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教育部高等学校外语专业教学指导委员会2000年修订的《高等学校英语专业英语教学大纲》指出英语阅读能力是英语专业技能的核心部分。大纲对英语专业四级的阅读技能的规定和要求如下：
1. 能读懂难度相当于美国Newsweek的国际新闻报道；
2. 能读懂难度相当于Sons and Lovers的文学原著；
3. 要求在理解的基础上抓住要点，并能运用正确观点评价思想内容；
4. 阅读速度为每分钟120~180个单词，理解准确率不低于70%；
5. 能在5分钟内快速阅读1 000词左右、中等难度的文章并把握文章主旨。
请试读下列新闻报道并做题：
练习1
选自Los Angeles Times的原文 (2010年真题，TEXT C)
Graduation speeches are a bit like wedding toasts. A few are memorable. The rest tend to trigger such thoughts as, "Why did I wear such uncomfortable shoes?"
But graduation speeches are less about the message than the messenger. Every year a few colleges and universities in the US attract attention because they've managed to book high-profile speakers. And, every year, the media report some of these speakers' wise remarks.
Last month, the following words of wisdom were spread:
"You really haven't completed the circle of success unless you can help somebody else move forward." (Oprah Winfrey, Duke University).
"There is no way to stop change; change will come. Go out and give us a future worthy of the world we all wish to create together." (Hillary Clinton, New York University).
"This really is your moment. History is yours to bend." (Joe Biden, Wake Forest University).
Of course, the real "get" of the graduation season was first lady Michelle Obama's appearance at the University of California, Merced. "Remember that you are blessed," she told the class of 2009, "Remember that in exchange for those blessings, you must give something back... As advocate and activist Marian Wright Edelman says, ‘service is the rent we pay for living... it is the true measure, the only measure of success'."
Calls to service have a long, rich tradition in these speeches. However, it is possible for a graduation speech to go beyond cliché and say something truly compelling. The late writer David Foster Wallace's 2005 graduation speech at Kenyon College in Ohio talked about how to truly care about other people. It gained something of a cult after it was widely circulated on the Internet. Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs' address at Stanford University that year, in which he talked about death, is also considered one of the best in recent memory.
But when you're sitting in the hot sun, fidgety and freaked out, do you really want to be lectured about the big stuff? Isn't that like trying to maintain a smile at your wedding reception while some relative gives a toast that amounts to "marriage is hard work"? You know he's right; you just don't want to think about it at that particular moment. In fact, as is the case in many major life moments, you can't really manage to think beyond the blisters your new shoes are causing.
That may seem anticlimactic. But it also gets to the heart of one of life's greatest, saddest truths: that our most "memorable" occasions may elicit the fewest memories. It's probably not something most graduation speakers would say, but it's one of the first lessons of growing up.
1. According to the passage, most graduation speeches tend to recall ____ memories.
A. great
B. trivial
C. unforgettable
D. unimaginative
2. "But graduation speeches are less about the message than the messenger" is explained ____.
A. in the final paragraph
B. in the last but one paragraph
C. in the first paragraph
D. in the same paragraph
3. The graduation speeches mentioned in the passage are related to the following themes EXCEPT ____.
A. death
B. success
C. service
D. generosity
4. It is implied in the passage that at great moments people fail to ____.
A. remain clear-headed
B. keep good manners
C. remember others' words
D. recollect specific details
5. What is "one of the first lessons of growing up"?
A. Attending a graduation ceremony.
B. Listening to graduation speeches.
C. Forgetting details of memorable events.
D. Meeting high-profile graduation speakers.
答案：1 – 5 BDDCC
练习2
选自The Wall Street Journal的原文（2011年真题，TEXT C）
These days lots of young Japanese do omiai, literally, "meet and look". Many of them do so willingly. In today's prosperous and increasingly conservative Japan, the traditional omiai kekkon, or arranged marriage, is thriving.
