2025年12月英语四级阅读训练题（精选12套）

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2025年12月英语四级阅读训练题（精选12套）

　　12月英语四级阅读训练题 1

　　Questions 61-65 are based on the following passage.

　　I dont ever want to talk about being a woman scientist again. There was a time in my life when people askedconstantly for stories about what its like to work in a field dominated by men. I was never very good at telling thosestories because truthfully I never found them interesting. What I do fred interesting is the origin of the universe, theshape of space-time and the nature of black holes.

　　At 19, when I began studying astrophysics, it did not bother me in the least to be the only woman in theclassroom. But while earning my Ph.D. at MIT and then as a post-doctor doing space research, the issue started tobother me. My every achievement--jobs, research papers, awards--was viewed through the lens of gender (性别) politics. So were my failures. Sometimes, when I was pushed into an argument on left brain.versus (相对于)fight brain, or nature versus nurture (培育), I would instantly fight fiercely on my behalf and all womankind.

　　Then one day a few years ago, out of my mouth came a sentence that would eventually become my reply toany and all provocations: I dont falk about that anymore. It took me 10 years to get back the confidence I had at 19and to realize that I didnt want to deal with gender issues. Why should curing sexism be yet another terrible burdenon every female scientist? After all, I dont study sociology or political theory.

　　Today I research and teach at Barnard, a womens college in New York City. Recently, someone asked mehow many of the 45 students in my class were women. You cannot imagine my satisfaction at being able to answer:45. I know some 9fmY students worry how they will manage their scientific research and a desire for children. AndI dont dismiss those concerns. Still, I dont tell them "war" stories. Instead, I have given them this: the visual oftheir physics professor heavily pregnant doing physics experiments. And in turn they have given me the image of45 women driven by a love of science. And thats a sight worth talking about.

　　61、Why doesnt the author want to talk about being a woman scientist again?

　　A.She feels unhappy working in male-dominated fields.

　　B.She is fed up with the issue of gender discrimination.

　　C.She is not good at telling stories of the kind.

　　D.She finds space research more important.

　　62、From Paragraph 2, we can infer that people would attribute the authors failures to ____

　　A.the very fact that she is a woman

　　B.her over-confidence as a female astrophysicist

　　C.her involvement in gender politics

　　D.the burden she bears in a male-dominated society

　　63、What did the author constantly fight against while doing her Ph.D. and post-doctoral research?

　　A.Lack of confidence in succeeding in space science.

　　B.Unfair accusations from both inside and outside her circle.

　　C.Peoples stereotyped attitude towards female scientists.

　　D.Widespread misconceptions about nature and nurture.

　　64、Why does the author feel great satisfaction when talking about her class?

　　A.Female students no longer have to bother about gender issues.

　　B.Her students performance has brought back her confidence.

　　C.Her female students can do just as well as male students.

　　D.More female students are pursuing science than before.

　　65、What does the image the author presents to her students suggest?

　　A.Women students neednt have the concerns of her generation.

　　B.Women have more barriers on their way to academic success.

　　C.Women can balance a career in science and having a family.

　　D.Women now have fewer problems pursuing a science career.

　　答案解析：

　　61-65 BACDC

　　12月英语四级阅读训练题 2

　　Today ,as in every other day of the year ,more than 3000 U.S. adlescents will smoke their first cigarette on their way to becoming regular smokers as adults. During their lifetime,it can be expected that of these 3000 about 23 will be murdered,30 will die in traffic accidents, and nearly 750 will be killed by a smoking-related disease. The number of deaths attributed to cigarette smoking outweithts all other factors, whether voluntary or involuntary, as a cause of death. Since the late 1970s, when daily smoking among high school seniors reached 30 precent , smoking rates among youth have declined . While the decline is impressive ,several important issues must be raised. First, in the past several years,smoking rates among youth have declined very little. Second,in the late 1970s ,smoking among male high school seniors exceeded that among -

　　female by nearly 10 percent . The statistic is reversing.Third ,several recent studies have indicate high school dropouts have excessively high smoking rates, as much as 75 percent . Finally, thouth significant declines in adolescent smoking have occurred in the past decade,no definite reasons for the decline exist. Within this context,the Naional Cancer Instiute (NCI) began its current effort to determine the most effecive measures to reduce smoking levesl among youth. 1.According to the author, the deaths among youth are mainly caused by _____. a.traffic accidents

　　b.smoking-related desease

　　c.murder d.all of these

　　2.Every day there are over_____high school strdents who will become regular smoker. a.75 b.23 c.30 d.3000 3.By "dropout" the author means______.

