英语四级阅读，作为大学英语能力的重要评估指标，不仅检验了学生对词汇、语法的掌握，更考察了其阅读理解和信息筛选的能力。在全球化背景下，提升这一能力对于拓宽视野、增进跨文化交流至关重要。今天，小编将分享2021年6月大学英语四级阅读真题以及答案（卷三），希望能为大家提供帮助！
Section A
Directions: In this section,there isa passage with ten blanks.You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage.Read the passage through carefully before making your choices.Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter.Please mark the corresponding letter for each item onAnswer Sheet 2 with a single line through the cntre.You may not use any of the words in the bank more thanonce.
Nowadays you can't buy anything without then being asked to provide a rating of a company's performance on a five-star scale.
I've been asked to rate my“store 26 ”on the EFTPOS terminal before I can pay.Even the most 27 activities,such as calling Telstra or picking up a parcel from Australia Post,are followed by texts or emails with surveys asking,“How did we do?”
Online purchases are 28 followed up by a customer satisfaction survey.Companies areso 29 for a hit of stars that if you delete the survey the company sends you another one.
We're 30 to rate our apps when we've barely had a chance to use them.One online course provider I use asks you what you think of the course after you've only completed 31 2 per cent of it.
Economist Jason Murphy says that companies use customer satisfaction ratings because a 32 display of star feedback has become the nuclear power sources of the modern economy.
However,youcan't help but 33 if these companiesarebasing theirbusinesson fabrications(捏造的东西).I 34 that with online surveys I just clickthe 35 that's closest tomy mouse cursor (光标)to get the damn thingoff my screen.Often the star ratingI give has far more to do with the kind of day I'm having than the purchase I just made.
A)announce F)fascinated K)shining
B)commonplace G)option L)showering
C)confess H)prompted M)variety
D)desperate I)roughly N)voyage
E)experience J)routinely O)wonder
答案解析
26.E)【语义判断】本句意为：在付款之前，我被要求在EFTPOS终端上对“店铺”______进行评分。由第一段可知，每次购买东西以后，都需要对该公司的表现进行评分，也就是顾客对店铺体验评分，因此空格处应填入含有“体验，经历”意义的名词，故本题答案为E)experience。
27.B)【语义判断】本句意为：即使是最______的活动，比如打电话给澳洲电信或从澳大利亚邮政领取包裹，也会收到短信或电子邮件调查，询问“我们做得怎么样?”。由列举的例子可知，这些都是很常见的事情，因此空格处应填入含有“常见的，普通的”意义的形容词，故本题答案为 B)commonplace。
28.J)【语义判断】本句意为：网上购物之后______会有客户满意度调查。第一段提到，购买任何东西都需要评分，那么网购也不例外。因此空格处应 填入含有“通常”意义的副词，备选副词中J) routinely“例行地，惯常地”最符合句意，故为本题答案。
29.D)【语义判断】本句意为：很多公司都______需要 星评，所以如果你删除了调查，公司就会再给你发一个。由句意可知，很多公司会锲而不舍地追着 顾客让他们点评，因为他们非常需要顾客的评价， 因此空格处应填入含有“迫切的，急需的”意义的形容词，故本题答案为D)desperate。
30.H)【语义判断】本句意为：当我们才刚刚有机会使用 一些应用软件时，我们就会______给它们打分。 由下一句可知， 一个在线课程提供商在顾客刚刚使用不久时，就催促顾客为其打分，因此空格处应填入含有“催促，促使”意义的词，故本题答案为H)prompted。
31.I)【语义判断】本句意为：我使用过的一家在线课程 提供商在你只完成了_____2%的课程后，就询 问你对这门课程的看法。由句意可知，2%未必是 确切的数字，是强调刚刚使用不久，因此空格处应 填入含有“大约”意义的词，故本题答案为I) roughly。另外一个备选副词J)routinely不符合 句意，因此排除。
32.K)【语义判断】空格所在部分意为：因为一个______星星反馈已经成为现代经济的核心影响力来源。根据前文可知，商家评分用的是星星，而星星通常给人闪闪发光的联想，因此空格处应填 入含有“闪亮的”意义的形容词，故本题答案为K)shining。
33.O)【语义判断】本句意为：然而，你不禁______ ,这 些公司的业务是否以捏造的东西为基础。由句意可知，if 在此处意为“是否”,因此空格处应填入含有“想知道，想了解”意义的动词，故本题答案为 O)wonder,
34.C) 【语义判断】本句意为：我______,在做网上调查时，我只是点击离我鼠标光标最近的______,以便把这讨厌的东西从屏幕上弄掉。上一句提到，公司的业务也许是基于编造的东西，而本句作者 以自身为例进行说明。因此空格处应填入含有“承认”意义的动词，故本题答案为C)confess。
35.G)【语义判断】本句意为：在做网上调查时，我只是点 击离我鼠标光标最近的______ ,以便把这讨厌的东西从屏幕上弄掉。根据常识可知，做问卷调 查就是根据实际情况选择不同的回答。因此空格处应填入含有“答案，选项”意义的名词，故本题答案为G)option。
Section B
Directions:In this section,you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it.Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs.Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived.You may choose a paragraph more than once.Each paragraph is marked with a letter.Answer the questionsby marking the corresponding letter on AnswerSheet 2.
