英語四級閱讀真題練習：生活的不公正

　　One of the nice things about surrendering to the fact that life isn’t fair is that it keeps us from feeling sorry for ourselves by encouraging us to do the very best we can with what we have. We know it’s not “life’s job”to make everything perfect: it’s our own challenge. Surrendering to this fact also keeps us from feeling sorry for others because we are reminded that everyone is dealt a different hand; everyone has unique strengths and problems in the process of growing up, facing the reality and making decisions; and everyone has those times that they feel unfairly treated.

　　The fact that life isn’t fair doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do everything in our power to improve our own lives or the world as a whole. To the contrary, it suggests that we should. When we don’t recognize or admit that life isn’t fair, we tend to feel pity for others and for ourselves. Pity, of course, is a self-defeating emotion that does nothing for anyone, except to make everyone feel worse than they already do. When we do recognize that life isn’t fair, however, we feel compassion for others and for ourselves. And compassion is a heartfelt emotion that delivers loving-kindness to everyone it touches. The next time you find yourself thinking about the injustices of the world, try reminding yourself of this very basic fact. Youmay be surprised that it can make you out of self-pity and into helpful action.

　　練習題：

　　Choose correct answers to the question:

　　1.The author thought of his friend's question as a good one, because _______.

　　A. he also wanted to know who held such an opinion

　　B. it made him recall something during his childhood

　　C. like his friend, he also thought life was unfair

　　D. he learned something from the question as a youngster

　　2.Surrendering to the fact that life isn't fair will ________.

　　A. keep us from making everything perfect

　　B. keep us from doing everything in our power

　　C. make us face challenges in the life bravely

　　D. make us know it's our duty to perfect things

　　3.The second paragraph of the passage mainly discusses _______.

　　A. it's nice to accept the injustice of life

　　B. it's nice to surrender to the life

　　C. we should not surrender to the life

　　D. we should not feel sorry for ourselves

　　4.In the last paragraph, “this very basic fact” refers to the fact that ________.

　　A. you should not pity for others

　　B. life isn't and won't be fair

　　C. sympathy is a heartfelt emotion

　　D. pity is a self-defeating emotion

　　5.From the passage, we can learn that the author's attitude to life is ________.

　　A. positive B. negative C. Self-pity D. indifferent

　　1.[C] 推理判斷題。本題考查隱含的因果關系。第1段破折號后面的內容為隱含的原因，由此可見C為本題正確選項A沒有原文依據，選項B與結論并無合理的因果關系，選項D對原文有曲解，原文是說這個問題使作者想起了年輕時候的往事，而并不是選項D中說的leam from the question。

　　2.[D] 事實細節題。本題考查復合句的理解。第2段首句中 do the very best we can 與第2句We know…it’s our challenge表明選項D為本題正確答案。本題最具干擾性的是選項C，其中的challenge在第2句明確提到，但是此處的challenge不是指挑戰生活，而是指本句第一個分句中提到的“讓所有事情完美”。

　　3.[A] 主旨大意題。本段第1句是主題句,理解這個同位語從句是關鍵,只有選項A表達了這一句的意思。要注意其中surrender的賓語是the fact that life isn’t fair,而不是life,這樣就可以否定最具干擾性的B選項了。

　　4.[B] 詞義推斷題。本題考查this所指的理解。最后一段倒數第2句中,this very basic fact指的是本句的從句中的the injustices of the world,另外，短語the fact that life isn’t fair在文中反復出現，是本文的主題，因此結合上下文可以推出答案。其余三項雖然在文中均有提及,但只是個別細節,并非作者反復強調的中心話題。

　　5.[A] 觀點態度題。作者批評了自憐的情緒,提出對他人要有同情心,強調承認生活不公平并不是向生活妥協,而是將我們從自我憐憫中擺脫出來，采取一些有積極意義的行動，由此可見，作者對生活的態度是積極的，即選項A。

　　英語四級閱讀真題練習：美國制服風

　　Americans are pound of their variety and individuality, yet they love and respect few things more than a uniform, whether it is the uniform of an elevator operator or the uniform of a five-star general. Why are uniforms so popular in the United States?

　　Among the arguments for uniforms, one of the first is that in the eyes of most people they look more professional than civilian (百姓的) clothes. People have become conditioned to expect superior quality from a man who wears a uniform. The television repairman who wears uniform tends to inspire more trust than one who appears in civilian clothes. Faith in the skill of a garage mechanic is increased by a uniform. What easier way is there for a nurse, a policeman, a barber, or a waiter to lose professional identity (身份) thanto step out of uniform?

　　Uniforms also have many practical benefits. They save on other clothes. They save on laundry bills. They are tax-deductible (可減稅的). They are often more comfortable and more durable than civilian clothes.

　　Primary among the arguments against uniforms is their lack of variety and the consequent loss of individuality experienced by people who must wear them. Though there are many types of uniforms, the wearer of any particular type is generally stuck with it, without change, until retirement. When people look alike, theytend to think, speak, and act similarly, on the job at least.

　　Uniforms also give rise to some practical problems. Though they are long-lasting, often their initial expense is greater than the cost of civilian clothes. Some uniforms are also expensive to maintain, requiring professional dry cleaning rather than the home laundering possible with many types of civilian clothes.

　　練習題：

　　Choose correct answers to the question:

　　1.It is surprising that Americans who worship variety and individuality ________.

