2010至2007专四阅读理解原文,答案和详细解析。

2010年英语专业四级阅读理解 TEXT A What is the nature of the scientific attitude, the attitude of the man or woman who studies and applies physics, chemistry, geology, engineering, medical or any other science? We all know that science plays an important role in the societies in which we live. Many people believe, however, that our progress depends on two different aspects of science. The first of these is the application of the machines and products that scientists and technologists develop. New drugs, faster and safer means of transport, new systems of applied knowledge are some examples of this aspect of science. The second aspect is the application of the special methods of thought and action that scientists use in their work. What are these special methods of thinking and acting? First of all, it seems that a successful scientist is full of curiosity — he wants to find out how and why the universe works. He usually directs his attention towards problems which he notices have no satisfactory explanation, and his curiosity makes him look for underlying relationships even if the data available seem to be unconnected. Moreover, he thinks he can improve the existing conditions, whether of pure or applied knowledge, and enjoys trying to solve the problems which this involves. He is a good observer, accurate, patient and objective and applies persistent and logical thought to the observations he makes. He utilizes the facts he observes to the full extent. For example, trained observers obtain a very large amount of information about a star mainly from the accurate analysis of the simple lines that appear in a spectrum. He is skeptical —he does not accept statements which are not based on the most complete evidence available — and therefore rejects authority as the sole basis for truth. Furthermore, he is not only critical of the work of others, but also of his own. Since he knows that man is the least reliable of scientific instruments and that a number of factors tend to disturb objective investigation. Lastly, he is highly imaginative since he often has to look for relationships in data, which are not only complex but also frequently incomplete. Furthermore, he needs imagination if he wants to make hypotheses of how processes work and how events take place. These seem to be some of the ways in which a successful scientist or technologist thinks and acts. 81.Many people believe that science helps society to progress through A.Applied knowledge B.More than one aspect C.Technology only D.The use of machines 82.Which of the following statement is INCORRECT about curiosity? A.It gives the scientist confidence and pleasure in work. B.It gives rise to interest in problem that are unexplained. C.It leads to efforts to investigate potential connections. D.It encourages the scientists to look for new ways of acting. 83.According to the passage, a successful scientist would not A.Easily believe in unchecked statements B.Easily criticize others' research work. C.Always use his imagination in work. D.Always use evidence from observation. 84.What does the passage mainly discuss? A.Application of technology B.Progress in modern society C.Scientists' way of thinking and acting D.How to become a successful scientist 85.What is the author's attitude towards the topic? A.Critical B. Objective C. Biased D. Unclear Text B Over the past several decades, the U.S., Canada, and Europe have received a great deal of media and even research attention over unusual phenomena and unsolved mysteries. These include UFOs as well as sightings and encounters with "nonhuman creatures" such as Bigfoot and the Loch Ness monster. Only recently has Latin America begun to receive some attention as well. Although the mysteries of the Aztec, Mayan, and Inca civilizations have been known for centuries, now the public is also becoming aware of unusual, paranormal phenomena in countries such as Peru. The Nazca "lines" of Peru were discovered in the 1930s. These lines are deeply carved into a flat, stony plain, and form about 300 intricate pictures of animals such as birds, a monkey, and a lizard. Seen at ground level, the designs are a jumbled senseless mess. The images are so large that they can only be viewed at a height of 1,000 feet - meaning from an aircraft. Yet there were no aircraft in 300 B.C., when it is judged the designs were made. Nor were there then, or are there now, any nearby mountain ranges from which to view them. So how and why did the native people of Nazca create these marvelous designs? One answer appeared in 1969, when the German researcher and writer Erich von Daniken proposed that the lines were drawn by extraterrestrials as runways for their aircraft. The scientific community did not take long to scoffat and abandon von Daniken's theory. Over the years several other theories have been put forth, but none has been accepted by the scientific community. Today there is a new and heightened interest in the Nazca lines. It is a direct result of the creation of the Internet. Currently there are over 60 sites dedicated to this mystery from Latin America's past, and even respected scientists have joined the discussion through e-mail and chat rooms. Will the Internet help explain these unsolved mysteries? Perhaps it is a step in the right direction. 86. Which of the following statements is INCORRECT? A. Latin America has long received attention for unusual phenomena. B. Public attention is now directed towards countries like Peru. C. Public interest usually focuses on North America and Europe. D. Some ancient civilizations have unsolved mysteries. 87. According to the passage, the Nazca lines were found A. in mountains. B. in stones. C. on animals. D. on a plain. 88. We can infer from the passage that the higher the lines are seen, the ____ the images they present. A. smaller B. larger C. clearer D. brighter 89. There has been increasing interest in the Nazca lines mainly because of A. the participation of scientists. B. the emergence of the lnternet. C. the birth of new theories. D. the interest in the Internet. 90. The author is ____ about the role of the lnternet in solving mysteries. A. cautious B. pessimistic C. uncertain D. optimistic TEXT C Graduation speeches are a bit like wedding toasts. A few are memorable. The rest tend to trigger such thoughts as, "Why did I wear such uncomfortable shoes?" But graduation speeches are less about the message than the messenger. Every year a few colleges and universities in the US attract attention because they've managed to book high-profile speakers. And, every year, the media report some of these speakers' wise remarks. Last month, the following words of wisdom were spread: "You really haven't completed the circle of success unless you can help somebody else move forward." (Oprah Winfrey, Duke University). "There is no way to stop change; change will come. Go out and give us a future worthy of the world we all wish to create together." (Hillary Clinton, New York University). 'This really is your moment. History is yours to bend." (Joe Biden, Wake Forest University). Of course, the real "get" of the graduation season was first lady Michelle Obama's appearance at the University of California, Merced. "Remember that you are blessed," she told the class of 2009, "Remember that in exchange for those blessings, you must give something back... As advocate and activist Marian Wright Edelman says, 'Service is the rent we pay for living ... it is the true measure, the only measure of success'." Calls to service have a long, rich tradition in these speeches. However, it is possible for a graduation speech to go beyond cliche and say something truly compelling. The late writer David Foster Wallace's 2005 graduation speech at Kenyon College in Ohio talked about how to truly care about other people. It gained something of a cult after it was widely circulated on the Internet. Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs' address at Stanford University that year, in which he talked about death, is also considered one of the best in recent memory. But when you're sitting in the hot sun, fidgety and freaked out, do you really want to be lectured about the big stuff?. Isn't that like trying to maintain a smile at your wedding reception while some relative gives a toast that amounts to "marriage is hard work"? You know he's right; you just don't want to think about it at that particular moment. In fact, as is the case in many major life moments, you can't really manage to think beyond the blisters your new shoes are causing. That may seem anticlimactic. But it also gets to the heart of one of life's greatest, saddest truths: that our most "memorable" occasions may elicit the fewest memories. It's probably not something most graduation speakers would say, but it's one of the first lessons of growing up. 91. According to the passage, most graduation speeches tend to recall ____ memories. A. great B. trivial C. unforgettable D. unimaginative 92. "But graduation speeches are less about the message than the messenger" is explained A. in the final paragraph. B. in the last but one paragraph. C. in the first paragraph. D. in the same paragraph. 93. The graduation speeches mentioned in the passage are related to the following themes EXCEPT A. death. B. success. C. service. D. Generosity. 94. It is implied in the passage that at great moments people fail to A. remain clear-headed. B. keep good manners. C. remember others' words. D. recollect specific details. 95. What is "one of the first lessons of growing up"? A. Attending a graduation ceremony. B. Listening to graduation speeches. C. Forgetting details of memorable events. D. Meeting high-profile graduation speakers. TEXT D Cultural rules determine every aspect of food consumption. Who eats together defines social units. For example, in some societies, the nuclear family is the unit that regularly eats together. The anthropologist Mary Douglas has pointed out that, for the English, the kind of meal and the kind of food that is served relate to the kinds of social links between people who are eating together. She distinguishes between regular meals, Sunday meals when relatives may come, and cocktail parties for acquaintances. The food served symbolizes the occasion and reflects who is present. For example, only snacks are served at a cocktail party. It would be inappropriate to serve a steak or hamburgers. The distinctions among cocktails, regular meals, and special dinners mark the social boundaries between those guests who are invited for drinks, those who are invited to dinner, and those who come to a family meal. In this example, the type of food symbolizes the category of guest and with whom it is eaten. In some New Guinea societies, the nuclear family is not the unit that eats together. The men take their meals in a men's house, separately from their wives and children. Women prepare and eat their food in their own houses and take the husband's portion to the men's house. The women eat with their children in their own houses. This pattern is also widespread among Near Eastern societies. Eating is a metaphor that is sometimes used to signify marriage. In many New Guinea societies, like that of the Lesu on the island of New Ireland in the Pacific and that of the Trobriand Islanders, marriage is symbolized by the couple's eating together for the first time. Eating symbolizes their new status as a married couple. In U.S. society, it is just the reverse. A couple may go out to dinner on a first date. Other cultural rules have to do with taboos against eating certain things. In some societies, members of a clan, a type of kin (family) group, are not allowed to eat the animal or bird that is their totemic ancestor. Since they believe themselves to be descended from that ancestor, it would be like eating that ancestor or eating themselves. There is also an association between food prohibitions and rank, which is found in its most extreme form in the caste system of India. A caste system consists of ranked groups, each with a different economic specialization. In India, there is an association between caste and the idea of pollution. Members of highly ranked groups can be polluted by coming into contact with the bodily secretions, particularly saliva, of individuals of lower-ranked castes. Because of the fear of pollution, Brahmans and other high-ranked individuals will not share food with, not eat from the same plate as, not even accept food from an individual from a low-ranking caste. 96. According to the passage, the English make clear distinctions between A. people who eat together. B. the kinds of food served. C. snacks and hamburgers. D. family members and guests. 97. According to the passage, who will NOT eat together? A. The English. B. Americans on their first date. C. Men and women in Near Eastern societies. D. Newly-weds on the island of New Ireland. 98. According to the passage, eating together indicates all the following EXCEPT A. the type of food. B. social relations. C. marital status. D. family ties. 解析:A。推理类,可用排除法。在一起进餐可反映出进餐者的社会关系,婚姻状况和家庭关系。 99. The last paragraph suggests that in India ____ decides how people eat. A. pollution B. food C. culture D. social status 100. Which of the following can best serve as the topic of the passage? A. Different kinds of food in the world. B. Relations between food and social units. C. Symbolic meanings of food consumption. D. Culture and manners of eating. 2010年英语专业四级阅读试题及解析 81. 解析:B。细节类。第一段第四行:Many people believe, however, that our progress depends on two different aspects of science. 社会的进步依靠于科学的两个不同方面。所以选B。 82. .解析:A。细节类。第三段作者阐述了什么是科学家必须具备的好奇心,可用排除法。 83.解析:A。细节类。第五段He is skeptical — he does not accept statements which are not based on the most complete evidence available。科学家常常持怀疑的态度,对于没有建立在充分证据上的论断持怀疑态度。 84. 解析:C。主旨类。文章第三段What are these special methods of thinking and acting? 是全文的主题句。文章解释了科学家的思考和行为方式。 85. 解析:B. 态度类。文章客观描述了科学家的思考和行为方式,没有加入个人的主观。 86. 解析:A.。细节类。第一段第四行Only recently has Latin America begun to receive some attention as well. 直到最近,拉美文化引起了人们的关注。 87. 解析:D。细节类。第二段These lines are deeply carved into a flat, stony plain。 88. 解析:C。推理类。Seen at ground level, the designs are a jumbled senseless mess. The images are so large that they can only be viewed at a height of 1,000 feet - meaning from an aircraft。从平地上看,这些图案看上去乱糟糟,没有任何意义,图形太大了,所以越高看得越清楚。 89. 解析:B。细节类。第三段Today there is a new and heightened interest in the Nazca lines. It is a direct result of the creation of the Internet. 人们对于纳斯卡线条越来越感兴趣是因为因特网的传播。 90. 解析:D。态度类。最后一段Will the Internet help explain these unsolved mysteries? Perhaps it is a step in the right direction.作者对于因特网解决疑难问题是充满信心的 91. 解析:B。推理类。第一段Graduation speeches are a bit like wedding toasts. A few are memorable. The rest tend to trigger such thoughts as, "Why did I wear such uncomfortable shoes?" 毕业演讲有点像婚礼上的致辞,有些片段是难忘的,但是其余的时刻总让我们回想起当时的细节,比如我为什么要穿这双不舒服的鞋呢。 92. 解析:D。推理类。Every year a few colleges and universities in the US attract attention because they've managed to book high-profile speakers. And, every year, the media report some of these speakers' wise remarks. 在毕业演讲上,演讲者比演讲内容还要重要。每年有些大学请来了高调的演讲者。 93.解析:D。细节类。文章中举了几个有名的毕业演讲,关于死亡,成功,为社会服务。可用排除法 。 94..解析:C。推理类。倒数第二段,You know he's right; you just don't want to think about it at that particular moment. 在重要的时刻,当大人物演讲时,你知道他说的是正确的,但往往记不住他到底说了些什么。 95. 解析:细节类。最后一段our most "memorable" occasions may elicit the fewest memories. 成长中的第一课包括,我们往往会遗忘重要时刻的细节。 96. 解析:D。推理类。第一段for the English, the kind of meal and the kind of food that is served relate to the kinds of social links between people who are eating together. 对于英国人来说,食物的品种和内容是由一起吃饭的人的关系来决定的。 97. 解析:C。细节类。第二段作者描述了在近东国家的吃饭习俗,丈夫和妻儿分开来吃饭。 98. 解析:A。推理类,可用排除法。在一起进餐可反映出进餐者的社会关系,婚姻状况和家庭关系。 99. 解析; D。推理类。最后一段作者讲述了印度人的饮食文化和社会阶层紧密相关。 100. 解析:D。主旨类。文章讨论了中西方国家饮食习俗和文化之间的关系。 2009年英语专业四级阅读理解 TEXT A Do you realize that every time you take a step, the bones in your hip are subjected to forces between four and five times your body weight? When you are running, this force is increased further still. What happens if through disease a hip-joint ceases to be able to resist such forces? For many years hip-joints and other body joints have been replaceable either partially or completely. It is after all a simple ball and socket joint; it has certain loads imposed on it; it needs reliability over a defined life; it must contain materials suitable for the working environment. Any engineer will recognize these as characteristic of a typical engineering problem, which doctors and engineers have worked together to solve, in order to bring a fresh lease of life to people who would otherwise be disabled. This typifies the way in which engineers work to help people and create a better quality of life. The fact that this country has the most efficient agricultural industry in the world is another good example. Mechanical engineers have worked with farmers and biologists to produce fertilizers, machinery and harvesting systems. This team effort has now produced crops uniformly waist high or less so that they are better suited to mechanical harvesting. Similar advances with other crops have released people from hard and boring jobs for more creative work, whilst machines harvest crops more efficiently with less waste. Providing more food for the rapidly increasing population is yet another role for the mechanical engineer. 