　　a.students who failed the examination

　　b.students who left school c.students who lost their way d.students who were driven out of school

　　4.The reason for declining adolescent smoking is that ________. a.NCI has taken effective measures b.smoking is prevented among high school seniors

　　c.there are many smokers who have died of cancer d.none of these -

　　5.What is implied but not stated by the author is that ________. a.smoking rates among youth have declined very little

　　b.there are now more female than male smokers among high school seniors c.high smoking rates are due to the incease in wealth d.smoking at high school are from low socio-economic backgrounds答案：bdbdb

　　12月英语四级阅读训练题 3

　　On my arrival in America, the one thing I noticed more than anything else was the , 11 amount of advertising that went on,—on the radio, on television, on billboard and signposts, and in magazines. In the last three years, I have become accustomed to this fact in American life, for I believe that it is a creative and necessary part of an industrial 12 .1, too, want to improve my life-style and to buy better products, so I 13 to advertising to show me how to do it.

　　Deciding what to believe in advertising, however, isnt easy. It seems to me that a person must 14 things with a lot of care. As a consumer, I want to get the best for my money, but I really have to understand the techniques of advertising. Otherwise, manufacturers will be able to sell me anything, no matter what its quality may be.

　　More and more people are becoming 15 , like me, of the ways in which advertising can affect them. The creative aspects of commercials, for instance, often cover up defects or problems in products. I have learned this well, since I have made purchases and lost money because the 16 were of poor quality.

　　The future of advertising will most likely involve a much greater 17 of public participation. I intend to become involved in consumer groups that want to 18 people from misleading advertising. But I also want to see Americans keep their high 19 of living in the process. In the future, if consumers like me really care about the quality of something as well as the quantity, 20 advertisers will begin to care more about what they are trying to sell.

　　A. consequent

　　B. protect

　　C. standards

　　D. tremendous

　　E. grade

　　F. society

　　G. degree

　　H. look

　　I. protest

　　J. items

　　K. purchase

　　L. association

　　M. conscious

　　N. maybe

　　0. whereas

　　II. D 12. F 13. H 14. K 15. M 16. J 17. G 18. B 19. C 20. N

　　12月英语四级阅读训练题 4

　　The English policeman has several nicknames (绰号) but the most frequently used are "copper" and "bobby". The first name comes from the verb "to cop " (which is also slang ) , meaning " to take " or " to capture ", and the second comes from the first name of Sir Robert Peel, the nineteenth-century politician, who was the founder of the police force as we know it today. An early nickname for the policeman was "peeler", but this one has died out.

　　Whatever we may call them, the general opinion of the police seems to be a favorable one; except, of course, among the criminal part of the community where the police are given more derogatory nicknames which originated in America, such as "fuzz" or "pig". Visitors to England seem nearly always to be very impressed by the English police. It has, in fact, become a standing joke that the visitor to Britain, when asked for his views of the country, will always say, at some point or other, "I think your policemen are wonderful. "

　　Well, the British bobby may not always be wonderful but he is usually a very friendly and helpful sort of character. A music-hall song of some years ago was called "If You Want To Know The Time, Ask A Policeman". Nowadays, most people own watches but they still seem to find plenty of other questions to ask the policeman. In London, the policemen spend so much of their time directing visitors about the city that one wonders how they ever find time to do anything else!

　　Two things are immediately noticeable to the stranger when he sees an English policeman for the first time. The first is that he does not carry a pistol (手枪) and the second is that he wears a very distinctive type of headgear, the policemans helmet. His helmet, together with his height, enable an English policeman to be seen from a considerable distance, a fact that is not without its usefulness. From time to time it is suggested that the policeman should be given a pistol and that his helmet should be taken from him, but both these suggestions are resisted by the majority of the public and the police themselves.

