备考英语四级--阅读理解天天练一 英语四级, 阅读

幽幽草

这类题材的文章在真题中所占的比例比较大，主要涉及七个方面的内容：文化、教育、心理学、历史、政治、体育、哲学。若是遇到这类文章，阅读时应留意文中所论述的文化、教育等方面的特点，作者或文中所提及人物的观点、态度。 Passage1  建议用时：8分钟      From:      To:
　　When one looks back upon the fifteen hundred years that are the life span of the English language, he should be able to notice a number of significant truths. The history of our language has always been a history of constant change—at times a slow, almost imperceptible change, at other times a violent collision between two languages. Our language has always been a living growing organism, it has never been static. Another significant truth that emerges from such a study is that language at all times has been the possession not of one class or group but of many. 『At one extreme it has been the property of the common, ignorant folk, who have used it in the daily business of their living, much as they have used their animals or the kitchen pots and pans.』① At the other extreme it has been the treasure of those who have respected it as an instrument and a sign of civilization, and who have struggled by writing it down to give it some permanence, order, dignity, and if possible, a little beauty.
　　As we consider our changing language, we should note here two developments that are of special and immediate importance to us. One is that since the time of the Anglo-Saxons there has been an almost complete reversal of the different devices for showing the relationship of words in a sentence. Anglo-Saxon (old English) was a language of many inflections. Modern English has few inflections. We must now depend largely on word order and function words to convey the meanings that the older language did by means of changes in the forms of words. Function words, you should understand, are words such as prepositions, conjunctions, and a few others that are used primarily to show relationships among other words. A few inflections, however, have survived. And when some word inflections come into conflict with word order, there may be trouble for the users of the language, as we shall see later when we turn our attention to such maters as WHO or WHOM and ME or I. The second fact we must consider is that as language itself changes, our attitudes toward language forms change also. 『The eighteenth century, for example, produced from various sources a tendency to fix the language into patterns not always set in and grew, until at the present time there is a strong tendency to restudy and re-evaluate language practices in terms of the ways in which people speak and write.』②
　　1.In contrast to the earlier linguists, modern linguists tend to .
　　A. attempt to continue the standardization of the language
　　B. evaluate language practices in terms of current speech rather than standards or proper patterns
　　C. be more concerned about the improvement of the language than its analysis or history
　　D. be more aware of the rules of the language usage
　　2.Choose the appropriate meaning for the word “inflection” used in line 4 of paragraph 2.
　　A. Changes in the forms of words.
　　B. Changes in sentence structures.
　　C. Changes in spelling rules.
　　D. Words that have similar meanings.
　　3.Which of the following statements is not mentioned in the passage?
　　A. It is generally believed that the year 1500 can be set as the beginning of the modern English language.
　　B. Some other languages had great influence on the English language at some stages of its development.
　　C. The English language has been and still in a state of relatively constant change.
　　D. Many classes or groups have contributed to the development of the English language.
　　4. The author of these paragraphs is probably a(an) .
　　A. historianB. philosopher
　　C. anthropologistD. linguist
　　5.Which of the following can be best used as the title of the passage?
