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2006-2011年四级阅读部分题目汇总

2011年12月英语四级真题

With the world’s population estimated to grow from six to nine billion by 2050, researchers, businesses and governments are already dealing with the impact this increase will have on everything from food and water to infrastructure an jobs. Underlying all this 47________ will be the demand for energy, which is expected to double over the next 40 years.

Finding the resources to meet this demand in a 48________, sustainable way is the cornerstone of our nation’s energy security, and will be one of the major 49________ of the 21st century. Alternative forms of energy --- bio-fuels, wind and solar, to name a few --- are 50________ being funded and developed, and will play a growing 51________ in the world’s energy supply. But experts say that, ev en when 52________, alternative energy sources will likely meet only about 30% of the world’s energy needs by 2050.

For example, even with 53________ investments, such as the $93 million for wind energy development 54________ in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, important alternative energy sources such as wind and bio-fuels 55________ only about 1% of the market today.

Energy and sustainability experts say the answer to our future energy needs will likely come from a lot of 56________ --- both traditional and alternative.

A stable

B solutions

C significant

D role

E progress

F marvelous

G included

H growth

I exactly

J consist

K comprise L competitions M combined N challenges O certainly

Passage One

Boys' schools are the perfect place to teach young men to express their emotions and are more likely to get involved in activities such as art, dance and music, according to research released today.

Far from the traditional image of a culture of aggressive masculinity in which students either sink or swim, the absence of girls gives boys the chance to develop without pressure to conform to a stereotype, the US study says.

Boys at single sex schools were said to be more likely to get involved in cultural and artistic activities that helped develop their emotional expressiveness, rather than feeling they had to conform to the "boy code" of hiding their emotions to be a "real man".

The findings of the study go against received wisdom that boys do better when taught alongside girls.

Tony Little, headmaster of Eton, warned that boys were being failed by the British education system because it had become too focused on girls. He criticized teachers for failing to recognize that boys are actually more emotional than girls.

The research argued that boys often perform badly in mixed schools because they become discouraged when their female peers do better earlier in speaking and reading skills.

But in single-sex schools teachers can tailor lessons to boys' learning style, letting them move around the classroom and getting them to compete in teams to prevent boredom, wrote the study's author, Abigail James, of the University of Virginia.

Teachers could encourage boys to enjoy reading and writing with specifically "boy-focused" approaches such as themes and characters that appeal to them. Because boys generally have more acute vision, learn best through touch,

and are physically more active, they need to be given "hands-on" lessons where they are allowed to walk around. "Boys in mixed schools view classical music as feminine and prefer the modern genre in which violence and sexism are major themes," James wrote.

Single-sex education also made it less likely that boys would feel they had to conform to a stereotype that men should be "masterful and in charge" in relationships. "In mixed schools, boys feel compelled to act like men before they understand themselves well enough to know what that means," the study reported.

57. The author believes that a single-sex school would _____________________.

A force boys to hide their emotions to be ―real man‖

B help to cultivate masculine aggressiveness in boys

C encourage boys to express their emotions more freely

D naturally reinforce in boys that traditional image of a man

58. It is commonly believed that in a mixed schools boys ____________________.

A perform relatively better

B grow up more healthily

C behave more responsibly

D receive a better education

59. What does Tony Little say about the British education system?

A It fails more boys than girls academically

B It focuses more on mixed school education

C It fails to give boys the attention they need

D It places more pressure on boys than on girls

60. According to Abigail James, one of the advantages of single-sex schools is ______________.

A teaching can be tailored to suit the characteristics of boys

B boys can focus on their lessons without being distracted

C boys can choose to learn whatever they are interested in

D teaching can be designed to promote boys’ t eam spirit

61. Which of the following is characteristic of boys according to Abigail James’ report?

A They enjoy being in charge

B They conform to stereotypes

C They have sharper vision

D They are violent and sexist

Passage Two

It's an annual argument. Do we or do we not go on holiday? My partner says no because the boiler could go, or the roof fall off, and we have no savings to save us. I say that you only live once and we work hard and what's the point if you can't go on holiday. The joy of a recession means no argument next year – we just won't go.

Since money is known to be one of the things most likely to bring a relationship to its knees, we should be grateful. For many families the recession means more than not booking a holiday. A YouGov poll of 2,000 people found 22% said they were arguing more with their partners because of concerns about money. What's less clear is whether divorce and separation rates rise in a recession –financial pressures mean couples argue more but make splitting up less affordable. A recent research shows arguments about money were especially damaging to couples. Disputes were characterized by intense verbal aggression, tended to be repeated and not resolved, and made men, more than women, extremely angry.

Kim Stephenson, an occupational psychologist, believes money is such a big deal because of what it symbolizes,

which may be different things to men and women. "People can say the same things about money but have different conceptions of what it is for," he explains. "They will say it's to save, to spend, for security, for freedom, to show someone you love them" He says men are more likely to see money as a way of buying status and of showing their parents that they've achieved something.

