英语四级阅读训练.docx

英语四级阅读训练.docx

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英语四级阅读训练

　SectionB

　　Directions:

Inthissection,youaregoingtoreadapassagewithtenstatementsattachedtoit.Eachstatementcontainsinformationgiveninoneoftheparagraphs.Identifytheparagraphfromwhichtheinformationisderived.

　　Youmaychooseaparagraphmorethanonce.Eachparagraphismarkedwithaletter.AnswerthequestionsbymarkingthecorrespondingletteronAnswerSheet2.

　　AUniversityDegreeNoLongerConfersFinancialSecurity

　　A．Millionsofschool-leaversintherichworldareabouttobidatearfulgoodbyetotheirparentsandstartanewlifeatuniversity.Someareinspiredbyapureloveoflearning.Butmostalsobelievethatspendingthreeorfouryearsatuniversity--andaccumulatinghugedebtsintheprocess--willboosttheirchancesoflandingawell-paidandsecurejob.

　　B．Theireldershavealwaystoldthemthateducationisthebestwaytoequipthemselvestothriveinaglobalisedworld.Blue-collarworkerswillseetheirjobsoutsourcedandautomated,thefamiliarargumentgoes.Schooldropoutswillhavetocopewithalifeofcash-strapped（资金紧的）insecurity.Butthegraduateelitewillhavetheworldatitsfeet.Thereissomeevidencetosupportthisview.ArecentstudyfromGeorgetownUniversity'sCentreonEducationandtheWorkforcearguesthat"obtainingapost-secondarycredential（证书）isalmostalwaysworthit."Educationalqualificationsaretightlycorrelatedwithearnings:

anAmericanwithaprofessionaldegreecanexpecttopocket$3.6moveralifetime;onewithmerelyahigh-schooldiplomacanexpectonly$1.3m.Thegapbetweenmore-andless-educatedearnersmaybewidening.Astudyin2002foundthatsomeonewithabachelor'sdegreecouldexpecttoearn75%moreoveralifetimethansomeonewithonlyahigh-schooldiploma.Todaythedisparityisevengreater.

　　C．Butisthepastareliableguidetothefuture?

Orareweatthebeginningofanewphaseintherelationshipbetweenjobsandeducation?

Therearegoodreasonsforthinkingthatoldpatternsareabouttochange--andthatthecurrentrecession-drivendownturn（衰退）inthedemandforWesterngraduateswillmorph（改变）intosomethingstructural.Thestrongwindofcreativedestructionthathasshakensomanyblue-collarworkersoverthepastfewdecadesisbeginningtoshakethecognitiveeliteaswell.

　　D．Thesupplyofuniversitygraduatesisincreasingrapidly.TheChronicleofHigherEducationcalculatesthatbetween1990and2007thenumberofstudentsgoingtouniversityincreasedby22%inNorthAmerica,74%inEurope,144%inLatinAmericaand203%inAsia.In2007150mpeopleattendeduniversityaroundtheworld,including70minAsia.Emergingeconomies—speciallyChina--arepouringresourcesintobuildinguniversitiesthatcancompetewiththeeliteofAmericaandEurope.Theyarealsoproducingprofessional-servicesfirmssnchasTataConsultingServicesandInfosysthattakefreshgraduatesandturnthemintoworld-classcomputerprogrammersandconsultants.Thebestandthebrightestoftherichworldmustincreasinglycompetewiththebestandthebrightestfrompoorercountrieswhoarewillingtoworkharderforlessmoney.

　　E.Atthesametime,thedemandforeducatedlaborisbeingreconfigured（重新配置）bytechnology,inmuchthesamewaythatthedemandforagriculturallaborwasreconfiguredinthe19thcenturyandthatforfactorylaborinthe20th.Computerscannotonlyperformrepetitivementaltasksmuchfasterthanhumanbeings.Theycanalsoempoweramateurstodowhatprofessionalsoncedid:

whyhireaflesh-and-bloodaccountanttocompleteyourtaxreturnwhenTurbotax（asoftwarepackage）willdothejobatafractionofthecost?

Andthevarietyofjobsthatcomputerscandoismultiplyingasprogrammersteachthemtodealwithtoneandlinguisticambiguity.

　　F.Severaleconomists,includingPaulKrugman,havebeguntoarguethatpost-industrialsocietieswillbecharacterizednotbyarelentlessriseindemandfortheeducatedbutbyagreat"hollowingout",asmid-leveljobsaredestroyedbysmartmachinesandhigh-leveljobgrowthslows.DavidAutor,oftheMassachusettsInstituteofTechnology（MIT）,pointsoutthatthemaineffectofautomationinthecomputereraisnotthatitdestroysblue-collarjobsbutthatitdestroysanyjobthatcanbereducedtoaroutine.AlanBlinderofPrincetonUniversity,arguesthatthejobsgraduateshavetraditionallyperformedareifanythingmore"offshorable"thanlow-wageones.Aplumberorlorry-driver'sjobcannotbeoutsourcedtoIndia.Acomputerprogrammer'scan.

