文档内容
英语四级·仔细阅读·真题
2015.06-2023.12目录
2023年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第1套…………………………………………………1
2023年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第2套…………………………………………………5
2023年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第3套……………………………………………………9
2023年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第1套…………………………………………………13
2023年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第2套…………………………………………………17
2023年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第3套……………………………………………………21
2023年03月大学英语四级仔细阅读全1套…………………………………………………25
2022年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第1套…………………………………………………29
2022年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第2套……………………………………………………33
2022年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第3套……………………………………………………37
2022年09月大学英语四级仔细阅读全1套…………………………………………………41
2022年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第1套…………………………………………………45
2022年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第2套…………………………………………………49
2021年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第1套…………………………………………………53
2021年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第2套…………………………………………………57
2021年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第3套…………………………………………………61
2021年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第1套…………………………………………………65
2021年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第2套……………………………………………………69
2021年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第3套……………………………………………………73
2020年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第1套…………………………………………………77
2020年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第2套……………………………………………………81
2020年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第3套…………………………………………………85
2020年09月大学英语四级仔细阅读第1套……………………………………………………89
2020年09月大学英语四级仔细阅读第2套……………………………………………………93
2020年07月大学英语四级仔细阅读全1套……………………………………………………97
2019年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第1套………………………………………………101
2019年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第2套…………………………………………………105
2019年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第3套………………………………………………109
2019年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第1套…………………………………………………113
2019年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第2套………………………………………………117
2019年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第3套………………………………………………121
2018年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第1套………………………………………………125
2018年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第2套………………………………………………129
2018年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第3套………………………………………………133
2018年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第1套…………………………………………………137
2018年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第2套…………………………………………………141
2018年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第3套………………………………………………145
2017年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第1套…………………………………………………1492017年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第2套…………………………………………………153
2017年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第3套………………………………………………157
2017年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第1套………………………………………………161
2017年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第2套………………………………………………165
2017年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第3套………………………………………………169
2016年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第1套………………………………………………173
2016年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第2套………………………………………………177
2016年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第3套…………………………………………………181
2016年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第1套………………………………………………185
2016年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第2套…………………………………………………189
2016年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第3套………………………………………………193
2015年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第1套…………………………………………………197
2015年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第2套…………………………………………………201
2015年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第3套…………………………………………………205
2015年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第1套………………………………………………209
2015年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第2套………………………………………………213
2015年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第3套…………………………………………………217
淘宝店铺：一次过考研 温馨提示：2022年6月、2020年9月四级考试实考2套仔细
阅读，2022年9月、2020年7月实考1套。另：本资料排版已设计好，若打印，请将封皮
页一并打印，使文章与选项同一视野，刷题无需翻页；同时文本内容支持复制、划线查
词，文字高亮，可用于电子笔记!2023年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第1套
Passage One
One of my bad habits is saying"busy"when people ask me how I'm doing. Sometimes it's
because I actually am busy, but other times it's because that's what I think I'm supposed to say.
That's what important people say. That's what people who get promoted say. But working long
hours doesn't drive better results. Never taking a vacation won't lead to a promotion. So why are
we so proud to talk about how busy we are all the time?
In 2016, researchers from Columbia, Harvard, and Georgetown conducted a study to figure
it out. They found busy people are perceived to be of high status, and interestingly, these status
attributions are heavily influenced by our own beliefs about social mobility. In other words, the
more we believe that one has the opportunity for success based on hard work, the more we tend
to think that people who skip leisure and work all the time are of higher standing.
That's why we feel like we have to appear busy, and there's a real perception that if
someone is knee-deep in meetings, emails, and stress, then they're probably a big deal. This
culture of busyness is making it hard for employees to find work-life balance. According to a
recent study, one in five highly engaged employees are at risk of burnout (精疲力竭).
Personally, I'm going to stop saying“busy"when people ask me how I am.It sounds self-
righteous(自以为是的)and sets the wrong tone. Phrases like“I have limited access to email”
and“I'll respond as soon as I get back"sound like you're being held against your will from
working as opposed to making the most of your time off.
That's why we recently launched the Out of Office Email Generator, a free tool you can use
before your next long weekend or trip. You can share loud and proud that you won't be checking
email until you're back. Managers need to think twice about emailing their teams on the weekend
and talking about how busy they are. Leaders should take time off themselves and encourage
employees to do the same.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 1 页 共 223 页46.What is a reason for the author to be in the habit of saying “busy” when asked how he is doing?
A) He just follows successful people's example.
B) He is actually proud to be fully occupied.
C) He thinks everyone should be devoted to work.
D) He believes busyness ensures accomplishments.
47. Why do we tend to think that busy people are of high status?
A) Our status can be attributed to our social mobility.
B) We hold the belief that hard work leads to success.
C) Our own opportunity for success never comes easily.
D) We find few people of high status have time for leisure.
48.What do we learn about the culture of busyness from a recent study?
A)It places employees in endless meetings, emails and stress.
B) It compels some 20of employees to appear always busy.
C) It distorts many employees'belief of what a satisfying life is.
D) It does much harm to many busy employees'well-being.
49.What do such utterances as"I have limited access to email" sound like according to the author?
A)One is too busy to check all emails in time.
B) One is opposed to the prevailing work culture.
C) One is forced by circumstances to stop working.
D) One is simply enjoying their time off work.
50.Why did the author and his colleagues launch the Out of Office Email Generator?
A) To enable busy employees to spend less time checking emails.
B) To ensure employees as well as employers truly have time off.
C) To stop managers from talking about how busy their teams usually are.
D) To encourage both employers and employees to answer emails promptly.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 2 页 共223 页Passage Two
Female employees consistently pay lower airfares than men do for the same flights because
they tend to book earlier.
We compared the airfare paid by employees in the same position within a company for the
same class of travel and used a common statistical technique to account for other factors that
might affect differences in airfares. We found that women paid on average $18 less per ticket
than their male colleagues. Further investigation allowed us to conclude that this gap is largely
explained by the fact that women tended to book earlier than men, 1.8 days on average.
We wanted to determine what was causing these gender differences in booking business
trips so we tested a variety of possible explanations, such as women choosing to plan ahead or
male frequent travelers being inclined to book late. None of these explained away the gender gap,
so we applied data collected from surveys that express consumer preferences that play a central
role in economic decisions, such as patience and risk avoidance.
We found that only the concept of"negative reciprocity"—in which an employee who feels
unfairly treated engages in negative behaviors, such as spending their company's money less
carefully—explains these differences. The surveys showed men tend to exhibit more of these
negative behaviors than women. This isn't to say that all men engage in these behaviors—or that
booking relatively late is a sign of abnormal behavior. It only means that the gender gap
disappears when we plug in the negative reciprocity variable.
Prior research on negative reciprocity among workers found that it can result in lower
employee motivation, business performance and workplace morale(士气) and culture.
Our results show another way these negative behaviors can manifest themselves, like in
airline bookings, and add to evidence that women are less likely to engage in them
Companies spend significant sums of money on business travel. While that $18 difference
per ticket may seem small, it adds up. Our analysis suggests early booking by women can
translate into savings of $1 million a year for a large multinational company with 20,000 regular
travelers.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 3页 共 223 页51. What did the author's team conclude about the gender difference in airfares from their further
investigation?
A) It is largely attributed to women booking earlier than men.
B) It is largely explained by women's choosing cheaper flights.
C) It is mainly accounted for by male employees' readiness to pay more.
D) It is due to the fact that women care more about their company's money.
52. What did the researchers want to determine by testing a variety of possible explanations?
A)What made male frequent travelers book air tickets late.
B) What caused women to plan ahead in booking business trips.
C) What motivated women to book cheaper flights.
D) What accounted for the gender gap in airfares.
53. What happened when the negative reciprocity variable was taken into account?
A)Both men and women were found to engage in negative behaviors.
B) Neither men nor women viewed booking late as a bad behavior.
C) The gender difference in airfare expenses no longer existed.
D) The gender gap tended to narrow to a significant degree.
54.What did prior research on negative reciprocity among workers find?
A)It can do more harm to the workplace than to employees.
B) It contributes to the male-female divide in the workplace.
C) It proves to be counterproductive in a number of ways.
D) It can result in increasing labor-management conflicts.
55.What does the author emphasize about their analysis in the last paragraph?
A) It can help companies increase their savings significantly.
B) It can duly contribute to companies' business performance.
C) It can translate women's booking practice into men's behavior.
D) It can enhance large multinational companies' competitiveness.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 4 页 共 223 页2023年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第2套
Passage One
Having a rival can keep you committed to achieving your goals and enhance your overall
performance. But before you go out and find an entrepreneur to outcompete, it's important to
understand and avoid the traps that often come with rivalry. After all, competitive rivalry can also
hinder effective decision-making and increase your willingness to take risks, behaviors that can
ultimately hurt your venture's success.
Finding someone you're committed to outcompeting can be a great way to stay focused on
your goals and push your venture to the next level. But when you're intently focused on
outperforming your rivals, you may begin to develop a"win-at-all-costs"mentality that causes
you to ignore how you achieve success. One group of researchers, for example, examined the link
between rivalry and unethical behavior. They found that when people compete against their rivals,
they are more willing to behave unethically to win. But such behavior may stain your reputation
and strain relationships important to your success. One way to avoid this trap is to stop and reflect
on what's important. While outperforming your rivals may provide short-term benefits, the loss
of your integrity will have long-term consequences.
One reason having a rival can enhance your venture's performance is that it creates a level of
excitement that drives you to work harder. But this eagerness to win may also hurt your venture's
success, particularly when it causes you to make impulsive, insensible decisions. But it's possible
to avoid such costly mistakes by making a habit of engaging in critical thinking, such as
considering opposing viewpoints and conducting cost-benefit analyses, especially for those
decisions that are complex and can determine the future of your venture.
The sense of eagerness that comes with having a rival can not only cause you to make
poorer decisions, but it can also lead you to take greater risks that put your venture in peril. One
way you can overcome the risk-inducing effects of rivalry that stand to endanger your venture's
success is to remain attentive to your emotional state and actively monitor how such feelings are
affecting your decision-making.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 5 页 共 223 页46. How can competitive rivalry benefit entrepreneurs according to the passage?
A) By enabling them to outcompete other entrepreneurs.
B) By enabling them to make their venture a success.
C) By helping them to reach long-term goals.
D)By helping them to stay goal-oriented.
47. What is one of the traps entrepreneurs may often fall into when competing with rivals?
A) They may adopt strategies that are bound to ruin their venture.
B) They may resort to unethical means to outperform their rivals.
C) They may be too eager to succeed while ignoring the huge labor cost.
D) They may be intently focused on winning at the current market level.
48.What are entrepreneurs advised to do to avoid traps that often accompany rivalry?
A)Deliberate on what really matters.
B) Prioritize reaping immediate benefits.
C) Estimate the long-term consequences.
D) Reflect on what successes are achievable.
49.How can entrepreneurs avoid making impulsive and insensible decisions?
A) By engaging themselves in critical reasoning.
B) By developing a habit of keeping their integrity.
C) By criticizing themselves for previous poor performances.
D)By refraining from being too excited about their successes.
50.How can entrepreneurs overcome the risk-inducing effects of rivalry?
A)By paying close attention to their current performance.
B) By taking steps that stand to endanger their rivals' success.
C) By monitoring how their decision-making impacts their mentality.
D) By keeping their emotions in check to avoid making poor decisions.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 6 页 共 223 页Passage Two
A multitasker is one who can perform two or more tasks effectively at the same time, which-
apart from the obvious differences—is similar to what a computer does. The concept does indeed
come from the realms of technology, where it is used to refer to an operating system that can
execute multiple tasks at the same time. However, the question is: can a person really be a
multitasker?
For most scientists, the answer is no. So much so that, according to experts in neuroscience
(神经系统科学), our brains do not handle multitasking situations well. As soon as two tasks
require our attention, productivity suffers. What we call multitasking, therefore, is in reality the
ability to move more or less quickly from one task to another. This requires two essential
conditions: that one of the tasks needs to be automatic, like walking or eating, and that they both
need different mental processes. Answering the phone and writing at the same time, for example
However, on the other side of the coin there are people who maintain that it is possible to be,
or at least seem to be, multitasking.A recent study concluded that regardless of whether people
are actually handling several tasks or not, the mere fact that they perceive this activity as
multitasking has a positive effect on their performance.
The business perspective offers a different view: multitasking is understood as the ability to
adapt to all types of environment within a company and effectively undertake different activities
within a set time frame. Indeed, many companies look for people who are skilled in multitasking
to improve their productivity. From this different perspective, you can not only be multitasking
but this ability can also be taught: something that is easier in fluid organisations, which favour
flexibility in their working practices.
The benefits of multitasking are clear. Being quicker and more efficient increases our
performance and the number of tasks completed. But having to pay attention to several things at
once means that the powers of concentration are reduced and that can lead to more mistakes.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 7页 共 223 页51. What does a“multitasker” originally refer to?
A) An operating system capable of doing several tasks at once.
B) A skilled worker executing more than one task at the same time.
C) A sophisticated technology doing several tasks effectively at once.
D) An efficient person able to perform multiple tasks at the same time.
52. Why can't people really be multitaskers according to neuroscientists?
A) They are not sufficiently exposed to multitasking situations.
B) They are not comparable to mechanical operating systems.
C) Their brains do not allow them to multitask.
D) Their attention span cannot be expanded.
53. What do we learn from the conclusion of a recent study on multitasking?
A)People make greater achievements by maintaining whatever they are doing is multitasking.
B) People's performance benefits from the perception of what they are doing as multitasking.
C) People's active mental processes exert a positive effect on their multitasking.
D)People can improve their capabilities by handling multitasking situations.
54. How does the business world view multitasking?
A) It is a rare skill often found in fluid organisations.
B) It is an adaptable capability required of all workers.
C) It is an essential quality many employees lack.
D) It is a desirable ability that can be developed.
55.What does the author imply we should do if we have to focus on some task and do it well?
A) Work in a flexible way.
B) Learn from mistakes.
C)Avoid multitasking.
D) Increase efficiency.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 8 页 共 223 页2023年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第3套
Passage One
In the history of horse racing, few horses have captured the affection of the British public
like Red Rum. Today, three decades after his retirement, he is still one of the best-known and
most beloved racehorses of all time.
Red Rum was passed around to several owners before being purchased for Noel Le Mar.
The agent who made the purchase was the now-legendary horse trainer Donald“Ginger”McCain.
It wasn't apparent at the time, but Red Rum had a serious bone disease in his foot. For many
horses (and many trainers) this would mean the end of a racing career before it even began. For
Ginger and Red Rum, though, it was just an obstacle to greatness that had to be overcome.
Red Rum's true talent came out in steeplechases(障碍赛马).His power, speed and jumping
ability carried him to his first Grand National title in 1973. The very next year, Red Rum returned
to take his second title. He was the first horse to take successive firsts since Reynoldstown in
1935-1936.Red Rum's spirit and grace had already begun to charm the leagues of Grand
National fans
In the following two years, Red Rum lost out on the title, coming in second both times.
When he returned in 1977 to try again, he was largely regarded as past his prime. He was 12
years old and not expected to place highly. He surprised sporting fans around the world when he
came in a remarkable 25 lengths ahead of the nearest horse, taking his third Grand National win.
To this day, Red Rum's third win is known as one of the greatest moments in horse racing history.
Red Rum was headed for the Grand National once again in 1978 but suffered an injury in
one of his heels shortly before the race. He was retired soon after, but his public life and fame by
no means decreased with the end of his career. Red Rum traveled all over the country for various
engagements. He often led pre-race parades at Aintree Racecourse and was a popular guest at
charity benefits and public events.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 9 页 共 223 页46.What do we learn from the passage about Red Rum the racehorse?
A)He captured public affection long before he won national titles.
B) He won enormous fame and love from British people.
C) He became a myth three decades after his retirement.
D) He owed his great success to several well-known horse trainers.
47. What did the serious bone disease in Red Rum's foot mean to himself and his trainer?
A) It was simply a hindrance they had to get over to excel.
B) It was surely a disadvantage though not considered fatal.
C) It was actually the end of a racing career that had just begun.
D) It was really a major obstacle hard to overcome on their own.
48.What does the author say Red Rum did with his power, speed and jumping ability?
A)He won his first Grand National title at 12.
B) He took two firsts successively in 1935-1936.
C) He surprised sporting fans worldwide in 1973.
D) He took three Grand National wins in the 1970s.
49.What did people generally think of Red Rum when he returned to the racecourse in 1977?
A) He had already passed the peak of his racing life.
B) He would have no rival in Grand National steeplechases.
C) He had lost his charm with the leagues of Grand National fans.
D) He could be expected to repeat his glory in the prime of his career.
50.What became of Red Rum after his career ended?
A)He suffered from severe pain in a heel.
B) He spent almost all his time traveling.
C) He lived on various charity benefits.
D)He remained famous and popular.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 10页 共 223 页Passage Two
People in business often make decisions based on their own personal feelings or instincts. It
is quite horrifying to see people being guided by some unknown force. But how wise is it, really,
to let your instincts drive your decisions?
In the decision-making process, relying on instincts only makes sense when you have a vast
experience to support you. Simply"feeling" that something is right or should be done is highly
subjective and can drown you.
On the other hand, there is a more rational approach to making decisions. Data and analysis
have long been associated with informed decisions. These reduce the likelihood of errors and
increase the chances of success. Big, systematic data is mostly the foundation of most of our
decisions, personal and business alike. But with its extreme usability comes a complication: what
do you do if you strongly feel something should not be done, even if the data insists that it should?
This seemingly easy question is what drives the need to understand the relationship between
instincts and data in the decision-making process. Without making things complicated, the solution
to this dilemma is using data and instincts in conjunction to arrive at the best possible decisions.
Instinctive decisions are always backed by previous experiences or information, which
acknowledges that instinctive decisions have worked in the past. Decisions are not about making
the choice and braving the consequences because you want to blindly trust your instincts. They
are about combining your inner wisdom with the knowledge of systematic data to make the best
decisions.
Sometimes, rational analysis and data are impractical to be employed in certain situations.
Absence of definitive criteria, and time and resource constraints, and novel situations are
instances which limit the practicality of data. The only feasible option is to rely on what your
instincts tell you. In these situations, instincts can help you make effective and quick decisions.
Combining instinctive and rational analysis produces well-rounded decisions. It reduces the
chances of making mistakes, and has increasingly become a favorite approach to decision-making
among leaders of today.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 11 页 共 223 页51.What does the author say businesspeople often do?
A)Strive to make sense of some unknown forces.
B) Avoid being driven by their own feelings.
C) Draw on a vast wealth of past experience.
D) Rely on instincts in decision-making.
52. What should we take into account in order to make informed decisions?
A) The likelihood of errors.
B) Systematic data and analysis.
C) The complexity of circumstances.
D) Personal feelings and business strategies.
53. What should people do in a decision-making process if instincts disagree with data?
A)Resolve the dilemma with previous experience.
B) Figure out which of the two is more reliable
C) Combine the two together.
D)Prioritize instincts over data.
54.What should we do when facing various factors that limit the practicality of data?
A)Make a rational and systematic analysis.
B) Explore the most feasible options.
C) Resort to our inner wisdom.
D)Apply definitive criteria.
55. What does it take for decisions to become the best according to the author?
A)Applying instincts and data in conjunction.
B) Assessing all factors when making a choice.
C) Recalling what has actually worked in the past.
D) Refraining from trusting instincts arbitrarily.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 12 页 共 223 页2023年 06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第1套
Passage One
The United States is facing a housing crisis: Affordable housing is inadequate, while luxury
homes abound(充裕),and homelessness remains a persistent problem.Despite this, popular
culture and the housing industry market happiness as living with both more space and more
amenities(便利设施).Big houses are advertized as a reward for hard work and diligence, turning
housing from a basic necessity into a luxury.
This is reflected in our homes. The average single-family home built in the United States
before 1970 was less than 1,500 square feet in size. By 2016, the average size of a new, single-
family home was 2,422 square feet. What's more, homes built in the 2000s were more likely than
earlier models to have more of all types of spaces: bedrooms, bathrooms, living rooms, dining
rooms, recreation rooms and garages.
There are consequences of living big. As middle-class houses have grown larger, two things
have happened. First, large houses take time to maintain, so cleaners and other low-wage service
workers are required to keep these houses in order. Second, once-public spaces, where people
from diverse backgrounds used to come together, have increasingly become privatized, leading to
a reduction in the number of public facilities available to all, and a reduced quality of life for
many. Take swimming pools. While in 1950, only 2,500 U.S. families owned pools, by 1999 this
number was 4 million. At the same time, public municipal pools were often closed, leaving low-
income people nowhere to swim.
The trend for bigger housing thus poses ethical questions. Should Americans accept a
system in which the middle and upper classes enjoy a luxurious lifestyle, using the low-wage
labor of others? Are we willing to accept a system in which an increase in amenities purchased by
the affluent means a reduction in amenities for the poor?
I believe neither is acceptable. We must change the way we think: living well does not need
to mean having more private spaces; instead, it could mean having more public spaces. A better
goal than building bigger houses for some is to create more publicly accessible spaces and
amenities for all
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编2015-2023 第 13 页 共 223 页46.What are big houses promoted to be in the United States?
A)A luxury for the homeless.
B) A reward for industriousness.
C) An abundant source of comforts.
D)An absolute necessity for happiness.
47. What is one of the consequences of living big?
A)Many Americans'quality of life has become lower.
B) People from diverse backgrounds no longer socialize.
C) People no longer have access to public swimming pools.
D) Many Americans' private life has been negatively affected.
48.What questions arises from living big?
A)Questions related to moral principles.
B) Questions having to do with labor cost.
C) Questions about what lifestyle to promote.
D) Questions concerning housing development.
49.What kind of social system does the author think is unacceptable?
A)One in which the wealthy exploit the low-wage laborers building their houses
B) One in which the rich purchase amenities at an increasingly unjustifiable price.
C) One in which the upper classes deprive the lower classes of affordable housing.
D) One in which the affluent enjoy a more comfortable life at the expense of the poor.
50.What does the author advocate for people to live well?
A) Finding ways to turn private spaces into public ones.
B) Building more houses affordable to those less affluent.
C) More public spaces created for everyone to enjoy.
D) All amenities made accessible to the rich and the poor alike.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 14 页 共 223 页Passage Two
Most of us in the entrepreneurial community are blessed—or cursed-with higher-than-
average ambition. Ambitious people strongly desire accomplishments and are willing to take
more risks and spend more effort to get them.
Overall, this is a positive quality, especially for people trying to build their own businesses.
Apparently, if you're more naturally driven to set goals, you are more likely to succeed.
Actually, this isn't always the case. In fact, in some cases, extreme ambition may end up
doing more harm than good.
One major side effect of excessive ambition is the tendency to focus too determinedly on
one particular vision or end goal. This is problematic because it hinders your ability to adapt to
new circumstances, which is vital if you want to be a successful entrepreneur. If a new competitor
emerges to threaten your business, you may need to change direction, even if that means straying
from your original vision. If you have too much ambition, you'll find this hard, if not impossible.
Few people are successful when they try to build their first brand. Unfortunately, for the
most ambitious entrepreneurs, a failure is seen as disastrous, and impossible to recover from.
It's a clear departure from the intended plan toward the intended goal. For people with
limited ambition, however, failure is viewed as something closer to reality. Remember, failure is
inevitable, and every failure you survive is a learning experience.
Ambitious people tend to be more materialistically successful than their non-ambitious
counterparts. However, they're only slightly happier than their less-ambitious counterparts, and
tend to live significantly shorter lives. This implies that even though ambitious people are more
likely to achieve conventional“success,” such success means nothing for their health and
happiness—and if you don't have health and happiness, what else could possibly matter?
Clearly, some amount of ambition is good for your motivation. Without any ambition, you
wouldn't start your own business, set or achieve goals and get far in life. But an excess of
ambition can also be dangerous, putting you at risk of burnout, stubbornness and even a shorter
life.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 15 页 共 223 页51. What does the author think of most entrepreneurs?
A) They are more willing to risk their own lives.
B) They are more ambitious than ordinary people.
C) They achieve greater nonconventional success.
D) They have more positive qualities than most of us.
52.What does the author imply by saying “this isn't always the case”(Line 1, Para.3)?
A)Ambitious people may not have a greater chance of success.
B) Ambitious people may not have more positive qualities.
C) Entrepreneurs' ambition does as much good as harm.
D) Entrepreneurs are more naturally driven to success.
53. What does the author say is of extreme importance for one to become a successful entrepreneur?
A)Holding on to one's original vision.
B) Being able to adapt to new situations.
C) Focusing determinedly on one particular goal.
D) Avoiding radical change in one's career direction.
54. How do the most ambitious entrepreneurs regard failure in their endeavor?
A) It will awaken them to reality.
B) It is a lesson they have to learn.
C) It means the end of their career.
D) It will result in a slow recovery.
55.What does the author advise us to do concerning ambition?
A)Distinguish between conventional success and our life goal.
B) Follow the example of the most ambitious entrepreneurs.
C) Avoid taking unnecessary risks when starting a business.
D) Prioritize health and happiness over material success.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 16 页 共 223 页2023年 06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第2套
Passage One
Supermarkets have long been suffering as one of the thinnest-margined businesses in
existence and one of the least-looked-forward-to places to work or visit. For more than a decade,
they have been under attack from e-commerce giants, blamed for making Americans fat, and
accused of contributing to climate change.
Supermarkets can technically be defined as giants housing 15,000 to 60,000 different
products. The revolutionary idea of a self-service grocery, where people could hunt and gather
food from aisles rather than asking a clerk to fetch items from behind a counter, first came about
in America. There is some debate about which was the very first, but over the years a consensus
has built around King Kullen Supermarket, founded in New York in 1930.
For some 300 years, Americans had fed themselves from small stores and public markets.
Shopping for food involved mud, noisy chickens, clouds of flies, nasty smells, bargaining, and
getting short-changed. The supermarket imitated the Fordist factory, with its emphasis on
efficiency and standardization, and reimagined it as a place to buy food. Supermarkets may not
feel cutting-edge now, but they were a revolution in distribution at the time. They were such
strange marvels that, on her first official state visit to the United States in 1957, Queen Elizabeth
II insisted on an impromptu(即兴的) tour of a suburban-Maryland Giant Food.
The typical supermarket layout has barely changed over the past 90 years. Most stores open
with flowers, fruit and vegetables at the front as a breath of freshness to arouse our appetite.
Meanwhile, they keep the milk, eggs, and other daily basics all the way back so you'll travel
through as much of the store as possible, and be tempted along the way.
In the early days, as the supermarket multiplied, so did our suspicion of it. We have long
feared that this"revolution in distribution"uses corporate black magic on our appetite. The book
The Hidden Persuaders, published in 1957,warned that supermarkets were putting women in a
“hypnoidal trance(催眠恍惚状态),”causing them to wander aisles bumping into boxes and
“picking things off shelves at random.”
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 17 页 共 223 页46.What problem have supermarkets been facing?
A) They are actually on the way to bankruptcy.
B) They have been losing customers and profits.
C) They are forced to use e-commerce strategies.
D) They have difficulty adapting to climate change.
47. What does the passage say about the idea of a self-service grocery?
A) It was put forward by King Kullen.
B) It originated in the United States.
C) It has been under constant debate.
D) It proves revolutionary even today.
48.What did supermarkets do by adopting the Fordist factory approach?
A)They modernized traditional groceries in many ways.
B) They introduced cutting-edge layout of their stores.
C) They improved the quality of the food they sold.
D) They revolutionized the distribution of goods.
49.What is the typical supermarket layout intended to do?
A)Arouse customers'appetite to buy flowers, fruit and vegetables.
B) Provide customers easy access to items they want to buy.
C) Induce customers to make more unplanned purchases.
D) Enable customers to have a more enjoyable shopping experience.
50.What have people long feared about supermarkets?
A) They use tricky strategies to promote their business.
B) They are going to replace the local groceries entirely.
C) They apply corporate black magic to the goods on display.
D) They take advantage of the weaknesses of women shoppers.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 18 页 共 223 页Passage Two
The traditional school year, with three months of vacation every summer, was first
implemented when America was an agricultural society and the summer months were needed for
farm work. Since then, we've completely changed as a nation. Students no longer spend summers
farming, but they aren't in school, either. The average American student receives 13 weeks off
from school each calendar year—with about 11 of those during the summer. Few other countries
have more than seven weeks off in a school calendar.
With the U.S. lagging behind other countries in academics, it's time to consider year-round
schooling. One benefit of this change is that students will not fall victim to the“summer slide,” or
the well-documented phenomenon where students forget some of the knowledge they have
acquired when too much time is taken off from school. Decades of research shows that it can take
from 8 to 13 weeks at the beginning of every school year for students to get back to where they
were before the summer holiday.
But year-round schooling isn't just about academics. Teachers and students experience a
closer relationship in year-round schools than they do in traditional schools and, in the absence of
any long-term break, students do not feel detached from the school environment. These closer
bonds and greater attachment pay off. Research shows that students in year-round schools are
more self-confident and feel more positive about their schooling experience.
But don't kids need time to relax? Some childhood development experts believe that time
off from school is vital to healthy development as kids are not designed to spend so much of their
time inside classrooms and the summer break provides a perfect opportunity to get outside. The
problem with this argument is that most children aren't playing outside or even spending time
with other kids. While some children visit summer camps, most stay at home, watching TV or
playing games on electronic devices, which hardly benefits them.
The U.S. has changed from a farming economy to a knowledge-and innovation-based
economy, so it makes sense for the school year to change as well.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 19 页 共 223 页51.Why did America's traditional school year have a three-month summer vacation?
A)Students needed to help with farm work.
B) Students needed time to learn necessary farming skills.
C) The agricultural society then attached less importance to academics.
D) America lagged behind other countries in making a scientific school calendar
52.What benefit will year-round schooling bring students in addition, to improving their learning?
A) It will help them get back to where their lessons started.
B) It will enable them to absorb what they have learned.
C) It will familiarize them with the school environment.
D) It will strengthen their relationship with teachers.
53. What do some childhood development experts believe about the long summer vacation?
A) It meets students' need to study on their own.
B) It enables students to learn about the outside world.
C) It satisfies students' desire to stay longer at home.
D) It contributes to students' healthy growth.
54.What is the argument against the experts'idea of a long summer vacation?
A)It does little good to most students.
B) It benefits few students playing outside.
C) It leads students to neglect their studies.
D) It makes students addicted to computer games.
55.What does the author think of the traditional school year in the U.S. today?
A)Well-grounded.
B)Culture-bound
C)Outdated
D)Welcomed.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编2015-2023 第 20页 共 223 页2023年 06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第3套
Passage One
Team-building exercises have become popular for managers trying to increase organisational
and team harmony and productivity. Unfortunately many employees resent compulsory bonding
and often regard these exercises as a nuisance.
A paper published this week by University of Sydney researchers in Social Networks has
reported participants’feelings about team-building interventions(干预),revealing ethical
implications in forcing employees to take part.
“Many people see team-building activities as a waste of time, so we decided to look in more
depth at what's behind this," said the paper's lead researcher, Dr Peter Matous.
“Teams are formed, combined and restructured. Staff are relocated and office spaces
redesigned. All this is done with the aim of improving workplace efficiency, collaboration and
cohesion. But does any of this work?" said Dr Matous.
The study found that team-building exercises which focused on the sharing of and
intervening into personal attitudes and relationships between team members were considered too
heavy-handed and intrusive,although the researchers say some degree of openness and
vulnerability is often necessary to make deep, effective connections with colleagues.
“Some participants were against team-building exercises because they were implicitly
compulsory. They didn't welcome management's interest in their lives beyond their direct work
performance,”said Matous.“Many people don't want to be forced into having fun or making
friends, especially not on top of their busy jobs. They feel management is being too nosy or
trying to control their lives too much.”
In this study the researchers recommended a self-disclosure(表 露)approach where
participants were guided through a series of questions that allowed them to increasingly disclose
personal information and values. The method is well-tested and has been shown to increase
interpersonal closeness. However, to be successful it must be voluntary.
The researchers said there are numerous schools of thought that propose differing
psychological methods for strengthening relationships.“With caution, many relational methods to
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 21 页 共 223 页improve teams and organisations can be borrowed from other fields. The question is how to apply
them effectively to strengthen an entire collective, which is more than just the sum of individual
relationships," said Dr Matous.
46.Why are many employees opposed to team-building exercises?
A)They consider such exercises annoying.
B) They deem these exercises counter-productive.
C) They see such exercises as harmful to harmony.
D) They find these exercises too demanding.
47.What did Dr Matous and his team do to find out whether team-building activities would
improve productivity?
A) They relocated team leaders and their offices.
B) They rearranged the staff and office spaces.
C) They redesigned the staff's work schedules.
D) They reintroduced some cohesive activities.
48.What did the study by Matous' team find about some team-building exercises?
A) They were intended to share personal attitudes and relationships.
B) They implicitly added to the vulnerability of team members.
C) They invariably strengthened connections among colleagues.
D) They were regarded as an intrusion into employees' private lives.
49.How can the self-disclosure approach succeed in increasing interpersonal closeness?
A)By allowing participants freedom to express themselves.
B) By applying it to employees who volunteer to participate.
C) By arranging in proper order the questions participants face.
D)By guiding employees through a series of steps in team building.
50.What does Matous think of the various psychological methods borrowed from other fields for
strengthening relationships?
A)They must be used in combination for an entire collective.
B) They prioritise some psychological aspects over others.
C) They place too much stress on individual relationships.
D) They have to be applied cautiously to be effective.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 22 页 共 223 页Passage Two
There are close to 58,000 homeless people in Los Angeles county. That's a shocking and
tragic number for a region that's home to some of the richest people in the world. At last, the
problem became so acute—and so visible—that Los Angeles took extraordinary action. The
citizens of this county voted in November 2016 and again in March 2017 to raise their own taxes.
The purpose of such action is to fund an enormous multibillion-dollar,10-year program of
housing and social services for the homeless.
As a result, Los Angeles now has its best chance in decades to combat homelessness. This is
an opportunity that surely all can agree must not be wasted. It is neither desirable nor morally
acceptable nor practical for this county to tolerate the signs of deprivation more commonly
associated with the slums (贫民窟) of Rio de Janiero.
How did we get here? For as long as there are homeless people, there is a tendency to blame
the victims themselves for their condition—to see their failure to thrive as an issue of character,
of moral weakness, of laziness. But contrary to popular belief, the homeless in Los Angeles are
not mostly mentally ill or drug addicted or frightening, although a sizable minority meet some of
those descriptions. Today, a greater and greater proportion of people living on the streets are
there because of bad luck or a series of mistakes, or because the economy forgot them—they lost
a job or were evicted(逐出)or fled an abusive marriage just as the housing market was growing
increasingly unforgiving.
The challenges are enormous, even if everyone is pulling in the same direction. That reality
was driven home this month by a new Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority report showing
that the county's homeless population is growing faster than the supply of new housing.
In the world's richest nation, homelessness on this scale should be shameful and shocking.
But most Los Angeles residents are no longer either shocked or shamed. Increasingly, we are
uncomfortable, annoyed, disgusted, scared or unaware. Compassion(同情心)is being replaced
by resignation
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 23 页 共 223 页51. Why did the citizens of Los Angeles vote to raise their own taxes?
A)To combat the county's homelessness.
B)To reform the county's service system.
C) To fund the development of local infrastructure.
D) To narrow the gap between the rich and the poor.
52. What do people tend to believe about the homeless?
A) They seldom meet the descriptions of homelessness.
B) They are the victims of fast economic development.
C) They are responsible for their own condition.
D) They account for the majority of drug addicts.
53. What is one of the causes for more and more people in Los Angeles to become homeless?
A)They find it increasingly difficult to afford a place to live.
B) The divorce rate in the county has been on a steady rise.
C) They have been compelled to take low-paying jobs.
D) The society fails to forgive them for their mistakes.
54. What do we learn from the new Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority report?
A) Supplying enough job opportunities for the homeless remains a challenge.
B) Everyone is pulling in the same direction to solve the homelessness problem.
C) The increase in new housing falls short of the demand of the growing homeless population.
D) Los Angeles' homeless condition is deteriorating faster than many people predict.
55. How do most Los Angeles residents now feel about homelessness?
A) They are increasingly ashamed about its scale.
B) They find it no more scaring than it appears.
C) They are less and less indifferent to it.
D) They no longer find it shocking.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 24 页 共 223 页2023年03月大学英语四级仔细阅读全1套
Passage One
It's good to be smart. After all, intelligent people earn more money, accumulate more wealth,
and even live longer. But there's another side to the story. The brightest people and strongest
leaders sometimes make errors others don't, especially in situations that require common sense.
Travis Bradberry, president at TalentSmart, explained in his post Why Smart People Act So
Stupid that“Rational thinking and intelligence don't tend to go hand in hand. Intelligent people
are more prone to silly mistakes because of blind spots in how they use logic. These blind spots
exist because smart people tend to be overconfident in their reasoning abilities." They are so used
to being right and having quick answers that they don't even realise when they're making a mess
by answering without thinking things through.
A lifetime of praise leads smart people to develop too much faith in their intelligence and
abilities. They often fail to recognise when they need help, and when they do recognise it,they
tend to believe that no one else is capable of providing it.
“It's hard for anyone to graciously accept the fact that they're wrong. It's even harder for
smart people because they grow so used to being right all the time that it becomes a part of their
identity," Bradberry wrote.“For smart people, being wrong can feel like a personal attack, and
being right, a necessity."
Smart people also have a hard time accepting feedback. They tend to undervalue the
opinions of others, which means they have trouble believing that anyone is qualified to give them
useful feedback. Not only does this tendency hinder their growth and performance, it can lead to
harmful relationships, both personally and professionally.
