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Unit 4
Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension
(35 minutes)
Directions: There are 4 reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.
Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage:
“There is a senseless notion that children grow up and leave home when they're 18, and the truth is far from that,” says sociologist Larry Bumpass of the University of Wisconsin. Today, unexpected numbers of young adults are living with their parents.“There is a major shift in the middle class,”declares sociologist Allan Schnaiberg of Northwestern University, whose son, 19, moved back in after an absence of eight months.
Analysts cite a variety of reasons for this return to the nest. The marriage age is rising, a condition that makes home and its pleasantness particularly attractive to young people. A high divorce rate and a declining remarriage rate are sending economically pressed and emotionally hurt survivors back to parental shelters. For some, the expense of an away-from-home college education has become so excessively great that many students now attend local schools. Even after graduation, young people find their wings clipped by skyrocketing housing costs.
Living at home, says Knighton, a school teacher, continues to give her security and moral support. Her mother agreed,“It's ridiculous for the kids to pay all that money for rent. It makes sense for kids to stay at home.” But sharing the family home requires adjustments for all. There are the hassles over bathrooms, telephones and privacy. Some families, however, manage the delicate balancing act. But for others, it proves too difficult. Michelle Del Turco, 24, has been home three times ― and left three times. “What I considered a social drink, my dad considered an alcohol problem,” she explains. “He never liked anyone I dated, so I either had to hide away or meet them at friends' houses.”
Just how long should adult children live with their parents before moving on? Most psychologists feel lengthy homecomings are a mistake. Children struggling to establish separate identities, can end up with “a sense of inadequacy, defeat and failure.” And aging parents, who should be enjoying some financial and personal freedom, find themselves stuck with responsibilities. Many agree that brief visits, however, can work beneficially.
#P#
21. According to the author, there was once a trend in the U.S. .
A) for middle class young adults to stay with their parents
B) for young adults to leave their parents and live independently
C) for married young adults to move back home after a lengthy absence
D) for young adults to get jobs nearby in order to live with their parents
22. Which of the following does not account for young adults returning to the nest?
A) Young adults find housing costs too high.
B) Quite a number of young adults attend local schools.
C) Young adults seek parental comfort and moral support.
D) Young adults are psychologically and intellectually immature.
23. One of the disadvantages of young adults returning to stay with their parents is that .
A) the young adults tend to be overprotected by their parents
B) most parents find it difficult to keep a bigger family going
C) there will inevitably be inconveniences in everyday life
D) public opinion is against young adults staying with their parents
24. The word “hassles” in the passage (Para. 3, Line 4) probably means .
A) quarrels C) disadvantages
B) worries D) agreements
25. According to the passage what is the best for both parents and children?
A) They should adjust themselves to sharing the family expenses.
B) Children should leave their parents when they are grown up.
C) Adult children should visit their parents from time to time.
D) Parents should support their adult children when they are in trouble.
Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:
The word conservation has a thrifty (节俭) meaning. To conserve is to save and protect, to leave what we ourselves enjoy in such good condition that others may also share the enjoyment. Our forefathers had no idea that human population would increase faster than the supplies of raw materials; most of them, even until very recently, had the foolish idea that the treasures were “limitless” and “inexhaustible”. Most of the citizens of earlier generations knew little or nothing about the complicated and delicate system that runs all through nature, and which means that, as in a living body, an unhealthy condition of one part will sooner or later be harmful to all the others.
Fifty years ago nature study was not part of the school work; scientific forestry was a new idea; timber was still cheap because it could be brought in any quantity from distant woodlands; soil destruction and river floods were not national problems; nobody had yet studied long-term climatic cycles in relation to proper land use; even the word “conservation” had nothing of the meaning that it has for us today.
