四级改革后到15年12月阅读真题及答案 1.Passage One
Global warming may or may not be the great environmental crisis of the 21st century, but regardless of whether it is or isn’t –we won’t do much about it. We will argue over it and may even, as a nation, make some fairly solemn-sounding commitments to avoid it. But the more dramatic and meaningful these commitments seem, the less likely they are to be observed.
Al Gore calls global warming an “inconvenient truth,” as if merely recognizing it could put us on a path to a solution. But the real truth is that we don’t know enough to relieve global warming, and –without major technological breakthroughs—we can’t do much about it.
From 2003 to 2050, the world’s population is projected to grow from 6.4 billion to 9.1 billion, a 42% increase. If energy use per person and technology remain the same, total energy use and greenhouse gas emissions (mainly, CO2) will be 42% higher in 2050. but that’s too low, because societies that grow richer use more energy. We need economic growth unless we condemn the world’s poor to their present poverty and freeze everyone else‘s living standards. With modest growth, energy use and greenhouse emissions more than double by 2050.
No government will adopt rigid restrictions on economic growth and personal freedom (limits on electricity usage, driving and travel) that might cut back global warming. Still, politicians want to show they’re “doing something.” Consider the Kyoto Protocol (京都议定书). It allowed countries that joined to punish those that didn’t. But it hasn’t reduced CO2 emissions (up about 25% since 1990), and many signatories (签字国) didn’t adopt tough enough policies to hit their 2008-2012 targets.
The practical conclusion is that if global warming is a potential disaster, the only solution is new technology. Only an aggressive research and development program might find ways of breaking dependence on fossil fuels or dealing with it.
The trouble with the global warming debate is that it has become a moral problem when it’s really an engineering one. The inconvenient truth is that if we don’t solve the engineering problem, we’re helpless. 57. What is said about global warming in the first paragraph? A) It may not prove an environmental crisis at all. B) It is an issue requiring world wide commitments. A) It is a reality both people and politicians are unaware of. B) It is a phenomenon that causes us many inconveniences. C) It is a problem that can be solved once it is recognized. D) It is an area we actually have little knowledge about.
59. Green house emissions will more than double by 2050 because of _______. A) economic growth
B) the widening gap between the rich and poor
C) wasteful use of energy
D) the rapid advances of science and technology C) Serious steps have been taken to avoid or stop it. D) Very little will be done to bring it under control.
58. According to the author’s understanding, what is Al Gore’s view on global warming?
60. The author believes that, since the signing of the Kyoto Protocol, ________. A) politicians have started to do something to better the situation B) few nations have adopted real tough measures to limit energy use C) reductions in energy consumption have greatly cut back global warming D) international cooperation has contributed to solving environmental problems 61. What is the message the author intends to convey?
A) Global warming is more of a moral issue than a practical one. B) The ultimate solution to global warming lies in new technology
C) The debate over global warming will lead to technological breakthroughs. D) People have to give up certain material comforts to stop global warming.
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Passage Two
Someday a stranger will read your e-mail without your permission or scan the Websites you’ve visited. Or perhaps someone will casually glance through your credit card purchase or cell phone bills to find out your shopping preferences or calling habits.
In fact, it’s likely some of these things have already happened to you. Who would watch you without your permission? It might be a spouse, a girlfriend, a marketing company, a boss, a cop or a criminal. Whoever it is, they will see you in a way you never intended to be seen — the 21st century equivalent of being caught naked.
Psychologists tell us boundaries are healthy, that it’s important to reveal yourself to friends, family and lovers in stages, at appropriate times. But few boundaries remain. The digital bread crumbs (碎屑) you leave everywhere make it easy for strangers to reconstruct who you are, where you are and what you like. In some cases, a simple Google search can reveal what you think. Like it or not, increasingly we live in a world where you simple cannot keep a secret.
The key question is: Does that matter?
When opinion polls ask Americans about privacy, most say they are concerned about losing it. A survey found an overwhelming pessimism about privacy, with 60 percent of respondents saying they feel their privacy is “slipping away, and that bothers me.”
But people say one thing and do another. Only a tiny fraction of Americans change any behaviors in an effort to preserve their privacy. Few people turn down a discount at tollbooths (收费站) to avoid using the EZ-Pass system that can track automobile movements. And few turn down supermarket loyalty cards. Privacy economist Alessandro Acquisti has run a series of tests that reveal people will surrender personal information like Social Security numbers just to get their hands on a pitiful 50-cents-off coupon (优惠券).
But privacy does matter – at least sometimes. It’s like health: When you have it, you don’t notice it. Only when it’s gone do you wish you’d done more to protect it.
62. What does the author mean by saying “the 21st century equivalent of being caught naked ”(Lines 3-4, Para.2)? A) People’s personal information is easily accessed without their knowledge. B) In the 21st century people try every means to look into others’ secrets. C) People tend to be more frank with each other in the information age. D) Criminals are easily caught on the spot with advanced technology. 63. What would psychologists advise on the relationships between friends? A) Friends should open their hearts to each other. B) Friends should always be faithful to each other.
A) Modern society has finally evolved into an open society. B) People leave traces around when using modern technology. C) There are always people who are curious about others’ affairs. D) Many search engines profit by revealing people’s identities. 65. What do most Americans do with regard to privacy protection? A) They change behaviors that might disclose their identity. B) They use various loyalty cards for business transactions. C) They rely more and more on electronic devices.
D) They talk a lot but hardly do anything about it. C) There should be a distance even between friends. D) There should be fewer disputes between friends.
64. Why does the author say “we live in a world where you simple cannot keep a secret” (Line 5, Para.3)?
66. According to the passage, privacy is like health in that ________. A) people will make every effort to keep it B) its importance is rarely understood C) it is something that can easily be lost D) people don’t cherish it until they lose it
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2.Passage One
Questions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.
If you are a male and you are reading this
,congratulations:
you
are
a
survivor .According to statistics .you are more than twice as likely to die of skin cancer than a woman ,and nine times more likely to die of AIDS. Assuming you make it to the end of your natural term, about 78 years for men in Australia, you will die on average five years before a woman.
There are many reasons for this-typically, men take more risks than woman and are more likely to drink and smoke but perhaps more importantly, men don’t go to the doctor. “Men aren’t seeing doctors as often as they should, ” says Dr. Gullotta, “This is particularly so for the over-40s,when diseases tend to strike.”
Gullotta says a healthy man should visit the doctor every year or two. For those over 45,it should be at least once a year.
Two months ago Gullotta saw a 50-year-old ma who had delayed doing anything about his smoker’s cough for a year.
“When I finally saw him it had already spread and he has since died from lung cancer” he says, “Earlier detection and treatment may not have cured him, but it would have prolonged this life”
According to a recent survey, 95%of women aged between 15 and early 40s see a doctor once a year, compared to 70% of men in the same age group.
“A lot of men think they are invincible （不可战胜的）”Gullotta says “They only come in when a friend drops dead on the golf course and they think” Geez, if it could happen to him.
Then there is the ostrich approach,” some men are scared of what might be there and would rather not know, ” says Dr. Ross Cartmill.
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英语四级改革后到15年12月阅读真题及答案
