英语专业四级阅读理解练习四附答案解析

1、PART READING COMPREHENSION 25 MIN.In this section there are four passages followed by fifteen questions or unfinished statements, each with four suggested answers marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that you think is the correct answer.Mark your choice on your ANSWER SHEET. TEXT AAs many as one tho

2、usand years ago in the Southwest, the Hopi and Zuni Indians of North America were building with adobesunbaked brick plastered with mud. Their homes looked remarkably like modern apartment houses. Some were four stories high and contained quarters for perhaps a thousand people, along with storerooms

3、for grain and other goods. These buildings were usually put up against cliffs, both to make construction easier and for defense against enemies. They were really villages in themselves, as later Spanish explorers must have realized since they called them “pueblos”, which is Spanish for town.The peop

4、le of the pueblos raised what are called “the three sisters” corn, beans, and squash. They made excellent pottery and wove marvelous baskets, some so fine that they could hold water. The Southwest has always been a dry country, where water is scarce. The Hopi and Zuni brought water from streams to t

5、heir fields and gardens through irrigation ditches. Water was so important that it played a major role in their religion. They developed elaborate ceremonies and religious rituals to bring rain.The way of life of lesssettled groups was simpler and more strongly influenced by nature. Small tribes suc

6、h as the Shoshone and Ute wandered the dry and mountainous lands between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. They gathered seeds and hunted small animals such as small rabbits and snakes. In the Far North the ancestors of todays Inuit hunted seals, walruses, and the great whales. They lived r

7、ight on the frozen seas in shelters called igloos built of blocks of packed snow. When summer came, they fished for salmon and hunted the lordly caribou.The Cheyenne, Pawnee, and Sioux tribes, known as the Plains Indians, lived on the grasslands between the Rocky Mountains and the Mississippi River.

8、 They hunted bison, commonly called the buffalo. Its meat was the chief food of these tribes, and its hide was used to make their clothing and covering of their tents and tipis.16. What does the passage mainly discuss?A. The architecture of early American Indian buildings.B. The movement of American

9、 Indians across North America.C. Ceremonies and rituals of American Indians.D. The way of life of American Indian tribes in early North America.17. It can be inferred from the passage that the dwellings of the Hopi and Zuni were _ A. very smallB. highly advancedC. difficult to defendD. quickly const

10、ructedTEXT BMost earthquakes occur within the upper 15 miles of the earths surface. But earthquakes can and do occur at all depths to about 460 miles. Their number decreases as the depth increases. At about 460 miles one earthquake occurs only every few years. Near the surface earthquakes may run as

11、 high as 100 in a month, but the yearly average does not vary much. In comparison with the total number of earthquakes each year, the number of disastrous earthquakes is very small.JPThe extent of the disaster in an earthquake depends on many factors. If you carefully build a toy house with an erect

12、 set, it will still stand no matter how much you shake the table. But if you build a toy house with a pack of cards, a slight shake of the table will make it fall. An earthquake in Agadir, Morocco, was not strong enough to be recorded on distant instruments, but it completely destroyed the city. Man

13、y stronger earthquakes have done comparatively little damage. If a building is well constructed and built on solid ground, it will resist an earthquake. Most deaths in earthquakes have been due to faulty building construction or poor building sites. A third and very serious factor is panic. When peo

14、ple rush out into narrow streets, more deaths will result.The United Nations has played an important part in reducing the damage done by earthquakes. It has sent a team of experts to all countries known to be affected by earthquakes. Working with local geologists and engineers, the experts have stud

15、ied the nature of the ground and the type of most practical building code for the local area. If followed, these suggestions will make disastrous earthquakes almost a thing of the past.There is one type of earthquake disaster that little can be done about. This is the disaster caused by seismic sea

16、waves, or tsunamis. (These are often called tidal waves, but the name is incorrect. They have nothing to do with tides.) In certain areas, earthquakes take place beneath the sea. These submarine earthquakes sometimes give rise to seismic sea waves. The waves are not noticeable out at sea because of

17、their long wave length. But when they roll into harbors, they pile up into walls of water 6 to 60 feet high. The Japanese call them “tsunamis”, meaning “harbor waves”, because they reach a sizable height only in harbors. Tsunamis travel fairly slowly, at speeds up to 500 miles an hour. An adequate w

18、arning system is in use to warn all shores likely to be reached by the waves. But this only enables people to leave the threatened shores for higher ground. There is no way to stop the oncoming wave.18. Which of the following CANNOT be concluded from the passage?A. The number of earthquakes is close

19、ly related to depth.B. Roughly the same number of earthquakes occur each year.C. Earthquakes are impossible at depths over 460 miles.D. Earthquakes are most likely to occur near the surfaces.19. The destruction of Agadir is an example of _ _.A. faulty building constructionB. an earthquakes strengthC

20、. widespread panic in earthquakes D. ineffective instruments20. The United Nations experts are supposed to _ _.A. construct strong buildingsB. put forward proposalsC. detect disastrous earthquakesD. monitor earthquakes21. The significance of the slow speed of tsunamis is that people may_ _.A. notice

