大学英语四级(2013年12月考试改革适用)模拟试卷284(题后含答案及解析)

大学英语四级（2013年12月考试改革适用）模拟试卷284(题后含答
案及解析)
题型有：1. Writing 2. Listening Comprehension 3. Reading Comprehension 4. Translation
Part I Writing
1．For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled Do One Thing at a Time, And Do It Well by commenting on the saying, “I can do many things well at a time if given chances.” You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words. Do One Thing at a Time, And Do It Well 正确答案：Do One Thing at a Time, And Do It Well Though many of us often boast that “I can do many things well at a time if given chances”, in most cases, we would ultimately mess things up when we really have to handle many things at the same time. Such failure drives us to follow the principle that “do one thing at a time, and do it well”. At first glance, multitasking seems to be productive, but it actually splits our attention, making our work ineffective and unsuccessful. Image a student trying to win an English speech contest, play in the college football team, take an internship and write a graduation thesis in one single term. Rather than getting several things half-done, why not try to get one thing handsomely done? Once we fully concentrate on one thing without distraction, we can finish the task faster and better. And the previous good performance will give us more confidence to move forward, thereby creating a healthy circle. Success doesn’t depend on how many things we have done, but on how well we can get things done.
解析：这篇谚语型作文要求考生结合“如果给予我机会，我可以同时把很多事情做好”这种说法展开讨论并发表白己的见解，并以“一次做一件事，并把它做好”为题。

根据题目要求，文章结构可安排如下：第一段简要说很多人都有一次做很多事情但最终失败的经历，指出“一次做一件事，并把它做好”才是正确的原则。

第二段通过举例来论述同时做几件事的不足和一次做好一件事的优势。

第三段用一句话总结全文。

范文用了一个对比句式来总结，是个不错的观点表达句式。

Part II Listening Comprehension
Section A
听力原文：An extraordinary tree frog thought to have died out more than a century ago has been rediscovered in India The discovery was made by renowned Indian biologist Sathyabhama Das Biju and a team of scientists, in the jungles of north-eastern India. It is hoped the frogs might now be found across a wide area, from
China to Thailand. Studies of the frog have also led scientists to reclassify it as an entirely new species. The newly uncovered frogs were first found by accident in 2007, during a search for other animals. Although the frogs have since been found in significant numbers, [2]they are far from safe, Mr. Biju warned, with tropical forests being cut down at alarming rates to make way for agriculture and human settlements.1 Where were the tree frog found?2 What threatens the existence of the tree frog?
2．
A．In a tropical rain forest in China.
B．In a tropical rain forest in India.
C．In a tropical wetland in India.
D．In a tropical wetland in Thailand.
正确答案：B
解析：题目询问在哪找到树蛙。

新闻前段提到，印度著名生物学家Sathyabhama Das Biju和一组科学家小队在印度东北部的丛林里(in the jungles of north-eastern India)发现这种树蛙，B“在印度热带雨林地区”与原文最接近，为本题答案。

3．
A．The rapid reduction of tropical forests.
B．The increase of global temperature.
C．Emergence of an entirely new species.
D．The scientific search for other animals.
正确答案：A
解析：题目询问树蛙面临的生存威胁。

新闻结尾提到Biju的警告，指出热带森林正以惊人的速度被砍伐(tropical forests being cut down at alarming rates)，使得树蛙并不安全(far from safe)，故A“热带森林的快速减少”正确。

听力原文：Armed carjackers picked the wrong mom to mess with Monday evening. Monitoring recording from the Tom Thumb service station in Florida shows the mother pumping gas when an armed carjacker jumped into the driver’s seat of her car and another struck on the windows with his gun. The mother, who had two children in the backseat, [3]flung into action by pulling the masked man out of the vehicle and pushing him away from the car. The other carjacker can be seen fleeing the scene. The incident took place at approximately 10:15 p.m. Three suspects—two male and one female—were stopped by police after a short chase. No one was injured and three handguns were taken. The suspects were arrested and are facing charges of attempted carjacking and fleeing and breaking away from the police, according to the Police Department.3 What did the mother do in the incident?4 What was the result of the incident?
4．
A．She drew the man in mask out of her car.
B．She called the police for help at once.
C．She pulled her children out of the vehicle.
D．She hit the man in mask with a gun hard.
正确答案：A
解析：题目询问这位母亲在事件中的行动。

