1、专业英语四级-151及答案解析 (总分：99.90，做题时间：90分钟)一、READING COMPREHENSIO(总题数：2，分数：100.00)Section A Multiple-Choice Questions Text A A cassette deck plays an audio tape from the woman who died Tuesday and she is asked, How do you feel about dying? Im looking forward to it. Two days before her death, an 80-year old
2、 cancer patient made this audio tape. She said she was suffering, and no longer able to do things she enjoyed, such as gardening in her back yard. The unidentified woman says, Somebody saying that Ito sit in a chair, waiting to diethats not right, because I was always able to get around and do thing
3、s and now suddenly Im in a position I cant even walk very good and I have trouble breathing. Tuesday evening, in the presence of family members in her home, the still unidentified woman swallowed a lethal dose of drugs. Barbara Coombs Lee says, She took some medication that prevented any nausea and
4、vomiting. She took her dose, the lethal dose of medication. She followed it with a shot of brandy and she fell asleep almost immediately. The killing dose of barbiturates was legally prescribed by a doctor. Under Oregons law, first in the nation, doctors may assist a patient to kill him or herself i
5、f that patient makes it clear thats what they want and if they have less than six months to live. The woman talked with three physicians before finding one to help her die. Barbara Coombs Lee says, Her original attending physician said he was not interested in participating and so she went to anothe
6、r attending physician. She actually went to a third attending physician because the second person, although was not opposed, he was not actually willing to meet her needs as she saw them. Coombs did not attend the suicide. But she has been a leading advocate for Oregons death with dignity act, passe
7、d by voters in 1994, and overwhelmingly reaffirmed in a ballot measure last November. Oregons Roman Catholic church fought the law. Archbishop John Vlazny says, We are very fearful more people are going to feel that what we are trying to tell them its better to die than to burden us with your weaken
8、ed life. Thats a great fear I personally have. Its been five months since Oregons Death with Dignity law took effect. This is the first suicide to be reported under the law. The report led to disclosure of still another, doctor-assisted death. A woman told the Portland newspaper, The Oregonian, that
9、 a family member suffering from cancer killed herself prior to Tuesdays suicide. Text B In North Beach in San Francisco, where some pretty super food gets served every night Absolutely very super food! I really like the taste are comments by two diners. But were not just talking about taste. Researc
10、h now shows some foods, including tomatoes, onions, garlic, and olive oilare among the superfoods. Superfoods are packed with powerful chemicals that may offer your body great protection against chronic disease. Including cancer, obesity, and heart disease. Vibrantly colored red yellow orange and gr
11、een all giving you different types of phytochemicals! Natalie Ledesma is a registered dietician at U.C.S.F. She says compounds found in superfoodscalled phytochemicalscan reduce the risk of cancer, boost the immune system, and even protect the heart. She showed us what everyone should try to eat eac
12、h week for optimal health. On her shopping list? Herbs! Dark green ones (herbs), like rosemary and thyme, and any intensely colored spice, like tumeric or red pepper. Both of those have anti-inflammatory properties. Tumeric may reduce the risk of leukemia, skin, and liver cancers. Hot peppers may re
13、duce the risk of colon, stomach, and rectal cancers. Also on the list: green veggies, but not just any green veggies. Brussel sprouts are part of the cruciferous (十字花科植物) vegetable family that has significant anti-cancer properties, said Ledesma. That family also has a very favorable effect on hormo
14、ne metabolism. Other cruciferous veggies include cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower. And dont forget the tomato. It is probably the best source of lycopene, which is one of the phytochemicals that has shown significant anticancer properties, especially with prostate and potentially lung and breast c
15、ancer as well, said Ledesma. As for fruit, citrus contains Vitamin C, limonoids, and phenols, which inactivate cancer cells and strengthen the immune system. Cantaloupes, mangos, and carrots contain cancer-fighting carotenoids. And berries are bursting with flavonoids and ellagic acidantioxidants th
16、at protect against cancer, ulcers, and viruses. Natalie recommends organic. Organic fruits and veggies have shown not only to have lower pesticide toxicities and lower pesticide levels, but also now have been shown to have higher phytochemical content, she said. Dont forget the fatty fish or flaxsee
