因为坚持，才会有破茧成蝶这样美好的故事。作为备考人，我们也想为自己争取一个完美的结局。为此，这次帅气的小编为您整理了大学生英语四级考试阅读练习题及答案（精选7篇），如果能帮助到您，小编的一切努力都是值得的。
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。
Professor Smith recently persuaded 35 people, 23 of them women, to keep a diary of all their absent-mindedactions for a fortnight. When he came to analyse their embarrassing lapses(差错)in a scientific report, hewas surprised to find that nearly all of them fell into a few groupings, Nordid the lapses appear to be entirely random(随机的).
One of the women, for instance, on leaving her house for work one morning threw her dog her earrings and tried to fix a dog biscuit on her ear. "the explanation for this is that the brain is like a computer," explains the professor. "People programme themselves to do certain activities regularly. It was the woman’s custom every morning to throw her dog two biscuits and then put on her earrings. But somehow the action got reversed in the programme," About one in twenty of the incidents the volunteers reported were these "programme assembly failures,"
Altogether the volunteers logged 433 unintentional actions that they found themselves doing---an average of twelve each, There appear to be peak periods in the day when we are at our zaniest(荒谬可笑的).These aretwo hours some time between eight a.m. and noon, between four and six p.m. with a smaller peak between eight and ten p.m."Among men the peak seems to be when a changeover in brain’ programmes’ occurs, as for instance between going to and from work." Women on average reported slightly more lapses----- 12.5 compared with 10.9 for men m probably because they were more reliable reporters.
A startling finding of the research is that the absent-minded activity is a hazard of doing things in which we are skilled. Normally, you would expect that skill reduces the number of errors we make. But trying to avoid silly slips by concentrating more could make things a lot worse m even dangerous.
练习题：
Choose correct answers to the question:
1. In his study Professor Smith asked the subjects ________
A. to keep track of people who tend too forget things
B. to report their embarrassing lapses at random
C. to analyse their awkward experiences scientifically
D. to keep a record of what they did unintentionally
2. Professor Smith discovered that ________
A. certain patterns can be identified in the recorded incidents
B. many people were too embarrassed to admit their absent-mindedness
C. men tend to be more absent-minded than women
D. absent-mindedness is an excusable human weakness
3. "Programme assembly failures" (Line 6, Para. 2) refers to the phenomenon that people ______
A. often fail to programme their routines beforehand
B. tend to make mistakes when they are in a hurry
C. unconsciously change the sequence of doing things
D. are likely to mess things up if they are too tired
4. We learn from the third paragraph that _______
A. absent-mindedness tends to occur during certain hours of the day
B. women are very careful to perform actions during peak periods
C. women experience more peak periods of absent-mindedness
D. men’s absent-mindedness often results in funny situations
5.It can be concluded from the passage that _____
A. people should avoid doing important things during peak periods of lapses
B. hazards can be avoided when people do things they are good at
C. people should be careful when programming their actions
D. lapses cannot always be attributed to lack of concentration
答案
1.[D] 事实细节题。本文第1句中的to keep a diary of all their absent-minded actions就是指to keep a record of what they did unintentionally,题目中的subjects指实验对象，被测试者。
2.[A] 事实细节题。根据第2句中nearly all of them fell into a few groupings可以找到本题答案，题目中的discover是该句中find的同义词，A的patterns与原文中的groupings意义相同。
3.[C] 语义题。根据第2段最后两句提到，但是不知怎么的这种行为在程序中颠倒了。这些被测试者报告的事件中二十个中有一个属于这种“流水线程序错误”。C的unconsciously与somehow对应，change the sequence of doing things与the action got reversed对应，故本题选C。
4.[A] 事实细节题。根据第3段的第2、3句“一天之中似乎存在一些人们易犯荒谬可笑错误的高峰时段”,之后到举了几个高峰时间，可知A与之相符。
5.[D] 推理判断题。根据文章最后两句“一般来说，我们会以为技术娴熟可以减少错误。但是为了避免出现愚蠢的失误而更加专注，只会把事情弄得更糟糕，甚至会导致危险。”可知D“差错并不总是注意力不集中导致的” 正确。
When global warming finally came, it stuck with avengeance(异乎寻常地).In some regions, temperatures rose several degrees in less than acentury. Sea levels shot up nearly 400 feet. floodingcoastal settlements and forcing people to migrateinland. Deserts spread throughout the world asvegetation shifted drastically in North America. Europe and Asia. After driving many of theanimals around them to near extinction, people were forced to abandon their old way of lifefor a radically new survival strategy that resulted in widespread starvation and disease. The adaptation was farming: the global-warming crisis that gave rise to it happened morethan 10,000 years ago.
