四级阅读专项训练

1、专项一、Beauty and Body Image in the MediaImages of female bodies are everywhere. Womenand their body partssell everything from food to cars. Popular film and television actresses are becoming younger, taller and thinner. Some have even been known to faint on the set from lack of food. Womens magazines

2、are full of articles urging that if they can just lose those last twenty pounds, theyll have it allthe perfect marriage, loving children, great sex, and a rewarding career.Why are standards of beauty being imposed on women, the majority of whom are naturally larger and more mature than any of the mo

3、dels? The roots, some analysts say, are economic. By presenting an ideal difficult to achieve and maintain, the cosmetic and diet product industries are assured of growth and profits.And its no accident that youth is increasingly promoted, along with thinness, as an essential criterion of beauty. If

4、 not all women need to lose weight, for sure theyre all aging, says the Quebec Action Network for Womens Health in its 2001 report. And, according to the industry, age is a disaster that needs to be dealt with. The stakes are huge. On the one hand, women who are insecure about their bodies are more

5、likely to buy beauty products, new clothes, and diet aids. It is estimated that the diet industry alone is worth anywhere between 40 to 100 billion (U.S.) a year selling temporary weight loss (90 to 95% of dieters regain the lost weight).On the other hand, research indicates that exposure to images

6、of thin, young, air-brushed female bodies is linked to depression, loss of self-esteem and the development of unhealthy eating habits in women and girls.The American research group Anorexia Nervosa & Related Eating Disorders, Inc. says that one out of every four college-aged women uses unhealthy

7、 methods of weight controlincluding 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 Womens Health Network warns that weight control measures are now being taken by girls as young as 5 and

8、 6. American statistics are similar.Several studies, such as one conducted by Marika Tiggemann and Levina Clark in 2006 titled “Appearance Culture in Nine- to 12-Year-Old Girls: Media and Peer Influences on Body Dissatisfaction,” indicate that nearly half of all preadolescent girls wish to be thinne

9、r, and as a result have engaged in a diet or are aware of the concept of dieting. In 2003, Teen magazine reported that 35 per cent of girls 6 to 12 years old have been on at least one diet, and that 50 to 70 per cent of normal weight girls believe they are overweight. Overall research indicates that

10、 90% of women are dissatisfied with their appearance in some way.Media activist Jean Kilbourne concludes that, “Women are sold to the diet industry by the magazines we read and the television programs we watch, almost all of which make us feel anxious about our weight.”Unattainable BeautyPerhaps mos

11、t disturbing is the fact that media images of female beauty are unattainable for all but a very small number of women. Researchers generating a computer model of a woman with Barbie-doll proportions, for example, found that her back would be too weak to support the weight of her upper body, and her

12、body would be too narrow to contain more than half a liver and a few centimeters of bowel. A real woman built that way would suffer from chronic diarrhea ( 慢性腹泻) and eventually die from malnutrition. Jill Barad, President of Mattel (which manufactures Barbie), estimated that 99% of girls aged 3 to 1

13、0 years old own at least one Barbie doll.Still, the number of real life women and girls who seek a similarly underweight body is epidemic, and they can suffer equally devastating health consequences. In 2006 it was estimated that up to 450, 000 Canadian women were affected by an eating disorder.The

14、Culture of ThinnessResearchers report that womens magazines have ten and one-half times more ads and articles promoting weight loss than mens magazines do, and over three-quarters of the covers of womens magazines include at least one message about how to change a womans bodily appearanceby diet, ex

15、ercise or cosmetic surgery.Television and movies reinforce the importance of a thin body as a measure of a womans worth. Canadian researcher Gregory Fouts reports that over three-quarters of the female characters in TV situation comedies are underweight, and only one in twenty are above average in s

16、ize. Heavier actresses tend to receive negative comments from male characters about their bodies (“How about wearing a sack?”), and 80 per cent of these negative comments are followed by canned audience laughter.There have been efforts in the magazine industry to buck ( 抵制，反抗) the trend. For several

17、 years the Quebec magazine Coup de Pouce has consistently included full-sized women in their fashion pages and Châtelaine has pledged not to touch up photos and not to include models less than 25 years of age. In Madrid, one of the worlds biggest fashion capitals, ultra-thin models were banned

18、from the runway in 2006. Furthermore Spain has recently undergone a project with the aim to standardize clothing sizes through using a unique process in which a laser beam is used to measure real life womens bodies in order to find the most true to life measurement.EthicsAnother issue is the represe

19、ntation of ethnically diverse women in the media. A 2008 study conducted by Juanita Covert and Travis Dixon titled “A Changing View: Representation and Effects of the Portrayal of Women of Color in Mainstream Womens Magazines” found that although there was an increase in the representation of women

