2017年12月英语四级阅读理考前预测试题（4）

　　A. requests B. symbolize C. sought D. delighted E. swiftly

　　F. chances G. favored H. seriously I. emigrated J. enriched

　　K. danger L. fashion M. difference N. invention O. distinctions

　　This is the story of a sturdy (毫不含糊的) American symbol which has now spread throughout most of the world. It is a simple pair of pants called blue jeans, and what the pants 1___B__ is what Alexis de Tocqueville called “a manly and legitimate passion for equality …”. Blue jeans are 2___G__ equally by bureaucrats (官僚主义者) and cowboys; bankers and deadbeats; 3__L_ designers and beer drinkers. They draw no 4___O__ and recognize no classes; they are merely American. Yet they are 5__C__ after almost everywhere in the world. They have been around for a long time, and it seems likely that they will outlive even the necktie.

　　This ubiquitous (普遍存在的) American symbol was the 6___N__ of a Bavarian-born Jew. His name was Levi Strauss.

　　He was born in Bad Ocheim, Germany, in 1892, and during the European political disorder of 1848 decided to take 7__F___ in New York, to which his two brothers had already 8__I__ . For two years he was a lowly peddler, hauling sundries door-to-door to eke out a hand-to-mouth living. When a married sister in San Francisco offered to pay his way West in 1850, he jumped at the opportunity, taking with him bolts of canvas he hoped to sell for making tents.

　　It was the wrong kind of canvas for that purpose, but while talking with a miner, he learned that pants — sturdy pants that would stand up to the rigors of the diggings — were almost impossible to find. Opportunity beckoned. On the spot, Strauss measured the man’s waist and inseam with a piece of string and, for six dollars in gold dust, had the canvas tailored into a pair of stiff but rugged pants. The miner was 9__D__ with the result, word got around about “those pants of Levi’s,” and Strauss was in business. The company has been in business ever since.

　　When Strauss ran out of canvas, he wrote his two brothers to send more. He received instead a rough, brown cotton cloth made in Nimes, France-called serge de Nimes and 10__E__ shortened to “denim” (the word “jeans” derives from Genes, the French word for Genoa, where a similar cloth was produced). Almost from the first, Strauss cloth dyed the distinctive indigo that gave blue jeans their name, but it was not until the 1870s that he added the copper rivets which have long since become a company trademark.

　　1. It is very important to have mutual understanding among people in order to keep and develop good relationships.

　　2. Science does with discovering the facts and relationships between observable phenomena in nature and establishing theories that serve to organize these facts and relationships.

　　3. We are living in a big human family where good relationships are indispensable.

　　4. If it is difficult to explain to the person who has misunderstood me, I wait until a suitable time comes.

　　5. The chief reason for the rapid increase is the practice of reform and open-door policy to the outside world.

　　6. Quarrels and conflicts among people sometimes worsen their relationships due to misunderstanding.

　　7. I believe with sincerity and patience that all misunderstandings can be resolved.

　　8. However, misunderstanding sometimes occurs in our daily life

　　1. 在这种情况下约翰尼急切地抓住了难得的机会。 (jump at the chance)

　　In this case Johnny jumped at the rare chance to apply for the post.

　　2. 现在说是由于天气关系才耽搁了航班还为时过早。(It is too early to say…)

　　It is too early to say that the weather is responsible for the delay of the flight.

　　3. 现代英语中许多词汇来源于拉丁文。 (be derived from)

　　In modern English many words are derived from Latin

　　4. 我们也许不能理解75%的女性下班后要继续照顾孩子。 (It might not …)

　　It might not be understood that 75 percent of women have to take

　　care of their kids after work.

　　5. 平均来说，我们每天要在电脑前工作十小时。(on average)

　　On average, we spend almost ten hours a day working with computer