Smart people develop overachieving personalities because things come so easily to them.
They simply don't understand how hard some people have to work to accomplish the same things,
and because of that, they push people too hard.They set the bar too high, and when people take
too long or don't get things quite right, they assume it's due to a lack of effort. So they push even
harder.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 25 页 共 223 页46.What do we learn from the passage about the brightest people?
A) They can make silly mistakes in straightforward situations.
B) They usually turn a blind eye to their own weaknesses.
C) They are admired by people around them.
D) They can differ in their personalities.
47.What accounts for the existence of intelligent people's logical blind spots?
A) Their irrational way of thinking.
B) Too much faith in their ability to think.
C) Their ignorance of behavioural science.
D)Too much concern about their work.
48.How do smart people react when they are found to be wrong?
A)They shift the blame to others.
B) They graciously accept the facts.
C) They may feel shocked.
D) They may get offended.
49.What may happen to smart people who find it difficult to accept suggestions?
A)They may suffer in their professional and private life.
B) They may lose faith in their administrative abilities.
C) They may commit more errors than ever before.
D) They may experience a lot of emotional stress.
50.What is said about those working with or under overachieving people?
A)They put a lot of effort into their work.
B) They set higher goals for themselves.
C) They are under increasing pressure.
D) They take less time to get things done.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 26 页 共 223 页Passage Two
Of the endless troubles that come with being driven from one's home country, losing
educational certificates may seem small. But it isn't. Refugees who settle in other countries often
find themselves unable to continue on their previous career path due to a new set of employer
standards or skills requirements. To solve this problem, the U.S. State Department is posing a
solution: online learning.
The State Department will announce a partnership with an online education platform called
Coursera. The platform will allow refugees worldwide to take thousands of online courses for
free.“Coursera for Refugees”will be available for any non-profit group that supports refugees in
any country, as well as individual refugees. They can apply for fully funded access to Coursera's
course catalog, which means they can take all of the platform's classes and obtain professional
certificates for free. The platform currently offers professor-led lectures on a broad range of
topics, from data science to fashion design.
As the world migrant crisis intensifies, employment is becoming a global concern. The new
program aims to aid refugees by offering"important skills that will help them in the global
economy,” Evan Ryan, U.S. assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs, said
on a press call last week.“What we don't want to do is not act,” added Coursera chief operations
officer Lila Ibrahim.
The idea isn't without problems. For one,starting a new career path isn't as simple as
watching a few videos and obtaining an online certificate; even those looking to continue
previous careers can't simply rely on an online lecture to get them up-to-date on standards,
policies, and practices. For another, most of the classes on Coursera are in English, and though
there are plans to add translations, language barriers can be a big obstacle. Then there are the
questions over the value of massive open online courses(MOOCs)themselves—both for
refugees and for average learners.
But it's still early days and there are signs of hope. In 2015, a joint study found 72of
people taking the MOOCs saw career benefits afterwards.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 27 页 共 223 页51. Why is the U.S. State Department launching an online learning program for refugees?
A) To enable them to settle down in host countries.
B) To allow them to learn as many job skills as possible.
C) To offer them a platform to pursue advanced degrees.
D) To help them to meet new employment standards.
52. What do we know about "Coursera for Refugees"?
A)It provides refugees with a wide range of courses free of charge.
B) It offers free online data services for refugees around the world.
C) It allows refugees to obtain degrees in various academic fields.
D) It supplies refugees with a great variety of job opportunities.
53.What does the passage say is a consequence of the global migrant crisis?
A)Instability increases in host countries.
B) The global economic crisis intensifies.
C) A lot more refugees die during migration.
D) Refugees find it more difficult to get a job.
54.What does the author say causes refugees' difficulty in taking online courses?
A)Cultural environment.
B) Changed academic requirements.
C) Lack of language skills.
D)Difference in teaching platforms.
55.What did the joint study find about the MOOCs several years ago?
A) They helped solve learners' financial problems.
B) They benefited most of the learners.
C) They changed some learners' career path.
D) They provided the most needed vocational skills.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编2015-2023 第 28 页 共 223 页2022年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第1套
Passage One
To write his 2010 book, The 5-Factor World Diet, nutritionist Harley Pasternak traveled to
the healthiest countries around the world to learn more about what made their meals extra
nourishing.
He noted that Japanese people ate a wonderful variety of seaweeds, and that Chinese people
tried to include at least five different colors in every meal. Pasternak also came away with some
valuable observations about how different the North American way of life was, compared with
many other countries
For starters, Americans eat much bigger portions than people in other countries. “We don't
prioritize eating seasonally or locally, and we also add lots of salt, sugar and thickening agents to
our foods,” explained Pasternak. Contrast that to the healthy Mediterranean, Nordic and
Okinawan diets listed in Pasternak's book. They all seem to stick to the ethos(特质)of regional,
seasonal produce
For example, a traditional Mediterranean diet includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts
and olive oil as the main components of nutritional intake. Fish, chicken and red wine make
moderate appearances, while red meat, salt and sugar are used much less often. The benefits of a
traditional Mediterranean diet have been studied since the 1970s, and researchers have found that
living that olive oil life can help people lose weight, lower their heart disease risk and reverse
diabetes.
Most other healthy eating cultures also make meals an event-say, multiple courses around
the family table, or a glass or two of red wine at a long lunch-as opposed to hastily wolfing down
handfuls of cereal above the kitchen sink and calling it dinner.
Each of the healthy eating cultures has its own unique feature. But Pasternak did take note of
one unifying factor in all of the healthy societies he observed.“The only overlapping feature in
most of these healthy countries is that they all walk way more than the average American," said
Pasternak,“So really, regardless of what you're eating, if someone's walking four miles more
than you each day, they're going to be a lot thinner and live a lot longer than you."
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 29 页 共 223 页46.What characterizes Japanese and Chinese foods?
A)Variety
B) Flavor.
C) Color.
D) Naturalness.
47. What is typical of Americans in the way of eating?
A) They emphasize nutrition.
B) They tend to eat quite a lot.
C) They prioritize convenience.
D) They care about flavors.
48.What features in Mediterranean, Nordic and Okinawan diets?
A) Fruits and vegetables.
B) Olive oil and red wine.
C) Seasonal local produce.
D) Unprocessed ingredients.
49.What do people in most healthy eating cultures have in common?
A)They get the whole family to eat at a table.
B) They eat their meals regularly and punctually.
C) They consume plenty of cereal for breakfast.
D) They attach great importance to their meals.
50.Compared with the average American, people in healthy societies
A) walk at least 4 miles a day
B) do considerably more walking
C) pay more attention to body shape
D) consume a lot more organic food
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第30页 共 223 页Passage Two
Recognizing when a friend or colleague feels sad, angry or surprised is key to getting along
with others. But a new study suggests that being sensitive to people's feelings may sometimes
come with an extra dose of stress. This and other research challenge the prevailing view that
emotional intelligence is uniformly beneficial to its bearer.
In a study, psychologist Myriam Bechtoldt of the Frankfurt School of Finance and
Management in Germany asked 166 male university students a series of questions to measure
their emotional intelligence. For example, they showed the students photographs of people's
faces and asked them to what extent feelings such as happiness or disgust were being expressed.
The students then had to give job talks in front of judges who displayed serious facial expressions.
The scientists measured concentrations of stress hormones in the students' saliva(唾液)before
and after the talk
In students who were rated more emotionally intelligent, the stress measures increased more
during the experiment and took longer to go back to baseline. The findings suggest that some
people may be too emotionally clever for their own good, says Bechtoldt.“Sometimes you can be
so good at something that it causes trouble," she notes.
Indeed, the study adds to previous research hinting at a dark side of emotional intelligence.
A study published in 2002 in Personality and Individual Differences suggested that emotionally
perceptive people might be particularly influenced by feelings of depression and hopelessness.
Furthermore, several studies have implied that emotional intelligence can be used to manipulate
others for personal gains.
More research is needed to see how exactly the relation between emotional intelligence and
stress would play out in women and in people of different ages and education levels. Nevertheless,
emotional intelligence is a useful skill to have, as long as you learn to also properly cope with
emotions—both others' and your own, says Bechtoldt. For example, some sensitive individuals
may assume responsibility for other people's sadness or anger, which ultimately stresses them out.
Remember, as Bechtoldt says,“you are not responsible for how other people feel.”
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编2015-2023 第 31 页 共 223 页51. What is the finding of the new study?
A) Emotional intelligence helps people get along with others.
B) Emotional intelligence is generally beneficial to its bearer.
C) People who are aware of others' feelings may experience more stress.
D) People who are emotionally stressed may have trouble making friends
52.What was the purpose of psychologist Myriam Bechtoldt's experiment?
A) To define different types of human feelings.
B) To assess the impacts of being emotionally clever.
C) To demonstrate how to distinguish different feelings.
D) To identify gender differences in emotional intelligence.
53. What does the finding of Myriam Bechtoldt's study indicate?
A)Greater emotional cleverness means less trouble in one's life.
B) Emotional intelligence helps people succeed in job interviews.
C) People's psychological wellbeing is related to various factors.
D)People may suffer from having a high emotional intelligence.
54.What do we learn about emotional intelligence from a number of studies?
A)People suffering from depression are emotionally immature.
B) People who look at the dark side of life often feel depressed.
C) Some people may take advantage of it and benefit themselves.
D) Some people may lack it and are easily manipulated by others.
55. What does the author suggest sensitive individuals do?
A)Avoid burdening themselves with others' feelings.
B) Rid themselves of worries over worldly affairs.
C) Learn to cope with people's negative feelings.
D) Help people to deal with their troubles in life.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编2015-2023 第32 页 共 223 页2022年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第2套
Passage One
We're eating more fish than ever these days. At around 20 kilograms per person global fish
consumption is now more than twice what it was in the 1960s. What's really remarkable, though,
is where that fish comes from.
For the first time in human history, most of our aquatic(水产的)food now comes from
farming rather than fishing.
People ate around 73 million tonnes of farmed fish—just more than half of the volume of
fish that humans consumed—in 2014.That's out of a total fish supply of 167 million tonnes; the
remaining 20 million or so tonnes go into things like animal feed and medical products.
To keep eating fish at the current rate, we're definitely going to need to keep aquaculture
(水产养殖) developing.That's because the volume offish caught in the wild has leveled off since
the 1990s.
Back in 1974, only 10of marine fish stocks had been overfished. Now, more than three-
tenths are. Only a tenth of our oceans'fish stocks could sustain heavier fishing than current levels.
But while catchings at sea have suffered, fish-farming has been growing at a fast rate. A lot
of that is coming from China, which produces 60of the world's farmed fish. In fact, some 35
countries, including China, now produce more farmed than wild-caught fish.
This shift toward aquaculture isn't just good for ensuring salmon(三文鱼) on your plate; it's
also crucial to ensuring food security and sustainability. By 2050, the world will need to feed an
estimated 9.7 billion people. They'll have to get their protein somewhere. However, raising cattle,
pigs, and other land-based animals requires vast sums of grain and water. For example, pound for
pound, beef requires 15 times more feed to raise than carp, a freshwater fish farmed all over Asia.
That grain-and the water needed to grow it-could be consumed by people instead.
However, aquaculture is no silver bullet. In some southeast Asian countries, shrimp farming
does disastrous damage to marine ecosystems. Despite these problems, however, shrimp
continues to be among the most popular sea foods worldwide.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编2015-2023 第 33 页 共 223 页46.What does the author say is remarkable about the fish we eat?
A)They reproduce quickly.
B) They are mostly farmed.
C) They have become as important as grain.
D) They have a longer history than humans.
47.What do we need to do if we keep consuming fish at the current rate?
A) Increase the fishing volume considerably.
B)Develop more advanced fishing technology.
C) Enlarge the marine fish stocks effectively.
D) Expand the scale offish-farming continuously.
48.What does the author say about China in terms of aquatic food?
A)It places increasing emphasis on fishing now.
B) It boasts of the world's largest fishing stocks.
C) It raises more fish than caught from the wild.
D) It supplies 60of the world's fish products.
49.Why does the author say aquaculture is so important these days?
A) It is a must for feeding the world's fast-growing population.
B) It proves a reliable source of protein for humans and animals.
C) It is essential to maintaining both mental and physical health.
D) It ensures a balanced healthy diet for people the world over.
50.What does the author imply by saying aquaculture is no silver bullet?
A)Shrimp-farming is a risky business.
B) Fish-farming will not be sustainable.
C) Fish-farming may cause serious problems too.
D) Shrimp-farming can become quite expensive.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 34 页 共 223 页Passage Two
In 2020, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the World Food Programme (WFP).
Why a Nobel Prize for the WFP, and why now?In 2019, the WFP assisted nearly 100
million people in 88 countries. It is the safety net for those who fall off the edge of existence. It is
a response to solving the problem of food instability.Its Nobel Prize reminds us all of the moral
hazard in imagining that the poor and vulnerable are somebody else's problem.
The WFP has been around since 1961 and has been the global coordinator of nationally
based efforts to avoid disasters with food aid. Despite decades of effort to eliminate hunger, the
latest estimate is that about 11of people on the planet (about 820 million people) are suffering
daily undernourishment. Progress at reducing undernourishment has stopped despite gains
through the 1990s and 2000s.
Developed countries sometimes offer food and aid to developing ones, but at a price. One
American philosopher stated that addressing the needs of the poor and vulnerable is about more
than money—it is mostly about creating conditions under which prosperity and opportunity can
thrive. When aid is offered with heavy conditions attached, like loan repayment or food for
resources, it often widens the gap between rich and poor and sustains the old world order. This is
why the work of the WFP is so vital.
The scientific community, however, can provide a helping hand to the WFP. By sharing
knowledge of agriculture and climate with peers in countries most vulnerable to poverty and
hunger, scientists can help reduce these problems. By making its voice heard, science can lead by
example. The ability to overcome food shortages that must be built into some of the poorest
countries will not come from loans from wealthy countries, which may have food problems of
their own, or world economic institutions. This ability will be built upon self-confident people
using open and shared scientific knowledge to pull themselves out of their misery.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 35 页 共 223 页51. What does the WFP's winning of the Nobel Peace Prize make us realize?
A) More and more people in the world are suffering from starvation.
B) All of us can be affected by food instability one way or another.
C) It is hazardous to leave millions of people poor and vulnerable.
D) It is morally wrong to think helping the poor is not our business.
52. What do we learn about the WFP's effort to eliminate hunger?
A) It has ensured a sufficient food supply to millions.
B) It is still far from its goal despite the progress made.
C) It has done a good job in combating natural disasters.
D) It is preventing starvation occurring on a global scale.
53. What will happen when food aid is offered at a price?
A) The rich will become richer and the poor poorer.
B)More people will be willing to join in the effort.
C) More food will be made available to the needy.
D) The relief effort will be rendered less sustainable.
54. How can scientists help cope with poverty and hunger?
A)By collaborating closely with world economic institutions.
B) By sharing expertise with peers in poverty-stricken nations.
C) By setting up more food research programs in developing countries.
D) By building self-respect in people suffering from undernutrition.
55. What message does the author try to convey at the end of the passage?
A)Wealthy nations should solve their own food problems first.
B) Rich countries should be more generous in providing food aid.
C) Poor nations should enhance their own ability to solve their food shortages.
D) World economic institutions should play a bigger role in fighting hunger.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第36 页 共 223 页2022年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第3套
Passage One
Even though we are living in an age where growing old is thought of as an inevitable misery,
this doctor has been changing the game for seniors over the last 25 years.
It all started in 1991 when the Harvard-educated physician was transferred from working in
a stressful emergency room to being the medical director of a nursing home in upstate New York.
The depressing and regimented(严格管制的)environment got him thinking on what exactly
could improve the residents' conditions.
Even though animals in nursing homes were illegal at the time, Dr. Bill Thomas took a
chance. Based on a hunch(直觉),he brought in two dogs, four cats, hens, rabbits,100 birds, a
multitude of plants, a flower garden, and a vegetable patch.
The change was dramatic. There was a 50rop in medical prescriptions along with a
dramatic decrease in death rates—but most importantly, the residents were simply happier.
Dr. Thomas's approach, named the Eden Alternative, has driven nursing homes to allow a
more autonomous(自主的)and creative living space for their elderly. It erases the belief that
growing old means growing useless. He encourages residents to think of their age as an enriching
new phase of life rather than the end of it.
Thomas, now a speaker and author of several books, also created small, independently-run
residences with their own bedrooms and bathrooms, and he has been preaching a singular
message that getting old is not a bad thing.
“Within six weeks, they had to send a truck around to pick up all the wheelchairs,” Thomas
told the Washington Post.“You know why most people in nursing homes use wheelchairs?
Because the buildings are so big."
The 56-year-old doctor's methods have been adopted in Australia, Japan, Canada, and
America with enormous success. Last year he published Second Wind: Navigating the Passage to
a Slower, Deeper, and More Connected Life, a guide on how to shift our perspectives on aging
and growth
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 37 页 共 223 页He is currently traveling through North America performing with his guitar and his
enthusiasm on his Age of Disruption Tour.
46.What has Bill Thomas been doing for a quarter of a century?
A) Transforming people's lifestyle.
B) Honoring his Harvard education.
C) Changing people's philosophy of life.
D) Shifting people's perspective on aging.
47.Why did Bill Thomas try something different in the nursing home?
A) He wanted to make it more pleasant for seniors.
B) He wanted to apply his Harvard training to practice.
C) He felt it his duty to revolutionize its management.
D) He felt disappointed working in the environment.
48.What do we learn about Bill Thomas bringing animals and plants into the nursing home?
A) He made a mess of the nursing home.
B) He did something all professionals would do.
C) He won instant support from the state authorities.
D) He acted in violation of the state law.
49.What has Bill Thomas been persistently advocating?
A)Good health is not just a privilege of the young.
B) Nursing homes should be strictly limited in size.
C) Getting old is by no means something miserable.
D) Residences for seniors should be run independently.
50. How is Bill Thomas's new concept received?
A)It is gaining ground in many countries.
B) It is being heatedly debated worldwide.
C) It is considered revolutionary everywhere.
D) It is winning approval from the government.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 38 页 共 223 页Passage Two
Research shows that in developed countries, more affluent and educated people tend to
consume higher-quality diets—including more fruits and vegetables, fish and whole grains. On
the contrary, economically disadvantaged people report diets that are nutrient-poor and energy-
dense. They are less likely to have food-purchasing habits that conform to public health
recommendations.
These dietary differences are often accompanied by higher rates of obesity and diabetes
among lower-income people. This relationship between social class and diet quality and health is
extensively documented. However, the research does not explain why this is the case—a question
that has significant implications for designing effective policies and initiatives to improve diets
and prevent chronic diseases.
Public-health initiatives to promote healthy diets often focus on providing nutrition
education and recipes(食谱).These approaches, however, often presume less food literacy (i. e.
food knowledge and skills) among low-income people. Are unhealthy diets really the result of
poor choices, limited food skills and knowledge?
Research suggests that adults in food-insecure households are just as likely as those in food-
secure households to adjust recipes to make them more healthy. They are also just as proficient in
food preparation and cooking skills. There is no indication that increasing food skills or
budgeting skills will reduce food insecurity.
Instead,disadvantaged groups are constrained by their economic,material and social
circumstances. For example, low income is the strongest predictor of food insecurity in Canada,
where one in eight households experiences insufficient access to nutritious foods.
It's well-established that food prices are an important determinant of food choice. Low-
income households report that they find it difficult to adopt dietary guidelines because food prices
are a barrier to improving their diets.
When researchers estimate the cost of diets people actually eat, higher-quality diets are
typically more costly.
While this may be so, it does not, in itself, prove that healthy diets are necessarily more
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第39页 共 223 页expensive or cost-prohibitive. After all, not all socioeconomically disadvantaged people consume
poor diets
We can easily think of a number of foods and recipes that are both inexpensive and
nutritious. The internet is full of recipes for “eating well on a budget.”
51. What can we learn from research on diets in developed countries?
A) Dietary recommendations are not fit for underprivileged people.
B) People from different social groups vary in their dietary habits.
C) People's choice of food depends on their individual taste.
D) There is no consensus on what high-quality diets are.
52. What does the author say is important in formulating policies to improve diets and health?
A)A better understanding of the relationship between social class and health.
B) A greater emphasis on studying the cause of obesity and chronic diseases.
C) Prioritizing the provision of better nutrition for lower classes.
D) Designing education programs and initiatives on public health.
53. What does research reveal about adults in food-insecure households?
A) Their eating habits need to be changed.
B) Their food literacy has been improving.
C) They do not pay much attention to their food recipes.
D) They do not lack food knowledge or budgeting skills.
54. What would help improve food security among the disadvantaged groups in Canada?
A)Teaching them budgeting skills.
B) Increasing their food choices.
C) Enabling them to have more access to nutritious foods.
D) Taking more effective measures to increase food supplies.
55.What does the author suggest disadvantaged people do to improve their health?
A)Adopt a positive attitude towards dietary guidelines.
B) Choose diets that are both healthy and affordable.
C) Make sure to purchase healthy foods on the internet.
D) Change their eating habits and consumption patterns.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编2015-2023 第 40 页 共 223 页2022年09月大学英语四级仔细阅读全1套
Passage One
Academic dishonesty is nothing new. As long as there have been homework assignments
and tests, there have been cheaters. The way that cheating looks has changed over time, though,
particularly now that technology has made it easier than ever. A study by the Josephson Institute
of Ethics interviewed 23,000 high school students and asked them a variety of questions about
academic ethics. Of the teens surveyed, 51 percent said that they had knowingly cheated at some
point on an exam but that they did not feel uneasy about the behaviour. A Common Sense Media
survey found that 35 percent of students had cheated via smartphone, though the parents surveyed
in that particular study did not believe their kids had ever cheated. In many cases, students did not
realize that strategies like looking up answers on a smartphone were actually cheating at all.
In today's classrooms, students who cheat are rarely caught. There are no formulas written
on the insides of hands or students looking across the aisle, or whispering answers to their
classmates. Today's students use smartphones, tablets or even in-class computers to aid their
cheating attempts and leave no trace of their crimes. Since cheating through technology is not
listed specifically as being against the rules in many school policies, students do not view the
actions unethical
The technology is being adopted so quickly that school districts cannot adequately keep up
with cheating policies, or even awareness campaigns that alert students to the problem with using
technology to find answers in a certain way. From a young age, students learn that answers exist
conveniently at their fingertips through search engines and expert websites.
Schools must develop anti-cheating policies that include technology and these policies must
be updated consistently. Teachers must stay on guard when it comes to what their students are
doing in classrooms and how technology could be playing a negative role in the learning process.
Parents must also talk to their kids about the appropriate ways to find academic answers and alert
them to unethical behaviours that may seem innocent in their own eyes.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 41 页 共 223 页46. What do we learn from the study by the Josephson Institute of Ethics?
A)Over half of the students interviewed were unaware they were cheating
B) Cheating was becoming a way of life for a majority of high school teens.
C) More than half of the interviewees felt no sense of guilt over cheating.
D) Cheating was getting more and more difficult for high school students.
47.What did the Common Sense Media survey reveal?
A) Most parents tended to overprotect their children.
B) Many students committed cheating unknowingly.
C) Students were in urgent need of ethical education.
D) Parents and kids had conflicting ideas over cheating.
48.Why do students rarely get caught cheating nowadays?
A)They copy formulas on their palms.
B) They help each other to cover up their acts.
C) They keep changing their ways of cheating.
D) They make use of modern technology.
49.What does the author think schools should do to tackle cheating?
A)Bring policies against cheating up to date.
B) Reform their exam methods constantly.
C) Take advantage of the latest technologies.
D)Alert parents to their children's behaviour.
50.What does the author suggest teachers do in the classroom?
A)Prevent students from overusing electronic devices.
B) Develop more effective anti-cheating strategies.
C) Find more ways to curb students' unethical acts.
D) Guard against students' misuse of technology.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 42 页 共 223 页Passage Two
Remote work is about more than just working from home—it means working differently.
Organizations should reconsider the appropriateness of their performance evaluation procedures
in light of the shift to remote work. This requires a fundamental rethinking of what organizations
expect from employees and what companies would look for in a model employee in a remote
work context.
It is likely that the"first to arrive and last to leave" mentality is no longer relevant, but
should be replaced by a regard for the quality of an employee's contribution to the organization.
This means that work should be measured in terms of the quality of the work, not just the quality
of the process. As remote work is largely unobservable to supervisors, employers need to think
about how they can objectively measure the quality of work in a way that is consistent for
employees of similar rank.
Focusing on output alone can have the unintended consequences. Employers should think
instead about the values and soft skills they want to emphasize in a remote work environment.
Qualities like flexibility and the ability to work under minimal supervision might become critical.
Much has been written about the importance of timely feedback. In the context of a global
pandemic(大流行病), firms may want to provide additional support to employees by providing
more frequent communication. This allows managers to both keep an eye on struggling
employees and provide ongoing feedback on how employees are adapting to their new work
environment.
Compensation also needs to be revisited. The purpose of performance evaluation is
ultimately to determine how to reward employees for their work. This means that pay structures
need to adapt to the reality of working from home. However, organizations also need to be honest
with employees about the financial impact of COVID-19.
For organizations that have struggled to keep the lights on due to the pandemic, this might
mean thinking of non-financial ways to reward employees, like unpaid time off or flexible work
schedules. Employers can also consider how to bundle different types of compensation to help
employees cope with their unique situations.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编2015-2023 第 43 页 共 223 页51. What does the author say companies should do in the context of remote work?
A)Reform performance evaluation.
B) Rethink the organizational fundamentals.
C) Reexamine its effects on employees'behaviors.
D) Reflect on its differences from working in the office.
52.What should be prioritized in assessing employees' remote work?
A) The quantity of their output.
B) The length of their work time.
C) The quality of their contribution.
D) The flexibility of their work schedules.
53. What quality in the employees would be of great importance in a remote work context?
A)The ability to produce quality work.
B) The ability to maximize work efficiency.
C) The ability to finish tasks in a timely manner.
D) The ability to work with the least supervision.
54. Why is it important for firms to provide timely feedback during the pandemic?
A) To evaluate their employees of similar rank in a consistent way.
B) To keep a watchful eye on those employees who perform poorly.
C) To help employees in need adapt to the new work environment.
D) To maintain connections with their employees away from office.
55. What is the author's suggestion to employers who experience the financial impact of the
pandemic?
A) Urging their employees to adapt to the new situation.
B) Rewarding their employees in unconventional ways.
C) Identifying employees who make little contribution.
D) Allowing their employees to look for part-time jobs.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第44页 共 223 页2022年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第1套
Passage One
Online classes began to be popularized just a few decades ago. They are advertised as a way
for adults to finish their education and students to learn the material at their own pace—it is far
more compatible for people with busy schedules.
But after being enrolled in an online course last fall semester, I came to realize online
classes were merely a means to fulfil course requirements.
First of all, students lack the desire to learn, and they simply complete their assignments to
receive credit for a passing grade rather than genuinely engage with the course material.
As online courses tend to have more than 100 students, most of the assignments are short
and simple. They are not designed for students to interact with the material in depth but designed
to be graded easily to accommodate such a large number of students.
Perhaps the biggest disadvantage of taking an online class is the absence of face-to-face
interaction between the teacher and their students. Live sessions are infrequent and are often
scheduled during the middle of the day when students have to attend other classes or work. The
office hours of the professor may also be during inconvenient times for many students as well.
Most interaction with the professor has to be through email which is often impersonal. It is nearly
impossible for students to build a relationship with their professor.
There is also little interaction amongst students. It can be harder for students to create study
groups and form relationships with their peers.
Online classes also require either a computer or laptop and a reliable internet connection.
Not all students have access to these types of resources, whether it is for financial or other
reasons, and some students can be put at a disadvantage.
Offering online classes certainly helps students who would otherwise not be able to attend
classroom sessions. However, they fail to provide a genuine education with an emphasis on
convenience rather than critical thinking. We need restructured online classes in which students
can have a learning experience that will actually provide quality education.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 45 页 共 223 页46.What does the author say about students enrolled in online classes?
A)They can access course materials easily.
B) They are unmotivated to learn.
C) They can learn at their own pace.
D) They rarely fulfil the course requirements.
47.What does the author think of online course assignments?
A)They are made convenient to mark.
B) They are meant to facilitate interaction.
C) They are based on easily accessible material.
D) They are given to accommodate students' needs.
48.What does the author say is one disadvantage of online classes?
A) They are frequently scheduled at irregular times.
B) They make professors'offices much less accessible.
C) They tend to increase professors' burden of responding to students' emails.
D) They provide little chance for students to build relationships with each other.
49.What problem may arise if classes go online?
A)More students may find it easy to be absent from them.
B) Teachers will worry about poor internet connections.
C) Some students may have difficulty attending them.
D) Schools with limited resources will be at a disadvantage.
50.What does the author think constitutes a key part of genuine education?
A)Acquisition of useful knowledge.
B) Training of real-life skills on campus.
C) Development of students' personalities.
D) Cultivation of analytical thinking ability.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第46 页 共 223 页Passage Two
In the age of the internet, there's no such thing as a private debate. But is that bad for
science? Some scientists have had concerns. When debates in any sector move beyond the halls
of universities and government agencies, there's potential for information to be used incorrectly,
leading to public confusion; yet, open debate can also promote communication between the
scientific community and the public. Recent open debates on scientific research, health, and
policy have aroused greater public attention and encouraged more diverse voices. If this trend
spurs scientists to agree more quickly about the best solutions to our problems-and at the same
time helps the public observe the process of scientific discourse more clearly—then this is good
for everyone, including scientists.
A recent debate published in The New York Times discussed the question of how quickly
medicine should be developed and produced. Issues such as safety of the product and perception
of the public were examined and considered. But some experts worried that such public
speculation might lead people to believe that disagreement about the details meant a lack of
adequate scientific consensus over the safety and efficiency of modern-day medicine
The anxiety seems misplaced. Gone are the days of going to a conference and debating
scientific issues, and that's good because those gatherings were not diverse enough and excluded
many important voices. These days, the public can access debates about science regardless of
where they take place.
For many scientists, public debate is a new frontier and it may feel like a place with few
restraints or rules, but rather than avoiding such conversations, let the debates be transparent and
vigorous, wherever they are held. If the public is to understand that science is an honorably self-
correcting process, the idea that science is a fixed set of facts in a textbook needs to be dismissed.
With the validity of science coming under attack, there's a need for scientific debates to be
perceived as open and true to life. Let everyone see the noisy, messy deliberations that advance
science and lead to decisions that benefit us all.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 47 页 共 223 页51. What does the author think open debate can do?
A)Help the public to better understand science.
B) Clear up confusion in the scientific community.
C) Settle disputes between universities and government agencies.
D) Prevent information from being used incorrectly by the public.
52.Why did a recent debate published in The New York Times arouse concerns among experts?
A)It might hinder the progress in medical research.
B) It might breed public distrust in modern medicine.
C) It might add to the difficulty of getting research funds.
D) It might prevent medical scientists reaching consensus.
53. Why does the author say some experts' anxiety seems misplaced?
A)Debating scientific issues at a conference is now old-fashioned.
B) Diverse topics can be debated by both scientists and the public.
C) Debates about science are accessible to the public anyway.
D) Scientists can voice their opinions whatever way they like.
54. What does the author suggest scientists do about public debate?
A)Have more discussions about it.
B) Embrace it with open arms.
C) Formulate new rules for it.
D)Restrain it to a rational degree.
55.What does the author say about science in the last paragraph?
A)It is transmitted through textbooks.
B) It is what proves valid and true to life.
C) It is a dynamic and self-improving process.
D) It is a collection of facts and established rules.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 48 页 共 223 页2022年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第2套
Passage One
Social media can be a powerful communication tool for employees, helping them to
collaborate, share ideas and solve problems. Research has shown that 82of employees think
social media can improve work relationships and 60elieve it can support decision-making
processes. These beliefs contribute to a majority of workers connecting with colleagues on social
media, even during work hours.
Employers typically worry that social media is a productivity killer; more than half of U.S.
employers reportedly block access to social media at work. In my research with 277 employees of
a healthcare organization I found these concerns to be misguided. Social media doesn't reduce
productivity nearly as much as it kills employee retention.
In the first part of the study I surveyed the employees about why and how they used
platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. Respondents were then asked about their work
behaviors, including whether they felt motivated in their jobs and showed initiative at work. I
found employees who engage in online social interactions with co-workers through social media
blogs tend to be more motivated and come up with innovative ideas. But when employees interact
with individuals outside the organization, they are less motivated and show less initiative.
In the second part of the study I found 76of employees using social media for work took
an interest in other organizations they found on social media. When I examined how respondents
expressed openness to new careers and employers, I found that they engaged in some key
activities including researching new organizations and making new work connections.
These findings present a dilemma for managers: employees using social media at work are
more engaged and more productive, but they are also more likely to leave your company.
Managers should implement solutions that neutralize the retention risk caused by social media.
They can create social media groups in which employees will be more likely to collaborate
and less likely to share withdrawal intentions or discussions about external job opportunities.
Managers can also use social media to directly reduce turnover(跳槽)intentions, by recognizing
employees'accomplishments and giving visibility to employees'success stories.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 49 页 共 223 页46.What does previous research about social media reveal?
A)Most employees think positively of it.
B) It improves employees'work efficiency.
C) It enables employees to form connections.
D) Employees spend much of their work time on it.
47. What did the author's own research find about social media?
A) It influences employees'work negatively.
B) It does much harm to employee loyalty,
C) It kills employees'motivation for work.
D)It affects employers'decision-making.
48.What did the author find in his study about the effect of online social interactions?
A)It differs from employee to employee.
B) It tends to vary with the platform used.
C) It has much to do with whom employees interact with.
D) It is hard to measure when employees interact with outsiders.
49.What problem was found with employees using social media for work?
A)They seldom expressed their inner thoughts.
B) Most of them explored new job opportunities.
C) They were reluctant to collaborate with others.
D) Many of them ended with lower productivity.
50.What does the author suggest managers do to neutralize the retention risk?
A) Give promotions to employees for their accomplishments.
B) Create opportunities for employees to share success stories.
C) Acknowledge employees' achievements through social media.
D) Encourage employees to increase their visibility on social media.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第50页 共 223 页Passage Two
In the coming era of budget cuts to education, distance learning could become the norm.
The temptation for those in charge of education budgets to trade teachers for technology
could be so strong that they ignore the disadvantages of distance learning. School facilities are
expensive to build and maintain, and teachers are expensive to employ. Online classes do not
require buildings and each class can host hundreds of people simultaneously, resulting in greater
savings, thus increasing the temptation of distance education for those concerned more about
budgets than learning. But moving away from a traditional classroom in which a living, breathing
human being teaches and interacts with students daily would be a disaster. Physically attending
school has hidden benefits: getting up every morning, interacting with peers, and building
relationships with teachers are essential skills to cultivate in young people. Moreover, schools
should be more than simple institutions of traditional learning. They are now places that provide
meals. They are places where students receive counseling and other support.
Those policy-makers are often fascinated by the latest technology in education and its
potential to “transform”education overnight. But online education does not allow a teacher to
keep a struggling student after class and offer help. Educational videos may deliver academic
content, but they are unable to make eye contact or assess a student's level of engagement.
Distance education will never match the personal teaching in a traditional classroom.In their first
18 years of life, American children spend only 9of their time in school. Yet teachers are
expected to prepare them to be responsible citizens, cultivate their social skills, encourage
successful time management, and enhance their capacity to flourish in an increasingly harsh labor
market. Given these expectations, schools should not become permanently "remote"
The power of the classroom is rooted in the humanity of the people gathered in the same
place, at the same time. Personal teaching is about teachers showing students a higher path, and
about young people going through the process together. Technology, no matter how advanced,
should simply be a tool of a good teacher.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 51 页 共 223 页51. What mainly accounts for the possibility that distance learning could become the norm?
A) Advances in education technology.
B) Shrinking financial resources.
C) Shortage of school facilities.
D)Lack of qualified teachers.
52.What does the author say is one possible benefit of students attending school physically?
A) Developing the habit of getting up early.
B) Eating nutritionally well-balanced meals.
C) Growing into living and breathing human beings.
D) Cultivating relationships with peers and teachers.
53. What does the author think of the latest technology in education?
A)It may have potential disadvantages.
B) It may render many teachers jobless.
C) It may add to students' financial burden.
D) It may revolutionize classroom teaching.
54.What does the author say teachers are expected to do?
A)Enhance students' leadership capacity.
B) Elevate students to managerial positions.
C) Enable students to adapt to the changes in life.
D) Prepare students to be competitive in the future.
55.Why couldn't technology replace a good teacher?
A) It lacks humanity
B) It is still immature.
C) It cannot track students'growth.
D) It cannot cater to personal needs.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 52 页 共 223 页2021年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第1套
Passage One
As many office workers adapt to remote work, cities may undergo fundamental change if
offices remain under-utilized. Who will benefit if working from home becomes the norm?
Employers argue they make considerable savings on real estate when workers shift from
office to home work. However, these savings result from passing costs on to workers.
Unless employees are fully compensated, this could become a variant of parasitic (寄生的)
capitalism, whereby corporate profits increasingly rely on extracting value from the public—and
now personal—realm, rather than on generating new value.
Though employers are backed by a chorus of remote work advocates, others note the
loneliness, reduced productivity and inefficiencies of extended remote work.
If working from home becomes permanent, employees will have to dedicate part of their
private space to work. This requires purchasing desks, chairs and office equipment.
It also means having private space dedicated to work: the space must be heated, cleaned,
maintained and paid for. That depends on many things, but for purposes of illustration, I have run
some estimates for Montreal. The exercise is simple but important, since it brings these costs
out of the realm of speculation into the realm of meaningful discussion.
