2013年12月大学英语四级阅读理解冲刺试卷（二）
2013年12月英语四级阅读理解题
（一）As she walked round the huge department store,Edith reflected how difficult it was to choose a suitable Christmas present for her father.She wish that he was as easy to please as her mother, who was always delighted with perfume Besides,shoppong at this time of the year was a most disgreeableexperience :people trod on your toes,poked you with their elbows and almost knocked you overin their haste to get to a bargain ahead of you.Partly to have a rest, Edith paused in front of a counter where some attracive ties were on display. "They are real silk," the assistant assured her, trying to tempt her. "Worth double the price." But edit knew from past experience that her choice of ties hardly ever pleased her father.She moved on reluctantly and then quite by chance, stopped where a small crowd of man had gathered round a counter. She found some good quality pipes on sale-----and the prices were very reasonable. Edith did not hesitate for long : although her father only smoked a pipe occasionally, she knew that this was a present which was bund to please him.When she got home,with her small well-chosen present concealed in her handbag, her parents were already at the supper table. Her mother was in an especially cheerful mood, "Your father has at last to decided to stop smoking." She informed her daughter.1.Edith's father _______.a.did not like presentb.never got presentc.preferred tiesd.was difficult to choose a present for2.The assistant spoke to Edith because she seemed_______.a.attractiveb.interested in tiesc.tiredd.in need of comfort3.Edith stopped at the next counter_________.a.puroselyb.suddenlyc.unwillinglyd.accidentally4.Edith's father smoked a pipe_______.a.when he was obligedb.on social occasionsc.from time to timed.when he was delighted5.Shopping was very disagreeable at that time of the year because_______.a.coustomers trod on each other's toesb.coustomers poked each other with their elbowsc.customers knocked each otherd.customers were doing their shopping in a great hurry（二）There are people in Italy who can’t stand soccer. Not all Canadians love hockey.A similar situation exists in America, where there are those individuals you may be one of them who yawn or even frown when somebody mentions baseball. ‘Baseball to them means boring hours watching grown men in funny tight outfits standing around in a field staring away while very little of anything happens.’① They tell you it’s a game better suited to the 19th century, slow, quiet, gentlemanly. These are the same people you may be one of them who love football because there’s the sport that glorifies “the hit”.By contrast, baseball seems abstract, cool, silent, still.On TV the game is fractured into a dozen perspectives, replays, close ups. The geometry of the game, however, is essential to understanding it. You will contemplate the game from one point as a painter does his subject; you may, of course, project yourself into the game. It is in this projection that the game affords so much space and time for involvement. The TV won’t do it for you.Take, for example, the third baseman. You sit behind the third base dugout and you watch him watching home plate. His legs are apart, knees flexed. His arms hang loose. He does a lot of this. The skeptic still cannot think of any other sports so still, so passive. ‘But watch what happens every time the pitcher throws: the third baseman goes up on his toes, flexes his arms or bring the glove to a point in front of him, takes a step right or left, backward or forward, perhaps he glances across the field to check his first baseman’s position.’② Suppose the pitch is a ball. “Nothing happened,” you say. “I could have had my eyes closed.”The skeptic and the innocent must play the game. And this involvement in the stands is no more intellectual than listening to music is. Watch the third baseman. Smooth the dirt in front of you with one foot; smooth the pocket in your glove; watch the eyes of the batter, the speed of the bat, the sound of horsehide on wood. If football is a symphony of movement and theatre, baseball is chamber music, a spacious interlocking of notes, chores and responses.1. The passage is mainly concerned with ______。
201312大学英语四级真题第二套(除听力部分)含全套答案
201312大学英语四级真题第二套（除听力部分）Many college students today own personal computers that cost anywhere from $1000 to perhaps $5000 or more. __26__, it is not uncommon for them to purchase __27__ costing another several hundred dollars. Twenty years ago, computers were __28__, but they were very large and extremely expensive. Few, if any. __29__ purchased computers for home use. Over the years, the price of the "guts" of a computer-its memory-has declined to less than a thousandth of the price per unit of memory that prevailed twenty years ago. This is the main reason why computers cost so much less today than they used to. Moreover. __30__ improvements have made it possible to __31__ memory circuitry that is small enough to fit into the portable personal computers that many of us own and use. __32__, as the price of computation has declined the average consumer and business have spentmore on purchasing computers.__33__ improved agricultural technology, hybrid(杂交) seeds. __34__ animal breeding, and so on have vastly increased the amount of output a typical farmer can produce. The prices of goods such as meats and grains have fallen sharply relative to the prices of most other goods and services. As agricultural prices have fallen, many households have decreased their total expenses on food. Even though the __35__ of a product purchased generally increases when its price falls, total expenses on it may decline.To get a sense of how women have progressed in science, take a quick tour of the physics department at the University of California, Berkeley. This is a storied place, the __36__ of some of the most important discoveries in modern science-starting with Ernest Lawrence's invention of the cyclotron (回旋加速器) in 1931. A generation ago, female faces were __37__ and, even today, visitors walking through the first floor of LeConte Hall will see a full corridor of exhibits __38__ the many distinguished physicists who made history here. __39__ all of them white males.But climb up to the third floor and you'll see a __40__ display. There, among the photos of current faculty members and students, are portraits of the __41__ head of the department, Marjorie Shapiro, and four other women whose research __42__ everything from the mechanics of the universe to the smallest particles of matter. A sixth woman was hired just two weeks ago. Although they're still only about 10 percent of the physics faculty,women are clearly a presence here. And the real __43__ may be in the smaller photos to the right: graduate and undergraduate students, about 20 percent of them female. Every year Berkeley sends its fresh female physics PhDs to the country's top universities. That makes Shapiro optimistic, but also __44__. "I believe things are getting better," she says, "but they're not getting better as __45__ as I would like."What does it take to be a well-trained nurse? The answer used to be two-year associate's or four-year bachelor's degree programs. But as the nursing shortage __36__ . a growing number of schools and hospitals are establishing "fast-track programs" that enable college graduates with no nursing __37__ to become registered nurses with only a year or so of __38__ training.In 1991. there were only 40 fast-track curricula; now there are more than 200. Typical is Columbia University's Entry to Practice program. Students earn their bachelor of science in nursing in a year. Those who stay on for an __39__ two years can earn a master's degree that __40__ them as nurse practitioners(执业护士) or clinical nurse specialists.Many students are recent __41__; others are career switchers. Rudy Guardron, 32, a 2004 graduate of Columbia's program, was a premedical student in college and then worked for a pharmaceutical (药物的) research company. At Columbia, he was __42__ as a nurse practitioner. "I saw that nurses were in high __43__ and it looked like a really good opportunity," he says. "Also. I didn't want to be in school for that long. "The fast-track trend fills a need, but it's also creating some __44__ between newcomers and veterans. "Nurses that are still at the bedside __45__ these kids with suspicion," says Linda Pellico, who has taught nursing at Yale University for 18 years. "They wonder, how can they do it quicker?" Theanswer is they don't.Is College a Worthy Investment?A) Why are we spending so much money on college? And why are we so unhappy about it? We all seem to agree that a college education is wonderful, and yet strangely we worry when we see families investing so much in this supposedly essential good. Maybe it's time to ask a question that seems almost sacrilegious (大不敬的): is all this investment in college education really worth it?B) The answer, I fear, is no. For an increasing number of kids, the extra time and money spent pursuing a college diploma will leave them worse off than they were before they set foot on campus.C) For my entire adult life, a good education has been the most important thing for middle-class households. My parents spent more educating my sister and me than they spent on their house, and they're not the only ones... and, of course, for an increasing number of families, most of the cost of their house is actually the cost of living in a good school district. Questioning the value of a college education seems a bit like questioning the value of happiness, or fun.D) The average price of all goods and services has risen about 50 percent. But the price of a college education has nearly doubled in that time. Is the education that today's students are getting twice as good? Are new workers twice as smart? Have they become somehow massively more expensive to educate?E) Perhaps a bit. Richard Vedder, an Ohio University economics professor, says, "I look at the data, and I see college costs rising faster than inflation up to the mid-1980s by 1 percent a year. Now I see them rising 3 to 4 percent a year over inflation. What has happened? The federal government has started dropping money out of airplanes. " Aid has increased, subsidized(补贴的) loans have become available, and "the universities have gotten the money." Economist Bryan Caplan, who is writing a book about education, agrees: "It's a giant waste of resources that will continue as long as the subsidies continue."F) Promotional literature for colleges and student loans often speaks of debt as an "investment in yourself." But an investment is supposed to generate income to pay off the loans. More than half of all recent graduates are unemployed or in jobs that do not require a degree, and the amount ofstudent-loan debt carried by households has increased more than five times since 1999. These graduates were told that a diploma was all they needed to succeed, but it won't even get them out of the spare bedroom at Mom and Dad's. For many, the most visible result of their four years is the loan payments, which now average hundreds of dollars a month on loan balances in the tens of thousands.G) It's true about the money-sort of. College graduates now make 80 percent more than people who have only a high-school diploma, and though there are no precise estimates, the wage premium (高出的部分) for an outstanding school seems to be even higher. But that's not true of every student. It's very easy to spend four years majoring in English literature and come out no more employable than you were before you went in. Conversely, chemical engineers straight out of school can easily make almost four times the wages of an entry-level high-school graduate.H) James Heckman, the Nobel Prize-winning economist, has examined how the returns on education break down for individuals with different backgrounds and levels of ability. "Even with these high prices, you're still finding a high return for individuals who are bright and motivated," he says. On the other hand, "if you're not college ready, then the answer is no, it's not worth it." Experts tend to agree that for the average student, college is still worth it today, but they also agree that the rapid increase in price is eating up more and more of the potential return. For borderline students, tuition(学费) rise can push those returns into negative territory.I) Everyone seems to agree that the government, and parents, should be rethinking how we invest in higher education and that employers need to rethink the increasing use of college degrees as crude screening tools for jobs that don't really require college skills. "Employers seeing a surplus of college graduates and looking to fill jobs are just adding that requirement." says Vedder. "In fact, a college degree becomes a job requirement for becoming a bar-tender."J) We have started to see some change on the finance side. A law passed in 2007 allows many students to cap their loan payment at 10 percent of their income and forgives any balance after 25 years. But of course, that doesn't control the cost of education! it just shifts it to taxpayers. It also encourages graduates to choose lower-paying careers, which reduces the financial return to education still further. "You're subsidizing people tobecome priests and poets and so forth," says Heckman. "You may think that's a good thing, or you may not." Either way it will be expensive for the government.K) What might be a lot cheaper is putting more kids to work. Caplan notes that work also builds valuable skills- probably more valuable for kids who don't naturally love sitting in a classroom. Heckman agrees wholeheartedly: "People are different, and those abilities can be shaped. That's what we've learned, and public policy should recognize that."L) Heckman would like to see more apprenticeship-style(学徒式) programs, where kids can learn in the workplace-learn not just specific job skills, but the kind of "soft skills," like getting to work on time and getting along with a team- that are crucial for career success. "It's about having mentors(指导者) and having workplace-based education," he says. "Time and again I've seen examples of this kind of program working."M) Ah, but how do we get there from here? With better public policy, hopefully, but also by making better individual decisions. "Historically markets have been able to handle these things," says Vedder. "and I think eventually markets will handle this one. If it doesn't improve soon, people are going to wake up and ask, 'Why am I going to college?'"46. Caplan suggests that kids who don't love school go to work.47. An increasing