英语四级《阅读理解》应试技巧

英语四级《阅读理解》应试技巧 《阅读理解》 阅读理解应试技巧 一、影响阅读理解的因素: 1. 词汇量 一篇文章中如果有10,的单词不认识，那么此文章就很难理解。另外，词 汇量还包括对单词的引申意义的理解以及对固定短语意义的理解。 2. 长句子 有些句子很长，句中又有子句，错综复杂。需要搞清句子的主要结构，各 成分之间的关系，分解消化后才能理解句子的意思。 3. 插入语 包括非限制性定语从句，是最容易影响句子语义连贯的因素。这就要求能 及时辨认它们，并使语义处于暂停等待状态。(语感要强)注意英语中短短 长的句型模式。 4. 语法结构 个别句子的语法结构非常特殊，如倒装，虚拟，比较句等，需要见多识广， 语法基础杂实。 5. 逻辑关系 不要混淆了所描述事物与其描述的特征之间的逻辑关系。主要有:指代关 系，因果关系，递进关系，转折关系等。这是篇章理解的关键。 6. 文化背景 对某个话题熟悉时，与其相关的文章容易看懂。相反，所读到的信息完全 1 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 陌生，就是汉语文章也不怎么懂，那么此文的阅读就很成问题。所以平时 要多读，扩大知识面。四级阅读文章多涉及到科普，著名人物，社会问题 等话题，阅读时要多加注意。 7. 短期记忆 阅读者经常是读到后面忘了前面。这有几个方面的原因:思想不集中;体 质太差;获取的信息太零碎。科学证明:建立联系是加强记忆的主要手段。 或图所以，阅读时，读者在解码理解的时候，要主动建立自己的理解框架( 式)。一边读一边把获取的信息按照逻辑关系添加到自己理解框架中的适当 位置。文章读完时，该框架图就完整了。框架图中的空白处就是没有理解 的地方。这样的框架建立，可以帮助理解和记忆。 二、干扰项的特点 1. 以偏概全 问物A和B共有什么特征时，用只有物A或物B有的某一个特征来干扰。 2. 张冠李戴 A，B和C分别对应有A1，B1，Cl;问C怎么时，用A1和B1来干扰。 3. 似是而非 以一种表面的现象来干扰对本质问题的回答。 4. 迎合思维 用A1和B1来干扰用符合人们日常思维的命题来干扰。而此命题可能 是与文中观点相反或不相干。 5. 断章取义 某事物有A和B两特征，且二者不可分。问该事物特征时，用A或B干扰。 2 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 6. 落井下石 有些单词学生很容易理解不透彻或理解错误。此时就用这种经常出现的错 误的理解来干扰。 7. 毫无关联 用文中没有出现过，但日常生活认为有关的东西来干扰。 8. 过程选择 文章介绍了某一个过程的几个步骤。问某个步骤的内容是什么时，用其他 步骤的内容来干扰。 9. 指鹿为马 用近义词或相关词来干扰。此近义词或相关词并不能贴切地表达该词的意思。 10. 正话反说 问物A对物B有什么关系时，用相反方向(即物B对物A)的关系来干扰。 三、阅读过程中的注意事项 1( 阅读时把握住“谁在干什么” 2( 努力把所获得的信息连接起来，形成一个信息总体。把树木放到森林中去 看。 3( 如果发现突然“断电”时，不要害怕浪费时间，一定要回头重新阅读，把 丢失的部分找回，并连成一体。 4( 一边阅读一边在脑海中画一个文章结构的框架图，搞清楚每段分别讲什么 内容，在全文起什么作用。 5( 发现有地方卡壳时，别忘了母语是最大的帮助。你很容易忘记一句英语， 3 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 但是一旦译成汉语，你就很难把它忘记。这对于全文的总体记忆很有效， 但是很费的间。 6( 对于不重要的信息如头衔，人名地名，机构名称等，尤其是大写的专有名 词，可以忽略或者只读其首字母，以节约时间。 7( 注意复杂的句型结构，如插入语，非限定定语从句，倒装句，特长的句中 句等。 8( 平常注意学习积累一些成语和熟语。阅读中万一出现，如果你知道，那它 对你的帮助远远超过这几个单词本身，因为它往往是文章的精髓所在;如 果你不知道，那么它对你理解文章所造成的阻力也明显大于几个生词。 9( 阅读考试的目的是考查考生从文章中获取和理解信息的能力，而不是考查 考生懂多少知识，所以阅读的答题要以文章为基础，从文章中找答案，而 不要你的背景知识中找答案。 10( 考试前好好休息，多吃些高蛋白高营养的食物，健康和精神状态是考试 高分的保证。 四、猜词技巧 阅读中的每个词与它前后的词语或句子甚至段落有着互相制约的关系。我们可以利用语境(各种已知信息)推测、判断某些生词的词义，主要线索如下: (一) 针对性解释 针对性解释是作者为了更好的表达思想，在文章中对一些重要的概念、难懂的术语或词汇等所作的解释。这些解释提供的信息具有明确的针对性，利 4 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 用它们猜词义比较容易。 1( 根据定义猜测词义 如果生词是句子或段落所解释的定义，理解句子或段落本身就是推断词义。例如: Anthropology is the scientific study of man. 由定义可知，anthropology就是“研究人类的科学”。 In slang the term "jam" constitutes a state of being in which a person finds himself or herself in a difficult situation. 同样，从上下文的定义可知jam一词在俚语中的意思是“困境”。 定义句的谓语动词多为:be, mean, deal with, be considered, to be, refer to, be called, be known as, define, represent, signify, constitute等。 ( 根据复述猜测词义 2 虽然复述不如定义那样严谨、详细，但是提供的信息足以使读者猜出生词词义。复述部分可以是词、短语或是从句。 (1) 同位语 Semantics, the study of the meaning of words, is necessary if you are to speak and read intelligently. 此例逗号中短语意为“对词意进行研究的学科”。该短语与前面生词 semantics是同位关系，因此我们不难猜出semantics指“语义学”。在复述中构成同位关系的两部分之间多用逗号连接，有时也使用破折号，冒号，分号，引号，和括号等。 Capacitance, or the ability to store electric charge, is one of the most 5 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 common characteristics of electronic circuits。 由同位语我们很快猜出生词capacitance词义 — 电容量。需要注意的是: 同位语前常有or, similarly, that is to say, in other words, namely, or other, say i.e.等副词或短语出现。 (2) 定语从句 Krabacber suffers from SAD, which is short for seasonal affective disorder, a syndrome characterized by severe seasonal mood swings. 根据生词SAD后面定语从句which is short for seasonal affective disorder 和同位语a syndrome characterized by severe seasonal mood swings, 我们可 以推断出SAD含义，即“季节性情绪紊乱症”。 3( 根据举例猜测词义 恰当的举例能够提供猜测生词的重要线索，例如: The consequences of epochal events such as wars and great scientific discoveries are not confined to a small geographical area as they were in the past. 句中“战争”和“重大科学发现”是生词的实例，通过它们我们可以猜出 epochal的大致词义“重要的”，这与其确切含义“划时代的”十分接近。 (二) 内在逻辑关系 根据内在逻辑关系推测词义是指运用语言知识和判断相关信息之间 存在的逻辑关系,然后根据逻辑关系推断生词词义或大致义域。 1( 根据对比关系猜测词义 6 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 在一个句子或段落中，对两个事物或现象进行对比性的描述，我们可以根据生词或难词的反义词猜测其词义。例如: Andrew is one of the most supercilious men I know. His brother, in contrast, is quite humble and modest. 该例中supercilious对许多人来说可能是个生词，但是句中短语in contrast(相对照的，相对比的)可以提示我们supercilious和后面词组humble and modest(谦卑又谦虚)是对比关系。分析出这种关系后，我们便能猜出supercilious意为“目空一切的，傲慢的”。 表示对比关系的词汇和短语主要是unlike，not，but，however，despite，in spite of，in contrast，whist，whereas 和while 引导的并列句等。 A good supervisor can recognize instantly the adept workers from the unskilled ones.” 该句中并未出现上面提到的表示对比关系的词或短语，但是通过上下文可以判断出句子前后是对比关系，即把熟练工人与非熟练工人区分开。这时我们也能够推断出生词adept的词义，“熟练的”。 2( 根据比较关系猜测词义 同对比关系相反，比较关系表示意义上的相似关系，例如: Green loves to talk，and his brothers are similarly loquacious. 该句中副词similarly表明短语loves to talk与生词loquacious之间的比较关系。以此可以推断出loquacious词义为“健谈的”。 表示比较关系的词和短语主要是similarly，like，likewise，just as，also等。 7 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 3( 根据因果关系猜测词义 在句子或段落种，若两个事物、现象之间构成因果关系，我们可以根据这 种逻辑关系推知生词词义。例如: Tom is considered an autocratic administrator because he makes decisions without seeking the opinions of others.” 根据原因状语从句的内容，我们可以推断出生词autocratic指“独断专行 的”。 There were so many demonstrators in the Red Square that he had to elbow his way through the crowd. 此句为结果状语从句，根据从句的描“许多示威者”，我们便可推知elbow 的词意“挤，挤过”。 4( 根据同义词替代关系猜测词义 在句子或段落种，我们可以利用熟悉的词语，根据语言环境推断生词词义。 例如: Although he often had the opportunity, Mr. Tritt was never able to steal money from a customer. This would have endangered his position at the bank, and he did not want to jeopardize his future.” 作者为避免重复使用endanger一词，用其同义词jeopardize来替代它，由 此推知其词义为“使......陷入危险、危及、危害”。 Doctors believe that smoking cigarettes is detrimental to your health. They also regard drinking as harmful.” 8 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 句中detrimental四个生词，但判断出harmful替代detrimental后，不难推断出其词义为“不利的，有害的”。 (三) 外部相关因素 外部相关因素是指篇章(句子或段落)以外的其他知识。有时仅靠分析篇章内在逻辑关系无法猜出词义。这时,就需要运用生活和普通常识确定词义。例如: cold out tonight. Husband:It’s really Wife: Sure it is. My hands are practically numb. How about lighting the furnace? 根据生活经验，天气寒冷时，手肯定是“冻僵的，冻得麻木的”。 The snake slithered through the grass. 根据有关蛇的生活习性的知识，我们可以推断出slither词义为“爬行”。 (四) 根据构词知识，从生词本身猜测词义。 1( 根据前缀猜测词义 例:He fell into a ditch and lay there, semiconscious, for a few minutes. 根据词根conscious(清醒的，有意识的)，结合前缀semi(半，部分的，不完全的)，我们便可猜出semiconscious词义“半清醒的，半昏迷的”。 I’m illiterate about such things. 词根literate意为“有文化修养的，通晓的”，前缀il-表示否定，因此illiterate指“一窍不通，不知道的”。 2( 根据后缀猜测词义 9 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 例:Insecticide is applied where it is needed. 后缀-cide表示“杀者，杀灭剂”，结合大家熟悉的词根insect(昆虫)，不难猜出insecticide意为“杀虫剂”。 Then the vapor may change into droplets. 后缀let表示“小的”，词根drop指“滴，滴状物”。将两个意思结合起来，便可推断出droplet词义“小滴，微滴”。 ( 根据复合词的各部分猜测词义 3 例:Growing economic problems were highlighted by a slowdown in oil output. Highlight或许是一个生词，但是分析该词结构后，就能推测出其含义。它是由high(高的，强的)和light(光线)两部分组成，合在一起便是“以强光照射，使突出”的意思。 Bullfight is very popular in Spain. Bull(公牛)和fight(打，搏斗)结合在一起，指一种在西班牙颇为流行的体育运动---斗牛。 在实践中，应灵活运用上面提到的几种猜测技巧，排除生词的障碍，顺利理解文章的思想内容，提高阅读速度。 五、命题规律 1. 倒着考/反着考 1) Taste is such a subjective matter that we don’t usually conduct preference tests for food. The most you can say about anyone’s preference is that it’s one 10 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 person’s opinion. But because the two big cola (可乐饮料) companies — Coca-Cola and Pepsi cola are marketed so aggressively, we’ve wondered how big a role taste preference actually plays in brand loyalty. We set up a taste test that challenged people who identified themselves as either Coca-Cola or Pepsi fans: Find your brand in a blind tasting. 1. According to the passage, the preference test was conducted in order to _________. (1996.1/ 56) A) find out the role taste preference plays in a person’s drinking B) reveal which cola is more to the liking of the drinkers C) show that a person’s opinion about taste is mere guess-work D) compare the ability of the participants in choosing their drinks During the hours when you labour through your work you may say that 2) you're "hot ". That’s true. The time of day when you feel most energetic is when your cycle of body temperature is at its peak. For some people the peak comes during the forenoon. For others it comes in the afternoon or evening. No one has discovered why this is so, but it leads to such familiar monologues (自 言自语) as: ―Get up, John! You'll be late for work again!‖ The possible explanation to the trouble is that John is at his temperature-and-energy peak in the evening. Much family quarreling ends when husbands and wives realize what these energy cycles mean, and which cycle each member of the family has. 1. Which of the following may lead to family quarrels according to the passage? 