2016年12月大学英语四级阅读难度分析如下：
各位同学，大家好。本次大学英语四级阅读部分，难度适中。
首先，选词填空部分的选项词的词性比率为：名动形副=4：6：3：2，形容词的数量减少降低了难度。但是考生依然要注意名词复数和动词单三的辨析。
其次，段落匹配部分，属于中上难度，除了少数的几道题，无法用细节题的定位方法做出来，需要同义替换之外，其他题比较容易找出来。
最后，传统阅读部分的两篇，依然秉承细节题为主的原则，7道细节题，考生还是很容易拿到分数的，但是一定要看清题干，再做解答。
以下，是我对本次考试阅读部分的真题解析，希望能给大家解决一些疑惑。
Section A
Many men and women have long bought into the idea that there are “male” and “female” brains, believing that explains just about every difference between the sexes. A new study 26 that belief, questioning whether brains really can be distinguished by gender.
In the study, Tel Aviv University researchers 27 for sex differences throughout the entire human brain and what did they find? Not much. Rather than offer evidence for 28 brains as “male” or“female”,research shows that brains fall into a wide range , with most people falling right in the middle.
Daphna Joel ,who led the study, said her research found that while there are some gender‐
Based 29, many different types of brain can’t always be distinguished by gender.
While the “average” male and “average” female brains were 30 different, you couldn’t tell it by looking at individual brain scans. Only a small 31 of people had “all-male” or “all-female” characteristics.
Larry Cahill, an American neuroscientist(神经科学家)，said the study is an important addition to a growing body of research questioning 32 beliefs about gender and brain function. But he cautioned against concluding from this study that all brains are the same, 33 of gender. “There’s a mountain of evidence 34 the importance of sex influences at all levels of brain function ,”he told The Seattle Times.
If anything, he said, the study 35that gender plays a very important role in the brain—“even when we are not clear exactly how.”
A) Abnormal I) regardless
B) applied) searched
C) Briefly K) similarities
D) categorizing L)slightly
E)challenges M) suggests
F)figure N)tastes
G)percentage O)traditional
H)proving
答案解析：
26题E)challenges，词性为动词，因其前后都有名词，形式为或动词单三(本段整体时态为现在时，所以动词过去式不太可能)，因其主语为单数，所以答案锁定在EMN中，根据空前主语中的New study判定新研究肯定和旧观念是不一致或相反的，故答案为E)challenges 质疑。
27题J) searched，因其前有研究人员为主语，判定词性为动词， 通过前文的” In the study, “和后文的” what did they find?” 确定为动词过去式，答案锁定在BJ中，而applied for 意为“申请”,不符合文章大意，而J)选项searched for 可以同意替换后面的find,故为正确答案。
28题 D) categorizing, 空前为介词for,故此空应为名词或动名词，而空后出现brains as “male” or “female”，故只能为for doing sth1 as sth2的结构，故只能填唯一的一个ing动名词形式，答案为D。
29题 K) similarities，根据空前的句子 “there are some gender-based…”，该空应填入名词复数形式。浏览选项，E), K), N)符合。再根据句意及空格后的句子“不同类型的大脑并不一直由性别区分”，该空应填入K) similarities “相似之处”。
30题 L) slightly，空格前为be动词were，后为形容词different，很显然该空的词是来修饰different的，因此应填入副词。结合文意可知，虽然普通男性和普通女性的大脑差别很小，但是通过查看脑部扫描光片也没法对其进行区分。slightly为副词，意为“轻微地，稍微”，所以应填入L)。
31题 G)percentage，a small…of，此空必为名词，整体构成量词修饰people,答案从FG中锁定，而 a small percentage of 表示“一少部分”，而F选项并无此搭配。
32题 O)traditional，填空处前为动作，后为名词，所以此空必定只能填形容词，去修饰beliefs,
而前面提到the study (新观点) questioning(质疑)传统观点，故答案为traditional,传统的。
33题 I) regardless ，填空出前的句子说明所有脑子都相同，和性别无关，故答案为regardless of “不管”，为固定搭配。
34题 H)proving，填空前为there be 句型，是完整的句子，填空后的部分为解释a mountain of evidence “大量证据”的补充成分，填空处后为名词，所以填空处只能填动作proving”证明”，语义也通顺，因填空处与后面的名词为动宾关系，所以不能填被动，也不能填to do不定式，因填空处只能填一个词。
35题 M) suggests，因其前有名词主语”这项研究“，其后有that引导的宾语从句，故判定此空词性为动词单三，，所以答案锁定在MN中，根据大意，M) suggests “暗示” 为答案。
Section B
Can Burglars Jam Your wireless Security System?
