2016年12月英语四级阅读理解练习及答案（11）

　　Questions 56-60 are based on the following passage.

　　Educators today are more and more oftenheard to say that computer literacy is absolutely necessary forcollegestudents. Many even argue that each incoming freshman should have permanentaccess to his or her ownmicrocomputer. What advantages do computers offer thecollege students?

　　Any student who has used a word processorwill know one compelling reason to use a computer: to writepapers. Although notall students feel comfortable composing on a word processor, most ,findrevising and editingmuch easier on it. One can alter, insert, or delete just bypressing a few keys, thus eliminating the need to rewrite orre-type.Furthermore, since the revision process is less burdensome, students are morelikely to revise as often as isnecessary to end up with the best paperpossible. For these reasons, many freshman English cottrses require the useof aword processor.

　　Computers are also useful in the contextof language courses, where they are used to drill students in basicskills.Software programs reinforce ESL(English as a Second Language .instruction, aswell as instrnction in French, German, Spanish, and other languages. By usingthese programs on a regular basis, students can improvetheir proficiency in alanguage while proceeding at their own pace.

　　Science students take advantage ofcomputers in many ways. Using computer graphic capabilities, forexample, botanystudents can represent and analyze different plant growth patterns. Medicalstudents can learn tointerpret computerized images of internal body structures.Physics students can complete complex calculations farmore quickly than theycould without the use of computer.

　　Similarly, business and accountingstudents find that computer spreadsheet programs are all but indispensabletomany aspects of their work, while students pursuing careers in graphic arts,marketing, and public relations find thatknowledge of computer graphic isimportant Education majors learn to develop grading systems usingcomputers,while social science students use computers for analyzing andgraphically displacing their research results.

　　It is no wonder, then, that educatorssupport the purchase and use of microcomputers by students. A Versatile tool, the computer can help students learn.And that is, after all, the reason for going to college.