1、公共英语四级-阅读理解题(六)及答案解析(总分：65.00，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 2(总题数：1，分数：5.00)Millions of Americans run to the bank or visit automated teller machines when they need cash. They use credit cards when they want to buy clothes, VCRs, or television sets.But there is an under
2、class people with low incomes and no credit history who visit their neighborhood pawnshops when they need cash or a loan.An estimated 20 percent of the US population has no bank account, more than half of this group dont have credit cards and cannot get bank loans.“These people are borrowing an aver
3、age of $50,“ said John P. Caskey of Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. “If you add up in terms of how much dollar value pawnshops provide, they dont look very important. If you add up how much of the population they serve or the number of loans they make, they are important.“Because the
4、y make loans, pawnshops are a type of bank, often calling themselves “the bank of the little people“.Caskey and Swarthmore student Brian Zidmund in 1989 looked at the importance of pawnshops in the US economy the first serious study of the subject since the 1930s.Their conclusion: Pawnshops are the
5、consumers lender of last resort.Pawnshop customers typically cannot get credit at mainstream financial institutions. They have poor credit records, excessive debt in relation to their incomes, low and unstable incomes, or cannot maintain positive bank account balance.Typically, pawnshop customers bo
6、rrow relatively small amounts that traditional lenders are unwilling or unable to provide on a secured basis.“If you look at total consumer credit, the amounts provided by pawnshops remain small,“ Caskey said. “They are lending primarily to low-income people. In terms of the population they serve, t
7、heyre really important.“In 1988, about 6,900 pawnshops operated in the United States one for every two commercial banks. Data suggest these pawnshops made about 35 million loans, providing what Caskey and Zidmund estimate as 1 percent of the nations consumer credit.（分数：5.00）(1).The best title for th
8、e passage would beA. Credit Cards for the Poor.B. Banks for the Poor.C. Pawnshops Vs, Banks.D. Commercial Banks.（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.(2).The percentage of the population in the United States that doesnt get bank loans isA. roughly 20 percent.B. more than 10 percent.C. less than 10 percent.D. not mention
9、ed in the passage.（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.(3).What do the underclass people do when they need cash?A. They go to local banks for help.B. They apply for credit cards.C. They ask for a loan from large banks.D. They apply for a loan in pawnshops.（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.(4).What can we learn about pawnshops?A. Poor p
10、eople come to pawnshops as their last resort.B. Most people prefer pawnshops for their need of cash.C. Pawnshops are an important part of the state economy.D. Pawnshops are not important because they constitute only I percent of the nations consumer credit.（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.(5).According to John P. C
11、askey, pawnshops are important becauseA. they provide great dollar value to the poorB. they make big loans to a lot of people.C. they are serving the majority of the population.D. they make a large number of loans to the poor.（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.四、Text 3(总题数：1，分数：5.00)For four days in hilly fields near
12、 this country town, thousands of men will wear brocaded wool uniforms in the summer heat, smoke smelly cheroots by camp fires, pitch canvas tents, eat dried beef and wage war.Some 5,000 weekend warriors plan to reenact the first major battle of the American Civil War not far from where it took place
13、, 48 kilometers west of Washington 125 years ago.The American Civil War Commemorative Committee of Culpeper, Virginia, the events sponsor, bills this as the biggest battle reenactment ever held in the United States.While the real north-south clash was fought out in one day, on July 21,1861, the repl
14、ay will stretch out over four, including preliminary encampment, from July 1720.Those arranging the rerun of the first Battle of Manassas, as Southerners call it the Battle of Bull Run to Northerners, expect over 50,000 Civil War buffs to watch the fighting roll across a 200-hectare tract.Some 1,500
15、 artillery shells and a half million rounds of small-arms ammunition will be fired in the mock battle. A special effects company is arranging to set off explosions across the landscape, Hollywood war-film fashion, in counterpoint to thunderous fire cannons, some of which were used in the original ba
16、ttle.Jack Thompson, a director of the sponsoring committee, says dozens of mock Civil War military units have been created since interest was fanned in the 1960s when reenactments took place on a smaller scale to commemorate the wars centenary.He said these groups, mostly in the south but with deleg
