英语四级快速阅读专项练习(含答案解析).doc

英语四级快速阅读专项练习(含答案解析)
（一）Skimming and Scanning
　　Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked [A], [B], [C] and [D]. For question 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.
Animals on the Move
　　It looked like a scene from “Jaws” but without the dramatic music. A huge shark was slowly swimming through the water, its tail swinging back and forth like the pendulum of a clock.
　　Suddenly sensitive nerve ending in the shark’s skin picked up vibrations of a struggling fish. The shark was immediately transformed into a deadly, efficient machine of death. With muscles taut, the shark knifed through the water at a rapid speed. In a flash the shark caught its victim, a large fish, in its powerful jaws. Then, jerking its head back and forth, the shark tore huge chunks of flesh from its victim and swallowed them. Soon the action was over.
　　Moving to Survive
　　In pursuing its prey, the shark demonstrated in a dramatic way the important role of movement, or locomotion, in animals.
　　Like the shark, most animals use movement to find food. They also use locomotion to escape enemies, find a mate, and explore new territories. The methods of locomotion include crawling, hopping, slithering, flying, swimming, or walking.
　　Humans have the added advantage of using their various inventions to move about in just about any kind of environment. Automobiles, rockets, and submarines transport humans from deep oceans to as far away as the moon. However, for other animals movement came about naturally through millions of years of evolution. One of the most successful examples of animal locomotion is that of the shark. Its ability to quickly zero in on its prey has always impressed scientists. But it took a detailed study by Duke University marine biologists S. A. Wainwright, F. Vosburgh, and J. H. Hebrank to find out how the sharks did it. In their study the scientists observed sharks swimming in a tank at Marine land in Saint Augustine, Fla. Movies were taken of the sharks’ movements and analyzed. Studies were also made of shark skin and muscle.
　　Skin Is the Key
　　The biologists discovered that the skin of the shark is the key to the animal’s high efficiency in swimming through the water. The skin contains many fibers that crisscross like the inside of a belted radial tire. The fibers are called collagen fibers. These fibers can either store or release large amounts of energy depending on whether the fibers are relaxed or taut. When the fibers are stretched, energy is stored in them the way energy is stored in the string of a bow when pulled tight. When the energy is released, the fibers become relaxed.
　　The Duke University biologists have found that the greatest stretching occurs where the shark bends its body while swimming. During the body’s back and forth motion, fibers along the outside part of the bending body stretch greatly. Much potential energy is stored in the fibers. This energy is released when the shark’s body snaps back the other way.
　　As energy is alternately stored and released on both sides of the animal’s body, the tail whips strongly back and forth. This whip-like action propels the animal through the water like a living bullet.
　　Source of Energy
　　What causes the fibers to store so much energy? In finding the answer the Duke University scientists learned that the shark’s similarity to a belted radial tire doesn’t stop with the skin. Just as a radial tire is inflated by pressure, so, too, is the area just under the shark’s collagen “radials”. Instead of air pressure, however, the pressure in the shark may be due to the force of the blood pressing on the collagen fibers.
　　When the shark swims slowly, the pressure on the fibers is relatively low. The fibers are more relaxed, and the shark is able to bend its body at sharp angles. The animal swims this way when looking around for food or just swimming. However, when the shark detects an important food source, some fantastic involuntary changes take place.
　　The pressure inside the animal may increase by 10 times. This pressure change greatly stretches the fibers, enabling much energy to be stored.
　　This energy is then transferred to the tail, and the shark is off. The rest of the story is predictable.
　　Dolphin Has Speed Record
　　Another fast marine animal is the dolphin. This seagoing mammal has been clocked at speeds of 32 kilometers (20 miles) an hour. Biologists studying the dolphin have discovered that, like the shark, the animal’s efficient locomotion can be traced to its skin. A dolphin’s skin is made up in such a way that it offers very little resistance to the water flowing over it. Normally when a fish or other object moves slowly through the water, the water flows smoothly past the body. This smooth flow is known as laminar flow. However, at faster speeds the water becomes more turbulent along the moving fish. This turbulence muses friction and slows the fish down.
