英语四级阅读理解模拟试题及答案

专业英语四级（阅读）模拟试卷26(题后含答案及解析) 题型有： 5. READING COMPREHENSIONPART V READING COMPREHENSION (25 MIN)Directions: In this section there are four passages followed by questions or unfinished statements, each with four suggested answers marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that you think is the best answer.Every person plans to run off to some tropical isle, but few do. Real life, family, work, and monetary limitations get in the way. Ian Fleming let none of these considerations stop him. After the war, Fleming set down his schedule. The first week of January saw him leave England and travel to Jamaica. The first week of March saw his return. He accepted his job at Kemsley Newspapers without compromise—this portion of the year would be set aside for Jamaica or he would look elsewhere for employment. For 6 years Fleming traveled each winter to Jamaica, lounging in paradise, romancing women, chasing the sunset, but it was not until he faced the pressure of a married woman who was pregnant with his child did Fleming start the writer’s journey which would change his life and popular culture forever. As Fleming waited in Jamaica for Anne’s divorce to become final, he wrote the first draft of a novel, Casino Royale. Fleming’s career as a writer deserves more examination than can be offered here, but suffice it to say, over the next 12 years, Ian Fleming transformed his elite existence, his arrogance, his style, and his acid wit into some of the greatest thrillers ever written. Fleming incurred the respect of authors as diverse as Raymond Chandler, Kingsley Amis, and Edith Sitwell. His fans included John, Jackie, and Bobby Kennedy, and his social circle included Prime Minister Anthony Eden, Evelyn Waugh, and Somerset Maugham. Fleming filled out the 12 years of Bond with great adventure journalism. Even in stories which had little action or pay off, such as his short non-fiction book, The Diamond Smugglers, the “Fleming-flair”ensured exciting reading. He wrote the “Atticus”column for The Sunday Times, proving a wonderful conduit for inside intelligence information, and clever rebukes. Regardless of book sales or family obligations, Fleming managed to live the life he wanted. As the years passed, his passion for golfing increased so he took more time with it. Fleming’s long-term fascination with America grew, so he traveled there more often. Ian Fleming’s full life caught up with him through his heart. It may be that years of drinking and smoking took their toll, or that the butter-rich cooking Fleming loved was the culprit. Or maybe it was just genetics. Whatever the cause, Fleming’s health declined in the late 1950s. This plus anxieties in the marriage increased Fleming’s depression. With the success of Bond, the world came knocking at Fleming’s door, and he had a harder time shutting those out that he did not want in his life. Nonetheless, Fleming fought the loosing battle of his weakening heart by throwing more fuel on the fire. He continued to drink and smoke,making some excuses but not many. He wrote books he wanted to read, and traveled the world with style and authority. By this time, Fleming had already earned his own fortune, created his own identity, and ruled his own literary empire.1．According to the second paragraph, Fleming accepted the job offered by Kemsley NewspapersA．and had to give up his yearly holiday plan to Jamaica.B．because he was offered to work in Jamaica every winter.C．so that he wouldn’t have to look for employment elsewhere.D．on condition that he took two months off to Jamaica every year.正确答案：D解析：第2段最后一句破折号后的内容是Fleming接受Kemsley Newspapers 的工作的条件，破折号后的内容就是这个条件，D中的on condition that也表示基于某种条件去做一件事，D是对破折号后的内容的近义改写，因此为本题答案。

四级考试英语阅读模拟题及答案四级考试英语阅读模拟题(一)Newspapers often tell us of floods in some parts of the United States.Nearly every year on the great central drainages heavy rains and melting snow cause the waters to pour out the mountains and plains, to turn brooks into torrents, and to swell quiet streams into wild uncontrolled rivers. From Cairo to New Orleans, and from Pittsburgh to Paducah, the cry "River rising!" is a familiar yet fearful voice. . . When the rivers sometimes become too high or too swift to be controlled communities are flooded, families flee from their homes, croplands are washed out, and transportation comes to a halt. Hunger, disease, and death follow the wild waters.Although given less publicity, the agricultural damage done by the many smaller, more frequent floods usually far e某ceeds the losses caused by the very grand ones. In the Central States, ditches and drains cause the flows from spring rains and melting snow to run far more rapidly than in the days before white men settled on the land. Once, e某cess spring flood waters emptied into lakes and swampy lands, there to be detained for slow release into stream and rivers. Now, systematic drainage has actually eliminated these natural reservoirs.In the more rolling sections of the East, spring runoff was formerly absorbed and held temporarily in the porous soils beneath the unbroken e某panse of forest. When large areas were converted to farm use, removal of the forest and the practice of up-and-down hill plowing deprived the soils of much of their ability to catch and store water.The effects of eliminating the natural forest cover are shown in the gullied farm lands and widened stream channels found in some densely settled areas. Partly because the stream channels are more or less filled with material washed down from the uplands, and partly because storm runoff has increased, the channels are today no longer able to carry all the flow from heavy rains. This e某plains why the streams overtop banks far more often than in the days before settlement.26. The best title for the selection would be______.A. River Rising! River Rising!B. Forests and FloodsC. Flooding in the U. S.D. The Results of Flooding27. All of the following cause floods E某CEPT______.A. heavy rainB. melting snowC. increasing storm runoffD. porous soil28. The author states that______.A. lakes and swamps once acted like natural reservoirsB. up-and-down hill plowing catches and stores waterC. stream channels are the best carriers of waterD. floods are easily prevented and controlled29. According to the selection, streams overtop their bankspartly because______.A. material from higher land is washed into themB. ditches and drains lead into themC. rivers become too swiftD. snow melts more rapidly nowadays30. The floods which are given most publicity______.A. cause no damageB. cause the most damageC. cause less agricultural damage than the many smaller, more frequent floodsD. far e某ceed the smaller, more frequent floods in agricultural loss四级考试英语阅读模拟题答案26. C 27. D 28. A 29. A 30. C四级考试英语阅读模拟题(二)When companies consider their benefits mi某.coverage for medical care is often top.of-mind.Yet there may be another,even more powerful concern driving employee coverage preferences：vision care.Roughly 75%of adults in the United States require some type of vision correction.and 84 percent of adults believe that vision benefits are somewhat or very important to them.As a result.vision assistance is moving higher and higher on the list of sought.after employee benefits.What’s driving the trend?One factor is the increasing power of eye e某aminations to detect systemic illness.In addition to identifying nearsightedness，farsightedness and astigmatism，routine eye e某anls now play a role in diagnosing conditions such as diabetes，brain aneurysms(脑动脉瘤)，liver disease and stroke risk. Early identification，in turn，translates into markedly lower e某penditures for employers.In 2022，eye problems will cost companies an estimated$8 billion in reduced productivity.Making sure employees get the right eye care helps employers reduce these losses.At the same time，it boosts their ability to retain loyal workers.So what’s the best way to get patients into the e某am chair?One way is to provide a vision plan that lowers out-of-pocket(自已付费的)e某penses.Indeed，research shows that out-of-pocket e某pense--not premiums--is the number-one factor employees consider when choosing a-vision plan.“And that’s just smart.〞says independent insurance broker Shannon Enders. “Premiums make up only about 30 percent of total out.of-pocket e某penses.So it pays to100k beyond the premium and see the real cost of a plan.〞A study conducted by Service E某cellence Group Inc.，a leading market research company,shows how the right vision insurance plan can result in across—the-board(全面的)savings for employees.The study compared the prices customers with different insurance plans paid for the same popular pair of eyeglasses at independent doctors and retail chains.It found that customers with insurance plans that were most successful at keeping out-of-pocket e某penses low saved hundreds of dollars.With eyeglasses becoming as much of a fashion accessory(装饰品)as a vision aid，forward-thinking companies are beginning to takenote.Enders says more of his clients are saying yes to vision care plans.“Employees care about their eyes，〞he says.“And offering benefits packages with the features employees care most about will become an even more important corporate strategy going forward.〞61.What is the meaning of the last sentence of paragraph one?A.Vision assistance is listed on the list of popular worker interests.B.Vision assistance is becoming more and more popular among employees。

PART V READING COMPREHENSION [25 MIN]In this section there are four passages followed by questions or unfinished statements, each with four suggested answers marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that you think is the best answer.TEXT AThe case for college has been accepted without question for more than a generation. All high school graduates ought to go, says conventional wisdom and statistical evidence, because college will help them earn more money, become "better" people, and learn to be more responsible citizens than those who don't go.But college has never been able to work its magic for everyone. And now that close to half our high school graduates are attending, those who don't fit the pattern are becoming more numerous, and more obvious. College graduates are selling shoes and driving taxis; college students interfere with each other's experiments and write false letters of recommendation in the intense competition for admission to graduate school. Other find no stimulation in their studies, and drop out—often encouraged by college administrators.Some observers say the fault is with the young people themselves—they are spoiled and they are expecting too much. But that is a condemnation of the students as a whole, and doesn't explain all campus unhappiness. Others blame the state of the world, and they are partly right. We have been told that young people have to go to college because our economy can't absorb an army of untrained eighteen-year-olds. But disappointed graduates are learning that it can no longer absorb an army of trained twenty-two-year-olds, either.Some adventuresome educators and watchers have openly begun to suggest that college may not be the best, the proper, the only place for every young person after the completion of high school. We may have been looking at all those surveys and statistics upside down, it seems, and through the rosy glow of our own remembered college experiences. Perhaps college doesn't make people intelligent, ambitious, happy, liberal, or quick to learn things—may it is just the other way around, and intelligent, ambitious, happy, liberal, quick-learning people are merely the ones