英语四级考试仔细阅读每日一练(12.30)

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        　　Americans are proud of their variety and individualty, yet they love and respect few things more than a uniform. Why are uniforms so __1__ in the United States?
        　　Among the arguments for uniforms, one of the first is that in the eyes of most people they look more __2__ than civilian(百姓的) clothes. People have become conditioned to __3__ superior quality from a man who wears a uniform. The television repairman who wears a uniform tends to __4__ more trust than one who appears in civilian clothes. Faith in the __5__ of a garage mechanic is increased by a uniform. What an easier way is there for a nurse, a policeman, a barber, or a waiter to __6__ professional identity(身份) than to step out of uniform? Uniforms also have many __7__ benefits. They save on other clothes. They save on laundry bills. They are often more comfortable and more durable than civilian clothes.
        　　Primary among the arguments against uniforms is their lack of variety and the consequent loss of __8__ experienced by people who must wear them. Though there are many types of uniforms, the wearer of any particular type is generally stuck with it, without __9__, until retirement. When people look alike, they tend to think, speak, and act __10__, on the job at least.
        　　[A]skill
        　　[B]popular
        　　[C]get
        　　[D]change
        　　[E]similarly
        　　[F]professional
        　　[G]character
        　　[H]individuality
        　　[I]inspire
        　　[J]differently
        　　[K]expect
        　　[L]practical
        　　[M]recall
        　　[N]lose
        　　[O]ordinary
        　　1.选B)。从文章的第一句they love and respect few thins more than a uniform“他们又无比热爱和崇尚制服”，说明了制服在美国很受欢迎。因此选项B)popular符合原文意思。选项中的professional“职业的”、practical“实用的”和ordinary“普通的，平常的”都不符合第一段的意思。
        　　2.选F)。此处应填形容词。从more...than civilian clothes可知，此处要填的形容词意思与civilian相对，说明制服的特点。选项中的形容词中只有professional“职业的”和civilian相对的，故F)正确。而pratical“实用的”和ordinary“平常的”意思都不能和civilian对应，故排除。
        　　3.选K)。由be conditioned to do sth.“习惯于”可知，此处应填动词原形。从前面的look more“看起来更...”和后面的tend to“倾向于”可知，这段要说明的是人们的主观印象，应填入表示“期望(得到)”的单词，只有K)expect符合原文语气。选项中get“得到”与上下文的语气不符合。
        　　4.选I)。此处应填动词原形。从原文中“人们习惯...从穿制服的人那儿得到优质服务。”可知，人们更信任穿制服的人，即制服能使人产生信任感。选项中的动词原形中只有inspire“使产生”符合文章。
        　　5.选A)。此处应填名词。前面两句表达了人们对穿制服的人更加信任的意思，那么对于garage mechanic“汽车修理工”来说，人们信任的是它的技术，而不是人品，故选项中只有A)skill符合原文意思。
        　　6.选N)。此处应填动词。...step out of uniform“脱掉制服”是对护士、警察等来说是......职业身份的很简单的方式。脱下制服就是失去了职业身份，由此可以推知此处应填N)lose。
        　　7.选L)。此处应填形容词，说明制服的其他有点。从下文“...节省购买其他衣服的开销，节省洗衣费用，比便服更舒适也更耐穿”可知，制服除了增加信任感还有实际的优点。选项中的pratical“实用的”和ordinary“平常的”，很明显L)pratical符合原文意思。
        　　8.选H)。此处应填名词。文章手段就说“美国人为自己的多元化和个性化感到高傲无比，然而他们又无比热爱和崇尚制服”，其中包含制服使他们失去自己的个性的意思，那么联系第一段，此处指出的制服的缺点即为失去个性，故选项H)individuality正确。individuality强调与他人特点的区别，而character指的是个人特定的内在本质。
        　　9.选D)。此处应填名词。前面说制服让人失去了个性，虽然有很多种制服，但穿上制服的人直至退休都是那件制服，所有是没有变化的，故此处应填change，故D)正确。
        　　10.选E)。此处应填副词，修饰动词act。前面指出...look alike,they tend to...，说明此处填的词和alike意思相近。选项种副词有similarly和differently，很明显，E)similarly与alike意思相近，故选E)。　
            
