12月英语六级阅读专项训练.doc

12月英语六级阅读专项训练（1）
According to the latest research in the' United States of America，men and women talk such different languages that it is like people from two different cultures trying to communicate. Professor Deborah Tannen of Georgetown University，has noticed the difference in the style of boy's and girl's conversations from an early age. She says that little girls' conversation is less definite than boys' and expresses more doubts. Little boys use conversation to establish status with their listeners.

　　These differences continue into adult life，she says. In public conversations，men talk most and interrupt other speakers more. In private conversations，men and women speak in equal amounts—although they say things in a different style. Professor Tannen believes that，for woman，private talking is a way to establish and test intimacy. For men，private talking is a way to explore the power structure of a relationship.

　　Teaching is one job where the differences between men's and women's ways of talking show. When a man teaches a woman，says Professor Tannen，he wants to show that he has more knowledge，and hence more power in conversation. When a woman teaches another woman，however，she is more likely to take a sharing approach and to encourage her student to join in.

　　But Professor Tannen does not believe that women are naturally more helpful. She says women feel they achieve power by being able to help others. Although the research suggests men talk and interrupt people more than women，Professor Tannen says，women actually encourage this to happen because they believe it will lead to more intimacy and help to establish a relationship.

　　Some scientists who are studying speech think that the brain is pre¬programmed for language. As we are usually taught to speak by women，it seems likely that the brain must have a sexual bias(倾向性) in its programming,

　　otherwise male speech patterns would not arise at all.

　　1. In the opinion of the writer，women encourage men to talk because
　　A. it will lead to more intimacy and help to establish a relationship
　　B. it will help to establish status with their listeners
　　C. it will help to express more clearly
　　D. it will help to communicate better
　　2. There are_______in little girls' conversation than in boys'.
　　A. fewer doubts B. more demands
　　C. more doubts D. fewer uncertainties
　　3. Some scientists believe that brain is pre-programmed for language. The word "pre programmed" means_______.
　　A. programmed already B. programmed before one is born
　　C. programmed early D. programmed by women
　　4. In private conversation，women speak
　　A. the same things as men B. less than men
　　C. more than men D. as much as men
　　5. The theme of this article is _______.
　　A. women are naturally more helpful
　　B. men and women talk different languages
　　C. men talk most and interrupt other speakers more
　　D. little girls' conversation is less definite

答案：1. A 2. C 3. B 4. D 5. B

（2）

In the last two hundred years there have been great changes in the method of production of goods. This is now also true of the building industry；for mechanization has been introduced. System building can save both time and money. The principle of system building is that the building is made from a set of standard units. These are either made at the building-site or at a factory. Some designers，in fact，are standardizing the dimensions of rooms. They are made in multiples of a single fixed length，usually ten centimeters. This is called a modular (原则件) system，and it means that manufactures can produce standardized fittings at a lower cost. The most important fact about system building is its speed. A ten-storey flat，for example，can be completed in four months.

　　There are several new methods of system building. One is the panel method. In this case，the construction company sometimes erects a factory on the site. The walls and floors of the building，called panels，are cast in a horizontal or vertical position. Conduits for electrical wires and sleeves for pipes are cast in the panels when they are being made. The moulds for making these castings are situated all around the building.

　　After the concrete panels are cast，they are allowed to set and harden for a week. Next they are lifted by a tower crane on to any section of the building. There the panels are cemented together at their joints and the floor covering is laid.

　　After the panels have been cemented together，the crane lifts a case into the area. It contains all the fittings to be installed，such as wash-basins，radiators and pipes. Finishing tradesmen，such as plumbers，plasterers，painters and electricians，follow behind to complete the work.

　　In some building developments，in some countries，whole flats with internal features like their bathrooms，bedrooms and connecting stairs，and weighing as much as twenty tons，are carried to the building-site ready-made. A giant overhead crane is used to lift them into position. In the future，this method may become more widespread.

