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2013 年 12 月大学英语四级考试阅读真题(第 3 套)
Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)
SectionA
Directions:Inthissection,thereisapassagewithtenblanks.Youarerequiredtoselectonewordforeachblank
fromalistofchoicesgiveninawordbankfollowingthepassage.Readthepassagethroughcarefully
beforemakingyourchoices.Eachchoiceinthebankisidentifiedbyaletter.Pleasemarkthe
correspondingletterforeachitemonAnswerSheet2withasinglelinethroughthecentre.Youmay
notuseanyofthewordsinthebankmorethanonce.
Questions36to45arebasedonthefollowingpassage.
Toget a sense of how women have progressed in science, take a quick tour of the physics department at the
UniversityofCalifornia,Berkeley.Thisis astoriedplace,the 36 ofsome ofthemostimportantdiscoveries
in modern science — starting with Ernest Lawrence’s invention of the cyclotron (回旋加速器) in 1931. A
generation ago, female faces were 37 and, even today, visitors walking through the first floor of LeConte
Hallwill see a full corridor ofexhibits 38 the many distinguished physicists who made history here, 39
allofthemwhitemales.
Butclime upto the third floor andyou’ll see a 40 display.There,among the photos of currentfaculty
members and students, are portraits of the 41 head of the department, Marjorie Shapiro, and four other
womenwhoseresearch 42 everythingfromthemechanicsoftheuniversetothesmallestparticlesofmatter.
Asixth woman was hired just two weeks ago.Although they’re still only about10 percent ofthe physics faculty,
women are clearly a presencehere.Andthe real 43 may be in the smaller photosto the right: graduate and
undergraduate students, about 20 percent of them female. Every year Berkeley sends its fresh female physics
PhDs to the country’s top universities. That makes Shapiro optimistic, but also 44 . “I believe things are
gettingbetter,”shesays,“butthey’renotgettingbetteras 45 asIwouldlike.”
A)circumstance I)honoring
B)confidence J)hope
C)covers K)presently
D)current L)rare
E)deals M)realistic
F)different N)site
G)exposing O)virtually
H)fast
SectionB
Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement
contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is
derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the
questionsbymarkingthecorrespondingletteronAnswerSheet2.
IsCollegeaWorthyInvestment?
A)Whyarewe spendingsomuch moneyoncollege?Andwhyarewe sounhappyaboutit?Weallseemto agree
that a college education is wonderful, and yet strangely we worry when we see families investing so much in
this supposedly essential good. Maybe it’s time to ask a question that seems almost sacrilegious (大不敬的):
isallthisinvestmentincollegeeducationreallyworthit?
B)The answer,Ifear,is no.For an increasingnumber ofkids, theextra time and money spentpursuinga college
diplomawillleavethemworseoffthantheywerebeforetheysetfootoncampus.
C) For my entire adult life, a good education has been the most important thing for middle-class households. My
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and, of course, for an increasing number of families, most of the cost of their house is actually the cost of
living in a good school district. Questioning the value of a college education seems a bit like questioning the
valueofhappiness,orfun.
D)Theaveragepriceofallgoodsandserviceshasrisenabout50percent.Butthepriceofacollegeeducationhas
nearlydoubled in thattime. Is the education thattoday’s students aregetting twice as good?Are new workers
twiceassmart?Havetheybecomesomehowmassivelymoreexpensivetoeducate?
E) Perhaps a bit. Richard Vedder, an Ohio University economics professor, says, “I look at the data, and I see
college costs rising faster thaninflation upto themid-1980sby1 percenta year.Now Isee themrising 3 to 4
percenta year over inflation.Whathas happened?The federalgovernmenthas started droppingmoney outof
airplanes.” Aid has increased, subsidized (补贴的) loans have become available, and “the universities have
gotten the money.” Economist Bryan Caplan, who is writing a book about education, agrees: “It’s a giant
wasteofresourcesthatwillcontinueaslongasthesubsidiescontinue.”