            

enone

        　　After the violent earthquake that shook Los Angeles in 1994, earthquake scientists had good news to report: The damage and death toll(死亡人数) could have been much worse. More than 60 people died in this earthquake. By comparison, and earthquake of similar __1__ that shook America in 1998 claimed 25,000 victims.
        　　Injuries and deaths were __2__ less in Los Angeles because the quake occurred at 4:31 a.m. On a holiday, when traffic was light on the city’s highway. In addition, __3__ made to the construction codes in Los Angeles during the last 20 years have strengthened the city’s buildings and highways, making them more __4__ to quakes.
        　　In the past, making structures quake-resist-ant meant firm yet __5__ materials, such as steel and wood, that bend without breaking. Later, people tried to lift a building off its foundation, and insert rubber and steel between the building and its foundation to __6__ the impact of ground vibrations. The most __7__ designs give buildings brains as well as concrete and steel supports, called smart buildings, the structures respond like living organisms to an earthquake’s vibrations. When ground shakes and the building tips forward, the computer would __8__ the building to shift in the opposite direction. The new designs should offer even greater __9__ to cities where earthquakes ofen take place.
        　　The new smart structures could be very __10__ to build. However, they would save many lives and would be less likely to be damaged during earthquakes.
        　　[A]changes
        　　[B]flexible
        　　[C]decrease
        　　[D]recent
        　　[E]push
        　　[F]reduce
        　　[G]relatively
        　　[H]safety
        　　[I]resistant
        　　[J]expensive
        　　[K]force
        　　[L]accordingly
        　　[M]intensity
        　　[N]security
        　　[O]opposed
        　　Answers：
        　　1.选M)。此处应填名词，作介词of的宾语，作为后置定语修饰earthquake，说明该名词是“地震”的自然属性。选项中的名词有changes，safety，intensity和security，只有intensity可以表示地震的强度，故选M)。
        　　2.选G)。此处应填副词，用来修饰形容词less。选项中的副词有relatively“相对的”和accordingly“相应的”，第一段说这次地震和1998年的那次地震程度一样，但造成的损失却小很多，再从后句中“高速路上的车辆不是很多”可以推断：这次的地震造成的“死伤人数”与1998年比少很多，即少是相对的，故选G)relatively。
        　　3.选A)。空格中要填的词是本句话中的主语，应为名词。这句话的主干是have strengthened the city’s buildings and highways,从第三段的内容和注释3的解析可知：建筑结构发生了变化，故应选择A)changes。
        　　4.选I)。此处应填形容词，和其前面的more构成形容词的比较级，描述新型建筑与地震有关的性能。them = the city’s buildings and highways, have strengthened "被加固"说明他们更有抵御风险的能力了。选项中的四个形容词只有resistant符合这个意思，故选I)。
        　　5.选B)。此处应填形容词，修饰名词materials。从后面的...bent without breaking "即使弯曲也不会折断"，说明是有韧性的材料。选项中的四个形容词只有flexible表示“柔韧的，可变形的”，故B)正确。
        　　6.选F)。此处应填名词。根据上下文insert rubber and steel between the building and its foundation“在建筑物和地基之间填充橡胶和钢材”是为了减少the impact of ground vibrations"地面震动对建筑物的影响"。选项中decrease和reduce都可以表示“减少”的意思，前者指稳定的逐步地减少，后者强调在大小、程度或强度方面下降或减少。故F)reduce更符合题意。
        　　7.选D)。根据注释3，可以推知，这里要填的词是和前面的In the past, Laer相对应的，选项中的形容词中只有recent可表示时间，the most recent desighs“最近的设计”，在原文中可以对应“过去，后来”，故D)为正确答案。
        　　8.选K)。前面提到了智能建筑，这里说明当地震使这样的建筑向前倒的时候，电脑会怎样它，使它相反方向移动。在动词push和force之间悬着。push强调的是外加的力量，而这里的拖力者是与智能建筑一体的计算机系统，故这里force符合文意。
        　　9.选N)。此后应填名词，做动词offer的宾语。本句前面一直在描述新型建筑采取的抗震措施，本句是这些措施的结果。抗震型建筑为城市提供的应该是更多的安全保障，选项中表示“安全”的词有safety和security，前者是处于安全状态，不受伤害，没有危险，多用于人身，货物。后者常指国家社会的免遭战争，灾难而安然无恙，故N)security更符合文意。
        　　10.选J)。此处应填形容词。从后面的However后的一句说明智能建筑的优点而得知，However前所说的是智能建筑的缺点。既然智能建筑很聪明，又是新事物，那么建造起来肯定会耗费很多资金的，所以选J)expensive。　
            
