最新-英语四级练习(选词填空、仔细阅读、完形填空)2018级 精品

第三章Directions; In this section, there are 10 passages. For each passage, there are 10 blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.Passage 1Our first deep companionship is found in family relationships. If we are __1__, we bond to a parent (if we are even more fortunate, we bond to both parents) and siblings (兄妹). We may also have the opportunity to find loving relationships with family outside our __2__ one—with an uncle or aunt, __3__, and cousins.As deeply loving as any of these bonds may be, however, they generally do not __4__ loneliness as effectively as marriage and __5__ do, because most family relationships are time-bound. When we become adults, most of us spend much __6__ time with our parents, grandparents, uncles, and aunts than we did as __7__. Indeed, the nature of the child-parent relationship is such that if it is healthy, we do not spend as much time with our parents when we grow up. Family relationships are limited by __8__ for another reason — as we get older, our older relatives begin to die.Of course, neither of these reasons __9__ to siblings, and many people do develop ongoing loving relationships with a sibling. This is not the rule, however. Brothers and sisters have not been known for the closeness of their relationships — even when they love each other.If we start out life with loving family relationships, our chances for happiness are incalculably increased. It is almost impossible to overstate the importance of those __10__ . But as we get older, other relationships usually provide greater opportunities for intimacy because they are not time-bound, and these are relationships with peers.Passage 2One of the advantages of living in UK is that one is permitted to say what he thinks. __1__ or in public, one may criticize the Queen, the Government, or anything else. In some cities there are even special places where people come to __2__ to speeches on all kinds of questions. In London, people gather in Hyde Park, where speakers __3 __them on various topics. No one attempts to stop such speakers. We feel that if their ideas are __4__ then they deserve to be heard. If the ideas are bad, no one will pay much __5__ to them anyway.Not long ago one of these speakers was delivering an __6__ speech in Hyde Park. He was criticizing the members of the government in strong terms.“They are __7__ for all our troubles,” he said. “What we should do is burn down the House of Commons and Buckingham Palace.” A large __8__. of people had gathered and had begun to block traffic. At that moment a policeman __9__ along and said;“All right, gentlemen! Let’s open a path for the __10__ . All those in favor of burning down the House of Commons, move to the right. All those in favor of burning down Buckingham Palace, move to the left. Now move aside, one way or the other.” One by one the listeners walked away, and soon the speaker was left alone.Passage 3When Bob Smith was invited to an international conference on tropical disease, he was delighted. The conference was to __1__ place in Geneva and Bob thought it would be a good opportunity to take Susan on a short journey. They decided that they would go to Paris for a week before Bob traveled on to Geneva for the __2__. Susan would then __3__ home.Bob and Susan __4__ an enjoyable week touring Paris. They did a lot of walking and at the end of the week they were very tired. Bob went with Susan to the __5__ and saw her on a plane to London. While he was waiting for his plane to Geneva, a mist began to form. __6__, his plane took off. As soon as he sank into his seat, Bob fell fast asleep.Unfortunately, as the plane flew to Geneva, the mist changed into __7__ fog. It was __8__ to land in Geneva because of the fog. When this news was given to the passengers, Bob was still in fast sleep. He did not wake up until the plane landed back in Paris. Still very __9__, he hurried through the airport lounge and found a taxi. He asked the driver to take him to the Geneva International Hotel. The surprised driver looked at Bob as if he were mad. He asked Bob if he was __10__ he wanted a taxi. Bob said he did, since he felt too tired to walk.Passage 4Old Lucy was a very strange woman. The fine house in which she had lived overlooked a lovely valley. But she hardly ever went out. Though a servant looked after her, her only real __1__ were two cats. For years she had __2__ to see any of her relations as she felt that all they were interested in was her money.In this she was __ 3__. After her death, the few relations she had, __4__ at the house to hear Lucy’s lawyer read her will. They were all sure that Lucy had left a great __5__ and they each demanded a share. This led to __6__ arguments. In partic ular, they quarreled about the house. Lucy’s nephew felt that it should go to him, as he was one of the few people who used to visit his old aunt before she __7__ herself off from her relations. Lucy’s cousin objected to this and there was an angry scene i n the living room while they waited for the __8__ to arrive. When the lawyer entered, the nephew said jokingly that his aunt had probably left hundreds of debts.Their lawyer did not even smile at this and asked them all to sit down. He began to read the __9__ inA solemn voice. Lucy had indeed been __10__ rich. But she had left her whole of her fortune to her two cats!Passage 5In recent years, more and more foreigners are involved in the teaching programs of the United States. Both the advantages and the disadvantages of using faculty (“教师”的总称) from foreign countries in teaching positions have to be __1__, of course. It can be said that foreigners make the faculty member from __2 __an asset (财富) also create problems of