2014年4月全国自考英语阅读（二）模拟试卷(一)一、Reading Comprehension. (50 points, 2 points for each)Directions: In this part of the test, there are five passages. Following each passage, there are five questions with four choices marked A, B, C anIn this section there are five passages. Following each passage there are five questions with four choices. Choose the best answer and mark your answer on the ANSWER SHEET. Passage One1. Computers should be in the schools. They have the potential to accomplish great things. With the right software, they could help make science tangible or teach neglected topics like art and music. They could help students form a concrete idea of society by displaying on? screen a version of the city in which they live—a picture that tracks real life moment by moment.2. In practice, however, computers make our worst educational nightmares come true. While we bemoan the decline of literacy, computers discount words in favor of pictures and pictures in favor of video. While we fret about the decreasing cogency of public debate, computers dismiss linear argument and promote fast, shallow romps across the information landscape. While we worry about basic skills, we allow into the classroom software that will do a student’s arithmetic or correct his spel ling.3. Take multimedia. The idea of multimedia is to combine text, sound and pictures in a single package that you browse on screen. You don’t just read Shakespeare; you watch actors performing, listen to songs, view Elizabethan buildings. What’s wrong with that? By offering children candy?coated books, multimedia is guaranteed to sour them on unsweetened reading. It makes the printed page look even more boring than it used to look. Sure, books will be available in the classroom, too—but they’ll have all the appeal of a dusty piano to a teen who has a Walkman handy.4. So what if the little nippers don’t read? If they’re watching Olivier instead, what do they lose? The text, the written word along with all of its attendant pleasures. Besides, a book is more portable than a computer, has a higher?resolution display, can be written on and dog?eared and is comparatively dirt cheap.5. Hypermedia, multimedia’s comrade in the struggle for a brave new classroom, is just as troubling. It’s a way of presenting d ocuments on screen without imposing a linear start?to?finish order. Disembodied paragraphs are linked by theme; after reading one about the First World War, for example, you might be able to choose another about the technology of battleships, or the life of Woodrow Wilson, or hem?lines in the 20s. This is another cute idea that is good in minor ways and terrible in major ones. Teaching children to understand the orderly unfolding of a plot or a logical argument is a crucial part of education. Authors don’t merely agglomerate paragraphs; they work hard to make the narrative read a certain way, prove a particular point. To turn a book or a document into hypertext is to invite readers to ignore exactly what counts—the story.6. The real problem, again, is the accentuation of already bad habits. Dynamiting documents into disjointed paragraphs is one more expression of the sorry fact that sustained argument is not our style. If you’re a newspaper or magazine editor and your readership is dwindling, what’s the sol ution? Shorter pieces. If you’re a politician and you want to get elected, what do you need? Tasty sound bites. Logical presentation be damned.7. Another software species, “allow me” programs, is not much better. These programs correct spelling and, by applying canned grammatical and stylistic rules, fix prose. In terms of promoting basic skills, though, they have all the virtues of a pocket calculator.8. In Kentucky, as the Wall Street Journal reported, students in grades K?3 are mixed together regardless of age in a relaxed environment. It works great, the Journal says. Yes, scores on computation tests have dropped 10 per cent at one school, but not to worry: “Drilling addition and subtraction in an age ofcalculators is a waste of time,” the principal reassures us. Meanwhile, a Japanese educator informs University of Wisconsin mathematician Richard Akey that in his country, “calculators are not used in elementary or junior high school because the primary emphasis is on helping students develop their mental abilities.” No wonder Japanese kids blow the pants off American kids in math. Do we really think “drilling addition and subtraction in an age of calculators is a waste of time”? If we do, then “drilling reading in an age of multimedia is a waste of tim e” can’t be far behind.第1题 Which of the following is NOT an accusation of the use of computers in teaching children by the author?A. It is getting worse and worse illiteracy.B. It does not help cultivating students’ ability to develop linear argument.C. It prevents students from developing their basic skills.D. It teaches bad arithmetic and spelling.【正确答案】 D【你的答案】本题分数0分第2题 Which of the following is the idea of multimedia according to the passage?A. To exclude boring reading text and make learning process more enjoyable.B. To combine text, sound and pictures in one package.C. To combine Shakespeare, actors’ performing, songs and theatre together.D. To offer children candy?coated books.