英語四級考試試題與答案

Mostofusspendourlivesseekingthenaturalworld.Tothisend,wewalkthedog,playgolf,gofishing,sitinthegarden,drinkoutsideratherthaninsidethepub,haveapicnic,liveinthesuburbs,gototheseaside,buyaweekendplaceinthecountry.ThemostpopularleisureactivityinBritainisgoingforawalk.Andwhenjoggers(慢跑者)jog,theydon’trunthestreets.Everyoneoftheminstinctivelyheadstotheparkortheriver.Itismyprofoundbeliefthatnotonlydoweallneednature,butweallseeknature,whetherweknowwearedoingsoornot.

Butdespitethis,ourchildrenaregrowingupnature-deprived(丟失).IspentmyboyhoodclimbingtreesonStreathamCommon,SouthLondon.Thesedays,childrenarerobbedoftheseancientfreedoms,duetoproblemslikecrime,traffic,thelossoftheopenspacesandoddnewperceptionsaboutwhatisbestforchildren,thatistosay,thingsthatcanbebought,ratherthanthingsthatcanbefound.

Thetruthistobefoundelsewhere.AstudyintheUS:familieshadmovedtobetterhousingandthechildrenwereassessedforADHD—attentiondeficithyperactivitydisorder(多動癥).Thosewhoseaccommodationhadmorenaturalviewsshowedanimprovementof19%;thosewhohadthesameimprovementinmaterialsurroundingsbutnoniceviewimprovedjust4%.

AstudyinSwedenindicatedthatkindergartenchildrenwhocouldplayinanaturalenvironmenthadlessillnessandgreaterphysicalabilitythanchildrenusedonlytoanormalplayground.AUSstudysuggestedthatwhenaschoolgavechildrenaccesstoanaturalenvironment,academiclevelswereraisedacrosstheentireschool.

Anotherstudyfoundthatchildrenplaydifferentlyinanaturalenvironment.Inplaygrounds,childrencreateahierarchy(等級)basedonphysicalabilities,withthetoughonestakingthelead.Butwhenagrassyareawasplantedwithbushes,thechildrengotmuchmoreintofantasyplay,andthesocialhierarchywasnowbasedonimaginationandcreativity.

Mostbullying(恃強凌弱)isfoundinschoolswherethereisatarmac(柏油碎石)playground;theleastbullyingisinanaturalareathatthechildrenareencouragedtoexplore.ThisremindsmeunpleasantlyofSunnyhillSchoolinStreatham,withitsharshtarmac,whereIusedtohangaboutincornersfantasisingaboutwildlife.

Butchildrenarefrequentlydiscouragedfrominvolvementwithnaturalspaces,forhealthandsafetyreasons,forfearthattheymightgetdirtyorthattheymightcausedamage.So,instead,thedamageisdonetothechildrenthemselves:nottotheirbodiesbuttotheirsouls.

OneofthegreatproblemsofmodernchildhoodisADHD,nowincreasinglyandexpensivelytreatedwithdrugs.YetonestudyafteranotherindicatesthatcontactwithnaturegiveshugebenefitstoADHDchildren.However,wespendmoneyondrugsratherthanongreenplaces.

Thelifeofoldpeopleismeasurablybetterwhentheyhaveaccesstonature.Theincreasingemphasisforthegrowingpopulationofoldpeopleisinqualityratherthanquantityofyears.Andstudyafterstudyfindsthatagardenisthesinglemostimportantthinginfindingthatquality.

Inwiderandmoredifficultareasoflife,thereisevidencetoindicatethatnaturalsurroundingsimproveallkindsofthings.Evenproblemswithcrimeandaggressivebehaviourarereducedwhenthereiscontactwiththenaturalworld.

DrWilliamBird,researcherfromtheRoyalSocietyfortheProtectionofBirds,statesinhisstudy,“Anaturalenvironmentcanreduceviolentbehaviourbecauseitsrestorativeprocesshelpsreduceangerandimpulsivebehaviour.”Wildplacesneedencouragingforthisreason,nomatterhowsmalltheircontribution.

Wetendtolookonnatureconservationassomekindoffavourthathumanbeingsaregrantingtothenaturalworld.Theerrorhereisfartoodeep:notonlydohumansneednatureforthemselves,buttheveryideathathumanityandthenaturalworldareseparablethingsisprofoundlydamaging.

