英语四级阅读理解（一）：
Among the more colorful characters of Leadville’s golden age were H.A.W.Tabor and his second wife， Elizabeth McCourt， better known as “Baby Doe”. Their history is fast being one of the legends of the Old West. Horace Austin Warner Tabor was a school teacher in Vermont. With his first wife and two children he left Vermont by covered wagon in 1855 to homestead in Kansas. Perhaps he did not find farming to his liking， or perhaps he was lured by rumors of fortunes to be made in Colorado mines. At any rate， a few years later he moved west to the small Colorado mining camp known as California Gulch， which he later renamed Leadville when he became its leading citizen. “Great deposits of lead are sure to be found here.” he said.
As it turned out， it was silver， not lead， that was to make Leadville’s fortune and wealth. Tabor knew little about mining himself， so he opened a general store， which sold everything from boots to salt， flour， and tobacco.『It was his custom to “grubstake” prospective miners， in other words， to supply them with food and supplies， or“grub”， while they looked for ore， in return for which he would get a share in the mine if one was discovered.』①He did this for a number of years， but no one that he aided ever found anything of value.
Finally one day in the year 1878， so the story goes， two miners came in and asked for “grub”. Tabor had decided to quit supplying it because he had lost too much money that way. These were persistent， however， and Tabor was too busy to argue with them. “Oh help yourself. One more time won’t make any difference，” He said and went on selling shoes and hats to other customers. The two miners took $17 worth of supplies， in return for which they gave Tabor a one-third interest in their findings. They picked a barren place on the mountain side and began to dig. After nine days they struck a rich vein of silver. Tabor bought the shares of the other two men， and so the mine belonged to him alone. This mine， known as the “Pittsburgh Mine，” made 1 300 000 for Tabor in return for his $17 investment.
Later Tabor bought the Matchless Mine on another barren hillside just outside the town for $117 000. This turned out to be even more fabulous than the Pittsburgh， yielding $35 000 worth of silver per day at one time. Leadville grew. Tabor became its first mayor， and later became lieutenant governor of the state.
1. Leadville got its name for the following reasons EXCEPT ______.
A. because Tabor became its leading citizen
B. because great deposits of lead is expected to be found there
C. because it could bring good fortune to Tabor
D. because it was renamed
2. The word “grubstake” in paragraph 2 means ______.
A. to supply miners with food and supplies
B. to open a general store
C. to do one’s contribution to the development of the mine
D. to supply miners with food and supplies and in return get a share in the mine， if one was discovered
3. Tabor made his first fortune ______.
A. by supplying two prospective miners and getting in return a one-third interest in the findings
B. because he was persuaded by the two miners to quit supplying
C. by buying the shares of the other
D. as a land speculator
4. The underlying reason for Tabor’s life career is ______.
A. purely accidental
B. based on the analysis of miner’s being very poor and their possibility of discovering profitable mining site
C. through the help from his second wife
D. he planned well and acplished targets step by step
5. If this passage is the first part of an article ，who might be introduced in the following part?
A. Tabor’s life.
B. Tabor’s second wife， Elizabeth McCourt.
C. Other colorful characters.
D. Tabor’s other careers.
词汇与短语
1. barren adj. 贫瘠的
2. fabulous adj. 神话般的，难以置信的
3. lure vt.诱惑，引诱
4. deposit n.沉淀，储蓄
5. grubstake v.下注
长难句解析
①【解析】“It”是形式主语，真正的主语是“to”后面的句子，“while”引导时光状语从句。
【译文】他的通常做法是对来采矿的人“下注”，说得更明确一点就是泰勃供给这些人食品、用品等物品，作为回报，当他们采到矿后就会分给他一部分股份。
答案与详解
【短文大意】本文主要讲述霍塞斯·奥斯汀·沃纳·泰勃发家的故事。
1. C 细节题。因为Leadville能够为Tabor带来巨富。这一点不是Leadville得名的原因，因为在文章第二段中，讲到这一点时，提及三个原因：A.因为Tabor成为当地的居民代表人物，B.因为在Leadville有丰富的铅的储藏量。D.因为Leadville是因为Tabor重要而起的名，唯独C没有，因为到之后发现是银矿才给他带来巨富。
2. D 词汇题。第二段中grubstake的词义与D所述资料是相同的，即“供给探矿者资金，衣物，食品
以及其他物品”。(可参阅英华大辞典修订第二版64页)但此处还补充地讲，作为回报，供给者能够获得矿中资源必须份额。(见文章第二段第4行)
3. A 细节题。Tabor第一次真正发财是他为两名矿工供给资助，为此他获得他们矿资源三分之一的股份。见文章第三段4-9行资料：两名开矿者从Tabor那儿借走价值17美元的物品，作为回报，Tabor获得他们矿资源三分之一股份。于是两位开矿者在一座山旁的不毛之地开始挖掘，九天之后，发现了银的富矿，于是Tabor又将两人的股份全买下，这样，银矿属于Tabor一个人所有，这个矿就是之后著名的“匹兹堡”矿。Tabor用17美元的投资换来了130万美元的收获。
4. B 推断题。由原文可知泰勃的财产来源是有必须偶然性的，可是毕竟也是基于他开创的“grubstake”模式，因为A、D都不对，C更是没有根据，因为他还没有娶第二位夫人这一切就发生了。分析泰勃的做法，会得出B选项所示的结论。
5. B 推断题。如果本文是一篇文章的第一部分，那么在文章的第二部分将介绍谁呢?key能够从文章第一句分析出来，在Leadville的黄金年代，其多彩的特点当中，Tabor及其第二任妻子Elizabeth McCourt是值得大书特书的，之后，文章都在讲述有关H.A.W.Tabor发家致富的历史，如先买下匹兹堡矿，后又买下Matchless矿，最终成为市长，代理州长，等等，所以涉及到的全是男主人公，所以下边再讲的话，应成为女主人公即Elizabeth McCourt的天地了，她是Tabor的第二任妻子。这是顺理成章的事。
英语四级阅读理解（二）：
Method of Scientific Inquiry
Why the inductive and mathematical sciences， after their first rapid development at the culmination of Greek civilization， advanced so slowly for two thousand years—and why in the following two hundred years a knowledge of natural and mathematical science has accumulated， which so vastly exceeds all that was previously known that these sciences may be justly regarded as the products of our own times—are questions which have interested the modern philosopher not less than the objects with which these sciences are more immediately conversant. Was it the employment of a new method of research， or in the exercise of greater virtue in the use of the old methods， that this singular modern phenomenon had its origin? Was the long period one of arrested development， and is the modern era one of normal growth? Or should we ascribe the characteristics of both periods to so-called historical accidents—to the influence of conjunctions in circumstances of which no explanation is possible， save in the omnipotence
and wisdom of a guiding Providence?
