2011年12月英語四級考試快速閱讀部分解析

　　What is Integrity?

　　Integrity is defined as adherence to moral and ethical principles; honesty. ①.The key to integrity is consistency--not only setting high personal standards for oneself but also living up to those standards each day. One who has integrity is bound by and follows moral and ethical standards even when making lifes hard choices, choices which may be clouded by stress, pressure to succeed, or temptation.

　　What happens if we lie, cheat, steal, or violate other ethical standards? We feel disappointed in ourselves and ashamed. But a lapse of integrity also affects our relationships with others. ②.Trust is essential in any important relationship, whether personal or professional. Who can trust someone who is dishonest or unfair? Thus, integrity must be one of our most important goals.

　　Risky Business

　　We are each responsible for our own decisions, even if the decision-making process has been undermined by stress or peer pressure. The real test of character is whether we can learn from our mistake, by understanding why we acted as we did, and then exploring ways to avoid similar problems in the future.

　　Making ethical decisions is a critical part of avoiding future problems. ③.We must learn to recognize risks, because if we cant see the risks were taking, we cant make responsible choices. To identify risks, we need to know the rules and be aware of the facts. For example, one who doesnt know the rules about plagiarism may accidentally use words or ideas without giving proper credit, or one who fails to keep careful research notes may unintentionally fail to quote and cite sources as required. ④.But the fact that such a violation is unintentional does not excuse the misconduct. Ignorance is not a defense.

　　But Everybody Does It

　　Most people who get in trouble do know the rules and facts, but manage to fool themselves about the risks theyre taking by using excuses: Everyone else does it, m not hurting anyone, or I really need this grade. Excuses can get very elaborate: I know Im looking at anothers exam, even though Im supposed to keep my eyes on my own paper, but thats not cheating because Im just checking my answers, not copying. We must be honest about our actions, and avoid excuses. If we fool ourselves into believing were not doing anything wrong, we cant see the real choice were making--and that leads to bad decisions.

　?、?To avoid fooling yourself, watch out for excuses and try this test: Ask how you would feel if your actions were public, and anyone could be watching over your shoulder. Would you feel proud or ashamed of your actions? If youd rather hide your actions, thats a good indication that youre taking a risk and rationalizing it to yourself.

　　Evaluating Risks

　　To decide whether a risk is worth taking, you must examine the consequences, in the future as well as right now, negative as well as positive, and to others as well as to yourself. ⑥.Those who take risks they later regret usually focus on immediate benefits , and simply havent considered what might go wrong. The consequences of getting caught are serious, and may include a 0 on a test or assignment; an F in the class; Suspension or Dismissal from school; transcript notation; and a tarnished reputation. In fact, when you break a rule or law, you lose control over your life, and give others the power to impose punishment: you have no control over what that punishment might be. This is an extremely precarious and vulnerable position. There may be some matters of life and death, or highest principle, which might justify such a risk, but there arent many things that fall in this category.

　　Getting Away With It--Or Not

　?、?Those who dont get caught pay an even higher price. A cheater doesnt learn from the test, depriving him/herself of an education. Cheating undermines confidence and independence: the cheater is a fraud, and knows that without dishonesty, he/she would have failed. Cheating destroys self-esteem and integrity, leaving the cheater ashamed, guilty, and afraid of getting caught. Worst of all, a cheater who doesnt get caught the first time usually cheats again, not only because he/she is farther behind, but also because it seems easier. This slippery slope of eroding ethics and bigger risks leads only to disaster. Eventually, the cheater gets caught, and the later he/she gets caught, the worse the consequences. Students have been dismissed from school because they didnt get this simple message: Honesty is the ONLY policy that works.

　　Cheating Hurts Others, Too

　　Cheaters often feel invisible, as if their actions dont count and dont really hurt anyone. But individual choices have a profound cumulative effect. Cheating can spread like a disease, and a cheater can encourage others just by being seen from across the room. Recent statistics suggest 30% or more of college students cheat. If a class is graded on a curve, cheating hurts others grades. Even if there is no curve, cheating poisons the classroom, and others may feel pressured to join in. Cheating also has a destructive impact on teachers. The real reward of good teaching is seeing students learn, but ⑧.a cheater says, m not interested in what youre trying to teach; all I care about is stealing a grade, regardless of the effect on others. The end result is a blatant and destructive attack on the quality of your education. Finally, cheating can hurt the reputation of the University, and harm those who worked hard for their degree.