"The biggest problem is that couples assume each other knows what is going on with their finances, but they don't. There seems to be more of a taboo about talking about money than talking about death. But you both need to know what you are doing, who is paying what into the joint account and how much you keep separately. In a healthy relationship you don't have to agree about money, but you have to talk about it."

62. What does the author say about vacationing?

A People enjoy it all the more during a recession

B Few people can afford it without working hard

C It makes all the hard work worthwhile

D It is the chief cause of family disputes

63. What does the author mean by saying ―money is known… to bring a relationship to its knees‖ (Line1 Para. 2)？

A Money is considered to be the root of all evils

B Some people sacrifice their dignity for money

C Few people can resist the temptation of money

D Disputes over money may ruin a relationship

64. The YouGov poll of 2000 people indicates that in a recession _________________.

A conflicts between couples tend to rise

B it is more expensive for couples to split up

C couples show more concern for each other

D divorce and separation rates increase

65. What does Kim Stephenson believe?

A Money is often a symbol of a person’s status

B Money means a great deal to both men and women

C Men and women spend money on different things

D Men and women view money in different ways

66. The author suggests at the end of the passage that couples should ________________

A put their money together instead of keeping it separately

B make efforts to reach agreement on their family budgets

C discuss money matters to maintain a healthy relationship

D avoid arguing about money matters to remain romantic

2011年6月大学英语四级真题

Part IV Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth) (25 minutes)

Section A Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer

Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. Y ou may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.

Questions 47 to 56 are based on the following passage.

The popular notion that older people need less sleep than younger adults is a myth, scientists said yesterday.

While elderly people __47__ to sleep for fewer hours than they did when they were younger, this has a(n) __48__ effect on their brain's performance and they would benefit from getting more, according to research.

Sean Drummond, a. psychiatrist (心理医生) at the University of California, San Diego, said older people are more likely to suffer from broken sleep, while younger people are better at sleeping __49__ straight through the night.

More sleep in old age, however, is __50__ with better health, and most older people would feel better and more __51__ if they slept for longer periods, he said.

―The ability to sleep in one chunk (整块时间) overnight goes down as we age but the amount of sleep we need to __52__ well does not change,‖ Dr Drummond told the American Association for t he Advancement of Science conference in San Diego.

―It's __53__ a myth that older people need less sleep. The more healthy an older adult is, the more they sleep like they did when they were __54__. Our data suggests that older adults would benefit from __55__ to get as much sleep as they did in their 30s. That's __56__ from person to person, but the amount of sleep we had at 35 is probably the same amount as we need at 75.‖

注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

A) alert I) formally

B) associated J) function

C) attracting K) mixed

D) cling L) negative

E) continuing M) sufficient

F) definitely N) tend

G) different O) younger

Passage One

Questions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.

Several recent studies have found that being randomly (随机地) assigned to a roommate of another race can lead to increased tolerance but also to a greater likelihood (可能性)of conflict.

Recent reports found that lodging with a student of a different race may decrease prejudice and compel students to engage in more ethnically diverse friendships.

An Ohio State University study also found that black students living with a white roommate saw higher academic success throughout their college careers. Researchers believe this may be caused by social pressure.

In a New York Times article, Sam Boakye – the only black student on his freshman year floor -said that "if you're surrounded by whites, you have something to prove."

Researchers also observed problems resulting from pairing interracial students in residences.

According to two recent studies, randomly assigned roommates of different races are more likely to experience conflicts so strained that one roommate will move out.

An Indiana University study found that interracial roommates were three times as likely as two white roommates to no longer live together by the end of the semester.

Grace Kao, a professor at Penn said she was not surprised by the findings. "This may be the first time that some of these students have interacted, and lived, with someone of a different race," she said.

At Penn, students are not asked to indicate race when applying for housing.

"One of the great things about freshman housing is that, with some exceptions, the process throws you together randomly," said Undergraduate Assembly chairman Alec Webley. "This is the definition of integration."

"I've experienced roommate conflicts between interracial students that have both broken down stereotypes and reinforced stereotypes," said one Penn resident advisor (RA). The RA of two years added that while some conflicts "provided more multicultural acceptance and melding (融合)," there were also "jarring cultural confrontations."

The RA said that these conflicts have also occurred among roommates of the same race.

Kao said she cautions against forming any generalizations based on any one of the studies, noting that more background characteristics of the students need to be studied and explained.

注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

57. What can we learn from some recent studies?

A)Conflicts between students of different races are unavoidable.

B)Students of different races are prejudiced against each other.

C)Interracial lodging does more harm than good.

D)Interracial lodging may have diverse outcomes.

58. What does Sam Boakye's remark mean?

A)White students tend to look down upon their black peers.

B)Black students can compete with their white peers academically.

C)Black students feel somewhat embarrassed among white peers during the freshman year.

D)Being surrounded by white peers motivates a black student to work harder to succeed.

