四级考试阅读理解技巧练习

英语训练营之实战演练：词汇、语法、作文，每期精心打造，帮助读者朋友们提高英语的各项基本功。

本栏目欢迎投稿。投稿邮箱：

Passage One

Dogs are social animals and without proper training, they will behave like wild animals. They will soil your house, destroy your belongings, bark excessively, fight other dogs and even bite you. Nearly all behavior problems are perfectly normal dog activities that occur at the wrong time or place or are directed at the wrong thing .The key to preventing or treating behavior problems is learning to teach the dog to redirect its normal behavior to outlets that are acceptable in the domestic setting.

One of the best things you can do for your dog and yourself is to obedience train it. Obedience training doesn’t solve all behavior problems, but it is the foundation for solving just about any problem. Training opens up a line of communication between you and your dog. Effective communication is necessary to instruct your dog about what you want it to do.

Training is also an easy way to establish the social rank order. When your dog obeys a simple request of “come here, sit,” it is showing obedience and respect for you. It is not necessary to establish yourself as top dog or leader of the pack by using extreme measure. You can teach your dog its subordinate role by teaching it to show submission to you. Most dogs love performing tricks for you to pleasantly accept that you are in charge.

Training should be fun and rewarding for you and your dog. It can enrich your relationship and make living together more enjoyable. A well-trained dog is more confident and can more safely be allowed a greater amount of freedom than an untrained animal.

1. Behavior problems of dogs are believed to__________.

A. be just part of their natureB. worsen in modern society

C. occur when they go wild D. present a threat to the community

2. The primary purpose of obedience training is to__________.

A. teach the dog to perform clever tricksB. make the dog aware of its owner’s authority

C. provide the dog with outlets for its wild behavior

D. enable the dog to regain its normal behavior

3. Effective communication between a dog and its owner is__________.

A. essential to solving the dog’s behavior problemsB. the foundation for dogs to perform tasks

C. a good way to teach the dog new tricksD. an extreme measure in obedience training

4. Why do pet dogs love performing tricks for their masters?

A. To avoid being punished. B. To show their affection for their masters.

C. To win leadership of the dog pack.D. To show their willingness to obey.

5. When a dog has received effective obedience training, its owner__________.

A. can give the dog more rewards B. will enjoy a better family life

C. can give the dog more freedomD. will have more confidence in himself

【短文大意】

本文是一篇关于如何训练狗的说明文。在文章的第一段中作者讲述了没有被训练过的狗的危害性。接着，作者告诉我们为你和你的狗所做的最好的事情就是“驯服”，因为驯服能够使你与你的狗互相沟通；训练能够非常容易地建立一种社会等级秩序。文章的最后一段告诉我们训练的过程要非常有趣，而且要有奖励。

【答案分析】

1.A.本题是属于词语理解型的细节题。这道题中的短语behavior problems 在文中第一段中出现第一次“Nearly all behavior problems are perfectly normal dog activities...”其中的“正常狗的行为”，即是狗的一项性质之一。故选A。

2.B.本题是询问关于“驯服”的目的的细节型题目。我们很自然地会从第三段中去找答案。其中有这样一句话：“...it is showing obedience and respect for you.”其暗含的意思就是“使狗意识到它主人的权威”，故选B。

3.B.本题是询问方式的细节题。题干中的effective communication告诉我们可以从第二段最后一行中找到答案：“Effective communication is necessary to instruct your dog about what you want it to do.”(我们需要有效的沟通来训练你的狗知道你想要它做的事)。如果狗连这一点都做不到的话，how can it perform tasks?所以，这是基础。

4.D.本题是询问原因的细节问题。题干中的pet dogs 和love performing tricks告诉我们本题的答案可以在第三段最一句话：“Most dogs love performing tricks for you to pleasantly accept that you are in charge.”中的“高兴地接受你是领导”与选项D“表达它们愿意遵守你的命令”一致。

5.C.本题是询问有关事件的细节问题。题干中有effective obedience training和owner告诉我们本题的答案可以在最后一段中的最后一句话“...and can more safely be allowed a greater amount of freedom than an untrained animal.”中找到。其中 greater amount of freedom 与选项C一致。

Passage Two

Engineering students are supposed to be examples of practicality and rationality, but when it comes to my college education I am an idealist and a fool. In high school I wanted to be an electrical engineer and, of course, any sensible student with my aims would have chosen a college with a large engineering department, famous reputation and lots of good labs and research equipment. But that’s not what I did.

