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英语专业四级考试阅读理解占总题量的20%，由4至6篇文章组成，阅读材料总长度3 000个单词左右，要求学生的阅读速度达到每分钟120个单词。每篇文章后设4至5道单项选择题目，共计20道题，要求学生根据所读材料内容，从每道题的四个选择项中选出一个最佳答案，考试时间为25分钟。
练习：请试做下列英语专业四级阅读理解题，共四篇文章，总字数为2 944个单词（含20道题和80个选项），时间为25分钟，每分钟的阅读速度至少是117个单词，同时还要做完20道题，在做题时应尽量协调好阅读速度与理解质量的平衡。
PART V READING COMPREHENSION (25 MIN) （2005年真题）
In this section there are four passages followed by questions or unfinished statements, each with four suggested answers marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that you think is the best answer.
Mark your answers on your answer sheet.
It was 1961 and I was in the fifth grade. My marks in school were miserable and, the thing was, I didn't know enough to really care. My older brother and I lived with Mom in a dingy multi-family house in Detroit. We watched TV every night. The background noise of our lives was gunfire and horses' hoofs from "Wagon Train" or "Cheyenne", and laughter from "I Love Lucy" or "Mister Ed". After supper, we'd sprawl on Mom's bed and stare for hours at the tube.
But one day Mom changed our world forever. She turned off the TV. Our mother had only been able to get through third grade. But she was much brighter and smarter than we boys knew at the time. She had noticed something in the suburban houses she cleaned—books. So she came home one day, snapped off the TV, sat us down and explained that her sons were going to make something of themselves. "You boys are going to read two books every week," she said. "And you're going to write me a report on what you read."
We moaned and complained about how unfair it was. Besides, we didn't have any books in the house other than Mom's Bible. But she explained that we would go where the books were: "I'd drive you to the library."
So pretty soon, there were these two peevish boys sitting in her white 1959 Oldsmobile on their way to Detroit Public Library. I wandered reluctantly among the children's books. I loved animals, so when I saw some books that seemed to be about animals, I started leafing through them.
The first book I read clear through was Chip the Dam Builder. It was about beavers. For the first time in my life I was lost in another world. No television program had ever taken me so far away from my surroundings as did this verbal visit to a cold stream in a forest and these animals building a home.
It didn't dawn on me at the time, but the experience was quite different from watching TV. There were images forming in my mind instead of before my eyes. And I could return to them again and again with the flip of a page.
Soon I began to look forward to visiting this hushed sanctuary from my other world. I moved from animals to plants, and then to rocks. Between the covers of all those books were whole worlds, and I was free to go anywhere in them. Along the way a funny thing happened I started to know things. Teachers started to notice it too. I got to the point where I couldn't wait to get home to my books.
Now my older brother is an engineer and I am chief of pediatric neurosurgery at John Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore. Sometimes I still can't believe my life's journey, from a failing and indifferent student in a Detroit public school to this position, which takes me all over the world to teach and perform critical surgery.
But I know when the journey began: the day Mom snapped off the TV set and put us in
her Oldsmobile for that drive to the library. （字数：741 words，含问题的字数，以下同）
81. We can learn from the beginning of the passage that ____.
A. the author and his brother had done poorly in school
B. the author had been very concerned about his school work
C. the author had spent much time watching TV after school
D. the author had realized how important schooling was
82. Which of the following is NOT true about the author's family?
A. He came from a middle-class family.
B. He came from a single-parent family.
C. His mother worked as a cleaner.
D. His mother had received little education.
83. The mother was ____ to make her two sons switch to reading books.
A. hesitant
B. unprepared
C. reluctant
D. determined
84. How did the two boys feel about going to the library at first?
A. They were afraid.
B. They were reluctant.
C. They were indifferent.
D. They were eager to go.
85. The author began to love books for the following reasons EXCEPT that ____.
A. he began to see something in his mind
B. he could visualize what he read in his mind
C. he could go back to read the books again
D. he realized that books offered him new experience
Predicting the future is always risky. But it's probably safe to say that at least a few historians will one day speak of the 20th century as America's "Disney era". Today, it's certainly difficult to think of any other single thing that represents modern America as powerfully as the company that created Mickey Mouse. Globally, brands like Coca-Cola and McDonald's may be more widely-known, but neither encapsulates 20th-century America in quite the same way as Disney.
The reasons for Disney's success are varied and numerous, but ultimately the credit belongs to one person—the man who created the cartoon and built the company from nothing, Walt Disney. Ironically, he could not draw particularly well. But he was a genius in plenty of other respects. In business, his greatest skills were his insight and his management ability. After setting himself up in Hollywood, he single-handedly pioneered the concepts of branding and merchandising—something his company still does brilliantly today.
