专四英语阅读练习

(-)Peoplehavebeenpaintingpicturesforatleast30,000years.Theearliestpictureswerepaintedbypeoplewhohuntedanimals.Theyusedtopaintpicturesoftheanimalstheywantedtocatchandkill.PicturesofthiskindhavebeenfoundonthewallsofcavesinFranceandSpain.Nooneknowswhytheywerepaintedthere.Perhapsthepaintersthoughtthattheirpictureswouldhelpthemtocatchtheseanimals.Orperhapshumanbeingshavealwayswantedtotellstoriesinpictures.About5,000yearsago,theEgyptiansandotherpeopleintheNearEastbegantousepicturesaskindofwriting.Theydrewsimplepicturesorsignstorepresentthingsandideas,andalsotorepresentthesoundsoftheirIanguage.Thesignsthesepeopleusedbecameakindofalphabet.TheEgyptiansusedtorecordinformationandtotellstoriesbyputtingpicturewritingandpicturestogether.Whenanimportantpersondied,scenesandstoriesfromhislifewerepaintedandcarvedonthewallsoftheplacewherehewasburied.Someofthesepicturesarelikemoderncomicstripstories.IthasbeensaidthatEgyptisthehomeofthecomicstrip.But,fortheEgyptians,picturesstillhadmagicpower.Sotheydidnottrytomaketheirwayofwritingsimple.Theordinarypeoplecouldnotunderstandit.Bytheyear1,000BC,peoplewholivedintheareaaroundtheMediterraneanSeahaddevelopedasimplersystemofwriting.Thesignstheyusedwereveryeasytowrite,andtherewerefewerofthemthanintheEgyptiansystem.Thiswasbecauseeachsign,orletter,representedonlyonesoundintheirIanguage.TheGreeksdevelopedthissystemandformedthelettersoftheGreekalphabet.TheRomanscopiedtheidea,andtheRomanalphabetisnowusedallovertheworId.Thesedays,wecanwritedownastory,orrecordinformation,withoutusingpictures.Butwestillneedpicturesofallkinds:drawing,photographs,signsanddiagrams.Wefindthemeverywhere:inbooksandnewspapers,inthestreet,andonthewallsoftheplaceswhereweliveandwork.Pictureshelpustounderstandandrememberthingsmoreeasily,andtheycanmakeastorymuchmoreinteresting.?PicturesofanimalswerepaintedonthewallsofcavesinFranceandSpainbecause??.?thehunterswantedtoseethepictures?thepainterswereanimallovers?thepainterswantedtoshowimagination?thepictureswerethoughttobehelpful?TheGreekalphabetwassimplerthantheEgyptiansystemforallthefollowingreasonsEXCEPTthat?.theformerwaseasytowrite?therewerefewersignsintheformer?theformerwaseasytopronounce?eachsignstoodforonlyonesound?WhichofthefollowingstatementsisTRUE??TheEgyptiansignslaterbecameaparticularalphabet.?TheEgyptianslikedtowritecomic?stripstories.?TheRomanalphabetwasdevelopedfromtheEgyptianone.?TheGreekscopiedtheirwritingsystemfromtheEgyptians.?Inthelastparagraph,theauthorthinksthatpictures??.?shouldbemadecomprehensible?shouldbemadeinteresting?areofmuchuseinourlife?havedisappearedfromourlife参考答案：D）根据文章第一段第五行“Perhapsthepaintersthoughtthattheirpictureswouldhelpthemtocatchtheseanimals.”可知古代人以为在墙上画画会对他们有所帮助，故选项D为正确答案。？C）在做此类题时要注意题干的要求。通过阅读文章第四段很清楚就知道选项C“前者容易发音〃在文中没有提及，故为正确答案。？A）可用排除法来做本题。通过阅读文章很清楚选项B和D为错误陈述。选项C''罗马字母是从埃及字母发展而来的〃根据文章第四段第四，五句可知为错误论述，因此只有选项A为正确答案。C）文章最后一段讲述了图画在今天的用途，故选项C为正确答案。