　　21. Nowadays British people call the policeman_______.

　　A. pig B. peeler

　　C. fuzz D. bobby

　　22. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

　　A. There are fewer criminals in America than in Britain.

　　B. The English police usually leave a deep impression on visitors.

　　C. The British bobby is friendly but not helpful.

　　D. The English police enjoy having pistols.

　　23. If you see an English policeman for the first time, you will probably notice at once that

　　A. he often tells people time B. he is usually very helpful

　　C. he has a helmet on his head D. he wears special clothes

　　24. That an English policeman can be seen from some distance is _______.

　　A. of some help to people B. of no help to people

　　C. very strange and funny D. a standing joke

　　25. Visitors praise the English police because_______.

　　A. they are armed with modern equipment

　　B. they obey orders

　　C. they are often given thanks by people

　　D. they are polite and helpful

　　答案：21. D 22. B 23. C 24. A 25. D

　　12月英语四级阅读训练题 5

　　The United States is on the verge of losing its leading place in the worlds technology. So says more than one study in recent years. One of the reasons for this decline is the parallel decline in the number of U.S. scientists and engineers.

　　Since 1976,employment of scientists and engineers is up 85 percent. This trend is expected to continue. However, the trend shows that the number of 22-year-olds--the near term source of future PH.D.s-is declining. Further adding to the problem is the increased competition for these candidates from other fields-law,medicine,business,etc. While the number of U.S. PH.D.s in science and engineering declines,the award of PH.D.s to foreign nationals is increasing rapidly.

　　Our inability to motivate students to pursue science and engineering careers at the graduate level is compounded because of the intense demand industry has for bright Bachelors and Masters degree holders. Too often, promising PH.D.candidates, confronting the cost and financial sacrifice of pursuing their education,find the attraction of industry irresistible.

　　1.The U.S.will come to lose its leading place in technology probably because ________.

　　a. the number of PH.D. degree holders is declining

　　b. the number of scientists and engineers is decreasing

　　c. the number of 22-year-ilds is declining

　　d. scientists and engineers are not employed

　　2.The field of science and engineering is facing a competition from ________ .

　　a. technology

　　b. foreign nationals

　　c. such fields as law, medicine and business

　　d. postgraduates

　　3.Large-scale enterprises now need _______.

　　a. bright graduates and postgraduates

　　b. new inventions

　　c. advanced technology

　　d. engineers

　　4.Many promising postgraduates are unwilling to pursue a PH.D. degree because _________.

　　a. they are not encouraged to be engaged in science

　　b. industry does not require PH.D. holders

　　c. they have financial difficulties

　　d. they will spend much time and energy completing PH.D.

　　5.PH.D. candidates "find the attraction of industry irresistible" means that _________.

　　a. they find industry is attracting more and more college students

　　b. they dont think they can prevent themselves from working for industry

　　c. they cannot resist any attraction from all sides

　　d. they cannot work for industry any longer

　　【答案】1-5 B C A D B

　　12月英语四级阅读训练题 6

　　Back in the old days, when I was a child, we sat around the family roundtable at dinnertime and exchanged our daily experiences. It wasnt very organized, but everyone was recognized and all the news that had to be told was told by each family member.

　　We listened to each other and the interest was not put-on; it was real. Our family was a unit and we supported each other, and nurtured each other, and liked each other, and—we were even willing to admit—we loved each other.

　　Today, the family roundtable has moved to the local fast-food restaurant and talk is not easy, much less encouraged.

　　Grandma, who used to live upstairs, is now. the voice on long distance, and the working parent is far too beaten down each day to spend evening relaxation time listening to the sandbox experience of an eager four-year-old.

　　So family conversation is as extinct as my old toys and parental questions such as "What have you been doing, Bobby?" have been replaced by "Im busy, go watch television. "

　　And watch TV they do; count them by the millions.

　　But its usually not childrens television that children watch. Saturday morning, the childrens hour, amounts to only about 8 percent of their weekly viewing.

　　Where are they to be found? Watching adult television, of course, from the Match Game in the morning, to the afternoon at General Hospital, from the muggings and battles on the evening news right through the family hour and past into Starsky and Hutch. Thats where you find our kids, over five million of them, at 10 p. m. , not fewer than a million until after midnight! All of this is done with parental permission.

　　Television, used well, can provide enriching experiences for our young people, but we must use it with some sense. When the carpet is clean, we turn off the vacuum cleaner. When the dishes are clean, the dishwasher turns itself off.

　　Not so the television, which is on from the sun in the morning to the moon at night and beyond!

