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英语四级阅读理解冲刺习题：(1)
Henry Ford, the famous U.S. inventor and car manufacturer, once said, “The business of America is business.” By this he meant that the U.S. way of life is based on the values of the business world.
Few would argue with Ford’s statement. A brief glimpse at a daily newspaper vividly shows how much people in the United States think about business. For example, nearly every newspaper has a business section, in which the deals and projects, finances and management, stock prices and labor problems of corporations are reported daily. In addition, business news can appear in every other section. Most national news has an important financial aspect to it. Welfare, foreign aid, the federal budget, and the policies of the Federal Reserve Bank are all heavily affected by business. Moreover, business news appears in some of the unlikeliest places. The world of arts and entertainment is often referred to as “the entertainment industry” or “show business.”
The positive side of Henry Ford’s statement can be seen in the prosperity that business has brought to U.S. life. One of the most important reasons so many people from all over the world come to live in the United States is the dream of a better job. Jobs are produced in abundance (大量地) because the U.S. economic system is driven by competition. People believe that this system crates more wealth, more jobs, and a materially better way of life.
The negative side of Henry Ford’s statement, however, can be seen when the word business is taken to mean big business. And the term big business—referring to the biggest companies, is seen in opposition to labor. Throughout U.S. history working people have had to fight hard for higher wages, better working conditions, and the fight to form union s. Today, many of the old labor disputes are over, but there is still some employee anxiety. Downsizing—the laying off of thousands of workers to keep expenses low and profits high—creates feelings of insecurity for many.
1. The United States is a typical country ________.
A) which encourages free trade at home and abroad
B) where people’s chief concern is how to make money
C) where all businesses are managed scientifically
D) which normally works according to the federal budget
2. The influence of business in the U.S. is evidenced by the fact that ________.
A) most newspapers are run by big businesses
B) even public organizations concentrate on working for profits
C) Americans of all professions know how to do business
D) even arts and entertainment are regarded as business
3. According to the passage, immigrants choose to settle in the U.S., dreaming that ________.
A) they can start profitable businesses there
B) they can be more competitive in business
C) they will make a fortune overnight there
D) they will find better chances of employment
4. Henry Ford’s statement can be taken negatively because ________.
A) working people are discouraged to fight for their fights
B) there are many industries controlled by a few big capitalists
C) there is a conflicting relationship between big corporations and labor
D) public services are not run by the federal government
5. A company’s efforts to keep expenses low and profits high may result in ________.
A) reduction in the number of employees
B) improvement of working conditions
C) fewer disputes between labor and management
D) a rise in workers’ wages
答案：1. B 2. D 3. D 4.C 5. A
2014年英语四级阅读理解冲刺习题：(2)
Professor Smith recently persuaded 35 people, 23 of them women, to keep a diary of all their absent-minded actions for a fortnight. When he came to analyse their embarrassing lapses (差错) in a scientific report, he was surprised to find that nearly all of them fell into a few groupings, Nor did the lapses appear to be entirely random (随机的).
One of the women, for instance, on leaving her house for work one morning threw her dog her earrings and tried to fix a dog biscuit on her ear. “the explanation for this is that the brain is like a computer,” explains the professor. “People programme themselves to do certain activities regularly. It was the woman’s custom every morning to throw her dog two biscuits and then put on her earrings. But somehow the action got reversed in the programme,” About one in twenty of the incidents the volunteers reported were these “programme assembly failures.”
Altogether the volunteers logged 433 unintentional actions that they found themselves doing—an average of twelve each, There appear to be peak periods in the day when we are at our zaniest (荒谬可笑的). These are two hours some time between eight a.m. and noon,
between four and six p.m. with a smaller peak between eight and ten p.m. “Among men the peak seems to be when a changeover in brain ‘programmes’ occurs, as for instance between going to and from work.” Women on average reported slightly more lapses—12.5 compared with 10.9 for men—probably because they were more reliable reporters.
A startling finding of the research is that the absent-minded activity is a hazard of doing things in which we are skilled. Normally, you would expect that skill reduces the number of errors we make. But trying to avoid silly slips by concentrating more could make things a lot worse—even dangerous.
1. In his study Professor Smith asked the subjects ________.
A) to keep track of people who tend to forget things
B) to report their embarrassing lapses at random
C) to analyse their awkward experiences scientifically
D) to keep a record of what they did unintentionally
2. Professor Smith discovered that ________.
A) certain patterns can be identified in the recorded incidents
B) many people were too embarrassed to admit their absent-mindedness
C) men tend to be more absent-minded than women
D) absent-mindedness is an excusable human weakness
3. “Programme assembly failures” (Line 6, Para. 2) refers to the phenomenon that people ________.