　　Why Integrity Matters

　　If cheating becomes the norm, then we are in big trouble. ⑨.We must rely on the honesty and good faith of others every day. If not, we couldnt put money in the bank, buy food, clothing, or medicine from others, drive across a bridge, get on a plane, go to the dentist--the list is endless. There are many examples of the vast harm that is caused when individuals forget or ignore the effect their dishonesty can have. The savings and loan scandal, the stock market and junk bond swindles, and, of course, ⑩.Watergate, have undermined the faith of many Americans in the integrity of political and economic leaders and society as a whole. Such incidents take a tremendous toll on our nations economy and our individual well-being. For example, but for the savings and loan debacle, there might be funds available to reduce the national debt and pay for education.

　　In sum, we all have a common stake in our school, our community, and our society. Our actions do matter. It is essential that we act with integrity in order to build the kind of world in which we want to live.

　　解析：

　　1、選擇 sticks to them in their daily life

　　定位在原文第一段，文中說正直的關鍵是一致性，不僅要有很多道德和倫理的準則，還要每天都堅守。

　　2、選擇 It is the basis of mutual trust.

　　題干問正直在人際關系和事業關系中扮演著什么樣的角色。定位回第二段，文中說信任在任何關系中都是最根本的 ，而正直正是最重要的目標之一。

　　3、選擇 To ensure we make responsible choices.

　　定位回原文第四段標紅的句子，答案完全照抄原文。

　　4、選擇 it is claimed to be unintentional.

　　定位至第四段倒數第二句，文中說無意識的并不能為這一違背道德的行為開脫。

　　5、選擇 Avoid making excuses

　　定位回到第六段段首，watch out for excuses與本答案對應。

　　6、選擇 value immediate benefits most

　　定位回到第七段二句，文章說那些人通常專注于當下的利益，與本答案對應。

　　7、選擇 pay more dearly

　　定位點在八段首，看到其他三個選項大概都會笑出來。

　　8、這題不好找，在倒數第三段中間

　　Cheaters at exam dont care about their education, all they care about is how to steal a grade.

　　本空在原文的成分是表語，故steal是動名詞+ing的形式，這里空前的to是動詞不定式的標志，因此steal要改為原型，未改寫者不得分。

　　9、倒數二段首句中rely on處

　　Integrity matters in that all social activities rely on peoples honesty and good faith.

　　10、倒數第二段中間處

　　Many Americans lost faith in the integrity of their political leaders as a result of Watergate.

　　本次快速閱讀選擇題整體難度偏易，填空題偏難，話題幽默諷刺，意在告訴大家要做一個正直的人，考試不能作弊。

　　2011年12月英語四級考試快速閱讀部分解析

　　What is Integrity?

　　Integrity is defined as adherence to moral and ethical principles; honesty. ①.The key to integrity is consistency--not only setting high personal standards for oneself but also living up to those standards each day. One who has integrity is bound by and follows moral and ethical standards even when making lifes hard choices, choices which may be clouded by stress, pressure to succeed, or temptation.

　　What happens if we lie, cheat, steal, or violate other ethical standards? We feel disappointed in ourselves and ashamed. But a lapse of integrity also affects our relationships with others. ②.Trust is essential in any important relationship, whether personal or professional. Who can trust someone who is dishonest or unfair? Thus, integrity must be one of our most important goals.

　　Risky Business

　　We are each responsible for our own decisions, even if the decision-making process has been undermined by stress or peer pressure. The real test of character is whether we can learn from our mistake, by understanding why we acted as we did, and then exploring ways to avoid similar problems in the future.

　　Making ethical decisions is a critical part of avoiding future problems. ③.We must learn to recognize risks, because if we cant see the risks were taking, we cant make responsible choices. To identify risks, we need to know the rules and be aware of the facts. For example, one who doesnt know the rules about plagiarism may accidentally use words or ideas without giving proper credit, or one who fails to keep careful research notes may unintentionally fail to quote and cite sources as required. ④.But the fact that such a violation is unintentional does not excuse the misconduct. Ignorance is not a defense.

　　But Everybody Does It

　　Most people who get in trouble do know the rules and facts, but manage to fool themselves about the risks theyre taking by using excuses: Everyone else does it, m not hurting anyone, or I really need this grade. Excuses can get very elaborate: I know Im looking at anothers exam, even though Im supposed to keep my eyes on my own paper, but thats not cheating because Im just checking my answers, not copying. We must be honest about our actions, and avoid excuses. If we fool ourselves into believing were not doing anything wrong, we cant see the real choice were making--and that leads to bad decisions.

　?、?To avoid fooling yourself, watch out for excuses and try this test: Ask how you would feel if your actions were public, and anyone could be watching over your shoulder. Would you feel proud or ashamed of your actions? If youd rather hide your actions, thats a good indication that youre taking a risk and rationalizing it to yourself.

