英语四级阅读练习及答案

Passage One

Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage.

A recent study, published in last week’s Journal of the American Medical Association, offers a picture of how risky it is to get a lift from a teenage driver, Indeed, a 16-year-old driver with three or more passengers is three times as likely to have a fatal accident as a teenager driving alone, By contrast, the risk of death for drivers between 30 and 59 decreases with each additional passenger.

The authors also found that the death rates for teenage drivers increased dramatically after 10 p.m., and especially after midnight, with passengers in the car, the driver was even more likely to die in a late-night accident.

Robert Foss, a scientist at the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, says the higher death rates for teenage drivers have less to do with “really stupid behavior” than with just a lack of driving experience. “The basic issue.” Be says, “is that adults who are responsible for issuing licenses fail to recognize how complex and skilled a task driving is.”

Both he and the author of the study believe that the way to mitigate (使…缓解) the problem is to have states institute so-called graduated licensing systems, in which getting a license is a multistage process. A graduated license requires that a teenager first prove himself capable of driving in the presence of an adult, followed by a period of driving with night of passenger restrictions, before

graduating to full driving privileges.

Graduated licensing systems have reduced teenage driver crashes, according to recent studies. About half of the states now have some sort of graduated licensing system in place, but only 10 of those states have restrictions on passengers, California is the strictest, with a novice (新手) driver prohibited from carrying any passenger under 20 (without the presence of an adult over 25) for the first six months.

21. Which of the following situations is most dangerous according to the passage? A) Adults giving a lift to teenagers on the highway after 10 p.m. B) A teenager driving after midnight with passengers in the car. C) Adults driving with three or more teenage passengers late at night. D) A teenager getting a lift from a stranger on the highway at midnight.

22. According to Robert Foss. The high death rate of teenage drivers is mainly due to ________.

A) their frequent driving at night B) their improper way of driving C) their lack of driving experience D) their driving with passengers

23. According to Paragraph 3. which of the following statements is TRUE? A) Teenagers should spend more time learning to drive. B) Driving is a skill too complicated for teenagers to learn.

C) Restrictions should be imposed on teenagers applying to take driving lessons. D) The licensing authorities are partly responsible for teenagers’ driving accidents.

24. A suggested measure to be taken to reduce teenagers’ driving accidents is that ________.

A) driving in the presence of an adult should be made a rule B) they should be prohibited from taking on passengers C) they should not be allowed to drive after 10 p.m. D) the licensing system should be improved

25. The present situation in about half of the states is that the graduated licensing system ________. A) is under discussion B) is about to be set up C) has been put into effect D) has been perfected

这篇文章讲的是青少年驾车车祸死亡率过高的问题。文章总共五个段落，基本呈现了一个“提出问题”、“分析原因”、“解决办法”三步格局。这也是论说文最常用的结构，了解这种结构对于理解文章的意义是有好处的。

前两段提出问题，问题通常是具体的问题，作者只需以例举的方式向读者呈现问题就可以了。开头先是交代了获知问题的来源：美国医学协会杂志上的一篇研究（Journal of the American Medical Association）。这条信息可以说一箭双雕，既能表明这一问题的严重性（否则一个医学协会不会进行研究），又不必多费篇幅去证明这一问题的真实性、普遍性（美国医学协会当然具有权威性）。

How risky it is to get a lift from a teenage driver，这是一个总领句，意思是搭一个青少年驾驶者的车是多么的危险。随后是一个例子，一个16岁的司机搭载三四名乘客时，其发生致命事故的可能性是他单独驾车时的3倍（a 16-year-old driver with three or more passengers is three times as likely to have a fatal accident as a teenager driving alone）。而与此对应，30到59岁的司机搭载乘客时其发生致死车祸的可能性却在降低（the risk of death for drivers between 30 and 59 decreases）。 下一段继续举例。青少年在晚上10点以后驾车的死亡率大幅上升。车内同时又有乘客的话，则发生致死事故的可能性会更高。