新闻提到。

她迅速行动(ning into action)，把戴面具的男子从车里拽了出来(pulling the masked man out of the vehicle)，并推离她的车，故A“她把戴面具的男子从车里拖出去”正确。

5．
A．The suspects escaped from the police.
B．The suspects robbed the car of the mother.
C．The suspects were locked in the mother’s car.
D．The suspects were arrested by the police.
正确答案：D
解析：题目询问事件的结果。

新闻提到，三名嫌疑犯被警察抓住了(stopped by police)，故D“嫌疑犯被警察逮捕”正确。

听力原文：An Australian furniture company is recalling one of its popular dining chairs after claims [5]its design has made people lose parts of their toes. Two people have separately told Australian media they cut off a toe after catching it inside the chair leg. Fantastic Furniture said it was recalling their chair because the design of such metal chair may cause a hazard. This weekend, Australia’s media reported that an 11-year-old boy had to have reconstructive surgery—but still lost the end of his toe—after catching it on a chair in October. His mother posted a warning on Facebook saying the “super dangerous” chair had cut his toe off clean. A Sydney man said in October that his middle toe was sliced off after he caught it on the chair’s leg while chasing his young son. He is seeking compensation. Fantastic Furniture said customers could either return the chairs—which were on sale for A$39—or take free insert plugs which could be inserted inside the chair legs to make them safe.5 Why did Fantastic Furniture call back its chairs?6 What do we learn about the 11-year-old boy?7 How did Fantastic Furniture react to the accidents?
6．
A．They are too light to be steady.
B．They have cut off some users’ toes.
C．They are easily broken in use.
D．They endanger junior children.
正确答案：B
解析：题目询问家具公司召回椅子的原因。

新闻开头提到，椅子的设计缺陷造成一些用户的脚趾被削掉(made people lose parts of their toes)，故B“有些用户的脚趾被削掉”正确。

7．
A．He had one of his legs removed.
B．His mother was hurt by the chair.
C．He was operated on the toe.
D．He complained about the chair’s quality on Facebook.
正确答案：C
解析：题目询问那名11岁男孩的信息。

新闻中段提到，该名11岁男孩做了脚趾接驳手术(have reconstructive surgery)，但最终没能保住脚趾(lost the end of his toe)，C“脚趾做手术”对新闻内容作了概括，为本题答案。

8．
A．It replaced these chairs with safer ones.
B．It made apologies to all Australian victims.
C．It offered free spare parts to make chairs safe.
D．It gave compensation to Australian claimers.
正确答案：C
解析：题目询问家具公司对事故的反应。

新闻结尾提到，公司免费提供塞子，塞到椅子脚里，增加椅子的安全系数，C“提供免费配件使椅子使用安全”概括了新闻内容，为本题答案。

Section B
听力原文：W: I’m sorry, [8]but you are on the library checklistM: What does that mean?W: It means you owe money or something to the library, and you won’t be permitted to register for classes until the problem is taken care of. M: You’re kidding! This is the last day of registration How am I supposed to take care of it and get back in time to finish registering? W: Well, you still have the rest of the afternooa I suggest you go over to the library right away. M: Can’t I just go through registration now and take care of the problem at the library later? W: No. I’m afraid I’ll have to have a checklist-release card from the library before I can let you proceed any further with registration. M: Isn’t there anyone I can talk to about going through registration without the release card? W: There’s a representative of the admissions office at that table over there, and you might try speaking to him, but I don’t think it will do any good M: I’ll try anything to get out of walking all the way over to the library. W: I really think you should go to the library first They’re the only ones that can help you. I’m sure it’s not anything that can’t be taken care of in just a few minutes. This happens all the time. M: Maybe you are right8 Why is the man not permitted to register for classes?9 How does the man feel at first?10 What can’t the man do now?11 What does the woman think the man should do?
9．
A．He doesn’t have a checklist-release card.
B．He goes to the wrong place for registration.
C．He ibrgets to return books to the library.
D．He is on the library checklist.
正确答案：D
解析：对话开头，女士说男士上了图书馆的观察名单(library checklist)，接着解释说可能是男士欠了图书馆钱或者其他东西，所以不能注册课程，D为对话中出现的原句，为本题答案。

