决胜四级--阅读（4） 1 In the early days of sea travel, seamen on long voyages lived exclusively on salted meat and biscuits. Many of them died of scurvy(坏血病), a disease of the blood which causes swollen gums, livid white spots on the flesh and general exhaustion. On one occasion, in 1535, an English ship arrived in Newfoundland with its crew desperately ill. The men’s lives were saved by Iroquois Indians who gave them vegetable leaves to eat. Gradually it came to be realized that scurvy was caused by some lack in the sailors’ diet and Captain Cook, on his long voyages of discovery to Australia and New Zealand, established the fact that scurvy could be warded off by the provision of fresh fruit for the sailors. Nowadays it is understood that a diet which contains nothing harmful may yet result in serious disease if certain important elements are missing. These elements are called “vitamins”. Quite a number of such substances are known and they are given letters to identify them, A, B, C, D, and so on. Different diseases are associated with deficiencies of particular vitamins. Even a slight lack of Vitamin C, for example, the vitamin most plentiful in fresh fruit and vegetables, is thought to increase significantly our susceptibility(敏感度) to colds and influenza. The vitamins necessary for a healthy body are normally supplied by a good mixed diet, including a variety of fruit and green vegetables. It is only when people try to live on a very restricted diet, say during extended periods of religious fasting(斋戒), or when trying to lose weight, that it is necessary to make special provision to supply the missing vitamins.  1. Scurvy is a disease that is provoked by ____ A. salted meat and biscuits B. exhaustion C. want of some essential substances D. lack of fresh vegetables and fruits 　 2. In the last sentence of Paragraph 1, “warded off” could probably be replaced by ____. A. got rid of B. killed C. avoided D. cleared away  3. To avoid such disease as scurvy, it’s better for us ____. A. not to eat much salted meat B. to supplement our diet with various vitamin pills C. to have more fresh fruit and vegetables D. to develop a good dietary habit  4. Based on the passage we can safely conclude that if our diet is not comprehensive enough ____. A. vitamin pills are of no avail B. nutritious food might be unhealthy C. vegetable leaves can be a good remedy D. religious fasting may help out a lot  5. Which of the following sentences best expresses the central ideal of the passage? A. Deficiencies of Vitamin C may cause serious diseases. B. Fresh fruit and green vegetables contain enough nutrition that is necessary for a healthy body. C. Vitamins play a vitally important role in people’s health. D. A good mixed diet normally supplies sufficient vitamins for us.  2 In a society such as the United States or Canada, which has many national, religious, and cultural differences, people highly value individualism—the differences among people. Teachers place a lot of importance on the qualities that make each student special. The