专四阅读理解练习1-10

专四阅读理解练习专四阅读理解练习 1 As many as one thousand years ago in the Southwest the Hopi and Zuni Indians of North America were building with adobe sun baked brick plastered with mud Their homes looked remarkably like modern apartment houses Some were four stories high and contained quarters for perhaps a thousand people along with store rooms for grain and other goods These buildings were usually put up against cliffs both to make construction easier and for defense against enemies They were really villages in themselves as later Spanish explorers must have realized since they called them pueblos which is Spanish for town The people of the pueblos raised what are called the three sisters corn beans and squash They made excellent pottery and wove marvelous baskets some so fine that they could hold water The Southwest has always been a dry country where water is scarce The Hopi and Zuni brought water from streams to their fields and gardens through irrigation ditches Water was so important that it played a major role in their religion They developed elaborate ceremonies and religious rituals to bring rain The way of life of less settled groups was simpler and more strongly influenced by nature Small tribes such as the Shoshone and Ute wandered the dry and mountainous lands between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean They gathered seeds and hunted small animals such as small rabbits and snakes In the Far North the ancestors of today s Inuit hunted seals walruses and the great whales They lived right on the frozen seas in shelters called igloos built of blocks of packed snow When summer came they fished for salmon and hunted the lordly caribou The Cheyenne Pawnee and Sioux tribes known as the Plains Indians lived on the grasslands between the Rocky Mountains and the Mississippi River They hunted bison commonly called the buffalo Its meat was the chief food of these tribes and its hide was used to make their clothing and covering of their tents and tipis 1 What does the passage mainly discuss A The architecture of early American Indian buildings B The movement of American Indians across North America C Ceremonies and rituals of American Indians D The way of life of American Indian tribes in early North America 2 It can be inferred from the passage that the dwellings of the Hopi and Zuni were A very small B highly advanced C difficult to defend D quickly constructed 答案 答案 答案 1 D 根据阅读短文可知 作者主要描述了北美地区不同印第安部落的不同的生活方式 故选项 D 为正 确答案 2 B 此题为推断题 根据文章第一段可知 早在一千年前 Hopi 和 Zuni 两支北美印第安部落就用一种 砖坯 adobe 来建造房屋 高可达四层楼高 有居住室还有储藏室 颇像现代的公寓 故选项 B 高度 发达 为正确答案 专四阅读理解练习专四阅读理解练习 2 Human beings have used tools for a very long time In some parts of the world you can still find tools that people used more than two million years ago They made these tools by hitting one stone against another In this way they broke off pieces from one of the stones These chips of stone were usually sharp on one side People used them for cutting meat and skin from dead animals and also for making other tools out of wood Human beings needed to use tools because they did not have sharp teeth like other meat eating animals such as lions and tigers Tools helped people to get food more easily Working with tools also helped to develop human intelligence The human brain grew bigger and human beings began to invent more and more tools and machines The stone chip was one of the first tools that people used and perhaps it is the most important Some scientists say that it was the key to success of mankind 1 The stone chip is thought to be the most important tool because it A was one of the first tools B developed human capabilities C led to the invention of machines D was crucial to the development of mankind 2 At the end of the passage the author seems to suggest that life in future is A disastrous B unpredictable C exciting D colorful 答案 答案 答案 1 D 这是一道细节题 根据文章第二段尾句 Some scientists say that it was the key to the success of mankind 可知 stone chip 对于人类的发展起到了非常重要的作用 这与 D 正好相符 2 B 在文章最后一段中作者说人类在过去的几百万年时间 里一直使用 stone chip 人类社会发生的变化很小 而我们使用 silicon chips 才不过几年 生活却发生了巨大的变化 于是作者发出了疑问 二十年后的生活会是什么样子的呢 二百万年后的世界又会是什么样子呢 表明将来的生活无法预料 这与选项 B 相符 专四阅读理解练习专四阅读理解练习 3 Glacier National Park in Montana shares boundaries with Canada an American Indian reservation and a national forest Along the North Fork of the Flathead River the park also borders about 17 000 acres of private lands that are currently used for ranching timber and agriculture This land is an important part of the habitat