2009年12月大学四级英语听力原文
2009年12月英语4级真题(带阅读译文及详细解析)
2009年12月大学英语四级考试真题及答案Part ⅠWriting (30 minutes)注意：此部分试题在答题卡1上。
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the topic of Creating a Green Campus. You should write at least 120 words following the outline given below:1. 建设绿色校园很重要2. 绿色校园不仅指绿色的环境……3. 为了建设绿色校园，我们应该……Creating a Green CampusPart ⅡReading 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 question 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.Colleges taking another look at value of merit-based aidGood grades and high tests scores still matter—a lot—to many colleges as they award financial aid.But with low-income students projected to make up an ever-larger share of the college-bound population in coming years, some schools are re-examining whether that aid, typically known as “merit aid”, is the most effective use of precious institutional dollars.George Washington University in Washington, D.C., for example, said last week that it would cut the value of its average merit scholarships by about one-third and reduce the number of recipients(接受者), pouring the savings, about $2.5 million, into need-based aid. Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa., made a similar decision three years ago.Now, Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., says it will phase out merit scholarships altogether. No current merit-aid recipients will lose their scholarships, but need-based aid alone will be awarded beginning with students entering in fall 2008.Not all colleges offer merit aid; generally, the more selective a school, the less likely it is to do so. Harvard and Princeton, for example, offer generous need-based packages, but many families who don’t meet need eligibility(资格)have been willing to pay whatever they must for a big-name school.For small regional colleges that struggle just to fill seats, merit aid can be an important revenue-builder because many recipients still pay enough tuition dollars over and above the scholarship amount to keep the institution running.But for rankings-conscious schools in between, merit aid has served primarily as a tool to recruit top students and to improve their academic profits. “They’re trying to buy students,”says Skidmore College economist Sandy Baum.Studies show merit aid also tends to benefit disproportionately students who could afford to enroll without it.“As we look to the future, we see a more pressing need to invest in need-based aid,”says Monica Inzer, dean of admission and financial aid at Hamilton, which has offered merit scholarships for 10 years. During that time, it rose in US News & World Repor t’s ranking of the best liberal arts colleges, from 25 to 17.Merit aid, which benefited about 75 students a year, or about 4% of its student body, at a cost of about $ 1 million a year, “served us well,”Inzer says, but “to be discounting the price for families that don’t need financial aid doesn’t feel right any more.”Need-based aid remains by far the largest share of all student aid, which includes state, federal and institutional grants. But merit aid, offered primarily by schools and states, is growing faster, both overall and at the institutional level.Between 1995-96 and 2003-04, institutional merit aid alone increased 212%, compared with 47% for need-based grants. At least 15 states also offer merit aid, typically in a bid to enroll top students in the state’s public institutions.But in recent years, a growing chorus(异口同声)of critics has begun pressuring schools to drop the practice. Recent decisions by Hamilton and others may be “a sign that people are starting to realize that there’s this destructive competition going on,”says Baum, co-author of a recent College Report that raises concerns about the role of institutional aid not based on need.David Laird, president of the Minnesota Private College Council, says many of his schools would like to reduce their merit aid but fear that in doing so, they would lose top students to their competitors.“No one can take one-sided action,”says Laird, who is exploring whether to seek an exemption(豁免)from federal anti-trust laws so member colleges can discuss how they could jointly reduce merit aid, “This is a merry-go-round that’s going very fast, and none of the institutions believe they can sustain the risks of trying to break away by themselves.”A complicating factor is that merit aid has become so popular with middle-income families, who don’t qualify for need-based aid, that many have come to depend on it. And, as tuitions continue to increase, the line between merit and need blurs.That’s one reason Allegheny College doesn’t plan to drop merit aid entirely.“We still believe in rewarding superior achievements and know that these top students truly value the scholarship,”says Scott Friedhoff, Allegheny’s vice president for enrollment.Emory University in Atlanta, which boasts a $4.7 billion endowment(捐赠), meanwhile, is taking another approach. This year, it announced it would eliminate loans for needy students and cap them for middle-income families. At the same time, it would expand its 28-year-old merit program.“Yeah, we’re playing the merit game,”acknowledges Tom Lancaster, associate dean for undergraduate education. But it has its strong point, too, he says. “The fact of the matter is, it’s not just about the lowest-income people. It’s the average American middle-class family who’s being priced out of the market.”*A few words about merit-based aid:Merit-based aid is aid offered to students who achieve excellence in a given area, and is generally known as academic, athletic and artistic merit scholarships.Academic merit scholarships are based on students’grades, GPA and overall academic performance during high school. They are typically meant for students going straight to college right after high school. However, there are scholarships for current college students with exceptional grades as well. These merit scholarships usually help students pay tuition bills, and they can be renewed each year as long as the recipients continue to qualify. In some cases, students may need to be recommended by their school or a teacher as part of the qualification process.Athletic merit scholarships are meant for students that excel(突出)in sports of any kind, from football to track and field events. Recommendation for these scholarships is required, since exceptional athletic performance has to be recognized by a coach or a referee(裁判). Applicants need to send in a tape containing their best performance.Artistic merit scholarships require that applicants excel in a given artistic area. This generally includes any creative field such as art, design, fashion, music, dance or writing. Applying for artistic merit scholarships usually requires that students submit a portfolio(选辑)of some sort, whether that includes a collection of artwork, a recording of a musical performance or a video of them dancing.1. With more and more low-income students pursuing higher education, a number of colleges are ________.A) offering students more merit-based aid B) revising their financial aid policiesC) increasing the amount of financial aid D) changing their admission processes2. What did Allegheny College in Meadville do three years ago?A) It tried to implement a novel financial aid program.B) It added $ 2.5 million to its need-based aid program.C) It phased out its merit-based scholarships altogether.D) It cuts its merit-based aid to help the needy students.3. The chief purpose of rankings-conscious colleges in offering merit aid is to ______.A) improve teaching quality B) boost their enrollmentsC) attract good students D) increase their revenues4. Monica Inzer, dean of admission and financial aid at Hamilton, believes ______.A) it doesn’t pay to spend $ 1 million a year to raise its rankingB) it gives students motivation to award academic achievementsC) it’s illogical to use so much money on only 4% of its studentsD) it’s not right to give aid to those who can afford the tuition5. In recent years, merit-based aid has increased much faster than need-based aid due to ______.A) more government funding to colleges B) fierce competition among institutionsC) the increasing number of top students D) schools’improved financial situations6. What is the attitude of many private colleges toward merit aid, according to David Laird?A) They would like to see it reduced.B) They regard it as a necessary evil.C) They think it does more harm than good.D) They consider it unfair to middle-class families.7. Why doesn’t Allegheny College plan to drop merit aid entirely?A) Raising tuitions have made college unaffordable for middle-class families.B) With rising incomes, fewer students are applying for need-based aid.C) Many students from middle-income families have come to rely on it.D) Rising incomes have disqualified many students for need-based aid.8. Annual renewal of academic merit scholarships depends on whether the recipients remain ______.9. Applicants for athletic merit scholarships need a recommendation from a coach or a referee who ______ their exceptional athletic performance.10. Applicants for artistic merit scholarships must produce evidence to show their ______ ina particular artistic fieldPart ⅢListening Comprehension (35 minutes)Section ADirections: 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 the best answer is. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Questions 11 to 18 are based on the conversation you have just heard.11. A) Get some small change. B) Find a shopping center.C) Cash a check at a bank. D) Find a parking meter.12. A) Shopping with his son. B) Buying a gift for a child.C) Promoting a new product. D) Bargaining with a salesgirl.13. A) Taking photographs. B) Enhancing images.C) Mending cameras. D) Painting pictures.14. A) He moved to Baltimore when he was young.B) He can provide little useful information.C) He will show the woman around Baltimore.D) He will ask someone else to help the woman.15. A) He is rather disappointed. B) He is highly ambitious.C) He can’t face up to the situation D) He knows his own limitation.16. A) She must have paid a lot B) She is known to have a terrific figure.C) Her gym exercise has yielded good results.D) Her effort to keep fit is really praiseworthy.17. A) Female students are unfit for studying physics.B) He can serve as the woman’s tutor.C) Physics is an important course at school.D) The professor’s suggestion is constructive.18. A) Indifferent. B) Doubtful. C) Pleased. D) Surprised.Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19. A) He prefers the smaller evening classes. B) He has signed up for a day course.C) He has to work during the day. D) He finds the evening course cheaper.20. A) Learn a computer language. B) Learn data processing.C) Buy some computer software. D) Buy a few coursebooks.21. A) Thursday evening, from 7:00 to 9:45. B) From September 1 to New Year’s eve.C) Every Monday, lasting for 12 weeks. D) Three hours a week, 45 hours in total.22. A) What to bring for registration. B) Where to attend the class.C) How he can get to Frost Hall. D) Whether he can use a check.Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.23. A) A training coach. B) A trading adviser.C) A professional manager. D) A financial trader.24. A) He can save on living expenses. B) He considers cooking creative.C) He can enjoy healthier food. D) He thinks take-away is tasteless.25. A) It is something inevitable.B) It is frustrating sometimes.C) It takes patience to manage. D) It can be a good thing.Section BDirections: 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 OneQuestions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard.26. A) There were no planets without moons. B) There was no air or water on Jupiter.C) Life was not possible in outer space. D) The mystery of life could not be resolved.27. A) It has a number of active volcanoes. B) It has an atmosphere like the earth’s.C) It has a large ocean under its surface. D) It has deep caves several miles long.28. A) Light is not an essential element to it. B) Life can form in very hot temperatures.C) Every form of life undergoes evolution. D) Oxygen is not needed for some life forms. Passage TwoQuestions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard.29. A) Whether they should take the child home.B) What Dr. Mayer’s instructions exactly were.C) Who should take care of the child at home.D) When the child would completely recover.30. A) She encourages them to ask questions when in doubt.B) She makes them write down all her instructions.C) She has them act out what they are to do at home.D) She asks them to repeat what they are supposed to do.31. A) It lacks the stability of the printed word. B) It contains many grammatical errors.C) It is heavily dependent on the context. D) It facilitates interpePassage ThreeQuestions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.32. A) Job security. B) Good labour relations.C) Challenging work. D) Attractive wages and benefits.33. A) Many tedious jobs continue to be done manually.B) More and more unskilled workers will lose jobs.C) Computers will change the nature of many jobs.D) Boring jobs will gradually be made enjoyable.34. A) Offer them chances of promotion.B) Improve their working conditions.C) Encourage them to compete with each other.D) Give them responsibilities as part of a team.35. A) They will not bring real benefits to the staff.B) They concern a small number of people only.C) They are arbitrarily set by the administrators.D) They are beyond the control of ordinary workers.Section CDirections: 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.注意：此部分试题在答题卡2上。
2009年12月英语四级考试真题及答案
2009年12月大学英语四级考试真题及答案Part ⅠWriting (30 minutes)注意：此部分试题在答题卡1上。
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the topic of Creating a Green Campus. You should write at least 120 words following the outline given below:1. 建设绿色校园很重要2. 绿色校园不仅指绿色的环境……3. 为了建设绿色校园，我们应该……Creating a Green CampusPart ⅡReading 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 question 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.Colleges taking another look at value of merit-based aidGood grades and high tests scores still matter—a lot—to many colleges as they award financial aid.But with low-income students projected to make up an ever-larger share of the college-bound population in coming years, some schools are re-examining whether that aid, typically known as “merit aid”, is the most effective use of precious institutional dollars.George Washington University in Washington, D.C., for example, said last week that it would cut the value of its average merit scholarships by about one-third and reduce the number of recipients(接受者), pouring the savings, about $2.5 million, into need-based aid. Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa., made a similar decision three years ago.Now, Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., says it will phase out merit scholarships altogether. No current merit-aid recipients will lose their scholarships, but need-based aid alone will be awarded beginning with students entering in fall 2008.Not all colleges offer merit aid; generally, the more selective a school, the less likely it is to do so. Harvard and Princeton, for example, offer generous need-based packages, but many families who don’t meet need eligibility(资格)have been willing to pay whatever they must for a big-name school.For small regional colleges that struggle just to fill seats, merit aid can be an important revenue-builder because many recipients still pay enough tuition dollars over and above the scholarship amount to keep the institution running.But for rankings-conscious schools in between, merit aid has served primarily as a tool to recruit top students and to improve their academic profits. “They’re trying to buy students,”says Skidmore College economist Sandy Baum.Studies show merit aid also tends to benefit disproportionately students who could afford to enroll without it.“As we look to the future, we see a more pressing need to invest in need-based aid,”says Monica Inzer, dean of admission and financial aid at Hamilton, which has offered merit scholarships for 10 years. During that time, it rose in US News & World Repor t’s ranking of the best liberal arts colleges, from 25 to 17.Merit aid, which benefited about 75 students a year, or about 4% of its student body, at a cost of about $ 1 million a year, “served us well,”Inzer says, but “to be discounting the price for families that don’t need financial aid doesn’t feel right any more.”Need-based aid remains by far the largest share of all student aid, which includes state, federal and institutional grants. But merit aid, offered primarily by schools and states, is growing faster, both overall and at the institutional level.Between 1995-96 and 2003-04, institutional merit aid alone increased 212%, compared with 47% for need-based grants. At least 15 states also offer merit aid, typically in a bid to enroll top students in the state’s public institutions.But in recent years, a growing chorus(异口同声)of critics has begun pressuring schools to drop the practice. Recent decisions by Hamilton and others may be “a sign that people are starting to realize that there’s this destructive competition going on,”says Baum, co-author of a recent College Report that raises concerns about the role of institutional aid not based on need.David Laird, president of the Minnesota Private College Council, says many of his schools would like to reduce their merit aid but fear that in doing so, they would lose top students to their competitors.“No one can take one-sided action,”says Laird, who is exploring whether to seek an exemption(豁免)from federal anti-trust laws so member colleges can discuss how they could jointly reduce merit aid, “This is a merry-go-round that’s going very fast, and none of the institutions believe they can sustain the risks of trying to break away by themselves.”A complicating factor is that merit aid has become so popular with middle-income families, who don’t qualify for need-based aid, that many have come to depend on it. And, as tuitions continue to increase, the line between merit and need blurs.That’s one reason Allegheny College doesn’t plan to drop merit aid entirely.“We still believe in rewarding superior achievements and know that these top students truly value the scholarship,”says Scott Friedhoff, Allegheny’s vice president for enrollment.Emory University in Atlanta, which boasts a $4.7 billion endowment(捐赠), meanwhile, is taking another approach. This year, it announced it would eliminate loans for needy students and cap them for middle-income families. At the same time, it would expand its 28-year-old merit program.“Yeah, we’re playing the merit game,”acknowledges Tom Lancaster, associate dean for undergraduate education. But it has its strong point, too, he says. “The fact of the matter is, it’s not just about the lowest-income people. It’s the average American middle-class family who’s being priced out of the market.”*A few words about merit-based aid:Merit-based aid is aid offered to students who achieve excellence in a given area, and is generally known as academic, athletic and artistic merit scholarships.Academic merit scholarships are based on students’grades, GPA and overall academic performance during high school. They are typically meant for students going straight to college right after high school. However, there are scholarships for current college students with exceptional grades as well. These merit scholarships usually help students pay tuition bills, and they can be renewed each year as long as the recipients continue to qualify. In some cases, students may need to be recommended by their school or a teacher as part of the qualification process.。
2009年12月大学英语四级考试真题及答案详解
But with low-income students projected to make up an ever-larger share of the college-bound population in coming years, some schools are re-examining whether that aid, typically known as “merit aid”, is the most effective use of precious institutional dollars.
