2015英语四级辅导仔细阅读真题册

2014年12月

Passage One

Children are a delight. They are our future. But sadly, hiring someone to take care of them while you go to work is getting more expensive by the year.

Earlier this month, it was reported that the cost of enrolling an infant or small kid at a childcare centre rose 3 % in 2012, faster than the overall cost of living. There are now large strips of the country where daycare for an infant cost much more than a tenth of the average married couple?s income.

This is not necessarily a new trend, but it is somewhat puzzling one. The price of professional childcare has been rising since the 1980s. Yet during that time, pay for professional childcare workers has stood still. Actually caregivers make less today, in real terms, than they did in 1990. Considering that labor costs are responsible for up to 80% of a daycare center?s expenses, one would expect flat wages to have meant flat prices.

So who?s to blame for higher childcare costs?

Childcare is a carefully regulated industry. States lay down rules about how many children each employee is allowed to watch over, the space care centers need per child, and other minute details. And as the stricter the regulations, the higher the costs. If it has to hire a caregiver for every two children, it can?t really achieve any economies of scale on labor to save money when other expenses go up. In Massachusetts, where childcare centers must hire one teacher for every three infants, the price of care averaged more than $16000 per year. In Mississippi, where centers must hire one teacher for every five infants, the price of care averaged less than $5,000.

Unfortunately, I don't have all the daycare-center regulations handy. But I wouldn't be surprised if as the rules have become more elaborate, prices have risen. The tradeoff (交换) might be worth it in some cases; after all, the health and safety of children should probably come before cheap service. But certainly it doesn't seem to be an accident that some of the cheapest daycare available is in the least regulated South.

56. What problem do parents of small kids have to face?

A. The ever-rising childcare prices.

B. The budgeting of family expenses.

C. The balance between work and family.

D. The selection of a good daycare center.

57. What does the author feel puzzled about?

A. Why the prices of childcare vary greatly from state to state.

B. Why increased childcare prices have not led to better service.

C. Why childcare workers' pay has not increased with the rising childcare costs

D. Why there is a severe shortage of childcare professionals in a number of states.

58. What prevents childcare centers from saving money?

A. Steady increase in labor costs.

B. Strict government regulations.

C. Lack of support from the state.

D. High administrative expenses.

59. Why is the average cost of childcare in Mississippi much lower than in Massachusetts?

A. The overall quality of service is not as good .

B. Payments for caregivers there are not as high.

C. Living expenses there are comparatively low.

D. Each teacher is allowed to care for more kids.

60 What is the auth or?s view on a day care service?

A. Caregivers should receive regular professional training.

B. Less elaborate rules about childcare might lower costs.

C. It is crucial to strike a balance between quality and costs.

D. It is better for different States to learn from each other.

Alex Pang's amusing new book The Distraction Addiction addresses those of us who feel panic without a cellphone or computer. And that, he claims, is pretty much all of us. When we're not online, where we spend four months annually, we're engaged in the stressful work of trying to get online.

The Distraction Addiction is not framed as a self-help book. It's a thoughtful examination of the dangers of our computing overdose and a historical overview of how technological advances change consciousness. A “professional futurist”, Pang urges an approach which he calls “contemplative (沉思的) computing.” He asks that you pay full attention to “how your mind and body interact with computers and how your attention and creativity are influenced by technology.”

Pang's first job is to free you from the common misconception that doing two things at once allows you to get more done. What is commonly called multitasking is, in fact, switch-tasking, and its harmful effects on productivity are well documented. Pang doesn't advocate returning to a pre-Internet world. Instead, he asks you to “take a more ecological (生态的) view of your relationships with technologies and look for ways devices or media may be making specific tasks easier or faster but at the same time making your work and life harder.”