21、 them out at seaB. find ways to stop themC. be warned early enoughD. develop warning systems TEXT CThere are many theories about the beginning of drama in ancient Greece. The one most widely accepted today is based on the assumption that drama evolved from ritual. The argument for this view goes as

22、follows. In the beginning, human beings viewed the natural forces of the world, even the seasonal changes, as unpredictable, and they sought through various means, to control these unknown and feared powers. Those measures which appeared to bring the desired results were then retained and repeated u

23、ntil they hardened into fixed rituals. Eventually stories arose which explained or veiled the mysteries of the rites. As time passed some rituals were abandoned, but the stories, later called myths, persisted and provided material for art and drama.Those who believed that drama evolved out of ritual

24、 also argue that those rites contained the seed of theater because music, dance, masks, and costumes were almost always used. Furthermore, a suitable site had to be provided for performances, and when the entire community did not participate, a clear division was usually made between the “acting are

25、a” and the “auditorium”. In addition, there were performers, and, since considerable importance was attached to avoiding mistakes in the enactment of rites, religious leaders usually assumed that task. Wearing masks and costumes, they often impersonated other people, animals, or super natural beings

26、, and mimed the desired effectsuccess in hunt or battle, the coming rain, the revival of the Sunas an actor might. Eventually such dramatic representations were separated from religious activities. Another theory traces the theaters origin from the human interest in storytelling. According to this v

27、iew, tales (about the hunt, war, or other feats) are gradually elaborated, at first through the use of impersonation, action, and dialogue by a narrator and then through the assumption of each of the roles by a different person. A closely related theory traces theater to those dances that are primar

28、ily rhythmical and gymnastic or that are imitations of animal movements and sounds.22. What does the passage mainly discuss?A. The origins of theater.B. The role of ritual in modern dance.C. The importance of storytelling.D. The variety of early religious activities.23. What aspect of drama does the

29、 author discuss in the first paragraph?A. The reason drama is often unpredictable.B. The seasons in which dramas were performed.C. The connection between myths and dramatic plots.D. The importance of costumes in early drama.24. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a common element of theater a

30、nd ritual?A. Dance.B. Costumes.C. Music.D. Magic.25. According to the passage, what is the main difference between ritual and drama?A. Ritual uses music whereas drama does not.B. Ritual is shorter than drama.C. Ritual requires fewer performers than drama.D. Ritual has a religious purpose and drama d

31、oes not.26. The passage supports which of the following statements?A. No one really knows how the theater began.B. Myths are no longer represented dramatically.C. Storytelling is an important part of dance.D. Dramatic activities require the use of costumes.TEXT DPeople have been painting pictures fo

32、r at least 30,000 years. The earliest pictures were painted by people who hunted animals. They used to paint pictures of the animals they wanted to catch and kill. Pictures of this kind have been found on the walls of caves in France and Spain. No one knows why they were painted there. Perhaps the p

33、ainters thought that their pictures would help them to catch these animals. Or perhaps human beings have always wanted to tell stories in pictures.About 5,000 years ago, the Egyptians and other people in the Near East began to use pictures as kind of writing. They drew simple pictures or signs to re

34、present things and ideas, and also to represent the sounds of their language. The signs these people used became a kind of alphabet. The Egyptians used to record information and to tell stories by putting picturewriting and pictures together. When an important person died, scenes and stories from hi

35、s life were painted and carved on the walls of the place where he was buried. Some of these pictures are like modern comic strip stories. It has been said that Egypt is the home of the comic strip. But, for the Egyptians, pictures still had magic power. So they did not try to make their way of writi

36、ng simple. The ordinary people could not understand it.By the year 1,000 BC, people who lived in the area around the Mediterranean Sea had developed a simpler system of writing. The signs they used were very easy to write, and there were fewer of them than in the Egyptian system. This was because ea

37、ch sign, or letter, represented only one sound in their language. The Greeks developed this system and formed the letters of the Greek alphabet. The Romans copied the idea, and the Roman alphabet is now used all over the world.These days, we can write down a story, or record information, without usi

38、ng pictures. But we still need pictures of all kinds: drawing, photographs, signs and diagrams. We find them everywhere: in books and newspapers, in the street, and on the walls of the places where we live and work. Pictures help us to understand and remember things more easily, and they can make a

39、story much more interesting.27. Pictures of animals were painted on the walls of caves in France and Spain because _ _.A. the hunters wanted to see the picturesB. the painters were animal loversC. the painters wanted to show imaginationD. the pictures were thought to be helpful28. The Greek alphabet

40、 was simpler than the Egyptian system for all the following reasons EXCEPT that _ _.A. the former was easy to writeB. there were fewer signs in the formerC. the former was easy to pronounceD. each sign stood for only one sound29. Which of the following statements is TRUE?A. The Egyptian signs later

41、became a particular alphabet.B. The Egyptians liked to write comicstrip stories.C. The Roman alphabet was developed from the Egyptian one.D. The Greeks copied their writing system from the Egyptians.30. In the last paragraph, the author thinks that pictures _ _.A. should be made comprehensibleB. sho