11 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 (1990.1/ 32) A) Unawareness of energy cycles. B) Familiar monologues. C) A change in a family member's energy cycle. D) Attempts to control the energy cycle of other family members. 3) Psychologist George Spilich and colleagues at Washington college in Chestertown. Maryland, decided to find out whether, as many smokers say, smoking helps them to ―think and concentrate. ―Spilich put young non-smokers, active smokers and smokers deprived (被剥夺) of cigarettes through a series of tests. 1. The purpose of George Spilich’s experiments is __________. (1998.6/ 21) A) to test whether smoking has a positive effect on the mental capacity of smokers B) to show how smoking damages people’s mental capacity C) to prove that smoking affects people’s regular performance D) to find out whether smoking helps people’s short-term memory 2. But/ In fact/ However处出题 1) Couples with infant children are lucky to get a whole night’s sleep or a three-day vacation. I don’t know any parent who would choose the word fun to describe raising children. But couples who decide not to have children never know the joys of watching a child grow up or of playing with a grandchild. 12 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 1. Raising children, in the author’s opinion, is ___________.(1998.6/ 32) A) a moral duty C) a rewarding task B) a thankless job D) a source of inevitable pain 2) Humanity uses a little less than half the water available worldwide. Yet occurrences of shortages and droughts (干旱) are causing famine and distress in some areas, and industrial and agricultural by-products are polluting water supplies. Since the world’s population is expected to double in the next 50 years, many experts think we are on the edge of a widespread water crisis. But that doesn’t have to be the outcome. Water shortages do no have to trouble the world — if we start valuing water more than we have in the past. Just as we began to appreciate petroleum more after the 1970s oil crises, today we must start looking at water from a fresh economic perspective. We can no longer afford to consider water a virtually free resource of which we can use as much as we like in any way we want. 1. What is the real cause of the potential water crisis? (2001.6/21) A) The world population is increasing faster and faster. B) Half of the world’s water resources have been seriously polluted. C) Humanity has not placed sufficient value on water resources. D) Only half of the world’s water can be used. 3) Some pessimistic experts feel that the automobile is bound to fall into disuse. They see a day in the not-too-distant future when all autos will be 13 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 abandoned and allowed to rust. Other authorities, however, think the auto is here to stay. They hold that the car will remain a leading means of urban travel in the foreseeable future. 1. What is the author’s attitude toward the future of autos? (2002.1/25) A) Enthusiastic. B) Pessimistic. C) Optimistic. D) Cautious. 4) Historically, most physical-fitness tests have usually included measures of muscular strength and endurance, not for health-related reasons, but primarily because such fitness components have been related to performance in athletics. However, in recent years, evidence has shown that training programs designed primarily to improve muscular strength and endurance might also offer some health benefits as well. 1. Recent studies have suggested that weight training ______________.(2002.6/40) A) has become an essential part of people’s life B) may well affect the health of the trainees C) will attract more people in the days to come D) contributes to health improvement as well 3. Seem/ Look/ Sound + In fact/In actual practice处出题 1) Learning how to use a computer is not that difficult, and it gets easier all the time as programs become more ―user-friendly.‖ Let us assume that in the 14 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 future everyone is going to have to know how to use a computer to be a competent citizen. What does the phrase ―learning to use a computer‖ mean? It sounds like ―learning to drive a car‖, that is, it sounds as if there is some set of definite skills that, once acquired, enable one to use a computer. In fact, ―learning to use a computer‖ is much more like ―learning to play a game,‖ but learning the rules of one game may not help you play a second game, whose rules may not be the same. There is no such a thing as teaching someone how to use a computer. One can only teach people to use this or that program, and generally that is easily accomplished. 1. According to the author, the phrase ―learning to use a computer‖ means learning ___________. (1998.6/29) A) a set of rules B) the fundamentals of computer science C) specific programs D) general principles of programming 2) The concept of ―environment‖ is certainly difficult and may even be misunderstood; but we have no handy substitute. It seems simple enough to distinguish between the organism and the surrounding environment and to separate forces acting on an organism into those that are internal and biological and those that are external and environmental. But in actual practice this system breaks down in many ways, because the organism and the environment are constantly interacting so that the environment is modified by 15 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 the organism and vice versa (反之亦然)。 1. Which of the following words can best describe the popular understanding of ―environment‖ as the author sees it? (1996.1/61) A) elaborate C) Faultless B) Prejudiced D) Oversimplified 4. 例证/类比 1) The importance of the product life cycle to marketers is this: Different stages in the product life cycle call for different strategies. The goal is to extend product life so that sales and profits do not decline. One strategy is called market modification. It means that marketing managers look for new users and market sections. Did you know, for example, that the backpacks that so many students carry today were originally designed for the military? 1. The author mentions the example of ―backpacks‖ to show the importance of ______. (2001.6/29) A) pleasing the young as well as the old B) increasing usage among students C) exploring new market sections D) serving both military and civil needs 2) Learning how to use a computer and learning how to program one are two distinct activities. A case might be made that the competent citizens of tomorrow should free themselves from their fear of computers. But this is 16 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 quite different from saying that all ought to know how to program one. Leave that to people who have chosen programming as a career. While programming can be lots of fun, and while our society needs some people who are experts at it, the same is true of auto repair and violin-making. 1. In the second paragraph ―violin-making‖ is mentioned to show that _______. (1998.6/27) A) programming a computer is as interesting as making a violin B) our society needs experts in different fields C) violin-making requires as much skill as computer programming D) people who can use a computer don’t necessarily have to know computer programming 3) A status has been compared to ready–made clothes. Within certain limits, the buyer can choose style and fabric. But an American is not free to choose the costume (服装) of a Chinese peasant or that of a Hindu prince. We must choose from among the clothing presented by our society. Furthermore, our choice is limited to a size that will fit, as well as by our pocketbook (钱包). Having made a choice within these limits we can have certain alterations made, but apart from minor adjustments, we tend to be limited to what the stores have on their racks. Statuses too come ready made, and the range of choice among them is limited. 1. By saying that ―an American is not free to choose the costume of a Chinese peasant or that of a Hindu prince‖, the writer means ____. (1997.1/55) 17 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 A) different people have different styles of clothes B) ready-made clothes may need alterations C) statuses come ready made just like clothes D) our choice of statuses is limited Because toys can be generally regarded as a kind of art form, they have 4) not been subject to technological leaps that characterize inventions for adult use. The progress from the wheel to the oxcart to the automobile is a direct line of ascent (进步). The progress from a rattle (拨浪鼓) used by a baby in 3000 BC to one used by an infant today, however, is not characterized by inventiveness. Each rattle is the product of the artistic tastes of the times and subject to the limitations of available materials. 