I chose to study engineering at a small liberal arts university that doesn’t even offer a major in electrical engineering. Obviously, this was not a practical choice; I came here for more noble reasons. I wanted a broad education that would provide me with flexibility and a value system to guide me in my career. I wanted to open my eyes and expand my vision by interacting with people who weren’t studying science or engineering. My parents, teachers and other adults praised me for such a sensible choice. They told me I was wise and mature beyond my 18 years, and I believed them.

I headed off to college sure I was going to have an advantage over those students who went to big engineering “factories” where they didn’t care if you have values or were flexible. I was going to be a complete engineer: technical genius and sensitive humanist all in one.

Now I'm not so sure. Somewhere along the way my noble ideals cashed into reality, as all noble ideals eventually do. After three years of struggling to balance math、physics and engineering courses with liberal arts courses, I have learned there are reasons why few engineering students try to reconcile engineering with liberal arts courses in college.

The reality that has blocked my path to become the typical successful student is that engineering and the liberal arts simply don’t mix as easily as I assumed in high school. Individually they shape a person in very different ways; together they threaten to confuse. The struggle to reconcile the two fields of study is difficult.

6. The author chose to study engineering at a small liberal arts university because he__________.

A. wanted to be an example of practicality and rationality

B. intended to be a combination of engineer and humanist

C. wanted to coordinate engineering with liberal arts courses in college

D. intended to be a sensible student with noble ideals

7. According to the author, by interacting with people who study liberal arts, engineering students can__________.

A. balance engineering and the liberal artsB. receive guidance in their careers

C. become noble idealists D. broaden their horizons

8. In the eyes of the author, a successful engineering student is expected__________.

A. to have an excellent academic record B. to be wise and mature

C. to be imaginative with a value system to guide him

D. to be a technical genius with a wide vision

9. The author’s experience shows that he was__________.

A. creativeB. ambitiousC. unrealisticD. irrational

10. The word “they” in “...together they threaten to confuse.”(Line 3, Para. 5)refers to__________.

A. engineering and the liberal artsB. reality and noble ideals

C. flexibility and a value system D. practicality and rationality

【短文大意】

这篇短文是一篇关于作者如何试图把文科知识和工程知识相互协调的故事。与其他愿意成为电器工程师的学生相比，作者竟然选了一所以文科为主的大学，原因是他想受到更广泛的教育以扩大自己的知识面。3年的大学学习使作者意识到把这两种知识协调起来并不像他所想象的那么容易。

【答案分析】

6.B.本题是有关原因的细节问题。题干中有“small liberal arts university”告诉我们可以从文章第三段最后一句话“I was going to be a complete engineer; technical genius and sensitive humanist all in one”找到这道题目的答案是“他想成为一个既是工程师又是人文学者的复合型人才。”

7.D.本题是询问动作的细节问题。文中第二段第四句“I wanted to open my eyes and expand my vision by interacting with people who were not studying science orengineering.”告诉我们expand my vision 和选项D中 broaden their horizons 意思一致。

8.D.本题是询问作者对某件事情的态度的细节问题。文中第三段最后一句话(见第6题的解析)告诉我们“作者认为一个成功的工程系学生应该既是一个技术天才，又有比较宽的视野”。故选D。

9.C.本题是属于对作者的经历进行推断的题目。工程系的学生应该比较实际，比较有理性；而人文系的学生比较理想化。特别是最后一段中，作者对自己经历的总结告诉我们这样做是不实际的。故选C。

10.A.本题是考查考生对代词的理解的题目。首先，我们在文中最后一段中找到出现题目所要求的出现they的句子。经过仔细阅读过上下文后，我们会发现这里的代词they指的是engineering and the liberal arts。故选A。

Passage Three

Priscilla Ouchidas’ “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 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 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.

11. It can be learned from the passage that the Ouchidas’ house__________.

A. is well worth the money on its construction

B. is almost faultless from the point of energy conservation

C. failed to meet energy conservation standards

D. was designed and constructed in a scientific way

12. What made the Ouchidas’ new house a horrible dream?

A. Lack of fresh air.B. Poor quality of building materials.

C. Gas leakage in the kitchen.D. The newly painted walls.

13. The word “accentuate”(Line 5,Para.3) most probably means“__________”.

A. relieve B. accelerate C. worsen D. improve

14. Why were cracks in old houses not a big concern?

A. Because indoor cleanliness was not emphasized.

B. Because energy used to be inexpensive.

C. Because environmental protection was given top priority.

D. Because they were technically unavoidable.

15. This passage is most probably taken from an article entitled “__________”.

A. Energy ConservationB. House Building Crisis

C. Air Pollution Indoors D. Traps in Building Construction

【短文大意】

本文是一篇关于室内空气污染的科普文。首先，作者用一个例子引出本文所讨论的主题。当今社会，人们只注意节能而没有注意到室内环境污染的问题。在新建的房子中，这一现象尤其严重，而在过去修建的房子中，则没有这个问题，因为为了节能使得新房子密封得较好，但却阻碍了室内外的空气的流通。

