英语四级考试真题的阅读:阅读理解

　　A) Why are we spending so much money on college? And why are we so unhappy about it? We all seem to agree that a college education is wonderful, and yet strangely we worry when we see families investing so much in this supposedly essential good. Maybe its time to ask a question that seems almost sacrilegious : is all this investment in college education really worth it?

　　B) The answer, I fear, is no. For an increasing number of kids, the extra time and money spent pursuing a college diploma will leave them worse off than they were before they set foot on campus.

　　C) For my entire adult life, a good education has been the most important thing for middle-class households. My parents spent more educating my sister and me than they spent on their house, and theyre not the only ones... and, of course, for an increasing number of families, most of the cost of their house is actually the cost of living in a good school district. Questioning the value of a college education seems a bit like questioning the value of happiness, or fun.

　　D) The average price of all goods and services has risen about 50 percent. But the price of a college education has nearly doubled in that time. Is the education that todays students are getting twice as good? Are new workers twice as smart? Have they become somehow massively more expensive to educate?

　　E) Perhaps a bit. Richard Vedder, an Ohio University economics professor, says, I look at the data, and I see college costs rising faster than inflation up to the mid-1980s by 1 percent a year. Now I see them rising 3 to 4 percent a year over inflation. What has happened? The federal government has started dropping money out of airplanes. Aid has increased, subsidized loans have become available, and the universities have gotten the money. Economist Bryan Caplan, who is writing a book about education, agrees: Its a giant waste of resources that will continue as long as the subsidies continue.

　　F) Promotional literature for colleges and student loans often speaks of debt as an investment in yourself. But an investment is supposed to generate income to pay off the loans. More than half of all recent graduates are unemployed or in jobs that do not require a degree, and the amount of student-loan debt carried by households has increased more than five times since 1999. These graduates were told that a diploma was all they needed to succeed, but it wont even get them out of the spare bedroom at Mom and Dads. For many, the most visible result of their four years is the loan payments, which now average hundreds of dollars a month on loan balances in the tens of thousands.

　　G) Its true about the money-sort of. College graduates now make 80 percent more than people who have only a high-school diploma, and though there are no precise estimates, the wage premium for an outstanding school seems to be even higher. But thats not true of every student. Its very easy to spend four years majoring in English literature and come out no more employable than you were before you went in. Conversely, chemical engineers straight out of school can easily make almost four times the wages of an entry-level high-school graduate.

　　H) James Heckman, the Nobel Prize-winning economist, has examined how the returns on education break down for individuals with different backgrounds and levels of ability. Even with these high prices, youre still finding a high return for individuals who are bright and motivated, he says. On the other hand, if youre not college ready, then the answer is no, its not worth it. Experts tend to agree that for the average student, college is still worth it today, but they also agree that the rapid increase in price is eating up more and more of the potential return. For borderline students, tuition rise can push those returns into negative territory.

　　I) Everyone seems to agree that the government, and parents, should be rethinking how we invest in higher education and that employers need to rethink the increasing use of college degrees as crude screening tools for jobs that dont really require college skills. Employers seeing a surplus of college graduates and looking to fill jobs are just adding that requirement. says Vedder. In fact, a college degree becomes a job requirement for becoming a bar-tender.

　　J) We have started to see some change on the finance side. A law passed in 2007 allows many students to cap their loan payment at 10 percent of their income and forgives any balance after 25 years. But of course, that doesnt control the cost of education! it just shifts it to taxpayers. It also encourages graduates to choose lower-paying careers, which reduces the financial return to education still further. Youre subsidizing people to become priests and poets and so forth, says Heckman. You may think thats a good thing, or you may not. Either way it will be expensive for the government.

　　K) What might be a lot cheaper is putting more kids to work. Caplan notes that work also builds valuable skills- probably more valuable for kids who dont naturally love sitting in a classroom. Heckman agrees wholeheartedly: People are different, and those abilities can be shaped. Thats what weve learned, and public policy should recognize that.