number of families spend more money on houses in a good school district.48. Subsidized loans to college students are a huge waste of money, according to one economist.49. More and more kids find they fare worse with a college diploma.50. For those who are not prepared for higher education, going to college is not worth it.51. Over the years the cost of a college education has increased almost by 100%.52. A law passed recently allows many students to pay no more than one tenth of their income for their college loans.53. Middle-class Americans have highly valued a good education.54. More kids should be encouraged to participate in programs where they can learn not only job skills but also social skills.55. Over fifty percent of recent college graduates remain unemployed or unable to find a suitable job.Passage One Questions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.A recent global survey of 2000 high-net-worth individuals found that 60% were not planning on a traditional retirement. Among US participants, 75% expected to continue working in some capacity even after stepping away from full-time jobs. "Many of these people made their wealth by doing something they're passionate (有激情的) about." says Daniel Egan, head of behavioral finance for Barclays Wealth Americas. "Given the choice, they prefer to continue working." Barclays calls these people "nevertirees." Unlike many Americans compelled into early retirement by company restrictions, the average nevertiree often has no one forcing his hand. If 106-year-old investor Irving Kahn, head of his own family firm, wants to keep coming to work every day. who's going to stop him? Seventy-eight-year-old Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's job security is guaranteed in the Constitution.It may seem that these elderly people are trying to cheat death. In fact, they are. And it's working. Howard Friedman, a professor at UC Riverside, found in his research that those who work hardest and are successful in their careers often live the longest lives. "People are generally being given bad advice to slow down, take it easy, stop worrying, and retire to Florida," he says. He described one study participant, still working at the age of 100, who was recently disappointed to see his son retire."We're beginning to see a change in how people view retirement," says George Leeson, co-director of the Institute of Population Ageing at Oxford. Where once retirement was seen as a brief reward after a long struggle through some miserable job, it is now akin (近似) to being cast aside. What Leeson terms "the Warren Buffett effect" is becoming more broadly appealing as individuals come to "view retirement as not simply being linked to economic productivity but also about contribution."Observers are split on whether this is a wholly good thing. On the one hand, companies and financial firms can benefit from the wisdom of a resilient(坚韧的) chief. On the other, the new generation can find it more difficult to advance-an argument that typically holds little sway to a nevertiree.56. What do we learn about the so-called "nevertirees"?A) They are passionate about making a fortune.B) They have no choice but to continue working.C) They love what they do and choose not to retire.D) They will not retire unless they are compelled to.57. What do Irving Kahn and Ruth Bader Ginsburg have in common?A) Neither of them is subject to forced retirement.B) Neither of them desires reward for their work.C) Both cling to their positions despite opposition.D) Both are capable of coping with heavy workloads.58. What is the finding of Howard Friedman's research?A) The harder you work, the bigger your fortune will be.B) The earlier you retire, the healthier you will be.C) Elderly people have to slow down to live longer.D) Working at an advanced age lengthens people's life.59. What is the traditional view of retirement according to the passage?A) It means a burden to the younger generation.B) It is a symbol of a mature and civilized society.C) It is a compensation for one's life-long hard work.D) It helps increase a nation's economic productivity.60. What do critics say about "nevertirees"?A) They are an obstacle to a company's development.B) They lack the creativity of the younger generation.C) They cannot work as efficiently as they used to.D) They prevent young people from getting ahead.Passage Two Questions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage. When we talk about Americans barely into adulthood who are saddled with unbearable levels of debt, the conversation is almost always about student loan debt. But there's a growing body of evidence suggesting that today's young adults are also drowning in credit-card debt and that many of them will take this debt to their graves.More than 20% overspent their income by more than $100 every single month. Since they haven't built up their credit histories yet, it's a safe bet that these young adults are paying relatively high interest rates on the resulting credit card debt.Although many young people blame "socializing" as a barrier to saving money, most of them aren't knocking back $20 drinks in trendy (时尚的) lounges. They're struggling with much more daily financial demands.To a disturbingly large extent, the young and the broke are relying on credit cards to make it until their next payday. This obviously isn't sustainable inthe long run. and it's going to put a huge drag on their spending power even after they reach their peak earning years, because they'll still be paying interest on that bottle of orange juice or box of spaghetti (意式面条) they bought a decade earlier.A new study out of Ohio State University found that young adults are accumulating credit card debt at a more rapid rate than other age groups, and that they're slower at paying it off. "If what we found continues to hold true, we may have more elderly people with substantial financial problems in the future," warns Lucia Dunn, professor of economics at Ohio State. "If our findings persist, we may be faced with a financial crisis among elderly people who can't pay off their credit cards."Dunn says a lot of these young people are never going to get out from under their credit card debt. "Many people are borrowing on credit cards so heavily that payoff rates at these levels are not sufficient to recover their credit card debt by the end of their life, which could have loss implications for the credit card issuing banks."61. What is the main idea of the first paragraph?A) Many young Americans will never be able to pay off their debts.B) Credit cards play an increasingly important role in college life.C) Credit cards are doing more harm than student loans.D) The American credit card system is under criticism.62. Why do young people have to pay a higher interest on their credit card debt?A) They tend to forget about the deadlines. B) They haven't developed a credit history.C) They are often unable to pay back in time. D) They are inexperienced in managing money.63. What is said to be the consequence of young adults relying on credit cards to make ends meet?A) It will place an unnecessary burden on society.B) It will give them no motivation to work hard.C) It will exert psychological pressure on them.D) It will affect their future spending power.64. What will happen to young adults if their credit card debt keeps accumulating according to Lucia Dunn?A) They will have to pay an increasingly higher interest rate.B) They may experience a financial crisis in their old age.C) Their quality of life will be affected.D) Their credit cards may be cancelled.65. What does Lucia Dunn think might be a risk for the credit card issuing banks?A) They go bankrupt as a result of over-lending.B) They lose large numbers of their regular clients.C) Their clients leave their debts unpaid upon death.D) Their interest rates have to be reduced now and then.中国结(the Chinese knot)最初是由手工艺人发明的，经过数百年不断的改进.已经成为一种优雅多彩的艺术和工艺。
2013年12月四级考试真题(第二套)
2013年12月四级考试真题（第二套）Part IIIReading ComprehensionSection 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 thebank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item onAnswer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of thewords in the bank more than once.Questions 36 to 45 are based on the following passage.题源分析结构剖析词汇分类试题精解词汇点拨题目解析36. O) worsens先来分析句子结构和词性，36题位于as引导的原因状语从句里，这句话缺少谓语动词，因此36空填一个用作谓语的动词，这个从句后面的主句是现在时态，而且这个从句的主语（nursing shortage）是单数，36空应该填一个第三人称单数、现在时的动词，应该从F(explores)、G(graduates)、J(qualifies)、O(worsens)里挑选。
再来分析句子意思和逻辑关系，“因为缺少护士这一情况_____，越来越多的学校和医院都建立了‘快速通道’来加快对护士的培养。
[全]2013年12月大学英语四级考试真题及答案（汇总共三套）--第二套
![[全]2013年12月大学英语四级考试真题及答案（汇总共三套）--第二套](https://img.taocdn.com/s3/m/26bad609fbd6195f312b3169a45177232f60e433.png)
2013年12月大学英语四级考试真题(二)Part 1 writin g (30 minute s)Direct ions:For this part, you are allowe d 30 minute s to write a shortessay b asedon the pictur e below. You should startyour essaywith a briefaccoun t of the increa singuse of the mobile phonein people’s life and then explai n the conse q u ence s of overus ing it.You should writeat leastIW wordsbut no more than 180 words .People are crossi ng the street lookin g at theircell phones and usingwalki n g sticks in orderto see.Part 2 Listen ing Compre hensi on (30 minute s)Section ADirect ions： In this sectio n, you will hear 8 shortconver satio ns and 2 long conver satio ns. At the end of each conver satio n, one or more questi ons will be asked a boutwhat was said. Both the conver satio n and the questi ons will be spoken only once. Aftereach questi on therewill be a pause. During the pause,you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D), and decide whichthe best answer is. Then mark the corres pondi ng letter o" Answer Sheet 1 with a single line throug h the centr e.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
2013年12月大学英语四级考试阅读理解真题及答案详解(全套)
2013年12月大学英语四级考试阅读理解真题及答案（全套）幸福就好我亦安2013年12月大学英语四级考试阅读理解真题(一)【阅读】Sectio n CDirectio ns : There are 2 passages in this sect ion. Each passage is followed by some questi ons or unfini shed stateme nts. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresp onding letter on An swer Sheet 2 with a sin gle line through the cen tre.Passage OneQuesti ons 56 to 60 are based on the follow ing passage.In recent years, a growing body of research has shown that our appetite and food in take are in flue need by a large nu mber of factors besides our biological n eed forenergy, including our eating environment and our perception of the food in front of us.Studies have show n, for in sta nee, that eati ng in front of the TV (or a similardistract ion) can in crease both hun ger and the amount of food con sumed. Even simplevisual cues, like plate size and light ing, have bee n show n to affect portion size and con sumpti on.A new study suggested that our short-term memoryalso mayplay a role in appetite. Several hours after a meal, people's hunger levels were predicted not by how much they ' d eaten but rather by how much food they'd seen in front of them —in other words, how much they remembered eati ng.This disparity (盖弃) suggests the memory of our previous meal may have a bigger in flue nee on our appetite tha n the actual size of the meal, says Jeffrey M. Brun strom, a professor of experime ntal psychology at the Uni versity of Bristol."Hun ger isn't con trolled solely by the physical characteristics of a recent meal. Wehave identified an independent role for memory for that meal，" Brunstrom says."This shows that the relati on ship betwee n hun ger and food in take is more complex than we thought."These findings echo earlier research that suggests our percepti on of food can sometimes trick our body' s response to the food itself. In a 2011 study, for instanee, people who drank the same3S0-calorie (卡路里)milkshake on two separate occasions produced different levels of hunger-related hormones (荷尔蒙),depending on whetherthe shake' s label said it contained 620 or 140 calories. Moreover, the participants reported feeling more full when they thought they'd consumed a higher-calorie shake.What does this mean for our eat ing habits? Although it hardly seems practical to trick ourselves into eati ng less, the new findings do highlight the ben efits offocus ing on our food and avoidi ng TV and multitask ing while eat ing.The so-called min dful-eat ing strategies can fight distract ions and help us con trol our appetite, Brun strom says.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
2013年12月大学英语六级真题试卷(二)(题后含答案及解析)
2013年12月大学英语六级真题试卷（二）(题后含答案及解析)题型有：1. Writing 2. Listening Comprehension 3. 4. Reading Comprehension 5. TranslationPart I Writing1．For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay about the impact of the information explosion by referring to the saying “A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention. “ You can give examples to illustrate your point and then explain what you can do to avoid being distracted by irrelevant information. You should write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.正确答案：Ways to Get Over Information Explosion As a popular saying goes, “A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.”Nowadays we are in an era of information explosion. More and more people complain that they are lost in the information age. Admittedly, no one can deny the fact that the new information age has brought us so much convenience that we are allowed to get plenty of information just with a simple click sitting in front of the computers. Nevertheless, we are also confused, annoyed, distracted and upset by an incredibly large quantity of information. For example, when searching for something online, people are easily misguided by irrelevant information and forget their original plan. Besides, some information often turns out to be useless. Therefore, it may be time-consuming and troublesome to search information online. Then what can we do to avoid being distracted by irrelevant information? Here are some useful tips: Firstly, make a list of what you really want before your searching. You can avoid some appealing, yet irrelevant information by this way. Then, find some credible and professional sources or websites and then save and categorize them. In this case, you can easily leave some advertisements and useless information behind.Part II Listening ComprehensionSection A听力原文：W: Has my order arrived yet? I have been expecting it last week. M: I called the company this morning. They had some labor problems, so your order will be shipped late. It should be here by the end of the week. Q: What has caused the delay of the shipment?2．A．Labor problems.B．Weather conditions.C．An error in the order.D．Misplacing of goods.正确答案：A解析：事实细节题。
