2013年12月大学英语四级考试阅读理解真题及答案详解(全套)

2013年12月大学英语四级考试

阅读理解真题及答案（全套）

——幸福就好我亦安

2013年12月大学英语四级考试阅读理解真题（一）【阅读】

Section C

Directions： 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 One

Questions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.

In recent years, a growing body of research has shown that our appetite and food intake are influenced by a large number of factors besides our biological need for energy, including our eating environment and our perception of the food in front of us.

Studies have shown, for instance, that eating in front of the TV (or a similar distraction) can increase both hunger and the amount of food consumed. Even simple visual cues, like plate size and lighting, have been shown to affect portion size and consumption.

A new study suggested that our short-term memory also may play a role in appetite. Several hours after a meal, people's hunger levels were predicted not by how much they’d eaten but rather by how much food they'd seen in front of them—in other words, how much they remembered eating.

This disparity (盖弃）suggests the memory of our previous meal may have a bigger influence on our appetite than the actual size of the meal, says Jeffrey M. Brunstrom, a professor of experimental psychology at the University of Bristol.

"Hunger isn't controlled solely by the physical characteristics of a recent meal. We have identified an independent role for memory for that meal，" Brunstrom says.

"This shows that the relationship between hunger and food intake is more complex than we thought."

These findings echo earlier research that suggests our perception of food can sometimes trick our body’s response to the food itself. In a 2011 study, for instance, people who drank the same 3S0-calorie (卡路里）milkshake on two separate occasions produced different levels of hunger-related hormones （荷尔蒙），depending on whether the shake’s label said it contained 620 or 140 calories. Moreover, the participants reported feeling more full when they thought they'd consumed a higher-calorie shake.

What does this mean for our eating habits? Although it hardly seems practical to trick ourselves into eating less, the new findings do highlight the benefits of focusing on our food and avoiding TV and multitasking while eating.

The so-called mindful-eating strategies can fight distractions and help us control our appetite, Brunstrom says.

注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

56. What is said to be a factor affecting our appetite and food intake?

A) How we perceive the food we eat. C) When we eat our meals.

B) What ingredients the food contains. D) How fast we eat our meals.

57. What would happen at meal time if you remembered eating a lot in the previous meal?

A) You would probably be more picky about food.

B) You would not feel like eating the same food.

C) You would have a good appetite.

D) You would not feel so hungry.

58. What do we learn from the 2011 study?

A) Food labels may mislead consumers in their purchases.

B) Food labels may influence our body’s response to food.

C) Hunger levels depend on one's consumption of calories.

D) People tend to take in a lot more calories than necessary.

59. What does Brunstrom suggest we do to control our appetite?

A) Trick ourselves into eating less. C) Concentrate on food while eating.

B) Choose food with fewer calories. D) Pick dishes of the right size.

60. What is the main idea of the passage?

A) Eating distractions often affect our food digestion.

B) Psychological factors influence our hunger levels.

C) Our food intake is determined by our biological needs.

D) Good eating habits will contribute to our health.

Passage Two

Questions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.

As a society we might want to rethink the time and money spent on education, so that these resources can benefit a greater percentage of the population. Ideally, both high schools and colleges can prepare individuals for the ever-changing roles that are likely to be expected of them.

High school degrees offer far less in the way of preparation for work than they might, or than many other nations currently offer, creating a growing skills gap in our economy. We encourage students to go on to college whether they are prepared or not, or have a clear sense of purpose or interest, and now have the highest college dropout rate in the world.

We might look to other countries for models of how high schools can offer better training, as well as the development of a work ethic (勤奋工作的美德）and the intellectual skills needed for continued learning and development. I recommend Harvard's 2011 "Pathways to Prosperity" report for more attention to the "forgotten half" (those who do not go on to college) and ideas about how to address this issue.

Simultaneously, the liberal arts become more important than ever. In a knowledge economy where professional roles change rapidly and many college students are preparing for positions that may not even exist yet, the skill set needed is one that prepares them for change and continued learning.

Learning to express ideas well in both writing and speech, knowing how to find information, and knowing how to do research are all-solid background skills for a wide variety of roles, and such training is more important than any particular major in a liberal arts college. We need to continue to value broad preparation in thinking skills ihat will serve for a lifetime.

Students also need to learn to work independently and to make responsible decisions. The lengthening path to adulthood appears exacerbated (惡化）by parental involvement in the college years. Given the rising investment in college education, parental concern is not surprising, but learning where and when to intervene (干

预）will help students take more ownership of the outcomes of these increasingly costly educations.

注意：此部分试越请在答题卡2上作答。

61. What kind of education does the author think is ideal?

A) It benefits the great majority of the general population.

B) It prepares students to meet the future needs of society.

C) It encourages students to learn throughout their lives.

