英语四级传统阅读.docx

英语四级传统阅读.docx

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英语四级传统阅读

第一套

Childrenareadelight.Theyareourfuture.Butsadly,hiringsomeonetotakecareofthemwhileyougotoworkisgettingmoreexpensivebytheyear.

Earlierthismonth,itwasreportedthatthecostofenrollinganinfantorsmallkidatachildcarecenterrose3%in2012,fasterthantheoverallcostofliving.Therearenowlargestripsofthecountrywheredaycareforaninfantcostsmorethanatenthoftheaveragemarriedcouple'sincome.

Thisisnotnecessarilyanewtrend,butitisasomewhatpuzzlingone.Thepriceofprofessionalchildcarehasbeenrisingsincethe1980s.Yetduringthattime,payforprofessionalchildcareworkershasstoodstill.Actuallycaregiversmakelesstoday,inrealterms,thantheydidin1990.Consideringthatlaborcostsareresponsibleforupto80%ofadaycarecenter'sexpenses,onewouldexpectflatwagestohavemeantflatprices.

Sowho'stoblameforhigherchildcarecosts?

Childcareisacarefullyregulatedindustry.Stateslaydownrulesabouthowmanychildreneachemployeeisallowedtowatchover,thespacecarecentersneedperchild,andotherminutedetails.Andthestrictertheregulations,thehigherthecosts.Ifithastohireacaregiverforeverytwochildren,itcan'treallyachieveanyeconomiesofscaleonlabortosavemoneywhenotherexpensesgoup.InMassachusetts,wherechildcarecentersmusthireoneteacherforeverythreeinfants,thepriceofcareaveragedmorethan$16,000peryear.InMississippi,wherecentersmusthireoneteacherforeveryfiveinfants,thepriceofcareaveragedlessthan$5,000.

Unfortunately,Idon'thaveallthedaycare-centerregulationshandy.ButIwouldn'tbesurprisedifastheruleshavebecomemoreelaborate,priceshaverisen.Thetradeoff（交换）mightbeworthitinsomecases;afterall,thehealthandsafetyofchildrenshouldprobablycomebeforecheapservice.Butcertainly,itdoesn'tseemtobeanaccidentthatsomeofthecheapestdaycareavailableisintheleast.

56.Whatproblemdoparentsofsmallkidshavetoface?

A）Theever-risingchildcareprices.

B）Thebudgetingoffamilyexpenses.

C）Thebalancebetweenworkandfamily.

D）Theselectionofagooddaycarecenter.

57.Whatdoestheauthorfeelpuzzledabout?

A）Whythepricesofchildcarevarygreatlyfromstatetostate.

B）Whyincreasedchildcarepriceshavenotledtobetterservice.

C）Whychildcareworkers'payhasnotincreasedwiththerisingchildcarecosts.

D）Whythereisasevereshortageofchildcareprofessionalinanumberofstates.

58.Whatpreventchildcarecentersfromsavingmoney?

A）Steadyincreaseinlaborcosts.

B）Strictgovernmentregulations.

C）Lackofsupportfromthestate.

D）Highadministrativeexpenses.

59.WhyistheaveragecostofchildcareinMississippimuchlowerthaninMassachusetts?

A）Theoverallqualityofserviceisnotasgood.

B）Paymentsforcaregiverstherearenotashigh.

C）Livingexpensestherearecomparativelylow.

D）Eachteacherisallowedtocareformorekids.

60.Whatistheauthor'sviewondaycareservice?

A）Caregiversshouldreceiveregularprofessionaltraining.

B）Lesselaboraterulesaboutchildcaremightlowercosts.

C）Itiscrucialtostrikeabalancebetweenqualityandcosts.

D）Itisbetterfordifferentstatestolearnfromeachother.

PassageTwo

Questions61to65arebasedonthefollowingpassage.

AlexPang'samusingnewbookTheDistractionAddictionaddressesthoseofuswhofeelpanicwithoutacellphoneorcomputer.Andthat,heclaims,isprettymuchallofus.Whenwe'renotonline,wherewespendfourmonthsannually,we'reengagedinthestressfulworkoftryingtogetonline.

TheDistractionAddictionisnotframedasaself-helpbook.It'sathoughtfulexaminationofthedangerofourcomputingoverdoseandahistoricaloverviewofhowtechnologicaladvanceschangeconsciousness.A"professionalfuturist",Pangurgesanapproachwhichhecalls"contemplative（沉思的）computing."Heasksthatyoupayfullattentionto"howyourmindandbodyinteractwithcomputersandhowyourattentionandcreativityareinfluencedbytechnology."

Pang'sfirstjobistofreeyoufromcommonmisconceptionthatdoingtwothingsatonceallowsyoutogetmoredone.Whatiscommonlycalledmultitaskingis,infact,switch-tasking,anditsharmfuleffectsonproductivityarewelldocumented.Pangdoesn'tadvocatereturningtoapreinternetworld.Instead,heasksyouto"takeamoreecological（生态的）viewofyourrelationshipswithtechnologiesandlookforwaysdevicesormediamaybemakingspecifictaskseasierorfasterbutatthesametimemakingyourworkandlifeharder."

