四级真题及答案
大学英语四级考试2024年6月真题(第一套)及答案解析
大学英语四级考试2024年6月真题(第一套)Part I Writing(30minutes) Directions:Suppose your university is seeking students'opinions on whether university libraries should be open to the public.You are now to write an essay to express your view.You will have30minutesfor the task.You should write at least120words but no more than180words.PartⅡListening Comprehension(25minutes) Section ADirections:In this section,you will hear three news reports.At the end ofeach news report,you will hear two or three questions.Both the news report and the questions will bespoken only once.Afier you hear a question,you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A),B),C)and D).Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet1with a single line through the centre.Questions1and2are based on the news report you have just heard.1.A)Due to a fire alarm in their apartments.B)Because of the smoke and heat damage2.A)Investigating the cause of the incident.B)Helping search for the suspect of the crime.C)Due to the water used to extinguish the flames.D)Becauseof the collapse of the three-story building.C)Rescuing the businessmen trapped in the building.D)Checking town records for the property developer.Questions3and4are based on the news report you have just heard.3.A)It plays a less important role in one's health than nutrient intake.B)It impacts people's health to a lesser degree than sun exposure.C)It is associated with people's mental health conditionsD)It is linked with older adults'symptoms ofdepression4.A)It was indefinite C)It was straightforward.B)It was systematic.D)It was insignificant. Questions5to7are based on the news report you have just heard.5.A)It has helped solve several murder cases.B)It has become a star police dog in Beijing6.A)To speed up investigation into criminal cases.B)To test the feasibility of cloning technology.7.A)Cloning is too complicated a processB)The technology is yet to be accepted C)It has surpassed its mother in performance.D)It has done better than naturally born dogs.C)To cut down training expensesD)To reduce their training time.C)Cloning is ethically controversial.D)The technology is too expensive.Section BDirections:In this section,you will hear two long conversations.At the end ofeach conversation,you will hear four questions.Both the conversation and the questions will bespoken only once.After you hear a question,you1·2024年6月四级真题(第一套)·must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A),B),C)and D).Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet I with a single line through the centre.Questions8to11are based on the conversation you have just heard.8.A)He read it somewhere online.B)He heard about it from a coworker.9.A)His publications.B)His first book.10.A)Collect a lot more data.B)Relax a bit less often.11.A)Find out the show's most interesting episodesB)Watch the series together with the woman.C)He read an article reviewing it.D)He watched a TV series based on it.C)His addressD)His name.C)Clarify many new conceptsD)Read more reference books.C)Get an e-Copy of the book to read.D)Check to see when the show starts.Questions12to15are based on the conversation you have just heard.12.A)To check the prices of his farm produce.B)To ask the way to the Newcastle City Hall.13.A)Bakers.B)Vendors14.A)The issuing of certificates to vendors.B)The completion of the baking task.15.A)The closing date of submission.C)To inquire about the vegetarian food festival.D)To seekthe man's help with her work on the farm.C)Vegetarians.D)OrganisersC)The festival they are organising.D)The deadline for application.C)The details of the ceremonyB)The website of his company.D)The organiser'saddressSection CDirections:In this section,you will hearthre passages.At the end ofeach passage,you will hear three or four questions.Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once.Afteryou hear a question,you must choose the bestanswer from the four choices marked A),B),C)and D).Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet I with a single line through the centreQuestions16to18are based on the passage you havejust heard.16.A)Most scenic sites have been closed.B)Access to official campsites is limited17.A)It is strongly opposed by nearby residentsB)It leads to much waste of public money18.A)Look for open land in ScotlandB)Leave no trace of their camping C)Health experts advise going outdoors.D)People have more time during the summer.C)It has caused environmental concernsD)It has created conflicts among campers.C)Avoid getting close to wilderness.D)Ask for permission from authorities.Questions19to21are based on the passage you have just heard.19.A)They outcompete mythical creatures.B)They usually mind their own business.·2024年6月四级真题(第一套)·C)They truly exist in the AmazonregionD)They resemble alarmingly large snakes 220.A)Scar tissue from dolphins'fighting.B)Skin infection from water pollution.21.A)It has been shrinking at an astonishing pace.C)Unhealed wounds from snake bites.D)Swimming along in seasonal floods.B)It has been placed under international protection.C)It has been appealing to both freshwater and sea dolphinsD)It has been abandoned as a battleground for male dolphins.Questions22to25are based on the passageyou have just heard.22.A)About58%of young adults call parental support the new normal.B)Most adult children enjoy increasing sources of financial supportC)A full70%of the young adults cannot afford to buy a car by themselves.D)Most early adults cannot sustain their lifestyles without parental support23.A)It renders them dependent.C)It makes them mentally immature.B)It causes them to lose dignity.D)It hinders them from getting ahead.24.A)It challenges one's willpower C)It calls for due assistance.B)It results from education.D)It defines adulthood.25.A)Current lifestyles C)College loansB)Poor budgeting.D)Emergency expensesPartⅢReading Comprehension(40minutes) Section ADirections:In this section,there is a passage with ten blanks.You are required to select one wordfor each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage.Read the passage through carefully before making your choices.Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter:Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet2with a single line through the centre.You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.It's well known that physical exercise is beneficial not just to physical health but also to mental health.Yet whereas most countries have26evidence-backed guidelines on the type and intensity of exercise27for various physical health benefits,such guidelines do not yet exist for exercise and mood. This is28due to a lack of necessary evidence.However,a new systematic review brings us usefully up-to-date on the current findings in this area.Before29into some of the key take-aways,an important30made in the review is between aerobic exercise and anaerobic.The former31such things as walking,jogging and cycling and means exercising in such a way that your body is able to use oxygen to burn fat for energy.In contrast,anaerobic exercise—such as lifting heavy weights—is of such32intensity that your body does not have time to use oxygen to create energy and so instead it breaksdown glucose(葡萄糖)in your blood or muscles.Beginning first with the influence of exercise intensity on the mood benefits of aerobic exercise,the researchers,led by John Chan at Shenzhen University,found33resultsfrom19relevant studies.Some3·2024年6月四级真题(第一套)·favoured higher intensity,others low,while seven studies found that intensity made no34_to mood benefits.In relation to the intensity of anaerobic exercise,however,the results were far clearer—the optimum (最佳选择)for improving mood is35intensity,perhaps because low intensity is too dull while high intensity is too unpleasantA)constitutesB)contradictoryC)decisionD)detailedE)differenceF)dippingG)distinctionH)falling I)involves J)moderate K)notified L)partlyM)required N)traditionally O)vigorousSection BDirections: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 markingthe corresponding letter on Answer Sheet2.Why DoAmericans Work So Much?A)How will we all keep busy when we only have to work15hours a week?That was the question that worriedthe British economist John Maynard Keynes when he wrote his short essay“Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren”in1930.Over the next century,he predicted,the economy would become so productive that people would barely need to work at all.For a while,it looked like Keynes was right.In1930the average working week was47hours in the United States.But by1970,the number of hours Americans worked on average had fallen to slightly less than39.B)But then something changed.Instead of continuing to decline,the duration of the working week remainedstable.It has stayed at just below40hours for nearly five decades.So what happened?Why are people working just as much today as in1970?C)There would be no mystery in this if Keynes had been wrong about the power of technology to increase theeconomy's productivity,which he thought would lead to a standard of living“between four and eight times as high as it is today.”But Keynes got that right:Technology has made the economy massively more productive.According to Benjamin M.Friedman,an economistat Harvard,the U.S.economy is right ontrack to reach Keynes's eight-fold(八倍)multiple by2029.That is a century after the last data Keynes wouldhave had access to.D)In a new paper,Friedman tries to figure out why that increased productivity has not translated into increasedleisure time.Perhaps people just never feel materially satisfied,always wanting more money to buy the next ·2024年6月四级真题(第一套)·4new thing.This is a theory that appeals to many economists.“This argument is,at best,far from sufficient,”he writes.If that were the case,why did the duration of the working week decline in the first place?E)Another theory Friedman considers is that,in an era of ever fewer settings that provide effectiveopportunitiesfor personal connections and relationships,people may place more value on the socializing that happens at work.There is support for this theory.Many people today consider colleagues as friends.But Friedman argues that the evidence for this theory is far from conclusive.Many workers report that they would like to spend more time with family,rather than at work.Furthermore,this theory cannot explain the change in trend in the U.S.working week in the1970s.F)A third possibility proves more convincing for Friedman.That is:American inequality means that the gainsof increasing productivity are not widely shared by everyone.In other words,most Americans are too poor to work less.Unlike the other two explanations Friedman considers,this one fits chronologically(按年代).Inequality declined in America during the period following World War II,along with the duration of the working week.But since the early1970s it has risen dramatically.G)Keynes's prediction of a shorter working week rests on the idea that the standard of living would continuerising for everyone.But Friedman says that this is not what has happened.Although Keynes's eight-fold figure holds up for the economy as a whole,it is not at all the case for the median(中位数的)American worker.For them,output by2029is likely to be around3.5times what it was when Keynes was writing.This is a bit below his four-to eight-fold predicted rangeH)This can be seen in the median worker's income over this time period,complete with a shift in1973that fitsin precisely with when the working week stopped shrinking.According to Friedman,between1947and1973 the average hourly wage for normal workers(those who were not in management roles)in private industries other than agriculture nearly doubled in terms of what their money could buy.But by2013the average hourly wage for ordinary workers had fallen5percent from the1973level in terms of actual purchasing power.Thus,though American incomes may have gone up since1973,the amount that American workers can actually buy with their money has gone down.For most Americans,then,the magic of increasing productivity stopped working around1973.Thus,they had to keep working just as much in order to maintain their standard of livingI)What Keynes predicted was a very optimistic version of what economists call technological unemployment.This is the idea that less labor will be necessary because machines can do somuch.In Keynes's vision,the resulting unemployment would be distributed more or less evenly across society in the form of increased leisure.But Friedman says that,for Americans,reality is much darker.Americans now have a labor market in which millions of people—those with fewer skills and less education—are seeking whatever poorly paid work they can get.This is confirmed by a recent poll that found that,for half of hourly workers,their top concern is not that they work too much but that they work too little.This is most likely not because they like their jobs so much.Rather,we can assume it is because they need the money.J)This explanation leaves an important question.If the very rich—the workers who have reaped above-average gains from the increased productivity since Keynes's time—can afford to work less,why do they continue to work so much?