T The Distraction Addiction is particularly fascinating on how technologies have changed certain fields of labor—often for the worse. For architects, computer-aided design has become essential but in some ways has cheapened the design process. As one architect puts it, “Architecture is first and foremost about thinking...and drawing is a more productive way of thinking” than computer-aided design. Somewhat less amusing are Pang's solutions for kicking the Internet habit. He recommends the usual behavior-modification approaches, familiar to anyone who has completed a quit-smoking program. Keep logs to study your online profile and decide what you can knock out, download a program like Freedom that locks you out of your browser, or take a “digital Sabbath (安息日)”: “Unless you're a reporter or emergency-department doctor, you'll discover that your world doesn't fall apart when you go offline.”

61. Alex Pang's new book is aimed for readers who________.

A) find their work online too stressful B) go online mainly for entertainment

C) are fearful about using the cellphone or computer

D) can hardly tear themselves away from the Internet

62. What does Alex Pang try to do in his new book?

A) Offer advice on how to use the Internet effectively.

B) Warn people of the possible dangers of internet use.

C) Predict the trend of future technological development.

D) Examine the influence of technology on the human mind.

63. What is the common view on multitasking?

A) It enables people to work more efficiently. B) It is a way quite similar to switch-tasking.

C) It makes people's work and life even harder. D) It distracts people's attention from useful work.

64. What does the author think of computer-aided design?

A) It considerably cuts down the cost of building design.

B) It somewhat restrains architects' productive thinking.

C) It is indispensable in architects' work process.

D) It can free architects from laborious drawing.

65. What is Ales Pang's recommendation for Internet users?

A) They use the Internet as little as possible.

B) They keep a record of their computer use time.

C) They exercise self-control over their time online.

Passage One

The question of whether our government should promote science and technology or the liberal arts in higher education isn?t an either/or proposition(命题)，although the current emphasis on preparing young Americans for STEM（science, technology, engineering, maths-related fields can make it seem that way.

The latest congressional report acknowledges the critical importance of technical training, but also asserts that the study of the humanities (人文学科)and social sciences must remain central components of America’s educational system at all levels. Both are critical to producing citizens who can participate effectively in our democratic society, become innovative（创新的)leaders, and benefit from the spiritual enrichment that the reflection on the great ideas of mankind over time provides.

Parents and students who have invested heavily in higher education worry about graduates’job prospects as technological advances and changes in domestic and global markets transform professions in ways that reduce wages and cut jobs. Under these circumstances, it’s natural to look for what may appear to be the most “practical”way out of the problem “Major in a subject designed to get you a job”seems the obvious answer to some, though this ignores the fact that many disciplines in the humanities characterized as “soft”often, in fact, lead to employment and success in the long run. Indeed, according to surveys, employers have expressed a preference for students who have received a broadly-based education that has taught them to write well, think critically, research creatively, and communicate easily.

Moreover, students should be prepared not just for their first job, but for their 4th and 5th jobs, as there’s little reason to doubt that people entering the workforce today will be called upon to play many different roles over the course of their careers. The ones who will do the best in this new environment will be those whose educations have prepared them to be flexible. The ability to draw upon every available tool and insight—picked up from science, arts, and technology—to solve the problems of the future, and take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves, will be helpful to them and the United States.

56. What does the latest congressional report suggest?

A) STEM-related subjects help students find jobs in the information society.

B) The humanities and STEM subjects should be given equal importance.

C) The liberal arts in higher education help enrich students? spiritual life.

D) Higher education should be adjusted to the practical needs of society.

57. What is the main concern of students when they choose a major?

A) Their interest in relevant subjects. B) The academic value of the courses.

C) The quality of education to receive. D) Their chances of getting a good job.

58. What does the author say about the so called soft subjects?

A) The benefit students in their future life. B) They broaden students? range of interests.

C) They improve students? communication skills.D) They are essential to students? healthy growth.

59. What kind of job applicants do employers look for?

A) Those who have a strong sense of responsibility.

B) Those who are good at solving practical problems.

C) Those who are likely to become innovative leaders.

D) Those who have received a well-rounded education.

60. What advice does the author give to college students?

A) Seize opportunities to tap their potential. B) Try to take a variety of practical courses.