17、dboth are excellent sources of Omega Three fatty acids that inhibit the growth of cancer cells and boost the immune system, olive oil, which may reduce breast, prostate, or colon cancer, and soy. Soy has protective effects for heart disease as well as osteoporosis, potentially, Ledesma said. And fin
18、ally onions, garlic, and shallots. They may protect the heart, fight cancer, and help with asthma. Text C Every second, 1 hectare of the worlds rainforest is destroyed. Thats equivalent to two football fields. An area the size of New York City is lost every day. In a year, that adds up to 31 million
19、 hectaresmore than the land area of Poland. This alarming rate of destruction has serious consequences for the environment; scientists estimate, for example, that 137 species of plant, insect or animal become extinct every day due to logging. In British Columbia, where, since 1990, thirteen rainfore
20、st valleys have been clear-cut, 142 species of salmon have already become extinct, and the habitats of grizzly bears, wolves and many other creatures are threatened. Logging, however, provides jobs, profits, taxes for the government and cheap products of all kinds for consumers, so the government is
21、 reluctant to restrict or control it. Much of Canadas forestry production goes towards making pulp and paper. According to the Canadian Pulp and Paper Association, Canada supplies 34% of the worlds wood pulp and 49% of its newsprint paper. If these paper products could be produced in some other way,
22、 Canadian forests could be preserved. Recently, a possible alternative way of producing paper has been suggested by agriculturalists and environmentalists: a plant called hemp. Hemp has been cultivated by many cultures for thousands of years. It produces fiber which can be made into paper, fuel, oil
23、s, textiles, food, and rope. According to its proponents, four times as much paper can be produced from land using hemp rather than trees, and many environmentalists believe that the large-scale cultivation of hemp could reduce the pressure on Canadas forests. However, there is a problem: hemp is il
24、legal in many countries of the world. This plant, so useful for fibre, rope, oil, fuel and textiles, is a species of cannabis, related to the plant from which marijuana is produced. In the late 1930s, a movement to ban the drug marijuana began to gather force, resulting in the eventual banning of th
25、e cultivation not only of the plant used to produce the drug, but also of the commercial fiber-producing hemp plant. Although both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew hemp in large quantities on their own land, any American growing the plant today would soon find himself in prisondespite the
26、 fact that marijuana cannot be produced from the hemp plant, since it contains almost no THC (the active ingredient in the drug). In recent years, two major movements for legalization have been gathering strength. One group of activists believes that ALL cannabis should be legalboth the hemp plant a
27、nd the marijuana plantand that the use of the drug marijuana should not be an offense. They argue that marijuana is not dangerous or addictive, and that it is used by large numbers of people who are not criminals but productive members of society. They also point out that marijuana is less toxic tha
28、n alcohol or tobacco. The other legalization movement is concerned only with the hemp plant used to produce fibre; this group wants to make it legal to cultivate the plant and sell the fiber for paper and pulp production. This second group has had a major triumph recently: in 1997, Canada legalized
29、the farming of hemp for fiber. For the first time since 1938, hundreds of farmers are planting this crop, and soon we can expect to see pulp and paper produced from this new source.（分数：49.95）(1).The woman committed suicide _ after the law took effect. (Text A)（分数：3.33）A.five weeksB.five monthsC.five
30、 yearsD.five days(2).People who want help to die need to _. (Text A)（分数：3.33）A.make it clear that they want to dieB.have less than six months to liveC.both A and B aboveD.neither A nor B above(3).The Death with Dignity Act has been passed in _. (Text A)（分数：3.33）A.every state of the U.S.A.B.many stat
31、es of the U.S.A.C.Oregon onlyD.none of the above(4).According to the passage, Natalie Ledesma would most likely buy the following foods EXCEPT _. (Text B)（分数：3.33）A.rosemaryB.Brussel sproutsC.red applesD.onions(5).What is the meaning of registered in Paragraph 1? (Text B)（分数：3.33）A.Honored.B.Certifi
32、ed.C.Respectful.D.Renowned.(6).Tomato is especially good for patients with _. (Text B)（分数：3.33）A.colon cancerB.breast cancerC.stomach cancerD.rectal cancer(7).Whats the main idea of the passage? (Text B)（分数：3.33）A.Its an advertisement for superfoods.B.It describes a womans shopping list of foods.C.I