2013年12月英语四级考试真题及答案(第二套)
2013年12月英语四级考试真题及答案(第二套)Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay. You should start your essay with a brief account of the increasing use of the mobile phone in people's life and then explain the consequences of overusing it. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.注意：此部分试题在答题卡1上。
______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________PartⅡListening Comprehension(30 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 is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1with a single line through the centre.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
2013年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读习题及答案(2)
We find that bright children are rarely held back by mixed-ability teaching. Onthe contrary, both their knowledge and experience are enriched. We feel thatthere are many disadvantages in streaming(委......梓嬬薦蛍萎) pupils. It doesnot take into account the fact that children develop at different rates. It canhave a bad effect on both the bright and the not-so-bright child. After all, itcan be quite discouraging to be at the bottom of the top grade!Besides, it is rather unreal tograde people just according to their intellectual ability. This isonly one aspect of their totalpersonality. We are concerned to develop the abilities of all our pupils to thefull, not just their academic ability. We also value personal qualities andsocial skills, and we find that mixed-ability teaching contributes to all theseaspects of learning.In our classrooms, we work invarious ways. The pupils often work in groups: this gives them the opportunityto learn to co-operate, to share, and to develop leadership skills. They alsolearn how to cope with personal problems as well as learning how to think, tomake decisions, to analyse and evaluate, and to communicate effectively. Thepupils learn from each other as well as from the teacher.Sometimes the pupils work inpairs; sometimes they work on individual tasks and assignments, and they can dothis at their own speed. They also have some formal class teaching when this isappropriate. We encourage our pupils to use the library, and we teach them theskills they need in order to do this efficiently. An advanced pupil can doadvanced work: it does not matter what age the child is. We expect our pupilsto do their best, not their least, and we give them every encouragement toattain this goal.1. In the passage the author's attitude towards"mixed-ability teaching" is_______ .A) critical B)questioningC) approving D)objective2. By "held back" (Line I) the authormeans ______ .A) made to remain in the same classesB) forced to study in the lower classesC) drawn to their studiesD) prevented from advancing3. The author argues that a teacher's chief concernshould be the development of thestudent's _______ .A) personal qualities and social skillsB) total personalityC) learning ability and communicative skillsD) intellectual ability4. Which of the following is NOT MENTIONED in thethird paragraph?A) Group work gives pupils the opportunity tolearn to work together with others.B) Pupils also learn to develop their reasoningabilities.C) Group work provides pupils with theopportunity to learn to be capable organizers.D) Pupils also learn how to participate inteaching activities.5. The author's purpose in writing this passage isto _______ .A) argue for teaching bright andnot-so-bright pupils in the same classB) recommend pair work and group work forclassroom activitiesC) offer advice on the proper use of thelibraryD) emphasize the importance of appropriateformal classroom teaching園辞容呪・。
2013年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读习题
2013年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读习题（一）Judging from recent surveys,most experts in sleep behavior agree that there is virtually an epidemic (流行病) of sleepiness in the nation. “I can't think of a single study that hasn't found Americans getting less sleep than they ought to,” says Dr. David. Even people who think they are sleeping enough would probably be better off with more rest.The beginning of our sleep-deficit (睡眠不足) crisis can betraced to the invention of the light bulb a century ago. From diary entries and other personal accounts from the 18th and 19th centuries, sleep scientists have reached the conclusion that the average person used to sleep about 9.5 hours anight. “The best sleep habits once were forced on us, when we had nothing to do in the evening down on t he farm, and it was dark.” By the 1950s and 1960s, that sleep schedule had been reduced dramatically, to between 7.5 and eight hours,and most people had to wake to an alarm clock. “People cheat on their sleep,and they don't even realize they're doing it,” says Dr. David. "They think they're okay because they can get by on 6.5hours, when they really need 7.5, eight or even more to feel ideally vigorous."Perhaps the most merciless robber of sleep,researchers say, is the complexity of the day. Whenever pressures from work,family, friends and community mount, many people consider sleep the least expensive item on his programme. 'In our society, you're considered dynamic if you say you only need 5.5 hours' sleep. If you've got to get 8.5 hours, people think you lack drive and ambition."To determine the consequences of sleep deficit,researchers have put subjects through a set of psychological and performance tests requiring them, for instance, to add columns of numbers or recall a passage read to them only minutes earlier. "We've found that if you're in sleep deficit, performance suffers," says Dr. David. “Short-term memory is weakened, as are abilities to make decisions and to concentrate.”1. People in the 18th and 19th centuries used to sleep about 9.5 hoursa night because theyhad _______ .A) no drive and ambition B) noelectric lightingC) the best sleep habits D)nothing to do in the evening2. According to Dr. David, Americans _______ .A) are ideally vigorous even under the pressure of lifeB) of ienneglect the consequences of sleep deficitC) do not know how to relax themselves properlyD) can get by on 6.5 hours of sleep3. Many Americans believe that _______ .A) sleep is the first thing that can be sacrificed when one is busyB) they need more sleep to cope with the complexities of everyday lifeC) to sleep is something one can do at any time of the dayD) enough sleep promotes people's drive and ambition4. The word “subjects” (Line 1, Para. 4) refers to______ .A) the performance tests used in the study of sleep deficitB) special branches of knowledge that are being studiedC) people whose behavior or reactions are being studiedD) the psychological consequences of sleep deficit5. It can be concluded from the passage that one should sleep as many hours as is necessary to ______ .A) improve one's memory dramaticallyB) be considered dynamic by other peopleC) maintain one's daily scheduleD) feel energetic and perform adequately2013年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读习题（二）We find that bright children are rarely held back by mixed-ability teaching. Onthe contrary, both their knowledge and experience are enriched. We feel thatthere are many disadvantages in streaming(把......按能力分班) pupils. It doesnot take into account the fact that children develop at different rates. It canhave a bad effect on both the bright and the not-so-bright child. After all, itcan be quite discouraging to be at the bottom of the top grade!Besides, it is rather unreal tograde people just according to their intellectual ability. This isonly one aspect of their totalpersonality. We are concerned to develop the abilities of all our pupils to thefull, not just their academic ability. We also value personal qualities andsocial skills, and we find that mixed-ability teaching contributes to all theseaspects of learning.In our classrooms, we work invarious ways. The pupils often work in groups: this gives them the opportunityto learn to co-operate, to share, and to develop leadership skills. They alsolearn how to cope with personal problems as well as learning how to think, tomake decisions, to analyse and evaluate, and to communicate effectively. Thepupils learn from each other as well as from the teacher.Sometimes the pupils work inpairs; sometimes they work on individual tasks and assignments, and they can dothis at their own speed. They also have some formal class teaching when this isappropriate. We encourage our pupils to use the library, and we teach them theskills they need in order to do this efficiently. An advanced pupil can doadvanced work: it does not matter what age the child is. We expect our pupilsto do their best, not their least, and we give them every encouragement toattain this goal.1. In the passage the author's attitude towards"mixed-ability teaching" is _______ .A) critical B)questioningC) approving D)objective2. By "held back" (Line I) the authormeans ______ .A) made to remain in the same classesB) forced to study in the lower classesC) drawn to their studiesD) prevented from advancing3. The author argues that a teacher's chief concernshould be the development of thestudent's _______ .A) personal qualities and social skillsB) total personalityC) learning ability and communicative skillsD) intellectual ability4. Which of the following is NOT MENTIONED in thethird paragraph?A) Group work gives pupils the opportunity tolearn to work together with others.B) Pupils also learn to develop their reasoningabilities.C) Group work provides pupils with theopportunity to learn to be capable organizers.D) Pupils also learn how to participate inteaching activities.5. The author's purpose in writing this passage isto _______ .A) argue for teaching bright andnot-so-bright pupils in the same classB) recommend pair work and group work forclassroom activitiesC) offer advice on the proper use of thelibraryD) emphasize the importance of appropriateformal classroom teaching2013年12月大学英语四级仔细阅读习题（三）What has thetelephone done to us, or for us, in the hundred years of its existence? A feweffects suggest themselves at once. It has saved lives by getting rapid word ofillness, injury, or fire from remote places. By joining with the elevator tomake possible the multi-story residence or office building, it has madepossible for better or worse -- the modem city. By bringing about a great leapin the speed and ease with which information moves from place to place, it hasgreatly accelerated the rate of scientific and technological changes and growthin industry. Beyond doubt it has seriously weakened if not killed the ancientart of letter writing. It has made living alone possible for persons withnormal social impulses (冲动) ; by so doing, it has played a role in one of thegreatest social changes of this century, the breakup of the multi-generationalhousehold. It has made the war chillingly more efficient than formerly.Perhaps, though not provably, it has prevented wars that might have arisen outof intemational misunderstanding caused by written communication. Or perhaps―again not provably―by magnifying (扩大) and extendingirrational personal conflicts based on voice contact, it hascaused wars.Certainly it has extended the scope of human conflicts, since it impartially (不偏不倚) disseminates (传播)the useful knowledge of scientists andthe nonsense of the ignorant, the affection of the affectionate and the malice (恶意) of the malicious.1. What is the main idea of this passage?A) Thetelephone has helped to save people from illness and fire.B) Thetelephone has helped to prevent wars and conflicts.C) Thetelephone has made the modern city neither better nor worse.D) Thetelephone has had positive as well as negative effects on us.2. According to the passage, it is the telephonethat _______ .A) has madeletter writing an artB) hasprevented wars by avoiding written communicationC) has madethe world different from what it wasD) hascaused wars by magnifying and extending human conflicts3. The telephone hasintensified conflicts among people because ______ .A) itincreases the danger of warB) itprovides services to both the good and the maliciousC) it makesdistant communication easierD) it breaksup the multi-generational household4. The author describes thetelephone as impartial because it _______ .A) saveslives of people in remote placesB) enablespeople to live alone if they want toC) spreadsboth love and ill willD) replacesmuch written communication5. The writer's attitudetowards the use of the telephone is _______A) affectionate B)disapprovingC) approving D)neutralIt is hard to predict howscience is going to turn out, and if it is really good science it is impossibleto predict. If the things to be found are actually new, they are by definitionunknown in advance. You cannot make choices in this matter. You either havescience or you don't, and if you have it you are obliged to accept thesurprising and disturbing pieces of information, along with the neat andpromptly useful bits.The only solid piece ofscientific truth about which I feel totally confident is that we are profoundlyignorant about nature. Indeed, I regard this as the major discovery of the pasthundred years of biology. It is, in its way, an illuminating (启发) piece of news.It would have amazed the brightest minds of the 18th century Enlightenment (启蒙运动) to be told byany of us how little we know and how bewildering (迷惑) seems the wayahead. It is this sudden confrontation (对抗) with the depth and scopeof ignorance that represents the most significant contribution of the 20th centuryscience to the human intellect. In earlier times, weeither pretended tounderstand how things worked or ignored the problem, or simply made up storiesto fill the gaps. Now that we have begun exploring in earnest, we are gettingglimpses of how huge the questions are, and how far from being answered.Because of this, we are depressed. It is not so bad being ignorant if you aretotally ignorant; the hard thing is knowing in some detail the reality ofignorance, the worst spots and here and there the not-so-bad spots, but no truelight at the end of the tunnel nor even any tunnels that can yet be trusted.But we are making abeginning, and there ought to be some satisfaction. There are probably noquestions we can think up that can't be answered, sooner or later, includingeven the matter of consciousness. To be sure, there may well be questions wecan't think up, ever, and therefore limits to the reach of human intellect, butthat is another matter. Within our limits, we should be able to work our waythrough to all our answers, if we keep at it long enough, and pay attention.1. According to the author, really good science_______ .A) wouldsurprise the brightest minds of the 18th century EnlightenmentB) willproduce results which cannot be foreseenC) will helppeople to make the right choice in advanceD) willbring about disturbing results2. It can be inferred from the passage thatscientists of the 18th century .A) thought that they knew a great deal andcould solve most problems of scienceB) wereafraid of facing up to the realities of scientific researchC) knew thatthey were ignorant and wanted to know more about natureD) did moreharm than good in promoting man's understanding of nature3. Which of thefollowing statemcnts is NOT true of scientists in earlier times?A) Theyinvented false theories to explain things they didn't understand.B) Theyfalsely claimed to know all about nature.C) They didnot believe in results from scientific observation.D) They paidlittle attention to the problems they didn't understand.4. What is theauthor's attitude towards science?A) He isdepressed because of the ignorance of scientists.B) He isdoubtful because of the enormous difficulties confronting it.C) He is confidentthough he is aware of the enormous difficulties confronting it.D) He is delighted because of theilluminating scientific findings.5. The authorbelieves that ______ .A) man canfind solutions to whatever questions concerning nature he can think upB) man can not solve all the problems he canthink up because of the limits of human intellectC) sooner or later man canthink up all the questions concerning nature and answer themD) questions concerningconsciousness are outside the scope of scientific research1．B答案见第2段第1句。
