英語四級閱讀理解專練題(一)

　　But is plain tap water all that bad? Not at all. In fact, New York’s municipal water for more than a century was called the champagne of tap water and until recently considered among the best in the world in terms of both taste and purity. Similarly, a magazine in England found that tap water from the Thames River tasted better than several leading brands of bottled water that were 400 times more expensive.

　　Nevertheless, soft-drink companies view bottled water as the next battle-ground for market share—this despite the fact that over 25 percent of bottled water comes from tap water: PepsiCo’s Aquafina and Coca-Cola’s Dasani are both purified tap water rather than spring water.

　　As diners thirst for leading brands, bottlers and restaurateurs salivate (垂涎) over the profits. A restaurant’s typical mark-up on wine is 100 to 150 percent, whereas on bottled water it’s often 300 to 500 percent. But since water is much cheaper than wine, and many of the fancier brands aren’t available in stores, most diners don’t notice or care.

　　As a result, some restaurants are turning up the pressure to sell bottled water. According to an article in The Street Journal, some of the more shameless tactics include placing attractive bottles on the table for a visual sell, listing brands on the menu without prices, and pouring bottled water without even asking the diners if they want it.

　　Regardless of how it’s sold, the popularity of bottled water taps into our desire for better health, our wish to appear cultivated, and even a longing for lost purity.

　　57. What do we know about Iceberg Water from the passage?

　　A) It is a kind of iced water.

　　B) It is just plain tap water.

　　C) It is a kind of bottled water.

　　D) It is a kind of mineral water.

　　58. By saying “My dog could tell the difference between bottled and tap water” (Line 4 Para.2), von Wiesenberger wants to convey the message that ________.

　　A) plain tap water is certainly unfit for drinking

　　B) bottled water is clearly superior to tap water

　　C) bottled water often appeals more to dogs taste

　　D) dogs can usually detect a fine difference in taste

　　59. The “fancier brands” (Line 3 Para. 5) refers to ________.

　　A) tap water from the Thames River

　　B) famous wines not sold in ordinary stores

　　C) PepsiCo’s Aquafina and Coca-Cola’s Dasani

　　D) expensive bottled water with impressive names

　　60. Why are some restaurants turning up the pressure to sell bottled water?

　　A) Bottled water brings in huge profits.

　　B) Competition from the wine industry is intense.

　　C) Most diners find bottled water affordable.

　　D) Bottled water satisfied diners’ desire to fashionable.

　　61. According to passage, why is bottled water so popular?

　　A) It is much cheaper than wine.

　　B) It is considered healthier.

　　C) It appeals to more cultivated people.

　　D) It is more widely promoted in the market.

　　英語四級閱讀理解專練題答案

　　57. C 58. B 59. D 60.A 61. B

　　英語四級閱讀理解專練題(二)

　　In a country that defines itself by ideals, not by shared blood, who should be allowed to come work and live here? In the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks these questions have never seemed more pressing.

　　On Dec. 11, 2001, as part of the effort to increase homeland security, federal and local authorities in 14 states staged “Operation Safe Travel”—raids on airports to arrest employees with false identification (身份證明). In Salt Lake City there were 69 arrests. But those captured were anything but terrorists, most of them illegal immigrants from Central or South America. Authorities said the undocumented workers’ illegal status made them open to blackmail (訛詐) by terrorists.

　　Many immigrants in Salt Lake City were angered by the arrests and said they felt as if they were being treated like disposable goods.

　　Mayor Anderson said those feelings were justified to a certain extent. “We’re saying we want you to work in these places, we’re going to look the other way in terms of what our laws are, and then when it’s convenient for us, or when we can try to make a point in terms of national security, especially after Sept. 11, then you’re disposable. There are whole families being uprooted for all of the wrong reasons,” Anderson said.

　　If Sept. 11 had never happened, the airport workers would not have been arrested and could have gone on quietly living in America, probably indefinitely. Ana Castro, a manager at a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream shop at the airport had been working 10 years with the same false Social Security card when she was arrested in the December airport raid. Now she and her family are living under the threat of deportation (驅逐出境). Castro’s case is currently waiting to be settled. While she awaits the outcome, the government has granted her permission to work here and she has returned to her job at Ben & Jerry’s.

　　62. According to the author, the United States claims to be a nation ________.

　　A) composed of people having different values

　　B) encouraging individual pursuits

　　C) sharing common interests

　　D) founded on shared ideals

　　63. How did the immigrants in Salt Lake City feel about “Operation Safe Travel”?

　　A) Guilty.

　　B) Offended.

　　C) Disappointed.

　　D) Discouraged.

　　64. Undocumented workers became the target of “Operation Safe Travel” because ________.

　　A) evidence was found that they were potential terrorists

　　B) most of them worked at airports under threat of terrorists

　　C) terrorists might take advantage of their illegal status

　　D) they were reportedly helping hide terrorists around the airport

　　65. By saying “...we’re going to look the other way in terms of what our laws are” (Line 2, Para. 4), Mayor Anderson means “________”.

　　A) we will turn a blind eye to your illegal status

　　B) we will examine the laws in a different way

　　C) there are other ways of enforcing the law

　　D) the existing laws must not be ignored

　　66. What do we learn about Ana Castro from the last paragraph?

　　A) She will be deported sooner or later.

　　B) She is allowed to stay permanently.

　　C) Her case has been dropped.

　　D) Her fate remains uncertain.

　　英語四級閱讀理解專練題答案

　　62. D 63. B 64. C 65.C 66. D

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