历年英语四级阅读真题全解析(2002.6-Passage Four)

　　Passage Four
　　Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage.
　　The fitness movement that began in the late 1960s and early 1970s centered around aerobic exercise (有氧操). Millions of individuals became engaged in a variety of aerobic activities, and literally thousands of health spas developed around the country to capitalize (获利) on this emerging interest in fitness, particularly aerobic dancing for females. A number of fitness spas existed prior to this aerobic fitness movement, even a national chain with spas in most major cities. However, their focus was not on aerobics, but rather on weight-training programs designed to develop muscular mass, strength, and endurance in their primarily male enthusiasts. These fitness spas did not seem to benefit financially form the aerobic fitness movement to better health, since medical opinion suggested that weight-training programs offered few, if any, health benefits. In recent years, however, weight training has again become increasingly popular for males and for females. Many current programs focus not only on developing muscular strength and endurance but on aerobic fitness as well.
　　Historically, most physical-fitness tests have usually included measures of muscular strength and endurance, not for health-related reasons, but primarily because such fitness components have been related to performance in athletics. However, in recent years, evidence has shown that training programs designed primarily to improve muscular strength and endurance might also offer some health benefits as well. The American College of Sports Medicine now recommends that weight training be part of a total fitness program for healthy Americans. Increased participation in such training is one of the specific physical activity and fitness objectives of Healthy People 2000: National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Objectives.
　　36. The word “spas” (Line 3, Para. 1) most probably refers to ________.
　　A) sports activities
　　B) places for physical exercise
　　C) recreation centers
　　D) athletic training programs（B）
　　37. Early fitness spas were intended mainly for ________.
　　A) the promotion of aerobic exercise
　　B) endurance and muscular development
　　C) the improvement of women’s figures
　　D) better performance in aerobic dancing（B）
　　38. What was the attitude of doctors towards weight training in health improvement?
　　A) Positive.
　　B) Indifferent.
　　C) Negative.
　　D) Cautious.（C）
　　39. People were given physical fitness tests in order to find out ________.
　　A) how ell they could do in athletics
　　B) what their health condition was like
　　C) what kind of fitness center was suitable for them
　　D) whether they were fit for aerobic exercise（A）
　　40. Recent studies have suggested that weight training ________.
　　A) has become an essential part of people’s life
　　B) may well affect the health of the trainees
　　C) will attract more people in the days to come
　　D) contributes to health improvement as well（D）
　　这两段材料主要讲的是weight training对健康是否有益，从文中来看，这个词组是指增长肌肉、力量和耐力的训练，可以译作健身锻炼。
　　第一段讲的是历史上对健身锻炼的认识：对健康益处甚微。这一段首先从六七十年代的有氧操讲起，称健身运动的潮流始于六七十年代，而当时的运动是以有氧操为核心的（centered around aerobic exercise）。这一潮流的兴起也使很多健康俱乐部收益颇丰。而后，作者开始介绍健身锻炼，称在有氧操潮流兴起前就已经存在一定数量的健身俱乐部了，不过这些俱乐部提供的主要服务是健身锻炼，用来发展人的力量和耐力，主要吸引男性健身者（designed to develop muscular mass, strength, and endurance in their primarily male enthusiasts）。这些俱乐部在健身潮流中并没有获得很好的经济收益，原因就是医学观点认为，这种身体锻炼不会给健康带来多少益处(weight-training programs offered few, if any, health benefits)。以上就是历史上对健身锻炼的认识。段末，作者提到了如今在健身锻炼俱乐部的经营项目上发生的变化：健身锻炼重新流行起来，不仅吸引男性，也开始吸引女性；不仅有力量和耐力训练，还增加了有氧操项目。下文开始解释这种变化的原因。
