专四阅读理解训练题
英语专业四级阅读理解考试题及答案解析
英语专业四级阅读理解考试题及答案解析英语专业四级阅读理解考试题及答案解析韩愈说过这样一句话：“业精于勤荒于嬉，行成于思毁于随””。
天才就是无止境刻苦勤奋的努力。
成绩优与良;才思浓与淡，都是由勤奋注定的。
以下是店铺为大家搜索整理的英语专业四级阅读理解考试题及答案解析，希望对正在关注的您有所帮助!As the merchant class expanded in the eighteenth?century North American Colonies, the silversmithand the coppersmith businesses rose to serve it.Only a few silversmiths were available in New Yorkor Boston in the late seventeenth century, but in theeighteenth century they could be found in all majorcolonial cities. No other colonial artisans rivaled thesilversmiths’ prestige. They handled the mostexpensive materials and possessed direct connections to prosperous colonial merchants. Theirproducts, primarily silver plates and bowls, reflected their exalted status and testified to theircustomers’ prominence. Silver stood as one of the surest ways to store wealth at a time beforeneighborhood banks existed. Unlike the silver coins from which they were made, silver articleswere readily identifiable. Often formed to individual specifications, they always carried thesilversmith’s distinctive markings and consequently could be traced and retrieved.Customers generally secure the silver for the silver object they ordered. They saved coins, tookthem to smiths, and discussed the type of pieces they desired. Silversmiths complied with theserequests by melting the money in a small furnace, adding a bit of copper to form a strongeralloy, and casting the alloy in rectangular blocks. They hammered these ingots to theappropriate thickness by hand, shaped them and pressed designs into them for adornment.Engraving was alsodone by hand. In addition to plates and bowls, some customers soughtmore intricate products, such as silver teapots. These were made by shaping or casting partsseparately and then soldering them together. Colonial coppersmithing also come of age in theearly eighteenth century and prospered in northern cities. Copper’s ability to conduct heatefficiently and to resist corrosion contributed to its attractiveness. But because it wasexpensive in colonial America, coppersmiths were never very numerous. Virtually all copperworked by Smiths was imported as sheets or obtained by recycling old copper goods. Copperwas used for practical items, but it was not admired for its beauty. Coppersmiths employed it tofashion pots and kettles for the home. They shaped it in much the same manner as silver ormelted it in a foundry with lead or tin. They also mixed it with zinc to make brass for maritimeand scientific instruments.?1、According to the passage, which of the following eighteenth century developments had strongimpact on silversmithsA. A decrease in the cost of silver.B. The invention of heat efficient furnaces.C. The growing economic prosperity of colonial merchants.D. The development of new tools used to shape silver.2.In colonial America, where did silversmiths usually obtain the material to make silver articles? ?A. From their own mines.B. From importers.C. From other silversmiths.D. From customers.3.The passage mentions all of the following as uses for copper in Colonial America EXCEPT ______A. cooking potsB. scientific instrumentsC. musical instrumentsD. maritime instruments4.According to the passage, silversmiths and coppersmiths in colonial America were similar inwhich of the following waysA. The amount of social prestige they had.B. The way they shaped the metal they worked with. ?C. The cost of the goods they made.D. The practicality of the goods they made.参考答案：1. C) 根据文章第一句“As the merchant classexpanded in the eighteenth?century North AmericanColonies,...”可知，随着在十八世纪的北美殖民地商人阶级膨胀起来，也就是说那时的商人财富有了很大的发展，银匠铜匠们有机会发挥他们的.专长了，这与选项C正好相符。
英语专业四级考试阅读理解冲刺题
英语专业四级考试阅读理解冲刺题(1)（附答案）Computers monitor everything in Singapore from soil composition to location of manholes ．At the airport At the airport，， it took just 15 seconds for the computerized immigration system to scan and approve my passport ．It takes only one minute to be checked into a public hospital ．By 1998By 1998，， almost every household will be wired for interactive cable TV and the Internet ， the global computer network network．．Shoppers Shoppers will will will be be be able able able to to to view view view and and and pay for pay for pay for products products products electronically electronically electronically．．A A 24-hour community 24-hour community 24-hour community telecomputing network will telecomputing network will allow allow users users users to to to communicate communicate communicate with with with elected elected elected representatives and representatives and representatives and retrieve retrieve retrieve information information information about about about government government government services services services．．It is all part of the government of the government‘‘s plan to transform the nation into what it calls the “Intelligent Island Intelligent Island”．”．”．In so many ways ， Singapore has elevated the concept of efficiency to a kind of national ideology ．For the past ten years years，， Singapore Singapore’’s work force was rated the best in the world-ahead of Japan and the U ．S ．-in terms of productivity ， skill and attitude by the Business Environment Risk Intelligence service ．Behind the Behind the ““Singapore miracle Singapore miracle”” is a man Richard Nixon described as one of “the ablest leaders I have met ，”，” one one who who，， “in other times and other places places，， might have attained the world stature stature of of a Churchill Churchill．”．”．” Lee Lee Kuan Yew led Singapore ‘s struggle for independence in the 1950s ， serving as Prime Minister from 1959 until 1990．Today Today （（19951995），），）， at 71 at 71 at 71，， he has has nominally nominally nominally retired retired retired to to to the the the office office office of of of Senior Senior Senior Minister Minister Minister，， where where he he he continues continues continues to to to influence influence influence his his his country country country’’s s future future future．．Lee Lee offered offered companies tax breaks ， political stability political stability，， cheap labor and strike-free environment ．Nearly 90 percent of Singaporean adults now own their own homes and thanks to strict adherence to the principle of merit merit，， personal opportunities abound abound．．“If you ‘ve got talent and work hard hard，， you can be anything here here，，” says a Malaysian-born woman who holds a high-level civil-service position ．Lee likes to boast that Singapore has avoided the the ““moral breakdown breakdown”” of Western countries countries．．He attributes his nation nation’’s s success to success to success to strong strong strong family family family ties ties ties，， a reliance a reliance on on on education education education as as as the the the engine of engine of engine of advancement advancement advancement and and and social social social philosophy philosophy philosophy that that that he he he claims claims is superior to America is superior to America‘‘s ．In an interview with Reader Reader’’s Digest Digest，， he said that the United States has “lost its bearings bearings””by emphasizing individual rights at the expense of society society．．“An ethical society society，，” he said said，， “is one which matches human rights with responsibilities responsibilities．．”1．What characterizes Singapore ‘s advancement is its___s advancement is its___．．A ．computer monitoring computer monitoring．．B ．work efficiency work efficiency．．C ．high productivity high productivity．．D ．value on ethics value on ethics．．2．From Nixon From Nixon’’s perspective s perspective，， Lee is___ Lee is___．．A ．almost as great as Churchill ．B ．not as great as Churchill ．C ．only second to Churchill in being a leader ．D ．just as great as Churchill ．3．In the last paragraph In the last paragraph，， “lost its bearings lost its bearings”” may mean___ may mean___．．A ．become impatient become impatient．．B ．failed to find the right position ．C ．lost its foundation lost its foundation．．D ．grown band-mannered grown band-mannered．．4．“．“You can be anything here You can be anything here ”（”（Paragraph 5Paragraph 5Paragraph 5）） may be paraphrased as___．A ．You can hope for a very bright prospect ．B ．You may be able to do anything needed ．C ．You can choose any job as you like ．D ．You will become an outstanding worker ．5．In Singapore In Singapore，， the concept of efficiency___．A ．has been emphasized throughout the country ．B ．has become an essential quality for citizens to aim at ．C ．is brought forward by the government in order to compete with America ．D ．is known as the basis for building the “Intelligent Island Intelligent Island．”．”．”答案：答案：DDBAB DDBAB英语专业四级考试阅读理解模拟题(2)（附答案）Before the Before the mid mid mid 186018601860’’s ， the the impact of impact of impact of the the the railroads in railroads in railroads in the the the United States United States United States was limited was limited was limited，， in in the the the sense sense sense that that that the the the tracks tracks ended ended at at this this Missouri Missouri Missouri River River River，， approximately approximately the the center center of of the country. country. At At the the point point the the trains trains trains turned turned turned their their their freight freight freight，， mail mail，， and passengers over to steamboats ， wagons wagons，， and stagecoaches. This meant that wagon freighting ， stagecoaching stagecoaching，， andsteamboating steamboating did did did not not not come come come to to to an an an end end end when when when the the the first first first train train train appeared; appeared; appeared; rather rather rather they they they became became became supplements supplements supplements or or or feeders. feeders. feeders. Each Each Each new new new ““end of track of track”” became a center for animal drawn or waterborne transportation. The major effect of the railroad was to shorten the distance that had to be covered by the older ， slower slower，， and more costly means. Wagon freighters continued operating throughout throughout the the the 187018701870’’s s and and and 188018801880’’s s and and and into into into the the the 189018901890’’s. s. Although Although Although over over over constantly constantly constantly shrinking shrinking shrinking routes routes routes，， and and coaches coaches coaches and and and wagons wagons continued to crisscross the West wherever the rails had not yet been laid. The beginning of a major change was foreshadowed in in the the the later later later 186018601860’’s ， when when the the the Union Union Union Pacific Pacific Pacific Railroad Railroad Railroad at at at last last last began began began to to to build build build westward westward westward from from from the the the Central Central Central Plains Plains Plains city city city of of of Omaha Omaha to meet the Central Central Pacific Pacific Pacific Railroad Railroad Railroad advancing advancing advancing eastward eastward eastward from from California California through through through the the formidable formidable barrier barrier barrier of of the Sierra Sierra Nevada. Nevada. Although President Abraham Lincoln signed the original Pacific Railroad bill in 1862 and a revised ， financially much more generous generous version version in 18641864，， little construction construction was was completed completed until until 1865 on the Central Pacific and 1866 on the Union Pacific. The primary reason was skepticism that a Railroad built through so challenging and thinly settled a stretch of desert ， mountain mountain，， and semiarid plain could pay a profit. In the words of an economist economist，， this was a case of of ““premature enterprise enterprise”，”， where not only the cost of construction but also the very high risk deterred private investment. In discussing the Pacific Railroad bill bill，， thechair of the congressional committee bluntly stated that without government subsidy no one would undertake so unpromising a venture; yet it was a national necessity to link East and West together.1. The author refers to the impact of railroads before the late 1860’s as s as ““limited limited”” because ____A. the track did not take the direct route from one city to the nextB. passengers and freight had to transfer to other modes of transportation to reach western destinationsC. passengers preferred stagecoachesD. railroad travel was quite expensive2. What can be inferred about coaches and wagon freighters as the railroad expanded ？A. They developed competing routes.B. Their drivers refused to work for the railroads.C. They began to specialize in private investment.D. There were insufficient numbers of trained people to operate them.3. Why does the author mention the Sierra Nevada in line 17？A. To argue that a more direct route to the West could have been taken.B. To identify a historically significant mountain range in the West.C. To point out the location of a serious train accident.D. To give an example of an obstacle faced by the central pacific.4. The word 4. The word ““subsidy subsidy”” in line 27 is closest in meaning to _____ 。
大学英语专业四级阅读理解模拟试题(含答案)(04)_共5页
PART V READING COMPREHENSION [25 MIN]In this section there are four passages followed by questions or unfinished statements, each with four suggested answers marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that you think is the best answer.TEXT ARacket, din clamor, noise, whatever you want to call it, unwanted sound is America's most widespread nuisance. But noise is more than just a nuisance. It constitutes a real and present danger to people's health. Day and night, at home, at work, and at play, noise can produce serious physical and psychological stress. No one is immune to this stress. Though we seem to adjust to noise by ignoring it, the ear, in fact, never closes and the body still responds—sometimes with extreme tension, as to a strange sound in the night.The annoyance we feel when faced with noise is the most common outward symptom of the stress building up inside us. Indeed, because irritability is so apparent, legislators have made public annoyance the basis of many noise abatement programs. The more subtle and more serious health hazards associated with stress caused by noise traditionally have been given much less attention. Nevertheless, when we are annoyed or made irritable by noise, we should consider these symptoms fair warning that other thing may be happening to us, some of which may be damaging to our health.Of many health hazards to noise, hearing loss is the most clearly observable and measurable by health professionals. The other hazards are harder to pin down. For many of us, there may be a risk that exposure to the stress of noise increases susceptibility to disease and infection. The more susceptible among us may experience noise as a complicating factor in heart problems and other diseases. Noise that causes annoyance and irritability in health persons may have serious consequences for these already ill in mind or body.Noise affects us throughout our lives. For example, there are indications of effects on the unborn child when mothers are exposed to industrial and environmental noise. During infancy and childhood, youngsters exposed to high noise levels may have trouble falling asleep and obtaining necessary amounts of rest.Why, then, is there not greater alarm about these dangers? Perhaps it is because the link between noise and many disabilities or diseases has not yet been conclusively demonstrated. Perhaps it is because we tend to dismiss annoyance as a price to pay for living in the modern world. It may also be because we still think of hearing loss as only an occupational hazard.1. In Paragraph 1, the phrase "immune to" are used to mean ___.A.unaffected byB.hurt byC.unlikely to be seen byD.unknown by2.3. The author's