大学英语四级阅读理解试题及答案

⼤学英语四级阅读理解试题及答案（⼆）

2.According to the writer ,the most important character for a good manager is his ________.a.not fearing stress

b.knowing the art of relaxationc.high sense of responsibilityd.having control over performance3.Which of the follwing statements is ture?a.We can find some ways to avoid stress

b.Stress is always harmful to people

c.It is easy to change the hagit of keeping oneself busy with work.d.Different people can withstand different amounts of stress4.In Paragraph 3, \"such a reaction\" refers back to_______.a.\"making a choice between 'flight' or 'fight'\"b.\"reaction to stress both chemically and physically\"c.\"responding to crises quickly\"d.\"losing heart at the signs difficulties\"

5.In the last sentence of the passage,\"do so \" refers to ______.a.\"expose ourselves to stress\"b.\"find ways to deal with stress\"c.\"remove stress from our lives\"

d.\"established links between diseases and stress\"答案：dadbc七

In the 1960s, many young Americans were dissatisfied with American society. They wanted to end the Vietnam War and tomake all of the people in the U.S. epual. Some of them decided to \"drop out\" of American society and form their own

societies . They formed utopian communities , which they called \"communes,\" where they could follow their philosophy of\"do your own thing.\" A group of artists founded a commune in southern Colorado called \"Drop City.\" Following the ideas ofphilosopher and architect Buckminster Fuller they built domeshaped houses from pieces of old cars. Other groups, such asauthor Ken Kesey's Merry Pranksters, the followers fo San Francisco poet Steve Gakin, and a group that called itself the HogFarm, lived in old school huses and traveled around the United States. The Hog Farm become famous when they helpedorganize the Woodstock Rock Festival in 1969. Steve Gaskin's followers tried to settle down on a farm in Tennessee, butthey had to leave when some members of the gruop were arrested for growing marijuana.

Not all communes believed in the philosophy of \"do you own thing,\" however . Twin Oaks , a commune founded in Virgianiain the late 1960s, was based on the ideas of psychologist B.F.Skinner. The people who lived at Twin Oaks were carefullycontrolled by Skinner's \"conditioning\" techniques to do things that were good for the community. In 1972, Italian architectPaolo Soleri began to build Arcosanti, a utopian city Arizsona where 2500 people will live closely together in one largebuilding called an \"archology\" Soleri believes that people must live closely together so that they will all become one.1.Why did some young Americans decide to \"drop out\" of scoiety during the 1960s?a.They were not satisfied with American society.b.They wanted to grow marijuana.c.They wanted to go to the Vietnam War.d.They did not want all people to be equal.

2.Where did the members of the Hog Farm commune live?a.In dome-shaped houseb.In old school husesc.On a farm inTennesseed.In an archology in Arizona

3.Who gave the people of Drop City the idea to bulid dome-shaped house?

a.Paolo Solerib.B.G.Skinnerc.Steve Gaskind.Buckminster Fuller

4.What was the Twin Oaks commune base on ?a.The philosophy of \"do your own thing\"b.Virginaia in the late 1960sc.The ideas of psychologist

d.The belief that people must live closely togerher.5.What is an \"archology\"?

a.A person who studies archaeology

b.A large building where people live closely togetherc.A city in A rizona

d.A technique to contorl people答案：abdcb⼋

There are two factors which determine an individual's intelligence. The first is the sort of brain he is born with. Human brainsdiffer considerably, some being

more capable than others. But no matter how good a brain he has to begin with, an individual will have a low order ofintelligence unless he has opportunities to learn. So the second factor is what happens to the individual—the sort of

environment in which he is reared. If an individual is handicapped envionmentally ,it is likely that his brain will fail to developand he will never attain the level of intelligence of which he is capable.

