英语阅读题四级

四级考试阅读理解技巧。如果考生了解、熟悉并掌握了这些规律，他(她)们就可以找到做题时的"第六感觉"，达到所谓超常发挥的水平。如果考生来不及看文章，万般无奈下凭这些规律可以选中不少正确选项。

1、词汇方面：词汇是英语学习的基础。

很多学生反映，在阅读过程中觉得有些单词非常面熟，可却不知道是什么意思，所以整篇文章理解起来记忆不知所云，造成阅读障碍。如果考试大纲要求记忆的词汇没有掌握的话，在通篇理解文章时就会困难重重。高效阅读的方法需要训练，是一种眼脑相互协调的高效率学习方法，一般情况下，培养阅读者直接把视觉器官感知的文字符号转换成意义，消除头脑中潜在的发声现象，形成眼脑直映，结合记忆训练，用以提高学习效率。

2、为了节省时间在做阅读的时候应该切忌：

(1)阅读时不要逐字逐句的翻译，这样会导致阅读速度的降低，要快速阅读整篇文章，把握文章大意。

(2)不要一句话反复阅读，即阅读时碰到一时不理解的句子就一遍一遍地沉浸在阅读那个句子当中，反复琢磨。其实完全没有必要，因为要选对答案并不意味着对原文的每个句子都要读懂，抓住一些重点句子就够了，正确的做法是，以理解整个段落和整篇文章为主，在涵盖出题点的句子上用心捉摸。上文中提到的《精英特速读记忆》，超级速读训练同时就顺带训练了记忆，而超级记忆部分的思维导图对全面阅读文章后，抓出文章脉络和重点有良好的作用。所以建议大家可以尝试着学习一下。

3、紧急状况下的阅读答题方法

做好阅读理解题，最理想的步骤是先迅速浏览五道题大体了解一下五道题各自提问了什么，各选项句是什么意思。然后带着题干的提问略读全文，以最快的速度掌握所阅读材料中的主要内容和主要观点，模清五道题各自提问的内容大体在文章的什么位置，并做些相应的记号。接着开始逐个答题如果哪一题在略读基础上不能选出，再到文中相应的地方进行查读、细读，直至选出正确答案。五题全做完后，最后把五个选出的答案连起来看一看，检查一下是否存在明显的逻辑不通或相冲突。如果有，及时订正;如果没有，可以做下一篇文章。 但是，如果考生时间实在不够了而剩下一、两篇还没做，在此紧急状况下，该如何阅读答题呢?下面介绍一些临门一脚的诀窍。

(一)针对主旨大意题只读段首、段尾句。一般来说，一篇文章的中心思想或某一段主题思想往往通过段首、段尾句表达出来。考生迅速找到了这些主题句，也能答题。

(二)若针对举例子、引用名人言论、特殊符号(如冒号、引号、破折号)后内容出题，考生可只读例子、名人言话、符号前后句内容，然后符号题。

(三)如果题目只是针对某一段内容而提问，考生可只看该段内容即可答题，而不必等把文章全看完才做，以防到时要交卷，而能做出的题因时间不足而瞎猜。

答题技巧一： 详略得当

对于大学英语四级阅读来说，根据题目的“题眼”快速在文章中找到答案是最关键的，这样我们就要在阅读时注意详略得当。克服精读精益求精的习惯，做到有信息处精读，无信息处略读，略读处一扫而过。

题目中数字、人名等信息(题眼)在原文中对应的部分必须详读。而对所要解释或证明的观点的细节举例处或者通常有数个名词的并列项，它们不是完整的主谓宾的句子，因此无法与问题对应的详细列举处，都可以略读。

