四级阅读理解专项训练

1、英语四级阅读理解专项训练Section 1Passage 1The medical world is gradually realizing that the quality of the environment in hospitals mayplay a significant role in the process of recovery from illness.As part of a nationwide effort in Britain to bring art out of the galleries and into public places,some of the co

2、untrys most talented artists have been called in to transform older hospitals and tosoften the hard edges of modern buildings. Of the 2,500 National Health Service hospitals inBritain, almost 100 now have significant collections of contemporary art in corridors, waiting areasand treatment rooms.Thes

3、e recent initiatives owe a great deal to one artist, Peter Senior, who set up his studio at aManchester hospital in northeastern England during the early 1970s. He felt the artist had lost hisplace in modern society, and that art should be enjoyed by a wider audience.A typical hospital waiting room

4、might have as many as 500 visitors each week. What betterplace to hold regular exhibitions of art? Senior held the first exhibition of his own paintings in theout-patients waiting area of the Manchester Royal Hospital in 1975. Believed to be Britains firsthospital artist, Senior was so much in deman

5、d that he was soon joined by a team of six young artschool graduates.The effect is striking. Now in the corridors and waiting rooms the visitor experiences a fullview of fresh colors, playful images and restful courtyards.The quality of the environment may reduce the need for expensive drugs when a

6、patient isrecovering from an illness. A study has shown that patients who had a view onto a garden neededhalf the number of strong pain killers compared with patients who had no view at all1or only a brick wall to look at.21. According to the passage, to soften the hard edges of modern buildings mea

7、nsA. to pull down hospital buildingsB. to decorate hospitals with art collectionsC. to improve the quality of treatment in hospitalsD. to make the corners of hospital buildings round22. What can we say of Peter Senior?A. He is a pioneer in introducing art into hospitals.B. He is a doctor interested

8、in painting.C. He is an artist who has a large collection of paintings.D. He is a faithful follower of hospital art.23. According to Peter Senior,_ .A. art is losing its audience in modern societyB. art galleries should be changed into hospitalsC. patients should be encouraged to learn paintingD. ar

9、t should be encouraged in British hospitals24. After the improvement of the hospital environment,_ .A. patients no longer need drugs in their recoveryB. patients are no longer wholly dependent on expensive drugsC. patients need good-quality drugs in their recoveryD. patients use fewer pain killers i

10、n their recovery25. The fact that six young art school graduates joined Peter shows that_.A. Peters enterprise is developing greatlyB. Peter Senior enjoys great popularityC. they are talented hospital artistsD. the role of hospital environment is being recognizedPassage 2Directions: The passage is f

11、ollowed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each ofthem there are four choices marked A, B, C, D. You should decide on the best choice and mark thecorresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Polyester（聚酉旨）is now being used for bottles. ICI, the chemicals

12、and plastics company,believes that it is now beginning to break the grip of glass onthe bottle business and thus take advantage of this huge market.All the plastics manufacturers have been experiencing hard times as their traditional productshave been doing badly world-wide for the last few years. B

13、etween 1982 and 1984 the PlasticsDivision of ICI had lost a hundred and twenty million dollars, and they felt that the. most hopefulnew market was in packaging, bottles and cans.Since 1982 it has opened three new factories producing Melinar, the raw material fromwhich high quality polyester bottles

14、are made.The polyester bottle was born in the 1970s, when soft drinks companies like Coca Colastarted selling their drinks in giant two-1 iter containers. Because of the build-up of the pressure ofgas in these large containers, glass was unsuitable. Nor was PVC, the plastic which had beenused for bo

15、ttles since the 1960s, suitable for drinks with gas in them. A new plastic had to be made.Glass is still cheaper for the smaller bottles, and will continue to be so unless oil and plasticbecome much cheaper, but plastic does well for the larger sizes.Polyester bottles are virtually unbreakable. The

16、manufacturers claim they are also lighter,less noisy when being handled, and can be reused. Shopkeepers and other business people are2unlikely to object to a change from glass to polyester, since these bottles mean few breakages,which are costly and time-consuming. The public, though, have been more

17、 difficult to persuade. ICs commercial department is developing different bottles with interesting shapes, to try and makethem visually more attractive to the public.The next step could be to develop a plastic which could replace tins for food. The problemhere is the high temperatures necessary for

18、cooking the food in the container.26. Plastics of various kinds have been used for making bottles_.A. since 1982B. since the 1970s but only for large bottlesC. since the 1960s but not for liquids with gas in themD. since companies like Coca Cola first tried them27. Why is ICIs Plastics Division inte

19、rested in polyester for bottles?A. The other things they make are not selling well.B. Glass manufacturers cannot make enough new bottles.C. They have factories which could be adapted to make it.D. The price of oil keeps changing.28. Why arent all bottles now made of polyester?A. The price of oil and

20、 plastic has risen.B. It is not suitable for containing gassy drinks.C. The public like traditional glass bottles.D. Shop-keepers dislike reusable bottles.29. Manufacturers think polyester bottles are better than glass bottles because theyA. are cheaper B. are more suited to small sizesC. are more e

