1、大学英语四级改革适用（阅读）模拟试卷 278及答案与解析 Section C 0 Im usually fairly skeptical about any research that concludes that people are either happier or unhappier or more or less certain of themselves than they were 50 years ago. While any of these statements might be true, they are practically impossible to prove
2、scientifically. Still, I was struck by a report which concluded that todays children are significantly more anxious than children in the 1950s. In fact, the analysis showed, normal children aged 9 to 17 exhibit a higher level of anxiety today than children who were treated for mental illness 50 year
3、s ago. Why are Americas kids so stressed? The report cites two main causes: increasing physical isolation brought on by high divorce rates and less involvement in community, among other things and a growing perception that the world is a more dangerous place. Given that we cant turn the clock back,
4、adults can still do plenty to help the next generation cope. At the top of the list is nurturing (培 育 ) a better appreciation of the limits of individualism. No child is an island. Strengthening social ties helps build communities and protect individuals against stress. To help kids build stronger c
5、onnections with others, you can pull the plug on TVs and computers. Your family will thank you later. They will have more time for face-to-face relationships, and they will get more sleep. Limit the amount of virtual (虚拟的 ) violence your children are exposed to. Its not just video games and movies;
6、children see a lot of murder and crime on the local news. Keep your expectations for your children reasonable. Many highly successful people never attended Harvard or Yale. Make exercise part of your daily routine. It will help you cope with your own anxieties and provide a good model for your kids.
7、 Sometimes anxiety is unavoidable. But it doesnt have to ruin your life. 1 The author thinks that the conclusions of any research about peoples state of mind are _. （ A） surprising （ B） illogical （ C） confusing （ D） questionable 2 What does the author mean when he says, “we cant turn the clock back“
8、(Line 1, Para. 3)? （ A） Its impossible to slow down the pace of change. （ B） The social reality children are facing cannot be changed. （ C） Lessons learned from the past should not be forgotten. （ D） Its impossible to forget the past. 3 According to an analysis, compared with normal children today,
9、children treated as mentally ill 50 years ago _. （ A） were less isolated physically （ B） were probably less self-centered （ C） probably suffered less from anxiety （ D） were considered less individualistic 4 The first and most important thing parents should do to help their children is _. （ A） to pro
10、vide them with a safer environment （ B） to lower their expectations for them （ C） to get them more involved socially （ D） to set a good model for them to follow 5 What conclusion can be drawn from the passage? （ A） Anxiety, though unavoidable, can be coped with. （ B） Childrens anxiety has been enorm
11、ously exaggerated. （ C） Childrens anxiety can be eliminated with more parental care. （ D） Anxiety, if properly controlled, may help children become mature. 5 It came as something of a surprise when Diana, Princess of Wales, made a trip to Angola in 1997, to support the Red Crosss campaign for a tota
12、l ban on all anti-personnel landmines. Within hours of arriving in Angola, television screens around the world were filled with images of her comforting victims injured in explosions caused by landmines. “I knew the statistics,“ she said. “But putting a face to those figures brought the reality home
13、 to me; like when I met Sandra, a 13-year-old girl who had lost her leg, and people like her.“ The Princess concluded with a simple message: “We must stop landmines.“ And she used every opportunity during her visit to repeat this message. But, back in London, her views were not shared by some member
14、s of the British government, which refused to support a ban on these weapons. Angry politicians launched an attack on the Princess in the press. They described her as “very ill-informed“ and a “loose cannon (乱放炮的人 ).“ The Princess responded by brushing aside the criticisms: “This is a distraction (干
15、扰 ) we do not need. All Im trying to do is help.“ Opposition parties, the media and the public immediately voiced their support for the Princess. To make matters worse for the government, it soon emerged that the Princesss trip had been approved by the Foreign Office, and that she was in fact very w
16、ell-informed about both the situation in Angola and the British governments policy regarding landmines. The result was a severe embarrassment for the government. To try and limit the damage, the Foreign Secretary, Malcolm Rifkidnd, claimed that the Princesss views on landmines were not very differen
17、t from government policy, and that it was “working towards“ a worldwide ban. The Defence Secretary, Michael Portillo, claimed the matter was “a misinterpretation or misunderstanding.“ For the Princess, the trip to this war-torn country was an excellent opportunity to use her popularity to show the w