（二）Asthemerchantclassexpandedintheeighteenth?centuryNorthAmericanColonies,thesilversmithandthecoppersmithbusinessesrosetoserveit.OnlyafewsilversmithswereavailableinNewYorkorBostoninthelateseventeenthcentury,butintheeighteenthcenturytheycouldbefoundinallmajorcolonialcities.Noothercolonialartisansrivaledthesilve「smiths'prestige.Theyhandledthemostexpensivematerialsandpossesseddirectconnectionstoprosperouscolonialmerchants.Theirproducts,primarilysilverplatesandbowls,reflectedtheirexaltedstatusandtestifiedtotheircustomers'prominence.Silverstoodasoneofthesurestwaystostorewealthatatimebeforeneighborhoodbanksexisted.Unlikethesilvercoinsfromwhichtheyweremade,silverarticleswerereadilyidentifiable.Oftenformedtoindividualspecifications,theyalwayscarriedthesilversmith'sdistinctivemarkingsandconsequentlycouldbetracedandretrieved.Customersgenerallysecurethesilverforthesilverobjecttheyordered.Theysavedcoins,tookthemtosmiths,anddiscussedthetypeofpiecestheydesired.Silversmithscompliedwiththeserequestsbymeltingthemoneyinasmallfurnace,addingabitofcoppertoformastrongeralloy,andcastingthealloyinrectangularblocks.Theyhammeredtheseingotstotheappropriatethicknessbyhand,shapedthemandpresseddesignsintothemforadornment.Engravingwasalsodonebyhand.Inadditiontoplatesandbowls,somecustomerssoughtmoreintricateproducts,suchassilverteapots.Theseweremadebyshapingorcastingpartsseparatelyandthensolderingthemtogether.Colonialcoppersmithingalsocomeofageintheearlyeighteenthcenturyandprosperedinnortherncities.Copper'sabilitytoconductheatefficientlyandtoresistcorrosioncontributedtoitsattractiveness.ButbecauseitwasexpensiveincolonialAmerica,coppersmithswereneververynumerous.VirtuallyallcopperworkedbySmithswasimportedassheetsorobtainedbyrecyclingoldcoppergoods.Copperwasusedforpracticalitems,butitwasnotadmiredforitsbeauty.Coppersmithsemployedittofashionpotsandkettlesforthehome.Theyshapeditinmuchthesamemannerassilverormelteditinafoundrywithleadortin.Theyalsomixeditwithzinctomakebrassformaritimeandscientificinstruments.?Accordingtothepassage,whichofthefollowingeighteenthcenturydevelopmentshadstrongimpactonsilversmiths??Adecreaseinthecostofsilver.?Theinventionofheatefficientfurnaces.?Thegrowingeconomicprosperityofcolonialmerchants.?Thedevelopmentofnewtoolsusedtoshapesilver.?2.1ncolonialAmerica,wheredidsilversmithsusuallyobtainthematerialtomakesilverarticles??Fromtheirownmines.?Fromimporters.?Fromothersilversmiths.?Fromcustomers.ThepassagementionsallofthefollowingasusesforcopperinColonialAmericaEXCEPT??.?cookingpots?scientificinstruments?musicalinstruments?maritimeinstrumentsAccordingtothepassage,silversmithsandcoppersmithsincolonialAmericaweresimilarinwhichofthefollowingways??Theamountofsocialprestigetheyhad.?Thewaytheyshapedthetheyworkedwith.?Thecostofthegoodstheymade.?Thepracticalityofthegoodstheymade.参考答案:C）根据文章第一句“Asthemerchantclassexpandedintheeighteenth?centuryNorthAmericanColonies,…”可知，随着在十八世纪的北美殖民地商人阶级膨胀起来，也就是说那时的商人财富有了很大的发展，银匠铜匠们有机会发挥他们的专长了，这与选项C正好相符。？D）根据文章第十四、五行“Customersgenerallysecures...objecttheyordered.Theysavedcoins,tookthemtosmiths,and…”可知顾客要做银器，首先要积攒银币，然后拿到银匠处加工成他们想要的形状。选项D“来自客户〃与之相符。C）文章末尾在提到铜的用途时惟独没有提到乐器。？B）根据文章倒数第四行“Theyshapeditinmuchthesamemannerassilverormelteditinafoundrywithleadortin.”