专四阅读理解练习6
历年专四阅读参考答案

历年专四阅读部分答案02年TEXT A短文大意:这篇文章讲的是现代的日用家电产品的缺陷,它们只是改变了家务劳动的方式,而不能真正节省时间,且其商业广告具有很强的误导性和迷惑性。
66.答案:B【参考译文】根据短文,许多被认为可以解放妇女的家电产品如何?【试题分析】本题为细节题。
【详细解答】本题可从文中第二、三句找到答案“Machines have a certain novelty value… but the time saved does not really amount to much… ”即家用电器具有一定的新颖的价值,但是并不能节省多少时间。
故选项B为正确答案。
67.答案:A【参考译文】根据上下文,capital investment指的是什么钱?【试题分析】本题为细节题。
【详细解答】短文第四句话说“It would be more liberating to pack it all off to alaundry… since no capital investment is required.”即与其在家使用洗衣机这么麻烦,还不如直接把衣服送到洗衣店。
那样也不需要基本投资。
由此可知,capital investment指购买洗衣机所需的花费。
故选项A为正确答案。
68. 答案:D【参考译文】在女性杂志上做广告的产品的真正目的什么?【试题分析】本题为细节题。
【详细解答】文中在提到女性杂志上的广告时讲到“on no account hint at the notion that a woman could get herself a job,but instead foster her sense of her own usefulness,emphasizing the creative aspect of her function as a housewife.”即决不要使家庭主妇意识到那将会多一份劳动,反而要使她感觉自己很能干,强调她作为家庭主妇的创造才能。
英语专业四级考试阅读理解冲刺题

英语专业四级考试阅读理解冲刺题(1)(附答案)Computers monitor everything in Singapore from soil composition to location of manholes .At the airport At the airport,, it took just 15 seconds for the computerized immigration system to scan and approve my passport .It takes only one minute to be checked into a public hospital .By 1998By 1998,, almost every household will be wired for interactive cable TV and the Internet , the global computer network network..Shoppers Shoppers will will will be be be able able able to to to view view view and and and pay for pay for pay for products products products electronically electronically electronically..A A 24-hour community 24-hour community 24-hour community telecomputing network will telecomputing network will allow allow users users users to to to communicate communicate communicate with with with elected elected elected representatives and representatives and representatives and retrieve retrieve retrieve information information information about about about government government government services services services..It is all part of the government of the government‘‘s plan to transform the nation into what it calls the “Intelligent Island Intelligent Island”.”.”.In so many ways , Singapore has elevated the concept of efficiency to a kind of national ideology .For the past ten years years,, Singapore Singapore’’s work force was rated the best in the world-ahead of Japan and the U .S .-in terms of productivity , skill and attitude by the Business Environment Risk Intelligence service .Behind the Behind the ““Singapore miracle Singapore miracle”” is a man Richard Nixon described as one of “the ablest leaders I have met ,”,” one one who who,, “in other times and other places places,, might have attained the world stature stature of of a Churchill Churchill.”.”.” Lee Lee Kuan Yew led Singapore ‘s struggle for independence in the 1950s , serving as Prime Minister from 1959 until 1990.Today Today ((19951995),),), at 71 at 71 at 71,, he has has nominally nominally nominally retired retired retired to to to the the the office office office of of of Senior Senior Senior Minister Minister Minister,, where where he he he continues continues continues to to to influence influence influence his his his country country country’’s s future future future..Lee Lee offered offered companies tax breaks , political stability political stability,, cheap labor and strike-free environment .Nearly 90 percent of Singaporean adults now own their own homes and thanks to strict adherence to the principle of merit merit,, personal opportunities abound abound..“If you ‘ve got talent and work hard hard,, you can be anything here here,,” says a Malaysian-born woman who holds a high-level civil-service position .Lee likes to boast that Singapore has avoided the the ““moral breakdown breakdown”” of Western countries countries..He attributes his nation nation’’s s success to success to success to strong strong strong family family family ties ties ties,, a reliance a reliance on on on education education education as as as the the the engine of engine of engine of advancement advancement advancement and and and social social social philosophy philosophy philosophy that that that he he he claims claims is superior to America is superior to America‘‘s .In an interview with Reader Reader’’s Digest Digest,, he said that the United States has “lost its bearings bearings””by emphasizing individual rights at the expense of society society..“An ethical society society,,” he said said,, “is one which matches human rights with responsibilities responsibilities..”1.What characterizes Singapore ‘s advancement is its___s advancement is its___..A .computer monitoring computer monitoring..B .work efficiency work efficiency..C .high productivity high productivity..D .value on ethics value on ethics..2.From Nixon From Nixon’’s perspective s perspective,, Lee is___ Lee is___..A .almost as great as Churchill .B .not as great as Churchill .C .only second to Churchill in being a leader .D .just as great as Churchill .3.In the last paragraph In the last paragraph,, “lost its bearings lost its bearings”” may mean___ may mean___..A .become impatient become impatient..B .failed to find the right position .C .lost its foundation lost its foundation..D .grown band-mannered grown band-mannered..4.“.“You can be anything here You can be anything here ”(”(Paragraph 5Paragraph 5Paragraph 5)) may be paraphrased as___.A .You can hope for a very bright prospect .B .You may be able to do anything needed .C .You can choose any job as you like .D .You will become an outstanding worker .5.In Singapore In Singapore,, the concept of efficiency___.A .has been emphasized throughout the country .B .has become an essential quality for citizens to aim at .C .is brought forward by the government in order to compete with America .D .is known as the basis for building the “Intelligent Island Intelligent Island.”.”.”