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英语专业四级考试大纲中对阅读文章的题材和体裁规定如下：
⯈ 题材广泛，包括社会、科技、文化、学习、常识、人物传记等。
⯈ 体裁多样，包括记叙文、描写文、说明文、议论文、广告、说明书、图表等。
⯈ 阅读材料的语言难度中等。
回顾了大纲的基本要求，下面我们具体看一下近些年来专四阅读真题文章的具体内容和题材：
总结：通过对近年专四阅读真题的分析，我们可以看出，历年专四阅读文章的内容十分广泛，题材涉及人物故事、文化、社会现象、日常生活、教育、科普、名著选段和商业经济8个方面。
英语专业四级考试阅读文章各题材所占篇数和比例
总结：人物故事、文化和社会现象这三类题材的文章占到总比例的51.3%，重要程度不容忽视。日常生活、教育、科普和名著选段类文章比例较平均，分别为13.5%、10.8%、10.8%和10.8%。商业经济类题材考查频率不高，仅在2013年考过一篇商业经济类文章。
人物故事，顾名思义就是讲述人物的故事，一般为第一人称的记叙文，多为人物经历或其遭遇等的记叙和描述。
(1) As I write this, I have half an eye on an old James Bond film that is showing on my computer. But this is a story about how I stopped watching TV and began reading again for pleasure, after ten years in which I hardly turned a page.
(2) I suppose I was an avid reader of “literature” between the ages of nine and fourteen. I had enough time to be White Fang, Robinson Crusoe, and Bilbo Baggins and Jeeves. Of course there was room in the schoolboy's imagination for some real historical figures: Scott of the Antarctic, all of the Vikings, and Benjamin Franklin were good friends of mine.
(3) Then, in adolescence, I began a long search for strange and radical ideas. I wanted to challenge my elders and betters, and stir up my peers with amazing points of view. Of course, the only place to look was in books. [41] I hunted out the longest titles and the authors with the funniest names, and scoured the library for completely unread books. Then I found one which became my bible for the whole of 1982. It had a title composed of eleven long words and an author whose name I didn't know how to pronounce. [41] It was really thick and looked dead serious. Even better, it put forward a whole world-view that would take days to explain. Perfect. I took it out of the library three times, proud to see the date-stamps lined up on the empty library insert.
(4) Later, I went to university. Expecting to spend long evenings in learned discussion with clever people, I started reading philosophy. For some reason I never found the deep-thinking intellectuals I hoped to meet. Anyway, I was ready to impress with my profound knowledge of post-structuralism and existentialism. These things are usually explained in rather short books, but they take a long time to get through. They were the end of my youthful reading.
(5) Working life was hard to get used to after so much theory. It was the end of books for me. There didn't seem to be much in books that would actually get things done. To do things you had to answer the telephone and work a computer. You had to travel about and speak to people who weren't at all interested in philosophy. [42] I didn't stop reading; you can't avoid that. I read all day. But no books came my way, only manuals and pamphlets and contracts and documents. Maybe most people satisfy their need for stories and ideas with TV and, to tell the truth, it was all I needed for ten years. In those days I only had a book “on the go” for the duration of plane flights. At first I would come home and watch TV over dinner. Then, I moved the TV so I could watch it from bed. I even rigged up a switch so I could turn it off without getting out of bed. Then, one fateful day, my TV broke and my landlady took it away.
(6) My new TV is an extra circuit board inside my computer. It's on a desk in front of a working chair and I can't see it from the bed. I still use it for the weather forecasts and it's nice to have it on while I'm typing this... but what to do last thing at night? Well, have another go with books.
(7) [43] Now, I just like books. I have a pile of nice ones by my bed and I'm reading about six simultaneously. I don't want to BE any of the characters. I don't care if a thousand people have already read them. I don't have to search through libraries. There are books everywhere and all of them have something to read in them. I have the strange feeling that they've been there all along, waiting for me to pick them up.
41. We learn from the author's reading habit in adolescence that he liked ______.
A. unread and serious books
B. real historical figures
C. works of literature
D. works of philosophy
42. What was reading like in the author's working life?
A. Philosophy was still his favorite.
B. Reading was short and practical.
C. Reading was completely abandoned.
D. Television had replaced his reading.
43. It can be concluded from Para. 7 that the author ______.
A. spends much time reading
B. is hardly serious about reading
C. still likes unread books
D. has resumed his reading habit
答案速查 41. A 42. B 43. D
答案句译文
[41] I hunted out the longest titles and the authors with the funniest names, and scoured the library for completely unread books.
我竭尽全力搜罗最长的书名以及名字最有意思的作者，在图书馆查个遍，去找完全没人读过的书。
[41] It was really thick and looked dead serious. Even better, it put forward a whole world-view that would take days to explain. Perfect. I took it out of the library three times, proud to see the date-stamps lined up on the empty library insert.
它（这本书）极厚，看起来很严肃。更棒的是，它提出了一种完整的世界观，需要数天时间才能解释清楚。完美极了。我把它借出图书馆三次，看到日戳整齐排列在原本空白的图书借阅插卡上，我感到十分骄傲。
[42] I didn't stop reading; you can't avoid that. I read all day. But no books came my way, only manuals and pamphlets and contracts and documents.
我一直在阅读，没有停，这无可否认。我一整天都在阅读，只不过我读的不是书，而只是说明书、小册子、合同和文件。
[43] Now, I just like books. I have a pile of nice ones by my bed and I'm reading about six simultaneously.