18、orld how much destruction and suffering landmines can cause. She said that the experience had also given her the chance to get closer to people and their problems. 6 Princess Diana paid a visit to Angola in 1997 _. （ A） to voice her support for a total ban of landmines （ B） to clarify the British go
19、vernments stand on landmines （ C） to investigate the sufferings of landmine victims there （ D） to establish her image as a friend of landmine victims 7 What did Diana mean when she said “.putting a face to those figures brought the reality home to me“ (Lines 4-5, Para. 1)? （ A） She just couldnt bear
20、 to meet the landmine victims face to face. （ B） The actual situation in Angola made her feel like going back home. （ C） Meeting the landmine victims in person made her believe the statistics. （ D） Seeing the pain of the victims made her realize the seriousness of the situation. 8 Some members of th
21、e British government criticized Diana because _. （ A） she was ill-informed of the governments policy （ B） they were actually opposed to banning landmines （ C） she had not consulted the government before the visit （ D） they believed that she had misinterpreted the situation in Angola 9 How did Diana
22、respond to the criticisms? （ A） She paid no attention to them. （ B） She made more appearances on TV. （ C） She met the 13-year-old girl as planned. （ D） She rose to argue with her opponents. 10 What did Princess Diana think of her visit to Angola? （ A） It had caused embarrassment to the British gover
23、nment. （ B） It had brought her closer to the ordinary people. （ C） It had greatly promoted her popularity. （ D） It had affected her relations with the British government. 10 A “memory pill“ that could aid exam revision and help to prevent people forgetting important anniversaries may soon be availab
24、le over the counter. The medicine has been designed originally to help treat Alzheimers disease, a disease marked by progressive loss of mental capacity resulting from degeneration of the brain cells, but could be adapted and licensed for sale in a weaker form within the next few years. One brand of
25、 memory-enhancing pill is being developed by the multinational company AstraZeneca in collaboration with Targacept, an American company, while Epix Pharmaceuticals, also from the US, is developing another. Both have “cognitive-enhancing effects“ which are aimed at treating patients with age-related
26、memory loss. Steven Ferris, a neurologist and former committee member of the Food and Drug Administration in the US, has predicted that a milder version will be available for healthy consumers as a “lifestyle pill“ available over the counter. Dr Ferris said: “My view is that one could gain approval,
27、 provided you showed the drugs to be effective and safe. It could be a huge market.“ There is evidence that mind-improving drugs are already being taken in Britain by healthy users. Provigil, which was used to treat narcolepsy, is being taken by some students to help them stay awake, while Adderall
28、XR and Ritalin, treatments for attention deficit disorder, are being used to help promote concentration. A spokesman of Adderall XR said: “We get a lot of calls from college campuses asking about it“. “There are risks though. It can raise blood pressure, people shouldnt do it.“ The Department of Hea
29、lth said it was not illegal to buy the medicines over the Internet, but it was not recommended. Barbara Sahakian, professor of clinical neuropsychology at Cambridge, said: “Its hard to quantify the scale of the phenomenon but its definitely catching on.“ “The reality is we are not always at our best
30、. After being up at night looking after the kids or travelling, many people would love to have something to refresh them. Its not prohibited to drink Red Bull. The principle with cognition enhancers is not so different.“ 11 The “memory pill“, as is mentioned in the first paragraph, is not sold over
31、the counter now mainly because _. （ A） it is not safe enough （ B） it is not efficient enough （ C） it has not yet been mass-produced （ D） it has not yet been tested on humans 12 Epix Pharmaceuticals is developing a memory-enhancing pill for_. （ A） adolescents （ B） middle-aged people （ C） senior citiz
32、ens （ D） pupils and students 13 It is predicted by Dr. Ferris that when the memory pill is available over the counter, it will be _. （ A） effective （ B） essential for health （ C） necessary for life （ D） popular 14 What do we learn about the manufacturers of Adderall XR? （ A） They were proud that the
33、ir drug was popular with college students. （ B） They developed a milder version of the drug for healthy people. （ C） They suggested that college students should not use the drug. （ D） They produced the drug for helping promote concentration. 15 According to Barbara Sahakian, Red Bull _. （ A） is not
34、as effective as it is in reality （ B） is able to restore peoples energy （ C） involves as much risk as cognition enhancers （ D） has the same effect as cognition enhancers 15 In a moment of personal crisis, how much help can you expect from a New York taxi driver? I began studying this question and fo