答题技巧二：显性信息

查读的信息通常是显性信息，只要将问题在原文中进行准确定位就能得到正确答案，一般不需要做推理。

特别提示：考生对于以下一些显性信息也应注意

(1) 表示因果关系的词或词组：because， reason， due to， since， so that， therefore等

(2) 表示目的关系的词或词组：in order to， so as to， by等

(3) 表示转折关系的词或词组：but， however， yet等

(4) 表示对比关系的词或词组：contrary to， unlike， like等

答题技巧三：题文同序

英语四级考试的阅读部分，问题顺序与原文顺序一致(有时顺序不一致)，这就要求考生应该按照题目的顺序依次做题。

答题技巧四：分解对应

分解对应四分法：快速将问题分解成4个部分(主A 谓B宾C+其他D)，与原文进行对比。

答题技巧五：选小不选大

四级阅读中，问题的范围必须小于原文范围，反之则不选。

不能选的选项为：

(1) 选项的信息与原文内容相反

(2) 选项将原文的意思张冠李戴

(3) 将原文中的不确定因素转化为确定因素

(4) 改变原文中的条件、范围等

答题技巧六： 主宾判定

四级阅读中，将题干的句子进行简单分解后，问题中的主语、宾语在原文未出现或被偷换概念，则不选。

不选的选项：

(1) 选项表述无中生有

(2) 原文中作者的目的、意图、愿望等内容在选项作为客观事实陈述

(3) 将原文中的特殊情况推广为普遍现象

(4) 将原文的内容具体化

(5) 随意比较原文中的两个事物

答题技巧七：相关信息准确合并

考生遇到问题时，不能只局限在某一段里面找答案，可以先做后面的题目，在后面的阅读中发现还有该题的答案时，将相关信息合并后再确定答案。

筑稳基础，重视词汇不常用的含义

英语四六级考查词汇不是像高考一样直接出现词汇或语法的单项选择题，而是把词汇放到阅读理解当中去考查，这样一来，考查的难度就增加了，考生单认识这个单词还不足以理解整篇文章。英语四六级考试的大纲词汇数量还是比较多的，考生如果没有完全掌握这些大纲词汇，那么考试的时候在阅读部分势必要感到很吃力，但是，通常考生把大纲词汇过滤一遍以后心里都会有一个大概的印象，可是考试的时候再遇到这些单词，按它们常用的词义来翻译似乎又是解释不通的，之所以会这样是因为许多常用词在特定文章语境中使用的可能是我们并不常见的含义，如果考生在复习词汇时没有注意这些不常用含义，在考试时遇到了就很容易造成理解错误而选错答案。

合理培养做题习惯，避免浪费时间

四六级考试时，很多考生都会觉得时间紧迫，一不小心就答不完题，这其中很大一部分原因是在我们自身的，比如，有些考生在阅读时喜欢逐字逐句的翻译，这样虽然准确度较高，但是会浪费大量时间，最终导致考生得不偿失;还有一些考生在阅读时碰到一时不理解的句子就容易反复琢磨，重复阅读，其实这样并没有必要，一句话理解不清楚不会影响我们对整个文章的理解，做阅读只要抓住文章主要内容和每一题对应的文中关键句的含义就足够了。

扩展知识面，了解热点信息

近几年各种各样的考试都越来越喜欢紧跟时政，考查书本以外的很多知识，英语四六级也不例外。在近几年的英语四六级考试中就曾出现过节约能源、经济危机、社交网站等紧跟时政热点的话题。所以这就要求我们的考生在复习时目光不能仅仅集中在英语练习题上，还要额外了解一点社会方方面面的知识，扩展自己的知识面才能更加轻松应对一路改革的英语四六级。

一、原选择题型的篇章阅读理解

新四级的仔细阅读增加了文章的长度和段落数量，题型向细节性方向发展。仔细阅读要求做到“三精读一略读”。一是精读文章首段和每段第一次出现的结论句，了解文章的主题和结构。二是精读关键词定位的地方，请注意，细节题题干都是相应原文的变形（如同义改写、词性转换等），因此要找到答案一定要找到题干在原文中的出处，再把原文和选项相比较，正确选项应该是对原文的精确改写，应该符合两点特征：形式对应和含义对应，比如原文中出现比较，那么正确选项中也应该对应出现相应形式，同时含义应该是原文的同义替换，相同的意思换了一种表达方式。三是精读重要考点，比如：转折、比较、因果、结论或总结。略读就是略读甚至不读其他细节性信息，因为干扰选项往往来自于这些地方，精读后反而会增加干扰选项的迷惑度，避免被迷惑信息干扰的最好方法就是不去面对诱惑。需要注意的是与原文极其相似的选项一定要慎选。

