2003年四级阅读真题及全解.doc

2003年9月四级真题阅读Part II Reading Comprehension (35 minutes) Passage One Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage. A recent study, published in last weeks Journal to the American Medical Association, offers a picture of how risky it is to get a lift from a teenage driver. Indeed, a 16-year-old driver with three or more passengers is three times as likely to have a fatal accident as a teenager driving alone. By contrast, the risk of death for drivers between 30 and 59 decreases with each additional passenger. The authors also found that the death rates for teenage drivers increased dramatically after 10 p.m., and especially after midnight. With passengers in the car, the driver was even more likely to die in late-night accident. Robert Foss, a scientist at the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, says the higher death rates for teenage drivers have less to do with “really stupid behavior” than with just a lack of driving experience. “The basic issue,” he says, “is that adults who are responsible for issuing licenses fail to recognize how complex and skilled a task driving is.”Both he and the author of the study believe that the way to mitigate (使缓解) the problem is to have states institute so-called graduated licensing systems, in which getting a license is a multistage process. A graduated license requires that a teenager first prove himself capable of driving in the presence of an adult, followed by a period of driving with night or passenger restrictions, before graduating to full driving privileges. Graduated licensing systems have reduced teenage driver crashes, according to recent studies. About half of the states now have some sort of graduated licensing system in place, but only 10 of those states have restrictions on passengers. California is the strictest, with a novice (新手) driver prohibited from carrying any passenger under 20 (without the presence of an adult over 25) for the first six months. 21. Which of the following situations is most dangerous according to the passage? A. Adults giving a lift to teenagers on the highway after 10 p.m. B. A teenager driving after midnight with passengers in the car. C. Adults driving with three or more teenage passengers late at night. D. A teenager getting a lift from a stranger on the highway at midnight. 22. According to Robert Foss, the high death rate of teenage drivers is mainly due to _. A. their frequent driving at night. B. their improper way of driving. C. their lack of driving experience. D. their driving with passengers. 23. According to Paragraph 3, which of the following statements is TRUE? A. Teenagers should spend more time learning to drive. B. Driving is a skill too complicated for teenagers to learn. C. Restrictions should be imposed on teenagers applying to take driving lessons. D. The licensing are partly responsible for teenagers driving accidents. 24. A suggested measure to be taken to reduce teenagers driving accidents is that _. A. driving in the presence of an adult should be made a rule. B. they should be prohibited from taking on passengers. C. they should not been allowed to drive after 10 p.m. D. the licensing system should be improved. 25. The present situation in about half of the states is that the graduated licensing system _.A. is under discussion B. is about to be set up C. has been put into effect D. has been perfected Passage Two Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage. 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. Thats especially true of booming fields that are challenging for workers. At Cornells School of Hotel Administration, for example, bachelors degree 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. But in the long run, too much specialization doesnt 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. As further evidence of the erosion （消弱）of corporate (公司) faith in specialized degrees, Michigan State 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 isnt constrained （限制） by nuts and bolts to look at the big picture,” says Scheetz. 