2017四级阅读理解训练题及解析
Questions 62 to 66 are based on the following passage.
By almost any measure, there is a boom in Internet-based instruction. In just a few years, 34 percent of American universities have begun offering some form of distance learning (DL), and among the larger schools, it’s closer to 90 percent. If you doubt the popularity of the trend, you probably haven’t heard of the University of Phoenix. It grants degrees entirely on the basis of online instruction. It enrolls 90,000 students, a statistic used to support its claim to be the largest private university in the country.
While the kinds of instruction offered in these programs will differ, DL usually signifies a course in which the instructors post syllabi (课程大纲), reading assignments, and schedules on Websites, and students send in their assignments by e-mail. Generally speaking, face-to-face communication with an instructor is minimized or eliminated altogether.
The attraction for students might at first seem obvious. Primarily, there’s the convenience promised by courses on the Net: you can do the work, as they say, in your pajamas (睡衣). But figures indicate that the reduced effort results in a reduced commitment to the course. While dropout rates for all freshmen at American universities is around 20 percent, the rate for online students is 35 percent. Students themselves seem to understand the weaknesses inherent in the setup. In a survey conducted for eCornell, the DL division of Cornell University, less than a third of the respondents expected the quality of the online course to be as good as the classroom course.
Clearly, from the schools’ perspective, there’s a lot of money to be saved. Although some of the more ambitious programs require new investments in servers and networks to support collaborative software, most DL courses can run on existing or minimally upgraded (升级) systems. The more students who enroll in a course but don’t come to campus, the more the school saves on keeping the lights on in the classrooms, paying doorkeepers, and maintaining parking lots. And, while there’s evidence that instructors must work harder to run a DL course for a variety of reasons, they won’t be paid any more, and might well be paid less.
注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
62. What is the most striking feature of the University of Phoenix?
A) It boasts the largest number of students on campus.
B) All its courses are offered online.
C) Its online courses are of the best quality.
D) Anyone taking its online courses is sure to get a degree.
63. According to the passage, distance learning is basically characterized by ________.
A) a minimum or total absence of face-to-face instruction
B) a considerable flexibility in its academic requirements
C) the great diversity of students’ academic backgrounds
D) the casual relationship between students and professors
64. Many students take Internet-based courses mainly because they can ________.
A) save a great deal on traveling and boarding expenses
B) select courses from various colleges and universities
C) work on the required courses whenever and wherever
D) earn their academic degrees with much less effort
65. What accounts for the high drop-out rates for online students?
A) There is no mechanism to ensure that they make the required effort.
