more new things we try---the more we step outside our comfort zone---the more inherently creative we become, both in the workplace and in our personal lives.But don’t bother trying to kill off old habits; once those ruts of procedure are worn into the brain, they’re there to stay. Instead, the new habits we deliberately ingrain into ourselves create parallel pathways that can bypass those old roads.“The first thing needed for innovation is a fascination with wonder,” says Dawna Markova, author of The Open Mind and an executive change consultant for Professional Thinking Partners. “But we are taught instead to ‘decide,’ just as our president calls himself ‘the Decider.’ ” She adds, however, that “to decide is to kill off all possibilities but one. A good innovational thinker is always exploring the many other possibilities.”All of us work through problems in ways of which we’re unaware, she says. Researchers in the late 1960 discovered that humans are born with the capacity to approach challenges in four primary ways: analytically, procedurally, relationally (or collaboratively) and innovatively. At the end of adolescence, however, the brain shuts down half of that capacity, preserving only those modes of thought that have seemed most valuable during the first decade or so of life.The current emphasis on standardized testing highlights analysis and procedure, meaning that few of us inherently use our innovative and collaborative modes of thought. “This breaks the major rule in the American belief system — that anyone can do anything,” explains M. J. Ryan, author of the 2006 book This Year I Will...” and Ms. Markova’s business partner. “That’s a lie that we have perpetuated, and it fosters commonness. Knowing what you’re good at and doing even more of it creates excellence.” This is where developing new habits comes in.21. The view of Wordsworth, “habit” is claimed by being[A] casual [B] familiar [C] mechanical [D] changeable.22. Brain researchers have discovered that the formation of new habit can be[A] predicted [B] regulated [C] traced [D] guided23. The word “ruts” (Line 1, paragraph 4) is closest in meaning to[A] tracks [B] series [C] characteristics [D] connections24. Dawna Markova would most probably agree that[A] ideas are born of a relaxing mind[B] innovativeness could be taught[C] decisiveness derives from fantastic ideas[D] curiosity activates creative minds25. Ryan ’s comments suggest that the practice of standard testing[A] prevents new habits from being formed[B] no longer emphasizes commonness[C]maintains the inherent American thinking model[D] complies with the American belief system全文翻译：Text 1习惯是一种有趣的现象。

2009-1Text41-The most thoroughly studied in the history of the new world are the ministers and political leaders of seventeenth-century New England.According to the standard history of American philosophy,nowhere else in colonial America was“so much important attached to intellectual pursuits”.According to many books and articles,New England’s leaders established the basic themes and preoccupations of an unfolding,dominant Puritan tradition in American intellectual life.2-To take this approach to the New Englanders normally mean to start with the Puritans’theological innovations and their distinctive ideas about the church-important subjects that we may not neglect.But in keeping with our examination of southern intellectual life,we may consider the original Puritans as carriers of European culture,adjusting to New world circumstances.The New England colonies were the scenes of important episodes in the pursuit of widely understood ideals of civility and virtuosity.3-The early settlers of Massachusetts Bay included men of impressive education and influence in England.Besides the ninety or so learned ministers who came to Massachusetts church in the decade after1629, there were political leaders like John Winthrop,an educated gentleman,lawyer,and official of the Crown before he journeyed to Boston.There men wrote and published extensively,reaching both New World and Old World audiences,and giving New England an atmosphere of intellectual earnestness.4-We should not forget,however,that most New Englanders were less well educated.While few craftsmen or farmers,let alone dependents and servants,left literary compositions to be analyzed,it is obvious that their views were less fully intellectualized.Their thinking often had a traditional superstitions quality.A tailor named John Dane,who emigrated in the late1630s,left an account of his reasons for leaving England that is filled with signs.Sexual confusion,economic frustrations,and religious hope-all name together in a decisive moment when he opened the Bible,told his father the first line he saw would settle his fate,and read the magical words:“Come out from among them,touch no unclean thing,and I will be your God and you shall be my people.”One wonders what Dane thought of the careful sermons explaining the Bible that he heard in puritan churches.5-Meanwhile,many settlers had slighter religious commitments than Dane’s,as one clergyman learned in confronting folk along the coast who mocked that they had not come to the New world for religion.“Our main end was to catch fish.”36.The author notes that in the seventeenth-century New England_________.[A]Puritan tradition dominated political life.[B]intellectual interests were encouraged.[C]Politics benefited much from intellectual endeavors.[D]intellectual pursuits enjoyed a liberal environment.37.It is suggested in paragraph2that New Englanders__________.[A]experienced a comparatively peaceful early history.[B]brought with them the culture of the Old World[C]paid little attention to southern intellectual life[D]were obsessed with religious innovations38.The early ministers and political leaders in Massachusetts Bay__________.[A]were famous in the New World for their writings[B]gained increasing importance in religious affairs[C]abandoned high positions before coming to the New World[D]created a new intellectual atmosphere in New England39.The story of John Dane shows that less well-educated New Englanders were often__________.[A]influenced by superstitions[B]troubled with religious beliefs[C]puzzled by church sermons[D]frustrated with family earnings40.The text suggests that early settlers in New England__________.[A]were mostly engaged in political activities[B]were motivated by an illusory prospect[C]came from different backgrounds.[D]left few formal records for later reference。