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 skill, 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 behaviorplus a computer course or two. With that under your belt, your can feel free to specialize. “A liberal-arts coupled with an MBA or some other technical training is a very good combination in the marketplace,” says Scheetz. 26. What kinds of people are in high demand on the job market? A. Students with a bachelors degree in humanities. B. People with an MBA degree from top universities. C. People with formal schooling plus work experience. D. People with special training in engineering. 27. By saying “ but the impact of a degree washes out after five years” (Line 3, Para. 3), the author means _.A. most MBA programs fail provide students with a solid foundation. B. an MBA degree does not help promotion to managerial positions.C. MBA programs will not be as popular in five years time as they are now. D. in five years people will forget about the degree the MBA graduates have got. 28. According to Scheetzs statement (Lines 3-4, Para.4), companies prefer _. A. people who have a strategic mind B. people who are talented in fine arts C. people who are ambitious and aggressive D. people who have received training in mechanics 29. David Birch claims that he only hires liberal-arts people because _.A. they are more capable of handling changing situations B. they can stick to established ways of solving problems C. they are thoroughly trained in a variety of specialized fields D. they have attended special programs in management 30. Which of the following statements does the author support?A. Specialists are more expensive to hire than generalists. B. Formal schooling is less important than job training. C. On-the-job training is, in the long run, less costly. D. Generalists will outdo specialists in management. Passage Three Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage. About six years ago I was eating lunch in a restaurant in New York City when a woman and a young boy sat down at the next table. I couldnt help overhearing parts of their conversation. At one point the woman asked: “So, how have you been?” and the boywho could not have been more than seven or eight years oldreplied, “Frankly, Ive been feeling a little depressed lately.” This incident stuck in my mind because it confirmed my growing belief that children are changing. As far as I can remember, my friends and I didnt find out we were “depressed” until we were in high school. The evidence of a change in children has increased steadily in recent years. Children dont seem childlike anymore. Children speak more like adults, dress more like adults and behave more like adults than they used to. Whether this is good or bad is difficult to say, but it certainly is different. Childhood as it once was no longer exists. Why? Human development is based not only on innate (天生的) biological states, but also on patterns of access to social knowledge. Movement from one social role to another usually involves learning the secrets of the new status. Children have always been taught adult secrets, but slowly and in stages: traditionally, we tell sixth graders things we keep hidden from fifth graders. In the last 30 years, however, a secret-revelation (揭示) machine has been installed in 98 percent of American homes. It is called television. Television passes information, and indiscriminately (不加区分地), to all viewers alike, be they children or adults. Unable to resist the temptation, many children turn their attention from printed texts to the less challenging, more vivid moving pictures. Communication through print, as a matter of fact, allows for a great deal of control over the social information to which children have access. Reading and writing involve a complex code of symbols that must be memorized and practiced. Children must read simple books before they can read complex materials. 