【正确答案】 B【你的答案】本题分数0分第3题 The author uses the comparison between a dusty piano and a walkman as____ .A. an analogy to show that teens will lose interest in reading once they are exposed to multimediaB. an example to illustrate the rapid advance in technology and social studiesC. a reason to explain the cause of the conflict between traditional and modern way of teachingD. an evidence to support his argument on multimedia learning for children【正确答案】 A【你的答案】本题分数0分第4题 The author disagrees with the use of modern hypermedia mainly for the reason that ____.A. its non?linear arrangement of knowledge will not teach children to understand a logical argumentB. it deprives children of the pleasure of reading booksC. it does not present documents on screen properlyD. it’s harmful to the training of children on concentration【正确答案】 A【你的答案】本题分数0分第5题What is the author’s opinion about the “allow me” programs?A. They will help children learn grammar and style.B. They can help children learn to calculate.C. They prevent children from learning basic skills in writing.D. They will do harm to children’s personality.【正确答案】 C【你的答案】本题分数2分Passage ThreeAmericans often say that there are only two things a person can be sure of in life: death and taxes. Americans do not have a cornet (垄断) on the “death” market, but many people feel that the United States leads the world with the worst taxes.Taxes consist of the money which people pay to support their government. There are generally three levels of government in the United States: federal, state, and city; therefore, there are three types of taxes. Salaried people who earn more than a few thousand dollars must pay a certain percentage of their salaries to the federal government. The percentage varies for individuals. It depends on their salaries. The federal government has a graduated income tax; that is, the percentage of the tax increases as a person’ s in come increases. With the high cost of taxes, people are not very happy on April 15, when the federal taxes are due.The second tax is for the state government. Some States have an income tax similar to that of the federal government. Of course, the percentage for the state tax is lower. Other states have a sales tax, which is a percentage charged to any item which you buy in that state. Some states use income tax in addition to sales tax to raise their revenues (税收). The state tax laws are diverse and confusing.The third tax is for the city. This tax comes in two forms: property tax and exist tax, which is demanded on vehicles in a city. The cities utilize these funds for education, police and fire departments, public works and municipal buildings.Since Americans pay such high taxes, they often feel that they are working one day each week just to pay their taxes. People always complain about taxes. Although Americans have conflicting views on many issues—religious, racial, cultural, and political—they tend to agree on one subject: taxes are too high.第1题 Which of following is the best title for the passage?A. Taxes in the United States.B. Federal Income Tax.C. State Tax Revenues.D. Taxes Are Too Hight.【正确答案】 A【你的答案】本题分数0分第2题 According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?A. The United States is one of the countries which collect hightest taxes.B. The Americans are in agreement about taxes.C. There are three types of taxes in the United States.D. The Americans are aware that they should pay taxes and they are sure to die.【正确答案】 A【你的答案】本题分数0分第3题In paragraph 3, the word “graduated” could best be replaced by which of the following?A. Increasing.B. Progressive.C. Elevated.D. Programmed.【正确答案】 B【你的答案】本题分数0分第4题 What is the main purpose of the third paragraph?A. To prove that the United States leads the world with the worst taxes.B. To prove that taxes in the United States are too high.C. To compare the three types of taxes in the United States.D. To explain the percentage of federal taxes.【正确答案】 D【你的答案】本题分数0分第5题 Which of the following is true of the state taxes mentioned in the passage?A. In the United States there are sales taxes on the federal level, but not on the state level.B. Some Americans can be free from state income taxes.C. Income taxes in some states are not dissimilar to the federal income taxes.D. State taxes are paid by the residents of a certain state.【正确答案】 C【你的答案】本题分数2分Passage TwoSocial change is more likely to occur in societies where there is a mixture of different kinds of people than in societies where people are similar in many way. The simple reason for this is that there are more different ways of looking at things present in the first kind of society. There are more ideas, more disagreements in interest, and more groups and organizations with different beliefs. In addition, there is usually a greater worldly interest and greater tolerance on mixed societies. All these factors tend to promote social change by opening more areas of life to decision. In a society where people are quite similar in many ways, there are fewer occasions for people to see the need or the opportunity for change because everything seems to be the same. And although conditions may not be satisfactory, they are at least customary and undisputed.Within a society, social change is also likely to occur more frequently and more readily in the material aspects of the culture than in the non?material, for example, in technology rather than in values; in what has been learned later in life rather than what was learned early; in the less basic and less emotional aspects of society than in their opposites; in the simple elements rather than in the complex ones; in form rather than in substance; and in elements that are acceptable to the culture rather than in strange elements.Furthermore, social change is easier if it is gradual. For example, it comes more readily in human, elations on a continuous scale rather than one width, sharp dichotomies. This is one reason why change has not come more quickly to Black Americans as compared to other American minorities, because of the sharp difference in appearance between them and their while counterparts.