四级阅读考查的题型主要是细节题，另外还会涉及态度题，主旨题，推理题，结论观点题，词汇题等。各类题型表现形式不同，考查重点各异，解题方法有别。

1、细节题

(1)、细节题表现形式

这类题在四级考试中题量较大，占到60%——70%的题量，可以说是四级考试成败的关键这类题特点是题干的信息比较具体，考查文章中的重要细节。如2005年1月份考题：“Free play has been introduced in some Japanese kindergartens in order to”，

本题通过“free play”，“some Japanese kindergartens”反映了原文考查对象，题干内容比较具体，属于细节分析。又如2005年6月份出现的题目：“What did the handball player do when he was not allowed a time out to change his gloves? ”本题handball player 是中心话题，when引导状语从句，这两部分明确指定了考查的细节内容，在原文中找答案十分方便。

(2)、细节题解题方法

细节题考查信息查找能力和句子的理解能力。由于考试时间非常紧张，对于考生来说，做好细节题，首先是要在原文找到相关信息。正是由于这点，我们看文章需要目的。有同学先看文章再做题，导致做题时还得回去在文章中寻找相关内容，或者干脆凭着对文章的主观印象匆忙求解，结果是浪费时间或者错误较多。建议考生先看题干再看文章，这样就会有方向感，目的感。所以，细节题的重要做题方法就是：先看题干，再看原文，带着题干个别的特有信息或者带着题干的中心话题在原文定位。如“What did the handball player do when he was not allowed a time out to change his gloves? ”就可以结合handball player这个中心话题在原文找答案。

四级细节题干有时会有比较明显的信息，如时间数字，专有名词，中心名词。如2005年1月考题：What was confirmed by the Boston University Medical Center’s study?题干中Boston University Medical Center这个专有名词可以让考生迅速找到考到的原文内容。如果用题干信息在原文找答案没有结果，可以根据题目的先后顺序来确定大概范围(除个别例外，四级细节题大体上还是按照出题的先后顺序找答案的)。以2001年1月份考题为例说明：

24.Why do pet dogs love performing tricks for their masters?

25.When a dog has received effective obedience training, its owner____.

做24题过程中，考生可以通过performing tricks 比较容易在原文倒数第二段最后一句话定位找答案；这时，可以大胆预测，25题考最后一段内容。

(3)、细节题注意点

考生做细节题时，要注意合理但不正确的选项。很多考生在做题时，忽视了题目与原文的联系，凭着合理性的主观猜想选择答案。结果很多考生感觉做得很好，但对答案时发现错了很多。另外，很多表示程度、范围、频率等的副词或形容词可能会导致选项错误，如2002年1月考题出现一个干扰选项是“keep in constant touch with the computer center”,其中的constant就是选项错误的关键。所以，细节题要求考生非常细心。

2、态度题

(1)、态度题表现形式

态度题一般提问方式是：The author’s attitude towards ┄ is _____. 或者是What is the author’s attitude towards _______?

(2)、态度题解题方法

从原则上来讲，态度题可以考查作者对一个中心话题的看法，也可以考查作者对某一具体细节的态度，但是从历年考法来看，四级阅读更加注重考查文章中心话题。所以，态度题经常可以通过文章主题来判断作者的态度。如2003年6月考题，

原文首句：It’s no secret that many children would be healthier and happier with adoptive parents than with the parents that nature dealt them.

题目：The author’s attitude towards the judge’s ruling could be described as______.