adjustment both for the university and for the individual.The foreign research scholar usually isolates himself in the laboratory as a __3__ of protection. However, what he needs is to be fitted with a highly organized university system quite __4__ from that at home. He is faced in his daily work with differences in philosophy, arrangements of courses and methods of __5__. Both the visiting professor and his students __6__ background in each other’s cultures. Some concept of what is already in the minds of American students is __7__ by foreign professor. While helping him to __8__ himself to his new environment, the university members also make certain adjustments in order to take full advantage of what the newcomer can offer. It isn’t always known how tomake __9__ use of foreign faculty, especially at smaller colleges. Teaching is thought to be a __10__ where further study is called for. The findings of such a study will be a value to colleges and universities with foreign faculty.Passage 6The elephant is the only animal in the world with a trunk. It uses its trunk in many __1__. It pulls leaves off trees with its trunk and then puts them into its mouth. It can also use its trunk to __2__ up trees when it wants to make a path through the jungle. It also uses its trunk to drink __3__. The trunk can __4__ a lot of water, as an elephant needs to drink more than three hundred pints of water every day.When an elephant is angry, its tusk can be very __5__. It can attack people. The tusks of an elephant are really its front teeth. People pay a lot of money for the ivory of an elephant’s tusks. Men have __6__ elephants for their tusks. The ivory from the tusks is made into many beautiful things.It has been easy for men to __7__ elephants in Asia. They use elephants to carry heavy things for long __8__.Many people say that the kings of Siam used to give white elephants to people who they did not like. These white elephants are sacred and they could not be made to work. They could not be killed nor __9__ away. A person who has a white elephant had to pay a lot of money to keep it properly. After certain period of time, he usually becomes very __10__ . Nowadays people in England call a useless thing “a white elephant”.Passage 7Nature has a perfect system for recycling water. Water is used again and again. It falls as rain. Thenit goes one of three places. It might seep __1__ through the soil as it soaks through into the natural reservoirs underground. It might __2__ into the air by evaporating quickly. It might run off into streams to rivers and to the oceans.There is a problem with this recycling system. It is a balance that can be easily upset by people. Nature’s __3__ system can work well only if people work with the system—not against it. Some ways that people interfere with nature are __4__ to understand. Dirty sewage water from homes and factories must not __5__ with thinking water. People would get __6__ from drinking dirty water.There are other ways that people __7__ nature. Some of these ways are not so easy to understand. For example, a marshy bog may not be good for everything, but it serves an important purpose. The soft, wet soil of a bog allows water to __8__ the underground reservoirs. What happens to the balance of nature if the bog is filled in? Many housing development projects have been built where __9__ once were. The __10__ of the houses are likely to have problems. They are likely to water, to flood in rainy seasons. Huge storm sewers are built to carry away with the water from wet areas. These huge pipes prevent wet basements in the houses of the community.Passage 8At the bottom of the world lies a mighty continent still wrapped in the Ice Age and, until recent times, unknown to man. It is a great land mass crisscrossed by mountain ranges whose extent and elevation are still uncertain. Much of the continent is a complete __1__ on our maps. A 1,000-mile stretch of the coastline has never been __2__ by any ship. Man has explored, on foot, less than one percent of its areas.Antarctic __3__ fundamentally from the Arctic regions. The Arctic is an ocean, __4__ with drifting packed ice and surrounded by the landmasses of Europe, Asia. and North America. The Antarctic is a __5__ nearly as large as Europe and Australia combined, centered roughly on the South Pole and surrounded by the most unobstructed water areas of the world, the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans.The continental ice __6__ is more than two miles high at its center. Thus, the air over the Antarctic is __7__ more refrigerated than it is over the Arctic regions. This __8__ air cascades off the land with such force that it makes the nearby seas the stormiest in the world. And it renders unlivable those regions whose counterparts at the opposite end of the globe are __9__. Thus, more than a million persons live within 2,000 miles of the North Pole in an area that includes most of Alaska, Siberia, and Scandinavia —a region __10__in forest and mining industries. Except for a handful of weather stations, within the same distance of the South Pole there is not a single tree, industry, or settlement.Passage 9Every year a million tons of oil are spilled, leaked, or deliberately flushed into the sea. Oil contamination is a critical __1__ for science to solve.