Part III Reading Comprehension

Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)Section AHis future subjects have not always treated the Prince of Wales with the respect one XXXX expect. They laughed aloud in 1986 when the heir to the British(36)_ throne _ told a TV reporter that he talked to his plants at his country house, High grove, to stimulate their growth. The Prince was being humorous- “My sense of humor will get me into trouble one day”, he said to his aids(随从)-but listening to Charles Windsor can indeed prove stimulating. The royal(37) environmentalist _ has been promoting radical ideas for most of his adult life. Some of his(38)_ notions ____, which once sounded a bit weird, were simply ahead of their time. Now, finally, the world seems to be catching up with him.Take his vi ews on farming. Prince Charles’ Duchy Home Farm went(39)_ originally ____ back in 1986. When most shoppers cared only about the low price tag on suspiciously blemish-free(无瑕疵的) vegetables and(40) unnaturally _____ large chickens piled high in supermarkets.His warnings on climate change proved farsighted,too.Charles began(41) urging _____ action in warming in 1990 and says he has been worried about the(42) impact _____ of man on the environment same be was a teenager.Although he was gradually gained international(43) recognition _____ as one of the world's lending conservationists,many British people still think of him as an(34) eccentric _____ person who talks to plants.This year,as it happens,South Korean scientists proved that plants really do(45) respond _____ to round.So Charles was ahead of the game there,too.A.conformB.eccentricC.environmentalistD.expeditionsE.impactF.notionsanicH.originallyI.recognitionJ.respondK.subordinateL.suppressingM.throneN.unnaturallyO.urgingSection BDirections: In this section，you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose aparagraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.High School Sports Aren’t Killing AcademicsA)In this month’s Atlantic cover article, “The Case Against High-School Sports,” Amanda Ripley argues thatschool-sponsored sports programs should be seriously cut. She writes that, unlike most countries that outperform the United States on international assessments, American schools put too much of an emphasis on athl etics, “ Sports are embedded in American schools in a way they are not almost anywhere else,” she writes, “Yet this difference hardly ever comes up in domestic debates about America’s international mediocrity(平庸)in education.”B)American student-athletes reap many benefits from participating in sports, but the costs to the schools could outweigh their benefits, she argues, In particular, Ripley contends that sports crowd out the academic missions of schools: America should learn from South Korea and Finland and every other country at the top level of international test scores, all of whom emphasize athletics far less in school. ”Even in eighth grade, American kids spend more than twice the time Korean kids spend playing sports,” she writes, citing a 2010 s tudy published in the Journal of Advanced Academics.C)It might well be true that sports are far more rooted in American high schools than in other countries. But our reading of international test scores finds no support for the argument against school athletics. Indeed, our own research and that of others lead us to make the opposite case. School-sponsored sports appear to provide benefits that seem to increase, not detract(减少)from, academic success.D)Ripley indulges a popular obsession(痴迷)with international test score comparisons, which show wide and frightening gaps between the United States and other countries. She ignores, however, the fact that states vary at least as much in test scores as do developed countries. A 2011 report from Harvard University shows that Massachusetts produces math scores comparable to South Korea and Finland, while Mississippi scores are closer to Trinidad and Tobago. Ripley’s thesis about sports falls ap art in light of this fact. Schools in Massachusetts provide sports programs while schools in Finland do not. Schools in Mississippi may love football while in Tobago interscholastic sports are nowhere near as prominent. Sports cannot explain these similarities in performance. They can’t explain international differences eit her.E)If it is true that sports undermine the academic mission of American schools, we would expect to see a negative relationship between the commitment to athletics and academic achievement. However, the University of Arkansas’s Daniel Bowen and Jay G reene actually find the opposite. They examine this relationship by analyzing schools’ sports winning percentages as well as student-athletic participation rates compared to graduation rates and standardized test score achievement over a five-year period for all public high schools in Ohio. Controlling for student poverty levels, demographics(人口统计状况), and district financial resources, both measures of a school’s commitment to athletics are significantly and positively relate d to lower dropout rates as well as higher test scores.F)On-the-field success and high participation in sports is not random-it requires focus and dedication to athletics. One might think this would lead schools obsessed with winning to deemphasize academics. Bowen and Greene’s results contradictthat argument. A likely explanation for this seemingly counterintuitive(与直觉相反的)result is that success in sports programs actually facilitates or reflects greater social capital within a school’s community.G)Ripley cites the writings of renowned sociologist James Coleman, whose research in education was groundbreaking. Coleman in his early work held athletics in contempt, arguing that they crowded out schools’ academic missions. Ripley quotes his 1961 study, The Adolescent Society, where Colem an writes, “Altogether, the trophy(奖品)case would suggest to the innocent visitor that he was entering an athletic club, not an educational institution.”H)However, in later research Coleman would show how the success of schools is highly dependent on what he termed social capital, “the social networks, and the relationships between adults and children that are of value for the child’s gro wing up.”I)According to a 2013 evaluation conducted by the Crime Lab at the University of Chicago, a program called Becoming a Man-Sports Edition creates lasting improvements in the boys’ study habits and grade point averages. During the first year of the program, students were founds to be less likely to transfer schools or be engaged in violent crime. A year after the program, participants were less likely to have had an encounter with the juvenile justice system.J)If school-sponsored sports were completely eliminated tomorrow, many American students would still have opportunities to participate in organized athletics elsewhere, much like they do in countries such as Finland, Germany, and South Korea. The same is not certain when it comes to students from more disadvantaged backgrounds. In an overview of the research onnon-school based after-school programs, researchers find that disadvantaged children participate in these programs at significantly lower rates. They find that low-income students have less access due to challenges with regard to transportation, non-nominal fees, and off-campus safety. Therefore, reducing or eliminating these opportunities would most likely deprive disadvantaged students of the benefits from athletic participation, not least of which is the opportunity to interact with positive role models outside of regular school hours.K)Another unfounded criticism that Ripley makes is bringing up the stereotype that athletic XX are typically lousy(蹩脚的)classroom teachers. “American principals, unlike the XX XX of principals around the world, make many hiring decisions with their sports teams in mind, which does not always end well for students,” she writes. Educators who seek employment at schools primarily for the purpose of coaching are likely to shirk(推卸)teaching responsibilities, the argument goes. Moreover, even in the cases where the employee is a teacher first and athletic coach second, the additional responsibilities that come with coaching likely comes at the expense of time otherwise spent on planning, grading, and communicating with parents and guardians.L)The data, however, do not seem to confirm this stereotype. In the most rigorous study on the classroom results of high school coaches, the University of Arkansas’s Anna Egalite finds that athletic coaches in Florida mostly tend to perform just as well as their non-coaching counterparts, with respect to raising student test scores. We do not doubt that teachers who also coach face serious tradeoffs that likely come at the expense of time they could dedicate to their academic obligations. However, aswith sporting events, athletic coaches gain additional opportunities for communicating and serving as mentors(导师)that potentially help students succeed and make up for the costs of coaching commitments.M)If schools allow student-athletes to regularly miss out on instructional time for the sake of traveling to athletic competitions, that’s bad. However, such issues would be better addressed by changing school and state policies with regard to the scheduling of sporting events as opposed to total elimination. If the empirical evidence points to anything, it points towards school sponsored sports providing assets that are well worth the costs.N)Despite negative stereotypes about sports culture and Ripley’s presumption that academics and athletics are at odds with one another, we believe that the greater body of evidence shows that school-sponsored sports programs appear to benefit students. Successes on the playing field can carry over to the classroom and vice versa(反之亦然). More importantly, finding ways to increase school communities’ social c apital is imperative to the success of the school as whole, not just the athletes.46.Stunets from low-income families have less access to off-campus sports programs.47.Amanda Ripley argues that America should learn from other countries that rank high in international tests and lay less emphasis on athletics.48.According to the author,Amanda Ripley fails to note that students' performance in exams varies from state to state.49.Amanda Ripley thinks that athletic coaches are poor at classroom instruction.50.James Coleman's later research make an argument for a school's social capital.51.Researchers find that there is a positive relationship between a school's commitment to athletics and academic achievements.52.A rigorous study finds that athletic coaches also do well in raising students' test scores.53.According to an evaluation,programs contribute to students' academic performance and character building.54.Amanda Ripley believes the emphasis on school sports should be brought up when trying to understand why American students are mediocre.55.James Coleman suggests in his earlier writings that school athletics would undermine a school's imageSection CDirections: There are 2 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 and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage oneIt is easy to miss amid the day-to-day headlines of global economic recession, but there is a less conspicuous kind of social upheaval(剧变)underway that is fast altering both the face of the planet and the way human beings live. That change is the rapid acceleration of urbanization. In 2008, for the first time in human history, more than half the world’s population was living in towns and cities. And as a recently published paper shows, the process of urbanization will only accelerate in the decades to come—with an enormous impact on biodiversity and potentially on climate change.As Karen Seto, the led author of the paper, points out, the wave of urbanization isn’t just about the migration of people int o urban environments, but about the environments themselves becoming bigger to accommodate all those people. The rapidexpansion of urban areas will have a huge impact on biodiversity hotspots and on carbon emissions in those urban areas.Humans are the ultimate invasive species—when the move into new territory, the often displace the wildlife that was already living there. And as land is cleared for those new cities—especially in the dense tropical forests—carbon will be released into the atmosphere as well. It’s true that as people in developing nations move from the countryside to the city, the shift may reduce the pressure on land, which could in turn be good for the environment. This is especially so in desperately poor countries, where residents in the countryside slash and burn forests each growing season to clear space for farming. But the real difference is that in developing nations, the move from rural areas to cities often leads to an accompanying increase in income — and that increase leads to an increase in the consumption of food and energy, which in turn causes a rise in carbon emissions. Getting enough to eat and enjoying the safety and comfort of living fully on the grid is certainly a good thing — but it does carry an environmental price.The urbanization wave can’t be stopped —and it shouldn’t be. But Seto’s p aper does underscore the importance of managing that transition. If we do it the right way, we can reduce urbanization’s impact on the environment. “There’s an enormous opportunity here, and a lot of pressure and responsibility to think about how we urbani ze,” says Seto. “One thing that’s clear is that we can’t build cities the way we have over the last couple of hundred years. The scale of this transition won’t allow that.” We’re headed towards an urban planet no matter what, but whether it becomes heaven or hell is up to us.56. What issue does the author try to draw people’s attention to?A. The shrinking biodiversity worldwide.B. The rapid increase of world population.C. The ongoing global economic recession.D. The impact of accelerating urbanization.57. In what sense are humans the ultimate invasive species?A. They are much greedier than other species.B. They are a unique species born to conquer.C. They force other species out of their territories.D. They have an urge to expand their livingspace.58. In what way is urbanization in poor countries good for the environment?A. More land will be preserved for wildlife.B. The pressure on farmland will be lessened.C. Carbon emissions will be considerably reduced.D. Natural resources will be used moreeffectively.59. What does the author say about living comfortably in the city?A. It incurs a high environmental price.B. It brings poverty and insecurity to an end.C. It causes a big change in people’s lifestyle.D. It narrows the gap betwee n city and country.60. What can be done to minimize the negative impact of urbanization according to Seto?A. Slowing down the speed of transition.B. Innovative use of advanced technology.C. Appropriate management of the process.D. Enhancing people’s sense of responsibility.Passage TwoWhen Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg launched the in Feb. 2004, even he could not imagine the forces it would let loose. His intent was to connect college students. Facebook, which is what this website rapidly evolved into, ended up connecting the world.To the children of this connected era, the world is one giant social network. They are not bound — as were previous generations of humans — by what they were taught. They are only limited by their curiosity and ambition. During my childhood,all knowledge was local. You learned everything you knew from your parents, teachers, preachers, and friends.With the high-quality and timely information at their fingertips, today’s children are rising norm ally tame middle class is speaking up against social ills. Silicon Valley executives are being shamed into adding women to their boards. Political leaders are marshalling the energy of millions for elections and political causes. All of this is being done with social media technologies that Facebook and its competitors set free.As does every advancing technology, social media has created many new problems. It is commonly addictive and creates risks for younger users. Social media is used by extremists in the Middle East and elsewhere to seek and brainwash recruits. And it exposes us and our friends to disagreeable spying. We may leave our lights on in the house when we are on vacation, but through social media we tell criminals exactly where we are, when we plan to return home, and how to blackmail(敲诈)us.Governments don’t need informers any more. Social media allows government agencies to spy on their own citizens. We record our thoughts, emotions, likes and dislikes on Facebook; we share our political views, social preferences, and plans. We post intimate photographs of ourselves. No spy agency or criminal organization could actively gather the type of data that we voluntarily post for them.The marketers are also seeing big opportunities. Amazon is trying to predict what we will order. Google is trying to judge our needs and wants based on our social-media profiles. We need to be aware of the risks and keep working to alleviate the dangers.Regardless of what social media people use, one thing is certain: we are in a period of accelerating change. The next decade will be even more amazing and unpredictable than the last. Just as no one could predict what would happen with social media in the last decade, no one can accurately predict where this technology will take us. I am optimistic, however, that a connected humanity will find a way to uplift itself.61. What was the purpose of Facebook when it was first created?A. To help students connect with the outside world.B. To bring university students into closercontact.C. To help students learn to live in a connected era.D. To combine the world into an integralwhole.62. What difference does social media make to learning?A. Local knowledge and global knowledge will merge.B. Student will become more curious andambitious.C. People are able to learn wherever they travel.D. Sources of information are greatly expanded.63. What is the author’s greatest concern with social media technology?A. Individuals and organizations may use it for evil purposes.B. Government will find it hard toprotect classified information.C. People may disclose their friends’ information unintentionally.D. People’s attention will beeasily distracted from their work in hand.64. What do businesses use social media for?A. Creating a good corporate image.B. Conducting large-scale market surveys.C. Anticipating the needs of customers.D. Minimizing possible risks and dangers.65. What does the author think of social media as a whole?A. It will enable human society to advance at a faster pace.B. It will pose a grave threat to ourtraditional ways of life.C. It is bound to bring about another information revolution.D. It breaks down the final barriers inhuman communication.Part IV TranslationDirections: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.翻译题一：自从1978年启动改革以来，中国已从计划经济转为以市场为基础的经济，经历了经济和社会的快速发展。