The importance of environment in determining an individual's intellingence can be demonstrated by the case history of theidentical twins, Peter and Mark X. Being identical, the twins had identical brains at birth, and their growth processes were thesame. When the twins were three months old , their parents died, and they were placed in separate foster homes. Peter wasreated by parents of low intelligence in an isolatedcommunity with poor educational pooprtunities.Mark was reared inthehome of well-to-do parents who had been to college. He was read to as a child , sent to good schools, and given every

opportunity to be stimulated intellectually.This enviromental difference continued until the twins were in their late teens, whenthey were giben tesets to measure their intelligence. Mark's I.Q. was 125, twenty-five points higher than the average and fullyforty points higher than his identical brother. Given equal opportunities , the twins , having identical brains,would have testedat roughly the same level.

1.This selection can best be titled_________.a.Measuring Your Intelligenceb.Intelligence and Environmentc.The Case of Peter and Markd.How the brain Influences Intelligence

2.The beststatement of the main idea of this passage is that _____.a.human brains differ considerably

b.the brain a person is born with is improtant in determining his intelligencec.environment is crucial in determining a person's intelligence

d. persons having identical brains will have roughly the same intelligence3.According to the passage , the average I.Q.is _____.a.85b.100c.110d.125

4.The case history of the twins appears to support the conclusion that _______.a.individual with identical brains seldom test at same levelb.an individual's intelligence is determined only by his enviroment

http://www.doczj.com/doc/4073bdf19e3143323968930f.html ck of opportunity blocks the growth of intelligenced.changes of enviroment produce changes in the structure of the brain5.This passage suggests that an individual 's I.Q.______.a.can be predicted at birthb.stays the same throuthout his lifec.can be increased by educationd.is determined by his childhood答案：bcbcc九

As she walked round the huge department store,Edith reflected how difficult it was to choose a suitable Christmas present forher father.She wish that he was as easy to please as her mother, who was always delighted with perfumeBesides,shoppong at this time of the year was a most disgreeable

experience :people trod on your toes,poked you with their elbows and almost knocked you overin their haste to get to abargain ahead of you.

Partly to have a rest, Edith paused in front of a counter where some attracive ties were on display. \"They are real silk,\" theassistant assured her, trying to tempt her. \"Worth double the price.\" But edit knew from past experience that her choice of tieshardly ever pleased her father.

She moved on reluctantly and then quite by chance, stopped where a small crowd of man had gathered round a counter. Shefound some good quality pipes on sale-----and the prices were very reasonable. Edith did not hesitate for long : although herfather only smoked a pipe occasionally, she knew that this was a present which was bund to please him.

When she got home,with her small well-chosen present concealed in her handbag, her parents were already at the suppertable. Her mother was in an especially cheerful mood, \"Your father has at last to decided to stop smoking.\" She informed herdaughter.

1.Edith's father _______.a.did not like presentb.never got presentc.preferred ties

d.was difficult to choose a present for

2.The assistant spoke to Edith because she seemed_______.a.attractive

b.interested in tiesc.tired

d.in need of comfort

3.Edith stopped at the next counter_________.a.puroselyb.suddenlyc.unwillinglyd.accidentally

4.Edith's father smoked a pipe_______.a.when he was obligedb.on social occasionsc.from time to timed.when he was delighted

5.Shopping was very disagreeable at that time of the year because_______.a.coustomers trod on each other's toes

b.coustomers poked each other with their elbowsc.customers knocked each other

d.customers were doing their shopping in a great hurry

答案：dbdcd Research by the University of Exeter1 has revealed that ants have a big impact on their local environment as aresult of their activity as \"ecosystem engineers\" and predators（⾷⾁动物）. The study, published in the Journal of AnimalEcology, found that ants have two distinct（显著的）effects on their local environment.

Firstly, through moving of soil by nest building2 activity and by collecting food they affect the level of nutrients（营养物）inthe soil. This can indirectly impact the local populations of many animal groups, from decomposers（腐⽣物,分解体）tospecies much higher up the food chain.

Secondly, they prey(捕⾷) on a wide range of other animals, including larger prey which can be attacked by vast numbers ofant workers.

