英語四級閱讀理解

1、.Passage OneQuestions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.The prospects for women who are scientists and engineers at major research universities have improved, although women continue to face unfair treatment in salary and access to some other resources, a panel of the National Research Cou

2、ncil concludes in a new report.In recent years “men and women faculty in science, engineering and mathematics have enjoyed comparable opportunities,” the panel said in its report, released on Tuesday. It found that women who applied for university jobs and, once they had them, for promotion and tenu

3、re (終身任職), were at least as likely to succeed as men.In another report this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers at the University of Wisconsin reviewed a variety of studies and concluded that the achievement gap between boys and girls in mathematics performance h

4、ad narrowed to the vanishing point. Although girls are still of a smaller number in the ranks of young math prodigies (神童), they said, that gap is narrowing, which undermines claims that a greater prevalence (流行) of profound mathematical talent in males is biologically determined. The researchers sa

5、id this and other phenomena “provide abundant evidence for the impact of sociocultural and other environmental factors on the development of mathematical skills and talent and the size, if any, of math gender gap.”The research council, an arm of the National Academy of Sciences, gathered its expert

6、panel at the request of Congress. The panel surveyed six disciplines biology, chemistry, mathematics, civil and electrical engineering, and physics and based its analysis on interviews with faculty members at 89 institutions and data from federal agencies, professional societies and other sources. T

7、he panel was led by Claude Canizares, a physicist who is vice president for research at M.I.T, and Dr. Sally Shaywitz of Yale Medical School, an expert on learning.The Wisconsin researchers, Janet S. Hyde and Janet E. Mertz, studied data from 10 states collected in tests authorized by the No Child L

8、eft Behind Act as well as data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a federal testing program. Differences between girls and boys performance in the 10 states were “close to zero in all grades,” they said, even in high schools where gaps had existed earlier. In the national assessme

9、nt, they said, differences between girls and boys performance were “trivial”.57. We learn from the passage that female scientists and engineers in some universities _.A) tend to compare themselves with men B) suffer from overwhelming unequal treatment C) find it difficult to get ideal jobsD) have a

10、future as bright as men58. According to the researchers at the University of Wisconsin, _.A) girls usually think narrowly in math while boys dontB) girls can do almost as well as boys in mathematicsC) most girls perform better in mathematics than boysD) there are very few girls who are really talent

11、ed in math59. What is the conclusion of the research council based on?A) The analysis made by 89 college teachers and data from different agencies.B) The survey of six subjects, interviews with teachers and data from different kinds of sources.C) The survey at the request of the Congress and talks w

12、ith teachers from 89 institutions.D) The research made by the National Academy of Sciences and the survey within six fields. 60. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?A) Neither gender nor age affects students performance in mathematics. B) People expect to see gaps between girls and boys per

13、formance in high school.C) Different tests show different results concerning students performance. D) Data from 10 states are not as accurate as those from the national tests.61. The passage is mainly about _. A) the unfair treatment towards female in universitiesB) women bridging gap in science opp

14、ortunitiesC) the achievement of female scientists in universitiesD) a national study of teaching methods of mathematicsPassage TwoQuestions 62 to 66 are based on the following passage.Its time to stop complaining. The economy might be melting down like butter in a hot pot, but for some people you, m

15、aybe? this could be a very good thing.Heres why. At no other time in recent history has it been easier or cheaper to start a new kind of company. Possibly a very profitable company. Lets call these start-ups LILOs, for “a little in, a lot out;” These are Web-based businesses that cost almost nothing

16、 to get off the ground yet can turn into great moneymakers.How do you get started? All thats required is a great idea for a product that will fill a need in the 21st century. These days youd do best if your idea either makes people money or saves them money. And launching now will make your company

17、stronger later youll learn to survive on fumes until the economy improves.Thats what John Tayman is doing. Hes an author who lives in San Francisco, where I met him; he wrote reviews for a business magazine I edited. Tayman knew little about technology and even less about business. And yet he dreame

18、d of a website that would summarize car reviews from other sources and rank every model of new car. “Itll be like RottenT meets Kelley Blue Book,” he explained to me during lunch one day last June. Tayman said he intended to build the site on the side while continuing to write for a living. Hed work

19、 on his new company only at night and on weekends. Oh, yes, and he had only about $10,000. “Good luck with that!” I thought. Ideas are much easier to produce than they are to execute.Tayman went to work with nothing more than his PowerBook laptop. A very well-organized fellow, he quickly discovered

20、a bunch of free stuff online instructional manuals and sites that walk you through the process from start to finish. Within months, Tayman had a virtual staff of 20 employees working for him in five different countries. MotorM went live in January. Tayman figures he has worked about 10 hours a week

21、on it and hasnt spent a cent on marketing or advertising. Growth is modest but steady: nearly 10,000 people visit each week.62. What is an advantage of starting a business now?A) It will guarantee you a big success.B) It can never be more profitable.C) It costs you much less than ever before.D) It k

22、eeps you from useless complaining.63. What is essential to start your business according to the passage?A) Low-cost products used to be trade.B) A good idea helping people make or save money.C) Starting the business as early as possible.D) Practical products with good quality.64. What is said about