__2__ for getting rid of oil are many. Straw absorbs four times its weight in oil. Flamethrowers burn oil off. Sand, talc (滑石), and chalk __3__ break it up and sink it. Various chemicals disperse the slick (油膜) into droplets and enable microbes (微生物) to __4__ the oil more quickly.Some chemicals, however, become more __5__ than the oil itself when they combine with it. In 1967, when the tanker, Torrey Canyon grounded off Cornwall in southwest England, powerful chemicals did more __6__ harm than the oil itself. Though the oil killed thousands of birds as it floated ashore, the detergents used to clean the rocks and beaches destroyed __7__ creatures and upset the balance of marine life. Masses of oil reaching shore are fortunately __8__, but few beaches have escaped contamination by oil. Some ships do not report spillage, and others __9__ oily wastes at night and depart. To __10__ the culprits (肇事者), oil companies are considering a process involving the electronic analysis of oil. This would make it possible to match any spill with its source and so identify the tanker responsible.Passage 10All of us communicate with one another nonverbally (非语言), as well as with words. We gesture with eyebrows or a hand, meet someone else’s eyes and look away.One of the most potent elements in body language is __1__ behavior. Americans are careful about how and when they __2__ one another’s eyes. In our normal __3__, each eye contact lasts only about a second before one or both individuals look away. When two Americans look searchingly into each other’s eyes, emotions are heightened and the relationship becomes more __4__. However, we carefully avoid this, except in __5__ circumstances.Proper street behavior in the United States __6__ a nice balance of attention and inattention. You are supposed to look at a passerby just enough to show that you are aware of his __7__. If you look too little you __8__ haughty (傲慢的[) or secretive (遮遮掩掩); too much, and you are inquisitive (好奇的). Usually what happens is that people eye each other until they are about eight feet apart, at which point they cast down their eyes. Even in parts of the Far East, it is __9__ to look at the other person at all during conversation. In England the listener stares at the speaker __10__ and blinks his eyes occasionally as a sign of interest. That eye-blink says nothing to Americans, who expect the listener to nod or to murmur something such as “mm—h mm”.第四章Directions: Here are 15 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C), and D). You should decide on the best choice. ‘Passage lDoes money buy happiness? Not! Ah, but would a little more money make us a little happier? Many of us smirk (傻笑)and nod. There is, we believe, some connection between fiscal fitness andemotional fulfillment. Three in four American collegians (大学生) now consider it “very important” or “essential” that they become “very well off financially.” Money matters.But a surprising fact of life is that in countries where nearly everyone can afford life’s necessities, increasing affluence matters surprisingly little. The correlation between income and happiness is“surprisingly weak,” observed University of Michigan researcher Ronald Inglehart in one 16-nation study of 170.000 people. Once comfortable, more money provides diminishing returns. The second piece of pie , or the second $100,000, never tastes as good as the first. Even lottery winners and the Forbes’100wealthiest Americans have expressed only slightly greater happiness than the average American. Making it big brings temporary joy. But in the long run wealth is like health: its utter absence can breed misery, but having it doesn’t guarantee happiness. Happiness seems less a matter of getting what we want thanof wanting what we have.Has our happiness floated upward with the rising economic tide? Are we happier today than in the 1940s, when two out of five homes lacked a shower or tub? Actually, we are not. Since 1957, the number of Americans who say they are “very happy” has declined from 35 to 32 percent. Meanwhile, the divorc e rate has doubled, the teen suicide rate has nearly tripled, the violent crime rate has nearly quadrupled (even after the recent decline), and more people than ever (especially teens and young adults) are depressed.This soaring wealth and shrinking spiri t is called “the American paradox.” More than ever, we have big houses and broken homes, high incomes and low morale, secured rights and diminished civility. We excel at making a living but often fail at making a life. We celebrate our prosperity but yearn for a purpose. We cherish our freedoms but long for connection. In an age of plenty, we feel spiritual hunger.1. Which of the following statements best expresses the author’s view?A) The more money we earn, the happier we would be.B) The more money we earn, the diminished returns we have.C) With the economy goes up, our happiness decreases.D) In the long run, money cannot guarantee happiness.2. “The second $100,000 never tastes as good as the first,” because ________.A) it’s not so fresh as the firs t $100,000B) it is not so important as the first $100,000C) profit brought by it is less than that from the first $100,000D) happiness brought by it is less than that from the first $100,0003. In this passage, “the American paradox” (Line 1, Para. 4) probably means ________.A) the American characteristic B) the American contradictionC) the American wonder D) the American phenomenon4. According to the passage, people excel at making a living but _________.A) don’t have any aim or idealB) don’t know how to enjoy lifeC) don’t have any contact with other peopleD) don’t know how to spend money5. The things happened after 1957 are given to illustrate that _________.A) people’s spiritual needs cannot be fulfilled by wealthB) family problems become more and more seriousC) social crimes have increased by a large marginD) young people are not happy about their lifePassage 2To a large degree, the measure of our peace of mind is determined by how much we are able to live in the present moment. Irrespective of what happened yesterday or last year, and