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大学英语四级阅读理解训练（二）Psychologists take opposing views of how external rewards, from warm praiseto old cash, affect motivation and creativity. Behaviorists, who study the relation between actions and, argue that rewards can improve performance atwork and school. Some other researchers who study various aspects of mentallife, maintain those rewards often destroy creativity byencouraging dependenceon approval and gifts from others.The latter view has gained many supporters, especially among educators. Butthe careful use of small monetary rewards sparks in grade-school children suggesting that properly presented inducements indeed aid inventiveness, according to a study in the June Journal Personality and Social Psychology.“If they know they're working for a reward and can focus on a relatively challenging task, they show the most creativity,” says Robert Esenberger of the University of Delaware in Newark. “But it's easy to kill creativity by giving rewards for poor performance or creating too much anticipation for rewards.”A teacher who continually draws attention to rewards or who hands out highgrades for ordinary achievement ends up with uninspired students, Esenbergerholds. As an example of the latter point, he notes growing efforts at major universities to tighten grading standards and restore falling grades.In earlier grades, the use of so-called token economics, in which studentshandle challenging problems and receive performance-based points toward valued rewards, shows promise in raising effort and creativity, the Delaware psychologist claims.1. Psychologists are divided with regard to their attitudes toward ____.A) the choice between spiritual encouragement and monetary rewardsB) the appropriate amount of external rewardsC) the study of relationship between actions andD) the effects of external rewards on students' performance2. What is the view held by many educators concerning external rewards forstudents?A) They approve of external rewards.B) They don't think external rewards.C) They have doubts about external rewards.D) They believe external rewards can motivate small children, but not collegestudents.3. According to the result of the study mentioned in the passage, what shouldeducators do to stimulate motivation and creativity?A) Give rewards for performances which deserve them.B) Always promise rewards.C) Assign tasks which are not very challenging.D) Be more lenient to students when mistakes are made.4. It can be inferred from the passage that major universities are trying to tighten their grading standards because they believe ____.A) rewarding poor performance may kill the creativity of students’B) punishment is more effective than rewardingC) failing uninspired students helps improve their overall academic standardsD) discouraging the students anticipation for easy rewards is matter of urgency5．Which of the following facts about “token economics” is not correct?A) Students are assigned challenging tasks.B) Rewards are given for good performances.C) Students are evaluated according to the effort they put into the task.D) With token economics, students’ creativity can be enhanced.答案与解析：1. D心理学家认为外界的奖励对学生会有不同的影响。
英语专业四级考试阅读理解训练（二）Passage OneI lost my sight when I was four years old by falling off a box car in a freight yard in Atlantic City and landing on my head. Now I am thirty two. I can vaguely remember the brightness of sunshine and what color red is. It would be wonderful to see again, but a calamity can do strange things to people. It occurred to me the other day that I might not have come to love life as I do if I hadn't been blind. I believe in life now. I am not so sure that I would have believed in it so deeply, otherwise. I don't mean that I would prefer to go without my eyes. I simply mean that the loss of them made me appreciate the more what I had left.Life, I believe, asks a continuous series of adjustments to reality. The more readily a person is able to make these adjustments, the more meaningful his own private world becomes. The adjustment is never easy. I was bewildered and afraid. But I was lucky. My parents and my teachers saw something in me--a potential to live, you might call it--which I didn't see, and they made me want to fight it out with blindness.The hardest lesson I had to learn was to believe in myself. That was basic. If I hadn't been able to do that, I would have collapsed and become a chair rocker on the front porch for the rest of my life. When I say belief in myself I am not talking about simply the kind of self confidence that helps me down an unfamiliar staircase alone. That is part of it. But I mean something bigger than that: an assurance that I am, despite imperfections, a real, positive person; that somewhere in thesweeping, intricate pattern of people there is a special place where I can make myself fit.It took me years to discover and strengthen this assurance. It had to start with the most elementary things. Once a man gave me an indoor baseball. I thought he was mocking me and I was hurt. "I can't use this." I said. "Take it with you," he urged me, "and roll it around." The words stuck in my head. "Roll it around! "By rolling the ball I could hear where it went. This gave me an idea how to achieve a goal I had thought impossible: playing baseball. At Philadelphia's Overbrook School for the Blind I invented a successful variation of baseball. We called it ground ball.All my life I have set ahead of me a series of goals and then tried to reach them, one at a time. I had to learn my limitations. It was no good to try for something I knew at the start was wildly out of reach because that only invited the bitterness of failure. I would fail sometimes anyway but on the average I made progress.1. We can learn from the beginning of the passage that _____.A. the author lost his sight because of a car crash.B. the author wouldn't love life if the disaster didn't happen.C. the disaster made the author appreciate what he had.D. the disaster strengthened the author's desire to see.2. What's the most difficult thing for the author?A. How to adjust himself to reality.B. Building up assurance that he can find his place in life.C. Learning to manage his life alone.D. To find a special work that suits the author.3. According to the context, "a chair rocker on the front porch" in paragraph 3 means that the author ____.A. would sit in a rocking chair and enjoy his lifeB. was paralyzed and stayed in a rocking chairC. would lose his will to struggle against difficultiesD. would sit in a chair and stay at home4. According to the passage, the baseball and encouragement offered by the man____.A. hurt the author's feelingB. gave the author a deep impression.C. directly led to the invention of ground ball.D. inspired the author.5. According