1、专业英语四级（阅读）模拟试卷 183及答案与解析 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 (1) A year has passed since Chiles 33 trapped miners
2、were hauled to freedom in the Atacama Desert. By and large, its been a relatively safe year in the countrys mines. The number of deaths from mining accidents has fallen sharply, from 27 in the first half of 2010 to 12 in the same period this year. Although it is too early to tell how much of that im
3、provement will stick, the days when mining claimed hundreds of Chilean lives each year are thankfully gone. The government has increased the number of inspectors at Chiles mines from 18 at the time of last years accident to 45 now. Those officials have carried out more than 3, 800 inspections in Chi
4、les 8, 000 mines so far this year. In July the government sent a draft bill to Parliament to overhaul mine safety regulation, describing it as the most important legislation in the area in 30 years. (2) Despite this good work, however, there is one glaring anomaly that needs to be addressed: Chile h
5、as yet to ratify (正式批准 ) the International Labour Organisations (ILO) Convention 176 on mining safety. The convention has been around for 13 years, and has been adopted by 25 countries from Albania to Zimbabwe. It establishes workers rights to refuse work they consider unsafe, to leave a mine they c
6、onsider dangerous and to elect their own health and safety representatives. In the days after last years remarkable rescue Sebastian Pinera, the President, promised to ratify the convention. But today his government still seems hesitant to do so. It has asked the ILO for more information on how the
7、measures would affect the mining industry, which accounts for around a fifth of the countrys GDP. (3) Even though all 33 people trapped in the San Jose mine were rescued, last year was still the deadliest in Chiles mines for over a decade; 45 miners were killed at work. Its no coincidence that it wa
8、s also the year in which the copper price averaged a record high of over $ 3. 40 a pound ($ 7. 50 per kg). When the price of Chiles chief export is high, accidents happen. Thats because an army of part-time, unsupervised miners, often with little experience, head out into the Atacama Desert in searc
9、h of the mineral. Mines that closed long ago because they were unprofitable suddenly find they can make money again and reopen, often with no better safety standards than when they closed. The reverse is also true: when the copper price is low, the accident rate falls. The safest year in the history
10、 of Chilean mining was 1999, with just 0.09 deaths for every million hours worked. That year copper sold for just 72 cents a pound. (4) This year copper has averaged over $4 a pound. Mining is booming. All the more reason, therefore, to reflect on the extraordinary events of last year at the San Jos
11、e mine, and to invest a little more of the industrys handsome profits in safety improvements. 1 We can infer from Para. 1 that_. （ A） mining accidents in Chiles Atacama Desert claimed 33 lives last year （ B） there has been much improvement in Chiles mining safety since last year （ C） Chilean governm
12、ent has closed quite a number of poorly-operated mines （ D） Chilean parliament has passed a draft bill on mining regulations 2 According to the passage, which of the following statements is CORRECT? （ A） The mining industry occupies a minor part in Chiles GDP. （ B） Chilean government should think tw
13、ice before ratifying the ILOs Convention 176. （ C） San Joses mine rescue shows Chiles remarkable progress in rescue work. （ D） Its high time Chilean government took measures to strengthen its mining safety. 3 The authors tone in writing the passage is_. （ A） critical and cynical （ B） objective and u
14、rging （ C） partial and harsh （ D） scientific and indifferent 3 (1) If you think money cant buy you friends, think again. In the online world, its possible to purchase a crowd of fans. One thousand cost only $ 18 on average, according to estimates by Barracuda Networks, a network security company. Ye
15、t these friends wont meet you for drinks after work. In fact, they dont even exist. They are pixels on a screen. (2) A large share of social-media followers of the biggest companies are not human, believes Marco Camisani Calzolari, an entrepreneur and professor at Milans ILUM University. In a recent
16、 study he quantified the proportion of computer-generated fans or inactive users following big brands on Twitter. To decide whether a follower is human, Mr. Camisani Calzolari used various criteria, including the number of posts from a fans Twitter account and the use of correct punctuation in tweet
17、s. According to this research, by June 2011 nearly half of Twitter followers of computer maker Dell about 700,000were bots. (3) Some politicians also seem to have many fake followers. Mitt Romney, the former Republican presidential candidate, became the focus of media attention when his Twitter foll
18、owing swelled by 17% in a single day in July. On close inspection, a significant proportion of Mr. Romneys followers appeared to be fake profiles. In Italy Beppe Grillos Five Star Movement lost the driving force when Mr. Camisani Calzolari made a similar claim about the followers of the comedian-tur
19、ned-politician. (4) There is no indication that any of the companies mentioned in Mr. Camisani Calzolaris paper have bought followers rogue bots often attach themselves to people and brands without payment. But some firms do buy a social media following. Fake profiles are at the center of a very vib
20、rant and growing underground economy, says Barracuda Networks. On eBay, the e-commerce site, for instance, the firms researchers have found 20 sellers offering to set up such profiles. (5) For start-ups a strong social media following can boost business. A small mom-and-pop shop struggling to sell i
21、ts goods can look like a booming upstart thanks to a swollen Twitter account, or an artificially high number of Facebook likes. For major international companies, a small number of followers in the early stages of engagement with social media can be embarrassing at best and damaging to brand percept
22、ion at worst. Buying crowds of fans even if they arent engaged with the brand can give an artificial boost to a business. (6) For now, the trick works. “Normal people dont know yet that there is this black market. Most have total trust that a brands followers are real,“ says Mr. Camisani Calzolari.
