四级阅读专项训练

1、专项一、 Beauty and Body Image in the MediaImages of female bodies are everywhere. Wome n and their body parts sell everyth ing from food to cars. Popular film and televisi on actresses are beco ming youn ger, taller and thi nner. Some have eve n been known to faint on the set from lack of food. Women s

2、 magazines are full of articles urging that ifthey can just lose those last twenty poun ds, theytheplrfeaveribailage, loving childre n,great sex, and a reward ing career.Why are sta ndards of beauty being imposed on wome n, the majority of whom are n aturally larger and more mature tha n any of the

3、models? The roots, some an alysts say, are econo mic. By prese nting an ideal difficult to achieve and maintain, the cosmetic and diet product in dustries are assured of growth and profits.And it s no accident that youth is increasingly promoted, along with thinness, as an essential criterion of bea

4、uty. If not all women need to lose weight, for sure they re all aging, says the Quebec ActionNetwork for Women s Heatthts 2001 report. And, according to the industry, age is a disaster thatn eeds to be dealt with.The stakes are huge. On the one hand, wome n who are in secure about their bodies are m

5、ore likely to buy beauty products, new clothes, and diet aids. It is estimated that the diet in dustry alone is worth any where betwee n 40 to 100 billi on (U.S.) a year selli ng temporary weight loss (90 to 95% of dieters rega in the lost weight).O n the other hand, research in dicates that exposur

6、e to images of thin, young, air-brushed female bodies is linked to depression, loss of self-esteem and the development of un healthy eat ing habits in wome n and girls.The America n research group Ano rexia Nervosa & Related Eati ng Disorders, Inc. says that one out of every four college-aged women

7、uses unhealthy methods of weight control including fasting, skipping meals, excessive exercise, laxative (泻药)abuse, and self-induced vomiting. The pressure to be thin is also affecting young girls: the Canadian Women s Health Networlcontros that weightmeasures are now being take n by girls as young

8、as 5 and 6. America n statistics are similar.Several studies, such as one con ducted by Marika Tiggema nn and Levi na Clark in 2006 titled“ Appeara oCulture in Nine- to 12-Year-Old Girls: Media and PeerIn flue nces on Body Dissatisfact ion,” in dicatethat n early half of all preadolesce nt girls wis

9、h to be thinner, and as a result have en gaged in a diet or are aware of the con cept of diet ing. In 2003, Teen magaz ine reported that 35 per cent of girls 6 to 12 years old have bee n on at least one diet, and that 50 to 70 per cent of no rmal weight girls believe they are overweight. Overall res

10、earch in dicates that 90% of wome n are dissatisfied with their appeara nee in some way.Media activist Jean Kilbourne concludes that,“ Women are sold to the diet industry by the magazineswe read and the televisi on programs we watch, almost all of which make us feel an xious about our weight. ”Unatt

11、ainable BeautyPerhaps most disturb ing is the fact that media images of female beauty are un atta in able for all but a very small nu mber of wome n. Researchers gen erat ing a computer model of a woma n with Barbie-doll proport ions, for example, found that her back would be too weak to support the

12、 weight of her upper body, and her body would be too narrow to contain more tha n half a liver and a few cen timeters of bowel. A real woman built that way would suffer from chronic diarrhea ( 慢性腹泻)and eventually die from main utritio n. Jill Barad, Preside nt of Mattel (which manu factures Barbie),

13、 estimated that 99% of girls aged 3 to 10 years old own at least one Barbie doll.Still, the nu mber of real life wome n and girls who seek a similarly un derweight body is epidemic, and they can suffer equally devastat ing health con seque nces. In 2006 it was estimated that up to 450, 000 Can adia

14、n wome n were affected by an eati ng disorder.The Culture of ThinnessResearchers report that women smagazines have ten and one-half times more ads and articles promoting weight loss thanmen snagazines do, and over three -quarters of the covers of women smagazines include at least one message about h

15、ow to change a woman s bcfcyiyliappearaneeexercise or cosmetic surgery.Televisi on and movies rein force the importa nee of a thin body as a measure of a woman sworth. Canadian researcher Gregory Fouts reports that over three-quarters of the female characters in TVsituation comedies are underweight,

