英语四级的阅读真题分享

英语四级笔试考试已经结束，各位考生对本次四级考试的做题感觉如何呢？小编给大家分享2019年12月大学英语四级考试真题仔细阅读，希望大家都能够顺利通过本次四级考试。一起来学习吧。

SectionC

Directions:Thereare2passagesinthissection.Eachpassageisfollowedbysomequestionsorunfinishedstatements.ForeachofthemtherearefourchoicesmarkedA）,B）,C）andD）.YoushoulddecideonthebestchoiceandmarkthecorrespondingletteronAnswerSheet2withasinglelinethroughthecentre.

PassageOne

Questions46to50arebasedonthefollowingpassage.

ThefifthlargestcityintheUSpassedasignificantsodataxproposalthatwilllevy(征税)1.5

centsperliquidounceondistributors.

Philadelphia’snewmeasurewasapprovedbya13to4citycouncilvote.Itsetsanewbarforsimilarinitiativesacrossthecounty.Itisproofthattaxesonsugarydrinkscanwinsubstantialsupportoutsidesuper-liberalareas.Untilnow,theonlycitytosuccessfullypassandimplementasodataxwasBerkeley,California,in2014.

Thetaxwillapplytoregularanddietsodas,aswellasotherdrinkswithaddedsugar,suchasGatoradeandicedteas.It’sexpectedtoraise$410millionoverthenextfiveyears,mostofwhichwillgotowardfundingauniversalpre-kindergartenprogramforthecity.

Whilethecitycouncilvotewasmetwithapplauseinsidethecouncilroom,opponentstothemeasure,includingsodalobbyistsmadesharpcriticismsandapromisetochallengethetaxincourt.

Thetaxpassedtodayunfairlysinglesoutbeverages—includinglow-andno-caloriechoices,"saidLaurenKane,spokeswomanfortheAmericanBeverageAssociation.Butmostimportantly,itisagainstthelaw.SowewillsidewiththemajorityofthepeopleofPhiladelphiawhoopposethistaxandtakelegalactiontostopit."

Anindustrybackedanti-taxcampaignhasspentatleast$4milliononadvertisements.Theadscriticizedthemeasure.characterizingitasagrocerytax."

PublichealthgroupsapplaudedtheapprovedtaxasasteptowardfixingcertainlastinghealthissuesthatplagueAmericans.Themovetorecaptureasmallpartoftheprofitsfromanindustrythatpushesaproductthatcontributestodiabetes,obesityandheartdiseaseinpoorercommunitiesinordertoreinvestinthosecommunitieswillsurebeinspirationaltomanyotherplaces,"saidJimKrieger,executivedirectorofHealthyFoodAmerica.Indeed,wearealreadyhearingfromsomeofthem.It’snotjustBerkeley’anymore."

SimilarmeasuresinCalifornia’sAlbany,Oakland,SanFranciscoandColorado’sBoulderarebecominghot-buttonissuesHealthadvocacygroupshavehintedthatevenmoremightbecoming.

46.Whatdoesthepassagesayaboutthenewly-approvedsodataxinPhiladelphia?

A)Itwillchangethelifestyleofmanyconsumers.

B)ItmayencourageotherUScitiestofollowsuit.

C)Itwillcutsodaconsumptionamonglow-incomecommunities.

D)Itmayinfluencethemarketingstrategiesofthesodabusiness.

47.Whatwilltheopponentsprobablydotorespondtothesodataxproposal?

A)Bargainwiththecitycouncil.

B)Refusetopayadditionaltax.

C)Takelegalactionagainstit.

D)Trytowinpublicsupport.

48.Whatdidtheindustry-backedanti-taxcampaigndoaboutthesodataxproposal?

A)Ittriedtoarousehostilefeelingsamongconsumers.

B)Ittriedtowingrocers’supportagainstthemeasure.

C)Itkeptsendinglettersofprotesttothemedia.

D)Itcriticizedthemeasurethroughadvertising.

49.Whatdidpublichealthgroupsthinkthesodataxwoulddo?

A)alertpeopletotheriskofsugar-induceddiseases.

B)Helppeopletofixcertainlong-timehealthissues.