For the sake of ourselves and those who will come after us, we must now set about repairing the mistakes of our forefathers. Conservation should, therefore, be made a part of everyone's daily life. To know about the water table (水位) in the ground is just as important to us as a knowledge of the basic arithmetic formulas. We need to know why all watersheds (上游源头森林地带集水区) need the protection of plant life and why the running current of streams and rivers must be made to yield their full benefit to the soil before they finally escape to the sea. We need to betaught the duty of planting trees as well as of cutting them. We need to know the importance of big, mature trees, because living space for most of man's fellow creatures on this planet is figured not only in square measure of surface but also in cubic volume above the earth. In brief, it should be our goal to restore as much of the original beauty of nature as we can.
26. The author's attitude towards the current situation in the exploitation of natural resources is .
A) critical C) positive
B) neutral D) suspicious
27. According to the author, the greatest mistake of our forefathers was that .
A) they had no idea about scientific forestry
B) they were not aware of the significance of nature study
C) they had little or no sense of environmental protection
D) they had no idea of how to make good use of raw materials
28. It can be inferred from the third paragraph that earlier generations didn't realize .
A) the importance of the proper use of land
B) the value of the beauty of nature
C) the harmfulness of soil destruction and river floods
D) the interdependence of water, soil, and living things
29. To avoid the mistakes of our forefathers, the author suggests that .
A) we plant more trees
B) we return to nature
C) natural sciences be taught to everybody
D) environmental education be directed toward everyone
30. What does the author imply by saying “living space...is figured...also in cubic volume above the earth” (Para. 3, Lines 8-10)?
A) We need to take some measures to protect space.
B) Our living space should be measured in cubic volume.
C) Our living space on the earth is getting smaller and smaller.
D) We must preserve good living conditions for both birds and animals.
#P#
Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:
Judging from recent surveys, most experts in sleep behavior agree that there is virtually an epidemic (流行病) of sleepiness in the nation. “I can't think of a single study that hasn't found Americans getting less sleep than they ought to,”says Dr. David. Even people who think they are sleeping enough would probably be better off with more rest.
27. From Heilman's remark, we can see that .
A) full use has been made of the wisdom of older people
B) the wisdom of older people is not valued by American society
C) older people are no less intelligent than young people
D) the wisdom of older people is of great value to American society
28. Tish Sommers argues that .
A) older women find it hard to escape poverty
B) older women usually perform better in their jobs
C) the major cause of the poverty of older women is sexism
D) more people have come to believe in sexism and ageism
29. According to the third paragraph, it can be seen that older Americans .
A) have more job opportunities than young people
B) live below the poverty line
C) have new opportunities to remain active in society
D) no longer believe in the promise of a happy life upon retirement
30. It can be concluded from the passage that the writer .
A) calls attention to the living conditions of older Americans
B) believes that the value of older people is gaining increasing recognition
C) attempts to justify the youth-oriented, throw-away culture of the United States
D) argues people should not retire at the age of 65 or 70
Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:
The most exciting kind of education is also the most personal. Nothing can exceed the joy of discovering for yourself something that is important to you! It may be an idea or a bit of information you come across accidentally―or a sudden insight, fitting together pieces of information or working through a problem. Such personal encounters are the “payoff” in education. A teacher may direct you to learning and even encourage you in it―but no teacher can make the excitement or the joy happen. That's up to you.
A research paper, assigned in a course and perhaps checked at various stages by an instructor, leads you beyond classrooms, beyond the texts for classes and into a process where the joy of discovery and learning can come to you many times. Preparing the research paper is an active and individual process, and ideal learning process. It provides a structure within which you can make exciting discoveries, of knowledge and of self, that are basic to education. But the research paper also gives you a chance to individualize a school assignment, to suit a piece of work to your own interests and abilities, to show others what you can do. Writing a research paper is more than just a classroom exercise. It is an experience in searching out, understanding and synthesizing, which forms the basis of many skills applicable to both academic and nonacademic tasks. It is, in the fullest sense, a discovering, an education. So, to produce a good research paper is both a useful and a thoroughly satisfying experience!
To some, the thought of having to write an assigned number of pages, often more than ever produced before, is disconcerting. To others, the very idea of having to work independently is threatening. But there is no need to approach the research paper assignment with anxiety, and nobody should view the research paper as an obstacle to overcome. Instead, consider it a goal to accomplish, a goal within reach if you use the help this book can give you.