答案:答案:DDBAB DDBAB英语专业四级考试阅读理解模拟题(2)(附答案)Before the Before the mid mid mid 186018601860’’s , the the impact of impact of impact of the the the railroads in railroads in railroads in the the the United States United States United States was limited was limited was limited,, in in the the the sense sense sense that that that the the the tracks tracks ended ended at at this this Missouri Missouri Missouri River River River,, approximately approximately the the center center of of the country. country. At At the the point point the the trains trains trains turned turned turned their their their freight freight freight,, mail mail,, and passengers over to steamboats , wagons wagons,, and stagecoaches. This meant that wagon freighting , stagecoaching stagecoaching,, andsteamboating steamboating did did did not not not come come come to to to an an an end end end when when when the the the first first first train train train appeared; appeared; appeared; rather rather rather they they they became became became supplements supplements supplements or or or feeders. feeders. feeders. Each Each Each new new new ““end of track of track”” became a center for animal drawn or waterborne transportation. The major effect of the railroad was to shorten the distance that had to be covered by the older , slower slower,, and more costly means. Wagon freighters continued operating throughout throughout the the the 187018701870’’s s and and and 188018801880’’s s and and and into into into the the the 189018901890’’s. s. Although Although Although over over over constantly constantly constantly shrinking shrinking shrinking routes routes routes,, and and coaches coaches coaches and and and wagons wagons continued to crisscross the West wherever the rails had not yet been laid. The beginning of a major change was foreshadowed in in the the the later later later 186018601860’’s , when when the the the Union Union Union Pacific Pacific Pacific Railroad Railroad Railroad at at at last last last began began began to to to build build build westward westward westward from from from the the the Central Central Central Plains Plains Plains city city city of of of Omaha Omaha to meet the Central Central Pacific Pacific Pacific Railroad Railroad Railroad advancing advancing advancing eastward eastward eastward from from California California through through through the the formidable formidable barrier barrier barrier of of the Sierra Sierra Nevada. Nevada. Although President Abraham Lincoln signed the original Pacific Railroad bill in 1862 and a revised , financially much more generous generous version version in 18641864,, little construction construction was was completed completed until until 1865 on the Central Pacific and 1866 on the Union Pacific. The primary reason was skepticism that a Railroad built through so challenging and thinly settled a stretch of desert , mountain mountain,, and semiarid plain could pay a profit. In the words of an economist economist,, this was a case of of ““premature enterprise enterprise”,”, where not only the cost of construction but also the very high risk deterred private investment. In discussing the Pacific Railroad bill bill,, thechair of the congressional committee bluntly stated that without government subsidy no one would undertake so unpromising a venture; yet it was a national necessity to link East and West together.1. The author refers to the impact of railroads before the late 1860’s as s as ““limited limited”” because ____A. the track did not take the direct route from one city to the nextB. passengers and freight had to transfer to other modes of transportation to reach western destinationsC. passengers preferred stagecoachesD. railroad travel was quite expensive2. What can be inferred about coaches and wagon freighters as the railroad expanded ?A. They developed competing routes.B. Their drivers refused to work for the railroads.C. They began to specialize in private investment.D. There were insufficient numbers of trained people to operate them.3. Why does the author mention the Sierra Nevada in line 17?A. To argue that a more direct route to the West could have been taken.B. To identify a historically significant mountain range in the West.C. To point out the location of a serious train accident.D. To give an example of an obstacle faced by the central pacific.4. The word 4. The word ““subsidy subsidy”” in line 27 is closest in meaning to _____ 。
专四阅读答案

1- 答案解析:1. B) 这是一道主旨题。
通过阅读文章可知,为了保护冰川国家公园的濒危物种和资源,公园当局和地方土地所有者制订了限制土地使用计划,故答案为B。
2. D) 这是一道细节题。
根据第一段第三句“This land is an important part of the habitat and migratory routes for several endangered species that frequent the park.”(这片土地是非常重要的,因为这里是几种经常光顾此公园的濒危物种的栖息地和迁徙路线。
)可知选项D为正确答案。
3. C) 根据第二段可知,公园当局和地方土地所有者密切合作来保护资源,因此他们的关系是"cooperative" (合作性的)。
4. A) 这是一道推理题。
根据第二段第三句和阅读全文,我们很容易就可以得到这样一个信息:为了保护自然资源和濒危物种,公园管理者限制那些会破坏资源的土地开发。
因此选项A为正确答案。
2-1. D) 根据文章第一段第五行“Perhaps the painters thought that their pictures w ould help them to catch these animals.”可知古代人以为在墙上画画会对他们有所帮助,故选项D为正确答案。
2. C) 在做此类题时要注意题干的要求。
通过阅读文章第四段很清楚就知道选项C “前者容易发音”在文中没有提及,故为正确答案。
3. A) 可用排除法来做本题。
通过阅读文章很清楚选项B和D为错误陈述。
选项C “罗马字母是从埃及字母发展而来的”根据文章第四段第四,五句可知为错误论述,因此只有选项A 为正确答案。
4. C) 文章最后一段讲述了图画在今天的用途,故选项C为正确答案3-1. A) 这是一道主旨题。
根据文章第一句“There are many theories about the beginning of drama in ancient Greece.”及第三段第一句“Another theory traces the theater’s origin from the human interest in storytelling.”可知本文是讨论戏剧的起源的。
专四英语考试阅读理解练习题

专四英语考试阅读理解练习题A controversy erupted in the scientific community in early 1998 over the use of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid ) fingerprinting in criminal investigations. DNA fingerprinting was introduced in 1987 as a method to identify individuals based on a pattern seen in their DNA, the molecule of which genes are made. DNA is present in every cell of the body except red blood cells. DNA fingerprinting has been used successfully invarious ways, such as to determine paternity where it is not clear who the father of a particular child is. However, it is in the area of criminal investigations that DNA fingerprinting has potentially powerful and controversial uses.DNA fingerprinting and other DNA analysis techniques have revolutionized criminal investigations by giving investigators powerful new tools in the attempt to trove guilt, not just establish innocence. When used in criminal investigations, a DNA fingerprint pattern from a suspect is compared with a DNA fingerprint pattern obtained from such material as hairs or blood found at the scene of a crime. A match between the two DNA samples can be used as evidence to convict a suspect.The controversy in 1998 stemmed form a report published in December 1991 by population geneticists Richard C. Lewontin of Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., and Daniel L. Hartl called into question the methods to calculate how likely it is that a match between two DNA fingerprints might occur by chance alone. In particular, they arguedthat the current method cannot properly determine the likelihood thattwo DNA samples will match because they came from the same individual rather than simply from two different individuals who are members of the same ethnic group. Lewontin and Hartl called for better surveys of DNA patterns methods are adequate.In response to their criticisms, population