1、专业英语四级（阅读）模拟试卷 12及答案与解析 0 What makes people shun the relative security of full-time employment and start up a business themselves? The European Union wants to know, because with entrepreneurship come job creation and growth. For the past five years, the Unions head office has financed an annual poll
2、 of more than 21, 000 people on both sides of the Atlantic. The most recent of these studies, released this week, shows that despite efforts to make the Union more competitive, the majority of its citizens remain consistently less entrepreneurial and more risk-averse than their American counterparts
3、. Thats not necessarily true of all Europeans: The word entrepreneur may be French, but the poll found that people from smaller countries like Portugal, Greece, Ireland and Latvia were much more enthusiastic about working for themselves. But putting regional variations aside, the bottom line for Eur
4、ope was that fewer European respondents said they would choose self-employment 45 percent said it was their preference than their American counterparts, at 61 percent. And the most striking part of the survey was the Europeans explanations of their responses. It has long been assumed here that red t
5、ape is holding back Europes entrepreneurial spirit. With shorter waiting times to register companies and easier procedures for hiring, the argument goes, new European businesses would sprout like tulips in a Dutch greenhouse. The survey told a different story. Europeans essentially said they couldnt
6、 be bothered with the effort involved in starting a business: They wanted a regular, fixed income and a stable job. The upshot of this for Europe is that even if governments managed to cut red tape, their citizens might still prefer to have a comfortable job working for someone else. Only 5 percent
7、of Europeans said fear of red tape or reluctance to battle bureaucracies was holding them back. A corollary to this is the fear of failure in Europe. Half of all European respondents agreed with the statement, “One should not start a business if there is a risk it might fail. Only one-third of Ameri
8、cans agreed. There were an estimated 20. 5 million people working in start-up companies in the United States in 2003 , the latest year for which data were available, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, a London-based research organization. This is 23 times the number of those working a
9、t startups in France far greater than the population differences between the two countries. The US number was also 9 times the number of those in Britain and more than 7 times that of Germany. If Europe can successfully diminish the stigma of failure, more people would be willing to start their own
10、businesses. “There is a completely different attitude toward risk, “ said Zourek of the European Commission, comparing Europe with the United States. In Europe, “ once you try a venture and you dont succeed, you dont get a second chance, but you get a stigma, “he said. The European Union, he said, s
11、hould make bankruptcy procedures less burdensome and make getting credit easier for risk-takers, even those who have failed before. In this survey, 55 percent of Europeans aged 15 to 24 said that it would be“desirable“ for them to become self-employed in the next five years. Among those 55 and older
12、, only 18 percent said the same. Young Europeans could be the motor of entrepreneurship. But with European countries having some of the lowest birth rates in the developed world, who will take their place? 1 What can we learn from EUs poll? （ A） Some smaller European countries show stronger desire t
13、o run their own enterprises. （ B） Less than half Americans are risk-oriented. （ C） The great majority of people in European countries prefer stable incomes. （ D） Europeans are afraid of complicated policies of registering new companies. 2 What does the word “corollary“in Paragraph 4 mean? （ A） An im
14、portant reason. （ B） A potential reason. （ C） An obvious result. （ D） A deductive result. 3 Which of the following is NOT the reason why Europeans and Americans regard “risk“ differently? （ A） According to related policies, Europeans only have one chance to run new companies. （ B） Failure to try a v
15、enture leads to more serious result in Europe than in the US. （ C） European tradition is more conservative than that of America. （ D） The EU doesnt give enough support to European people to open their own companies. 4 What can we learn from the passage? （ A） The population of America is more than 23
16、 times of France. （ B） There are more self-employed people in Britain than in Germany. （ C） Most old Europeans are unwilling to meet risk. （ D） All hope of European entrepreneurship lies in young people. 5 Which one of the following is the best title for the passage? （ A） European and American Risk-
17、Takers （ B） European Fear to Start up Businesses （ C） Hope of New European Enterprises （ D） European Entrepreneurship 5 We all have offensive breath at one time or another. In most eases offensive breath emanates from bacteria in the mouth, although there are other, more surprising causes. Until a f