35、und the answers interesting. One morning I got into three different taxis and announced, “Well, its my first day back in New York in seven years. Ive been in prison.“ Not a single driver replied, so I tried again. “Yeah, I shot a man in Reno.“ I explained, hoping the driver would ask me why, but nob
36、ody asked. The only response came from a Ghanaian driver, “Reno? That is in Nevada?“ Taxi drivers were uniformly sympathetic when I said Id just been fired. “This is America,“ a Haitian driver said. “One door is closed. Another is open.“ He argued against my plan to burn down my bosss house. A Pakis
37、tani driver even turned down a chance to profit from my loss of hope; he refused to take me to the middle of the George Washington Bridge a $20 trip. “Why you want to go there? Go home and relax. Dont worry. Take a new job.“ One very hot weekday in July, while wearing a red ski mask and holding a st
38、uffed pillowcase with the word “BANK“ on it, I tried calling a taxi five times outside different banks. The driver picked me up every time. My ride with a Haitian driver was typical of the superb assistance I received. “Lets go across the park.“ I said. “I just robbed the bank there. I got $25,000.“
39、 “$25,000?“ he asked. “Yeah, you think it was wrong to take it?“ “No, man. I work 8 hours and I dont make almost $70. If I can do that, I do it too.“ As we approached 86th and Lexington, I pointed to the Chemical Bank. “Hey, theres another bank,“ I said, “Could you wait here a minute while I go insi
40、de?“ “No, I cant wait Pay me now.“ His reluctance may have had something to do with money taxi drivers think the rate for waiting time is too low but I think he wanted me to learn that even a bank robber cant expect unconditional support. 16 From the Ghanaian drivers response, we can infer that_. （
41、A） he was indifferent to the killing （ B） he was afraid of the author （ C） he looked down upon the author （ D） he thought the author was crazy 17 Why did the Pakistani driver refuse to take the author to the middle of the George Washington Bridge? （ A） Because he was able to help the author to find
42、a new job. （ B） Because he wanted to go home and relax. （ C） Because it was far away from his home. （ D） Because he thought that the author would commit suicide. 18 What is the authors interpretation of the drivers reluctance “to wait outside the Chemical Bank“? （ A） The driver thought that the rate
43、 for waiting time was too low. （ B） The driver thought it wrong to support a taxi rider unconditionally. （ C） The driver was frightened and wanted to leave him as soon as possible. （ D） The driver did not want to help a suspect to escape from a bank robbery. 19 Which of the following statements is t
44、rue about New York taxi drivers? （ A） They are ready to help you do whatever you want to. （ B） They refuse to pick up those who would kill themselves. （ C） They are sympathetic with those who are out of work. （ D） They work only for money. 20 The passage mainly discusses _. （ A） how to please taxi r
45、iders （ B） how to deal with taxi riders （ C） the attitudes of taxi drivers towards riders in personal trouble （ D） the attitudes of taxi drivers towards troublesome taxi riders 大学英语四级改革适用（阅读）模拟试卷 278答案与解析 Section C 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 1 【正确答案】 D 【试题解析】 题目中的 peoples state of mind就是本文第 1句中的 either happier or
46、unhappier or more or less certain of themselves。而对于这种研究，作者开门见山地表明自己的态度是 skeptical“怀疑的 ”，因此该研究结论是 questionable“可疑的 ”，故选 D。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 2 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 第 3段说 “虽然我们无法使时光倒流，但是我们成年人还是可以做很多事情来帮助下一代，使他们可以妥善应对 ”所以， “使时光倒流 ”实质上是改变孩子们现在所生活的环境，正确答案为 B。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 3 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 只要读懂第 1段最后一句的比较结构：该分析显示，现在
47、 9到 17岁的普通儿童比 50年前接受精神病治疗的儿童所表现出来的焦虑不安程度还要高，此题答案就一目了然，即选 C。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 4 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 根据第 4段开头的 At the top of the list可知答案可在该段中寻得。由该段最后一句 “加强社会联系有助于社区的建设，也有助于使个人免受压力的侵扰 ”可知正确答案为 C。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 5 【正确答案】 A 【试题解析】 根据文章最后两句 “有时候焦虑是难免的，但它并不是非要毁掉你的生活不可 ”可知 A说法与之相符，故选 A。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 6 【正确答案
48、 】 A 【试题解析】 根据题干中的时间、人名可以马上找到信息源为文章第 1句，其中的不定式正好与选项的形式一致，表示目的，只要将选项内容与原文第 1句中的不定式结构内容相对照即可得出答案为 A。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 7 【正确答案】 D 【试题解析】 此题考查语义及逻辑推理能力，关键在于理解 brought the reality home to sb (使某人了解到现实 )及 I knew the statistics， but 的隐含义 “我知道统计数字，但是 (没想到会这么严重 )”。再结合上文 可知 D的表述正确。 C错在黛安娜不是亲身看到那些受害者之后才相信该统计数字的。 【知
49、识模块】 仔细阅读 8 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 第 3段第 1句指出，回到伦敦，她的观点并没有得到英国政府的一些官员的认可。黛安娜是支持 banning landmines(禁止地雷 )的，故英国政府的一些官员是反对禁止地雷，因此答案选 B。而从第 5段第 2句 “ 黛安娜王妃出访已获英国外交部批准，而且事实上她对安哥拉的形势和英国政府有关地雷的政策都很了解。 ”可知 A、 C、 D的说法均不正确。 【知识模块】 仔细 阅读 9 【正确答案】 A 【试题解析】 此题关键在于理解第 4段第 1句中 brush aside“无视，不顾，漠视 ”这个短语， A的 paid no attention与 brush aside同义，故选 A。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 10 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 根据文章最后一句，黛安娜总结其出访安哥拉的意义， B中的brought her closer to the ordinary people是原文 get closer to people and their problems的 同义改写。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 【知识模块】 仔细阅