But there is a difference: in the original omiai, the young Japanese couldn't reject the partner chosen by his parents and their middleman. After World War Ⅱ many Japanese abandoned the arranged marriage as part of their rush to adopt the more democratic ways of their American conquerors. The Western ren'ai kekkon, or love marriage became popular; Japanese began picking their own mates by dating and falling in love.
But the Western way was often found wanting in an important respect: it didn't necessarily produce a partner of the right economic, social and educational qualifications. "Today's young people are quite calculating," says Chieko Akiyama, a social commentator.
What seems to be happening now is a repetition of a familiar process in the country's history, the "Japanization" of an adopted foreign practice. The Western ideal of marrying for love is accommodated in a new omiai in which both parties are free to reject the match. "Omiai is evolving into a sort of stylized introduction," Mrs. Akiyama says.
Many young Japanese now date in their early twenties, but with no thought of marriage. When they reach the age—in the middle twenties for women, the late twenties for men—they increasingly turn to omiai. Some studies suggest that as many as 40% of marriages each year are omiai kekkon. It's hard to be sure, say those who study the matter, because many Japanese couples, when polled, describe their marriage as a love match even if it was arranged.
These days, doing omiai often means going to a computer matching service rather than to a nakodo. The nakodo of tradition was an old woman who knew all the kids in the neighbourhood and went around trying to pair them off by speaking to their parents; a successful match would bring her a wedding invitation and a gift of money. But Japanese today find it's less awkward to reject a proposed partner if the nakodo is a computer.
Japan has about five hundred computer matching services. Some big companies, including Mitsubishi, run one for their employees. At a typical commercial service, an applicant pays $80 to $125 to have his or her personal data stored in the computer for two years and $200 or so more if a marriage results. The stored information includes some obvious items, like education and hobbies, and some not-so-obvious ones, like whether a person is the oldest child. (First sons, and to some extent first daughters, face an obligation of caring for elderly parents.)
1. According to the passage, today's young Japanese prefer ____.
A. a traditional arranged marriage
B. a new type of arranged marriage
C. a Western love marriage
D. a more Westernized love marriage
2. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
A. A Western love marriage tends to miss some Japanese values.
B. Less attention is paid to the partner's qualification in arranged marriages.
C. Young Japanese would often calculate their partner's wealth.
D. A new arranged marriage is a repetition of the older type.
3. According to the passage, the figure 40% (Paragraph Five) is uncertain because ____.
A. there has been a big increase in the number of arranged marriages
B. Western love marriage still remains popular among young Japanese
C. young Japanese start dating very early in their life in a Western tradition
D. the tendency for arranged marriages could be stronger than is indicated
4. One of the big differences between a traditional nakodo and its contemporary version lies in the way ____.
A. wedding gifts are presented
B. a proposed partner is refused
C. formalities are arranged
D. the middleman/woman is chosen
5. What is the purpose of the last paragraph?
A. To tell the differences between an old and modern nakodo.
B. To provide some examples for the traditional nakodo.
C. To offer more details of the computerized nakodo.
D. To sum up the main ideas and provide a conclusion.
答案：1 – 5 BADCC
练习3
选自Guardian的原文
Felicity Lawrence, in her article on the Royal Society's science-based study on food security, reported the comments of the anti-GM lobby, which claimed that the research would be "of limited value" and questioned why it was needed.
The research was needed, however, and should be welcomed, because food security is one of the biggest challenges we face, and we must find ways in which to produce more food while continuing to reduce the impact our agricultural practices have on the environment. Britain has a key role to play in helping to deliver this solution; however, as widely acknowledged, our current methods of production will not be sufficient to meet the increasing demand.
Lawrence wrote of the "concentration of corporate power" regarding GM crops. In fact, GM technology has done much to empower small farmers—over 90% of those who choose to use GM crops are small-scale farmers living in developing countries. They grow them because they work, contributing to exactly the kind of "sustainable intensification" which the Royal Society called for—producing more food from a lighter environmental footprint.
Additionally, it's worth noting that GM technology is highly accessible to small as well as large companies, and to university and public sector researchers, who have already developed GM crops of great potential value, such as virus-resistant papaya, insect-resistant vegetables for India, and vitamin-enriched "golden" rice.