Humanbeingsareaspeciesofmammals(哺乳動物).Forsevenmillionyearstheylivedontheplanetaspartofnature.Ourancestralselvesmissthenaturalworldandlongforcontactwithnon-humanlife.Anyonewhohaspattedadog,strokedacat,satunderatreewithapintofbeer,givenorreceivedabunchofflowersorchosentowalkthroughtheparkonaniceday,understandsthat.

Weneedthewildworld.Itisessentialtoourwell-being,ourhealth,ourhappiness.Withoutthewildworldwearenotmorebutlesscivilised.Withoutotherlivingthingsarounduswearelessthanhuman.

Fivewaystofindharmonywiththenaturalworld

Walk:Breaktherhythmofpermanentlybeingunderaroof.Getoffastopearlier,makeacircuitoftheparkatlunchtime,walkthechildtoandfromschool,getadog,feelyourselfmovinginmovingair,look,listen,absorb.

Sit:Takeamoment,everynowandthen,tobestillinanopenspace.Inthegarden,anywherethat’snotintheoffice,anywhereoutofthehouse,awayfromtheroutine.Situnderatree,lookatwater,feelrefreshed,eversoslightlyrenewed.

Drink:Thebestwaytoenjoythenaturalworldisbyyourself;thesecondbestwayisincompany.Takeadrinkoutsidewithagoodperson,agoodgathering:talkwiththesunandthewindwithbirdsongforbackground.

Learn:Expandyourboundaries.Learnfivespeciesofbird,fivebutterflies,fivetrees,fivebirdsongs.Thatway,youseeandhearmore:andyourmindrespondsgratefullytothegreateramountofwildnessinyourlife.

Travel:Theplacesyoualwayswantedtovisit:bytheseaside,inthecountry,inthehills.Takeaweekendbreak,aday-trip,getoutthereanddoit:forthescenery,forthewaythroughthewoods,forthebirds,forthebees.Gosomewherespecialandbringspecialnesshome.Itlastsforever,afterall.

1.Whatistheauthor’sprofoundbelief?

[A]Peopleinstinctivelyseeknatureindifferentways.

[B]Peopleshouldspendmostoftheirlivesinthewild.

[C]Peoplehavequitedifferentperceptionsofnature.

[D]Peoplemustmakemoreeffortstostudynature.

2.Whatdoestheauthorsaypeoplepreferfortheirchildrennowadays?

[A]Personalfreedom.

[B]Thingsthatarenatural.

[C]Urbansurroundings.

[D]Thingsthatarepurchased.

3.WhatdoesastudyinSwedenshow?

[A]Thenaturalenvironmentcanhelpchildrenlearnbetter.

[B]Moreaccesstonaturemakeschildrenlesslikelytofallill.

[C]Agoodplaygroundhelpskidsdeveloptheirphysicalabilities.

[D]NaturalviewscanpreventchildrenfromdevelopingADHD.

4.Childrenwhohavechancestoexplorenaturalareas________.

[A]tendtodevelopastrongloveforscience

[B]aremorelikelytofantasiseaboutwildlife

[C]tendtobephysicallytougherinadulthood

[D]arelesslikelytobeinvolvedinbullying

5.WhatdoestheauthorsuggestwedotohelpchildrenwithADHD?

[A]Findmoreeffectivedrugsforthem.

[B]Providemoregreenspacesforthem.

[C]Placethemundermorepersonalcare.

[D]Engagetheminmoremeaningfulactivities.

6.Inwhatwaydoelderlypeoplebenefitfromtheircontactwithnature?

[A]Theylookonlifeoptimistically.[C]Theyareabletolivelonger.

[B]Theyenjoyalifeofbetterquality.[D]Theybecomegood-humoured.

7.DrWilliamBirdsuggestsinhisstudythat________.

[A]humanityandnaturearecomplementarytoeachother

[B]wildplacesmayinduceimpulsivebehaviourinpeople

[C]accesstonaturecontributestothereductionofviolence

[D]ittakesalongtimetorestorenatureoncedamaged

8.Itisextremelyharmfultothinkthathumanityandthenaturalworldcanbe________________________.

9.Theauthorbelievesthatwewouldnotbesocivilisedwithout________________________.

10.Thefivesuggestionstheauthorgivesattheendofthepassagearemeanttoencouragepeopletoseek_________________withthenaturalworld.

參考答案：1.A)Peopleinstinctivelyseeknatureindifferentways.

解析：第一段最終一句直接給出關鍵字profoundbelief,whether引導的從句對應答案中的instinctively

2.D)Thingsthatarepurchased.

解析：其次段最終一句，whatis