Dirk Sanders, an author of the study from the university’s Centre for Ecology and Conservation, said: \"Ants are very effectivepredators which thrive in huge numbers. They’re also very territorial3 and very aggressive, defending their resources andterritory against other predators. All of this means they have a strong influence on their surrounding area.\"

\"In this research, we studied for the first time how big this impact is and the subtleties(微妙) of it. What we found is that

despite being predators, their presence can also lead to an increase in density and diversity of other animal groups4. Theygenuinely play a key role in the local environment, having a big influence on the grassland food web,\" Sanders said.The study, carried out in Germany, studied the impact of the presence of different combinations and densities of black gardenants and common red ants, both species which can be found across Europe, including in the UK. It found that a low densityof ants in an area increased the diversity and density of other animals in the local area, particularly the density of

herbivores(⾷草动物) and decomposers. At higher densities ants had no or the opposite effect, showing that predation iscounteracting the positive influence.

Dr Frank van Veen, another author on the study, said: \"What we find is that the impact of ants on soil nutrient levels has apositive effect on animal groups at low levels, but as the number of ants increases, their predatory impacts have the biggereffect — thereby counteracting the positive influence via ecosystem engineering.\"

Ants are important components of ecosystems not only because they constitute a great part of the animal biomass5 (⽣物量)but also because they act as ecosystem engineers. Ant biodiversity6（⽣物多样性）is incredibly high and these organismsare highly responsive（敏感的，易受影响的）to human impact, which obviously reduces its richness. However, it is not

clear how such disturbance damages the maintenance of ant services to the ecosystem7．Ants are important in belowground processes8 through the alteration of the physical and chemical environment and through their effects on plants,microorganisms, and other soil organisms

The standardized educational or psychological tests, which are widely used to aid in selecting, assigning or promoting

students, employees and military personnel, have been the target of recent attacks in books, magazines, the daily press, andeven in Congress. The target is wrong, for, in attacking the tests, critics divert attention from the fault that lies with ill-informedor incompetent users. The tests themselves are merely tools. Whether the results will be valuable, meaningless, or evenmisleading depends partly upon the tool itself but largely upon the user.

All informed predictions of future performance are based upon some knowledge of relevant past performance. How well thepredictions will be validated by later performance depends upon the amount, reliability and appropriateness of the

information used and on the skill and wisdom with which it is interpreted. Anyone who keeps careful score knows that theinformation available is always incomplete and that the predictions are always subject to error.

Standardized tests should be considered in this context: they provide a quick, objective method of getting some kind ofinformation about what a person has learned, the skills he has developed, or the kind of person he is. The information soobtained has, qualitatively, the same advantages and shortcomings as other kinds of information. Whether to use tests, otherkinds of information, or both in a particular situation depends, therefore, upon the empirical evidence concerning comparativevalidity and upon such factors as cost and availability.

In general, the tests work most effectively when the traits or qualities to be measured can be most precisely defined ( forexample, ability to do well in a particular course of training program ) and least effectively when what is to be measured orpredicted cannot be well defined, for example, personality or creativity. Properly used, they provide a rapid means of gettingcomparable information about many people. Sometimes they identify students whose high potential has not been previouslyrecognized.

The modern sailing ship was developed by a man who never went to sea.

He was Prince Henry of Portugal,the younger son of the Partuguese king and an English princess.

Prince Henry lived in the fifteenth century.As a boy he became devoted to the sea,and he dedicated himself to improving thedesign of ships and the methods of sailing them.In 1416,when he was twenty two,Henry founded a school for mariners, towhich he invited everyone who could help him—Jewish astronomers,Italian and Spanish sailors, and Arab mathematiciansand map makers who knew to use the crudecompass of the day and could improve it.

Henry’s goal was to design and equip v essels that would be capable of making long ocean voyages without having to hugthe shore.The caravel carried more sail and was longer and slimmer than any ship then made,yet was tough enough towithstand gales at sea.He also developed the carrack,which was a slower ship,but one that was capable of carrying morecargo.

To Prince Henry the world owes credit for development of craft that made oceanic exploration possible.He lives in history asHenry the Navigator.

The modern sailing ship was developed by a man who never went to sea.

He was Prince Henry of Portugal,the younger son of the Partuguese king and an English princess.

