大学英语四级阅读理解试题及答案

大学英语四级阅读理解试题及答案（二）

2.According to the writer ,the most important character for a good manager is his ________.

a.not fearing stress

b.knowing the art of relaxation

c.high sense of responsibility

d.having control over performance

3.Which of the follwing statements is ture?

a.We can find some ways to avoid stress

b.Stress is always harmful to people

c.It is easy to change the hagit of keeping oneself busy with work.

d.Different people can withstand different amounts of stress

4.In Paragraph 3, "such a reaction" refers back to_______.

a."making a choice between 'flight' or 'fight'"

b."reaction to stress both chemically and physically"

c."responding to crises quickly"

d."losing heart at the signs difficulties"

5.In the last sentence of the passage,"do so " refers to ______.

a."expose ourselves to stress"

b."find ways to deal with stress"

c."remove stress from our lives"

d."established links between diseases and stress"

答案：dadbc

七

In the 1960s, many young Americans were dissatisfied with American society. They wanted to end the Vietnam War and to make all of the people in the U.S. epual. Some of them decided to "drop out" of American society and form their own societies . They formed utopian communities , which they called "communes," where they could follow their philosophy of "do your own thing." A group of artists founded a commune in southern Colorado called "Drop City." Following the ideas of philosopher and architect Buckminster Fuller they built domeshaped houses from pieces of old cars. Other groups, such as author Ken Kesey's Merry Pranksters, the followers fo San Francisco poet Steve Gakin, and a group that called itself the Hog Farm, lived in old school huses and traveled around the United States. The Hog Farm become famous when they helped organize the Woodstock Rock Festival in 1969. Steve Gaskin's followers tried to settle down on a farm in Tennessee, but they had to leave when some members of the gruop were arrested for growing marijuana.

Not all communes believed in the philosophy of "do you own thing," however . Twin Oaks , a commune founded in Virgiania in the late 1960s, was based on the ideas of psychologist B.F.Skinner. The people who lived at Twin Oaks were carefully controlled by Skinner's "conditioning" techniques to do things that were good for the community. In 1972, Italian architect Paolo Soleri began to build Arcosanti, a utopian city Arizsona where 2500 people will live closely together in one large building called an "archology" Soleri believes that people must live closely together so that they will all become one.

1.Why did some young Americans decide to "drop out" of scoiety during the 1960s? a.They were not satisfied with American society.

b.They wanted to grow marijuana.

c.They wanted to go to the Vietnam War.

d.They did not want all people to be equal.

2.Where did the members of the Hog Farm commune live?

a.In dome-shaped house

b.In old school huses

c.On a farm inTennessee

d.In an archology in Arizona

3.Who gave the people of Drop City the idea to bulid dome-shaped house? a.Paolo Soleri

b.B.G.Skinner

c.Steve Gaskin

d.Buckminster Fuller

4.What was the Twin Oaks commune base on ?

a.The philosophy of "do your own thing"

b.Virginaia in the late 1960s

c.The ideas of psychologist

d.The belief that people must live closely togerher.

5.What is an "archology"?

a.A person who studies archaeology

b.A large building where people live closely together

c.A city in A rizona

d.A technique to contorl people

答案：abdcb

八

There are two factors which determine an individual's intelligence. The first is the sort of brain he is born with. Human brains differ considerably, some being

more capable than others. But no matter how good a brain he has to begin with, an individual will have a low order of intelligence unless he has opportunities to learn. So the second factor is what happens to the individual—the sort of environment in which he is reared. If an individual is handicapped envionmentally ,it is likely that his brain will fail to develop and he will never attain the level of intelligence of which he is capable.

The importance of environment in determining an individual's intellingence can be demonstrated by the case history of the identical twins, Peter and Mark X. Being identical, the twins had identical brains at birth, and their growth processes were the same. When the twins were three months old , their parents died, and they were placed in separate foster homes. Peter was reated by parents of low intelligence in an isolatedcommunity with poor educational pooprtunities.Mark was reared inthe home of well-to-do parents who had been to college. He was read to as a child , sent to good schools, and given every opportunity to be stimulated intellectually.This enviromental difference continued until the twins were in their late teens, when they were giben tesets to measure their intelligence. Mark's I.Q. was 125,

twenty-five points higher than the average and fully forty points higher than his identical brother. Given equal opportunities , the twins , having identical brains,would have tested at roughly the same level.