问题呈现完毕，接下来就是分析原因了。作者以权威人士Robert Foss之口说出了问题背后的实质：higher death rates for teenage drivers have less to do with “really stupid behavior” than with just a lack of driving experience，这个句子较难理解，关键在于吃透have less to do with……than这个句型。这个句型的原型是have something to do with，意思是与……有关，那么have less to do with ……than就是“与……的关系不如与……的关系大”的意思。这句话想要表达的意思就是：与将其归因于“愚蠢行为”相比，用缺少驾驶经验来解释如此高的死亡率更为合理。他继续分析道，问题的根本在于负责发放驾照的大人们没有意识到驾车的复杂性和技术难度（fail to recognize how complex and skilled a task driving is）。

问题的解决方案在于使各州发布“驾照分步发放系统”（graduated licensing systems），这一系统要求青少年首先要具备在成人监护下驾车的能力，随后是乘客人数限制，最后是完全不受限制地驾驶权限。

这一系统的实施情况和效果如何呢？最后一段写到，它减少了青少年司机所发生的车祸数量（reduced teenage driver crashes）。有大约一半的州实施了类似的系统，不过只有10个州对乘客进行了限制（only 10 of those states have restrictions on passengers），加利福尼亚在这方面限制最严。

21. B

根据文章内容，下列哪种情况最为危险。

关于驾车危险性问题，在文章开头举的几个例子中有充分的说明。第一个例子说一个16岁的司机搭载三四名乘客时，其发生致命事故的可能性是他单独驾车时的3倍，第二个例子说青少年在晚上10点以后驾车的死亡率大幅上升；车内同时又有乘客的话，则发生致死事故的可能性会更高。把这道题的几个选项和上面的例子进行对比就可以找到正确答案。

A，夜里10点以后，成年人在高速公路上驾车搭载未成年人。例子的说法是夜里10点以后青少年驾车同时搭载别人的危险性高，而不是成年人驾车。A把主体搞错了。 B，一个未成年人在午夜后驾车，车中坐有乘客。第二段的例子提到了个这个说法。 C，成年人在深夜驾车搭载三个或三个以上未成年乘客。文章例子中提到的危险情况都为驾车人是未成年人。

D，未成年人在午夜高速公路上搭载陌生人的车。这个选项体现了出题人的想象力，在现实中，未成年人夜间搭载陌生人的车的确非常危险，但这不在文章的讨论范围。 22. C

题目的意思是根据Robert Foss的说法，青少年驾车者的高死亡率主要是因为什么。 A，他们经常在夜间驾车。 B，他们驾驶的方式不恰当。 C，他们缺乏驾驶经验。 D，他们驾车搭载了乘客。

文章提到Robert Foss是在第三段，（Robert Foss, a scientist at the University），那么答案也只能在第三段寻找，至多参考一下第四段。正确理解这句话的意思：higher death rates for teenage drivers have less to do with “really stupid behavior” than with just a lack of driving experience——高死亡率与驾驶经验缺失的关系比

“做傻事”更大。由此可见C所说的缺少驾驶经验是正确的。 23. D

根据第三段的内容，下列哪项叙述是正确的。

观察第三段，是一个不是很长的段落。在小段上出题，同时又指明把考查范围限定在该段，则很有可能这个小段出现了难句。

第三段一共只有两句话，上一题已经考查过了第一句，两句话同时考查一句话的可能性很小，所以要把注意力集中在第二句话的理解上，而彻底了解这句话的意思应该结合后文。第二句引用了Robert的原话：The basic issue is that adults who are responsible for issuing licenses fail to recognize how complex and skilled a task driving is——从字面上看，这句话意思是：根本问题是，负责发放驾照的成年人（adults who are responsible for issuing licenses）没能 (fail to)认识到驾驶汽车非常复杂且技术性很强（recognize how complex and skilled a task driving is）。

A，青少年应该花更多的时间来学习驾驶。句子最后提到驾驶汽车非常复杂且技术性很强，不过解决方案必定是花费更多时间吗？不见得。改变发放驾照程序就是一例。 B，学习驾驶技术对于青少年来说是过于复杂了。句子最后提到驾驶汽车非常复杂且技术性很强，不过这就意味着青少年不能学习驾驶技术了吗？不是，解决方案是下文提到的调整发放驾照的程序。

