英語(yǔ)四級(jí)備考短文閱讀

1、英語(yǔ)四級(jí)短文閱讀英語(yǔ)四級(jí)備考短文閱讀Grown-upsneverunderstandanythingbythemselves,anditistiresomeforchildrentobealwaysandforeverexplainingthingstothem.這些大人們，靠他們自己什么也弄不懂，還得老是不斷地給他們作解釋，這真叫孩子們膩味。SothenIchoseanotherprofession,andlearnedtopilotairplanes.后來，我只好選擇了另外一個(gè)職業(yè)，我學(xué)會(huì)了開飛機(jī)。Ihaveflownalittleoverallpartsoftheworld;anditi

2、struethatgeographyhasbeenveryusefultome.世界各地我差不多都飛到過。的確，地理學(xué)幫了我很大的忙。AtaglanceIcandistinguishChinafromArizona.Ifonegetslostinthenight,suchknowledgeisvaluable.我一眼就能分辨出中國(guó)和亞里桑那,要是夜里迷失了航向，這是很有用的。InthecourseofthislifeIhavehadagreatmanyencounterswithagreatmanypeoplewhohavebeenconcernedwithmattersofconsequen

3、ce.這樣，在我的生活中，我跟很多嚴(yán)肅的人有過很多的接觸。Ihavelivedagreatdealamonggrown-ups.我在大人們中間生活過很長(zhǎng)時(shí)間。Ihaveseenthemintimately,closeathand.Andthathasn'tmuchimprovedmyopinionofthem.我仔細(xì)地觀察過他們，但這并沒有使我對(duì)他們的看法有多大的改變。WheneverImetoneofthemwhoseemedtomeatallclear-sighted,ItriedtheexperimentofshowinghimmyDrawingNumberOne,whichIh

4、avealwayskept.當(dāng)我遇到一個(gè)頭腦看來稍微清楚的大人時(shí)，我就拿出一直保存著的我那第一號(hào)作品來測(cè)試測(cè)試他。Iwouldtrytofindout,so,ifthiswasapersonoftrueunderstanding.我想知道他是否真的有理解能力。But,whoeveritwas,he,orshe,wouldalwayssay：Thatisahat.可是，得到的回答總是：這是頂帽子?！盩henIwouldnevertalktothatpersonaboutboaconstrictors,orprimevalforests,orstars.我就不和他談口蟒呀，原始森林呀，或者星星之類

5、的事。Iwouldbringmyselfdowntohislevel.Iwouldtalktohimaboutbridge,andgolf,andpolitics,andneckties.我只得遷就他們的水平，和他們談些橋牌呀，高爾夫球呀，政治呀，領(lǐng)帶呀這些。Andthegrown-upwouldbegreatlypleasedtohavemetsuchasensibleman.于是大人們就十分高興能認(rèn)識(shí)我這樣一個(gè)通情達(dá)理的人。IntheUnitedStates,36statescurrentlyallowcapitalpunishmentforseriouscrimessuchasmurde

6、r.Americanshavealwaysarguedaboutthedeathpenalty.Today,thereisaseriousquestionaboutthisissue：Shouldtherebeaminimumagelimitforexecutingcriminals?Inotherwords,isitrightforconvictedmurdererswhokillwhentheyareminors-thatis,undertheageof18-toreceivethedeathpenalty?目前美國(guó)有36個(gè)州允許對(duì)謀殺等嚴(yán)重犯罪處以死刑。美國(guó)人一直為死刑判罰爭(zhēng)論不休?，F(xiàn)在

7、重要的問題是：處決罪犯是否應(yīng)該有最小年齡限制?換句話說，不滿18歲的未成年人犯謀殺罪是否要被處以死刑？Inmostothercountriesoftheworld,thereisnocapitalpunishmentforminors.IntheUnitedStates,though,eachstatemakesitsowndecision.Ofthe36statesthatallowthedeathpenalty,30permittheexecutionofminors.InthestateofSouthCarolina,aconvictedmurdererwasgiventhedeathp

8、enaltyforacrimehecommittedwhilehewasaminor.世界上大部分國(guó)家的未成年人判罰中都不包括死刑。但是在美國(guó)，每個(gè)州可以自行決定。美國(guó)36個(gè)州中有30個(gè)州允許對(duì)未成年人處以死刑。在南卡羅來納州，一名未成年人因犯謀殺罪被處以死刑。In1977,whenhewas17yearsold,JamesTerryRoachandtwofriendscruellymurderedthreepeople.Roach'slawyerfoughtthedecisiontoexecutehim.TheyoungmurdererremainedonDeathRowforten