A) doubtful B) critical C) cautious D) supportive

全文首句可以体现文章讨论的中心话题，它明确道出了作者的观点：有时小孩与养父母在一起比与亲生父母在一起更好。而原文中judge’s ruling的结果就是把小孩判给了养父，所以作者一定会持支持态度，故选D。

(3)、态度题注意点

考生应该熟练掌握在态度题中经常出现的单词，如positive, negative, optimistic, pessimistic, approving, concerned, objective, compromise等。另外，从以前四级考试的情况来看，作者的态度一般是或褒或贬，或乐观或担忧，中性评价为正确答案的较少。

3、主旨题

(1)、主旨题表现形式

四级阅读中，主旨题主要可以表现为“What’s the best title for this passage”；“What is the main idea of the passage”；“The author’s purpose of writing this passage is to _____”。当然，这些提问方式可以有很多微小的变化，比如问“The passage is mainly about___”等等。

(2)、主旨题解题方法

从理论上来讲，主旨题是四级各类题型中要求最高的，因为它要求考生看完文章后，能对文章的大概框架作一个宏观把握，从而解答后面的题目。但是把握文章框架对很多考生来说，是不能做到的。庆幸的是，一般的四级文章，都可以找到文章主题句，或者是可以体现文章主题的句子或单词。

文章主题一般在前两段出现，所以考生要比较关注前两段结论性的语言。四级阅读在全文首句出现文章主题的情况比较多见。另外，第一段转折性的语言，通常也能体现作者的.观点偏好。

(3)、主旨题注意点

如果是考文章主题，那么正确答案一定具有概括性和结论性，细节性的选项肯定是错的。如2005年考题，

What is the author’s purpose in writing this article?

A)To justify the study of the Boston University Medical Center.

B)To stress the importance of maintaining proper weight.

C)To support the statement made by York Onnen.

D)To show the most effective way to lose weight.

一看这四个选项，就可以发现A和C里面包含十分具体信息“the Boston University Medical Center”和“York Onnen”，是利用原文中的具体话题，某个细节内容而设计的干扰选项。

值得注意的是很多干扰选项还以“以偏概全”的形式出现的，所以分析时要注意正确答案概括的全面性。而利用扩大主题的范围来设计干扰选项的方式，在四级中相对较少。为了说明主题，为了论证，作者会引用一些人讲的话，而这些观点也很可能被考到。

4、推理题

(1)、推理题表现形式

推理题提问的方式有很多，比如suggest，imply，indicate，conclude，infer等。然而，suggest，imply和indicate这些单词提问，这个题目往往按照细节题的方法来处理即可，真正难把握的是conclude和infer两个单词，这也是四级阅读推理题经常用来提问的方式。

(2)、推理题解题方法

推理题难度高，不在于推理难，而在于找答案没有方向。比如，题目可能会问What can be inferred from the passage? What can be concluded from the passage? 如果我们对历年考题作一个仔细分析，可以发现conclude和infer还是有些答案查找的方向的。

Conclude提问的题目，一般会涉及原文中结论性，观点性的语言，尤其是段落首末的句子。而infer提问的题目，如果题干信息比较多比较具体，一般可以当作细节题来处理，如果题干信息比较少，则考查原文观点结论的语言比较多，甚至考文章主题。

(3)、推理题注意点

很多考生在做推理题时，有一种思维误区，认为一个选项与原文相去越远，就越可能是正确答案，所以在找不到原文的依据时，就随心所欲地推导。其实，很多情况下，推理题的正确答案相差并不大，不应把这类题想得太难了。比如2002年1月份题目：

It can be inferred from the passage that____.

A)killing foxes with poison is illegal

B)limiting the fox population is unnecessary

C)hunting foxes with dogs is considered cruel and violent

D)fox-hunting often leads to confrontation between the poor and the rich

正确答案选择C，而原文相关信息是：┄ because they think it is brutal(残酷的) ┄

(原文已经给出brutal的含义)。可见两者相差并不大。

5、词汇题

(1)、词汇题表现形式

词汇题一般会明确地告诉考生出题点在哪里，不需要考生查找所考查内容。它可以考一个单词的含义，一个词组的意思，或者考一个句子的弦外之音。

(2)、词汇题解题方法

词汇题是考生得分率较低的一类题，因为它需要考生从上下文中进行分析，推敲单词背后的意思。问单词或词组的意思，加强调上下文逻辑分析；有时用转折逻辑，但更多是利用并列逻辑，比如1997年1月份考题，

原文：This is the Shadowland of hope, and anyone with a dream must learn to live there.

60. “Shadowland”in the last sentence refers to____ .

