历年英语四级考试阅读理解部分1

　　Part II Reading Comprehension (35 minutes)

　　Directions: There are 4 reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A),B) C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

　　Passage One　

　　Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage:

　　Oceanography has been defined as “The application of all sciences to the study of the sea”.

　　Before the nineteen century, scientists with an interest in the sea were few and far between. Certainly Newton considered some theoretical aspects of it in his writings, but he was reluctantto go to sea to further his work.

　　For most people the sea was remote, and with the exception of early intercontinental travelers or others who earned a living from the sea, there was little reason to ask many questions about it, let alone to ask what lay beneath the surface. The first time that question “What is at the bottom of the oceans?” had to be answered with any commercial consequence was when the laying of a telegraph cable from Europe to America was proposed. The engineers had to know the depth profile(起伏形状)of the route to estimate the length of cable that had to be manufactured.

　　It was to Maury of the US Navy that the Atlantic Telegraph Company turned, in 1853, for information on this matter. In the 1840s, Maury had been responsible for encouraging voyages during which soundings(测身) were taken to investigate the depths of the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Later, some of his findings aroused much popular interest in his book The Physical Geography of the Sea.

　　The cable was laid, but not until 1866 was the connection made permanent and reliable. At the early attempts, the cable failed and when it was taken out for repairs it was found to be covered in living growths, a fact which defied contemporary scientific opinion that there was no life in the deeper parts of the sea.

　　Within a few years oceanography was under way. In 1872 Thomson led a scientific expedition(考察), which lasted for four years and brought home thousands of samples from the sea. Their classification and analysis occupied scientists for years and led to a five-volume report, the last volume being published in 1895.

　　21. The proposal to lay a telegraph cable from Europe to America made oceanographic studies take on ______.

　　A) an academic aspect C) a business aspect

　　B) a military aspect D) an international aspect

　　22. It was ______ that asked Maury for help in oceanographic studies.

　　A) the American Navy

　　B) some early intercontinental travelers

　　C) those who earned a living from the sea

　　D) the company which proposed to lay an undersea cable

　　23. The aim of the voyages Maury was responsible for in the 1840s was ______.

　　A) to make some sounding experiments in the oceans

　　B) to collect samples of sea plants and animals

　　C) to estimate the length of cable that was needed

　　D) to measure the depths of the two oceans

　　24. “Defied” in the 5th paragraph probably means “______”.

　　A) doubted C) challenged

　　B) gave proof to D) agreed to

　　25. This passage is mainly about ______.

　　A) the beginnings of oceanography

　　B) the laying of the first undersea cable

　　C) the investigation of ocean depths

　　D) the early intercontinental communications

　　Passage Two

　　Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:

　　Normally a student must attend a certain number of courses in order to graduate, and each course which he attends gives him a credit which he may count towards a degree. In many American universities the total work for a degree consists of thirty-six courses each lasting for one semester. A typical course consists of three classes per week for fifteen weeks; while attending a university a student will probably attend four or five courses during each semester. Normally a student would expect to take four years attending two semesters each year. It is possible to spread the period of work for the degree over a longer period. It is also possible for a student to move between one university and another during his degree course, though this is not in fact done as a regular practice.

　　For every course that he follows a student is given a grade, which is recorded, and the record is available for the student to show to prospective employers. All this imposes a constant pressure and strain of work, but in spite of this some students still find time for great activity in student affairs. Elections to positions in student organizations arouse much enthusiasm. The effective word of maintaining discipline is usually performed by students who advise the academic authorities. Any student who is thought to have broken the rules, for example, by cheating has to appear before a student court. With the enormous numbers of students, the operation of the system does involve a certain amount of activity. A student who has held one of these positions of authority is much respected and it will be of benefit to him later in his career.

　　26. Normally a student would at least attend _____ classes each week.

　　A) 36 B) 20

　　C) 12 D) 15

　　27. According to the first paragraph an American student is allowed _______.

　　A) to live in a different university

　　B) to take a particular course in a different university

　　C) to live at home and drive to classes

　　D) to get two degrees from two different universities

　　28. American university students are usually under pressure of work because _______.

　　A) their academic performance will affect their future careers

　　B) they are heavily involved in student affairs

　　C) they have to observe university discipline

　　D) they want to run for positions of authority

　　29. Some students are enthusiastic for positions in student organizations probably because ______.

　　A) they hate the constant pressure strain of their study

　　B) they will then be able to stay longer in the university

　　C) such positions help them get better jobs

　　D) such positions are usually well paid

　　30. The student organizations seem, to be effective in ______.

　　A) dealing with the academic affairs of the university

　　B) ensuring that the students observe university regulations

　　C) evaluating students’ performance by bringing them before a court

　　D) keeping up the students’ enthusiasm for social activities

　　Passage Three

　　Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:

　　Do you find getting up in the morning so difficult that it’s painful? This might be called laziness, but Dr. Kleitman has a new explanation. He has proved that everyone has a daily energy cycle.

