大学英语四级阅读200篇.doc

Unit One Passage 1 Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes) Directions: In this passage, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1. For questions 1-7, mark Y （for YES) if the statement agrees with the information given in the passage; N （{for NO) if the statement contradicts the information given in the passage; NG （for NOT GIVEN) if the information is not given in the passage. For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage. How to Buy a Used Car Nearly everybody buys a used car sooner or later, as a primary vehicle or as a second car. Indeed, three out of four sales today are used cars, and they're not cheap junkers either—the average price now is $ 5500, about half what a new car costs. Make the wrong selection and a major investment can be lost the moment you drive off the lot. There is far less chance of this happening to you if you know: when to buy, where to buy, how to examine the car, how to conduct your own road test, and how to bargain over the price. When to buy Shop during the day. Lighting makes cars gleam like jewels at night. In daylight they look dull, but realistic. Don't shop in the rain. It can mask liquids that might be leaking. If possible, shop in the winter when supplies are high and demand is low. Where to buy Shop the suburbs. In more affluent neighbourhoods cars are more likely to have been well cared for. A private owner normally sells a car for less than a dealer does, but almost always "as is," with no guarantee. That's an acceptable risk if what you're looking for is a cheap second car to "drive to the station. " Even though a used-car dealer generally charges more, you can often get some type of limited guarantee. This is often a 50-50 plan, in which you each pay half on repairs for a period that may range from 30 days to a year. Ask the dealer about the availability of an optional service policy. Used-car dealers often claim to have gone over the car, and many have. But remember that small dealers often buy cars that are auctioned (拍卖 ) because nobody else wants them. Some experts feel that a new-car dealer is the best place to buy a secondhand car, especially if you're laying out a large sum for a late model. Some of these dealers offer extensive guarantees, such as one on the "drive train," which covers any problems with engine, transmission(变速器) ， drive shaft and differential (差速器 ). Expect to pay for this, as well as for the markup. But if you shop soon after the new models have arrived, when a dealer has a lot of trade-ins tying up his profits, he might deal. The visual examination You've found your dream car, and can hardly wait to get in and roar away. Wait. First, look for any flaws or ripples(划痕) in the body that might indicate a past accident. To see if a car has been repainted, look under the rubber seals around the door or under the chrome trim. Repainting may mask deep flaws. Check the odometer (计程器) for total mileage, and then compare that figure with any stickers still attached to door posts. It's illegal to change odometer readings, but it happens. If there are no stickers, be a little suspicious. Check pedals and controls: wear on these parts should agree with the mileage. If they are brand new, be suspicious. If they are worn out, beware. Check that the doors, hood and trunk all open smoothly and close with solid sound. Sight along the sides of the car from 30 feet away to be sure that the rear and front wheels line up. Look under the car for fluid leaks. Except for condensation from a working air conditioner on a hot day, no car should ever drip anything, any time. Now sit in the driver's seat and try the controls. The car should fit you—it should be comfortable. Check seat adjustment, door locks, window-raising mechanisms, horn, lights, directional signals, radio—all accessories. Start the engine. It should turn over quickly and then settle down to a rather fast idle. Give the engine a moment or two before you press the accelerator a bit. Watch for smoke from the rear. Blue smoke might mean a complete engine overhaul (大修) , black a maladjusted carburettor (化油器). • 2 • White smoke can be.ignored if the engine is cold, but once it is warmed up, white smoke can mean a leaking head gasket (垫圈) : expensive. Reject this car. After the engine has warmed, shut it off, and then go wipe your finger inside the tailpipe (making sure it's not too hot). The residue should be whitish-gay. If you get a black, oily mark, refuse the car—it's probably an oil burner. Restart the engine and check the oil in an automatic transmission. It should be clean and clear, with no burned odor. The test drive The salesman may try to convince you that a short drive around the block is enough. Wrong. Make it clear that you plan to road test the car, and if he isn't happy with this look elsewhere. The test route you have mapped out should include dry city streets, a freeway, a hill, a bumpy road and an empty parking lot. All gauges(计量器) should read steady and normal throughout the test, especially oil pressure and engine heat. If not, don't buy the car. Drive to a traffic-free city street on your predetermined route and then accelerate smoothly to about 35 miles per hour. The automatic transmission should shift without jerking and with no noise. Slow to about 7 m. p. h. by gently applying the brakes. There should be no noise, no sharp sound or grinding. The car should slow in a straight line, with no pulling to the right or left. Pick up speed to about 15; then making certain nobody is behind you, hit the brakes hard! The car should come to an immediate stop without making noise or swerving. In an empty, level parking lot, brake to a complete stop. Shift into reverse and back up at about 4 m. p. h. , brake to a halt, shift into forward, etc. Do this four or five times to test the transmission. All shifting should be smooth, with no noise or hesitation. Accelerate up a hill to about 40 m. p. h. The car should not labour. If it does, you could have a rotten transmission. Go back down the hill. Stop halfway, shift into neutral and set the parking brake. The car should remain stationary when you take your foot off the brake pedal. Drive the car over the bumpy road, up a hill, and on the highway. Rarely will a car be perfect. However by now you should have a pretty good idea what needs to be done. How to bargain Use what you've learned from the visual exam, test drive and outside mechanic to get the price down. Have a maximum figure in mind, based on your inspection and on current prices from a used-car guide. Start your bidding lower than that. When you have nearly arrived at a price, get the seller to throw in certain repairs. It may be cheaper for him than further price cuts. 1. Following the instructions here will help you make a good selection when buying a used car. 2. Winter is a good time for purchasing a car because there is little rain in winter. 3. You are more likely to pay less to a private owner for a car of poor quality. 