1. The author uses the example of a rattle to show that ________. (1999.6/40) A) in toy-making there is a continuity in the use of materials B) even the simplest toys can reflect the progress of technology C) it often takes a long time to introduce new technology into toy-making D) even a simple toy can mirror the artistic tastes of the time 5) In a 1996 poll of Americans, loss of morality topped the list of the biggest problems facing the U.S. And Elshtain says the public is correct to sense that. Data show that Americans are struggling with problems unheard of in the 1950s, such as classroom violence and a high rate of births to unmarried mothers. 18 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 1. In the 1950s, classroom violence ____________. (2002.1/39) A) was something unheard of C) attracted a lot of public attention B) was by no means a rare occurrence. D) began to appear in analysts’ data 6) Visual cues can help prevent absent-mindedness, says Schacter. ―But be sure the cue is clear and available,‖ he cautions. If you want to remember to take a medication with lunch, put the pill bottle on the kitchen table — don’t leave it in the medicine chest and write yourself a note that you keep in a pocket. 1. A note in the pocket can hardly serve as a reminder because __________. (2002.6/28) A) it will easily get lost B) it’s not clear enough for you to read C) it’s out of your sight D) it might get mixed up with other things 5. 指代 1) The statuses we assume often vary with the people we encounter, and change throughout life. Most of us can, at very high speed, assume the statuses that various situation require. Much of social interaction consists of identifying and selecting among appropriate statuses and allowing other people to assume their statuses in relation to us. This means that we fit our actions to those of other people based on a constant mental process of appraisal and 19 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 interpretation. Although some of us find the task more difficult than others, most of us perform it rather effortlessly. 1. In the last sentence of the second paragraph, the pronoun ―it‖ refers to ―____‖. (1997.1/54) A) fitting our actions to those of other people appropriately B) identification of other people’s statuses C) selecting one’s own statuses D) constant mental process 2) The reality that has blocked my path to become the typical successful student is that engineering and the liberal arts simply don’t mix as easily as I assumed in high school. Individually they shape a person in very different ways; together they threaten to confuse. The struggle to reconcile the two fields of study is difficult. 1. The word ―they‖ in ―together they threaten to confuse.‖ refers to _________. (2001.1/30) A) engineering and the liberal arts C) flexibility and a value system B) reality and noble ideals D) practicality and rationality 6. 推论 1) It is important for family members, and doctors and nurses to understand these patients communications in order to truly understand their needs, fears, and fantasies (幻想). Most of our patients welcomed another human being with 20 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 whom they could talk openly, honestly, and frankly about their trouble. Many of them shared with us their tremendous need to be informed, to be kept up-to-date on their medical condition, and to be told when the end was near. We found out that patients who had been dealt with openly and frankly were better able to cope with the approach of death and finally to reach a true stage of acceptance prior to death. 1. It may be concluded from the passage that ______. (1996.6/65) A) dying patients are afraid of being told of the approach of death B) most doctors and nurses understand what dying patients need C) dying patients should be truthfully informed of their condition (果?因) D) most patients are unable to accept death until it is obviously inevitable 2) Exchange a glance with someone, then look away. Do you realize that you have made a statement? Hold the glance for a second longer, and you have made a different statement. Hold it for 3 seconds, and the meaning has changed again. For every social situation, there is a permissible time that you can hold a person’s gaze without being intimate, rude, or aggressive. If you are on an elevator, what gaze-time are you permitted? To answer this question, consider what you typically do. You very likely give other passengers a quick glance to size them up (打量) and to assure them that you mean no threat. Since being close to another person signals the possibility of interaction, you need to emit a signal telling others you want to be left alone. So you cut off eye 21 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 contact, what sociologist Erving Goffman (1963) calls ―a dimming of the lights.‖ You look down at the floor, at the indicator lights, anywhere but into another passenger’s eyes. Should you break the rule against staring at a stranger on an elevator, you will make the other person exceedingly uncomfortable, and you are likely to feel a bit strange yourself. (1996.6/51) 1. It can be inferred from this paragraph that ______. A) every glance has its significance B) staring at a person is an expression of interest C) a gaze longer than 3 seconds is unacceptable D) a glance conveys more meaning than words 3) But such simplistic advice is impossible to follow. Even if stressful events are dangerous, many — like the death of a loved one — are impossible to avoid. Moreover, any warning to avoid all stressful events is a prescription (处方) for staying away from opportunities as well as trouble. Since any change can be stressful, a person who wanted to be completely free of stress would never marry, have a child, take a new job or move. 1. Why is ―such simplistic advice‖ impossible to follow? (2002.6/24) A) No one can stay on the same job for long. B) No prescription is effective in relieving stress. C) People have to get married someday. D) You could be missing opportunities as well. 22 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 7. 词汇 1) The statuses we assume often vary with the people we encounter, and change throughout life. Most of us can, at very high speed, assume the statuses that various situation require. Much of social interaction consists of identifying and selecting among appropriate statuses and allowing other people to assume their statuses in relation to us. This means that we fit our actions to those of appraisal and other people based on a constant mental process of interpretation. Although some of us find the task more difficult than others, most of us perform it rather effortlessly. 1. The word ―appraisal‖ most probably means ―__________‖. (1997.1/53) A) involvement C) assessment B) appreciation D) presentation 2) I think it certain that in decades, not centuries, machines of silicon (硅) will arise first to rival and then exceed their human ancestors. Once they exceed us they will be capable of their own design. In a real sense they will be able to reproduce themselves. Silicon will have ended carbon’s long control. And we will no longer be able to claim ourselves to be the finest intelligence in the known universe. 1. The word ―carbon‖ stands for ________. (1997.6/18) A) intelligent robots C) an organic substance B) a chemical element D) human beings 23 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 3) Why is America lagging behind in the global PR race? First, Americans as a whole tend to be fairly provincial and take more of an interest in local affairs. Knowledge of world geography, for example, has never been strong in this country. Secondly, Americans lag behind their European and Asian 相对应的人) knowing a second language. Less than 5 percent of counterparts ( Burson-Marshall’s U.S. employees know two languages. Ogilvy and Mather has about the same percentage. Conversely, some European firms have half or more of their employees fluent in a second language. Finally, people involved in PR abroad tend to keep a closer eye on international affairs. 