2013年12月英语四级真题答案及解析完整版
作文部分：范文一： The modern technology has greatly altered the mode of communication among people. With the help of the Internet, people can easily contact each other anytime anywhere. However, the side effect is that many people have become over-dependent on the Internet and neglected face-to-face communication.As far as I'm concerned, electronic communication cannot fully replace the direct contact among people. Although it seems to bring everyone together, it actually estranges people and decreases the effectiveness of communication. A typical example is that, traditionally, people working in the same office simply walk to others and talk. Today, however, co-workers tend to send e-mails or instant messages through the Internet even when they are sitting next to each other. As words can never convey the full message, it usually takes much more time and rounds of conversation than face-to-face communication, in which people can discuss more directly with less loss of information.To conclude, the Internet enables more effective communication in some situations, but over-dependence on it actually pulls people apart.范文二：It is frequently observed that many people keep looking down at their mobile phones whatever they are doing. It is true that mobile phones have brought great convenience to us as we can send short messages, check e-mails, surf the Internet, or watch videos almost anywhere. However, the overuse of mobile phones also leads to some serious problems.The over-dependence on mobile phones can harm the relationship among friends and family. With mobile phones, people do not talk as much as before. For example, sometimes at dinner tables, instead of chatting and laughing with each other, many people choose to chat with other friends online. In other words, mobile phones help people contacting friends far away more easily at the expense of reducing the communication with those who are sitting right next to them.In conclusion, mobile phone can be a useful tool in modern life, but overusing it damages interpersonal relationship. There is no point to lose our intimacy with friends and family to modern technology.范文三：The impact of the Internet on learningExplain why education doesn’t simply mean learning to obtain informationIn the age of knowledge explosion, the Internet opens a magical portal for leaners to get access to seemingly incessant information. But is information equal to knowledge? “Once I learn how to use google, isn't that all the education I really need?” This question fully embodies the prejudiced opinion that as long as people acquire abundant information, they will get proper education.The rea son why education doesn’t simply mean learning to obtain information is that education is not limited to the hard facts or theories students can learn from their textbooks or the Internet. It relates to a wider scope ranging from the obtainment of practical skills to the development of characters, which are hard for students to learn simply by googling. Consequently, comprehensive learning in schools that includes learning knowledge, conducting experiments and communicating with peers is what true education is.In a word, the Internet does provide valuable information for learners, but people should be fully conscious of the essence of education and learn to tell the right from the wrong.听力部分：1. C. Consult a travel agent.2. A. They are on a long trip by car.3. C. He is unwilling to speak in public.4. B. Purse further education.5. A. He would not be available to start the job in time.6. B. Mechanic.7. D. Ask Laura to put off the cleaning until another week.8. A. A problem caused by the construction.9. C. To place an order for some products.10. A. The person in charge is not in the office.11. B. 0734, 21653 extension 51.12. B. Since he took to heavy smoking.13. A. He is getting too fat.14. D. They dislike doing physical exercise.15. C. To find a girlfriend.16-19音频无。
2013年12月大学英语四级阅读理解(附答案解析)
2014年6月大学英语四级阅读理解新题型匹配练习题练习1Part ⅢReading Comprehension （40 minutes)Section B（原快速阅读理解调整为长篇阅读理解，篇章长度和难度不变。
篇章后附有10个句子，每句一题。
每句所含的信息出自篇章的某一段落，要求考生找出与每句所含信息相匹配的段落.)Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it。
Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs。
Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter。
Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.How to Make Peace with Your Workload[A] Swamped (忙碌的）,under the gun， just struggling to stay above water...; whatever office cliche you employ to depict it，we”ve all been in that situation where we feel like we might be swallowed up by our workload. Nonetheless many a way may be used to manage your to—do list to prevent feeling overwhelmed。
2013年12月大学英语四级真题试卷第二套+详细解答+听力原文
2013年12月大学英语四级真题试卷（二）全部题型 1.Writing2.Listening Comprehension3. 4.Reading Com prehension5.TranslationPart I Writing1．For this part,you are allowed30minutes to write a short essay based on the picture below.You should start your essay with a brief account of the increasing use of the mobile phone in people's life and then explain the consequences of overusing it.You should write at least120words but no more than180words.People are crossing the street looking at their cell phones and using walking sticks in order to see.Part II Listening ComprehensionSection A2．A．Go to a place he has visited.B．Make her own arrangements.C．Consult a travel agent.D．Join in a package tour.3．A．They are on a long trip by car.B．They are stuck in a traffic jam.C．They are used to getting up early.D．They are tired of eating out at night.4．A．He is a person difficult to deal with.B．He dislikes any formal gathering.C．He is unwilling to speak in public.D．He often keeps a distance from others.5．A．Work in another department.B．Pursue further education.C．Recruit graduate students.D．Take an administrative job.6．A．He would not be available to start the job in time. B．He is not quite qualified for the art director position. C．He would like to leave some more time for himself.D．He will get his application letter ready before May1.7．A．Cleaner.B．Mechanic.C．Porter.D．Salesman.8．A．Request one or two roommates to do the cleaning.B．Help Laura with her term paper due this weekend. C．Get Laura to clean the apartment herself this time. D．Ask Laura to put off the cleaning until another week. 9．A．A problem caused by the construction. B．An accident that occurred on the bridge.C．The building project they are working on. D．The public transportation conditions.10．A．To look for a job as a salesperson. B．To have a talk with Miss Thompson.C．To place an order for some products.D．To complain about a faulty appliance.11．A．The person in charge is not in the office. B．The supplies are out of stock for the moment. C．They failed to reach an agreement on the price. D．The company is re-cataloguing the items.12．A．0743,12536extension15.B．0734,21653extension51.C．0734,38750extension15.D．0743,62135extension51.13．A．Since he found a girlfriend.B．Since he took to heavy smoking.C．Since he began to exercise regularly.D．Since he started to live on his own.14．A．He is getting too fat.B．He smokes too much.C．He doesn't eat vegetables.D．He doesn't look well at all.15．A．They are overweight for their age.B．They are respectful to their parents.C．They are still in their early twenties.D．They dislike doing physical exercise.16．A．To quit smoking.B．To reduce his weight.C．To find a girlfriend.D．To follow her advice.Section B17．A．They have destroyed several small towns. B．They will soon spread to San Francisco.C．They have injured many residents.D．They are burning out of control.18．A．They have been hospitalized.B．They have got skin problems.C．They were Choked by the thick smoke.D．They were poisoned by the burning chemicals.19．A．It failed because of a sudden rocket explosion. B．It has been re-scheduled for a midday takeoff.C．It has been canceled due to technical problems.D．It was delayed for eleven hours and thirty minutes.A．They made frequent long-distance calls to each other. B．They illegally used government computers in New Jersey. C．They were found to be smarter than computer specialists. D．They were arrested for stealing government information.21．A．Peaceful.B．Considerate.C．Generous.D．Cooperative.22．A．Someone dumped the clothes left in the washer and dryer. B．Someone broke the washer and dryer by overloading them. C．Mindy Lance's laundry blocked the way to the laundry room. D．Mindy Lance threatened to take revenge On her neighbors.23．A．Asking the neighborhood committee for help. B．Limiting the amount of laundry for each wash.C．Informing the building manager of the matter.D．Installing a few more washers and dryers.24．A．She is both a popular and highly respected author. B．She is the most loved African novelist of all times.C．She is the most influential author since the1930's.D．She is the first writer to focus on the fate of slaves.25．A．The Book Critics Circle Award.B．The Nobel Prize for literature.C．The Pulitzer Prize for fiction.D．The National Book Award.A．She is a relative of Morrison's.B．She is a slave from Africa.C．She is a skilled storyteller.D．She is a black woman.Section CMany college students today own personal computers that cost anywhere from$1000to perhaps$5000or more.【B1】______,it is not uncommon for them to purchase【B2】_______costing another several hundred dollars.Twenty years ago,computers were【B3】______,but they were very large and extremely expensive.Few,if any,【B4】______purchased computers for home use.Over the years,the price of the"guts"Of a computer its memory—has declined to less than a thousandth of the price per unit of memory that prevailed twenty years ago.This is the main reason why computers cost so much less today than they used to.Moreover,【B5】______improvements have made it possible to 【B6】______memory circuitry that is small enough to fit into the portable personal computers that many of us own and use.【B7】______,as the price of computation has declined the average consumer and business have spent more on purchasing computers.【B8】______,improved agricultural technology,hybrid(杂交)seeds,【B9】______animal breeding,and so on have vastly increased the amount of output a typical farmer can produce.The prices of goods such as meats and grains have fallen sharply relative to the prices of most other goods and services.As agricultural prices have fallen,many households have decreased their total expenses on food.Even though the【B10】______of a product purchased generally increases when its price falls,total expenses on it may decline.27．【B1】28．【B2】29．【B3】30．【B4】31．【B5】32．【B6】33．【B7】34．【B8】35．【B9】36．【B10】Part III Reading ComprehensionSection ATo get a sense of how women have progressed in science,take a quick tour of the physics department at the University of California,Berkeley.This is a storied place,the【C1】______of some of the most important discoveries in modern science-starting with Ernest Lawrence's invention of the cyclotron(回旋加速器)in1931.A generation ago,female faces were【C2】______and,even today,visitors walking through the first floor of LeConte Hall will see a full corridor of exhibits【C3】______the many distinguished physicists who made history here,【C4】______all of them white males.But climb up to the third floor and you'll see a【C5】______display.There, among the photos of current faculty members and students,are portraits of the 【C6】______head of the department,Marjorie Shapiro,and four other women whose research【C7】______everything from the mechanics of the universe to the smallest particles of matter.A sixth woman was hired just two weeks ago. Although they're still only about10percent of the physics faculty,women areclearly a presence here.And the real【C8】______may be in the smaller photos to the right:graduate and undergraduate students,about20percent of them female.Every year Berkeley sends its fresh female physics PhDs to the country's top universities.That makes Shapiro optimistic,but also【C9】______."I believe things are getting better,"she says,"but they're not getting better as【C10】______as I would like."A)circumstance F)different K)presentlyB)confidence G)exposing L)rareC)covers H)fast M)realisticD)current I)honoring N)siteE)deals J)hope O)virtually37．【C1】38．【C2】39．【C3】40．【C4】41．【C5】42．【C6】43．【C7】44．【C8】45．【C9】46．