12月英语四级考试考点阅读题练习（1）

12月英语四级考试考点阅读题练习（1）

　　It is pretty much a one-way street. While it may be common for university researchers to try their luck in the commercial world, there is very little traffic in the opposite direction. Pay has always been the biggest deterrent, as people with families often feel they cannot afford the drop in salary when moving to a university job. For some industrial scientists, however, the attractions of academia (学术界) outweigh any financial considerations.
　　Helen Lee took a 70% cut in salary when she moved from a senior post in Abbott Laboratories to a medical department at the University of Cambridge. Her main reason for returning to academia mid-career was to take advantage of the greater freedom to choose research questions. Some areas of inquiry have few prospects of a commercial return, and Lee’s is one of them.外语学习网

　　The impact of a salary cut is probably less severe for a scientist in the early stages of a career. Guy Grant, now a research associate at the Unilever Centre for Molecular Informatics at the University of Cambridge, spent two years working for a pharmaceutical (制药的) company before returning to university as a post-doctoral researcher. He took a 30% salary cut but felt it worthwhile for the greater intellectual opportunities.

　　Higher up the ladder, where a pay cut is usually more significant, the demand for scientists with a wealth of experience in industry is forcing universities to make the transition (转换) to academia more attractive, according to Lee. Industrial scientists tend to receive training that academics do not, such as how to build a multidisciplinary team, manage budgets and negotiate contracts. They are also well placed to bring something extra to the teaching side of an academic role that will help students get a job when they graduate, says Lee, perhaps experience in manufacturing practice or product development. “Only a small number of undergraduates will continue in an academic career. So someone leaving university who already has the skills needed to work in an industrial lab has far more potential in the job market than someone who has spent all their time on a narrow research project.”

　　1. By “a one-way street” (Line 1, Para. 1), the author means ________.
　　A. university researchers know little about the commercial world
　　B. there is little exchange between industry and academia
　　C. few industrial scientists would quit to work in a university
　　D. few university professors are willing to do industrial research

　　2. What was Helen Lee’s major consideration when she changed her job in the middle of her career?
　　A. Her research interests.
　　B. Flexible work hours.
　　C. Her preference for the lifestyle on campus.
　　D. Prospects of academic accomplishments.

【答案】1.C 2. A

　　【解析】
　　1. 考点出处：第一段While it may be common for university researchers to try their luck in the commercial world, there is very little traffic in the opposite direction. Pay has always been the biggest deterrent, as people with families often feel they cannot afford the drop in salary when moving to a university job.

　　文章首句提到“这在很大程度上是一条单行道”，接下来谈到“同时，大学研究人员去工商业界碰运气很普遍，但是向反方向走的却很少。”这里的“反方向”指的就是“工商业界去大学工作”，由此可知，作者是想用“单行道”来描述“很少有实业科学家去大学工作”这一现象，故答案为C。

　　2. 考点出处：第二段Her main reason for returning to academia mid-career was to take advantage of the greater freedom to choose research questions.

　　该句提到，Helen Lee在事业发展的中期返回学术界的主要原因（Her main reason for..）是想利用那里更大的自由选择研究专题权利，由此可知她是为了她的“研究兴趣”才更换工作的。A选项中Her research interests.对应原文中的“freedom to choose research questions.”所以，答案为A。