1.This selection can best be titled_________.

a.Measuring Your Intelligence

b.Intelligence and Environment

c.The Case of Peter and Mark

d.How the brain Influences Intelligence

2.The beststatement of the main idea of this passage is that _____.

a.human brains differ considerably

b.the brain a person is born with is improtant in determining his intelligence c.environment is crucial in determining a person's intelligence

d. persons having identical brains will have roughly the same intelligence

3.According to the passage , the average I.Q.is _____.

a.85

b.100

c.110

d.125

4.The case history of the twins appears to support the conclusion that _______. a.individual with identical brains seldom test at same level

b.an individual's intelligence is determined only by his enviroment http://ck of opportunity blocks the growth of intelligence

d.changes of enviroment produce changes in the structure of the brain

5.This passage suggests that an individual 's I.Q.______.

a.can be predicted at birth

b.stays the same throuthout his life

c.can be increased by education

d.is determined by his childhood

答案：bcbcc

九

As she walked round the huge department store,Edith reflected how difficult it was to choose a suitable Christmas present for her father.She wish that he was as easy to please as her mother, who was always delighted with perfume

Besides,shoppong at this time of the year was a most disgreeable

experience :people trod on your toes,poked you with their elbows and almost knocked you overin their haste to get to a bargain ahead of you.

Partly to have a rest, Edith paused in front of a counter where some attracive ties were on display. "They are real silk," the assistant assured her, trying to tempt her. "Worth double the price." But edit knew from past experience that her choice of ties hardly ever pleased her father.

She moved on reluctantly and then quite by chance, stopped where a small crowd of man had gathered round a counter. She found some good quality pipes on sale-----and the prices were very reasonable. Edith did not hesitate for long : although her father only smoked a pipe occasionally, she knew that this was a present which was bund to please him.

When she got home,with her small well-chosen present concealed in her handbag, her parents were already at the supper table. Her mother was in an especially cheerful mood, "Your father has at last to decided to stop smoking." She informed her daughter.

1.Edith's father _______.

a.did not like present

b.never got present

c.preferred ties

d.was difficult to choose a present for

2.The assistant spoke to Edith because she seemed_______.

a.attractive

b.interested in ties

c.tired

d.in need of comfort

3.Edith stopped at the next counter_________.

a.purosely

b.suddenly

c.unwillingly

d.accidentally

4.Edith's father smoked a pipe_______.

a.when he was obliged

b.on social occasions

c.from time to time

d.when he was delighted

5.Shopping was very disagreeable at that time of the year because_______. a.coustomers trod on each other's toes

b.coustomers poked each other with their elbows

c.customers knocked each other

d.customers were doing their shopping in a great hurry

答案：dbdcdResearch by the University of Exeter1 has revealed that ants have a big impact on their local environment as a result of their activity as "ecosystem engineers" and predators（食肉动物）. The study, published in the Journal of Animal Ecology, found that ants have two distinct（显著的）effects on their local environment. Firstly, through moving of soil by nest building2 activity and by collecting food they affect the level of nutrients（营养物）in the soil. This can indirectly impact the local populations of many animal groups, from decomposers（腐生物,分解体）to species much higher up the food chain.

Secondly, they prey(捕食) on a wide range of other animals, including larger prey which can be attacked by vast numbers of ant workers.

Dirk Sanders, an author of the study from the university’s Centre for Ecology and Conservation, said: "Ants are very effective predators which thrive in huge numbers. They’re also very territorial3 and very aggressive, defending their resources and territory against other predators. All of this means they have a strong influence on their surrounding area."

"In this research, we studied for the first time how big this impact is and the subtleties(微妙) of it. What we found is that despite being predators, their presence can also lead to an increase in density and diversity of other animal groups4. They genuinely play a key role in the local environment, having a big influence on the grassland food web," Sanders said.

