2007年12月四级阅读真题全解析
Passage OneQuestions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.
In this age of Internet chat, videogames and reality television, there is no shortage of mindless activities to keep a child occupied. Yet, despite the competition, my 8-year-old daughter Rebecca wants to spend her leisure time writing short stories. She wants to enter one of her stories into a writing contest, a competition she won last year.
As a writer I know about winning contests, and about losing them. I know what it is like to work hard on a story only to receive a rejection slip from the publisher. I also know the pressures of trying to live up to a reputation created by previous victories. What if she doesn’t win the contest again? That’s the strange thing about being a parent. So many of our own past scars and dashed hopes can surface.
A revelation (启示) came last week when I asked her, “Don’t you want to win again?” “No,” she replied, “I just want to tell the story of an angel going to first grade.”
I had just spent weeks correcting her stories as she spontaneously (自发地) told them. Telling myself that I was merely an experienced writer guiding the young writer across the hall, I offered suggestions for characters, conflicts and endings for her tales. The story about a fearful angel starting first grade was quickly “guided” by me into the tale of a little girl with a wild imagination taking her first music lesson. I had turned her contest into my contest without even realizing it.
Staying back and giving kids space to grow is not as easy as it looks. Because I know very little about farm animals who use tools or angels who go to first grade, I had to accept the fact that I was co-opting (借用) my daughter’s experience.
While stepping back was difficult for me, it was certainly a good first step that I will quickly follow with more steps, putting myself far enough away to give her room but close enough to help if asked. All the while I will be reminding myself that children need room to experiment, grow and find their own voices.
注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
57. What do we learn from the first paragraph?
A) A lot of distractions compete for children’s time nowadays.
B) Children do find lots of fun in many mindless activities.
C) Rebecca is much too occupied to enjoy her leisure time.
D) Rebecca draws on a lot of online materials for her writing.
58. What did the author say about her own writing experience?
A) She was constantly under pressure of writing more.
B) Most of her stories had been rejected by publishers.
C) She did not quite live up to her reputation as a writer.
D) Her way to success was full of pains and frustrations.
59. Why did Rebecca want to enter this year’s writing contest?
A) She had won a prize in the previous contest.
B) She wanted to share her stories with readers.
C) She was sure of winning with her mother’s help.
D) She believed she possessed real talent for writing.
60. The author took great pains to refine her daughter’s stories because ________.
A) she wanted to help Rebecca realize her dream of becoming a writer
B) she was afraid Rebecca’s imagination might run wild while writing
C) she did not want to disappoint Rebecca who needed her help so much
D) she believed she had the knowledge and experience to offer guidance
61. What’s the author’s advice for parents?
A) Children should be given every chance to voice their opinions.