现在，我只喜欢书。我的床边有一堆不错的书，我同时在读的大约有六本。
① 把握考查点
人物故事题材的文章多为记叙文，讲述的是发生在某人身上的故事。该题材的文章故事性强，趣味性也比较强，理解起来相对容易一些。
考生应特别注意捕捉文章中的六大要素，即人物（who）、事件（what）、时间（when）、地点（where）、原因（why）和方式（how），以抓住故事发展的脉络，理解全文。
② 注意出题顺序
人物故事题材的文章，其题目顺序一般与文章顺序一致，即第一题在文章开头，第二、三题位于文章主体部分，最后一题在文章结尾处。但也有例外，如果文章整体较为简单，出题者就会打乱问题次序以提高题目难度，不过这种情况较为少见。
③ 归纳主题常用词汇
⯈ 真题中出现过的人物故事类词汇
accompany vt. 陪同；伴随
annoy vt. 使烦恼，使恼怒
Antarctic n. 南极地区；南极洲
assure vt. 使确信，使放心；确保
avid adj. 劲头十足的，热衷的
bargain vi. 讲价
braid vt. 把……编成辫子
bunch n. 束，捆
clatter vi.（使某物）连续发出咔嗒声
composed adj. 平静的，镇定的
cord n. 绳子
corrupt vt. 破坏，损坏
count against 不利于
crawl vi. 缓慢行进
crucial adj. 至关重要的
crumpled adj. 弯扭的，褶皱的
cursor n. 光标
damp adj. 潮湿的
delicate adj. 精巧的
detention n. 扣留
duration n. 期间
ease n. 悠闲
fascinated adj. 慑住的，着迷的
fateful adj. 有重大（负面）影响的，灾难性的
flight attendant 空中服务员
flutter v. 飘动
frozen adj. 冻结的
furtive adj. 鬼鬼祟祟的
gasp n. 深吸气，倒抽气
generous adj. 慷慨的
gesture v. 做手势
hunt out搜寻，找出
integral adj. 不可或缺的
intellectual n. 知识分子
irresolute adj. 犹豫不决的
irritable adj. 易怒的，急躁的
Laos n. 老挝
Laotian n. 老挝人
leg irons 脚镣
legitimate adj. 合法的
limp adj. 软弱无力的
manual n. 手册，指南
marketplace n. 集市
monsoon n. 季风；（南亚地区的）雨季
obedience n. 服从，顺从
occupant n. 居住者，占有人
ordeal n. 折磨；严峻考验
pamphlet n. 小册子
parlour n. 客厅
perspective n. 视角
possession n. 个人财产
preinstall vt. 提前安装
presumably adv. 大概，可能
radical adj. 激进的；不同凡响的
random adj. 随意的
remorselessly adv. 冷酷地
ribbon n. 丝带
rig up仓促建起
scoop vt. 用铲（勺）等挖
scream v. 尖叫
shield n. 保护
snatch v. 夺去；抢走
socket n. 孔，穴
squeak n. 短促的尖叫声
startle vt. 使惊吓
stationary adj. 静止的
stir up激起，挑起
strangle vt. 扼死，勒死
suppose v. 猜想
swerve vi. 突然转向
tatter v. 撕碎
tolerance n. 宽容，容忍
trespassing n. 非法入侵
turmoil n. 焦虑
undertaking n.（尤指艰巨的）任务
valid adj. 有法律效力的
vehemence n. 强烈，猛烈
wrap vt. 包，裹
yearn v. 渴望，渴求
我们这里定义的文化包含信仰、语言、风俗习惯及各种社会制度等细分类别，下面是近年真题中出现的文化题材的文章。
(1) I've written this article and you're reading it. So we are members of the same club. We're both literate—we can read and write. And we both probably feel that literacy is essential to our lives. But millions of people all over the world are illiterate. Even in industrialised Western countries, such as the UK and the USA, approximately 20% of the population have “low literacy levels”. But what exactly does that mean?
(2) My parents both left school at 14. [47] They could read and write, but except for a quick look at the daily newspaper, reading and writing didn't play a big part in their lives. There were very few books in the house. My mother was amazed because the woman who lived next door always wrote a list of what she needed before she went to the supermarket. Why couldn't she remember? We laughed about that for weeks. Our family didn't write lists! And when I was only 14 years old my father gave me an important letter that he'd written to the bank and asked me to check it for grammar and spelling mistakes. And there were quite a lot. He never usually wrote letters or postcards or even Christmas cards. So when he had to write he wasn't comfortable or confident. Does that mean that my father had a “low level of literacy”? I don't think so.
(3) There are lots of different definitions of literacy. Some experts define it as having the reading and writing skills that you need to be independent in your everyday life. So, for example, if you can read instructions, write a cheque, fill in a form, —anything that you need to do in everyday life— [48] then you are “functionally literate” .
(4) Other people say that [48] you are illiterate if you think that you are illiterate. In other words, if you feel that you can't read or write as well as you would like to.
(5) [48] If you live in a society where most people are literate, then you will feel ashamed or embarrassed and avoid situations in which you have to read or write. The father of a friend of mine finally admitted to his family that he couldn't read when he was 45 years old. He bought the newspaper every day and pretended to read it—and believe it or not, his family had no idea.
(6) We often forget that writing is a recent invention. Many years ago, the word “literate” meant being able to communicate well in speaking, in other words what we now call “articulate”. Story telling was an important activity in the past and still is today in some societies. [49] Reading was often a co-operative activity—someone would read aloud to a group, often from a religious text such as the Koran or the Bible.
(7) Only a hundred years ago, in the United States, you were considered to be literate if you could sign your name to a piece of paper. It was an important skill. You were not allowed to vote if you couldn't sign the voting register, so literacy was connected with political rights, and many people were excluded from the democratic process.
(8) Nowadays we see reading and writing as being connected, but that wasn't so in the past. Many people could read, but not write. Writing was a skilled profession. If you needed something written then you paid an expert to write it for you.
(9) And of course, rich and important people have always employed people to write things for them. Important company bosses dictated letters to their secretaries or personal assistants. And now with new computer software you can dictate directly to your computer.
(10) [50] Being illiterate can have a big effect on people's lives. For example, a study in the UK showed that people who write and spell badly are seen as careless, immature and unreliable, and often unintelligent. So it is more difficult for them to find jobs, even when reading and writing are not necessary for the work.
(11) [50] World-wide statistics show that literacy problems are associated with poverty and a lack of political power. More women than men are illiterate. Illiterate people have worse health, bigger families and are more likely to go to prison. So literacy campaigns must be a good thing. But don't forget that an illiterate person, or someone with a low level of literacy, isn't necessarily stupid or ignorant, and may not be unhappy at all. Knowledge and wisdom isn't only found in writing.
47. Why does the author give two examples in Para. 2?
A. To show that literacy is interpreted in different ways.
B. To show that Father was more literate than Mother.
C. To indicate how important reading and writing are.
D. To compare the level of literacy between neighbours.
48. According to the author, the following are some of the defining features of literacy EXCEPT ______.
A. psychological
B. functional
C. social
D. independent
49. Which of the following statements about reading and writing is CORRECT?
A. Reading and writing have always been regarded as equally difficult.
B. People had to read and write well in order to be allowed to vote.
C. Reading often requires more immediate interaction than writing.
D. Reading and writing have always been viewed as being connected.
50. What do the last two paragraphs mainly focus on (Paras. 10 and 11)?
A. Effects of illiteracy and employment problems.
B. Effects of illiteracy and associated problems.
C. Effects of illiteracy on one's personality development.
D. Effects of illiteracy on women's career development.
答案速查 47. A 48. D 49. C 50. B
答案句译文
[47] They could read and write, but except for a quick look at the daily newspaper, reading and writing didn't play a big part in their lives.
他们可以读和写，但除了快速浏览日报外，阅读和写作在他们的生活中没起到重要作用。
[48] ...then you are “functionally literate”.
……那么你就是“功能性识字”。
[48] ...you are illiterate if you think that you are illiterate.
……如果你觉得自己是文盲，那么你就是文盲。
[48] If you live in a society where most people are literate, then you will feel ashamed...
如果你生活在一个大多数人都有文化的社会，那么你会感到羞愧……
[49] Reading was often a co-operative activity—someone would read aloud to a group, often from a religious text such as the Koran or the Bible.
阅读通常是一种合作活动——有人会对着一群人大声朗读，通常是读古兰经或圣经等宗教经文。
[50] Being illiterate can have a big effect on people's lives.
不会读写会对人们的生活造成很大影响。
[50] World-wide statistics show that literacy problems are associated with poverty and a lack of political power.
