1、大学英语四级改革适用（阅读）模拟试卷 274及答案与解析 Section C 0 People appear to be born to compute. The numerical skills of children develop so early and so inexorably (坚定地 ) that it is easy to imagine an internal clock of mathematical maturity guiding their growth. Not long after learning to walk and talk, they can set
2、the table with impressive accuracy one plate, one knife, one spoon, one fork, for each of the five chairs. Soon they are capable of noting that they have placed five knives, five spoons, and five forks on the table and, a bit later, that this amounts to fifteen pieces of silverware. Having thus mast
3、ered addition, they move on to subtraction. It seems almost reasonable to expect that if a child were secluded on a desert island at birth and retrieved seven years later, he or she could enter a second-grade mathematics class without any serious problems of intellectual adjustment. Of course, the t
4、ruth is not so simple. In this century, the work of cognitive psychologists has illuminated the subtle forms of daily learning on which intellectual progress depends. Children were observed as they slowly grasped or, as the case might be, bumped into concepts that adults take for granted, as they re
5、fused, for instance, to concede that quantity is unchanged as water pours from a short stout glass into a tall thin one. Psychologists have since demonstrated that young children, when asked to count the pencils in a pile, readily report the number of blue or red pencils, but must be coaxed (说服 ) in
6、to finding the total. Such studies have suggested that the rudiments (基本原理 ) of mathematics are mastered gradually, and with effort. They have also suggested that the very concept of abstract numbers the idea of a oneness, a twoness, a threeness that applies to any class of objects and is prerequisi
7、te (先决条件 ) for doing anything more mathematically demanding than setting a table-is itself far from innate. 1 After children have helped to set the table with impressive accuracy, they_. （ A） are able to help parents serve dishes （ B） tend to do more complicated housework （ C） are able to figure out
8、 the total pieces （ D） can enter a second-grade mathematics class 2 It is _ to believe that the quantity of water keeps unchanged when it is contained in two different glasses. （ A） easy to persuade children （ B） hard for most children （ C） the innate of most children （ D） difficult for both adults
9、and children 3 It can be inferred from the passage that children are likely to _ when they are asked to count all the balls of different colors. （ A） give the accurate answer （ B） count the balls of each color （ C） be too confused to do anything （ D） make minor mistakes 4 According to this passage,
10、_ is mastered by birth. （ A） the ability to survive in a desert island （ B） the way of setting tables （ C） the basic principles of mathematics （ D） the concept of oneness 5 Whats the authors attitude towards “childrens numerical skills“? （ A） Critical. （ B） Approving. （ C） Questioning. （ D） Objectiv
11、e. 5 Teenage boys, regardless of race, are more likely to die from gunshot wounds than from all natural causes combined. By the time the average American child leaves elementary school, he or she will witness 8,000 murders and more than 100,000 acts of violence on television. Youth are becoming invo
12、lved in violence at an alarming rate. In fact, the youth arrest rate for murder doubled, from 6 arrests per 100,000 youth age 10 to 17 to over 12 per 100,000. The American Psychological Association Commission on Violence and Youth reported on a study of first and second graders in Washington D.C.: 4
13、5% said they had witnessed muggings (行凶抢劫 ), 31% said they had witnessed shootings, and 39% said they had seen dead bodies. For the many youth who have not been directly exposed to violence in their own communities, the entertainment media(television, movies, music and video games, provides many opp
14、ortunities for children to see and hear violent exchanges. Research shows that there are about 5-6 violent acts per hour on prime time and 20-25 violent acts on Saturday morning childrens programming. In its report, Psychology and You: Violence on Television, the American Psychological Association(A
15、PA) reported that viewing violence on television hurts children in many ways. In particular, the APA concludes that children may become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others, be more fearful of the world around them, be more likely to behave in aggressive or harmful ways toward others,
16、and gradually accept violence as a way to solve problems. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry also cautions that children may imitate the violence they observe on television. Another form of violence involving youth is physical punishment in the schools. This form of discipline s
17、till remains legally supported in 23 of our nations states. The Office for Civil Rights in the Department of Education reported that 555,000 students were physically punished in the schools during this school year. Although such punishment has been regarded as an effective method of discipline by th
