2025年12月大学英语四级真题（第二套）阅读理解Passage 2真题、做题步骤、答案速查、答案解析、参考译文、重点词汇与表达
【真题】
Passage Two
Questions 51to 55are based on the following passage.
Adults dream during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep and infants have loads of REM. So, it might be fair to assume that babies have tons of dreams.
But scientists believe REM serves a completely different purpose for newborns and infants than dreaming. When babies are in REM, it allows their brain to develop pathways, connections, and eventually, learn language.
Since your baby doesn’t dream at this stage of brain development, it’s safe to assume babies do not have nightmares, either. Nightmares stem from exposure to trauma, an overactive imagination, and the normal stresses of everyday life.
Are you wondering, what do babies dream about? Good question, but the answer is—nothing!
So, when do babies start dreaming? The general consensus is that they start dreaming around the age of two. Psychologist David Foulkes studies children (from very small kids to teens) to bring the secrets of their dreams to the light of day. In his lab, he lets kids fall asleep and then wakes them 3 times a night and asks them to describe what they remember.
Foulkes’findings are unsurprising. Basically, little kids have little dreams. But exactly what kids see while dreaming depends on their age. As children develop and grow, their dreams do too.
Dreams of very small kids are usually just snapshots, looking much more like a slideshow than a movie, when compared to the dreams of adults. They heavily feature animals and other familiar sights, like images of people eating. According to Foulkes, “Children’s dream life... seems to be similar to their waking imagination and narration.”Kids ages 5—9 begin seeing moving images and characters in action. Dreams now include multiple events strung together, one after the other. They also start developing greater ability to remember dreams. Still, that’s not always the case: When roused during REM sleep, 25% of the kids in Foulkes’s studies had no recollection of dreaming, a trend that continues through age 9.
So, if your baby seems to be in a stressful state while sleeping or is upset upon waking, there may be other factors at play.
51. What do scientists think of REM?
A) It is a sign of dreaming in adults and infants alike.
B) It is essential to human beings’language learning.
C) It determines the formation of connections in the brain.
D) It performs a different function in babies than in adults.
52. What can we infer about nightmares from the passage?
A) They occur often in people with an active imagination.
B) They occur in people suffering from emotional stress.
C) They vary in different stages of brain development.
D) They appear in the sleep of both adults and infants.
53. What is the aim of psychologist David Foulkes’s study?
A) To reveal the secrets of children’s dreams.
B) To see if children start dreaming at age two.
C) To solve the mystery of dreaming and brain growth.
D) To confirm the general consensus on when kids start dreaming.
54. What are Foulkes’findings about kids’dreams?
A) They feature strange animals.
B) They are unsurprising to adults.
C) They grow and evolve with age.
D) They reflect kids’waking life.
55. What can we assume about babies who appear upset upon waking?
A) They have been roused against their will.
B) They have been disturbed by a nightmare.
C) They have trouble recollecting the images of their dreams.
D) They have been affected by something other than dreaming.
【做题步骤】
做阅读理解时，可以遵循以下步骤，提高效率和正确率：
Step 1：划出题干关键词
快速浏览5个题干，划出核心词，如：
51. scientists think of REM
52. infer about nightmares
53. aim ... David Foulkes’s study
54. Foulkes’findings
55. babies who appear upset upon waking
目的：带着问题去读文章，明确阅读重点。
Step 2：通读全文，把握主旨
快速阅读文章，重点关注首段（引出话题）、每段首句（通常是段落中心思想）和尾段（作者结论/建议）。
本文主旨：文章围绕婴儿的快速眼动睡眠展开，指出婴儿快速眼动睡眠多却不做梦，也无噩梦，约两岁才开始做梦。幼儿的梦境简单，随着成长发育逐渐会变得复杂，且部分孩子会不记得自己的梦境。此外，文章还指出宝宝睡眠紧张或醒后情绪不安，并非噩梦所致。
Step 3：原文定位，比对选项
根据题干关键词，回原文中找到对应的句子或段落。
51. scientists think of REM 定位到第二段第一句
52. infer about nightmares 定位到第三段第二句
53. aim...David Foulkes’s study 定位到第五段第三句
54. Foulkes’findings 定位到第六段第三、四句
55. babies who appear upset upon waking 定位到最后一段
将选项与原文信息进行比对，找出最匹配的答案，尤其注意同义替换。
Step 4：检查复核
确认所选答案与原文信息一致，排除绝对化、无中生有或与主旨不符的干扰项。
【答案速查】51-55 D B A C D
【答案解析】
51. What do scientists think of REM?
科学家如何看待快速眼动睡眠？
答案：D) It performs a different function in babies than in adults.