Prince Henry lived in the fifteenth century.As a boy he became devoted to the sea,and he dedicated himself to improving thedesign of ships and the methods of sailing them.In 1416,when he was twenty two,Henry founded a school for mariners, towhich he invited everyone who could help him—Jewish astronomers,Italian and Spanish sailors, and Arab mathematiciansand map makers who knew to use the crudecompass of the day and could improve it.

Henry’s goal was to design and equip vessels that would be capable of making long ocean voyages without having to hugthe shore.The caravel carried more sail and was longer and slimmer than any ship then made,yet was tough enough towithstand gales at sea.He also developed the carrack,which was a slower ship,but one that was capable of carrying morecargo.

To Prince Henry the world owes credit for development of craft that made oceanic exploration possible.He lives in history asHenry the Navigator.

⼗Now let us look at how we read. When we read a printed text, our eyes move across a page in short, jerky movement. We

recognize words usually when our eyes are still when they fixate. Each time they fixate, we see a group of words. This isknown as the recognition span or the visual span. The length of time ofr which the eyes stop ---the duration of the fixation ----varies considerably from person to person. It also vaies within any one person according to his purpose in reading and hisfamiliarity with the text. Furthermore, it can be affected by such factors as lighting and tiredness.

Unfortunately, in the past, many reading improvement courses have concentrated too much on how our eyes move acrossthe printed page. As a result of this misleading emphasis on the purely visual aspects of reading, numerous exercises havebeen devised to train the eyes to see more words at one fixation. For instance, in some

exercises, words are flashed on to a screen for, say, a tenth or a twentieth of a second. One of the exercises has requiredstudents to fix their eyes on some central point, taking in the words on either side. Such word patterns are often constructedin the shape of rather steep pyramids so the reader takes in more and more words at each successive fixation. All theseexercises are very clever, but it’s one thing to improve a person’s ability to see words and quite another thing to improve hisability to read a text efficiently. Reading requires the ability to understand the relationship between words. Consequently, forthese reasons, many experts have now begun to question the usefulness of eye training, especially since any approachwhich trains a person to read isolated words and phrases would seem unlikely to help him in reading a continuous textIf the population of the earth goes on increasing at its present rate, there will eventually not be enough resources left tosustain life on the planet.By the middle of the 21st century,if present trends continue, we will have used up all the oil thatdrives our cars,for example.Even if scientists develop new ways of feeding the human race,the crowded conditions on earthwill make it necessary for lus to look for open space somewhere else. But none of the other planets in our solar system arecapable of supporting life at present. One possible solution to the problem, however,has recently been suggested byAmerican scientist, Professor Carl Sagan.

Sagan believes that before the earth's resources are compleetely exhausted it will be possible to change the atmophere ofVenus and so create a new world almost as large as earth itself. The difficult is that Venus is much hotter than the earth andthere is only a tiny amount of water there.

Sagan proposes that algae organisms that can live in extremely hot or cold atmospheres and at the same time produceoxygen,should be bred in condition similar to those on Venus.As soon as this has been done, the algae will be placed insmall rockets. Spaceship will then fly to Venus and fire the rockets into the atmosphere .In a fairly short time, the alge willbreak down the carbon dioxide into oxygen and carbon.

When the algae have done theri work, the atmosphere will become cooler,but befor man can set foot on Venus it will beneccessary for the oxygen to produce rain. The surface of the planet will still be too hot for man to land on it but the rain willeventually fall and in a few years something like earth will be reproduced on Venus.

1.Inte long run, the most insoluble problem caused by population growth on earth will probably be the lack of ______.a.foodb.oilc.spaced.resources

2.Carl Sagan believes that Venus might be colonized from earth because _____a.it might be possible to change its atmosphereb.its atmosphere is the same as the earth'sc.there is a good supply of water on Venusd.the days on Venus are long enough3.On Venus there is a lot of ________.a.water

b.carbon dioxidec.carbon monoxided.oxygen

4.Algae are plants that can____.a.live in very hot temperaturesb.live in very cold temperaturesc.manufacture oxygend.all of the above

5. Man can land on Venus only when_______.a.the algae have done their workb.the atmosphere becomes coolerc.thereis oxygend.it rains there答案：cabdd

Heroin addictions today is found chiefly among young men of minority groups in ghetto(犹太⼈

区)areas.Of the more than 60,000 known addicts,more than half live in New York State.Most of them live in New YorkCity.Recent figures show that more than half of the addicts are under 30 years of age.

