专四泛读材料4范文

专四泛读材料4范文 13I cameacross anold countryguide theother day.It listedall thetradesmen ineach villagein mypart of the country,and it was impressiveto seethe greatvariety ofservices whichwere availableon ones owndoorstep in the lateVictorian countryside.Nowadays asuperficial travelerin ruralEng1and mightconclude that the onlyvillage tradesmenstill flourishingwere eitherselling frozenfood to the inhabitantsor sellingantiques tovisitors.Nevertheless,this wouldreally be a falseimpression.Admittedly therehas beena contractionof villagemerce,bul itsvigor isstill remarkable.Our localgrocers shop,for example,is actuallyexpanding inspite of the petitionfrom supermarkets in thenearest town.Women sensiblyprefer to go thereand exchangethe localnews whi1e doingtheir shopping,instead ofqueueing upanonymously ata supermarket.And theproprietor knowswell thatpersona1service has a substantialcash value.His Pricesmay be a bithigher thanthose in the town,bu he will deliveranything at any time.His assistantsthink nothingof bicyclingdown the village streetin theirlunch hourto takea piece of cheeseto anold agepensioner whosent herorder byword ofmouth with a friendwho happenedto bepassing.The moreaffluent customerstelephone theirshopping lists and thegoods areon theirdoorsteps within an hour.They haveonly tohint ata fancyfor somemodity outsidethe usualstock and the grocera red-faced figure,instantly obtainsit for them.The villagegains fromthis sortof enterprise,of course.But Ialso findit satisfactorybecause avillage shopoffers oneof thefew waysin whicha modestindividualist canstill get along in the worldwithout attachinghimself to the bigbattalions ofindustry ormerce.Most of the village shopkeepers Iknow,atanyrate,are decidedlyindividualist in their ways.For example,our shoemakeris aformidable figure:a thick-set,irritable manwhom childrentreat withmarked respect,knowing thatan ill-judged wordcan provokean angryeruption atany time.He stareswith contemptat thepairs ofcheap,mass-produced shoestaken tohim forrepair:has ite tothis,he seemsto besaying,that he,a craftsman,should have to wastehis skillsupon suchtrash?But weall knowhewillin factdo excellentwork upon them.And hemakes beautifulshoes forthose whocan affordsuch luxury.1.The servicesavailable invillages nowadays are normally_.(A)fewer butstill veryactive(B)less suessfulthan earlierbut managingto survive(C)active inproviding foodfor the village and tourists(D)surprisingly energetionsidering the little demand for them2.The localgrocers shopis expandingeven though_.(A)town shopsare moreattractive(B)town shopsare largerand lesswell-known(C)people liketo shopwhere they are lesswell-known(D)people getextra servicein townshops3.How dothevillagegrocers assistantsfeel aboutdelivering goods?(A)They tendto forgetit.(B)They willnot considerit.(C)They takeit forgranted.(D)It does not seemworth theirwhile4.Another aspectof personalservice availablein thevillageshopis that_.(A)there is a widerange ofgoos available(B)goods notin stockcan beobtained whenever they areneeded(C)special attentionis givento theneeds ofwealthier customers(D)goods arealways restockedbefore theyrun out5.In whatway is thevillageshoemaker a“formidable figure”?(A)He seemsto paylittle attention to publicopinion.(B)He refusesto mendcheap,mass-produced shoes.(C)He has a veryrough temper.(D)He hasvery highstandards ofworkmanship.14Drivers on the Basingstokeby-pass usedto havetheir attentiondiverted by a signthat readA MOMENTS INATTENTIONCAUSES ACCIDENTS.This self-defeating warninghas nowbeen removed,but itsmessage isstill verymuch to the point.Almost anytingcan causean aident.Apart frommomentary inattention,it might be aminor miscalculation,a suddenfit ofcoughing,a bopon thehead witha teddy-bear froma childin theback seat,an argumentwith thewife,fog,falling asleepat thewheel,bad eyesight,a glaringsun,ice,rain,wind,or snowa1l thesecan make the differencebetween atragic hitand alucky miss.Although human error plays its part,it isby nomeans theonly cause of aidends.There must be somecause other than simplehumanerror.Road constructionplaysitspart:researchers havefound that it isnot at the obviousdanger spotsharp corners,cross-roads,narrow lanesthat aidentshappen.It ison thoseroads where there aresubtle visualtraps,unexpected changesin theshape orsurface of the.road,or eveninsufficient orbadly-placed signs.Wherever there is ablack spot,it meansthat somethingis seriouslywrong with the road.Why