2006年6月英語四級最新模擬試題(3)

Directions: There are 4 passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C), and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.
 
Questions 1 to 5 are based on the following passage: It was once believed that being overweight was healthy, but nowadays few people subscribe to this viewpoint. While many people are fighting the battle to reduce weight, studies are being conducted concerning the appetite and how it is controlled by both emotional and biochemical factors. Some of the conclusions of these studies may give insights into how to deal with weight problems. For example, when several hundred people were asked about their eating habits in times of stress, 44 percent said they reacted to stressful situations by eating. Further investigations with both humans and animals indicated that it is not food which relieves tension but rather the act of chewing. A test in which subjects were blindfolded showed that obese(肥胖)people have a keener sense of taste and crave（渴望） more flavorful food than non-obese people. When deprived of the variety and intensity of tastes, obese people are not satisfied and consequently eat more to fulfill this need. Blood samples taken from people after they were shown a picture of food revealed that overweight people reacted with an increase in blood insulin（胰島素）, a chemical associated with appetite. This did not happen to average-weight people. In another experiment, results showed that certain people have a specific, biologically induced hunger for carbohydrate（糖類）. Eating carbohydrates raises the level of serotonin, a neurotransmitter in the brain. Enough serotonin produces a sense of satiation（滿足),and hunger for carbohydrates subsides. Exercise has been recommended as an important part of a weigh-loss program. However, It has been found that mild exercise, such as using the stairs instead of the elevator, is better in the long run than taking on a strenuous program, such as jogging, which many people find difficult to continue over long periods of time and which also increase appetite.
 
1. It can be inferred from the passage that _______. 

 A) overweight people are tense    

 B) thin people don't eat when under stress    

 C) weight watchers should chew on something inedible when tense    

 D) 56 percent of the population isn't overweight.    
 
2. According to the passage, insulin _______. 

 A) increases in the bloodstream when people eat large amounts of food    

 B) can be used to lessen the appetite    

 C) causes a chemical reaction when food is seen    

 D) levels don't change in average-weight people who see food    
 
3. In order to lose weight, it would be a good idea for heavy people to _______. 

 A) jog 3 miles daily and chew on carrot sticks    

 B) avoid stressful situations and have control over their eating habits    

 C) eat plenty of chewy carbohydrates    

 D) walk up stairs and look at pictures of food    
 
4. Which of the following exercises might be best for an overweight person to engage in daily? 

 A) An evening walk    

 B) A long swim    

 C) Cross-country skiing    

 D) 10-mile bicycle rides    
 
5. What can be said about serotonin? 

 A) It is a chemical that increases the appetite.    

 B) Only certain people produce it in their brains.    

 C) It tells the brain when a person is full.    

 D) It neurotransmits carbohydrates to the brain.     

Questions 6 to 10 are based on the following passage: Washington Irving was Americas first man of letters to be known internationally. His works were received enthusiastically both in England and in the United States. He was, in fact, one of the most successful writers of his time in either country, delighting a large general public and at the same time winning the admiration of fellow writers like Scott in Britain and Poe and Hawthorne in the United States. The respect in which he was held was partly owing to the man himself, with his warm friendliness, his good sense, his urbanity, his gay spirits, has artistic integrity, his love of both the Old World and the new. Thackeray described Irving as "a gentleman, who, though himself born in no very high sphere, was most finished, polished, witty; socially the equal of the most refined Europeans." In England he was granted an honorary degree from Oxford-- an unusual honor for a citizen of a young, uncultured nation--- and he received the medal of the Royal Society of Literature; America made him ambassador to Spain. Irvings background provides little to explain his literary achievements. A gift but deliberate child, he had little schooling, He studied law, but without zeal, and never did practise seriously. He was immune to his strict Prebyterian home environment, frequenting both social gatherings and the theatre. 
6. The main point of the first paragraph is that Washington Irving was ______. 

 A) America's first man of letters    

 B) a great writer who was successful in his own country and other parts of the world as well    

 C) a man who won the respect of other writers because of his high social status    

 D) a man who was able to move from literature to politics    
 
7. What is implied by the comment about Scott, Poe and Hawthorne? 

 A) Irving's great popularity resulted in the admiration of Scott, Poe and Hawthorne.    

 B) More Americans than Britains admired Irving.    

 C) Irving's work was not only popular, but also of high literary quality.    

 D) Irving's success was attributed to his family background.   

8. What can be said about Irving's law career? 

 A) He only began to practice law late in life.    

 B) He spent very little time working as a lawyer.    

 C) He never practiced law although he studied it .    

 D) He worked as a lawyer with great enthusiasm.    
 
9. Why did Thackeray think that Irving's social grace was unusual? 

 A) Because Irning's degree was honorable and unusual.    

 B) Because his parents were not aristocratic.    

 C) Because he had good sense and gay spirits.    

 D) Because he often exhibited warm friendiness.    
 
10. Which of the following best describes the effect of Irving's Presbyterian background on his life? 

 A) It had almost no effect on his life.    

 B) It promoted his interest in law.    

 C) It fostered his love for literature.    

 D) It enabled him to become a successful writer.