(Indeed,research has shown that the highest earners in America tend to work the most.)5·2024年6月四级真题(第一套)·Friedman believes that for many top earners,work is a labor of love.They are doing work they care about and are interested in,and doing more of it is not necessarily a burden.For them,it may even be a pleasure.These top earners derive meaning from their jobs and work is an important part of how they think of themselves.And,of course,they are compensated for it at a level that makes it worth their while.K)Friedman concludes that the prosperity(繁荣)Keynes predicted is here.After all,the economy as a whole has grown even more brilliantly than he expected.But for most Americans,that prosperity is nowhere to be seen.And,as a result,neither are those shorter working weeks.36.Some people view socializing at the workplace as a chance to develop personal relationships.37.As ordinary American workers'average hourly pay had decreased despite increasing productivity,they had towork just as manyhours as before to keep their living standards.38.American workers'average weekly workingtime has not changed for nearly half a century.39.Friedman believes inequality in the rgely explains why increasing productivity has not resulted inreduced working hours.40.Many economists assume people's thirst for material things has prevented them from enjoying more leisuretime.41.An economist'sprediction about a shorter average working week seemed to be correct for a time in the20thcentury.42.In the bor market,the primary concern of people with less schooling and fewer skills is to secure anyemployment even if it is low-paid.43.Keynes was right in predicting that technology would make the economy much more productive.44.Many of the highest earners have a keen interest in and love for what they are doing45.According to Keynes,there would be a shorter working week with everyone's standard of living continuingtorise.Section CDirections:There are2passages in this section.Eachpassage 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 Sheet2with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions46to50are based on the following passage.Lao Zi once said,“Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner.”People-pleasing,or seeking self-worth through others'approval,is unproductive and an exhausting way to go through life.Why do we allow what others think of us to have so much power over how we feel about ourselves?If it's true that you can't please all people all of the time,wouldn't it make sense to stop trying?Unfortunately,sense often isn't driving our behavior.For social beings who desire love and belonging, wanting to be liked,and caring about the effect we have on others,is healthy and allows us to make connections.·2024年6月四级真题(第一套)·6However,where we get into trouble is when our self-worth is dependent upon whether we win someone's approval or not.This need to be liked can be traced back to when we were children and werecompletely dependent on others to take care of us:Small children are not just learning how to walk and communicate,they are alsotrying to learn how the world works.We learn about who we are and what is expected of us based on interactions with others so,to a four-year-old,if Mommy or Daddy doesn't like him or her,there is the danger that they will abandon them.We need to understand that when we desperately want someone to approveof us,it's being driven by that little kid part of us that is still terrified of abandonment.As you become more capable of providing yourself with the approval you seek,your need for external validation will start to vanish,leaving you stronger,more confident,and yes,happier in your life.Imagine how much time we lose each moment we restrainour authentic selves in an effort to be liked.If we base our worth on the opinions of others,we cheat ourselves of the power to shape our experiences and embrace life not only for others but also for ourselves,becauseultimately,there is no difference.So embrace the cliché(老话)and loveyourself as it's highly doubtful that you'll regret it.46.What can we conclude from Lao Zi's quotation?A)We should seethrough otherpeople's attempt to make a prisonerof us.B)We can never really please other people even if we try as hard as we can.C)We can never be truly free if taking to heart others'opinion of us.D)We should care about other people's view as much as they care about our own.47.What will happen if we base our self-worth on other people's approval?A)Our desire to be loved will be fulfilled.C)Our identity as social beings will be affected.B)Our life will be unfruitful and exhausting D)Our sense of self will be sharpened and enhanced.48.What may account for our need to be liked or approved of?A)Our desperate longing for interactions with others.C)Our knowledge about the pain of abandonment.B)Our understanding of the workings of the world.D)Our early childhood fear of being deserted.49.What can we do when we become better able to provide ourselves with the desired approval?A)Enjoy a happier life.C)Receive more external validation.B)Exercise self-restraint.D)Strengthen our power of imagination.50.What does the author advise us to do in the last paragraph?A)Embrace life for ourselves and for others.C)See our experiencesas assets.B)Base our worth on others'opinions.D)Love ourselves as we arePassage TwoQuestions51to55are based on the following passage.Some people have said aging is more a slide into forgetfulness than a journey towards wisdom.However,a growing body of research suggests that late-in-life learning is possible.In reality,education does an aging brain good.7·2024年6月四级真题(第一套)·Throughout life,people's brains constantly renovate themselves.In the late1960s,British brain scientist Geoffrey Raisman spied growth in damaged brain regions ofrats through an electron microscope; their brains were forging new connections.This meant brains may change every time a person learns something new.Of course,that doesn't mean the brain isn't affected by the effects of time.Just as height usually declines over the years,so does brain volume:Humans lose about4percent every decade starting in their40s.But that reduction doesn't necessarily make people think slower;as long as we are alive and functioning,we can alter our brains with new information and experiences.In fact,scientists now suspect accumulating novel experiences,facts,and skills can keep people's minds more flexible.New pathways can strengthen our ever-changing mental structure,even as the brain shrinks.Conventional fixes like word puzzles and brain-training apps can contribute to mental durability.Even something as simple as taking a different route to the grocery store or going somewhere new on vacation can keep the brain healthy.A desire for new life challenges can further boost brainpower.Research about aging adults who take on new enterprises shows improved function and memory as well as a reduced risk of mental disease.Openness—a characteristic defined by curiosity and a desire for knowledge—may also help folks pass brain tests.Some folks are born with this take-in-the-world atitude,but those who aren't as genetically gifted aren't necessarily out of luck.While genes can encourage an interest in doing new things,a2012study in the journal Psychology and Aging found completing reasoning tasks like puzzles and number games can enhance that desire for novel experiences,which can,in turn,refresh the brain.That's why brain scientist Richard Kennedy says“It's not that old dogs can't learn new tricks.It's that maybe old dogs don't realize why they should.”51.What do some people think of aging adults?A)Their wisdom grows as time goes by.C)They can benefit from late-in-life learning.B)Their memory gradually deteriorates D)They are likely to have mental health issues.52.What can we conclude from Geoffrey Raisman's finding?A)Brain damage seriously hinders one'slearning.C)Brains can refresh and improve with learning.B)Brain power weakens slower than we imagine D)Brains forge connections under new conditions53.What is one thing that helps maintain the health of our brain even as it shrinks?A)Doing daily routines by conventional means.C)Imitating old dogs'way of learning new tricksB)Avoiding worrying about our mental durability.D)Approaching everyday tasks in novel ways.54.What does the author say can contribute to the improvement of brain function?A)Being curious and desiring knowledge.C)Rising to life's challenges and avoiding risks.B)Being eager to pass brain tests at an old age.D)Boosting immunity to serious mental diseases55.What is the finding of the2012study in the journal Psychology and Aging?A)Wishing to solve puzzles enhances one's reasoning power.B)Playingnumber games unexpectedly stimulates one's memory.·2024年6月四级真题(第一套)·8C)Desiring new experiences can help to renovate thebrain.D)Learning new tricks shouldnot beconfined to old dogs only.Part IV Translation(30minutes) Directions:For this part,you are allowed30minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English.You should write your answer on AnswerSheet2.四合院(siheyuan)是中国一种传统的住宅建筑，其特点是房屋建造在一个院子的四周，将院子合围在中间。
大学英语四级考试真题试卷及答案
大学英语四级考试真题试卷及答案第一部分听力（共两节，满分30分）第一节（共5小题；每小题1.5分，满分7.5分）听下面5段对话。
每段对话后有一个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C 三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。
听完每段对话后，你都有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。
每段对话仅读一遍。
1. What does the man suggest the woman do?A. Stay in bedB. Go for a walkC. Get exercise2. What do we learn about the speakers?A. They like the movieB. They have known each other for yearsC. They are going for a walk3. What is the woman going to do next?A. Make a planB. Talk with her friendC. Help the man4. What does the man mean?A. He wants the woman to sit downB. He prefers the woman to stand upC. He doesn't want to distract the woman5. Why is the man going to Cuba?A. For a jobB. For a holidayC. For further study第二节（共15小题；每小题1.5分，满分22.5分）听下面5段对话或独白。
每段对话或独白后有几个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。
听每段对话或独白前，你将有时间阅读各个小题，每小题5秒钟；听完后，各小题将给出5秒钟的作答时间。
每段对话或独白读两遍。
大学英语四级考试真题及答案(完整版)
大学英语四级考试真题及答案(绝对完整）Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minute to write a shortessay on the topic of students selecting their lectures. You should writeat least 120 words following the outline given bellow:1. 越来越多的博物馆免费对外开放的目的是什么？2. 也会带来一些问题3. 你的看法？Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15minutes)Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go overthe passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1. Forquestions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A),B),C)and D). For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the informationgiven in the passage.How Do You See Diversity?As a manager, Tiffany is responsible for interviewing applicants for someof the positions with her company .During one interview, she noticed thatthe candidate never made direct eye contact. She was puzzled and somewhatdisappointed because she liked the individual otherwise. He had a perfect resume and gave good responses to her questions, but thefact that he never looked her in the eye said “untrustworthy,” so shedecided to offer the job to her second choice.“It wasn’t until I attended a diversity workshop that I realized theperson we passed over was the perfect person,” Tiffany confesses. Whatshe hadn’t known at the time of the interview was that the candidate’s“different”behavior was simply a cultural misunderstanding . He was an Asian-Americanraised in a household where respect for those in authority was shown byaverting(避开) your eyes.“I was just thrown off by the lack of ye contact; not realizing it wascultural,” Tiffany says. “I missed out ,but will not miss thatopportunity again.”Many of us have had similar encounters with behaviors we perceive asdifferent. As the world becomes smaller and our workplaces more diverse,it is becoming essential to expand our under-standing of others and toreexamine some of our false assumptions .Hire AdvantageAt a time when hiring qualified people is becoming moredifficult ,employers who can eliminate invalid biases(偏爱) from theprocess have a distinct advantage .My company, Mindsets LLC ,helpsorganizations and individuals see their own blind spots . A real estaterecruiter we worked with illustrates the positive difference suchtraining can make .“During my Mindsets coaching session ,I was taught how to recruit a diversified workforce. I recruited people from different cultures and skill sets .The agents were able to utilize their full potential and experiences to build up the company .When the real estate market began to change, it was because we had a diverse agent pool that we were able to stay in the real estate market much longer than others in the same profession.”Blinded by GenderDale is an account executive who attended one of my workshops onsu pervising a diverse workforce . “Through one of the sessions ,I discovered my personal bias ,” he recalls . “I learned I had not been looking at a person as a whole person , and being open to differences .” In his case , the blindness was not about culture but rather gender.“I had a management position open in my department ;and the two finalists were a man and a woman . Had I not attended this workshop , I would have automatically assumed the man was the best candidate because the position required quite a bit of extensive travel . My reasoning would have been that even though both candidates were great and could have been successful in the position , I assumed the woman would have wanted to be home with her children and not travel .”Dale’s assumptions are another example of the well-intentioned but incorrect thinking that limits an organization’s ability to tap into the full potential of a diverse workforce.“I learned from the class that instead of imposing my gender biases into the situation , I needed to present the full range of duties, responsibilities and expectations to all candidates and allow them to make an informed decision .” Dale credits the workshop , “because it helped me make decisions based on fairness .”Year of the Know-It-AllDoug is another supervisor who attended one of my workshops .He recalls a major lesson learned from his own employee.