81. According to the passage, when would most weight be imposed on hip-joints? A. When one is walking. B. When one is running. C. When one is standing. D. When one is lying down. 82. Engineers regard the replacement of hip-joints as a(n) ____ Problem. A. mechanical B. medical C. health D. agricultural 83. According to the passage, how do engineers contribute to increasing efficiency of the agricultural industry? A. By working with farmers. B. By working in teams. C. By growing crops of the same height. D. By making agricultural machinery. 84. According to the context, “This team effort?“ in Paragraph Two refers to A. mechanical engineers. B. doctors and engineers. C. biologists, doctors and farmers. D. farmers, biologists and engineers. TEXT B Nowadays, a cellphone service is available to everyone, everywhere. Probably thousands of people have already been using it, but I just discovered it, so I?m going to claim it and also name it: Fake Foning. The technology has been working well for me at the office, but there are infinite applications. Virtually in any public space. Say you work at a big university with lots of talky faculty members buzzing about. Now, say you need to use the restroom. The trip down the hall will take approximately one hour, because a person can?t walk into those talky people without getting pulled aside for a question, a bit of gossip, a new read on a certain line of Paradise Lost. So, a cellp hone. Any cellphone. Just pick it up. Don?t dial. Just hold that phone to your face and start talking. Walk confidently down the hall engaged in fake conversation, making sure to tailor both the topic and content to the person standing before you whom you are trying to evade. For standard colleague avoidance, I suggest fake chatting about fake business: “Yes, I?m glad you called, because we really need to hammer out the details. What?s that? Yes, I read Page 12, but if you look at the bottom of 4, I think you can see the problem begins right there.” Be animated. Be engaged in your fake fone conversation. Make eye contact with the people passing, nod to them, gesture keen interest in talking to them at a later time, point to your phone, shrug and move on. Shoppers should consider fake foning anytime they spot a talky neighbor in the produce department pinching (用手捏) unripe peaches. Without your phone at your face, you?d be in for a 20-minute speech on how terrible the world is. One important caution about fake foning. The other day I was fake foning my way past a colleague, and he was actually following me to get my attention. I knew he wanted to ask about a project I had not yet finished. I was trying to buy myself some time, so I continued fake foning with my doctor. “So I don?t need the operation? Oh, doctor, that is the best news.” And then: Brrrrrrng! Brrrrrmg! Brrrrrmg! My phone started ringing, right there while it was planted on my face. My colleague looked at me, and I at him, and naturally I gasped. “W hat is the matter with this thing?” I said, pulling the phone away to look at it, and then putting it back to my ear. “Hello? Are you still there?” Oops. 85. Which of the following statements is INCORRECT? A. Cellphone service is popular among people. B. Cellphone has much use in office. C. Fake foning is a new cellphone service. D. Fake foning is a new discovery. 86. What is fake foning? A. A strategy to avoid people. B. A device newly produced. C. A service provided everywhere. D. A skill of communication. 87. In the author?s opinion, in order to make fake foning look real one has to A. talk about interesting matters. B. behave politely to people passing by. C. hold the phone while walking. D. appear absorbed in conversation. 88. What does the last example show? A. One effective way is to fake fone one?s doctor. B. One has to be careful while fake foning. C. Fake foning may not deceive people. D. Fake foning is always quite successful. 89. After his phone suddenly began ringing, the author A. immediately started talking to the caller. B. immediately started talking to his colleague. C. put the phone away and stopped talking. D. continued with his fake conversation. 90. What is the tone of the passage? A. Critical. B. Humorous. C. Serious. D. Unclear. TEXT C It was late in the afternoon, and I was putting the final touch on a piece of writing that I was feeling pretty good about. I wanted to save it, but my cursor had frozen. I tried to shut the computer down, and it seized up altogether. Unsure of what else to do, I yanked (用力猛拉) the battery out. Unfortunately, Windows had been in the midst of a delicate and crucial undertaking. The next morning, when I turned my computer back on, it informed me that a file had been corrupted and Windows would not load. Then, it offered to repair itself by using the Windows Setup CD. I opened the special drawer where I keep CDs. But no Windows CD in there. I was forced to call the computer company?s Global Support Centre. My call was answered by a woman in some unnamed, far-off land. I find it annoying to make small talk with someone when I don?t know what continent they?re standing on. Suppose I were to comment on the beautiful weather we?ve been having when there was a monsoon at the other end of the phone? So I got right to the point. “My computer is telling me a file is corrupted and it wants to fix itself, but I don?t have the Windows Setup CD.” “So you?re having a problem with your Windows Setup CD.” She has apparently been dozing and, having come to just as the sentence ended, was attempting to cover for her inattention. It quickly became clear that the woman was not a computer technician. Her job was to serve as a gatekeeper, a human shield for the technicians. Her sole duty, as far as I could tell, was to raise global stress levels. To make me disappear, the woman gave me the phone number for Windows? creator, Microsoft. This is like giving someone the phone number for, I don?t know, North America. Besides, the CD worked; I just didn?t have it. No matter how many ti mes I repeated my story, we came back to the same place. She was calm and resolutely polite. When my voice hit a certain decibel (分贝), I was passed along, like a hot, irritable potato, to a technician. “You don?t have the Windows Setup CD, ma?am, because you don?t need it,” he explained cheerfully. “Windows came preinstalled on your computer!” “But I do need it.” “Yes, but you don?t have it.” We went on like this for a while. Finally, he offered to walk me through the use of a different CD, one that would erase my entire system. “Of course, you?d lose all your e-mail, your documents, your photos.” It was like offering to drop a safe on my head to cure my headache. “You might be able to recover them, but it would be expensive.” He sounded delighted. “And it?s not covered by the warranty (产品保证书)!” The safe began to seem like a good idea, provided it was full. I hung up the phone and drove my computer to a small, friendly repair place I?d heard about. A smart, helpful man dug out a Windows CD and told me it wouldn?t be a problem. An hour later, he called to let me know it was ready. I thanked him, and we chatted about the weather, which was the same outside my window as it was outside his. 91. Why did the author shut down her computer abruptly? A. She had saved what she had written. B. She couldn?t move the cursor. C. The computer refused to work. D. The computer offered to repair itself. 92. Which of the following is the author?s opinion about the woman at the Global Support Centre? A. She sounded helpful and knowledgeable. B. She was there to make callers frustrated. C. She was able to solve her computer problem. D. She was quick to pass her along to a technician. 