Not all colleges offer merit aid; generally, the more selective a school, the less likely it is to do so. Harvard and Princeton, for example, offer generous need-based packages, but many families who don’t meet need eligibility(资格)have been willing to pay whatever they must for a big-name school.
1. 建设绿色校园很重要
2. 绿色校园不仅指绿色的环境??
3. 为了建设绿色校园，我们应该??
Creating a Green Campus
Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes)
Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage uickly and answer the uestions on Answer Sheet 1. For uestions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). For uestion 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.
2009年英语专业四级考试听力原文
PART I DICTATIONNew Year’s EveFor many people in the west, New Year’s Eve is the biggest party of the year./ It’s time to get together with friends or family/ and welcome in the coming year./ New Year’s parties can take place in different places./ Some people hold a house party;/ others attend street parties,/ while some just go for a few drinks with their friends./ Big cities have large and spectacular fireworks displays./ There is one thing that all New Year’s Eve parties have in common--- the countdown to midnight./ When the clock strikes 12, people give a loud cheer and sing songs./ It’s also popular to make a promise in the New Year./ This is called a New Year’s resolution./ Typical resolutions include giving up smoking and keeping fit./ However, the promise is often broken quite quickly/ and people are back into their bad habits within weeks or days.PART II LISTENING COMPREHENSIONSETION A CONVERSATIONSConversation OneW: Hi, Mark. How are you?M: Actually, I am really fed up, Linda. It’s Jane (Q1).W: Jane? Who’s Jane?M: No, nobody really. Just a most stunningly attractive girl in my year school (Q1).W: Oh, is that all? So, what’s the problem?M: Well, the thing is I just don’t know how to make her notice me or….W: Wait a minute. I’ve got a brilliant idea. Why don’t you try talking to her?M: But I wouldn’t know what to say. I …W: Look, she is in your chemistry class, isn’t she? You are good at chemistry. You could offer to help her with her chemistry homework. How about that?M: Not that. Just one problem (Q3).W: What?M: She is better than me at chemistry.W: OK, then. W ell, there’s that party at John’s on Friday night. You could invite her.M: Just another small problem (Q3). John’s her boyfriend (Q2).Conversation TwoW: Yes. Can I help you?M: Yes. You see, I’ve bought this personal stereo at your shop three days ago. And I’m afraid it hasn’t really matche d up to what I was told about.W: I see. What exactly is the matter?M: Well, first of all, there’s this large scratch across the fron t of it (Q6).W: But you should have noticed that when you bought it (Q4).M: But it was in the box and all sealed up.W: Well, I’m sorry. But it really is your responsibility to check the goods when you buy them (Q4). How are we to know that it wasn’t y ou who made the scratch?M: But t hat’s ridiculous. But anyway, it’s not the most important thing. I really am not happy about this other thing (Q6).W: And what is that?M: Look, it says here that the noise from it should undetectable by other people.W: Y es, that’s right.M: But people can hear it, a nd it’s really embarrassing on the bus and the underground.W: Well, I’m sorry, but it must be the way you are wearing the headphones.M: Look, I know how to put earphones in my ears. Thank you very much (Q5). But what I want to know is what you are going to do about it at all.W: Well, I suppose we could exchange it for another model, if you really aren’t happy with it.M: No, I certainly am not.W: Well, if I could just have the receipt (Q7).M: Oh yes. Well, there is a slight problem about the receipt.Conversation ThreeW: Hello. Happy Time Catering Services. Victoria’s speaking. How can I help you?M: Hello, Victoria. This is Joe Smith from Country Holidays. I wonder if you could do some catering for us next week (Q9). We’re having a small reception (Q8). It’s to launch our summer holiday advertising campaign. Will you be free?W: When exactly is it, Mr. Smith?M: Apr.21st, t hat’s Thursday. Oh, sorry, no. It should be Friday (Q9).W: Oh, yes, I can do that. Where will you be holding it?M: We thought we’d have that at head office and use the conference room, because there is enough room for every one there.W: Ok. What sort of things would you like?M: Just a light lunch, I think, so that people can eat while they move around and talk to each other. You did something similar for us last year. We’d be happy to have the same menu again (Q10). W: Right. I’ll look at my diary and see what you had last time. Oh, I nearly forgot to ask you. How many should I cater for?M: Well, I think most people will be able to come, perhaps around 30. No, let’s say 35 to be sure. W: Right. Thank you for getting in touch, Mr. Smith. I’ll send you confirmation of the arrangements by the end of this week.M: OK.Section B P ASSAGESPassage AFor shopaholics, the post-Christmas period means only one thing —sales! Across the country, prices are slashed on clothing, electronics, home furnishings and more. But London is the place for serious shopping, and you can certainly pick up some amazing bargains (Q11). The sales start on Boxing Day — 26th December, and continue for the month of January, but the keenest bargain hunters get there early to be first through the doors. In Oxford Street, queues formed outside shops ahead of predawn openings for the start of the sales. At Brent Cross in north London, more than 1,000 people were queuing at 3:30 a.m. for the “n ext” clothing store’s sale which began at 4 a.m. Some people even camped outside the shops to be the first in line (Q12). Some people are taking their friends shopping with them and buying their Christmas presents in the sales (Q13A)— a practical but an unromantic way of making sure you get the gift you really want. For a less exciting but less stressful shopping experience, online retailers are also getting in on the actwith January sales of their own (Q13B). The most organized of all are those who are already doing their present shopping for next Christmas (Q13C), in the January sales!Passage BBallroom dancing used to be seen as something rather unfashionable that old people might do (Q14). For the past five years though, the popularity of ballroom dancing has soared thanks to a reality TV show (Q15). “Strictly Come Dancing” is one of the big TV shows. Millions of people tune in every Saturday night to watch the show, which airs from September right up to Christmas (Q16D). In the show, a number of professional ballroom dancers each dance with a celebrity (Q16B). Every week they have to learn a different ballroom dance and perform it live on TV on Saturday night (Q16C). The show demonstrates how glamorous ballroom dancing is. The celebrities get to wear colourful dresses and suits to dance in (Q16A), and it looks like a lot of fun. The TV programme also shows what good exercise it can be to ballroom dance and what hard work is involved in learning the dances and performing them properly.Dance schools around the country have seen a boost in the number of people wanting to learn how to da nce. And it’s not only old people who’re intereste d. Lots of children and young people in their twenties are keen to learn (Q17).Passage CRecently a couple in New Zealand were forbidden from naming their baby son 4Real. Even though New Zealand has quite liberal rules about naming children, names beginning with a number are not allowed (Q18). They decided to call him Superman instead.In many countries around the world, unusual names for children are becoming more popular, especially since the increasing trend for celebrities to give their children unusual names. Some parents choose names which come from popular culture (Q19). For example, there have been six boys named Gandalf after the character in the Lord of the Rings novels and films. Equally, names related to sports are fairly common (Q19). Since 1984, 36 children have been called Arsenal after the football team. Other parents like to make up names or combine names to make their own unique version (Q19), a method demonstrated by Jordan, the British model, who recently invented the name Theaamy for her daughter by combining the names Thea and Amy (the two grandmothers). She was quoted as saying that the accent and double letters were added to make the name “more exotic”.Other countries have much stricter rules when it comes to naming children. Countries including Japan, Denmark, Spain, Germany and Argentina have an approved list of names from which parents must choose (Q20).Section C NEWS BROADCASTNews Item 1 (For Questions 21 to 23)11 fishing boat crew who had been stranded since October in a r emote part of Russia’s Far East have been rescued after sheltering nearly three months at an abandoned military base. The eight men and three women took refuge at the base after their small boats collided on Oct. 10 (Q21). Their attempts to fix one of the boats did not succeed and they had to remain at the abandoned base where there were only flour and cooking fat (Q22). Other supplies at the base, which was abandoned in 2003, included Christmas ornaments, and the crew members put them upon a small tree inside their quarters. But supplies began running low and early this week, five set off on foot across snow fields. On Friday, after four days of trudging, they reached a working military radio station. The center called rescuers, and helicopters were sent to take the 11 to the regional capital (Q23).News Item 2 (For Questions 24 and 25)Spain’s King Juan Carlos, with 32 years on the throne (Q24), turns 70 Saturday. But after years of undeniable adulation among Spaniards for putting down an attempted coup i n 1981, he’s recently faced more difficult times. Small groups of leftists have burned his photo, and fiery criticism has also come from the right with one leading conservative radio host calling for him to step down. Juan Carlos fired back with a rare pub lic defense of his reign in a recent speech. “It’s been the longest period of stability and prosperity in Spain ever in a parliamentary monarchy,” the king said (Q25).News Item 3 (For Questions 26 and 27)It goes against religious taboos in Iraq to involve women in fighting, but three recent suicide bombings carried out by women could indicate insurgents are growing increasingly desperate. On Nov. 4 (Q26), a woman detonated an explosives vest next to a US patrol in Diyala’s regional capital, Baqouba, 35 miles northeast of Baghdad, wounding seven US troops and five Iraqis (Q27). On Dec. 7 (Q26), a woman attacked the offices of a Diyala-based Sunni group fighting al-Qaida in Iraq, killing 15 people and wounding 35 (Q27). Then, on Dec. 31 (Q26), a bomber in Baqouba detonated her suicide vest close to a police patrol, wounding five policemen and four civilians (Q27).News Item 4 (For Questions 28 to 30)Chinese government is poised to conduct its first national survey of pollution sources in February to help control environmental deterioration in the country (Q28). The study will identify and collect data on sources of industrial, agricultural and residential pollution for two months. Last year, China’s environment was facing a grave situation, with several maj or rivers and lakes clogged by industrial waste. China’s environmental cleanup is compromised by more than two decades of rapid economic growth, and a lack of technology especially (Q29). Every province, autonomous region and municipality has set up a census office and will report to a main center staffed by officials from government departments (Q30). Data will be reviewed multiple times before being put into a database and will be analyzed in the second half of 2008. Findings will be examined and approved by mid-2009.。
1.2009年12月四级听力passage原文
2009年12月四级听力Passage 原文Passage 1Since early times, people have been fascinated with the idea of life existing somewhere else besides earth. Until recently, scientists believe that life on other planets was just a hopeful dream. But now they are beginning to locate places where life could form. In 1997, they saw evidence of planets near other stars like the sun. But scientists now think that life could be even nearer in our own solar system. One place scientists are studying very closely is Europa, a moon of Jupiter. Space probes have provided evidence that Europa has a large ocean under its surface. The probes have also made scientists think that under its surface Europa has a rocky core giving off volcanic heat. Water and heat from volcanic activity are two basic conditions needed for life to form. A third is certain basic chemicals such as carbon, oxygen and nitrogen. Scientists believe there might be such chemicals lying at the bottom of Europa’s ocean. They may have already created life or may be about to. Y ou may wonder if light is also needed for life to form. Until recently, scientists thought that light was essential. But now, places have been found on earth that are in total blackness such as caves several miles beneath the surface. And bacteria, primitive forms of life, have been seen there. So the lack of light in Europa’s sub-surface ocean doesn’t automatically rule out life forming.Questions26 to 2826. What did scientists once believe according to the passage?27. What have scientists found about Europa, a moon of Jupiter?28. What have scientists come to know recently about formation of life?Passage 2In her early days as an emergency room physician, Doctor Joanna Myer treated a child who had suffered a second degree burn. After the child had been treated and was being prepared for discharge, Doctor Myer talked to the parents about how they should care for the child at home. Also listening to her were a half a dozen other family members. A few hours later, when she came to say goodbye, the family asked her to settle an argument they’d been having over exactly what advice she had given. “As I talked to them, I was amazed.” she said, ”All of them had heard the simple instructions I have given just a few hours before, but they have three or four different versions. The most basic details were unclear and confusing. I was surprised, because