“One of my most embarrassing moments was when I had a Chinese-American employee put in a request to take time off to celebrate Chinese New Year . In my ignorance , I assumed he had his dates wrong , as the first of January had just passed . When I advised him of this , I gave him a long talking-to about turning in requests early with the proper dates .“He pati ently waited , then when I was done , he said he would like Chinese New Year did not begin January first , and that Chinese New Year ,which is tied to the lunar cycle ,is one of the most celebrated holidays on theChinese calendar . Needless to say , I felt very embarrassed in assuminghe had his dates mixed up . But I learned a great deal about assumptions ,and that the timing of holidays varies considerably from culture toculture .“Attending the diversity workshop helped me realize how much I couldlearn by simply asking questions and creating dialogues with my employees ,rather than making assumptions and trying to be a know-it-all ,” Dougadmits . “The biggest thing I took away from the workshop is learninghow to be more ‘inclusive’ to differences.A better Bottom LineAn open mind about diversity not only improves organizationsinternally , it is profitable as well . These comments from a customerservice representative show how an inclusive attitude can improvesales .”Most of my customers speak English as a second language . Oneof the best things my company has done is to contract with a languageservice that offers translations over the phone . It wasn’t until my bossreceived Mindsets’ training that she was able to understand how importantinclusiveness was to customer service . As result , our customer base hasincreased .”Once we start to see people as individuals . and discard thestereotypes , we can move positively toward inclusiveness for everyone .Diversity is about coming together and taking advantage of our differencesand similarities . It is about building better communities andorganizations that enhance us as individuals and reinforce our sharedhumanity .When we begin to question our assumptions and challenge what we think wehave learned from our past , from the media, peers , family , friends ,etc , we begin to realize that some of our conclusions are flawed(有缺陷的) or contrary to our fundamental values . We need to train our-selvesto think differently , shift our mindsets and realize that diversity opensdoors for all of us ,creating opportunities in organizations andcommunities that benefit everyone.1. What bothered Tiffany during an interview with her candidate?A) He just wouldn’t look her in the eye.B) He was slow in answering her questions.C) His answers to some of her questions were irrelevant.D) His answers to some of her questions were irrelevant.2. Tiffany’s misjudgment about the candidate stemmed from _____.A) Racial stereotypes. C) Racial stereotypes.B) Invalid personal bias . D) Emphasis on physical appearance3. What is becoming essential in the course of economic globalizationaccording to the author?A) Hiring qualified technical and management personnel.B) Increasing understanding of people of other cultures.C) Constantly updating knowledge and equipment.D) Expanding domestic and international markets.4. What kind of organization is Mindsets LLC?A) A real estate agency. C) A cultural exchange organization.B) A personnel training company. D) A hi-tech company5. After one of the workshops ,account executive Dale realized that _____.A) He had hired the wrong person.B) He could have done more for his company.C) He had not managed his workforce well.D) He must get rid of his gender bias.6. What did Dale think of Mindsets LLC’s workshop?A) It was well-intentioned but poorly conducted.B) It tapped into the executives’ full potential.C) It helped him make fair decisions.D) It met participants’ di verse needs.7. How did Doug, a supervisor, respond to a Chinese-American employee’srequest for leave?A) He told him to get the dates right. C)He flatly turned it downB) He demanded an explanation. D)He readily approved it.8. Doug felt _____ when he realized that his assumption was wrong.9. After attending Mindsets’ workshops, the participants came to knowthe importance of _____ to their business.10. When we view people as individuals and get rid of stereotypes , wecan achieve diversity and benefit from the _____ between us.Part III Listening Comprehension (35 Minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questionswill be asked about what was said .Both the conversation and the questionswill 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 letteron Answer sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.11. A) She expected more people at her party.B) She enjoys entertaining small children .C) She threw a surprise party for her friendD) She has always enjoyed great popularity.12. A) They are not used to living in a cold place.B) They feel lucky to live in Florida.C) They are going to have a holiday.D) They have not booked their air tickets yet.13. A) He was pleased to get the medal. C) He used to be a firefighter.(B) He was very courageous. D) He was accused of causing a fire.14。
2020年大学英语四级考试真题及答案
2020年大学英语四级考试真题及答案大学英语四级考试真题及答案（第一套）Part I Writing （25 minutes）Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short easy on how to besthandle the relationship between doctors and patients. You should write at least120 words but no more than 180 words.Part II Listening Comprehension （25 minutes）Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1. A) Her friend Erika. C) Her grandfather.B) Her little brother. D) Her grandmother.2. A) By taking pictures for passers-by. C) By selling lemonade and pictures.B) By working part time at a hospital. D) By asking for help on social media.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3. A) Finding cheaper ways of highway construction.B) Generating electric power for passing vehicles.C) Providing clean energy to five million people.D) Testing the efficiency of the new solar panel.4. A) They can stand the wear and tear of natural elements.B) They can be laid right on top of existing highways.C) They are only about half an inch thick.D) They are made from cheap materials.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. A) Endless fighting in the region. C) Inadequate funding for research.B) The hazards from the desert. D) The lack of clues about the species.6. A) To observe the wildlife in the two national parks.B) To identify the reasons for the lions’ disappearance.C) To study the habitat of lions in Sudan and Ethiopia.D) To find evidence of the existence of the “lost lions”.7. A) Lions walking. C) Some camping facilities.B) Lions’ t racks. D) Traps set by local hunters.Section BDirections：In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C), and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8. A) Her ‘lucky birthday’. C) Her wedding anniversary.B) A call from her dad. D) A special gift from the man.9. A) Gave her a big model plane. C) Took her on a trip overseas.B) Bought her a good necklace. D) Threw her a surprise party.10. A) The gift her husband has bought.B) The trip her husband has planned.C) What has been troubling her husband.D) What her husband and the man are up to.11. A) He will be glad to be a guide for the couple’s holiday trip.B) He will tell the women the secret if her husband agrees.C) He is eager to learn how the couple’s holiday turns out.D) He wants to find out about the couple’s holiday plan.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. A) They are sensitive to the dynamics of a negotiation.B) They see the importance of making compromises.C) They know when to adopt a tough attitude.D) They take the rival’s attitude into account.13. A) They know how to adapt. C) They know when to make compromises.B) They know when to stop. D) They know how to control their emotion.14. A) They are patient. C) They learn quickly.B) They are good at expression. D) They uphold their principles.15. A) Make clear one's intentions. C) Formulate one's strategy.B) Clarify items of negotiation. D) Get to know the other side.Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear three passages. Atthe end of each passage, you willhear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken onlyonce. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C), D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A) When America's earliest space program started.B) When the International Space Station was built.C) How many space shuttle missions there will be.D) How space research benefits people on Earth.17. A) They accurately calculated the speed of the orbiting shuttles.B) They developed objects for astronauts to use in outer space.C) They tried to meet astronauts' specific requirements.D) They tried to make best use of the latest technology.18. A) They are extremely accurate. C) They were first made in space.B) They are expensive to make. D) They were invented in the 1970s.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A) It was when her ancestors came to America.B) People had plenty of land to cultivate then.C) It marked the beginning of something new.D) Everything was natural and genuine then.20. A) They believed in working for goals. C) They had allkinds of entertainment.B) They enjoyed living a living a life of ease. D) They were known to be creative.21. A) Chatting with her ancestors. C) Polishing all the silver work.B) Furnishing her country house. D) Doing needlework by the fire.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A) Use a map to identify your location. C) Sit down and try to calm yourself.B) Call your family or friends for help. D) Try to follow your footprints back.23. A) You may find a way out without your knowing it.B) You may expose yourself to unexpected dangers.C) You may get drowned in a sudden flood.D) You may end up entering a wonderland.24. A) Look for food. C) Start a fire.B) Wait patiently. D) Walk uphill.25. A) Inform somebody of your plan. C) Check the local weather.。
2021年12月全国大学英语四级真题及答案(全三套)
2021年12月全国大学英语四级真题及答案（一）一、听力部分：News Report One(1)A 22-year-old Chinese woman who suffered from a persistent cough was shocked to learn that she had a piece of chicken bone lodged in her lung.The unnamed woman from the province of Shandong started have coughing problems when she was 7 or 8 years old.For 14 years,she made numerous hospital visits.However,no doctor could identify any problem.Her uncontrollable coughing was a mystery.Finally,the woman got a full body scan at a hospital in the city of Qingdao.This special medical procedure revealed she had a chicken bone stuck in herlung.(2)Doctors performed surgery and removed the bone.The simple procedure went smoothly and the woman has recovered fully with the bone finally removed from her lung,the woman is very happy that she no longer suffers from that annoying cough.1.What was the woman’s problem?2.How was the woman’s problem eventually solved?News Report Two(3)A white shape named Prickles that ran away from an Australian farm during the 2013 bush fires recently returned home.According to farmer Alice Gray,Prickles was only a lamb when she ran away.The bush fires that hit the area back then destroyed a large part of her family’s massive property.They thought Prickles had died in the fire.But instead,the young sheep escaped into a 200-acre forest near the farm.(4)Once the fires were over,the family had to fix the damage done to the farm as it was such a large property,which included rebuilding about 40 kilometers of fencing.It was this huge fencing that prevented Pickles from finding her way back.Over the years,the family spotted her a few times.They even recorded her with cameras installed to monitor the activity.But when they knew Pringles was alive,they couldn’t find her and never expected her to re turn by herself.Seven years later,they were proven wrong.3.What does the news say about the white sheep Prickles?4.What the family do of the bush fires?News Report Three(5)Tons of gold have fallen out of the sky in Russia after a cargo plane malfunctioned in midair this morning.The aircraft was carrying 265 million pounds worth of gold and diamonds,when the door flew open,sending the precious metal back to earth.According to the official news agency,Russian authorities have recovered more than 170 gold bars weighing 20 kilograms each.The plane was traveling from Yakutsk airport in a major diamond producing region to the city Krasnoyarsk in Siberia.(6)However,the aircraft made an emergency landing in Magan after began losing some of its valuable cargo.Reports suggest some bars of gold were scattered up to fifteen miles away from the airport.Nine tons of gold on plane AN12 belonged to a gold mine company.Police have sealed off the runway and say it is unclear if it was an accident or an attempted robbery.