F) Promotional literature for colleges and student loans often speaks of debt as an “investment in yourself.” But
an investment is supposed to generate income to pay off the loans. More than half of all recent graduates are
unemployedorinjobsthatdonotrequireadegree,andtheamountofstudent-loandebtcarriedbyhouseholds
has increased more than five times since 1999. These graduates were told that a diploma was all they needed
to succeed, but it won’t even get them out of the spare bedroom at Mom and Dad’s. For many, the most
visibleresultoftheirfouryears istheloanpayments,whichnowaverage hundredsofdollarsamonthonloan
balancesinthetensofthousands.
G)It’s true aboutthe money— sortof. College graduates nowmake 80percentmore thanpeoplewho have only
a high-school diploma, and though there are no precise estimates, the wage premium (高出的部分) for an
outstanding school seems to be even higher. But that’s not true of every student. It’s very easy to spend four
years majoring in English literature and come out no more employable than your were before you went in.
Conversely, chemical engineers straight out of school can easily make almost four times the wages of an
entry-levelhigh-schoolgraduate.
H) James Heckman, the NobelPrize-winning economist, has examined how the returns on educationbreak down
for individuals with different backgrounds and levels of ability. “Even with these high prices, you’re still
findingahighreturn forindividualswhoarebright andmotivated,”hesays. Ontheotherhand,“ifyou’renot
college ready, then the answer is no, it’s not with it.” Experts tend to agree that for the average student,
collegeisstillworthittoday,buttheyalsoagreethattherapidincreasein priceiseatingupmoreandmoreof
thepotentialreturn.Forborderlinestudents,tuition(学费)risecanpushthosereturnsintonegativeterritory.
I) Everyone seems to agree that the government, and parents, should be rethinking how we invest in higher
education— andthatemployersneedtorethinktheincreasinguseofcollegedegreesascrudescreeningtools
forjobsthatdon’treallyrequirecollegeskills. “Employersseeingasurplusofcollegegradatesandlookingto
fill jobs are just adding that requirement,” says Vedder. “In fact, a college degree becomes a job requirement
forbecomingabar-tender.”
J)Wehavestartedtoseesomechangeonthefinanceside.Alawpassedin2007allowsmanystudentstocaptheir
loanpaymentat10percentoftheirincomeandforgivesanybalanceafter25years.Butofcourse,thatdoesn’t
controlthecostofeducation;itjustshifts ittotaxpayers. Italsoencourages graduates tochooselower-paying
careers, which reduces the financial return to education still further. “You’re subsidizing people to become
priests and poets and so forth,” says Heckman. “You may think that’s a good thing, or you may not.” Either
wayitwillbeexpensiveforthegovernment.
K)Whatmightbealotcheaperisputtingmorekidstowork.Caplannotesthatworkalsobuildsvaluableskills—
probably more valuable for kids who don’t naturally love sitting in a classroom. Heckman agrees
wholeheartedly: “People are different, and those abilities can be shaped. That’s what we’ve learned, and
publicpolicyshouldrecognizethat.”
淘宝店铺：https://shop499712503.taobao.com/ 店主旺旺：慧园文化L)Heckmanwouldliketoseemoreapprenticeship-style(学徒式)programs,wherekidscanlearnintheworkplace —
learnnotjustspecificjobskills,butthekindof“softskills,”likegettingtoworkontimeandgettingalongwitha
team, that are crucial for career success. “It’s about having mentors (指导者) and having workplace-based
education,”hesays.“TimeandagainI’veseenexamplesofthiskindofprogramworking.”
M) Ah, but how do we get there from here? With better public policy, hopefully, but also by making better
individual decisions. “ Historically markets have been to handle these things,” says Vedder, “and I think
eventuallymarketswillhandlethisone.Ifitdoesn’timprovesoon,peoplearegoingtowakeupandask,‘why
amIgoingtocollege?’”
46.Caplansuggeststhatkidswhodon’tloveschoolgotowork.
47.Anincreasingnumberoffamiliesspendmoremoneyonhousesinagoodschooldistrict.
