大學(xué)英語4級(jí)輔導(dǎo)材料

1、大學(xué)英語四級(jí)考試輔導(dǎo)資料（改革題型）閱讀Section B專題 閱讀Section B模擬訓(xùn)練（二）Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)Section B Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from whic

2、h the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.Good Things Come to Those Who Actively WaitA) In highly volatile markets, a companys success or failure is often

3、 attributed to luck. Turbulent markets throw out opportunities whose timing, nature and magnitude managers can neither predict nor control. The same holds true for threats. In such a competitive casino, you place your bets and hope for the best. It is better to be lucky than good.B) For the past six

4、 years I have studied more than 20 pairs of comparable companies in unpredictable industries such as telecommunications, airlines and enterprise software and in countries such as China and Brazil. By pairing similar companies, I showed how they responded differently to the same unforeseen threats an

5、d opportunities.C) I found the more successful companies were luckier, in the sense that time and again they responded more effectively to unexpected shifts in regulation, technology, competition, macroeconomics or other volatile factors. Such luck is too important to leave to chance. The most succe

6、ssful companies exemplified “active waiting”, an approach to strategy in highly unpredictable markets that consists of anticipating and preparing for opportunities and threats that executives can neither fully predict nor control.D) But all opportunities are not equal. In volatile markets, companies

7、 face countless small and mid-sized opportunities and the periodic golden opportunity a chance to create value disproportionate (不相稱的) to resources invested in a short period of time. Typical golden opportunities include acquisition of a large competitor to gain global scale, such as the Royal Bank

8、of Scotlands acquisition of NatWest; explosive demand in an emerging market such as China or India; or pioneering a new product or service such as the iPod.E) Golden opportunities occur only when external circumstances throw open several windows of opportunity at the same time. Consider the opportun

9、ity for middleware software that links a companys applications which IBM and BEA converted into billion-dollar businesses. Several developments occurred at once: the internet created demand for software that could get applications to talk to one another; available technology was up to the task; earl

10、y leaders such as NCR and Novell were distracted by other markets; the paucity (少量) of venture capital funding prevented many start-ups chasing the same market.F) Timing is everything in these circumstances. Had IBM or BEA entered the market a year or two earlier, customers pain would have been less

11、 acute and the technology fix less developed. A few years later, and new entrants flush with venture capital cash might have established a lead.G) Managers can neither predict nor control golden opportunities. But they can prepare their companies to capitalize on one when it arrives. The trick lies

12、not in heroic efforts in the middle of golden opportunity, but in the quiet actions taken during periods of relative calm between the storms.H) Keep the priorities clear: In unpredictable markets, managers often try to hedge against every possible contingency (突發(fā)狀況) by running countless experiments

13、and launching a flurry of new initiatives. This is a big mistake. Employees and managers are overwhelmed by multiple, often conflicting, priorities. In attempting to pursue too many priorities simultaneously, executives dissipate (浪費(fèi)) resources and hinder co-ordination across units. Managers must ex

14、ercise ruthless discipline in choosing a small number of objectives to pursue first, putting other valid concerns to one side for the time being. Equally important, they must decide what to stop doing to free up time, attention and resources to make sure the truly critical objectives are met.I) Cond

15、uct reconnaissance (事前考察) into the future: Prudent executives will consciously take steps to investigate a foggy future. First, they should send out probes in a few directions to broaden the search for opportunities rather than staking everything on a single way forward. Exploratory forays include i

16、nvesting in or partnering with start-ups, or running small-scale experiments to test the market. Second, when conducting reconnaissance, managers must remain alert to anomalies (反常) new information that surprises them or conflicts with expectations. In turbulent markets, a managers mental map quickl

17、y becomes outdated, and anomalies provide clues as to where the map is wrong.J) Keep a reserve: During periods of relative calm, executives should build a war chest of cash to deploy quickly when a golden opportunity emerges. This requires restraint. Spreading a companys chips across too many probes

18、 or doubling down on too many bets at the same time leaves little cash in reserve when a big opportunity comes along. To avoid this risk, senior executives should scrutinize (詳查) the companys resource allocation process, cap the number of probes, and increase investment only after explicit evaluatio

19、n.K) Keep the troops battle-ready: During periods of active waiting, executives must push through operational improvements cutting costs, strengthening distribution, improving products. More efficient rivals can survive storms that drown rivals. Operating improvements during the lulls (暫時(shí)平靜) contrib

20、ute to the war chest, but also build the credibility required to seize the golden opportunity. The Royal Bank of Scotland, for example, won NatWest because the Scottish banks track record of execution convinced the capital markets that it was the buyer most likely to make the deal work.L) Declare th

