1、专业英语四级（阅读）模拟试卷 115及答案与解析 一、 SECTION A In this section there are several passages followed by ten multiple-choice questions. For each question, there are four suggested answers marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that you think is the best answer. 0 A century ago in the United States, when an indivi
2、dual brought suit against a company, public opinion tended to protect that company. But perhaps this phenomenon was most striking in the case of the railroads. Nearly half of all negligence cases decided through 1896 involved railroads. And the railroads usually won. Most of the cases were decided i
3、n state courts, when the railroads had the climate of the times on their sides. Government supported the railroad industry; the progress railroads represented was not to be slowed down by requiring them often to pay damages to those unlucky enough to be hurt working for them. Court decisions always
4、went against railroad workers. A Mr. Farwell, an engineer, lost his right hand when a switchmans negligence ran his engine off the track. The court reasoned, that since Farwell had taken the job of an engineer voluntarily at good pay, he had accepted the risk. Therefore the accident, though avoidabl
5、e had the switchmen acted carefully, was a “pure accident“. In effect a railroad could never be held responsible for injury to one employee caused by the mistake of another. In one case where a Pennsylvania Railroad worker had started a fire at a warehouse and the fire had spread several blocks, cau
6、sing widespread damage, a jury found the company responsible for all the damage. But the court overturned the jurys decision because it argued that the railroads negligence was the immediate cause of damage only to the nearest buildings. Beyond them the connection was too remote to consider. As the
7、century wore on, public sentiment began to turn against the railroads against their economic and political power and high fares as well as against their callousness(无情 )toward individuals. 1 What must have happened after the fire case was settled in court? （ A） The railroad compensated for me damage
8、 to the immediate buildings. （ B） The railroad compensated for all me damage by the fire. （ C） The railroad paid nothing for the damaged building. （ D） The railroad worker paid for the property damage himself. 2 The following aroused public resentment EXCEPT _. （ A） political power （ B） high fares （
9、 C） economic loss （ D） indifference 3 What does the passage mainly discuss? （ A） Railroad oppressing individuals in the US. （ B） History of the US railroads. （ C） Railroad workers working rights. （ D） Law cases concerning the railroads. 3 Information is the primary commodity in more and more industr
10、ies today. By 2005, 83% of American management personnel will be knowledge workers. Europe and Japan are not far behind. By 2005, half of all knowledge workers(22% of the labour force)will choose “flextime, flexplace“ arrangements, which allow them to work at home, communicating with the office via
11、computer networks. In the United States, the so-called “digital divide“ seems to be disappearing. In early 2000, a poll found, that, where half of white households owned computers, so did fully 43% of African-American households, and their numbers were growing rapidly. Hispanic households continued
12、to lag behind, but their rate of computer ownership was expanding as well. Company-owned and industry-wide television networks are bringing programming to thousands of locations. Business TV is becoming big business. Computer competence will approach 100% in US urban areas by the year 2005, with Eur
13、ope and Japan not far behind. 80% of US homes will have computers in 2005, compared with roughly 50% now. In the United States, 5 of the 10 fastest-growing careers between now and 2005 will be computer related. Demand for programmers and systems analysts will grow by 70%. The same trend is accelerat
14、ing in Europe, Japan, and India. By 2005, nearly all college texts and many high school and junior high books will be tied to Internet sites that provide source material, study exercises, and relevant news articles to aid in learning. Others will come with CD-ROMs that offer similar resources. Inter
15、net links will provide access to the card catalogues of all the major libraries in the world by 2005. It will be possible to call up on a PC screen millions of volumes from distant libraries. Web sites enhance books by providing pictures, sound, film clips, and flexible indexing and search utilities
16、. Implications: Anyone with access to the Internet will be able to achieve the education needed to build a productive life in an increasingly high-tech world. Computer learning may even reduce the growing American prison population. Knowledge workers are generally better paid than less-skilled worke
17、rs. Their wealth is raising overall prosperity. Even entry-level workers and those in formerly unskilled positions require a growing level of education. For a good career in almost any field, computer competence is a must. This is one major trend raising the level of education required for a product