[A] Any product that promises to protect your home deserves careful examination. So it isn’t surprising that you’ll find plenty of strong opinion about the potential vulnerabilities of popular home-security systems.
[B] The most likely type of burglary(入室盗窃) by far is the unsophisticated crime of opportunity, usually involving a broken or some forced entry. According to the FBI, crimes like these accounted for roughly two-thirds of all household burglaries in the US in 2003. The wide majority of the rest were illegal, unforced entries that resulted from something like a window being left open. The FBI doesn’t even track those statistics.
[C] One of the main theoretical home-security concerns is whether or not a given system is
Vulnerable to being blocked from working altogether. With wired setups, the fear is that a
burglar(入室盗窃)might be able to shut your system down simply by cutting the right cable.
With a wireless setup, you stick battery-powered sensor up around your home that keeps an
eye on windows, doors, motion, and more. If they detect something wrong while the system is armed, they’ll transmit a wireless alert signal to a a base station that will then raise the alarm.
That approach will eliminate most cord-cutting concerns-but what about their wireless equivalent, jamming? With the right device tuned to the right frequency, what’s to stop a thief from jamming your setup and blocking that alert signal from ever reaching the base station?
[D] Jamming concerns are nothing new, and they’re not unique to security systems. Any device
That’s built to receive a wireless signal at a specific can be overwhelmed by a stronger signal coming in on the same frequency. For comparison, let’s say you wanted to “jam” a conversation between two people-all you’d need to do is yell in the listener’s ear.
[E] Security devices are required to list the frequencies they broadcast on-that means that a potential thief can find what they need to know with minimal Googling. They will, however, need to know what system they’ are looking for. If you have a sign in your yard declaring what setup you use, that’d point them in the right direction, thought at that point, we’ are talking about a highly targeted, semi-sophisticated attack, and not the sort of forced-entry attack that makes up the majority of burglaries. It’s easier to find and acquire jamming equipment for some frequencies than it is for others.
[F] Wireless security providers will often take steps to help combat the threat of jamming attacks. SimpliSafe, winner of our Editors’ Choice distinction, utilizes a special system that’s capable of separating incidental RF interference form targeted jamming attacks. When the system thinks it’s being jammed, it’ll notify you via push alert (推送警报). From there, it’s up to you to sound the alarm manually.
[G] SimpliSafe was singled out in one recent article on jamming, complete with a video showing the entire system being effectively bypassed with handheld jamming equipment .After taking appropriate measure to contain the RF interference to our test lab, we tested the attack out for ourselves, and were able to verify that it’ is possible with the right equipment. However, we also verified that SimpliSafe’s anti-jamming system words. It caught us in the act, sent an alert to my smart phone, and also listed our RF interference on the system’s event log. The team behind the article and video in question make no mention of the system, or whether or not it detected them.
[H] We like the unique nature of that software. It means that a thief likely wouldn’t be able to Google how the system words, then figure out a way around it. Even if they could, SimpliSafe claims that its system is always evolving, and that it varies slightly form system to system, which means there wouldn’t be a universal magic formula for cracking it. Other systems also seem confident on the subject of jamming. The team at Frontpoint addresses the issue in a blog on its site, citing their own jam protection software and claiming that there aren’t any documented cases of a successful jam attack since the company began offering wireless security sensors in the 1980s.
[I] Jamming attacks are absolutely possible. As said before, with the right equipment and the right know-how, it’s possible to jam any wireless transmission. But how probable is it that someone will successfully jam their way into your home and steal your stuff?
[J] Let’s imagine that you live in a small home with a wireless security setup that offers a functional anti-jamming system. First, a thief is going to need to target your home, specifically. Then, he’s going to need to know the technical details of your system and acquire the specific equipment necessary for jamming your specific setup. Presumably, you keep your doors locked at night and while you’re away, so the thief will still need to break in. That means defeating the lock somehow, or breaking a window .He’ll need to be jamming you at this point, as a broken window or opened door would normally release the alarm .So, too, would the motion detectors in your home, so the thief will need to continue jamming once he’s inside and searching for things to steal. However, he’ll need to do so without tripping the anti-jamming system, the details of which he almost certainly does not have access to.