who have been attracted to college in the first place. And perhaps all those successful college graduates would have been successful whether they had gone to college or not. This is heresy to those of us who have been brought up to believe that if a little schooling is good, more has to be much better. But contrary evidence is beginning to mount up.1.According to the author, ___.A.people used to question the value of college education.B.people used to have full confidence in higher education.C.all high school graduates went to college.D.very few high school graduates chose to go to college.2.In the 2nd paragraph, "those who don't fit the pattern" refer to___.A.high school graduates who aren't suitable for college education.B.college graduates who are selling shoes and driving taxis.C.college students who aren't any better for their higher education.D.high school graduates who failed to be admitted to college.3.The dropout rate of college students seems to go up because___.A.young people are disappointed with the conventional way of teaching at college.B.many people are required to join the army.C.young people have little motivation in pursuing a higher education.D.young people don't like the intense competition for admission to graduate school.4.According to the passage, the problems of college education partly originate in the fact that___.A.society cannot provide enough jobs for properly trained graduates.B.High school graduates do not fit the pattern of college education.C.Too many students have to earn their own living.D.College administrators encourage students to drop out.5.In this passage the author argues that___.A.more and more evidence shows college education may not be the best thing for high school graduates.B.College education is not enough if one wants to be successful.C.College education benefits only the intelligent, ambitious, and quick-learning people.D.Intelligent people may learn quicker if they don't go to college.TEXT BWhat we know of prenatal development makes all this attempt made by a mother to mold the character of her unborn child by studying poetry, art, or mathematics during pregnancy seem utterly impossible. How could such extremely complex influences pass from the mother to the child? There is no connection between their nervous systems. Even the blood vessels of mother and child do not join directly. An emotional shock to the mother will affect her child, because it changes the activity of her glands and so the chemistry her blood. Any chemical change in the mother's blood will affect the child for better or worse. But we can not see how a looking for mathematics or poetic genius can be dissolved in blood and produce a similar liking or genius in the child.In our discussion of instincts we saw that there was reason to believe that whatever we inherit must be of some very simple sort rather than any complicated or very definite kind of behavior. It is certain that no one inherits a knowledge of mathematics. It may be, however, that children inherit more or less of a rather general ability that we may call intelligence. If very intelligent children become deeply interested in mathematics, they will probably make a success of that study.As for musical ability, it may be that what is inherited is an especially sensitive ear, a peculiar structure of the hands or the vocal organs connections between nerves and muscles that make it comparatively easy to learn the movements a musician must execute, and particularly vigorous emotions. If these factors are all organized around music, the child may become a musician. The same factors, in other circumstance might be organized about some other center of interest. The rich emotional equipment might find expression in poetry. The capable fingers might develop skill in surgery. It is not the knowledge of music that is inherited, then nor even the love of it, but a certain bodily structure that makes it comparatively easy to acquire musical knowledge and skill. Whether that ability shall be directed toward music or some other undertaking may be decided entirely by forces in the environment in which a child grows up.6.Which of the following statements is not true?A. Some mothers try to influence their unborn children by studying art and other subjects during theirpregnancy.B. It is utterly impossible for us to learn anything about prenatal development.C. The blood vessels of mother and child do not join directly.D. There are no connection between mother's nervous systems and her unborn child's.7. A mother will affect her unborn baby on the condition that ____.A. she is emotionally shockedB. she has a good knowledge of inheritanceC. she takes part in all kind of activitiesD. she sticks to studying8.According to the passage, a child may inherit____.A. everything from his motherB. a knowledge of mathematicsC. a rather general ability that we call intelligenceD. her mother's musical ability9.If a child inherits something from his mother, such as an especially sensitive ear, a peculiar structure of thehands or of the vocal organs, he will ____.A. surely become musicianB. mostly become a poetC. possibly become a teacherD. become a musician on the condition that all these factors are organized around music10.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?A. Role of Inheritance.B. An Unborn Child.C. Function of instincts.D. Inherited TalentsTEXT CWhich is safer-staying at home, traveling to work on public transport, or working in the office? Surprisingly, each of these carries the same risk, which is very low. However, what about flying compared to working in the chemical industry? Unfortunately, the former is 65 times riskier than the latter! In fact, the accident rate of workers in the chemical industry is less than that of almost any of human activity, and almost as safe as staying at home.The trouble with the chemical industry is that when things go wrong they often cause death to those living nearby. It is this which makes chemical accidents so newsworthy. Fortunately, they are extremely rare. The most famous ones happened at Texas City (1947),Flixborough (1974), Seveso (1976), Pemex (1984) and Bhopal (1984).Some of these are always in the minds of the people even though the loss of life was small. No one died at Seveso, and only 28 workers at Flixborough. The worst accident of all was Bhopal, where up to 3,000 were killed. The Texas City explosion of fertilizer killed 552. The Pemex fire at a storage plant for natural gas in the suburbsof Mexico City took 542 lives, just a month before the unfortunate event at Bhopal.Some experts have discussed these accidents and used each accident to illustrate a particular danger. Thus theTexas City explosion was caused by tons of ammonium nitrate（硝酸铵）,which is safe unless stored in greatquantity. The Flixborough fireball was the fault of management, which took risks to keep production going during essential repairs. The Seveso accident shows what happens if the local authorities lack knowledge of the danger on their doorstep. When the poisonous gas drifted over the town, local leaders were incapable of taking effective action. The Pemex fire was made worse by an overloaded site in an overcrowded suburb. The fire set off a chain reaction os exploding storage tanks. Yet, by a miracle, the two largest tanks did not explode. Had these caught fire, then 3,000 strong rescue team and fire fighters would all have died.11.Which of the following statements is true?A.Working at the office is safer than staying at home.B.Traverlling to work on public transport is safer than working at the office.C.Staying at home is safer than working in the chemical industry.D.Working in the chemical industry is safer than traveling by air.12..Chemical accidents are usually important enough to be reported as news because ____.A.they are very rareB.they often cause loss of lifeC.they always occur in big citiesD.they arouse the interest of all the readers13.According to passage, the chemical accident that caused by the fault of management happened at ____.A.Texas cityB.FlixboroughC.SevesoD.Mexico City14.From the passage we know that ammonium nitrate is a kind of ____.A.natural gas, which can easily catch fireB.fertilizer, which can't be stored in a great quantityC.poisonous substance, which can't be used in overcrowded areasD.fuel, which is stored in large tanks15.From the discussion among some experts we may coclude that ____.A.to avoid any accidents we should not repair the facilities in chemical industryB.the local authorities should not be concerned with the production of the chemical industryC.all these accidents could have been avoided or controlled if effective measure had been takenD.natural gas stored in very large tanks is always safeTEXT DWhat we know of prenatal development makes all this attempt made by a mother to mold the character of her unborn child by studying poetry, art, or mathematics during pregnancy seem utterly impossible. How could such extremely complex influences pass from the mother to the child? There is no connection between their nervous systems. Even the blood vessels of mother and child do not join directly. An emotional shock to the mother will affect her child, because it changes the activity of her glands and so the chemistry her blood. Any chemical change in the mother's blood will affect the child for better or worse. But we can not see how a looking for mathematics or poetic genius can be dissolved in blood and produce a similar liking or genius in the child.In our discussion of instincts we saw that there was reason to believe that whatever we inherit must be of some very simple sort rather than any complicated or very definite kind of behavior. It is certain that no one inherits a knowledge of mathematics. It may be, however, that children inherit more or less of a rather general ability that we may call intelligence. If very intelligent children become deeply interested in mathematics, they will probably make a success of that study.As for musical ability, it may be that what is inherited is an especially sensitive ear, a peculiar structure of the hands or the vocal organs connections between nerves and muscles that make it comparatively easy to learn the movements a musician must execute, and particularly vigorous emotions. If these factors are all organized around music, the child may become a musician. The same factors, in other circumstance might be organized about some other center of interest. The rich emotional equipment might find expression in poetry. The capable fingers might develop skill in surgery. It is not the knowledge of music that is inherited, then nor even the love of it, but a certain bodily structure that makes it comparatively easy to acquire musical knowledge and skill. Whether that ability shall be directed toward music or some other undertaking may be decided entirely by forces in the environment in which a child grows up.16.Which of the following statements is not true?A. Some mothers try to influence their unborn children by studying art and other subjects during theirpregnancy.B. It is utterly impossible for us to learn anything about prenatal development.C. The blood vessels of mother and child do not join directly.D. There are no connection between mother's nervous systems and her unborn child's.17.A mother will affect her unborn baby on the condition that ____.A. she is emotionally shockedB. she has a good knowledge of inheritanceC. she takes part in all kind of activitiesD. she sticks to studying18.According to the passage, a child may inherit____.A. everything from his motherB. a knowledge of mathematicsC. a rather general ability that we call intelligenceD. her mother's musical ability19.If a child inherits something from his mother, such as an especially sensitive ear, a peculiar structure of thehands or of the vocal organs, he will ____.A. surely become musicianB. mostly become a poetC. possibly become a teacherD. become a musician on the condition that all these factors are organized around music20.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?A. Role of Inheritance.B. An Unborn Child.C. Function of instincts.D. Inherited Talents【参考答案】答案： 1-5 BCCAA 6-10 BACDA 11-15 DBABC 16-20 BACDA。