The explanation which has bee monplace， that the ancients employed deduction chiefly in their scientific inquiries， while the moderns employ induction， proves to be too narrow， and fails upon close examination to point with sufficient distinctness the contrast that is evident between ancient and modern scientific doctrines and inquiries. For all knowledge is founded on observation， and proceeds from this by analysis， by synthesis and analysis， by induction and deduction， and if possible by verification， or by new appeals to observation under the guidance of deduction—by steps which are indeed correlative parts of one method; and the ancient sciences afford examples of every one of these methods， or parts of one method， which have been generalized from the examples of science.
A failure to employ or to employ adequately any one of these partial methods， an imperfection in the arts and resources of observation and experiment， carelessness in observation， neglect of relevant facts， by appeal to experiment and observation—these are the faults which cause all failures to ascertain truth， whether among the ancients or the moderns; but this statement does not explain why the modern is possessed of a greater virtue， and by what means he attained his superiority. Much less does it explain the sudden growth of science in recent times.
The attempt to discover the explanation of this phenomenon in the antithesis of “facts” and “theories” or “facts” and “ideas”—in the neglect among the ancients of the former， and their too exclusive attention to the latter—proves also to be too narrow， as well as open to the charge of vagueness. For in the first place， the antithesis is not plete. Facts and theories are not coordinate species. Theories， if true， are facts—a particular class of facts indeed， generally plex， and if a logical connection subsists between their constituents， have all the positive attributes of theories.
Nevertheless， this distinction， however inadequate it may be to explain the source of true method in science， is well founded， and connotes an important character in true method. A fact is a proposition of simple. A theory， on the other hand， if true has all the characteristics of a fact， except that its verification is possible only by indirect， remote， and difficult means. To convert theories into facts is to add simple verification， and the theory thus acquires the full characteristics of a fact.
1. The title that best expresses the ideas of this passage is
[A]. Philosophy of mathematics. [B]. The Recent Growth in Science.
[C]. The Verification of Facts. [C]. Methods of Scientific Inquiry.
2. According to the author， one possible reason for the growth of science during the days of the ancient Greeks and in modern times is
[A]. the similarity between the two periods.
[B]. that it was an act of God.
[C]. that both tried to develop the inductive method.
[D]. due to the decline of the deductive method.
3. The difference between “fact” and “theory”
[A]. is that the latter needs confirmation.
[B]. rests on the simplicity of the former.
[C]. is the difference between the modern scientists and the ancient Greeks.
[D]. helps us to understand the deductive method.
4. According to the author， mathematics is
[A]. an inductive science. [B]. in need of simple verification.
[C]. a deductive science. [D]. based on fact and theory.
5. The statement “Theories are facts” may be called.
[A]. a metaphor. [B]. a paradox.
[C]. an appraisal of the inductive and deductive methods.
[D]. a pun.
答案详解
1. D. 科学研究探索的方法。文章一开始就提出问题，为什么从希腊文化顶峰时期后两千年来归纳法和数学科学发展如此缓慢，而后的两百年又超越了前人，是应用新，旧方法关系还是其它（见难句译注1，2）。第二段讲埃及古代在科学探索中运用了演绎推理法，而此刻应用了归纳法。这种解释太狭隘，经仔细审核，难以很清晰地点明古代和现代科学教义和探究上明显的`差别。因为一切知识都基于观察，经过分析，综合，或综合分析，归纳演绎推理，有可能的话，经过校正或经由演绎指导下再观察而向前推进。第三段进一步阐明不用这些方法观察，实验;忽略相关事实，推理不慎;不能答出理论的结论，再用实验或观察来检验等或用得不全，不论在古代还是现代都会失败。但这不能说明为什么现代科学具有较高的功效，经过什么方式方法，超越了前人，更不用说说明最近科学突飞猛进的原因。第四，五段涉及事实和理论的关系。
A. 数学的哲学，文内没有提。 B. 近来科学的发展。 C. 事实的验证，只是最终两段提及验证方法之作用。
2. B. 是上天的安排，这是作家在用方法论等失败后得出的结论。见难句译注4，第一段最终一句话。
A. 两个阶段的相似性。 . 两者都试图应用归纳法。 D. 由于演绎法的衰落。
3. A. 后者需要证实。答案在第四，五段，死段试图在事实的对立面和理论，或事实和思想中发现上述现象的解释看起来有饿太狭隘，也会因模糊不清遭批评。因为，对立面不全面，事实和理论不是同类的事物。理论，如果是真正的理论，就是事实——一种特殊类别的事实，一般复杂，但仍是事实。而事实，从词的狭义来说，如果很复杂，如果各成分中存在着逻辑的联系，就具有理论的一切主要特征。第五段第二句，事实是一个提议，经过运用知识的源泉和经验而证实的提议直接而又简单。而理论，若是真理论，就有事实的一切特性（除非其证实只能经过非直接的，遥远的和困难的方式方法），把理论转成事实必须用简单的核实，理论所以具有事实的一切特性。
B. 前者简单。 C. 是现代科学家和古希腊的差异。 D. 帮忙我们了解演绎法，三项都不对。
4. C. 是推理演绎科学，这个问题常识就能回答。
A. 归纳法科学。 B. 需要简单证实。 D. 基于事实和理论。
5. B. 是一个悖论，见第四，五段注释。
A. 比喻。 C. 对归纳法和演绎法的赞扬。 D. 双关语。
英语四级阅读理解（三）：
Baekeland and Hartmann report that the “short sleepers” had been more or less average in their sleep needs until the men were in their teens. But at about age 15 or so， the men voluntarily began cutting down their nightly sleep time because of pressures from school， work， and other activities. These men tended to view their nightly periods of unconsciousness as bothersome interruptions in their daily routines. In general， these “short sleeps” appeared ambitious， active， energetic， cheerful， conformist(不动摇) in their opinions， and very sure about their career choices. They often held several jobs at once， or workers full-or part-time while going to school. And many of them had a strong urge to appear “normal” or “acceptable” to their friends and associates. When asked to recall their dreams， the “short sleepers” did poorly. More than this， they seemed to prefer not remembering. In similar fashion， their usual way of dealing with psychological problems was to deny that the problem exist
ed， and then to keep busy in the hope that the trouble would go away. The sleep patterns of the “short sleepers” were similar to， but less extreme than， sleep patterns shown by many mental patients categorized as manic(疯人). The “long sleepers” were quite different indeed. Baekeland and Hartmann report that these young men had been lengthy sleeps since childhood. They seemed to enjoy their sleep， protected it， and were quite concerned when they were occasionally deprived of their desired 9 hours of nightly bed rest. They tended to recall their dreams much better than did the “short sleepers.” Many of the “long sleepers” were shy， anxious， introverted (内向)， inhibited (压抑)， passive， mildly depressed， and unsure of themselves (particularly in social situations). Several openly states that sleep was an escape from their daily problems.