93. According to the passage, the solution offered by the technician was A. effective. B. economical. C. unpractical. D. unacceptable. 94. “It was like offering to drop a safe on my head to cure my headache” in the last but one paragraph means that A. the technician?s proposal would make things even worse. B. the technician?s proposal could eventually solve the problem. C. files stored on her computer were like a safe. D. erasing the entire system was like curing a headache. 95. It can be inferred from the passage that the differences between the Global Support Centre and the local repair shop lie in all the following EXCEPT A. efficiency. B. location. C. setup CDs. D. attitude TEXT D Not long ago, a mysterious Christmas card dropped through our mail slot. The envelope was addressed to a man named Raoul, who, I was relatively certain, did not live with us. The envelope wasn?t sealed, so I opened it. The inside of the card was blank. Ed, my husband, explained that the card was both from and to the newspaper deliveryman. His name was apparently Raoul, and Raoul wanted a holiday tip. We were meant to put a check inside the card and then drop the envelope in the mail. When your services are rend ered at 4 a.m., you can?t simply hang around, like a hotel bellboy expecting a tip. You have to be direct. So I wrote a nice holiday greeting to this man who, in my imagination, fires The New York Times from his bike aimed at our front door, causing more noise with mere newsprint than most people manage with sophisticated black market fireworks. With a start, I realized that perhaps the reason for the 4 a.m. wake-up noise was not ordinary rudeness but carefully executed spite: I had not tipped Raoul in Chri stmases past. I honestly hadn?t realized I was supposed to. This was the first time he?d used the card tactic. So I got out my checkbook. Somewhere along the line, holiday tipping went from an optional thank-you for a year of services to a Mafia-style protection racket (收取保护费的黑社会组织). Several days later, I was bringing our garbage bins back from the curb when I noticed an envelope taped to one of the lids. The outside of the envelope said MICKEY. It had to be another tip request, this time from our garbage c ollector. Unlike Raoul, Mickey hadn?t enclosed his own Christmas card from me. In a way, I appreciated the directness. “I know you don?t care how merry my Christmas is, and that?s fine,” the gesture said. “I want $30, or I?ll …forget? to empty your garbage bin some hot summer day.” I put a check in the envelope and taped it back to the bin. The next morning, Ed noticed that the envelope was gone, though the trash hadn?t yet been picked up: “Someone stole Mickey?s tip!” Ed was quite certain. He made me call the bank and cancel the check. But Ed had been wrong. Two weeks later, Mickey left a letter from the bank on our steps. The letter informed Mickey that the check, which he had tried to cash, had been cancelled. The following Tuesday morning, when Ed saw a truck outside, he ran out with his wallet. “Are you Mickey?” The man looked at him with scorn. “Mickey is the garbageman. I am the recycling.” Not only had Ed insulted this man by hinting that he was a garbageman, but he had obviously neglected to tip him. Ed ran back inside for more funds. Then he noticed that the driver of the truck had been watching the whole transaction. He peeled off another twenty and looked around, waving bills in the air. “Anyone else?” Had we consulted the website of the Emily Post Institute, this embarrassing breach of etiquette (礼节) could have been avoided. Under “trash/recycling collectors” in the institute?s Holiday Tipping Guidelines, it says: “$10 to $30 each.” You may or may not wish to know that your pet groomer, hairdresser, mailman and UPS guy all expect a holiday tip. 96. The newspaper deliveryman put a blank card inside the envelope because A. he forgot to write a few words on it. B. he wanted the couple to send it back. C. he used it to ask for a Christmas tip. D. he was afraid of asking for a tip in person. 97. From the passage, we learn that the author A. didn?t like Raoul?s way of delivering the paper. B. didn?t realize why Raoul delivered the paper that way. C. didn?t know that Raoul came very early in the morning. D. didn?t feel it necessary to meet Raoul when he came. 98. According to the passage, the author felt ____ to give Raoul a holiday tip. A. excited B. delighted C. embarrassed D. forced 99. Which of the following is CORRECT about Mickey, the garbage collector? A. He wrote a letter to the couple afterwards. B. He failed to collect the money from the bank. C. He wanted the couple to send him a Christmas card. D. He collected both the cheek and the garbage that day. 100. Ed?s encounter with the recycling team shows that A. Ed was desperate to correct his mistake. B. Ed only wanted to give money to Raoul. C. Ed was unwilling to tip the truck driver. D. Ed no longer wanted to give them money. 2009年英语专业四级阅读试题答案及解析 81.解析:B。细节类。第一段开头When you are running, this force is increased further still. 82.解析:A。细节类。第一段第七、八行Any engineer will recognize these as characteristic of a typical engineering problem, 师觉得这是一个典型的机械问题。 83.解析:D。推断类。第二段提到”mechanical harvesting”, “machines harvest crops more efficiently”, 可以推断出工程师致力于推进农业的机械化进程。 84.解析:D。指代类。Mechanical engineers have worked with farmers and biologists to produce fertilizers, machinery and harvesting systems. 这个团队的努力包括农场主、生物学家和工程师。 85.解析:D。推断类。可用排除法。从第一、二段可以知道,手机业务在人们当中非常流行,可用于办公室中,而作者有一个新的发现就是假装接手机,而不是新的业务。 86.解析:A。推断类。作者假装接手机是为了躲避和某些人交谈。 87.解析:D。细节类。Be animated. Be engaged in your fake fone conversation.为了让假装接手机显得更加逼真,应该更加投入到手机交谈中。A、B和C都只是让假装的手机交谈显得更加逼真的表现之一。 88.解析:B。推断类。文章最后的例子是作者在假装接手机的时候,手机突然想了起来,作者用了这个非常有趣的例子告诉我们要小心露馅。 89.解析:D。细节类。当作者的手机开始响起来的时候,作者还是继续把戏演了下去。 90.解析:B。态度类。文章中作者是用非常幽默的口吻来介绍假装接手机来躲避不愿与之的交谈的人。 91.解析:B。细节类。第一段第二行“but my cursor had frozen”,计算机屏幕上的光标不能移动了。 92.解析:B。推断类。第六段最后一句“her sole duty, as far as I could tell, was to raise global stress levels”, 女接线员让作者越来越恼怒。 93.解析: D。推断类。从第十二段可以看出技术人员提出的解决毫无用处。 94.解析: A。词汇类。 95.解析: C。推断类。可用排除法。 96.解析: C。细节类。第一段中“Ronald wanted a holiday tip.”, 邮递员通过寄空白明信片的方式来索要小费。 97.解析: A。作者的态度很明显是不喜欢送报纸的人的递送方式的,在第三段开头写到“with a start, I realized…”,说明一开始他认为早晨送报纸的人制造的噪音只是说明这个人没教养而已,但是当他收到卡片后就明白噪音所传达的不满含义了,所以应选A而不是B。 98.解析: D. 推断类, 第三段最后一句“Somewhere along the line, holiday tipping went from an optional thank-you for a year of services to a Mafia-style protection racket.”,这种节假日收取小费的行为已经从自愿表示感激的行为,变成强迫收取保护费的行为了. 99.解析: B. 细节类. 可用排除法. 100.解析: A. 推断类. 从第七段Ed的行为可以判断出他非常希望弥补自己的错误. 2008年英语专业四级阅读理解 TEXT A When the sun is up in Amsterdam, the largest city in the Netherlands sits quietly on the Amstel River. You can rent a bicycle, visit the Van Gogh or Anne Frank museum, or take a water taxi. But when the sun goes down, the partying begins. In the big clubs and in coffee shops, tourists gather to hang out, talk politics and smoke. Several areas of the city clearly show the two worlds that rule Amsterdam. And they?re all within a short cab ride of each other. For example, Dam Square attracts daytime sightseers to its festivals, open markets, concerts and other events. Several beautiful and very popular hotels can be found there. And there is the Royal Palace and the Magna Plaza shopping mall. But as evening descends on Dam Square so do the party-seekers. Hip pop or funk music begins blaring from Club Paradiso and Club Melkweg. These are two of the most popular clubs in Europe. So if you come, be ready to dance. The clubs don?t shut down until 4 am. And while you are there, check out the various inexpensive ways to tour the city. Don?t worry about getting lost. Although Dutch is the official language, most people in Amsterdam speak English and are happy to help you with directions. And you?ll notice that half the people in the streets are on bicycles. They rent for US$17 to $20 for a whole day. Amsterdam also has a good canal system. From anywhere between US$2 and $9.50, you?can use the canal bus or a water taxi to cruise the “Venice of the North”. You can take in the picturesque canal house architecture: The rows of neat, narrow four-story dwellings of brownstone with large windows are well worth seeing. Many of them are several centuries old. You might also want to jump out of the canal bus at the Museum Quarter and start walking. Masterpieces by Dutch artists such as Rembrandt, Bruegel, Van Gogh and others are on display at the Van Gogh Museum, Rembrandt House and others. The city has an appreciation of its historic past. One place to visit is the Anne Frank House in Nine Streets. It was there that the young Jewish girl wrote her famous diary during World War II. Visitors can view Anne?s original diary and climb behind the bookcase to the room where she and her family hid from the Nazis for two years. 