大学英语四级阅读

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四级必读英语阅读12篇_中英文

A) to make some sounding experiments in t sample of sea plants and animals
C) to estimate the length of cable that was needed
Certainly Newton considered some theoretical aspects of it in his writings ,but he was reluctant to go to sea to further his work.
For most people the sea was remote, and with the exception of early intercontinental travelers or others who earned a living from the sea ,there was little reason to ask many questions about it ,let alone to ask what lay beneath the surface. The first time that the question ”what is at the bottom of the oceans? ”had to be answered with any commercial consequence was when the laying of a telegraph cable from Europe to America was proposed. The engineers had to know the depth profile of the route to estimate the length of cable that had to be manufactured.

英语四级真题阅读理解(带翻译)

Passage1Reading leadership literature, you’d sometimes think that everyone has the potential to be an effective leader. 读领导文学，你有时会认为每个人都有可能成为一个有效的领导者。

I don’t believe that to be true. In fact, I see way fewer truly effective leaders than I see people stuck in positions of leadership who arc sadly incompetent and seriously misguided about their own abilities. 我不相信这是真的。

事实上，我认为真正有效的领导者的方式比我看到的人都陷在领导的职位上，遗憾的是他们自己的能力不称职，严重误导了他们。

Part of the reason this happens is a lack of honest self-assessment by those who aspire to（追求）leadership in the first place. 对产生这种现象的原因一部分是由那些渴望缺乏诚实的自我评估（追求）放在首位的领导We've all met the type of individual who simply must take charge. Whether it's adecision-making session, a basketball game, or a family outing, they can't help grabbing the lead dog position and clinging on to it for dear life. They believe they're natural born leaders.我们都遇到了个人的类型，他们必须负责。

(完整版)大学英语四级阅读理解试题及答案

As the pace of life continues to increase ,we are fast losing the art of relaxation. Once you are in the habit of rushing through lift,being on the go from morning till night, it is hard to slow down. But relaxation is essential for a healthy mind and body.Stress is an natural part of everyday lift and there is no way to avoid it. In fact ,it is not the bad thing it is often supposed to be .A certain amount of stress is vital to provide motivation adn give purpose to life. It is only when the stress gets out of control that it can lead to poor performance and ill health.The amount of stress a person can withstand depends very much on the individual. Some people are not afraid of stress,and such characters are obviously prime material for managerial responsibilities. Others lose heart at the first signs of unusual difficulties. When exposed to stress,in whatever form,we react both chemically and physically. In fact we make choice between "fight" or "flight" and in more primitive days the choice made the difference between life or death. The crises we meet today are unlikely to be so extreme,but however little the stress,it involves the same response. It is when such a reaction lasts long,through continued exposure to stress,that health becomes endangered.Such serious conditions as high blood pressure and heart disease have established links with stress.Since we cannot remove stress from our lives(it would be unwise to do so even if we could),we need to find ways to deal with it.1.People are finding less and less time for relaxing themselves because_____.a.they do not know how to enjoy themselvesb.they do not believe that relaxation is important for healthc.they are travelling fast all the timed.they are becoming busier with their work2.According to the writer ,the most important character for a good manager is his ________.a.not fearing stressb.knowing the art of relaxationc.high sense of responsibilityd.having control over performance3.Which of the follwing statements is ture?a.We can find some ways to avoid stressb.Stress is always harmful to peoplec.It is easy to change the hagit of keeping oneself busy with work.d.Different people can withstand different amounts of stress4.In Paragraph 3, "such a reaction" refers back to_______.a."making a choice between 'flight' or 'fight'"b."reaction to stress both chemically and physically"c."responding to crises quickly"d."losing heart at the signs difficulties"5.In the last sentence of the passage,"do so " refers to ______.a."expose ourselves to stress"b."find ways to deal with stress"c."remove stress from our lives"d."established links between diseases and stress"答案：dadbcIn the 1960s, many young Americans were dissatisfied with American society. They wanted to end the Vietnam War and to make all of the people in the U.S. epual. Some of them decided to "drop out" of American society and form their own societies . They formed utopian communities , which they called "communes," where they could follow their philosophy of "do your own thing." A group of artists founded a commune in southern Colorado called "Drop City." Following the ideas of philosopher and architect Buckminster Fuller they built domeshaped houses from pieces of old cars. Other groups, such as author Ken Kesey's Merry Pranksters, the followers fo San Francisco poet Steve Gakin, and a group that called itself the Hog Farm, lived in old school huses and traveled around the United States. The Hog Farm become famous when they helped organize the Woodstock Rock Festival in 1969. Steve Gaskin's followers tried to settle down on a farm in Tennessee, but they had to leave when some members of the gruop were arrested for growing marijuana.Not all communes believed in the philosophy of "do you own thing," however . Twin Oaks , a commune founded in Virgiania in the late 1960s, was based on the ideas of psychologist B.F.Skinner. The people who lived at Twin Oaks were carefully controlled by Skinner's "conditioning" techniques to do things that were good for the community. In 1972, Italian architect Paolo Soleri began to build Arcosanti, a utopian city Arizsona where 2500 people will live closely together in one large building called an "archology" Soleri believes that people must live closely together so that they will all become one.1.Why did some young Americans decide to "drop out" of scoiety during the 1960s?a.They were not satisfied with American society.b.They wanted to grow marijuana.c.They wanted to go to the Vietnam War.d.They did not want all people to be equal.2.Where did the members of the Hog Farm commune live?a.In dome-shaped houseb.In old school husesc.On a farm inTennesseed.In an archology in Arizona3.Who gave the people of Drop City the idea to bulid dome-shaped house?a.Paolo Solerib.B.G.Skinnerc.Steve Gaskind.Buckminster Fuller4.What was the Twin Oaks commune base on ?a.The philosophy of "do your own thing"b.Virginaia in the late 1960sc.The ideas of psychologistd.The belief that people must live closely togerher.5.What is an "archology"?a.A person who studies archaeologyb.A large building where people live closely togetherc.A city in A rizonad.A technique to contorl people答案：abdcbThere are two factors which determine an individual's intelligence. The first is the sort of brain he is born with. Human brains differ considerably, some being more capable than others. But no matter how good a brain he has to begin with, an individual will have a low order of intelligence unless he has opportunities to learn. So the second factor is what happens to the individual—the sort of environment in which he is reared. If an individual is handicapped envionmentally ,it is likely that his brain will fail to develop and he will never attain the level of intelligence of which he is capable.The importance of environment in determining an individual's intellingence can be demonstrated by the case history of the identical twins, Peter and Mark X. Being identical, the twins had identical brains at birth, and their growth processes were the same. When the twins were three months old , their parents died, and they were placed in separate foster homes. Peter was reated by parents of low intelligence in an isolatedcommunity with poor educational pooprtunities.Mark was reared inthe home of well-to-do parents who had been to college. He was read to as a child , sent to good schools, and given every opportunity to be stimulated intellectually.This enviromental difference continued until the twins were in their late teens, when they were giben tesets to measure their intelligence. Mark's I.Q. was 125, twenty-five points higher than the average and fully forty points higher than his identical brother. Given equal opportunities , the twins , having identical brains,would have tested at roughly the same level.1.This selection can best be titled_________.a.Measuring Your Intelligenceb.Intelligence and Environmentc.The Case of Peter and Markd.How the brain Influences Intelligence2.The beststatement of the main idea of this passage is that _____.a.human brains differ considerablyb.the brain a person is born with is improtant in determining his intelligencec.environment is crucial in determining a person's intelligenced. persons having identical brains will have roughly the same intelligence3.According to the passage , the average I.Q.is _____.a.85b.100c.110d.1254.The case history of the twins appears to support the conclusion that _______.a.individual with identical brains seldom test at same levelb.an individual's intelligence is determined only by his enviromentck of opportunity blocks the growth of intelligenced.changes of enviroment produce changes in the structure of the brain5.This passage suggests that an individual 's I.Q.______.a.can be predicted at birthb.stays the same throuthout his lifec.can be increased by educationd.is determined by his childhood答案：bcbccAs she walked round the huge department store,Edith reflected how difficult it was to choose a suitable Christmas present for her father.She wish that he was as easy to please as her mother, who was always delighted with perfumeBesides,shoppong at this time of the year was a most disgreeable experience :people trod on yourtoes,poked you with their elbows and almost knocked you overin their haste to get to a bargain ahead of you.Partly to have a rest, Edith paused in front of a counter where some attracive ties were on display. "They are real silk," the assistant assured her, trying to tempt her. "Worth double the price." But edit knew from past experience that her choice of ties hardly ever pleased her father.She moved on reluctantly and then quite by chance, stopped where a small crowd of man had gathered round a counter. She found some good quality pipes on sale-----and the prices were very reasonable. Edith didnot hesitate for long : although her father only smoked a pipe occasionally, she knew that this was a present which was bund to please him.When she got home,with her small well-chosen present concealed in her handbag, her parents were already at the supper table. Her mother was in an especially cheerful mood, "Your father has at last to decided to stop smoking." She informed her daughter.1.Edith's father _______.a.did not like presentb.never got presentc.preferred tiesd.was difficult to choose a present for2.The assistant spoke to Edith because she seemed_______.a.attractiveb.interested in tiesc.tiredd.in need of comfort3.Edith stopped at the next counter_________.a.puroselyb.suddenlyc.unwillinglyd.accidentally4.Edith's father smoked a pipe_______.a.when he was obligedb.on social occasionsc.from time to timed.when he was delighted5.Shopping was very disagreeable at that time of the year because_______.a.coustomers trod on each other's toesb.coustomers poked each other with their elbowsc.customers knocked each otherd.customers were doing their shopping in a great hurry答案：dbdcdIf the population of the earth goes on increasing at its present rate, there will eventually not be enough resources left to sustain life on the planet.By the middle of the 21st century,if present trends continue, we will have used up all the oil that drives our cars,for example.Even if scientists develop new ways of feeding the human race,the crowded conditions on earth will make it necessary for lus to look for open space somewhere else. But none of the other planets in our solar system are capable of supporting life at present. One possible solution to the problem, however,has recently been suggested by American scientist, Professor Carl Sagan.Sagan believes that before the earth's resources are compleetely exhausted it will be possible to change the atmophere of Venus and so create a new world almost as large as earth itself. The difficult is that Venus is much hotter than the earth and there is only a tiny amount of water there.Sagan proposes that algae organisms that can live in extremely hot or cold atmospheres and at the same time produce oxygen,should be bred in condition similar to those on Venus.As soon as this has been done, the algae will be placed in small rockets. Spaceship will then fly to Venus and fire the rockets into the atmosphere .In a fairly short time, the alge will break down the carbon dioxide into oxygen and carbon.When the algae have done theri work, the atmosphere will become cooler,but befor man can set foot on Venus it will be neccessary for the oxygen to produce rain. The surface of the planet will still be too hot for man to land on it but the rain will eventually fall and in a few years something like earth will be reproduced on Venus.1.Inte long run, the most insoluble problem caused by population growth on earth will probably be the lack of ______.a.foodb.oilc.spaced.resources2.Carl Sagan believes that Venus might be colonized from earth because _____a.it might be possible to change its atmosphereb.its atmosphere is the same as the earth'sc.there is a good supply of water on Venusd.the days on Venus are long enough3.On Venus there is a lot of ________.a.waterb.carbon dioxidec.carbon monoxided.oxygen4.Algae are plants that can____.a.live in very hot temperaturesb.live in very cold temperaturesc.manufacture oxygend.all of the above5. Man can land on Venus only when_______.a.the algae have done their workb.the atmosphere becomes coolerc.thereis oxygend.it rains there答案：cabdd。