10．
A．Calm.
B．Angry.
C．Interested.
D．Funny.
正确答案：B
解析：当男士得知自己在图书馆的checklist中，现在不能完成选课时说，“你不是在开玩笑吧?”，而且表示今天已经是选课的最后一天了，所以他表现得非常紧张和生气，B为正确答案。

11．
A．Go to the library.
B．Pay the money.
C．Go through registration.
D．Get a checklist-release card.
正确答案：C
解析：由女士的话可知，由于男士在图书馆的checklist中，只有等到男士处理好这个问题，拿到checklist-release card之后才能继续完成注册手续，故C“完成注册”为正确答案。

12．
A．Give up registration and leave.
B．Talk to the admissions representative.
C．Go to the library immediately.
D．Wait until the woman processes his registration.
正确答案：C
解析：女士告诉男士，要完成注册，必须去图书馆办理相关手续，对话最后重申她“真心觉得男士应该首先去图书馆”，故C为正确答案。

听力原文：W: You have something on your mind, Philip.M: Yes, I do. I had a patient yesterday. Do you remember Ben Tinker?W: Of course. I know Ben. He’s in your office quite often.M: That’s right. First he has a cold, then a sore throat. Nothing really serious, but he’s always sick.W: Something must be wrong.M: Yes. The boy sits at home and watches television every afternoon He needs to be more active.W: What
do his parents say?M: They both have to work all day. They can’t be with him in the afternoon. It’s unhealthy to sit inside every day. Children should be outside ninning around. Children need something to do after school.W: Yes, but now, in most families, the fathers and the mothers have to work. Maybe the state government could do something.M: Do you think we could do something about it?W: You know, I can do something. I can start a committee. We can talk to people about the problem, and ask them to sign their names on a petition. The petition could ask the state government to give money for afternoon programs in the schools.M: After-school programs. Now, that sounds good.W: Yes. There should be organized activities: art, drama, sports and games. Of course, music.M: That’s it! That’s the answer to Ben’s problem. After-school activities are much better than television.W: And active children will stay strong and healthy.12 What is most probably the man’s job?13 What is the problem with Ben Tinker?14 Why can’t Ben Tinker go outside running around after school?15 What do we know about the petition?
13．
A．Doctor.
B．Government official.
C．Teacher.
D．Babysitter.
正确答案：A
解析：对话开头男士提到，他昨天给一个病人(patient)看病，病人名字叫Ben Tinker，且下文提到Ben的一些病情状况，由此可知，男士的职业是医生。

14．
A．He is always ill.
B．He is too active.
C．He speaks too little.
D．He does a bad thing.
正确答案：A
解析：男士说他的病人Ben Tinker先是感冒，后来是喉咙痛。

但不是什么严重问题，但他总是生病。

A中的ill是对男士说的sick的同义替换，故选A。

15．
A．His parents disagree with that.
B．His parents can’t be with him.
C．His parents think it is unhealthy.
D．His parents order him to stay at home.
正确答案：B
解析：男士说Ben的父母都得工作一整天，他们下午不能陪孩子，可见孩子不能在放学后到户外活动是因为他父母要工作，没能跟他在一起，故选B。

16．
A．It is signed by the state government.
B．It could raise money from parents.
C．It has been drawn up to protect children.
D．It could help to fund afternoon programs.
正确答案：D
解析：女士建议跟人们讨论孩子课后活动的问题，让大家在请愿书上签名，请愿书能够让州政府给学校的课后计划拨款。

可见请愿书能资助课后计划，故选D。

Section C
听力原文：Every culture and every country in the world celebrates the New Year, but not every one does it in the same way. The countries of America and Europe welcome the New Year on January 1. This practice began with the Romans. Julius Caesar changed the date of the New Year from the first day of March to the first day of January. In the Middle East, the New Year is when spring begins. People in China and Vietnam celebrate on the first day of their calendar based on the moon. The day usually comes between January 21 and February 19. In all of these cultures, there is a practice of making noise. People made noises in old times to drive away the evil spirits from the home. In Japan, people go from house to house making noise with drums and sticks. Young people in Denmark throw broken pieces of pottery against the sides of their friends’ houses. In the United States, many people stay up till midnight on New Year’s Eve to watch the time pass from one year to the next. Friends often gather together at a party on New Year’s Eve, and when the New Year comes, all bells ring: people blow whistles, sing and kiss each other. A favorite Scottish song was sung by everyone together. Black-eyed peas, which are eaten immediately after midnight, are supposed to bring good luck to the person who eats them as his or her first food in the New Year. There is an enjoyable atmosphere all over the world.16 What do we know about the practice of celebrating the New Year on January 1?17 Why did people in old times make noise in the New Year?18 How do young people in Denmark celebrate the New Year?19 What does the speaker tell us about black-eyed peas?
17．
A．Many countries dislike it.
B．All countries observe it.
C．It began with the Americans.
D．It began with the Romans.
正确答案：D
解析：短文提到，在元月一日庆祝新年的惯例始于罗马人，故D正确。