educational systems in these countries show these values. Students do not memorize information. Instead, they work individually and find answers themselves. There is often discussion in the classroom. At an early age, students learn to form their own ideas and opinions. In most Asian societies, by contrast, the people have the same language, history, and culture. Perhaps for this reason, the educational system in much of the Orient reflets society’s belief in group goals and purposes rather than individualism. Children in China, Japan, and Korea often work together and help one another on assignments. In the classroom, the teaching methods are often very formal. The teacher lectures, and the students listen. There is not much discussion. Instead, the students recite rules or information that they have memorized. There are advantages and disadvantages to both of these systems of education. For example, one advantage to the system in Japan is that students there learn much more math and science than American students learn by the end of high school. They also study more hours each day and more days each year than North Americans do. The system is difficult, but it prepares students for a society that values discipline and selfcontrol. There is, however, a disadvantage. Memorization is an important learning method in Japanese schools, yet many students say that after an exam, they forget much of the information that they have memorized. The advantage of the educational system in North America, on the other hand, is that students learn to think for themselves. The system prepares them for a society that values creative ideas. There is, however, a disadvantage. When students graduate from high school, they haven’t memorized as many basic rules and facts as students in other countries have.  6. The reason why American teachers attach much importance to individualism is that ____. A. they are required to do so B. their students do not memorize information C. the United States is a country of multiculture D. their students work individually  7. Which of the following statements applies to Asian methods of education? A. Each child in a classroom draws a different picture. B. Students have to find information themselves. C. Students are prepared for a society that values discipline. D. Teachers serve as a guide in discussion.  8. An ideal educational system would be the one that ____. A. have more advantages B. is the combination of Western and Oriental methods C. is based on the Western system D. rests on the Asian system  9. The author is convinced that ____. A. different educational systems reflect different culture of the societies B. students from Western countries are creative but selfish C. Asian students are merely interested in math and science D. there are more advantages to Western system of education than to Oriental one  10.The author focuses on ____. A. the differences in methods of education between Orient and West B. the advantages and disadvantages to both of the Western and Asian educational system