英语四级阅读题库含答案解析〔.Passage OneGlobal warm ing may or may not be the great en vir onmen tai crisis of the 21 st cen tury, but regardless of whether it is or isn 't -ve won 't do much about it. We will argue over it and may even, as a nation, make some fairly solemn-sounding commitments to avoid it. But the more dramatic and meaningful these commitments seem, the less likely they are to be observed.Al Gore calls global warmi ng an “ inconvenient truth, ” as if merely recog nizing it could put us on a path to a solutio n. But the real truth is that we don ' t know eno ugh to relieve global warmi ng, and -without major tech no logical breakthroughs —we can ' t do much about it.From 2003 to 2050, the world ' s population is projected to grow from 6.4 billio n to 9.1billi on, a 42% in crease. If en ergy use per pers on and tech no logy rema in the same, total en ergy use and gree nhouse gas emissi ons (ma inly, CO2) will be 42% higher in 2050. but that ' s too low, because societies that grow richer use more energy. We need economic growth uni ess we condemn the world ' s poor to their prese nt poverty and freeze every one else ‘ s liv ing sta ndards. With modest growth, en ergy use and gree nhouse emissi ons more tha n double by 2050.No gover nment will adopt rigid restrict ions on econo mic growth and pers onal freedom (limits on electricity usage, driving and travel) that might cut back global warming. Still, politicians want to show they 're “doing something. ” Consider the Kyoto Protocol (京都议定书).It allowed countries that joined to punish those that didn ' t. But it hasn ' t reduced CO2 emissions (up about 25% since 1990), and many signatories (签字国)didn ' t adopt tough enough policies to hit their 2008-2012 targets.The practical conclusion is that if global warming is a potential disaster, the only soluti on is new tech no logy. Only an aggressive research and developme nt program might find ways of breaking dependence on fossil fuels or dealing with it.The trouble with the global warming debate is that it has become a moral problem whenit' s really an engineering one. The inconvenient truth is that if we don ' t solve the engineering problem, we ' re helpless.57. What is said about global warm ing in the first paragraph?A) It may not prove an environmental B) It is an issue requiring world widecrisis at all. commitme nts.58. According to the author ' s understanding, what is Al Gore ' s view on global warming? A) It is a reality both people and politicians are unaware of. B) It is a phe nomenon that causes us many inconvenien ces. C) It is a problem that can be solved once it is recognized. D) It is an area we actually have little knowledge about.59. Gree n house emissi ons will more tha n double by 2050 because of ____ . A) econo mic growthC) wasteful use of en ergyB) the widening gap between the rich and D) the rapid advances of scienee and poortech no logy60. The author believes that, since the sig ning of the Kyoto Protocol, ______ . A) politicians have started to do something to better the situation B) few nations have adopted real tough measures to limit energy use C) reduct ions in en ergy con sumpti on have greatly cut back global warm ing D) intern ati onal cooperatio n has con tributed to solvi ng en vir onmen tal problems 61. What is the message the author intends to conv ey? A) Global warming is more of a moral issue than a practical one. B) The ultimate soluti on to global warmi ng lies in new tech no logyC) The debate over global warmi ng will lead to tech no logical breakthroughs. D) People have to give up certain material comforts to stop global warming. Passage TwoSomeday a stranger will read your e-mail without your permissionor scan theWebsites you ' ve visited. Or perhaps some one will casually gla nee through your credit card purchase or cell phone bills to find out your shopping preferences or calling habits.In fact, it ' s likely some of these things have already happened to you. Who would watch you without your permission? It might be a spouse, a girlfriend, a marketing compa ny, a boss, a cop or a crim in al. Whoever it is, they will see you in a way you n ever inten ded to be see n — the 21 st cen tury equivale nt of being caught n aked.Psychologists tell us boundaries are healthy, that it' s important to reveal yourself tofrien ds, family and lovers in stages, at appropriate times. But few boun daries rema in. The digital bread crumbs (碎屑)you