大学英语四级模拟试题（六）

directions:　there　are　four　reading　passages　in　this　part.　each　passage　is　followed　by　some　questions.　for　each　question　there　are　four　suggested　answers　marked　a,　b,　c　and　d.　you　should　choose　the　one　best　answer　and　blacken　the　corresponding　letter　on　the　answer　sheet　with　a　pencil.
children　are　a　relatively　modern　invention.　until　a　few　hundred　years　ago　they　
look　like　adult,　wearing　grown-up　clothes　and　grown-up　expressions,　performing　grown-up　tasks.　children　did　not　exist　because　the　family　as　we　know　it　had　not　evolved.

children　today　not　only　exist;　they　have　taken　over,　in　no　place　more　than　in　america,　and　at　on　time　more　than　now.　it　is　always　kids'　country　here.　our　civilization　is　child-centered,　child-obsessed.　a　kid's　body　is　our　physical　ideal.　in　kids'　country　we　do　not　permit　middle-aged.　thirty　is　promoted　over　50,　but　30　knows　that　soon　his　time　to　be　overtaken　will　come.

we　are　the　first　society　in　which　parents　expect　to　learn　from　their　children.　such　a　topsy-turvy　situation　has　come　to　abort　at　least　in　part　because,　unlike　the　rest　of　the　world,　ours　is　an　immigrant　society,　and　for　immigrants　the　only　hope　is　in　the　kids.　in　the　old　country,　that　is,　europe,　hope　was　in　the　father,　and　how　much　wealth　he　could　accumulate　and　pass　along　to　his　children.　in　the　growth　pattern　of　america　and　its　ever-expanding　frontier,　the　young　man　was　ever　advised　to　go　west;　the　father　was　ever　inheriting　from　his　son.　kid's　country　may　be　the　inevitable　result.

kid's　country　is　not　all　bad.　america　is　the　greatest　country　in　the　world　to　grow　up　in　because　it　is　kid's　country.　we　not　only　wear　kids'　clothes　and　eat　kids'　food;　we　dream　kids'　dreams　and　make　them　come　true.　it　was,　after　all,　a　boys'　game　to　go　to　the　moon.

if　in　the　old　days　children　did　not　exist,　it　seems　equally　true　today　that　adults,　as　a　class,　have　begun　to　disappear,　condemning　all　of　us　to　remain　boys　and　girls　forever,　jogging　and　doing　push-ups　against　eternity.

21.　the　author　uses　the　example　of　the　renaissance　painting　to　show　that.
　　a.　adults　showed　less　concern　for　children　than　we　do　now
　　b.　adults　were　smaller　and　thinner　at　that　time,　but　they　still　had　lots　of　work　to　do
　　c.　children　looked　and　acted　like　adults　at　that　time
　　d.　children　were　not　permitted　to　appear　in　family　paintings　at　that　time

22.　in　the　third　paragraph,　“the　old　country"　is　contrasted　with　america　.
　　a.　to　show　differences　in　family　size
　　b.　to　show　differences　in　attitudes　towards　family　relations
　　c.　to　show　two　kinds　of　geography
　　d.　to　show　two　different　kinds　of　economic　relations　between　generations

23.　going　to　the　moon　is　an　example　of　.
　　a.　america's　dreams　and　creativity
　　b.　america's　childish　and　queer　behavior
　　c.　why　america　hasn't　grown　up
　　d.　why　america　is　considered　as　the　greatest　country　in　the　world

24.　according　to　the　passage,　which　of　the　following　is　true?
　　a.　it　is　very　difficult　for　the　middle-aged　to　live　in　america
　　b.　america　is　kid's　country　because　the　majority　of　the　american　population　are　children
　　c.　kid's　country　was　taking　shape　in　america　when　immigrants　poured　into　the　country.　
　　d.　america　is　more　of　kid's　country　than　any　other　countries　in　the　world