　　Parents must exercise some control and show some concern about the cultural influence on the child when a program not intended for that child is viewed. Parents need to intervene (干涉). Nonintervention may be a wise policy in international affairs, but the results of parental nonintervention will not be wise at all.

　　26. From the first two paragraphs one may infer that the writers a attitude towards "the old days" is______.

　　A. preferring B. hating

　　C. being tired of D. disappointing

　　27. The working parent is not willing to listen to her (his) four-year-old child talking about his sandbox games because she (he) is______.

　　A. boring B. very tired

　　C. busy D. angry

　　28. According to the writer, the responsibility for the kids watching adult television and watching it for a long time should be undertaken by______.

　　A. the television stations B. the society

　　C. TV programs D. their parents

　　29. If we use television with some ______television can provide our young people with

　　much knowledge.

　　A. instruction of experts B. judgment of our own

　　C. direction of engineers D. indication of teachers

　　30. What is the main idea of the last paragraph?

　　A. Parental nonintervention will not be praised.

　　B. Nonintervention may be a good policy in international affairs.

　　C. Parents must exercise some control and show some concern about the cultural influence on the children.

　　D. Parents need to intervene.

　　参考答案：

　　26. A 27. B 28. D 29. B 30. C

　　12月英语四级阅读训练题 7

　　Women are also underrepresented in the administration and this is because there are so few women full professors. In 1985,Regent Beryl Milburn produced a report blasting the University of Texas System adminitration for not encouraging University was rated among the lowest for the 1987 ,Milburn commended the progress that was made and called for even more improvement.

　　One of the positive results from her study was a System-wide program to inform women of available administrative jobs.

　　College of Communication Associate Dean Patrica Witherspoon,said it is important that woman be flexible when it comesto relocating if they want to rise in the ranks.

　　Although a woman may face a chilly climate on campus , many times in order for her to succeed , she must rise above the problems around her and concentrate on her work.

　　Until women make up a greater percentage of the senior positions in the University and all academia,inequities will exist.

　　"Women need to spend their energies and time doing scholarly activities that are important here at the University." Spirduso said. "If they do that will be successful in this they spend their time in little groups mourning the sexual discrimination that they think exists here, they are wasting valuable study time."

　　1.to Spirduso,women need to ____.

　　a.a report on sexual discrimination

　　b.for further improvement in their working conditions

　　c.their energies and time fighting against sexual discrimination

　　d.more time and energy doing scholarly activities

　　2.this passage ,we know that _____.

　　a.are many women full professors in the University of Texas

　　b.play an important part in adminitrating the University

　　c.weather on the campus is chilly

　　d.make up a small percentage of the senior positions in the University

　　3.of the following statements is true?

　　a.number of women professors in the University in 1987 was greater than that of 1985

　　b.number of women professors in the University in 1987 was smaller than that of 1985

　　c.number of women professors was the same as that of 1985

　　d.and more women professors thought that sexual discrimination did exit in the University

　　4.of the positive results from Milburns study was that _____.

　　a.were told to con centrate on teir work

　　b.were given information about available administrative jobs

　　c.were encouraged to take on all the administrative jobs in the Unversity

　　d.were encouraged to do more scholarly activities

　　5. The title for this passage should be _______.

　　a.University of Texas

　　b.s Report

　　c.Professors

　　d.Discrimination in Academia

　　答案：ddabd

　　12月英语四级阅读训练题 8

　　Personality is , to large extent, inherent --A-type parents usually bring about A-type offspring. But the environment must also have a profound effect, since if competition is improtant to the parents, it is likely to become a major factor lives of their children.

　　One place where children soak up A characteristics is school, which is, by its very nature, a highly competitive institution. Too many schools adopt the "win at all costs" moral standard and measure their success by sporting achievements. The current passion for making children compete against their classmates or against the clock produces a two-layer system, in which competitive A types seem in some way better than their B-type fellows. Being too keen to win can have dangerous consequences:remember that Pheidippides ,the first marathon runner, dropped dead seconds after saying:"Rejoice, we conquer!".

　　By far the worst form of competition in school is the disproportionate emphasis on examinations . It is a rare school that allows pupils to concentrate on those things they do well.The merits of competition by examination are somewhat questionable, but competition in the certain knowledge of failure is positively harmful.

　　Obviously, it is neither practical nor desirable that all A youngsters change into Bs. The would needs types, and schools have an important duty to try to fit a childs personality to his possible future employment. It is top management.