C) Prepare themselves for different job options. D) Adopt a flexible approach to solving problems.

Questions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.

Energy independence. It has a nice ring to it. Doesn?t it? If you think so, you?re not al one, because energy independence has been the dream of American president for decades, and never more so than in the past few years, when the most recent oil price shock has been partly responsible for kicking off the great recession.

“Energy independence” and its rhetorical (修辞的) companion “energy security” are, however, slippery concepts that are rarely though through. What is it we want independence from, exactly?

Most people would probably say that they want to be independent from imported oil. But there are reasons that we buy all that old from elsewhere.

The first reason is that we need it to keep our economy running. Yes, there is a trickle（涓涓细流）of biofuel（生物燃料）available, and more may become available, but most biofuels cause economic waste and environmental destruction.

Second, Americans have basically decided that they don?t really want to produce all their own oil. They value the environmental quality they preserve over their oil imports from abroad. Vast areas of the United States are off-limits to oil exploration and production in the name of environmental protection. To what extent are Americans really willing to endure the environmental impacts of domestic energy production in order to cut back imports?

Third, there are benefits to trade. It allows for economic efficiency, and when we buy things from place s that have lower production costs than we do, we benefit. And although you don?t read about this much, the United States is also a large exporter of oil products, selling about 2 million barrels of petroleum products per day to about 90 countries.

There is no question that the United States imports a great deal of energy and, in fact, relies on that steady flow to maintain its economy. When that flow is interrupted, we feel the pain in short supplies and higher prices, At the same time, we derive massive economic benefits when we buy the most affordable energy on the world market and when we engage in energy trade

61. What does the author say about energy independence for America?

A) It sounds very attractive. B) It ensures national security.

C) It will bring oil prices down. D) It has long been everyone?s dream.

62. What does the author think of biofuels?

A) They keep America?s economy running healthily.

B) They prove to be a good alternative to petroleum.

C) They do not provide a sustainable energy supply.

D) They cause serious damage to the environment.

63. Why does America rely heavily on oil imports?

A) It wants to expand its storage of crude oil. B) Its own oil reserves are quickly running out.

C) It wants to keep its own environment intact. D) Its own oil production falls short of demand.

64. What does the author say about oil trade?

A) It proves profitable to both sides. B) It improves economic efficiency.

C) It makes for economic prosperity. D) It saves the cost of oil exploration.

65. What is the author?s purpose in writing the passage?

A) To justify America?s de pendence on oil imports.

B) To arouse Americans? awareness of the energy crisis.

C) To stress the importance of energy conservation.

D) To explain the increase of international oil trade.

2013年12月

Passage One

In recent years, a growing body of research has shown that our appetite and food intake are influenced by a large number of factors besides our biological need for energy, including our eating environment and our perception of the food in front of us.

Students have shown, for instance, that eating in front of TV (or a similar distraction) can increase both hunger and the amount of food consumed. Even simple visual cues, like plate size and lighting, have been shown to affect portion size and consumption.

A new study suggested that out short-term memory also may play a role in appetite. Several hours after a meal, people?s hunger levels were predicted not by how much they?d eaten but rather by how much food they?d seen in front of them-in other words, how much they remember eating.

This disparity (差异) suggests the memory of our previous meal may have a bigger influence on our appetite than the actual size of the meal, says Jeffrey M, Brunstrom, a professor of experimental psychology at the University of Bristol.

“Hunger isn?t controlled solely by the physical characteristic of a recent meal. We have identified an independent role for memory for that meal, ” Brunstrom says, “This shows that the relationship between hunger and food intake is more complex than we thought.”

These findings echo earlier research that suggests our perception of food can sometimes trick our body?s response to the food itself. In a 2011 study, for instance, people who drank the same 380-calorie ( 卡路里) milkshake on two separate occasions produced different levels of hunger-related hormones ( 荷尔蒙), depending on whether the shake?s label said it contained 620 or 140 calories. Moreover, the participants reported feeling more full when they thought they …d consumed a higher-calories shake.

