大学英语四级考试专项练习题

大学英语四级考试专项练习题2017

　　Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension (35 minutes)

　　Directions: There are 4 passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A),B) ,C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

　　Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage:

　　It is simple enough to say that since books have classesfiction, biography, poetry—we should separate them and take from each what it is right that each should give us. Yet few people ask from books what books can give us. Most commonly we come to books with blurred and divided minds, asking of fiction that it shall be true, of poetry that it shall be false,

　　of biography that it shall be flattering, of history that it shall enforce our own prejudices. If we could banish all such preconception when we read, that would be an admirable beginning. Do not dictate to your author; try to become him. Be his fellowworker and accomplice(同谋).

　　If you hang back, and reserve and criticize at first, you are preventing yourself from getting the fullest possible value from what you read. But if you open your mind as widely as possible, then signs and hints of almost imperceptible finess(委婉之处), from the twist and turn of the first sentences, will bring you into the presence of a human being unlike any other. Steep yourself in this, acquaint yourself with this, and soon you will find that your author is giving you, or attempting to give you, something far more definite. The thirtytwo chapters of anovel—if we consider how to read a novel first—are an attempt to make something as formed and controlled as a building but words are more impalpable than bricks, reading is a longer and more complicated process than seeing. Perhaps the quickest way to understand the elements of what a novelist is doing is not to read, but to write; to make your own experiment with the dangers and difficulties of words. Recall, then, some event that has left a distinct impression on you—how at the corner of the street, perhaps, you passed two people talking. A tree shook; an electric light danced; the tone of the talk was comic, but also tragic; a whole vision, an entire conception, seemed contained in that moment.

　　21.What does the author mean by saying “Yet few people ask from books what books can give us.”?

　　A.The author means that lots of people read few books.

　　B.The author thinks that readers have only absorbed part of knowledge in books.

　　C.The author holds that few people have a proper idea about what content some kind of books should include.

　　D.The author considers that readers can scarcely understand most of the books.

　　22.According to the passage, which of the following statement is right?

　　A.A reader should find some mistakes when he is reading.

　　B.The more difficult a book is, the more you can get from it.

　　C.To read something is easier than to watch something.

　　D.One should be in the same track with the writer when he is reading.

　　23.What is the possible meaning of “impalpable” (Paragraph 2) in the passage?

　　A.Clear.B.Elusive.C.Delicate.D.Precise.

　　24.What’s the main idea of this passage?

　　A.The importance of reading.

　　B.The proper way to read.

　　C.How to get most from one book.

　　D.The characters of a good book.

　　25.When a writer is writing he often get the whole conception ____.

　　A.after a long time’s thinking

　　B.through an instant inspiration

　　C.according to his own experience

　　D.by way of watching the objects attentively

　　Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:

　　According to the dictionary definition of “create”, ordinary people are creative every day. To create means “to bring into being, to cause to exist”—something each of us does daily.

　　We are creative whenever we look at or think about something in a new way. First this involves an awareness of our surroundings. It means using all of our sese to become aware of our world. This may be as simple as being aware of color and texture, as well as taste, when we plan a meal. Above all, it is the ability to notice things that others might miss.

　　A second part of creativity is an ability to see relationships among things. If we believe the expression, “There is nothing new under the sun,” the creativity is remaking or recombining the old in new ways. For example, we might do this by finding a more effective way to study or a better way to arrange our furniture, or we might make a new combination of camera lenses and filters to create an unusual photograph.

　　A third part of creativity is the courage and drive to make use of our new ideas, to apply them to achieve some new results. To think up a new concept is one thing; to put the idea to work is another.

　　These three parts of creativity are involved in all the great works of genius, but they are also involved in many of our daytoday activities.

　　26.Which of the following activities is NOT a creative one according to the passage?

　　A.To prepare a meal.

　　B.To arrange the furniture in a peculiar way.

　　C.To buy some books from a bookstore.

　　D.To “write” a letter with the computer.

　　27.The author holds that ____.

　　A.creativity is of highly demand

　　B.creativity is connected with a deep insight to some extent

　　C.creativity is to create something new and concrete

　　D.to practise and practise is the only way to cultivate one’s creativity

　　28.“There is nothing new under the sun.” (Par.3) really implies that ____.

　　A.we can seldom create new things

　　B.a new thing is only a tale

　　C.a new thing can only be created at the basis of original things

　　D.we can scarcely see really new things in the world

　　29.What does the author think about the relationship between a new thought and its being put into practice?

　　A.It’s more difficult to create a new thought than to apply it in practice.

　　B.To find a new thought will definitely lead to the production of a new thing.

　　C.One may come up with a new thought, but can not put it into practice.