17、ations from areas as far off as Scotland, Ireland and West Germany, strive to duplicate the uniforms, weapons and lifestyles of 1860s.Organiser Nancy Niero says everything has to be original, or reproduced as precisely as possible.Most authentic Civil War uniforms are too worn, too delicate or too s
18、mall to fit the modern man, but some of the distinctive originals have been lovingly preserved and now serve as models for exact replicas.Cheating will be barred. That means a ban on using any sort of clothing, equipment, food or drink which did not exist during the real Civil War.Smokers, for insta
19、nce, must shun cigarettes. Canned beer, soda and pre packed food are all out, but a spokeswoman said, “I guess if anyone gets hurt, well use antibiotics. We wont use leeches./（分数：5.00）(1).The purpose of this passage is to describeA. how the first major battle of the American Civil War was fought 125
20、 years ago.B. how Americans will commemorate the first battle of Manassas.C. how Hollywood film-makers filmed the first battle of the Civil War.D. what clothes the warriors wore and what food they ate during the American Civil War.（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.(2).From the passage we know that Washington isA. a
21、place about 50 kilometers east of Manassas.B. a place 48 kilometers west of Manassas.C. the place where the biggest battle reenactment will take place.D. the place where the first major battle of the American Civil War took place.（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.(3).The rerun of the battle will be like the real bat
22、tle except for theA. clothes the warriors wearB. food the warriors eat.C. tents the warriors use.D. length of the battle the warriors fight.（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.(4).Which of the following statements is implied but NOT stated in the passage?A. Using modern clothing, equipment, food or drink will not be a
23、llowed during the rerun.B. Leeches were used during the American Civil War to heel wounds.C. Authentic Civil War uniforms will be used in the reenactment.D. Authentic Civil War uniforms have been well preserved.（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.(5).What did NOT appear in the American Civil War wasA. cheroots.B. cann
24、ons.C. canvas tents.D. pre-packed food.（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.五、Text 4(总题数：1，分数：5.00)The speaker made the point that, although there were many good reasons in favour of equality for women in all spheres, and particularly perhaps in the sphere of political activity where they needed a voice, and above all
25、needed to be able to influence others on their behalf, there were reasons against this as matters stood at the present time. He was asked whether any matters, regardless of how far they seemed to be in the interests of government and leaving aside the question of the popularity or otherwise of the m
26、ove, could be more important than the liberty of a large section of the population of what was a so-called “free“ country. He replied that he had repeated before that the moral issue was a clear one; however, emotional appeals and the use of words like “freedom“ and “justice“ avoided the most practi
27、cal aspect of the affair. No government in its senses, however enlightened its leaders, however large its majority, however secure in the favour of the people was going to be able to introduce a motion such as “Votes for Women“ without considerable controversy flaring up. How much less were they goi
28、ng to be able to introduce it with a government on the brink of falling, the nation on the edge of war and the country radically opposed to any move which would seem to the electorate to threaten the long established traditions of the British way of life.（分数：5.00）(1).What was most probably the speak
29、er?A. A journalist.B. A politician.C. A university professor.D. A research student.（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.(2).In which sphere did the speaker think that women need equality most?A. In economic affairs.B. In political activities.C. In family life.D. In social security.（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.(3).What was the ques
30、tion put to the speaker?A. What he thought the most important thing was for the country.B. Whether he thought liberty of the population was important.C. Whether there was anything more important than womens liberation.D. What the governments stand was on the “Votes for Women“.（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.(4).Wh
31、at did the questioner wish to be excluded from discussion?A. Practicability of the move. B. Emotional appeals.C. Freedom and justice. D. Votes for women.（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.(5).According to the speaker, under what circumstances might it have been easier to introduce “Votes for Women“?A. If the leaders
32、of the nation had been more enlightened.B. If the government had been in the favour of the population.C. If women had been the majority of the population.D. If the nation had been at its best economically and politically.（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.六、Part B(总题数：1，分数：15.00)Things arent always as they appear, a
