1、在职艺术硕士（MFA）全国联考英文阅读理解-试卷 4 及答案解析(总分：40.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、英文阅读理解题(总题数：4，分数：40.00)Some houses are designed to be smart. Others have smart designs. An example of the second type of house won an Award of Excellence from the American Institute of Architects. Located on the shore of Sullivan“s Island off th
2、e coast of South Carolina, the award-winning cube-shaped beach house was built to replace one smashed to pieces by Hurricane (飓风) Hugo 10 years ago. In September 1989, Hugo struck South Carolina, killing 18 people and damaging or destroying 36,000 homes in the state. Before Hugo, many new houses bui
3、lt along South Carolina“s shoreline were poorly constructed, and enforcement of building codes wasn“t strict, according to architect Ray Huff, who created the cleverly-designed beach house. In Hugo“s wake, all new shoreline houses are required to meet stricter, better-enforced codes. The new beach h
4、ouse on Sullivan“s Island should be able to withstand a Category 3 hurricane with peak winds of 179 to 209 kilometers per hour. At first sight, the house on Sullivan“s Island looks anything but hurricane-proof. Its red wood shell makes it resemble “a large party lantern (灯笼)“ at night, according to
5、one observer. But looks can be deceiving. The house“s wooden frame is reinforced with long steel rods to give it extra strength. To further protect the house from hurricane damage, Huff raised it 2. 7 meters off the ground on timber pilingslong, slender columns of wood anchored deep in the sand Pili
6、ngs might appear insecure, but they are strong enough to support the weight of the house. They also elevate the house above storm surges. The pilings allow the surges to run under the house instead of running into it. “These swells of water come ashore at tremendous speeds and cause most of the dama
7、ge done to beach-front buildings,“ said Huff. Huff designed the timber pilings to be partially concealed by the house“s ground-to-roof shell. “The shell masks the pilings so that the house doesn“t look like it“s standing with its pant legs pulled up,“ said Huff. In the event of a storm surge, the sh
8、ell should break apart and let the waves rush under the house, the architect explained. (358 words)（分数：10.00）(1).After the tragedy caused by Hurricane Hugo, new houses built along South Carolina“s shore line are required_.（分数：2.00）A.to be easily reinforcedB.to look smarter in designC.to meet stricte
9、r building standardsD.to be designed in the shape of cubes(2).The award-winning beach house is quite strong because_.（分数：2.00）A.it is strengthened by street rodsB.it is made of redwoodC.it is in the shape of a shellD.it is built with timber and concrete(3).Huff raised the house 7 meters off the grou
10、nd on timber pilings in order to（分数：2.00）A.withstand peak winds of about 200 km/hrB.anchor stronger pilings deep in the sandC.break huge sea waves into smaller onesD.prevent water from rushing into the house(4).The main function of the shell is_.（分数：2.00）A.to strengthen the pilings of the houseB.to
11、give the house a better appearanceC.to protect the wooden frame of the houseD.to slow down the speed of the swelling water(5).It can be inferred from the passage that the shell should be_.（分数：2.00）A.fancy-lookingB.waterproofC.easily breakableD.extremely strongFoxes and farmers have never got on well
12、. These small dog-like animals have long been accused of killing farm animals. They are officially classified as harmful and farmers try to keep their numbers down by shooting or poisoning them. Farmers can also call on the services of their local hunt to control the fox population. Hunting consists
13、 of pursuing a fox across the countryside, with a group of specially trained dogs, followed by men and women riding horses. When the dogs eventually catch the fox they kill it or a hunter shoots it. People who take part in hunting think of it as a sport; they wear a special uniform of red coats and
14、white trousers, and follow strict codes of behavior. But owning a horse and hunting regularly is expensive, so most hunters are wealthy. It is estimated that up to 100,000 people watch or take part in fox hunting. But over the last couple of decades the number of people opposed to fox hunting, becau
15、se they think it is brutal (残酷的)， has risen sharply. Nowadays it is rare for a hunt to pass off without some kind of confrontation (冲突) between hunters and hunt saboteurs (阻拦者). Sometimes these incidents lead to violence, but mostly saboteurs interfere with the hunt by misleading riders and disturbi
16、ng the trail of the fox“s smell, which the dogs follow. Noisy confrontations between hunters and saboteurs have become so common that they are almost as much a part of hunting as the pursuit of foxes itself. But this year supporters of fox hunting face a much bigger threat to their sport. A Labour P
17、arty Member of the Parliament, Mike Foster, is trying to get Parliament to approve a new law which will make the hunting of wild animals with dogs illegal. If the law is passed, wild animals like foxes will be protected under the ban in Britain. (324 words)（分数：10.00）(1).Rich people in Britain have b