Science of setbacks:How failure can improve career prospects
A)How do early career setbacks affect our long-term succes?Failures can help us learn and overcome our fears.But disasters can still wound us.They can screw us up and set us back.Wouldn't it be nice if there was genuine,scientifically documented truth to the expression“what doesn't kill you makes you stronger"?
B)One way social scientists have probed the effects of career setbacks is to look at scientists of very similar qualifications.These scientists,for reasons that are mostly arbitrary,either just missed getting a research grant or just barely made it.In social sciences,this isknown as examining“near misses”and “narrow wins”in areas where merit is subjective.That allows researchers to measure only the effects of being chosen or not.Studies in this area have found conflicting results.In the competitive game of biomedical science,research has been done on scientistswho narrowly lost or won grant money.It suggests that narrow winners become even bigger winners down the line.In other words,the rich get richer.
C)A 2018 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,for example,followed researchers in the Netherlands.Researchers concluded that those who just barely qualified for a grant were able to get twice as much money within the nexteight years as those who just missed out.And the narrow winners were 50 percent more likely to be given a professorship.
D)Others in the US have found similar effectswith National Institutes of Health early-career fellowships launching narrow winners far ahead of close losers.The phenomenon is often referred to as the Matthew effect,inspired by the Bible's wisdom that to thosewho have,more will be given.There's a good explanation for the phenomenon in the book The Formula:The Universal Laws of Success by Albert Laszlo Barabasi.According to Barabasi,it's easier and less risky for those in positions of power to choose to hand awards and funding to those who've already been so recognized.
E)This is bad news for the losers.Small early career setbacks seem to have a disproportionate effect down the line.What didn't kill them made them weaker.But other studies using the same technique have shown there's sometimes no penalty to a near miss.Students who just miss getting into top high schoolsor universities do just as well later in life as those who just manage to get accepted.In this case,what didn't kill them simply didn't matter.So is there any evidence that setbacks might actually improve ourcareer prospects?There is now.
F)In a study published in Nature Communications,Northwestern University sociologist Dashun Wang tracked more than 1,100 scientists who were on the border between getting a grant and missing out between 1990 and 2005.He followed various measures of performance over the next decade.These included how many papers they authored and how influential those papers were,as measured by the numberof subsequent citations.As expected,there was a much higher rate of attrition(减员)among scientists whodidn't get grants.But amongthose who stayed on,the close losers performed even better than the narrow winners.To make sure this wasn't by chance,Wang conducted additional tests using different performance measures.He examined howmanytimespeople were first authors on influential studies,and the like.
G) One straightforward reason close losers might outperform narrow winners is that the two groups have comparable ability.In Wang'sstudy,he selected the most determined,passionate scientists from the loser group and culled(剔除)what he deemed the weakest members of the winner group.Yet the persevering losers stil came out on top.He thinks that being a close loser might give people a psychological boost,or the proverbial kick in the pants.