4. Refuse the car if you find any signs of a past accident in the visual examination. 5. Don't buy the car if there is white smoke coming out of the rear because it is probably an oil burner. 6. At certain speeds in the tests, a good car should not make any noise when the driver brakes either hard or gently. 7. If you are patient and careful enough, you will certainly find a perfect used car. 8. The last step before you make a decision to buy a car is______. 9. Besides all gauges, the two very important systems mainly examined in the test drive are______. 10. According to some experts, the best place to buy a second-hand car is______. Passage 2 Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth) (25 minutes) Directions: In this passage there are ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once. Questions 1 to 10 are based on the following passage. Looking back on years of living in a working-class home in the North of England, I should say that a good living room must 11 three principal things: homeliness, warmth and plenty of good food. The living-room is the warm heart of the family and 12 often slightly stuffy to a middle-class visitor. It is not a social centre but a family center; little entertaining goes on there or in the front room, if there 13 to be one; you do not entertain in anything approaching the middle-class 14 The wife's social life outside her 15 family is found over the washing-line, at the little shop on the corner, visiting relatives at a moderate 16 occasionally, and perhaps now and again a visit with her husband to his pub or club. Apart from these two places, he has just his work and his football matches. They will have, each of them, friends at all these places, who may well not know what the inside of their house is like, having never "stepped across the threshold," as the old 17 phrase has it. The family hearth is 18 for the family itself, and those who are "something to us"(another favorite formula) and who look in for a talk or just to sit. Much of the free time of a man and his wife will 19 be passed at that hearth. Just staying in is still one of the most common leisure-time 20 A. happens B. professions C. sense D. nevertheless E. fashioned F. distance G. immediate H. usually I. occupations J. preserved K. imitate L. provide M. therefore N reserved 0. contribute Passage 3 Directions; The passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C, D. You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. The medical world is gradually realizing that the quality of the environment in hospitals may play a significant role in the process of recovery from illness. As part of a nationwide effort in Britain to bring art out of the galleries and into public places, some of the country's most talented artists have been called in to transform older hospitals and to soften the hard edges of modern buildings. Of the 2,500 National Health Service hospitals in Britain, almost 100 now have significant collections of contemporary art in corridors, waiting areas and treatment rooms. These recent initiatives owe a great deal to one artist, Peter Senior, who set up his studio at a Manchester hospital in northeastern England during the early 1970s. He felt the artist had lost his place in modern society, and that art should be enjoyed by a wider audience. A typical hospital waiting room might have as many as 500 visitors each week. What better place to hold regular exhibitions of art? Senior held the first exhibition of his own paintings in the out-patients waiting area of the Manchester Royal Hospital in 1975. Believed to be Britain's first hospital artist, Senior was so much in demand that he was soon joined by a team of six young art school graduates. The effect is striking. Now in the corridors and waiting rooms the visitor experiences a full view of fresh colors, playful images and restful courtyards. The quality of the environment may reduce the need for expensive drugs when a patient is recovering from an illness. A study has shown that patients who had a view onto a garden needed half the number of strong pain killers compared with patients who had no view at all or only a brick wall to look at. 21. According to the passage, "to soften the hard edges of modern buildings" means A. to pull down hospital buildings B. to decorate hospitals with art collections C. to improve the quality of treatment in hospitals D. to make the corners of hospital buildings round 22. What can we say of Peter Senior? A. He is a pioneer in introducing art into hospitals. B. He is a doctor interested in painting. C. He is an artist who has a large collection of paintings. D. He is a faithful follower of hospital art. 23. According to Peter Senior, _______. A. art is losing its audience in modern society B. art galleries should be changed into hospitals C. patients should be encouraged to learn painting D. art should be encouraged in British hospitals 24. After the improvement of the hospital environment, _______. A. patients no longer need drugs in their recovery B. patients are no longer wholly dependent on expensive drugs C. patients need good-quality drugs in their recovery D. patients use fewer pain killers in their recovery 25. The fact that six young art school graduates joined Peter shows that_______. A. Peter's enterprise is developing greatly B. Peter Senior enjoys great popularity C. they are talented hospital artists D. the role of hospital environment is being recognized Passage 4 Directions: The passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C, D. You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. Polyester (聚酯 ) is now being used for bottles. ICI, the chemicals and plastics company, believes that it is now beginning to break the grip of glass on the bottle business and thus take advantage of this huge market. All the plastics manufacturers have been experiencing hard times as their traditional products have been doing badly world-wide for the last few years. Between 1982 and 1984 the Plastics Division of ICI had lost a hundred and twenty million dollars, and they felt that the. most hopeful new market was in packaging, bottles and cans. Since 1982 it has opened three new factories producing "Melinar", the raw material from which high quality polyester bottles are made. The polyester bottle was born in the 1970s, when soft drinks companies like Coca Cola started selling their drinks in giant two-liter containers. Because of the build-up of the pressure of gas in these large containers, glass was unsuitable. Nor was PVC, the plastic which had been used for bottles since the 1960s, suitable for drinks with gas in them. A new plastic had to be made. Glass is still cheaper for the smaller bottles, and will continue to be so unless oil and plastic become much cheaper, but plastic does well for the larger sizes. Polyester bottles are virtually unbreakable. The manufacturers claim they are also lighter, less noisy when being handled, and can be