四级阅读训练（四）

Passage One
Questions 1 to 5 are based on the following passage.
   Like many of my generation, I have a weakness for hero worship. At some point, however, we all begin to question our heroes and our need for them. This leads us to ask: What is a hero?
   Despite immense differences in cultures, heroes around the world generally share a number of characteristics that instruct and inspire people.
   A hero does something worth talking about. A hero has a story of adventure to tell and a community who will listen. But a hero goes beyond mere fame.
Heroes serve powers or principles larger than themselves. Like high-voltage transformers, heroes take the energy of higher powers and step it down so that it can be used by ordinary people.
The hero lives a life worthy of imitation. Those who imitate a genuine hero experience life with new depth, enthusiasm, and meaning. A sure test for would-be heroes is what or whom do they serve? What are they willing to live and die for? If the answer or evidence suggests they serve only their own fame, they may be famous persons but not heroes. Madonna and Michael Jackson are famous, but who would claim that their fans find life more abundant?
Heroes are catalysts (催化剂) for change. They have a vision from the mountaintop. They have the skill and the charm to move the masses. They create new possibilities. Without Gandhi, India might still be part of the British Empire. Without Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr., we might still have segregated (隔离的) buses, restaurants, and parks. It may be possible for largescale change to occur without leaders with magnetic personalities, but the pace of change would be slow, the vision uncertain, and the committee meetings endless.

1. Although heroes may come from different cultures, they .
A) generally possess certain inspiring characteristics
B)probable share some weaknesses of ordinary people
C) are often influenced by previous generations
D) all unknowingly attract a large number of fans
2. According to the passage, heroes are compared to high-voltage transformers in that.
A) they have a vision from the mountaintop
B)they have warm feelings and emotions
C) they can serve as concrete examples of noble principles
D) they can make people feel stronger and more confident
3.Madonna and Michael Jackson are not considered heroes because .
A) they are popular only among certain groups of people
B)their performances do not improve their fans morally
C) their primary concern is their own financial interests
D) they are not clear about the principles they should follow
4. Gandhi and Martin Luther King are typical examples of outstanding leaders who.
A) are good at demonstrating their charming characters
B)can move the masses with their forceful speeches
C) are capable of meeting all challenges and hardships
D) can provide an answer to the problems of their people
5. The author concludes that historical changes would.
A) be delayed without leaders with inspiring personal qualities
B)not happen with out heroes making the necessary sacrifices
C) take place if there were heroes to lead the people
D) produce leaders with attractive personalities

Passage Two
Questions 6 to 10 are based on the following passage.
According to a survey, which was based on the responses of over 188,000 students, today's traditional-age college freshmen are "more materialistic and less altruistic (利他主义的)" than at any time in the 17 years of the poll.
Not surprising in these hard times, the student's major objective "is to be financially well off. Less important than ever is developing a meaningful philosophy of life." It follows then that today the most popular course is not literature or history but accounting.
Interest in teaching, social service and the "altruistic" fields is at a low. On the other hand, enrollment in business programs, engineering and computer science is way up.
That's no surprise either. A friend of mine (a sales representative for a chemical company) was making twice the salary of her college instructors her first year on the job - even before she completed her two-year associate degree.
While it's true that we all need a career, it is equally true that our civilization has accumulated an incredible amount of knowledge in fields far removed from our own and that we are better for our understanding of these other contributions - be they scientific or artistic. It is equally true that, in studying the diverse wisdom of others, we learn how to think. More important, perhaps, education teaches us to see the connections between things, as well as to see beyond our immediate needs.
Weekly we read of unions who went on strike for higher wages, only to drive their employer out of business. No company: no job. How shortsighted in the long run!
But the most important argument for a broad education is that in studying the accumulated wisdom of the ages, we improve our moral sense. I saw a cartoon recently which shows a group of businessmen looking puzzled as they sit around a conference table; one of them is talking on the intercom (对讲机)："Miss Baxter," he says, "could you pleas send in someone who can distinguish right from wrong?"
From the long-term point of view, that's wheat education really ought to be about.