81. At the beginning of the passage, the author indicates that ______. A. Amsterdam is generally known as a quiet city. B. parties go on all day long in Amsterdam. C. Amsterdam presents two different pictures. D. Amsterdam attracts many daytime visitors. 82. Which tourist attraction is cited for elaboration in Paragraphs Four and Five? A. Royal Palace. B. Dam Square. C. Club Paradiso. D. Magna Plaza. 83. According to the passage, the local people have all the following characteristics EXCEPT ______. A. they are party goers. B. they show hospitality. C. they can speak English. D. they are fond of cycling. 84. Which of the following adjectives can best describe Amsterdam as a tourist city? A. Modern. B. Delightful. C. Quiet. D. Historic. TEXT B In an article some Chinese scholars are described as being “tantalized by the mysterious dragon bone hieroglyphics.” Tantaliz ed is one of many English words that have their origins in myths and legends of the past (in this case, Greek and Roman ones). The meaning of the verb tantalize is a very particular one: “to promise or show something desirable to a person and then take it away; to tease by arousing hope.” Many (but not all) English dictionaries give you a brief indication of a word?s origins in brackets before or after the explanation of the meaning. For tantalize the following explanation is given: [> Tantalus]. This means that you should look up the name Tantalus to find out the word?s origins, and if you do, you will find out that in Greek mythology, Tantalus was a king who was punished in the lower world with eternal hunger and thirst; he was put up to his chin in water that always moved away when he tried to drink it and with fruit on branches above him placed just a little bit out of his reach. Can you see why his name was changed into a verb meaning “to tease or torment by arousing desire”? Another example is the word siren, familiar to us as the mechanical device that makes such an alarming sound when police cars, ambulances, or fire engines approach. This word also has its origins in Greek mythology. The traveler Odysseus (Ulysses to the Romans) made his men plug thei r ears so that they wouldn?t hear the dangerous voices of the sirens, creatures who were half bird and half woman and who lured sailors to their deaths on sharp rocks. So the word came to be associated both with a loud sound and with danger! When someone s peaks of a “jovial mood” or a “herculean effort,” he or she is using words with origins in mythology. Look these words up to find their meaning and relationship to myths. Many common words, such as the names for the days of the week and the months of the year, also come from mythology. Wednesday derives from the ancient Norse king of the gods, Woden, and Thursday was originally Thor?s day, in honour of Thor, the god of thunder. As a matter of fact, all the planets, except the one we live on, bear names that come from Roman mythology, including the planet that is farthest away from the sun and for that reason was called after the Roman god of the dead. This god has also given his name to one of the chemical elements. Several other elements have names that come from mythology, too. It seems that myths and legends live on in the English language. 85. The purpose of the first sentence in Paragraph One is ______. A. to describe the work of some Chinese scholars. B. to arouse readers? interest in hieroglyphics. C. to lead readers onto the main theme. D. to link the preceding part to the present one. 86. We leam from the passage, all English dictionaries include ______. A. legends. B. mythology. C. word origins. D. word definitions. 87. The example of tantalize is to show ______. A. how the word came into existence. B. how Tantalus was punished in the lower world. C. how all English dictionaries show word origins. D. how the meaning of the word changed over the years. 88. According to the passage, which of the following does NOT have origins in myths or legends? A. Jovial. B. Wednesday. C. Earth. D. March. 89. Which of the following can best serve as the title of the passage? A. Greek and Roman Mythology in Language. B. Mythological Origins of English Words. C. Historical Changes in Word Meanings. D. Mythology and Common Words. TEXT C My heart sank when the man at the immigration counter gestured to the back room. I?m an American born and raised, and this was Miami, where I live, but they weren?t quite ready to let me in yet. “Please wait in here, Ms Abujaber,” the immigration officer said. My husband, with his very American last name, accompanied me. He was getting used to this. The same thing had happened recently in Canada when I?d flown to Montreal to speak a t a book event. That time they held me for 45 minutes. Today we were returning from a literary festival in Jamaica, and I was startled that I was being sent “in back” once again. The officer behind the counter called me up and said, “Miss, your name looks like the name of someone who?s on our wanted list. We?re going to have to check you out with Washington.” “How long will it take?” “Hard to say ... a few minutes,” he said. “We?ll call you when we?re ready for you.” After an hour, Washington still hadn?t decided anything about me. “Isn?t this computerized?” I asked at the counter. “Can?t you just look me up?” Just a few more minutes, they assured me. After an hour and a half, I pulled my cell phone out to call the friends I was supposed to meet that evening. An officer rushed over. “No phones!” he said. “For all we know you could be calling a terrorist cell and giving them information.” “I?m just a university professor,” I said. My voice came out in a squeak. “Of course you are. And we take people like you out of here in leg irons every day.” I put my phone away. My husband and I were getting hungry and tired. Whole families had been brought into the waiting room, and the place was packed with excitable children, exhausted parents, even a flight attendant. I wanted to scream, to jump on a chair and shout: “I?m an American citizen; a novelist; I probably teach English literature to your children.” Or would that all be counted against me? After two hours in detention, I was approached by one of the officers. “You?re free to go,” he said. No explanation or apologies. For a moment, neither of us moved, we were still in shock. Then we leaped to our feet. “Oh, one more thing.” He handed me a tattered photocopy with an address on it. “If you weren?t happy with your tr eatment, you can write to this agency.” “Will they respond?” I asked. “I don?t know —I don?t know of anyone who?s ever written to them before.” Then he added, “By the way, this will probably keep happening each time you travel internationally.” “What can I do to keep it from happening again?” He smiled the empty smile we?d seen all day. “Absolutely nothing.” After telling several friends about our ordeal, probably the most frequent advice I?ve heard in response is to change my name. Twenty years ago, my own graduate school writing professor advised me to write under a pen name so that publishers wouldn?t stick me in what he called “the ethnic ghetto” — a separate, secondary shelf in the bookstore. But a name is an integral part of anyone?s personal and prof essional identity —just like the town you?re bom in and the place where you?re raised. Like my father, I?ll keep the name, but my airport experience has given me a whole new perspective on what diversity and tolerance are supposed to mean. I had no idea that being an American would ever be this hard. 90. The author was held at the airport because ______. A. she and her husband returned from Jamaica. B. her name was similar to a terrorist?s. C. she had been held in Montreal. D. she had spoken at a book event. 