英语四级课程-阅读(徐磊)-讲义

In the 1960s, medical researchers Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe developed a checklist of stressful events. They appreciated the tricky point that any major change can be stressful. Negative events like “serious illness of a family member” were high on the list, but so were some positive life-changing events, like marriage. When you take the Holmes-Rahe test you must remember that the score does not reflect how you deal with stressit only shows how much you have to deal with. And we now know that the way you handle these events dramatically affects your chances of staying healthy. By the early 1970s, hundreds of similar studies had followed Holmes and Rahe. And millions of Americans who work and live under stress worried over the reports. Somehow the research got boiled down to a memorable message. Womens magazines ran headlines like “Stress causes illness” If you want to stay physically and mentally healthy, the articles said avoid stressful events. But such simplistic advice is impossible to follow. Even if stressful events are dangerous manylike the death of a loved oneare impossible to avoid. Moreover, any warning to avoid all stressful events is a prescription (处方) for staying away from opportunities as well as trouble. Since any change can be stressful, a person who wanted to be completely free of stress would never marry, have a child, take a new job or move. The notion that all stress makes you sick also ignores a lot of what we know about people. It assumes were all vulnerable (脆弱的) and passive in the face of adversity (逆境). But what about human initiative and creativity Many come through periods of stress with more physical and mental vigor than they had before. We also know that a long time without change or challenge can lead to boredom, and physical and mental strain. 21. The result of Holmes-Rahes medical research tells us _ . A the way you handle major events may cause stress B what should be done to avoid stress C what kind of event would cause stress D how to cope with sudden changes in life 22. The studies on stress in the early 1970s led to _ . A widespread concern over its harmful effects B great panic over the mental disorder it could cause C an intensive research into stress-related illnesses D popular avoidance of stressful jobs23. The score of the Holmes-Rahe test shows _ . A how much pressure you are under B how positive events can change you life C how stressful a major event can be D how you can deal with life-changing events24. Why is “such simplistic advice” Line 1Para.3 impossible to follow A No one can stay on the same job for long B No prescription is effective in relieving stress C People have to get married someday D You could be missing opportunities as well 25. According to the passage people who have experienced ups and downs may become _ . A nervous when faced with difficulties B physically and mentally strained C more capable of coping with adversity D indifferent toward what happens to themPsychiatrists （精神病专家) who work with older parents say that maturity can be an asset in child rearing - older parents are more thoughtful, use less physical discipline and spend more time with their children. But raising kids takes money and energy. Many older parents find themselves balancing their limited financial resources, declining energy and failing health against the growing demands of an active child. Dying and leaving young children is probably the older parents biggest, and often unspoken, fear. Having late-life children, says an economics professor. often means parents, particularly fathers, end up retiring much later. For many, retirement becomes an unobtainable dream.Henry Metcalf. a 54-year-old journalist, knows it takes money to raise kids. But hes also worried that his energy will give out first. Sure, he can still ride bikes with his athletic fifth grader, but hes learned that young at heart doesnt mean young. Lately hes been taking afternoon naps (午睡) to keep up his energy. My body is aging, says Metcalf. You cant get away from that.Often, older parents hear the ticking of another kind of biological clock. Therapists who work with middle-aged and older parents say fears about aging are nothing to laugh at. They worry theyll be mistaken for grandparents, or that theyll need help getting up out of those little chairs in nursery school, says Joann Galst, a New York psychologist. But at the core of those little fears there is often a much bigger one: that they wont be alive long enough to support and protect their child, she says.Many late-life parents, though, say their children came at just the right time. After marrying late and undergoing years of fertility (受孕) treatment, Marilyn Nolen and her husband. Randy, had twins. We both wanted children, says Marilyn, who was 55 when she gave birth. The twins have given the couple what they desired for years, a sense of family. Kids of older dads are often smarter, happier and more sociable because their fathers are more involved in their lives. The dads are older, more mature, says Dr. Silber, and more ready to focus on parenting. 