四级冲刺试题1

冲刺试题一
Part I Writing (30 minutes) Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the topic of Banning Smoking in Public Places. You should write at least 120 words following the outline given below.
1. 公共场合吸烟现象曾随处可见
2. 由此带来的问题
3. 禁止在公共场合吸烟的意义
Banning Smoking in Public Places
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Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning)(15 minutes) Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked [A], [B], [C] and [D]. For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.
Stress Pains Many in College
Most students in US colleges are just plain stressed out, from everyday worries about grades and relationships
to darker thoughts of suicide, according to a poll of undergraduates from coast to coast. The survey was conducted for the Associated Press and mtvU, a television network available at many colleges and universities.
Students’ S tress Problem
Four in 10 students say they endure stress often. Nearly one in five say they feel it all or most of the time. But most are bearing it. Nearly two-thirds in the survey say they enjoy life.
The majority cite classic stress symptoms including trouble concentrating, sleeping and finding motivation. Most say they have also been disturbed, worried, too tired to w ork. “Everything is being piled on at once,” said Chris Curran, a junior at the Albany College of Pharmacy (制药) in Albany, N. Y. He said he has learned to cope better since starting school. “Y ou just get really disturbed and anxious. Then you start procrastinating(拖延), and it all piles up.” Many cite eating problems and say they have felt lonely, depressed, like they are failures. Substantial numbers are even concerned about spring break, chiefly not having enough money or being in good physical shape. More than a quarter of the students sometimes think they should cut down on drinking or going out. A third say they sometimes want to use drugs or alcohol to relax. About 15%say they’re at least somewhat concerned about drinking too much on spring break. One in five say they have felt too stressed to do schoolwork or be with friends. About the same number say things have been so bad in the past three months that they have seriously considered dropping out of school. Darker still, about one in six say they have friends who in the past year have discussed committing suicide, and about one in 10 say they have seriously considered it themselves. Friends have actually tried to end their lives in that time, one in 10 say.
In this ocean of campus anxiety, 13%say they have been diagnosed with a mental health condition such as depression or an anxiety disorder. Of that group, two-thirds say they always or usually follow their treatment, one-tenth say they have been unable to stick to it, and the rest are not on a plan. The perils(危险) of halting treatment were highlighted last month when police said the girlfriend of Steven Kazmierczak, who fatally shot five people and then himself at Northern Illinois University, told them he had stopped taking medication.
All is not d oom and gloom for today’s students. Six in 10 in the survey say they are usually hopeful and enjoy life. Half even concede they feel understood by their families.
What Causes the S tress Problem
The survey shows plenty of sources of stress, led by the seven in 10 students who attribute it to school work and grades. Financial problems are close behind, while relationships and dating, family problems and extracurricular activities all are named by half as adding pressure.
College women have a more stressful existence than men, with 45%of females and 34%of males saying they
face pressure often. The youngest students cite frequent stress most often. Whites report more stress than blacks and Hispanics. From schoolwork to dating, women are more possible than men to say they experience pressure from virtually every potential source of distress in the survey. Six in 10 women and just four in 10 men say family issues cause problems, though the differences between the sexes in most areas are slimmer. Besides balancing her approaching graduation with the 20-hour-per-week job that helps finance school, Jeanette Devereaux-Weber said she has a new pressure: beginning her post-college life. She has not decided what to do. “It doesn’t feel like looking for a summer job anymore, it’s looking for a career, it’s things that will shape everything to come,” she said. “Sometimes it feels like you have to make the right choice right away or you will be behind everyone else.”
How to Solve the Stress Problem
The poll shows a spotty sense among students of how to find assistance handling pressure. Just over half say they are sure whom they would turn to for help. Only one in seven say they were very familiar with the counseling offered at their schools. Overall, 26%of students say they have considered talking to a counselor or getting other professional help. Just 15%say they have actually done so. Professional help, though, is not atop students’ lists when they need help. Three-quarters say they would be most likely to turn to friends; nearly two-thirds cite their parents and half say they would talk to brothers and sisters. Only one in five say they would seek out school counselors.
