英语四级备考短文阅读

1、英语四级短文阅读英语四级备考短文阅读Grown-upsneverunderstandanythingbythemselves,anditistiresomeforchildrentobealwaysandforeverexplainingthingstothem.这些大人们，靠他们自己什么也弄不懂，还得老是不断地给他们作解释，这真叫孩子们腻味。SothenIchoseanotherprofession,andlearnedtopilotairplanes.后来，我只好选择了另外一个职业，我学会了开飞机。Ihaveflownalittleoverallpartsoftheworld;anditi

2、struethatgeographyhasbeenveryusefultome.世界各地我差不多都飞到过。的确，地理学帮了我很大的忙。AtaglanceIcandistinguishChinafromArizona.Ifonegetslostinthenight,suchknowledgeisvaluable.我一眼就能分辨出中国和亚里桑那,要是夜里迷失了航向，这是很有用的。InthecourseofthislifeIhavehadagreatmanyencounterswithagreatmanypeoplewhohavebeenconcernedwithmattersofconsequen

3、ce.这样，在我的生活中，我跟很多严肃的人有过很多的接触。Ihavelivedagreatdealamonggrown-ups.我在大人们中间生活过很长时间。Ihaveseenthemintimately,closeathand.Andthathasn'tmuchimprovedmyopinionofthem.我仔细地观察过他们，但这并没有使我对他们的看法有多大的改变。WheneverImetoneofthemwhoseemedtomeatallclear-sighted,ItriedtheexperimentofshowinghimmyDrawingNumberOne,whichIh

4、avealwayskept.当我遇到一个头脑看来稍微清楚的大人时，我就拿出一直保存着的我那第一号作品来测试测试他。Iwouldtrytofindout,so,ifthiswasapersonoftrueunderstanding.我想知道他是否真的有理解能力。But,whoeveritwas,he,orshe,wouldalwayssay：Thatisahat.可是，得到的回答总是：这是顶帽子。”ThenIwouldnevertalktothatpersonaboutboaconstrictors,orprimevalforests,orstars.我就不和他谈口蟒呀，原始森林呀，或者星星之类

5、的事。Iwouldbringmyselfdowntohislevel.Iwouldtalktohimaboutbridge,andgolf,andpolitics,andneckties.我只得迁就他们的水平，和他们谈些桥牌呀，高尔夫球呀，政治呀，领带呀这些。Andthegrown-upwouldbegreatlypleasedtohavemetsuchasensibleman.于是大人们就十分高兴能认识我这样一个通情达理的人。IntheUnitedStates,36statescurrentlyallowcapitalpunishmentforseriouscrimessuchasmurde

6、r.Americanshavealwaysarguedaboutthedeathpenalty.Today,thereisaseriousquestionaboutthisissue：Shouldtherebeaminimumagelimitforexecutingcriminals?Inotherwords,isitrightforconvictedmurdererswhokillwhentheyareminors-thatis,undertheageof18-toreceivethedeathpenalty?目前美国有36个州允许对谋杀等严重犯罪处以死刑。美国人一直为死刑判罚争论不休。现在

7、重要的问题是：处决罪犯是否应该有最小年龄限制?换句话说，不满18岁的未成年人犯谋杀罪是否要被处以死刑？Inmostothercountriesoftheworld,thereisnocapitalpunishmentforminors.IntheUnitedStates,though,eachstatemakesitsowndecision.Ofthe36statesthatallowthedeathpenalty,30permittheexecutionofminors.InthestateofSouthCarolina,aconvictedmurdererwasgiventhedeathp

8、enaltyforacrimehecommittedwhilehewasaminor.世界上大部分国家的未成年人判罚中都不包括死刑。但是在美国，每个州可以自行决定。美国36个州中有30个州允许对未成年人处以死刑。在南卡罗来纳州，一名未成年人因犯谋杀罪被处以死刑。In1977,whenhewas17yearsold,JamesTerryRoachandtwofriendscruellymurderedthreepeople.Roach'slawyerfoughtthedecisiontoexecutehim.TheyoungmurdererremainedonDeathRowforten

