英语专业四级考试阅读理解冲刺题

Computers monitor everything in Singapore from soil composition to location of manholes．At the airport， it took

just 15 seconds for the computerized immigration system to scan and approve my passport．It takes only one minute to be checked into a public hospital．

By 1998， almost every household will be wired for interactive cable TV and the Internet， the global computer

network．Shoppers will be able to view and pay for products electronically．A 24-hour community telecomputing network will allow users to communicate with elected representatives and retrieve information about government services．It is all part of the government‘s plan to transform the nation into what it calls the “Intelligent Island”．

In so many ways， Singapore has elevated the concept of efficiency to a kind of national ideology．For the past ten

years， Singapore’s work force was rated the best in the world-ahead of Japan and the U．S．-in terms of productivity， skill and attitude by the Business Environment Risk Intelligence service．

Behind the “Singapore miracle” is a man Richard Nixon described as one of “the ablest leaders I have met，” one

who， “in other times and other places， might have attained the world stature of a Churchill．” Lee Kuan Yew led Singapore‘s struggle for independence in the 1950s， serving as Prime Minister from 1959 until 1990．Today （1995）， at 71， he has nominally retired to the office of Senior Minister， where he continues to influence his country’s future．Lee offered companies tax breaks， political stability， cheap labor and strike-free environment．

Nearly 90 percent of Singaporean adults now own their own homes and thanks to strict adherence to the principle of

merit， personal opportunities abound．“If you‘ve got talent and work hard， you can be anything here，” says a Malaysian-born woman who holds a high-level civil-service position．

Lee likes to boast that Singapore has avoided the “moral breakdown” of Western countries．He attributes his nation’

s success to strong family ties， a reliance on education as the engine of advancement and social philosophy that he claims is superior to America‘s．

In an interview with Reader’s Digest， he said that the United States has “lost its bearings” by emphasizing individual

rights at the expense of society．“An ethical society，” he said， “is one which matches human rights with responsibilities．”

1．What characterizes Singapore‘s advancement is its___．

A．computer monitoring．

B．work efficiency．

C．high productivity．

D．value on ethics．

2．From Nixon’s perspective， Lee is___．

A．almost as great as Churchill．

B．not as great as Churchill．

C．only second to Churchill in being a leader．

D．just as great as Churchill．

3．In the last paragraph， “lost its bearings” may mean___．

A．become impatient．

B．failed to find the right position．

C．lost its foundation．

D．grown band-mannered．

4．“You can be anything here”（Paragraph 5） may be paraphrased as___．

A．You can hope for a very bright prospect．

B．You may be able to do anything needed．

C．You can choose any job as you like．

D．You will become an outstanding worker．

5．In Singapore， the concept of efficiency___．

A．has been emphasized throughout the country．

B．has become an essential quality for citizens to aim at．

C．is brought forward by the government in order to compete with America．

D．is known as the basis for building the “Intelligent Island．”

答案：DDBAB

英语专业四级考试阅读理解模拟题(2)（附答案）

Before the mid 1860’s， the impact of the railroads in the United States was limited， in the sense that the tracks

ended at this Missouri River， approximately the center of the country. At the point the trains turned their freight， mail， and passengers over to steamboats， wagons， and stagecoaches. This meant that wagon freighting， stagecoaching， and

steamboating did not come to an end when the first train appeared; rather they became supplements or feeders. Each new “end of track” became a center for animal drawn or waterborne transportation. The major effect of the railroad was to shorten the distance that had to be covered by the older， slower， and more costly means. Wagon freighters continued operating throughout the 1870’s and 1880’s and into the 10’s. Although over constantly shrinking routes， and coaches and wagons continued to crisscross the West wherever the rails had not yet been laid. The beginning of a major change was foreshadowed in the later 1860’s， when the Union Pacific Railroad at last began to build westward from the Central Plains city of Omaha to meet the Central Pacific Railroad advancing eastward from California through the formidable barrier of the Sierra Nevada. Although President Abraham Lincoln signed the original Pacific Railroad bill in 1862 and a revised， financially much more generous version in 18， little construction was completed until 1865 on the Central Pacific and 1866 on the Union Pacific. The primary reason was skepticism that a Railroad built through so challenging and thinly settled a stretch of desert， mountain， and semiarid plain could pay a profit. In the words of an economist， this was a case of “premature enterprise”， where not only the cost of construction but also the very high risk deterred private investment. In discussing the Pacific Railroad bill， the chair of the congressional committee bluntly stated that without government subsidy no one would undertake so unpromising a venture; yet it was a national necessity to link East and West together. 