18、ive role in todays work force. For many workers, the opportunity for training is becoming one of the most desirable benefits any job can offer. 4 Information technology is expected to have impact on all the following EXCEPT_. （ A） American management personnel （ B） European management personnel （ C）
19、 American peoples choice of career （ D） traditional practice at work 5 Which of the following areas is NOT discussed in the passage? （ A） Future careers. （ B） Nature of future work. （ C） Ethnic differences. （ D） Schools and libraries. 6 At the end of the passage, the author seems to emphasize _ in a
20、n increasingly high-tech world. （ A） the variety of education （ B） the content of education （ C） the need for education （ D） the function of education 6 Rich Americans are willing to take conspicuous consumption to new heights by spending big bucks to fly into space, including paying 100,000 for a 1
21、5-minute trip into the heavens, according to a poll released on Monday. Possibly bored by the banal baubles(老套的小玩意 )of mundane Mother Earth or inspired by the dashing derring-do of such pioneers as first American in space Alan Shepard and first millionaire in space Dennis Tito, the poll says 7 perce
22、nt of rich Americans would pay 20 million for a two-week orbital flight and 19 percent would pay 100,000 for 15-minute sub-orbital flight. The poll by Zogby International was commissioned by Futron Corp., a Maryland aerospace consulting group which has a 1.8 million contract with NASA to explore the
23、 commercial applications of space travel, including what space tourism could look like in the next 20 years. Zogby International conducted telephone interviews with 450 Americans whose yearly incomes exceed 250,000 or whose net worth exceeds 1 million. The polls, conducted in January but only releas
24、ed Monday, has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.7 percent. Futrons NASA project program manager Derek Webber said, “We commissioned this survey in order to get an idea of what rich people think and not the man in the street who loves the idea of going into space but cant afford it.“ He added, “W
25、e are saying these trips will cost a minimum of 100,000 for a 15-minute trip, which was the amount of time the first American in space, Alan Shepard, had and for that you get to feel space weightlessness and see the world from up there.“ That trip would take a tourist 50 miles(80 km)into space. Webb
26、er said a surprising 7 percent of the wealthy polled said they would be willing to take a two-week flight to an orbiting space station, paying the 20 million that the Russians charged the two pioneering space tourists who have already made the trip, South African Mark Shuttleworth and American Denni
27、s Tito. If the price dropped to $50,000, 16 percent of those surveyed would be interested. Space tourists would have to meet medical standards and only be able to go to the International Space Station. N Sync singer Lance Bass is currently undergoing tests to see if he could become the third space t
28、ourist. He wants to become the first entertainer in space. 7 What does the Futron Corp want to find out by the poll? （ A） Whether space travel will be profitable. （ B） Whether space travel is technically practicable. （ C） What the public think about space travel. （ D） What cost people would pay for
29、space travel. 8 It was expected by Futron Corp that_. （ A） not all the rich people would be willing to take the survey （ B） many rich people would be interested in space travel （ C） very few rich people would prefer the longer flight （ D） some rich people would suggest a price cut for the flight 9 W
30、hat can we learn about the space tourists from the passage? （ A） The first space tourist had a fifteen-minute flight into space. （ B） The only two millionaire space tourists are both from the United States. （ C） Both the millionaire space tourists visited an orbiting space station. （ D） A singer, bu
31、t not a millionaire, is going to be the third space tourist. 9 If youre finding it tough to land a job, try expanding your job-hunting plan to include the following strategies: Set your target. While you should always keep your options open to compromise, you should also be sure to target exactly wh
32、at you want in a job. A specific job hunt will be more efficient than a random one. Schedule ample interviews. Use every possible method to get interviews answering ads, using search firms, contacting companies directly, surfing the Web, and networking. Even if a job is not perfect for you, every in
33、terview can make you learn from it. Follow up. Even if someone does not hire you, write them a thank-you note for the interview. Then, some weeks later, send another brief letter to explain that you still have not found the perfect position and that you will be available to interview again if the or
34、iginal position you applied for or any other position, for that matter is open. Do this with every position you interview for, and you may just catch a break. Make it your full-time job. You cant find a job by looking infrequently. You have to make time for it. If youre unemployed and looking for a
