2015年6月英语四级阅读模拟题04及答案.doc

2015年6月英语四级阅读模拟题04及答案Section CDirections: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices markedA,B, C andD. You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.An industrial society, especially one as centralized and concentrated as that of Britain, is heavily dependent on certain essential services: for instance, electricity supply, water, rail and road transport, the harbors. The area of dependency has widened to include removing rubbish, hospital and ambulance services, and, as the economy develops, central computer and information services as well. If any of these services ceases to operate, the whole economic system is in danger.It is this economic interdependency of the economic system which makes the power of trade unions (工会)such an important issue. Single trade unions have the ability to cut off many countries economic blood supply.This can happen more easily in Britain than in some other countries, in part because the labor force is highly organized. About 55 percent of British workers belong to unions, compared to under a quarter in the United States.For historical reasons, Britains unions have tended to develop along trade (行业) and occupational lines, rather than on an industry-by-industry basis, which makes a wages policy, democracy in industry and the improvement of procedures for fixing wage levels difficult to achieve.There are considerable strains and tensions in the trade union movement, some of them arising from their outdated and inefficient structure. Some unions have lost many members because of their industrial changes.Others are involved in arguments about who should represent workers in new trades. Unions for skilled trades are separate from general unions, which means that different levels of wages for certain jobs are often a source of bad feelings between unions. In traditional trades which are being pushed out of existence by advancing technologies,unions can fight for their members disappointing jobs to the point where the jobs of other union members are threatened or destroyed. The printing of newspapers both in the United States and in Britain has frequently been halted by the efforts of printers to hold on to their traditional highly-paid jobs.Trade unions have problems of internal communication just as managers in companies do, problems which multiply in very large unions or in those which bring workers in very different industries together into a single general union. Some trade union officials have to be re-elected regularly; others are elected, or even appointed, for life. Trade union officials have to work with a system of shop stewards (工厂工人代表) in many unions, shop stewards being workers elected by other workers as their representatives at factory or work level.56. Why is the trade union power crucial in Britain?A Because the economy is very interdependent.B Because the unions have been established a long time.C Because there are more unions in Britain than elsewhere.D Because there are many essential services offered by the unions.57. Because of their out-of-date organization, some unions find it difficult to _.A bargain for high enough wagesB get new members to joinC learn new technologiesD change as industries change58. Disagreements arise between unions because some of them_.A try to win over members of other unionsB ignore agreementsC protect their own members at the expense of othersD take over other unions jobs59. Why does the author compare the trade unions with managers in companies?A They are both influential in company affairs.B They both face problems of internal communication.C They both work with a system of shop stewards.D They both work efficiently.60. The title which best expresses the idea of the text would be _.A British Trade Unions and Their DrawbacksB A Centralized and Concentrated SocietyC The Power of Trade Unions in BritainD The Structure of British Trade UnionsPassage TwoQuestions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.One of the most interesting paradoxes in America today is that Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States, is now engaged in a serious debate about what a university should be, and whether it is measuring up (符合标准).Like the Roman Catholic Church and other ancient institutions, it is asking-still in private rather than in public-whether its past assumptions about faculty, authority, admissions, courses of study, are really relevant to the problems of our society.Should Harvard-or any other university-be an intellectual sanctuary, apart from the political and social revolution of the age, or should it be a laboratory for experimentation with these political and social revolutions; or even an engine of the revolution? This is what is being discussed privately in the big