18．
A．To show how happy they were.
B．To drive away the evil spirits.
C．To warn the thieves and robbers.
D．To sell their drums and sticks.
正确答案：B
解析：短文提到，古时候人们过新年时制造喧闹是为了把妖魔鬼怪从家里驱走，据此B正确。

19．
A．Sing and dance in the square till midnight.
B．Throw pieces of pottery against friends’ houses.
C．Kiss each other when the clock strikes midnight
D．Go from house to house and make noises.
正确答案：B
解析：短文提到，丹麦年轻人庆祝新年时会往朋友家的墙上扔陶器，故B 正确。

20．
A．It is the favorite food of young people.
B．It is the last food of the past year.
C．It brings good luck to people.
D．It is good for people’s health.
正确答案：C
解析：短文提到，午夜过后立即吃black-eyed peas，作为新年里吃的第一种食物。

据说能给人们带来好运，故C正确。

听力原文：Coffee can be considered one of nature’s greatest gifts. It gives mental and emotional clarity without harmful side effects, and it contains a wealth of nutrients. Yet, when most people drink coffee, they are not thinking that the beverage is improving their health. In fact, some may even feel a little guilty, since some believe coffee isn’t good for you at all. The truth of the matter is: coffee, like anything else, can cause problems if too much is consumed. In the short-term, too much coffee will cause sleeping problems and hypertension. In the long-term, too much coffee will cause stomach problems as well as teeth staining. As far as the benefits, moderate consumption of coffee, which means 1 to 4 cups a day, provides your body with a wealth of antioxidants. These substances are responsible for eliminating free radicals. They are the chemical byproducts produced any time your body does something. A small number of them can help serve as a buffer against negative elements, but if they aren’t kept in check, they can cause health problems. Antioxidants ensure that this doesn’t happen. Even the caffeine content within coffee can be beneficial toward your health. One way it does this is by cleaning the
water of your body’s cells, which keeps your weight down while cleaning out impurities.20 Why do some people feel guilty when they drink coffee?21 What will drinking too much coffee cause in the long-term?22 In what way can caffeine benefit one’s health according to the speaker?
21．
A．They are not allowed to drink coffee.
B．They think coffee does no good to them.
C．They think coffee is too expensive.
D．They should not drink coffee when working.
正确答案：B
解析：短文提到，有些人喝咖啡时会有负罪感，因为他们认为咖啡对人没有半点好处，故B正确。

22．
A．Sleeping problems.
B．Stomach problems.
C．Bad emotions.
D．High blood pressure.
正确答案：B
解析：短文提到，长期过量喝咖啡会导致胃部和牙齿出现问题。

B对应其中一个负面影响，故正确。

23．
A．It improves one’s brain function.
B．It increases one’s blood flow.
C．It cleans the water of the body’s cells.
D．It keeps one away from depression.
正确答案：C
解析：短文提到，咖啡因对人体健康也有帮助，其中一个帮助在于它可以清洁细胞里的水分，故C正确。

听力原文：Are electric cars the way of the future? Automobile manufactures are under pressure to develop cars that do not pollute. One powerful motive is a California law requiring that by the year 2020 ten percent of new car sells in the state be so called zero-emission vehicles. These cars must put no pollutants whatsoever into the atmosphere. California is a huge market for the automobile companies, so they are working hard to meet these standards. So far the electric car seems to be the best alternative. So the big advantage of electric cars is that they don’t pollute. However they will be in competition with gas-powered cars and that’s where the weaknesses come out. [24]The big problem is that the batteries that power electric cars weigh a lot relative to the amount of power they deliver. For instance, in one
prototype electric car, the batteries weighed 400 kilograms. And they provide enough energy to go 250 kilometers before recharging, which takes eight hours. Compare that to a moderately fuel-efficient conventional car, it can go 600 to 700 kilometers on a tank of gas and refilling takes just minutes. If there are other drains on an electric car’s batteries besides the motor, headlights, air-conditioning or a heater, its already limited range will be significantly reduced. [25] So automobile engineers are trying to make more powerful batteries that would increase the cars’range and make them more attractive to buyers.23 Why does the electric car seem to be the best alternative so far?24 What is the big problem with an electric car?25 What are the automobile engineers trying to do?
24．
A．It is comfortable.
B．It is best made.
C．It causes no pollution.
D．It makes less noise.
正确答案：C
解析：短文提到，电动汽车最大的优点在于它不会污染环境，因此可视为目前最好的替代品，故C正确。