21、e main effort: One of the greatest challenges in active waiting is deciding when to commit reserves and go for broke (孤注一擲). Periodically, executives encounter an opportunity or threat so important that it demands the companys full focus. Declaring it the main effort creates a sense of urgency, focu

22、ses the organization, prioritizes resource allocation and lays the groundwork for coordinated effort. Yet many executives say that this was the most difficult decision they ever made. Playing it safe in the short term can prove hazardous in the long term. Companies that pass on every golden opportun

23、ity will eventually find themselves eclipsed (遮蔽，使失色) by players that can both wait actively and strike decisively.M) Fortune favors the well prepared: In unpredictable markets, good luck is too important to leave to chance. By actively waiting in the lulls between major opportunities and threats, m

24、anagers can increase their odds of seizing the moment.46. Managers should investigate the future to search for opportunities and identify gaps in the market.47. Periodic golden opportunity is a good chance for companies to quickly create more value than resources invested.48. By making operational i

25、mprovements during periods of active waiting, you can raise enough money and credibility to seize the golden opportunity.49. Managers should set aside enough money to fund major opportunities when they emerge rather than spend too much money on too many smaller ones.50. Although golden opportunities

26、 are unpredictable and uncontrollable, managers can prepare their companies to catch one when it comes.51. Several developments occurred at the same time bringing all kinds of opportunities among which golden opportunities emerge.52. Declare that an opportunity is your companys main effort in order

27、to seize it faster than rivals.53. Successful companies were usually luckier in highly unpredictable markets, which showed good examples of “active waiting”.54. Managers must choose a small number of objectives to pursue first and decide what to give up to save time, attention and resources for thos

28、e truly critical tasks.55. IBM or BEA entered the IT market just in time to establish a lead.閱讀Section B模擬訓(xùn)練（三）Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)Section B Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information giv

29、en in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.How Dangerous Are Swans?A) Since ancient times and

30、in many countries the swan has been a symbol of gracefulness and a favorite motif for music, art, literature and legends. In Greek mythology, Zeus in the form of a swan courted Leda and fathered Apollo. One of Wagner's operas is woven around the old German story of Lohengrin, the knight of the s

31、wan. "Swan Lake" is the famous ballet by Tschaikovsky. Those huge birds float like great white flowers on the water. Their extremely long snaky necks allow them to reach deep down and feed on the roots and stems of underwater plants or to be hoisted high like periscopes to spy over the cou

32、ntry. B) However, at nesting time swans usually become aggressive. Habitats with abundant food and with suitable nesting sites may be highly fought over. Those intruding on their territory, including large wildfowl, land mammals and people, may be warded off with an aggressively fast swimming approa

33、ch often accompanied with hissing and busking which is a threat display where the swans neck is curved back and its wings are half raised. Mute swans tend to use the power of their wings to attack rather than their beaks. Mute swans often defend in pairs, says Julia Newth, research officer at the Wi

34、ldlife and Wetlands Trust. The male swan is especially dangerous, even vicious. Children and dogs coming near the nest are often badly beaten or dragged into the water and drowned. A blow from his powerful wing has been known to break a man's leg.C) In 2012, a man has drowned after being attacke

35、d by a swan, which knocked him out of his kayak and stopped him swimming to shore. So how dangerous are these graceful white birds?D) Anthony Hensley, 37, worked for a company that provided swans to keep geese away from property. On Saturday morning, the married father of two set out in a kayak acro

36、ss a pond at a residential complex in Des Plaines, just outside Chicago, where he was tending the birds. One of the swans charged his boat, capsizing it, says Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, whose deputies investigated the death. Mr. Hensley tried to swim to shore but eyewitnesses told the sheriff'

37、;s investigators the swan appeared to have actively blocked him. "I find myself still scratching my head," says Sheriff Dart. "This truly is one of the ones that keep you from saying “I've seen everything now.” According to ornithologists, the swan's aggressive reaction is typ

38、ical for the species, the mute swan, when defending a nest. "It's presumably a male swan and it's presumably paired, and it's set up home for the spring," says Chris Perrins, Her Majesty's Swan Warden and a retired Oxford ornithologist. "It's going to defend that t

39、erritory." The males are fierce in defense of their nests, especially during the spring nesting season - April to June. E) In April 2010, a swan on the River Cam in England made the news after repeatedly attacking rowers. Over the last few years the bird has attacked any boat which gets too nea

40、r, even chasing after motor boats and capsizing canoes. It was nicknamed Mr. Asbo, named after the Anti-Social Behavior Orders issued by UK courts at the time. Two years later, there are still calls for it to be removed from the river, as the seasonal attacks go on. Attempts had also been made to mo

