大学英语四级试卷-四级阅读练习

快速阅读Passage 1Crowded CitiesHumans are about to become a majority urban species for the first time. Does this trend mean poverty or prosperity for the world's urban dwellers? As a social problem, how is urbanization negatively affecting our society? The answer to these questions is not a simple one.A UN forecast released last week reports that half of all humans will live in urban areas by the end of the year 2008-and 70 percent by 2050-even though cities occupy only about 3 percent of Earth's land surface.Urban growth is driven by the developing world, where African and Asian cities grow by a million people a week, according to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) report. Cities are growing, in part, because their large, young populations are in their reproductive prime. But observers note that much more urban growth stems from steady migrations of rural dwellers looking for economic opportunity.Economic Engines are Behind the City ExpansionSurging cities in economically challenged nations can present a host of problems. About a billion people currently live in expansive city slums (贫民窟) with inadequate access to clean water, proper sanitation (卫生), or legitimate housing, the report states. That number could double in three decades.But some experts, including the report's lead author, say urbanization provides valuable economic opportunities. The historically wealthy nations in Europe and North America, for example, are more than 70 percent urbanized. "Contrary to what most policy makers have been saying, urban growth can be extremely positive for economic growth, social development, demographic (人口统计学的) stabilization, and even for environmental issues," said George Martine, a demographer who wrote the UNFPA's recent State of World Population 2007 report. "But in order for that to happen, we'll need to take a completely different approach from the one that people are taking now."Martine notes that cities generate most of the world's income from goods and services. "So to try to prevent urban growth is like shooting yourself in the foot from an economic standpoint," he said. "If you have better chances for economic growth, this also has implications for social development-you need resources to provide social services. Education, health care, any type of social service costs less in cities per capital than it does in rural areas."Unfortunately, many cities are failing to provide such services to their quickly growing populations, observers say. David Satterthwaite, a senior fellow with the International Institute for Environment and Development in London, says the blame falls squarely on governments. "I get annoyed by people looking at urbanization negatively. What we should look at negatively is the incompetence of governments to actually manage it," he said.Much urban growth is unregulated because some authorities don't want to encourage the trend toward urbanization, Martine added. "They would like urbanization to stop because they see it concentrating poverty," he said. "It's a very visible and negative manifestation in terms of politics.""Rightsizing" Cities is the Only Way Out?By 2050, there may be as many as 27 megacities（大城市）-cities with populations of ten million or more-up from 19 megacities today. But such huge centers won't represent most urban growth, experts say. Instead, global urbanization will largely occur in smaller cities that are part of broader, growing urban areas, they note. "In general as cities get very large, you get a pattern of a very urbanized region, but a lot of production is decentralized," Satterthwaite said. He notes that many big cities, like Buenos Aires, Argentina; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Kolkata (Calcutta), India, actually have more people moving out than coming in.Smaller cities may offer the chance at better governance-and thus greater success-because their developinggovernments are more transparent, while some big cities have already become too burdensome, according to Kamla Gupta of the International Institute for Population Sciences in Mumbai (Bombay). "There is a need to limit the physical and population size of cities that have expanded too much … and have achieved inordinately large population size," she said. "It is extremely difficult to manage overgrown cities, in spite of huge investments."One Size Doesn't Fit AllGeographer Nigel Thrift, vice chancellor of the UK's University of Warwick, stresses that the urbanization trend is anything but homogenous across the globe. "You shouldn't infer that the same solutions would work in different parts of the world," he said. "There are many Asian cities where, though there are many people living in difficult circumstances, the figures on economic growth suggest that it may be possible to do something about it. In other cities that's not the case."He suggests that a kind of global Marshall Plan, the economic aid package that helped rebuild postwar Europe, could be implemented to address the needs of growing cities. Such aid would need to be flexible to accommodate the unique needs of different locales, he said. "(In) cities with more potential, what you're doing there is investing in growth," he said. "With the others, that's not enough."In those most desperate cities, according to Martine, the author of the UN report, turning urban growth into a positive process begins with planning for decent housing. "What really determines whether or not people are going to have access to what the city has to offer is to have a home, an address, a place they can keep their stuff, lock