　　1. According to the author, what factors contribute to the building of personality?

　　A. inheritance

　　b. inheritance, competition and environment

　　c. competition

　　d. environment

　　2.Which of the following statements is not true according to the author of the passage?

　　A. Schools usually adopt severe competitive policies.

　　B. Students are often divided by competition results.

　　C. School is place where children cultivate their characteristics.

　　D. The stronger desire for winning, the better.

　　3.The phrase "soak up" is closest in meaning to ____.

　　A. pull up b. take up c. take in d. pull in

　　4.What attitude does the author hold toward examinations in schools?

　　A. positive b. negative c. doubtful d. neutral

　　5.what suggestion does the author make concerning the management of schools?

　　A. All students be made into competitive A types.

　　B. A childs personality be considered in regard to his possible future job.

　　C. All students be changed into B characteristics.

　　D. Schools abolish all forms of examinations.

　　答案:bdccb

　　12月英语四级阅读训练题 9

　　There are various ways in which individual economic units can interact with one

　　another.Three basic ways may be described as the market system,the administered

　　system and the traditional system.

　　In a market system individual economic units are free to interact among each other in the market place.It is possible to buy commodities from other economic units or sell commodities to them.In a market,transactions may take place via barter or money exchange.In a barter economy,real goods such as automobiles,shoes,and pizzas are traded against each other.Obviously,finding somebody who wants to trade my old car in exchange for a sailboat may not always be an easy task.Hence,the introduction of money as a medium of exchange eases transactions considerably.In the modern market economy,goods and services are bought or sold for money.

　　An alternative to the market system is administrative control by some agency over all transactions.This agency will issue edicts or commands as to how much of each goods and service should be produced,exchanged,and consumed by each economic.

　　unit.Central planning may be one way of administering such an economy.The central plan,drawn up by the government,shows the amounts of each commodity produced by the various firms and allocated to different households for consumption. This is an example of complete planning of production,consumption,and exchange for the whole economy.

　　In a traditional society,production and consumption patterns are governed by tradition:parentage,religion,and custom fix every persons place within the economic system.Transactions take place on the basis of tradition,too.People belonging to a certain group or caste may have an obligation to care for other persons,provide them with food and shelter,care for their health, and provide for their education.Clearly,in a system where every decision is made on the basis of tradition alone,progress may be difficult to achieve.A stagnant society may result.

　　26. What is the main purpose of the passage?

　　A.To outline contrasting types of economic systems.

　　B.To explain the science of economics.

　　C.To argue for the superiority of one economic system.

　　D.To compare barter and moneyexchange markets.

　　27. In the second paragraph,the word “real” in “real goods” could best be replaced by which of the following?

　　A.high quality. B.concrete. C.utter. D.authentic.

　　28. According to the passage,a barter economy can lead to ____

　　A.rapid speed of transactions B.misunderstandings

　　C.inflation D.difficulties for the traders

　　29. According to the passage,who has the greatest degree of control in an administered system?

　　A.Individual B.Small businesses

　　C.Major corporations D.The government

　　30. Which of the following is NOT mentioned by the author as a criterion for

　　determining a persons place in a traditional society?

　　A.Family background. B.Age.

　　C.Religious belief. D.Custom.

　　答案：A B D D B

　　12月英语四级阅读训练题 10

　　The economy of the United states after 1952 was the econnomy of a well-fed,almost fully employed people. Despit occasional alarms, the country escaped any postwar depression and lived in a state of boom. A n economic survey of the year 1955, a typical year of the 1950’s, may be typical as illustrating the rapid economic growth of the decade. The national output was value at 10 percent above that of 1954 (1955 output was estimated at 392 billion dollars). The production of manufacturers was about 40 percent more than it had averaged in the years immediately following World War 2. The country’s business spent about 30billion dollars for new factories and machinery. National income available for spending was almost a third greater than it had been it had been in 1950. Consumers spent about 256 billion dollars; that is about 700 million dollars a day ,or about twenty-five million dollars every hour , all round the clock. Sixty-five million people held jobs and only a little more than two million wanted jobs but could not find them . Only agriculture complained that it was not sharing in the room. To some observers this was an ominous echo of the mid-1920’s . As farmer’s shre of their products declined , marketing costs rose. But there were , among the observers of the national economy, a few who were not as confident as the majority . Those few seemed to fear that the boom could not last and would eventually lead to the oppsite-depression.