leave everywhere make it easy for strangers to recon struct who you are,C) Serious steps have bee n take n to avoid or stop it.D) Very little will be done to bring it under con trol.where you are and what you like. In some cases, a simple Google search can reveal what you thi nk. Like it or no t, in creas in gly we live in a world where you simple cannot keep a secret.The key questi on is: Does that matter?When opinion polls ask America ns about privacy, most say they are concerned about losing it. A survey found an overwhel ming pessimism about privacy, with 60 perce nt of resp ondents say ingthey feel their privacy is “ slipp ing away, and that bothers me. ”But people say one thing and do ano ther. Only a tiny fract ion of America ns cha nge anybehaviors in an effort to preserve their privacy. Few people turn dow n a disco unt at tollbooths (收费站)to avoid using the EZ-Pass system that can track automobile moveme nts. And few turn dow n supermarket loyalty cards. Privacy econo mistAlessa ndro Acquisti has run a series of tests that reveal people will surre nder pers onal informationlike Social Security numbers just to get their hands on a pitiful 50-cents-off coup on (优惠券).But privacy does matter —at least sometimes. It ' s like health: When you have it, you don ' t notice it. Only when it ' s gone do you wish you ' d done more to protect it.62. What does the author mean by say ing “ the 21 st cen tury equivale nt of being caught naked ” (Lines 3-4, Para.2)?A) People ' s personal information is easily accessed without their knowledge.B) In the 21 st cen tury people try every means to look into others ' secrets.C) People tend to be more frank with each other in the information age.D) Crimin als are easily caught on the spot with adva need tech no logy.63. What would psychologists advise on the relati on ships betwee n frie nds?A) Friends should ope n their hearts to C) There should be a distanee even each other. betwee n frie nds.B) Friends should always be faithful to D) There should be fewer disputes each other. betwee n frie nds.64. Why does the author say a we live in a world where you simple cannot keep a secret ' (Li ne 5, Para.3)?A) Moder n society has fin ally evolved into an ope n society.B) People leave traces around whe n using moder n tech no logy.C) There are always people who are curious about others ' affairs.D) Many search engines profit by revealing people ' s identities.65. What do most America ns do with regard to privacy protecti on?A) They cha nge behaviors that might disclose their ide ntity.B) They use various loyalty cards for bus in ess tran sactio ns.66. Accord ing to the passage, privacy is like health in that _______and are more likely to drink and2.Passage OneQuestions 57 to 61 are based on thefollow ing passage.If you are a male and you are readi ng this ,con gratulati ons: you are a survivor .According to statistics .you are more than twice as likely to die of skin cancer than a woman ,and nine times more likely to die of AIDS. Assu ming you make it to the end of your natural term, about 78 years for men in Australia, you will die on average five years before a men don ' t go to the doctor.“ Men aren ' t seeing doctors as oftenas they should, ” says Dr. Gullotta,“ Thi sis particularly so for the over-40s,when diseases tend to strike. ”Gullotta says a healthy man should visit the doctor every year or two. For those over 45,it should be at least once a year.Two mon ths ago Gullotta saw a50-year-old ma who had delayed doing anything about his smoker ' s cough for a year.“ When I fin ally saw him it had already spread and he has since died from lung cancer ” he says, “ Earlier detect ion and treatme nt may not have cured him, but it would have proIon ged this life ”According to a recent survey, 95%of women aged between 15 and early 40s see a doctorA) people will make every effort to keep itB) its importance is rarely understoodC) it is someth ing that can easily be lostD) people don ' cherish it un til they lose it woman.There are many reas ons for this-typically, men take more risks than smoke but perhaps more importa ntly,C) They rely more and more on electr onic devices. D) They talk a lot but hardly do anything about it.woma nonce a year, compared to 70% of men in the same age group.