(7)Technical engineers who worked on the plane prior to takeoff are reportedly going to be questioned by the police.5.What is the news report mainly about?6.What did the aircraft do when the incident happened?7.What does the news report say about the technical engineers who worked on the plane beforetakeoff?Conversation One8.Why does the man have this conversation with the man recorded?His job is related to the customer service.9.What is the woman’s purpose of calling to the furniture company?She wants to know when she can get her money back.10.What does the woman say about her bank card?The new bank card will be sent to her on Tuesday,and the bank may has canceled the old one before the man made the payment.11.What does the man advise the woman to do?She needs to update the card details directly on the website.Conversation Two12.Why isn’t the man going to cook?He’s worn out.13.What does the man say he’ll do on his phone?He’ll use the food delivery app on his phone.14.What does the woman think of the Indian food?That’s not the kind of the hot she means.She needs something mild.15.What does the man think of the woman?She’s really difficult to please.Passage One(16)A new study carried out by the university of Lincoln has found a link between the personalities of cat owners and the behavior and wellbeing of their cats.The findings suggest that just as apparent personality can affect the personality of a child,the same is true for a cat and its owner.Owners defined as individuals with high levels of anxiety,fear,anger,depression and loneliness were more likely to have cats with behavioral issues.Such cats display more aggressive and anxious behavioral styles as well as more stress related sickness.They will also more likely to have an ongoing medical condition and be overweight.The research also found that mentally well-adjusted owners had come from happier and healthier cats.Researchers explained that many owners regard their pets as a family member and form close social bonds with them.(17)The majority of owners want to provide the best care for their pets and is therefore possible that pets could be affected by the way their owners interact with and manage them.The study highlights an important relationship between our personalities and the well-being of our pets.(18)Further research is needed to investigate the cause of nature of this relationship and look at how owners’personalities are directly influencing their pet’s behavior and well-being.It is possible that the well-being of pets is driven by the underlying nature of the owner not simply by their conscious decisions and behaviors.16.What do we learn from the new study by the University of Lincoln?17.What does the passage say most pet owners want to do?18.What does the passage say it’s still needed to understand the effects of owners’personalities on their pets?Passage Two(19)One 50-minute run can add seven hours to your life.This was a claim made by The Times last week.The claim was based on a new review of studies about the effects of running.The review concluded that an average runners live three years longer than non-runners and that running doesmore to extend life than any other form of exercise.But there’s more to running than its health benefits.(20)Research published in recent years have shown that running changes your brain and mind in some fascinating ways from increasing your brain function to regulating your emotions.However,the precise effects vary according to whether you engage in short fast running or long distance runni ng.For example,in one study,researchers compared participants’ability to learn new words after several minutes of intense running,and after 40 minutes of gentlerunning,participants were able to learn 20 percent faster after the intense running and they showed a superior memory when tested again a week later.In another study,researchers asked volunteers to jog for 30 minutes and then showed them clips from a sad movie.Participants who usually struggled to handle negative emotions were more intensely affecte d by the sad clips just as you’d expect.But crucially,this was less so if they had completed the 30 minutes jog.(21)The researchers said moderate exercise appears to have helped those participants to be less vulnerable to the impact of the sad movie.19.What did the new review of studies claim?20.What is one effect that running has on people according to recent research?21.What did another study find about the participant after they had a 30 minutes jog?Passage ThreeWelcome to the tour of the Hill House.This house built in 1904 is one of the most well-known works of Charles Hill,the famous architect.It was designed and built for local entrepreneur and his family.Before starting the tour,let me give you a brief introduction about the design of this amazing building.(23)Prior to beginning his design,the architect spends sometime in the client’s old home,observing their life and studying their habits.This meant that he could design the house according to the needs of the family.(24)The client’s main desire w as to have a home with unique design,so the architect was given complete freedom.The building style is radically different from what was the fashion of the period.At the time,most large homes were constructed of timber and brick.This one,however,is made of concrete,a novel construction material in those days.The interior of the house,including the fittings and furniture,was also designed by the same person.Most of the furniture you will see is original and in good condition.However,(25)both pieces in the ch ildren’s bedrooms are copies built to the designs of the architect.Fortunately,all the blueprints for both the building and its contents have been preserved,so we’ve been able to replace badly damaged furniture.Let’s begin our tour,starting from the rooms.22.What do we learn about the speaker?He is the guide of the tour.23.What dis the architect do before beginning his design?24.What did the architect’s client mainly want?25.What do we learn about the pieces of furniture in the children’s bedrooms?1.D)He did an unusual good deed2.C)Give some money to the waiter3.A)Whether or not to move to the state's mainland4.B)It costs too much money5.A)To investigate whether people are grateful for help6.C)They held doors open for people at various places7.B)Most people express gratitude for help8.C)To enquire about solar panel installation9.D)He has a large family.10.B)The cost of a solar panel installation11.D)About five years12.A)At a travel agency13.D)She wanted to spend more time her family.14 D)Two weeks.15.A)Choosing some activities herself16.D)Pay a green tax upon arrival17.A)It has not been doing a good job in recycling.18.B)To ban single-use plastic bags and straws on Bali land.19.D)Its population is now showing signs of increase20.C)Commercial hunting21.D)To seek breeding grounds22.C)They consume less milk these days23.A)It is not as healthy as once thought24.C)They lack the necessary proteins to digest it25.B)It provides some necessary nutrients二、选词填空部分：When my son completes a task,I can't hlep but praise him.26.B.constant27.G.negative28.K.repeatedly29.L.rewarded30.C disappointing31.H.outcome32.1.pattern33.D.distinguish34.N.simply35.0.undertaken三、信息匹配部分：The History of the Lunch Box36.[F]City kids,on the other hand,went home for lunch and came back.37.[j]The company sold 600,000 units the first year.38.[〇]The introduction of backpacks changed the lunch box scene a bit^he adds.39.[C]Lunch boxes have been connecting kids to cartoons and TV shows and super-heroes for decades.40.[H]And then everything changed in the year of 1950.41.[L]The new trend was also a great example of planned obsolescence,that is,to design a product so that it will soon become unfashionable or impossible to use and will need replacing.42.[D]Let's start back at the beginning of the 20th century-the beginning of the lunch box story,really.43.[A]It was made of shiny,bright pink plastic with a Little Mermaid sticker on the front,and I carried it with me nearly every single day.44.[M]The metal lunch box craze Lasted until the mid-1980s,when plastic took over.45.<I>But these containers were really sting years on end.四、仔细阅读部分：P146 A When they don*t have the chance to do what they want47 D Harmful conduct48 B Many volunteers choose to hurt themselves rather than endure boredom49 C It may promote creative thinking.50 D Allow oneself some time to be bored.P251.B Forests are fast shrinking in many developing countries.52.C Those that used to have the lowest forest coverage.53.A The g overnment’s advocacy54.C Their capability of improving air quality55.D Developed and developing countries are moving in opposite directions五、作文部分：WritingDirections：For this part,you are allowed 30 minutes to write on the topic Changes in the Way of Transportation.You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.范文：Changes in the way of transportationAs the internet is developing so rapidly,the way of transportation keeps changing surprisingly.New applications on transportation emerge abundantly,contributing to the fact that people*s lifestyle has been changed as well.The changes in the way of transportation can be listed as follows.First of all,with the development of technology,the price of transportation is much cheaper than before.Moreover,compared with traditional ways of buying tickets,transportation applications and websites give passengers the opportunity to book tickets online without going outside to particular ticketoffices.Besides,highspeed railways gradually replace the oldfashioned green trains,which can tremendously improve travelers’comfort during the journey and shorten the time spent on the way. From my perspective,the changes in the way of transportation mainly lie in the good respects.As one of the fortunate passengers who live in the age of internet and can get access to online service of transportation,I can*t help exclaiming:it is the best of times.六、翻译部分：春节前夕吃团圆饭是中国人的传统。
四级真题试卷历年真题及答案
2022年6月大学英语四级真题1(总分：13.97，做题时间：130分钟)写作1.rections: Suppose you are writing a proposal to your school library for improving its services. You are to write about its current problems and possible solutions to these problems. You will have 30 mimutes to write the proposal. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.__________（分数：1.00）__________________________________________________________________________________________ 正确答案：(Dear Sir or Madam, I hope you are doing great! I am Li Ming, one of the sophomore students in our university. Following my recent experience of using our school library, I have decided to send you some feedback. In the first place, the librarians there are not very friendly and helpful as they often fail to tell us where to find the book we want, and moreover get impatient easily. What´ s more, the books available in the library are too old to catch upwith the latest development of related disciplines. Finally, the reading rooms are not bright enough as some of the lights have gone dark. All these have brought great inconvenience to us students, which leaves me with no choice but to write you this letter.From my perspective, it would be wise for you to offer all the librarians a training course to familiarize them with the layout of the library and the classifications of the books. If possible, sincerely hope that you consider the possibility of renewing some of the books and maintaining the facilities properly. Thank you for your time and consideration. Look forward to your favorable reply.Warm regards,Li Ming)解析：翻译2.从前有个人养了一群羊。
历年英语四级真题及答案
目录2012年6月英语四级.................................................................. - 2 - 2011年12月全国大学英语四级考试试题...............................- 54 - 2011年12月英语四级真题答案 (92)2011年12月英语四级真题答案解析 (93)2011年6月大学英语四级真题 (104)2010年12月大学英语四级真题 (141)2010年6月英语四级考试真题 (157)2009年12月大学英语四级考试真题及答案 (173)2009年6月英语四级考试答案解析 (232)2008年12月大学英语四级考试真题 (247)2008年6月 (261)2007年12月四级考试真题 (76)2007年6月23日大学英语六级(CET-6)真题试卷(A卷)错误!未定义书签。
Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes) .......................................................... 错误!未定义书签。
Part III Listening Comprehension (35 minutes)错误!未定义书签。
Section A .................................................. 错误!未定义书签。
Section B .................................................. 错误!未定义书签。
Section C .................................................. 错误!未定义书签。
Part IV Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth) (25 minutes) ........................................................................ 错误!未定义书签。
(完整版)大学英语四级真题及答案(多套题及详解)
大学英语四级真题及答案(多套题及翻译）CET4 Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the following topic. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.题目一：Suppose a foreign friend of yours is coming to visit your campus, what is the most interesting place you would like to take him/her to see and why?假设你的一位外国朋友来参观你的校园，你最感兴趣的地方想带他/她去看?为什么?题目二：Suppose a foreign friend of yours is coming to visit your hometown, what is the most interesting place you would like to take him/her to see and why?假设你的一位外国朋友来参观你的家乡，你最感兴趣的地方想带他/她去看?为什么?题目三：Suppose a foreign friend of yours is coming to visit China, what is the most interesting place you would like to take him/her to see and why?假设你的一位外国朋友来参观中国，你最感兴趣的地方想带他/她去看?为什么?Part II 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 is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on 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。
2020年大学英语四级考试真题及答案