D) It ensures that students' expectations are successfully fulfilled.

62. What does the author say is the problem with present high school education?

A) Ignoring the needs of those who don't go to college.

B) Teaching skills to be used right after graduation only.

C) Giving little attention to those having difficulty learning.

D) Creating the highest dropout rate in the developed world.

63. What characterizes a knowledge economy according to the passage?

A) People have to receive higher education to qualify for a professional position.

B) Students majoring in liberal arts usually have difficulty securing a job.

C) New positions are constantly created that require people to keep learning.

D) Colleges find it hard to teach students how to cope with the changing economy.

64. What does the author think a liberal arts college should focus on?

A) Solid background knowledge in a particular field.

B) Practical skills urgently needed in current society.

C) Basic skills needed for change and lifelong learning.

D) Useful thinking skills for advanced academic research.

65. What suggestion docs the author offer to parents?

A) Rethinking the value of higher education.

B) Investing wisely in their children's education.

C) Helping their children lo bring their talent into full play.

D) Avoiding too much intervention in their children’s education.

【答案解析】

Section C

Passage One

参考译文

(56) (60)近年来,越来越多的研究表明:除了对能量的生理需要外,人们的食欲和食物摄取受到诸多因素的影响,包括人们的饮食环境和对面前食物的认知。

研究表明，例如,在电视机(或者类似的消遣)前饮食能够同时增加饥饿感和食物的摄取量。即使是筒单的视觉信号，比如餐盘的尺寸和灯光,也被证实会对食物分量和摄取量造成影响。

(60)新的研究显示人们的短期记忆同样对食欲起作用。(57)饭后几小时,决定人们饥饿程度的不是他们已食用的食物量,而是他们吃饭时面前所见到的食物量,换言之,是他们所记得的食物量。

布里斯托大学实验心理学教授Jeffrey M. Brunstrom认为:这种差异表明人们之前的饮食记忆对食欲造成的影响可能超过食物的真实数量对食欲造成的影响。

"饥饿程度不仅仅与最近所食食物的特征有关。我们已经确认了最近饮食在记忆中的独立作用 Brunstrom说,"这表明饥饿程度和食物摄取之间的关系要比我们想象的复杂得多。"

这些发现印证了早期的研究。(60)早期研究表明，人们对食物的认知有时会欺骗身体对食物作出反应.例如：（58)在2011年的一项研究中,参与者在两个不同场合食用了同样含有380卡路里的奶昔,但是根据奶昔标签上标注的是620卡路里还是140卡路里,参与者分泌出了不同水平的与饥饿相关的荷尔蒙。而且,根据报告，当参与者认为自己食用了高卡路里的奶昔时,他们感觉更饱。

这对于人们的饮食习惯意味着什么呢？尽管新发现在让人减少饮食方面显得不切实除,但是确实能使人们认识到专注于食物、避免饮食时看电视或同时进行多项活动的益处。

(59)Brunstrom说,所谓的"用心饮食"策略能够对抗干扰,帮助人们控制食欲。

56. 【定位】由题干中的appetite和food intake定位到首段第一句。

A) 【精析】事实细节题。文章开篇指出了人们的食欲和食物摄取受到诸多因素的影响，包括人们的饮食环境和对面前食物的认知,故答案为A)。

57. 【定位】由题干中的remembered和previous meal 定位到第三段第二句。

D)【精析】推理判断题。定位句指出,饭后几小时,决定人们饥饿程度的不是他们已食用的食物量，而是他们吃饭时面前所见到的食物量,也就是说,影响人们饥饿程度的是他们记忆中的食物量而不是胃里的食物量。由此可推断,记忆对饮食造成影响，如果记忆中上顿饭吃了很多,那么不管是不是真的吃了很多,都不会感觉太饿,故答案为D)。

58. 【定位】由题干中的2011 study定位到第六段第二句。

B) 【精析】细节归纳题。定位句详细描述了 2011年的一项研究。在研究中，参与者在两个不同场合食用了相同卡路里的奶昔，但是奶昔标签上分别标注了 620卡路里和140卡路里,结果显示,根据标注的中路里含量,参与者分泌了不同水平的与饥饿相关的荷尔蒙，而且当食用了标注620卡路里的奶昔时,他们感觉更饱。实际上两份奶昔的卡路里含量是相同的，由于标签标注的不同,让人产生自我暗示,使人体对食物产生了不同的反应。故答案为B)。

59. 【定位】由题干中的control our appetite定位到文

章最后一句。

C)【精析】细节归纳题。定位句指出，所谓的"用心饮食"策略能够对抗干扰,帮助人们控制食欲。也就是Brunstrom建议我们通过"用心饮食"策略控制饮食用心饮食"和前文中提到的"专注于食物" 相照应,故答案为C)。