elsedid thecareless drivingof somany eout at that particularspot?What thelaw requireswhen you have an aident There are,firstly thelegal formalitiesof exchangingnames andaddresses withothers involved in an aident and,in certaincases,informing the police.However,you arerequired bylaw tostop afteran aidentonly if:l Somebodyotherthanyourself inor outsideyour carhas been injured.2A vehiclenot your own has been damaged.3Any horse,cow,donkey,sheep,or doghas beeninjured.It hasbeen saidthat ifa drivercontinues unawareof causinginjury hemustbe acquitted.But thecourts arewary ofthat excuse.Furthermore,the driverhimself mustwait at the scene;it isnot enoughfor himto leavehis chauffeuror afriend toattend to the boringformalities whilehe goesoff onmore importantbusiness.If you have beeninvolved inanaidentand havestopped,you mustgive yourname,address,and registrationnumber toanyone whohas a good reason for requestingit;this meansanyone affectedby the aident.If theseformalities areplied withit isnot necessaryto wait for thearrival of the police.It is,however,often wiseto do so.The policeare expertat drawingplans,taking measurementsand photographsand gatheringother evidence.In yourabsence the police could be givena biasedstory againstyou;and youyourself mighwam topoint outcertain featuresof theaident tothe police.6.A MOMENTS INATTENTIONCAUSES ACCIDENTS(para.l)is aself defeatingWarning because_.(A)it willmake adriver waitatthescene(B)it willdistract the drivers attention(C)it is too difficultto understand(D)it is too longto beread bydrivers7.Aording tothe passage,which of the followingstatements istrue?(A)After anaident you have to give yourname toanyone whoasks forit.(B)Drivers onthe Basingstokeby-pass usedto ignorethe sign.(C)Road constructionproblems can be amajor causeof aidents.(D)Ablack spotisapart of the roadwherethere are nosigns.8.Subtle visualtraps(para.3)are_.(A)places wherethepolicehide inorder totrap motorists(B)parts of the roadwhich aredeceptive tothedrivers eye(C)danger spotssuch assharp cornersand cross-roads(D)places wherethereareman road-signs9.As requiredby thelaw,you muststop afteranaident,if_.(A)you have beeninjuredby somebody.(B)your carhasbeendamaged.(C)you haveinjured somebodyelse(D)you havewitnessed theaident l0.After anaident it is remended that youwaitfor thepolicebecause_.(A)it isagainst thelaw todrive off(B)they haveto examineyour licenceand insurancecertificate(C)they haveto notothe positionof yourcar(D)somebody maygive them a falseaount of theaident15Just asword oilscarcity isalready causingintemational conflicts,so willthe scarcityof waterreach apoint wherewars willbreak out.The statisticson waterare alreadyscary.Already wellover l billion peoplesuffer fromwater shortagesand30countries getmore than a thirdof theirwater fromoutside theirbordersan obvioussource ofdisputes andinstability especiallyas theclimate changes.The wholeof thesub-Saharan Africa,most ofSouth Asiaand westernSouth Americaare mostat risk.The reason:the rapidmelting ofglaciers dueto globalwarning.At themeeting ofthe coalitionof27Intemaional charitieslast month,Gareth Thomas,minister ofIntenatonal DevelopmentoftheBritish government,wrote toprime ministerGordon Browndemanding actionto ensurefresh water to1.1billion people with poorsupplies.If wedo notact now,the realityis thatwater suppliesmay beethe subjectof internationalconflict in the yearsahead.We need to investnow to prevent ushaving topay thatprice in the future,Thomas said.The departmentwarned thattwo-thirds ofthewords population will livein water-stressed countriesby2025.The coalitionof charitieshas appealedfor aglobal effortto bringrunning water tothe developing world and supplysanitation toa further2.6billion people.It saidthat international investment isneeded nowtoprevent petition for watertodestabilize munitiesand escalate into conflicts.Tackling thewater andsanitation crisisis essentialif theMillennium DevelopmentGoal Callto Actionisto beasuess.Otherwise,progress on health,education,and environment sustainability willbe undermined.Each year443million schooldaysarelost globallyto diarrheaand1.8million childrendie fromthese diseases.In fact,it isoften notrealized thainvesting insanitation and water brillgsthe greatestpublic healthgains,more than any othersingle developmentintervention anddelivers enormouseconomic gains.Already,some Asiancountries haveput tacklingthese issuesattheforefront of theirdevelopment efforts.The MillenniumDevelopment Goalsaim tohalve theproportion ofpeople withoutaess tosafe drinkingwater by20l5.To achievethat urgentaction needsto betaken.There isno doubtthat climatechange ispotentially the most importantfactor affectingwater shortage.This,pounded witha growingand increasinglyurbanized globalpopulationwillput pressureon foodandwater.For atemperature riseof2C,which islikely tohappen by2050,there would beacatastrophic2to3billion peoplesuffering fromwater stress.11.What doesthe authorthink isprimarily responsiblefor water shortages in the world?