1、大学英语四级改革适用（阅读）模拟试卷 30及答案与解析 Section C 0 After the violent earthquake that shook Los Angeles in 1994, earthquake scientists had good news to report: The damage and death toll(死亡人数 )could have been much worse. More than 60 people died in this earthquake. By comparison, an earthquake of similar intensi
2、ty that shook America in 1988 claimed 25,000 victims. Injuries and deaths were relatively less in Los Angeles because the quake occurred at 4:31 a.m. on a holiday, when traffic was light on the citys highways. In addition, changes made to the construction codes in Los Angeles during the last 20 year
3、s have strengthened the city s buildings and highways, making them more resistant to quakes. Despite the good news, civil engineers arent resting on their successes. Pinned to their drawing boards are blueprints(蓝图 )for improved quake-resistant buildings. The new designs should offer even greater se
4、curity to cities where earthquakes often take place. In the past, making structures quake-resistant meant firm yet flexible materials, such as steel and wood, that bend without breaking. Later, people tried to lift a building off its foundation, and insert rubber and steel between the building and i
5、ts foundation to reduce the impact of ground vibrations. The most recent designs give buildings brains as well as concrete and steel supports. Called smart buildings, the structures respond like living organisms to an earthquake s vibrations. When the ground shakes and the building tips forward, the
6、 computer would force the building to shift in the opposite direction. The new smart structures could be very expensive to build. However, they would save many lives and would be less likely to be damaged during earthquakes. 1 One reason why the loss of lives in the Los Angeles earthquake was compar
7、atively low is that_. （ A） new computers had been installed in the buildings （ B） it occurred in the residential areas rather than on the highways （ C） large numbers of Los Angeles residents had gone for a holiday （ D） improvements had been made in the constructions of buildings and highways 2 The f
8、unction of the computer mentioned in the passage is to_. （ A） counter-balance a earthquake s action on the building （ B） predict the coming of an earthquake with accuracy （ C） help strengthen the foundation of the building （ D） measure the impact of an earthquake s vibrations 3 The smart buildings d
9、iscussed in the passage_. （ A） would cause serious financial problems （ B） would be worthwhile though costly （ C） would increase the complexity of architectural design （ D） can reduce the ground vibrations caused by earthquake 4 It can be inferred from the passage that in minimizing the damage cause
10、d by earthquakes attention should be focused on_. （ A） the increasing use of rubber and steel in capital construction （ B） the development of flexible building materials （ C） the reduction of the impact of ground vibrations （ D） early forecasts of earthquakes 5 The author s main purpose in writing t
11、he passage is to_. （ A） compare the consequences of the earthquakes that occurred in the U.S. （ B） encourage civil engineers to make more extensive use of computers （ C） outline the history of the development of quake-resistant building materials （ D） report new developments in constructing quake-re
12、sistant buildings 5 There are two types of people in the world. Although they have equal degrees of health and wealth and the other comforts of life, one becomes happy, the other becomes miserable. This arises from the different ways in which they consider things, persons, and events, and the result
13、ing effects upon their minds. The people who are to be happy fix their attention on the conveniences of things, the pleasant parts of conveniences, the well-prepared dishes, the goodness of wines, the fine weather. They enjoy all the cheerful things. Those who are to be unhappy think and speak only
14、of the contrary things. Therefore, they are continually discontented. By their remarks, they sour the pleasures of society, offend many people, and make themselves disagreeable everywhere. If this turn of mind were founded in nature, such unhappy persons would be the more to be critical. The tendenc
15、y to criticize and be disgusted is perhaps taken up originally by imitation. It grows into a habit, unknown to its possessors. The habit may be strong, but it may be cured when those who have it are convinced of its bad effects on their interests and tastes. Although in fact it is chiefly an act of
16、imagination, it has serious consequences in life, since it brings on deep sorrow and bad luck. Those people offend many others, nobody loves them, and no one treats them with more than the most common politeness and respect, and scarcely that. This frequency puts them in bad temper and draws them in
17、to arguments. If they aim at obtaining some advantage in rank or fortune, nobody wishes them success. If they bring on themselves public disapproval, no one will defend or excuse them, and many will join to criticize their misconduct. These people should change this bad habit and condescend to be pl