to the passage, which of the following is CORRECT?A. The author set goals for himself but only invited failure most of the time.B. The author suggested not trying something beyond one's ability at the beginning.C. The bitterness of failure prevented the author from trying something out of reach.D. Because of his limitations, the author tried to reach one goal at a time.Passage TwoI have known very few writers, but those I have known, and whom I respected, confess at once that they have little idea where they are going when they first set pen to paper. They have a character, perhaps two; they are in that condition of eager discomfort which passes for inspiration; all admit radical changes of destination once the journey has begun; one, to my certain knowledge, spent nine months on a novel about Kashmir, then reset the whole thing in the Scottish Highlands. I never heard of anyone making a "skeleton", as we were taught at school. In the breaking and remaking, in the timing, interweaving, beginning afresh, the writer comes to discern things in his material which were not consciously in his mind when he began.This organic process, often leading to moments of extraordinary self-discovery, is of an indescribable fascination. A blurred image appears, he adds a brushstroke and another, and it is gone; but something was there, and he will not rest till he has captured it. Sometimes the’ yeast within a w riter outlives a book he has written. I have heard of writers who read nothing but their own books, like adolescents they stand before the mirror, and still cannot fathom the exact outline of the vision beforethem. For the same reason, writers talk interminably about their own books, winkling out hidden meanings, superimposing new ones, begging response from those around them.Of course a writer doing this is misunderstood: he might as well try to explain a crime or a love affair. He is also. Incidentally, an unforgivable bore. This temptation to cover the distance between himself and the reader, to study his image in the sight of those who do not know him, can be his undoing: he has begun to write to please.A young English writer made the pertinent observation a year or two back that the talent goes into the first draft, and the art into the drafts that follow. For this reason also the writer, like any other artist, has no resting place, no crowd or movement in which he may take comfort, no judgment from outside which can replace the judgment from within. A writer makes order out of the anarchy of his heart; he submits himself to a more ruthless discipline than any critic dreamed of, and when he flirts with fame, he is taking time off from living with himself, from the search for what his world contains at its inmost point.1. The writers that the author is familiar with confess that they would _____.A. work out the ending of a novel in advanceB. follow the writing methods learned at schoolC. remodel the main character in writingD. make changes to the stories they first construct2. According to the passage, the process of writingA. depends on skillful planning.B. is predictable and methodological.C. depends on the writers' experiences.D. is disorderly and unsystematic.3. The word "undoing" in the third paragraph probably suggests ___.A. successB. happinessC. failureD. sorrow4. According to the passage, the writer has no resting place becauseA. he is not clear about what he will write at the beginning.B. he should constantly edit his work to make it perfect.C. he has to face a lot of responses given by readers.D. he should add brushstrokes to the appearing blurred images.5. Which of the following statements about writers is TRUE according to the last paragraph?A. They have little ideas before they start writing.B. Their talent goes into all their drafts.C. It does harm to their writing when they flirt with fame.D. They try to increase communication with readers.。
英语专业四级考试阅读理解冲刺题(1)(附答案)来源：考试人Computers monitor everything in Singapore from soil composition to location of manholes. At the airport, it took just 15 seconds for the computerized immigration system to scan and approve my passport. It takes only one minute to be checked into a public hospital.By 199& almost every household will be wired for interactive cable TV and the Internet, the global computer network. Shoppers will be able to view and pay for products electronically. A 24-hour community telecomputing network will allow users to communicate with elected representatives and retrieve information about government services. It is all part of the government's plan to transform the nation into what it calls the u Intelligent IslandIn so many ways, Singapore has elevated the concept of efficiency to a kind of national ideology. For the past ten years, Singapore's work force was rated the best in the world-ahead of Japan and the U. S. -in terms of productivity, skill and attitude by the Business Environment Risk Intelligence service.Behind the ''Singapore miracle11is a man Richard Nixon described as one of M thc ablest leaders I have met/ one who, M in other times and other places, might have attained the world stature of a Churchill. n Lee Kuan Yew led Singapore's struggle for independence in the 1950s, serving as Prime Minister from 1959 until 1990- Today (1995), at 71, he has nominally retired to the office of Senior Minister, where he continues to influence his country's future. Lee offered companies tax breaks, political stability, cheap labor and strike-free environment.Nearly 90 percent of Singaporean adults now own their own homes and thanks to strict adherence to the principle of merit, personal opportunities abound- "If you've got talent and work hard, you can be anything here，" says a Malaysian-born woman who holds a high-level civil-service position.Lee likes to boast that Singapore has avoided the M moral breakdown M of Western countries- He attributes his nation's success to strong family ties, a reliance on education as the engine of advancement and social philosophy that he claims is superior to America's.In an interview with Readers Digest, he said that the United States has "lost its bearings11 by emphasizing individual rights at the expense of society. M An ethical society/ he said, H is one which matches human rights with responsibilities. u1.What characterizes Singapore's advancement is its _ ・puter monitoring.B ・work efficiency •C. high productivity・D. value on ethics.2・ From Nixon's perspective, Lee is __ .A.almost as great as Churchill.B• not as great as Churchill.C. only second to Churchill in being a leader.D・ just as great as Churchill.3.In the last paragraph, "lost its bearings11 may mean _ .A • become impatient ・B• failed to find the ri ght position.C. lost its foundation・D ・ grown band-mannered ・4・"You can be anything here H(Paragraph 