What does this mean for our eating habits? Although it hardly sees practical to trick ourselves into eating less, the new findings do highlight the benefits of focusing on our food and avoiding TV and multitasking while eating.

The so-called mindful-eating strategies can fight distractions and help us control our appetite, Brunstrom says.

56. What is said to be a factor affecting our appetite and food intake?

A) How we perceive the food we eat. B) What ingredients the food contains

C) When we eat our meals. D) How fast we eat our meals.

57. What would happen at meal time if you remembered eating a lot in the previous meal?

A) You would probably be more picky about food. B) You would not feel like eating the same food.

C) You would have a good appetite. D) You would not feel so hungry.

58. What do we learn from the 2011study?

A) Food labels may mislead consumers in their purchases.

B) Food labels may influence our body?s response to food.

C) Hunger levels depend on one?s consumption of calories.

D) People tend to take in a lot more calories than necessary.

59. What does Brunstrom suggest we do to control our appetite/

A) Trick ourselves into eating less. B) Choose food with fewer calories.

C) Concentrate on food while eating D) Pick dishes of the right size.

60. What is the main idea of the passage?

A) Eating distractions often affected our food digestion.

B) Psychological factors influence our hunger levels.

C) Our food intake is determined by our biological needs.

As a society we might want to rethink the time and money spent on education, so that these resources can benefit a greater percentage of the population. Ideally, both high schools and colleges can prepare individuals for the ever-changing roles that are likely to be expected of them.

High school degrees offer far less in the way of preparation for work than they might, or than many other nations currently offer, creating a growing skills gap in our economy. We encourage students to go on to college whether they are prepared or not ,or have a clear sense of purpose or interest ,and now have the highest college dropout rate in the world.

We might look to other countries for models of how high schools can offer better training, as well as the development of a work ethic(勤奋工作的美德)and the intellectual skills needed for continued learning and development .I recommend Harvard?2011 “Pathways to Prosperity” r eport for more attention to the “forgotten half” (those who do not go on to college)and ideas about how to address this issue.

Simultaneously, the liberal arts become more important than ever. In a knowledge economy where professional roles change rapidly and many college students are preparing for positions that may not even exist yet, the skill set needed is one that prepares them for change and continued learning.

Learning to express ideas well in both writing and speech, knowing how to find information, and knowing how to do research are all solid background skills for a wide variety of roles, and such training is more important than any particular major in a liberal arts college. We need to continue to value broad preparation in thinking skills that will serve for a lifetime.

Students also need to learn to work independently and to make responsible decisions. The lengthening path to adulthood appears exacerbated(恶化) by parental involvement in the college years. Given the rising investment in college education, parental concern is not surprising, but learning where and when to intervene(干预)will help students take more ownership of the outcomes of these increasingly costly educations.

61. What kind of education does the author think is ideal?

A) It benefits the great majority of the general population.

B) It prepares students to meet the future needs of society.

C) It encourages students to learn throughout their lives.

D) It ensures that students? expectations are successfully fulfilled.

62. What does the author say is the problem with present high school education?

A) Ignoring the needs of those who don?t go to college.

B) Teaching skills to be used right after graduation only.

C) Giving little attention to those having difficulty world.

D) Creating the highest dropout rate in the developed world.

63. What characterizes a knowledge economy according to the passage?

A) People have to receive higher education to quality for a professional position

B) Students majoring in liberal arts usually have difficulty securing a job.

C) New positions are constantly created that require people to keep learning.

D) Colleges find it hard to teach students how to cope with the changing economy.

64. What does the author think a liberal arts college should focus on?

A) Solid background knowledge in a particular field. B) Practical skills urgently needed in current society.

C) Basic skills needed for change and lifelong learning. D) Useful thinking skills for advanced academic research.

65. What suggestion does the author offer to parents?

A) Rethinking the value of higher education. B) Investing wisely in their children?s education. C) Helping their children to bring their talent into full play.