18、ew years ago, the most doctors could do was to counsel patients with bad breath about oral cleanliness. Now they are finding new ways to treat the usually curable condition. Bad breath can happen whenever the normal flow of saliva slows. Our mouths are full of bacteria feeding on protein in bits of
19、food and shed tissue. The bacteria emit smelling gases, the worst of which is hydrogen sulfide. Mouth bacteria thrive in airless conditions. Oxygen-rich saliva keeps their numbers down. When we sleep, for example, the saliva stream slows, and sulfide producing bacteria gains the upper hand, producin
20、g classic “morning breath“. Alcohol, hunger, too much talking, breathing through the mouth during exerciseanything that dries the mouth produces bad breath. So can stress, though its not understood why. Some peoples breath turns sour every time they go on a job interview. Saliva flow gradually slows
21、 with age, which explains why the elderly have more bad breath trouble than younger people do. Babies, however, who make plenty of saliva and whose mouths contain relatively few bacteria have characteristically sweet breath. For most of us, file simple, dry-mouth variety of bad breath is easily cure
22、d. Eating or drinking starts saliva and sweeps away many of the bacteria. Breakfast often stops morning breath. Those with chronic dry mouth find that it helps to keep gum, hard candy, or a bottle of water or juice around. Brushing the teeth wipes out dry-mouth bad breath because it clears away many
23、 of the offending bacteria. Surprisingly, one thing that rarely works is mouthwash. The liquid can mask bad-breath odor with its own smell, but the effect lasts no more than an hour. Some mouthwashes claim to kill the bacteria responsible for bad breath. The trouble is they dont necessarily reach al
24、l offending germs. Most bacteria are well protected from mouthwash under thick layers of mucus. If the mouthwash contains alcohol as most do it can intensify the problem by drying out the mouth. 6 The phrase “emanate from“ in Paragraph 1 most probably means_. （ A） thrive on （ B） account for （ C） ori
25、ginate from （ D） descend from 7 Which of the following is mentioned as one of the causes of bad breath? （ A） Tooth trouble. （ B） Sulfur-rich food. （ C） Too much exercise. （ D） Mental strain. 8 According to the passage, alcohol has something to do with bad breath mainly because_. （ A） it keeps offend
26、ing bacteria from reproducing （ B） its smell adds to bad breath （ C） it kills some helpful bacteria （ D） it affects the normal flow of saliva 9 Mouthwashes are not an effective cure for bad breath mainly because_. （ A） they cant mask the bad odor long enough （ B） they cant get to all the offending b
27、acteria （ C） their strong smell mixes with bad breath and makes it worse （ D） they cant cover the thick layers of mucus 10 We can infer from the passage that_. （ A） offensive breath cant easily be cured （ B） elderly people are less offended by bad breath （ C） heavy drinkers are less affected by bad
28、breath （ D） offensive breath is less affected by alcohol 10 Every 101 minutes or so, a Department of Defense imaging satellite circles the Earth, capturing images from the equator to the polar ice caps. Its that DOD drone(colorfully named the DMSPF-17)that monitors geologic changes, such as the decr
29、easing size of the Arctic: and Antarctic ice covers. The images it snaps are the ones most people see of the Earths two white domes, which have been steadily diminishing for the past decade. Skimming over the top of the world feels a bit like being on a different planet, according to Rick Steiner, a
30、 marine conservation researcher at the University of Alaska. For the past two years, Steiner has led research missions flying low over thousands of miles of Arctic seas for a handful of polar climate scientists, some of whom work for the federal government. He times the daylong voyage to coincide wi
31、th the time of year when sea ice is at a minimum, the exact end of summer melting in mid-September, before the autumn cool begins to refreeze some of the water. Having lived in Alaska for 30 years, Steiner can tell you in personal detail how the minimum has shrunk from year to year. He calls the voy
32、age his annual “bearing witness to the Arctic crisis“ trip. The crisis has been mapped out in precise detail in slide shows and research papers, with startling statistics. The past three summers have seen the lowest ice volume ever recorded, according to data released annually by the National Snow a
33、nd Ice Data Center(NSIDC). The sea-ice minimum in 2007(1.6 million square miles)was the single lowest year, with nearly 40 percent less ice than the seasonal average recorded over the past three decades. And the problem is only expected to worsen. As the ice melts, it releases highly concentrated ca