C. how Asian school systems reflect group goals D. how Western school systems mirror the value of individualism  3 Auctions are public sales of goods, conducted by an officially approved auctioneer. He asks the crowd assembled in the auctionroom to make offers, or “bids”, for the various items on sale. He encourages buyers to bid higher figures, and finally names the highest bidder as the buyer of the goods. This is called “knocking down” the goods, for the bidding ends when the auctioneer bangs a small hammer on a table at which he stands. This is often set on a raised platform called a rostrum(台子). The ancient Romans probably invented sales by auction, and the English word comes from the Latin auction, meaning “increase”. The Romans usually sold in this way the spoils taken in war. Practically all goods whose qualities vary are sold by auction. Among these are coffee, hides, skins, wool, tea, cocoa, furs, spices, fruit and vegetables and wines. Auction sales are also usual for land and property, antique furniture, pictures, rare books, old china and similar works of art. The auctioneer must know fairly accurately the current market values of the goods he is selling, and he should be acquainted with regular buyers of such goods. He will not waste time by starting the bidding too low. He will also play on the rivalries among his buyers and succeed in getting a high price by encouraging two business competitors to bid against each other. It is largely on his advice that a seller will fix a “reserve” price, that is, a price below which the goods cannot be sold. Even the best auctioneers, however, find it difficult to stop a “knockout”, whereby dealers illegally arrange beforehand not to bid against each other, but nominate one of themselves as the only bidder, in the hope of buying goods at extremely low prices. If such a “knockout” comes off, the real auction sale takes place privately afterwards among the dealers. The auctioneer’s services are paid for in the form of a percentage of the price the goods are sold for.  11.Auction goods are sold ____. A. in a competitive way B. at a bargain price C. for a higher price offered D. at a moderate price  12. The end of the bidding is called “knocking down” because ____. A. the auctioneer bangs down the table at which he stands with a hammer B. the goods are knocked down by the auctioneer C. the rostrum is knocked down at the end of the bidding D. the auctioneer bangs the table with a hammer to end the bidding  13.People can buy the following goods from auction sales except ____. A. pelt B. art C. prisoner of war D. property  14.A “knock out” is arranged ____. A. to help the auctioneer to sell the goods for a better price B. for the purpose to keep the price in the auctionroom low C. to benefit the owners of the goodsD. in order to encourage buyers to bid higher figures  15.It can be inferred from the passage that ____. A. auction sales were initially conducted in Rome in wartime B. in order to begin the bidding moderately, the auctioneer should be kept informed of