“ A lot of men think they are invincible （不可战胜的）” Gullotta says “ They only come in whe n a frie nd drops dead on the golf course and they think ” Geez, if it could happe n to him.Then there is the ostrich approach, ” some men are scared of what might be there and would rather not know, ” says Dr. Ross Cartmill.“ Most men get their cars serviced more regularly tha n they service their bodies, ”Cartmill says .He believes most diseases that com monly affect men could be addressed by preve ntive check-ups.Regular check-ups for men would in evitably place stra in on the public purse, Cartmill says. ” But prevention is cheaper in the long run than having to treat the diseases. Besides, the ultimate cost is far greater: it is called premature death. ”57. Why does the author congratulate his male readers at the beginning of the passage?A. They are more likely to survive serious diseases today.B. Their average life span has been con siderably exte nded.C. They have lived long eno ugh to read this article.D. They are sure to enjoy a Ion ger and happier live.58. What does the author state is the most importa nt reas on men die five yearsearlier on average tha n wome n?A. men drink and smoke much more tha n wome nB. men don ' t seek medical care as often as wome nC. men aren ' t as cautions as women in face of dan gerD. men are more likely to suffer from fatal diseases59. Which of the followi ng best completesthe sentence “ Geez, if it could happe n to him …'(line2,para,8)?A. it could happe n to me, tooB. I should avoid play ing golfC. I should con sider myself luckyD. it would be a big misfort une60what does Dr. Ross Cartmill mean by“ the ostrich approach ” (line q para.9) A. a casual attitude towards one ' s health disease because of fear61. What does Cartmill say about regular check-ups for men?A. They may in crease public expe nsesB. They will save money in the long runC. They may cause psychological stra ins on menD. They will en able men to live as long as wome nPassage TwoQuestions 62 to 66 are based on thefollow ing passage.High-quality customer service is preached( 宣扬)by many ,but actually keeping customers happy is easier said than donecon diti ons Shoppers seldom complai n to the B. a new therapy for certa in psychological man ager or owner of a retail store, but problems in stead will alert their frie nds, relatives, C. refusal to get medical treatme nt for fear co-workers, stra ngers-a nd anyone who of the pain invo Ived will liste n.D. un willi ngn ess to find out aboutones Store managers are often the last tohear complaints, and often find out only whe n their regular customers decide t freque nt their competitors, accord ing to a study join tly con ducted by Verde group and Whart on school “ Storytelling hurts retailers anden terta ins con sumers, ” said Paula Court ney, Preside nt of the Verde group. ” the store loses the customer, but the shopper must also find a replaceme nt. ”On average, every un happy customerwill complain to at least four other, and will no Ion ger visit the specific store for every dissatisfied customer, a store will lose up to three more due to negative reviews. The result ing “ sno wball effect ”can be disastrous to retailers.According to the research, shoppers who purchased clothi ng encoun tered the most problems. ranked second and third were grocery and electr onics customers.include filled parking lots, cluttered （塞满了的）shelves, overloaded racks, out-of-stock items, long check-out lines, and rude salespeople.During peak shopping hours, some retailers solved the park ing problems by gett ing moon light ing （业余兼职的）local police to work asparkingatte ndan ts. Some hired flag wavers to direct customers to empty park ing spaces .This guida nee elim in ated the n eed for customers to circle the park ing lot en dlessly, and avoided confron tati on between those eyeing the same parking space.Retailers can relieve the headaches by redesig ning store layouts, pre-stock ingsales items, hiri ng speedy and experie need cashiers, and hav ing sales represe ntatives on hand to an swerquesti ons.The most common complaintsMost importa ntly, salespeopleshouldbe diplomatic and polite with angry them.C Few customers believe the service will“ Retailers who ' re responsive and friendly are more likely to smooth over issues than those who aren ' t so friendly. ” said Professor Stephen Hoch.“ Maybe something as simple as a greeter at the store entrance would help. ”Customers can also improve future shopp ing experie nces by fili ng compla ints to the retailer, in stead of complai ning to the rest of the world. Retailers are hard-pressed to improve whe n they have no idea what is wrong.