1、大学英语四级（阅读）模拟试卷 1及答案与解析 Section B Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. You should decide on the best choice. 0 One of the bitterest and most time-worn debate
2、s in student union bars up and down the country is resolved as academic research confirms that in financial terms at least, arts degrees are a complete waste of time. Getting through university boosts students earnings by 25%, on a weighted average, or 220,000 over their lifetime, according to Profe
3、ssor Ian Walker of Warwick University but if they study Shakespeare or the peasants revolt instead of anatomy or contract law, those gains are likely to be completely wiped out. The government is about to allow universities to charge students up to 3,000 a year for their degrees, arguing that its a
4、small price to pay compared with the financial rewards graduates reap later in life. But Prof. Walkers research shows there are sharp variations in returns according to which subject a student takes. Law, medicine and economics or business are the most lucrative choices, making their average earning
5、s 25% higher, according to the article, published in the office for national statistics monthly journal. Scientists get 10-15% extra. At the bottom of the list are arts subjects, which make only a “small“ difference to earnings a small negative one, in fact. Just ahead are degrees in education which
6、 leave hard pressed teachers an average of 5% better off a year than if they had left school at 18. “Its hard to resist the conclusion that what students learn does matter a lot; and some subject areas give more modest financial returns than others,“ Prof. Walker said. As an economist, he was quick
7、to point out that students might gain non-financial returns from arts degrees: “Studying economics might be very dull, for example, and studying post-modernism might be a lot of fun.“ 1 What is the best title for the passage? （ A） Professor Walkers Research. （ B） How to Make Big Money. （ C） Differen
8、ces Between Science and Arts Degrees. （ D） Studying Arts Has Negative Financial Outcome. 2 Universities charge students a rather high tuition mainly because_. （ A） they provide the students with very prosperous subjects to learn （ B） they assume that their graduates can earn much more than they had
9、paid （ C） they dont get financial support from the government （ D） they need much revenue to support the educational expenses 3 The word “lucrative“ (Line 1, Para. 4) most probably means _. （ A） sensible （ B） creative （ C） profitable （ D） reliable 4 Law, medical and business graduates could earn 25%
10、 more than_. （ A） education graduates （ B） arts graduates （ C） those who hadnt studied at the university （ D） the national average income 5 We can safely conclude that the author_. （ A） regards arts degrees as meaningless （ B） finds this result disappointing and unfair （ C） wants the students to thi
11、nk twice before they decide what to learn in college （ D） holds that arts degrees are still rewarding despite its scarce financial returns 5 Many private institutions of higher education around the country are in danger. Not all will be saved, and perhaps not all deserve to be saved. There are low-q
12、uality schools just as there are low-quality business. We have no obligation to save them simply because they exist. But many thriving institutions that deserve to continue are threatened. They are doing a fine job educationally, but they are caught in a financial squeeze, with no way to reduce risi
13、ng costs or increase revenues significantly. Raising tuition doesnt bring in more revenue, for each time tuition goes up, the enrollment goes down, or the amount that must be given away in student aid goes up. Schools are bad businesses, whether public or private, not usually because of mismanagemen
14、t but because of the nature of the enterprise. They lose money on every customer, and they can go bankrupt either from too few students or too many students. Even a very good college is a very bad business. It is such colleges, thriving but threatened, I worry about. Low enrollment is not their chie
15、f problem. Even with full enrollments, they may go under. Efforts to save them, and preferably to keep them private, are a national necessity. There is no basis for arguing that private schools are inherently (固有地 ) better than public schools. Examples to the contrary abound. Anyone can name state u
16、niversities and colleges that rank as the finest in the nation and the world. It is now inevitable that public institutions will be dominant, and therefore diversity is a national necessity. Diversity in the way we support schools tends to give us a healthy diversity in the forms of education. In an
17、 imperfect society such as ours, uniformity of education throughout the nation could be dangerous. In an imperfect society, diversity is a positive good. Enthusiastic supporters of public higher education know the importance of sustaining private higher education. 6 According to the authors opinion,
18、 schools are bad businesses because of_. （ A） mismanagement （ B） too few students （ C） financial squeeze （ D） their characteristics 7 The author used the phrase “go under“ in Para. 3 to mean “_“. （ A） get into difficulties （ B） have low enrollment （ C） have little money （ D） bring in more money 8 We
19、 can reasonably conclude from this passage that the author made an appeal to the public in order to support_. （ A） public institution （ B） private schools （ C） uniformity of education （ D） diversity of education 9 Which of the following is NOT mentioned about private schools? （ A） High-quality priva
20、te schools deserve to be saved. （ B） If the tuition of the private schools is raised, the enrollment goes down. （ C） There are many cases to show that public schools are better than private schools. （ D） Private schools are more profitable than public schools. 10 Which of the following ways could po
21、ssibly save private schools? （ A） Raising tuition. （ B） Full enrollment. （ C） National awareness and support. （ D） Reduction of rising costs. 10 When families gather for Christmas dinner, some will stick to formal traditions dating back to Grandmas generation. Their tables will be set with the good
22、dishes and silver, and the dress code will be Sunday-best. But in many other homes, this china-and-silver elegance has given way to a stoneware (粗陶 )-and-stainless informality, with dresses assuming an equally casual-Friday look. For hosts and guests, the change means greater simplicity and comfort.