60. 【定位】由题干中的main idea定位到各部分主题句。如第一段的第一句、第三段的第一句、第六段的第一句和最后一句。

B)【精析】主旨大意题。全文可分为三个部分,第一部分提出论点——人们的食欲和食物摄取受到包括环境和对食物的认知等诸多因素的影响。第二部分引用相关科学研究论证这些影响因素，特别指出饮食环境、对食物的记忆、食物包装上的标签对人产生的心理暗示作用影响饮食。最后一部分提出通过专注饮食来控制食欲的建议。对食物及饮食环境的认知，对食物的记忆，食物标签产生的心理暗示等都属于心理因素,统观全文,作者一直围绕心理因素对食欲的影响展开论述，故答案为B)。

Passage two

参考译文

我们的社会应该反思花费在教育上的时间和金钱,以便这些资源能使更多的人受益。(61)理想上,高中和大学都应该能培养可以适应未来角色变化的学生。

(62)高中学历所提供给学生的就业准备远比预期少,或者远比目前其他国家所提供的少,因而造成了经济中不新扩大的技能差距。不管学生有没有做好准备,有没有明确的目标或兴趣,我们都鼓励他们继续读大学,因而产生了自前世界上最高的大学辍学率。

我们可以借鉴其他国家的做法,学习高中阶段如何提供更好的培训，同时培养学生勤奋工作的美德及继续学习和发展所需的心智技能。我向大家推荐哈佛大学2011年"迈向繁荣之路"报告,来更多地关注 "被遗忘的一半"(那些没上大学的人)以及解决这一问题的观点。

同时,人文科学比以往任何阶段都更重要。(63)在知识型经济中，职业角色迅速变化,很多大学生为之准备的职位甚至可能还不存在,他们所需的是能让他们适应变化和继续学习的技能组合。

(64)学会在书面和口头陈述中很好地表达观点,知道如何寻找信息及如何作调查研究都是为适应各种不同角色所应具备的扎实的背景技术。在文理学院,此类的培训比任何一门专业都重要。我们需要继续重视并广泛培养将会終生受益的思维技能。

学生们还需要学会独立学习,学会做出负责任的决定。由于家长在大学阶段的参与,通向成年的漫长道路看起来好像更长了。考虑到对大学教育不断攀升的投资,家长的担心也不足为奇，(65)但是学会如何地进行干预将会有助于学生享受这些日益昂责的教育所带来的成果。

答案详解

61. 【定位】由题干中的ideal定位到第一段第二句。

B) 【精析】语义理解题。定位句指出:理想上,高中和大学都应该能培养学生适应未来角色的变化。此句表明在未来社会中，人们的角色会不断发生变化,理想的教育就是能培养适应这种变化的人才，也就是说,理想的教育可以满足未来社会的需求，故答案为B)。

62. 【定位】由题干中的problem, high school定位到第二段。

D)【精析】事实细节题。作者在文章第二段论述了目前高中教育的问题,如提供给学生的就业准备不足,造成了经济中不断扩大的技能差距。盲目鼓励学生读大学造成了目前世界上最高的大学綴学率,故答案为D)。

63. 【定位】由题干中的knowledge economy定位到第四段第二句。

C) 【精析】细节推断题。定位句提到，在知识型经济中,职业角色变化迅速,很多大学生为之准备的职位甚至可能还不存在。由此可推断,知识型经济的特征是职业的迅速变化,新的职位不断地被创造,有些读书时还不存在的职位可能在毕业时出现,届时,在学校里学到的知识就远远不够了，因此人们需要持续学习来适应这些不断被创造出的新职位，故答案为C)。

64.【定位】由题干中的liberal arts college定位到第五段第一句。

C)【精析】细节归纳题。文章第五段提到在文理学院,这些培训比任何一门专业都重要。"这些培训"指上文提到的"学会在口失和书面陈述中很好地表达观点，知道如何寻找信息并且知道如何作调査研究",而这些技能培训是为了适应未来的变化，故答案为C)。

65.【定位】由题干中的suggestion和parents定位到文章最后一句。

【精析】细节归纳题。最后一段提到由于家长在大学阶段的参与，通向成年的漫长道路看起来好像更长了 ",这句话我们可以理解为家长在大学阶段过多参与孩子的教育会影响孩子的成长。文章最后指出"学会何时何地进行干预将会有助于学生享受这些日益昂贵的教育所带来的成果。"也就是说，作者建议家长学会适当的参与，避免过多的干预,这样才能使孩子更好地成长,使教育取得更大的成效,故答案为D)。

2013年12月大学英语四级考试阅读理解真题(二)Part 3 Section C

【阅读理解】

Section C

Directions ： 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 One

Questions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.