35、job, devote as much time as you would to a full-time job. If you have a job while youre looking, figure out an organized schedule to maximize your searching time. Network vertically. In the research phase of your job-hunt, talk to people who are on a level above you in your desired industry. Theyll
36、have some insights that people at your own level wont have, and will be in a good position to hire you or recommend you to be hired. Keep your spirits up. Looking for a job is one of the toughest things you will ever have to do. Maintain your confidence, stay persistent, and think positively, and ev
37、entually you will get a job that suits you. 10 According to the author, your job-hunting plan had better be as_ as possible. （ A） random （ B） defined （ C） fixed （ D） complex 11 The “search firms“ are most probably _. （ A） companies that have vacant posts available （ B） companies that supply website-
38、search service （ C） companies that provide job-hunting service （ D） companies that study job market and employment rate 12 As indicated in the passage, in order to get a suitable job, you should_. （ A） always keep an optimistic spirit （ B） mainly focus on a full-time job （ C） apply for one job at on
39、e time （ D） follow other peoples footsteps 二、 SECTION B In this section there are five short answer questions based on the passages in Section A. Answer the questions with No more than TEN words in the space provided. 13 Who was blamed for Farwells injury, according to the court? 14 A gap in what as
40、pect does “digital divide“ refer to? 15 What kind of a firm is Zogby International likely to be? 16 What can be the title for this passage? 专业英语四级（阅读）模拟试卷 115答案与解析 一、 SECTION A In this section there are several passages followed by ten multiple-choice questions. For each question, there are four sug
41、gested answers marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that you think is the best answer. 【知识模块】 阅读 1 【正确答案】 A 【试题解析】 原文第 4段倒数第 2句说 “法庭推翻了陪审团要求全部赔偿的裁决，因为法庭认为铁路仅仅是造成就近 建筑损坏的直接原因 ”。由此可以推断，铁路公司只对毗邻建筑的损失进行了赔偿，因此 A符合题意。 【知识模块】 阅读 2 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 本题的相关信息在最后一段。 A、 B、 D都被提到，只有 C的内容未被提及。 【知识模块】 阅读 3 【正确答案】 D
42、【试题解析】 本文主要介绍的是美国法院在铁路公司伤害案中的裁决，因此 D是最佳答案。 【知识模块】 阅读 【知识模块】 阅读 4 【正确答案】 D 【试题解析】 第 2段讲到在信息技术的影响下， 83的 美国管理人员将变成knowledge worker，欧洲也紧跟其后，因此 A、 B均符合。根据第 8段可知信息技术对美国的职业发展也产生影响，排除 C。只有 D未涉及，是正确答案。 【知识模块】 阅读 5 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 根据第 3、 4段可以排除 A、 B。根据 9、 10段可以排除 D。只有C“种族差异 ”并未被提及，文章所提到的与种族相关的陈述其目的并不是阐明种族之间的由
43、于族群差异产生的不同，而只是要说明曾经存在的 “数字鸿沟 ”已不复存在，恰好是 “种族大同 ”的一个例证。 【知识模块】 阅读 6 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 从文章的最后两句话可以看出，随着社会科技含量的提高，对工作者受技术教育的程度的要求相应提高，这使工作者将更为看中工作所提供的受教育的机会，由此可见人们对教育的需要也愈发强烈，因而 C是正确的。 C中的 the need for education是对原文该段第 1句中的 require a growing level of education的同义转换。 【知识模块】 阅读 【知识模块】 阅读 7 【正确答案】 A 【试题解析】 第
44、 3段中的 to explore表明 Futron公司的民意调查的目的，结合该段末的 space tourism可以推断 A为本题答案。原文没有从技术上讨论space travel的可能性，因此 B不正确：第 5段表明该民意调查的受试者是有钱人，因此 C中的 the public范围过宽；虽然原文提到了多组数字，但文中并无显示民意调查在这方面做了调查，因此 D没有原文依据。 【知识模块】 阅读 8 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 倒数第 4段开头的 surprising表明 Futron公司原先并没有预料有那么多的受访者愿意选择 比较长途的太空旅行，换句话说， Futron公司预料的受访者人数
45、应该较少，因此 C为本题答案。 【知识模块】 阅读 9 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 倒数第 4段中的 the two pioneering space tourists who have already made the trip中， the trip指的就是该句开头提到的 a two-week flight to an orbiting space station，因此 C为正确答案。 【知识模块】 阅读 【知识模块】 阅读 10 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 第 2段第 3句是一个表示对比的句子，表明了找工作应该specific，而不应该 random，由此可确定 B是正确选项。本题
46、较具干扰性的是C，但是 specific(明确的 )并不表示找工作的计划应该 fixed(不能改变 )，而且 fixed与第 2句中的 compromise(折中 )表达的意思矛盾，因此 C不正确。 【知识模块】 阅读 11 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 文中第 3段第 2句列举了安排面试的方法， A其实与本句第三个方法中的 companies所指一 致， B指的是提供网上搜索服务的公司，与句中最后两个方法重叠了， D根本不能表达 search的意思，所以只有 C是正确的。 【知识模块】 阅读 12 【正确答案】 A 【试题解析】 A是末段第 1句和最后一句中的 confidence， pe
47、rsistent和positively等说法的近义替换，为本题答案。本题最具干扰性的是 B，该选项与文中第 5段 “Make it your fulltime job ”在形式上很相近，但是该句的意思并不是建议找一份全职的工作，而是说要把求职当作一份工作那样认真对待； C、 D未提及。 【知识模块】 阅读 二、 SECTION B In this section there are five short answer questions based on the passages in Section A. Answer the questions with No more than TEN
48、words in the space provided. 13 【正确答案】 The switchman 【试题解析】 根据第 3段最后一句提到的， Farwell受伤的原 因是 the mistake of another， another即 another employee，在本段是指前文提到过的那个switchman。可见，法庭认为， Farwell的伤应归咎于那个 switchman，与铁路公司无关。 【知识模块】 阅读 14 【正确答案】 Computer ownership 【试题解析】 文章第 4段以种族划分，分别讲到美国的白人群体、黑人群体、拉美群体对电脑的家庭占有差异在日益缩
49、小，以印证和说明该段中心句 (第一句 )中所指的 “数字鸿沟 ”的消失。由此可知， digital divide在此主要是指电脑的占有量的差异， “电脑的占有量 ”即原文中的 computer ownership。 【知识模块】 阅读 15 【正确答案】 A survey firm./A polling firm. 【试题解析】 第 3段和第 4段对于 Zogby International的工作作了描述，根据其中的 poll， interview等词，可以推断 Zogby International是一家调查公司，可能是一家民意调查公司 (因为 poll意为 “民意调查 ”)。而根据第 5段所述的这次调查(survey)的商业目的， Zogby International也可能是一家市场调查公司，所以，本题答案可以是 polling firm或者 survey firm。注意，民意调查公司不是 poll firm，而是 polling firm。 【知识模块】 阅读 16 【正确答案】 Job-hunting Strategies 【试题解析】 文章开头第 1句即点明全文中心 想找到理想的工作，请尝试