A) often fail to programme their routines beforehand
B) tend to make mistakes when they are in a hurry
C) unconsciously change the sequence of doing things
D) are likely to mess things up if they are too tired
4. We learn from the third paragraph that ________.
A) absent-mindedness tends to occur during certain hours of the day
B) women are very careful to perform actions during peak periods
C) women experience more peak periods of absent-mindedness
D) men’s absent-mindedness often results in funny situations
5. It can be concluded from the passage that ________.
A) people should avoid doing important things during peak periods of lapses
B) hazards can be avoided when people do things they are good at
C) people should be careful when programming their actions
D) lapses cannot always be attributed to lack of concentration
答案：1. D 2. A 3. C 4.A 5. D
2014年英语四级阅读理解冲刺习题：(3)
I don’t ever want to talk about being a woman scientist again. There was a time in my life when people asked constantly for stories about what it’s like to work in a field dominated by men. I was never very good at telling those stories because truthfully I never found them interesting. What I do find interesting is the origin of the universe, the shape of space-time and the nature of black holes.
At 19, when I began studying astrophysics, it did not bother me in the least to be the only woman in the classroom. But while earning my Ph.D. at MIT and then as a post-doctor doing space research, the issue started to bother me. My every achievement—jobs, research papers, awards—was viewed through the lens of gender (性别) politics. So were my failures. Sometimes, when I was pushed into an argument on left brain versus (相对于) right brain, or nature versus nurture (培育), I would instantly fight fiercely on my behalf and all womankind.
Then one day a few years ago, out of my mouth came a sentence that would eventually become my reply to any and all provocations: I don’t talk about that anymore. It took me 10 years to get back the confidence I had at 19 and to realize that I didn’t want to deal with gender issues. Why should curing sexism be yet another terrible burden on every female scientist? After all, I don’t study sociology or political theory.
Today I research and teach at Barnard, a women’s college in New York City. Recently, someone asked me how may of the 45 students in my class were women. You cannot imagine my satisfaction at being able to answer, 45. I know some of my students worry how they will manage their scientific research and a desire for children. And I don’t dismiss those concerns. Still, I don’t tell them “war” stories. Instead, I have given them this: the visual of their physics professor heavily pregnant doing physics experiments. And in turn they have given me the image of 45 women driven by a love of science. And that’s a sight worth talking about.
1. Why doesn’t the author want to talk about being a woman scientist again?
A) She feels unhappy working in male-dominated fields.
B) She is fed up with the issue of gender discrimination.
C) She is not good at telling stories of the kind.
D) She finds space research more important.
2. From Paragraph 2, we can infer that people would attribute the author’s failures to ________.
A) the very fact that she is a woman
B) her involvement in gender politics
C) her over-confidence as a female astrophysicist
D) the burden she bears in a male-dominated society
3. What did the author constantly fight against while doing her Ph.D. and post-doctoral research?
A) Lack of confidence in succeeding in space science.
B) Unfair accusations from both inside and outside her circle.
C) People’s stereotyped attitude toward female scientists.
D) Widespread misconceptions about nature and nurtured.
4. Why does the author feel great satisfaction when talking about her class?
A) Female students no longer have to bother about gender issues.
B) Her students’ performance has brought back her confidence.
C) Her female students can do just as well as male students.
D) More female students are pursuing science than before.
5. What does the image the author presents to her students suggest?
A) Women students needn’t have the concerns of her generation.
B) Women have more barriers on their way to academic success.
C) Women can balance a career in science and having a family.
D) Women now have fewer problems pursuing a science career.
答案：1. D 2. A 3. C 4.D 5. C
2014年英语四级阅读理解冲刺习题：(4)
Reaching new peaks of popularity in North America is Iceberg Water, which is harvested from icebergs off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
Arthur von Wiesenberger, who carries the title Water Master, is one of the few water critics in North America. As a boy, he spent time in the larger cities of Italy, France and Switzerland, where bottled water is consumed daily. Even then, he kept a water journal, noting the brands he liked best. “My dog could tell the difference between bottled and tap water,” He says.
But is plain tap water all that bad? Not at all. In fact, New York’s municipal water for more than a century was called the champagne of tap water and until recently considered among the best in the world in terms of both taste and purity. Similarly, a magazine in England found that tap water from the Thames River tasted better than several leading brands of bottled water that were 400 times more expensive.
Nevertheless, soft-drink companies view bottled water as the next battle-ground for market share—this despite the fact that over 25 percent of bottled water comes from tap water: PepsiCo’s Aquafina and Coca-Cola’s Dasani are both purified tap water rather than spring water.
As diners thirst for leading brands, bottlers and restaurateurs salivate (垂涎) over the profits. A restaurant’s typical mark-up on wine is 100 to 150 percent, whereas on bottled water it’s often 300 to 500 percent. But since water is much cheaper than wine, and many of the fancier brands aren’t available in stores, most diners don’t notice or care.