第1题 Which of the following is the topic sentence of the first paragraph?A. The first sentence.B. The third sentence.C. The second sentence.D. The last sentence.【正确答案】 A【你的答案】本题分数0分第2题 Social change is more likely to take place in the society which consists of people different in many ways because____ .A. condition may be satisfactoryB. they look at the world in more different waysC. they lack the opportunity to express themselvesD. they are hard to please【正确答案】 B【你的答案】本题分数0分第3题 According to the passage, which of the following is not true?A. Different points of view tend to accelerate the social change.B. Social change is likely to occur in technology rather than in form.C. People similar in many ways have got so used to their conditions that they seldom see the needs for change.D. Social change is less likely to occur in strange elements.【正确答案】 B【你的答案】本题分数0分第4题 ____, social change is also likely to occur more frequently and more readily.A. If social change is quickB. If people are satisfied with their likely conditionsC. If people have different ideas and interestsD. If people prefer substances to forms【正确答案】 D【你的答案】本题分数0分第5题The word “counterparts” in paragraph 3 refers to____ .A. other minoritiesB. mixed societyC. AmericansD. dichotomies【正确答案】 C【你的答案】本题分数2分Passage FourEvery artist knows in his heart that he is saying something to the public. Not only does he want to say it well, but wants it to be something which has not been said before. He hopes the public will listen and understand—he wants to teach them and he wants them to learn from him.What visual artists, like painters, want to teach is easy to make out but difficult to explain, because painters translate their experiences into shapes and colors, not words. They seem to feel that a certainselection of shapes and colors, out of the countless billions possible, is exceptionally interesting for them and worth showing to us. Without their work we should never have noticed these particular shapes and colors, or have felt the delight which they brought to the artist.Most artists take their shapes and colors from the world of nature and from human bodies in motion and repose (静止). Their choices indicate that these aspects of the world are worth looking at and, that they contain beautiful sights. Contemporary (当代的) artists might say that they merely choose subjects that provide an interesting pattern, that there is nothing more in it. Yet even they do not choose entirely without reference to the character of their subjects.If one painter chooses to paint an injured leg and another a lake in moonlight, each of them is directing our attention to a certain aspect of the world. Each painter is telling us something, showing us something, emphasizing something—all of which means that, consciously or unconsciously he is trying to teach us.第1题Without the artist’s work, the public might not____ .A. notice particular shapes or colorsB. see the shapes and colors that express their experiencesC. feel his delight in shapes and colorsD. all of the above【正确答案】 D【你的答案】本题分数0分第2题An artist’ s choice of shapes and colors indicates that he believes them to be____ .A. calmB. movingC. delightfulD. worth looking at【正确答案】 D【你的答案】本题分数0分第3题 Contemporary artists often think their choice of subject_____ .A. carries no message to the publicB. provides an interesting patternC. has no pattern or formD. teaches the public important truths【正确答案】 B【你的答案】本题分数0分第4题 The writer says that contemporary art contains____ .A. nothing meaningfulB. uninteresting aspects of the worldC. subjects chosen partly for their meaningD. completely meaningless subjects【正确答案】 C【你的答案】本题分数0分第5题 Compared with a painter of unpleasant subjects a painter who draws a lake in moonlight is____ .A. conveying more meaningB. pointing to something differentC. more skilledD. communication less【正确答案】 B【你的答案】本题分数2分Passage FourPresident Coolidge’s statement, “The business of America is business,” still points to an important truth today—that business institutions have more prestige in American society than any other kind of organization,including the government. Why do business institutions possess this great prestigeOne reason is that Americans view business as being more firmly based on the ideal of competition than other institutions in society. Since competition is seen as the major source of progress and prosperity by most Americans, competitive business institutions are respected. Competition is not only good in itself, it is the means by which other basic American values such as individual freedom, equality of opportunity, and hard work are protected.Competition protects the freedom of the individual by ensuring that there is no monopoly of power. In contrast to one, all?powerful government, many businesses compete against each other for profits. Theoretically, if one business tries to take unfair