1995年01月英语四级试题（阅读）

Part II Reading Comprehension ( 35 minutes)
Passage One
Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage.
People tend to be more impressed by evidence that seems to confirm some relationship. Thus many are convinced their dreams are prophetic (预言的) because a few have come true; they fail to notice the many that have not. Consider also the belief that "the phone always rings when I’m in the shower." If it does ring while you are in the shower, the event will stand out and be remembered. If it doesn’t ring, that nonevent probably won’t even register （留下印象）.
People want to see order, pattern and meaning in the world. Consider, for example, the common belief that things like
personal misfortunes, plane crashes, and deaths "happen in threes." Such beliefs stem from the tendency of people to allow the third event to define the time period. If three plane crashes occur in a month, then the period of time that counts as their "happening together" is one month; if three crashes occur in a year, the period of time is stretched. Flexible end points reinforce such beliefs.
We also tend to believe what we want to believe. A majority of people think they are more intelligent, more fair-minded and more skilled behind the wheel of an automobile than the average person. Part of the reason we view ourselves so favorably is that we use criteria that work to our advantage. As economist Thomas Schelling explains, "Everybody ranks himself high in qualities he values: careful drivers give weight to care, skilled drivers give weight to skill, and those who are polite give weight to courtesy, " This way everyone ranks high on his own scale.
Perhaps the most important mental habit we can learn is to be cautious (谨慎的) in drawing conclusions. The "evidence " of everyday life is sometimes misleading.
21. In the first paragraph the author states that ____ .
(A) dreams cannot be said to be prophetic even though a few have come true.
(B) dreams are prophetic because some of them did come true.
(C) dreams may come true if clearly remembered.
(D) dreams and reality are closely related.

22. By "things like ..." "happen in threes" (Para. 3, Line 2), the author indicates that people believe ____ .
(A) personal misfortunes tend to happen every now and then.
(B) personal misfortunes, plane crashes, and deaths usually happen together.
(C) misfortunes tend to occur according to certain patterns.
(D) misfortunes will never occur more than three times to a person in his lifetime.

23. Ten word "courtesy" (Para. 4, line 6) probably means ____.
(A) good manners. (B) Appropriate speech.
(C) Friendly relations. (D)Satisfactory service.

24. What can be inferred from the passage? ____
(A) Happenings that go unnoticed deserve more attention.
(B) In a series of misfortunes the third one is usually the most serious.
(C) People tend to make use of evidence that supports their own beliefs.
(D) Believers of misfortunes happening in threes are cautious in interpreting events.

25. It can be concluded from the passage that ____ .
(A) there is some truth even in the wildest dreams.
(B) one should take notice of other people’s merits.
(C) there is no order or pattern in world events.
(D) we should not base our conclusions on accidental evidence.

 

 

Passage Two
Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.
It has been thought and said that Africans are born with musical talent. Because music is so important in the lives of many Africans and because so much music is performed in Africa, we are inclined to think that Africans are musicians. The impression is strengthened when we look at ourselves and find that we have become largely a society of musical spectators (旁观Africa. Alban Ayipaga, a Kasena semiprofessional musician from northern Ghana, says that when his flute (长笛Africa for there to be an ensemble of expert musicians surrounded by others who join in by clapping, singing, or somehow adding to the totality of musical sound. Performances often take place in an open area (that is, not on a stage) and so the lines between the performing nucleus and the additional performers, active spectators, and passive spectators may be difficult to draw from our point of view.
26. The difference between us and Africans, as far as music is concerned, is that _____.
(A) most of us are consumers while most of them are producers of music
(B) we are musical performers and they are semiprofessional musicians
(C) most of us are passive spectators while they are active spectators.
(D) we are the audience and they are the additional performers.

27. The word "such" (Line 6) refers to the fact that ______.
(A) music is performed with the participation of the audience
(B) music is performed without the participation of the audience
(C) people tend to distinguish the audience from the performers
(D) people have records, television sets and radio to fulfill their musical needs

28. The author of the passage implies that _____.
(A) all Africans are musical and therefore much music is performed in Africa
(B) not all Africans are born with musical talent although music is important in their lives
(C) most Africans are capable of joining in the music by playing musical instruments
(D) most Africans perform as well as professional musicians

29. The word "nucleus" (Line 13) probably refers to _____.
(A) musicians famous in Africa
(B) musicians at the center of attention
(C) musicians acting as the core in a performance
(D) active participants in a musical performance