大学英语四级阅读理解试题及答案

大学英语四级阅读理解试题及答案（一）There are three kinds of goals: short-term,medium-range and long-term goals.Short-range goals are those that usually deal with current activities,which we can apply on a daily basis.Such goals can be achieved in a week or less,or two weeks,or possible months.It should be remembered that just as a building is no stronger than its foundation ,out long-term goals cannot amount to very munch without the achievement of solid short-term goals.Upon completing our short-term goals,we should date the occasion and then add new short-term goals that will build on those that have been completed.The intermediate goals bukld on the foundation of the short-range goals.They might deal with just one term of school or the entire school year,or they could even extend for several years.Any time you move a step at a time,you should never allow yourself to become discouraged or overwhelmed. As you complete each step,you will enforce the belief in your ability to grow adn succeed.And as your list of completion dates grow,your motivation and desire will increase.Long-range goals may be related to our dreams of the future. They might cover five years or more. Life is not a static thing.We should never allow a long-term goal to limit us or our course of action.1.Our long-term goals mean a lot__.a.if we complete our short-range goalsb.if we cannot reach solid short-term goalsc.if we write down the datesd.if we put forward some plans2.New short-term goals are bulid upon__.a.two yearsb.long-term goalsc.current activitiesd.the goals that have been completed3.When we complete each step of our goals ,__.a.we will win final successb.we are overwhelmedc.we should build up confidence of successd.we should strong desire for setting new goals4.Once our goals are drawn up,__.a.we should stick to them until we complete themb.we may change our goals as we have new ideas and opportunitiesc.we had better wait for the exciting news of successd.we have made great decision5.It is implied but not stated in the passage that ___.a.those who habe long-term goals will succeedb.writing down the dates may discourage youc.the goal is only a guide for us to reach our desinationd.every should have a goal答案：adcbc二The economy of the United states after 1952 was the econnomy of a well-fed,almost fully employed people. Despit occasional alarms, the country escaped any postwar depression and lived in a state of boom. A n economic survey of the year 1955, a typical year of the 1950’s, may be typical as illustrating the rapid economic growth of the decade. The national output was value at 10 percent above that of 1954 (1955 output was estimated at 392 billion dollars). The production of manufacturers was about 40 percent more than it had averaged in the years immediately following World War 2. The country’s business spent about 30billion dollars for new factories and machinery. National income available for spending was almost a third greater than it had been it had been in 1950. Consumers spent about 256 billion dollars; that is about 700 million dollars a day ,or about twenty-five million dollars every hour , all round the clock. Sixty-five million people held jobs and only a little more than two million wanted jobs but could not find them . Only agriculture complained that it was not sharing in the room. To some observers this was an ominous echo of the mid-1920’s . As farmer’s shre of their products declined , marketing costs rose. But there were , among the observers of the national economy, a few who were not as confident as the majority . Those few seemed to fear that the boom could not last and would eventually lead to the oppsite-depression.1. What is the best title of the passage?a. The Agriculatural Trends of 1950’sb. The Unemployment Rate of 1950’sc. U.S. Economy in the 50’sd. The Federal Budget of 19522. In Line 4 , the word “boom”could best be replaced by______.a. nearby explosionb. thunderous noisec. general public supportd. rapid economic growth3. It can be inferred the national from the passage that most people in the United States in 1955 viewed the national economy with an air of _________.a. confidenceb. confusionc. disappointmentd. suspicion4. Which of the following were LEAST satisfied with the national economy in the 1950’s?a. Economistsb. Frmaersc. Politiciansd. Steelworkers5. The passage states that incom available for spending in the U.S. was greater in 1955 than in 1950 . How much was it ?a. 60%b. 50%c. 33%d. 90%答案：cdabc三Women are also underrepresented in the administration and this is because there are so few women full professors. In 1985,Regent Beryl Milburn produced a report blasting the University of Texas System adminitration for not encouraging women.The University was rated among the lowest for the system.In a 1987 update ,Milburn commended the progress that was made and called for even more improvement.One of the positive results from her study was a System-wide program to inform women of available administrative jobs.College of Communication Associate Dean Patrica Witherspoon,said it is important that woman be flexible when it comesto relocating if they want to rise in the ranks.Although a woman may face a chilly climate on campus , many times in order for her to succeed , she must rise above the problems around her and concentrate on her work.Until women make up a greater percentage of the senior positions in the University and all academia,inequities will exist."Women need to spend their energies and time doing scholarly activities that are important here at the University." Spirduso said. "If they do that will be successful in this system.If they spend their time in little groups mourning the sexual discrimination that they think exists here, they are wasting valuable study time."1.According to Spirduso,women need to ____.a.produce a report on sexual discriminationb.call for further improvement in their working conditionsc.spend their energies and time fighting against sexual discriminationd.spend more time and energy doing scholarly activities2.From this passage ,we know that _____.a.there are many women full professors in the University of Texasb.women play an important part in adminitrating the Universityc.the weather on the campus is chillyd.women make up a small percentage of the senior positions in the University3.Which of the following statements is true?a.the number of women professors in the University in 1987 was greater than that of 1985b.the number of women professors in the University in 1987 was smaller than that of 1985c.the number of women professors was the same as that of 1985d.more and more women professors thought that sexual discrimination did exit in the University4.One of the positive results from Milburn's study was that _____.a.women were told to con centrate on teir workb.women were given information about available administrative jobsc.women were encouraged to take on all the administrative jobs in the Unversityd.women were encouraged to do more scholarly activities5. The title for this passage should be _______.a.The University of Texasburn's Reportc.Women Professorsd.Sexual Discrimination in Academia答案：ddabd四Today ,as in every other day of the year ,more than 3000 U.S. adlescents will smoke their first cigarette on their way to becoming regular smokers as adults. During their lifetime,it can be expected that of these 3000 about 23 will be murdered,30 will die in traffic accidents, and nearly 750 will be killed by a smoking-related disease. The number of deaths attributed to cigarette smoking outweithts all other factors, whether voluntary or involuntary, as a cause of death.Since the late 1970s, when daily smoking among high school seniors reached 30 precent , smoking rates among youth have declined . While the decline is impressive ,several important issues must be raised.First, in the past several years,smoking rates among youth have declined very little. Second,in the late 1970s ,smoking among male high school seniors exceeded that among female by nearly 10 percent . The statistic is reversing.Third ,several recent studies have indicate high school dropouts have excessively high smoking rates, as much as 75 percent .Finally, thouth significant declines in adolescent smoking have occurred in the past decade,no definite reasons for the decline exist. Within this context,the Naional Cancer Instiute (NCI) began its current effort to determine the most effecive measures to reduce smoking levesl among youth.1.According to the author, the deaths among youth are mainly caused by _____.a.traffic accidentsb.smoking-related deseasec.murderd.all of these2.Every day there are over_____high school strdents who will become regular smoker.a.75b.23c.30d.30003.By "dropout" the author means______.a.students who failed the examinationb.students who left schoolc.students who lost their wayd.students who were driven out of school4.The reason for declining adolescent smoking is that ________.a.NCI has taken effective measuresb.smoking is prevented among high school seniorsc.there are many smokers who have died of cancerd.none of these5.What is implied but not stated by the author is that ________.a.smoking rates among youth have declined very littleb.there are now more female than male smokers among high school seniorsc.high smoking rates are due to the incease in wealthd.smoking at high school are from low socio-economic backgrounds答案：bdbdb五The food we eat seems to have profound effects on our health.Although science has made enormous steps in making food more fit to eat ,it has, at the same time,made many