A recent Belgian study reported that "on average, two-thirds of the global benefited are shared ‘downstream', i.e., among domestic and foreign farmers and consumers, while only one-third is extracted ‘upstream', i.e., by biotechnology developers and seed suppliers." In addition, a study published by Terri Raney, senior economist of the food and agriculture Organization of the UN, recently pointed out: "The benefits are shared by consumers, technology suppliers and adopting farmers, although non-adopting farmers are penalized as their competitors achieve efficiency gains they are denied."
With that sentiment in mind, Britain should be pursuing a policy that recognizes the demonstrable benefits that agricultural technology, including GM, can bring.
If we are serious about allowing UK farmers to produce more food at a fair price to consumers while safeguarding our natural resources, they must be given the freedom to choose modern, efficient farming methods based on tried and tested science.
Sadly, the article gave voice to those scaremongering about GM crops (particularly those who question the crops' safely, even though more than two trillion meals containing GM ingredients have been consumed, without a single substantiated example of harm to health). The world has moved on, and it's time the anti-science activists did too.
1. What is the main purpose of the passage?
A. To support the opinion in Felicity Lawrence's article.
B. To emphasize the merits of GM food and technology.
C. To criticize those anti-GM activists for their false argument.
D. To urge the government to recognize the benefit of GM crops.
2. The second and third paragraphs emphasize the following advantages of GM crops EXCEPT ____.
A. they help to alleviate food shortage
B. they are environmentally-friendly
C. they can provide us with sufficient food
D. they contribute to food security
3. What can be inferred from Paragraph 5?
A. Advanced agricultural technology has failed to attract enough attention.
B. Consumers are the biggest winners in the distribution of global benefits.
C. The global agricultural benefits are shared equally among farmers.
D. The result of the UN study is in contrast with that of the Belgian study.
4. The author suggests that the UK government should ____.
A. give absolute freedom to the farmers in their choice of farming methods
B. strike a balance between environmental protection and agriculture production
C. allow farmers to produce more food from a lighter environmental footprint
D. introduce a specific policy to ensure and spread the use of GM technology
5. Which word may the author use to describe the anti-science activists?
A. Deceptive.
B. Clueless.
C. Silly.
D. Unreasonable.
答案：1 – 5 DCADD
综述：近年的英语专业四级考试阅读部分从英语国家报纸杂志选材的趋势越来越明显，而所选原文多为议论文或叙述议论文。
请试读下列小说片段并做题：
练习1 2001年真题，TEXT A
The train clattered over points and passed through a station.
Then it began suddenly to slow down, presumably in obedience to a signal. For some minutes it crawled along, then stopped; presently it began to move forward again. Another uptrain passed them, though with less vehemence than the first one. The train gathered speed again. At that moment another train, also on a down-line, swerved inwards towards them, for a moment with almost alarming effect. For a time the two trains ran parallel, now one gaining a little, now the other. Mrs. McGillicuddy looked from her window through the windows of the parallel carriages. Most of the blinds were down, but occasionally the occupants of the carriages were visible. The other train was not very full and there were many empty carriages.
At the moment when the two trains gave the illusion of being stationary, a blind in one of the carriages flew up with a snap. Mrs. McGillicuddy looked into the lighted first-class carriage that was only a few feet away.
Then she drew her breath in with a gasp and half-rose to her feet.
Standing with his back to the window and to her was a man. His hands were round the throat of a woman who faced him, and he was slowly, remorselessly, strangling her. Her eyes were starting from their sockets, her face was purple. As Mrs. McGillicuddy watched, fascinated, the end came; the body went limp and crumpled in the man's hands.
At the same moment, Mrs. McGillicuddy's train slowed down again and the other began to gain speed. It passed forward and a moment or two later it bad vanished from sight.
Almost automatically Mrs. McGillicuddy's hand went up to the communication cord, then paused, irresolute. After all, what use would it be ringing the cord of the train in which she was travelling? The horror of what she had seen at such close quarters, and the unusual circumstances, made her feel paralysed. Some immediate action was necessary—but what?
