1、新东方在线 CET4 高分班网络课堂电子教材系列( 打印版) 阅读1 / 39 1 第一部分 阅读理解全真试题Unit 1 Passage OneThe biggest safety threat facing airlines today may not be a terrorist with a gun, but the man with the portable computer in business class. In the last 15 years, pilots have reported well over 100 incidents that could have be
2、en caused by electromagnetic interference. The source of this interference remains unconfirmed, but increasingly, experts are pointing the blame at portable electronic device such as portable computers, radio and cassette players and mobile telephones. RTCA, an organization which advises the aviatio
3、n (! )industry, has recommended that all airlines ban (! )such devices from being used during “critical”stages of flight, particularly take-off and landing. Some experts have gone further, calling for a total ban during all flights. Currently, rules on using these devices are left up to individual a
4、irlines. And although some airlines prohibit passengers from using such equipment during take-off and landing, most are reluctant to enforce a total ban, given that many passengers want to work during flights. The difficulty is predicting how electromagnetic fields might affect an aircrafts computer
5、s. Experts know that portable device emit radiation which affects those wavelengths which aircraft use for navigation and communication. But, because they have not been able to reproduce these effects in a laboratory, they have no way of knowing whether the interference might be dangerous or not. Th
6、e fact that aircraft may be vulnerable (!的 )to interference raises the risk that terrorists may use radio systems in order to damage navigation equipment. As worrying, though, is the passenger who cant hear the instructions to turn off his radio because the musics too loud. 21.The passage is mainly
7、about _. A) a new regulation for al airlines B) the defects of electronic devices C) a possible cause of aircraft crashes D) effective safety measures for air flight 22.What is said about the over 100 aircraft incidents in the past 15 years?A) They may have been caused by the damage to the radio sys
8、tems. B) They may have taken place during take-off and landing. C) They were proved to have been caused by the passengers portable computers. D) They were suspected to have resulted from electromagnetic interference. 23.Few airlines want to impose a total ban on their passengers using electronic dev
9、ices because _. A) they dont believe there is such a danger as radio interference B) the harmful effect of electromagnetic interference is yet to be proved C) most passengers refuse to take a plane which bans the use of radio and cassette players D) they have other effective safety measures to fall
10、back on 24.Why is it difficult to predict the possible effects of electromagnetic fields on an airplanes computers?A) Because it is extremely dangerous to conduct such research on an airplane. B) Because it remains a mystery what wavelengths are liable to be interfered with. C) Because research scie
11、ntists have not been able to produce the same effects in labs. D) Because experts lack adequate equipment to do such research. 25.It can be inferred from the passage that the author _. A) is in favor of prohibiting passengersuse of electronic devices completely B) has overestimated the danger of ele
12、ctromagnetic interference C) hasnt formed his own opinion on this problem D) regards it as unreasonable to exercise a total ban during flight Passage TwoThe rise of multinational corporations (! ), global marketing, new communications technologies, and shrinking cultural differences have led to an u
13、nparalleled increase in global public relations or PR. Surprisingly, since modern PR was largely an American invention, the U. S. leadership in public relations is being threatened by PR efforts in other countries. Ten years ago, for example, the worlds top five public relations agencies were Americ
14、an-owned. In 1991, only one was. The British in particular are becoming more sophisticated and creative. A recent survey found that more than half of all British companies include PR as part of their corporate (!的 )planning activities, compared to about one-third of U. S. companies. It may not be lo
15、ng before London replaces New York as the capital of PR. Why is America lagging behind in the global PR race? First, Americans as a whole tend to be fairly provincial and take more of an interest in local affairs. Knowledge of world geography, for example, has never been strong in this country. Seco
16、ndly, Americans lag behind their European and Asian counterparts (相对应的! )in knowing a second language. Less than 5 percent of BursonMarshalls U. S. employees know two languages. Ogilvy and Mather has about the same percentage. Conversely, some European firms have half or more of their employees flue