20、of colour, overall white women were overrepresented in mainstream womens magazines from 1999 to 2004. Self-Improvement or Self-Destruction?The barrage of messages about thinness, dieting and beauty tells “ordinary” women that they are always in need of adjustmentand that the female body is an object

21、 to be perfected.Jean Kilbourne argues that the overwhelming presence of media images of painfully thin women means that real womens bodies have become invisible in the mass media. The real tragedy, Kilbourne concludes, is that many women internalize these stereotypes, and judge themselves by the be

22、auty industrys standards. Women learn to compare themselves to other women, and to compete with them for male attention. This focus on beauty and desirability “effectively destroys any awareness and action that might help to change that climate.”1. Womens magazines are full of articles to urge women

23、 to _.A) eat less sweet food C) marry a rich husbandB) lose weight D) have at least two kids2. The cosmetic and diet product industries gain profits by _.A) exaggerating the goodness about their productsB) targeting at children and femalesC) presenting an ideal image difficult to achieveD) distribut

24、ing free samples from home to home3. Canadian Womens health Network warns that weight control measures are now being taken by girls _.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 magazine reported that _ percent of normal weight girls believe they are overw

25、eight.A) 35 to 50 C) 50 to 70B) 50 D) 905. Researchers found that a real woman with Barbie-doll proportions would _.A) suffer from heart disease C) live a more rewarding lifeB) be very popular with males D) die from malnutrition6. Television and movies emphasize that a womans worth can be judged by

26、_.A) the cosmetics she uses C) the thinness of her bodyB) the jewelry she wears D) the wealth of her husband7. Spain has recently undergone a project to _.A) include full-sized women in its fashion magazinesB) standardize clothing sizesC) ban ultra-thin models from the runwayD) promote weight loss a

27、mong men8. In mainstream womens magazines from 1999 to 2004, _ were overrepresented.9. Jean Kilbourne concludes that many women judge themselves by _.10. The focus on _ destroys any awareness and action that might help to change the trend.We call it the "common cold" for good reason. There

28、 are over one billion colds in the United States each year. You and your children will probably have more colds than any other type of 1 . Children average three to eight colds per year. They continue getting them 2 childhood. Parents often get them from the kids. Colds are the most common reason th

29、at children 3 school and parents miss work. Children usually get colds from other children. When a new 4 is introduced into a school or day 5 , it quickly travels through the class.Colds can 6 year-round, but they occur mostly in the winter (even in areas with mild winters). In areas where there is

30、no winter, colds are most 7 during the rainy season.When someone has a cold, his runny nose is teeming with (充满) cold 8 . Sneezing, nose-blowing, and nose-wiping spread the virus. You can 9 a cold by inhaling（吸入）the virus if you are sitting close to someone who sneezes, or by 10 your nose, eyes, or

31、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 contagious at all by day 7 to 10.A) care I) catch B) throughout J) moving C) touching K) strain D) occur L) illness E) abuse M) miss F) sensa

32、tion N) commonG) tension O) by H) viruses There are three kinds of goals: short-term,medium-range and long-term goals. Short-range goals are those that usually deal with current activities,which we can apply on a daily basis.Such goals can be achieved in a week or less,or two weeks,or possible month

33、s.It should be remembered that just as a building is no stronger than its foundation ,out long-term goals cannot amount to very munch without the achievement of solid short-term goals.Upon completing our short-term goals,we should date the occasion and then add new short-term goals that will build o

34、n those that have been completed. The intermediate goals bukld on the foundation of the short-range goals.They might deal with just one term of school or the entire school year,or they could even extend for several years.Any time you move a step at a time,you should never allow yourself to become di

35、scouraged or overwhelmed. As you complete each step,you will enforce the belief in your ability to grow adn succeed.And as your list of completion dates grow,your motivation and desire will increase. Long-range goals may be related to our dreams of the future. They might cover five years or more. Li

36、fe is not a static thing.We should never allow a long-term goal to limit us or our course of action.1.Our long-term goals mean a lot_. A.if we complete our short-range goals B.if we cannot reach solid short-term goals C.if we write down the dates D.if we put forward some plans2.New short-term goals

37、are bulid upon_. A.two years B.long-term goals C.current activities D.the goals that have been completed3.When we complete each step of our goals ,_. A.we will win final success B.we are overwhelmed C.we should build up confidence of success D.we should strong desire for setting new goals4.Once our

38、goals are drawn up,_. A.we should stick to them until we complete them B.we may change our goals as we have new ideas and opportunities C.we had better wait for the exciting news of success D.we have made great decision5.It is implied but not stated in the passage that _. A.those who habe long-term