　　A. The history of the English language.
　　B. Our changing attitude towards the English language.
　　C. Our changing language.
　　D. Some characteristics of modern English.
　　Vocabulary
　　1.span n. 跨度，范围，一段时间，期间
　　2.imperceptible adj. 感觉不到的，觉察不到的，极细微的
　　3.organism n. 生物体，有机体
　　4.possession n. 拥有，占有，领土，领地
　　5.ignorant adj. 无知的
　　6.folk n. 人们，民族
　　7.permanence n. 永久，持久
　　8.Anglo-Saxons n. 盎格鲁—撒克逊语，盎格鲁—撒克逊人，地道的英国人
　　9.reversal n. 颠倒，反向，逆转
　　10.inflection n. 词尾变化
　　11.preposition n. 前置词，介词
　　12.conjunction n. 联合，关联，连接词
　　13.in terms of 根据，按照，用……的话，在……方面
　　长难句解析
　　①【解析】“who”引导非限制性定语从句，修饰“the common, ignorant folk”。“much as”引导状语从句。“kitchen pots and pans”意为“锅碗瓢盆”。
　　【译文】一方面它是那些普通人甚至无知民众的财产，他们每天都像使唤他们的牲畜和锅碗瓢盆一样用着语言。
　　②【解析】 此句为一个复合倒装句。“until”引导一个并列句，前一句的主语是“a tendency”，“to fix the language into patterns not always set in and grew”作“tendency”的定语，第二句的主语也是“a tendency”，“to”后面的句子作“tendency”的定语，“in which”引导的定语从句修饰“ways”。
　　【译文】例如在18世纪一种产生于各种来源的趋势把语言固定在一个不常使用和不利于语言发展的模式中，而到了当今，主流是要反复研究、评价人们说话、写作中的语言实践。
　　答案与详解
　　【短文大意】本文主要讲述英语演变过程的一些特点，指出了古英语与现代英语的不同，以及语言学家对待语言形式的态度的变化。
　　1.B细节题。根据题干回原文中定位，阅读文章时注意首末段及各段开头的句子，这往往都是考点所在。这篇文章讲的主要是英语语言演变的一些特点，指出了古英语与现代英语的不同，以及语言学家态度的转变。本题问的正是现代语言学家与早期语言学家不同的倾向。根据文章末尾The eighteenth century, for example, produced from various sources a tendency to fix the language into patterns not always set in and grew, until at the present time there is a strong tendency to restudy and re-evaluate language practices in terms of the ways in which people speak and write. 现代语言学家倾向于根据人们说和写的方式评价语言实践，而不是像早期的语言学家根据一定的模式评价语言。选项B符合文章的意思。
　　2.A词汇题。要根据上下文的信息判断单词的意思。文章在第二段中间再次提到inflection时说，A few inflections, however, have survived. 后面文章又举了WHO/WHOM和ME/I为例说明inflection，这是一篇关于语言学的文章，从例子可以看出inflection的意思应该是“单词的变形”，选项A正确。
　　3.A细节题。根据文章的内容，选项A“普遍认为1500年是现代英语的起点”在文章中没有提及，故为正确答案。文章第二句说The history of our language has always been a history of constant change - at times a slow, almost imperceptible change, at other times a violent collision between two languages. 我们语言的历史是一个不断变化的历史——在一些时间里缓慢得几乎难以察觉，在另一些时间里则是两种语言的激烈碰撞。由此可以推断一些其他的语言对英语的发展有重大影响，选项B符合文章的意思。
　　4.D词汇题。此题考查考生的推测能力和词汇量，文章讲述的是英国语言演进的具体细节，最适当的答案应该是D。作者很可能是一位语言学家。A答案(历史学家)和C答案(人类学家)也可以有点迷惑性。B答案(哲学家)是最不符合的。
　　5.C主旨题。本文从各个方面谈及英语作为一种语言的发展变化，但并不是讲述英语的历史。所以选项A不对，选项C作为文章的题目最为贴切。选项B只是文章阐述的一个方面，不够全面。文章是在谈到英语的不断变化的时候谈到了现代英语的一些特点，所以选项D也失之于片面。
　　Passage2  建议用时：6.5分钟      From:      To:
　　Culture is one of the most challenging elements of the international marketplace. 『This system of learned behavior patterns characteristic of the members of a given society is constantly shaped by a set of dynamic variables: language, religion, values and attitudes, manners and customs, aesthetics, technology, education, and social institutions.』① To cope with this system, an international manager needs both factual and interpretive knowledge of culture. To some extent, the factual knowledge can be learned; its interpretation comes only through experience.