B) Parents should keep an eye on the activities their kids engage in.
C) Children should be allowed freedom to grow through experience.
D) A writing career, though attractive, is not for every child to pursue.
这篇文章讲述了一个作家母亲指导女儿写作的故事，通过作者的亲身经历向人们揭示出当今社会的子女教育问题。这种个人化风格较强的文章在以学术性、科技类、说 明性文章为主要材料来源的四级阅读题中还是比较少见的;但文章的中心思想还是借作者的个人故事向人们揭示社会问题，具有较强的实用性。
全文一共六个自然段，第一段交待了女儿忙于参加写作比赛的事实;第二段作者回顾了自身写作历程的艰辛，引出要为女儿修改作文的动机;第三、四、五段详细讲述 了作者修改女儿作文的过程，作者最终的失败使其对子女教育问题有所领悟;最后一段，作者具体说明了父母应该如何帮助子女成长的观点。
这篇文章个人写作风格明显，语言平易，因而词汇量不大，句子结构也较简单，理解起来并不存在太大的问题，较少见到明显的疑难部分。
57. A
题目问从第一段可以得知什么。第一段的大意如下：在这个网络聊天、视频游戏和电视真人秀的时代，供孩子们消遣的无聊活动当然也不会少。但我8岁的女儿丽贝卡却把空闲时间用来写短篇小说。她想要拿出一篇小说来参加一个写作大赛。在去年的上一届比赛中，她获得了优胜。
A，如今大量娱乐活动在为儿童竞争(即现在的儿童有充足的娱乐活动)。文章开篇的In this age of 词组与A中的nowadays在时间上相互呼应。there is no shortage of mindless activities to keep a child occupied中的 shortage是“少”的意思，但no shortage of并不仅指有一些，而是“较为丰富”，如there is no shortage of tall buildings here，这里的高楼可不少。从这一句可以看出，供孩子们消遣娱乐的活动确实很多，可以由此推出A的结论。
B，孩子们确实在许多无聊活动中得到了乐趣。作者只是指出供孩子选择的娱乐活动很多，但没有指明孩子们是否从中得到了乐趣。从mindless(没头脑的, 不用脑子的)一词可以看出，作者对这些活动至少是持有怀疑态度的。另外，从文中可知作者的女儿对这些活动没有兴趣，当然也谈不上乐趣，可以作为一个反例。
C，丽贝卡太忙而不能享受空余时间。文中只说丽贝卡把空闲时间用来写小说，是不是真的太忙不能确定。另外写小说本身也许即是丽贝卡的享受空闲时间的方式，那样的话她也就是在完全地享受自己的空闲时间，C的叙述不对。
D，丽贝卡从网络上汲取了很多写作材料。这句话和文意相去甚远，只要理解了第一段的意思，相信排除该选项不会太难。
58. D
题目问作者讲了自己的哪些写作经历。
作者介绍自己的写作经历是在文章的第二段前半部分。大意是：“作为一个作家，我享受过夺得竞赛优胜的喜悦，也品尝过失败的滋味。我知道辛辛苦苦写出来一个故事、结果却得到一张出版商的退稿信时的感受。我同样知道夺得优胜后再想保住这份荣誉的压力。”
A，她经常处在要写作更多作品的压力之下。文中只说作者在卫冕比赛优胜时有压力，而不是写作新作品时，因此A的说法不对。
B，她大部分小说都被出版商退稿了。文中说作者的稿件被退过，没有提到是否大部分都被退稿。从文章大体可以推断出作者是一个成功的作家，一个成功作家不可能大部分作品都被退稿。
C，作为作家，她对保住荣誉并不在意。从I also know the pressure of trying to live up to a reputation created by previous victories一句可以看出，作者为保住荣誉承受过很大压力，C的说法与文意恰好相反。
D，她的成功之路充满痛苦和挫折。根据第二段前半部分的叙述可知，作者品尝过失败，体验过小说被退稿的感受，承受过保住荣誉的压力，恰好可以由D的说法来概括。
59. B
题目问丽贝卡想要参加今年的写作比赛的原因。
A，她在上一届比赛中获得了优胜。言下之意是她是为了卫冕而参加比赛，但文中的对话“Don’t you want to win again?” “No,”显示，丽贝卡对能否夺冠并不在意。因此A的说法站不住脚。
B，她想和读者分享她的故事。文中有一句话——she replied, “I just want to tell the story of an angel going to first grade.”意思是她想告诉人们一个上小学一年级的天使的故事，也即想与人们(至少是读到它的人)分享这个故事，这与B的说法是一致的。
C，她自信在妈妈的帮助下可以获得优胜。这一点与文意不符。首先，从对A的分析可知，她并不在意是否获得优胜;其次，从文中大体可知她早已决定参加比赛，妈妈的帮助应该是后来的事情，那么在决定参加比赛时她就不一定考虑过妈妈的帮助。
D，她相信自己具备真正的写作才能。文章没有任何一处地方提及类似内容，也就无从判断是否如此，因此不能选D。
60. D
题目问作者花费了很多心力去修改女儿的故事，原因是什么。
文章讲述作者帮助女儿修改文章是在第四段，开头便说：I had just spent weeks correcting her stories as she spontaneously told them，我用了几个星期帮她修改文章。之后则叙述了作者如何帮助女儿修改文章。四个选项的意思是：
A，她想帮助丽贝卡实现当作家的梦想。
B，她担心丽贝卡写作时的想象力过于狂野。
C，她不想在丽贝卡如此渴望帮助时使她失望。
D，她相信自己的知识和经验可以提供指导。
很多人认为答案是A，但存在两个疑点，第一，文中并未指明丽贝卡有当作家的梦想，从文中可知她写作的目的只是要分享她的故事而已，甚至连写作比赛的优胜都不在意。文中虽有guiding the young writer across the hall这句，似乎作者是想把女儿培养成作家，但这只是作者为了说明自己当时的心情而打的比方而已。第二，即便有这样的梦想，也不可能仅仅通过修改一篇作文就能实现。因此A并不正确。
B所说的想象力过于丰富和C所说的女儿非常需要作者的帮助，这些在文中都没有交代过，可以说是生造出来的，可以排除。
第四段第二句说作者自认为是一个有经验的作家，之后写到女儿的作品被作者按自己的经验、想法改造成了另外一个故事，进而把比赛当成了自己的比赛。由此可见，作者当初之所以要主动指导女儿，是自信自己的知识和经验可以对女儿提供帮助，只是结果不尽如人意。D的叙述是正确的。
61. C
题目问作者给了父母们哪些建议。给出建议是第四段的内容，这段的大意是：第一步，我不再干扰孩子，而后，给她空间的同时又能在需要时随时提供帮助。作者随时提醒自己，孩子需要尝试、成长以及表达自我的空间。
A，孩子应被给予每一个表达自我的机会。原文说要给予孩子表达自我的空间，既然使用了“空间”一词，也就意味着不是所有的机会都可以交给孩子。而A暗含的意思是无论孩子想要表达什么，都不要有所限制，与文意并不相符。
B，父母应该密切关注孩子们参与的活动。文中作者给出的建议是给孩子留有空间，又不离得太远，使得在他们需要帮助时可以随时提供帮助。而B中的keep an eye是始终密切关注的意思，与文意不符。
C，孩子应被给予通过经历实现成长的自由。第四段里的children need room to experiment是这句话的最好注解。
D，写作这个职业虽然吸引人，但并不是所有的孩子都适合去追求。作者的建议是关于子女教育问题的，并没有评价写作作为职业是否适合所有孩子的问题。
Passage Two
Questions 62 to 66 are based on the following passage.
