大学英语四级阅读的200篇: Unit 36 passage 4

　　Passage 4We all know that the normal human daily cycle of activity is of some 7-8 hours sleep alt

　　Passage 4 We all know that the normal human daily cycle of activity is of some 7-8 hours sleep alternating with some 16-17 hours wakefulness and that, broadly speaking, the sleep normally coincides with the hours of darkness. Our present concern is with how easily and to what extent this cycle can be modified. The question is no mere academic one. The ease, for example, with which people can change from working in the day to working at night is a question of growing importance in industry where automation calls for round-the-clock working of machines. It normally takes from five days to one week for a person to adapt to a reversed routine of sleep and wakefulness, sleeping during the day and working at night. Unfortunately, it is often the case in industry that shifts are changed every week; a person may work from 12 midnight to 8 a. m. one week, 8 a. m. to 4 p. m. the next, and 4 p.m. to 12 midnight the third and so on. This means that no sooner has he got used to one routine than he has to change to another, so that much of his time is spent neither working nor sleeping very efficiently. The only real solution appears to be to hand over the night shift to a number of permanent night workers. An interesting study of the domestic life and health of night-shift workers was carried out by Brown in 1957. She found a high incidence of disturbed sleep and other disorders among those on alternating day and night shifts, but no abnormal occurrence of these phenomena among those on permanent night work. This latter system then appears to be the best long-term policy, but meanwhile something may be done to relieve the strains of alternate day and night work by selecting those people who can adapt most quickly to the changes of routine. One way of knowing when a person has adapted is by measuring his body temperature. People engaged in normal daytime work will have a high temperature during the hours of wakefulness and a low one at night; when they change to night work the pattern will only gradually go back to match the new routine and the speed particularly in terms of performance. Therefore, by taking body temperature at intervals of two hours throughout the period of wakefulness it can be seen how quickly a person can adapt to a reversed routine, and this could be used as a basis for selection. So far, however, such a form of selection does not seem to have been applied in practice.

　　21. What do the elders mean when they say, Its not what you want in this world, but what you get?

　　A. Youll certainly get what you want. B. Its no use dreaming. C. You should be dissatisfied with what you have. D. Its essential to set a goal for yourself.

　　22. A blueprint made before inviting a friend to dinner is used in this passage as_______.

　　A. an illustration of how to write an application for a job B. an indication of how to secure a good job C. a guideline for job description D. a principle for job evaluation

　　23. According to the passage, one must write an account of himself before starting to find a job because_______.

　　A. that is the first step to please the employer B. that is the requirement of the employer C. it enables him to know when to sell his services D. it forces him to become clearly aware of himself

　　24. When you have carefully prepared a blueprint of your abilities and desires, you have something_______.

　　A. definite to offer B. imaginary to provide C. practical to supply D. desirable to present

　　25. The word tangible in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to_______.

　　A. imaginary B. real C. valuable D. expensive

　　21. B 22. A 23. D 24. A 25. B