專家解析大學(xué)英語四級考試歷年閱讀真題(十五)

　　作者在最后一段主張孩子們應(yīng)該通過印刷媒介交流信息。此段一共三句話，把它們逐一分析透徹，答案也就顯而易見了。Communication through print, as a matter of fact, allows for a great deal of control over the social information to which children have access。首先找到主謂賓的大體結(jié)構(gòu)，主語是通過印刷媒介交流，謂語是allows for ，allow本意是允許，在這里是指“使……可以發(fā)生”，賓語是control，控制�！翱刂啤笔菍κ裁吹目刂颇�?social information，社會信息、知識。后面是一個從句，to which children have access可以改變句序來理解：which children have access to。賓語與賓語從句合起來的意思就是“兒童能夠接觸到的信息的控制”。整個句子的大意則是通過印刷媒介交流可以控制兒童能夠接觸到的信息。符合這個意思的是D，而A與此正好相反。

　　Reading and writing involve a complex code of symbols that must be memorized and practiced。這一句的結(jié)構(gòu)比上一句要清晰一些。主語是閱讀與寫作;謂語involve，涉及;賓語是“復(fù)雜的象征符號”。后面的從句對符號做了解釋：必須記憶和練習(xí)。這句話所要表達(dá)的意思是：閱讀與寫作涉及很多復(fù)雜的要素，是需要不斷記憶和練習(xí)(實踐)才能掌握的。

　　Children must read simple books before they can read complex materials。根據(jù)上一句所述的道理，兒童們必須循序漸進(jìn)，先讀簡單的材料，待其完全理解掌握了這些資料，再學(xué)習(xí)更為復(fù)雜的資料。

　　這兩句話中沒有提到培養(yǎng)孩子興趣的問題，B可以排除。至于C的說法，文中有關(guān)閱讀與寫作的論述所要表達(dá)的核心觀點是先易后難，循序漸進(jìn)，與增加機會無關(guān)。這道題選擇D。

　　35. What does the author think of the change in today’s children?

　　A) He feels amused by cheir premature behavior.

　　B) He thinks it is a phenomenon worthy of note.

　　C) He considers it a positive development.

　　D) He seems to be upset about it.

　　這道題問作者對如今發(fā)生在孩子們身上的變化是如何看待的。

　　A，他覺得孩子們的早熟行為十分有趣。

　　B，他覺得這是一個值得注意的現(xiàn)象。

　　C，他認(rèn)為這是一種積極的進(jìn)步。

　　D，他似乎為此充滿憂慮。

　　本題考查對全篇材料的理解，必須結(jié)合全文的各種信息，尋找文章中流露出作者態(tài)度的地方，最后做出判斷。第二段中As far as I can remember, my friends and I didn’t find out we were “depressed” until we were in high school，這里把自己和現(xiàn)在的小孩進(jìn)行對比，暗含現(xiàn)在的小孩不應(yīng)該這么小就感到“depressed”的意思，應(yīng)該說對孩子們身上的變化是持否定態(tài)度的。

　　第四段作者提出：Whether this is good or bad is difficult to say，似乎對兒童的變化是好是壞沒有做出評判，但再看最后一段最后一句話Children must read simple books before they can read complex materials，這里赫然使用了must這樣帶有強烈肯定色彩的詞，可見作者的態(tài)度并不像第四段說的那樣，而是對孩子們身上發(fā)生的變化持有明顯的否定態(tài)度，說他為這種現(xiàn)象感到憂慮也不為過。

　　四個題支中D表達(dá)了作者的這種態(tài)度。B似乎也有道理，但不如D準(zhǔn)確、具體，所以還是應(yīng)該選擇D。

　　Passage Four

　　Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage.

　　“Opinion” is a word that is used carelessly today. It is used to refer to matters of taste, belief, and judgment. This casual use would probably cause little confusion if people didn’t attach too much importance to opinion. Unfortunately, most to attach great importance to it. “I have as much right to my opinion as you to yours,” and “Everyone’s entitled to his opinion,” are common expressions. In fact, anyone who would challenge another’s opinion is likely to be branded intolerant.

　　Is that label accurate? Is it intolerant to challenge another’s opinion? It depends on what definition of opinion you have in mind. For example, you may ask a friend “What do you think of the new Ford cars?” And he may reply, “In my opinion, they’re ugly.” In this case, it would not only be intolerant to challenge his statement, but foolish. For it’s obvious that by opinion he means his personal preference, a matter of taste. And as the old saying goes, “It’s pointless to argue about matters of taste.”

　　But consider this very different use of the term, a newspaper reports that the Supreme Court has delivered its opinion in a controversial case. Obviously the justices did not shale their personal preferences, their mere likes and dislikes, they stated their considered judgment, painstakingly arrived at after thorough inquiry and deliberation.

　　Most of what is referred to as opinion falls somewhere between these two extremes. It is not an expression of taste. Nor is it careful judgment. Yet it may contain elements of both. It is a view or belief more or less casually arrived at, with or without examining the evidence.

　　Is everyone entitled to his opinion? Of course, this is not only permitted, but guaranteed. We are free to act on our opinions only so long as, in doing so, we do not harm others.