全球统计数据显示，文化程度问题与贫穷和缺乏政治权力相关。
① 把握考查点
文化题材的文章一般为说明文和议论文，知识性和故事性较强，与考生所学知识息息相关。
该题材的文章主要考查考生对细节的把握，也涉及对作者及他人观点和态度的考查。考生可以从其常考题型着手，提高做题效率。
② 熟悉背景知识
语言是文化的载体，每种语言都会体现出特定民族的历史、传统、风俗、宗教以及思维方式等，英语也不例外。如果缺乏对其背景知识的了解，就难以正确理解文章中的某些习惯表达，因此在平时要注意积累西方文化背景知识，了解相关背景知识对考生扩展视野、提高解题能力大有帮助。
③ 归纳主题常用词汇
考生在平时做题时可归纳出一些与文化相关的常用词汇，这将有助于减少阅读障碍，提高阅读速度和对文章的理解能力。
⯈ 真题中出现过的文化类词汇
abbreviated adj. 简短的
acquaintance n. 熟人
acute adj. 敏锐的；严峻的
addiction n. 附加
adjacent adj. 邻近的
adjust v. 适应；调整；校正
affiliation n. 隶属关系；从属
alert adj. 警戒的，警惕的
alight adj. 点着的，照亮的
amber n. 琥珀色
anticipate vt. 先于……行动；预料
articulate adj. 善于表达的
artificial adj. 人造的，人工的
ash n. 灰
astrologer n. 占星家
attach vt. 贴上，系，附上
awe n. 敬畏，惊惧，惊叹
bellboy n. 男侍者
betrayal n. 背叛，出卖
blare v. 刺耳地大声鸣响
booklet n. 小册子
bracket n. 括号
bureaucratic adj. 官僚政治的
campaign n. 运动
canal n. 运河
column n. 专栏
commoner n. 平民
communal adj. 公用的，公共的
consumption n. 消费
contemplate v. 凝视；沉思
convict vt. 宣判有罪；证明……有罪
coupon n. 配给券，优惠券
courtyard n. 庭院，院子
craft n. 工艺，手艺
cruise v. 乘船巡游
curiosity n. 好奇
decoration n. 装饰
deed n. 行动，行为
democratic adj. 民主的
demonstrate v. 说明，演示
descend v. 下降
dictate vt. 口述
dignity n. 尊严，高贵
doom vt. 注定，判定
dread n. 恐惧，畏惧
dwelling n. 住所，公寓
dye n. 染料，染色
element n. 元素
emerge v. 出现，显露
encapsulate vt. 压缩
enclosure n. 圈占，围绕
enormously adv. 巨大地
epithet n. 别称，绰号
eternal adj. 永远的
exclude vt. 把……排除在外
execute vt. 执行
extrovert n. 性格外向的人
flap v. 飘动，拍动
foul adj. 难闻的，发臭的
frustration n. 令人懊丧的事物
functionally adv. 功能地
funk music乡土爵士乐；放克音乐
genuine adj. 真的，非人造的
gravity n. 庄严
guilty adj. 有罪的
hairdresser n. 发型师
haze n. （烟尘等的）雾霭
heal v. 康复，复原
herculean adj. 艰巨的
hieroglyphics n. 象形文字
hitchhiker n. 搭便车旅行者
horseshoe n. 马蹄铁
hospitality n. 好客
hum n. 嗡嗡声
humiliation n. 丢脸；耻辱
identity n. 身份
idyllic adj. 闲适恬静的
ignorant adj. 无知的
illusion n. 幻觉
inappropriate adj. 不适当的
incompetent n. 无能力者
incredibly adv. 难以置信地
industrialized adj. 工业化的
infiltrate v. 渗透，浸入
instant adj. 速食的
insult v. 侮辱，冒犯
interdependence n. 相互依赖
ironically adv. 讽刺地
irrational adj. 不理性的
jovial adj. 快乐的
Koran n. 古兰经
languidly adv. 慢悠悠地
literate adj. 有读写能力的；受过良好教育的
merchandise vt. 推销，经销
metaphor n. 暗喻，隐喻
mole n. 间谍，内奸
monotonously adv. 单调地
motto n. 格言，座右铭
mystical adj. 神秘的
nail vt. 钉住，钉牢
Nazi n. 纳粹党人，纳粹分子
neat adj. 整洁的
newsprint n. 新闻纸
occupational adj. 职业的
on the way out 即将过时
optional adj. 选择的
outstretch vt. 伸出，张开
patio n. 露台，平台
patronymic adj. 源自父名的
perilous adj. 危险的，冒险的
permissible adj. 可允许的
picturesque adj. 风景如画的
pile n. 一堆
piston n. 活塞
pit n. 井；深洞；深坑
post n. 柱，杆，桩
progression n. （事件的）连续，一系列
prohibition n. 禁止
psychiatrist n. 精神病医师
quick-witted adj. 富有机智的，机敏的
rattle v. 咔嗒咔嗒地响
reckless adj. 鲁莽的
register n. 登记表
rehearse v. 彩排
render vt. 提交；给予
retain vt. 保持，保留
rigidly adv. 严格地
rustle v. 发出沙沙声
sane adj. 明智的，理智的
savage n. 未开化的人
scorn n. 轻蔑，嘲笑
script n. 剧本，脚本 v. 写剧本
scrupulously adv. 小心翼翼地
seal vt. 封口
secure adj. 安全的，稳妥的
shaft n. 轴；杆，柄
sharpie n. 狡猾的人
significance n. 意义；意思
siren n.（危险的）诱惑
slot n. 孔
specialization n. 特殊化，专门化
spite n. 恶意，怨恨
squander vt. 浪费，挥霍
statistics n. 统计数字
steadily adv. 稳固地，平稳地
stereotype n. 陈腔滥调，老套
stifling adj. 沉闷的；令人窒息的
strikingly adv. 醒目地，显著地，惊人地
substitute n. 替代物，代用品
subversive n. 危险分子；颠覆分子
superstition n. 迷信，迷信行为
tactic n. 方法，策略
tantalize vt. 逗弄；使干着急
tape vt. 用带子捆起来
tease v. 戏弄
testify v. 证明，证实
ting v. 发出叮叮声
toil vi. 跋涉
torment vt. 使……备受折磨
trail v.（使某物）被拖在后面
transaction n. 事务，事项
tremble vi. 发抖
trivial adj. 琐碎的；没有价值的
ultimately adv. 最终
variable adj. 变化的，可变的
variation n. 变化，变动（的程度）
vocational adj. 职业的
wary adj. 谨慎的
wearisome adj. 令人厌烦的
whirr n. 呼呼声
widespread adj. 普遍的
社会现象这一题材涉及的范围较广，包括社会生活的方方面面，如社会犯罪、社会变化、趋向走势等社会方面的问题或现象。
(1) Life can be tough for immigrants in America. As a Romanian bank clerk in Atlanta puts it, to find a good job “you have to be like a wolf in the forest—able to smell out the best meat.” And if you can't find work, don't expect the taxpayer to bail you out. Unlike in some European countries, it is extremely hard for an able-bodied immigrant to live off the state. A law passed in 1996 explicitly bars most immigrants, even those with legal status, from receiving almost any federal benefits.
(2) That is one reason why America absorbs immigrants better than many other rich countries, according to a new study by the University of California. The researchers sought to measure the effect of immigration on the native-born in 20 rich countries, taking into account differences in skills between immigrants and natives, imperfect labor markets and the size of the welfare state in each country.
(3) Their results offer ammunition for fans of more open borders. In 19 out of 20 countries, the authors calculated that shutting the doors entirely to foreign workers would make the native-born worse off. Never mind what it would do to the immigrants themselves, who benefit far more than anyone else from being allowed to cross borders to find work.
