2019 年12 月大学英语四级考试阅读讲义（四十六）Uint19Part II Reading Comprehension(35 minutes)Passage OneQuestions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage.Our culture has caused most Americans to assume not only that our language is universal but that the gestures we use are understood by everyone. We do not realize that waving good-bye is the way to summon a person from the Philippines to one 's side, or t hat in Italy and some Latin-American countries, curling the finger to oneself is a sign of farewell.Those private citizens who sent packages to our troops occupying Germany after World War II and marked them GIFT to escape duty payments did not bother t o find out that “Gift means poison in German. Moreover, we like to think of ourselves as friendly, yet we prefer to be at least 3 feet or an arm's length away from others. Latins and Middle Easterners like to come closer and touch, which makes Americans uncomfortable.Our linguistic ( 语言上的) and cultural blindness and the casualness with which we take notice of the developed tastes, gestures, customs and language of other countries, are losing us friends, business and respect in the world.Even here in the United States, we make few concessions to theneeds of foreign visitors. There are no information signs in four language on our public buildings or monuments; we do not have multilingual（多语的）guided tours. Very few restaurant menus have translations, and multilingual waiters, bank clerks and policemen are rare. Our transportation systems have maps in English only and often we ourselves have difficulty understanding them.When we go abroad, we tend to cluster in hotels and restaurants where English is spoken. The attitudes and information we pick up are conditioned by those natives —usually the richer —who speak English. Our business dealings,as well as the nation 's diplomacy, are conducted through interpreters. 考试大For many years, America and Americans could get by with cultural blindness and linguistic ignorance. After all, America was the most powerful country of the free world, the distributor of needed funds and goods.But all that is past. American dollars no longer buy all good things, and we are slowly beginning to realize that our proper role in the world is changing. A 1979 Harris poll reported that 55 percent of Americans want this country to play a more significant role in world affairs; we want to have a hand in the important decisions of the next century, even tough it may not always be the upper hand.21. It can be inferred that Americans being approached too closely by Middle Easterners would most probably .A）stand still 考试大B) jump asideC) step forwardD) draw back22. The author gives many examples to criticize Americans for their .A) cultural self-centerednessB) casual mannersC) indifference towards foreign visitorsD) arrogance towards other cultures23. In countries other than their own most Americans .A) are isolated by the local peopleB) are not well informed due to the language barrierC) tend to get along well with the nativesD) need interpreters in hotels and restaurants24. According to the author, American ' s cultural blindness and linguistic ignorance will .A) affect their image in the new eraB) cut themselves off from the outside worldC) limit their role in world affairsD) weaken the position of the US dollar25. The author 's intention in writing this article is to make Americans realize that .A) it is dangerous to ignore their foreign friendsB) it is important to maintain their leading role in world affairsC) it is necessary to use several languages in public placesD) it is time to get acquainted with other culturesPassage TwoQuestions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.In department stores and closets all over the world, they are waiting. Their outward appearance seems rather appealing because they come in a variety of styles, textures, and colors. But they are ultimately the