C，对青少年的驾驶学习申请应该加以限制。限制学习人数不是解决办法，文章也没有提到这一点。

D，发放驾照部门应对青少年驾车事故负部分责任。从第二句字面意思可以直接推出D的结论。另外，后文提出的解决方案是改变管理当局的现有政策，从这一点也可看出管理当局应该负有一定责任。 24.D

题目问文中提到了关于减少青少年驾车事故的措施的建议，这条建议是什么。 A，应该把在大人监护下才能驾车制定成规则。 B，青少年应被禁止搭载乘客。

C，他们不应被允许在夜里10点以后驾车。 D，应当改进驾照发放系统。

这道题比较简单，文章的第四五两段讲的都是驾照发放系统的改进问题，应当选择D。对于A、B、C所说的几条建议，在最后两段介绍的建议中都只字未提，所以不应选择。 25.C

目前大约一半左右的州的情况是驾照分步发放系统如何如何。 A，正处讨论中。 B，将要得到确立。 C，已经起到了效果。 D，已经得到完善。

这道题考查最后一段的内容。第一句Graduated licensing systems have reduced teenage driver crashes的意思很明了，分步发放系统已经减少青少年驾车事故，这说明这一系统已经起到了效果，与C的说法一致。后面的一句话是个长句，大体意思是说一半的州虽然实施了分步发放系统，但在乘客限制上不是很严格，只有加利福尼亚较为严格。这说明这一系统还需要进行完善，D就不对了。文章没有提到这一系统是否正处讨论中，从已经实施这一情况来看，应该是讨论过并得到确立了。这样A和B的说法就都是错误的。 There are people in Italy who can’t stand soccer. Not all Canadians love hockey. A similar situation exists in America, where there are those individuals you may be one of them who yawn or even frown when somebody mentions baseball. 『Baseball to them means boring hours watching grown men in funny tight outfits standing around in a field staring away while very little of anything happens.』① They

tell you it’s a game better suited to the 19th century, slow, quiet, gentlemanly. These are the same people you may be one of them who love football because there’s the sport that glorifies “the hit”.

By contrast, baseball seems abstract, cool, silent, still.

e

geometry of the game, however, is essential to understanding it. You will contemplate the game from one point as a painter does his subject; you may, of course, project yourself into the game. It is in this projection that the game affords so much space and time for involvement. The TV won’t do it for you. Take, for example, the third baseman. You sit behind the third base dugout and you watch him watching home plate. His legs are apart, knees flexed. His arms hang loose. He does a lot of this. The skeptic still cannot think of any other sports so still, so passive. 『But watch what happens every time the pitcher throws: the third baseman goes up on his toes, flexes his arms or bring the glove to a point in front of him, takes a step right or left, backward or forward, perhaps he glances across the field to check his first baseman’s position.』② Suppose the pitch is a ball. “Nothing happened,” you say. “I could have had my eyes closed.”

The skeptic and the innocent must play the game. And this involvement in the stands is no more intellectual than listening to music is. Watch the third baseman. Smooth the dirt in front of you with one foot; smooth the pocket in your glove; watch the eyes of the batter, the speed of the bat, the sound of horsehide on wood.

If football is a symphony of movement and theatre, baseball is chamber music, a spacious interlocking of notes, chores and responses.

1. The passage is mainly concerned with ______. A. the different tastes of people for sports B. the different characteristics of sports C. the attraction of football D. the attraction of baseball

2. Those who don’t like baseball may complain that ______. A. it is only to the taste of the old B. it involves fewer players than football C. it is not exciting enough D. it is pretentious and looks funny

3. The author admits that ______. A. baseball is too peaceful for the young B. baseball may seem boring when watched on TV C. football is more attracting than baseball D. baseball is more interesting than football

4. By stating “I could have had my eyes closed. ” the author means (4th paragraph last sentence):

A. The third baseman would rather sleep than play the game.

B. Even if the third baseman closed his eyes a moment ago, it could make no

different to the result.