H) Utrecht University sociologist Arnout van de Rijt was the lead author on the 2018 paper showing the rich get richer.Hesaid the newfinding is apparently reasonable and worth some attention.His own work showed that although the narrow winners did get much more money in the near future,the actual performance of the close losers was just as good.
I）He said the people who should be paying regard to the Wang paper are the funding agents who distribute government grant money.After all,bycontinuing to pile riches on the narrow winners,the taxpayers are not gettingthe maximum bang for their buck if the close losers are performing just as well or even better.There's a huge amount of time and effort that goes into the process of selecting who gets grants,he said,and the latest research shows that the scientific establishment is not very good at distributing money.“Maybe we should spend less money trying to figure out who isbetter than who,”he said,suggesting that some moreequal dividing up of money might be more productiveand more efficient.Van de Rijt said he's not convinced that losing out gives people a psychological boost.It may yet be a selection effect.Even though Wang tried to account for this by culling the weakest winners,it's impossible to know which of the winners would have quit had they found themselves on the losing side
J) For his part,Wangsaid that in his own experience,losing did light a motivating fire.He recalled a recent paper he submitted to a journal,whichaccepted it only to request extensive editing,and then reversed course and rejected it.He submitted the unedited version to a more respected journal and got accepted.
K) In sports and many areas of life,we think of failures as evidence of something we could have done better.We regard these disappointments as a fate we could have avoided with more careful preparation,different training,a better strategy,or more focus.And there it makes sense that failures show us the road to success.Thesepapers deal with a kind of failure people have little control over—rejection.Others determine who wins and who loses.But at the veryleast,the research is starting to show that earlysetbacks don't have to be fatal.They might even make us better at our jobs.Getting paid like a winner,though?That's a different matter.
36.Being a close loser could greatly motivate one to persevere in their research.
37.Grant awarders tend to favor researchers already recognized in their respective fields.
38.Suffering early setbacks might help people improve their job performance.
39.Research by social scientists on the effects of career setbacks has produced contradictory findings.
40.It is not to the best interest of taxpayers to keep giving money to narrow winners.
41.Scientists who persisted in research without receiving a grant made greater achievements than those whogot one with luck,as suggested in one study.
42.A research paper rejected by one journal may get accepted by another.
43.According to one recent study,narrow winners of research grants had better chances to be promoted to professors.
44.One researcher suggests it might be more fruitful to distribute grants on a relatively equal basis.
45.Minor setbacks in their earlycareer may have a strong negative effect on the career of close losers
答案解析
36.【定位】由题干中的 a close loser和persevere in their research定位到文章G)段倒数第一、二句。
G)【精析】细节辨认题。倒数第一句提到，作为一个略输者可能会给人们带来心理上的激励，或俗话所说的一种有激励效果的意外挫折。题干中的motivate 对 应 原 文 中 的 give people a psychological boost,题干中的persevere in their research对应原文中的persevering losers,故答案为G)。
37.【定位】由题干中的researchers already recognized定位到文章D)段最后一句。
D)【精析】细节归纳题。定位句指出，巴拉巴西认为对于那些掌权者来说，选择把奖项和资金交给那些已经得到认可的人更容易，风险也更小。题干中的Grant,awarders和researchers already recognized分别对应定位句中的those in positions of power和those who've already been so recognized,而题干中的favor表明颁奖者的倾向，与定位句中的easier and less risky相对应，故答案为D)。
38.【定位】由题干中的early setbacks和job performance定位到文章K)段倒数第三、四句。
K)【精析】同义转述题。定位句提到，但至少，研究开始表明，早期的挫折不一定是致命的。它们甚至可以让我们在工作上做得更好。题干中的 help people improve their job performance 对应原文中的make us betterat our jobs,故答案为K) 。