As environmentalists convene in Rio de Janeiro this week to ponder the global climate of thefuture, earth scientists are in the midst of a revolution in understanding how climate haschanged in the past-and how those changes have transformed human existence. Researchershave begun to piece together an illuminating picture of the powerful geological andastronomical forces that have combined to change the planet's environment from hot tocold, wet to dry and back again over a time period stretching back hundreds of millions ofyears.
Most important. scientists are beginning to realize that the climatic changes have bad a majorimpact on the evolution of the human species. New research now suggests that climateshifts have played a key role in nearly every significant turning point in human evolution: fromthe dawn of primates(灵长目动物) some 65 million years ago to human ancestors rising up towalk on two legs. from the huge expansion of the human brain to the rise of agriculture. Indeed, the human history has not been merely touched by global climate change, somescientists argue, it has in some instances been driven by it.
The new research has profound implications for the environment summit in Rio. Amongother things, the findings demonstrate that dramatic climate change is nothing new forplanet Earth. The benign(宜人的) global environment that has existed over the past 10,000 years-during which agriculture. writing, cities and most other features of civilization appeared-isa mere bright spot in a much larger pattern of widely varying climate over the ages. In fact, the pattern of climate change in the past reveals that Earth's climate will almost certainly gothrough dramatic changes in the future-even without the influence of human activity.
1.Farming emerged as a survival strategybecause man had been obliged__________.
A) to give up his former way of life
B) to leave the coastal areas
C) to follow the ever-shifting vegetation
D) to abandon his original settlement
2. Earth scientists have come to understand that climate____________.
A)is going through a fundamental change
B)has been getting warmer for 10,000 years
C) will eventually change from hot to cold
D) has gone through periodical changes
3.Scientists believe that human evolution________.
A) has seldom been accompanied by climatic changes
B) has exerted little influence on climatic changes
C) has largely been affected by climatic changes
D) has had a major impact on climatic changes
4.Evidence of past climatic changes indicates that__________.
A) human activities have accelerated changes of Earth's environment
B) Earth’s environment will remain mild despite human interference
C) Earth's climate is bound to change significantly in the future
D) Earth's climate is unlikely to undergo substantial changes in the future
5.The message the author wishes to convey in the passage is that______________.
A) human civilization remains glorious though it is affected by climatic changes
B) mankind is virtually helpless in the face of the dramatic changes of climate
C) man bas to limit his activities to slow down the global warming process
D) human civilization will continue io develop in spite of the changes of nature
1.务农成了糊口策略，因为人们已经被___________。
A)放弃原来的生活方式
B)离开海岸地区
C)跟随总在变化的植被情况
D)放弃原来的居住地
[A]文章第1段提到“人类在将其周围的许多种动物逼向濒临灭绝的境地之后，也被迫放弃他们已导致饥荒、疾病的旧有生活方式而选择全新的求生策略。这种策略就是农业”。A与文章的意思相符合。
2.地球科学家已经了解到，气候___________________。
A)正在经历重大的变化
B)已经在过去的l万年当中变得越来越热
C)终将从热变冷
D)已经经历了阶段性的变化
[D]文章第2段提到“研究者已经开始综合出一幅有关强大的地质和天文力量发生作用的说明性的图片，在过去的几百万年中，这两种力量结合在一起改变着地球的环境：从炎热到寒冷，从潮湿到干燥，如此反复，循环不止”，D与文章的意思一致。因而正确。
3.科学家认为人类的进化__________________。
A)极少伴随着气候变化
B)对气候变化的影响很小
C)深受气候变化的影响
D)对气候变化有重大影响
[C]文章第3段提到“最重要的是，科学家已经开始意识到气候的变化对人种的进化有着主要的影响。现在新的研究表明几乎在人类进化的每一个重大的转折时期天气变化都起着关键的作用”，所以人类进化受到气候变化的影响。因此，C正确。
4.过去气候变化的证据表明了__________________。
A)人类的活动已经加速了地球环境的变化
B)尽管受到了人类的干预，地球环境会保持湿和不变
C)地球的气候在未来会有重大的改变
D)地球的气候在未来不大可能发生实质性的改变
[C]文章最后一段提到“事实上，过去气候变化的模式表明地球的气候在将来肯定会经历重大的变化——即使是没有人类活动的影响”，因此，C与文章所表达的意思一致。
5.作者想通过文章传达出的信息是__________________。
A)虽然人类文明受到了气候变化的影响，但仍然绚烂无比
B)面对气候的剧烈变化，人类基本上束手无荣
C)人类应该限制自己的活动来减缓全球暖化的进程
D)尽管自然在发生变化，但人类文明仍会继续发展
[B]全文围绕气候变化给人类带来的影响展开，而文章最后一句“地球气候几乎注定要在将来发生巨大的变化——甚至无须人类的干预”，说明人类无力改变自然，B为正确答案。
Leonard da Vinci was a painter, a sculptor, anarchitect, a musician, an engineer, and a scientist. He was a man of many talents, a Renaissance man1 in the true sense of the word.