33、fact of life confirmed for me firsthand in 1990, just after I received my Ph.D. in physics. I had just started a temporary postdoctoral position at a major laboratory and had the opportunity to talk with scientists whose postdoctoral fellowships were ending. 21) Although my advisers had warned me th
34、at finding a permanent position in science would be difficult, what I discovered was shocking even the best young scientists I knew were having difficulty securing permanent employment. So it was both puzzling and disturbing to see press reports claiming that America didnt have enough scientists.The
35、se alarming reports were epidemic in 1990. Frequently the news stories had hyperbolic headlines like SHORTAGE OF SCIENTISTS APPROACHES A CRISIS AS MORE STUDENTS DROP OUT OF THE FIELD, and they often quoted National Science Foundation (NSF) officials. 22) For a government obsessed with international
36、competitiveness, stories of a shortage of scientists and engineers were terrifying, especially because they appeared to come from a trusted source the NSF. The U.S. Congress, having caught the “scientist- shortage fever“, started passing laws to solve the “crisis“. During this time the NSF apparentl
37、y made no effort to set the record straight. Amazingly, the NSFs director, Erich Bloch, used the shortage idea to argue for increases in the foundations budget.The National Science Foundations behavior was puzzling. The officials presumably knew that the job market was tight yet they claimed just th
38、e opposite. Clearly, something had to be done to alert policymakers to the plight of my friends, so I created the Young Scientists Network (YSN). At first the YSN operated as a weekly newsletter distributed by electronic mail to about 30 physicists with information about jobs, press reports and call
39、s for political action. As time passed, the membership increased and the newsletter evolved into an “electronic forum“ that was distributed daily. During this early period, representatives of the network presented our concerns to science-policy leaders in face-to-face meetings. 23) In the spring of
40、1992 this political activity ultimately led me to testify at a congressional hearing about the NSFs apparent advocacy of the scientist-shortage notion an idea that YSN members had by then dubbed The Myth.Congress, heavily influenced by The Myth, passed the Immigration Act of 1990, which included spe
41、cial provisions that increase immigration quotas for people with technical degrees. 24) Thanks in large part to the efforts of the YSN, the policymakers now realize that the immigration program is a bad idea. The Senate has already inserted language into a new immigration bill that would modify the
42、previous law, and the House of Representatives is expected to concur.Killing the Immigration Act will not improve the job market. 25) Over the next few years the demand for scientists and engineers will probably remain weak, because of corporate and government budget constraints.（分数：15.00）_七、练习二(总题数
43、：0，分数：0.00)八、Part A(总题数：0，分数：0.00)九、Text 1(总题数：1，分数：5.00)Some of the worlds most accommodating businessmen specialize in getting you what you want at a fair market price. But theyre businessmen with a difference theyre smugglers who deal only in whats illegal.A smuggling operation is complex, so it
44、has to be businesslike. It has managers who plan trips, make deals, and arrange for purchases and pick-ups. It has travelers who deliver the goods, and specialists who recruit and train them. In fact, smugglers frequently have legitimate businesses on the side. A travel agency is helpful because the
45、 modern smuggler is a world traveler. When a gold smuggler was arrested recently, he had airline tickets from Geneva to Bangkok by way of Frankfurt, Istanbul, Beirut, Vancouver, Tokyo, Heng Kong, Manila, and Jakarta.The best places for smuggling operations are border cities and seaports. In one such
46、 city, annual sales at local stores amounted to $6,900 for every person in town. But the average person only made $3,575 per year. A tiny seaport is the worlds third largest importer of Swiss watches every year, it buys 50 watches for every person in the city. Obviously, the people in these cities a
47、re not buying all this merchandise it is being bought by smugglers.As one expert wrote, “the ingenuity of the smugglers mind is virtually limitless.“ In addition to special vests for carrying gold, there are other types of smuggling equipment. A diplomat was arrested in London with 298 watches sewn
48、into his coat lining. British officials discovered a car with a special gas tank containing 2,581 illegal watches. But some smugglers dont need special equipment. A good diamond smuggler can hide two to three small diamonds in his mouth and still carry on a normal conversation.What makes people smuggle? Profit is definitely a motive. Over $1.5 billion in illegal gold alone is smuggled every y
