1、大学英语四级改革适用（阅读）模拟试卷 168及答案与解析 Section A 0 After intensive research, scientists have concluded that politicians lie. In a study described in Britains Observer newspaper, Glen Newey, a political scientist at Britains University of Strathclyde, concluded that lying is an important part of【 C1】_in the mo
2、dern democracy. “Politicians need to be more honest about lying,“ he told the newspaper. According to Newey, voters expect to be lied to in certain circumstances, and sometimes even【 C2】 _it. “Politics should be regarded as less like an exercise in producing【 C3】 _statements and more like a poker ga
3、me,“ he said. “And there is an expectation by a poker player that you try to【 C4】 _them as part of the game.“ Newey said lying by politicians can occasionally be【 C5】 _justified, such as when national security is at【 C6】 _, and the public even has a “right to be lied to“ in cases where they do not e
4、xpect to be told the whole truth, such as during a war. But the main cause of lying is increased【 C7】 _by the public into areas that the government would rather not discuss candidly. If voters only asked fewer questions, politicians would tell them fewer lies. Bill Clinton【 C8】 _lied about his affai
5、r with Monica Lewinsky, while earlier philandering (追逐女人的 ) U.S. presidents never had to lie about their【 C9】 _, because nobody ever asked. “When【 C10】 _or parliamentary colleagues start to probe at that area which the government wants to keep secret, you are more likely to be pushed further and fur
6、ther toward the territory of lying,“ Newey said. A. famously B. require C. politics D. miserable E. intermediate F. journalists G. representing H. affairs I. mechanism J. truthful K. faithfully L. probing M. deceive N. risk O. entirely 1 【 C1】 2 【 C2】 3 【 C3】 4 【 C4】 5 【 C5】 6 【 C6】 7 【 C7】 8 【 C8】
7、9 【 C9】 10 【 C10】 Section B 10 The Lost Art of Listening A) “Why wont he even listen to my idea?“ “Why am I cut off before I provide the whole story?“ How many times have you been frustrated by someone not listening to what you have to say? How many times have you frustrated others by not listening
8、to them? We tend to think that listening is the same as hearing; but listening is the art of being alert to the problems of the person you are with. Problems caused by not listening can be serious, not only at work, but also with family and friends. Many times we jump in to say whats on our minds be
9、fore weve even acknowledged what the other person has said, short circuiting the possibility of mutual understanding. Speaking without listening, hearing without understanding. In fact were often baffled and dismayed by the feeling of being left sitting around in the dark. B) Effective managers are
10、proactive (主动的 ) listeners. They dont wait for members of their staff to come to them; they make an active effort to find out what people think and feel by asking them. The manager who meets frequently with staff members keeps informed and, even more importantly, communicates interest in the people
11、themselves. An open-door policy allows access, but it doesnt substitute for an active campaign of reaching out and listening to people. The manager who doesnt ask questions communicates that he or she doesnt care. And if he or she doesnt listen, the message is “Im not there for you.“ Even if a manag
12、er decides not to follow a subordinates suggestion, listening with sincere interest conveys respect and makes the employee feel appreciated. C) Communicating by memo or e-mail however witty or informal is not substitute for personal contact, because it closes off the chance to listen. Simply going t
13、hrough the motions of meeting with people doesnt work either. The fake listener doesnt fool anyone. Poor eye contact, shuffling feet, busy hands, and meaningless replies, like “Thats interesting“ and “Is that right?“ give them away. The insincere listeners lack of interest in the conversation betray
14、s a larger problem: lack of interest in the person with whom the listener is communicating. D) Most people dont listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply. Even at work, where performance takes priority over relationships, listening carefully to understand the other p
15、ersons point of view before you even think about replying is the key to productive communication. Effective managers develop a routine in which communication time is an integral part of the job. They meet with their staff and ask questions. They dont react before gathering all the facts. If they don
16、t know what their people are thinking and feeling, they ask and they listen. E) When we dont feel heard by our superiors, few of us give up right away. We write memos, we ask to meet with them, we try to communicate our needs and convey our points of view. Then we give up. Frequently, we complain to
17、 our coworkers and our family and friends. Venting feelings of frustration with third parties rather than addressing conflicts at their source can take on epidemic proportions in work settings. Sometimes it takes the form of gossip, running down someone whos not present. F) But, some of you might be
