专家解析大学英语四级考试历年阅读真题(十四)

　　题目问优雅的餐桌礼仪在当今社会生活中虽然不及过去流行，但……

　　最后一道题无非是考查全篇或是文章的最后部分。从题目问的内容来看，应该不是对全篇的考查，那么答案就只能存在于最后一两段。最后一段还是比较长的，从这里出一道题非常有可能，所以可以不看第五段，直接从最后一段中寻找答案。

　　最后一段一共三句话。第一句是说正式礼仪的失去也有消极的一面。

　　第二句很长，需要慢慢消化理解。The fine points of etiquette that children might once have learned at the table by observation or instruction from parents and grandparents (“Chew with your mouth closed.” “Keep your elbows off the table.”) must be picked up elsewhere。首先可以发现主语是The fine points of etiquette，that引导了一个从句(一直到括号部分)，是对这个主语的修饰。谓语部分是must be picked up。基本结构就是etiquette must be picked up elsewhere——礼节必须在别的地方重拾。从句部分的意思是“孩子们在餐桌上通过观察和父母、祖父母的指导学到的礼仪”。

　　第三句是说一些公司开始召开礼节研讨会，以给在社交方面较为懵懂的人们提供帮助。

　　这三句的逻辑顺序是这样的：社会不能丧失正式礼仪，因为它有消极的一面。过去孩子们可以在餐桌上学到正式礼仪，现在因为习惯改变已经学不到了，那么这种正式礼仪必须通过别的方式学习。有些公司开始召开礼节研讨会，以给在社交方面较为懵懂的人们提供帮助，这就是一种学习方式。

　　A，在某些场合还是必须的。文中强调正式礼仪必须“重拾”，可见是必须的。A的说法正确。

　　B，迟早还要回归的。文中没有类似说法。

　　C，父母们依然在家中教授孩子这种礼仪。根据上面的分析，实际情况与此恰恰相反，孩子们在餐桌上已经学不到正式礼仪了。

　　D，有利于促进个人关系发展。文章讲到礼仪研讨会可以帮助不懂社交的人，那么应该是有利于他们的社会关系的发展，而不是个人关系。

　　Passage Four

　　Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage.

　　Some houses are designed to be smart. Others have smart designs. An example of the second type of house won an Award of Excellence from the American Institute of Architects.

　　Located on the shore of Sullivan’s Island off the coast of South Carolina, the award-winning cube-shaped beach house was built to replace one smashed to pieces by Hurricane (飓风) Hugo 10 years ago. In September 1989, Hugo struck South Carolina, killing 18 people and damaging or destroying 36,000 homes in the state.

　　Before Hugo, many new houses built along South Carolina’s shoreline were poorly constructed, and enforcement of building codes wasn’t strict, according to architect Ray Huff, who created the cleverly-designed beach house. In Hugo’s wake, all new shoreline houses are required to meet stricter, better-enforced codes. The new beach house on Sullivan’s Island should be able to withstand a Category 3 hurricane with peak winds of 179 to 209 kilometers per hour.

　　At first sight, the house on Sullivan’s Island looks anything but hurricane-proof. Its redwood shell makes it resemble “a large party lantern (灯笼)” at night, according to one observer. But looks can be deceiving. The house’s wooden frame is reinforced with long steel rods to give it extra strength.

　　To further protect the house from hurricane damage, Huff raised it 2.7 meters off the ground on timber pilings—long, slender columns of wood anchored deep in the sand. Pilings might appear insecure, but they are strong enough to support the weight of the house. They also elevate the house above storm surges. The pilings allow the surges to run under the house instead of running into it. “These swells of water come ashore at tremendous speeds and cause most of the damage done to beach-front buildings,” said Huff.

　　Huff designed the timber pilings to be partially concealed by the house’s ground-to-roof shell. “The shell masks the pilings so that the house doesn’t look like it’s standing with its pant legs pulled up,” said Huff. In the event of a storm surge, the shell should break apart and let the waves rush under the house, the architect explained.

　　36. After the tragedy caused by Hurricane Hugo, new houses built along South Carolina’s shore line are required ________.

　　A) to be easily reinforced

　　B) to look smarter in design

　　C) to meet stricter building standards

　　D) to be designed in the shape of cubes(C)

　　37. The award-winning beach house is quite strong because ________.

　　A) it is strengthened by steel rods

　　B) it is made of redwood

　　C) it is in the shape of a shell

　　D) it is built with timber and concrete(A)