foods unfit to eat. Some research has shown that perhaps eighty percent of all human illnesses are related to diet and forty percent of cancer is related to the diet as well,especially cancer of the colon. Different cultures are more likely to cause certain different illnesses because of the food that is characteristic in these cultures. That food is related to illness is nto a new discovery. In 1945, about 35 years ago, government researchers realized that nitrates, commonly used to preserve color in meats,and other food additivies,caused cancer. Yet, these carcinogenic additives remain in our food, and it becomes more difficult all the time to know which things on the packaging labels of processed food are helpful or harmful. The additives which we eat are not all so direct. Farmers often give penicillin to beef and living animals, and because of this ,penicillin has been found in the milk of treated cow. Sometimes similar drugs are given to animals not for medical purposes,but for financial reasons. The farmers are simply trying to fatten the animals in order to obtain a higher price on the market. Although the Food and Drug Administration(FDA) has tried repeatedly to control these procedures, the practices continue.1.What is the best possible title of the passage?a.Drug and Foodb.Cancer and Healthc.Food and Healthd.Health and Drug2.Which of the following statements is NOT ture?a.Drugs are always given to animals for medical reasonsb.Some of the additives in our food are added to the food itself and some are given to the living animalsc.Researchers have known about the potential dangers of food additives for over thirty-five years.d.Food may cause forty percent of cancer in world.3.How has science done something harmful to mankind?a.Because of science , diseases caused by polluted food haven been virtually eliminated.b.It has caused a lack of information concerning the value of food.c.Because of the application of science,some potentially harmful substances have been added to food.d.The scientists have preserved the color of meats,but not of vegetables.4.What are nitrates used for?a.They preserve flavor in packaged foods.b.They preserve the color of meats.c.They are the objects of research.d.They cause the animals to become fatter.5.The word 'carcinogenic' most nearly means '_____'.a.trouble-makingb.color-retainingc.money-makingd.cancer-causing答案：cacbd六As the pace of life continues to increase ,we are fast losing the art of relaxation. Once you are in the habit of rushing through lift,being on the go from morning till night, it is hard to slow down. But relaxation is essential for a healthy mind and body.Stress is an natural part of everyday lift and there is no way to avoid it. In fact ,it is not the bad thing it is often supposed to be .A certain amount of stress is vital to provide motivation adn give purpose to life. It is only when the stress gets out of control that it can lead to poor performance and ill health.The amount of stress a person can withstand depends very much on the individual. Some people are not afraid of stress,and such characters are obviously prime material for managerial responsibilities. Others lose heart at the first signs of unusual difficulties. When exposed to stress,in whatever form,we react both chemically and physically. In fact we make choice between "fight" or "flight" and in more primitive days the choice made the difference between life or death. The crises we meet today are unlikely to be so extreme,but however little the stress,it involves the same response. It is when such a reaction lasts long,through continued exposure to stress,that health becomes endangered.Such serious conditions as high blood pressure and heart disease have established links with stress.Since we cannot remove stress from our lives(it would be unwise to do so even if we could),we need to find ways to deal with it.1.People are finding less and less time for relaxing themselves because_____.a.they do not know how to enjoy themselvesb.they do not believe that relaxation is important for healthc.they are travelling fast all the timed.they are becoming busier with their work2.According to the writer ,the most important character for a good manager is his ________.a.not fearing stressb.knowing the art of relaxationc.high sense of responsibilityd.having control over performance3.Which of the follwing statements is ture?a.We can find some ways to avoid stressb.Stress is always harmful to peoplec.It is easy to change the hagit of keeping oneself busy with work.d.Different people can withstand different amounts of stress4.In Paragraph 3, "such a reaction" refers back to_______.a."making a choice between 'flight' or 'fight'"b."reaction to stress both chemically and physically"c."responding to crises quickly"d."losing heart at the signs difficulties"5.In the last sentence of the passage,"do so " refers to ______.a."expose ourselves to stress"b."find ways to deal with stress"c."remove stress from our lives"d."established links between diseases and stress"答案：dadbc七In the 1960s, many young Americans were dissatisfied with American society. They wanted to end the Vietnam War and to make all of the people in the U.S. epual. Some of them decided to "drop out" of American society and form their own societies . They formed utopian communities , which they called "communes," where they could follow their philosophy of "do your own thing."A group of artists founded a commune in southern Colorado called "Drop City." Following the ideas of philosopher and architect Buckminster Fuller they built domeshaped houses from pieces of old cars. Other groups, such as author Ken Kesey's Merry Pranksters, the followers fo San Francisco poet Steve Gakin, and a group that called itself the Hog Farm, lived in old school huses and traveled around the United States. The Hog Farm become famous when they helped organize the Woodstock Rock Festival in 1969. Steve Gaskin's followers tried to settle down on a farm in Tennessee, but they had to leave when some members of the gruop were arrested for growing marijuana.Not all communes believed in the philosophy of "do you own thing," however . Twin Oaks , a commune founded in Virgiania in the late 1960s, was based on the ideas of psychologist B.F.Skinner. The people who lived at Twin Oaks were carefully controlled by Skinner's "conditioning" techniques to do things that were good for the community. In 1972, Italian architect Paolo Soleri began to build Arcosanti, a utopian city Arizsona where 2500 people will live closely together in one large building called an "archology" Soleri believes that people must live closely together so that they will all become one.1.Why did some young Americans decide to "drop out" of scoiety during the 1960s?a.They were not satisfied with American society.b.They wanted to grow marijuana.c.They wanted to go to the Vietnam War.d.They did not want all people to be equal.2.Where did the members of the Hog Farm commune live?a.In dome-shaped houseb.In old school husesc.On a farm inTennesseed.In an archology in Arizona3.Who gave the people of Drop City the idea to bulid dome-shaped house?a.Paolo Solerib.B.G.Skinnerc.Steve Gaskind.Buckminster Fuller4.What was the Twin Oaks commune base on ?a.The philosophy of "do your own thing"b.Virginaia in the late 1960sc.The ideas of psychologistd.The belief that people must live closely togerher.5.What is an "archology"?a.A person who studies archaeologyb.A large building where people live closely togetherc.A city in A rizonad.A technique to contorl people答案：abdcb八There are two factors which determine an individual's intelligence. The first is the sort of brain he is born with. Human brains differ considerably, some being more capable than others. But no matter how good a brain he has to begin with, an individual will have a low order of intelligence unless he has opportunities to learn. So the second factor is what happens to the individual—the sort of environment in which he is reared. If an individual is handicapped envionmentally ,it is likely that his brain will fail to develop and he will never attain the level of intelligence of which he is capable.The importance of environment in determining an individual's intellingence can be demonstrated by the case history of the identical twins, Peter and Mark X. Being identical, the twins had identical brains at birth, and their growth processes were the same. When the twins were three months old , their parents died, and they were placed in separate foster homes. Peter was reated by parents of low intelligence in an isolatedcommunity with poor educational pooprtunities.Mark was reared inthe home of well-to-do parents who had been to college. He was read to as a child , sent to good schools, and given every opportunity to be stimulated intellectually.This enviromental difference continued until the twins were in their late teens, when they were giben tesets to measure their intelligence. Mark's I.Q. was 125, twenty-five points higher than the average and fully forty points higher than his identical brother. Given equal opportunities , the twins , having identical brains,would have tested at roughly the same level.1.This selection can best be titled_________.a.Measuring Your Intelligenceb.Intelligence and Environmentc.The Case of Peter and Markd.How the brain Influences Intelligence2.The beststatement of the main idea of this passage is that _____.a.human brains differ considerablyb.the brain a person is born with is improtant in determining his intelligencec.environment is crucial in determining a person's intelligenced. persons having identical brains will have roughly the same intelligence3.According to the passage , the average I.Q.is _____.a.85b.100c.110d.1254.The case history of the twins appears to support the conclusion that _______.a.individual with identical brains seldom test at same levelb.an individual's intelligence is determined only by his enviromentck of opportunity blocks the growth of intelligenced.changes of enviroment produce changes in the structure of the brain5.This passage suggests that an individual 's I.Q.