(4) The study also suggests that most countries could handle more immigration than they currently allow. In America, a one-percentage point increase in the proportion of immigrants in the population made the native-born 0.05% better off. [41/43] The opposite was true in some countries with generous or ill-designed welfare states, however. A one-point rise in immigration made the native-born slightly worse off in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland. In Belgium, immigrants who lose jobs can receive almost two-thirds of their most recent wage in state benefits, which must make the hunt for a new job less urgent.
(5) None of these effects was large, but the study undermines the claim that immigrants steal jobs from natives or drag down their wages. [43] Many immigrants take jobs that Americans do not want, the study finds. This “smooths” the labor market and ultimately creates more jobs for locals. [42] Native-owned grocery stores do better business because there are immigrants to pick the fruit they sell. Indian computer scientists help American software firms expand. A previous study found that because immigrants typically earn less than locals with similar skills, they boost corporate profits, prompting companies to grow and hire more locals.
41. Increase in immigration in Austria fails to improve locals’ life mainly because of ______.
A. inadequate skills of immigrants
B. imperfect labor markets
C. low wages for locals
D. the design of the welfare system
42. Who will favor the study results by researchers from the University of California?
A. People who have legal status.
B. People who run business.
C. People who receive state benefits.
D. People who are willing to earn less.
43. It can be inferred from the passage that the author's attitude is ______ towards immigration.
A. cautiously favorable
B. slightly negative
C. strongly negative
D. quite ambiguous
答案速查 41. D 42. B 43. A
答案句译文
[41/43] The opposite was true in some countries with generous or ill-designed welfare states, however. A one-point rise in immigration made the native-born slightly worse off in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland.
在一些福利优渥或福利制度设计不当的国家中，情况却恰恰相反。在奥地利、比利时、德国、卢森堡、荷兰、瑞典和瑞士，移民占比每上升1个百分点，本国居民的生活水平就会略有下降。
[42] Native-owned grocery stores do better business because there are immigrants to pick the fruit they sell. Indian computer scientists help American software firms expand. A previous study found that because immigrants typically earn less than locals with similar skills, they boost corporate profits, prompting companies to grow and hire more locals.
当地人经营的杂货店之所以生意更好，是因为有移民来帮他们摘水果以供出售。来自印度的计算机科学家帮助美国软件公司扩张。一项早期的研究发现，拥有同等水平技能的移民挣得通常比当地人少，因此移民提高了企业利润，推动了企业发展，使得企业能雇佣更多的当地人。
[43] Many immigrants take jobs that Americans do not want, the study finds. This “smooths” the labor market and ultimately creates more jobs for locals.
研究发现，许多移民从事美国人不愿意做的工作。这使得劳动力市场更“平稳”，最终为当地人创造了更多的就业机会。
① 把握考查点
社会现象题材涉及的方面较广，大多为议论文。考生平时应该多听、多读此类文章，积累背景知识，这有助于考场上的发挥。对于不能直接找到答案的题目，考生可以通过对文章体裁的把握，对其考查的内容进行大致预测。
② 注意信息定位
社会现象题材的文章与人们的社会生活息息相关，因此理解起来相对会容易一些。做题时注意从时间、地点和事件三方面定位，因为问题通常会围绕这三个要素展开。
③ 归纳主题常用词汇
社会现象涉及的问题广泛，所以相对来说，常用词汇的种类也比较多。
⯈ 真题中出现过的社会现象类词汇
able-bodied adj. 体格健全的
absent-mindedness n. 心不在焉
aggressive adj. 侵略的；攻击性的
amateur n. 业余人士
ammunition n. 信息，事实
amusing adj. 有趣的
ankle n. 踝
arrest vt. 逮捕，拘捕
bail...out 帮助……摆脱困境
bar vt. 阻止，禁止
barber n. 理发师
batter v. 连续猛击；殴打
bind v. 捆绑
breed v. 生育，繁殖
chore n. 家庭杂务
city-dweller n. 城市居住者
command v. 掌握，支配
commute v. 通勤
complicated adj. 复杂的
compromise n. 妥协
confused adj. 混乱的
contrary adj. 相反的，相违的
coop...up 把……拘禁起来
court n. 法庭，法院
cyclical adj. 轮转的，循环的
delay n. 耽搁，延迟
deliberate adj. 故意的，蓄意的
dirt adj. 泥土的 n. 尘土
discourteous adj. 不恭的，不敬的
distinguished adj. 卓越的
drag down向下拖；贬低
dull adj. 迟钝的
eliminate vt. 消除
emphasize vt. 强调
exert vt. 运用，发挥
expedition n. 远征
hearty adj. 亲切的，真诚的
hijack vt. 劫持，绑架
hint v. 暗示，示意
ill-designed adj. 设计不好的
investment n. 投资
isolated adj. 孤立的
law-abiding adj. 守法的
lean vi. 倚靠
liberate vt. 解放
live off... 依赖……生活
native-born adj. 土生土长的
notion n. 想法
odd adj. 奇怪的，古怪的
offence n. 犯规；违法行为，罪行
oppress vt. 压迫，压制
parental adj. 父母的
penalize vt. 对……予以惩罚
periodical n. 期刊
plastic adj. 塑料的
pose v. 造成（威胁、问题等）
professional n. 专业人士
project vt. 计划；设计
prosecution n. 起诉，诉讼
recipe n. 食谱；方法
sensitivity n. 敏感，敏感度
sew v. 缝
shop-lifting n. 商店行窃
shrinkage n. 收缩，皱缩
smooth vt. 使平坦
stitch vt. 缝；缝补；缝合
stock n. 现货，存货
strain n. 压力；重负
temptation n. 诱惑，引诱
tower n. 塔；高架子
tremendously adv. 极其，非常
undermine vt. 逐渐削弱
日常生活考查的范围较广，涉及生活中诸多方面的话题，口语表达较多。
(1) One of our most firmly entrenched ideas of masculinity is that a real man doesn't cry. Although he might shed a discreet tear at a funeral, he is expected to quickly regain control. Sobbing openly is for girls.
(2) This isn't just a social expectation. One study found that women report crying significantly more than men do—five times as often, on average, and almost twice as long per episode.
(3) So it's perhaps surprising to learn that the gender gap in crying seems to be a recent development. [47] Historically, men routinely wept, and no one saw it as feminine or shameful.
(4) For example, in chronicles of the Middle Ages, we find one ambassador repeatedly bursting into tears when addressing Philip the Good, and the entire audience at a peace congress throwing themselves on the ground, sobbing and groaning as they listen to the speeches. In medieval romances, knights cried purely because they missed their girlfriends. In Chrétien de Troyes's Lancelot , or, The Knight of the Cart , no less a hero than Lancelot weeps at a brief separation from Guinevere. At another point, he cries on a lady's shoulder at the thought that he won't get to go to a big tournament because of his captivity. What's more, instead of being disgusted by this sniveling (哭泣), the lady is moved to help.
(5) There's no mention of the men in these stories trying to restrain or hide their tears. No one pretends to have something in his eye. No one makes an excuse to leave the room. They cry in a crowded hall with their heads held high. Nor do their companions make fun of this public blubbering (大声哭); it's universally regarded as an admirable expression of feeling.
