大學(xué)英語六級經(jīng)典閱讀5

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　　Passage 1

　　Automation refers to the introduction of electronic control and automatic operation of productive machinery. It reduces the human factors， mental and physical， in production， and is designed to make possible the manufacture of more goods with fewer workers. The development of automation in American industry has been called the Second Industrial Revolution.

　　Labours concern over automation arises from uncertainty about the effects on employment， and fears of major changes in jobs. In the main， labour has taken the view that resistance to technical change is unfruitful. Eventually， the result of automation may well be an increase in employment， since it is expected that vast industries will grow up around manufacturing， maintaining， and repairing automation equipment. The interest of labour lies in bringing about the transition with a minimum of inconvenience and distress to the workers involved. Also， union spokesmen emphasize that the benefit of the increased production and lower costs made possible by automation should be shared by workers in the form of higher wages， more leisure， and improved living standards.

　　To protect the interests of their members in the era of automation， unions have adopted a number of new policies. One of these is the promotion of supplementary unemployment benefit plans. It is emphasized that since the employer involved in such a plan has a direct financial interest in preventing unemployment， he will have a strong drive for planning new installations so as to cause the least possible problems in jobs and job assignments. Some unions are working for dismissal pay agreements， requiring that permanently dismissed workers be paid a sum of money based on length of service . Another approach is the ides of the improvement factor， which calls for wage increases based on increases in productivity. It is possible， however， that labour will rely mainly on reduction in working hours in order to gain a full share in the fruit of automation.

　　21. Though labour worries about the effects of automation， it never doubts that_______

　　A) automation will eventually prevent unemployment

　　B) automation will help workers acquire new skills

　　C) automation will eventually benefit the workers no less than the employers

　　D) automation is s trend which cannot be stopped

　　22.The idea of the improvement factor(Para.3， Line 8) implies roughly_______

　　A) wages should be paid on the basis of length service

　　B) the benefit of the increased production and lower costs should be shared by workers

　　C) supplementary unemployment benefit plans should be promoted

　　D) the transition to automation should be brought about with the minimum of inconvenience and distress to workers

　　23.In order to get the full benefits of automation， labour will depend mostly on_______

　　A) additional payment to the permanently dismissed workers

　　B) the increase of wages in proportion to the increase in productivity

　　C) shorter working hours and more leisure time

　　D) strong drive for planning new installations

　　24.Which of the following can best sum up the passage?

　　A) Advantages and disadvantages of automation.

　　B) Labour and the effects of automation.

　　C) Unemployment benefit plans and automation.

　　D) Social benefits of automation.

　　Passage 2

　　Material culture refers to the touchable， material things - physical objects that can be seen， held， felt， used-that a culture produces. Examining a culture`s tools and technology can tell us about the group`s history and way of life. Similarly， research into the material culture of music can help us to understand the music-culture. The most vivid body of things in it， of course， are musical instruments. We cannot hear for ourselves the actual sound of any musical performance before the 1870s when the phonograph(留聲機)was invented， so we rely on instruments for important information about music-cultures in the remote past and their development. Here we have two kinds of evidence： instruments well preserved and instruments pictured in art.

　　Sheet music or printed music， too， is material culture. Scholars once defined folk music-cultures as those in which people learn and sing music by ear rather than from print， but research shows mutual influence among oral and written sources during the past few centuries in Europe， Britain， and America， printed versions limit variety because they tend to standardize any song， yet they stimulate people to create new and different songs. Besides， the ability to read music notation (樂譜) has a far-reaching effect on musicians and， when it becomes widespread， on the music-culture as a whole.

　　One more important part of musics material culture should be singled out： the influence of the electronic media - radio， record player， tape recorder， television， and videocassette， with the future promising talking and singing computers and other developments. This is all part of the information revolution， a twentieth-century phenomenon as important as the industrial revolution was in the nineteenth. These electronic media are not just limited to modern nations; they have affected music-cultures all over the globe.

　　1. Research onto the material culture of a nation is of great importance because_______.

　　A) it helps produce new cultural tools and technology

　　B) it can reflect the development of the nation

　　C) it helps understand the nation`s past and present

　　D) it can demonstrate the nation`s civilization

　　2. It can be learned from this passage that_________.

　　A) the existence of the symphony was attributed to the spread of Near Eastern and Chinese music

　　B) Near Eastern music had an influence on the development of the instruments in the symphony orchestra

　　C) The development of the symphony shows the mutual influenc3e of Eastern and Western music

　　D) The musical instruments in the symphony orchestra were developed on the basis of Near Eastern music

　　3. According to the author， music notation is important because______.

　　A) it has a great effect on the music-culture as more and more people are able to read it

　　B) it tends to standardize folk songs when it is used by folk musicians

　　C) it is the printed version of standardized folk music

　　D) it encourages people to popularize printed versions of songs

　　4. It can be concluded from the passage that the introduction of electronic media into the world of music______.

　　A) has brought about an information revolution

　　B) has speeded up the arrival of a new generation of computers

　　C) has given rise to new forms of music culture

　　D) has led to the transformation of traditional musical instruments

　　5. Which of the following best summarizes the main idea of the passage?

　　A)Musical instruments developed through the years will sooner or later be replaced by computers.

　　B)Music cannot be passed on to future generations unless it is recorded.

　　C)Folk songs cannot be spread far unless they are printed on music sheets.

　　D)The development of music culture is highly dependent on its material aspect.