31. According to author, feeling depressed is _. A. a sure sign of a psychological problem in a child. B. something hardly to be expected in a young child. C. an inevitable phase of childrens mental development. D. a mental state present in all humans, including children. 32. Traditionally, a child is supposed to learn about the adult world _.A. through contact with society. B. gradually and under guidance. C. naturally and by biological instinct. D. through exposure to social information. 33. The phenomenon that todays children seem adultlike is attributed by the author to _. A. the widespread influence of television. B. the poor arrangement of teaching content. C. the fast pace of human intellectual development. D. the constantly rising standard of living. 34. Why is the author in favor of communication through print for children? A. It enables children to gain more social information. B. It develops childrens interest in reading and writing. C. It helps children to memorize and practice more. D. It can control what children are to learn. 35. What does the author think of the change in todays children? A. He feels amused by their premature behavior. B. He thinks it a phenomenon worthy of note. C. He considers it a positive development. D. He seems to be upset about it. Passage Four Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage. “Opinion” is a word that is used carelessly today. It is used to refer to matters of taste, belief, and judgment. This casual use would probably cause little confusion if people didnt attach too much importance to opinion. Unfortunately, most do attach great importance to it. “I have as much right to my opinion as you yours,” and “Everyones entitled to his opinion”, are common expression. In fact, anyone who would challenge anothers opinion is likely to be branded intolerant. Is that label accurate? Is it intolerant to challenge anothers opinion? It depends on what definition of opinion you have in mind. For example, you may ask a friend “What do you think of the new Ford cars?” And he may reply “In my opinion, theyre ugly.” In this case, it would not only be intolerant to challenge his statement, but foolish. For its obvious that by opinion he means his personal preference, a mater of taste. And as the old saying goes, “Its pointless to argue about matters of taste.”But consider this very different use of the term. A newspaper reports that the Supreme Court has delivered its opinion in a controversial case. Obviously the justices did not state their personal preferences, their mere likes and dislikes. They stated their considered judgment, painstakingly arrived at after through inquiry and deliberation. Most of what is referred to as opinion falls somewhere between these two extremes. It is not an expression of taste. Nor is it careful judgment. Yet it may contain elements of both. It is a view or belief more or less casually arrived at, with or without examining the evidence. Is everyone entitled to his opinion? Of course, this is not only permitted, but guaranteed. We are free to act on our opinions only so long as, in doing so, we do not harm others. 36. Which of the following statements is TRUE, according to the author? A. Everyone has a right to hold his own opinion. B. Free expression of opinions often leads to confusion. C. Most people tend to be careless in forming their opinions. D. Casual use of the word “opinion” often brings about quarrels. 37. According to the author, who of the following would be labeled as intolerant? A. Someone who turns a deaf ear to others opinions. B. Someone who cant put up with others tastes. C. Someone who values only their own opinions. D. Someone whose opinion harms other people. 38. The new Ford car are cited as an example to show that _. A. it is foolish to criticize a famous brand. B. one should not always agree to others opinions. C. personal tastes are not something to be challenged. D. it is unwise to express ones likes and dislikes in public 39. Considered judgment is different from personal preference in that _. A. it is stated by judges in the court. B. it reflects public likes and dislikes.C. it is a result of a lot of controversy. D. it is based on careful thought. 