Rough calculations show that the savings made by employers when their staff works from
home are of similar value to the compensation workers should receive for setting up offices at
home.
What does this mean for offices in cities? One of two things may happen: Employers pass
these costs onto employees. This would be a form of expropriation(侵占),with employees
absorbing production costs that have traditionally been paid by the employer. This represents a
considerable transfer of value from employees to employers.
When employees are properly compensated, employers' real estate savings will be modest.
If savings are modest, then the many advantages of working in offices—such as lively
atmosphere, rapidity of communication, team-building and acclimatization(适应环境) of new
employees—will encourage employers to shelve the idea of remote work and, like Yahoo in 2013,
encourage employees to work most of the time from corporate office space.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 53 页 共 223 页46.What does the author say about working from home?
A)It will become the norm sooner or later.
B) It requires employees to adapt promptly.
C) It benefits employers at the expense of employees.
D) It will force cities to transform their infrastructure.
47.Why do some people oppose working from home?
A) It discourages team spirit.
B) It invades employees' privacy.
C) It undermines traditional values.
D) It negatively impacts productivity.
48.Why did the author run the estimates for Montreal?
A) To provide convincing data for serious discussion.
B) To illustrate the ongoing change in working patterns.
C) To show the impact of remote working on productivity.
D) To exemplify how remote working affects the economy.
49.What can we conclude from the author's calculations?
A)There is no point in transferring office work to working from home.
B) Employees can benefit as much from remote working as their employers.
C) Employers'gain from remote working should go to employees as compensation.
D) Effective measures should be taken to motivate employees to set up offices at home.
50.What is the author's opinion on working from home?
A)It should be avoided if possible.
B) It is only a temporary measure.
C) It can reduce companies'real estate costs.
D) It may affect employees'corporate loyalty.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编2015-2023 第 54页 共 223 页Passage Two
The human thirst for knowledge is the driving force behind our successful development as a
species. But curiosity can also be dangerous, leading to setbacks or even downfalls. Given
curiosity's complexity, scientists have found it hard to define.
While pinning down a definition has proven tricky, the general consensus is it's some means
of information gathering. Psychologists also agree curiosity is intrinsically(内在地)motivated.
Curiosity covers such a large set of behaviors that there probably isn't any single "curiosity
gene"that makes humans wonder about and explore their environment. That said, curiosity does
have a genetic component. Genes and the environment interact in many complex ways to shape
individuals and guide their behavior, including their curiosity.
Regardless of their genetic makeup, infants have to learn an incredible amount of
information in a short time, and curiosity is one of the tools humans have found to accomplish
that gigantic task
Hundreds of studies show that infants prefer novelty. It's what motivates non-human
animals, human infants and probably human adults to explore and seek out new things before
growing less interested in them after continued exposure.
But curiosity often comes with a cost.
In some situations, the stakes are low and failure is a healthy part of growth. For instance,
many babies are perfectly proficient crawlers, but they decide to try walking because there's
more to see and do when they stand upright. But this milestone comes at a small cost. A study of
12- to 19-month-olds learning how to walk documented that these children fell down a lot.
Seventeen times per hour, to be exact. But walking is faster than crawling, so this motivates
expert crawlers to transition to walking.
Sometimes, however, testing out a new idea can lead to disaster. For instance, the Inuit
people of the Arctic regions have created incredible modes to deal with the challenges of living in
northern climates, but what we forget about are the tens of thousands of people that tried and
failed to make it in those challenging landscapes.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 55 页 共 223 页51. What does the author say about curiosity?
A) It is too complex for non-scientists to understand.
B) It is the force that pushes human society forward.
C) It is a unique trait specific to the human race.
D) It is often the major cause for human failures.
52.What is the general understanding of curiosity?
A)It motivates people to seek information.
B) It is destined to transform human genes.
C) It does people more good than harm.
D) It underlies all human behaviors.
53. What do we learn about how genes shape people's behavior?
A) They determine people's way of thinking.
B) They account for age differences in learning.
C) They enable people to undertake massive tasks.
D) They work in conjunction with the environment.
54. What do numerous studies show about infants?
A)They are far more curious than adults.
B) They prefer to go after all that is novel.
C) They have different interests than adults.
D) They show non-human animal behaviors.
55.What does the example of the Inuit people of the Arctic regions illustrate?
A) The cost of humans'curiosity to explore.
B) The incredible harshness of cold weather.
C) The innovative ideas stemming from curiosity.
D) The importance of learning from past failures.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编2015-2023 第 56 页 共 223 页2021年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第2套
Passage One
With obesity now affecting 29of the population in England, and expected to rise to 35%
by 2030,should we now recognise it as a disease? Obesity, in which excess body fat has
accumulated to such an extent that health may be adversely affected, meets the dictionary
definition of disease, argues Professor John Wilding. He points out that more than 200 genes
influence weight.“Thus body weight is strongly influenced by biology- it is not an individual's
fault if they develop obesity." Yet the widespread view is that obesity is self-induced and that it is
entirely the individual's responsibility to do something about it. Recognising obesity as a chronic
disease with severe complications rather than a lifestyle choice“should help reduce the stigma
(耻辱)and discrimination experienced by many people with obesity," he adds.
Professor Wilding disagrees that labelling a high proportion of the population as having a
disease removes personal responsibility or may overwhelm health services, pointing out that
other common diseases, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, require people to take action to
manage their condition. He suggests that most people with obesity will eventually develop
complications.“But unless we accept that obesity is a disease, we are not going to be able to
tackle it," he concludes.
But Dr.Richard Pile, a physician with a special interest in diabetes, argues that adopting this
approach “could actually result in worse outcomes for individuals and society.” He believes that
the dictionary definition of disease “is so vague that we can classify almost anything as a disease”
and says the question is not whether we can, but whether we should, and to what end.
If labelling obesity as a disease was harmless then it wouldn't really matter, he writes. But
labelling obesity as a disease“risks reducing autonomy, disempowering and robbing people of
the intrinsic(内在的)motivation that is such an important enabler of change.”What's more,
making obesity a disease“may not benefit patients, but it will benefit healthcare providers and
the pharmaceutical(制药的)industry when health insurance and clinical guidelines promote
treatment with drugs and surgery," he warns.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 57 页 共 223 页46.What does Professor John Wilding argue about obesity?
A)Its impact on society is expected to rise.
B) It is now too widespread to be neglected.
C) It should be regarded as a genetic disease.
D) Its dictionary definition should be updated.
47. What is the popular view of obesity?
A) It is difficult to define.
B) It is a modern disease.
C) It has much to do with one's genes.
D)It results from a lack of self-control.
48.Why are some people opposed to labelling obesity as a disease?
A)Obese people would not feel responsible to take any action.
B) Obese people would not be able to afford the medical costs.
C) Obese people would be overwhelmed with anxiety.
D) Obese people would be discriminated against.
49.What does Dr. Richard Pile think of the dictionary definition of disease?
A) It is of no use in understanding obesity.
B) It is too inclusive and thus lacks clarity.
C) It helps little to solve patients' problems.
D) It matters little to the debate over obesity.
50.What is Dr. Richard Pile's concern about classifying obesity as a disease?
A)It may affect obese people's quality of life.
B) It may accelerate the spread of obesity.
C) It may cause a shortage of doctors.
D) It may do little good to patients.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第58 页 共 223 页Passage Two
Nationwide, only about three percent of early childhood teachers are male in the U. S. Experts
say this can have an impact on young children whose understanding of gender roles and identity are
rapidly forming. Research has found that having access to diverse teachers is beneficial for children.
For the youngest learners, it means they are more likely to get exposed to different varieties of play
and communication. It also helps them develop healthy ideas around gender.
“In our world and our society, we have very specific stereotypes (模式化形象) of gender
roles,”said Mindi Reich-Shapiro, an assistant professor in the teacher education department of
the Borough of Manhattan Community College, and one of the authors of a recent study.“It's
important for children to see other possibilities and other paths they can take.”
Despite mostly feeling supported by colleagues and family members, many of the male
educators surveyed in the study reported facing social or cultural resistance in their careers as early
education teachers. Some also reported that there were parents surprised or concerned that their
child had a male teacher. And they had been advised by colleagues or other staff not to hug children.
Reich-Shapiro and fellow researchers made several recommendations to increase male
representation in the field. Low pay has long been acknowledged as a major issue in the early
childhood field. Over 70of male educators who said they intended to stay in the early
education workforce noted an increased salary was a major motivating factor for them to commit
to the career long-term. The report suggests paying all early childhood educators the way
elementary school teachers are paid.
Cities and programs should establish support groups for male early childhood educators and
provide mentoring and professional development advice for male educators and their program
leaders.
The authors also suggest that traditional recruitment approaches for early childhood
educators“do not address the gender gap in the field.” They recommend providing young men
opportunities to work with children through training and volunteer programs, targeting groups of
men who are considering a career change, such as fathers.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 59页 共 223 页51. What do we learn from the first paragraph about early childhood education in the U. S. ?
A)It helps raise children's awareness of gender roles.
B) It exposes children to different ways of interaction.
C) It is negatively impacted by a lack of male teachers.
D) It clearly aims to form children's identity through play.
52. What does Mindi Reich-Shapiro emphasize in her comment on childhood education?
A) The importance of broadening children's horizons.
B) The responsibilities of fathers for children's growth.
C) The urgency of creating teacher education programs.
D) The role of teachers in motivating children to learn.
53. What do we learn about male teachers from their responses in the study?
A)Some of them find it awkward when hugging children.
B) They feel pressured to keep up with female colleagues.
C) They find it hard to meet the expectations of kids' parents.
D) Many of them feel prejudiced against socially and culturally.
54. What is needed for men to commit to early childhood education?
A)Higher pay.
B) Job security.
C) Social recognition.
D) Better working conditions.
55. What do the authors of the study recommend to bridge the gender gap in early childhood
education?
A)Recruiting young men who have a passion for educating young children.
B) Taking measures to attract prospective male teachers to work in the field.
C) Persuading prospective fathers to consider a change in their career.
D) Providing male teachers with more opportunities for advancement.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 60页 共 223 页2021年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第3套
Passage One
Have you ever wondered how acceptable it is to hug or touch someone? While it may sound
safe to avoid all physical contact so as not to offend anyone, the lack of touching might imply
cold attitudes or indifference in interpersonal relationships.
So, what should we do? The simple answer is to thoroughly learn unique cultural norms for
physical contact. In nonverbal communication terminology(术语),physical contact and the study
of touching are generally referred to as haptics.
Haptics in communication often suggest the level of intimacy. They are usually classified
into two groups: high-contact and low-contact.
Asia and quite surprisingly the United States, Canada and Britain belong to low-contact
cultures.People from the rest of the world, such as Latin America, are considered to be in high-
contact cultures, where they tend to expect touching in social interactions and feel more
comfortable with physical closeness. Despite the classification, there are more complex factors
such as relational closeness, gender, age, and context that can affect how someone views physical
contact.
One common French custom of greetings is cheek-kissing, but it is mostly restricted to
friends, close acquaintances and family members. While cheek-kissing for Latin Americans is
also a universal greeting form, it does not require such a high degree of relational closeness.
However,gender matters more for them because check-kissing often only happens between
women or a man and a woman but not two men.
In contrast, in certain Arabian, African, and Asian countries, men can publicly hold hands or
show physical affection as signs of brotherhood or friendship while these behaviors may suggest
a romantic relationship in other parts of the world. Although men's touching is more normal in
these cultures, physical contact between persons of opposite sexes who are not family members is
negatively perceived in Arabian countries.
These factors could definitely affect the degree to which someone is comfortable with tactile
(触觉的)communication and physical intimacy. Therefore, if you are someone who loves to
show physical affection, you should not be afraid to show it or drastically change your
behaviors—just ask for consent beforehand!
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 61 页 共 223 页46.What does the author say in the first paragraph about physical contact?
A) Its role in interpersonal relationships is getting increasingly important.
B) It is becoming more acceptable to many who used to think it offensive.
C) Its absence might suggest a lack of warmth in interpersonal relationships.
D) It might prompt different responses from people of different social backgrounds.
47.What does physical contact in communication suggest?
A)What social class people belong to.
B) How civilized the communicators are.
C) What family background people come from.
D) How close the communicators' relationships are.
48.What do we learn about people in high-contact cultures?
A) They are sensitive to the way people express their emotions.
B) They take touching as a cultural norm in social interactions.
C) They attach great importance to close ties among people.
D) They tend to be more open in interpersonal relationships.
49.What do we learn about social customs in Arabian countries?
A)Men can show friendship in public through physical affection.
B) Non-traditional romantic relationships are simply unacceptable.
C) Physical contact between unfamiliar people is negatively perceived.
D) People of different ages and genders show affection in different ways.
50.What does the author tell us to do concerning tactile communication?
A) Lay emphasis on nonverbal communication.
B) Learn to use appropriate body language first.
C) Pay attention to the differences between genders.
D) Take other people's preference into consideration.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 62 页 共 223 页Passage Two
From climate change to the ongoing pandemic(大流行病)and beyond, the issues facing
today's world are increasingly complex and dynamic. Yet solving problems like these requires
new approaches that extend beyond traditional ways of thinking.A study led by Yale Professor of
Psychology, Paul O'Keefe, found that having a growth mindset (思维倾向) of interest may spark
this type of innovation.
Professor O'Keefe established in earlier studies that people hold different beliefs about the
nature of interest. Those with a growth mindset of interest tend to believe that interests can be
developed and cultivated, while those with a fixed mindset of interest tend to believe that
interests are inherent(与生俱有的)and simply need to be 'found.'Building on these findings,
the latest research examined how a growth mindset of interest can boost integrative thinking
across the traditional disciplinary boundaries of arts and sciences.
For example, in one task, research participants were instructed to create new college majors
by combining two or more existing academic Arts or Science programs at their university. After
coding and analyzing the ideas they generated, the team found that people with a growth mindset
of interest were more likely to bridge programs across the arts and sciences to create new majors
like computational economics rather than creating majors that drew from only one of those areas,
like computational chemistry.
As Professor O'Keefe pointed out,"This research provides a useful direction for
organizations whose products and services call for integrated and creative solutions. Take
smartphones for example. You need not only computer science and engineering knowledge, but
also an understanding of psychology and visual design to create a better product. Employees with
a growth mindset may be more likely to devise innovative ideas that bridge multiple areas of
knowledge to achieve better solutions."
The benefits of a growth mindset of interest may also extend to those seeking employment.
This is a pressing issue because many people are becoming unemployed due to the COVID-19
pandemic. Having a growth mindset of interest can help job seekers expand their interests and
become more adaptable to different fields, and take the initiative to learn new skills.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编2015-2023 第 63 页 共 223 页51. What does the author say about the world today?
A)It faces problems that are getting more varied and complicated.
B) It has done away with many of the traditional ways of thinking.
C) It is undergoing radical and profound changes.
D) It is witnessing various types of innovations.
52. What did Professor O'Keefe find in his earlier studies?
A)People's interests tend to change with age.
B) People's interests determine their mindsets.
C) People are divided about the nature of interest.
D) People of different ages have different mindsets.
53. What is the focus of Professor O'Keefe's recent research?
A) How boundaries can be removed between arts and science disciplines.
B) How feasible it is to create new disciplines like computational economics.
C) How students in arts and sciences view the two types of mindset of interest.
D) How a growth mindset of interest can contribute to cross-disciplinary thinking.
54.What does the author want to illustrate with the example of smartphones?
A)Hi-tech products are needed in interdisciplinary research.
B) Improved technology gives birth to highly popular products.
C) Making innovative products needs multidisciplinary knowledge.
D)Hi-tech products can boost people's integrative thinking.
55.What is the author's suggestion to those who are seeking employment?
A)Learning practical skills.
B)Broadening their interests.
C) Staying safe in the pandemic.
D) Knowing their pressing issues.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 64页 共 223 页2021年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第1套
Passage Onc
Educators and business leaders have more in common than it may seem. Teachers want to
prepare students for a successful future. Technology companies have an interest in developing a
workforce with the STEM(science, technology, engineering and math) skills needed to grow the
company and advance the industry. How can they work together to achieve these goals? Play may
be the answer.
Focusing on STEM skills is important, but the reality is that STEM skills are enhanced and
more relevant when combined with traditional, hands-on creative activities. This combination is
proving to be the best way to prepare today's children to be the makers and builders of tomorrow.
That is why technology companies are partnering with educators to bring back good, old-
fashioned play.
In fact many experts argue that the most important 21st-century skills aren't related to
specific technologies or subject matter, but to creativity; skills like imagination, problem-finding
and problem-solving, teamwork, optimism, patience and the ability to experiment and take risks.
These are skills acquired when kids tinker(鼓捣小玩意). High-tech industries such as NASA's
Jet Propulsion Laboratory have found that their best overall problem solvers were master
tinkerers in their youth.
There are cognitive(认知的)benefits of doing things the way we did as children—building
something, tearing it down, then building it up again. Research shows that given 15 minutes of
free play, four- and five-year-olds will spend a third of this time engaged in spatial, mathematical,
and architectural activities. This type of play—especially with building blocks—helps children
discover and develop key principles in math and geometry.
If play and building are critical to 21st-century skill development, that's really good news
for two reasons: Children are born builders, makers, and creators, so fostering (培养)21st-century
skills may be as simple as giving kids room to play, tinker and try things out, even as they grow
older. Secondly, it doesn't take 21st-century technology to foster 21st-century skills. This is
especially important for under-resourced schools and communities. Taking whatever materials
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 65 页 共 223 页are handy and tinkering with them is a simple way to engage those important"maker"skills. And
anyone, anywhere, can do it.
46.What does the author say about educators?
A) They seek advice from technology companies to achieve teaching goals.
B) They have been successful in preparing the workforce for companies.
C) They help students acquire the skills needed for their future success.
D) They partner with technology companies to enhance teaching efficiency.
47. How can educators better develop students' STEM skills, according to the author?
A)By blending them with traditional, stimulating activities.
B) By inviting business leaders to help design curriculums.
C) By enhancing students' ability to think in a critical way.
D)By showing students the best way to learn is through play.
48.How do children acquire the skills needed for the 21st century?
A)By engaging in activities involving specific technologies.
B) By playing with things to solve problems on their own.
C) By familiarizing themselves with high-tech gadgets.
D)By mastering basic principles through teamwork.
49.What can we do to help children learn the basics of math and geometry?
A)Stimulate their interest as early as possible.
B) Spend more time playing games with them.
C) Encourage them to make things with hands.
D) Allow them to tinker freely with calculators.
50.What does the author advise disadvantaged schools and communities to do?
A) Train students to be makers to meet future market demands.
B) Develop students' creative skills with the resources available.
C) Engage students with challenging tasks to foster their creativity.
D) Work together with companies to improve their teaching facilities.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 66 页 共 223 页Passage Two
Being an information technology, or IT, worker is not a job I envy. They are the ones who,
right in the middle of a critical meeting, are expected to instantly fix the projector that's no longer
working. They have to tolerate the bad tempers of colleagues frustrated at the number of times
they've had to call the help desk for the same issue. They are also the ones who know there are
systems that are more powerful,reliable and faster, but their employer simply will not put up the
funds to buy them.
According to a recent survey, employees who have a job reliant on IT support consider IT a
major source of job dissatisfaction. Through no fault of their own, they can suddenly find their
productivity deteriorating or quality control non-existent. And there's little they can do about it.
The experience of using IT penetrates almost the entire work field. It has become a crucial
part of employees'overall work experience. When IT is operating as it should, employee self-
confidence swells. Their job satisfaction, too, can surge when well-functioning machines relieve
them of dull tasks or repetitive processes. But if there's one thing that triggers widespread
employee frustration, it's an IT transformation project gone wrong, where swollen expectations
have been popped and a long list of promised efficiencies have been reversed. This occurs when
business leaders implement IT initiatives with little consideration of how those changes will
impact the end user
Which is why managers should appreciate just how influential the IT user experience is to
their employees, and exert substantial effort in ensuring their IT team eliminates programming
errors and application crashes. Adequate and timely IT support should also be available to enable
users to cope with technological issues at work. More importantly, IT practitioners need to
understand what employees experience mentally when they use IT.
Therefore, businesses need to set up their IT infrastructure so that it is designed to fit in with
their employees'work, rather than adjust their work to fit in with the company's IT limitations.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 67页 共 223 页51.What does the author say about working in IT?
A) It is envied by many
B) It does not appeal to him.
C) It is financially rewarding.
D)It does not match his abilities.
52.What is the finding of a recent survey on employees who have a job reliant on IT support?
A)IT helps boost productivity.
B) IT helps improve quality control.
C) Many employees are deeply frustrated by IT.
D) Most employees rely heavily on IT in their work.
53. What is said to happen when IT is functioning properly?
A) There is a big boost in employees' work efficiency.
B) Employees become more dependent on machines.
C) There are no longer any boring or repetitive tasks.
D) Employees become more confident in their work.
54.What should business leaders do before implementing new IT initiatives?
A) Consider the various expectations of their customers.
B) Draw up a list of the efficiencies to be promised.
C) Assess the swollen cost of training the employees.
D) Think about the possible effects on their employees.
55. How can a business help improve its employees' experience in using IT?
A)By designing systems that suit their needs.
B) By ensuring that their mental health is sound.
C) By adjusting their work to suit the IT system.
D)By offering them regular in-service training.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 68 页 共 223 页2021年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第2套
Passage One
Sugar shocked. That describes the reaction of many Americans this week following
revelations that, 50 years ago, the sugar industry paid Harvard scientists for research that shifted
the focus away from sugar's role in heart disease—and put the spotlight (注意的中心)squarely
on dietary fat
What might surprise consumers is just how many present-day nutrition studies are still
funded by the food industry. Nutrition scholar Marion Nestle of New York University spent a
year informally tracking industry-funded studies on food.“Roughly 90of nearly 170 studies
favored the sponsor's interest,"Nestle tells us. Other systematic reviews support her conclusions.
For instance, studies funded by Welch Foods—the brand behind Welch's 100Grape
Juice—found that drinking Concord grape juice daily may boost brain function. Another, funded
by Quaker Oats, concluded, as a Daily Mail story put it, that“hot oatmeal (燕麦粥)breakfast
keeps you full for longer.”
Last year, The New York Times revealed how Coca-Cola was funding well-known scientists
and organizations promoting a message that, in the battle against weight gain, people should pay
more attention to exercise and less to what they eat and drink. Coca-Cola also released data
detailing its funding of several medical institutions and associations between 2010 and 2015.
“It's certainly a problem that so much research in nutrition and health is funded by
industry,"says Bonnie Liebman, director of nutrition at the Center for Science in the Public
Interest.“When the food industry pays for research, it often gets what it pays for.”And what it
pays for is often a pro-industry finding.
Given this environment, consumers should be skeptical (怀疑的)when reading the latest
finding in nutrition science and ignore the latest study that pops up on your news feed.“Rely on
health experts who've reviewed all the evidence,” Liebman says, pointing to the official
government Dietary Guidelines, which are based on reviews of hundreds of studies.
“And that expert advice remains pretty simple,"says Nestle."We know what healthy diets
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 69 页 共 223 页are—lots of vegetables, not too much junk food, balanced calories. Everything else is really
difficult to do experimentally."
46.What did Harvard scientists do 50 years ago?
A) They raised public awareness of the possible causes of heart disease.
B) They turned public attention away from the health risks of sugar to fat.
C) They placed the sugar industry in the spotlight with their new findings.
D) They conducted large-scale research on the role of sugar in people's health.
47.What does Marion Nestle say about present-day nutrition studies?
A)They took her a full year to track and analyze.
B) Most of them are based on systematic reviews.
C) They depend on funding from the food industries.
D)Nearly all of them serve the purpose of the funders.
48.What did Coca-Cola-funded studies claim?
A) Exercise is more important to good health than diet.
B) Choosing what to eat and drink is key to weight control.
C) Drinking Coca-Cola does not contribute to weight gain.
D) The food industry plays a major role in fighting obesity.
49.What does Liebman say about industry-funded research?
A)It simply focuses on nutrition and health.
B) It causes confusion among consumers.
C) It rarely results in objective findings.
D)It runs counter to the public interest.
50.What is the author's advice to consumers?
A) Follow their intuition in deciding what to eat.
B) Be doubtful of diet experts' recommendations.
C) Ignore irrelevant information on their news feed.
D) Think twice about new nutrition research findings.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第70页 共 223 页Passage Twc
Success was once defined as being able to stay at a company for a long time and move up
the corporate ladder. The goal was to reach the top, accumulate wealth and retire to a life of ease.
My father is a successful senior executive. In 35 years, he worked for only three companies.
When I started my career, things were already different. If you weren't changing companies
every three or four years, you simply weren't getting ahead in your career. But back then, if you
were a consultant or freelancer(自由职业者), people would wonder what was wrong with you.
They would assume you had problems getting a job.
Today, consulting or freelancing for five businesses at the same time is a badge of honor. It
shows how valuable an individual is. Many companies now look to these "ultimate professionals"
to solve problems their full-time teams can't. Or they save money by hiring“top-tier(顶尖的)
experts" only for particular projects.
Working at home or in cafes, starting businesses of their own, and even launching business
ventures that eventually may fail, all indicate"initiative","creativity", and "adaptability", which
are desirable qualities in today's workplace. Most important, there is a growing recognition that
people who balance work and play, and who work at what they are passionate about, are more
focused and productive, delivering greater value to their clients.
Who are these people? They are artists, writers, programmers, providers of office services
and career advice. What's needed now is a marketplace platform specifically designed to bring
freelancers and clients together. Such platforms then become a place to feature the most
experienced, professional, and creative talent. This is where they conduct business, where a sense
of community reinforces the culture and values of the gig economy(零工经济), and where
success is rewarded with good reviews that encourage more business.
Slowly but surely, these platforms create a bridge between traditional enterprises and this
emerging economy. Perhaps more important, as the global economy continues to be disrupted by
technology and other massive change, the gig economy will itself become an engine of economic
and social transformation.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 71 页 共 223 页51.What does the author use the example of his father to illustrate?
A) How long people took to reach the top of their career.
B) How people accumulated wealth in his father's time.
C) How people viewed success in his father's time.
D) How long people usually stayed in a company.
52.Why did people often change jobs when the author started his career?
A)It was considered a fashion at that time.
B) It was a way to advance in their career.
C) It was a response to the changing job market.
D)It was difficult to keep a job for long.
53. What does the author say about people now working for several businesses at the same time?
A) They are often regarded as most treasured talents.
B) They are able to bring their potential into fuller play.
C) They have control over their life and work schedules.
D) They feel proud of being outstanding problem solver.
54.What have businesses come to recognize now?
A) Who is capable of solving problems with ease.
B) How people can be more focused and productive.
C) What kind of people can contribute more to them.
D)Why some people are more passionate about work.
55.What does the author say about the gig economy?
A) It may force companies to reform their business practice.
B) It may soon replace the traditional economic model.
C) It will drive technological progress on a global scale.
D) It will bring about radical economic and social changes.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 72 页 共 223 页2021年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第3套
Passage One
Boredom has become trendy. Studies point to how boredom is good for creativity and
innovation, as well as mental health. It is found that people are more creative following the
completion of a tedious task. When people are bored, they have an increase in“associative
thought"—the process of making new connections between ideas, which is linked to innovative
thinking. These studies are impressive, but in reality, the benefits of boredom may be related to
having time to clear your mind, be quiet, or daydream.
In our stimulation-rich world, it seems unrealistic that boredom could occur at all. Yet, there
are valid reasons boredom may feel so painful. As it turns out, boredom might signal the fact that
you have a need that isn't being met.
Our always-on world of social media may result in more connections, but they are
superficial and can get in the way of building a real sense of belonging. Feeling bored may signal
the desire for a greater sense of community and the feeling that you fit in with others around you.
So take the step of joining an organization to build face-to-face relationships. You'll find depth
that you won't get from your screen no matter how many likes you get on your post.
Similar to the need for belonging, bored people often report that they feel a limited sense
of meaning. It's a fundamental human need to have a larger purpose and to feel like we're part
of something bigger than ourselves. When people are bored, they're more likely to feel less
meaning in their lives. If you want to reduce boredom and increase your sense of meaning, seek
work where you can make a unique contribution, or find a cause you can support with your
time and talent.
If your definition of boredom is being quiet, mindful, and reflective, keep it up. But if you're
struggling with real boredom and the emptiness it provokes, consider whether you might seek
new connections and more significant challenges. These are the things that will genuinely relieve
boredom and make you more effective in the process.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第73 页 共 223 页46. What have studies found about boredom?
A) It facilitates innovative thinking.
B) It is a result of doing boring tasks.
C) It helps people connect with others.
D) It does harm to one's mental health.
47.What does the author say boredom might indicate?
A)A need to be left alone.
B)A desire to be fulfilled.
C)A conflict to be resolved.
D)A feeling to be validated.
48.What do we learn about social media from the passage?
A)It may be an obstacle to expanding one's connections.
B) It may get in the way of enhancing one's social status.
C) It may prevent people from developing a genuine sense of community.
D) It may make people feel that they ought to fit in with the outside world.
49. What does the author suggest people do to get rid of boredom?
A)Count the likes they get on their posts.
B) Reflect on how they relate to others.
C) Engage in real-life interactions.
D) Participate in online discussions.
50. What should people do to enhance their sense of meaning?
A)Try to do something original.
B) Confront significant challenges.
C) Define boredom in their unique way.
D)Devote themselves to a worthy cause.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第74页 共 223 页Passage Two
Can you remember what you ate yesterday? If asked, most people will be able to give a
vague description of their main meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner. But can you be sure you've noted
every snack bar in your car, or every handful of nuts at your desk? Most people will have a
feeling that they've missed something out.
We originally had this suspicion back in 2016, puzzled by the fact that national statistics
showed calorie consumption falling dramatically over past decades. We found reliable evidence
that people were drastically under-reporting what they ate.
Now the Office for National Statistics has confirmed that we are consuming 50more
calories than our national statistics claim.
Why is this happening? We can point to at least three potential causes. One is the rise in
obesity levels itself. Under-reporting rates are much higher for obese people, because they simply
consume more food, and thus have more to remember.
Another cause is that the proportion of people who are trying to lose weight has been
increasing over time. People who want to lose weight are more likely to under-report their
eating—regardless of whether they are overweight or not. This may be driven partly by self-
deception or“wishful thinking”.
The final potential cause is an increase in snacking and eating out over recent decades —
both in terms of how often they happen and how much they contribute to our overall energy
intake. Again, there is evidence that food consumed out of the home is one of the most poorly
recorded categories in surveys.
So, what's the message conveyed? For statistics, we should invest in more accurate
measurement options. For policy, we need to focus on options that make it easy for people to eat
fewer calories. If people do not know how much they are eating, it can be really hard for them to
stick to a diet. Also, we should be looking for new ways to ensure what people eat wouldn't have
much impact on their waistlines. If this works, it won't matter if they can't remember what they
ate yesterday
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 75 页 共 223 页51. What did the author suspect back in 2016?
A)Calorie consumption had fallen drastically over the decades.
B) Most people surveyed were reluctant to reveal what they ate.
C) The national statistics did not reflect the actual calorie consumption.
D) Most people did not include snacks when reporting their calorie intake.
52. What has the Office for National Statistics verified?
A)People's calorie intake was far from accurately reported.
B) The missing out of main meals leads to the habit of snacking.
C) The nation's obesity level has much to do with calorie intake.
D) Calorie consumption is linked to the amount of snacks one eats.
53. What do we learn about obese people from the passage?
A) They usually keep their eating habits a secret.
B) They overlook the potential causes of obesity.
C) They cannot help eating more than they should.
D) They have difficulty recalling what they have eaten.
54.What often goes unnoticed in surveys on food consumption?
A)The growing trend of eating out.
B) The potential causes of snacking.
C) People's home energy consumption.
D)People's changing diet over the years.
55.What does the author suggest policymakers do about obesity?
A)Remind people to cut down on snacking.
B) Make sure people eat non-fattening food.
C) Ensure people don't miss their main meals.
D) See that people don't stick to the same diet.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编2015-2023 第 76 页 共 223 页2020年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第1套
Passage One
Three children in every classroom have a diagnosable mental health condition. Half of
these are behavioural disorders, while one third are emotional disorders such as stress, anxiety
and depression, which often become outwardly apparent through self-harm. There was an
astonishing 52 per cent jump in hospital admissions for children and young people who had
harmed themselves between 2009 and 2015.
Schools and teachers have consistently reported the scale of the problem since 2009.Last
year, over half of teachers reported that more of their pupils experience mental health problems
than in the past. But teachers also consistently report how ill-equipped they feel to meet pupils'
mental health needs,and often cite a lack of training, expertise and support from the National
Health Service(英国国家医疗服务体系).
Part of the reason for the increased pressure on schools is that there are now fewer 'early
intervention(干预)'and low-level mental health services based in the community. Cuts to local
authority budgets since 2010 have resulted in a significant decline of these services, despite
strong evidence of their effectiveness in preventing crises further down the line.
The only way to break the pressures on both mental health services and schools is to reinvest
in early intervention services inside schools.
There are strong arguments for why schools are best placed to provide mental health
services. Schools see young people more than any other service, which gives them a unique
ability to get to hard-to-reach children and young people and build meaningful relationships with
them over time. Recent studies have shown that children and young people largely prefer to see a
counsellor in school rather than in an outside environment. Young people have reported that for
low-level conditions such as stress and anxiety, a clinical setting can sometimes be daunting(令
人却步的).
There are already examples of innovative schools which combine mental health and
wellbeing provision with a strong academic curriculum. This will, though, require a huge cultural
shift. Politicians, policymakers,commissioners and school leaders must be brave enough to make
the leap towards reimagining schools as providers of health as well as education services.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 77 页 共 223 页46.What are teachers complaining about?
A) There are too many students requiring special attention.
B) They are under too much stress counselling needy students.
C) Schools are inadequately equipped to implement any intervention.
D) They lack the necessary resources to address pupils' mental problems
47. What do we learn from the passage about community health services in Britain?
A) They have deteriorated due to budget cuts.
B) They facilitate local residents' everyday lives.
C) They prove ineffective in helping mental patients.
D) They cover preventative care for the local residents.
48.Where does the author suggest mental health services be placed?
A)At home.
B)At school
C) In hospitals.
D)In communities
49.What do we learn from the recent studies?
A) Students prefer to rely on peers to relieve stress and anxiety.
B) Young people are keen on building meaningful relationships.
C) Students are more comfortable seeking counselling in school.
D)Young people benefit from various kinds of outdoor activities.
50.What does the author mean by a cultural shift (Line 2, Para. 6)?
A)Simplification of schools' academic curriculums.
B) Parents' involvement in schools'policy-making.
C) A change in teachers' attitudes to mental health.
D)A change in the conception of what schools are.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编2015-2023 第 78 页 共 223 页Passage Two
Picture this: You're at a movie theater food stand loading up on snacks. You have a choice
of a small, medium or large soda. The small is $3.50 and the large is $5.50. It's a tough decision:
The small size may not last you through the whole movie,but $5.50 for some sugary drink seems
ridiculous. But there's a third option, a medium soda for $5.25. Medium may be the perfect
amount of soda for you, but the large is only a quarter more. If you're like most people, you end
up buying the large (and taking a bathroom break midshow).
If you're wondering who would buy the medium soda, the answer is almost no one. In fact,
there's a good chance the marketing department purposely priced the medium soda as a decoy(诱
饵), making you more likely to buy the large soda rather than the small.
I have written about this peculiarity in human nature before with my friend Dan Ariely, who
studied this phenomenon extensively after noticing pricing for subscriptions(订阅)to The
Economist. The digital subscription was $59, the print subscription was $125, and the print plus
digital subscription was also $125. No one in their right mind would buy the print subscription
when you could get digital as well for the same price, so why was it even an option? Ariely ran
an experiment and found that when only the two “real” choices were offered, more people chose
the less-expensive digital subscription. But the addition of the bad option made people much
more likely to choose the more expensive print plus digital option.
Brain scientists call this effect “asymmetric dominance”and it means that people gravitate
toward the choice nearest a clearly inferior option. Marketing professors call it the decoy effect,
which is certainly easier to remember. Lucky for consumers, almost no one in the business
community understands it.
The decoy effect works because of the way our brains assign value when making choices.
Value is almost never absolute; rather,we decide an object's value relative to our other choices. If
more options are introduced, the value equation changes.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第79 页 共 223 页51.Why does the author ask us to imagine buying food in the movie theater?
A) To illustrate people's peculiar shopping behavior.
B) To illustrate the increasing variety of snacks there.
C) To show how hard it can be to choose a drink there.
D) To show how popular snacks are among movie fans.
52.Why is the medium soda priced the way it is?
A)To attract more customers to buy it.
B) To show the price matches the amount.
C) To ensure customers drink the right amount of soda.
D) To make customers believe they are getting a bargain.
53. What do we learn from Dan Ariely's experiment?
A) Lower-priced goods attract more customers.
B) The Economist's promotional strategy works.
C) The Economist's print edition turns out to sell the best.
D) More readers choose the digital over the print edition.
54. For what purpose is“the bad option”(Line 8, Para.3)added?
A) To cater to the peculiar needs of some customers.
B) To help customers to make more rational choices.
C) To trap customers into buying the more pricey item.
D) To provide customers with a greater variety of goods.
55. How do we assess the value of a commodity, according to the passage?
A)By considering its usefulness.
B) By comparing it with other choices.
C) By taking its quality into account.