6. According to the author's observation, college students.
A) have never been so materialistic as today
B)have never been so interested in the arts
C) have never been so financially well off as today
D) have never attached so much importance to moral sense
7.The students' criteria for selecting majors today have much to do with .
A) the influences of their instructors
B)the financial goals they seek in life
C) their own interpretations of the courses
D) their understanding of the contributions of others
8. By saying "While it's true that… be they scientific or artistic? (Lines 1-3, Para. 5), the author means that .
A) business management should be included in educational programs
B)human wisdom has accumulated at an extraordinarily high speed
C) human intellectual development has reached new heights
D) the importance of a broad education should not be overlooked
9.Studying the diverse wisdom of others can.
A) create varying artistic interests
B)help people see things in their right perspective
C) help improve connections among people
D) regulate the behavior of modern people
10．Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A) Businessmen absorbed in their career are narrow-minded.
B)Managers often find it hard to tell right from wrong.
C) People engaged in technical jobs lead a more rewarding life.
D) Career seekers should not focus on immediate interests only.

Passage Three
Questions 11 to 15 are based on the following passage.
New technology links the world as never before. Our planet has shrunk. It's now a "global village" where countries are only seconds away be fax or phone or satellite link. And, of course, our ability to benefit from this high-tech communications equipment is greatly enhanced by foreign language skills.
Deeply involved with this new technology is a breed of modern businesspeople who have a growing respect for the economic value of doing business abroad. In modern markets, success overseas often helps support domestic business efforts.
Overseas assignments are becoming increasingly important to advancement within executive ranks. The executive stationed in another country no longer need fear being "out of sight and out of mind." He or she can be sure that the overseas effort is central to the company's plan for success, and that promotions often follow or accompany an assignment abroad. If an employee can succeed in a difficult assignment overseas, superior will have greater confidence in his or her ability to cope back in the United States where cross-cultural considerations and foreign language issues are becoming more and more prevalent (普遍的).
Thanks to a variety of relatively inexpensive communications devices with business applications, even small businesses in the United States are able to get into international markets.
English is still the international language of business. But there is an ever-growing need for people who can speak another language. A second language isn't generally required to get a job in business, but having language skills gives a candidate the edge when other qualifications appear to be equal.
The employee posted abroad who speaks the country's principal language has an opportunity to fast-forward certain negotiations, and can have the cultural insight to know when it is better to move more slowly. The employee at the home office who can communicate well with foreign clients over the telephone or by fax machine is an obvious asset to the firm.

11. What is the author's attitude toward high-tech communications equipment?
A) Critical.B) Indifferent.
C) Prejudiced. D) Positive.
12. With the increased use of high-tech communications equipment, businesspeople.
A) have to get familiar with modern technology
B)are gaining more economic benefits from domestic operations
C) are attaching more importance to their overseas business
D) are eager to work overseas
13. In this passage, "out of sight and out of mind" (Lines 2-3, Para. 3) probably means .
A) being unable to think properly for lack of insight
B)being totally out of touch with business at home
C) missing opportunities for promotion when abroad
D) leaving all care and worry behind
14.According to the passage, what is an important consideration of international corporations in employing people today?
A) Connections with businesses overseas.
B)Ability to speak the client's language.
C) Technical know-how.
D) Business experience.
15.The advantage of employees having foreign language skills is that they and.
A) better control the whole negotiation process
B)easily find new approaches to met market needs
C) fast-forward their proposals to headquarters easily make friends with businesspeople abroad

Passage Four
Questions 16 to 20 are based on the following passage.
In recent years, Israeli consumers have grown more demanding as they've become wealthier and more worldly-wise. Foreign travel is a national passion; this summer alone, one in 10 citizens will go abroad. Exposed to higher standards of service elsewhere, Israelis are returning home expecting the same. American firms have also begun arriving in large numbers. Chains such as KFC, McDonald's and Pizza Hut are setting a new standard of customer service, using strict employee training and constant monitoring to ensure the friendliness of frontline staff. Even the American habit of telling departing customers to "Have a nice day" has caught on all over Israel. "Nobody wakes up in the morning and says, 'Let's be nicer, " says Itsik Cohen, director of a consulting firm. "Nothing happens without competition."
Privatization, or the threat of it, is a motivation as well. Monopolies (垄断者) that until recently have been free to take their customers for granted now fear what Michael Perry, a marketing professor, calls "the revengeful (报复的) consumer." When the government opened up competition with Bezaq, the phone company, its international branch lost 40% of its market share, even while offering competitive rates. Says Perry, "People wanted revenge for all the years of bad service." The electric company, whose monopoly may be short-lived, has suddenly stopped requiring users to wait half a day for a repairman. Now, appointments are scheduled to the half-hour. The graceless El Al Airlines, which is already at auction (拍卖)，has retrained its employees to emphasize service and is boasting about the results in an ad campaign with the slogan, "You can feel the change in the air." For the first time, praise outnumbers complaints on customer survey sheets.