大学英语四级改革适用（阅读）模拟试卷293(总分60, 做题时间90分钟)3. Reading ComprehensionPart III Reading ComprehensionSection AThe Mona Lisa is showing her age, museum curators (馆长) in Paris said while announcing a scientific study of the 500-year-old masterpiece. The thin poplar wood【C1】______around Leonardo da Vinci's painting is showing signs of warping, causing curators at the Louvre "some worry". The museum has【C2】______a study to evaluate the Mona Lisa's vulnerability (易受攻击) to climate changes. The painting will remain on【C3】______during the testing, the Louvre said. "Its state of preservation is【C4】______the source of some concern," a statement issued by the museum said. Deterioration (变坏) in its wood panel was "greater than that which has been【C5】______observed," it added. The study, to be conducted by the Centre for Research and Restoration of Museums of France, will better 【C6】______what materials the painting is made of. The painting, whose【C7】______smile attracts millions of visitors to the Louvre,is displayed behind glass to protect it from【C8】______changes and camera flashes. It will be put in a specially【C9】______room in the Louvre early next year. The Mona Lisa was painted between 1503-1506 and was thought to be named after the sitter, most likely the Florentine wife of Francesco del Giocondo. It moved to France with da Vinci in the early 16th Century, where it has【C10】______except for a short spell when it was stolen in 1911. The painting was discovered two years later in a Florence hotel. A. mysterious B. previously C. dose D. commissioned E. charity F. climatic G. intentionally H. redecorated I. interfere J. display K. determine L. currently M. panel N. suspicious O. remainedSSS_FILL1.【C1】SSS_FILL2.【C2】SSS_FILL3.【C3】SSS_FILL4.【C4】SSS_FILL5.【C5】SSS_FILL6.【C6】SSS_FILL7.【C7】SSS_FILL8.【C8】SSS_FILL9.【C9】SSS_FILL10.【C10】Section BCulture Shock A) Because I've lived in China for a long time, locals often smile and give me the honorable title of being "an Old China-hand". I'm flattered by that, but I know that no matter how long I live here, I'll still be a "lao-wai". But Chinese people are very hospitable, and in many situations I feel very much at home. But it wasn't always that way. I must admit, it is not easy to adapt to anew environment. Perhaps by sharing the experiences of one of my friends', readers will gain some insight into adjustments that they may face in the future. B) My friend Dr. Dong had a wonderful chance to go to Seattle to present a paper at a professional meeting. Having attended my course in Intercultural Communications, he consulted me to review some of the cultural differences he might experience. I also gave him the phone number of a friend of mine who lived in the area. When he got back, we met to review his experience. Dr. Dong told me that the course information had helped him. He experienced the typical stages of culture shock. He arrived expectant (期待的) and happy and enjoyed his first days very much. At the medical conference, he felt quite confident in his area of research and was able to perform well in his presentation. But after a few days, he began to feel uncomfortable. His medical English was fine, but the social interaction skills were different, and he was unsure of the cues and **munication style. C) He worried more and more that he was misunderstanding simple English greetings and table talk conventions. When someone greeted him with, "Hi, how's it going?" he thought they had asked him "where are you going?" and answered with the name of the conference hall, only to get a quizzical (古怪的) stare from them. At a western style dinner, a colleague asked, "So how're you enjoyin' the States?" he thought he heard, "how are you enjoying your steak?" and answered that he was eating chicken, not beef. That time, they smiled, and patiently repeated the question, then both laughed at the error. D) Such misunderstandings and miscommunications were minor. But for Dr. Dong, they were the beginning of a sense of "cultural confusion." By the end of the meetings, he felt a deep sense of "cultural stress" and was worn out from having to pay attention to so many new expressions and ways of dealing with things. He felt his handshake was not as firm as Americans', found that people reacted unusually when he modestly insisted his English was not good after **plimented him, didn't know how to accept dinner invitations properly and therefore missed out on going to several lunches, and so on. Eventually, he was so bewildered that he felt the full impact of "culture shock" E) What is culture shock and why does it occur? The term was coined about 50 years ago by the Swedish scholar, Kalvero Oberg. His seminal (有重大影响的) article, "Culture Shock: Adjustment to New Cultural Environments" (1960) has been reprinted and revised for many textbooks and magazines. He called it "the occupational disease of people who have been suddenly transplanted abroad." His use of the word "disease" is a pun, because it implies that it is like an "ailment (疾病 ), with its own symptoms and cure," but also that the root cause is also a feeling of "dis-"ease, or unsettled uneasiness. F) Think back onyour own experience. Have you ever moved from one context to another? Many students feel some of this adjustment shock when they change from one school to another, or move from a small town to a big city. The list of sensations one feels in new surroundings often includes: Feeling like an outsider, feeling unsure of oneself or even feeling stupid; sensing that one's language skills aren't good enough, missing jokes, colloquial (口语的) phrases, references to TV shows or pop songs or other cultural "insider" information; feeling lonely and wanting to go "home," feeling more and more like a stranger or outcast; feeling overwhelmed, overloaded, daydreaming, staring blankly at things or even staring at nothing; becoming more and more afraid of communicating and of making mistakes, worried, anxious.G) These are all symptoms of initial culture shock. With a new **es new ways of doing things. So being uninitiated (不被接纳的) and unsure of what to do, this sense of displacement is often very strong at the beginning. But the good news is that humans are very good at adapting. Though everyone undergoes some degree of psychological stress in transition, after a few weeks or months, we learn how to "read" our new context. We become aware of the new cues, the new expectations, errors, and with a lot of patience with oneself, most people succeed in **ing culture shock and learn to enjoy their new context. H) Dr. Dong's visit to the US was only three weeks long, but by the end of the 5-day medical conference, he was already starting to feel more confident. Sure he felt a little foolish about some of the mistakes he had made, but he quickly learned to laugh at his errors and found his colleagues smiled with him. This broke down the barriers to communication and helped him build some good professional relationships. And after the conference, he contacted the family I had referred him to and had a very nice time visiting them. There were some new cultural surprises, but he discovered he could better understand and adapt to them. I) By the time he returned to China, he was feeling quite positive about his American trip, and was glad for the new experiences and new skills it had given him. He had become successful in the initial transitions to a new culture. Though he had gone through some embarrassing or trying culture stresses, each had proven to be valuable learning experiences, and in the end had helped him **e culture shock. Of course, there were a hundred other adjustments. Some were the ones most difficult at first. Getting used to new things is a normal part of any transition—I wish you good luck in your future adjustments!SSS_FILL11.When Dr. Dong **plimented for his English, he felt he didn't deserve itSSS_FILL12.Feeling like an outsider is one of the sensations one feels in a new environment.SSS_FILL13.Culture shock is defined as the occupational disease of people who have been suddenly transplanted to foreign countries.SSS_FILL14.For Dr. Dong, the embarrassing or trying culture stresses had turned out to be valuable learning experiences.SSS_FILL15.When Dr. Dong was greeted with "Hi, how's it going?", he responded with the name of a conference hall.SSS_FILL16.Dr. Dong quickly learned to laugh at his own oral mistakes, which helped him break down the barriers to communication.SSS_FILL17.Since we are good at adapting, we can learn to "read" our new context in a period as short as a few weeks or months.SSS_FILL18.Dr. Dong attended a course of Intercultural Communications in order to get to know some of the cultural differences.SSS_FILL19.It was the social interaction skills that troubled Dr. Dong during his visit to the US.SSS_FILL20.On many occasions I feel very **fortable in China, because Chinese people are very hospitable.Section CIn only two decades Asian Americans have become the fastest-growing U.S. minority. As their children began moving up through the nation's schools, it became clear that a new class of academic achievers was emerging. Their achievements are reflected in the nation's best universities, where mathematics, science and engineering departments have taken on a decidedly Asian character. This special liking for mathematics and science is partly explained by the fact that Asian-American students who began their educations abroad arrived in the U.S. with a solid grounding in mathematics but little or no knowledge of English. They are also influenced by the promises of a good job after college. Asians feel there will be less unfair treatment in areas like mathematics and science because they will be judged more objectively. And the return on the investment in education is more immediate in something like engineering than with an arts degree. Most Asian-American students owe their success to the influence of parents who are determined that their children take full advantage of what the American educational system has to offer. An effective measure of parental attention is homework. Asian parents spend more time with their children than American parents do, and it helps. Many researchers also believe there is something in Asian culture that breeds success, such as ideals that stress family values and emphasize education. Both explanations for academic success worry Asian Americans because of fears that they feed a typical racial image. Many can remember when Chinese, Japanese and Filipino immigrants were the victims of social isolation. Indeed, it was not until 1952 that laws were laid down giving all Asian immigrants the right to citizenship.SSS_SINGLE_SEL21.While making tremendous achievements at college, Asian-American students _____.A feel they are mistreated because of limited knowledge of EnglishB are afraid that their academic successes bear a strong Asian characterC still worry about unfair treatment in academic areasD generally feel it a shame to have to depend on their parentsSSS_SINGLE_SEL22.What are the major factors that determine the success of Asian Americans?A Solid foundation in basic mathematics and Asian culture.B Hard work and intelligence.C Hard work and a limited knowledge of English.D Asian culture and the American educational system.SSS_SINGLE_SEL23.Few Asian-American students major in human sciences mainly because _____.A their English is not good enoughB they are afraid they might meet with unfair judgment in these areasC there is a wide difference between Asian and Western culturesD they know little about American culture and societySSS_SINGLE_SEL24.Why do the two "explanations" (Line 1, Para. 3) worry Asian Americans?A They are afraid that they would again be isolated from American society in general.B People would think that Asian students rely on their parents for success.C Asian Americans would be a threat to other minorities.D American academic achievements have taken on too strong an Asian character.SSS_SINGLE_SEL25.The author's tone in this passage is_____.A sympatheticB doubtfulC criticalD objectiveThe struggle against malnutrition (营养不良) and hunger is as old as man himself, and never across the face of our planet has the outcome been more in doubt. Malnutrition tortures an estimated 400 million to 1.5 billion of the world's poor. Even in the rich U.S., poverty means malnutrition for an estimated ten to twenty million. Hardest hit are children, whose growing bodies demand two and a half times more protein, than those of adults. Nutrition experts estimate that 70 percent of the children in low-income countries are affected. Badly-shaped bodies tell the sad story of malnutrition. Medical science identifies two major types of malnutrition which usually occur in combination. The first, kwashiorkor, is typified by the bloated (肿胀的 ) look, the opposite of what we associate with starvation. Accumulated fluids pushing against wasted muscles account for the plumpness (丰满) of hands, feet, belly and face. Caused by an acute lack of protein, kwashiorkor can bring brain damage,irritability, loss of appetite and so on. On the other hand, stick limbs, a bloated belly, wide eyes, and the stretched-skin face of an old person mark victims of marasmus, a word taken from the Greek "to waste away". Lacking calcium (钙) as well as protein, sufferers may weigh only half as much as normal. With fat gone, the skin hangs or draws tight over bones. Children, whose growing bodies require large amounts of protein, suffer in greatest numbers, but perhaps only three percent of all child victims suffer the extreme stages described. Scientists are working hard to develop new weapons against malnutrition and starvation. But two thirds of the human population of 3.9 billion live in the poorest countries which also have the highest birth rates. Thus, of the 74 million people added to the population each year, four out of five will be born in a have-not country—a country unable to supply its people's nutritional needs.SSS_SINGLE_SEL26.Malnutrition is_____.A not as serious as beforeB still as serious as beforeC more serious than beforeD inclined to be less seriousSSS_SINGLE_SEL27.The phrase "waste away" (Line 2, Para. 3) means _____.A become thinnerB loseC misshapeD lack calciumSSS_SINGLE_SEL28.Compared with adults, children are usually more seriously affected by malnutrition because _____.A their growth demands more protein than adultsB their bodies demand more calcium than adultsC they do not have as much fat as adultsD they do not eat as much food as adultsSSS_SINGLE_SEL29.Both of the two major types of malnutrition_____.A are caused by lack of protein and calciumB seldom happen to sufferers at the same timeC can cause malformation to sufferers' bodiesD may damage sufferers' brain and their moodSSS_SINGLE_SEL30.It can be inferred from the passage that the struggle against malnutrition is _____.A certain to succeedB likely to succeedC certain to failD hard to succeed1。

Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)Directions: This part is to test your reading ability. There are 5 tasks for you to fulfill. You should read the reading materials carefully and do the tasks as you are instructed.Task 1Directions: After reading the following passage, you will find 5 questions or unfinished statements, numbered 36 to 40. For each question or statement there are 4 choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should make the correct choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.Google, the Internet search-engine company, has announced it will give more than twenty-five million dollars in money and investments to help the poor. The company says the effort involves using the power of information and technology to help people improve their lives.Aleem Walji works for -- the part of the company that gives money to good causes. He said the company’s first project will help identify whereinfectious (传染性的) diseases are developing. In Southeast Asia and Africa, for example, will work with partners to strengthen early-warning systems and take action against growing health threats.’s second project will invest in ways to help small and medium-sized businesses grow. Walji says microfinance (小额信贷) is generally small, short-term loans that create few jobs. Instead, he says wants to develop ways to bring investors and business owners together to create jobs and improve economic growth. will also give money to help two climate-change programs announced earlier this year. One of these programs studies ways to make renewable (再生的) energy less costly than coal-based energy. The other is examining the efforts being made to increase the use of electric cars.The creators of Google have promised to give about one percent of company profits and one percent of its total stock value every year. Aleem Walji says this amount may increase in the future.36. The purpose of Google’s investments is to ________.A) help poor peopleB) develop new technologyC) expand its own businessD) increase the power of information37. According to Aleem Walji, the company’s first project is to ________.A) set up a new system to warn people of infectious diseasesB) find out where infectious diseases developC) identify the causes of infectious diseasesD) cure patients of infectious diseases38. What kind of businesses will benefit from ’s second project?A) large enterprisesB) cross-national companiesC) foreign-funded corporationsD) small and medium-sized businesses39. From the fourth paragraph, we learn that Google’s money is also invested to help ________.A) start more research programsB) make more advanced electric carsC) develop renewable and coal-based energyD) conduct studies related to climate changes40. From the last paragraph we learn that the investments by come from ________.A) Google’s profits and stock valueB) some international IT companiesC) the company’s own interestsD) local commercial banksTask 2Directions: This task is the same as Task 1. The 5 questions or unfinished statements are numbered 41 to 45.Your boss holds your future prospects in his hands. Some bosses are hard to get along with. Some have excellent qualifications but no idea when it comes to dealing with people. Of course, not all bosses are like that.The relationship you have with your boss can be a major factor in determining your rise up the career ladder. Your boss is not only your leader, he is also the person best equipped to help you do the job you are paid to do. He can inform you of company direction that may affect your professional development.Your boss also needs you to perform at your best in order to accomplish his objectives. He needs your feedback in order to provide realistic and useful reports to upper management. But how does this help you establish a meaningful working relationship with your boss?The key is communication. Learn and understand his goals and priorities (优先的事). Observe and understand your boss’s work style. If he has not been clear with his expectations, ask! Likewise, ask for feedback and accept criticism gracefully. And if he understands that you do not view your job as just something to fill the hours between 9 and 5, he may be more likely to help you.In short, getting along with your boss requires getting to know his likes and dislikes and learning to work with his personality and management style.41. The main idea of the first paragraph is that ________.A) bosses are hard to deal withB) bosses have good characterC) bosses determine your career futureD) bosses must have similar personality42. In the second paragraph, “rise up the career ladder” (Line 2) means ________.A) going to work abroadB) changing jobs frequentlyC) being promoted in positionD) pursuing an advanced degree43. In order to achieve his objectives, your boss expects that you will ________.A) do your best in your workB) show your management skillsC) get along with your colleaguesD) write reports to upper management44. The most important factor for establishing a good working relationship with the boss is ________.A) high expectationsB) quick feedbackC) frequent criticismD) effective communication45. The best title for the passage might be ________.A) How to Take Care Of Your Boss.B) How to Get Along with Your BossC) How to Accept Your Boss’s C riticismD) How to Accomplish Your Boss’s Objective答案：36-40:ABDDA 41-45:CCADB 来源:考试大-国家英语三级考试。

大学英语三级A级（阅读理解）-试卷14(总分：50.00，做题时间：90分钟)一、 Reading Comprehension(总题数：11，分数：50.00)1.Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)Directions: This part is to test your reading ability. There are 5 tasks for you to fulfill. You should read the reading materials carefully and do the tasks as you are instructed.__________________________________________________________________________________________解析：2.Task 1Directions: After reading the following passage, you will find 5 questions or unfinished statements, numbered 36 through 40. For each question or statement there are 4 choices marked A, B, C, and D. You should make the correct choice．__________________________________________________________________________________________解析：In the United States, teaching is very important. If teachers do not teach well, students complain. If many students do not understand, people think that the teacher does not do a good job. The teacher has big responsibility to make sure students understand. In a sense, students are consumers and the teacher is differing services. Students have the right to evaluate their teachers, and they usually do so at the end of each course. That evaluation includes lots of aspects of teaching, such as explanation, preparation, using good examples, answering questions, and organization of classes. Students are supposed to read required textbooks and recommended books before classes. Without reading them, they will find it very difficult to understand the class. Basic courses on doing research and writing papers are taught at the beginning of the program. They teach things very concretely (具体地) and clearly. Students are expected to apply what they have learned to their studies. Classes are usually divided into lectures and seminars. There are some lecture classes, where the teacher just gives a lecture, and students ask questions at the end. Most graduate level classes are lectures and discussions. Participating in discussion is very important. Higher level classes involve very little lecturing. They emphasize discussion and presentation by the students.（分数：10.00）(1).According to the passage, good teachers should ______.（分数：2.00）A.try to please their studentsB.treat their students as consumersC.understand their students wellD.make sure their students understand √解析：解析：本题为第一题，通常在文章开头寻找答案。

英语专四模拟试题及答案一、听力理解（Part I Listening Comprehension）Section A: Talk1. A) The speaker will discuss the importance of effective communication.B) The speaker will talk about the challenges of adapting to a new culture.C) The speaker will share personal experiences of studying abroad.D) The speaker will explain the benefits of learning a second language.2. A) To improve their language skills.B) To experience a different educational system.C) To explore new cultures and societies.D) To make new friends and expand their social network.Section B: Conversation3. What is the main topic of the conversation?A) Planning a trip to a foreign country.B) Discussing the difficulties of language learning.C) Talking about the advantages of working abroad.D) Sharing experiences of cultural exchange.4. Why does the woman suggest taking a language course?A) To prepare for a job interview.B) To enhance her travel experience.C) To meet new people.D) To improve her language proficiency.Section C: News Broadcast5. What is the news report mainly about?A) A recent scientific discovery.B) A new policy implemented by the government.C) A significant event in the sports world.D) A cultural festival celebrated around the world.6. What is the purpose of the policy mentioned in the news?A) To promote international trade.B) To encourage environmental protection.C) To improve public health.D) To support education and research.二、语言知识运用（Part II Language Knowledge Use）7-14. 完形填空：阅读下面的短文，从每题所给的四个选项中，选出最佳选项。