D) By examining its value equation.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 80页 共 223页2020年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第2套
Passage One
Boredom has, paradoxically, become quite interesting to academics lately. In early May,
London's Boring Conference celebrated seven years of delighting in dullness. At this event,
people flocked to talks about weather, traffic jams, and vending-machine sounds, among other
sleep-inducing topics.
What, exactly, is everybody studying? One widely accepted psychological definition of
boredom is"the distasteful experience of wanting, but being unable, to engage in satisfying
activity.” But how can you quantify a person's boredom level and compare it with someone else's?
In 1986,psychologists introduced the Boredom Proneness Scale,designed to measure an
individual's overall tendency to feel bored. By contrast, the Multidimensional State Boredom
Scale, developed in 2008, measures a person's feelings of boredom in a given situation.
Boredom has been linked to behavior issues including inattentive driving, mindless snacking,
excessive drinking, and addictive gambling. In fact, many of us would choose pain over boredom.
One team of psychologists discovered that two-thirds of men and a quarter of women would
rather self-administer electric shocks than sit alone with their thoughts for 15 minutes.
Researching this phenomenon, another team asked volunteers to watch boring, sad, or neutral
films, during which they could self-administer electric shocks. The bored volunteers shocked
themselves more and harder than the sad or neutral ones did.
But boredom isn't all bad. By encouraging self-reflection and daydreaming, it can spur
creativity. An early study gave participants abundant time to complete problem-solving and
word-association exercises. Once all the obvious answers were exhausted, participants gave more
and more inventive answers to combat boredom. A British study took these findings one step
further, asking subjects to complete a creative challenge (coming up with a list of alternative uses
for a household item).One group of subjects did a boring activity first, while the others went
straight to the creative task. Those whose boredom pumps had been primed were more productive.
In our always-connected world, boredom may be a hard-to-define state, but it is a fertile
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 81 页 共 223 页one.Watch paint dry or water boil, or at least put away your smartphone for a while, and you
might unlock your next big idea.
46.When are people likely to experience boredom, according to an accepted psychological
definition?
A)When they don't have the chance to do what they want.
B) When they don't enjoy the materials they are studying.
C) When they experience something unpleasant.
D) When they engage in some routine activities.
47.What does the author say boredom can lead to?
A)Determination.
B) Concentration.
C)Mental deterioration.
D) Harmful conduct.
48.What is the finding of one team of psychologists in their experiment?
A)Volunteers prefer watching a boring movie to sitting alone deliberating.
B) Many volunteers choose to hurt themselves rather than endure boredom.
C) Male volunteers are more immune to the effects of boredom than females.
D) Many volunteers are unable to resist boredom longer than fifteen minutes.
49.Why does the author say boredom isn't all bad?
A)It stimulates memorization.
B) It allows time for relaxation.
C) It may promote creative thinking.
D) It may facilitate independent learning.
50. What does the author suggest one do when faced with a challenging problem?
A) Stop idling and think big. C) Look around oneself for stimulation.
B) Unlock one's smartphone. D)Allow oneself some time to be bored.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 82 页 共 223 页Passage Two
Forests in countries like Brazil and the Congo get a lot of attention from
environmentalists, and it is easy to see why. South America and sub-Saharan Africa are
experiencing deforestation on an enormous scale: every year almost 5 million hectares are lost.
But forests are also changing in rich Western countries. They are growing larger, both in the
sense that they occupy more land and that the trees in them are bigger. What is going on?
Forests are spreading in almost all Western countries,with the fastest growth in places that
historically had rather few trees. In 1990 28of Spain was forested;now the proportion is 37%.
In both Greece and Italy, the growth was from 26to 32over the same period.Forests are
gradually taking more land in America and Australia.Perhaps most astonishing is the trend in
Ireland.Roughly 1of that country was forested when it became independent in 1922. Now
forests cover 11of the land, and the government wants to push the proportion to 18y the
2040s.
Two things are fertilising this growth. The first is the abandonment of farmland, especially
in high, dry places where nothing grows terribly well. When farmers give up trying to earn a
living from farming or herding, trees simply move in. The second is government policy and
subsidy. Throughout history, governments have protected and promoted forests for diverse
reasons, ranging from the need for wooden warships to a desire to promote suburban house-
building. Nowadays forests are increasingly welcome because they suck in carbon pollution
from the air. The justifications change; the desire for more trees remains constant.
The greening of the West does not delight everyone.Farmers complain that land is being
taken out of use by generously subsidised tree plantations. Parts of Spain and Portugal suffer
from terrible forest fires. Others simply dislike the appearance of forests planted in neat rows.
They will have to get used to the trees, however. The growth of Western forests seems almost
as unstoppable as deforestation elsewhere.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 83 页 共 223 页51. What is catching environmentalists' attention nowadays?
A)Rich countries are stripping poor ones of their resources.
B) Forests are fast shrinking in many developing countries.
C) Forests are eating away the fertile farmland worldwide.
D)Rich countries are doing little to address deforestation.
52. Which countries have the fastest forest growth?
A) Those that have newly achieved independence.
B) Those that have the greatest demand for timber.
C) Those that used to have the lowest forest coverage.
D) Those that provide enormous government subsidies.
53. What has encouraged forest growth historically?
A) The government's advocacy.
B) The use of wood for fuel.
C) The favourable climate.
D)The green movement.
54. What accounts for our increasing desire for forests?
A)Their unique scenic beauty.
B) Their use as fruit plantations.
C) Their capability of improving air quality.
D) Their stable supply of building materials.
55. What does the author conclude about the prospects of forestation?
A)Deserts in sub-Saharan Africa will diminish gradually.
B) It will play a more and more important role in people's lives.
C) Forest destruction in the developing world will quickly slow down.
D)Developed and developing countries are moving in opposite directions.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 84页 共 223 页2020年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第3套
Passage One
A growing number of U.S. bike riders are attracted to electric bikes for convenience, health
benefits and their fun factor. Although ebikes first appeared in the 90s, cheaper options and
longer-lasting batteries are breathing new life into the concept.
Established bike companies and startups are embracing ebikes to meet demand. About 34
million ebikes were sold worldwide last year, according to data from eCycleElectric Consultants.
Most were sold in Europe and China, where the bikes already have exploded in popularity.
Recently, the U.S. market has grown to 263,000 bikes, a 25gain from the prior year.
The industry is benefiting from improved batteries as suppliers over the years developed
technology for laptops, smartphones and electric cars. In 2004, the price of batteries used on
ebikes fell, spurring European sales.
But lower cost options are emerging, too. This month, three U.S. bikeshare companies,
Motivate, LimeBike and Spin, announced electric bicycles will be added to their fleets. New
York-based Jump Bikes is already operating an electric bikeshare in Washington, D.C., and is
launching in San Francisco Thursday. Rides cost $ 2 for 30 minutes.
The system works like existing dockless bikeshare systems, where riders unlock bikes through
a smartphone app.“This is the beginning of a long-term shift away from regular pedal (踏板)to
electric bikes," said Jump Bikes CEO Ryan Rzepecki."When people first jump on an ebike, their
face lights up. It's exciting and joyful in a way that you don't get from a regular bike."
Two years ago,CEO Chris Cocalis of Pivot Cycles,which sells high-end mountain
bikes,found that U.S. bike shops weren't interested in stocking ebikes. Some retailers warned
Cocalis that they'd drop the brand if it came out with an electric bike.
Now that sales are taking off, the vast majority of bike dealers are asking Cocalis when he'll
make an ebike available.“There's tremendous opportunity to get a generation of people for
whom suffering isn't their thing," Cocalis said.“Ebike riders get the enjoyable part of cycling
without themassive suffering of climbing huge hills."
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编2015-2023 第 85 页 共 223 页46. What do we learn from the passage about ebikes?
A) Their health benefits and fun values outweigh their cost.
B)They did not catch public attention in the United States until the 1990s.
C) They did not become popular until the emergence of improved batteries.
D) Their widespread use is attributable to people's environmental awareness.
47.What brought about the boost in ebike sales in Europe at the beginning of the century?
A) Updated technology of bike manufacture.
B) The falling prices of ebike batteries.
C) Changed fashion in short-distance travel.
D) The rising costs for making electric cars.
48.What is the prospect of the bike industry according to Ryan Rzepecki?
A) More will be invested in bike battery research.
B) The sales of ebikes will increase.
C) It will profit from ebike sharing.
D) It will make a difference in people's daily lives.
49.What prevented Chris Cocalis from developing ebikes sooner?
A)Retailers' refusal to deal in ebikes.
B) High profits from conventional bikes.
C) Users'concern about risks of ebike riding.
D) His focus on selling costly mountain bikes.
50.What makes Chris Cocalis believe there is a greater opportunity for ebike sales?
A)The further lowering of ebike prices.
B) The public's concern for their health.
C) The increasing interest in mountain climbing.
D) The younger generation's pursuit of comfortable riding.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 86 页 共 223 页Passage Two
The terms“global warming” and“climate change” are used by many, seemingly
interchangeably. But do they really mean the same thing?
Scientists shaped the history of the terms while attempting to accurately describe how
humans continue to alter the planet. Later, political strategists adopted the terms to influence
public opinion
In 1975, geochemist Wallace Broecker introduced the term“climate change” in an article
published by Science.In 1979, a National Academy of Sciences report used the term“global
warming"to define increases in the Earth's average surface temperature, while "climate change"
more broadly referred to the numerous effects of this increase, such as sea-level rise and ocean
acidification(酸化)
During the following decades,some industrialists and politicians launched a campaign to
sow doubt in the minds of the American public about the ability of fossil-fuel use, deforestation
and other human activities to influence the planet's climate.
Word use played a critical role in developing that doubt. For example,the language and polls
expert Frank Luntz wrote a memo encouraging the use of "climate change" because the phrase
sounded less scary than“global warming,” reported the Guardian.
However, Luntz's recommendation wasn't necessary. A Google Ngram Viewer chart shows
that by 1993 climate change was already more commonly used in books than global warming. By
the end of the next decade both words were used more frequently, and climate change was used
nearly twice as often as global warming.
NASA used the term"climate change" because it more accurately reflects the wide range of
changes to the planet caused by increasing amounts of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
The debate isn't new.A century ago, chemist Svante Arrhenius started one of the first
debates over the potential for humans to influence the planet's climate. Arrhenius calculated the
capability of carbon dioxide to trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere, but other chemists disagreed.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 87页 共 223 页Some argued that humans weren't producing enough greenhouse gases, while others claimed the
effects would be tiny. Now, of course, we know that whatever you call it, human behavior is
warming the planet, with grave consequences ahead.
51. Why did politicians use the two terms“global warming"and "climate change”?
A) To sway public opinion of the impact of human activities on Earth.
B) To more accurately describe the consequences of human activities.
C) To win more popular votes in their campaign activities.
D) To assure the public of the safety of existing industries.
52.As used in a National Academy of Sciences report, the term"climate change"differs from
“global warming” in that .
A)it sounds less vague
B) it looks more scientific
C) it covers more phenomena
D) it is much closer to reality
53. What did industrialists of the late 20th century resort to in order to mislead Americans?
A)Made-up survey results. C) False research findings.
B) Hired climate experts. D)Deliberate choice of words.
54. Why did NASA choose the term "climate change"?
A)To obtain more funds. C) For political needs.
B) For greater precision. D)To avoid debate.
55.What is the author's final conclusion?
A) Global warming is the more accurate term.
B) Accuracy of terminology matters in science.
C) Human activities have serious effects on Earth.
D) Politics interferes with serious scientific debate.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 88 页 共 223 页2020年09月大学英语四级仔细阅读第1套
Passage One
Americans spend billions of dollars each year trying to change their weight with diets, gym
memberships and plastic surgery.
Trying to live up to the images of"perfect"models and movie heroes has a dark side: anxiety,
depression, as well as unhealthy strategies for weight loss or muscle gain. It also has a financial cost.
Having an eating disorder boosts annual health care costs by nearly US$2,000 per person.
Why is there both external and internal pressure to look"perfect"? One reason is that society
rewards people who are thin and healthy-looking. Researchers have shown that body mass index is
related to wages and income. Especially for women, there is a clear penalty at work for being
overweight or obese. Some studies have also found an impact for men, though a less noticeable one.
While the research literature is clear that labor market success is partly based on how
employers and customers perceive your body image, no one had explored the other side of the
question. Does a person's own perception of body image matter to earnings and other indicators
of success in the workplace?
Our recently published study answered this question by tracking a large national random
sample of Americans over a critical time period when bodies change from teenage shape into
adult form and when people build their identities.
As in other research, women in our sample tend to over-perceive their weight—they think
they're heavier than they are—while men tend to under-perceive theirs.
We found no relationship between the average person's self- perception of weight and labor
market outcomes, although self-perceived weight can influence self-esteem(自尊心),mental
health and health behaviors.
While the continued gender penalty in the labor market is frustrating, our finding that
misperceived weight does not harm workers is more heartening.
Since employers'perception of weight is what matters in the labor market, changing
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 89 页 共 223 页discrimination laws to include body type as a category would help. Michigan is the only state that
prohibits discrimination on the basis of weight and height. We believe expanding such
protections would make the labor market more fair and efficient.
46.What does the author say may have an adverse impact on people?
A) Undergoing plastic surgeries in pursuit of beauty.
B) Imitating the lifestyles of heroes and role models.
C) Striving to achieve perfection regardless of financial cost.
D) Attempting to meet society's expectation of appearance.
47.What have researchers found out about people's earnings?
A) They are closely related to people's social status.
B) They have to do with people's body weight and shape.
C) They seem to matter much less to men than to women.
D) They may not be equal to people's contributions.
48.What does the author's recent study focus on?
A)Previous literature on indicators of competitiveness in the workplace.
B) Traits that matter most in one's pursuit of success in the labor market.
C) Whether self-perception of body image impacts one's workplace success.
D) How bosses' perception of body image impacts employees' advancement.
49.What is the finding of the author's recent research?
A) Being overweight actually does not do much harm to the overall well-being of employees.
B) People are not adversely affected in the workplace by false self-perception of body weight.
C) Self-esteem helps to combat gender inequality in the workplace.
D)Gender inequality continues to frustrate a lot of female employees.
50.What does the author think would help improve the situation in the labor market?
A) Banning discrimination on the basis of employees'body image.
B) Expanding protection of women against gender discrimination.
C) Helping employees change their own perception of beauty.
D) Excluding body shape as a category in the labor contract.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 90 页 共 223 页Passage Two
The work-life balance is dead. By this, I'm not advocating that you should give up your
pursuit of having a fulfilling career and a thriving personal life, and I'm definitely not saying that
you have to give up one to have the other. I also acknowledge that we have a work-life problem,
but I'm arguing that the concept of balance has never been helpful, because it's too limiting. You
see, our language makes a difference, and how we refer to things matters because it affects our
thinking and therefore our actions.
At the minimum, most of us work because we want to be able to support ourselves, our
families, and the people around us. In the ideal world, we're all doing work that we're proud of
and that provides meaning and purpose to us. But even if your job doesn't give you shivers of joy
each new day, working is a part of what each of us does and the contribution we make to society.
When you separate work and life, it's a little bit harder to make that connection. But when you
think of work as part of a full life and a complete experience, it becomes easier to see that success
in one aspect often supports another.
Losing your balance and falling isn't pleasant. A goal to balance suggests that things could
quickly get off balance, and that causes terrible outcomes. It's more constructive to think of
solutions that continue to evolve over shifts in life and work. Rather than falling or failing, you
may have good days or better days or not-so-good days. These variations are normal, and it's
more useful to think of life as something that is ever evolving and changing, rather than a high-
risk enterprise where things could go wrong with one misstep.
How we talk to ourselves matters, and how we talk about issues makes a difference. Let's
bury“work-life balance” and think bigger and better about work-life fulfillment to do a little less
balancing and a lot more living.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 91 页 共 223 页51. What does the author suggest by saying"The work-life balance is dead"?
A) The hope of achieving a thriving life is impossible to realize.
B) The pursuit of a fulfilling career involves personal sacrifice.
C) The imbalance between work and life simply doesn't exist anymore
D) The concept of work-life balance contributes little to a fulfilling life.
52. What does the author say about our use of language?
A) It impacts how we think and behave.
B) It changes with the passage of time.
C) It reflects how we communicate.
D) It differs from person to person.
53. What does the author say we do in an ideal world?
A)We do work that betters the lives of our families and friends.
B) We do work that gives us bursts of joy each new day.
C) We do meaningful work that contributes to society.
D) We do demanding work that brings our capacity into full play.
54. What does the author say about life?
A)It is cyclical.
B) It is dynamic.
C) It is fulfilling
D) It is risky.
55. What does the author advise us to do?
A)Make life as simple as possible.
B) Talk about balance in simpler terms.
C) Balance life and work in a new way.
D) Strive for a more fulfilling life.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编2015-2023 第 92 页 共 223 页2020年09月大学英语四级仔细阅读第2套
Passage One
When is cleaning walls a crime? When you're doing it to create art, obviously. A number of
street artists around the world have started expressing themselves through a practice known as
reverse graffiti(涂鸦).They find dirty surfaces and paint them with images or messages using
cleaning brushes or pressure hoses(高压水管).Either way, it's the same principle: the image is
made by cleaning away the dirt. Each artist has their own individual style, but all artists share a
common aim: to draw attention to the pollution in our cities. The UK's Paul Curtis, better known
as Moose, operates around Leeds and London and has been commissioned by a number of
companies to make reverse graffiti advertisements.
Brazilian artist, Alexandre Orion, turned one of Sao Paulo's transport tunnels into an
amazing wall painting in 2006 by getting rid of the dirt. Made up of a series of white skulls (颅
骨),the painting reminds drivers of the effect their pollution is having on the planet. “Every
motorist sits in the comfort of their car, but they don't give any consideration to the price their
comfort has for the environment and consequently for themselves," says Orion.
The anti-pollution message of the reverse graffiti artists confuses city authorities since the
main argument against graffiti is that it spoils the appearance of both types of property: public
and private. This was what Leeds City Council said about Moose's work:"Leeds residents want
to live in clean and attractive neighbourhoods. We view this kind of advertising as environmental
damage and will take strong action against it." Moose was ordered to“clean up his act". How
was he supposed to do this: by making all property he had cleaned dirty again?
As for the Brazilian artist's work, the authorities were annoyed but could find nothing to
charge him with. They had no other option but to clean the tunnel—but only the parts Alexandre
had already cleaned. The artist merely continued his campaign on the other side. The city
officials then decided to take drastic action. They not only cleaned the whole tunnel but every
tunnel in Sao Paulo.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 93 页 共 223 页46.What do we learn from the passage about reverse graffiti?
A)It uses paint to create anti-pollution images.
B) It creates a lot of trouble for local residents.
C) It causes lots of distraction to drivers.
D) It turns dirty walls into artistic works.
47. What do reverse graffiti artists try to do?
A)Publicise their artistic pursuit.
B)Beautify the city environment.
C) Raise public awareness of environmental pollution.
D) Express their dissatisfaction with local governments.
48.What do we learn about Brazilian artist Alexandre Orion?
A)He was good at painting white skulls.
B) He chose tunnels to do his graffiti art.
C) He suggested banning all polluting cars.
D) He was fond of doing creative artworks.
49.What does the author imply about Leeds City Council's decision?
A)It is simply absurd.
B) It is well-informed.
C) It is rather unexpected.
D) It is quite sensible.
50.How did Sao Paulo city officials handle Alexandre Orion's reverse graffiti?
A) They made him clean all the tunnels in Sao Paulo.
B) They took drastic action to ban all reverse graffiti.
C) They charged him with polluting tunnels in the city.
D) They made it impossible for him to practice his art.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 94页 共 223 页Passage Twc
The practice of paying children an allowance became popular in America about 100 years
ago.Nowadays, American kids on average receive about $800 per year in allowance. But the vast
majority of American parents who pay allowance tie it to the completion of housework. Although
many parents believe that paying an allowance for completing chores benefits their children, a
range of experts expressed concern that tying allowance very closely to chores may not be ideal.
In fact, the way chores work in many households worldwide points to another way.
Suniya Luthar, a psychologist, is against paying kids for chores. Luthar is not opposed to
giving allowances, but she thinks it's important to establish that chores are done not because they
will lead to payment, but because they keep the household running. Luthar's suggested approach
to allowance is compatible with that of writer Ron Lieber, who advises that allowances be used as
a means of showing children how to save, give, and spend on things they care about. Kids should
do chores, he writes,"for the same reason adults do, because the chores need to be done, and not
with the expectation of compensation."
This argument has its critics, but considering the way chores are undertaken around the
world may change people's thinking. Professor David Lancy of Utah State University has studied
how families around the world handle chores. At about 18 months of age, Lancy says, most
children become eager to help their parents, and in many cultures, they begin helping with
housework at that age. They begin with very simple tasks, but their responsibilities gradually
increase. And they do these tasks without payment. Lancy contrasts this with what happens in
America.“We deny our children's bids to help until they are 6 or 7 years old,” Lancy says,
“when many have lost the desire to help and then try to motivate them with payment. The
solution to this problem is not to try to use money as an incentive to do housework, but to get
children involved in housework much earlier, when they actually want to do it."
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 95 页 共 223 页51.What do some experts think about paying children for doing chores?
A) It may benefit children in more ways than one.
B) It may help children learn the worth of labor.
C) It may not turn out to be the best thing to do.
D) It may not be accepted by low-income parents.
52. According to Suniya Luthar, doing chores will help children learn to
A)share family responsibilities
B) appreciate the value of work
C) cultivate the spirit of independence
D)manage domestic affairs themselves
53. What does Ron Lieber think should be the goal of giving children allowances?
A)To help to strengthen family ties.
B) To teach them how to manage money.
C) To motivate them to do more housework.
D) To show parents' appreciation of their help.
54.What does David Lancy say about 18-month-olds?
A) They have a natural instinct to help around the house.
B) They are too young to request money for what they do.
C) They should learn to understand family responsibilities.
D) They need a little incentive to get involved in housework.
55. What does David Lancy advise American parents to do?
A) Set a good example for children in doing housework.
B) Make children do housework without compensation.
C) Teach children how to do housework.
D)Accept children's early bids to help.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 96 页 共 223 页2020年07月大学英语四级仔细阅读全1套
Passage One
The wallet is heading for extinction. As a day-to-day essential, it will die off with the
generation who read print newspapers. The kind of shopping—where you hand over notes and
count out change in return—now happens only in the most minor of our retail encounters, like
buying a bar of chocolate or a pint of milk, from a corner shop. At the shops where you spend any
real money, that money is increasingly abstracted. And this is more and more true, the higher up
the scale you go. At the most cutting-edge retail stores Victoria Beckham on Dover Street, for
instance—you don't go and stand at any kind of cash register, when you decide to pay. The staff
are equipped with iPads to take your payment while you relax on a sofa.
Which is nothing more or less than excellent service, if you have the money. But across
society, the abstraction of the idea of cash makes me uneasy. Maybe I'm just old-fashioned. But
earning money isn't quick or easy for most of us. Isn't it a bit weird that spending it should
happen in half a blink(眨眼)of an eye? Doesn't a wallet—that time-honoured Friday-night
feeling of pleasing, promising fatness—represent something that matters?
But I'll leave the economics to the experts. What bothers me about the death of the wallet is
the change it represents in our physical environment. Everything about the look and feel of a
wallet—the way the fastenings and materials wear and tear and loosen with age, the plastic and
paper and gold and silver, and handwritten phone numbers and printed cinema tickets—is the
very opposite of what our world is becoming. The opposite of a wallet is a smartphone or an iPad.
The rounded edges, cool glass, smooth and unknowable as a pebble(鹅卵石). Instead of digging
through pieces of paper and peering into corners, we move our fingers left and right. No more
counting out coins. Show your wallet, if you still have one. It may not be here much longer.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 97 页 共 223 页46.What is happening to the wallet?
A) It is disappearing
B) It is being fattened.
C) It is becoming costly.
D) It is changing in style.
47. How are business transactions done in big modern stores?
A)Individually.
B)Electronically
C) In the abstract.
D)Via a cash register.
48.What makes the author feel uncomfortable nowadays?
A) Saving money is becoming a thing of the past.
B) The pleasing Friday-night feeling is fading.
C) Earning money is getting more difficult.
D) Spending money is so fast and easy.
49.Why does the author choose to write about what's happening to the wallet?
A) It represents a change in the modern world.
B) It has something to do with everybody's life.
C) It marks the end of a time-honoured tradition.
D) It is the concern of contemporary economists.
50.What can we infer from the passage about the author?
A) He is resistant to social changes.
B) He is against technological progress.
C) He feels reluctant to part with the traditional wallet.
D) He feels insecure in the ever-changing modern world.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 98 页 共 223 页Passage Two
It's late in the evening: time to close the book and turn off the computer. You're done for
the day. What you may not realize, however, is that the learning process actually continues—in
your dreams
It might sound like science fiction, but researchers are increasingly focusing on the
relationship between the knowledge and skills our brains absorb during the day and the
fragmented, often bizarre imaginings they generate at night. Scientists have found that dreaming
about a task we've learned is associated with improved performance in that activity(suggesting
that there's some truth to the popular notion that we're"getting" a foreign language once we
begin dreaming in it). What's more, researchers are coming to recognize that dreaming is an
essential part of understanding, organizing and retaining what we learn.
While we sleep, research indicates, the brain replays the patterns of activity it experienced
during waking hours, allowing us to enter what one psychologist calls a neural (神经的) virtual
reality. A vivid example of such replay can be seen in a video researchers made recently about
sleep disorders. They taught a series of dance moves to a group of patients with conditions like
sleepwalking, in which the sleeper engages in the kind of physical movement that does not
normally occur during sleep. They then videotaped the subjects as they slept. Lying in bed, eyes
closed, one female patient on the tape performs the dance moves she learned earlier.
This shows that while our bodies are at rest, our brains are drawing what's important from
the information and events we've recently encountered, then integrating that data into the vast
store of what we already know. In a 2010 study, researchers at Harvard Medical School reported
that college students who dreamed about a computer maze(迷宫) task they had learned showed a
10-fold improvement in their ability to find their way through the maze compared with
participants who did not dream about the task.
Robert Stickgold, one of the Harvard researchers, suggests that studying right before
bedtime or taking a nap following a study session in the afternoon might increase the odds of
dreaming about the material. Think about that as your head hits the pillow tonight.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 99 页 共 223 页51. What is scientists' finding about dreaming?
A)It involves disconnected, weird images.
B) It resembles fragments of science fiction.
C) Dreaming about a learned task betters its performance.
D) Dreaming about things being learned disturbs one's sleep.
52. What happens when one enters a dream state?
A) The body continues to act as if the sleeper were awake.
B) The neural activity of the brain will become intensified.
C) The brain behaves as if it were playing a virtual reality video game.
D) The brain once again experiences the learning activities of the day.
53.What does the brain do while we are sleeping?
A)It systematizes all the data collected during the day.
B) It substitutes old information with new data.
C) It processes and absorbs newly acquired data.
D) It classifies information and places it in different files.
54. What does Robert Stickgold suggest about enhancing learning?
A) Having a little sleep after studying in the day.
B) Staying up late before going to bed.
C) Having a dream about anything.
D) Thinking about the odds of dreaming about the material.
55.What can be inferred about dreaming from the passage?
A)We may enhance our learning through dreaming.
B) Dreaming improves your language ability.
C) All sleepwalkers perform dance moves when they are sleeping.
D) Taking a nap after learning can help you find the way through the maze.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编2015-2023 第 100 页 共 223 页2019年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第1套
Passage One
Professor Ashok Goel of Georgia Tech developed an artificially intelligent teaching assistant
to help handle the enormous number of student questions in the online class, Knowledge-Based
Artificial Intelligence. This online course is a core requirement of Georgia Tech's online Master
of Science in Computer Science program. Professor Goel already had eight teaching assistants,
but that wasn't enough to deal with the overwhelming number of daily questions from students.
Many students drop out of online courses because of the lack of teaching support. When
students feel isolated or confused and reach out with questions that go unanswered, their
motivation to continue begins to fade. Professor Goel decided to do something to remedy this
situation and his solution was to create a virtual assistant named Jill Watson, which is based on
the IBM Watson platform.
Goel and his team developed several versions of Jill Watson before releasing her to the
online forums. At first, the virtual assistant wasn't too great. But Goel and his team sourced the
online discussion forum to find all the 40,000 questions that had ever been asked since the class
was launched. Then they began to feed Jill with the questions and answers. After some
adjustments and sufficient time, Jill was able to answer the students' questions correctly 97of
the time. The virtual assistant became so advanced and realistic that the students didn't know she
was a computer. The students, who were studying artificial intelligence, were interacting with the
virtual assistant and couldn't tell it apart from a real human being. Goel didn't inform them about
Jill's true identity until April 26.The students were actually very positive about the experience.
The goal of Professor Goel's virtual assistant next year is to take over answering 40of all
the questions posed by students on the online forum. The name Jill Watson will, of course,
change to something else next semester. Professor Goel has a much rosier outlook on the future
of artificial intelligence than, say, Elon Musk, Stephen Hawking, Bill Gates or Steve Wozniak.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 101 页 共 223 页46.What do we learn about Knowledge-Based Artificial Intelligence?
A) It is a robot that can answer students' questions.
B) It is a course designed for students to learn online.
C) It is a high-tech device that revolutionizes teaching.
D) It is a computer program that aids student learning.
47.What problem did Professor Goel meet with?
A) His students were unsatisfied with the assistants.
B) His course was too difficult for the students.
C) Students' questions were too many to handle.
D) Too many students dropped out of his course.
48.What do we learn about Jill Watson?
A)She turned out to be a great success.
B) She got along pretty well with students.
C) She was unwelcome to students at first.
D) She was released online as an experiment.
49.How did the students feel about Jill Watson?
A)They thought she was a bit too artificial.
B) They found her not as capable as expected.
C) They could not but admire her knowledge.
D) They could not tell her from a real person.
50.What does Professor Goel plan to do next with Jill Watson?
A)Launch different versions of her online.
B) Feed her with new questions and answers.
C) Assign her to answer more of students' questions.
D) Encourage students to interact with her more freely.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 102 页 共 223 页Passage Two
Thinking small, being engaging, and having a sense of humor don't hurt. Those are a few
of the traits of successful science crowdfunding efforts that emerge from a recent study that
examined nearly 400 campaigns. But having a large network and some promotional skills may be
more crucial
Crowdfunding, raising money for a project through online appeals, has taken off in recent
years for everything from making movies to producing water-saving gadgets. Scientists have
tried to tap Internet donors, too, with mixed success. Some raised more than twice their goals, but
others have fallen short of reaching even modest targets.
To determine what separates science crowdfunding triumphs from failures, a team led by
science communications scholar Mike Schafer of the University of Zurich examined the content
of the webpages for 371 recent campaigns.
Four traits stood out for those that achieved their goals, the researchers report in Public
Understanding of Science. For one, they use a crowdfunding platform that specializes in raising
money for science, and not just any kind of project. Although sites like Kickstarter take all
comers, platforms such as Experiment.com and Petridish.org only present scientific projects. For
another, they present the project with a funny video because good visuals and a sense of humor
improved success. Most of them engage with potential donors, since projects that answered
questions from interested donors fared better. And they target a small amount of money. The
projects included in the study raised $4,000 on average, with 30receiving less than $1,000. The
more money a project sought, the lower the chance it reached its goal, the researchers found.
Other factors may also significantly influence a project's success, most notably, the size of a
scientist's personal and professional networks, and how much a researcher promotes a project on
their own. Those two factors are by far more critical than the content on the page. Crowdfunding
can be part of researchers' efforts to reach the public, and people give because"they feel a
connection to the person"who is doing the fundraising—not necessarily to the science.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 103 页 共 223 页51. What do we learn about the scientists trying to raise money online for their projects?
A) They did not raise much due to modest targets.
B) They made use of mixed fundraising strategies.
C) Not all of them achieved their anticipated goals.
D) Most of them put movies online for the purpose
52. What is the purpose of Mike Schafer's research of recent crowdfunding campaigns?
A) To create attractive content for science websites.
B) To identify reasons for their different outcomes.
C) To help scientists to launch innovative projects.
D) To separate science projects from general ones.
53. What trait contributes to the success of a crowdfunding campaign?
A) The potential benefit to future generations.
B) Its interaction with prospective donors.
C) Its originality in addressing financial issues.
D) The value of the proposed project.
54.What did the researchers think of the financial targets of crowdfunding projects?
A)They should be small to be successful.
B) They should be based on actual needs.
C) They should be assessed with great care.
D) They should be ambitious to gain notice.
55.What motivates people to donate in a crowdfunding campaign?
A) The ease of access to the content of the webpage.
B) Their desire to contribute to the cause of science.
C) The significance and influence of the project itself.
D) Their feeling of connection to the scientists themselves.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编2015-2023 第 104 页 共 223 页2019年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第2套
Passage One
Textbooks represent an 11 billion dollar industry, up from $8 billion in 2014. Textbook
publisher Pearson is the largest publisher—of any kind—in the world.
It costs about $1 million to create a new textbook. A freshman textbook will have dozens
of contributors, from subject-matter experts through graphic and layout artists to expert
reviewers and classroom testers. Textbook publishers connect professors, instructors and
students in ways that alternatives, such as open e-textbooks and open educational resources,
simply do not. This connection happens not only by means of collaborative development,
review and testing, but also at conferences where faculty regularly decide on their textbooks
and curricula for the coming year.
It is true that textbook publishers have recently reported losses, largely due to students
renting or buying used print textbooks. But this can be chalked up to the excessively high cost of
their books—which has increased over 1, 000 percent since 1977. A restructuring of the textbook
industry may well be in order. But this does not mean the end of the textbook itself.
While they may not be as dynamic as an iPad, textbooks are not passive or lifeless. For
example, over the centuries, they have simulated(模拟)dialogues in a number of ways. From
1800 to the present day, textbooks have done this by posing questions for students to answer
inductively(归纳性地).That means students are asked to use their individual experience to come
up with answers to general questions. Today's psychology texts, for example, ask:“How much of
your personality do you think you inherited?" while ones in physics say:"How can you predict
where the ball you tossed will land?”
Experts observe that "textbooks come in layers, something like an onion." For an active
learner, engaging with a textbook can be an interactive experience. Readers proceed at their own
pace. They "customize"their books by engaging with different layers and linkages. Highlighting,
Post-It notes, dog-ears and other techniques allow for further customization that students value in
print books over digital forms of books.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 105 页 共 223 页46.What does the passage say about open educational resources?
A) They contribute to teaching as much as to learning.
B) They don't profit as much as traditional textbooks do.
C) They can't connect professors and students as textbooks do.
D) They compete fiercely for customers with textbook producers.
47.What is the main cause of the publishers' losses?
A)Failure to meet student need.
B) Industry restructuring.
C) Emergence of e-books.
D) Falling sales.
48.What does the textbook industry need to do?
A)Reform its structures.
B) Cut its retail prices.
C) Find replacements for printed textbooks.
D) Change its business strategy periodically.
49.What are students expected to do in the learning process?
A)Think carefully before answering each question.
B) Ask questions based on their own understanding.
C) Answer questions using their personal experience.
D) Give answers showing their respective personality.
50. What do experts say about students using textbooks?
A) They can digitalize the prints easily.
B) They can learn in an interactive way.
C) They can purchase customized versions.
D)They can adapt the material themselves.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 106 页 共 223 页Passage Two
When we think of animals and plants, we have a pretty good way of dividing them into two
distinct groups: one converts sunlight into energy and the other has to eat food to make its energy.
Well, those dividing lines come crashing down with the discovery of a sea slug(海蛄蝓) that's
truly half animal and half plant. It's pretty incredible how it has managed to hijack the genes of
the algae(藻类) on which it feeds.
The slugs can manufacture chlorophyll, the green pigment(色素)in plants that captures
energy from sunlight, and hold these genes within their body. The term kleptoplasty is used to
describe the practice of using hijacked genes to create nutrients from sunlight. And so far, this
green sea slug is the only known animal that can be truly considered solar-powered, although
some animals do exhibit some plant-like behaviors. Many scientists have studied the green sea
slugs to confirm that they are actually able to create energy from sunlight.
In fact, the slugs use the genetic material so well that they pass it on to their future
generations. Their babies retain the ability to produce their own chlorophyll, though they can't
generate energy from sunlight until they've eaten enough algae to steal the necessary genes,
which they can't yet produce on their own.
“There's no way on earth that genes from an alga should work inside an animal cell,” says
Sidney Pierce from the University of South Florida.“And yet here, they do. They allow the
animal to rely on sunshine for its nutrition. So if something happens to their food source, they
have a way of not starving to death until they find more algae to eat.”
The sea slugs are so good at gathering energy from the sun that they can live up to nine
months without having to eat any food. They get all their nutritional needs met by the genes that
they've hijacked from the algae.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 107 页 共 223 页51. What is the distinctive feature of a sea slug?
A)It looks like both a plant and an animal.
B)It converts some sea animals into plants.
C) It lives half on animals and half on plants.
D) It gets energy from both food and sunlight.
52. What enables the sea slug to live like a plant?
A) The genes it captures from the sea plant algae.
B) The mechanism by which it conserves energy.
C) The nutrients it hijacks from other species.
D) The green pigment it inherits from its ancestors.
53.What does the author say about baby sea slugs?
A) They can live without sunlight for a long time.
B) They can absorb sunlight right after their birth.
C) They can survive without algae for quite some time.
D) They can produce chlorophyll on their own.
54.What does Sidney Pierce say about genes from an alga?
A) They are stolen from animals like the sea slug.
B) They can't function unless exposed to sunlight.
C) They don't usually function inside animal cells.
D) They can readily be converted to sea slug genes.
55.What do we learn about sea slugs from the passage?