geneticists Ranajit Chakraborty of the University of Texas in Dallas and Kenneth K.Kidd of Yale University in New Haven, Conn., argued that enough data are already available to show that the methods currently being used are adequate. In January 1998, however, the federal Bureau of Investigation and laboratories that conduct DNA tests announced that they would collect additional DNA samples form various ethnic groups in an attempt to resolve some of these questions. And, in April, aNational Academy of Sciences called for strict standards and system of accreditation for DNA testing laboratories.1. Before DNA fingerprinting is used, suspects____.A.would have to leave their fingerprints for further investigationsB.would have to submit evidence for their innocenceC.could easily escape conviction of guiltD.cold be convicted of guilt as well2. DNA fingerprinting can be unreliable when ____.A.the methods used for blood- cell calculation are not accurateB.two different individuals of the same ethnic group may have the same DNA fingerprinting patternC.a match is by chance left with fingerprints that happen to belong to two different individualsD.two different individuals leave two DNA samples.3. To geneticists like Lewontin and Hartl, the current method____.A.is not so convincing as to exclude the likelihood that two DNA samples can never come from two individualsB.is arguable because two individuals of the same ethnic group are likely to have the same DNA pattern.C.Is not based on adequate scientific theory of geneticsD.Is theoretically contradictory to what they have been studying4. The attitude of the Federal Bereau of Investigation showsthat ____.A.enough data are yet to be collected form various ethnic groups to confirm the unlikelihood of two DNA samples coming from twoindividual membersB.enough data of DNA samples should be collected to confirm that only DNA samples form the same person can matchC.enough data are yet to be collected from various ethnic groups to determine the likelihood of two different DNA samples coming form the same personD.additional samples from various ethnic groups should be collected to determine that two DNA samples are unlikely to come from the same person5. .National Academy of Sciences holds the stance that ____.A.DNA testing should be systematizedB.Only authorized laboratories can conduct DNA testingC.The academy only is authorized to work out standards for testingD.The academy has the right to accredit laboratories for DNA testing答案: CBABB。
2023年英语专四考试阅读备考练习题及答案

2023年英语专四考试阅读备考练习题及答案2023年英语专四考试阅读备考练习题及答案莫等闲,白了少年头,空悲切。
以下是我为大家搜寻整理的2023年英语专四考试阅读备考练习题及答案,期望对正在关注的您有所帮忙!更多精彩内容请准时关注我们应届毕业生考试网!Most of us are taught to pay attention to what is saidthe words. Words do provide us with some information, but meanings are derived from so many other sources that it would hinder our effectiveness as a partner to a relationship to rely too heavily on words alone. Words are used to describe only a small part of the many ideas we associate with any given message. Sometimes we can gain insight into some of those associations if we listen for more than words. We dont always say what we mean or mean what we say. Sometimes our words dont mean anything except Im letting off some steam. I dont really want you to pay close attention to what Im saying. Just pay attention to what Im feeling. Mostly we mean several things at once. A person wanting to purchase a house says to the current owner, This step has to be fixed before Ill buy. The owner says, Its been like that for years. Actually, the step hasnt been like that for years, but the unspoken message is: I dont want to fix it. We put up with it. Why cant you? The search for a more expansive view of meaning can be developed of examining a message in terms of who said it, when it occurred, the related conditions or situation, and how it was said.When a message occurs can also reveal associated meaning.Let us assume two couples do exactly the same amount of kissing and arguing. But one couple always kisses after an argument and the other couple always argues after a kiss. The ordering of the behaviors may mean a great deal more than the frequency of the behavior. A friends unusually docile behavior may only be understood by noting that it was preceded by situations that required an abnormal amount of assertiveness. Some responses may be directly linked to a developing pattern of responses and defy logic. For example, a person who says No! to a serials of charges like Youre dumb, Youre lazy, and Youre dishonest, may also say No! and try to justify his or her response if the next statement is And youre good looking.We would do well to listen for how messages are presented. The words, If sure has been nice to have you over, can be said with emphasis and excitement or ritualistically. The phrase can be said once or repeated several times. And the meanings we associate with the phrase will change accordingly. Sometimes if we say something infrequently it assumes more importance; sometimes the more we say something the less importance it assumes.1. Effective communication is rendered possible between two conversing partners, if ___.A.they use proper words to carry their ideas.B.they both speak truly of their own feelings.C.they try to understand each others ideas beyond words.D.they are capable of associating meaning with their words.2. Im letting off some steam in paragraph 1 means___.A.Im just calling your attention.B.Im just kidding.C.Im just saying the opposite.D.Im just giving off some sound.3. The house-owners example shows that he actually means___.A.the step has been like that for years.B.he doesnt think it necessary to fix the step.C.the condition of the step is only a minor fault.D.the cost involved in the fixing should be shared.4. Some responses and behaviors may appear very illogical, but are justifiable if___.A.linked to an abnormal amount of assertiveness.B.seen as ones habitual pattern of behavior.C.taken as part of an ordering sequenceD.expressed to a series of charges.5. The word ritualistically in the last paragraph equals something done___.A.without true intention.B.light-heartedly.C.in a way of ceremony.D.with less emphasis.答案:DBABC文档内容到此结束,欢迎大家下载、修改、丰富并分享给更多有需要的人。
2023英语专四阅读练习及答案汇总

