大纲要求
《大学英语教学大纲》对四级阅读能力的要求如下：能顺利阅读语言难度中等的一般性题材的文章、掌握中心大意以及说明中心大意的事实和细节，并能进行一定的分析、推理和判断，领会作者的观点和态度，阅读速度达到每分钟70词。在阅读篇幅较长、难度略低、生词不超过总词数3％的材料时，能掌握中心大意，抓住主要事实和有关细节，阅读速度将达到每分钟100词。
阅读理解部分共有4篇文章，文章总长度为1200词（平均每篇文章300词左右），在每篇文章后有5个多项选择题，每个小题为2分，考生需在35分钟内读完文章并完成所有20个选择题（共40分）。
与阅读能力密切相关的几个因素
就分值而言，阅读理解部分占了四级考试整套试卷总分值的40%。因此，阅读理解部分成绩的好坏，直接关系到考生能否顺利通过四级考试。阅读能力的高低取决于以下几点：
1. 坚实的语言基础
和听力一样，坚实的语言基础依然是阅读理解成功的决定性因素。首先, 考生需要掌握好四级词汇。大学英语教学大纲规定四级阶段学生需领会式掌握4200单词、以及由这些词构成的常用词组，并具有按照基本构词法识别生词的能力。阅读理解部分的阅读材料中凡超出大纲词表的单词都用中文注明词义，但每篇不超过3个。因此，充分掌握好四级范围内词汇, 阅读理解就成功了一大半。其次, 要熟练掌握英语的语法和习惯用法。在阅读中遇到结构复杂的句子和难点, 可借助语法分析来理解其意义。
2. 正确的阅读方法
要想提高阅读能力，得根据英语的特点, 使用正确的阅读方法。要掌握快速阅读技能，并在平时的阅读实践中不断运用这种技能，把句子水平的阅读理解提高到语篇水平的阅读理解，在宏观上理解上下文的逻辑关系、跟上作者思路的展开、掌握文章的主题思想、通过概括得出结论、了解作者的观点和态度等，从而真正理解文章的意思。
3. 大量的阅读实践
阅读是掌握语言知识、获取信息、提高听、说、写、译等能力的基础。只有在大量的阅读实践中,才能够接触许许多多的语言现象，同时扩大自己的知识面，建立语感, 从而最终提高阅读技能。从历年的考题中可以看出，四级考试阅读理解所选文章绝大部分是议论文和说明文，所以考生在考试准备过程中，选择阅读材料时应以这类文章为主。
阅读理解临场应试技巧
要想在四级考试的阅读理解部分得高分，除了平时进行大量阅读练习以外，还应在考试时注意以下几个方面的问题：
1．合理掌握时间
大学英语教学大纲明确阐述，要培养学生具有较强的阅读能力。所谓较强的阅读能力，包括阅读速度和阅读理解两个方面。大学英语四级考试四篇阅读材料总字数约为1200词（原为1000词左右），给出的阅读及答题时间为35分钟。一般每篇阅读材料可限时8分钟左右，这样不但能保证有限的时间内完成阅读，还可以留有一定的时间进行必要的检查和修正。
2．读问题后再读文章
在做阅读理解时，为了加快阅读速度和提高答题准确率，可采用先读问题后读文章的方法。先把文章后面的问题快速浏览一遍，然后带着问题有针对性地去读文章本体。第一段以及每一段的首句要仔细阅读，因为作为文章各段的中心思想句的主题句通常出现在段首。主题句看懂了，整段乃至正篇文章的意思就不难理解了。另外，一些长句或结构比较复杂的句子往往受到命题者的青睐，为了检查考生是否真正理解这类句子，很多题都是围绕它们而设计，考生须学会对长句的分析理解。
3．解题应先易后难
不论是阅读材料还是文后小题，都应按照由易到难的顺序来进行。分析近几年的全真题，可以看出一套题四篇文章中，通常至少有两篇在题材上较为考生所熟悉，语言上比较容易理解，考生在答题时可以将这些较容易的文章和问题先完成，然后再来处理剩下的篇章和问题。做题时，每一道题必须回到原文中找到出处,也就是能够证明这道题正确答案的部分，千万不要仅凭感觉。
真题分解
下面是2000年1月四级考试阅读理解全真题。
Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension (35 minutes)
Directions: There are 4 passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A)，B)，C) and D) .You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.
Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage:
Unless we spend money to spot and prevent asteroids (小行星) now，one might crash into Earth and destroy life as we know it，say some scientists.
Asteroids are bigger versions of the meteoroids (流星) that race across the night sky. Most orbit the sun far from Earth and don't threaten us. But there are also thousands of asteroids whose orbits put them on a collision course with Earth.
Buy $50 million worth of new telescopes right now. Then spend $10 million a year for the next 25 years to locate most of the space rocks. By the time we spot a fatal one，the scientists say，we'll have a way to change its course.
Some scientists favor pushing asteroids off course with nuclear weapons. But the cost wouldn't be cheap.
Is it worth it? Two things experts consider when judging any risk are: 1) How likely the event is; and 2) How bad the consequences if the event occurs. Experts think an asteroid big enough to destroy lots of life might strike Earth once every 500,000 years. Sounds pretty rare¬ — but if one did fall，it would be the end of the world.“If we don't take care of these big asteroids，they'll take care of us，”says one scientist.“It's that simple.”