59. What does the Indiana University study show?

A)Interracial roommates are more likely to fall out.

B)Few white students like sharing a room with a black peer.

C)Roommates of different races just don't get along.

D)Assigning students' lodging randomly is not a good policy.

60. What does Alec Webley consider to be the "definition of integration"?

A)Students of different races are required to share a room.

B)Interracial lodging is arranged by the school for freshmen.

C)Lodging is assigned to students of different races without exception.

D)The school randomly assigns roommates without regard to race.

61. What does Grace Kao say about interracial lodging?

A．It is unscientific to make generalizations about it without further study.

B. Schools should be cautious when making decisions about student lodging.

C．Students' racial background should be considered before lodging is assigned.

D. Experienced resident advisors should be assigned to handle the problems.

Passage Two

Questions 62 to 66 are based on the following passage.

Global warming is causing more than 300,000 deaths and about $125 billion in economic losses each year, according to a report by the Global Humanitarian Forum, an organization led by Annan, the former United Nations secretary general.

The report, to be released Friday, analyzed data and existing studies of health, disaster, population and economic trends. It found that human-influenced climate change was raising the global death rates from illnesses including malnutrition (营养不良)and heat-related health problems.

But even before its release, the report drew criticism from some experts on climate and risk, who questioned its methods and conclusions.

Along with the deaths, the report said that the lives of 325 million people, primarily in poor countries, were being seriously affected by climate change. It projected that the number would double by 2030.

Roger Pielke Jr., a political scientist at the University of Colorado, Boulder, who studies disaster trends, said the Forum's report was "a methodological embarrassment" because there was no way to distinguish deaths or economic losses related to human-driven global warming amid the much larger losses resulting from the growth in populations and economic development in vulnerable (易受伤害的) regions. Dr. Pielke said that ―climate change is an important problem requiring our utmost attenti on.‖ But the report, he said, "will harm the cause for action on both climate change and disasters because it is so deeply flawed (有瑕疵的)."

However, Soren Andreasen, a social scientist at Dalberg Global Development Partners who supervised the writing of the report, defended it, saying that it was clear that the numbers were rough estimates. He said the report was aimed at world leaders, who will meet in Copenhagen in December to negotiate a new international climate treaty.

In a press release describing the report, Mr. Annan stressed the need for the negotiations to focus on increasing the flow of money from rich to poor regions to help reduce their vulnerability to climate hazards while still curbing the emissions of the heat-trapping gases. More than 90% of the human and economic losses from climate change are occurring in poor countries, according to the report.

62. What is the finding of the Global Humanitarian Forum?

A)Global temperatures affect the rate of economic development.

B)Rates of death from illnesses have risen due to global warming.

C)Malnutrition has caused serious health problems in poor countries.

D)Economic trends have to do with population and natural disasters.

63. What do we learn about the Forum's report from the passage?

A)It was challenged by some climate and risk experts.

B)It aroused a lot of interest in the scientific circles.

C)It was warmly received by environmentalists.

D)It caused a big stir in developing countries.

64 What does Dr. Pielke say about the Forum's report?

A)Its statistics look embarrassing. C) It deserves our closest attention.

B)It is invalid in terms of methodology. D) Its conclusion is purposely exaggerated.

65. What is Soren Andreasen's view of the report?

A)Its conclusions are based on carefully collected data.

B)It is vulnerable to criticism if the statistics are closely examined.

C)It will give rise to heated discussions at the Copenhagen conference.

D)Its rough estimates are meant to draw the attention of world leaders.

66 What does Kofi Annan say should be the focus of the Copenhagen conference?

A)How rich and poor regions can share responsibility in curbing global warming.

B)How human and economic losses from climate change can be reduced.

C)How emissions of heat-trapping gases can be reduced on a global scale.

D)How rich countries can better help poor regions reduce climate hazards.

2010年12月英语四级考试真题

Part ⅣReading Comprehension (Reading in Depth) (25 minutes)

Questions 47 to 56 are based on the following passage.

What determines the kind of person you are? What factors make you more or less bold, intelligent, or able to read a map? All of these are influenced by the interaction of your genes and the environment in which you were 47 . The study of how genes and environment interact to influence 48 activity is known as behavioral genetics. Behavioral genetics has made important 49 to the biological revolution, providing information about the extent to which biology influences mind, brain and behavior.

Any research that suggests that 50 to perform certain behaviors are based in biology is controversial. Who wants to be told that there are limitations to what you can 51 based on something that is beyond your control, such as your genes? It is easy to accept that genes control physical characteristics such as sex, race and eye color. But can genes also determine whether people will get divorced, how 52 they are, or what career they are likely to choose? A concern of psychological scientists is the 53 to which all of these characteristics are influenced by nature and nurture(养育), by genetic makeup and the environment. Increasingly, science 54 that genes lay the groundwork for many human traits. From this perspective, people are born 55 like undeveloped photographs: The image is already captured, but the way it 56 appears can vary based on the development process. However, the basic picture is there from the beginning.