2023英语专四阅读练习及答案汇总2023英语专四阅读练习及答案汇总成长与家庭危机The adolescent, with his passion for sincerity, always respects a parent who admits that he is wrong, or ignorant, or even that he has been unfair or unjust. What the child cannot forgive is the parent's refusal to admit these charges if the child knows them to be true.1. According to the passage, children would arouse parents' disappointment forB. talking back to their parents.C. plaining home-made dishes.D. making some spiteful remark.2. When adolescents feel disillusion with their parents, it means that theyA. feel disappointed with their parents.B. are developing into maturity.C. just want to hurt their parents.D. are expressing their discontentment.3. Adolescents in Victorian timesA. had shown more respect for parents than today.B. always answered back to deal with the problem.C. admired the authoritarian attitude of their parents.D. were too afraid to tell what they really thought.4. What is the tone of the passage?A. Critical.B. Humorous.C. Serious.D. Ambiguous.5. What does this passage mainly discuss?A. Children will bee more and more mature when growing up.B. Parents have to change their ways in educating their children.C. The conflicts between parents and their children are inevitable.D. Parents have made mistakes in munication with children.答案解析:1.[A]细节判断题。
英语专四阅读理解训练及答案解析

英语专四阅读理解训练及答案解析英语专四阅读理解训练及答案解析在英语越来越普及的21世纪,学好英语成了大学生的首要目标。
为帮助大学生掌握好英语知识,以下是店铺为大家搜索整理的英语专四阅读理解训练及答案解析,希望能对大家有所帮助!The discovery of the Antarctic not only proved one of the most interesting of all geographical adventures, but created what might be called “the heroic age of Antarctic exploration”. By their tremendous heroism, men such as 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 traction rather 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 of work awaits geographers and prospectors. The coasts of this continent remain to be accurately charted, and the maping of the whole of the interior presents a formidable task to the cartographers who undertake the work. Once their labors are completed, it will be possible to prospect the vast natural resources which scientists believe will furnish one of the largest treasure hoards of metals and minerals the world has yet known, and almost inexhaustible sources of copper, coal, uranium, and many other ores will become available to man. Such discoveries will usher in an era of practical exploitation of the Antarctic wastes.The polar darkness which hides this continent for the sixwinter months will be defeated by huge batteries of light, and make possible the establishing of air-fields for the future inter-continental air services by making these areas as light as day. Present flying routes will be completely changed, for the Antarctic refueling bases will make flights 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 the climate is possible even for men completely untrained for expeditions into those frozen wastes. Some of his parties were men who had never seen snow before, and yet he records that they survived the rigors of the Antarctic climate comfortably, so that, provided that the appropriate installations are made, we may assume that human beings from all countries could live there safely. Byrd even affirms that it is probably the most healthy climate in the world, for the intense cold of thousands of years has sterilize this continent, and rendered it absolutely germfree, with the consequences that ordinary and extraordinary sickness and diseases from which man suffers in other zones with different climates are here utterly unknown. There exist no problems of conservation and preservation of food supplies, for the latter keep indefinitely without any signs of deterioration ; it may even be 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 ago was regarded as a “dead continent” now promises to be a most active center of human life and endeavor.1.When did man begin to explore the Antarctic?A.About 100years ago.B.In this century.C.At the beginning of the 19th century.D.In 1798.2.What must the explorers be, even though they have modern equipment and techniques?A.Brave and toughB.Stubborn and arrogant.C.Well-liked and humorous.D.Stout and smart.3.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.4.What kind of metals and minerals can we find in the Antarctic?A.Magnetite, coal and ores.B.Copper, coal and uranium.C.Silver, natural gas and uranium.D.Aluminum, copper and natural gas.5.What is planned for the continent?A.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.答案:BDCBA词汇讲解1. comparatively比较地,相当地,多少All this was comparatively slow until, with the coming of science, the tempo was suddenly raised.所有这些发展都比较缓慢,直到出现了科学,其速度才突然加快。
专四阅读理解训练8篇

英语专四阅读预测题(1)As many as one thousand years ago in the Southwest, the Hopi and Zuni Indians of North America were building with adobe-sun baked brick plastered with mud. Their homes looked remarkably like modern apartment houses. Some were four stories high and contained quarters for perhaps a thousand people, along with store rooms for grain and other goods. These buildings were usually put up against cliffs, both to make construction easier and for defense against enemies. They were really villages in themselves, as later Spanish explorers must have realized since they called them "pueblos", which is Spanish for town.The people of the pueblos raised what are called"the three sisters" - corn, beans, and squash. They made excellent pottery and wove marvelous baskets, some so fine that they could hold water. The Southwest has always been a dry country, where water is scarce. The Hopi and Zuni brought water from streams to their fields and gardens through irrigation ditches. Water was so important that it played a major role in their religion. They developed elaborate ceremonies and religious rituals to bring rain.The way of life of less settled groups was simpler and more strongly influenced by nature. Small tribes such as the Shoshone and Ute wandered the dry and mountainous lands between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. They gathered seeds and hunted small animals such as small rabbits and snakes. In the Far North the ancestors of today’s Inuit hunted seals, walruses, and the great whales. They lived right on the frozen seas in shelters called igloos built of blocks of packed snow. When summer came, they fished for salmon and hunted the lordly caribou.The Cheyenne, Pawnee, and Sioux tribes, known as the Plains Indians, lived on the grasslands between the Rocky Mountains and the Mississippi River. They hunted bison, commonly called the buffalo. Its meat was the chief food of these tribes, and its hide was used to make their clothing and covering of their tents and tipis.16. What does the passage mainly discuss?A. The architecture of early American Indian buildings.B. The movement of American Indians across North America.C. Ceremonies