attitude toward noise would best be described as ___.A.unrealisticB.traditionalC.concernedD.hystericalWhich of the following best states the main idea of the passage?A.Noise is a major problem; most people recognize its importance.B.Although noise can be annoying, it is not a major problem.C.Noise is a major problem and has not yet been recognized as such.D.Noise is a major problem about which nothing can be done.4.5. The author condemns noise essentially because it ___.A.is against the lawB.can make some people irritableC.is a nuisanceD.in a ganger to people's healthThe author would probably consider research about the effects noise has on people to be ___.A.unimportantB.impossible.C.a waste of moneyD.essentialTEXT BWhat we know of prenatal development makes all this attempt made by a mother to mold the character ofher unborn child by studying poetry, art, or mathematics during pregnancy seem utterly impossible. How could such extremely complex influences pass from the mother to the child? There is no connection between their nervous systems. Even the blood vessels of mother and child do not join directly. An emotional shock to the mother will affect her child, because it changes the activity of her glands and so the chemistry her blood. Any chemical change in the mother's blood will affect the child for better or worse. But we can not see how a looking for mathematics or poetic genius can be dissolved in blood and produce a similar liking or genius in the child.In our discussion of instincts we saw that there was reason to believe that whatever we inherit must be of some very simple sort rather than any complicated or very definite kind of behavior. It is certain that no one inherits a knowledge of mathematics. It may be, however, that children inherit more or less of a rather general ability that we may call intelligence. If very intelligent children become deeply interested in mathematics, they will probably make a success of that study.As for musical ability, it may be that what is inherited is an especially sensitive ear, a peculiar structure of the hands or the vocal organs connections between nerves and muscles that make it comparatively easy to learn the movements a musician must execute, and particularly vigorous emotions. If these factors are all organized around music, the child may become a musician. The same factors, in other circumstance might be organized about some other center of interest. The rich emotional equipment might find expression in poetry. The capable fingers might develop skill in surgery. It is not the knowledge of music that is inherited, then nor even the love of it, but a certain bodily structure that makes it comparatively easy to acquire musical knowledge and skill. Whether that ability shall be directed toward music or some other undertaking may be decided entirely by forces in the environment in which a child grows up.6. Which of the following statements is not true?A. Some mothers try to influence their unborn children by studying art and other subjects during theirpregnancy.B. It is utterly impossible for us to learn anything about prenatal development.C. The blood vessels of mother and child do not join directly.D. There are no connection between mother's nervous systems and her unborn child's.A mother will affect her unborn baby on the condition that ____.A. she is emotionally shocked7.B.she has a good knowledge of inheritanceC. she takes part in all kind of activitiesD. she sticks to studying8.9. According to the passage, a child may inherit____.A. everything from his motherB. a knowledge of mathematicsC. a rather general ability that we call intelligenceD. her mother's musical abilityIf a child inherits something from his mother, such as an especially sensitive ear, a peculiar structure of the hands or of the vocal organs, he will ____.A. surely become musicianB. mostly become a poetC. possibly become a teacherD. become a musician on the condition that all these factors are organized around music10. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?A. Role of Inheritance.B. An Unborn Child.C. Function of instincts.D. Inherited Talents.TEXT CThere 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 brought up. If an individual is handicapped(不利) environmentally, 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 intelligence can be demonstrated by the case history of the identical twins, Peter and Mark. 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(抚养) homes. Peter was raised by parents of low intelligence in an isolated community with poor educational opportunities. Mark was reared in the 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 environmental difference continued until the twins were in their late teens, when they were given tests 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.11. This selection can best be titled____________.A. Measuring Your IntelligenceB. Intelligence and EnvironmentC. The Case of Peter and MarkD. How the Brain Influences Intelligence12.13. The best statement of the main idea of this passage is that _______.A. human brains differ considerablyB. the brain a person is born with is important in determining his intelligenceC. environment is crucial in determining a person's intelligenceD. persons having identical brains will have roughly the same intelligence According to the passage, the average I. Q. is_______.A. 85 .B. 100C. 110D. 12514. The case history of the twins appears to support the conclusion that_______.A. individuals with identical brains seldom test at the same levelB. an individual's intelligence is determined only by his environmentC. lack of opportunity blocks the growth of intelligenceD. changes of environment produce changes in the structure of the brain15. This passage suggests that an individual's I. Q. _______.A. can be predicted at birthB. stays the same throughout his lifeC. can be increased by educationD. is determined by his childhoodTEXT DPersonality is，to large extent, inherent --A-type parents usually bring about A-type offspring. But the environment must also have a profound effect, since if competition is improtant to the parents, it is likely to become a major factor lives of their children.One place where children soak up A characteristics is school, which is, by its very nature, a highly competitive institution. Too many schools adopt the "win at all costs" moral standard and measure their success by sporting achievements. The current passion for making children compete against their classmates or against the clock produces a two-layer system, in which competitive A types seem in some way better than their B-type fellows. Being too keen to win can have dangerous consequences:remember that Pheidippides ,the first marathon runner, dropped dead seconds after saying:"Rejoice, we conquer!".By far the worst form of competition in school is the disproportionate emphasis on examinations . It is a rare school that allows pupils to concentrate on those things they do well.The merits of competition by examination are somewhat questionable, but competition in the certain knowledge of failure is positively harmful.Obviously, it is neither practical nor desirable that all A youngsters change into 'B's. The would needs types, and schools have an important duty to try to fit a child's personality to his possible future employment. It is top management.16. According to the author, what factors contribute to the building of personality?A. inheritanceb. inheritance, competition and environmentc. competitiond. environment17. Which of the following statements is not true according to the author of the passage?A.Schools usually adopt severe competitive policies.B. Students are often divided by competition results.C. School is place where children cultivate their characteristics.D. The stronger desire for winning, the better.18. The phrase "soak up" is closest in meaning to ____.A. pull upb. take upc. take ind. pull in19. What attitude does the author hold toward examinations in schools?A. positiveb. negativec. doubtfuld. neutral20. what suggestion does the author make concerning the management of schools?A. All students be made into competitive A types.B. A child's personality be considered in regard to his possible future job.C. All students be changed into B characteristics.D. Schools abolish all forms of examinations.答案：1-5 ACCDD 6-10 BACDA 11-15 B C B C C 16-20 BDCCB。
专四阅读理解训练题
TEXT AThe meridians of longitude are imaginary great circles drawn from pole to pole around the earth. By international agreement, the meridian of longitude passing through Greenwich, England, is numbered zero. The earth is divided into 360 degrees, and the meridians are numbered east and west from Greenwich. There are 180 degrees of longitude east of Greenwich and 180 degrees in the westerly direction. New York has a longitude of 74 degrees west (74ºW) which means that it lies on the 74th meridian west of Greenwich.Since the sun appears to travel around the earth in 24 hours, it will move 360/24 or 15 degrees in one hour. This reasoning can be used by navigators to determine their longitude. Imagine that we have set sail from Greenwich, England, after having set a very accurate clock, or chronometer, to the local Greenwich time. As we travel westward toward New York, we notice that the sun is going “slower” than our chronometer. At the time that our timepiece reads 12 o’clock, the sun has not quite reached the zenith. As a matter of fact, when our clock reads noon, what it really means is that it’s noon in Greenwich, England. Our clock continues to tell us the time, not at our present location, but at Greenwich. Let us wait until the sun is directly overhead (noon at our location) and then read the time on our clock. Suppose it reads 1 o’clock. This means that there is one hour’s difference in time between our longitude and that of Greenwich. As we mentioned earlier, this corresponds to exactly 15 degrees of longitude, so our longitude must be 15ºW. The world is divided into 24 time zones, and each zone corresponds to 15 degrees of longitude. New York is approximately 5 time zones west of Greenwich, so the time difference must be about 5 hours. By maintaining chronometers on Greenwich time, ships can determine their longitude on any sunny day by merely noting the difference in hours between Greenwich time and local sun time and multiplying this difference by 15 degrees.Of course, longitude gives only half of the information needed to determine our precise location. We must also know our latitude, which tells us how far we are north or south of the Equator. The Equator is the zero line for the measurement of latitude. Circles are drawn parallel to the Equator to indicate other values of latitude. There are 90 degrees of south latitude.In the Northern Hemisphere, there is a star called Polaris almost directly over the North Pole. This makes it possible to determine the latitude of a given point by setting our sextant to measure the angle between Polaris, the North Star, and the horizon. Mathematicians tell us that this angle is equal to the latitude at the point in question.To get an idea of our location, therefore, we need to know local time, Greenwich time, and the angle between Polaris and the horizon.1. The passage is mainly about ____a. the latitudeb. the longitudec. how to know one’s location on the earth surfaced. how to determine local time2. suppose it is 18:00 in Greenwich, England , then the local time in New York is ____a. 18:00b. around 13:00c. around 23:00d.17:003. “Chronometer” in para 2. Refers to______a. length measurement tool b weight measurement tool c. time measurement tool d. chronology4. to get the precise location of a ship on the sea, the shipman must know____a. the longitude of his place onlyb. the latitude of his position onlyc. the number degrees he lies east or west of Greenwichd. both his latitude and longitude.5.from the last paragraph, we know that _____a. to know local time and Greenwich time is to compute the number of latitude of the placeb. to know the angle between Polaris and the horizon is to compute the number of the longitude of the placec. we need to know local time, Greenwich time and the angle between Polaris and the horizon in order to compute the longitude and latitude of the placed.we need to know local time,Greenwich time and the angle between Polaris and the horizon if we want to be a mathematicianTEXT BIn a recent book entitled The Psychic Life of Insects, Professor Bouvier says that we must be careful not to credit the little winged fellows with intelligence when they behave in what seems like an intelligent manner. They may be only reacting. I would like to confront the Professor with and instance of reasoning power on the part of an insect which cannot be explained away in any other manner.During the summer of 1899, while I was at work on my doctoral thesis, we kept a female wasp at our cottage. It was more like a child of our own. That was one of the ways we told the difference.It was still a young wasp when we got it (thirteen or fourteen years old) and for some time we could not get it to eat or drink, it was so shy. Since it was a female we decided to call it Miriam, but soon the children’s nickname forit---“Pudge”---became a fixture, and “Pudge” it was from that time on.One evening I had been working late in my laboratory fooling around with some gin and other chemicals, and when leaving the room, I tripped over a nine of diamonds which someone had left lying on the floor and knocked over my card index which contained the names and addresses of all the larvae worth knowing in North America. The cards went everywhere.I was too tired to stop to pick them up that night, and went sobbing to bed, just as mad as I could be. As I went, however, I noticed the wasp was flying about in circles over the scattered cards. “Maybe Pudge will pick them up”, I said half laughingly to myself, never thinking for one moment that such should be the case.When I came down the next morning Pudge was still asleep in her box, evidently tired out. And well she might have been. For there on the floor lay the cards scattered all about just as I had left them the night before. The faithful little insect had buzzed about all night trying to come to some decision about picking them up and arranging them in the boxes for me, and then had figured out for herself that, as she knew practically nothing of larvae of any sort except wasp larvae, she would probably make more of a mess by rearranging them than if she had left them on the floor for me to fix. It was just too much for her to tackle and, discouraged, she went over and lay down in her box, where she cried herself to sleep.If this is not an answer to Professor Bouvier’s statement, I do not know what is.6. Professor Bouvier believes that insects____a. do not have intelligenceb. behave in an intelligent wayc are capable of reasoning d. are more intelligent than we thought7. On the evening the author fell over, someone____a. had moved his card his card indexb. had been playing card gamesc. had knocked over his boxes containing cardsd. had looked at his collection of diamonds8. when he came to the laboratory the next morning, the author____a. saw that his cards had already been rearrangedb. realized that the wasp had been trying to helpc. found evidence of the wasp’s intelligenced. found his index cards still scattered about the room9. the author’s account of his wasp’s intelligence______a. is imaginaryb. is convincingc. firmly proves his point of viewd. is valuable for insect study10. the purpose of this article is to _____a. oppose Professor Bourvier’s point of viewb. support Porfessor Bouvier with his own experiencec. further discuss thether