Of the 9%who said they had considered suicide in the past year, only half said they had considered talking to a counselor or professional and four in 10 had actually received such help. While 11%said they had friends who had tried committing suicide in the past year, that doesn’t mean there have been that many attempts because many people often know each individual who has tried. According to the most recent figures from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, far less than one of every 100 people aged 18 to 24 tried to injure himself in 2006. However, there were fewer than 3,500 suicides out of 29 million people of that age in 2005.
How is the Survey Conducted?
The survey was conducted by Edison Media Research from Feb. 28 to March 6 by having 2,253 undergraduate students fill out confidential forms. The margin of sampling error was plus or minus 3 percentage points. The students, aged 18-24, were handed the questionnaires at 40 randomly chosen four-year schools around the country. To protect privacy, the schools where the poll was conducted are not being identified and the students who responded were not asked for their names. Those mentioned in this story were not among those polled and did not necessarily attend schools involved in the survey.
MtvU’s sponsorship of the poll is related to its work on “Half of Us”, which it runs with the Jed Found ation, a non-profit group that works to reduce suicide among young people. “Half of Us” is a program designed to raise
awareness about emotional problems faced by college students.
1. According to the survey, how many of the college students in the US say they enjoy their life?
[A] Nearly 20%.
[B] More than 25%.
[C] About 33. 3%.
[D] Nearly 66. 7%.
2. According to the survey, what is the classic symptom of stress mentioned by the majority of students?
[A] Money problems.
[B] Eating problems.
[C] Concentration problems.
[D] Physical problems.
3. How many of the college students in the US say they have considered dropping out of school seriously?
[A] About 10%.
[B] About 15%.
[C] About 16. 6%.
[D] About 20%.
4. How many of the college students diagnosed with a mental health condition have been unable to follow their treatment?
[A] 7%.
[B] 10%.
[C] 50%.
[D] 66. 6%.
5. The leading cause of college students’ stress problem is attributed to _______.
[A] school work and grades
[B] financial problems
[C] relationships and dating
[D] family problems
6. Who may face the least pressure according to the survey?
[A] College women.
[B] White female college students.
[C] The youngest female college students.
[D] Black and Hispanic male college students.
7. The example of Jeanette Devereaux-Weber in the passage revealed the new pressure of _______.
[A] approaching graduation
[B] starting post-college life
[C] solving family issues
[D] financing school
8. When facing stress problem, only 20%of the college students would turn to ____________________.
9. Because of stress problem the rate of students aged 18 to 24 trying to injure themselves in 2006 is
____________________ than in 2005.
10. The schools where the poll was conducted are not being identified in order to ____________________.
Part III Listening Comprehension (35 minutes) Section A
Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked [A], [B], [C] and [D], and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.
11. [A] Because James was late for school on the first day.
[B] Because James had a funny face.
[C] Because James was the first person he met at school.
[D] Because James liked to show off in class.
12. [A] He knows whom the wallet belongs to.
[B] He can call the owner from his house.
[C] Some member of his family lost the wallet.
[D] The woman should keep the wallet at his house.
13. [A] Patient.
[B] Reliable.
[C] Generous.
[D] Forgetful.
14. [A] Wait for his cousin.
[B] Go to the airport.
[C] Prepare dinner.
[D] Do homework.
15. [A] Not to wait for him.
[B] To clean up her room.
[C] To get her report back.
[D] Not to fetch the raincoat.
16. [A] No news is good news.
[B] The man’s family has forgotten him.
[C] The woman works in the post office.
[D] The man expects to hear from his family.
17. [A] At a reception desk.
[B] At a store.
[C] In a bank.
[D] In a hotel.
18. [A] She will be available on Friday.
[B] Friday is the most suitable time for her.
[C] She can meet the man any day except Friday.
[D] She can’t arrange a meeting recently due to her tight schedule. Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
19. [A] To ask for a letter of recommendation.
[B] To discuss a decision he has made.
[C] To apply for a student loan.
[D] To find out which colleges accepted him.
20. [A] It’s too expensive.