(6) So where did all the male tears go? There was no anti-crying movement. No leaders of church or state introduced measures to discourage them. Nevertheless, by the Romantic period, masculine tears were reserved for poets. From there, it was just a short leap to the poker-faced heroes of Ernest Hemingway, who, despite their poetic leanings, could not express grief by any means but drinking and shooting the occasional buffalo.
(7) [48] The most obvious possibility is that this shift is the result of changes that took place as we moved from a feudal agrarian society to one that was urban and industrial. In the Middle Ages, most people spent their lives among those they had known since birth. A typical village had around 250 to 300 inhabitants, most of them related by blood or marriage. If men cried, they did so with people who would empathize.
(8) But from the 18th to 20th centuries, the population became increasingly urbanized, and people were living in the midst of thousands of strangers. Furthermore, changes in the economy required men to work together in factories and offices where emotional expression and even private conversation were discouraged as time wasting. As Tom Lutz writes in Crying: The Natural and Cultural History of Tears , “You don't want emotions interfering with the smooth running of things.”
(9) Yet human beings weren't designed to swallow their emotions, and there's reason to believe that suppressing tears can be hazardous to your well-being. Research from the 1980s has suggested a relationship between stress-related illnesses and inadequate crying. [49] Weeping is also, somewhat counterintuitively, correlated with happiness and wealth. Countries where people cry the most tend to be more democratic and their populations more extroverted.
(10) It's time to open the floodgates. Time for men to give up emulating the stone-faced heroes of action movies and be more like the emotive heroes of Homer, like the weeping kings, saints, and statesmen of thousands of years of human history. [50] When misfortune strikes, let us all—men and women—join together and cry until our sleeves are drenched. As the Old Testament has it: “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.”
47. The examples in Para. 4 are cited to ______.
A. explain why men in the Middle Ages cried
B. provide supporting evidence for Para. 3
C. show similarity between now and then
D. describe the manner in which men cried
48. Which of the following is the most likely reason for the disappearance of male tears?
A. Changes from urbanization and industrialization.
B. Shift in expression of grief in fiction and poetry.
C. Changes in the attitude of their companions.
D. Measures introduced by church and state leaders.
49. Which of the following benefits of crying is the author LESS sure about?
A. Freedom.
B. Openness.
C. Health.
D. Wealth.
50. What is the author's main message in the passage?
A. Men should cry secretly on occasions.
B. Men should not cry in front of women.
C. Men should not suppress their tears.
D. Men should cry as often as women.
答案速查 47. B 48. A 49. D 50. C
答案句译文
[47] Historically, men routinely wept, and no one saw it as feminine or shameful.
从历史上来看，男性经常哭，没人会觉得男人哭哭啼啼像女人或者丢人。
[48] The most obvious possibility is that this shift is the result of changes that took place as we moved from a feudal agrarian society to one that was urban and industrial.
最明显的可能是，男性的这种变化是封建农业社会向城市工业社会转变的结果。
[49] Weeping is also, somewhat counterintuitively, correlated with happiness and wealth.
哭泣与幸福、财富也有关联，这有点出乎意料。
[50] When misfortune strikes, let us all—men and women—join together and cry until our sleeves are drenched.
如若不幸降临，那就让我们所有人——男人和女人——一起哭泣，直到泪满衣襟。
① 把握考查点
日常生活题材的文章涵盖范围较广。文体比较灵活，用词倾向于口语化。考查题型大多数是细节题和推断题。
该题材的文章主要考查较零散的细节内容，要求考生根据文中一个或多个细节进行推断。考生应注意提高逻辑推理能力。此外，由于其涉及面广，考生应把阅读技巧结合起来，综合运用到此类阅读题目中。
② 关注主题句
日常生活题材的文章涉及的内容多为社会中的常见问题，所以考生需加强对各种社会问题的了解和认识，多掌握相关的背景知识，以便正确理解文章。在阅读的时候，要关注文章的主题句，它们往往出现在首尾段或段落首尾句。了解主题句有助于考生从宏观上理解文章。
③ 归纳主题常用词汇
考生在平时应注意多积累一些特殊领域的常见词汇，如有关社会福利的community（社区，社会）、allowance（津贴，补助）、subsidy（补贴、补助金）等，有关住房的rent（房租）、share（共用；合住）、landlord（房东）、landlady（女房东）等。
⯈ 真题中出现过的日常生活类词汇
abuse n. 滥用
agrarian adj. 农业的
animate vt. 使有生气；使生气勃勃
application n. 运用，应用
available adj. 可获得的
broadcast v. 广播，播放
burst into tears眼泪夺眶而出
channel vt. 通过渠道传播
chore n. 家常杂务
contact n. 接触
contemporary adj. 当代的
discreet adj. 谨慎的，慎重的
dominate v. 占主导地位
drench vt. 使湿透
eclipse vt. 使黯然失色，使丧失重要性
entrenched adj. 根深蒂固的
evade vt. 逃避，回避
extroverted adj. 外向的
faculty n. 才能，本领
fake adj. 假的
flock vi. 群集，成群结队而行
frustrate vt. 使懊恼；使沮丧
gasp v. 喘息，倒抽气
gossip n. 流言蜚语
groan v. 呻吟；抱怨
horizon n. 眼界
infinite adj. 无限的
inventiveness n. 创造力
landlady n. 女房东
launderer n. 洗衣工
masculinity n. 男子气概
overcharge v. 对……要价过高
photography n. 摄影技术
possession n. 占有
privileged adj. 有特权的
reception n. 接受，接收
revolutionize vt. 使彻底变革
spot vt. 看出，认出
superb adj. 卓越的，杰出的
telecommunication n. 电信
tournament n. 锦标赛
transmission n.传送，传播
此处所说的教育包括三个方面：家庭教育、学校教育和社会教育，也可分为学龄前教育和学龄后教育。
(1) Attachment Parenting is not Indulgent Parenting. Attachment parents do not “spoil” their children. Spoiling is done when a child is given everything that they want regardless of what they need and regardless of what is practical. Indulgent parents give toys for tantrums (发脾气), ice cream for breakfast. Attachment parents don't give their children everything that they want, they give their children everything that they need. Attachment parents believe that love and comfort are free and necessary. Not sweets or toys.
(2) Attachment Parenting is not “afraid of tears” parenting. Our kids cry. The difference is that we understand that tantrums and tears come from emotions and not manipulation. And our children understand this too. They cry and have tantrums sometimes, of course. But they do this because their emotions are so overwhelming that they need to get it out. They do not expect to be “rewarded” for their strong negative emotions; they simply expect that we will listen. [49] We pick up our babies when they cry, and we respond to the tears of our older children because we believe firmly that comfort is free, love is free, and that when a child has need for comfort and love, it is our job to provide those things. We are not afraid of tears. We don't avoid them. We hold our children through them and teach them that when they are hurt or frustrated we are here to comfort them and help them work through their emotions.
(3) [50] Attachment Parenting is not Clingy Parenting. I do not cling to my children. In fact, I'm pretty free-range . As soon as they can move they usually move away from me and let me set up a chase as they crawl, run, skip and hop on their merry way to explore the world. Sure, I carry them and hug them and chase them and kiss them and rock them and sleep with them. But this is not me following them everywhere and pulling them back to me. This is me being a home base. The “attachment” comes from their being allowed to attach to us, not from us attaching to them like parental leeches.