　　1. What is the best title of the passage?

　　a. The Agriculatural Trends of 1950’s

　　b. The Unemployment Rate of 1950’s

　　c. Economy in the 50’s

　　d. The Federal Budget of 1952

　　2. In Line 3, the word “boom” could best be replaced by______.

　　a. nearby explosion

　　b. thunderous noise

　　c. general public support

　　d. rapid economic growth

　　3. It can be inferred the national from the passage that most people in the United States in 1955 viewed the national economy with an air of _________.

　　a. confidence b. confusion c. disappointment d. suspicion

　　4. Which of the following were LEAST satisfied with the national economy in the 1950’s?

　　a. Economists b. Frmaers c. Politicians d. Steelworkers

　　5. The passage states that incom available for spending in the . was greater in 1955 than in 1950 . How much was it________.

　　a. 60％ b. 50％ c. 33％ d. 90％

　　答案：cdabc

　　12月英语四级阅读训练题 11

　　Passage Three

　　Method of Scientific Inquiry

　　Why the inductive and mathematical sciences, after their first rapid development at the culmination of Greek civilization, advanced so slowly for two thousand years—and why in the following two hundred years a knowledge of natural and mathematical science has accumulated, which so vastly exceeds all that was previously known that these sciences may be justly regarded as the products of our own times—are questions which have interested the modern philosopher not less than the objects with which these sciences are more immediately conversant. Was it the employment of a new method of research, or in the exercise of greater virtue in the use of the old methods, that this singular modern phenomenon had its origin? Was the long period one of arrested development, and is the modern era one of normal growth? Or should we ascribe the characteristics of both periods to so-called historical accidents—to the influence of conjunctions in circumstances of which no explanation is possible, save in the omnipotence and wisdom of a guiding Providence?

　　The explanation which has become commonplace, that the ancients employed deduction chiefly in their scientific inquiries, while the moderns employ induction, proves to be too narrow, and fails upon close examination to point with sufficient distinctness the contrast that is evident between ancient and modern scientific doctrines and inquiries. For all knowledge is founded on observation, and proceeds from this by analysis, by synthesis and analysis, by induction and deduction, and if possible by verification, or by new appeals to observation under the guidance of deduction—by steps which are indeed correlative parts of one method; and the ancient sciences afford examples of every one of these methods, or parts of one method, which have been generalized from the examples of science.

　　A failure to employ or to employ adequately any one of these partial methods, an imperfection in the arts and resources of observation and experiment, carelessness in observation, neglect of relevant facts, by appeal to experiment and observation—these are the faults which cause all failures to ascertain truth, whether among the ancients or the moderns; but this statement does not explain why the modern is possessed of a greater virtue, and by what means he attained his superiority. Much less does it explain the sudden growth of science in recent times.

　　The attempt to discover the explanation of this phenomenon in the antithesis of “facts” and “theories” or “facts” and “ideas”—in the neglect among the ancients of the former, and their too exclusive attention to the latter—proves also to be too narrow, as well as open to the charge of vagueness. For in the first place, the antithesis is not complete. Facts and theories are not coordinate species. Theories, if true, are facts—a particular class of facts indeed, generally complex, and if a logical connection subsists between their constituents, have all the positive attributes of theories.

　　Nevertheless, this distinction, however inadequate it may be to explain the source of true method in science, is well founded, and connotes an important character in true method. A fact is a proposition of simple. A theory, on the other hand, if true has all the characteristics of a fact, except that its verification is possible only by indirect, remote, and difficult means. To convert theories into facts is to add simple verification, and the theory thus acquires the full characteristics of a fact.

　　1. The title that best expresses the ideas of this passage is

　　[A]. Philosophy of mathematics. [B]. The Recent Growth in Science.

　　[C]. The Verification of Facts. [C]. Methods of Scientific Inquiry.

　　2. According to the author, one possible reason for the growth of science during the days of the ancient Greeks and in modern times is

　　[A]. the similarity between the two periods.

　　[B]. that it was an act of God.

　　[C]. that both tried to develop the inductive method.

　　[D]. due to the decline of the deductive method.

　　3. The difference between “fact” and “theory”

　　[A]. is that the latter needs confirmation.

　　[B]. rests on the simplicity of the former.