[K] At the end of the day, these kinds of systems are primarily designed to protect against the sort of opportunistic smash-and-grab attack that makes up the majority of burglaries. They’re also only a single layer in what should ideally be a many-sided approach to securing your home,
one that includes common sense things like sound locks and proper exploit lighting at night. No system is impenetrable, and none can promise to eliminate the worst case completely. Every one of them has vulnerabilities that a knowledgeable thief could theoretically exploit. A good system is one that keeps that worst-case setting as improbable as possible while also offering strong protection in the event of a less-extraordinary attack.
36. It is possible for burglars to make jamming attacks with the necessary equipment and skill.
37. Interfering with a wireless security system is similar to interfering with a conversation.
38. A burglar has to continuously jam the wireless security device to avoid triggering the alarm,
both inside and outside the house.
39. SimpliSafe provides devices that are able to distinguish incidental radio interference from
targeted jamming attacks.
40. Only a very small proportion of burglaries are committed by technical means.
41. It is difficult to crack SimpliSafe as its system keeps changing.
42. Wireless devices will transmit signals so as to activate the alarm once something wrong is
detected.
43. Different measures should be taken to protect one’s home from burglary in addition to the
wireless security system.
44. SimpliSafe’s device can send a warning to the house owner’s cellphone.
45. Burglars can easily get a security device’s frequency by Internet search.
答案解析：
36题，答案I。根据原文第一句Jamming attacks are absolutely possible，第二句，with the right equipment…it’s possible to jam any wireless transmission…。
37题，答案D。根据原文they’re not unique to security systems. 对应提干中的security system，原文中的…a wireless signal… overwhelmed by a stronger signal…. same frequency,对于原文的wireless, interfere和similar。
38题，答案J。根据原文Presumably, you keep your doors locked at night and while you’re away, so the thief will still need to break in.对应提干中的outside the house。根据原文so the thief(=A burglar) … continue jamming(=continuously jam) once he’s inside(=inside)….
39题，答案F。原文SimpliSafe(=题干SimpliSafe),… utilizes a special system(=题干devices) that’s capable of separating(=题干are able to distinguish) incidental RF interference form targeted jamming attacks(=题干interference from targeted jamming attacks. ).
40题，答案B。原文在说据FBI称，大部分的入室盗窃手法都很粗糙，采取破门或强行进入的占了案例的三分之二，而剩下的采用技术来盗窃，即本段最后一句The wide majority of the rest were illegal, unforced entries that resulted from something like a window being left open.这与B选项表达的意思是相同，即只有很少部分人采用技术犯罪，Only a very small proportion of burglaries are committed by technical means.
41题，答案为H。原文…, SimpliSafe(=题干：SimpliSafe) claims that its system is always evolving(=题干：keeps changing), and that it varies slightly form system to system(=题干：keeps changing), which means there wouldn’t be a universal magic formula for cracking(=题干：crack) it.
42题，答案为C。原文. If they detect something wrong while the system is armed, they’ll transmit a wireless alert signal to a a base station that will then raise the alarm.与题干Wireless devices will transmit signals so as to activate the alarm once something wrong is detected.属于同义替换：一旦某些错误被探测到，无线装置就会传送信号去激活警报器。
43题，答案为K。此段的第一句就是题干的同意替换，
these kinds of systems(=题干：Different measures) are primarily designed to protect against the sort of opportunistic smash-and-grab attack that makes up the majority of burglaries (=题干：protect one’s home from burglary). 讲的是出了无限安全系统的保护之外，对于避免侵害，人们应该使用更多种的防护方式。
44题，答案为G。根据原文第三句…It caught us in the act, sent an alert to my smartphone,
找到为题干的同意替换：SimpliSafe’s device can send a warning to the house owner’s cellphone.
45题，答案为E。通过本段的第一句：a… thief can find …. Googling，盗窃犯很容易通过网络搜索找到安全设备频率，即:Burglars can easily get a security device’s frequency by Internet search.
Section C
Passage One
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
As a person who writers about food and drink for a living, I couldn’t tell you the first thing about Bill Perry or whether the beers he sells are that great. But I can tell you that I like this guy. That’s because he plans to ban tipping in favor of paying his servers an actual living wage.
I hate tipping.
I hate it because it’s an obligation disguised as an option. I hate it for the post-dinner math it requires of me. But mostly, I hate tipping because I believe I would be in a better place if pay decisions regarding employees were simply left up to their employers, as is the custom in virtually every other industry.
