四级阅读讲义 Reading For Band 4 Unit 8 Reading Comprehension Directions: There are 3 passages in this unit. 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 center. Passage One Questions 1 to 4 are based on the following passage. The tradition of playing practical jokes on 1st April, which in fact originated in ancient Rome, is still upheld in many countries today. The majority of jokers are content to confine their activities to members of the family, colleagues at work or fellow students. The most popular type of joke is one that leads the victim into a totally unnecessary course of action, such as making a long and pointless journey. There are more daring individuals, however, who pull off spectacular hoaxes on a much larger scale. One of the most famous British hoaxes was staged in 1910 by a group of six young people from Cambridge. Their aim was to convince the commander and crew of H. M. S. Dreadnought that they were the Emperor of Abyssinia and his entourage (侍从). First, they sent a telegram, supposedly from the Foreign Office, to the ship's commander. In it they announced that the party would arrive by train early that afternoon and asked him to make the necessary arrangements to welcome them. When the party arrived, they were given a marvelous reception, including a red carpet at the station and a pipe band aboard the ship. The Emperor then inspected the warship and its personnel. During the tour, different members played different parts. One was a foreign office guide; another an interpreter who had learnt a few words from a Swahili phrase book. Needless to say, the victims were furious when the hoax was revealed, and some officers even threatened the group's leader with physical violence. Parliament was none too pleased, either! 1. On April, men, women and children will play absurd but harmless jokes on _________. A) family members or relatives B) colleagues or schoolmates C) friends D) people they know well 2. The phrase "pull off" can be best replaced by "_____________". A) plan deliberately B) carry out successfully C) work hard on D) make good use of 3. The six young men from Cambridge _____________. A) were given a red carpet as present in the railway station B) were presented with a pipe as a gift on the ship C) were received warmly and cordially by the ship's commander and crew D) all of the above 4. This story took place ________. A) in Rome B) at a British port. C) in an Assyrian city D) on the Continent Passage Two Questions 1 to4 are based on the following passage. Among all the malignancies, lung cancer is the biggest killer: more than 100,000 Americans die of the disease each year. Giving up smoking is one of obvious ways to reduce the risk, but another answer may lie in the kitchen. According to a new report, even heavy smokers may, be protected from developing lung cancer by a simple dietary measure: a daily portion of carrots, spinach or any other vegetable or fruit containing a form of vitamin A called carotene. The finding, published in the British medical journal The Lancet, is part of a long-range investigation of diet and disease. Since 1957 a team of American researchers has monitored the dietary habits and medical histories of 2000 midd1e-aged men employed by the Western Electric Co. in Chicago. Led by Dr. Richard Shekelle of Chicago's Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, the researchers recently began to sort out the links between the subjects' dietary patterns and cancer. Other studies of animals and humans have suggested that vitamin A offers some protection against lung cancer. The correlation seemed logical, explains Shekelle, since vitamin A is essential for the growth of the epithelial tissue that lines the airway of the lungs. But the earlier research did not distinguish between two different forms of the vitamin. "Preformed" vitamin A, known as retinol, is found mainly in liver and dairy products like milk, cheese, butter and eggs. But vitamin A is also made in the body from carotene, which is abundant in a variety of vegetables and fruits, including carrots, spinach, squash, tomatoes, sweet potatoes and apples. In the western Electric study, Shekelle and his colleagues found little correlation between the incidence of lung cancer and the consumption of foods containing preformed vitamin A. But when they examined the data on carotene intake, they discovered a significant relationship. Among the 488 men who had the lowest level of carotene consumption, there were fourteen cases of lung cancer; in a group of the same size that ate the most carotene, only two cases developed. The apparent protective effect of carotene held up even for longtime smokers ----- but to lesser degree. Further studies will be necessary before the link between lung cancer and carotene can be firmly established. In the meantime, researchers warn against taking large numbers of vitamin A pills, because the tablets contain a form of the chemical that can be extremely toxic in high does. Instead, they advise a well-balanced diet that includes foods rich in carotene. For a smoker, a half-cup of carrots every day might possibly make the difference between life and death. 1. Which of the following statements is TRUE? A) All the vegetables and fruits contain vitamin A. B) People suffer lung cancer because they spend too much time in the kitchen. C) It’s sure that a heavy smoker won’t develop lung cancer if he has enough vitamin A every day. D) Carotene plays a great part in protecting against lung cancer. 2. All of the following are the ways to reduce the risk of lung cancer, EXCEPT ________. A) giving up smoking B) eating carrots and spinach C) eating eggs, milk, butter and cheese D) eating some kinds of fruits 3. According to the passage, the researchers conducted an experiment on people who are ________. A) employees in Western Electric Co B) heavy smokers C) patients with lung cancer D) non-smokers 4. In his study, Shekelle found ________. A) lung cancer has nothing to do with smoking B) there is correlation between lung cancer and carotene C) preformed vitamin A may protect people against lung cancer D) those who ate the most carotene didn’t develop lung cancer