the door, or set up a little business," he said. "It may be unstable at the beginning, but it's really the starting point for accessing what the city has to offer."1.According to the UN report, how much of the world population will be urbanized by the year of 2050?A) 50% B) 30% C) 70% D) 3%2.What is the more important factor that contributes to the urban growth?A) The large, young city populations are in their reproductive prime.B) The Africans and Asians like to live in the cities.C) The young people are more attracted to the city life.D) The rural dwellers move in to look for economic opportunity.3.How many people will live in expansive city slums in three decades?A) 1 billion. B) 2 billion. C) 3 billion. D) 4 billion.4.Example(s) to show that urbanization provides valuable economic opportunities is (are) the ________.A) UNFPA’s recent State of World Population 2007 reportB) historically wealth nations in Europe and North AmericaC) positive effects of urban growth on economic growthD) cities’ social development, demographic stabilization5.According to David Satterthwaite, who is to blame for the city's failing to provide sufficient services to itsdwellers?A) The politicians. B) The immigrated rural dwellers.C) The city residents. D) The city governments.6.Instead of the growing megacities, global urbanization largely takes place in ________.A) smaller cities that are part of broader urban areasB) big cities that are growing with more people moving inC) megacities with ten million or more populationD) smaller cities that are transformed from rural areas7.Kamla Gupta said it is necessary to ________.A) control the immigration of rural dwellersB) limit the expansion of the city areasC) limit the physical and population size of the citiesD) manage the overgrown cities with huge investments8.Geographer Nigel Thrift suggests that a kind of Marshall plan can be employed to ________________.9.According to Martine, the beginning of turning urban growth into a positive process is to ___________.10.The starting point for accessing what the city has to offer is __________________.Passage 2Carbon Monoxide（一氧化碳）, the Silent KillerThe winter season is arriving soon in the northern part of the world. Winter brings cold weather and with it a danger as old as man's knowledge of fire. The danger is death or injury by carbon monoxide poisoning. Today, we tell about this ancient and continuing danger.Several years ago, a family in the western state of California was enjoying a holiday near the Pacific Ocean. The family included a father and a mother and five children. The oldest child was twelve years old. The youngest was three. The family was spending the weekend in a camper. A camper is a small shelter carried in the back of a truck. People can sleep in it for a few days.The weather turned cold the second night the family stayed at the beach. The camper did not have any heating equipment to warm the inside area while family members slept. Someone decided to heat the space by placing a cooking device called a charcoal grill (焦炭烧烤架) inside the camper. The grill burned a wood product called charcoal. The fire immediately warmed the members of the family. They all went to sleep.The next day, other people visiting the beach found the family. The parents and their five children had died in their sleep. They died because they did not know that burning wood products creates a deadly gas.The deadly gas is carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide poisoning is known as a silent killer. The California family went to sleep in their warm camper and never woke up.Carbon monoxide poisoning causes death and injuries throughout the world. The poison gas has been a problem since humans first began burning fuels to cook food or to create heat during cold weather.More people die from carbon monoxide poisoning in the United States each year than from any other kind of poisoning. American health records show that this poison gas kills about 220 people each year. More than 5 000 are taken to medical center emergency rooms for treatment. This dangerous gas is a problem in all areas of the world that experience cold weather.Carbon monoxide gas is called the silent killer because people do not realize it is in the air. Carbon monoxide has no color, no taste, and no smell. It does not cause burning eyes. And it does not cause people to cough. Yet, carbon monoxide gas is very deadly. It is a thief. It steals the body's ability to use oxygen.Carbon monoxide decreases the ability of the blood to carry oxygen to body tissues. It does this by linking with the blood. When carbon monoxide links with the blood, the blood is no longer able to carry oxygen to the tissues that need it. Damage to the body can begin very quickly from large amounts of this deadly gas. How quickly this can happen depends on the length of time a person is breathing the gas and the amount of the gas he or she breathes in.There are warning signs of carbon monoxide. But people have to be awake to recognize them. Small amounts of carbon monoxide will cause a person's head to hurt. He or she may begin to feel tired. The victim's stomach may feel sick. The room may appear to be turning around. The person may have trouble thinking clearly.People develop severe head pains as the amount of gas continues to enter their blood. They will begin to feel very sleepy and very tired. They may have terrible stomach pains.Medical experts say the gas will affect people very differently. For example, a small child will experience health problems or die much quicker than an adult will. The general