1. The word ―provincial‖ most probably means ―_________‖. (1999.6/28) A) limited in outlook C) rigid in thinking B) like people from the provinces D) interested in world financial affairs 8. 结构 1) Psychologist George Spilich and colleagues at Washington College in Chestertown. Maryland, decided to find out whether, as many smokers say, smoking helps them to ―think and concentrate.‖ Spilich put young non-smokers, active smokers and smokers deprived (被剥夺) of cigarettes through a series of tests. In the first test, each subject (试验对象) sat before a computer screen and pressed a key as soon as he or she recognized a target letter among a grouping 24 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 of 96. In this simple test, smokers, deprived smokers and non-smokers performed equally well. The next test was more complex, requiring all to scan sequences of 20 identical letters and respond the instant one of the letters transformed into a different one. Non-smokers were faster, but under the stimulation of nicotine 尼古丁), active smokers were faster than deprived smokers . ( In the third test of short-term memory, non-smokers made the fewest errors, but deprived smokers committed fewer errors than active smokers. The fourth test required people to read a passage, then answer questions about it. Non-smokers remembered 19 percent more of the most important information than active smokers, and deprived smokers bested those who had smoked a cigarette just before testing. Active smokers tended not only to have poorer memories but also had trouble separating important information from insignificant details. ―As our tests became more complex,‖ sums up Spilich, ―non-smokers performed better than smokers by wider and wider margins.‖ He predicts, ―Smokers might perform adequately at many jobs—until they got complicated. A smoking airline pilot could fly adequately if no problems arose, but if something went wrong, smoking might damage his mental capacity.‖ 1. George Spilich’s experiment was conducted in such a way as to _________. (1998.6/22) A) compel the subjects to separate major information from minor details B) put the subjects through increasingly complex tests 25 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 C) check the effectiveness of nicotine on smokers D) register the prompt responses of the subjects 9. 段落归纳 1) The aim of the teacher is to get his pupils as quickly as possible over the period in which each printed symbol is looked at for its shape, and arrive at the stage when the pupil looks at words and phrases, for their meaning, almost without noticing the shapes of the separate letters. (长句理解) 1. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the first paragraph? (1991.1/21) A) Pupils should be trained to reach quickly the stage of reading without having to concentrate on the separate symbols. B) Pupils should look at each printed symbol for its meaning as well as for its shape. C) Teachers should help their pupils avoid looking at the shape of the printed symbols. D) Teachers should tell their pupils the different stages of their study. 2) In our culture, the sources of what we call a sense of ―mastery‖ — feeling important and worthwhile — and the sources of what we call a sense of ―pleasure‖ — finding life enjoyable — are not always identical. Women often are told ―You can’t have it all.‖ Sometimes what the speaker really is saying is: ―You chose a career, so you can’t expect to have closer relationships or a happy 26 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 family life.‖ or ―You have a wonderful husband and children — what’s all this about wanting a career?‖ But women need to understand and develop both aspects of well-being, if they are to feel good about themselves. 1. It can be inferred from the first paragraph that __________. (1994. 1/36) A) for women, a sense of ―mastery‖ is more important than a sense of ―pleasure‖ B) for women, a sense of ―pleasure‖ is more important than a sense of ―mastery‖ C) women can’t have a sense of ―mastery‖ and sense of ―pleasure‖ at the same time D) a sense of ―mastery‖ and a sense of ―pleasure‖ are both indispensable to women 10. 作者态度 1) The speaker, a teacher from a community college, addressed a sympathetic audience. Heads nodded in agreement when he said, ―High school English teachers are not doing their jobs.‖ He described the inadequacies of his students, all high school graduates who can use language only at a grade 9 level. I was unable to determine from his answers to my questions how this grade 9 level had been established. My topic is not standards nor its decline (降低). What the speaker was really saying is that he is no longer young; he has been teaching for sixteen years, and is able to think and speak like a mature adult. 27 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 My point is that the frequent complaint of one generational about the one immediately following it is inevitable. It is also human nature to look for the reasons for our dissatisfaction. Before English became a school subject in the late nineteenth century, it was difficult to find the target of the blame for language deficiencies (缺陷). But since then, English teachers have been under constant attack. The complainers think they have hit upon an original idea. As their own command of the language improves, they notice that young people do not have this same ability. Unaware that their own ability has developed through the years, they assume the new generation of young people must be hopeless in this respect. To the eyes and ears of sensitive adults the language of the young always seems inadequate. Since this concern about the decline and fall of the English language is not perceived as a generation phenomenon but rather as something new and peculiar to today’s young people, it naturally follows that today’s English teachers cannot be doing their jobs. Otherwise, young people would not commit offenses against the language. 1. The speaker the author mentioned in the passage believed that ____________. (1996.1/66/67) A) the language of the younger generation is usually inferior to that of the older generation B) the students had a poor command of English because they didn’t work 28 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 hard enough C) he was an excellent language teacher because he had been teaching English for sixteen years D) English teachers should be held responsible for the students poor command of English 2. In the author’s opinion, the speaker _______________. A) gave a correct judgment of the English level of the students B) had exaggerated the language problems of the students C) was right in saying that English teachers were not doing their jobs D) could think and speak intelligently 2) The fridge is considered a necessity. It has been so since the 1960s when packaged food first appeared with the label ―store in the refrigerator.‖ In my fridgeless Fifties childhood, I was fed well and healthily. The milkman came daily, the grocer, the butcher (肉商), the baker, and the ice-cream man delivered two or three times a week. The Sunday meat would last until Wednesday and surplus (剩余) bread and milk became all kinds of cakes. Nothing was wasted, and we were never troubled by rotten food. Thirty years on, food deliveries have ceased, fresh vegetables are almost unobtainable in the country. The invention of the fridge contributed comparatively little to the art of food preservation. A vast way of well-tried techniques already existed — natural cooling, drying, smoking, salting sugaring, bottling… 29 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 What refrigeration did promote was marketing — marketing hardware and electricity, marketing soft drinks, marketing dead bodies of animals around the globe in search of a good price. Consequently, most of the world’s fridges are to be found, not in the tropics where they might prove useful, but in the wealthy countries with mild temperatures where they are climatically almost unnecessary. Every winter, millions of ridges hum away continuously, and at vast expense, busily maintaining an artificially-cooled space inside an artificially-heated house — while outside, nature provides the desired temperature free of charge. The fridge’s effect upon the environment has been evident, while its contribution to human happiness has been insignificant. If you don’t believe me, try it yourself, invest in a food cabinet and turn off your fridge next winter. You may miss the hamburgers (汉堡包), but at least you’ll get rid of that terrible hum. 1. What is the author’s overall attitude toward fridges? (1997.6/15) A) Neutral C) Objective B) Critical D) Compromising 3) American society is not nap (午睡) friendly. “In fact,” says David Dinges, a sleep specialist at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine,” There’s even a prohibition against admitting we need sleep.” Nobody wants to be caught napping or found asleep at work. To quote a proverb: “Some sleep five hours, nature requires seven, laziness nine and wickedness eleven.” 