            

entwo

        　　Until the 1980s, the American homeless population comprised mainly older males. Today, homelessness strikes much younger part of society. In fact, a 25-city survey by the U. S. Conference of Mayors in 1987 found that families with children make up the fastest growing part of the homeless population. Many homeless children gather in inner cities; this transient(变化无常的) and frequently frightened student population creates additional problems — both legal and educational — for already overburdened urban school administrators and teachers.
        　　Estimates of the number of homeless Americans range from 350,000 to three million. Likewise, estimates of the number of homeless school children vary radically. A U.S. Department of Education report, based on state estimates, states that there are 220,000 homeless school-age children, about a third of whom do not attend school on a regular basis, But the National Coalition for the Homeless estimates that there are at least two times as many homeless children, and that less than half of them attend school regularly.　　　　One part of the homeless population that is particularly difficult to count consists of the “throwaway” youths who have been cast of their homes. The Elementary School Center in New York City estimates that there are 1.5 million of them, many of whom are not counted as children because they do not stay in family shelters and tend to live by themselves on the streets.　　　　Federal law, the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, includes a section that addresses the educational needs of homeless children. The educational provisions of the McKinney Act are based on the belief that all homeless children have the right to a free, appropriate education.
        　　1. It is implied in the first paragraph that ____.
        　　A) the writer himself is homeless, even in his eighties
        　　B) many older homeless residents are going on strike in 25 cities
        　　C) there is a serious shortage of academic facilities
        　　D) homeless children are denied the opportunity of receiving free education
        　　2. The National Coalition for the homeless believes that the number of homeless children is _____.
        　　A) 350,000
        　　B) 1,500,000
        　　C) 440,000
        　　D) 110,000
        　　3. One part of the homeless population is difficult to estimate. The reason might well be ____.
        　　A) the homeless children are too young to be counted as children
        　　B) the homeless population is growing rapidly
        　　C) the homeless children usually stay outside school
        　　D) some homeless children are deserted by their families
        　　4. The McKinney Act is mentioned in this passage in order to show that ___.
        　　A) the educational problems of homeless children are being recognized
        　　B) the estimates on homeless children are hard to determine
        　　C) the address of grade-school children should be located
        　　D) all homeless people are entitled to free education
        　　5. The passage mainly deals with ____.
        　　A) the legal problems of the homeless children
        　　B) the educational problems of homeless children
        　　C) the social status of older males
        　　D) estimates on the homeless population
        　　【答案及详解】
        　　答案：C C D A B
        　　直到20世纪80年代，美国无家可归的人口主要包括的还是年龄较大的男性。现在，社会上年龄较小的一些人也面临无家可归的威胁。的确，美国市长会议在1987年对25个城市进行了一项调查，结果表明，在无家可归的人口中，儿童的增长比例是最快的。许多无家可归的儿童都聚集在城市的中心地带。其中学龄儿童四处流浪，饱受惊吓。这给已经负担考试大过重的城市教学和教学管理带来了许多额的外的麻烦，其中既涉及法律问题又涉及教育问题。
        　　美国无家可归的人口数量估计在35万到300万人之间。同样，无家可归的学龄儿童人数也无法做出准确的估计。一份根据各州估计数字而得出的美国教法的育部的报告指出，有22万无家可归的学龄儿童，其中约有三分之一没有按规定上学。然而国家关于无家可归人员的联盟会却估计，这样的儿童人数至少还应该多一倍，其中半数以上没有正常入学。
        　　有一部分无家可归的人口尤其难以统计，就是那些遭家庭遗弃的“浪荡”少年。据纽约小学中心估计，这样的人口有150万左右。其中还有许多小孩没有估计进去，因为这些小孩不呆在安全的家中，却往往独自在街头流浪。
        　　联邦法律(1987年斯图尔德 B 麦肯尼无家可归人员救助法案)有一部分专门指出了无家可归儿童的教育需要。法案中有关于教育的条款所依据的观点是所有无家可归的儿童都有权接受正规的义务教育。　
            