36. Why do psychiatrists regard maturity as an asset in child rearing?A) Older parents can better balance their resources against childrens demands. B) Older parents are usually more experienced in bringing up their children.C) Older parents are often better prepared financially.D) Older parents can take better care of their children.37. What does the author mean by saying For many, retirement becomes an unobtainable dream (Lines 7-8, Para. 1)?A) They have to go on working beyond their retirement age. B) They cant get full pension unless they work some extra years.C) They cant obtain the retirement benefits they have dreamed of.D) They are reluctant to retire when they reach their retirement age.38. The author gives the example of Henry Metcalf to show thatA) many people are young in spirit despite their advanced age . B) taking afternoon naps is a good way to maintain energyC) older parents tend to be concerned about their aging bodiesD) older parents should exercise more to keep up with their athletic children39. Whats the biggest fear of older parents according to New York psychologist Joan Galst?A) Being laughed at by other people. B) Slowing down of their pace of life.C) Being mistaken for grandparents.D) Approaching of death.40. What do we learn about Marilyn and Randy Nolen?A) They thought they were an example of successful fertility treatment. B) Not until they reached middle age did they think of having children.C) Not until they had the twins did they feel they had formed a family.D) They believed that children born of older parents would be smarter.Communications technologies are far from equal when it comes to conveying the truth. The first study to compare honesty across a range of communications media has found that people are twice likely to tell lies in phone conversations as they are in emails. The fact that emails are automatically recorded and can come back to haunt (困扰) you appears to be the key to the findings.Jeff Hancock of Cornell University in Ithaca. New York, asked 30 students to keep a communications diary for a week.In it they noted the number of conversations or email exchanges they had lasting more than 10 minutes, and confessed to how many lies they told.Hancock then worked out the number of lies per conversation for each medium. He found that lies made up 14 per cent of emails, 21 per cent of instant messages, 27 per cent of face-to-face interactions and an astonishing 37 per cent of phone calls.His results, to be presented at conference on human-computer interaction in Vienna, Austria, in April, have surprised psychologists. Some expected e-mailers to be the biggest liars, reasoning that because deception makes people uncomfortable, the detachment of emailing would make it easier to lie. Others expected people to lie more in face-to-face exchanges because we are most practiced at that form of communication.But Hancock says it is also crucial whether a conversation is being recorded and could be reread, and whether it occurs in real time. People appear to be afraid to lie when they know the communication could later be used to hold them to account, he says. This is why fewer lies appear in email than on the phone.People are also more likely to lie in real time in an instant message or phone calls than they have time to think of a response, says Hancock. He found many lies are spontaneous responses to an expected question, such as: “Do you like me dress?” Hancock hopes this research will help companies work out the best ways for their employees to communicate. For instance, the phone might be the best medium for sales where employees are encouraged to stretch the truth. But given his results, work assessment, where honesty is a priority, might be best done using email.57. Hancocks study focuses on_.Athe consequences of lying in various communications media.Bthe success of communications technologies in conveying ideasCpeoples preferences in selecting communications technologies. Dpeoples honesty levels across a range of communications media.58.Hancocks research finding surprised those who believed that_.Apeople are less likely to lie in instant message.Bpeople are unlikely to lie in face-to-face interactionsCpeople are most likely to lie in email communicationDpeople are twice as likely to lie in phone conversation.59. According to the passage, why are people more likely to tell the truth through certain medium of communication?AThey are afraid of leaving behind traces of lies. BThey believe that honesty is the best policy.CThey tend to be relaxed when using those media.DThey are most practiced at those forms of communications.60. According to Hancock, the telephone is a preferable medium for promoting sales because Asalesmen can talk directly to their customs B salesmen may feel less restrained to exaggerate C salesmen can impress customers being trustworthyD salesmen may pass on instant messages effectively 61.It can be inferred from the passage that _.Ahonesty should be encouraged in interpersonal communications.B more employers will use emails to communicate with their employees C suitable media should be chosen for different communication purposesD email is now the dominant medium of communication within a company.More than three dozen billionaires, including well-known philanthropist (慈善家) David Rockefeller, have promised at least half of their fortunes to charity, joining a programme that Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett started in June to encourage other wealthy people to give.The pledge is currently worth about $ 150 billion, but the programme predicts it will eventually be worth $ 600 billion. During even the Depressions worst years, my parents gave money - about 8% of their annual income of $ 2200, said Lorry Lokey, one of the donors, on the website of the programme, the Giving Pledge, I remember saying to my mother that we cant afford that. But she said we have to share with others.The pledge has been a matter of some debate in philanthropic and non-profit circles, with some experts dismissing it as mere publicity and others predicting that it would produce a flood of new money to support non-profit groups.Buffett said the real value of the pledge was found in the example it set and in the sentiments (情感) expressed in the letters posted on the website.Buffett and Gates will hold