these were intelligent people.” This episode gave Doctor Myer her first clue to something every doctor learns sooner or later- most people just don’t li sten very well. Nowadays, she says she repeats her instructions, and even conducts a reality check with some patients. She asks them to tell her what they think they are supposed to do. She also provides take-home sheets which are computer printouts tailor ed to the patients’ situation. Doc. Myer’s listeners are not unusual. When new or difficult material is presented, almost all listeners are faced with the challenge because human speech lacks the stability and permanence of the printed word. Oral communication is fast-moving and impermanent.Question 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard：29. What did the child’s family members argue about in the hospital?30. What did Doc. Myer do to insure her patients understand her instructions?31. What does the speaker say about human speech?Passage 3It’s logical to suppose that things like good labor relations, good working conditions, good wages and benefits and job security motivate workers, but one expert, Fredrick Herzberg argued that such conditions do not motivate workers. They are merely satisfiers. Motivators, in contrast, include things such as having a challenging and interesting job, recognition and responsibility. However, even with the development of computers and robotics, there’re always plenty of boring, repetitive and mechanical jobs and lots of unskilled people who have to do them. So how do mangers motivate people in such jobs? One solution is to give them some responsibilities, not as individuals, but as a part of a team. For example, some supermarkets can buy office stuff to people who fill the shelves, and the people who work at the check out into a team, and let them decide what product lines to stock, how to display them and so on. Many people now talk about the importance of a company’s shared values or culture with which all the staff can identify, for example, being the best hotel chain, or making the best, the most user-friendly or the most reliable products in a particular field. Such values are more likely to motivate workers than financial targets which automatically only concern a few people. Unfortunately, there’s only a limited number of such goals to go around and by definition, not all the competing companies in that industry can seriously plan to be the best.Questions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.Q32: What can actually motivate workers according to Fredrick Herzberg?Q33: What does the speaker say about jobs in the computer era?Q34: What do some supermarkets do to motivate their employees?Q35: Why does the speaker say financial targets are less likely to motivate workers?。
2009年12月大学英语四级考试真题及参考答案听力试题无
2009年12月大学英语四级考试试题Part Ⅰ Writing (30 minutes)注意：此部分试题在答题卡1上。
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the topic ofCreating a Green Campus. You should write at least 120 words following the outline given below:1. 建设绿色校园很重要2. 绿色校园不仅指绿色的环境……3. 为了建设绿色校园，我们应该……Creating a Green CampusPart Ⅱ Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes)二、快速阅读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 question 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.Colleges taking another look at value of merit-based aidGood grades and high tests scores still matter—a lot—to many colleges as they award financial aid.But with low-income students projected to make up an ever-larger share of the college-bound population in coming years, some schools are re-exa mining whether that aid, typically known as “merit aid”, is the most effective use of precious institutional dollars.George Washington University in Washington, D.C., for example, said last week that it would cut the value of its average merit scholarships by about one-third and reduce the number of recipients(接受者), pouring the savings, about $2.5 million, into need-based aid. Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa., made a similar decision three years ago.Now, Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., says it will phase out merit scholarships altogether. No current merit-aid recipients will lose their scholarships, but need-based aid alone will be awarded beginning with students entering in fall 2008.Not all colleges offer merit aid; generally, the more selective a school, the less likely it is to do so. Harvard and Princeton, for example, offer generous need-based packages, but many families who don’t meet need eligibility(资格)have been willing to pay whatever they must for a big-name school.For small regional colleges that struggle just to fill seats, merit aid can be an important revenue-builder because many recipients still pay enough tuition dollars over and above the scholarship amount to keep the institution running.But for rankings-conscious schools in between, merit aid has served primarily as a tool to recruit top students and to improve their academic profits. “They’re trying to buy students,” says Skidmore College economist Sandy Baum.Studies show merit aid also tends to benefit disproportionately students who could afford to enroll without it.“As we look to the future, we see a more pressing need to invest in need-based aid,” says Monica Inzer, dean of admission and financial aid at Hamilton, which has offered merit scholarships for 10 years. During that time, it rose in US News & World Report’s ranking of the best liberal arts colleges, from 25 to 17.Merit aid, which benefited about 75 students a year, or about 4% of its student body, at a cost of about $ 1 million a year, “served us well,” Inzer says, but “to be discounting the price for families that don’t need financial aid doesn’t feel right any more.”Need-based aid remains by far the largest share of all student aid, which includes state, federal andinstitutional grants. But merit aid, offered primarily by schools and states, is growing faster, both overall and at the institutional level.Between 1995-96 and 2003-04, institutional merit aid alone increased 212%, compared with 47% for need-based grants. At least 15 states also offer merit aid, typically in a bid to enroll top students in the state’s public institutions.But in recent years, a growing chorus(异口同声)of critics has begun pressuring schools to drop the practice. Recent decisions by Hamilton and others may be “a sign that people are starting to realize that there’s this destructive competition going on,” says Baum, co-author of a recent College Report that raises concerns about the role of institutional aid not based on need.David Laird, president of the Minnesota Private College Council, says many of his schools would like to reduce their merit aid but fear that in doing so, they would lose top students to their competitors.“No one can take one-sided action,” says Laird, who is exploring whether to seek an exemp tion(豁免)from federal anti-trust laws so member colleges can discuss how they could jointly reduce merit aid, “This is a merry-go-round that’s going very fast, and none of the institutions believe they can sustain the risks of trying to break away by themse lves.”A complicating factor is that merit aid has become so popular with middle-income families, who don’t qualify for need-based aid, that many have come to depend on it. And, as tuitions continue to increase, the line between merit and need blurs.T hat’s one reason Allegheny College doesn’t plan to drop merit aid entirely.“We still believe in rewarding superior achievements and know that these top students truly value the scholarship,” says Scott Friedhoff, Allegheny’s vice president for enrollmen t.Emory University in Atlanta, which boasts a $4.7 billion endowment(捐赠), meanwhile, is taking another approach. This year, it announced it would eliminate loans for needy students and cap them for middle-income families. At the same time, it would expand its 28-year-old merit program.“Yeah, we’re playing the merit game,” acknowledges Tom Lancaster, associate dean for undergraduate education. But it has its strong point, too, he says. “The fact of the matter is, it’s not just about the lowest-income p eople. It’s the average American middle-class family who’s being priced out of the market.”*A few words about merit-based aid:Merit-based aid is aid offered to students who achieve excellence in a given area, and is generally known as academic, athletic and artistic merit scholarships.Academic merit scholarships are based on students’ grades, GPA and overall academic performance during high school. They are typically meant for students going straight to college right after high school. However, there are scholarships for current college students with exceptional grades as well. These merit scholarships usually help students pay tuition bills, and they can be renewed each year as long as the recipients continue to qualify. In some cases, students may need to be recommended by their school or a teacher as part of the qualification process.Athletic merit scholarships are meant for students that excel(突出)in sports of any kind, from football to track and field events. Recommendation for these scholarships is required, since exceptional athletic performance has to be recognized by a coach or a referee(裁判). Applicants need to send in a tape containing their best performance.Artistic merit scholarships require that applicants excel in a given artistic area. This generally includes any creative field such as art, design, fashion, music, dance or writing. Applying for artistic merit scholarships usually requires that students submit a portfolio(选辑)of some sort, whether that includes a collection of artwork,a recording of a musical performance or a video of them dancing.1. With more and more low-income students pursuing higher education, a number of colleges are ________.- 2 -A) offering students more merit-based aid B) revising their financial aid policiesC) increasing the amount of financial aid D) changing their admission processes2. What did Allegheny College in Meadville do three years ago?A) It tried to implement a novel financial aid program.B) It added $ 2.5 million to its need-based aid program.C) It phased out its merit-based scholarships altogether.D) It cuts its merit-based aid to help the needy students.3. The chief purpose of rankings-conscious colleges in offering merit aid is to ______.A) improve teaching quality B) boost their enrollmentsC) attract good students D) increase their revenues4. Monica Inzer, dean of admission and financial aid at Hamilton, believes ______.A) it doesn’t pay to spend $ 1 million a year to raise its rankingB) it gives students motivation to award academic achievementsC) it’s illogical to use so much money on only 4% of its studentsD) it’s not right to give aid to those who can afford the tuition5. In recent years, merit-based aid has increased much faster than need-based aid due to ______.A) more government funding to colleges B) fierce competition among institutionsC) the increasing number of top students D) schools’ improved financial situations6. What is the attitude of many private colleges toward merit aid, according to David Laird?A) They would like to see it reduced.B) They regard it as a necessary evil.C) They think it does more harm than good.D) They consider it unfair to middle-class families.7. Why doesn’t Allegheny College plan to drop me rit aid entirely?A) Raising tuitions have made college unaffordable for middle-class families.B) With rising incomes, fewer students are applying for need-based aid.C) Many students from middle-income families have come to rely on it.D) Rising incomes have disqualified many students for need-based aid.8. Annual renewal of academic merit scholarships depends on whether the recipients remain ______.9. Applicants for athletic merit scholarships need a recommendation from a coach or a referee who ______ their exceptional athletic performance.10. Applicants for artistic merit scholarships must produce evidence to show their ______ in a particular artistic field第二部分听力，见听力原稿Part Ⅳ Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth) (25 minutes)Section ADirections: 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.In families with two working parents, fathers may have more impact on a child’s language development than mothers, a new study suggests.Researchers 47 92 families form 11 child care centers before their children were a year old, interviewing each to establish income, level of education and child care arrangements. Overall, it was a group of- 3 -well-class families, with married parents both living in the home.When the children were 2, researchers videotaped them at home in free-play sessions with both parents, 48 all of their speech. The study will appear in the November issue of The Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology.The scientists measured the 49 number of utterance (话语) of the parents, the number of different words they used, the complexity of their sentences and other 50 of their speech. On average, fathers spoke less than mothers did, but they did not differ in the length of utterances or proportion of questions asked.Finally, the researchers 51 the children’s speech at age 3, using a standardized language test. The only predictors of high scores on the test were the mother’s level of education, the 52 of child care and the number of different words the father used.The researchers are 53 why the father’s speech, and not the mother’s, had an effect.“It’s well 54 that the mother’s language does have an impact,” said Nadya Pancsofar, the lead author of the study. It could be that the high-functioning mothers in the study had 55 had a strong influence on their child ren’s speech development, Ms. Pancsofar said, “or it may be that mothers are 56 in a way we didn’t measure in the study.”注意：此部分试题在答题卡1上。
2009年12月大学英语四级真题及详细参考答案
2009年12月大学英语四级考试真题及答案Part ⅠWriting (30 minutes)注意：此部分试题在答题卡1上。