Passage One

Questions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.

Junk food is everywhere. We?re eating way too much of it. Most of us know what we?re doing and yet we do it anyway.

So here's a suggestion offered by two researchers at the Rand Corporation: Why not take a lesson from alcohol control policies and apply them to where food is sold and how it?s displayed?

"Many policy measures to control obesity (肥胖症)assume that people consciously and rationally choose what and how much they eat and therefore focus on providing information and more access to healthier foods," note the two researchers.

"In contrast," the researchers continue, "many regulations that don't assume people make rational choices have been successfully applied to control alcohol, a substance -- like food -- of which immoderate consumption leads to serious health problems."

The research references studies of people?s behavior with food an d alcohol and results of alcohol restrictions, and then lists five regulations that the researchers think might be promising if applied to junk foods. Among them:

Density restrictions: licenses to sell alcohol aren't handed out unplanned to all comers but are allotted (分配)based on the number of places in an area that already sell alcohol. These make alcohol less easy to get and reduce the number of psychological cues to drink.

Similarly, the researchers say, being presented with junk food stimulates our desire to eat it. So why not limit the density of food outlets, particularly ones that sell food rich in empty calories? And why not limit sale of food in places that aren?t primarily food stores?

Display and sales restrictions: California has a rule prohibiting alcohol displays near the cash registers in gas stations, and in most places you can?t buy alcohol at drive-through facilities. At supermarkets, food companies pay to have their wares in places where they're easily seen. One could remove junk food to the back of the store and ban them from the shelves at checkout lines. The other measures include restricting portion sizes, taxing and prohibiting special price deals for junk foods, and placing warning labels on the products.

57. What does the author say about junk food?

A) People should be educated not to eat too much. B) It is widely consumed despite its ill reputation.

C) Its temptation is too strong for people to resist. D) It causes more harm than is generally realized.

58. What do the Rand researchers think of many of the policy measures to control obesity?

A) They should be implemented effectively. B) They provide misleading information.

C) They are based on wrong assumptions. D) They help people make rational choices.

59. Why do policymakers of alcohol control place density restrictions?

A) Few people are able to resist alcohol?s temptations. B) There are already too many stores selling alcohol.

C) Drinking strong alcohol can cause social problems.

D) Easy access leads to customers' over-consumption.

60. What is the purpose of California?s rule about alcohol display in gas stations?

A) To effectively limit the density of alcohol outlets. B) To help drivers to give up the habit of drinking.

C) To prevent possible traffic jams in nearby areas. D) To get alcohol out of drivers? immediate sight.

61. What is the general guideline the Rand researchers suggest about junk food control?

A) Guiding people to make rational choices about food.

B) Enhancing people?s awareness of their own he alth.

C) Borrowing ideas from alcohol control measures.

Questions 62 to 66 are based on the following passage.

Kodak?s decision to file for bankruptcy（破产）protection is a sad, though not unexpected, turning point for a leading American corporation that pioneered consumer photography and dominated the film market for decades, but ultimately failed to adapt to the digital revolution.

Although many attribu te Kodak?s downfall to “complacency(自满) ,” that explanation doesn?t acknow-ledge the lengths to which the company went to reinvent itself. Decades ago, Kodak anticipated that digital photography would overtake film — and in fact, Kodak invented the first digital camera in 1975 — but in a fateful decision, the company chose to shelf its new discovery to focus on its traditional film business.

It wasn?t that Kodak was blind to the future, said Rebecca Henderson, a professor at Harvard Business School, but rather that it failed to execute on a strategy to confront it. By the time the company realized its mistake, it was too late.

Kodak is an example of a firm that was very much aware that they had to adapt, and spent a lot of money trying to do so, but ultimately failed. Large companies have a difficult time switching into new markets because there is a temptation to put existing assets into the new businesses.

Although Kodak anticipated the inevitable rise of digital photography, its corporate（企业的）culture was too rooted in the successes of the past for it to make the clean break necessary to fully embrace the future. They were a company stuck in time. Their history was so important to them. Now their history has become a liability.