91. She was not allowed to call her friends because ______. A. her identity hadn?t been confirmed yet. B. she had been held for only one hour and a haiti C. there were other families in the waiting room. D. she couldn?t use her own cell phone. 92. We leam from the passage that the author would ______ to prevent similar experience from happening again. A. write to the agency B. change her name C. avoid traveling abroad D. do nothing 93. Her experiences indicate that there still exists ______ in the US. A. hatred B. discrimination C. tolerance D. diversity 94. The author sounds ______ in the last paragraph. A. impatient B. bitter C. worded D. ironic TEXT D Public speaking fills most people with dread. Humiliation is the greatest fear; self-exposure and failing to appeal to the audience come a close second. Women hate it most, since girls are pressurized from an early age to be concerned with appearances of all kinds. Most people have plenty of insecurities, and this seems like a situation that will bring them out. If you were under pressure to be perfect, you are terrified of failing in the most public of ways. While extroverts will feel less fear before the ordeal, it does not mean they will necessarily do it better. Some very shy people manage to shine. When I met the British comedian Julian Clary, he was shy and cautious, yet his TV performances are perfect. In fact, personality is not the best predictor of who does it well. Regardless of what you are like in real life, the key seems to be to act yourself. Actual acting, as in performing the scripted lines of a character other than yourself, does not do the job. While politicians may limit damage by having carefully rehearsed, written scripts to speak from, there is always a hidden awareness among the audience that the words might not be true. Likewise, the incredibly perfect speeches of many American academics are far from natural. You may end up buying their book on the way out, but soon afterwards, it is much like fast food, and you get a nameless se nse that you?ve been cheated. Although, as Earl Spencer proved at his sister Princess Diana?s funeral, it is possible both to prepare every word and to act naturally. A script rarely works and it is used to help most speakers. But, being yourself doesn?t w ork either. If you spoke as if you were in your own kitchen, it would be too authentic, too unaware of the need to communicate with an audience. I remember going to see British psychiatrist R. D. Laing speak in public. He behaved like a seriously odd person, talking off the top of his head. Although he was talking about madness and he wrote on mental illness, he seemed to be exhibiting rather than explaining it. The best psychological place from which to speak is an unselfconscious self-consciousness, provi ding the illusion of being natural. Studies suggest that this state of “flow”, as psychologists call it, is very satisfying. 95. Women hate public speaking most mainly because of ______. A. their upbringing very early on. B. their inability to appeal to the audience. C. their sense of greater public pressure. D. their sense of greater humiliation. 96. “this” in Paragraph Two refers to ______. A. insecurity. B. sense of failure. C. public speaking. D. pressure. 97. Which of the following is NOT the author?s viewpoint? A. Acting like performers spoils the message in a speech. B. Perfection of scripts is necessary in making good impressions. C. Acting naturally means less dependence on the prepared script. D. There should be a balance between actual acting and acting naturally. 98. What is the author?s view on personality? A. Personality is the key to success in public speaking. B. Extroverts are better public speakers. C. Introverts have to learn harder to be good speakers. D. Factors other than personality ensure better performance. 99. The author implies that while speaking R. D. Laing ______. A. was both too casual and authentic. B. was acting like a performer. C. was keeping a good balance. D. was aware of his audience. 100. In the last paragraph the author recommends that ______. A. you forget about your nervousness. B. you feel natural and speak naturally. C. you may feel nervous, but appear naturally. D. you may imagine yourself to be natural. 2008年英语专业四级阅读试题答案及解析 81.解析:C。推理类。第三段:Several areas of the city clearly show the two worlds that rule Amsterdam. 82.解析:B。细节类。第四、五段For example, Dam Square attracts daytime sightseers to its festivals, open markets, concerts and other events. But as evening descends on Dam Square so do the party-seekers. 在这两段中,作者着力阐述Dam Square具有两重娱乐性。 83.解析:A。推理类。本题可以采用排除法。 84.解析:B。推理类。阿姆斯特丹是个令人愉悦(delight)的城市。A、C、D三个选项都只反映了阿姆斯特丹的某一个特点,不够全面。 85.解析:C。推理类。第一段的第二句话…Tantalized is one of many English words that have their origins in myths and legends of the past (in this case, Greek and Roman ones). Tantalized(逗弄)是来源于过去的神话和传说(如希腊和罗马神话)的英语单词之一,这恰与文章的主题相符。 86.解析:D。细节类。第一段中Many (but not all) English dictionaries give you a brief indication of a word’s origins in brackets before or after the explanation of the meaning. 在许多(并非全部)英语字典里,一个词释义的前面或后面通常有一个括号,括号里简单地给出了这个词的来源。由此可知,所有的英文字典均提供词语解释,但并非所有的字典都给出了词源,因此A、B、C三个选项是不对的。 87.解析:A。推理类。作者以Tantalize为例是为了说明这个词是从哪里来的,恰与文章主题与选项A”说明这个词是如何形成的”说法一致。而非像D所说是”为了说明词义的变化过程”。 88.解析:C。细节类。最后一段As a matter of fact, all the planets, except the one we live on, bear names that come from Roman mythology,….事实上,所有的行星,除了我们生活的地球外,都是以罗马神话中神的名字命名。 89.解析:B。主旨类。作者以”tantalize”,”siren”,”jovial mood”“,”herculean effort”等词或短语为例,阐述了英语里的许多单词都来源于神话和传说这一事实。 90.解析:B。细节类。第三段“Miss, your name looks like the name of someone who’s on our wanted list. We’re going to have to check you out with Washington.”“小姐,你的名字看起来和我们通缉名单上的某个人的名字很像。因此我们得和华盛顿方面核实一下。” 91.解析:A。推理类。第八段可以推理作者被禁止使用电话是因为移民局的官员还不能肯定他是否与恐怖分子有联系,也就是说还不能确定作者的身份。 92.解析:D。推理类。(Paras.18~19) “What can I do to keep it from happening again?”He smiled the empty smile we’d seen all day. “Absolutely nothing.”根据第18段和19段作者和那位官员的对话可知D是正确答案。 93.解析:B。推理类。倒数第二段Twenty years ago, my own graduate school writing professor advised me to write under a pen name so that publishers wouldn’t stick me in what he called “the ethnic ghetto”—a separate, secondary shelf in the bookstore. 20年前,我读研究 生时教写作的教授曾建议我用笔名写作,这样出版商们就不会固执地把我列入他所谓的”种族隔离区”了——书店里一排单独放置的劣质的书架。作者这一次在机场的遭遇和20年前教授建议她使用笔名一事有异曲同工之妙,都说明了在美国,种族歧视仍然存在。 94.解析:D。细节类。本文最后,作者感叹道:”I had no idea that being an American would ever be this hard.”——”我从不知道做一个美国人会使这样的难”。这是一种讽刺的说法,表现出作者对于这种现状的不满和无奈。 95.解析:C。细节类。第一段Women hate it most, since girls are pressurized from an early age to be concerned with appearances of all kinds. 女人最讨厌演讲,因为女孩子从小就感受到各种公开露面的压力。 96.解析:C。指代类。第二段Most people have plenty of insecurities, and this seems like a situation that will bring them out.根据上下文,指示代词this指代本篇主题:公开演讲。 97.解析:B。推理类。第七段A script rarely works and it is used to help most speakers. 稿子很少能起作用,它只是大多数演讲者的拐杖而已。那么可以推理出即使是精心准备的演讲也不一定会获得成功。 98.解析:D。推理类。本题采用排除法。第四段In fact, personality is not the best predictor of who does it well. 事实上,性格并不能最准确地预测出一个人能否成功。A、B和C可以排除。 99.解析:B。推理类。第九段He behaved like a seriously odd person, talking off the top of his head. Although he was talking about madness and he wrote on mental illness, he seemed to be exhibiting rather than explaining it. 当他即兴的时候表现地好像个怪人。尽管他那天谈论的是有关疯狂的话题,而且他的文章写的是精神病,他看起来就像是在表演而不是在进行解释。因此R.D. Laing在演讲时更多是在表演,是在作秀。 100.解析:D。推理类。最后一段The best psychological place from which to speak is an unselfconscious self-consciousness, providing the illusion of being natural. 演讲时的最佳心理状态是无意识的自我意识,从而获得表现自然的幻觉。 2007年英语专业四级阅读理解 TEXT A If you like the idea of staying with a family, living in house might be the answer. Good landladies---those who are superb cooks and launderers, are figures as popular in fiction as the bad ones who terrorize their guest and overcharge them at the slightest opportunity. The truth is probably somewhere between the two extremes. If you are lucky, the food will be adequate, some of your laundry may be done for you and you will have a reasonable amount of comfort and companionship. For the less fortune, house rules may restrict the freedom to invite friends to visit, and shared cooking and bathroom facilities can be frustrating and row-provoking if tidy and untidy guests are living under the same roof. The same disadvantages can apply to flat sharing, with the added difficulties that arise from deciding who pays for what, and in what proportion. One person may spend hours on the phone, while another rarely makes calls. If you want privacy with guest , how do you persuade the others to go out; how do you persuade them to leave you in peace, especially if you are student and want to study? Conversely, flat sharing can be very cheap, there will always be someone to talk to and go out with, and the chores, in theory, can be shared. 