31. According to the writer, personal discoveries .
A) will give one encouragement and direction
B) are helpful in finding the right information
C) are the most valuable part of one's personal education
D) will help one to successfully complete school assignments
32. It can be inferred from the passage that writing a research paper gives one chances .
A) to fully develop one's personal abilities
B) to use the skills learnt in the classroom
C) to prove that one is a productive writer
D) to demonstrate how well one can accomplish school assignment
33. From the context, the word “disconcerting”(Para. 3, Line 2) most probably means .
A) misleading B) embarrassing C) stimulating D) upsetting
34. The writer argues in the passage that .
A) one should explore new areas in research
B) one should trust one's own ability to meet course requirements
C) one should consider research paper writing a pleasure, not a burden
D) one should use all one's knowledge and skills when doing research
35. What will probably follow this passage?
A) How to write a research paper.
B) The importance of research in education.
C) How to make new discoveries for oneself.
D) The skill of putting pieces of information together.
#P#
Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:
In our culture, the sources of what we call a sense of “mastery” ― feeling important and worthwhile ― and the sources of what we call a sense of “pleasure” ― finding life enjoyable ― are not always identical. Women often are told“You can't have it all.” Sometimes what the speaker really is saying is:“You chose a career, so you can't expect to have closer relationships or a happy family life.” or “You have a wonderful husband and children ― what's all this about wanting a career?” But women need to understand and develop both aspects of well-being, if they are to feel good about themselves.
Our study shows that, for women, well-being has two dimensions. One is mastery, which includes self-esteem (自尊), a sense of control over your life, and low levels of anxiety and depression. Mastery is closely related to the “doing” side of life, to work and activity. Pleasure is the other dimension, and it is composed of happiness, satisfaction and optimism (乐观). It is tied more closely to the “feeling” side of life. The two are independent of each other. A woman could be high in mastery and low in pleasure, and vice versa. For example, a woman who has a good job, but whose mother has just died, might be feeling very good about herself and in control of her work life, but the pleasure side could be damaged for a time.
The concepts of mastery and pleasure can help us identify the sources of well-being for women, and remedy past mistakes. In the past, women were encouraged to look only at the feeling side of life as the source of all well-being. But we know that both mastery and pleasure are critical. And mastery seems to be achieved largely through work. In our study, all the groups of employed women rated significantly higher in mastery than did women who were not employed.
A woman's well-being is enhanced (增进) when she takes on multiple roles. At least by middle adulthood, the women who were involved in a combination of roles―marriages, motherhood, and employment―were the highest in well-being, despite warnings about stress and strain.
36. It can be inferred from the first paragraph that .
A) for women, a sense of “mastery” is more important than a sense of “pleasure”
B) for women, a sense of “pleasure” is more important than a sense of “mastery”
C) women can't have a sense of “mastery” and a sense of “pleasure” at the same time
D) a sense of “mastery” and a sense of “pleasure” are both indispensable to women
37. The author's attitude towards women having a career is .
A) critical B) positive C) neutral D) realistic
24. In developing personal relationships, secrets and deceptions, in the author's opinion, are .
A) personal matters that should be seriously dealt with
B) barriers that should be done away with.
C) as significant as disclosures and truthful statements
D) things people should guard against
25. The author's purpose in writing the passage is .
A) to give advice on appropriate conduct for social occasions
B) to provide ways of how to obtain information about people
C) to call the reader's attention to the negative side of people's characters
D) to discuss the various aspects of getting to know people
Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:
The competition among producers of personal computers is essentially a race to get the best, most innovative products to the marketplace. Marketers in this environment frequently have to make a judgment as to their competitors' role when making marketing strategy decisions. If major competitors are changing their products, then a marketer may want to follow suit to remain competitive. Apple Computer, Inc. has introduced two new, faster personal computers, the Mackintosh Ⅱ and Mackintosh SE, in anticipation of the introduction of a new PC by IBM, one of Apple's major competitors.