1. According to the report，______. A) many short sleepers need less sleep by nature B) many short sleepers are obliged to reduce their nightly sleep time because they are busy with their work C) long sleepers sleep a longer period of time during the day D) many long sleepers preserve their sleeping habit formed during their childhood
2. Many “short sleepers” are likely to hold the view that _____. A) sleep is a withdrawal from the reality B) sleep interferes with their sound judgement C) sleep is the least expensive item on their routine program D) sleep is the best way to deal with psychological troubles
3. It is stated in the third paragraph that short sleepers _____. A) are ideally vigorous even under the pressures of life B) often neglect the consequences of inadequate sleep C) do not know how to relax properly D) are more unlikely to run into mental problems
4. When sometimes they cannot enjoy adequate sleep， the long sleepers might ____. A) appear disturbed B) bee energetic C) feel dissatisfied D) be extremely depressed
5. Which of the following is Not included in the passage? A) If one sleeps inadequately， his performance suffers and his memory is weakened B) The sleep patterns of short sleepers are exactly the sane as those shown by many mental patients C) Long and short sleepers differ in their attitudes towards sleep D) Short sleepers would be better off with more rest
【答案及详解】 答案：DCBAB 贝克尔和哈特曼报道说，“睡眠少的人”在未进入少年期之前，其正常睡眠时光大致与所需要的时光差不多。但到了15岁左右，由于学校、工作或其它活动的地压力，他们就故意地减少了夜间睡眠的时光。这些人持有这样的观点：夜间睡眠是一件令人厌恶的事情，打断了日常事务。 总的说来，这些“睡眠少的人”表现得雄心勃勃、进取活跃、精力充沛、无意识乐观豁达、立场坚定，对自我职业的选择胸有成竹。他们往往同时从事几项工作，或者一边上学读书，一边从事专职或兼职工作。其中许多人有强烈愿望，想在朋友和熟人面前表现得“正常”或“合群”。 当让他们回忆梦境时，“睡眠少的人”回忆不起什么来。更有甚者，他们似乎情愿什么都记不住。类似的情景是他们通常处理心理问题的方式：不承认问题的存在，期望只要忙忙碌碌，麻烦总会过去的。 “睡眠少的人”的睡眠模式与被划入疯子之类精神病患者的睡眠模式十分相似，只可是没有那么严重而已。 “睡眠多的人”情形则大不相同。贝克尔和哈特曼报道说，这些年轻人从小的，有抱负的睡眠就一向很长。他们好像注重睡眠，不让睡眠受打搅。偶尔没有所需的9个小时夜间卧床休息，他们便会十分不安。他们比“睡眠少的人”要更能回忆得起梦的资料
。许多“睡眠多的人”腼腆、焦躁、内向、压抑、消极和稍微有点儿沮丧，尤其在社交场合缺乏自信。好几个人坦言，睡眠是摆脱每一天烦恼的一种方式。
英语四级阅读理解（四）：
What is it about Americans and food? We love to eat， but we feel 1 about it afterward. We say we want only the best， but we strangely enjoy junk food. We’re 2 with health and weight loss but face an unprecedented epidemic of obesity(肥胖). Perhaps the 3 to this ambivalence(矛盾情结) lies in our history. The first Europeans came to this continent searching for new spices but went in vain. The first cash crop(经济作物) wasn’t eaten but smoked. Then there was Prohibition， intended to prohibit drinking but actually encouraging more 4 ways of doing it.
The immigrant experience， too， has been one of inharmony. Do as Romans do means eating what “real Americans” eat， but our nation’s food has e to be 5 by imports—pizza， say， or hot dogs. And some of the country’s most treasured cooking es from people who arrived here in shackles.
Perhaps it should e as no surprise then that food has been a medium for the nation’s defining struggles， whether at the Boston Tea Party or the sit?ins at southern lunch counters. It is integral to our concepts of health and even morality whether one refrains from alcohol for religious reasons or evades meat for political 6 .
But strong opinions have not brought 7 . Americans are ambivalent about what they put in their mouths. We have bee 8 of our foods， especially as we learn more about what they contain.
The 9 in food is still prosperous in the American consciousness. It’s no coincidence， then， that the first Thanksgiving holds the American imagination in such bondage(束缚). It’s what we eat—and how we 10 it with friends， family， and strangers—that help define America as a munity today.
A. answer I. creative
B. result J. belief
C. share K. suspicious
D. guilty L. certainty
E. constant M. obsessed
F. defined N. identify
G. vanish O. ideals
H. adapted
答案及解析
1.D feel是一个系动词，能够确定此处应填入一个形容词，经过上下文意思，以及后面介词about， 能够确定选项为D项guilty， 短语feel guilty about sth. “对……感到有愧”。全句的意思为“我们很爱吃，可是往往在吃完之后又有负罪感”。
2.M be obsessed with 为固定搭配，原意为“被……附上缠住迷住心窍”，放在本句表示“十分重视”。全句的意思为“我们很关心健康和减肥，但肥胖却又空前地在蔓延”。
3. A 本句缺一个名词作主语，并且根据和介词to的搭配，能够推断出正确选项answer.
4. I本句根据more和ways能够确定出需要填入一个形容词构成比较级，根据上下文，表示“旨在禁止酗酒的禁酒令，却激发了更多新奇的方法来酗酒”，能够确定I为正确选项。
5. F 本题较难。根据be 和by 确定应填入一个过去分词。再根据上下文，上文表示“应当吃典型的美国人吃的食物”，下文经过 but 转折，表示实际上“美国的食物已经被诸如比萨和热狗这样的舶来品所诠释了”，所以能够确定F为正确选项。
6.B政治结果，可根据宗教原因religious reasons来推断此处填政治结果。
7. L由于横线后面没有宾语，能够确定不是构成bring的短语，这样本句所缺的为一名词，做bring的宾语。根据下文解释，“美国人对他们所吃的食物的态度是矛盾的”，能够推出本句意义为“坚定的观点也不是确定不变的”。所以能够确定L为正确选项。
8. K系动词bee后应填入一个形容词，和后面介词of构成短语bebee suspicious of “对……感到怀疑”。
9. J本句缺一个名词作主语，并且根据和介词in的搭配，能够推断出正确选项belief，(have)belief in sth.“ 相信……”。
10. C本句是一般此刻时，缺一个动词，且和with 搭配，确定选项为share， share sth. with sb.， “与某人分享某事”。
英语四级阅读理解（五）：
There are people in Italy who can’t stand soccer. Not all Canadians love hockey. A similar situation exists in America， where there are those individuals you may be one of them who yawn or even frown when somebody mentions baseball. 『Baseball to them means boring hours watching grown men in funny tight outfits standing around in a field staring away while very little of anything happens.』① They tell you it’s a game better suited to the 19th century， slow， quiet， gentlemanly. These are the same people you may be one of them who love football because there’s the sport that glorifies “the hit”.