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答62. Why are store man agers ofte n the last to hear compla in ts?A Most customers won ' t bother to compla in eve n if they have had un happy experie nces.B Customers would rather relate their unhappy experiences to people around be improved. D Customers have no easy access to store man agers.63. What does Paula Courtney imply by saying “ …the shopper must also find a replacement ” (Line 2, Para. 4)?A New customers are bound to replace old on es.B It is not likely the shopper can find thesame products in other stores.C Most stores provide the sameD Not compla ining to the man ager causesthe shopper some trouble too.64. Shop owners ofte n hire moon light ing police as parking attendants so that shoppers ____A can stay Ion ger brows ing in the storeB won ' t have trouble parking their carsC won ' t have any worries about securityD can find their cars easily after shopp ingcustomers.65. What con tributes most to smooth ingover issues with customers?A Manners of the salespeopleB Hiring of efficie nt employeesC Huge supply of goods for saleD Design of the store layout.66. To achieve better shopp ing experiences, customers are advised toA exert pressure on stores to improve their serviceB settle their disputes with stores in a diplomatic wayC voice their dissatisfaction manto storeagers directlyD shop around and make comparisons betwee n stores叮叮小文库3. The January fashion show, called Future Fashion , exemplified how far gree n desig n has come. Orga ni zed by the New York-based non profit Earth Pledge, the show in spired many top desig ners to work withsusta in able fabrics for the first time. Several have since made pledges to in clude orga nic fabrics in their lin es.The designers who undertake green fashion still face many challe nges. Scott Hahn, cofo un der with Gregory of Roga n and Loomstate, which uses all-orga nic cott on, says high-quality susta in able materials can still be tough to fine . “Most designers with existing labels are findingthere aren ' t comparable fabrics that can just replace what you ' re doing and shat your customers are used to, ” he says. For example, organic cotton and non-organic cotton are virtually indistinguishable once wove n into a dress. But some popular syn thetics, like stretch nylon, still have few eco-frie ndly equivale nts.Those who do make the switch are finding they have more support.Last year the in flue ntial trade show Desig ners & Age nts stopped chargi ng its participati on fee for young gree n en trepre neurs （企业家）whoattend its two springtime shows in Los Angeles and New York and gave special recog niti on to desig ners whose collect ions are at least 25% susta in able . It now counts more tha n 50 gree n desig ners, up from fewer than a doze n two years ago. This week Wal-Mart is set to announce a major initiative aimed at helping cottonfarmers go organic: it will buytransitional (过渡型的)cotton at higher prices , thus helping to expand the supply of a key susta in able material . “ Main stream is about to occur, ”says Hahn.Some analysts (分析师)are less sure . Among consumers, only 18%are eve n aware that ecofashi on exists, up from 6% four years ago.Natalie Hormilla, a fashion writer, is an example of the unconverted con sumer, whe n asked if she owned any susta in able clothes, she replied:“ Not that I ' m aware of. ” Like most consumers, she finds little time to shop, and whe n she does, she ' s on the hunt for “ cute stuff that isn ' t too expensive. ” By her own admission, green just isn ' t yet on her mind. But-ha nks to the comb ined efforts of desig ners, retailers and suppliers -one day it will be.57. What is said about Future Fashi on?A) It in spired many lead ing desig ners to start going gree n.B) It showed that designers using organic fabrics would go far.C) It served as an example of how fashion shows should be orga ni zed.D) It convin ced the public that fashi on able clothes should be made durable.58. Accord ing to Scott Hahn, one big challe nge to desig ners who will goorga nic is that ________ .A) much more time is n eeded to fin ish a dress using susta in able materials .B) they have to create new brands for clothes made of organic materials .C) customers have difficulty telling organic from non-organic materials .D) quality organic replacements for synthetics are not