2009年12月大学英语四级考试真题与答案_第4页

Passage One
Questions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.
　　Throughout this long, tense election, everyone has focused on the presidential candidates and how they’ll change America. Rightly so, but selfishly, I’m more fascinated by Michelle Obama and what she might be able to do, not just for this country, but for me as an African-American woman. As the potential First Lady, she would have the world’s attention. And that means that for the first time people will have a chance to get up close and personal with the type of African-American woman they so rarely see.
　　Usually, the lives of black women go largely unexamined. The prevailing theory seems to be that we’re all hot-tempered single mothers who can’t keep a man. Even in the world of make-believe, black women still can’t escape the stereotype of being eye-rolling, oversexed females raised by our never-married, alcoholic (酗酒的) mothers.
　　These images have helped define the way all women are viewed, including Michelle Obama. Before she ever gets the chance to commit to a cause, charity or foundation as First Lady, her most urgent and perhaps most complicated duty may be simple to be herself.
　　It won’t be easy. Because few mainstream publications have done in-depth features on regular African-American women, little is known about who we are, what we think and what we face on a regular basis. For better or worse, Michelle will represent us all.
　　Just as she will have her critics, she will also have millions of fans who usually have little interest in the First Lady. Many African-American blogs have written about what they’d like to see Michelle bring to the White House—mainly showing the world that a black woman can support her man and raise a strong black family. Michelle will have to work to please everyone—an impossible task. But for many African-American women like me, just a little of her poise (沉着), confidence and intelligence will go a long way in changing an image that’s been around for far too long.
57. Why does Michelle Obama hold a strong fascination for the author?
A) She serves as a role model for African women.
B) She possesses many admirable qualities becoming a First Lady.
C) She will present to the world a new image of African-American women.
D) She will pay closer attention to the interests of African-American women.
58. What is the common stereotype of African-American women according to the author?
A) They are victims of violence.
B) They are of an inferior violence.
C) They use quite a lot of body language.
D) They live on charity and social welfare.
59. What do many African-Americans write about in their blogs?
A) Whether Michelle can live up to the high expectations of her fans.
B) How Michelle should behave as a public figure.
C) How proud they are to have a black woman in the White House.
D) What Michelle should do as wife and mother in the White House.
60. What does the author say about Michelle Obama as a First Lady?
A) However many fans she has, she should remain modest,
B) She shouldn’t disappoint the African-American community.
C) However hard she tries, she can’t expect to please everybody.
D) She will give priority to African-American women’s concerns.
61. What do many African-American women hope Michelle Obama will do?
A) Help change the prevailing view about black women.
B) Help her husband in the task of changing America.
C) Outshine previous First Lady.
D) Fully display her fine qualities.
Passage Two
Questions 62 to 66 are based on the following passage.
　　When next year’s crop of high-school graduates arrive at Oxford University in the fall of 2009, they’ll be joined by a new face; Andrew Hamilton, the 55-year-old provost (教务长) of Yale, who’ll become Oxford’s vice-chancellor—a position equivalent to university president in America.
　　Hamilton isn’t the only educator crossing the Atlantic. Schools in France, Egypt, Singapore, etc, have also recently made top-level hires from abroad. Higher education has become a big and competitive business nowadays, and like so many businesses, it’s gone global. Yet the talent flow isn’t universal. High-level personnel tend to head in only one direction: outward from America.
　　The chief reason is that American schools don’t tend to seriously consider looking abroad. For example, when the board of the University of Colorado searched for a new president, it wanted a leader familiar with the state government, a major source of the university’s budget. “We didn’t do any global consideration,” says Patricia Hayes, the board’s chair. The board ultimately picked Bruce Benson, a 69-year-old Colorado businessman and political activist (活动家) who is likely to do well in the main task of modern university presidents: fund-raising. Fund-raising is a distinctively American thing, since U.S. schools rely heavily on donations. The fund-raising ability is largely a product of experience and necessity.
　　Many European universities, meanwhile, are still mostly dependent on government funding. But government support has failed to keep pace with rising student number. The decline in government support has made funding-raising an increasing necessary ability among administrators and has hiring committees hungry for Americans.
　　In the past few years, prominent schools around the world have joined the trend. In 2003, when Cambridge University appointed Alison Richard, another former Yale provost, as its vice-chancellor, the university publicly stressed that in her previous job she had overseen “a major strengthening of Yale’s financial position.”
　　Of course, fund-raising isn’t the only skill outsiders offer. The globalization of education means more universities will be seeking heads with international experience of some kind of promote international programs and attract a global student body. Foreigners can offer a fresh perspective on established practices.
62. What is the current trend in higher education discussed in the passage?
A) Institutions worldwide are hiring administrators from the U.S.
B) A lot of political activists are being recruited as administrators.
C) American universities are enrolling more international students.
D) University presidents are paying more attention to funding-raising.
63. What is the chief consideration of American universities when hiring top-level administrators?
A) The political correctness.
B) Their ability to raise funds.
C) Their fame in academic circles.
D) Their administrative experience.
64. What do we learn about European universities from the passage?
A) The tuitions they charge have been rising considerably.
B) Their operation is under strict government supervision.
C) They are strengthening their position by globalization.
D) Most of their revenues come from the government.
65. Cambridge University appointed Alison Richard as its vice-chancellor chiefly because _____.
A) she was known to be good at raising money
B) she could help strengthen its ties with Yale
C) she knew how to attract students overseas
D) she had boosted Yale’s academic status
66. In what way do top-level administrators from abroad contribute to university development?
A) They can enhance the university’s image.
B) They will bring with them more international faculty.
C) They will view a lot of things from a new perspective.
D) They can set up new academic disciplines.