5) may be paraphrased as __ .A.You can hope for a very bright prospect.B • You may be able to do anything needed・C. You can choose any job as you like.D・ You will become an outstanding worker.5. In Singapore, the concept of efficiency __ .A.has been emphasized throughout the country.B.has become an essential quality for citizens to aim at.C.is brought forward by the government in order to compete with America. D・ is known as the basis for building the ^Intelligent Island・H答案：DDBAB英语专业四级考试阅读理解冲刺题(2)(附答案)来源：考试人Which is safer-staying at home, traveling to work on public transport, or working in the office? Surprisingly, each of these carries the same risk, which is very low. However, what about flying compared to working in the chemical industry? Unfortunately, the former is 65 times riskier than the latter! In fact, the accident rate of workers in the chemical industry is less than that of almost any of human activity, and almost as safe as staying at home.The trouble with the chemical industry is that when things go wrong they often cause death to those living nearby. It is this which makes chemical accidents so newsworthy. Fortunately, they are extremely rare. The most famous ones happened at Texas City (1947),Flixborough (1974), Scvcso (1976), Pcmcx (1984) and Bhopal (1984).Some of these are always in the minds of the people even though the loss of life was small. No one died at Seveso, and only 28 workers at Flixborough・The worst accident of all was Bhopal, where up to 3,000 were killed. The Texas City explosion of fertilizer killed 552. The Pemex fire at a storage plant for natural gas in the suburbs of Mexico City took 542 lives, just a month before the unfortunate event at BhopakSome experts have discussed these accidents and used each accident to illustrate a particular danger. Thus the Texas City explosion was caused by tons of ammonium nitrate (不肖酸纟安),which is safe unless stored in great quantity. The Hixborough fireball was the fault of management, which took risks to keep production going during essential repairs. The Seveso accident shows what happens if the local authorities lack knowledge of the danger on their doorstep• When the poisonous gas drif ted over the town, local leaders were incapable of taking effective action. The Pemex fire was made worse by an overloaded site in an overcrowded suburb. The fire set off a chain reaction os exploding storage tanks. Yet, by a miracle, the two largest tanks did not explode. Had these caught fire, then 3,000 strong rescue team and fire fighters would all have died.1 .Which of the following statements is true?A.Working at the office is safer than staying at home・B.Travelling to work on public transport is safer than working at the office・C.Staying at home is safer than working in the chemical industry-D.Working in the chemical industry is safer than traveling by air.2.Chemical accidents are usually important enough to be reported as news because ___ ・A.they are very rareB.they often cause loss of lifeC.they always occur in big citiesD.they arouse the interest of all the readers3.According to passage, the chemical accident that caused by the fault of managementhappened at ____ ・A.Texas cityB.FlixboroughC.SevesoD.Mexico City4.From the passage we know that ammonium nitrate is a kind of __ ・A.natural gas, which can easily catch fireB.fertilizer, which can r t be stored in a great quantityC.poisonous substance, which carft be used in overcrowded areasD.fuel, which is stored in large tanks5.From the discussion among some experts we may coclude that __ ・A.to avoid any accidents we should not repair the facilities in chemical industryB.the local authorities should not be concerned with the production of the chemical industryC.all these accidents could have been avoided or controlled if effective measure had been takenD.natural gas stored in very large tanks is always safe答案：DBABC英语专业四级考试阅读理解冲刺题(3)(附答案)来源：考试人What wc 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 wc saw that there was reason to believe that whatever wc inherit must be of some very simple sort rather than any complicated or very definite kind of behavior. It is certain that no one inherits a knowledge of mathematics・It may be, however, that children inherit more or less of a rather general ability that we may call intelligence・ If very intelligent children become deeply interested in mathematics, they will probably make a success of that study.As for musical ability, it may be that what is inherited is an especially sensitive ear, a peculiar structure of the hands or the vocal organs connections between nerves and muscles that make it comparatively easy to learn the movements a musician must execute, and particularly vigorousemotions・ If these factors arc 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.11 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 unbom 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 mothers 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 Talents答案：BACDA英语专业四级考试阅读理解冲刺题(4)(附答案)来源：考试人The case for college has been accepted without question for more than a gcncration. All high school graduates ought to go, says conventional wisdom and statistical evidence, because college will help them earn more money, become n better M people, and learn to be more responsiblecitizens 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一often encouraged by college administrators・Some observers say the fault is with the young people themselves一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 arc partly right. Wc 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 arc 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 bette匚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.vcry few high school graduates chose to go to college・2.In the 2nd paragraph, ”those who don't fit the pattern0 refer to __ ・A.high school graduates who aren't suitable for college education.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._____________________________________________ T he 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 arc 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 eno ugh 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.Collcgc 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.□.Intelligent people may learn q uicker if they don't go to college.来源:考试大.