1. The author refers to the impact of railroads before the late 1860’s as “limited” because ____

A. the track did not take the direct route from one city to the next

B. passengers and freight had to transfer to other modes of transportation to reach western destinations

C. passengers preferred stagecoaches

D. railroad travel was quite expensive

2. What can be inferred about coaches and wagon freighters as the railroad expanded？

A. They developed competing routes.

B. Their drivers refused to work for the railroads.

C. They began to specialize in private investment.

D. There were insufficient numbers of trained people to operate them.

3. Why does the author mention the Sierra Nevada in line 17？

A. To argue that a more direct route to the West could have been taken.

B. To identify a historically significant mountain range in the West.

C. To point out the location of a serious train accident.

D. To give an example of an obstacle faced by the central pacific.

4. The word “subsidy” in line 27 is closest in meaning to _____。

A. persuasion B. financing C. explanation D. penalty

答案解析 

1. B）根据文章前五句可知，在十九世纪六十年代晚期前铁路在美国的影响是有限的“limited”，当时铁路只从美国东部修到

了美国中部，运到美国西部地区的货物只有在铁路的尽头“endoftrack”改用其他的运输方式，比如：汽船、马车等，它们的运输效率可想而知。故选项B为正确答案。

2. D）这是一道推论题。可用排除法做此题。根据文章第六行至第七行“rather they became supplements or feeders”和第

十行至第十三行“Wagon freighters continued operating throughout the 1870’s and 1880’s and into the 10’s. Although over constantly shrinking routes， and coaches and wagons continued to crisscross the West wherever the rails had not yet been laid.”可知随着铁路线的不断延伸，马车货运的路线日益减少，虽然马车货运经营者们继续在西部发展货运线路，但是它们只是铁路运输的补充。因此选项A“他们发展了有竞争性的线路”可以排除。而选项B、C文中根本没有提及。故只有选项D为正确答案。

3. D）根据“the Sierra Nevada”所在句可知作者提到它是因为它是修建横跨东西铁路的一个巨大的障碍，故D为正确答案。

4. B）Subsidy意为“补助金，津贴”，与financing意义相符。

英语专业四级考试阅读理解模拟题（3）（附答案）

Certainly no creature in the sea is odder than the common sea cucumber. All living creature， especially human beings，

have their peculiarities， but everything about the little sea cucumber seems unusual. What else can be said about a bizarre animal that， among other eccentricities， eats mud， feeds almost continuously day and night but can live without eating for long periods， and can be poisonous but is considered supremely edible by gourmets？For some fifty million years， despite all its eccentricities， the sea cucumber has subsisted on its diet of mud. It is adaptable enough to live attached to rocks by its tube feet， under rocks in shallow water， or on the surface of mud flats. Common in cool water on both Atlantic and Pacific shores， it has the ability to suck up mud or sand and digest whatever nutrients are present.Sea cucumbers come in a variety of colors， ranging from black to reddishbrown to sandcolor and nearly white. One form even has vivid purple tentacles. Usually the creatures are cucumbershaped—hence their name—and because they are typically rock inhabitants， this shape， combined with flexibility， enables them to squeeze into crevices where they are safe from predators and ocean currents.

Although they have voracious appetites， eating day and night， sea cucumbers have the capacity to become quiescent

and live at a low metabolic rate—feeding sparingly or not at all for long periods， so that the marine organisms that provid their food have a chance to multiply. If it were not for this faculty， they would devour all the food available in a short time and would probably starve themselves out of existence.

But the most spectacular thing about the sea cucumber is the way it defends itself. Its major enemies are fish and

crabs， when attacked， it squirts all its internal organs into water. It also casts off attached structures such as tentacles.

The sea cucumber will eviscerate and regenerate itself if it is attacked or even touched; it will do the same if the surrounding water temperature is too high or if the water becomes too polluted.