大学英语四级考试真题及答案（第一套）Part I Writing （25 minutes）Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short easy on how to besthandle the relationship between doctors and patients. You should write at least120 words but no more than 180 words.Part II Listening Comprehension （25 minutes）Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1. A) Her friend Erika. C) Her grandfather.B) Her little brother. D) Her grandmother.2. A) By taking pictures for passers-by. C) By selling lemonade and pictures.B) By working part time at a hospital. D) By asking for help on social media.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3. A) Finding cheaper ways of highway construction.B) Generating electric power for passing vehicles.C) Providing clean energy to five million people.D) Testing the efficiency of the new solar panel.4. A) They can stand the wear and tear of natural elements.B) They can be laid right on top of existing highways.C) They are only about half an inch thick.D) They are made from cheap materials.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. A) Endless fighting in the region. C) Inadequate funding for research.B) The hazards from the desert. D) The lack of clues about the species.6. A) To observe the wildlife in the two national parks.B) To identify the reasons for the lions’ disappearance.C) To study the habitat of lions in Sudan and Ethiopia.D) To find evidence of the existence of the “lost lions”.7. A) Lions walking. C) Some camping facilities.B) Lions’ t racks. D) Traps set by local hunters.Section BDirections：In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C), and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8. A) Her ‘lucky birthday’. C) Her wedding anniversary.B) A call from her dad. D) A special gift from the man.9. A) Gave her a big model plane. C) Took her on a trip overseas.B) Bought her a good necklace. D) Threw her a surprise party.10. A) The gift her husband has bought.B) The trip her husband has planned.C) What has been troubling her husband.D) What her husband and the man are up to.11. A) He will be glad to be a guide for the couple’s holiday trip.B) He will tell the women the secret if her husband agrees.C) He is eager to learn how the couple’s holiday turns out.D) He wants to find out about the couple’s holiday plan.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. A) They are sensitive to the dynamics of a negotiation.B) They see the importance of making compromises.C) They know when to adopt a tough attitude.D) They take the rival’s attitude into account.13. A) They know how to adapt. C) They know when to make compromises.B) They know when to stop. D) They know how to control their emotion.14. A) They are patient. C) They learn quickly.B) They are good at expression. D) They uphold their principles.15. A) Make clear one's intentions. C) Formulate one's strategy.B) Clarify items of negotiation. D) Get to know the other side.Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you willhear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken onlyonce. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C), D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A) When America's earliest space program started.B) When the International Space Station was built.C) How many space shuttle missions there will be.D) How space research benefits people on Earth.17. A) They accurately calculated the speed of the orbiting shuttles.B) They developed objects for astronauts to use in outer space.C) They tried to meet astronauts' specific requirements.D) They tried to make best use of the latest technology.18. A) They are extremely accurate. C) They were first made in space.B) They are expensive to make. D) They were invented in the 1970s.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A) It was when her ancestors came to America.B) People had plenty of land to cultivate then.C) It marked the beginning of something new.D) Everything was natural and genuine then.20. A) They believed in working for goals. C) They had all kinds of entertainment.B) They enjoyed living a living a life of ease. D) They were known to be creative.21. A) Chatting with her ancestors. C) Polishing all the silver work.B) Furnishing her country house. D) Doing needlework by the fire.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A) Use a map to identify your location. C) Sit down and try to calm yourself.B) Call your family or friends for help. D) Try to follow your footprints back.23. A) You may find a way out without your knowing it.B) You may expose yourself to unexpected dangers.C) You may get drowned in a sudden flood.D) You may end up entering a wonderland.24. A) Look for food. C) Start a fire.B) Wait patiently. D) Walk uphill.25. A) Inform somebody of your plan. C) Check the local weather.B) Prepare enough food and drink. D) Find a map and a compass.Part Ⅲ 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 making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.A rat or pigeon might not be the obvious choice to tend to someone who is sick, but these creatures have some 26 skills that could help the treatment of human diseases.Pigeons are often seen as dirty birds and an urban 27 , but they are just the latest in a long line of animals that have been found to have abilities to help humans. Despite having a brain no bigger than the 28 of your index finger, pigeons have a very impressive 29__ memory. Recently it was shown that they could be trained to be as accurate as humans at detecting breast cancer in images.Rats are often 30 with spreading disease rather than 31 it, but this long-tailed animal is highly 32 . Inside a rat's nose are up to 1,000 different types of olfactory receptors （嗅觉感受器）, whereas humans only have 100 to 200 types. This gives rats the ability to detect __33 smells. As a result, some rats are being put to work to detect TB（肺结核）. When the rats detect the smell, they stop and rub their legs to 34 a sample is infected.Traditionally, a hundred samples would take lab technicians more than two days to 35 , but for a rat it takes less than 20 minutes. This rat detection method doesn't rely on specialist equipment. It is also more accurate — the rats are able to find more TB infections and, therefore, save more lives.A) associated I) slightB) examine J) specifyC) indicate K) superiorD) nuisance L) suspiciousE) peak M) tipF) preventing N) treatedG) prohibiting O) visualH) sensitiveSection BDirections: 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.Do In-Class Exams Make Students Study Harder?Research suggests they may study more broadly for the unexpected rather than search for answers.[A] I have always been a poor test-taker. So it may seem rather strange that I have returned to college to finish the degree I left undone some four decades ago. I am making my way through Columbia University, surrounded by students who quickly supply the verbal answer while I am still processing the question.[B] Since there is no way for me to avoid exams, I am currently questioning what kind are the most taxing and ultimately beneficial. I have already sweated through numerous in-class midterms and finals, and now I have a professor who issuestake-home ones. I was excited when I learned this, figuring I had a full week to do the research, read the texts, and write it all up. In fact, I was still rewriting my midterm the morning it was due. To say I had lost the thread is putting it mildly.[C] As I was suffering through my week of anxiety, overthinking the material and guessing my grasp of it, I did some of my own polling among students and professors. David Eisenbach, who teaches a popular class on U.S. presidents at Columbia, prefers the in-class variety. He believes students ultimately learn more and encourages them to form study groups. “That way they socialize over history outside the class, which wouldn’t happen without the pressure of an in-class exam,” he explained, “Furthermore, in-class exams force students to learn how to perform under pressure, and essential work skill.”[D] He also says there is less chance of cheating with the in-class variety. In 2012, 125 students at Harvard were caught up in a scandal when it was discovered they had cheated on a take-home exam for a class entitled “Introduction To Congress.” Some colleges have what they call an “honor code,” though if you are smart enough to get into these schools, you are either smart enough to get around any codes or hopefully, too ethical to consider doing so. As I sat blocked and clueless for two solid days, I momentarily wondered if I couldn’t just call an expert o n the subject matter which I was tackling, or someone who took the class previously, to get me going.[E] Following the Harvard scandal, Mary Miller, the former dean of students at Yale, made an impassioned appeal to her school’s professors to refrain fr omtake-hone exams. “Students risk health and well being, as well as performance in other end-of-term work, when faculty offers take-home exams without clear,time-limited boundaries,” she told me. “Research now shows that regular quizzes, short essays, and other assignments over the course of a term better enhance learning and retention.”[F] Most college professors agree the kind of exam they choose largely depends on the subject. A quantitative-based one, for example, is unlikely to be sent home, where one could ask their older brothers and sisters to help. Vocational-type classes, such as computer science or journalism, on the other hand, are often moreresearch-oriented and lend themselves to take-home testing. Chris Koch, who teaches “History of Broadcast Journalism” at Montgomery Community College in Rockville, Maryland, points out that reporting is about investigation rather than the memorization of minute details. “In my field, it’s not what you know—it’s what you know how to find out,” says Koch. “There is way too much information, and morecoming all the time, for anyone to remember. I want my students to search out the answers to questions by using all the resources available to them.[G] Students’ test-form preferences vary, too, often depending on the subject and course difficulty. “I prefer take-home essays because it is then really about the writing, so you have time to edit and do more research,” says Elizabeth Dresser, a junior at Barnard. Then there is the stress factor. Francesca Haass, a senior at Middlebury, says, “I find the in-class ones are more stressful in the short term, but there is immediate relief as you swallow information like mad, and then you get to forget it all.Take-homes require thoughtful engagement which can lead to longer term stress as there is never a moment when the time is up.” Meanwhile, Olivia Rubin, a sophomore at Emory, says she hardly even considers take-homes true exams. “If you understand the material and have the ability to articulate (说出) your thoughts, they should be a breeze.”[H] How students ultimately handle stress may depend on their personaltest-taking abilities. There are people who always wait until the last minute, and make it much harder than it needs to be. And then there those who, not knowing what questions are coming at them, and having no resources to refer to, can freeze. And then there are we rare folks who fit both those descriptions.[I] Yes, my advanced age must factor into the equation (等式), in part because of my inability toaccess the information as quickly. As another returning student at Columbia, Kate Marber, toldme, “We are learning not only all this information, but essentially how to learn again. Ourfellow students have just come out of high school. A lot has changed since we were last inschool.”[J] If nothing else, the situation has given my college son and me something to share, When Iasked his opinion on this matter, he responded, “I like in-class exams because the time isalready reserved, as opposed t o using my free time at home to work on a test,” he responded.It seems to me that a compromise would be receiving the exam questions a day or two inadvance, and then doing the actual test in class the ticking clock overhead.[K] Better yet, how about what one Hunter College professor reportedly did recently for her finalexam: She encouraged the class not to stress or even study, promising that, “It is going to be apiece of cake.” When the students came in, sharpened pencils in hand, there was not a bluebook in sight. Rather, they saw a large chocolate cake and they each were given a slice.36. Elderly students find it hard to keep up with the rapid changes in education.37. Some believe take-home exams may affect students' performance in other courses.38. Certain professors believe in-class exams are ultimately more helpful to students.39. In-class exams are believed to discourage cheating in exams.40. The author was happy to learn she could do some exams at home.41. Students who put off their work until the last moment often find the exams more difficult thanthey actually are.42. Different students may prefer different types of exams.43. Most professors agree whether to give an in-class or a take-home exam depends on type ofcourse being taught.44. The author dropped out of college some forty years ago.45. Some students think take-home exams will eat up their free time.