______.a.can be predicted at birthb.stays the same throuthout his lifec.can be increased by educationd.is determined by his childhood答案：bcbcc九As she walked round the huge department store,Edith reflected how difficult it was to choose a suitable Christmas present for her father.She wish that he was as easy to please as her mother, who was always delighted with perfumeBesides,shoppong at this time of the year was a most disgreeable experience :people trod on your toes,poked you with their elbows and almost knocked you overin their haste to get to a bargain ahead of you.Partly to have a rest, Edith paused in front of a counter where some attracive ties were on display. "They are real silk," the assistant assured her, trying to tempt her. "Worth double the price." But edit knew from past experience that her choice of ties hardly ever pleased her father.She moved on reluctantly and then quite by chance, stopped where a small crowd of man had gathered round a counter. She found some good quality pipes on sale-----and the prices were very reasonable. Edith did not hesitate for long : although her father only smoked a pipe occasionally, she knew that this was a present which was bund to please him.When she got home,with her small well-chosen present concealed in her handbag, her parents were already at the supper table. Her mother was in an especially cheerful mood, "Your father has at last to decided to stop smoking." She informed her daughter.1.Edith's father _______.a.did not like presentb.never got presentc.preferred tiesd.was difficult to choose a present for2.The assistant spoke to Edith because she seemed_______.a.attractiveb.interested in tiesc.tiredd.in need of comfort3.Edith stopped at the next counter_________.a.puroselyb.suddenlyc.unwillinglyd.accidentally4.Edith's father smoked a pipe_______.a.when he was obligedb.on social occasionsc.from time to timed.when he was delighted5.Shopping was very disagreeable at that time of the year because_______.a.coustomers trod on each other's toesb.coustomers poked each other with their elbowsc.customers knocked each otherd.customers were doing their shopping in a great hurry答案：dbdcd十If the population of the earth goes on increasing at its present rate, there will eventually not be enough resources left to sustain life on the planet.By the middle of the 21st century,if present trends continue, we will have used up all the oil that drives our cars,for example.Even if scientists develop new ways of feeding the human race,the crowded conditions on earth will make it necessary for lus to look for open space somewhere else. But none of the other planets in our solar system are capable of supporting life at present. One possible solution to the problem, however,has recently been suggested by American scientist, Professor Carl Sagan.Sagan believes that before the earth's resources are compleetely exhausted it will be possible to change the atmophere of Venus and so create a new world almost as large as earth itself. The difficult is that Venus is much hotter than the earth and there is only a tiny amount of water there.Sagan proposes that algae organisms that can live in extremely hot or cold atmospheres and at the same time produce oxygen,should be bred in condition similar to those on Venus.As soon as this has been done, the algae will be placed in small rockets. Spaceship will then fly to Venus and fire the rockets into the atmosphere .In a fairly short time, the alge will break down the carbon dioxide into oxygen and carbon.When the algae have done theri work, the atmosphere will become cooler,but befor man can set foot on Venus it will be neccessary for the oxygen to produce rain. The surface of the planet will still be too hot for man to land on it but the rain will eventually fall and in a few years something like earth will be reproduced on Venus.1.Inte long run, the most insoluble problem caused by population growth on earth will probably be the lack of ______.a.foodb.oilc.spaced.resources2.Carl Sagan believes that Venus might be colonized from earth because _____a.it might be possible to change its atmosphereb.its atmosphere is the same as the earth'sc.there is a good supply of water on Venusd.the days on Venus are long enough3.On Venus there is a lot of ________.a.waterb.carbon dioxidec.carbon monoxided.oxygen4.Algae are plants that can____.a.live in very hot temperaturesb.live in very cold temperaturesc.manufacture oxygend.all of the above5. Man can land on Venus only when_______.a.the algae have done their workb.the atmosphere becomes coolerc.thereis oxygend.it rains there答案：cabdd阅读理解限时训练与解析A（5minutes）I found out one time that doing a favor for someone could get you into a lot of trouble. I was in the eighth grade at the time, and we were having a final test. During the test, the girl sitting next to me whispered something, but I didn’t understand. So I leaned over her way and found out that she was trying to ask me if I had an extra pen. She showed me that hers was out of ink and would not write. I happened to have an extra one, so I took it out of my pocket and put it on her desk.Later, after the test papers had been turned in, the teacher asked me to stay in the room when all the other students were dismissed（解散）. As soon as we were alone she began to talk to me about what it meant to grow up; she talked about how important it was to stand on your own two feet and be responsible (负责任) for your own acts. For a long time, she talked about honesty and emphasized（强调）the fact that when people do something dishonest, they are really cheating（欺骗）themselves. She made me promise that I would think seriously（认真地）about all the things she had said, and then she told me I could leave. I walked out of the room wondering why she had chosen to talk to me about all those things.Later on, I found out that she thought I had cheated on the test. When she saw me lean over to talk to the girl next to me, it looked as if I was copying answers from the girl’s test paper. I tried to explain about the pen, but all she could say was it seemed very very strange to her that I hadn’t talked of anything about the pen the day she talked to me right after the test. Even if I tried to explain that I was just doing the girl a favor by letting her use my pen, I am sure she continued（继续）to believe that I had cheated on the test.1. The story took place（发生）exactly ____ .A. in the teacher’s officeB. in an exam roomC. in the schoolD. in the language lab2. The girl wanted to borrow a pen, because ____ .A. she had not brought a pen with herB. she had lost her own on her way to schoolC. there was something wrong with her ownD. her own had been taken away by someone3. The teacher saw all this, so she asked the boy ____ .A. to go on writing his paperB. to stop whisperingC. to leave the room immediatelyD. to stay behind after the exam4. The thing(s) emphasized in her talk was(were) ____ .A. honestyB. sense of dutyC. seriousnessD. all of the above5. The boy knew everything ____ .A. the moment he was asked to stay behindB. when the teacher started talking about honestyC. only some time laterD. when he was walking out of the roomB（7minutes）Some kids start to drink alcohol (酒精) at a young age. They think it is part of becoming an adult. They also think drinking is not that bad because so many people do it. They feel it is not as bad as taking drugs (毒品). It is easy for kids to get liquor （酒精饮料）by using fake identification (伪造证件).Parents may start to notice a change in their child’s behavior if the child starts drinking. Kids who drink sometimes stop doing things they normally liked to do. They may keep telephone calls and meetings a secret and not want anybody to touch their things. They act moody (喜怒无常) and do not have the same eating and sleeping habits.Parents need to stay involved (牵涉) in their kids’lives. They should talk to their children about their problems to be aware of any changes.Parents can be the best protection. Children who get a lot of love can feel good about themselves. It helps them resist（抵抗）doing bad things even when other kids are doing them. Parents can also help set a good example by not drinking and driving. They can have firm rules in the home that everyone follows.Give the children good ideas on how to say “no”to drinking, even when they are at a party. Try not to overreact or panic (惊慌) if the child tries alcohol. How you handle it can affect their attitude. It may be helpful to talk to other parents about setting up curfews (宵禁令) and rules about parties or other events.1. Which of the following is NOT the reason why some kids have an early start of drinking?A. They want to show their maturity (成熟) by drinking alcohol.B. Drinking alcohol is much cooler than taking drugs.C. They are affected by many other people around them.D. They can get liquor easily.2.According to the passage, what changes may happen to the kids who start drinking?A. Nothing serious will happen to them.B. They keep the same eating and sleeping habits.C. They can control their moods quite well.。