23、But brands are already finding diminishing returns. When everybody has a large following, the impact is much diminished. And consumers are starting to cotton on to sharp practices. “ The number of followers is a superficial measurement unless they are engaged,“ argues Carly Donovan of Ogilvy Action,
24、 an arm of Ogilvy it dropped the word “Coffee“ from its logo. While coffee remains as central to Starbuckss business and identity as hamburgers are to McDonalds, the companys recent American acquisitions have moved it beyond Java. In November 2011 it acquired Evolution Fresh, a small California-base
25、d juice company, for $ 30m, giving the company a foothold in Americas $ 1. 6 billion high-end juice market. And in June 2012 Starbucks bought a bakery, Bay Bread, and its La Boulange-branded cafes, for $ 100m. Starbuckss customers “have never been as satisfied with our food as our coffee,“ explained
26、 Troy Alstead, Starbuckss chief financial officer. (4) On November 14th Starbucks made its largest acquisition yet, buying Teavana, an Atlanta-based tea retailer, for $ 620m. This is not the firms first attempt into the tea market its stores sell tea, of course, and it bought Tazo, a tea manufacture
27、r and distributor, back in 1999 but it is by far its boldest. When Starbucks bought Tazo it was simply a brand, but Teavana has some 300 shops, largely mall-based, throughout North America. Mr. Alstead hopes that scale will allow Starbucks “to do for tea what we did for coffee. “ (5) This may seem,
28、as they say at Starbucks, a tall order. Americans drink far more coffee than tea. In 2011 the average coffee consumption was 9.39 pounds per person, while tea was a paltry 0.9 pounds. Coffee has long been an essential part of American mornings. Tea has no comparably firm position, except for the too
29、th-shiveringly sweet iced tea served during meals in the South (85% of all tea consumed in America is iced). (6) That said, since 1980 Americas coffee consumption has fallen, and is forecast to fall further. Consumption of tea, on the other hand, has grown, and is forecast to keep growing perhaps be
30、nefiting from the idea that it has health benefits that coffee lacks, perhaps driven partly by immigration from tea-drinking countries. The Tea Association of the USA put the value of the tea market in America at $ 8. 2 billion in 2011, up from $ 1. 8 billion just 20 years earlier, and forecasts tha
31、t it will nearly double in value again by 2014. The sharpest growth will come from tea that is green which also happens to be the color of money and the logo of Starbucks. 7 According to Troy Alstead, the aim of Starbucks acquisition of Bay Bread is to_. （ A） occupy the bread market （ B） expand the
32、company （ C） raise customers satisfaction towards food （ D） diversify its commodity 8 Which of the following is INCORRECT about the consumption of tea in America? （ A） Americans tend to drink iced tea instead of hot tea. （ B） The consumption of tea has become more than that of coffee since 1980. （ C
33、） The growing consumption of tea might be caused by immigrants. （ D） The green tea has the biggest increase in tea consumption. 8 (1) Each year, more U. S. properties within floodplains are destroyed by flooding than fire. Changing weather patterns, increased urban development, and the leveling of f
34、orests have reduced the lands natural ability to absorb water. As flooding becomes a common occurrence, property owners need to face the facts. Flood damage can happen anytime, no matter where you live. (2) Flood insurance, which is financially backed by the U. S. Government through the National Flo
35、od Insurance Program, is available through Homesite Insurance and the Homesite Insurance Agency. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) through the Federal Emergency Management Agency is the primary provider of flood insurance. The Homesite Insurance Company acts as a “ Write-Your-Own“ company
36、on behalf of the NFIP. “Write-Your-Own“ companies sell and service flood policies and the NFIP pays the claims. (3) Property owners know a Homeowners policy covers fire damage, but most dont realize that it wont cover flood or mudslide damage. Rising waters and debris can destroy your home, business