advantage of its customers, it will lose to competing business which treats its customers more fairly. Where many businesses comp ete for the customers’ dollar, they cannot afford to treat them like inferiors or slaves.A contrast is often made between business, which is competitive, and government, which is a monopoly. Because business is competitive, many Americans believe that it is more supportive of freedom than government, even though government leaders are elected by the people and business leaders are not. Many Americans believe, then, that competition is as important as, or even more important than, democracy in preserving freedom.Competition in business is also believed to strengthen the ideal of equality of opportunity. Competition is seen as an open and fair race where success goes to the swiftest person regardless of his or her social class background. Competitive success is commonly seen as the American alternative to social rank based on family background. Business is therefore viewed as an expression of the idea of equality rather thanthe aristocratic idea of inherited privilege.第1题The statement “The business of America is business” probably means “____”.A. The business institutions in America are concerned with commerceB. Business problems are of great importance to the American governmentC. America is a great power in world businessD. Business is of primary concern to Americans【正确答案】 D【你的答案】本题分数0分第2题 Americans believe that they can realize their personal values only____.A. by way of competitionB. through doing businessC. by protecting their individual freedomD. when given equality of opportunity【正确答案】 A【你的答案】本题分数0分第3题 Who can benefit from business competition?A. People with ideals of equality and freedom.B. Honest businessmen.C. Both business institutions and government.D. Both businessmen and their customers.【正确答案】 D【你的答案】本题分数0分第4题 In accordance with the third paragraph, if one business tries to take unfair advantage of its customers,____.A. the business will therefore get great profitsB. the business will therefore turn more competitiveC. the business will keep on treating its customers like inferiors or slavesD. the business will fall behind with its competing business【正确答案】 D【你的答案】本题分数0分第5题 Government is believed to differ strikingly from business in that government is characterized by____.A. its role in protecting basic American valuesB. its absolute control of powerC. its democratic way of exercising leadershipD. its function in preserving personal freedom【正确答案】 B二、Vocabulary. (10 points, 1 point for each)Directions: Scan the following passage and find the words which have roughly the same meanings as those given below. The number in the brackets after each wordScan the following passage and find the words which have roughly the same meanings as those given below. The number in the bracket after each word definition refers to the number of paragraph in which the target word is. Write the word you choose on the ANSWER SHEET. People might create a super society that includes all nations. For instance we could invent a continental society, including all states of a continent and finally a global society of all continental societies. Obviously the laws of the super society would include the right and capacity to squelch the start of any armed conflict between sub societies. Today, with the existence of atomic, chemical and bacteriological weapons, the sovereignty of nations and the freedom of a nation to act as it wishes, have to be limited. Sovereignty has to be regulated by the laws of a super society, just as the freedom of cities and individuals to act is regulated by laws of the society.The idea of a worldwide super society is not new. Many statesmen and philosophers have recommended it. Then why is it not in use? The reason is that the leaders of present nations like the power they have and do not want it diminished. Also there are ways of thinking, including the powerful concepts of nationality, sovereignty and patriotism that make it very difficult to create such a society. Many present rulers use these ways of thinking to block the creation of an effective world society.We can only expect a change when some leaders become convinced that the advantages of peace are greater than the disadvantages of a limitation of their power and of national sovereignty. This can only happen when a majority of the population wants the nations to be members of a hierarchy of super societies. The sole fact that many citizens everywhere start to understand how the present political society should be modified, and start to apply pressure to their government, will make a world wide society possible. Some political leaders already see the advantages of a super society and help to create zones of commercial cooperation as a first step to future bigger political groupings. 