By contrast， baseball seems abstract， cool， silent， still.
On TV the game is fractured into a dozen perspectives， replays， close?ups. The geometry of the game， however， is essential to understanding it. You will contemplate the game from one point as a painter does his subject; you may， of course， project yourself into the game. It is in this projection that the game affords so much space and time for involvement. The TV won’t do it for you.
Take， for example， the third baseman. You sit behind the third base dugout and you watch him watching home plate. His legs are apart， knees flexed. His arms hang loose. He does a lot of this. The skeptic still cannot think of any other sports so still， so passive. 『But watch what happens every time the pitcher throws: the third baseman goes up on his toes， flexes his arms or bring the glove to a point in front of him， takes a step right or left， backward or forward， perhaps he glances across the field to check his first baseman’s position.』② Suppose the pitch is a ball. “Nothing happened，” you say. “I could have had my eyes closed.”
The skeptic and the innocent must play the game. And this involvement in the stands is no more intellectual than listening to music is. Watch the third baseman. Smooth the dirt in front of you with one foot; smooth the pocket in your glove; watch the eyes of the batter， the speed of the bat， the sound of horsehide on wood. If football is a symphony of movement and theatre， baseball is chamber music， a spacious interlocking of notes， chores and responses.
1. The passage is mainly concerned with ______.
A. the different tastes of people for sports
B. the different characteristics of sports
C. the attraction of football
D. the attraction of baseball
2. Those who don’t like baseball may plain that ______.
A. it is only to the taste of the old
B. it involves fewer players than football
C. it is not exciting enough
D. it is pretentious and looks funny
3. The author admits that ______.
A. baseball is too peaceful for the young
B. baseball may seem boring when watched on TV
C. football is more attracting than baseball
D. baseball is more interesting than football
4. By stating “I could have had my eyes closed. ” the author means (4th paragraph last sentence):
A. The third baseman would rather sleep than play the game.
B. Even if the third baseman closed his eyes a moment ago， it could make no different to the result.
C. The third baseman is so good at baseball that he could finish the game with eyes closed all the time and do his work well.
D. The consequent was too bad he could not bear to see it.
5. We can safely conclude that the author ______.
A. likes football B. hates football
C. hates baseball D. likes baseball
词汇与短语
1. dugout n. 棒球场边供球员休息的地方
2. pitcher n. 投手
3. symphony n. 交响乐
4. chamber n. 室内
5. contemplate vt.沉思，注视
长难句解析
①【解析】此句的主干是“Baseball?means?watching?”，其中“in funny tight outfits”用来修饰“grown men”，“standing?”和“staring”用来做“grown men”的定语。 【译文】对于他们来说，棒球就是在无聊的'几个小时中几个身着紧身衣的大人伫立在场地周围没事可做地东张西望。
②【解析】这是一个复合句，“goes up?”，“flexes?”“takes?”，“glances?”做“the third baseman”的并列谓语。 【译文】但每当投球手掷出球的那一瞬间，你再看吧，三垒运动员脚尖点地，屈臂或把接球手套直指前方，左右移动步伐，或前或后，或许他还要越过场地盯着一垒球手的动作。
答案与详解
【短文大意】本文主要讲述垒球的特征及欣赏。
1. D 主旨题。文章第一段简述了人们对垒球所持的偏见——认为它毫无活力、从容和缓，不像橄榄球那样(禁止)迭起、令人激动。文章的第二、三、四、五段探讨了垒球的根本特征及欣赏角度，文章的最终一句话用一个比喻概括了垒球的魅力：“如果橄榄球是一曲交响乐的话，那么，垒球中所表现出来的运动恰似一曲优美的室内乐。”可见，本文主要探讨的是垒球的特点及其欣赏。 A不对，第一段也确实提到了不一样观众对不一样运动形式的偏好，但这只是用以引出对垒球的特征及欣赏的讨论。
2. C 细节题。文章第一段指出：许多人不喜欢垒球，一提起垒球这些人就打哈欠甚至皱眉头。对他们来说，看垒球意味着眼巴巴地观望着身着运动装(outfit)的人呆立在球场上，东瞧瞧西望望，很少有什么(激动人心的)事发生——没意思透了。他们认为这样的运动更适合上个世纪的人的口味，不像橄榄球那样充满
活力。 A意为：“它只适合老年人的口味。”注意：原文说的是适合上个世纪的人的口味，二者意味不一样。 D意为：“它矫揉造作、滑稽可笑。”这与说它gentlemanly(具有绅士风度，矜持，即：没有冲撞或拼抢)不一样。
3. B 推断题。第三段指出，在电视上，垒球运动被切换成不一样角度的画面，并且不断地使用重放、特写等电视制作技术，这破坏了该运动的整体运动感，使观众无法将自我投入(project)到运动中去，以体会到这种寓动于静的运动之美。电视做不到这一点(The TV won’t do it for you)，所以，电视上的垒球比赛看上去(seems)孤孤单单、冷冷清清、沉沉静静、慢慢腾腾。C、D不对，作者仅指出了不一样运动有不一样运动的特征，并未说哪种运动优于哪种。参阅文章最终一句。
4. B 推断题。第四段整个都在描述垒球场上的一个场景：拿三垒的运动员假设对方全投出好球，作好了一切准备，可是对方投出的并不是好球。所以在那时候他的准备做不做都不会影响比赛结果。他说本来能够闭上眼睛，意思就是B项所写的。A、C、D都不贴合作者的意图。这道题需要完整地了解第四段资料才能作好选择。
5. D 推断题。在本文中，作者主要探讨了垒球的特征及欣赏，作者着重指出的是：仅有根据垒球的特征来欣赏它，才能体会到它的魅力。在他看来，观察到垒球比赛中运动员的各种动作、垒球位之间的关系等是欣赏它的关键(第三段第二句)。仅有从整体来把握它，才能看到每一个小的动作、每一个眼神乃至于“静止”的意义，也仅有这样，才能全身心地投入比赛中，欣赏到它的魅力。可见，作者对垒球有很深的理解并且十分喜爱垒球。主要参考第三、四、五段。
英语四级阅读理解（六）：
Ludwig Van Beethoven1 was one of the greatestmusicians in the 19 th century. John Lennon2 wasone of the greatest musicians in the 20 th century. Although there is a period of about 200 yearsbetween them， they are quite similar in certainways.