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 46 and 50 are based on the following passage.That people often experience trouble sleeping in a different bed in unfamiliar surroundings is a phenomenon known as the “first-night” effect. If a person stays in the same room the following night they tend to sleep more soundly. Yuka Sasaki and her colleagues at Brown University set out to investigate the origins of this effect.Dr. Sasaki knew the first-night effect probably has something to do with how humans evolved. The puzzle was what benefit would be gained from it when performance might be affected the following day. She also knew from previous work conducted on birds and dolphins that these animals put half of their brains to sleep at a time so that they can rest while remaining alert enough to avoid predators (捕食者). This led her to wonder if people might be doing the same thing. To take a closer look, her team studied 35 healthy people as they slept in the unfamiliar environment of the university’s Department of Psychological Sciences. The part icipants each slept in the department for two nights and were carefully monitored with techniques that looked at the activity of their brains. Dr. Sasaki found, as expected, the participants slept less well on their first night than they did on their second, taking more than twice as longto fall asleep and sleeping less overall. During deep sleep, the participants’ brains behaved in a similar manner seen in birds and dolphins. On the first night only, the left hemispheres (半球) of their brains did not sleep nearly as deeply as their right hemispheres did.Curious if the left hemispheres were indeed remaining awake to process information detected in the surrounding environment, Dr. Sasaki re-ran the experiment while presenting the sleeping participants with a mix of regularly timed beeps (蜂鸣声) of the same tone and irregular beeps of a different tone during the night. She worked out that, if the left hemisphere was staying alert to keep guard in a strange environment, then it would react to the irregular beeps by stirring people from sleep and would ignore the regularly timed ones. This is precisely what she found.46. What did researchers find puzzling about the first-night effect?A) To what extent it can trouble people. C) What circumstances may trigger it.B) What role it has played in evolution. D) In what way it can be beneficial.47. What do we learn about Dr. Yuka Sasaki doing her research?A) She found birds and dolphins remain alert while asleep.B) She found birds and dolphins sleep in much the same way.C) She got some idea from previous studies on birds and dolphinsD) She conducted studies on birds’ and dolphins’ sleeping patterns.48. What did Dr. Sasaki do when she first did her experiment?A) She monitored the brain activity of participants sleeping in a new environment.B) She recruited 35 participants from her Department of Psychological Sciences.C) She studied the differences between the two sides of participants’ brains.D) She tested her findings about birds and dolphins on human subjects.49. What did Dr. Sasaki do when re-running her experiment?A) She analyzed the negative effect of irregular tones on brains.B) She recorded participants’ adaptation to changed environment.C) She exposed her participants to two different stimuli.D) She compared the responses of different participants.50. What did Dr. Sasaki find about the participants in her experiment?A) They tended to enjoy certain tones more than others.B) They tended to perceive irregular beeps as a threat.C) They felt sleepy when exposed to regular beeps.D) They differed in their tolerance of irregular tones.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.It’s time to reevaluate how women handle conflict at w ork. Being overworked or over-committed at home and on the job will not get you where you want to be in life. It will only slow you down and hinder your career goals.Did you know women are more likely than men to feel exhausted? Nearly twice as many women than men ages 18-44 reported feeling “very tired” or “exhausted”, according to a recent study.This may not be surprising given that this is the age range when women have children. It's also the age range when many women are trying to balance careers and home. One reason women may feel exhausted is that they have a hard time saying "no." Women want to be able todo it all volunteer for school parties or cook delicious meals-and so their answer to any request is often “Yes, I can.”Women struggle to sa y “no” in the workplace for similar reasons, including the desire to be liked by their colleagues. Unfortunately, this inability to say "no" may be hurting women's heath as well as their career.At the workplace, men use conflict as a way to position themselves, while women often avoid conflict or strive to be the peacemaker, because they don't want to be viewed as aggressive or disruptive at work. For example, there’s a problem that needs to be addressed immediately, resulting in a dispute over should be the one to fix it. Men are more likely to face that dispute from the perspective of what benefits them most, whereas women may approach the same dispute from the perspective of what's the easiest and quickest way to resolve the problem-evenif that means doing the boring work themselves.This difference in handling conflict could be the deciding factor on who gets promoted to a leadership position and who does not. Leaders have to be able to delegate and manage resources wisely – including staff expertise. Shouldering more of the workload may not earn you that promotion. Instead, it may highlight your inability to delegate effectively.51. What does the author say is the problem with women?A) They are often unclear about the career goals to reach.B) They are usually more committed at home than on the job.C) They tend to be over-optimistic about how far they could go.D) They tend to push themselves beyond the limits of their ability.52. Why do working women of child-bearing age tend to feel drained of energy?A) They struggle to satisfy the demands of both work and home.B) They are too devoted to work and unable to relax as a result.C) They do their best to cooperate with their workmates.D) They are obliged to take up too many responsibilities.53. What may hinder the future prospects of career women?A) Their unwillingness to say “no”.B) Their desire to be considered powerful.C) An underestimate of their own ability.D) A lack of courage to face challenges.54. Men and woman differ in their approach to resolving workplace conflicts in that______.A) women tend to be easily satisfiedB) men are generally more persuasiveC) men tend to put their personal interests firstD) women are much more ready to compromise55. What is important to a good leader?A) A dominant personality. C) The courage to admit failureB) The ability to delegate. D) A strong sense of responsibility.Part Ⅳ Translation (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese intoEnglish. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.华山位于华阴市，据西安120公里。
大学英语四级真题阅读练习10套(附参考答案)
大学英语4级真题Passage 1The endless debate about “work-life balance’’ often contains a hopeful footnote about stay-at-home dads. If American society and business won5t make it easier on future female leaders who choose to have children, there is still the ray of hope that increasing numbers of full-time fathers will. But based on today’s socioeconomic trends, this hope is, unfortunately, misguided.It’s true that the number of men who have left work to do their thing as full-time parents has doubled in a decade, but ifs still very small：only 0. 8% of married couples where the stay-at-home father was out of the labor force for a year. Even that percentage is likely inflated by men thrust into their caretaker role by a downsizing. This is simply not a large enough group to reduce the social stigma(污名)and force other adjustments necessary to supporting men in this decision, even if only for a relatively short time.Even shorter times away from work for working fathers are already difficult. A study found that 85% of new fathers take some time off after the birth of a child—but for all but a few, it’s a week or two at most. Meanwhile, the average for women who take leave is more than 10 weeks. Such choices impact who moves up in the organization. While you’re away, someone else is doing your work, making your sales, taking care of your customers. That can’t help you at work. It can only hurt you. Women, of course, face the same issues of returning after a long absence. But with many more women than men choosing to leave the workforce entirely to raise families, returning from an extended parental leave doesn’t raise as many eyebrows as it does for men.Women would make more if they didn't break their earning trajectory (轨迹）by leaving the workforce, or if higher-paying professions were more family-friendly. In the foreseeable future, stay- at-home fathers may make all the difference for individual families, but their presence won’t reduce the numbers of high-potential women who are forced to choose between family and career.56.What gives women a ray of hope to achieve work-life balance?A)More men taking an extended parental leave.B)Peopled changing attitudes towards family.C)More women entering business management.D)The improvement of their socioeconomic status.57.Why does the author say the hope for more full-time fathers is misguided?A)Women are better at taking care of children.B)Many men value work more than their family.C)Their number is too small to make a difference.D)Not many men have the chance to stay at home.58.Why do few men take a long parental leave?A)A long leave will have a negative impact on their career.B)They just have too many responsibilities to fulfill at work.C)The economic loss will be too much for their family to bear.D)They are likely to get fired if absent from work for too long.59.What is the most likely reaction to men returning from an extended parental leave?A) Jealousy. C) Admiration. B) Surprise.D) Sympathy.60.What does the author say about high-potential women in the not-too-distant future?A)They will benefit from the trend of more fathers staying at home.B)They will find high-paying professions a bit more family-friendly.C)They are unlikely to break their career trajectory to raise a family.D)They will still face the difficult choice between career and children.答案：BCABDPassage 2Some of the world’s most significant problems never hit headlines. One example comes from agriculture. Food riots and hunger make news. But the trend lying behind these matters is rarely talked about. This is the decline in the growth in yields of some of the world’s major crops. A new study by the University of Minnesota and McGill University in Montreal looks at where, and how far, this decline is occurring.The authors take a vast number of data points for the four most important crops :rice, wheat, com and soyabeans (大豆).They find that on between 24% and 39% of all harvested areas, the improvement in yields that took place before the 1980s slowed down in the 1990s and 2000s. There are two worrying features of the slowdown. One is that it has been particularly sharp in the world’s most(人口多的）countries, India and China. Their ability to feed themselves has been an important source of relative stability both within the countries and on world food markets. That self-sufficiency cannot be taken for granted if yields continue to slow down or reverse.Second, yield growth has been lower in wheat and rice than in com and soyabeans. This is problematic because wheat and rice are more important as foods, accounting for around half of all calories consumed. Com and soyabeans are more important as feed grains. The authors note that “we have preferentially focused our crop improvement efforts on feeding animals and cars rather than on crops that feed people and are the basis of food security in much of the world. ”, The report qualifies the more optimistic findings of another new paper which suggests that the world will not have to dig up a lot more land for farming in order to feed 9 billion people in 2050, as the Food and Agriculture Organisation has argued.Instead, it says, thanks to slowing population growth, land currently ploughed up for crops might be able to revert (回返）to forest or wilderness. This could happen. The trouble is that the forecast assumes continued improvements in yields, which may not actually happen.61.What does the author try to draw attention to?A) Food riots and hunger in the world.C) The decline of the grain yield growth.B) News headlines in the leading media.D) The food supply in populous countries.62.Why does the author mention India and China in particular?A)Their self-sufficiency is vital to the stability of world food markets.B)Their food yields have begun to decrease sharply in recent years.C)Their big populations are causing worldwide concerns.D)Their food self-sufficiency has been taken for granted.63.What does the new study by the two universities say about recent crop improvement efforts?A)They fail to produce the same remarkable results as before the 1980s.B)They contribute a lot to the improvement of human food production.C)They play a major role in guaranteeing the food security of the world.D)They focus more on the increase of animal feed than human food grains.64.What does the Food and Agriculture Organisation say about world food production in thecoming decades?A)The growing population will greatly increase the pressure on world food supplies.B)The optimistic prediction about food production should be viewed with caution.C)The "slowdown of the growth in yields of major food crops will be reversed.D)The world will be able to feed its population without increasing farmland.65.How does the author view the argument of the Food and Agriculture Organisation?A)It is built on the findings of a new study.B)It is based on a doubtful assumption.C)It is backed by strong evidence.D)It is open to further discussion.答案：CADDBPassage 3Junk food is everywhere. We’re eating way too much of it. Most of us know what we’re doing and yet we do it anyway.So here’s a suggestion offered by two researchers at the Rand Corporation : Why not take a lesson from alcohol control policies and apply them to where food is sold and how it’s displayed?“Many policy measures to control obesity(肥胖症）assume that people consciously and rationally choose what and how much they eat and therefore focus on providing information and more access to healthier foods,” note the two researchers.