Most of you probably think that you hate tipping, too. Research suggest otherwise. You actually love tipping! You like to feel that you have a voice in how much money you server makes. No matter how the math works out, you persistently view restaurants with voluntary tipping
systems as being a letter value, which makes it extremely difficult for restaurants and bars to do away with the tipping system.
One argument that you tend to hear a lot from the pro-tipping crowd seems logical enough: the service is better when waiters depend on tips, presumably because they see a benefit to successfully veiling their contempt for you .Well , if this were true we would all be slipping a few
100 dollar bills to our doctors on the way out their doors, too. But as it turns out, waiters see only a tiny bump in tips when they do an exceptional job compared to a passable one. Waiters, keen observers of humanity that they are , are catching on to this; in one poll, a full 30% said they didn’t believe the job they did any impact on the tips they received.
So come on, folks: get on board with ditching the outdated tip system. Pay a little more up – front for your beer or burger. Support Bill Perry’s pub, and any other bar or restaurant that doesn’t ask you to do drunken math.
46. What can we learn about Bill Perry from the passage?
A) He runs a pub that serves excellent beer.
B) He intends to get rid of the tipping practice.
C) He gives his staff a considerable sum for tips.
D) He lives comfortably without getting any tips.
46题，定位第一段，根据题干learn about,得知是推断题，而推断对象为文中人Bill Perry。文中出现But,侧重点在后面，”But I can tell you that I like this guy. That’s because he(=题干Bill Perry)plans to(=题干intends to) ban tipping(=题干get rid of the tipping) in favor of paying his servers an actual living wage“.所以正确答案为C，同义替换。选项A为无中生有，第一段在说Bill Perrys卖的酒是否为最佳的，而A说是最佳的酒。选项C没有提到a considerable sum大量，属于绝对选项。选项D，属于Not Given选项，并无提及，也无从推断。
47. What is the main reason why the author hates tipping?
A) It sets a bad example for other industries.
B) It adds to the burden of ordinary customers.
C) It forces the customer to compensate the waiter.
D) It poses a great challenge for customers to do math.
47题，根据题干中的定位词the author hates tipping和main reason，回文定位第三段。文中说“我讨厌它，因为它将义务伪装成一种选择。”既然是义务，那必然是强迫顾客去做的事情，这和C选项的含义较为接近。
48. Why do many people love tipping according to the author?
A) They help improve the quality of the restaurants they dine in.
B) They believe waiters deserve such rewards for good service.
C) They want to preserve a wonderful tradition of the industry.
D) They can have some say in how much their servers earn.
48题，根据题干关键词many people love tipping，回文定位第四段的第二行，You
actually love tipping! (=题干many people love tipping)答案就近原则，为后面的句子=You like to feel that you have a voice in how much money your server makes.可知与D选项为同义替换。
49. What have some waiters come to realize according to a survey?
A) Service quality has little effect on tip size.
B) It is in human nature to try to save on tips.
C) Tips make it more difficult to please customers.
D) Tips benefit the boss rather than the employees.
49题，题干中在问是调查中一些服务员的观点(认为)，根据题干according to a survey(=第五段in one poll)和文题顺序一致原则，回文定位文章第五段最后一句话，”一些服务员不认为他们的工作会受到收到的消费的影响”。故答案为A选项，little impact(没影响)，与文中they didn’t… any impact on…. 属同义替换。
50. What does the author argue for in the passage?
A) Restaurants should calculate the tips for customers.
B) Customers should pay more tips to help improve service.
C) Waiters deserve better than just relying on tips for a living.
D) Waiters should be paid by employers instead of customers.
50题，根据题干判定此题为作者观点题，特别是出现argue,contend,believe,view这些词等，本题问作者的观点，非文中人的观点便是作者的观点(因为不可能为读者观点)。第六段结尾，作者支持Bill Perry的观点，而Bill的观点就和D选项是同近意表达。
Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
In the past, falling oil prices have given a boost to the world economy, but recent forecasts for global growth have been toned down, even as oil prices sink lower and lower. Does that mean the link between lower oil prices and growth has weakened?
Some experts say there are still good reasons to believe cheap oil should heat up the world economy. Consumers have more money in their pockets when they’re paying less at the pump. They spend that money on other things, which stimulates the economy.