它在婴儿和成人身上发挥的作用不同。
解析：
定位句第二段第一句“But scientists believe REM serves a completely different purpose for newborns and infants than dreaming.”（但科学家认为，快速眼动睡眠对新生儿和婴儿的作用与做梦完全不同。）
文章第一段提到“Adults dream during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep and infants have loads of REM. So, it might be fair to assume that babies have tons of dreams”，（成年人在快速眼动睡眠期间会做梦，而婴儿的快速眼动睡眠次数极多。因此，我们或许可以合理推测，婴儿也会做大量的梦）。而第二段提到，快速眼动睡眠对新生儿和婴儿的作用与做梦完全不同。由此可知，D项与原文相符。
干扰项分析：
A) It is a sign of dreaming in adults and infants alike.
它既是成人也是婴儿做梦的标志。
第三段第一句提到“Since your baby doesn’t dream at this stage of brain development”（由于婴儿在这个大脑发育阶段不会做梦），A选项与此相悖，故排除。
B) It is essential to human beings’language learning.
它对人类的语言学习至关重要。
第二段第二句提到“When babies are in REM,it allows their brain to develop pathways, connections,and eventually, learn languages”（当婴儿处于快速眼动睡眠状态时，这有助于他们的大脑发育神经通路、建立连接，并最终学会语言。）这并不是说快速眼动睡眠对所有人的语言学习都至关重要，故排除。
C) It determines the formation of connections in the brain.
它决定了大脑中神经元连接的形成。
原文说的是“When babies are in REM, it allows their brain to develop pathways, connections, and eventually, learn languages”（当婴儿处于快速眼动睡眠状态时，这有助于他们的大脑发育神经通路、建立连接，并最终学会语言。）不是说快速眼动睡眠决定了大脑中神经元连接的形成，故排除。
52. What can we infer about nightmares from the passage?
从文章中我们可以推断出关于噩梦的什么信息？
答案：B) They occur in people suffering from emotional stress.
遭受情绪压力的人会做噩梦。
解析：
定位句第三段第二句“Nightmares stem from exposure to trauma, an overactive imagination, and the normal stresses of everyday life.”（噩梦源于创伤经历、过度活跃的想象力以及日常生活中的正常压力。）由此可以推断遭受情绪压力的人可能会做噩梦，故选B。
干扰项分析：
A) They occur often in people with an active imagination.
想象力活跃的人经常做噩梦。
原文使用的是“overactive”（过度活跃的）一词，而非“active”（活跃的），二者意思有别，故排除。
C) They vary in different stages of brain development.
噩梦在大脑发育的不同阶段有所不同。
文中未提及，故排除。
D) They appear in the sleep of both adults and infants.
成年人和婴儿在睡眠中都会做噩梦。
第三段第一句明确指出婴儿不会做梦，故排除。
53. What is the aim of psychologist David Foulkes’s study?
心理学家大卫·福克斯的研究目的是什么？
答案：A) To reveal the secrets of children’s dreams.
揭示儿童梦境的秘密。
解析：
定位句第五段第三句“Psychologist David Foulkes studies children (from very small kids to teens) to bring the secrets of their dreams to the light of day.”（心理学家大卫·福克斯对从婴幼儿到青少年的儿童进行研究，以揭示他们梦境的秘密。）A项表述正确， “reveal the secrets of children’s dreams”与原文“bring the secrets of their dreams to the light of day”为同义转述。
干扰项分析：
B) To see if children start dreaming at age two.
验证儿童是否在两岁时开始做梦。
原文虽然提到儿童大约在两岁左右开始做梦是一种普遍的共识，但该共识并不是大卫·福克斯的主要研究方向，故排除。
C) To solve the mystery of dreaming and brain growth.
解开做梦与大脑发育之间的谜团。
原文中提到研究聚焦于揭示儿童梦境中的秘密，而非解开做梦与大脑发育之间的谜团，故排除。
D) To confirm the general consensus on when kids start dreaming.
确认关于儿童何时开始做梦的普遍共识。
该共识并非研究的主要目的，故排除。
54. What are Foulkes’findings about kids’dreams?
福克斯关于儿童梦境的发现是什么？
答案：C) They grow and evolve with age.