18、een hunting foxes_.（分数：2.00）A.for recreationB.in the interests of the farmersC.to limit the fox populationD.to show off their wealth(2).What is special about fox hunting in Britain?（分数：2.00）A.It involves the use of a deadly poison.B.It is a costly event which rarely occurs.C.The hunters have set rul
19、es to follow.D.The hunters have to go through strict training.(3).Fox hunting opponents often interfere in the game_.（分数：2.00）A.by resorting to violenceB.by confusing the fox huntersC.by taking legal actionD.by demonstrating on the scene(4).A new law may be passed by the British Parliament to_.（分数：2
20、.00）A.prohibit farmers from hunting foxesB.forbid hunting foxes with dogsC.stop hunting wild animals in the countrysideD.prevent large-scale fox hunting(5).It can be inferred from the passage that_.（分数：2.00）A.killing foxes with poison is illegalB.limiting the fox population is unnecessaryC.hunting f
21、oxes with,dogs is considered cruel and violentD.fox-hunting often leads to confrontation between the poor and the richNew technology links the world as never before. Our planet has shrunk. It“s now a “global village“ where countries are only seconds away by fax or phone or satellite link. And, of co
22、urse, our ability to benefit from this high-tech communications equipment is greatly enhanced by foreign language skills. Deeply involved with this new technology is a breed of modern businesspeople who have a growing respect for the economic value of doing business abroad. In modern markets, succes
23、s overseas often helps support domestic business efforts. Overseas assignments are becoming increasingly important to advancement within executive ranks. The executive stationed in another country no longer need fear being “out of sight and out of mind“. He or she can be sure that the overseas effor
24、t is central to the company“s plan for success, and that promotions often follow or accompany an assignment abroad. If an employee can succeed in a difficult assignment overseas, superiors will have greater confidence in his or her ability to cope back in the United States where cross-cultural consi
25、derations and foreign language issues are becoming more and more prevalent (普遍的). Thanks to a variety of relatively inexpensive communications devices with business applications, even small businesses in the United States are able to get into international markets. English is still the international
26、 language of business. But there is an ever-growing need for people who can speak another language. A second language isn“t generally required to get a job in business, but having language skills gives a candidate the edge when other qualifications appear to be equal. The employee posted abroad who
27、speaks the country“s principal language has an opportunity to fast-forward certain negotiations, and can have the cultural insight to know when it is better to move more slowly. The employee at the home office who can communicate well with foreign clients over the telephone or by fax machine is an o
28、bvious asset to the firm. (322 words)（分数：10.00）(1).What is the author“s attitude toward high-tech communications equipment?（分数：2.00）A.Critical.B.Prejudiced.C.Indifferent.D.Positive.(2).With the increased use of high-tech communications equipment, businesspeople（分数：2.00）A.have to get familiar with mo
29、dern technologyB.are gaining more economic benefits; from domestic operationsC.are attaching more importance to their overseas businessD.are eager to work overseas(3).In this passage, “out of sight and out of mind“ (Lines 23, Para. 3) probably means_.（分数：2.00）A.being unable to think properly for lac
30、k of insightB.being totally out of touch with business at homeC.missing opportunities for promotion when abroadD.leaving all care and worry behind(4).According to the passage, what is an important consideration of international corporations in employing people today?（分数：2.00）A.Connections with busin
31、esses overseas.B.Ability to speak the client“s language.C.Technical know-how.D.Business experience.(5).The advantage of employees having foreign language skills is that they can（分数：2.00）A.better control the whole negotiation processB.easily find new approaches to meet market needsC.fast-forward thei
32、r proposals to headquartersD.easily make friends with businesspeople abroadAbout six years ago I was eating lunch in a restaurant in New York City when a woman and a young boy sat down at the next table. I couldn“t help overhearing parts of their conversation. At one point the woman asked: “So, how
33、have you been?“ And the boywho could not have been more than seven or eight years oldreplied. “Frankly, I“ve been feeling a little depressed lately. “ This incident stuck in my mind because it confirmed my growing belief that children are changing. As far as I can remember, my friends and I didn“t f