　　D.A man with an excellent ability of practice can easily become an inventor.

　　30.The best title for this passage is ____.

　　A.How to Cultivate One’s Creativity

　　B.What is Creativity

　　C.The Importance of Creativity

　　D.Creativity—a Not Farway Thing

　　Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:

　　When I was studying at Yale, some phenomena puzzled me greatly. I found that Chinese students or Asian students were very polite in class while American students often interrupted the professor, asking questions and dominating the discussion. The Chinese students were not as aggressive as American students.

　　I was impressed by the role of the professor in the seminar(讨论会). The professor didn’t act as an authority, giving final conclusions, but as a reseacher looking for answers to questions together with the students. One linguistic(语言的) feature of his interacting with his students was that he used many modal(情态的) verbs—far more than I did in Beiwai. When answering questions, he usually said, “This is my personal opinion and it could be wrong.” or “You could be right, but you might find this point of view also interesting.”

　　In China, authorities are always supposed to give wise decisions and correct directions. Therefore, students always expect the professor to give an answer to the question. I still remember how frustrated they were when foreign teachers did not provide such an answer. Their expectations from authorities are much higher than that of American students. Once the Chinese students got the answer, they were sure about it.

　　Education in China is valued for united thinking. I remember American teachers who taught in our university complaining about the fact that Chinese students uniformly expressed the same idea in their English composition. The examinations in America usually do not test a student’s ability to memorize the material but his ability to analyze and solve problems. Education in America is valued not only as a means to obtain employment but as a process of enhancing critical thinking.

　　31.In the USA, when the students are in class, ____.

　　A.a Chinese student tends to be very active

　　B.an American student likes to make trouble

　　C.a Chinese student likes to puzzle the teacher

　　D.an American student tends to be vigorous

　　32.A teacher in the USA prefers to ____ when he answers questions.

　　A.be very sincere B.be very direct

　　C.be very selfconfident D.be very indifferent

　　33.What is the opinion of the author concerning the difference of teaching methods between China and the USA?

　　A.He thinks that Chinese teaching metods can make students learn more.

　　B.He holds that the major purpose of Chinese teaching methods is to improve students’ remembrance.

　　C.He thinks that American teaching is abilityoriented.

　　D.He holds that American teachers hate to give a test.

　　34.The author thinks that the relationship between the student and the teacher is ____.

　　A.more intimate in China B.closer in China

　　C.looser in USA D.more harmonious in USA

　　35.The education in USA may produce some ____ graduates.

　　A.talkative B.conventional

　　C.creative D.imaginative

　　Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:

　　Online courses (also called distance learning) are a hot new trend in American education. According to the nonprofit Distance Education and Training Council,about 400 US colleges and schools offer some portion of their programs on the Web. At the university level, they cost the same as traditional classes and require similar weekly assignments and textbook reading, the difference is in class participation.

　　Generally speaking, students congregate(使聚集) online throughout each week to explore topic with the professor, but these discussions occur “asynchronously(不同时发生地)” rather than in real time. (You read others’ comments and post your own whenever you get a chance.) Written assignments are posted, you email in your work periodically, and you’re required to take a proctored exam in order to receive degree credit. Careerboosting business administration and information technology programs are the most popular, but you’ll also find a variety of literal arts offerings, from film theory to medieval history and foreign language study. While you still can’t get an Ivy League degree online, a growing number of elite(卓越的) institutions, including Stanford and New York University are beginning to offer online courses.

　　The benefits for busy people are obvious. “I always get a frontrow seat,” says one student studying at the State University of New York Learning Network.“I can get up in the middle of class, grab a cup of coffee. The class is waiting for me when I get back, and I haven’t missed a thing.” On the other hand, some students miss the facetoface interaction that often sparks interest and involvement.

　　36.Generally speaking, online education costs ____.

　　A.more than the traditional one

　　B.less than the traditional one

　　C.as much as the traditional one

　　D.the author hasn’t mentioned

　　37.The major way to hand out assignments of online students is ____.

　　A.to hand out them in person

　　B.to post them

　　C.to email in them

　　D.to let the teacher enter into their personal main pages

　　38.Which kind of program is probably NOT welcomed by most of the students?

　　A.Software development. B.Decoration and design.

　　C.International trade. D.Company management.

　　39.The closest meaning of “Ivy League” (Par. 2) ____.

　　A.famous universities in USA

　　B.famous business colleges in USA

　　C.famous companies in USA

　　D.universities with a long history

　　40.It is implied that in USA ____.

　　A.online education will take the place of the traditional one soon

　　B.there are only a few online programs until now

　　C.one need not take part in the exam in order to receive a diploma by way of online education

　　D.one can not receive a degree certificate of New York University through distant learning