注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

［A］abilities ［I］extent

［B］achieve ［J］indicates

［C］appeal ［K］proceeds

［D］complaints ［L］psychological

［E］contributions ［M］raised

［F］displayed ［N］smart

［G］essentially ［O］standard

［H］eventually

Section B

Passage One

Questions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.

It is pretty much a one-way street. While it may be common for university researchers to try their luck in the commercial world, there is very little traffic in the opposite direction. Pay has always been the biggest deterrent, as people with families often feel they cannot afford the drop in salary when moving to a university job. For some industrial scientists, however, the attractions of academia (学术界) outweigh any financial considerations.

Helen Lee took a 70% cut in salary when she moved from a senior post in Abbott Laboratories to a medical department at the University of Cambridge. Her main reason for returning to academia mid-career was to take advantage of the greater freedom to choose research questions. Some areas of inquiry have few prospects of a commercial return, and Lee’s is one of them.

The impact of a salary cut is probably less severe for a scientist in the early stages of a career. Guy Grant, now a research associate at the Unilever Centre for Molecular Informatics at the University of Cambridge, spent two years working for a pharmaceutical (制药的) company before returning to university as a post-doctoral researcher. He took a 30% salary cut but felt it worthwhile for the greater intellectual opportunities.

Higher up the ladder, where a pay cut is usually more significant, the demand for scientists with a wealth of experience in industry is forcing universities to make the transition (转换) to academia more attractive, according to Lee. Industrial scientists tend to receive training that academics do not, such as how to build a multidisciplinary team, manage budgets and negotiate contracts. They are also well placed to bring something extra to the teaching side of an academic role that will help students get a job when they graduate, says Lee, perhaps experience in manufacturing practice or product development. ―Only a small number of undergraduates will continue in an academic career. So someone leaving university who already has the skills needed to work in an industrial lab has far more potential in the

job market than someone who has spent all their time on a narrow research project.‖

注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

57. By ―a one-way street‖ (Line 1, Para. 1), the author means ________.

［A］university researchers know little about the commercial world

［B］there is little exchange between industry and academia

［C］few industrial scientists would quit to work in a university

［D］few university professors are willing to do industrial research

58. The word ―deterrent‖ (Line 2, Para. 1) most probably refers t o something that ________.

［A］keeps someone from taking action ［C］attracts people’s attention

［B］helps to move the traffic ［D］brings someone a financial burden

59. What was Helen Lee’s major consideration when she changed her job in the mid dle of her career?

［A］Flexible work hours. ［C］Her preference for the lifestyle on campus.

［B］Her research interests. ［D］Prospects of academic accomplishments.

60. Guy Grant chose to work as a researcher at Cambridge in order to ________.

［A］do financially more rewarding work

［B］raise his status in the academic world

［C］enrich his experience in medical research

［D］exploit better intellectual opportunities

61. What contribution can industrial scientists make when they come to teach in a university?

［A］Increase its graduates’ competitiveness in the job market

［B］Develop its students’ potential in research.

［C］Help it to obtain financial support from industry.

［D］Gear its research towards practical applications.

Passage Two

Questions 62 to 66 are based on the following passage.

Being sociable looks like a good way to add years to your life. Relationships with family, friends, neighbors, even pets, will all do the trick, but the biggest longevity (长寿) boost seems to come from marriage or an equivalent relationship. The effect was first noted in 1858 by William Farr, who wrote that widows and widowers (鳏夫) were at a much higher risk of dying than their married peers. Studies since then suggest that marriage could add as much as seven years to a man’s life and two to a woman’s. The effect holds for all causes of death, whether illness, accident or self-harm.

Even if the odds are stacked against you, marriage can more than compensate. Linda Waite of the University of Chicago has found that a married older man with heart disease can expect to live nearly four years longer than an unmarried man with a healthy heart. Likewise, a married man who smokes more than a pack a day is likely to live as long as a divorced man who doesn’t smoke. There’s a flip side, however, as partners are more likely to become ill or die in the couple of years following their spouse’s death, and caring for a spouse with mental disorder can leave you with some of the same severe problems. Even so, the odds favour marriage. In a 30-year study of more than 10,000 people, Nicholas Christakis of Harvard Medical School describes how all kinds of social networks have similar effects.

So how does it work? The effects are complex, affected by socio-economic factors, health-service provision, emotional support and other more physiological (生理的) mechanisms. For example, social contact can boost development of the brain and immune system, leading to better health and less chance of depression later in life. People

in supportive relationships may handle stress better. Then there are the psychological benefits of a supportive partner.