　　L) Heckman would like to see more apprenticeship-style programs, where kids can learn in the workplace-learn not just specific job skills, but the kind of soft skills, like getting to work on time and getting along with a team- that are crucial for career success. Its about having mentors and having workplace-based education, he says. Time and again Ive seen examples of this kind of program working.

　　M) Ah, but how do we get there from here? With better public policy, hopefully, but also by making better individual decisions. Historically markets have been able to handle these things, says Vedder. and I think eventually markets will handle this one. If it doesnt improve soon, people are going to wake up and ask, Why am I going to college?

　　注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

　　46. Caplan suggests that kids who dont love school go to work.

　　47. An increasing number of families spend more money on houses in a good school district.

　　48. Subsidized loans to college students are a huge waste of money, according to one economist.

　　49. More and more kids find they fare worse with a college diploma.

　　50. For those who are not prepared for higher education, going to college is not worth it.

　　51. Over the years the cost of a college education has increased almost by 100%.

　　52. A law passed recently allows many students to pay no more than one tenth of their income for their college loans.

　　53. Middle-class Americans have highly valued a good education.

　　54. More kids should be encouraged to participate in programs where they can learn not only job skills but also social skills.

　　55. Over fifty percent of recent college graduates remain unemployed or unable to find a suitable job.

　　46.

　　ANSWER 答案

　　2013年12月四级阅读长篇阅读解析：细节归纳题。由题干中的kids who don t love school go to work定位到K段第二句。K段第一句指出年轻人选择工作的原因，第二句Caplan指出，工作同样培养有价值的技能对于那些天生不爱坐在教室里学习的年轻人来说,或许更有价值。题干是对原文中Caplan的观点的总结,因此答案为K。

　　47.

　　ANSWER 答案

　　2013年12月四级阅读长篇阅读解析：同义转述题。由题干中的An increasing number of families 和 good school district 定位到C段第二句。C段介绍了作者自己家的 情况。定位句提到,对于越来越多的家庭来说,大部分的家庭开支实际上也就是住在一个好学区的成本。由此可知，题干是对原文中for an increasing number of... a good school district 的 同义转述,因此答案为C。

　　48.

　　ANSWER 答案

　　2013年12月四级阅读长篇阅读解析：细节推断题。由题干中的a huge waste of money定位 到E段最后一句。E段主要描述大学教育成本 的增长速度之快及助学贷款。定位句中Caplan指出,只要补贴继续发放,资源的巨大浪费就将一直持续下去，题干中a huge waste of money与原文中的a giant waste of resources 相对应,因此答案为E。

　　49.B

　　2013年12月四级阅读长篇阅读解析：细节推断题。由题干中的fare worse和college diploma 定位到B段最后一句。定位句指出，越来越多的孩子把额外的时间和金钱花在追求大学文凭上.这样导致他们比刚进人校园时更拮据。题干中的 fare worse 对应原文中的 leave them worse off than they were,因此答案为B。

　　50.

　　ANSWER 答案

　　2013年12月四级阅读长篇阅读解析：细节推断题。由题干中的not prepared for higher education和not worth it定位到H段第三句。H段主要分析了教育所带来的回报，提到了适合上大学和不适合上大学的两类人。定位句指出，对没有准备好上大学的人来，所带来的回报并不多,所以上大学对于这类人来说是不值得，题干中not prepared for higher education对应原文中的 not college ready，因此答案为H。

　　51.

　　ANSWER 答案

　　2013年12月四级阅读长篇阅读解析：细节推断题。由题干中的the cost of a college education 和100%定位到D段第二句。D段作者主要分析大学教育成本的增长问题,开头提出商品和服务的平均价格上涨了50%,接着指出，大学教育成本却增加了近一倍。题干中的 increased almost by 100%与原文中的nearly doubled相对应,因此答案为D。

　　52.