16. It may be inferred from the passage that .
A) customer service in Israel is now improving
B)wealthy Israeli customers are hard to please
C) the tourist industry has brought chain stores to Israel
D) Israeli customers prefer foreign products to domestic ones
17.In the author's view, higher service standards are impossible in Israel .
A) if customer complaints go unnoticed by the management
B)unless foreign companies are introduced in greater numbers
C) if there's no competition among companies
D) without strict routine training of employees
18. If someone in Israel today needs a repairman in case of a power failure, .
A) they can have it fixed in no time
B)in's no longer necessary to make an appointment
C) the appointment takes only half a day to make
D) they only have to wait half an hour at most
19.The example of El Al Airlines shows that.
A) revengeful customers are a threat to the monopoly of enterprises
B)an ad campaign is a way out for enterprises in financial difficulty
C) a good slogan has great potential for improving sevice
D) staff retraining is essential for better service
20. Why did Bezaq's international branch lose 40% of its market share?
A) Because the rates it offered were not competitive enough.
B)Because customers were dissatisfied with its past service.
C) Because the service offered by its competitors was far better.
D) Because it no longer received any support from the government.

参考答案与详解
1．［A］事实理解题。题干中的Although引导的让步状语从句是文章第2段Despite引导的让步状语从句的改写；A)项是文章第2段主句的同义改写，possess=share，inspirin characteristics =characteristicsthat inspire people。B)项错误的原因有三个：①B)项是根据常识并结合文章第1句话中的weakness设置的干扰项，考生只要弄明白B)项中的weakness的在原文中的出处就容易排除其干扰；②仅从选项本身来看，B)项并不算错，但关键是B)项和题干一结合组成一个完整的陈述，B)项就显得不对了；③
文章中并没有B)项的意思。回答阅读理解题不能离开文章本身，即哪怕一个选项本身正确，但文章中未曾提及这个意思或内容，该选项也不能作为答案。C)项是根据文章首句"Like many of my generation"设计的干扰项，很容易被排除。D)项本身也不能算错，因为它和文中"The hero lives a life worthy of imitation"及"They have the skill and the charm to move the masses"基本相符，但将其和题干放在一起就不恰当了。可以说，B)、D)都不能算错，但四、六级阅读理解题是要求考生找出最优项，与A)相比，B)、D)都不及A)恰当。

2．[D]句意理解题。根据题干我们不难判断本题出处在文章第4段第2句话。该句话前半句是本题题干的出处，后半句则是答案的出处，所以解答本题的关键在于正确理解文中的"heroes take the energy of
higher powers and step it down so that it can be used by ordinary people．"只有D)项与此句相符。A)、B)、C)本身都不能算错，但它们不是这个比喻"Like high voltage transformers"的真正含义。

3．[B]推论题。根据题干我们不难知道应该在文章第5段寻找答案。例于是为了说明主题，第5段中Madonna和Jackson的例子也是为了说明该段主旨。明确了这一点，我们可以迅速排除与该段主旨无关的选项：A)和D)。比较B)和C)；B)项符合该段中心思想，可作答案；为了保险起见，我们不仅要证实，还要证伪，即看看C)项是否不能作为答案；C)项中说Madonna和Jackson关心的主要是"利(financial interests)"，而文章中说他们不是英雄的原因在于他们关心的主要是"名(fame)"，financial interest≠fame，故C)项不对。

4．[D]推论题。本题干扰项主要为B)。文章中说英雄人物能发动群众主要是靠其skill和charm，即他们的
magnetic personalities，而非B)项中的speeches；D)项实际上是文中"They have a vision from the mountaintop"的隐含意思，而且文章还说，如果没有这些英雄，the vision uncertain，其言下之意也就是D)意思。

5．[A]细节辨认题。正确回答本文的关键在于理解文章最后一段。A)项与该段中心相符。B)项则与文章中"It may be possible for largeseale change to occur without leaders with magnetic personalities"相悖。C)项意为"如果有英雄人物领导人民，就会发生历史巨变"，而文章意思为"如果没有英雄人物，也会发生历史巨变，但这种变化的速度可能会减慢，前景不太明了，……"，显然C)项和作者原意不符。D)项属于"无中生有"的选项，其意思为"时势造英雄"，本身并没有错，但它不是作者的结论(The author's conclusion)。