【C10】Section BIs College a Worthy Investment?A)Why are we spending so much money on college?And why are we so unhappy about it?We all seem to agree that a college education is wonderful, and yet strangely we worry when we see families investing so much in this supposedly essential good.Maybe it's time to ask a question that seems almost sacrilegious(大不敬的):is all this investment in college education really worth it?B)The answer,I fear,is no.For an increasing number of kids,the extra time and money spent pursuing a college diploma will leave them worse off than they were before they set foot on campus.C)For my entire adult life,a good education has been the most important thing for middle-class households.My parents spent more educating my sister and me than they spent on their house,and they're not the only ones...and,of course,for an increasing number of families,most of the cost of their house is actually the cost of living in a good school district.Questioning the value of a college education seems a bit like questioning the value of happiness,or fun.D)The average price of all goods and services has risen about50percent.But the price of a college education has nearly doubled in that time.Is the education that today's students are getting twice as good?Are new workers twice as smart?Have they become somehow massively more expensive to educate? E)Perhaps a bit.Richard Vedder,an Ohio University economics professor,says, "I look at the data.and I see college costs rising faster than inflation up to the mid-1980s by1percent a year.Now I see them rising3to4percent a year over inflation.What has happened?The federal government has started dropping money out of airplanes."Aid has increased,subsidized(补贴的)loans have become available,and"the universities have gotten the money."Economist Bryan Caplan,who is writing a book about education,agrees:"It's a giant waste of resources that will continue as long as the subsidies continue."F)Promotional literature for colleges and student loans often speaks of debt as an"investment in yourself."But an investment is supposed to generate income to pay off the loans.More than half of all recent graduates are unemployed or in jobs that do not require a degree,and the amount of student-loan debt carried by households has increased more than five times since1999.These graduates were told that a diploma was all they needed to succeed,but it won't even get them out of the spare bedroom at Mom and Dad's.For many,the most visible result of their fouryears is the loan payments,which now average hundreds of dollars a month on loan balances in the tens of thousands.G)It's true about the money—sort of.College graduates now make80percent more than people who have only a high-school diploma,and though there are no precise estimates,the wage premium(高出的部分)for an outstanding school seems to be even higher.But that's not true of every student.It's very easy to spend four years majoring in English literature and come out no more employable than you were before you went in.Conversely,chemical engineers straight out of school can easily make almost four times the wages of an entry-level high-school graduate.H)James Heckman,the Nobel Prize-winning economist,has examined how the returns on education break down for individuals with different backgrounds and levels of ability."Even with these high prices,you're still finding a high return for individuals who are bright and motivated,"he says.On the other hand,"if you're not college ready,then the answer is no,it's not worth it."Experts tend to agree that for the average student,college is still worth it today,but they also agree that the rapid increase in price is eating up more and more of the potential return.For borderline students,tuition(学费)rise can push those returns into negative territory.I)Everyone seems to agree that the government,and parents,should be rethinking how we invest in higher education—and that employers need to rethink the increasing use of college degrees as crude screening tools for jobs that don't really require college skills."Employers seeing a surplus of college graduates and looking to fill jobs are just adding that requirement,"says Vedder. "In fact,a college degree becomes a job requirement for becoming abar-tender."J)We have started to see some change on the finance side.A law passed in2007 allows many students to cap their loan payment at10percent of their income and forgives any balance after25years.But of course,that doesn't control the cost of education;it just shifts it to taxpayers.It also encourages graduates to choose lower-paying careers,which reduces the financial return to education still further."You're subsidizing people to become priests and poets and so forth,"says Heckman."You may think that's a good thing,or you may not." Either way it will be expensive for the government.K)What might be a lot cheaper is putting more kids to work.Caplan notes that work also builds valuable skills—probably more valuable for kids who don't naturally love sitting in a classroom.Heckman agrees wholeheartedly:"People are different,and those abilities can be shaped.That's what we've learned,and public policy should recognize that."L)Heckman would like to see more apprenticeship-style(学徒式)programs, where kids can learn in the workplace—learn not just specific job skills,but thekind of"soft skills."like getting to work on time and getting along with a team, that are crucial for career success."It's about having mentors(指导者)and having workplace-based education,"he says."Time and again I've seen examples of this kind of program working."M)Ah,but how do we get there from here?With better public policy,hopefully, but also by making better individual decisions."Historically markets have been able to handle these things,"says Vedder."and I think eventually markets will handle this one.If it doesn't improve soon,people are going tp wake up and ask, 'Why am I going to college?'"47．Caplan suggests that kids who don't love school go to work.48．An increasing number of families spend more money on houses in a good school district.49．Subsidized loans to college students are a huge waste of money,according to one economist.50．More and more kids find they fare worse with a college diploma.51．For those who are not prepared for higher education,going to college is not worth it.52．Over the years the cost of a college education has increased almost by 100%.53．A law passed recently allows many students to pay no more than one tenth of their income for their college loans.54．Middle-class Americans have highly valued a good education. 55．More kids should be encouraged to participate in programs where they canlearn not only job skills but also social skills.56．Over fifty percent of recent college graduates remain unemployed or unable to find a suitable job.Section CA recent global survey of2000high-net-worth individuals found that60% were not planning on a traditional retirement.Among US participants,75% expected to continue working in some capacity even after stepping away from full-time jobs."Many of these people made their wealth by doing something they're passionate(有激情的)about,"says Daniel Egan,head of behavioral finance for Barclays Wealth Americas."Given the choice,they prefer to continue working."Barclays calls these people"nevertirees."Unlike many Americans compelled into early retirement by company restrictions,the average nevertiree often has no one forcing his hand.If106-year-old investor Irving Kahn,head of his own family firm,wants to keep coming to work every day,who's going to stop him?Seventy-eight-year-old Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's job security is guaranteed in the Constitution.It may seem that these elderly people are trying to cheat death.In fact,they are.And it's working,Howard Friedman,a professor at UC Riverside,found in his research that those who work hardest and are successful in their careers often live the longest lives."People are generally being given bad advice to slow down,take it easy,stop worrying,and retire to Florida,"he says.He described one study participant,still working at the age of100,who was recently disappointed to see his son retire."We're beginning to see a change in how people view retirement,"says George Leeson,co-director of the Institute of Population Ageing at Oxford. Where once retirement was seen as a brief reward after a long struggle through some miserable job,it is now akin(近似)to being cast aside.What Leeson terms "the Warren Buffett effect"is becoming more broadly appealing as individuals come to"view retirement as not simply being linked to economic productivity hut also about contribution."Observers are split on whether this is a wholly good thing.On the one hand,companies and financial firms can benefit from the wisdom of a resilient(坚韧的)chief.On the other,the new generation can find it more difficult to advance—an argument that typically holds little sway to a nevertiree.57．What do we learn about the so-called"nevertirees"?A．They are passionate about making a fortune,B．They have no choice but to continue working.C．They love what they do and choose not to retire.D．They will not retire unless they are compelled to.58．What do Irving Kahn and Ruth Bader Ginsburg have in common?A．Neither of them is subject to forced retirement. B．Neither of them desires reward for their work.C．Both cling to their positions despite opposition.D．Both are capable of coping with heavy workloads.59．What is the finding of Howard Friedman's research?A．The harder you work,the bigger your fortune will be. B．The earlier you retire,the healthier you will be.C．Elderly people have to slow down to live longer.D．Working at an advanced age lengthens people's life.60．What is the traditional view of retirement according to the passage?A．It means a burden to the younger generation.B．It is a symbol of a mature and civilized society.C．It is a compensation for one's life-long hard work.D．It helps increase a nation's economic productivity.61．What do critics say about"nevertirees"?A．They are an obstacle to a company's development.B．They lack the creativity of the younger generation.C．They cannot work as efficiently as they used to.D．They prevent young people from getting ahead.When we talk about Americans barely into adulthood who are saddled with unbearable levels of debt.the conversation is almost always about student loan debt.But there's a growing body of evidence suggesting that today's young adults are also drowning in credit-card debt—and that many of them will take this debt to their graves.More than20%overspent their income by more than$100every singlemonth.Since they haven't built up their credit histories yet.it's a safe bet that these young adults are paying relatively high interest rates on the resulting credit card debt.Although many young people blame"socializing"as a barrier to saving money,most of them aren't knocking back$20drinks in trendy(时尚的)lounges.They're struggling with much more daily financial demands.To a disturbingly large extent,the young and the broke are relying on credit cards to make it until their next payday.This obviously isn't sustainable in the long run.and it's going to put a huge drag on their spending power even after they reach their peak earning years,because they'll still be paying interest on that bottle of orange juice or box of spaghetti(意式面条)they bought a decade earlier.A new study out of Ohio State University found that young adults are accumulating credit card debt at a more rapid rate than other age groups,and that they're slower at paying it off."If what we found continues to hold true,we may have more elderly people with substantial financial problems in the future." warns Lucia Dunn,professor of economics at Ohio State."If our findings persist,we may be faced with a financial crisis among elderly people who can't pay off their credit cards."Dunn says a lot of these young people are never going to get out from under their credit card debt."Many people are borrowing on credit cards so heavily that payoff rates at these levels are not sufficient to recover their credit card debt by the end of their life,which could have loss implications for the credit card issuing banks."62．What is the main idea of the first paragraph?A．Many young Americans will never be able to pay off their debts. B．Credit cards play an increasingly important role in college life. C．Credit cards are doing more harm than student loans.D．The American credit card system is under criticism.63．Why do young people have to pay a higher interest on their credit card debt?A．They tend to forget about the deadlines.B．They haven't developed a credit history.C．They are often unable to pay back in time.D．They are inexperienced in managing money.64．What is said to be the consequence of young adults relying on credit cards to make ends meet?A．It will place an unnecessary burden on society.B．It will give them no motivation to work hard.C．It will exert psychological pressure on them.D．It will affect their future spending power.65．What will happen to young adults if their credit card debt keeps accumulating according to Lucia Dunn?A．They will have to pay an increasingly higher interest rate. B．They may experience a financial crisis in their old age.C．Their quality of life will be affected.D．Their credit cards may be cancelled.66．What does Lucia Dunn think might be a risk for the credit card issuing banks?A．They go bankrupt as a result of over-lending.B．They lose large numbers of their regular clients.C．Their clients leave their debts unpaid upon death.D．Their interest rates have to be reduced now and then.PartⅣTranslation67．中国结(the Chinese knot)最初是由手工艺人发明的，经过数百年不断的改进，已经成为一种优雅多彩的艺术和工艺。
2013年12月大学英语四级真题答案及解析(详解)