　　ANSWER 答案

　　2013年12月四级阅读长篇阅读解析：细节辨认题。由题干中的A law passed和one tenth of their income定位到J段第二句。由定位句可知,2007年通过的一项法律允许学生将他们的贷款偿还额控制在他们收人的10%以内,并且在25年后免除所有余款。题干中 no more than one tenth of their income对应原文中的 at 10 percent of their income,因此 答案为J。

　　53.

　　ANSWER 答案

　　2013年12月四级阅读长篇阅读解析：细节推断题。由题干中的Middle-class, highly valued和a good education定位到C段第一句和最后一句。C段主要分析了美国中产阶层对教育的态度，即他们将教育摆在特别重要的位置,质疑大学教育的价值似乎有点像质疑幸 福或乐趣的价值。题干是对定位段的总结，因此答案为C。

　　54.

　　ANSWER 答案

　　2013年12月四级阅读长篇阅读解析：细节推断题。由题干中的programs, job skills和social skills定位到L段第一句。定位句指出，学徒式项目可以让年轻人在工作中学习不只是学习专业工作技能,同时也学到 软技能 的东西，比如准时上班、与团队相处融洽等,这些对事业成功是至关重要的。题干中 not only job skills but also social skills 对应原文中的 learn not just specific job skills, but the kind of soft skills, 因此答案为L。

　　55.

　　ANSWER 答案

　　2013年12月四级阅读长篇阅读解析：细节推断题。由题干中的fifty percent和unemployed 定位到F段第三句。F段主要分析了学生的就业情况。定位句提到，现在一半以上的毕业生处于待业状态或者从事一些并不需要大学学历的工作,题干中Over fifty percent of recent college graduates 对应原文中 More than half of all recent graduates,因此答案为F。

　　Section C

　　Passage One

　　Questions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.

　　A recent global survey of 2000 high-net-worth individuals found that 60% were not planning on a traditional retirement. Among US participants, 75% expected to continue working in some capacity even after stepping away from full-time jobs. Many of these people made their wealth by doing something theyre passionate about. says Daniel Egan, head of behavioral finance for Barclays Wealth Americas. Given the choice, they prefer to continue working. Barclays calls these people nevertirees.

　　Unlike many Americans compelled into early retirement by company restrictions, the average nevertiree often has no one forcing his hand. If 106-year-old investor Irving Kahn, head of his own family firm, wants to keep coming to work every day. whos going to stop him? Seventy-eight-year-old Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburgs job security is guaranteed in the Constitution.

　　It may seem that these elderly people are trying to cheat death. In fact, they are. And its working. Howard Friedman, a professor at UC Riverside, found in his research that those who work hardest and are successful in their careers often live the longest lives. People are generally being given bad advice to slow down, take it easy, stop worrying, and retire to Florida, he says. He described one study participant, still working at the age of 100, who was recently disappointed to see his son retire.

　　Were beginning to see a change in how people view retirement, says George Leeson, co-director of the Institute of Population Ageing at Oxford. Where once retirement was seen as a brief reward after a long struggle through some miserable job, it is now akin to being cast aside. What Leeson terms the Warren Buffett effect is becoming more broadly appealing as individuals come to view retirement as not simply being linked to economic productivity but also about contribution.

　　Observers are split on whether this is a wholly good thing. On the one hand, companies and financial firms can benefit from the wisdom of a resilient chief. On the other, the new generation can find it more difficult to advance-an argument that typically holds little sway to a nevertiree.

　　56. What do we learn about the so-called nevertirees ?

　　A) They are passionate about making a fortune.

　　B) They have no choice but to continue working.

　　C) They love what they do and choose not to retire.

　　D) They will not retire unless they are compelled to.

　　ANSWER 答案

　　57. What do Irving Kahn and Ruth Bader Ginsburg have in common?

　　A) Neither of them is subject to forced retirement.

　　B) Neither of them desires reward for their work.

　　C) Both cling to their positions despite opposition.

　　D) Both are capable of coping with heavy workloads.