Apple's new computers are much faster and more powerful than its earlier models. The improved Mackintosh is able to run programs that previously were impossible to run on an Apple PC, including IBM-compatible (兼容的) programs. This compatibility feature illustrates computer manufacturers' new attitude of giving customers the features they want. Making Apple computers capable of running IBM software is Apple's effort at making the Mackintosh compatible with IBM computers and thus more popular in the office, where Apple hopes to increase sales. Users of the new Apple can also add accessories (附件) to make their machines specialize in specific uses, such as engineering and writing.
The new computers represent a big improvement over past models, but they also cost much more. Company officials do not think the higher price will slow down buyers who want to step up to a more powerful computer. Apple wants to stay in the High-price end of the personal computer market to finance research for even faster, more sophisticated computers.
Even though Apple and IBM are major competitors, both companies realize that their competitor's computers have certain features that their own models do not. The Apple line has always been popular for its sophisticated color graphics (图形), whereas the IBM machines have always been favored in offices. In the future, there will probably be more compatibility between the two companies' products, which no doubt will require that both Apple and IBM change marketing strategies.
26. According to the passage, Apple Computer, Inc, has introduced the Mackintosh Ⅱ and the Mackintosh SE because .
A) IBM is changing its computer models continuously
B) it wants to make its machines specialize in specific uses
C) it wants to stay ahead of IBM in the competitive computer market
D) it expects its major competitor IBM to follow its example
27. Apple hopes to increase Mackintosh sales chiefly by .
A) making its new models capable of running IBM software
B) improving the color graphics of its new models
C) copying the marketing strategies of IBM
D) giving the customers what they want
28. Apple sells its new computer models at a high price because .
A) they have new features and functions
B) they are more sophisticated than other models
C) they have new accessories attached
D) it wants to accumulate funds for future research
29. It can be inferred from the passage that both Apple and IBM try to gain a competitive advantage by .
A) copying each other's technology
B) incorporating features that make their products distinctive
C) making their computers more expensive
D) making their computers run much faster
30. The best title for the passage would be .
A) Apple's Efforts to Stay Ahead of IBM C) Apple's New personal Computers
B) Apple's New Computer Technology D) Apple's Research Activities
#P#
Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:
It is a curious paradox that we think of the physical sciences as “hard”, the social sciences as “soft”, and the biological sciences as somewhere in between. This is interpreted to mean that our knowledge of physical systems is more certain than our knowledge of biological systems, and these in turn are more certain than our knowledge of social systems. In terms of our capacity to sample the relevant universes, however, and the probability that our images of these universes are at least approximately correct, one suspects that a reverse order is more reasonable. We are able to sample earth's social systems with some degree of confidence that we have a reasonable sample of the total universe being investigated. Our knowledge of social systems, therefore, while it is in many ways extremely inaccurate, is not likely to be seriously overturned by new discoveries. Even the folk knowledge in social systems on which ordinary life is based in earning, spending, organizing, marrying, taking part in political activities, fighting and so on, is not very dissimilar from the more sophisticated images of the social system derived from the social sciences, even though it is built upon the very imperfect samples of personal experience.
In contrast, our image of the astronomical universe, or even of earth's geological history, can easily be subject to revolutionary changes as new data comes in and new theories are worked out. If we define the “security” our image of various parts of the total system as the probability of their suffering significant changes, then we would reverse the order of hardness and see the social sciences as the most secure, the physical sciences as the least secure, and again the biological sciences as somewhere in between. Our image of the astronomical universe is the least secure of all simply because we observe such a fantastically small sample of it and its record-keeping is trivial as compared with the rich records of the social systems, or even the limited records of biological systems. Records of the astronomical universe, despite the fact that we see distant things as they were long ago, are limited in the extreme.
Even in regard to such a close neighbour as the moon, which we have actually visited, theories about its origin and history are extremely different, contradictory, and hard to choose among. Our knowledge of physical evolution is incomplete and highly insecure.