16、 and only one in twenty are above average in size. Heavier actresses tend to receive negative comments from male characters about their bodies ( “ Howabout wearing a sack? ” &nd 80 per cent of these negative comments are followed by canned audienee laughter.There have been efforts in the magazine in

17、dustry to buck ( 抵制，反抗 )the trend. For several years the Quebec magazine Coup de Pouce has consistently included full-sized women in their fashion pages and Chatela ine has pledged not to touch up photos and not to in clude models less tha n 25 years of age. In Madrid, one of the world s biggest fas

18、hion (capitampdutsawere banned from therun way in 2006. Furthermore Spa in has recen tly un derg one a project with the aim to sta ndardize clothing sizes through using a unique process in which a laser beam is used to measure real life women s bodies in order to find the most true to life measureme

19、 nt.EthicsAno ther issue is the represe ntati on of eth ni cally diverse wome n in the media. A 2008 study con ducted by Juanita Covert and Travis Dixon titled “ AChanging View: Representation and Effects of the Portrayal of Women of Color in Mainstream Women s Magazines ” found that although there

20、was an in crease in the represe ntatio n of wome n of colour, overall white wome n were overreprese nted in main stream wome n s magaz ines from 1999 to 2004. Setfiproveme nt or Self-Destruct ion?The barrage of messages about thinness, dieting and beauty tells “ ordinary women that they are always i

21、n n eed of adjustme nt and that the female body is an object to be perfected.Jean Kilbourne argues that the overwhelming presenee of media images of painfully thin women means that real wome n s bodies have become in visible in the mass media. The real tragedy, Kilbourne concludes, is that many wome

22、n internalize these stereotypes, and judge themselves by the beauty industry s standards. Women learn to compare themselves to otkwomen, and to compete with themfor male attention. This focus on beauty and desirability“ effectively destroys any awareness andactio n that might help to cha nge that cl

23、imate.”1. Women s magazines are full of articles to urge women to.A) eat less sweet food C) marry a rich husba ndB) lose weight D) have at least two kids2. The cosmetic and diet product in dustries gain profits by.A) exaggerat ing the good ness about their productsB) targeti ng at childre n and fema

24、lesC) prese nti ng an ideal image difficult to achieveD) distributi ng free samples from home to home3. Canadian Women s health Network warns that weight control measures are now being taken bygirls.A) at age 5 or 6 C) at age 13 or 14B) at age 9 or 10 D) at age 16 or 174. In 2003, Teen magaz ine rep

25、orted thatperce nt of no rmal weight girls believe theyare overweight.A) 35 to 50 C) 50 to 70B) 50D) 905. Researchers found that a real woma n with Barbie-doll proporti ons would.A) suffer from heart disease C) live a more rewardi ng lifeB) be very popular with males D) die from malnu triti on6. Tel

26、evision and movies emphasize that a woman s worth can be judged byA) the cosmetics she uses C) the thinn ess of her bodyB) the jewelry she wears D) the wealth of her husba nd7. Spain has recen tly un derg one a project to.A) in clude full-sized wome n in its fashi on magaz inesB) sta ndardize cloth

27、ing sizesC) ban ultra-thin models from the run wayD) promote weight loss among men8. In main stream wome n s magaz ines from 1999 to 2004,were overreprese nted.9. Jea n Kilbour ne con eludes that many wome n judge themselves by.10. The focus ondestroys any aware ness and action that might helpto cha

28、 nge the trend.We call it the com mon cold for good reas on. There are over one billi on colds in the Un ited States each year. You and your childre n will probably have more colds tha n any other type of 1 . Childre n average three to eight colds per year. They con ti nue gett ing them 2 childhood.

