1、大学英语四级改革适用（阅读）模拟试卷 223及答案与解析 Section C 0 Costly sometimes abusive credit cards are bleeding millions of borrowers who didnt know what they were getting into. The bottom-feeding cards for people with damaged credit offer you a decent interest rate on credit lines “up to“ $3,000. When the card arrives
2、, however, your line might be only $250. And then come the fees! Theyre charged to your tiny credit line, leaving you almost nothing to spend. Two better-known card issuers with a big loan business are Capital One and HSBCs Orchard Bank. They charge lower upfront fees than other cards do. But if you
3、 fall behind, its tough. Cap Ones penalty rate is currently 28.15 percent. Orchard Bank doesnt disclose its penalty rate online and wouldnt tell you what it is. Cap One has a reputation for issuing multiple cards to people who bump up against their credit limits. That gives them two cards, with two
4、low limits, to overspend. Lenders have figured out many ways of extracting fees. Theres “universal default“, where a late payment on one card can trigger high penalty rates on every card you own. Theres the “endless late fee“, where your payments never catch up with the new penalties youre charged.
5、Theres “two-cycle billing“ too complicated to explain here, but which amounts to charging interest on balances that youve already paid. And “retroactive (追溯的 ) price hikes,“ where banks impose higher rates on old balances as well as new ones. These practices startle consumers who think such high fee
6、s and interest rates must be against the law. But the Supreme Court effectively deregulated credit card rates 30 years ago, and 10 years ago it deregulated the size of the fees a bank could charge. Prior to fee deregulation, late fees hovered between $13 and $15, says Robert McKinley of CardW, which
7、 tracks the business. Now they run from $30 to $40. “Its out of control,“ he says. “Banks know theyve pushed this too far.“ This year, however, the new Congress started holding hearings. Suddenly Citi dropped universal default and JPMorgan Chase ended two-cycle billing. But those are just gestures.
8、Without fee caps or laws restricting the usually high rate of interest, were in the bankers hands. 1 The bottom-feeding cards are issued to people who _. （ A） has a low income （ B） expects a low interest rate （ C） has a bad reputation in repayment （ D） is thoughtless when using credit cards 2 What d
9、oes the author think about the “multiple cards“ practice of Cap One? （ A） The bank may have more bad debts. （ B） The bank may become more popular. （ C） Borrowers may have their credit limits increased. （ D） Borrowers may fall into a multiple-penalty trap. 3 What do consumers never expect, according
10、to the passage? （ A） The higher rates now can affect balances in the past. （ B） Lenders can figure out so many ways to extract fees. （ C） They can borrow from the banks easily. （ D） They have to pay both fees and interest. 4 The word “deregulate“ (Line 3, Para. 5) can best be replaced by _. （ A） imp
11、ose rules on （ B） lift the control on （ C） rule against （ D） specify 5 According to the author, what Citi and JPMorgan Chase did showed that they were _. （ A） reflective （ B） irresponsible （ C） insincere （ D） compromising 5 Nearly 5,000 people below the age of 21 die because of excessive alcohol con
12、sumption each year. Oddly, this has triggered a new movement to lower the drinking age. In America, young people can vote, drive, marry, divorce, hunt and go to war before alcohol is legally allowed to touch their lips. Many states once set their minimum drinking-age at 18. But in 1984 Ronald Reagan
13、 oversaw the passage of the “21 law“, which requires states to set 21 as the minimum drinking-age or risk losing 10% of their highway funds. Now campaigners want to move it back. In the past, states have been too financially timid to challenge the 21 law. But calls for change are growing louder. Two
14、 local judges in South Carolina recently ruled that banning 18- to 20-year-olds from drinking or possessing alcohol is unconstitutional. Public officials, including the former attorney general of South Dakota, have called the 21 law a failure. The about-face of Morris Chafetz, a doctor who served on
15、 the commission that recommended increasing the drinking-age to 21, has also raised eyebrows. This week he called it the most regrettable decision of his career. Supporters of existing status, including the organisation Mothers Against Drunk Driving, say that the law has helped avoid thousands of de
16、aths. But doubters point out that other countries, like Canada, have seen similar declines, even though their drinking-age is 18. They also argue that barring young people from drinking does not stop them from consuming alcohol: it just makes them drink more quickly. John McCardell, former president
17、 of Middlebury College in Vermont, is part of the Amethyst Initiative, a group of educators who are pushing for 18-year-olds to be allowed to drink. “Those who have graduated from high school, have a clean record and completed an alcohol-education programme should qualify for a drinking licence,“ he