A recent global survey of 2 000 high-net-worth individuals found that 60% were not planning on a traditional retirement. Among US participants, 75% expected to continue working in some capacity even after stepping away from full-time jobs. "Many of these people made their wealth by doing something they're passionate (有激情的）about," says Daniel Egan, head of behavioral finance for Barclays Wealth Americas. "Given the choice, they prefer to continue working." Barclays calls these people “nevertirees”.

Unlike many Americans compelled into early retirement by company restrictions, the average nevertiree often has no one forcing his hand. If 106-year-old investor Irving Kahn, head of his own family firm, wants to keep coming to work every day, who's going to stop him? Seventy-eight-year-old Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s job security is guaranteed in the Constitution.

It may seem that these elderly people are trying to cheat death. In fact, they are. And it’s working. Howard Friedman, a professor at UC Riverside, found in his research that those who work hardest and are successful in their careers often live the longest lives. "People are generally being given bad advice to slow down, take it easy, stop worrying, and retire to Florida，" he says. He described one study participant, still working at the age of 100, who was recently disappointed to see his son retire.

"We're beginning to see a change in how people view retirement，" says George Leeson, co-director of the Institute of Population Ageing at Oxford. Where once retirement was seen as a brief reward after a long struggle through some miserable job, it is now akin (近似）to being cast aside. What Leeson terms "the Warren Buffett effect" is becoming more broadly appealing as individuals come to "view retirement as not simply being linked to economic productivity but also about contribution."

Observers are split on whether this is a wholly good thing. On the one hand, companies and financial firms can benefit from the wisdom of a resilient (坚韧的）chief. On the other, the new generation can find it more difficult to advance—an argument that typically holds little sway to a nevertiree.

注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

56. What do we learn about the so-called “nevertirees”？

A) They are passionate about making a fortune.

B) They have no choice but to continue working.

C) They love what they do and choose not to retire.

D) They will not retire unless they are compelled to.

57. What do Irving Kahn and Ruth Bader Ginsburg have in common?

A) Neither of them is subject to forced retirement.

B) Neither of them desires reward for their work.

C) Both cling to their positions despite opposition.

D) Both are capable of coping with heavy workloads.

58. What is the finding of Howard Friedman’s research?

A) The harder you work, the bigger your fortune will be.

B) The earlier you retire, the healthier you will be.

C) Elderly people have to slow down to live longer.

D) Working at an advanced age lengthens people’s life.

59. What is the traditional view of retirement according to the passage?

A) It means a burden to the younger generation.

B) It is a symbol of a mature and civilized society.

C) It is a compensation for one's life-long hard work.

D) It helps increase a nation’s economic productivity.

60. What do critics say about "nevertirees"?

A) They are an obstacle to a company’s development.

B) They lack the creativity of the younger generation.

C) They cannot work as efficiently as they used to.

D) They prevent young people from getting ahead.

Passage Two

Questions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.

When we talk about Americans barely into adulthood who are saddled with unbearable levels of debt* the conversation is almost always about student loan debt. But there’s a growing body of evidence suggesting that today’s young adults are also drowning in credit-card debt-and that many of them will take this debt to their graves.

More than 20% overspent their income by more than $ 100 every single month. Since they haven’t built up their credit histories yet, it's a safe bet that these young adults are paying relatively high interest rates on the resulting credit card debt.

Although many young people blame "socializing" as a barrier to saving money, most of them aren’t knocking back $ 20 drinks in trendy (时尚的）lounges. They’re struggling with much more daily financial demands.

To a disturbingly large extent, the young and the broke are relying on credit cards to make it until their next payday. This obviously isn’t sustainable in the long run, and it’s going to put a huge drag on their spending power even after they reach their peak earning years, because they’ll still be paying interest on that bottle of orange juice or box of spaghetti (意式面条）they bought a decade earlier.

A new study out of Ohio State University found that young adults are accumulating credit card debt at a more rapid rate than other age groups, and that they're slower at paying it off. "If what we found continues to hold true, we may have more elderly people with substantial financial problems in the future’" warns Lucia Dunn, professor of economics at Ohio State. "If our findings persist, we may be faced with a financial crisis among elderly people who can’t pay off their credit cards."

Dunn says a lot of these young people are never going to get out from under their credit card debt. "Many people are borrowing on credit cards so heavily that payoff rates at these levels are not sufficient to recover their credit card debt by the end of their life* which could have loss implications for the credit card issuing banks,"

注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

61. What is the main idea of the first paragraph?

A) Many young Americans will never be able to pay off their debts.

B) Credit cards play an increasingly important role in college life.

C) Credit cards are doing more harm than student loans.

D) The American credit card system is under criticism.

62. Why do young people have to pay a higher interest on their credit card debt?

A) They tend to forget about the deadlines.

B) They haven't developed a credit history.

C) They are often unable to pay back in time.