A) the wonderland one often dreams about

B) the bright future that one is looking forward to

C) the state of uncertainty before one's final goal is reached

D) a world that exists only in one's imagination

此题解法有多种，其中可以利用并列关系来求解。首先，and后面的句子告诉我们“任何有梦想的人必须要学会在那里生活”，这暗含了“那里”不好的环境。再从and可知，两个分句的逻辑是一致的，据此Shadowland也应该是不利的环境，故选择C项。

考句子的含义，查找答案的方向还得做一个细分：如果句子简单，一般在上下文中寻找答案；如果句子复杂，则更加倾向于在句子内部找答案。

(3)、词汇题注意点

如果考简单单词，正确答案会与该单词的常用意思没有多大关系；如果考难词，感觉很难有分析的线索时，就把四个选项代到原文中，使得原文逻辑正确，意思同学的为正确答案；如果考句子的含义而导致分析完全没有思路时，不妨结合文章问题来分析，可以体现主题，或与主题的逻辑一致，一般就是答案。

本文是一篇公共英语四级的阅读理解考试题及答案(答案在文章尾部)，希望能帮助大家顺利通过考试!

Section III Reading Comprehension(45 points) 阅读理解

Text 1

No one should be forced to wear a uniform under any circumstance. Uniforms are demeaning to the human spirit and totally unnecessary in a democratic society. Uniforms tell the world that the person who wears one has no value as an individual but only lives to function as a part of the whole. The individual in a uniform loses all self-worth. There are those who say that wearing a uniform gives a person a sense of identification with a large, more important concept. What could be more important than the individual oneself? If an organization is so weak that it must rely on cloth and buttons to inspire its members, that organization has no right to continue its existence.

Others say that the practice of making persons wear uniforms, say in school, eliminates all envy and competition in a matter of dress, such that a poor person who cannot afford good-quality clothing, why would anyone strive to be better? It is only a short step from forcing everyone to wear the same clothing to forcing everyone to drive the same car, have the same type of house, eat the same type of food. When this happens, all incentive to improve one’s life is removed. Why would parents bother to work hard so that their children could have a better life than they had when they know that their children are going to be forced to have exactly the same life that they had? Uniforms also hurt the economy. Right now, billions of dollars are spent on the fashion industry yearly.

Thousands of persons are employed in designing, creating, and marketing different types of clothing. If everyone were forced to wear uniforms, artistic personnel would be unnecessary. Salespersons would be superfluous as well: why bother to sell the only items that are available? The wearing of uniforms would destroy the fashion industry which in turn would have a ripple effect on such industries as advertising and promotion. Without advertising, newspapers, magazines, and television would not be able to remain in business. Our entire information and entertainment industries would founder.

41、The author’s viewpoint on uniforms can best be described as __________.

A. practical

B. hysterical

C. radical

D. critical

42、Judged from its style, this passage might be found in __________.

A. a children’s comics book

B. an editorial in a paper

C. a sociology textbook

D. a political platform

43、It can be inferred that the author believes that __________.

A. individuals have no self-worth when they become part of an organization

B. individuals are more important than organizations

C. individuals are not so important as organizations

D. individuals are the same important as organizations

44、The author brings in the example of a parent striving to make life better for his children to make the point that __________.

A. parents have responsibilities for their children

B. uniforms would be less expensive than clothing for children

C. uniforms cause dissension between parents and children

D. individual motivation would be destroyed by uniforms

(本题分值：1.5分)【正确答案】D

45、The last word of the passage "founder" probably means __________.

A. collapse

B. shrink

C. disappear

D. establish

Text 2

A report consistently brought back by visitors to the US is how friendly, courteous and helpful most Americans were to them. To be fair, this observation is also frequently made of Canada and Canadians, and should best be considered North American. There are, of course, exceptions. Small-minded officials, rude waiters, and ill-mannered taxi drivers are hardly unknown in the US. Yet it is an observation made so frequently that it deserves comment. For a long period of time and in many parts of the country, a traveler was a welcome break in an otherwise dull existence.

Dullness and loneliness were common problems of the families who generally lived distant from one another. Strangers and travelers were welcome sources of diversion, and brought news of the outside world. The harsh realities of the frontier also shaped this tradition of hospitality.

