1、大学英语四级（阅读）模拟试卷 8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 Professor Smith recently persuaded 35 people,
2、23 of them women, to keep a diary of all their absent-minded actions for a fortnight. When he came to analyse their embarrassing lapses (差错 ) in a scientific report, he was surprised to find that nearly all of them fell into a few groupings. Nor did the lapses appear to be entirely random (随机的 ). On
3、e of the women, for instance, on leaving her house for work one morning threw her dog her earrings and tried to fix a dog biscuit on her ear. “The explanation for this is that the brain is like a computer,“ explains the professor. “People programme themselves to do certain activities regularly. It w
4、as the womans custom every morning to throw her dog two biscuits and then put on her earrings. But somehow the action got reversed in the programme.“ About one in twenty of the incidents the volunteers reported were these “programme assembly failures.“ Altogether the volunteers logged 433 unintentio
5、nal actions that they found themselves doing an average of twelve each. There appear to be peak periods in the day when we are at our zaniest (荒谬可笑的 ). These are two hours some time between eight a.m. and noon, between four and six p.m. with a smaller peak between eight and ten p.m. “Among men the p
6、eak seems to be when a changeover in brain programmes occurs, as for instance between going to and from work.“ Women on average reported slightly more lapses 12.5 compared with 10.9 for men probably because they were more reliable reporters. A startling finding of the research is that the absent-min
7、ded activity is a hazard of doing things in which we are skilled. Normally, you would expect that skill reduces the number of errors we make. But trying to avoid silly slips by concentrating more could make things a lot worse even dangerous. 1 In his study Professor Smith asked the subjects_. （ A） t
8、o keep track of people who tend to forget things （ B） to report their embarrassing lapses at random （ C） to analyse their awkward experiences scientifically （ D） to keep a record of what they did unintentionally 2 Professor Smith discovered that _. （ A） certain patterns can be identified in the reco
9、rded incidents （ B） many people were too embarrassed to admit their absent-mindedness （ C） men tend to be more absent-minded than women （ D） absent-mindedness is an excusable human weakness 3 “Programme assembly failures“ (Line 6, Para. 2) refers to the phenomenon that people_. （ A） often fail to pr
10、ogramme their routines beforehand （ B） tend to make mistakes when they are in a hurry （ C） unconsciously change the sequence of doing things （ D） are likely to mess things up if they are too tired 4 We learn from the third paragraph that_. （ A） absent-mindedness tends to occur during certain hours o
11、f the day （ B） women are very careful to perform actions during peak periods （ C） women experience more peak periods of absent-mindedness （ D） mens absent-mindedness often results in funny situations 5 It can be concluded from the passage that _. （ A） people should avoid doing important things durin
12、g peak periods of lapses （ B） hazards can be avoided when people do things they are good at （ C） people should be careful when programming their actions （ D） lapses cannot always be attributed to lack of concentration 5 Its no secret that many children would be healthier and happier with adoptive pa
13、rents than with the parents that nature dealt them. Thats especially true of children who remain in abusive homes because the law blindly favors biological parents. Its also true of children who suffer for years in foster homes (收养孩子的家庭 ) because of parents who cant or wont care for them but refuse
14、to give up custody (监护 ) rights. Fourteen-year-old Kimberly Mays fits neither description, but her recent court victory could eventually help children who do. Kimberly has been the object of an angry custody battle between the man who raised her and her biological parents, with whom she has never li
15、ved. A Florida judge ruled that the teenager can remain with the only father shes ever known and that her biological parents have “no legal claim“ on her. The ruling, though it may yet be reversed, sets aside the principle that biology is the primary determinant of parentage. Thats an important deve
16、lopment, one thats long overdue. Shortly after birth in December 1978, Kimberly Mays and another infant were mistakenly switched and sent home with the wrong parents. Kimberlys biological parents, Ernest and Regina Twigg, received a child who died of a heart disease in 1988. Medical tests showed tha
17、t the child wasnt the Twiggs own daughter, but Kimberly was, thus sparking a custody battle with Robert Mays. In 1989, the two families agreed that Mr. Mays would maintain custody with the Twiggs getting visiting rights. Those rights were ended when Mr. Mays decided that Kimberly was being harmed. T
18、he decision to leave Kimberly with Mr. Mays rendered her suit debated. But the judge made clear that Kimberly did have standing to sue (起诉 ) on her own behalf. Thus he made clear that she was more than just property to be handled as adults saw fit. Certainly, the biological link between parent and c
19、hild is fundamental. But biological parents arent always preferable to adoptive ones, and biological parentage does not convey an absolute ownership that cancels all the rights of children. 6 What was the primary consideration in the Florida judges ruling? （ A） The biological link. （ B） The childs b
20、enefits. （ C） The traditional practice. （ D） The parents feelings. 7 We can learn from the Kimberly case that _. （ A） children are more than just personal possessions of their parents （ B） the biological link between parent and child should be emphasized （ C） foster homes bring children more pain an