insects are intelligentd. illustrate the working theory behind the author’s thesisTEXT CHe was a funny looking man with a cheerful face, good-natured and a great talker. He was described by his student, the great philosopher Plato, as “the best and most just and wisest man.” Yet, this same man was condemned to death for his beliefs.The man was the Greek philosopher, Socrates, and he was condemned for not believing in the recognized dogs and for corrupting young people. The second charge stemmed from his association with numerous young men who came to Athens from all over the civilized world to study under him.Socrates’ methods of teaching was to ask questions and , by pretending not to know the answers, to press his students into thinking for themselves. His teachings had been unsurpassed in influence in all the great Greek and Roman schools of philosophy. Yet, for all his fame and influence, Socrates himself never wrote a word.Socrates encouraged new idea and free thinking in the young, and this was frightening to the conservative people. They wanted him silenced. Yet, many were probably surprised that he accepted death so readily.Socrates had the right to ask for a lesser penalty, and he probably could have won over enough of the people who had previously condemned him. But Socrates, as a firm believer in law, reasoned that it was proper to submit to the death sentence. So, he calmly accepted his fate and drank a cup of poison hemlock in the presence of his grief-stricken friends and students.11. in the first paragraph, the word “yet” is used to introduce____a. a contrastb. a sequencec. an emphasisd. an example12. Socrates was condemned to death because he ____a. believed in lawb. was a philosopherc. published outspoken philosophical articlesd. advocated original opinions13. the word “unsurpassed” in the third paragraph is closest in meaning to ____a. untoldb. unequaledc. unnoticedd. unexpected14. by mentioning that Socrates himself never wrote anything, the writer implies that _____a. it was surprising that Socrates was so famousb. Socrates was not learned as he is reputed to have beenc. Socrates used the work of his students in teachingd. the authorities refused to publish Socrates’ work15. Socrates accepted the death penalty to show _____a. his belief in his studentsb. his contempt for conservativesc. his recognition of the legal systemd. that he was not afraid of deathTEXT DSenator John F.Kerry’s campaign yesterday seized on the Pentagon’s call-up of thousands of former soldiers for duty in Iraq and Afghanistan to step up its charge that the Bush administration’s management of the military has left the Army spread dangerously thin.The move demonstrated the Kerry campaign’s increasing willingness to engage Bush on what had been the president’s perceived strength, his handling of national security.Kerry advisers contend that the call-up of the Individual Ready Reserve is the result of a series of bad decisions and poor war planning by Bush and his top advisers. His campaign released a “fact sheet” and brought forward a retired Air Force chief who campaigned for Bush in 2000 to reinforce its claims.“The troops are paying the price for arrogant mismanagement and poor planning at the civilian policy level,” retired Air Force Chief of Staff General Merrilll “Tony”McPeak, a Kerry adviser, said in a conference call with reporters yesterday. “The force we have in Iraq today is part of what I call an in-between force—too small to solve the problem and too big to be supported by our force structure.”The return to duty of 5,600 former military officers and enlisted personnel is the latest issue which the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee has sought to use to draw distinctions between himself and Bush in the area of national security. Both candidates are trying to persuade voters that they are the best stewards of the nation’s defense, and recent polls have shown the public’s confidence in the president’s handling of the war in Iraq is slipping. Kerry has previously called for increasing the size the Army by 40,000 to meet the demands of overseas deployments, a move that has been repeatedly rebuffed by the White House despite growing support in Congress.The Bush administration maintains that the call-up of soldiers that are required to keep in touch with the Army for as many as four years after leaving service does not mean the Army isn’t large enough. “I don’t think the Army’s too small. We’re using a manpower pool that’s available to us” Robert Smiley, a senior Army official who oversees training, readiness, and mobilization, told reporters yesterday. “This is good personnel management. This is a group of people we can use to fill vacancies.”The troops, being culled from a total of 111,323 soldiers in the Individual Ready Reserve, are needed to fill jobs as truck drivers, engineers, and military police, officials said. Smiley said that more would probably be called in the future.Army officials noted yesterday that this is not the first time they have tapped into the IRR. During the 1991 Persian Gulf War over 20,000 former soldiers were mobilized. Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, 2,533 IRR soldiers have been called-up, 226 of them volunteers. Of the 5,600 IRR soldiers that now have 30 days to report to active duty, officials said more than 300 have volunteered.16. from the passage, we can infer that____a. 2533 IRR soldiers were called up this timeb. 226 of the called-up soldiers were volunteersc. 111,323 soldiers were called upd. 5,600 soldiers were called up.17. according to John F. Kerry, the call-up of the former soldiers recently was____a. one of bad decisions made by Bush administrationb. required to keep in touch with the Armyc. correctd. not clear18. the word “rebuff ” in the last sentence of para. 5 probably means____a. to buff againb. to reject bluntly, often disdainfully, snub, refusec. to plan in advance the expenditure ofd. to review the plan of the expenditure of19. how long will the soldiers called-up this time serve in the army according to the passage?a. probably 4 yearsb. probably 3 yearsc. probably half a yeard. now known20. the called-up soldiers will probably do the following jobs EXCEPT _____a. truck driversb. engineersc. military policed. snipersC B CD C A B C A A A D B A C D A B A D。
专四阅读理解训练8篇
英语专四阅读预测题（1）As many as one thousand years ago in the Southwest, the Hopi and Zuni Indians of North America were building with adobe－sun baked brick plastered with mud. Their homes looked remarkably like modern apartment houses. Some were four stories high and contained quarters for perhaps a thousand people, along with store rooms for grain and other goods. These buildings were usually put up against cliffs, both to make construction easier and for defense against enemies. They were really villages in themselves, as later Spanish explorers must have realized since they called them "pueblos", which is Spanish for town.The people of the pueblos raised what are called"the three sisters" - corn, beans, and squash. They made excellent pottery and wove marvelous baskets, some so fine that they could hold water. The Southwest has always been a dry country, where water is scarce. The Hopi and Zuni brought water from streams to their fields and gardens through irrigation ditches. Water was so important that it played a major role in their religion. They developed elaborate ceremonies and religious rituals to bring rain.The way of life of less settled groups was simpler and more strongly influenced by nature. Small tribes such as the Shoshone and Ute wandered the dry and mountainous lands between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. They gathered seeds and hunted small animals such as small rabbits and snakes. In the Far North the ancestors of today’s Inuit hunted seals, walruses, and the great whales. They lived right on the frozen seas in shelters called igloos built of blocks of packed snow. When summer came, they fished for salmon and hunted the lordly caribou.The Cheyenne, Pawnee, and Sioux tribes, known as the Plains Indians, lived on the grasslands between the Rocky Mountains and the Mississippi River. They hunted bison, commonly called the buffalo. Its meat was the chief food of these tribes, and its hide was used to make their clothing and covering of their tents and tipis.16. What does the passage mainly discuss?A. The architecture of early American Indian buildings.B. The movement of American Indians across North America.C. Ceremonies and rituals of American Indians.D. The way of life of American Indian tribes in early North America.17. It can be inferred from the passage that the dwellings of the Hopi and Zuni were______.A. very smallB. highly advancedC. difficult to defendD. quickly constructed专业四级阅读练习（2）Human beings have used tools for a very long time. In some parts of the world you can still find tools that people used more than two million years ago. They made these tools by hitting one stone against another. In this way, they broke off pieces from one of the stones. These chips of stone were usually sharp on one side. People used them for cutting meat and skin from dead animals, and also for making other tools out of wood.Human beings needed to use tools because they did not have sharp teeth like other meat eating animals, such as lions and tigers. Tools helped people to get food more easily. Working with tools also helped to develop human intelligence. The human brain grew bigger, and human beings began to invent more and more tools and machines. The stone chip was one of the first tools that people used, and perhaps it is the most important. Some scientists say that it was the key to success of mankind.24. The stone chip is thought to be the most important tool because it ______.A. was one of the first toolsB. developed human capabilitiesC. led to the invention of machinesD. was crucial to the development of mankind25. At the end of the passage the author seems to suggest that life in future is ______.A. disastrousB. unpredictableC. excitingD. colorful英语专四阅读预测题（3）About 5,000 years ago, the Egyptians and other people in the Near East began to use pictures as kind of writing. They drew simple pictures or signs to represent things and ideas, and also to represent the sounds of their language. The signs these people used became a kind of alphabet.The Egyptians used to record information and to tell stories by putting picture writing and pictures together. When animportant person died, scenes and stories from his life were painted and carved on the walls of the place where he was buried. Some of these pictures are like modern comic strip stories. It has been said that Egypt is the home of the comic strip. But, for the Egyptians, pictures still had magic power. So they did not try to make their way of writing simple. The ordinary people could not understand it.By the year 1,000 BC, people who lived in the area around the Mediterranean Sea had developed a simpler system of writing. The signs they used were very easy to write, and there were fewer of them than in the Egyptian system. This was because each sign, or letter, represented only one sound in their language. The Greeks developed this system and formed the letters of the Greek alphabet. The Romans copied the idea, and the Roman alphabet is now used all over the world.These days, we can write down a story, or record information, without using pictures. But we still need pictures of all kinds: drawing, photographs, signs and diagrams. We find them everywhere: in books and newspapers, in the street, and on the walls of the places where we live and work. Pictures help us to understand and remember things more easily, and they can make a story much more interesting.27. Pictures of animals were painted on the walls of caves in France and Spain because______.A. the hunters wanted to see the picturesB. the painters were animal loversC. the painters wanted to show imaginationD. the pictures were thought to be helpful28. The Greek alphabet was simpler than the Egyptian system for all the following reasons EXCEPT that______.A. the former was easy to writeB. there were fewer signs in the formerC. the former was easy to pronounceD. each sign stood for only one sound29. Which of the following statements is TRUE?A. The Egyptian signs later became a particular alphabet.B. The Egyptians liked to write comic strip stories.C. The Roman alphabet was developed from the Egyptian one.D. The Greeks copied their writing system from the Egyptians.30. In the last paragraph, the author thinks that pictures ______.A. should be made comprehensibleB. should be made interestingC. are of much use in our lifeD. have disappeared from our life英语专四阅读预测题（4）There are many theories about the beginning of drama in ancient Greece. The one most widely accepted today is based on the assumption that drama evolved from ritual. The argument for this view goes as follows. In the beginning, human beings viewed the natural forces of the world, even the seasonal changes, as unpredictable, and they sought through various means, to control these unknown and feared powers. Those measures which appeared to bring the desired results were then retained and repeated until they hardened into fixed rituals. Eventually stories arose which explained or veiled the mysteries of the rites. As time passed some rituals were abandoned, but the stories, later called myths, persisted and provided material for art and drama.Those who believed that drama evolved out of ritual also argue that those rites contained the seed of theater because music, dance, masks, and costumes were almost always used. Furthermore, a suitable site had to be provided for performances, and when the entire community did not participate, a clear division was usually made between the "acting area" and the "auditorium". In addition, there were performers, and, since considerable importance was attached to avoiding mistakes in the enactment of rites, religious leaders usually assumed that task. Wearing masks and costumes, they often impersonated other people, animals, or supernatural beings, and mimed the desired effect-success in hunt or battle, the coming rain, the revival of the Sun-as an actor might. Eventually such dramatic representations were separated from religious activities.Another theory traces the theater’s origin from the human interest in storytelling. According to this view, tales (about the hunt, war, or other feats) are gradually elaborated, at first through the use of impersonation, action, and dialogue by a narrator and then through the assumption of each of the roles by a different person. A closely related theory traces theater to those dances that are primarily rhythmical and gymnastic or that are imitations of animal movements and sounds.22. What does the passage mainly discuss?A. The origins of theater.B. The role of ritual in modern dance.C. The importance of storytelling.D. The variety of early religious activities.23. What aspect of drama does the author discuss in the first paragraph?A. The reason drama is often unpredictable.B. The seasons in which dramas were performed.C. The connection between myths and dramatic plots.D. The importance of costumes in early drama.24. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a common element of theater and ritual?A. Dance.B. Costumes.C. Music.D. Magic.25. According to the passage, what is the main difference between ritual and drama?A. Ritual uses music whereas drama does not.B. Ritual is shorter than drama.C. Ritual requires fewer performers than drama.D. Ritual has a religious purpose and drama does not.26. The passage supports which of the following statements?A. No one really knows how the theater began.B. Myths are no longer represented dramatically.C. Storytelling is an important part of dance.D. Dramatic activities require the use of costumes.