The biggest gains go to countries that import most of their oil like China, Japan，and India. But doesn’t the extra money in the pockets of those countries’ consumers mean an equal loss in oil-producing countries, cancelling out the gains? Not necessarily, says economic researcher Sara
Johnson. “Many oil producers built up huge reserve funds when prices were high, so when prices fall they will draw on their reserves to support spend and subsidies(补贴)for their consumers.”
But not all oil producers have big reserves. In Venezuela, collapsing oil prices have sent its economy into free-fall.
Economist Carl Weinberg believes the negative effects of plunging oil prices are overwhelming the positive effects of cheaper oil. The implication is a sharp decline in global trade, which has plunged partly because oil-producing nations cant’s afford to import as much as they used to.
Sara Johnson acknowledges that the global economic benefit from a fall in oil prices today is likely lower than it was in the past. One reason is that more countries are big oil producers now, so the nations suffering from the prices drop account for a larger share of the global economy.
Consumers, in the U.S. at least, acting cautiously with the savings they’re getting at the gas pump, as the memory of the recent great recession is still fresh in their mind. And a number of oil-producing countries are trimming their gasoline subsidies and raising taxes, so the net savings for global consumers is not as big as the oil price plunge might suggest.
51. What does the author mainly discuss in the passage?
A) The reasons behind the plunge of oil prices.
B) Possible ways to stimulate the global economy.
C) The impact of cheap oil on global economic growth.
D) The effect of falling oil prices on consumer spending.
51题，根据题干中的mainly/chiefly discuss/about,确定本题为主旨大意题，文章第一段说“过去油价下降总是刺激世界经济增长，但是即使现在油价下降越来越多，最新对经济增长的预测却不容乐观，这意味着更低的油价和增长之间的关系削弱了吗?”这第一段点明了主题，后面的段落都是在讨论油价下降为什么以前可以刺激经济增长，而现在却不再能刺激经济增长了。故C为正确答案。再次验证了，主旨大意题，看首段和各段首句都重要
52. Why do some experts believe cheap oil will stimulate the global economy?
A) Manufacturers can produce consumer goods at a much lower cost.
B) Lower oil prices have always given a big boost to the global economy.
C) Oil prices may rise or fall but economic laws are not subject to change.
D) Consumers will spend their saving from cheap oil on other commodities.
52题，细节题。回文定位第二段的最后一句 “some experts say there are still good reasons to...They spend that money on other things, which stimulates the economy”，they= Consumers, spend=spend, their saving=money可以看出是D选项为同义替换。
53. What happens in many oil-exporting countries when oil prices go down?
A) They suspend import of necessities from overseas.
B) They reduce production drastically to boost oil prices.
C) They use their money reserves to back up consumption.
D) They try to stop their economy from going into free-fall.
53.细节题。根据文题顺序一致原则和题干中的oil-exporting，回文定位原文第三句“draw on their reserves to support government spending and subsidies for their consumers”，可以看出C是正确选项。
54. How does Carl Weinberg view the current oil price plunge?
A) It is one that has seen no parallel in economic history.
B) Its negative effects more than cancel out its positive effects.
C) It still has a chance to give rise to a boom in the global economy.
D) Its effects on the global economy go against existing economic laws.
54. 细节题。根据题干中的大数符Carl Weinberg定位第五段，问此人的观点，文中人的观点=说法=想法=看法，特别是出现argue,contend,believe,view这些词等，恰好定位到Economist Carl Weinberg believes，而believes 后面的内容，“the negative effects of plunging oil prices are overwhelming the positive effects of cheaper oil”即为答案，同意替换B选项。
55. Why haven’t falling oil prices boosted the global economy as they did before?
A) People are not spending all the money they save on gas.
B) The global economy is likely to undergo another recession.
C) Oil importers account for a larger portion of the global economy.
D) People the world over are afraid of a further plunge in oil prices.
55. 细节题。回文定位第六段“so the nations suffering from the price drop account for a larger share of the global economy”，同义替换C选项。
文/ 天津新东方培训学校
(【天津新东方培训学校】是新东方教育科技集团在天津的官方培训机构，也是天津当地著名的培训机构。先进的教育理念，一流的教师队伍，为您提供专业优质的少儿培训、初高中各科目培训、考研、四六级考试、外语学习、托福、雅思、SAT、SSAT、GRE、GMAT等，囊括从幼儿到成人各个年龄段的教育培训内容。)
刘涛
满意度：5分
主授课程：
大学英语
授课时长：
1000小时以上
标签： #英语四级全部词汇