81.According to the passage ,landladies are ________ A. usually strict. B. always mean. C. adequately competent. D. very popular with their guest. 82.What is the additional disadvantage of flat sharing? _______ A. Problems of sharing and paying. B. Differences in living habits. C. Shared cooking and bathroom facilities. D. Restriction to invite friends to visit. 83.What is NOT mentioned as a benefit of flat sharing? ____ ____ A. Rent is affordable B. There is companionship. C. Housework. D. There is peace and quiet. TEXT B (1) Traveling through the country a couple of weeks ago on business, I was listening to the talk of the late UK writer Do uglas Adams? master work “The Hitchhiker?s Guide to the Galaxy” on the radio and thought---I know, I?ll pick up the next hitchhikers I see and ask them what the state of real hitching is today in Britain. (2)I drove and drove on main roads and side roads for the next few days and never saw a single one. (3)When I was in my teens and 20s, hitchhiking was a main form of long-distance transport. The kindness or curiosity of strangers took me all over Europe, North America, Asia and southern Africa. Some of the lift-givers became friends, many provided hospitality on the road. (4)Not only did you find out much more about a country than when traveling by train or plane ,but there was that element of excitement about where you would finish up that night. Hitchhiking featured importantly in Western culture. It has books and songs about it .So what has happened to it? (5)A few years ago, I was asked the same question about hitching in a column of a newspaper. Hundreds of people from all over the world responded with their view on the state of hitchhiking . (6)Rural Ireland was recommended as a friendly place for hitching, as was Quebec, Canada-”if you don?t mind being criticized for not speaking French”. (7)But while hitchhiking was clearly still alive and well in some places, the general feeling was that throughout much of the west it was doomed. (8)With so much news about crime in the media, people assumed that anyone on the open road without the money for even a bus ticket must present a danger. But do we need to be so wary both to hitch and to give a lift? (9)In Poland in the 1960s, according to a Polish woman who e-mail me, “the authorities introduced the Hitchhiker?s Booklet. The booklet contained coupons for drivers, so each time a driver picked somebody, he or she received a coupon. At the end of the season, drivers who had picked up the most hikers were rewarded with various prizes. Everyone was hitchhiking then”. (10)Surely this is a good idea for society. Hitchhiking would increase respect by breaking down barriers between strangers. It would help fight global warming by cutting down on fuel consumption as hitchhikers would be using existing fuels. It would also improve educational standards by delivering instant lessons in geography, history, politics and sociology. (11)A century before Douglas Adams wrote his “Hitchhiker?s Guide”, another adventure story writer, Robert Louis Stevenson, gave us that what should be the hitchhiker?s motto: “To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive.” What bet ter time than putting a holiday weekend into practice. Either put it to the test yourself, or help out someone who is trying to travel hopefully with thumb outstretched. 84. In which paragraph(s) does the writer comment on his experience of hitchhiking? ________ A. (3) B.(4) C. (3) and (4) D.(4) and (5) 85. What is the current situation of hitchhiking? ________ A. It is popular in some parts of the world. B. It is popular throughout the west. C. It is popular in Poland. D. It is still popular in Poland. 86. What is the writer?s attitude towards the practice in Poland? ________ A. Critical. B. Unclear. C. Somewhat favorable. D. Strongly favorable. 87. The writer has mentioned all the following benefits of hitchhiking EXCEPT _________ A. promoting mutual respect between strangers. B. increasing one?s confidence in strangers. C. protecting environment. D. enrich one?s knowledge. 88. “Either put it to the test yourself…”in Paragraph (11) means ____D____ A. to experience the hopefulness. B. to read Adams? book. C. to offer someone a lift. D. to be a hitchhiker. TEXT C I am afraid to sleep. I have been afraid to sleep for the last few weeks. I am so tired that, finally, I do sleep, but only for a few minutes. It is not a bad dream that wakes me; it is the reality I took with me into sleep . I try to think of something else. Immediately the woman in the marketplace comes into my mind. I was on my way to dinner last night when I saw her . She was selling skirts. She moved with the same ease and loveliness I often saw in the women of Laos. Her long black hair was as shiny as the black silk of the skirts she was selling . In her hair, she wore three silk ribbons, blue, green, and white. They reminded me of my childhood and how my girlfriends and I used to spend hours braiding ribbons into our hair. I don?t know the word for “ribbons”, so I put my hand to my own hair and, with three fingers against my head , I looked at her ribbons and said “Beautiful.” She lowered her eyes and said nothing. I wasn?t sure if she understood me (I don?t speak Laotian very well). I looked back down at the skirts. They had designs on them: squares and triangles and circles of pink and green silk. They were very pretty. I decided to buy one of those skirts, and I began to bargain with her over the price. It is the custom to bargain in Asia. In Laos bargaining is done in soft voices and easy moves with the sort of quiet peacefulness. She smiled, more with her eyes than with her lips. She was pleased by the few words I was able to say in her language, although they were mostly numbers, and she saw that I understood something about the soft playfulness of bargaining. We shook our heads in disagreement over the price; then, immediately, we made another offer and then another shake of the head. She was so pleased that unexpectedly, she accepted the last offer I made. But it was too soon. The price was too low. She was being too generous and wouldn?t make enough money. I moved quickly and picked up two more skirts and paid for all three at the price set; that way I was able to pay her three times as much before she had a chance to lower the price for the larger purchase. She smiled openly then, and, for the first time in months, my spirit lifted. I almost felt happy. The feeling stayed with me while she wrapped the skirts in a newspaper and handed them to me. When I left, though, the feeling left, too. It was as though it stayed behind in marketplace. I left tears in my throat. I wanted to cry. I didn?t , of course. I have learned to defend myself against what is hard; without knowing it, I have also learned to defend myself against what is soft and what should be easy. I get up, light a candle and want to look at the skirts. They are still in the newspaper that the woman wrapped them in. I remove the paper, and raise the skirts up to look at them again before I pack them. Something falls to floor. I reach down and feel something cool in my hand. I move close to the candlelight to see what I have. There are five long silk ribbons in my hand, all different colors. The woman in the marketplace! She has given these ribbons to me! There is no defense against a generous spirit, and this time I cry, and very hard, as if I could make up for all the months that I didn?t cry. 89. According to the writer, the woman in the marketplace ________ A. refused to speak to her. B. was pleasant and attractive. C. was selling skirts and ribbons. D. recognized her immediately. 90. Which of the following in NOT correct? __________ A. The writer was not used to bargaining. B. People in Asia always bargain when buying things. C. Bargaining in Laos was quiet and peaceful. D. The writer was ready to bargain with the woman. 