health of the person or his or her age can also be important.An older person with health problems may suffer the effects of carbon monoxide more quickly than a younger person with no health problems. People with heart disease may suffer chest pains. They may begin to have trouble breathing.What causes carbon monoxide gas? Any device that burns fuels such as coal, oil or wood can create the gas. Water heaters that burn natural gas create carbon monoxide. Fireplaces (壁炉) and stoves that burn wood create the gas. Natural gas stoves and gas dryers or charcoal grills also create carbon monoxide. Any device that burns the fossil fuels such as coal, oil, wood, gasoline, kerosene (煤油) or propane (丙烷) will produce carbon monoxide.Experts agree that the leading cause of carbon monoxide poisoning is damaged equipment that burns these fuels. They say many people also die or are injured by the gas because they do not use these devices correctly.Carbon monoxide gas is created by fuel burning devices because not all of the fuel is burned. Most devices used for home heating have a method of expelling the gas to the outside. For example, a fireplace has a chimney. Anyone who uses a device that burns fossil fuel must inspect the equipment carefully to decrease the chances carbon monoxide gas will escape. Companies that produce the devices usually provide directions about using the device correctly. These directions should be read and understood before using any equipment that burns fuel inside a home.You can do a number of things to lessen the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning. First, immediately leave the area if you recognize the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning in yourself or others.You should seek emergency medical services once you are away from the area where you suspect the gas might be. Usually the treatment for carbon monoxide poisoning involves breathing in large amounts of oxygen. However, a doctor will know the best method to treat the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning.Secondly, if you suspect carbon monoxide gas is a problem in your home, you might try calling your local fire department. Many fire departments have the necessary equipment to find or detect carbon monoxide.Thirdly, buy and use a special device that will warn when harmful amounts of carbon monoxide are in the area. These devices can be linked to a home's electric system. Others work with electric batteries. Experts say these devices should be placed near sleeping areas in the home.The most important weapon against carbon monoxide poisoning is the safe use of materials to heat any enclosed area. Safety directions that come with any heating equipment must be followed. Older fossil fuel burning heating equipment should be inspected to make sure it is safe every year. Knowledge about the dangers of this deadly gas could be the most important information you ever learn.1.From the first paragraph, what can we know about carbon monoxide?A) Carbon monoxide poisoning mainly happened in the northern part of the world.B) Carbon monoxide comes with the arriving of winter season.C) Carbon monoxide poisoning is an ancient and continuing danger.D) Carbon monoxide comes with the man’s knowledge of fire.2.An example to show that carbon monoxide poisoning is a silent killer is that ________.A) the California family died in their sleepB) the deadly gas is created by burning wood productsC) the California family died alone in a camper on the beachD) the deadly gas can kill the whole family together3.In the United States, how many people are taken to medical centers for emergent treatment each year?A) More than 220. B) More than 5,000. C) About 220. D) About 5,000.4.How does carbon monoxide decrease the blood's ability to carry oxygen?A) It steals the body’s ability to use oxygen.B) It damages the blood cells carrying oxygen.C) It links with blood instead of oxygen. D) It carries the oxygen to the body tissues.5.Although there are warning signs of carbon monoxide, the precondition of recognizing them is that peoplehave to ________.A) know very well these abnormal signs B) realize the importance of recognizing themC) be awake to recognize them D) stay up all night to be on alert to them6.People with heart disease may suffer from carbon monoxide poisoning by showing the signs of _____.A) head pains and stomach sickness B) head pains and tirednessC) chest pains and trouble breathing D) chest pains and stomach pains7.As suggested by the passage, anyone who uses a device that burn fossil fuels have to ________.A) have a method of expelling the gas to the outsideB) make sure the fuel is completely burnedC) inspect the equipment carefully before useD) provide the directions about using the device correctly8.As to carbon monoxide poisoning, the usual treatment includes breathing in ____________________.9.If you suspect a carbon monoxide leak in your home, just call ____________________.10.The household warning device for carbon monoxide should be installed somewhere near __________.Passage 3INTERNSHIPS ARE ABOUT PEOPLE, TOOY ou probably decided to do an internship for the same reason most other college students do: To get some practical, real-world experience and skills in your chosen field. But don't forget about other reason internships and similar experiential activities are so cr itical to your future: The professional relationships you develop with people both inside and outside the organization where you intern. The more you do to cultivate these relationships, the more opportunities you'll create for yourself in