新東方：大學英語四級考試閱讀講義(六)

　　25. The author’s intention in writing this article is to make Americans realize that .

　　A) it is dangerous to ignore their foreign friends

　　B) it is important to maintain their leading role in world affairs

　　C) it is necessary to use several languages in public places

　　D) it is time to get acquainted with other cultures

　　Passage Two

　　Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.

　　In department stores and closets all over the world, they are waiting. Their outward appearance seems rather appealing because they come in a variety of styles, textures, and colors. But they are ultimately the biggest deception that exists in the fashion industry today. What are they? They are high heels—a woman’s worst enemy (whether she knows it or not). High heel shoes are the downfall of modern society. Fashion myths have led women to believe that they are more beautiful or sophisticated for wearing heels, but in reality, heels succeed in posing short as well as long term hardships. Women should fight the high heel industry by refusing to use or purchase them in order to save the world from unnecessary physical and psychological suffering.

　　For the sake of fairness, it must be noted that there is a positive side to high heels. First, heels are excellent for aerating(使通氣) lawns. Anyone who has ever worn heels on grass knows what I am talking about. A simple trip around the yard in a pair of those babies eliminates all need to call for a lawn care specialist, and provides the perfect-sized holes to give any lawn oxygen without all those messy chunks of dirt lying around. Second, heels are quite functional for defense against oncoming enemies, who can easily be scared away by threatening them with a pair of these sharp, deadly fashion accessories.

　　Regardless of such practical uses for heels, the fact remains that wearing high heels is harmful to one’s physical health. Talk to any podiatrist(足病醫(yī)生), and you will hear that the majority of their business comes from high-heel-wearing women. High heels are known to cause problems such as deformed feet and torn toenails. The risk of severe back problems and twisted or broken ankles is three times higher for a high heel wearer than for a flat shoe wearer. Wearing heels also creates the threat of getting a heel caught in a sidewalk crack or a sewer-grate(陰溝柵)and being thrown to the ground—possibly breaking a nose, back, or neck. And of course, after wearing heels for a day, any woman knows she can look forward to a night of pain as she tries to comfort her swollen, aching feet.

　　26. What makes women blind to the deceptive nature of high heels?

　　A) The multi-functional use of high heels. C) The rich variety of high heel styles.

　　B) Their attempt to show off their status. D) Their wish to improve their appearance.

　　27. The author’s presentation of the positive side of high heels is meant .

　　A) to be ironic C) to be fair to the fashion industry

　　B) to poke fun at women D) to make his point convincing

　　28. The author’s presentation of the expression “those babies’ (Line 3, Para. 2) to refer to high heels .

　　A) to show their fragile characteristics C) to show women’s affection for them

　　B) to indicate their feminine features D) to emphasize their small size

　　29. The author’s chief argument against high heels is that .

　　A) they pose a threat to lawns

　　B) they are injurious to women’s health

　　C) they don’t necessarily make women beautiful

　　D) they are ineffective as a weapon of defense

　　30. It can be inferred from the passage that women should .

　　A) see through the very hature of fashion myths

　　B) boycott the products of the fashion industry

　　C) go to a podiatrist regularly for advice

　　D) avoid following fashion too closely