2013年英语四级完整版答案作文部分：范文一：The modern technology has greatly altered the mode of communication among p eople. With the help of the Internet, people can easily contact each other anytime any where. However, the side effect is that many people have become over-dependent on t he Internet and neglected face-to-face communication.As far as I'm concerned, electronic communication cannot fully replace the direct contact among people. Although it seems to bring everyone together, it actually estra nges people and decreases the effectiveness of communication. A typical example is t hat, traditionally, people working in the same office simply walk to others and talk. To day, however, co-workers tend to send e-mails or instant messages through the Interne t even when they are sitting next to each other. As words can never convey the full me ssage, it usually takes much more time and rounds of conversation than face-to-face c ommunication, in which people can discuss more directly with less loss of informatio n.To conclude, the Internet enables more effective communication in some situatio ns, but over-dependence on it actually pulls people apart.范文二：It is frequently observed that many people keep looking down at their mobile ph ones whatever they are doing. It is true that mobile phones have brought great conveni ence to us as we can send short messages, check e-mails, surf the Internet, or watch vi deos almost anywhere. However, the overuse of mobile phones also leads to some seri ous problems.The over-dependence on mobile phones can harm the relationship among friends and family. With mobile phones, people do not talk as much as before. For example, s ometimes at dinner tables, instead of chatting and laughing with each other, many peo ple choose to chat with other friends online. In other words, mobile phones help peopl e contacting friends far away more easily at theexpense of reducing the communicatio n with those who are sitting right next to them.In conclusion, mobile phone can be a useful tool in modern life, but overusing it damages interpersonal relationship. There is no point to lose our intimacy with friends and family to modern technology.范文三：The impact of the Internet on learningExplain why education doesn’t simply mean learning to obtain information In the age of knowledge explosion, the Internet opens a magical portal for leaner s to get access to seemingly incessant information. But is information equal to knowle dge? “Once I learn how to use google, isn't that all the education I really need?” This question fully embodies the prejudiced opinion that as long as people acquire abundan t information, they will get proper education.The reason why education doesn’t simply mean learning to obtain information is that education is not limited to the hard facts or theories students can learn from their t extbooks or the Internet. It relates to a wider scope ranging from the obtainment of pra ctical skills to the development of characters, which are hard for students to learn sim ply by googling. Consequently, comprehensive learning in schools that includes learni ng knowledge, conducting experiments and communicating with peers is what true ed ucation is.In a word, the Internet does provide valuable information for learners, but people should be fully conscious of the essence of education and learn to tell the right from t he wrong.听力部分：1. C. Consult a travel agent.2. A. They are on a long trip by car.3. C. He is unwilling to speak in public.4. B. Purse further education.5. A. He would not be available to start the job in time.6. B. Mechanic.7. D. Ask Laura to put off the cleaning until another week.8. A. A problem caused by the construction.9. C. To place an order for some products.10. A. The person in charge is not in the office.11. B. 0734, 21653 extension 51.12. B. Since he took to heavy smoking.13. A. He is getting too fat.14. D. They dislike doing physical exercise.15. C. To find a girlfriend.16-19音频无。
2013年12月大学英语四级考试真题（二）
2013年12⽉⼤学英语四级考试真题（⼆）2013年12⽉⼤学英语四级考试真题(⼆)Part 1 writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay based on the picture below. You should start your essay with a brief account of the increasing use of the mobile phone in people’s life and then explain the consequences of overusing it.You should write at least IW words but no more than 180 words.People are crossing the street looking at their cell phones and using walking sticks in order to see.Part 2 Listening Comprehension (30 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 o" Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
2013年12月英语六级阅读真题及答案（卷二）
2013年12月英语六级阅读真题及答案（卷二）Part3 Reading Comprehension (40 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 asking 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 36 to 45 are based on the following passage.To get a sense of how women have progressed in science, take a quick tour of the physics department at the University of California, Berkeley. This is a storied place, the 36 of some of the most important discoveries in modern science--- starting with Ernest Lawrence’s invention of the cyclotron (回旋加速器）in 1931.A generation ago, female faces were 37 and, even today, visitors walking through the first floor of LeConte Hall will see a full corridor of exhibits 38 the many distinguished physicists who made history here, 39 all of them white males.But climb up to the third floor and you’ll see a 40 display. There, among the photos of current faculty members and students, are portraits of the 41 head of the department, Marjorie Shapiro, and four other women whose research 42 everything from the mechanics of the universe to the smallest particles of matter.A sixth woman was hired just two weeks ago. Althoughthey're still only about 10 percent of the physics faculty, women are clearly a presence here. And the real 43 may be in the smaller photos to the right: graduate and undergraduate students, about 20 percent of them female. Every year Berkeley sends its fresh female physics PhDs to the country's top universities. That makes Shapiro optimistic, but also 44 "I believe things are getting better，" she says, "but they're not getting better as 45 as I would like."注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
2013年12月英语四级考试真题及答案(卷二)
It is frequently observed that many people keep looking down at their mobile phones whatever they are doing. It is true that mobile phones have brought great convenience to us as we can send short messages, check e-mails, surf the Internet, or watch videos almost anywhere. However, the overuse of mobile phones also leads to some serious problems.The over-dependence on mobile phones can harm the relationship among friends and family. With mobile phones, people do not talk as much as before. For example, sometimes at dinner tables, instead of chatting and laughing with each other, many people choose to chat with other friends online. In other words, mobile phones help people contacting friends far away more easily at the expense of reducing the communication with those who are sitting right next to them.In conclusion, mobile phone can be a useful tool in modern life, but overusing it damages interpersonal relationship. There is no point to lose our intimacy with friends and family to modern technology.点评：本题漫画探讨手机的广泛使用对人们生活的影响。
2013年12月14日大学英语四级阅读第二套标准答案(镐京版)
第一篇：关于饮食问题（food intake）首句：In recent years, a growing body of research has shown that our appetite and food intake are influenced by a large number of factors besides our biological need for energy, ……56. what is said to be a factor affecting our appetite and food intake?A. How we perceive the food we eatB. What ingredients the food containsC. When we eat our mealsD. How fast we eat our meals57. what would happen at meal time if you are remembered eating a lot in the pevious meal?A. You would probably be more picky about food.B. You would not feel like eating the same foodC. You would have a good appetiteD. You would not feel so hungry58. what do we learn from the 2011 study?A. Food labels may mislead consumers in the purchases.B. Food labels ma y influence our body’s response to foodC. Hunger levels depend on one’s consumption of caloriesD. People tend to take in a lot more calories than necessary.59. what does Brunstrom suggest we do to control our appetite?A. Trick ourselves into eating lessB. Choose food with fewer caloriesC. Concentrate on food while eatingD. Pick dishes of the right size60. what is the main idea of the passage?A. Eating distractions often affect our food degestionB. Psychological factors influence our hunger levelsC. Our food intake is determined by our biological needsD. Good eating habits will contribute to our health.答案：56. How we perceive the food we eat.57. You would not feel so hungry.58. Food labels may influence our body's response to food.59. Trick ourselves into eating less.60. Psychological factors influence our hunger levels.第二篇：孩子的教育问题（time and money spent on children’s educaiton）首句：As a society, we might want to rethink the time and money spent on education, so that these resources can benefit a greater percentage of the population.61. what kind of educaion does the author think is ideal?A. It benefits the great majority of the general population.B. It prepares students to meet the future needs of societyC. It encourages students to learn throughout their lives.D. It ensures that students’ expectations are successfully fulfilled62. what does the author say is the problem with the present high school educaion?A. Ignoring the needs of those who don’t go to collegeB. Teaching skills to be used right after graduation onlyC. Giving little attention to those having difficulty learningD. Creating the highest dropout rate in the developed world63. What characterizes a knowledge economy according to the passage?A. People have to receive higher educaion to qualify for the professional positionB. Students majoring in liberal arts usually have difficulty securing a jobC. New positons are constantly created that require people to keep learningD. Colleges find it hard to teach students how to cope with the changing economy64. what does the author think a liberal arts college should focus on?A. Solid background knowledge in a particular fieldB. Practical skills urgently needed in a current societyC. Basic skills needed for change and life-long learningD. Useful thinking skills for adavanced academic research65. What suggestion does the author offer to parents?A. Rethinking the value of higher educaionB. Investing wisely in their children’s educationC. Helping their children to bring their talent into full playD. Avoiding too much intervention on the children’s education.答案：61. It prepares students to meet the future needs of society.62. Creating the highest dropout rate in the developed world.63. New positions are constantly created that require people to keep learning.64. Basic skills needed for change and lifelong learning.65. Avoiding too much intervention in their children's education.。
2013年12月大学英语四级考试阅读理解真题及答案详解（全套）
2013年12月大学英语四级考试阅读理解真题及答案详解（全套）2013年12月大学英语四级考试阅读理解真题及答案（全套）——幸福就好我亦安2013年12月大学英语四级考试阅读理解真题（一）【阅读】Section CDirections：There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.In recent years, a growing body of research has shown that our appetite and food intake are influenced by a large number of factors besides our biological need for energy, including our eating environment and our perception of the food in front of us.Studies have shown, for instance, that eating in front of the TV (or a similar distraction) can increase both hunger and the amount of food consumed. Even simple visual cues, like plate size and lighting, have been shown to affect portion size and consumption.A new study suggested that our short-term memory also may play a role in appetite. Several hours after a meal, people's hunger levels were pre dicted not by how much they’d eaten but rather by how much food they'd seen in front of them—in other words, how much they remembered eating.This disparity (盖弃）suggests the memory of our previous meal may have a bigger influence on our appetite than the actual size of the meal, says Jeffrey M. Brunstrom, a professor of experimental psychology at the University of Bristol."Hunger isn't controlled solely by the physical characteristics of a recent meal. We have identified an independent role for memory for that meal，" Brunstrom says."This shows that the relationship between hunger and food intake is more complex than we thought."These findings echo earlier research that suggests our perception of food can sometimes trick our body’s response to the food itself. In a 2011 study, for instance, people who drank the same 3S0-calorie (卡路里）milkshake on two separate occasions produced different levels of hunger-related hormones （荷尔蒙），depending on whether the shake’s label said it contained 620 or 140 calories. Moreover, the participants reported feeling more full when they thought they'd consumed a higher-calorie shake.What does this mean for our eating habits? Although it hardly seems practical to trick ourselves into eating less, the new findings do highlight the benefits of focusing on our food and avoiding TV and multitasking while eating.The so-called mindful-eating strategies can fight distractions and help us control our appetite, Brunstrom says.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
2013年12月份六级考试长篇阅读%2B仔细阅读%2B答案
2013年12月份六级考试长篇阅读%2B仔细阅读%2B答案长篇阅读How to Make Attractive and Effective PowerPoint Presentations (1)A) Microsoft PowerPoint has dramatically changed the way in which academic and business presentations are made. This article outlines few tips on making more effective and attractive PowerPoint presentations.The TextB) Keep the wording clear and simple. Use active, visual language. Cut unnecessary words—a good rule of thumb is to cut paragraphs down to sentences, sentences into phrases, and phrases into key words.Limit the number of words and lines per slide. Try the Rule of Five-five words per line, five lines per slide. If too much text appears on one slide, use the AutoFit feature to split it between two slides. Click within the placeholder to display the AutoFit Options button (its symbol is two horizontal lines with arrows above and below), then click on the button and choose Split Text between Two Slides from the submenu.C) Font size for titles should be at least 36 to 40, while the text body should not be smaller than e only two font styles per slide—onefor the title and the other for the text. Choose two fonts that visually contrast with each other. Garamond Medium Condensed and Impact are good for titles, while Garamond or Tempus Sans can be used for the text body.D) Embed the fonts in your presentation, if you are not sure whether the fonts used in the presentation are present in the computer that will be used for the presentation. To embed the fonts: (1) On the File menu, click Save As. (2) On the toolbar, click Tools, click Save Options, select the Embed TrueType Fonts check box, and then select Embed characters in use only.E) Use colors sparingly; two to three at most. You may use one color for all the titles and another for the text body. Be consistent from slide to slide. Choose a font color that contrasts well with the background.F) Capitalizing the first letter of each word is good for the title of slides and suggests a more formal situation than having just thefirst letter of the first word capitalized. In bullet point lines, capitalize the first word and no other words unless they normally appear capped. Upper and lower case lettering is more readable than all capital letters. Moreover, current styles indicate that using all capitalletters means you are shouting. If you have text that is in the wrong case, select the text, and then click Shift+F3 until it changes to the case style that you like. Clicking Shift+F3 toggles the text case between ALL CAPS, lower case, and Initial Capital styles.G) Use bold or italic typeface for emphasis. Avoid underlining, it clutters up the presentation.Don’t center bulleted lists or text. It is confusing to read. Left align unless you have a good reason not to. Run “spell check” on your show when finished.The BackgroundH) Keep the background consistent. Simple, light texturedbackgrounds work well. Complicated textures make the content hard to read. If you are planning to use many clips in your slides, select a white background. If the venue of your presentation is not adequately light-proof, select a dark-colored background and use any light colorfor text. Minimize the use of “bells and