But what really distinguished Disney was his ability to identify with his audiences. Disney always made sure his films championed the "little guy", and made him feel proud to be American. This he achieved by creating characters that reflected the hopes and fears of ordinary people. Some celebrated American achievements—Disney's very first cartoon Plane Crazy, featuring a silent Mickey Mouse, was inspired by Charles Lindbergh's flight across the Atlantic. Others, like the There Little Pigs and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, showed how, through hard work and helping one's fellow man, or Americans could survive social and economic crises like the Great Depression.
Disney's other great virtue was the fact that his company—unlike other big corporations—had a human face. His Hollywood studio—the public heard—operated just like a democracy, where everyone was on first name terms and had a say in how things should be run. He was also regarded as a great patriot because not only did his cartoons celebrate America, but, during World War Ⅱ, studios made training films for American soldiers.
The reality, of course, was less idyllic. As the public would later learn, Disney's patriotism had an unpleasant side. After a strike by cartoonists in 1941, he became convinced that Hollywood had been infiltrated by Communists. He agreed to work for the FBI as a mole, identifying and spying on colleagues whom he suspected were subversives.
But, apart from his affiliations with the FBI, Disney was more or less the genuine article. A new book, The Magic Kingdom: Walt Disney and the American Way of Life, by Steven Watts, confirms that he was very definitely on the side of ordinary Americans—in the 30s and 40s he voted for Franklin Roosevelt, believing he was a champion of the workers. Also, Disney was not an apologist for the FBI, as some have suggested. In fact, he was always suspicious of large, bureaucratic organizations, as is evidenced in films like That Darned Cat, in which he portrayed FBI agents as bungling incompetents.
By the time he died in 1966, Walt Disney was an icon like Thomas Edison and the Wright Brothers. To business people and filmmakers, he was a role model; to the public at large, he was "Uncle Walt"—the man who had entertained them all their lives, the man who represented them all their lives, the man who represented all that was good about America. （字数：704 words）
86. Walt Disney is believed to possess the following abilities EXCEPT ____.
A. painting
B. creativity
C. management
D. merchandising
87. According to the passage, what was the pleasant side of Disney's patriotism?
A. He sided with ordinary Americans in his films.
B. He supported America's war efforts in his own way.
C. He had doubts about large, bureaucratic organizations.
D. He voted for Franklin Roosevelt in the 30s and 40s.
88. In the sixth paragraph the sentence "Disney was more or less the genuine article" means that ____.
A. Disney was a creative and capable person
B. Disney once agreed to work for the FBI
C. Disney ran his company in a democratic way
D. Disney was sympathetic with ordinary people
89. The writer's attitude toward Walt Disney can best be described as ____.
A. sympathetic
B. objective
C. critical
D. skeptical
Why do you listen to music? If you should put this question to a number of people, you might receive answers like these; "I like the beat of music", "I look for attractive tunefulness", "I am moved by the sound of choral singing", "I listen to music for many reasons but I could not begin to describe them to you clearly". Answers to this question would be many and diverse, yet almost no one would reply, "Music means nothing to me." To most of us, music means something; it evokes some response. We obtain some satisfaction in listening to music.
For many, the enjoyment of music does not remain at a standstill. We feel that we can get more satisfaction from the musical experience. We want to make closer contact with music in order to learn more of its nature; thus we can range more broadly and freely in the areas of musical style, form and expression. This book explores ways of achieving these objectives. It deals, of course, with the techniques of music, but only in order to show how technique is directed toward expressive aims in music and toward the listener's musical experience. In this way, we may get an idea of the composer's intentions, for indeed, the composer uses every musical device for its power to communi?cate and for its contribution to the musical experience.
Although everyone hears music differently, there is a common ground from which all musical ex?periences grow. That source is sound itself. Sound is the raw material of music. It makes up the body and substance of all musical activity. It is the point of departure in the musical experience.
The kinds of sound that can be used for musical purposes are amazingly varied. Throughout the cultures of the world, East and West, a virtually limitless array of sounds has been employed in the service of musical expression. Listen to Oriental theatre music, then to an excerpt from a Wagner work; these two are worlds apart in their qualities of sound as well as in almost every other feature, yet each says something of importance to some listeners. Each can stir a listener and evoke a re?sponse in him. All music, whether it is the pulsation of primitive tribal drums or the complex coordi?nation of voices and instruments in an opera, has this feature; it is based upon the power of sound to stir our senses and feelings.
Yet sound alone is not music. Something has to happen to the sound. It must move forward in time. Everything that takes place musically involves the movement of sound. If we hear a series of drumbeats, we receive an impression of movement from one stroke to the next. When sounds follow each other in a pattern of melody, we receive an impression of movement from one tone to the next. All music moves; and because it moves, it is associated with as fundamental truth of existence and ex?perience. We are stirred by impressions of movement because our very lives are constantly in move?ment. Breathing, the action of the pulse, growth, decay, the change of day and night, as well as the constant flow of physical action—these all testify to the fundamental role that movement plays in our lives. Music appeals to our desire and our need form movement. （字数：720 words）