34、ind out we were “depressed“ until we were in high school. The evidence of a change in children has increased steadily in recent years. Children don“t seem childlike anymore. Children speak more like adults, dress more like adults and behave more like adults than they used to. Whether this is good or
35、 bad is difficult to say, but it certainly is different. Childhood as it once was no longer exists, why? Human development is based not only on innate (天生的) biological states, but also on patterns of access to social knowledge. Movement from one social route to another usually involves learning the
36、secrets of the new status. Children have always been taught adult secrets, but slowly and in stages: traditionally, we tell sixth graders things we keep hidden from fifth graders. In the last 30 years, however, a secret-revelation (揭示) machine has been installed in 98 percent of American homes. It i
37、s called television. Television passes information, and indiscriminately (不加区分地), to all viewers alike, be they children or adults. Unable to resist the temptation, many children turn their attention from printed texts to the less challenging, more vivid moving pictures. Communication through print,
38、 as a matter of fact, allows for a great deal of control over the social information to which children have access. Reading and writing involve a complex code of symbols that must be memorized and practices. Children must read simple books before they can read complex materials. (351 words)（分数：10.00
39、）(1).According to the author, feeling depressed is（分数：2.00）A.a sure sign of a psychological problem in a childB.something hardly to be expected in a young childC.an inevitable trait of children“s mental developmentD.a mental scale present in all humans, including children(2).Traditionally, a child i
40、s supposed to learn about the adult world_.（分数：2.00）A.through contact with societyB.gradually and under guidanceC.naturally and by biological instinctD.through exposure to social information(3).The phenomenon that today“s children seem adultlike is attributed by the author to（分数：2.00）A.the widesprea
41、d influence of televisionB.the poor arrangement of teaching contentC.the fast pace of human intellectual developmentD.the constantly rising standard of living(4).Why is the author in favor of communication through print for children?（分数：2.00）A.It enables children to gain more social information.B.It
42、 develops children“s interest in reading and writing.C.It helps children to memorize and practice more.D.It can control what children are to learn.(5).What does the author think of the change in today“s children?（分数：2.00）A.He feels amused by children“s premature behavior.B.He thinks it is a phenomen
43、on worthy of note.C.He considers it a positive development.D.He seems to be upset about it.在职艺术硕士（MFA）全国联考英文阅读理解-试卷 4 答案解析(总分：40.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、英文阅读理解题(总题数：4，分数：40.00)Some houses are designed to be smart. Others have smart designs. An example of the second type of house won an Award of Excellence f
44、rom the American Institute of Architects. Located on the shore of Sullivan“s Island off the coast of South Carolina, the award-winning cube-shaped beach house was built to replace one smashed to pieces by Hurricane (飓风) Hugo 10 years ago. In September 1989, Hugo struck South Carolina, killing 18 peo
45、ple and damaging or destroying 36,000 homes in the state. Before Hugo, many new houses built along South Carolina“s shoreline were poorly constructed, and enforcement of building codes wasn“t strict, according to architect Ray Huff, who created the cleverly-designed beach house. In Hugo“s wake, all
46、new shoreline houses are required to meet stricter, better-enforced codes. The new beach house on Sullivan“s Island should be able to withstand a Category 3 hurricane with peak winds of 179 to 209 kilometers per hour. At first sight, the house on Sullivan“s Island looks anything but hurricane-proof.
47、 Its red wood shell makes it resemble “a large party lantern (灯笼)“ at night, according to one observer. But looks can be deceiving. The house“s wooden frame is reinforced with long steel rods to give it extra strength. To further protect the house from hurricane damage, Huff raised it 2. 7 meters of
48、f the ground on timber pilingslong, slender columns of wood anchored deep in the sand Pilings might appear insecure, but they are strong enough to support the weight of the house. They also elevate the house above storm surges. The pilings allow the surges to run under the house instead of running i
49、nto it. “These swells of water come ashore at tremendous speeds and cause most of the damage done to beach-front buildings,“ said Huff. Huff designed the timber pilings to be partially concealed by the house“s ground-to-roof shell. “The shell masks the pilings so that the house doesn“t look like it“s standing with its pant legs pulled up,“ said Huff. In the event of a storm surge, the shell should break apart and let the waves rush under the house, the architect explained. (358 words)（分数：10.00）(1).After the tragedy caused by Hurricane Hugo