37、, and personal belongings within minutes. Most floods dont qualify for federal disaster aid. Only floods that are declared national disasters by the President qualify for federal assistance. This assistance is in the form of a grant averaging less than $ 2,500, or a federal loan that must be paid ba
38、ck with interest. Thats in addition to payments on your existing mortgage loan! (4) Only flood insurance protects your home and your belongings from damage caused by rising water or mudflow. Flood insurance is available for the value of the structure minus the land value. Contents coverage is also a
39、vailable, but is optional and must be requested. Even if youve had previous flooding, you can still buy flood insurance. If youve received disaster assistance before, you must first obtain flood insurance to be eligible for future federal relief. (5) The average flood policy is only $324 a year that
40、s less than $ 1 a day. Compare that to a typical disaster loan of $ 50,000, costing more than $300 a month for over 18 years Flood insurance pays all covered claims even if a federal disaster is not declared. Claims are paid quickly so victims can recover faster. You can even get a partial payment r
41、ight away to get started. Flood coverage is available up to $ 250,000 for your home, and up to $ 100,000 for the contents. (6) Anyone can buy flood insurance if his/her property is located in a community that participates in the National Flood Insurance Program. Homes, condos, apartments, and busine
42、ss structures are all eligible. Even renters may purchase flood insurance for their possessions. Since flood premiums are set by the U. S. government, your rate is the same from any insurer. 9 Who is in charge of paying the claims? （ A） The Homesite Insurance Company. （ B） Federal Emergency Manageme
43、nt Agency. （ C） National Flood Insurance Program. （ D） Write-Your-Own companies. 10 Which of the following statements is CORRECT? （ A） Most floods qualify for federal disaster aid. （ B） Every flood qualifies for federal disaster aid. （ C） Most floods dont qualify for federal disaster aid. （ D） No fl
44、ood qualifies for federal disaster aid. 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. 11 PASSAGE ONE Why did the girl play basketball over and over again? 11 What does the ph
45、rase “one glaring anomaly“ in Para. 2 probably mean? 12 PASSAGE TWO 12 What does the passage mainly discuss? 12 PASSAGE THREE 13 What does the news about Starbucks in The Onion imply? 14 Which company is the earliest one that Starbucks purchased? 15 PASSAGE FOUR 15 What should be paid quickly so tha
46、t victims can recover faster? 专业英语四级（阅读）模拟试卷 183答案与解析 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. 【知识模块】 阅读 1 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析
47、】 推断题。文章第一段首先提到去年的阿塔卡马沙漠矿井事故，接下来指出这一年是智利矿井相对安全的一年，矿难的死亡人数已从 2010年上半年的27人降到当年同期的 12人，可知 B“自去年以来，智利的采矿安全有了大幅度改善 ”为正确答案。 A“去年发生在智利阿塔卡马沙漠的矿井事故夺去了 33人的生命 ”与本段第一句提到的智利 33名被困阿塔卡马沙漠的矿工成功获救已过去一年相矛盾，故排除； C“智利政府已关闭了不少经营不善的矿井 ”并未在本段提及，故排除； 本段最后一句提到，今年七月份，智利政府把一项全面改革矿井安全法规的草案递交给了议会，由此可知，智利政府已就采矿安全问题拟定草案，并递交给议会，但
48、该草案最终是否通过，在第一段中并未提及，故排除 D“智利议会通过了政府递交的矿井监管草案 ”。 【知识模块】 阅读 2 【正确答案】 D 【试题解析】 细节题。文章最后一段最后一句提到，智利政府更有理由将采铜业中的不菲利润多分出一部分投资在安全设施改善上，由此可知， D“现在是智利政府采取措施加强其采矿安全的时候了 ”为正确答案。第二段最后一句提到， 智利政府要求国际劳工组织提供更多关于该措施会如何影响采矿业的信息，因为采矿业产值大约占智利国内生产总值的 20，由此可知，采矿业是智利的重要工业，而 A“采矿业在智利国内生产总值中处于一个不重要的位置 ”陈述错误，故排除；作者在第二段主要阐述智利
49、政府未批准国际劳工组织关于采矿安全的第 176号公约，以及批准该措施的必要性，而 B“智利政府在正式批准第 176号公约前应该三思而后行 ”陈述错误，故排除；作者在第二段第五句用 remarkable rescue描述去年阿塔卡马沙漠被困矿工的营救行动，但并未陈述智利如何 在营救方面取得进步， C陈述错误，故排除。 【知识模块】 阅读 3 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 态度题。本文开篇点出去年阿塔卡马沙漠矿井事故，介绍并肯定了事故发生后智利政府采取的一系列提高采矿安全监管的举措；第二段指出，智利政府迟迟不批准国际劳工组织关于采矿安全的第 176号公约，并用事实证明了采取此项措施的必要性；第三段介绍了智利采矿业的安全局势仍然严峻，并指出采矿事故与铜的价格变动之间的关系；最后敦促智利政府加大投资以改善采矿业的安全设施。综上所述，作者陈述了客观事实，并提出自己的建 议，言辞客观、恳切，故 B“客观的和敦促的 ”为正确答案。 【知识模块】 阅读 【知识模块】 阅读 4 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 细节题。文章第二段第二句表明，在最近的一项研究中
