2024年3月13日发(作者：)

2013年英语专业四级阅读理解真题及答案

PART V READING COMPREHENSION [25 MIN]

In this section there are four passages followed by questions or

unfinished statements, each with four suggested answers marked A, B, C

and D. Choose the one that you think is the best answer.

Mark your answers on Answer Sheet Two.

TEXT A

The art of public speaking began in ancient Greece over 2,000 years

ago. Now, twitter, instant messaging, e-mail, blogs and chat forums offer

rival approaches to communication—but none can replace the role of a

great speech.

The spoken word can handle various vital functions: persuading or

inspiring, informing, paying tribute, entertaining, or simply introducing

someone or something or accepting something.

Over the past year, the human voice has helped guide us over the ups

and downs of what was certainly a stormy time.

Persuasion is used in dealing with or reconciling different points of

view. When the leaders met in Copenhagen in December 2009,

persuasive words from activists encouraged them to commit themselves

to firmer action.

Inspirational speeches confront the emotions. They focus on topics

and matters that are close to people''s hearts. During wars, generals used

inspiring speeches to prepare the troops for battle.

A speech that conveys knowledge and enhances understanding can

inform us. The information must be clear, accurate, and expressed in a

meaningful and interesting way. When the H1N1 pandemic(流行病)was

announced, the idea of “swine flu”(猪流感)scared many people.

Informative speeches from World Health Organization officials helped

people to keep their panic under control so they could take sensible

precautions.

Sad events are never easy to deal with but a speech that pays tribute

to the loss of a loved one and gives praise for their contribution can be

comforting. Madonna''s speech about Michael Jackson, after his death,

highlighted the fact that he will continue to live on through his music.

It''s not only in world forums where public speaking plays an

important role. It can also be surprisingly helpful in the course of our own

lives.

If you‟re taking part in a debate you need to persuade the listeners of

the soundness of your argument. In sports, athletes know the importance

of a pep talk(鼓舞士气的讲话)before a match to inspire teammates. You

yourself may be asked to do a presentation at college or work to inform

the others about an area of vital importance.

On a more personal level, a friend may be upset and need

comforting. Or you might be asked to introduce a speaker at a family

event or to speak at a wedding, where your language will be needed to

move people or make them laugh.

Great speaking ability is not something we''re born with. Even

Barack Obama works hard to perfect every speech. For a brilliant speech,

there are rules that you can put to good use. To learn those rules you have

to practice and learn from some outstanding speeches in the past.

81. The author thinks the spoken word is still irreplaceable because

A. it has always been used to inspire or persuade people.

B. it has a big role to play in the entertainment business.

C. it plays important roles in human communication.

D. it is of great use in everyday-life context.

82. Which of the following statements is INCORRECT about the

role of public speaking?

A. Speeches at world forums can lead to effective solutions to world

problems.

B. Speeches from medical authorities can calm people down in times

of pandemics.

C. The morale of soldiers before a battle can be boosted by senior

officers'' speeches.

D. Speeches paying tribute to the dead can comfort the mourners.

83. Public speaking can play all the following roles EXCEPT

A. to convince people in a debate.

B. to inform people at a presentation.

C. to advise people at work.

D. to entertain people at a wedding.

84. According to the passage, which of the following best explains

the author''s view on “great speaking ability”?

A. It comes from observing rules.

B. It can be perfected with easy effort.

C. It can be acquired from birth.

D. It comes from learning and practice.

85. What is the main idea of the passage?

A. Public speaking in international forums.

B. The many uses of public speaking.

C. Public speaking in daily life context.

D. The rules of public speaking.

TEXT B

Every business needs two things, says Skullcandy CEO Rick Alden:

inspiration and desperation. In 2001, Alden had both. He''d sold two

snowboarding businesses, and he was desperately bored. But he had an

idea: He wanted to make a new kind of headphone.

“I kept seeing people missing their cell phone calls because they

were listening to music,” he explains. Then I''m in a chairlift(索道), I''ve

got my headphones on, and I realize my phone is ringing. As 1 take my

gloves off and reach for my phone, I think, “It can''t be that tough to make

headphones with two plugs, one for music and one for your cell phone.”

Alden described what he wanted to a designer, perfected a prototype, and

outsourced(外包)manufacturing overseas.

Alden then started designing headphones into helmets, backpacks -

anywhere that would make it easy to listen to music while snowboarding.

“Selling into board and skate shops wasn''t a big research effort,” he

explains. “Those were the only guys I knew!”

Alden didn‟t want to be a manufacturer. And by outsourcing, he''d

hoped he could get the business off the ground without debt. But he was

wrong. So he asked his wife, “Can I put a mortgage(抵押贷款) on the

house? She said, „What is the worst thing that can happen? We lose the

house, we sell our cars, and we start all over again.‟ I definitely married

the right woman!”

For the next two years, Alden juggled mortgage payments and

payments to his manufacturers. “Factories won''t ship your product till

they get paid,” he says. “But it takes four or five months to get a

mortgage company so upset that they knock on your door. So we paid the

factory first.”

Gradually, non-snowboarders began to notice the colorful

headphones. In 2006, the company started selling them in 1,400 FYE (For

Your Entertainment) stores. “We knew that nine out often people walking

into that store would be learning about Skullcandy for the first time. Why

would they look at brands they knew and take home a new brand instead?

We had agreed to buy back anything we didn‟t sell, but we were dealing

with huge numbers. It‟d kill us to take back all the products.”

Alden‟s fears faded as Skullcandy became the No. 1 headphone

seller in those stores and tripled its revenue to $120 million in one year.

His key insight was that headphones weren‟t gadgets; they were a fashion

accessory. “In the beginning,” he says, “that little white wire that said you

had an iPod—that was cool. But now wearing the white bud means

you‟re just like everyone else. Headphones occupy this critical piece of

cranial real estate and are highly visible.”

Today, Skullcandy is America''s second-largest headphone supplier,

after Sony. With 79 employees, the company is bigger than Alden ever

imagined.

86. Alden came up with the idea of a new kind of headphone

because he

A. was no longer in snowboarding business.

B. had no other business opportunities.

C. was very fond of modern music.

D. saw an inconvenience among mobile users.

87. The new headphone was originally designed for

A. snowboarders.

B. motorcyclists.

C. mountain hikers.

D. marathon runners.

88. Did Alden solve the money problem?

A. He sold his house and his cars.

B. Factories could ship products before being paid.

C. He borrowed money from a mortgage company.

D. He borrowed money from his wife''s family.

89. What did Alden do to promote sales in FYE stores?

A. He spent more money on product advertising.

B. He promised to buy back products not sold.

C. He agreed to sell products at a discount.

D. He improved the colour design of the product.

90. Alden sees headphones as

A. a sign of self-confidence.

B. a symbol of status.

C. part of fashion.

D. a kind of device.

TEXT C

I was standing in my kitchen wondering what to have for lunch

when my friend Taj called.

“Sit down,” she said.

I thought she was going to tell me she had just gotten the haircut

from hell. I laughed and said, “It can''t be that bad.”

But it was. Before the phone call, I had 30 years of retirement saving

in a “safe” fund with a brilliant financial guru(金融大亨).When I put

down the phone, my savings were gone. I felt as if I had died and, for

some unknown reason, was still breathing.