2013年英语四级阅读试题及答案10

　　Passage Four

　　Since we are social beings, the quality of our lives depends in large measure on our interpersonal relationships. One strength of the human condition is our tendency to give and receive support from one another under stressful circumstances. Social support consists of the exchange of resources among people based on their interpersonal ties.

　　Those of us with strong support systems appear better able to cope with major life

　　changes and daily hassles(困难). People with strong social ties live longer and have better health than those without such ties. Studies over a range of illnesses, from depression to heart disease, reveal that the presence of social support helps people fend off(挡开) illness, and the absence of such support makes poor health more likely.

　　Social support cushions stress in a number of ways. First, friends, relatives, and co-workers may let us know that they value us. Our self-respect is strengthened when we feel accepted by others despite our faults and difficulties. Second, other people often provide us with informational support. They help us to define and understand our problems and find solutions to them. Third, we typically find social companionship supportive. Engaging in leisure-time activities with others helps us to meet our social needs while at the same time distracting(转移...注意力)us from our worries and troubles. Finally, other people may give us instrumental support-financial aid, material resources, and needed services -- that reduces stress by helping us resolve and cope with our problems.

　　66. Interpersonal relationships are important because _______.

　　A) they are indispensable to people's social weel-being

　　B) they waken people's desire to exchange resources

　　C) they help people to cope with life in the information era

　　D) they can cure a range of illnesses such as heart disease, etc.

　　[答案及分析]：A。本文第一句说：我们的生活质量在很大程度上取决于我们的人际关系。可见，人际关系之所以重要，是因为它是我们生活是否幸福不可缺少的因素。

　　67. Research shows that people's physical and mental health _______.

　　A) relies on the social welfare systems which support them

　　B) has much to do with the amount of support they get from others

　　C) depends on their ability to deal with daily worries and troubles

　　D)is closely related to their strength for coping with major changes in their lives

　　[答案及分析]：B。文章第一段充分阐述了人们的身心是否健康与得到他人支持关系非常密切。人们得到他人的支持越多，就越多对付困难，支持越少，就越有可能患病。

　　68. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word"cushions"(Line 1, Para.2)?

　　A) Adds up to. B) Does away with.

　　C) Lessens the effect of. D) Lays the foundation for.

　　[答案及分析]：C。“cushion”做动词，本意是“加垫于”，有“缓冲、减压”之意。而这句话的意思是;社会的支持以许多方式来减轻压力。

　　69. Helping a sick neighbor with some repair work is an example of _______.

　　A) instrumental support B) informational support

　　C) social companionship D) the strengthening of self-respect

　　[答案及分析]：A。第二段讲了许多社会支持如何帮助人们。如：亲友让我们知道他们在乎我们，增强了我们的自信心;亲友为我们提供信息的帮助;亲友的陪伴对我们尤为重要;亲友还为我们提供资金、物质服务等方面的instrumental support。题目讲帮主病的邻居修东西，显然是instrumental support。

　　70. Social companionship is beneficial in that _______.

　　A) it helps strengthen our ties with relatives

　　B) it enables us to eliminate our faults and mistakes

　　C) it makes our leisure-time activities more enjoyable

　　D) it draws our attention away from our worries and troubles

　　[答案及分析]：D。文章倒数第二句话说：与他们一起享受闲暇时光可以使我们的注意力从烦恼和困难中摆脱出来。