The cure，though，might be worse than the disease. Do we really want fleets of nuclear weapons sitting around on Earth?“The world has less to fear from doomsday (毁灭性的) rocks than from a great nuclear fleet set against them，”said a New York Times article.
21. What does the passage say about asteroids and meteoroids?
A) They are heavenly bodies different in composition.
B) They are heavenly bodies similar in nature.
C) There are more asteroids than meteoroids.
D) Asteroids are more mysterious than meteoroids.
22. What do scientists say about the collision of an asteroid with Earth?
A) It is very unlikely but the danger exists.
B) Such a collision might occur once every 25 years.
C) Collisions of smaller asteroids with Earth occur more often than expected.
D) It's still too early to say whether such a collision might occur.
23. What do people think of the suggestion of using nuclear weapons to alter the course of asteroids?
A) It sounds practical but it may not solve the problem.
B) It may create more problems than it might solve.
C) It is a waste of money because a collision of asteroids with Earth is very unlikely.
D) Further research should be done before it is proved applicable.
24. We can conclude from the passage that _____.
A) while pushing asteroids off course nuclear weapons would destroy the world
B) asteroids racing across the night sky are likely to hit Earth in the near future
C) the worry about asteroids can be left to future generations since it is unlikely to happen in
our lifetime
D) workable solutions still have to be found to prevent a collision of asteroids with Earth.
25. Which of the following best describes the author's tone in this passage?
A) Optimistic. B) Critical. C) Objective. D) Arbitrary.
Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:
Believe it or not，optical illusion (错觉) can cut highway crashes.
Japan is a case in point. It has reduced automobile crashes on some roads by nearly 75 percent using a simple optical illusion. Bent stripes，called chevrons (人字形), painted on the roads make drivers think that they are driving faster than they really are，and thus drivers slow down.
Now the American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety in Washington D.C. is planning to repeat Japan's success. Starting next year, the foundation will paint chevrons and other patterns of stripes on selected roads around the country to test how well the patterns reduce highway crashes.
Excessive speed plays a major role in as much as one fifth of all fatal traffic accidents, according to the foundation. To help reduce those accidents，the foundation will conduct its tests in areas where speed-related hazards are the greatest — curves，exit slopes，traffic circles，and bridges.
Some studies suggest that straight，horizontal bars painted across roads can initially cut the average speed of drivers in half. However，traffic often returns to full speed within months as drivers become used to seeing the painted bars.
Chevrons，scientists say，not only give drivers the impression that they are driving faster than they really are but also make a lane appear to be narrower. The result is a longer lasting reduction in highway speed and the number of traffic accidents.
26. The passage mainly discusses ____.
A) a new way of highway speed control
B) a new pattern for painting highways
C) a new approach to training drivers
D) a new type of optical illusion
27. On roads painted with chevrons, drivers tend to feel that ____.
A) they should avoid speed-related hazards
B) they are driving in the wrong lane
C) they should slow down their speed
D) they are approaching the speed limit
28. The advantage of chevrons over straight，horizontal bars is that the former ____.
A) can keep drivers awake
B) can cut road accidents in half
C) will have a longer effect on drivers
D) will look more attractive
29. The American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety plans to ____.
A) try out the Japanese method in certain areas
B) change the road signs across the country
C) replace straight，horizontal bars with chevrons
D) repeat the Japanese road patterns
30. What does the author say about straight，horizontal bars painted across roads?
A) They are falling out of use in the United States.
B) They tend to be ignored by drivers in a short period of time.
C) They are applicable only on broad roads.
D) They cannot be applied successfully to traffic circles.
Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:
Amtrak (美国铁路客运公司) was experiencing a downswing in ridership (客运) along the lines comprising its rail system. Of major concern to Amtrak and its advertising agency DDB Needham，were the long-distance western routes where ridership had been declining significantly.
At one time，trains were the only practical way to cross the vast areas of the west. Trains were fast，very luxurious，and quite convenient compared to other forms of transportation existing at the time. However，times change and the automobile became America's standard of convenience. Also，air travel had easily established itself as the fastest method of traveling great distances. Therefore，the task for DDB Needham was to encourage consumers to consider other aspects of train travel in order to change their attitudes and increase the likelihood that trains would be considered for travel in the west.
Two portions of the total market were targeted: 1) anxious fliers — those concerned with safety，relaxation，and cleanliness and 2) travel-lovers — those viewing themselves as relaxed，casual，and interested in the travel experience as part of their vacation. The agency then developed a campaign that focused on travel experiences such as freedom，escape，relaxation，and enjoyment of the great western outdoors. It stressed experiences gained by using the trains and portrayed western train trips as wonderful adventures.
Advertisements showed pictures of the beautiful scenery that could be enjoyed along some of the more famous western routes and emphasized the romantic names of some of these trains (Empire Builder，etc.).These ads were strategically placed among family-oriented TV shows and programs involving nature and America in order to most effectively reach target audiences. Results were impressive. The Empire Builder, which was focused on in one ad. enjoyed a 15 percent increase in profits on its Chicago to Seattle route.
31. What's the author's purpose in writing this passage?
A) To show the inability of trains to compete with planes with respect to speed and convenience.
B) To stress the influence of the automobile on America's standard of convenience.