Both men expressed the spirit of their time in theirmusic. Beethoven lived in the period of rising capitalism. At that time， people were trying tobreak the shackles of feudalism3 ， and they were pursuing freedom， equality， and universallove. This social trend， especially the French revolution， greatly inspired Beethoven. Hismusic was very active， passionate， and vigorous. Some of his works praised heroism， someconveyed the love for nature， and some extolled4 harmony among people. Similarly， Lennon'smusic revealed his time. In the 1960s and 1970 s， the youth in America were deeply frustratedby the discrimination and injustice in the society and were longing to build a new one . Mostof Lennon's songs expressed the ideas of the youth. In one of his songs entitled Imagine， hesings， "Imagine all the people ， living under peace"， and "The world will be united together asone". These words show his anti-war attitude and his hope for peace ， and reflect the spirit ofthe 60s and 70 s.
Both men were social rebels to some extent. They refused to bow to social conventions andpower. Beethoven was a devoted republican. When Napoleon5 was in power， who claimed tobe a defender of republicanism， Beethoven admired him so much that he dedicated hisSymphony No. 3， the theme of which is heroism， to him. But then Napoleon crowned6 himselfand became an emperor. Beethoven was so angry that he openly declared he took back whathe had said about Napoleon， regardless of possible persecution. Lennon was also considered atrouble-maker by the authorities because of his support for youth movements. For a time hewas not even allowed to give public performances. But he ignored all this and stuck to hisbelief.
阅读自测
Ⅰ. Fin d the correct me anings of the words in the left from the right side :
1. passionate A. praise somebody or something highly
2. dedicate B. discouraged， not satisfied
3. frustrated C. caused by or showing strong feelings
4. stick to D. not change something; keep to
5. extol E. address ( one's book， a piece of music) to somebody as a way of showing respect
Ⅱ. Fill in the blanks :
1. At the time of capitalism， people were trying to break the _____________( 枷锁) offeudalism to pursue freedom _____________( 平等) and _____________( 博爱) . 2. In the 60 s and 70s， the youth in America were deeply frustrated by the _____________( 歧 视) and_____________( 不公正) in the society and were longing to build a new one. 3. They refusedto bow to social _____________( 习俗) and power and Beethoven was a _____________( 忠实的) republican. 4. But then Napoleon ________( 加冕) himself and became an emperor.
参考答案
Ⅰ. 1. C 2 . E 3. B 4 . D 5. A
Ⅱ. 1. shackles equality universal love 2. discrimination injustice 3. conventions devoted4. crowned
参考译文
以音乐作武器
路德维希· 冯·贝多芬是18 世纪最伟大的音乐家之一。约翰· 列侬则是20 世纪最 有成就的音乐家之一。尽管两人相距近两百年， 可是他们在某些方面却极其相似。
贝多芬和列侬都在音乐中表达各自的时代精神。贝多芬生活在资本主义崛起之时。 那时， 人们正试图打破封建主义的枷锁， 追求自由、平等和博爱。这种社会趋势， 异常是法 国*， 给了他极大的启发。贝多芬的音乐十分进取向上、热情激昂、气势磅礴。他的音 乐作品有的赞美英雄主义， 有的表达对天然的热爱之情， 还有的歌颂人与人之间的融洽情 感。和贝多芬一样， 列侬的音乐也展示了他生活的那个时代。20 世纪60 年代与70 年代， 美国社会上出现的歧视与不公正现象强烈地打击了青年们， 他们都期望建立新的社会。列 侬的歌曲大多表达了青年的这种思想。他在一首名为《想象》的歌曲中唱道，“ 想象全人类 都生活在和平之中”，“ 世界大同”。这些歌词表达了他的反战情绪以及对和平的向往之 情， 并反射出上世纪60 和70 年代的时代精神。
在 必须程度上， 两人都是社会的叛逆者。他们拒绝向社会习俗和权势低头。贝多芬是 个忠实的共和党人。拿破仑当权时曾宣称自我是共和制的捍卫者， 贝多芬十分钦佩他， 就 把歌颂英雄主义的作品《第三交响曲》献给了他。可是不久， 拿破仑就加冕称帝了。贝多 芬异常气愤， 不顾可能遭受的迫 害， 公开宣布收回对拿破仑的赞扬。列侬因支持青年运动 也被当权者认定是捣乱分子， 甚至一度遭到封 杀， 可他却依然不顾一切地坚持自我的信仰。
阅读导评
我国音乐家冼星海说过:“音乐是人生的欢乐， 音乐是生活中的一股清泉， 音 乐是陶冶性情的熔炉。”贝多芬和列侬不仅仅体验到了这种欢乐， 还从中获得了一种促使他们 前进的精神力气。为了更好地生活， 我们也当悉心倾听音乐。倾听音乐才能更好地领悟音 乐。能够领悟音乐的人， 才能从一切世俗的烦恼中超脱出来， 才能更好地驾驭生活， 才能成 为生活的主人。
阅读导释
1. 路德维希·冯·贝多芬( 1770—1827) ， 德国作曲家， 毕生追求“ 自由、平等、博爱”的理 想， 其创作集西方古典乐派之大成， 开浪漫乐派之先河， 对后世西洋音乐的发展有深远影 响。贝多芬被后人尊称为“ 乐圣”， 其主要作品有《英雄》、《命运》、《田园》等交响乐9部，《悲怆》、《月光》、《暴风雨》等钢琴奏鸣曲32 部及弦乐四重奏17 部。文章中提及的 Symphony No. 3 即《第三交响曲》， 作品原先打算题献给贝多芬心目中的英雄拿破仑， 但 当他听说拿破仑称帝， 便划掉了献词。共和主义原则使他义愤填膺， 于是把题词改为 “ 为了纪念一位伟人”。
2. 约翰·列侬( 1940—1980) ，“ 披头士”( Beatles) 乐队主要代表人物， 被称为“ 摇滚之父”。 大家所熟悉的歌曲《黄色潜水艇》与《昨日》均出自该乐队。这支乐队属于先锋派， 他们比 较狂热与敏感， 是和平的忠实捍卫者。1980 年12 月8 日， 列侬在自我曼哈顿公寓的门口， 被一名疯狂的歌迷枪杀。文章中提到的《想象》表达了列侬呼唤和平时代到来的思想。
3. shackle 原意是“镣铐， 手 铐， 脚镣”， 常比喻为“ 枷锁， 桎梏， 束缚”， 那里就取此词的比喻 义。feudalism意思是“封建主义， 封建制度”， 与前文中的capitalism， 即“ 资本主义， 资本 主义制度”是相对而言的。
4. 这个词的意思是“ 颂扬， 赞扬， 赞美”， 是个美化用语的动词， 如: extol one's merits ( 称颂 某人的功绩) ; extol one to the skies ( 把某人捧上天) 。
5. 那里指的是通常所说的拿破仑一世( 1769—1821) ， 法兰西第一帝国和百日王朝皇帝。 1804 年， 拿破仑发动雾月18 日政变， 自任第一执政。他称帝后颁布的《拿破仑法典》对 后世有着重要影响。他在位时连年对外用兵， 滑铁卢战役惨败后被流放到圣赫勒拿岛。 今日所说的短语meet one's waterloo ( 惨遭失败) 即来源于此。
6. 该词原本指“皇 冠， 桂冠”， 那里用作动词， 意思是“ 为……加冕， 立……为君王”， 还有 “ 给……戴( 花冠) ， 授……以荣誉”的意思， 如: The Emperor crowned the victor with laurel. ( 国王授予胜利者以桂冠。) 词组the crown of the year 则指“收获季节， 秋季”。
英语四级阅读理解（七）：
Leonard da Vinci was a painter， a sculptor， anarchitect， a musician， an engineer， and a scientist. He was a man of many talents， a Renaissance man1 in the true sense of the word.