23、 For makers of fine china in Britain, it spells economic hard times. Last week Royal Doulton, the largest employer in Stoke-on-Trent, announced that it is eliminating 1,000 jobs one-fifth of its total workforce. That brings to more than 4,000 the number of positions lost in 18 months in the pottery
24、(陶瓷 ) region. Wedgwood and other pottery factories made cuts earlier. Although a strong pound and weak markets in Asia play a role in the downsizing, the layoffs in Stoke have their roots in earthshaking social shifts. A spokesman for Royal Doulton admitted that the company “has been somewhat slow i
25、n catching up with the trend“ toward casual dining. Families eat together less often, he explained, and more people eat alone, either because they are single or they eat in front of television. Even dinner parties, if they happen at all, have gone casual. In a time of long work hours and demanding f
26、amily schedules, busy hosts insist, rightly, that its better to share a takeout pizza on paper plates in the family room than to wait for the perfect moment or a “real“ dinner party. Too often, the perfect moment never comes. Iron a fine-patterned tablecloth? Forget it. Polish the silver? Who has ti
27、me? Yet the loss of formality has its down side. The fine points of etiquette (礼节 ) that children might once have learned at the table by observation or instruction from parents and grandparents (“Chew with your mouth closed.“ “Keep your elbows off the table.“) must be picked up elsewhere. Some comp
28、anies now offer etiquette seminars for employees who may be competent professionally but clueless socially. 11 The trend toward casual dining has resulted in _. （ A） bankruptcy of fine china manufacturers （ B） shrinking of the pottery industry （ C） restructuring of large enterprises （ D） economic re
29、cession in Great Britain 12 Which of the following may be the best reason for casual dining? （ A） Family members need more time to relax. （ B） Busy schedules leave people no time for formality. （ C） People want to practice economy in times of scarcity. （ D） Young people wont follow the etiquette of
30、the older generation. 13 It can be learned from the passage that Royal Doulton is _. （ A） a retailer of stainless steel tableware （ B） a dealer in stoneware （ C） a pottery chain store （ D） a producer of fine china 14 The main cause of the layoffs in the pottery industry is _. （ A） the increased valu
31、e of the pound （ B） the economic recession in Asia （ C） the change in peoples way of life （ D） the fierce competition at home and abroad 15 Refined table manners, though less popular than before in current social life,_. （ A） are still a must on certain occasions （ B） are bound to return sooner or l
32、ater （ C） are still being taught by parents at home （ D） can help improve personal relationships 15 In bringing up children, every parent watches eagerly the childs acquisition (学会 ) of each new skill the first spoken words, the first independent steps, or the beginning of reading and writing. It is
33、 often tempting to hurry the child beyond his natural learning rate, but this can set up dangerous feelings of failure and states of worry in the child. This might happen at any stage. A baby might be forced to use a toilet too early, a young child might be encouraged to learn to read before he know
34、s the meaning of the words he reads. On the other hand, though, if a child is left alone too much, or without any learning opportunities, he loses his natural enthusiasm for life and his desire to find out new things for himself. Parents vary greatly in their degree of strictness towards their child
35、ren. Some may be especially strict in money matters. Others are severe over times of coming home at night or punctuality for meals. In general, the controls imposed represent the needs of the parents and the values of the community as much as the childs own happiness. As regards the development of m
36、oral standards in the growing child, consistency is very important in parental teaching. To forbid a thing one day and excuse it the next is no foundation for morality (道德 ). Also, parents should realize that “example is better than precept“. If they are not sincere and do not practise what they pre