1. According to the passage， why is the shape of sea cucumbers important？

A. It helps them to digest their food.

B. It helps them to protect themselves from danger.

C. It makes it easier for them to move through the mud.

D. It makes them attractive to fish. 

2. The fourth paragraph of the passage primarily discusses ____。

A. the reproduction of sea cucumbers

B. the food sources of sea cucumbers

C. the eating habits of sea cucumbers

D. threats to sea cucumbers’ existence 

3. What can be inferred about the defence mechanisms of the sea cucumber？

A. They are very sensitive to surrounding stimuli.

B. They are almost useless.

C. They require group cooperation.

D. They are similar to those of most sea creatures. 

4. Which of the following would NOT cause a sea cucumber to release its internal organs into the water？

A. A touch.

B. Food.

C. Unusually warm water.

D. Pollution.

答案及解析

1. B）通过阅读文章可以排除选项A、C、D，因为文中没有提及，故选项B为正确答案。

2. C）此题为段落主旨题。通过阅读第四段可知作者都是讲述海参的进食习惯，故选项C为正确答案。

3. A）此题为推论题。根据最后一段可知海参在受到外界刺激时，会做出一定的反应，这也反映出它的防御机制非常敏感，故A

为正确答案。

4. B）此题为细节题。根据最后一段可知惟有food不会使海参将体内器官吐出来，故其为正确答案。

英语专业四级考试阅读理解冲刺题(4)（附答案）

What we know of prenatal development makes all this attempt made by a mother to mold the character of her unborn

child by studying poetry， art， or mathematics during pregnancy seem utterly impossible. How could such extremely complex influences pass from the mother to the child？ There is no connection between their nervous systems. Even the blood vessels of mother and child do not join directly. An emotional shock to the mother will affect her child， because it changes the activity of her glands and so the chemistry her blood. Any chemical change in the mother‘s blood will affect the child for better or worse. But we can not see how a looking for mathematics or poetic genius can be dissolved in blood and produce a similar liking or genius in the child.

In our discussion of instincts we saw that there was reason to believe that whatever we inherit must be of some very

simple sort rather than any complicated or very definite kind of behavior. It is certain that no one inherits a knowledge of mathematics. It may be， however， that children inherit more or less of a rather general ability that we may call intelligence. If very intelligent children become deeply interested in mathematics， they will probably make a success of that study.

As for musical ability， it may be that what is inherited is an especially sensitive ear， a peculiar structure of

the hands or the vocal organs connections between nerves and muscles that make it comparatively easy to learn the movements a musician must execute， and particularly vigorous emotions. If these factors are all organized around music， the child may become a musician. The same factors， in other circumstance might be organized about some other center of interest. The rich emotional equipment might find expression in poetry. The capable fingers might develop skill in surgery. It is not the knowledge of music that is inherited， then nor even the love of it， but a certain bodily structure that makes it comparatively easy to acquire musical knowledge and skill. Whether that ability shall be directed toward music or some other undertaking may be decided entirely by forces in the environment in which a child grows up.

1. Which of the following statements is not true？

A. Some mothers try to influence their unborn children by studying art and other subjects during their pregnancy.

B. It is utterly impossible for us to learn anything about prenatal development.

C. The blood vessels of mother and child do not join directly.

D. There are no connection between mother’s nervous systems and her unborn child‘s.

2. A mother will affect her unborn baby on the condition that ____.

A. she is emotionally shocked

B. she has a good knowledge of inheritance

C. she takes part in all kind of activities

D. she sticks to studying

3. According to the passage， a child may inherit____.

A. everything from his mother

B. a knowledge of mathematics

C. a rather general ability that we call intelligence

D. her mother’s musical ability

4. If a child inherits something from his mother， such as an especially sensitive ear， a peculiar structure of

the hands or of the vocal organs， he will ____.

A. surely become musician

B. mostly become a poet

C. possibly become a teacher

D. become a musician on the condition that all these factors are organized around music

5. Which of the following is the best title for the passage？

A. Role of Inheritance.

B. An Unborn Child.

C. Function of instincts.

D. Inherited Talents

答案：BACDA

英语专业四级考试阅读理解冲刺题(5)（附答案）

The case for college has been accepted without question for more than a generation. All high school graduates ought

to go， says conventional wisdom and statistical evidence， because college will help them earn more money， become “better” people， and learn to be more responsible citizens than those who don‘t go.