大学英语专业四级阅读理解模拟试题（含答案）（03）PART V READING COMPREHENSION [25 MIN]In this section there are four passages followed by questions or unfinished statements, each with four suggested answers marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that you think is the best answer.TEXT AThe case for college has been accepted without question for more than a generation. All high school graduates ought to go, says conventional wisdom and statistical evidence, because college will help them earn more money, become "better" people, and learn to be more responsible citizens than those who don't go.But college has never been able to work its magic for everyone. And now that close to half our high school graduates are attending, those who don't fit the pattern are becoming more numerous, and more obvious. College graduates are selling shoes and driving taxis; college students interfere with each other's experiments and write false letters of recommendation in the intense competition for admission to graduate school. Other find no stimulation in their studies, and drop out—often encouraged by college administrators.Some observers say the fault is with the young people themselves—they are spoiled and they are expecting too much. But that is a condemnation of the students as a whole, and doesn't explain all campus unhappiness. Others blame the state of the world, and they are partly right. We have been told that young people have to go to college because our economy can't absorb an army of untrained eighteen-year-olds. Butdisappointed graduates are learning that it can no longer absorb an army of trained twenty-two-year-olds, either.Some adventuresome educators and watchers have openly begun to suggest that college may not be the best, the proper, the only place for every young person after the completion of high school. We may have been lookingat all those surveys and statistics upside down, it seems, and through the rosy glow of our own remembered college experiences. Perhaps college doesn't make people intelligent, ambitious, happy, liberal, or quick to learn things—may it is just the other way around, and intelligent, ambitious, happy, liberal, quick-learning people are merely the ones who have been attracted to college in the first place. And perhaps all those successful college graduates would have been successful whether they had gone to college or not. This is heresy to those of us who have been brought up to believe that if a little schooling is good, more has to be much better. But contrary evidence is beginning to mount up.1.According to the author, ___.A.people used to question the value of college education.B.people used to have full confidence in higher education.C.all high school graduates went to college.D.very few high school graduates chose to go to college.2.In the 2nd paragraph, "those who don't fit the pattern" refer to___.A.high school graduates who aren't suitable for college education.B.college graduates who are selling shoes and driving taxis.C.college students who aren't any better for their higher education.D.high school graduates who failed to be admitted to college.3.The dropout rate of college students seems to go up because___.A.young people are disappointed with the conventional way of teaching at college.B.many people are required to join the army.C.young people have little motivation in pursuing a higher education.D.young people don't like the intense competition for admission to graduate school.4.According to the passage, the problems of college education partly originate in the fact that___.A.society cannot provide enough jobs for properly trained graduates.B.High school graduates do not fit the pattern of college education.C.Too many students have to earn their own living.D.College administrators encourage students to drop out.5.In this passage the author argues that___.A.more and more evidence shows college education may not be the best thing for high school graduates.B.College education is not enough if one wants to be successful.C.College education benefits only the intelligent, ambitious, and quick-learning people.D.Intelligent people may learn quicker if they don't go to college.TEXT BWhat we know of prenatal development makes all this attempt made by a mother to mold the character of her unbornchild by studying poetry, art, or mathematics during pregnancy seem utterly impossible. How could such extremely complex influences pass from the mother to the child? There is no connection between their nervous systems. Even the blood vessels of mother and child do not join directly. An emotional shock to the mother will affect her child, because it changes the activity of her glands and so the chemistry her blood. Any chemical change in the mother's blood will affect the child for better or worse. But we can not see how a looking for mathematics or poetic genius can be dissolved in blood and produce a similar liking or genius in the child.In our discussion of instincts we saw that there was reason to believe that whatever we inherit must be of some very simple sort rather than any complicated or very definite kind of behavior. It is certain that no one inherits a knowledge of mathematics. It may be, however, that children inherit more or less of a rather general ability that we may call intelligence. If very intelligent children become deeply interested in mathematics, they will probably make a success of that study.As for musical ability, it may be that what is inherited is an especially sensitive ear, a peculiar structure of the hands or the vocal organs connections between nerves and muscles that make it comparatively easy to learn the movements a musician must execute, and particularly vigorous emotions. If these factors are all organized around music, the child may become a musician. The same factors, in other circumstance might be organized about some other center of interest. The rich emotional equipment might find expression in poetry. The capable fingers might develop skill in surgery. It is not the knowledge of music that is inherited, then nor even the love of it, but acertain bodily structure that makes it comparatively easy to acquire musical knowledge and skill. Whether that ability shall be directed toward music or some other undertaking may be decided entirely by forces in the environment in which a child grows up.6.Which of the following statements is not true?A. Some mothers try to influence their unborn children by studying art and other subjects during theirpregnancy.B. It is utterly impossible for us to learn anything about prenatal development.C. The blood vessels of mother and child do not join directly.D. There are no connection between mother's nervous systems and her unborn child's.7. A mother will affect her unborn baby on the condition that ____.A. she is emotionally shockedB. she has a good knowledge of inheritanceC. she takes part in all kind of activitiesD. she sticks to studying8.According to the passage, a child may inherit____.A. everything from his motherB. a knowledge of mathematicsC. a rather general ability that we call intelligenceD. her mother's musical ability9.If a child inherits something from his mother, such as an especially sensitive ear, a peculiar structure of thehands or of the vocal organs, he will ____.A. surely become musicianB. mostly become a poetC. possibly become a teacherD. become a musician on the condition that all these factors are organized around music10.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?A. Role of Inheritance.B. An Unborn Child.C. Function of instincts.D. Inherited TalentsTEXT CWhich is safer-staying at home, traveling to work on public transport, or working in the office? Surprisingly, each of these carries the same risk, which is very low. However, what about flying compared to working in the chemical industry? Unfortunately, the former is 65 times riskier than the latter! In fact, the accident rate ofworkers in the chemical industry is less than that of almost any of human activity, and almost as safe as staying at home.The trouble with the chemical industry is that when things go wrong they often cause death to those living nearby. It is this which makes chemical accidents so newsworthy. Fortunately, they are extremely rare. The most famous ones happened at Texas City (1947),Flixborough (1974), Seveso (1976), Pemex (1984) and Bhopal (1984).Some of these are always in the minds of the people even though the loss of life was small. No one died at Seveso, and only 28 workers at Flixborough. The worst accident of all was Bhopal, where up to 3,000 were killed. The Texas City explosion of fertilizer killed 552. The Pemex fire at a storage plant for natural gas in the suburbsof Mexico City took 542 lives, just a month before theunfortunate event at Bhopal.Some experts have discussed these accidents and used each accident to illustrate a particular danger. Thus the T exas City explosion was caused by tons of ammonium nitrate（硝酸铵）,which is safe unless stored in greatquantity. The Flixborough fireball was the fault of management, which took risks to keep production going during essential repairs. The Seveso accident shows what happens if the local authorities lack knowledge of the dangeron their doorstep. When the poisonous gas drifted over the town, local leaders were incapable of taking effective action. The Pemex fire was made worse by an overloaded site in an overcrowded suburb. The fire set off a chain reaction os exploding storage tanks. Yet, by a miracle, the two largest tanks did not explode. Had these caught fire, then 3,000 strong rescue team and fire fighters would all have died.11.Which of the following statements is true?A.Working at the office is safer than staying at home.B.Traverlling to work on public transport is safer than working at the office.C.Staying at home is safer than working in the chemical industry.D.Working in the chemical industry is safer than traveling by air.12..Chemical accidents are usually important enough to be reported as news because ____.A.they are very rareB.they often cause loss of lifeC.they always occur in big citiesD.they arouse the interest of all the readers13.According to passage, the chemical accident that caused by the fault of management happened at ____.A.Texas cityB.FlixboroughC.SevesoD.Mexico City14.From the passage we know that ammonium nitrate is a kind of ____.A.natural gas, which can easily catch fireB.fertilizer, which can't be stored in a great quantityC.poisonous substance, which can't be used in overcrowded areasD.fuel, which is stored in large tanks15.From the discussion among some experts we may coclude that ____.A.to avoid any accidents we should not repair the facilities in chemical industryB.the local authorities should not be concerned with the production of the chemical industryC.all these accidents could have been avoided or controlled if effective measure had been takenD.natural gas stored in very large tanks