英语专四阅读预测题（5）Most earthquakes occur within the upper 15 miles of the earth's surface. But earthquakes can and do occur at all depths to about 460 miles. Their number decreases as the depth increases. At about 460 miles one earthquake occurs only every few years. Near the surface earthquakes may run as high as 100 in a month, but the yearly average does not vary much. In comparison with the total number of earthquakes each year, the number of disastrous earthquakes is very small.The extent of the disaster in an earthquake depends on many factors. If you carefully build a toy house with an erect set, it will still stand no matter how much you shake the table. But if you build a toy house with a pack of cards, a slight shake of the table will make it fall. An earthquake in Agadir, Morocco, was not strong enough to be recorded on distant instruments, but it completely destroyed the city. Many stronger earthquakes have done comparatively little damage. If a building is well constructed and built on solid ground, it will resist an earthquake. Most deaths in earthquakes have been due to faulty building construction or poor building sites. A third and very serious factor is panic. When people rush out into narrow streets, more deaths will result.The United Nations has played an important part in reducing the damage done by earthquakes. It has sent a team of experts to all countries known to be affected by earthquakes. Working with local geologists and engineers, the experts have studied the nature of the ground and the type of most practical building code for the local area. If followed, these suggestions will make disastrous earthquakes almost a thing of the past.There is one type of earthquake disaster that little can be done about. This is the disaster caused by seismic sea waves, or tsunamis. (These are often called tidal waves, but the name is incorrect. They have nothing to do with tides.) In certain areas, earthquakes take place beneath the sea. These submarine earthquakes sometimes give rise to seismic sea waves. The waves are not noticeable out at sea because of their long wave length. But when they roll into harbors, they pile up into walls of water 6 to 60 feet high. The Japanese call them "tsunamis", meaning "harbor waves", because they reach a sizable height only in harbors.Tsunamis travel fairly slowly, at speeds up to 500 miles an hour. An adequate warning system is in use to warn all shores likely to be reached by the waves. But this only enables people to leave the threatened shores for higher ground. There is no way to stop the oncoming wave.18. Which of the following CANNOT be concluded from the passage?A. The number of earthquakes is closely related to depth.B. Roughly the same number of earthquakes occur each year.C. Earthquakes are impossible at depths over 460 miles.D. Earthquakes are most likely to occur near the surfaces.19. The destruction of Agadir is an example of ______.A. faulty building constructionB. an earthquake's strengthC. widespread panic in earthquakesD. ineffective instruments20. The United Nations' experts are supposed to______.A. construct strong buildingsB. put forward proposalsC. detect disastrous earthquakesD. monitor earthquakes21. The significance of the slow speed of tsunamis is that people may______.A. notice them out at seaB. find ways to stop themC. be warned early enoughD. develop warning systems英语TEM4阅读理解模拟题（6）It was the worst tragedy in maritime (航海的) history, six times more deadly than the Titanic.When the German cruise ship Wilhelm Gustloff was hit by torpedoes (鱼雷) fired from a Russian submarine in the final winter of World War II, more than 10,000 people - mostly women, children and old people fleeing the final Red Army push into Nazi Germany - were packed aboard. An ice storm had turned the decks into frozen sheets that sent hundreds of families sliding into the sea as the ship tilted andbegan to go down. Others desperately tried to put lifeboats down. Some who succeeded fought offthose in the water who had the strength to try to claw their way aboard. Most people froze immediately. Tll never forget the screams," says Christa Ntitzmann, 87, one of the 1,200 survivors. She recalls watching the ship, brightly lit, slipping into its dark grave - and into seeming nothingness, rarely mentioned for more than half a century.Now Germanys Nobel Prize-winning author Gtinter Grass has revived the memory of the 9,000 dead, including more than 4,000 children - with his latest novel Crab Walk, published last month. The book, which will be out in English next year, doesnt dwell on the sinking; its heroine is a pregnant young woman who survives the catastrophe only to say later: "Nobody wanted to hear about it, not here in the West (of Germany) and not at all in the East." The reason was obvious. As Grass put it in a recent interview with the weekly Die Woche: "Because the crimes we Germans are responsible for were and are so dominant, we didn\’t have the energy left to tell of our own sufferings.The long silence about the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff was probably unavoi dable - and necessary. By unreservedly owning up to their countrys monstrous crimes in the Second World War, Germans have managed to win acceptance abroad, marginalize ( 使...不得势) the neo- Nazis at home and make peace with their neighbors. Todays unified Germany is more prosperous and stable than at any time in its long, troubled history. For that, a half century of willful forgetting about painful memories like the German Titanic was perhaps a reasonable price to pay. But even the most politically correct Germans believe that they ye now earned the right to discuss the full historical record. Not to equate German suffering with that of its victims, but simply to acknowledge a terrible tragedy.21、Why does the author say the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff was the worst tragedy in maritime history?A) It was attacked by Russian torpedoes. B) Most of its passengers were frozen to death.C) Its victims were mostly women and children. D) It caused the largest number of casualties.22、Hundreds of families dropped into the sea whenA) a strong ice storm tilted the ship B) the cruise ship sank all of a suddenC) the badly damaged ship leaned toward one side D) the frightened passengers fought desperately for lifeboats23、The Wilhelm Gustloff tragedy was little talked about for more than half a century because GermansA) were eager,to win international acceptance B) felt guilty for their crimes in World War IIC)~ad been pressured to keep silent about it D) were afraid of offending their neighbors24、How does Gunter Grass revive the memory of the Wilhelm Gustloff tragedy?A) By presenting the horrible scene of the torpedo attack. B) By describing the ships sinking in great detail.C) By giving an interview to the weekly Die Woche. D) By depicting the survival of a young pregnant woman.25、It can be learned from the passage that Germans no longer think thatA) they will be misunderstood if they talk about the Wilhelm Gustloff tragedyB) the Wilhelm Gustloff tragedy is a reasonable price to pay for the nations past misdeedsC) Germany is responsible for the horrible crimes it committed in World War IID) it-is wrong to equate their sufferings with those of other countries英语专四阅读预测题（7）Certainly no creature in the sea is odder than the common sea cucumber. All living creature，especially human beings，have their peculiarities，but everything about the little sea cucumber seems unusual. What else can be said about a bizarre animal that，among other eccentricities，eats mud，feeds almost continuously day and night but can live without eating for long periods，and can be poisonous but is considered supremely edible by gourmets？For some fifty million years，despite all its eccentricities，the sea cucumber has subsisted on its diet of mud. It is adaptable enough to live attached to rocks by its tube feet，under rocks in shallow water，or on the surface of mud flats. Common in cool water on both Atlantic and Pacific shores，it has the abilityto suck up mud or sand and digest whatever nutrients are present.Sea cucumbers come in a variety of colors，ranging from black to reddish brown to sand color and nearly white. One form even has vivid purple tentacles. Usually the creatures are cucumber shaped-hence their name-and because they are typically rock inhabitants，this shape，combined with flexibility，enables them to squeeze into crevices where they are safe from predators and ocean currents.Although they have voracious appetites，eating day and night，sea cucumbers have the capacity to become quiescent and live at a low metabolic rate-feeding sparingly or not at all for long periods，so that the marine organisms that provide their food have a chance to multiply. If it were not for this faculty，they would devour all the food available in a short time and would probably starve themselves out of existence.But the most spectacular thing about the sea cucumber is the way it defends itself. Its major enemies are fish and crabs，when attacked，it squirts all its internal organs into water. It also casts off attached structures such as tentacles. The sea cucumber will eviscerate and regenerate itself if it is attacked or even touched；it will do the same if the surrounding water temperature is too high or if the water becomes too polluted.1. According to the passage，why is the shape of sea cucumbers important？A. It helps them to digest their food.B. It helps them to protect themselves from danger.C. It makes it easier for them to move through the mud.D. It makes them attractive to fish.2. The fourth paragraph of the passage primarily discusses______.A. the reproduction of sea cucumbersB. the food sources of sea cucumbersC. the eating habits of sea cucumbersD. threats to sea cucumbers' existence3. What can be inferred about the defence mechanisms of the sea cucumber？A. They are very sensitive to surrounding stimuli.B. They are almost useless.C. They require group cooperation.D. They are similar to those of most sea creatures.4. Which of the following would NOT cause a sea cucumber to release its internal organs into the water？A. A touchB. FoodC. Unusually warm waterD. Poll ution.TEM4阅读模拟练习预测题（8）Municipal sewage is of relatively recent origin as a pollutant. It was first brought topublic attention in the 19th century by a London physician who showed that the city's cholera outbreak had been caused by just one contaminated well. Even though the contamination of drinking water by disease germs has been nearly eliminated in this country, hundreds of communities are still discharging raw sewage into streams and rivers. When we consider that this sewage contains effluents fro m toilets, hospitals, laundries,industrial plants, etc., then the potential of the pollutants as a health hazard is apparent.The problem of municipal sewage disposal is complicated by the fact that, years ago, mostcities combined their storm and waste disposal sewers. Many of these combined systems work well, but others cannot cope with sudden heavy rains. When such storms occur, water mixed with sewage may flood and disable treatment plants unless bypassed, untreated, into a stream. In either case, the people may have little protection for several days from these wastes that may contain disease germs. Evenif adequately treated to eliminate the health hazard, sewage is aestheticallyundesirable because of odors and colors produced. Detergents have posed a particular disposal problem. Although there is no indication that they are injurious to health, they can cause foaming, which can clog treatment plants and, at the least, spoil the scenic beauty of streams. Rural and suburban residents should be aware that septic tanks and cesspools are a potential source of pollution to ground water supplies. This is especially true in thesuburban areas with a high population density and with no municipal sewage disposal and treatment system available. In some areas, sewage disposal is accomplished by cesspools. Soil research is furnishing guidelines for more effective and safer use of systems such as these.1. This passage is concerned primarily with the _____ .A. problems of waste disposalB. dangers of drinking from wellsC. turbidity of polluted waterD. outbreak of cholera 2. The author mentions the London cholera epidemic to _____ .A. prove that the city refused to deal with pollutionB. prove that medical science once knew little about pollutionC. introduce the idea of contaminated water suppliesD. recall a historical fact3. In densely populated suburban areas, a danger exits from _____ . A. streams that do not flow directly to open bodies of water B. cesspools and septic tanks that contaminate water supplies C. storm and waste disposal sewers that have been combined D. the undesirable odors of sewage4. In developing the main point, the author makes use of _____ . A. scientific arguments B. convincing testimony C. common sense observations D. analogy （1）D B（2）D B（3）D C A C（4）A C D D A（5）C A B C（6）D C B D A（7）B C A B（8）A C B C Before the mid 1860's, the impact of the railroads in the United States was limited, in the sense that the tracks ended at this Missouri River, approximately the center of the country. At the point the trains turned their freight, mail, and passengers over to steamboats, wagons, and stagecoaches. This meant that wagon freighting, stage coaching, and steam boating did not come to an end when the first train appeared; rather they became supplements or feeders. Each new “end of track” became a center for animal drawn or waterborne transportation. The major effect of the railroad was to shorten the distance that had to be covered by the older, slower, and more costly means. Wagon freighters continued operating throughout the 1870’s and 1880’s and into the 1890’s. Although over constantly shrinking routes, and coaches and wagons continued to crisscross the West wherever the rails had not yet been laid. The beginning of a major change was foreshadowed in the later 1860’s, when the Union Pacific Railroad at last began to build westward from the Central Plains city of Omaha to meet the Central Pacific Railroad advancing eastward from California through the formidable barrier of the Sierra Nevada. Although President Abraham Lincoln signed the original Pacific Railroad bill in 1862 and a revised, financially much more generous version in 1864, little construction was completed until 1865 on the Central Pacific and 1866 on the Union Pacific. The primary reason was skepticism that a Railroad built through so challenging and thinly settled a stretch of desert, mountain, and semiarid plain could pay a profit. In the words of an eco nomist, this was a case of “premature enterprise”, where not only the cost of construction but also the very high risk deterred private investment. In discussing the Pacific Railroad bill, the chair of the congressional committee bluntly stated that without government subsidy no one would undertake so unpromising a venture; yet it was a national necessity to link East and West together. 16. The author refers to the impact of railroads before the late 1860's as “limited” because ____.A. the track did not take the direct route from one city to the nextB. passengers and freight had to transfer to other modes of transportation to reach western destinationsC. passengers preferred stagecoachesD. railroad travel was quite expensive17. What can be inferred about coaches and wagon freighters as the railroad expanded?A. They developed competing routes.B. Their drivers refused to work for the railroads.C. They began to specialize in private investment.D. There were insufficient numbers of trained people to operate them.18. Why does the author mention the Sierra Nevada in line 17?A. To argue that a more direct route to the West could have been taken.B. To identify a historically significant mountain range in the West.C. To point out the location of a serious train accident.D. To give an example of an obstacle faced by the central pacific.19. The word “subsidy” in line 27 is closest in meaning to ____.A. persuasionB. financingC. explanationD. penalty 16. B17. D18. D19. B。