(4) Attachment Parenting is not Selfish Parenting. It is also not selfless parenting. We are not doing it for us, and we are not doing it to torment ourselves.
(5) Attachment parenting is not Helicopter Parenting. I don't hover. I supervise, I follow, I teach, I demonstrate, I explain. I don't slap curious hands away, I show how to do things safely, I let my child do the things that my child wishes to do, first with help and then with supervision and finally with trust. I don't insist that my 23 month old hold my hand when we walk on the sidewalk because I know that I can recall him with my voice because he trusts me to allow him to explore and he trusts me to explain when something is dangerous and to help him satisfy his curiosities safely.
(6) Most of the negative things that I hear about “attachment parents” are completely off-base and describe something that is entirely unlike Attachment Parenting. Attachment Parenting is child-centric and focuses on the needs of the child. Children need structure, rules, and boundaries. Attachment Parents simply believe that the child and the parent are allies, not adversaries, and that children are taught, not trained.
49. According to the author, what should parents do when their kids cry?
A. Providing comfort and love.
B. Trying to stop kids crying.
C. Holding them till they stop.
D. Rewarding kids with toys.
50. What does “free-range” mean according to the passage?
A. Fond of providing a home base.
B. Ready to play games with my kids.
C. Curious to watch what games they play.
D. Willing to give kids freedom of movement.
答案速查 49. A 50. D
答案句译文
[49] We pick up our babies when they cry, and we respond to the tears of our older children because we believe firmly that comfort is free, love is free, and that when a child has need for comfort and love, it is our job to provide those things.
婴儿啼哭时，我们把他们抱起来，当孩子大一点的时候，我们会对他们的眼泪作出回应，因为我们坚信抚慰和爱不需限量，坚信当孩子需要抚慰和爱时我们有责任给予。
[50] Attachment Parenting is not Clingy Parenting. I do not cling to my children. In fact, I'm pretty free-range. As soon as they can move they usually move away from me and let me set up a chase as they crawl, run, skip and hop on their merry way to explore the world.
亲密育儿法不是紧盯不放的育儿法。我并不会粘着我的孩子们。事实上，我采取的是“放养”的方式。他们刚能够活动的时候就经常从我身边跑开，在他们爬、跑、蹦蹦跳跳快乐地探索这个世界的时候，我会在后面追逐他们。
① 把握考查点
教育题材的文章多为说明文或议论文，其结构一般是由主题句加支撑论据构成。因此，考生要根据题材和体裁更好地理解这类文章的构架及内容。
议论文体裁的文章一般以“提出问题——分析问题——解决问题”这样的模式展开，掌握了议论文的行文模式，会帮助考生更好地了解文章的结构，理解文章的内容。
② 注意关联词
关联词的使用能使文章更具逻辑性，也是出题者常采纳的设题点。因此，熟悉关联词能帮助考生更好地理解文章内容，解答相关题目。常见的关联词有：表并列的and、in addition、also；表转折的but、however、nevertheless；表选择的or；表因果的as a result、therefore等。
③ 归纳主题常用词汇
平时做题时，考生可以总结归纳一些与教育相关的常用词汇。
⯈ 真题中出现过的教育类词汇
accomplishment n. 成就
adversary n. 对手
ally n. 盟友
apprenticeship n. 学徒期
band n. 群，帮
civilized adj. 文明的
clingy adj. 过于依赖别人的
compel vt. 强迫
conflict n. 斗争，冲突
conventional adj. 传统的
curriculum n. 总课程
dawn on 使开始理解
emphasis n. 强调，重点
flip n. 轻抛；空翻
free-range adj. 自由放养的
holy adj. 神圣的
hover vi. 盘旋
immediate adj. 立即的；接近的
indulgent adj. 纵容的
leaf through 大致看看，迅速翻阅
manipulation n. 操纵
merit n. 长处，优点
mismatch vt. 错配，搭配不当
outlet n.（感情、精力等）发泄途径（或方法）
peevish adj. 易怒的，脾气坏的
primitive adj. 原始的
principal n. 校长
radical adj. 根本的
religious adj. 宗教的
reluctantly adv. 不情愿地，勉强地
slap away 拍掉
snap off （突然）关掉（电源）
sprawl vi. 伸开四肢坐（或躺）；蔓延
supervise v. 监督；管理；指导
venture vi. 冒险去（某处）；勇于做
verbal adj. 文字的
科普类题材的文章是对人类研究开发的科学知识、科学方法，以及融于其中的科学思想和科学精神的介绍。
(1) Inundated by more information than we can possibly hold in our heads, we're increasingly handing off the job of remembering to search engines and smart phones. [41] Google is even reportedly working on eyeglasses that could one day recognize faces and supply details about whoever you're looking at. But new research shows that outsourcing our memory—and expecting that information will be continually and instantaneously available—is changing our cognitive habits.
(2) Research conducted by Betsy Sparrow, an assistant professor of psychology at Columbia University, has identified three new realities about how we process information in the Internet age. First, her experiments showed that when we don't know the answer to a question, we now think about where we can find the nearest Web connection instead of the subject of the question itself. A second revelation is that when we expect to be able to find information again later on, we don't remember it as well as when we think it might become unavailable. [42] And then there is the researchers’ final observation: the expectation that we'll be able to locate information down the line leads us to form a memory not of the fact itself but of where we'll be able to find it.
(3) But this handoff comes with a downside. Skills like critical thinking and analysis must develop in the context of facts: we need something to think and reason about, after all. And these facts can't be Googled as we go; they need to be stored in the original hard drive, our long-term memory. Especially in the case of children, “factual knowledge must precede skill,” says Daniel Willingham, a professor of psychology, at the University of Virginia—meaning that the days of drilling the multiplication table and memorizing the names of the Presidents aren't over quite yet. Adults, too, need to recruit a supply of stored knowledge in order to situate and evaluate new information they encounter. You can't Google context.
(4) [43] Last, there's the possibility, increasingly terrifying to contemplate, that our machines will fail us. As Sparrow puts it, “The experience of losing our Internet connection becomes more and more like losing a friend.” If you're going to keep your memory on your smart phone, better make sure it's fully charged.
41. Google's eyeglasses are supposed to ______.
A. improve our memory
B. function like memory
C. help us see faces better
D. work like smart phones
42. Which of the following statements about Sparrow's research is CORRECT?
A. We remember people and things as much as before.
B. We remember more Internet connections than before.
C. We pay equal attention to location and content of information.
D. We tend to remember location rather than the core of facts.
43. What is the implied message of the author?
A. Web connections aid our memory.
B. People differ in what to remember.
C. People keep memory on smart phones.
D. People need to exercise their memory.
答案速查 41. B 42. D 43. D
答案句译文
[41] Google is even reportedly working on eyeglasses that could one day recognize faces and supply details about whoever you're looking at.
据报道，谷歌甚至正致力于研究一种眼镜，它将具有人脸识别功能，并提供你所看到的任何人的详细信息。
[42] And then there is the researchers’ final observation: the expectation that we'll be able to locate information down the line leads us to form a memory not of the fact itself but of where we'll be able to find it.
研究者最后观察到：我们完全能够定位信息的期望让我们记住了在何处能找到相关信息，却忘却了信息本身。
[43] Last, there's the possibility, increasingly terrifying to contemplate, that our machines will fail us. As Sparrow puts it, “The experience of losing our Internet connection becomes more and more like losing a friend.” If you're going to keep your memory on your smart phone, better make sure it's fully charged.