is always safeTEXT DWhat we know of prenatal development makes all this attempt made by a mother to mold the character of her unborn child by studying poetry, art, or mathematics during pregnancy seem utterly impossible. How could such extremely complex influences pass from the mother to the child? There is no connection between their nervous systems. Even the blood vessels of mother and child do not join directly. An emotionalshock to the mother will affect her child, because it changes the activity of her glands and so the chemistry her blood. Any chemical change in the mother's blood will affect the child for better or worse. But we can not see how a looking for mathematics or poetic genius can be dissolved in blood and produce a similar liking or genius in the child.In our discussion of instincts we saw that there was reason to believe that whatever we inherit must be of some very simple sort rather than any complicated or very definite kind of behavior. It is certain that no one inherits a knowledge of mathematics. It may be, however, that children inherit more or less of a rather general ability that we may call intelligence. If very intelligent children become deeply interested in mathematics, they will probably make a success of that study.As for musical ability, it may be that what is inherited is an especially sensitive ear, a peculiar structure of the hands or the vocal organs connections between nerves and muscles that make it comparatively easy to learn the movements a musician must execute, and particularly vigorous emotions. If these factors are all organized around music, the child may become a musician. The same factors, in other circumstance might be organized about some other center of interest. The rich emotional equipment might find expression in poetry. The capable fingers might develop skill in surgery. It is not the knowledge of music that is inherited, then nor even the love of it, but acertain bodily structure that makes it comparatively easy to acquire musical knowledge and skill. Whether that ability shall be directed toward music or some other undertaking may be decided entirely by forces in the environment in which a child grows up.16.Which of the following statements is not true?A. Some mothers try to influence their unborn children by studying art and other subjects during theirpregnancy.B. It is utterly impossible for us to learn anything about prenatal development.C. The blood vessels of mother and child do not join directly.D. There are no connection between mother's nervous systems and her unborn child's.17. A mother will affect her unborn baby on the condition that ____.A. she is emotionally shockedB. she has a good knowledge of inheritanceC. she takes part in all kind of activitiesD. she sticks to studying18.According to the passage, a child may inherit____.A. everything from his motherB. a knowledge of mathematicsC. a rather general ability that we call intelligenceD. her mother's musical ability19.If a child inherits something from his mother, such as an especially sensitive ear, a peculiar structure of thehands or of the vocal organs, he will ____.A. surely become musicianB. mostly become a poetC. possibly become a teacherD. become a musician on the condition that all these factors are organized around music20.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?A. Role of Inheritance.B. An Unborn Child.C. Function of instincts.D. Inherited Talents【参考答案】答案： 1-5 BCCAA 6-10 BACDA11-15 DBABC 16-20 BACDA。

PART V READING COMPREHENSION [25 MIN]In this section there are four passages followed by questions or unfinished statements, each with foursuggested answers marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that you think is the best answer.TEXT AAt some time in your life you may have a strong desire to do something strange or terrible. However,chances are that you don’t act on your impulse, but let it pass instead. You know that to commit the action iswrong in some way and that other people will not accept your behavior.Perhaps the most interesting thing about the phenomenon of taboo behavior is how it can change over theyears within the same society, how certain behavior and attitudes once considered taboo can become perfectlyacceptable and natural at another point in time. Topics such as death, for example, were once considered soupsetting and unpleasant that it was a taboo to even talk about them. Now with the publication of important bookssuch as On Death and Dying and Learning to Say Goodbye, people have become more aware of the importance ofexpressing feelings about death and, as a result, are more willing to talk about this taboo subject.One of the newest taboos in American society is the topic of fat. Unlike many other taboos, fat is topic thatAmericans talk about constantly. It’s not taboo to talk about fat; it’s taboo to be fat. The “In the work world, most companies prefer youthful-looking, trim executives to sell their image as well as theirproducts to the public. The thin look is associated with youth, vigor, and success. The fat person, on the otherhand, is thought of as lazy and lacking in energy, self-discipline, and self-respect. In an image-conscious societylike the U.S., thin is “in”, fat is “out”．It’s not surprising, then, that millions of Americans have become obsessed with staying slim andThe pursuit of a youthful physical appearance is not, however, the sole reason for America’s fas and exercise. Recent research has shown the critical importance of diet and exercise for personal health. As inmost technologically developed nations, the life-style of North Americans has changed dramatically during thecourse of the last century. Modern machines do all the physical labor that people were once forced to do by hand.Cars and buses transport us quickly from point to point. As a result of inactivity and disuse, peopleeasily become weak and vulnerable to disease. In an effort to avoid such a fate, millions of Americans arespending more of their time exercising.1.From the passage we can infer taboo is__.A.a strong desire to do something strange or terrible.B.a crime committed on impulse.C.behavior considered unacceptable in society’s eyes.D.an unfavorable impression left on other people.2.Based on the ideas presented in the passage we can conclude “being fat” __ in American society.A.will always remain a taboo.B.is not considered a taboo by most people.C.has long been a taboo.D.may no longer be a taboo some day.3.The topic of fat is __ many other taboo subjects.A.the same asB.different fromC.more popular thanD.less often talked about than.4.In the U.S., thin is “in”, fat is “out”, this means__.A.thin is “inside”, fat is “outside”．B.thin is “diligent”, fat is “lazy”．C.thin is “youthful”, fat is “spiritless”．D.thin is “fashionable”, fat is “unfashionable”．5.Apart from this new understanding of the correlation between health and exercise, the main reason thepassage gives for why so many Americans are exercising regularly is__.A.their changed life-style.B.their eagerness to stay thin and youthful.C.their appreciation of the importance of exercise.D.the encouragement they have received from their companies.TEXT BThe discovery of the Antarctic not only proved one of the most interesting of all geographical adventures, butcreated what might be called “the heroic age of Antarctic exploration”. By their tremendous heroism, m Shakleton, Scott, and Amundsen caused a new continent to emerge from the shadows, and yet that heroic age,little more than a century old, is already passing. Modern science and inventions are revolutionizing the endurance,future journeys into these icy wastes will probably depend on motor vehicles equipped with caterpillar tractionrather than on the dogs that earlier discoverers found so invaluable and hardly comparable.Few realize that this Antarctic continent is almost equal in size to South America, and enormous field ofwork awaits geographers and prospectors. The coasts of this continent remain to be accurately charted, and themaping of the whole of the interior presents a formidable task to the cartographers who undertake the work. Oncetheir labors are completed, it will be possible to prospect the vast natural resources which scientists believe willfurnish one of the largest treasure hoards of metals and minerals the world has yet known, and almostinexhaustible sources of copper, coal, uranium, and many other ores will become available to man. Suchdiscoveries will usher in an era of practical exploitation of the Antarctic wastes.The polar darkness which hides this continent for the six winter months will be defeated by huge batteries oflight, and make possible the establishing of air-fields for the future inter-continental air services by making theseareas as light as day. Present flying routes will be completely changed, for the Antarctic refueling bases will makeflights from Australia to South America comparatively easy over the 5,000 miles journey.The climate is not likely to offer an insuperable problem, for the explorer Admiral Byrd has shown that theclimate is possible even for men completely untrained for expeditions into those frozen wastes. Some of hisparties were men who had never seen snow before, and yet he records that they survived the rigors of theAntarctic climate comfortably, so that, provided that the appropriate installations are made, we may assume thathuman beings from all countries could live there safely. Byrd even affirms that it is probably the most healthyclimate in the world, for the intense cold of thousands of years has sterilize this continent, and rendered itabsolutely germfree, with the consequences that ordinary and extraordinary sickness and diseases from which mansuffers in other zones with different climates are here utterly unknown. There exist no problems of conservationand preservation of food supplies, for the latter keep indefinitely without any signs of deterioration; it may evenbe that later generations will come to regard the Antarctic as the natural storehouse for the whole world.Plans are already on foot to set up permanent bases on the shores of this continent, and what so few years agoof human life and endeavor.was regarded as a “dead continent” now promises to be a most active center6.When did man begin to explore the AntarcticA.About 100years ago.B.In this century.C.At the beginning of the 19th century.D.In 1798.7.What must the explorers be, even though they have modern equipment and techniquesA.Brave and toughB.Stubborn and arrogant.C.Well-liked and humorous.D.Stout and smart.8.The most healthy climate in the world is___.A.in South America.B.in the Arctic Region.C.in the Antarctic Continent.D.in the Atlantic Ocean.9.What kind of metals and minerals can we find in the AntarcticA.Magnetite, coal and ores.B.Copper, coal and uranium.C.Silver, natural gas and uranium.D.Aluminum, copper and natural gas.10.What is planned for the continentA.Building dams along the coasts.B.Setting up several summer resorts along the coasts.C.Mapping the coast and whole territory.D.Setting up permanent bases on the coasts.TEXT CWithout regular supplies of some hormones our capacity to behave would be seriously impaired; withoutothers we would soon die. Tiny amounts of some hormones can modify moods and actions, our inclination to eator drink, our aggressiveness or submissiveness, and our reproductive and parental behavior. And hormones domore than influence adult behavior; early in life they help to determine the development of bodily form and mayeven determine an individual’s behavioral capacities. Later