Leonard was born at a small town near Florence， where he was apprenticed to2 a painter. But he soonsurpassed his masters in uniting precision of linewith rhythm of movement， and in finding new ways to show light and shade.
Although Leonard is generally known as a painter， his actual output was very small. In facttoday only about twelve paintings are looked upon as3 having been done by him. This isbecause his diverse interest， his far-ranging curiosity in nature and his endless scientificexperiments and designings. To understand the man one has therefore ， to read the 5， 000 notebooks in which he put down his observations in life and his sketch4 drawings.
Nevertheless， Leonard had profound understandings of art， which exerted5 great influenceamong the painters of his own generation and generations to follow. In painting he stressed theexpression of emotional states， which ， to him were， the heart of painting:
"A good painter has two chief objects — to paint man and the intention of his soul. The formeris easy， the latter hard， for it must be expressed by gestures and the movement of the limbs. .. A painting will only be wonderful for the beholder by making that which is not so raisedand detached from the wall."
His major works: Last Supper， many European art masters have painted on the same subject. But none of their versions has been as impressive as da Vinci's. And none has the enduringvalue in the art world as his.
Mona Lisa， if Last Supper is the most famous of religious pictures， then Mona Lisa probably isthe world's most famous portrait. Mona Lisa had as its model wife of a banker. The quietlyfolded hands， the gaze that is directed at the observer， the ambiguity of the“smile”togetherhelp to create a curious effect and a secret effect.
阅读自测
Ⅰ. Read the passage and fill in the blanks with proper words :
Leonard da Vinci is first known as a________ ， and he is also a________ ， an________ ， a________ ， an________ ， and a ________ . The amount of da Vinci's paintings is very small. There are only about________ paintings. For da Vinci， a good painter has two chief objects — to paint ________ and the ________ of his soul. In his famous work Mona Lisa ， thequietly________ hands， the________ that is directed at the observer， the ambiguity of the"________ " together help to create a curious effect and a secret effect.
Ⅱ. Question :
What are da Vinci's famous paintings?
参考答案
Ⅰ. painter sculptor architect musician engineer scientist 12 man intention folded gaze smile Ⅱ. Last Supper and Mona Lisa .
参考译文
达芬奇传奇
列奥纳多· 达· 芬奇是一位画家、一位雕刻家、一位建筑师、一位音乐家、一位工程师 和一位科学家。他多才多艺， 是一位真正的文艺复兴新人。
列奥纳多出生在佛罗伦萨附近的一个小城镇上， 从小给一位画家当学徒。可是， 很快 他就超越了教师。他将清晰的线条与绘画的动态感和谐地结合在一齐， 找到了显示光与影 的新方式。
虽然通常列奥纳多是作为画家而闻名， 可他的画作数量并不多。事实上， 今日也仅有 12 幅画被认为是他的作品。之所以这样， 是因为他兴趣广泛， 对天然界充满好奇， 还做了 无穷无尽的科学实验及设计。所以， 要了解这个人， 就必须去读那5 000 份笔记。在那些 笔记中， 达· 芬奇记录了他在生活中的观察结果与许多素描。
尽管如此， 列奥纳多对艺术还是有着深刻的理解。这对与他同时代的人及后人都有着深 远的影响。在绘画方面， 他强调对人物情感的传达。对他而言， 这是衡量绘画优秀与否 的灵魂所在:
“ 优秀的画家有两大目标——— 画人和画魂。前者易而后者难， 因为后者必须经过人物姿 态及肢体语言来表达一幅挂在墙上的画， 仅有给人以呼之欲出之感， 才算得上是杰作。” 他的主要作品有:
《最终的晚餐》， 许多欧洲艺术大师都作了同样的画。可是， 没有一幅能像达· 芬奇的 那样给人留下深刻印象; 也没有哪幅作品能像达· 芬奇的那样在艺术界拥有持久的价值。
《蒙娜丽莎》， 如果说《最终的晚餐》是最有名的宗教画， 那么《蒙娜丽莎》则算得上世界 上最的肖像画。 《蒙娜丽莎》以一位银行家的妻子为模特。她娴静地搭在一齐的双手， 凝视着欣赏者 的双眼以及那含义不甚明了的“ 微笑”， 共同创造出一种奇特而神秘的效果。
阅读导评
一生身兼数“职”， 在绘画、雕塑、建筑、科学方面都颇有建树的达·芬奇不愧是位传奇 人物。他的作品不仅仅给人以感官上的美的享受， 同时给人以无穷无尽的想象空间， 引人深 思。《达·芬奇密码》中对《最终的晚餐》*性的解读即体现了这种启发。难怪他经过了 历史批评的沉淀和净化至今依然光彩夺目。
阅读导释
1. Renaissance， 文艺复兴， 特指14—17 世纪的欧洲正在构成中的资产阶级在复兴希腊罗马 古典文化的名义下发起的弘扬资产阶级思想和文化的运动。名为“ 复兴”， 它本身却也 代表了一种提高。该运动发起于意大利， 波及整个欧洲， 囊括了文学、艺术、科学、哲学等 各个领域。被誉为西欧文学的三大天才巨匠———但丁( Dante， 1265—1321 ) 、莎士 比亚( Shakespeare， 1564—1616 ) 和歌德( Goethe， 1749—1832) ， 以及“ 美术三杰”——— 达·芬奇、米开朗琪罗( Michelangelo， 1475—1564) 和拉斐尔( Raphael， 1483—1520) 都 是文艺复兴时代的精英。Renaissance man 则指“ 文艺复兴新人，文艺复兴时期的梦想完 人”， 也可作“博学的人”，“ 多才多艺的人”，“开拓型人物”解。
2. 英语中很多名词转作动词用时， 很能提高句子质量， 此处的“be apprenticed to”就是一例。
3. 这是个十分有用的词组， 作“看作， 以为”解， 如: The Statue of Liberty is looked upon as the sign ofThe United States. ( 自由女神像被看作是美国的标志。) 和look 连用的短语很多， 如: look down upon on 就是“看不起， 轻视”的意思， 而look down one's nose at 在口语中也是 表示“不把……放在眼里， 小看”。我们汉语中常说的“黑脸”， 就是指生气、厌恶或憎恨时 表现的怒容， 用a black look 表示。我们汉语说“三思而后行”， 英语是Look before you leap。
4. 在那里是“ 素描， 草图”的意思。达·芬奇一生不仅仅进行绘画创作， 还擅长画机械草图， 他认为人类能够模仿鸟类飞行， 就绘制了扑翼机图。
5. 这个词后面常和介词on 连用， 指“用( 某特质、技巧、压力等) ， 应用( 某物) ”， 如: Her parents exerteda lot of pressure on her to succeed. ( 她父母殷切期望她成功， 给了她很大压力。
英语四级阅读理解（八）：
When global warming finally came， it stuck with avengeance(异乎寻常地).In some regions， temperatures rose several degrees in less than acentury. Sea levels shot up nearly 400 feet. floodingcoastal settlements and forcing people to migrateinland. Deserts spread throughout the world asvegetation shifted drastically in North America. Europe and Asia. After driving many of theanimals around them to near extinction， people were forced to abandon their old way of lifefor a radically new survival strategy that resulted in widespread starvation and disease. The adaptation was farming: the global-warming crisis that gave rise to it happened morethan 10，000 years ago.