Narcotic addiction in the United States is not limted to heroin users.Some middle-aged and older people who take narcoticdrugs regularly to relieve pain can also become addicted.So do some people who can get drugs easily,such as

doctors,nurses,and pharmacists.Studies show that this type of addict has personality and emotional problems very similar tothose of other regular narcotic users.

Many addicts ad mit that getting a continued supply is the main object of their lives.An addict’s concentration on getting drugsoften prevents continuing an education or working at a job.His health is often poor.He may be sick one day from the effects ofwithdrawal and s ick the next day from an overdose.Statistics show that an addict’s life span may be shortened by 15 to 20years.The addict is usually in trouble with the family and almost always in trouble with the law.

Some studies suggest that many of the known narcotic addicts had some trouble with the law before they became

addicted.Once addicted,they may become even more involved with crime because it costs so much to support the heroinhabit.

Most authorities agree that the addict’s involvement with crime is not a direct effect of the drug

itself.Turning to crime is usually the only way to get that much money.The addicts’ crimes are nearly always thefts or othercrimes against property.

Federal penalties for illegal narcotics usage were established under the Harris on Act of 1914.The Act provides that illegalpossession of narcotics is punishable by fines and/or imprisonment.Sentences can range from 2 to 10 years for the firstoffense,5 to 20 years for the second,and 10 to 20 years for further offenses.

Illegal sale of narcotics can mean a fine of $20,000 and a sentence from 20 to 40 years for later offenses.A person who sellsnarcotics to someone under 18 is refused parole and probation,even for the first offense.If the drug is heroin,he can besentenced to life imprisonment or to death.

Scientists say they have discovered hints of alien life on the Saturn's moon. The discovery of a sort of life was announcedafter researchers at the US space agency,NASA,analyzed data from spacecraft Cassini,which pointed to,the existence ofmethane-based form of life on Saturn's biggest moon.

Scientists have reportedly discovered clues showing primitive alien beings are\"breathing\" inTitan's dense atmosphere filled with hydrogen.

They argue that hydrogen gets absorbed before hitting Titan's planet-like surface covered with methane lakes and rivers.This,they say,points to the existence of some\"bugs\" consuming the hydrogen at the surface of the moon less than half thesize of the Earth.

\"We suggested hydrogen consumption because it's the obvious gas for life to consume on Titan,similar to the way we

consume oxygen on Earth,\"says NASA scientist Chris McKay.\"If these signs do turn out to be a sign of life,it would be doubly

exciting because it would represent a second form of life independent from water-based life on Earth.\"To date,scientists have not yet detected this form of life anywhere,though there are liquid-water-based microorganisms on Earth that grow well on methane or produce it as a waste product. On Titan, where

temperatures are around 90 Kelvin(minus 290 degrees Farenheit),a methanebased organism would have to use a substancethat is liquid as its medium for living processes, but not water itself. Water is frozen solid on Titan's surface and much too coldto support life as we know it.

Scientists had expected the Sun's interactions with chemicals in the atmosphere to produce a coating of acetylene on Titan'ssurface. But Cassini detected no acetylene on the surface.

The absence of detectable acetylene on the Titan's surface can very well have a non-biological explanation,said MarkAllen,a principal investigator of the NASA Titan team.

\"Scientific conservatism suggests that a biological explanation should be the last choice after all non-biological explanationsare addressed,\"Allen said. \"We have a lot of work to do to rule out possible non-biological explanations. It is more likely thata chemical process,without biology,can explain these results.\"1. Passage One

Unless we spend money to spot and prevent asteroids(⼩⾏星)now，one might crash into Earth and destroy life as we knowit，say some scientists.