　　In a dolphin the skin is so flexible that it bends and yields to the waviness of the water. The waves, in effect, become tucked into the skin’s folds. This allows the rest of the water to move smoothly by in a laminar flow. Where other animals would be slowed by turbulent water at rapid speeds, the dolphin can race through the water at record breaking speeds.
　　Other Animals Less Efficient
　　Not all animals move as efficiently as sharks and dolphins. Perhaps the greatest loser in locomotion efficiency is the slug. The slug, which looks like a snail without a shell, lays down a slimy trail over which it crawls. It uses so much energy producing the slimy mucus and crawling over it that a mouse traveling the same distance uses only one twelfth as much energy.
　　Scientists say that because of the slug’s inefficient use of energy, its lifestyle must be restricted. That is, the animals are forced to confine themselves to small areas for obtaining food and finding proper living conditions. Have humans ever been faced with this kind of problem?
　　1.According to the passage, a shark can use movement to do something except____________.
　　[A]to find food
　　[B]to avoid being chased by its enemies
　　[C]to find a new place to live
　　[D]to show its braveness
　　2.Examples of automobiles, rockets and submarines are used to show that _______________.
　　[A]humans are the most clever living creatures in the world
　　[B]human inventions enable us to travel in almost any kind of environment
　　[C]humans are very successful in inventing transportation tools
　　[D]humans can’t move like other animals in any circumstances
　　3.What is the key to the shark’s swift locomotion in water?
　　[A]The skin. [B]The tail. [C]The muscle. [D]The jaw.
　　4.According to the Duke University scientists, when does the shark stretch its collagen fibers to the greatest extent?
　　[A]When moving its tail rapidly.
　　[B]When finding its preys.
　　[C]When staying without any movement.
　　[D]When bending its body in swimming.
　　5.Why is the area just under the shark’s collagen fibers similar to a belted radial tire?
　　[A]Because it is also full of blood pressure.
　　[B]Because it is also filled of air pressure.
　　[C]Because it is also inflated by pressure.
　　[D]Because it also can be used again and again.
　　6.A laminar flow is formed when a fish swims________________.
　　[A]slowly through the water
　　[B]rapidly through the water
　　[C]against the current　　[D]at the fastest speed in water
　　7.Consuming the equal amount of energy as a slug does, a mouse can travel _________ as long as a slug.
　　[A]one twelfth times
　　[B]the same
　　[C]12 times
　　[D]1.2 times
　　8.A shark finds its prey by________________.
　　9.According to the passage, _______________can be compared to the string of a bow for both of them store energy when stretched.
　　10.When the shark detects an important food source, _______________________take place.

（二）
　　Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked E A I, I B 3, I C I and IDa. For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.
About Story Reader
　　Parents dearly hope their children learn to read well. They also hope their children learn to read quickly and easily, so that they’re ready for the demands put on them by school and the world.
　　Kids want to learn how to read, but they also crave entertainment, whether it’s quiet and passive or dynamic and interactive. The aims of the Story Reader line of electronic books are to entertain children and to introduce them to the process
　　of learning how to read in a gentle and enjoyable way. In this article, we’ll show you how Story Reader works and if it accomplishes that goal.
　　Story Reader is a compact, roughly 12-inch-by-12-inch plastic case (with a carrying handle ) that opens to reveal an actual book that fits snugly into the Reader itself. Story Reader’s core feature is that it "reads" the book aloud to a child as he follows along. The child turns the pages when prompted by the Story Reader or at his own pace.
　　Books have both text and illustrations. The electronic book responds to the child’s wishes. The Story Reader speaks the text for the current page. If the child turns back a few pages, the Reader recognizes that page and reads it again. Kids react well to this interactivity because it instills a sense of cuntrol over the story.
　　There are Three Story Reader Products
　　The basic Story Reader, introduced in 2003, is as described above and is intended for kids three years of age and older.
　　Each book has a small companion cartridge that slides into a port on the case and contains the audio encoded into its memory for the story.
　　The device has a volume control but no on/off switch--a deliberate choice so kids can simply open it up and begin reading. It takes four AAA batteries (or operates on household current with an optional adaptor) and retails for around $20.
