大学英语四级考试快速阅读练习集锦.doc

Passage 1Beauty and Body Image in the MediaImages of female bodies are everywhere. Womenand their body partssell everything from food to cars. Popular film and television actresses are becoming younger, taller and thinner. Some have even been known to faint on the set from lack of food. Womens magazines are full of articles urging that if they can just lose those last twenty pounds, theyll have it allthe perfect marriage, loving children, great sex, and a rewarding career.Why are standards of beauty being imposed on women, the majority of whom are naturally larger and more mature than any of the models? The roots, some analysts say, are economic. By presenting an ideal difficult to achieve and maintain, the cosmetic and diet product industries are assured of growth and profits.And its no accident that youth is increasingly promoted, along with thinness, as an essential criterion of beauty. If not all women need to lose weight, for sure theyre all aging, says the Quebec Action Network for Womens Health in its 2001 report. And, according to the industry, age is a disaster that needs to be dealt with. The stakes are huge. On the one hand, women who are insecure about their bodies are more likely to buy beauty products, new clothes, and diet aids. It is estimated that the diet industry alone is worth anywhere between 40 to 100 billion (U.S.) a year selling temporary weight loss (90 to 95% of dieters regain the lost weight).On the other hand, research indicates that exposure to images of thin, young, air-brushed female bodies is linked to depression, loss of self-esteem and the development of unhealthy eating habits in women and girls.The American research group Anorexia Nervosa & Related Eating Disorders, Inc. says that one out of every four college-aged women uses unhealthy methods of weight controlincluding fasting, skipping meals, excessive exercise, laxative (泻药) abuse, and self-induced vomiting. The pressure to be thin is also affecting young girls: the Canadian Womens Health Network warns that weight control measures are now being taken by girls as young as 5 and 6. American statistics are similar.Several studies, such as one conducted by Marika Tiggemann and Levina Clark in 2006 titled “Appearance Culture in Nine- to 12-Year-Old Girls: Media and Peer Influences on Body Dissatisfaction,” indicate that nearly half of all preadolescent girls wish to be thinner, and as a result have engaged in a diet or are aware of the concept of dieting. In 2003, Teen magazine reported that 35 per cent of girls 6 to 12 years old have been on at least one diet, and that 50 to 70 per cent of normal weight girls believe they are overweight. Overall research indicates that 90% of women are dissatisfied with their appearance in some way.Media activist Jean Kilbourne concludes that, “Women are sold to the diet industry by the magazines we read and the television programs we watch, almost all of which make us feel anxious about our weight.”Unattainable BeautyPerhaps most disturbing is the fact that media images of female beauty are unattainable for all but a very small number of women. Researchers generating a computer model of a woman with Barbie-doll proportions, for example, found that her back would be too weak to support the weight of her upper body, and her body would be too narrow to contain more than half a liver and a few centimeters of bowel. A real woman built that way would suffer from chronic diarrhea ( 慢性腹泻) and eventually die from malnutrition. Jill Barad, President of Mattel (which manufactures Barbie), estimated that 99% of girls aged 3 to 10 years old own at least one Barbie doll.Still, the number of real life women and girls who seek a similarly underweight body is epidemic, and they can suffer equally devastating health consequences. In 2006 it was estimated that up to 450, 000 Canadian women were affected by an eating disorder.The Culture of ThinnessResearchers report that womens magazines have ten and one-half times more ads and articles promoting weight loss than mens magazines do, and over three-quarters of the covers of womens magazines include at least one message about how to change a womans bodily appearanceby diet, exercise or cosmetic surgery.Television and movies reinforce the importance of a thin body as a measure of a womans