“In contrast,” the researchers continue, “ many regulations that don’t assume people make rational choices have been successfully applied to control alcohol, a substance—like food—of which immoderate consumption leads to serious health problems. ’’The research references studies of peopled behavior with food and alcohol and results of alcohol restrictions, and then lists five regulations that the researchers think might be promising if applied to junk foods. Among them:Density restrictions：licenses to sell alcohol aren’t handed out unplanned to all comers but are allotted (分配) based on the number of places in an area that already sell alcohol. These make alcohol less easy to get and reduce the number of psychological cues to drink.Similarly, the researchers say, being presented with junk food stimulates our desire to eat it. So why not limit the density of food outlets, particularly ones that sell food rich in empty calories? And why not limit sale of food in places that aren5t primarily food stores?Display and sales restrictions: California has a rule prohibiting alcohol displays near the cash registers in gas stations, and in most places you can’t buy alcohol at drive-through facilities. At supermarkets, food companies pay to have their wares in places where they’re easily seen. One could remove junk food to the back of the store and ban them from the shelves at checkout lines. The other measures include restricting portion sizes, taxing and prohibiting special price deals for junk foods, and placing warning labels on the products.56.What does the author say about junk food?A)People should be educated not to eat too much.B)It is widely consumed despite its ill reputation.C)Its temptation is too strong for people to resist.D)It causes more harm than is generally realized.57.What do the Rand researchers think of many of the policy measures to control obesity?A) They should be implemented effectively.C) They are based on wrong assumptions.B) They provide misleading information.D) They help people make rational choices.58.Why do policymakers of alcohol control place density restrictions?A)Few people are able to resist alcohol’s temptations.B)There are already too many stores selling alcohol.C)Drinking strong alcohol can cause social problems.D)Easy access leads to customers’ over-consumption.59.What is the purpose of California’s rule about alcohol display in gas stations?A)To effectively limit the density of alcohol outlets.B)To help drivers to give up the habit of drinking.C)To prevent possible traffic jams in nearby areas.D)To get alcohol out of drivers’ immediate sight.60.What is the general guideline the Rand researchers suggest about junk food control?A)Guiding people to make rational choices about food.B)Enhancing people’s awareness of their own health.C)Borrowing ideas from alcohol control measures.D)Resorting to economic, legal and psychological means.答案：CCDDCPassage 4Kodak’s decision to file for bankruptcy (破产）protection is a sad, though not unexpected, turning point for a leading American corporation that pioneered consumer photography and dominated the film market for decades, but ultimately failed to adapt to the digital revolution.Although many attribute Kodak’s downfall to “complacency ( 自满)”that explanation doesn’t acknowledge the lengths to which the company went to reinvent itself. Decades ago, Kodak anticipated that digital photography would overtake film—and in fact, Kodak invented the first digital camera in 1975—but in a fateful decision, the company chose to shelf its new discovery to focus on its traditional film business.It wasn’t that Kodak was blind to the future, said Rebecca Henderson, a professor at Harvard Business School, but rather that it failed to execute on a strategy to confront it. By the time the company realized its mistake, it was too late.Kodak is an example of a firm that was very much aware that they had to adapt, and spent a lot of money trying to do so, but ultimately failed. Large companies have a difficult time switching to new markets because there is a temptation to put existing assets into the new businesses.Although Kodak anticipated the inevitable rise of digital photography, its corporate(企业的）culture was too rooted in the successes of the past for it to make the clean break necessary to fully embrace the future. They were a company stuck in time. Their history was so important to them. Now their history has become a liability.Kodak’s downfall over the last several decades was dramatic. In 1976, the company commanded 90% of the market for photographic film and 85% of the market for cameras. But the 1980s brought new competition from Japanese film company Fuji Photo, which undermined Kodak by offering lower prices for film and photo supplies. Kodak’s decision not to pursue the role of official film for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics was a major miscalculation. The bid went instead to Fuji, which exploited its sponsorship to win a permanent foothold in the marketplace.61.What do we learn about Kodak?A)It went bankrupt all of a sudden.B)It is approaching its downfall.C)It initiated the digital revolution in the film industry.D)It is playing the dominant role in the film market.62.Why does the author mention Kodak’s invention of the first digital camera?A)To show its early attempt to reinvent itself.B)To show its effort to overcome complacency.C)To show its quick adaptation to the digital revolution.D)To show its will to compete with Japan’s Fuji Photo.63.Why do large companies have difficulty switching to new markets?A)They find it costly to give up their existing assets.B)They tend to be slow in confronting new challenges.C)They are unwilling to invest in new technology.D)They are deeply stuck in their glorious past.64.What does the author say Kodak’s history has become?A) A burden.B) A mirror.C) A joke.D) A challenge.65.What was Kodak’s fatal mistake?A) Its blind faith in traditional photography.C) Its refusal to sponsor the 1984 Olympics.B) Its failure to see Fuji Photo’s emergence.D) Its overconfidence in its corporate culture.答案：BADACPassage 5When it’s five o’clock, people leave their office. The length of the workday, for many workers, is defined by time. They leave when the clock tells them they’re done.These days, the time is everywhere: not just on clocks or watches, but on cell-phones and computers. That may be a bad thing, particularly at work. New research shows that clock-based work schedules hinder morale (士气) and creativity.Clock-timers organize their day by blocks of minutes and hours. For example：a meeting from 9 a. m. to 10 a. m. , research from 10 a. m. to noon, etc. On the other hand, task-timers have a list of things they want to accomplish. They work down the list, each task starts when the previous task is completed. It is said that all of us employ a mix of both these types of planning.What, then, are the effects of thinking about time in these different ways? Does one make us more productive? Better at the tasks at hand? Happier? In experiments conducted by Tamar Avnet and Anne-Laure Sellier, they had participants organize different activities—from project planning, holiday shopping, to yoga —by time or to-do list to measure how they performed under “clock time vs “task time.” They found clock timers to be more efficient but less happy because they felt little control over their lives. Task timers are happier and more creative, but less productive. They tend to enjoy the moment when something good is happening, and seize opportunities that come up.The researchers argue that task-based organizing tends to be undervalued and under-supported in business culture. Smart companies, they believe, will try to bake more task-based planning into their strategies.This might be a small change to the way we view work and the office, but the researchersargue that it challenges a widespread characteristic of the economy: work organized by dock time. While most people will still probably need, and be, to some extent, clock-timers, task-based timing should be used when perfoming a job that requires more creativity. It’ll make those tasks easier, arid the task- doers will be happier.56.What does the author think of time displayed everywhere?A)It makes everybody time-conscious.B)It is a convenience for work and life.C)It may have a negative effect on creative work.D)It clearly indicates the fast pace of modem life.57.How do people usually go about their work according to the author?A)They combine clock-based and task-based planning.B)They give priority to the most urgent task on hand.C)They set a time limit for each specific task.D)They accomplish their tasks one by one.58.What did Tamar Avnet and Anne-Laure Sellier find in their experiments about clocks timers?A) They seize opportunities as they come up.C) They have more control over their lives.B) They always get their work done in time.D) They tend to be more productive.59.What do the researchers say about today’s business culture?A)It does not support the strategies adopted by smart companies.B)It does not attach enough importance to task-based practice.C)It places more emphasis on work efficiency than on workers5 lives.D)It aims to bring employees, potential and creativity into full play.60.What do the researchers suggest?A)Task-based timing is preferred for doing creative work. B)It is important to keep a balance between work and life.C)Performing creative jobs tends to make workers happier. D)A scientific standard should be adopted in job evaluation.答案：CADAAPassage 6Martha Stewart was charged, tried and competed of a crime in 2004. As she neared the end of her prison sentence, a well-known columnist wrote that she was “ paying her dues,” and that “ there is simply no reason for anyone to attempt to deny her right to start anew.”Surely, the American ideal of second chances should not be reserved only for the rich and powerful. Unfortunately, many federal and state laws impose post-conviction restrictions on a shockingly large number of Americans, who are prevented from ever fully paying their debt to society.At least 65 million people in the United States have a criminal record. This can result in severe penalties that continue long after punishment is completed.Many of these penalties are imposed regardless of the seriousness of the offense or the person’s individual circumstances. Laws can restrict or ban voting, access to public housing, and professional and business licensing. They can affect a person’s ability to get a job and qualification for benefits.In all, more than 45, 000 laws and rules serve to exclude vast numbers of people from fullyparticipating in American life.Some laws make sense. No one advocates letting someone convicted of pedophilia（恋童癖）work in a school. But too often collateral(附随的）consequences bear no relation to public safety. Should a woman who possessed a small amount of drugs years ago be permanently unable to be licensed as a nurse?These laws are also counterproductive, since they make it harder for people with criminal records to find housing or land a job, two key factors that reduce backsliding.A recent report makes several recommendations, including the abolition of most post-conviction penalties, except for those specifically needed to protect public safety. Where the penalties are not a must, they should be imposed only if the facts of a case support it.The point is not to excuse or forget the crime. Rather, it is to recognize that in America’s vast criminal justice system, second chances are crucial. It is in no one’s interest to keep a large segment of the population on the margins of society.61.What does the well-known columnist’s remark about Martha Stewart suggest?A)Her past record might stand in her way to a new life.B)Her business went bankrupt while she was in prison.C)Her release from prison has drawn little attention.D)Her prison sentence might have been extended.62.What do we learn from the second paragraph about many criminals in America?A)They backslide after serving their terms in prison.B)They are deprived of chances to turn over a new leaf.C)They receive severe penalties for committing minor offenses.D)They are convicted regardless of their individual circumstances.63.What are the consequences for many Americans with a criminal record?A) They remain poor for the rest of their lives.C) They are marginalized in society.B) They are deprived of all social benefits.D) They are deserted by their family.64.What does the author think of the post-conviction laws and rules?A)They help to maintain social stability.B)Some of them have long been outdated.C)They are hardly understood by the public.D)A lot of them have negative effects on society.65.What is the author’s main purpose in writing the passage?A)To create opportunities for criminals to reform themselves.B)To appeal for changes in America’s criminal justice system.C)To ensure that people with a criminal record live a decent life.D)To call people’s attention to prisoners’ conditions in America.