大学英语四级模拟试题（十二）

part　i　reading　comprehension　


questions　01-05　are　based　on　the　following　passage:　


the　concept　of　culture　has　been　defined　many　times,　and　although　no　definition　has　achieved　universal　acceptance,　most　of　the　definitions　include　three　central　ideas:　that　culture　is　passed　n　from　generation　to　generation,　that　a　culture　represents　a　ready-made　prescription　for　living　and　for　making　day-to-day　decisions,　and,　finally,　that　the　components　of　a　culture　are　accepted　by　those　in　the　culture　as　good,　and　true,　and　not　to　be　questioned.　the　eminent　anthropologist　george　murdock　has　listed　seventy-three　items　that　characterize　every　known　culture,　past　and　present.　the　list　begins　with　age-grading　and　athletic　sports,　runs　to　weaning　and　weather　control,　and　includes　on　the　way　such　items　as　calendar,　firemaking,　property　rights,　and　toolmaking.　i　would　submit　that　even　the　most　extreme　advocate　of　a　culture　of　poverty　viewpoint　would　readily　acknowledge　that,　with　respect　to　almost　all　of　these　items,　every　american,　beyond　the　first　generation　immigrant,　regardless　of　race　or　class,　is　a　member　of　a　common　culture.　we　all　share　pretty　much　the　same　sports.　maybe　poor　kids　don''t　know　how　to　play　polo,　and　rich　kids　don''t　spend　time　with　stickball,　but　we　all　know　baseball,　and　football,　and　basketball.　despite　some　misguided　efforts　to　raise　minor　dialects　to　the　status　of　separate　tongues,　we　all,　in　fact,　share　the　same　language.　there　may　be　differences　in　diction　and　usage,　but　it　would　be　ridiculous　to　say　that　all　americans　don''t　speak　english.　we　have　the　calendar,　the　law,　and　large　numbers　of　other　cultural　items　in　common.　it　may　well　be　true　that　on　a　few　of　the　seventy-three　items　there　are　minor　variations　between　classes,　but　these　kinds　of　things　are　really　slight　variations　on　a　common　theme.　there　are　other　items　that　show　variability,　not　in　relation　to　class,　but　in　relation　to　religion　and　ethnic　background-funeral　customs　and　cooking,　for　example.　but　if　there　is　one　place　in　america　where　the　melting　pot　is　a　reality,　it　is　on　the　kitchen　stove;　in　the　course　of　one　month,　half　the　readers　of　this　sentence　have　probably　eaten　pizza,　hot　pastrami,　and　chow　mein.　specific　differences　that　might　be　identified　a　signs　of　separate　cultural　identity　are　relatively　insignificant　within　the　general　unity　of　american　life;　they　are　cultural　commas　and　semicolons　in　the　paragraphs　and　pages　of　american　life.　


01.　according　to　the　author''s　definition　of　culture,　____　.　
a.　a　culture　should　be　accepted　and　maintained　universally　
b.　a　culture　should　be　free　from　falsehood　and　evils　
c.　the　items　of　a　culture　should　be　taken　for　granted　by　people　
d.　the　items　of　a　culture　should　be　accepted　by　well-educated　people　
02.　which　of　the　following　is　not　true　according　to　the　passage?
a.　baseball,　football　and　basketball　are　popular　sports　in　america.　
b.　pizza,　hot　pastrami,　and　chow　mein　are　popular　diet　in　america.　
c.　there　is　no　variation　in　using　the　american　calendar.　
d.　there　is　no　variation　in　using　the　american　language.　
03.　it　can　be　inferred　that　all　the　following　will　most　probably　be　included　in　the　seventy-three　items　except　____.　
a.　heir　and　heritage　
b.　childrearing　practices　
c.　dream　patterns　
d.　table　manners　
04.　by　saying　that　""they　are　cultural　commas　and　semicolons...""　the　author　means　that　commas　and　semicolons　____.　
a.　can　be　interpreted　as　subculture　of　american　life　
b.　can　be　identified　as　various　ways　of　american　life　
c.　stand　for　work　and　rest　in　american　life　
d.　are　preferred　in　writing　the　stories　concerning　american　life　
05.　the　author''s　main　purpose　in　writing　this　passage　is　to　____.　
a.　prove　that　different　people　have　different　definitions　of　culture　
b.　inform　that　variations　exist　as　far　as　a　culture　is　concerned　
c.　indicate　that　culture　is　closely　connected　with　social　classes　
d.　show　that　the　idea　that　the　poor　constitute　a　separate　culture　is　an　absurdity　

questions　06-10　are　based　on　the　following　passage:　

it　is　3a.m.　everything　on　the　university　campus　seems　ghostlike　in　the　quiet,　misty　darkness　-　everything　except　the　computer　center.　here,　twenty　students　rumpled　and　bleary-eyed,　sit　transfixed　at　their　consoles,　tapping　away　on　the　terminal　keys.　with　eyes　glued　to　the　video　screen,　they　tap　on　for　hours.　for　the　rest　of　the　world,　it　might　be　the　middle　of　the　night,　but　here　time　does　not　exist.　this　is　a　world　unto　itself.　these　young　computer　""hackers""　are　pursuing　a　kind　of　compulsion,　a　drive　so　consuming　it　overshadows　nearly　every　other　part　of　their　lives　and　forms　the　focal　point　of　their　existence.　they　are　compulsive　computer　programmers.　some　of　these　students　have　been　at　the　console　for　thirty　hours　or　more　without　a　break　for　meals　or　sleep.　some　have　fallen　asleep　on　sofas　and　lounge　chairs　in　the　computer　center,　trying　to　catch　a　few　winks　but　loathe　to　get　too　far　away　from　their　beloved　machines.　


most　of　these　students　don''t　have　to　be　at　the　computer　center　in　the　middle　of　the　night.　they　aren''t　working　on　assignments.　they　are　there　because　they　want　to　be　-　they　are　irresistibly　drawn　there.　


and　they　are　not　alone.　there　are　hackers　at　computer　centers　all　across　the　country.　in　their　extreme　form,　they　focus　on　nothing　else.　they　flunk　out　of　school　and　lose　contact　with　friends;　they　might　have　difficulty　finding　jobs,　choosing　instead　to　wander　from　one　computer　center　to　another.　they　may　even　forgo　personal　hygiene.　


""i　remember　one　hacker.　we　literally　had　to　carry　him　off　his　chair　to　feed　him　and　put　him　to　sleep.　we　really　feared　for　his　health,""　says　a　computer　science　professor　at　mit.　


computer　science　teachers　are　now　more　aware　of　the　implications　of　this　hacker　phenomenon　and　are　on　the　lookout　for　potential　hackers　and　cases　of　computer　addiction　that　are　already　severe.　they　know　that　the　case　of　the　hackers　is　not　just　the　story　of　one　person''s　relationship　with　a　machine.　it　is　the　story　of　a　society''s　relationship　to　the　so-called　thinking　machines,　which　are　becoming　almost　ubiquitous.