The study, carried out in Germany, studied the impact of the presence of different combinations and densities of black garden ants and common red ants, both species which can be found across Europe, including in the UK. It found that a low density of ants in an area increased the diversity and density of other animals in the local area, particularly the density of herbivores(食草动物) and decomposers. At higher densities ants had no or the opposite effect, showing that predation is counteracting the positive influence.

Dr Frank van Veen, another author on the study, said: "What we find is that the impact of ants on soil nutrient levels has a positive effect on animal groups at low levels, but as the number of ants increases, their predatory impacts have the bigger effect — thereby counteracting the positive influence via ecosystem engineering." Ants are important components of ecosystems not only because they constitute a great part of the animal biomass5 (生物量) but also because they act as ecosystem engineers. Ant biodiversity6（生物多样性）is incredibly high and these organisms are highly responsive（敏感的，易受影响的） to human impact, which obviously reduces its richness. However, it is not clear how such disturbance damages the maintenance of ant services to the

ecosystem7．Ants are important in below ground processes8 through the alteration of the physical and chemical environment and through their effects on plants, microorganisms, and other soil organisms

The standardized educational or psychological tests, which are widely used to aid in selecting, assigning or promoting students, employees and military personnel, have been the target of recent attacks in books, magazines, the daily press, and even in Congress. The target is wrong, for, in attacking the tests, critics divert attention from the fault that lies with ill-informed or incompetent users. The tests themselves are merely tools. Whether the results will be valuable, meaningless, or even misleading depends partly upon the tool itself but largely upon the user. All informed predictions of future performance are based upon some knowledge of relevant past performance. How well the predictions will be validated by later performance depends upon the amount, reliability and appropriateness of the information used and on the skill and wisdom with which it is interpreted. Anyone who keeps careful score knows that the information available is always incomplete and that the predictions are always subject to error.

Standardized tests should be considered in this context: they provide a quick, objective method of getting some kind of information about what a person has learned, the skills he has developed, or the kind of person he is. The information so obtained has, qualitatively, the same advantages and shortcomings as other kinds of

information. Whether to use tests, other kinds of information, or both in a particular situation depends, therefore, upon the empirical evidence concerning comparative validity and upon such factors as cost and availability. In general, the tests work most effectively when the traits or qualities to be measured can be most precisely defined ( for example, ability to do well in a particular course of training program ) and least effectively when what is to be measured or predicted cannot be well defined, for example, personality or creativity. Properly used, they provide a rapid means of getting comparable information about many people. Sometimes they identify students whose high potential has not been previously recognized.

The modern sailing ship was developed by a man who never went to sea.

He was Prince Henry of Portugal,the younger son of the Partuguese king and an English princess.

Prince Henry lived in the fifteenth century.As a boy he became devoted to the sea,and he dedicated himself to improving the design of ships and the methods of sailing them.In 1416,when he was twentytwo,Henry founded a school for mariners, to which he invited everyone who could help him—Jewish astronomers,Italian and Spanish sailors, and Arab mathematicians and map makers who knew to use the crude

compass of the day and could improve it.

Henry’s goal was to design and equip vessels that would be capable of making long ocean voyages without having to hug the shore.The caravel carried more sail and was longer and slimmer than any ship then made,yet was tough enough to withstand gales at sea.He also developed the carrack,which was a slower ship,but one that was capable of carrying more cargo.

To Prince Henry the world owes credit for development of craft that made oceanic exploration possible.He lives in history as Henry the Navigator.

The modern sailing ship was developed by a man who never went to sea.

He was Prince Henry of Portugal,the younger son of the Partuguese king and an English princess.

Prince Henry lived in the fifteenth century.As a boy he became devoted to the sea,and he dedicated himself to improving the design of ships and the methods of sailing them.In 1416,when he was twentytwo,Henry founded a school for mariners, to which he invited everyone who could help him—Jewish astronomers,Italian and Spanish sailors, and Arab mathematicians and map makers who knew to use the crude

compass of the day and could improve it.

Henry’s goal was to design and equip vessels that would be capable of making long ocean voyages without having to hug the shore.The caravel carried more sail and was longer and slimmer than any ship then made,yet was tough enough to withstand gales at sea.He also developed the carrack,which was a slower ship,but one that was capable of carrying more cargo.