　　During the hours when you labor through your work you may say that you’re “hot”. That’s true. The time of day when you feel most energetic is when your cycle of body temperature is at its peak, For some people the peak comes during the forenoon. For others it comes in the afternoon or evening. No one has discovered why this is so, but it leads to such familiar monologues (自言自语)as: “ Get up, John! You’ll be late for work again!” The possible explanation to the trouble is that John is at his temperature-and-energy peak in the evening. Much family quarrelling ends when husbands and wives realize what these energy cycles mean, and which cycle each member of the family has. You can’t change your energy cycle, but you can learn to make your life fit it better. Habit can help, Dr. Kleitman believes. Maybe you’re sleepy in the evening but feel you must stay up late anyway. Counteract(对抗) your cycle to some extent by habitually staying up later than you want to. If our energy is low in the morning but you have an important job to do early in the day, rise before your usual hour. This won’t change your cycle, but you’ll get up steam(鼓起干劲)and work better at your low point.

　　Get off to a slow start which saves your energy. Get up with a leisurely yawn and stretch. Sit on the edge of the bed a minute before putting your feet on the floor. Avoid the troublesome search for clean clothes by laying them out the night before. Whenever possible, do routine work in the afternoon and save tasks requiring more energy or concentration for your sharper hours.

　　31. If a person finds getting up early a problem, most probably ______.

　　A) he is a lazy person

　　B) he refuses to follow his own energy cycle

　　C) he is not sure when his energy is low

　　D) he is at his peak in the afternoon or evening

　　32. Which of the following may lead to family quarrels according to the passage?

　　A) Unawareness of energy cycles.

　　B) Familiar monologues.

　　C) A change in a family member’s energy cycle.

　　D) Attempts to control the energy cycle of other family members.

　　33. If one wants to work more efficiently at his low point in the morning, he should _____.

　　A) change his energy cycle C) get up earlier than usual

　　B) overcome his laziness D) go to bed earlier

　　34. You are advised to rise with a yawn and stretch because it will ______.

　　A) help to keep your energy for the day’s work

　　B) help you to control your temper early in the day

　　C) enable you to concentrate on your routine work

　　D) keep your energy cycle under control all day

　　35. Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?

　　A) Getting off to work wit a minimum effort helps save one’s energy.

　　B) Dr. Kleitman explains why people reach their peaks at different hours of day.

　　C) Habit helps a person adapt to his own energy cycle.

　　D) Children have energy cycles, too.

　　Passage Four

　　Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:

　　We find that bright children are rarely held back by mixed ability teaching. On the contrary, both their knowledge and experience are enriched. We feel that there are many disadvantages in streaming (把……按能力分班)pupils. It does not take into account the fact that children develop at different rates. It can have a bad effect on both the bright and the not-so-bright child. After all, it can be quite discouraging to be at the bottom of the top grade!

　　Besides, it is rather unreal to grade people just according to their intellectual ability. This is only one aspect of their total personality. We are concerned to develop the abilities of all our pupils. To the full, not just their academic ability. We also value personal qualities and social skills, and we find that mixed-ability teaching contributes to all these aspects of learning.

　　In our classrooms, we work in various ways. The pupils often work in groups: this gives them the opportunity to learn to co-operate, to share, and to develop leadership skills. They also learn how to cope with personal problems as well as learning how to think, to make decisions, to analyze and evaluate, and to communicate effectively. The pupils learn from each other as well as from the teacher.

　　Sometimes the pupils work in pairs; sometimes they work on individual tasks and assignments, and they can do this at their own speed. They also have some formal class teaching when this is appropriate. We encourage our pupils to use the library, and we teach them the skills they need in order to do this efficiently. An advanced pupil can do advanced work: it does not matter what age the child is. We expect our pupils to do their best, not their least, and we give them every encouragement to attain this goal.

　　36. In the passage the author’s attitude towards “mixed-ability teaching” is _______.

　　A) critical C) approving

　　B) questioning D) objective

　　37. By “held back” (Line 1) the author means “______”

　　A) made to remain in the same classes

　　B) forced to study I the lower classes

　　C) drawn to their studies

　　D) prevented from advancing

　　38. The author argues that a teacher’s chief concern should be the development of the student’s

　　______.

　　A) personal qualities and social skills

　　B) total personality

　　C) learning ability and communicative skills

　　D) intellectual ability

　　39. Which of the following is NOT MENTIONED in the third paragraph?

　　A) Group work gives pupils the opportunity to learn to work together with other.

　　B) Pupils also learn to develop their reasoning abilities.

　　C) Group work provides pupils with the opportunity to learn to be capable organizers.

　　D) Pupils also learn how to participate in teaching activities.

　　40. The author’s purpose in writing this passage is to ______.

　　A) argue for teaching bright and not-so-bright pupils in the same class

　　B) recommend pair work and group work for classroom activities

　　C) offer advice on the proper use of the library

　　D) emphasize the importance of appropriate formal classroom teaching

　　相关推荐：

　　英语四级阅读：毁坏海洋 威胁海洋生物

　　英语四级阅读：未来的汽车是什么样子的?

　　2011英语六级考试写作过关策略：三步走套路