A) They behave the way most plant species do.
B) They can survive for months without eating.
C) They will turn into plants when they mature.
D) They will starve to death without sunlight.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编2015-2023 第 108 页 共 223 页2019年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第3套
Passage One
The fifth largest city in the US passed a significant soda tax proposal that will levy(征税)
1.5 cents per liquid ounce on distributors.
Philadelphia's new measure was approved by a 13 to 4 city council vote. It sets a new bar
for similar initiatives across the country. It is proof that taxes on sugary drinks can win
substantial support outside super-liberal areas. Until now, the only city to successfully pass and
implement a soda tax was Berkeley, California, in 2014.
The tax will apply to regular and diet sodas, as well as other drinks with added sugar, such
as Gatorade and iced teas. It's expected to raise $410 million over the next five years, most of
which will go toward funding a universal pre-kindergarten program for the city.
While the city council vote was met with applause inside the council room, opponents to the
measure, including soda lobbyists, made sharp criticisms and a promise to challenge the tax in
court.
“The tax passed today unfairly singles out beverages—including low-and no-calorie
choices,”said Lauren Kane, spokeswoman for the American Beverage Association.“But most
importantly, it is against the law. So we will side with the majority of the people of Philadelphia
who oppose this tax and take legal action to stop it.”
An industry-backed anti-tax campaign has spent at least $4 million on advertisements. The
ads criticized the measure, characterizing it as a“grocery tax.”
Public health groups applauded the approved tax as a step toward fixing certain lasting
health issues that plague Americans.“The move to recapture a small part of the profits from an
industry that pushes a product that contributes to diabetes, obesity and heart disease in poorer
communities in order to reinvest in those communities will sure be inspirational to many other
places,"said Jim Krieger, executive director of Healthy Food America.“Indeed, we are already
hearing from some of them. It's not 'just Berkeley' anymore."
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 109 页 共 223 页Similar measures in California's Albany, Oakland, San Francisco and Colorado's Boulder
are becoming hot-button issues. Health advocacy groups have hinted that even more might be
coming.
46.What does the passage say about the newly-approved soda tax in Philadelphia?
A)It will change the lifestyle of many consumers.
B) It may encourage other US cities to follow suit.
C) It will cut soda consumption among low-income communities.
D) It may influence the marketing strategies of the soda business.
47.What will the opponents probably do to respond to the soda tax proposal?
A)Bargain with the city council.
B) Refuse to pay additional tax.
C) Take legal action against it.
D)Try to win public support.
48.What did the industry-backed anti-tax campaign do about the soda tax proposal?
A)It tried to arouse hostile feelings among consumers.
B) It tried to win grocers'support against the measure.
C) It kept sending letters of protest to the media.
D) It criticized the measure through advertising.
49.What did public health groups think the soda tax would do?
A)Alert people to the risk of sugar-induced diseases.
B) Help people to fix certain long-time health issues.
C) Add to the fund for their research on diseases.
D) Benefit low-income people across the country.
50.What do we learn about similar measures concerning the soda tax in some other cities?
A) They are becoming rather sensitive issues.
B) They are spreading panic in the soda industry.
C) They are reducing the incidence of sugar-induced diseases.
D) They are taking away a lot of profit from the soda industry.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 110 页 共 223 页Passage Two
Popping food into the microwave for a couple of minutes may seem utterly harmless, but
Europe's stock of these quick-cooking ovens emit as much carbon as nearly 7 million cars, a new
study has found. And the problem is growing. With costs falling and kitchen appliances
becoming“status” items, owners are throwing away microwaves after an average of eight years.
This is pushing sales of new microwaves which are expected to reach 135 million annually in the
EU by the end of the decade.
A study by the University of Manchester calculated the emissions of CO?—the main
greenhouse gas responsible for climate change—at every stage of microwaves, from manufacture
to waste disposal.“It is electricity consumption by microwaves that has the biggest impact on the
environment,”say the authors. The authors also calculate that the emissions from using 19
microwaves over a year are the same as those from using a car. According to the same study,
efforts to reduce consumption should focus on improving consumer awareness and behaviour.
For example, consumers could use appliances in a more efficient way by adjusting the time of
cooking to the type of food.
However, David Reay, professor of carbon management, argues that, although microwaves
use a great deal of energy, their emissions are minor compared to those from cars. In the UK
alone, there are around 30 million cars. These cars emit more than all the microwaves in the EU.
Backing this up, recent data show that passenger cars in the UK emitted 69 million tons of COz in
2015.This is 10 times the amount this new microwave oven study estimates for annual emissions
for all the microwave ovens in the EU. Further, the energy used by microwaves is lower than any
other form of cooking. Among common kitchen appliances used for cooking, microwaves are the
most energy efficient, followed by a stove and finally a standard oven. Thus, rising microwave
sales could be seen as a positive thing.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 111 页 共 223 页51. What is the finding of the new study?
A)Quick-cooking microwave ovens have become more popular.
B) The frequent use of microwaves may do harm to our health.
C)CO?emissions constitute a major threat to the environment.
D) The use of microwaves emits more COz than people think.
52. Why are the sales of microwaves expected to rise?
A) They are becoming more affordable.
B) They have a shorter life cycle than other appliances.
C) They are getting much easier to operate.
D) They take less time to cook than other appliances.
53. What recommendation does the study by the University of Manchester make?
A)Cooking food of different varieties.
B) Improving microwave users'habits.
C) Eating less to cut energy consumption.
D)Using microwave ovens less frequently.
54.What does Professor David Reay try to argue?
A) There are far more emissions from cars than from microwaves.
B) People should be persuaded into using passenger cars less often.
C) The UK produces less CO? than many other countries in the EU.
D) More data are needed to show whether microwaves are harmful.
55. What does Professor David Reay think of the use of microwaves?
A) It will become less popular in the coming decades.
B) It makes everyday cooking much more convenient.
C) It plays a positive role in environmental protection.
D) It consumes more power than conventional cooking.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编2015-2023 第 112 页 共 223 页2019年 06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第1套
Passage One
In the classic marriage vow(誓约), couples promise to stay together in sickness and in
health. But a new study finds that the risk of divorce among older couples rises when the wife-not
the husband—becomes seriously ill.
“Married women diagnosed with a serious health condition may find themselves struggling
with the impact of their disease while also experiencing the stress of divorce," said researcher
Amelia Karraker.
Karraker and co-author Kenzie Latham analyzed 20 years of data on 2,717 marriages from a
study conducted by Indiana University since 1992. At the time of the first interview, at least one
of the partners was over the age of 50.
The researchers examined how the onset(发生)of four serious physical illnesses affected
marriages. They found that, overall, 31of marriages ended in divorce over the period studied.
The incidence of new chronic(慢性的)illness onset increased over time as well, with more
husbands than wives developing serious health problems.
“We found that women are doubly vulnerable to marital break-up in the face of illness,”
Karraker said.“They're more likely to be widowed, and if they're the ones who become ill,
they're more likely to get divorced."
While the study didn't assess why divorce is more likely when wives but not husbands
become seriously ill, Karraker offers a few possible reasons.“Gender norms and social
expectations about caregiving may make it more difficult for men to provide care to sick
spouses,”Karraker said.“And because of the imbalance in marriage markets, especially in older
ages, divorced men have more choices among prospective partners than divorced women.”
Given the increasing concern about health care costs for the aging population, Karraker
believes policymakers should be aware of the relationship between disease and risk of divorce.
“Offering support services to spouses caring for their other halves may reduce marital stress
and prevent divorce at older ages,” she said.“But it's also important to recognize that the
pressure to divorce may be health-related and that sick ex-wives may need additional care and
services to prevent worsening health and increased health costs.”
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 113 页 共 223 页46.What can we learn about marriage vows from the passage?
A) They may not guarantee a lasting marriage.
B)They are as binding as they used to be.
C) They are not taken seriously any more.
D) They may help couples tide over hard times.
47. What did Karraker and co-author Kenzie Latham find about elderly husbands?
A) They are generally not good at taking care of themselves.
B) They can become increasingly vulnerable to serious illnesses.
C) They can develop different kinds of illnesses just like their wives.
D) They are more likely to contract serious illnesses than their wives.
48.What does Karraker say about women who fall ill?
A)They are more likely to be widowed.
B) They are more likely to get divorced.
C) They are less likely to receive good care.
D) They are less likely to bother their spouses.
49.Why is it more difficult for men to take care of their sick spouses according to Karraker?
A) They are more accustomed to receiving care.
B) They find it more important to make money for the family.
C) They think it more urgent to fulfill their social obligations.
D) They expect society to do more of the job.
50.What does Karraker think is also important?
A)Reducing marital stress on wives.
B)Stabilizing old couples' relations.
C) Providing extra care for divorced women.
D) Making men pay for their wives' health costs.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 114 页 共 223 页Passage Twc
If you were like most children, you probably got upset when your mother called you by a
sibling's(兄弟姐妹的) name.How could she not know you? Did it mean she loved you less?
Probably not. According to the first research to tackle this topic head-on, misnaming the
most familiar people in our life is a common cognitive(认知的)error that has to do with how our
memories classify and store familiar names.
The study, published online in April in the journal Memory and Cognition, found that the
“wrong”name is not random but is invariably fished out from the same relationship pond:
children, siblings, friends. The study did not examine the possibility of deep psychological
significance to the mistake, says psychologist David Rubin,“but it does tell us who's in and
who's out of the group."
The study also found that within that group, misnamings occurred where the names shared
initial or internal sounds, like Jimmy and Joanie or John and Bob. Physical resemblance between
people was not a factor. Nor was gender.
The researchers conducted five separate surveys of more than 1,700 people. Some of the
surveys included only college students; others were done with a mixed-age population. Some
asked subjects about incidents where someone close to them—family or friend—had called them
by another person's name. The other surveys asked about times when subjects had themselves
called someone close to them by the wrong name. All the surveys found that people mixed up
names within relationship groups such as grandchildren, friends and siblings but hardly ever
crossed these boundaries.
In general, the study found that undergraduates were almost as likely as old people to make
this mistake and men as likely as women. Older people and women made the mistake slightly
more often, but that may be because grandparents have more grandchildren to mix up than
parents have children. Also, mothers may call on their children more often than fathers, given
traditional gender norms. There was no evidence that errors occurred more when the misnamer
was frustrated, tired or angry.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 115 页 共 223 页51. How might people often feel when they were misnamed?
A) Unwanted.
B)Unhappy
C) Confused.
D) Indifferent.
52. What did David Rubin's research find about misnaming?
A) It is related to the way our memories work.
B) It is a possible indicator of a faulty memory.
C) It occurs mostly between kids and their friends.
D) It often causes misunderstandings among people.
53. What is most likely the cause of misnaming?
A)Similar personality traits.
B) Similar spellings of names.
C) Similar physical appearance.
D)Similar pronunciation of names.
54.What did the surveys of more than 1,700 subjects find about misnaming?
A) It more often than not hurts relationships.
B) It hardly occurs across gender boundaries.
C) It is most frequently found in extended families.
D) It most often occurs within a relationship group.
55. Why do mothers misname their children more often than fathers?
A)They suffer more frustrations.
B) They become worn out more often.
C) They communicate more with their children.
D) They generally take on more work at home.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编2015-2023 第 116 页 共 223 页2019年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第2套
Passage One
According to the majority of Americans, women are every bit as capable of being good
political leaders as men. The same can be said of their ability to dominate the corporate
boardroom. And according to a new Pew Research Center survey on women and leadership, most
Americans find women indistinguishable from men on key leadership traits such as intelligence
and capacity for innovation, with many saying they're stronger than men in terms of being
passionate and organized leaders.
So why, then, are women in short supply at the top of government and business in the
United States? According to the public, at least, it's not that they lack toughness, management
talent or proper skill sets.
It's also not all about work-life balance. Although economic research and previous survey
findings have shown that career interruptions related to motherhood may make it harder for
women to advance in their careers and compete for top executive jobs, relatively few adults in the
recent survey point to this as a key barrier for women seeking leadership roles. Only about one-
in-five say women's family responsibilities are a major reason why there aren't more females in
top leadership positions in business and politics.
Instead, topping the list of reasons, about four-in-ten Americans point to a double standard
for women seeking to climb to the highest levels of either politics or business, where they have to
do more than their male counterparts to prove themselves. Similar shares say the electorate(选民)
and corporate America are just not ready to put more women in top leadership positions.
As a result, the public is divided about whether the imbalance in corporate America will
change in the foreseeable future,even though women have made major advances in the
workplace. While 53elieve men will continue to hold more top executive positions in
business in the future, 44say it's only a matter of time before as many women are in top
executive positions as men. Americans are less doubtful when it comes to politics: 73xpect to
see a female president in their lifetime.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 117页 共 223 页46.What do most Americans think of women leaders according to a new Pew Research Center
survey?
A) They have to do more to distinguish themselves.
B) They have to strive harder to win their positions.
C) They are stronger than men in terms of willpower.
D) They are just as intelligent and innovative as men.
47. What do we learn from previous survey findings about women seeking leadership roles?
A)They have unconquerable difficulties on their way to success.
B) They are lacking in confidence when competing with men.
C) Their failures may have something to do with family duties.
D) Relatively few are hindered in their career advancement.
48.What is the primary factor keeping women from taking top leadership positions according to
the recent survey?
A)Personality traits.
B)Gender bias
C) Family responsibilities.
D) Lack of vacancies.
49.What does the passage say about corporate America in the near future?
A)More and more women will sit in the boardroom.
B) Gender imbalance in leadership is likely to change.
C) The public is undecided about whether women will make good leaders.
D) People have opposing opinions as to whether it will have more women leaders.
50.What do most Americans expect to see soon on America's political stage?
A)A woman in the highest position of government.
B) More and more women actively engaged in politics.
C)A majority of women voting for a female president.
D)As many women in top government positions as men.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 118 页 共 223 页Passage Twc
People have grown taller over the last century, with South Korean women shooting up by
more than 20cm on average, and Iranian men gaining 16.5cm. A global study looked at the
average height of 18-year-olds in 200 countries between 1914 and 2014.
The results reveal that while Swedes were the tallest people in the world in 1914, Dutch men
have risen from 12th place to claim top spot with an average height of 182.5cm. Latvian women,
meanwhile, rose from 28th place in 1914 to become the tallest in the world a century later, with
an average height of 169.8cm.
James Bentham, a co-author of the research from Imperial College, London, says the global
trend is likely to be due primarily to improvements in nutrition and healthcare.“An individual's
genetics has a big influence on their height, but once you average over whole populations,
genetics plays a less key role," he added.
A little extra height brings a number of advantages, says Elio Riboli of Imperial College.
“Being taller is associated with longer life expectancy," he said.“This is largely due to a lower
risk of dying of cardiovascular(心血管的) disease among taller people.”
But while height has increased around the world, the trend in many countries of north and
sub-Saharan Africa causes concern, says Riboli. While height increased in Uganda and Niger
during the early 20th century, the trend has reversed in recent years, with height decreasing
among 18-year-olds
“One reason for these decreases in height is the economic situation in the 1980s,”said
Alexander Moradi of the University of Sussex. The nutritional and health crises that followed the
policy of structural adjustment, he says, led to many children and teenagers failing to reach their
full potential in terms of height.
Bentham believes the global trend of increasing height has important implications.“How tall
we are now is strongly influenced by the environment we grew up in," he said."If we give
children the best possible start in life now, they will be healthier and more productive for decades
to come."
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 119 页 共 223 页51. What does the global study tell us about people's height in the last hundred years?
A) There is a remarkable difference across continents.
B) There has been a marked increase in most countries.
C) The increase in people's height has been quickening.
D) The increase in women's height is bigger than in men's.
52.What does James Bentham say about genetics in the increase of people's height?
A)It counts less than generally thought.
B) It outweighs nutrition and healthcare.
C) It impacts more on an individual than on a population.
D) It plays a more significant role in females than in males.
53. What does Elio Riboli say about taller people?
A)They tend to live longer.
B) They enjoy an easier life.
C) They generally risk fewer fatal diseases.
D) They have greater expectations in life.
54.What do we learn about 18-year-olds in Uganda and Niger?
A)They grow up slower than their peers in other countries.
B) They are actually shorter than their earlier generations.
C) They find it hard to bring their potential into full play.
D) They have experienced many changes of government.
55.What does James Bentham suggest we do?
A)Watch closely the global trend in children's development.
B) Make sure that our children grow up to their full height.
C) Try every means possible to improve our environment.
D) Ensure our children grow up in an ideal environment.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编2015-2023 第 120页 共 223 页2019年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第3套
Passage One
Most kids grow up learning they cannot draw on the walls. But it might be time to unlearn
that training—this summer, a group of culture addicts, artists and community organizers are
inviting New Yorkers to write all over the walls of an old house on Governor's Island.
The project is called Writing On It All, and it's a participatory writing project and artistic
experiment that has happened on Governor's Island every summer since 2013.
“Most of the participants are people who are just walking by or are on the island for other
reasons, or they just kind of happen to be there," Alexandra Chasin, artistic director of Writing
On It All, tells Smithsonian.com.
The 2016 season runs through June 26 and features sessions facilitated by everyone from
dancers to domestic workers. Each session has a theme, and participants are given a variety of
materials and prompts and asked to cover surfaces with their thoughts and art. This year, the
programs range from one that turns the house into a collaborative essay to one that explores the
meaning of exile
Governor's Island is a national historic landmark district long used for military purposes.
Now known as"New York's shared space for art and play," the island, which lies between
Manhattan and Brooklyn in Upper New York Bay, is closed to cars but open to summer tourists
who flock for festivals, picnics, adventures, as well as these"legal graffiti(涂鸦)"Sessions.
The notes and art scribbled(涂画) on the walls are an experiment in self-expression.So far,
participants have ranged in age from 2 to 85. Though Chasin says the focus of the work is on the
activity of writing, rather than the text that ends up getting written, some of the work that comes
out of the sessions has stuck with her.
“One of the sessions that moved me the most was state violence on black women and black
girls,” says Chasin, explaining that in one room, people wrote down the names of those killed
because of it.“People do beautiful work and leave beautiful messages.”
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 121 页 共 223 页46.What does the project Writing On It All invite people to do?
A) Unlearn their training in drawing.
B) Participate in a state graffiti show.
C) Cover the walls of an old house with graffiti.
D) Exhibit their artistic creations in an old house.
47. What do we learn about the participants in the project?
A)They are just culture addicts.
B) They are graffiti enthusiasts.
C) They are writers and artists.
D)They are mostly passers-by.
48.What did the project participants do during the 2016 season?
A) They were free to scribble on the walls whatever came to their mind.
B) They expressed their thoughts in graffiti on the theme of each session.
C) They learned the techniques of collaborative writing.
D) They were required to cooperate with other creators.
49.What kind of place is Governor's Island?
A) It is a historic site that attracts tourists and artists.
B) It is an area now accessible only to tourist vehicles.
C) It is a place in Upper New York Bay formerly used for exiles.
D) It is an open area for tourists to enjoy themselves year round.
50.What does Chasin say about the project?
A) It just focused on the sufferings of black females.
B) It helped expand the influence of graffiti art.
C) It has started the career of many creative artists.
D) It has created some meaningful artistic works.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 122 页 共 223 页Passage Two
Online programs to fight depression are already commercially available. While they sound
efficient and cost-saving, a recent study reports that they are not effective, primarily because
depressed patients are not likely to engage with them or stick with them.
The study looked at computer-assisted cognitive(认知的)behavioral therapy(CBT) and
found that it was no more effective in treating depression than the usual care patients receive
from a primary care doctor.
Traditional CBT is considered an effective form of talk therapy for depression, helping
people challenge negative thoughts and change the way they think in order to change their mood
and behaviors. However, online CBT programs have been gaining popularity, with the attraction
of providing low-cost help wherever someone has access to a computer.
A team of researchers from the University of Y ork conducted a randomized(随机的)
control trial with 691 depressed patients from 83 physician practices across England. The patients
were split into three groups: one group received only usual care from a physician while the other
two groups received usual care from a physician plus one of two computerized CBT programs.
Participants were balanced across the three groups for age, sex, educational background, severity
and duration of depression, and use of antidepressants (抗抑郁药).
After four months, the patients using the computerized CBT programs had no improvement
in depression levels over the patients who were only getting usual care from their doctors.
“It's an important, cautionary note that we shouldn't get too carried away with the idea that
a computer system can replace doctors and therapists," says Christopher Dowrick, a professor of
primary medical care at the University of Liverpool.“We do still need the human touch or the
human interaction, particularly when people are depressed.”
Being depressed can mean feeling "lost in your own small, negative, dark world," Dowrick
says. Having a person, instead of a computer, reach out to you is particularly important in
combating that sense of isolation.“When you're emotionally vulnerable, you're even more in
need of a caring human being," he says.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 123 页 共 223 页51. What does the recent study say about online CBT programs?
A)Patients may not be able to carry them through for effective cure.
B) Patients cannot engage with them without the use of a computer.
C) They can save patients trouble visiting physicians.
D) They have been well received by a lot of patients.
52.What has made online CBT programs increasingly popular?
A) Their effectiveness in combating depression.
B) The low efficiency of traditional talk therapy.
C) Their easy and inexpensive access by patients.
D) The recommendation by primary care doctors.
53. What is the major finding by researchers at the University of York?
A)Online CBT programs are no more effective than regular care from physicians.
B) The process of treating depression is often more complicated than anticipated.
C) The combination of traditional CBT and computerized CBT is most effective.
D) Depression is a mental condition which is to be treated with extreme caution.
54.What is Professor Dowrick's advice concerning online CBT programs?
A) They should not be neglected in primary care.
B) Their effectiveness should not be overestimated.
C) They should be used by strictly following instructions.
D) Their use should be encouraged by doctors and therapists.
55. What is more important to an emotionally vulnerable person?
A)A positive state of mind.
B)Appropriate medication.
C) Timely encouragement.
D) Human interaction.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 124 页 共 223 页2018年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第1套
Passage One
California has been facing a drought for many years now, with certain areas even having to
pump freshwater hundreds of miles to their distribution system. The problem is growing as the
population of the state continues to expand. New research has found deep water reserves under
the state which could help solve their drought crisis. Previous drilling of wells could only reach
depths of 1,000 feet, but due to new pumping practices, water deeper than this can now be
extracted(抽取).The team at Stanford investigated the aquifers (地下蓄水层)below this depth
and found that reserves may be triple what was previously thought.
It is profitable to drill to depths more than 1,000 feet for oil and gas extraction, but only
recently in California has it become profitable to pump water from this depth. The aquifers range
from 1,000 to 3,000 feet below the ground, which means that pumping will be expensive and
there are other concerns. The biggest concern of pumping out water from this deep is the gradual
settling down of the land surface. As the water is pumped out, the vacant space left is compacted
by the weight of the earth above.
Even though pumping from these depths is expensive, it is still cheaper than desalinating
(脱盐)the ocean water in the largely coastal state. Some desalination plants exist where
feasible, but they are costly to run and can need constant repairs. Wells are much more reliable
sources of freshwater, and California is hoping that these deep wells may be the answer to their
severe water shortage.
One problem with these sources is that the deep water also has a higher level of salt than
shallower aquifers. This means that some wells may even need to undergo desalination after
extraction, thus increasing the cost. Research from the exhaustive study of groundwater from
over 950 drilling logs has just been published. New estimates of the water reserves now go up to
2,700 billion cubic meters of freshwater.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 125 页 共 223 页46.How could California's drought crisis be solved according to some researchers?
A)By building more reserves of groundwater.
B) By drawing water from the depths of the earth.
C) By developing more advanced drilling devices.
D)By upgrading its water distribution system.
47. What can be inferred about extracting water from deep aquifers?
A)It was deemed vital to solving the water problem.
B) It was not considered worth the expense.
C) It may not provide quality freshwater.
D) It is bound to gain support from the local people.
48.What is mentioned as a consequence of extracting water from deep underground?
A)The sinking of land surface.
B) The harm to the ecosystem.
C) The damage to aquifers.
D) The change of the climate.
49.What does the author say about deep wells?
A) They run without any need for repairs.
B) They are entirely free from pollutants.
C) They are the ultimate solution to droughts.
D) They provide a steady supply of freshwater.
50.What may happen when deep aquifers are used as water sources?
A)People's health may improve with cleaner water.
B) People's water bills may be lowered considerably.
C) The cost may go up due to desalination.
D) They may be exhausted sooner or later.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 126 页 共 223 页Passage Two
The AlphaGo program's victory is an example of how smart computers have become.
But can artificial intelligence(AI) machines act ethically, meaning can they be honest and fair?
One example of AI is driverless cars. They are already on California roads, so it is not too
soon to ask whether we can program a machine to act ethically. As driverless cars improve, they
will save lives. They will make fewer mistakes than human drivers do. Sometimes, however, they
will face a choice between lives. Should the cars be programmed to avoid hitting a child running
across the road, even if that will put their passengers at risk? What about making a sudden turn to
avoid a dog? What if the only risk is damage to the car itself, not to the passengers?
Perhaps there will be lessons to learn from driverless cars, but they are not super-
intelligent beings. Teaching ethics to a machine even more intelligent than we are will be the
bigger challenge.
About the same time as AlphaGo's triumph, Microsoft's 'chatbot' took a bad turn. The
software, named Taylor, was designed to answer messages from people aged 18-24. Taylor was
supposed to be able to learn from the messages she received. She was designed to slowly improve
her ability to handle conversations, but some people were teaching Taylor racist ideas. When she
started saying nice things about Hitler, Microsoft turned her off and deleted her ugliest messages.
AlphaGo's victory and Taylor's defeat happened at about the same time. This should be a
warning to us. It is one thing to use AI within a game with clear rules and clear goals. It is
something very different to use Al in the real world. The unpredictability of the real world may
bring to the surface a troubling software problem.
Eric Schmidt is one of the bosses of Google, which owns AlphoGo. He thinks AI will be
positive for humans. He said people will be the winner, whatever the outcome. Advances in AI
will make human beings smarter, more able and"just better human beings."
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 127 页 共 223 页51. What does the author want to show with the example of AlphaGo's victory?
A)Computers will prevail over human beings.
B) Computers have unmatched potential.
C) Computers are man's potential rivals.
D) Computers can become highly intelligent.
52. What does the author mean by AI machines acting ethically?
A) They are capable of predicting possible risks.
B) They weigh the gains and losses before reaching a decision.
C) They make sensible decisions when facing moral dilemmas.
D) They sacrifice everything to save human lives.
53. What is said to be the bigger challenge facing humans in the Al age?
A) How to make super-intelligent AI machines share human feelings.
B) How to ensure that super-intelligent Al machines act ethically.
C) How to prevent Al machines doing harm to humans.
D) How to avoid being over-dependent on AI machines.
54.What do we learn about Microsoft's 'chatbot' Taylor?
A) She could not distinguish good from bad.
B) She could turn herself off when necessary.
C) She was not made to handle novel situations.
D) She was good at performing routine tasks.
55.What does Eric Schmidt think of artificial intelligence?
A) It will be far superior to human beings.
B)It will keep improving as time goes by.
C) It will prove to be an asset to human beings.
D) It will be here to stay whatever the outcome.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 128 页 共 223 页2018年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第2套
Passage One
Roughly the size of a soda can, sitting on a bookshelf, a relatively harmless gadget may be
turning friends away from your home. The elephant in your living room is your Internet-
connected security camera, a device people are increasingly using for peace of mind in their
homes. But few stop to think about the effect these devices may have on house guests. Should
you tell your friends, for instance, that they're being recorded while you all watch the big game
together?
“It's certainly new territory, especially as home security cameras become easier to install,”
says Lizzie Post, president of the Emily Post Institute, America's foremost manners advisors.“I
think it will be very interesting to see what etiquette(礼仪)emerges in terms of whether you tell
people you have a camera or not, and whether guests have a right to ask that it be turned off, if
it's not a security issue.”
Post wants to make clear that she's not talking about legal rights, but rather personal
preferences. She also wants to explain that there are no right or wrong answers regarding manners
on this front yet, because the technology is just now becoming mainstream. Besides, the Emily
Post Institute doesn't dictate manners.
When it comes to security cameras, Post says it's a host's responsibility to make sure
guests feel comfortable within their home.“I'm always a fan of being open and honest.” For
instance, if the host casually acknowledges that there is a camera in the room by telling a story
about it, that may be enough to provide an opening for a guest to say if they are uncomfortable.
However, if a contractor is working in your home, you don't need to tell them that there are
cameras watching. Then again, the air of accountability that the camera generates can also work
in contractors'favor."If anything does go wrong while they're in the house, they don't want to
be blamed for it,” she says.“In fact, the camera could be the thing that proves that they didn't
steal the $20, or knock the vase off the table.”
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 129 页 共 223 页46.For what reason may your friends feel reluctant to visit your home?
A) The security camera installed may intrude into their privacy.
B) They don't want their photos to be circulated on the Internet.
C) The security camera may turn out to be harmful to their health.
D) They may not be willing to interact with your family members.
47.What does Lizzie Post say is new territory?
A) The effect of manners advice on the public.
B) Cost of applying new technologies at home.
C) The increasing use of home security devices.
D) Etiquette around home security cameras.
48.What is Lizzie Post mainly discussing with regard to the use of home security cameras?
A)Legal rights.
B)Moral issues
C)Likes and dislikes of individuals.
D) The possible impact on manners.
49.What is a host's responsibility regarding security cameras, according to Lizzie Post?
A)Making their guests feel at ease.
B) Indicating where they are.
C) Turning them off in time.
D) Ensuring their guests'privacy.
50. In what way can the home security camera benefit visitors to your home?
A)It can satisfy their curiosity.
B) It can prove their innocence.
C) It can help them learn new technology.
D) It can make their visit more enjoyable.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 130 页 共 223 页Passage Two
PepsiCo is to spend billions of dollars to develop drinks and snacks and reformulate
existing ones with lower sugar, salt and fat, as consumers demand healthier options and
regulatory pressure intensifies amid an obesity epidemic(流行病).
The maker of Mountain Dew and Gatorade has been one of the earlier movers in the
industry to offer products with reduced levels of unhealthy ingredients—PepsiCo claims a packet
of its chips now contains less salt than a slice of white bread. However, its new 10-year plan
makes clear it believes it still has a long way to go.
Shifting eating habits, including a sharp drop in consumption of sparkling drinks, have
forced radical change on the industry. But those shifts have yet to be reflected in record obesity
levels, which stand at 36.5overall in the US.
Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo chairman, said the plan to make its products healthier was important
for the company's growth. But on the subject of obesity, she pointed out that consumers'
lifestyles have changed significantly, with many people being more sedentary(久坐不动的) not
least because more time is spent in front of computers. She said PepsiCo's contribution was to
produce healthier snacks that still tasted good.
“Society has to change its habits," she added.“We can't do much to alter sedentary lifestyles,
but we can provide consumers with great-tasting products, low in salt, sugar and fat. In the past
we had to have a taste trade-off. But we're breaking that trade-off."
PepsiCo's plan for its foods and drinks is based on guidelines from the World Health
Organisation, which last week backed using taxes on sparkling drinks to reduce sugar
consumption. Initiatives also include efforts to reduce its environmental impact, water
consumption and materials used in packaging by 2025.
PepsiCo did not say exactly how much it planned to invest to reach its goals. However, Dr
Mehmood Khan, chief scientific officer, said the company had doubled research and development
spending in the past five years and was“committed to sustaining investment”, adding that
companies cannot cost-cut their way to increasing sales. PepsiCo's research and development
budget in 2015 was $754 million.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 131 页 共 223 页51. Why is PepsiCo making a policy change?
A) To win support from the federal government.
B) To be more competitive in the global market.
C) To satisfy the growing needs for healthy foods.
D) To invest more wisely in the soft drink industry.
52. What does PepsiCo think it will have to do in the future?
A)Invest more to develop new snacks.
B) Reduce levels of obesity in the US.
C) Change consumers' eating habits.
D) Keep on improving its products.
53. Why does PepsiCo plan to alter its products, according to Indra Nooyi?
A) To ensure the company's future development.
B) To adapt to its customers' changed taste.
C) To help improve its consumers' lifestyles.
D) To break the trade-off in its product design.
54. What does Indra Nooyi say about the obesity epidemic?
A) It is mainly caused by overconsumption of snacks.
B) It results from high sugar and salt consumption.
C) It is attributable to people's changed lifestyles.
D) It has a lot to do with longer working hours.
55.What has PepsiCo been doing to achieve its objective?
A)Studying WHO's guidelines.
B)Increasing its research funding.
C) Expanding its market overseas.
D) Cutting its production costs.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编2015-2023 第 132 页 共 223 页2018年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第3套
Passage One
The latest in cat research reveals that the lovely animal seems to have a basic grasp on both
the laws of physics and the ins and outs of cause and effect.
According to a newly published study, cats seem to be able to predict the location of hiding
prey(猎物)using both their ears and an inborn(天生的)understanding of how the physical
world works
In a recent experiment, Japanese researchers taped 30 domestic cats reacting to a container
that a team member shook. Some containers rattled(发出响声); others did not.When the
container was tipped over, sometimes an object fell out and sometimes it didn't.
It turns out that the cats were remarkably smart about what would happen when a container
was tipped over. When an object did not drop out of the bottom of a rattling container, they
looked at it for a longer time than they did when the container behaved as expected.
“Cats use a causal-logical understanding of noise or sounds to predict the appearance of
invisible objects,"lead researcher Saho Takagi says in a press release. The researchers conclude
that cats' hunting style may have developed based on their common-sense abilities to infer where
prey is, using their hearing.
Scientists have explored this idea with other endearing creatures: babies. Like cats, babies
appear to engage in what's called“preferential looking"—looking longer at things that are
interesting or unusual than things they perceive as normal.
When babies' expectations are violated in experiments like the ones performed with the cats,
they react much like their animal friends. Psychologists have shown that babies apparently expect
their world to comply with the laws of physics and cause and effect as early as two months of age.
Does the study mean that cats will soon grasp the ins and outs of cause and effect? Maybe.
Okay, so cats may not be the next physics faculty members at America's most important research
universities. But by demonstrating their common sense, they've shown that the divide between
cats and humans may not be that great after all.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 133 页 共 223 页46.What do we learn from a newly published study about cats?
A) They can be trained to understand the physical world.
B) They know what kind of prey might be easier to hunt.
C) They have a natural ability to locate animals they hunt.
D) They are capable of telling which way their prey flees.
47.What may account for the cats' response to the noise from the containers?
A) Their inborn sensitivity to noise.
B) Their unusual sense of direction.
C) Their special ability to perceive.
D) Their mastery of cause and effect.
48.What is characteristic of the way cats hunt, according to the Japanese researchers?
A)They depend on their instincts.
B) They rely mainly on their hearing.
C) They wait some time before attack.
D)They use both their ears and eyes.
49.In what way do babies behave like cats?
A)They focus on what appears odd.
B) They view the world as normal.
C) They do what they prefer to do.
D) They are curious about everything.
50.What can we conclude about cats from the passage?
A) They have higher intelligence than many other animals.
B) They interact with the physical world much like humans.
C) They display extraordinarily high intelligence in hunting.
D) They can aid physics professors in their research work.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编2015-2023 第 134 页 共 223 页Passage Two
Imagine you enter a car with no steering wheel, no brake or accelerator pedals(踏板).
Under a voice-activated command, you say an address."The fastest route will take us 15.3
minutes. Should I take it?” You say“yes” and you are on your way. The car responds and starts
moving all by itself. All you have to do is sit back and relax.
How weird would it be if, one day in the future, everyone had such a car? No crazy driving,
no insults, no cutting in; traffic laws would be respected and driving much safer. On the other
hand, imagine the cost savings for local police enforcement and town budgets without all those
speeding and parking tickets.
A new technology has the potential to change modern society in radical ways. There's no
question that self-driving vehicles could be an enormous benefit. The potential for safer cars
means accident statistics would drop: some 94of road accidents in the U.S. involve human
error. Older drivers and visually-or physically-impaired people would gain a new level of
freedom. Maintaining safe speeds and being electric, self-driving cars would drastically reduce
pollution levels and dependency on non-renewable fuels. Roads would be quieter, people safer.
But we must also consider the impact of the new technology on those who now depend on
driving for their livelihoods. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, in May 2015 there were
505,560 registered school bus drivers. The American Trucking Association lists approximately
3.5 million professional truck drivers in the U.S.
The companies developing self-driving vehicles should be partnering with state and federal
authorities to offer retraining for this massive workforce, many of whom will be displaced by the
new technology. This is similar to what's happening in the coal and oil industries, a situation that
fuels much of the current political discontent in this country.
New technologies will, and should, be developed. This is how society moves forward.
However, progress can't be one-sided. It is necessary for the companies and state agencies involved
to consider the ethical consequences of these potential changes to build a better future for all.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 135 页 共 223 页51. What would be the impact of the extensive use of driverless cars?
A) People would be driving in a more civilized way.
B) It would save local governments a lot of money.
C) More policemen would be patrolling the streets.
D) Traffic regulations would be a thing of the past.
52. How would the elderly and the disabled benefit from driverless cars?
A)They could enjoy greater mobility.
B) They would suffer no road accidents.
C) They would have no trouble driving.
D)They could go anywhere they want.
53. What would be the negative impact of driverless cars?
A)The conflict between labor and management would intensify.
B) The gap between various sectors of society would be widened.
C) Professional drivers would have a hard time adapting to new road conditions.
D) Numerous professional drivers would have to find new ways of earning a living.
54. What is the result of the introduction of new technologies in energy industries?
A)Political dissatisfaction.
B)Retraining of employees.
C) Fossil fuel conservation.
D) Business restructuring.
55.What does the author suggest businesses and the government do?
A) Keep pace with technological developments.