To Prince Henry the world owes credit for development of craft that made oceanic exploration possible.He lives in history as Henry the Navigator.

十 Now let us look at how we read. When we read a printed text, our eyes move across a page in short, jerky movement. We recognize words usually when our eyes are still when they fixate. Each time they fixate, we see a group of words. This is known as the recognition span or the visual span. The length of time ofr which the eyes stop ---the duration of the fixation ----varies considerably from person to person. It also vaies within any one

person according to his purpose in reading and his familiarity with the text. Furthermore, it can be affected by such factors as lighting and tiredness.

Unfortunately, in the past, many reading improvement courses have concentrated too much on how our eyes move across the printed page. As a result of this misleading emphasis on the purely visual aspects of reading, numerous exercises have been devised to train the eyes to see more words at one fixation. For instance, in some

exercises, words are flashed on to a screen for, say, a tenth or a twentieth of a second. One of the exercises has required students to fix their eyes on some central point, taking in the words on either side. Such word patterns are often constructed in the shape of rather steep pyramids so the reader takes in more and more words at each

successive fixation. All these exercises are very clever, but it’s one thing to improve a person’s ability to see words and quite another thing to improve his ability to read a text efficiently. Reading requires the ability to understand the relationship between words. Consequently, for these reasons, many experts have now begun to question the usefulness of eye training, especially since any approach which trains a person to read isolated words and phrases would seem unlikely to help him in reading a continuous text

If the population of the earth goes on increasing at its present rate, there will eventually not be enough resources left to sustain life on the planet.By the middle of the 21st century,if present trends continue, we will have used up all the oil that drives our cars,for example.Even if scientists develop new ways of feeding the human race,the crowded conditions on earth will make it necessary for lus to look for open space somewhere else. But none of the other planets in our solar system are capable of supporting life at present. One possible solution to the problem, however,has recently been suggested by American scientist, Professor Carl Sagan. Sagan believes that before the earth's resources are compleetely exhausted it will be possible to change the atmophere of Venus and so create a new world almost as large as earth itself. The difficult is that Venus is much hotter than the earth and there is only a tiny amount of water there.

Sagan proposes that algae organisms that can live in extremely hot or cold atmospheres and at the same time produce oxygen,should be bred in condition similar to those on Venus.As soon as this has been done, the algae will be placed in small rockets. Spaceship will then fly to Venus and fire the rockets into the atmosphere .In a fairly short time, the alge will break down the carbon dioxide into oxygen and carbon.

When the algae have done theri work, the atmosphere will become cooler,but befor man can set foot on Venus it will be neccessary for the oxygen to produce rain. The surface of the planet will still be too hot for man to land on it but the rain will eventually fall and in a few years something like earth will be reproduced on Venus.

1.Inte long run, the most insoluble problem caused by population growth on earth will probably be the lack of ______.

a.food

b.oil

c.space

d.resources

2.Carl Sagan believes that Venus might be colonized from earth because _____ a.it might be possible to change its atmosphere

b.its atmosphere is the same as the earth's

c.there is a good supply of water on Venus

d.the days on Venus are long enough

3.On Venus there is a lot of ________.

a.water

b.carbon dioxide

c.carbon monoxide

d.oxygen

4.Algae are plants that can____.

a.live in very hot temperatures

b.live in very cold temperatures

c.manufacture oxygen

d.all of the above

5. Man can land on Venus only when_______.

a.the algae have done their work

b.the atmosphere becomes cooler

c.thereis oxygen

d.it rains there

答案：cabdd

Heroin addictions today is found chiefly among young men of minority groups in ghetto(犹太人

区)areas.Of the more than 60,000 known addicts,more than half live in New York State.Most of them live in New York City.Recent figures show that more than half of the addicts are under 30 years of age.

Narcotic addiction in the United States is not limted to heroin users.Some middle-aged and older people who take narcotic drugs regularly to relieve pain can also become addicted.So do some people who can get drugs easily,such as doctors,nurses,and pharmacists.Studies show that this type of addict has personality and emotional problems very similar to those of other regular narcotic users.