C) To emphasize the function of travel agencies in market promotion.
D) To illustrate the important role of persuasive communication in changing consumer attitudes.
32. It can be inferred from the passage that the drop in Amtrak ridership was due to the fact that ______.
A) trains were not suitable for short distance passenger transportation
B) trains were not the fastest and most convenient form of transportation
C) trains were not as fast and convenient as they used to be
D) trains could not compete with planes in terms of luxury and convenience
33. To encourage consumers to travel by train，DDB Needham emphasized ______.
A) the freedom and convenience provided on trains
B) the practical aspects of travel
C) the adventurous aspects of train trips
D) the safety and cleanliness of train trips
34. The train ads were placed among family-oriented TV programs involving nature and America because ______.
A) they could focus on meaningful travel experiences
B) they could increase the effectiveness of the TV programs
C) their profits could be increased by some 15 percent
D) most travel-lovers and nervous fliers were believed to be among the audiences
35. According to the passage，the Empire Builder enjoyed an increase in ridership and profits because ______.
A) the attractiveness of its name and route was effectively advertised
B) it provided an exciting travel experience
C) its passengers could enjoy the great western outdoors
D) it was widely advertised in newspapers and magazines in Chicago and Seattle
Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:
Why does cream go bad faster than butter? Some researchers think they have the answer，and it comes down to the structure of the food，not its chemical composition — a finding that could help rid some processed foods of chemical preservatives.
Cream and butter contain pretty much the same substances，so why cream should sour much faster has been a mystery. Both are emulsions — tiny globules (小球) of one liquid evenly distributed throughout another. The difference lies in what's in the globules and what's in the surrounding liquid，says Brocklehurst，who led the investigation.
In cream，fatty globules drift about in a sea of water. In butter，globules of a watery solution are locked away in a sea of fat. The bacteria which make the food go bad prefer to live in the watery regions of the mixture. “This means that in cream，the bacteria are free to grow throughout the mixture，” he says.
When the situation is reversed，the bacteria are locked away in compartments (隔仓室) buried deep in the sea of fat. Trapped in this way，individual colonies cannot spread and rapidly run out of nutrients (养料). They also slowly poison themselves with their waste products.”In butter，you get a self-limiting system which stops the bacteria growing，”says Brocklehurst.
The researchers are already working with food companies keen to see if their products can be made resistant to bacterial attack through alterations to the food's structure. Brocklehurst believes it will be possible to make the emulsions used in salad cream，for instance，more like that in butter. The key will be to do this while keeping the salad cream liquid and not turning it into a solid lump.
36. The significance of Brocklehurst's research is that ______.
A) it suggested a way to keep some foods fresh without preservatives
B) it discovered tiny globules in both cream and butter
C) it revealed the secret of how bacteria multiply in cream and butter
D) it found that cream and butter share the same chemical composition
37. According to the researchers, cream sours faster than butter because bacteria _____.
A) are more evenly distributed in cream
B) multiply more easily in cream than in butter
C) live on less fat in cream than in butter
D) produce less waste in cream than in butter
38. According to Brocklehurst，we can keep cream fresh by ______.
A) removing its fat B) killing the bacteria
C) reducing its water content D) altering its structure
39. The word“colonies”(Line 2，Para.4) refers to ______ .
A) tiny globules B) watery regions
C) bacteria communities D) little compartments
40. Commercial application of the research finding will be possible if salad cream can be made resistant to bacterial attack ______.
A) by varying its chemical composition B) by turning it into a solid lump
C) while keeping its structure unchanged D) while retaining its liquid form
参考答案：
21. B 22. A 23. B 24. D 25. C 26. A 27. C 28. C 29. A 30. B
31. D 32. B 33. C 34. D 35. A 36. A 37. B 38. D 39. C 40. D
大学英语四级考试阅读理解部分主要测试考生的下述能力: 掌握所读材料的主旨和大意;识别重要细节;根据信息进行推论，通过概括得出结论；推测词义或语义。考试题型可以依次划分为主旨题、细节题、推断题、词义题。
在2000年1月四级全真题20个阅读理解题中，有3道主旨题，12道细节题，4道推理题，1道词义题。具体分布情况如下：
主旨题：第26、31及36题
细节题：第21、22、23、27、28、29、30、33、34、37、38和40题
推断题：第24，25，32及35题
词义题：第39题
一、主旨题——掌握所读材料的主旨和大意
主旨类试题主要测试考生对整篇文章或文章某一段落的理解能力，要求考生找出或归纳出文章的主题、标题、中心思想等。