【答案分析】

11.B.本题是询问关于本篇那个事例中Priscilla 所修建的房子。这样，本题的答案只有从第一段中找到。再结合本文所要说明的问题，我们便可作判断。其中第一段中“...tightly sealed...double paned windows and several other energy saving features.”告诉我们“从保存能量的角度来讲，这幢房子并没有什么缺陷”。故选B。

12.A.本题是询问原因的细节问题。题干所问的是“Ouchidas 的新房子是怎样变成了一场噩梦的?”文中第三段有这样一句话“Energy conservation tended to accentuate the situation”告诉我们是缺少新鲜空气而使得屋内恶化。故本题的正确答案是A。

13.C.本题是询问有关生词accentuate 的意思的。首先，我们从原文中找出含有accentuate这个单词的句子，并认真阅读以理解其上下文。我们这里accentuate意为“make...worse”，选项C也是正是此意。

14.B.本题是询问有关原因的细节问题的。题干问的是“为什么老房子上有裂缝并不是一个大的问题?”文章最后一段正是讲述这一点的，其中有这样一句话：Back in the days when energy was cheap, home builder didn’t worry much about unsealed cracks(在过去，由于能源很便宜，所以建房子的人对未密封的缝隙没有太在意)。所以，原因是B。

15.C.本题是询问最佳标题的主旨题。无论文章一开始举的例子还是后面所讨论的问题都是与Air Pollution Indoors有关，所以这篇材料选自于一篇题为“室内空气污染”的文章。故本题的正确答案是C。

Passage Four

In 1993, New York State ordered stores to charge a deposit on beverage 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. The problem was not limited to New York. Unfortunately, there were too few uses for secondhand plastic.

Today, one out of five plastic soda bottles is recycled 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 saving 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.

16. What regulation was issued by New York State concerning beverage containers?

A. Beverage companies should be responsible for collecting and reusing discarded plastic soda bottles.

B. Throwaways should be collected by the state for recycling.

C. A fee should be charged on used containers for recycling.

D. Consumers had to pay for beverage containers and could get their money back on returning them.

17. The returned plastic bottles in New York used to__________.

A. end up somewhere underground B. be turned into raw materials

C. have a second life valueD. be separated from other rubbish

18. The key problem in dealing with returned plastic beverage containers is__________.

A. to sell them at a profitable price B. how to turn them into useful things

C. how to reduce their recycling costsD. to lower the prices for used materials

19. Recycling has become the first choice for the disposal of rubbish because__________.

A. recycling causes little pollution B. other methods are more expensive

C. recycling has great appeal for the joblessD. local governments find it easy to manage

20. 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

【短文大意】

本文是一篇关于废物利用，特别是废旧塑料被循环使用的说明文。与第三篇文章一样，本文首先也是以New York 的经验引入了本文所要讨论的话题。在本文中，作者认为废旧塑料被重新利用的关键之处在于如何能给它第二次生命。接着，作者又讲述了重新使用塑料与处理塑料之间的差异。

【答案分析】

16.D.本题是考查纽约市关于饮料瓶的一项规定的具体细节问题。文中第一句话：“In 1993,New York State ordered stores to charge a deposit on beverage container.”中的难点就是对“to charge a deposit”这一短语的意思理解的，其意思是“收押金”。故选项D与文中所说的意思相一致。

17.A.本题是询问过去纽约是如何处理回收的塑料瓶的。文中第一段中第四句：“much of it wound up buried in landfills”.告诉我们“大部分塑料都被埋在地下”。故本题的正确答案是A。

18.D.本题是询问关于对付回收的塑料饮料瓶的关键问题的。文中第三段最后一句话中“...throwaways actually depress prices for used material.”很明显这与选项D意思一致。

19.D.本题是询问“为什么循环使用变成了处理垃圾的首选”的原因。文中最后一段中所强调的正是“recycling”与其他处理垃圾方式的比较。其中的“For every ton of waste recycled, a city avoids paying for its disposal”告诉我们“花费较少”是原因。故本题的正确答案是D。

20.C.本题考查考生读完整篇文章后所得出的结论。由于在文中，作者讲述了recycling在垃圾处理过程中有两大优点：一是“less expensive”，二是“cause less pollution”。所以recycling 无论是从经济方面还是从环保方面都是值得推荐的方法。故本题的正确答案是C。