25．
A．Its battery is not powerful enough.
B．Its battery is of enormous size.
C．It costs too much money.
D．It breaks down easily.
正确答案：A
解析：短文提到，电动汽车一个大问题在于，相对于其所能供应的电能而言，电池的重量偏高。

言外之意是，电池的供电能力不够强大，故A正确。

26．
A．Improve the batteries of electric cars.
B．Increase the number of electric cars.
C．Design a new device for electric cars.
D．Look for new ways to improve safety.
正确答案：A
解析：短文结尾处说，汽车工程师们正试图开发更强大的电池以提升汽车的行驶里程，从而使电动汽车更受消费者欢迎，故A正确。

Part III Reading Comprehension
Section A
Conrad Hilton really wanted to be a banker. Instead, he successfully changed the【C1】______purchase of a Texas low-end hotel into a multimillion-dollar hotel empire that earned him the【C2】______”innkeeper to the world.”Born in New Mexico in 1887, Hilton was 19 when his parents began renting out rooms in their home. The business didn’t interest him, however, so he became a【C3】______legislator (立法者), founded a bank and went off to war. In 1919, after Hilton’s father died, a friend suggested he go to Texas to make his【C4】______. Hilton ended up in Cisco: when his bank deal there【C5】______, he headed to a nearby hotel, the Mobley. It【C6】______to oil-field workers, so its 40 rooms turned over every eight hours. A week later, Hilton owned it He soon acquired more hotels—and started to build new ones. His first, the Dallas Hilton, opened in 1925. By the late 1940s, Hilton’s list included the Town House in Beverly Hills and Chicago’s Palmer House, as well as【C7】______nightclubs featuring A-list stars. He also expanded【C8】______. And in 1949, he bought the “greatest of them all”: New York City’s magnificent Waldorf Astoria Typically American, Hiltons were creative too: the first to have rooms with air-conditioning, TVs, ironing boards and sewing kits. Even modern hotel-reservations systems【C9】______from one Hilton which was established in 1948. Today the Hilton Hotels Corp. owns some 3,300【C10】______in 78 countries. Last year more than a quarter-billion guests checked in.A) casual E) fortune I) motivated M) severeB) catered F) inherited J) nickname N) souredC) evolved G) internationally K) previously O) stateD) features H) luxurious L) properties
27．【C1】
正确答案：A
解析：此处应为定语成分，可填形容词或分词。

第1段的内容表明康拉德·希尔顿本想成为银行家，但后来从购买廉价酒店开始建立了他的酒店王国，第2句开头的Instead表明第1句和第2句的内容形成对比，强调康拉德-希尔顿成为酒店大亨是“偶然的”，因此，他购买廉价酒店也是出于一次“偶然的”机会，由此可见，casual最符合上下文的语义。

28．【C2】
正确答案：J
解析：此处应为名词。

通过空白处后的双引号及其中的内容可以推断此处最适合的是nickname，而且nickname也可和动词earn搭配，earn him the nickname 可理解为“为他赢得了……的称号”。

29．【C3】
正确答案：O
解析：此处应为定语成分，可填形容词或分词。

空白处后的legislator(立法
者)通常只有联邦的立法者或州、市的立法者之分，与此语义联系最紧密的是state。

30．【C4】
正确答案：E
解析：此处应为名词，并可与动词make构成词组。

从上下文提到的希尔顿所做的一系列工作可以推断他的朋友应该是建议他去德克萨斯州“发展”并“碰碰运气”的，make his fortune正好具有这些意思，因此选用fortune。