C. The third baseman is so good at baseball that he could finish the game with eyes closed all the time and do his work well.

D. The consequent was too bad he could not bear to see it.

5. We can safely conclude that the author ______. A. likes football B. hates football C. hates baseball D. likes baseball

词汇与短语

1. dugout n. 棒球场边供球员休息的地方 2. pitcher n. 投手 3. symphony n. 交响乐 4. chamber n. 室内

5. contemplate vt.沉思，注视

长难句解析

①【解析】此句的主干是“Baseball?means?watching?”，其中“in funny tight outfits”用来修饰“grown men”,“standing?”和“staring”用来做“grown men”的定语。 【译文】对于他们来说，棒球就是在无聊的几个小时中几个身着紧身衣的大人伫立在场地周围没事可做地东张西望。

②【解析】这是一个复合句，“goes up?”，“flexes?”“takes?”，“glances?”做“the third baseman”的并列谓语。

【译文】但每当投球手掷出球的那一瞬间，你再看吧，三垒运动员脚尖点地，屈臂或把接球手套直指前方，左右移动步伐，或前或后，或许他还要越过场地盯着一垒球手的动作。

【短文大意】本文主要讲述垒球的特征及欣赏。

1. D 主旨题。文章第一段简述了人们对垒球所持的偏见——认为它毫无活力、从容和缓，不像橄榄球那样(禁止)迭起、令人激动。文章的第二、三、四、五段探讨了垒球的根本特征及欣赏角度，文章的最后一句话用一个比喻概括了垒球的魅力：“如果橄榄球是一曲交响乐的话，那么，垒球中所表现出来的运动恰似一曲优美的室内乐。”可见，本文主要探讨的是垒球的特点及其欣赏。 A不对，第一段也确实提到了不同观众对不同运动形式的偏好，但这只是用以引出对垒球的特征及欣赏的讨论。

2. C 细节题。文章第一段指出：许多人不喜欢垒球，一提起垒球这些人就打哈欠甚至皱眉头。对他们来说，看垒球意味着眼巴巴地观望着身着运动装(outfit)的人呆立在球场上，东瞧瞧西望望，很少有什么(激动人心的)事发生——没意思透了。他们认为这样的运动更适合上个世纪的人的口味，不像橄榄球那样充满

活力。 A意为：“它只适合老年人的口味。”注意：原文说的是适合上个世纪的人的口味，二者意味不一样。 D意为：“它矫揉造作、滑稽可笑。”这与说它gentlemanly(具有绅士风度，矜持，即：没有冲撞或拼抢)不一样。

3. B 推断题。第三段指出，在电视上，垒球运动被切换成不同角度的画面，而且不断地使用重放、特写等电视制作技术，这破坏了该运动的整体运动感，使观众无法将自己投入(project)到运动中去，以体会到这种寓动于静的运动之美。电视做不到这一点(The TV won’t do it for you)，因此，电视上的垒球比赛看上去(seems)孤孤单单、冷冷清清、沉沉静静、慢慢腾腾。C、D不对，作者仅指出了不同运动有不同运动的特征，并未说哪

种运动优于哪种。参阅文章最后一句。

4. B 推断题。第四段整个都在描述垒球场上的一个场景：拿三垒的运动员假设对方全投出好球，作好了一切准备，但是对方投出的并不是好球。所以在那时候他的准备做不做都不会影响比赛结果。他说本来可以闭上眼睛，意思就是B项所写的。A、C、D都不符合作者的意图。这道题需要完整地了解第四段内容才能作好选择。

5. D 推断题。在本文中，作者主要探讨了垒球的特征及欣赏，作者着重指出的是：只有根据垒球的特征来欣赏它，才能体会到它的魅力。在他看来，观察到垒球比赛中运动员的各种动作、垒球位之间的关系等是欣赏它的关键(第三段第二句)。只有从整体来把握它，才能看到每一个小的动作、每一个眼神乃至于“静止”的意义，也只有这样，才能全身心地投入比赛中，欣赏到它的魅力。可见，作者对垒球有很深的理解而且非常喜爱垒球。主要参考第三、四、五段。