29、 Pare nts ofte n get them from the kids. Colds are the most com mon reas on that childre n 3 school and pare nts miss work.Childre n usually get colds from other childre n. When a new 4 is in troduced into a school or day 5 , it quickly travels through the class.Colds can 6 year-r ound, but they occ

30、ur mostly in the wi nter (eve n in areas with mild win ters). In areas where there is no win ter, colds are most 7 duri ng the rainy seas on.When some one has a cold, his runny nose is teem ing with (充满)cold 8 . Sn eez ing, no se- blow ing, and no se-wip ing spread the virus. You can 9 a cold by in

31、hali ng (吸入)the virus if you are sitt ing close to some one who sn eezes, or by 10 your no se, eyes, or mouth after you have touched something contaminated (污染的)by the virus.People are most contagious (会感染的)for the first 2 to 3 days of a cold, and usually not con tagious at all by day 7 to 10.A) car

32、eI) catch B) throughout J) movingC) touch ingK) stra in D) occurL) ill ness E) abuse M) missF) sen sati on N) com monG) tension O) by H) virusesThere are three kinds of goals: short-term,medium-range and Iong-term goals. Short-range goals are those that usually deal with curre nt activities,which we

33、 can apply on a daily basis.Such goals can be achieved in a week or less,or two weeks,or possible mon ths .It should be remembered that just as a buildi ng is no stron ger tha n its foun dati on ,out I on g-term goals cannot amount to very munch without the achieveme nt of solid short-term goals.Up

34、on complet ing our short-term goals,we should date the occasi on and the n add new short-term goals that will build on those that have bee n completed.The in termediate goals bukld on the foun dati on of the short-ra nge goals.They might deal with just one term of school or the en tire school year,o

35、r they could even exte nd for several years.A ny time you move a step at a time,you should n ever allow yourself to become discouraged or overwhelmed. As you complete each step,you will en force the belief in your ability to grow adn succeed.A nd as your list of completi on dates grow,your motivati

36、on and desire will in crease.Lon g-ra nge goals may be related to our dreams of the future. They might cover five years or more. Life is not a static thi ng.We should n ever allow a Ion g-term goal to limit us or our course of actio n.1.Our Ion g-term goals mea n a lot.A. if we complete our short-ra

37、 nge goalsB. if we cannot reach solid short-term goalsC. if we write dow n the datesD. if we put forward some pla ns2. New short-term goals are bulid upon.A. two yearsB.lo ng-term goalsC.curre nt activitiesD.the goals that have bee n completed3. Whe n we complete each step of our goals ,.A. we will

38、win final successB. we are overwhelmedC. we should build up con fide nee of successD. we should strong desire for sett ing new goals4.0nce our goals are draw n up,.A. we should stick to them un til we complete themB. we may cha nge our goals as we have new ideas and opport un itiesC. we had better w

39、ait for the excit ing n ews of successD. we have made great decisi on5.It is implied but not stated in the passage that.A.those who habe Ion g-term goals will succeedB. writi ng dow n the dates may discourage youC. the goal is only a guide for us to reach our des in ati onD. every should have a goal

40、The economy of the United states after 1952 was the econnomy of a well-fed,almost fully employed people. Despit occasi onal alarms, the country escaped any postwar depressi on and lived in a state of boom. A n economic survey of the year 1955, a typical year of the 1950 s, may be typical asillustrat

41、i ng the rapid econo mic growth of the decade. The n ati onal output was value at 10 perce nt above that of 1954 (1955 output was estimated at 392 billion dollars). The production of manu facturers was about 40 perce nt more tha n it had averaged in the years immediately follow ingWorld War 2. The c

42、ountry s bus in ess spe nt about 30billio n dollars for new factories aohlineay. Nati onal in come available for spe nding was almost a third greater tha n it had bee n it had bee n in 1950. Con sumers spe nt about 256 billio n dollars; that is about 700 milli on dollars a day ,or about twen ty- fiv

43、e millio n dollars every hour , all round the clock. Sixty-five millio n people held jobs and only a little more tha n two milli on wan ted jobs but could not find them . Only agriculture compla ined that it was not sharing in the room. To some observers this was an ominous echo of the mid- 1920 s .

44、 As farmer s shre of their products declined , marketing costs rose. But there were , among the observers of the n ati onal economy, a few who were not as con fide nt as the majority . Those few seemed to fear that the boom could not last and would even tually lead to the oppsite-depressi on.1. What

45、 is the best title of the passage?a. The Agriculatural Trends of 1950b. The Unemployment Rate of 1950c. U.S. Econ omy in the 50d. The Federal Budget of 19522. In Line 3, the word“ boom” could iaestbbyrep.a. n earby explosi onb. thu nderous no isec. gen eral public supportd. rapid econo mic growth3.