But college has never been able to work its magic for everyone. And now that close to half our high school graduates

are attending， those who don’t fit the pattern are becoming more numerous， and more obvious. College graduates are selling shoes and driving taxis; college students interfere with each other‘s experiments and write false letters of recommendation in the intense competition for admission to graduate school. Other find no stimulation in their studies， and drop out—often encouraged by college administrators.

Some observers say the fault is with the young people themselves—they are spoiled and they are expecting too much.

But that is a condemnation of the students as a whole， and doesn’t explain all campus unhappiness. Others blame the state of the world， and they are partly right. We have been told that young people have to go to college because our economy can‘t absorb an army of untrained eighteen-year-olds. But disappointed graduates are learning that it can no longer absorb an army of trained twenty-two-year-olds， either.

Some adventuresome educators and watchers have openly begun to suggest that college may not be the best， the proper，

the only place for every young person after the completion of high school. We may have been looking at all those surveys and statistics upside down， it seems， and through the rosy glow of our own remembered college experiences. Perhaps college doesn’t make people intelligent， ambitious， happy， liberal， or quick to learn things—may it is just the other way around， and intelligent， ambitious， happy， liberal， quick-learning people are merely the ones who have been attracted to college in the first place. And perhaps all those successful college graduates would have been successful whether they had gone to college or not. This is heresy to those of us who have been brought up to believe that if a little schooling is good， more has to be much better. But contrary evidence is beginning to mount up.

1.According to the author， ___.

A.people used to question the value of college education.

B.people used to have full confidence in higher education.

C.all high school graduates went to college.

D.very few high school graduates chose to go to college.

2.In the 2nd paragraph， “those who don‘t fit the pattern” refer to___.

A.high school graduates who aren’t suitable for college education.

B.college graduates who are selling shoes and driving taxis.

C.college students who aren‘t any better for their higher education.

D.high school graduates who failed to be admitted to college.

3.The dropout rate of college students seems to go up because___.

A.young people are disappointed with the conventional way of teaching at college.

B.many people are required to join the army.

C.young people have little motivation in pursuing a higher education.

D.young people don’t like the intense competition for admission to graduate school.

4.According to the passage， the problems of college education partly originate in the fact that___.

A.society cannot provide enough jobs for properly trained graduates.

B.High school graduates do not fit the pattern of college education.

C.Too many students have to earn their own living.

D.College administrators encourage students to drop out.

5.In this passage the author argues that___.

A.more and more evidence shows college education may not be the best thing for high school graduates.

B.College education is not enough if one wants to be successful.

C.College education benefits only the intelligent， ambitious， and quick-learning people.

D.Intelligent people may learn quicker if they don‘t go to college.

答案：BCCAA

Racket， din clamor， noise， whatever you want to call it， unwanted sound is America‘s most widespread nuisance.

But noise is more than just a nuisance. It constitutes a real and present danger to people’s health. Day and night， at home， at work， and at play， noise can produce serious physical and psychological stress. No one is immune to this stress.

Though we seem to adjust to noise by ignoring it， the ear， in fact， never closes and the body still responds—sometimes with extreme tension， as to a strange sound in the night.

英语专业四级考试阅读理解模拟题(6)（附答案）

The annoyance we feel when faced with noise is the most common outward symptom of the stress building up inside us.

Indeed， because irritability is so apparent， legislators have made public annoyance the basis of many noise abatement programs. The more subtle and more serious health hazards associated with stress caused by noise traditionally have been given much less attention. Nevertheless， when we are annoyed or made irritable by noise， we should consider these symptoms fair warning that other thing may be happening to us， some of which may be damaging to our health.

Of many health hazards to noise， hearing loss is the most clearly observable and measurable by health professionals.

The other hazards are harder to pin down. For many of us， there may be a risk that exposure to the stress of noise increases susceptibility to disease and infection. The more susceptible among us may experience noise as a complicating factor in heart problems and other diseases. Noise that causes annoyance and irritability in health persons may have serious consequences for these already ill in mind or body.

Noise affects us throughout our lives. For example， there are indications of effects on the unborn child when mothers

are exposed to industrial and environmental noise. During infancy and childhood， youngsters exposed to high noise levels may have trouble falling asleep and obtaining necessary amounts of rest.