一篇短文通常包括表明中心思想的主题句以及与中心思想有关或为其提供论据的一个或多个支持性句子。主题思想是作者在文章中要表达的中心内容。段落中心思想常常由主题句来表达。主题句常常出现在段首或段尾处。同样, 一篇文章的中心思想也常常在开始段或结尾段点出。因此, 在阅读中,要对文章的开始段和结尾段及段落的主题句给予特别的注意。
解答这类题时，要学会识别文章中最基本, 最具有概括力的信息，这种信息应能归纳和概括文中其它信息所具有的共性；要学会排除那些过宽或过窄、以偏概全、主次颠倒等不恰当的选项，从而选出正确答案。
下面分析一下2000年1月全真题中的三道主旨题。
26题直接就“本篇文章主要谈论什么”设问。文章第一句话就指出光学错觉能减少公路交通事故，然后介绍了日本人运用该原理，在路面上划人字形线，使驾驶员感到他们的驾驶速度高于实际驾驶速度，从而降低驾驶车速。美国鉴于日本在此方面取得成功，也在部分地区实施这种办法。文章最后一段引述了科学家的观点，进一步说明了人字形线是一种行之有效的减少交通事故的好举措。在通读全篇文章之后，可以选定A（“公路上控制汽车驾驶速度的一种新举措”）为正确选项，而“在公路上划线的一种新模式”（B项）、“培训驾驶员的一种新方法”（C项）、“光学错觉的一种新类型”（D项）均不是答案。
31题的问题是：“作者写这篇文章的主要意图是什么？”，该题实际上是就文章的主题思想提问。文章第2段第5句（Therefore, the task for DDB Needham …）点出了为美国铁路客运公司作广告宣传的DDB Needham广告公司所面临的任务。文章的第2、3段则列举了为了改变消费者的观点以使他们外出旅行时选择火车作为交通工具所做的工作。文章最后两句则点出了DDB Needham广告公司的宣传活动所取得的效果。由此可见，答案应该是D项。选项A说作者写这篇文章目的在于“为了说明火车在速度与方便性方面赶不上飞机”。选项B说“为了强调汽车对美国便利标准的影响”，选项C意为“为了强调旅行社在市场促销方面的作用”。
36题问及由Brocklehurt领导的研究项目的意义。这是一道考核考生是否理解文章主旨的考题。从文章总体来看，第1段谈及科学家已经找到了奶油变质的速度比黄油快的原因，进而明确提出，这一发现为在食品加工过程中不再使用化学防腐剂提供了可能性。接下来的第2、第3、第4段具体阐明奶油容易变质而黄油不容易变质的道理。最后一段又说研究人员准备与食品公司合作，生产既能保鲜又不用任何化学防腐剂的食品。从4个选项来看，A项是答案。B项说“该项研究发现了奶油和黄油中的液状小球体”。文章虽然提到液状小球体，但未谈及是否是这项科学研究的成果，所以不是答案。C项说“该项研究揭示了奶油和黄油中细菌繁衍的秘密”。文章谈到细菌在奶油和黄油中繁衍的事，但只是为了说明奶油和黄油虽然化学成分大体相同但结构不同，因而一个容易变质，另一个则不容易的道理，并非是文章的主旨。D项说“该项研究发现奶油和黄油化学成分一样”。文章提到这两者的化学成分一样，但未说明是否是这项科学研究的发现，因此也不是答案。
下面再看一下其他例子：
例题1.(1990年1月全真题)
Oceanography has been defined as "The application of all sciences to the study of the sea".
Before the nineteenth century, scientists with an interest in the sea were few and far between. Certainly Newton considered some theoretical aspects of it in his writings, but he was reluctant to go to sea to further his work.
For most people the sea was remote, and with the exception of early intercontinental travellers or others who earned a living from the sea, there was little reason to ask many questions about it, let alone to ask what lay beneath the surface.
The first time that the question "What is at the bottom of the oceans?" had to be answered with any commercial consequence was when the laying of a telegraph cable from Europe to America was proposed. The engineers had to know the depth profile (起伏形状) of the route to estimate the length of cable that had to be manufactured.
It was to Maury of the US Navy that the Atlantic Telegraph Company turned, in 1853, for information on this matter. In the 1840s, Maury had been responsible for encouraging voyages during which soundings (测深) were taken to investigate the depths of the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Later, some of his findings aroused much popular interest in his book The Physical geography of the Sea.
The cable was laid, but not until 1866 was the connection made permanent and reliable. At the early attempts, the cable failed and when it was taken out for repairs it was found to be covered in living growths, a fact which defied contemporary scientific opinion that there was no life in the deeper parts of the sea.
Within a few years oceanography was under way. In 1872 Thomson led a scientific expedition (考察), which lasted for four years and brought home thousands of samples from the sea. Their classification and analysis occupied scientists for years and led to a five-volume report, the last volume being published in 1895.
This passage is mainly about ____.
A) the beginnings of oceanography B)the laying of the first undersea cable
C) the investigation of ocean depths D) the early intercontinental communications
(Key: A)
例题2. (1999年1月全真题)
The appeal of advertising to buying motives can have both negative and positive effects. Consumers may be convinced to buy a product of poor quality or high price because of an advertisement. For example, some advertisers have appealed to people's desire for better fuel economy for their cars by advertising automotive products that improve gasoline mileage. Some of the products work. Others are worthless and a waste of consumers’ money.
Sometimes advertising is intentionally misleading. A few years ago a brand of bread was offered to dieters (节食者) with the message that there were fewer calories (热量单位，大卡) in every slice. It turned out that the bread was not dietetic (适合于节食的), but just regular bread. There were fewer calories because it was sliced very thin, but there were the same number of calories in every loaf.
On the positive side, emotional appeals may respond to a consumer’s real concerns. Consider fire insurance. Fire insurance may be sold by appealing to fear of loss. But fear of loss is the real reason for fire insurance. The security of knowing that property is protected by insurance makes the purchase of fire insurance a worthwhile investment for most people. If consumers consider the quality of the insurance plans as well as the message in the ads, they will benefit from the advertising.