and rituals of American Indians.D. The way of life of American Indian tribes in early North America.17. It can be inferred from the passage that the dwellings of the Hopi and Zuni were______.A. very smallB. highly advancedC. difficult to defendD. quickly constructed专业四级阅读练习(2)Human beings have used tools for a very long time. In some parts of the world you can still find tools that people used more than two million years ago. They made these tools by hitting one stone against another. In this way, they broke off pieces from one of the stones. These chips of stone were usually sharp on one side. People used them for cutting meat and skin from dead animals, and also for making other tools out of wood.Human beings needed to use tools because they did not have sharp teeth like other meat eating animals, such as lions and tigers. Tools helped people to get food more easily. Working with tools also helped to develop human intelligence. The human brain grew bigger, and human beings began to invent more and more tools and machines. The stone chip was one of the first tools that people used, and perhaps it is the most important. Some scientists say that it was the key to success of mankind.24. The stone chip is thought to be the most important tool because it ______.A. was one of the first toolsB. developed human capabilitiesC. led to the invention of machinesD. was crucial to the development of mankind25. At the end of the passage the author seems to suggest that life in future is ______.A. disastrousB. unpredictableC. excitingD. colorful英语专四阅读预测题(3)About 5,000 years ago, the Egyptians and other people in the Near East began to use pictures as kind of writing. They drew simple pictures or signs to represent things and ideas, and also to represent the sounds of their language. The signs these people used became a kind of alphabet.The Egyptians used to record information and to tell stories by putting picture writing and pictures together. When animportant person died, scenes and stories from his life were painted and carved on the walls of the place where he was buried. Some of these pictures are like modern comic strip stories. It has been said that Egypt is the home of the comic strip. But, for the Egyptians, pictures still had magic power. So they did not try to make their way of writing simple. The ordinary people could not understand it.By the year 1,000 BC, people who lived in the area around the Mediterranean Sea had developed a simpler system of writing. The signs they used were very easy to write, and there were fewer of them than in the Egyptian system. This was because each sign, or letter, represented only one sound in their language. The Greeks developed this system and formed the letters of the Greek alphabet. The Romans copied the idea, and the Roman alphabet is now used all over the world.These days, we can write down a story, or record information, without using pictures. But we still need pictures of all kinds: drawing, photographs, signs and diagrams. We find them everywhere: in books and newspapers, in the street, and on the walls of the places where we live and work. Pictures help us to understand and remember things more easily, and they can make a story much more interesting.27. Pictures of animals were painted on the walls of caves in France and Spain because______.A. the hunters wanted to see the picturesB. the painters were animal loversC. the painters wanted to show imaginationD. the pictures were thought to be helpful28. The Greek alphabet was simpler than the Egyptian system for all the following reasons EXCEPT that______.A. the former was easy to writeB. there were fewer signs in the formerC. the former was easy to pronounceD. each sign stood for only one sound29. Which of the following statements is TRUE?A. The Egyptian signs later became a particular alphabet.B. The Egyptians liked to write comic strip stories.C. The Roman alphabet was developed from the Egyptian one.D. The Greeks copied their writing system from the Egyptians.30. In the last paragraph, the author thinks that pictures ______.A. should be made comprehensibleB. should be made interestingC. are of much use in our lifeD. have disappeared from our life英语专四阅读预测题(4)There are many theories about the beginning of drama in ancient Greece. The one most widely accepted today is based on the assumption that drama evolved from ritual. The argument for this view goes as follows. In the beginning, human beings viewed the natural forces of the world, even the seasonal changes, as unpredictable, and they sought through various means, to control these unknown and feared powers. Those measures which appeared to bring the desired results were then retained and repeated until they hardened into fixed rituals. Eventually stories arose which explained or veiled the mysteries of the rites. As time passed some rituals were abandoned, but the stories, later called myths, persisted and provided material for art and drama.Those who believed that drama evolved out of ritual also argue that those rites contained the seed of theater because music, dance, masks, and costumes were almost always used. Furthermore, a suitable site had to be provided for performances, and when the entire community did not participate, a clear division was usually made between the "acting area" and the "auditorium". In addition, there were performers, and, since considerable importance was attached to avoiding mistakes in the enactment of rites, religious leaders usually assumed that task. Wearing masks and costumes, they often impersonated other people, animals, or supernatural beings, and mimed the desired effect-success in hunt or battle, the coming rain, the revival of the Sun-as an actor might. Eventually such dramatic representations were separated from religious activities.Another theory traces the theater’s origin from the human interest in storytelling. According to this view, tales (about the hunt, war, or other feats) are gradually elaborated, at first through the use of impersonation, action, and dialogue by a narrator and then through the assumption of each of the roles by a different person. A closely related theory traces theater to those dances that are primarily rhythmical and gymnastic or that are imitations of animal movements and sounds.22. What does the passage mainly discuss?A. The origins of theater.B. The role of ritual in modern dance.C. The importance of storytelling.D. The variety of early religious activities.23. What aspect of drama does the author discuss in the first paragraph?A. The reason drama is often unpredictable.B. The seasons in which dramas were performed.C. The connection between myths and dramatic plots.D. The importance of costumes in early drama.24. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a common element of theater and ritual?A. Dance.B. Costumes.C. Music.D. Magic.25. According to the passage, what is the main difference between ritual and drama?A. Ritual uses music whereas drama does not.B. Ritual is shorter than drama.C. Ritual requires fewer performers than drama.D. Ritual has a religious purpose and drama does not.26. The passage supports which of the following statements?A. No one really knows how the theater began.B. Myths are no longer represented dramatically.C. Storytelling is an important part of dance.D. Dramatic activities require the use of costumes.英语专四阅读预测题(5)Most earthquakes occur within the upper 15 miles of the earth's surface. But earthquakes can and do occur at all depths to about 460 miles. Their number decreases as the depth increases. At about 460 miles one earthquake occurs only every few years. Near the surface earthquakes may run as high as 100 in a month, but the yearly average does not vary much. In comparison with the total number of earthquakes each year, the number of disastrous earthquakes is very small.The extent of the disaster in an earthquake depends on many factors. If you carefully build a toy house with an erect set, it will still stand no matter how much you shake the table. But if you build a toy house with a pack of cards, a slight shake of the table will make it fall. An earthquake in Agadir, Morocco, was not strong enough to be recorded on distant instruments, but it completely destroyed the city. Many stronger earthquakes have done comparatively little damage. If a building is well constructed and built on solid ground, it will resist an earthquake. Most deaths in earthquakes have been due to faulty building construction or poor building sites. A third and very serious factor is panic. When people rush out into narrow streets, more deaths will result.The United Nations has played an important part in reducing the damage done by earthquakes. It has sent a team of experts to all countries known to be affected by earthquakes. Working with local geologists and engineers, the experts have studied the nature of the ground and the type of most practical building code for the local area. If followed, these suggestions will make disastrous earthquakes almost a thing of the past.There is one type of earthquake disaster that little can be done about. This is the disaster caused by seismic sea waves, or tsunamis. (These are often called tidal waves, but the name is incorrect. They have nothing to do with tides.) In certain areas, earthquakes take place beneath the sea. These submarine earthquakes sometimes give rise to seismic sea waves. The waves are not noticeable out at sea because of their long wave length. But when they roll into harbors, they pile up into walls of water 6 to 60 feet high. The Japanese call them "tsunamis", meaning "harbor waves", because they reach a sizable height only in harbors.Tsunamis travel fairly slowly, at speeds up to 500 miles an hour. An adequate warning system is in use to warn all shores likely to be reached by the waves. But this only enables people to leave the threatened shores for higher ground. There is no way to stop the oncoming wave.18. Which of the following CANNOT be concluded from the passage?A. The number of earthquakes is closely related to depth.B. Roughly the same number of earthquakes occur each year.C. Earthquakes are impossible at depths over 460 miles.D. Earthquakes are most likely to occur near the surfaces.19. The destruction of Agadir is an example of ______.A. faulty building constructionB. an earthquake's strengthC. widespread panic in earthquakesD. ineffective instruments20. The United Nations' experts are supposed to______.A. construct strong buildingsB. put forward proposalsC. detect disastrous earthquakesD. monitor earthquakes21. The significance of the slow speed of tsunamis is that people may______.A. notice them out at seaB. find ways to stop themC. be warned early enoughD. develop warning systems英语TEM4阅读理解模拟题(6)It was the worst tragedy in maritime (航海的) history, six times more deadly than the Titanic.When the German cruise ship Wilhelm Gustloff was hit by torpedoes (鱼雷) fired from a Russian submarine in the final winter of World War II, more than 10,000 people - mostly women, children and old people fleeing the final Red Army push into Nazi Germany - were packed aboard. An ice storm had turned the decks into frozen sheets that sent hundreds of families sliding into the sea as the ship tilted andbegan to go down. Others desperately tried to put lifeboats down. Some who succeeded fought offthose in the water who had the strength to try to claw their way aboard. Most people froze immediately. Tll never forget the screams," says Christa Ntitzmann, 87, one of the 1,200 survivors. She recalls watching the ship, brightly lit, slipping into its dark grave - and into seeming nothingness, rarely mentioned for more than half a century.Now Germanys Nobel Prize-winning author Gtinter Grass has revived the memory of the 9,000 dead, including more than 4,000 children - with his latest novel Crab Walk, published last month. The book, which will be out in English next year, doesnt dwell on the sinking; its heroine is a pregnant young woman who survives the catastrophe only to say later: "Nobody wanted to hear about it, not here in the West (of Germany) and not at all in the East." The reason was obvious. As Grass put it in a recent interview with the weekly Die Woche: "Because the crimes we Germans are responsible for were and are so dominant, we didn\’t have the energy left to tell of our own sufferings.The long silence about the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff was probably unavoi dable - and necessary. By unreservedly owning up to their countrys monstrous crimes in the Second World War, Germans have managed to win acceptance abroad, marginalize ( 使...