第1题 ______have something as a part (Para. 1)【正确答案】 include本题分数0分修改分数你的得分第2题 ______fight or struggle (Para. 1)【正确答案】 conflict【你的答案】本题分数0分修改分数你的得分第3题 ______right or power to do as one chooses (Para. 1)【正确答案】 freedom【你的答案】本题分数0分修改分数你的得分第4题 ______a person who is skilled in state affairs (Para. 2)【正确答案】 statesman【你的答案】本题分数0分修改分数你的得分第5题 ______made small or less (Para. 2)本题分数0分修改分数你的得分第6题 ______the status of belonging to a particular nation (Para. 2)【正确答案】 nationality【你的答案】本题分数0分修改分数你的得分第7题 ______firmly persuaded (Para. 3)【正确答案】 convinced【你的答案】本题分数0分修改分数你的得分第8题 ______political control or rule (Para. 3)【正确答案】 sovereignty【你的答案】本题分数0分修改分数你的得分第9题 ______the greater number or part (Para. 3)本题分数0分修改分数你的得分第10题 ______a well?defined region (Para. 3)【正确答案】 zone【你的答案】三、Summarization. (20 points, 2 points for each)Directions: In this section of the test, there are ten paragraphs. Each of the paragraph is followed by an incomplete phrase or sentence which summarizes tParagraph TwoRed is the colour of fire. heat, blood and life. People say red is an exciting and active colour. They associate red with a strong feeling like anger. Red is also used for signs of danger, such as stop signs and fire engines.第1题 Red is associated with a strong f____.【正确答案】 feeling【你的答案】修改分数本题分数2分你的得分In this section of the test, there are ten paragraphs. Each is followed by an incomplete phrase or sentence. Spell out the missing letters of the word on the ANSWER SHEET. Paragraph OneThe popularity of rivalries fueled the attraction of the game (baseball) and caused it to become the national past time. The sport transformed from being a game of amateurs into a sport played by professionals. With that transformation, the innocence of baseball had been lost.第1题 Baseball t____to a professional sport.【正确答案】 transformed【你的答案】本题分数2分修改分数你的得分Paragraph TenWhen he was once accustomed to it he never parted from it more, but dragged it after him wherever he went. If by any chance it was lost, the whole camp knew it by his howls; and sometimes I had to send people to look for it when he had mislaid it on some forest excursion, so that he would stop his noise. He slept on it always, coiled up into a little heap, and only relinquished it when I gave him permission to accompany me into the woods.第1题 To be f___of the pillow.【正确答案】 fond【你的答案】修改分数本题分数2分你的得分Paragraph EightExp. com claims to have “tens of thousands of experts who can help you,”while the more restrain ed Abuzz. com, owned by The New York Times, limits its pitch to “Ask Anything! Real People. Real Answers”. It’s said that expert sites or knowledge networks represent the latest stage in the Internet’s evolution, a “democratization of expertise”. However, if your question is about something other than “Who invented the light bulb?” the answers are likely to be a wild potpourri of personal opinions.第1题 Online experts are not very t___.【正确答案】 trustworthy【你的答案】修改分数本题分数2分你的得分Paragraph SevenAt this juncture, as many as 57 per cent of children in America do not have full?time parental supervision, either living with a single parent who works full time or in a two?parent household with both parents working full time. The lack of parental supervision for young children is nearly as great. As many as 49 per cent of children under age six do not have the benefit of full?time parenting. While some children enjoy suitable substitute supervision provided by friends and relatives or in day?care, far too many【正确答案】 parental【你的答案】修改分数本题分数2分你的得分Paragraph FiveThe sport of baseball has migrated to other nations like Mexico, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Japan, and Korea. The popularity has dwindled in the United States due to other social distractions, but the game has been absorbed by other cultures, demonstrating the attractiveness of the sport and the importance of the fans.第1题 P___ of baseball outside the United States.【正确答案】 Popularity【你的答案】修改分数本题分数2分你的得分Paragraph TenYale University comprises three major academic components: Yale College(the undergraduate program), the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and ten professional schools. In addition, Yale encompasses a wide array of research organizations, libraries and museums, and administrative and support offices. Approximately 11,250 students attend Yale.第1题 Brief i___ about Yale University.【正确答案】 introduction【你的答案】本题分数2分修改分数你的得分Paragraph SevenPeople have wondered for a long time how their personalities and behaviors are formed. Social scientists are, of course, extremely interested in these types of questions. There are no clear answers yet, butare very different from each other. The controversy is often conveniently referred to as “nature vs nurture”.第1题 Two v___ are different from each other.【正确答案】 view?points【你的答案】修改分数本题分数2分你的得分Paragraph EightThere is no more difference, but there is just the same kind of difference, between the mental operations of man of science and those of an ordinary person, as there is between the operations and methods of baker or of a butcher weighing out his goods in common scales, and the operations of chemist in performing a difficult and complex analysis by means of his balance and finely graded weights. It is not that the scales in the one case, and the balance in the other, differ in the principles of their construction or manner of working—but that the latter is much finer apparatus and of course much more accurate in its measurement that the former.第1题 There is d___ between a scientist and an ordinary person.【正确答案】 difference【你的答案】本题分数2分修改分数你的得分Paragraph SixAll plants and animals that have been studied carefully (including humans) seem to have build?in clocks. They know the time naturally and correctly without any help from outside.第1题 To have a b___ clock.【正确答案】 biological【你的答案】四、Translation. (20 points, 4 points for each)Directions: In the following passage, there are five groups of underlined sentences. Read the passage carefully and then translate these sentences into Chine。
