1、公共英语四级-阅读理解题(二)及答案解析(总分：175.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、练习一(总题数：0，分数：0.00)二、Part A(总题数：0，分数：0.00)三、Text 1(总题数：1，分数：5.00)FLOODS. DROUGHTS. HURRICANES. TWISTERS. Are all the bizarre weather extremes weve been having lately normal fluctuations in the planets atmospheric systems? Or are they a precursor of the kind
2、 of climactic upheavals that can be expected from the global warming caused by the continued buildup of CO2 and the other so-called greenhouse gases? Scientists are still not sure. But one of the effects of the unusual stretch of weather over the past 15 years has been to alert researchers to a new
3、and perhaps even more immediate threat of the warming trend: the rapid spread of disease-bearing bugs and pests.Climate change, whether natural or man-made, may already be spreading disease and pestilence, according to a host of new studies, including a major report being prepared by the World Healt
4、h Organization and other international institutions for release this season. Malaria, for example, has been flourishing in recent years owing to unusually hot weather. Similarly, climate disruptions may be giving new life to such ancient scourges as yellow fever, meningitis and cholera, while foster
5、ing the spread of emerging diseases like hantavirus.Underlying all these outbreaks is the same Darwinian mechanism: unusual weather such as dry spells in wet areas or torrential rains in normally dry spots tends to favor so-called opportunistic pests rodents, insects, bacteria, protozoa, viruses whi
6、le making life more difficult for the predators that usually control them. Episodes of extreme weather are routinely followed by outbreaks of plagues, both old and new.Of all the infectious diseases humans will have to contend with as the world gets warmer, malaria may be the worst. Malaria is alrea
7、dy the worlds most widespread mosquito-borne illness. Rising temperatures will not only expand the range of Anopheles mosquitoes, but make them more active biters as well. Paul Epstein, an epidemiologist with the Harvard School of Public Health, notes that a temperature rise of 2 would more than dou
8、ble mosquito metabolism, forcing them to feed more often. A 2 rise in global temperatures could also expand malarias domain from 42% to 60% of the planet. When temperatures rise above 40, mosquitoes begin to die off but at those temperatures, so do people and the crops on which they live.（分数：5.00）(1
9、).This passage mainly discusses the relationship between（分数：1.00）A.global warming and mosquito metabolism.B.atmospheric systems and climate fluctuations.C.climate change and global warming.D.abnormal weather and infectious diseases.(2).According to the passage, the rise in global temperatures（分数：1.0
10、0）A.results from the accumulation of CO2 and greenhouse effect.B.results in floods, droughts, hurricanes and twisters.C.has alerted researchers to the effects of weather extremes.D.has had all the effects of unusual weather for 15 years.(3).Outbreaks of plagues routinely follow episodes of extreme w
11、eather because（分数：1.00）A.weather changes invariably endanger the enemies of pests.B.climactic upheavals are mostly caused by natural forces.C.the same Darwinian mechanism underlies all these outbreaks.D.the continued buildup of CO2 favors opportunistic pests.(4).The underlined word “Anopheles“ (line
12、 4, paragraph 4) most probably refers to mosquitoes that（分数：1.00）A.suck blood.B.bite animals.C.transmit malaria.D.favor heat.(5).The last paragraph mainly suggests that（分数：1.00）A.the higher the temperature, the more often mosquitoes feed.B.the hotter the weather, the larger malarias domain becomes.C
13、.the larger malarias domain becomes, the more often mosquitoes bite.D.the more actively mosquitoes bite, the more widely malaria spreads.四、Text 2(总题数：1，分数：5.00)Sleek fighter jets roared and wheeled over the English countryside last week as the worlds major aerospace contractors showed off their ware
14、s at the biennial Farnborough Air Show. But the real dogfight was on the ground, between two huge planes that so far exist only on paper. Europes Airbus Industrie and Americas Boeing Co. fired off repeated rounds of press releases, boasts and accusations trying to boost support for their rival versi
15、ons of a new 550-passenger superjumbo jet to succeed Boeings venerable 747 as the king of the skies. Though neither machine would fly before the next century, marketing and hype for Airbus A3XX and Boeings 747-600X are already at full throttle. Nonetheless, both investments are risky, and even the f
16、ruits of victory are unsure: for all the glamour and prestige of a superjumbo, the market may not be large enough for either planemaker to recoup the development costs. “Somebody could lose a lot of money on this plane,“ warns Allan Winn, editor of Flight International, a trade publication.Which doe
17、snt mean there isnt profit to be made as well. While only 7% of new passenger planes sold over the next 20 years will be as big as or bigger than the current 416-seat 747-400, according to Boeing estimates, such aircraft will account for nearly a fifth of the $1.1 trillion spent on new equipment. Fo
18、r Airbus, the four-nation European consortium, the lure is especially strong. It desperately needs a big plane to match the 747, which for 26 years has been a lucrative Boeing monopoly.That do-or-die attitude helps explain Airbus more daring entry in the superjumbo contest. The 555-passenger A3XX wi