30 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 Wrong. The way not to fall asleep at work is to take naps when you need them. ”We have to totally change our attitude toward napping,” says Dr. William Dement of Stanford University, the godfather of sleep research. Last year a national commission led by Dement identified an “American sleep debt” which one member said it was as important as the national debt. The commission was concerned about the dangers of sleepiness: people causing industrial accidents or falling asleep while driving. This may be why we have a new sleep policy in the White House. According to recent reports, President Clinton is trying to take a half-hour snooze (打瞌睡) every afternoon . About 60 percent of American adults nap when given the opportunity. We seem to have “a mid-afternoon quiet phase,” also called “a secondary sleep gate. “ Sleeping 15 minutes to two hours in the early afternoon can reduce stress and make us refreshed. Clearly, we were born to nap. We Superstars of Snooze don’t nap to replace lost shut-eye or to prepare for a night shift. Rather, we “snack” on sleep, whenever, wherever and at whatever time we feel like it. I myself have napped in buses, cars, planes and on boats; on floors and beds; and in libraries, offices and museums. 1. It is commonly accepted in American society that too much sleep is ______. (1998.1/21/25) A) unreasonable C) harmful B) criminal D) costly 2. The second sentence of the last paragraph tells us that it is ________. 31 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 A) preferable to have a sound sleep before a night shift B) good practice to eat something light before we go to bed C) essential to make up for lost sleep D) natural to take a nap whenever we feel the need for it 11. 主旨 1) The appeal of advertising to buying motives can have both negative and positive effects. Consumers may be convinced to buy a product of poor quality or high price because of an advertisement. For example, some advertisers have appealed to people’s desire for better fuel economy for their cars by advertising automotive products that improve gasoline mileage. Some of the products work. Others are worthless and a waste of consumers’ money. 1. The passage is mainly about ______________. (1999.1/35) A) ways to protect the interests of the consumer B) how to make a wise buying decision C) the function of advertisements in promoting sales D) the positive and negative aspects of advertising 2) Believe it or not, optical illusion (错觉) can cut highway crashes. Japan is a case in point. It has reduced automobile crashes on some roads by nearly 75 percent using a simple optical illusion. Bent stripes, called chevrons (人字形), painted on the roads make drivers think that they are driving faster than they really are, and thus drivers slow down. 32 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 Now the American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety in Washington D.C. is planning to repeat Japan’s success. Starting next year, the foundation will paint chevrons and other patterns of stripes on selected roads around the country to test how well the patterns reduce highway crashes. Excessive speed plays a major role in as much as one fifth of all fatal accidents, according to the foundation. To help reduce those accidents, the foundation will conduct its tests in areas where speed-related hazards are the curves, exit slopes, traffic circles, and bridges. greatest — Some studies suggest that straight, horizontal bars painted across roads can initially cut the average speed of drivers in half. However, traffic often returns to full speed within months as drivers become used to seeing the painted bars. Chevrons, scientists say, not only give drivers the impression that they are driving faster than they really are but also make a lane appear to be narrower. The result is a longer lasting reduction in highway speed and the number of traffic accidents. 1. The passage mainly discusses _______________. (2000.1/26) A) a new way of highway speed control B) a new pattern for painting highways C) a new approach to training drivers D) a new type of optical illusion 12. 开篇 33 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 1) The way people hold to the belief that a fun-filled, pain-free life equals happiness actually reduces their chances of ever attaining real happiness. If fun and pleasure are equal to happiness, then pain must be equal to unhappiness. But, in fact, the opposite is true: more often than not, things that lead to happiness involve some pain. 1. What is the author trying to tell us? (1998.6/35) (主旨题) A) Happiness often goes hand in hand with pain B) One must know how to attain happiness C) It is important to make commitments D) It is pain that leads to happiness 2) Taste is such a subjective matter that we don’t usually conduct preference tests for food. The most you can say about anyone’s preference is that it’s one person’s opinion. But because the two big cola (可乐饮料) companies — Coca-Cola and Pepsi cola are marketed so aggressively, we’ve wondered how big a role taste preference actually plays in brand loyalty. We set up a taste test that challenged people who identified themselves as either Coca-Cola or Pepsi fans: Find your brand in a blind tasting. We invited staff volunteers who had a strong liking for either Coca-Cola Classic (传统型) or Pepsi, Diet (低糖的) Coke, or Diet Pepsi. These were people who thought they’d have no trouble telling their brand from the other brand. We eventually located 19 regular cola drinkers and 27 diet cola drinkers. Then we fed them four unidentified samples of cola one at a time, regular colas 34 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 for the one group, diet versions for the other. We asked them to tell us whether each sample was Coke or Pepsi; then we analyzed the records statistically to compare the participants’ choices with what mere guess-work could have accomplished. Getting all four samples right was a tough test, but not too tough, we thought, for people who believed they could recognize their brand. In the end, only 7 out of 19 regular cola drinkers correctly identified their brand of choice only 7 of 27 in all four trials. The diet-cola drinkers did a little worse — identified all four samples correctly. While both groups did better than chance would predict, nearly half the participants in each group made the wrong choice two or more times. Two people got all four samples wrong. Overall, half the participants did about as well on the last round of tasting as on the first, so fatigue, or taste burnout, was not a factor. Our preference test results suggest that only a few Pepsi participants and Coke fans may really be able to tell their favorite brand by taste and price. 1. The author’s purpose in writing this passage is to _________. (1996.1/60) A) show that taste preference is highly subjective B) argue that taste testing is an important marketing strategy C) emphasize that taste and price are closely related to each other D) recommend that blind tasting be introduced in the quality control of colas 35 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 六、全真题集锦+解题思路串讲 Passage 1 1 Do you find getting up in the morning so difficult that it's painful? This might be called laziness, but Dr. Kleitman has a new explanation. He has proved that everyone has a daily energy cycle. 