Why， then， is there not greater alarm about these dangers？ Perhaps it is because the link between noise and many

disabilities or diseases has not yet been conclusively demonstrated. Perhaps it is because we tend to dismiss annoyance as a price to pay for living in the modern world. It may also be because we still think of hearing loss as only an occupational hazard.

1.In Paragraph 1， the phrase “immune to” are used to mean ___.

A.unaffected by

B.hurt by

C.unlikely to be seen by

D.unknown by

2.The author‘s attitude toward noise would best be described as ___.

A.unrealistic

B.traditional

C.concerned

D.hysterical

3.Which of the following best states the main idea of the passage？

A.Noise is a major problem; most people recognize its importance.

B.Although noise can be annoying， it is not a major problem.

C.Noise is a major problem and has not yet been recognized as such.

D.Noise is a major problem about which nothing can be done.

4.The author condemns noise essentially because it ___.

A.is against the law

B.can make some people irritable

C.is a nuisance

D.in a ganger to people’s health

5.The author would probably consider research about the effects noise has on people to be ___.

A.unimportant

B.impossible.

C.a waste of money

D.essential

答案：ACCDD

英语专业四级考试阅读理解冲刺题(7)（附答案）

Most of us are taught to pay attention to what is said—the words. Words do provide us with some information， but

meanings are derived from so many other sources that it would hinder our effectiveness as a partner to a relationship to rely too heavily on words alone. Words are used to describe only a small part of the many ideas we associate with any given message. Sometimes we can gain insight into some of those associations if we listen for more than words. We don‘t always say what we mean or mean what we say. Sometimes our words don’t mean anything except “ I‘m letting off some steam. I don’t really want you to pay close attention to what I‘m saying. Just pay attention to what I’m feeling.” Mostly we

mean several things at once. A person wanting to purchase a house says to the current owner， “This step has to be fixed before I‘ll buy.” The owner says， “ It’s been like that for years.” Actually， the step hasn‘t been like that for years， but the unspoken message is： “ I don’t want to fix it. We put up with it. Why can‘t you？” The search for a more expansive view of meaning can be developed of examining a message in terms of who said it， when it occurred， the related conditions or situation， and how it was said.

When a message occurs can also reveal associated meaning. Let us assume two couples do exactly the same amount of

kissing and arguing. But one couple always kisses after an argument and the other couple always argues after a kiss. The ordering of the behaviors may mean a great deal more than the frequency of the behavior. A friend’s unusually docile behavior may only be understood by noting that it was preceded by situations that required an abnormal amount of assertiveness. Some responses may be directly linked to a developing pattern of responses and defy logic. For example， a person who says “No！” to a serials of charges like “You‘re dumb，” “You’re lazy，” and “You‘re dishonest，” may also say “No！” and try to justify his or her response if the next statement is “And you’re good looking.”

We would do well to listen for how messages are presented. The words， “If sure has been nice to have you over，”

can be said with emphasis and excitement or ritualistically. The phrase can be said once or repeated several times. And the meanings we associate with the phrase will change accordingly. Sometimes if we say something infrequently it assumes more importance; sometimes the more we say something the less importance it assumes.

1.Effective communication is rendered possible between two conversing partners， if ___.

A.they use proper words to carry their ideas.

B.they both speak truly of their own feelings.

C.they try to understand each other‘s ideas beyond words.

D.they are capable of associating meaning with their words.

2.“I’m letting off some steam” in paragraph 1 means___.

A.I‘m just calling your attention.

B.I’m just kidding.

C.I‘m just saying the opposite.

D.I’m just giving off some sound.

3.The house-owner‘s example shows that he actually means___.

A.the step has been like that for years.

B.he doesn’t think it necessary to fix the step.

C.the condition of the step is only a minor fault.

D.the cost involved in the fixing should be shared.

4.Some responses and behaviors may appear very illogical， but are justifiable if___.

A.linked to an abnormal amount of assertiveness.

B.seen as one‘s habitual pattern of behavior.

C.taken as part of an ordering sequence.

D.expressed to a series of charges.

5.The word “ritualistically” in the last paragraph equals something done___.

A.without true intention.

B.light-heartedly.

C.in a way of ceremony.

D.with less emphasis.