A life partner, children and good friends are all recommended if you aim to live to 100. The ultimate social network is sti ll being mapped out, but Christakis says: ―People are interconnected, so their health is interconnected.‖注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

62. William Farr’s study and other studies show that _________.

［A］social life provides an effective cure for illness

［B］being s ociable helps improve one’s quality of life

［C］women benefit more than men from marriage

［D］marriage contributes a great deal to longevity

63. Linda Waite’s studies support the idea that _________.

［A］older men should quit smoking to stay healthy

［B］marriage can help make up for ill health

［C］the married are happier than the unmarried

［D］unmarried people are likely to suffer in later life

64. It can be inferred from the context that the ―flip side‖ (Line 4, Para. 2) refers to _________.

［A］the disadvantages of being married

［B］the emotional problems arising from marriage

［C］the responsibility of taking care of one’s family

［D］the consequence of a broken marriage

65. What does the author say about social networks?

［A］They have effects similar to those of a marriage.

［B］They help develop people’s community spirit.

［C］They provide timely support for those in need.

［D］They help relieve people of their life’s burdens.

66. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

［A］It’s important that we develop a social network when young.

［B］To stay healthy, one should have a proper social network.

［C］Getting a divorce means risking a reduced life span.

［D］We should share our social networks with each other.

2010年6月英语四级考试真题

Part IV Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth) (25 minutes)

Section A

Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.

Questions 47 to 56 are based on the following passage.

When we think of green buildings, we tend to think of new ones –the kind of high-tech, solar-paneled masterpieces that make the covers of architecture magazines. But the U.S. has more than 100 million existing homes, and it would be __47__ wasteful to tear them all down and __48__ them with greener versions. An enormous amount of energy and resources went into the construction of those houses. And it would take an average of 65 years for the __49__ carbon emissions from a new energy-efficient home to make up for the resources lost by destroying an old one. So in the broadest __50__, the greenest home is the one that has already been built. But at the same time, nearly half of

U. S. carbon emissions come from heating, cooling and __51__ our homes, offices and other buildings. "You can't deal with climate change without dealing with existing buildings," says Richard Moe, the president of the National Trust.

With some __52__, the oldest homes tend to be the least energy-efficient. Houses built before 1939 use about 50% more energy per square foot than those built after 2000, mainly due to the tiny cracks and gaps that __53__ over time and let in more outside air.

Fortunately, there are a __54__ number of relatively simple changes that can green older homes, from __55__ ones like Lincoln's Cottage to your own postwar home. And efficiency upgrades (升级) can save more than just the earth; they can help __56__ property owners from rising power costs.

A) accommodations

B) clumsy

C) doubtful

D) exceptions

E) expand

F) historic

G) incredibly

H) powering

I) protect

J) reduced

K) replace

L) sense

M) shifted

N) supplying

O) vast 来源:考试大-英语四级考试

Section B

Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. 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 Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.

Passage One

Questions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.

You never see him, but they're with you every time you fly. They record where you are going, how fast you're traveling and whether everything on your airplane is functioning normally. Their ability to withstand almost any disaster makes them seem like something out of a comic book. They're known as the black box.

When planes fall from the sky, as a Yemeni airliner did on its way to Comoros Islands in the India ocean June 30, 2009, the black box is the best bet for identifying what went wrong. So when a French submarine (潜水艇) detected the device's homing signal five days later, the discovery marked a huge step toward determining the cause of a tragedy in

which 152 passengers were killed.

In 1958, Australian scientist David Warren developed a flight-memory recorder that would track basic information like altitude and direction. That was the first mode for a black box, which became a requirement on all U.S. commercial flights by 1960. Early models often failed to withstand crashes, however, so in 1965 the device was completely redesigned and moved to the rear of the plane –the area least subject to impact –from its original position in the landing wells (起落架舱). The same year, the Federal Aviation Authority required that the boxes, which were never actually black, be painted orange or yellow to aid visibility.

Modern airplanes have two black boxes: a voice recorder, which tracks pilots' conversations, and a flight-data recorder, which monitors fuel levels, engine noises and other operating functions that help investigators reconstruct the aircraft's final moments. Placed in an insulated (隔绝的) case and surrounded by a quarter-inch-thick panels of stainless steel, the boxes can withstand massive force and temperatures up to 2,000℉. When submerged, they're also able to emit signals from depths of 20,000 ft. Experts believe the boxes from Air France Flight 447, which crashed near Brazil on June 1,2009, are in water nearly that deep, but statistics say they're still likely to turn up. In the approximately 20 deep-sea crashes over the past 30 years, only one plane's black boxes were never recovered.

注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

57. What does the author say about the black box?

A) It ensures the normal functioning of an airplane.

B) The idea for its design comes from a comic book.

C) Its ability to ward off disasters is incredible.

D) It is an indispensable device on an airplane.

58. What information could be found from the black box on the Yemeni airliner?

A) Data for analyzing the cause of the crash.

B) The total number of passengers on board.

C) The scene of the crash and extent of the damage.

D) Homing signals sent by the pilot before the crash.

59. Why was the black box redesigned in 1965?

A) New materials became available by that time.

B) Too much space was needed for its installation.

C) The early models often got damaged in the crash.

D) The early models didn't provide the needed data.