最后，有一种可能，想来让人愈发害怕，那就是机器可能会让我们失望。正如斯帕罗所说：“失去网络连接的感觉越来越像是失去一个朋友。”假如你打算把记忆存储在智能手机上，最好确保手机已经充满电。
① 把握考查点
专四阅读中，科普题材的文章主要涉及科学研究、科学知识等方面的内容。科普题材的文章体裁主要为说明文，因为是科普知识，所以引用的数据和专家的观点较多。
该题材的文章侧重考查学生对某些细节和语义的理解，要求考生具备相应的推断能力。
② 把握行文规律
考生在阅读科普题材的文章时，其中一个难点就在于对行文规律的把握。该题材的文章一般以设问句或陈述句开篇，提出要说明的要点，接下来再分层次具体阐述，常按一定的排列方式列举细节，如时间顺序、因果关系、对比关系和事件的重要性等。考生要注意把握细节间的联系并分清主次，这是迅速找到答案的关键。
③ 归纳主题常用词汇
科普题材的文章对考生而言比较陌生，再加上一些专业术语，使其成为阅读的难点。阅读这类文章，最大的问题就在于生疏的单词和长难句，考生在平时做题时应多积累特定领域或学科的常见词；一些专业术语虽不好理解，但根据上下文解释性的句子可推断出其大致意思。长难句多涉及数个主谓宾，不过，只要找准主干和修饰成分，理解起来就会简单许多。
⯈ 真题中出现过的科普类词汇
accelerate v. （使）加快，（使）增速
advance adj. 预先的，提前的
alleviate vt. 减轻，缓和
biologist n. 生物学家
border n. 国界
callosum n. 胼胝体
cease v. 停止，终止
choral adj. 合唱的；唱诗班的
civil adj. 国民的；国内的
clip n. 电影或电视片段
cognitive adj. 认知的
commodity n. 商品，货物
contemplate vt. 考虑，思忖；深思熟虑
coordination n. 协调，调和
corpus n. 语料库
decay n. 衰退；消亡；腐烂
digital adj. 数字的
distinguish v. 分辨出，区分
drill v. 操练
entertainment n. 娱乐节目；娱乐活动
evaluate vt. 评估
evoke vt. 引起，唤起
extent n. 程度；限度
external adj. 外部的；与外国有关的
fertile adj. 肥沃的，富饶的
fertilizer n. 肥料，化肥
fibre n. 纤维
flextime n. 弹性上班制
foodstuff n. 食物，食品
foul adj. 使人不愉快的
gut feeling 直觉
hemispheric adj. 半球形的
hypertension n. 高血压；过度紧张
index vt. 给……编索引；使指数化
indicate vt. 显示
indicator n. 标志，迹象
initiative n. 倡议；主动性；主动权
insight n. 洞察力；洞悉
instantaneously adv. 即刻地
intimate adj. 亲密的
inundate vt. 使不胜负荷
invasion n. 侵略
irritability n. 烦躁；易怒
joint n. 关节
meditation n. 冥想；沉思
minefield n. 危机四伏的局面
multiplication table 乘法表
neurologist n. 神经病学家；神经科医师
on the run 忙碌，奔波
outsource v. 将……外包
overall adj. 总体的，全面的
partially adv. 部分地；不完全地
personnel n.（总称）人员，员工
poll n. 民意调查
precede vt. 先于
primary adj. 首要的，主要的
prosperity n. 繁荣
pulsation n. 搏动；有节奏的跳动
reflexive adj. 条件反射的
reframe vt. 再构造，重新组织
reinterpret vt. 重新解释
release vt. 释放，放开
revelation n. 揭露；被透露的事实
situate vt. 使联系
socket n. 窝；槽；臼
spice vt. 给……增添趣味
stew vt. 担忧
subject to 使经受，使遭受
substance n. 物质；实质；主旨
surplus adj. 过剩的，多余的
tribal adj. 部落的；种族的
tunefulness n. 音调优美；声音悦耳
typify vt. 代表；象征
uniformly adv. 一致地，统一地
ventilate vt. 使……通风
名著选段，顾名思义就是名家名著中的节选片段。
(1) After breakfast the boys wandered out into the playground. Here the day-boys were gradually assembling. They were sons of the local clergy, of the officers at the depot, and of such manufacturers or men of business as the old town possessed. Presently a bell rang, and they all trooped into school. This consisted of a large, long room at opposite ends of which two under-masters conducted the second and third forms, and of a smaller one, leading out of it, used by Mr. Watson, who taught the first form. To attach the preparatory to the senior school these three classes were known officially, on speech days and in reports, as upper, middle, and lower second. Philip was put in the last. [41] The master, a red-faced man with a pleasant voice, was called Rice; he had a cheerful manner with boys, and the time passed quickly. Philip was surprised when it was quarter to eleven and they were let out for ten minutes’ rest.
(2) The whole school rushed noisily into the playground. The new boys were told to go into the middle, while the others stationed themselves along opposite walls. They began to play Pig in the Middle. The old boys ran from wall to wall while the new boys tried to catch them: when one was seized and the mystic words said—one, two, three, and a pig for me—he became a prisoner and, turning sides, helped to catch those who were still free. [42] Philip saw a boy running past and tried to catch him but his limp gave him no chance; and the runners taking their opportunity, made straight for the ground he covered. Then one of them had the brilliant idea of imitating Philip's clumsy run. Other boys saw it and began to laugh; then they all copied the first; and they ran round Philip, limping comically, screaming with shrill laughter. They lost their heads with the delight of their new amusement, and choked with helpless merriment. One of them tripped Philip up and he fell, heavily as he always fell, and cut his knee. They laughed all the louder when he got up. A boy pushed him from behind, and he would have fallen again if another had not caught him. [43] The game was forgotten in the entertainment of Philip's deformity. Philip was completely scared. He could not make out why they were laughing at him. His heart beat so that he could hardly breathe, and he was more frightened than he had ever been in his life. He stood still stupidly while the boys ran round him, mimicking and laughing; they shouted to him to try and catch them; but he did not move. He did not want them to see him run any more. He was using all his strength to prevent himself from crying.
41. What was Philip's reaction to his class?
A. He seemed to have enjoyed it.
B. He found his class surprising.
C. He thought class was too short.
D. He wanted to change class.
42. In the game Philip lost his ground because ______.
A. the game wasn't fit for new boys like him
B. the playground wasn't big enough for the game
C. he did not know the rules of the game
D. he could not run as quickly as other boys
43. What did the boys do after Philip lost his ground?
A. They continued with the game.
B. They stopped to make fun of him.
C. They changed to another game.
D. They stopped and went inside.
答案速查 41. A 42. D 43. B
答案句译文
[41] The master, a red-faced man with a pleasant voice, was called Rice; he had a cheerful manner with boys, and the time passed quickly.
这个班的老师名叫赖斯，他面色红润，声音好听，和男孩们相处愉快，因而上课时间过得很快。
[42] Philip saw a boy running past and tried to catch him, but his limp gave him no chance; and the runners taking their opportunity, made straight for the ground he covered.