不得势) the neo- Nazis at home and make peace with their neighbors. Todays unified Germany is more prosperous and stable than at any time in its long, troubled history. For that, a half century of willful forgetting about painful memories like the German Titanic was perhaps a reasonable price to pay. But even the most politically correct Germans believe that they ye now earned the right to discuss the full historical record. Not to equate German suffering with that of its victims, but simply to acknowledge a terrible tragedy.21、Why does the author say the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff was the worst tragedy in maritime history?A) It was attacked by Russian torpedoes. B) Most of its passengers were frozen to death.C) Its victims were mostly women and children. D) It caused the largest number of casualties.22、Hundreds of families dropped into the sea whenA) a strong ice storm tilted the ship B) the cruise ship sank all of a suddenC) the badly damaged ship leaned toward one side D) the frightened passengers fought desperately for lifeboats23、The Wilhelm Gustloff tragedy was little talked about for more than half a century because GermansA) were eager,to win international acceptance B) felt guilty for their crimes in World War IIC)~ad been pressured to keep silent about it D) were afraid of offending their neighbors24、How does Gunter Grass revive the memory of the Wilhelm Gustloff tragedy?A) By presenting the horrible scene of the torpedo attack. B) By describing the ships sinking in great detail.C) By giving an interview to the weekly Die Woche. D) By depicting the survival of a young pregnant woman.25、It can be learned from the passage that Germans no longer think thatA) they will be misunderstood if they talk about the Wilhelm Gustloff tragedyB) the Wilhelm Gustloff tragedy is a reasonable price to pay for the nations past misdeedsC) Germany is responsible for the horrible crimes it committed in World War IID) it-is wrong to equate their sufferings with those of other countries英语专四阅读预测题(7)Certainly no creature in the sea is odder than the common sea cucumber. All living creature,especially human beings,have their peculiarities,but everything about the little sea cucumber seems unusual. What else can be said about a bizarre animal that,among other eccentricities,eats mud,feeds almost continuously day and night but can live without eating for long periods,and can be poisonous but is considered supremely edible by gourmets?For some fifty million years,despite all its eccentricities,the sea cucumber has subsisted on its diet of mud. It is adaptable enough to live attached to rocks by its tube feet,under rocks in shallow water,or on the surface of mud flats. Common in cool water on both Atlantic and Pacific shores,it has the abilityto suck up mud or sand and digest whatever nutrients are present.Sea cucumbers come in a variety of colors,ranging from black to reddish brown to sand color and nearly white. One form even has vivid purple tentacles. Usually the creatures are cucumber shaped-hence their name-and because they are typically rock inhabitants,this shape,combined with flexibility,enables them to squeeze into crevices where they are safe from predators and ocean currents.Although they have voracious appetites,eating day and night,sea cucumbers have the capacity to become quiescent and live at a low metabolic rate-feeding sparingly or not at all for long periods,so that the marine organisms that provide their food have a chance to multiply. If it were not for this faculty,they would devour all the food available in a short time and would probably starve themselves out of existence.But the most spectacular thing about the sea cucumber is the way it defends itself. Its major enemies are fish and crabs,when attacked,it squirts all its internal organs into water. It also casts off attached structures such as tentacles. The sea cucumber will eviscerate and regenerate itself if it is attacked or even touched;it will do the same if the surrounding water temperature is too high or if the water becomes too polluted.1. According to the passage,why is the shape of sea cucumbers important?A. It helps them to digest their food.B. It helps them to protect themselves from danger.C. It makes it easier for them to move through the mud.D. It makes them attractive to fish.2. The fourth paragraph of the passage primarily discusses______.A. the reproduction of sea cucumbersB. the food sources of sea cucumbersC. the eating habits of sea cucumbersD. threats to sea cucumbers' existence3. What can be inferred about the defence mechanisms of the sea cucumber?A. They are very sensitive to surrounding stimuli.B. They are almost useless.C. They require group cooperation.D. They are similar to those of most sea creatures.4. Which of the following would NOT cause a sea cucumber to release its internal organs into the water?A. A touchB. FoodC. Unusually warm waterD. Poll ution.TEM4阅读模拟练习预测题(8)Municipal sewage is of relatively recent origin as a pollutant. It was first brought topublic attention in the 19th century by a London physician who showed that the city's cholera outbreak had been caused by just one contaminated well. Even though the contamination of drinking water by disease germs has been nearly eliminated in this country, hundreds of communities are still discharging raw sewage into streams and rivers. When we consider that this sewage contains effluents fro m toilets, hospitals, laundries,industrial plants, etc., then the potential of the pollutants as a health hazard is apparent.The problem of municipal sewage disposal is complicated by the fact that, years ago, mostcities combined their storm and waste disposal sewers. Many of these combined systems work well, but others cannot cope with sudden heavy rains. When such storms occur, water mixed with sewage may flood and disable treatment plants unless bypassed, untreated, into a stream. In either case, the people may have little protection for several days from these wastes that may contain disease germs. Evenif adequately treated to eliminate the health hazard, sewage is aestheticallyundesirable because of odors and colors produced. Detergents have posed a particular disposal problem. Although there is no indication that they are injurious to health, they can cause foaming, which can clog treatment plants and, at the least, spoil the scenic beauty of streams. Rural and suburban residents should be aware that septic tanks and cesspools are a potential source of pollution to ground water supplies. This is especially true in thesuburban areas with a high population density and with no municipal sewage disposal and treatment system available. In some areas, sewage disposal is accomplished by cesspools. Soil research is furnishing guidelines for more effective and safer use of systems such as these.1. This passage is concerned primarily with the _____ .A. problems of waste disposalB. dangers of drinking from wellsC. turbidity of polluted waterD. outbreak of cholera 2. The author mentions the