B) Make new technologies affordable to everyone.
C) Enable everyone to benefit from new technologies.
D) Popularize the use of new technologies and devices.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 136 页 共 223 页2018年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第1套
Passage One
Losing your ability to think and remember is pretty scary. We know the risk of dementia (痴
呆症) increases with age.But if you have memory slips, you probably needn't worry. There are
pretty clear differences between signs of dementia and age-related memory loss.
After age 50, it's quite common to have trouble remembering the names of people, places
and things quickly, says Dr. Kirk Daffner of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
The brain ages just like the rest of the body. Certain parts shrink, especially areas in the
brain that are important to learning, memory and planning. Changes in brain cells can affect
communication between different regions of the brain. And blood flow can be reduced as blood
vessels narrow.
Forgetting the name of an actor in a favorite movie, for example, is nothing to worry about.
But if you forget the plot of the movie or don't remember even seeing it, that's far more
concerning, Daffner says.
When you forget entire experiences, he says, that's "a red flag that something more serious
may be involved.” Forgetting how to operate a familiar object like a microwave oven, or
forgetting how to drive to the house of a friend you've visited many times before can also be
signs of something going wrong.
But even then, Daffner says, people shouldn't panic. There are many things that can cause
confusion and memory loss, including health problems like temporary stoppage of breathing during
sleep, high blood pressure, or depression, as well as medications (药物) like antidepressants.
You don't have to figure this out on your own. Daffner suggests going to your doctor to
check on medications, health problems and other issues that could be affecting memory. And the
best defense against memory loss is to try to prevent it by building up your brain's cognitive(认
知的)reserve, Daffner says
“Read books, go to movies, take on new hobbies or activities that force one to think in novel
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 137 页 共 223 页ways,” he says. In other words, keep your brain busy and working. And also get physically active,
because exercise is a known brain booster.
46.Why does the author say that one needn't be concerned about memory slips?
A) Not all of them are symptoms of dementia.
B) They occur only among certain groups of people.
C) Not all of them are related to one's age.
D) They are quite common among fifty-year-olds.
47. What happens as we become aged according to the passage?
A)Our interaction skills deteriorate.
B) Some parts of our brain stop functioning.
C) Communication within our brain weakens.
D) Our whole brain starts shrinking.
48.Which memory-related symptom should people take seriously?
A) Totally forgetting how to do one's daily routines.
B) Inability to recall details of one's life experiences.
C) Failure to remember the names of movies or actors.
D) Occasionally confusing the addresses of one's friends.
49.What should people do when signs of serious memory loss show up?
A)Check the brain's cognitive reserve.
B) Stop medications affecting memory.
C) Turn to a professional for assistance.
D) Exercise to improve their well-being.
50.What is Dr. Daffner's advice for combating memory loss?
A) Having regular physical and mental checkups.
B) Taking medicine that helps boost one's brain.
C) Engaging in known memory repair activities.
D) Staying active both physically and mentally.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 138 页 共 223 页Passage Two
A letter written by Charles Darwin in 1875 has been returned to the Smithsonian Institution
Archives(档案馆)by the FBI after being stolen twice.
“We realized in the mid-1970s that it was missing,” says Effie Kapsalis, head of the
Smithsonian Institution Archives. “It was noted as missing and likely taken by an intern(实习生),
from what the FBI is telling us. Word got out that it was missing when someone asked to see the
letter for research purposes,“and the intern put the letter back.“The intern likely took the letter
again once nobody was watching it.”
Decades passed. Finally, the FBI received a tip that the stolen document was located very
close to Washington, D.C. Their art crime team recovered the letter but were unable to press
charges because the time of limitations had ended. The FBI worked closely with the Archives to
determine that the letter was both authentic and definitely Smithsonian's property.
The letter was written by Darwin to thank an American geologist, Dr. Ferdinand Vandeveer
Hayden, for sending him copies of his research into the geology of the region that would become
Yellowstone National Park.
The letter is in fairly good condition, in spite of being out of the care of trained museum
staff for so long.“It was luckily in good shape," says Kapsalis," and we just have to do some
minor things in order to be able to unfold it. It has some glue on it that has colored it slightly, but
nothing that will prevent us from using it. After it is repaired, we will take digital photos of it and
that will be available online. One of our goals is to get items of high research value or interest to
the public online.""
It would now be difficult for an intern, visitor or a thief to steal a document like this.
“Archiving practices have changed greatly since the 1970s," says Kapsalis,"and we keep our
high value documents in a safe that I don't even have access to."
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 139页 共 223 页51.What happened to Darwin's letter in the 1970s?
A)It was recovered by the FBI.
B)It was stolen more than once.
C) It was put in the archives for research purposes.
D) It was purchased by the Smithsonian Archives.
52. What did the FBI do after the recovery of the letter?
A)They proved its authenticity.
B) They kept it in a special safe.
C) They arrested the suspect immediately.
D) They pressed criminal charges in vain.
53. What is Darwin's letter about?
A) The evolution of Yellowstone National Park.
B) His cooperation with an American geologist.
C) Some geological evidence supporting his theory.
D) His acknowledgement of help from a professional.
54. What will the Smithsonian Institution Archives do with the letter according to Kapsalis?
A)Reserve it for research purposes only.
B) Turn it into an object of high interest.
C) Keep it a permanent secret.
D) Make it available online.
55.What has the past half century witnessed according to Kapsalis?
A)Growing interest in rare art objects.
B) Radical changes in archiving practices.
C) Recovery of various missing documents.
D) Increases in the value of museum exhibits.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 140 页 共 223 页2018年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第2套
Passage One
Living in an urban area with green spaces has a long-lasting positive impact on people's
mental well-being, a study has suggested. UK researchers found moving to a green space had a
sustained positive effect, unlike pay rises or promotions, which only provided a short-term boost.
Co-author Mathew White, from the University of Exeter, UK, explained that the study showed
people living in greener urban areas were displaying fewer signs of depression or anxiety."There
could be a number of reasons," he said,"for example, people do many things to make themselves
happier: they strive for promotion or pay rises, or they get married. But the trouble with those
things is that within six months to a year, people are back to their original baseline levels of well-
being. So, these things are not sustainable; they don't make us happy in the long term. We found
that for some lottery(彩票)winners who had won more than f 500,000 the positive effect was
definitely there, but after six months to a year, they were back to the baseline.”
Dr. White said his team wanted to see whether living in greener urban areas had a lasting
positive effect on people's sense of well-being or whether the effect also disappeared after a
period of time. To do this, the team used data from the British Household Panel Survey compiled
by the University of Essex.
Explaining what the data revealed, he said:“What you see is that even after three years,
mental health is still better, which is unlike many other things that we think will make us happy."
He observed that people living in green spaces were less stressed, and less stressed people made
more sensible decisions and communicated better.
With a growing body of evidence establishing a link between urban green spaces and a
positive impact on human well-being, Dr. White said,“There's growing interest among public
policy officials, but the trouble is who funds it. What we really need at a policy level is to decide
where the money will come from to help support good quality local green spaces.”
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 141 页 共 223 页46.According to one study, what do green spaces do to people?
A) Improve their work efficiency.
B) Add to their sustained happiness.
C) Help them build a positive attitude towards life.
D) Lessen their concerns about material well-being.
47.What does Dr. White say people usually do to make themselves happier?
A)Earn more money
B) Settle in an urban area.
C) Gain fame and popularity.
D) Live in a green environment.
48.What does Dr. White try to find out about living in a greener urban area?
A)How it affects different people.
B) How strong its positive effect is.
C) How long its positive effect lasts.
D) How it benefits people physically.
49. What did Dr. White's research reveal about people living in a green environment?
A) Their stress was more apparent than real.
B) Their decisions required less deliberation.
C) Their memories were greatly strengthened.
D) Their communication with others improved.
50.According to Dr. White, what should the government do to build more green spaces in cities?
A) Find financial support.
B) Improve urban planning.
C) Involve local residents in the effort.
D)Raise public awareness of the issue.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 142 页 共 223 页Passage Two
You probably know about the Titanic, but it was actually just one of three state-of-the-art
(最先进的)ocean ships back in the day. The Olympic class ships were built by the Harland &
Wolff ship makers in Northern Ireland for the White Star Line company. The Olympic class
included the Olympic, the Britannic and the Titanic. What you may not know is that the Titanic
wasn't even the flagship of this class. All in all, the Olympic class ships were marvels of sea
engineering, but they seemed cursed to suffer disastrous fates.
The Olympic launched first in 1910, followed by the Titanic in 1911, and lastly the
Britannic in 1914.The ships had nine decks, and White Star Line decided to focus on making
them the most luxurious ships on the water.
Stretching 269.13 meters, the Olympic class ships were wonders of naval technology, and
everyone thought that they would continue to be so for quite some time. However, all suffered
terrible accidents on the open seas. The Olympic got wrecked before the Titanic did, but it was
the only one to survive and maintain a successful career of 24 years. The Titanic was the first to
sink after famously hitting a huge iceberg in 1912. Following this disaster, the Britannic hit a
naval mine in 1916 and subsequently sank as well.
Each ship was coal-powered by several boilers constantly kept running by exhausted crews
below deck. Most recognizable of the ship designs are the ship's smoke stacks, but the fourth
stack was actually just artistic in nature and served no functional purpose. While two of these
ships sank, they were all designed with double hulls (船体) believed to make them“unsinkable”,
perhaps a mistaken idea that led to the Titanic's and the Britannic's tragic end.
The Olympic suffered two crashes with other ships and went on to serve as a hospital ship
and troop transport in World War I. Eventually, she was taken out of service in 1935, ending the
era of the luxurious Olympic class ocean liners.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 143 页 共 223 页51. What does the passage say about the three Olympic class ships?
A) They performed marvellously on the sea
B) They could all break the ice in their way.
C) They all experienced terrible misfortunes.
D) They were models of modern engineering.
52. What did White Star Line have in mind when it purchased the three ships?
A) Their capacity of sailing across all waters.
B) The utmost comfort passengers could enjoy.
C) Their ability to survive disasters of any kind.
D) The long voyages they were able to undertake.
53.What is said about the fourth stack of the ships?
A)It was a mere piece of decoration.
B) It was the work of a famous artist.
C) It was designed to let out extra smoke.
D)It was easily identifiable from afar.
54.What might have led to the tragic end of the Titanic and the Britannic?
A)Their unscientific designs.
B) Their captains'misjudgment.
C) The assumption that they were built with the latest technology.
D) The belief that they could never sink with a double-layer body.
55. What happened to the ship Olympic in the end?
A) She was used to carry troops.
B) She was sunk in World War I.
C) She was converted into a hospital ship.
D) She was retired after her naval service.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 144页 共 223 页2018年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第3套
Passage One
For thousands of years, people have known that the best way to understand a concept is to
explain it to someone else.“While we teach, we learn,” said Roman philosopher Seneca. Now
scientists are bringing this ancient wisdom up-to-date. They're documenting why teaching is such
a fruitful way to learn, and designing innovative ways for young people to engage in instruction.
Researchers have found that students who sign up to tutor others work harder to understand
the material, recall it more accurately and apply it more effectively. Student teachers score higher
on tests than pupils who're learning only for their own sake. But how can children, still learning
themselves, teach others? One answer: They can tutor younger kids. Some studies have found
that first-born children are more intelligent than their later-born siblings(兄弟姐妹).This
suggests their higher IQs result from the time they spend teaching their siblings. Now educators
are experimenting with ways to apply this model to academic subjects. They engage college
undergraduates to teach computer science to high school students, who in turn instruct middle
school students on the topic.
But the most cutting-edge tool under development is the "teachable agent"—a computerized
character who learns, tries, makes mistakes and asks questions just like a real-world pupil.
Computer scientists have created an animated (动画的) figure called Betty's Brain, who has been
“taught” about environmental science by hundreds of middle school students. Student teachers
are motivated to help Betty master certain materials. While preparing to teach, they organize their
knowledge and improve their own understanding. And as they explain the information to it, they
identify problems in their own thinking.
Feedback from the teachable agents further enhances the tutors'learning. The agents'
questions compel student tutors to think and explain the materials in different ways, and watching
the agent solve problems allows them to see their knowledge put into action.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 145 页 共 223 页Above all, it's the emotions one experiences in teaching that facilitate learning. Student
tutors feel upset when their teachable agents fail, but happy when these virtual pupils succeed as
they derive pride and satisfaction from someone else's accomplishment.
46.What are researchers rediscovering through their studies?
A)Seneca's thinking is still applicable today.
B) Better learners will become better teachers.
C) Human intelligence tends to grow with age.
D) Philosophical thinking improves instruction.
47.What do we learn about Betty's Brain?
A)It is a character in a popular animation.
B) It is a teaching tool under development.
C) It is a cutting-edge app in digital games.
D) It is a tutor for computer science students.
48.How does teaching others benefit student tutors?
A)It makes them aware of what they are strong at.
B) It motivates them to try novel ways of teaching.
C) It helps them learn their academic subjects better.
D) It enables them to better understand their teachers.
49.What do students do to teach their teachable agents?
A) They motivate them to think independently.
B) They ask them to design their own questions.
C) They encourage them to give prompt feedback.
D) They use various ways to explain the materials.
50.What is the key factor that eases student tutors' learning?
A)Their sense of responsibility.
B) Their emotional involvement.
C) The learning strategy acquired.
D)The teaching experience gained.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 146 页 共 223 页Passage Two
A new batch of young women—members of the so-called Millennial(千禧的)generation
—has been entering the workforce for the past decade. At the starting line of their careers, they
are better educated than their mothers and grandmothers had been—or than their young male
counterparts are now. But when they look ahead, they see roadblocks to their success. They
believe that women are paid less than men for doing the same job. They think it's easier for men
to get top executive jobs than it is for them. And they assume that if and when they have children,
it will be even harder for them to advance in their careers.
While the public sees greater workplace equality between men and women now than it did
20-30 years ago, most believe more change is needed. Among Millennial women, 75say this
country needs to continue making changes to achieve gender equality in the workplace, compared
with 57of Millennial men. Even so, relatively few young women(15?say they have been
discriminated against at work because of their gender.
As Millennial women come of age they share many of the same views and values about
work as their male counterparts. They want jobs that provide security and flexibility, and they
place relatively little importance on high pay. At the same time, however, young working women
are less likely than men to aim at top management jobs: 34say they're not interested in
becoming a boss or top manager; only 24of young men say the same. The gender gap on this
question is even wider among working adults in their 30s and 40s, when many women face the
trade-offs that go with work and motherhood.
These findings are based on a new Pew Research Center survey of 2,002 adults, including
810 Millennials (ages 18-32), conducted Oct.7-27, 2013. The survey finds that, in spite of the
dramatic gains women have made in educational attainment and labor force participation in
recent decades, young women view this as a man's world—just as middle-aged and older
women do
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 147 页 共 223 页51. What do we learn from the first paragraph about Millennial women starting their careers?
A) They can get ahead only by striving harder.
B) They expect to succeed just like Millennial men.
C) They are generally quite optimistic about their future.
D) They are better educated than their male counterparts.
52. How do most Millennial women feel about their treatment in the workplace?
A)They are the target of discrimination.
B) They find it satisfactory on the whole.
C) They think it needs further improving.
D) They find their complaints ignored.
53.What do Millennial women value most when coming of age?
A)A sense of accomplishment.
B) Job stability and flexibility.
C) Rewards and promotions.
D) Joy derived from work.
54. What are women in their 30s and 40s concerned about?
A)The welfare of their children.
B) The narrowing of the gender gap.
C) The fulfillment of their dreams in life.
D) The balance between work and family.
55.What conclusion can be drawn about Millennial women from the 2013 survey?
A) They still view this world as one dominated by males.
B) They account for half the workforce in the job market.
C) They see the world differently from older generations.
D) They do better in work than their male counterparts.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 148 页 共 223 页2017年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第1套
Passage One
That people often experience trouble sleeping in a different bed in unfamiliar surroundings
is a phenomenon known as the“first-night” effect. If a person stays in the same room the
following night they tend to sleep more soundly. Yuka Sasaki and her colleagues at Brown
University set out to investigate the origins of this effect.
Dr.Sasaki knew the first-night effect probably has something to do with how humans
evolved. The puzzle was what benefit would be gained from it when performance might be
affected the following day. She also knew from previous work conducted on birds and dolphins
that these animals put half of their brains to sleep at a time so that they can rest while remaining
alert enough to avoid predators(捕食者).This led her to wonder if people might be doing the
same thing. To take a closer look, her team studied 35 healthy people as they slept in the
unfamiliar environment of the university's Department of Psychological Sciences. The
participants each slept in the department for two nights and were carefully monitored with
techniques that looked at the activity of their brains. Dr. Sasaki found, as expected, the
participants slept less well on their first night than they did on their second, taking more than
twice as long to fall asleep and sleeping less overall. During deep sleep, the participants? brains
behaved in a similar manner seen in birds and dolphins. On the first night only, the left
hemispheres(半球) of their brains did not sleep nearly as deeply as their right hemispheres did.
Curious if the left hemispheres were indeed remaining awake to process information
detected in the surrounding environment, Dr. Sasaki re-ran the experiment while presenting the
sleeping participants with a mix of regularly timed beeps(蜂鸣声) of the same tone and irregular
beeps of a different tone during the night. She worked out that, if the left hemisphere was staying
alert to keep guard in a strange environment, then it would react to the irregular beeps by stirring
people from sleep and would ignore the regularly timed ones. This is precisely what she found.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 149 页 共 223 页46.What did researchers find puzzling about the first-night effect?
A) To what extent it can trouble people.
B) What role it has played in evolution.
C) What circumstances may trigger it.
D) In what way it can be beneficial.
47.What do we learn about Dr. Yuka Sasaki doing her research?
A)She found birds and dolphins remain alert while asleep.
B) She found birds and dolphins sleep in much the same way.
C) She got some idea from previous studies on birds and dolphins
D) She conducted studies on birds' and dolphins' sleeping patterns.
48.What did Dr. Sasaki do when she first did her experiment?
A)She monitored the brain activity of participants sleeping in a new environment.
B) She recruited 35 participants from her Department of Psychological Sciences.
C) She studied the differences between the two sides of participants' brains.
D) She tested her findings about birds and dolphins on human subjects.
49.What did Dr. Sasaki do when re-running her experiment?
A)She analyzed the negative effect of irregular tones on brains.
B) She recorded participants' adaptation to changed environment.
C) She exposed her participants to two different stimuli.
D) She compared the responses of different participants.
50.What did Dr. Sasaki find about the participants in her experiment?
A) They tended to enjoy certain tones more than others.
B) They tended to perceive irregular beeps as a threat.
C) They felt sleepy when exposed to regular beeps.
D) They differed in their tolerance of irregular tones.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编2015-2023 第 150 页 共 223 页Passage Two
It's time to reevaluate how women handle conflict at work. Being overworked or over-
committed at home and on the job will not get you where you want to be in life. It will only slow
you down and hinder your career goals.
Did you know women are more likely than men to feel exhausted? Nearly twice as many
women than men ages 18-44 reported feeling“very tired” or“exhausted”, according to a recent
study.
This may not be surprising given that this is the age range when women have children. It's
also the age range when many women are trying to balance careers and home. One reason women
may feel exhausted is that they have a hard time saying“ no.” Women want to be able to do it
all—volunteer for school parties or cook delicious meals-and so their answer to any request is
often“Yes, I can.”
Women struggle to say"no" in the workplace for similar reasons, including the desire to be
liked by their colleagues. Unfortunately, this inability to say“no”may be hurting women's health
as well as their career.
At the workplace,men use conflict as a way to position themselves, while women often
avoid conflict or strive to be the peacemaker, because they don't want to be viewed as aggressive
or disruptive at work. For example, there's a problem that needs to be addressed immediately,
resulting in a dispute over who should be the one to fix it. Men are more likely to face that
dispute from the perspective of what benefits them most, whereas women may approach the same
dispute from the perspective of what's the easiest and quickest way to resolve the problem-even
if that means doing the boring work themselves.
This difference in handling conflict could be the deciding factor on who gets promoted to a
leadership position and who does not. Leaders have to be able to delegate and manage resources
wisely—including staff expertise. Shouldering more of the workload may not earn you that
promotion. Instead, it may highlight your inability to delegate effectively.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 151 页 共 223 页51. What does the author say is the problem with women?
A) They are often unclear about the career goals to reach.
B) They are usually more committed at home than on the job.
C) They tend to be over-optimistic about how far they could go.
D) They tend to push themselves beyond the limits of their ability.
52. Why do working women of child-bearing age tend to feel drained of energy?
A) They struggle to satisfy the demands of both work and home.
B) They are too devoted to work and unable to relax as a result.
C) They do their best to cooperate with their workmates.
D) They are obliged to take up too many responsibilities.
53. What may hinder the future prospects of career women?
A)Their unwillingness to say “no”.
B) Their desire to be considered powerful.
C) An underestimate of their own ability.
D)A lack of courage to face challenges.
54. Men and women differ in their approach to resolving workplace conflicts in that
A)women tend to be easily satisfied
B) men are generally more persuasive
C) men tend to put their personal interests first
D) women are much more ready to compromise
55.What is important to a good leader?
A)A dominant personality.
B) The ability to delegate.
C) The courage to admit failure.
D) A strong sense of responsibility.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编2015-2023 第 152 页 共 223 页2017年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第2套
Passage One
Nobody really knows how big Lagos is. What's indisputable is that it's growing very
quickly. Between now and 2050, the urban population of Africa could triple. Yet cities in sub-
Saharan Africa are not getting richer the way cities in the rest of the world have. Most urban
Africans live in slums(贫民窟); migrants are often not much better off than they were in the
countryside. Why?
The immediate problem is poverty. Most of Africa is urbanising at a lower level of income
than other regions of the world did. That means there's little money around for investment that
would make cities liveable and more productive. Without upgrades and new capacity, bridges,
roads and power systems are unable to cope with expanding populations. With the exception of
South Africa, the only light rail metro system in sub-Saharan Africa is in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Traffic jam leads to expense and unpredictability, things that keep investors away.
In other parts of the world, increasing agricultural productivity and industrialisation went
together. More productive farmers meant there was a surplus that could feed cities; in turn, that
created a pool of labour for factories. But African cities are different. They are too often built
around consuming natural resources. Government is concentrated in capitals, so is the money.
Most urban Africans work for a small minority of the rich, who tend to be involved in either
cronyish(有裙带关系的)businesses or politics. Since African agriculture is still broadly
unproductive, food is imported, consuming a portion of revenue.
So what can be done? Though African countries are poor, not all African cities are. In Lagos,
foreign oil workers can pay as much as $ 65,000 per year in rent for a modest apartment in a safe
part of town. If that income were better taxed, it might provide the revenue for better
infrastructure. If city leaders were more accountable to their residents, they might favour projects
designed to help them more. Yet even as new roads are built, new people arrive. When a city's
population grows by 5 year, it is difficult to keep up.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 153 页 共 223 页46.What do we learn from the passage about cities in sub-Saharan Africa?
A) They have more slums than other cities in the world.
B) They are growing fast without becoming richer.
C) They are as modernised as many cities elsewhere.
D) They attract migrants who want to be better off.
47.What does the author imply about urbanisation in other parts of the world?
A)It benefited from the contribution of immigrants.
B) It started when people's income was relatively high.
C) It benefited from the accelerated rise in productivity.
D) It started with the improvement of people's livelihood.
48.Why is sub-Saharan Africa unappealing to investors?
A)It lacks adequate transport facilities.
B) The living expenses there are too high.
C) It is on the whole too densely populated.
D)The local governments are corrupted.
49.In what way does the author say African cities are different?
A) They have attracted huge numbers of farm labourers.
B) They still rely heavily on agricultural productivity.
C) They have developed at the expense of nature.
D) They depend far more on foreign investment.
50.What might be a solution to the problems facing African cities?
A)Lowering of apartment rent.
B) Better education for residents.
C)More rational overall planning.
D) A more responsible government.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 154 页 共 223 页Passage Two
For the past several decades, it seems there's been a general consensus on how to get ahead
in America: Get a college education, find a reliable job, and buy your own home. But do
Americans still believe in that path, and if they do, is it attainable?
The most recent National Journal poll asked respondents about the American dream, what it
takes to achieve their goals, and whether or not they felt a significant amount of control over their
ability to be successful. Overwhelmingly, the results show that today, the idea of the American
dream—and what it takes to achieve it—looks quite different than it did in the late 20th century.
By and large, people felt that their actions and hard work—not outside forces—were the
deciding factor in how their lives turned out. But respondents had decidedly mixed feelings about
what actions make for a better life in the current economy.
In the last seven years, Americans have grown more pessimistic about the power of
education to lead to success. Even though they see going to college as a fairly achievable goal, a
majority—52 percent—think that young people do not need a four-year college education in
order to be successful.
Miguel Maeda, 42, who has a master's degree and works in public health, was the first in his
family to go to college, which has allowed him to achieve a sense of financial stability his parents
and grandparents never did.
While some, like Maeda, emphasized the value of the degree rather than the education itself,
others still see college as a way to gain new perspectives and life experiences.
Sixty-year-old Will Fendley, who had a successful career in the military and never earned a
college degree, thinks“personal drive” is far more important than just going to college. To
Fendley, a sense of drive and purpose, as well as an effective high-school education, and basic
life skills, like balancing a checkbook, are the necessary ingredients for a successful life in
America.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 155 页 共 223 页51. It used to be commonly acknowledged that to succeed in America, one had to have .
A) an advanced academic degree
B) an ambition to get ahead
C) a firm belief in their dream
D) a sense of drive and purpose
52.What is the finding of the latest National Journal poll concerning the American dream?
A)More and more Americans are finding it hard to realize.
B) It remains alive among the majority of American people.
C) Americans' idea of it has changed over the past few decades.
D) An increasing number of young Americans are abandoning it.
53. What do Americans now think of the role of college education in achieving success?
A)It still remains open to debate.
B) It has proved to be beyond doubt.
C) It is no longer as important as it used to be.
D) It is much better understood now than ever.
54. How do some people view college education these days?
A) It promotes gender equality.
B) It needs to be strengthened.
C) It adds to cultural diversity.
D)It helps broaden their minds.
55.What is one factor essential to success in America, according to Will Fendley?
A)A desire to learn and to adapt.
B) A strong sense of responsibility.
C)A willingness to commit oneself.
D)A clear aim and high motivation.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 156 页 共 223 页2017年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第3套
Passage One
Aging happens to all of us, and is generally thought of as a natural part of life. It would seem
silly to call such a thing a“disease.”
On the other hand, scientists are increasingly learning that aging and biological age are two
different things, and that the former is a key risk factor for conditions such as heart disease,
cancer and many more. In that light, aging itself might be seen as something treatable, the way
you would treat high blood pressure or a vitamin deficiency.
Biophysicist Alex Zhavoronkov believes that aging should be considered a disease. He said
that describing aging as a disease creates incentives to develop treatments.
“It unties the hands of the pharmaceutical (制药的)industry so that they can begin treating
the disease and not just the side effects," he said.
“Right now, people think of aging as natural and something you can't control," he said.“In
academic circles, people take aging research as just an interest area where they can try to develop
interventions. The medical community also takes aging for granted, and can do nothing about it
except keep people within a certain health range."
But if aging were recognized as a disease, he said,"It would attract funding and change the
way we do health care. What matters is understanding that aging is curable.”
“It was always known that the body accumulates damage," he added.“The only way to cure
aging is to find ways to repair that damage. I think of it as preventive medicine for age-related
conditions."
Leonard Hayflick, a professor at the University of California, San Francisco, said the idea
that aging can be cured implies the human lifespan can be increased, which some researchers
suggest is possible. Hayflick is not among them.
“There're many people who recover from cancer, stroke, or heart disease. But they continue
to age, because aging is separate from their disease,” Hayflick said.“Even if those causes of
death were eliminated, life expectancy would still not go much beyond 92 years."
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 157 页 共 223 页46.What do people generally believe about aging?
A)It should cause no alarm whatsoever.
B) They just cannot do anything about it.
C) It should be regarded as a kind of disease.
D) They can delay it with advances in science.
47. How do many scientists view aging now?
A)It might be prevented and treated.
B) It can be as risky as heart disease.
C) It results from a vitamin deficiency.
D) It is an irreversible biological process.
48.What does Alex Zhavoronkov think of“describing aging as a disease”?
A)It will prompt people to take aging more seriously.
B) It will greatly help reduce the side effects of aging.
C) It will free pharmacists from the conventional beliefs about aging.
D) It will motivate doctors and pharmacists to find ways to treat aging.
49.What do we learn about the medical community?
A) They now have a strong interest in research on aging.
B) They differ from the academic circles in their view on aging.
C) They can contribute to people's health only to a limited extent.
D) They have ways to intervene in people's aging process.
50.What does Professor Leonard Hayflick believe?
A) The human lifespan cannot be prolonged.
B) Aging is hardly separable from disease.
C) Few people can live up to the age of 92.
D) Heart disease is the major cause of aging.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 158 页 共 223 页Passage Twc
Female applicants to postdoctoral positions in geosciences were nearly half as likely to
receive excellent letters of recommendation, compared with their male counterparts. Christopher
Intagliata reports.
As in many other fields, gender bias is widespread in the sciences. Men score higher starting
salaries, have more mentoring(指导),and have better odds of being hired. Studies show they're
also perceived as more competent than women in STEM(Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics) fields. And new research reveals that men are more likely to receive excellent
letters of recommendation, too.
“Say, you know, this is the best student I've ever had,” says Kuheli Dutt, a social scientist
and diversity officer at Columbia University's Lamont campus."Compare those excellent letters
with a merely good letter:'The candidate was productive, or intelligent, or a solid scientist or
something that's clearly solid praise,' but nothing that singles out the candidate as exceptional or
one of a kind
Dutt and her colleagues studied more than 1,200 letters of recommendation for postdoctoral
positions in geoscience. They were all edited for gender and other identifying information, so
Dutt and her team could assign them a score without knowing the gender of the student. They
found that female applicants were only half as likely to get outstanding letters, compared with
their male counterparts. That includes letters of recommendation from all over the world, and
written by, yes, men and women. The findings are in the journal Nature Geoscience.
Dutt says they were not able to evaluate the actual scientific qualifications of the applicants
using the data in the files. But she says the results still suggest women in geoscience are at a
potential disadvantage from the very beginning of their careers starting with those less than
outstanding letters of recommendation.
“We're not trying to assign blame or criticize anyone or call anyone consciously sexist.
Rather, the point is to use the results of this study to open up meaningful dialogues on implicit
gender bias, be it at a departmental level or an institutional level or even a discipline level.”
Which may lead to some recommendations for the letter writers themselves.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 159 页 共 223 页51. What do we learn about applicants to postdoctoral positions in geosciences?
A)There are many more men applying than women.
B) Chances for women to get the positions are scarce.
C) More males than females are likely to get outstanding letters of recommendation.
D) Male applicants have more interest in these positions than their female counterparts.
52. What do studies about men and women in scientific research show?
A) Women engaged in postdoctoral work are quickly catching up.
B) Fewer women are applying for postdoctoral positions due to gender bias.
C) Men are believed to be better able to excel in STEM disciplines.
D) Women who are keenly interested in STEM fields are often exceptional.
53. What do the studies find about the recommendation letters for women applicants?
A)They are hardly ever supported by concrete examples.
B) They contain nothing that distinguishes the applicants.
C) They provide objective information without exaggeration.
D) They are often filled with praise for exceptional applicants.
54.What did Dutt and her colleagues do with the more than 1, 200 letters of recommendation?
A) They asked unbiased scholars to evaluate them.
B) They invited women professionals to edit them.
C) They assigned them randomly to reviewers.
D) They deleted all information about gender.
55.What does Dutt aim to do with her study?
A)Raise recommendation writers' awareness of gender bias in their letters.
B) Open up fresh avenues for women post-doctors to join in research work.
C) Alert women researchers to all types of gender bias in the STEM disciplines.
D) Start a public discussion on how to raise women's status in academic circles.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 160 页 共 223 页2017年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第1套
Passage One
The phrase almost completes itself midlife crisis. It's the stage in the middle of the journey
when people feel youth vanishing, their prospects narrowing and death approaching.
There's only one problem with the cliche(套话).It isn't true.
“In fact, there is almost no hard evidence for midlife crisis other than a few small pilot
studies conducted decades ago,”Barbara Hagerty writes in her new book, Life Reimagined. The
bulk of the research shows that there may be a pause, or a shifting of gears in the 40s or 50s, but
this shift"can be exciting, rather than terrifying."
Barbara Hagerty looks at some of the features of people who turn midlife into a rebirth.
They break routines, because “autopilot is death.” They choose purpose over happiness—having
a clear sense of purpose even reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease. They give priority to
relationships, as careers often recede (逐渐淡化).
Life Reimagined paints a picture of middle age that is far from gloomy. Midlife seems like
the second big phase of decision-making. Your identity has been formed; you've built up your
resources; and now you have the chance to take the big risks precisely because your foundation is
already secure.
Karl Barth described midlife precisely this way. At middle age, he wrote,"the sowing is
behind; now is the time to reap. The run has been taken; now is the time to leap. Preparation has
been made; now is the time for the venture of the work itself.”
The middle-aged person, Barth continued, can see death in the distance, but moves with a
“measured haste” to get big new things done while there is still time.
What Barth wrote decades ago is even truer today. People are healthy and energetic longer
We have presidential candidates running for their first term in office at age 68, 69 and 74. A
longer lifespan is changing the narrative structure of life itself. What could have been considered
the beginning of a descent is now a potential turning point—the turning point you are most
equipped to take full advantage of.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 161 页 共 223 页46.What does the author think of the phrase“midlife crisis”?
A)It has led to a lot of debate.
B) It is widely acknowledged.
C) It is no longer fashionable.
D) It misrepresents real life.
47. How does Barbara Hagerty view midlife?
A) It may be the beginning of a crisis.
B) It can be a new phase of one's life.
C) It can be terrifying for the unprepared.
D) It may see old-age diseases approaching.
48.How is midlife pictured in the book Life Reimagined?
A) It can be quite rosy.
B)It can be burdensome.
C) It undergoes radical transformation.
D) It makes for the best part of one's life.
49.According to Karl Barth, midlife is the time
A)to relax
B) to mature
C) to harvest
D) to reflect
50.What does the author say about midlife today?
A)It is more meaningful than other stages of life.
B) It is likely to change the narrative of one's life.
C) It is more important to those with a longer lifespan.
D) It is likely to be a critical turning point in one's life.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 162 页 共 223 页Passage Two
In spring, chickens start laying again, bringing a welcome source of protein at winter's end.
So it's no surprise that cultures around the world celebrate spring by honoring the egg.
Some traditions are simple, like the red eggs that get baked into Greek Easter breads. Others
elevate the egg into a fancy art, like the heavily jewel-covered"eggs" that were favored by the
Russians starting in the 19th century.
One ancient form of egg art comes to us from Ukraine. For centuries, Ukrainians have been
drawing complicated patterns on eggs. Contemporary artists have followed this tradition to create
eggs that speak to the anxieties of our age: Life is precious, and delicate. Eggs are, too.
“There's something about their delicate nature that appeals to me,” says New Yorker
cartoonist Roz Chast. Several years ago, she became interested in eggs and learned the traditional
Ukrainian technique to draw her very modern characters.“I've broken eggs at every stage of the
process—from the very beginning to the very, very end."
But there's an appeal in that vulnerability.“There's part of this sickening horror of knowing
you're walking on the edge with this, that I kind of like, knowing that it could all fall apart at any
second.”Chast's designs, such as a worried man alone in a tiny rowboat, reflect that delicateness.
Traditional Ukrainian decorated eggs also spoke to those fears. The elaborate patterns were
believed to offer protection against evil.
“There's an ancient legend that as long as these eggs are made, evil will not prevail in the
world,” says Joan Brander, a Canadian egg-painter who has been painting eggs for over 60 years,
having learned the art from her Ukrainian relatives.
The tradition, dating back to 300 B.C., was later incorporated into the Christian church. The
old symbols, however, still endure. A decorated egg with a bird on it, given to a young married
couple, is a wish for children. A decorated egg thrown into the field would be a wish for a good
harvest.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 163 页 共 223 页51. Why do people in many cultures prize the egg?
A) It is a welcome sign of the coming of spring.
B) It is their major source of protein in winter.
C) It can easily be made into a work of art.
D)It can bring wealth and honor to them.
52. What do we learn about the decorated“eggs” in Russia?
A)They are shaped like jewel cases.
B) They are cherished by the rich.
C) They are heavily painted in red.
D) They are favored as a form of art.
53. Why have contemporary artists continued the egg art tradition?
A)Eggs serve as an enduring symbol of new life.
B) Eggs have an oval shape appealing to artists.
C) Eggs reflect the anxieties of people today.
D) Eggs provide a unique surface to paint on.
54.Why does Chast enjoy the process of decorating eggs?
A)She never knows if the egg will break before the design is completed.
B) She can add multiple details to the design to communicate her idea.
C) She always derives great pleasure from designing something new.
D) She is never sure what the final design will look like until the end.
55.What do we learn from the passage about egg-painting?
A)It originated in the eastern part of Europe.
B) It has a history of over two thousand years.
C) It is the most time-honored form of fancy art.
D) It is especially favored as a church decoration
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编2015-2023 第 164页 共 223 页2017年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第2套
Passage One
Shoppers in the UK are spending less money on toilet paper to save money, research has
shown.
Penny-pinching UK consumers choose cheaper products from discounters such as Aldi and
Lidl rather than luxury alternatives.