19、ll be a two-deck, twin-aisle behemoth whose smaller upper section alone will be nearly as big as the entire passenger cabin of the A340, currently the largest plane in the Airbus fleet. A later version could be stretched to hold 650 passengers, and Airbus officials claim the plane will be roomy enou
20、gh for airlines to add a conference room, a mini-gym or even a few sleeping compartments on the lower level if they wish. “Were starting from a clean sheet of paper,“ says John Leahy, Airbus senior vice president for sales and marketing.Boeings entry looks like a 747, only more so. The 548-passenger
21、 747- 600X would keep the same fuselage width but extend it 14 meters, to 85 meters, nearly as long as a minimum-size soccer field. Boeing will team it with a longer-range 460-passenger version, the 747-500X, which will have a range of 16,100 km, 2,600 farther than the 747-400. The plane will featur
22、e a new, more efficient wing, and engineers will replace the 747s traditional mechanical controls with a computerized fly-by-wire system, pioneered in commercial aircraft by Airbus and used for the first time by Boeing in the hugely popular wide-bodied 777.Though it is entering the 21st century with
23、 an updated 1960s design, Boeing gains a key advantage: it can start delivering the 747-600X by the year 2000, at least three years before the A3XX will be ready. In recent months company salesmen have been pounding the tarmac in Europe, Asia and America, trying to nail down enough firm commitments
24、from major airlines to justify a formal launch of the project. Boeing hopes that by beating its archrival into the air, it will garner enough orders to keep the A3XX, also as yet without a formal go-ahead, stranded on the runway.（分数：5.00）(1).This passage is mainly about（分数：1.00）A.the comparison betw
25、een the worlds largest airplanes.B.the Farnborough Air Show held in England last week.C.the competition between the worlds leading planemakers.D.the cost management of superjumbo jets.(2).According to the passage, the new superjumbo jets（分数：1.00）A.will enjoy lucrative market chances.B.will be made r
26、eady by the year 2000.C.have already been put into production.D.have already entered into fierce competition.(3).According to passage, the 555-passengerA3XX（分数：1.00）A.is the largest passenger plane in the world.B.is the largest passenger plane in the Airbus fleet.C.will pioneer a computerized fly-by
27、-wire system.D.will succeed the A340 as the king of the Airbus empire.(4).The 747-600X has（分数：1.00）A.a fuselage as wide as the 747-400s.B.a wider fuselage than the 747-400s by 14 meters.C.a fuselage almost as large as a minimum-size soccer field.D.a range of 13,500 kin, shorter than the 747-500Xs by
28、 2,600 km.(5).What is the authors attitude towards theA3XX and the 747-600X?（分数：1.00）A.Critical.B.Approving.C.Objective.D.Doubtful.五、Text 3(总题数：1，分数：5.00)If anyone knew how to get the best medical treatment, it was Betsy Lehman. A health columnist who had worked at the Boston Globe since 1982, she h
29、ad covered everything from leading-edge research to the finer points of a physicians bedside manner. When she learned she had an advanced case of breast cancer, she carefully studied her options and chose to undergo an experimental treatment offered at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a prestigious
30、 hospital affiliated with Harvard Medical School. Tragically, the 39- year-old mother of two died in December. Her death was not the result of her disease but of a huge overdose of a powerful anticancer drug accidentally administered by the hospitals staff.Lehmans case is just one of a spate of medi
31、cal foul-ups that have made headlines in the U.S. in recent weeks. Though no statistical evidence shows that malpractice is on the rise, state licensing boards have stepped up their investigations of doctors. The number of physicians who have had their licenses revoked, suspended or restricted rose
32、from 1,974 in 1992 to 2,190 in 1993, an 11% increase.Unfortunately, as long as doctors are human, treatment blunders can never be eliminated entirely. “With 4 million patients a day visiting physicians, its inevitable, if inexcusable, that mistakes will be made,“ says Dr. James Todd of the American
33、Medical Association. Three large studies over the past 30 years have documented a distressingly consistent rate of medical mishaps in the U.S By one measure, such negligence in American hospitals may result in 80,000 deaths each year.That toll is a sign to some critics that improvement is needed in
34、the systems that American hospitals use to catch errors and review doctors performance. Perhaps the only benefit of highly publicized cases like Betsy Lehmans is that they will spur hospitals to strengthen the safeguards needed to keep such tragedies as uncommon as possible.（分数：5.00）(1).This passage
35、 is mainly about（分数：1.00）A.the tragical death of a health columnist.B.the evidence of medical foul-ups on the rise.C.the cause of medical mishaps in the U.SD.the occurrence of negligence in U,S, hospitals.(2).Betsy Lehman chose the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute because（分数：1.00）A.it was affiliated wit
36、h Harvard Medical School.B.it was famous for excellent medical treatment.C.its experimental treatment was successful.D.its breast cancer treatment was advanced.(3).Which of the following most probably appeared in one of Betsy Lehmans articles?（分数：1.00）A.The professional training of hospital staff.B.