48.Subsidizedloanstocollegestudentsareahugewasteofmoney,accordingtooneeconomist.
49.Moreandmorekidsfindtheyfareworsewithacollegediploma.
50.Forthosewhoarenotpreparedforhighereducation,goingtocollegeisnotworthit.
51.Overtheyearsthecostofacollegeeducationhasincreasedalmostby100%.
52. A law passed recently allows many students to pay no more than one tenth of their income for their college
loans.
53.Middle-classAmericanshavehighlyvaluedagoodeducation.
54. More kids should be encouraged to participate in programs where they can learn not only job skills but also
socialskills.
55.Overfiftypercentofrecentcollegegraduatesremainunemployedorunabletofindasuitablejob.
SectionC
Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished
statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best
choiceandmarkthecorrespondingletteronAnswerSheet2withasinglelinethroughthecentre.
PassageOne
Questions56to60arebasedonthefollowingpassage.
A recent global survey of 2,000 high-net-worth individuals found about 60% were not planning on a
traditional retirement. Among U.S. participants, 75% expected to continue working in some capacity even after
stepping away from full-time jobs. “Many of these people made their wealth by doing something they’re
passionate (有激情的) about,” says Daniel Egan, head of behavioral finance for Barclays Wealth Americas.
“Giventhechoice,theyprefertocontinueworking.”Barclayscallsthesepeople“nevertirees”.
Unlike many Americans compelled into early retirement by company restrictions, the average nevertiree
often has no one forcing his hand. If 106-year-old investor Irving Kahn, head of his own family firm, wants to
keep coming to work every day, who’s going to stop him? Seventy-eight-year-old Supreme Court Justice Ruth
BaderGinsburg’sjobsecurityisguaranteedintheConstitution.
It may seem that these elderly people are trying to cheat death. In fact, they are. And it’s working. Howard
Friedman, a professor at UC Riverside, found in his research that those who work hardest and are successful in
their careers often live the longestlives. “People are generally being given badadvice to slow down,take iteasy,
stop worrying, and retire to Florida,” he says. He described one study participant, still working at the age of 100,
whowasrecentlydisappointedtoseehissonretire.
“We’re beginning to see a change in how people view retirement,” says George Leeson, co-director of the
Institute of Population Ageing at Oxford. Where once retirement was seen as a brief reward after a long struggle
through some miserable job, it is now akin (近似) to being cast aside. What Leeson terms “the Warren Buffett
effect”isbecomingmorebroadlyappealingasindividualscometo“viewretirementasnotsimplybeinglinkedto
economicproductivitybutalsoaboutcontribution.”
淘宝店铺：https://shop499712503.taobao.com/ 店主旺旺：慧园文化Observers are split on whether this is a wholly good thing. On the one hand, companies and financial firms
can benefit from the wisdom of a resilient (坚韧的) chief. On the other, the new generation can find it more
difficulttoadvance—anargumentthattypicallyholdslittleswaytoanevertiree.
56.Whatdowelearnabouttheso-called“nevertirees”?
A)Theyarepassionateaboutmakingafortune.
B)Theyhavenochoicebuttocontinueworking.
C)Theylovewhattheydoandchoosenottoretire.
D)Theywillnotretireunlesstheyarecompelledto.
57.WhatdoIrvingKahnandRuthBaderGinsburghaveincommon?
A)Neitherofthemissubjecttoforcedretirement.
B)Neitherofthemdesiresrewardfortheirwork.
C)Bothclingtotheirpositionsdespiteopposition.
D)Botharecapableofcopingwithheavyworkloads.
58.WhatisthefindingofHowardFriedman’sresearch?
A)Theharderyouwork,thebiggeryourfortunewillbe.
B)Theearlieryouretire,thehealthieryouwillbe.
C)Elderlypeoplehavetoslowdowntolivelonger.
D)Workingatanadvancedagelengthenspeople’slife.
59.Whatisthetraditionalviewofretirementaccordingtothepassage?
A)Itmeansaburdentotheyoungergeneration.
B)Itisasymbolofamatureandcivilizedsociety.