D) They are inexperienced in managing money.

63. What is said to be the consequence of young adults relying on credit cards to make ends meet?

A) It will place an unnecessary burden on society.

B) It will give them no motivation to work hard.

C) It will exert psychological pressure on them.

D) It will affect their future spending power.

64. What will happen to young adults if their credit card debt keeps accumulating according to Lucia Dunn?

A) They will have to pay an increasingly higher interest rate.

B) They may experience a financial crisis in their old age.

C) Their quality of life will be affected.

D) Their credit cards may be cancelled.

65. What does Lucia Dunn think might be a risk for the credit card issuing banks?

A) They go bankrupt as a result of over-lending.

B) They lose large numbers of their regular clients.

C) Their clients leave their debts unpaid upon death.

D) Their interest rates have to be reduced now and then.

【答案解析】

Section C

Passage One

参考译文

最近一项由2 000位高净值客户参与的全球范围的调查发现,60%的人并未打算正常退休。参与此项调查的美国人中,75%的人希望从全职工作退休之后能尽其所能继续工作。(56)"这些人当中有很多是通过去做自己感兴趣的事情来获取财富的,"美洲巴克莱财富行为财务主管Daniel Egan说如果能自由选择,他们更愿意继续工作下去。"巴克莱把这些人称为"永不退休者"。

与很多根据公司规定不得不提前退休的美国人不同，对"永不退休者"来说,没人能强迫他们退休。 (57)现在106岁的投资家Irving Kahn是家族企业的老总,如果他想坚持每天到公司上班,谁会阻止他呢？《美国宪法》保证现年78岁高龄的最高法院法官Ruth Bader Ginsburg的工作安全。

这些老年人似乎是正在尝试逃避死亡。事实确实如此,并且这也的确起到了一定的作用。

(58)加州大学河滨分校的教授Howard Friedman的研究表明,工作最努力和事业上有所成就的人通常活得最长。 "人们通常被建议要慢下来,放轻松,不要着急,然后退休去佛罗里达,这种建议其实不好，"他说。他还描述了一位受调查者.尽管100岁的高龄但仍然坚持工作,最近看到自己的儿子退休感觉很失望。

牛津人口老龄化研究所主任George Leeson说我们发现人们对待退休的态度开始发生变化。" (59)过去,人们曾认为退休是他们在某个令人痛苦的工作岗位上长期奋斗后的即时奖励,而现在人们认为退休与被遗弃类似。随着人们开始意识到"退休不仅仅是简单地与经济生产力相联系,而且也关乎贡献 Leeson提出的-沃伦?巴菲特效应"也越来越流行。

(60)关于这是否完全是一件好事情,评论家们各持己见。一方面,企业和金融公司可以受益于坚韧的领导人的智慧。另一方面,下一代人要想进一步发展会更加困难, 但是这一点对于一个"永不退休者"来说影响不大。

答案详解

56. 【定位】由题干中的so-called "nevertirees" 定位到第一段第三至五句。

C)【精析】细节椎断题。由定位句可知，有些人是通过做自己感兴趣的事情来获取财富的，如果能自由选择,他们更愿意继续工作下去。巴克莱把这些人称为"永不退休者"。由此可见，永不退休者喜欢他们的工作.选择不退休,故答案为C)。

57. 【定位】由题干中的Irving Kahn和Ruth Bader Ginsburg定位到第二段第二、三句。

A) 【精析】细节推断题。第二段首句提到，没有人能强迫"永不退休者"退休,接着定位句指出，没有人会阻止Irving Kahn去上班,《美国宪法》保证法官 Ruth Bader Ginsburg 的工作安全。换言之，他们的共同点就是没有人强迫他们退休,故答案为A)。

58. 【定位】由题干中的Howard Friedman's research 定位到第三段第四至六句。

D)【精析】细节推断题。由定位句可知，Howard Friedman的研究发现,工作最努力和事业上有所成就的人通常活得最长。也就是说,老年人工作能够延长寿命,故答案为D)。

59. 【定位】由题干中的 traditional view of retirement 定位到第四段第二句。

C) 【精析】事实细节题。由定位句可知,过去人们曾认为退休是他们在某个令人痛苦的工作岗位上长期奋斗后的即时奖励。由此可见,传统的观点认为退休是对人们长时间努力工作的一种补偿,故答案为C)。

60. 【定位】由题干中的critics定位到最后一段。

D) 【精析】观点态度题。定位段指出，下一代人要想进一谈发展会更加困难,但是这一点对于一个"永不退休者"来说影响不大。由此可见,评论家们认为"永不退休者"阻碍了下一代人的发展，故答案为D)。

参考译文

(61)当我们谈论那些刚剛步入成年而义负债累累的美同人的时候,我们的谈话内容几乎全部是学生的贷款。但是,越来越多的证据显示,今天的年轻人也陷人了信用卡债务的泥潭之中很多人将会把这个债务直接带进坟墓。