worth. Canadian researcher Gregory Fouts reports that over three-quarters of the female characters in TV situation comedies are underweight, and only one in twenty are above average in size. Heavier actresses tend to receive negative comments from male characters about their bodies (“How about wearing a sack?”), and 80 per cent of these negative comments are followed by canned audience laughter.There have been efforts in the magazine industry to buck ( 抵制，反抗) the trend. For several years the Quebec magazine Coup de Pouce has consistently included full-sized women in their fashion pages and Chtelaine has pledged not to touch up photos and not to include models less than 25 years of age. In Madrid, one of the worlds biggest fashion capitals, ultra-thin models were banned from the runway in 2006. Furthermore Spain has recently undergone a project with the aim to standardize clothing sizes through using a unique process in which a laser beam is used to measure real life womens bodies in order to find the most true to life measurement.EthicsAnother issue is the representation of ethnically diverse women in the media. A 2008 study conducted by Juanita Covert and Travis Dixon titled “A Changing View: Representation and Effects of the Portrayal of Women of Color in Mainstream Womens Magazines” found that although there was an increase in the representation of women of colour, overall white women were overrepresented in mainstream womens magazines from 1999 to 2004. Self-Improvement or Self-Destruction?The barrage of messages about thinness, dieting and beauty tells “ordinary” women that they are always in need of adjustmentand that the female body is an object to be perfected.Jean Kilbourne argues that the overwhelming presence of media images of painfully thin women means that real womens bodies have become invisible in the mass media. The real tragedy, Kilbourne concludes, is that many women internalize these stereotypes, and judge themselves by the beauty industrys standards. Women learn to compare themselves to other women, and to compete with them for male attention. This focus on beauty and desirability “effectively destroys any awareness and action that might help to change that climate.”注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1 上作答。1. Womens magazines are full of articles to urge women to _.A) eat less sweet food C) marry a rich husbandB) lose weight D) have at least two kids2. The cosmetic and diet product industries gain profits by _.A) exaggerating the goodness about their productsB) targeting at children and femalesC) presenting an ideal image difficult to achieveD) distributing free samples from home to home3. Canadian Womens health Network warns that weight control measures are now being taken by girls _.A) at age 5 or 6 C) at age 13 or 14B) at age 9 or 10 D) at age 16 or 174. In 2003, Teen magazine reported that _ percent of normal weight girls believe they are overweight.A) 35 to 50 C) 50 to 70B) 50 D) 905. Researchers found that a real woman with Barbie-doll proportions would _.A) suffer from heart disease C) live a more rewarding lifeB) be very popular with males D) die from malnutrition6. Television and movies emphasize that a womans worth can be judged by _.A) the cosmetics she uses C) the thinness of her bodyB) the jewelry she wears D) the wealth of her husband7. Spain has recently undergone a project to _.A) include full-sized women in its fashion magazinesB) standardize clothing sizesC) ban ultra-thin models from the runwayD) promote weight loss among men8. In mainstream womens magazines from 1999 to 2004, _ were overrepresented.9. Jean Kilbourne concludes that many women judge themselves by _.10. The focus on _ destroys any awareness and action that might help to change the trend.1-7 BCACDCB8.overall white woman9.the beauty industrys standards10.the beauty desirability Passage 2Animals on the MoveIt looked like a scene from “Jaws” but without the dramatic music. A huge shark was lowly swimming through the water, its tail swinging back and forth like the pendulum of a clock。Suddenly sensitive nerve ending in the sharks skin picked up vibrations of a struggling fish. The shark was immediately transformed into a deadly, efficient machine of death. With muscles taut, the shark knifed through the water at a rapid speed. In a flash the shark caught its victim, a large fish, in its powerful jaws. Then, jerking its head back and forth, the shark tore huge chunks of flesh from its victim and swallowed them. Soon the action was over。