21、xciting to look at D. do not break easily30. Plastic containers for holding food in the same way as cans_ .A. have been used for many yearsB. are an idea that interests the plastics companiesC. are possible, but only for hot foodD. are the first things being made in the new factoriesSection 2Passage

22、 1There are two factors which determine an individuals intelligence. The first is the sort of brainhe is born with. Human brains differ considerably , some being more capable than others. But nomatter how good a brain he has to begin with, an individual will have a low order of intelligenceunless he

23、 has opportunities to learn. So the second factor is what happens to the individual thesort of environment in which he is brought up. If an individual is handicapped（不禾U）environmentally, it is likely that his brain will fail to develop and he will never attain the level ofintelligence of which he is

24、 capable.The importance of environment in determining an individuals intelligence can bedemonstrated by the case history of the identical twins, Peter and Mark. Being identical, the twinshad identical brains at birth, and their growth processes were the same. When the twins were threemonths old, the

25、ir parents died, and they were placed in separate foster（抚养）homes. Peter wasraised by parents of low intelligence in an isolated community with poor educational opportunities.Mark was reared in the home of well-to-do parents who had been to college. He was read to as achild, sent to good schools, an

26、d given every opportunity to be stimulated intellectually. Thisenvironmental difference continued until the twins were in their late teens, when they were giventests to measure their intelligence. Marks I. Q. was 125, twenty-five points higher than the averageand fully forty points higher than his i

27、dentical brother. Given equal opportunities, the twins, havingidentical brains, would have tested at roughly the same level.321. This selection can best be titled_ .A. Measuring Your Intelligence B. Intelligence and EnvironmentC. The Case of Peter and Mark D. How the Brain Influences Intelligence22.

28、 The best statement of the main idea of this passage is that_ .A. human brains differ considerablyB. the brain a person is born with is important in determining his intelligenceC. environment is crucial in determining a persons intelligenceD. persons having identical brains will have roughly the sam

29、e intelligence23. According to the passage, the average I. Q. is_.A. 85B.100C.110D.12524. The case history of the twins appears to support the conclusion that_.A. individuals with identical brains seldom test at the same levelB. an individuals intelligence is determined only by his environmentC. lac

30、k of opportunity blocks the growth of intelligenceD. changes of environment produce changes in the structure of the brain25. This passage suggests that an individuals I. Q._ .A. can be predicted at birthB. stays the same throughout his lifeC. can be increased by education D. is determined by his chi

31、ldhoodPassage 2As a reliable travel agency, we really do try to describe our centers and accommodation asrealistically as possible. All our Super Centers and Main Centers have been extensivelyinvestigated during the winter season 1975-1976. As a result we have first-hand information on theway in whi

32、ch hotels, life networks and ski schools, etc. operate during the season. We have notbeen able to investigate, at first hand, all our Independent Centers during the last season but allhave been visited during the past three seasons.Should you need any more information aboutthese centers we will try

33、to get it for you. Our American centers have beeninvestigated on our behalf by United Airlines Tours Department and by the U. S. tour operatorswho are assisting United and ourselves to offer you this novel program to the United States.Where possible we have eliminated the use of superlatives from th

34、e text （possibly makingour brochure（小册子）less attractive to read than it might be） and have concentrated on asaccurate a description as possible. Nevertheless you should bear in mind that your opinion and theopinion of our investigator might differ and there may be changes between the time of a visit

35、 by ourinvestigator and the visit of one of our customers.We trust that it is evident to you that we have done all in our power to eliminate misdescriptionand that there really is no question of misrepresenta-tion on our part either careless or otherwise.We welcome your constructive criticism it is

36、the best way we know of improving our brochuresand our service. Although complaints are very expensive to handle, your complaint or criticism willbe thoroughly investigated and a refund（退赔） made if it is justified none will be made if itisnt.26. The firm claims that all its winter sports centers hav

37、e been the recent target ofA. a program of personal visitsB. intensive enquiries about facilitiesC. attempts to increase hotel accommodationD. an improved information service27. The Independent Centers were personally inspected_.A. the year before last B. three years agoC. between 1975 and 1976 D. w

38、ithin the last three seasons28. The program of tours to the United States appears to be_.A. a new collaboration with U. S. travel firmsB. newly taken over by U. S. tour operationsC. a new independent venture4D. organized by United Airlines29. Their brochure would be more attractive to read, they say

39、, if_.A. it were less truthful B. it used fewer superlativesC. it eliminated description D. it were more encouraged30. The firms claim is that their program is improved by_.A. helpful fault-finding by customersB. attractive description of the centers in every brochureC. a standard policy of prompt r

40、epaymentD. careful control of the hotelsSection 3Passage 1At the close of each business day, most trained teachers, administrators, politicians, andstatesmen make objective analyses of all that has transpired. They then carefully evaluateperformance in the achievement of certain specified objectives