它们随着年龄的增长而发展演变。
解析：
定位句第六段第三、四句“But exactly what kids see while dreaming depends on their age. As children develop and grow, their dreams do too.”（但孩子们梦中具体看到什么取决于他们的年龄。随着儿童的成长和发展，他们的梦境也在演变。）故选C项。
干扰项分析：
A) They feature strange animals.
它们以奇特的动物为主要元素。
原文第七段“They heavily feature animals and other familiar sights”提到他们的梦中大量出现动物和其他熟悉的场景，没有说是奇特的动物，A项错误。
B) They are unsurprising to adults.
它们对成年人来说并不意外。
原文中提到的是“研究结果不令人意外”，而不是儿童梦境内容对成年人来说并不意外，B项错误。
D) They reflect kids’waking life.
它们反映了儿童清醒时的生活。
题干问的是福克斯关于儿童梦境的核心发现，D项不属于核心发现，只是儿童梦境的局部特征，故排除。
55. What can we assume about babies who appear upset upon waking?
对于醒来后显得情绪不安的婴儿，我们可以做出怎样的推断？
答案：D) They have been affected by something other than dreaming.
他们受到了做梦之外其他因素的影响。
解析：
定位到最后一段“So, if your baby seems to be in a stressful state while sleeping or is upset upon waking, there may be other factors at play.”（因此，如果你的宝宝在睡眠中显得紧张，或者醒来时情绪不安，可能是其他因素在起作用。）结合前文中提到的婴儿不会做梦的结论可知，婴儿醒来后情绪不安并非源于做梦，而是其他因素，故选D项。
干扰项分析：
A) They have been roused against their will.
他们是被强行叫醒的。
文中未提及婴儿被强行叫醒，故排除。
B) They have been disturbed by a nightmare.
他们受到了噩梦的惊扰。
原文明确提到婴儿不会做梦，所以他们不会做噩梦，B项表述错误。
C) They have trouble recollecting the images of their dreams.
他们难以回忆起梦中的影像。
原文明确提到婴儿不会做梦，所以不可能有梦境可回忆，C项表述错误。
【参考译文】
成年人在快速眼动睡眠期间会做梦，而婴儿的快速眼动睡眠次数极多。因此，我们或许可以合理推测，婴儿也会做大量的梦。
但科学家认为，快速眼动睡眠对新生儿和婴儿的作用与做梦完全不同。当婴儿处于快速眼动睡眠状态时，这有助于他们的大脑发育神经通路、建立连接，并最终学会语言。
由于婴儿在这个大脑发育阶段不会做梦，因此可以断定他们也不会做噩梦。噩梦源于创伤经历、过度活跃的想象力以及日常生活中的正常压力。
你是否会好奇：婴儿会梦见什么呢？问得好，但答案是——什么都没有！
那么，婴儿什么时候开始做梦呢？普遍的共识是，他们大约在两岁左右开始做梦。心理学家大卫·福克斯对从婴幼儿到青少年的儿童进行研究，以揭示他们梦境的秘密。在他的实验室里，他让孩子们入睡，然后在夜间叫醒他们三次，让他们描述记得的内容。
福克斯的研究结果并不令人意外。基本上，小孩子做简单的梦。但孩子们梦中具体看到什么取决于他们的年龄。随着儿童的成长和发展，他们的梦境也在演变。
年龄很小的孩子的梦境通常只是一些快照，与成年人的梦相比，更像是幻灯片而非电影。他们的梦中大量出现动物和其他熟悉的场景，比如人们吃饭的画面。据福克斯所说，“儿童的梦境生活……似乎与他们的清醒时的想象力和叙述能力相似。”5到9岁的孩子开始在梦中看到动态的影像和正在活动的人物。此时的梦境开始包含多个连续发生的事件。他们也开始具备更强的梦境记忆能力。不过，情况并非总是如此：在福克斯的研究中，当在快速眼动睡眠期被唤醒时，25%的孩子完全不记得做过梦，这一趋势一直持续到9岁。
因此，如果你的宝宝在睡眠中显得紧张，或者醒来时情绪不安，可能是其他因素在起作用。
【重点词汇与表达】
REM (rapid eye movement) 快速眼动（睡眠）
infant 婴儿
assume 假设，推测
serve a completely different purpose 发挥完全不同的作用
connection 连接
nightmare 噩梦
stem from 源于
trauma 创伤
overactive imagination 过于活跃的想象力
the general consensus 普遍的共识
bring...to the light of day 揭示……的秘密
unsurprising 不令人意外的
snapshots 快照
slideshow 幻灯片
narration 叙述，讲述
recollection 回忆，记忆
stressful state 紧张状态