Leonard was born at a small town near Florence, where he was apprenticed to2 a painter. But he soonsurpassed his masters in uniting precision of linewith rhythm of movement, and in finding new ways to show light and shade.
Although Leonard is generally known as a painter, his actual output was very small. In facttoday only about twelve paintings are looked upon as3 having been done by him. This isbecause his diverse interest, his far-ranging curiosity in nature and his endless scientificexperiments and designings. To understand the man one has therefore , to read the 5, 000 notebooks in which he put down his observations in life and his sketch4 drawings.
Nevertheless, Leonard had profound understandings of art, which exerted5 great influenceamong the painters of his own generation and generations to follow. In painting he stressed theexpression of emotional states, which , to him were, the heart of painting:
"A good painter has two chief objects — to paint man and the intention of his soul. The formeris easy, the latter hard, for it must be expressed by gestures and the movement of the limbs. .. A painting will only be wonderful for the beholder by making that which is not so raisedand detached from the wall."
His major works: Last Supper, many European art masters have painted on the same subject. But none of their versions has been as impressive as da Vinci's. And none has the enduringvalue in the art world as his.
Mona Lisa, if Last Supper is the most famous of religious pictures, then Mona Lisa probably isthe world's most famous portrait. Mona Lisa had as its model wife of a banker. The quietlyfolded hands, the gaze that is directed at the observer, the ambiguity of the“smile”togetherhelp to create a curious effect and a secret effect.
阅读自测
Ⅰ. Read the passage and fill in the blanks with proper words :
Leonard da Vinci is first known as a________ , and he is also a________ , an________ , a________ , an________ , and a ________ . The amount of da Vinci's paintings is very small. There are only about________ paintings. For da Vinci, a good painter has two chief objects — to paint ________ and the ________ of his soul. In his famous work Mona Lisa , thequietly________ hands, the________ that is directed at the observer, the ambiguity of the"________ " together help to create a curious effect and a secret effect.
Ⅱ. Question :
What are da Vinci's famous paintings?
参考答案
Ⅰ. painter / sculptor / architect / musician / engineer / scientist / 12 / man / intention / folded / gaze / smile Ⅱ. Last Supper and Mona Lisa .