　　Evaluating Risks

　　To decide whether a risk is worth taking, you must examine the consequences, in the future as well as right now, negative as well as positive, and to others as well as to yourself. ⑥.Those who take risks they later regret usually focus on immediate benefits , and simply havent considered what might go wrong. The consequences of getting caught are serious, and may include a 0 on a test or assignment; an F in the class; Suspension or Dismissal from school; transcript notation; and a tarnished reputation. In fact, when you break a rule or law, you lose control over your life, and give others the power to impose punishment: you have no control over what that punishment might be. This is an extremely precarious and vulnerable position. There may be some matters of life and death, or highest principle, which might justify such a risk, but there arent many things that fall in this category.

　　Getting Away With It--Or Not

　?、?Those who dont get caught pay an even higher price. A cheater doesnt learn from the test, depriving him/herself of an education. Cheating undermines confidence and independence: the cheater is a fraud, and knows that without dishonesty, he/she would have failed. Cheating destroys self-esteem and integrity, leaving the cheater ashamed, guilty, and afraid of getting caught. Worst of all, a cheater who doesnt get caught the first time usually cheats again, not only because he/she is farther behind, but also because it seems easier. This slippery slope of eroding ethics and bigger risks leads only to disaster. Eventually, the cheater gets caught, and the later he/she gets caught, the worse the consequences. Students have been dismissed from school because they didnt get this simple message: Honesty is the ONLY policy that works.

　　Cheating Hurts Others, Too

　　Cheaters often feel invisible, as if their actions dont count and dont really hurt anyone. But individual choices have a profound cumulative effect. Cheating can spread like a disease, and a cheater can encourage others just by being seen from across the room. Recent statistics suggest 30% or more of college students cheat. If a class is graded on a curve, cheating hurts others grades. Even if there is no curve, cheating poisons the classroom, and others may feel pressured to join in. Cheating also has a destructive impact on teachers. The real reward of good teaching is seeing students learn, but ⑧.a cheater says, m not interested in what youre trying to teach; all I care about is stealing a grade, regardless of the effect on others. The end result is a blatant and destructive attack on the quality of your education. Finally, cheating can hurt the reputation of the University, and harm those who worked hard for their degree.

　　Why Integrity Matters

　　If cheating becomes the norm, then we are in big trouble. ⑨.We must rely on the honesty and good faith of others every day. If not, we couldnt put money in the bank, buy food, clothing, or medicine from others, drive across a bridge, get on a plane, go to the dentist--the list is endless. There are many examples of the vast harm that is caused when individuals forget or ignore the effect their dishonesty can have. The savings and loan scandal, the stock market and junk bond swindles, and, of course, ⑩.Watergate, have undermined the faith of many Americans in the integrity of political and economic leaders and society as a whole. Such incidents take a tremendous toll on our nations economy and our individual well-being. For example, but for the savings and loan debacle, there might be funds available to reduce the national debt and pay for education.

　　In sum, we all have a common stake in our school, our community, and our society. Our actions do matter. It is essential that we act with integrity in order to build the kind of world in which we want to live.

　　解析：

　　1、選擇 sticks to them in their daily life

　　定位在原文第一段，文中說正直的關鍵是一致性，不僅要有很多道德和倫理的準則，還要每天都堅守。

　　2、選擇 It is the basis of mutual trust.

　　題干問正直在人際關系和事業關系中扮演著什么樣的角色。定位回第二段，文中說信任在任何關系中都是最根本的 ，而正直正是最重要的目標之一。

　　3、選擇 To ensure we make responsible choices.

　　定位回原文第四段標紅的句子，答案完全照抄原文。

　　4、選擇 it is claimed to be unintentional.

　　定位至第四段倒數第二句，文中說無意識的并不能為這一違背道德的行為開脫。

　　5、選擇 Avoid making excuses

　　定位回到第六段段首，watch out for excuses與本答案對應。

　　6、選擇 value immediate benefits most

　　定位回到第七段二句，文章說那些人通常專注于當下的利益，與本答案對應。

　　7、選擇 pay more dearly

　　定位點在八段首，看到其他三個選項大概都會笑出來。

　　8、這題不好找，在倒數第三段中間

　　Cheaters at exam dont care about their education, all they care about is how to steal a grade.

　　本空在原文的成分是表語，故steal是動名詞+ing的形式，這里空前的to是動詞不定式的標志，因此steal要改為原型，未改寫者不得分。

　　9、倒數二段首句中rely on處

　　Integrity matters in that all social activities rely on peoples honesty and good faith.

　　10、倒數第二段中間處

　　Many Americans lost faith in the integrity of their political leaders as a result of Watergate.

　　本次快速閱讀選擇題整體難度偏易，填空題偏難，話題幽默諷刺，意在告訴大家要做一個正直的人，考試不能作弊。