31．【C5】
正确答案：N
解析：此处应为过去式的动词。

从本句提到的希尔顿从银行业转向酒店业可以推断当时希尔顿从事银行业“没能成功”，因此，空白处应该是一个表示消极意义的动词，soured在语义和语法上都最适合。

32．【C6】
正确答案：B
解析：此处应为过去式的动词，并可与介词to搭配。

本句开头的It指的是Mobley酒店，而从to后的oil-field workers可以知道这问酒店专门为油田工人“提供服务”，因此，此处应选用catered，短语cater to意为“迎合……的需求”。

33．【C7】
正确答案：H
解析：此处应为定语成分，可填形容词或分词。

从本句最后的A-list stars可以知道希尔顿所开办的夜总会是“高档的”、“豪华的”，因此，本题应选用luxurious。

34．【C8】
正确答案：G
解析：空格前的expanded为不及物动词，故空格所在句的主谓成分是完整的，故考虑应填入副词。

词库中的internationally指希尔顿名声扩大的范围，填入文中语义通顺。

词库中另一副词previously指时间上的“之前”，填入文中语义不通。

35．【C9】
正确答案：C
解析：此处应为过去式的动词，并可与介词from搭配。

本句的内容是为了说明上一句提到的Hiltons were creative这一观点的，据此可以推断本句应指酒店
的预订系统最早由希尔顿酒店推出，现代的预订系统都“源于”希尔顿这个始祖，因此，选用evolved，短语evolve from意为“从……进化而来”。

36．【C10】
正确答案：L
解析：此处应为名词。

本段对希尔顿酒店的发展作一个总结，指出希尔顿酒店集团有多少资产和每年接待多少客人，由此可见，空白处应为“资产”、“财产”、“物业”的意思，在名词词库中，properties就有“财产”的意思，故为本题答案。

Section B
The End of AIDS?[A] On June 5th 1981 America’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported the outbreak of an unusual form of pneumonia (肺炎) in Los Angeles. When, a few weeks later, its scientists noticed a similar cluster of a rare cancer called Kaposi’s sarcoma (肉瘤) in San Francisco, they suspected that something strange and serious was coming. That something was AIDS.[B] Since then, 25m people have died from AIDS and another 34m are infected. The 30th anniversary of the disease’s discovery has been taken by many as an occasion for hand-wringing. Yet the war on AIDS is going far better than anyone dared hope. A decade ago, half of the people in several southern African countries were expected to die of AIDS. Now, the death rate is dropping. In 2005 the disease killed 2.1m people. In 2009, the most recent year for which data are available, the number was 1.8m. Some 5m lives have already been saved by drug treatment. In 33 of the worst-affected countries the rate of new infections is down by 25% or more from its peak.[C] Even more hopeful is a recent study which suggests that the drugs used to treat AIDS may also stop its transmission. If that proves true, the drugs could acliieve much of what a vaccine (疫苗) would. The question for the world will no longer be whether it can wipe out the plague, but whether it is prepared to pay the price.The appliance of science[D] If AIDS is defeated, it will be thanks to an alliance of science, activism and unselfishness. The science has come from the world’s drug companies, which leapt on the problem. In 1996 a batch of similar drugs, all of them inhibiting the activity of one of the AIDS virus’s crucial enzymes (霉素), appeared almost simultaneously. The effect was miraculous, if you (or your government) could afford the $15,000 a year that those drugs cost when they first came on the market.[E] Much of the activism came from rich-world gays. Having persuaded drug companies into creating the new medicines, the activists bullied them into dropping the price. That would have happened anyway, but activism made it happen faster. The unselfishness was aroused as it became clear by the mid-1990s that AIDS was not just a rich-world disease. Three-quarters of those affected were—and still are—in Africa. Unlike most infections, which strike children and the elderly, AIDS hits the most productive members of society: businessmen, civil servants, engineers, teachers, doctors, nurses. Thanks to an enormous effort by Western philanthropists (慈善家) and some
politicians (this is one area where even the left should give credit to George Bush junior), a series of programmes has brought drugs to those infected.[F] The result is unsatisfactory. Not enough people—some 6.6m of the 16m who would most quickly benefit—are getting the drugs. And the pills are not a cure. Stop taking them, and the virus bounces back. But it is a huge step forward from ten years ago.[G] What can science offer now? A few people’s immune systems control the disease naturally, which suggests a vaccine might be possible, and antibodies have been discovered that neutralise the virus and might thus form the basis of AIDS-clearing drugs. But a cure still seems a long way off. Prevention is, for the moment, the better bet.A question of money[H] In the early days scientists were often attacked by activists for being more concerned with trying to prevent the epidemic spreading than treating the affected. Now it seems that treatment and prevention will come in the same pill. If you can stop the virus reproducing in someone’s body, you not only save his life, you also reduce the number of viruses for him to pass on. Get enough people on drugs and it would be like vaccinating them: the chain of transmission would be broken.[I] That is a huge task. It is not just a matter of bringing in those who should already be on the drugs (the 16m who show symptoms or whose immune systems are critically weak). To prevent transmission, treatment would in theory need to be expanded to all the 34m people infected with the disease. That would mean more effective screening, which is planned already, and also a willingness by those without the symptoms to be treated. That willingness might be there, though, if it would protect people’s uninfected lovers.[J] Such a programme would take years and also cost a lot of money. About $16 billion a year is spent on AIDS in poor and middle-income countries. Half is generated locally and half is foreign aid. A report in this week’s Lancet suggests a carefully crafted mixture of approaches that does not involve treating all those without symptoms would bring great benefit for not much more than this—a peak of $22 billion in 2015, and a fall thereafter. Moreover, most of the extra spending would be offset by savings on the treatment of those who would have been infected, but were not—some 12m people, if the scientists have done their sums right. At $500 per person per year, the benefits would far outweigh the costs in purely economic terms: though donors will need to compare the gain from spending more on knocking out AIDS against other worthy causes, such as eliminating malaria (疟疾).[K] For the moment, the struggle is to stop some rich countries giving less. The Netherlands and Spain are cutting their contributions to the Global Fund, one of the two main distributors of the life-saving drugs, and Italy has stopped paying altogether. On June 8th the United Nations meets to discuss what to do next. Those who see the UN as a mere talking-shop should remember that its first meeting on AIDS launched the Global Fund. It is still a long haul. But AIDS can be beaten. A plague that 30 years ago was blamed on man’s wickedness has ended up showing him in a better, more inventive and generous light.
37．If the anti-AIDS drugs can stop AIDS from transmitting, the wipe-out of the plague will be out of question.
正确答案：C
解析：本题既包含关于抗艾研究的进展情况，也含有对抗艾未来发展的展望，根据stop…from transmitting，wipe-out of the plague可定位至C段。