60. Why did the Federal Aviation Authority require the black boxes be painted orange or yellow?

A) To distinguish them from the colour of the plane.

B) To caution people to handle them with care.

C) To make them easily identifiable.

D) To conform to international standards.

61. What do we know about the black boxes from Air France Flight 447?

A) There is still a good chance of their being recovered.

B) There is an urgent need for them to be reconstructed.

C) They have stopped sending homing signals.

D) They were destroyed somewhere near Brazil.

Passage Two

Questions 62 to 66 are based on the following passage.

The $11 billion self-help industry is built on the idea that you should turn negative thoughts like "I never do anything right" into positive ones like "I can succeed." But was positive thinking advocate Norman Vincent Peale right? Is there power in positive thinking?

Researchers in Canada just published a study in the journal Psychological Science that says trying to get people to think more positively can actually have the opposite effect: it can simply highlight how unhappy they are.

The study's authors, Joanne Wood and John Lee of the University of Waterloo and Elaine Perunovic of the

University of New Brunswick, begin by citing older research showing that when people get feedback which they believe is overly positive, they actually feel worse, not better. If you tell your dim friend that he has the potential of an Einstein, you're just underlining his faults. In one 1990s experiment, a team including psychologist Joel Cooper of Princeton asked participants to write essays opposing funding for the disabled. When the essayists were later praised for their sympathy, they felt even worse about what they had written.

In this experiment, Wood, Lee and Perunovic measured 68 students' self-esteem. The participants were then asked to write down their thoughts and feelings for four minutes. Every 15 seconds, one group of students heard a bell. When it rang, they were supposed to tell themselves, "I am lovable."

Those with low self-esteem didn't feel better after the forced self-affirmation. In fact, their moods turned significantly darker than those of members of the control group, who weren't urged to think positive thoughts.

The paper provides support for newer forms of psychotherapy (心理治疗) that urge people to accept their negative thoughts and feelings rather than fight them. In the fighting, we not only often fail but can make things worse. Meditation (静思) techniques, in contrast, can teach people to put their shortcomings into a larger, more realistic perspective. Call it the power of negative thinking.

注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2 上作答。

62. What do we learn from the first paragraph about the self-help industry?

A) It is a highly profitable industry.

B) It is based on the concept of positive thinking.

C) It was established by Norman Vincent Peale.

D) It has yielded positive results.

63. What is the finding of the Canadian researchers?

A) Encouraging positive thinking many do more harm than good.

B) There can be no simple therapy for psychological problems.

C) Unhappy people cannot think positively.

D) The power of positive thinking is limited.

64. What does the author mean by "… you're just underlining his faults" (Line 4, Para. 3)?

A) You are not taking his mistakes seriously enough.

B) You are pointing out the errors he has committed.

C) You are emphasizing the fact that he is not intelligent.

D) You are trying to make him feel better about his faults.

65. What do we learn from the experiment of Wood, Lee and Perunovic?

A) It is important for people to continually boost their self-esteem.

B) Self-affirmation can bring a positive change to one's mood.

C) Forcing a person to think positive thoughts may lower their self-esteem.

D) People with low self-esteem seldom write down their true feelings.

66. What do we learn from the last paragraph?

A) The effects of positive thinking vary from person to person.

B) Meditation may prove to be a good form of psychotherapy.

C) Different people tend to have different ways of thinking.

D) People can avoid making mistakes through meditation.

2009年12月大学英语四级考试真题及答案

Part Ⅳ Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth) (25 minutes)

Section A

Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each

blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.

Questions 47 to 56 are based on the following passage.

In families with two working parents, fathers may have more impact on a child’s language development than mothers, a new study suggests.

Researchers 47 92 families form 11 child care centers before their children were a year old, interviewing each to establish income, level of education and child care arrangements. Overall, it was a group of well-class families, with married parents both living in the home.

When the children were 2, researchers videotaped them at home in free-play sessions with both parents, 48 all of their speech. The study will appear in the November issue of The Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology.

The scientists measured the 49 number of utterance (话语) of the parents, the number of different words they used, the complexity of their sentences and other 50 of their speech. On average, fathers spoke less than mothers did, but they did not differ in the length of utterances or proportion of questions asked.

Finally, the researchers 51 the children’s speech at age 3, using a standardized language test. The only predictors of high scores on the test were the mother’s level of education, the 52 of child care and the number of different words the father used.

The researchers are 53 why the father’s speech, and not the mother’s, had an effect.

―It’s well 54 that the mother’s language does have an impact,‖ said Nadya Pancsofar, the lead author of the study. It could be that the high-functioning mothers in the study had 55 had a strong influence on their children’s speech development, Ms. Pancsofar said, ―or it may be that mothers are 56 in a way we didn’t measure in the study.‖注意：此部分试题在答题卡1上。

A) already B) analyzed C) aspects D) characters E) contributing F) describing

G) established H) quality I) quoted J) recording K) recruited L) total

M) unconscious N) unsure O) yet

Section B

Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. 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 Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.