in life the changing outputs of some endocrine glandsand the body’s changing sensitivity to some hormones are essential aspects of the phenomena of aging.Communication within the body and the consequent integration of behavior were considered the exclusiveprovince of the nervous system up to the beginning of the present century. The emergence of endocrinology as aseparate discipline can probably be traced to the experiments of Bayliss and Starling on the hormone secretion.This substance is secreted from cells in the intestinal walls when food enters the stomach; it travels through thebloodstream and stimulates the pancreas to liberate pancreatic juice, which aids in digestion. By showing thatspecial cells secret chemical agents that are conveyed by the bloodstream and regulate distant target organs ortissues. Bayliss and starling demonstrated that chemical integration could occur without participation of thenervous system.The term “hormone” was first used with reference to secretion. Starling derived the term from the Greekhormone, meaning “to excite or set in motion. The term “endocrine” was introduced shortly thereafter “Endocrine” is used to refer to glands that secret products into the bloodstream. The term “e with “exocrine”, which is applied to glands that secret their products though ducts to the site of action. Examplesof exocrine glands are the tear glands, the sweat glands, and the pancreas, which secrets pancreatic juice through aduct into the intestine. Exocrine glands are also called duct glands, while endocrine glands are called ductless.11.What is the author’s main purpose in the passage?A.To explain the specific functions of various hormones.B.To provide general information about hormones.C.To explain how the term “hormone” evolved.D.To report on experiments in endocrinology.12.The passage supports which of the following conclusions?A.The human body requires large amounts of most hormones.B.Synthetic hormones can replace a person’s natural supply of hormones if necessary.C.The quantity of hormones produced and their effects on the body are related to a person’sD.The short child of tall parents very likely had a hormone deficiency early in life.13.It can be inferred from the passage that before the Bayliss and Starling experiments, most people believed thatchemical integration occurred only___.A.during sleep.B.in the endocrine glands.C.under control of the nervous system.D.during strenuous exercise.14.The word “liberate” could best be replaced by which of the following?A.EmancipateB.DischargeC.SurrenderD.Save15.According to the passage another term for exocrine glands is___.A.duct glandsB.endocrine glandsC.ductless glandsD.intestinal glands.TEXT DIf the old maxim that the customer is always right still has meaning, then the airlines that ply the worldbusiest air route between London and Paris have a flight on their hands.The Eurostar train service linking the UK and French capitals via the Channel Tunnel is winning customersin increasing numbers. In late May, it carried its one millionth passenger, having run only a limited servicebetween London, Paris and Brussels since November 1994, starting with two trains a day in each direction to Parisand Brussels. By 1997, the company believes that it will be carrying ten million passengers a year, and continue togrow from there.From July, Eurostar steps its service to nine trains each way between London and Paris, and five betweenLondon and Brussels. Each train carries almost 800 passengers, 210 of them in first class.The airlines estimate that they will initially lose around 15%-20% of their London-Paris traffic to therailways once Eurostar starts a full service later this year (1995), with 15 trains a day each way. A similar servicewill start to Brussels. The damage will be limited, however, the airlines believe, with passenger numbers returningto previous levels within two to three years.In the short term, the damage caused by the 1 million people-levels traveling between London and Paris andBrussels on Eurostar trains means that some air services are already suffering. Some of the major carriers say thattheir passenger numbers are down by less than 5% and point to their rivals-Particularly Air France-as havingsuffered the problems. On the Brussels route, the railway company had less success, and the airlines reportanything from around a 5% drop to no visible decline in traffic.The airlines' optimism on returning traffic levels is based on historical precedent. British Midland, forexample, points to its experience on Heathrow Leeds Bradford service which saw passenger numbers fold by 15%when British Rail electrified and modernized the railway line between London and Yorkshire. Two years later, travel had risen between the two destinations to the point where the airline was carrying record numbers of passengers.16.British airlines confide in the fact that__.A.they are more powerful than other European airlines.B.their total loss won’t go beyond a drop of 5% passengers.C.their traffic levels will return in 2-3 years.D.traveling by rail can never catch up with traveling by air.17.The author’s attitude towards the drop of passengers may be described as__.A.worried.B.delightedC.puzzled.D.unrivaled.18.In the passage, British Rail (Para 6) is mentioned to__.A.provide a comparison with Eurostar.B.support the airlines’ optimism.C.prove the inevitable drop of air passengers.D.call for electrification and modernization of the railway.19.The railway’s Brussels route is brought forth to show that__.A.the Eurostar train service is not doing good business.B.the airlines can well compete with the railway.C.the Eurostar train service only caused little damage.D.only some airlines, such as Air France, are suffering.20.The passage is taken from the first of an essay, from which we may well predict that in the following part theauthor is going to__.-mindedness.A.praise the airlines’ clearB.warn the airlines of high-speed rail services.C.propose a reduction of London/Paris flights.D.advise the airlines to follow British Midland as their model.答案： 1-5 CDBDB 6-10 AACBD 11-15 BDCBA 16-20 ABCB。

英语四级阅读理解考前模拟测试题附答案英语四级阅读理解考前模拟测试题附答案What today will be like is up to me , I get to choose what kind of day I will have.以下是店铺为大家搜索整理的英语四级阅读理解考前模拟测试题附答案，希望能给大家带来帮助!Imagine you went to a restaurant with a date; had a burger, paid with a credit card, and left. The next time you go there, the waiter or waitress, armed with your profile data, greets you with, "Hey Joe, how are you? Mary is over there in the seat you sat in last time. Would you like to join her for dinner again?" Then you find out that your burger has been cooked and your drink is on the table. Forget the fact that you are with another date and are on a diet that doesn’t include burgers. Sound a little bizarre? T o some, this is restaurant equivalent of the Internet.The Net’s ability to profile you through your visits to and interactions at websites provides marketers with an enormous amount of data on you—some of which you may notwant them to have.Are you aware that almost every time you access a website you get a “cookie”? Unfortunately, it’s not the Mrs. Reid’s type. A cookie on the Internet is a computer code sent by the site to your computer—usually without your knowledge. During the entire period of time that you are at the site, the cookie is collecting information about your interaction, including where you visit, how long you stay there, how frequently you return to certain pages, and even your electronic address. Fill out a survey to collect free information or samples, and marketers know even more about you—like your name, address, and any other information you provide. While this may sound scary enough, cookies aren’t even the latest in technology. A new systemcalled I-librarian Alexa—named for the legendary third century B.C. library in Alexandria, Egypt—does even more. While cookies track what you are doing at one site, Alexa collects data on all your Web activity, such as which sites you visit next, how long you stay there, whether you click on ads，etc. All thisinformation is available to marketers, who use it to market more effectively to you. Not only do you not get paid for providing the information, you probably don’t even know that you are giving it.英语四级阅读模拟题：Choose correct answers to the question:1.In the restaurant story, the author may most probably think the waiter or waitress was ________ 。

英语专业四级阅读理解模拟题A simple piece of rope hangs between some environmentally friendly Americans and their neighbors. On one side stand those who have begun to see clothes dryers as wasteful consumers of energy (up to 6% of total electricity) and powerful emitters of carbon dioxide (up to a ton of CO2 per household every year). As an alternative, they are turning to clotheslines as part of what Alexander Lee, an environmentalist, calls "what-I-can- do environmentalism."But on the other side are people who oppose air-drying laundry outside on aesthetic grounds. Increasingly, they have persuaded community and homeowners associations(HOAs) across the U.S. to ban outdoor clotheslines, which they say not only look unsightly but also lower surrounding property values. Those actions, in turn, have sparked a right-to-dry movement that is pressing for legislation to protect the choice to use clotheslines. Only three states--Florida, Hawaii and Utah--have laws written broadly enough to protect clotheslines. Right-to-dry advocates argue that there should be more.Matt Reck is the kind of eco-conscious guy who feeds his trees with bathwater and recycles condensation drops from his air conditioners to water plants. His family also uses a clothesline. But Otto Hagen, president of Reck's HOA in Wake Forest, N.C., notified him that a neighbor h, ad complained about his line. The Recks ignored the warning and still dry their clothes on a rope in the yard. "Many people claim to be environmentally friendly but don't take matters into their own hands," says Reck. HOAs Hagen has decided to hold off taking action. "I'm not going to go crazy," he says. "But if Matt keeps his line and more neighbors complain, I'll have to address it again."North Carolina lawmakers tried and failed earlier this year to insert language into an energy bill that would expressly prevent HOAs from regulating clotheslines. But the issue remains a touchy one with HOAs and real estate agents. "Most aesthetic restrictions are rooted, to a degree, in the belief that homogenous (统一协调的) exteriors are supportive of property value," says Sara Stubbins, executive director of the Community Association Institute's North Carolina chapter. In other words, associations worry that housing prices will fall if prospective buyers think their would-be neighbors are too poor to afford dryers.Alexander Lee dismisses the notion that clotheslines devalue property assets, advocating that the idea "needs to change in light of global warming." "We all have to do at least something to decrease our carbon footprint," Alexander Lee says.1.What is NOT mentioned as a disadvantage of using clothes dryers?A.Electricity consumption.B.Air pollution.C.Waste of energy.D.Ugly looking.2.Which of the following is INCORRECT?A.Opposers think air-drying laundry would devalue surrounding assets.B.Opposers consider the outdoor clothesline as an eyesore to the scenery.C.Right-to-dry movements led to the pass of written laws to protect clotheslines.D.Most of states in the US have no written laws to protect clotheslines.3.What is the HOAs' attitude towards the regulation of outdoor clotheslines?A.Concerned.B.Impartial.C.Supportive.D.Unclear.4.In the last paragraph Alexander Lee recommends thatA.clotheslines should be banned in the community.B.clotheslines wouldn't lessen the property values.C.the globe would become warmer and warmer.D.we should protect the environment in the community.5.An appropriate title for the passage might beA.Opinions on Environmental Protection.B.Opinions on Air-drying Laundry.C.What-I-Can-Do Environmentalism.D.Restrictions on Clotheslines.参考答案与解析：文章概要：本文探讨是否该用晾衣绳在室外晾晒衣服。