18、ose who apply it, the findings are obvious that physical punishment does not work and that children who are victims of physical punishment are subject to potential long-term physical and emotional damage. 6 According to the passage, the American teenage boys lives are most threatened by_. （ A） gun m
19、urders （ B） natural diseases （ C） TV violence （ D） physical punishment 7 The author tends to use the fourth paragraph to support the idea that_. （ A） many youth have watched much violence on TV （ B） youth violence in Washington D.C. is very serious （ C） fights may be the most widely-seen youth viole
20、nce （ D） American youth have been exposed to much violence 8 The APA.indicates that too much TV violence may change children_. （ A） to become isolated from the world （ B） to remain indifferent to others pain （ C） to solve problems only by violence （ D） to be fearful of aggressive behaviors 9 The pas
21、sage does NOT discuss that many youth become victims of_. （ A） murders （ B） family violence （ C） TV violence （ D） school violence 10 The author may most probably agree that physical punishment is _. （ A） acceptable, though ineffective （ B） illegal, though effective （ C） harmful, though legal （ D） re
22、asonable, though harmful 10 Women are on the verge of outnumbering men in the workforce for the first time, a historic reversal caused by long-term changes in womens roles and massive job losses for men during this recession. Women held 49.83% of the nations 132 million jobs in June and theyre gaini
23、ng the vast majority of jobs in the few sectors of the economy that are growing, according to the most recent numbers available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Thats a record high for a measure thats been growing steadily for decades and accelerating during the recession. At the current pace, w
24、omen will become a majority of workers in October or November. “Women have struggled long and hard to get to this point,“ says labor economist Heidi Hartmann, president of the Institute for Womens Policy Research. The change reflects the growing importance of women as wage earners, but it doesnt sho
25、w full equality, Hartmann says. On average, women work fewer hours than men, hold more part-time jobs and earn 77% of what men make, she says. Men also still dominate higher-paying executive ranks. Women have been a growing share of the once heavily male labor force for nearly a century, recording b
26、ig bumps during epoch-making events such as World War n. This time, the boost came from a severe recession that has been brutal on male-dominated professions such as construction and manufacturing. The only parts of the economy still growing health care, education and government have traditionally h
27、ired mostly women. That dominance has increased in part because federal stimulus funding directed money to education, health care and state and local governments. The gender transformation is especially remarkable in local governments 14.6 million-person workforce. Cities, schools, water authorities
28、 and other local legal power have cut 86,000 men from payrolls during the recession while adding 167,000 women, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Equality in workforce numbers reflects a long-term cultural change, says Maureen Honey, author of Creating Rosie the Riveter, a book about the
29、governments campaign to persuade women to work outside the home during World War II. “The image that the man has to be the breadwinner has changed,“ Honey says. 11 What happens to the workforce during this recession? （ A） Women take the most jobs in the economy. （ B） Women outnumber men in few secto
30、rs. （ C） Men become substantially unemployed. （ D） Men make up the most profitable sectors. 12 What does Hartmann think of women working fewer hours than men? （ A） Its one of the reasons why women have to do part-time jobs. （ B） Its resulted from mens domination of higher-paying jobs. （ C） It reflec
31、ts womens financial importance in their family. （ D） It reflects women are still regarded as unequal to men. 13 During World War II, the women workforce _. （ A） increased sharply （ B） decreased suddenly （ C） took over the male-dominated professions （ D） brought about record-high employment rate 14 T
32、he federal stimulus funding is intended to _. （ A） encourage more women to take up a career （ B） help women to be confident of their career （ C） finance the development of health care, education and governments （ D） enable women to dominate health care, education and governments 15 The passage mainl
33、y illustrates the point that_. （ A） equality in workforce number is a cultural issue （ B） women will soon become a majority of workers （ C） women should not be restrained inside the home （ D） the recession has severely changed the workforce 15 A friend of mine, in response to a conversation we were
34、having about the injustices of life, asked me the question: “Who said life was going to be fair, or that it was even meant to be fair?“ Her question was a good one. It reminded me of something I was taught as a youngster life isnt fair. Its a disappointment, but its absolutely true. One of the mista
35、kes many of us make is that we feel sorry for ourselves, or for others, thinking that life should be fair, or that someday it will be. Its not and it wont One of the nice things about surrendering to the fact that life isnt fair is that it keeps us from feeling sorry for ourselves by encouraging us