biggest deception that exists in the fashion industry today. What are they? They are high heels — a woman's worst enemy (whether she knows it or not). High heel shoes are the downfall of modern society. Fashion myths have led women to believe that they are more beautiful or sophisticated for wearing heels, but in reality, heels succeed in posing short as well as long term hardships. Women should fight the high heel industry by refusing to use or purchase them in order to save the world from unnecessary physical and psychological suffering.For the sake of fairness, it must be noted that there is a positive side to high heels. First, heels are excellent for aerating( 使通气) lawns. Anyone who has ever worn heels on grass knows what I am talking about. A simple trip around the yard in a pair of those babies eliminates all need to call for a lawn care specialist, and provides the perfect-sizedholes to give any lawn oxygen without all those messy chunks of dirt lying around. Second, heels are quite functional for defense against oncoming enemies, who can easily be scared away by threatening them with a pair of these sharp, deadly fashion accessories.Regardless of such practical uses for heels, the fact remains that wearing high heels is harmful to one ' s physical health. Talk to any podiatrist( 足病医生), and you will hear that the majority of their business comes from high-heelwearing women. High heels are known to cause problems such as deformed feet and torn toenails. The risk of severe back problems and twisted or broken ankles is three times higher for a high heel wearer than for a flat shoe wearer. Wearing heels also creates the threat of getting a heel caught in a sidewalk crack or a sewer-grate( 阴沟栅)and being thrown tothe ground —possibly breaking a nose, back, or neck. And of course, after wearing heels for a day, any woman knows she can look forward toa night of pain as she tries to comfort her swollen, aching feet. 考试大26. What makes women blind to the deceptive nature of high heels?A) The multi-functional use of high heels.B) Their attempt to show off their status.C) The rich variety of high heel styles.D) Their wish to improve their appearance.27. The author 's presentation of the positive side of high heels is meant .A) to be ironicB) to poke fun at womenC) to be fair to the fashion industryD) to make his point convincingthose28. The author 's presentation of the expression babies '(Line 3, Para. 2) to refer to high heels .A) to show their fragile characteristicsB) to indicate their feminine featuresC) to show women 's affection for themD) to emphasize their small size29. The author 's chief argument against high heels is that .A) they pose a threat to lawnsB) they are injurious to women 's healthC) they don 't necessarily make women beautifulD) they are ineffective as a weapon of defense30. It can be inferred from the passage that women should .A) see through the very hature of fashion mythsB) boycott the products of the fashion industryC) go to a podiatrist regularly for adviceD) avoid following fashion too closely。
大学英语四级（ＣＥＴ－４）辅导讲义★第一讲★概述：新四级全接触四级考试在继2005年6月进行计分体制改革后，又进行了考试内容的改革，涉及到四级考试题型的变化，考试程序的改动，各题型分数比重的变动等。
改革后，新四级有什么特点，又应该如何应对，这些都是考生比较关注的问题。
把新老四级做个对比，可以看出新四级更加侧重学生的语言输入的速度和语言输出的能力。
下面从新四级的六个部分出发，对新四级作个详细分析。
第一部分是写作，这部分呈现考试程序变而考试要求不变的特点。
考试程序变。
以前的四级考试中，第一部分是听力，最后部分才是写作，而新四级第一部分就考写作，这种考试程序是向托福借鉴的结果。
第二部分快速阅读材料是30分钟后才发给考生，这样考生就需要更加合理有效利用完30分钟。
考生可以用5分钟左右仔细审题并且根据重点列出提纲，这样可以确保写作的方向是对的，写作的思路是明确的。
然后，用20至22分钟左右的时间写文章。
在写作时，一定要注意文章结构清晰，语言条理清楚，亮点偶尔闪现，包括单词的准确与变化，句子结构的多样化，合理的过渡词的使用等等。
最后，用3到5分钟检查修改文章，尤其注意时态和单复数的错误。
写作要求不变。
四级考试在内容改革前后，写作部分的要求没有任何变动，都是要求考生在30分钟内写完至少120个单词的文章。
而且从样题的分析来看，出题的方式和涉及的话题还会沿袭近几年的考法，会越来越与同学的真实生活接近，越来越强调实用性。
总之，考生可以按照以前的方法来准备写作部分。
第二部分是快速阅读，要求考生在15分钟内阅读大约1200个单词的文章，做完10个题目。
前7个题要求判断正误或未提及，后3个题要求根据文章内容把句子补充完整。
在这部分，特别强调考生在有限时间内了解文章大意，准确寻找重要细节的能力。
可以说，在信息大爆炸的现代社会，这是对考生阅读能力的很好引导。
考生要做好这部分，首先要有较快的阅读速度，同时还必须具备一定的阅读方法和技巧，大家可以参考下面的做题步骤：(1)、先看题目定方向。