the world of work, perhaps for years or even decades to come.Who should you get to know during your internship and why?Your Direct SupervisorTwo key factors influence your ability to build this critical relationship: Understanding your supervisor's goals and priorities, and understanding your supervisor's work style. Knowledge of each will help you take the steps to rebuild your current relationship or build a solid foundation with your future boss.Of course, building a good relationship with your supervisor often isn't as easy as you might think. Your supervisor might very well be too busy to work much with you, or he may not have the mentoring capabilities you probably want and need. If you find yourself with a supervisor who doesn't seem to be trying to build a good relationship with you, you will have to take the lead and attempt to build a relationship with him. How? By asking intelligent questions, showing genuine interest in the work your supervisor is doing, telling your supervisor that you're willing and able to take on additional tasks and checking in periodically to update him on what you're doing and what you plan to do.Understand Your Supervisor's NeedsConsider the key priorities and projects your supervisor needs to accomplish. Take the time toanticipate and appreciate the pressures of balancing multiple priorities and conflicting needs. Reflect this perspective in your approach to yourwork. How do your projects fit within this larger context? Would accomplishing your goals advance your boss's priorities or inadvertently (不注意地) conflict with another team that reports to him? Tie your work to the larger goals of the division. Value your supervisor's time. Plan your work carefully.Understand Your Supervisor's Work StyleIs your supervisor formal or informal? Does he like to be briefed in writing before meetings or prefer to brainstorm (集体讨论) issues with you? Is your supervisor a hands-on manager who likes to be consulted about issues as they arise, or will regular and informal updates make your supervisor think you aren't taking the lead in performing your managerial role? Pay attention to the differences in your work style and your supervisor's style. Where possible, make adjustments to be consistent in style, eliminating unnecessary annoyances that can build into real miscommunications.Evidence suggests that the most effective individuals in organizations understand that management is not unilateral Building a solid network of collegial relationships is critical, as is an informed and motivated staff and recognition of the interdependence between you and your supervisor. This recognition ensures that you stay in close alignment (结盟；合作) with the vision and direction of your organization, and gives you the tools and opportunity to advance.Your Department ColleaguesWhat do you think your department colleagues? It's almost impossible not to build productive relationships with your coworkers in your department. After all, these are the folks you'll most likely be working with every time you're in the office. Even so, your department colleagues are probably going to be as busy, if not more so, as your direct supervisor, and they too may not have the time or the skills to reach out to you. So instead, you'll need to reach out to them, using many of the same strategies you'd use to build an effective relationship with your direct supervisor.Other Workers in the Company/OrganizationFrom a political standpoint, trying to get to know people you don't directly work with can be dicey. But you can sometimes find yourself in trouble with your supervisor or one of your department colleagues by simply going around the office, introducing yourself to people in other departments and chatting with them a bit. It's not so much that you're wasting time, but you may be perc eived to be going beyond your (or your supervisor's or colleagues') office boundaries.Don't, for example, agree to take on an extra project for someone in another department without your supervisor's Ok. But it's important to at least touch base with other people working in the organization. At minimum, find some time to talk to these more distant colleagues about the jobs they do, the career paths they've taken, and their advice and suggestions for you in your own future career planning.People Outside the OrganizationIt can be easy to start thinking that you and your in-house colleagues are working in a vacuum, but you're not. Other people at other companies and organizations are doing similar things, but perhaps in different ways or for different reasons. You can learn from those people, and they, in turn, can learn from you and your colleagues. So set a goal during your internship to at least make initial connections with people in your field who are working for other organizations. Joining a local professional association relating to your industry is perhaps the best way to meet people from othercompanies and organizations. Informational interviewing —having short question-and-answer meetings with people whose jobs or organizations interest you — is another excellent approach.The experience and skills you gain from internships will *take you far in and of themselves, but the professional relationships you develop during your time as an intern will serve as the real catalyst (催化剂) for your future career growth. For in the real world, skills and experience will only take you so far. You need as many people as possible on your side, helping you find opportunities to which you can apply all that you've learned.1. From the first paragraph we know that college