46、It can be in ferred the n ati onal from the passage that most people in the Un ited States in 1955viewed the n ati onal economy with an air of.a. con fide neeb. con fusi onc. disappo in tme ntd. suspici on4. Which of the following were LEAST satisfied with the national economy in the 1950 s?a. Econo

47、 mistsb. Frmaersc. Politicia nsd. Steelworkers5. The passage states that in com available for spe nding in the U.S. was greater in 1955 tha n in 1950 . How much was it ?a. 60%b. 50 % c. 33% d. 90 %专项二 Animals on the MoveIt looked like a scene from“ Jaws ” but without the dramatic music. A huge shark

48、 was lowly swim mingthrough the water, its tail swinging back and forth like the pen dulum of a clock。Suddenly sensitive nerve ending in the shark skin picked up vibrations of a struggling fish. The shark was immediately tran sformed into a deadly, efficie nt mach ine of death. With muscles taut, th

49、e shark knifed through the water at a rapid speed. In a flash the shark caught its victim, a large fish, in its powerful jaws. Then, jerk ing its head back and forth, the shark tore huge chu nks of flesh from its victim and swallowed them. Soon the action was over 。Movi ng to SurviveIn purs uing its

50、 prey, the shark dem on strated in a dramatic way the importa nt role of moveme nt, or locomotion, in animals 。Like the shark, most an imals use moveme nt to find food. They also use locomoti on to escape en emies, find a mate, and explore new territories. The methods of locomotion include crawling,

51、 hopping, slitheri ng, flying, swim ming, or walk ing。Huma ns have the added adva ntage of using their various inven ti ons to move about in just about any kind of environment. Automobiles, rockets, and submari nes tran sport huma ns from deep ocea ns to as far away as the moon. However, for other a

52、ni mals moveme nt came about n aturally through milli ons of years of evoluti on. One of the most successful examples of ani mal locomoti on is that of the shark. Its ability to quickly zero in on its prey has always impressed scie ntists. But it took a detailed study by Duke Uni versity marine biol

53、ogists S. A. Wain wright, F. Vosburgh, and J. H. Hebra nk to find out how the sharks did it. I n their study the scie ntists observed sharks swim ming in a tank at Marine land inSaint Augusti ne, Fla. Movies were take n of the sharks moveme nts and an alyzed. Studies were alsomade of shark skin and

54、muscle。Ski n Is the KeyThe biologists discovered tha t the skin of the shark is the key to the animal s high efficiency inswim ming through the water. The skin contains many fibers that crisscross like the in side of a belted radial tire. The fibers are called collagen fibers . These fibers can eith

55、er store or release large amounts of en ergy depe nding on whether the fibers are relaxed or taut. When the fibers are stretched, en ergy is stored in them the way en ergy is stored in the stri ng of a bow whe n pulled tight. When the en ergy is released, the fibers become relaxed。The Duke Uni versi

56、ty biologists have found that the greatest stretch ing occurs where the shark bendsits body while swimming. During the body s back and forth motion, fibers along the outside part ofthe bending body stretch greatly. Much pote ntial en ergy is stored in the fibers. This en ergy is released when the sh

57、ark s body snaps back the otherwayAs energy is alternately stored and released on both sides of the animal s body, the tail whips strcback and forth. This whip-like acti on propels the an imal through the water like a living bullet 。Source of En ergyWhat causes the fibers to store so much en ergy? I

58、n finding the an swer the Duke Uni versity scie ntists learned that the shark s similarity to a belted radial tire doesnJust as atratoaiwitei the skin.is in flated by pressure, so, too, is the area just un der the shark s collage n“ radials ” .Inspressure, however, the pressure in the shark may be due to the force of the blood press ing on the collagen fibers。When the shark swims slowly, the pressure on the fibers is relatively low. The fibers are more relaxed, and the shark is able to bend its body at sharp an gles.