　　[C]. is the difference between the modern scientists and the ancient Greeks.

　　[D]. helps us to understand the deductive method.

　　4. According to the author, mathematics is

　　[A]. an inductive science. [B]. in need of simple verification.

　　[C]. a deductive science. [D]. based on fact and theory.

　　5. The statement “Theories are facts” may be called.

　　[A]. a metaphor. [B]. a paradox.

　　[C]. an appraisal of the inductive and deductive methods.

　　[D]. a pun.

　　Vocabulary

　　1. inductive 归纳法

　　induction n.归纳法

　　2. deductive 演绎法

　　deduction n.演绎法

　　3. culmination 到达顶/极点

　　4. conversant （with）熟悉的，精通的

　　5. exercise 运用，实行，执行仪式

　　singular 卓越的，非凡的，独一无二的

　　6. conjunction 结合，同时发生

　　7. omnipotence 全能，无限权/威力

　　8. Providence （大写）指上帝，天道，天令

　　9. commonplace 平凡的，陈腐的

　　10. inquiry 调查，探究（真理，知识等）

　　11. doctrine 教义，学说，讲义

　　12. correlative 相互关联的

　　13. antithesis 对立面，对偶（修辞学中），对句

　　14. coordinate 同等的，并列的

　　15. subsist 生存，维持生活

　　16. attribute 特征，属性

　　17. connote 意味着，含蓄（指词内涵）

　　难句译注

　　1. Why the inductive and mathematical sciences, after their first rapid development at the culmination of Greek civilization, advanced so slowly for two thousand years are questions which have interested the modern philosopher not less than the objects with which these sciences are more immediately conversant.

　　[结构简析] 破折号后面的内容（见难句译注2）先撇开。这样便于理解，整个句子是主谓表结构，前面一个问题句作主语，question后跟一个定语从句，和not less than连接的表语。

　　[参考译文] 为什么归纳发和数学科学，在希腊文明达到顶点时首先快速发展后，两千年内进展缓慢，现在哲学家对这个问题的兴趣不亚于对这些科学很熟悉研究的对象。

　　2. …—and why in the following two hundred years a knowledge of natural and mathematical science has accumulated, which so vastly exceeds all that was previously known that these sciences may be justly regarded as the products of our own times—…

　　[参考译文] 问什么在后来的二百年中自然科学数理科学积累起来，它们广泛的超越了过去已知的一切，所以就把这些科学视为我们时代的产品。

　　3. arrested development 停滞发展（被制止了的发展）。

　　4. Or should we ascribe the characteristics of both periods to so-called historical accidents—to the influence of conjunctions in circumstances of which no explanation is possible, save in the omnipotence and wisdom of a guiding Providence?

　　[参考译文] 或者我们是否应当把两个阶段的特点归因于所谓的历史的偶然性（意外事件）——归因于客观环境中相似（结合）的影响。这一点除非以指导一切的上帝的智慧和无限权利来解释，否则难以解说清楚。

　　写作方法与文章大意

　　这是篇议论文，论及科学探索的方法，总体是因果写法，具体分析又是对比写法。作者采用问答方式探究为什么希腊文明顶峰之后两千年，科技发展缓慢，而最近两百年又迅速发展超越前人，其原因在哪里?是采用新，旧方法所致，历史之偶然性，还是上天安排。

　　然后以现代用归纳法，古代用演绎法太狭隘说明科学总是在观察，实验，检验，证实中前进。但事实难以解释慢和快的现象。最后以“对立”——事实和理论对立古代重视事实来解释。然这两者是对立的统一。真正的理论就是事实。事实，构成之间具逻辑联系，就具有理论的一切正面特性。这种区分虽不足以解释科学研究中真正方法，但奠定了良好的基础，含有真正方法中的重要特性。

　　答案详解

　　1. D. 科学研究/探索的方法。文章一开始就提出问题，为什么从希腊文化顶峰时期后两千年来归纳法和数学科学发展如此缓慢，而后的'两百年又超越了前人，是应用新，旧方法关系还是其它（见难句译注1，2）。第二段讲埃及古代在科学探索中运用了演绎推理法，而现在应用了归纳法。这种解释太狭隘，经仔细审核，难以很清晰地点明古代和现代科学教义和探究上明显的差别。因为一切知识都基于观察，通过分析，综合，或综合分析，归纳演绎推理，有可能的话，经过校正或经由演绎指导下再观察而向前推进。第三段进一步阐明不用这些方法观察，实验;忽略相关事实，推理不慎;不能答出理论的结论，再用实验或观察来检验等或用得不全，不论在古代还是现代都会失败。但这不能说明为什么现代科学具有较高的功效，通过什么方式方法，超越了前人，更不用说说明最近科学突飞猛进的原因。第四，五段涉及事实和理论的关系。