Each consumer must evaluate her or his own situation. Are the benefits of the product important enough to justify buying it? Advertising is intended to appeal to consumers, but it does not force them to buy the product. Consumers still control the final buying decision.
The passage is mainly about ____.
A)how to make a wise buying decision
B) ways to protect the interests of the consumer
C)the positive and negative aspects of advertising
D)the function of advertisements in promoting sales
(Key: C)
例题3. (1995年6月全真题)
Attention to detail is something everyone can and should do — especially in a tight job market. Bob Crossley, a human-resources expert notices this in the job applications that come cross his desk every day. “It’s amazing how many candidates eliminate themselves,” he says.
"Resumes (简历) arrive with stains. Some candidates don’t bother to spell the company’s names correctly. Once I see a mistake, I eliminate the candidate.” Crossley concludes. “If they cannot take care of these details, why should we trust them with a job?”
Can we pay much attention to details? Absolutely. Perfectionists struggle over little things at the cost of something larger they work toward. "To keep from losing the forest for the trees," says Charles Garfield, associate professor at the University of California, San Francisco, “we must constantly ask ourselves how the details we’re working on fit into the larger picture. If they don’t, we should drop them and move to something else.”
Garfield compares this process to his work as a computer scientist at NASA. “The Apollo Ⅱ moon launch was slightly off-course 90 percent of the time,” says Garfield. “But a successful landing was still likely because we knew the exact coordinates of our goal. This allowed us to make adjustments as necessary.” Knowing where we want to go helps us judge the importance of every task we undertake.
Too often we believe what accounts for others’ success is some special secret or a lucky break (机遇). But rarely is success so mysterious. Again and again, we see that by doing little things within our grasp well, large rewards follow.
The best title for this passage would be ______.
A) Don’t Be a Perfectionist B) Importance of Adjustments
C) Details and Major Objectives D) Hard Work Plus Good Luck
(Key: C)
二、细节题——识别重要细节
在文章中, 作者总是要通过许多具体内容(Details)来说明、解释、证明、或分析文章的主题思想。在通读全文、掌握了文章主题思想的基础上, 读者还应该能抓住阐述和发展主题思想的主要事实, 或者按要求找出特定细节。
在近年来的考试中，细节题中所占的份量越来越重。在2000年1月全真题中，此类题就达12题，占据了整个阅读理解的40%。
一般来说, 阅读理解测试中要求找出主要事实或特定细节的问题, 在文章中均可找到回答。但是, 需要注意的是, 这些问题的表述常常不是采用文章中的原话, 而是使用同义的词语来进行提问。因此, 在回答此类问题时, 首先要认真审题, 看清问题提问的究竟是什么。然后, 根据所涉及到的问题, 快速扫视到文章中相应的部分, 找到与答题内容相关的关键词或短语, 再细读一、两遍。在确信理解了原文的基础上, 来确定正确答案，切勿脱离文中内容而根据自己的主观想象或其它来源的知识来选择答案。
下面以2000年1月全真题中的部分阅读理解题为例，来分析一下细节题的特征及答题技巧。
第21题问:“本篇文章关于小行星和流星有和说法?”解答此题需要正确理解第2段第1句话：Asteroids are bigger versions of the meteoroids that race across the night sky.(小行星就是那些划过夜空更大一些的行星。)关键词version意为“版本，（变化）形式”。所以本题答案选项为B（它们是本质上类似的天体。）
第22题问的是小行星与地球碰撞的可能性。文章的第5段说，专家们认为，足以造成大量生命伤亡的小行星碰撞地球事件每50万年兴许会发生一次。所以，选项A(可能性非常小，但危险依存。)为答案。
第27题要考生就“在画了人字形的道路上行驶，驾驶员常会有何感觉？”提问。文章第2段第2句话说：Bent stripes，called chevrons, painted on the roads make drivers think that they are driving faster than they really are，and thus drivers slow down. (在道路上画人字形线使驾驶员认为他们所驾驶的汽车车速比实际上行驶得要快，这样，驾驶员就会降低车速。)因此，选项C（他们应该降低车速）是答案。
答第34题时，考生可以从文章第3段第1句找到答案：Two portions of the total market were targeted: 1) anxious fliers — those concerned with safety，relaxation，and cleanliness and 2) travel-lovers — those viewing themselves as relaxed，casual，and interested in the travel experience as part of their vacation.因此，选项D为正确答案。而其他三个选项文章并未提及。
下面再看一下其他例子：
例题1. (1997年6月全真题)
Even plants can run a fever, especially when they're under attack by insects or disease. But unlike humans, plants can have their temperature taken from 3,000 feet away — straight up. A decade ago, adapting the infrared (红外线) scanning technology developed for military purposes and other satellites, physicist Stephen
Paley came up with a quick way to take the temperature of crops to determine which ones are under stress. The goal was to let farmers precisely target pesticide (杀虫剂) spraying rather than rain poison on a whole field, which invariably includes plants that don't have pest (害虫) problems.
Even better, Paley's Remote Scanning Services Company could detect crop problems before they became visible to the eye. Mounted on a plane flown at 3,000 feet at night, an infrared scanner measured the heat emitted by crops. The data were transformed into a color-coded map showing where plants were running "fevers".