(完整版)英语专业四级阅读理解模拟题(可编辑修改word版)
英语专业四级阅读理解模拟题A simple piece of rope hangs between some environmentally friendly Americans and their neighbors. On one side stand those who have begun to see clothes dryers as wasteful consumers of energy (up to 6% of total electricity) and powerful emitters of carbon dioxide (up to a ton of CO2 per household every year). As an alternative, they are turning to clotheslines as part of what Alexander Lee, an environmentalist, calls "what-I-can- do environmentalism."But on the other side are people who oppose air-drying laundry outside on aesthetic grounds. Increasingly, they have persuaded community and homeowners associations(HOAs) across the U.S. to ban outdoor clotheslines, which they say not only look unsightly but also lower surrounding property values. Those actions, in turn, have sparked a right-to-dry movement that is pressing for legislation to protect the choice to use clotheslines. Only three states--Florida, Hawaii and Utah--have laws written broadly enough to protect clotheslines. Right-to-dry advocates argue that there should be more.Matt Reck is the kind of eco-conscious guy who feeds his trees with bathwater and recycles condensation drops from his air conditioners to water plants. His family also uses a clothesline. But Otto Hagen, president of Reck's HOA in Wake Forest, N.C., notified him that a neighbor h, ad complained about his line. The Recks ignored the warning and still dry their clothes on a rope in the yard. "Many people claim to be environmentally friendly but don't take matters into their own hands," says Reck. HOAs Hagen has decided to hold off taking action. "I'm not going to go crazy," he says. "But if Matt keeps his line and more neighbors complain, I'll have to address it again."North Carolina lawmakers tried and failed earlier this year to insert language into an energy bill that would expressly prevent HOAs from regulating clotheslines. But the issue remains a touchy one with HOAs and real estate agents. "Most aesthetic restrictions are rooted, to a degree, in the belief that homogenous (统一协调的) exteriors are supportive of property value," says Sara Stubbins, executive director of the Community Association Institute's North Carolina chapter. In other words, associations worry that housing prices will fall if prospective buyers think their would-be neighbors are too poor to afford dryers.Alexander Lee dismisses the notion that clotheslines devalue property assets, advocating that the idea "needs to change in light of global warming." "We all have to do at least something to decrease our carbon footprint," Alexander Lee says.1.What is NOT mentioned as a disadvantage of using clothes dryers?A.Electricity consumption.B.Air pollution.C.Waste of energy.D.Ugly looking.2.Which of the following is INCORRECT?A.Opposers think air-drying laundry would devalue surrounding assets.B.Opposers consider the outdoor clothesline as an eyesore to the scenery.C.Right-to-dry movements led to the pass of written laws to protect clotheslines.D.Most of states in the US have no written laws to protect clotheslines.3.What is the HOAs' attitude towards the regulation of outdoor clotheslines?A.Concerned.B.Impartial.C.Supportive.D.Unclear.4.In the last paragraph Alexander Lee recommends thatA.clotheslines should be banned in the community.B.clotheslines wouldn't lessen the property values.C.the globe would become warmer and warmer.D.we should protect the environment in the community.5.An appropriate title for the passage might beA.Opinions on Environmental Protection.B.Opinions on Air-drying Laundry.C.What-I-Can-Do Environmentalism.D.Restrictions on Clotheslines.参考答案与解析：文章概要：本文探讨是否该用晾衣绳在室外晾晒衣服。
专四阅读理解附带答案
Most of us are taught to pay attention to what is said—thewords. Words do provide us with some information, butmeanings are derived from so many other sources that itwould hinder our effectiveness as a partner to a rela tionshipto rely too heavily on words alone. Words are used todescribe only a small part of the many ideas we a ssociatewith any given message. Sometimes we can gain insight intosome of those associations if we listen for more than words.We don’t always say what we mean or mean what we say. Sometimes our words don’t meana nything except “I’m letting off some steam. I don’t really want you to pay close attention towhat I’m saying. J ust pay attention to what I’m feeling.” Mostly we mean several things atonce. A person wanting to purchase a house says to the current owner, “This step has to befixed before I’ll buy.” The owner says,“It’s been like that for years.” Actually, the step hasn’tbeen like that for years, but the unspoken message is: “ I don’t want to fix it. We put up withit. Why can’t you?” The search for a more expansive view of meaning c an be developed ofexamining a message in terms of who said it, when it occurred, the related conditions orsitu ation, and how it was said.When a message occurs can also reveal associated meaning. Let us assume two couples doexactly the same am ount of kissing and arguing. But one couple always kisses after anargument and the other couple always argues after a kiss. The ordering of the behaviors maymean a great deal more than the frequency of the behavior. A fr iend’s unusually docilebehavior may only be understood by noting that it was preceded by situations that requi red anabnormal amount of assertiveness. Some responses may be directly linked to a developingpattern of resp onses and defy logic. For example, a person who says “No!” to a serials ofcharges like “You’re dumb,” “You’re lazy,” and “You’re dishonest,” may also say “No!” and tryto justify his or her response if the next stat ement is “And you’re good looking.”We would do well to listen for how messages are presented. The words,“If sure has been niceto have you over,” can be said with emphasis and excitement or ritualistically. The phras e canbe said once or repeated several times. And the meanings we associate with the phrase willchange accordi ngly. Sometimes if we say something infrequently it assumes more importance;sometimes the more we say so mething the less importance it assumes.1.Effective communication is rendered possible between two conversing partners, if ___.A.they use proper words to carry their ideas.B.they both speak truly of their own feelings.C.they try to understand each other’s ideas beyond words.D.they are capable of associating meaning with their words.2.“I’m letting off some steam” in paragraph 1 means___.A.I’m just calling your attention.B.I’m just kidding.C.I’m just saying the opposite.D.I’m just giving off some sound.3.The house-owner’s example shows that he actually means___.A.the step has been like that for years.B.he doesn’t think it necessary to fix the step.C.the condition of the step is only a minor fault.D.the cost involved in the fixing should be shared.4.Some responses and behaviors may appear very illogical, but are justifiable if___.A.linked to an abnormal amount of assertiveness.B.seen as one’s habitual pattern of behavior.C.taken as part of an ordering sequence.D.expressed to a series of charges.5.The word “ritualistically” in the last paragraph equals something done___.A.without true intention.B.light-heartedly.C.in a way of ceremony.D.with less emphasis.We can begin our discussion of “population as global issue”with what most persons mean when they discuss “t hepopulation problem”: too many people on earth and a toorapid increase in the number added each year. The f acts arenot in dispute, It was quite right to employ the analogy thatlikened demographic growth to “a long, thin powder fuse thatburns steadily and haltingly until it finally reaches the chargeand explodes.”To understand the current situation, which is characterized by rapid increases in population, itis necessary to u nderstand the history of population trends. Rapid growth is a comparativelyrecent phenomenon. Looking back at the 8,000 years of demographic history, we find thatpopulations have been virtually stable or growing very s lightly for most of human history. Formost of our ancestors, life was hard, often nasty, and very short. There w as high fertility inmost places, but this was usually balanced by high mortality. For most of human history, it w asseldom the case that one in ten persons would live past forty, while infancy and childhoodwere especially ris ky periods. Often, societies were in clear danger of extinction because deathrates could exceed their birthrates. Thus, the population problem throughout most of historywas how to prevent extinction of the human race. This pattern is important to notice. Not only does it put the current problems of demographicgrowth into a hist orical perspective, but it suggests that the cause of rapid increase inpopulation in recent years is not a sudden e nthusiasm for more children, but an improvementin the conditions that traditionally have caused high mortality .Demographic history can be divided into two major periods: a time of long, slow growth whichextended from about 8,000 BC.till approximately AD.1650. In the first period of some 9600years, the population increased from some 8 million to 500 million in 16 50. Between 1650 andthe present, the population has increased from 500 million to more than 4 billion. And it isestimated that by the year 2000 there will be 6.2 billion people throughout the world. One wayto appreciate t his dramatic difference in such abstract numbers is to reduce the time frame tosomething that is more managea ble. Between 8000BC and 1650, an average of only 50,000persons was being added annually to the world’s po pulation each year. At present, this numberis added every six hours. The increase is about 80,000,000 persons annually.1.Which of the following demographic growth pattern is most suitable for the long thin powderfuse analogy?A.A virtually stable or slightly decreasing period and then a sudden explosion of population.B.A slow growth for a long time and then a period of rapid, dramatic increase.C.Too many people on earth and a few rapid increase in the number added each year.D.A long period when death rates exceeds birthrates and then a short period with higherfertility and lower mort ality.2.During the first period of demographic history, societies were often in danger of extinctionbecause___.A.only one in ten persons could live past 40.B.there was higher mortality than fertility in most places.C.it was too dangerous to have babies due to the poor conditions.D.our ancestors had little enthusiasm for more children.3.Which statement is true about population increase?A.There might be an increase of 2.2 billion persons from now to the year 2000.B.About 50,000 babies are born every six hours at present.C.Between 8000 BC and the present, the population increase is about 80,000,000 personseach year.D.The population increased faster between 8000BC and 1650 than between 1650 and thepresent.4.The author of the passage intends to___.A.warn people against the population explosion in the near future.pare the demographic growth pattern in the past with that after 1650.C.find out the cause for rapid increase in population in recent years.D.present us a clear and complete picture of the demographic growth.5.The word “demographic” in the first paragraph means___.A.statistics of human.B.surroundings study.C.accumulation of human.D.development of human.24)Let children learn to judge their own work. A child learning totalk does not learn by being corrected all the tim e; ifcorrected too much, he will stop talking. He notices athousand times a day the difference between the lang uageshe uses and the language those around him use. Bit by bit,he makes the necessary changes to make his la nguage likeother people. In the same way, when children learn to do allthe other things they learn to do withou t being taught-towalk, run, climb, whistle, ride a bicycle-compare those performances with those of more skille dpeople, and slowly make the needed changes. But in school we never give a child a chance tofind out his own mistakes for himself, let alone correct them. We do it all for him. We act as ifwe thought that he would never notice a mistake unless it was pointed out to him, or correct itunless he was made to. Soon he becomes depend ent on the teacher. Let him do it himself. Lethim work out, with the help of other children if he wants it, what t his word says, what answeris to that problem, whether this is a good way of saying or doing this or not.If it is a matter of right answers, as it may be in mathematics or science, give him the answerbook. Let him corr ect his own papers. Why should we teachers waste time on such routinework? Our job should be to help the ch ild when he tells us that he can’t find the way to getthe right answer. Let’s end this nonsense of grades, exams, marks, Let us throw them all out,and let the children learn what all educated persons must some day learn, how to measuretheir own understanding, how to know what they know or do not know.Let them get on with this job in the way that seems sensible to them. With our help as schoolteachers if they as k for it. The idea that there is a body of knowledge to be learnt at schooland used for the rest of one’s life is no nsense in a world as complicated and rapidly changingas ours. Anxious parents and teachers say,“But suppose they fail to learn something essentialthey will need to get in the world?”Don’t worry! If it is esse ntial, they will go out into theworld and learn it.1.What does the author think is the best way for children to learn things?A.by copying what other people do.B.by making mistakes and having them corrected.C.by listening to explanations from skilled people.D.by asking a great many questions.2.What does the author think teachers do which they should not do?A.They give children correct answers.B.They point out children’s mistakes to them.C.They allow children to mark their own work.D.They encourage children to mark to copy from one another.3.The passage suggests that learning to speak and learning to ride a bicycle are___.A.not really important skills.B.more important than other skills.C.basically different from learning adult skills.D.basically the same as learning other skills.4.Exams, grades, and marks should be abolished because children’s progress should only beestimated by___.cated persons.B.the children themselves.C.teachers.D.parents.5.The author fears that children will grow up into adults while being___.A.too independent of others.B.too critical of themselves.C.incapable to think for themselves.D.incapable to use basic skills.23)Chinese Americans today have higher incomes than Americansin general and higher occupational status. The Chinese haverisen to this position despite some of the harshestdiscrimination and violence faced by any immig rants to theUnited States in the history of this country. Long confined toa narrow range of occupations they succeeded in thoseoccupations and then spread out into other areas in lateryears, when opportunities finally opene d up for them. Todaymuch of the Chinese prosperity is due to the simple fact that they work more and have mo re(usually better) education than others. Almost one out of five Chinese