　　G.Auniversityeducationisstillaprerequisiteforenteringsomeofthegreatindustries,suchasmedicine,lawandacademia（学术界）,thatprovidesecureandwell-payingjobs.Overthe20thcenturytheseindustriesdidawonderfuljobofraisingbarrierstoentry--sometimesforgoodreasons（nobodywantstobeoperatedonbyabarber）andsometimesforself-interestedones.Buttheseindustriesarebeginningtobendtheroles.Newspapersarefightingalosingbattlewiththeblogosphere.Universitiesarereplacingtenure-trackprofessorswithnon-tenuredstaff.Lawfirmsarecontractingoutroutineworksuchas"discovery"（diggingupdocumentsrelevanttoalawsuit）tocomputerized-searchspecialistssuchasBlackstoneDiscovery.Evendoctorsarethreatened,aspatientsfindadviceonlineandtreatmentinWalmart'snewhealthcenters.

　　H.ThomasMaloneofMITarguesthatthesechanges--automation,globalizafionandderegulation--maybepartofabiggerchange:

theapplicationofthedivisionoflabortobrain-work.AdamSmith'sfactorymanagersbroketheproductionofpinsinto18components.Inthesameway,companiesareincreasinglybreakingtheproductionofbrain-workintoevertinierslices.TopCoderchopsupITprojectsintobite-sizedchunksandthenservesthemuptoaworldwideworkforceoffreelancecoders.

　　I.Thesechangeswillundoubtedlyimprovetheproductivityofbrain-workers.Theywillallowconsumerstosidestep（规避）theprofessionalindustriesthathaveextractedhighrentsfortheirservices.Andtheywillempowermanybrain-workerstofocusonwhattheyarebestatandcontractoutmoretedioustaskstoothers.Butthereconfigurationofbrain-workwillalsomakelifefarlesscozyandpredictableforthenextgenerationofgraduates.

46.Thecreativedestructionthathashappenedtoblue-collarworkersinthepastalsostartstoaffectthecognitiveelite.

47.Forthenextgenerationofgraduates,lifewillbefarlesscomfortableandpredictablewithbrain-workreconfigured.

48.Aftercomputersaretaughtbyprogrammerstodealwithtoneandlinguisticambiguity,thevarietyofjobstheycandowillincreasedramatically.

49.Mostschool-leaversbelievethat,despitethehugedebtstheyowe,goingtouniversitywillincreasetheirchancesofgettingsecurejobswithhighsalaries.

50.Moderncompaniesaremorelikelytobreaktheproductionofintellectualworkintoevertinierslices.

51.AscholarofPrincetonUniversityclaimsthatthejobstraditionallytakenbygraduatesaremorelikelytobeoffshoredthanlow-wageones.

52.TheincomegapbetweenanAmericanprofessionaldegreeholderandanAmericanhigh-schoolgraduateshowsincomeiscloselyrelatedtoeducationalqualifications.

53.Thechangesinthedivisionofbrain-workwillsaveconsumerssomehighservicefeestheprofessionalorganizationscharge.

54.Somestudentshavealwaysbeentoldthat.toachievesuccessinaglobalisedworld,itismostadvisabletoequipthemselveswitheducation.

55.EmergingeconomiesareprovidingalotofresourcestobuilduniversitiestocompetewiththeeliteofAmericaandEurope.

SectionC

Directions:

Thereare2passagesinthissection.Eachisfollowedbysomequestionsorunfinishedstatements.ForeachofthemtherearefourchoicesmarkedA）,B．,C．andD）.YoushoulddecideonthebestchoiceandmarkthecorrespondingletteronAnswerSheet2withasinglelinethroughthecentre.

SectionB

　　Directions:

Inthissection,youaregoingtoreadapassagewithtenstatementsattachedtoit.Eachstatementcontainsinformationgiveninoneoftheparagraphs.Identifytheparagraphfromwhichtheinformationisderived.

　　Youmaychooseaparagraphmorethanonce.Eachparagraphismarkedwithaletter.AnswerthequestionsbymarkingthecorrespondingletteronAnswerSheet2.

　　Addicted,Really?

　　A．Mental-healthspecialistsdisagreeoverwhethertoclassifycompulsiveonlinebehaviourasaddiction---andhowtotreatit.CraigSmallwood,adisabledAmericanwarveteran,spentmorethan20,000hoursoverfiveyearsplayinganonlinerole-playinggamecalled"LineageII".WhenNCsoft,theSouthKoreanfirmbehindthegame,accusedhimofbreakingthegame'srulesandbannedhim,hewasplungedintodepression,severeparanoia（偏执）andhallucinations（幻想）.Hespentthreeweeksinhospital.Afterthat,hesuedNCsoftforfraudandnegligence（过失）,demandingover$9mindamagesandclaimingthatthecompanyactednegligentlybyfailingtowarnhimofthedangerthathewouldbecome"addicted"tothegame.

　　B.Butdoesitmakesensetotalkofaddictiontoonlineactivity?

Mental-healthspecialistssaythreeonlinebehaviorscanbecomeproblematicformanypeople:

videogames,pornography（色情作品）andmessagingviae-mailandsocialnetworks.Butthereisfarlessagreementaboutwhetheranyofthisshouldbecalled"Internetaddiction"--orhowtotreatit.

　　C．Somemental-healthspecialistswanted"Internetaddiction"tobeincludedinthefifthversionofpsychiatry'sbible,the"DiagnosticandStatisticalManualofMentalDisorders",knownasDSM-V,whichiscurrentlybeingoverhauled（全面修订）.TheAmericanMedicalAssociationendorsed（赞成）theideain2007,onlytobacktrack（放弃）