2 During the hours when you labour through your work you may say that you're "hot". That's true. The time of day when you feel most energetic is when your cycle of body temperature is at its peak. For some people the peak comes during the forenoon. For others it comes in the afternoon or evening. No one has discovered why this is so, but it leads to such familiar monologues (自 言自语) as: "Get up, John! You'll be late for work again!" The possible explanation to the trouble is that John is at his temperature-and-energy peak in the evening. Much family quarrelling ends when husbands and wives realize what these energy cycles mean, and which cycle each member of the family has. 3 You can't change your energy cycle, but you can learn to make your life fit it better. Habit can help, Dr. Kleitman believes. Maybe you're sleepy in the evening but feel you must stay up late anyway. Counteract (对抗) your cycle to some extent by habitually staying up later than you want to. If your energy is low in the morning, but you have an important job to do early in the day, rise before your usual hour. This won't change your cycle, but you'll get up steam (鼓起干劲) and work better at your low point. 4 Get off to a slow start which saves your energy. Get up with a leisurely 36 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 yawn (呵欠) and stretch. Sit on the edge of the bed a minute before putting your feet on the floor. Avoid the troublesome search for clean clothes by laying them out the night before. Whenever possible, do routine work in the afternoon and save tasks requiring more energy or concentration for your sharper hours. 1. If a person finds getting up early a problem, most probably _______. A) he is a lazy person B) he refuses to follow his own energy cycle C) he is not sure when his energy is low D) he is at his peak in the afternoon or evening 2. Which of the following may lead to family quarrels according to the passage? A) Unawareness of energy cycles. B) Familiar monologues. C) A change in a family member's energy cycle. D) Attempts to control the energy cycle of other family members. 3. If one wants to work more efficiently at his low point in the morning, he should _____. A) change his energy cycle C) get up earlier than usual B) overcome his laziness D) go to bed earlier 4. You are advised to rise with a yawn and stretch because it will _____. A) help to keep your energy for the day's work B) help you to control your temper early in the day 37 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 C) enable you to concentrate on your routine work D) keep your energy cycle under control all day 5. Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE? A) Getting off to work with a minimum effort helps save one's energy. B) Dr. Kleitman explains why people reach their peaks at different hours of day. C) Habit helps a person adapt to his own energy cycle. D) Children have energy cycles, too. Keys: D A C A B Passage 2 1 We find that bright children are rarely held back by mixed-ability teaching. On the contrary, both their knowledge and experience are enriched. We feel that there are many disadvantages in streaming (把… 按能力分班) pupils. It does not take into account the fact that children develop at different rates. It can have a bad effect on both the bright and the not-so-bright child. After all, it can be quite discouraging to be at the bottom of the top grade! Besides, it is rather unreal to grade people just according to their 2 intellectual (智力的) ability. This is only one aspect of their total personality. We are concerned to develop the abilities of all our pupils to the full, not just their academic ability. We also value personal qualities and social skills, and we find that mixed-ability teaching contributes to all these aspects of learning. 3 In our classrooms, we work in various ways. The pupils often work in 38 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 groups: this gives them the opportunity to learn to co-operate, to share, and to develop leadership skills. They also learn how to cope with (对付) personal problems as well as learning how to think, to make decisions, to analyse and evaluate, and to communicate effectively. The pupils learn from each other as well as from the teacher. Sometimes the pupils work in pairs; sometimes they work on individual 4 tasks and assignments, and they can do this at their own speed. They also have some formal class teaching when this is appropriate. We encourage our pupils to use the library, and we teach them the skills they need in order to do this efficiently. An advanced pupil can do advanced work: it does not matter what age the child is. We expect our pupils to do their best, not their least, and we give them every encouragement to attain this goal. 6. In the passage the author's attitude towards "mixed-ability teaching" is _______. A) critical B) questioning C) approving D) objective 7. By "held back" (Line 1) the author means "____________". A) made to remain in the same classes B) forced to study in the lower classes C) drawn to their studies D) prevented from advancing 8. The author argues that a teacher's chief concern should be the development of the student's _______. A) personal qualities and social skills 39 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 B) total personality C) learning ability and communicative skills D) intellectual ability 9. Which of the following is NOT MENTIONED in the third paragraph? A) Group work gives pupils the opportunity to learn to work together with others. B) Pupils also learn to develop their reasoning abilities. C) Group work provides pupils with the opportunity to learn to be capable organizers. D) Pupils also learn how to participate in teaching activities. 10. The author's purpose in writing this passage is to _________. A) argue for teaching bright and not-so-bright pupils in the same class B) recommend pair work and group work for classroom activities C) offer advice on the proper use of the library D) emphasize the importance of appropriate formal classroom teaching Keys: C D B D A Passage 3 1 If you know exactly what you want, the best route to a job is to get specialized training. A recent survey shows that companies like graduates in such fields as business and health care who can go to work immediately with very little on-the-job training. 2 That's especially true of booming fields that are challenging for workers. At Cornell's School of Hotel Administration, for example, bachelor's degree 40 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 graduates get an average of four or five job offers with salaries ranging from the high teens to the low 20s and plenty of chances for rapid advancement. Large companies, especially, like a background of formal education coupled with work experience. 3 But in the long run, too much specialization doesn't pay off. Business, which has been flooded with MBAs, no longer considers the degree an automatic stamp of approval. The MBA may open doors and command a higher salary initially, but the impact of a degree washes out after five years. 4 As further evidence of the erosion (销蚀) of corporate(公司的) faith in specialized degrees, Michigan State’s Scheetz cites a pattern in corporate hiring practices. Although companies tend to take on specialists as new hires, they often seek out generalists for middle and upper-level management. ―They want someone who isn’t constrained (限制) by nuts and bolts to look at the big picture,‖ says Scheetz. 5 This sounds suspiciously like a formal statement that you approve of the liberal-arts graduate. Time and again labor-market analysts mention a need for talents that liberal-arts majors are assumed to have: writing and communication skills, organizational skills, open-mindedness and adaptability, and the ability to analyze and solve problems. David Birch claims he does not hire anybody with an MBA or an engineering degree, ―I hire only liberal-arts people because they have a less-than-canned way of doing things,‖ says Birch. Liberal-arts means an academically thorough and strict program that includes literature, history, mathematics, economics, science, human behavior — plus a 41 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 computer course or two. With that under your belt, you can feel free to specialize. ―A liberal-arts degree coupled with an MBA or some other technical training is a very good combination in the marketplace,‖ says Scheetz. 11. What kinds of people are in high demand on the job market? A) People with special training in engineering B) Students with a bachelor's degree in humanities. C) People with an MBA degree from top universities. D) People with formal schooling plus work experience. 