大学英语四级阅读专项训练 学生版.doc

大学英语四级阅读专项训练1Until the 1980s, the American homeless population comprised mainly older males. Today, homelessness strikes much younger part of society. In fact, a 25-city survey by the U. S. Conference of Mayors in 1987 found that families with children make up the fastest growing part of the homeless population. Many homeless children gather in inner cities; this transient(变化无常的) and frequently frightened student population creates additional problems both legal and educational for already overburdened urban school administrators and teachers. Estimates of the number of homeless Americans range from 350,000 to three million. Likewise, estimates of the number of homeless school children vary radically. A U.S. Department of Education report, based on state estimates, states that there are 220,000 homeless school-age children, about a third of whom do not attend school on a regular basis, But the National Coalition for the Homeless estimates that there are at least two times as many homeless children, and that less than half of them attend school regularly.One part of the homeless population that is particularly difficult to count consists of the “throwaway” youths who have been cast of their homes. The Elementary School Center in New York City estimates that there are 1.5 million of them, many of whom are not counted as children because they do not stay in family shelters and tend to live by themselves on the streets.Federal law, the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, includes a section that addresses the educational needs of homeless children. The educational provisions of the McKinney Act are based on the belief that all homeless children have the right to a free, appropriate education.1. It is implied in the first paragraph that _.A) the writer himself is homeless, even in his eightiesB) many older homeless residents are going on strike in 25 citiesC) there is a serious shortage of academic facilitiesD) homeless children are denied the opportunity of receiving free education2. The National Coalition for the homeless believes that the number of homeless children is _.A) 350,000B) 1,500,000C) 440,000D) 110,0003. One part of the homeless population is difficult to estimate. The reason might well be _.A) the homeless children are too young to be counted as childrenB) the homeless population is growing rapidlyC) the homeless children usually stay outside schoolD) some homeless children are deserted by their families4. The McKinney Act is mentioned in this passage in order to show that _.A) the educational problems of homeless children are being recognizedB) the estimates on homeless children are hard to determineC) the address of grade-school children should be locatedD) all homeless people are entitled to free education5. The passage mainly deals with _.A) the legal problems of the homeless childrenB) the educational problems of homeless childrenC) the social status of older malesD) estimates on the homeless population2For any given task in Britain there are more men than are needed. Strong unions keep them there in Fleet Street, home of some Londons biggest dailies, it is understood that when two unions quarrel over three jobs, the argument is settled by giving each union two. Thru means 33 per cent over manning, 33 per cent less productivity than could be obtained. A reporter who has visited plants throughout Europe has an impression that the pace of work is much slower here. Nobody tries tm hard. Tea breaks do matter and are frequent. It is hard to measure intensity of work, but Britons give a distinct impression of going at their tasks in a more leisurely way. But is all this so terrible? It certainly does not improve the gross national product or output per worker. Those observant visitors, however, have noticed something else about Britain. It is a pleasant place. Street crowds in Stockholm. Paris and New York move quickly and silently heads down, all in a hurry. London crowds tend to walk at an easy pace (except in the profitable, efficient City, the financial district). Every stranger is struck by the patient and orderly way in which Britons queue for a bus; if the saleswoman is slow and out of stock she will likely say, oh dear, what a pity; the rubbish collectors stop to chat and call the housewives “Luv”. Crime rises here as in every city but there still remains a gentle tone and temper that is unmatched in Berlin, Milan or Detroit. It short, what is wrong with Britain may also be what is right. Having reached a tolerable standard, Britons appear to be choosing leisure over goods. 56. What happens when disputes over job opportunities arise among British unions? A) Thirty-three per cent of the workers will be out of work B) More people will be employed than necessary C) More jobs will be created by the government D) The unions will try to increase productivity. 57. What does the reporter who has visited plants throughout Europe think about Britain? A) Tea breaks do not affect the intensity of work in Britain B) Britons do their work in an unhurried sort of way C) The pace of work in Continental Europe is much slower than in Britain D) Britons give the impression of working intensively 58. “The breaks do matter” ( Para.2 Line 2) indicates that_ A) they are an important aspect of the British way of life B) they are greatly enjoyed by British workers C) they can be used by the workers as excuse to take time off from work D) they help the workers to be on good terms with each other 59. The word “this” (Para.3 Line.1) refers to the fact that_ A) there are more men on any given job than are needed B) 33 percent over manning leads to 33 per cent less productivity C) it is difficult to measure the intensity of work D) Britons