菲利普看见一个男孩从他身边跑过，想要试着去捉住他，但是他一瘸一拐的，毫无机会。于是，奔跑着的学生们抓住机会，径直朝他所在的地盘跑过来。
[43] The game was forgotten in the entertainment of Philip's deformity.
由于光顾着拿菲利普的残疾取乐，游戏都被（男孩们）抛在脑后了。
① 把握考查点
该题材的文章选自名家名著，一般为记叙文。题目多是对语义的考查，这就要求考生能深刻理解文章。由于此类文章选自名著，所以考生平时可读些原版名著或其简写本，多了解一些名著的内容及背景知识。
② 把握文章背景
把握文章背景对理解这类题材的文章尤为重要，特别是对作者写作背景的了解，这是理解文章的关键。
③ 归纳主题常用词汇
⯈ 真题中出现过的名著选段类词汇
assemble vi. 集合，聚集
choke v.（使）窒息，呛
clumsy adj. 笨拙的
day-boy n. 走读生
deformity n. （身体的）畸形
depot n. 仓库；修车厂
lose one's head 昏了头，失去理智
merriment n. 欢乐
rival vt. 与……相匹敌，比得上
mimic vt. 模仿
mystic adj. 神秘的
shrill adj.（指声音）尖锐的，刺耳的
station vt. 把……安置到
troop vi. 成群结队而行
商业经济类的题材主要涉及金融、贸易、经济、产品、全球化等方面，在近些年来的专四阅读真题中只出现过一次。
(1) Every business needs two things, says Skullcandy CEO Rick Alden: inspiration and desperation. In 2001, Alden had both. He'd sold two snowboarding businesses, and he was desperately bored. [44] But he had an idea: He wanted to make a new kind of headphone.
(2) [44] “I kept seeing people missing their cell phone calls because they were listening to music,” he explains. “Then I'm in a chairlift ( 索道 ), I've got my headphones on, and I realize my phone is ringing. As I take my gloves off and reach for my phone, I think, ‘It can't be that tough to make headphones with two plugs, one for music and one for your cell phone.’” Alden described what he wanted to a designer, perfected a prototype, and outsourced (外包) manufacturing overseas.
(3) Alden then started designing headphones into helmets, backpacks—anywhere that would make it easy to listen to music while snowboarding. “Selling into board and skate shops wasn't a big research effort,” he explains. “Those were the only guys I knew!”
(4) Alden didn't want to be a manufacturer. And by outsourcing, he'd hoped he could get the business off the ground without debt. But he was wrong. So he asked his wife, “Can I put a mortgage (抵押贷款) on the house? She said, ‘What is the worst thing that can happen? We lose the house, we sell our cars, and we start all over again.’ I definitely married the right woman!”
(5) For the next two years, Alden juggled mortgage payments and payments to his manufacturers. “Factories won't ship your product till they get paid,” he says. “But it takes four or five months to get a mortgage company so upset that they knock on your door. So we paid the factory first.”
(6) Gradually, non-snowboarders began to notice the colourful headphones. In 2006, the company started selling them in 1,400 FYE (For Your Entertainment) stores. “We knew that nine out of ten people walking into that store would be learning about Skullcandy for the first time. Why would they look at brands they knew and take home a new brand instead? [45] We had agreed to buy back anything we didn't sell, but we were dealing with huge numbers. It'd kill us to take back all the products.”
(7) Alden's fears faded as Skullcandy became the No. 1 headphone seller in those stores and tripled its revenue to $120 million in one year. [46] His key insight was that headphones weren't gadgets; they were a fashion accessory. “In the beginning,” he says, “that little white wire that said you had an iPod—that was cool. But now wearing the white bud means you're just like everyone else. Headphones occupy this critical piece of cranial real estate and are highly visible.”
(8) Today, Skullcandy is America's second-largest headphone supplier, after Sony. With 79 employees, the company is bigger than Alden ever imagined.
44. Alden came up with the idea of a new kind of headphone because he ______.
A. was no longer in snowboarding business
B. had no other business opportunities
C. was very fond of modern music
D. saw an inconvenience among mobile users
45. What did Alden do to promote sales in FYE stores?
A. He spent more money on product advertising.
B. He promised to buy back products not sold.
C. He agreed to sell products at a discount.
D. He improved the colour design of the product.
46. Alden sees headphones as ______.
A. a sign of self-confidence
B. a symbol of status
C. part of fashion
D. a kind of device
答案速查 44. D 45. B 46. C
答案句译文
[44] But he had an idea: He wanted to make a new kind of headphone.
但他有个想法：他想做一种新式耳机。
[44] “I kept seeing people missing their cell phone calls because they were listening to music,” he explains. “Then I'm in a chairlift (索道), I've got my headphones on, and I realize my phone is ringing. As I take my gloves off and reach for my phone, I think, ‘ It can't be that tough to make headphones with two plugs, one for music and one for your cell phone.’”
“我经常看到人们因为听音乐而错过了电话，”他解释说。“当时我正在（滑雪）索道上，带着耳机，然后感到手机在响。在我摘下手套去拿手机的时候，我想：‘制作有两个接头的耳机，一个接头用来听音乐，另一个接头用来听电话，这也没那么难吧。’”
[45] We had agreed to buy back anything we didn't sell, but we were dealing with huge numbers.
我们已经同意了回购没有卖出的产品，但是我们需要处理的数量太大了。
[46] His key insight was that headphones weren't gadgets; they were a fashion accessory.
他最核心的见解在于耳机并不是小配件，而是时尚配饰。
① 把握考查点
该题材的文章多为议论文，考查的题目多为推断题、观点态度题及主旨题。一般很难从文中直接找到答案，考生需要整体把握文章内容。
② 注意文章结构
此题材的文章在结构上通常是开篇提出文章的中心句，指明文章要阐述的某种现象或问题，接下来对该现象或问题出现的原因、发展情况、结果和影响等进行论述和说明，最后作者往往会提出解决问题的方法，或表明自己的观点和态度。
③ 归纳主题常用词汇
该主题下常用的词汇涉及商业和经济两大块。
⯈ 真题中出现过的商业经济类词汇
accessory n. 附件，配件
account n. 账号
astronomical adj. 极其巨大的
championship n. 锦标赛
cherish vt. 珍爱，珍视
client n. 客户
collapse vi. 崩溃，突然失败
cranial adj. （与）颅（有关）的
curb vt. 限制，抑制
depositor n.（银行的）储户
desperation n. 绝望
dubious adj. 可疑的
evasion n. 逃避，回避
gadget n. 小器具
get sth. off the ground（使）顺利开始
helmet n. 头盔
inspiration n. 灵感
integrity n. 正直，诚实，诚恳
irresistible adj. 无法抗拒的
juggle vt. 尽力同时应付
mystique n. 神秘性
numbered adj. 编号的
oblige v. 迫使，强迫；帮忙，效劳
pact n. 条约，协定，协议
plug n. 插头
propagate v. 传播，宣传
revenue n. 收益
scrutiny n. 细看，细查
secrecy n. 保密
softball n. 垒球（运动）
spectator n. 观众，观看者
statistics n. 统计数字；统计学
Super Bowl 超级碗橄榄球赛
triple vt.（使）增至三倍
urge v. 敦促，力劝，强烈要求
withdraw v. 提，取（款）
withstand vt. 经受，承受