Kodak?s downfall over the last several decades was dramatic. In 1976, the company commanded 90% of the market for photographic film and 85% of the market for cameras. But the 1980s brought new competition from Japanese film company Fuji Photo, which undermined Kodak by offering lower prices for film and photo supplies. Kodak?s decision not to pursue the role of official film for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics was a major miscalculation. The bid went instead to Fuji, which exploited its sponsorship to win a permanent foothold in the marketplace.

62. What do we learn about Kodak?

A) It went bankrupt all of a sudden. B) It is approaching its downfall.

C) It initiated the digital revolution in the film industry.

D) It is playing a dominant role in the film market.

63. Why does the author mention Kodak?s invention of the first digital camera?

A) To show its early attempt to reinvent itself. B) To show its effort to overcome complacency.

C) To show its quick adaptation to the digital revolution.

D) To show i ts will to compete with Japan?s Fuji photo.

64. Why do large companies have difficulty switching to new markets?

A) They find it costly to give up their existing assets.

B) They tend to be slow in confronting new challenges.

C) They are unwilling to invest in new technology.

D) They are deeply stuck in their glorious past.

65. What does the author say Kodak?s history has become?

A) A burden. B) A mirror. C) A joke. D) A challenge.

66. What was Kodak?s fatal mistake?

A) Its blind faith in traditional photography.

B) Its failure to see Fuji photo?s emergence.

C) Its refusal to sponsor the 1984 Olympics.

2012年12月

Passage One

As you are probably aware, the latest job markets news isn?t good: Unemployment is still more than 9 percent, and new job growth has fallen close to zero. That?s bad for the economy, of course. And it may be especially discouraging if you happen to be looking for a job or hoping to change careers right now. But it actually shouldn?t matter to you nearly as much as you think.

T hat?s because job growth numbers don?t matter to job hunters as much as job turnover data. After all, existing jobs open up every day due to promotions, resignations, terminations, and retirements. (Yes, people are retiring even in this economy.) In both good times and bad, turnover creates more openings than economic growth does. Even in June of 2007, when the economy was still humming along, job growth was only 132,000, while turnover was 4.7 million!

And as it turns out, even today — with job growth near zero — over 4 million job hunters are being hired every month.

I don?t mean to imply that overall job growth doesn?t have an impact on one?s ability to land a job. It?s true that if total employment were higher, it would mean more jobs for all of us to choose from (and compete for). And it?s true that there are currently more people applying for each available job opening, regardless of whether it?s a new one or not.

But what often distinguishes those who land jobs from those who don?t is their ability to stay motivated. They?re willing to do the hard work of identifying their valuable skills; be creative about wher e and how to look; learn how to present themselves to potential employers; and keep going, even after repeated rejections. The Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that 2.7 million people who wanted and were available for work hadn?t looked within the las t four weeks and were no longer even classified as unemployed.

So don?t let the headlines fool you into giving up. Four million people get hired every month in the U.S. You can be one of them.

57. The author tends to believe that high unemployment rate ______?

A) deprives many people of job opportunities.

B) prevents many people from changing careers.

C) should not stop people from looking for a job.

D) does not mean the U.S. economy is worsening.

58. Where do most job openings come from?

A) Job growth B) Job turnover

C) Improved economy D) Business expansion

59. What does the author say about overall job growth?

A) It doesn?t have much effect on individual job seekers.

B) It increases people?s confidence in the economy.

C) It gives a ray of hope to the unemployed.

D) It doesn?t mean greater job security for the employed.

60. What is the key to landing a job according to the author?

A) Education B) Intelligence

C) Persistence D) Experience

61. What do we learn from the passage about the unemployment figures in the US?

A) They clearly indicate how healthy the economy is.

B) They provide the public with the latest information.

C) They warn of the structural problems in the economy.

Our risk of cancer rises dramatically as we age. So it makes sense that the elderly should be routinely screened for new tumors —or doesn?t it?