12. By saying ―…but the impact of a degree washes out after five years‖ (Line 3, Para, 3), the author means ________. A) in five years people will forget about the degree the MBA graduates have got B) MBA programs will not be as popular in five years' time as they are now C) an MBA degree does not help promotion to managerial positions D) most MBA programs fail to provide students with a solid foundation 13. According to Scheetz's statement (Lines 4-5, Para. 4), companies prefer ________. A) people who have received training in mechanics B) people who have a strategic mind C) people who are talented in fine arts D) people who are ambitious and aggressive 14. David Birch claims that he only hires liberal-arts people because ________. 42 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 A) they have attended special programs in management B) they can stick to established ways of solving problems C) they are more capable of handling changing situations D) they are thoroughly trained in a variety of specialized fields 15. Which of the following statements does the author support? A) Generalists will outdo specialists in management. B) On-the-job training is, in the long run, less costly. C) Formal schooling is less important than job training. D) Specialists are more expensive to hire than generalists. Keys: D C B C A Passage 4 1 By 1970, according to a World Wildlife Fund report, only about 4,500 tigers survived throughout the world — half of them in India. Mr. Foresters, who followed and counted tiger footprints, estimated that in May 1972 only about 1,800 tigers existed in India. Project Tiger Supported by W.W.F. was immediately launched. Nine tiger reserves were created, with armed guards protecting them. 2 The project provided opportunities for researchers from India and abroad to study tigers in the reserves and gather previously unavailable information about their habits. Studies show that a male tiger may control a hunting territory of between 10 and 20 sq. kms depending on its age, size and strength. The territory of male includes the smaller territories of three or four tigresses. 43 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 A tiger marks the boundaries of its territories by spraying urine (尿) and other bodily liquids on bushes. But it tries to avoid territorial fights, being guided by the distinctive body smell of other tigers. Tigers fight to death only when a tigress is defending her young, or when a tiger is guarding a tigress from the attentions of other males. The popular image of the tiger is that of a merciless and unconquerable 3 hunter. But studies show that it catches only one of 20 victims (牺牲品) it tries to attack. 4 Fears have recently developed that Project Tiger has been too successful. It has enabled the tiger population to double (by mid-80s), but India's human population has also grown out of control. Currently it is 750 million and likely to be 900 million by the end of the century. Land problem is becoming serious and many rural people feel bitter about the fact that some rich forests are reserved for tigers. A growing number of attacks by tigers on man has added to the hostility (敌意). 16. The ultimate aim of Project Tiger is to _____. A) study the growth rate of tigers B) protect tigers from being killed C) promote the breeding of young tigers D) analyze the behavioural patterns of tigers 17. Studies have shown that _____. A) a tigress never attacks until attacked B) the tigress is not as fierce as the tiger 44 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 C) a tiger usually fights another tiger to defend its own territory D) the tiger is not an efficient hunter as is commonly described 18. According to the passage, a tiger's territory _____. A) remains unchanged C) expands as the tiger grows up B) is often defended by tigresses D) is the cause of most fights 19. Some people are afraid that Project Tiger _____. A) has been carried too far B) has not received enough attention C) has failed to achieve its goal D) is not worth the money spent on it 20. The author seems _____. A) to be enthusiastic about Project Tiger B) to have a matter of fact attitude towards Project Tiger C) to have a hostile attitude towards Project Tiger D) to be satisfied with Project Tiger Keys: B D C A B Passage 5 1 Most people would agree that, although our age exceeds all previous ages in knowledge, there has been no corresponding increase in wisdom. But agreement ceases as soon as we attempt to define ―wisdom‖ and consider means of promoting it. 2 There are several factors that contribute to wisdom. Of these I should put 45 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 first a sense of proportion: the capacity to take account of all the important factors in a problem and to attach to each its due weight. This has become more difficult than it used to be owing to the extent and complexity of the special knowledge required of various kinds of technicians. Suppose, for example, that you are engaged in research in scientific medicine. The work is difficult and is likely to absorb the whole of your mind. You have no time to consider the effect which your discoveries or inventions may have outside the field of medicine. You succeed (let us say) as modern medicine has succeeded, in enormously lowering the infant death-rate, not only in Europe and America, but also in Asia and Africa. This has the entirely unintended result of making the food supply inadequate and lowering the standard of life in the parts of the world that have the greatest populations. To take an even more dramatic example, which is in everybody’s mind at the present time; you study the makeup of the atom from a disinterested(无利害关系的)desire for knowledge, and by chance place in the hands of a powerful mad man the means of destroying the human race. 3 Therefore, with every increase of knowledge and skill, wisdom becomes more necessary, for every such increase augments(增强)our capacity for realizing our purposes, and therefore augments our capacity for evil, if our purposes are unwise. 21. Disagreement arises when people try to decide _________. A) how much more wisdom we have now than before. B) what wisdom is and how to develop it. 46 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 C) if there is a great increase of wisdom in our age. D) whether wisdom can be developed or not. 22. According to the author, ―wisdom‖ is the ability to ___________. A) carefully consider the bad effects of any kind of research work B) give each important problem some careful consideration C) acquire a great deal of complex and special knowledge D) give suitable consideration to all the possible elements in a problem 23. Lowering the infant death-rate may ________. A) prove to be helpful everywhere in the world B) give rise to an increase in population in Europe. C) cause food shortages in Asia and Africa D) raise the living standard of the people in Africa. 24. The author uses the examples in the passage to illustrate his point that _________. A) it’s extremely difficult to consider all the important elements in problem B) success in medical research has its negative effects C) scientists may unknowingly cause destruction to the human race. D) it’s unwise to be totally absorbed in research in scientific medicine 25. What is the main idea of the passage? A) It is unwise to place the results of scientific research in the hands of a powerful mad man. B) The more knowledge one has, the wiser one becomes. C) Any increase of knowledge could lead to disastrous results without the 47 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 guidance of wisdom. D) Wisdom increases in proportion to one’s age Keys: B D C A C Passage 6 Attention to detail is something everyone can and should do - especially in 1 a tight job market. Bob Crossley, a human-resources expert notices this in the job applications that come across his desk every day. "It's amazing how many candidates eliminate themselves," he says. 2 "Resumes (简历) arrive with stains. Some candidates don't bother to spell the company's name correctly. Once I see a mistake, I eliminate the candidate,‖ Crossley concludes. ―If they cannot take care of these details, why should we trust them with a job?‖ 3 Can we pay too much attention to details? Absolutely. Perfectionists struggle over little things at the cost of something larger they work toward. "To keep from losing the forest for the trees," says Charles Garfield, associate professor at the University of California, San Francisco, "We must constantly ask ourselves how the details we're working on fit into the larger picture. If they don't, we should drop them and move to something else." 4 Garfield compares this process to his work as a computer scientist at NASA. "The Apollo II moon launch was slightly off-course 90 percent of the time," says Garfield. "But a successful landing was still likely because we knew the exact coordinates of our goal. This allowed us to make adjustments 48 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 as necessary." Knowing where we want to go helps us judge the importance of every task we undertake. 