and migratory routes for several endangered species that frequent the park These private lands are essentially the only ones available for development in the region With encouragement from the park local landowners initiated a land use planning effort to guide the future of the North Fork The park is a partner in an inter local agreement that calls for resource managing agencies to work together and with the more than 400 private owners in the area A draft plan has been prepared with objective of maintaining traditional economic uses but limiting new development that would damage park resources Voluntary action by landowners in cooperation with the park and the county is helping to restrict small lot subdivisions maintain wildlife corridors and minimize any harmful impact on the environment The willingness of local landowners to participate in this protection effort may have been stimulated by concerns that congress would impose a legislative solution Nevertheless many local residents want to retain the existing character of the area Meetings between park officials and landowners have led to a dramatically improved understanding of all concerns 1 The passage mainly discusses A the endangered species in Glacier National Park B the protection of lands surrounding Glacier National Park C conservation laws imposed by the state of Montana D conservation laws imposed by Congress 2 Why are the private lands surrounding Glacier National Park so important A They function as a hunting preserve B They are restricted to government use C They are heavily populated D They contain natural habitats of threatened species 3 The relationship between park officials and neighboring landowners may best be described as A indifferent B intimate C cooperative D disappointing 4 It can be inferred from the passage that a major interest of the officials of Glacier National Park is to A limit land development around the park B establish a new park in Montana C influence national legislation D settle border disputes with Canada 填空答案 答案 答案 1 B 这是一道主旨题 通过阅读文章可知 为了保护冰川国家公园的濒危物种和资源 公园当局和地这是一道主旨题 通过阅读文章可知 为了保护冰川国家公园的濒危物种和资源 公园当局和地 方土地所有者制订了限制土地使用计划 故答案为方土地所有者制订了限制土地使用计划 故答案为 B 2 D 这是一道细节题 根据第一段第三句这是一道细节题 根据第一段第三句 This land is an important part of the habitat and migratory routes for several endangered species that frequent the park 这 这 片土地是非常重要的 因为这里是几种经常光顾此公园的濒危物种的栖息地和迁徙路线 可知选项片土地是非常重要的 因为这里是几种经常光顾此公园的濒危物种的栖息地和迁徙路线 可知选项 D 为正确答案 为正确答案 3 C 根据第二段可知 公园当局和地方土地所有者密切合作来保护资源 因此他们的关系是根据第二段可知 公园当局和地方土地所有者密切合作来保护资源 因此他们的关系是 cooperative 合作性的合作性的 4 A 这是一道推理题 根据第二段第三句和阅读全文 我们很容易就可以得到这样一个信息 为了保这是一道推理题 根据第二段第三句和阅读全文 我们很容易就可以得到这样一个信息 为了保 护自然资源和濒危物种 公园管理者限制那些会破坏资源的土地开发 因此选项护自然资源和濒危物种 公园管理者限制那些会破坏资源的土地开发 因此选项 A 为正确答案 为正确答案 专四阅读理解练习专四阅读理解练习 4 About 5 000 years ago the Egyptians and other people in the Near East began to use pictures as kind of writing They drew simple pictures or signs to represent things and ideas and also to represent the sounds of their language The signs these people used became a kind of alphabet The Egyptians used to record information and to tell stories by putting picture writing and pictures together When an important person died scenes and stories from his life were painted and carved on the walls of the place where he was buried Some of these pictures are like modern comic strip stories It has been said that Egypt is the home of the comic strip But for the Egyptians pictures still had magic power So they did not try to make their way of writing simple The ordinary people could not understand it By the year 1 000 BC people who lived in the area around the Mediterranean Sea had developed a simpler system of writing The signs they used were very easy to write and there were fewer of them than in the Egyptian system This was because each sign or letter represented only one sound in their language The Greeks developed this system and formed the letters of the Greek alphabet The Romans copied the idea and the Roman alphabet is now used all over the world These days we can write down a story or record information without using pictures But we still need pictures of all kinds drawing photographs signs and diagrams We find them everywhere in books and newspapers in the street and on the walls of the places where we live and work Pictures help us to understand and remember things more easily and they can make a story much more interesting 1 Pictures of animals were painted on the walls of caves in France and Spain because A the hunters wanted to see the pictures