families has three ormore income earn ers compared to one out of thirteen for Puerto Ricans, one out of ten amongAmerican Indians, and one out of e ight among Whites. When the Chinese advantages inworking and educational are held constant, they have no a dvantage over other Americans.That is in a Chinese Family with a given number of people working and with a given amount ofeducation by the head of the family, the income is not only about average for such families,an d offer a little less than average.While Chinese Americans as a group are prosperous and well-educated Chinatowns are pocketsof poverty, and illiteracy is much higher among the Chinese than among Americans in general.Those paradoxes are due to sha rp internal differences. Descendants of the Chinese Americanswho emigrated long ago from Toishan Province have maintained Chinese values and haveadded acculturation to American society with remarkable success. M ore recent Hong KongChinese are from more diverse cultural origins, and acquired western values and styles i n HongKong, without having acquired the skills to proper and support those aspirations in theAmerican econo my. Foreign-born Chinese men in the United States are one-fourth lowerincomes than native-born Chinese eve n though the foreign-born have been in the UnitedStates an average of seventeen years. While the older Hong Kong Chinese work tenaciously tosustain and advance themselves, the Hong Kong Chinese youths often react with resentmentand antisocial behavior, including terrorism and murder. The need to maintain tourism inChina town causes the Chinese leaders to mute or downplay these problems as much aspossible.1.According to the passage, today, Chinese Americans owe their prosperity to___.A.their diligence and better education than others.B.their support of American government.C.their fight against discriminations.D.advantages in working only.2.The passage is mainly concerned with___.A.chinese Americans today.B.social status of Chinese Americans today.C.incomes and occupational status of Chinese Americans today.D.problems of Chinese Americans today.3.Chinatowns are pockets of poverty, as is probably associated with___.A.most descendants of Chinese Americans are rebelling.B.most descendants of Chinese Americans are illiterate.C.sharp internal difference between Chinese coming from different cultural backgrounds.D.only a few Chinese Americans are rich.4.Which of the following statements is not true according to this articleA.As part of the minority, Chinese Americans are still experiencing discrimination in Americantoday.B.Nowadays, Chinese Americans are working in wider fields.C.Foreign-born Chinese earn lower income than native-born Chinese Americans with the similaradvantages in the U.S.D.None of the above.5.According to the author, which of the following can best describe the older Hong KongChinese and the youn gerA.Tenacious; rebellion.B.Conservative; open-minded.C.Out-of-date; fashionable.D.Obedient; disobedient.22)Computers monitor everything in Singapore from soilcomposition to location of manholes. At the airport, it to okjust 15 seconds for the computerized immigration system toscan and approve my passport. It takes only one minute tobe checked into a public hospital.By 1998, almost every household will be wired for interactivecable TV and the Internet, the global computer n etwork.Shoppers will be able to view and pay for productselectronically. A 24-hour community telecomputing network will allow users to communicatewith elected representatives and retrieve information about governme nt services. It is all partof the government’s plan to transform the nation into what it calls the “Intelligent Islan d”.In so many ways, Singapore has elevated the concept of efficiency to a kind of nationalideology. For the past t en years, Singapore’s work force was rated the best in the world-aheadof Japan and the U.S.-in terms of produc tivity, skill and attitude by the Business EnvironmentRisk Intelligence service.Behind the “Singapore miracle” is a man Richard Nixon described as one of “the ablest leadersI have met,” on e who,“in other times and other places, might have attained the world statureof a Churchill.” Lee Kuan Yew led Sing apore’s struggle for independence in the 1950s, servingas Prime Minister from 1959 until 1990. Today (1995), at 71, he has nominally retired to theoffice of Senior Minister, where he continues to influence his country’s fu ture. Lee offeredcompanies tax breaks, political stability, cheap labor and strike-free environment.Nearly 90 percent of Singaporean adults now own their own homes and thanks to strictadherence to the princip le of merit, personal opportunities abound.“If you’ve got talent andwork hard, you can be anything here,” says a Malaysian-born woman who holds a hig h-levelcivil-service position.Lee likes to boast that Singapore has avoided the “moral breakdown” of Western countries. Heattributes his nat ion’s success to strong family ties, a reliance on education as the engine ofadvancement and social philosophy that he claims is superior to America’s.In an interview with Reader’s Digest, he said that the United States has “lost its bearings” byemphasizing indiv idual rights at the expense of society. “An ethical society,” he said,“is onewhich matches human rights with responsibilities.”1.What characterizes Singapore’s advancement is its___.puter monitoring.B.work efficiency.C.high productivity.D.value on ethics.2.From Nixon’s perspective, Lee is___.A.almost as great as Churchill.B.not as great as Churchill.C.only second to Churchill in being a leader.D.just as great as Churchill.3.In the last paragraph, “lost its bearings” may mean___.A.become impatient.B.failed to find the right position.C.lost its foundation.D.grown band-mannered.4.“You can be anything here”(Paragraph 5) may be paraphrased as___.A.You can hope for a very bright prospect.B.You may be able to do anything needed.C.You can choose any job as you like.D.You will become an outstanding worker.5.In Singapore, the concept of efficiency___.A.has been emphasized throughout the country.B.has become an essential quality for citizens to aim at.C.is brought forward by the government in order to compete with America.D.is known as the basis for building the “Intelligent Island.”21)At some time in your life you may have a strong desire to do something strange or terrible. However, chancesare that you don’t act on your impulse, but let it pass instead. You know that to commit the acti on is wrong in some way and that other people will not accept your behavior.Perhaps the most interesting thing about the phenomenon of taboo behavior is how it can change over the years within the same society, how certain behavior and attitudes once considered taboo can become perfectly acceptable and natural at another point in time. Topics such as death, for example, were once considered so upsetting and unpleasant that it was a taboo to even talk about them. Now with the publication of important books such as On Death and Dying and Learning to Say Goodbye, people have become more aware of the importance of expressing feelings about death and, as a result, are more willing to talk about this taboo subject. One of the newest taboos in American society is the topic of fat. Unlike many other taboos, fat is topic that Americans talk about constantly. It’s not taboo to talk about fat; it’s taboo to be fat. The “in” look is thin, not fat. In the work world, most companies prefer youthful-looking, trim executives to sell their image as well as their products to the public. The thin look is associated with youth, vigor, and success. The fat person, on the other hand, is thought of as lazy and lacking in energy, self-discipline, and self-respect. In an image-conscious society like the U.S., thin is “in”, fat is “out”.It’s not surprising, then, that millions of Americans have become obsessed with staying slim and “in shape”. The pursuit of a youthful physical appearance is not, however, the sole reason for America’s fascination with diet and exercise. Recent research has shown the critical importance of diet and exercise for personal health. As in most technologically developed nations, the life-style of North Americans has changed dramatically during the course of the last century. Modern machines do all the physical labor that people were once forced to do by hand. Cars and buses transport us quickly from point to point. As a result of inactivity and disuse, people’s bodies can easily become weak and vulnerable to d isease. In an effort to avoid such a fate, millions of Americans are spending more of their time exercising.1.From the passage we can infer taboo is__.A.a strong desire to do something strange or terrible.B.a crime committed on impulse.C.behavior consi dered unacceptable in society’s eyes.D.an unfavorable impression left on other people.2.Based on the ideas presented in the passage we can conclude “being fat” __ in American society.A.will always remain a taboo.B.is not considered a taboo by most people.C.has long been a taboo.D.may no longer be a taboo some day.3.The topic of fat is __ many other taboo subjects.A.the same asB.different fromC.more popular thanD.less often talked about than.4.In the U.S., thin is “in”, fat is “out”, this means__.A.thin is “inside”, fat is “outside”.B.thin is “diligent”, fat is “lazy”.C.thin is “youthful”, fat is “spiritless”.D.thin is “fashionable”, fat is “unfashionable”.5.Apart from this new understanding of the correlation between health and exercise, the main reason the passage gives for why so many Americans are exercising regularly is__.A.their changed life-style.B.their eagerness to stay thin and youthful.C.their appreciation of the importance of exercise.D.the encouragement they have received from their companies20)The discovery of the Antarctic not only proved one of the most interesting of all geographical adventures, but created what might be called “the heroic age of Antarctic exploration”. By their tremendous heroism, men suchas Shakleton, Scott, and Amundsen caused a new continent to emerge from the shadows, and yet that heroic age, little more than a century old, is already passing. Modern science and inventions are revolutionizing the endurance, future journeys into these icy wastes will probably depend on motor vehicles equipped with caterpillar traction rather than on the dogs that earlier discoverers found so invaluable and hardly comparable. Few realize that this Antarctic continent is almost equal in size to South America, and enormous field of work awaits geographers and prospectors. The coasts of this continent remain to be accurately charted, and the maping of the whole of the interior presents a formidable task to the cartographers who undertake the work. Once their labors are completed, it will be possible to prospect the vast natural resources which scientists believe will furnish one of the largest treasure hoards of metals and minerals the world has yet known, and almost inexhaustible sources of copper, coal, uranium, and many other ores will become available to man. Such discoveries will usher in an era of practical exploitation of the Antarctic wastes.The polar darkness which hides this continent for the six winter months will be defeated by huge batteries of light, and make possible the establishing of air-fields for the future inter-continental air services by making these areas as light as day. Present flying routes will be completely changed, for the Antarctic refueling bases will make flights from Australia to South America comparatively easy over the 5,000 miles journey.The climate is not likely to offer an insuperable problem, for the explorer Admiral Byrd has shown that the climate is possible even for men completely untrained for expeditions into those frozen wastes. Some of his parties were men who had never seen snow before, and yet he records that they survived the rigors of the Antarctic climate comfortably, so that, provided that the appropriate installations are made, we may assume that human beings from all countries could live there safely. Byrd even affirms that it is probably the most healthy climate in the world, for the intense cold of thousands of years has sterilize this continent, and rendered it absolutely germfree, with the consequences that ordinary and extraordinary sickness and diseases from which man suffers in other zones with different climates are here utterly unknown. There exist no problems of conservation and preservation of food supplies, for the latter keep indefinitely without any signs of deterioration; it may even be that later generations will come to regard the Antarctic as the natural storehouse for the whole world.Plans are already on foot to set up permanent bases on the shores of this continent, and what so few years ago was regarded as a “dead continent” now promises to be a most active center of human life and endeavor.1.When did man begin to explore the AntarcticA.About 100years ago.B.In this century.C.At the beginning of the 19th century.D.In 1798.2.What must the explorers be, even though they have modern equipment and techniquesA.Brave and toughB.Stubborn and arrogant.C.Well-liked and humorous.D.Stout and smart.3.The most healthy climate in the world is___.A.in South America.B.in the Arctic Region.C.in the Antarctic Continent.D.in the Atlantic Ocean.4.What kind of metals and minerals can we find in the AntarcticA.Magnetite, coal and ores.B.Copper, coal and uranium.C.Silver, natural gas and uranium.D.Aluminum, copper and natural gas.5.What is planned for the continentA.Building dams along the coasts.B.Setting up several summer resorts along the coasts.C.Mapping the coast and whole territory.D.Setting up permanent bases on the coasts.19)The discovery of the Antarctic not only proved one of the most interesting of all geographical adventures, but created what might be called “the heroic age of Antarctic exploration”. By their tremendous heroism, men such as Shakleton, Scott, and Amundsen caused a new continent to emerge from the shadows, and yet that heroic age, little more than a century old, is already passing. Modern science and inventions are revolutionizing the endurance, future journeys into these icy wastes will probably depend on motor vehicles equipped with caterpillar traction rather than on the dogs that earlier discoverers found so invaluable and hardly comparable. Few realize that this Antarctic continent is almost equal in size to South America, and enormous field of work awaits geographers and prospectors. The coasts of this continent remain to be accurately charted, and the maping of the whole of the interior presents a formidable task to the cartographers who undertake the work. Once their labors are completed, it will be possible to prospect the vast natural resources which scientists believe will furnish one of the largest treasure hoards of metals and minerals the world has yet known, and almost inexhaustible sources of copper, coal, uranium, and many other ores will become available to man. Such discoveries will usher in an era of practical exploitation of the Antarctic wastes.The polar darkness which hides this continent for the six winter months will be defeated by huge batteries of light, and make possible the establishing of air-fields for the future inter-continental air services by making these areas as light as day. Present flying routes will be completely changed, for the Antarctic refueling bases will make flights from Australia to South America comparatively easy over the 5,000 miles journey.The climate is not likely to offer an insuperable problem, for the explorer Admiral Byrd has shown that the climate is possible even for men completely untrained for expeditions into those frozen wastes. Some of his parties were men who had never seen snow before, and yet he records that they survived the rigors of the Antarctic climate comfortably, so that, provided that the appropriate installations are made, we may assume that human beings from all countries could live there safely. Byrd even affirms that it is probably the most healthy climate in the world, for the intense cold of thousands of years has sterilize this continent, and rendered it absolutely germfree, with the consequences that ordinary and extraordinary sickness and diseases from which man suffers in other zones with different climates are here utterly unknown. There exist no problems of conservation and preservation of food supplies, for the latter keep indefinitely without any signs of deterioration; it may even be that later generations will come to regard the Antarctic as the natural storehouse for the whole world.Plans are already on foot to set up permanent bases on the shores of this continent, and what so few years ago was regarded as a “dead continent” now promises to be a most active center of human life and endeavor.1.When did man begin to explore the Antarctic?A.About 100years ago.B.In this century.C.At the beginning of the 19th century.D.In 1798.2.What must the explorers be, even though they have modern equipment and techniques?A.Brave and toughB.Stubborn and arrogant.C.Well-liked and humorous.D.Stout and smart.3.The most healthy climate in the world is___.A.in South America.B.in the Arctic Region.C.in the Antarctic Continent.D.in the Atlantic Ocean.4.What kind of metals and minerals can we find in the Antarctic?A.Magnetite, coal and ores.B.Copper, coal and uranium.C.Silver, natural gas and uranium.。