Among the more colorful characters of Leadville’s golden age were H.A.W.Tabor and his second wife, Elizabeth McCourt, better known as “Baby Doe”. Their history is fast becoming one of the legends of the Old West. Horace Austin Warner Tabor was a school teacher in Vermont. With his first wife and two children he left Vermont by covered wagon in 1855 to homestead in Kansas. Perhaps he did not find farming to his liking, or perhaps he was lured by rumors of fortunes to be made in Colorado mines. At any rate, a few years later he moved west to the small Colorado mining camp known as California Gulch, which he later renamed Leadville when he became its leading citizen. “Great deposits of lead are sure to be found here.” he said.

As it turned out, it was silver, not lead, that was to make Leadville’s fortune

and wealth. Tabor knew little about mining himself, so he opened a general store, which sold everything from boots to salt, flour, and tobacco.『It was his custom to “grubstake” prospective miners, in other words, to supply them with food and supplies, or“grub”, while they looked for ore, in return for which he would get a share in the mine if one was discovered.』①He did this for a number of years, but no one that he aided ever found anything of value.

Finally one day in the year 1878, so the story goes, two miners came in and asked for “grub”. Tabor had decided to quit supplying it because he had lost too much money that way. These were persistent, however, and Tabor was too busy to argue with them. “Oh help yourself. One more time won’t make any difference,” He said and went on selling shoes and hats to other customers. The two miners took $17 worth of supplies, in return for which they gave Tabor a one-third interest in their findings. They picked a barren place on the mountain side and began to dig. After nine days they struck a rich vein of silver. Tabor bought the shares of the other two men, and so the mine belonged to him alone. This mine, known as the “Pittsburgh Mine,” made 1 300 000 for Tabor in return for his $17 investment.

Later Tabor bought the Matchless Mine on another barren hillside just outside the town for $117 000. This turned out to be even more fabulous than the Pittsburgh, yielding $35 000 worth of silver per day at one time. Leadville grew. Tabor became its first mayor, and later became lieutenant governor of the state.

1. Leadville got its name for the following reasons EXCEPT ______.

A. because Tabor became its leading citizen

B. because great deposits of lead is expected to be found there C. because it could bring good fortune to Tabor D. because it was renamed

2. The word “grubstake” in paragraph 2 means ______. A. to supply miners with food and supplies B. to open a general store

C. to do one’s contribution to the development of the mine

D. to supply miners with food and supplies and in return get a share in the mine, if one was discovered

3. Tabor made his first fortune ______.

A. by supplying two prospective miners and getting in return a one-third interest in the findings

B. because he was persuaded by the two miners to quit supplying C. by buying the shares of the other D. as a land speculator

4. The underlying reason for Tabor’s life career is ______. A. purely accidental

B. based on the analysis of miner’s being very poor and their possibility of discovering profitable mining site C. through the help from his second wife

D. he planned well and accomplished targets step by step

5. If this passage is the first part of an article ,who might be introduced in the following part? A. Tabor’s life.

B. Tabor’s second wife, Elizabeth McCourt. C. Other colorful characters. D. Tabor’s other careers.

词汇与短语

1. barren adj. 贫瘠的

2. fabulous adj. 神话般的，难以置信的 3. lure vt.诱惑，引诱 4. deposit n.沉淀，储蓄 5. grubstake v.下注

长难句解析

①【解析】“It”是形式主语，真正的主语是“to”后面的句子，“while”引导时间状语从句。

【译文】他的通常做法是对来采矿的人“下注”，说得更明确一点就是泰勃供给这些人食品、用品等物品，作为回报，当他们采到矿后就会分给他一部分股份。 【短文大意】本文主要讲述霍塞斯·奥斯汀·沃纳·泰勃发家的故事。