whistles” such as sound effects, “flying words” and multiple transitions. Don’t use red inany fonts or backgrounds. It is an emotionally overwhelming color thatis difficult to see and read.The ClipsI) Animations are best used subtly; too much flash and motion can distract and annoy viewers. Do not rely too heavily on those images that were originally loaded on your computer with the rest of Office. You can easily find appropriate clips on any topic through Google Images. While searching for images, do not use long search phrases as is usually done while searching the web-use specific words.J) When importing pictures, make sure that they are smaller than two megabytes and are in a .jpg format. Larger files can slow down your show. Keep graphs, charts and diagrams simple, if possible. Use bar graphs and pie charts instead of tables of data. The audience can then immediately pick up the relationships.The PresentationK) If you want your presentation to directly open in the slide show view, save it as a slide show file using the following steps. Open the presentation you want to save as a slide show. On the File menu, click Save As. In the Save as type list, click PowerPoint Show. Your slide show file will be saved with a ppt file extension. When you double-click on this file, it will automatically start your presentation in slide show view. When you’re done, PowerPoint automatically closes and you return to the desktop. If you want to edit the slide show file, you can always open it from PowerPoint by clicking Open on the File menu.L) Look at the audience, not at the slides, whenever possible. If usin g a laser pointer, don’t move it too fast. For example, if circling a number on the slide, do it slowly. Never point the laser at the audience. Black out the screen (use “B” on the keyboard) after the point has been made, to put the focus on you. Press the key again to continue your presentation.M) You can use the shortcut command [Ctrl]P to access the Pen tool during a slide show. Click with your mouse and drag to use the Pen tool to draw during your slide show. To erase everything you’ve drawn, press the E key. To turn off the Pen tool, press [Esc] once.MiscellaneousN) Master Slide Set-Up: The “master slide” will allow you to make changes that are reflected on every slide in your presentation. You canchange fonts, colors, backgrounds, headers, and footers at the “masterslide” level. First, go to the “View” menu. Pull down the “Master” menu. Select the “slide master” menu. You may now make changes at this level that meet your presentation needs.1. The ways in which academic and business presentations are made have been changed by Microsoft PowerPoint.2. When making the PowerPoint, the wording of the text should not be complicated.3. In each slide, the font styles for the title and the text should contrast with each other.4. A more formal situation is capitalizing the first letter of the first word.5. Centering bulleted lists or text can not help to read.6. Sound effects should be used as less frequently as possible.7. When importing pictures, make sure that they are smaller than two megabytes.8. When making the presentation, you should look at the audience as possible as you can.9. Pressing the E key can help you to erase everything you've drawn.10. In order to meet your presentation needs, you can make changesat the “slide master” level.(2) Paper--More than Meets the EyeA) We are surrounded by so much paper and card that it is easy to forget just how complex it is. There are many varieties and grades of paper materials，and whilst it is fairly easy to spot the varieties， it is far more difficult to spotthe grades.B) It needs to be understood that most paper and card is manufactured for a specific purpose， so that whilst the corn-flake packet may look smart， it isclearly not something destined for the archives. It is made to look good， butonly needs a limited life span. It is also much cheaper to manufacture than high grade card.C) Paper can be made from an almost endless variety of cellulose-based material which will include many woods， cottons and grasses or which papyrusis an example and from where we get the word "paper". Many of these are very specialized， but the preponderance of paper making has been from soft wood and cotton or rags， with the bulk being wood-based.Paper from WoodD) In order to make wood into paper it needs to be broken down into fine strands. Firstly by powerful machinery and then boiled with strong alkalies such as caustic soda， until a fine pulp of cellulose fibers isproduced. It is from this pulp that the final product is made， relying on the bonding together of thecellulose into layers. That， in a very small nutshell， is the essence of papermaking from wood. However， the reality is rather more complicated. In order to give us our white paper and card， the makers will add bleach and othermaterials such as china clay and additional chemicals.E) A further problem with wood is that it contains a material that is not cellulose. Something called lignin. This is essential for the tree since it holds the cellulose fibres together， but if it is incorporated into the manufactured paper it presents archivists with a problem. Lignin eventually breaks down and releases acid products into the paper. This will weaken the bond between the cellulose fibers and the paper will become brittle and look rather brown and careworn. We have all seen this in old newspapers and cheap paperback books. It has been estimated that most paper back books will have a life of not greater than fifty years. Not what we need for our archives.F) Since the lignin can be removed from the paper pulp duringmanufacture， the obvious question is "why is it left in the paper?" The answer lies in the fact that lignin makes up a considerable part of the tree. By leaving the lignin in the pulp a papermaker can increase his paper yield from a tree to some 95%. Removing it means a yield ofonly 35%. It is clearly uneconomic to remove the lignin for many paper and card applications.G) It also means， of course， that lignin-free paper is going to be moreexpensive， but that is nevertheless what the archivist must lookfor in his supplies. There is no point whatsoever in carefully placing our valuable artifacts in paper or card that is going to hasten their demise. Acid is particularly harmful to photographic materials， causing them to fade and is some cases simplyvanish～H) So， how do we tell a piece of suitable paper or card from one that is unsuitable? You cannot do it by simply looking， and rather disappointingly，you cannot always rely on the label. "Acid-free" might be true inasmuch as a test on the paper may indicate that it is a neutral material at this time. But lignin can take years before it starts the inevitable process of breaking down， and inthe right conditions it will speed up enormously.I) Added to this， as I have indicated earlier， paper may also contain othermaterials added during manufacture such as bleach， china clay，chemicalwhiteners and size. This looks like a bleak picture， and it wouldbe but for thefact that there are suppliers who will guarantee the material that they sell. If you want to be absolutely sure that you are storing in，or printing on， thecorrect material then this is probably the only way.J) Incidentally， acids can migrate from material to material.Lining old shoe boxes with good quality acid-free paper will do little to guard the contents. The acid will get there in the end.Paper from RagK) Paper is also commonly made from cotton and rag waste. This has the advantage of being lignin-free， but because there is much less cotton and rag than trees， it also tends to be much more expensive than wood pulp paper. You will still need to purchase from a reliable source though， since even rag paperand card can contain undesirable additives.L) A reliable source for quality rag papers is a recognized art stockiest. Many water color artists insist on using only fine quality rag paper and board.M) The main lesson to learn from this information is that you cannot rely on purchasing archival materials from the high street. The only safe solution is to purchase from specialist suppliers. It may cost rather more， but in the endyou will know that your important and valuable data and images have the best home possible.1. The corn-flake packet is cheaper than high grade card.2. There are a lot of materials which can be used for making paper，but thesuperiority ones are soft wood， cotton and rags.3. During the whole manufacturing process， the final product is made froma pulp of cellulose fibres.4. In order to make white paper and card， the makers will add bleach.5. Liguin is essential for the tree but it will make paper easy to break.6. Many paper producers will preserve lignin during manufacture，becauseleaving the lignin will make more paper from a tree.7. Acid is particularly harmful to photographic materials.8. If the lignin is removed from the paper， the paper will be more expensive9. Although free of lignin， paper made from cotton and rag wastecan also cost more money than wood pulp paper because there is much less cotton and rag than trees.10. What we can learn from "Paper from Rag" is that you had better buy archival materials from specialist suppliers.(3)Preparing for Computer DisastersA: Summary: When home office computers go down， many smallbusinesses grind to a halt. Fortunately， taking steps to recoverfromdisasters and minimize their effects is quite straightforward.B: Fires， power surges， and floods， they're all facts of life.We read about them in the morning paper and see them on the evening news. We sympathize with the victims and commiserate over their bad luck. We also shake our heads at the digital consequences—melted computers，system failures， destroyed data. Yet， somehow， many of uscontinueto live by that old mantra of denial: "It won't happen to me."Well，the truth is， at some point you'll probably have to deal with at least one disaster. That's just how it goes， and in most aspects of our liveswe do something about it. We buy insurance. We stow away provisions. We even make disaster plans and run drills. But for some reason，computerdisaster recovery is a blind spot for many of us. It shouldn't be. Home computers contain some of our most important information， both businessand personal， and making certain our data survives a disastershould be a priority. Moreover， even the smallest disaster can be a serious disruption. Personal computers have become an integral part of the smooth-running household. We use them to communicate， shop， and dohomework， and they're even more vital to home office users. When home office computers go down， many small businesses grind to a halt. Fortunately， taking steps to recover from disasters and minimize their effects is quite straightforward. With a good offsite storage plan and the right tools， you can bounce back quickly and easily from minor computer disasters. And， should a major calamity strike， you can rest assured your data is safe.Offsite Storage: Major DisastersC: House fires and floods are among the most devastating causes of personal computer destruction. That's why a solid offsite backup and recovery plan is essential. Although many home users faithfully back up their hard drives， many would still lose all their data should their house flood our burn. That's because they keep their backups inrelatively close to their computers. Their backup disks might not be in the same room as their computers—tucked away in a closet or even the garage—butthey're not nearly far enough away should a serious disaster strike. So， it's important to back up your system to a removable medium and to store it elsewhere.D: There are many ways to approach offsite storage. It starts with choice of backup tools and storage medium. Disaster situations are stressful， and your recovery tools shouldn't add to that stress. They must be dependable and intuitive， making it easy to schedule regularbackups and to retrieve files in a pinch. They must also be compatible with your choice of backup medium. Depending on your tools，you canback up to a variety of durable disk types—from CDs to Jaz drives toremote network servers. Although many of these storage media have high capacity， a backup tool with compression capabilities is a big plus，eliminating the inconvenience of multiple disks or large uploads.E: Once you select your tools and a suitable medium， you need to find a remote place to store your backups. The options are endless. However， no matter where you choose， be sure the site is secure， easilyaccessible， and a good distance away from your home. You may also want to consider using an Internet-based backup service. More and more service providers are offering storage space on their servers， and uploadingfiles to a remote location has become an attractive alternative to conventional offsite storage. Of course， before using one of these services， make certain you completely trust the service provider and its security methods. Whatever you do， schedule backups regularly andstore them far away from your home.Come What May: Handling the Garden Variety Computer CrisisF: Not all home computer damage results from physical disaster. Many less menacing problems can also hobble your PC or destroy your information. Systems crash， kids "rearrange" data， adultsinadvertentlydelete files. Although these events might not seem calamitous， they can have serious implications. So， once again， it's important tobeprepared. As with physical disasters， regular backups are essential.However， some of these smaller issues require a response that'smore nuanced than wholesale backup and restoration. To deal with less-than-total disaster， your tool set must be both powerful and agile. For example， when a small number of files are compromised， you may want to retrieve those files alone. Meanwhile， if just yoursettingsare affected， you'll want a simple way to roll back to yourpreferred setup. Yet， should your operating system fail， you'll need a way toboot your computer and perform large-scale recovery. Computer crises come in all shapes and sizes， and your backup and recovery tools mustbe flexible enough to meet each challenge.The Right Tools for the Right Job: Gearing up for DisasterG: When disaster strikes， the quality of your backup tools canmake the difference between utter frustration and peace of mind. Symantec understands this and offers a range of top quality backup andrecovery solutions. Norton GoBack is the perfect tool for random system crashes，failed installations， and inadvertent deletions. With this powerful and convenient solution， it's simple to retrieve overwritten files or to bring your system back to its pre-crash state. Norton Ghost is a time-tested home office solution. Equipped to handle full-scale backups，it's also handy for cloning hard drives and facilitating system upgrades. A favorite choice for IT professionals， it's the ideal tool for theburgeoning home office. You can buy Norton Ghost and Norton GoBack separately， or get them both when you purchase Norton System Works.H: Life's disasters， large and small， often catch us by surprise.However， with a little planning and the right tools， you can reducethose disasters to bumps in the road. So， don't wait another day. Buya good set of disaster recovery tools， set up an automatic backupschedule， and perform a dry run every now and again. Then， rest easy.1. You should take steps to recover from computer disasters so as to minimize their effects.2. For some reason， computer disaster recovery is always ignored by many of us.3. You can bounce back quickly and easily minor computer disasters with the help of a good offsite storage plan and the right tools.4. The most devastating causes of personal computer destruction includes house fires and floods.5. It's necessary for us to back up our systems to some transferable medium and to put it somewhere else.6. You should find a distant place to store your backups after selecting your tools and a suitable medium.7. Not only physical disaster can damage your computer.8. The backup and recovery tools must be flexible enough to deal with various computer crises.9. The quality of your backup tools determines whether you are frustrated or have a peaceful mind when disaster strikes.10. You should prepare for your computer disasters now and again.