超过20%的人每个月会超支100多美元。(62)因为他们还没有建立起信用记录,但可以肯定的是, 这些年轻人在为产生的信用卡债务支付相对较高的利息。

尽管很多年轻人责备"社交"是阻碍他们存钱的一个因素,但是他们大多数人并没有在时尚的酒吧豪饮20美元的酒，而是在与更多的日常开支作斗争。

(63) 令人不安的是，年轻人和身无分文的人在很大程度上都依赖信用来维持生计，直到下次发工资。从长远看,这样的做法很明显不会长久,会严重影响他们的购买力，即使是赚钱最多的时候,因为他们仍然在为早在十年前买的那瓶澄汁或那盒意大利面条支付利息。

(64) 俄亥俄州立大学的一项新研究发现,与其他的年龄群体相比,年轻人积累信用卡债务的速度要更快,而他们的偿还能力比较弱。俄亥俄州立大学的经济学教授Luda Dunn警告说如果我们的发现仍然被证明是正确的话,我们将来可能会有更多的老人面临巨大的财务问题,那些不能偿还信用卡的老年人可能会面临财务危机。"

(65) Dunn说,这些年轻人中的许多人永远也无法从信用卡债务中走出来。"很多人从信用卡里大量地借钱,但按照他们的偿还能力，到死也不足以偿还信用卡债务，这将潜在地导致信用卡签发银行的损失"。

答案详解

61. 【定位】由题干中的the first paragraph定位到第一段。

A) 【精析】主旨大意题。定位段通过学生贷款引出年轻人的信用卡债务。最后一句“今天的年轻人也陷入了信用卡债务的泥潭之中……很多人将会把这个债务直接带进坟墓。”点明了文章主题。由此可见,很多年轻人永远都偿还不完他们的债务，故答案为A)。

62. 【定位】由题干中的pay a higher interest定位到第二段第二句。

B) 【精析】事实细节题。定位句明确指出因为年轻人还没有建立起信用记录,但可以肯定的是这些年轻人在为产生的信用卡债务支付相对较高的利息。"故答案为B)。

63. 【定位】由题干中的relying on credit cards定位到第四段。

D)【精析】事实细节题。定位段明确指出年轻和身无分文的人在很大程度上都依赖信用卡维持生计,直到下次发工资。从长远看,这样做法很明显不会长久,会严重影响他们的购买力。"由此可见,年轻人依靠信用卡维持生计将影响他们将来的购买力，故答案为D)。

64. 【定位】由题干中的Lucia Dunn和accumulating 定位到倒数第二段。

B)【精析】事实细节题。定位段明确指出与其他的年龄群体相比，年轻人积累信用卡债务的速度要更快……如果我们的发现仍然被证明是正确的话,我们将来可能会有更多的老人面临巨大的财务问题,那些不能偿还信用卡债务的老年人可能会面临财务危机。"由此可见，如果年轻人的信用卡债务持续积累，等他们年老的时候可能会遭遇财务危机,故答案为B)。

65. 【定位】由题干中的credit card issuing banks定位到最后一段。

C) 【精析】事实细节题。定位段明确指出"很多人从信用卡中大量地借钱,但按照他们的偿还能力，到死也不足以偿还信用卡债务,这将潜在地导致信用卡签发银行的损失。"由此可见,Dunn认为客户到死也没偿清债务可能会对信用卡签发银行构成风险，故答案为C)。

2013年12月大学英语四级考试阅读理解真题(三)Part 3 Section C 【阅读理解】

Section C

Directions: 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 v4), 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 One

Questions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.

A new study shows a large gender gap on economic policy among the nation’s professional economists, a divide similar to the gender divide found in the general public.

"As a group, we are pro-market" says Ann Mari May, co-author of the study and a University of Nebraska economist. "But women are more likely to accept government regulation and involvement in economic activity than our male colleagues.”

“It’s very puzzling,” says free market economist Veronique de Rugy of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. "Not a day goes by that I don't ask myself why there are so few women economists on the free market side.”

A native of France, de Rugy supported government intervention (干预）early in her life but changed her mind after studying economics. "We want many of the same things as liberals—less poverty, more health care--but have radically different ideas on how to achieve it.

Liberal economist Dean Baker, co-founder of the Center for Economic Policy and Research, says male economists have been on the inside of the profession, confirming each other’s anti-regulation views. Women, as outsiders, "are more likely to think independently or at least see people outside of the economics profession as forming their peer group," he says.

The gender balance in economics is changing. One-third of economics doctorates (博士学位）now go to women. "More diversity is needed at the table when public policy is discussed," May says.