Moving to SurviveIn pursuing its prey, the shark demonstrated in a dramatic way the important role of movement, or locomotion, in animals。Like the shark, most animals use movement to find food. They also use locomotion to escape enemies, find a mate, and explore new territories. The methods of locomotion include crawling, hopping, slithering, flying, swimming, or walking。Humans have the added advantage of using their various inventions to move about in just about any kind of environment. Automobiles, rockets, and submarines transport humans from deep oceans to as far away as the moon. However, for other animals movement came about naturally through millions of years of evolution. One of the most successful examples of animal locomotion is that of the shark. Its ability to quickly zero in on its prey has always impressed scientists. But it took a detailed study by Duke University marine biologists S. A. Wainwright, F. Vosburgh, and J. H. Hebrank to find out how the sharks did it. In their study the scientists observed sharks swimming in a tank at Marine land in Saint Augustine, Fla. Movies were taken of the sharks movements and analyzed. Studies were also made of shark skin and muscle。 Skin Is the KeyThe biologists discovered that the skin of the shark is the key to the animals high efficiency in swimming through the water. The skin contains many fibers that crisscross like the inside of a belted radial tire. The fibers are called collagen fibers. These fibers can either store or release large amounts of energy depending on whether the fibers are relaxed or taut. When the fibers are stretched, energy is stored in them the way energy is stored in the string of a bow when pulled tight. When the energy is released, the fibers become relaxed。The Duke University biologists have found that the greatest stretching occurs where the shark bends its body while swimming. During the bodys back and forth motion, fibers along the outside part of the bending body stretch greatly. Much potential energy is stored in the fibers. This energy is released when the sharks body snaps back the other way。As energy is alternately stored and released on both sides of the animals body, the tail whips strongly back and forth. This whip-like action propels the animal through the water like a living bullet。Source of EnergyWhat causes the fibers to store so much energy? In finding the answer the Duke University scientists learned that the sharks similarity to a belted radial tire doesnt stop with the skin. Just as a radial tire is inflated by pressure, so, too, is the area just under the sharks collagen “radials”. Instead of air pressure, however, the pressure in the shark may be due to the force of the blood pressing on the collagen fibers。When the shark swims slowly, the pressure on the fibers is relatively low. The fibers are more relaxed, and the shark is able to bend its body at sharp angles. The animal swims this way when looking around for food or just swimming. However, when the shark detects an important food source, some fantastic involuntary changes take place。The pressure inside the animal may increase by 10 times. This pressure change greatly stretches the fibers, enabling much energy to be stored。This energy is then transferred to the tail, and the shark is off. The rest of the story is predictable。Dolphin Has Speed RecordAnother fast marine animal is the dolphin. This seagoing mammal has been clocked at speeds of 32 kilometers (20 miles) an hour. Biologists studying the dolphin have discovered that, like the shark, the animals efficient locomotion can be traced to its skin. A dolphins skin is made up in such a way that it offers very little resistance to the water flowing over it. Normally when a fish or other object moves slowly through the water, the water flows smoothly past the body. This smooth flow is known as laminar flow. However, at faster speeds the water becomes more turbulent along the moving fish. This turbulence muses friction and slows the fish down。In a dolphin the skin is so flexible that it bends and yields to the waviness of the water。