专四专八考试答案：BCCAA英语专业四级考试阅读理解模拟题(5)邙付答案)来源：考试大Racket, din clamor, noise, whatever you want to call 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 wc feel when faced with noise is the most common 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 stress caused by noise traditionally have been given much less attention. Nevertheless, when we are annoyed or made imtable 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 increases susceptibility to disease and infection. The more susceptible among us may experience noise as a complicating factor in heart problems and other diseases. Noise that causes annoyance and irritability in health persons may have seriousconsequences for these already ill in mind or body.Noise affects us throughout our lives. For example, there are indications of effects on the unborn child when mothers arc exposed to industrial and environmental noise・ During infancy and childhood, youngsters exposed to high noise levels may have trouble falling asleep and obtaining necessary amounts of rest.Why, then, is there not greater alarm about these dangers? Perhaps it is because the link between noise and many disabilities or diseases has not yet been conclusively demonstrated. Perhaps it is because we tend to dismiss annoyance as a price to pay for living in the modern world. It may also be because we still think of hearing loss as only an occupational hazard・l.In Paragraph 1, the phrase "immune to u arc used to mean ___ .A.unaffected byB.hurt byC.unlikely to be seen byD.unknown by2.The authors 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 beA.unimportantB.impossible ・C.a waste of moneyD.essential答案：ACCDD英语专业四级考试阅读理解冲刺题(6)(附答案)来源：考试人Most of us are taught to pay attention to what is said一the words・ Words do provide us with some information, but meanings are derived from so many other sources that it would hinder our effectiveness as a partner to a relationship to rely too heavily on words alone・ Words are used to describe only a small part of the many ideas we associate with any given message. Sometimes we can gain insight into some of those associations if we listen for more than words・We don't always say what we mean or mean what we say. Sometimes our words don't mean anything except M Im letting off some steam. I don't really want you to pay close attention to what Vm saying. Just pay attention to what I'm feeling/1 Mostly we mean several things at once・ A person wanting to purchase a house says to the current owner, "This step has to be fixed before Ell buy.'* The owner says, H It's been like that for years." Actually, the step hasn't been like that for years, but the unspoken message is: M I don't want to fix it. We put up with it. Why can! you?n The search for a more expansive view of meaning can be developed of examining a message in terms of who said it, when it occurred, the related conditions or situation, and how it was said.When a message occurs can also reveal associated meaning. Let us assume two couples do exactly the same amount of kissing and arguing・ But one couple always kisses after an argument and the other couple always argues after a kiss. The ordering of the behaviors may mean a great deal more than the frequency of the behavior. A friend's unusually docile behavior may only be understood by noting that it was preceded by situations that required an abnormal amount of assertiveness. Some responses may be directly linked to a developing pattern of responses and defy logic. For example, a person who says "No!" to a serials of charges like H You,re dumb/ H You're lazy/ and H You re dishonest/ may also say "No!" and try to justify his or her response if the next statement is "And youYe good looking/1We would do well to listen for how messages arc presented. The words, "If sure has been nice to have you over/ can be said with emphasis and excitement or ritualistically. The phrase can be said once or repeated several times・ And the meanings we associate with the phrase will change accordingly. Sometimes if we say something infrequently it assumes more importance; sometimes the more we say something the less importance it assumes・1 .Effective communication is rendered possible between two conversing partners, if __ ・A.they use proper words to carry their ideas・B.they both speak truly of their own feelings.C.they try to understand each other's ideas beyond words.D.thcy arc capable of associating meaning with their words.2.'Tm letting off some steam” in paragraph 1 means_ ・A.Fm just calling your attention.B.Fm just kidding.C.Fm just saying the opposite・D.Fm just giving off some sound.3.The house-ownefs example shows that he actually means __ ・A.the step has been like that for years.B.hc doesn't think it necessary to fix the step.C.the condition of the step is only a minor fault.D.the cost involved in the fixing should be shared・4.Some responses and behaviors may appear very illogical, but are justifiable ifA.linked to an abnormal amount of assertiveness.B.seen as one's habitual pattern of behavior.C.taken as part of an ordering sequence・D.expressed to a series of charges・5 .The word ’Titualistically" in the last paragraph equals something done_ ・A.without true intention.B.light-heartedly.C.in a way of ceremony.D.with less emphasis.答案：DBABC。
英语专业四级阅读理解考试题及答案解析英语专业四级阅读理解考试题及答案解析韩愈说过这样一句话：“业精于勤荒于嬉，行成于思毁于随””。
天才就是无止境刻苦勤奋的努力。
成绩优与良;才思浓与淡，都是由勤奋注定的。
以下是店铺为大家搜索整理的英语专业四级阅读理解考试题及答案解析，希望对正在关注的您有所帮助!As the merchant class expanded in the eighteenth?century North American Colonies, the silversmithand the coppersmith businesses rose to serve it.Only a few silversmiths were available in New Yorkor Boston in the late seventeenth century, but in theeighteenth century they could be found in all majorcolonial cities. No other colonial artisans rivaled thesilversmiths’ prestige. They handled the mostexpensive materials and possessed direct connections to prosperous colonial merchants. Theirproducts, primarily silver plates and bowls, reflected their exalted status and testified to theircustomers’ prominence. Silver stood as one of the surest ways to store wealth at a time beforeneighborhood banks existed. Unlike the silver coins from which they were made, silver articleswere readily identifiable. Often formed to individual specifications, they always carried thesilversmith’s distinctive markings and consequently could be traced and retrieved.Customers generally secure the silver for the silver object they ordered. They saved coins, tookthem to smiths, and discussed the type of pieces they desired. Silversmiths complied with theserequests by melting the money in a small furnace, adding a bit of copper to form a strongeralloy, and casting the alloy in rectangular blocks. They hammered these ingots to theappropriate thickness by hand, shaped them and pressed designs into them for adornment.Engraving was alsodone by hand. In addition to plates and bowls, some customers soughtmore intricate products, such as silver teapots. These were made by shaping or casting partsseparately and then soldering them together. Colonial coppersmithing also come of age in theearly eighteenth century and prospered in northern cities. Copper’s ability to conduct heatefficiently and to resist corrosion contributed to its attractiveness. But because it wasexpensive in colonial America, coppersmiths were never