大学英语四级阅读理解训练

大学英语四级阅读理解训练（一）Classified advertising is that advertising which is grouped in certain sectio ns of the paper and is thus distinguished from display advertising.Such gr oupings as“Help Wanted”,“Real Estate”,“Lost and Found”are made,the rate charged being less than for display advertising.Classified a dvertisements are a convenience to the reader and a saving to the advertis er.The reader who is interested in a particular kind of advertisement finds all advertisements of that type grouped for him.The advertisers may,on this account,use a very small advertisement if it were placed among larger ad vertisements in the paper.It is evident that the reader approaches the clas sified advertisement in a different frame of mind from that in which he app roaches the other advertisements in the paper.He turns to a page of classi fied advertisements to search for the particularadvertisement that will meet his needs.As his attention is voluntary,the a dvertiser does not need to rely too much extent on display type to get the reader’s attention.Formerly all classified advertisements were of the sam e size and did not have display type.With the increase in the number of su ch advertisements,however,each advertiser within a certain group is petin g with others in the same group for the reader’s attention.In many case s,the result has been an increase in the size of the space used and the ad dition of headlines and pictures.In that way,the classified advertisement has in reality advertisement.This is particularly true of real estate advertisin g?1.All of the following facts are advantages of classified advertisement for advertisers EXCEPT that____.A)classified advertisement charges less moneyB)it is easier to attract the attention of the target consumers C)it provides more information for the readers D)it does not have to rely too much on display type2.One of the examples given of types of classified advertisement is____A)houses for saleB)people who are asking for help C)people who are lost D)job vacancies3.What sort of attitude do people have when they look at classified adverti sement,according to the writer?A)They are in the frame of mind to buy anything.B)They are looking for something they need.C)They feel lost because there are so many advertisements.D)They feel t he same as when they look at display advertisements.4．According to the passage,in which way have the classified advertisem ents changed nowadays?A)They depend more on display type.B)More money is charged for them .C)They are divided into more groups.D)They are less formal. 5．Why have classified advertisements changed in appearance?A)Because people no longer want headlines and pictures.B)Because real estate ad vertising is particularly truthful now.C)Because the increase in the number of such advertisements means they have to be small now.D)Because there are more advertisements now and more petition among advertisers.答案与解析：1.C分类广告的优越性不包括为读者提供更多的信息。

大学英语四级阅读题含答案

大学英语四级阅读题含答案大学英语四级阅读题：【原文】On average，American kids ages 3 to 12 spent 29 hours a week in school，eight hours more that they did in 1981.They also did more household work and participated in more of such organized activities as soccer and ballet (芭蕾舞)。

Involvement in sports，in particular，rose almost 50% from 1981 to 1997：boys now spendan average of four hours a week playing sports; girls log hall that time. All in all，however，children‘sleisure time dropped from 40% of the day in 1981 to 25%“Children are affected by the same t ime crunch (危机) that affects their parents” says Sandra Hofferth，who headed the recent study of children‘s timetable.A chief reason，she says，is that more mothers are working outside the home.Nevertheless，children in both double-income and “male breadwinner” householdsspent comparable amounts of time interacting with their parents 19 hours and 22 hours respectively.In contrast，children spent only 9 hours with their single mothers.)All work and no play could make for some very messed-upkids.“Play is th e most powerful way a child e某plores the world and learns about himself，” says T. Berry Brazelton，professor at Harvard Medical School Unstructured play encourages independent thinking and allows the young to negotiate their relationships withtheir peers，but kids ages 3 to 12 spent only 12 hours a week engaged in it.The children sampled spent a quarter of their rapidly decreasing “free time” watching television.But that，believe it or not，was one of the findings parents might regard as good news.If they‘respending less time in front of the TV set，however，kids aren’t replacing it with reading.Despite efforts to get kids more interested in books，the children spent just over an hour a week reading.Let‘s face it，who’s got the time?大学英语四级阅读题：【题目】Choose correct answers to the question：1. By mentioning “the same time crunch” (Line 1，Para.2) Sandra Hofferth means ________.A.children have little time to play with their parentsB.children are not taken good care of by their working parentsC.both parents and children suffer from lack of leisure timeD.both parents and children have trouble managing their time2.According to the author，the reason given by Sandra Hofferthfor the time crunch is ________.A.quite convincingB.partially trueC.totally groundlessD.rather confusing3.According to the author a child develops better if ________.A.he has plenty of time reading and studyingB.he is left to play with his peers in his own wayC.he has more time participating in school activitiesD.he is free to interact with his working parents4.The author is concerned about the fact that American kids________.A.are engaged in more and more structured activitiesB.are increasingly neglected by their working mothersC.are spending more and more time watching TVD.are involved less and less in household work5.We can infer from the passage that ________.A.e某tracurricular activities promote children‘s int elligenceB.most children will turn to reading with TV sets switched offC.efforts to get kids interested in reading have been fruitfulD.most parents believe reading to be beneficial to children大学英语四级阅读题：【答案】1.[C] 语义理解题。