Farmers could then spot-spray, using 50 to 70 percent less pesticide than they otherwise would.
The bad news is that Paley's company closed down in 1984, after only three years. Farmers resisted the new technology and long-term backers were hard to find. But with the renewed concern about pesticides on produce, and refinements in infrared scanning, Paley hopes to get back into operation. Agriculture experts have no doubt the technology works. "This technique can be used on 75 percent of agricultural land in the United States, "says George Oerther of Texas A&M. Ray Jackson, who recently retired from the Department of Agriculture, thinks remote infrared crop scanning could be adopted by the end of the decade. But only if Paley finds the financial backing
which he failed to obtain 10 years ago.
1. Plants will emit an increased amount of heat when they are ______.
A) sprayed with pesticides B) facing an infrared scanner
C) in poor physical condition D) exposed to excessive sun rays
(Key: C)
2. In order to apply pesticide spraying precisely, we can use infrared scanning to ______.
A) estimate the damage to the crops
B) draw a color-coded map
C) measure the size of the affected area
D) locate the problem area
(Key: D)
3. Farmers can save a considerable amount of pesticide by _______.
A) resorting to spot-spraying B) consulting infrared scanning experts
C) transforming poisoned rain D) detecting crop problems at an early date
(Key: A)
4. The application of infrared scanning technology to agriculture met with some difficulties due to ______.
A) the lack of official support B) its high cost
C) the lack of financial support D) its failure to help increase production
(Key: C)
三、推断题——根据信息进行推论，通过概括得出结论
推论题与确定中心意思和识别重要细节题不同,后两类是根据文中直接给出的文字信息来回答问题,推论却须根据字面意思或已知信息来推断作者的隐含之意,即作者在论述某一问题时的真正含义。
做逻辑结论是根据文中作者的论述，得出一个逻辑结论。结论必须与文中所述的事实依据相一致。这与进行推论有相似之处。推论要求读者根据作者字面表达的意思，推断出作者的言外之意。然而做结论则是根据文中所引述论证的事实，按照作者的思路，做出一个合情合理、符合逻辑的结论。
在四级阅读理解考试中，有时会问到作者的观点和态度。考生需通过字里行间的阅读，理解作者赞成什么、反对什么，从而总结出答案。
注意区分题中imply与infer。imply是指从作者自己的角度出发，作者在文中所暗指或隐含的内容；infer则要求从读者的角度出发，根据作者所述的字面意思作出推论，指出作者的隐含之意。做这类题时，应注意作者在表达字面意思的同时，是否还在暗示什么；在表达某一观点是，是在进行一般性的客观描述，还是带有某种倾向性。
在判断文章的结论时，要特别注意查证得出的结论是否符合原文作者的意图。所得出的结论必须建立在文章提供的事实的基础上，切不可根据自己的主观臆断，毫无根据地下结论。
在2000年1月的全真题中，第24，25，32及35题为推断题。
第24题的答案为选项D（仍需寻找一些可行的解决办法来阻止小行星与地区发生碰撞）。文章第4段说有些科学家主张使用核武器将小行星推离其运行轨道，以次来避免其与地球发生碰撞。但随后对此种提议提出了质疑。在文章的最后一段，作者进一步强调这样做弊大于利，不是一个切实可行的办法。选项A说“核武器在将小行星推离轨道的同时会毁灭地球”。这个结论过于武断，因为文章只是说，这样做弊大于利。选项B说“夜空中游弋的小行星在不久的将来很可能与地球碰撞”。文章的第5段指出，发生严重碰撞的可能性极小，大概每50万年彩绘有一次，因此B选项不对。选项C说“在我们这一辈子中，大概不会发生小行星撞击地球的事件，因此可以让我们的后代去考虑。”文章的第3段建议，买上一架价值5千万美元的望远镜，在今后的25年中，每年花费1千万美元把绝大多数这类太空飞石的位置确定下来，等到我们发现了致命的飞石时，就会有办法改变其运行路线。可见危险还是存在的。
第25题考核考生能否根据文章的叙述正确推断作者的基本论调。从文章对小行星与地球碰撞这种事件的可能性，以及人们应该采取的对策的叙述，可以看出作者是十分可观的，所以本题的答案是选项B。
第32题的答案可以从文章的第2段推断出：However，times change and the automobile became America's standard of convenience. Also，air travel had easily established itself as the fastest method of traveling great distances.显而易见，本题的答案为选项B。
在完成第35题时，应正确理解文章最后一段的两句话：Advertisements showed pictures of the beautiful scenery that could be enjoyed along some of the more famous western routes and emphasized the romantic names of some of these trains (Empire Builder，etc.).These ads were strategically placed among family-oriented TV shows and programs involving nature and America in order to most effectively reach target audiences.因此，答案应该是选项A。
下面再看一下其他例子：
例题1. (2001年1月全真题)
In 1993, New York State ordered stores to charge a deposit on beverage (饮料) containers. Within a year, consumers had returned millions of aluminum cans and glass and plastic bottles. Plenty of companies were eager to accept the aluminum and glass as raw materials for new products, but because few could figure out what to do with the plastic, much of it wound up buried in landfills (垃圾填埋场). The problem was not limited to New York. Unfortunately, there were too few uses for second-hand plastic.