While such vigilant（警觉的）tracking of cancer is a good thing in general, researchers are increasingly questioning whether all of this testing is necessary for the elderly. With the percentage of people over age 65 expected to nearly double by 2050, it?s important to weigh the health benefits of screening against the risks and costs of routine testing.

In many cases, screening can lead to additional biopsies and surgeries to remove cancer, which can cause side effects, while the cancers themselves may be slow-growing and may not pose serious health problems in patients? remaining years. But the message that everyone must screen for cancer has become so ingrained that when health care experts recommended that women under 50 and over 74 stop screening for breast cancer, it caused a riotous reaction among doctors, patients and advocacy groups.

It?s hard to uproot deeply held beliefs about cancer screening with scientific data. Certainly, there are people over age 75 who have had cancers detected by routine screening, and gained several extra years of life because of treatment. And clearly, people over age 75 who have other risk factors for cancer, such as a family history or prior personal experience with the disease, should continue to get screened regularly. But for the remainder, the risk of cancer, while increased at the end of life, must be balanced with other factors like remaining life expectancy（预期寿命）.

A recent study suggests that doctors start to make more objective decisions about who will truly benefit from screening- especially considering the explosion of the elderly that will soon swell our population.

It?s not an easy calculation to make, but one that make sense for the whole pati ent. Dr. Otis Brawley said, “Many doctors are ordering these tests purely to cover themselves. We need to think about the rational use of health care and stop talking about the rationing of health care.”

That means making some difficult decisions with elderly patients, and going against the misguided belief that when it comes to health care, more is always better.

62. Why do doctors recommend routine cancer screening for elderly people?

A. It is believed to contribute to long life.

B. It is part of their health care package.

C. The elderly are more sensitive about their health.

D. The elderly are in greater danger of tumor growth.

63. How do some researchers now look at routine cancer screening for the elderly?

A. It adds too much to their medical bills.

B. It helps increase their life expectancy.

C. They are doubtful about necessity.

D. They think it does more than good.

64. What is the conventional view about women screening for breast cancer?

A. It applies to women over 50.

B. It is a must for adult women.

C. It is optional for young women.

D. It doesn?t apply to women over 74.

65. Why do many doctors prescribe routine screening for cancer?

A. They want to protect themselves against medical disputes.

B. They want to take advantage of the medical care system.

C. They want data for medical research.

D. They want their patients to suffer less.

66. What does the author say is the general view about health care?

A. The more, the better.

B. Prevention is better than cure.

C. Better early than late.

D. Better care, longer life.

Passage One

In times of economic crisis, Americans turn to their families for support. If the Great Depression is any guide, we may see a drop in our sky-high divorce rate. But this won?t necessarily represent an increase in happy marriages, nor is the trend likely to last. In the long run, the Depression weakened American families, and the current crisis will probably do the same.

We tend to think of the Depression as a time when families pulled together to survive huge job losses. The divorce rate, which had been rising slowly since the Civil War, suddenly dropped in 1930, The year after the Depression began. By 932, when nearly one-quarter of the work force was unemployed, it had declined by around 25 percent from 1929. But this does not mean that people were suddenly happier with their marriages. Rather, with incomes plummeting and insecure jobs, unhappy couples often couldn?t afford to divorce. They feared that neither spouse would be able to manage alone.

Today, given the job losses of the past year, fewer unhappy couples will risk starting separate households. Furthermore, the housing market meltdown will make it more difficult for them to finance their separations by selling their homes.

After financial disasters family members also tend to do whatever they can to help each other and their communities. In a 1940 book, “The Unemployed Man and His Family,” the sociologist Mirra Komarovsky described a family in which the husband initially reacted to losing his job “with tireless search for work.” He was always active, looking for odd jobs to do.

The problem is that such an impulse is hard to sustain. Across the country, many similar families were unable to maintain the initial boost in morale. For some, the hardships of life without steady work eventually overwhelmed their attempts to keep their families together. The divorce rate rose again during the rest of the decade as the recovery took hold.