参考译文
达芬奇传奇
列奥纳多· 达· 芬奇是一位画家、一位雕刻家、一位建筑师、一位音乐家、一位工程师 和一位科学家。他多才多艺， 是一位真正的文艺复兴新人。
列奥纳多出生在佛罗伦萨附近的一个小城镇上， 从小给一位画家当学徒。但是， 很快 他就超越了老师。他将清晰的线条与绘画的动态感和谐地结合在一起， 找到了显示光与影 的新方式。
虽然通常列奥纳多是作为画家而闻名， 可他的画作数量并不多。事实上， 今天也只有 12 幅画被认为是他的作品。之所以这样， 是因为他兴趣广泛， 对自然界充满好奇， 还做了 无穷无尽的科学实验及设计。因此， 要了解这个人， 就必须去读那5 000 份笔记。在那些 笔记中， 达· 芬奇记录了他在生活中的观察结果与许多素描。
尽管如此， 列奥纳多对艺术还是有着深刻的理解。这对与他同时代的人及后人都有着深 远的影响。在绘画方面， 他强调对人物情感的传达。对他而言， 这是衡量绘画优秀与否 的灵魂所在：
“ 优秀的画家有两大目标——— 画人和画魂。前者易而后者难， 因为后者必须通过人物姿 态及肢体语言来表达一幅挂在墙上的画， 只有给人以呼之欲出之感， 才算得上是杰作。” 他的主要作品有：
《最后的晚餐》, 许多欧洲艺术大师都作了同样的画。但是， 没有一幅能像达· 芬奇的 那样给人留下深刻印象； 也没有哪幅作品能像达· 芬奇的那样在艺术界拥有持久的价值。
《蒙娜丽莎》, 如果说《最后的晚餐》是最有名的宗教画， 那么《蒙娜丽莎》则算得上世界 上最的肖像画。 《蒙娜丽莎》以一位银行家的妻子为模特。她娴静地搭在一起的双手， 凝视着欣赏者 的双眼以及那含义不甚明了的“ 微笑”, 共同创造出一种奇特而神秘的效果。
阅读导评
一生身兼数“职”, 在绘画、雕塑、建筑、科学方面都颇有建树的达·芬奇不愧是位传奇 人物。他的作品不仅给人以感官上的美的享受， 同时给人以无穷无尽的想象空间， 引人深 思。《达·芬奇密码》中对《最后的晚餐》*性的解读即体现了这种启发。难怪他经过了 历史批评的沉淀和净化至今依然光彩夺目。
阅读导释
1. Renaissance, 文艺复兴， 特指14—17 世纪的欧洲正在形成中的资产阶级在复兴希腊罗马 古典文化的名义下发起的弘扬资产阶级思想和文化的运动。名为“ 复兴”, 它本身却也 代表了一种进步。该运动发起于意大利， 波及整个欧洲， 囊括了文学、艺术、科学、哲学等 各个领域。被誉为西欧文学的三大天才巨匠———但丁( Dante, 1265—1321 ) 、莎士 比亚( Shakespeare, 1564—1616 ) 和歌德( Goethe, 1749—1832) , 以及“ 美术三杰”——— 达·芬奇、米开朗琪罗( Michelangelo, 1475—1564) 和拉斐尔( Raphael, 1483—1520) 都 是文艺复兴时代的精英。Renaissance man 则指“ 文艺复兴新人，文艺复兴时期的理想完 人”, 也可作“博学的人”,“ 多才多艺的人”,“开拓型人物”解。
2. 英语中很多名词转作动词用时， 很能提高句子质量， 此处的“be apprenticed to”就是一例。
3. 这是个非常有用的词组， 作“看作， 以为”解， 如： The Statue of Liberty is looked upon as the sign ofThe United States. ( 自由女神像被看作是美国的标志。) 和look 连用的短语很多， 如： look down upon / on 就是“看不起， 轻视”的意思， 而look down one's nose at 在口语中也是 表示“不把……放在眼里， 小看”。我们汉语中常说的“黑脸”, 就是指生气、厌恶或憎恨时 表现的怒容， 用a black look 表示。我们汉语说“三思而后行”, 英语是Look before you leap。
4. 在这里是“ 素描， 草图”的意思。达·芬奇一生不仅进行绘画创作， 还擅长画机械草图， 他认为人类可以模仿鸟类飞行， 就绘制了扑翼机图。
5. 这个词后面常和介词on 连用， 指“用( 某特质、技巧、压力等) , 应用( 某物) ”, 如： Her parents exerteda lot of pressure on her to succeed. ( 她父母殷切希望她成功， 给了她很大压力。
Ludwig Van Beethoven1 was one of the greatestmusicians in the 19 th century. John Lennon2 wasone of the greatest musicians in the 20 th century. Although there is a period of about 200 yearsbetween them, they are quite similar in certainways.
