备考英语四级阅读，重点应放在提升阅读速度和理解文章主旨上。多做训练，熟知容易见到题型和方法，能够帮助应付考试挑战。新东方在线记者为大伙整理了“2024年12月大学习英语四级阅读理解训练（1）”，期望能为大伙带来帮助。
2024年12月大学习英语四级阅读理解训练（1）
Among the more colorful characters of Leadville’s golden age were H.A.W.Tabor and his second wife, Elizabeth McCourt, better known as “Baby Doe”. Their history is fast becoming one of the legends of the Old West. Horace Austin Warner Tabor was a school teacher in Vermont. With his first wife and two children he left Vermont by covered wagon in 1855 to homestead in Kansas. Perhaps he did not find farming to his liking, or perhaps he was lured by rumors of fortunes to be made in Colorado mines. At any rate, a few years later he moved west to the small Colorado mining camp known as California Gulch, which he later renamed Leadville when he became its leading citizen. “Great deposits of lead are sure to be found here.” he said.
As it turned out, it was silver, not lead, that was to make Leadville’s fortune and wealth. Tabor knew little about mining himself, so he opened a general store, which sold everything from boots to salt, flour, and tobacco.『It was his custom to “grubstake” prospective miners, in other words, to supply them with food and supplies, or“grub”, while they looked for ore, in return for which he would get a share in the mine if one was discovered.』①He did this for a number of years, but no one that he aided ever found anything of value.
Finally one day in the year 1878, so the story goes, two miners came in and asked for “grub”. Tabor had decided to quit supplying it because he had lost too much money that way. These were persistent, however, and Tabor was too busy to argue with them. “Oh help yourself. One more time won’t make any difference,” He said and went on selling shoes and hats to other customers. The two miners took $17 worth of supplies, in return for which they gave Tabor a one-third interest in their findings. They picked a barren place on the mountain side and began to dig. After nine days they struck a rich vein of silver. Tabor bought the shares of the other two men, and so the mine belonged to him alone. This mine, known as the “Pittsburgh Mine,” made 1 300 000 for Tabor in return for his $17 investment.
Later Tabor bought the Matchless Mine on another barren hillside just outside the town for $117 000. This turned out to be even more fabulous than the Pittsburgh, yielding $35 000 worth of silver per day at one time. Leadville grew. Tabor became its first mayor, and later became lieutenant governor of the state.
1. Leadville got its name for the following reasons EXCEPT ______.
A. because Tabor became its leading citizen
B. because great deposits of lead is expected to be found there
C. because it could bring good fortune to Tabor
D. because it was renamed
2. The word “grubstake” in paragraph 2 means ______.
A. to supply miners with food and supplies
B. to open a general store
C. to do one’s contribution to the development of the mine
D. to supply miners with food and supplies and in return get a share in the mine, if one was discovered
3. Tabor made his first fortune ______.
A. by supplying two prospective miners and getting in return a one-third interest in the findings
B. because he was persuaded by the two miners to quit supplying
C. by buying the shares of the other
D. as a land speculator
4. The underlying reason for Tabor’s life career is ______.
A. purely accidental
B. based on the analysis of miner’s being very poor and their possibility of discovering profitable mining site
C. through the help from his second wife
D. he planned well and accomplished targets step by step
5. If this passage is the first part of an article ,who might be introduced in the following part?
A. Tabor’s life.
B. Tabor’s second wife, Elizabeth McCourt.
C. Other colorful characters.
D. Tabor’s other careers.
英语四级模拟题答案分析：
1. C 细节题。由于Leadville可以为Tabor带来巨富。这一点不是Leadville得名是什么原因，由于在文章第二段中，讲到这一点时，提及三个缘由：A.由于Tabor成为当地的居民代表人物，B.由于在Leadville有丰富的铅的储藏量。D.由于Leadville是由于Tabor要紧而起的名，唯独C没，由于到后来发现是银矿才给他带来巨富。
2. D 词语题。第二段中grubstake的词义与D所述内容是相同的，即“供给探矿者资金，衣物，食品与其他物品”但此处还补充地讲，作为回报，供给者可以获得矿中资源肯定份额。。
3. A 细节题。Tabor第1次真的发财是他为两名矿工提供资助，为此他获得他们矿资源三分之一的股份。见文章第三段4-9行内容：两名开矿者从Tabor那儿借走价值17USD的物品，作为回报，Tabor获得他们矿资源三分之一股份。于是两位开矿者在一座山旁的不毛之地开始挖掘，九天之后，发现了银的富矿，于是Tabor又将两人的股份全买下，如此，银矿是Tabor一个人所有，这个矿就是后来著 名的“匹兹堡”矿。Tabor用17USD的投资换来了130万USD的收成。
4. B 判断题。由原文可知泰勃的财产来源是有肯定偶然性的，但毕竟也是基于他开创“grubstake”模式，由于A、D都不对，C更是没依据，由于他还没娶第二位夫人这所有就发生了。剖析泰勃的做法，会得出B选项所示的结论。
5. B 判断题。假如本文是一篇文章的第1部分，那样在文章的第二部分将介绍哪个呢?key可以从文章第1句剖析出来，在Leadville的黄金年代，其多彩的特征当中，Tabor及其第二任老婆Elizabeth McCourt是值得大书特书的，接着，文章都在讲述有关H.A.W.Tabor发财的历史，如先买下匹兹堡矿，后又买下Matchless矿，最后成为市长，代理州长，等等，所以涉及到的全是男主人公，因此下边再讲的话，应成为女主人公即Elizabeth McCourt的天地了，她是Tabor的第二任老婆。这是顺理成章的事。
以上就是新东方在线记者为大伙收拾的“2024年12月大学习英语四级阅读理解训练（1）”全部内容啦，预祝各位小伙伴顺利通过四级考试!