Today, one out of five plastic soda bottles is recycled (回收利用) in the United States.
The reason for the change is that now there are dozens of companies across the country buying discarded plastic soda bottles and turning them into fence posts, paint brushes, etc.
As the New York experience shows, recycling involves more than simply separating valuable materials from the rest of the rubbish. A discard remains a discard until somebody figures out how to give it a second life — and until economic arrangements exist to give that second life value. Without adequate markets to absorb materials collected for recycling, throwaways actually depress prices for used materials.
Shrinking landfill space, and rising costs for burying and burning rubbish are forcing local governments to look more closely at recycling. In many areas, the East Coast especially, recycling is already the least expensive waste-management option. For every ton of waste recycled, a city avoids paying for its disposal, which, in parts of New York, amounts to savings of more than $100 per ton. Recycling also stimulates the local economy by creating jobs and trims the pollution control and energy costs of industries that make recycled products by giving them a more refined raw material.
It can be concluded from the passage that ____.
A) rubbish is a potential remedy for the shortage of raw materials
B) local governments in the U.S. can expect big profits from recycling
C) recycling is to be recommended both economically and environmentally
D) landfills will still be widely used for waste disposal
(Key: C)
例题2. (1993年6月全真题)
Nursing at Beth Israel Hospital produces the best patient care possible. If we are to solve the nursing shortage, hospital administration and doctors everywhere would do well to follow Beth Israel's example.
At Beth Israel each patient is assigned to a primary nurse who visits at length with the patient and constructs a full-scale health account that covers everything from his medical history to his emotional state. Then she writes a care plan centered on the patient's illness but which also includes everything else that is necessary.
The primary nurse stays with the patient through his hospitalization, keeping track with his progress and seeking further advice from his doctor. If a patient at Beth Israel is not responding to treatment, it is not uncommon for his nurse to propose another approach to his doctor. What the doctor at Beth Israel has in the primary nurse is a true colleague.
Nursing at Beth Israel also involves a decentralized (分散的) nursing administration; every floor, every unit is a self-contained organization. There are nurse-managers instead of head nurses; in addition to their medical duties they do all their own hiring and dismissing, employee advising, and they make salary recommendations. Each unit's nurses decide among themselves who will work what shifts and when.
Beth Israel's nurse-in-chief ranks as an equal with other vice presidents of the hospital. She also is a member of the Medical Executive Committee, which in most hospitals includes only doctors.
1. It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
A) compared with other hospitals nurses at Beth Israel Hospital are more patient
B) in most hospitals patient care is inadequate from the professional point of view
C) in most hospitals nurses get low salaries
D) compared with other hospitals nurses have to work longer hours at Beth Israel Hospital
(Key: B)
2. The author's attitude towards the nursing system at Beth Israel Hospital is ______.
A) negative B) neutral
C) critical D) positive
(Key: D)
四、 词义题——推测词义或语义
词义题主要测试考生在阅读中理解词和词组以及某些细习惯用法意义的能力。
阅读文章中的生词主要有两类。一类是单词本身并不见得是生词，重要的是要求考生能根据该词使用的语境正确判断出该词的词义，这类词多为多义词，考生须具备根据单词使用的不同语境判断其具体意义的能力。另一类则为纯粹的生词，考生须根据上下文正确理解词义。对于这类问题，考生应研究生词所处的语境，用整个句子所要表达的意思来分析词义；剖析生词与上下文中的其他同义词、近义词或反义词是否有某种联系等等。有些生词的释义能在文章中直接找到。这种释义往往通过使用定语从句等句法手段或使用标点符号给出。有些生词我们可以借助构词法猜测其含意。对于有些不熟悉的单词,了解其大概意思就行了,并不总是要求读者了解其确切的定义。
纯粹的推测词义或语义的题在四级考试中并不多见，如2000年1月的考试中就只有39题1道题。但词义的正确理解对完成其他各类题却有着非常重要的作用，所以考生有必要掌握方面猜测词义的一些基本技能。
一、利用所出现生词的上下文与其意义上的联系或下文进一步的叙述猜测词义。
1. Robert is considered an autocratic administrator because he makes decisions without seeking the opinions of others.
根据because引导的从句所表述的含义，可以猜测autocratic的意思为“独断的”。
2.With mud from head to toe, flowers still clutched in his hand, John looked so ludicrous that we couldn’t help laughing.
根据上下文意思，ludicrous意为“荒谬可笑的”。
二. 利用文中的举例猜测词义。
常见的举例的提示词有：for example, such as , for instance 等。
3．Some artists plan their paintings around geometric forms like squares, circles and triangles.
如不知道"geometric forms"的意思, 可从文中所列举的三角形、正方形、圆形来猜得其意义为“几何图形”。
4.Today young couples who are just starting their households often spend lots of their money on appliances, for instance, washing-machines, refrigerators and color televisions.
如不知道appliances的意思, 从文中的举例washing-machines（洗衣机）, refrigerators（冰箱）, color televisions（电视机）可以猜出该词的意思为“家用电器”。
三. 利用文中说明词义的同位语或定语猜测词义。
5.The invention of snorkel, a long air tube that reaches up to the surface, has made it possible for submarines to use their diesel engine even when they are submerged.