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the topic of Creating a Green Campus. You should write at least 120 words following the outline given below:1. 建设绿色校园很重要2. 绿色校园不仅指绿色的环境……3. 为了建设绿色校园，我们应该……Creating a Green CampusColleges taking another look at value of merit-based aid Good grades and high tests scores still matter—a lot—to many colleges as they award financial aid.But with low-income students projected to make up an ever-larger share of the college-bound population in coming years, some schools are re-examining whether that aid, typically known as “merit aid”, is the most effective use of precious institutional dollars.George Washington University in Washington, D.C., for example, said last week that it would cut the value of its average merit scholarships by about one-third and reduce the number of recipients(接受者), pouring the savings, about $2.5 million, into need-based aid. Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa., made a similar decision three years ago.Now, Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., says it will phase out merit scholarships altogether. No current merit-aid recipients will lose their scholarships, but need-based aid alone will be awarded beginning with students entering in fall 2008.Not all colleges offer merit aid; generally, the more selective a school, the less likely it is to do so. Harvard and Princeton, for example, offer generous need-based packages, but many families who don’t meet need eligibility(资格)have been willing to pay whatever they must for a big-name school.For small regional colleges that struggle just to fill seats, merit aid can be an important revenue-builder because many recipients still pay enough tuition dollars over and above the scholarship amount to keep the institution running.But for rankings-conscious schools in between, merit aid has served primarily as a tool to recruit top students and to improve their academic profits. “They’re trying to buy students,” says Skidmore College economist Sandy Baum.Studies show merit aid also tends to benefit disproportionately students who could afford to enroll without it.“As we look to the future, we see a more pressing need to invest in need-based aid,”says Monica Inzer, dean of admission and financial aid at Hamilton, which has offered merit scholarships for 10 years. During that time, it rose in US News & World Report’s ranking of thebest liberal arts colleges, from 25 to 17.Merit aid, which benefited about 75 students a year, or about 4% of its student body, at a cost of about $ 1 million a year, “served us well,”Inzer says, but “to be discounting the price for families that don’t need financial aid doesn’t feel right any more.”Need-based aid remains by far the largest share of all student aid, which includes state, federal and institutional grants. But merit aid, offered primarily by schools and states, is growing faster, both overall and at the institutional level.Between 1995-96 and 2003-04, institutional merit aid alone increased 212%, compared with 47% for need-based grants. At least 15 states also offer merit aid, typically in a bid to enroll top students in the state’s public institutions.But in recent years, a growing chorus(异口同声)of critics has begun pressuring schools to drop the practice. Recent decisions by Hamilton and others may be “a sign that people are starting to realize that there’s this destructive competition going on,”says Baum, co-author of a recent College Report that raises concerns about the role of institutional aid not based on need.David Laird, president of the Minnesota Private College Council, says many of his schools would like to reduce their merit aid but fear that in doing so, they would lose top students to their competitors.“No one can take one-sided action,”says Laird, who is exploring whether to seek an exemption(豁免)from federal anti-trust laws so member colleges can discuss how they could jointly reduce merit aid, “This is a merry-go-round that’s going very fast, and none of the institutions believe they can sustain the risks of trying to break away by themselves.”A complicating factor is that merit aid has become so popular with middle-income families, who don’t qualify for need-based aid, that many have come to depend on it. And, as tuitions continue to increase, the line between merit and need blurs.That’s one reason Allegheny College doesn’t plan to drop merit aid entirely.“We still believe in rewarding superior achievements and know that these top students truly value the scholarship,”says Scott Friedhoff, Allegheny’s vice president for enrollment.Emory University in Atlanta, which boasts a $4.7 billion endowment(捐赠), meanwhile, is taking another approach. This year, it announced it would eliminate loans for needy students and cap them for middle-income families. At the same time, it would expand its 28-year-old merit program.“Yeah, we’re playing the merit game,”acknowledges Tom Lancaster, associate dean for undergraduate education. But it has its strong point, too, he says. “The fact of the matter is, it’s not just about the lowest-income people. It’s the average American middle-class family who’s being priced out of the market.”*A few words about merit-based aid:Merit-based aid is aid offered to students who achieve excellence in a given area, and is generally known as academic, athletic and artistic merit scholarships.Academic merit scholarships are based on students’grades, GPA and overall academic performance during high school. They are typically meant for students going straight to college right after high school. However, there are scholarships for current college students with exceptional grades as well. These merit scholarships usually help students pay tuition bills, and they can be renewed each year as long as the recipients continue to qualify. In some cases, students may need to be recommended by their school or a teacher as part of the qualificationprocess.Athletic merit scholarships are meant for students that excel(突出)in sports of any kind, from football to track and field events. Recommendation for these scholarships is required, since exceptional athletic performance has to be recognized by a coach or a referee(裁判). Applicants need to send in a tape containing their best performance.Artistic merit scholarships require that applicants excel in a given artistic area. This generally includes any creative field such as art, design, fashion, music, dance or writing. Applying for artistic merit scholarships usually requires that students submit a portfolio(选辑)of some sort, whether that includes a collection of artwork, a recording of a musical performance or a video of them dancing.1. With more and more low-income students pursuing higher education, a number of colleges are ________.A) offering students more merit-based aidB) revising their financial aid policiesC) increasing the amount of financial aidD) changing their admission processes2. What did Allegheny College in Meadville do three years ago?A) It tried to implement a novel financial aid program.B) It added $ 2.5 million to its need-based aid program.C) It phased out its merit-based scholarships altogether.D) It cuts its merit-based aid to help the needy students.3. The chief purpose of rankings-conscious colleges in offering merit aid is to ______.A) improve teaching quality B) boost their enrollmentsC) attract good students D) increase their revenues4. Monica Inzer, dean of admission and financial aid at Hamilton, believes ______.A) it doesn’t pay to spend $ 1 million a year to raise its rankingB) it gives students motivation to award academic achievementsC) it’s illogical to use so much money on only 4% of its studentsD) it’s not right to give aid to those who can afford the tuition5. In recent years, merit-based aid has increased much faster than need-based aid due to ______.A) more government funding to collegesB) fierce competition among institutionsC) the increasing number of top studentsD) schools’ improved financial situations6. What is the attitude of many private colleges toward merit aid, according to David Laird?A) They would like to see it reduced.B) They regard it as a necessary evil.C) They think it does more harm than good.D) They consider it unfair to middle-class families.7. Why doesn’t Allegheny College plan to drop merit aid entirely?A) Raising tuitions have made college unaffordable for middle-class families.B) With rising incomes, fewer students are applying for need-based aid.C) Many students from middle-income families have come to rely on it.D) Rising incomes have disqualified many students for need-based aid.8. Annual renewal of academic merit scholarships depends on whether the recipients remain ______.9. Applicants for athletic merit scholarships need a recommendation from a coach or a referee who ______ their exceptional athletic performance.10. Applicants for artistic merit scholarships must produce evidence to show their ______ in a particular artistic fieldPart ⅣReading Comprehension (Reading in Depth) (25 minutes)Section AQuestions 47 to 56 are based on the following passage.In families with two working parents, fathers may have more impact on a child’s language development than mothers, a new study suggests.Researchers ___47___ 92 families form 11 child care centers before their children were a year old, interviewing each to establish income, level of education and child care arrangements. Overall, it was a group of well-class families, with married parents both living in the home.When the children were 2, researchers videotaped them at home in free-play sessions with both parents, ___48 all of their speech. The study will appear in the November issue of The Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology.The scientists measured the ___49___ number of utterance (话语) of the parents, the number of different words they used, the complexity of their sentences and other ___50___ of their speech. On average, fathers spoke less than mothers did, but they did not differ in the length of utterances or proportion of questions asked.Finally, the researchers ___51___ the children’s speech at age 3, using a standardized language test. The only predictors of high scores on the test were the mother’s level of education, the ___52___ of child care and the number of different words the father used.The researchers are ___53___ why the father’s speech, and not the mother’s, had an effect.“It’s well ___54___ that the mother’s language does have an impact,”said Nadya Pancsofar, the lead author of the study. It could be that the high-functioning mothers in the study had ___55___ had a strong influence on their children’s speech development, Ms. Pancso far said, “or it may be that mothers are __ 56___ in a way we didn’t measure in the study.”A) already B) analyzed C) aspects D) characters E) contributing F) describing G) established H) qualityI) quoted J) recording K) recruited L) totalM) unconscious N) unsure O) yetSection BPassage OneQuestions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.Throughout this long, tense election, everyone has focused on the presidential candidates and how they’ll change America. Rightly so, but selfishly, I’m more fascinated by Michelle Obama and what she might be able to do, not just for this country, but for me as an African-American woman. As the potential First Lady, she would have the world’s attention. And that means that for the first time people will have a chance to get up close and personal with the type of African-American woman they so rarely see.Usually, the lives of black women go largely unexamined. The prevailing theory seems to be that we’re all hot-tempered single mothers who can’t keep a man. Even in the world ofmake-believe, black women still can’t escape the stereotype of being eye-rolling, oversexed females raised by our never-married, alcoholic (酗酒的) mothers.These images have helped define the way all women are viewed, including Michelle Obama. Before she ever gets the chance to commit to a cause, charity or foundation as First Lady, her most urgent and perhaps most complicated duty may be simple to be herself.It won’t be easy. Because few mainstream publications have done in-depth features on regular African-American women, little is known about who we are, what we think and what we face on a regular basis. For better or worse, Michelle will represent us all.Just as she will have her critics, she will also have millions of fans who usually have little interest in the First Lady. Many African-American blogs have written about what they’d like to see Michelle bring to the White House—mainly showing the world that a black woman can support her man and raise a strong black family. Michelle will have to work to please everyone—an impossible task. But for many African-American women like me, just a little of her poise (沉着), confidence and intelligence will go a long way in changing an image that’s been around for far too long.57. Why does Michelle Obama hold a strong fascination for the author?A) She serves as a role model for African women.B) She possesses many admirable qualities becoming a First Lady.C) She will present to the world a new image of African-American women.D) She will pay closer attention to the interests of African-American women.58. What is the common stereotype of African-American women according to the author?A) They are victims of violence.B) They are of an inferior violence.C) They use quite a lot of body language.D) They live on charity and social welfare.59. What do many African-Americans write about in their blogs?A) Whether Michelle can live up to the high expectations of her fans.B) How Michelle should behave as a public figure.C) How proud they are to have a black woman in the White House.D) What Michelle should do as wife and mother in the White House.60. What does the author say about Michelle Obama as a First Lady?A) However many fans she has, she should remain modest,B) She shouldn’t disappoint the African-American community.C) However hard she tries, she can’t expect to please everybody.D) She will give priority to African-American women’s concerns.61. What do many African-American women hope Michelle Obama will do?A) Help change the prevailing view about black women.B) Help her husband in the task of changing America.C) Outshine previous First Lady.D) Fully display her fine qualities.Passage TwoQuestions 62 to 66 are based on the following passage.When next year’s crop of high-school graduates arrive at Oxford University in the fall of 2009, they’ll be joined by a new