B) There is no strict control over the academic standards of the courses.
C) The evaluation system used by online universities is inherently weak.
D) Lack of classroom interaction reduces the effectiveness of instruction.
66. According to the passage, universities show great enthusiasm for DL programs for the purpose of ________.
A) building up their reputation
B) upgrading their teaching facilities
C) providing convenience for students
D) cutting down on their expenses
解析
这是一篇讲述网络远程教育的文章，全文较为客观地阐述了网络远程教育的现状，说明性较强。文章各个段落均较长，因此一共只有4个大段，每一段针对网络远程教育的不同方面进行说明。
第一段提出了网络远程教育渐趋流行的事实，并以菲尼克斯大学为例具体进行了说明。第二段简单介绍了网络远程教育的施行方式。第三、四段分别从学生和学校两个方面分析了网络远程教育流行的原因。
文章长难句较多，往往以典型的英语式思维表达许多抽象意义，理解起来较为困难，尤其在第四段中出现的长句，结构复杂，需要慢慢理解消化。
62. B
题目问菲尼克斯大学最为显著的特点是什么。文章第一段以菲尼克斯大学为例说明了网络远程教育的流行趋势，相关内容只有It grants degrees entirely on the basis of online instruction. It enrolls 90,000 students, a statistic used to support its claim to be the largest private university in the country这两句话，大意是菲尼克斯大学完全以在线教育为基础授予学位，其登记注册了90000学生，号称全国第一大私立大学。
A，它吹嘘拥有最多的在校学生人数。菲尼克斯大学确实自称学生人数在私立大学中排名第一，但Enroll 90000是指注册的人数，而非在校内学习(on campus)的人数。因此A的说法不对。
B，所有课程都是在线提供。文中使用了entirely来明确说明该大学所有课程都是在线提供，因此B的说法符合文意。
C，其在线课程质量最高。文中没有提到课程质量如何。
D，任何参加其在线课程的学生都可保证获得学位。文中提到了学位问题，称其学位授予依托网络教育，应该说是一种授予途径，并没有对是否必然获得学位做出保证。
63. A
题目问根据文意，远程教育的基本特点是什么。因为第一题所问的菲尼克斯大学的问题已经是第一段末尾的内容，而且全文只有4大段，5道题中的第二道题不可能越过第二段去考查第三段的内容，所以这道题的答案必然要到第二段去找。
第二段大意如下：尽管课程本身各不相同，但远程教育还是有通常的'特点，老师在网站上发布大纲、作业等，学生通过电子邮件上交作业;师生面对面的交流已经减到最少或是完全消失。四个选项的意思是：
A，面对面授课的最小化或完全缺失。第二段中的Generally speaking(通常来说)是总结性的词汇，以此引出后面对在线教育的特点的描述，该描述与A恰好一致。
B，学习要求相当具有灵活性。文中提到作业是由电子邮件来发送，但这是否意味着灵活性强不得而知。也许用电子邮件发送作业反而会在时间上要求得更为具体，这样反而是要求更为严格了。
C，学生的学习背景非常广泛。第二段开头就指出在线教育所授课程各不相同，这也就是学生学习背景广泛的意思。但这句话是由while引导的，while在这里是“虽然”的意思，而我们知道转折句式的后半句(“但是……”)才是陈述的重点，所以C并不是作者所要指出的一般特点。
D，学生与教授之间的关系较为随便。文中说师生面对面交流的机会减少或消失，但这与关系随便与否无关。
64. C
题目问许多学生选择以互联网为基础的课程主要是因为他们能够……
第三段从学生的角度分析了在线远程教育流行的原因，指出最首要的原因是上课方便。而后也说明由于这个特点，反而使学习质量下降。
A，节省一大笔路费和住宿费。也许这是远程教育的好处之一，但文中没有提到这一点。文中使用primarily(最根本地)一词，强调了首要原因是the convenience(方便)。
B，从许多不同学院和大学里选择课程。第三段乃至全文都找不到类似的内容。
C，随时随地参与课程。文中讲到学生选择远程教育主要是因为方便，并举例说明这种方便是可以穿着睡衣上课(do the work, as they say, in your pajamas)。这也就是可以随时随地学习上课的意思。
D，少费很大的力气就可以获得学位。文中指出远程教育确实可以节省力气(the reduced effort)，但其结果是退学率达到35%，高于在校学习的20%，与D的说法正好相反。
65. A
题目问在线学习的学生之所以出现高退学率的原因。四个选项的意思分别是：
A，无法保证他们付出所需的努力。
B，对课程标准没有严格的控制。
C，在线大学的评估系统天生不强。
D，课堂互动的缺乏降低了教育的效果。
文章第三段中间部分提到远程教育的学生退学率达到了35%(While dropout rate for all freshmen at American universities is around 20 percent, the rate for online students is 35 percent)，这种现象出现的原因在前一句就已经给出了：But figures indicate that the reduced effort results in a reduced commitment to the course，数字显示少费力气也就少用功于上课。可知退学率高是因为学生上课不够用功，不够用功的原因是远程教育本身的特点：方便(convenience)，节省力气(reduced effort)。由此可见，A的说法最为符合文意。B和D的说法在文中都没有提到。文中Students themselves seem to understand the weaknesses inherent in the setup一句虽提到了远程教育的天生弱点，但这个弱点是指reduced effort，而不是评估系统(evaluation system在文中根本没有提及)。
66. D
题目问根据文意，大学对远程教育计划十分热心是为了什么。
第四段从学校的角度分析了远程教育流行的原因。开头指出there’s a lot of money to be saved，即可以节约大笔费用。接下来具体分析了可以在哪些方面节约费用。首先是大多数远程教育课程可以在现有系统上直接或稍作升级后运行，不需要为服务器和网络投入新的资金。其次是学校可以在教室照明、安保和租用停车场上节省大笔资金。除此之外，文中再无其他论述。由此可见，在文章看来，大学对远程教育如此热心的原因是费用相对低廉。四个选项分别是：
A，享得盛誉。
B，升级教育设施。
C，为学生提供方便。
D，减少开销。
只有D符合文意。
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