37、ach (说教 ), their children may grow confused and emotionally insecure when they grow old enough to think for themselves, and realize they have been to some extent fooled. A sudden awareness of a marked difference between their parents principles and their morals can be a dangerous disappointment. 16
38、Eagerly watching the childs acquisition of new skills_. （ A） can be avoided （ B） is universal among parents （ C） sets up dangerous states of worry in the child （ D） will make him lose interest in learning new things 17 In the process of childrens learning new skills parents_. （ A） should encourage t
39、hem to read before they know the meaning of the words they read （ B） should not expect too much of them （ C） should achieve a balance between pushing them too hard and leaving them on their own （ D） should create as many learning opportunities as possible 18 The second paragraph mainly tells us that
40、 _. （ A） parents should be strict with their children （ B） parental controls reflect only the needs of me parents and the values of the community （ C） parental restrictions vary, and are not always enforced for the benefit of the children alone （ D） parents vary in their strictness towards their chi
41、ldren according to the situation 19 The word “precept“ (Line 3, Para. 3) probably means “_“. （ A） idea （ B） punishment （ C） behavior （ D） instruction 20 In moral matters, parents should_. （ A） observe the rules themselves （ B） be aware of the marked difference between adults and children （ C） forbid
42、 things which have no foundation in morality （ D） consistently ensure the security of their children 大学英语四级（阅读）模拟试卷 1答案与解析 Section B Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A
43、, B, C and D. You should decide on the best choice. 【知识模块】 阅读 1 【正确答案】 D 【试题解析】 主旨大意题。本文为 Walker教授的研究成果，旨在说明不同专业的毕业生有不同的经济回报，并非要传授发财心得或者比较文理科的 异同。文章首句即为本题解题关键，故 D正确。 【知识模块】 阅读 2 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 事实细节题。定位至第 3段第 1句。本文只有这一句与收取学费有关，后一个分句即前一个分句的理由，抓住其中隐含的因果关系就不难找到正确答案。 【知识模块】 阅读 3 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 词义理解题。通过
44、下文数据 earnings 25 higher和 get 10一 15extra，可以推测 lucrative大意应为 “给人带来丰厚收入的 ”。故选 C。 【知识模块】 阅读 4 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 事实细节题。第 4段中出现了几个比较数字，考题要求找到此段首句提到的收入增加 25的参照点。第 2段第 1句中的 Getting through university表明这类学生收人增加 25的参照对象是没读大学的人，且从第 4段第 3句中的the list和第 4句即可以确定这一段是在比较大学毕业与 18岁毕业 (即没读大学 )收入的不同，因此 C正确。 【知识模块】 阅读 5 【
45、正确答案】 D 【试题解析】 推理判断题。结论往往出现在文章结尾，要想答对此题，一定要 仔细体会本文末句。本文虽然重点讨论文科没有经济效益，但是作者并没有做出主观判断，故 A、 B、 C都不正确，而作者在文章最后讲到了人文学科虽然经济效益不佳但学习过程更有趣，故 D符合作者意思。 【知识模块】 阅读 【知识模块】 阅读 6 【正确答案】 D 【试题解析】 事实细节题。本题考查因果关系。第 2段倒数第 3句中的 “not because of but because of ”指出了 nature就是原因所在， characteristics是 nature的近义词，故 D正确。 【知 识模块】
46、阅读 7 【正确答案】 A 【试题解析】 词义理解题。通过 go under所在句子中的 Even with可知，该句与上一句形成对比，这两句中的 enrollment是相对应的，所以 go under应该也与上文的 problem相对应，由此可推断， go under就是 have problemdifficulty之义。本题最具干扰性的是 C，但文中并无细节具体说明即使入学人数满额学校收入也很少的问题，因此 C把 problem定义得过细，不如 A恰当。 【知识模块】 阅读 8 【正确答 案】 B 【试题解析】 推理判断题，也是主旨大意题。文章一开头就指出 “许多私立高等学校都处于危险之中
47、 ”，引起读者的关注，结尾句明确倡议支持公立高等教育的人们应该同样支持私立高等教育，由此可见， B是本文的目的。本题最具干扰性的是 D， D的说法在最后一段中多次提到，但是作者提出办学多样性是为了说明私立教育的重要性，故 D只是本文主题 (私立教育 )的支持性细节，并非本文的中心话题。 【知识模块】 阅读 9 【正确答案】 D 【试题解析】 事实细节题。可用排除法找出答案。 A可从第 1段推断得出； B可在 第 2段第 3句中找到； C可从最后一段中间找到。 【知识模块】 阅读 10 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 推理判断题。可用排除法找出答案，根据原文，第 2段第 3句可证明 A不可行；最
48、后一段第 3句证明 B不可行；第 2段第 2句也指出 D行不通。本文的目的是为了提高公众对私立教育的关注，由此可见，只有 C是拯救私立高校的可行性方法。 【知识模块】 阅读 【知识模块】 阅读 11 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 推理判断题。首先依据题目中的 casual dining找到第 2段中的informality。其后有两个 for引导的介词短语后一个说 “对于英国精致瓷器的制造商来说，这 (informality)意味着经济困难时期 ”；此外，第 3段用数据具体指出陶瓷业裁员之严重说明陶瓷业在萎缩，即 B。 A、 D均属夸大事实， C与文章内容无关。 【知识模块】 阅读 12 【
49、正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 事实细节题。根据倒数第 2段第 2句中指出现今休闲文化流行的背景：工作时间长，家庭生活节奏紧张， B中的 Busy schedules与文中的 demanding family schedules对应，故 为答案。 【知识模块】 阅读 13 【正确答案】 D 【试题解析】 事实细节题。 Royal Doulton在文章中出现过两次：第 3段说它裁员，因为人们用餐越来越随意 (不再讲究餐具的精致 )：第 4段中 “A spokesman for Royal Doulton admitted that the company” ，暗示公司的性质，可以推断它是精制器皿的生产者。 【知识模块】 阅读 14 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 事实细节题。根据题目中的 the layoffs找到文章第 4段 首句，其中的 have their roots in相当于题目中的 main cause is， shifts相当于 C中的change。其实本题与第 1题是交叉相关的，从第 1题的题目可找到本题的答