face; Andrew Hamilton, the 55-year-old provost (教务长) of Yale,who’ll become Oxford’s vice-chancellor—a position equivalent to university president in America.Hamilton isn’t the only educator crossing the Atlantic. Schools in France, Egypt, Singapore, etc, have also recently made top-level hires from abroad. Higher education has become a big and competitive business nowadays, and like so many businesses, it’s gone global. Yet the talent flow isn’t universal. High-level personnel tend to head in only one direction: outward from America.The chief reason is that American schools don’t tend to seriously consider looking abroad. For example, when the board of the University of Colorado searched for a new president, it wanted a leader familiar with the state government, a major source of the university’s budget. “We didn’t do any global consideration,”says Patricia Hayes, the board’s chair. The board ultimately picked Bruce Benson, a 69-year-old Colorado businessman and political activist (活动家) who is likely to do well in the main task of modern university presidents: fund-raising. Fund-raising is a distinctively American thing, since U.S. schools rely heavily on donations. The fund-raising ability is largely a product of experience and necessity.Many European universities, meanwhile, are still mostly dependent on government funding. But government support has failed to keep pace with rising student number. The decline in government support has made funding-raising an increasing necessary ability among administrators and has hiring committees hungry for Americans.In the past few years, prominent schools around the world have joined the trend. In 2003, when Cambridge University appointed Alison Richard, another former Yale provost, as its vice-chancellor, the university publicly stressed that in her previous job s he had overseen “a major strengthening of Yale’s financial position.”Of course, fund-raising isn’t the only skill outsiders offer. The globalization of education means more universities will be seeking heads with international experience of some kind of promote international programs and attract a global student body. Foreigners can offer a fresh perspective on established practices.62. What is the current trend in higher education discussed in the passage?A) Institutions worldwide are hiring administrators from the U.S.B) A lot of political activists are being recruited as administrators.C) American universities are enrolling more international students.D) University presidents are paying more attention to funding-raising.63. What is the chief consideration of American universities when hiring top-level administrators?A) The political correctness.B) Their ability to raise funds.C) Their fame in academic circles.D) Their administrative experience.64. What do we learn about European universities from the passage?A) The tuitions they charge have been rising considerably.B) Their operation is under strict government supervision.C) They are strengthening their position by globalization.D) Most of their revenues come from the government.65. Cambridge University appointed Alison Richard as its vice-chancellor chiefly because _____.A) she was known to be good at raising moneyB) she could help strengthen its ties with YaleC) she knew how to attract students overseasD) she had boosted Yale’s academic status66. In what way do top-level administrators from abroad contribute to university development?A) They can enhance the university’s image.B) They will bring with them more international faculty.C) They will view a lot of things from a new perspective.D) They can set up new academic disciplines.Part ⅤCloze (15 minutes)Older people must be given more chances to learn if they are to contribute to society rather than be a financial burden, according to a new study on population published recently.The current people approach which 67 on younger people and on skills for employment is not 68 to meet the challenges of demographic (人口结构的) change, it says. Only 1% of the education budget is 69 spent on the oldest third of the population.The 70 include the fact that most people can expect to spend a third of their lives in71 , that there are now more people over 59 than under 16 and that 11.3 million people are72 state pension age.“73 needs to continue throughout life. Our historic concentration of policy attention and resources 74 young people cannot meet the new 75 ,”says the report’s author, Professor Stephen McNair.The major 76 of our education budget is spent on people below the age of 25. 77 people are changing their jobs, 78 , partners and lifestyles more often than 79 , they need opportunities to learn at every age 80 , some people are starting new careers in their 50s and later.People need opportunities to make a “midlife review”to 81 to the later stage of employed life, and to plan for the transition (过渡) 82 retirement, which may now happen 83 at any point from 50 to over 90, says McNair.And there should be more money 84 to support people in establishing a 85 of identity and finding constructive 86 for the “third age”, the 20 or more years they will spend in healthy retired life.67. A) operates B) focuses C) counts D) depends68. A) superior B) regular C) essential D) adequate69. A) currently B) barely C) anxiously D) heavily70. A) regulations B) obstacles C) challenges D) guidelines71. A) enjoyment B) retirement C) stability D) inability72. A) over B) after C) across D) beside73. A) Indentifying B) Learning C) Instructing D) Practicing74. A) at B) by C) in D) on75. A) desires B) realms C) needs D) intentions76. A) measure B) ratio C) area D) portion77. A) When B) Until C) Whether D) Before78. A) neighbors B) moods C) homes D) minds79. A) age B) ever C) previously D) formerly80. A) For example B) By contrast C) In particular D) On average81. A) transform B) yield C) adjust D) suit82. A) within B) from C) beyond D) to83. A) unfairly B) unpredictably C) instantly D) indirectly84. A) reliable B) considerable C) available D) feasible85. A) sense B) conscience C) project D) definition86. A) ranks B) assets C) ideals D) rolesPart VI Translation (5 minutes)Directions:Complete the sentences by translating into English the Chinese given in brackets. Please write your translation on Answer Sheet 2.87. You would not have failed if you __________________________(按照我的指令去做).88. Despite the hardship he encountered, Mark never ______________(放弃对知识的追求).89. Scientists agree that it will be a long time ______________(我们找到治愈癌症的方法).90. Production has to be increased considerably to __________________(与消费者不断增长的需求保持同步).91. The more exercise you take,________________________(你越不大可能得感冒).2009年12月大学英语四级考试答案详解Part ⅠWriting参考范文Creating a Green CampusRecently, with the idea of making and maintaining “a green earth”being the focus of the society, “green campus”has become a more and more popular concept in universities or colleges, which, undoubtedly, will bring us an ever-lasting benefit to both our campus and our society.The concept of “green campus”does not only mean a green environment but also refers to an environmental sense in people’s mind. Campus plays a crucial role in educating the young generation and the consciousness of “green campus”will definitely produce a profound effect on students’various environmental protection activities after their graduation. What’s more, the young generation is under the burden of severe environmental pollution and there are many problems waiting for them to solve.To make “green campus”come true, firstly, it is necessary to work out effective principles for the development of sustainable and recyclable campus. Secondly, it calls for people’s awareness of the serious pollution around us and actual action to reduce the waste. Last but not least, it is necessary to strengthen the ties between campus and society, so as to ensure that “green campus” can work smoothly with the co-effort of the whole society.试题详解1. 【原题译文】随着越来越多的低收入学生追求高等教育，一些学院__。
09年12月听力真题和答案
09年12月英语六级听力真题和答案 Section A Conversations Short Conversations 11. W: Did you use credit cards on your vacation last month in Europe? M: Sure did. They certainly beat going around with a wallet full of big bills. But carrying lots of cash is still very common among some older people travelling abroad。
Q: What does the man say about some elderly people? 12. W: Rod must be in a bad mood today. What’s wrong with him? M: He was passed over in the selection process for the dean of the Administration’s Office. He’d been hoping for the position for a long time。
Q: What does the man mean? 13. M: What a great singer Justin is. His concert is just awesome and you’ll never regret the money you paid for the ticket。
W: Yeah, judging by the amount of applause, everyone was enjoying it。
Q: What does the woman mean? 14. W: I received an email yesterday from Henry. Do you remember he was one of the chairpersons of our Students’ Union? M: Yes, but I haven’t heard from him for ages. Actually, I have been out of touch with him since our first reunion after graduation。
2009年12月四级真题听力
2009年12月四级真题听力Part ⅢListening Comprehension (35 minutes)Section ADirections: 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 the best answer is. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Questions 11 to 18 are based on the conversation you have just heard.11. A) Get some small change. B) Find a shopping center.C) Cash a check at a bank. D) Find a parking meter.12. A) Shopping with his son. B) Buying a gift for a child.C) Promoting a new product. D) Bargaining with a salesgirl.13. A) Taking photographs. B) Enhancing images.C) Mending cameras. D) Painting pictures.14. A) He moved to Baltimore when he was young.B) He can provide little useful information.C) He will show the woman around Baltimore.D) He will ask someone else to help the woman.15. A) He is rather disappointed. B) He is highly ambitious.C) He can’t face up to the situation. D) He knows his own limitation.16. A) She must have paid a lotB) She is known to have a terrific figure.C) Her gym exercise has yielded good results.D) Her effort to keep fit is really praiseworthy.17. A) Female students are unfit for studying physics.B) He can serve as the woman’s tutor.C) Physics is an important course at school.D) The professor’s suggestion is constructive.18. A) Indifferent. B) Doubtful.C) Pleased. D) Surprised.Long ConversationsConversation 1Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19. A) He prefers the smaller evening classes.B) He has signed up for a day course.C) He has to work during the day.D) He finds the evening course cheaper.20. A) Learn a computer language. B) Learn data processing.C) Buy some computer software. D) Buy a few coursebooks.21. A) Thursday evening, from 7:00 to 9:45.B) From September 1 to New Year’s eve.C) Every Monday, lasting for 12 weeks.D) Three hours a week, 45 hours in total.22. A) What to bring for registration. B) Where to attend the class.C) How he can get to Frost Hall. D) Whether he can use a check. Conversation 2Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.23. A) A training coach. B) A trading adviser.C) A professional manager. D) A financial trader.24. A) He can save on living expenses.B) He considers cooking creative.C) He can enjoy healthier food.D) He thinks take-away is tasteless.25. A) It is something inevitable.B) It is frustrating sometimes.C) It takes patience to manage. D) It can be a good thing. Section BDirections: 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 OneQuestions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard.26. A) There were no planets without moons.B) There was no air or water on Jupiter.C) Life was not possible in outer space.D) The mystery of life could not be resolved.27. A) It has a number of active volcanoes.B) It has an atmosphere like the earth’s.C) It has a large ocean under its surface.D) It has deep caves several miles long.28. A) Light is not an essential element to it.B) Life can form in very hot temperatures.C) Every form of life undergoes evolution.D) Oxygen is not needed for some life forms.Passage TwoQuestions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard.29. A) Whether they should take the child home.B) What Dr. Mayer’s instructions exactly were.C) Who should take care of the child at home.D) When the child would completely recover.30. A) She encourages them to ask questions when in doubt.B) She makes them write down all her instructions.C) She has them act out what they are to do at home.D) She asks them to repeat what they are supposed to do.31. A) It lacks the stability of the printed word.B) It contains many grammatical errors.C) It is heavily dependent on the context.D) It facilitates interpersonal communication.Passage ThreeQuestions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.32. A) Job security. B) Good labor relations.C) Challenging work. D) Attractive wages and benefits.33. A) Many tedious jobs continue to be done manually.B) More and more unskilled workers will lose jobs.C) Computers will change the nature of many jobs.D) Boring jobs will gradually be made enjoyable.34. A) Offer them chances of promotion.B) Improve their working conditions.C) Encourage them to compete with each other.D) Give them responsibilities as part of a team.35. A) They will not bring real benefits to the staff.B) They concern a small number of people only.C) They are arbitrarily set by the administrators.D) They are beyond the control of ordinary workers.Section CDirections: 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.注意：此部分试题在答题卡2上。
009年12月英语四级真题听力原文及答案
M: I very rarely do anything work-related. So it's easy to escape the markets. I generally go to the gym or go for a run, especially if I've had a bad day. I always cook a meal, rather than have a take-away., to do something my brain would regard as creative.
W: Do you think what you do to relax is an effective way to beat stress?
M: I don't think there's a specific rule about how to beat stress. I generally find that what I do is effective for me.
Q: What are the speakers talking about?
14.
W: I need to talk to someone who knows Baltimore well. I'm told you lived there.
M: Oh, but I was really young at the time.
Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you've just heard.