Part III Reading Comprehension ( 40 minutes)Section CDirections: There are 2 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 and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.2018年12月第一套Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.California has been facing a drought for many years now, with certain areas even having to pump freshwater hundreds of miles to their distribution system. The problem is growing as the population of the state continues to expand. New research has found deep water reserves under the state which could help solve their drought crisis. Previous drilling of wells could only reach depths of 1,000 feet, but due to new pumping practices, water deeper than this can now be extracted (抽取). The team at Stanford investigated the aquifers(地下蓄水层)below this depth and found that reserves may be triple what was previously thought.It is profitable to drill to depths more than 1,000 feet for oil and gas extraction, but only recently in California has it become profitable to pump water from this depth. The aquifers range from 1,000 to 3,000 feet below the ground, which means that pumping will be expensive and there are other concerns. The biggest concern of pumping out water from this deep in the gradual settling down of the land surface. As the water is pumped out, the vacant space left is compacted by the weight of the earth above.Even though pumping from these depths is expensive, it is still cheaper than desalinating(脱盐)the ocean water in the largely coastal state. Some desalination plants exist where feasible, but they are costly to run and can need constant repairs. Wells are much more reliable sources of freshwater, and California is hoping that these deep wells may be the answer to their severe water shortage.One problem with these sources is that the deep water also has a higher level of salt than shallower aquifers. This means that some wells may even need to undergo desalination after extraction, thus increasing the cost. Research from the exhaustive study of groundwater from over 950 drilling logs has just been published. New estimates of the water reserves now go up to 2,700 billion cubic meters of freshwater.46.How could California’s drought crisis be solved according to some researchers?A) By building more reserves of groundwater.B) By drawing water from the depths of the earth.C) By developing more advanced drilling devices.D) By upgrading its water distribution system.47.What can be inferred about extracting water from deep aquifers?A) It was deemed vital to solving the water problem.B) It was not considered worth the expense.C) It may not provide quality freshwater.D) It is bound to gain support from the local people.48. What is mentioned as a consequence of extracting water from deep underground?A) The sinking of land surface. C) The damage to aquifers.B) The harm to the ecosystem. D) The change of the climate.49. What does the author say about deep wells?A) They run without any need for repairs.B) They are entirely free from pollutants.C) They are the ultimate solution to droughts.D) They provide a steady supply of freshwater.50. What may happen when deep aquifers are used as water sources?A) People’s health may improve with cleaner water.B) People’s water bills may be lowered considerably.C) The cost may go up due to desalination.D) They may be exhausted sooner or later.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.The AlphaGo program’s victory is an example of how smart computers have become.But can artificial intelligence (AI) machines act ethically, meaning can they be honest and fair?One example of AI is driverless cars. They are already on California roads, so it is not too soon to ask whether we can program a machine to act ethically. As driverless cars improve, they will save lives. They will make fewer mistakes than human drivers do. Sometimes, however, they will face a choice between lives. Should the cars be programmed to avoid hitting a child running across the road, even if that will put their passengers at risk? What about making a sudden turn to avoid a dog? What if the only risk is damage to the car itself, not to the passengers?Perhaps there will be lessons to learn from driverless cars, but they are not super-intelligent beings. Teaching ethics to a machine even more intelligent than we are will be the bigger challenge.About the same time as AlphaGo’s triumph, Microsoft’s ‘chatbot’ took a bad turn. The software, named Taylor, was designed to answer messages from people aged 18-24. Taylor was supposed to be able to learn from the messages she received. She was designed to slowly improve her ability to handle conversations, but some people were teaching Taylor racist ideas. When she started saying nice things about Hitler, Microsoft turned her off and deleted her ugliest messages.AlphaGo’s victory and Taylor’s defeat happened at about the same time. This should be a warning to us. It is one thing to use AI within a game with clear rules and clear goals. It is something very different to use AI in the real world. The unpredictability of the real world may bring to the surface a troubling software problem. Eric Schmidt is one of the bosses of Google, which own AlphoGo. He thinks AI will be positive for humans. He said people will be the winner, whatever the outcome. Advances in AI will make human beings smarter, more able and “just better human beings.”51.What does the author want to show with the example of AlphaGo’s victory?A)Computers will prevail over human beings.B)Computers have unmatched potential.C)Computers are man’s potential rivals.D)Computers can become highly intelligent.52.What does the author mean by AI machines acting ethically?A)They are capable of predicting possible risks.B)They weigh the gains and losses before reaching a decision.C)They make sensible decisions when facing moral dilemmas.D)They sacrifice everything to save human lives.53.What is said to be the bigger challenge facing humans in the AI age?A)How to make super-intelligent AI machines share human feelings.B)How to ensure that super-intelligent AI machines act ethically.C)How to prevent AI machines doing harm to humans.D)How to avoid being over-dependent on AI machines.54.What do we learn about Microsoft’s ‘chatbot’ Taylor?A)She could not distinguish good from bad.B)She could turn herself off when necessary.C)She was not made to handle novel situations.D)She was good at performing routine tasks.55. What does Eric Schmidt think of artificial intelligence?A) It will be far superior to human beings.B) It will keep improving as time goes by.C) It will prove to be an asset to human beings.D) It will be here to stay whatever the outcome.2018年12月第二套Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.Roughly the size of a soda can, sitting on a bookshelf, a relatively harmless gadget may be turning friends away from your home. The elephant in your living room is your Internet-connected security camera, a device people are increasingly using for peace of mind in their homes. But few stop to think about the effect these devices may have on house guests. Should you tell your friends, for instance, that they’re being recorded while you all watch the big game together?“It’s certainly new territory, especially as home security cameras become easier to install,”says Lizzie Post, president of the Emily Post Institute, America's foremost manners advisors. “I think it will be very interesting to see what etiquette （礼仪）emerges in terms of whether you tell people you have a camera or not, and whether guests have a right to ask that it be turned off, if it’s not a security issue.”Post wants to make clear that she’s not talking about legal rights, but rather personal preferences. She also wants to explain that there are no right or wrong answers regarding manners on this front yet, because the technology is just now becoming mainstream. Besides, the Emily Post Institute doesn’t dictate manners.When it comes to security cameras, Post says it’s a host’s responsibility to make sure guests feel comfortable within their home. “I’m always a fan of being open and honest.” For instance, if the host casually acknowledges that there is a camera in the room by telling a story about it, that may be enough to provide an opening for a guest to say if they are uncomfortable.However, if a contractor is working in your home, you don’t need to tell them that there are cameras watching. Then again, the air of accountability that the camera generates can also work in contractors* favor. “If anything does go wrong while they’re in the house, they don’t want to be blamed for it,” she says. “In fact, the camera could be the thing that proves that they didn’t steal the $20, or knock the vase off the table.”46.For what reason may your friends feel reluctant to visit your home?A) The security camera installed may intrude into their privacy.B) They don’t want their photos to be circulated on the Internet.C) The security camera may turn out to be harmful to their health.D) They may not be willing to interact with your family members.47. What does Lizzie Post say is new territory?A) The effect of manners advice on the public.B) Cost of applying new technologies at home.C) The increasing use of home security devices.D) Etiquette around home security cameras.48. What is Lizzie Post mainly discussing with regard to the use of home security cameras?A) Legal rights. B) Moral issues.C) Likes and dislikes of individuals. D) The possible impact on manners.49. What is a host’s responsibility regarding security cameras, according to Lizzie Post?A) Making their guests feel at ease. B) Indicating where they are.C) Turning them off in time. D) Ensuring their guests, privacy.50.In what way can the home security camera benefit visitors to your home?A) It can satisfy their curiosity. B)It can prove their innocence.C) It can help them learn new technology. D) It can make their visit more enjoyable.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.PepsiCo is to spend billions of dollars to develop drinks and snacks and reformulate existing ones with lower sugar, salt and fat, as consumers demand healthier options and regulatory pressure intensifies amid an obesity epidemic（流行病）.The maker of Mountain Dew and Gatorade has been one of the earlier movers in the industry to offer products with reduced levels of unhealthy ingredients—PepsiCo claims a packet of its chips now contains less salt than a slice of white bread. However, its new 10-year plan makes clear it believes it still has a long way to go.Shifting eating habits, including a sharp drop in consumption of sparkling drinks, have forced radical change on the industry. But those shifts have yet to be reflected in record obesity levels, which stand at 36.5% overall in the US.Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo chairman, said the plan to make its products healthier was important for the company’s growth. But on the subject of obesity, she pointed out that consumers’lifestyles have changed significantly, with many people being more sedentary（久坐不动的）not least because more time is spent in front of computers. She said PepsiCo’s contribution was to produce healthier snacks that still tasted good.“Society has to change its habits,” she added. “We can’t do much to alter sedentary lifestyles, but we can provide consumers with great-tasting products, low in salt, sugar and fat. In the past we had to have a taste trade-off. But we’re breaking that trade-off.”PepsiCo’s plan for its foods and drinks is based on guidelines from the World Health Organisation, which last week backed using taxes on sparkling drinks to reduce sugar consumption. Initiatives also include efforts to reduce its environmental impact, water consumption and materials used in packaging by 2025. PepsiCo did not say exactly how much it planned to invest to reach its goals. However, Dr Mehmood Khan, chief scientific officer, said the company had doubled research and development spending in the past five years and was “committed to sustaining investment”，adding that companies cannot cost-cut their way to increasing sales. PepsiCo’s research and development budget in 2015 was $754 million.51.Why is PepsiCo making a policy change?A) To win support from the federal government.B) To be more competitive in the global market.C) To satisfy the growing needs for healthy foods.D) To invest more wisely in the soft drink industry.52.What does PepsiCo think it will have to do in the future?A) Invest more to develop new snacks.B) Reduce levels of obesity in the US.C) Change consumers’ eating habits.D)Keep on improving its products.53.Why does PepsiCo plan to alter its products, according to Indra Nooyi?A)To ensure the company’s future development.B) To adapt to its customers’ changed taste.C) To help improve its consumers’ lifestyles.D) To break the trade-off in its product design.54. What does Indra Nooyi say about the obesity epidemic?A) It is mainly caused by overconsumption of snacks.B) It results from high sugar and salt consumption.C) It is attributable to people’s changed lifestyles.D) It has a lot to do with longer working hours.55.What has PepsiCo been doing to achieve its objective?A)Studying WHO，s guidelines.B)Increasing its research funding.C)Expanding its market overseas.D)Cutting its production costs.2018年12月第三套Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.The latest in cat research reveals that the lovely animal seems to have a basic grasp on both the laws of physics and the ins and outs of cause and effect.According to a newly published study, cats seem to be able to predict the location of hiding prey（猎物）using both their ears and an inborn（天生的）understanding of how the physical world works.In a recent experiment, Japanese researchers taped 30 domestic cats reacting to a container that a team member shook. Some containers rattled（发出响声）；others did not. When the container was tipped over, sometimes an object fell out and sometimes it didn’t.It turns out that the cats were remarkably smart about what would happen when a container was tipped over. When an object did not drop out of the bottom of a rattling container, they looked at it for a longer time than they did when the container behaved as expected.“Cats use a causal-logical understanding of noise or sounds to predict the appearance of invisible objects,” lead researcher Saho Takagi says in a press release. The researchers conclude that cats’ hunting style may have developed based on their common-sense abilities to infer where prey is, using their hearing.Scientists have explored this idea with other endearing creatures: babies. Like cats, babies appear to engage in what’s called “preferential looking” —looking longer at things that are interesting or unusual than things they perceive as normal.When babies’ expectations are violated in experiments like the ones performed with the cats, they react much like their animal friends. Psychologists have shown that babies apparently expect their world to comply with the laws of physics and cause and effect as early as two months of age.Does the study mean that cats will soon grasp the ins and outs of cause and effect? Maybe. Okay, so cats may not be the next physics faculty members at America’s most important research universities. But by demonstrating their common sense, they’ve shown that the divide between cats and humans may not be thatgreat after all.46. What do we learn from a newly published study about cats?A) They can be trained to understand the physical world.B) They know what kind of prey might be easier to hunt.C) They have a natural ability to locate animals they hunt.D) They are capable of telling which way their prey flees.47. What may account for the cats’ response to the noise from the containers?A) Their inborn sensitivity to noise. B) Their unusual sense of direction.C) Their special ability to perceive. D) Their mastery of cause and effect.48.What is characteristic of the way cats hunt, according to the Japanese researchers?A) They depend on their instincts.B) They rely mainly on their hearing.C) They wait some time before attack.D) They use both their ears and eyes.49. In what way do babies behave like cats?A) They focus on what appears odd.B) They view the world as normal.C) They do what they prefer to do.D) They are curious about everything.50. What can we conclude about cats from the passage?A) They have higher intelligence than many other animals.B) They interact with the physical world much like humans.C) They display extraordinarily high intelligence in hunting.D) They can aid physics professors in their research work.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.Imagine you enter a car with no steering wheel, no brake or accelerator pedals（踏板）.Under a voice-activated command, you say an address. “The fastest route will take us 15.3 minutes. Should I take it?”You say “yes”and you are on your way. The car responds and starts moving all by itself. All you have to do is sit back and relax.How weird would it be if, one day in the future, everyone had such a car? No crazy driving, no insults, no cutting in; traffic laws would be respected and driving much safer. On the other hand, imagine the cost savings for local police enforcement and town budgets without all those speeding and parking tickets.A new technology has the potential to change modem society in radical ways. There’s no question that self-driving vehicles could be an enormous benefit. The potential for safer cars means accident statistics would drop: some 94% of road accidents in the U.S. involve human error. Older drivers and visually- or physically-impaired people would gain a new level of freedom. Maintaining safe speeds and being electric, self-driving cars would drastically reduce pollution levels and dependency on non-renewable fuels. Roads would be quieter, people safer.But we must also consider the impact of the new technology on those who now depend on driving for their livelihoods. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, in May 2015 there were 505,560 registered school bus drivers. The American Trucking Association lists approximately 3.5 million professional truck drivers in the U.S.The companies developing self-driving vehicles should be partnering with state and federal authorities to offer retraining for this massive workforce, many of whom will be displaced by the new technology. This is similar to what’s happening in the coal and oil industries, a situation that fuels much of the current political discontent in this country.New technologies will, and should, be developed. This is how society moves forward. However, progress can’t be one-sided. It is necessary for the companies and state agencies involved to consider the ethical consequences of these potential changes to build a better future for all.51. What would be the impact of the extensive use of driverless cars?A) People would be driving in a more civilized way.B) It would save local governments a lot of money.C) More policemen would be patrolling the streets.D) Traffic regulations would be a thing of the past.52.How would the elderly and the disabled benefit from driverless cars?A) They could enjoy greater mobility.B) They would suffer no road accidents.C) They would have no trouble driving.D) They could go anywhere they want.53. What would be the negative impact of driverless cars?A) The conflict between labor and management would intensify.B) The gap between various sectors of society would be widened.C) Professional drivers would have a hard time adapting to new road conditions.D) Numerous professional drivers would have to find new ways of earning a living.54. What is the result of the introduction of new technologies in energy industries?A) Political dissatisfaction. B) Retraining of employees.C) Fossil fuel conservation. D) Business restructuring.55. What does the author suggest businesses and the government do?A) Keep pace with technological developments.B) Make new technologies affordable to everyone.C) Enable everyone to benefit from new technologies.D) Popularize the use of new technologies and devices.2018年6月第一套Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.Losing your ability to think and remember is pretty scary. We know the risk of dementia (痴呆症) increases with age. But if you have memory slips, you probably needn't worry. There are pretty clear differences between signs of dementia and age-related memory loss.After age 50, it's quite common to have trouble remembering the names of people, places and things quickly, says Dr. Kirk Daffner of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.The brain ages just like the rest of the body. Certain parts shrink, especially areas in the brain that are important to learning, memory and planning. Changes in brain cells can affect communication between different regions of the brain. And blood flow can be reduced as blood vessels narrow.Forgetting the name of an actor in a favorite movie, for example, is nothing to worry about. But if you forget the plot of the movie or don't remember even seeing it, that's far more concerning, Daffner says.When you forget entire experiences, he says, that's "a red flag that something more serious may be involved." Forgetting how to operate a familiar object like a microwave oven, or forgetting how to drive to the house of a friend you've visited many times before can also be signs of something going wrong.But even then, Daffner says, people shouldn't panic. There are many things that can cause confusion and memory loss, including health problems like temporary stoppage of breathing during sleep, high blood pressure, or depression, as well as medications (药物) like antidepressants.You don't have to figure this out on your own. Daffner suggests going to your doctor to check on medications, health problems and other issues that could be affecting memory. And the best defense against memory loss is to try to prevent it by building up your brain's cognitive (认知的) reserve, Daffner says."Read books, go to movies, take on new hobbies or activities that force one to think in novel ways," he says. In other words, keep your brain busy and working. And also get physically active, because exercise is a known brain booster.46.Why does the author say that one needn't be concerned about memory slips?A.Not all of them are symptoms of dementia.B.They occur only among certain groups of people.C.Not all of them are related to one's age.D.They are quite common among fifty-year-olds.47.What happens as we become aged according to the passage?A.Our interaction skills deteriorate.B.Some parts of our brain stop functioning.munication within our brain weakens.D.Our whole brain starts shrinking.48.Which memory-related symptom should people take seriously?A.Totally forgetting how to do one's daily routines.B.Inability to recall details of one's life experiences.C.Failure to remember the names of movies or actors.D.Occasionally confusing the addresses of one's friends.49.What should people do when signs of serious memory loss show up?A.Check the brain's cognitive reserve.B.Stop medications affecting memory.C.Turn to a professional for assistance.D.Exercise to improve their well-being.50.What is Dr. Daffner's advice for combating memory loss?A.Having regular physical and mental checkups.B.Taking medicine that helps boost one's brain.C.Engaging in known memory repair activities.D.Staying active both physically and mentally.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.A letter written by Charles Darwin in 1875 has been returned to the Smithsonian Institution Archives (档案馆) by the FBI after being stolen twice."We realized in the mid-1970s that it was missing," says Effie Kapsalis, head of the Smithsonian InsitutionArchives. "It was noted as missing and likely taken by an intern (实习生), from what the FBI is telling us. Word got out that it was missing when someone asked to see the letter for research purposes," and the intern put the letter back. "The intern likely took the letter again once nobody was watching it."Decades passed. Finally, the FBI received a tip that the stolen document was located very close to Washington, D.C. Their art crime team recovered the letter but were unable to press charges because the time of limitations had ended. The FBI worked closely with the Archives to determine that the letter was both authentic and definitely Smithsonian's property.The letter was written by Darwin to thank an American geologist, Dr. Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden, for sending him copies of his research into the geology of the region that would become Yellowstone National Park.The letter is in fairly good condition, in spite of being out of the care of trained museum staff for so long. "It was luckily in good shape," says Kapsalis, "and we just have to do some minor things in order to be able to unfold it. It has some glue on it that has colored it slightly, but nothing that will prevent us from using it. After it is repaired, we will take digital photos of it and that will be available online. One of our goals is to get items of high research value or interest to the public online."It would now be difficult for an intern, visitor or a thief to steal a document like this. "Archiving practices have changed greatly since the 1970s," says Kapsalis, "and we keep our high value documents in a safe that I don't even have access to."51.What happened to Darwin's letter in the 1970s?A.It was recovered by the FBI.B.It was stolen more than once.C.It was put in the archives for research purposes.D.It was purchased by the Smithsonian Archives.52.What did the FBI do after the recovery of the letter?A.They proved its authenticity.B.They kept it in a special safe.C.They arrested the suspect immediately.D.They pressed criminal charges in vain.53.What is Darwin's letter about?A.The evolution of Yellowstone National Park.B.His cooperation with an American geologist.C.Some geological evidence supporting his theory.D.His acknowledgement of help from a professional.54.What will the Smithsonian Institution Archives do with the letter according to Kapsalis?A.Reserve it for research purposes only.B.Turn it into an object of high interest.C.Keep it a permanent secret.D.Make it available online.55.What has the past half century witnessed according to Kapsalis?A.Growing interest in rare art objects.B.Radical changes in archiving practices.C.Recovery of various missing documents.D.Increases in the value of museum exhibits.。