C段第1句提到治疗艾滋病的药物有望阻止艾滋病的传播，第2句又接着说如果这是真的话，那么这一药物就几乎能够达到疫苗的效果，第3句接着说wipe out the plague，也就是说可以彻底根除疫情，本题是对C段的概括总结。

38．Activists forced the drug institutions not only to create new drugs but also to lower the drug price.
正确答案：E
解析：本题讲的是有关抗艾药物价格下降的情况，由activists和lower the drug price可以定位到E段第2句。

该句提到行动主义者在成功说服制药公司研发新药物后，胁迫其降价。

题目意思与本句相符，题中force对应原文persuade，而drug institutions和lower the drug price则分别对应drug companies和drop the price。

39．People used to blame scientists for paying more attention to preventing the spread of AIDs than treating patients infected with it.
正确答案：H
解析：本题涉及科学家过去抗艾工作中的侧重点，根据scientists，preventing the spread，treating patients infected可定位到H段第1句，题中used to对应原文in the early days，而blame和paying more attention to则分别对应attacked和being more concerned with，本题是对H段第1句的归纳。

40．AIDS was first discovered by American scientists about some thirty years ago.
正确答案：A
解析：本题有关艾滋病的历史，文中只在前三段提到艾滋病的历史，由first discovered和thirty years ago可以定位到A段。

该段提到，1981年6月，艾滋病一开始被当作一种不同寻常的肺炎病毒而见诸报道，与本题相符，本题信息是对A段的归纳。

41．Even though drugs with amazing effect appeared in 1990s, they were too expensive for most patients to afford.
正确答案：D
解析：本题涉及治疗艾滋病的药物，由appeared in 1990s和too expensive可以定位到D段。

该段第3句提及在1996年，一系列药物几乎同时出现，第4句接着说这些药物效果惊人，但前提是患者能够负担得起每年1．5万美元的治疗费，本题是对D段最后两句的概括。