历年英语四级考试阅读理解部分2

　　1991年6月

　　Reading Comprehension (35 minutes)

　　Passage One

　　Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage:

　　There is a popular belief among parents that schools are no longer interested in spelling. No school I have taught in has ever ignored spelling or considered it unimportant as a basic skill. There are, however, vastly different ideas about how to teach it, or how much priority (优先) it must be given over general language development and writing ability. The problem is, how to encourage a child to express himself freely and confidently in writing without holding him back with the complexities of spelling?

　　If spelling becomes the only focal point of his teacher's interest, clearly a bright child will be likely to "play safe". He will tend to write only words within his spelling range, choosing to avoid adventurous language. That's why teachers often encourage the early use of dictionaries and pay attention to content rather than technical ability.

　　I was once shocked to read on the bottom of a sensitive piece of writing about a personal experience: "This work is terrible! There are far too many spelling errors and your writing is illegible (难以辨认)。" It may have been a sharp criticism of the pupil's technical abilities in writing, but it was also a sad reflection on the teacher who had omitted to read the essay, which contained some beautiful expressions of the child's deep feelings. The teacher was not wrong to draw attention to the errors, but if his priorities had centred on the child's ideas, an expression of his disappointment with the presentation would have given the pupil more motivation to seek improvement.

　　18. Teachers differ in their opinions about ____ .

　　(A) the difficulties in teaching spelling

　　(B) the role of spelling in general language development

　　(C) the complexities of the basic writing skills

　　(D) the necessity of teaching spelling

　　19. The expression "play safe" probably means "____".

　　(A) to write carefully

　　(B) to do as teachers say

　　(C) to use dictionaries frequently

　　(D) to avoid using words one is not sure of

　　20. Teachers encourage the use of dictionaries so that ____.

　　(A) students will be able to express their ideas more freely

　　(B) teachers will have less trouble in correcting mistakes

　　(C) students will have more confidence in writing

　　(D) students will learn to be independent of teachers

　　21. The writer seems to think that the teacher's judgement on that sensitive piece of writing is ____.

　　(A) reasonable

　　(B) unfair

　　(C) foolish

　　(D) careless

　　22. The major point discussed in the passage is ____ .

　　(A) the importance of developing writing skills

　　(B) the complexities of spelling

　　(C) the correct way of making compositions

　　(D) the relationship between spelling and the content of a composition

　　Passage Two

　　Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:

　　A breakthrough (突破) in the provision of energy from the sun for the European Economic Community (EEC) could be brought froward by up to two decades, if a modest increase could be provided in the EEC's research effort in this field, according to the senior EEC scientists engaged in experiments in solar energy at EEC's scientific laboratories at Ispra, near Milan.

　　The senior West German scientist in charge of the Community's solar energy programme, Mr. Joachim Gretz, told journalists that at present levels of research spending it was most unlikely that solar energy would provide as much as three per cent of the Community's energy requirements even after the year 2000. But he said that with a modest increase in the present sums, devoted by the EEC to this work it was possible that the breakthrough could be achieved by the end of the next decade.

　　Mr. Gretz calculates that if solar energy only provided three per cent of the EEC's needs, this could still produce a saving of about a billion pounds in the present bill for imported energy each year. And he believes that with the possibility of utilizing more advanced technology in this field it might be possible to satisfy a much bigger share of the Community's future energy needs.

　　At present the EEC spends about $2.6 millions a year on solar research at Ispra, one of the EEC's official joint research centres, and another $3 millions a year in indirect research with universities and other independent bodies.

　　23. The phrase "be brought forward" (Line 2, Para. 1) most probably means "______".

　　(A) be expected (C) be advanced

　　(B) be completed (D) be introduced

　　24. Some scientists believe that a breakthrough in the use of solar energy depends on ______.

　　(A) sufficient funding (C) advanced technology

　　(B) further experiments (D) well-equipped laboratories

　　25. According to Mr. Gretz, the present sum of money will enable the scientists to provide _____.

　　(A) more than 3% of the EEC's needs after the year 2000

　　(B) only 3% of the EEC's needs before the year 2000

　　(C) less than 3% of the EEC's needs before the year 2000

　　(D) 3% of the EEC's needs after the year 2000

　　26. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage? ______

　　(A) The EEC spends one billion pounds on imported energy each year.

　　(B) At the present level of research spending, it is difficult to make any significant progress in the provision of energy from the sun.

　　(C) The desired breakthrough could be obtained by the end of the next decade if investment were increased.

　　(D) The total yearly spending of the EEC on solar energy research amounted to almost 6 million.