Passage One

Questions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.

Throughout this long, tense election, everyone has focused on the presidential candidates and how they’ll change America. Rightly so, but selfishly, I’m more fascinated by Michelle Obama and what she might be ab le to do, not just for this country, but for me as an African-American woman. As the potential First Lady, she would have the world’s attention. And that means that for the first time people will have a chance to get up close and personal with the type of African-American woman they so rarely see.

Usually, the lives of black women go largely unexamined. The prevailing theory seems to be that we’re all hot-tempered single mothers who can’t keep a man. Even in the world of make-believe, black women still can’t escape the stereotype of being eye-rolling, oversexed females raised by our never-married, alcoholic (酗酒的) mothers.

These images have helped define the way all women are viewed, including Michelle Obama. Before she ever gets the chance to commit to a cause, charity or foundation as First Lady, her most urgent and perhaps most complicated duty may be simple to be herself.

It won’t be easy. Because few mainstream publications have done in-depth features on regular African-American women, little is known about who we are, what we think and what we face on a regular basis. For better or worse, Michelle will represent us all.

Just as she will have her critics, she will also have millions of fans who usually have little interest in the First Lady. Many African-A merican blogs have written about what they’d like to see Michelle bring to the White House—mainly showing the world that a black woman can support her man and raise a strong black family. Michelle will have to work to please everyone—an impossible task. But for many African-American women like me, just a little of her poise (沉着), confidence and intelligence will go a long way in changing an image that’s been around for far too long.

57. Why does Michelle Obama hold a strong fascination for the author?

A) She serves as a role model for African women.

B) She possesses many admirable qualities becoming a First Lady.

C) She will present to the world a new image of African-American women.

D) She will pay closer attention to the interests of African-American women.

58. What is the common stereotype of African-American women according to the author?

A) They are victims of violence. B) They are of an inferior violence.

C) They use quite a lot of body language. D) They live on charity and social welfare.

59. What do many African-Americans write about in their blogs?

A) Whether Michelle can live up to the high expectations of her fans.

B) How Michelle should behave as a public figure.

C) How proud they are to have a black woman in the White House.

D) What Michelle should do as wife and mother in the White House.

60. What does the author say about Michelle Obama as a First Lady?

A) However many fans she has, she should remain modest,

B) She shouldn’t disappoint the African-American community.

C) However hard she tries, sh e can’t expect to please everybody.

D) She will give priority to African-American women’s concerns.

61. What do many African-American women hope Michelle Obama will do?

A) Help change the prevailing view about black women.

B) Help her husband in the task of changing America.

C) Outshine previous First Lady.

D) Fully display her fine qualities.

专家解析英语四级考试历年阅读真题(一)

2洛基英语，中国在线英语教育领导品牌 2007.12阅读第一篇 Passage One Questions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage. In this age of Internet chat, videogames and reality television, there is no shortage of mindless activities to keep a child occupied. Yet, despite the competition, my 8-year-old daughter Rebecca wants to spend her leisure time writing short stories. She wants to enter one of her stories into a writing contest, a competition she won last year. As a writer I know about winning contests, and about losing them. I know what it is like to work hard on a story only to receive a rejection slip from the publisher. I also know the pressure of trying to live up to a reputation created by previous victories. What if she doesn’t win the contest again? That’s the strange thing about being a parent. So many of our own past scars and dashed hopes can surface. A revelation (启示) came last week when I asked her, “Don’t you want to win again?”“No,”she replied, “I just want to tell the story of an angel going to first grade.” I had just spent weeks correcting her stories as she spontaneously (自发地) told them. Telling myself that I was merely an experienced writer guiding the young writer across the hall, I offered suggestions for characters, conflicts and endings for her tales. The story about a fearful angel starting first grade was quickly “guided”by me into the tale of a little girl with a wild imagination taking her first music lesson. I had turned her contest into my contest without even realizing it. Staying back and giving kids space to grow is not as easy as it looks. Because I know very little about farm animals who use tools or angels who go to first grade, I had to accept the fact that I was co-opting (借用) my daughter’s experience. While stepping back was difficult for me, it was certainly a good first step that I will quickly follow with more steps, putting myself far enough a way to give her room but close enough to help if asked. All the while I will be reminding myself that children need room to experiment, grow and find their own voices. 注意：此部分试题请*考试&大在答题卡2上作答。 57. What do we learn from the first paragraph? A) A lot of distractions compete for children’s time nowadays. B) Children do find lots of fun in many mindless activities. C) Rebecca is much too occupied to enjoy her leisure time. D) Rebecca draws on a lot of online materials for her writing. 58. What did the author say about her own writing experience? A) She was constantly under pressure of writing more. B) Most of her stories had been rejected by publishers. C) She did not quite live up to her reputation as a writer. D) Her way to success was full of pains and frustrations.