(A)Climate chance.(B)Border dispute.(C)World petition.(D)Political instability12.Aording toGareth Thomas,_is theprice wehavetopay forwater shortageif wedo nottake immediateaction.(A)sanitation crisis(B)intemational conflict(C)global warming(D)over-urbanization13.What canthe coalitionof charitiesdo topreventpetitionforwater?(A)Appealing forinternationalinvestment.(B)Bringing runningwatertothedevelopingworld.(C)Supplying sanitationto billionsof water-stressed people.(D)Enhancing worldenvironment sustainability13.The MillenniumDevelopment Goalsaim to_in thenear future.(A)tackle thewater andsanitation crisis(B)yield economicgains aswell aspublic healthgains(C)mak progressonhealth,education andenvironmentsustainability(D)provide morepeoplewithclean drinkingwater15.Aording tothe passage,what will add towatershortage?(A)Oil scarcity.(B)A dropin temperature(C)A growingpopulation.(D)Reduced foodsupply16Parenting wasnever apiece ofcake inany age,but probablythe greatestsource of headache forparents todayin Japanistheubiquitous cellphone.Today,96percent ofsenior highschool studentsand58percent ofjunior highschool studentshave cellphones.Even amongprimary schoolchildren,3l percenthave them.By enablingyoungsters to stay connectedwith theirparents atall times,these gadgetshelp tokeep childrensafe.For thekids,theyarefun toys,too,that letthem textto orchat with their palswhenevertheywat,play Intemetgames,and enjoyblogging for their ownprofile anddiary purposes.But terribledangers lurkbeneath all that funand convenience.Every yearabout l,000children beeinvolvedinrape andother crimesthrough datingservice sites.Violent andobscene imagesare onlya coupleof clicksaway.On gakkourasaito,or so-called unofficial school websiteswhere kidscan postwhatever theywant,anyone canfall victimto brutalverbal moblynchingby theirpeers.Amid todays urgentneed toaddress theseproblems,the governments Meetingon EducationRebuilding hasissued areport.In responsetothePrime Ministers recentments-“I carmot think ofone goodreason for(letting youngsters)have acellphoneandI wouldlike everyoo discusswhether cellphonesare reallynecessary:-the reportremendedthatparents,guardians,schools andall partiesconcerned shouldcooperate amongthemselves,so thatelementary schoolpupils andjunior highschool studentsdo not have acellphone unlessthere isa pellingreasonforthem to doso.But sincemany parentsbelieve inthe necessityof cellphonesas asafety tool,it isunrealistic toexpect everyoo doaway with them.Rather,it wouldmake moresense forguardians,schools andcellphone paniesto consider,from theirrespective standpoints,how cellphonesshould beused bychildren.We suggest that parentssit downwiththeiroffspring andtalk about their“houserules”for cellphone use.For instance,sct thehours allowed,so thekids wontbetexting totheir friendslateintothe night,remind themnever togive awaypersonal informationonline,and soon.But thereare limitsto whatindividual familiescan do,and thisis wherewe alsosuggestthatschools shouldeducate their pupils onthe dangers of cellphone use.One way togoabout this,for instance,may befor eachclass toset its own ruleson sendinge-mail messages.16.The wordubiquitous(para.l)is closestin meaningto_.(A)updated(B)sophisticated(C)prevalent(D)obsolete17.Many parentslet their kids havecellphones becausethey_.(A)want their kids tokeep upwiththeIT World(B)cantthinkof anythingbetter fortheir kidsto havefun(C)dont wanttheirkidsto misswhat otherkids have(D)believe cellphonesendble themtostayconnected18.Which ofthe followingis NOTthe potentialrisk kidsmay facewhen usingcellphones?(A)Involvement inrape-related crime(B)Exposure toviolent andobscene images(C)Falling victimto brutalcurses.(D)Being trackeddown byunofficialschoolwebsites.19.The reportissued by the governments Meetingon EducationRebuilding_.