(1996-2010)年英语专四阅读理解 真题

1、.1996年TEXT AIn the past thirty years many social changes bare taken place in Britain. The greatest of these have probably been in the economic lives of women.The changes have been significant, but because tradition and prejudice can still handicap women in their working careers and personal lives, m

2、ajor legislation to help promote equality of opportunity and pay was passed during the 1970s.At the heart of womens changed role in society has been the rise in the number of women at work, particularly married women. As technology and society permit highly effective and generally acceptable methods

3、 of family planning there has been a decline in family size. Women as a result are involved in child-rearing for a much shorter time and related to this, there has been a rapid increase in the number of women with young children who return to work when the children are old enough not to need constan

4、t care and attention.Since 1951 the proportion of married women who work has grown from just over a fifth to a haft. Compared with their counterparts elsewhere on the Continent, British women comprise a relatively high proportion of the work force, about two-fifths, but on average they work fewer ho

5、urs, about 31 a week There is still a significant difference between womens average earnings and mens, but the equal pay legislation which came into force at the end of 1975 appears to have helped to narrow the gap between womens and mens basic rates.As more and more women joined the work force in t

6、he 1960s and early 1970s there was an increase in the collective incomes of women as a whole and a major change in the economic role of large numbers of housewives. Families have come to rely on married womens earnings as an essential part of their income rather than as pocket money. At the same tim

7、e social roles within the family are more likely to be shared, exchanged or altered.66.The general idea of the passage is about _.A. social trends in contemporary BritainB. changes in womens economic staresC. equal opportunity and pay in BritainD. womens roles within the family67.According to the au

8、thor, an increasing number of married women are able to work because _.A. their children no longer require their careB. there are more jobs available nowadaysC. technology has enabled them to find acceptable jobsD. they spend far less time on child care than beforeTEXT BNATURES GIGANTIC SNOWPLOUGHOn

9、 January 10, 1962, an enormous piece of glacier broke away and tumbled down the side of a mountain in Peru. A mere seven minutes later, when cascading ice finally came to a stop ten miles down the mountain, it had taken the lives of 4,000 people.This disaster is one of the most devastating examples

10、of a very common event: an avalanche of snow or ice. Because it is extremely cold at very high altitudes, snow rarely melts. It just keeps piling up higher and higher. Glaciers are eventually created when the weight of the snow is so great that the lower layers are pressed into solid ice. But most a

11、valanches occur long before this happens. As snow accumulates on a steep slope, it reaches a critical point at which the slightest vibration will send it sliding into the valley below.Even an avalanche of light power can be dangerous, but the Peruvian catastrophe was particularly terrible because it

12、 was caused by a heavy layer of ice. It is estimated that the ice that broke off weighed three million tons. As it crashed down the steep mountainside like a gigantic snow plough, it swept up trees, boulders and tons of topsoil, and completely crushed and destroyed the six villages that lay in its p

13、ath.At present there is no way to predict or avoid such enormous avalanches, but, lucidly, they are very rare. Scientists are constantly studying the smaller, more common avalanches, to try to understand what causes them. In the future, perhaps dangerous masses of snow and ice can be found and remov

14、ed before they take human lives.68.The first paragraph catches the readers attention with a _.A. first-hand reportB. dramatic descriptionC. tall taleD. vivid word picture69.In this passage devastating means _.A. violently ruinousB. spectaculary interestingC. stunningD. unpleasant70.The passage is mo

15、stly about _.A. avalanchesB. glaciersC. PeruD. mountainsTEXT CI was born in Tuckahoe, Talbot County, Maryland. I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it. By far the larger part of the slaves know as little of their age as horses know of their, and i

16、t is the wish of most masters within my knowledge to keep their slaves thus ignorant. I do not remember having ever met a slave who could tell of his birthday. They seldom come nearer to it than planting-time, harvesting, springtime, or fall time. A lack of information concerning my own was a source

17、 of unhappiness to me even during childhood. The white children could tell their ages, I could not tell why I ought to be deprived of the same privilege. I was not allowed to make any inquires of my master concerning it. He considered all such inquiries on the part of a slave improper and impertinen

18、t. The nearest estimate I can give makes me now between twenty-seven and twenty-eight years of age. I come to this, from heating my master say, some time during 1835, I was about seventeen years old.My mother was named Harriet Bailey. She was the daughter of Issac and Betsey Bailey, both colored, an

19、d quite dark. My mother was of a darker complexion than either my grandmother or grandfather.My father was a white man. He was admitted to be such by all I ever heard speak of my parentage. The opinion was also whispered that my maser was my father, but of the correctness of this opinion, I know not

20、hing; the means of knowing was withheld from me. My mother and I were separated when I was an infant before I knew her as my mother. It is a common custom, in the part of Maryland from which I ran away, to part children from their mothers at a very early age. Frequently, before the child has reached