TheDistractionAddictionisparticularlyfascinatingonhowtechnologieshavechangedcertainfieldoflabor—oftenfortheworse.Forarchitects,computer-aideddesignhasbecomeessentialbutinsomewayshascheapenedthedesignprocess.Asonearchitectputsit,"Architectureisfirstandforemostaboutthinking...anddrawingisamoreproductivewayofthinking"thancomputer-aideddesign.SomewhatlessamusingarePang'ssolutionsforkickingtheInternethabit.Herecommendstheusualbehavior-modificationapproaches,familiartoanyonewhohascompletedaquit-smokingprogram.Keeplogstostudyyouronlineprofileanddecidewhatyoucanknockout,downloadaprogramlikeFreedomthatlocksyououtofyourbrowser,ortakea"digitalSabbath（安息日）";"Unlessyou'reareporteroremergency-departmentdoctor,you'lldiscoverthatyourworlddoesn'tfallapartwhenyougooffline."

61.AlexPang'snewbookisaimedforreaderswho________.

A）findtheirworkonlinetoostressful

B）goonlinemainlyforentertainment

C）arefearfulaboutusingthecellphoneorcomputer

D）canhardlytearthemselvesawayfromtheInternet

62.WhatdoesAlexPangtrytodoinhisnewbook?

A）OfferadviceonhowtousetheInterneteffectively.

B）WarnpeopleofthepossibledangersofInternetuse.

C）Predictthetrendoffuturetechnologicaldevelopment.

D）Examinetheinfluenceoftechnologyonthehumanmind.

63.Whatisthecommonviewonmultitasking?

A）Itenablespeopletoworkmoreefficiently.

B）Itisinawayquitesimilartoswitch-tasking.

C）Itmakespeople'sworkandlifeevenharder.

D）Itdistractspeople'sattentionfromusefulwork.

64.Whatdoestheauthorthinkofcomputer-aideddesign?

A）Itconsiderablycutsdownthecostofbuildingdesign.

B）Itsomewhatrestrainsarchitects'productivethinking.

C）Itisindispensableinarchitects'workprocess.

D）Itcanfreearchitectsfromlaboriousdrawing.

65.WhatisAlesPang'srecommendationforInternetusers?

A）TheyusetheInternetaslittleaspossible.

B）Theykeeparecordoftheirtime.

C）Theyexerciseself-controlovertheirtimeonline.

D）Theyentertainthemselvesonlineonoff-daysonly.

ACBDBDDABC

第二套

PassageOne

Questions56to60arebasedonthefollowingpassage.

NewYorkersaregraduallygettingusedtomorepedalingpassengersonthoseblazingblueCitiBikes.Butwhataboutlocalbikeshops?

IsCitiBikerollingupridersattheirexpense?

AtGothamBikesinTribeca,managerW.Bensaidtheshophasseenanincreaseinitsoverallsalesduetothebike-shareprogram."It'sgettingmorepeopleontheroad,"hesaid.JamesRyan,anemployeeatDanny'sCyclesinGramercysaidCitiBikeisagoodoptionforpeopletoeaseintobikinginacityfamedforitstrafficjamsandaggressivedrivers."Theycantryoutabikewithoutcommittingtobuyingone,"hesaid.

RentalsarenotabigpartofthebusinessateitherGothamBikesorDanny'sCycles.ButforFrank'sBikeShop,asmallbusinessonGrandSt.,thebike-shareprogramhasbeenbadnews.OwnerFrankArroyosaidhisrentalbusinesshasdecreasedby90%sinceCitiBikewasrolledoutlastmonth.Arroyo'smainrentalcustomersareEuropeantourists,whohavesincebeendrawnawaybyCitiBikes.

However,Bensaidthebike-shareisgoodforbikesalesathisshop."Peoplehaveusedthebike-shareandrealizedhowgreatitistobikeinthecity,thendecidethattheywantsomethingnicerforthemselves,"henoted.

ChristianFarrellofWaterfrontBicycleShop,onWestSt.justnorthofChristopherSt.,saidinitiallyhewasconcernedaboutbike-share,though,headmitted,"Iwashappytoseepeopleonbikes."

Farrell'searlyconcernswereechoedbyAndrewCrooks,ownerofNYCVelo,at64SecondAve."Itseemedlikeagreatidea,butonethatwouldbedifficulttoimplement,"CrookssaidofCitiBike.Hesaidheworriedaboutinexperiencedriders'lackofawarenessofbikingrulesandstrongnegativereactionfromnon-cyclists.However,hesaid,it'sstilltooearlytotellifhisbusinesshasbeenimpacted.

Whileit'spossiblebike-sharewillcauseadropinbusiness,CrooksallowedthattheideaisapositivestepforwardforNewYorkCity.

56.Whatistheauthor'schiefconcernabouttheincreasinguseofCitiBikesinNewYork?

A）Hownon-cyclistswillrespondtoit.

B）Whetherlocalbikeshopswillsuffer.

C）Whetherlocalbikebusinesseswillopposeit.

D）Howthesafetyofbikeriderscanbeensured.

57.WhathappenedtoGothamBikesasaresultofthebike-shareprogram?

A）Itfounditsbikesalesunaffected.

B）Itshifteditsbusinesstorentals.

C）Itsawitsbikesalesontherise.

D）Itrentedmorebikestotourists.

58.Whyisthebike-shareprogrambadnewsforFrank'sBikeShop?

A）Itcannotmeetthedemandofthebike-shareprogram.

B）ItscustomershavebeendrawnawaybyCitiBikes.

C）Itsbikepriceshavetobeloweredagainandagain.

D）Ithastocompetewiththecity'sbikerentalshops.

59.WhydidAndrewCrooksthinkthatthebike-shareprogramwouldbedifficulttoexecute?

A）Inexperiencedridersmightbreakbikingrules.

B）Con