(A)remended minimizingthe useof cellphonesamong kids(B)suggested setting“house rules”for cellphoneuse(C)urged parentsto remindtheir childrenabout ce1lphoneuse(D)pressed schoolsto educatetheirpupilsonthedangersofcellphoneuse20.What isthe mainidea ofthe passage?(A)Parents neglectto protecttheirkidsfrom cellphones.(B)Parenting withcellphones isa sourceofheadache.(C)Cellphones shouldbe bannedfrom campus.(D)Kids needlessons onthe usesof cellphones17Extract IA stylishdining room with creamwalls andcurtains andblack carpetas perfectfoil toan eclecticarray offurniture.Many ofthe piecesare classicsoftheirparticular era,and demonstratehow old and newdesigns canbe happilymixed togetherThc prototypechair inthe foregroundhas yetto proveits stayingpower andwas thoughtup by the flats oupant.He ispictured inhis livingroom whichhas the same decorativetheme andis linkedtothe dining roombyahigh Medieval-styled archwaywhere wasonce aredundant anduninspiring fireplace.Extract2Old bathroomsoften containa greatdeal ofugly pipeworkin needof disguising.This caneither bedone byboxing inthe exposed pipes,or byfitting woodpaneling over them.As woodpaneling canbe securedover almostanyting-including oidceramic tilesand chippedwalls-is aneffective wayof disguisingpipework aswell asbeing anattractive formof decoration.The panelingcanbevertical,horizontal ordiagonal.An alternativewaytoapproach theproblem ofexposedpipesistoactually makethemafeature ofthe roomby pickingthe pipeworkout inbright strongcolours.Extract3Cooking takessecond placein thischarming roomwhich,with itsdeep armchairs,is moreof asitting roomthan akitohen,andth6ntw RaybUmstove asagoodchoice,as itblends inwell withthe oldbrick andbeamed fireplace.Thereare no fittedunits orbuilt-in appliances,so allfood preparationis doneatthebig farmbousetable inthe foreground;and thechina,pots andpans havebeen deliberatelyleft onshow tomake anattractive display.What about the kitchensink?Its hiddenaway behindan archwaywhich leadsinto asmall scullery.Here theresasecond cookerand-inthe best farmhousetradition-a hugewalk-in larderfor allfood storage.2l.Why isthe colourofthecarpet described in Extract laparticular advantage?(A)It livensup thecolour inan otherwisedull room.(B)It providesa contrasttothefurniture.(C)It blendsin withthe tonesofthefurniture.(D)It givesthe rooma classicalstyle.22.What isthe purposeofthearchway described in Extract1?(A)To hidean unattractivefireplace.(B)To givethe rooman exoticeastem style.(C)To jointhediningroomwiththe sittingroom(D)To makeroom forthe unusualseating arrangements.23.Extract2is probablytaken from_.(A)an architects blueprint(B)a plumbers manual(C)a homerenovation magazine(D)an advertisementfor newbathrooms24.Extracts2and3deal with_.(A)oldandclassic furniture(B)attractive colourschemes(C)cheap improvementschemes(D)home decoration25.Compared withExtractlthe roomdescribedinExtract3appears to_.(A)be morefortable(B)be morecolourful(C)contain morefurniture(D)posspss agreater varietyof style18Large partsofthe world havenot enjoyedthe remarkaleglobal progressin healthconditions thathave takenplace overthe past century.Indeed,millions ofdeaths in impoverished nationsare avoidablewith prevention and treatmentoptions thatthe richworld alreadyuses.This year,l0million childrenwill diein low-and middle-ine countries.If childdeath rateswere thesame asthose in developed countriesthis figuerwould belower than1million.Conversely,if childdeath rateswere thoseof richcountries just100years ago,the figurewould be30million.Todays toolsfor improvinghealth areso powerfuland inexpensivethat healthconditions couldbe reasonablygood evenin poorcountries ifpolicy makersspent evenrelatively littleintheright places.Recent researchfortheCopeghagen Consensusidenifies severalhighly cost-effective optionsthat wouldtackle someoftheplas mosturgent healthproblems.The mostpromising investmentis intuberculosis treatment.Some90percent ofthel.6million tuberculosisdeaths inxxourred in low-and middle-ine countries.Because tuberculosisaffects working-age people,it canbeatrigger ofhousehold poverty.The erstoneof controlis prompttreatment usingfirst-line drugs,which doesnt requirea sophisticatedhealth system.Spending$l billionon tuberculosistreatment ina yearwould savel millionlives.Because goodhealth aompanieshigher levelsof nationaleconomic welfareinthelong run,the economic benefits areworth$30billion.The secondmost cost-effective investmentis tacklinghewt disease.Heart diseasemigh notseem likea pressingissue forpoor nations,but itrepresents more thanaquarter oftheir deathtoll.Measur