18、eased with what is pleasing, without worrying needlessly about themselves and others. If they do not, it will be good for others to avoid any contact with them. Otherwise it can be disagreeable and sometimes very inconvenient, especially when one becomes mixed up in their quarrels. 6 According to th
19、e author, the major reason to cause the difference between happy and unhappy people is_. （ A） that they have different life styles （ B） that they have fewer friends （ C） that they look at things differently （ D） that they are not on good terms with the people around them 7 The basic difference betwe
20、en happy and unhappy people lies in the facts that_. （ A） they focus on different aspects of their life （ B） they have different attitudes towards other people （ C） they have different personalities （ D） they come from different family backgrounds 8 The sentence “The tendency to criticize and be dis
21、gusted is perhaps taken up originally by imitation“ in paragraph 2 means_. （ A） criticizing has become a habit and no one wants to imitate them （ B） criticizing and being disgusted has become a tendency and it is caused initially by imitation （ C） this tendency should not be imitated （ D） imitation
22、is one of the reasons why they always criticize others 9 What does “condescend“(Line 8, Para. 3)mean? （ A） Retentive. （ B） Force themselves. （ C） Make efforts. （ D） Be humble and accept. 10 In the third paragraph the writer states that_. （ A） unhappy people always put themselves at rather unfavorabl
23、e positions （ B） unhappy people can be suitable to be leaders （ C） unhappy people are always easy to become successful （ D） unhappy people do not like to be mixed up with other people 10 People do not analyze every problem they meet. Sometimes they try to remember a solution from the last time they
24、had a similar problem. They often accept the opinions or ideas of other people. Other times they begin to act without thinking; they try to find a solution by trial and error. However, when all these methods fail, the person with a problem has to start analyzing. There are six stages in analyzing a
25、problem. First the person must recognize that there is a problem. For example, Sam s bicycle is broken, and he cannot ride it to class as he usually does. Sam must see that there is a problem with his bicycle. Next the thinker must define the problem. Before Sam can repair his bicycle, he must find
26、out the reason why it does not work. For instance, he must determine if the problem is with the gears, the brakes, or the frame. He must make his problem more specific. Now the person must look for information that will make the problem clearer and lead to possible solutions. For instance, suppose S
27、am decided that his bike does not work because there is something wrong with the gear wheels. At this time, he can look in his bicycle repair book and read about gears. He can talk to his friends at the bike shop. He can look at his gears carefully. After studying the problem, the person should have
28、 several suggestions for a possible solution. Take Sam as an illustration. His suggestions might be: put oil on the gear wheels; buy new gear wheels and replace the old ones; tighten or loosen the gear wheels. Eventually one suggestion seems to be the solution to the problem. Sometimes the final ide
29、a comes very suddenly because the thinker suddenly sees something new or sees something in a new way. Sam, for example, suddenly sees that there is a piece of chewing gum between the gear wheels. He immediately realizes the solution to his problem: he must clean the gear wheels. Finally the solution
30、 is tested. Sam cleans the gear wheels and finds that afterwards his bicycle works perfectly. In short, he has solved the problem. 11 What is the best title for this passage? （ A） Six Stages for Repairing Sams Bicycle （ B） Possible Ways to Problem-solving （ C） Necessities of Problem Analysis （ D） Su
31、ggestions for Analyzing a Problem 12 In analyzing a problem we should do all the following EXCEPT_. （ A） recognizing and defining the problem （ B） looking for information to make the problem clearer （ C） having suggestions for a possible solution （ D） finding a solution by trail or mistake 13 By ref
32、erring to Sam s broken bicycle, the author intends to_. （ A） illustrate the ways to repair his bicycle （ B） discuss the problems of his bicycle （ C） tell us how to solve a problem （ D） show us how to analyze a problem 14 Which of the following is NOT true? （ A） People do not analyze the problem they
33、 meet. （ B） People often accept the opinions or ideas of other people. （ C） People may learn from their past experience. （ D） People cannot solve some problems they meet. 15 The author intends to say that Sam solved his problem as a result of_. （ A） discovering something new （ B） using chewing gum （
34、 C） looking at the bicycle in the new way （ D） turning to others help 15 Gestures arent the only area in which the unwary traveler can get tripped up. Foreign cultures adhere to different business customs and behavior. For example: Caffeine junkies should restrain themselves in the Middle East. “Thr