　　The most complicated problems in dealing with the cultural environment stem from the fact that one cannot learn culture—one has to live it. Two schools of thought exist in the business world on how to deal with cultural diversity. One is that business is business the world around, following the model of Pepsi and McDonald’s. In some cases, globalization is a fact of life; however, cultural differences are still far from converging.
　　The other school proposes that companies must tailor business approaches to individual cultures. Setting up policies and procedures in each country has been compared to an organ transplant; the critical question centers around acceptance or rejection. The major challenge to the international manager is to make sure that rejection is not a result of cultural myopia or even blindness.
　　Fortune examined the international performance of a dozen large companies that earn 20 percent or more of their revenue overseas. The internationally successful companies all share an important quality: patience. They have not rushed into situations but rather built their operations carefully by following the most basic business principles. These principles are to know your adversary, know your audience, and know your customer.
　　1. According to the passage, which of the following is true?
　　A. All international managers can learn culture.
　　B. Business diversity is not necessary.
　　C. Views differ on how to treat culture in business world.
　　Ｄ. Most people do not know foreign culture well.
　　2. According to the author, the model of Pepsi .
　　Ａ. is in line with the theories of the school advocating the business is business the world around
　　Ｂ. is different from the model of McDonald’s
　　Ｃ. shows the reverse of globalization
　　Ｄ. has converged cultural differences
　　3. The two schools of thought .
　　Ａ. both propose that companies should tailor business approaches to individual cultures
　　Ｂ. both advocate that different policies be set up in different countries
　　Ｃ. admit the existence of cultural diversity in business world
　　Ｄ. Both Ａ and Ｂ
　　4. This article is supposed to be most useful for those .
　　A. who are interested in researching the topic of cultural diversity
　　B. who have connections to more than one type of culture
　　C. who want to travel abroad
　　D. who want to run business on International Scale
　　5. According to Fortune, successful international companies .
　　Ａ. earn 20 percent or more of their revenue overseas
　　Ｂ. all have the quality of patience
　　Ｃ. will follow the overseas local cultures
　　Ｄ. adopt the policy of internationalization
　　Vocabulary
　　1. dynamic adj. 动态的
　　2. variable n. 变量
　　3. aesthetics n. 美学
　　4. factual adj. 事实的
　　5. interpretative adj. 解释的
　　6. converge v. 聚合
　　7. transplant v. 移植
　　8. myopia n. 近视
　　9. adversary n. 对手
　　长难句解析
　　①【解析】此句虽然很长，但考生只要认清它的主干，就很容易了解本句的意思。这个句子为一个简单句，主语为：“this system”，谓语为“is shaped”。
　　【译文】特定社会成员特点构成的行为方式体系不断地被一系列动态变量所左右：如语言、信仰、价值与态度、礼仪与风俗、审美、技术、教育及社会体制。
　　答案与详解
　　【短文大意】本文主要讲述文化背景对商业运作的影响，文中列举了商界中存在的对于文化多样性的两种观点。
　　1. C推断题。意为“对在商业中怎样对待文化有着不同意见”。 文化在商业中是一个很具挑战性的因素。不同的国家与地区可能会有不同的文化体系。在商业中，应该怎样对待不同的文化，商业界存在着不同的看法。
　　2. Ａ细节题。意为“……与同意世界商业一体化的派别的主张是一致的”。 Pepsi采纳的是国际化的商业风格，这与那些主张国际化的派别的意见是相一致的。
　　3. C推断题。意为“承认商业世界中文化的多元性”。两个派别都承认商业世界中文化的多元性。他们的不同在于，应该对待不同的文化，应该搞国际化还是对不同的文化采取不同的策略。
　　4. D主旨题。由文中的例子可以知道，作者主要关心的并不是研究多种文化形态，而是文化背景对商业运作的影响。所以D是正确答案。
　　5. Ｂ细节题。意为“都具有耐心这一素质”。并非所有成功的国际公司的海外收入都占总收入的20%或以上。它们也不一定全都接纳海外的当地文化，或是采纳国际化策略