[B] I t’s too far away from home.
[C] The classes are too large.
[D] The laboratories are not well equipped.
21. [A] It has a beautiful campus.
[B] It’s in an urban setting.
[C] Faculty members interact with students.
[D] Professors regularly publish their results.
22. [A] Choose a new major.
[B] Accept an internship at the state university.
[C] Look for a job as a biologist.
[D] Apply for a student loan.
Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
23. [A] There was a traffic accident.
[B] A car was smashed by a falling object.
[C] A car hit someone near the high building.
[D] A driver was killed in his new car.
24. [A] He had his car hit by a falling piece of concrete.
[B] He was fined for speeding in South Street.
[C] He had been unable to park his specially-made car.
[D] He could not claim anything from the insurance company.
25. [A] He was annoyed.
[B] He was pleased.
[C] He felt it could be replaced.
[D] He did not care.
Section B
Directions:In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked [A], [B], [C] and [D]. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard.
26. [A] Common people.
[B] Pop TV stars.
[C] Attractive people.
[D] Famous film stars.
27. [A] TV producers who make reality TV shows.
[B] TV actors who take part in reality TV shows.
[C] TV viewers who telephone reality TV shows.
[D] TV companies which broadcast reality TV shows.
28. [A] Everyone is happy about reality TV.
[B] Reality TV will do well in many countries.
[C] All the people in Europe are in favor of reality TV.
[D] Reality TV will not be broadcast in any countries.
Passage T wo
Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard.
29. [A] The atmosphere surrounding the Earth.
[B] Water from oceans and lakes.
[C] Energy from the Sun.
[D] Greenhouse gases in the sky.
30. [A] Because most of it is lost in the upper and lower atmosphere.
[B] Because most of it is reflected by the gases in the upper atmosphere.
[C] Because most of it is absorbed by the clouds in the lower atmosphere.
[D] Because most of it is used to evaporate water from the oceans and lakes.
31. [A] A forest looks dark in winter because it absorbs solar energy.
[B] All living things on the Earth depend on the Sun for their food.
[C] Only 0. 023%of the energy from the Sun is made use of on the Earth.
[D] Greenhouse gases allow heat energy to escape from the Earth’s surface. Passage Three
Questions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.
32. [A] Dr. Paulson.
[B] A dormitory attendant.
[C] A financial consultant.
[D] A housing coordinator.
33. [A] Sign up to move in right away.
[B] Add your name to the waiting list.
[C] Go to ask someone at the apartments.
[D] Go to the Off-campus Housing Office.
34. [A] Sign you up for family student housing.
[B] Recommend you a new graduate student apartment.
[C] Give you a list of rentals.
[D] Find a house for you.
35. [A] Going to see Dr. Paulson.
[B] Going to visit housing areas.
[C] Filling out application forms.
[D] Listening to a talk on financial aid.
Section C
Directions: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43 with the exact words you have just heard. For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are required to fill in the missing information. For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.
What do you call an entertainer who seems to do impossible tricks such as pulling a rabbit out of a hat, plucking dollar bills from the air, or discovering an egg hiding behind your ear? Did you (36) _________ a magician?
A magician may seem to have (37) _________ powers, but most tricks are based on (38) _________ techniques that fool the eyes. The magician is an actor who (39) _________ the audience. When the audience is distracted, the magician is able to do things (40) _________.
One type of magic trick is called sleight-of-hand. These tricks require especially skillful hand (41)_____________. The following is a (42) _________ of how a magician does a sleight-of-hand trick. He makes it look as though one ball changes into two balls. He uses a rubber ball and a metal half-shell that looks like a ball. When the two are put together, the audience sees only one ball. (43) _________ the magician separates the shell from the ball, (44) ____________________________________________________________________________. It looks as though
two balls have appeared. Y our fingers must be very coordinated to do this trick.
Illusionists perform tricks using elaborate equipment. (45) ____________________________________________________________________________. This is a second type of magic trick. (46) ____________________________________________________________________________.
Part IV Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth) (25 minutes) Section A
Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.