35、ee cups of tea or coffee is usually the polite limit in offices and during social calls,“ counsels Travel Pak, a tree publication of Alia, the Royal Jordanian Airline. “But if your host keeps going, you also may continue sipping. If you ve had your fill, give your empty cup a quick twist a sort of w
36、iggle as you hand it back. That means “No more, thank you.“ Middle East visitors also should not be surprised “if others barge right into the office in the middle of your conversation with the person you are seeing,“ notes Travel Pak. An old Arab custom calls for keeping an “open office.“ The Britis
37、h, however, consider it impolite to interrupt a visitor, even after all business has been transacted. The commercial caller is expected to be sensitive to this point, know when to stop, and initiate his or her own departure. In Japan certain guests at evening business gatherings will leave early. Th
38、ey should be allowed to leave without effusive good byes. The Japanese consider formal departures to be disruptive in such cases and disturbing to remaining guests. In Scandinavia and Finland business guests may be asked to shed their clothes and join their hosts in a sauna(桑拿 ). The invitation is a
39、 sign that a good working relationship has been established. In the Arab world, the word “no“ must be mentioned three times before it is accepted. In contrast, it is considered good business manners to make many and long efforts to pick up the check. In the People s Republic of China, gift giving is
40、 considered an insult, says Patrick J. Lewis, President of Club Universe, a Los Angeles tour operator. “If you want to give someone a gift, make sure its modest in value. This will not be considered offensive, but it may be declined,“ The Chinese manner of expressing friendship and welcome is to cla
41、p. Lewis adds. “You may be greeted with clapping when entering a factory, hospital, commune, or school. Politeness dictates that you respond with applause, even though it may seem like youre clapping for yourself.“ 16 In the Middle East, it is considered_. （ A） impolite to drink at least 3 cups of c
42、offee （ B） impolite to drink more than 3 cups of coffee unless your host drinks more （ C） polite to ask the host to give you as more as he can （ D） polite to leave a party as early as you want 17 In Japan, the guest at an evening party will_. （ A） leave early without saying goodbyes （ B） stay as lon
43、g as he can （ C） stay to have a swimming with the host （ D） present his business cards immediately 18 In Finland, business guests may_. （ A） take flowers to the host （ B） send an expensive gift to the host （ C） have sauna with the host （ D） present a business card 19 In China, a gift to the host mea
44、ns_. （ A） an attempt to praise the host （ B） a modest manner （ C） a response of applause （ D） offended action to the host s dignity 20 Which of the following statement is NOT true according to the passage? （ A） Uninvited visitors are welcome in Middle Eastern office. （ B） In Britain, business visito
45、rs can stay as long as they like. （ C） In China, people may greet a foreigner s entering a school with clapping. （ D） In the Arab world, saying “no“ for 3 times until it is accepted. 大学英语四级改革适用（阅读）模拟试卷 30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】 细节题。根据短文第三段第二句： changes made to the construction c
46、odes in Los Angeles during the last 20 years have strengthened the citys buildings andhighways， making them more resistant to quakes可知是因为建筑法规在 20年内的改变，地震中的伤亡人数相对不高。故选项 D正确。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 2 【正确答案】 A 【试题解析】 细节题。根据短文第五段最后一句 When the ground shakes and the building tips forward， the computer would force th
47、e building to shift in the opposite direction可知当地面晃动，建筑物向前倾斜时，电脑会迫使它向相反的方向改变，从而保持平衡。故选项 A正确。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 3 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 细节题。文章最后一段指出 The new smart structures could be very expensive to build However， they would save many lives and would be less likely to be damaged during earthquakes可知这种新型的智能结构虽然
48、昂贵但是很值得建造。选项 A、 C文中没有提到，选项 D表述与原文不一致，故选项 B正确。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 4 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 推断题。根据短文第五段可知，过去人们认为建筑材料对减少地震损失很重要，但那是以前的方法，排除选项 A、 B。而现在重点强调的办法是减少地面震动。选项 D短文没有提及。故选 C。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 5 【正确答案】 D 【试题解析】 主旨题。纵观短文可看出作者是通过描述发生在洛杉矶的地震来指出抗震技术的提高。选项 A是说地震结果的比较，不是文章重点，选项 B、 C与原文表述不符，故选项 D正确。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 【知识模块】 仔细阅
49、读 6 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 细节题。根据短文第一段最后一句 This arises from the difierent ways inwhich they consider things， persons， and events， and the resulting effects upon theirminds可知正是由于看待事物，人和事件的方式存在差异，才导致了两种人的区别。故选项 C正确。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 7 【正确答案】 A 【试题解析】 细节题。短文第二段指出两种人的差别： The people who are to be happy fixtheir attention on the conveniences of things和 Those who are to be unhappy think andspeak only of the contrary things由此可知两种人的区别在于关注点不同。故选项 A正确。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 8 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 细节题。 “The tendency to