39.【定位】由题干中的contradictory findings定位到文章B)段倒数第四句。
B)【精析】同义转述题。定位句指出，这一领域的研 究发现了相互矛盾的结果。题干中的Research by social scientists on the effects of career setbacks指的就是定位句中的 Studies in this area, 而题干中的contradictory findings对应定位 句中的 conflictingresults, 故答案为B)。
40.【定位】由题干中的the best interest of taxpayers和narrow winners定位到文章I)段第二句。
I)【精析】同义转述题。定位句提到，如果略输者表现同样好甚至更好，通过继续把财富积累在少数 赢家身上，纳税人并没有得到最大的回报。定位句中的riches指的就是money。题干中的the best interest of taxpayers和keep giving money to narrow winners对应原文中的 geting the maximum bang for their buck 和continuing to pile riches on the narrow winners,故答案为I)。
41.【定位】由题干中的Scientists who persisted in research without receiving a grant 和 made greater achievements定位到文章 F)段倒数第三句。
F) 【精析】细节辨认题。定位句指出，在那些留下来的人中，略输者甚至比险胜者表现得更好。题干 中的Scientists who persisted in research without receiving a grant和made greater achievements分别对应定位句中的 the close losers 和performed even better,而题干中的those who got one with luck指的就是定位句中的the narrow winners, 题干中的persisted in research是对定 位句中的stayed on的同义转述，故答案为F)。
42.【定位】由题干中的rejected 、one journal和 get accepted定位到文章J)段第二、三句。
J)【精析】细节归纳题。定位句提到，他回忆起最近他提交给某杂志的一篇论文，该杂志接受了这篇论文，却要求进行大量的编辑，然后又改口拒绝了这篇论文。他将未经编辑的版本提交给了一家更 受尊敬的杂志，并被接受了。题干中的 A research paper 对应原文中的a recent paper,题干是对定位句的归纳概括，故答案为J。
43.【定位】由题干中的narrow winners of research grants 、better chances 和 be promoted to professors定位到文章 C)段最后一句。
C)【精析】细节辨认题。定位句指出，险胜的人获得 教授职位的可能性高出50%。题干中的narrow winners of research grants和professors分别对应定位句中的the narrow winners 和professorship,而题干中的had better chances 就是对定位句中的 were 50 percent more likely的同义转述，故答案为C)。
44.【定位】由题干中的 more fruitful、distribute grants 和on a relatively equal basis 定位到文章I)段倒数第四句。
I)【精析】同义转述题。定位句指出，也许我们应该花更少的钱来弄清楚谁比谁更优秀，这暗示一些更平等的资金分配可能会更有成效，更有效率。 题干中的more fruitful 和on a relatively equal basis分别对应定位句中的more productive and more efficient 和 more equal,而题干中的distribute grants是对定位句中的 dividing up of money 的同义转述，故答案为I)。
45.【定位】由题干中的Minor setbacks in their early career和a strong negativeeffect定位到文章E)段第二、三句。
E)【精析】同义转述题。定位句提到，职业生涯早期的小挫折似乎会对未来产生不成比例的影响。那些没有杀死他们的东西让他们变得更弱了。题干中的Minor setbacks in their early career 和 a strong negative effect分别对应原文中的Small early career setbacks和have a disproportionate effect,故答案为E)。
Section C
Directions:Thereare 2 passages in this section.Each passage isfollowed by some questions or unfinished statements.For each of them there arefour choices marked A),B),C)and D).You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
Boredom has become trendy.Studies point to how boredom is good for creativity and innovation,as well as mental health.It is found that people are more creative following the completion of a tedious task. When people are bored,they have an increase in“associative thought”—the process of making new connections between ideas,which is linked to innovative thinking.These studies are impressive,but in reality,the benefits of boredom may be related to having time to clear your mind,be quiet,or daydream.
In our stimulation-rich world,it seems unrealistic that boredom could occur at all.Yet,there are valid reasons boredom may feel so painful.As it turns out,boredom might signal the fact that you have a need that isn't being met.
Our always-on world of social media may result in more connections,but they are superficial and can get in the way of building a real sense of belonging.Feeling bored may signal the desire for a greater sense of community and the feeling that you fit in with others around you.So take thestep of joining an organization to build face-to-face relationships.You'llfind depth that you won't get from your screen no matter how many likes you geton your post.
Similar to the need for belonging,bored people often report that they feel a limited sense of meaning.It's a fundamental humanneed to have a larger purpose and to feel likewe'repartof something bigger than ourselves.When people are bored,they're more likely to feel less meaning in their lives.If you want to reduce boredom and increase your sense of meaning,seek work where you can make a unique contribution,or find a cause you can support with your time and talent.
