现代远程教育本科英语统考试题（四）上

作者：　发布时间：2012-07-23 　来源：

全国优秀高校推荐

Part I Reading Comprehension（30％）

Passage 1

Questions 1 to 5 are based on the following passage:

One study shows that Americans prefer to answer with a brief “Yes”, “No”, “Sure”, or the very popular “Yeah” rather than with a longer reply. (76) But brief replies do not mean Americans are impolite of unfriendly to some extent. Very often, Americans are in a hurry and may greet you with a single word “ Hi”, indeed; this is a greeting you will hear again and again during your stay in the United States. It is used by everyone, regardless of rank, age or occupation. However, those who are accustomed to longer greetings may require a little more time before they feel comfortable with American simple talk.

Americans sometimes use plain talk when they are uncomfortable. (77) If people praise them or thank them in an especially polite way, they may become uncomfortable and not know what to say in reply . They don’t want to be impolite or rude, you can be sure that they liked what was said about them. Except for certain holidays, such as Christmas, Americans don’t usually give gifts. Thus, you will find Americans embarrassed as they accept gifts, especially if they have nothing to give in return. They are generally a warm but informal people.

1. The fact that Americans like shorter answers tells us ______.

A. they reply very quickly in a hurry

B. they choose words too carefully

C. they like replying briefly

D. they want to be as polite as they can

2. Those who like using beautiful or formal words _____.

A. need more time to get used to American simple greeting

B. need no time to get familiar with American greeting

C. do not very much like American way of greeting

D. think Americans are not polite whatever

3. Which of the following is NOT true?

A. Americans often answer with the words like “sure”, “yeah.”

B. They are not impolite with brief replies.

C. Americans in high ranks must use formal words in greeting.

D. Americans are a warm but informal people.

4. The Americans like others’ praise but if in a polite way ________.

A. they don’t know what to way in reply

B. they feel somewhat uneasy

C. they don’t want to reply

D. both A and B

5. The passage indicates that _______.

A. Americans exchange gifts the first time they meet.

B. Americans seldom give gifts except for some holidays.

C. Americans often bring some gifts to their friends.

D. Americans only want to get gifts from others.

Passage 2

Questions 6 to 10 are based on the following passage:

(78) The advantages and disadvantages of a large population have long been a subject of discussion among economists (经济学家). It has been argued that the supply of good land is limited. To feed a large population, inferior land must be cultivated and the good land worded intensively. Thus , each person produces less and this means a lower average income than could be obtained with a smaller population. Other economists have argued that a large population gives more scope for specialization and the development of facilities such as ports, roads and railways, which are not likely to be built unless there is a big demand to justify them.

One of the difficulties in carrying out a world-wide birth control program lies in the fact that official attitudes to population growth vary from country to country depending on the level of industrial development and the availability of food and raw materials. In the developing country where a vastly expanded population is pressing hard upon the limits of food, space and natural resources, it will be the first concern of government to place a limit on the birthrate, whatever the consequences may be. In the highly industrialized society the problem may be more complex. A decreasing birth rate may lead to unemployment because it results in a declining market for manufactured goods. (79)When the pressure of population on housing declines, prices also decline and the building industry is weakened. Faced with considerations such as these, the government of a developed country may well prefer to see a slowly increasing population, rather than one which is stable or in decline.

6. A smaller population may mean _______.

A. higher productivity, but a lower average income

B. lower productivity, but a higher average income

C. lower productivity, and a lower average income

D. higher productivity, and a higher average income

7. According to the passage, a large population will provide a chance for developing _______.

A. agriculture B. transport system C. industry D. national economy

8. In a developed country, people will perhaps go out of work if the birthrate _______.

A. goes up B. is decreasing C. remains stable D is out of control

9. According to the passage slowly rising birthrate perhaps is good for ________.

A. a developed nation

B. a developing nation

C. every nation with a big population

D. every nation with a small population

10. It is no easy job to carry out a general plan for birth control throughout the world because ______.

A. there are too many underdeveloped countries in the world

B. underdeveloped countries have low level of industrial development

C. different governments have different views about the problem

D. even developed countries may have complex problems

Passage 3

Questions 11 to 15 are based on the following passage:

To us it seems so natural to put up an umbrella to keep the water off when it rains. But actually the umbrella was not invented as protection against rain. It was first used as a shade against the sun.

Nobody knows who first invented it, but the umbrella was used in very ancient times. Probably the first to use it were the Chinese, way back in the eleventh century B.C..

We know that the umbrella was also used in ancient Egypt and Babylon as a sunshade. And there was a strange thing connected with its use; it became a symbol of honor and authority. In the Far East In ancient times, the umbrella was allowed to be used only by royal people or by those in high office.

In Europe, the Greeks were the first to use the umbrella as a sunshade. And the umbrella was in common use in ancient Greece. But it is believed that the first persons in Europe to use the umbrellas as protection against the rain were the ancient Romans.

During the Middle Ages, the use of the umbrella practically disappeared. Then it appeared again in Italy in 16th century. And again it became a symbol of power and authority.

Umbrellas have not changed much in style during all this time, though they have become much lighter in weight. (80)It wasn’t until the twentieth century that women’s umbrellas began to be made in a variety of colors.

11. The first use of umbrella was as_____.

A. protection against rain B. a shade against the sun

C. a symbol of power D. a symbol of honor

12._____were regarded as the people who first used umbrellas.

A. Romans B. Greeks

C. Chinese D. Europeans

13. The umbrella was used only by royal people or those in high office______.

A. in European in the eighteenth century

B. in ancient Egypt and Babylon

C. in the Far East in ancient times

D. during the Milddle Ages

14. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?