Many addicts admit that getting a continued supply is the main object of their lives.An addict’s concentration on getting drugs often prevents continuing an education or working at a job.His health is often poor.He may be sick one day from the effects of withdrawal and sick the next day from an overdose.Statistics show that an addict’s life span may be shortened by 15 to 20 years.The addict is usually in trouble with the family and almost always in trouble with the law.

Some studies suggest that many of the known narcotic addicts had some trouble with the law before they became addicted.Once addicted,they may become even more involved with crime because it costs so much to support the heroin habit.

Most authorities agree that the addict’s involvement with crime is not a direct effect of the drug

itself.Turning to crime is usually the only way to get that much money.The addicts’ crimes are nearly always thefts or other crimes againstproperty.

Federal penalties for illegal narcotics usage were established under the Harris on Act of 1914.The Act

provides that illegal possession of narcotics is punishable by fines and/or imprisonment.Sentences can range from 2 to 10 years for the first offense,5 to 20 years for the second,and 10 to 20 years for further offenses.

Illegal sale of narcotics can mean a fine of $20,000 and a sentence from 20 to 40 years for later offenses.A person who sells narcotics to someone under 18 is refused parole and probation,even for the first offense.If the drug is heroin,he can be sentenced to life imprisonment or to death.

Scientists say they have discovered hints of alien life on the Saturn's moon. The discovery of a sort of life was announced after researchers at the US space agency,NASA,analyzed data from spacecraft Cassini,which pointed to,the existence of methane-based form of life on Saturn's biggest moon.

Scientists have reportedly discovered clues showing primitive alien beings are"breathing" in

Titan's dense atmosphere filled with hydrogen.

They argue that hydrogen gets absorbed before hitting Titan's planet-like surface covered with methane lakes and rivers. This,they say,points to the existence of some"bugs" consuming the hydrogen at the surface of the moon less than half the size of the Earth.

"We suggested hydrogen consumption because it's the obvious gas for life to consume on Titan,similar to the way we consume oxygen on Earth,"says NASA scientist Chris McKay."If

these signs do turn out to be a sign of life,it would be doubly exciting because it would represent a second form of life independent from water-based life on Earth."

To date,scientists have not yet detected this form of life anywhere,though there are liquid-

water-based microorganisms on Earth that grow well on methane or produce it as a waste product. On Titan, where temperatures are around 90 Kelvin(minus 290 degrees Farenheit),a methanebased organism would have to use a substance that is liquid as its medium for living processes, but not water itself. Water is frozen solid on Titan's surface and much too cold to support life as we know it.

Scientists had expected the Sun's interactions with chemicals in the atmosphere to produce a coating of acetylene on Titan's surface. But Cassini detected no acetylene on the surface.

The absence of detectable acetylene on the Titan's surface can very well have a non-biological explanation,said Mark Allen,a principal investigator of the NASA Titan team.

"Scientific conservatism suggests that a biological explanation should be the last choice after all non-biological explanations are addressed,"Allen said. "We have a lot of work to do to rule out possible non-biological explanations. It is more likely that a chemical process,without biology,can explain these results."

1. Passage One

Unless we spend money to spot and prevent asteroids(小行星)now，one might crash into Earth and destroy life as we know it，say some scientists.

Asteroids are bigger versions of the meteoroids(流星)that race across the night sky.Most orbit the sun far from Earth and don't threaten us.But there are also

thousands whose orbits put them on a collision course with Earth.

Buy $ 50 million worth of new telescopes right now.Then spend $ 10 million a year for the next 25 years to locate most of the space rocks.By the time we spot a fatal one，the scientists say，we'll have a way to change its course.

Some scientists favor pushing asteroids off course with nuclear weapons.But the cost wouldn't be cheap.

Is it worth it? Two things experts consider when judging any risk are: 1) How likely the event is; and 2) How bad the consequences if the event occurs. Experts think an asteroid big enough to destroy lots of life might strike Earth once every 500，000

years. Sounds pretty rare-but if one did fall，it would be the end of the world.“If we

don't take care of these big asteroids，they'll take care of us，”says one scientist.“It's that simple.”