very numerous. Virtually all copperworked by Smiths was imported as sheets or obtained by recycling old copper goods. Copperwas used for practical items, but it was not admired for its beauty. Coppersmiths employed it tofashion pots and kettles for the home. They shaped it in much the same manner as silver ormelted it in a foundry with lead or tin. They also mixed it with zinc to make brass for maritimeand scientific instruments.?1、According to the passage, which of the following eighteenth century developments had strongimpact on silversmithsA. A decrease in the cost of silver.B. The invention of heat efficient furnaces.C. The growing economic prosperity of colonial merchants.D. The development of new tools used to shape silver.2.In colonial America, where did silversmiths usually obtain the material to make silver articles? ?A. From their own mines.B. From importers.C. From other silversmiths.D. From customers.3.The passage mentions all of the following as uses for copper in Colonial America EXCEPT ______A. cooking potsB. scientific instrumentsC. musical instrumentsD. maritime instruments4.According to the passage, silversmiths and coppersmiths in colonial America were similar inwhich of the following waysA. The amount of social prestige they had.B. The way they shaped the metal they worked with. ?C. The cost of the goods they made.D. The practicality of the goods they made.参考答案：1. C) 根据文章第一句“As the merchant classexpanded in the eighteenth?century North AmericanColonies,...”可知，随着在十八世纪的北美殖民地商人阶级膨胀起来，也就是说那时的商人财富有了很大的发展，银匠铜匠们有机会发挥他们的.专长了，这与选项C正好相符。
专业英语四级考试阅读题型冲刺训练（1篇）专业英语四级考试阅读题型冲刺训练 1Scattered through the seas of the world are billions of tons of small plants and animals called plankton. Most of these plants and animals are too small for the human eye to see. They drift about lazily with the currents, providing a basic food for many larger animals. Plankton has been described as the equivalent of the grasses that grow on the dry land continents, and the parison is an appropriate one. In potential food value however, plankton far outweighs that of the land grasses. One scientist has estimated that while grasses of the world produce about 49 billion tons of valuable carbohydrates each year. The sea’s plankton generates more than twice as much.Despite its enormous food potential, little effort was made until recently to farm plankton as we farm grasses on land. Now marine scientists have at last begun to study this possibility, especially as the sea’s resources loom even more important as a means of feeding an expanding world population.No one yet has seriously suggested that “planktonburgers” may soon e popular around the world. As a possible farmed supplementary food source, however, plankton is gaining considerable interest among marine scientists.One type of plankton that seems to have great harvest possibilities is a tiny shrimplike creature called krill. Growing to two or three inches long, krill provide the major food for the giant blue whale, the largest animal ever to inhabit the Earth. Realizing that this whale may grow 100 feet and weigh 150 tons at maturity, it is not surprising that each one devours more than one ton of krill daily.Krill swim about just below the surface in huge schools sometimes miles wide, mainly in the cold Antarctic. Because of their pink color, they often appear as a solid reddish mass when viewed from a ship or from the air. Krill are very high in food value.A pound of these crustaceans contains about 460 calories—about the same as shrimp or lobster, to which they are related.If the krill can feed such huge creatures as whales, many scientists reason, they must certainly be contenders as new food source for humans.1.Which of the following best portrays the organization ofthe passage?A.The author presents the advantages and disadvantages of plankton as a food source.B.The author quotes public opinion to support the argument for farming plankton.C.The author classifies the different food sources according to amount of carbohydrate.D.The author makes a general statement about plankton asa food source and then moves to a specific example.2.According to the passage, why is plankton regarded to be more valuable than land grasses?A.It is easier to cultivate.B.It produces more carbohydrates.C.It does not require soil.D.It is more palatable.3.Why does the author mention “planktonburgers”?A.To describe the appearance of one type of plankton.B.To illustrate how much plankton a whale consumes.C.To suggest plankton as a possible food sources.D.To pare the food values of beef and plankton.4.What is mentioned as one conspicuous feature of krill?A.They are the smallest marine animals.B.They are pink in color.C.They are similar in size to lobsters.D.They have grass like bodies.5.The author mentions all of the following as reasons why plankton could be considered a human food source except that it is ___.A.high in food value.B.in abundant supply in the oceans.C.an appropriate food for other animals.D.free of chemicals and pollutants.。
英语专业四级考试阅读理解Passage 1Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind. These passions, like great winds, have blown me hither and thither, in a wayward course, over a great ocean of anguish, reaching to the very verge of despair.I have sought love, first, because it brings ecstasy - ecstasy so great that I would often have sacrificed all the rest of life for a few hours of this joy. I have sought it, next, because it relieves loneliness--that terrible loneliness in which one shivering consciousness looks over the rim of the world into the cold unfathomable lifeless abyss. I have sought it finally, because in the union of love I have seen, in a mystic miniature, the prefiguring vision of the heaven that saints and poets have imagined. This is what I sought, and though it might seem too good for human life, this is what--at last--I have found.With equal passion I have sought knowledge. I have wished to understand the hearts of men. I have wished to know why the stars shine. And I have tried to apprehend the Pythagorean power by which number holds sway above the flux. A little of this, but not much, I have achieved.Love and knowledge, so far as they were possible, led upward toward the heavens. But always pity brought me back to earth. Echoes of cries of pain reverberate in my heart. Children in famine, victims tortured by oppressors, helpless old people a burden to their sons, and the whole world of loneliness, poverty, and pain make a mockery of what human life should be. I long toalleviate this evil, but I cannot, and I too suffer.This has been my life. I have found it worth living, and would gladly live it again if the chance were offered me.1. In the first paragraph, Russel says that _________.A. he has travelled over a great ocean for the three passions.B. the