generally do not want to work too hard 60. By “what is wrong with Britain may also be what is right” (Para.6, Line.1) the author means to say that_ A) quarrels between unions will help create jobs B) a leisurely way of life helps Britons increase productivity C) the gentle tone and temper of the people in Britain makes it a pleasant place D) Britons will not sacrifice their leisure to further in crease productivity3Baekeland and Hartmann report that the “short sleepers” had been more or less average in their sleep needs until the men were in their teens. But at about age 15 or so, the men voluntarily began cutting down their nightly sleep time because of pressures from school, work, and other activities. These men tended to view their nightly periods of unconsciousness as bothersome interruptions in their daily routines.In general, these “short sleeps” appeared ambitious, active, energetic, cheerful, conformist(不动摇) in their opinions, and very sure about their career choices. They often held several jobs at once, or workers full-or part-time while going to school. And many of them had a strong urge to appear “normal” or “acceptable” to their friends and associates.试就到考试大When asked to recall their dreams, the “short sleepers” did poorly. More than this, they seemed to prefer not remembering. In similar fashion, their usual way of dealing with psychological problems was to deny that the problem existed, and then to keep busy in the hope that the trouble would go away.The sleep patterns of the “short sleepers” were similar to, but less extreme than, sleep patterns shown by many mental patients categorized as manic(疯人).The “long sleepers” were quite different indeed. Baekeland and Hartmann report that these young men had been lengthy sleeps since childhood. They seemed to enjoy their sleep, protected it, and were quite concerned when they were occasionally deprived of their desired 9 hours of nightly bed rest. They tended to recall their dreams much better than did the “short sleepers.”Many of the “long sleepers” were shy, anxious, introverted (内向), inhibited (压抑), passive, mildly depressed, and unsure of themselves (particularly in social situations). Several openly states that sleep was an escape from their daily problems.1. According to the report,_.A) many short sleepers need less sleep by natureB) many short sleepers are obliged to reduce their nightly sleep time because they are busy with their workC) long sleepers sleep a longer period of time during the dayD) many long sleepers preserve their sleeping habit formed during their childhood2. Many “short sleepers” are likely to hold the view that _.A) sleep is a withdrawal from the realityB) sleep interferes with their sound judgementC) sleep is the least expensive item on their routine programD) sleep is the best way to deal with psychological troubles3. It is stated in the third paragraph that short sleepers _.A) are ideally vigorous even under the pressures of lifeB) often neglect the consequences of inadequate sleepC) do not know how to relax properlyD) are more unlikely to run into mental problems4. When sometimes they cannot enjoy adequate sleep, the long sleepers might _.A) appear disturbed B) become energeticC) feel dissatisfied D) be extremely depressed5. Which of the following is Not included in the passage?A) If one sleeps inadequately, his performance suffers and his memory is weakenedB) The sleep patterns of short sleepers are exactly the sane as those shown by many mental patientsC) Long and short sleepers differ in their attitudes towards sleepD) Short sleepers would be better off with more rest4The other day I heard a few local musicians talking: “I hate all the terrible pianos in this town. I hate that rubbish they play on the radio. They cant even understand a bit of music.” “Im never playing in that club again. Too many drunks and nobody listens to us.” But, one younger musician said, “There are a few clubs that book my band a few nights a month, and Im trying to find other places to play. Im also looking to book a few summer festivals this year.” Ive heard that you are the average of the five people whom you spend the most time with, or to put it another way, you are who your friends are. Attitudes are important. Whether theyre positive or negative, theyre rubbing off on you. If youre around people who complain about lack of work and about other musicians, or blame (责怪) others, and you play the role of victim (受害者), chances are you will start to as well. So its time to take a look at the people you call “friends”. This is an easy exercise: Make a list of the people who you hang out with, and simply stop spending time with the negative people on your list. Set a new standard (标准) for yourself and dont become friends with people who fall below that standard. Keep successful people around you and your own chances for success will be much better. Ask them how they do it. Ask if they will help you get the work youre looking for, or maybe give you some advice to help you on your career path. 1. Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?A. A friend in need is a friend indeedB. How to make friendship last for everC. You are who your friends areD. Friends are the most important in ones success2. The underlined sentence “theyre rubbing off on you” in Paragraph 6 means _.A. theyll push you aheadB. theyll influence you C. theyll cover your shortcomingsD. theyll help you achieve your goal3. The musicians words at the beginning are written mainly to show _.A. the musicians living conditions are quite poorB. people have poor taste in musicC. people have different attitudes towards the same thingD. young people have greater chances of succeeding4. By taking the exercise mentioned in Paragraph 7, you can _.A. improve a lot in making more friendsB. come to the right way of making friends C. develop a better relationship with your friendsD. arrange the time with your friends properly5. The passage is mainly written for _.A. musicians B. managers C. negative people D. people wanting to succeed5The Program-Federal Government Helps Minority BusinessFederal efforts to aid minority businesses began in the 1960s when the Small Business Administration (SBA) began making federally guaranteed loans and government-sponsored management and technical assistance available to minority business enterprises. While this program enabled many minority entrepreneurs to form new businesses, the results were disappointing, since managerial inexperience, unfavorable locations, and capital shortages led to high failure rates. Even 15 years after the program was implemented, minority business receipts were not quite two percent of the national economys total receipts.Recently federal policymakers have adopted an approach intended to accelerate development of the minority business sector by moving away from directly aiding small minority enterprises and toward supporting large, growth-oriented minority firms through intermediary companies. In this approach, large corporations participate in the development of successful and stable minority businesses by making use of government-sponsored venture capital. The capital is used by a participating company to establish a Minority Enterprise Small Businesses that have potential to become future suppliers of customers of the sponsoring company.MESBICs are the result of the belief that providing established firms with easier access to relevant management techniques and more job-specific experience, as well as substantial amounts of capital, gives those firms a greater opportunity to develop sound business foundations than does simply making general management experience and small amounts of capital available. Further, since potential markets for the minority businesses already exist through the sponsoring companies, the minority businesses face considerably less risk in terms of location and market fluctuation. Following early financial and operating problems, sponsoring corporations began to capitalize MESBICs far above the legal minimum of $500,000 in order to generate sufficient income and to sustain the quality of management needed. MESBICs are now emerging as increasingly important financing sources for minority enterprises.Ironically, MESBIC staffs, which usually consist of Hispanic and Black professionals, tend to approach investments in minority firms more pragmatically than do many MESBIC directors, who are usually senior managers from sponsoring corporations. The latter often still think mainly in terms of the social responsibility approach and thus seem to prefer deals that are riskier and less attractive than normal investment criteria would warrant. Such differences in viewpoint have produced uneasiness among many minority staff members, who feel that minority entrepreneurs and businesses should be judged by established business considerations. These staff members believe their point of view is closer to the original philosophy of MESBICs and they are concerned that, unless a more prudent course if followed, MESBIC directors may revert to policies likely to re-create the disappointing results of the original SBA approach.1. Which of the following best states the central idea of the passage?A The use of MESBICs for aiding minority entrepreneurs seems to have greater potential for success than does the original SBA approach.B There is a crucial difference in point of view between the staff and directors of some MESBICs.C After initial problems with management and marketing, minority businesses have begun to expand at a steady rate.D Minority entrepreneurs wishing to form new businesses now have several equally successful federal programs on which to rely.2. According to the passage, the MESBIC approach differ s from the SBA approach in that MESBICsA seek federal contracts to provide market for minority businesses.B Encourage minority businesses to provide markets for other minority businesses.C Attempt to maintain a specified rate of growth in the minority business sector.D Rely on the participation of large corporations to finance minority businesses.3. Which of the following statements about the SBA program can be inferred from the passage?A The maximum term for loans made to recipient businesses was 15 years.B Business loans were considered to be more useful to recipient businesses than was management and technical assistance.C The anticipated failure rate for recipient businesses was significantly lower than the rate that actually resulted.D Recipient businesses were encouraged to relocate to areas more favorable for business development.4. The author refers to the financial and operating problems encountered by MESBICs primarily in order toA broaden the scope of the discussion to include the legal considerations of funding MESBICs through sponsoring companies.B call attention to the fact that MESBICs must receive adequate funding in order to function effectively.C show that sponsoring companies were willing to invest only $500,000 of government-sponsored venture capital in the original MESBICs.D Compare SBA and MESBIC limits on minimum funding.5. It can be inferred from the passage that the attitude of some MESBIC staff member toward the investments preferred by some MESBIC directors can be best described asA disappointing. B Indifferent. C Shocked. D Defensive. 6When Christopher Columbus landed on the then unnamed Costa Rica in 1502, he saw many Indians wearing gold earrings. So he thought the land must be rich in gold. He nam