Why shouldn't an unsolicited email asking for opinion include the links to the articles?
I don't think the issue is specifically the links, but that you seem to be asking a lot of the recipient in the initial mail, with, perhaps, too much information. The professor isn't likely to want to follow up on that before contacting you. 

On the other hand, not making the information available at all would be an opposite mistake, requiring an additional email just to get access. 

The first part of your mail is fine (taking students? interested in xyzzy). But then you could just put nearly all of the rest of it on the web site and provide a single link:

"My current interests are explained at ... Sincerely..."

So, more than nothing, but less than what you have would be, IMO, a better balance.