Asteroids are bigger versions of the meteoroids(流星)that race across the night sky.Most orbit the sun far from Earth and don'tthreaten us.But there are also thousands 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 to locate most of thespace rocks.By the time we spot a fatal one，the scientists say，we'll have a way to change its course.Some scientists favor pushing asteroids off course with nuclear weapons.But the cost wouldn't be cheap.

Is it worth it? Two things experts consider when judging any risk are: 1) 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 every500，000 years. Sounds pretty rare-but if one did fall，it would be the end of the world.“If wedon't take care of these big asteroids，they'll take care of us，”says one scientist.“It's that simple.”

The cure，though，might be worse than the disease. Do we really want fleets of nuclear weapons sitting around onEarth?“The world has less to fear from

doomsday(毁灭性的) rocks than from a great nuclear fleet set against them，” said a New York Times article.21. What does the passage say about asteroids and meteoroids?A) They are heavenly bodies different in composition.B) They are heavenly bodies similar in nature.C) There are more asteroids than meteoroids.D) Asteroids are more mysterious than meteoroids.

[答案及分析]：［B］⽂章第⼆段第⼀句明确指出“⼩⾏星和划破夜空的流星是性质⼀样的物质，只是体积⼤些。”解题的关键是对version的理解。

22. What do scientists say about the collision of an asteroid with Earth?A) It is very unlikely but the danger exists.

B) Such a collision might occur once every 25 years.

C) Collisions of smaller asteroids with Earth occur more often than expected.D) It's still too early to say whether such a collision might occur..

[答案及分析]：［A］⽂章倒数第⼆段对⼩⾏星撞击地球的可能性作出了很形象的描述，每50万年才可能有⼀次，但⼀旦发⽣，将是地球末⽇。

23. What do people think of the suggestion of using nuclear weapons to alter the course of asteroids?A) It sounds practical but it may not solve the problem.B) It may create more problems than it might solve.

C) It is a waste of money because a collision of asteroids with Earth is very unlikely.D) Further research should be done before it is proved applicable.

[答案及分析]：［B］⽂章最后⼀段道出了⼈们的担忧。正如纽约时报的⼀篇⽂章所⾔：“⼈们对巨⽯的担⼼，还不如对⽤以对付它们的巨型核舰队的担⼼更甚。”

24. We can conclude from the passage that .

A) while pushing asteroids off course nuclear weapons would destroy the worldB) asteroids racing across the night sky are likely to hit Earth in the near futureC) the worry about asteroids can be left to future generations since it is unlikelyto happen in our lifetime

D) workable solutions still have to be found to prevent a collision of asteroidswith Earth.

[答案及分析]：［D］本⽂虽然提到了⽤核武器对付⼩⾏星的建议，但同时指出⼈们对这种解决⽅法担⼼重重，可见，可⾏的解决⽅法仍在寻找之中。

25. Which of the following best describes the author's tone in this pass age?A) Optimistic. B) Critical. C) Objective. D) Arbitrary.

[答案及分析]：［C］本⽂在引述观点及例证时，⽤了不少间接引语或直接引语，说明出处或原述者。可见本⽂是⼀篇对事实情况的客观报道。2. Passage Two

Believe it or not，optical illusion (错觉) can cut highway crashes.Japan is a case in point.It has reduced automobile crasheson some roads by nearly 75 percent using a simple optical illusion.Bent stripes，called chevrons (⼈字形)painted on theroads make drivers think that they are d riving faster than they really are，and thus drivers slow down.Now the AmericanAssociation Foundation for Traffic Safety in Washington D.C.is planning to rep eat Japan's success.Starting next year,thefoundation will paint chevrons and other patterns of stripes on selected roads around the country to test how well the patternsreduce highway crashes.Excessive speed plays a major role role in as much as one fifth of all fatal traffic

accidents,according to the foundation .To help reduce those accidents，the foundation will conduct its tests in areas wherespeed - related hazards are the greatest - curves，exit slopes，traffic circles，and bridges.Some studies suggest thatstraight，horizontal bars painted across roads can initially cut the average speed of drivers in half.However，traffic oftenreturns to full speed within months as drivers become used to seeing the painted bar.Chevrons，scientists say，not onlygive drivers the impress ion that they are driving faster than they really are but also make a lane appear to be narrower.Theresult is a longer lasting reduction in highway speed and the number of traffic accidents.26. The passage mainly discusses .A) a new way of highway speed controlB) a new pattern for painting highwaysC) a new approach to training driversD) a new type of optical illusion

