2015年自考学位英语考试阅读理解经典例题5

During times of great crisis,human beings typically turn to one of two strategies: fight or flight.There is, however, a third strategy: learning and deep change.It is based on the principle that all events,especially the most tragic,are ripe with opportunities for learning.

The September 11 terrorists demonstrated expertise in systems theory. They knew that complex systems always have two sides. One is creative and allows for great speed and efficiency (for example, civil aviation aircraft and high-rise office towers). The other is potentially destructive and can generate major catastrophes (using civil aviation against the high-rise target).

All of our current complex systems,including information systems,biotechnology,air travel,nuclear power,and the mail system, have these two major characteristics.All are susceptible to organizational error (the Challenger tragedy),human error (Chernobyl),and terrorism (Oklahoma City).Yet terrorism is the darkest and most dangerous side of our complexity.

In the case of the World Trade Center, terrorists deliberately exploited the “destructive side” of aircraft and highly populated office towers. If one simply joins hijacking with car bombing, and magnifies their effects, then September 11 is the result.

The lesson we must learn from September 11 is that our management practices, private and public, are one-dimensional. Whether it is with regard to civil aviation safety or real estate, our world is dominated by concerns about profitability. These constrain us from implementing needed and proven safety procedures in aviation and high-rise office design. The focus on profitability also pushes our systems to grow unreasonably large, rendering them more vulnerable to terrorist attacks.

Approximately 76% of the criteria used to measure organizational efficiency are financial. Only 24% consider no financial indicators such as health, safety, or the global impact that organizations have on communities and the world in general. Devoting more of our attention to no financial indicators can help us develop new strategies to match the complexity of fighting terrorism. The fields of risk and crisis management already use some of these strategies.

1.What is the main idea of the passage?

A. All events are full of opportunities for learning.

B. We can enhance our future security by learning more about our society's complexities.

C. The September 11 terrorist attack is the most destructive disaster of all.

D. Terrorism poses a formidable threat to international security.

Best Answer:B

详解：主旨题 本题要求考生归纳出这篇文章的主旨，C、D两项是文中重要的细节，可以排除;A项干扰性较强，但仔细研读文章第一段第二、三两句，不难看出两层意思：“学习和深刻的变化”，而A项只是原理，是这种策略的基础。

2. The September 11 terrorist attack is an example of ______.

A. the creative side of systems theory pportunities for learning.

B. the destructive side of systems theory

C. the organizational side of systems theory

D. the sensational side of systems theory

Best Answer:B

详解：细节理解题 本题要求考生判断出9.11恐怖袭击是“the systems theory”系统控制论)的创造性的例证，还是破坏性的例证。根据文章第二、四两段，答案应为后者。

3.The failure to implement safety procedures needed in aviation and high-rise office design results from ______.

A. the great speed and efficiency of modern society

B. the complexity of various organizations

C. the management style

D. the predominance of concerns about profitability

Best Answer:D

详解：细节推论题 根据文章第五段内容，我们可知9.11事件给我们的教训是我们的管理是平面的(one-dimensional)，即只关心赢利(concerns about profitability)，而这种观念在实践中带来两个后果：一是在航空和高层建筑的设计中忽视必要的安全防范措施，另一后果是片面求大。因此本题正确答案是D项。

4.Which of the following statements will the author most probably agree with?

A. Financial considerations are more important than no financial ones.

B. No financial considerations are more important than financial ones.

C. Financial considerations are as important as no financial ones.

D. We have devoted more of our attention to no financial considerations than is necessary.

Best Answer:C

详解：推论题 从文章最后一段中的百分比的对比和第三句“Devoting more of our attention to no financial indicators can help us...”，可以断定C项是正确答案。

5.The passage will most probably be followed by a discussion of ______.

A. some strategies of risk and crisis management

B. the global impact of terrorism

C. the measurement of organizational efficiency

D. the development of no financial organizations

Best Answer:A

详解：写作思路题 做此类题务必要仔细阅读文章的开头或结尾，尤其是第一个和最后一个单词或短语，如本题中的“these strategies”。