Questions 47 to 56 are based on the following passage.
Perhaps like most Americans you have some extra pounds to shed. Y ou may even have tried a fad (时尚) diet or two, but found yourself right back where you 47 . The key to weight loss is regular 48 activity. And surprisingly, you don’t have to give up eating or make the gym your second home to see long-term, 49 effects. Y our body needs a certain amount of energy to maintain basic 50 such as breathing, blood circulation and digestion. The energy required to keep your organs functioning is referred to as the resting or basal metabolic rate.
Any time you are active, 51 energy is required. It is obtained from glycogen(糖原) and fat stored in the blood, liver, and muscles. The key to losing weight is to draw on the fat rather than on the carbohydrate reserves. Which of the two energy sources you use depends on the intensity and 52 of your activity. The higher the intensity, the more your body will pull from the stored carbohydrates. The lower the intensity, the 53 your body will rely on fat as its fuel.
Aerobic exercise is most 54 for weight loss. When you perform aerobic activities you 55 contract large muscle groups such as your legs and arms. Walking, running, rollerblading, swimming, dancing, and jumping jacks are all forms of aerobic activity. Surprisingly, if your aerobic activity is low to moderately intense and of long duration, you will burn more fat than if you had 56 in a short burst of high-intensity exercise. In short, a brisk 30-minute walk will burn fat while a 100-yard sprint will burn glycogen.
Section B
Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked [A], [B], [C] and [D]. You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.
Cheating is nothing new. But today, education and administrations are finding that instances of academic dishonesty on the part of students have become more frequent — and are less likely to be punished — than in the past. Cheating appears to have gained acceptance among good and poor students alike.
Why is student cheating on the rise? No one really knows. Some blame the trend on a general loosening of moral values among today’s youth. Others have attributed increased cheating to the fact that today’s youth are far more pragmatic (实际的) than their idealistic predecessors. Whereas in the late sixties and early seventies, students were filled with visions about changing the world, today’s students feel great pressure to conform and succeed. In interviews with students at high schools and colleges around the country, both young men and women said that cheating had become easy. Some suggested they did it out of spite for teachers they did not respect. Others looked at it as a game. Only if they were caught, some said, would they feel guil ty. “People are competitive,” said a second-year college student named Anna, from Chicago. “There’s an underlying fear. If you don’t do well, your life is going to be ruined. The pressure is not only from parents and friends but from yourself. To achieve. To succeed. It’s almost as though we have to outdo other people to achieve our own goals.”
Edward Wynne, editor of a magazine blames the rise in academic dishonesty on the schools. He claims that administrators and teachers have been too hesitant to take action. Dwight Huber, chairman of the English Department at Amarillo sees the matter differently, blaming the rise in cheating on the way students evaluated. “I would cheat if I felt I was being cheated,” Mr. Huber said. He feels that as long as teachers gi ve short-answer tests rather than essay questions and rate students by the number of facts they can memorize rather than by how well they can synthesize information, students will try to beat the system. “The concept of cheating is based on the false assum ption that the system is legitimate and there is something wrong with the individuals who’s doing it,” he said.
“That’s too easy an answer. We’ve got to start looking at the system.”
57. Educators are finding that students who cheat _______.
[A] have poor academic records
[B] use the information in late years
[C] can be academically weak or strong
[D] are more likely to be punished than before
58. According to the passage, which of the following statement is true?
[A] A change in the educational system will eliminate the need to cheat.
[B] The problem of student cheating has its roots in deeper problems.
[C] Students do not cheat on essay tests.
[D] Punishment is an effective method of stopping cheating.
59. Which of the following statements reflects the information in the passage?
[A] The educational system and its administrators are partly to blame for the rise in the cheating.
[B] The student who cheats must be at fault because the system is correct.
[C] The 1960s vision of changing the world led students to conform.
[D] Punishment for cheaters has always been severe in this country.