　　ANSWER 答案

　　58. What is the finding of Howard Friedmans research?

　　A) The harder you work, the bigger your fortune will be.

　　B) The earlier you retire, the healthier you will be.

　　C) Elderly people have to slow down to live longer.

　　D) Working at an advanced age lengthens peoples life.

　　ANSWER 答案

　　59. What is the traditional view of retirement according to the passage?

　　A) It means a burden to the younger generation.

　　B) It is a symbol of a mature and civilized society.

　　C) It is a compensation for ones life-long hard work.

　　D) It helps increase a nations economic productivity.

　　ANSWER 答案

　　60. What do critics say about nevertirees ?

　　A) They are an obstacle to a companys development.

　　B) They lack the creativity of the younger generation.

　　C) They cannot work as efficiently as they used to.

　　D) They prevent young people from getting ahead.

　　ANSWER 答案

　　56.2013年12月英语四级仔细阅读试题解析：细节推断题。由题干中的so-called nevertirees 定位到第一段第三至五句。由定位句可知，有些人是通过做自己感兴趣的事情来获取财富的，如果能自由选择，他们更愿意继续工作下去。巴克莱把这些人称为 永不退休者 。由此可见，永不退休者喜欢他们的工作。选择不退休，故答案为C。

　　57.2013年12月英语四级仔细阅读试题解析：细节推断题。由题干中的Irving Kahn和Ruth Bader Ginsburg定位到第二段第二、三句。第二段首句提到，没有人能 强迫 永不退休者 退休，接着定位句指出，没有人会阻止Irving Kahn去上班，《美国宪法》保证法官 Ruth Bader Ginsburg的工作安全。换言之，他们的共同点就是没有人强迫他们退休，故答案为A。

　　58.2013年12月英语四级仔细阅读试题解析：细节推断题。由题干中的Howard Friedmans research 定位到第三段第四至六句。由定位句可知，Howard Friedman的研究发现，工作最努力和事业上有所成就的人通常活得最长。也就是说，老年人工作能够延长寿命，故答案为D。

　　59.2013年12月英语四级仔细阅读试题解析：事实细节题。由题干中的 traditional view of retirement 定位到第四段第二句。由定位句可知，过去人们曾认为退休是他们在某个令人痛苦的工作岗位上长期奋斗后的即时奖励。由此可见，传统的观点认为退休是对人们长时间努力工作的一种补偿，故答案为C。

　　60.2013年12月英语四级仔细阅读试题解析：观点态度题。由题干中的critics定位到最后一段。定位段指出，下一代人要想进一谈发展会更加困难，但是这一点对于一个 永不退休者 来说影响不大。由此可见，评论家们认为 永不退休者 阻碍了下一代人的发展，故答案为D。

　　Passage Two

　　Questions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.

　　When we talk about Americans barely into adulthood who are saddled with unbearable levels of debt, the conversation is almost always about student loan debt. But theres a growing body of evidence suggesting that todays young adults are also drowning in credit-card debt and that many of them will take this debt to their graves.

　　More than 20% overspent their income by more than $100 every single month. Since they havent built up their credit histories yet, its a safe bet that these young adults are paying relatively high interest rates on the resulting credit card debt.

　　Although many young people blame socializing as a barrier to saving money, most of them arent knocking back $20 drinks in trendy lounges. Theyre struggling with much more daily financial demands.

　　To a disturbingly large extent, the young and the broke are relying on credit cards to make it until their next payday. This obviously isnt sustainable in the long run. and its going to put a huge drag on their spending power even after they reach their peak earning years, because theyll still be paying interest on that bottle of orange juice or box of spaghetti they bought a decade earlier.

　　A new study out of Ohio State University found that young adults are accumulating credit card debt at a more rapid rate than other age groups, and that theyre slower at paying it off. If what we found continues to hold true, we may have more elderly people with substantial financial problems in the future, warns Lucia Dunn, professor of economics at Ohio State. If our findings persist, we may be faced with a financial crisis among elderly people who cant pay off their credit cards.