90. The author indicates at the beginning of the passage that ____ .
A. people listen to music for similar reasons
B. reasons for listening to music are varied
C. some people don't understand music at all
D. purposes for listening to music can be specified
91. We can infer from the second paragraph that the book from which this excerpt is taken is mainly meant for ____.
A. listeners
B. composers
C. musicians
D. directors
92. According to the passage, enjoying music is not an end in itself because people hope to ____ through listening.
A. learn more musical devices
B. know more about composers
C. communicate more effectively
D. understand music better
93. What is the common ground for musical experience to develop?
A. Material.
B. Listening.
C. Sound.
D. Activity.
94. The importance of movement in music is explained by comparing it to ____.
A. a pattern of melody
B. a series of drumbeats
C. physical movement
D. existence and experience
Psychologists agree that I.Q. contributes only about 20 percent of the factors that determine success. A full 80 percent comes from other factors, including what I call emotional intelligence. Following are two of the major qualities that make up emotional intelligence, and how they can be developed：
1. Self-awareness. The ability to recognize a feeling as it happens is the keystone of emotional intelligence. People with greater certainty about their emotions are better pilots of their lives.
Developing self-awareness requires tuning in to what neurologist Antonio Damasio calls "gut feelings". Gut feelings can occur without a person being consciously aware of them. For example，when people who fear snakes are shown a picture of a snake, sensors on their skin will detect sweat, a sign of anxiety, even though the people say they do not feel fear. The sweat shows up even when a picture is presented so rapidly that the subject has no conscious awareness of seeing it.
Through deliberate effort we can become more aware of our gut feelings. Take someone who is annoyed by a rude encounter for hours after it occurred. He may be unaware of his irritability and surprised when someone calls attention to it. But if he evaluates his feelings, he can change them.
Emotional self-awareness is the building block of the next fundamental of emotional intelligence: being able to shake off a bad mood.
2. Mood management. Bad as well as good moods spice life and build character. The key is balance. We often have little control over when we are swept by emotion. But we can have some say in how long that emotion will last. Psychologist Dianne Tice asked more than 400 men and women about their strategies for escaping foul moods. Her research, along with that of other psychologists, provides valuable information on how to change a bad mood.
Of all the moods that people want to escape, rage seems to be the hardest to deal with. When someone in another car cuts you off on the highway, your reflexive thought may be: That jerk! He could have hit me! I can't let him get away with that! The more you stew, the angrier you get. Such is the stuff of hypertension and reckless driving.
What should you do to relieve rage? One myth is that ventilating will make you feel better. In fact, researchers have found that's one of the worst strategies. A more effective technique is "reframing", which means consciously reinterpreting a situation in a more positive light. In the case of the driver who cuts you off, you might tell yourself: Maybe he had some emergency. This is one of the most potent ways, Tice found, to put anger to rest.
Going off alone to cool down is also an effective way to refuse anger, especially if you can't think clearly. Tice found that a large proportion of men cool down by going for a drive—a finding that inspired her to drive more defensively. A safer alternative is exercise, such as taking a long walk. Whatever you do, don't waste the time pursuing your train of angry thoughts. Your aim should be to distract yourself.
The techniques of reframing and distraction can alleviate depression and anxiety as well as anger. Add to them such relaxation techniques as deep breathing and meditation and you have an arsenal of weapons against bad moods. （字数：779 words）
95. What are gut feelings?
A. They are feelings one is born with.
B. They are feelings one may be unaware of.
C. They are feelings of fear and anxiety.
D. They are feelings felt by sensible people.
96. According to the author, the importance of knowing one's gut feelings is that ____.
A. one can develop them
B. one can call others' attention to them
C. one may get rid of them
D. one may control them
97. The word "spice" in Paragraph Six is closest in meaning to ____.
A. add interest to
B. lengthen
C. make dull
D. bring into existence
98. On mood control, the author seems to suggest that we ____.
A. can control the occurrence of mood
B. are often unaware of what mood we are in
C. can determine the duration of mood
D. lack strategies for controlling moods
99. The essence of "reframing" is ____.
A. to forget the unpleasant situation
B. to adopt a positive attitude
C. to protect oneself properly
D. to avoid road accidents
100. What is the best title for the passage?
A. What is emotional intelligence?
B. How to develop emotional intelligence.
C. Strategies for getting rid of foul moods.
D. How to control one's gut feelings.
综述：这套阅读题中，从体裁上讲，第一篇文章为叙述文，第二和第三篇为议论文，第四篇为说明文。从内容上看，四篇文章涉及单亲家庭、迪斯尼乐园、音乐和情商。从问题的类型上看，第一篇叙述文的问题概括性的居多，需要学生通读全文以做出选择；后三篇是议论文和说明文，细节题较多，学生可以采取略读和扫读相结合的方法通过题干定位到原文进行解题，而不必通读全文，以确保在规定的时间内完成阅读部分的答题。四篇文章的答案如下：
答案：
81 – 85 CADBC
86 – 89 ABDB
90 – 94 BADCC
95 – 100 BDACBB