17、nt in a second language. Finally, people involved in PR abroad tend to keep a closer eye on international affairs. In the financial PR area, for instance, most Americans read the Wall Street Journal. Overseas, their counterparts read the Journal as well as the Financial Times of London and The Econo
18、mist, publications not often read in this country. Perhaps the PR industry might take a lesson from Ted Turner of CNN (Cable News Network). Turner recently announced that the word “foreign”would no longer be used on CNN news broadcasts. According to Turner, global communications have made the nation
19、s of the world so interdependent that there is no longer any such things as foreign. 26.According to the passage, U. S. leadership in public relations is being threatened because of _. A) an unparalleled increase in the number of public relations companies B) shrinking cultural differences and new c
20、ommunications technologies C) the decreasing number of multinational corporations in the U. S. D) increased efforts of other countries in public relations 27.London could soon replace New York as the center of PR because _. A) British companies are more ambitious than U. S. companies B) British comp
21、anies place more importance on PR than U. S. companies C) British companies are heavily involved in planning activities D) four of the worlds top public relations agencies are British-owned 28.The word “provincial”(Line 2, Para. 3)most probably means “_”. A) limited in outlook B) like people from th
22、e provinces C) rigid in thinking D) interested in world financial affairs 29.We learn from the third paragraph that employees in the American PR industry _. A) speak at least one foreign language fluently B) are ignorant about world geography C) are not as sophisticated as their European counterpart
23、s D) enjoy reading a great variety of English business publications 30.What lesson might the PR industry take from Ted Turner of CNN?A) American PR companies should be more internationally-minded. B) The American PR industry should develop global communications technologies. C) People working in PR
24、should be more fluent in foreign languages. D) People involved in PR should avoid using the word “foreign”. Passage ThreeBrazil has become one of the developing worlds great successes at reducing population growth-but more by accident 新东方在线 CET4 高分班网络课堂电子教材系列( 打印版) 阅读2 / 39 2 than design. While cou
25、ntries such as India have made joint efforts to reduce birth rates, Brazil has had better result without really trying, says George Martine at Harvard. Brazils population growth rate has dropped from 2. 99%a year between 1951 and 1960 to 1. 93%a year between 1981 and 1990, and Brazilian women now ha
26、ve only 2. 7 children on average. Martine says this figure may have fallen still further since 1990, an achievement that makes it the envy of many other Third World countries. Martine puts it down to, among other things, soap operas (通! )and installment (分! )plans introduced in the 1970s. Both playe
27、d an important, although indirect, role in lowering the birth rate. Brazil is one of the worlds biggest producers of soap operas. Globo, Brazils most popular television network, shows three hours of soaps six nights a week, while three others show at least one hour a night. Most soaps are based on w
28、ealthy characters living the high life in big cities. “Although they have never really tried to work in a message towards the problems of reproduction, they describe middle and upper class values-not many children, different attitudes towards sex, women working, ”says Martine. “They sent this image
29、to all parts of Brazil and made people conscious of other patterns of behavior and other values, which were put into a very attractive package. ”Meanwhile, the installment plans tried to encourage the poor to become consumers. “This led to an enormous change in consumption patterns and consumption w
30、as incompatible (不相容的)with unlimited reproduction, ”says Martine. 31.According to the passage, Brazil has cut back its population growth _. A) by educating its citizens B) by careful family planning C) by developing TV programmes D) by chance 32.According to the passage, many Third World countries _
31、. A) havent attached much importance to birth control B) would soon join Brazil in controlling their birth rate C) havent yet found an effective measure to control their population D) neglected the role of TV plays in family planning 33.The phrase “puts it down to”(Line 1, Para. 3)is closest in mean
32、ing to “_”. A) attributes it to B) finds it a reason for C) sums it up as D) compares it to 34.Soap operas have helped in lowering Brazils birth rate because _. A) they keep people sitting long hours watching TV B) they have gradually changed peoples way of life C) people are drawn to their attracti
33、ve package D) they popularize birth control measures 35.What is Martines conclusion about Brazils population growth?A) The increase in birth rate will promote consumption. B) The desire for consumption helps to reduce birth rate. C) Consumption patterns and reproduction patterns are contradictory. D
