2009年12月英语四级阅读理解真题与答案详解

PassageOneQuestions57to61arebasedonthefollowingpassage.Throughoutthislong,tenseelection,everyonehasfocusedonthepresidentialcandidatesandhowthey’llchangeAmerica.Rightlyso,butselfishly,I’mmorefascinatedbyMichelleObamaandwhatshemightbeabletodo,notjustforthiscountry,butformeasanAfrican-Americanwoman.AsthepotentialFirstLady,shewouldhavetheworld’sattention.AndthatmeansthatforthefirsttimepeoplewillhaveachancetogetupcloseandpersonalwiththetypeofAfrican-Americanwomantheysorarelysee.Usually,thelivesofblackwomengolargelyunexamined.Theprevailingtheoryseemstobethatwe’reallhot-temperedsinglemotherswhocan’tkeepaman.Evenintheworldofmake-believe,blackwomenstillcan’tescapethestereotypeofbeingeye-rolling,oversexedfemalesraisedbyournever-married,alcoholic(酗酒的)mothers.Theseimageshavehelpeddefinethewayallwomenareviewed,includingMichelleObama.Beforesheevergetsthechancetocommittoacause,charityorfoundationasFirstLady,hermosturgentandperhapsmostcomplicateddutymaybesimpletobeherself.Itwon’tbeeasy.Becausefewmainstreampublicationshavedonein-depthfeaturesonregularAfrican-Americanwomen,littleisknownaboutwhoweare,whatwethinkandwhatwefaceonaregularbasis.Forbetterorworse,Michellewillrepresentusall.Justasshewillhavehercritics,shewillalsohavemillionsoffanswhousuallyhavelittleinterestintheFirstLady.ManyAfrican-Americanblogshavewrittenaboutwhatthey’dliketoseeMichellebringtotheWhiteHouse—mainlyshowingtheworldthatablackwomancansupporthermanandraiseastrongblackfamily.Michellewillhavetoworktopleaseeveryone—animpossibletask.ButformanyAfrican-Americanwomenlikeme,justalittleofherpoise(沉着),confidenceandintelligencewillgoalongwayinchanginganimagethat’sbeenaroundforfartoolong.57.WhydoesMichelleObamaholdastrongfascinationfortheauthor?A)SheservesasarolemodelforAfricanwomen.B)ShepossessesmanyadmirablequalitiesbecomingaFirstLady.C)ShewillpresenttotheworldanewimageofAfrican-Americanwomen.D)ShewillpaycloserattentiontotheinterestsofAfrican-Americanwomen.58.WhatisthecommonstereotypeofAfrican-Americanwomenaccordingtotheauthor?A)Theyarevictimsofviolence.B)Theyareofaninferiorviolence.C)Theyusequitealotofbodylanguage.D)Theyliveoncharityandsocialwelfare.59.WhatdomanyAfrican-Americanswriteaboutintheirblogs?A)WhetherMichellecanliveuptothehighexpectationsofherfans.B)HowMichelleshouldbehaveasapublicfigure.C)HowproudtheyaretohaveablackwomanintheWhiteHouse.D)WhatMichelleshoulddoaswifeandmotherintheWhiteHouse.60.WhatdoestheauthorsayaboutMichelleObamaasaFirstLady?A)Howevermanyfansshehas,sheshouldremainmodest,B)Sheshouldn’tdisappointtheAfrican-Americancommunity.C)Howeverhardshetries,shecan’texpecttopleaseeverybody.D)ShewillgiveprioritytoAfrican-Americanwomen’sconcerns.61.WhatdomanyAfrican-AmericanwomenhopeMichelleObamawilldo?A)Helpchangetheprevailingviewaboutblackwomen.B)HelpherhusbandinthetaskofchangingAmerica.C)OutshinepreviousFirstLady.D)Fullydisplayherfinequalities.PassageTwoQuestions62to66arebasedonthefollowingpassage.Whennextyear’scropofhigh-schoolgraduatesarriveatOxfordUniversityinthefallof2009,they’llbejoinedbyanewface;AndrewHamilton,the55-year-oldprovost(教务长)ofYale,who’llbecomeOxford’svice-chancellor—apositionequivalenttouniversitypresidentinAmerica.Hamiltonisn’ttheonlyeducatorcrossingtheAtlantic.SchoolsinFrance,Egypt,Singapore,etc,havealsorecentlymadetop-levelhiresfromabroad.Highereducationhasbecomeabigandcompetitivebusinessnowadays,andlikesomanybusinesses,it’sgoneglobal.Yetthetalentflowisn’tuniversal.High-levelpersonneltendtoheadinonlyonedirection:outwardfromAmerica.ThechiefreasonisthatAmericanschoolsdon’ttendtoseriouslyconsiderlookingabroad.Forexample,whentheboardoftheUniversityofColoradosearchedforanewpresident,itwantedaleaderfamiliarwiththestategovernment,amajorsourceoftheuniversity’sbudget.“Wedidn’tdoanyglobalconsideration,”saysPatriciaHayes,theboard’schair.TheboardultimatelypickedBruceBenson,a69-year-oldColoradobusinessmanandpoliticalactivist(活动家)whoislikelytodowellinthemaintaskofmodernuniversitypresidents:fund-raising.Fund-raisingisadistinctivelyAmericanthing,sinceU.S.schoolsrelyheavilyondonations.Thefund-raisingabilityislargelyaproductofexperienceandnecessity.ManyEuropeanuniversities,meanwhile,arestillmostlydependentongovernmentfunding.Butgovernmentsupporthasfailedtokeeppacewithrisingstudentnumber.Thedeclineingovernmentsupporthasmadefunding-raisinganincreasingnecessaryabilityamongadministratorsandhashiringcommitteeshungryforAmericans.Inthepastfewyears,prominentschoolsaroundtheworldhavejoinedthetrend.In2003,whenCambridgeUniversityappointedAlisonRichard,anotherformerYaleprovost,asitsvice-chancellor,theuniversitypubliclystressedthatinherpreviousjobshehadoverseen“amajorstrengtheningofYale’sfinancialposition.”Ofcourse,fund-raisingisn’ttheonlyskilloutsidersoffer.Theglobalizationofeducationmeansmoreuniversitieswillbeseekingheadswithinternationalexperienceofsomekindofpromoteinternationalprogramsandattractaglobalstudentbody.Foreignerscanofferafreshperspectiveonestablishedpractices.62.Whatisthecurrenttrendinhighereducationdiscussedinthepassage?A)Institutionsworldwidea