历年专四阅读题目真题汇总1996.docx
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历年专四阅读题目真题汇总1996
历年专四阅读题汇总
1996年[25MIN]
TEXTA
InthepastthirtyyearsmanysocialchangesbaretakenplaceinBritain.Thegreatestofthesehaveprobablybeenintheeconomiclivesofwomen.
Thechangeshavebeensignificant,butbecausetraditionandprejudicecanstillhandicapwomenintheirworkingcareersandpersonallives,majorlegislationtohelppromoteequalityofopportunityandpaywaspassedduringthe1970s.
Attheheartofwomen'schangedroleinsocietyhasbeentheriseinthenumberofwomenatwork,particularlymarriedwomen.Astechnologyandsocietypermithighlyeffectiveandgenerallyacceptablemethodsoffamilyplanningtherehasbeenadeclineinfamilysize.Womenasaresultareinvolvedinchild-rearingforamuchshortertimeandrelatedtothis,therehasbeenarapidincreaseinthenumberofwomenwithyoungchildrenwhoreturntoworkwhenthechildrenareoldenoughnottoneedconstantcareandattention.
Since1951theproportionofmarriedwomenwhoworkhasgrownfromjustoverafifthtoahaft.ComparedwiththeircounterpartselsewhereontheContinent,Britishwomencomprisearelativelyhighproportionoftheworkforce,abouttwo-fifths,butonaveragetheyworkfewerhours,about31aweekThereisstillasignificantdifferencebetweenwomen'saverageearningsandmen's,buttheequalpaylegislationwhichcameintoforceattheendof1975appearstohavehelpedtonarrowthegapbetweenwomen'sandmen'sbasicrates.
Asmoreandmorewomenjoinedtheworkforceinthe1960sandearly1970stherewasanincreaseinthecollectiveincomesofwomenasawholeandamajorchangeintheeconomicroleoflargenumbersofhousewives.Familieshavecometorelyonmarriedwomen'searningsasanessentialpartoftheirincomeratherthanas"pocketmoney".Atthesametimesocialroleswithinthefamilyaremorelikelytobeshared,exchangedoraltered.
66.Thegeneralideaofthepassageisabout__
[A]socialtrendsincontemporaryBritain
[B]changesinwomen'seconomicstares
[C]equalopportunityandpayinBritain
[D]women'sroleswithinthefamily
67.Accordingtotheauthor,anincreasingnumberofmarriedwomenareabletoworkbecause__
[A]theirchildrennolongerrequiretheircare
[B]therearemorejobsavailablenowadays
[C]technologyhasenabledthemtofindacceptablejobs
[D]theyspendfarlesstimeonchildcarethanbefore.
TEXTB
NATURE'SGIGANTICSNOWPLOUGH
OnJanuary10,1962,anenormouspieceofglacierbrokeawayandtumbleddownthesideofamountaininPeru.Ameresevenminuteslater,whencascadingicefinallycametoastoptenmilesdownthemountain,ithadtakenthelivesof4,000people.
Thisdisasterisoneofthemostdevastatingexamplesofaverycommonevent:
anavalancheofsnoworice.Becauseitisextremelycoldatveryhighaltitudes,snowrarelymelts.Itjustkeepspilinguphigherandhigher.Glaciersareeventuallycreatedwhentheweightofthesnowissogreatthatthelowerlayersarepressedintosolidice.Butmostavalanchesoccurlongbeforethishappens.Assnowaccumulatesonasteepslope,itreachesacriticalpointatwhichtheslightestvibrationwillsenditslidingintothevalleybelow.
Evenanavalancheoflightpowercanbedangerous,butthePeruviancatastrophewasparticularlyterriblebecauseitwascausedbyaheavylayerofice.Itisestimatedthattheicethatbrokeoffweighedthreemilliontons.Asitcrasheddownthesteepmountainsidelikeagiganticsnowplough,itsweptuptrees,bouldersandtonsoftopsoil,andcompletelycrushedanddestroyedthesixvillagesthatlayinitspath.
Atpresentthereisnowaytopredictoravoidsuchenormousavalanches,but,lucidly,theyareveryrare.Scientistsareconstantlystudyingthesmaller,morecommonavalanches,totrytounderstandwhatcausesthem.Inthefuture,perhapsdangerousmassesofsnowandicecanbefoundandremovedbeforetheytakehumanlives.
68.Thefirstparagraphcatchesthereader'sattentionwitha__
[A]first-handreport[B]dramaticdescription
[C]talltale[D]vividwordpicture
69.Inthispassagedevastatingmeans
[A]violentlyruinous[B]spectacularyinteresting
[C]stunning[D]unpleasant
70.Thepassageismostlyabout__
[A]avalanches[B]glaciers[C]Peru[D]mountains
TEXTC
IwasborninTuckahoe,TalbotCounty,Maryland.Ihavenoaccurateknowledgeofmyage,neverhavingseenanyauthenticrecordcontainingit.Byfarthelargerpartoftheslavesknowaslittleoftheirageashorsesknowoftheir,anditisthewishofmostmasterswithinmyknowledgetokeeptheirslavesthusignorant.Idonotrememberhavingevermetaslavewhocouldtellofhisbirthday.Theyseldomcomenearertoitthanplanting-time,harvesting,springtime,orfalltime.Alackofinformationconcerningmyownwasasourceofunhappinesstomeevenduringchildhood.Thewhitechildrencouldtelltheirages,IcouldnottellwhyIoughttobedeprivedofthesameprivilege.Iwasnotallowedtomakeanyinquiresofmymasterconcerningit.Heconsideredallsuchinquiriesonthepartofaslaveimproperandimpertinent.ThenearestestimateIcangivemakesmenowbetweentwenty-sevenandtwenty-eightyearsofage.Icometothis,fromheatingmymastersay,sometimeduring1835,Iwasaboutseventeenyearsold.