9、yearswhilehislawyerappealedtothegovernor.Thelawyerarguedthatitiswrongtoexecuteapersonforacrimehecommittedwhilehewasaminor.IntheUnitedStates,thegovernorofastatehasthepowertochangeasentencefromthedeathpenaltytolifeinprison.Nonetheless,thegovernorofSouthCarolinarefusedtostoptheexecution.Roachwasfinally

10、executedin1986.1977年，17歲的詹姆斯特瑞羅奇和兩個(gè)朋友殘忍地殺害了三個(gè)人。羅奇的律師反對(duì)死刑判決。他的律師向州長(zhǎng)提出上訴，上訴的10年時(shí)間里這名年輕的謀殺犯被關(guān)在死囚牢房里。律師認(rèn)為，因未成年時(shí)犯下的罪行而被處以死刑是錯(cuò)誤的。美國(guó)各州州長(zhǎng)有權(quán)將死刑判罰改為終身監(jiān)禁。但是，南卡羅來納州州長(zhǎng)拒絕阻止死刑。羅奇最終在1986年被執(zhí)行死刑。堅(jiān)持不懈。直到成功。IwillpersistuntilIsucceed.IntheOrientyoungbullsaretestedforthefightarenainacertainmanner.Eachisbroughttotheringan

11、dallowedtoattackapicadorwhopricksthemwithalance.Thebraveryofeachbullisthenratedwithcareaccordingtothenumberoftimeshedemonstrateshiswillingnesstochargeinspiteofthestingoftheblade.HenceforthwillIrecognizethateachdayIamtestedbylifeinlikemanner.IfIpersist,ifIcontinuetotry,ifIcontinuetochargeforward,Iwil

12、lsucceed.在古老的東方，挑選小公牛列競(jìng)技場(chǎng)格斗有一定的程序、它們被帶進(jìn)場(chǎng)地，向手持長(zhǎng)矛的斗牛士攻擊，裁判以它受激后再向斗牛士進(jìn)攻的次數(shù)多寡來評(píng)定這只公牛的勇敢程度。從今往后。我須承認(rèn)，我的生命每天都在接受類似的考驗(yàn)。如果我堅(jiān)韌不拔，勇往直前，迎接挑戰(zhàn)。那么我一定會(huì)成功。堅(jiān)持不懈。直到成功。IwillpersistuntilIsucceed.Iwasnotdelivereduntothisworldindefeat,nordoesfailurecourseinmyveins.Iamnotasheepwaitingtobeproddedbymyshepherd.IamalionandIre

13、fusetotalk,towalk,tosleepwiththesheep.Iwillhearnotthosewhoweepandcomplain,fortheirdiseaseiscontagious.Letthemjointhesheep.Theslaughterhouseoffailureisnotmydestiny.我不是為了失敗才來到這個(gè)世界上的，我的血管里也沒有失敗的血液在流動(dòng)。我不是任人鞭打的羔羊，我是猛獅，不與羊群為伍。我不想聽失意者的哭泣，抱怨者的牢騷，這是羊群中的瘟疫，我不能被它傳染。失敗者的屠宰場(chǎng)不是我命運(yùn)的歸宿。IwillpersistuntilIsucceed.堅(jiān)持不

14、懈，直到成功。Theprizesoflifeareattheendofeachjourney,notnearthebeginning;anditisnotgiventometoknowhowmanystepsarenecessaryinordertoreachmygoal.FailureImaystillencounteratthethousandthstep,yetsuccesshidesbehindthenextbendintheroad.NeverwillIknowhowcloseitliesunlessIturnthecorner.生命的獎(jiǎng)賞遠(yuǎn)在旅途終點(diǎn)，而非起點(diǎn)附近。我不知道要走多少

15、步才能達(dá)到目標(biāo)。踏上第一千步的時(shí)候，仍然可能遭到失敗。但成功就藏在拐角后面，除非拐了彎，我永遠(yuǎn)不知道還有多遠(yuǎn)。AlwayswillItakeanotherstep.IfthatisofnoavailIwilltakeanother,andyetanother.Intruth,onestepatatimeisnottoodifficult.再前進(jìn)一步，如果沒有用，就再向前一步。事實(shí)上，每次進(jìn)步一點(diǎn)點(diǎn)并不太難。IwillpersistuntilIsucceed.堅(jiān)持不懈，直到成功。Henceforth,Iwillconsidereachday'seffortasbutoneblowofmy