By almost any measure, there is a boom in Internet-based instruction. In just a few years, 34 percent of American universities have begun offering some form of distance learning (DL), and among the larger schools, it’s closer to 90 percent. If you doubt the popularity of the trend, you probably haven’t heard of the University of Phoenix. It grants degrees entirely on the basis of online instruction. It enrolls 90,000 students, a statistic used to support its claim to be the largest private university in the country.
While the kinds of instruction offered in these programs will differ, DL usually signifies a course in which the instructors post syllabi (课程大纲), reading assignments, and schedules on Websites, and students send in their assignments by e-mail. Generally speaking, face-to-face communication with an instructor is minimized or eliminated altogether.
The attraction for students might at first seem obvious. Primarily, there’s the convenience promised by courses on the Net: you can do the work, as they say, in your pajamas (睡衣). But figures indicate that the reduced effort results in a reduced commitment to the course. While dropout rates for all freshmen at American universities is around 20 percent, the rate for online students is 35 percent. Students themselves seem to understand the weaknesses inherent in the setup. In a survey conducted for eCornell, the DL division of Cornell University, less than a third of the respondents expected the quality of the online course to be as good as the classroom course.
Clearly, from the schools’ perspective, there’s a lot of money to be saved. Although some of the more ambitious programs require new investments in servers and networks to support collaborative software, most DL courses can run on existing or minimally upgraded (升级) systems. The more students who enroll in a course but don’t come to campus, the more the school saves on keeping the lights on in the classrooms, paying doorkeepers, and maintaining parking lots. And, while there’s evidence that instructors must work harder to run a DL course for a variety of reasons, they won’t be paid any more, and might well be paid less.
注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
62. What is the most striking feature of the University of Phoenix?
A) It boasts the largest number of students on campus.
B) All its courses are offered online.
C) Its online courses are of the best quality.
D) Anyone taking its online courses is sure to get a degree.
63. According to the passage, distance learning is basically characterized by ________.
A) a minimum or total absence of face-to-face instruction
B) a considerable flexibility in its academic requirements
C) the great diversity of students’ academic backgrounds
D) the casual relationship between students and professors
64. Many students take Internet-based courses mainly because they can ________.
A) save a great deal on traveling and boarding expenses
B) select courses from various colleges and universities
C) work on the required courses whenever and wherever
D) earn their academic degrees with much less effort
65. What accounts for the high drop-out rates for online students?
A) There is no mechanism to ensure that they make the required effort.
B) There is no strict control over the academic standards of the courses.
C) The evaluation system used by online universities is inherently weak.
D) Lack of classroom interaction reduces the effectiveness of instruction.