四级英语考试阅读精选题及答案解析

四级英语考试阅读精选题及答案解析四级英语考试阅读精选题(一)There are people in Italy who can’t stand soccer. Not all Canadians love hockey. A similar situation e某ists in America, where there are those individuals you may be one of them who yawn or even frown when somebody mentions baseball. 『Baseball to them means boring hours watching grown men in funny tight outfits standing around in a field staring away while very little of anything happens.』① They tell you it’s a game better suited to the 19th century, slow, quiet, gentlemanly. These are the same people you may be one of them who love football because there’s the sport that glorifies “the hit〞.By contrast, baseball seems abstract, cool, silent, still.On TV the game is fractured into a dozen perspectives, replays, close瞮ps. The geometry of the game, however, is essential to understanding it. You will contemplate the game from one point as a painter does his subject; you may, of course, project yourself into the game. It is in this projection that the game affords so much space and time for involve ment. The TV won’t do it for you.Take, for e某ample, the third baseman. You sit behind the third base dugout and you watch him watching home plate. His legs are apart, knees fle某ed. His arms hang loose. He does a lot of this. The skeptic still cannot think of any other sports so still, so passive. 『But watch what happens every time the pitcher throws: the third baseman goes up on his toes, fle某es his arms or bring the glove to a point in front of him, takes a step right or left, backward or forward, perhaps he glances across the field to check his first baseman’s position.』② Suppose the pitch is a ball. “Nothinghappened,〞you say. “I could have had my eyes closed.〞The skeptic and the innocent must play the game. And this involvement in the stands is no more intellectual than listening to music is. Watch the third baseman. Smooth the dirt in front of you with one foot; smooth the pocket in your glove; watch the eyes of the batter, the speed of the bat, the sound of horsehide on wood. If football is a symphony of movement and theatre, baseball is chamber music, a spacious interlocking of notes, chores and responses.1. The passage is mainly concerned with .A. the different tastes of people for sportsB. the different characteristics of sportsC. the attraction of footballD. the attraction of baseball2. Those who don’t like baseball may complain that .A. it is only to the taste of the oldB. it involves fewer players than footballC. it is not e某citing enoughD. it is pretentious and looks funnyThe author admits that .A. baseball is too peaceful for the youngB. baseball may seem boring when watched on TVC. football is more attracting than baseballD. baseball is more interesting than football4. By stating “I could have had my eyes closed. 〞 the author means (4th paragraph last sentence): A. The third baseman would rather sleep than play the game.B. Even if the third baseman closed his eyes a moment ago, it could make no different to the result.C. The third baseman is sogood at baseball that he could finish the game with eyes closed all the time and do his work well.D. The consequent was too bad he could not bear to see it.5. We can safely conclude that the author.A. likes footballB. hates footballC. hates baseballD. likes baseball四级英语考试阅读精选题答案1. D主旨题。

英语四级阅读15篇

Passage 1建议用时：8分钟From:To:When one looks back upon the fifteen hundred years that are the life span of the English language, he should be able to notice a number of significant truths. The history of our language has always been a history of constant change—at times a slow, almost imperceptible change, at other times a violent collision between two languages. Our language has always been a living growing organism, it has never been static. Another significant truth that emerges from such a study is that language at all times has been the possession not of one class or group but of many. 『At one extreme it has been the property of the common, ignorant folk, who have used it in the daily business of their living, much as they have used their animals or the kitchen pots and pans.』① At the other extreme it has been the treasure of those who have respected it as an instrument and a sign of civilization, and who have struggled by writing it down to give it some permanence, order, dignity, and if possible, a little beauty.As we consider our changing language, we should note here two developments that are of special and immediate importance to us. One is that since the time of the Anglo-Saxons there has been an almost complete reversal of the different devices for showing the relationship of words in a sentence. Anglo-Saxon (old English) was a language of many inflections. Modern English has few inflections. We must now depend largely on word order and function words to convey the meanings that the older language did by means of changes in the forms of words. Function words, you should understand, are words such as prepositions, conjunctions, and a few others that are used primarily to show relationships among other words. A few inflections, however, have survived. And when some word inflections come into conflict with word order, there may be trouble for the users of the language, as we shall see later when we turn our attention to such maters as WHO or WHOM and ME or I. The second fact we must consider is that as language itself changes, our attitudes toward language forms change also. 『The eighteenth century, for example, produced from various sources a tendency to fix the language into patterns not always set in and grew, until at the present time there is a strong tendency to restudy and re-evaluate language practices in terms of the ways in which people speak and write.』②1.In contrast to the earlier linguists, modern linguists tend to .A. attempt to continue the standardization of the languageB. evaluate language practices in terms of current speech rather than standards or proper patternsC. be more concerned about the improvement of the language than its analysis or historyD. be more aware of the rules of the language usage2.Choose the appropriate meaning for the word “inflection” used in line 4 of paragraph 2.A. Changes in the forms of words.B. Changes in sentence structures.C. Changes in spelling rules.D. Words that have similar meanings.3.Which of the following statements is not mentioned in the passage?A. It is generally believed that the year 1500 can be set as the beginning of the modern English language.B. Some other languages had great influence on the English language at some stages of its development.C. The English language has been and still in a state of relatively constant change.D. Many classes or groups have contributed to the development of the English language.4. The author of these paragraphs is probably a(an) .A. historianB. philosopherC. anthropologistD. linguist5.Which of the following can be best used as the title of the passage?A. The history of the English language.B. Our changing attitude towards the English language.C. Our changing language.D. Some characteristics of modern English.Vocabulary1.span n. 跨度，范围，一段时间，期间2.imperceptible adj. 感觉不到的，觉察不到的，极细微的anism n. 生物体，有机体4.possession n. 拥有，占有，领土，领地5.ignorant adj. 无知的6.folk n. 人们，民族7.permanence n. 永久，持久8.Anglo-Saxons n. 盎格鲁—撒克逊语，盎格鲁—撒克逊人，地道的英国人9.reversal n. 颠倒，反向，逆转10.inflection n. 词尾变化11.preposition n. 前置词，介词12.conjunction n. 联合，关联，连接词13.in terms of 根据，按照，用……的话，在……方面长难句解析①【解析】“who”引导非限制性定语从句，修饰“the common, ignorant folk”。

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词汇和语义理解题对词汇理解的考查是阅读测试的一个重要方面。

词汇题往往要求对文章中的某个单词、短语甚至句子等找出近义词或最合适的解释。

这类题需要考生拥有较大的词汇量。

这类试题主要测试考生利用上下文猜测生词词义的能力或确定常用词汇在特定语境中确切含义的能力。

生词可以大致分为两种类型：一类是单词本身并不复杂,重要的是要求考生能够在特定的语境中判断出该词的含义,这类词一般是多义词；另外一类则为纯粹的生词,对于这类词汇,考生应该从词性及其在句子中所起的语法作用确定生词所处的语境,用整个句子所具有的意思来分析词义,确定生词与上下文中的其他词是否具有同义、近义或反义等关系。