Someone traveling alone, if hungry, injured, or ill, often had nowhere to turn except to the nearest cabin or settlement. It was not a matter of choice for the traveler or merely a charitable impulse on the part of the settlers. It reflected the harshness of daily life: if you didn’t take in the stranger and take care of him, there was no one else who would. And someday, remember, you might be in the same situation. Today there are many charitable organizations which specialize in helping the weary traveler. Yet, the old tradition of hospitality to strangers is still very strong in the US, especially in the smaller cities and towns away from the busy tourist trails. "I was just traveling through, got talking with this American, and pretty soon he invited me home for dinner—amazing." Such observations reported by visitors to the US are not uncommon, but are not always understood properly.

The casual friendliness of many Americans should be interpreted neither as superficial nor as artificial, but as the result of a historically developed cultural tradition. As is true of any developed society, in America a complex set of cultural signals, assumptions, and conventions underlies all social interrelationships. And, of course, speaking a language does not necessarily mean that someone understands social and cultural patterns. Visitors who fail to "translate" cultural meanings properly often draw wrong conclusions. For example, when an American uses the word "friend", the cultural implications of the word may be quite different from those it has in the visitor’s language and culture. It takes more than a brief encounter on a bus to distinguish between courteous convention and individual interest. Yet, being friendly is a virtue that many Americans value highly and expect from both neighbors and strangers.

46、In the eyes of visitors from the outside world, ___________.

A. rude taxi drivers are rarely seen in the US

B. small-minded officials deserve a serious comment

C. Canadians are not so friendly as their neighbors

D. most Americans are ready to offer help

47、It could be inferred from the last paragraph that ___________.

A. culture exercises an influence over social interrelationship

B. courteous convention and individual interest are interrelated

C. various virtues manifest themselves exclusively among friends

D. social interrelationships equal the complex set of cultural conventions

48、Families in frontier settlements used to entertain strangers ___________.

A. to improve their hard life

B. in view of their long-distance travel

C. to add some flavor to their own daily life

D. out of a charitable impulse

49、The tradition of hospitality to strangers ___________.

A. tends to be superficial and artificial

B. is generally well kept up in the united States

C. is always understood properly

D. has something to do with the busy tourist trails

50、What’s the author’s attitudes toward the American’s friendliness?

A. Favorable.

B. Unfavorable.

C. Indifferent.

D. Neutral.

Text 3

Today, there are many avenues open to those who wish to continue their education. However, nearly all require some break in one’s career in order to attend school full time. Part-time education, that is, attending school at night or for one weekend a month, tends to drag the process out over time and puts the completion of a degree program out of reach of many people. Additionally, such programs require a fixed time commitment which can also impact negatively on one’s career and family time. Of the many approaches to teaching and learning, however, perhaps the most flexible and accommodating is that called distance learning.

Distance learning is an educational method, which allows the students the flexibility to study at his or her own pace to achieve the academic goals, which are so necessary in today’s world. The time required to study many be set aside at the student’s convenience with due regard to all life’s other requirements. Additionally, the student may enroll in distance learning courses from virtually any place in the world, while continuing to pursue their chosen career. Tutorial assistance may be available via regular airmail, telephone, facsimile machine, teleconferencing and over the Internet. Good distance learning programs are characterized by the inclusion of a subject evaluation tool with every subject. This precludes the requirement for a student to travel away from home to take a test.

Another characteristic of a good distance-learning program is the equivalence of the distance-learning course with the same subject materials as those students taking the course on the home campus. The resultant diploma or degree should also be the same whether distance learning or on-campus study is employed. The individuality of the professor/student relationship is another characteristic of a good distance-learning program. In the final analysis, a good distance learning program has a place not only for the individual students but also the corporation or business that wants to work in partnership with their employees for the educational benefit, professional development, and business growth of the organization. Sponsoring distance learning programs for their employees gives the business the advantage of retaining career-minded people while contributing to their personal and professional growth through education.

51、According to the passage, which of the following is NOT a disadvantage of part-time education?

A. It requires some break in one’s career.

B. It tends to last too long for many people to complete a degree program.

C. It affects one’s career.

D. It gives the student less time to share with the family.

52、Which of the following is NOT an advantage of distance learning?