[答案及分析]：［A］通读全⽂可知本⽂主旨是：如何通过在路⾯上涂上类似“⼈字形”的标志来降低车速以减少交通事故。27. On roads painted with chevrons drivers tend to feel that.A) they should avoid speed - related hazards

B) they are driving in the wrong laneC) they should slow down their speedD) they are approaching the speed limit

[答案及分析]：［C］⽂章第⼆段第⼆句说“在路⾯上涂了⼈字形线，司机会觉得车速会⽐实际的快些，于是不⾃觉的降低车速”。

28. The advantage of chevrons over straight，horizontal bars is that the former .A) can keep drivers awakeB) can cut road accidents in halfC) will have a longer effect on driversD) will look more attractive

[答案及分析]：［C］本⽂倒数第⼆段指出⽔平线相对于⼈字形的缺点是：司机很快就会适应⽔平线，⽽⼜提⾼车速。29. The American Association Foundation for Traffic Safety plans to .A) try out the Japanese method in certain areasB) change the road signs across the countryC) replace straight，horizontal bars with chevronsD) repeat the Japanese road patterns

[答案及分析]：［A］本⽂第⼆段说美国汽车协会计划效仿⽇本的成功实践，及在全国选择⼀些路⾯涂上⼈字形及其它符号，以测试它们是否能减少交通事故。

30. What does the author say about straight，horizontal bars painted acr oss roads?A) They are falling out of use in the United States.

B) They tend to be ignored by drivers in a short period of time.C) They are applicable only on broad roads.

D) They cannot be applied successfully to traffic circles..

[答案及分析]：［B］该题实际上是第28题的重复，只是换了⼀个问法，通过阅读⽂章倒数第⼆段便知⽔平直线会在较短的时间内失去效⽤。3. Passage Three

Amtrak(美国铁路客运公司)was experiencing a downswing in riders hip (客运

量)along the lines comprising its rail system.Of major concern t o Amtrak and its advertising agency DDB Needham，werethe long - distance wester n routes where ridership had been declining significantly.At one time，trains w ere the only practical way to cross the vast areas of the

west.Trains were fast，very luxurious，and quite convenient compared to other forms of transportation existing at thetime.However，times change and the automobile became America's standard of convenience.Also，air travel had easilyestablished itself as the fastest method of traveling great distances .Therefore，the task for DDB Needham was to encourageconsumers to consider other aspects of train travel in order t o change their attitudes and increase the likelihood that trainswould be considered for travel in the west.

Two portions of the total market were targeted: 1) anxious fliers - those concerned with safety，relaxation，and cleanlinessand 2) travel - lovers - those viewing

themselves as relaxed，casual，and interested in the travel experience as part of their vacation.The agency then developeda campaign that focused on travel experiences such as freedom，escape，relaxation，and enjoyment of the great westernoutdoors.It stressed experiences gained by u sing the trains and portrayed western train trips as wonderful adventures.

Advertisements showed pictures of the beautiful scenery that could be enjoyed along s ome of the more famous westernroutes and emphasized the romantic names of some of these trains(Empire Builder，etc.).These ads were strategicallyplaced among family - oriented TV shows and programs involving nature and America in order t o most effectively reachtarget audiences. Results were impressive. The Empire Builder.Which was focused on in one ad.enjoyed a 15 percentincrease in profits onits Chicago to Seattle route.

31. What's the author's purpose in writing this passage?

A) To show the inability of trains to compete with planes with respect to speedand convenience.

B) To stress the influence of the automobile on America's standard of convenience.C) To emphasize the function of travel agencies in market promotion.