6．[A]细节辨认题。A)项是文章首段的同义改写。B)项则与文章中心正好相反；C)是根据第2段第1句设计的干扰项，该类干扰项设计方法可称之为"偷梁换柱法"：文章原意是说学生的主要目标(objective)是"to be financially well off"，而C)项则将。objective"偷梁换柱"为"目前的状态"。D)项的出处为第2段的"Less important than ever is developing a meaningful philosophy of life．"该句是一个倒装句，正常语序为：Developing a meaningful philosophy of life is less important than ever．题目设计者运用否定、比较等语法手段使得句子难以理解，其实，D)项意思和原文恰好相反。

7．[B] 细节辨认题。正确回答本题的关键在于理解文章第2段。注意该段中的follow所传递的因果关系。

8．[D]句意理解题。在解答阅读理解题时，要分清作者的观点和作者陈述的现状、现象，即文章中的"观点
句"和"现象句"。文章中有些句子是作者在陈述一种现状、现象，可能是作者赞同的，也可能是作者反对的，这些句子是"现象句"，而有些句子则是表明作者的观点、态度，这是"观点句"。本题问的是作者的观点，而非现象。A)项是作者认为已经比较过份的一种现象，是作者要批评、纠正的；B)、C)则是一种现象，并非作者观点。正确解答本题，不仅要理解题干中引用的那句话"While it's true that…or artistic"，还要理解其后的两句话："It is equally true that，in study…to see beyond our immediate
needs．"a broad education即文中的studying the diverse wisdom of others。

9．[B] 推论题。本题的回答依据也是第5段最后两句话。C)项只不过是借用了文中的connection来迷惑考生，文中是说"see the connections between things"，而不是C)中的improve connections among people。

10．[D]推论题。回答这类题应该和文章主旨联系起来考虑。D)项正是文章主旨。A)、B)两项都过于绝对：并非所有的Businessmen absorbed in their career都narrow-minded，也不是managers都经常会find It hard to tell right from wrong。

11．[D]态度题。critical批评的；prejudiced怀有偏见的；indifferent漠不关心的；positive肯定的。本题是一道送分题，十分简单。

12．[C]细节辨认题。文章中根本就没有A)项的意思，这是一个"无中生有"的干扰项，很容易被排除。B)项则采用"偷梁换柱法"设计：将oversea(海外的，国外的)偷换为domestic(国内的)。C)项和文章第2段(尤其是该段第1句话中的定语从句who have a growing respect for the economic value of doing
business abroad．)相符。D)项则采用"夸大其辞法"设计：文中只是说公司管理层员工(The executive)不必再担心因在海外工作而成绩不为公司总部所知，并没有说这些管理人员热切地希望(eager)去海外工作；况且，business people≠the executive

13．[C]句意理解题。文章第3段中"He or she can be sure…an assignment abroad．"及"If an employee can succeed…more prevalent．"就是对"…no longer fear being'out of sight and out of mind'"的解释。解答句意理解题时要注意题目所问句子的上下文，上下文往往就是对该句的解释或进一步说明。

14．[B]推论题。文章中找不到A)、C)、D)项的意思，B)项是文章的中心思想，从最后两段内容也可看出B)项正确。

15．[A]细节辨认题。A)项是文章最后一段第1句话的概括；B)、C)、D)三项属"无中生有"的干扰项，文章
中找不到它们的意思。

16．[A]推论题。不管是回答推论题还是细节题、正误判断题，都要注意一个解题原则：符合中心思想的选项是答案。A)项符合文章主旨。B)项曲解了文章第1句话，文章原意是："随着收入水平的提高以及对国外了解的增加，以色列消费者对厂家和商家的要求也在日益提高。"而B)项意为："富有的以色列消费者很难被取悦。"文中说去国外旅游的人增多了，大量的美国公司也进入以色列，但并没有说旅游业将连锁店带入了以色列。文中也没有D)项的意思。

17．[C]细节辨认题。本文的主旨就是"竞争导致服务水平的提高"，C)项正是此意。A)项是"无中生有"的干扰项；B)项可以造成竞争，但并不是高标准的服务的直接、根本原因。D)项是"因果颠倒"：是对服务标准的高要求导致了商家对员工的严格培训，而非相反。

18．[D]细节题。回答依据为"Now，appointments are scheduled to the half-hour．"

19．[A]推论题。例子是为了说明中心的，问题中的例子出现在第二段，该段中心为此段前两句话，据此可以
得知答案为A。本题最大的干扰项是D)。

20．[B]推论题。文中Perry的评论"People wanted revenge for all the years of bad service．"就是对Bezaq's international branch lost 40％ of its market share的解释，B)项正是对Perry的话的同义改写。另外，根据前面的"the revengeful consumer"也可知B)正确。