A. The students may choose his or her own pace.

B. The students may study at any time to his or her convenience.

C. They can pursue their chosen career while studying.

D. Their tutorial assistance comes through regular airmail, telephone, facsimile machine, etc.

53、What benefit will distance-learning program bring to a business?

A. Recruitment of more talented people.

B. Good image of the business.

C. Better cooperation with universities.

D. Further training of employees and business growth.

54、What benefit will distance learning bring to an employee of a business?

A. Professional growth.

B. Good relationship with the employer.

C. Good impression on the employer.

D. Higher salary.

55、Which is not the characteristic of distance learning?

A. It includes a subject evaluation tool with every subject.

B. Its course uses the same subject materials as those students taking the course on the home campus.

C. A distance-learning program has a place only for students.

D. The relationship of the professor/student is characterized by individuality.

Text 4

I remember the way the light touched her hair. She turned her head, and our eyes met, a momentary awareness in that raucous fifth grade classroom. I felt as though I’d been struck a blow under the heart. Thus began my first love affair. Her name was Rachel, and I mooned my way through the grade and high school, stricken at the mere sight of her, tongue-tied in her presence. Does anyone, anymore, linger in the shadows of evening, drawn by the pale light of a window—her window—like some hapless summer insect? That delirious swooning, asexual but urgent and obsessive, that made me awkward and my voice crack, is like some impossible dream now. I would catch sight of her, walking down an aisle of trees to or from school, and I’d become paralyzed.

She always seemed so poised, so self-possessed. At home, I’d relive each encounter, writhing at the thought of my inadequacies. We eventually got acquainted and socialized as we entered our adolescence, she knew I had a case on her, and I sensed her affectionate tolerance for me. "Going steady" implied a maturity we still lacked. Her Orthodox Jewish upbringing and my own Catholic scruples imposed an inhibited grace that made even kissing a distant prospect, however fervently desired. I managed to hold her once at a dance—chaperoned, of course. Our embrace made her giggle, a sound so trusting that I hated myself for what I’d been thinking. At any rate, my love for Rachel remained unrequited. We graduated from high school, she went on to college, and I joined the Army.

When World War II engulfed us, I was sent overseas. For a time we corresponded, and her letters were the highlight of those grinding endless years. Once she sent me a snapshot of herself in a bathing suit, which drove me to the wildest of fantasies. I mentioned the possibility of marriage in my nest letter, and almost immediately her replies became less frequent, less personal. Her Dear John letter finally caught up with me while I was awaiting discharge. She gently explained the impossibility of a marriage between us. Looking back on it, I must have recovered rather quickly, although for the first few months I believed I didn’t want to live. Like Rachel, I found someone else, whom I learned to love with a deep and permanent commitment that has lasted to this day.

56、According to the passage, how old was the author when his first love affair began?

A. Before he entered his teens.

B. In his early teens.

C. In his middle teens.

D. When he was just out of his teens.

57、How did the author behave as a boy in love?

A. His first love motivated him toward hard study.

B. His first love evoked sentimental memories.

C. He was overpowered by wild excitement and passion.

D. He fulfilled his expectations and desires.

58、According to the passage, what held them back from a loving kiss?

A. Her Jewish origin did not allow it.

B. His Catholic adherence forbade it.

C. They were not sure whether it was proper or ethical to kiss in line with their religious decorum.

D. Kissing was found to be inelegant or even distasteful.

59、According to the passage, what was Rachel’s response to the author’s tender affection before the war?

A. She recognized and accepted his love affectionately.

B. She thwarted his affection by flatly turning him down.

C. She fondly permitted him to adore her without losing her own heart to him.

D. She didn’t care for him at all and only took delight in playing with his feelings.

60、Which of the following best describes the organization of the passage?

A. Statement and example.

B. Cause and effect.

C. Order of importance.

D. Linear description.

【参考答案】

(一)

41.C42..B43.B44.D45.A

(二)

46.D47..A48.C49.B50.

(三)

51.A52.D53.D54.A55.C

(四)

56.A57.C58.C59.C60.D