Part III Reading Comprehension (35 minutes)Directions: There are 4 reading passages in this part . 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 decideon the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage: Statuses are marvelous human inventions that enable us to get along with one another and to determine where we "fit " in society. As we go about our everyday lives, we mentally attempy to place people in terms of their statuses. For example, we must judge whether the person in the library is a reader or a librarian ,whether the telephone caller is a friend or a salesman ,whether the unfamiliar person on our property is a thief or a meter reader , and so on .The statuses we assume often vary with the people we encounter, and change throughout lift. Most of us can , at very high speed , assume the statuses that various situations require. Much of social interaction consists of identifying and selecting among appropriate statuses and allowing other peopleto assume their statuses in relation to us. This means that we fit our actions to those of other people based on a constant mental process of appraisal and interpretation. Although some of us find the task more difficult than others, most of us perform it rather effortlessly..A status has been compared to ready-made clothes. Within certain limits, the buyer can choose style and fabric. But an American is not free to choose the costume of a Chinese peasant or that of a Hindu prince. We must choose from among the clothing presented by our society. Furthermore, our choice is limited to a size that will fit, as well as by our pocketbook Having made a choice within these limits we can have certain alterations made, but apart from minor abjustments , we tend to be limited to what the stores have on their racks. Statuses too come ready made, and the range of choice among them is limited.51.In the first paragraph, the writer tells us that statuses can help us ______.A)determine whether a person is fit for a certain jobB)behave appropriately in relation to other peopleC)protect ourselves in unfamiliar situationsD)make friends with other people52.According to the writer, people often assume different statuses _____.A)in order to identify themselves with othersB)in order to better identify othersC)as their mental processes changeD)as the situation changes53. The word "appraisal "(Line5, Para.2) most probably means "_______".A)involvementB)appreciationC)assessmentD)presentation54.In the last sentence of the second paragraph, the pronoun "it "refers to "_____ ".A)fitting our actions to those of other people appropriatelyB)identification of other people's statusesC)selecting one's own statusesD)constant mental process55. By saying that "an American is not free to choose the costume of a Chinese peasant or that ofa Hindu prince" (Lines 2-3, Para.3), the writer means ____.A)different people have different styles of clothesB)ready-made clothes may need alterationsC)statuses come ready made just like clothesD)our choice of statuses is limitedPassage TwoQuestions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage: Many a young person tells me he wants to be a writer. I always encourage such people, but I also explain that there'sa big difference between "being a writer" and writing. In most cases these individuals are dreaming of wealth and fame, not the long hours alone at a typewriter. "You've got to want to write, " I say to them, "not want to be a writer".The reality is that writing is a lonely, private and poor-paying affair. For every writer kissed by fortune there are thousands more whose longing is never rewarded. When I left a 20-year career in the U.S. Coat Guard to become a freelance writer , I dad no prospects at all . What I did have was a friend who found me my room in a New York apartment building. It didn't even matter that it was cold and had no bathroom. I immediately bought a used manual typewriter and felt like a genuine writer.After a year or so, however, I still hadn't gotten a break and began to doubt myself. It was so hard to sell a story that barely made enough to eat. But I knew I wanted to write, I had dreamed about it for years . I wasn't going to be one of those people who die wondering, What if? I would keep putting my dream to the test-even though it meant living with uncertainty and fear of failure. This is the Shadowland of hope, and anyone with a dream must learn to live there.56. The passage is meant to ______.A)warn young people of the hardships that a successful writer has to experienceB)advise young people to give up their idea of becoming a professional writerC)show young people it's unrealistic for a writer to pursue wealth and fameD)encourage young people to pursue a writing career57. What can be concluded from the passage?A)Genuine writers often find their work interesting and rewarding.B)A writer's success depends on luck rather than on effort.C)Famous writers usually live in poverty and isolation.D)The chances for a writer to become successful are small.58.Why did the author begin to doubt himself after the first year of his writing career?A)He wasn't able to produce a single book.B)He hadn't seen a change for the better.C)He wasn't able to have a rest for a whole year.D)who are full of imagination even upon death.59."...people who die wondering, What if?"(Line3, Para.3) refers to "those ______".A)who think too much of the dark side of lifeB)who regret giving up their career halfwayC)who think a lot without making a decisionD)who are full of imagination even upon death60. "Shadowland" in the last sentence refers to ________.A)the wonderland one often dreams aboutB)the bright future that one is looking forward toC)the state of uncertainty before one's final goal is reachedD)a world that exists only in one's imaginationPassage ThreeQuestions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage:It is , everyone agrees, a huge task that the child performs when he learns to speak, and the fact that he does so in so short a period of time challenges explanation.Language learning begins with listening. Individual children vary greatly in the amount of listening they do before they start speaking, and late starters are often long listeners. Most children will "obey" spoken instructions some time before they can speak, though the word obey is hardly accurate as a description of the eager and delighted cooperation usually shown by the child. Before they can speak, many children will also ask questions by gesture and by making questioning noises.Any attempt to trace the development from the noises babies make to their first spoken words leads to considerable difficulties. It is agreed that they enjoy making noises, and that during the first few months one or two noises sort themselves out as particularly indicative of delight, distress, sociability, and so on . But since these cannot be said to show the baby's intention to communicate, they can hardly be regarded as early forms of language. It is agreed, too, that from about three months they play with sounds for enjoyment,and that by six months they are able to add new sounds to their repertoire This self-imitation leads on to deliberate imitation of sounds made or words spoken to them by other people. The problem then arises as to the point at which one can say that these imitations can be considered as speech.61.By "....challenges explanation" (Line 2, Para.1) the author means that ______.A)no explanation is necessary for such an obvious phenomenonB)no explanation has been made up to nowC)it's no easy job to provide an adequate explanationD)it's high time that an explanation was provided62. The third paragraph is mainly about _________A)the development of babies' early forms of languageB)the difficulties of babies in learning to speakC)babies' strong desire to communicateD)babies' intention to communicate63. The author's purpose in writing the second paragraph is to show that children _______.A)usually obey without asking questionsB)are passive the process of learning to speakC)are born cooperativeD)learn to speak by listening64.From the passage we learn that _______-A)early starters can learn to speak within only six monthsB)children show a strong desire to communicate by making noisesC)imitation plays an important role in learning to speakD)children have various difficulties in learning to speak65.The best title for this passage would be _______.A)How Babies Learn to SpeakB)Early Forms of LanguageC)A Huge Task for ChildrenD)Noise Making and Language LearningPassage FourQuestions 66 to 70 are based on the following passage:Psychologists take opposing views of how external rewards, from warm praise to cold cash, affect motivation and creativity. Behaviorists, who study there relation between actions and their consequences, argue that rewards can improve performance at work and school. Cognitive researchers, who study various aspects of mental life, maintain that rewards often destroy creativity by encouraging dependence on approval and gifts from others.The latter view has gained many supporters, especially among educators. But the careful use of small monetary rewards sparks creativity in grade-school children, suggesting that properly presented inducements indeed aid inventiveness, according to a study in the June Journal of Personality and Social Psychology."If kids know they're working for a reward and can focus on a relatively challenging task, they show the most creativity," say Robert Eisenberger of the University ofDelaware 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 high grades for ordinary achievement ends up with uninspired students, Eisenberger holds. As an example of the latter point, he notes growing efforts at major universities to tighten grading standards and restore failing grades.In earlier grades, the use of so-called token economies, in which students handle challenging problems and receive performance-based points toward valued rewards, shows promise in raising effort and creativity, the Delaware psychologist claims.66.Psychologists are divided with regard to their attitudes toward ______.A)the choice between spiritual encouragement and monetary rewardsB)the amount of monetary rewards for student' creativityC)the study of relationship between actions and their consequencesD)the effects of external rewards on student's performance67. What is the response of many educators the external rewards for their students?A)They have no doubts about them.B)They have doubts about them.C)They approve of them.D)They avoid talking about them.68.Which of the following can best raise students' creativity according to Robert Eisenberger?A)Assigning them tasks they have not dealt with before.B)Assigning them tasks which require inventiveness.C)Giving them rewards they really deserve.D)Giving them rewards they anticipate.69. It can be inferred from the passage that major universities are trying to tighten their gradingstandards because they believe _______.A)rewarding poor performance may kill the creativity of studentsB)punishment is more effective than rewardingC)failing uninspired students helps improve their overall academic standardsD)discouraging the students' anticipation for easy rewards is a matter of urgency70.The phrase "token economies"(Line 1, Para. 5)probably refers to ______.A)ways to develop economyB)systems of rewarding studentsC)approaches to solving problemsD)methods of improving performance第51题：正确答案是B,第52题：正确答案是D,第53题：正确答案是C,第54题：正确答案是A,第55题：正确答案是D,第56题：正确答案是A,第57题：正确答案是D,第58题：正确答案是B,第59题：正确答案是B,第60题：正确答案是C,第61题：正确答案是C,第62题：正确答案是A,第63题：正确答案是D,第64题：正确答案是C,第65题：正确答案是A,第66题：正确答案是D,第67题：正确答案是B,第68题：正确答案是C,第69题：正确答案是A,第70题：正确答案是BPassage OneQuestions 21 to 25 are based on the following passageIn the 1960s medical researchers Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe developed a checklist of stressful events. They appreciated the tricky point that any major change can be stressful. Negative events like “serious illness of a family member” were high on the list but so were some positive life-changing events like marriage. When you take the Holmes-Rahe test you must remember that the score does not reflect how you deal with stress—it only shows how much you have to deal with. And we now know that the way you handle these events dramatically affects your chances of staying healthy. By the early 1970s hundreds of similar studies had followed Holmes and Rahe. And millions of Americans who work and live under stress worried over the reports. Somehow the research got boiled down to a memorable message. Women’s magazines ran headlines like “Stress causes illness” If you w ant to stay physically and mentally healthy the articles said avoid stressful events. But such simplistic advice is impossible to follow. Even if stressful events are dangerous many—like the death of a loved one—are impossible to avoid. Moreover any warning to avoid all stressful events is a prescription (处方) for staying away from opportunities as well as trouble. Since any change can be stressful a person who wanted to be completely free of stress would never marry have a child take a new job or move. The notion that all stress makes you sick also ignores a lot of what we know about people. It assumes we’re all vulnerable (脆弱的) and passive in the face of adversity (逆境). But what about human initiative and creativity﹖Many come through periods of stress with more physical and mental vigor than they had before. We also know that a long time without change or challenge can lead to boredom and physical and mental strain.21. The result of Holmes-Rahe's medical research tells us ____ . A the way you handle major events may cause stress B what should be done to avoid stress C what kind of event would cause stress D how to cope with sudden changes in life22. The studies on stress in the early 1970’s led to ____ . A widespread concern over its harmful effects B great panic over the mental disorder it could cause C an intensive research into stress-related illnesses D popular avoidance of stressful jobs23. The score of the Holmes-Rahe test shows ____ . A how much pressure you are underB how positive events can change you lifeC how stressful a major event can beD how you can deal with life-changing events24. Why is “such simplistic advice”Line 1Para.3 impossible to follow﹖A No one can stay on the same job for long B No prescription is effective in relieving stress C People have to get married someday D You could be missing opportunities as well25. According to the passage people who have experienced ups and downs may become ____ .A nervous when faced with difficultiesB physically and mentally strainedC more capable of coping with adversityD indifferent toward what happens to themPassage TwoQuestions 26 to 30 are based on the following passageMost episodes of absent-mindedness—forgetting where you left something or wondering why you just entered a room-are caused by a simple lack of attention says Schacter. “You’re supposed to remember something but you haven’t encoded it deeply.” Encoding Schacter explains is a special way of paying attention to an event that has a major impact on recalling it later. Failure to encode properly can create annoying situations. If you put your mobile phone in a pocket for example and don’t pay attention to what you did because you’re involved in a conversation you’ll probably forget that the phone is in the jacket now hanging in your wardrobe (衣柜). “Your memory itself isn’t failing you” says Schacter. “Rather you didn’t give your memory system the information it needed.” Lack of interest can also lead to absent-mindedness. “A man who can recite sports statistics from 30 years ago” says Zelinski “may not remember to drop a letter in the mailbox.” Women have slightly better memories than men possibly because they pay more attention to their environment and memory relies on just that. Visual cues can help prevent absent-mindedness says Schacter. “But be sure the cue is clear and available” he cautions. If you want to remember to take a medication (药物) with lunch put the pill bottle on the kitchen table—don’t leave it in the medicine chest and write yourself a note that you keep in a pocket. Another common episode of absent-mindedness walking into a room and wondering why you’re there. Most likely you were thinking about som ething else. “Everyone does this from time to time” says Zelinski. The best thing to do is to return to where you were before entering the room and you’ll likely remember.26. Why does the author think that encoding properly is very important﹖A It helps us understand our memory system better B It enables us to recall something from our memory C It expands our memory capacity considerably D It slows down the process of losing our memory27. One possible reason why women have better memories than men is that ____ . A they have a wider range of interests B they are more reliant on the environment C they have an unusual power of focusing their attention D they are more interested in what's happening around them28. A note in the pocket can hardly serve as a reminder because ____ . A it will easily getlost B it's not clear enough for you to read C it's out of your sight D it might get mixed up with other things29. What do we learn from the last paragraph﹖A If we focus our attention on one thing we might forget another. B Memory depends to a certain extent on the environment. C Repetition helps improve our memory. D If we keep forgetting things we'd better return to where we were.30. What is the passage mainly about﹖A The process of gradual memory loss. B The causes of absent-mindedness. C The impact of the environment on memory.D A way of encoding and recalling.Passage ThreeQuestions 31 to 35 are based on the following passageIt is hard to track the blue whale the ocean’s largest creature which has almost been killed off by commercial whaling and is now listed as an endangered species. Attaching radio devices to it is difficult and visual sightings are too unreliable to give real insight into its behavior. So biologists were delighted early this year when with the help of the Navy they were able to track a particular blue whale for 43 days monitoring its sounds. This was possible because of the Navy’s formerly top-secret system of underwater listening devices spanning the oceans. Tracking whales is but one example of an exciting new world just opening to civilian scientists after the cold war as the Navy starts to share and partly uncover its global network of underwater listening system built over the decades to track the ships of potential enemies. Earth scientists announced at a news conference recently that they had used the system for closely monitoring a deep-sea volcanic eruption (爆发) for the first time and that they plan similar studies. Other scientists have proposed to use the network for tracking ocean currents and measuring changes in ocean and global temperatures. The speed of sound in water is roughly one mile a second-slower than through land but faster than through air. What is most important different layers of ocean water can act as channels for sounds focusing them in the same way a stethoscope (听诊器) does when it carries faint noises from a patient’s chest to a doctor’s ear. This focusing is the main reason that even relatively weak sounds in the ocean especially low-frequency ones can often travel thousands of miles.31. The passage is chiefly about ____ . A an effort to protect an endangered marine species. B the civilian use of a military detection system. C the exposure of a U.S. Navy top-secret weapon. D a new way to look into the behavior of blue whales.32. The underwater listening system was originally designed ____ . A to trace and locate enemy vessels B to monitor deep-sea volcanic eruptions C to study the movement of ocean currents D to replace the global radio communications network 33. The deep-sea listening system makes use of ____ . A the sophisticated technology of focusing sounds under water B the capability of sound to travel at high speed C the uniqueproperty of layers of ocean water in transmitting sound D low-frequency sounds travelling across different layers of water34. It can be inferred from the passage that____. A new radio devices should be developed for tracking the endangered blue whales B blue whales are no longer endangered with the use of the new listening system C opinions differ as to whether civilian scientists should be allowed to use military technology D military technology has great potential in civilian use35. Which of the following is true about the U.S. Navy underwater listening network﹖AIt is now partly accessible to civilian scientists. B It has been replaced by a more advanced system. C It became useless to the military after the cold war. D It is indispensable in protecting endangered species.Passage FourQuestions 36 to 40 are based on the following passageThe fitness movement that began in the late 1960s and early 1970s centered around aerobic exercise (有氧操). Millions of individuals became engaged in a variety of aerobic activities and literally thousands of health spas developed around the country to capitalize (获利) on this emerging interest in fitness particularly aerobic dancing for females. A number of fitness spas existed prior to this aerobic fitness movement even a national chain with spas in most major cities. However their focus was not on aerobics but rather on weight-training programs designed to develop muscular mass strength and endurance in their primarily male enthusiasts. These fitness spas did not seem to benefit financially from the aerobic fitness movement to better health since medical opinion suggested that weight-training programs offered few if any health benefits. In recent years however weight training has again become increasingly popular for males and for females. Many current programs focus not only on developing muscular strength and endurance but on aerobic fitness as well. Historically most physical-fitness tests have usually included measures of muscular strength and endurance not for health-related reasons but primarily because such fitness components have been related to performance in athletics. However in recent years evidence has shown that training programs designed primarily to improve muscular strength and endurance might also offer some health benefits as well. The American College of Sports Medicine now recommends that weight training be part of a total fitness program for healthy Americans. Increased participation in such training is one of the specific physical activity and fitness objectives of Healthy People 2000 National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Objectives.36. The word “spas”Line 3Para.1most probably refers to ____. A sports activitiesC recreation centers B places for physical exerciseD athletic training programs.37. Early fitness spas were intended mainly for ____. A the promotion of aerobic exerciseB endurance and muscular developmentC the improvement of women's figuresD better performance in aerobic dancing38. What was the attitude of doctors towards weight training in health improvement﹖A Positive. C Negative. B Indifferent. D Cautious.39. People were given physical fitness tests in order to find out ____ . A how well they could do in athletics B what their health condition was like C what kind of fitness center was suitable for them D whether they were fit for aerobic exercise40. Recent studies have suggested that weight training ____ . A has become an essential part of people’s life. B may well affect the health of the trainees. C will attract more people in the days to come. D contributes to health improvement as well.Part II Reading Comprehension21. A 22. A 23. A 24. B 25. C 26.B 27.D 28. C 29. A 30. B 31. B 32. A 33.C 34. D 35. A 36. B 37.B 38. B 39. A 40。

Part III reading Comprehension [40 minutes]Directions:This part is to test your reading ability. There are 5 tasks for you to fulfill. You should read the reading materials carefully and do the tasks as you are instructed.Task 1Direction: After reading the following passage ,you will find 5 questions or unfinished statements,numbered36 to 40. For each question or statement there are 4 choices marked A,B,C and D. Y ou should make the correct choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center .The key to any successful garage sale (家庭旧货出租) is to get the world out. The best means of advertising your sale is to place an ad in the local newspaper . If you have a city and neighborhood paper , make sure you advertise in both. The ad should be large enough that it stands out. It should also include information on where the sale is located with directions , the "hot" items you're selling and the time the sale will start and end. An ad should be placed at least two days before the sale and run until the day of your event .That way people can plan their route(路线) to the sale in advance.Signs are another great way to inform your community. Post them in places where people gather, such as stores and community centers. Some business have a central bulletin board(布告栏)，which is the best place to advertise. Other places to post are at the local college or university campus. This is especially helpful if your sale is happening in August or early September when students have returned to school and are looking for cheap finds.Post signs around your neighborhood. You should also place both ads and direction signs, especially if you are located on a side street without a major presence.Signs will attract and direct people . Just make sure you print in bold letters and use large direction signs so people can read the information from the front seat of their car.36.The best way of getting out the news of your garage sale is to _____.A.publish the news onlineB.visit people door--to--doorC.advertise in the local newspaperD.make phone calls to your neighbors37.You should place an ad at least two days before the sale so that people can ______.A.get enough cash for the salepare price of the itemsC.select the items they will buyD.decide on their route in advance38.Why should signs be posted in a community center?A.School are nearbyB.There are many storesC.Students often meet thereD.More people gather there39.What advice is give for printing the signs according to the last paragraph?A.Colored signs are preferredB.Bold letters should be usedrge pictures should be includedD.Phone number should be provide.40.The best title for the passage might be ________.A. Advertising Garage SalesB.Advantages of Garage SalesB.Importance of Garage Sales D.Printing Ads for Garage SalesDirections:This task is the same as Task 1. The 5 questions or unfinished statements are numbered 41 to 45.Borrowing to start a business is not easy. Getting a bank loan,particularly for a new small business,is like going through the eye of a needle.Banks favor established business people with a solid credit rating and a large bank account. They should also have experience in the business they propose to enter ,and offer well-prepared business plans that show the ability to repay the loans.If you are not such a person ,then you need to double your preparations to convince the banker to lend you that much needed start-up capital. If your business is new and small, bankers will need to know as much as possible about you and your business.However, many small business owners often make the mistake of not being well prepared when going to the bank to apply for the loan.Surprisingly,many loan applicants don't even have the slightest idea how or when they intend to repay the money they request. Often they don't even know how much money they need. When asked how much money they want to borrow,many people give these two common responses:"How much many can I get?" and "As much as possible." Is it any wonder that lenders say no ?So the most important thing is do your homework before you ask for a loan.41.By saying "Getting a bank loan...is like going like going through the eye of a needle", the writer emphasizes ＿＿＿.A.the ability to borrow from a bankB.the importance of borrowing moneyC.the difficulty of getting a bank loanD.the start--up of a new small business42.Banks prefer to give a loan to those who_____.A.are in need of start--up capitalB.have the ability to pay it backC.own an old and large businessD.haven't borrowed money before43.What will bankers do before they give a loan to a new and small business？A.Help fill out a special form for getting a loan.B.Request the business to pay a small deposit.C.Get enough information about the business.D.Estimate the size of the loan they will give.44.Some small business fail to get a bank loan because _____.A.The form they fill in is incomplete.B.their products are not technically advanced.C.the amount of money they want to borrow is too big.D.they have no clear idea of how much they need to borrow45.The writer advises that before applying for a bank loan,the applicant should___.A.thoroughly prepareB.do some market researchC.learn a lot about the bankD.know the upper limit of the loanDirections: Read the following passage. After reading it,you are required to complete the outline below it (No.46 to NO.50).You should write your answers briefly (in no more than three words) on he Answer Sheet correspondingly.When traveling overseas, it's a good idea to carry an International Driving Permit ,ever if you're not planning to drive. Valid in over 150 countries, the permit contains your name,photo and drive information translated into ten languages.Before you travel the world, travel to any AAA(美国汽车协会) office for your International Driving Permit. Bring your valid U.S. Drive's license, US$15, and two passport--type photos.You may also wish to fill out our International Driving Permit application in advance. Simply print out the application, fill in the information requested and bring it with you to the AAA office nearest you . If you prefer to obtain your International Driving Permit through the mail ,enclose your completed application form ,two passport--type photos each singed on the back, a US$15 permit fee and a photocopy of both sides of your driver's license and mail them to the AAA office nearest you .Please allow 4—6 weeks for return mail unless additional postage for express mail service is included with the application .Application for International Driving PermitPlace to apply: any ____Document needed: valid U.S. Driver's licenseApplication fee:____Photo: two____copiesWays to apply: 1.filling out the form in the office, or2.printing out the form and filling it out _____3.sending the form through the ____Task 4Directions: The following is a list of terms related to marketing. After reading it ,you are request to find the items equivalent to (与.....等同) those given in Chinese in the table below . Then you should put the corresponding letters in brackets on the Answer Sheet ,numbered 51 through 55.A—brand loyalty J—market shareB—brand value K—market sizeC—buying habit L—marketing goalD—buying motivation M—marketing planE—consumer survey N—product imageF—customer service O—reference priceG—distribution channel P—sales analysisH—market potential Q—sales promotionI—market researchExamples: (D) 购买动机（G）分销渠道51.（）品牌价值（）促销53.（）市场份额（）参考价值52.（）产品形象（）客户服务54.（）购买习惯（）市场潜力55.（）营销目标（）消费者调查Directions:the following passage is a notice. After reading it, you should give brief answers to the 5 questions (No.56to No.60) that follow . The answers (in no more than 3 words）should be written after the corresponding numbers on the Answer Sheet.Certain portable electronic devices (PEDs) may interfere with aircraft navigational equipment. PED use is permitted while on the ground when the boarding door is open, and in flight when advised by crew members . About 10 minutes before departure, passengers will be asked to turn off computers,cell phone and other PEDs . The following PEDs are approved for use during the flight time:●Personal Computers●Handheld computer games●Personal stereo and video devicesMedical devices are permitted at all times while TVs, radios, two--way radios,remote--control devices and some other electronic devices are not permitted. Due to safety concerns , the crew may at any time request that PEDs be turned off.Cell phones may be used only in the following instances:●When the aircraft is at the gate and the boarding door is open.●When the aircraft is on the ground away from the gate and the captain has approved their use.56.What is the possible bed effect of using a PED on an aircraft in flight ?The aircraft navigational equipment may be __________________.57.When can a passenger be allowed to use a PED on a plane in flight?When permitted by ___________________.58.What are passengers asked to do about 10 minutes before departure?Turn off their computers,___________________and other PEDs .59.What devices can be used on the plane throughout the flight?__________________________________________.60.Who has the right to approve the use of cell phones when the plane is away from the gate ready to take off ?___________________________________________.Part III Reading ComprehensionTask 1译文[40]成功举办家庭旧物销售会的关键就在于“广而告之”。