41、ve him further up river, away from traffic, however he always found his way back. Rower Tony Smythe, 43, said: 'It had become a really serious problem and we wanted him to be removed before he injured someone so badly that they had to go to hospital. 'He has been here several summers and eve

42、ry year his behavior seems to get worse. 'Lately he has been attacking every boat that goes past. If you are sculling in a boat on your own there is nothing you can do when he comes for you. ” The Conservators of the River Cam, who manage the waterway, agreed the swan's behavior was getting

43、"out of control" and he and his should be moved with his mate. Now, the pair has been taken to a site more than 50 miles away and outside the county before the spring nesting season begins. “Were relieved he has finally gone.” said Rower Tony Smythe.F) But such incidents are very rare, say

44、s John Huston of the Abbotsbury Swannery in Dorset, where there are 1,000 swans but no recorded attacks on humans in the colony's 600-year history. "If you approach a swan nest on the river, they might get aggressive and hiss and flap their wings, but the danger is over-rated and it's a

45、 myth that they will break your leg or arm with their wings.” “They are not that strong and it's mostly show and bluster." He says he has spent many years handling swans and never been injured, just received the odd bruise. "They do fairly vigorously defend their little patch this time

46、 of year. Once the eggs are hatched he'll stay with the family and defend it. "They have a reputation for being a bit aggressive, but it's only that it's a matter of size, I guess. Presumably a duck wouldn't attack you because you look a bit big."G) John Faaborg, a biologis

47、t at the University of Missouri and president of the American Ornithologists' Union, has known people who were hurt by geese attacks. "And I am sure that swans can do major damage given that they are so big." In fact, mute swans are the largest waterfowl in the world, weighing up to 13

48、kg (28lbs) and with a wing span of up to 2.4m (7.9ft). They are among the heaviest flying birds. In the case in Chicago, he says, it's understandable that someone in a river with their clothes and shoes on was unable to overpower a swan and swim to shore. So people should be aware that a large s

49、wan can give a thump, and the best advice is to stay away from the nest, which is often a place along the bank or shore where the reeds are flattened and the female is sitting.46. The sheriff of the Cook County assigned his deputies to investigate the death of a man caused by an aggressive swan whic

50、h is truly a puzzle.47. The swan, a symbol of gracefulness, sometimes would become very bad-tempered and even dangerous. 48. People should be warned not to approach swans territory during the nesting season. (G)49. The swan and its mate have been moved to a suitable receptor site which is 50 miles a

51、way from their Cambridge home. 50. A scientist who studied birds believed that the murderer must be a male swan who was defending its nest. 51. It is also believed that swans, the largest waterfowls and the heaviest flying birds, are big enough to do major damage.52. The swan on the River Cam in Eng

52、land has reportedly attacked river users on a number of occasions. 53. The swans danger is thought to be exaggerated and in reality a swan is unable to break a mans leg with its wings.54. Swans are very big waterfowls that feed chiefly on plants.55. A swan would curve its neck, half raise its wings,

53、 hiss aloud as a threat and swim fast toward intruders to drive them away from their territory.閱讀Section B模擬訓(xùn)練（四）Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)Section B Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information g

54、iven in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.A) In 1843, a young student named William Ebb Ell

55、is at Rugby School in England, seemingly tired of the restrictions placed on him during a traditional game of association football, picked up the ball and ran with it down the field. While Ellis had violated the golden rule of football, that it is illegal to touch the ball with ones hands, the stude

56、nts and staff at Rugby were intrigued by the prospect of a game which involved carrying, rather than dribbling with, the ball. The result was the game we now call Rugby. By 1845, a set of rules had been developed. Large goal posts were erected on the schools playing field, and it was decided that pl

57、ayers who touched the ball down over the goal line would be permitted a try at goal, and would receive points for successfully kicking the ball over the cross-bar which lay between the posts.B) The game of Rugby quickly increased in popularity. More schools, and later private clubs, were intrigued b

58、y the sport and leagues began to develop. The schools invention was even exported to Canada. There are records of the sport being played at Trinity College in Montreal by the 1860s.C) Like several other popular sports including ice hockey and basketball, American football as we know it today first d

59、eveloped on college campuses. In the 1870s, colleges began to challenge each other to a game which followed almost exactly the rules laid down in Rugby thirty years earlier. In 1874, Harvard and the Canadian college McGill faced each other in their first game of Rugby, and Harvard challenged Yale a year later.D) Intrigued by the game, representatives from Harvard, Columbia, Princeton and Yale met to discuss the adaptation of the rules of Rugby to suit their own ne