As environmentalists convene in Rio de Janeiro this week to ponder the global climate of thefuture， earth scientists are in the midst of a revolution in understanding how climate haschanged in the past-and how those changes have transformed human existence. Researchershave begun to piece together an illuminating picture of the powerful geological andastronomical forces that have bined to change the planet's environment from hot tocold， wet to dry and back again over a time period stretching back hundreds of millions ofyears.
Most important. scientists are beginning to realize that the climatic changes have bad a majorimpact on the evolution of the human species. New research now suggests that climateshifts have played a key role in nearly every significant turning point in human evolution: fromthe dawn of primates(灵长目动物) some 65 million years ago to human ancestors rising up towalk on two legs. from the huge expansion of the human brain to the rise of agriculture. Indeed， the human history has not been merely touched by global climate change， somescientists argue， it has in some instances been driven by it.
The new research has profound implications for the environment summit in Rio. Amongother things， the findings demonstrate that dramatic climate change is nothing new forplanet Earth. The benign(宜人的) global environment that has existed over the past 10，000 years-during which agriculture. writing， cities and most other features of civilization appeared-isa mere bright spot in a much larger pattern of widely varying climate over the ages. In fact， the pattern of climate change in the past reveals that Earth's climate will almost certainly gothrough dramatic changes in the future-even without the influence of human activity.
1.Farming emerged as a survival strategybecause man had been obliged__________.
A) to give up his former way of life
B) to leave the coastal areas
C) to follow the ever-shifting vegetation
D) to abandon his original settlement
2. Earth scientists have e to understand that climate____________.
A)is going through a fundamental change
B)has been getting warmer for 10，000 years
C) will eventually change from hot to cold
D) has gone through periodical changes
3.Scientists believe that human evolution________.
A) has seldom been acpanied by climatic changes
B) has exerted little influence on climatic changes
C) has largely been affected by climatic changes
D) has had a major impact on climatic changes
4.Evidence of past climatic changes indicates that__________.
A) human activities have accelerated changes of Earth's environment
B) Earth’s environment will remain mild despite human interference
C) Earth's climate is bound to change significantly in the future
D) Earth's climate is unlikely to undergo substantial changes in the future
5.The message the author wishes to convey in the passage is that______________.
A) human civilization remains glorious though it is affected by climatic changes
B) mankind is virtually helpless in the face of the dramatic changes of climate
C) man bas to limit his activities to slow down the global warming process
D) human civilization will continue io develop in spite of the changes of nature
1.务农成了糊口策略，因为人们已经被___________。
A)放下原先的生活方式
B)离开海岸地区
C)跟随总在变化的植被情景
D)放下原先的居住地
[A]文章第1段提到“人类在将其周围的许多种动物逼向濒临灭绝的境地之后，也被迫放下他们已导致饥荒、疾病的旧有生活方式而选择全新的求生策略。这种策略就是农业”。A与文章的意思相贴合。
2.地球科学家已经了解到，气候___________________。
A)正在经历重大的变化
B)已经在过去的l万年当中变得越来越热
C)终将从热变冷
D)已经经历了阶段性的变化
[D]文章第2段提到“研究者已经开始综合出一幅有关强大的地质和天文力气发生作用的说明性的，在过去的几百万年中，这两种力气结合在一齐改变着地球的环境：从炎热到寒冷，从潮湿到干燥，如此反复，循环不止”，D与文章的意思一致。因而正确。
3.科学家认为人类的进化__________________。
A)极少伴随着气候变化
B)对气候变化的影响很小
C)深受气候变化的影响
D)对气候变化有重大影响
[C]文章第3段提到“最重要的是，科学家已经开始意识到气候的变化对人种的进化有着主要的影响。此刻新的研究证明几乎在人类进化的每一个重大的转折时期天气变化都起着关键的作用”，所以人类进化受到气候变化的影响。所以，C正确。
4.过去气候变化的证据证明了__________________。
A)人类的活动已经加速了地球环境的变化
B)尽管受到了人类的干预，地球环境会坚持湿和不变
C)地球的气候在未来会有重大的改变
D)地球的气候在未来不大可能发生实质性的改变
[C]文章最终一段提到“事实上，过去气候变化的模式证明地球的气候在将来肯定会经历重大的变化——即使是没有人类活动的影响”，所以，C与文章所表达的意思一致。
5.作者想经过文章传达出的信息是__________________。
A)虽然人类礼貌受到了气候变化的影响，但仍然绚烂无比
B)应对气候的剧烈变化，人类基本上束手无荣
C)人类应当限制自我的活动来减缓全球暖化的进程
D)尽管天然在发生变化，但人类礼貌仍会继续发展
[B]全文围绕气候变化给人类带来的影响展开，而文章最终一句“地球气候几乎注定要在将来发生巨大的变化——甚至无须人类的干预”，说明人类无力改变天然，B为正确答案。
英语四级阅读理解（九）：
By 1970， according to a World Wildlife Fund report， only about 4，500 tigers survived throughout the world-half of them in India. Mr. Foresters， who followed and counted tiger footprints， estimated that in May 1972 only about 1，800 tigers existed in India. Project Tiger Supported by W.W.F. was immediately launched. Nine tiger reserves(保留地) were created， with armed guards protecting them.
