专家解析大学英语四级考试历年阅读真题(十二)

　　这篇文章讲的是应该如何区别对待感冒和流感。因为文章旨在向普通民众传播医疗知识，所以遣词造句较为简易，结构清晰易辨，理解的难度不大。

　　文章开篇指出两点，一是感冒与流感有很多相似的症状(Scratchy throats, stuffy noses and body aches all spell misery)，二是应当学会区分感冒和流感(may make a difference)。这两点也是文章所述内容的纲领，后者是论述的侧重点。

　　第二段引用医疗权威ALA的指导原则，指出区分普通感冒与流感的原因所在：辨别出是哪种疾病后可以立即进行相应的治疗。对于流感来说，要马上把医生的药房付诸实施(prescription drugs available for the flu need to be taken soon);对感冒来说，则要立即服用非处方药(starts taking over-the-counter remedy)。

　　接下来的几段从致病成因、预防手段、症状等方面介绍了感冒与流感的区别。

　　第三段讲述了二者的致病因素，感冒源于二百多种病毒，而流感源于三种病毒。作者附带讲到流感的预防方法：接种疫苗(the flu can be prevented by the flu vaccine)。而普通感冒的预防方法则跳到了最后一段：frequent hand washing and avoiding close contact，勤洗手，不与感冒病人密切接触。

　　四、五、六段介绍了感冒与流感在症状上的区别。第四段只起了承上启下的作用，第五段详细讲解了二者的区别。第六段则指出一个特例：婴幼儿和学龄前儿童的流感症状不易辨认。

　　第七段讲的是治疗方法，着重说明了治疗禁忌：少年儿童不宜服用阿司匹林(should not take aspirin for pain relief)。

　　Passage Two

　　Questions 16 to 20 are based on the following passage.

　　In a time of low academic achievement by children in the United States, many Americans are turning to Japan, a country of high academic achievement and economic success, for possible answers. However, the answers provided by Japanese preschools are not the ones Americans expected to find. In most Japanese preschools, surprisingly little emphasis is put on academic instruction. In one investigation, 300 Japanese and 210 American preschool teachers, child development specialists, and parents were asked about various aspects of early childhood education. Only 2 percent of the Japanese respondents (答问卷者) listed “to give children a good start academically” as one of their top three reasons for a society to have preschools. In contrast, over half the American respondents chose this as one of their top three choices. To prepare children for successful careers in first grade and beyond, Japanese schools do not teach reading, writing, and mathematics, but rather skills such as persistence, concentration, and the ability to function as a member of a group. The vast majority of young Japanese children are taught to read at home by their parents.

　　In the recent comparison of Japanese and American preschool education, 91 percent of Japanese respondents chose providing children with a group experience as one of their top three reasons for a society to have preschools. Sixty-two percent of the more individually oriented (强调个性发展的) Americans listed group experience as one of their top three choices. An emphasis on the importance of the group seen in Japanese early childhood education continues into elementary school education.

　　Like in America, there is diversity in Japanese early childhood education. Some Japanese kindergartens have specific aims, such as early musical training or potential development. In large cities, some kindergartens are attached to universities that have elementary and secondary schools. Some Japanese parents believe that if their young children attend a university-based program, it will increase the children’s chances of eventually being admitted to top-rated schools and universities. Several more progressive programs have introduced free play as a way out for the heavy intellectualizing in some Japanese kindergartens.

　　16. We learn from the first paragraph that many Americans believe ________.

　　A) Japanese parents are more involved in preschool education than American parents

　　B) Japan’s economic success is a result of its scientific achievements

　　C) Japanese preschool education emphasizes academic instruction

　　D) Japan’s higher education is superior to theirs(C)

　　17. Most Americans surveyed believe that preschools should also attach importance to ________.

　　A) problem solving

　　B) group experience

　　C) parental guidance

　　D) individually-oriented development(B)

　　18. In Japan’s preschool education, the focus is on ________.

　　A) preparing children academically

　　B) developing children’s artistic interests

　　C) tapping children’s potential

　　D) shaping children’s character(D)