英语四级阅读理解模拟试题附答案英语四级阅读理解模拟试题：【原文】There are two factors which determine an individuals intelligence. The first is the sort of brain he is born with. Human brains differ considerably , some being more capable than others. But no matter how good a brain he has to begin with, an individual will have a low order of intelligence unless he has opportunities to learn. So the second factor is what happens to the individual— the sort of environment in which he is brought up. If an individual is handicapped(不利) environmentally, it is likely that his brain will fail to develop and he will never attain the level of intelligence of which he is capable.The importance of environment in determining an individuals intelligence can be demonstrated by the case history of the identical twins, Peter and Mark. Being identical, the twins had identical brains at birth, and their growth processes were the same. When the twins were three months old, their parents died, and they were placed in separate foster(抚养) homes. Peter was raised by parents of low intelligence in an isolated community with poor educational opportunities. Mark was reared in the home of well-to-do parents who had been to college. He was read to as a child, sent to good schools, and given every opportunity to be stimulated intellectually. This environmental difference continued until the twins were in their late teens, when they were given tests to measure their intelligence. Marks I. Q. was 125, twenty-five points higherthan the average and fully forty points higher than his identical brother. Given equal opportunities, the twins, having identical brains, would have tested at roughly the same level.英语四级阅读理解模拟试题：【题目】21. This selection can best be titled____________.A. Measuring Your IntelligenceB. Intelligence and EnvironmentC. The Case of Peter and MarkD. How the Brain Influences Intelligence22. The best statement of the main idea of this passage is that _______.A. human brains differ considerablyB. the brain a person is born with is important in determining his intelligenceC. environment is crucial in determining a persons intelligenceD. persons having identical brains will have roughly the same intelligence23. According to the passage, the average I. Q. is_______.A. 85 .B. 100C. 110D. 12524. The case history of the twins appears to support the conclusion that_______.A. individuals with identical brains seldom test at the same levelB. an individuals intelligence is determined only by his environmentC. lack of opportunity blocks the growth of intelligenceD. changes of environment produce changes in the structure of the brain25. This passage suggests that an individuals I. Q. _______.A. can be predicted at birthB. stays the same throughout his lifeC. can be increased by educationD. is determined by his childhoo 英语四级阅读理解模拟试题：【答案】21. B 22. C 23. B 24. C 25. C猜你感兴趣：1.大学英语四级阅读理解模拟题附答案2.大学英语四级阅读理解模拟题带答案3.大学英语四级阅读理解模拟题及答案4.2017年6月英语四级阅读理解模拟题附答案5.2017年12月英语四级阅读理解模拟题附答案。

大学英语四级考试阅读分类模拟试题一套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.The anthropologist (人类学家) Clifford Geertz defines culture as a "historically transmitted pattern of meanings embodied in symbols... by 1 of which men can communicate, perpetuate and develop their own knowledge about and attitudes towards life."Why is it important that you 2 about other cultures? There are a number of reasons. Some may do it 3 because they find fascinating the different ways that people think, speak, act, evaluate, and communicate. But let me assume that you are a more pragmatic sort of person, and are 4 in the "cash value" of a course like this—apart, that is, from the grade you will receive at the end of it. What is a class like this good for? Let me make a couple of suggestions on how what you learn in this class may prove 5 to you in the future:Business: Geertz Hofstede's excellent book on culture is 6 not primarily out of academic theory, but out of his study of the practical problems faced by one particular modern corporation (IBM), which exists across national and cultural 7 . In the world we live in, understanding 8 in general and also specific individual cultures in particular can make the difference between success and failure in the global market and economy.Politics and Diplomacy: If your career goal involves anything that relates to international politics and diplomacy, then understanding other cultures is 9 .Neighbors: If none of these previous factors 10 you, then you can just look at this class as a lesson in good neighborliness in the global village.A．learn B．written C．meansD．simplyE．exactly F．interested G．cultureH．usefulI．boundaries J．ways K．motivates L．importantM．disturbs N．read O．uselessThis is supposed to be an enlightened age, but you wouldn't think so if you could hear what the average man thinks of the average woman. Women won their independence years ago. After a long, 11 struggle, they now enjoy the same educational opportunities as men in most parts of the world. They have proved repeatedly that they are equal and often 12 to men in almost every field. The hard-fought battle for recognition has been won, but it is by no means over. It is men, not women who still carry on the sex war because their attituderemains 13 hostile. Even in the most 14 societies, women continue to be regarded as second-rate citizens. To hear some men talk, you'd think that women belonged to a different 15 !On the surface, the comments made by men about women's abilities seem light-hearted. The same tired jokes about women drivers are 16 day in, day out. This apparent light-heartedness does not 17 the real contempt that men feel for women. However much men sneer at women, their claims to superiority are not borne out by statistics. Let's consider the matter of driving, for instance. We all know that women 18 far fewer accidents than men. They are too conscientious and responsible to drive like maniacs. But this is a minor quibble (微不足道). Women have succeeded in any job you 19 to name. As politicians, soldiers, doctors, factory-hands, university professors, farmers, company directors, lawyers, bus-conductors, scientists and presidents of countries they have often put men to shame. And we must remember that they frequently 20 brilliantly in all these fields in addition to bearing and rearing children.A．species B．cause C．human D ．careE．succeed F．repeated G．get H ．concealI．bitter J．cold K．better L．pro gressiveM．superior N．similarly O．basicallySection 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.Lost For WordsA．In the Native American Navajo nation, which sprawls across four states in the American south-west, the native language is dying. Most of its speakers are middle-aged or elderly. Although many students take classes in Navajo, the schools are run in English. Street signs, supermarket goods and even their own newspaper are all in English. Not surprisingly, linguists doubt that any native speakers of Navajo will remain in a hundred years' time.B．Navajo is far from alone. Half the world's 6,800 languages are likely to vanish within two generations—that's one language lost every ten days. Never before has the planet's linguistic diversity shrunk at such a pace. "At the moment, we are heading for about three or four languages dominating the world", says Mark Pagel, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Reading. "It's a mass extinction, and whether we will ever rebound (回弹) from the lost is difficult to know."C．Isolation breeds linguistic diversity: as a result, the world is peppered with languages spoken by only a few people. Only 250 languages have more than a million speaker, and at least 3,000 have fewer than 2,500. It is not necessarily these small languages that are about to disappear. Navajo is considered endangered despitehaving 150,000 speakers. What makes a language endangered is not just the number of speakers, but how old they are. If it is spoken by children it is relatively safe. The critically endangered languages are those that are only spoken by the elderly, according to Michael Krauss, director of the Alassk Native Language Center, in Fairbanks.D．Why do people reject the language of their parents? It begins with a crisis of confidence, when a small community finds itself alongside a larger, wealthier society, says Nicholas Ostler, of Britain's Foundation for Endangered Languages, in Bath. "People lose faith in their culture," he says, "When the next generation reaches their teens, they might not want to be induced into the old traditions."E．The change is not always voluntary. Quite often, governments try to kill off a minority language by banning its use in public or discouraging its use in school, all to promote national unity. The former US policy of running Indian reservation in English, for example, effectively put languages such as Navajo on the danger list. But Salikoko Mufwene, who chairs the Linguistics Department at the University of Chicago, argues that the deadliest weapon is not government policy but economic globalization. "Native Americans have not lost pride in their language, but they have had to adapt to socio-economic pressures," he says, "They can not refuse to speak English if most commercial activity is in English." But are languages worth saving? At the very least, there is a loss of data for the study of languages and their evolution, which relies on comparisons between languages, both living and dead. When an unwritten and unrecorded language disappears, it is lost to science.F．Language is also intimately bond up with culture, so it may be difficult to preserve one without the other. "If a person shifts from Navajo to English, he loses something," Mufwene says. "Moreover, the loss of diversity may also deprive us of different ways of looking at the world," says Pagel. There is mounting evidence that learning a language produces physiological changes in brain. "Your brain and mine are different from the brain of someone who speaks French, for instance," Pagel says, and this could affect our thoughts and perceptions. "The patterns and connections we make among various concepts may be structured by the linguistic habits of our community."G．So despite linguists' best efforts, many languages will disappear over the next century. But a growing interest in cultural identity may prevent the direst predictions from coming true. "The key to fostering diversity is for people to learn their ancestral tongue, as well as the dominant language, says Doug Whalen, founder and president of the Endangered Language Fund in New Haven, Connecticut. "Most of these languages will not survive without a large degree of bilingualism," he says. In New Zealand, classes for children have slowed the erosion of Maori and rekindled interest in the language. A similar approach in Hawaii has produced about 8,000 new speakers of Polynesian languages in the past few years. In California, "apprentice" programs have provided life support to several indigenous languages. Volunteer "apprentices" pair up with one of the last living speakers of a Native American tongue to learn a traditional skill such as basket weaving, with instruction exclusively in the endangered language. After about 300 hours of training they are generallysufficiently fluent to transmit the language to the next generation. But Mufwene says that preventing a language dying out is not the same as giving it new life by using it every day. "Preserving a language is more like preserving fruits in a jar," he says.H．