专升本英语（阅读）-试卷75(总分：60.00，做题时间：90分钟)一、 Reading Comprehension(总题数：6，分数：60.00)1.Part III Reading ComprehensionDirections: In this part there are four passages. Each passage is followed by a number of comprehension questions. Read the passages and choose the best answer to each question. Then, mark your answer by blackening the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet.（分数：10.00）__________________________________________________________________________________________ 解析：Shopping for clothes is not the same experience for a man as it is for a woman. A man goes shopping because he needs something. His purpose is settled and decided in advance. He knows what he wants, and his objective is to find it and buy it; the price is a secondary consideration. All men simply walk into a shop and ask the assistant for what they want. If the shop has it in stock, the salesman promptly produces it, and the business of trying it on proceeds at once. All being well, the deal can be and often is completed in less than five minutes, with hardly any chat and to everyone's satisfaction. Slight problems may begin for a man when the shop does not have what he wants, or does not have exactly what he wants. In that case the salesman always tries to sell the customer something else—he offers the nearest he can to the article required. Now how does a woman go about buying clothes? In almost every respect she does so in the opposite way. Her shopping is not often based on need. She has never fully made up her mind what she wants, and she is only "having a look round". She is always open to persuasion; indeed she sets great store by what the saleswoman tells her, even by what companions tell her. Upper-most in her mind is the thought of finding something that everyone thinks suits her. Contrary to a lot of jokes, most women have an excellent sense of value when they buy clothes. They are always on the lookout for the unexpected bargain. Faced with a roomful of dresses, a woman may easily spend an hour going from one rail to another, to and fro, often retracing her steps, before selecting the dresses she wants to try on. It is a laborious process, but apparently an enjoyable one. Most dress shops provide chairs for the waiting husbands.（分数：10.00）(1).When a man buys clothes, ________.（分数：2.00）A.he buys good quality things without a second considerationB.he buys right size things without trying them onC.he does not mind very much how much he has to pay for the right things √D.he chooses things the salesman recommends解析：解析：由文中the price is a secondary consideration．可知C正确。

四级阅读-2Part III Reading ComprehensionSection ADirections：In this section, there is a passage with ten 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. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.试题解析：“快乐就会长寿”，绝大多数的研究已经证明了这一点。

积极的心态、健康和寿命三者之间是有联系的。

对未来有乐观的展望和快乐生活会使身体更加健康，寿命更长。

快乐总是与健康和寿命相互关联。

积极的心态会减少压力荷尔蒙、提高免疫功能并有助于心脏恢复。

在关注肥胖、吸烟等与寿命有关的不良习惯同时，也要关注与寿命有关的快乐因素。

positive：上下文联系题。

上文提到了今日的训诫是快乐就会长寿，因为上文提到的是“快乐”和“寿命”的关系，因此此句要表达的是160多个关于积极的心态、健康的身体和寿命之间关系的研究……，空格处需要一个形容词表示“积极的”意思，选项中只有positive符合题意，所以此处填入positive。

compelling：句子意思题。

根据对上文的理解，空格处所在的句子要表达的是160多个关于积极的心态、健康的身体和寿命之间关系的研究发现了明确而又有说服力的证据，这些证据表明快乐的人身体会更健康、更长寿，因此空格处需要一个形容词和clear一起修饰evidence，表示“有说服力的”意思，选项中只有compelling符合题意，所以此处填入compelling。

大学英语六级改革适用（阅读）模拟试卷395(题后含答案及解析) 题型有： 3. Reading ComprehensionPart III Reading ComprehensionSection CImagine eating everything delicious you want—with none of the fat That would be great, wouldn’t it? New “fake fat” products appeared on store shelves in the United States recently, but not everyone is happy about it. Makers of the products, which contain a compound called olestra, say food manufacturers can now eliminate fat from certain foods. Critics, however, say the new compound can rob the body of essential vitamins and nutrients and can also cause unpleasant side effects in some people. So it’s up to consumers to decide whether the new fat-free products taste good enough to keep eating. Chemists discovered olestra in the late 1960s, when they were searching for a fat that could be digested by infants more easily. Instead of finding the desired fat, the researchers created a fat that can’t be digested at all. Normally, special chemicals in the intestines(肠)”grab” molecules of regular fat and break them down so they can be used by the body. A molecule of regular fat is made up of three molecules of substances called fatty acids. The fatty acids are absorbed by the intestines and bring with them the essential vitamins A, D, E, and K. When fat molecules are present in the intestines with any of those vitamins, the vitamins attach to the molecules and are carried into the bloodstream. Olestra, which is made from six to eight molecules of fatty acids, is too large for the intestines to absorb. It just slides through the intestines without being broken down. Manufacturers say it’s that ability to slide unchanged through the intestines that makes olestra so valuable as a fat substitute. It provides consumers with the taste of regular fat without any bad effects on the body. But critics say olestra can prevent vitamins A, D, E, and K from being absorbed. It can also prevent the absorption of carotenoids(类胡萝卜素), compounds that may reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, etc. Manufacturers are adding vitamins A, D, E, and K as well as carotenoids to their products now. Even so, some nutritionists are still concerned that people might eat unlimited amounts of food made with the fat substitute without worrying about how many calories they are consuming.1．We learn from the passage that olestra is a substance that_____.A．contains plenty of nutrientsB．makes foods fat-free while keeping them deliciousC．renders foods calorie-free while retaining their vitaminsD．makes foods easily digestible正确答案：B解析：第2段第2句提到“生产含有Olestra化合物的食品的厂商认为使用Olestra能除掉某些食品中的脂肪”，在第6段，作者又指出“Olestra不为肠胃吸收，并能保持脂肪的美味而不对身体产生有害的影响”，因此B与文中所阐述的观点一致；A与文中提到Olestra会阻止人体吸收某些维生素和类胡萝卜素相悖；C、D同样与原文的意思相悖。

Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)Directions: This part is to test your reading ability. There are 5 tasks for you to fulfill. You should read the reading materials carefully and do the tasks as you are instructed.Task 1Directions: After reading the following passage, you will find 5 questions or unfinished statements, numbered 36 to 40. For each question or statement there are 4 choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should make the correct choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.Google, the Internet search-engine company, has announced it will give more than twenty-five million dollars in money and investments to help the poor. The company says the effort involves using the power of information and technology to help people improve their lives.Aleem Walji works for -- the part of the company that gives money to good causes. He said the company’s first project will help identify whereinfectious (传染性的) diseases are developing. In Southeast Asia and Africa, for example, will work with partners to strengthen early-warning systems and take action against growing health threats.’s second project will invest in ways to help small and medium-sized businesses grow. Walji says microfinance (小额信贷) is generally small, short-term loans that create few jobs. Instead, he says wants to develop ways to bring investors and business owners together to create jobs and improve economic growth.will also give money to help two climate-change programs announced earlier this year. One of these programs studies ways to make renewable (再生的) energy less costly than coal-based energy. The other is examining the efforts being made to increase the use of electric cars.The creators of Google have promised to give about one percent of company profits and one percent of its total stock value every year. Aleem Walji says this amount may increase in the future.36. The purpose of Google’s investments is to ________.A) help poor peopleB) develop new technologyC) expand its own businessD) increase the power of information37. According to Aleem Walji, the company’s first project is to ________.A) set up a new system to warn people of infectious diseasesB) find out where infectious diseases developC) identify the causes of infectious diseasesD) cure patients of infectious diseases38. What kind of businesses will benefit from ’s second projectA) large enterprisesB) cross-national companiesC) foreign-funded corporationsD) small and medium-sized businesses39. From the fourth paragraph, we learn that Google’s money is also invested to help ________.A) start more research programsB) make more advanced electric carsC) develop renewable and coal-based energyD) conduct studies related to climate changes40. From the last paragraph we learn that the investments by come from ________.A) Google’s profits and stock valueB) some international IT companiesC) the compan y’s own interestsD) local commercial banksTask 2Directions: This task is the same as Task 1. The 5 questions or unfinished statements are numbered 41 to 45.Your boss holds your future prospects in his hands. Some bosses are hard to get along with. Some have excellent qualifications but no idea when it comes to dealing with people. Of course, not all bosses are like that.The relationship you have with your boss can be a major factor in determining your rise up the career ladder. Your boss is not only your leader, he is also the person best equipped to help you do the job you are paid to do. He can inform you of company direction that may affect your professional development.Your boss also needs you to perform at your best in order to accomplish his objectives. He needs your feedback in order to provide realistic and useful reports to upper management. But how does this help you establish a meaningful working relationship with your boss The key is communication. Learn and understand his goals and priorities (优先的事). Observe and understand your boss’s work style. If he has not been clear with his expectations, ask! Likewise, ask for feedback and accept criticism gracefully. And if he understands that you do not view your job as just something to fill the hours between 9 and 5, he may be more likely to help you.In short, getting along with your boss requires getting to know his likes and dislikes and learning to work with his personality and management style.41. The main idea of the first paragraph is that ________.A) bosses are hard to deal withB) bosses have good characterC) bosses determine your career futureD) bosses must have similar personality42. In the second paragraph, “rise up the career ladder” (Line 2) means ________.A) going to work abroadB) changing jobs frequentlyC) being promoted in positionD) pursuing an advanced degree43. In order to achieve his objectives, your boss expects that you will ________.A) do your best in your workB) show your management skillsC) get along with your colleaguesD) write reports to upper management44. The most important factor for establishing a good working relationship with the boss is ________.A) high expectationsB) quick feedbackC) frequent criticismD) effective communication45. The best title for the passage might be ________.A) How to Take Care Of Your Boss.B) How to Get Along with Your BossC) How to Accept Your Boss’s CriticismD) How to Accom plish Your Boss’s Objective答案：36-40:ABDDA 41-45:CCADB 来源:考试大-国家英语三级考试。

英语四级阅读理解部分的真题及答案阅读理解是中的重中之重，因为阅读理解占了30个题目，分值也较大。

再过不久就要进行英语四级考试了，同学们可以通过做真题来找到阅读理解的感觉。

为大家整理了英语四级阅读理解部分的真题及答案，希望能给大家带来帮助!Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, there is a passage with ten 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 identi ied by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.Questions 36 to 45 are based on the following passage.Global warming is a trend toward warmer conditions around the world. Part of the warming is natural; we have experienced a 20,000-year-long warming as the last ice age ended and the ice__36___away,However , we have already reached temperatures that are in__37__with other minimum-ice periods, so continued warming is likely not natural. We are __38__to a predicted worldwide in increase in temperatures__39__betweem 1℃ and 6℃ over the next 100 years. The warming will be more__40__in some areas, less in other, and some places may even cool off. Likewise, the __41__of this warming will be very different depending on where you are-coastal areas must worry about rising sea levels, while Siberia and northern Canada may become more habitable(宜居的)and __42__for humans than these areas are now.The fact remains, however, that it will likely get warmer, on __43__, everywhere. Scientists are in general agreement that the warmer conditions we have been experiencing are at least in part the result of a human-induced global warming trend. Somescientists___44__that the changes we are seeing fall within the range of random(无规律的)variation-some years are cold, others warm, and we have just had an unremarkable string of warm years__45___--but that is becoming an increasingly rare interpretation in the face of continued and increasingwarm conditions.A) appealing I) melted B) average J) persist C) contributing K) ranging D) dramatic L) recently E) frequently M) resolved F) impact N) sensible G) line O) shock H) maintainSection BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.The End of the Book?[A] Amazon, by far the largest bookseller in the country, reported on May 19 that it is now selling more books in its electronic Kindle format than in the old paper-and-ink format. That is remarkable, considering that the Kindle has only been around for four years. E-books now account for 14 percent of all book sales in the country and are increasing far faster than overall book sales. E-book sales are up 146 percent over last year, while hardback sales increased 6 percent and paperbacks decreased 8 percent.[B] Does this spell the doom of the physical book? Certainly not immediately, and perhaps not at all. What it does mean is that the book business will go through a transformation in the next decade or so more profound than any it has seen since Gutenberg introduced printing from moveable type in the 1450s.[C] Physical books will surely become much rarer in the marketplace. Mass market paperbacks, which have been declining for years anyway, will probably disappear, as will hardbacks for mysteries, thrillers, “romance iction,” etc. Such books, which only rarely end up in permanent collections, either private or public, will probably only be available as e-books within a few years. Hardback and trade paperbacks for “serious” non iction andiction will surely last longer. Perhaps it will become the mark of an author to reckon with that he or she is still published in hard copy.[D] As for children’s books, who knows? Children’s books are like dog food in that the purchasers are not the consumers, so the market (and the marketing) is inherently strange.[E] For clues to the book’s future, let’s look at some examples of technological change and see what happened to the old technology.[F] One technology replaces another only because the new technology is better, cheaper, or both. The greater the difference, the sooner and more thoroughly the new technology replaces the old. Printing with moveable type on paper dramatically reducedthe cost of producing a book compared with the old-fashioned ones handwritten onvellum, which comes from sheepskin. A Bible—requiredto be sure, a long book—vellum, which comes from sheepskin. A Bible——to be sure, a long bookvellum made from 300 sheepskins and countless man-hours of labor. Before printingarrived, a Bible cost more than a middle-class house. There were perhaps 50,000 books in all of Europe in 1450. By 1500 there were 10 million.[G] But while printing quickly caused the hand written book to die out, handwriting lingered on (继续存在) well into the 16th century. Very special books are still occasionally produced on vellum, but they are one-of-a-kind show pieces.[H]Sometimes a new technology doesn’t drive the old on [H]Sometimes a new technology doesn’t drive the old one out, but only parts of it e out, but only parts of it while forcing the rest to evolve. The movies were widely predicted to drive live theater out of the marketplace, but they didn’t, because theater turned out to have qualities movies could not reproduce. Equally, TV was supposed to replace movies but, again, did not. [I] Movies did, however, fatally impact some parts of live theater. And while TV didn’t kill movies, it did kill second-rate pictures, shorts, and cartoons.[J] Nor did TV kill radio. Comedy and drama shows (“Jack Benny,” “Amos and Andy,” “The Shadow”) all migrated to television. But because you can’t drive a car and watch television at the same time, rush hour became radio’s prime, while music, talk, and news radio greatly enlarged their audiences. Radio is today a very different business than in the late 1940s and a much larger one.[K] Sometimes old technology lingers for centuries because of its symbolic power.Mounted cavalry (骑兵) replaced the chariot (二轮战车) on the battle ield around 1000 BC. But chariots maintained their place in parades and triumphs right up until the end of the Roman Empire 1,500 years later. The sword hasn’t had a military function for a hundred years, but is still part of an of icer’s full years, but is still part of an of icer’s full-dress uniform, precisely because a sword always -dress uniform, precisely because a sword always s ymbolized “an of icer and a gentleman.”[L] Sometimes new technology is a little cranky (不稳定的) at irst. Televisionrepairman was a common occupation in the 1950s, for instance. And so the old technology remains as a backup. Steamships captured the North Atlantic passenger business from sail in the 1840s because of its much greater speed. But steamships didn’t lose their sails until the 1880s, because early marine engines had a nasty habit of breaking down. Until ships became large enough (and engines small enough) to mount two engines side by side, they needed to keep sails. (The high cost of steam and the lesser need for speed kept the majority of the world’s ocean freight moving by sail until the early years of the 20th century.)[M] Then there is the ireplace. Central heating was present in every upper-andmiddle-class home by the second half of the 19th century. But functioning ireplaces remain to this day a powerful selling point in a house or apartment. I suspect the reason is a deep-rooted love of the ire. Fire was one of the earliest major technological advances forhumankind, providing heat, protection, and cooked food (which is much easier to cat and digest). Human control of ire goes back far enough (over a million years) that evolution could have produced a genetic leaning towards ire as a central aspect of human life.[N] Books[N] Books——especially books the average person could afford—haven’t been around long enough to produce evolutionary change in humans. But they have a powerful hold on many people nonetheless, a hold extending farbeyond their literary content. At their best, they are works of art and there is a tactile(触觉的)pleasure in books necessarily lost in e-book versions. The ability to quickly thumb through pages is also lost. And a room with books in it induces, at least in some, a feeling not dissimilar to that of a ire in the ireplace on a cold winter’s night.[O] For these reasons I think physical books will have a longer existence as a commercial product than some currently predict. Like swords, books have symbolic power. Like ireplaces, they induce a sense of comfort and warmth. And, perhaps, similar to sails, they make a useful back-up for when the lights go out.46. Authors still published in printed versions will be considered important ones.47. Some people are still in favor of printed books because of the sense of touch they can provide. 48. The radio business has changed greatly and now attracts more listeners.49. Contrary to many people’s prediction of its death, the ilm industry survived. 50. Remarkable changes have taken place in the book business.51. Old technology sometimes continues to exist because of its reliability.52. The increase of e-book sales will force the book business to make changes not seen for centuries. 53. A new technology is unlikely to take the place of an old one without a clear advantage. 54. Paperbacks of popular literature are more likely to be replaced by e-books. 55. A house with a ireplace has a stronger appeal to buyers.Section CDirections: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or un inished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 56 to 60are based on the following passage.The question of whether our government should promote science and technology or the liberal arts in higher education isn’t an either/or proposition(命题)，although the current emphasis on preparing young Americans for STEM(science, technology, engineering, maths)-related ields can make it seem that way.The latest congressional report acknowledges the critical importance of technical training, but also asserts that the study of the humanities (人文学科)and social sciences must remain central components of America’s educational system at all levels. Both are critical to producing citizens who can participate effectively in our democratic society, become innovative(创新的)leaders, and bene it from the spiritual enrichment that there lection on the great ideas of mankind over time provides.Parents and students who have invested heavily in higher education worry about graduates’ job prospects as technological advances an d changes in domestic and global markets transform professions in ways that reduce wages and cut jobs. Under these circumstances, it’s natural to look for what may appear to be the most “practical” way out of the problem “Major in a subject designed to get you a job” seems the obvious answer to some, though this ignores the fact that many disciplines in the humanities characterized as “soft” often, in fact, lead to employment and success in the long run. Indeed, according to surveys, employers have expressed a preference for students who have received a broadly-based education that has taught them to write well, think critically, research creatively, and communicate easily.Moreover, students should be prepared not just for their irst job, but for their 4th and 5th jobs, as there’slittle reason to doubt that people entering the workforce today will be called upon to play many different roles over the course of their careers. The ones who will do the best in this new environment will be those whose educations have prepared them to be lexible. The ability to draw upon every available tool and insight—picked up from science, arts, and technology——to solve the problems of the future, and take advantage of the opportunities technologythat present themselves, will be helpful to them and the United States.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