23、Tayman in the passage?A) He chooses to run his business in his spare time.B) He has raised enough funds for his business.C) He is good at Internet technology and e-commerce.D) He came up the idea when talking with his friend.65. How did the author feel on hearing of Taymans idea?A) He was sure that

24、it would make profit.B) He thought Tayman was out of his mind.C) He is suspicious of his executive capability.D) He had no confidence in Taymans success.66. How is Taymans website going now?A) It starts to be used by more people now.B) It has made a huge profit since January. C) It still copies free

25、 stuff from the Internet.D) It has a capacity of 10,000 visits per week.Passage OneQuestions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.When it comes to using technology to foster education, the prevailing wisdom has been that more is better. Over the past decade, universities around the globe have

26、 invested heavily in the wired classroom, adding everything from external laptop connections to Blu-ray DVD players. But there is little evidence that these devices enhance learning and, critics believe, they might actually hinder it, making both students and teachers passive. What if classrooms wer

27、e restored to the pre-Internet days of wooden tables and chalk?Take technology out of the classroom. Jose Bowen, dean of the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University in Texas, has done just that. He wants his faculty to “teach naked”, meaning without the aid of any machines. “Just

28、 because you have a PowerPoint presentation doesnt mean you have a good lecture,” he argues. Classroom time should be reserved for discussions with the professor, aimed at teaching students to think critically, argue, and raise new questions. Due to the grim (嚴峻的) economic climate at most universiti

29、es, he says, avoiding new technology is also a sound way to save money.Bowen, who teaches music, delivers content via podcasts (播客), which students must listen to on their own time. He then quizzes them on the material before every class to make sure theyve done the work, and uses class time for dis

30、cussions and research according to the recorded lessons. Hes been teaching the same material for 25 years, but since he implemented the new way, he says, his students have been more engaged and scored better on exams. College students asked by researchers to list what motivates them have consistentl

31、y emphasized teacher enthusiasm, organization, and rapport (融洽的關系), while naming lack of active participation as a major disincentive (遏制因素). Last spring the British Educational Research Journal published a survey that found that 59 percent of students called at least half their lectures boring part

32、icularly those involving PowerPoint.Technology has a place in education, but it should be used independently by students outside the classroom. That gives them more time to absorb lectures via podcast or video, and frees teachers to spend class time coaching students in how to apply the material rat

33、her than simply absorb it.57. Whats the opinion of critics about the technology used in the classrooms?A) It helps enhance teaching and learning.B) It puts extra financial burden on schools.C) It may serve as an obstacle to learning.D) It has injected great vitality into the class.58. What does Jose

34、 Bowen expect his teachers to do?A) To teach the students how to use technology after class.B) To explain the materials clearly in their unique ways.C) To give PowerPoint presentation when teaching.D) To teach the students without the aid of technology.59. According to the passage, class time should

35、 be used to _. A) discuss how to treat technologyB) learn the materials by heartC) promote students critical thinkingD) update students on new information60. What do we learn from the third paragraph?A) Active participation in class stimulates students to learn.B) Students need tests to check what t

36、hey have learned. C) Most students regard lectures with PowerPoint as less boring.D) Teachers influence is the most important factor in teaching. 61. What is the authors attitude towards using technology in the classroom?A) Concerned.B) Indifferent.C) Optimistic.D) Disapproving.Passage TwoQuestions

37、62 to 66 are based on the following passage.A theme is emerging from the flood of recent corporate earnings reports: Cost cuts are boosting profits. Investors are cheering, but they shouldnt. Even in these tough times, more CEOs should be talking about how they are seeking out investments, developin

38、g new technologies and making acquisitions.Thats what will set their companies up for a stronger future. Intel Corp.s former CEO Gordon Moore had it right when he said years ago that “you cant save your way out of a recession.” He meant that even in the toughest times, companies have to spend money

39、on new ideas. Recessions always end, Moore often said, and when they do, companies that embraced innovation (創(chuàng)新) during the downturn wont be stuck with obsolete products and services. Instead, theyll have new things to offer once demand picks up again.“Customers dont come out of recessions spending

40、the way they did before,” said Chunka Mui, who has studied how companies can capitalize on opportunities during crises at his Chicago-based consulting firm, The Devils Advocate Group. “They demand something different.”Surprisingly few companies are following Moores advice of innovating during recess

41、ions. Many have been weakened by the pullback in consumer and business spending as well as tight credit conditions, which is making it harder for companies to get loans to fund their operations. Thats driven some to hold cash and make drastic cost cuts. Theyre slashing (大幅度削減) jobs and wages and clo

42、sing stores and factories.The aggressive cuts have allowed companies to exceed Wall Streets expectations for their earnings. In fact, the “good” news has sent the Dow Jones industrial average above 10,000 for the first time in a year. The problem is that too many companies are making widespread, not focused cuts. Theyre telling every division to cut 10 percent of their work force or slashing marketing dollars by the same amount companywide.“That is a quick way to rid a company of costs. But it doesnt help it get in a better position going forward”, s