　　作者还是从过去讲起，称以前的身体健康测试通常都要包括肌肉力量和耐力项目，原因是这些因素与体育竞技成绩相关，而并没有把它们和健康联系起来(not for health-related reasons, but primarily because such fitness components have been related to performance in athletics)。这句话的意思实际上是说那时的人们认为肌肉力量、耐力锻炼与健康并无太大联系。如今有证据表明，这些力量和耐力训练同样能够给健康带来益处(training programs designed primarily to improve muscular strength and endurance might also offer some health benefits)。这一观点就是上文所述变化的原因。
　　36. B
　　题目问单词spas最可能是指什么。
　　A，体育运动。
　　B，锻炼身体的地方。
　　C，娱乐中心。
　　D，体育训练项目。
　　Millions of individuals became engaged in a variety of aerobic activities, and literally thousands of health spas developed around the country to capitalize (获利) on this emerging interest in fitness，前半句意思是上百万人投入到有氧操运动中，而后是上千健康spas在全国内发展开来，企图在这场健身热潮中获利。句子中需要注意的是 capitalize一词，它是获利的意思。四个答案中，能够获利的只有B和C，可以首先排除A和D。那么这里到底是锻炼身体的场所还是娱乐中心呢？文章的主题是健身锻炼，而不是娱乐，因此可以排除C。本题选B。
　　37. B
　　题目问早期的健身场所主要是用来……
　　A，发展有氧操。
　　B，发展耐力和肌肉。
　　C，改善女性形体。
　　D，提高有氧舞的水平。
　　注意文章中的这一句：A number of fitness spas existed prior to this aerobic fitness movement, even a national chain with spas in most major cities，这里的prior to是“先于……”的意思，那么主语指的就是“在有氧健身风潮开始之前就已经存在的健身场所”，这也就是本题所说的早期的健身场所。此后的一句their focus was not on aerobics, but rather on weight-training programs designed to develop muscular mass, strength, and endurance in their primarily male enthusiasts，这里的their指代的就是早期健身场所了。Not on aerobics，重点不在有氧操上（排除了A）；develop muscular mass, strength, and endurance，发展肌肉、力量和耐力（与B一致）。本题选B。
　　38. C
　　题目问医生们对weight training在促进健康中的作用抱以何种态度。
　　A，积极的。
　　B，漠不关心的。
　　C，消极的。
　　D，谨慎的。
　　本题的关键是对These fitness spas did not seem to benefit financially form the aerobic fitness movement to better health, since medical opinion suggested that weight-training programs offered few, if any, health benefits一句的理解。这句话由前面的主句和since引导的从句组成。主句的意思是“这些健身场所似乎没有从这场追求健康的有氧操风潮中受益”， 从句由since引出了原因：医学观点认为，健身锻炼项目不会给健康带来多少益处。Few是带有否定意义的词，表示很少，几乎没有。If any，“如果还有益处的话”，也对存在益处的疑问。由此可见，医学观点（也就是医生的观点）对weight training的态度应该是非常消极的，可以选择C。这里不应选择D，因为cautious指在诸多积极因素中存在一定的消极因素，应谨慎对待，不应过分积极。这与文意不符。
　　39. A
　　题目问人们接受身体健康测试是为了知道……
　　A，他们的运动能力如何。
　　B，他们的健康状况如何。
　　C，什么样的健身中心适合自己。
　　D，他们是否适合有氧练习。
　　文章提到身体健康测试是在第二段第一句话，本题考查的对象就是这句话。Historically, most physical-fitness tests have usually included measures of muscular strength and endurance, not for health-related reasons, but primarily because such fitness components have been related to performance in athletics，这个句子的基本结构是主句+not for（原因）+but（原因）。主句陈述了多数健康测试通常包含肌肉力量和耐力项目这个事实，从句给出了原因——首先澄清其原因与健康无关 （not health-related），而后指出主要原因（primarily because）：这些健康因素（指肌肉力量和耐力项目）与运动水平相关。
　　从这句话可以看出，人们参加健康测试与健康无关，可以排除B，而C和D都没提到。A所说的how well they could do in athletics与文中的performance in athletics意思是一样的，应该选A。
　　40. D
　　题目问近来的研究表明，健身锻炼……
　　A，已经成为人们生活的必备部分。
　　B，可能给训练者的健康带来好的影响。
　　C，在今天会吸引更多的人前来。
　　D，同样会促成健康的改善。
　　注意第二段中间部分提到了in recent years，此后的部分应该是对近来状况的描述，答案也在这里。Evidence has shown that training programs designed primarily to improve muscular strength and endurance might also offer some health benefits as well，句子主体结构是Evidence has shown that（这里的evidence与题目中的study相互呼应），关键看that引导的宾语从句的内容。首先要看清从句的结构，主语是training programs，“designed primarily to improve muscular strength and endurance”是对主语的描述，指主要为发展力量和耐力而设计的训练项目；谓语might also offer，宾语是some health benefits（健康益处）。从这一句可知，近来的研究表明健身锻炼也可以带来健康益处，这与D的说法一致，应该选D。

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大学英语四、六级考试 --- 四级真题