2009年12月大学英语四级考试真题及答案
2009年12月大学英语四级考试真题及答案Dneed eligibility(资格)have been willing to pay whatever they must for a big-name school.For small regional colleges that struggle just to fill seats, merit aid can be an important revenue-builder because many recipients still pay enough tuition dollars over and above the scholarship amount to keep the institution running.But for rankings-conscious schools in between, merit aid has served primarily as a tool to recruit top students and to improve their academic profits. “They’re trying to buy students,” says Skidmore College economist Sandy Baum.Studies show merit aid also tends to benefit disproportionately students who could afford to enroll without it.“As we look to the future, we see a more pressing need to invest in need-based aid,” says Monica Inzer, dean of admission and financial aid at Hamilton, which has offered merit scholarships for 10 years. During that time, it rose in US News & World Report’s ranking of the best liberal arts colleges, from 25 to 17.Merit aid, which benefited about 75 students a year, or about 4% of its student body, at a cost of about $ 1 million a year, “served us well,” Inzer says, but “to be discounting the price for families that don’t need financial aid doesn’t feel right any more.”Need-based aid remains by far the largest share of all student aid, which includes state, federal and institutional grants. But merit aid, offered primarily by schools and states, is growing faster, both overall and at the institutional level.Between 1995-96 and 2003-04, institutional merit aid alone increased 212%, compared with 47% for need-based grants. At least 15 states also offer merit aid, typically in a bid to enroll top students in the state’s public institutions.But in recent years, a growing chorus(异口同声)of critics has begun pressuring schools to drop the practice. Recent decisions by Hamilton and others may be “a sign that people are starting to realize that there’s this destructive competition going on,” says Baum, co-author of a recent College Report that raises concerns about the role of institutional aid not based on need.David Laird, president of the Minnesota Private College Council, says many of his schools would like to reduce their merit aid but fear that in doing so, they would lose top students to their competitors.“No one can take one-sided action,” says Laird, who is exploring whether to seek an exemption(豁免)from federal anti-trust laws so member colleges can discuss how they could jointly reduce merit aid, “This is a merry-go-round that’s going very fast, and none of the institutions believe they can sustain the risks of trying to break away by themselves.”A complicating factor is that merit aid has become so popular with middle-income families, who don’t qualify for need-based aid, that many have come to depend on it. And, as tuitions continue to increase, the line between merit and need blurs.That’s one reason Allegheny College doesn’t plan to drop merit aid entirely.“We still believe in rewarding superior achi evements and know that these top students truly value the scholarship,” says Scott Friedhoff, Allegheny’s vice president for enrollment.Emory University in Atlanta, which boasts a $4.7 billion endowment(捐赠), meanwhile, is taking another approach. This year, it announced it would eliminate loans for needy students and cap them for middle-income families. At the same time, it would expand its 28-year-old merit program. “Yeah, we’re playing the merit game,” acknowledges Tom Lancaster, associate dean for undergraduate education. But it has its strong point, too, he says. “The fact of the matter is, it’s not just about the lowest-income people. It’s the average American middle-class family who’s being priced out of the market.”*A few words about merit-based aid:Merit-based aid is aid offered to students who achieve excellence in a given area, and is generally known as academic, athletic and artistic merit scholarships.Academic merit scholarships are based on students’ grades, GPA and overall academic performance during high school. They are typically meant for students going straight to college right after high school. However, there are scholarships for current college students with exceptional grades as well. These merit scholarships usually help students pay tuition bills, and they can be renewed each year as long as the recipientscontinue to qualify. In some cases, students may need to be recommended by their school or a teacher as part of the qualification process.Athletic merit scholarships are meant for students that excel(突出)in sports of any kind, from football to track and field events. Recommendation for these scholarships is required, since exceptional athletic performance has to be recognized by a coach or a referee(裁判). Applicants need to send in a tape containing their best performance.Artistic merit scholarships require that applicants excel in a given artistic area. This generally includes any creative field such as art, design, fashion, music, dance or writing. Applying for artistic merit scholarships usually requires that students submit a portfolio(选辑)of some sort, whether that includes a collection of artwork, a recording of a musical performance or a video of them dancing.1. With more and more low-income students pursuing higher education, a number of colleges are ________.A) offering students more merit-based aidB) revising their financial aid policiesC) increasing the amount of financial aidD) changing their admission processes2. What did Allegheny College in Meadville do three years ago?A) It tried to implement a novel financial aid program.B) It added $ 2.5 million to its need-based aid program.C) It phased out its merit-based scholarships altogether.D) It cuts its merit-based aid to help the needy students.3. The chief purpose of rankings-conscious colleges in offering merit aid is to ______.A) improve teaching quality B) boost their enrollmentsC) attract good students D) increase their revenues4. Monica Inzer, dean of admission and financial aid at Hamilton, believes ______.A) it doesn’t pay to spend $ 1 million a year to raise its rankingB) it gives students motivation to award academic achievementsC) it’s illogical to use so much money on only 4% of its studentsD) it’s not right to give aid to t hose who can afford the tuition5. In recent years, merit-based aid has increased much faster than need-based aid due to ______.A) more government funding to collegesB) fierce competition among institutionsC) the increasing number of top studentsD) s chools’ improved financial situations6. What is the attitude of many private colleges toward merit aid, according to David Laird?A) They would like to see it reduced.B) They regard it as a necessary evil.C) They think it does more harm than good.D) They consider it unfair to middle-class families.7. Why doesn’t Allegheny College plan to drop merit aid entirely?A) Raising tuitions have made college unaffordable for middle-class families.B) With rising incomes, fewer students are applying for need-based aid.C) Many students from middle-income families have come to rely on it.D) Rising incomes have disqualified many students for need-based aid.8. Annual renewal of academic merit scholarships depends on whether the recipients remain ______.9. Applicants for athletic merit scholarships need a recommendation froma coach or a referee who ______ their exceptional athletic performance.10. Applicants for artistic merit scholarships must produce evidence to show their ______ in a particular artistic fieldPart Ⅲ Listening Comprehension (35 minutes)Section ADirections: 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 the best answer is. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Questions 11 to 18 are based on the conversation you have just heard.11. A) Get some small change. B) Find a shopping center.C) Cash a check at a bank. D) Find a parking meter.12. A) Shopping with his son. B) Buying a gift for a child.C) Promoting a new product. D) Bargaining with a salesgirl.13. A) Taking photographs. B) Enhancing images.C) Mending cameras. D) Painting pictures.14. A) He moved to Baltimore when he was young.B) He can provide little useful information.C) He will show the woman around Baltimore.D) He will ask someone else to help the woman.15. A) He is rather disappointed B) He is highly ambitious.C) He can’t face up to the situation D) He knows his own limitation.16. A) She must have paid a lotB) She is known to have a terrific figure.C) Her gym exercise has yielded good results.D) Her effort to keep fit is really praiseworthy.17. A) Female students are unfit for studying physics.B) He can serve as the woman’s tutor.C) Physics is an important course at school.D) The professor’s suggestion is constructive.18. A) Indifferent. B) Doubtful. C) Pleased. D) Surprised.Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19.A) He prefers the smaller evening classes.B) He has signed up for a day course.C) He has to work during the day.D) He finds the evening course cheaper.20.A) Learn a computer language.B) Learn data processing.C) Buy some computer software.D) Buy a few coursebooks.21.A) Thursday evening, from 7:00 to 9:45.B) From September 1 to New Year’s eve.C) Every Monday, lasting for 12 weeks.D) Three hours a week, 45 hours in total.22.A) What to bring for registration.B) Where to attend the class.C) How he can get to Frost Hall.D) Whether he can use a check.Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.23.A) A training coach. B) A trading adviser.C) A professional manager. D) A financial trader.24.A) He can save on living expenses. B) He considers cooking creative.C) He can enjoy healthier food. D) He thinks take-away is tasteless.25.A) It is something inevitable. B) It is frustrating sometimes.C) It takes patience to manage. D) It can be a good thing.Section BDirections: 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 OneQuestions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard.26.A) There were no planets without moons.B) There was no air or water on Jupiter.C) Life was not possible in outer space.D) The mystery of life could not be resolved.27.A) It has a number of active volcanoes.B) It has an atmosphere like the earth’s.C) It has a large ocean under its surface.D) It has deep caves several miles long.28.A) Light is not an essential element to it.B) Life can form in very hot temperatures.C) Every form of life undergoes evolution.D) Oxygen is not needed for some life forms.Passage TwoQuestions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard.29.A) Whether they should take the child home.B) What Dr. Mayer’s instructions exactly were.C) Who should take care of the child at home.D) When the child would completely recover.30.A) She encourages them to ask questions when in doubt.B) She makes them write down all her instructions.C) She has them act out what they are to do at home.D) She asks them to repeat what they are supposed to do.31.A) It lacks the stability of the printed word.B) It contains many grammatical errors.C) It is heavily dependent on the context.D) It facilitates interpePassage ThreeQuestions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.32.A) Job security.B) Good labour relations.C) Challenging work.D) Attractive wages and benefits.33.A) Many tedious jobs continue to be done manually.B) More and more unskilled workers will lose jobs.C) Computers will change the nature of many jobs.D) Boring jobs will gradually be made enjoyable.34.A) Offer them chances of promotion.B) Improve their working conditions.C) Encourage them to compete with each other.D) Give them responsibilities as part of a team.35.A) They will not bring real benefits to the staff.B) They concern a small number of people only.C) They are arbitrarily set by the administrators.D) They are beyond the control of ordinary workers.Section CDirections: 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.注意：此部分试题在答题卡2上。
2009年12月英语四级考试真题及参考答案
2009年12月大学英语四级考试真题及答案Part ⅠWriting (30 minutes)注意：此部分试题在答题卡1上。
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the topic of Creating a Green Campus. You should write at least 120 words following the outline given below:1. 建设绿色校园很重要2. 绿色校园不仅指绿色的环境……3. 为了建设绿色校园，我们应该……Creating a Green CampusPart ⅡReading 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 question 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.Colleges taking another look at value of merit-based aid Good grades and high tests scores still matter—a lot—to many colleges as they award financial aid.But with low-income students projected to make up an ever-larger share of the college-bound population in coming years, some schools are re-examining whether that aid, typically known as “merit aid”, is the most effective use of precious institutional dollars.George Washington University in Washington, D.C., for example, said last week that it would cut the value of its average merit scholarships by about one-third and reduce the number of recipients(接受者), pouring the savings, about $2.5 million, into need-based aid. Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa., made a similar decision three years ago.Now, Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., says it will phase out merit scholarships altogether. No current merit-aid recipients will lose their scholarships, but need-based aid alone will be awarded beginning with students entering in fall 2008.Not all colleges offer merit aid; generally, the more selective a school, the less likely it is to do so. Harvard and Princeton, for example, offer generous need-based packages, but many families who don’t meet need eligibility(资格)have been willingto pay whatever they must for a big-name school.For small regional colleges that struggle just to fill seats, merit aid can be an important revenue-builder because many recipients still pay enough tuition dollars over and above the scholarship amount to keep the institution running.But for rankings-conscious schools in between, merit aid has served primarily as a tool to recruit top students and to improve their academic profits. “They’re trying to buy students,” says Skidmore College economist Sandy Baum.Studies show merit aid also tends to benefit disproportionately students who could afford to enroll without it.“As we look to the future, we see a more pressing need to invest in need-based aid,”says Monica Inzer, dean of admission and financial aid at Hamilton, which has offered merit scholarships for 10 years. During that time, it rose in US News & World Report’s ranking of the best liberal arts colleges, from 25 to 17.Merit aid, which benefited about 75 students a year, or about 4% of its student body, at a cost of about $ 1 million a year, “served us well,”Inzer says, but “to be discounting the price for families that don’t need financial aid doesn’t feel right any more.”Need-based aid remains by far the largest share of all student aid, which includes state, federal and institutional grants. But merit aid, offered primarily by schools and states, is growing faster, both overall and at the institutional level.Between 1995-96 and 2003-04, institutional merit aid alone increased 212%, compared with 47% for need-based grants. At least 15 states also offer merit aid, typically in a bid to enroll top students in the state’s public institutions.But in recent years, a growing chorus(异口同声)of critics has begun pressuring schools to drop the practice. Recent decisions by Hamilton and others may be “a sign that people are starting to realize that there’s this destructive competition going on,”says Baum, co-author of a recent College Report that raises concerns about the role of institutional aid not based on need.David Laird, president of the Minnesota Private College Council, says many of his schools would like to reduce their merit aid but fear that in doing so, they would lose top students to their competitors.