42、uld be made interestingC. are of much use in our lifeD. have disappeared from our lifeSKIMMING AND SCANNING 5 MIN. In this section there are six passages followed by ten questions or unfinished statements. Skim or scan them as required and then mark your answers on your ANSWER SHEET. TEXT EFirst rea

43、d the following question.31. This letter is written by a _ _.A. prospective salespersonB. high school studentC. publisherD. managerNow read Text E quickly and mark your answer on your ANSWER SHEET. 28 Beach Road,Newtown.March 20th, 2000The Manager,Royal Publishers,P.O.Box 446Newtown.Dear Sir,I am 18

44、 years old, and I graduated from Newtown High School last October. At high school my main subjects were English, business studies, history, athletics and science.I would be very interested in working as a salesman. I am very interested in books, and I have always been interested in the publishing bu

45、siness. I enjoy meeting and talking to people.I enclose two letters of reference, a photograph, and my school academic record. I would be available for an interview at any time. I look forward to hearing from you.Yours sincerely, Jack EastwoodTEXT FFirst read the following question.32. The general i

46、dea of the passage is that _.A. doctors can produce magicB. medicine has magic powerC. modern medicine can cure all illnessesD. a healthy mind is also a cure for illnessNow read Text F quickly and mark your answer on your ANSWER SHEET. For more than five thousand years Chinese doctors have used need

47、les to fight illness. This kind of medicine is called acupuncture. The doctor studies the sick person carefully. Then he puts needles into that persons body at the right places for his illness. Chinese doctors believe that they can control the bodys natural forces in this way. At first, doctors in t

48、he West thought that this was just another kind of magic. Recently, however, they have found out that it is possible to cure many illnesses like this because the needles help the body to produce its own “medicines”. In this way the body cures itself.Nowadays doctors can do a lot of wonderful things.

49、 They can use thousands of medicines. They can give you pills and injections. They can even give you mechanical legs or a new heart. Sometimes modern medicine works like magic. But there are still a lot of illnesses that drugs and machines cannot cure completely. Medicine is not only a science; it i

50、s an art, too. And in the art of medicine, the mind is very important. You will not have a healthy body unless you have a healthy mind.TEXT GFirst read the following question.33. Who will best fit the vacancy described in the ad?A. A receptionist with secondary school education.B. A typist with thre

51、e years of working experience.C. A young college graduate with a management degree.D. A middle aged clerk with some working knowledge of computers.Now read Text G quickly and mark your answer on your ANSWER SHEET. Administration traineeWe have a vacancy for a trainee in our head office.Main duties w

52、ill be office work with some reception and telephone work. Trainingwill be given in the use of a computer. The successful applicant will have college level education in businessrelated subjects and will be able to work with a minimum of supervision. Typing skills essential. Age range preferably 21-2

53、4. Good working conditions.Please apply in writing, stating age, qualifications, and other relevant information to:Administration Manager, STARTEX OIL. P.O.Box 355,Westport. TEXT HFirst read the following questions.34. When are guests allowed?A. Any day. B. Saturday. C. Friday. D. After 6 p.m.35. Wh

54、at must club members bring with them?A. Towels. B. Locker keys.C. Swimming caps. D. Registration cards.Now read Text H quickly and mark your answers on your ANSWER SHEET. JUBILEE SWIMMING CLUB REGULATIONSAll swimmers must shower before they enter the pool. Diving is only allowed from the divingboard

55、.Running and playing near the pool is not permitted.Club members may bring guests at weekends only. Children under 12 are not allowed to use the pool unless accompanied by an adult. Members must show their membership cards at the registration desk.Used towels must be placed in the bins provided. Smo

56、king is not allowed in the changing room. Guests must sign at the registration desk.All bathers must leave the pool by 6 p.m. Clothes must be placed in the lockers provided. Keys are available at the registration desk. Only club members and their families are allowed to use the pool.TEXT IFirst read

57、 the following questions.36. By 1965 HMS Belfast had been in service for _ _ years.A. 38 B. 33 C. 25 D. 2737. The warship is now being used as a _ _.A. a training center B. museumC. cargo ship D. hotelNow read Text I quickly and mark your answers on your ANSWER SHEET.HMS Belfast is a cruiser. She wa

58、s launched in March 1938 and served throughout the Second World War, playing a leading part in the destruction of the German battlecruiser Scharnhorst at the Battle of North Cape and in the Normandy Landings. After the war, she supported United Nations forces in Korea and remained in service with th

59、e Royal Navy until 1965.In 1971 she was saved for the nation as a unique and historic reminder of Britains naval heritage in the first half of the 20th century.A free guide leaflet is available to help you find your way around this huge and complex warship and your tour will take you from the ships

60、Quarterdeck up to the top of her Bridge and all the way down through seven decks to her massive Boiler and Engine Rooms, well below the ships waterline.TEXT JFirst read the following questions.38. The purpose of this pamphlet is to provide information on _ _.A. how to open a bank accountB. how to ap