41、. You, as a student, would be wiseto adopt the same practice and reflect upon your performance in relating to the achievement ofcertain personal and educational objectives.First, what was your purpose, your motivational force in seeking an education? Did you seekan education in active performance, o

42、r did you seek to be educated in passive reception andautomatic acquisition（获取）of information that was fed to you? Was the profit motive your primarymotivation for obtaining an education? Do you want a better education for the sole purpose ofgetting a better job? What does the educational process re

43、ally mean to you?We are part of a world in which men thrill to the touch of gold and hearts respond to the wordmoney instead of being thrilled by the thought of good. We five in a world in which we are taughtthat the pursuit of happiness is an equation for the most rapid acquisition of money, by wha

44、tevermeans.If profit and money are your first priorities, and compassion and commitment to peopleyour least concern, you have done little other than accumulate some facts and compile someinformation for future reference. If making money is your daydream and losing money yournightmare, if poverty is

45、your worst fear and making money your most fervent prayer, you havemissed the opportunity for education. You have failed yourself and have only received Nomeinstruction.21. This passage suggests that students should_ .A. assess their aims for learning B. learn more to earn moreC. evaluate their poli

46、ticians and statesmen D. keep knowledge to themselves22. The educational procedure should be one in which the student_.A. does what he is toldB. gets a better education to get a better jobC. makes principles of education for self-betterment of their aimsD. approaches the benefits of being well-off23

47、. The author seems to feel that_ .A. peoples welfare should be the chief concern in learningB. profit has nothing to do with peopleC. poverty is good for the soulD. knowledge is not the main objective for learning24. A good title for the selection might be_.A. The Benefit of EducationB. Education Mo

48、tivation Progress or ProfitC. Self-EducationD. Profit and Money25. The word nightmare in the last paragraph is nearest in meaning to_.A. a very bad dream B. unhappinessC. sleeplessness D. a hazard to your health5When we analyze the salt salinity（盐浓度）of ocean waters, we find that it varies only sligh

49、tlyfrom place to place. Nevertheless, some of these small changes are important. There are threebasic processes that cause a change in oceanic salinity. One of these is the subtraction of waterfrom the ocean by means of evaporation. In this manner, the salinity is increased, since the saltstays behi

50、nd. If this is carried to the extreme, of course, white salt would be left behind; this, by theway, is how much of the table salt we use is actually obtained.The opposite of evaporation is precipitation, such as rain, by which water is added to theocean. Here the ocean is being diluted（稀释）so that th

51、e salinity is decreased. This may occur inareas of high rainfall or in coastal regions where rivers flow into the ocean. Thus salinity may beincreased by the subtraction of water by evaporation, or decreased by the addition of fresh waterby precipitation.Normally, in hot regions where the sun is ver

52、y strong, the ocean salinity is somewhat higherthan it is in other parts of the world where there is not as much evaporation. Similarly, in coastalregions where rivers dilute the sea, salinity is somewhat lower than in other oceanic areas.A third process by which salinity may be altered is associate

53、d with the formation and meltingof sea ice. When seawater is frozen, the dissolved materials are left behind. In this manner,seawater directly beneath freshly formed sea ice has a higher salinity than it did before the iceappeared. Of course, when this ice melts, it will tend to decrease the salinit

54、y of the surroundingwater.In the Weddell Sea, the densest water in the ocean is formed as a result of this freezingprocess, which increases the salinity of cold water. This heavy water sinks and is found in thedeeper portion of the oceans of the world.26. This passage mainly tells us about_ .A. the

55、analysis of the salinity of ocean watersB. the causes of the variation in oceanic salinityC. the importance of the changes in oceanic salinityD. the different forms of salts in ocean waters27t can be known from the passage that increase in the salinity of ocean water is caused by_ .A. melting of sea

56、 ice B. precipitationC. evaporation D. supplement of salt28. Which of the following is not the cause of the decrease in the oceanic salinity?A. Precipitation. B. Rain and snow.C. Formation of ice. D. Addition of water by rivers.29. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?A

57、. Oceanic salinity has great effect on sea life.B. Many factors combine to cause changes in oceanic salinity.C. The movement of the water is related to the amount of salt.D. The temperature of the water has much to do with the oceanic salinity.30. The purpose of mentioning the Weddell Sea is_ .A. to

58、 give an example of cold-water salinityB. to point out the location of deep watersC. to make a comparison between hot-water salinity and cold-water salinityD. to show that the water in the Weddell Sea varies in salinity from place to placeSection 4Passage 1A new scheme for getting children to and fr

59、om school is being started by the education authoritiesin part of Eastern England. This could end the worries of many parents fearful for their childrenssafety on the roads.6Until now the Country Council has only been prepared to provide bus services for childrenliving more than three miles from the

60、ir school, or sometimes less if special reasons existed. Now ithas been decided that if a group of parents ask for help in organizing transport they will beprepared to go ahead, provided the arrangement will not lose money and that children taking partwill be attending their nearest school.The new s