2010年6月英语四级真题

Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) Caught in the Web   A few months ago, it wasn't unusual for 47-year-old Carla Toebe to spend 15 hours per day online. She'd wake up early, turn on her laptop and chat on Internet dating sites and instant-messaging programs – leaving her bed for only brief intervals. Her household bills piled up, along with the dishes and dirty laundry, but it took near-constant complaints from her four daughters before she realized she had a problem.    "I was starting to feel like my whole world was falling apart – kind of slipping into a depression," said Carla. "I knew that if I didn't get off the dating sites, I'd just keep going," detaching (使脱离) herself further from the outside world.    Toebe's conclusion: She felt like she was "addicted" to the Internet. She's not alone.    Concern about excessive Internet use isn't new. As far back as 1995, articles in medical journals and the establishment of a Pennsylvania treatment center for overusers generated interest in the subject. There's still no consensus on how much time online constitutes too much or whether addiction is possible.    But as reliance on the Web grows, there are signs that the question is getting more serious attention: Last month, a study published in CNS Spectrums claimed to be the first large-scale look at excessive Internet use. The American Psychiatric Association may consider listing Internet addiction in the next edition of its diagnostic manual. And scores of online discussion boards have popped up on which people discuss negative experiences tied to too much time on the Web. "There's no question that there're people who're seriously in trouble because they're overdoing their Internet involvement," said psychiatrist (精神科医生) Ivan Goldberg. Goldberg calls the problem a disorder rather than a true addiction.    Jonathan Bishop, a researcher in Wales specializing in online communities, is more skeptical. "The Internet is an environment," he said. "You can't be addicted to the environment." Bishop describes the problem as simply a matter of priorities, which can be solved by encouraging people to prioritize other life goals and plans in place of time spent online.    The new CNS Spectrums study was based on results of a nationwide telephone survey of more than 2,500 adults. Like the 2005 survey, this one was conducted by Stanford University researchers.About 6% of respondents reported that "their relationships suffered because of excessive Internet use." About 9% attempted to conceal "nonessential Internet use," and nearly 4% reported feeling "preoccupied by the Internet when offline."    About 8% said they used the Internet as a way to escape problems, and almost 14% reported they "found it hard to stay away from the Internet for several days at a time."    "The Internet problem is still in its infancy," said Elias Aboujaoude, a Stanford professor. No single online activity is to blame for excessive use, he said. "They're online in chat rooms, checking e-mail, or writing blogs. [The problem is] not limited to porn (色情) or gambling" websites.    Excessive Internet use should be defined not by the number of hours spent online but "in terms of losses," said Maressa Orzack, a Harvard University professor. "If it's a loss [where] you're not getting to work, and family relationships are breaking down as a result, then it's too much."    Since the early 1990s, several clinics have been established in the U. S. to treat heavy Internet users. They include the Center for Internet Addiction Recovery and the Center for Internet Behavior.    The website for Orzack's center lists the following among the psychological symptoms of computer addiction:    ● Having a sense of well-being (幸福) or excitement while at the computer.    ● Longing for more and more time at the computer.    ● Neglect of family and friends.    ● Feeling empty, depressed or irritable when not at the computer.    ● Lying to employers and family about activities.    ● Inability to stop the activity.    ● Problems with school or job.  Physical symptoms listed include dry eyes, backaches, skipping meals, poor personal hygiene (卫生) and sleep disturbances.    People who struggle with excessive Internet use maybe depressed or have other mood disorders, Orzack said. When she discusses Internet habits with her patients, they often report that being online offers a "sense of belonging, and escape, excitement [and] fun," she said. "Some people say relief…because they find themselves so relaxed."    Some parts of the Internet seem to draw people in more than others. Internet gamers spend countless hours competing in games against people from all over the world. One such game, called World of Warcraft, is cited on many sites by posters complaining of a "gaming addiction."    Andrew Heidrich, an education network administrator from Sacramento, plays World of Warcraft for about two to four hours every other night, but that's nothing compared with the 40 to 60 hours a week he spent playing online games when he was in college. He cut back only after a full-scale family intervention (干预), in which relatives told him he'd gained weight.    "There's this whole culture of competition that sucks people in" with online gaming, said Heidrich, now a father of two. "People do it at the expense of everything that was a constant in their lives." Heidrich now visits websites that discuss gaming addiction regularly "to remind myself to keep my love for online games in check."    Toebe also regularly visits a site where posters discuss Internet overuse. In August, when she first realized she had a problem, she posted a message on a Yahoo Internet addiction group with the subject line: "I have an Internet Addiction."    "I'm self-employed and need the Internet for my work, but I'm failing to accomplish my work,to take care of my home, to give attention to my children," she wrote in a message sent to the group."I have no money or insurance to get professional help; I can't even pay my mortgage (抵押贷款) and face losing everything."    Since then, Toebe said, she has kept her promise to herself to cut back on her Internet use. "I have a boyfriend now, and I'm not interested in online dating," she said by phone last week. "It's a lot better now."1. What eventually made Carla Toebe realize she was spending too much time on the Internet?    A) The poorly managed state of her house.    B) The high financial costs adding up.    C) Fatigue resulting from lack of sleep.    D) Her daughter's repeated complaints.2. What does the author say about excessive Internet use?    A) It has become virtually inevitable.    B) It has been somewhat exaggerated.    C) People haven't yet reached agreement on its definition.    D) People should be warned of its harmful consequences.3. Jonathan Bishop believes that the Internet overuse problem can be solved if people ______.    