current market quotations C. the higher prices an auctioneer gets for the goods he sells the more profits he earns for himself D. an auctioneer is often in a rivalry with his buyers 4 As many as one thousand years ago in the Southwest, the Hopi and Zuni tribes of North America were building with adobe—sunbaked brick plastered with mud. Their homes looked remarkablly like modern apartment houses. Some were four stories high and contained quarters for perhaps a thousand people, along with storerooms for grain and other goods. These buildings were usually put up against cliffs, both to make construction easier and for defense agaisnt enemies. They were really villages in themselves, as later Spanish explorers must have realized since they called them “pueblos,” which is Spanish for town.The people of the pueblos raised what are called “the three sisters”—corn, bean, and squash(南瓜). They made excellent pottery and wove marvelous baskets, some so fine that they could hold water. The Southwest has always been a dry country, with water scarce. The Hopi and Zuni brought water from streams to their fields and gardens through irrigation ditches. Water was so important that it played a major role in their religion. They developed elaborate ceremonies and religious rituals(仪式) to bring rain. The way of life of lesssettled groups was simpler and more strongly influenced by nature. Small tribes such as the Shoshone and Ute wandered the dry and mountainous lands between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. They gathered seeds and hunted small animals such as rabbits and snakes. In the Far North the ancestors of today’s Inuit hunted seals, walruses, and the great whales. They lived right on the frozen seas in shelters called igloos(圆顶冰屋) built of blocks of packed snow. When summer came, they fished for salmon and hunted the lordly caribou. The Cheyenne, Pawnee, and Sioux tribes, known as the Plains Indians, lived on the grasslands between the Rocky Mountains and the Mississippi River. They hunted the bison, commonly called the buffalo. Its meat was the chief food of these tribes, and its hide was used to make their clothing and the covering of their tents and tepees(圆锥形帐篷).  16.The dwellings of the Hopi and Zuni were ____. A. very crowded B. extremely crude C. highly advanced D. located on plains  17.The phrase “the three sisters” in the second paragraph refers to ____. A. important crops B. Hopi and Zuni women C. handicrafts D. Hopi and Zuni tribes  18.All of the following are mentioned in the passage as lodgings of the early North Americans, except ____. A. igloos B. tepees C. adobe houses D. log cabins  19.Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE, according to the passage? A. The Plain Indians lived, to a great extent, on the buffalo. B. The life style of each North American Indian tribe was decided by its environment. C. The Cheyenne and Sioux tribes lived on the grasslands. D. The Hopi and Zuni tribes built their homes against cliffs for the simple reason that they lacked a sense of security.  