37、The effective management of hospital pharmacy.C.An experimental therapy of colds.D.A computer program of medical administration.(4).It is safe to say that the 11% increase in the number of revoked, suspended and restricted licenses shows（分数：1.00）A.A tightened control of doctors on the part of the st
38、ate licensing boards.B.A reinforced system of safety on the part of American hospitals.C.An increase in the number of licensed physicians within a period of one year.D.An increase of hospital deaths caused by inexcusable medical blunders.(5).It can be inferred from the passage that fatal mistakes ar
39、e made in hospitals because（分数：1.00）A.unqualified doctors are employed.B.drugs are not properly administered.C.experimental therapies are immature.D.safety measures are not sufficient.六、Text 4(总题数：1，分数：5.00)In the last week of August, 70 two-ton bulls climbed to the top of a cliff above Maggie Beach
40、, a remote and forbidding area in southwestern Alaska. One by one, the huge and ungainly mammals waddled over the edge and fell 100 feet onto the rocks below. It was the third consecutive year that walruses plunged to their death on this beach and scientists still cant explain why.For as long as hum
41、ans can remember, every summer walrus bulls “haulout“ along the beaches of Bristol Bay to sun and feed themselves in anticipation of the long winter ahead. Until the fall of 1994 the walruses were content to lounge along the sandy shore. Then one day, says Togiak Reserve manager Aaron Archibeque, a
42、fierce storm struck the cape, and some of the animals retreated up a bluff in search of shelter, or so scientists thought. Perhaps disoriented or unsteady on rain-slickened grass, 42 of the bulls fell over the edge of the cliff. During another storm in October 1995, 17 more died.But this year, the w
43、alruses began climbing the bluff late on a clear, moonlit night. The next morning, two biologists with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service camping at a field station near the beach noticed the migration. They managed to turn back 150 bulls, Archibeque says, but 70 reached the top where almost all plu
44、nged to their death. Such behavior among walruses has never been documented before, Archibeque says. “Its a real herd response,“ says Seagars, a scientist with the Fish and Wildlife Service. “Once the first one falls, it is too late for the second or third or fourth to turn around.“Could the walruse
45、s be committing mass suicide? Marine biologists emphatically reject that idea as misguided human projection. “That is anthropomorphising,“ says Seagars. Should humans intervene to prevent the annual immolations? A barrier could be built to prevent the walruses from making their deadly climb, Seagars
46、 says. “There have been intense debates about whether interfering with nature is the right thing to do,“ he says, “But its very difficult to watch natural selection at work./（分数：5.00）(1).Which of the following best expresses the main idea of this passage?（分数：1.00）A.It remains a mystery why the walru
47、ses plunged off an Alaskan cliff.B.It is generally accepted that the walruses could have been committing mass suicide.C.People disagree about what measures to take to prevent the walruses from plunging to death.D.People believe that it was a real herd response that made the walruses plunge off an Al
48、askan cliff.(2).It is certain that the walruses（分数：1.00）A.climbed the bluff in search of shelter from a fierce storm in the fall of 1994.B.fell off the edge of the cliff in the fall of 1994 because they got lost.C.plunged to their death in the fall of 1994 for the first time in history.D.fell off th
49、e edge of the cliff in the fall of 1994 because of rain-slickened grass.(3).The latest walrus plunge was different from the previous ones in that（分数：1.00）A.this one resulted in fewer deaths.B.no storm occurred before this one.C.this one was not documented.D.herd response was observed this time.(4).Which of the following is true about the walrus plunge this year?（分数：1.00）A.All the walruses that climbed the cliff plunged to their death.B.Almost all the walruses that climbed the cliff plunged to their death.C.About half of the walruses that climbed th
