英语四级阅读练习和参考答案

　　If it is a matter of right answers, as it may be in mathematics or science, give him the answer book. Let him correct his own papers. Why should we teachers waste time on such routine work? Our job should be to help the child when he tells us that he can't find the way to get the right answer. Let's end this nonsense of grades, exams,marks. Let us throw them all out, and let the children learn what all educated persons must someday learn, how to measure their own understanding, how to know what they know or do not know.

　　Let them get on with this job in the way that seems most sensible to them, with our help as school teachers if they ask for it. The idea that there is a body of knowledge to be learnt at school and used for the rest of one's life is nonsense in a world as complicated and rapidly changing as ours. Anxious parents and teachers say, "But suppose they fail to learn something essential, something they will need to get in the world?" 　　　　Don't worry! If it is essential, they will go out into the world and learn it.

　　56. What does the author think is the best way for children to learn things?

　　A. By imitating what other people do.

　　B. By making mistakes and having them corrected.

　　C. By listening to explanations from skilled people.

　　D. By asking a great many questions.

　　57. The passage suggests that learning to speak and leaming to fide a bicycle are __________.

　　A. not really important skills

　　B. more important than other skills

　　C. basically different from learning adult skills

　　D. basically the same as learning other skills

　　58. According to the passage, the author thinks teachers in school should__________.

　　A. allow children to learn by himself or herself

　　B. point out children's mistakes whenever they're found

　　C. correct children's mistakes as soon as possible

　　D. give children more book knowledge

　　59. The author believes the teacher's role in children's learning should be__________.

　　A. the identifier and corrector of their errors

　　B. their helper and guide

　　C. the person to grade their performance and give feedbacks

　　D. the person to pass on something essential to them

　　60. The title of this passage could probably be__________.

　　A. Let Teachers Stop Work

　　B. Let Us Make Children Learn

　　C. Let Children Correct Their Own Papers

　　D. Let Children Learn by Themselves

　　Questions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.

　　Researchers in the field of psychology have found that one of the best ways to make an important decision, such as choosing a university to attend or a business to invest in, involves the utilization of a decision worksheet.

　　Psychologists who study optimization ( 最优化 ) compare the actual decisions made by people to theoretical ideal decisions to see how similar they are. Proponents (支持者) of the worksheet procedure believe that it will yield optimal, that is, the best decisions. Although there are several variations on the exact format that worksheets can take,they are all similar in their essential aspects. Worksheets require defining the problem in a clear and concise way and then listing all possible solutions to the problem. Next, the pertinent (相关的) considerations that will be affected by each decision are listed, and the relative importance of each consideration or consequence is determined. Each consideration is assigned a numerical value to reflect its relative importance. A decision is mathematically calculated by adding these values together. The alternative with the highest number of points emerges as the best decision.

　　Since most important problems are multifaceted (多层面的), there are several alternatives to choose from,each with unique advantages and disadvantages. One of the benefits of a pencil and paper decision-making procedure is that it permits people to deal with more variables than their minds can generally comprehend and remember. On the average, people can keep about seven ideas in their minds at once. A worksheet can be especially useful when the decision involves a large number of variables with complex relationships. A realistic example for my college students is the question "What will I do after graduation?" A graduate might seek a position that offers specialized training, pursue an advanced degree, or travel abroad for a year.

　　A decision-making worksheet begins with succinct ( 简洁的) statement of the problem that will also help to narrow it. It is important to be clear about the distinction between long-range and immediate goals because long-range goals often involve a different decision than short-range ones. Focusing on long-range goals, a graduating student might revise the question above to "What will I do after graduation that will lead to a successful career?"

　　61. Of the following stepsis the one that occurs before the others in making a decision worksheet.

　　A. listing the consequences of each solution

　　B. calculating a numerical summary of each solution

　　C. writing down all possible solutions

　　D. deciding which consequences are most important

　　62. According to decision-worksheet theory, an optimal decision is defined as one that__________.

　　A. has the fewest variables to consider

　　B. uses the most decision worksheets

　　C. has the most points assigned to it

　　D. is agreed to by the greatest number of people

　　63. The author develops the discussion in paragraph 1 by means of__________.

　　A. describing a process

　　B. classifying different types

　　C. providing historical background

　　D. explaining a theory

　　64. The author's attitude towards a pencil and paper decision-making procedure is __________.

　　A. neural

　　B. approving

　　C. ambiguous

　　D. biased

　　65. The passage mainly discusses __________.

　　A. a tool to assist in making complex decisions

　　B. a comparison of actual decisions and ideal decisions

　　C. research on how people make decisions

　　D. differences between making long-range and short-range decisions