　　A. still judge a man by his clothes

　　B. hold the uniform in such high regard

　　C. enjoy having a professional identity

　　D. will respect an elevator operator as much as a general in uniform

　　2. People are accustomed to think that a man in uniform ________.

　　A. suggests quality work

　　B. discards his social identity

　　C. appears to be more practical

　　D. looks superior to a person in civilian clothes

　　3. The chief function of a uniform is to ________.

　　A. provide practical benefits to the wearer

　　B. make the wearer catch the pubic eye

　　C. inspire the wearer’s confidence in himself

　　D. provide the wearer with a professional identity

　　4. According to the passage, people wearing uniforms ________.

　　A. are usually helpful

　　B. have little or no individual freedom

　　C. tend to lose their individuality

　　D. enjoy greater popularity

　　5. The best title for this passage would be ________.

　　A. Uniforms and Society

　　B. The Importance of Wearing a Uniform

　　C. Practical Benefits of Wearing a Uniform

　　D. Advantages and Disadvantages of Uniforms

　　1.[B] 事實細節題。根據文章首句轉折詞yet后面的信息“盡管美國人很為他們的多樣性和個性自豪，但是沒有什么比制服更讓他們喜愛與尊敬的了”結合核心詞uniform及同義表達(hold…in high regard即respect),故選B。

　　2.[A] 推理判斷題。根據第2段第2句“人們習慣性地期望穿制服的人有較高的專業素質”，故選A。選項D錯在用superior來比較人了，文中用的是superior quality。

　　3.[D] 主旨大意題。根據第 2 段首句“they look more professional than civilian clothes”及尾句的反問“What easier way is there…to lose professional identity than to step out of uniform? ”選含有高頻詞匯 professional的D。

　　4.[C] 推理判斷題。根據第4段首句中的“loss of individuality”進行同義替換,選C。

　　5.[D] 主旨大意題。根據第2至4段首句的對比,對于文章最好的概括為選項D“制服的優缺點”。

　　英語四級閱讀真題練習：父親形象

　　Congratulations, Mr. Jones, it's a girl."

　　Fatherhood is going to have a different meaning and bring forth a different response from every man who hears these words. Some feel pride when they receive the news, while others worry, wondering whether they will be good fathers. Although there are some men who like children and may have had considerable experiencewith them, others do not particularly care for children and spend little time with them. Many fathers and mothers have been planning and looking forward to children for some time. For other couples, pregnancy wasan accident that both husband and wife have accepted willingly or unwillingly.

　　Whatever the reaction to the birth of a child, it is obvious that the shift from the role of husband to that of father is a difficult task. Yet, unfortunately, few attempts have been made to educate fathers in this reconciliation (協調) process. Although numerous books have been written about American mothers, only recently has literature focused on the role of fathers.

　　It is argued by some writers that the change to the father's role, although difficult, is not nearly as great as the change the wife must take to the mother's role. The mother's role seems to require a complete transformation in daily routine and highly innovative(創新的) adaptation. On the other hand, the father's role is less demanding and immediate. However, even though we mentioned the fact that growing numbers of women are working outside the home, the father is still thought by many as the breadwinner in the household.

　　練習題：

　　Choose correct answers to the question:

　　1.What can we know about fatherhood from the passage?

　　A.It brings a feeling of excitement to most man

　　B.It make some man feel proud and others uneasy

　　C.It has a different meaning for men who have daughters

　　D.It means a responsibility that men accept unwillingly

　　2.What does the passage say about the shift from the role of husband to that of father?

　　A. Numerous books have been written about it.

　　B. Not enough attention has been paid to it.

　　C. The shift is harder for men than for women.

　　D. The shift is a difficult but incomplete one.

　　3.What can we know about mothers from the passage?

　　A.Mothers get more attention and recognition from society

　　B.Mothers are innovative and demanding according to some writers

　　C.Mothers generally stay at home to take care of the children

　　D.Mothers should help fathers in their reconciliation process

　　4.Which of the following will the author most probably disagree with?

　　A. It's as difficult to be a father as it is to be a mother.

　　B. More books should focus on the role of fathers.

　　C. The father is still the breadwinner in the household.

　　D. Fathers are as important to children as mothers.

　　5.The author's purpose in writing this passage is to

　　A. explain why there are few books on the role of fathers.

　　B. praise mothers for their great contributions to the home.

　　C. criticize fathers for not taking enough responsibility in bringing up the children.

　　D. complain about the lack of social programs to help fathers in their role shift.

　　1.[B] 事實細節題。由第2段第2句中的pride和worry可以判斷選項B是對該句的近義替換。選項A原文未提到。選項C曲解了原文第2段第1句的意思，該句中的“Fatherhood is going to have a different meaning”表示對于每個男人來說當上父親具有不同的意義，而不是就瓊斯先生而言。第2段最后一句表明只有部分人不情愿接受責任，因此在D選項men前面加上some才正確。

　　2.[B] 推理判斷題。根據第3段最后兩句可以推斷選項B正確。選項A與第3段最后一句陳述的相反。最后一段第1句雖有提及向父親角色的轉變很困難,但并未像選項C那樣對比。選項D錯在incomplete一詞,文中并未提及與該詞相關的內容。

　　3.[A] 推理判斷題。本題可用排除法。選項B曲解了最后一段第2、3句對母親角色的描述。選項C與原文最后一句不符。選項D原文未提及。只有選項A概括了全文關于母親的論述，而且第2段最后一句也暗示母親受到的關注更多。

　　4.[C] 推理判斷題。最后一句提到很多人仍然認為父親應該負擔家計,但從本句的用詞如even though和still可以看出作者對這種看法并不認同，由此可以判斷只有選項C作者可能不贊成。

　　5.[D] 主旨大意題。原文第1、2段講到父親們對將為人父的不同反應;第3段指出很少有人嘗試幫助父親完成角色的轉換;最后一段是一些作家對此做出的不太符合事實的解釋，因此，只有選項D能概括文章的寫作目的。選項A只是文中第2段中的某個細節;選項B的重點是mother,與本文的論題不符;作者并無批評父親之意，因此選項C不正確。