　　Dunn says a lot of these young people are never going to get out from under their credit card debt. Many people are borrowing on credit cards so heavily that payoff rates at these levels are not sufficient to recover their credit card debt by the end of their life, which could have loss implications for the credit card issuing banks.

　　注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

　　61. What is the main idea of the first paragraph?

　　A) Many young Americans will never be able to pay off their debts.

　　B) Credit cards play an increasingly important role in college life.

　　C) Credit cards are doing more harm than student loans.

　　D) The American credit card system is under criticism.

　　ANSWER 答案

　　62. Why do young people have to pay a higher interest on their credit card debt?

　　A) They tend to forget about the deadlines.

　　B) They havent developed a credit history.

　　C) They are often unable to pay back in time.

　　D) They are inexperienced in managing money.

　　ANSWER 答案

　　63. What is said to be the consequence of young adults relying on credit cards to make ends meet?

　　A) It will place an unnecessary burden on society.

　　B) It will give them no motivation to work hard.

　　C) It will exert psychological pressure on them.

　　D) It will affect their future spending power.

　　ANSWER 答案

　　64. What will happen to young adults if their credit card debt keeps accumulating according to Lucia Dunn?

　　A) They will have to pay an increasingly higher interest rate.

　　B) They may experience a financial crisis in their old age.

　　C) Their quality of life will be affected.

　　D) Their credit cards may be cancelled.

　　ANSWER 答案

　　65. What does Lucia Dunn think might be a risk for the credit card issuing banks?

　　A) They go bankrupt as a result of over-lending.

　　B) They lose large numbers of their regular clients.

　　C) Their clients leave their debts unpaid upon death.

　　D) Their interest rates have to be reduced now and then.

　　ANSWER 答案

　　61.2013年12月英语四级仔细阅读试题解析：主旨大意题。由题干中的the first paragraph定位到第一段。定位段通过学生贷款引出年轻人的信用卡债务。最后一句 今天的年轻人也陷入了信用卡债务的泥潭之中 很多人将会把这个债务直接带进坟墓。 点明了文章主题。由此可见，很多年轻人永远都偿还不完他们的债务，故答案为A。

　　62.2013年12月英语四级仔细阅读试题解析：事实细节题。由题干中的pay a higher interest定位到第二段第二句。定位句明确指出因为年轻人还没有建立起信用记录，但可以肯定的是这些年轻人在为产生的信用卡债务支付相对较高的利息。故答案为B。

　　63.2013年12月英语四级仔细阅读试题解析：事实细节题。由题干中的relying on credit cards定位到第四段。定位段明确指出年轻和身无分文的人在很大程度上都依赖信用卡维持生计，直到下次发工资。从长远看，这样做法很明显不会长久，会严重影响他们的购买力。由此可见，年轻人依靠信用卡维持生计将影响他们将来的购买力，故答案为D。

　　64.2013年12月英语四级仔细阅读试题解析：事实细节题。由题干中的Lucia Dunn和accumulating 定位到倒数第二段。定位段明确指出与其他的年龄群体相比，年轻人积累信用卡债务的速度要更快 如果我们的发现仍然被证明是正确的 话，我们将来可能会有更多的老人面临巨大的财务问题，那些不能偿还信用卡债务的老年人可能会面临财务危机。 由此可见，如果年轻人的信用卡债务持续积累，等他们年老的时候可能会遭遇财务危机，故答案为B。

　　65.2013年12月英语四级仔细阅读试题解析：事实细节题。由题干中的credit card issuing banks定位到最后一段。定位段明确指出 很多人从信用卡中大量地借钱，但按照他们的偿还能力，到死也不足以偿还信用卡债务，这将潜在地导致信用卡签发银行的损失。 由此可见，Dunn认为客户到死也没偿清债务可能会对信用卡签发银行构成风险，故答案为C。