30. The best title for this passage would be ______.
(A) The Importance of Music to African People
(B) Differences Between African Music and Music of Other Countries
(C) The Relationship Between Musicians and Their Audience
(D) A Characteristic Feature of African Musical Performances

America, but also in Asia and Africa. This has the entirely unintended result of making the food supply inadequate and lowing the standard of life in the parts of the world that have the greatest populations. To take an even more dramatic example, which is in everybody’s mind at the present time; you study the makeup of the atom from a disinterested (无利害关系的31. Disagreement arises when people try to decide _____.
(A) how much more wisdom we have now than before
(B) what wisdom is and how to develop it
(C) if there is a great increase of wisdom in our age
(D) whether wisdom can be developed or not

32. According to the author, "wisdom" is the ability to _____.
(A) carefully consider the bad effects of any kind of research work
(B) give each important problem some careful consideration
(C) acquire a great deal of complex and special knowledge
(D) give suitable consideration to all the possible elements in a problem

33. Lowering the infant death-rate may _____.
(A) prove to be helpful everywhere in the world
(B) give rise to an increase in population in Europe
(C) cause food shortages in Asia and Africa
(D) raise the living standard of the people in Africa

34. The author uses the examples in the passage to illustrate his point that _____.
(A) it’s extremely difficult to consider all the important elements in problem
(B) success in medical research has its negative effects
(C) scientists may unknowingly cause destruction to the human race
(D) it’s unwise to be totally absorbed in research in scientific medicine

35. What is the main idea of the passage? _____
(A) It is unwise to place the results of scientific research in the hands of a powerful mad man.
(B) The more knowledge one has, the wiser one becomes.
(C) Any increase of knowledge could lead to disastrous results without the guidance of wisdom.
(D) Wisdom increases in proportion to one’s age.

Britain there are more men than are needed. Strong unions keep them there in Fleet Street, home of some London’s biggest dailies, it is understood that when two unions quarrel over three jobs, the argument is settled by giving each union two. That means 33 per cent overmanning, 33 per cent less productivity than could be obtained.
A reporter who has visited plants throughout Europe has an impression that the pace of work is much slower here. Nobody tries too hard. Tea breaks do matter and are frequent. It is hard to measure intensity of work, but Britons give a distinct impression of going at their tasks in a more leisurely way.
But is all this so terrible? It certainly does not improve the gross national product or output per worker. Those observant visitors, however, have noticed something else about Britain. It is a pleasant place.
Street crowds in Stockholm. Paris and New York move quickly and silently heads down, all in a hurry. London crowds tend to walk at an easy pace ( except in the profitable, efficient City, the financial district).
Every stranger is struck by the patient and orderly way in which Britons queue for a bus: if the saleswoman is slow and out of stock she will likely say, ’oh dear, what a pity’; the rubbish collectors stop to chat (聊天Berlin, Milan or Detroit.
In short, what is wrong with Britain may also be what is right. Having reached a tolerable standard, Britons appear to be choosing leisure over goods.

36. What happens when disputes over job opportunities arise among British unions?
(A) Thirty three per cent of the workers will be out of work.
(B) More people will be employed than necessary.
(C) More jobs will be created by the government.
(D) The unions will try to increase productivity.

37. What does the reporter who has visited plants throughout Europe think about Britain? _____
(A) Tea breaks do not affect the intensity of work in Britain.
(B) Britons do their work in an unhurried sort of way.
(C) The pace of work in Continental Europe is much slower than in Britain.
(D) Britons give the impression of working intensively.

38. "The breaks matter" (Para. 2, Line 2) indicates that _____.
(A) they are an important aspect of the British way of life
(B) they are greatly enjoyed by British workers
(C) they can be used by the workers as an excuse to take time off from work
(D) they help the workers to be on good terms with each other

39. The word "this" (Para. 3, Line 1) the author means to say that _____.
(A) there are more men on any given job than are needed
(B) 33 per cent overmanning leads to 33 per cent less productivity
(C) it is difficult to measure the intensity of work
(D) Britons generally do not want to work too hard

40. By "what is wrong with Britain may also be what is right" (Para. 6, Line 1) the author means to say that _____.
(A) quarrels between unions will help create jobs
(B) a leisurely way of life helps Britons increase productivity
(C) the gentle tone and temper of the people in Britain makes it a pleasant place
(D) Britons will not sacrifice their leisure to further increase productivity