2009Text1习惯是件有趣的事情。

我们无意识间养成了一些习惯，我们的大脑是自动运转的，轻松进入熟知套路所带来的不自觉舒适状态。

“这并非选择，而是习惯控制了那些没有思想的人”，这是威廉·华兹华斯（WilliamWordsworth）19世纪时说的话。

在现在这个日新月异的21世纪，甚至习惯这个词本身也带有负面涵义。

因此，在创造和革新的背景下来谈论习惯，似乎显得有点矛盾。

但大脑研究人员发现，当我们有意识地培养新的习惯的时候，我们创建了平行路径，甚至是全新的脑细胞，可以让我们的思路跳转到新的创新轨道上来。

我们不要把自己看成是不可改变的习惯动物，相反，我们可以通过有意识的培养新的习惯来引导自身的改变。

事实上，我们对新事物尝试得越多——就会越远地走出自己的舒适地带——我们在工作场所及个人生活中就会变得越有创造性，但是，不必费心试图摈弃各种旧习惯；一旦这些程序惯例融进大脑，它们就会留在那里。

相反，我们刻意培养的新习惯会创建平行路径能避开原来那些老路。

《开放思想》一书的作者DawnaMarkova说：“革新所需要的第一样东西，就是一种对好奇的着迷。

然而我们被教导去做‘决定’，就像我们的总裁称呼自己为‘决策者’那样。

”她补充道，“但是，决定意味着否决一切可能性而只保留一种。

一个优秀的具有革新精神的思想者总是在探寻许多其它的可能。

”她说，我们都是通过一些自己没有意识到的方法解决问题的。

研究人员在20世纪60年代末发现人类天生主要用四种方法应对挑战。

这四种方法是分析法，程序法，关联（或合作）法和创新法。

但是在青春期结束的时候，大脑关闭一半的能力，仅仅保留了那些大约在生命最开始的十几年时间里似乎是最有价值的思维方式。

目前标准化测试主要强调分析和程序的能力，也就是说，我们中很少有人会本能地使用创新和合作的思维方式。

M.J.Ryan是2006年出版的著作《今年我将......》一书的作者以及Markova女士的商业合作伙伴，她解释说：“这打破了美国信念体系里的主要规则——任何人都可以做任何事。

2009考研英语阅读text4在2009年的考研英语考试中，阅读理解部分的第四篇文章探讨了关于现代科技对人类生活的影响。

文章首先指出，随着科技的飞速发展，人们的生活方式发生了翻天覆地的变化。

智能手机、互联网和各种应用程序已经成为我们日常生活中不可或缺的一部分，它们极大地提高了我们的工作效率，同时也丰富了我们的娱乐生活。

文章接着讨论了科技带来的一些负面影响。

虽然科技的进步为人类带来了便利，但同时也引发了一些社会问题。

例如，过度依赖科技可能导致人们在社交技能上的退化，面对面交流的机会减少，人与人之间的联系变得疏远。

此外，科技的普及也带来了信息过载的问题，人们在海量信息中往往难以区分真伪，这在一定程度上增加了心理压力。

文章还提到了科技对环境的影响。

随着工业化进程的加快，环境污染问题日益严重。

工厂排放的废气、汽车尾气以及各种生活垃圾都对环境造成了破坏。

科技的发展虽然为人类带来了便利，但同时也对地球的生态系统造成了威胁。

最后，文章呼吁人们应该更加理性地看待科技的发展。

科技本身并不是问题，关键在于我们如何使用它。

我们应该在享受科技带来的便利的同时，也要关注它可能带来的负面影响，并采取措施减少这些影响。

例如，我们可以鼓励绿色出行，减少碳排放；在日常生活中，我们可以尽量减少不必要的电子设备使用，以减少电子垃圾的产生。

总的来说，2009年考研英语阅读第四篇文章提醒我们，科技是一把双刃剑，它既能为我们的生活带来便利，也可能带来一系列问题。

因此，我们需要在享受科技带来的成果的同时，也要对其潜在的风险保持警惕，并采取相应的措施来减轻这些风险。

只有这样，我们才能实现科技与人类社会的和谐共存。