60. The phrase “the individuals” in Line 8, Para. 3 refers to “_______”.
[A] students who practice cheating
[B] parents who put pressure on their children
[C] school administrators who approve of short-answer tests
[D] teachers who are too hesitant to take actions against cheating
61. The author probably would agree with the point of view that _______.
[A] students who cheat should be expelled from school
[B] parents alone must take responsibility for the rise in student cheating
[C] the educational system is sound, and students must follow every rule
[D] the educational system in this country would benefit from a thorough evaluation
Passage T wo
Questions 62 to 66 are based on the following passage.
Undoubtedly, Internet technology will change the way we live, work, communicate and do business. But beware of those who proclaim (声明) this to be a New Era of profitability. As in the so-called New Eras of the past
brought on by earlier technological breakthroughs —this one carries the seeds of its own destruction. The phenomenal growth of Internet businesses is already fueling a Klondike-style gold rush, with far too many diggers looking for far too little gold. Economics teaches us that it is hard to become an upstart with a basically free commodity. Think of ice in the Arctic, sand in the desert, seawater in the ocean or, for that matter, the seemingly (表面上) unlimited “hot air” on the Net.
In the 20th century, the proliferation of cars, radios, movies, televisions, mass retailers and computers all inspired a sense that we had begun a New Era. Each breakthrough promised new riches and unprecedented prosperity for the innovators. But in the long run, they always failed to deliver to investors the expected rewards.
Why the letdowns? In part because every great innovator invariably attracted great imitators, who competed with the original and eventually depre ssed his “excessive” profit margin by commoditizing the invention. Furthermore, great inventions have always been followed by greater innovations (创新), which, through the process known as creative destruction, render the previous new technology obsolete. And when inventions become vital to the economy, they are frequently brought under the control of governments via regulation, nationalization and, in extreme cases, expropriation.
Take the Erie Canal, which was completed in 1825. Its success led to the great American canal boom of the 1830s. It ended just a few years later in a tremendous failure, as most of the other canals failed to make money. The Erie, too, began to suffer from competition, first from railroads and, eventually, from trucks. In the end, the railroad industry — which helped create an unprecedented industrial boom — proved to be disastrous for most investors. By 1895, most U. S. railroads had to be restructured.
Now familiar technologies like cars, radios, cash registers and mainframe computers were all at some point new and revolutionary. But the spread of the technologies led inevitably to the demise of their creators’ “excessive” profits, as each became just another commodity. Don’t think for a minute that the Internet will be any different.
62. It is implied in the passage that _______.
[A] the growth of the Internet business is too fast
[B] the spread of a new invention can make people live better
[C] most Internet companies are unlikely to be out of business
[D] some survived Internet companies can achieve some meaningful earnings
63. The current booming of Internet industry is compared to _______.
[A] ice in the Arctic
[B] sand in the desert
[C] seawater in the ocean
[D] a Klondike-style gold rush
64. One of the reasons why the inventions failed to deliver to investors the expected rewards is _______.
[A] the policies of the states
[B] the lacked innovations
[C] the commercialization of the invention
[D] the competition from other investors
65. The Erie Canal is mentioned in the passage because _______.
[A] it ended just a few years later in a tremendous failure
[B] it suffered from competition from railroads and trucks
[C] it proved to be less profitable than its investors expected
[D] its success led to the great American canal boom in the 1830s
66. The author’s attitude towards the future of Internet is _______.
[A] optimistic
[B] pessimistic
[C] objective
[D] indifferent
Part V Cloze (15 minutes) Directions: There are 20 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are four choices marked [A], [B], [C] and [D] on the right side of the paper. You should choose the ONE that best fits into the passage. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.
There are many superstitions in Britain, but one of the most 67 held is that it is unlucky to walk under a ladder — even if it means 68 off the pavement into a busy street! 69 you must pass under a ladder you can 70 bad luck by crossing your fingers and 71 them crossed until you have seen a dog. 72 , you may lick your finger and 73 a cross on the toe of your shoe, 67. [A] broadly [B] widely
[C] quickly [D] speedily
68. [A] running [B] jumping
[C] stepping [D] keeping
69. [A] If [B] Because
[C] Though [D] Unless
70. [A] erase [B] remove [C] avoid [D] ease。