英語四級閱讀練習是提升英語能力不可或缺的環(huán)節(jié)。通過深入的閱讀練習，我們不僅能夠錘煉語言技巧，還能有效擴充四級考試的詞匯庫，進一步加深對語法知識的理解。這種綜合性的學習方式，無疑為全面提升英語水平打下了堅實的基礎。以下，我們將以一篇“大學的專業(yè)選擇”的文章為例，進行英語四級閱讀練習。
英文原文
One of the bitterest and most time - worm debates in student union bars up and down the country is resolved as academic research confirms that in financial terms at least, arts degrees are a complete waste of time. Getting through university boosts students' earnings by 25%, on a weighted average, or $220,000 over their lifetime, according to Professor Ian Walker of Warwick University - but if they study Shakespeare or the peasants' revolt instead of anatomy of contract law, those gains are likely to be completely wiped out.
在全國各地學生會酒吧里，一場最為激烈且曠日持久的爭論終于有了結果，學術研究證實，至少從經(jīng)濟角度來看，文科學位完全是浪費時間。華威大學的伊恩·沃克教授表示，讀完大學能使學生的收入平均加權提高25%，或者在其一生中多賺22萬美元，但如果他們學習的是莎士比亞作品或農(nóng)民起義，而不是合同法解析，那么這些收入增長很可能會化為烏有。
The government is about to allow universities to charge students up to $3,000 a year for their degrees, arguing that it's a small price to pay compared with the financial rewards graduates reap later in life. But Prof. Walker's research shows there are sharp variations in returns according to which subject a student takes.
政府即將允許大學每年向學生收取高達3000美元的學位費用，理由是與畢業(yè)生今后獲得的經(jīng)濟回報相比，這點費用微不足道。但沃克教授的研究表明，根據(jù)學生所選科目的不同，回報率存在很大差異。
Law, medicine and economics or business are the most lucrative choices, making their average earnings 25% higher, according to the article, published in the office for national statistics' monthly journal. Scientists get 10 - 15% extra. At the bottom of the list are arts subjects, which make only a "small" difference to earnings - a small negative one, in fact. Just ahead are degrees in education - which leave hard - pressed teachers an average of 5% better off a year than if they had left school at 18.
根據(jù)發(fā)表在國家統(tǒng)計局月刊上的這篇文章，法律、醫(yī)學、經(jīng)濟學或商科是最能賺錢的選擇，這些專業(yè)畢業(yè)生的平均收入要高出25%。科學家能多賺10% - 15%。排在最后的是文科專業(yè)，它們對收入的影響“很小”，實際上還是負面的。教育專業(yè)緊隨其后，與18歲就離開學校的人相比，教育專業(yè)畢業(yè)的辛苦的教師每年平均收入能高出5%。
"It's hard to resist the conclusion that what students learn does matter a lot; and some subject areas give more modest financial returns than others," Prof. Walker said. As an economist, he was quick to point out that students might gain non - financial returns from arts degrees:"Studying economics might be very dull, for example, and studying post - modernism might be a lot of fun."
沃克教授說：“我們很難不得出這樣的結論：學生所學的內容確實非常重要；而且有些專業(yè)領域的經(jīng)濟回報比其他專業(yè)要低?！弊鳛橐幻?jīng)濟學家，他很快指出，學生可能會從文科學位中獲得非經(jīng)濟回報：“例如，學習經(jīng)濟學可能非常枯燥，而學習后現(xiàn)代主義可能會非常有趣?！?/span>
問題
1.What is the best title for the passage?
A.Professor Walker's Research
B.How to Make Big Money.
C.Differences Between Science and Arts Degrees.
D.Studying Arts Has Negative Financial Outcome.
2.Universities charge students a rather high tuition mainly because_____.
A.they provide the students with very prosperous subjects to learn
B.they assume that their graduates can earn much more than they had paid
C.they don't get financial support from the government
D.they need much revenue to support the educational expenses
3.The word "lucrative" (Line 1, Para. 4) most probably means _____.
A.sensible
B.creative
C.profitable
D.reliable
4.Law, medical and business graduates could earn 25% more than ______.
A.education graduates
B.arts graduates
C.those who had not studied at the university
D.the average income
5.We can safely conclude that the author ______.
A.regards arts degrees as meaningless
B.finds this result disappointing and unfair
C.wants the students to think twice before they decide what to learn in college
D.holds that arts degrees are still rewarding despite its scarce financial returns
答案解析
1.答案：D
解析：文章開篇指出學術研究證實從經(jīng)濟角度看文科學位是浪費時間，后續(xù)圍繞不同專業(yè)經(jīng)濟回報展開討論，整體圍繞文科在經(jīng)濟回報方面的負面結果展開，A選項“沃克教授的研究”過于寬泛，B選項“如何賺大錢”偏離主題，C選項“理科和文科學位的差異”沒有抓住核心，即文科經(jīng)濟回報不佳這一點，所以D選項“學習文科有負面的經(jīng)濟結果”正確。
2.答案：B
解析：第三段首句提到政府允許大學收取高額學費，后半句“arguing that...”表明原因，即與畢業(yè)生日后獲得的經(jīng)濟回報相比這點費用不算什么，也就是大學認為畢業(yè)生能賺更多，B選項符合；A選項“提供非常繁榮的學科讓學生學習”并非主要原因；C選項“沒有得到政府財政支持”文中未提及；D選項“需要大量收入來支持教育開支”也不是關鍵原因，所以選B。
3.答案：C
解析：根據(jù)下文“making their average earnings 25% higher”（使他們的平均收入提高25%）以及“Scientists get 10 - 15% extra”（科學家能多賺10% - 15%）可以推測出“l(fā)ucrative”意思是“能帶來豐厚收入的”，即“profitable”；A選項“sensible”意為明智的；B選項“creative”意為有創(chuàng)造力的；D選項“reliable”意為可靠的，均不符合語境，所以選C。
4.答案：C
解析：第四段提到不同專業(yè)收入比較，要找到法律、醫(yī)學和商業(yè)畢業(yè)生收入比誰高25%的參照點。第二段提到上完大學能使學生收入平均提高25%，這里是以沒上大學的人為參照，且第四段整體在比較大學畢業(yè)和18歲畢業(yè)（即沒上大學）收入的不同，所以C選項正確；A選項“教育專業(yè)畢業(yè)生”、B選項“文科畢業(yè)生”都不準確；D選項“平均收入”沒有明確指向沒上大學的人的平均收入，所以選C。
5.答案：D
解析：文章最后沃克教授指出人文學科雖然經(jīng)濟效益不佳，但學生可能會從中獲得非經(jīng)濟回報，說明作者認為文科還是有其價值的，A選項“認為文科學位毫無意義”錯誤；B選項“覺得這個結果令人失望和不公平”文中未體現(xiàn)；C選項“希望學生在決定大學學什么之前三思”不是重點；D選項“認為盡管文科經(jīng)濟回報少，但仍有價值”符合作者意思，所以選D。
以上就是英語四級閱讀練習：大學的專業(yè)選擇的文章示例，希望這些練習能夠成為你英語學習路上的得力助手，助你輕松應對四級考試！