Economists do agree on some things. Female economists agree with men that Europe has too much regulation and that Wal-mart is good for society. Male economists agree with their female colleagues that military spending is too high.

The genders are most divorced from each other on the question of equality for women. Male economists overwhelmingly think the wage gap between men and women is largely the result of individuals' skills, experience and voluntary choices. Female economists overwhelmingly disagree by a margin of 4-to-l.

The biggest disagreement： 76% of women say faculty opportunities in economics favor men. Male economists point the opposite way： 80% say women are favored or the process is neutral.

注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

56. What is the finding of the new study?

A) The gender divide is a big concern of the general public.

B) Men and women understand economics quite differently.

C) The gap between male and female economists needs to be closed.

D) Male and female economists disagree widely on economic policy.

57. What does Ann Mari May say about female economists?

A) They are strongly against male domination in the economics profession.

B) They tend to support government intervention in economic activity.

C) They usually play an active role in public policy-making.

D) They are mostly strong advocates of free market economy.

58. What do we learn about economist Veronique de Rugy?

A) She represents most female economists' standpoint.

B) She devotes herself to eliminating women's poverty.

C) Her study of economics changed her view on government's role in economic activities.

D) Her academic background helped her get into the inner circle of the economics profession.

59. What does Ann Mari May imply about public policy-making?

A) More female economists should get involved.

B) It should do justice to female economists’ studies.

C) More attention should be paid to women’s rights.

D) It should aim at sustainable development.

60. On what issue do male and female economists differ most?

A) Government regulation. C) Military spending.

B) Job creation. D) Gender equality.

Passage Two

Questions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.

The number of postgraduate students travelling from non-EU countries to study at UK universities has fallen for the first time in 16 years, fuelling fears that the government's immigration crackdown is discouraging thousands of the brightest students from continuing their studies in Britain.

Jo Beall, British Council director of education and society, said the fall would cause alarm among UK vice-chancellors (大学行政主管）."The sector was expecting a decline in growth, but the actual reduction in postgraduate numbers is of real concern as international students make up the majority of numbers in many postgraduate courses and research teams in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.”

“Attracting the brightest and most ambitious postgraduate and research students is critical if the UK is to maintain its quality reputation for research," Beall said.

Universities get a third of their tuition (学费）fee revenue from non-EU students. There is growing fear among vice-chancellors that this revenue- as well as the cultural, academic and economic benefit international students being - is being put at risk.

Tim Westlake, director for the student experience at Manchester University, said students whose families relied on them working in the UK after their studies to gain experience and repay the fees were starting to look elsewhere.

Last month the home secretary, Theresa May, announced that embassy staff would interview more than 100 000 applicants in an attempt to prevent bogus (假冒的）ones entering the country. She also said immigrants were responsible for pushing up UK house prices. The comments followed the introduction of new limitations on students' right to work during and after their studies.

Beall said: “Government statistics for the first time provide real evidence that the changes to UK visa regulations may have discouraged many students from applying to the UK, and in particular postgraduate students who are so important to the UK's research output. The UK enjoys an excellent reputation around the world for the high quality of our education system, so the government needs to ensure that

institutions have all the support they need to attract international students who make a tremendous academic, cultural and economic contribution to the UK."

注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

61. What has caused the decline of the number of non-EU postgraduates in the UK?

A) The increase in tuition and fees. C) Changed immigration policies.

B) The ever-rising living expenses. D) Universities’ tightened budgets.

62. What is UK vice-chancellors’ biggest concern?

A) How to obtain financial support from the government.

B) How to keep the academic reputation of their institutions.

C) How to prevent bogus applicants entering their universities.

D) How to stimulate the creativity of their research teams.

63. Why do UK universities try to attract postgraduate students from outside the EU?

A) A substantial part of their revenue comes from non-EU students’ tuition and fees.

B) Non-EU postgraduate students are usually highly motivated.

C) The number of UK postgraduate students has fallen sharply.

D) Some of the postgraduate programmers are specially designed for non-EU students.

64. What were the expectations of some non-EU students' families?

A) Their children could enjoy the UK’s cultural benefits.

B) Their children could find well-paying jobs upon their return.

C) Their children could become established academically.

D) Their children could work in the UK after graduation,

65. What does Beall suggest the UK government should do?

A) Allow promising international students to work in research teams.

B) Revise UK visa regulations to accommodate non-EU students.

C) Give universities adequate support to attract non-EU students.

D) Try to address the needs of international students in the UK.

【答案详解】

Section C

Passage One

参考译文

(56)最近的一项研究表明,美国经济学家在对经济政策的看法上存在着巨大的性别差异。这种类似的差异我们也可以在公众身上找到。

"作为一个群体而言,我们是支持市场导向型的,"该研究的发起者之一，内布拉斯加大学经济学家 Ann Mad May这样说道。(57)"但是相比男性而言,女性更倾向于接受政府对经济活动的调控和干预。"

"这令人感到闲惑乔治梅森大学麦卡图斯中心的自由市场经济学家Veronique de Rugy 说道。"每天我都在问自己，为什么支持自由市场的女经济学家如此的屈指可数呢?"