If your definition of boredomis being quiet,mindful,and reflective,keepit up.But if you're s trugling with real boredom and the emptiness it provokes,consider whether you might seek new connections and more significant challenges.These are the things that will genuinely relieve boredom and make you more effective in the process.
46.What have studies found about boredom?
A)It facilitates innovative thinking.
B)It is a result of doing boringtasks
C)It helps people connect with others.
D)It does harm to one's mental health
47.What does the author sayboredom might indicate?
A)A need to be left alone.
B)A desire to be fulfilled.
C)A conflict to be resolved.
D)A feeling to be validated.
48.What do we learn about social media from the passage?
A)It may be an obstacle to expanding one's connections.
B)It may get in the way of enhancing one's social status.
C)It may prevent people from developing a genuine sense of community.
D)It may make people feel that they ought to fitin with the outside world.
49.What doesthe author suggest people do to get rid of boredom?
A)Count the likes they get on their posts.
B)Reflect on how they relate toothers.
C)Engagein real-life interactions.
D)Participate in online discussions.
50.What should people do to enhance their sense of meaning?
A)Try to do something original.
B)Confront significant challenges.
C)Define boredom in their unique way.
D)Devote themselves to a worthy cause.
答案解析
46.【定位】由题干中的studies和boredom定位到第一段第二、三句。
A)【精析】细节辨认题。文章第一段第二句提到，研究指出，无聊是如何有利于创造力的。第三句提到，研究发现，人们在完成一项枯燥乏味的任务后更有创造力。第四句进一步指出，当人们感到无聊时，他们会增加“联想思维”,这与创新思维有关。由此可见，科学家对无聊所做的研究表明，无聊可以激发人们的创造性思维，故答案为A)。
47.【定位】由题干中的 boredom might indicate定位 到第二段最后一句。
B)【精析】推理判断题。定位句提到，事实证明，无聊可能表明你的需求没有得到满足。由此可知，当人们感到无聊时，这表明人们的某种需求未得到满足，故答案为B)。
48.【定位】由题干中的social media定位到第三段第 一、二句。
C)【精析】推理判断题。定位句指出，我们一直在线的社交媒体世界可能会产生更多的联系，但这些联系是肤浅的，可能会妨碍建立真正的归属感。感到无聊可能表明更强烈的群体意识的欲望，并且想要融入你周围的人之中。由此可见，过多的社交媒体会妨碍我们建立真正的归属感，造成群体意识的缺失，故答案为C)。
49.【定位】由题干中的get rid of boredom定位到第三段第三句和最后一段第二、三句。
C)【精析】推理判断题。第三段第三句提到采取措施加入一个组织，建立面对面的关系。最后一段第二句提到，如果你正与真正的无聊和它所引发的空虚作斗争，考虑一下你是否可能寻求新的联系 和更重大的挑战。这些事情将真正缓解无聊，让你在这个过程中更有效率。综合两部分内容可知，答案为C)。
50.【定位】由题干中的 enhance their sense of meaning定位到第四段最后一句。
D)【精析】推理判断题。定位句指出，如果你想减少无聊感，增加你的意义感，找一份你能做出独特贡献的工作，或者找一个你能用时间和才能支持的事业。由此可见，作者认为，人们想要增加意义感的两种方法为： 一、找一份可以做出独特贡献的工 作；二、找一份能有时间和才能支持的事业。故答案为D)。
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
Can you remember what you ate yesterday?If asked,most people will be able to give a vague description of their main meals:breakfast,lunch,dinner.But can you be sure you've noted every snack bar in your car,or every handful of nuts at your desk?Most people will have a feeling that they've missed something out.
We originally had this suspicion back in 2016,puzzled by the fact that national statistics showed calorie consumption falling dramatically over past decades.We found reliable evidence that people were drastically under-reporting what they ate.
Now the Office for National Statistics has confirmed that we are consuming 50%more calories than our national statistics claim.
Why is this happening?We can point to at least three potential causes.One is the rise in obesity levels itself.Under-reporting rates are much higher for obese people,because they simply consume more food, and thus have more toremember.