1. 词汇和语义理解题常见提问形式The author uses the phrase “...” to illustrate...From the passage, we can infer that the word “...” is...What does the word “...” mean in this passage?What do we know about the author's house from “...” ?Which of the following does the word “...” in line...refers to?Which of the following is closest in meaning to the sentence “...”?2. 词汇和语义理解题命题规律(1) 含有指示代词的句中,常考查词汇或短语。

(2) 具体环境中,具有指代上下文语义功能的词汇，尤其是名词,常成为考查对象。

(3) 常考一词多义的常见词及词组。

有些词一词多义,要求考生能通过阅读理解该词的确切含义。

平时积累生词时,一定要掌握在大纲规定范围内的所有词义，这样考试才会胸有成竹。

(4) 对比处常考这类题目考查考生能否从有对比含义的上下文中猜测出某个单词的含义。

(5) 复杂句常考复杂句句子结构复杂,句子之间的指代关系复杂,主要考查考生的理解能力。

3. 词汇和语义理解题答题技巧考生拥有比较大的词汇量和一定的构词知识,这自然有助于理解短文意义和解答词汇理解类型题目。

但由于测试文章题材广泛,体裁多样,并且同一单词在不同的语境中或上下文中有不同的含义,考生在测试时必然会遇到一些生词或熟词的生僻词义。

因此掌握正确的猜测方法有助于考生正确地解答词汇理解类型题。

确定词汇在文章中的准确含义,取决于对其所在的上下文的正确理解,并在理解的基础上推测词义。

一般常见的方法如下:(1) 利用上下文与该词逻辑和意义上的联系The ruler had been so cruel and dishonest that after revolution he was banished.A few members of the Senate opposed the decision, but the majority voted that the ruler should leave the country forever.从上下文中我们知道第二句中的the decision指的就是he was banished,少数人反对这个决定，多数人支持这个决定：国王必须永远离开这个国家。

由此我们可以推测banish为“驱逐,流放”之意。

(2) 利用文章中的定义或者解释Procrastinators are people who have a chronic habit of putting things off, usually until the last minute and sometimes until it is too late altogether.这句话实际上是给procrastinators下了一个定义,从中我们可以猜测其意义是“拖延者，拖拖拉拉的人”。

(3) 利用对比关系所谓对比关系,就是利用相邻两句(或者两个分句)结构上或意义上的对比来猜测词义。

In spite of his aged appearance, his movements were spirite d as a young man’s. 短语in spite of连接让步状语,对主句的意思起反衬作用,使前后两部分形成意义上的对比。

根据对比可以推知spirited意为“有精神的,朝气蓬勃的”。

(4) 利用同位关系在一个句子中,有时两个或者两个以上的词构成同位关系,起同样的作用,意义大体相近或具有一定的联系。

这种同位关系有时通过破折号表示,有时通过一定的解释性提示词表示。

如:particularly, mainly, chiefly, such as, say, for example, or, namely, in other words, that is to say等。

Have some sherries—the most distinguished wine from Spain.通过破折号后面的意义,我们可以得知sherries是一种西班牙产的酒。

(5) 利用定语从句有时在某些生词或者重要的词后面,作者使用定语从句来进一步解释说明,考生可以通过理解定语从句的意义来猜测该词的意义。

This set of book is for children. The first book of the sequence, which is one of the most popular series of children's stories, is actually a collection of stories about the people in the village.定语从句说明了sequence的含义是a series of books。

(6) 利用举例某些词的意思也可通过such as, like, for example, for instance等举例加以说明。

如: Many ships leave land and disappear completely; the US Cyclops, for example, vanished in 1918.由for example可知vanish与disappear是同义词,意思是“消失，失踪”。

(7) 利用同义信息和反义信息这是推断生词最重要的手段。

作者常用意义相同或相近的词来解释某词,有时也用表示原因的短语或句子,或在意义上可以互补的词来解释说明某词。

如: It is difficult to list all of my father's attributes because he has so many different talents and abilities.从原因状语从句中的talents和abilities可以猜测出 attributes意为“才能”。

通过反义词和转折词,如but, yet, however, instead, rather than, on the contrary 等往往也可以猜出生词的词义。

如: Storming out of the room only exacerbates the situation rather than ease it. rather than是表示否定意义的并列词语,由此可知exacerbate是ease的反义词,故可以猜出exacerbate的意思是“加剧”或“恶化”。

(8) 利用类属词英语中有些词指某类事物的总称,这些词称为类属词。

如resources为资源的总称,其中包括oil, silver, water等。

这实际上是一般和具体的关系。

阅读时应注意发现词语之间的这种关系,以便猜出某些词的意义。

如: Household appliances, especially TV sets, washing machines and tape recorders, are selling well these days.电视机、洗衣机和录音机均属电器,因此可以推出household appliances的意思是“家用电器”。

(9) 利用构词法通过构词法,如前缀和后缀也可推测词义。

如: Antibiotics such as penicillin will not cure the flu.前缀anti-表示“反，抗”的意思,又根据penicillin(青霉素)一词,可推断antibiotics的意思是“抗生素”。