21、 its twelfth month, its mother is taken from it, and hired out on some faint a considerable distance off, and the child is placed under the care of an older woman, too old for field labor. For what this separation is done, I do not know, unless it be to hinder the development of the childs affection

22、 towards its mother.71.The author did not know exactly when he was born because _.A. he did not know who his mother wasB. there was no written evidence of itC. his master did not tell his fatherD. nobody on his farm knew anything about it72.In the mid-nineteenth century, slaves often _.A. marked the

23、ir birthdays by the seasonB. did not really care how old they wereC. forgot the exact time when they were bornD. pretended not to know each others birthdays73.The authors mother told him _.A. his father was blackB. his father was whiteC. nothing about his fatherD. his master was his father74.Accordi

24、ng to the passage, when the author was very young his mother _.A. run awayB. was light skinnedC. had several childrenD. was sent to work elsewhere75.The author bad not spent much time with his _.A. motherB. masterC. grandfatherD. grandmother76.The author was most probably raised _.A. by his grandpar

25、entsB. by an old woman slaveC. with his masters supportD. together with other childrenTEXT DPLEASE RECYCLE THAT BOBSLED RUN (大雪橇滑道)For the 1992 Winter Games, French organizers constructed a new motorway, parking lots and runs for skiing in the Alps. Environmentalists screamed Disaster!. Thus warned,

26、 the Norwegians have adopted green advice and avoided great blots on the landscape. The speed-skating was built to look like an overturned ship, and placed so as not to disturb a bird sanctuary. Dug into a mountainside, the hockey arena is well concealed and energy efficient. The bobsled run is buil

27、t out of wood not metal and hidden among trees. No wonder the president of the International Olympic Committee has called these the first Green Games.Lillehammers opening ceremonies featured a giant Olympic Torch burning biogas produced by rotting vegetation. During construction, builders were threa

28、tened with $ 7,500 fines for felling trees unnecessarily. Rate trees were carefully transplanted from hillsides. Food is being served on potato-based plates that will be fed, in turn, to pigs. Smoking has been banned outdoors as well as in, with enforcement by polite requests.Environmentalists have

29、declared partial victory, though Coca-Colas plan to decorate the town with Banners has been scaled back, there are still too many billboards for strict green tastes. Perhaps, but after the Games, athlete housing will be converted into vacation home or shipped to the northlands for student dormitorie

30、s. Bullets will be plucked from biathlon targets and recycled to keep the lead from poisoning ground water. And these tricks wont be forgotten. Embarrassed by environmental protests, the I. O. C. claims that green awareness is now entrenched along with sport and culture as a permanent dimension of t

31、he Olympic Charter.Indeed, Sydney was successful in becoming host for the 2000 Summer Games in part on the strength of its endorsement from Greenpeace. Aspiring host cities are picking up the code. Salt Lake City, bidding for the 2002 Games, may opt to use the bobsled run that Calgary built for the

32、88 Games. After that, who could deny that recycling is an Olympic movement?77.Which of the following countries has not paid enough attention to the green issues?A. Norway.B. France.C. Arnica.D. Australia.78.In which area did the environmentalists fail in Lillehammer?A. Energy.B. Smoking.B. Housing.D

33、. Advertising.79.Which of the following describes the I. O. C.s attitude towards the environmentalists protests?A. Trying to commit themselves.B. Showing indifference and contempt.C. Arguing for practical difficulties.D. Negotiating for gradual changes.80.The 2002 Games might be held in_.A. OsloB. C

34、algaryC. SydneyD. Salt Lake City1997年TEXT AUniversity teaching in the United Kingdom is very different at both undergraduate and graduate levels from that of many overseas countries.An undergraduate course consists of a series of lectures, seminars and tutorials and, in science and engineering, labo

35、ratory classes, which in total account for about 15 hours per week. Arts students may well find that their official contact with teachers is less than this average, while science and engineering students may expect to be timetabled for up to 20 hours per week. Students studying for a particular degr

36、ee will take a series of lecture courses which run in parallel at a fixed time in each week and may last one academic term or the whole year. Associated with each lecture course are seminars, tutorials and laboratory classes which draw upon, analyze, illustrate or amplify, the topics presented in th

37、e lectures, lecture classes can vary in size from 20 to 200 although larger sized lectures tend to decrease as students progress into the second and third year and more options become available. Seminars and tutorials are on the whole much smaller than lecture classes and in some departments can be

38、on a one-to-one basis (that is, one member of staff to one student). Students are normally expected to prepare work in advance for seminars and tutorials and this can take the form of researching a topic for discussion, by writing essays or by solving problems. Lectures, seminars and tutorials are a

39、ll one hour in length, whilst laboratory classes usually last either 2 or 3 hours. Much emphasis is put on how to spend as much time if not more studying by themselves as being taught. In the UK it is still common for people to say that they are “reading” for a degree! Each student has a tutor whom