5 Too often we believe what accounts for others' success is some special secret or a lucky break (机遇). But rarely is success so mysterious. Again and again, we see that by doing little things within our grasp well, large rewards follow. 26. According to the passage, some job applicants were rejected _____. A) because of their carelessness as shown in their failure to present a clean copy of a resume (55%) B) because of their inadequate education as shown in their poor spelling in writing a resume C) because they failed to give a detailed description of their background in their applications (27%) D) because they eliminated their names from the applicants list themselves 27. The word "perfectionists" (Line 1, Para. 3) refers to those who ______. A) demand others to get everything absolutely right B) know how to adjust their goals according to the circumstances C) pay too much attention to details only to lose their major objectives (55%) D) are capable of achieving perfect results in whatever they do (26%) 28. Which of the following is the author's advice to the reader? A) Although too much attention to details may be costly, they should not be overlooked. (55%) 49 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 B) Don't forget details when drawing pictures C) Be aware of the importance of a task before undertaking it. (25%) D) Careless applicants are not to be trusted. 29. The example of the Apollo II moon launch is given to illustrate that _____. A) minor mistakes can be ignored in achieving major objectives B) failure is the mother of success C) adjustments are the key to the successful completion of any work (34%) D) keeping one's goal in mind helps in deciding which details can be overlooked (53%) 30. The best title for this passage would be ______. A) Don't Be a Perfectionist B) Importance of Adjustments C) Details and Major Objectives (81%) D) Hard Work Plus Good Luck Keys: A C A D C Passage 7 1 Faces, like fingerprints, are unique. Did you ever wonder how it is possible for us to recognize people? Even a skilled writer probably could not describe all the features that make one face different from another. Yet a very young child - or even an animal, such as a pigeon - can learn to recognize faces, we all take this ability for granted. 2 We also tell people apart by how they behave. When we talk about 50 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 someone’s personality, we mean the ways in which he or she acts, speaks, thinks and feels that make that individual different from others. 3 Like the human face, human personality is very complex. But describing someone’s personality in words is somewhat easier than describing his face. If you were asked to describe what a ―nice face‖ looked like, you probably would have a difficult time doing so. But if you were asked to describe a ―nice person‖, you might begin to think about someone who was kind, considerate, friendly, warm, and so forth. 4 There are many words to describe how a person thinks, feels and acts. Gordon Allport, an American psychologist, found nearly 18,000 English words characterizing differences in people’s behavior. And many of us use this information as a basis for describing, or typing, his personality. Bookworms, conservatives, military types - people are described with such terms. 5 People have always tried to ―type‖ each other. Actors in early Greek drama wore masks to show the audience whether they played the villain’s (坏人) or the hero’s role. In fact, the words ―person‖ and ―personality‖ come from the Latin persona, meaning ―mask‖. Today, most television and movie actors do not wear masks. But we can easily tell the ―good guys‖ from the ―bad guys‖ because the two types differ in appearance as well as inactions. 31. By using the example of finger prints, the author tells us that __________. A) people can learn to recognize faces B) people have different personalities C) people have difficulty in describing the features of finger prints 51 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 D) people differ from each other in facial features 32. According to this passage, some animals have the gift of ___________. A) telling people apart by how they behave B) typing each other C) telling good people from bad people D) recognizing human faces 33. Who most probably knows best how to describe people’s personality? A) The ancient Greek audience B) The movie actors C) Psychologists D) The modern TV audience 34. According to the passage, it is possible for us tell one type of person from another because ________. A) people differ in their behavioral and physical characteristics B) human fingerprints provide unique information C) people’s behavior can be easily described in words D) human faces have complex features 35. Which of the following is the major point of the passage? A) Why it is necessary to identify people’s personality B) Why it is possible to describe people C) How to get to know people D) How best to recognize people Keys: D D B A B 52 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 Passage 8 1 Exchange a glance with someone, then look away. Do you realize that you have made a statement? Hold the glance for a second longer, and you have made a different statement. Hold it for 3 seconds, and the meaning has changed again. For every social situation, there is a permissible time that you can hold a person’s gaze without being intimate, rude, or aggressive. If you are on an elevator, what gaze-time are you permitted? To answer this question, consider what you typically do. You very likely give other passengers a quick glance to size them up (打量) and to assure them that you mean no threat. Since being close to another person signals the possibility of interaction. You need to emit a signal telling others you want to be left alone. So you cut off eye contact, what sociologist Erving Goffman (1963) calls ―a dimming of the lights.‖ You look down at the floor, at the indicator lights, anywhere but into another passenger’s eyes. Should you break the rule against staring at a stranger on an elevator, you will make the other person exceedingly uncomfortable, and you are likely to feel a bit strange yourself. 2 If you hold eye contact for more than 3 seconds, what are you telling another person? Much depends on the person and the situation. For instance, a man and a woman communicate interest in this manner. They typically gaze at each other for about 3 seconds at a time, then drop their eyes down for 3 seconds, before letting their eyes meet again. But if one man gives another man a 3-second-plus stare, he signals, ―I know you‖, ―I am interested in you,‖ or 53 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 ―You look peculiar and I am curious about you.‖ This type of stare often produces hostile feelings. 36. It can be inferred form the first paragraph that _______. (推断-概括) A) every glance has its significance B) staring at a person is an expression of interest C) a gaze longer than 3 seconds is unacceptable D) a glance conveys more meaning than words 37. If you want to be left alone on an elevator, the best thing to do is __________. (细节) A) to look into another passenger’s eyes B) to avoid eye contact with other passengers C) to signal you are not a threat to anyone D) to keep a distance from other passengers 38. By ―a dimming of the lights‖ (Para.1, Line 11) Erving Goffman means ―_______‖. (词汇语义) A) closing one’s eyes B) turning off the lights C) creasing to glance at others D) reducing gaze-time to the minimum 39. If one is looked at by a stranger for too long, he tends to feel ___________. (细节) A) depressed C) curious B) uneasy D) amused 54 郭遂红 2010-11-29 《阅读理解》 40. The passage mainly discusses __________. (主旨) A) the limitations of eye contact B) the exchange of ideas through eye contact C) proper behavior in situations D) the role of eye contact in interpersonal communication Keys: A B C B D 七、答案 01-20 D A C A B C D B D A D C B C A B D C A B 21-40 B D C A C A C A D C D D B A B A B C B D 55 郭遂红 2010-11-29