39、goals will succeed B.writing down the dates may discourage you C.the goal is only a guide for us to reach our desination D.every should have a goalThe economy of the United states after 1952 was the econnomy of a well-fed,almost fully employed people. Despit occasional alarms, the country escaped an

40、y postwar depression and lived in a state of boom. A n economic survey of the year 1955, a typical year of the 1950s, may be typical as illustrating the rapid economic growth of the decade. The national output was value at 10 percent above that of 1954 (1955 output was estimated at 392 billion dolla

41、rs). The production of manufacturers was about 40 percent more than it had averaged in the years immediately following World War 2. The countrys business spent about 30billion dollars for new factories and machinery. National income available for spending was almost a third greater than it had been

42、it had been in 1950. Consumers spent about 256 billion dollars; that is about 700 million dollars a day ,or about twenty-five million dollars every hour , all round the clock. Sixty-five million people held jobs and only a little more than two million wanted jobs but could not find them . Only agric

43、ulture complained that it was not sharing in the room. To some observers this was an ominous echo of the mid-1920s . As farmers shre of their products declined , marketing costs rose. But there were , among the observers of the national economy, a few who were not as confident as the majority . Thos

44、e few seemed to fear that the boom could not last and would eventually lead to the oppsite-depression.1. What is the best title of the passage? a. The Agriculatural Trends of 1950s b. The Unemployment Rate of 1950s c. U.S. Economy in the 50s d. The Federal Budget of 19522. In Line 3, the word “boom”

45、 could best be replaced by_. a. nearby explosion b. thunderous noise c. general public support d. rapid economic growth3. It can be inferred the national from the passage that most people in the United States in 1955 viewed the national economy with an air of _. a. confidence b. confusion c. disappo

46、intment d. suspicion4. Which of the following were LEAST satisfied with the national economy in the 1950s? a. Economists b. Frmaers c. Politicians d. Steelworkers5. The passage states that incom available for spending in the U.S. was greater in 1955 than in 1950 . How much was it ? a. 60 b. 50 c. 33

47、 d. 90专项二Animals on the MoveIt looked like a scene from “Jaws” but without the dramatic music. A huge shark was lowly swimming through the water, its tail swinging back and forth like the pendulum of a clock。Suddenly sensitive nerve ending in the sharks skin picked up vibrations of a struggling fish

48、. The shark was immediately transformed into a deadly, efficient machine of death. With muscles taut, the 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, jerking its head back and forth, the shark tore huge chunks of

49、flesh from its victim and swallowed them. Soon the action was over。Moving to SurviveIn pursuing its prey, the shark demonstrated in a dramatic way the important role of movement, or locomotion, in animals。Like the shark, most animals use movement to find food. They also use locomotion to escape enem

50、ies, find a mate, and explore new territories. The methods of locomotion include crawling, hopping, slithering, flying, swimming, or walking。Humans have the added advantage of using their various inventions to move about in just about any kind of environment. Automobiles, rockets, and submarines tra

51、nsport humans from deep oceans to as far away as the moon. However, for other animals movement came about naturally through millions of years of evolution. One of the most successful examples of animal locomotion is that of the shark. Its ability to quickly zero in on its prey has always impressed s

52、cientists. But it took a detailed study by Duke University marine biologists S. A. Wainwright, F. Vosburgh, and J. H. Hebrank to find out how the sharks did it. In their study the scientists observed sharks swimming in a tank at Marine land in Saint Augustine, Fla. Movies were taken of the sharks mo

53、vements and analyzed. Studies were also made of shark skin and muscle。 Skin Is the KeyThe biologists discovered that the skin of the shark is the key to the animals high efficiency in swimming through the water. The skin contains many fibers that crisscross like the inside of a belted radial tire. T

54、he fibers are called collagen fibers. These fibers can either store or release large amounts of energy depending on whether the fibers are relaxed or taut. When the fibers are stretched, energy is stored in them the way energy is stored in the string of a bow when pulled tight. When the energy is re

55、leased, the fibers become relaxed。The Duke University biologists have found that the greatest stretching occurs where the shark bends its body while swimming. During the bodys back and forth motion, fibers along the outside part of the bending body stretch greatly. Much potential energy is stored in

56、 the fibers. This energy is released when the sharks body snaps back the other way。As energy is alternately stored and released on both sides of the animals body, the tail whips strongly back and forth. This whip-like action propels the animal through the water like a living bullet。Source of EnergyW

57、hat causes the fibers to store so much energy? In finding the answer the Duke University scientists learned that the sharks similarity to a belted radial tire doesnt stop with the skin. Just as a radial tire is inflated by pressure, so, too, is the area just under the sharks collagen “radials”. Inst

58、ead of air pressure, however, the pressure in the shark may be due to the force of the blood pressing 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 angles. The animal swims this way when looking around for food or just swimming. However, when the shark detects an important