As a result, some restaurants are turning up the pressure to sell bottled water. According to an article in The Street Journal, some of the more shameless tactics include placing attractive bottles on the table for a visual sell, listing brands on the menu without prices, and pouring bottled water without even asking the diners if they want it.
Regardless of how it’s sold, the popularity of bottled water taps into our desire for better health, our wish to appear cultivated, and even a longing for lost purity.
1. What do we know about Iceberg Water from the passage?
A) It is a kind of iced water.
B) It is just plain tap water.
C) It is a kind of bottled water.
D) It is a kind of mineral water.
2. By saying “My dog could tell the difference between bottled and tap water” (Line 4 Para.2), von Wiesenberger wants to convey the message that ________.
A) plain tap water is certainly unfit for drinking
B) bottled water is clearly superior to tap water
C) bottled water often appeals more to dogs taste
D) dogs can usually detect a fine difference in taste
3. The “fancier brands” (Line 3 Para. 5) refers to ________.
A) tap water from the Thames River
B) famous wines not sold in ordinary stores
C) PepsiCo’s Aquafina and Coca-Cola’s Dasani
D) expensive bottled water with impressive names
4. Why are some restaurants turning up the pressure to sell bottled water?
A) Bottled water brings in huge profits.
B) Competition from the wine industry is intense.
C) Most diners find bottled water affordable.
D) Bottled water satisfied diners’ desire to fashionable.
5. According to passage, why is bottled water so popular?
A) It is much cheaper than wine.
B) It is considered healthier.
C) It appeals to more cultivated people.
D) It is more widely promoted in the market.
答案：1. C 2. B 3. D 4.A 5. B
2014年英语四级阅读理解冲刺习题：(5)
Just five one-hundredths of an inch thick, light golden in color and with a perfect “saddle curl,” the Lay’s potato chip seems an unlikely weapon for global domination. But its maker. Frito-Lay. Thinks otherwise. “Potato chips are a snack food for the world,” said Salman Amin, the company’s head of global marketing. Amin believes there is no corner of the world that can resist the charms of a Frito-Lay potato chip.
Frito-Lay is the biggest snack maker in America, owned by PepsiCo. And accounts for over half of the parent company’s $3 billion annual profits. But the U.S. snack food market is largely saturated, and to grow, the company has to look overseas.
Its strategy rests on two beliefs: first a global product offers economies of scale with which local brands cannot compete. And second, consumers in the 21st century are drawn to “global” as a concept. “Global” does not mean products that are consciously identified as American, but ones than consumes-especially young people-see as part of a modem, innovative (创新的) world in which people are linked across cultures by shared beliefs and tastes. Potato chips are an American invention, but most Chinese, for instance, do not know than Frito-Lay is an American company. Instead, Riskey, the company’s research and development head, would hope they associate the brand with the new world of global communications and business.
With brand perception a crucial factor, Riskey ordered a redesign of the Frito-Lay logo (标识). The logo, along with the company’s long-held marketing image of the “irresistibility” of its chips, would help facilitate the company’s global expansion.
The executives acknowledge that they try to swing national eating habits to a food created in America, but they deny that amounts to economic imperialism. Rater, they see Frito-Lay as spreading the benefits of free enterprise across the world. “We’re making products in those countries, we’re adapting them to the tastes of those countries, building businesses and employing people and changing lives,” said Steve Reinemund, PepsiCo’s chief executive.
1. It is the belief of Frito-Lay’s head of global marking that ________.
A) potato chips can hardly be used as a weapon to dominate the world market
B) their company must find new ways to promote domestic sales
C) the light golden color enhances the charm of their company’s potato chips
D) people the world over enjoy eating their company’s potato chips
2. What do we learn about Frito-Lay from Paragraph 2?
A) Its products use to be popular among overseas consumers.
B) Its expansion has caused fierce competition in the snack marker.
C) It gives half of its annual profits to its parent company.
D) It needs to turn to the word market for development.
3. One of the assumptions on which Frito-Lay bases its development strategy is that ________.
A) consumers worldwide today are attracted by global brands
B) local brands cannot compete successfully with American brands
C) products suiting Chinese consumers’ needs bring more profits
D) products identified as American will have promising market value
4. Why did Riskey have the Frito-Lay logo redesigned?
A) To suit changing tastes of young consumers.
B) To promote the company’s strategy of globalization.
C) To change the company’s long-held marketing image.
D) To compete with other American chip producers.
5. Frito-Lay’s executives claim that the promoting of American food in the international market ________.
A) won’t affect the eating habits of the local people
B) will lead to economic imperialism
C) will be in the interest of the local people
D) won’t spoil the taste of their chips
答案：1. D 2. D 3. A 4.B 5. C
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