B the painters were animal lovers C the painters wanted to show imagination D the pictures were thought to be helpful 2 The Greek alphabet was simpler than the Egyptian system for all the following reasons EXCEPT that A the former was easy to write B there were fewer signs in the former C the former was easy to pronounce D each sign stood for only one sound 3 Which of the following statements is TRUE A The Egyptian signs later became a particular alphabet B The Egyptians liked to write comic strip stories C The Roman alphabet was developed from the Egyptian one D The Greeks copied their writing system from the Egyptians 4 In the last paragraph the author thinks that pictures A should be made comprehensible B should be made interesting C are of much use in our life D have disappeared from our life 1 D 根据文章第一段第五行 Perhaps the painters thought that their pictures would help them to catch these animals 可知古代人以为在墙上画画会对他们有所帮助 故选项 D 为正确答案 2 C 在做此类题时要注意题干的要求 通过阅读文章第四段很清楚就知道选项 C 前者容易发音 在文 中没有提及 故为正确答案 3 A 可用排除法来做本题 通过阅读文章很清楚选项 B 和 D 为错误陈述 选项 C 罗马字母是从埃及 字母发展而来的 根据文章第四段第四 五句可知为错误论述 因此只有选项 A 为正确答案 4 C 文章最后一段讲述了图画在今天的用途 故选项 C 为正确答案 专四阅读理解练习专四阅读理解练习 5 There are many theories about the beginning of drama in ancient Greece The one most widely accepted today is based on the assumption that drama evolved from ritual The argument for this view goes as follows In the beginning human beings viewed the natural forces of the world even the seasonal changes as unpredictable and they sought through various means to control these unknown and feared powers Those measures which appeared to bring the desired results were then retained and repeated until they hardened into fixed rituals Eventually stories arose which explained or veiled the mysteries of the rites As time passed some rituals were abandoned but the stories later called myths persisted and provided material for art and drama Those who believed that drama evolved out of ritual also argue that those rites contained the seed of theater because music dance masks and costumes were almost always used Furthermore a suitable site had to be provided for performances and when the entire community did not participate a clear division was usually made between the acting area and the auditorium In addition there were performers and since considerable importance was attached to avoiding mistakes in the enactment of rites religious leaders usually assumed that task Wearing masks and costumes they often impersonated other people animals or supernatural beings and mimed the desired effect success in hunt or battle the coming rain the revival of the Sun as an actor might Eventually such dramatic representations were separated from religious activities Another theory traces the theater s origin from the human interest in storytelling According to this view tales about the hunt war or other feats are gradually elaborated at first through the use of impersonation action and dialogue by a narrator and then through the assumption of each of the roles by a different person A closely related theory traces theater to those dances that are primarily rhythmical and gymnastic or that are imitations of animal movements and sounds 1 What does the passage mainly discuss A The origins of theater B The role of ritual in modern dance C The importance of storytelling D The variety of early religious activities 2 What aspect of drama does the author discuss in the first paragraph A The reason drama is often unpredictable B The seasons in which dramas were performed C The connection between myths and dramatic plots D The importance of costumes in early drama 3 Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a common element of theater and ritual A Dance B Costumes C Music D Magic 4 According to the passage what is the main difference between ritual and drama A Ritual uses music whereas drama does not B Ritual is shorter than drama C Ritual requires fewer performers than drama D Ritual has a religious purpose and drama does not 5 The passage supports which of the following statements A No one really knows how the theater began B Myths are no longer represented dramatically C Storytelling is an important part of dance D Dramatic activities require the use of costumes 1 A 这是一道主旨题 根据文章第一句 There are many theories about the beginning of drama in ancient Greece 及第三段第一句 Another theory traces the theater s origin from the human interest in storytelling 可知本文是讨论戏剧的起源的 故选项 A 为正确答案 2 C 这也是一道主旨题 本题可用排除法来做 通过阅读第一段 首先很明显可将选项 B 和 D 排除 选项 A 