2020年大学英语四级阅读理解试题及答案

As the pace of life continues to increase ,we are fast losing the art of relaxation. Once you are in the habit of rushing through lift,being on the go from morning till night, it is hard to slow down. But relaxation is essential for a healthy mind and body. Stress is an natural part of everyday lift and there is no way to avoid it. In fact ,it is not the bad thing it is often supposed to be .A certain amount of stress is vital to provide motivation adn give purpose to life. It is only when the stress gets out of control that it can lead to poor performance and ill health. The amount of stress a person can withstand depends very much on the individual. Some people are not afraid of stress,and such characters are obviously prime material for managerial responsibilities. Others lose heart at the first signs of unusual difficulties. When exposed to stress,in whatever form,we react both chemically and physically. In fact we make choice between "fight" or "flight" and in more primitive days the choice made the difference between life or death. The crises we meet today are unlikely to be so extreme,but however little the stress,it involves the same response. It is when such a reaction lasts long,through continued exposure to stress,that health becomes endangered.Such serious conditions as high blood pressure and heart disease have established links with stress.Since we cannot remove stress from our lives(it would be unwise to do so even if we could),we need to find ways to deal with it. 1.People are finding less and less time for relaxing themselves because_____. a.they do not know how to enjoy themselves b.they do not believe that relaxation is important for health c.they are travelling fast all the time d.they are becoming busier with their work 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

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Passage1 Reading leadership literature, you’d sometimes think that everyone has the potential to be an effective leader. 读领导文学，你有时会认为每个人都有可能成为一个有效的领导者。 I don’t believe that to be true. In fact, I see way fewer truly effective leaders than I see people stuck in positions of leadership who arc sadly incompetent and seriously misguided about their own abilities. 我不相信这是真的。事实上，我认为真正有效的领导者的方式比我看到的人都陷在领导的职位上，遗憾的是他们自己的能力不称职，严重误导了他们。 Part of the reason this happens is a lack of honest self-assessment by those who aspire to（追求）leadership in the first place. 对产生这种现象的原因一部分是由那些渴望缺乏诚实的自我评估（追求）放在首位的领导 We've all met the type of individual who simply must take charge. Whether it's a decision-making session, a basketball game, or a family outing, they can't help grabbing the lead dog position and clinging on to it for dear life. They believe they're natural born leaders. 我们都遇到了个人的类型，他们必须负责。无论是决策会议，篮球比赛，还是家庭外出，他们都不能不抓住领导的狗的地位，并紧紧抓住它，因为亲爱的生命。他们相信他们是天生的领袖。 Truth is, they're nothing of the sort. True leaders don't assume that it's their divine（神圣的）right to take charge every time two or more people get together. Quite the opposite. A great leader will assess each situation on its merits, and will only take charge when their position, the situation, and/or the needs of the moment demand it. 事实是，他们没有什么样的。真正的领导者不认为这是他们的神圣（神圣的）负责每次两个或两个以上的人在一起吧。恰恰相反。一个伟大的领导者会对每一个情况进行评估，并在他们的位置、情况和/或需要的情况下，只会负责。 Many business executives confuse leadership with action. They believe that constant motion somehow generates leadership as a byproduct. Faced with any situation that can’t be solved by the sheer force of activity, they generate a dust cloud of impatience. Their one leadership tool is

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2019年12月大学英语四级阅读真题及答案

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43、G。 experiences 空格左为主语southern Africa，空格内应该为动词的第三人称单词形式，结合语义，选G，“南非经历着干燥的天气。 44、M。 reduce 空格左为情态动词，空格内必须为动词原形，填reduce“减少”符合原题。 45、K。 populations 空格与左边的large fish 共同构成动词support的宾语，只能选一个名词来作为名词词组，故选K，“大量的鱼群”。【参考答案及解析】 61题，定位到第一段最后一句“varies by culture”，所以答案选A——They are culture-related。 62题，由题干的大写名词Russian定位到第二段和第三段。第二段的“Russian， for example， began to wake up about a half-hour later each day”这个句是干扰句，起得晚不一定睡得早，所以答案推不出“他们比其他地方的人睡得更久”。然后看到第三段“Russia’s other late nights and early mornings generally coincided with public holidays”，所以答案为C——They don’t sleep much on holidays。 63题，题干问的是欧洲人缺乏睡眠的major cause主要原因是什么，由题干的大写名词Europeans’ loss定位到倒数第二段的“compared to Germans， Italians， and the French， who stayed up around an hour and a half later on various days throughout the summer to watch the Cup”，原文的Germans，Italians， and the French就是题干中“Europeans”的同义改写，而他们stayed up就是为了to watch the Cup，所以说他们缺乏睡眠的原因便是C选项——The World Cup。

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四级阅读真题

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2006-2011年四级阅读部分题目汇总

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英语四级真题阅读理解(带翻译)

大学英语四级阅读理解试题及答案四

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(完整版)英语四级阅读试题及答案详解1

四级阅读真题

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