31. The word “paradox”(Para. 1, Line 1) means “ ”
A) implication B) contradiction C) interpretation D) confusion
32. According to the author, we should reverse our classification of the physical sciences as “hard” and the social sciences as “soft” because .
A) a reverse ordering will help promote the development of the physical sciences
B) our knowledge of physical systems is more reliable than that of social systems
C) our understanding of the social systems is approximately correct
D) we are better able to investigate social phenomena than physical phenomena
33. The author believes that our knowledge of social systems is more secure than that of physical systems because .
A) it is not based on personal experience
B) new discoveries are less likely to occur in social sciences
C) it is based on a fairly representative quantity of data
D) the records of social systems are more reliable
34. The chances of the physical sciences being subject to great changes are the biggest because .
A) contradictory theories keep emerging all the time
B) new information is constantly coming in
C) the direction of their development is difficult to predict
D) our knowledge of the physical world is inaccurate
35. We know less about the astronomical universe than we do about any social system because .
A) theories of its origin and history are varied
B) our knowledge of it is highly insecure
C) only a very small sample of it has been observed
D) few scientists are involved in the study of astronomy
Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:
In the early days of nuclear power, the United States made money on it. But today opponents have so complicated its development that no nuclear plants have been ordered or built here in 12 years.
The greatest fear of nuclear power opponents has always been a reactor “meltdown”(堆内熔化). Today, the chances of a meltdown that would threaten U.S. public health are very little. But to even further reduce the possibility, engineers are testing new reactors that rely not on human judgment to shut them down but on the laws of nature. Now General Electric is already building two advanced reactors in Japan. But don't expect them ever on U.S. shores unless things change in Washington.
The procedure for licensing nuclear power plants is a bad dream. Any time during, or even after, construction, an objection by any group or individual can bring everything to a halt while the matter is investigated or taken to court. Meanwhile, the builder must add nice-but-not-necessary improvements, some of which force him to knock down walls and start over. In every case where a plant has been opposed, the Nuclear Regulation Commission has ultimately granted a license to construct or operate. But the victory often costs so much that the utility ends up abandoning the plant anyway.
A case in point is the Shoreham plant on New York's Long Island. Shoreham was a virtual twin to the Millstone plant in Connecticut, both ordered in the mid-'60s. Millstone, completed for $101 million, has been generating electricity for two decades. Shoreham, however, was singled out by anti-nuclear activists who, by sending in endless protests, drove the cost over $5 billion and delayed its use for many years.
Shoreham finally won its operation license. But the plant has never produced a watt of power. Governor Mario Cuomo, an opponent of a Shoreham start-up, used his power to force New York's public-utilities commission to accept the following settlement: the power company could pass the cost of Shoreham along to its consumers only if it agreed not to operate the plant! Today, a perfectly good facility, capable of servicing hundreds of thousands of homes, sits rusting.
36. What has made the procedure for licensing nuclear power plants a bad dream?A) The inefficiency of the Nuclear Regulation commission.
B) The enormous cost of construction and operation.
C) The length of time it takes to make investigations.
D) The objection of the opponents of nuclear power.
37. It can be inferred from Paragraph 2 that .
A) it is not technical difficulties that prevent the building of nuclear power plants in the U.S.
B) there are not enough safety measures in the U.S. for running new nuclear power plants
C) there are already more nuclear power plants than necessary in the U.S.
D) the American government will not allow Japanese nuclear reactors to be installed in the U.S.
38. Any objection, however trivial it may be, can .
A) force the power companies to cancel the project
B) delay the construction or operation of a nuclear plant
C) cause a serious debate within the Nuclear Regulation Commission
D) take the builders to court
39. Governor Mario's chief intention in proposing the settlement was to .
A) stop the Shoreham plant from going into operation
B) help the power company to solve its financial problems
C) urge the power company to further increase its power supply
D) permit the shoreham plant to operate under certain conditions
40. The author's attitude towards the development of nuclear power is .
A) negative B) neutral C) positive D) questioning
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发表于 2016-7-11 18:39:49