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2015年6月英语四级考试真题预测:阅读理解(四)

栏目: 英语四级 / 发布于: / 人气:3.19W

Questions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.

2015年6月英语四级考试真题预测:阅读理解(四)

One of the most interesting paradoxes in America today is that Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States, is now engaged in a serious debate about what a university should be, and whether it is measuring up (符合标准).

Like the Roman Catholic Church and other ancient institutions, it is asking--still in private rather than in public--whether its past assumptions about faculty, authority, admissions, courses of study, are really relevant to the problems of our society.

Should Harvard--or any other university--be an intellectual sanctuary, apart from the political and social revolution of the age, or should it be a laboratory for experimentation with these political and social  revolutions; or even an engine of the revolution? This is what is being discussed privately in the big clapboard ( 楔形板) houses of faculty members around the Harvard Yard.

The issue was defined by Walter Lippmann, a distinguished Harvard graduate, many years ago.

"If the universities are to do their work," he said, "they must be independent and they must be disinterested... They are places to which men can turn for unbiased judgments. Obviously, the moment the universities fall under political control, or under the control of private interests, or the moment they themselves take a hand in politics and the leadership of government, their value as independent and disinterested sources of judgment is impaired..."

This is part of the argument that is going on at Harvard today. Another part is the argument of the militant and even many moderated students: that a university is the keeper of our ideals and morals, and should not be "disinterested" but activist in bringing the Nation's ideals and actions together.

Harvard's men of today seem more troubled and less sure about personal, political and academic purpose than they did at the beginning. They are not even clear about how they should debate and resolve their problems, but they are struggling with them privately, and how they come out is bound to influence American university and political life in the 21st century.

61. A "paradox"(Line 1, Paragraph 1 ) is__________.

A. an unusual situation

B. a parenthetical expression

C. a difficult puzzle

D. a self-contradiction

62. The word "sanctuary", in paragraph 3 refers to __________.

A. a holy place dedicated to a certain god

B. a temple or nnnnery of the middle age

C. a certain place you can hide in and avoid mishaps

D. an academy for intelligent people

63. The issues in the debate on Harvard's goals are whether the universities should remain independent of our society and its problems, and whether they should __________.

A. fight off militarism

B. exert greater influence upon the young generation

C. take an active part in solving the society's ills

D. reconsider the structure of institutes and departments

64. In regard to their goals and purposes in life, the author believes that Harward men are becoming __________.

A. more sure about them

B. less sure about them

C. more hopeful of reaching a satisfactory answer

D. less interested in them

65. In the author's judgment, the ferment going on at Harvard__________.

A. will influence the future of America

B. will soon be over, because times are bound to change

C. is of interest mostly to Harvard men and their friends

D. is a sad symbol of our general bewilderment

  参考译文:

[61]美国现今最有趣的一个矛盾是,作为美国高等教育历史最悠久的大学,哈佛大学正在进行一场严峻的争论,争论围绕的中心问题是大学究竟应该是什么样的,而哈佛大学又是否符合条件。

哈佛大学和罗马天主教堂以及其他一些古老的机构一样正在提出疑问——这种提问尚在私下里进行,并没有公开——所提出的问题是:哈佛过去对于院系、权威、招生、课程设置的设想,是否真的跟现代社会所面临的问题相关。

[62][63]除了作为某一时代中政治和社会变革的避难所,哈佛大学(或者其他大学)是否应该也是知识分子的避难所;或者,它是否应该成为一个进行政治和社会变革实验的实验室;或者,它是否甚至应该成为改革的动力?这正是现在哈佛大学全体教职工在校园内部私下探讨的话题。

多年前,沃尔特·李普曼阐释了这个问题,他是一名杰出的哈佛大学毕业生。

“如果大学想要名副其实,”他说,“那就必须独立于社会,必须坚持公平……大学应该是能为人们提供公正评判的地方。显然,一旦大学为政治权力或私人利益所控制,或者说,一旦大学参与政治和政府的领导,那么,它们作为独立和公正评判之源的价值就大大减弱了。”

这只是现今哈佛大学正在讨论的部分问题。另一部分讨论来自崇尚武力的人,甚至还包括很多温和的学生。他们认为,大学应该成为我们理想和道德的捍卫者,因此不应该是“无为”的,而应该成为将国家的理想和行动结合起来的行动者。

[64]如今,哈佛人似乎今非昔比,他们面临更多困惑,对自身的定位、政治的和学术的目标也没有当初那么明确了。他们甚至都不清楚该如何探讨和解决自己的问题,但私下里他们正做着努力。[65]无论最终的结果怎样,都注定将影响21世纪美国的大学和政治生活。

  参考答案:

61.D

定位:根据题干信息词paradox可将答案定位到第一段第一句。

解析:paradox意为“person,thingor situationdisplaying contradictoryfeatures(有矛盾特点的人、事物或情况)”。文章第一段提到:“美国现今最有趣的一个——是,作为美国高等教育历史最悠久的大学,哈佛大学正在进行一场严峻的争论,争论围绕的中心问题是大学究竟应该是什么样的,而哈佛大学又是否符合条件。”作为大学却对自身的合理性、存在的意义产生了疑问,不能不说是一种自相矛盾。故答案选D。

62.C

定位:根据题干信息“sanctuary”in paragraph 3可将答案定位到第三段第一行。

解析:sanctuary本意是“圣殿”,在中世纪一般是指某些教堂或者修道院,可以充当躲避任何政府惩罚’和迫害的避难所。引申义即是:一个人们可以躲进去以避过灾祸的地方。文中使用的`就是这个意思。

从该词后面的apartfromthepolitical and social revolution ofthe age我们也能得出一些线索。故选C。

63.C

定位:根据题干信息issuesinthedebateonHarvard’sgoals,andwhetllermeyshould可将答案定位到第三段。

解析:关于哈佛大学办学的宗旨,第三段提出了三种可能:“哈佛大学(或者其他大学)是否应该也是知识分子的避难所;或者,它是否应该成为一个进行政治和社会变革实验的实验室;或者,它是否甚至应该成为改革的动力?”三者在大学参与社会问题的程度问题上逐渐深入。其实,大学是应该独立于社会问题之外,保持其公平性,还是应该在解决社会问题中起积极作用才是文中人们探讨的核心问题,也是贯穿文章始终的主旨。故选C。

64.B

定位:根据题干信息goals and purposes in life,Harvard men are becoming可将答案定位到文章最后一段。