Another cause is that the proportion of people who are trying to lose weight has been increasing over time.People who want to lose weight are more likely to under-report their eating regardless of whether they areoverweight or not.This may be driven partly by self-deception or“wishful thinking”
The final potential cause is an increase in snacking and eating out over recent decades—both in terms of how often they happen and how much they contribute to our overall energy intake.Again,there is evidence that food consumed out of the home is one of the most poorly recorded categoriesin surveys.
So,what's the message conveyed?For statistics,we should invest in more accurate measurement options.For policy,we need to focus on options that make it easy for people to eat fewer calories.If people do not know how much they are eating,it can be really hard for them to stick to a diet.Also,we should be looking for new ways to ensure what people eat wouldn't have much impact on their waistlines.
If this works,it won't matter if they can't remember what they ate yesterday.
51.What did the author suspectback in 2016?
A)Calorie consumption had fallen drastically over the decades.
B)Most people surveyed were reluctant to reveal what they ate.
C)The national statistics did not reflect theactual calorie consumption
D)Most people did not include snacks when reporting their calorie intake.
52.What has the Office for National Statisticsverified?
A)People'scalorie intake was far from accurately reported.
B)The missing outof main mealsleads to the habitof snacking.
C)The nation's obesity level has much to do with calorie intake.
D)Calorie consumption is linked to the amount of snacks one eats.
53.What do we learn about obese people from the passage?
A)They usually keeptheir eating habits a secret.
B)They overlook the potentialcauses of obesity.
C)Theycannot help eatingmore than they should.
D)They have difficulty recalling what they have eaten.
54.What often goes unnoticed in surveys on food consurnption?
A)The growing trend of eating out
B)The potential causes of snacking
C)People's home energy consumption.
D)People's changing diet over the years
55.What does the author suggest policymakers do about obesity?
A)Remind people to cut down on snacking.
B)Make sure people eat non-fattening food.
C)Ensure people don't miss their main meals.
D)See that people don't stick to the same diet.
答案解析
51.【定位】由题干中的suspect和back in 2016定位到第二段。
C)【精析】推理判断题。定位段指出，早在2016年他们就有了这种怀疑，因为国家统计数据显示，在过去几十年，卡路里消耗量大幅下降，这让他们感到困惑。有可靠的证据证明人们严重地漏报了他们 吃的东西。由此可见，有证据显示人们漏报了自己摄入的食物，因此作者怀疑国家统计局数据的真实性，故答案为C)。
52.【定位】由题干中的the Office for National Statistics 和verified 定位到第三段。
A) 【精析】细节辨认题。定位段提到，现在国家统计局已经证实，我们消耗的卡路里比国家统计数据声称的多50%。由此可知，国家统计局所报道的数据，与人们消耗卡路里的真实数据有很大的出入，故答案为A)。
53.【定位】由题干中的obese people定位到第四段最后一句。
D)【精析】推理判断题。定位句指出，肥胖者的漏报率要高得多，因为他们的确吃了更多的食物，因此 需要记住更多的信息。由此可见，肥胖者因为自己摄入的食物过多，因此无法事无巨细地将自己所吃的食物完全记住，故答案为D)。
54.【定位】由题干中的unnoticed in surveys on food consumption和题文同序原则定位到第六段。
A)【精析】细节辨认题。第六段提到，最后一个潜在的原因是，近几十年来，吃零食和外出吃饭的人越来越多，有证据表明，在调查中，外出吃掉的食物是记录最少的类别之一。由此可见，外出就餐通常被人们忽略，故答案为A)。
55.【定位】由题干中的policymakers do about obesity定位到最后一段第三至五句。
B)【精析】推理判断题。定位句指出，在政策方面，我们需要关注那些让人们容易摄入更少卡路里的选择。如果人们不知道自己吃了多少，那他们就真的很难坚持节食了。此外，我们应该寻找新的方法来确保人们的饮食不会对他们的腰围产生太大影响。由此可见，作者认为，政策制定者应该引导人们多吃一些卡路里较少的食物，使之尽量减少对体重的影响，故答案为B)。