可知银匠和铜匠在银器和铜器的塑型方式上是一样的，故选项B为正确答案。（三）Nature'sGiganticSnowPloughOnJanuary10,1962,anenormouspieceofglacierbrokeawayandtumbleddownthesideofamountaininPeru.Ameresevenminuteslater,whencascadingicefinallycametoastoptenmilesdownthemountain,ithadtakenthelivesof4,000people.Thisdisasterisoneofthemost“devastating"examplesofaverycommonevent:anavalancheofsnoworice.Becauseitisextremelycoldatveryhighaltitudes,snowrarelymelts.Itjustkeepspilinguphigherandhigher.Glaciersareeventuallycreatedwhentheweightofthesnowissogreatthatthelowerlayersarepressedintosolidice.Butmostavalanchesoccurlongbeforethishappens.Assnowaccumulatesonasteepslope,itreachesacriticalpointatwhichtheslightestvibrationwillsenditslidingintothevalleybelow.Evenanavalancheoflightpowercanbedangerous,butthePeruviancatastrophewasparticularlyterriblebecauseitwascausedbyaheavylayerofice.Itisestimatedthattheicethatbrokeoffweighedthreemilliontons.Asiterasheddownthesteepmountainsidelikeagiganticsnowplough,itsweptuptrees,bouldersandtonsoftopsoil,andcompletelycrushedanddestroyedthesixvillagesthatlayinitspath.Atpresentthereisnowaytopredictoravoidsuchenormousavalanches,but,luckily,theyareveryrare.Scientistsareconstantlystudyingthesmaller,morecommonavalanches,totrytounderstandwhatcausesthem.Inthefuture,perhapsdangerousmassesofsnowandicecanbefoundandremovedbeforetheytakehumanlives.?Thefirstparagraphcatchesthereader'sattentionwitha??.firsthandreport?dramaticdescription?talltale?vividworIdpicture?Inthispassage"devastating"means??.violentlyruinous?spectacularlyinteresting?stunning?unpleasant?Thepassageismostlyabout??.?avalanchesglaciersPerumountains参考答案：A）文章的第一段就像一个新闻报道，报道了在秘鲁发生的雪崩的灾难性后果，一下子就吸引了读者的注意力。？A）根据语境线索可判断出词义为A。?A）通读全文可知，文章主要是讲述雪崩的形成。Mostofusaretaughttopayattentiontowhatissaid—thewords.Wordsdoprovideuswithsomeinformation,butmeaningsarederivedfromsomanyothersourcesthatitwouldhinderoureffectivenessasapartnertoarelationshiptorelytooheavilyonwordsalone.Wordsareusedtodescribeonlyasmallpartofthemanyideasweassociatewithanygivenmessage.Sometimeswecangaininsightintosomeofthoseassociationsifwelistenformorethanwords.Wedon'talwayssaywhatwemeanormeanwhatwesay.Sometimesourwordsdon'tmeananythingexcept"I'mlettingoffsomesteam.Idon'treallywantyoutopaycloseattentiontowhatI'msaying.JustpayattentiontowhatI'mfeeling."Mostlywemeanseveralthingsatonce.Apersonwantingtopurchaseahousesaystothecurrentowner,"ThisstephastobefixedbeforeI'llbuy."Theownersays,"It'sbeenlikethatforyears."Actually,thestephasn'tbeenlikethatforyears,buttheunspokenmessageis:"Idon'twanttofixit.Weputupwithit.Whycan'tyou?"Thesearchforamoreexpansiveviewofmeaningcanbedevelopedofexaminingamessageintermsofwhosaidit,whenitoccurred,therelatedconditionsorsituation,andhowitwassaid.Whenamessageoccurscanalsorevealassociatedmeaning.Letusassumetwocouplesdoexactlythesameamountofkissingandarguing.Butonecouplealwayskissesafteranargumentandtheothercouplealwaysarguesafterakiss.Theorderingofthebehaviorsmaymeanagreatdealmorethanthefrequencyofthebehavior.Afriend'sunusuallydocilebehaviormayonlybeunderstoodbynotingthatitwasprecededbysituationsthatrequiredanabnormalamountofassertiveness.Someresponsesmaybedirectlylinkedtoadevelopingpatternofresponsesanddefylogic.Forexample,apersonwhosays"No!"toaserialsofchargeslike"You'redumb,""You'relazy,"and"You'redishonest,"mayalsosay"No!"andtrytojustifyhisorherresponseifthenextstatementis"Andyou'regoodlooking."Wewoulddowelltolistenforhowmessagesarepresented.Thewords,"Ifsurehasbeennicetohaveyouover,"canbesaidwithemphasisandexcitementorritualistically.Thephrasecanbesaidonceorrepeatedseveraltimes.Andthemeaningsweassociatewiththephrasewillchangeaccordingly.Sometimesifwesaysomethinginfrequentlyitassumesmoreimportance;sometimesthemorewesaysomethingthelessimportaneeitassumes.•Effectivecommunicationisrenderedpossiblebetweentwoconversingpartners,if.theyuseproperwordstocarrytheirideas.theybothspeaktrulyoftheirownfeelings.theytrytounderstandeachother'sideasbeyondwords.theyarecapableofassociatingmeaningwiththeirwords."I'mlettingoffsomesteam"inparagraph1means.I'mjustcallingyourattention.I'mjustkidding.I'mjustsayingtheopposite.I'mjustgivingoffsomesound.Thehouse-owner'sexampleshowsthatheactuallymeans.thestephasbeenlikethatforyears.hedoesn'tthinkitnecessarytofixthestep.theconditionofthestepisonlyaminorfault.thecostinvolvedinthefixingshouldbeshared.4.Someresponsesandbehaviorsmayappearveryillogical,butarejustifiableif.linkedtoanabnormalamountofassertiveness.seenasone'shabitualpatternofbehavior.takenaspartofanorderingsequence.expressedtoaseriesofcharges.Theword"ritualistically"inthelast^^^^^lequalssomethingdone.withouttrueintention.light-heartedly.inawayofceremony.withlessemphasis.答案：Migrationisusuallydefinedas"permanentorsemipermanentchangeofresidence"."Thisbroaddefinition,ofcourse,wouldincludeamoveacrossthestreetoracrossacity.Ourconcerniswithmovementbetweennations,notwithinternalmigrationwithinnations,althoughsuchmovementsoftenexceedinternationalmovementsinvolume.Today,themotivesofpeoplewhomoveshortdistancesareverysimilartothoseofinternationalmigrants".Studentsofhumanmigrationspeakof"push"and"pull"factors,whichinflueneeanindividual'sdecisiontomovefromoneplacetoanother.Pushfactorsareassociatedwiththeplaceoforigin.ApushfactorcanbeassimpleandmiIdamatterasdifficultyinfindingasuitablejob,orastraumaticaswar,orseverefamine.Obviously,refugeeswholeavetheirhomeswithgunspointedattheirheadsaremotivatedalmostentirelybypushfactors(althoughpullfactorsdoinfluencetheirchoiceofdestination).Pullfactorsarethoseassociatedwiththeplaceofdestination.Mostoftheseareeconomic,suchasbetterjobopportunitiesortheavailabilityofgoodIandtofarm.ThelatterwasanimportantfactorinattractingsettlerstotheUnitedStatesduringthe19thcentury.Ingeneral,pullfactorsadduptoanapparentlybetterchanceforagoodlifeandmaterialwell?beingthanisofferedbytheplaceoforigin.Whenthereisachoicebetweenseveralattractivepotentialdestinations,thedecidingfactormightbeanon?economicconsiderationsuchasthepresenceofrelatives,friends,oratleastfellowcountrymenalreadyestablishedinthenewplacewhoarewillingtohelpthenewcomerssettlein.Considerationsofthissortleadtothedevelopmentofmigrationflow.Besidespushandpullfactors,therearewhatthesociologistscall"interveningobstacles".Evenifpushand/orpullfactorsareverystrongtheystillmaybeoutweighedbyinterveningobstacles,suchasthedistanceofthemove,thetroubleandcostofmoving,thedifficultyofenteringthenewcountry,andtheproblemslikelytobeencounteredonarrival.Thedecisiontomoveisalsoinflueneedby"personalfactors"ofthepotentialmigrant.Thesamepush?pullfactorsandobstaclesoperatedifferentlyondifferentpeople,sometimesbecausetheyareatdifferentstagesoftheirlives,orjustbecauseoftheirvaryingabilitiesandpersonalities.Theprospectofpackingupeverythingandmovingtoanewandperhapsverystrangeenvironmentmayappearinterestingandchallengingtoanunmarriedyoungmanandappallinglydifficulttoaslightlyoldermanwithawifeandsmallkids.Similarly,theneedtolearnanewIanguageandcustomsmayexciteonepersonandfrightenanother.Regardlessofwhypeoplemove,migrationoflargenumbersofpeoplecausesconflict.TheUnitedStatesandotherwesterncountrieshaveexperiencedadjustmentproblemswitheachnewwaveofimmigrants.Thenewestarrivalsareusuallygiventhelowest?paidjobsandareresentedbynativepeoplewhomayhavetocompetewiththemforthosejobs.Ithasusuallytakenseveraldecadesforeachgrouptobeacceptedintothemainstreamofsocietyinthehostcountry.?Theauthorthinksthatpullfactors??.?areallrelatedtoeconomicconsiderations?arenotasdecisiveaspushfactors?includearangeofconsiderations?aremoreimportantthanpushfactors?People'sdecisionstomigratemightbeinflueneedbyallthefollowingEXCEPT?.?personalities?B.education?C.maritalstatus?D.abilities?Thepurposeofthepassageistodiscuss?.?theproblemsofinternationalmigrants?themotivesofinternationalmigrants?migrationinsidethecountry?migrationbetweencountries?C）根据第三段可知pullfacttors不仅和economicconsiderations有关，还和non?economicconsiderations有关，由此可排除选项A。选项B和D在文中没有提及,故只有C为正确答案。？2.B）此题为细节题。根据第五段可知惟有education没有提及。3.B）此题为主旨题。通过阅读该文可知文章主要是讲述促使人们在国际间移民的因素,这与选项B相符。Whatweknowofprenataldevelopmentmakesallthisattemptmadebyamothertomoldthecharacterofherunbornchildbystudyingpoetry,art,ormathematicsduringpregnancyseemutterlyimpossible.Howcouldsuchextremelycomplexinfluencespassfromthemothertothechild?Thereisnoconnectionbetweentheirnervoussystems.Eventhebloodvesselsofmotherandchilddonotjoindirectly.Anemotionalshocktothemotherwillaffectherchild,becauseitchangestheactivityofherglandsandsothechemistryherblood.Anychemicalchangeinthemother'sbloodwillaffectthechildforbetterorworse.Butwecannotseehowalookingformathematicsorpoeticgeniuscanbedissolvedinbloodandproduceasimilarlikingorgeniusinthechild.Inourdiscussionofinstinetswesawthattherewasreasontobelievethatwhateverweinheritmustbeofsomeverysimplesortratherthananycomplicatedorverydefinitekindofbehavior.Itiscertainthatnooneinheritsaknowledgeofmathematics.Itmaybe,however,thatchildreninheritmoreorlessofarathergeneralabilitythatwemaycallintelligence.Ifveryintelligentchildrenbecomedeeplyinterestedinmathematics,theywillprobablymakeasuccessofthatstudy.Asformusicalability,itmaybethatwhatisinheritedisanespeciallysensitiveear,apeculiarstructureofthehands