The cure，though，might be worse than the disease. Do we really want fleets of nuclear weapons sitting around on Earth?“The world has less to fear from

doomsday(毁灭性的) rocks than from a great nuclear fleet set against them，” said a New York Times article.

21. What does the passage say about asteroids and meteoroids?

A) They are heavenly bodies different in composition.

B) They are heavenly bodies similar in nature.

C) There are more asteroids than meteoroids.

D) Asteroids are more mysterious than meteoroids.

[答案及分析]：［B］文章第二段第一句明确指出“小行星和划破夜空的流星是性质一样的物质，只是体积大些。”解题的关键是对version的理解。

22. What do scientists say about the collision of an asteroid with Earth?

A) It is very unlikely but the danger exists.

B) Such a collision might occur once every 25 years.

C) Collisions of smaller asteroids with Earth occur more often than expected.

D) It's still too early to say whether such a collision might occur..

[答案及分析]：［A］文章倒数第二段对小行星撞击地球的可能性作出了很形象的描述，每50万年才可能有一次，但一旦发生，将是地球末日。

23. What do people think of the suggestion of using nuclear weapons to alter the course of asteroids?

A) It sounds practical but it may not solve the problem.

B) It may create more problems than it might solve.

C) It is a waste of money because a collision of asteroids with Earth is very

unlikely.

D) Further research should be done before it is proved applicable.

[答案及分析]：［B］文章最后一段道出了人们的担忧。正如纽约时报的一篇文章所言：“人们对巨石的担心，还不如对用以对付它们的巨型核舰队的担心更甚。”

24. We can conclude from the passage that .

A) while pushing asteroids off course nuclear weapons would destroy the world

B) asteroids racing across the night sky are likely to hit Earth in the near future

C) the worry about asteroids can be left to future generations since it is unlikely to happen in our lifetime

D) workable solutions still have to be found to prevent a collision of asteroids with Earth.

[答案及分析]：［D］本文虽然提到了用核武器对付小行星的建议，但同时指出人们对这种解决方法担心重重，可见，可行的解决方法仍在寻找之中。

25. Which of the following best describes the author's tone in this pass age?

A) Optimistic. B) Critical. C) Objective. D) Arbitrary.

[答案及分析]：［C］本文在引述观点及例证时，用了不少间接引语或直接引语，说明出处或原述者。可见本文是一篇对事实情况的客观报道。

2. Passage Two

Believe it or not，optical illusion (错觉) can cut highway crashes.Japan is a case in point.It has reduced automobile crashes on some roads by nearly 75 percent using a simple optical illusion.Bent stripes，called chevrons (人字形)painted on the roads make drivers think that they are d riving faster than they really are，and thus drivers slow down.Now the American Association Foundation for Traffic Safety in

Washington D.C.is planning to rep eat Japan's success.Starting next year,the

foundation will paint chevrons and other patterns of stripes on selected roads around the country to test how well the patterns reduce highway crashes.Excessive speed

plays a major role role in as much as one fifth of all fatal traffic accidents,according to the foundation .To help reduce those accidents，the foundation will conduct its tests in areas where speed - related hazards are the greatest - curves，exit slopes，traffic

circles，and bridges.Some studies suggest that straight，horizontal bars painted across roads can initially cut the average speed of drivers in half.However，traffic often returns to full speed within months as drivers become used to seeing the painted

bar.Chevrons，scientists say，not only give drivers the impress ion that they are driving faster than they really are but also make a lane appear to be narrower.The result is a longer lasting reduction in highway speed and the number of traffic accidents.

26. The passage mainly discusses .

A) a new way of highway speed control

B) a new pattern for painting highways

C) a new approach to training drivers

D) a new type of optical illusion

[答案及分析]：［A］通读全文可知本文主旨是：如何通过在路面上涂上类似“人字形”的标志来降低车速以减少交通事故。

27. On roads painted with chevrons drivers tend to feel that.

A) they should avoid speed - related hazards

B) they are driving in the wrong lane

C) they should slow down their speed

D) they are approaching the speed limit