16、bladeagainstamightyoak.Thefirstblowmaycausenotatremorinthewood,northesecond,northethird.Eachblow,ofitself,maybetrifling,andseemofnoconsequence.Yetfromchildishswipestheoakwilleventuallytumble.Soitwillbewithmyeffortsoftoday.從今往后，我承認(rèn)每天的奮斗就像對(duì)參天大樹的一次砍擊，頭幾刀可能了無痕跡。每一擊者似微不足道，然而，累積起來，巨樹終會(huì)倒下。這恰如我今天的努力。Iwillbe

17、likentotheraindropwhichwashesawaythemountain;theantwhodevoursatiger;thestarwhichbrightenstheearth;theslavewhobuildsapyramid.IwillbuildmycastleonebrickatatimeforIknowthatsmallattempts,repeated,willcompleteanyundertaking.就像沖洗高山的雨滴，吞噬猛虎的螞蟻，照亮大地的星辰，建起金字塔的奴隸，我也要一破一瓦地建造起自己的城堡，因?yàn)槲疑钪问┑牡览?，只要持之以恒，什么都可以做到。I

18、willpersistuntilIsucceed.堅(jiān)持不懈，直到成功。IwillneverconsiderdefeatandIwillremovefrommyvocabularysuchwordsandphrasesasquit,cannot,unable,impossible,outofthequestion,improbable,failure,unworkable,hopeless,andretreat;fortheyarethewordsoffools.IwillavoiddespairbutifthisdiseaseofthemindshouldinfectmethenIwillwo

19、rkonindespair.IwilltoilandIwillendure.Iwillignoretheobstaclesatmyfeetandkeepmineeyesonthegoalsabovemyhead,forIknowthatwheredrydesertends,greengrassgrows.我絕不考慮失敗，我的字典里不再有放棄，不可能、辦不到、沒法子、成問題、失敗,行不通、沒希望、退縮這類愚蠢的字眼。我要盡量避免絕望，一旦受到它的威脅，立即想方設(shè)法向它挑戰(zhàn)。我要辛勤耕耘，忍受苦楚。我放眼未來，勇往直前，不再理會(huì)腳下的障礙。我堅(jiān)信，沙漠盡頭必是綠洲。Iwillpersistunti

20、lIsucceed.堅(jiān)持不懈，直到成功。IwillremembertheancientlawofaveragesandIwillbendittomygood.Iwillpersistwithknowledgethateachfailuretosellwillincreasemychanceforsuccessatthenextattempt.EachnayIhearwillbringmeclosertothesoundofyea.EachfrownImeetonlypreparesmeforthesmiletocome.EachmisfortuneIencounterwillcarryinit

21、theseedoftomorrow,sgoodluck.Imusthavethenighttoappreciatetheday.Imustfailoftentosucceedonlyonce.我要牢牢記住古老的平衡法則，鼓勵(lì)自己堅(jiān)持下去，因?yàn)槊恳淮蔚氖《紩?huì)增加下一次成功的機(jī)會(huì)。這一次的拒絕就是下一次的贊同，這一次皺起的眉頭就是下一次舒展的笑容。今天的不幸，往往預(yù)示著明天的好運(yùn)。夜幕降臨?；叵胍惶斓脑庥?。我總是心存感激。我深知，只有失敗多次，才能成功。IwillpersistuntilIsucceed.堅(jiān)持不懈，直到成功。Iwilltry,andtry,andtryagain.Eachobst

22、acleIwillconsiderasameredetourtomygoalandachallengetomyprofession.Iwillpersistanddevelopmyskillsasthemarinerdevelopshis,bylearningtorideoutthewrathofeachstorm.我要嘗試，嘗試，再嘗試。障礙是我成功路上的彎路，我迎接這項(xiàng)挑戰(zhàn)。我要像水手一樣，乘風(fēng)破浪。IwillpersistuntilIsucceed.堅(jiān)持不懈，直到成功。Henceforth,Iwilllearnandapplyanothersecretofthosewhoexcelinm

23、ywork.Wheneachdayisended,notregardingwhetherithasbeenasuccessorafailure,Iwillattempttoachieveonemoresale.WhenmythoughtsbeckonmytiredbodyhomewardIwillresistthetemptationtodepart.Iwilltryagain.Iwillmakeonemoreattempttoclosewithvictory,andifthatfailsIwillmakeanother.NeverwillIallowanydaytoendwithafailure.ThuswillIplanttheseedoftomorrow'ssuccessandgainaninsurmountableadvantageoverthosewhoceasetheirlaborataprescribedtime.Whenothersceasetheirstruggle,theminewillbegin,