18、 says, “in the same way that people who go to driving school receive a licence to operate a vehicle.“ This is not the first time that Americans have desired a change in alcohol policy during a period of economic distress. Franklin Roosevelt lifted prohibition in 1933 amid the trouble of a depression
19、. 6 All the U.S. state governments used to follow the “21 law“ because _. （ A） its passage was supervised by Reagan personally （ B） most citizens believed that it was reasonable （ C） they couldnt afford to take the financial risk （ D） it took much time and money to get a law passed 7 What is Morris
20、Chafetzs attitude towards the “21 law“ now? （ A） He demands that the law not be changed. （ B） He supports lowering the drinking age. （ C） He regrets that few people support the law. （ D） He is surprised by the judges ruling. 8 In Canada, where the drinking age is 18, _. （ A） young people want to beg
21、in drinking at a lower age （ B） people are increasingly doubtful about the “18 law“ （ C） fewer and fewer people support the “18 law“ （ D） fewer young people die from drunk driving 9 John McCardell suggests that_. （ A） 18-year-olds should learn for a license before they can drink （ B） a drinking scho
22、ol should be opened for high school students （ C） one should get a license before they can drink （ D） any 18-year-olds should be qualified to drink 10 What did Franklin Roosevelt do during the 1933 depression? （ A） He lifted the trouble of a depression. （ B） He changed the alcohol policy. （ C） He de
23、cided to ban alcohol. （ D） He desired a change in alcohol policy. 10 Thoughts of suicide haunted Anita Rutnam long before she arrived at Syracuse University. She had a history of mental illness and had even attempted to kill herself. During her junior year of college, she tried again. On a February
24、morning in 1998, just days after a campus counselor recommended she be hospitalized for her suicidal tendencies, Rutnam threw herself off the eighth floor of a Syracuse dormitory. Miraculously, she survived. But three years later, Rutnam still feels the effects of that day. She has not been able to
25、finish college and is suing her former school for malpractice. Her suit asserts that, given the campus counselors advice, school officials should have done more to prevent her suicide attempt. This incident and others have thrown a spotlight on an issue that is causing growing concern in dorm rooms
26、and students center. Are colleges providing adequate care for students who may be struggling with a range of mental illnesses? In the Syracuse case, a spokesman for the school contends, “The University tried repeatedly to help Anita, and we felt that they acted appropriately.“ But lawyers are busy t
27、here and elsewhere. After accidents, suicide is the second biggest killer of kids in college. And while the number of students who kill themselves on campus is no higher than that of 18-to-24-year-olds in the general population, a series of sensational incidents has raised the question of whether tr
28、oubled students are getting proper attention. So what are the schools responsibilities to at-risk students, particularly those who may be genetically predisposed (易患 病的 ) to mental illness? College can be a breeding ground for psychiatric problems. Poor eating habits and irregular sleeping patternse
29、specially combined with the academic stress of college life may all play roles in triggering mental problems. Additionally, many of the major psychiatric illnesses including depression often do not manifest themselves until the late teens or early 20s. 11 Anita Rutnam couldnt finish college most pro
30、bably because _. （ A） she couldnt get enough concern from Syracuse University （ B） she wasnt physically healthy enough to continue schooling （ C） she still kept thinking about killing herself whenever at school （ D） she has been troubled by the memory of the incident very often 12 What does the auth
31、or want us to know through Anita Rutnams story? （ A） The universities are not responsible for their students. （ B） Suicides are popular on college campus and should be handled properly. （ C） Why Anita committed suicide is still a mystery. （ D） Universities should get prepared in case their students
32、sue them. 13 What does Anita accuse her former school of? （ A） Ignorance of her abnormal behaviors. （ B） Lack of safeguard against her suicidal intention. （ C） Failure to give her proper academic instructions. （ D） Indifference to her physical disease. 14 How does Syracuse University defend itself a
33、gainst Anitas suit? （ A） It has given her due attention as well as help. （ B） Adult students should be able to control their own behavior. （ C） It is more than the schools responsibility to supervise the students. （ D） Colleges can be a breeding ground for psychiatric problems. 15 All the following
34、problems are implied as possible causes of campus suicide incidents EXCEPT_. （ A） poor academic results （ B） failing to get proper sleep （ C） lack of family concern （ D） family history of mental illness 15 It is not often realized that women held a high place in southern European societies in the 10
35、th and 11th centuries. As a wife, the woman was protected by the setting up of a dowry (彩礼 ) or decimum. Admittedly, the purpose of this was to protect her against the risk of desertion, but in reality its function in the social and family life of the time was much more important. The decimum was th