result of his search is despair.C. he longs for love and never despairs.D. he has pity for the suffering of mankind and often feels anguish.2. In the second paragraph, Russel thinks that he has found in his search for love all the following except _______.A. happinessB. the vision of the hellC. solitudeD. relief from loneliness3. Whenever Russel thinks of the suffering of mankind, he _______.A. feels humiliatedB. becomes overjoyedC. feels he will be embraced by GodD. feels anguish and suffers too.4. In line 3, “hither and thither”meansA. everywhereB. now and thenC. from time to timeD. upward5. The best title for this passage is _____.A. Human SufferingB. I Found Joy and LoveC. Three Kinds of LifestylesD. What I Have Lived ForPassage 2Artificial light in winter means we no longer have to go to bed when it gets dark. We can also get up before it is light. This means we can have a summer sleep pattern all year round.Animals sleep more during winter than summer. Researchers in America wanted to find out whether humans might want to do the same on a winter day without artificial light. People observed in the research did sleep longer, usually up to 11 hours. However, winter sleep seems to be interrupted by periods of quiet ‘wakefulness’ like those experienced in meditation.These were found to be very restful. The study found that modern humans are not getting enough sleep.6. The topic of the passage is _____ .A. artificial lightB. natural lightC. human sleepD. animal sleepPassage 3Throughout the history of life, there have been many major upheavals in which whole groups of animals were replaced by others. Perhaps the most famous was the replacement of the dinosaurs by the mammals 65 million years ago. Another major change occurred 150 million years earlier, when the dinosaurs took over the position of dominance that had been held for80 million years by mammal-like reptiles.What triggered these great upheavals? Scientific thinking about the various factors that might have been responsible for such replacements has undergone some significant changes of its own. At times, for example, scientists have suggested thatmammals caused the extinction of the dinosaurs by eating their eggs or by competing for the same food resources. Now, however, most people are convinced that the mammals played only a minor role, if any, and that, instead, environmental change was primarily responsible. The mammals apparently sat around for 150 million years in the Mesozoic undergrowth until, with the extinction of the dinosaurs, they had their opportunity to radiate into the available niches.7. What is the main idea of the passage?A. Mammals caused the extinction of dinosaurs by eating their eggs.B. Some species of animals have been replaced by others due to radical environmentalchanges.C. Scientific theories about the reasons for the extinction of certain reptiles have changed overthe years.D. Mammals and dinosaurs competed for the same food source.Passage 4According to the World Bank the Kingdom of Bhutan is the second poorest country in the world(A), but there is no unemployment (B), no begging and almost no crime.Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the ‘Dragon King’, is the world’s youngest hereditary ruler, but he says that the country is more democratic than any other in the region. He travels round Bhutan, showing himself to the people and listening to their opinions. Although this is a very old country the monarchy is quite new; until this century it was theocracy run by Buddhistpriests. There is still a very strong religious feeling and there are 1,300 monasteries in a nation of only 1 million people.Bhutan allows only 2,000 tourists a year, but no multinational companies even though it is very short of capital(C). It takes no help from the USA or Russia. Students who go abroad to study must spend 6 months when they return in remote villages to ‘rediscover their roots’before going back into Bhutanese society.Although the people are poor they are content. The atmosphere is relaxed and traditional have hardly changed since the Middle Ages. Archery is t he country’s major sport and folk dances are the main forms of entertainment.8. Which of the following is untrue?A. Bhutan is one of the poorest countries in the world.B. There is no unemployment in Bhutan.C. Bhutan is short of financial aids.D. The people of Bhutan are not at all satisfied with their life.Passage 5In the Atlantic some 574 ships were sunk between 1939 and 1945.(A) High though this figure is, together with the complementary loss of over twenty thousand seamen, it must be seen in relation to the fact that merchant ships made seventy-five thousand crossings, sailing in two thousand two hundred convoys (D). Indeed, at peak periods on the Atlantic, there were no less than seven hundred ships at sea at the same time. To visualize such a heterogeneous fleet of steamships in transit at any given moment across the great ocean is a succinct way of appreciating how the picture had changed in the century since the Britannia thrashed her lonely course over three thousand empty miles. (B) Now on the great steamship lanes, no ship islikely to be alone for long. Radio and radar have both ‘shortened in’the world. The sense of wonder has, generally speaking, left the Atlantic and gone elsewhere perhaps into space.9. Which is not true according to the passage?A. About 100 ships were sunk each year in the Atlantic during the period from 1939 to 1945.B. When Britannia first sailed the Atlantic no other ship could be seen on the ocean.C. There were as many as 700 ships crossing the Atlantic at any time.D. A total of 2,200 ships sailed across the Atlantic during that period of time.。
社会生活类（Passage 25～30）Passage 25 题材：社会生活类字数：385 建议用时：4.5分钟Strikes and demonstrations in Germany, Britain and France helped to make the shorter working week a union priority. Employers gave way because in Germany sweating capital investment had traditionally been the way German managers sustained high productivity.In Britain, there was a certain cynicism in agreeing to a reduced working weekas British workers have always opted for extensive overtime to make up low basic wages. A nominal 35-hour week merely allowed more overtime.Working with union leaders such as Ron Todd and Bill Jordan in Britain and Hans Mayr, the wily IG Metall leader, in Germany, I found that there was one big gap in the movement for a 35-hour week. The Swedish union movement refused categorically to join the campaign.Given that in the 1980s—as today—95% of the Swedish workforce is unionized, the absence of the Swedish metalworkers’ union left a large hole in the European campaign. The Swedish thought that focusing on nominal weekly working hours was fatuous.The Swedish metal union believed that the distribution of working time