London cholera epidemic to _____ .A. prove that the city refused to deal with pollutionB. prove that medical science once knew little about pollutionC. introduce the idea of contaminated water suppliesD. recall a historical fact3. In densely populated suburban areas, a danger exits from _____ . A. streams that do not flow directly to open bodies of water B. cesspools and septic tanks that contaminate water supplies C. storm and waste disposal sewers that have been combined D. the undesirable odors of sewage4. In developing the main point, the author makes use of _____ . A. scientific arguments B. convincing testimony C. common sense observations D. analogy (1)D B(2)D B(3)D C A C(4)A C D D A(5)C A B C(6)D C B D A(7)B C A B(8)A C B C Before the mid 1860's, the impact of the railroads in the United States was limited, in the sense that the tracks ended at this Missouri River, approximately the center of the country. At the point the trains turned their freight, mail, and passengers over to steamboats, wagons, and stagecoaches. This meant that wagon freighting, stage coaching, and steam boating did not come to an end when the first train appeared; rather they became supplements or feeders. Each new “end of track” became a center for animal drawn or waterborne transportation. The major effect of the railroad was to shorten the distance that had to be covered by the older, slower, and more costly means. Wagon freighters continued operating throughout the 1870’s and 1880’s and into the 1890’s. Although over constantly shrinking routes, and coaches and wagons continued to crisscross the West wherever the rails had not yet been laid. The beginning of a major change was foreshadowed in the later 1860’s, when the Union Pacific Railroad at last began to build westward from the Central Plains city of Omaha to meet the Central Pacific Railroad advancing eastward from California through the formidable barrier of the Sierra Nevada. Although President Abraham Lincoln signed the original Pacific Railroad bill in 1862 and a revised, financially much more generous version in 1864, little construction was completed until 1865 on the Central Pacific and 1866 on the Union Pacific. The primary reason was skepticism that a Railroad built through so challenging and thinly settled a stretch of desert, mountain, and semiarid plain could pay a profit. In the words of an eco nomist, this was a case of “premature enterprise”, where not only the cost of construction but also the very high risk deterred private investment. In discussing the Pacific Railroad bill, the chair of the congressional committee bluntly stated that without government subsidy no one would undertake so unpromising a venture; yet it was a national necessity to link East and West together. 16. The author refers to the impact of railroads before the late 1860's as “limited” because ____.A. the track did not take the direct route from one city to the nextB. passengers and freight had to transfer to other modes of transportation to reach western destinationsC. passengers preferred stagecoachesD. railroad travel was quite expensive17. What can be inferred about coaches and wagon freighters as the railroad expanded?A. They developed competing routes.B. Their drivers refused to work for the railroads.C. They began to specialize in private investment.D. There were insufficient numbers of trained people to operate them.18. Why does the author mention the Sierra Nevada in line 17?A. To argue that a more direct route to the West could have been taken.B. To identify a historically significant mountain range in the West.C. To point out the location of a serious train accident.D. To give an example of an obstacle faced by the central pacific.19. The word “subsidy” in line 27 is closest in meaning to ____.A. persuasionB. financingC. explanationD. penalty 16. B17. D18. D19. B。
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专四阅读理解练习6
Certainly no creature in the sea is odder than the common sea cucumber. All living creature, especially human beings,have their peculiarities, but everything about the little sea cucumber seems unusual. What else can be said about a bizarre animal that, among other eccentricities, eats mud,feeds almost continuously day and night but can live without eating for long periods, and can be poisonous but is considered supremely edible by gourmets?
For some fifty million years, despite all its eccentricities, the sea cucumber has subsisted on its diet of mud. It is adaptable enough to live attached to rocks by its tube feet, under rocks in shallow water, or on the surface of mud flats. Common in cool water on both Atlantic and Pacific shores, it has the ability to suck up mud or sand and digest whatever nutrients are present.
Sea cucumbers come in a variety of colors, ranging from black to reddish brown to sand color and nearly white. One form even has vivid purple tentacles. Usually the creatures are cucumber shaped-hence their name-and because they are typically rock inhabitants, this shape, combined with flexibility, enables them to squeeze into crevices where they are safe from predators and ocean currents.
Although they have voracious appetites, eating day and night, sea cucumbers have the capacity to become quiescent and live at a low metabolic rate-feeding sparingly or not
at all for long periods, so that the marine organisms that provide their food have a chance to multiply. If it were
not for this faculty, they would devour all the food available in a short time and would probably starve themselves out of existence.
But the most spectacular thing about the sea cucumber is
the way it defends itself. Its major enemies are fish and crabs, when attacked, it squirts all its internal organs into water. It also casts off attached structures such as tentacles. The sea cucumber will eviscerate and regenerate
itself if it is attacked or even touched; it will do the same if the surrounding water temperature is too high or if
1. According to the passage, why is the shape of sea cucumbers important?
A. It helps them to digest
2. The fourth paragraph of the passage primarily
A. the reproduction of sea
3. What can be inferred about the defence mechanisms of the sea cucumber?
4. Which of the following would NOT cause a sea cucumber to
release its internal organs into the water?
A. A touch ly warm water D. Pollution.
1. B)通过阅读文章可以排除选项A、C、D,因为文中没有提及,
故选项B为正确答案。
2. C)此题为段落主旨题。
通过阅读第四段可知作者都是讲述海参的进食习惯,故选项C为正确答案。
3. A)此题为推论题。
根据最后一段可知海参在受到外界刺激时,会做出一定的反应,这也反映出它的防御机制非常敏感,故A为正确答案。
4. B)此题为细节题。
根据最后一段可知惟有food不会使海参将体内器官吐出来,故其为正确答案。