专四阅读真题及答案
专四阅读真题及答案专四阅读真题及答案在学习和工作的日常里，我们经常跟试题打交道，借助试题可以对一个人进行全方位的考核。
什么样的.试题才是科学规范的试题呢？下面是店铺整理的专四阅读真题及答案，供大家参考借鉴，希望可以帮助到有需要的朋友。
In this section there are three passages followed by ten multiple choice questions. For each multiple choice question, there are four suggested answers marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that you think is the best answer and mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET TWO. PASSAGE ONE(1)When I was twenty-seven years old, I was a mining-broker's clerk in San Francisco, and an expert in all the details of stock traffic. I was alone in the world, and had nothing to depend upon but my wits and a clean reputation; but these were setting my feet in the road to eventual fortune, and I was content with the prospect. My time was my own after the afternoon board, Saturdays, and I was accustomed to putting it in on a little sail-boat on the bay. One day I ventured too far, and was carried out to sea. Just at nightfall, when hope was about gone, I was picked up by a small ship which was bound for London. It was a long and stormy voyage, and they made me work my passage without pay, as a common sailor. When I stepped ashore in London my clothes were ragged and shabby, and I had only a dollar in my pocket. This money fed and sheltered me twenty-four hours. During the next twenty-four I went without food and shelter.(2)About ten o'clock on the following morning, dirty and hungry, I was dragging myself along Portland Place, when a child that was passing, towed by a nurse-maid, tossed a big pear -minus one bite - into the gutter. I stopped, of course, and fastened my desiring eye on that muddy treasure. My mouth watered for it, my stomach craved it, my whole being, begged for it. But every time I made a move to get it some passing eye detected my purpose, and of course I straightened up then, and looked indifferent and pretended that I hadn't been thinking about the pear at all. This same thing kept happening and happening, and I couldn't get the pear.(3)I was just getting desperate enough to brave all the shame, and to seize it, when a window behind me was raised, and a gentleman spoke out of it, saying: "Step in here, please."(4)I was admitted by a man servant, and shown into a sumptuous room where a couple of elderly gentlemen were sitting. They sent away the servant, and made me sit down. They had just finished their breakfast, and the sight of the remains of it almost overpowered me. I could hardly keep my wits together in the presence of that food, but as I was not asked to sample it,I had to bear my trouble as best as I could.(5)Now, something had been happening there a little before, which I did not know anything about until a good many days afterwards, but I will tell you about it now. Those two old brothers had been having a pretty hot argument a couple of days before, and had ended by agreeing to decide it by a bet, which is the English way of settling everything.(6)You will remember that the Bank of England once issued two notes of a million pounds each, to be used for a special purpose connected with some public transaction with a foreign country. For some reason or other only one of these had been used and canceled; the other still lay in the vaults of the Bank. Well, the brothers, chatting along, happened to get to wonderingwhat might be the fate of a perfectly honest and intelligent stranger who should be turned adrift in London without a friend, and with no money but that million-pound bank-note, and no way to account for his being in possession of it. Brother A said he would starve to death; Brother B said he wouldn't. Brother A said he couldn't offer it at a bank or anywhere else, because he would be arrested on the spot. So they went on disputing till Brother B said he would bet twenty thousand pounds that the man would live thirty days, anyway, on that million, and keep out of jail, too. Brother A took him up. Brother B went down to the Bank and bought that note. Then he dictated a letter, which one of his clerks wrote out in a beautiful round hand, and then the two brothers sat at the window a whole day watching for the right man to give it to. (7)I finally became the pick of them.41. In Para. 1, the phrase "set my feet" probably means___________. A. put me aside B. start my journey C. prepare me D. let me walk42. It can be concluded from Para. 2 that___________.A. the man wanted to maintain dignity though starvedB. the man could not get a proper chance to eat the pearC. the man did not really want the pear since it was dirtyD. it was very difficult for the man to get the pear43. Compared with Brother A, Brother B was more ___________ towards the effect of the one-million-pound bank-note on a total stranger. A. neutral B. negative C. reserved D. positive PASSAGE TWO(1)The concept of peace is a very important one in cultures all over the world. Think about how we greet people. In some languages, the phrases for greetings contain the word for peace. In some cultures we greet people by shaking hands or withanother gesture to show that we are not carrying weapons—that we come in peace. And there are certain symbols which people in very different cultures recognize as representing peace. Let's look at a few of them.The dove(2)The dove has been a symbol of peace and innocence for thousands of years in many different cultures. In ancient Greek mythology it was a symbol of love and the renewal of life. In ancient Japan a dove carrying a sword symbolized the end of war.(3)There was a tradition in Europe that if a dove flew arounda house where someone was dying then their soul would be at peace. And there are legends which say that the devil can turn himself into any bird except for a dove. In Christian art, the dove was used to symbolize the Holy Ghost and was often painted above Christ's head.(4)But it was Pablo Picasso who made the dove a modern symbol of peace when he used it on a poster for the World Peace Congress in 1949.The rainbow(5)The rainbow is another ancient and universal symbol, often representing the connection between human beings and their gods. In Greek mythology it was associated with Iris, the goddess who brought messages from the gods on Mount Olympus. In Scandinavian mythology the rainbow was a bridge between the gods and the earth. In the Bible a rainbow showed Noah that the Biblical flood was finally over, and that God had forgiven his people. In the Chinese tradition, the rainbow is a common symbol for marriage because the colours represent the union of yin and yang. Nowadays the rainbow is used by many popular movements for peace and the environment,representing the possibility of a better world in the future and promising sunshine after the rain.Mistletoe(6)This plant was sacred in many cultures, generally representing peace and love. Most people know of the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe at Christmas time, which probably comes from Scandinavian mythology. The goddess Freya's son was killed by an arrow made of mistletoe, so, in honour of him, she declared that it would always be a symbol of peace. It was often hung in doorways as a sign of friendship.(7)The ancient Druids believed that hanging mistletoe in your doorway protected you from evil spirits. Tribes would stop fighting for a period of time if they found a tree with mistletoe. But you will never see mistletoe in a Christian church - it is banned because of its associations with pagan religion and superstition.The olive branch(8)The olive tree has always been a valuable source of food and oil. In Greek mythology, the goddess Athena gave the olive tree to the people of Athens, who showed their gratitude by naming the city after her. But no one knows for sure when or why it began to symbolize peace. There is probably a connection with ancient Greece. Wars between states were suspended during the Olympic Games, and the winners were given crowns of olive branches. The symbolism may come from the fact that the olive tree takes a long time to produce fruit, so olives could only be cultivated successfully in long periods of peace. Whatever the history, the olive branch is a part of many modern flags symbolizing peace and unity. One well-known example is the United Nations symbol.The ankh(9)The ankh is an ancient symbol which was adopted by the hippie movement in the 1960s to represent peace and love. It was found in many Asian cultures, but is generally associated with ancient Egypt. It represented life and immortality. Egyptians were buried with an ankh, so that they could continue to live in the "afterworld". The symbol was also found along the sides of the Nile, which gave life to the people. They believed that the ankh could control the flow of the river and make sure that there was always enough water.44. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?A. Concept of Peace.B. Origin of Peace Symbols.C. Popular Peace Symbols.D. Cultural Difference of Peace.45. The rainbow represents the connection between human beings and their gods in all the following countriesEXCEPT___________. A. Sweden B. Greece C. Finland D. China46. In North Europe mistletoe was often hung in doorways to indicate___________. A. friendship B. love C. kinship D. honour47. The origin of the ankh can date back to___________. A. the Nile B. the "afterworld" C. the hippie movement D. ancient Egypt PASSAGE THREE(1)Two sides almost never change: That you can manipulate people into self-sufficiency and that you can punish them into good citizenship.(2)The first manifests itself in our tireless search for the magical level at which welfare grants are big enough to meet basic needs but small enough to make low-paid work attractive. The second has us looking to the criminal justice system to cure behavior that is as much as anything the result of despair.(7)Not only can we never find the "perfect" punishment, oursearch for optimum penalties is complicated by our desire for fairness: to let the punishment fit the crime. The problem is that almost any punishment - even the disgrace of being charged with a crime - is sufficient to deter the middle class, while for members of the underclass, probation may be translated as "I beat it."(8)So how can you use the system - welfare or criminal justice - to produce the behavior we want? The answer, I suspect is: You can't.(9)We keep trying to use welfare and prison to change people - to make them think and behave the way we do - when the truth is the incentives work only for those who already think the way we do: who view today's action with an eye on the future.(10)We will take lowly work (if that is all that's available) because we believe we can make bad jobs work for us. We avoid crime not because we are better people but because we see getting caught as a future-wrecking disaster. We are guided by a belief that good things will happen for us in the future if we take proper care of the present. Even under the worst of circumstances, we believe we are in control of our lives.(11)And we have trouble understanding that not everybody believes as we believe. The welfare rolls, the prisons and the mean streets of our cities are full of people who have given up on their(3)The welfare example is well known. We don't want poor people to live in squalor or their children to be malnourished. But we also don't want to subsidize the indolence of people who are too lazy to work. The first impulse leads us to provide housing, food stamps, medical care and a cash stipend for families in need. The second gets us to think about "workforce".(4)We've been thinking about it for two reasons: the "nanny"problems of two high-ranking government officials (who hired undocumented foreigners as household helpers, presumably because they couldn't find Americans to do the work) and President Clinton's proposal to put a two-year limit on welfare.(5)Maybe something useful will come of Clinton's idea, but I'm not all that hopeful. It looks to me like one more example of trying to manipulate people into taking care of themselves.(6)On the criminal justice side, we hope to make punishment tough enough to discourage crime but not so tough as to clog our prisons with relatively minor offenders. Too short a sentence, we fear, will create contempt for the law. Too long a sentence will take up costly space better used for the violent and unremorseful.(7)Not only can we never find the "perfect" punishment, our search for optimum penalties is complicated by our desire for fairness: to let the punishment fit the crime. The problem is that almost any punishment - even the disgrace of being charged with a crime - is sufficient to deter the middle class, while for members of the underclass, probation may be translated as "I beat it."(8)So how can you use the system - welfare or criminal justice - to produce the behavior we want? The answer, I suspect is: You can't.(9)We keep trying to use welfare and prison to change people - to make them think and behave the way we do - when the truth is the incentives work only for those who already think the way we do: who view today's action with an eye on the future.(10)We will take lowly work (if that is all that's available) because we believe we can make bad jobs work for us. We avoid crime not because we are better people but because we see getting caught as a future-wrecking disaster. We are guided by a belief that good things will happen for us in the future if we takeproper care of the present. Even under the worst of circumstances, we believe we are in control of our lives.(11)And we have trouble understanding that not everybody believes as we believe. The welfare rolls, the prisons and the mean streets of our cities are full of people who have given up on their future. Without hope for the future, hard work at a low-paid job makes no sense. Working hard in school, or pleasing a boss, or avoiding pregnancy makes no sense. The deadly disease is hopelessness. The lawlessness and poverty are only the obvious symptoms.(12)I'm not advocating that we stop looking for incentives to move poor people toward self-sufficiency or that we stop punishing people for criminal behavior. There will always be some people who need help and some who deserve to be in jail.(13)All I'm saying is that the long-term answer both to welfare and the crime that plagues our communities is not to fine tune the welfare and criminal justice systems but to prevent our children from getting the disease of despair.(14)If we encourage our young people to believe in the future, and give them solid evidence for believing, we'll find both crime and poverty shrinking to manageable proportions.48. What is the author's attitude towards Clinton's proposal to welfare? A. Pessimistic. B. Optimistic. C. Suspicious. D. Sarcastic.49. It can be inferred from Para. 7 that optimum penalties are___________to the underclass. A. useless B. hopeless C. frightening D. humiliating50. Which of the following is the most appropriate title for the passage?A. Lawlessness and Poverty.B. Criminal Justice System.C. Welfare Grants.D. Disease of Despair.SECTION B SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONSIn this section there are five short answer questions based on the passages in Section A. Answer the questions with NO more than TEN words in the space provided on ANSWER SHEET TWO. PASSAGE ONE51. In Para. 4, what does the man mean by saying "I had to bear my trouble"?52. What can be inferred from the last sentence of the passage?PASSAGE TWO53. Why does the UN use the olive branch in its symbol?PASSAGE THREE54. According to the author, what balance should we keep in welfare?55. What does the author mean by saying "Even under the worst of circumstances, we believe we are in control of our lives" (Para. 10)?参考答案PART V READING COMPREHENSION41-50: BADBD ADCBD51.Keep wits together in the presence of that food.52.The author was given the million-pound bank-note.53.It symbolizes peace and unity.54.Meeting basic needs and making low-paid work.55.Good things will happen by taking care of the present.。