戏剧无法预测的原因 也不正确 故只有选项 C 神话与戏剧情节的联系 为正确答案 3 D 这是一道细节题 在做本题时要注意题干中的 NOT 通过阅读文章很明显选项 D Magic 为正确 答案 4 D 根据文章第二段可知尽管有人说戏剧起源于宗教仪式 但是它们还是有区别的 例如 戏剧演出 performances 要有合适的演出地点 戏剧表演时 表演区 acting area 和 观看区 auditorium 有明显的分界线 另外表演戏剧还要有演员 而宗教仪式在进行过程中为了避免犯错误 都是由宗教领袖来进行 由他们戴上面具 穿上服装来模仿其他人 动物或超自然的东西 做出一些动 作以求达到一些目的 例如 在打猎或战斗中取得胜利 祈雨等 由此可判断宗教仪式都有一定的宗教 目的 而戏剧却没有 这正符合选项 D 5 A 通过阅读文章可知 选项 A 为正确答案 专四阅读理解练习专四阅读理解练习 6 Certainly no creature in the sea is odder than the common sea cucumber All living creature especially human beings have their peculiarities but everything about the little sea cucumber seems unusual What else can be said about a bizarre animal that among other eccentricities eats mud feeds almost continuously day and night but can live without eating for long periods and can be poisonous but is considered supremely edible by gourmets For some fifty million years despite all its eccentricities the sea cucumber has subsisted on its diet of mud It is adaptable enough to live attached to rocks by its tube feet under rocks in shallow water or on the surface of mud flats Common in cool water on both Atlantic and Pacific shores it has the ability to suck up mud or sand and digest whatever nutrients are present Sea cucumbers come in a variety of colors ranging from black to reddish brown to sand color and nearly white One form even has vivid purple tentacles Usually the creatures are cucumber shaped hence their name and because they are typically rock inhabitants this shape combined with flexibility enables them to squeeze into crevices where they are safe from predators and ocean currents Although they have voracious appetites eating day and night sea cucumbers have the capacity to become quiescent and live at a low metabolic rate feeding sparingly or not at all for long periods so that the marine organisms that provide their food have a chance to multiply If it were not for this faculty they would devour all the food available in a short time and would probably starve themselves out of existence But the most spectacular thing about the sea cucumber is the way it defends itself Its major enemies are fish and crabs when attacked it squirts all its internal organs into water It also casts off attached structures such as tentacles The sea cucumber will eviscerate and regenerate itself if it is attacked or even touched it will do the same if the surrounding water temperature is too high or if the water becomes too polluted 1 According to the passage why is the shape of sea cucumbers important A It helps them to digest their food B It helps them to protect themselves from danger C It makes it easier for them to move through the mud D It makes them attractive to fish 2 The fourth paragraph of the passage primarily discusses A the reproduction of sea cucumbers B the food sources of sea cucumbers C the eating habits of sea cucumbers D threats to sea cucumbers existence 3 What can be inferred about the defence mechanisms of the sea cucumber A They are very sensitive to surrounding stimuli B They are almost useless C They require group cooperation D They are similar to those of most sea creatures 4 Which of the following would NOT cause a sea cucumber to release its internal organs into the water A A touch B Food C Unusually warm water D Pollution 1 B 通过阅读文章可以排除选项 A C D 因为文中没有提及 故选项 B 为正确答案 2 C 此题为段落主旨题 通过阅读第四段可知作者都是讲述海参的进食习惯 故选项 C 为正确答案 3 A 此题为推论题 根据最后一段可知海参在受到外界刺激时 会做出一定的反应 这也反映出它的 防御机制非常敏感 故 A 为正确答案 4 B 此题为细节题 根据最后一段可知惟有 food 不会使海参将体内器官吐出来 故其为正确答案 专四阅读理解练习专四阅读理解练习 7 Municipal sewage is of relatively recent origin as a pollutant It was first brought to public attention in the 19th century by a London physician who showed that the city s cholera outbreak had been caused by just one contaminated well Even though the contamination of drinking water by disease germs has been nearly eliminated in this country hundreds of communities are still discharging raw sewage into streams and rivers When we consider that this sewage contains effluents from toilets hospitals laundries industrial plants etc then the potential of the pollutants as a health hazard is apparent The problem of municipal sewage disposal is complicated by the fact that years ago mostcities combined their storm and waste disposal sewers Many of these combined systems work well but others cannot cope with sudden heavy rains When such storms occur water mixed with sewage may flood and disable treatment plants unless bypassed untreated into a stream In either case the people may have little protec