(58)作为土生土长的法国人,de Rury, 在其早年曾支持政府干预,但在研究经济学之后,改变了自己的看法。"我们想要的很多东西同自由主义者想要的一样，即少一些贫闲, 多一些医保,但如何实现这一目标,我们同自由主义者有着截然不同的看法。"

美国经济政策与研究中心的创办者之一，自由主义经济学家Dean Baker表示,男性经济学家一直活动于经济学领域内’他们承认彼此的反政府干预观点。而女性,作为局外人,她们则更愿意进行独立思考，或者说更愿意与经济学界之外的人组成闭体。

经济学领域的性别平衡正在发生着改变。现在三分之一的经济学博士学位都授给了女性。（59)“在讨论公共政策问题时*我们需要更多有不同观点的人参与进来,"May表示。

男女经济学家也对某些事物有着共同的养法。女性经济学家同意男同胞的观点，比如欧洲政府干预得有些多了,沃尔玛超市对社会大有碑益。男性经济学家同意他们女同胞的观点，比如军费开支过高。

(60)男女双方的最大分歧在于彼此对男女平等问题的看法。绝大多数男性经济学家认为,男女之间的工资差异主要是由个人的技术、经验和自主选择造成的。而多达四分之三的女性经济学家则不同意这一观点。

男女经济学家最大的分歧是,76%的女性认为,经济学领域的男性更容易获得在学校任教的机会。男性经济学家则表示反对,其中有80%的人认为女性才更容易获得这种机会,或者认为招聘过程是很中立的。

答案详解

56.【定位】由题干中的new study定位到文章第一段。

D) 【精析】事实细节题。第一段指出，最近的一项研究表明，美国经济学家在对经济政策的看法上存在着巨大的性別差异。換言之,男女经济学家对经济政策的看法有很大差异,故答案为D)。

57. 【定位】由题干中的Ami Mari May和female economists定位到文章第二段。

B) 【精析】细节推断题。第二段第二句提到，相比男性而言,女性更倾向于接受政府对经济活动的调控和干预,故答案为B)。

58. 【定位】由题干中的Veronique de Rugy定位到文章第三、四段。

C)【精析】细节推断题。第四段第一句指出，de Rugy在其早年曾支持政府干预,但在研究经济学之后,改变了自己的看法，即学习经济学改变了她对政府在经济活动巾的作用的看法,故答案为C)。

59. 【定位】由题干中的Ann Mari May和public policy-making定位到文章第六段最后一句。

A)【精析】综合推断题。定位句提到，在讨论公共政策问题时,需要有更多的差异性,从前文可以了解到,男女经济学家对经济政策的看法存在很大差异。由此可推断,此句暗示应有更多的女性参与进来.故答案为A)。

60. 【定位】由题干中的differ most定位到文章第八段第一句。

D)【精析】事实细节题。定位句指出，男女经济学家的最大分歧在于对男女平等问题的看法,故答案为D)。

Passage Two

(61) 从非欧盟国家到英国大学学习的研究生.人数16年来首次有所下降,这增加了人们对政府的移民打击政策正在阻碍成千上万聪明的学生来英国继续其学业的担心。

英国文化协会教育和社会部主任Jo Beall说.旅英研究生人数的下降将给英国的大学行政主管们敲响警钟。(62)"该部门之前就预计到增长会有所下降,但实际减少的研究生人数却是真正令其担心的，因为国际学生在科学、技术、工程和数学等领域的许多研究生课程和研究团队中占据了较大比例。"

"如果英国想保持其研究质量的声誉,那么吸引最聪明和最有抱负的研究生和研究型学生是至关重要的",BcaH 说。

(63) 英国大学三分之一的学费收人来非欧盟学生。大学行政主管们对于国际学生带来的这种经济收益正受到威胁越来越担忧。

(64) 曼彻斯特大学学生事务部主任Tim Westlake说,那些期待着学生完成学业后在英国工作以积累经验并偿还学费的家庭,开始将目光投向其他地方。

上个月，内政大臣Theresa May宣布英国大使馆工作人员将面试超过10万名申请者,以防止假冒的申请者进入英国。她还表示,移民应该对抬高英同房价负责。她的这些评论发表于政府推出对学生在其学习期间和之后工作权利的限制政策之后。

Beall说政府统计数据第一次提供了真实的证据,英国签证规定的改变可能使得许多学生放弃申请到英国学习,特别是对于英国研究输出非常重要的研究生。(65)英国教育体系的