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TEXT AThe meridians of longitude are imaginary great circles drawn from pole to pole around the earth. By international agreement, the meridian of longitude passing through Greenwich, England, is numbered zero. The earth is divided into 360 degrees, and the meridians are numbered east and west from Greenwich. There are 180 degrees of longitude east of Greenwich and 180 degrees in the westerly direction. New York has a longitude of 74 degrees west (74ºW) which means that it lies on the 74th meridian west of Greenwich.Since the sun appears to travel around the earth in 24 hours, it will move 360/24 or 15 degrees in one hour. This reasoning can be used by navigators to determine their longitude. Imagine that we have set sail from Greenwich, England, after having set a very accurate clock, or chronometer, to the local Greenwich time. As we travel westward toward New York, we notice that the sun is going “slower” than our chronometer. At the time that our timepiece reads 12 o’clock, the sun has not quite reached the zenith. As a matter of fact, when our clock reads noon, what it really means is that it’s noon in Greenwich, England. Our clock continues to tell us the time, not at our present location, but at Greenwich. Let us wait until the sun is directly overhead (noon at our location) and then read the time on our clock. Suppose it reads 1 o’clock. This means that there is one hour’s difference in time between our longitude and that of Greenwich. As we mentioned earlier, this corresponds to exactly 15 degrees of longitude, so our longitude must be 15ºW. The world is divided into 24 time zones, and each zone corresponds to 15 degrees of longitude. New York is approximately 5 time zones west of Greenwich, so the time difference must be about 5 hours. By maintaining chronometers on Greenwich time, ships can determine their longitude on any sunny day by merely noting the difference in hours between Greenwich time and local sun time and multiplying this difference by 15 degrees.Of course, longitude gives only half of the information needed to determine our precise location. We must also know our latitude, which tells us how far we are north or south of the Equator. The Equator is the zero line for the measurement of latitude. Circles are drawn parallel to the Equator to indicate other values of latitude. There are 90 degrees of south latitude.In the Northern Hemisphere, there is a star called Polaris almost directly over the North Pole. This makes it possible to determine the latitude of a given point by setting our sextant to measure the angle between Polaris, the North Star, and the horizon. Mathematicians tell us that this angle is equal to the latitude at the point in question.To get an idea of our location, therefore, we need to know local time, Greenwich time, and the angle between Polaris and the horizon.1. The passage is mainly about ____a. the latitudeb. the longitudec. how to know one’s location on the earth surfaced. how to determine local time2. suppose it is 18:00 in Greenwich, England , then the local time in New York is ____a. 18:00b. around 13:00c. around 23:00d.17:003. “Chronometer” in para 2. Refers to______a. length measurement tool b weight measurement tool c. time measurement tool d. chronology4. to get the precise location of a ship on the sea, the shipman must know____a. the longitude of his place onlyb. the latitude of his position onlyc. the number degrees he lies east or west of Greenwichd. both his latitude and longitude.5.from the last paragraph, we know that _____a. to know local time and Greenwich time is to compute the number of latitude of the placeb. to know the angle between Polaris and the horizon is to compute the number of the longitude of the placec. we need to know local time, Greenwich time and the angle between Polaris and the horizon in order to compute the longitude and latitude of the placed.we need to know local time,Greenwich time and the angle between Polaris and the horizon if we want to be a mathematicianTEXT BIn a recent book entitled The Psychic Life of Insects, Professor Bouvier says that we must be careful not to credit the little winged fellows with intelligence when they behave in what seems like an intelligent manner. They may be only reacting. I would like to confront the Professor with and instance of reasoning power on the part of an insect which cannot be explained away in any other manner.During the summer of 1899, while I was at work on my doctoral thesis, we kept a female wasp at our cottage. It was more like a child of our own. That was one of the ways we told the difference.It was still a young wasp when we got it (thirteen or fourteen years old) and for some time we could not get it to eat or drink, it was so shy. Since it was a female we decided to call it Miriam, but soon the children’s nickname forit---“Pudge”---became a fixture, and “Pudge” it was from that time on.One evening I had been working late in my laboratory fooling around with some gin and other chemicals, and when leaving the room, I tripped over a nine of diamonds which someone had left lying on the floor and knocked over my card index which contained the names and addresses of all the larvae worth knowing in North America. The cards went everywhere.I was too tired to stop to pick them up that night, and went sobbing to bed, just as mad as I could be. As I went, however, I noticed the wasp was flying about in circles over the scattered cards. “Maybe Pudge will pick them up”, I said half laughingly to myself, never thinking for one moment that such should be the case.When I came down the next morning Pudge was still asleep in her box, evidently tired out. And well she might have been. For there on the floor lay the cards scattered all about just as I had left them the night before. The faithful little insect had buzzed about all night trying to come to some decision about picking them up and arranging them in the boxes for me, and then had figured out for herself that, as she knew practically nothing of larvae of any sort except wasp larvae, she would probably make more of a mess by rearranging them than if she had left them on the floor for me to fix. It was just too much for her to tackle and, discouraged, she went over and lay down in her box, where she cried herself to sleep.If this is not an answer to Professor Bouvier’s statement, I do not know what is.6. Professor Bouvier believes that insects____a. do not have intelligenceb. behave in an intelligent wayc are capable of reasoning d. are more intelligent than we thought7. On the evening the author fell over, someone____a. had moved his card his card indexb. had been playing card gamesc. had knocked over his boxes containing cardsd. had looked at his collection of diamonds8. when he came to the laboratory the next morning, the author____a. saw that his cards had already been rearrangedb. realized that the wasp had been trying to helpc. found evidence of the wasp’s intelligenced. found his index cards still scattered about the room9. the author’s account of his wasp’s intelligence______a. is imaginaryb. is convincingc. firmly proves his point of viewd. is valuable for insect study10. the purpose of this article is to _____a. oppose Professor Bourvier’s point of viewb. support Porfessor Bouvier with his own experiencec. further discuss thether insects are intelligentd. illustrate the working theory behind the author’s thesisTEXT CHe was a funny looking man with a cheerful face, good-natured and a great talker. He was described by his student, the great philosopher Plato, as “the best and most just and wisest man.” Yet, this same man was condemned to death for his beliefs.The man was the Greek philosopher, Socrates, and he was condemned for not believing in the recognized dogs and for corrupting young people. The second charge stemmed from his association with numerous young men who came to Athens from all over the civilized world to study under him.Socrates’ methods of teaching was to ask questions and , by pretending not to know the answers, to press his students into thinking for themselves. His teachings had been unsurpassed in influence in all the great Greek and Roman schools of philosophy. Yet, for all his fame and influence, Socrates himself never wrote a word.Socrates encouraged new idea and free thinking in the young, and this was frightening to the conservative people. They wanted him silenced. Yet, many were probably surprised that he accepted death so readily.Socrates had the right to ask for a lesser penalty, and he probably could have won over enough of the people who had previously condemned him. But Socrates, as a firm believer in law, reasoned that it was proper to submit to the death sentence. So, he calmly accepted his fate and drank a cup of poison hemlock in the presence of his grief-stricken friends and students.11. in the first paragraph, the word “yet” is used to introduce____a. a contrastb. a sequencec. an emphasisd. an example12. Socrates was condemned to death because he ____a. believed in lawb. was a philosopherc. published outspoken philosophical articlesd. advocated original opinions13. the word “unsurpassed” in the third paragraph is closest in meaning to ____a. untoldb. unequaledc. unnoticedd. unexpected14. by mentioning that Socrates himself never wrote anything, the writer implies that _____a. it was surprising that Socrates was so famousb. Socrates was not learned as he is reputed to have beenc. Socrates used the work of his students in teachingd. the authorities refused to publish Socrates’ work15. Socrates accepted the death penalty to show _____a. his belief in his studentsb. his contempt for conservativesc. his recognition of the legal systemd. that he was not afraid of deathTEXT DSenator John F.Kerry’s campaign yesterday seized on the Pentagon’s call-up of thousands of former soldiers for duty in Iraq and Afghanistan to step up its charge that the Bush administration’s management of the military has left the Army spread dangerously thin.The move demonstrated the Kerry campaign’s increasing willingness to engage Bush on what had been the president’s perceived strength, his handling of national security.Kerry advisers contend that the call-up of the Individual Ready Reserve is the result of a series of bad decisions and poor war planning by Bush and his top advisers. His campaign released a “fact sheet” and brought forward a retired Air Force chief who campaigned for Bush in 2000 to reinforce its claims.“The troops are paying the price for arrogant mismanagement and poor planning at the civilian policy level,” retired Air Force Chief of Staff General Merrilll “Tony”McPeak, a Kerry adviser, said in a conference call with reporters yesterday. “The force we have in Iraq today is part of what I call an in-between force—too small to solve the problem and too big to be supported by our force structure.”The return to duty of 5,600 former military officers and enlisted personnel is the latest issue which the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee has sought to use to draw distinctions between himself and Bush in the area of national security. Both candidates are trying to persuade voters that they are the best stewards of the nation’s defense, and recent polls have shown the public’s confidence in the president’s handling of the war in Iraq is slipping. Kerry has previously called for increasing the size the Army by 40,000 to meet the demands of overseas deployments, a move that has been repeatedly rebuffed by the White House despite growing support in Congress.The Bush administration maintains that the call-up of soldiers that are required to keep in touch with the Army for as many as four years after leaving service does not mean the Army isn’t large enough. “I don’t think the Army’s too small. We’re using a manpower pool that’s available to us” Robert Smiley, a senior Army official who oversees training, readiness, and mobilization, told reporters yesterday. “This is good personnel management. This is a group of people we can use to fill vacancies.”The troops, being culled from a total of 111,323 soldiers in the Individual Ready Reserve, are needed to fill jobs as truck drivers, engineers, and military police, officials said. Smiley said that more would probably be called in the future.Army officials noted yesterday that this is not the first time they have tapped into the IRR. During the 1991 Persian Gulf War over 20,000 former soldiers were mobilized. Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, 2,533 IRR soldiers have been called-up, 226 of them volunteers. Of the 5,600 IRR soldiers that now have 30 days to report to active duty, officials said more than 300 have volunteered.16. from the passage, we can infer that____a. 2533 IRR soldiers were called up this timeb. 226 of the called-up soldiers were volunteersc. 111,323 soldiers were called upd. 5,600 soldiers were called up.17. according to John F. Kerry, the call-up of the former soldiers recently was____a. one of bad decisions made by Bush administrationb. required to keep in touch with the Armyc. correctd. not clear18. the word “rebuff ” in the last sentence of para. 5 probably means____a. to buff againb. to reject bluntly, often disdainfully, snub, refusec. to plan in advance the expenditure ofd. to review the plan of the expenditure of19. how long will the soldiers called-up this time serve in the army according to the passage?a. probably 4 yearsb. probably 3 yearsc. probably half a yeard. now known20. the called-up soldiers will probably do the following jobs EXCEPT _____a. truck driversb. engineersc. military policed. snipersC B CD C A B C A A A D B A C D A B A D。