40. As indicated in the passage, being free to act on ones opinion _. A. means that one ignore other peoples criticism. B. means that one impose his preferences on others. C. doesnt mean one has the right to do things at will. D. doesnt mean that one has the right to charge others without evidence. 2003年9月四级阅读全解Passage 121. B本题题干中的 “dangerous”将本题的答案信息圈定在第一段第一句，因为该句中的 “risky”一词与题干中的 “dangerous”一词相呼应。该句强调 “how risky it is to get a lift from a teenage driver（搭青少年司机的车非常危险）”，故只有选项B是正确答案，因为只有该选项表达的内容是青少年驾车。选项A和C均是成年人(adults)驾车，选项D是青少年搭陌生人的车。22. C本题题干中的人名 “Robert Ross”将本题的答案信息圈定在第三段第一句。该句强调青少年司机的高死亡率更多地与缺乏驾驶经验有关(a lack of driving experience)，故选项C是正确答案。23. D本题题干明确指出该题的答案在第三段。在回答完第22题之后，第三段只有尾句能够提供答案。本段尾句强调：青少年司机高死亡率的根本问题是负责颁发驾照的成年人没有认识到驾车是一项非常复杂和技术性较强的工作。故选项D是正确答案，因为只有选项D涉及到了有关颁发驾照的成年人(the licensing)的问题。24. D本题题干中的 “reduce teenagers driving accidents”将本题的答案信息圈定在第四段第一句，因为本句中的 “mitigate the problem”与题干中的 “reduce teenagers driving accidents”相呼应。第四段第一句强调：让美国各州制定一种新的颁发驾照体系(a so-call graduated licensing system)，即在原有的基础上将颁发驾照的过程细化为若干阶段(stage)，每个阶段均有不同的要求。综上所述，选项D是正确答案，因为只有该选项涉及颁发执照系统(licensing system)，而选项D中的 “improved”一词恰好反映了原文中表达的“在原有系统基础之上的细化将颁发执照细分为若干阶段”。25. C本题题干中的 “present”一词将本题的答案圈定在本文尾段的第二句，因为该句中的 “now”一词与题干中的 “present”相呼应。该句强调：目前在美国有大约一半的州施行了新的颁发驾照系统(graduated licensing system)，故只有选项C是正确答案。原文中的 “have in place”等于 “put into effect”，其含义是“到位”“施行”。Passage 226. C本题是一道概述题。本题追问“哪类人是就业市场上的急需人才？”由于本题题干中的核心词汇没有在原文中直接得到体现，故考生难以将本题的答案信息圈定在第一段和第二段。实际上，第一段和第二段分别出现 “companies like”，这就暗示就业市场所急需的人才类型。第一段公司喜欢(companies like)不需岗位培训就能上岗的专门人才(specialist)；第二段公司喜欢(companies like)有正规教育背景并有工作经验的人士。故选项C是正确答案。选项D是干扰项，因为原文并没有特指 “engineering”方面的专门培训。另外原文也没有专门特指 “humanities”（人文学科），故选项A也是错误的。27. B本题题干明确指出该题的答案信息应该在第三段的尾句。该句强调：MBA学位可以作为人们进入公司的敲门砖，还可以作为人们起初要求高工资的条件，但是当人们进入公司五年之后，在提升工资、晋级等诸方面，MBA的作用就没有了，也就是说MBA不能给人们帮大忙了。本题题干中涉及的是MBA学位(degree)，而不是MBA课程(programs)，故选项A和C均不正确。选项D强调的是人们忘记MBA学位，而没有强调MBA学位所发挥的作用(impact)，故也是错误的选项。综上所述，只有选项B涉及了MBA学位(degree)的作用(impact)，故选项B是正确答案。28. A本题题干明确指出该题的答案信息在第四段的尾句，该句强调：公司需要没有受到具体细节(nuts and bolts)限制的人士来总揽全局(look at the big picture)。故选项A是正确答案，因为该选项所涉及的是“具有战略头脑和思想的人”，只有这种人才是不受限制、能够总揽全局的人。选项C是干扰项，有抱负或野心，冲劲十足的人并不一定能够总揽全局。29. A本题追问的是原因 “because”。本题题干中的大写人名David Birch 和 “only”将本题的答案圈定在尾段的第三、四句。第四句中的 “because”正是本题的答案。该句强调：他们有着不太刻板的(less-than-canned)应对事物的方法。故选项A是正确答案。选项B所表述的含义恰好与原文的含义相反。30. D本题看上去是很难的，因为大多数考生无法从本题题干中得到答案信息在哪一段的暗示。然而，本题毕竟追问的是本文作者所赞同的陈述，换句话说，就是问本文作者的主旨观点。从本文主题句的发展，考生马上可以寻找出答案。本文第一、二段作为全篇文章的引言讲述目前社会就业市场大量需要专门人才(specialist)，即具有正规教育背景和工作经验的人士(a background of formal education coupled with work experience)。但是，作者在第三段开始对specialization提出质疑，在第四段指出公司更倾向于全面性人才(generalist)从事管理工作。作者在全文尾段尾句以“学科之间知识的结合是市场良好的结合物”来暗示对“generalist”（全面性人才）的肯定。综上所述，选项D是正确答案，选项中的 “will”正是原文第三段首句中 “in the long run”所指。尽管选项A也针对 “specialists”和 “generalist”进行了陈述，但是并没有围绕管理(management)进行针对性阐述，另外原文未提及雇用“specialists”和“generalists”的费用，故A是错误选项。选项B和C内容未涉及本文中心思想，故是错误选项。Passage 331. B本题题干中的 “depressed”一词将本题的答案信息圈定在本文第一段尾句和第二段尾句，因为这两句话中均包含 “depressed”一词。本题的答案是从第二段尾句产生的。第二段尾句强调：就我的记忆而言，我和我的朋友直到上高中时（长成大孩子时）才感到 “depressed”（沮丧的），故选项B的内容与原文相符，即：感觉 “depressed”（沮丧的）不大可能是很小的孩子(a young child)的感觉。显而易见，选项B是正确答案，该选项中第一个词 “something”后省略了 “which is”。32. B本题题干中的核心词 “traditionally”和“adult world”分别等于第五段尾句中的 “always” 和 “adult secrets”。出题人只是将原文中的 “have been taught”改换成了题干中的 “is supposed to learn”。第五段尾句中的转折词 “but”明确指出了本题的正确答案应该围绕其后的两个状语：“slowly and in stages”，故选项B应该是正确答案。33. A本题题干中所阐述的内容没有在原文中得到明显体现，故寻找该题答案信息较困难。但是考生面对困难应该保持清醒的头脑，我们刚刚利用第五段的尾句信息回答了第32题，此时，我们应该很自然地进入第六段即倒数第二段来回答第33题。倒数第二段主要讲“电视”(television)的普及和作用，故正确答案中肯定会出现 “television”或相关词汇。综上所述，选项A是正确答案，因为该选项突出了“television”一词。34. D本题题干中的 “communication through print”将本题的答案信息圈定在尾段的第一句。该句强调：“communication through print”能够对孩子们所能接触到的社会信息加以控制。故选项D是正确答案，因为该选项强调了“control”（控制）一词。35. B这是一道难题，因为它是一道跳题。该题的答案信息没有设在尾段。本题题干中的 “the change in todays children” 相等于第二段首句中的 “children are changing”。该句强调：体现孩子变化(change)的事情让他时时掂念在心中(The incident stuck in my mind)，故选项B是正确答案，因为该选项强调：孩子的变化是一种值得注意的现象。这一内容与原文的“掂念在心头”在表意方面相互吻合。Pass