英语四级阅读试题库含答案解析

1、英语四级阅读题库含答案解析1.Passage OneGlobal warming may or may not be the great environmental crisis of the 21 st century,but regardless of whether it is or isn t we won t do much about it. We will argue overit and may even, as a nation, make some fairly solemn-sounding commitments to avoidit. But the more dra

2、matic and meaningful these commitments seem, the less likely theyare to be observed.Al Gore calls global warming an “inconvenient truth, ” as if merely recognizing itcould put us on a path to a solution. But the real truth is that we don t know enough torelieve global warming, and without major tech

3、nological breakthroughs we can t domuch about it.From 2003 to 2050, the world s population is projected to grow from 6.4 billion to 9.1billion, a 42% increase. If energy use per person and technology remain the same, totalenergy use and greenhouse gas emissions (mainly, CO2) will be 42% higher in 20

4、50. butthat s too low, because societies that grow richer use more energy. We need economicgrowth unless we condemn the world s poor to their present poverty and freezeeveryone elses living standards. With modest growth, energy use and greenhouseemissions more than double by 2050.No government will

5、adopt rigid restrictions on economic growth and personalfreedom (limits on electricity usage, driving and travel) that might cut back globalwarming. Still, politicians want to show they re “doing something. ”Consider the KyotoProtocol (京都议定书 ). It allowed countries that joined to punish those that d

6、idn t. But ithasn t reduced CO2 emissions (up about 25% since 1990), and many signatories (签字国) didn t adopt tough enough policies to hit their 2008-2012 targets.The practical conclusion is that if global warming is a potential disaster, the onlysolution is new technology. Only an aggressive researc

7、h and development programmight find ways of breaking dependence on fossil fuels or dealing with it.The trouble with the global warming debate is that it has become a moral problem whenit s really an engineering one. The inconvenient truth is that if we don t solve theengineering problem, we re helpl

8、ess.57. What is said about global warming in the first paragraph?A) It may not prove an environmental B) It is an issue requiring world widecrisis at all. commitments.C) Serious steps have been taken to avoid D) Very little will be done to bring it underor stop it. control.58. According to the autho

9、r s understanding, what is Al Gore s view on global warming?A) It is a reality both people and politicians are unaware of.B) It is a phenomenon that causes us many inconveniences.C) It is a problem that can be solved once it is recognized.D) It is an area we actually have little knowledge about.59.

10、Green house emissions will more than double by 2050 because of _.A) economic growth C) wasteful use of energyB) the widening gap between the rich and D) the rapid advances of science andpoor technology60. The author believes that, since the signing of the Kyoto Protocol, _.A) politicians have starte

11、d to do something to better the situationB) few nations have adopted real tough measures to limit energy useC) reductions in energy consumption have greatly cut back global warmingD) international cooperation has contributed to solving environmental problems61. What is the message the author intends

12、 to convey?A) Global warming is more of a moral issue than a practical one.B) The ultimate solution to global warming lies in new technologyC) The debate over global warming will lead to technological breakthroughs.D) People have to give up certain material comforts to stop global warming.Passage Tw

13、oSomeday a stranger will read your e-mail without your permission or scan theWebsites you ve visited. Or perhaps someone will casually glance through your creditcard purchase or cell phone bills to find out your shopping preferences or calling habits.In fact, it s likely some of these things have al

14、ready happened to you. Who wouldwatch you without your permission? It might be a spouse, a girlfriend, a marketingcompany, a boss, a cop or a criminal. Whoever it is, they will see you in a way you neverintended to be seen the 21 st century equivalent of being caught naked.Psychologists tell us boun

15、daries are healthy, that it s important to reveal yourself tofriends, family and lovers in stages, at appropriate times. But few boundaries remain. Thedigital bread crumbs ( 碎 屑 ) you leave everywhere make it easy for strangers toreconstruct who you are, where you are and what you like. In some case

16、s, a simpleGoogle search can reveal what you think. Like it or not, increasingly we live in a worldwhere you simple cannot keep a secret.The key question is: Does that matter?When opinion polls ask Americans about privacy, most say they are concerned aboutlosing it. A survey found an overwhelming pe

17、ssimism about privacy, with 60 percent ofrespondents saying they feel their privacy is “slipping away, and that bothers me. ”But people say one thing and do another. Only a tiny fraction of Americans changeany behaviors in an effort to preserve their privacy. Few people turn down a discount attollbo

18、oths (收费 站) to avoid using the EZ-Pass system that can track automobilemovements. And few turn down supermarket loyalty cards. Privacy economistAlessandro Acquisti has run a series of tests that reveal people will surrender personalinformation like Social Security numbers just to get their hands on

19、a pitiful 50-cents-offcoupon (优惠券).But privacy does matter at least sometimes. It s like health: When you have it, youdon t notice it. Only when it s gone do you wish you d done more to protect it.62. What does the author mean by saying “the 21 st century equivalent of being caughtnaked ”(Lines 3-4,