Millions of American families may now be in the initial stage of their responses to the current crisis, working together and supporting one another through the early months of unemployment.

T oday?s economic slump could well generate a similar backlog of couples whose relationships have been irreparably ruined. So it is only when the economy is healthy again that we will begin to see just how many fractured families have been created.

57. In the initial stage, the current economic crisis is likely to _______.

A. tear many troubled families apart

B. bring about a drop in the divorce rate

C. cause a lot of conflicts in the family

D. contribute to enduring family ties

58. In the Great Depression many unhappy couples chose to stick together because _______

A. starting a new family would be hard

B. they wanted to better protect their kids

C. living separately would be too costly

D. they expected things would turn better

59. In addition to job losses, what stands in the way of unhappy couples getting a divorce?

A. A sense of insecurity.

B. Mounting family debts.

C. Difficulty in getting a loan.

D. Falling housing prices.

60. What will the current economic crisis eventually do to married couples?

A. It will force them to pull their efforts together.

B. It will undermine their mutual understanding.

C. It will irreparably damage their relationship.

D. It will help strengthen their emotional bonds.

61. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A. A stable family is the best protection against poverty.

B. Money is the foundation of many a happy marriage.

C. Few couples can stand the test of economic hardships.

D. The economic recovery will see a higher divorce rate.

Questions 62 to 66 are based on the following passage:

People are being lured (引诱)onto Facebook with the promise of a fun, free service without realizing they?re paying for it by giving up toads of personal information. Facebook then attempts to make money by selling their data to advertisers that want to send targeted messages.

Most Facebook users don?t realize this is happening. Even if they know what the company is up to, they still have no idea what they?re paying for Face book because people don?t really know what their personal data is worth.

The biggest problem, however, is that the company keeps changing the rules Early on you keep everything private. That was the great thing about facebook you could create own little private network. Last year. The company changed its privacy rules so that many thing s you city. Your photo, your friends? names-were set, by default (默认)to be shared with every one on the Internet.

According to Facebook?s vice-president Elliot Schrage, the company is simply making changes to improve its service, and if people don?t share information They have a “less satisfying experience”.

Some critics think this is more about Facebook looking to make more money. In original business model, which involved selling ads and putting then At the side of the pages totally Who wants to took at ads when they?re online connecting with their friends?

The privacy issue has already landed Facebook in hot water in Washington. In April. Senator Charles Schumer called on Facebook to change its privacy policy. He also urged the Federal Trade Commission to set guidelines for social-networking sites.“I think the senator rightly communicated that we had not been clear about what the new products were and how people could choose to use them or not to use them,” Schrage admits.

I suspect that whatever Facebook has done so far to i nvade our privacy, it?s only the beginning. Which is why I?m considering deactivating(撤销)my account. Facebook is a handy site, but I?m upset by the idea that my information is in the hands of people I don?t That?s too high a price to pay.

62. What do we learn about Facebook from the first paragraph?

A) It is a website that sends messages to targeted users.

B) It makes money by putting on advertisements.

C) It profits by selling its users' personal data.

D) It provides loads of information to its users.

63. What does the author say about most Facebook users?

A) They are reluctant to give up their personal information.

B) They don?t know their personal data enriches Facebook.

C) They don?t identify themselves when using the website.

D) They care very little about their personal information.

64. Why does Facebook make changes to its rules according to Elliot Schrage?

A) To render better service to its users. B) To conform to the Federal guidelines.

C) To improve its users? connectivity.D) To expand its scope of business.

65. Why does Senator Charles Schumer advocate?

A) Setting guidelines for advertising on websites.

B) Banning the sharing of users' personal information.

C) Formulating regulations for social-networking sites.

D) Removing ads from all social-networking sites.

66. Why does the author plan to cancel his Facebook account?

A) He is dissatisfied with its current service. B) He finds many of its users untrustworthy.

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