36、e wifes right to receive a tenth of all her husbands property. The wife had the right to withhold consent, in all transactions the husband would make, and more than just a right: the documents show that she enjoyed a real power of decision equal to that of her husband. In no case did the documents i
37、ndicate any degree of difference in the legal status of husband and wife. The wife shared in the management of her husbands personal property, but the opposite was not always true. Women seemed perfectly prepared to defend their own inheritance against husbands who tried to exceed their rights, and
38、on occasion they showed a fine fighting spirit. A case in point is that of Maria Vivas, a Catalan woman of Barcelona, Having agreed with her husband Miro to sell a field she had inherited for the needs of the household, she insisted on compensation. None being offered, she succeeded in dragging her
39、husband to the scribe (法学家 ) to have a contract duly drawn up assigning her a piece of land from Miros personal inheritance. The unfortunate husband was obliged to agree, as the contract says, “for the sake of peace.“ Either through the dowry or through being hot-tempered, the Catalan wife knew how
40、to win herself, with the context of the family, a powerful economic position. 16 A decimum was_. （ A） the wifes inheritance from her father （ B） a gift of money to the new husband （ C） a protection of the wifes right （ D） a written contract 17 In the 10th and 11th centuries in southern European, wom
41、ens social position was_. （ A） higher than mens （ B） as high as mens （ C） lower than mens （ D） never recognized 18 The purpose of mentioning the case of Maria Vivas is_. （ A） to show women had the same rights as, if not more than, their husbands （ B） to prove hot-tempered woman held a powerful econo
42、mic position （ C） to tell the readers the real situations in some countries （ D） to show the fight spirits of women 19 Could a husband sell his wifes inheritance according to this passage? （ A） Yes, if she agreed. （ B） No, under no circumstances. （ C） Yes, whenever he wished to. （ D） Yes, when they
43、needed money for the household. 20 Which of the following is NOT mentioned as an effect of the dowry system? （ A） The husband had to share the power of decision in marriage. （ B） The wife could manage her husbands personal property. （ C） The wife gained a powerful economic position. （ D） The wife wo
44、uld not be deserted by her husband. 大学英语四级改革适用（阅读）模拟试卷 223答案与解析 Section C 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 1 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 第 2段第 1句破折号后的 damaged credit意为 “信用受损 ”，持信 用卡的人因为不能及时还款就会导致信用度下降，即 damaged credit，由此可见， C是对 damaged credit正确的解释，为本题答案。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 2 【正确答案】 D 【试题解析】 第 3段前三句表明 Cap One开卡的费用很优惠，但是一旦不能按期还款，受到的处罚会很重。再看
45、本段最后两句， Cap One向消费达到其信用额度的人发多张卡，这些人本身信用额度低，但拥有了多张卡后更容易超支了，超支后还款的能力又不强，这时 Cap One就可以对他们罚款，从中赚取费用，由此可确定 应选 D。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 3 【正确答案】 A 【试题解析】 第 5段第 1句表明消费者对于第 4段提到的银行的做法是始料未及的，答案要从第 4段寻找。 A是第 4段最后一句提到的一种收取费用的方法，为本题答案。本题 B干扰性极强，但从第 5段第 1句中的定语从句看，可知消费者不是因为借贷者能想出如此多的收费方法而感到震惊，而是因为这些方法居然不算违法而感到震惊。 【知识模块】 仔细
46、阅读 4 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 第 5段中除了第 2句有 deregulate这个词外，第 3句有这个 词的名词形式 deregulation，第 3句的 Prior to fee deregulation和第 4句的 Now表明现在的信用卡利率与过去相比高很多，而最后一句开头的 Its out of control表明现在的信用卡利率 “已经失控 ”了，由此可见，在 Prior to fee deregulation时，信用卡利率是由政府控制的，故推断 deregulate意为 “解除 (规定、控制 )”。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 5 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 最后一段第 3
47、句表明 Citi和 JPMorgan Chase所做的都只是摆摆姿态，并非出自真心诚意，因此，本题应选 C。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 6 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 第 2段第 1句中的 tooto 表明过去美国各州的经济条件太差而不敢挑战 21岁饮酒法，换言之，他们纷纷遵从 21岁饮酒法的原因在于，他们不想经济陷入危机，因而本题应选 C。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 7 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 第 2段第 3、 4句都是支持降低合法饮酒年龄的人的观点，而该段最后一句表明 Morris Chafetz对以前支持 21岁饮酒法感到后悔，这样看来，他最可能认为合法饮
48、酒的年龄应该降低，因此，本题应选 B。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 8 【正确答案】 D 【试题解析】 第 3段第 2句中的 similar declines指的是因饮酒而送命的数量下降了， D与此内容最相近，故为本题答案。本题稍具干扰性的是 B，其中的 doubtful与原文该句中的 doubters在词义上有关联，但原文的 doubters是对美国的 21岁饮酒法产生怀疑，而非对加拿大的饮酒法产生怀疑。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 9 【正确答案】 A 【试题解析】 第 4段第 1句表明 John McCardell支持将合法饮酒的年龄调整为18岁，而第 2句表明他认为考取饮酒牌照后，就可合法饮酒
49、，将这两句话的内容结合起来，可以知道 John McCardell支持年满 18岁的人在取得饮酒牌照后可以合法饮酒，由此可见，本题应选 A。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 10 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 最后一段最后一句提到 Franklin Roosevelt所做的事是为了说明该段第 1句的观点：美国人不是第一次试图改变他们的 alcohol policy，由此可见，Franklin Roosevelt当政期间也改变过美国的 alcohol policy，故 B的说法正确。 A跟原文最后一句 “长得 ”有点像，但原文中 lifted的对象是 prohibition(禁酒令 )而非trouble(困难 )。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 11 【正确答案】 D 【试题解析】 事实细节题。根据题干定位第 2段第 2、 3句。这两句之间存在隐含的因果关系，第 2句是因，第 3句是果。只有选项 D在第 2句提到，其他选项均未提及。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 12 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 推理判断题。本文开头的例子所支持的观点在第 3
