为了提高广大学生的英语水平，提高英语专业学生的专四通过率，特提供以下英语阅读理解及答案详解：
What comes to mind when you hear the word--diversity? Issues of race or gender may spring to mind.Equal rights? Or minority issues?
I encourage people to look at a much wider definition of the word.1 would tend to say diversity is “differentness” in any form.A good example of this kind of diversity has been experienced by every person who ever left behind the comforts of home and moved into uncharted territory.Issues of diversity are informed not only by your cultural background and context，but also by your religion，age，field of work，family situation， personality，and countless other factors that make us unique.Diversity affects everyone.
It’s for this reason that diversity has become such a buzz word.The buzz happens because it’s all about how you handle it.It’s very much like the job a composer has when creating a great musical composition.If the composer understands what each unique note and dynamic mark is capable of in combination with the other parts，the result achieved is extraordinary.If, however，none of the parts is communicating with the others，we’re left with a cacophony(刺耳的声音).
On a personal level.it’s this understanding and acceptance of “the other” which rests at the core of diversity.Whether we’re talking about navigating through a multicultural urban environment or uprooting and moving to a new foreign social context，it is necessary to set aside rigid assumptions about “the other” and put oneself in the other’s shoes. So how do we make this leap? It’s often as simple as asking questions and being careful not to assume that what you see is necessarily what the other side sees.
Often in my workshops I give a magic lesson to the audience to illustrate this principle. I first present the magic and accomplish the "impossible". The participants receive the same props but simply can’t manage. We look more carefully at the situation and realize that the assumptions they made about it actually blocked them from achieving this feat; a feat they suddenly are empowered to do which, moments ago, was impossible.
The goal in being sensitive to diversity is to cultivate a culture of respect for people’s differences and understand that such an environment is beneficial to everyone involved.
Diversity awareness is an evolution. We can’t get there by snapping our fingers, and it isn’t a matter of training people to have textbook politically correct attitudes. Instead it’s a case of looking at the big picture of how we see the world, understanding why we see it that way, and then making sure we do our part to genuinely value difference and benefit from it.
1. According to the author, diversity is
A. confusing.
B. extraordinary.
C. quite common.
D. universal.
2. "It" in Paragraph Three refers to
A. diversity.
B. the buzz.
C. how to handle diversity.
D. the formation of diversity.
3. The author believes that
A. to handle diversity one should put himself in others’ shoes.
B. when you are in a foreign environment, do as the Romans do.
C. diversity can hardly be defined.
D. diversity derives from cultural difference.
4. The example of a magic lesson is to show
A. everyone can do magic.
B. magic is nothing but a feat.
C. what blocks people from handling diversity.
D. it is possible to achieve anything.
5. How to raise diversity awareness according to the author?
A. By living in an unfamiliar environment.
B. By having politically correct attitudes.
C. By being sensitive to everything one experiences.
D. By understanding people’s differences.
【文章概要】
本文围绕“差异性”这一名词展开论述。第1段以一个问句开头由“差异性”一词你会想到什么，引发读者的思考;第2段对“差异性”进行定义，指出了差异的广泛性与普遍性;第3段以作曲家的创作形象说明差异是如何产生的：第4-5段阐明解决“差异性”的核心并以魔术表演为例对这一核心进行说明;最后两段讲到了感受差异性的目的并总结应从哪些方面提高“差异性”意识。
【答案解析】
1.[D]细节判断题。第2段有对该词的定义，从any form，every person，not only…but als0等这些词可推断“差异性”具有普遍性，故选D。C为强干扰项，common偏指普通的，常见的，注意这里更强调的是“差异性”的普遍性。
2.[C]代词指代题。考查It所指代的对象。查找到It所在的句子，前句指出“差异性之所以时髦是因为它取决于你如何对待它”，然后就指出“这就好 像作曲家在创作一首伟大的乐曲一样”，故It在此指代的就是如何对待差异性的问题，故选C。D有一定的干扰性，但差异性的形成并没有在It前面提到，故排除。
3.[A]观点态度题。由第4段倒数第3句可知A正确，该段还提到搬迁到一个陌生的社会环境必须抛弃对他人的固执想法，B与原文表述不符;第2段首句就有对”差异性“的定义。故C错误;第2段提到“差异性问题不仅体现于你的文化背景，还体现于……”，D表述过于片面，故排除。
4.[C]例证细节题。根据magic lesson定位到第5段。该例子表明观众从“不会”到“会”魔术这门技艺，说明是他们原先的臆想阻碍了他们对这种技艺的掌握，进而说明是什么阻碍了人们正确对待文化差异，故选C。A“每个人都能玩魔术”和B“魔术只不过是一门技艺”不是例证要说明的问题，故排除。
5.[D]细节判断题。 根据diversi awareness定位到最后一段。该段最后一句表明，差异性意识的提升就应从我们如何观察世界这个大问题着眼，理解我们为什么那样看待差异，并切实保证我们能真正重视事物的差异，故选D。由该段第2句可知B错误;到了不熟悉的环境中，会碰到“差异性”的问题，但它不是提升差异意识的途径，故A错。C文中没有提到。