9、yearswhilehislawyerappealedtothegovernor.Thelawyerarguedthatitiswrongtoexecuteapersonforacrimehecommittedwhilehewasaminor.IntheUnitedStates,thegovernorofastatehasthepowertochangeasentencefromthedeathpenaltytolifeinprison.Nonetheless,thegovernorofSouthCarolinarefusedtostoptheexecution.Roachwasfinally

10、executedin1986.1977年，17岁的詹姆斯特瑞罗奇和两个朋友残忍地杀害了三个人。罗奇的律师反对死刑判决。他的律师向州长提出上诉，上诉的10年时间里这名年轻的谋杀犯被关在死囚牢房里。律师认为，因未成年时犯下的罪行而被处以死刑是错误的。美国各州州长有权将死刑判罚改为终身监禁。但是，南卡罗来纳州州长拒绝阻止死刑。罗奇最终在1986年被执行死刑。坚持不懈。直到成功。IwillpersistuntilIsucceed.IntheOrientyoungbullsaretestedforthefightarenainacertainmanner.Eachisbroughttotheringan

11、dallowedtoattackapicadorwhopricksthemwithalance.Thebraveryofeachbullisthenratedwithcareaccordingtothenumberoftimeshedemonstrateshiswillingnesstochargeinspiteofthestingoftheblade.HenceforthwillIrecognizethateachdayIamtestedbylifeinlikemanner.IfIpersist,ifIcontinuetotry,ifIcontinuetochargeforward,Iwil

12、lsucceed.在古老的东方，挑选小公牛列竞技场格斗有一定的程序、它们被带进场地，向手持长矛的斗牛士攻击，裁判以它受激后再向斗牛士进攻的次数多寡来评定这只公牛的勇敢程度。从今往后。我须承认，我的生命每天都在接受类似的考验。如果我坚韧不拔，勇往直前，迎接挑战。那么我一定会成功。坚持不懈。直到成功。IwillpersistuntilIsucceed.Iwasnotdelivereduntothisworldindefeat,nordoesfailurecourseinmyveins.Iamnotasheepwaitingtobeproddedbymyshepherd.IamalionandIre

13、fusetotalk,towalk,tosleepwiththesheep.Iwillhearnotthosewhoweepandcomplain,fortheirdiseaseiscontagious.Letthemjointhesheep.Theslaughterhouseoffailureisnotmydestiny.我不是为了失败才来到这个世界上的，我的血管里也没有失败的血液在流动。我不是任人鞭打的羔羊，我是猛狮，不与羊群为伍。我不想听失意者的哭泣，抱怨者的牢骚，这是羊群中的瘟疫，我不能被它传染。失败者的屠宰场不是我命运的归宿。IwillpersistuntilIsucceed.坚持不

14、懈，直到成功。Theprizesoflifeareattheendofeachjourney,notnearthebeginning;anditisnotgiventometoknowhowmanystepsarenecessaryinordertoreachmygoal.FailureImaystillencounteratthethousandthstep,yetsuccesshidesbehindthenextbendintheroad.NeverwillIknowhowcloseitliesunlessIturnthecorner.生命的奖赏远在旅途终点，而非起点附近。我不知道要走多少

15、步才能达到目标。踏上第一千步的时候，仍然可能遭到失败。但成功就藏在拐角后面，除非拐了弯，我永远不知道还有多远。AlwayswillItakeanotherstep.IfthatisofnoavailIwilltakeanother,andyetanother.Intruth,onestepatatimeisnottoodifficult.再前进一步，如果没有用，就再向前一步。事实上，每次进步一点点并不太难。IwillpersistuntilIsucceed.坚持不懈，直到成功。Henceforth,Iwillconsidereachday'seffortasbutoneblowofmy