“No one can take one-sided action,”says Laird, who is exploring whether to seek an exemption(豁免)from federal anti-trust laws so member colleges can discuss how they could jointly reduce merit aid, “This is a merry-go-round that’s going very fast, and none of the institutions believe they can sustain the risks of trying to breakaway by themselves.”A complicating factor is that merit aid has become so popular with middle-income families, who don’t qualify for need-based aid, that many have come to depend on it. And, as tuitions continue to increase, the line between merit and need blurs.That’s one reason Allegheny College doesn’t plan to drop merit aid entirely.“We still believe in rewarding superior achievements and know that these top students truly value the scholarship,”says Scott Friedhoff, Allegheny’s vice president for enrollment.Emory University in Atlanta, which boasts a $4.7 billion endowment(捐赠), meanwhile, is taking another approach. This year, it announced it would eliminate loans for needy students and cap them for middle-income families. At the same time, it would expand its 28-year-old merit program.“Yeah, we’re playing the merit game,”acknowledges Tom Lancaster, associate dean for undergraduate education. But it has its strong point, too, he says. “The fact of the matter is, it’s not just about the lowest-income people. It’s the average American middle-class family who’s being priced out of the market.”*A few words about merit-based aid:Merit-based aid is aid offered to students who achieve excellence in a given area, and is generally known as academic, athletic and artistic merit scholarships.Academic merit scholarships are based on students’grades, GPA and overall academic performance during high school. They are typically meant for students going straight to college right after high school. However, there are scholarships for current college students with exceptional grades as well. These merit scholarships usually help students pay tuition bills, and they can be renewed each year as long as the recipients continue to qualify. In some cases, students may need to be recommended by their school or a teacher as part of the qualification process.Athletic merit scholarships are meant for students that excel(突出)in sports of any kind, from football to track and field events. Recommendation for these scholarships is required, since exceptional athletic performance has to be recognized by a coach or a referee(裁判). Applicants need to send in a tape containing their best performance.Artistic merit scholarships require that applicants excel in a given artistic area. This generally includes any creative field such as art, design, fashion, music, dance or writing. Applying for artistic merit scholarships usually requires that students submit aportfolio(选辑)of some sort, whether that includes a collection of artwork, a recording of a musical performance or a video of them dancing.1. With more and more low-income students pursuing higher education, a number of colleges are ________.A) offering students more merit-based aidB) revising their financial aid policiesC) increasing the amount of financial aidD) changing their admission processes2. What did Allegheny College in Meadville do three years ago?A) It tried to implement a novel financial aid program.B) It added $ 2.5 million to its need-based aid program.C) It phased out its merit-based scholarships altogether.D) It cuts its merit-based aid to help the needy students.3. The chief purpose of rankings-conscious colleges in offering merit aid is to ______.A) improve teaching quality B) boost their enrollmentsC) attract good students D) increase their revenues4. Monica Inzer, dean of admission and financial aid at Hamilton, believes ______.A) it doesn’t pay to spend $ 1 million a year to raise its rankingB) it gives students motivation to award academic achievementsC) it’s illogical to use so much money on only 4% of its studentsD) it’s not right to give aid to those who can afford the tuition5. In recent years, merit-based aid has increased much faster than need-based aid due to ______.A) more government funding to collegesB) fierce competition among institutionsC) the increasing number of top studentsD) schools’ improved financial situations6. What is the attitude of many private colleges toward merit aid, according to David Laird?A) They would like to see it reduced.B) They regard it as a necessary evil.C) They think it does more harm than good.D) They consider it unfair to middle-class families.7. Why doesn’t Allegheny College plan to drop merit aid entirely?A) Raising tuitions have made college unaffordable for middle-class families.B) With rising incomes, fewer students are applying for need-based aid.C) Many students from middle-income families have come to rely on it.D) Rising incomes have disqualified many students for need-based aid.8. Annual renewal of academic merit scholarships depends on whether the recipients remain ______.9. Applicants for athletic merit scholarships need a recommendation from a coach or a referee who ______ their exceptional athletic performance.10. Applicants for artistic merit scholarships must produce evidence to show their ______ in a particular artistic fieldPart ⅢListening Comprehension (35 minutes)Section ADirections: 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 the best answer is. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer sheet 2with a single line through the centre.Questions 11 to 18 are based on the conversation you have just heard.11.A) Get some small change. B) Find a shopping center.C) Cash a check at a bank. D) Find a parking meter.12.A) Shopping with his son. B) Buying a gift for a child.C) Promoting a new product. D) Bargaining with a salesgirl.13.A) Taking photographs. B) Enhancing images.C) Mending cameras. D) Painting pictures.14.A) He moved to Baltimore when he was young.B) He can provide little useful information.C) He will show the woman around Baltimore.D) He will ask someone else to help the woman.15.A) He is rather disappointed B) He is highly ambitious.C) He can’t face up to the situation D) He knows his own limitation.16.A) She must have paid a lotB) She is known to have a terrific figure.C) Her gym exercise has yielded good results.D) Her effort to keep fit is really praiseworthy.17.A) Female students are unfit for studying physics.B) He can serve as the woman’s tutor.C) Physics is an important course at school.D) The professor’s suggestion is constructive.18.A) Indifferent. B) Doubtful. C) Pleased. D) Surprised. Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19.A) He prefers the smaller evening classes.B) He has signed up for a day course.C) He has to work during the day.D) He finds the evening course cheaper.20.A) Learn a computer language.B) Learn data processing.C) Buy some computer software.D) Buy a few coursebooks.21.A) Thursday evening, from 7:00 to 9:45.B) From September 1 to New Year’s eve.C) Every Monday, lasting for 12 weeks.D) Three hours a week, 45 hours in total.22.A) What to bring for registration.B) Where to attend the class.C) How he can get to Frost Hall.D) Whether he can use a check.Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.23.A) A training coach. B) A trading adviser.C) A professional manager. D) A financial trader.24.A) He can save on living expenses. B) He considers cooking creative.C) He can enjoy healthier food. D) He thinks take-away is tasteless.25.A) It is something inevitable.B) It is frustrating sometimes.C) It takes patience to manage. D) It can be a good thing.Section BDirections: 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 OneQuestions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard.26.A) There were no planets without moons.B) There was no air or water on Jupiter.C) Life was not possible in outer space.D) The mystery of life could not be resolved.27.A) It has a number of active volcanoes.B) It has an atmosphere like the earth’s.C) It has a large ocean under its surface.D) It has deep caves several miles long.28.A) Light is not an essential element to it.B) Life can form in very hot temperatures.C) Every form of life undergoes evolution.D) Oxygen is not needed for some life forms.Passage TwoQuestions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard.29.A) Whether they should take the child home.B) What Dr. Mayer’s instructions exactly were.C) Who should take care of the child at home.D) When the child would completely recover.30.A) She encourages them to ask questions when in doubt.B) She makes them write down all her instructions.C) She has them act out what they are to do at home.D) She asks them to repeat what they are supposed to do.31.A) It lacks the stability of the printed word.B) It contains many grammatical errors.C) It is heavily dependent on the context.D) It facilitates interpePassage ThreeQuestions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.32.A) Job security.B) Good labour relations.C) Challenging work.D) Attractive wages and benefits.33.A) Many tedious jobs continue to be done manually.B) More and more unskilled workers will lose jobs.C) Computers will change the nature of many jobs.D) Boring jobs will gradually be made enjoyable.34.A) Offer them chances of promotion.B) Improve their working conditions.C) Encourage them to compete with each other.D) Give them responsibilities as part of a team.35.A) They will not bring real benefits to the staff.B) They concern a small number of people only.C) They are arbitrarily set by the administrators.D) They are beyond the control of ordinary workers.Section CDirections: 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.注意：此部分试题在答题卡2上。
2009.12四级听力答案,原文
C) How he can get to Frost Hall. D) Whether he can use a check.
A, what to bring for registration。
D, It can be a good thing
Section B
26. What did scientists once believe according to the passage?
26. A) There were no planets without moons. B) There was no air or water on Jupiter.
12.
Man: Can you recommend something that a school boy of seven or eight will really like?
Woman: I suggest this toy train, sir. It’s an excellent brand, very popular, all over the world these days.
25. What does the man say about an element of stress in his job?
25. A) It is something inevitable. B) It is frustrating sometimes.
C) It takes patience to manage. D) It can be a good thing.
09年12月大学英语四级听力试题及答案学习啊 (1)
学英语简单吗？肯定会有许多学生说：“难死了”。
为什么有好多学生对英语的学习都感到头疼呢？答案只有一个：“不得法。
” 英语与汉语一样都是一种语言，为什么你说汉语会如此流利？那是因为你置身于一个汉语环境中，如果你在伦敦呆上半年，保准说起英语来会非常流利。
但很多中学生没有很好的英语环境，那么你可以自己设置一个英语环境，坚持“多说”、“多听”、“多读”、“多写”，那么你的英语成绩肯定会很出色。
一、多“说”。
自己多创造机会与英语教师多讲英语，见了同学，尤其是和好朋友在一起时尽量用英语去问候，谈心情……这时候你需随身携带一个英汉互译小词典，遇到生词时查一下这些生词，也不用刻意去记，用的多了，这个单词自然而然就会记住。
千万别把学英语当成负担，始终把它当成一件有趣的事情去做。
或许你有机会碰上外国人，你应大胆地上去跟他打招呼，和他谈天气、谈风景、谈学校……只是别问及他的年纪，婚史等私人问题。
尽量用一些你学过的词汇，句子去和他谈天说地。
不久你会发现与老外聊天要比你与中国人谈英语容易的多。
因为他和你交谈时会用许多简单词汇，而且不太看重说法，你只要发音准确，准能顺利地交流下去。
只是你必须要有信心，敢于表达自己的思想。
如果没有合适的伙伴也没关系，你可以拿过一本书或其它什么东西做假想对象，对它谈你一天的所见所闻，谈你的快乐，你的悲伤等等，长此坚持下去你的口语肯定会有较大的提高。
二、多“听”寻找一切可以听英语的机会。
别人用英语交谈时，你应该大胆地去参与，多听听各种各样人的发音，男女老少，节奏快的慢的你都应该接触到，如果这样的机会少的话，你可以选择你不知内容的文章去听，这将会对你帮助很大，而你去听学过的课文的磁带，那将会对你的语言语调的学习有很大的帮助。
三、多“读”。
“读”可以分为两种。
一种是“默读”。
每天给予一定时间的练习将会对你提高阅读速度有很大的好处，读的内容可以是你的课本，但最好是一些有趣的小读物，因为现在的英语高考越来越重视阅读量和阅读速度。
2009年专业英语四级听力部分及答案
PART I DICTATION [15 MIN]Listen to the following passage. Altogether the passage will be read to you four times. During the first reading, which will be done at normal speed, listen and try to understand the meaning. For the second and third readings, the passage will be read sentence by sentence, or phrase by phrase, with intervals of 15 seconds. The last reading will be done at normal speed again and during this time you should check your work. You will then be given 2 minutes to check through your work once more. Please write the whole passage on ANSWER SHEET ONE.PART II LISTENING COMPREHENSION [20 MIN]In Sections A B and C you will hear everything ONCE ONLY. Listen carefully and then answer the questions that follow. Mark the correct answer to each question on Answer Sheet Two.SECTION A CONVERSATIONSIn this section you will hear several conversations. Listen to the conversations carefully and then answer the questions that follow.Questions 1 to 3 are based on the following conversation. At the end of the conversation, you will be given 15 seconds to answer the questions. Now, listen to the conversation.1. Mark is unhappy because ofA. his Chemistry homework.B. a girl in his class.C. Linda's words.D. Friday night's party.2. Which of the following is CORRECT?A. Linda is Jane's friend.B. Mark is Jane's boyfriend.C. John is Jane's boyfriend.D. Mark and John are good friends.3. Did Mark eventually take Linda's advice?A. No.B. Partly.C. Completely.D. Not mentioned.Questions 4 to 7 are based on the following conversation. At the end of the conversation, you will be given 20 seconds to answer the questions. Now, listen to the conversation.4. About the scratch on the product, the shop assistant thinks thatA. the customer made it himself.B. there was definitely not one then.C. the customer should have checked.D. the customer was making trouble.5. The customer was ______ when told he might not have worn the headphones properly.A. annoyedB. surprisedC. indifferentD. worried6. How many complaints did the customer make about the product altogether?A. Five.B. Four.C. Three.D. Two.7. The shop could exchange the product if the customerA. makes no more complaints.B. can produce the receipt.C. is still unhappy with it.D. brings it back within a week.Questions 8 to 10 are based on the following conversation. At the end of the conversation, you will be given 15 seconds to answer the questions. Now, listen to the conversation.8. Joe Smith telephoned Victoria forA. the menu.B. the place.C. the reception.D. the campaign.9. When will the lunch be held?A. Friday next week.B. Thursday next week.C. April 30th.D. This week.10. All the following information is new to Victoria EXCEPTA. how many people to attend it.B. why to hold it.C. where to hold it.D. what to cook.SECTION B PASSAGESIn this section, you will hear several passages. Listen to the passages carefully and then answer the questions that follow.Questions 11 to 13 are based on the following passage. ,4t the end of the passage, you will be given 15 seconds to answer the questions. Now, listen to the passage.11. People choose London for post-Christmas shopping becauseA. shops open early in the morning.B. shops stay open for longer hours.C. they can buy really cheap things.D. they can shop with their friends.12. We learn from the passage thatA. people are very keen on sales.B. post-Christmas sales start at 3:30am.C. post-Christmas sales last for a day.D. sales include only a few items.13. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?A. Some people buy Christmas presents in the sales.B. Some people shop online during the sales.C. Some people buy presents for next Christmas.D. Online retailers offer better post-Christmas sales.Questions 14 to 17 are based on the following passage. At the end of the passage, you will be given 20 seconds to answer the questions. Now, listen to the passage.14. Ballroom dancing used to be associated withA. TV shows.B. old people.C. celebrities.D. professional dancers.15. According to the passage, recent popularity of ballroom dancing is the result ofA. the participation of celebrities.B. the designing of colorful costumes.C. the benefits it brings.D. a TV programme.16. Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the TV show?A. Performers have to be formally dressed on the show.B. Each professional dancer dances with a celebrity.C. People on the show perform a different dance every week.D. The show runs for about four months.17. According to the passage, the TV show has the greatest impact onA. old people.B. middle-aged people.C. kids and young people.D. all of the above.Questions 18 to 20 are based on the following passage. At the end of the passage, you will be given 15 seconds to answer the questions. Now, listen to the passage.18. According to New Zealand's rules about naming children, which of the following names isNOT acceptable?A. Spiderman.B. Gandalf.C. 2win.D. Arsenal.19. According to the passage, unusual names come fromA. popular culture.B. parents' invention.C. sports.D. all of the above.20. All of the following countries have strict rules about naming children EXCEPTA. Algeria.B. Germany.C. Japan.D. Argentina.SECTION C NEWS BROADCASTIn this section, you will hear several news items. Listen to them carefully and then answer the questions that follow.Questions 21 to 23 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 15 seconds to answer the questions. Now. listen to the news.21. Why were the fishing crew stranded on Oct. 10th?A. They went to a remote area.B. Their fishing boats collided.C. They tried to repair their boats.D. They decided to stay in the boats.22. How did they survive during those three months?A. On supplies they brought with them.B. On supplies sent to them by rescue teams.C. On supplies left at the military base.D. Not mentioned in the passage.23. How were the crew rescued eventually?A. By helicopter.B. By boat.C. By radio contact.D. By a search team.Questions 24 and 25 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 10 seconds to answer the questions. Now, listen to the news.24. Juan Carlos has been King of SpainA. since 1981.B. for 32 years.C. for 70 years.D. for 17 years.25. What is the news item mainly about?A. The King's birthday. 、B. The stability of the monarchy.C. Criticism from both the left and the right.D. The King's public defence of his reign.Questions 26 and27 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 10 seconds to answer the questions. Now, listen to the news.26. The three suicide bombings occurred inA. November and December.B. October and November.C. November.D. December.27. Did people die in the bombings?A. No one died in the bombings.B. Yes. In one of the bombings.C. Yes. In two of the bombings.D. Yes. In all the bombings.Questions 28 to 30 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 15 seconds to answer the questions. Now, listen to the news.28. What is the purpose of the national survey?A. To collect data on sources of pollution.B. To identify pollution in rivers and lakes.C. To help control environmental pollution.D. To help control industrial wastes.29. According to the news item, efforts of environmental protection are especially affected byA. lack of technology.B. rapid economic growth.C. unknown pollution sources.D. shortage of manpower.30. Which of the following details is CORRECT according to the news item?A. Census offices are set up by government departments.B. A main centre receives reports from provinces.C. A database is set up for each province.D. Data will be reviewed and analyzed in mid-2009.New Year's EveFor many people in the west, New Year's Eve is the biggest party of the year. / It's the time to get together with friends or family / and welcome in the coming year. / New Year's parties can take place in different places. / Some people hold a house party; others attend street parties; / while some just go for a few drinks with their friends . / Big cities have large and spectacular fireworks displays. / There is one thing that all New Year's Eve parties have in common, / the countdown to midnight. / When the clock strikes 12, people give a loud cheer and sing songs. / It's also popular to make a promise in the New Year. / This is called a New Year's resolution. / Typical resolutions include giving up smoking and keeping fit. / However, the promise is often broken quite quickly / and people are back into their bad habits within weeks or days.1-5 BCACA6-10 DBCAD11-15 CADBD16-20 ACCDA21-25 BCABC26-30 ABCAB。
09年12月英语四级听力参考答案
09年12月英语四级听力参考答案Section A短对话：11. A Get some small change.12. B Buying a gift for a child.13. A Taking photographs.14.B He can provide little usefulinformation.15. D He knows his own limitations.16. C Her gym exercise has yieldedgood results.17. D The professor's suggestion isconstructive.18. A Indifferent长对话：19. C He has to work during the day.20. B Learn date processing.21. C Every Monday, lasting for 12weeks.22. A What to bring for registration.23. D A financial trader.24. B He considers cooking creative.25. D It can be a good thing.Section B短文：26. C. Life was not possible in outerspace.27. C. It has a large ocean under itssurface.28. A. Light is not an essential elementto it.29. B What Dr. Meyer's instructionsexactly were30. D She askes them to repeat whatthey are supposed to do.31. A It lacks the stability of theprinted word.32. C Challenging work.33. A Many tedious jobs continue tobe done manually.34. D Give them responsibilities as partof a team.35. B They concern a small number ofpeople only.Section C36. classified37. background38. album39. appreciation40. context41. implies42. image43. instrument44. Descriptive writing in the humanities, particularly in literature, is often mixed with critical writing.45. It tells the reader how to do something. For example, explaining the technique used to shoot a film.46. Authors may actually use more than one type of technique in a given piece of informational writing.。
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Section A11.Man: Excuse me, do you have change for a ten-dollar note? I need to pay the parking meter. Woman: I’m sorry. But I think you can get it through the money changer, in the shopping center across the street.Question: What is the man trying to do?12.Man: Can you recommend something that a school boy of seven or eight will really like? Woman: I suggest this toy train, sir. It’s an excellent brand, very popular, all over the world these days.Question: What is the man doing?13.Woman: Do you let people know when you are taking pictures of them?Man: I try not to. You know, any picture of a person who poses for the camera would look dull and unnatural.Question: What are the speakers talking about?14.Woman: I need to talk to someone who knows B altimore well. I’m told you lived there.Man: Oh, but I was really young at the time.Question: What does the man mean?15.Woman: Aren’t you disappointed that you didn’t get the promotion?Man: Maybe a little. But I know I need more experience before I’m ready for that kind of responsibility.Question: What do we learn about the man from this conversation?16.Woman: I’ve been working out the gym since January. I was a bit out of shape.Man: You look terrific! It seems that your effort has paid off.Question: What does the man imply about the woman?17.Woman: Prof. Clark suggested that I get a tutor for advanced physics.Man: Well, that might help. Advanced physics is a pretty difficult course.Question: What does the man mean?18.Woman: Bill, ha ve you heard the latest news? It appears we two won’t be laid off after all.Man: Oh, I’m somewhat tired of working here. I’ve been wondering whether I should resign. Anyway, the news seems to be good for you.Question: How does the man feel about the news?Conversation OneWoman: Hello, Parkson college. May I help you?Man: Yes. I’m looking for information on courses in computer programming. I would need it for the fall semester.W: Do you want a day or evening course?M: Well, it would have to be an evening course since I work during the day.W: Aha. Have you taken any courses in data processing?M: No.W: Oh. Well, data processing is a course you have to take before you can take computer programming.M: Oh, I see. Well, when is it given? I hope it’s n ot on Thursdays.W: Well, there’s a class that meets on Monday evenings at seven.M: Just once a week?W: Yes. But that’s all most three hours from seven to nine forty-five.M: Oh. Well, that’s all right. I could manage that. How many weeks does the course last?W: Mmmm, let me see. Twelve weeks. You start the first week in September, and finish, oh, Just before Christmas. December 21st.M: And how much is the course?W: That’s three hundred dollars including the necessary computer time.M: Aha. Okay. Ah, where do I go to register?W: Registration is on the second and third of September, between 6 and 9 in Frost Hall.M: Is that the round building behind the parking lot?W: Yes. That’s the one.M: Oh, I know how to get there. Is there anything that I should bring with me?W: No, just your check book.M: Well, thank you very much.W: You are very welcome. Bye!M: Bye!19. Why does the man choose to take an evening course?20. What does the man have to do before taking the course of computer programming?21. What do we learn about the schedule of the evening course?22. What does the man want to know at the end of the conversation?Conversation TwoW: So, why exactly does your job have a reputation for being stressful?M: Stress is generally driven by the feeling of being out of control of a situation, and the feeling of a situation controlling you. Trading in financial markets combines both.W: How do you relax in the evening?M: I very rarely do anything work related. So it’s easy to escape the markets. I generally go to the gym or go for a run, especially If I’ve had a bad day. I always cook a meal rather than have a takeaway. To do something my brain would regard as creative.W: Do you think what you do to relax is an effective way to beat stress?M: I don’t think there’s a specific rule about how to beat stress. I generally find that what I do is effective for me.W: Would you consider changing your job because of the high stress factor?M: I have considered leaving my job due to stress related factors. However, I do think that an element of stress is a good thing, and if used the right way, can actually be a positive thing.W: What do you enjoy about the stressful aspects of your job?M: Having said all that, I do actually enjoy an element of uncertainty. I enjoy a mental challenge. Trading generates a wide range of emotions second by second. How you deal with and manage those emotions dictates short, medium and long term trading performance and success.23. What is the man’s job?24. Why does the man prefer to cook a meal rather than have a takeaway?25. What does the man say about an element of stress in his job?Section BPassage OneSince early times, people have been fascinated with the idea of life existing somewhere else besides earth. Until recently, scientists believed that life on other planet was just a hopeful dream. But now they are beginning to locate places where life could form. In 1997, they saw evidence of planets near other stars like the sun. But scientists now think that life could be even nearer in our own solar system. One place scientists are studying very closely is Europa, a moon of Jupiter. Space probes have provided evidence that Europa has a large ocean under its surface. The probes have also made the scientists think that under its surface Europa has a rocky core giving off volcanic heat. Water and heat from volcanic activity are two basic conditions needed for life to form. A third is certain basic chemicals such as carbon, oxygen and nitrogen. Scientists believe there might be such chemicals lying at the bottom of Europa’s ocean. They may have already created life, or maybe about to. You may wonder if light is also need for life to form. Until recently, scientists thought that light was essential. But now, places have been found on earth that are in total in blackness, such as caves several miles beneath the ocean. And bacteria, primitive forms of life have been seen there. So the lack of light in Europa’s subsurface ocean doesn’t automatically rule out life forming.26. What did scientists once believe according to the passage?27. What have scientists found about Europa, a moon of Jupiter?28. What have scientists come to know recently about the formation of life?Passage TwoIn her early days as an emergency room physician, Dr. Joanna Meyer treated a child who had suffered a second degree burn. After the child had been treated, and was being prepared for discharge, Dr. Meyer talked to the parents about how they should care for the child at home, also listening to her were half a dozen family members. A few hours later, when she came to say goodbye, the family asked her to settle an argument they’ve been having over exactly what advice she had given. “As I talked to them, I was amazed.”she said, “All of them had heard the simple instructions I had given just a few hours before. But they had three or four different versions. The most basic details were unclear and confusing. I was surprised, because these were intelligent people.”This episode gave Dr. Meyer her first clue to something every doctor learns sooner or later –most people just don’t listen very well.Nowadays, she says, she repeats her instructions, and even conducts a reality check with some patients. She asks them to tell her what they think they’re supposed to do. She also provides take-home sheets, which are computer printouts, tailored to the patients’situation.Dr. Meyer’s listeners are not unusual. When new or difficult material is presented, almost all listeners are faced with a challenge, because human’s speech lacks the stability and permanence of the printed word. Oral communication is fast-moving and impermanent.Question 29-31Q29. What did the child’s family members argue about in the hospital?Q30. What does Dr. Meyer do to ensure her patients understand her instructions?Q31. What does the speaker say about human speech?Passage 3It is logical to suppose that things like good labor relations, good working conditions, good wages and benefits, and job security motivate workers. But one expert, Frederick Herzberg argued that such conditions do not motivate workers, they are merely satisfiers.Motivators, in contrast, include things such as having a challenging and interesting job, recognition and responsibility. However, even with the development of computers and robotics, there are always plenty of boring, repetitive and mechanical jobs, and lots of unskilled people who have to do them. So how do managers motivate people in such jobs?One solution is to give them some responsibilities, not as individuals, but as a team. For example, some supermarkets combine office staff, the people who fill the shelves, and the people who work at the checkout into a team. And let them decide what product lines to stock, how to display them, and so on.Many people now talk about the importance of a company shared values or culture, with which all the staff can identify. For example, being the best hotel chain, or making the best, the most user friendly, or the most reliable products in a particular field. Such values are more likely to motivate workers than financial targets, which ultimately only concern a few people. Unfortunately, there is only a limited number of such goals to go around. And by definition, not all the competing companies in an industry can seriously play in to be the best.Question 32-35Q32. What can actually motivate workers according to Frederick Herzberg?Q33. What does the speaker say about jobs in the computer era?Q34. What do some supermarkets do to motivate employees?Q35. Why does the speaker say financial targets are less likely to motivate workers?Section CIn the humanities, authors write to inform you in many ways. These methods can be classified into three types of informational writing: factual, descriptive and process.Factual writing provides background information on an author, composer or artist, or on a type of music, literature or art. Examples of factual writing include notes on a book jacket, or album cover and longer pieces, such as an article describing a style of music, which you might read in a music appreciation course. This kind of writing provides a context for your study of the humanities.As its name implies, descriptive writing simply describes, or provides an image of a piece of music, art or literature. For example, descriptive writing might list the colors an artists used in the painting, or the instrument a composer included in a musical composition, so as to make pictures or sound in the readers’mind, by calling up specific details of the work. Descriptive writing in the humanities, particularly in literature, is often mixed with critical writing.Process writing explains a series of actions that bring about result. It tells the reader how to do something. For example, explaining the technique used to shoot a film. This kind of writing is often found in art, where understanding how an art has created a certain effect is important. Authors may actually use more than one type of technique in a given piece of informational writing.From: /englishlistening/cet4/zhenti/2009-12-20/97263_4.html。