2011年6月份英语四级考试仔细阅读练习10Passage OneQuestions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage.I’m usually fairly skeptical about any research that concludes that people are either happier or unhappier or more or less certain of themselves than they were 50 years ago. While any of these statements might be true， they are practically impossible to prove scientifically. Still， I was struck by a report which concludedthat today’s children are significantly more anxious than children in the 1950s. In fact， the analysis showed， normal children ages 9 to 17 exhibit a higher level of anxiety today than children who were treated for mental illness 50 years ago.Why are America’s kids so stressed？ The report cites two main causes：increasing physical isolation—brought on by high divorce rates and less involvement in community， among other things—and a growing perception that the world is a more dangerous place.Given that we can’t turn the clock back， adults can still do plenty to help the next generation cope.At the top of the list is nurturing （培育） a better appreciation of the limits of individualism. No child is an island. Strengthening social ties helps build communities and protect individuals against stress.To help kids build stronger connections with others， you can pull the plug on TVs and computers. Your family will thank you later. They will have more time for face-to-face relationships， and they will get more sleep.Limit the amount of virtual （虚拟的） violence your children are exposed to. It’s not just video games and movies; children see a lot of murder and crime on the local news.Keep your expectations for your children reasonable. Many highly successful people never attended Harvard or Yale.Make exercise part of your daily routine. It will help you cope with your own anxieties and provide a good model for your kids. Sometimes anxiety is unavoidable. But it doesn’t have to ruin your life.21. The author thinks that the conclusions of any research about people’s state of mind are ________.A） surprising B） confusing C） illogical D） questionable22. What does the author mean when he says，“we can’t turn the clock back”（Line 1， Para. 3）？A） It’s impossible to slow down the pace of change.B） The social reality children are facing cannot be changed.C） Lessons learned from the past should not be forgotten.D） It’s impossible to forget the past.23. According to an analysis， compared with normal children today， children treated as mentally ill 50 years ago ________.A） were less isolated physicallyB） were probably less self-centeredC） probably suffered less from anxietyD） were considered less individualistic24. The first and most important thing parents should do to help their children is ________.A） to provide them with a safer environmentB） to lower their expectations for themC） to get them more involved sociallyD） to set a good model for them to follow25. What conclusion can be drawn from the passage？A） Anxiety， though unavoidable， can be coped with.B） Children’s anxiety has been enormously exaggerated.C） Children’s anxiety can be eliminated with more parental care.D） Anxiety， if properly controlled， may help children become mature.Passage TwoQuestions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.It is easier to negotiate initial salary requirement because once you are inside， the organizational constraints （约束） influence wage increases. One thing，however， is certain： your chances of getting the raise you feel you deserve are less if you don’t at least ask for it. Men tend to ask for more， and they get more，and this holds true with other resources， not just pay increases. Consider Beth’s story：I did not get what I wanted when I did not ask for it. We had cubicle （小隔间） officesand window offices. I sat in the cubicles with several male colleagues. One by one they were moved into window offices， while I remained in the cubicles， several males who were hired after me also went to offices. One in particular told me he was next in line for an office and that it had been part of his negotiations for the job. I guess they thought me content to stay in the cubicles since I did not voice my opinion either way.It would be nice if we all received automatic pay increases equal to our merit，but “nice” isn’t a quality attributed to most organizations. If you feel you deserve a significant raise in pay， you’ll probably have to ask for it.Performance is your best bargaining chip （筹码） when you are seeking a raise. You must be able to demonstrate that you deserve a raise. Timing is also a good bargaining chip. If you can give your boss something he or she needs （a new client or a sizable contract， for example） just before merit pay decisions are being made，you are more likely to get the raise you want.Use information as a bargaining chip too. Find out what you are worth on the open market. What will someone else pay for your services？Go into the negotiations prepared to place your chips on the table at the appropriate time and prepared to use communication style to guide the direction of the interaction.26. According to the passage， before taking a job， a person should ________.A） demonstrate his capabilityB） give his boss a good impressionC） ask for as much money as he canD） ask for the salary he hopes to get27. What can be inferred from Beth’s story？A） Prejudice against women still exists in some organizations.B） If people want what they deserve， they have to ask for it.C） People should not be content with what they have got.D） People should be careful when negotiating for a job.28. We can learn from the passage that ________.A） unfairness exists in salary increasesB） most people are overworked and underpaidC） one should avoid overstating one’s performanceD） most organizations give their staff automatic pay raises29. To get a pay raise， a person should ________.A） advertise himself on the job marketB） persuade his boss to sign a long-term contractC） try to get inside information about the organizationD） do something to impress his boss just before merit pay decisions 30. To be successful in negotiations， one must ________.A） meet his boss at the appropriate timeB） arrive at the negotiation table punctuallyC） be good at influencing the outcome of the interactionD） be familiar with what the boss likes and dislikesPassage ThreeQuestions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage.When families gather for Christmas dinner， some will stick to formal traditions dating back to Grandma’s generation. Their tables will be set with the good dishes and silver， and the dress code will be Sunday-best.But in many other homes， this china-and-silver elegance has given way to a stoneware （粗陶）-and-stainless informality， with dresses assuming an equally casual-Friday look. For hosts and guests， the change means greater simplicity and comfort. For makers of fine china in Britain， it spells economic hard times.Last week Royal Doulton， the largest employer in Stoke-on-Trent， announced that it is eliminating 1，000 jobs—one-fifth of its total workforce. That brings to more than 4，000 the number of positions lost in 18 months in the pottery （陶瓷） region. Wedgwood and other pottery factories made cuts earlier.Although a strong pound and weak markets in Asia play a role in the downsizing，the layoffs in Stoke have their roots in earthshaking social shifts. A spokesman for Royal Doulton admitted that the company “has been somewhat slow in catching up with the trend” toward casual dining. Families eat together less often， he explained， and more people eat alone， either because they are single or they eat in front of television;Even dinner parties， if they happen at all， have gone casual. In a time of long work hours and demanding family schedules， busy hosts insist， rightly， that it’s better to share a takeout pizza on paper plates in the family room than to wait for the perfect moment or a “real” dinner party. Too often， the perfect moment never comes. Iron a fine-patterned tablecloth？ Forget it. Polish the silver？ Who has time？Yet the loss of formality has its down side. The fine points of etiquette （礼节） that children might once have learned at the table by observation or instruction from parents and grandparents （“Chew with your mouth closed.”“Keep your elbows off the table.”） must be picked up elsewhere. Some companies now offer etiquette seminars for employees who may be competent professionally but clueless socially.31. The trend toward casual dining has resulted in ________.A） bankruptcy of fine china manufacturersB） shrinking of the pottery industryC） restructuring of large enterprisesD） economic recession in Great Britain32. Which of the following may be the best reason for casual dining？A） Family members need more time to relax.B） Busy schedules leave people no time for formality.C） People want to practice economy in times of scarcity.D） Young people won’t follow the etiquette of the older generation.33. It can be learned from the passage that Royal Doulton is ________.A） a retailer of stainless steel tablewareB） a dealer in stonewareC） a pottery chain storeD） a producer of fine china34. The main cause of the layoffs in the pottery industry is ________.A） the increased value of the poundB） the economic recession in AsiaC） the change in people’s way of lifeD） the fierce competition at home and abroad35. Refined table manners， though less popular than before in current social life ________.A） are still a must on certain occasionsB） axe bound to return sooner or laterC） are still being taught by parents at homeD） can help improve personal relationshipsQuestions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage.Some houses are designed to be smart. Others have smart designs. An example of the second type of house won an Award of Excellence from the American Institute of Architects.Located on the shore of Sullivan’s Island off the coast of South Carolina，the award-winning cube-shaped beach house was built to replace one smashed to pieces by Hurricane （飓风） Hugo 10 years ago. In September 1989， Hugo struck South Carolina， killing 18 people and damaging or destroying 36，000 homes in the state.Before Hugo， many new houses built along South Carolina’s shoreline were poorly constructed， and enforcement of building codes wasn’t strict， according to architect Ray Huff， who created the cleverly-designed beach house. In Hugo’s wake，all new shoreline houses are required to meet stricter， better-enforced codes. The new beach house on Sullivan’s Island should be able to withstand a Category 3 hurricane with peak winds of 179 to 209 kilometers per hour.At first sight， the house on Sullivan’s Island looks anything but hurricane-proof. Its redwood shell makes it resemble “a large party lantern （灯笼）” at night， according to one observer. But looks can be deceiving. The house’s wooden frame is reinforced with longsteel rods to give it extra strength.To further protect the house from hurricane damage， Huff raised it 2.7 meters off the ground on timber pilings—long， slender columns of wood anchored deep in the sand. Pilings might appear insecure， but they are strong enough to support the weight of the house. They also elevate the house above storm surges. The pilings allow the surges to run under the house instead of running into it. “These swells of water come ashore at tremendous speeds and cause most of the damage done to beach-front buildings，” said Huff.Huff designed the timber pilings to be partially concealed by the house’s ground-to-roof shell. “The shell masks the pilings so that the house doesn’t look like it’s standing with its pant legs pulled up，” said Huff. In the event of a storm surge， the shell should break apart and let the waves rush under the house，the architect explained.36. After the tragedy caused by Hurricane Hugo， new houses built along South Carolina’s shore line are required ________.A） to be easily reinforcedB） to look smarter in designC） to meet stricter building standardsD） to be designed in the shape of cubes37. The award-winning beach house is quite strong because ________.A） it is strengthened by steel rodsB） it is made of redwoodC） it is in the shape of a shellD） it is built with timber and concrete38. Huff raised the house 2.7 meters off the ground on timber pilings in order to ________.A） withstand peak winds of about 200 km/hrB） anchor stronger pilings deep in the sandC） break huge sea waves into smaller onesD） prevent water from rushing into the house39. The main function of the shell is ________.A） to strengthen the pilings of the houseB） to give the house a better appearanceC） to protect the wooden frame of the houseD） to slow down the speed of the swelling water40. It can be inferred from the passage that the shell should be ________. A） fancy-lookingB） waterproofC） easily breakableD） extremely strongUnit 1021. D 22. B 23. C 24.C 25. A26. D 27. B 28. A 29.D 30. C31. B 32. B 33. D 34.C 35. A36. C 37. A 38. D 39.B 40. C。