2015年6月四级第一套Part II Listening ComprehensionSection A1. A) He is pleased to sit on the committee. B) He is willing to offer the woman a hand.C) He will tell the woman his decision later. D) He would like to become a club member.2. A) Their planned trip to V ancouver is obviously overpriced.B) They should borrow a guide book instead of buying one.C) The guide books in the library have the latest information.D) The library can help order guide books about Vancouver.3. A) He regrets having taken the history course.B) He finds little interest in the history books.C) He has trouble finishing his reading assignments.D) He has difficulty writing the weekly book report.4. A) The man had better choose another restaurant.B) The new restaurant is a perfect place for dating.C) The new restaurant caught her fancy immediately.D) The man has good taste in choosing the restaurant.5. A) He has been looking forward to spring. B) He has been waiting for the winter sale.C) He wi ll clean the woman’s boots for spring. D) He will help the woman put things away.6. A) At a tailor’s B) At Bob’s home.C) In a clothes store. D) In a theatre.7. A) His guests favor Tibetan drinks. B) His water is quite extraordinary.C) Mineral water is good for health. D) Plain water will serve the purpose.8. A) Report the result of a discussion. B) Raise some environmental issues.C) Submit an important document. D) Revise an environmental report.Questions 9 to 12 are based on the conversation you have just heard.9. A) They pollute the soil used to cover them. B) They are harmful to nearby neighborhoods.C) The rubbish in them takes long to dissolve. D) The gas they emit is extremely poisonous.10. A) Growing population. B) Packaging materials.C) Changed eating habits. D) Lower production cost.11. A) By saving energy. B) By using less aluminum.C) By reducing poisonous wastes. D) By making the most of materials.12.A) We are running out of natural resources soon.B) Only combined efforts can make a difference.C) The waste problem will eventually hurt all of us.D) All of us can actually benefit from recycling.Questions 13 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.13. A) Miami. B) Vancouver. C) Bellingham. D) Boston.14. A) To get information on one-way tickets to Canada.B) To inquire about the price of “Super Saver” seats.C) To get advice on how to fly as cheaply as possible.D) To inquire about the shortest route to drive home.15. A) Join a tourist group. B) Choose a major airline.C) Avoid trips in public holidays. D) Book tickets as early as possible.Section BPassage OneQuestions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A) There are mysterious stories behind his works.B) There are many misunderstandings about him.C) His works have no match worldwide.D) His personal history is little known.17. A) He moved to Stratford-on-Avon in his childhood.B) He failed to go beyond grammar school.C) He was a member of the town council.D) He once worked in a well-known acting company.18. A) Writers of his time had no means to protect their works.B) Possible sources of clues about him were lost in a fire.C) His works were adapted beyond recognition.D) People of his time had little interest in him.Passage TwoQuestions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A) It shows you have been ignoring you health.B) It can seriously affect your thinking process.C) It is an early warning of some illness.D) It is a symptom of too much pressure.20. A) Reduce our workload. B) Control our temper.C) Use painkillers for relief. D) Avoid masking symptoms.21. A) Lying down and having some sleep. B) Rubbing and pressing one’s back.C) Going out for a walk. D) Listening to light music.Passage ThreeQuestions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A) Depending heavily on loans. B) Having no budget plans at all.C) Spending beyond one’s means.D) Leaving no room for large bills.23. A) Many of them can be cut. B) Alt of them have to be covered.C) Their payment cannot be delayed. D) The eat up most of the family income.24. A) Rent a house instead of buying one. B) Discuss the problem in the family.C) Make a conservation plan. D) Move to a cheaper place.25. A) Financial issues plaguing a family. B) Difficulty in making both ends meet.C) Family budget problems and solutions. D) New ways to boost family income.Section CPerhaps because going to college is so much a part of the American dream, many people gofor no(26)_____reason. Some go because their parents expect it, others because it’s what their friends are doing. Then, there’s the belief that a college degree will(27)____ensure a good job and high pay.Some students (28)____ through for years ,attending classes, or skipping(逃课) them as the case may be, reading only what can’t be avoided, looking for less(29)_____courses, and never being touched or changed in any important way. For a few of these people, college provides no (30)____, yet because of parental or peer pressure, they cannot voluntarily leave. They stop trying in the hope that their teachers will make the decision for them by (31)____ them.To put it bluntly(直截了当地)，unless you’re willing to make your college years count, you might be (32)_____ doing something else. Not everyone should attend college, nor should everyone who does attend begin right after high school. Many college students (33)_____ taking a year or so off. A year out in the world helps some people to (34)_____their priorities and goals. If you’re really going to get something out of going to college, you have to make it mean something, and to do that you must have some idea why you’re there, what you hope to get out of it, and (35)_____even what you hope to become.Part III Reading ComprehensionSection AQuestions 36 to 45 are based on the following passage.It’s our guilty pleasure: Watching TV is the most common eve ryday activity, after work and sleep, in many parts of the world. Americans view five hours of TV each day, and while we know that spending so much time sitting 36 can lead to obesity(肥胖症) and other diseases, researchers have now quantified just how 37 being a couch potato can be.In an analysis of data from eight large 38 published studies, a Harvard-led group reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association that for every two hours per day spent channel 39 , the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes (糖尿病) rose 20% over 8.5 years, the risk of heart disease increased 15% over a 40 , and the odds of dying prematurely 41 13% during a seven-year follow-up. All of these 42 are linked to a lack of physical exercise. But compared with other sedentary(久坐的) activities, like knitting, viewing TV may be especially 43 at promoting unhealthy habits. For one, the sheer number of hours we pass watching TV dwarfs the time we spend on anything else. And other studies have found that watching ads for beer and popcorn may make you more likely to 44 them.Even so, the authors admit that they didn’t compare different sedentary activities to45 whether TV watching was linked to a greater risk of diabetes, heart disease or early deathSection BEssay-Grading Software Offers Professors a Break[A] Imagine taking a college exam, and, instead of handing in a blue book and getting a gradefrom a professor a few weeks later, clicking the “send” button when you are clone and receiving a grade back instantly, your essay scored by a software program. And then, instead of being clone with that exam, imagine that the system would immediately let you rewrite the test to try to improve your grade.[B] EdX, the nonprofit enterprise founded by Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology (MIT) to offer courses on the Internet, has just introduced such a system and will make its automated (自动的) software available free on the Web to any institution that wants to use it. The software uses artificial intelligence to grade student essays and short written answers, fleeing professors for other tasks.[C] The new service will bring the educational consortium (联盟) into a growing conflict over therole of automation in education. Although automated grading systems for multiple-choice and true-false tests are now widespread, the use of artificial intelligence technology to grade essay answers has not yet received widespread acceptance by educators and has many critics. [D] Anant Agarwal, an electrical engineer who is president of EdX, predicted that the instant-grading software would be a useful teaching tool, enabling students to take tests and write essays over and over and improve the quality of their answers. He said the technology would offer distinct advantages over the traditional classroom system, where students often wait days or weeks for grades. “There is a huge value in learning with instant feedback,” Dr. Agarwal said. “Students are telling us they learn much better with instant feedback.”[E] But skeptics (怀疑者) say the automated system is no match for live teachers. One longtimecritic, Les Perelman, has drawn national attention several times for putting together nonsense essays that have fooled software grading programs into giving high marks. He has also been highly critical of studies claiming that the software compares well to human graders.[F] He is among a group of educators who last month began circulating a petition (呼吁) opposingautomated assessment software. The group, which calls itself Professionals Against Machine Scoring of Student Essays in High-Stakes Assessment, has collected nearly 2,000 signatures, including some from famous people like Noam Chomsky.[G] “Let’s face the realities of automatic essay scoring,” the group’s statement reads in p art.“Computers cannot ‘read.’ They cannot measure the essentials of effective written communication: accuracy, reasoning, adequacy of evidence, good sense, ethical(伦理的) position, convincing argument, meaningful organization, and clarity, among others.”[H] But EdX expects its software to be adopted widely by schools and universities. It offers freeonline classes from Harvard, MIT and the University of California-Berkeley; this fall, it will add classes from Wellesley, Georgetown and the University of Texas. In all, 12 universities participate in EdX, which offers certificates for course completion and has said that it plans to continue to expand next year, including adding international schools.[I] The EdX assessment tool requires human teachers, or graders, to first grade 100 essays or essayquestions. The system then uses a variety of machine-learning techniques to train itself to be able to grade any number of essays or answers automatically and almost instantly. The software will assign a grade depending on the scoring system created by the teacher, whether it is a letter grade or numerical (数字的) rank.[J] EdX is not the first to use the automated assessment technology, which dates to early computers in the 1960s. There is now a range of companies offering commercial programs to grade written test answers, and four states—Louisiana, North Dakota, Utah and West Virginia—are using some form of the technology in secondary schools. A fifth, Indiana, has experimented with it. In some cases the software is used as a “second reader,” to check the reliability of the human graders.[K] But the growing influence of the EdX consortium to set standards is likely to give the technology a boost. On Tuesday, Stanford announced that it would work with EdX to developa joint educational system that will make use of the automated assessment technology.[L] Two start-ups, Coursera and Udacity, recently founded by Stanford faculty members to create “massive open online courses,” or MOOCs, are also committed to automated assessment systems because of the value of instant feedback. “It allows students to get immediate feedback on their work, so that learning turns into a game, with students naturally gravitating (吸引) to ward resubmitting the work until they get it right,” said Daphne Koller, a computer scientist and a founder of Coursera.[M]Last year the Hewlett Foundation, a grant-making organization set up by one of the Hewlett-Packard founders and his wife, sponsored two $100,000 prizes aimed at improving software that grades essays and short answers. More than 150 teams entered each category. A winner of one of the Hewlett contests, Vik Paruchuri, was hired by EdX to help design its assessment software.[N] “One of our focuses is to help kids learn how to think critically,” said Victor Vuchic, a program officer at the Hewlett Foundation. “It’s probably impossible to do that with multiple-choice tests. The challenge is that this requires human graders, and so they cost a lot more and they take a lot more time.”[O] Mark D. Shermis, a professor at the University of Akron in Ohio, supervised the Hewlett Foundation’s contest on automated essay scoring and wrote a paper about the experiment. I n his view, the technology—though imperfect—has a place in educational settings.[P] With increasingly large classes, it is impossible for most teachers to give students meaningful feedback on writing assignments, he said. Plus, he noted, critics of the technology have tended to come from the nation’s best universities, where the level of teaching is much better than at most schools.[Q] “Often they come from very famous institutions where, in fact, they do a much better job of providing feedback than a mac hine ever could,” Dr. Shermis said. “There seems to be a lack of appreciation of what is actually going on in the real world.”46. Some professionals in education are collecting signatures to voice their opposition toautomated essay grading.47. Using sof tware to grade students’ essays saves teachers time for other work.48. The Hewlett contests aim at improving essay grading software.49. Though the automated grading System is widely used in multiple-choice tests, automatedessay grading is still criticized by many educators.50. Some people don’t believe the software grading system can do as good a job as humangraders.51. Critics of automated essay scoring do not seem to know the true realities in less famousuniversities.52. Critics argue many important aspects of effective writing cannot be measured by computerrating programs.53. As class size grows, most teachers are unable to give students valuable comments as to how toimprove their writing.54. The automated assessment technology is sometimes used to double check the work of humangraders.Section CPassage OneQuestions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.Some of the world’s most significant problems never hit headlines. One example comes from agriculture. Food riots and hunger make news. But the trend lying behind these matters is rarely talked about. This is the decline in the growth in yields of some of the world’s major crops. A new study by the University of Minnesota and McGill University in Montreal looks at where, and how far, this decline is occurring.The authors take a vast number of data points for the four most important crops: rice, wheat, corn and soyabeans (大豆). They find that on between 24% and 39% of all harvested areas, the improvement in yields that took place before the 1980s slowed down in the 1990s and 2000s.There are two worrying features of the slowdown. One is that it has been particularly sharp in the world’s most populous (人口多的) countries, India and China. Their ability to feed themselves has been an important source of relative stability both within the countries and on world food markets. That self-sufficiency cannot be taken for granted if yields continue to slow down or reverse.Second, yield growth has been lower in wheat and rice than in corn and soyabeans. This is problematic because wheat and rice are more important as foods, accounting for around half of all calories consumed. Com and soyabeans are more important as feed grains. The authors note that “we have preferentially focused our crop improvement efforts on feeding animals and cars rather than on crops that feed people and are the basis of food security in much of the world.”The report qualifies the more optimistic findings of another new paper which suggests that the world will not have to dig up a lot more land for farming in order to feed 9 billion people in 2050, as the Food and Agriculture Organisation has argued.Instead, it says, thanks to slowing population growth, land currently ploughed up for crops might be able to revert (回返) to forest or wilderness. This could happen. The trouble is that the forecast assumes continued improvements in yields, which may not actually happen.56. What does the author try to draw attention to?A) Food riots and hunger in the world. B) News headlines in the leading media.C) The decline of the grain yield growth. D) The food supply in populous countries.57. Why does the author mention India and China in particular?A) Their self-sufficiency is vital to the stability of world food markets.B) Their food yields have begun to decrease sharply in recent years.C) Their big populations are causing worldwide concerns.D) Their food self-sufficiency has been taken for granted.58. What does the new study by the two universities say about recent crop improvement efforts?A) They fail to produce the same remarkable results as before the 1980s.B) They contribute a lot to the improvement of human food production.C) They play a major role in guaranteeing the food security of the world.D) They focus more on the increase of animal feed than human food grains.59. What does the Food and Agriculture Organisation say about world food production in thecoming decades?A) The growing population will greatly increase the pressure on world food supplies.B) The optimistic prediction about food production should be viewed with caution.C) The slowdown of the growth in yields of major food crops will be reversed.D) The world will be able to feed its population without increasing farmland.60. How does the author view the argument of the Food and Agriculture Organisation?A) It is built on the findings of a new study.B) It is based on a doubtful assumption.C) It is backed by strong evidence.D) It is open to further discussion.Passage TwoQuestions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.The endless debate about “work-life balance” often contains a hopeful footnote about stay-at-home dads. If American society and business won’t make it easier on future female leaders who choose to have children, there is still the ray of hope that increasing numbers of full-time fathers will. But based on today’s socioeconomic trends, this hope is, unfortunately, misguided.It’s true that the number of men who have left work to do their thing as full-time parents has do ubled in a decade, but it’s still very small: only 0.8% of married couples where the stay-at-home father was out of the labor force for a year. Even that percentage is likely inflated by men thrust into their caretaker role by a downsizing. This is simply not a large enough group to reduce the social stigma (污名) and force other adjustments necessary to supporting men in this decision, even if only for a relatively short time.Even shorter times away from work for working fathers are already difficult. A study found that 85% of new fathers take some time off after the birth of a child—but for all but a few, it’s a week or two at most. Meanwhile, the average for women who take leave is more than 10 weeks.Such choices impact who moves up in the organization. While you’re away, someone else is doing your work, mak ing your sales, taking care of your customers. That can’t help you at work. It can only hurt you. Women, of course, face the same issues of returning after a long absence. But with many more women than men choosing to leave the workforce entirely to raise families, returning from an extended parental leave doesn’t raise as many eyebrows as it does for men.Women would make more if they didn’t break their earning trajectory (轨迹) by leaving the workforce, or if higher-paying professions were more family-friendly. In the foreseeable future, stay-at-home fathers may make all the difference for individual families, but their presence won’t reduce the numbers of high-potential women who are forced to choose between family and career.61. What gives women a ray of hope to achieve work-life balance?A) More men taking an extended parental leave.B) People’s changing attitudes towards family.C) More women entering business management.D) The improvement of their socioeconomic status.62. Why does the author say the hope for more full-time fathers is misguided?A) Women are better at taking care of children.B) Many men value work more than their family.C) Their number is too small to make a difference.D) Not many men have the chance to stay at home.63. Why do few men take a long parental leave?A) A long leave will have a negative impact on their career.B) They just have too many responsibilities to fulfill at work.C) The economic loss will be too much for their family to bear.D) They are likely to get fired if absent from work for too long.64. What is the most likely reaction to men returning from an extended parental leave?A) Jealousy. B) Surprise. C) Admiration. D) Sympathy.65. What does the author say about high-potential women in the not-too-distant future?A) They will benefit from the trend of more fathers staying at home.B) They will find high-paying professions a bit more family-friendly.C) They are unlikely to break their career trajectory to raise a family.D) They will still face the difficult choice between career and children.Part IV Translation (30 minutes)据报道，今年中国快递服务(courier service)将递送大约120亿包裹。