MymotherwasnamedHarrietBailey.ShewasthedaughterofIssacandBetseyBailey,bothcolored,andquitedark.Mymotherwasofadarkercomplexionthaneithermygrandmotherorgrandfather.
Myfatherwasawhiteman.HewasadmittedtobesuchbyallIeverheardspeakofmyparentage.Theopinionwasalsowhisperedthatmymaserwasmyfather,butofthecorrectnessofthisopinion,Iknownothing;themeansofknowingwaswithheldfromme.MymotherandIwereseparatedwhenIwasaninfantbeforeIknewherasmymother.Itisacommoncustom,inthepartofMarylandfromwhichIranaway,topartchildrenfromtheirmothersataveryearlyage.Frequently,beforethechildhasreacheditstwelfthmonth,itsmotheristakenfromit,andhiredoutonsomefaintaconsiderabledistanceoff,andthechildisplacedunderthecareofanolderwoman,toooldforfieldlabor.Forwhatthisseparationisdone,Idonotknow,unlessitbetohinderthedevelopmentofthechild'saffectiontowardsitsmother.
71.Theauthordidnotknowexactlywhenhewasbornbecause__
[A]hedidnotknowwhohismotherwas
[B]therewasnowrittenevidenceofit
[C]hismasterdidnottellhisfather
[D]nobodyonhisfarmknewanythingaboutit
72.Inthemid-nineteenthcentury,slavesoften
[A]markedtheirbirthdaysbytheseason
[B]didnotreallycarehowoldtheywere
[C]forgottheexacttimewhentheywereborn
[D]pretendednottoknoweachother'sbirthdays
73.Theauthor'smothertoldhim
[A]hisfatherwasblack[B]hisfatherwaswhite
[C]nothingabouthisfather[D]hismasterwashisfather
74.Accordingtothepassage,whentheauthorwasveryyounghismother
[A]runaway[B]waslightskinned
[C]hadseveralchildren[D]wassenttoworkelsewhere
75.Theauthorbadnotspentmuchtimewithhis
[A]mother[B]master[C]grandfather[D]grandmother
76.Theauthorwasmostprobablyraised
[A]byhisgrandparents[B]byanoldwomanslave
[C]withhismaster'ssupport[D]togetherwithotherchildren
TEXTD
PLEASERECYCLETHATBOBSLEDRUN(大雪橇滑道)
Forthe1992WinterGames,Frenchorganizersconstructedanewmotorway,parkinglotsandrunsforskiingintheAlps.Environmentalistsscreamed"Disaster!
".Thuswarned,theNorwegianshaveadopted"green"adviceandavoidedgreatblotsonthelandscape.Thespeed-skatingwasbuilttolooklikeanoverturnedship,andplacedsoasnottodisturbabirdsanctuary.Dugintoamountainside,thehockeyarenaiswellconcealedandenergyefficient.Thebobsledrunisbuiltoutofwoodnotmetalandhiddenamongtrees.NowonderthepresidentoftheInternationalOlympicCommitteehascalledthesethefirst"GreenGames".
Lillehammer'sopeningceremoniesfeaturedagiantOlympicTorchburningbiogasproducedbyrottingvegetation.Duringconstruction,builderswerethreatenedwith$7,500finesforfellingtreesunnecessarily.Ratetreeswerecarefullytransplantedfromhillsides.Foodisbeingservedonpotato-basedplatesthatwillbefed,inturn,topigs.Smokinghasbeenbannedoutdoorsaswellasin,withenforcementbypoliterequests.
Environmentalistshavedeclaredpartialvictory,thoughCoca-Cola'splantodecoratethetownwithBannershasbeenscaledback,therearestilltoomanybillboardsforstrictgreentastes.Perhaps,butaftertheGames,athletehousingwillbeconvertedintovacationhomeorshippedtothenorthlandsforstudentdormitories.Bulletswillbepluckedfrombiathlontargetsandrecycledtokeeptheleadfrompoisoninggroundwater.Andthesetrickswon'tbeforgotten.Embarrassedbyenvironmentalprotests,theI.O.C.claimsthatgreenawarenessisnowentrenched-alongwithsportandculture-asapermanentdimensionoftheOlympicCharter.
Indeed,Sydneywassuccessfulinbecominghostforthe2000SummerGamesinpartonthestrengthofitsendorsementfromGreenpeace.Aspiringhostcitiesarepickingupthecode.SaltLakeCity,biddingforthe2002Games,mayopttousethebobsledrunthatCalgarybuiltforthe88Games.Afterthat,whocoulddenythatrecyclingisanOlympicmovement?
77.Whichofthefollowingcountrieshasnotpaidenoughattentiontothe"green"issues?
[A]Norway.[B]France.[C]Arnica.[D]Australia.
78.InwhichareadidtheenvironmentalistsfailinLillehammer?
[A]Energy.[B]Smoking.[B]Housing.[D]Advertising.
79.WhichofthefollowingdescribestheI.O.C.