C)Addtothefundfortheirresearchondiseases.

D)Benefitlow-incomepeopleacrossthecountry.

50.Whatdowelearnaboutsimilarmeasuresconcerningthesodataxinsomeothercities?

A)Theyarebecomingrathersensitiveissues.

B)Theyarespreadingpanicinthesodaindustry.

C)Theyarereducingtheincidenceofsugar-induceddiseases.

D)Theyaretakingawaylotofprofitfromthesodaindustry.

PassageTwo

Questions51to55arebasedonthefollowingpassage.

Poppingfoodintothemicrowaveforacoupleofminutesmayseemutterlyharmless,butEurope’sstockofthesequick-cookingovensemitasmuchcarbonasnearly7millioncars,anewstudyhasfound.Andtheproblemisgrowing.Withcostsfallingandkitchenappliancesbecomingstatus"items,ownersarethrowingawaymicrowavesafteranaverageofeightyears.Thisispushingsalesofnewmicrowaveswhichareexpectedtoreach135millionannuallyintheEUbytheendofthedecade.

AstudybytheUniversityofManchestercalculatedtheemissionsofCO2—themaingreenhousegasresponsibleforclimatechange—ateverystageofmicrowaves,frommanufacturetowastedisposal.Itiselectricityconsumptionbymicrowavesthathasthebiggestimpactontheenvironment,"saytheauthors.Theauthorsalsocalculatethattheemissionsfromusing19microwavesoverayeararethesameasthosefromusingacar.Accordingtothesamestudy,effortstoreduceconsumptionshouldfocusonimprovingconsumerawarenessandbehaviour.Forexample,consumerscoulduseappliancesinamoreefficientwaybyadjustingthetimeofcookingtothetypeoffood.

However,DavidReay,professorofcarbonmanagement,arguesthat,althoughmicrowavesuseagreatdealofenergy,theiremissionsareminorcomparedtothosefromcars.IntheUKalone,therearearound30millioncars.ThesecarsemitmorethanallthemicrowavesintheEU.Backingthisup,recentdatashowthatpassengercarsintheUKemitted69milliontonsofCO2in2015.Thisis10timestheamountthisnewmicrowaveovenstudyestimatesforannualemissionsforallthemicrowaveovensintheEU.Further,theenergyusedbymicrowavesislowerthananyotherfromofcooking.Amongcommonkitchenappliancesusedforcooking,microwavesarethemostenergyefficient,followedbyastoveandfinallyastandardoven.Thus,risingmicrowavesalescouldbeseenasapositivething.

51.Whatisthefindingofthenewstudy?

A)Quick-cookingmicrowaveovenshavebecomemorepopular.

B)Thefrequentuseofmicrowavesmaydoharmtoourhealth.

C)CO2emissionsconstituteamajorthreattotheenvironment.

D)TheuseofmicrowavesemitsmoreCO2thanpeoplethink.

52.Whyarethesalesofmicrowavesexpectedtorise?

A)Theyarebecomingmoreaffordable.

B)Theyhaveashorterlifecyclethanotherappliances.

C)Theyaregettingmucheasiertooperate.

D)Theytakelesstimetocookthanotherappliances.

53.WhatrecommendationdoesthestudybytheUniversityofManchestermake?

A)Cookingfoodofdifferentvarieties.

B)Improvingmicrowaveusers’habits.

C)Eatinglesstocutenergyconsumption.

D)Usingmicrowaveovenslessfrequently.

54.WhatdoesProfessorDavidReaytrytoargue?

A)Therearefarmoreemissionsfromcarsthanfrommicrowaves.

B)Peopleshouldbepersuadedintousingpassengercarslessoften.

C)TheUKproduceslessCO2thanmanyothercountriesintheEU.

D)Moredataareneededtoshowwhethermicrowavesareharmful.

55.WhatdoesProfessorDavidReaythinkoftheuseofmicrowaves?

A)Itwillbecomelesspopularinthecomingdecades.

B)Itmakeseverydaycookingmuchmoreconvenient.

C)Itplaysapositiveroleinenvironmentalprotection.

D)Itconsumesmorepowerthanconventionalcooking.