2017年6月大学英语四级真题试卷及答案(第1套)(3)

44.Some people with HSAM find it very hard to get rid of unpleasant memories.

45.A recent study of people with HSAM reveals that they are liable to fantasy and full absorption in

an activity.

Section C

Directions:There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2with a single line through the centre.

Passage One

Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.

The phrase almost completes itself: midlife crisis. It’s the stage in the middle of the journey when people feel youth vanishing, their prospects narrowing and death approaching.

There’s only one problem with the cliche(套话).It isn’t true.

“In fact, there is almost no hard evidence for midlife crisis other than a few small pilot studies conducted decades ago,” Barbara Hagerty writes in her new book, Life Reimagined. The vast bulk of the research shows that there may be a pause, or a shifting of gears in the 40s or 50s, but this shift “can be exciting, rather than terrifying”.

Barbara Hagerty looks at some of the features of people who turn midlife into a rebirth. They break routines, because “autopilot is death”. They choose purpose over happiness一having a clear sense of purpose even reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. They give priority to relationships, as careers often recede(逐渐淡化).

Life Reimagined paints a picture of middle age that is far from gloomy. Midlife seems like the second big phase of decision-making. Your identity has been formed; you’ve built up your resources; and now you have the chance to take the big risks precisely because your foundation is already secure.

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2017年6月大学英语四级真题试卷及答案(第1套)

Karl Barth described midlife precisely this way. At middle age, he wrote, “the sowing is behind; now is the time to reap. The run has been taken; now is the time to leap. Preparation has been made; now is the time for t he venture of the work itself.”

The middle-aged person, Barth continued, can see death in the distance, but moves with a “measured haste” to get big new things done while there is still time.

What Barth wrote decades ago is even truer today. People are healthy and energetic longer. We have presidential candidates running for their first term in office at age 68, 69 and 74. A longer lifespan is changing the narrative structure of life itself. What could have been considered the beginning of a descent is now a potential turning point—the turning point you are most equipped to take full advantage of.

注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

46.What does the author think of the phrase “midlife crisis”？

A) It has led to a lot of debate. B) It is widely acknowledged.

C) It is no longer fashionable. D) It misrepresents real life.

47.How does Barbara Hagerty view midlife?

A) It may be the beginning of a crisis.

B) It can be a new phase of one’s life.

C) It can be terrifying for the unprepared.

D)It may see old-age diseases approaching.

48.How is midlife pictured in the book Life Reimagined?

A) It can be quite rose.

B) It can be burdensome.

C) It undergoes radical transformation.

D) It makes for the best part of one’s life.

49.According to Karl Barth, midlife is the time_______.

A) to relax B) to mature

C) to harvest D) to reflect

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2017年6月大学英语四级真题试卷及答案(第1套)

50.What does the author say about midlife today?

A) It is more meaningful than other stages of life.

B) It is likely to change the narrative of one’s life,

C) It is more important to those with a longer lifespan.

D)It is likely to be a critical turning point in one’s life.

Passage Two

Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.

In spring, chickens start laying again, bringing a welcome source of protein at winter’s end. So it’s no surprise that cultures around the world celebrate spring by honoring the egg.

Some traditions are simple, like the red eggs that get baked into Greek Easter breads. Others elevate the egg into a fancy art, like the heavily jewel-covered “eggs” that were favored by the Russians starting in the 19th century.

One ancient form of egg art comes to us from Ukraine. For centuries, Ukrainians have been drawing complicated patterns on eggs. Contemporary artists have followed this tradition to create eggs that speak to the anxieties of our age: Life is precious, and delicate. Eggs are, too.

“There’s something about their delicate nature that appeals to me,” says New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast. Several years ago, she became interested in eggs and learned the traditional Ukrainian technique to draw her very modem characters. “I’ve broken eggs at every stage of the process—from the very beginning to the very, very end.”

But there’s an appeal in that vulnerability. “There’s part of this sickening horror of knowing you’re walking on the edge with this, that I kind of like, knowing that it could all fall apart at any second.” Chas t’s designs, such as a worried man alone in a tiny rowboat, reflect that delicateness.

Traditional Ukrainian decorated eggs also spoke to those fears. The elaborate patterns were believed to offer protection against evil.

“There’s an ancient legend that as long as these eggs are made, evil will not prevail in the world,” says Joan Brander, a Canadian egg-painter who has been painting eggs for over 60 years, having learned the art from her Ukrainian relatives.

The tradition, dating back to 300 B.C., was later incorporated into the Christian church. The old symbols, however, still endure. A d …… 此处隐藏：5522字，全部文档内容请下载后查看。喜欢就下载吧 ……