            

enfive

        　　Cancer is feared by everyone. And this fear is reaching epidemic(流行性) proportions. Not the disease itself — there is no such thing as a cancer epidemic. Except for lung cancer, mostly caused by cigarette smoking ,the incidence rates are leveling off, and in the case of some kinds of cancer are decreasing. But the fear of cancer is catching, and the country stands at risk of an anxiety, The earth itself is coming to seem like a huge carcinogen(致癌物). The ordinary, more or less scientific statement that something between 80 and 90 percent of all cancers are dun to things in the environment is taken to mean that none of us will be safe until the whole environment is “cleaned up.” This is not at all the meaning.
        　　The 80-percent calculation is based on the unthinkable differences in the incidence of cancer in various societies around the world — for example, the high proportion of liver cancer in Africa and the Far East, stomach cancer in Japan, breast cancer in Western Europe and North America, and the relatively low figures for breast cancer in Japan and parts of Africa and for liver cancer in America. These data indicate there may be special and specific environmental influences, largely based on personal life-style, that determine the incidence of various forms of cancer in different communities — but that is all the data suggest. The overall incidence of cancer, counting up all the cases, is probable roughly the same everywhere.
        　　1.Which of the following is closest to meaning to the phrase “leveling off”?
        　　A)Became very popular
        　　B)Reached its lowest level in popularity
        　　C)Stopped being popular
        　　D)Stopped increasing its popularity
        　　2.According to the passage, the incidence of cancer is generally believed _____.
        　　A)to be based on inactive life style
        　　B)to be due to anxiety
        　　C)to result from environmental influences
        　　D)to be caused by heavy smoking
        　　3.It can be inferred from the passage that the writer’s opinion about the relationship between cancer and environment is_____.
        　　A)positive
        　　B)negative
        　　C)neutral
        　　D)approving
        　　4.According to the passage, the writer seems to feel that_____.
        　　A)cancer risk is on the rise
        　　B)the whole earth resembles a huge carcinogen
        　　C)the risk of catching cancer is not so great as most people conceive
        　　D)cancer can be cured sooner or later
        　　5.Which of the following would be the best TITLE for the passage?
        　　A)Cancer and Environment
        　　B)The Fear Caused by Cancers
        　　C)Data on Cancer Incidence
        　　D)Cancer and its Investigation
        　　【答案及详解】
        　　D，C，B，C，A
        　　大家都害怕癌症，这种恐慌正在蔓延开来。倒不是惧怕癌症本身，癌症也并非流行病。除了主要由于抽烟引起的肺癌之外，癌症的发病率不但稳定下来，而且有些还正在减少。但人们却都谈“癌”色变，陷入一种惶恐不安之中。地球本身看上去就越来越像一个巨大的致癌物。有一种多多少少带点科学性的普遍说法，认为80%到90%的癌症都是由于环境中的物质引起的。也就是说，直到把整个环境都“清洁干净”，我们才没有危险。然而，数据所说明的真正含义根本不是这样。
        　　80%这个数据是基于全球不同地区癌症发病率的差异统计出来的。比如，非洲和远东地区肝癌比例高，日本胃癌比例高，西欧和北美乳腺癌比例高，但是日本和非洲部分地区乳腺癌病例较少，美洲肝癌病例也较少。这些差异使人难于置信。这些数据表明，不同地区癌症的发病率可能受到环境中某些具体和特殊的影响，其实这种影响主要是由个人的生活方式决定的。所以数据不能说明全部情况。如果把所有病例合计起来，也许各地总体发病率都大致相同。