Both men expressed the spirit of their time in theirmusic. Beethoven lived in the period of rising capitalism. At that time, people were trying tobreak the shackles of feudalism3 , and they were pursuing freedom, equality, and universallove. This social trend, especially the French revolution, greatly inspired Beethoven. Hismusic was very active, passionate, and vigorous. Some of his works praised heroism, someconveyed the love for nature, and some extolled4 harmony among people. Similarly, Lennon'smusic revealed his time. In the 1960s and 1970 s, the youth in America were deeply frustratedby the discrimination and injustice in the society and were longing to build a new one . Mostof Lennon's songs expressed the ideas of the youth. In one of his songs entitled Imagine, hesings, "Imagine all the people , living under peace", and "The world will be united together asone". These words show his anti-war attitude and his hope for peace , and reflect the spirit ofthe 60s and 70 s.
Both men were social rebels to some extent. They refused to bow to social conventions andpower. Beethoven was a devoted republican. When Napoleon5 was in power, who claimed tobe a defender of republicanism, Beethoven admired him so much that he dedicated hisSymphony No. 3, the theme of which is heroism, to him. But then Napoleon crowned6 himselfand became an emperor. Beethoven was so angry that he openly declared he took back whathe had said about Napoleon, regardless of possible persecution. Lennon was also considered atrouble-maker by the authorities because of his support for youth movements. For a time hewas not even allowed to give public performances. But he ignored all this and stuck to hisbelief.
阅读自测
Ⅰ. Fin d the correct me anings of the words in the left from the right side :
1. passionate A. praise somebody or something highly
2. dedicate B. discouraged, not satisfied
3. frustrated C. caused by or showing strong feelings
4. stick to D. not change something; keep to
5. extol E. address ( one's book, a piece of music) to somebody as a way of showing respect
Ⅱ. Fill in the blanks :
1. At the time of capitalism, people were trying to break the _____________( 枷锁) offeudalism to pursue freedom _____________( 平等) and _____________( 博爱) . 2. In the 60 s and 70s, the youth in America were deeply frustrated by the _____________( 歧 视) and_____________( 不公正) in the society and were longing to build a new one. 3. They refusedto bow to social _____________( 习俗) and power and Beethoven was a _____________( 忠实的) republican. 4. But then Napoleon ________( 加冕) himself and became an emperor.
参考答案
Ⅰ. 1. C 2 . E 3. B 4 . D 5. A
Ⅱ. 1. shackles / equality / universal love 2. discrimination / injustice 3. conventions / devoted4. crowned
参考译文
以音乐作武器
路德维希· 冯·贝多芬是18 世纪最伟大的音乐家之一。约翰· 列侬则是20 世纪最 有成就的音乐家之一。尽管两人相距近两百年， 但是他们在某些方面却极其相似。
贝多芬和列侬都在音乐中表达各自的时代精神。贝多芬生活在资本主义崛起之时。 那时， 人们正试图打破封建主义的枷锁， 追求自由、平等和博爱。这种社会趋势， 特别是法 国*, 给了他极大的启发。贝多芬的音乐非常积极向上、热情激昂、气势磅礴。他的音 乐作品有的赞美英雄主义， 有的表达对自然的热爱之情， 还有的歌颂人与人之间的融洽情 感。和贝多芬一样， 列侬的音乐也展示了他生活的那个时代。20 世纪60 年代与70 年代， 美国社会上出现的歧视与不公正现象强烈地打击了青年们， 他们都期望建立新的社会。列 侬的歌曲大多表达了青年的这种思想。他在一首名为《想象》的歌曲中唱道，“ 想象全人类 都生活在和平之中”,“ 世界大同”。这些歌词表达了他的反战情绪以及对和平的向往之 情， 并反射出上世纪60 和70 年代的时代精神。