66. According to the passage, universities show great enthusiasm for DL programs for the purpose of ________.
A) building up their reputation
B) upgrading their teaching facilities
C) providing convenience for students
D) cutting down on their expenses
这是一篇讲述网络远程教育的文章，全文较为客观地阐述了网络远程教育的现状，说明性较强。文章各个段落均较长，因此一共只有4个大段，每一段针对网络远程教育的不同方面进行说明。
第一段提出了网络远程教育渐趋流行的事实，并以菲尼克斯大学为例具体进行了说明。第二段简单介绍了网络远程教育的施行方式。第三、四段分别从学生和学校两个方面分析了网络远程教育流行的原因。
文章长难句较多，往往以典型的英语式思维表达许多抽象意义，理解起来较为困难，尤其在第四段中出现的长句，结构复杂，需要慢慢理解消化。
62. B
题目问菲尼克斯大学最为显著的特点是什么。文章第一段以菲尼克斯大学为例说明了网络远程教育的流行趋势，相关内容只有It grants degrees entirely on the basis of online instruction. It enrolls 90,000 students, a statistic used to support its claim to be the largest private university in the country这两句话，大意是菲尼克斯大学完全以在线教育为基础授予学位，其登记注册了90000学生，号称全国第一大私立大学。
A，它吹嘘拥有最多的在校学生人数。菲尼克斯大学确实自称学生人数在私立大学中排名第一，但Enroll 90000是指注册的人数，而非在校内学习(on campus)的人数。因此A的说法不对。
B，所有课程都是在线提供。文中使用了entirely来明确说明该大学所有课程都是在线提供，因此B的说法符合文意。
C，其在线课程质量最高。文中没有提到课程质量如何。
D，任何参加其在线课程的学生都可保证获得学位。文中提到了学位问题，称其学位授予依托网络教育，应该说是一种授予途径，并没有对是否必然获得学位做出保证。
63. A
题目问根据文意，远程教育的基本特点是什么。因为第一题所问的菲尼克斯大学的问题已经是第一段末尾的内容，而且全文只有4大段，5道题中的第二道题不可能越过第二段去考查第三段的内容，所以这道题的答案必然要到第二段去找。
第二段大意如下：尽管课程本身各不相同，但远程教育还是有通常的特点，老师在网站上发布大纲、作业等，学生通过电子邮件上交作业;师生面对面的交流已经减到最少或是完全消失。四个选项的意思是：
A，面对面授课的最小化或完全缺失。第二段中的Generally speaking(通常来说)是总结性的词汇，以此引出后面对在线教育的特点的描述，该描述与A恰好一致。
B，学习要求相当具有灵活性。文中提到作业是由电子邮件来发送，但这是否意味着灵活性强不得而知。也许用电子邮件发送作业反而会在时间上要求得更为具体，这样反而是要求更为严格了。
C，学生的学习背景非常广泛。第二段开头就指出在线教育所授课程各不相同，这也就是学生学习背景广泛的意思。但这句话是由while引导的，while在这里是“虽然”的意思，而我们知道转折句式的后半句(“但是……”)才是陈述的重点，所以C并不是作者所要指出的一般特点。
D，学生与教授之间的关系较为随便。文中说师生面对面交流的机会减少或消失，但这与关系随便与否无关。
64. C
题目问许多学生选择以互联网为基础的课程主要是因为他们能够……
第三段从学生的角度分析了在线远程教育流行的原因，指出最首要的原因是上课方便。而后也说明由于这个特点，反而使学习质量下降。
A，节省一大笔路费和住宿费。也许这是远程教育的好处之一，但文中没有提到这一点。文中使用primarily(最根本地)一词，强调了首要原因是the convenience(方便)。
B，从许多不同学院和大学里选择课程。第三段乃至全文都找不到类似的内容。
C，随时随地参与课程。文中讲到学生选择远程教育主要是因为方便，并举例说明这种方便是可以穿着睡衣上课(do the work, as they say, in your pajamas)。这也就是可以随时随地学习上课的意思。
D，少费很大的力气就可以获得学位。文中指出远程教育确实可以节省力气(the reduced effort)，但其结果是退学率达到35%，高于在校学习的20%，与D的说法正好相反。
65. A
题目问在线学习的学生之所以出现高退学率的原因。四个选项的意思分别是：
A，无法保证他们付出所需的努力。
B，对课程标准没有严格的控制。
C，在线大学的评估系统天生不强。
D，课堂互动的缺乏降低了教育的效果。
文章第三段中间部分提到远程教育的学生退学率达到了35%(While dropout rate for all freshmen at American universities is around 20 percent, the rate for online students is 35 percent)，这种现象出现的原因在前一句就已经给出了：But figures indicate that the reduced effort results in a reduced commitment to the course，数字显示少费力气也就少用功于上课。可知退学率高是因为学生上课不够用功，不够用功的原因是远程教育本身的特点：方便(convenience)，节省力气(reduced effort)。由此可见，A的说法最为符合文意。B和D的说法在文中都没有提到。文中Students themselves seem to understand the weaknesses inherent in the setup一句虽提到了远程教育的天生弱点，但这个弱点是指reduced effort，而不是评估系统(evaluation system在文中根本没有提及)。
66. D
题目问根据文意，大学对远程教育计划十分热心是为了什么。
第四段从学校的角度分析了远程教育流行的原因。开头指出there’s a lot of money to be saved，即可以节约大笔费用。接下来具体分析了可以在哪些方面节约费用。首先是大多数远程教育课程可以在现有系统上直接或稍作升级后运行，不需要为服务器和网络投入新的资金。其次是学校可以在教室照明、安保和租用停车场上节省大笔资金。除此之外，文中再无其他论述。由此可见，在文章看来，大学对远程教育如此热心的原因是费用相对低廉。四个选项分别是：
A，享得盛誉。
B，升级教育设施。
C，为学生提供方便。
D，减少开销。
只有D符合文意。
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