The project provided opportunities for researchers from India and abroad to study tigers in the reserves and gather previously unavailable information about their habits. Studies show that a male tiger may control a hunting territory of between 10 and 20 square kilometers， depending on its age， size and strength. Theterritory of male includes the smaller territories(领地) of three or four tigresses. A tiger marks the boundaries of its territories by spraying urine and other bodily liquids on bushes. But it tries to avoid territorial fights， being guided by the distinctive body smell of other tigers. Tigers fight to death only when a tigress is defending her young， or when a tiger is guarding a tigress from the attentions of other males.
The popular image of the tiger is that of a merciless and unconquerable hunter. But studies show that it catches only one of 20 victims it tries to attack.
Fears have recently developed that Project Tiger has been too successful. It has enabled the tiger population to double (by mid-80 S)， but India"s human population has also grown out of control. Currently it is 750 million and likely to be 900 million by the end of the century. Land problem is being serious and many rural people feel bitter about the fact that some rich forests are reserved for tigers. A growing number of attacks by tigers on man has added to the hostility .
练习题：
Choose correct answers to the question:
1.The ultimate aim of Project Tiger is to _____.
A.study the growth rate of tigers
B.protect tigers from being killed
C.promote the breeding of young tigers
D.analyze the behavioral patterns of tigers
2.Studies have shown that ______.
A.a tigress never attacks until attacked
B.the tigress is not as fierce as the tigers
C.a tiger usually fights another tiger to defend its own territory
D.the tiger is not an efficient hunter as is monly described
3.According to the passage， a tiger"s territory _____.
A.remains unchanged
B.is often defended by tigresses
C.expands as the tiger grows up
D.is the cause of most fights
4.Some people are afraid that Project Tiger _____.
A.has been carried too far
B.has not received enough attention
C.has failed to achieve its goal
D.is not worth the money spent on it
5.The author seems _____.
A.to be enthusiastic about Project Tiger
B.to have a matter-of-fact attitude towards Project Tiger
C.to have a hostile attitude towards Project Tiger
D.to be satisfied with Project Tiger
1.[D] 根据文章第1段，老虎被捕杀是其数量剧减的根本原因，所以使老虎免于被杀是野生动物保护基金会的最终目的，故选D。
2.[B] 第3段第2句说，但研究证明老虎捕捉猎物的成功率仅为120，B与之相符。第2段说到老虎一般会避免领土之争，C与之不符，故排除;A、D在原文中并未提及均可排除。
3.[A] 第2段第2句提到，研究证明，一头雄老虎依年龄、体型及力气能够控制10至20公里的狩猎领地，随着老虎的长大，其体型及力气都在增大，其占领的狩猎领地的面积天然也就增大，故A正确。
4.[C] 文章第4段首句说，许多人近来开始担心老虎项目过于成功，C项是该句的同义替换，故为答案。
5.[B] 纵观全文，作者对于老虎保护项目没有加入个人的主观色彩，他持的是一种客观的态度，故选B。
英语四级阅读理解（十）：
Trees should only be pruned when there is a good and clear reason for doing so and ， fortunately，the number of such reasons is small. Pruning involves the cutting away of obergrown and unwanted branches， and the inexperienced gardener can be encouraged by the thought that more damage results from doing it unnecessarily than from leaving the tree to grow in its own way.
First， pruning may be done to make sure that trees have a desired shape or size. The object may be to get a tree of the right height， and at the same time to help the growth of small side branches which will thicken its appearance or give it a special shape. Secondly， pruning may be done to make the tree healthier. You may cut diseaed or dead wood， or branches that are rubbing against each other and thus cause wounds. The health of a tree may be encouraged by removing branches that are blocking up the centre and so preventing the free movement of air.
One result of pruning is that an open wound is left on the tree and this provides an easy entry for disease， but itis a wound that will heal. Often there is a race between the healing and the desease as to whether the tree will live or die， so that there is a period when the tree is at risk. It should be the aim of every gardener to reduce which has been pruned smooth and clean， for healing will be slowed down by roughness. You should allow the cut surface to dry for a few hurs and then paint it with one of the substances available from garden shops produced especially for this purpose. Pruning is usually without interference from the leaves and also it is very unlikely that the cuts yu make will bleed. If this does happen，it is， of course，impossible to paint them properly.
1.．Why should pruning be done?
A．To make the tree grow taller. B．To improve the shape of the tree.
C．to get rid of the small ranches . D．To make the small branches thicker.
2.．Trees bee unhealthy if the gardener__________.
A. giving a tree a special shape and adefinite height
B. removing small side branches and making atree look less thick
C. allowing too many branches to grow in themiddle
D. having a tree surrounded by many othertrees
3.．Why is a special material painted on the tree?
A．To help a wound to dry. B．to cover a rough surface.
C．To make a wound smooth. D．To prevent disease entering a wound.
4.．A good gardener prunes a tree _________ .
A．several times throughout the year B．as quickly as possible
C．occasionally when necessary D．regularly every winter
5.．What was the author’s purpose when writingthis passage?
A．To discuss different methods of pruning.
B．To introduce some mon knowledge of pruning.
C．To explain how trees developdisease.
D．To give practical instruction for pruning atree.