1. C 细节题。因为Leadville可以为Tabor带来巨富。这一点不是Leadville得名的原因，因为在文章第二段中，讲到这一点时，提及三个原因：A.因为Tabor成为当地的居民代表人物，B.因为在Leadville有丰富的铅的储藏量。D.因为Leadville是因为Tabor重要而起的名，唯独C没有，因为到后来发现是银矿才给他带来巨富。

2. D 词汇题。第二段中grubstake的词义与D所述内容是相同的，即“供给探矿者资金，衣物，食品

以及其他物品”。(可参阅英华大辞典修订第二版64页)但此处还补充地讲，作为回报，供给者可以获得矿中资源一定份额。(见文章第二段第4行)

3. A 细节题。Tabor第一次真正发财是他为两名矿工提供资助，为此他获得他们矿资源三分之一的股份。见文章第三段4-9行内容：两名开矿者从Tabor那儿借走价值17美元的物品，作为回报，Tabor获得他们矿资源三分之一股份。于是两位开矿者在一座山旁的不毛之地开始挖掘，九天之后，发现了银的富矿，于是Tabor又将两人的股份全买下，这样，银矿属于Tabor一个人所有，这个矿就是后来著名的“匹兹堡”矿。Tabor用17美元的投资换来了130万美元的收获。

4. B 推断题。由原文可知泰勃的财产来源是有一定偶然性的，但是毕竟也是基于他开创的“grubstake”模式，因为A、D都不对，C更是没有根据，因为他还没有娶第二位夫人这一切就发生了。分析泰勃的做法，会得出B选项所示的结论。

5. B 推断题。如果本文是一篇文章的第一部分，那么在文章的第二部分将介绍谁呢?key可以从文章第一句分析出来，在Leadville的黄金年代，其多彩的特点当中，Tabor及其第二任妻子Elizabeth McCourt是值得大书特书的，接着，文章都在讲述有关H.A.W.Tabor发家致富的历史，如先买下匹兹堡矿，后又买下Matchless矿，最后成为市长，代理州长，等等，所以涉及到的全是男主人公，因此下边再讲的话，应成为女主人公即Elizabeth McCourt的天地了，她是Tabor的第二任妻子。这是顺理成章的事。

2. D 词汇题。第二段中grubstake的词义与D所述内容是相同的，即“供给探矿者资金，衣物，食品

以及其他物品”。(可参阅英华大辞典修订第二版64页)但此处还补充地讲，作为回报，供给者可以获得矿中资源一定份额。(见文章第二段第4行)

3. A 细节题。Tabor第一次真正发财是他为两名矿工提供资助，为此他获得他们矿资源三分之一的股份。见文章第三段4-9行内容：两名开矿者从Tabor那儿借走价值17美元的物品，作为回报，Tabor获得他们矿资源三分之一股份。于是两位开矿者在一座山旁的不毛之地开始挖掘，九天之后，发现了银的富矿，于是Tabor又将两人的股份全买下，这样，银矿属于Tabor一个人所有，这个矿就是后来著名的“匹兹堡”矿。Tabor用17美元的投资换来了130万美元的收获。

4. B 推断题。由原文可知泰勃的财产来源是有一定偶然性的，但是毕竟也是基于他开创的“grubstake”模式，因为A、D都不对，C更是没有根据，因为他还没有娶第二位夫人这一切就发生了。分析泰勃的做法，会得出B选项所示的结论。

5. B 推断题。如果本文是一篇文章的第一部分，那么在文章的第二部分将介绍谁呢?key可以从文章第一句分析出来，在Leadville的黄金年代，其多彩的特点当中，Tabor及其第二任妻子Elizabeth McCourt是值得大书特书的，接着，文章都在讲述有关H.A.W.Tabor发家致富的历史，如先买下匹兹堡矿，后又买下Matchless矿，最后成为市长，代理州长，等等，所以涉及到的全是男主人公，因此下边再讲的话，应成为女主人公即Elizabeth McCourt的天地了，她是Tabor的第二任妻子。这是顺理成章的事。

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