大学英语四册期末考试复习题Passage 1 One study shows that Americans prefer to answer with a brief “ Yes ” , “ No ” , “ Sure ” , or the very popular “ Yeah ” rather than with a longer reply. But brief replies do not mean Americans are impolite or unfriendly to some extent. Very often, Americans are in a hurry and may greet you with a single word “ Hi ” , indeed; this is a greeting you will hear again and again during your stay in the United States. It is used by everyone, regardless of rank and occupation. However, those who are accustomed to longer greetings may require a little more time before they feel comfortable with American simple talk. Americans sometimes use plain talk when they are uncomfortable. If people praise them or thank them in an especially polite way, they may become uncomfortable and not know what to say in reply. They dont want to be impolite or rude, you can be sure that they liked what was said about them. Except for certain holidays, such as Christmas, Americans dont usually give gifts. Thus, you will find Americans embarrassed as they accept gifts, especially if they have nothing to give in return. They are generally a warm but informal people. 1. The fact that Americans like shorter answers tells us_. A. they reply very quickly in a hurry B. they choose words too carefully C. they like replying briefly D. they want to be as polite as they can 2. Those who like using beautiful or formal words _. A. need more time to get used to American simple greeting B. need no time to get familiar with American greeting C. do not very much like American way of greeting D. think Americans are not polite whatever 3. Which of the following is NOT true? A. Americans often answer with the words like “ sure ” , “ yeah ” . B. They are not impolite with brief replies. C. Americans in high ranks must use formal words in greeting. D. Americans are a warm but informal people. 4. The Americans like others praise but if in a polite way_. A. they dont know what to say in reply B. they feel somewhat uneasy C. they dont want to reply D. both A and B 5. The passage indicates that _. A. Americans exchange gifts the first time they meet. B. Americans seldom give gifts except for some holidays. C. Americans often bring some gifts to their friends. D. Americans only want to get gifts from others. 以上5题的 参考答案CACDBPassage 2 A study of art history might be a good way to learn more about a culture than is possible to learn in general history classes. Most typical history courses concentrate on politics, economics and war. But art history focuses on much more than this because art reflects not only the political values of a people, but also religious beliefs, emotions and psychology. In addition, information about the daily activities of our ancestors can be provided by art. In short, art expresses the essential qualities of a time and a place, and a study of it clearly offers us a deeper understanding than can be found in most history books. In history books, objective information about the political life of a country is presented; that is, facts about politics are given, but opinions are not expressed. Art, on the other hand, is subjective( 主观的 ): it reflects emotions and opinions. The great Spanish painter Francisco Goya was perhaps the first truly “political” artist. In his well-known painting The Third of May, 1808, he criticized the Spanish government for its abuse ( 滥用 ) of power over people. In the same way, art can reflect a cultures religious beliefs. For hundreds of years in Europe, religious art had been almost the only type of art that existed. Churches and other religious buildings were filled with paintings that described people and stories from the Bible. Although most people couldnt read, they could still understand the Bible stories in the pictures on church walls. By contrast, one of the main characteristics of art in the Middle East was (and still is) its absence of human and animal images. This reflects the Islamic belief that statues (And green is associated with passive defense and self-protection. Experiments have shown that colors, partly because of their psychological associations, also have a direct psychological effect. People exposed to bright red show an increase in breath, in heartbeat and in blood pressure; red is exciting. Similar exposure to pure blue has exactly the opposite effect; it is a calming colon Because of its exciting meaning, red is chosen as the signal for danger, but closer analysis shows that a vivid yellow can produce a more basic state of alarm. So fire engines and ambulances in some advanced communities are now rushing around in bright yellow colors that stop the traffic dead. 1. More can be learned about a culture from a study of art history than general history because_. A. art history shows us nothing but the political values B. general history only