　　27. The application of advanced technology to research in solar energy ______.

　　(A) would lead to a big increase in research funding

　　(B) would make it unnecessary to import oil

　　(C) would make it possible to meet the future energy needs of the EEC

　　(D) would provide a much greater proportion of the Community's future energy needs

　　Passage Three

　　Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:

　　Just seven years ago, the Jarvik-7 artificial heart was being cheered as the model of human

　　creativeness. The sight of Barney Clark-alive and conscious after trading his diseased heart for a

　　metal-and-plastic pump-convinced the press, the public and many doctors that the future had

　　arrived. It hadn't. After monitoring production of the Jarvik-7, and reviewing its effects on the

　　150 or so patients (most of whom got the device as a temporary measure) the U.S. Food and

　　Drug Administration concluded that the machine was doing more to endanger lives than to save

　　them. Last week the agency cancelled its earlier approval, effectively banning (禁止) the device.

　　The recall may hurt Symbion Inc., maker of the Jarvik-7, but it won't end the request for

　　an artificial heart. One problem with the banned mode is that the tubes connecting it to an external

　　power source created a passage for infection. Inventors are now working on new devices that

　　would be fully placed, along with a tiny power pack, in the patient's chest. The first sample

　　products aren't expected for another 10 or 20 years. But some people are already worrying that

　　they'll work—and that America's overextended health—care programs will lose a precious

　　$2.5 billion to $5 billion a year providing them for a relatively few dying patients. If such

　　expenditures (开支) cut into funding for more basic care, the net effect could actually be a decline

　　in the nation's health.

　　28. According to the passage, the Jarvik-7 artificial heart proved to be _____.

　　(A) a technical failure

　　(B) a technical wonder

　　(C) a good life-saver

　　(D) an effective means to treat heart disease

　　29. From the passage we know that Symbion Inc. _____.

　　(A) has been banned by the government from producing artificial hearts

　　(B) will review the effects of artificial hearts before designing new models

　　(C) may continue to work on new models of reliable artificial hearts

　　(D) can make new models of artificial hearts available on the market in 10 to 20 years

　　30. The new models of artificial hearts are expected _____.

　　(A) to have a working life of 10 or 20 years

　　(B) to be set fully in the patient's chest

　　(C) to be equipped with an external power source

　　(D) to create a new passage for infection

　　31. The word "them" in Line 7, Para. 2 refers to _____.

　　(A) doctors who treat heart diseases

　　(B) makers of artificial hearts

　　(C) America's health-care programs

　　(D) new models of artificial hearts

　　32. Some people feel that _____.

　　(A) artificial hearts are seldom effective

　　(B) the country should not spend so much money on artificial hearts

　　(C) the country is not spending enough money on artificial hearts

　　(D) America's health-care programs are not doing enough for the nation's health

　　Passage Four

　　Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:

　　A rapid means of long-distance transportation became a necessity for the United States as settlement (新拓居地) spread ever farther westward. The early trains were impractical curiosities, and for a long time the railroad companies met with troublesome mechanical problems. The most serious ones were the construction of rails able to bear the load, and the development of a safe, effective stopping system. Once these were solved, the railroad was established as the best means of land transportation. By 1860 there were thousands of miles of railroads crossing the eastern mountain ranges and reaching westward to the Mississippi. There were also regional southern and western lines.

　　The high point in railroad building came with the construction of the first transcontinental system. In 1862 Congress authorized two western railroad companies to build lines from Nebraska westward and from California eastward to a meeting point, so as to complete a transcontinental crossing linking the Atlantic seaboard with the Pacific. The Government helped the railroads generously with money and land. Actual work on this project began four years later. The Central Pacific Company, starting from California, used Chinese labor, while the Union Pacific employed crews of Irish laborers. The two groups worked at remarkable speed, each trying to cover a greater distance than the other. In 1869 they met a place called Promontory in what is now the state of Utah. Many visitors came there for the great occasion. There were joyous celebrations all over the country, with parades and the ringing of church bells to honor the great achievement.

　　The railroad was very important in encouraging westward movement. It also helped build up industry and farming by moving raw materials and by distributing products rapidly to distant markets. In linking towns and people to one another it helped unify the United States.

　　33. The major problems with America's railroad system in the mid 19th century lay in _____.

　　(A) poor quality rails and unreliable stopping systems

　　(B) lack of financial support for development

　　(C) limited railroad lines

　　(D) lack of a transcontinental railroad

　　34. The building of the first transcontinental system _____.

　　(A) brought about a rapid growth of industry and farming in the west

　　(B) attracted many visitors to the construction sites

　　(C) attracted laborers from Europe

　　(D) encouraged people to travel all over the country

　　35. The best title for this passage would be ______.

　　(A) Settlements Spread Westward

　　(B) The Coast-to-Coast Railroad: A Vital Link

　　(C) American Railroad History

　　(D) The Importance of Trains in the American Economy

　　36. The construction of the transcontinental railroad took ______.

　　(A) 9 years (C) 4 years

　　(B) 7 years (D) 3 years

　　37. What most likely made people think about a transcontinental railroad?

　　(A) The possibility of government support for such a task.

　　(B) The need to explore Utah.

　　(C) The need to connect the east coast with the west.

　　(D) The need to develop the railroad industry in the west

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