should focus on annual holidays, family leave and on rigidly enforced limits on overtime that would be unacceptable to any self-respecting British shop steward. For the Swedish unions, working hours should help support Volvo, Saab, Electrolux andother companies faced with the growing challenge of globalization.To prescribe a rigid working week as the solution to European labor market problems just did not make sense to the calm, consensual approach that had allowed Swedish capitalism to flourish while delivering the best version of “social Europe” on offer in the continent.At the time, it appeared frustrating to see this breach in solidarity. But today, the Swedish refusal to make a totem out of the 35-hour week appears more than justified. Sweden has maintained both full employment and record levels of trade union membership. By contrast, in Germany and France, where the 35-hour week was introduced, the continuing high level of unemployment and the lack of movement and energy in the labor market have contributed to the biggest slump in trade union membership ever seen in both countries.1. The reason why in the end the 35-hour week has been gotten through in Germany is that _____.A. facing vast stri kes and demonstrations, German managers couldn’t deny thelongstanding fact of overworking employees for high profits.B. German workers devoted themselves to striking and demonstrating againstthe former longer workingweek.C. the new working rule has been approved in most of European countries.D. the new working rule would definitely improve the rate of employment.2. In the 7th paragraph, what does “breach in solidarity” refer to?A. “Social Europe”.B. Prosperity in Sweden.C. Swedish noninvolvement.D. The 35-hour week.3. Which statement is true according to the passage?A. Swedish workers hardly dissented from its government in its working weekproblem.B. Until today there have been 95% of the Swedish metalworkers that areunionized.C. Those British managers who have self-respects are considered to oppose arigid enforcement of limits onovertime.D. Under the challenge of globalization, some major Swedish companies haveturned to annual holidays andfamily leave for help.4. In the second paragra ph, what does “nominal” mean here?5. What is the author’s attitude towards the 35-hour week?「文章大意」本文主要围绕工人罢工和游行是否真正争取到了权利展开论述。
专业四级英语阅读理解练习题（2）专业四级英语阅读理解练习题When a message occurs can also reveal associated meaning. Let us assume two couples do exactly the same amount of kissing and arguing. But one couple always kisses after an argument and the other couple always argues after a kiss. The ordering of the behaviors may mean a great deal more than the frequency of the behavior. A friend’s unusually docile behavior may only be understood by noting that it was preceded by situations that required an abnormal amount of assertiveness. Some responses may be directly linked to a developing pattern of responses and defy logic. For example, a person who says “No!” to a serials of charges like “You’re dumb,” “You’re lazy,” and “You’re dishonest,” may also say “No!” and try to justify his or her response if the next statement is “And you’re good looking.”We would do well to listen for how messages are presented. The words, “If sure has been nice to have you over,” can b e said with emphasis and excitement or ritualistically. The phrase can be said once or repeated several times. And the meanings we associate with the phrase will change accordingly. Sometimes if we say something infrequently it assumes more importance; sometimes the more we say something the less importance it assumes.1.Effective communication is rendered possible between two conversing partners, if ___.A.they use proper words to carry their ideas.B.they both speak truly of their own feelings.C.they try to understand each other’s ideas beyond words.D.they are capable of associating meaning with their words.2.“I’m letting off some steam” in paragraph 1 means___.A.I’m just calling your attention.B.I’m just kidding.C.I’m just saying the opposite.D.I’m just giving off some sound.3.The house-owner’s example shows that he actually means___.A.the step has been like that for years.B.he doesn’t think it necessary to fix the step.C.the condition of the step is only a minor fault.D.the cost involved in the fixing should be shared.4.Some responses and behaviors may appear very illogical, but are justifiable if___.A.linked to an abnormal amount of assertiveness.B.seen as one’s habitual pattern of behavior.C.taken as part of an ordering sequence.D.expressed to a series of charges.5.The word “ritualistically” in the last paragraph equals something done___.A.without true intention.B.light-heartedly.C.in a way of ceremony.D.with less emphasis.答案：DBABC练习题三Racket, din clamor, noise, whatever you want to call 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 andpsychological 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 common 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 stress caused 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 increases susceptibility to disease and infection. The more susceptible among us may experience noise as a complicating 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 example, there are indications of effects on the unborn child when mothers are exposed to industrial and environmental noise. During infancy and childhood, youngsters exposed to high noise levels may have trouble falling asleep and obtaining necessary amounts of rest.Why, then, is there not greater alarm about these dangers?Perhaps it is because the link between noise and many disabilities or diseases has not yet been conclusively demonstrated. Perhaps it is because we tend to dismiss annoyance as a price to pay for living in the modern world. It may also be because we still think of hearing loss as only an occupational hazard.。
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。
雕塑的基本特征中西方雕塑发展的区别？答：中西方雕塑在其发展脉络中表现出了迥然不同的审美风范。
由于中西方不同的文化心理造成的。
西方雕塑艺术有其特定的门类规则和创作方法，而中国的雕塑表现出与绘画艺术的密切结合，中西雕塑艺术为什么会呈现出不同的艺术形态呢？主要是在地理环境、文化源流、哲学品质等方面对雕塑艺术的影响。
一、地理环境的影响东方雕塑中国的地大物博决定了中国的雕塑显示了题材广泛的特点，但其封闭性也着重的显现出；但宗教雕塑中的神与人互相融合，因而自商周以来，宗法制就成为社会组织的重要纽带。
这种封建宗法制和礼乐文化，形成了雕塑功能上的封闭性特征，雕塑不是被埋入地下作为陪葬，就是被放置在帝王的陵墓前作为仪卫。
雕塑成为宗法制度的一种附属，失去其独立的美学品格。
西方雕塑也在地理差别中培育了欧洲人不同的民族个性、不同的文化，在客观上形成了文化的多样性。
古希腊的神祗与人同形同性，自上而下为“神系”，加之有地理环境等因素形成了城邦与城邦间的联盟和城邦内奴隶制下的民主制。
因此其雕塑以人体、人像为主题，这与古希腊“人，乃万物之尺度”的观念有着文化上的必然联系。
与中国的陵墓雕塑和宗教雕塑不同，西方的大量的人像雕塑放置于广场和街道，从而显示出雕塑艺术功能的公共性特征。
二、思维模式的差异对比中西文化的思维模式就会发现，中国传统艺术的思维模式追求合二为一，把宇宙视为一个统一的整体，是综合的一元论；而西方传统艺术思维模式则以分析为手段，把世界视为不同的部分，追求一分为二，是解析的二元论。
在中西思维模式发展过程中，西方的文化又形成了重视逻辑推理的思维模式，它结合古希腊的科学主义和理想主义，为雕塑艺术的典范奠定了重要基础；中国的文化则形成了强调直观意向的思维方式，它通过直觉来直接体验、感悟并把握对象。
这种思维方式超越了逻辑、概念而更长于悟性，这种所谓的“豁然贯通”、“点石成金”，也形成了与西方注重分析、偏于抽象的思维模式的不同文化特质。