21、d suffering than care （ D） biological parents shouldnt claim custody rights after their child is adopted 8 The Twiggs claimed custody rights to Kimberly because _. （ A） they found her unhappy in Mr. Mays custody （ B） they regarded her as their property （ C） they were her biological parents （ D） they
22、 felt guilty about their past mistake 9 Kimberly had been given to Mr. Mays_. （ A） by sheer accident （ B） out of charity （ C） at his request （ D） for better care 10 The authors attitude towards the judges ruling could be described as _. （ A） doubtful （ B） critical （ C） cautious （ D） supportive 10 Im
23、 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 scientifically. Still, I was struck by a re
24、port 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 years ago. Why are Americas kids so stressed? T
25、he 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, adults can still do plenty to help the next
26、 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 connections with others, you can pull the plu
27、g 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; children see a lot of murder and crime on th
28、e 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. Sometimes anxiety is unavoidable. But it do
29、esnt have to ruin your life. 11 The author thinks that the conclusions of any research about peoples state of mind are _. （ A） surprising （ B） illogical （ C） confusing （ D） questionable 12 What does the author mean when he says, “we cant turn the clock back“(Line 1, Para. 3)? （ A） Its impossible to
30、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. 13 According to an analysis, compared with normal children today, children treated as mentally ill 50 years
31、 ago_. （ A） were less isolated physically （ B） were probably less self-centered （ C） probably suffered less from anxiety （ D） were considered less individualistic 14 The first and most important thing parents should do to help their children is _. （ A） to provide them with a safer environment （ B） t
32、o lower their expectations for them （ C） to get them more involved socially （ D） to set a good model for them to follow 15 What conclusion can be drawn from the passage? （ A） Anxiety, though unavoidable, can be coped with. （ B） Childrens anxiety has been enormously exaggerated. （ C） Childrens anxiet
33、y can be eliminated with more parental care. （ D） Anxiety, if properly controlled, may help children become mature. 15 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 total ban on all anti-personnel landmines.
34、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 to me; like when I met Sandra, a 13-ye
35、ar-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 members of the British government, which refu
36、sed 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 (干扰 ) we do not need. All Im trying to do
37、 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 well-informed about both the situation i
38、n 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 different from government policy, and that it w
39、as “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 world how much destruction and suffering
40、 landmines can cause. She said that the experience had also given her the chance to get closer to people and their problems. 16 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 governments stand on landmines （ C） to in
41、vestigate the sufferings of landmine victims there （ D） to establish her image as a friend of landmine victims 17 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 to meet the landmine victims face to
42、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. 18 Some members of the British government criticized Diana
43、 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 19 How did Diana respond to the criticisms? （ A） She
44、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. 20 What did Princess Diana think of her visit to Angola? （ A） It had caused embarrassment to the British government. （ B） It had brought her close
45、r to the ordinary people. （ C） It had greatly promoted her popularity. （ D） It had affected her relations with the British government. 大学英语四级（阅读）模拟试卷 8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 th
46、em there are four choices marked A, 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】 事实细节题。本文第 1句中的 to keep a diary of all their absentminded actions就是指 to keep a recordof what they did unintentionally，题目中的subjects指实验对象，被测试者。 【知识模块】 阅读 2 【正确答案】 A 【试题解析】 事实细节题。根据第 2句中 nea
47、rly all of them fell into a few groupings可以找到本题答案，题目中的 discover是该句中 find的同义词， A的patterns与原文中的 groupings意义相同。 【知识模块】 阅读 3 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 语义题。根据第 2段最后两句提到，但是不知怎么的这种行为在程序中颠倒了。这些被测试者报告的事件中二十个中有一个属于这种 “流水线程序错误 ”。 C的 unconsciously与 somehow对应， change the sequence ofdoing things与the action got reversed对应故本
48、题选 C。 【知识模块】 阅读 4 【正确答案】 A 【试题解析】 事实细节题。根据第 3段的第 2、 3句 “一天之中似乎存在一些人们易犯荒谬可笑错误的高峰时段 ”，之后到举了几个高峰时间，可知 A与之相符。 【知识模块】 阅读 5 【正确答案】 D 【试题解析】 推理判断题。根据文章最后两句 “一般来说，我们会以为技术娴熟可以减少错误。但是为了避免出现愚蠢的失误而更加专注，只会把事情弄得更糟糕，甚至会导致危险。 ”可知 D“差错并不总是注意力不集中导致的 ”正确。 【知识模块】 阅读 【知识模块】 阅读 6 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 推理判断题。根据第 2段最后一句 “女孩被判给她认
49、识的父亲，即养父，而非生父 ”以及全文的最后一句中的 all the rights of children，可以推断，该判决是从孩子本身的利益出发的，故选 B而排除 A。 【知识模块】 阅读 7 【正确答案】 A 【试题解析】 事实细节题。根据倒数第 2段最后一句 “金伯莉不仅仅是大人们觉得合适就可以随意处置的 财产 ”可知 A与该句相符，其中的 personal possessions为原文中 property的同义表达。 【知识模块】 阅读 8 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 事实细节题。第 4段第 2、 3句指出 “金伯莉的亲生父母，欧内斯特和里贾纳 特维格， 医学测试显示 金伯莉才是他们的孩子，从而引发了特维格夫妇与罗伯特 梅斯之间的监护权争讼案 ”，由此可知。 C与之相符。 【知识模块】 阅读 9 【正确答案】 A 【试题解析】 事实细节题。第 4段第 1句提到，金伯莉 梅斯与另一名婴儿被阴差阳错地调换了，她们跟着不是自己亲生父母的 人一起回了家。由此可知 A正确。 【知识模块】 阅读 10 【正