句中snorkel一词的意思, 可通过其同位语a long air tube that reaches up to the surface来猜得。由此我们可以确定该词的意思为“通气管”。
Experts in kinetics, in their study of body motion as related to speech, hope to discover new methods of communication.
6.Nearby is the race course, where the town's most famous car race is held each year on May 30th.
以where引导的定语从句为依据, course应是汽车赛举行的地点, 所以排除“过程”, “课程”, “航向”, 而要定义为“跑道”。
四. 利用文中的反义词猜测词义。
7.Unlike her gregarious sister, Jane is a shy, unsociable person who does not like to go to parties or to make new friends.
根据unlike(不像)的提示，可以断定gregarious与unsociable表达的意思相反，意为“善交际的”。
8.I try hard not to make serious mistakes, but inevitably I slip up.
slip up通过but与make serious mistakes对比, 可猜为"犯小错误"。
五. 利用同义词、近义词或词组猜测词义。
9.Mother was tall, fat, and middle-aged. The principal of the school was an older woman, almost as plump as mother, and much shorter.
可以看出plump与fat是近义词，意思是“丰满的”。
10.All the other members are of the same opinion. They are unanimous.
unanimous与of the same opinion同义, 可猜为“ 一致同意的”。
六. 利用下文定义的句子猜测词义。
11.An expedition is a long, organized trip or journey, which is made into an unfamiliar area for a particular purpose by a group of people.
句中which引导的定语从句进一步解释了expedition之意为“远征队”。
12.A gorilla always makes me think of the word aloof — not friendly, of distance from others.
破折号后的内容是aloof一词"不友好, 冷漠"的释意。
七. 利用构词法猜测词义。
13. There was no-one left in the village. They had obviously been forewarned about the raid.
fore-的意思是“提前，在前”，再结合上下文意思，可以断定forewarn的意思是“预先警告”。
14. Her father said he’d disinherit her if she married Stephen.
inherit的意思是“继承”,前缀dis-表示相反的意思，根据句子可以推断disinherit的意思为“剥夺继承权”。
下面再回到2000年1月四级考试阅读理解部分第39题。colony一词出有“殖民地”的意思外，还有“聚居地，群体，菌落”等意思。从文章的上下文来看，这一个个及无法扩展又无法补充养料的colonies，当然不是指那些“小球体”、“小隔离仓”，更不是指什么“水域”，而是指“细菌的群落，菌落”，即选项C。
再看其他例子：
例题1. (2001年1月全真题)
Priscilla Ouchida's "energy-efficient" house turned out to be a horrible dream. When she and her engineer husband married a few years ago, they built a $100,000, three-bedroom home in California. Tightly sealed to prevent air leaks, the house was equipped with small double-paned (双层玻璃的) windows and several other energy-saving features. Problems began as soon as the couple moved in, however. Priscilla's eyes burned. Her throat was constantly dry. She suffered from headaches and could hardly sleep. It was as though she had suddenly developed a strange illness.
Experts finally traced the cause of her illness. The level of formaldehyde (甲醛) gas in her kitchen was twice the maximum allowed by federal standards for chemical workers. The source of the gas? Her new kitchen cabinets and wall-to-wall carpeting.
The Ouchidas are victims of indoor air pollution, which is not given sufficient attention partly because of the nation's drive to save energy. The problem itself isn't new. "The indoor environment was dirty long before energy conservation came along," says Moschandreas, a pollution scientist at Geomet Technologies in Maryland. "Energy conservation has tended to accentuate the situation in some cases."
The problem appears to be more troublesome in newly constructed homes rather than old ones. Back in the days when energy was cheap, home builders didn't worry much about unsealed cracks. Because of such leaks, the air in an average home was replaced by fresh outdoor air about once an hour. As a result, the pollutants generated in most households seldom built up to dangerous levels.
The word "accentuate" ( Para. 3) most probably means "____".
A) relieve B) accelerate C) worsen D) improve
(Key: C)
例题2. (2000年6月全真题)
Since we are social beings, the quality of our lives depends in large measure on our interpersonal relationships. One strength of the human condition is our tendency to give and receive support from one another under stressful circumstances. Social support consists of the exchange of resources among people based on their interpersonal ties. Those of us with strong support systems appear better able to cope with major life changes and daily hassles (困难). People with strong social ties live longer and have better health than those without such ties. Studies over a range of illnesses, from depression to heart disease, reveal that the presence of social support helps people fend off (挡开) illness, and the absence of such support makes poor health more likely.
Social support cushions stress in a number of ways. First, friends, relatives, and co-workers may let us know that they value us. Our self-respect is strengthened when we feel accepted by others despite our faults and difficulties. Second, other people often provide us with informational support. They help us to define and understand our problems and find solutions to them. Third, we typically find social companionship supportive. Engaging in leisure-time activities with others helps us to meet our social needs while at the same time distracting (转移...注意力) us from our worries and troubles. Finally, other people may give us instrumental support — a financial aid, material resources, and needed services — that reduces stress by helping us resolve and cope with our problems.
Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word "cushions" (Line 1, Para.2)?
A) Adds up to. B) Does away with.
C) Lessens the effect of. D) Lays the foundation for.
(Key: C) |
用户登录 
新用户注册 
网友评论：（只显示最新10条。评论内容只代表网友观点，与本站立场无关！） 
