星火英语2008年12月英语四级考试预测试卷

　　Section B
　　Passage One
　　If you’re confused about how much water you really need, I’m not surprised. (26)Conflicting advice in recent headlines appears against the old “8 a day” advice we all grew up with. Is it necessary to swallow down eight glasses of water daily, or is this recommendation exaggerated and out of date? We’ve heard for years that eight glasses of water daily is the minimum necessary to keep healthy. Your weight loss and health depend on it. Drink the minimum and see clearer skin, better sleep, and improved vision. We’re warned of the danger of water shortage in our body without at least eight glasses. But, (27)the tide has turned away from liquid requirement toward examining your daily diet, including what you eat, as well as what you drink. The answer is — you need what you need! If it’s summer, you need more. If you’re exercising, you need more. If you’re a “normal person who sits a lot, who is not sweating, and not exercising more than 15-20 minutes daily, Dr. Heinz Valtin of Dartmouth Medical School says you need no more than four glasses of water daily. Most drinks can be counted as part of your daily fluid consumption. Although the World Health Organization recommends that everyone drink a minimum of two liters of water daily, or about eight cups, (28)the old “8 a day” rule is based on studies performed on people under extraordinary circumstances, including soldiers at high altitude and hospitalized patients. What you and I need is different.
　　26. What is the traditional opinion concerning water drinking?
　　C)。预读选项可知，本题与饮水习惯有关。考题考查的是traditional opinion。遵循短文听力听首尾句的原则，在文章第一句提出问题后，第二句接着就说到Conflicting advice in recent headlines appears against the old “8 a day” advice we all grew up with，符合题目中traditional opinion的要求，C)为答案。
　　27. According to the passage, what is the more proper way of drinking water?
　　B)。分析选项可知，本题与饮水的根据有关。文章开始先分析了传统的每天8杯水的观点，接着用一个but进行转折，提出新的观点。由于在短文理解中but、however、only、just等后面往往是出考题之处，可知本题的考点即在此处:“But, the tide has turned away…the answer is — you need what you need!”。
　　28. Why does the author believe that the “8aday” rule doesn’t apply to all people?
　　C)。本题的考点在文章结尾，分析选项可知，本题考查制定“8aday” rule的原因。本题中需要注意的是although引导的让步状语从句，事实上，主句前隐含了转折的意味，与but、however等一样，这是一个暗含的出题点。The old “8aday” rule is based on studies performed on people under extraordinary circumstances，遵循“听到即是解”的原则，C)为答案。