This has wiped 6off the value of the soft tissue paper market in the UK. It has shrunk
from f1.19 billion in 2011 to f1.12 billion in 2015,according to a new report from market
research company Mintel. Furthermore, the future of the market looks far from rosy, with sales
expected to fall further to f1.11 billion in 2016.
In the last year alone, despite an increase in the UK population and a subsequent rise in the
number of households, sales of toilet paper fell by 2?with the average household reducing their
toilet roll spending from f43 in 2014 to f41 in 2015.
Overall, almost three in five people say they try to limit their usage of paper—including
facial tissue and kitchen roll—to save money.“Strength, softness and thickness remain the
leading indicators of toilet paper quality, with just a small proportion of consumers preferring
more luxurious alternatives, such as those with flower patterns or perfume,"said Mintel analyst
Jack Duckett.“These extra features are deemed unnecessary by the majority of shoppers, which
probably reflects how these types of products are typically more expensive than regular toilet
paper, even when on special offer.”
While consumers are spending less on toilet paper, they remain fussy—in theory at least—
when it comes to paper quality. Top of Britons' toilet paper wish list is softness (57?followed
by strength (45?and thickness (36?
One in 10 buyers rank toilet rolls made from recycled paper among their top considerations,
highlighting how overall the environment is much less of a consideration for shoppers than
product quality. In a challenge for manufacturers, 81of paper product users said they would
consider buying recycled toilet tissue if it were comparable in quality to standard paper.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 165 页 共 223 页46.The market sales of toilet paper have decreased because .
A)Britons have cut their spending on it
B) its prices have gone up over the years
C) its quality has seen marked improvement
D) Britons have developed the habit of saving
47.What does the author think of the future of the tissue paper market in the UK?
A)It will expand in time.
B) It will remain gloomy.
C) It will experience ups and downs.
D) It will recover as population grows.
48.What does Jack Duckett say about toilet paper?
A)Special offers would promote its sales.
B) Consumers are loyal to certain brands.
C) Luxurious features add much to the price.
D) Consumers have a variety to choose from.
49.What do we learn about Britons concerning toilet paper?
A)They are particular about the quality of toilet paper.
B) They emphasize the strength of toilet paper the most.
C) They prefer cheap toilet paper to recycled toilet paper.
D) They reject using toilet paper with unnecessary features.
50.What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A)More and more Britons buy recycled toilet paper to protect the environment.
B) Toilet paper manufacturers are facing a great challenge in promoting its sales.
C) Toilet paper manufacturers compete with one another to improve product quality.
D) Environmental protection is not much of a concern when Britons buy toilet paper.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 166 页 共 223 页Passage Two
“One of the reasons I find this topic very interesting is because my mom was a smoker
when I was younger,"says Lindson-Hawley, who studies tobacco and health at the University of
Oxford
By studying about 700 adult smokers, she found out that her mom quit the right way—by
stopping abruptly and completely.
In her study, participants were randomly(随机地) assigned to two groups. One had to quit
abruptly on a given day, going from about a pack a day to zero. The other cut down gradually
over the course of two weeks. People in both groups used nicotine(尼古丁)patches before they
quit, in addition to a second form of nicotine replacement, like gum or spray. They also had talk
therapy with a nurse before and after quit day.
Six months out, more people who had quit abruptly had stuck with it—more than one-fifth
of them, compared to about one-seventh in the other group. Although these numbers appear low,
it is much higher than if people try without support.
And the quit rates were particularly convincing given that before the study started, most of
the people had said they'd rather cut down gradually before quitting."If you're training for a
marathon, you wouldn't expect to turn up and just be able to run it. And I think people see that
for smoking as well. They think,‘Well, if I gradually reduce, it's like practice,'" says Lindson-
Hawley. But that wasn't the case. Instead of giving people practice, the gradual reduction likely
gave them cravings(瘾)and withdrawal symptoms before they even reached quit day, which
could be why fewer people in that group actually made it to that point.“Regardless of your stated
preference, if you're ready to quit, quitting abruptly is more effective," says Dr. Gabriela Ferreira.
“When you can quote a specific number like a fifth of the patients were able to quit, that's
compelling. It gives them the encouragement, I think, to really go for it," Ferreira says.
People rarely manage to quit the first time they try. But at least, she says, they can maximize
the odds of success.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 167 页 共 223 页51. What does Lindson-Hawley say about her mother?
A)She quit smoking with her daughter's help.
B) She succeeded in quitting smoking abruptly.
C) She was also a researcher of tobacco and health.
D) She studied the smoking patterns of adult smokers.
52. What kind of support did smokers receive to quit smoking in Lindson-Hawley's study?
A)They were given physical training.
B) They were looked after by physicians.
C) They were encouraged by psychologists.
D) They were offered nicotine replacements.
53. How does Dr. Gabriela Ferreira view the result of Lindson-Hawley's experiment?
A)It is idealized.
B) It is unexpected.
C) It is encouraging
D) It is misleading
54. The idea of“a marathon”(Line 2, Para.5)illustrates the popular belief that quitting
smoking
A)is something few can accomplish
B) needs some practice first
C) requires a lot of patience
D) is a challenge at the beginning
55.What happens when people try to quit smoking gradually?
A)They find it even more difficult
B)They are simply unable to make it.
C) They show fewer withdrawal symptoms.
D) They feel much less pain in the process.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编2015-2023 第 168 页 共 223 页2017年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第3套
Passage One
Urbanization—migration away from the suburbs to the city center—will be the biggest real
estate trend in 2015, according to a new report.
The report says America's urbanization will continue to be the most significant issue
affecting the industry, as cities across the country imitate the walkability and transit-oriented
development making cities like New York and San Francisco so successful.
As smaller cities copy the model of these“24-hour cities,” more affordable versions of
these places will be created. The report refers to this as the coming of the"18-hour city," and uses
the term to refer to cities like Houston, Austin, Charlotte, and Nashville, which are"positioning
themselves as highly competitive, in terms of livability, employment offerings, and recreational
and cultural facilities.”
Another trend that looks significant in 2015 is that America's largest population group,
Millennials(千禧一代),will continue to put off buying a house. Apartments will retain their
appeal for a while for Millennials, haunted by what happened to home-owning parents.
This trend will continue into the 2020s, the report projects. After that, survey respondents
disagree over whether this generation will follow in their parents' footsteps, moving to the
suburbs to raise families, or will choose to remain in the city center.
Another issue affecting real estate in the coming year will be America's failing
infrastructure. Most roads, bridges, transit, water systems, the electric grid, and communications
networks were installed 50 to 100 years ago, and they are largely taken for granted until they fail.
The report's writers state that America's failure to invest in infrastructure impacts not only
the health of the real-estate market, but also our ability to remain globally competitive.
Apart from the specific trends highlighted above, which cause some investors to worry, the
report portrays an overall optimism borne by the recent healthy real-estate“upcycle”and
improving economy. Seventy-four percent of the respondents surveyed report a“good to
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 169 页 共 223 页excellent" expectation of real-estate profitability in 2015. While excessive optimism can promote
bad investment patterns, resulting in a real-estate“bubble," the report's writers downplay that
potential outcome in that it has not yet occurred.
46.According to the new report, real estate development in 2015 will witness
A) an accelerating speed
B) a shift to city centers
C) a new focus on small cities
D) an ever-increasing demand
47.What characterizes“24-hour cities” like New York?
A)People can live without private cars.
B)People are generally more competitive.
C) People can enjoy services around the clock.
D) People are in harmony with the environment.
48.Why are Millennials reluctant to buy a house?
A)They can only afford small apartments.
B) The house prices are currently too high.
C) Their parents'bad experience still haunts them.
D) They feel attached to the suburban environment.
49.What might hinder real estate development in the U.S.?
A) The continuing economic recession in the country.
B) The lack of confidence on the part of investors.
C) The fierce global competition.
D) The worsening infrastructure.
50.How do most of the respondents in the survey feel about the U.S. real-estate market in 2015?
A)Pessimistic. B) Hopeful. C) Cautious. D) Uncertain.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 170 页 共 223 页Passage Two
The brain is a seemingly endless library, whose shelves house our most precious memories
as well as our lifetime's knowledge. But is there a point where it reaches capacity?
The answer is no, because brains are more sophisticated than that. Instead of just crowding
in, old information is sometimes pushed out of the brain for new memories to form.
Previous behavioural studies have shown that learning new information can lead to
forgetting. But in a new study, researchers demonstrated for the first time how this effect occurs
in the brain.
In daily life, forgetting actually has clear advantages. Imagine, for instance, that you lost
your bank card. The new card you receive will come with a new personal identification number
(PIN). Each time you remember the new PIN, you gradually forget the old one. This process
improves access to relevant information, without old memories interfering.
And most of us may sometimes feel the frustration of having old memories interfere with
new, relevant memories. Consider trying to remember where you parked your car in the same car
park you were at a week earlier. This type of memory(where you are trying to remember new,
but similar information) is particularly vulnerable to interference.
When we acquire new information, the brain automatically tries to incorporate(合并)it
within existing information by forming associations. And when we retrieve(检索)information,
both the desired and associated but irrelevant information is recalled.
The majority of previous research has focused on how we learn and remember new
information. But current studies are beginning to place greater emphasis on the conditions under
which we forget, as its importance begins to be more appreciated.
A very small number of people are able to remember almost every detail of their life. While
it may sound like an advantage to many, people with this rare condition often find their unusual
ability burdensome.
In a sense, forgetting is our brain's way of sorting memories, so the most relevant memories
are ready for retrieval. Normal forgetting may even be a safety mechanism to ensure our brain
doesn't become too full.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 171 页 共 223 页51. What have past behavioural studies found about our brain?
A) Its capacity actually knows no limits.
B)It grows sophisticated with practice.
C) It keeps our most precious memories until life's end.
D) New information learned pushes old information out.
52. What is the benefit of forgetting?
A)It frees us from painful memories.
B)It helps slow down our aging process.
C) It facilitates our access to relevant information.
D) It prevents old information from forming associations.
53.What is the emphasis of current studies of memory?
A)When people tend to forget.
B) What contributes to forgetting.
C) How new technology hinders memory capacity.
D) Why learning and forgetting are complementary.
54.What do people find about their rare ability to remember every detail of their life?
A) It adds to the burden of their memory.
B) It makes their life more complicated.
C) It contributes to their success in life.
D) It constitutes a rare object of envy.
55.What does the passage say about forgetting?
A)It can enlarge our brain capacity.
B) It helps get rid of negative memories.
C) It is a way of organising our memories.
D) It should not cause any alarm in any way.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 172 页 共 223 页2016年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第1套
Passage One
Recently I attended several meetings where we talked about ways to retain students and keep
younger faculty members from going elsewhere.
It seems higher education has become an industry of meeting-holders whose task it is to
“solve” problems—real or imagined. And in my position as a professor at three different colleges,
the actual problems in educating our young people and older students have deepened, while the
number of people hired—not to teach but to hold meetings—has increased significantly. Every
new problem creates anew job for an administrative fixer. Take our Center for Teaching
Excellence. Contrary to its title, the center is a clearing house(信息交流中心)for using
technology in classrooms and in online courses.It's an administrative sham(欺诈)of the kind
that has multiplied over the last 30 years.
I offer a simple proposition in response: Many of our problems—class attendance,
educational success, student happiness and well-being—might be improved by cutting down the
bureaucratic(官僚的) mechanisms and meetings and instead hiring an army of good teachers. If
we replaced half of our administrative staff with classroom teachers, we might actually get a
majority of our classes back to 20 or fewer students per teacher. This would be an environment in
which teachers and students actually knew each other.
The teachers must be free to teach in their own way—the curriculum should be flexible
enough so that they can use their individual talents to achieve the goals of the course.
Additionally, they should be allowed to teach, and be rewarded for doing it well. Teachers are not
people who are great at and consumed by research and happen to appear in a classroom. Good
teaching and research are not exclusive, but they are also not automatic companions. Teaching is
an art and a craft, talent and practice; it is not something that just anyone can be good at. It is
utterly confusing to me that people do not recognize this, despite the fact that pretty much anyone
who has been a student can tell the difference between their best and worst teachers.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 173 页 共 223 页46.What does the author say about present-day universities?
A) They are effectively tackling real or imagined problems.
B) They often fail to combine teaching with research.
C) They are over-burdened with administrative staff.
D) They lack talent to fix their deepening problems.
47.According to the author, what kind of people do universities lack most?
A)Good classroom teachers.
B) Efficient administrators.
C) Talented researchers.
D) Motivated students.
48.What does the author imply about the classes at present?
A) They facilitate students' independent learning.
B) They help students form closer relationships.
C) They have more older students than before.
D) They are much bigger than is desirable.
49.What does the author think of teaching ability?
A)It requires talent and practice.
B) It is closely related to research.
C) It is a chief factor affecting students' learning.
D) It can be acquired through persistent practice.
50.What is the author's suggestion for improving university teaching?
A)Creating an environment for teachers to share their teaching experiences.
B) Hiring more classroom teachers and allowing them to teach in their own way.
C) Using high technology in classrooms and promoting exchange of information.
D) Cutting down meetings and encouraging administrative staff to go to classrooms.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 174 页 共 223 页Passage Twc
The secret to eating less and being happy about it may have been cracked years ago—by
McDonald's. According to a new study from Cornell University's Food and Brand Lab, small
non-food rewards—like the toys in McDonald's Happy Meals—stimulate the same reward
centers in the brain as food does.
The researchers, led by Martin Reimann, carried out a series of experiments to see if people
would choose a smaller meal if it was paired with a non-food item.
They found that the majority of both kids and adults opted for a half-sized portion when
combined with a prize. Both options were priced the same.
Even more interesting is that the promise of a future reward was enough to make adults
choose the smaller portion. One of the prizes used was a lottery ticket (彩票), with a $10,$ 50 or
$100 payout, and this was as effective as a tangible gift in persuading people to eat less.
“The fact that participants were willing to substitute part of a food item for the mere
prospect of a relatively small monetary award is interesting," says Reimann.
He theorizes that it is the emotional component of these intangible prizes that make them
effective.In fact, vaguely-stated possibilities of winning a prize were more effective than options
with hard odds included.
“One explanation for this finding is that possible awards may be more emotionally
provoking than certainty awards," says Reimann."The uncertainty of winning provides added
attraction and desirability through emotional 'thrills.'The possibility of receiving an award also
produces a state of hope—a state that is in itself psychologically rewarding."In other words,
there's a reason why people like to gamble.
How might this knowledge be used to help people eat more healthily?
One possibility is a healthy option that offers the chance to win a spa(温泉疗养) weekend.
Or maybe the reward of a half-sized portion could be a half-sized dessert to be claimed only on a
future date. That would get you back in the restaurant—and make you eat a little less.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 175 页 共 223 页51. What do we learn about McDonald's inclusion of toys in its Happy Meals?
A)It may shed light on people's desire to crack a secret.
B) It has proved to be key to McDonald's business success.
C) It appeals to kid's curiosity to find out what is hidden inside.
D) It may be a pleasant way for kids to reduce their food intake.
52. What is the finding of the researchers led by Martin Reimann?
A)Reducing food intake is not that difficult if people go to McDonald's more.
B) Most kids and adults don't actually feel hungry when they eat half of their meal.
C) Eating a smaller portion of food does good to the health of kids and adults alike.
D) Most kids and adults would choose a smaller meal that came with a non-food item.
53. What is most interesting in Martin Reimann's finding?
A)Kids preferred an award in the form of money to one in the form of a toy.
B) Adults chose the smaller portion on the mere promise of a future award.
C) Both kids and adults felt satisfied with only half of their meal portions.
D) Neither children nor adults could resist the temptation of a free toy.
54. How does Martin Reimann interpret his finding?
A)The emotional component of the prizes is at work.
B) People now care more about quality than quantity.
C) People prefer certainty awards to possible awards.
D) The desire for a future reward is overwhelming.
55.What can we infer from Martin Reimann's finding?
A) People should eat much less if they wish to stay healthy and happy.
B) More fast food restaurants are likely to follow McDonald's example.
C) We can lead people to eat less while helping the restaurant business.
D) More studies are needed to find out the impact of emotion on behavior.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 176 页 共 223 页2016年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第2套
Passage One
“Sugar, alcohol and tobacco,” economist Adam Smith once wrote,"are commodities which
are nowhere necessaries of life, which have become objects of almost universal consumption, and
which are, therefore, extremely popular subjects of taxation."
Two and a half centuries on, most countries impose some sort of tax on alcohol and tobacco.
With surging obesity levels putting increasing strain on public health systems, governments
around the world have begun to toy with the idea of taxing sugar as well.
Whether such taxes work is a matter of debate. A preliminary review of Mexico's taxation
found a fall in purchases of taxed drinks as well as a rise in sales of untaxed and healthier drinks.
By contrast, a Danish tax on foods high in fats was abandoned a year after its introduction, amid
claims that consumers were avoiding it by crossing the border to Germany to satisfy their desire
for cheaper, fattier fare.
The food industry has, in general, been firmly opposed to such direct government
action.Nonetheless, the renewed focus on waistlines means that industry groups are under
pressure to demonstrate their products are healthy as well as tasty.
Over the past three decades, the industry has made some efforts to improve the quality of its
offerings. For example, some drink manufacturers have cut the amount of sugar in their beverages.
Many of the reductions over the past 30 years have been achieved either by reducing the
amount of sugar, salt or fat in a product, or by finding an alternative ingredient. More recently,
however, some companies have been investing money in a more ambitious undertaking: learning
how to adjust the fundamental make-up of the food they sell. For example, having salt on the
outside, but none on the inside, reduces the salt content without changing the taste.
While reformulating recipes (配方) is one way to improve public health, it should be part of
a multi-sided approach. The key is to remember that there is not just one solution. To deal with
obesity, a mixture of approaches—including reformulation, taxation and adjusting portion sizes—
will be needed. There is no silver bullet.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 177 页 共 223 页46.What did Adam Smith say about sugar, alcohol and tobacco?
A)They were profitable to manufacture.
B) They were in ever-increasing demand.
C) They were subject to taxation almost everywhere.
D) They were no longer considered necessities of life.
47.Why have many countries started to consider taxing sugar?
A) They are under growing pressure to balance their national budgets.
B) They find it ever harder to cope with sugar-induced health problems.
C) The practice of taxing alcohol and tobacco has proved both popular and profitable.
D) The sugar industry is overtaking alcohol and tobacco business in generating profits.
48.What do we learn about Danish taxation on fat-rich foods?
A) It did not work out as well as was expected.
B) It gave rise to a lot of problems on the border.
C) It could not succeed without German cooperation.
D) It met with firm opposition from the food industry.
49.What is the more recent effort by food companies to make foods and drinks both healthy and
tasty?
A)Replacing sugar or salt with alternative ingredients.
B) Setting a limit on the amount of sugar or salt in their products.
C) Investing in research to find ways to adapt to consumers' needs.
D) Adjusting the physical composition of their products.
50.What does the author mean by saying, at the end of the passage,"There is no silver bullet"
(Line 4, Para.7)?
A) There is no single easy quick solution to the problem.
B) There is no hope of success without public cooperation.
C) There is no hurry in finding ways to solve the obesity problem.
D) There is no effective way to reduce people's sugar consumption.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 178 页 共 223 页Passage Two
You may have heard some of the fashion industry horror stories: models eating tissues or
cotton balls to hold off hunger, and models collapsing from hunger-induced heart attacks just
seconds after they step off the runway.
Excessively skinny models have been a point of controversy for decades, and two
researchers say a model's body mass should be a workplace health and safety issue. In an
editorial released Monday in the American Journal of Public Health, Katherine Record and Bryn
Austin made their case for government regulation of the fashion industry.
The average international runway model has a body mass index(BMI) under 16—low
enough to indicate starvation by the World Health Organization's standard. And Record and
Austin are worried not just about the models themselves, but about the vast number of girls and
women their images influence.
“Especially girls and teens,” says Record.“Seventy percent of girls aged 10 to 18 report that
they define perfect body image based on what they see in magazines." That's especially worrying,
she says, given that anorexia(厌食症)results in more deaths than does any other mental illness,
according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
It's commonly known that certain diseases are linked with occupations like lung disease in
coal miners. Professional fashion models are particularly vulnerable to eating disorders resulting
from occupational demands to maintain extreme thinness.
Record's suggestion is to prohibit agents from hiring models with a BMI below 18.
In April, France passed a law setting lower limits for a model's weight. Agents and fashion
houses who hire models with a BMI under 18 could pay $ 82,000 in fines and spend up to 6
months in jail.Regulating the fashion industry in the United States won't be easy, Record says.
But with the new rules in France, U.S. support could make a difference.“A designer can't survive
without participating in Paris Fashion Week", she says, adding,"Our argument is that the same
would be true of New York Fashion Week."
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 179 页 共 223 页51.What do Record and Austin say about fashion models' body mass?
A) It has caused needless controversy.
B) It is but a matter of personal taste.
C) It is the focus of the modeling business.
D) It affects models' health and safety.
52. What are Record and Austin advocating in the Monday editorial?
A)A change in the public's view of female beauty.
B) Government legislation about models' weight.
C) Elimination of forced weight loss by models.
D) Prohibition of models eating non-food stuff.
53. Why are Record and Austin especially worried about the low body mass index of models?
A)It contributes to many mental illnesses.
B) It defines the future of the fashion industry.
C) It has great influence on numerous girls and women.
D) It keeps many otherwise qualified women off the runway.
54. What do we learn about France's fashion industry?
A) It has difficulty hiring models.
B) It has now a new law to follow.
C) It allows girls under 18 on the runway.
D) It has overtaken that of the United States.
55. What does Record expect of New York Fashion Week?
A) It will create a completely new set of rules.
B) It will do better than Paris Fashion Week.
C) It will differ from Paris Fashion Week.
D)It will have models with a higher BMI.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 180 页 共 223 页2016年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第3套
Passage One
As a person who writes about food and drink for a living, I couldn't tell you the first thing
about Bill Perry or whether the beers he sells are that great. But I can tell you that I like this guy.
That's because he plans to ban tipping in favor of paying his servers an actual living wage.
I hate tipping
I hate it because it's an obligation disguised as an option. I hate it for the post—dinner math
it requires of me. But mostly, I hate tipping because I believe I would be in a better place if pay
decisions regarding employees were simply left up to their employers, as is the custom in
virtually every other industry.
Most of you probably think that you hate tipping, too. Research suggests otherwise. You
actually love tipping! You like to feel that you have a voice in how much money your server
makes. No matter how the math works out, you persistently view restaurants with voluntary
tipping systems as being a better value, which makes it extremely difficult for restaurants and
bars to do away with the tipping system.
One argument that you tend to hear a lot from the pro—tipping crowd seems logical
enough: the service is better when waiters depend on tips, presumably because they see a benefit
to successfully veiling their contempt for you. Well, if this were true, we would all be slipping a
few 100-dollar bills to our doctors on the way out their doors, too. But as it turns out, waiters see
only a tiny bump in tips when they do an exceptional job compared to a passable one. Waiters,
keen observers of humanity that they are, are catching on to this; in one poll, a full 30said they
didn't believe the job they did had any impact on the tips they received.
So come on, folks: get on board with ditching the outdated tip system. Pay a little more up
front for your beer or burger. Support Bill Perry's pub, and any other bar or restaurant that
doesn't ask you to do drunken math.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 181 页 共 223 页46.What can we learn about Bill Perry from the passage?
A)He runs a pub that serves excellent beer.
B) He intends to get rid of the tipping practice.
C) He gives his staff a considerable sum for tips.
D) He lives comfortably without getting any tips.
47.What is the main reason why the author hates tipping?
A)It sets a bad example for other industries.
B) It adds to the burden of ordinary customers.
C) It forces the customer to compensate the waiter.
D) It poses a great challenge for customers to do math.
48.Why do many people love tipping according to the author?
A) They help improve the quality of the restaurants they dine in.
B) They believe waiters deserve such rewards for good service.
C) They want to preserve a wonderful tradition of the industry.
D) They can have some say in how much their servers earn.
49.What have some waiters come to realize according to a survey?
A)Service quality has little effect on tip size.
B) It is in human nature to try to save on tips.
C) Tips make it more difficult to please customers.
D) Tips benefit the boss rather than the employees.
50.What does the author argue for in the passage?
A)Restaurants should calculate the tips for customers.
B) Customers should pay more tips to help improve service.
C) Waiters deserve better than just relying on tips for a living.
D) Waiters should be paid by employers instead of customers.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 182 页 共 223 页Passage Two
In the past, falling oil prices have given a boost to the world economy, but recent forecasts
for global growth have been toned down, even as oil prices sink lower and lower. Does that mean
the link between lower oil prices and growth has weakened?
Some experts say there are still good reasons to believe cheap oil should heat up the world
economy. Consumers have more money in their pockets when they're paying less at the pump.
They spend that money on other things, which stimulates the economy.
The biggest gains go to countries that import most of their oil like China, Japan, and India.
But doesn't the extra money in the pockets of those countries'consumers mean an equal loss in
oil-producing countries, cancelling out the gains? Not necessarily, say economic researcher Sara
Johnson.“Many oil producers built up huge reserve funds when prices were high, so when prices
fall they will draw on their reserves to support government spending and subsidies(补贴)for
their consumers.”
But not all oil producers have big reserves. In Venezuela, collapsing oil prices have sent its
economy into free-fall
Economist Carl Weinberg believes the negative effects of plunging oil prices are
overwhelming the positive effects of cheaper oil. The implication is a sharp decline in global
trade, which has plunged partly because oil-producing nations can't afford to import as much as
they used to
Sara Johnson acknowledges that the global economic benefit from a fall in oil prices today is
likely lower than it was in the past. One reason is that more countries are big oil producers now,
so the nations suffering from the price drop account for a larger share of the global economy.
Consumers, in the U.S. at least, are acting cautiously with the savings they're getting at the
gas pump, as the memory of the recent great recession is still fresh in their mind. And a number
of oil-producing countries are trimming their gasoline subsidies and raising taxes, so the net
savings for global consumers is not as big as the oil price plunge might suggest.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 183 页 共 223 页51. What does the author mainly discuss in the passage?
A) The reasons behind the plunge of oil prices.
B) Possible ways to stimulate the global economy.
C) The impact of cheap oil on global economic growth.
D) The effect of falling oil prices on consumer spending
52. Why do some experts believe cheap oil will stimulate the global economy?
A)Manufacturers can produce consumer goods at a much lower cost.
B) Lower oil prices have always given a big boost to the global economy.
C) Oil prices may rise or fall but economic laws are not subject to change.
D) Consumers will spend their savings from cheap oil on other commodities.
53. What happens in many oil-exporting countries when oil prices go down?
A) They suspend import of necessities from overseas.
B) They reduce production drastically to boost oil prices.
C) They use their money reserves to back up consumption.
D) They try to stop their economy from going into free-fall.
54. How does Carl Weinberg view the current oil price plunge?
A) It is one that has seen no parallel in economic history.
B)Its negative effects more than cancel out its positive effects.
C) It still has a chance to give rise to a boom in the global economy.
D) Its effects on the global economy go against existing economic laws.
55. Why haven't falling oil prices boosted the global economy as they did before?
A)People are not spending all the money they save on gas.
B) The global economy is likely to undergo another recession.
C) Oil importers account for a larger portion of the global economy.
D)People the world over are afraid of a further plunge in oil prices.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 184 页 共 223 页2016年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第1套
Passage One
As Artificial Intelligence(Al) becomes increasingly sophisticated, there are growing
concerns that robots could become a threat. This danger can be avoided, according to computer
science professor Stuart Russell, if we figure out how to turn human values into a programmable
code
Russell argues that as robots take on more complicated tasks, it's necessary to translate our
morals into Al language.
For example, if a robot does chores around the house, you wouldn't want it to put the pet cat
in the oven to make dinner for the hungry children."You would want that robot preloaded with a
good set of values,” said Russell.
Some robots are already programmed with basic human values. For example, mobile robots
have been programmed to keep a comfortable distance from humans. Obviously there are cultural
differences, but if you were talking to another person and they came up close in your personal
space, you wouldn't think that's the kind of thing a properly brought-up person would to.
It will be possible to create more sophisticated moral machines, if only we can find a way to
set out human values as clear rules.
Robots could also learn values from drawing patterns from large sets of data on human
behavior. They are dangerous only if programmers are careless.
The biggest concern with robots going against human values is that human beings fail to do
sufficient testing and they've produced a system that will break some kind of taboo (禁忌).
One simple check would be to program a robot to check the correct course of action with a
human when presented with an unusual situation.
If the robot is unsure whether an animal is suitable for the microwave, it has the opportunity
to stop, sent out beeps(嘟嘟声), and ask for directions from a human. If we humans aren't quite
sure about a decision, we go and ask somebody else.
The most difficult step in programming values will be deciding exactly what we believe is
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 185 页 共 223 页moral, and how to create a set of ethical rules. But if we come up with an answer, robots could be
good for humanity.
46.What does the author say about the threat of robots?
A)It may constitute a challenge to computer programmers.
B) It accompanies all machinery involving high technology.
C) It Can be avoided if human values are translated into their language
D) It has become an inevitable peril as technology gets more sophisticated.
47.What would we think of a person who invades our personal space according to the author?
A)They are aggressive.
B) They are outgoing.
C) They are ignorant.
D)They are ill-bred.
48.How do robots learn human values?
A)By interacting with humans in everyday life situations.
B) By following the daily routines of civilized human beings.
C) By picking up patterns from massive data on human behavior.
D) By imitating the behavior of properly brought—up human beings.
49.What will a well-programmed robot do when facing an unusual situation?
A)Keep a distance from possible dangers.
B) Stop to seek advice from a human being.
C) Trigger its built-in alarm system at once.
D) Do sufficient testing before taking action.
50.What is most difficult to do when we turn human values into a programmable code?
A)Determine what is moral and ethical.
B)Design some large-scale experiments.
C) Set rules for man-machine interaction.
D) Develop a more sophisticated program.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 186 页 共 223 页Passage Twc
Why do some people live to be older than others? You know the standard explanations:
keeping a moderate diet, engaging in regular exercise, etc. But what effect does your personality
have on your longevity(长寿)? Do some kinds of personalities lead to longer lives? A new study
in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society looked at this question by examining the
personality characteristics of 246 children of people who had lived to be at least 100.
The study shows that those living the longest are more outgoing, more active and less
neurotic(神经质的)than other people. Long-living women are also more likely to be
sympathetic and cooperative than women with a normal life span. These findings are in
agreement with what you would expect from the evolutionary theory: those who like to make
friends and help others can gather enough resources to make it through tough times.
Interestingly, however, other characteristics that you might consider advantageous had no
impact on whether study participants were likely to live longer. Those who were more self-
disciplined, for instance, were no more likely to live to be very old. Also, being open to new ideas
had no relationship to long life, which might explain all those bad-tempered old people who are
fixed in their ways
Whether you can successfully change your personality as an adult is the subject of a
longstanding psychological debate. But the new paper suggests that if you want long life, you
should strive to be as outgoing as possible.
Unfortunately, another recent study shows that your mother's personality may also help
determine your longevity. That study looked at nearly 28, 000 Norwegian mothers and found that
those moms who were more anxious, depressed and angry were more likely to feed their kids
unhealthy diets. Patterns of childhood eating can be hard to break when we're adults, which may
mean that kids of depressed moms end up dying younger.
Personality isn't destiny(命运), and everyone knows that individuals can learn to change.
But both studies show that long life isn't just a matter of your physical health but of your mental
health.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 187 页 共 223 页51. The aim of the study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society is .
A) to see whether people's personality affects their life span
B) to find out if one's lifestyle has any effect on their health
C) to investigate the role of exercise in living a long life
D) to examine all the factors contributing to longevity
52. What does the author imply about outgoing and sympathetic people?
A) They have a good understanding of evolution.
B) They are better at negotiating an agreement.
C) They generally appear more resourceful.
D) They are more likely to get over hardship.
53. What finding of the study might prove somewhat out of our expectation?
A) Easy-going people can also live a relatively long life.
B)Personality characteristics that prove advantageous actually vary with times.
C) Such personality characteristics as self-discipline have no effect on longevity.
D) Readiness to accept new ideas helps one enjoy longevity.
54. What does the recent study of Norwegian mothers show?
A)Children's personality characteristics are invariably determined by their mothers.
B) People with unhealthy eating habits are likely to die sooner.
C) Mothers' influence on children may last longer than fathers'.
D) Mothers' negative personality characteristics may affect their children's life span.
55. What can we learn from the findings of the two new studies?
A)Anxiety and depression more often than not cut short one's life span.
B) Longevity results from a combination of mental and physical health.
C) Personality plays a decisive role in how healthy one is.
D) Health is in large part related to one's lifestyle.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编2015-2023 第 188 页 共 223 页2016年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第2套
Passage One
Attitudes toward new technologies often fall along generational lines. That is, generally,
younger people tend to outnumber older people on the front end of a technological shift.
It is not always the case, though. When you look at attitudes toward driverless cars, there
doesn't seem to be a clear generational divide. The public overall is split on whether they'd like
to use a driverless car. In a study last year, of all people surveyed, 48 percent said they wanted to
ride in one, while 50 percent did not.
The fact that attitudes toward self-driving cars appear to be so steady across generations
suggests how transformative the shift to driverless cars could be. Not everyone wants a driverless
car now—and no one can get one yet—but among those who are open to them, every age group
is similarly engaged
Actually, this isn't surprising. Whereas older generations are sometimes reluctant to adopt
new technologies, driverless cars promise real value to these age groups in particular. Older
adults, especially those with limited mobility or difficulty driving on their own, are one of the
classic usecases for driverless cars.
This is especially interesting when you consider that younger people are generally more
interested in travel-related technologies than older ones
When it comes to driverless cars, differences in attitude are more pronounced based on
factors not related to age. College graduates, for example, are particularly interested in driverless
cars compared with those who have less education: 59 percent of college graduates said they
would like to use a driverless car compared with 38 percent of those with a high-school diploma
or less
Where a person lives matters, too. More people who lived in cities and suburbs said they
wanted to try driverless cars than those who lived in rural areas.
While there's reason to believe that interest in self-driving cars is going up across the board,
a person's age will have little to do with how self-driving cars can become mainstream. Once
driverless cars are actually available for sale, the early adopters will be the people who can afford
to buy them.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 189 页 共 223 页46.What happens when a new technology emerges?
A) It further widens the gap between the old and the young.
B) It often leads to innovations in other related fields.
C) It contributes greatly to the advance of society as a whole.
D) It usually draws different reactions from different age groups.
47.What does the author say about the driverless car?
A)It does not seem to create a generational divide.
B) It will not necessarily reduce road accidents.
C) It may start a revolution in the car industry.
D) It has given rise to unrealistic expectations.
48.Why does the driverless car appeal to some old people?
A) It saves their energy
B) It helps with their mobility.
C) It adds to the safety of their travel.
D) It stirs up their interest in life.
49.What is likely to affect one's attitude toward the driverless car?
A)The location of their residence.
B) The field of their special interest.
C) The amount of training they received.
D) The length of their driving experience.
50.Who are likely to be the first to buy the driverless car?
A)The seniors.
B) The educated.
C) The wealthy
D) The tech fans.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 190 页 共 223 页Passage Two
In agrarian(农业的),pre-industrial Europe,“you'd want to wake up early, start working
with the sunrise, have a break to have the largest meal, and then you'd go back to work,"says
Ken Albala, a professor of history at the University of the Pacific.“Later, at 5 or 6, you'd have a
smaller supper.”
This comfortable cycle, in which the rhythms of the day helped shape the rhythms of the
meals, gave rise to the custom of the large midday meal, eaten with the extended family.“Meals
are the foundation of the family,” says Carole Counihan, a professor at Millersville University in
Pennsylvania,“so there was a very important interconnection between eating together”and
strengthening family ties.
Since industrialization, maintaining such a slow cultural metabolism has been much harder,
with the long midday meal shrinking to whatever could be stuffed into a lunch bucket or bought
at a food stand. Certainly, there were benefits. Modern techniques for producing and shipping
food led to greater variety and quantity, including a tremendous increase in the amount of animal
protein and dairy products available, making us more vigorous than our ancestors.
Yet plenty has been lost too, even in cultures that still live to eat. Take Italy. It's no secret
that the Mediterranean diet is healthy, but it was also a joy to prepare and eat. Italians, says
Counihan, traditionally began the day with a small meal. The big meal came at around 1 p.m. In
between the midday meal and a late, smaller dinner came a small snack. Today, when time zones
have less and less meaning, there is little tolerance for offices' closing for lunch, and worsening
traffic in cities means workers can't make it home and back fast enough anyway. So the formerly
small supper after sundown becomes the big meal of the day, the only one at which the family
has a chance to get together.“The evening meal carries the full burden that used to be spread over
two meals,"says Counihan.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 191 页 共 223 页51. What do we learn from the passage about people in pre-industrial Europe?
A)They had to work from early morning till late at night.
B) They were so busy working that they only ate simple meals.
C) Their daily routine followed the rhythm of the natural cycle.
D) Their life was much more comfortable than that of today.
52. What does Professor Carole Counihan say about pre-industrial European families eating
meals together?
A) It was helpful to maintaining a nation's tradition.
B) It brought family members closer to each other.
C) It was characteristic of the agrarian culture.
D) It enabled families to save a lot of money.
53. What does“cultural metabolism”(Line I, Para.3) refer to?
A)Evolutionary adaptation.
B) Changes in lifestyle.
C) Social progress.
D) Pace of life.
54.What does the author think of the food people eat today?
A)Its quality is usually guaranteed.
B) It is varied, abundant and nutritious.
C) It is more costly than what our ancestors ate.
D) Its production depends too much on technology.
55.What does the author say about Italians of the old days?
A) They enjoyed cooking as well as eating.
B) They ate a big dinner late in the evening.