40、they can consult on any matter whether academic or personal. Although the tutor will help, motivation for study is expected to come from the student.66.According to the passage, science and engineering courses seem to be more _ than arts courses.A. motivatingB. variedC. demandingD. interesting67.Whi

41、ch of the following is the length of lectures or seminars or tutorials?A. 1 hour. B.2 hours.C. 3 hours.D. 15 hours.68.In British universities teaching and learning are carried out in _.A. a variety of waysB. laboratory classesC. seminars and tutorialsD. lectures and tutorialsTEXT BWho said the only

42、way to learn about a country you can t visit is by reading a book? Dan Eckbergs television students at Hopkins High School know better. Theyre seeing countries and learning about cultures with the aid of electronic communications.Using computers, satellite hookups, and telephone hotlines, Eckbergs s

43、tudents have already followed a team of cyclists 11,500 miles across the continent of Africa, sat atop Mount Kilimanjaro, and sweltered in the Sahara Desert.This winter theyll interact with an expedition exploring Central America in search of the classic Maya culture.You can join them.How? By follow

44、ing Eckberg and his class as they track the adventures of Dan and Steve Buettner, two world-class bicyclists from U SA. Starting last month these two bicyclists, joined by archaeologists and a technical support team, are interacting with students via the Internet, the worldwide computer network.From

45、 classroom or home computer, students can make research proposals to the Buettners or the archaeologists at the various Central American locations theyve been exploring as part of their Maya Quest expedition.“We hope that someone will ask a question that can t readily be answered,” says Hopkins High

46、 School student Barry Anderson, “and through the online activities, an answer will be found a discovery”.Having students “discover” why a civilization as advanced as the Maya collapsed in the 9th century is one key goal for the leaders of the Maya Quest expedition. The more important goal is using i

47、nteractive learning to discover the cause of the decline and compare it to issues we face today natural disasters, environmental problems, and war.Ten lesson plans on topics ranging from the Maya language to the Maya creation myth have been developed for the interactive expedition.“Through a combina

48、tion of live call-in television and the Internet, ”says Eckberg, “were hoping to build excitement and engagement in learning in our school.”69.Dan Eckberg and his students learn about Africa by _.A. reading booksB. watching video tapesC. interacting via the InternetD. cycling 11,500 miles70.Which of

49、 the following activities is NOT involved in Dan Eckberg and his students expedition?A. Going to visit various Central American locations.B. Getting information through electronic communications.C. Discussing different topics on the Maya civilization.D. Forming research, proposals and discovering th

50、e answers.TEXT CMost earthquakes occur within the upper 15 miles of the earths surface. But earthquakes can and do occur at all depths to about 460 miles. Their number decreases as the depth increases. At about 460 miles one earthquake occurs only every few years. Near the surface earthquakes may ru

51、n as high as 100 in a month, but the yearly average does not vary much. In comparison with the total number of earthquakes each year, the number of disastrous earthquakes is very small.The extent of the disaster in an earthquake depends on many factors. If you carefully build a toy house with an Ere

52、ctor set, it will still stand no matter how much you shake the table. But if you build a toy house with a pack of cards, a slight shake of the table will make it fall. An earthquake in Agadir, Morocco, was not strong enough to be recorded on distant instruments, but it completely destroyed the city.

53、 Many stronger earthquakes have done comparatively little damage. If a building is well constructed and built on solid ground, it will resist an earthquake. Most deaths in earthquakes have been due to faulty building construction or poor building sites. A third and very serious factor is panic. When

54、 people rush out into narrow streets, more deaths will result.The United Nations has played an important part in reducing the damage done by earthquakes. It has sent a team of experts to all countries known to be affected by earthquakes. Working with local geologists and engineers, the experts have

55、studied the nature of the ground and the type of most practical building code for the local area. If followed, these suggestions will make disastrous earthquakes almost a thing of the past.There is one type of earthquake disaster that little can be done about. This is the disaster caused by seismic

56、sea waves, or tsunamis. (These are often called tidal waves, but the name is incorrect. They have nothing to do with tides.) In certain areas, earthquakes take place beneath the sea. These submarine earthquakes sometimes give rise to seismic sea waves. The waves are not noticeable out at sea because

57、 of their long wave length. But when they roll into harbours, they pile up into walls of water 6 to 60 feet high. The Japanese call them “tsunamis”, meaning “harhour waves”, because they reach a sizable height only in harbours.Tsunamis travel fairly slowly, at speeds up to 500 miles an hour. An adeq

58、uate warning system is in use to warn all shores likely to be reached by the waves. But this only enables people to leave the threatened shores for higher ground. There is no way to stop the oncoming wave.71.Which of the following CANNOT be concluded from the passage?A. The number of earthquakes is closely related to depth.B. Roughly the same number of earthquakes occur each year.C. Earthquake