2014年英语专业四级考试真题3

>>英语专四考试真题：2014年英语专业四级考试真题3

>>英语专四考试辅导课程

PART V READING COMPREHENSION [25 MIN]

In this section there are four passages followed by questions or unfinished statements, each with four suggested answersmarked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that you think is the best answer. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET TWO.

TEXT A

After breakfast the boys wandered out into the play-ground. Here the day-boys were gradually assembling. They were sons of the local clergy, of the officers at the Depot, and of such manufacturers or men of business as the old town possessed. Presently a bell rang, and they all trooped into school. This consisted of a large, long room at opposite ends of which two under masters conducted the second and third forms, and of a smaller one, leading out of it, used by Mr. Watson, who taught the first form. To attach the preparatory to the senior school these three classes were known officially, on speech days and in reports, as upper, middle, and lower second. Philip was put in the last. The master, a red-faced man with a pleasant voice, was called Rice;he had a jolly manner with boys, and the time passed quickly. Philip was surprised when it was quarter to eleven and they were let out for ten minutes' rest.

The whole school rushed noisily into the play-ground. The new boys were told to go into the middle, while the others stationed themselves along opposite walls. They began to play Pig in the Middle. The old boys ran from wall to wall while thenew boys tried to catch them: when one was seized and the mystic words said - one, two, three, and a pig for me - he became aprisoner and, turning sides, helped to catch those who were still free. Philip saw a boy running past and tried to catch him, but his limp gave him no chance; and the runners, taking their opportunity, made straight for the ground he covered. Then one of them had the brilliant idea of imitating Philip’s clumsy run. Other boys saw it and began to laugh; then they all copied the first; and they ran round Philip, limping grotesquely, screaming with shrill laughter.

They lost their heads with the delight of their new amusement, and choked with helpless merriment. One of them tripped Philip up and he fell, heavily as he always fell, and cut his knee. They laughed all the louder when he got up. A boy pushed him from behind, and he would have fallen again if another had not caught him. The game was forgotten in the entertainment of Philip’s deformity. Philip was completely scared. He could not make out why they were laughing at him. His heart beat so that he could hardly breathe, and he was more frightened than he had ever been in his life. He stood still stupidly while the boys ran round him, mimicking and laughing; they shouted to him to try and catch them; but he did not move. He did not want them to see him run any more. He was using all his strength to prevent himself from crying.

Freshmen are showing up already stressed out, according to the latest research study that reported students’ emotional health levels at their lowest since the survey started in 1985. While in school, more students are working part-time and near-full-time jobs. At graduation, only 29 percent of seniors have jobs lined up.

Pressure to excel often creates stress, and many students are not learning how to effectively handle this stress. Let me show five facts that I believe every college student should know about stress.

First, stress can make smart people do stupid things. Stress causes what brain researchers call “cortical inhibition.” In simple terms, stress inhibits a part of the brain responsible for decision-making and reaction time and can adversely affect other mental abilities as well. Second, the human body doesn’t discriminate between a big stressful event and a little one. Any stressful experience will create about 1,400 biochemical events in your body. If any amount of stress is left unchecked, many things can occur within the body, including premature aging, impaired cognitive function and energy drain. Third, stress can become your new pattern. When you regularly experience negative feelings and high amounts of stress, your brain recognizes this as your normal state. This then becomes the new norm, or baseline for your emotional state. Fourth, stress can be controlled. Countless studies demonstrate that people can restructure their emotional state using emotion-refocusing techniques. These techniques help you recognize how you are feeling and shift to a more positive emotional, mental and physical state. One technique involves slowing your thoughts and focusing on your heartbeat, breathing slowly and deeply, and focusing on the positive feeling that you receive. Finally, stress can be lessened by loving what you study. Barbara Frederickson, a leading international authority on the importance of positive emotions, says humans are genetically programmed to seek positive emotions such as love and joy. It's suggested to choose a major or career path you love and enjoy. Otherwise, you could end up fighting against your own biology.

86. The author cites the latest research study in order to show that .

A. students are studying harder in college B. most students have part-time job now

C. stress continues to the time of graduation D. students only feel stressed while in school

87. According to the passage, stress might cause all the following negative effects EXCEPT .

A. social B. mental C. emotional D. physical

88. In the author’s opinion, stress can be controlled by .

A. doing what you prefer B. identifying your present emotional state first

C. finding a more positive feeling first D. focusing on your emotional state

89. According to the context, what does “your own biology” mean in the last paragraph?

A. Your current major. B. Your future job. C. Your future research. D. Your preference.

90. Which of the following is the best as the title of the passage?

A. Causes of Stress. B. Type of Stress. College C. Life and Stress. D. Stress and Control Methods.

TEXT C

For anyone who doubts that the texting revolution is upon us, consider this: The average 13- to 17-year-old sends and receives 3,339 texts a month—more than 100 per day, according to the Nielsen Co., the media research firm. Adults are catching up. People from ages 45 to 54 sent and received 323 texts a month in the second quarter of 2010, up 75% from a year ago, Nielsen says.

Behind the texting explosion is a fundamental shift in how we view our mobile devices. That they are phones is increasingly beside the point.

Part of what's driving the texting surge among adults is the popularity of social media. Sites like Twitter, with postings of no more than 140 characters, are creating and reinforcing the habit of communicating in micro-bursts.

Economics has much to do with texting’s popularity. Text messages cost carriers less than traditional mobile voice transmissions, and so they cost users less. Sprint Nextel has reconceived its Virgin Mobile brand to cater to heavy texters in adifficult economy. For $25 per month, users get unlimited texting, email, social networking and 300 talk minutes; for another $15, they get an additional 900 talk minutes. The name of the brand's new wireless plan: “Beyond Talk.”

Texting’s rise over conversation is changing the way we interact, social scientists and researchers say. We are now inclined to text to relay difficult information. We stare at our phone when we want to avoid eye contact. Rather than make plans in advance, we engage in what research have named “micro-coordination”—”I’ll txt u in 10mins when I know wh/ restrnt.”

Texting saves us time, but it steals from quiet reflection. “When people have a mobile device and have even a little extratime, they will communicate with someone in their life,” says Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project.

And the phone conversation will never be completely obsolete. Deal makers and other professionals still spend much of the day on the phone. Researchers say people are more likely to use text-based communications at the preliminary stages of projects. The phone comes into play when there are multiple options to consider or important decisions to be made.

91. At the beginning of the passage, the author uses figures for the purpose of .

A. introduction B. comparison C. explanation D. transition

92. According to the context, which of the following is closest in meaning to “beside the point”?

A. Unimportant. B. Unacknowledged. C. Underestimated. D. Undeniable.

93. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a cause for texting’s popularity?

A. Promotion of cheaper wireless packages. B. Increase in the number of adult texters. C. Redesign of mobile devices. D. Rise of social media.

94. According to the passage, texting can help people to .

A. face difficult situations B. make appointments in advance

C. communicate wish strangers D. avoid awkward situations

95. What is the passage mainly about?

A. Texting’s popularity and effect. B. Role of texting in business.

C. Preference to texting over thinking. D. Innovation of mobile devices.

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