readilyavailable .59. We learn from Paragraph 3 that designers who undertake greenfashi on ______ .A) can atte nd various trade shows free .B) are readily recog ni zed by the fashi on worldC) can buy orga nic cott on at favorable prices .D) are gaining more and more support .60. What is Natalie Hormilla ' s attitude toward ecofashion?A) She doesn ' t seem to care about it. C) She is doubtful of itspractical value.B) She does n ' t thi nk it is susta in able D) She is very much opposed to theidea61. What does the author thi nk of gree n fashi on?A) Gree n products will soon go mai nstream.B) It has a very promis ing future.C) Con sumers have the final say.D) It will appeal more to young people.Passage TwoQuestio ns 62 to 66 are based on the follow ing passage.Scie ntists have devised a way to determ ine roughly where a pers onhas lived using a stra nd( 缕)of hair , a tech nique that could help track the moveme nts of crim inal suspects or uniden tified murder victims .The method relies on measuri ng how chemical variati ons in drinkingwater show up in people ' s hair.“ You ' re what you eat and drink, and that ' s recorded in you hair, ” said Thure Cerli ng, a geologist at the Un iversity of Utah.While U.S diet is relatively identical, water supplies vary. The differe nces result from weather patter ns. The chemical compositi on of rain fall cha nges slightly as raid clouds move.Most hydroge n and oxyge n atoms in water are stable , but traces ofboth elements are also present as heavier isotopes （同位素）.The heaviest raid falls first .As a result, storms that form over the Pacific deliver heavier water to California than to Utah.Similar patter ns exist throughout the U.S. By measuri ng the proporti on of heavier hydroge n and oxyge n isotopes along a stra nd of hair, scie ntists can con struct a geographic timeli ne. Each inch of hair corresp onds to about two mon ths.Cerling ' s team collected tap water samples from 600 cities and constructed a mop of the regional differences. They checked the accuracy of the map by testing 200 hair samples collected from 65 barber shops.They were able to accurately place the hair samples in broad regi ons roughly corresp onding to the moveme nt of raid systems.“It's not good for pinpointing （精确定位）,” Cerling said . “It's good for elim in at ing many possibilities. ”Todd Park, a local detective, said the method has helped him learn more about an unidentified woman whose skeleton was found nearGreat Salt Lake.The woma n was 5 feet tall. Police recovered 26 bon es, a T-shirt and several stra nds of hair.Whe n Park heard about the research, he gave the hair samples to the researchers. Chemical testi ng showed that over the two years before her death, she moved about every two mon ths.She stayed in the Northwest, although the test could not be more specific tha nsomewhere betwee n easter n Oreg on and western Wyomi ng.“ It' s still a substantial area, ” Park said “ But it narrows it way down for me. ”62. What is the scie ntists ' new discovery?A) One ' s hair growth has to do with the amount of water they drink.B) A person ' s hair may reveal where they have lived.C) Hair analysis accurately identifies criminal suspects.D) The chemical compositi on of hair varies from pers on to pers on.63. What does the author mean by “You ' re what you eat and drink ”(Li ne 1, Para.3)?A) Food and drink affect one ' s personality development.B) Food and drink prefere nces vary with in dividuals.C) Food and drink leave traces in one ' s body tissues.D) Food and drink are in dispe nsable to ones existe nee.64. What is said about the rain fall in America ' s West?A) There is much more rain fall in California tha n in Utah.B) The water it delivers becomes lighter when it moves inland.C) Its chemical composition is less stable than in other areas.D) It gathers more light isotopes as it moves eastward.65. What did Cerling ' s team produce in their research?A) A map show ing the regi onal differe nces of tap water.B) A collecti on of hair samples from various barber shops.C) A method to measure the amount of water in huma n hair.D) A chart illustrating the movement of the rain system.66. What is the practical value of Cerling ' s research?A) It helps analyze the quality of water in different regions.B) It helps the police determ ine where a crime is committed.C) It helps the police narrow down possibilities in detective work.D) It helps identify the drinking habits