C) They ate three meals regularly every day.
D) They were expert at cooking meals.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编2015-2023 第 192 页 共 223 页2016年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第3套
Passage One
Declining mental function is often seen as a problem of old age, but certain aspects of brain
function actually begin their decline in young adulthood, a new study suggests.
The study, which followed more than 2,000 healthy adults between the ages of 18 and 60,
found that certain mental functions-including measures of abstract reasoning, mental speed and
puzzle-solving-started to dull as early as age 27.
Dips in memory, meanwhile, generally became apparent around age 37.
On the other hand, indicators of a person's accumulated knowledge—like performance on
tests of vocabulary and general knowledge—kept improving with age,according to findings
published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging.
The results do not mean that young adults need to start worrying about their memories. Most
people's minds function at a high level even in their later years, according to researcher Timothy
Salthouse.
“These patterns suggest that some types of mental flexibility decrease relatively early in
adulthood, but that the amount of knowledge one has, and the effectiveness of integrating it with
one's abilities, may increase throughout all of adulthood if there are no diseases," Salthouse said
in a news release.
The study included healthy, educated adults who took standard tests of memory, reasoning
and perception at the outset and at some point over the next seven years.
The tests are designed to detect subtle(细微的)changes in mental function, and involve
solving puzzles, recalling words and details from stories, and identifying patterns in collections of
letters and symbols.
In general, Salthouse and his colleagues found, certain aspects of cognition(认知能力)
generally started to decline in the late 20s to 30s.
The findings shed light on normal age—related changes in mental function, which could aid
in understanding the process of dementia(痴呆), according to the researchers.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 193 页 共 223 页“By following individuals over time,” Salthouse said,“we gain insight in cognition changes,
and may possibly discover ways to slow the rate of decline."
The researchers are currently analyzing the study participants, health and lifestyle to see
which factors might influence age-related cognitive changes.
46.What is the common view of mental function?
A)It varies from person to person. C) It gradually expands with age.
B) It weakens in one's later years. D) It indicates one's health condition
47.What does the new study find about mental functions?
A)Some diseases inevitably lead to their decline.
B) They reach a peak at the age of 20 for most people.
C) They are closely related to physical and mental exercise.
D) Some of them begin to decline when people are still young.
48.What does Timothy Salthouse say about people's minds in most cases?
A) They tend to decline in people's later years.
B) Their flexibility determines one's abilities.
C) They function quite well even in old age.
D) Their functioning is still a puzzle to be solved.
49.Although people's minds may function less flexibly as they age, they.
A)may be better at solving puzzles
B) can memorize things with more ease
C) may have greater facility in abstract reasoning
D) can put what they have learnt into more effective use
50.According to Salthouse, their study may help us.
A) find ways to slow down our mental decline
B) find ways to boost our memories
C) understand the complex process of mental functioning
D) understand the relation between physical and mental health
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 194 页 共 223 页Passage Two
The most important thing in the news last week was the rising discussion in Nashville
about the educational needs of children. The shorthand(简写)educators use for this is“pre-K”-
meaning instruction before kindergarten-and the big idea is to prepare 4-year-olds and even
younger kids to be ready to succeed on their K-12journey.
But it gets complicated. The concept has multiple forms, and scholars and policymakers
argue about the shape, scope and cost of the ideal program.
The federal Head Start program, launched 50 years ago, has served more than 30 million
children. It was based on concepts developed at Vanderbilt University's Peabody College by
Susan Gray, the legendary pioneer in early childhood education research.
A new Peabody study of the Tennessee Voluntary Pre-K program reports that pre-K works,
but the gains are not sustained through the third grade. It seems to me this highlights quality
issues in elementary schools more than pre-K, and indicates longer-term success must connect
pre-K with all the other issues related to educating a child.
Pre-K is controversial. Some critics say it is a luxury and shouldn't be free to families able
to Pay. Pre-K advocates insist it is proven and will succeed if integrated with the rest of the
child's schooling. I lean toward the latter view.
This is, in any case, the right conversation to be having now as Mayor Megan Barry takes
office. She was the first candidate to speak out for strong pre-K programming. The important
thing is for all of us to keep in mind the real goal and the longer, bigger picture.
The weight of the evidence is on the side of pre-K that early intervention(干预)works.
What government has not yet found is the political will to put that understanding into full practice
with a sequence of smart schooling that provides the early foundation.
For this purpose, our schools need both the talent and the organization to educate each child
who arrives at the schoolhouse door. Some show up ready, but many do not at this critical time
when young brains are developing rapidly.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 195 页 共 223 页51.What does the author say about pre-kindergarten education?
A)It should cater to the needs of individual children.
B) It is essential to a person's future academic Success.
C) Scholars and policymakers have different opinions about it.
D) Parents regard it as the first phase of children's development.
52. What does the new Peabody study find?
A)Pre-K achievements usually do not last long.
B) The third grade marks a new phase of learning
C) The third grade is critical to children's development.
D) Quality has not been the top concern of pre-K programs.
53.When does the author think pre-K works the best?
A)When it is accessible to kids of all families.
B) When it is made part of kids' education.
C) When it is no longer considered a luxury.
D) When it is made fun and enjoyable to kids.
54.What do we learn about Mayor Megan Barry?
A)She knows the real goal of education.
B) She is a mayor of insight and vision.
C) She has once run a pre-K program.
D) She is a firm supporter of pre-K.
55. What does the author think is critical to kids' education?
A)Teaching method.
B) Kids'interest.
C) Early intervention.
D) Parents’ involvement.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编2015-2023 第 196 页 共 223 页2015年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第1套
Passage One
Could you reproduce Silicon Valley elsewhere, or is there something unique about it?
It wouldn't be surprising if it were hard to reproduce in other countries, because you
couldn't reproduce it in most of the US either. What does it take to make a Silicon Valley?
It's the right people. If you could get the right ten thousand people to move from Silicon
Valley to Buffalo, Buffalo would become Silicon Valley.
You only need two kinds of people to create a technology hub(中心):rich people and nerds
(痴迷科研的人).
Observation bears this out. Within the US, towns have become startup hubs if and only if
they have both rich people and nerds. Few startups happen in Miami, for example, because
although it's full of rich people, it has few nerds. It's not the kind of place nerds like.
Whereas Pittsburg has the opposite problem: plenty of nerds, but no rich people. The top US
Computer Science departments are said to be MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, and Carnegie-Mellon.
MIT yielded Route 128.Stanford and Berkeley yielded Silicon Valley. But what did Carnegie-
Mellon yield in Pittsburgh? And what happened in Ithaca, home of Cornell University, which is
also high on the list
I grew up in Pittsburgh and went to college at Cornell, so I can answer for both. The weather
is terrible, particularly in winter, and there's no interesting old city to make up for it, as there is in
Boston. Rich people don't want to live in Pittsburgh or Ithaca. So while there're plenty of hackers
(电脑迷) who could start startups, there's no one to invest in them.
Do you really need the rich people? Wouldn't it work to have the government invest in the
nerds? No, it would not. Startup investors are a distinct type of rich people. They tend to have a
lot of experience themselves in the technology business. This helps them pick the right startups,
and means they can supply advice and connections as well as money. And the fact that they have
a personal stake in the outcome makes them really pay attention.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 197页 共 223页46.What do we learn about Silicon Valley from the passage?
A) Its success is hard to copy anywhere else.
B) It is the biggest technology hub in the US.
C) Its fame in high technology is incomparable.
D) It leads the world in information technology.
47.What makes Miami unfit to produce a Silicon Valley?
A)Lack of incentive for investments.
B) Lack of the right kind of talents.
C) Lack of government support.
D) Lack of famous universities.
48.In what way is Carnegie-Mellon different from Stanford, Berkeley and MIT?
A) Its location is not as attractive to rich people.
B) Its science departments are not nearly as good.
C) It does not produce computer hackers and nerds.
D) It does not pay much attention to business startups.
49.What does the author imply about Boston?
A)It has pleasant weather all year round.
B)It produces wealth as well as high-tech.
C) It is not likely to attract lots of investors and nerds.
D) It is an old city with many sites of historical interest.
50.What does the author say about startup investors?
A) They are especially wise in making investments.
B) They have good connections in the government.
C) They can do more than providing money.
D) They are rich enough to invest in nerds.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 198 页 共 223 页Passage Two
It's nice to have people of like mind around. Agreeable people boost your confidence and
allow you to relax and feel comfortable. Unfortunately, that comfort can hinder the very learning
that can expand your company and your career.
It's nice to have people agree, but you need conflicting perspectives to dig out the truth. If
everyone around you has similar views, your work will suffer from confirmation bias(偏颇).
Take a look at your own network. Do your contacts share your point of view on most
subjects? If yes, it's time to shake things up. As a leader, it can be challenging to create an
environment in which people will freely disagree and argue, but as the saying goes: From
confrontation comes brilliance.
It's not easy for most people to actively seek conflict. Many spend their lives trying to avoid
arguments. There's no need to go out and find people you hate, but you need to do some self-
assessment to determine where you have become stale in your thinking. You may need to start by
encouraging your current network to help you identify your blind spots.
Passionate, energetic debate does not require anger and hard feelings to be effective. But it
does require moral strength. Once you have worthy opponents, set some ground rules so everyone
understands responsibilities and boundaries. The objective of this debating game is not to win but
to get to the truth that will allow you to move faster, farther, and better.
Fierce debating can hurt feelings, particularly when strong personalities are involved. Make
sure you check in with your opponents so that they are not carrying the emotion of the battles
beyond the battlefield. Break the tension with smiles and humor to reinforce the idea that this is
friendly discourse and that all are working toward a common goal.
Reward all those involved in the debate sufficiently when the goals are reached. Let your
sparring partners(拳击陪练)know how much you appreciate their contribution. The more they
feel appreciated, the more they'll be willing to get into the ring next time.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 199 页 共 223 页51. What happens when you have like-minded people around you all the while?
A) It will help your company expand more rapidly.
B) It will create a harmonious working atmosphere.
C) It may prevent your business and career from advancing.
D) It may make you fell uncertain about your own decisions.
52. What does the author suggest leaders do?
A)Avoid arguments with business partners.
B) Encourage people to disagree and argue.
C) Build a wide and strong business network.
D) Seek advice from their worthy competitors.
53. What is the purpose of holding a debate?
A)To find out the truth about an issue.
B) To build up people's moral strength.
C) To remove misunderstandings.
D) To look for worthy opponents.
54.What advice does the author give to people engaged in a fierce debate?
A) They listen carefully to their opponents' views.
B) They show due respect for each other's beliefs.
C) They present their views clearly and explicitly.
D) They take care not to hurt each other's feelings.
55. How should we treat our rivals after a successful debate?
A)Try to make peace with them.
B) Try to make up the differences.
C) Invite them to the ring next time.
D) Acknowledge their contribution.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 200页 共 223 页2015年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第2套
Passage One
When it's five o'clock, people leave their office. The length of the workday, for many
workers, is defined by time. They leave when the clock tells them they're done.
These days, the time is everywhere: not just on clocks or watches, but on cell-phones and
computers. That may be a bad thing, particularly at work. New research shows that clock-based
work schedules hinder morale(士气) and creativity.
Clock-timers organize their day by blocks of minutes and hours. For example: a meeting
from 9 a.m.to 10 am., research from 10 a.m. to noon, etc. On the other hand, task-timers have a
list of things they want to accomplish. They work down the list, each task starts when the
previous task is completed. It is said that all of us employ a mix of both these types of planning.
What, then, are the effects of thinking about time in these different ways? Does one make us
more productive? Better at the tasks at hand? Happier? In experiments conducted by Tamar Avnet
and Anne-Laure Sellier, they had participants organize different activities—from project planning,
holiday shopping, to yoga—by time or to-do list to measure how they performed under “clock
time"vs "task time.” They found clock timers to be more efficient but less happy because they
felt little control over their lives. Task timers are happier and more creative, but less productive.
They tend to enjoy the moment when something good is happening, and seize opportunities that
come up.
The researchers argue that task-based organizing tends to be undervalued and under-
supported in the business culture. Smart companies, they believe, will try to bake more task-
based planning into their strategies.
This might be a small change to the way we view work and the office, but the researchers
argue that it challenges a widespread characteristics of the economy: work organized by clock
time. While most people will still probably need, and be, to some extent, clock-timers, task-based
timing should be used when performing a job that requires more creativity. It'll make those tasks
easier, and the task-doers will be happier.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 201页 共 223页46.What does the author think of time displayed everywhere?
A)It makes everybody time-conscious.
B) It is a convenience for work and life.
C) It may have a negative effect on creative work.
D) It clearly indicates the fast pace of modern life.
47. How do people usually go about their work according to the author?
A)They combine clock-based and task-based planning.
B) They give priority to the most urgent task on hand.
C) They set a time limit for each specific task.
D) They accomplish their tasks one by one.
48.What did Tamar Avnet and Anne-Laure Sellier find in their experiments about clock-timers?
A)They seize opportunities as they come up.
B) They always get their work done in time.
C) They have more control over their lives.
D) They tend to be more productive.
49.What do the researchers say about today's business culture?
A)It does not support the strategies adopted by smart companies.
B) It does not attach enough importance to task-based practice.
C) It places more emphasis on work efficiency than on workers' lives.
D) It aims to bring employees, potential and creativity into full play.
50.What do the researchers suggest?
A) Task-based timing is preferred for doing creative work.
B) It is important to keep a balance between work and life.
C) Performing creative jobs tends to make workers happier.
D)A scientific standard should be adopted in job evaluation.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 202 页 共 223 页Passage Two
Martha Stewart was charged, tried and convicted of a crime in 2004. As she neared the end
of her prison sentence, a well-known columnist wrote that she was "paying her dues," and that
“there is simply no reason for anyone to attempt to deny her right to start anew.”
Surely, the American ideal of second chances should not be reserved only for the rich and
powerful. Unfortunately, many federal and state laws impose post-conviction restrictions on a
shockingly large number of Americans, who are prevented from ever fully paying their debt to
society.
At least 65 million people in the United States have a criminal record. This can result in
severe penalties that continue long after punishment is completed.
Many of these penalties are imposed regardless of the seriousness of the offense or the
person's individual circumstances. Laws can restrict or ban voting, access to public housing, and
professional and business licensing. They can affect a person's ability to get a job and
qualification for benefits
In all, more than 45, 000 laws and rules serve to exclude vast numbers of people from fully
participating in American life.
Some laws make sense. No one advocates letting someone convicted of pedophilia (恋童癖)
work in a school. But too often collateral (附随的) consequences bear no relation to public safety.
Should a woman who possessed a small amount of drugs years ago be permanently unable to be
licensed as a nurse?
These laws are also counterproductive, since they make it harder for people with criminal
records to find housing or land a job, two key factors that reduce backsliding.
A recent report makes several recommendations, including the abolition of most post-
conviction penalties, except for those specifically needed to protect public safety. Where the
penalties are not a must, they should be imposed only if the facts of a case support it.
The point is not to excuse or forget the crime. Rather, it is to recognize that in America's vast
criminal justice system, second chances are crucial. It is in no one's interest to keep a large
segment of the population on the margins of society.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 203 页 共 223 页46.What does the well-known columnist's remark about Martha Stewart suggest?
A)Her past record might stand in her way to a new life.
B) Her business went bankrupt while she was in prison.
C) Her release from prison has drawn little attention.
D) Her prison sentence might have been extended.
47.What do we learn from the second paragraph about many criminals in America?
A) They backslide after serving their terms in prison.
B) They are deprived of chances to turn over a new leaf.
C) They receive severe penalties for committing minor offenses.
D) They are convicted regardless of their individual circumstances.
48.What are the consequences for many Americans with a criminal record?
A)They remain poor for the rest of their lives.
B) They are deprived of all social benefits.
C) They are marginalized in society.
D) They are deserted by their family.
49.What does the author think of the post-conviction laws and rules?
A)They help to maintain social stability.
B) Some of them have long been outdated.
C) They are hardly understood by the public.
D) A lot of them have negative effects on society.
50.What is the author's main purpose in writing the passage?
A) To create opportunities for criminals to reform themselves.
B) To appeal for changes in America's criminal justice system.
C) To ensure that people with a criminal record live a decent life.
D) To call people's attention to prisoners'conditions in America.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编2015-2023 第204 页 共 223 页2015年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读第3套
Passage One
The wallet is heading for extinction. As a day-to-day essential, it will die off with the
generation who read print newspapers. The kind of shopping—where you hand over notes and
count out change in return—now happens only in the most minor of our retail encounters, like
buying a bar of chocolate or a pint of milk from a corner shop. At the shops where you spend any
real money, that money is increasingly abstracted. And this is more and more true, the higher up
the scale you go. At the most cutting-edge retail stores—Victoria Beckham on Dover Street, for
instance—you don't go and stand at any kind of cash register when you decide to pay. The staff
are equipped with iPads to take your payment while you relax on a sofa.
Which is nothing more or less than excellent service, if you have the money. But across
society, the abstraction of the idea of cash makes me uneasy. Maybe I'm just old-fashioned. But
earning money isn't quick or easy for most of us. Isn't it a bit weird that spending it should
happen in half a blink(眨眼)of an eye? Doesn't a wallet—that time-honoured Friday-night
feeling of pleasing, promising fatness—represent something that matters?
But I'll leave the economics to the experts. What bothers me about the death of the wallet is
the change it represents in our physical environment. Everything about the look and feel of a
wallet—the way the fastenings and materials wear and tear and loosen with age, the plastic and
paper and gold and silver, and handwritten phone numbers and printed cinema tickets—is the
very opposite of what our world is becoming. The opposite of a wallet is a smartphone or an iPad.
The rounded edges, cool glass, smooth and unknowable as a pebble(鹅卵石).Instead of digging
through pieces of paper and peering into corners, we move our fingers left and right. No more
counting out coins. Show your wallet, if you still have one. It may not be here much longer.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 205 页 共 223 页46.What is happening to the wallet?
A) It is disappearing
B) It is being fattened.
C) It is becoming costly.
D) It is changing in style.
47. How are business transactions done in big modern stores?
A)Individually.
B) Electronically.
C) In the abstract.
D) Via a cash register.
48.What makes the author feel uncomfortable nowadays?
A) Saving money is becoming a thing of the past.
B) The pleasing Friday-night feeling is fading.
C) Earning money is getting more difficult.
D) Spending money is so fast and easy.
49.Why does the author choose to write about what's happening to the wallet?
A)It represents a change in the modern world.
B) It has something to do with everybody's life.
C) It marks the end of a time-honoured tradition.
D) It is the concern of contemporary economists.
50. What can we infer from the passage about the author?
A) He is resistant to social changes.
B) He is against technological progress.
C) He feels reluctant to part with the traditional wallet.
D) He feels insecure in the ever-changing modern world.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 206 页 共 223 页Passage Two
Everybody sleeps, but what people stay up late to catch—or wake up early in order not to
miss—varies by culture.
From data collected, it seems the things that cause us to lose the most sleep, on average, are
sporting events, time changes, and holidays.
Around the world, people changed sleep patterns thanks to the start or end of daylight
savings time. Russians, for example, began to wake up about a half-hour later each day after
President Vladimir Putin shifted the country permanently to"winter time"starting on October 26.
Russia's other late nights and early mornings generally correspond to public holidays. On
New Year's Eve, Russians have the world's latest bedtime, hitting the hay at around 3:30 a.m.
Russians also get up an hour later on International Women's Day, the day for treating and
celebrating female relatives.
Similarly, Americans, late nights, late mornings, and longest sleeps fall on three-day weekends.
Canada got the least sleep of the year the night it beat Sweden in the Olympic hockey(冰球)
final.
The World Cup is also chiefly responsible for sleep deprivation(剥夺).The worst night for
sleep in the U.K. was the night of the England-Italy match on June 14. Brits stayed up a half-hour
later to watch it, and then they woke up earlier than usual the next morning thanks to summer
nights, the phenomenon in which the sun barely sets in northern countries in the summertime.
That was nothing, though, compared to Germans, Italians, and the French, who stayed up around
an hour and a half later on various days throughout the summer to watch the Cup.
It should be made clear that not everyone has a device to record their sleep patterns; in some
of these nations, it's likely that only the richest people do. And people who elect to track their
sleep may try to get more sleep than the average person. Even if that's the case, though, the above
findings are still striking. If the most health-conscious among us have such deep swings in our
shut-eye levels throughout the year, how much sleep are the rest of us losing?
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 207 页 共 223 页46.What does the author say about people's sleeping habits?
A)They are culture-related.
B) They change with the seasons.
C) They affect people's health.
D) They vary from person to person.
47. What do we learn about the Russians regarding sleep?
A)They don't fall asleep until very late.
B) They don't sleep much on weekends.
C) They get less sleep on public holidays.
D) They sleep longer than people elsewhere.
48.What is the major cause for Europeans' loss of sleep?
A)The daylight savings time.
B) The colorful night life.
C) The World Cup.
D) The summertime.
49.What is the most probable reason for some rich people to use a device to record their sleep
patterns?
A)They have trouble falling asleep.
B) They want to get sufficient sleep.
C) They are involved in a sleep research.
D) They want to go to bed on regular hours.
50.What does the author imply in the last paragraph?
A)Sleeplessness does harm to people's health.
B) Few people really know the importance of sleep.
C) It is important to study our sleep patterns.
D)Average people probably sleep less than the rich.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 208 页 共 223 页2015年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第1套
Passage One
Some of the world's most significant problems never hit headlines. One example comes
from agriculture. Food riots and hunger make news. But the trend lying behind these matters is
rarely talked about. This is the decline in the growth in yields of some of the world's major crops.
A new study by the University of Minnesota and McGill University in Montreal looks at where,
and how far, this decline is occurring.
The authors take a vast number of data points for the four most important crops: rice, wheat,
corn and soyabeans(大豆).They find that on between 24nd 39of all harvested areas, the
improvement in yields that took place before the 1980s slowed down in the 1990s and 2000s.
There are two worrying features of the slowdown. One is that it has been particularly sharp
in the world's most populous(人口多的)countries, India and China. Their ability to feed
themselves has been an important source of relative stability both within the countries and on
world food markets. That self-sufficiency cannot be taken for granted if yields continue to slow
down or reverse.
Second, yield growth has been lower in wheat and rice than in corn and soybeans. This is
problematic because wheat and rice are more important as foods, accounting for around half of all
calories consumed. Corn and soyabeans are more important as feed grains. The authors note that
“we have preferentially focused our crop improvement efforts on feeding animals and cars rather
than on crops that feed people and are the basis of food security in much of the world."
The report qualifies the more optimistic findings of another new paper which suggests that
the world will not have to dig up a lot more land for farming in order to feed 9 billion people in
2050,as the Food and Agriculture Organisation has argued.
Instead, it says, thanks to slowing population growth, land currently ploughed up for crops
might be able to revert(回返)to forest or wilderness. This could happen. The trouble is that the
forecast assumes continued improvements in yields, which may not actually happen
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 209 页 共 223 页46.What does the author try to draw attention to?
A)Food riots and hunger in the world.
B)News headlines in the leading media.
C) The decline of the grain yield growth.
D) The food supply in populous countries.
47.Why does the author mention India and China in particular?
A) Their self-sufficiency is vital to the stability of world food markets.
B) Their food yields have begun to decrease sharply in recent years.
C) Their big populations are causing worldwide concerns.
D) Their food self-sufficiency has been taken for granted.
48.What does the new study by the two universities say about recent crop improvement efforts?
A)They fail to produce the same remarkable results as before the 1980s.
B) They contribute a lot to the improvement of human food production.
C) They play a major role in guaranteeing the food security of the world.
D) They focus more on the increase of animal feed than human food grains.
49.What does the Food and Agriculture Organisation say about world food production in the
coming decades?
A) The growing population will greatly increase the pressure on world food supplies.
B) The optimistic prediction about food production should be viewed with caution.
C) The slowdown of the growth in yields of major food crops will be reversed.
D) The world will be able to feed its population without increasing farmland.
50.How does the author view the argument of the Food and Agriculture Organisation?
A)It is built on the findings of a new study.
B) It is based on a doubtful assumption.
C) It is backed by strong evidence.
D)It is open to further discussion.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 210 页 共 223 页Passage Two
The endless debate about "work-life balance" often contains a hopeful footnote about stay-
at-home dads. If American society and business won't make it easier on future female leaders
who choose to have children, there is still the ray of hope that increasing numbers of full-time
fathers will. But based on today's socioeconomic trends, this hope is, unfortunately, misguided.
It's true that the number of men who have left work to do their thing as full-time parents has
doubled in a decade, but it's still very small: only 0.8of married couples where the stay-at-
home father was out of the labor force for a year. Even that percentage is likely inflated by men
thrust into their caretaker role by a downsizing. This is simply not a large enough group to reduce
the social stigma(污名)and force other adjustments necessary to supporting men in this decision,
even if only for a relatively short time.
Even shorter times away from work for working fathers are already difficult. A study found
that 85of new fathers take some time off after the birth of a child—but for all but a few, it's a
week or two at most. Meanwhile, the average for women who take leave is more than 10 weeks
Such choices impact who moves up in the organization. While you're away, someone else is
doing your work, making your sales, taking care of your customers. That can't help you at work.
It can only hurt you. Women, of course, face the same issues of returning after a long absence.
But with many more women than men choosing to leave the workforce entirely to raise families,
returning from an extended parental leave doesn't raise as many eyebrows as it does for men.
Women would make more if they didn't break their earning trajectory (轨迹) by leaving the
workforce, or if higher-paying professions were more family-friendly. In the foreseeable future,
stay-at-home fathers may make all the difference for individual families, but their presence won't
reduce the numbers of high-potential women who are forced to choose between family and career.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 211 页 共 223 页51. What gives women a ray of hope to achieve work-life balance?
A) More men taking an extended parental leave.
B) People's changing attitudes towards family.
C) More women entering business management.
D) The improvement of their socioeconomic status.
52. Why does the author say the hope for more full-time fathers is misguided?
A)Women are better at taking care of children.
B) Many men value work more than their family.
C) Their number is too small to make a difference.
D) Not many men have the chance to stay at home.
53. Why do few men take a long parental leave?
A) A long leave will have a negative impact on their career.
B) They just have too many responsibilities to fulfill at work.
C) The economic loss will be too much for their family to bear.
D) They are likely to get fired if absent from work for too long.
54. What is the most likely reaction to men returning from an extended parental leave?
A)Jealousy
B) Admiration.
C) Surprise.
D) Sympathy.
55. What does the author say about high-potential women in the not-too-distant future?
A) They will benefit from the trend of more fathers staying at home.
B) They will find high-paying professions a bit more family-friendly.
C) They are unlikely to break their career trajectory to raise a family.
D) They will still face the difficult choice between career and children.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 212 页 共 223 页2015年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第2套
Passage One
If you think a high-factor sunscreen(防晒霜)keeps you safe from harmful rays, you may be
wrong. Research in this week's Nature shows that while factor 50 reduces the number of
melanomas(黑瘤)and delays their occurrence, it can't prevent them. Melanomas are the most
aggressive skin cancers. You have a higher risk if you have red or blond hair, fair skin, blue or
green eyes, or sunburn easily, or if a close relative has had one. Melanomas are more common if
you have periodic intense exposure to the sun. Other skin cancers are increasingly likely with
long-term exposure.
There is continuing debate as to how effective sunscreen is in reducing melanomas—the
evidence is weaker than it is for preventing other types of skin cancer. A 2011 Australian study of
1,621 people found that people randomly selected to apply sunscreen daily had half the rate of
melanomas of people who used cream as needed. A second study, comparing 1,167 people with
melanomas to 1,101 who didn't have the cancer, found that using sunscreen routinely, alongside
other protection such as hats, long sleeves or staying in the shade, did give some protection. This
study said other forms of sun protection—not sunscreen—seemed most beneficial. The study
relied on people remembering what they had done over each decade of their lives, so it's not
entirely reliable. But it seems reasonable to think sunscreen gives people a false sense of security
in the sun.
Many people also don't use sunscreen properly—applying insufficient amounts, failing to
reapply after a couple of hours and staying in the sun too long. It is sunburn that is most
worrying—recent research shows five episodes of sunburn in the teenage years increases the risk
of all skin cancers.
The good news is that a combination of sunscreen and covering up can reduce melanoma
rates, as shown by Australian figures from their slip-slop-slap campaign. So if there is a heat
wave this summer, it would be best for us, too, to slip on a shirt, slop on(抹上)sunscreen and
slap on a hat
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 213 页 共 223 页46.What is people's common expectation of a high-factor sunscreen?
A) It will delay the occurrence of skin cancer.
B) It will protect them from sunburn.
C) It will keep their skin smooth and fair.
D) It will work for people of any skin color.
47.What does the research in Nature say about a high-factor sunscreen?
A)It is ineffective in preventing melanomas.
B) It is ineffective in case of intense sunlight.
C) It is ineffective with long-term exposure.
D) It is ineffective for people with fair skin.
48.What do we learn from the 2011 Australian study of 1, 621 people?
A)Sunscreen should be applied alongside other protection measures
B) High-risk people benefit the most from the application of sunscreen.
C) Irregular application of sunscreen does women more harm than good.
D) Daily application of sunscreen helps reduce the incidence of melanomas.
49.What does the author say about the second Australian study?
A) It misleads people to rely on sunscreen for protection.
B) It helps people to select the most effective sunscreen.
C) It is not based on direct observation of the subjects.
D) It confirms the results of the first Australian study.
50.What does the author suggest to reduce melanoma rates?
A) Using both covering up and sunscreen.
B) Staying in the shade whenever possible.
C) Using covering up instead of sunscreen.
D)Applying the right amount of sunscreen.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编2015-2023 第 214 页 共 223 页Passage Two
Across the rich world,well-educated people increasingly work longer than the less-skilled.
Some 65of American men aged 62-74 with a professional degree are in the workforce,
compared with 32of men with only a high-school certificate. This gap is part of a deepening
divide between the well-educated well-off and the unskilled poor. Rapid technological advance
has raised the incomes of the highly skilled while squeezing those of the unskilled. The
consequences, for individuals and society, are profound.
The world is facing an astonishing rise in the number of old people, and they will live longer
than ever before.Over the next 20 years the global population of those aged 65 or more will
almost double, from 600 million to 1.1 billion. The experience of the 20th century, when greater
longevity(长寿)translated into more years in retirement rather than more years at work, has
persuaded many observers that this shift will lead to slower economic growth, while the swelling
ranks of pensioners will create government budget problems.
But the notion of a sharp division between the working young and the idle old misses a new
trend, the growing gap between the skilled and the unskilled. Employment rates are falling among
younger unskilled people, whereas older skilled folk are working longer. The divide is most
extreme in America,where well-educated baby-boomers (二战后生育高峰期出生的美国人) are
putting off retirement while many less-skilled younger people have dropped out of the workforce.
Policy is partly responsible. Many European governments have abandoned policies that used
to encourage people to retire early. Rising life expectancy(预期寿命),combined with the
replacement of generous defined-benefit pension plans with less generous defined-contribution
ones, means that even the better-off must work longer to have a comfortable retirement. But the
changing nature of work also plays a big role. Pay has risen sharply for the highly educated, and
those people continue to reap rich rewards into old age because these days the educated elderly
are more productive than the preceding generation. Technological change many well reinforce
that shift: the skills that complement computers, from management know how to creativity, do
not necessarily decline with age.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 215 页 共 223 页51. What is happening in the workforce in rich countries?
A)Younger people are replacing the elderly.
B) Well-educated people tend to work longer.
C) Unemployment rates are rising year after year.
D)People with no college degree do not easily find work.
52.What has helped deepen the divide between the well-off and the poor?
A)Longer life expectancies.
B)A rapid technological advance.
C) Profound changes in the workforce.
D) A growing number of the well-educated.
53. What do many observers predict in view of the experience of the 20th century?
A)Economic growth will slow down.
B) Government budgets will increase.
C) More people will try to pursue higher education.
D) There will be more competition in the job market.
54. What is the result of policy changes in European countries?
A) Unskilled workers may choose to retire early.
B) More people have to receive in-service training.
C) Even wealthy people must work longer to live comfortably in retirement.
D)People may be able to enjoy generous defined-benefits from pension plans.
55.What is characteristic of work in the 21st century?
A)Computers will do more complicated work.
B) More will be taken by the educated young.
C) Most jobs to be done will be creative ones.
D) Skills are highly valued regardless of age.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 216 页 共 223 页2015年06月大学英语四级仔细阅读第3套
Passage One
Boys'schools are the perfect place to teach young men to express their emotions and
involve them in activities such as art, dance and music.
Far from the traditional image of a culture of aggressive masculinity(阳刚), the absence of
girls gives boys the chance to develop without pressure to conform to a stereotype, a US study
says.
Boys at single-sex schools were said to be more likely to get involved in cultural and artistic
activities that helped develop their emotional expressiveness, rather than feeling they had to
conform to the "boy code" of hiding their emotions to be a“real man".
The findings of the study go against received wisdom that boys do better when taught
alongside girls
Tony Little, headmaster of Eton, warned that boys were being failed by the British education
system because it had become too focused on girls. He criticised teachers for failing to recognise
that boys are actually more emotional than girls.
The research argued that boys often perform badly in mixed schools because they become
discouraged when their female peers do better earlier in speaking and reading skills.
But in single-sex schools teachers can tailor lessons to boys'learning style, letting them
move around the classroom and getting them to compete in teams to prevent boredom, wrote the
study's author, Abigail James, of the University of Virginia.
Teachers could encourage boys to enjoy reading and writing with "boy-focused" approaches
such as themes and characters that appeal to them. Because boys generally have more acute
vision, learn best through touch, and are physically more active, they need to be given"hands-
on"lessons where they are allowed to walk around."Boys in mixed schools view classical music
asfeminine(女性的) and prefer the modern genre (类型) in which violence and sexism are major
themes,” James wrote.
Single-sex education also made it less likely that boys would feel they had to conform to a
stereotype that men should be“masterful and in charge"in relationships.“In mixed schools, boys
feel compelled to act like men before they understand themselves well enough to know what that
means,” the study reported.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 217 页 共 223 页46.The author believes that a single-sex school would .
A) force boys to hide their emotions to be"real men"
B) help to cultivate masculine aggressiveness in boys
C) encourage boys to express their emotions more freely
D) naturally reinforce in boys the traditional image of a man
47. It is commonly believed that in a mixed school boys
A)perform relatively better
B)grow up more healthily
C) behave more responsibly
D) receive a better education
48.What does Tony Little say about the British education system?
A)It fails more boys than girls academically.
B) It focuses more on mixed school education.
C) It fails to give boys the attention they need.
D) It places more pressure on boys than on girls.
49.According to Abigail James, one of the advantages of single-sex schools is
A) teaching can be tailored to suit the characteristics of boys
B) boys can focus on their lessons without being distracted
C) boys can choose to learn whatever they are interested in
D) teaching can be designed to promote boys'team spirit
50.Which of the following is characteristic of boys according to Abigail James' report?
A) They enjoy being in charge.
B) They conform to stereotypes.
C) They have sharper vision.
D)They are violent and sexist.
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 218 页 共 223 页Passage Two
It's an annual argument. Do we or do we not go on holiday? My partner says no because
the boiler could go, or the roof fall off, and we have no savings to save us. I say you only live
once and we work hard and what's the point if you can't go on holiday.The joy of a recession
means no argument next year—we just won't go.
Since money is known to be one of the things most likely to bring a relationship to its knees,
we should be grateful. For many families the recession means more than not booking a holiday. A
YouGov poll of 2,000 people found 22said they were arguing more with their partners because
of concerns about money.What's less clear is whether divorce and separation rates rise in a
recession—financial pressures mean couples argue more but make splitting up less affordable. A
recent research shows arguments about money were especially damaging to couples. Disputes
were characterised by intense verbal(言语上的)aggression, tended to be repeated and not
resolved, and made men, more than women, extremely angry.
Kim Stephenson, an occupational psychologist, believes money is such a big deal because
of what it symbolises, which may be different things to men and women.“People can say the
same things about money but have different ideas of what it's for," he explains.“They'll say
it's to save, to spend, for security, for freedom, to show someone you love them.” He says men
are more likely to see money as a way of buying status and of showing their parents that
they've achieved something.
“The biggest problem is that couples assume each other knows what's going on with their
finances, but they don't. There seems to be more of a taboo(禁忌)about talking about money
than about death. But you both need to know what you're doing, who's paying what into the joint
account and how much you keep separately. In a healthy relationship, you don't have to agree
about money, but you have to talk about it.”
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 219 页 共 223 页51. What does the author say about vacationing?
A)People enjoy it all the more during a recession.
B) Few people can afford it without working hard.
C) It makes all the hard work worthwhile.
D)It is the chief cause of family disputes.
52. What does the author mean by saying“money is known.to bring a relationship to its
knees”(Line 1, Para.2)?
A) Money is considered to be the root of all evils.
B) Some people sacrifice their dignity for money.
C) Few people can resist the temptation of money.
D) Disputes over money may ruin a relationship.
53. The YouGov poll of 2,000 people indicates that in a recession
A)conflicts between couples tend to rise
B) it is more expensive for couples to split up
C) couples show more concern for each other
D) divorce and separation rates increase
54.What does Kim Stephenson believe?
A)Money is often a symbol of a person's status.
B) Money means a great deal to both men and women.
C) Men and women spend money on different things.
D) Men and women view money in different ways.
55. The author suggests at the end of the passage that couples should
A)put their money together instead of keeping it separately
B) make efforts to reach agreement on their family budgets
C) discuss money matters to maintain a healthy relationship
D) avoid arguing about money matters to remain romantic
英语四级仔细阅读真题汇编 2015-2023 第 220 页 共 223 页