20.The best title for the passage might be ____. A. The Hopi and Zuni Tribes B. Early North American Societies C. Dwellings of the Early North Americans D. The History of the Early North Americans 答案部分 1. 答案C。 【参考译文】 败血症是一种由于缺乏一些必不可少的物质而引起的。 【试题分析】 本题要求掌握文章主旨的事实和细节。 【详细解答】 对于scurvy(败血症)整个第一段都在介绍其情况，是什么引起它的呢?这就要求读者对这一段的各细节都准确理解，文中很明确地提到败血症是由于水手的饮食中缺少一些东西而引起的，而败血症又可通过吃新鲜蔬果而避免，这是否意味着败血症是由于缺少新鲜蔬果而引起的呢?从字面看，似乎是正确的，有的读者会选D项，但我们仔细理解每一选项及原文，新鲜蔬果为什么能避免败血症，当然是由于其中含有丰富的维生素，从下文主要讲述的对象——维生素来看，我们也可猜到，真正引起败血症的是缺乏蔬果中的维生素，所以C项者是最准确的。 2. 答案C。 【参考译文】 第一段最后一句中的“warded off”完全能够用“avoided”来替换。 【试题分析】 本题要求根据上下文判断词汇和短语的意义。 【详细解答】 用一个词或短语代替另一个词或短语，也是对词义的考查，通常可以从上下文来推断，既然败血症的产生原因已被查明，那么通过提供新鲜蔬果败血症当然能被“避免”。A项的除掉显然不正确，因为防治败血症可以通过多吃蔬果，但要除掉一种病症却不是那么简单的事。B项“杀死”，这与A项意思基本相似，也是不正确的。C项“避免”这与原文相符。D项“清除”这也与A、B两项相近，是不正确的。 3. 答案D。 【参考译文】 为了避免得像败血病这样的病，我们最好养成良好的饮食习惯。 【试题分析】 本题要求根据相关材料进行一定的推理和引申。 【详细解答】 如何避免败血症的方法，文中已提到，可通过多吃新鲜蔬果的方法，正如第一题一样，透过表面文字新鲜蔬果的真正意义是什么?当然是指水手们单一的腌肉饮食太不合理，要补充蔬果以增加维生素，也就是说需要合理的饮食习惯，这样在仔细理解原文和选项后，我们不难发现D项是最合适的答案。 4. 答案B。 【参考译文】 根据本文，我们完全有把握地得出结论，如果我们的饮食不够广泛，有营养的食物也可能是不健康的。 【试题分析】 本题要求理解文章的主旨。 【详细解答】 这一题需要我们对全文都理解后才能得出答案，如果我们的食物摄取不够广泛会如何?A项“维生素丸没有用”，而文中未曾提到维生素丸的作用，而根据常识服食维生素丸是可以补充暂时的维生素不足的，因此A不正确。B项“有营养的食物也可能是不健康的”，正如文中提到的腌肉，虽然腌肉也有营养，但只吃咸肉而没有足够的维生素，水手们依然患了败血症，第二段第一句也表达了此意，因此B项是正确的。C项“蔬菜叶子可以作为一味好药”，如果食物摄取不广泛，蔬菜叶子并不能作万能的药，在文中它只适合于败血症的治疗，所以C项不准确。D项“宗教式的斋戒会很有帮助”，而文中提到，在进行斋戒时需要特别补充某些缺乏的维生素，所以D项不正确。 5. 答案C。 【参考译文】 下面哪一句最好地表达了本文的中心思想? 【试题分析】 本题要求理解文章的主旨。 【详细解答】 这一题是读者对全文中心的理解，文章以败血症开篇引出维生素的重要性，末尾也提到了维生素的摄取途径，而这些都是为了突出维生素的重要性服务的。因此这篇文章的中心在于讲述维生素的重要性，所以应选C项。 短文大意 本文讨论的是东西方教育系统的不同之处。在西方人们强调高度尊重个人和人与人之间的差异。教师极其重视每个学生的不同特性，而在东方，由于相同的语言、历史和文化，其教育系统强调集体主义和团结协合精神，上课时教师讲，学生听，讨论并不多。文章最后谈到了两种教育系的优缺点。 6. 答案C。 【参考译文】 美国教育非常重视个人差异的原因是因为美国是一个多元文化的国家。 【试题分析】 本题要求理解相关段落的细节以及一些关键词。 【详细解答】 这一题的考点在于用一个词或短语代替另一个词或短语，在充分理解所代替的词语后才能理解题干，并作出正确的选择。这里题干用attach much importance(重视)代替了文中的highly value(高度重视)，由此可理解题干的重点，结合文中的细节部分，难看出，答案应是C项，multiculture(多元文化)在此处正是cultural difference(文化差异)的代替词，我们可通过词缀来判断词义，因为multi这一前缀有多重的意思，所以multiculture就是多元文化的意思。 7. 答案C。 【参考译文】 下面哪一句话与亚洲的教育方法相符? 【试题分析】 本题要求理解文章主旨的细节。 【详细解答】 这一题要求在整体理解的基础上，结合排除法来作出选择。A项认为“教室里的每个孩子各画一幅不同的画”，如文中所述，北美的教育方法重视个人培养，而亚洲的教育方式更注重集体目标，A中的教育方式是典型的，个人培养模式，应该是北美式的教育方法，所以A是错的。B项认为“学生们必须自己找信息。”这也是北美式的个人培养的教育模式，所以B是错的。C项认为“学生们为一个重视纪律的社会而作准备”，如文中第三段所述，东方的教育系统使学生们为一个重视纪律的社会而做好准备，很明显C是正确的。D项认为“老师们作为讨论的一个指导”，这也反映了北美式的个人培养的教育方法，因此D是错的。 8. 答案B。 【参考译文】 一个理想的教育系统可能是东西方方法的结合。 【试题分析】 本题要求对文章进行一定的综合和推理。 【详细解答】 这一题虽然从文中无法找到确切答案，但从对原文的理解稍加思考，也不难得出结论，文中对东西方两种教育体系都加以评价，两者各有利弊。因此，最理想的教育体系当然是两者的结合体了，所以B项“东西方方法的结合”这一答案最为贴切。 9. 答案A。 【参考译文】 作者深信不同的教育体系反映了不同社会的不同文化。 【试题分析】 本题要求领会作者的观点和意图。 【详细解答】 这一题也要求读者对全文都理解透彻了，才能分辨出哪些是作者所持见解即作者所相信的东西，而有些看似文中提到的选项却不一定是作者所相信的，并且作者所相信的也往往是文章主要论述的观点，A项“不同的教育体系反映了不同社会的不同文化”，文中虽然没有明确写出这样的语句，但全文字里行间也流露出这种观点，文中主要论述了由于东西方的文化差异，不同的文化下，教育体系也有所不同，因此A项是正确的。B项“西方文化下的学生有创造力但较自私”，文中提到了西方学生有创造力却未提到他们自私，而且这一点也不是文章主要论述的重点，因此B是错误的。C项“亚洲学生只对数学和科学感兴趣”，文中提到亚洲学生在中学期间学的东西比美国学生多，并列出了数学和科学为例，这并不意味着亚洲学生只对这两门学科感兴趣，因此C是错误的。D项“西方教育系统的优点比东方多”，文中提到了东西方教育系统的优点，也提出了各自的缺点，但未曾提到谁的优点多，因此D项是错的。 10.答案A。 【参考译文】 作者着重论述了东西方教育方法的差异。 