36、to do the very best we can with what we have. We know its not “lifes job“ to make everything perfect; its our own challenge. Surrendering to this fact also keeps us from feeling sorry for others because we are reminded that everyone is dealt a different hand (一手牌 ); everyone has unique strengths and
37、 problems in the process of growing up, facing the reality and making decisions, and everyone has those times that they feel victimized or unfairly treated. The fact that life isnt fair doesnt mean we shouldnt do everything in our power to improve our own lives or the world as a whole. To the contra
38、ry, it suggests that we should. When we dont recognize or admit that life isnt fair, we tend to feel pity for others and for ourselves. Pity, of course, is a self-defeating emotion that does nothing for anyone, except to make everyone feel worse than they already do. When we do recognize that life i
39、snt fair, however, we feel sympathy for others and for ourselves. And sympathy is a heartfelt emotion that delivers loving kindness to everyone it touches. The next time you find yourself thinking about the injustices of the world, try reminding yourself of this very basic fact You may be surprised
40、that it can push you out of self-pity and into helpful action. 16 The author thought of his friends question as a good one because _. （ A） he also wanted to know who held such an opinion （ B） it made him recall something during his childhood （ C） like his friend, he also thought life was unfair （ D）
41、 he learned something from the question as a youngster 17 Surrendering to the fact that life isnt fair will _. （ A） keep us from making everything perfect （ B） keep us from doing everything in our power （ C） make us face challenges in the life bravely （ D） make us know its our duty to perfect things
42、 18 The second paragraph of the passage mainly discusses_. （ A） its nice to accept the injustice of life （ B） its nice to surrender to the life （ C） we should not surrender to the life （ D） we should not feel sorry for ourselves 19 In the last paragraph, “this very basic fact“ refers to the fact tha
43、t_. （ A） you should not pity for others （ B） life isnt and wont be fair （ C） sympathy is a heartfelt emotion （ D） pity is a self-defeating emotion 20 From the passage, we can learn that the authors attitude to life is _. （ A） positive （ B） negative （ C） self-pity （ D） indifferent 大学英语四级改革适用（阅读）模拟试卷
44、274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 1段第 3句说的是题干内容，由第 4句 Soon 句中的 five knives 等数字可知孩子会数数了，故可直接选出 C。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 2 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 第 2段第 3句中 they refusedto concede 中的 they指 children，对比题干与原文意思可知孩子们是 “难以相信 (理解 )，故选 B。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 3 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 第 2段倒数第 3句。文章是以 pencils为例进行说明的，题目中换成了 ba
45、ils，但是目的是相同的，都是为了表述儿童更愿意根据颜色的不同来数数，而不愿数总数，故 B正确。 A、 D都没有提到； C的说法过于绝对，与文章表述也不相符。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 4 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 这道题目需要认真理解了文章的意思才能正确作答。第 1段的主题是：有些数字概念是人天生就有的；第 2段的主题是：有一些是后天学习获得的。 B是第 1段中明确给出的例子，因此这个例子应该支持该段的主题。 A错误地理解了第 1段最后举的例子。 C和 D在第 2段最后提到 ，都不是先天获取的数学知识。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 5 【正确答案】 D 【试题解析】 考查全文的观点态度。纵观
46、全文可知，作者很客观、如实地说明事实，分两段报告了心理学家的研究结果，并未做出任何评价，故 D正确。题目中的 childrens numerical skills即全文的主题。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 6 【正确答案】 A 【试题解析】 事实细节题。本题考查对比处。根据第 1段中的 more likelythan可知选项 A正确，选项 B可由 此排除。选项 C和 D虽在文中有提到，但作者并无讨论它们是否危及孩子的生命。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 7 【正确答案】 D 【试题解析】 主旨大意题。文章第 1和第 2段提出话题：小孩接触太多暴力。第3段和第 4段讨论小孩遇到的严
47、重暴力，如 murder， muggings等，为主题服务，因此本段应支持文章开头提出的话题。本段说明的是现实生活中的暴力，而非电视上的，故选项 A不对，选项 B和 C都只是对本段中某个现象的描述。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 8 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 推理判断题 。本题考查列举处。选项 B是对第 5段倒数第 2句中become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others的近义替换，因此正确。选项 A中的 isolated并不等同于文中的 fearful，也不是因为害怕世界必然带来的结果。选项 C中的 only过于绝对，文中只说
48、a way。选项 D拼凑了原句中的某些词语，但文中并无此意。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 9 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 主旨大意题。本文结构可分为四部分：第 1段和第 2段总起，指出论题；第 二部分讨论 murder等严重暴力；第三部分即第 5段讨论 TV violence；第四部分即最后一段讨论学校里的体罚，也就是 school violence。因此只有选项 B没有在文中讨论。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 10 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 观点态度题。根据最后一段，特别是最后一句，可以推断作者认为体罚不起作用，并对学生身心产生有害的影响，由此可见，作者不认同体罚，因此选项 A和 D不正确
49、。选项 B中的 illegal与文中说法相反，因此也不正确。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 【知识模块 】 仔细阅读 11 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 第 1段最后一句中的 massive job losses for men表明在经济衰退期间，大量男性失业， C是对此内容的近义改写，为本题答案。 B最具干扰性，其中的 few sectors和第 2段 the few sectors看起来非常相似，但所指并不相同， B意为“女性就业人数只在少数领域超过男性 ”，而第 2段第 1句意为 “女性就业人数在几个经济处于增长状态的领域超过男性 ”， few sectors前有没有定冠词 the，对其范畴的影响很大，因此， B不正确。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 12 【正确答案】 D 【试题解析】 Hartmann在第 4段第 1句表达了两个观点，而句中的 but表明其后的观点是她关注的重点，这一段其他句子所说的内容都是为了支持 but后的观点，由此可见，她提到 “女性的平均工作时间比男性短 ”是为了说明 “男女之间还未完全平等 ”，