D) To illustrate the important role of persuasive communication in changing consumer attitudes.

[答案及分析]：［D］通读全⽂可知作者写这篇⽂章的实际⽬的是；以美国铁路客运公司的⼴告代理商的成功经验为例，指出如何通过有针对性的、有技巧的⼴告战来说服消费者，以提⾼利润。

32. It can be inferred from the passage that the drop in Amtrak ridership was due to the fact that ______ .A) trains were not suitable for short distance passenger transportationB) trains were not the fastest and most convenient form of transportationC) trains were not as fast and convenient as they used to be

D) trains could not compete with planes in terms of luxury and convenience

[答案及分析]：［B］⽂章第⼆段具体讲了铁路客运量下降的原因，主要是两点：⼀是汽车成为美国最⽅便的交通⼯具；⼆是航空成为远距离旅⾏最快捷的⽅式。在这两⽅⾯铁路都较为逊⾊。

33. To encourage consumers to travel by train，DDB Needham emphasized ______ .A) the freedom and convenience provided on trainsB) the practical aspects of travelC) the adventurous aspects of train tripsD) the safety and cleanliness of train trips

[答案及分析]：［D］尼德汉⼴告公司在⿎励⼈们在乘座⽕车时，把市场重点放在两种⼈⾝上：①为了安全、清洁等原因不愿意坐飞机的⼈；②把乘⽕车旅⾏作为休假⼀部分的旅游爱好者。因此，答案D是该公司所强调的⼀部分内容。34. The trainads were placed among family - oriented TV programs involving nature and America because ______ .A) they could focus on meaningful travel experiencesB) they could increase the effectiveness of the TV programsC) their profits could be increased by some 15 percent

D) most travel - lovers and nervous fliers were believed to be among the audiences

[答案及分析]：［D］本⽂最后⼀段的第⼆句话说：⽕车⼴告被放在以家庭为对象的电视节⽬⾥，⽬的是为了能够最有效的把信息传递经市场⽬标，及上述的两种⼈。

35. According to the passage，the Empire Builder enjoyed an increase in ridership and profits because ______ .A) the attractiveness of its name and route was effectively advertisedB) it provided an exciting travel experience

C) its passengers could enjoy the great western outdoors

D) it was widely advertised in newspapers and magazines in Chicago and Seattle [答案及分析]：［A］⽂章最后⼀段分析了“王国建筑者”⼤⼤提⾼铁路客运量的原因，有两点：⼀是它有能吸引乘客的浪漫的名字；⼆是它是市场⽬标中得到有效的推⼴。

4. Passage Four

Why does cream go bad faster than butter? Some researchers think they the answer，and it comes down to the structure ofthe food，not its chemical composition - a finding that could help rid some processed foods of chemical preservatives.C

ream and butter contain pretty much the same substances，so why cream should sour much faster has been a mystery.Bothare emulsions - tiny globules(⼩球)of one liquid evenly distributed throughout another.The difference lies in what's in theglobules and what's in the surrounding liquid，says Brocklehurst，who led the investigation.In cream，fatty globules andwhat's in the surrounding liquid，says Brocklehurst，who led the investigation.In cream，fatty globules drift about in a sea ofwater.In butter，globules of a watery solution are locked away in a sea of fat.The bacteria which make the food go bad preferto live in the watery regions of the mixture.”This means that in cream，the bacteria are free to grow throughout the

mixture，”he says.When the situation is reversed，the bacteria are locked away in compartments (密封仓) buried deep in thesea of fat.Trapped in this way，individual colonies cannot spread and rapidly run out of nutrients.They also slowly poisonthemselves with their waste products.”In butter，you get a self - limiting system which stops the bacteria growing，”saysBrocklehurst.

The researchers are already working with food companies keen to see if their products can be made resistant to bacterialattack through alterations to the food's structure.Brocklehurst believes it will be possible to make the emulsions used in saladcream，for instance，more like that in butter.The key will be to do this while keeping the salad cream liquid and not turning itinto a solid lump.

36. The significance of Brocklehurst's research is that ______ .