25.　by　saying　“condemning　all　of　us　to　remain　boys　and　girls　forever,　jogging　and　doing　push-ups　against　eternity",　the　author　means　that　.
　　a.　she　thinks　people　shouldn't　be　so　concerned　about　physical　fitness
　　b.　she　feels　too　old　and　tired　to　do　such　hard　exercise
　　c.　american　society　is　overemphasizing　youth　and　physical　appearance
　　d.　what　happened　to　children　centuries　ago　may　occur　to　adults　in　america　soon

passage　2
　　　　　the　modern　age　is　an　age　of　electricity.　people　are　so　used　to　electric　lights,　radios,　televisions,　and　telephones　that　it　is　hard　to　imagine　what　life　would　be　like　without　them.　when　there　is　a　power　failure,　people　grope　about　in　flickering　candlelight,　cars　hesitate　in　the　streets　because　there　are　no　traffic　lights　to　guide　them,　and　food　spoils　in　silent　refrigerators.　

　　　　　yet　people　began　to　understand　how　electricity　works　only　a　little　more　than　two　centuries　ago.　nature　has　apparently　been　experimenting　in　this　field　for　millions　of　years.　scientists　are　discovering　more　and　more　that　the　living　world　may　hold　many　interesting　secrets　of　electricity　that　could　benefit　humanity.　

　　　　　all　living　cells　sent　out　tiny　pulses　of　electricity.　as　the　heart　beats,　it　sends　out　pulses　that　can　be　measured　and　recorded　on　the　surface　of　the　body.　when　the　pulses　are　recorded,　they　form　an　electrocardiogram,　which　a　doctor　can　study　to　determine　how　well　the　heart　is　working.　the　brain,　too,　sends　out　brain　waves　of　electricity,　which　can　be　recorded　in　an　electroencephalogram,　the　electric　currents　generated　by　most　living　cells　are　extremely　small-often　so　small　that　sensitive　instruments　are　needed　to　record　them.　but　in　some　animals,　certain　muscled　cells　have　become　so　specialized　as　electrical　generators　that　they　do　not　work　as　muscle　cells　at　all.　when　large　numbers　of　these　cells　are　linked　together,　the　effect　can　be　astonishing.　

　　　　　the　electric　eel　is　an　amazing　living　storage　battery.　it　can　send　a　jolt　of　as　much　as　eight　hundred　volts　of　electricity　through　the　water　in　which　it　lives.　(an　electric　house　current　is　only　one　hundred　twenty　volts.)　as　many　as　four-fifths　of　all　the　cells　in　the　electric　eel's　body　are　specialized　for　generating　electricity,　and　the　strength　of　the　shock　it　can　deliver　corresponds　roughly　to　the　length　of　its　body.　

26.　what　is　the　main　idea　of　the　passage　?
　　a.　electric　eels　are　potentially　dangerous.　
　　b.　biology　and　electricity　appear　to　be　closely　related.
　　c.　people　would　be　at　a　loss　without　electricity.
　　d.　scientists　still　have　much　to　discover　about　electricity.　

27.　the　author　mentions　all　of　the　following　as　results　of　a　blackout　except　.　
　　a.　refrigerated　food　item　may　go　bad　
　　b.　traffic　lights　do　not　work　
　　c.　people　must　rely　on　candlelight
　　d.　elevators　and　escalators　do　not　function　

28.　why　does　the　author　mention　electric　eels?　
　　a.　to　warn　the　reader　to　stay　away　from　them.
　　b.　to　compare　their　voltage　to　that　used　in　houses.　
　　c.　to　give　an　example　of　a　living　electrical　generator.
　　d.　to　describe　a　new　source　of　electrical　power.

29.　how　many　volts　of　electricity　can　an　electric　eel　emit?　
　　a.　1,000.
　　b.　800.
　　c.　200.
　　d.　120.

30.　it　can　be　inferred　from　the　passage　that　the　longer　an　eel　is　the　.
　　a.　more　beneficial　it　will　be　to　science　
　　b.　more　powerful　will　be　its　electrical　charge　
　　c.　easier　it　will　be　to　find　
　　d.　tougher　it　will　be　to　eat