16、bladeagainstamightyoak.Thefirstblowmaycausenotatremorinthewood,northesecond,northethird.Eachblow,ofitself,maybetrifling,andseemofnoconsequence.Yetfromchildishswipestheoakwilleventuallytumble.Soitwillbewithmyeffortsoftoday.从今往后，我承认每天的奋斗就像对参天大树的一次砍击，头几刀可能了无痕迹。每一击者似微不足道，然而，累积起来，巨树终会倒下。这恰如我今天的努力。Iwillbe

17、likentotheraindropwhichwashesawaythemountain;theantwhodevoursatiger;thestarwhichbrightenstheearth;theslavewhobuildsapyramid.IwillbuildmycastleonebrickatatimeforIknowthatsmallattempts,repeated,willcompleteanyundertaking.就像冲洗高山的雨滴，吞噬猛虎的蚂蚁，照亮大地的星辰，建起金字塔的奴隶，我也要一破一瓦地建造起自己的城堡，因为我深知水滴石穿的道理，只要持之以恒，什么都可以做到。I

18、willpersistuntilIsucceed.坚持不懈，直到成功。IwillneverconsiderdefeatandIwillremovefrommyvocabularysuchwordsandphrasesasquit,cannot,unable,impossible,outofthequestion,improbable,failure,unworkable,hopeless,andretreat;fortheyarethewordsoffools.IwillavoiddespairbutifthisdiseaseofthemindshouldinfectmethenIwillwo

19、rkonindespair.IwilltoilandIwillendure.Iwillignoretheobstaclesatmyfeetandkeepmineeyesonthegoalsabovemyhead,forIknowthatwheredrydesertends,greengrassgrows.我绝不考虑失败，我的字典里不再有放弃，不可能、办不到、没法子、成问题、失败,行不通、没希望、退缩这类愚蠢的字眼。我要尽量避免绝望，一旦受到它的威胁，立即想方设法向它挑战。我要辛勤耕耘，忍受苦楚。我放眼未来，勇往直前，不再理会脚下的障碍。我坚信，沙漠尽头必是绿洲。Iwillpersistunti

20、lIsucceed.坚持不懈，直到成功。IwillremembertheancientlawofaveragesandIwillbendittomygood.Iwillpersistwithknowledgethateachfailuretosellwillincreasemychanceforsuccessatthenextattempt.EachnayIhearwillbringmeclosertothesoundofyea.EachfrownImeetonlypreparesmeforthesmiletocome.EachmisfortuneIencounterwillcarryinit

21、theseedoftomorrow,sgoodluck.Imusthavethenighttoappreciatetheday.Imustfailoftentosucceedonlyonce.我要牢牢记住古老的平衡法则，鼓励自己坚持下去，因为每一次的失败都会增加下一次成功的机会。这一次的拒绝就是下一次的赞同，这一次皱起的眉头就是下一次舒展的笑容。今天的不幸，往往预示着明天的好运。夜幕降临。回想一天的遭遇。我总是心存感激。我深知，只有失败多次，才能成功。IwillpersistuntilIsucceed.坚持不懈，直到成功。Iwilltry,andtry,andtryagain.Eachobst

22、acleIwillconsiderasameredetourtomygoalandachallengetomyprofession.Iwillpersistanddevelopmyskillsasthemarinerdevelopshis,bylearningtorideoutthewrathofeachstorm.我要尝试，尝试，再尝试。障碍是我成功路上的弯路，我迎接这项挑战。我要像水手一样，乘风破浪。IwillpersistuntilIsucceed.坚持不懈，直到成功。Henceforth,Iwilllearnandapplyanothersecretofthosewhoexcelinm

23、ywork.Wheneachdayisended,notregardingwhetherithasbeenasuccessorafailure,Iwillattempttoachieveonemoresale.WhenmythoughtsbeckonmytiredbodyhomewardIwillresistthetemptationtodepart.Iwilltryagain.Iwillmakeonemoreattempttoclosewithvictory,andifthatfailsIwillmakeanother.NeverwillIallowanydaytoendwithafailure.ThuswillIplanttheseedoftomorrow'ssuccessandgainaninsurmountableadvantageoverthosewhoceasetheirlaborataprescribedtime.Whenothersceasetheirstruggle,theminewillbegin,