several dinners later this year to recruit more billionaires, and members of the Giving Pledge will meet annually to discuss their philanthropy.The pair are due to meet some wealthiest people in China next month and India in March.We hope this catches fire in some other countries, Buffett said, If they want to take what we think is a good idea and run with it, we will be cheering. Buffett said the number of people who had agreed to sign on was at the high end of his expectations. He said some people who declined to sign the pledge were planning to give away most of their wealth but did not want to draw attention to those plans.Energy tycoon (大亨) Pickens, who is worth about $ 1 billion, said in his Giving Pledge letter: Ive long stated that I enjoy making money, and I enjoy giving it away. Im not a big fan of inherited wealth. It generally does more harm than good.62. Whats the purpose of the programme started by Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett?A) To spread the idea of charity around the world. B) To publicise the pains and gains of charity work.C) To involve more wealthy people in philanthropy.D) To narrow the gap between the rich and the poor.63. What message does Lorry Lokey intend to convey through his website posting?A) His familys income is far from large. B) The spirit of giving runs in his family.C) His family suffered during the Great Depression.D) The wealth of his family has come the hard way.64. Why are Buffett and Gates going to meet some wealthiest people in China and India?A) To share their experience with the newly rich there. B) To publicise their generosity in helping the needy.C) To persuade the wealthy people there to join their ranks.D) To help the billionaires there see the true value of money.65. What reason do some people give for declining to sign the pledge?A) They are unsure if they can meet the publics expectations. B) They have made plans for disposing of their wealth.C) They are still undecided whether to give or not.D) They are reluctant to be the focus of attention.66. What does energy tycoon Pickens try to say in his Giving Pledge letter?A) Blessed are those who inherit large fortunes. B) The more you give, the happier you will be.C) Leaving a fortune to ones children is unwise.D) Philanthropy can help free the poor from want.Kodaks decision to file for bankruptcy（破产） protection is a sad, though not unexpected, turning point for a leading American corporation that pioneered consumer photography and dominated the film market for decades, but ultimately failed to adapt to the digital revolution. Although many attribute Kodaks downfall to “complacency（自满）,” that explanation doesnt acknowledge the lengths to which the company went to reinvent itself. Decades ago, Kodak anticipated that digital photography would overtake filmand in fact, Kodak invented the first digital camera in 1975but in a fateful decision, the company chose to shelf its new discovery to focus on its traditional film business.It wasnt that Kodak was blind to the future, said Rebecca Henderson, a professor at Harvard Business School, but rather that it failed to execute on a strategy to confront it. By the time the company realized its mistake, it was too late. Kodak is an example of a firm that was very much aware that they had to adapt, and spent a lot of money trying to do so, but ultimately failed. Large companies have a difficult time switching to new markets because there is a temptation to put existing assets into the new businesses.Although Kodak anticipated the inevitable rise of digital photography, its corporate （企业的） culture was too rooted in the successes of the past for it to make the clean break necessary to fully embrace the future. They were a company stuck in time. Their history was so important to them. Now their history has become a liability. Kodaks downfall over the last several decades was dramatic. In 1976, the company commanded 90% of the market for photographic film and 85% of the market for cameras. But the 1980s brought new competition from Japanese film company Fuji Photo, which undermined Kodak by offering lower prices for film and photo supplies. Kodaks decision not to pursue the role of official film for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics was a major miscalculation. The bid went instead to Fuji, which exploited its sponsorship to win a permanent foothold in the marketplace. 62. What do we learn about Kodak? A) It went bankrupt all of a sudden. B) It is approaching its downfall. C) It initiated the digital revolution in the film industry. D) It is playing the dominant role in the film market. 63. Why does the author mention Kodaks invention of the first digital camera? A) To show its early attempt to reinvent itself. B) To show its effort to overcome complacency. C) To show its quick adaptation to the digital revolution. D) To show its will to compete with Japans Fuji Photo. 64. Why do large companies have difficulty switching to new markets? A) They find it costly to give up their existing assets. B) They tend to be slow in confronting new challenges. C) They are unwilling to invest in new technology. D) They are deeply stuck in their glorious past. 65. What does the author say Kodaks history has become? A) A burden. B) A mirror. C) A joke. D) A challenge.66. What was Kodaks fatal mistake? A) Its blind faith in traditional photography. B) Its failure to see Fuji Photos emergence. C) Its refusal to sponsor the 1984 Olympics. D) Its overconfidence in its corporate culture. When Roberto Feliz came to the USA from the Dominican Republic, he knew only a few words of English. Education soon became a _47_ . “I couldnt understand anything,” he said. He _48_ from his teachers, came home in tea