英語四級考試在即，我們都知道真題是非常關(guān)鍵的復(fù)習(xí)資料，所以今天一起來做英語四級真題練習(xí)吧！希望對參加英語四級考試的同學(xué)有所幫助。

Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage:

　　Chemistry did not emerge as a science until after the scientific revolution in the seventeenth century and then only rather slowly and laboriously. But chemical knowledge is as old as history, being almost entirely concerned with the practical arts of living. Cooking is essentially a chemical process; so is the melting of metals and the administration of drugs and potions. This basic chemical knowledge, which was applied in most cases as a rule of thumb, was nevertheless dependent on previous experiment. It also served to stimulate a fundamental curiosity about the processes themselves. New information was always being gained as artisans improved techniques to gain better results.

　　The development of a scientific approach to chemistry was, however, hampered by several factors. The most serious problem was the vast range of material available and the consequent difficulty of organizing it into some system. In addition, there were social and intellectual difficulties, chemistry is nothing if not practical; those who practice it must use their hands, they must have a certain practical flair. Yet in many ancient civilizations, practical tasks were primarily the province of a slave population. The thinker or philosopher stood apart from this mundane world, where the practical arts appeared to lack any intellectual content or interest.

　　The final problem for early chemical science was the element of secrecy. Experts in specific trades had developed their own techniques and guarded their knowledge to prevent others from stealing their livelihood. Another factor that contributed to secrecy was the esoteric nature of the knowledge of alchemists, who were trying to transform base metals into gold or were concerned with the hunt for the elixir that would bestow the blessing of eternal life. In one sense, the second of these was the more serious impediment because the records of the chemical processes that early alchemists had discovered were often written down in symbolic language intelligible to very few or in symbols that were purposely obscure.

　　21. What is the passage mainly about?

　　A) The scientific revolution in the seventeenth century.

　　B) Reasons that chemistry developed slowly as a science.

　　C) The practical aspects of chemistry.

　　D) Difficulties of organizing knowledge systematically.

　　22. According to the passage, how did knowledge about chemical processes increase before the seventeenth century?

　　A) Philosophers devised theories about chemical properties.

　　B) A special symbolic language was developed.

　　C) Experience led workers to revise their techniques.

　　D) Experts shared their discoveries with the public.

　　23. The bold word "hampered" in Line 1 Para 2 is closest in meaning to____.

　　A) recognized B) determined

　　C) solved D) hindered

　　24. The bold word "it" refers to which of the following?

　　A) Problem. B) Material.

　　C) Difficulty. D) System.

? ? ? ?25. Which of the following statements best explains why "the second of these was the more serious impediment"(Underlined)?

　　A) Chemical knowledge was limited to a small number of people.

　　B) The symbolic language used was very imprecise.

　　C) Very few new discoveries were made by alchemists.

　　D) The records of the chemical processes were not based on experiments.

【參考答案】??

21.【答案】B?！咀g文】本篇文章的主要內(nèi)容是什么?【試題分析】主題歸納型，通過總結(jié)和歸納，進而得出文章的主題。【詳細解答】選項A的意思是"十七世紀的科學(xué)革命"，這只是在文章的第一段中提到了這一點，但只是其中一個非常小的細節(jié);選項B的意思是"化學(xué)作為一門學(xué)科發(fā)展緩慢的原因"，在文章的第二段和第三段中作者花了很多的筆墨講述化學(xué)發(fā)展緩慢的原因，故它是本題的正確答案;選項C的意思是"化學(xué)的實用方面"，這只是文章第二段所提到的一個細節(jié);選項D的意思是"把化學(xué)知識有系統(tǒng)地組織起來的困難"，這只是所提出的三個原因中的一個，不能以偏蓋全。故本題的正確答案是B。

22.【答案】C?！咀g文】根據(jù)文章的內(nèi)容，在十七世紀之前，化學(xué)過程的知識是如何增加的?【試題分析】細節(jié)推理型，根據(jù)文章中的相關(guān)信息，并進行分析和總結(jié)?！驹敿毥獯稹窟x項A的意思是"哲學(xué)家編寫了有關(guān)化學(xué)知識的理論。"，文章第二段的最后一句話The thinker or philosopher stood apart from this mundane world告訴我們哲學(xué)家遠離有關(guān)的化學(xué)知識，而不是編寫了理論;選項B的意思是"形成了一套特殊的符號語言"，文章最后一段的最后一句話告訴我們使用符號的原因是為了保守秘密，而不是為了發(fā)展化學(xué)知識;選項C的意思是"經(jīng)驗引導(dǎo)著工人們改進他們的技術(shù)。"，第一段所講的內(nèi)容正是關(guān)于這一點，而且這也是發(fā)展化學(xué)知識的方法，故是正確答案;選項D的意思是"專家們與公眾分享這些化學(xué)知識"，文章第三段明顯提到為了保守秘密他們這些煉丹術(shù)士采取多種手段保守秘密，所以該選項不正確。

23.【答案】D。【譯文】文中黑體詞hamper在意思上與哪個選項更接近?【試題分析】詞義推測型，通過對上下文的理解，推測出生詞的意思?！驹敿毥獯稹孔鲞@類題目時，首先找到該單詞所在的位置，并把上下文的句子仔細研讀。它們所提供的線索和提示會告訴我們這個陌生單詞的意思。在這句話中的hamper的意思是"阻礙，擋住"。而在四個選項中，只有選項D hinder是這個意思。故本題的正確答案是D。

24.【答案】B?！咀g文】文中黑體詞it指代的是什么?【試題分析】詞義推測型，通過對上下文的理解，推測出代詞所代指的含義。【詳細解答】做這類題目時，首先找到該代詞所在的位置，并把上下文的句子仔細研讀。它們所提供的線索和提示會告訴我們這個陌生單詞的意思。特別是該代詞前面的名詞短語或從句。一般來說，這類題目的答案都能在同一句話的主語或賓語，或者在前一句話的主語和賓語中找到。仔細閱讀完前面的句子后，我們可以得知這里it指的是 material。

25.【答案】A?！咀g文】下面哪個句子能最好地解釋加下劃線的短語"第二個是更嚴重的阻礙的原因"?【試題分析】語句理解型，考查學(xué)生對文章中難點句子的理解和解釋。【詳細解答】選項A的意思是"化學(xué)知識只是局限在少數(shù)人的手中。"，文章第三段所講的內(nèi)容正是關(guān)于這一點，故選項A是正確答案; 選項B的意思是"所使用的符號語言不準確"，文章第三段中提到了intelligible to very few or in symbols that were purposely obscure告訴我們這些符號并不是不準確;選項C的意思是"非常少的發(fā)現(xiàn)是由煉丹術(shù)士發(fā)現(xiàn)的"，文章第三段中所提到的信息告訴我們大部分發(fā)現(xiàn)都是由這些術(shù)士發(fā)現(xiàn)的，與文章內(nèi)容不符;選項D的意思是"關(guān)于化學(xué)過程的記錄不是建立在實驗的基礎(chǔ)上"，原文中明確提到所有化學(xué)知識的記錄都是建立在實驗的基礎(chǔ)上。

好了，以上是小編整理的英語四級真題的閱讀理解部分（不含聽力與作文）。進入四級考試沖刺階段后，建議大家每周定期抽出時間來做一下閱讀理解題，培養(yǎng)做題手感的同時，提升做題速度。如果自學(xué)吃力，不妨試試專業(yè)老師的指導(dǎo)，早日拿下四級。

備考課程推薦：【Uni智能】大學(xué)英語四級高效備考班