However, preservation can bring a language back from the dead. There are examples of languages that have survived in written form and then been revived by later generations. But a written form is essential for this, so the mere possibility of revival has led many speakers of endangered languages to develop systems of writing where none existed before.21、The great variety of languages came about mainly as a result of geographical isolation.22、Governments try to kill off a minority language because they want to promote national unity.23、Some speakers of endangered languages have produced writing systems in order to help secure the survival of their mother tongue.24、At present the linguistic diversity in the world is shrinking at a high speed.25、Endangered languages cannot be saved unless people learn to speak more than one language.26、A written form is essential for the dying language.27、Native Americans have to speak English when most commercial activity is conducted in English.28、People reject the language of their parents because of a crisis of confidence.29、The Navajo language will die out because most of its speakers are middle-aged or elderly.30、The way we think may be determined by our language.Play Is A Serious BusinessA．Playing is a serious business. Children engrossed (吸引) in a make-believe world, fox cubs play-fighting or kittens teasing a ball of string aren't just having fun. Play may look like a carefree and exuberant way to pass the time before the hard work of adulthood comes along, but there's much more to it than that. For a start, play can even cost animals their lives. Eighty per cent of deaths among juvenile fur seals occur because playing pups fail to spot predators (掠夺者，食肉动物) approaching. It is also extremely expensive in terms of energy. Playful young animals use around two or three per cent of energy cavorting (洗脑), and in children that figure can be closer to fifteen per cent. "Even two or three per cent is huge," says John Byers of Idaho University. "You just don't find animals wasting energy like that," he adds. There must be a reason.B．But if play is not simply a developmental hiccup (打嗝), as biologists once thought, why did it evolve? The latest idea suggests that play has evolved to build big brains. In other words, playing makes you intelligent. Playfulness, it seems, is common only among mammals, although a few of the larger-brained birds also indulge. Animals at play often use unique signs—tail-wagging in dogs, for example—to indicate that activity superficially resembling adult behavior is not really in earnest.A popular explanation of play has been that it helps juveniles develop the skills theywill need to hunt, mate and socialize as adults. Another has been that it allows young animals to get in shape for adult life by improving their respiratory endurance. Both these ideas have been questioned in recent years.C．Take the exercise theory. If play evolved to build muscle or as a kind of endurance training, then you would expect to see permanent benefits. But Byers points out that the benefits of increased exercise disappear rapidly after training stops, so many improvement in endurance resulting from juvenile play would be lost by adulthood. "If the function of play was to get into shape," says Byers, "the optimum time for playing would depend on when it was most advantageous for the young of a particular species to do so. But it doesn't work like that." Across species, play tends to peak about halfway through the suckling stage and then decline.D．Then there's the skills-training hypothesis. At first glance, playing animals do appear to be practicing the complex maneuvers they will need in adulthood. But a closer inspection reveals this interpretation as too simplistic. In one study, behavioral ecologist Tim Caro, from the University of California, looked at the predatory play of kittens and their predatory behavior when they reached adulthood. He found that the way the cats played had no significant effect on their hunting prowess in later life.E．Earlier this year, Sergio Pellis of Lethbridge University, Canada, reported that there is a strong positive link between brain size and playfulness among mammals in general. Comparing measurements for fifteen orders of mammals, he and his team found large brains (for a given body size) are linked to greater playfulness. The converse was also found to be true. Robert Barton of Durham University believes that, because large brains are more sensitive to developmental stimuli than smaller brains, they require more play to help mould them for adulthood. "I concluded it's to do with learning, and with the importance of environmental data to the brain during development," he says.F．According to Byers, the timing of the playful stage in young animals provides an important clue to what's going on. If you plot the amount of time juvenile devotes to play each day over the course of its development, you discover a pattern typically associated with a "sensitive period"—a brief development window during which the brain can actually be modified in ways that are not possible earlier or later in life. Think of the relative ease with which young children—but not infants or adults—absorb language. Other researchers have found that play in cats, rats and mice is at its most intense just as this "window of opportunity" reaches its peak.G．"People have not paid enough attention to the amount of the brain activated by plays," says Marc Bekoff from Colorado University. Bekoff studied coyote (山狗) pups at play and found that the kind of behavior involved was markedly more variable and unpredictable than that of adults. Such behavior activates many different parts of the brain, he reasons. Bekoff likens it to a behavioral kaleidoscope (万花筒), with animals at play jumping rapidly between activities. "They use behavior from a lot of different contexts—predation, aggression, reproduction," he says. "Their developing brain is getting all sorts of stimulation."H．Not only is more of the brain involved in play than was suspected, but italso seems to activate higher cognitive processes. "There's enormous cognitive involvement in play," says Bekoff. He points out that play often involves complex assessments of playmates, ideas of reciprocity (互惠) and the use of specialized signals and rules. He believes that play creates a brain that has greater behavioral flexibility and improved potential for learning later in life. The idea is backed up by the work of Stephen Siviy of Gettysburg College. Siviy studied how bouts of play affected the brain's levels of a particular chemical associated with the stimulation and growth of nerve cells. He was surprised by the extent of the activation. "Play just lights everything up," he says. By allowing link-ups between brain areas that might not normally communicate with each other, play may enhance creativity.I．What might further experimentation suggest about the way children are raised in many societies today? We already know that rat pups that denied the chance to play grow smaller brain components and fail to develop the ability to apply social rules when they interact with their peers. With schooling beginning earlier and becoming increasingly exam-orientated, play is likely to get even less of a look-in. Who knows what the result of that will be?31、Tim Caro found that the way the cats played had no significant influence upon their hunting prowess in later life.32、People have not paid enough attention to the intelligence activated by play.33、Children use about fifteen percent of their energy cavorting.34、A "sensitive period" refers to a brief period during which the brain can actually be modified in ways that are not possible earlier or later in life.35、By linking up the brain areas that might not normally communicate with each other, play may increase creativity.36、Byers points out that play is not a kind of fitness training for the future.37、The latest idea shows that play has developed to build big brains.38、Not only is more of the brain involved in play than was suspected, but it also seems to activate higher cognitive process.39、With schooling beginning earlier and becoming more and more exam-orientated, play is likely to play a less important role in brain development.40、Earlier this year, Sergio Pellis reported that there is a strong positive connection between brain size and playfulness among mammals in general.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 OnePlay is the principal business of childhood, and more and more in recent year's research has shown the vital importance of play in the development of a human being. From earliest infancy, every child needs adequate opportunity and the right material for play, and the main tools of play are toys. Their main function is to suggest, encourage and assist play. To succeed in this they must be good toys, therefore it is important to choose suitable toys for different stages of a child'sdevelopment.In recent years research on infant development has shown the standard a child is likely to reach, within the range of his inherited abilities, is largely determined in the first three years of his life. Therefore a baby's ability to profit from the right play materials should be things to touch, things to listen to; things to watch. At no time in his life will a child develop as fast as now; in the first two years each month brings a change in what he can do and what he needs. A baby who is encouraged and stimulated, talked to, and shown things and played with, has the best chance of growing up successfully. There is no doubt that the right play materials and opportunities are of the utmost importance.The next stage, from three to five years old, is the heyday (全盛期) for toys, and at this stage curiosity knows no bounds. Every type of suitable toy should be made available to the child; bricks and jigsaws (拼版玩具) and construction toys; painting and making things; sand and water play; toys for imaginative and pretending play. Children of this age are concerned and serious when they play, for to them play is a serious business, and through it they are learning about the world and growing up.By the third stage of play development from five to seven or eight years the child is at school. But for a few more years play is still the best way of learning, at home or at school. The right toy at this stage can sometimes lead to the choice of a career.Until the age of seven or eight, play and work mean much the same thing to a child. But once reading has been mastered, then books and school become the main source of learning. Toys are still interesting and valuable, but their significance has changed to a child of nine or ten years, toys and games mean, as to adults, relaxation and fun.41、From the passage we understand that a child ______.A．tends to be interested in toysB．matures through play over and overC．cannot mature without toysD．has to be taught how to play42、In the writer's opinion the right kind of play materials for infants ______.A．stimulate the talentsB．encourage visual awarenessC．develop the touching senseD．assist the aural responses43、Children of three to five years old find play a serious business because they ______.A．