【试题分析】 本题要求理解文章的主旨。 【详细解答】 这一题也是对全文的考查，把握住全文的中心，也就能得出作者的重点集中于什么上了，全文都在论述东西方的教育系统，很明显A项是正确的，而B项只片面地强调了其优缺点，而这只是在最后一段中才提出，并非全文的中心，C、D两项也都只反映了文章的一部分内容。  短文大意 本文讨论的是拍卖。文章谈到了什么是拍卖，拍卖的起源—古罗马，英语的auction这个词来自拉丁语，所有的物品都可以通过拍卖出售以及拍卖人的具体操作过程和他如何获得服务报酬，即以拍卖品价格的一定百分比来收取。 11.答案A。 【参考译文】 拍卖物品以竞争的方式进行。 【试题分析】 本题要求了解主旨的细节。 【详细解答】 这一题要求我们纵观全文后对auction(拍卖)这一形式有所了解，在拍卖过程中，人们竞相叫价，叫价最高的人获得拍卖品，可以看出拍卖过程是极具竞争性的，所以这一题应选A，而B项“以廉价卖出”这显然不对。C项“以较高的价格卖出，”这一选项看似正确，但我们要注意文中提到了叫价最高的人才是买主，所以应以最高价卖出才正确，D项“以适中价格卖出”也与原文不符。 12.答案D。 【参考译文】 叫价结束被称为“knocking down”因为拍卖人用小锤子敲一下桌子来结束拍卖。 【试题分析】 本题要求了解相关的细节。 【详细解答】 这一题要求我们仔细考查文中细节，第一段的第三句很清楚地解释了knocking down，即拍卖人在叫价结束时用一个小锤子敲一下他面前的桌子来结束拍卖。很明显这一题应选D。A项似乎正确，但注意选项中用了bangs down the table(把桌子击垮)，在这里多了一个down，却使整句的意思有所变化，所以A是不正确的，B、C两项更与原文不符。 13.答案C。 【参考译文】 除了战俘，人们从拍卖中可以购买下面物品。 【试题分析】 本题要求了解相关的细节。 【详细解答】 文中第三段很详细地列举了能拍卖的物品，只要细心地看过这些细节部分，便不难看出，除了C项“战俘”不能拍卖，其他三项“皮毛，艺术品，财产”都能拍卖，所以应选C项。 14.答案B。 【参考译文】 安排“knockout”目的是保持拍卖房的低价。 【试题分析】 本题要求了解相关的细节。 【详细解答】 文中第四段对knock out有详细的描述，买者策划有效结束拍卖的行动，其目的在于希望以是低价购买物品，所以答案显然是B项，而A项“帮助拍卖人以更好的价钱卖出物品”这与原文相反，C项“有利于物品主”，这也与原文不符，D“为了鼓励买方出高价”这也与原文相反。 15.答案C。【参考译文】 从本文中可以推断，拍卖人以越高的价格卖出物品，他所获得的利润就越高。 【试题分析】 本题要求对相关材料进行一定的引申。 【详细解答】 这一题要求我们区分直意与暗示，即理解infer的含义。A项 “拍卖会始于战争时期的罗马”，这在文中第二段明确提到了，所以无需推断，不应选A。B项“为了以适中的价格起价，拍卖人必须了解当前市场的报价”，这在文中第四段也有明确说明，也无需推理，所以不应选B。C项“拍卖人以越高的价格卖出物品，他所获的利润就越高。”文中最后一段提到拍卖人的服务报酬以拍卖品价格的一定百分比来收取，即卖价越高，拍卖人的报酬越高，因此可从文中推出C项的意思，应选C。D项“拍卖人通常与其买主有敌意”，而文中提到拍卖人利用买方间的敌意，成功地使他们竞争出高价，并不是说拍卖人与买主互争高低。所以D项是不正确的。  短文大意 本文讨论的是早期的北美社会群体。文章谈到了Hopi和Zuni北美部落的居住。他们的房屋靠着悬崖，高大，有些像现代公寓，还谈到了Puellos人种植的所谓“三姐妹”，即玉米，大豆和南瓜三种植物；像Shoshone和Ute这样小的部落受到自然影响要更大些，而像Cheyenne,Pawnee和Siowx这样的平原的印第安人生活在落基山脉和密 西西比河之间的草原上。 16.答案C。 【参考译文】 Hopi和Zuni的居住地是高度先进的。 【试题分析】 本题要求了解相关的细节。 【详细解答】 这一题的重点放在细节记忆上。在文中第一段主要描述了Hopi和Zuni两上部族的居住地。他们房屋靠着悬崖，高大，能容下近千人，有些象现代公寓。因此这一题很明显应选C项“高度先进”，而A项“很拥挤”，B项“很粗糙”和D项“位于平原”这些显然与原文不符。 17.答案A。 【参考译文】 第二段中的“the three sisters”这个短语是指“important crops”。 【试题分析】 本题要求仔细观察相关的细节。 【详细解答】 文中第二段段首就提到了“the three sisters”，即玉米(corn)，大豆(bean)和squash(南瓜)，这是三种农作物。所以不难看出此题应选A“主要农作物”，而B项“Hopi和Zuni族的妇女”，C项“手工艺品”和D项“Hopi和Zuni族”这三项就完全脱离原意了。 18.答案D。 【参考译文】 除了小木屋以外，下面所有的东西都在本文中作为早期北美人的居所被提到。 【试题分析】 本题要求对有关细节进行综合归类。 【详细解答】 这篇文章提到了好几个部落，也描述了一些部落的居所。细心的读者会发现有各种各样的房屋类型。有igloos(圆顶冰屋)，有tepees(圆锥形帐篷)，还有第一段提到的adobe houses(泥制砖做的房子)，唯有log cabins(小木屋)没有提到，因此此题应选D项。 19.答案D。 【参考译文】 根据本文，下面哪一句不真实? 【试题分析】 本题要求既理解大意又注意细节。 【详细解答】 这一题要求我们在整体理解全文后，在细节记忆的基础上，辅以排除来做。A项认为“在很大程度上，平原印第安人以水牛为生”。这在文中最后一段中有明确描述。他们以水牛肉为主要食物，以水牛皮做衣服，还以水牛皮做帐篷顶。可见平原印第安人的衣食住都离不开水牛。因此A项是正确的。不应选A。B项认为“每个北美印第安部族的生活方式取决于其周围环境”，的确，文中提到Zuni和Hopi族的人对水的重视以致宗教仪式都以水为主，这是因为他们的生活环境有缺水的特点。像shoshone和Ute等族因为住在北方，所以连房子也是冰雪做的。Plains Indians住在草原上，所以以水牛为生。这都说明他们的生活方式取决于他们的生活环境。所以B项是正确的。不应选B。C项认为“Cheyenne和Sioux族住在草原上”。在文中第四段明确提到Cheyenne和Pawnee, Sioux族是住在草原上的。所以C项是正确的。不应选C。D项认为“Hopi和Zuni部族将房屋靠着悬崖修建只是因为缺乏安全感”，但文中第一段提到Hopi和Zuni族将房屋靠着悬崖建既是为了使建筑更容易，又是为了抵御敌人。所以D不正确，应选D。 20.答案B。 【参考译文】 本文的最佳题目可能是“早期的北美社会群体”。 【试题分析】 本题要求理解文章的大意和主旨。 【详细解答】 这一题是对读者是否具有概括全文中心的能力考察。这一篇文章从整体来看介绍了几个早期的北美印第安部族和他们的生活，由此反映出早期北美的社会群体。所以应选B项“早期的北美社会群体”为题目。而A项“Hopi和Zuni族”，B项“早期北美的居住地”都只是其中的一个方面。而D项“早期北美的历史”则偏离原文的大意。