　　1. The main difference between panel method and the method discussed in the last paragraph is_______.
　　A. the latter uses ready-made internal features
　　B. panels are cast in a level position
　　C. the former is used to build walls and floors while the latter to construct bathrooms or bedrooms
　　D. the former is more expensive than the latter
　　2. Which of these statements is TRUE of system building?
　　A. It employs more men. B. It is difficult and dangerous.
　　C. It can save both time and money. D. It means less mechanization.
　　3. According to the passage，the principle of system building is that_______.
　　A. construction methods are safer
　　B. buildings are made from a set of standardized units
　　C. similar buildings can be produced
　　D. all units are produced on the site
　　4. The usual fixed length in the modular system is_______.
　　A. twenty centimeters B. ten millimeters
　　C. fifty centimeters D. ten centimeters
　　5. What lifts the concrete panels onto the building?
　　A. Cranes. B. Man-power.
　　C. Pulleys. D. Hydraulic jacks.
答案：1. A 2. C 3. B 4. D 5. A
（3）
　Etiquette (礼仪)
　　The origins of etiquette—the conventional rules of behavior and ceremonies observed in polite society—are complex. One of them is respect for authority. From the most primitive times，subjects(臣民) showed respect for their ruler by bowing，prostrating themselves on the ground，not speaking until spoken to，and never turning their backs to the throne. Some rulers developed rules to stress even further the respect due to them. The emperors of Byzantium expected their subjects to kiss their feet. When an ambassador from abroad was introduced，he had to touch the ground before the throne with his forehead. Meanwhile the throne itself was raised in the air so that，on looking up，the ambassador saw the ruler far above him，haughty and remote.
　　Absolute rulers have，as a rule，made etiquette more complicated rather than simpler. The purpose is not only to make the ruler seem almost godlike，but also to protect him from familiarity，for without some such protection his life，lived inevitably in the public eye，would be intolerable. The court of Louis XIV of France provided an excellent example of a very highly developed system of etiquette. Because the king and his family were considered to belong to France，they were almost continually on show among their courtiers (朝臣). They woke，prayed，washed and dressed before crowds of courtiers. Even large crowds watched them eat their meals，and access to their palace was free to all their subjects.
　　Yet this public life was organized so carefully，with such a refinement of ceremonial，that the authority of the King and the respect in which he was held grew steadily throughout his lifetime. A crowd watched him dress，but only the Duke who was his first valet de chamber (贴身男仆) was allowed to hold out the right sleeve of his shirt，only the Prince who was his Grand Chamberlain could relieve him of his dressing gown，and only the Master of the Wardrobe might help him pull up his trousers. These were not familiarities，nor merely duties，but highly desired privileges. Napoleon recognized the value of ceremony to a ruler. When he became Emperor，he discarded the revolutionary custom of calling everyone "citizen"，restored much of the Court ceremonial that the Revolution had destroyed，and recalled members of the nobility to instruct his new court in the old formal manners.
　　Rules of etiquette may prevent embarrassment and even serious disputes. The general rule of social precedence is that people of greater importance precede those of lesser importance. Before the rules of diplomatic precedence were worked out in the early sixteenth century，rival ambassadors often fought for the most honourable seating position at a ceremony. Before the principle was established that ambassadors of various countries should sign treaties in order of seniority，disputes arose as to who should sign first. The establishment of rules for such matters prevented uncertainty and disagreement，as to rules for less important occasions. For example，at an English wedding，the mother of the bridegroom should sit in the first pew or bench on the right-hand side of the church. The result is dignity and order.
　　Outside palace circles，the main concern of etiquette has been to make harmonious the behaviour of equals，but sometimes social classes have used etiquette as a weapon against intruders，refining their manners in order to mark themselves off from the lower classes.
　　In sixteenth-century Italy and eighteenth-century France，decreasing prosperity and increasing social unrest led the ruling families to try to preserve their superiority by withdrawing from the lower and middle classes behind barriers of etiquette. In a prosperous community，on the other hand，polite society soon absorbs the newly rich，and in England there has never been any shortage of books on etiquette for teaching them the manners appropriate to their new way of life.
　　Every code of etiquette has contained three elements：basic moral duties；practical rules which promote efficiency；and artificial，optional graces such as formal compliments to，say，women on their beauty or superiors on their generosity and importance.
　　In the first category are consideration for the weak and respect for age. Among the ancient Egyptians the young always stood in the presence of older people. Among the Mponguwe of Tanzania，the young men bow as they pass the huts of the elders. In England，until about a century ago，young children did not sit in their parents' presence without asking permission.
　　Practical rules are helpful in such ordinary occurrences of social life as making proper introductions at parties or other functions so that people can be brought to know each other. Before the invention of the fork，etiquette directed that the fingers should be kept as clean as possible；before the handkerchief came into common use，etiquette suggested that，after spitting，a person should rub the spit inconspicuously (难以察觉) underfoot.
　　Extremely refined behavior，however，cultivated as an art of gracious living，has been characteristic only of societies with wealth and leisure，which admitted women as the social equals of men. After the fall of Rome，the first European society to regulate behavior in private life in accordance with a complicated code of etiquette was twelfth-century Provence，in France.
　　Provence had become wealthy. The lords had returned to their castles from the crusades (十字军东征) ，and there the ideals of chivalry (武士制度) grew up，which emphasized the virtue and gentleness of women and demanded that a knight (骑士) should profess a pure and dedicated love to a lady who would be his inspiration，and to whom he would dedicate his brave deeds，though he would never come physically close to her. This was the introduction of the concept of romantic love，which was to influence literature for many hundreds of years and which still lives on in a belittled form in simple popular songs and cheap novels today.
　　In Renaissance Italy too，in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries，a wealthy and leisured society developed an extremely complex code of manners，but the rules of behavior of fashionable society had little influence on the daily life of the lower classes. Indeed many of the rules，such as how to enter a banquet room，or how to use a sword or handkerchief for ceremonial purposes，were irrelevant to the way of life of the average working man，who spent most of his life outdoors or in his own poor hut and most probably did not have a handkerchief，certainly not a sword，to his name.
　　Yet the essential basis of all good manners does not vary. Consideration for the old and weak and the avoidance of harming or giving unnecessary offence to others is a feature of all societies everywhere and at all levels from the highest to the lowest. You can easily think of dozens of examples of customs and habits in your own daily life which come under this heading.