are developing their musclesB．are exercising their imaginationC．are acquiring knowledge through playD．are learning how to grow up44、Once a child has learned to read, he usually ______.A．stops playing with toysB．learns less from his toysC．only gets information from booksD．only learns when at school45、It seems that older children and adults consider toys and games should ______.A．be played as a jokeB．be played for amusementC．teach the players to learn somethingD．make the players feel funnySurprisingly, no one knows how many children receive education in English hospitals, still less the content or quality of that education. Proper records are just not kept. We know that more than 850 000 children go through hospital each year, and that every child of school age has a legal right to continue to receive education while in hospital.Little wonder the latest survey concludes that the extent and type of hospital teaching available differ a great deal across the country. It is found that half of the hospitals in England which admit children have no teacher. A further quarter has only a part-time teacher. The special children's hospitals in major cities do best; general hospitals on the country and holiday areas are worst off. From this survey, one can estimate that fewer than one in five children have some contact with a hospital teacher and that contact may be as little as two hours a day. Most children interviewed were surprised to find a teacher in hospital at all. They had not been prepared for it by parents or their own school. If there was a teacher they were much more likely to read books and do math or number work; without a teacher they would only play games.Reasons for hospital teaching range from preventing a child falling behind and maintaining the habit of school to keeping a child occupied, and the latter is often all the teacher can do. The position and influence of many teachers was summed up when parents referred to them as "the library lady" or just "the helper". Children tend to rely on intimate school friends to keep in touch with school work. Once back at school, children rarely get extra teaching, and are told to catch up as best as they can.Many short-stay child-patients catch up quickly. But schools do very little to ease the anxiety about falling behind expressed by many of the children interviewed.46、Which of the following statements is true?A．Every child in hospital receives some teaching.B．Not enough is known about hospital teaching.C．Hospital teaching is of poor quality.D．The special children's hospitals are worst off.47、It can be inferred from the latest survey that ______.A．hospital teaching across the country is similarB．each hospital has at least one part-time teacherC．all hospitals surveyed offer education to childrenD．only one-fourth of the hospital have full-time teacher48、The hospital teachers are found ______.A．not welcomed by the children and their parentsB．unnecessaryC．not quite helpfulD．capable49、In order to catch up with their school work, children in hospital usually turn to ______.A．hospital teachers B．schoolmatesC．parents D．school teachers50、We can conclude from the passage that the author is ______.A．unfavorable towards children receiving education in hospitalsB．in favor of the present state of teaching in hospitalsC．unsatisfied with the present state of hospital teachingD．satisfied with the results of the latest surveyPassage TwoFrom good reading we can derive pleasure, companionship, experience, and instruction. A good book may absorb our attention so completely that for the time being we forget our surroundings and even our identity. Reading good books is one of the greatest pleasures in life. It increases our contentment when we are cheerful, and lessens our troubles when we are sad. Whatever may be our main purpose in reading, our contact with good books should never fail to give us enjoyment and satisfaction.With a good book in our hands we need never be lonely. Whether the characters portrayed are taken from real life or are purely imaginary, they may become our companions and friends. In the pages of books we can walk with the wise and the good of all lands and all times. The people we meet in books may delight us either because they resemble human friends whom we hold dear or because they present unfamiliar types whom we are glad to welcome as new acquaintances. Our human friends sometimes may bore us, but the friends we make in books need never weary us with their company. By turning the page we can dismiss them without any fear of hurting their feelings. When human friends desert us, good books are always ready to give us friendship, sympathy, and encouragement.One of the most valuable gifts bestowed by books is experience. Few of us can travel far from home or have a wide range of experiences, but all of us can lead varied lives through the pages of books. Whether we wish to escape from the seemingly dull realities of everyday life or whether we long to visit some far-off place, a book will help us when nothing else can. To travel by book we need no bank account to pay our way; no airship or ocean liner or stream-lined train to transport us; no passport to enter the land of our heart's desire. Through books we may get the thrill of hazardous adventure without danger. We can climb lofty mountains, brave the perils of an Antarctic winter, or cross the scorching sands of the desert, all without hardship. In books we may visit the studios of Hollywood; we may mingle with the gay throngs of the Paris boulevards; we may join the picturesque peasantsin an Alpine village or the kindly natives on a South Sea island. Indeed, through books the whole world is ours for the asking. The possibilities of our literary experiences are almost unlimited. The beauties of nature, the enjoyment of music, the treasures of art, the triumphs of architecture, the marvels of engineering, are all open to the wonder and enjoyment of those who read.51、Why is it that we sometimes forget our surroundings and even our identity while reading?A．No one has come to disturb you.B．Everything is so quiet and calm around you.C．The book you are reading is so interesting and attractive.D．Your book is overdue; you are finishing it at a very fast speed.52、How would you account for the fact that people like their acquaintances in books even more?A．They resemble human friends exactly.B．They are unfamiliar types we like.C．They never desert us.D．They never hurt our feelings.53、Which of the following is NOT true?A．All of us can lead varied lives through the pages of books.B．We can travel free of charge to our heart's content by reading books.C．We should rely on reading to escape from the seemingly dull realities of everyday life.D．We may obtain valuable experience from reading good books.54、The word "weary" (Para. 2) means ______.A．"to attract someone's attention"B．"to distract someone's attention"C．"to make someone very tired"D．"to make someone interested"55、"... the whole world is ours for the asking" (Para. 2) implies that ______.A．in books the world is more accessible to usB．we can ask to go anywhere in the worldC．we can make a claim to everything in this worldD．we can make a round-the-world trip free of chargeThe poverty line is the minimum income that people need for an acceptable standard of living. People with incomes below the poverty line are considered poor. Economists study the causes of poverty in order to find solutions to the problem.As the general standard of living in the country rises, the poverty line does, too. Therefore, even with today's relatively high standard of living, about 10 percent of the people in the United States are below the poverty line. However, if these people had stable jobs, they could have an acceptable standard of living. Economists suggest several reasons why poor people do not have jobs.For one thing, more than half of the poor people in the United States are not qualified to work. Over 40 percent of the poor people are children. By law, children less than 16 years old cannot work in many industries. A large number of poor。

英语四级仔细阅读模拟试题附答案英语四级仔细阅读模拟试题1：Fried foods have long been frowned upon. Nevertheless, the skillet (长柄平底煎锅) is about our handiest and most useful piece of kitchen equipment. Strong woodcutters and others engaged in active labor requiring 4,000calories per day or more will take approximately one-third of their rations prepared in this fashion. Meat, eggs, and French toast cooked in this way are served in millions of homes daily. Apparently the consumers are not beset with more signs of indigestion than afflicted by those who insist upon broiling, roasting, or boiling. Some years ago one of our most eminent physiologists investigated the digestibility of fried potatoes. He found that the pan variety was more easily broken down for assimilation than when deep fat was employed. The latter, however, dissolved within the alimentary tract ( 消化道 ) more readily than the boiled type. Furthermore, he learned, by watching the progress of the contents of the stomach by means of the fluoroscope (荧光检查仪), that fat actually accelerated the rate of digestion. Now all this is quite in contrast with "authority". Volumes have been written on nutrition, and everywhere the dictum ( 权威意见) has been accepted--no fried edibles of any sort for children. A few will go so tar as to forbid this style of cooking wholly. Now and then an expert will be bold enough to admit that he uses them himself, the absence of discomfort being explained on the ground that he possesses a powerful gastric ( 胃的 )apparatus. We can ofcourse sizzle perfectly good articles to death so that they will be leathery and tough. But thorough heating, in the presence of shortening, is not the awful crime that it has been labeled. Such dishes stimulate rather than retard contractions of the gall bladder. Thus it is that bile ( 胆汁 ) mixes with the nutriment shortly after it leaves the stomach.We dont need to allow our foodstuffs to become oil soaked, but other than that, there seems to be no basis for the widely heralded prohibition against this method. But notions become fixed. The first condemnation probably rose because an "oracle" ( 圣贤) suffered from dyspepsia (消化不良) which he ascribed to some fried item on the menu. The theory spread. Others agreed with him, and after a time the doctrine became incorporated in our textbooks. The belief is now tradition rather than proved fact. It should have been refuted long since, as experience has demonstrated its falsity.56. This passage focuses on__________.A. why the skillet is a handy piece of kitchen equipmentB. the digestibility of fried foodsC. how the experts can mislead the public in the area of food preparationD. why fried foods have long been frowned upon57. People engaged in active labor eat fried foods because __________.A. they are healthfulB. they are much cheaperC. they can be easily digestedD. they can provide the calories the workers need58. The author implies that the public should__________.A. prepare some foods by fryingB. avoid fried foods if possibleC. fry foods for adults but not for childrenD. prepare all foods by frying59. When the author says that "an oracle suffered from dyspepsia which he ascribed to some fried item on the menu" he is being__________.A. gratefulB. factualC. sarcasticD. humorous60. The passage was probably taken from__________.A. a medical journalB. a publication addressed to the general publicC. a speech at a medical conventionD. an advertisement for cooking oil英语四级仔细阅读模拟试题答案：56.B定位：根据题干信息this passage focuses on可知解答本题需通观全文。