A) can reach a consensus on its definition    B) can realize what is important in life    C) try to improve the Internet environment    D) become aware of its serious consequences4. According to Professor Maressa Orzack, Internet use would be considered excessive if ______.    A) it seriously affected family relationships    B) one visited porn websites frequently    C) too much time was spent in chat rooms    D) people got involved in online gambling5. According to Orzack, people who struggle with heavy reliance on the Internet may feel ______.    A) pressured    B) puzzled    C) depressed    D) discouraged6. Why did Andre Heidrich cut back online gaming?    A) He had offended his relatives.    B) His career had been ruined.    C) He had lost a lot of money.    D) His family had intervened.7. Andrew Heidrich now visits websites that discuss online gaming addiction to ______.    A) curb his desire for online gaming    B) improve his online gaming skills    C) exchange online gaming experience    D) show how good he is at online gaming8. In one of the messages she posted on a website, Toebe admitted that she ______.9. Excessive Internet use had rendered Toebe so poor that she couldn't afford to seek ______.10. Now that she's got a boyfriend, Toebe is no longer crazy about ______.  When we think of green buildings, we tend to think of new ones – the kind of high-tech, solar-paneled masterpieces that make the covers of architecture magazines. But the U.S. has more than 100 million existing homes, and it would be __47__ wasteful to tear them all down and __48__ them with greener versions. An enormous amount of energy and resources went into the construction of those houses. And it would take an average of 65 years for the __49__ carbon emissions from a new energy-efficient home to make up for the resources lost by destroying an old one. So in the broadest __50__, the greenest home is the one that has already been built. But at the same time, nearly half of U. S. carbon emissions come from heating, cooling and __51__ our homes, offices and other buildings. "You can't deal with climate change without dealing with existing buildings," says Richard Moe, the president of the National Trust.    With some __52__, the oldest homes tend to be the least energy-efficient. Houses built before 1939 use about 50% more energy per square foot than those built after 2000, mainly due to the tiny cracks and gaps that __53__ over time and let in more outside air.    Fortunately, there are a __54__ number of relatively simple changes that can green older homes, from __55__ ones like Lincoln's Cottage to your own postwar home. And efficiency upgrades (升级) can save more than just the earth; they can help __56__ property owners from rising power costs.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。    A) vast B) supplying C) shifted    D) sense E) replace F) reduced G) protect H) powering I) incredibly     J) historic K) expand L) exceptions M) doubtful N) clumsy O) accommodationSection BPassage OneQuestions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.    The $11 billion self-help industry is built on the idea that you should turn negative thoughts like "I never do anything right" into positive ones like "I can succeed." But was positive thinking advocate Norman Vincent Peale right? Is there power in positive thinking?    Researchers in Canada just published a study in the journal Psychological Science that says trying to get people to think more positively can actually have the opposite effect: it can simply highlight how unhappy they are.    The study's authors, Joanne Wood and John Lee of the University of Waterloo and Elaine Perunovic of the University of New Brunswick, begin by citing older research showing that when people get feedback which they believe is overly positive, they actually feel worse, not better. If you tell your dim friend that he has the potential of an Einstein, you're just underlining his faults. In one 1990s experiment, a team including psychologist Joel Cooper of Princeton asked participants to write essays opposing funding for the disabled. When the essayists were later praised for their sympathy, they felt even worse about what they had written.    In this experiment, Wood, Lee and Perunovic measured 68 students' self-esteem. The participants were then asked to write down their thoughts and feelings for four minutes. Every 15 seconds, one group of students heard a bell. When it rang, they were supposed to tell themselves, "I am lovable."    Those with low self-esteem didn't feel better after the forced self-affirmation. In fact, their moods turned significantly darker than those of members of the control group, who weren't urged to think positive thoughts.    The paper provides support for newer forms of psychotherapy (心理治疗) that urge people to accept their negative thoughts and feelings rather than fight them. In the fighting, we not only often fail but can make things worse. Meditation (静思) techniques, in contrast, can teach people to put their shortcomings into a larger, more realistic perspective. Call it the power of negative thinking.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。57. What do we learn from the first paragraph about the self-help industry?    A) It was established by Norman Vincent Peale.    B) It is based on the concept of positive thinking.    C) It is a highly profitable industry.    D) It has yielded positive results.58. What is the finding of the Canadian researchers?    A) Encouraging positive thinking many do more harm than good.    B) The power of positive thinking is limited.    C) Unhappy people cannot think positively.    D) There can be no simple therapy for psychological problems.59. What does the author mean by "… you're just underlining his faults" (Line 4, Para. 3)?    A) You are pointing out the errors he has committed.    B) You are not taking his mistakes seriously enough.    C) You are trying to make him feel better about his faults.    D) You are emphasizing the fact that he is not intelligent.60. What do we learn from the experiment of Wood, Lee and Perunovic?    A) It is important for people to continually boost their self-esteem.    B) Forcing a person to think positive thoughts may lower their self-esteem.    C) Self-affirmation can bring a positive change to one's mood.    D) People with low self-esteem seldom write down their true feelings.61. What do we learn from the last paragraph?    A) People can avoid making mistakes through meditation.    B) Meditation may prove to be a good form of psychotherapy.    C) The effects of positive thinking vary from person to person.    D) Different people tend to have different ways of thinking.Passage TwoQuestions 62 to 66 are based on the following passage.    You never see him, but they're with you every time you fly. They record where you are going,how fast you're traveling and whether everything