clapboard ( 楔形板) houses of faculty members around the Harvard Yard.The issue was defined by Walter Lippmann, a distinguished Harvard graduate, many years ago.If the universities are to do their work, he said, they must be independent and they must be disinterested. They are places to which men can turn for unbiased judgments. Obviously, the moment the universities fall under political control, or under the control of private interests, or the moment they themselves take a hand in politics and the leadership of government, their value as independent and disinterested sources of judgment is impaired.This is part of the argument that is going on at Harvard today. Another part is the argument of the militant and even many moderated students: that a university is the keeper of our ideals and morals, and should not be disinterested but activist in bringing the Nations ideals and actions together.Harvards men of today seem more troubled and less sure about personal, political and academic purpose than they did at the beginning. They are not even clear about how they should debate and resolve their problems, but they are struggling with them privately, and how they come out is bound to influence American university and political life in the 21st century.61. A paradox(Line 1, Paragraph 1 ) is_.A an unusual situationB a parenthetical expressionC a difficult puzzleD a self-contradiction62. The word sanctuary, in paragraph 3 refers to _.A a holy place dedicated to a certain godB a temple or nnnnery of the middle ageC a certain place you can hide in and avoid mishapsD an academy for intelligent people63. The issues in the debate on Harvards goals are whether the universities should remain independent of our society and its problems, and whether they should _.A fight off militarismB exert greater influence upon the young generationC take an active part in solving the societys illsD reconsider the structure of institutes and departments64. In regard to their goals and purposes in life, the author believes that Harward men are becoming _.A more sure about themB less sure about themC more hopeful of reaching a satisfactory answerD less interested in them65. In the authors judgment, the ferment going on at Harvard_.A will influence the future of AmericaB will soon be over, because times are bound to changeC is of interest mostly to Harvard men and their friendsD is a sad symbol of our general bewilderment【参考译文】一个工业社会对某些基本服务(比如电力供应、水、铁路和公路运输以及港口)有着很强的依赖性，特别是在英国这样集权而集中的国家更是如此。而今，依赖的领域已扩大到垃圾清运、医院和救护车服务，而且，随着经济的发展，中央计算机和信息服务也包含其中。一旦这些服务中的任何一项停止运作，整个经济体系就会处于危险之中、56正是由于经济体系内各种经济因素相互依赖，才使得工会权力成为如此重要的问题。单是工会就能切断许多国家的经济命脉。相比其他国家，这种情况在英国更有可能发生，一部分原因是，英国的工人力量具有高度组织化的特征。在英国，约有55的工人是工会的成员，而在美国，这一比例还不到25。由于一些历史原因，英国的工会趋向于沿着行业和职业的方向发展，而不是各行业独立发展。这种情况导致薪金政策、行业民主以及薪金水平规定流程的改进很难实现。57工会运动面临许多限制和压力，其中一些源于工会本身落后而低效的结构。由于产业调整，一些工会已经失去了很多成员。另外一些工会则面临一系列争论：新的行业中究竟由谁来代表工人?技术性行业的工会跟一般意义上的工会是分离的，这意味着，某些工作薪金水平的不同通常会在各工会之间引发摩擦，58传统的行业正逐渐被先进的技术所替代，在这些行业里，工会会为其成员渺无前景的工作努力抗争，使其他工会成员的工作也受到威胁或者破坏。美国和英国的报纸印刷经常会中断，因为印刷工要努力维护本行业的传统地位和高额薪酬。59和公司中的经理们一样，工会内部也同样面临着交流问题。在那些大型工会或者聚集了不同行业工人的工会里，这些问题成倍增加。有些工会需要定期选举并更换主席；另一些工会则采取选举或指定一名终身主席一在很多工会里，干部必须在“工厂工人代表”的体制下工作。工厂工人代表由其他工人在整个工厂或者车间内选举产生，来代表其他工人的利益。【答案解析】56A定位：根据题干信息thetrade union power和crucial可将答案定位到第二段第一句。解析：该句提到：“正是由于经济体系内各种经济因素相互依赖(this economic interdependency of the economic system)，才使得工会权力成为如此重要的问题。”选项A符合题意。57D定位：根据题干信息out-of-date organization可将答案定位到第三段第一句。解析：第三段开头处提到：“工会运动面临许多限制和压力，其中一些源于工会本身落后而低效的结构。由于产业调整，一些工会已经失去了很多成员。另外一些工会则面临一系列争论：新的行业中究竟由谁来代表工人?”可见由于其落后的结构，工会适应不了产业的变化和调整。故D为正确答案。58C定位：根据题干信息disagreements arise between unions可将答案定位到第三段第四句。解析：该句提到：“技术性行业的工会跟一般意义上的工会是分离的，这意味着，某些工作薪金水平的不同通常会在各工会之间引发摩擦。”可见differentlevels ofwagesfor certainjobs是引发矛盾的一大原因，但在四个选项中找不到意思相近的表述。我们继续向下寻读即可发现下一句中提到：“传统的行业正逐渐被先进的技术所替代，在这些行业里，工会会为其成员渺无前景的工作努力抗争，使其他工会成员的工作也受到威胁或者破坏。”也就是说，一些工会会为了保护自己成员的利益而牺牲其他工会成员的利益。故选项C为正确答案。59B定位：根据题干信息managersin companies可将答案定位到最后一段第一句。解析：该句提到：“和公司中的经理们一样，工会内部也同样面，临着交流问题二在那些大型工会或者聚集了不同行业工人的工会里，这些问题成倍增加。”可见，工会和经理们的共同点就是在其内部存在着沟通不畅的问题，故选B。60A定位：根据题干信息词tire可知解答本题需通现全文。解析：本题问选项中最适合做文章题目的是哪一项，考查的是全文的主旨。从全文的内容看，文章主要阐述了英国工会的状况及其存在的问题。故应选A。最具迷惑性的是D项The Structure ofBritishTrade Unions，但其只提到英国工会的结构，而没有概括其存在的问题，故不够全面。【参考译文】61美国现今最有趣的一个矛盾是，作为美国高等教育历史最悠久的大学，哈佛大学正在进行一场严峻的争论，争论围绕的中心问题是大学究竟应该是什么样的，而哈佛大学又是否符合条件。哈佛大学和罗马天主教堂以及其他一些古老的机构一样正在提出疑问这种提问尚在私下里进行，并没有公开所提出的问题是：哈佛过去对于院系、权威、招生、课程设置的设想，是否真的跟现代社会所面临的问题相关。6263除了作为某一时代中政治和社会变革的避难所，哈佛大学(或者其他大学)是否应该也是知识分子的避难所；或者，它是否应该成为一个进行政治和社会变革实验的实验室；或者，它是否甚至应该成为改革的动力?这正是现在哈佛大学全体教职工在校园内部私下探讨的话题。多年前，沃尔特李普曼阐释了这个问题，他是一名杰出的哈佛大学毕业生。“如果大学想要名副其实，”他说，“那就必须独立于社会，必须坚持公平大学应该是能为人们提供公正评判的地方。显然，一旦大学为政治权力或私人利益所控制，或者说，一旦大学参与政治和政府的领导，那么，它们作为独立和公正评判之源的价值就大大减弱了。”这只是现今哈佛大学正在讨论的部分问题。另一部分讨论来自崇尚武力的人，甚至还包括很多温和的学生。他们认为，大学应该成为我们理想和道德的捍卫者，因此不应该是“无为”的，而应该成为将国家的理想和行动结合起来的行动者。64如今，哈佛人似乎今非昔比，他们面临更多困惑，对自身的定位、政治的和学术的目标也没有当