(4) Definitions of ObesityA: How does one define when a person is considered to be obese and not just somewhat overweight? Height-weight tables give an approximate guideline as to whether one is simply overweight or has passed into the obese stage.B: The World Health Organization recommends using a formula that takes into account a person's height and weight. The "Body Mass Index" (BMI) iscalculated by dividing the person's weight in kilograms by the square of their height in meters， and is thus given in units of kg/m2.A BMI of 18.5-24.9 is considered to be the healthiest. A BMI of between25 and 29.9 is considered to be overweight， while a BMI of over 30 is considered to be obese.C: However， it is recognized that this definition is limited as it does not take into account such variables as age， gender and ethnic origin， the latterbeing important as different ethnic groups have very different fat distributions. Another shortcoming is that it is not applicable to certain very muscular people such as athletes and bodybuilders， who can also have artificially high BMIs.Agencies such as the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP)in theUSA and the International Diabetes Foundation (IDF) are starting to defineobesity in adults simply in terms of waist circumference.Health Effects of ObesityD: Over 2000 years ago， the Greek physician Hippocrates wrote that "persons who are naturally very fat are apt to die earlier thanthose who areslender". This observation remains very true today. Obesity has a major impact on a person's physical， social and emotional well-being. It increases the risk of developing diabetes mellitus type 2 ("mature onset diabetes") and alsomakes Type 2 diabetes more difficult to control. Thus weight loss improves the levels of blood glucose and blood fats， and reduces blood pressure. Theassociation between obesity and coronary heart disease is also well-known.CancerE: Furthermore， in 2001 medical researchers established a link between being overweight and certain forms of cancer， and estimatedthat nearly 10，000 Britons per year develop cancer as a result of being overweight. This figure was made up of 5，893 women and 3，220 men， with the strongest associationsbeing with breast and colon cancers. However， it is thought that beingoverweight may also increase the risk of cancer in the reproductive organs for women and in the prostate gland for men.F: The link between breast cancer and nutritional status is thought to be due to the steroid hormones oestrogen and progesterone， which are producedby the ovaries， and govern a woman's menstrual cycle. Researchers have found that the more a woman eats， or the more sedentary her lifestyle， the higherare the concentrations of progesterone. This link could explain why women from less affluent countries have lower rates of breast cancer.Women from less affluent nations tend to eat less food and to lead lifestyles which involve more daily movement. This lowers their progesterone level， resulting in lowerpredisposition to breast cancer.G: The Times newspaper， in 2002 reported that obesity was the main avoidable cause of cancer among non-smokers in the Western world～AgingH: Research published by St Thomas' Hospital， London， UK in 2005 showed a correlation between body fat and aging， to the extent that beingobese added 8.8 years to a woman's biological age. The effect was exacerbated by smoking， and a non-overweight woman who smokes 20 cigarettes a day for 20 years added 7.4 years to their biological age. The combination of being obese and a smoker added at least ten years to a woman’s biological age， andalthough the study only involved women， the lead researcher Professor TimSpector believes the finding would also apply to men.I: The aging effect was determined by measuring the length of telomeres，tiny "caps" on the ends of chromosomes， which help protect the DNA from theageing process. Indeed， telomeres have been dubbed the "chromosomal clock" because， as an organism ages， they become progressively shorter， and canbe used to determine the age of the organism. Beyond a certain point， thetelomere becomes so short that it is no longer able to prevent the DNA of the chromosome from falling apart. It is believed that excess body fat， and thechemicals present in tobacco smoke release free radicals which trigger inflammation. Inflammation causes the production of white blood cells which increases the rate of erosion of telomeres.DementiaJ: Recent research (2005) conducted in the USA shows that obesity in middle age is linked to an increased risk of dementia， with obese people in their40s being 74% more likely to develop dementia compared to those of normal weight. For those who are merely overweight， the lifetime risk of dementia riskwas 35% higher.K: Scientists from the Aging Research Centre at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden have been able to take information such as age，number of years ineducation， gender， body mass index， blood pressure level，physical activityand genetic factors， assigning each a risk score. They then usedthis information to devise a predictive test for dementia. This testwill enable people at risk， for the first time， to be able to affect lifestyle changes which will reduce their risk of contracting dementia.Other ProblemsL: The world-wide upsurge in obesity， particularly in children， is of majoreconomic concern， liable to drain economies. Of further concern is that research conducted in Australia and published in 2006， shows that up to onethird of breech pregnancies were undetected by the traditional "palpation" examination， the danger being greatest for those women who are overweight or obese—a growing proportion of mothers. This meansthat such women are not getting the treatment required to turn the baby around in time for the birth，and in many cases require an emergency Caesarean section.M: This is a true health-care crisis， far bigger than Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and ultimately， even bigger than AIDS.1. You can judge whether one is simply overweight or has passed into the obese stage according to the height-weight table.2. Using the "Body Mass Index"to define a person's weight ideal is limited，because it does not takes into account many variables such as age，gender andethnic origin.3. A person's emotional well-being would be affected by obesity.4. Obesity has something to do with cancer in the prostate gland for man.5. Women from less affluent nations tend to have much less breast cancer.6. A non-overweight woman who smokes 20 cigarettes a day for 20 years added7.4 years to her biological age.7. The excess body fat， like the chemicals present in tobacco smoke， canlead to inflammation.8. Obese people in middle age run an increased risk of dementia .9. The predictive test for dementia will help people to affect lifestyle changes that will reduce their risk of contracting dementia.10. The world-wide upsurge in obesity， particularly in children，willpossibly drain economies.(5) A: Pizza Hut was started in 1958， by two brothers in Wichita，Kansas.Frank and Dan Carney had the idea to open a pizza parlor. They borrowed $600 from their mother， and opened the very first Pizza Hut. In 1959， the firstfranchise unit opened in Topeka， Kansas. Almost a decade later，Pizza Hut。
2013年12月大学英语四级考试真题及详解(第二套)【圣才出品】
2013年12月大学英语四级考试真题及详解（第二套）Part I Writing(30minutes)Directions:For this part,you are allowed30minutes to write a short essay based on the picture below.You should start your essay with a brief account of the increasing use of themobile phone in people’s life and then explain the consequences of overusing it.Youshould write at least120words but no more than180words.People are crossing the street looking at their cell phones and using walking sticks in order to see.【审题构思】从漫画下面的说明可以看出，人们走路时视线都不愿意离开手机，而依靠导盲棍来行走。
人们越来越多的依赖手机，一方面手机可以给我们带来一定便利，但是手机的滥用也会给我们带来很多不好的后果，如危害身体健康，分散我们的注意力等。
因此我们需要合理使用手机。
【参考范文】On the Overuse of Mobile Phone(1)As is shown in the above picture,many people are walking across the street with a mobile phone in their hand and using walking sticks in order to see,which reflects that people nowadays, especially young people,are increasingly dependent on their mobile phones.(2)It is undoubtedly that mobile phones,(3)with its extraordinary functions and unmatched convenience,have exerted great influence on people’s life.However,just as is demonstrated in the picture,the overuse of it may result in several bad consequences.To begin with，there is evidence that long-term exposure to electromagnetic radiation emitted from mobile may trigger many health problems.Besides,when people are immersed in the use of mobile phone,they tend to pay less attention to the surroundings,which(4)poses a threat to their life and property.with people in real life.(5)In brief,we should rationally and appropriately use the mobile phone as it(6)contributes to the convenience of our life while bringing about potential threat.【行文点评】(1)本段使用了which引导的非限制性定语从句，用了一个复合句便描述出了图片内容并直接点明了图片揭示的社会现象。
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Psychologists take opposing views of how external rewards, from warm praise to old cash, affect motivation and creativity. Behaviorists, who study the relation between actions and, argue that rewards can improve performance at work and school. Some other researchers who study various aspects of mental life, maintain those rewards often destroy creativity byencouraging dependence on approval and gifts from others.
The latter view has gained many supporters, especially among educators. But the careful use of small monetary rewards sparks in grade-school children suggesting that properly presented inducements indeed aid inventiveness, according to a study in the June Journal Personality and Social Psychology.
“If they know they're working for a reward and can focus on a relatively challenging task, they show the most creativity,”says Robert Esenberger of the University of Delaware in Newark. “But it's easy to kill creativity by giving rewards for poor performance or creating too much anticipation for rewards.”
A teacher who continually draws attention to rewards or who hands out high grades for ordinary achievement ends up with uninspired students, Esenberger holds. As an example of the latter point, he notes growing efforts at major universities to tighten grading standards and restore falling grades.
In earlier grades, the use of so-called token economics, in which students handle challenging problems and receive performance-based points toward valued rewards, shows promise in raising effort and creativity, the Delaware psychologist claims.
1. Psychologists are divided with regard to their attitudes toward ____.
A) the choice between spiritual encouragement and monetary rewards
B) the appropriate amount of external rewards
C) the study of relationship between actions and
D) the effects of external rewards on students' performance
2. What is the view held by many educators concerning external rewards for students?
A) They approve of external rewards.
B) They don't think external rewards.
C) They have doubts about external rewards.
D) They believe external rewards can motivate small children, but not college students.
3. According to the result of the study mentioned in the passage, what should educators do to stimulate motivation and creativity?
A) Give rewards for performances which deserve them.
B) Always promise rewards.
C) Assign tasks which are not very challenging.
D) Be more lenient to students when mistakes are made.
4. It can be inferred from the passage that major universities are trying to tighten their grading standards because they believe ____.
A) rewarding poor performance may kill the creativity of students’
B) punishment is more effective than rewarding
C) failing uninspired students helps improve their overall academic standards
D) discouraging the students anticipation for easy rewards is matter of urgency
5．Which of the following facts about “token economics”is not correct?
A) Students are assigned challenging tasks.
B) Rewards are given for good performances.
C) Students are evaluated according to the effort they put into the task.
D) With token economics, students’creativity can be enhanced.
答案与解析：
1. D
心理学家认为外界的奖励对学生会有不同的影响。
事实辨析题。
根据文章第一句话“Psychologists take opposing views of how external re wards, from warm praise to old cash, affect motivation and creativity”可知，心理学家的分歧在于来自外界的奖励对学生的积极性和创造性究竟有什么影响，故选项D正确.
2. C
许多教育家对外界的奖励持怀疑态度。
文章第二段第一句话提到，后一种观点得到了许多教育工作者的支持，从第一段中可知，后一种观点是：奖励会促使学生对别人的赞许和馈赠产生依赖心理，因此奖励会破坏创造精神。
由此可知，他们对奖励的正面作用持怀疑态度。
故选项C正确。
3. A
根据文中的研究结果表明，教育家通过给予学生应得的奖励来提高他们的积极性和创造性。
文章第三段指出，给予学生恰当的奖励，可使他们发挥更大的创造性，但如果对糟糕的表现也给予奖励，或让学生对奖励有太多的期许，反而会扼杀创造性。
故选项A正确。
4. B
从文中可以得知，一些重点大学试图加强等级标准，因为他们相信惩罚比奖励更有效。
事实辨析题。
从文中第四段可知，许多大学之所以严格考试的评分标准，是因为“A teacher ... who hands out high grades for ordinary achievement ends up with uninspired students”。
选项B 与此意相同。
5. C
根据学生的表现对他们作出评价。
事实辨析题。
根据最后一段的意思，在这种奖励制度下，要根据学生的表现对他们做出评价，而不仅仅是他们花费了多少精力来完成任务，故选项C正确。