33、t questions whether some foods are safe to eat.D.It explains what are the benefits of superfoods.(8).Who is suggesting that pulp and paper could be produced without cutting down trees? (Text C)（分数：3.33）A.The logging industry.B.The government.C.The environmental lobby.D.The drug addicts.(9).Why do ag
34、riculturalists think that hemp would be better for paper production than trees? (Text C)（分数：3.33）A.It is cheaper to grow hemp than to cut down trees.B.More paper can be produced from the same area of land.C.Hemp produces higher quality paper.D.Paper made of hemp is more expensive.(10).When was hemp
35、production banned in Canada? (Text C)（分数：3.33）A.In 1930.B.In 1960.C.In 1996.D.In 1938.(11).Section B Short Answer Questions Why did the woman mentioned at the beginning of the report want to die? (Text A)（分数：3.33）_(12).Which group fought the assisted suicide law? (Text A)（分数：3.33）_(13).How do Vitami
36、n C, limonoids and phenols help cancer patients? (Text B)（分数：3.33）_(14).How long does it take for 100 hectares of rainforest to be destroyed? (Text C)（分数：3.33）_(15).Why was hemp banned? (Text C)（分数：3.33）_Section A Multiple-Choice Questions Text A Many great inventions are greeted with ridicule and d
37、isbelief. The invention of the airplane was no exception. Although many people who heard about the first powered flight on December 17, 1903, were excited and impressed, others reacted with peals of laughter. The idea of flying an aircraft was repulsive to some people. Such people called Wilbur and
38、Orville Wright, the inventors of the first flying machine, impulsive fools. Negative reactions, however, did not stop the Wrights. Impelled by their desire to succeed, they continued their experiments in aviation. Orville and Wilbur Wright had always had a compelling interest in aeronautics and mech
39、anics. As young boys they earned money by making and selling kites and mechanical toys. Later, they designed a newspaper-folding machine, built a printing press, and operated a bicycle-repair shop. In 1896, when they read about the death of Otto Lilienthal, the brothers interest in flight grew into
40、a compulsion. Lilienthal, a pioneer in hang-gliding, had controlled his gliders by shifting his body in the desired direction. This idea was repellent to the Wright brothers, however, and they searched for more efficient methods to control the balance of airborne vehicles. In 1900 and 1901, the Wrig
41、hts tested numerous gliders and developed control techniques. The brothers inability to obtain enough lift power for the gliders almost led them to abandon their efforts. After further study, the Wright brothers concluded that the published tables of air pressure on curved surfaces must be wrong. Th
42、ey set up a wind tunnel and began a series of experiments with model wings. Because of their efforts, the old tables were repealed in time and replaced by the first reliable figures for air pressure on curved surfaces. This work, in turn, made it possible for them to design a machine that would fly.
43、 In 1903 the Wrights built their first airplane, which cost less than one thousand dollars. They even designed and built their own source of propulsiona lightweight gasoline engine. When they started the engine on December 17, the airplane pulsated wildly before taking off. The plane managed to stay
44、 aloft for twelve seconds, however, and it flew one hundred twenty feet. By 1905 the Wrights had perfected the first airplane that could turn, circle, and remain airborne for half an hour at a time. Others had flown in balloons or in hang gliders, but the Wright brothers were the first to build a fu
45、ll-size machine that could fly under its own power. As the contributors of one of the most outstanding engineering achievements in history, the Wright brothers are accurately called the fathers of aviation. Text B The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge in southern Japan is the worlds longest bridge. The Akashi Ka
46、ikyo Bridge spans the Akashi Strait, connecting Awaji Island to Kobe, an important industrial center. The bridge has a span of 5973 feet (1991 meters), making it over 25% longer than its nearest competition: the Humber Bridge in England. Strangely, there may be longer bridges in the world, but the G
47、uinness Book of World Records measures the longest bridges according to their record-breaking spans. The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge is a suspension bridge. This means that the roadway is suspended from pillars by cables. The concrete pillars have to be tall enough to support the whole weight of the bridge. The pillars on the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge are 900 feet tall. These pillars had to be built to withstand not only huge waves but