of the personunder in vestigati on.4.Throughout this long, tense electi on, every one has focused on thepreside ntial can didates and how they ' II cha nge America. Rightly so, but selfishly, I ' m more fascinated by Michelle Obama and what she might be able to do, not just for this country, but for me as an African-American woman. As the potential First Lady, she would have the world ' s attention.And that means that for the first time people will have a chance to get up close and personal with the type of African-American woman they so rarely see.Usually, the lives of black wome n go largely un exam in ed. The prevailing theory seems to be that we ' re all hot-tempered single mothers who can ' t keep a man. Even in the world of make-believe, black women still can ' t escape the stereotype of being eye-rolling, oversexed females raised by our n ever-married, alcoholic （酗酒的）mothers.These images have helped define the way all women are viewed, in clud ing Michelle Obama. Before she ever gets the cha nce to commit to a cause, charity or foun dati on as First Lady, her most urge nt and perhaps most complicated duty may be simple to be herself.It won ' t be easy. Because few main stream publicati ons have donein-depth features on regular African-American women, little is known about who we are, what we think and what we face on a regular basis.For better or worse, Michelle will represe nt us all.Just as she will have her critics, she will also have milli ons of fans who usually have little interest in the First Lady. Many African-American blogs have written about what they ' d like to see Michelle bring to the WhiteHouse —mainly show ing the world that a black woma n can support her man and raise a strong black family. Michelle will have to work to please every one —animpossible task. But for many Africa n-America n wome n like me, just a little of her poise ( 沉着),con fide nce and in tellige nce will goa long way in changing an image that ' s been around for far too long.57. Why does Michelle Obama hold a strong fascination for the author?A) She serves as a role model for Africa n wome n.B) She possesses many admirable qualities beco ming a First Lady.C) She will present to the world a new image of African-American wome n.D) She will pay closer atte nti on to the in terests of Africa n-America n wome n.58. What is the com mon stereotype of Africa n-America n wome n accord ing to the author?A) They are victims of viole nce. B) They are of an in ferior viole nce.C) They use quite a lot of body Ian guage. D) They live on charity and social welfare.59. What do many Africa n-America ns write about in their blogs?A) Whether Michelle can live up to the high expectati ons of her fans.B) How Michelle should behave as a public figure.C) How proud they are to have a black woman in the White House.D) What Michelle should do as wife and mother in the White House.60. What does the author say about Michelle Obama as a First Lady?A) However many fans she has, she should rema in modest,B) She shouldn ' t disappoint the African-American community.C) However hard she tries, she can ' t expect to please everybody.D) She will give priority to African-American women ' s concerns.61. What do many Africa n-America n wome n hope Michelle Obama will do?A) Help cha nge the prevaili ng view about black wome n.B) Help her husba nd in the task of cha nging America.C) Outshi ne previous First Lady.D) Fully display her fine qualities.Passage TwoQuestions 62 to 66 are based on the following passage.When next year' s crop of high-school graduates arrive at Oxford University in the fall of 2009, they ' ll be joined by a new face; Andrew Hamilton, the 55-year-old provost (教务长)of Yale, who ' ll becomeOxford ' s vice-cha ncellor —a positi on equivale nt to uni versity preside nt in America.Hamilton isn ' t the only educator crossing the Atlantic. Schools inFrance, Egypt, Singapore, etc, have also recently made top-level hiresfrom abroad. Higher education has become a big and competitive bus in ess no wadays, and like so many bus in esses, it ' s gone global. Yet the tale nt flow isn ' t uni versal. High-level pers onnel tend to head in only one direct ion: outward from America.The chief reason is that American schools don ' t tend to seriouslycon sider look ing abroad. For example, whe n the board of the Uni versity of Colorado searched for a new preside nt, it wan ted a leader familiar with the state。