科普科研类（Passage 19～24）Passage 19 题材：科普科研类字数：380 建议用时：5分钟Scrub jays （灌木丛鸟）can trick you, researchers say. Monkeys kick themselves for mistakes in judgment. And at least one parrot figured out something close to the mathematical concept of zero. In study after study over the past decade, they’ve shown abilities previously thought to exist only in humans.Take the scrub jays. A few years ago, Cambridge University professor Nicky Clayton, PhD, found that these birds can be surprisingly cunning, remembering not only what foods they’ve hidden but where, how long ago, and whether anyone else might have noticed. “If another bird was watching, they’d wait until that bird was gone and then move the food,” Clayton says.Even more interesting, not all jays protected their food that way—only those that had previously raidedother birds’ stores. “It takes a thief to know a thief,” says Clayton.Another recent experiment hints that monkeys experience regret when they make the wrong choice:Researchers say brain scans suggest the animals were having “could’ve, would’ve, should’ve” thoughts.“I knew monkeys were smart, but I didn’t think they were that smart,” says Michael Platt, PhD, theDuke University neurobiologist who led the study.But perhaps no animal has done more to challenge conventional notions than Alex, an African gray parrot, a 30-year research subject for scientist Irene.Pepperberg, PhD. He was constantly being tested; when he was tired of it, he would tell Pepperberg, “Wanna go back”—to his cage. If the request annoyed her, Alex would say, “Sorry.” One afternoon, he showed an apparent grasp of something only humans and a few apes had been known to understand: the notion of zero.Pepperberg had a tray of different-colored balls; she wanted Alex to count each group. Using their shorthand, she asked, “What color six? What color two?” Bored, Alex threw the balls on the floor instead. Then, finally, he said, “Five.” And repeated it: “Five. Five.” There were no five of anything on the tray. So Pepperberg asked, “Okay, smarty, what color five?”Alex said, “None.”Not only had the bird figured out an abstract mathematical concept, he had manip ulated Pepperberginto asking the question so he could prove it. “I nearly dropped the tray,” she says.1. Which of the following kinds of scrub jays are “surprisingly cunning”?A. Those that were stolen of their food.B. Those that learned from parents to steal.C. Those that stole other birds of their food.D. Those that observed other birds steal.2. The “could’ve, would’ve, should’ve” thoughts indicate that monkeys could ________.A. feel regretfulB. feel angryC. be conscientiousD. be objective3. The author thinks that it is most beyond imagination that Alex could ________.A. understand numbersB. interact with humansC. show various emotionsD. grasp the concept of zero4. How did Alex manipulate Pepperberg into asking the question “what colo r five?”?5. Which paragraph best sums up the main idea of the passage?「文章大意」研究人员发现，动物表现出了一些只有人类才具有的能力。
以灌木鸟为例，它们能将自己的事物藏好，并不想让其他的鸟儿分享食物。
另一个项实验则表明，猴子会为自己错误的选择而感到后悔。
在另一个实验中，一只非洲灰鹦鹉颠覆了传统观念，它表现出只有人类和少数猩猩才拥有的理解力，即“零”的概念。
答案详解1.C 由文章第三段最后一句中Clayton提到的“It takes a thief to know a thief”推断可知raided other bird’s stores是偷窃其他鸟类贮藏食物的意思，结合第二段和第三段的内容推断可知“特别狡猾”的灌木丛鸟会把自己的食物藏好，免受其他鸟类的偷窃，而这些鸟正是曾经偷过其他鸟类食物的，所以本题答案为C2.A 根据第四段首句提到的“...monkeys experience regret when they make thewrong choice…”可知，猴子做出错误的选择会产生“后悔”的情绪，而题干中的“could’ve, would’ve, should’ve”一般用于评论过去的事情，所以本题答案为A。
3.D 由题干内容可将本题的答案定位到文章首段和最后四段。
根据首段第三句提到的“至少已经有一只鹦鹉能够理解一些与“0”相近的数学概念”和最后四段对鹦鹉Alex的详细描述可知，这些段落提到Alex意在说明它能理解“0”这一个数学概念，所以本题答案为D。
4. By mentioning the number “five”.本题的答案在文章第七段结尾部分。
从该段倒数第4句的“Then, finally，…”开始描述如何发现Alex有理解“0”这个概念的能力，根据该段后四句可知，Alex首先提到了“5”这个数字，然后Pepperberg才对它提出了问题，根据该细节推断可知Alex 通过提到“5”去引导Pepperberg提问题。
5. Paragraph 1.文章首段结尾句“In study after study over the past decade, they’ve shown abilities previously thought to exist only in humans.”提到“过去十年间，一项又一项研究表明，动物表现出过去被认为只有人类才具有的能力。
”该句即为本文主旨，下文分别以“灌木丛鸟”、“猴子”和“鹦鹉Alex”为例说明第1段提到过的主题。
由此可见第一段概括了全文的内容。
「词汇装备」cunning adj. 狡猾的；巧妙的neurobiologist神经生物学figure out计算出；解决；断定；领会到raid n. 袭击；搜捕v. 奇袭，搜捕manipulate v. （熟练地）操作，使用（机器等）；操纵；利用Passage 20 题材：科普科研类字数：364 建议用时：5分钟Naturally, in a group of animals as diverse as the snakes, and with so many varied enemies, there are numerous defensive reactions and devices. There is, however, one general pattern of behavior. In the presence of suspected enemy the first reaction is to try to escape observation; if this fails, the next resort is the flight to some inaccessible retreat, but if this is not possible, or is circumvented, various kinds of intimidatory gestures and warning devices are brought into play; in the last resort the snake attacks. This pattern varies with the circumstances; some stages may be omitted or combined unpredictably whilst; some notoriously irascible species may dispense with all the preliminaries and attack almost at once, though seldom or never without some provocation.Amongst the factors that increase aggressiveness are hunger, the mating season and surprise, with the last mentioned the commonest; when hunting for food or for mate, activity and the aggressive instinct are both at their peak. Owing to their poor sense of hearing snakes are very liable to be, quite literally, caught napping and a similar situation arises during their periods of temporary blindness just before sloughing （蜕皮）begins. By far the greatest number of snake-bit accidents result from the unwitting disturbance of resting snakes, and this hazard ismuch increased with species that are well disguised and whose natural instinct is to trust to this concealment as their principal defense. As well as differences in aggressiveness between individuals of the same species according to the circumstances and conditions, there are also no- table differences between species, even closely allied species; and the reports of those who have been attacked may understandably be lacking in objectivity. So it is impossible to forecast, even in outline, howany encounter will develop.The Hamadryad, for example, is usually credited with being amongst the most aggressive of snakes, and there are many accounts of unprovoked attacks, yet on one occasion fourteen men and seven dogs passed and returned within two yards from a nest and no snake was seen although the female, which guards the nest, could not have been far away.1. By “dispense with all the preliminaries” （Line 7, Para.1）, the author most probably means that _______.A. the snakes combine all the previous three steps.B. the snakes give up all the previous three steps.C. the snakes follow all the previous steps one by one.D. the snakes reverse the order of all the previous steps.2. It is difficult to predict what would happen when a snake meets a man because ________.A. no one has ever clearly known how he himself was bit.B. man tends to be subjective when he describes his encounter with a snake.。