在 一定程度上， 两人都是社会的叛逆者。他们拒绝向社会习俗和权势低头。贝多芬是 个忠实的共和党人。拿破仑当权时曾宣称自己是共和制的捍卫者， 贝多芬非常钦佩他， 就 把歌颂英雄主义的作品《第三交响曲》献给了他。但是不久， 拿破仑就加冕称帝了。贝多 芬异常气愤， 不顾可能遭受的迫 害， 公开宣布收回对拿破仑的赞扬。列侬因支持青年运动 也被当权者认定是捣乱分子， 甚至一度遭到封 杀， 可他却依然不顾一切地坚持自己的信仰。
阅读导评
我国音乐家冼星海说过：“音乐是人生的快乐， 音乐是生活中的一股清泉， 音 乐是陶冶性情的熔炉。”贝多芬和列侬不仅体验到了这种快乐， 还从中获得了一种促使他们 前进的精神力量。为了更好地生活， 我们也当悉心倾听音乐。倾听音乐才能更好地领悟音 乐。能够领悟音乐的人， 才能从一切世俗的烦恼中超脱出来， 才能更好地驾驭生活， 才能成 为生活的主人。
阅读导释
1. 路德维希·冯·贝多芬( 1770—1827) , 德国作曲家， 毕生追求“ 自由、平等、博爱”的理 想， 其创作集西方古典乐派之大成， 开浪漫乐派之先河， 对后世西洋音乐的发展有深远影 响。贝多芬被后人尊称为“ 乐圣”, 其主要作品有《英雄》、《命运》、《田园》等交响乐9部，《悲怆》、《月光》、《暴风雨》等钢琴奏鸣曲32 部及弦乐四重奏17 部。文章中提及的 Symphony No. 3 即《第三交响曲》, 作品原来打算题献给贝多芬心目中的英雄拿破仑， 但 当他听说拿破仑称帝， 便划掉了献词。共和主义原则使他义愤填膺， 于是把题词改为 “ 为了纪念一位伟人”。
2. 约翰·列侬( 1940—1980) ,“ 披头士”( Beatles) 乐队主要代表人物， 被称为“ 摇滚之父”。 大家所熟悉的歌曲《黄色潜水艇》与《昨天》均出自该乐队。这支乐队属于先锋派， 他们比 较狂热与敏感， 是和平的忠实捍卫者。1980 年12 月8 日， 列侬在自己曼哈顿公寓的门口， 被一名疯狂的歌迷枪杀。文章中提到的《想象》表达了列侬呼唤和平时代到来的思想。
3. shackle 原意是“镣铐， 手 铐， 脚镣”, 常比喻为“ 枷锁， 桎梏， 束缚”, 这里就取此词的比喻 义。feudalism意思是“封建主义， 封建制度”, 与前文中的capitalism, 即“ 资本主义， 资本 主义制度”是相对而言的。
4. 这个词的意思是“ 颂扬， 赞扬， 赞美”, 是个美化用语的动词， 如： extol one's merits ( 称颂 某人的功绩) ; extol one to the skies ( 把某人捧上天) 。
5. 这里指的是通常所说的拿破仑一世( 1769—1821) , 法兰西第一帝国和百日王朝皇帝。 1804 年， 拿破仑发动雾月18 日政变， 自任第一执政。他称帝后颁布的《拿破仑法典》对 后世有着重要影响。他在位时连年对外用兵， 滑铁卢战役惨败后被流放到圣赫勒拿岛。 今天所说的短语meet one's waterloo ( 惨遭失败) 即来源于此。
6. 该词原本指“皇 冠， 桂冠”, 这里用作动词， 意思是“ 为……加冕， 立……为君王”, 还有 “ 给……戴( 花冠) , 授……以荣誉”的意思， 如： The Emperor crowned the victor with laurel. ( 国王授予胜利者以桂冠。) 词组the crown of the year 则指“收获季节， 秋季”。
Trees should only be pruned when there is a good and clear reason for doing so and ， fortunately,the number of such reasons is small. Pruning involves the cutting away of obergrown and unwanted branches, and the inexperienced gardener can be encouraged by the thought that more damage results from doing it unnecessarily than from leaving the tree to grow in its own way.
First, pruning may be done to make sure that trees have a desired shape or size. The object may be to get a tree of the right height, and at the same time to help the growth of small side branches which will thicken its appearance or give it a special shape. Secondly, pruning may be done to make the tree healthier. You may cut diseaed or dead wood, or branches that are rubbing against each other and thus cause wounds. The health of a tree may be encouraged by removing branches that are blocking up the centre and so preventing the free movement of air.
One result of pruning is that an open wound is left on the tree and this provides an easy entry for disease, but itis a wound that will heal. Often there is a race between the healing and the desease as to whether the tree will live or die, so that there is a period when the tree is at risk. It should be the aim of every gardener to reduce which has been pruned smooth and clean, for healing will be slowed down by roughness. You should allow the cut surface to dry for a few hurs and then paint it with one of the substances available from garden shops produced especially for this purpose. Pruning is usually without interference from the leaves and also it is very unlikely that the cuts yu make will bleed. If this does happen,it is, of course,impossible to paint them properly.