18、 thinking, my boss really is insensitive. Ive tried to talk to him, and he just doesnt listen. The mistake people make in trying to get through to unreceptive superiors is the same mistake most of us make in dealing with the difficult people in our lives: we try to change them. And when that doesnt
19、work, we give up. Instead, start by examining your own expectations. What do you want and how are you programmed to go about getting it? Are you expecting to have your personal needs met at work? Do you work hard and wait patiently for the boss to tell you that youre doing a great job, like a good l
20、ittle boy or girl? G) listening is important at work because it enables people to understand each other, get along and get the job done. But dont get too personal. Dont let your compassion allow someone to talk about their personal problems, which is interfering with work. This may be happening if y
21、oure the only person he talks to. A good supervisor keeps channels of communication open and keeps them focused on the task at hand by asking for frequent feedback about how things are going (on the job). “What do you like and dislike so far about working here?“ “Is there anything you think we shoul
22、d change to make things smoother?“ H) Remember that it can be intimidating for subordinates to give criticism or make suggestions. If you want them to feel safe enough to open up, reassure them that you appreciate their ideas. “Im glad you spoke up.“ “Thanks for letting me know.“ “I didnt realize. I
23、m glad you told me.“ Listening to the people we work with isnt the same as becoming friends with them. Many people worry that if we allow ourselves to get personal at the workplace, things might get sticky. But those who think that effective teamwork isnt about listening (its about getting things do
24、ne) are wrong. Without being heard we are diminished, as workers and as people. I) Keep in mind the difference between dissent (异议 ) and defiance (挑衅 ). Defiance means attacking the other persons position and making him wrong. Dissent means having the courage to stand up for what you think and feel.
25、 Its the difference between saying “Youre wrong“ and “This is how I feel.“ Clearly, a dissenting message is much easier to hear than a defiant one. The listener is more willing and interested in hearing a dissenters objection. Someone who hears a defiant objection will tend to either ignore the comm
26、ent or be rudely counter-defiant. This is a common problem that tends to increase barriers between people, something you dont want in a work environment where teamwork is necessary. Careful listening is difficult and takes practice to improve. Try harder to understand the other persons perspective.
27、11 Personal contact can never be replaced by communicating through memo or e-mail which might be witty or informal. 12 If an employee wants to communicate with an unreceptive superior, he should not try to change the boss. 13 Effective managers make an active effort to keep informed of what a staff
28、member thinks. 14 It is not allowed to talk about personal problems at work, because it interferes with work. 15 The saying “This is how I feel“ can be classified as a dissenting message. 16 It is useful to send the message to the subordinate that their ideas would be appreciated because it can let
29、them feel safe to open up. 17 When we dont feel heard by our superiors, most of us wont give up immediately. 18 The key to productive communication is to listen with the intent to understand. 19 Different from hearing, listening is the art of being alert to the problems of those you are with. 20 A g
30、ood supervisor frequently asks for feedback about how things are going so that he can keep channels of communication open. Section C 20 For thousands of years, people thought of glass as something beautiful to look at. Only recently have they come to think of it as something to look through. Stores
31、display their goods in large glass windows. Glass bottles and jars that hold food and drink allow us to see the contents. Glass is used to make eyeglasses, microscopes, telescopes, and many other extremely useful and necessary objects. Until the Second World War, most of the glass used for optical i
32、nstruments was imported from Europe. However, during the war Americans could not get European glass, and they were forced to make their own. As a result, new kinds of glasses were developed that had been previously unknown. These new effects were achieved by mixing other chemical elements with the s
33、and. Some of these new glasses are very strong and can resist many kinds of shocks. Legend has it that a very hard glass was invented by a Roman who showed his discovery to the Emperor. When the Emperor saw the glass he feared that it would become more valuable than gold and silver, making his treas