The door of her compartment was drawn back and a ticket collector said, "Ticket, please."
1. When Mrs. McGuillicuddy's train passed through a station, it ____.
A. gained speed suddenly
B. kept its usual speed
C. changed its speed
D. stopped immediately
2. Mrs. McGuillicuddy seems to be a(an) ____person.
A. observant
B. interested
C. nosy
D. nervous
3. What she saw in the parallel train made her feel ____.
A. excited
B. anxious
C. worried
D. horrified
4. She didn't ring the communication cord immediately because ____.
A. she was very much afraid
B. there was no point of doing so
C. she was too shocked to move
D. the ticket collector came in
答案：1– 4 CADB
练习 2 《简·爱》节选，2006年真题，TEXT C
For several days I saw little of Mr. Rochester. In the morning he seemed much occupied with business, and in the afternoon gentlemen from the neighborhood called and sometimes stayed to dine with him. When his foot was well enough, he rode out a great deal.
During this time, all my knowledge of him was limited to occasional meetings about the house, when he would sometimes pass me coldly, and sometimes bow and smile. His changes of manner did not offend me, because I saw that I had nothing to do with the cause of them.
One evening, several days later, I was invited to talk to Mr. Rochester after dinner. He was sitting in his armchair, and looked not quite so severe, and much less gloomy. There was a smile on his lips, and his eyes were bright, probably with wine. As I was looking at him, he suddenly turned, and asked me: "Do you think I'm handsome, Miss Eyre?"
The answer somehow slipped from my tongue before I realized it: "No, sir."
"Ah, you really are unusual! You are a quiet, serious little person, but you can be almost rude."
"Sir, I'm sorry. I should have said that beauty doesn't matter, or something like that."
"No, you shouldn't! I see, you criticize my appearance, and then you stab me in the back! You have honesty and feeling. There are not many girls like you. But perhaps I go too fast. Perhaps you have awful faults to counterbalance your few good points."
I thought to myself that he might have too. He seemed to read my mind, and said quickly, "Yes, you're right. I have plenty of faults. I went the wrong way when I was twenty-one, and have never found the right path again. I might have been very different. I might have been as good as you, and perhaps wiser. I am not a bad man, take my word for it, but I have done wrong. It wasn't my character, but circumstances which were to blame. Why do I tell you all this? Because you're the sort of person people tell their problems and secrets to, because you're sympathetic and give them hope."
It seemed he had quite a lot to talk to me. He didn't seem to like to finish the talk quickly, as was the case for the first time.
"Don't be afraid of me, Miss Eyre." He continued. "You don't relax or laugh very much, perhaps because of the effect Lowood school has had on you. But in time you will be more natural with me, and laugh, and speak freely. You're like a bird in a cage. When you get out of the cage, you'll fly very high. Good night."
91. At the beginning Miss Eyre's impressions of Mr. Rochester were all EXCEPT ____.
A. busy
B. sociable
C. friendly
D. changeable
92. In "… and all my knowledge of him was limited to occasional meetings about the house,"(the second paragraph), the word "about" means ____.
A. around
B. on
C. outside
D. concerning
93. Why did Mr. Rochester say "... and then you stab me in the back!"(the seventh paragraph)?
A. Because Jane had intended to kill him with a knife.
B. Because Jane had intended to be more critical.
C. Because Jane had regretted having talked to him.
D. Because Jane had said something else to correct herself.
94. From what Mr. Rochester told Miss Eyre, we can conclude that he wanted to ____.
A. tell her all his troubles
B. tell her his life experience
C. change her opinion of him
D. change his circumstances
95. At the end of the passage, Mr. Rochester sounded ____.
A. rude
B. cold
C. friendly
D. encouraging
答案：91 – 95 CADCD
综述：从上面两篇文章的设题思路可以看出，小说类的问题多考查人物性格、感受、态度以及语言含义等方面，因此推断题、语义题和态度题占相当比例。