　　1. Etiquette simply serves the purpose of showing respect for authority.
　　2. Louis XIV of France made etiquette very complicated to avoid familiarity.
　　3. People of all societies and social ranks observe the good manners of consideration for the weak and respect for age.
　　4. Napoleon discarded aristocratic privileges when he became Emperor of France.
　　5. Etiquette has been used to distinguish people from different classes.
　　6. In Europe，the newly rich have added new ingredients to etiquette while they are learning to behave appropriately for a new way of life.
　　7. After the sixteenth century，fights between ambassadors over precedence were a common occurrence.
　　8. Extremely refined behaviour had ______ on the life of the working class.
　　9. Basic moral duties are one of the_______of every code of etiquette.
　　10. According to the passage，the concept of romantic love was introduced in_______.
答案：I. N 2. Y 3. Y 4. N 5. Y 6. NG 7. N 8. little influence 9. three elements 10. twelfth-century Provence，France

（4）
The economy of the United States after 1952 was the economy of a well-fed，almost fully employed people. Despite__1__alarms，the country escaped any postwar depression and lived in a__2__of boom. An economic survey of the year 1955，a typical year of the 1950's，may be typical as__3__the rapid economic growth of the decade. The national output was__4__at 10 percent above that of 1954(1955 output was estimated at 392 billion dollars). The production of manufactures was about 40 percent more than it had__5__ in the years immediately following World War I . The country's business spent about 30 billion dollars for new factories and machinery. National income __6__ for spending was almost a third greater than it had been in 1950. Consumers spent about 256 billion dollars；that is about 700 million dollars a day，or about twenty-five million dollars every hour，all