2024年1月24日发(作者：)

2015年12月四级真题第一套阅读理解及答案

Section C

Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or

unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You

should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a

single line through the centre.

Passage One

Questions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.

Could you reproduce Silicon Valley elsewhere, or is there something unique about it?

It wouldn’t be surprising if it were hard to reproduce in other countries, because you couldn’t

reproduce it in most of the US either. What does it take to make a Silicon Valley?

It’s the right people. If you could get the right ten thousand people to move from Silicon

Valley to Buffalo, Buffalo would become Silicon Valley.

You only need two kinds of people to create a technology hub (中心): rich people and nerds

(痴迷科研的人).

Observation bears this out. Within the US, towns have become startup hubs if and only if

they have both rich people and nerds. Few startups happen in Miami, for example, because

although it’s full of rich people, it has few nerds. It’s not the kind of place nerds like.

Whereas Pittsburgh has the opposite problem: plenty of nerds, but no rich people. The top US

Computer Science departments are said to be MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, and Carnegie-Mellon. MIT

yielded Route 128. Stanford and Berkeley yielded Silicon Valley. But what did Carnegie-Mellon

yield in Pittsburgh? And what happened in Ithaca, home of Cornell University, which is also high

on the list?

I grew up in Pittsburgh and went to college at Cornell, so I can answer for both. The weather

is terrible, particularly in winter, and there’s no interesting old city to make up for it, as there is in

Boston. Rich people don’t want to live in Pittsburgh or Ithaca. So while there’re plenty of hackers

(电脑迷) who could start startups, there’s no one to invest in them.

Do you really need the rich people? Wouldn’t it work to have the government invest in the

nerds? No, it would not. Startup investors are a distinct type of rich people. They tend to have a lot

of experience themselves in the technology business. This helps them pick the right startups, and

means they can supply advice and connections as well as money. And the fact that they have a

personal stake in the outcome makes them really pay attention.

56. What do we learn about Silicon Valley from the passage?

A) Its success is hard to copy anywhere else.

B) It is the biggest technology hub in the US.

C) Its fame in high technology is incomparable.

D) It leads the world in information technology.

57. What makes Miami unfit to produce a Silicon Valley?

A) Lack of incentive for investment. B) Lack of the right kind of talents.

C) Lack of government support. D) Lack of famous universities.

58. In what way is Carnegie-Mellon different from Stanford, Berkeley and MIT?

A) Its location is not as attractive to rich people.

B) Its science departments are not nearly as good.

C) It does not produce computer hackers and nerds.

D) It does not pay much attention to business startups.

59. What does the author imply about Boston?

A) It has pleasant weather all year round.

B) It produces wealth as well as high-tech.

C) It is not likely to attract lots of investors and nerds.

D) It is an old city with many sites of historical interest.

60. What does the author say about startup investors?

A) They are especially wise in making investments.

B) They have good connections in the government.

C) They can do more than providing money.

D) They are rich enough to invest in nerds.

Passage Two

Questions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.

It’s nice to have people of like mind around. Agreeable people boost your confidence and

allow you to relax and feel comfortable. Unfortunately, that comfort can hinder the very learning

that can expand your company and your career.

It’s nice to have people agree, but you need conflicting perspectives to dig out the truth. If

everyone around you has similar views, your work will suffer from confirmation bias (偏颇).

Take a look at your own network. Do your contacts share your point of view on most subjects?

If yes, it’s time to shake things up. As a leader, it can be challenging to create an environment in

which people will freely disagree and argue, but as the saying goes: From confrontation comes

brilliance.

It’s not easy for most people to actively seek conflict. Many spend their lives trying to avoid

arguments. There’s no need to go out and find people you hate, but you need to do some self-

assessment to determine where you have become stale in your thinking. You may need to start by

encouraging your current network to help you identify your blind spots.

Passionate, energetic debate does not require anger and hard feelings to be effective. But it

does require moral strength. Once you have worthy opponents, set some ground rules so everyone

understands responsibilities and boundaries. The objective of this debating game is not to win but

to get to the truth that will allow you to move faster, farther, and better.

Fierce debating can hurt feelings, particularly when strong personalities are involved. Make

sure you check in with your opponents so that they are not carrying the emotion of the battles

beyond the battlefield. Break the tension with smiles and humor to reinforce the idea that this is

friendly discourse and that all are working toward a common goal.

Reward all those involved in the debate sufficiently when the goals are reached. Let your

sparring partners (拳击陪练) know how much you appreciate their contribution. The more they

feel appreciated, the more they’ll be willing to get into the ring next time.

61. What happens when you have like-minded people around you all the while?

A) It will help your company expand more rapidly.

B) It will create a harmonious working atmosphere.

C) It may prevent your business and career from advancing.

D) It may make you feel uncertain about your own decisions.

62. What does the author suggest leaders do?

A) Avoid arguments with business partners.

B) Encourage people to disagree and argue.

C) Build a wide and strong business network.

D) Seek advice from their worthy competitors.

63. What is the purpose of holding a debate?

A) To find out the truth about an issue. B) To build up people’s moral strength.

C) To remove misunderstandings. D) To look for worthy opponents.

64. What advice does the author give to people engaged in a fierce debate?

A) They listen carefully to their opponents’ views.

B) They show due respect for each other’s beliefs.

C) They present their views clearly and explicitly.

D) They take care not to hurt each other’s feelings.

65. How should we treat our rivals after a successful debate?

A) Try to make peace with them. B) Try to make up the differences.

C) Invite them to the ring next time. D) Acknowledge their contribution.

答案

56 A 57 B 58 A 59 D 60 C 61 C 62 B 63 A 64 D 65D