　　A. 数学的哲学，文内没有提。 B. 近来科学的发展。 C. 事实的验证，只是最后两段提及验证方法之作用。

　　2. B. 是上天的安排，这是作家在用方法论等失败后得出的结论。见难句译注4，第一段最后一句话。

　　A. 两个阶段的相似性。 . 两者都试图应用归纳法。 D. 由于演绎法的衰落。

　　3. A. 后者需要证实。答案在第四，五段，死段试图在事实的对立面和理论，或事实和思想中发现上述现象的解释看起来有饿太狭隘，也会因模糊不清遭批评。因为，对立面不全面，事实和理论不是同类的事物。理论，如果是真正的理论，就是事实——一种特殊类别的事实，一般复杂，但仍是事实。而事实，从词的狭义来说，如果很复杂，如果各成分中存在着逻辑的联系，就具有理论的一切主要特征。第五段第二句，事实是一个提议，通过运用知识的源泉和经验而证实的提议直接而又简单。而理论，若是真理论，就有事实的一切特性（除非其证实只能通过非直接的，遥远的和困难的方式方法），把理论转成事实必须用简单的核实，理论因此具有事实的一切特性。

　　B. 前者简单。 C. 是现代科学家和古希腊的差异。 D. 帮助我们了解演绎法，三项都不对。

　　4. C. 是推理演绎科学，这个问题常识就能回答。

　　A. 归纳法科学。 B. 需要简单证实。 D. 基于事实和理论。

　　5. B. 是一个悖论，见第四，五段注释。

　　A. 比喻。 C. 对归纳法和演绎法的赞扬。 D. 双关语。

　　12月英语四级阅读训练题 12

　　Agriculture is the number one industry in the United States and agricultural products are the countrys leading export. American farmers manage to feed not only the total population of the United States, but also millions of other people throughout the rest of the world. Corn and soybean exports alone account for approximately 75 percent of the amount sold in world markets.

　　This productivity, however, has its price. Intensive cultivation exposes the earth to the damaging forces of nature. Every year wind and water remove tons of rich soil from the nations croplands.

　　Each field is covered by a limited amount of topsoil, the upper layer of earth which is richest in the nutrients and minerals necessary for growing crops. Ever since the first farmers arrived in the Midwest almost 200 years ago，cultivation and, consequently, erosion have been decreasing the supply of topsoil. In the 1830s, nearly two feet of rich, black top soil covered the Midwest. Today the average depth is only eight inches, and every decade another inch is blown or washed away. This erosion is steadily decreasing the productivity of valuable cropland. A United States Agricultural Department survey states that if erosion continues at its present rate, corn and soybean yields in the Midwest may drop as much as 30 percent over the next 50 years.

　　So far, farmers have been able to compensate for the loss of fertile topsoil by applying more chemical fertilizers to their fields; however, while this practice has increased crop yields, it has been devastating for ecology. Agriculture has become one of the biggest polluters of the nations precious water supply. Rivers, lakes, and underground reserves of water are being filled in and poisoned by soil and chemicals carried by drainage from eroding fields. Furthermore, fertilizers only replenish the soils they do not prevent its loss.

　　26. The last sentence in the first paragraph gives an example to show_______.

　　A. that American farmers manage to feed the total population of the U. S.

　　B. the leading position of the U. S. farming in the world

　　C. how important American people consider their farming

　　D. that many people in the world rely on the export of the agricultural products of the U. S. A.

　　27. In order to compensate for the loss of fertile topsoil, farmers have been_______.

　　A. planting less corn and soybean B. putting fertilizers on their fields

　　C. preventing soil erosion D. decreasing the supply of top soil

　　28. At the present rate, approximately how many years later the black top soil now covering the Midwest will completely be blown or washed away?

　　A. 120 years later. . B. 80 years later.

　　C. 50 years later. D. 100 years later.

　　29. "This practice" in Paragraph 4 refers to_______.