C)Itisacompensationforone’slife-longhardwork.
D)Ithelpsincreaseanation’seconomicproductivity.
60.Whatdocriticssayabout“nevertirees”?
A)Theyareanobstacletoacompany’sdevelopment.
B)Theylackthecreativityoftheyoungergeneration.
C)Theycannotworkasefficientlyastheyusedto.
D)Theypreventyoungpeoplefromgettingahead.
PassageTwo
Questions61to65arebasedonthefollowingpassage.
When we talk about Americans barely into adulthood who are saddled with unbearable levels of debt, the
conversation is almost always about student loan debt. But there’s a growing body of evidence suggesting that
today’s young adults are also drowning in credit-card debt — and that many of them will take this debt to their
graves.
More than 20% overspent their income by more than $100 every single month. Since they haven’t built up
their credit histories yet, it’s a safe bet that these young adults are paying relatively high interest rates on the
resultingcreditcarddebt.
Although many young people blame “socializing” as a barrier to saving money, most of them aren’t
knocking back $20 drinks in trendy (时尚的) lounges. They’re struggling with much more daily financial
demands.
To a disturbingly large extent, the young andthe broke are relying on credit cards to make it until their next
payday.Thisobviouslyisn’tsustainableinthelongrun,andit’sgoingtoputahugedragontheirspendingpower
evenaftertheyreachtheirpeakearningyears,becausethey’llstillbepayinginterestonthatbottleoforangejuice
orboxofspaghetti(意式面条)theyboughtadecadeearlier.
淘宝店铺：https://shop499712503.taobao.com/ 店主旺旺：慧园文化A new study out of Ohio State University found that young adults are accumulating credit card debt at a
more rapid rate than other age groups, and that they’re slower at paying it off. “If what we found continues to
holdtrue,wemayhavemoreelderlypeoplewithsubstantialfinancialproblems inthefuture,”warnsLuciaDunn,
professor of economics at Ohio State. “If our findings persist, we may be faced with a financial crisis among
elderlypeoplewhocan’tpayofftheircreditcards.”
Dunn says a lot of these young people are never going to get out from under their credit card debt. “Many
people are borrowing on credit cards so heavily that payoff rates at these levels are not sufficient to recover their
creditcarddebtbytheendoftheirlife,whichcouldhavelossimplicationsforthecreditcardissuingbanks.”
61.Whatisthemainideaofthefirstparagraph?
A)ManyyoungAmericanswillneverbeabletopayofftheirdebts.
B)Creditcardsplayanincreasinglyimportantroleincollegelife.
C)Creditcardsaredoingmoreharmthanstudentsloans.
D)TheAmericancreditcardsystemisundercriticism.
62.Whydoyoungpeoplehavetopayahigherinterestontheircreditcarddebt?
A)Theytendtoforgetaboutthedeadlines.
B)Theyhaven’tdevelopedacredithistory.
C)Theyareoftenunabletopaybackintime.
D)Theyareinexperiencedinmanagingmoney.
63.Whatissaidtobetheconsequenceofyoungadultsrelyingoncreditcardstomakeendsmeet?
A)Itwillplaceanunnecessaryburdenonsociety.
B)Itwillgivethemnomotivationtoworkhard.
C)Itwillexertpsychologicalpressureonthem.
D)Itwillaffecttheirfuturespendingpower.
64.WhatwillhappentoyoungadultsiftheircreditcarddebtkeepsaccumulatingaccordingtoLuciaDunn?
A)Theywillhavetopayanincreasinglyhigherinterestrate.
B)Theymayexperienceafinancialcrisisintheiroldage.
C)Theirqualityoflifewillbeaffected.
D)Theircreditcardsmaybecancelled.
65.WhatdoesLuciaDunnthinkmightbeariskforthecreditcardissuingbanks?
A)Theygobankruptasaresultofover-lending.
B)Theyloselargenumbersoftheirregularclients.
C)Theirclientsleavetheirdebtsunpaidupondeath.
D)Theirinterestrateshavetobereducednowandthen.
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