34、ure worthless. Therefore, he had the glassmaker killed, and the secret was not discovered again for hundreds of years. In the present century, safety glass was invented for use in modern cars and planes. Safety glass is made by placing a layer of plastic between two layers of plate glass. When the o
35、utside layer of glass is broken, the pieces do not scatter and injure people. Some glass of this type is strong enough to resist bullets. Although in recent years plastics have replaced glass under conditions where glass might be easily broken, there are new uses being developed, for the greatest ad
36、vantage of glass is that its component parts are inexpensive and can be found all over the world. 21 With the passage of time, glass _. （ A） is regarded as transparent （ B） is no longer seen as decoration （ C） is used to make things look pleasant （ D） is widely used to replace steel in making contai
37、ners 22 Why did Americans make their own glass during the Second World War? （ A） The war blocked the way of glass import. （ B） They refused to use the European glass. （ C） The glass made in Europe was out of date. （ D） They were able to make a new kind of glass. 23 By telling the legend, the author
38、wants to _. （ A） prove that the Roman was the first inventor of hard glass （ B） support that the Americans were as clever as the Romans （ C） give some interesting information about hard glass （ D） provide a historical event concerned with hard glass 24 All of the following concerning the safety glas
39、s are discussed in the text EXCEPT _. （ A） its uses （ B） its strength （ C） its structure （ D） its limitations 25 New uses of glass are being developed on the ground that _. （ A） glass is not as safe as plastics （ B） glass is not as strong and durable as plastics （ C） glass is easily obtainable and i
40、nexpensive （ D） glass is more and more widely used 25 The Eskimos have developed a capacity to live peacefully with one another. They have not had a strict system of landownership, one of the universal causes of conflict. They have evolved a system of food-sharing among families that makes the prese
41、rvation of life possible. The absolute necessity of creating this safeguard against starvation has strengthened bonds between neighbors. Almost every traveler has noted the Eskimos friendliness and good humor toward strangers and among themselves. In a country where agriculture is impossible they ha
42、ve been forced to spend their energies in food-gathering rather than warfare. If one family disagreed with another, the usual solution was for that family to pick up its few possessions and go elsewhere. In the vast unused land, moving presented almost no problem. The practice of infanticide, and su
43、icide among the old people, seems to have been a factor of survival in times of food scarcity. The size of the family was controlled to some extent by the ability of the father as a hunter and by the abundance of game (猎物 ) in the area. Marriage was a very serious and lifelong bond among Eskimos; in
44、 order to choose a permanent and compatible mate a number of trial marriages were permitted, each lasting perhaps half a year. During the trial period a couple usually lived with the girls parents and the young man hunted exclusively for his future father-in-law. If a child was born as a result of a
45、n unsuccessful trial marriage it was adopted by relatives or friends. Children are often given out for adoption in the Eskimos society and are eagerly adopted by other families, for the Eskimos camp and nomad (游牧民族的 ) group represent a kind of extended family. Polygamy (一夫多妻制 ) was occasionally prac
46、ticed by the most successful hunters, but usually to protect a widow or a girl who had lost her father. 26 The Eskimos live peacefully with one another because of_. （ A） their system of landownership （ B） their system of food-sharing （ C） the development of agriculture （ D） their love for moving 27
47、The authors attitude to infanticide can be best described as_. （ A） critical （ B） horrified （ C） understanding （ D） favorable 28 Which of the following is true of an Eskimo family? （ A） The more successful a hunter was, the bigger his family would be. （ B） The more successful a hunter was, the more
48、wives he would marry. （ C） The more successful a hunter was, the more probable he would marry a widow. （ D） The more successful a hunter was, the more probable his wife was a fatherless girl. 29 It can be inferred about the Eskimo marriage that_. （ A） trial marriage was permitted only once in ones l
49、ifetime （ B） young couples lived by themselves during the trial period （ C） children out of trial marriage would be given to others （ D） divorce was not accepted by the Eskimos 30 It is implied by the author that _. （ A） the Eskimo fathers play the role of breadwinner （ B） the Eskimo children are not cherished by their parents （ C） when the Eskimos grow old, they usually kill themselves （ D） the Eskimos will retain their way of life 大学英语四级改革适用（阅读）模拟试