1、．Why should pruning be done?
A．To make the tree grow taller. B．To improve the shape of the tree.
C．to get rid of the small ranches 。 D．To make the small branches thicker.
2、．Trees become unhealthy if the gardener__________.
A. giving a tree a special shape and adefinite height
B. removing small side branches and making atree look less thick
C. allowing too many branches to grow in themiddle
D. having a tree surrounded by many othertrees
3、．Why is a special material painted on the tree?
A．To help a wound to dry. B．to cover a rough surface.
C．To make a wound smooth. D．To prevent disease entering a wound.
4、．A good gardener prunes a tree _________ 。
A．several times throughout the year B．as quickly as possible
C．occasionally when necessary D．regularly every winter
5、．What was the author’s purpose when writingthis passage?
A．To discuss different methods of pruning.
B．To introduce some common knowledge of pruning.
C．To explain how trees developdisease.
D．To give practical instruction for pruning atree.
By 1970, according to a World Wildlife Fund report, only about 4,500 tigers survived throughout the world-half of them in India. Mr. Foresters, who followed and counted tiger footprints, estimated that in May 1972 only about 1,800 tigers existed in India. Project Tiger Supported by W.W.F. was immediately launched. Nine tiger reserves(保留地) were created, with armed guards protecting them.
The project provided opportunities for researchers from India and abroad to study tigers in the reserves and gather previously unavailable information about their habits. Studies show that a male tiger may control a hunting territory of between 10 and 20 square kilometers, depending on its age, size and strength. Theterritory of male includes the smaller territories(领地) of three or four tigresses. A tiger marks the boundaries of its territories by spraying urine and other bodily liquids on bushes. But it tries to avoid territorial fights, being guided by the distinctive body smell of other tigers. Tigers fight to death only when a tigress is defending her young, or when a tiger is guarding a tigress from the attentions of other males.
The popular image of the tiger is that of a merciless and unconquerable hunter. But studies show that it catches only one of 20 victims it tries to attack.
Fears have recently developed that Project Tiger has been too successful. It has enabled the tiger population to double (by mid-80 S), but India"s human population has also grown out of control. Currently it is 750 million and likely to be 900 million by the end of the century. Land problem is becoming serious and many rural people feel bitter about the fact that some rich forests are reserved for tigers. A growing number of attacks by tigers on man has added to the hostility .
练习题：
Choose correct answers to the question:
1.The ultimate aim of Project Tiger is to _____.
A.study the growth rate of tigers
B.protect tigers from being killed
C.promote the breeding of young tigers
D.analyze the behavioral patterns of tigers
2.Studies have shown that ______.
A.a tigress never attacks until attacked
B.the tigress is not as fierce as the tigers
C.a tiger usually fights another tiger to defend its own territory
D.the tiger is not an efficient hunter as is commonly described
3.According to the passage, a tiger"s territory _____.
A.remains unchanged
B.is often defended by tigresses
C.expands as the tiger grows up
D.is the cause of most fights
4.Some people are afraid that Project Tiger _____.
A.has been carried too far
B.has not received enough attention
C.has failed to achieve its goal
D.is not worth the money spent on it
5.The author seems _____.
A.to be enthusiastic about Project Tiger
B.to have a matter-of-fact attitude towards Project Tiger
C.to have a hostile attitude towards Project Tiger
D.to be satisfied with Project Tiger
1.[D] 根据文章第1段，老虎被捕杀是其数量剧减的根本原因，因此使老虎免于被杀是野生动物保护基金会的最终目的，故选D。
2.[B] 第3段第2句说，但研究表明老虎捕捉猎物的成功率仅为1/20，B与之相符。第2段说到老虎一般会避免领土之争，C与之不符，故排除；A、D在原文中并未提及均可排除。
3.[A] 第2段第2句提到，研究表明，一头雄老虎依年龄、体型及力量可以控制10至20公里的狩猎领地，随着老虎的长大，其体型及力量都在增大，其占领的狩猎领地的面积自然也就增大，故A正确。
4.[C] 文章第4段首句说，许多人近来开始担心老虎项目过于成功，C项是该句的同义替换，故为答案。
5.[B] 纵观全文，作者对于老虎保护项目没有加入个人的主观色彩，他持的是一种客观的态度，故选B。