34、rbon and methane(甲烷 )that is locked in the permafrost(永冻层 ), creating an accelerating warming loop. An additional compounding factor is that dark oceans absorb more of the suns energy than light-colored ice, which reflects a large portion of it. That means that the more ice melts over the summer, th
35、e more open ocean there is, which leads lo more absorbed energy and warmer oceans, which means that less ice forms the following winter, which leads to even more open ocean the following year. Early this past summer, researchers thought 2009 would be even worse than 2007 in terms of melting, until a
36、 late-arriving wind from the equator brought cool air that prevented even more melting. “ When youre actually looking out the window and seeing mile after mile of warm ocean water where there used to be sea ice that you once walked around on, it gives you the certainty that something major is going
37、on there, “ says James Overland, a marine environmental researcher with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The thickness of the ice and water temperatures which were also measured at disturbingly high levels by Steiner and his team this year are also measurements you cant make by p
38、eering at satellite images. 11 When is sea ice at a minimum in a year? （ A） In the middle of summer. （ B） At the end of summer. （ C） In the middle of September. （ D） At the beginning of autumn. 12 According to the passage, ice-melting doesnt lead to_. （ A） highly concentrated carbon and methane （ B）
39、 an accelerating warming loop （ C） more suns energy absorbed by dark oceans （ D） more open ocean 13 What is another important factor to accelerate the warming loop? （ A） Dark oceans absorb more of the suns energy than light-colored ice. （ B） There is more carbon dioxide emitted by vehicles. （ C） The
40、 wind from the equator is less and less from year to year. （ D） Humans behavior brings damage to Arctic and Antarctic ice covers. 14 Which of the following is CORRECT according to this passage? （ A） Scientists have already got statistics to prove Arctic crisis. （ B） 2009 is even worse than 2007 in t
41、erms of ice melting. （ C） Mile after mile of warm ocean water tells us some minor changes are happening there. （ D） We can know the exact thickness of the ice and water temperatures from satellite images. 15 What is the main idea of the passage? （ A） Ice covers have been diminishing for the past dec
42、ade. （ B） It is DOD drone that monitors geologic changes. （ C） Steiners annual voyages bear witness to the Arctic crisis. （ D） Ice-melting is creating an accelerating warming loop. 15 The Fields Medal is the highest scientific award for mathematicians. In fact it is only the unofficial name for the
43、“ International medal for outstanding discoveries in mathematics. “ The Fields Medals are presented every four years at the International Congress of Mathematicians(ICM)to two to four deserving mathematicians under the age of 40. The age limit is intended to guarantee that not only past work is rewa
44、rded. The Fields Medal is also intended to encourage the winners to make further contributions. The prize is named in honor of Professor John Charles Fields(1863-1932), a Canadian mathematician. He was the first significant mathematician at the University of Toronto, and was also internationally kno
45、wn at the time. He was active in such prestigious scientific societies as the Royal Society of London. In 1924 he was elected as the President of the 6th International Congress of Mathematicians held in Toronto. Fields did original research in the theory of algebraic functions. However he is best re
46、membered for conceiving the idea of, and for providing funds for, an international medal for mathematical distinction. The 9th International Congress of Mathematicians at Zurich in 1932 adopted his proposal after his death. The Fields Medal was first awarded at the 10th Congress, held at Oslo in 193
47、6. The fund for the founding of the medals is constituted by Fields donation and balance left over after financing the Toronto Congress held in 1924. Fields wished that the awards should recognize both existing mathematical work and also the promise of future achievement. The medalists are presented
48、 with a golden medal together with a prize of 15, 000 Canadian dollars. Each medal contains at least 200 dollars worth of gold and is probably 7. 5 centimeters in diameter. The obverse of the medal is the head of Archimedes facing right, and together with a quotation(in Latin)attributed to him, “To
49、transcend ones spirit and to take hold of the world. “ The reverse side bears the inscription(in Latin), “The mathematicians assembled here from all over the world to pay tribute for outstanding work. Compared with the $100, 000 of the Nobel Prize, it is only a golden medal. However, the prize winners are selected by the fields Medal Committee which consists of eight mathematicians appointed by the Executive Committee of the InternationaMathematical Union. It is usually regarded as the top prize in mathematics and will only