　　Find out more information about the more than 60 titles at the Story Reader website.
　　Early in 2006, Publications International, Ltd.--Story Reader’s publisher--introduced My First Story Reader, designed for newborns to kids up to age three. As with the original, a narrator reads the story aloud, this time from a 12-page book made from a heavier paperstock that includes sound effects and music to enliven the experience.
　　My First Story Reader features two play modes, one with narration, the other that asks questions about the images on each page. The child can press any of three buttons to answer basic questions about shapes and colors. The last two pages of
　　each My First Story Reader book features a sing-along rhyming melody. My First Story Reader retails for about $20.
　　Late in 2006, Publications International introduced a video version of Story Reader called Story Reader Video Plus for kids up to the age of seven. Retailing for about $35, it combines a stand-alone Story Reader with an "Animated Story Mode"
　　that plays through your television and includes a "Learning Game Mode".
　　The Animated Story Mode works just as it sounds--when you connect it to your television through color-coded cables, the story appears on screen and changes as your child turns the pages. Kids get to the Learning Game Mode by turning to the
　　last page of the book. There, they can choose from five educational games. While it depends on the story, generally there are pattern games, memory games, and platform games. Similar to Nintendo games like Super Mario Brothers, in a platform game the child uses the included controller to guide him through the environment and conquer obstacles.
　　Story Reader Video Plus isn’t a video game, technically, and Publications International bills the Story Reader line more as electronic books than toys. This reassures many parents, and it’s why Story Reader is sold in bookstores and in the book section of major retailers.
　　What about the Educational Underpinnings of Story Reader?
　　Studies show an alarming decline in reading rates among all age groups in America, especially among the young.
　　Children are bombarded on a daily basis with multiple forms of entertainment that compete with traditional learning.
　　Kids naturally emulate the adults in their lives, and seeing their parents and other family members enjoy reading is a powerful motivator. Establishing and keeping a Read-At-Home Night helps families spend time together and helps form lifelong reading habits in children.
　　Here’s how you do it:
　　· Set aside one night a week in your household and call it "Read-At-Home Hour"--or anything you prefer. Establish a time allotment that works for your family, for example, 30 minutes or an hour.
　　· Minimize interruptions from the TV, computer, and video games--and turn on the telephone answering machine.
　　· Choose one book for the entire family to read aloud together, or encourage individual family members to choose their own books to read quietly. Electronic books can work in this context, as well.
　　· Finally, sit down, relax, and read.

　　1. The aims of the Story Reader line of electronic books are __
　　[A] to entertain and teach children
　　[B] to play with the child
　　[C] to ease the parents’ burden
　　[D] to ease the teachers’ burden
　　2. Story Reader’s key characteristic is that __
　　[A] it "reads" the book which the child likes
　　[B] it "reads" the book while the child plays
　　[C] it "reads" the book while the child follows along
　　[D] it "reads" the book while the parent works
　　3. Children __ are suitable users of the basic Story Reader.
　　[A] up to six months old
　　[B] up to age one
　　[C] up to age two
　　[D] up to age three
　　4. The basic Story Reader for sale is about __
　　[A] 12 dollars
　　[B] 20 dollars
　　[C] 35 dollars
　　[D] 60 dollars
　　5. My First Story Reader is characteristic with
　　[A] two play modes
　　[B] three play modes
　　[C] four play modes
　　[D] five play modes
　　6. Story Reader Video Plus is a video version of Story Reader designed for __
　　[A] newborns to kids up to age three
　　[B] newborns to kids up to age seven
　　[C] children up to the age of five
　　[D] children up to the age of seven
　　7. How many games can children choose from the Animated Story Mode?
　　[A] four
　　[B] five
　　[C] six
　　[D] seven
　　8. If the Story Reader speaks the text for the current page, but the child tums back a few pages, it will __________
　　9. Late in 2006, we can infer that there were Story Reader products___________.
　　10. Like Super Mario Brothers, children in a platform game use the included controllers to__________

（三）
 Reading Comprehension (S