2016年6月大学英语四级真题（第3套）PartIII Reading ComprehensionSection ADirections:In this section, there is a passage with ten 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 on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.Physical activity does the body good, and there‟s growing evidence that it helps the brain too. Researchers in the Netherlands report that children who get more exercise, whether at school or on their own, 26to have higher GPAs and better scores on standardized tests. In a 27of 14 studies that looked at physical activity and academic28, investigators found that the more children moved, the better their grades were in school, 29in the basic subjects of math, English and reading.The data will certainly fuel the ongoing debate over whether physical education classes should be cut as schools struggle to 30on smaller budgets. The arguments against physical education have included concerns that gym time may be taking away from study time. With standardized test scores in the U.S. 31in recent years, some administrators believe students need to spend more time in the classroom instead of on the playground. But as these findings show, exercise and academics may not be 32exclusive. Physical activity can improve blood 33to the brain, fueling memory, attention and creativity, which are 34to learning. And exercise releases hormones that can improve 35and relieve stress, which can also help learning. So while it may seem as if kids are just exercising their bodies whe n they‟re running around, they may actually be exercising their brains as well.Section BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph ismarked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.Finding the Right Home—and Contentment, Too[A] When your elderly relative needs to enter some sort of long-term care facility—a moment fewparents or children approach without fear—what you would like is to have everything made clear.[B] Does assisted living really mark a great improvement over a nursing home, or has the industrysimply hired better interior designers? Are nursing homes as bad as people fear, or is that anout-moded stereotype（固定看法)? Can doing one‟s homework really steer families to the best places? It is genuinely hard to know.[C] I am about to make things more complicated by suggesting that what kind of facility an olderperson lives in may matter less than we have assumed. And that the characteristics adult children look for when they begin the search are not necessarily the things that make a difference to the people who are going to move in. I am not talking about the quality of care, let me hastily add. Nobody flourishes in a gloomy environment with irresponsible staff and a poor safety record. But an accumulating body of research indicates that some distinctions between one type of elder care and another have little real bearing on how well residents do.[D] The most recent of these studies, published in The journal of Applied Gerontology, surveyed150 Connecticut residents of assisted living, nursing homes and smaller residential care homes（known in some states as board and care homes or adult care homes). Researchers from the University of Connecticut Health Center asked the residents a large number of questions about their quality of life, emotional well-being and social interaction, as well as about the quality of the facilities.[E] “We thought we would see differences based on the housing types,” said the lead author of thestudy, Julie Robison, an associate professor of medicine at the university. A reasonable assumption—don‟t families struggle to avoid nursing homes and suffer real guilt if they can‟t?[F] In the initial results, assisted living residents did paint the most positive picture. They wereless likely to report symptoms of depression than those in the other facilities, for instance, and less likely to be bored or lonely. They scored higher on social interaction.[G] But when the researchers plugged in a number of other variables, such differences disappeared.It is not the housing type, they found, that creates differences in residents‟ responses. “It is the characteristics of the specific environment they are in, combined with their own personal characteristics—how healthy they feel they are, their age and marital status,” Dr. Robison explained. Whether residents felt involved in the decision to move and how long they had lived there also proved significant.[H] An elderly person who describes herself as in poor health, therefore, might be no lessdepressed in assisted living（even if her children preferred it) than in a nursing home. A person who had input into where he would move and has had time to adapt to it might do as well in a nursing home as in a small residential care home, other factors being equal. It is an interaction between the person and the place, not the sort of place in itself, that leads to better or worse experien ces. “You can‟t just say, …Let‟s put this person in a residential care home instead of a nursing home—she will be much better off,‟” Dr. Robison said. What matters, she added, “is a combination of what people bring in with them, and what they find there.”[I] Such findings, which run counter to common sense, have surfaced before. In a multi-state studyof assisted living, for instance, University of North Carolina researchers found that a host of variables—the facility‟s type, size or age；whether a chain owned it；how attractive the neighborhood was—had no significant relationship to how the residents fared in terms of illness, mental decline, hospitalizations or mortality. What mattered most was the residents‟ physical health and mental status. What people were like when they came in had greater consequence than what happened once they were there.[J] As I was considering all this, a press release from a respected research firm crossed my desk,announcing that the five-star rating system that Medicare developed in 2008 to help families compare nursing home quality also has little relationship to how satisfied its residents or their family members are. As a matter of fact, consumers expressed higher satisfaction with the one-star facilities, the lowest rated, than with the five-star ones.（More on this study and the star ratings will appear in a subsequent post.)[K] Before we collectively tear our hair out—how are we supposed to find our way in a landscape this confusing?—here is a thought from Dr. Philip Sloane, a geriatrician（老年病学专家)at the University of North Carolina:“In a way, that could be liberating for families.”[L] Of course, sons and daughters want to visit the facilities, talk to the administrators and residents and other families, and do everything possible to fulfill their duties. But perhaps they don‟t have to turn themselves into private investigators or Congressional subcommittees.“Families can look a bit more for where the residents are going to be happy,” Dr. Sloane said.And involving the future resident in the process can be very important.[M] We all have our own ideas about what would bring our parents happiness. They have their ideas, too. A friend recently took her mother to visit an expensive assisted living/nursing home near my town. I have seen this place—it is elegant, inside and out. But nobody greeted the daughter and mother when they arrived, though the visit had been planned；nobody introduced them to the other residents. When they had lunch in the dining room, they sat alone at a table.[N] The daughter feared her mother would be ignored there, and so she decided to move her into a more welcoming facility. Based on what is emerging from some of this research, that might have been as rational a way as any to reach a decision.36.Many people feel guilty when they cannot find a place other than a nursing home for theirparents.37.Though it helps for children to investigate care facilities, involving their parents in thedecision-making process may prove very important.38.It is really difficult to tell if assisted living is better than a nursing home.39.How a resident feels depends on an interaction between themselves and the care facility theylive in.40.The author thinks her friend made a rational decision in choosing a more hospitable place overan apparently elegant assisted living home.41.The system Medicare developed to rate nursing home quality is of little help to finding asatisfactory place.42.At first the researchers of the most recent study found residents in assisted living facilities gavehigher scores on social interaction.43.What kind of care facility old people live in may be less important than we think.44.The findings of the latest research were similar to an earlier multi-state study of assisted living.45.A resident‟s satisfaction with a care facility has much to do with whether they had participatedin the decision to move in and how long they had stayed there.Section CDirections:There are 2 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 and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.As Artificial Intelligence(AI) becomes increasingly sophisticated, there are growing concerns that robots could become a threat. This danger can be avoided, according to computer science professor Stuart Russell, if we figure out how to turn human values into a programmable code.Russell argues that as robots take on mor e complicated tasks, it‟s necessary to translate our morals into AI language.For example, if a robot does chores around the house, you wouldn‟t want it to put the pet cat in the oven to make dinner for the hungry children. “You would want that robot prelo aded with a good set of values,” said Russell.Some robots are already programmed with basic human values. For example, mobile robots have been programmed to keep a comfortable distance from humans. Obviously there are cultural differences, but if you were talking to another person and they came up close in your personal space, you wouldn‟t think that‟s the kind of thing a properly brought-up person would do.It will be possible to create more sophisticated moral machines, if only we can find a way to set out human values as clear rules.Robots could also learn values fromdrawing patterns from large sets ofdata on human behavior. They are dangerous only if programmers are careless.The biggest concern with robots going against human values isthat human beings fail to do sufficient testing and they‟ve produced a system that will break some kind of taboo（禁忌).One simple check would be to program a robot to check the correct course of action with a human when presented with an unusual situation.If the robot is unsure whether an animal is suitable for the microwave, it has the opportunity to stop, send out beeps（嘟嘟声), and ask for directions from a human. If we humans aren‟t quite sure about a decision, we go and ask somebody else.The most difficult step in programming values will be deciding exactly what we believe in moral, and how to create a set of ethical rules. But if we come up with an answer, robots could be good for humanity.46.What does the author say about the threat of robots?A)It may constitute a challenge to computer programmers.B)It accompanies all machinery involving high technology.C)It can be avoided if human values are translated into their language.D)It has become an inevitable peril as technology gets more sophisticated.47.What would we think of a person who invades our personal space according to the author?A)They are aggressive.B)They are outgoing.C)They are ignorant.D)They are ill-bred.48.How do robots learn human values?A)By interacting with humans in everyday life situations.B)By following the daily routines of civilized human beings.C)By picking up patterns from massive data on human behavior.D)By imitating the behavior of property brought-up human beings.49.What will a well-programmed robot do when facing an unusual situation?A)Keep a distance from possible dangers.B)Stop to seek advice from a human being.C)Trigger its built-in alarm system at once.D)Do sufficient testing before taking action.50.What is most difficult to do when we turn human values into a programmable code?A)Determine what is moral and ethical.B)Design some large-scale experiments.C)Set rules for man-machine interaction.D)Develop a more sophisticated program.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.Why do some people live to be older than others? You know the standard explanations: keeping a moderate diet, engaging in regular exercise, etc. But what effect does your personality have on your longevity（长寿）?Do some kinds of personalities lead to longer lives? A new study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society looked at this question by examining the personality characteristics of 246 children of people who had lived to be at least 100.The study shows that those living the longest are more outgoing, more active and less neurotic （神经质的) than other people. Long-living women are also more likely to be sympathetic and cooperative than women with a normal life span. These findings are in agreement with what you would expect from the evolutionary theory: those who like to make friends and help others can gather enough resources to make it through tough times.Interestingly, however, other characteristics that you might consider advantageous had no impact on whether study participants were likely to live longer. Those who were more self-disciplined, for instance, were no more likely to live to be very old. Also, being open to new ideas had no relationship to long life, which might explain all those bad-tempered old people who are fixed in their ways.Whether you can successfully change your personality as an adult is the subject of a longstanding psychological debate. But the new paper suggests that if you want long life, you should strive to be as outgoing as possible.Unfortunately, another rec ent study shows that your mother‟s personality may also help determine your longevity. That study looked at nearly 28,000 Norwegian mothers and found that those moms who were more anxious, depressed and angry were more likely to feed their kids unhealthy d iets. Patterns of childhood eating can be hard to break when we‟re adults, which may mean that kids of depressed moms end up dying younger.Personality isn‟t destiny（命运), and everyone knows that individuals can learn to change. But both studies show that long life isn‟t just a matter of your physical health but of your mental health.51. The aim of the study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society is____.A)to see whether people‟s personality affects their life spanB)to find out if one‟s life style has any effect on their healthC)to investigate the role of exercise in living a long lifeD)to examine all the factors contributing to longevity52. What does the author imply about outgoing and sympathetic people?A)They have a good understanding of evolution.B)They are better at negotiating an agreement.C)They generally appear more resourceful.D)They are more likely to get over hardship.53. What finding of the study might prove somewhat out of our expectation?A)Easy-going people can also live a relatively long life.B)Personality characteristics that prove advantageous actually vary with times.C)Such personality characteristics as self-discipline have no effect on longevity.D)Readiness to accept new ideas helps one enjoy longevity.54. What does the recent study of Norwegian mothers show?A)Children‟s personality characteristics are invariably determined by theirmothers.B)People with unhealthy eating habits are likely to die sooner.C)Mothers‟ influence on children may last longer than fathers‟.D)Mothers‟ negative personality characteristics may affect their children‟s life spans.55.What can we learn from the findings of the two new studies?A)Anxiety and depression more often than not cut short one‟s life span.B)Longevity results from a combination of mental and physical health.C)Personality plays a decisive role in how healthy one is.D)Health is in large part related to one‟s lifestyle.Part IV TranslationDirections:For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.乌镇是浙江的一座古老水镇，坐落在京杭大运河畔。

Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)Section AHis future subjects have not always treated the Prince of Wales with the respect one XXXX expect. They laughed aloud in 1986 when the heir to the British(36)_ throne _ told a TV reporter that he talked to his plants at his country house, High grove, to stimulate their growth. The Prince was being humorous- “My sense of humor will get me into trouble one day”, he said to his aids(随从)-but listening to Charles Windsor can indeed prove stimulating. The royal(37) environmentalist _ has been promoting radical ideas for most of his adult life. Some of his(38)_ notions ____, which once sounded a bit weird, were simply ahead of their time. Now, finally, the world seems to be catching up with him.Take his vi ews on farming. Prince Charles’ Duchy Home Farm went(39)_ originally ____ back in 1986. When most shoppers cared only about the low price tag on suspiciously blemish-free(无瑕疵的) vegetables and(40) unnaturally _____ large chickens piled high in supermarkets.His warnings on climate change proved farsighted,too.Charles began(41) urging _____ action in warming in 1990 and says he has been worried about the(42) impact _____ of man on the environment same be was a teenager.Although he was gradually gained international(43) recognition _____ as one of the world's lending conservationists,many British people still think of him as an(34) eccentric _____ person who talks to plants.This year,as it happens,South Korean scientists proved that plants really do(45) respond _____ to round.So Charles was ahead of the game there,too.A.conformB.eccentricC.environmentalistD.expeditionsE.impactF.notionsanicH.originallyI.recognitionJ.respondK.subordinateL.suppressingM.throneN.unnaturallyO.urgingSection BDirections: In this section，you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choos e aparagraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.High School Sports Aren’t Killing AcademicsA)In this month’s Atlantic cover article, “The Case Against High-School Sports,” Amanda Ripley argues thatschool-sponsored sports programs should be seriously cut. She writes that, unlike most countries that outperform the United States on international assessments, American schools put too much of an emphasis on athl etics, “ Sports are embedded in American schools in a way they are not almost anywhere else,” she writes, “Yet this difference hardly ever comes up in domestic debates about America’s international mediocrity(平庸)in education.”B)American student-athletes reap many benefits from participating in sports, but the costs to the schools could outweigh their benefits, she argues, In particular, Ripley contends that sports crowd out the academic missions of schools: America should learn from South Korea and Finland and every other country at the top level of international test scores, all of whom emphasize athletics far less in school. ”Even in eighth grade, American kids spend more than twice the time Korean kids spend playing sports,” she writes, citing a 2010 s tudy published in the Journal of Advanced Academics.C)It might well be true that sports are far more rooted in American high schools than in other countries. But our reading of international test scores finds no support for the argument against school athletics. Indeed, our own research and that of others lead us to make the opposite case. School-sponsored sports appear to provide benefits that seem to increase, not detract(减少)from, academic success.D)Ripley indulges a popular obsession(痴迷)with international test score comparisons, which show wide and frightening gaps between the United States and other countries. She ignores, however, the fact that states vary at least as much in test scores as do developed countries. A 2011 report from Harvard University shows that Massachusetts produces math scores comparable to South Korea and Finland, while Mississippi scores are closer to Trinidad and Tobago. Ripley’s thesis about sports falls ap art in light of this fact. Schools in Massachusetts provide sports programs while schools in Finland do not. Schools in Mississippi may love football while in Tobago interscholastic sports are nowhere near as prominent. Sports cannot explain these similarities in performance. They can’t explain international differences eit her.E)If it is true that sports undermine the academic mission of American schools, we would expect to see a negative relationship between the commitment to athletics and academic achievement. However, the University of Arkansas’s Daniel Bowen and Jay G reene actually find the opposite. They examine this relationship by analyzing schools’ sports winning percentages as well as student-athletic participation rates compared to graduation rates and standardized test score achievement over a five-year period for all public high schools in Ohio. Controlling for student poverty levels, demographics(人口统计状况), and district financial resources, both measures of a school’s commitment to athletics are significantly and positively relate d to lower dropout rates as well as higher test scores.F)On-the-field success and high participation in sports is not random-it requires focus and dedication to athletics. One might think this would lead schools obsessed with winning to deemphasize academics. Bowen and Greene’s results contradictthat argument. A likely explanation for this seemingly counterintuitive(与直觉相反的)result is that success in sports programs actually facilitates or reflects greater social capital within a school’s community.G)Ripley cites the writings of renowned sociologist James Coleman, whose research in education was groundbreaking. Coleman in his early work held athletics in contempt, arguing that they crowded out schools’ academic missions. Ripley quotes his 1961 study, The Adolescent Society, where Colem an writes, “Altogether, the trophy(奖品)case would suggest to the innocent visitor that he was entering an athletic club, not an educational institution.”H)However, in later research Coleman would show how the success of schools is highly dependent on what he termed social capital, “the social networks, and the relationships between adults and children that are of value for the child’s gro wing up.”I)According to a 2013 evaluation conducted by the Crime Lab at the University of Chicago, a program called Becoming a Man-Sports Edition creates lasting improvements in the boys’ study habits and grade point averages. During the first year of the program, students were founds to be less likely to transfer schools or be engaged in violent crime. A year after the program, participants were less likely to have had an encounter with the juvenile justice system.J)If school-sponsored sports were completely eliminated tomorrow, many American students would still have opportunities to participate in organized athletics elsewhere, much like they do in countries such as Finland, Germany, and South Korea. The same is not certain when it comes to students from more disadvantaged backgrounds. In an overview of the research onnon-school based after-school programs, researchers find that disadvantaged children participate in these programs at significantly lower rates. They find that low-income students have less access due to challenges with regard to transportation, non-nominal fees, and off-campus safety. Therefore, reducing or eliminating these opportunities would most likely deprive disadvantaged students of the benefits from athletic participation, not least of which is the opportunity to interact with positive role models outside of regular school hours.K)Another unfounded criticism that Ripley makes is bringing up the stereotype that athletic XX are typically lousy(蹩脚的)classroom teachers. “American principals, unlike the XX XX of principals around the world, make many hiring decisions with their sports teams in mind, which does not always end well for students,” she writes. Educators who seek employment at schools primarily for the purpose of coaching are likely to shirk(推卸)teaching responsibilities, the argument goes. Moreover, even in the cases where the employee is a teacher first and athletic coach second, the additional responsibilities that come with coaching likely comes at the expense of time otherwise spent on planning, grading, and communicating with parents and guardians.L)The data, however, do not seem to confirm this stereotype. In the most rigorous study on the classroom results of high school coaches, the University of Arkansas’s Anna Egalite finds that athletic coaches in Florida mostly tend to perform just as well as their non-coaching counterparts, with respect to raising student test scores. We do not doubt that teachers who also coach face serious tradeoffs that likely come at the expense of time they could dedicate to their academic obligations. However, aswith sporting events, athletic coaches gain additional opportunities for communicating and serving as mentors(导师)that potentially help students succeed and make up for the costs of coaching commitments.M)If schools allow student-athletes to regularly miss out on instructional time for the sake of traveling to athletic competitions, that’s bad. However, such issues would be better addressed by changing school and state policies with regard to the scheduling of sporting events as opposed to total elimination. If the empirical evidence points to anything, it points towards school sponsored sports providing assets that are well worth the costs.N)Despite negative stereotypes about sports culture and Ripley’s presumption that academics and athletics are at odds with one another, we believe that the greater body of evidence shows that school-sponsored sports programs appear to benefit students. Successes on the playing field can carry over to the classroom and vice versa(反之亦然). More importantly, finding ways to increase school communities’ social c apital is imperative to the success of the school as whole, not just the athletes.46.Stunets from low-income families have less access to off-campus sports programs.47.Amanda Ripley argues that America should learn from other countries that rank high in international tests and lay less emphasis on athletics.48.According to the author,Amanda Ripley fails to note that students' performance in exams varies from state to state.49.Amanda Ripley thinks that athletic coaches are poor at classroom instruction.50.James Coleman's later research make an argument for a school's social capital.51.Researchers find that there is a positive relationship between a school's commitment to athletics and academic achievements.52.A rigorous study finds that athletic coaches also do well in raising students' test scores.53.According to an evaluation,programs contribute to students' academic performance and character building.54.Amanda Ripley believes the emphasis on school sports should be brought up when trying to understand why American students are mediocre.55.James Coleman suggests in his earlier writings that school athletics would undermine a school's imageSection CDirections: There are 2 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 and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage oneIt is easy to miss amid the day-to-day headlines of global economic recession, but there is a less conspicuous kind of social upheaval(剧变)underway that is fast altering both the face of the planet and the way human beings live. That change is the rapid acceleration of urbanization. In 2008, for the first time in human history, more than half the world’s population was living in towns and cities. And as a recently published paper shows, the process of urbanization will only accelerate in the decades to come—with an enormous impact on biodiversity and potentially on climate change.As Karen Seto, the led author of the paper, points out, the wave of urbanization isn’t just about the migration of people int o urban environments, but about the environments themselves becoming bigger to accommodate all those people. The rapidexpansion of urban areas will have a huge impact on biodiversity hotspots and on carbon emissions in those urban areas.Humans are the ultimate invasive species—when the move into new territory, the often displace the wildlife that was already living there. And as land is cleared for those new cities—especially in the dense tropical forests—carbon will be released into the atmosphere as well. It’s true that as people in developing nations move from the countryside to the city, the shift may reduce the pressure on land, which could in turn be good for the environment. This is especially so in desperately poor countries, where residents in the countryside slash and burn forests each growing season to clear space for farming. But the real difference is that in developing nations, the move from rural areas to cities often leads to an accompanying increase in income — and that increase leads to an increase in the consumption of food and energy, which in turn causes a rise in carbon emissions. Getting enough to eat and enjoying the safety and comfort of living fully on the grid is certainly a good thing — but it does carry an environmental price.The urbanization wave can’t be stopped —and it shouldn’t be. But Seto’s p aper does underscore the importance of managing that transition. If we do it the right way, we can reduce urbanization’s impact on the environment. “There’s an enormous opportunity here, and a lot of pressure and responsibility to think about how we urbani ze,” says Seto. “One thing that’s clear is that we can’t build cities the way we have over the last couple of hundred years. The scale of this transition won’t allow that.” We’re headed towards an urban planet no matter what, but whether it becomes heaven or hell is up to us.56. What issue does the author try to draw people’s attention to?A. The shrinking biodiversity worldwide.B. The rapid increase of world population.C. The ongoing global economic recession.D. The impact of accelerating urbanization.57. In what sense are humans the ultimate invasive species?A. They are much greedier than other species.B. They are a unique species born to conquer.C. They force other species out of their territories.D. They have an urge to expand their livingspace.58. In what way is urbanization in poor countries good for the environment?A. More land will be preserved for wildlife.B. The pressure on farmland will be lessened.C. Carbon emissions will be considerably reduced.D. Natural resources will be used moreeffectively.59. What does the author say about living comfortably in the city?A. It incurs a high environmental price.B. It brings poverty and insecurity to an end.C. It causes a big change in people’s lifestyle.D. It narrows the gap betwee n city and country.60. What can be done to minimize the negative impact of urbanization according to Seto?A. Slowing down the speed of transition.B. Innovative use of advanced technology.C. Appropriate management of the process.D. Enhancing people’s sense of responsibility.Passage TwoWhen Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg launched the in Feb. 2004, even he could not imagine the forces it would let loose. His intent was to connect college students. Facebook, which is what this website rapidly evolved into, ended up connecting the world.To the children of this connected era, the world is one giant social network. They are not bound — as were previous generations of humans — by what they were taught. They are only limited by their curiosity and ambition. During my childhood,all knowledge was local. You learned everything you knew from your parents, teachers, preachers, and friends.With the high-quality and timely information at their fingertips, today’s children are rising norm ally tame middle class is speaking up against social ills. Silicon Valley executives are being shamed into adding women to their boards. Political leaders are marshalling the energy of millions for elections and political causes. All of this is being done with social media technologies that Facebook and its competitors set free.As does every advancing technology, social media has created many new problems. It is commonly addictive and creates risks for younger users. Social media is used by extremists in the Middle East and elsewhere to seek and brainwash recruits. And it exposes us and our friends to disagreeable spying. We may leave our lights on in the house when we are on vacation, but through social media we tell criminals exactly where we are, when we plan to return home, and how to blackmail(敲诈)us.Governments don’t need informers any more. Social media allows government agencies to spy on their own citizens. We record our thoughts, emotions, likes and dislikes on Facebook; we share our political views, social preferences, and plans. We post intimate photographs of ourselves. No spy agency or criminal organization could actively gather the type of data that we voluntarily post for them.The marketers are also seeing big opportunities. Amazon is trying to predict what we will order. Google is trying to judge our needs and wants based on our social-media profiles. We need to be aware of the risks and keep working to alleviate the dangers.Regardless of what social media people use, one thing is certain: we are in a period of accelerating change. The next decade will be even more amazing and unpredictable than the last. Just as no one could predict what would happen with social media in the last decade, no one can accurately predict where this technology will take us. I am optimistic, however, that a connected humanity will find a way to uplift itself.61. What was the purpose of Facebook when it was first created?A. To help students connect with the outside world.B. To bring university students into closercontact.C. To help students learn to live in a connected era.D. To combine the world into an integralwhole.62. What difference does social media make to learning?A. Local knowledge and global knowledge will merge.B. Student will become more curious andambitious.C. People are able to learn wherever they travel.D. Sources of information are greatly expanded.63. What is the author’s greatest concern with social media technology?A. Individuals and organizations may use it for evil purposes.B. Government will find it hard toprotect classified information.C. People may disclose their friends’ information unintentionally.D. People’s attention will beeasily distracted from their work in hand.64. What do businesses use social media for?A. Creating a good corporate image.B. Conducting large-scale market surveys.C. Antic ipating the needs of customers.D. Minimizing possible risks and dangers.65. What does the author think of social media as a whole?A. It will enable human society to advance at a faster pace.B. It will pose a grave threat to ourtraditional ways of life.C. It is bound to bring about another information revolution.D. It breaks down the final barriers inhuman communication.Part IV TranslationDirections: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.翻译题一：自从1978年启动改革以来，中国已从计划经济转为以市场为基础的经济，经历了经济和社会的快速发展。