91. The writer assumed that the woman accepted the last offer mainly because woman ________ A. thought that the last offer was reasonable. B. thought she could still make much money. C. was glad that the writer knew their way of bargaining. D. was tired of bargaining with the writer any more. 92. Why did the writer finally decide to buy three skirts? ________ A. The skirts were cheap and pretty. B. She liked the patterns on the skirts. C. She wanted to do something as compensation. D. She was fed up with further bargaining with the woman. 93.When did the writer left the marketplace, she wanted to cry, but did not because _________ A. she had learned to stay cool and unfeeling. B. she was afraid of crying in public. C. she had learned to face difficulties bravely. D. she had to show in public that she was strong. 94. Why did the writer cry eventually when she looked at the skirts again? ________ A. she suddenly felt very sad. B. she liked the ribbons so much. C. she was overcome by emotion. D. she felt sorry for the woman. TEXT D The kids are hanging out. I pass small bands of students, in my way to work these mornings. They have become a familiar part of the summer landscape. These kids are not old enough for jobs. Nor are they rich enough for camp. They are school children without school. The calendar called the school year ran out on them a few weeks ago. Once supervised by teachers and principals, they now appear to be “self care”. Passing them is like passing through a time zone. For much of our history, after all, Americans arranged the school year around the needs of work and family. In 19th-century cities, schools were open seven or eight hours a day, 11 months a year. In rural America, the year was arranged around the growing season. Now, only 3 percent of families follow the agricultural model, but nearly all schools are scheduled as if our children went home early to milk the cows and took months off to work the crops. Now, three-quarters of the mothers of school-age children work, but the calendar is written as if they were home waiting for the school bus. The six-hour day, the 180-day school year is regarded as something holy. But when parents work an eight-hour day and a 240-day year, it means something different. It means that many kids go home to empty houses. It means that, in the summer, they hang out. “We have a huge mismatch between the school calendar and realities of family life,” says Dr. Ernest Boyer ,head of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Dr. Boyer is one of many who believe that a radical revision of the school calendar is inevitable. “School, whether we like it or not, is educational. It always has been.” His is not popular idea. School are routinely burdened with the job of solving all our social problems. Can they be asked to meet the needs of our work and family lives? It may be easier to promote a longer school year on its educational merits and, indeed, the educational case is compelling. Despite the complaints and studies about our kids? lack of learning, the United State still has a shorter school year than any industrial nation. In most of Europe, the school year is 220 days. In Japan, it is 240 days long. While classroom time alone doesn?t produce a well-educated child, learning takes time and more learning takes more time. The long summers of forgetting take a toll. The opposition to a longer school year comes from families that want to and can provide other experiences for their children. It comes from teachers. It comes from tradition. And surely from kids. But the most important part of the conflict has been over the money. 95. Which of the following is an opinion of the author?s? ________ A. “The kids are hanging out.” B. “They are school children without school.” C. “These kids are not old enough for jobs.” D. “The calendar called the school year ran out on them a few weeks ago.” 96. The current American school calendar was developed in the 19th century according to _________ A. the growing season on nation?s farm. B. the labor demands of the industrial age. C. teachers? demands for more vacati on time. D. parents? demands for other experiences for their kids. 97. The author thinks that the current school calendar ________ A. is still valid. B. is out of date. C. can not be revised. D. can not be defended. 98. Why was Dr. Boy?s idea unpo pular? _________ A. He argues for the role of school in solving social problems. B. He supports the current school calendar. C. He thinks that school year and family life should be considered separately. D. He strongly believes in the educational role of school. 99.”The long summers of forgetting take a toll “in the last paragraph but one means that _________. A. long summer vacation slows down the progress of learning. B. long summer vacation has been abandoned in Europe. C. long summers result in less learning time. D. long summers are a result of tradition. 100. The main purpose of the passage is _________ A. to describe how American children spend their summer. B. to explain the needs of the modern working families. C. to discuss the problems of the current school calendar. D. to persuade parents to stay at home to look after their kids. 2007年英语专业四级阅读试题答案及解析 81.解析:C.。推理类。可用排除法。A为片面信息。B没有提到,且过于绝对。D选项:文中提到:“Good landladies---those who are superb cooks and launderers,are figures as popular in fiction as the bad ones who terrorize their guest and overcharge them at the slightest opportunity.”指两种都很常见,而不是受欢迎。 82.解析:A。细节类。由第二段可知。“…with the added difficulties that arise from deciding who pays for what,…”(另外一个困难是决定由谁来付钱和付多少…) 83.解析:D。细节类。由第三段可知。“flat sharing can be very cheap, there will always be someone to talk to and go out with, and the chores, in theory, can be shared.”A、B、C 都有提到,只有D没有提及。 84.解析:C。细节类。第三段和第四段中作者提到了他个人的经历并进行了评价,都有出现评价性的形容词,如:The kindness or curiosity of strangers,hospitality,that element of excitement;第5段只是提到了一些事实,无评价性的形容词。 85.解析:A。细节类。第7段“But while hitchhiking was clearly still alive and well in some places ,the general feeling was that throughout much of the west it was doomed.”(虽然搭便车在一些地方仍然存在和普遍,但基本上人们感觉在西方大部分地方这种现象却不复存在了。) 86.解析:D。态度类。第10段“Surely this is a good idea for society.”第十、十一段作者在阐述搭便车的好处。 87.解析:B。细节类。根据第10段。“Hitchhiking would increase respect by breaking down barriers between strangers. It would help fight global warming by cutting down on fuel consumption as hitchhikers would be using existing fuels. It would also improve educational standards by delivering instant lessons in geography ,history, politics and sociology.”(搭便车可以打破陌生人之间的障碍,增进信任;因为搭便车的人使用的是正在使用的燃料,它可以通过减少燃料消耗而帮助解决全球变暖的问题;它还可以通过地理、历史、政治和社会学知识的快速传授提高教育水平。) 88.解析:D。指代类。根据最后一句话:“Either put it to the test yourself, or help out someone who is trying to travel hopefully with thumb outstretched.”(你可以自己尝试,也可以帮助那些想去旅行而满怀希望伸出大拇指的人。) 89.解析:B。推理类。根据第3段对她的细节描写,作者对她的印象是愉快的。 90.解析:A。细节类。第5段“It is the custom to bargain in Asia. In Laos bargaining is done in soft voices and easy moves with the sort of quiet peacefulness.”(在亚洲,人们有讨价还价的习俗。在老挝,人们讨价还价时总是轻言细语),由此可知,B、C、D是正确的。作者了解当地的习俗,所以很习惯于讨价还价。 91.解析:C。推理类。”she accepted the last offer I made. But it was too soon. The price was too low. She was being too generous and wouldn?t make enough money.” 92.解析:C。细节类。第6段: “that way I was able to pay her three times as much before she had a chance to lower the price for the larger purchase.”由此可知,作者因为价格很低,所以想多买几件作为对卖裙子的姑娘的一种补偿。 93.解析:A。推理类。第8段:”I have learned to defend myself against what is hard; without knowing it, I have also learned to defend myself against what is soft and what should be easy.”(我学会了抗拒困难,不知不觉中,我也学会了不被温柔和轻松俘获。)由此可知,作者没有哭是因为她已经学会控制自己的情绪不会轻易受到影响,所以选A。 94.解析:C。细节类。最后一段:”There is no defense against a generous spirit, and this time I cry…”,由此可知我哭是因为被卖丝绸裙子的姑娘感动了。 95.解析:A。主旨类。第一段的第一句:”The kids are hanging out.”作者的观点是现在的孩子上学的时间太短,很多时间都在外闲逛,无所事事。B、C、D是客观事实陈述,并不是作者观点。 96.解析:A。细节类。第三段提到:”In rural America, the year was arranged around the growing season.”19世纪的时候,上学时间是根据农时来决定的。 97.解析:B。态度类。从第三段可知,现有的校历是根据以前的情况制定的,已经不能适应现在的情况了。 98.解析:D。细节类。A指的是大众的观点;B选项Dr. Boy是不赞同现有的校历的。C选项与文章相反,文中提到Dr.Boy’s idea: “We have a huge mismatch between the school calendar and realities of family life,”…“School, whether we like it or not, is educational. It always has been.”意思是如今的校历安排与现实生活脱节,暗指应该把两者结合起来。 99.解析:C。细节类。作者认为“学习要时间,更多学习要更多时间,而长时间的暑假会影响学习, 会对造成不好影响”。 100.解析:C。主旨类。整篇文章讨论的是现有的校历安排存在的问题。