　　Passage 3

　　The long years of food shortage in this country have suddenly given way to apparent abundance. Stores and shops are choked with food. Rationing (定量供應(yīng))is virtually suspended， and overseas suppliers have been asked to hold back deliveries. Yet， instead of joy， there is wide-spread uneasiness and confusion. Why do food prices keep on rising， when there seems to be so much more food about? IS the abundance only temporary， or has it come to stay? Does it mean that we need to think less now about producing more food at home? No one knows what to expect.

　　The recent growth of export surpluses on the world food market has certainly been unexpectedly great， partly because a strange sequence of two successful grain harvests in North America is now being followed by a third. Most of Britains overseas suppliers of meat， too， are offering more this year and home production has also risen.

　　But the effect of all this on the food situation in this country has been made worse by a simultaneous rise in food prices， due chiefly to the gradual cutting down of government support for food. The shops are overstocked with food not only because there is more food available， but also because people， frightened by high prices， are buying less of it.

　　Moreover， the rise in domestic prices has come at a time when world prices have begun to fall， with the result that imported food， with the exception of grain， is often cheaper than the home-produced variety. And now grain prices， too， are falling. Consumers are beginning to ask why they should not be enabled to benefit from this trend.

　　The significance of these developments is not lost on farmers. The older generation have seen it all happen before. Despite the present price and market guarantees， farmers fear they are about to be squeezed between cheap food imports and a shrinking home market. Present production is running at 51 per cent above pre-war levels， and the government has called for an expansion to 60 percent by 1956;but repeated Ministerial advice is carrying little weight and the expansion programme is not working very well.

　　26. Why is there wide-spread uneasiness and confusion about the food situation in Britain?

　　A) The abundant food supply is not expected to last.

　　B) Despite the abundance， food prices keep rising.

　　C) Britain is importing less food.

　　D) Britain will cut back on its production of food.

　　27.The main reason for the rise in food prices is that_______

　　A) people are buying less food

　　B) imported food is driving prices higher

　　C) domestic food production has decreased

　　D) the government is providing less support for agriculture

　　28.Why didnt the governments expansion programme work very well?

　　A) Because the farmers were uncertain about the financial support the government

　　Guaranteed

　　B) Because the farmers were uncertain about the benefits of expanding production.

　　C) Because the farmers were uncertain whether foreign markets could be found for their produce.

　　D) Because the older generation of farmers were strongly against the programme.

　　29. The decrease in world food prices was a result of________

　　A) a sharp fall in the purchasing power of the consumers

　　B) a sharp fall in the cost of food production

　　C) the overproduction food in the food-importing countries

　　D) the overproduction on the part of the main food-exporting countries

　　30. What did the future look like for Britains food production at the time this article was

　　written?

　　A) It looks depressing despite government guarantees

　　B) An expansion of food production was at hand

　　C) British food producers would receive more government financial support

　　D) The fall in world food prices would benefit British food producers.

　　Passage 4

　　Living at home， says Knighton， a school teacher， continues to give her security and moral support. Her mother agreed， Its ridiculous of the kids to pay all that money for rent. It makes sense for kids to stay at home. But sharing the family home requires adjustments for all. There are the hassles over bathrooms， telephones and privacy. Some families， however， manage the delicate balancing act. But for others， it proves too difficult. Michelle Dek Turco， 24， has been home three times-and left three times. What I considered a social drink， my dad considered an alcohol problem， she explains. He never liked anyone I dated， so I either had to hide away or meet them at friends houses.

　　1.The word hassles in the passage(Para. 3，Line 4)probably means____.

　　A)quarrels

　　B)worries

　　C)disadvantages

　　D)agreements

　　Passage 5

　　It is natural for young people to be critical of their parents at times and to blame them for most of the misunderstandings between them. They have always complained， more or less justly， that their parents are out of touch with modern ways; that they are possessive and dominant; that they do not trust their children to deal with crises; that they talk too muck about certain problems -and that have no sense of humour， at least in parentchild relationships

　　I think it is true that parents often underestimate their teenage children and also forget how they themselves felt when young.

　　Young people often irritate their parents with their choices in clothes and hairstyles， in entertainers and music. This is not their motive. They feel cut off form the adult world into which they have not yet been accepted. So they create a culture and society of their own. Then， if it turns out that their music or entertainers or vocabulary or clothes or hairstyle irritate their parents， this gives them additional enjoyment. They feel they are superior， at least in a small way， and that they are leaders in style and taste.

　　Sometimes you are resistant， and proud because you do not want your parents to approve of what you do .If they did approve， it looks as if you are betraying your own age group. But in that case， you are assuming that you are the underdog： you cant win but at least you can keep your honour. This is a passive way of looking at things. It is natural enough after long years of childhood， when you were completely under your parents control. But it ignores the fact that you are now beginning to be responsible for yourself.

　　If you plan to control your life， co-operation can be part of that plan， You can charm others， especially your parents， into doing things the way you want. You can impress others with your sense of responsibility and initiative， so that they will give you the authority to do what you want to do.

　　21. The author is primarily addressing______

　　A) parents of teenagers C)teenagers

　　B) newspaper readers D) those who give advice to teenagers

　　22. The first paragraph is mainly about______

　　A) the teenagers criticism of their parents

　　B) misunderstandings between teenagers and their parents

　　C) the dominance of the parents over their children

　　D) the teenagers ability to deal with crises

　　23. Teenagers tend to have strange clothes and hairstyles because the_______

　　A) want to irritate their parents

　　B) have a strong desire to be leaders in style and taste

　　C) have no other way to enjoy themselves better