20、 Para.2)?A) People s personal information is easily accessed without their knowledge.B) In the 21 st century people try every means to look into others secrets.C) People tend to be more frank with each other in the information age.D) Criminals are easily caught on the spot with advanced technology.6

21、3. What would psychologists advise on the relationships between friends?A) Friends should open their hearts to C) There should be a distance eveneach other. between friends.B) Friends should always be faithful to D) There should be fewer disputeseach other. between friends.64. Why does the author sa

22、y “we live in a world where you simple cannot keep a secret ”(Line 5, Para.3)?A) Modern society has finally evolved into an open society.B) People leave traces around when using modern technology.C) There are always people who are curious about others affairs.D) Many search engines profit by reveali

23、ng people s identities.65. What do most Americans do with regard to privacy protection?A) They change behaviors that might disclose their identity.B) They use various loyalty cards for business transactions.C) They rely more and more on electronic D) They talk a lot but hardly do anythingdevices. ab

24、out it.66. According to the passage, privacy is like health in that _.A) people will make every effort to keep it woman.B) its importance is rarely understood There are many reasons forC) it is something that can easily be lostD) people don t cherish it until they lose itthis-typically, men take mor

25、e risks thanwoman and are more likely to drink andsmoke but perhaps more importantly,men don t go to the doctor.“Men aren t seeing doctors as often2.Passage Oneas they should, ” says Dr. Gullotta, “ThisQuestions 57 to 61 are based on the is particularly so for the over-40s,whenfollowing passage.dise

26、ases tend to strike. ”If you are a male and you are readingGullotta says a healthy man shouldthis ,congratulations: you are a visit the doctor every year or two. Forsurvivor .According to statistics .you are those over 45,it should be at least once amore than twice as likely to die of skin year.canc

27、er than a woman ,and nine times Two months ago Gullotta saw amore likely to die of AIDS. Assuming you50-year-old ma who had delayed doingmake it to the end of your natural term,anything about his smoker s cough for aabout 78 years for men in Australia, you year.will die on average five years before

28、a“When I finally saw him it had alreadyspread and he has since died from lung Regular check-ups for men wouldcancer ” he says, “Earlier detection and inevitably place strain on the public purse,treatment may not have cured him, but it Cartmill says. ” But prevention is cheaperwould have prolonged th

29、is life ” in the long run than having to treat theAccording to a recent survey, 95%of diseases. Besides, the ultimate cost is farwomen aged between 15 and early 40s greater: it is called premature death. ”see a doctor once a year, compared to 57.Why does the author congratulate his70% of men in the

30、same age group. male readers at the beginning of the“A lot of men think they are invincible passage?（不可战胜的）” Gullotta says “They only A. They are more likely to survive seriouscome in when a friend drops dead on the diseases today.golf course and they think ” Geez, if it B. Their average life span h

31、as beencould happen to him. considerably extended.Then there is the ostrich approach, ” C. They have lived long enough to readsome men are scared of what might be this article.there and would rather not know, ” says D. They are sure to enjoy a longer andDr. Ross Cartmill. happier live.“Most men get

32、their cars serviced 58.What does the author state is the mostmore regularly than they service their important reason men die five yearsbodies, ” Cartmill says .He believes most earlier on average than women?diseases that commonly affect men could A. men drink and smoke much more thanbe addressed by

33、preventive check-ups. womenB. men don t seek medical care as often disease because of fearas women 61. What does Cartmill say about regularC. men aren t as cautions as women in check-ups for men?face of danger A.They may increase public expensesD. men are more likely to suffer from fatal B.They will

34、 save money in the long rundiseases C.They may cause psychological strains on59. Which of the following best completes menthe sentence “Geez, if it could happen to D.They will enable men to live as long ashim (line2,para,8)? womenA. it could happen to me, too Passage TwoB. I should avoid playing gol

35、f Questions 62 to 66 are based on theC. I should consider myself lucky following passage.D. it would be a big misfortune High-quality customer service is60what does Dr. Ross Cartmill mean by preached( 宣扬) by many ,but actually“the ostrich approach ”(line q para.9) keeping customers happy is easier s

36、aidA. a casual attitude towards one s health than doneconditions Shoppers seldom complain to theB. a new therapy for certain psychological manager or owner of a retail store, butproblems instead will alert their friends, relatives,C. refusal to get medical treatment for fear co-workers, strangers-an

37、d anyone whoof the pain involved will listen.D. unwillingness to find out about one s Store managers are often the last tohear complaints, and often find out only include filled parking lots, cluttered (塞满when their regular customers decide t 了 的 ) shelves, overloaded racks,frequent their competitor

38、s, according to a out-of-stock items, long check-out lines,study jointly conducted by Verde group and rude salespeople.and Wharton school During peak shopping hours, some“ Storytelling hurts retailers and retailers solved the parking problems byentertains consumers, ” said Paula getting moonlighting

39、 （业余兼职的） localCourtney, President of the Verde group. ” police to work as parking attendants.the store loses the customer, but the Some hired flag wavers to directshopper must also find a replacement. ” customers to empty parking spaces. ThisOn average, every unhappy customer guidance eliminated the