大学英语六级改革适用（阅读）-试卷213(总分：60.00，做题时间：90分钟)一、 Reading Comprehension(总题数：8，分数：60.00)1.Part III Reading Comprehension__________________________________________________________________________________________ 解析：2.Section A__________________________________________________________________________________________ 解析：Drought, tsunami, violent crime, financial meltdown—the world is full of risks. The poor are often most 1to their effects. Instead of 2responding to crises, aid workers and policymakers should anticipate and help to guard against such rare and 3disastrous events. After the world suffered major crises in 2008, the concept of risk management has gained 4in international development. The links between risk, livelihoods and poverty are all too clear. Mounting evidence shows that 5shocks—above all, health and weather shocks and economic crises—play a major role in pushing households below the poverty line and keeping them there. But forward-thinking interventions can help 6the costs of future shocks. Bangladesh offers a good example. In 1970, a large typhoon caused 300,000 deaths in Bangladesh. In 2007, a typhoon of the same 7and strength caused only 4,000 deaths. The reason for the change was that the country had built a number of shelters. It went from having only 12 shelters in 1970 to having 2,500 in 2007. It also had a system of warning the population and a system of 8these events. But risk management isn't just about lessening the effects of crises; it can also help people get ahead. Farmers in Ghana and India who had access to rainfall insurance were more likely to 9in fertilizer, seeds, and other farming inputs, the report said, instead of sitting on their money to guard against potential future shocks. Several recent studies have predicted that extreme events will become more common. If we fail to anticipate and plan for those events, then we could 10giving up many of the development gains made over the past few decades.A)forecasting B)prominence C)optimum D)vulnerable E)guidelines F)motivate G)simply H)riskI)adverse J)invest K)offset L)paralyzing M)potentially N)primarily O)characteristics（分数：20.00）填空项1:__________________ （正确答案：D）填空项1:__________________ （正确答案：G）填空项1:__________________ （正确答案：M）填空项1:__________________ （正确答案：B）填空项1:__________________ （正确答案：I）填空项1:__________________ （正确答案：K）填空项1:__________________ （正确答案：O）填空项1:__________________ （正确答案：A）填空项1:__________________ （正确答案：J）填空项1:__________________ （正确答案：H）解析：解析：could提示空格应为动词原形。

Test for Unit 3Part I Listening Comprehension (30%)Section ADirections:In this section, you will hear two long conversations. After each question you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A, B, C and D.Long Conversation 11.What does Tim think of his new job?A. It's going terribly.B. It's going pretty well.C. It's too challenging.D. It's quite boring.2.Which of the following options does not describe his new boss?A. He is unmotivated.B. He is firm and persistentC. He is energetic.D. He understands how to foster a competitive drive among the team members.3.Why does Tim prefer his new boss over his former boss?A. His former boss was always listening to her team members.B. His new boss is more lenient and easy-going.C. His new boss recognizes the skills of team members.D. His new boss is always absent.4.How does Tim feel about his new co-workers?A. They are all difficult to work with.B. They are all quite easy-going.C. They are constantly competing with each other.D. They ignore Tim's presence.5.What does Tim appreciate about working with people from different departments?A. It helps him avoid conflicts.B. It allows him to work independently.C. It helps him appreciate different opinions, especially during conflicts of ideas.D. It makes his work easier and less challenging.Long Conversation 26.What kind of person does the woman want for a flatmate?A. Very considerate and caring.B. Somewhat reserved and quiet.C. Pretty easy-going and straightforward.D. Sociable but also aware of personal space.7. What answer does the woman want to hear when she asks a potential flatmate if they are a tidy person?A. “I’m not very concerned about cleanliness.”B. “Sometimes I clean, and sometimes I don't.”C. “Oh yes, extremely!”D. “I prefer a messy environment.”8. What do we know about the woman's attitude to cleanliness?A .She cares a lot about being neat and tidy.B. She doesn't care whether her flatmate is tidy or not.C. She hopes her flatmate will offer to clean up their room.D. She thinks she should share the cleaning with her flatmate.9. Why does the woman think money is a problem when looking for a flatmate?A. She cannot afford to live alone.B. Her previous flatmate often delayed payments.C. She needs the rent to be paid as soon as possible.D. She thinks reaching a deal regarding rent is difficult.10. What will the woman do to make sure her flatmate can afford the rent?A .Ask them about their work.B. Ask them how much they earn.C. Ask them to pay the rent each month on time.D. Ask them whether they can pay three months' rent in advance.Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear two passages. After each question you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A, B, C and D.Passage 111. According to the speaker, a/an _________ team would win in a playoff.A. dependentB. pickupC. formal and well-practicedD. pickup and well-practiced12. The speaker studies team because _________.A. many of us have to work todayB. many of us have fast-paced operationsC. many of us shifted crazilyD. many of us have to work with different people13. According to the speaker, to have a stable team is _________ in our daily lives.A. increasingB. not easyC. optionalD. not impossible14. The hospital is a place where _________.A. she has done a research about medicineB. it opens 24 hours for 7 days each monthC. the patients are all differentD. doctors work in complicated ways15. If caregivers cooperate with each other, the result will be that _________.A. they offer patients great careB. they work with 60 or so different peopleC. they have their different study backgroundsD. they live a tragic lifePassage 216.How can we build trust and understanding with our neighbors?A. By visiting them frequently.B. By getting to know each other.C. By organizing parties together.D. By taking family vacations together.17.What should we do if we are likely to cause problems for our neighbors?A. Address problems appropriately when they occur.B. Apologize to our neighbors when problems occur.C. Take action beforehand to avoid potential problems.D Immediately cease activities that may cause problems.18.How should we react if our neighbors are bothering us?A.We should involve the police for help.B.We should wait patiently for their explanations.C. We should express our concerns and discuss solutions together.D. We should involve more family members to address the problem.19.What is the ultimate goal when resolving disputes with neighbors?A. To win the argument.B. To avoid any future communication.C. To live in harmony with them.D. To punish the neighbor causing problems.20.What is the main topic of the passage?A. The importance of family vacations.B. How to handle disputes with neighbors.C. The benefits of borrowing sugar.D. Why property damage occurs. Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear two news reports. After each question you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A, B, C and D.News 121.Why did the six residents have to find another place to stay?A. Due to a fire alarm in their apartments.B. Because of the smoke and heat damage.C. Due to the water used to extinguish the flames.D. Because of the collapse of the three-story building.22. What does the news report say the NorwalkFire Marshal is doing?A. Investigating the cause of the incident.B. Helping search for the suspect of the crime.C. Rescuing the businessmen trapped in the building.D. Checking town records for the property developer.News 223.What do the researchers’ tests show about the cloned dog?A. It has helped solve several murder cases.B. It has become a star police dog in Beijing.C. It has surpassed its mother in performance.D. It has done better than naturally born dogs.24. What is the scientists’ purpose in cloning police dogs?A. To speed up investigation into criminal cases.B. To test the feasibility of cloning technology.C. To cut down training expenses.D. To reduce their training time.25. Why does the news report say the scientists’ goal is not yet possible?A. Cloning is too complicated a process.B. The technology is yet to be accepted.C. Cloning is ethically controversial.D. The technology is too expensive.Part II Banked Cloze (10* 1=10%)Section ADirections: Fill in each of the blanks in the following sentences with a word or phrase from the box.1. All the reports from the scene of crime______ by the police.2. The government has done a lot to ________ interest rate at a high level and this has been proved to be right.3. Mike is considered as a very aggressive and competitive ________by the staff.4. The ________ of this project was the recovery of the polluted area within three months.5. It’s a great film and it ________ an American actor who is going to be a world star soon.Section BDirections: Fill in the blanks by selecting suitable words from the word bank. You may not use any of the words more than once.The benefits of travel go beyond making memories and meeting new people. Staying away from the 6__________ things of daily life and exploring a new place can have a remarkably positive impact on your emotional well-being and your 7__________ powers.Travel can improve your emotional well-being in two aspects. First, changing your daily routine, for example, taking a trip to a nearby town on a weekend day, can help 8__________ your mind and deal with the daily 9__________ . Second, physical exercise is known to improve emotional well-being and travel offers plenty of opportunities to get active. Getting to know a new destination by 10_______ the great outdoors can boost energy levels and improve your mood.Part III. Reading Comprehension (25%)Directions: Read the following passages and choose the corresponding answer.Passage 1Some people have said aging is more a slide into forgetfulness than a journey towards wisdom. However, a growing body of research suggests that late-in-life learning is possible. In reality, education does an aging brain good.Throughout life, people's brains constantly renovate themselves. In the late 1960s, British brain scientist Geoffrey Raisman spied growth in damaged brain regions of rats through an electron microscope; their brains were forging new connections. This meant brains may change every time aperson learns something new.Of course, that doesn't mean the brain isn't affected by the effects of time. Just as height usually declines over the years, so does brain volume: Humans lose about 4 percent every decade starting in their 40s. But that reduction doesn't necessarily make people think slower; as long as we are alive and functioning, we can alter our brains with new information and experiences.In fact, scientists now suspect accumulating novel experiences, facts, and skills can keep people's minds more flexible. New pathways can strengthen our ever-changing mental structure, even as the brain shrinks.Conventional fixes like word puzzles and brain-training apps can contribute to mental durability. Even something as simple as taking a different route to the grocery store or going somewhere new on vacation can keep the brain healthy.A desire for new life challenges can further boost brainpower. Research about aging adults who take on new enterprises shows improved function and memory as well as a reduced risk of mental disease. Openness-a characteristic defined by curiosity and a desire for knowledge-may also help folks pass brain tests. Some folks are born with this take-in-the-world attitude, but those who aren't as genetically gifted aren't necessarily out of luck. While genes can encourage an interest in doing new things, a 2012 study in the journal Psychology and Aging found completing reasoning tasks like puzzles and number games can enhance that desire for novel experiences, which can, in turn, refresh the brain. That's why brain scientist Richard Kennedy says “It's not that old dogs can't learn new tricks. It's that maybe old dogs don't realize why they should.”1. What do some people think of aging adults?A. Their wisdom grows as time goes by.B. Their memory gradually deteriorates.C. They can benefit from late-in-life learning.D. They are likely to have mental health issues.2. What can we conclude from Geoffrey Raisman's finding?A. Brain damage seriously hinders one's learning.B. Brain power weakens slower than we imagine.C. Brains can refresh and improve with learning.D. Brains forge connections under new conditions.3. What is one thing that helps maintain the health of our brain even as it shrinks?A. Doing daily routines by conventional means.B. Avoiding worrying about our mental durability.C. Imitating old dogs' way of learning new tricks.D. Approaching everyday tasks in novel ways.4. What does the author say can contribute to the improvement of brain function?A. Being curious and desiring knowledge.B. Being eager to pass brain tests at an old age.C. Rising to life's challenges and avoiding risks.D. Boosting immunity to serious mental diseases.5. What is the finding of the 2012 study in the journal Psychology and Aging?A. Wishing to solve puzzles enhances one's reasoning power.B. Playing number games unexpectedly stimulates one's memory.C. Desiring new experiences can help to renovate the brain.D. Learning new tricks should not be confined to old dogs only.Passage 2Virtual reality technology has recently taken the world by storm, with VR headsets becoming a widely welcomed consumer product. While home adoption has largely been driven by the gaming industry, those within other fields, including the travel industry, are increasingly realizing and exploring the technology's potential, especially as a marketing tool.Businesses operating within the travel industry have been especially quick to adopt virtual reality technology and for good reason. Typically, their customers are looking to purchase experiences, rather than products, and virtual reality offers an effective way for marketers to give them a taste of what they can expect.Travel customers usually require lots of information before they book a hotel room. For instance, they need to read descriptions, view images, watch videos, look at customer reviews, or seek opinions on social media. However, this process can be shortened significantly through the intelligent use of virtual reality. One of the best examples of virtual reality in action within the travel industry is using it to provide virtual tours of hotels and hotel rooms. The key benefit is that it allows potential customers to experience what the hotel looks like before they arrive, offering more transparency than words and images.Virtual reality is also offering hotels, travel agents, and other businesses within the tourism industry the opportunity to provide prospective customers with a virtual travel experience. This means that users will be able to sample some of the main attractions that are likely to draw them to a location in the first place. For instance, a hotel in Paris may provide a virtual experience of what it is like at the top of the Eiffel Tower. Similarly, a hotel near a theme park may be able to provide a virtual roller-coaster experience. The primary benefit of this is to sell rooms, flights, and travel products more effectively by focusing on the experiences they can provide.Some companies have taken a step further, using VR to enhance the entire booking process. This innovation allows travelers to visit a destination, search for flights, walk through a plane to select their seats, check out different hotels, and pay for their entire trip –all within a VR environment. These advancements in VR technology offer a more immersive and interactive experience compared to traditional methods.While many exciting developments are happening in virtual reality and the travel and tourism industry, it's essential to approach this technology with a critical eye and use it responsibly. By doing so, we can create a world in which travel is more accessible, more sustainable, and more enriching for all.6. How has virtual reality technology impacted the travel industry?A. It has made travel experiences more expensive.B. It has completely replaced traditional hotel booking methods.C. It has provided a new marketing tool for businesses.D. It has made travel more sustainable.7. Why have businesses in the travel industry been quick to adopt virtual reality technology?A. Because of the desire to reduce travel spending.B. Because of the customers' preference for experiences over products.C. Because of the pressure from the gaming industry.D. Because of the need for more transparency in the booking process.8. What is the primary benefit of offering a virtual travel experience?A. Reduction in the need for customer reviews.B. Replacement of the traditional computer mouse.C. Enhanced ability to sell rooms and travel products.D. Increased reliance on descriptions and videos.9. How does VR technology affect the travel booking experience according to the passage?A. It allows travelers to physically visit destinations before booking.B. It makes the booking process less imaginative and more tiresome.C. It offers a more immersive and interactive booking experience.D. It simplifies payment methods and offers suggestions for activities.10. According to the author, what is essential when approaching virtual reality in the travel industry?A. A critical eye and responsible use.B. Increasing reliance on social media.C. Quick adoption by various industries.D. Integration with traditional booking methods.Part IV. Translation(20%)Directions: Translate the following paragraphs into English.1. 丽江古城坐落在玉龙雪山（Yulong Snow Mountain）脚下，是一座风景秀丽的历史文化名城，也是我国保存完好的少数民族（ethnic minority groups）古城之一。