what may or may nothappen tomorrow, the present moment is where you are — always!Without question, many of us have mastered the neurotic art of spending much of our lives worrying about a variety of things —all at once. We allow past problems and future concerns to dominate our present moments, so much so that we end up anxious, frustrated, depressed, and hopeless. On the flip side we also postpone our gratification, our stated priorities, and our happiness, often convincing ourselves that “someday” will be better than today. Unfortunately, the same mental dynamics that tell us to look toward the future will only repeat themselves so that “someday” never actually arrives. John Lennon once said, “Life is what’s happening while we’re busy making other plans.” When we’re busy making “other plans”, our children are busy growing up, the people we love are moving away and dying, our bodies are getting out of shape, and our dreams are slipping away. In short, we miss out on life.Many people live as if life were a dress rehearsal for some later date. It isn’t. In fact, no one has a guarantee that he or she will be here tomorrow. Now is the only time we have, and the only time that we have any control over. When our attention is in the present moment, we push fear from our minds. Fear is the concern over events that might happen in the future—we won’t have enough money, our children will get into trouble, we will get old and die, whatever.To combat fear, the best strategy is to learn to bring your attention back to the present. Mark Twain said, “I have been through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened.” I don’t think I can say it any better. Practice keeping your attention on the here and now, and your efforts will pay great dividends.1. The word “neurotic” (Line 1, Para. 2) in the context refers to _________.A) nerve B) worrisomeC) crazy D) angry2. It can be concluded from John Lennon’s remarks that _________.A) life is what we have planned in the pastB) life will never realize what we have plannedC) plans are making preparation for future lifeD) life is slipping away when we make “other plans”3. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?A) We are often upset because we worry about future problems.B) We delay our happiness because we’re afraid of missing our dreams.C) Life isn’t for controlling the time in some later date.D) We have missed many things when we’re busy making “other plans”.4. Which has NOT been included in the behavior of fear in this context?A) Concern the terrible things that happened in the past.B) Concern whether there will be enough money to use tomorrow.C) Concern whether our children will have trouble.D) Concern whether we will get old and die.5. The best title for this passage would be _________.A) Don’t Miss Out on Life!B) “Someday” Is Never Better Than TodayC) Learn to Live in the Present MomentD) How to Conquer FearPassage 3Having a corporate ethics (企业道德规范) policy is not just a luxury but a necessity in business today. That’s according to a study of ethics in the workplace released Tuesday by the Ethics Resource Center. Through telephone interviews, the study sampled 1,500 American workers at all levels —including corporate management —and in all sizes and types of businesses. 80 percent of those responding said their companies had some sort of ethics program, whether it was written standards, a training program or some avenue for employees to get ethics advice. The percentage was greater—90 percent—for companies of 500 or more employees. Nine out of ten workers surveyed said they expected their companies to be ethical. However, the study found one in three employees had observed inappropriate behaviors in the past year.More than a quarter reported they were aware of lying to employees, customers, vendors or the public. A similar number found that information was hidden, and 24 percent reported abusive or impolite behavior toward employees. Bribery and kickbacks (回扣) was low on the list, with only 5 percent saying they were aware of it. But nearly a third of those who witnessed inappropriate behavior did not report it, for fear of being viewed as troublemakers, or for fear of pressure from co-workers.And while more companies are adopting ethics policies, one in eight employees said they feel pressure to violate ethical standards—whether from top management or co-workers. Long-term employees feel greater pressure than newer workers do. That, said Michael Wagon, president of the Ethics Resource Center, indicates there is still a need for aggressive pursuit of ethics in the workplace. Wagon said focusing on values “may not be a luxury but a necessity for positive business cultures”. He says an ethics progra m makes sense to a company’s bottom line, including helping “to attract and retain high quality employees”.1. The word “avenue” (Line 6, Para. 1) in the context refers to _________.A) rules B) meansC) disciplines D) books2. It can be conclude d from Michael Wagon’s remarks that _________.A) many companies don’t have corporate standardsB) one in three employees didn’t observe corporate ethicsC) many employees feel pressure to break corporate ethicsD) it’s necessary for companies to establish and keep corporate ethics3. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?A) The study of corporate ethics has taken samples from 1,500 American workers.B) Companies of more than 500 employees are more likely to have corporate ethics.C) More than half of the people are aware of inappropriate behavior in companies.D) Many workers feel pressure to break the corporate ethics.4. The passage tells us that _________.A) more than 25 percent of the employees found the lying to employees, customers, vendors or thepublicB) a quarter reported abusive or impolite behavior toward employeesC) one in ten employees found the bribery and kickbacksD) 24 percent of the employees didn’t report the inappropriate behaviors5. What is the auth or’s attitude toward the adoption of corporate ethics?A) Pessimistic. B) Critical.C) Positive. D) Prejudiced.Passage 4(半期考)In many businesses, computers have largely replaced paperwork, because they are fast, flexible, do not make mistak es. As one banker said, “Unlike humans, computers never have a bad day.” And they are honest. Many banks advertise that their transactions are “untouched by human hands” and there fore safe from human temptation. Obviously, computers have no reason to steal money. But they also have no conscience, and the growing number of computer crimes shows they can be used to steal.Computer criminals don’t use guns. And even if they are caught, it is hard to punish them becau se there are no witness and often no evidence. A computer cannot remember who used it: it simply does what it is told. The head teller at a New York bank used a computer to steal more than one and a half billion dollars in just four years. No one noticed this theft because he moved the money from one account to another. Each time a customer he had robbed questioned the balance (余额) in his account, the teller claimed a computer error, then replaced the missing money from someone else’s account. This man was caught only because he was a gambler. When the police broke up an illegal gambling operation, his name was in the records.Some employees use the computer’s power to get revenge on employers they consider unfair. Recently, a large insurance company fired its computer-tape librarian for reasons that involved her personal rather than her professional life. She was given thirty days notice. In those thirty days, she erased all the company’s computerized records.Most computer criminals have been minor employees. Now police wonder if this is “the tip of the iceberg”. As one official says, “I have the feeling that there is more crime out there than we are catching. What we are seeing now is all so poorly done, I wonder what the real experts are doing—the ones who really know how a computer works.”1. The major point discussed in the passage is _________.A) the difference between human and computerB) the application of computer in banksC) the tip of the icebergD) the computer crimes2. Transactions in many banks are claimed to be safe because they_________.A) are handled by computers B) are safe from stealingC) cannot be noticed by other people D) cannot be used for revenge3. The bank teller covered up his crime by_________.A) telling the computer wrong informationB) moving money from one account to anotherC) canceling all the records in the computerD) doing illegal gambling in the computer4. The phrase “thirty days notice” (Line 3, Para.3) refers to _________.A) rest for thirty days B) record documents for thirty daysC) thirty days before firing her D) thirty days after firing her5. According to the last paragraph, what kind of criminal are the police unable to catch?A) Minor employees. B) Senior employees.C) Computer experts. D) Computer-tape librarians.Passage 5Exceptional children are different in some significant ways from others of the same age. For these children to develop to their full adult potential, their education must be adapted to these differences.Although we focus ourselves on the needs of exceptional children, we find ourselves describing their environment well. While the leading actor on the stage occupies our attention, we are aware of the importance of the supporting players and the scenery of the play itself. Both the family and the society in which exceptional children live are often the key to their growth and development. And it is in the public schools that we find the full expression of society’s understanding—the knowledge, hopes and fears that are passed on to the next generation.Education in any society is a mirror of that society. In that mirror we can see the strengths, the weaknesses, the hopes, the prejudices, and the central values of the culture itself. The great interest in exceptional children shown in public education over the past three decades indicates the strong feeling in our society that all citizens, whatever their special conditions, deserve the opportunity to full develop their capacities.“All men are created equal.” We’ve heard this many times, but it still has important meanings for education in a democratic society. Although the phrase was used by this country’s founders to refer to equality before the law, it has also been interpreted to mean equality of opportunity. That concept implies educational opportunity for all children—the right of each child to receive help in learning to the limits of his or her capacity, whether that capacity is small or great. Recent court decisions have confirmed the right of all children—disabled or not—to an appropriate education, and have ordered that public schools take the necessary steps to provide that education. In response, schools are modifying their programs, adapting instruction to children who are exceptional, to those who cannot profit substantially from regular programs.1. “Exceptional children” (Line 1, Para. 1) can be replaced by _________.A) abnormal children B) excellent childrenC) disabled children D) ordinary children2. What is the author’s attitude toward the education of exceptional chil dren?A) Pessimistic. B) Indifferent.C) Positive. D) Concerned.3. Which of the following statements is the topic of the passage?A) More attention should be paid to the exceptional children.B) Education’s function as a mi rror of the society.。