students should also ____besides getting some practical, real -world experience and skills in the internship.A .take part in some activities in schoolB. understand some relationships with the people around themC. cultivate their creativityD. practice what they have learned in school2. Whatever the reasons, if you find your supervisor doesn't seem to work m u c h w i t h y o u, y o u'l l____.A.. ask some intelligent questions to himB .show your genuine interest in the work to himC. tell him you are willing to make a friend with himD .take the lead and build a relationship with him3. There are two key factors that influence your ability to build relationshipwith your supervisor, ______________A. knowing his/her goals and abilityB. noticing his/her priorities and personalityC. rebuilding a solid foundation with him/herD .understanding his/her goals, priorities and work style4. What does "understanding your supervisor's needs" mean?A. Y ou should consider the pressures of balancing your supervisor's multiple needs.B. You should think of the priorities and projects your supervisor needs to finish first.C. You should accomplish your goals first.D. You should tie your work to your supervisor's.5. What is said about relationship with the department colleagues in the text?A. It's also important to build good relationships with one's colleagues as one does with hissupervisor.B. It's impossible to build productive relationships with them.C. It's important to reach out to them.D. It's not necessary to use the same strategies one used with his direct supervisor.6. Trying to get to know people in other departments may ___________________ .A. often help you build good relationships with your supervisorB. make you in trouble with your supervisor or colleagues around youC. be easy for you to be promotedD. waste your time7. Finding some time to talk to these more distant colleagues about the jobs they do may .A. go beyond your office boundaries B .be impossible to youC. be helpful to your own careerD. be not easy to you8. It is good for you to contact with the people outside your company because you and your colleagues arenot working _______________________________________________________________ .9. Another excellent approach to obtain information from other companies or organizations is to have.10. You need both experiences and skills in your future work, and you also need many people to helpyou find opportunities to ____________________________________________________ .Passage 4HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW THE MONEY？Money is what people use to buy things and "services" (that is, to have things done for them) — and what they take for selling their own things or services. There are many kinds of money in the world and most countries have their own kind of money.Money is also called many other names, like currency or cash. Most of the time a state or a government prints paper money and makes coins at a special place called a mint（造币厂)- Many types of money have been used at different times in history. They are: commodity money（商品货币), convertible (可兑换) paper money, inconvertible money, bank deposits and electronic money.Commodity money can be used for other purposes besides serving as a medium of exchange. We say it possesses intrinsic (指价值、性质固有的) value, because it is useful or valuable by itself. Some examples of commodity money are cattle, silk, gold and silver. Convertible paper money is money that is convertible into gold and silver. Inconvertible money is money that cannot be converted into gold and silver. Notes and coins are inconvertible money. They are inconvertible and are declared by the government as money. They are also a country's legal tender. Today, notes and coins are the currencies used in daily transactions. In a modern society, most of the money used is bank deposits, which include demand deposits, savings deposits, time deposits and negotiable certificates of deposit Electronic money is the money stored electronically in certain cash cards.It began with Barter.Man got quite a long time without money. He used what we call the barter system.In the Stone Age, people lived in small, rigidly structured communities subsisting on hunting, fishing and gathering. Without surpluses, there was no exchange of produce. It was only when hunters and gatherers turned into herdsmen and agriculturalists that early forms of commerce began to develop.The first kind of money used by primitive man usually consisted of things to wear or eat. The American Indians used carved shells called "wampum". Other types of "money" have been tobacco, grains, skins, salt, and beads. Eventually, pieces of metal replaced the other kinds of money. In the advanced civilizations of Egypt and ancient China, with their highly developed administrative and tax systems, primary products were assigned standard values and used as a forerunner (祖先) to money. Cowries (贝壳) were used in ancient China from 1500 BC to 200 AD as a form of money. They had developed into a kind of "key currency" over an astonishingly wide area from Polynesia to Mauritania (roughly 20,000 km apart). In a dark chapter of mankind's history, human beings themselves served as a means of payment Fishermen, hunters and herdsmen often standardized the exchange rates for animal products. A decree (法令) issued in 1420 laid down that a tub of butter was worth 120 dried fish and 4 dried fish were equivalent to a pair of leather shoes. Hunters used animal skins as units of account and exchange, a top-quality beaver fur serving as reference value for other furs and commodities.。