34、) A countrys production is limited by its population growth. Passage FourThere seems never to have been a civilization without toys, but when and how they developed is unknown. They probably came about just to give children something to do. In the ancient world, as is today, most boys played with so
35、me kinds of toys and most girls with another. In societies where social roles are rigidly determined, boys pattern their play after the activities of their fathers and girls after the tasks of their mothers. This is true because boys and girls are being prepared, even in play, to step into the roles
36、 and responsibilities of the adult world. What is remarkable about the history of toys is not so much how they changed over the centuries but how much they have remained are same. The changes have been mostly in terms of craftsmanship, mechanics, and technology. It is the universality of toys with r
37、egard to their development in all parts of the world and their persistence to the present that is amazing. In Egypt, the Americas, China, Japan and among the Arctic (!的 )peoples, generally the same kinds of toys appeared. Variations depended on local customs and ways of life because toys imitate the
38、ir surroundings. Nearly every civilization had dolls, little weapons, toy soldiers, tiny animals and vehicles. Because toys can be generally regarded as a kind of art form, they have not been subject to technological leaps that characterize inventions for adult use. The progress from the wheel to th
39、e oxcart to the automobile is a direct line of ascent (! ). The progress from a rattle (! )used by a baby in 3000 BC to one used by an infant today, however, is not characterized by inventiveness. Each rattle is the product of the artistic tastes of the times and subject to the limitations of availa
40、ble materials. 36.The reason why the toys most boys play with are different from those that girls play with is that _. A) their social roles are rigidly determined B) most boys would like to follow their fathersprofessions C) boys like to play with their fathers while girls with their mothers D) the
41、y like challenging activities 37.One aspect of “the universality of toys”lies in the fact that _. A) technological advances have greatly improved the durability of toys B) the improvement of craftsmanship in making toys depends on the efforts of universities C) the exploration of the universe had le
42、d to the creation of new kinds of toys D) the basic characteristics of toys are the same the world over 38.Which of the following is the authors view on the historical development of toys?A) The craftsmanship in toy-making has remained essentially unchanged. B) Toys have remained basically the same
43、all through the centuries. C) The toy industry has witnessed great leaps in technology in recent years. D) Toys are playing an increasingly important role in shaping a childs character. 39.Regarded as a kind of art form, toys _. A) follow a direct line of ascent B) also appeal greatly to adults C) a
44、re not characterized by technological progress D) reflect the pace of social progress 40.The author uses the example of rattle to show that _. A) in toy-making there is a continuity in the sue of materials B) even the simplest toys can reflect the progress of technology C) even the simplest toys can
45、 reflect the progress of technology D) even a simple toy can mirror the artistic tastes of the time Unit 2 Passage OneUnless we spend money to spot and prevent asteroids (! )now, one might crash into Earth and destroy life as we know it, say some scientists. Asteroids are bigger versions of the mete
46、oroids (! )that race across the night sky. Most orbit the sun far from Earth and dont threaten us. But there are also thousands of asteroids whose orbits put them on a collision course with Earth. Buy $50 million worth of new telescopes right now. Then spend $10 million a year for the next 25 years
47、to locate most of the space rocks. By the time we spot a fatal one, the scientists say, well have a way to change its course. Some scientists favor pushing asteroids off course with nuclear weapons. But the cost wouldnt be cheap. Is it worth it?Two things experts consider when judging any risk re:1)
48、How likely the event is;and 2)How bad the consequences if the event occurs. Experts think an asteroid big enough to destroy lots of life might strike Earth once every 500, 000 years. Sounds pretty rarebut if one did fall, it would be the end of the world. “If we dont take care of these big asteroids
49、, theyll take care of us, ”says one scientist. “Its that simple. ”The cure, though, might be worse than the disease. Do we really want fleets of nuclear weapons sitting around on Earth?“The world has less to fear from doomsday (!的 )rocks than from a great nuclear fleet set against them, ”said 新东方在线 CET4 高分班网络课堂电子教材系列( 打印版) 阅读3 / 39 3