The waves, in effect, become tucked into the skins folds. This allows the rest of the water to move smoothly by in a laminar flow. Where other animals would be slowed by turbulent water at rapid speeds, the dolphin can race through the water at record breaking speeds。Other Animals Less EfficientNot all animals move as efficiently as sharks and dolphins. Perhaps the greatest loser in locomotion efficiency is the slug. The slug, which looks like a snail without a shell, lays down a slimy trail over which it crawls. It uses so much energy producing the slimy mucus and crawling over it that a mouse traveling the same distance uses only one twelfth as much energy。Scientists say that because of the slugs inefficient use of energy, its lifestyle must be restricted. That is, the animals are forced to confine themselves to small areas for obtaining food and finding proper living conditions. Have humans ever been faced with this kind of problem?1.According to the passage, a shark can use movement to do something except_。Ato find foodBto avoid being chased by its enemiesCto find a new place to liveDto show its braveness2.Examples of automobiles, rockets and submarines are used to show that _。Ahumans are the most clever living creatures in the worldBhuman inventions enable us to travel in almost any kind of environmentChumans are very successful in inventing transportation toolsDhumans cant move like other animals in any circumstances3.What is the key to the sharks swift locomotion in water?AThe skin.BThe tail.CThe muscle.DThe jaw。4.According to the Duke University scientists, when does the shark stretch its to the greatest extent?AWhen moving its tail rapidly。BWhen finding its preys。CWhen staying without any movement。DWhen bending its body in swimming。5.Why is the area just under the sharks collagen fibers similar to a belted radial tire?ABecause it is also full of blood pressure。BBecause it is also filled of air pressure。CBecause it is also inflated by pressure。DBecause it also can be used again and again。6.A laminar flow is formed when a fish swims_。Aslowly through the waterBrapidly through the waterCagainst the currentDat the fastest speed in water7.Consuming the equal amount of energy as a slug does, a mouse can travelas long as it_。Aone twelfth times.Bthe same.C12 times.D1.2 times。8.A shark finds its prey by_。9.According to the passage, _can be compared to the string of a bow for both of them store energy when stretched。10.When the shark detects an important food source, _take place。Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning)【全文翻译】动物的运动除了缺少剧情音乐之外，这看上去就像大白鲨影片中的一个场景：一条巨大的鲨鱼在水中慢慢地游着，尾巴就像时钟的钟摆一样来回地摆动。突然，它敏感的皮肤神经末梢感受到了猎物游动时发出的震动。瞬间，它就变成一台高效致命的死亡机器。它绷紧肌肉，快速地在水中砍出一条通道。眨眼之间，它便用强有力的嘴巴咬住了它的猎物，一条大鱼。随后，它来回扭动着头，从猎物的身上撕下大块大块的肉，把它们吞了下去。很快地，猎食活动就结束了。为了生存而移动鲨鱼追逐猎物的过程以一种夸张的方式证明了移动(或者运动)对于动物的重要作用。像鲨鱼一样，大部分的动物通过移动来发现食物。他们还利用移动来逃避敌人、寻找配偶、开拓新的 地盘。移动的方法包括：爬行、跳跃、滑行、飞行、飘浮或者漫步。借助各种有助移动的发明，人类加强了其移动优势，可以再任何环境下移动。汽车、火箭、潜艇能把人类从深海运输到遥远的月亮。然而，对于其他的动物而言，移动来源于数百万年的进化。鲨鱼是其中最成功的例子。它能够以接近零的时间快速地捕获猎物，这给科学家们留下了深刻的印象。但是，经过仔细的研究，美国杜克大学的海洋生物学家S. A. Wainwright、F. Vosburgh和J. H. Hebrank才发现了鲨鱼是如何做到这一点的。在研究中，科学家们对位于佛罗里达州圣奥古斯丁海上乐园泳池中游泳的鲨鱼进行了观察。他们拍摄了鲨鱼的运动情况，对它们进行了分析，同时也对鲨鱼的皮肤和肌肉进行了研究。皮肤是关键生物学家们发现，鲨鱼的皮肤是使它们在水中高效游泳的关键。鲨鱼的皮肤中含有许多纤维，像子午线轮胎的内部一样交错在一起。这些纤维被称为胶原纤维。随着它们的放松或拉紧，这些纤维可以储存或释放大量的能量。当拉伸纤维时，纤维中蓄满了能量，就像绷紧的弓弦一样。能量被释放后，纤维就松弛了。杜克大学的生物学家发现，最大拉伸发生在鲨鱼弯曲身体游泳的时候。当身体前后移动时，弯曲处外侧的纤维受到强烈的拉伸，大量的潜能被储存在纤维中。当鲨鱼朝另一个方向迅速掉头时，这种能量就被释放出来了。随着能量在鲨鱼身体两侧交替地储存和释放，它的尾巴就像鞭子一样强烈地来回摆动。这种像皮鞭一样的动作促使鲨鱼像发射的子弹一样在水中穿来穿去。能量的来源是什么让纤维能存储如此多的能量呢在追寻答案的过程中，杜克大学的科学家们发现，鲨鱼与子午线轮胎的相似性并不仅仅存在于皮肤上。正如子午线轮胎是由压力膨胀的一样，在鲨鱼胶原辐射处的下方也有一个膨胀区。但是，鲨鱼体内的压力可能来自于血液压缩胶原纤维而产生的压力，而不是来自于空气的压力。当鲨鱼缓慢游动时，纤维内的压力相对较低。，鲨鱼就能以锐角的角度弯身。在寻找食物或只是游动时，鲨鱼以这种方式进行移动。但是，当它发现重要的食物来源时，一些奇妙的变化就自动发生了。鲨鱼内部的压力可能会增加10倍，胶原纤维在这种压力下剧烈拉伸，蓄积了大量的能量。接着，这种能量被转移到尾巴上，鲨鱼快速运动起来，剩下的事情就可想而知了。海豚是速度最快的纪录保持者海豚是另一种快速的海洋动物，这种海洋哺乳动物的速度为每小时20英里。研究海豚的生物学家们发现，就像鲨鱼一样，海豚的快速游动可以追溯到其皮肤。海豚的皮肤是这样构成的：它对流过其身体的水流产生的阻力很小。通常情况下，当鱼或其他动物在水中缓慢游动时，水流会平稳地流过种平稳的水流被称为层流。然而，当鱼快速移动时，其周围的水流就变得湍急起来。这种乱流使摩擦加大，降低了鱼的速度。海豚的皮肤弹性很大，可以随着水波的波形而弯曲。实际上，水波是被卷进了海豚皮肤的皱褶处。这样，其余的水就以层流的方式从其身边平稳地流过。其他动物快速游动时，由于受到乱流的阻碍，其速度就降低了；但是，海豚却能够以破纪录的速度在水中快速穿行。其他的低速动物并不是所有的动物都能像鲨鱼和海豚一样快速地游动。在运动效率方面最大的输家可能是蛞蝓(鼻涕虫)。它看起来就像没有壳的蜗牛，会留下一条细细的踪迹。它要使用大量的能量制造粘滑的粘液，以便在其上爬行。移动同样的的距离，老鼠只需要其所耗费能量的十二分之一。科学家们认为，由于蛞蝓(鼻涕虫)利用能量的效率很低，所以它的生活必然受到一定的限制。换句话说，它们都被迫把自己束缚在很小的区域之中来搜寻食物和寻找合适的生活条件。人类曾经面临过这样的问题吗【答案解析】1.【解析】D属同义转换题