40、 need forwill complain to at least four other, and customers to circle the parking lotwill no longer visit the specific store for endlessly, and avoided confrontationevery dissatisfied customer, a store will between those eyeing the same parkinglose up to three more due to negative space.reviews. Th

41、e resulting “snowball effect ” Retailers can relieve the headaches bycan be disastrous to retailers. redesigning store layouts, pre-stockingAccording to the research, shoppers sales items, hiring speedy andwho purchased clothing encountered the experienced cashiers, and having salesmost problems. ra

42、nked second and third representatives on hand to answerwere grocery and electronics customers. questions.The most common complaints Most importantly, salespeople shouldbe diplomatic and polite with angry them.customers. C Few customers believe the service will“ Retailers who re responsive and be imp

43、roved.friendly are more likely to smooth over D Customers have no easy access to storeissues than those who aren t so friendly. ” managers.said Professor Stephen Hoch. “ Maybe 63. What does Paula Courtney imply bysomething as simple as a greeter at the saying “ the shopper must also find astore entr

44、ance would help. ” replacement ” (Line 2, Para. 4)?Customers can also improve future A New customers are bound to replaceshopping experiences by filing complaints old ones.to the retailer, instead of complaining to B It is not likely the shopper can find thethe rest of the world. Retailers are same

45、products in other stores.hard-pressed to improve when they have C Most stores provide the sameno idea what is wrong. D Not complaining to the manager causes注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2 上作答 the shopper some trouble too.62. Why are store managers often the last 64. Shop owners often hire moonlightingto hear complai

46、nts? police as parking attendants so thatA Most customers won t bother to shoppers_complain even if they have had unhappy A can stay longer browsing in the storeexperiences. B won t have trouble parking their carsB Customers would rather relate their C won t have any worries about securityunhappy ex

47、periences to people around D can find their cars easily after shopping65. What contributes most to smoothingover issues with customers?A Manners of the salespeopleB Hiring of efficient employeesC Huge supply of goods for saleD Design of the store layout.66. To achieve better shoppingexperiences, cus

48、tomers are advised to_.A exert pressure on stores to improvetheir serviceB settle their disputes with stores in adiplomatic wayC voice their dissatisfaction to storemanagers directlyD shop around and make comparisonsbetween stores3. The January fashion show, called Future Fashion , exemplified howfa

49、r green design has come. Organized by the New York-based nonprofitEarth Pledge, the show inspired many top designers to work withsustainable fabrics for the first time. Several have since made pledges toinclude organic fabrics in their lines.The designers who undertake green fashion still face manyc

50、hallenges. Scott Hahn, cofounder with Gregory of Rogan and Loomstate,which uses all-organic cotton, says high-quality sustainable materials canstill be tough to fine . “Most designers with existing labels are findingthere aren t comparable fabrics that can just replace what you re doingand shat your

51、 customers are used to, ” he says. For example, organiccotton and non-organic cotton are virtually indistinguishable oncewoven into a dress. But some popular synthetics, like stretch nylon, stillhave few eco-friendly equivalents.Those who do make the switch are finding they have more support.Last ye

52、ar the influential trade show Designers & Agents stoppedcharging its participation fee for young green entrepreneurs (企业家) whoattend its two springtime shows in Los Angeles and New York and gavespecial recognition to designers whose collections are at least 25%sustainable . It now counts more than 5

53、0 green designers, up from fewerthan a dozen two years ago. This week Wal-Mart is set to announce amajor initiative aimed at helping cotton farmers go organic: it will buytransitional (过渡型的) cotton at higher prices , thus helping to expand thesupply of a key sustainable material . “Mainstream is abo

54、ut to occur, ”says Hahn.Some analysts ( 分析师 ) are less sure . Among consumers, only18%are even aware that ecofashion exists, up from 6% four years ago.Natalie Hormilla, a fashion writer, is an example of the unconvertedconsumer, when asked if she owned any sustainable clothes, she replied:“Not that

55、I m aware of. ” Like most consumers, she finds little time toshop, and when she does, she s on the hunt for “cute stuff that isn t tooexpensive. ” By her own admission, green just isn t yet on her mind. Butthanks to the combined efforts of designers, retailers and suppliers one day it will be.57. Wh

56、at is said about Future Fashion?A) It inspired many leading designers to start going green.B) It showed that designers using organic fabrics would go far.C) It served as an example of how fashion shows should beorganized.D) It convinced the public that fashionable clothes should be madedurable.58. A

57、ccording to Scott Hahn, one big challenge to designers who will goorganic is that .A) much more time is needed to finish a dress using sustainablematerials .B) they have to create new brands for clothes made of organicmaterials .C) customers have difficulty telling organic from non-organicmaterials .D) quality organic replacements for synthetics are not readilyavailable .59. We learn from Paragraph 3 that designers who undertake greenfashion .A) can attend various trade shows free .B) are readily recognized