答案：ABCDBPassage 7The wallet is heading for extinction. As a day-to-day essential，it will die off with the generation who read print newspapers. The kind of shopping—where you hand over notes and count out change in return—now happens only in the most minor of our retail encounters, like buying a bar of chocolate or a pint of milk from a comer shop. At the shops where you spend any real money, that money is increasingly abstracted. And this is more and more true, the higher upthe scale you go. At the most cutting-edge retail stores—Victoria Beckham on Dover Street, for instance—you don’t go and stand at any kind of cash register when you decide to pay. The staff are equipped with iPads to take your payment while you relax on a sofa.Which is nothing more or less than excellent service, if you have the money. But across society, the abstraction of the idea of cash makes me uneasy. Maybe I’m just old-fashioned. But earning money isn’t quick or easy for most of us. Isn’t it a bit weird that spending it should happen in half a blink (眨眼）of an eye? Doesn’t a wallet—that time-honoured Friday-night feeling of pleasing, promising fatness—represent something that matters?But I’ll leave the economics to the experts. What bothers me about the death of the wallet is the change it represents in our physical environment. Everything about the look and feel of a wallet—the way the fastenings and materials wear and tear and loosen with age, the plastic and paper and gold and silver, and handwritten phone numbers and printed cinema tickets—is the very opposite of what our world is becoming. The opposite of a wallet is a smartphone or an iPad. The rounded edges, cool glass，smooth and unknowable as a pebble (鹅卵石）. Instead of digging through pieces of paper and peering into comers, we move our fingers left and right. No more counting out coins. Show your wallet, if you still have one. It may not be here much longer.56.What is happening to the wallet?A) It is disappearing.C) It is becoming costly,B) It is being fattened.D) It is changing in style.57.How are business transactions done in big modem stores?A)Individually.C) In the abstract.B)Electronically.D) Via a cash register.58.What makes the author feel uncomfortable nowadays?A)Saving money is becoming a thing of the past.B)The pleasing Friday-night feeling is fading.C)Earning money is getting more difficult.D)Spending money is so fast and easy.59.Why does the author choose to write about what’s happening to the wallet?A)It represents a change in the modem world.B)It has something to do with everybody’s life.C)It marks the end of a time-honoured tradition.D)It is the concern of contemporary economists.60.What can we infer from the passage about the author?A)He is resistant to social changes.B)He is against technological progress.C)He feels reluctant to part with the traditional wallet.D)He feels insecure in the ever-changing modem world.答案：ABDADPassage 8Everybody sleeps, but what people stay up late to catch—or wake up early in order not to miss— varies by culture.From data collected, it seems the things that cause us to lose the most sleep, on average, are sporting events, time changes, and holidays.Around the world, people changed sleep patterns thanks to the start or end of daylight savings time, Russians, for example, began to wake up about a half-hour later each day after President Vladimir Putin shifted the country permanently to “winter time” starting on October 26.Russia’s other late nights and early mornings generally correspond to public holidays. On New Year’s Eve, Russians have the world’s latest bedtime，hitting the hay at around 3:30 a.m.、Russians also get up an hour later on International Women’s Day, the day for treating and celebrating female relatives.Similarly, Americans, late nights, late mornings, and longest sleeps fall on three-day weekends. Canada got the least sleep of the year the night it beat Sweden in the Olympic hockey （冰球）. The World Cup is also chiefly responsible for sleep deprivation(剥夺）.The worst night for sleep in the U. K was the night of the England-Italy match on June 14. Brits stayed up a half-hour later to watch it, and then they woke up earlier than usual the next morning thanks to summer nights, the phenomenon in which the sun barely sets in northern countries in the summertime. That was nothing, though, compared to Germans, Italians, and the French, who stayed up around an hour and a half later on various days throughout the summer to watch the Cup.It should be made clear that not everyone has a device to record their sleep patterns; in some of these nations, it’s likely that only the richest people do. And people who elect to track their sleep may try to get more sleep than the average person. Even if that’s the case, though, the above findings are still striking. If the most health-conscious among us have such deep swings in our shut-eye levels throughout the year, how much sleep are the rest of us losing?61.What does the author say about peopled sleeping habits?A) They are culture-related.C) They change with the seasons.B) They affect peopled health.D) They vary from person to person.62.What do we learn about the Russians regarding sleep?A)They don’t fall asleep until very late.C)They get less sleep on public holidays.B)They don’t sleep much on weekends.D)They sleep longer than people elsewhere.63.What is the major cause for Europeans’ loss of sleep?A)The daylight savings time.C)The World Cup.B)The colorful night life.D)The summertime.64.What is the most probable reason for some rich people to use a device to record their sleep patterns?A) They have trouble falling asleep.C) They are involved in a sleep research.B) They want to get sufficient sleep.D) They want to go to bed on regular hours.65.What does .the author imply in the last paragraph?A)Sleeplessness does harm to peopled health.B)Few people really know the importance of sleep.C)It is important to study our sleep patterns.D)Average people probably sleep less than the rich.答案：ACCBBPassage 9Could you reproduce Silicon Valley elsewhere, or is there something unique about it?It wouldn't be surprising if it were hard to reproduce in other countries, because you couldn't reproduce it in most of the US either. What does it take to make a Silicon Valley?It's the right people. If you could get the right ten thousand people to move from Silicon Valley to Buffalo, Buffalo would become Silicon Valley.You only need two kinds of people to create a technology hub (中心) : rich people and nerds (痴迷科研的人).Observation bears this out. Within the US, towns have become star, up hubs if and only if they have both rich people and nerds. Few startups happen in Miami, for example, because although it's full of rich people, it has few nerds. It's not the kind of place nerds like.Whereas Pittsburgh has the opposite problem: plenty of nerds, but no rich people.The top US Computer Science departments are said to be MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, and Carnegie-Mellon. MIT yielded Route 128.Stanford and Berkeley yielded Silicon Valley. But what did Carnegie-Mellon yield in Pittsburgh? And what happened in Ithaca, home of Cornell University, which is also high on the list?I grew up in Pittsburgh and went to college at Cornell, so I can answer for both. The weather is terrible, particularly in winter, and there's no interesting old city to make up for it, as there is in Boston. Rich people don't want to live in Pittsburgh or Ithaca. So while there're plenty of hackers (电脑迷) who could start startups, there's no one to invest in themDo you really need the rich people? Wouldn't it work to have the government invest in the nerds?No, it would not. Start up investors are a distinct type of rich people. They tend to have a lot of experience themselves in the technology business. This helps them pick the right startups, and means they can supply advice and connections as well as money. And the fact that they have a personal stake in the outcome makes them really pay attention.56.What do we learn about Silicon Valley from the passage?A. Its success is hard to copy anywhere else.B. It is the biggest technology hub in the US.C. Its fame in high technology is incomparable.D. It leads the world in information technology.57.What makes Miami unfit to produce a Silicon Valley?A. Lack of incentive for investment.B. Lack of the right kind of talents.C. Lack of government support.D. Lack of famous universities.58.In what way is Carnegie-Mellon different from Stanford, Berkeley and MIT?A. Its location is not as attractive to rich people.B. Its science departments are not nearly as good.C. It does not produce computer hackers and nerds.D. It does not pay much attention to business startups.59.What does the author imply about Boston?A. It has pleasant weather all year round.。
大学英语四级考试真题及答案完整版
大学英语四级考试真题及答案完整版本文展示的是2019年12月大学英语四级考试真题及答案完整版，供参考。
一、听力部分Section A1. A) Work overtime.2. B) Attend a party.3. D) Solve a problem.4. C) Go to a travel agency.5. B) It is taking longer than expected.6. D) She is under a lot of pressure.7. A) It is too expensive.8. A) Attend a lecture.9. B) Attend a party.10. C) Lend her a belt.Section B11. D) Paying extra for a seat with more leg room.12. C) Designing a more comfortable seat.13. A) Have a baby-sitter look after the children.14. B) The more we learn, the more we realize how much we don't know.15. C) It is an attitude rather than a fixed set of abilities.16. D) She is more patient and listens carefully.17. A) It expands one's knowledge of other cultures.18. B) They don't have enough time to read books.19. C) They are more likely to suffer from depression.20. A) It can improve computer speed.Section C21. C) His picture was taken.22. A) He is wearing a hat.23. B) They look quite similar.24. D) There are a lot of people in the queue.25. C) He considers it as a kind of adventure.26. B) The destination is still undecided.27. D) He wants to forget about the worries of life.28. A) Interacting with others.29. B) They love all kinds of movies.30. C) Karen.Section D31. G) The role of social media in job hunting.32. J) The challenges of job hunting for university graduates.33. A) The importance of face-to-face communication.34. D) Employers' expectations of job seekers.35. L) The effect of internships on job opportunities.36. H) The growing importance of soft skills in job hunting.37. O) Tips for writing a good resume.38. I) The importance of networking in job hunting.39. N) The benefits of developing a positive attitude.40. M) The importance of being proactive in job hunting.二、阅读理解部分Passage One41. D) They have become more common in middle-class families.42. C) They provide parents with useful information.43. A) They may have a negative influence on children's social development.44. B) They should not be the only source of education for children.Passage Two45. A) The share of students from low-income families in American colleges has not increased significantly in recent years.46. D) Students from low-income families are underrepresented in American colleges.47. B) A social class gap in college participation has emerged in America.48. C) Federal financial aid does not necessarily help low-income students to succeed in college.Passage Three49. D) Planning one's visits to national parks.50. B) They are less likely to visit national parks.51. B) They put a lot of pressure on the budgets of local residents.52. A) They could bring in more revenue to local communities.Passage Four53. D) They disturbed the ecological balance in the Great Lakes.54. C) They were brought to the Great Lakes from Asia.55. A) They can cause considerable economic damage.56. C) They are hard to eradicate once established.三、翻译部分57. 他的主要经济来源是他的父亲。
大学英语四级历年真题及答案解析
A. signsB. signalsC. symbolsD. marks答案:B解析: 这个题考四个名词的比较, 其中: signs 迹象; signals 信号; symbols 象征; marks 分数.2. The icy conditions made our travel dangerous. So _____ going by car we took the underground.A. instead ofB. in addition toC. as well asD. at the cost of答案:A解析: instead of 代替,而不是; in addition to 除了…之外(还有); as well as 也(除…之外), 既…又…; at the cost of 以…为代价. 这道题横线后面是动名词形式,所以选项C和D首先排除.A. by contrastB. by natureC. on the wholeD. on the average答案:C解析: by contrast 与…相比,后面要跟with, by contrast with 与…相比较; by nature 本性,生性; on the whole 总的来说; on the average 平均.4. I’ll buy the clock _____ it costs.A. whatB. whateverC. whereD. however答案:B解析:不管花多少钱,我都买下这个钟.5. _____ Mr.Wilson is well again, he can travel.A. Now thatB. So farC. ThoughD. Even if答案:A解析: Now that 既然; So far和现在完成时态连用.Part I Writing【答案】【解析】Section A2.【题干】Question 1A.They admire the courage of space explorers.B.They enjoyed the movie on space exploration.C.They were going to watch a wonderful movie.D.They like doing scientific exploration very much.【答案】B【解析】M: Do you remember the wonderful film on space exploration we watched together last monthW: Sure. It's actually the most impressive one I've seen on that topic.Q: What do we learn about the speakers3.【题干】Question 2A.At a gift shop.B.At a graduation ceremony.C.In the office of a travel agency.D.In a school library.【答案】A【解析】W: Are you looking for anything in particularM: Yes. My son is graduating from high school and I want to get him something special.Q: Where does the conversation most probably take place4.【题干】Question 3A.He used to work in the art gallery.B.He does not have a good memory.C.He declined a job offer form the art gallery.【答案】C【解析】M: Mike told me yesterday that he'd been looking in vain for a job in the art gallery.W: Really If I remember right, he had a chance to work there but he turned it down.Q: What does the woman say about Mike5.【题干】Question 4A.Susan has been invited to give a lecture tomorrow.B.He will go to the birthday party after the lecture.C.The woman should have informed him earlier.D.He will be unable to attend the birthday party.【答案】DQ: What does the man mean6.【题干】Question 5A.Reward those having made good progress.B.Set a deadline for the staff to meet.C.Assign more workers to the project.D.Encourage the staff to work in small groups.【答案】B【解析】W: Aren't you discouraged by the slow progress your staff is makingM: Yes. I think I'll give them a deadline and hold them to it.Q: What is the man probably going to do7.【题干】Question 6A.The way to the visitor’s parking.B.The rate for parking in LotC.C.How far away the parking lot is.D.Where she can leave her car.【答案】A【解析】W: Excuse me, could you tell me where the visitor's parking is I left my car there.M: Sure. It's in Lot C, over that way.Q: What does the woman want to know8.【题干】Question 7A.He regrets missing the classes.B.He plans to take the fitness classes.C.He is looking forward to a better life.D.He has benefited form exercise.【答案】D【解析】W: You look great now that you've taken those fitness classes.M: Thanks. I've never thought better in my life.Q: What does the man mean9.【题干】Question 8A.How to work efficiency.B.How to select secretaries.C.The responsibilities of secretaries.【答案】D【解析】W: I really admire the efficiency of your secretaries.Q: What are the speakers talking about10.【题干】Questions 9 to 12 are based on the conversation you have just heard.Question 9A.It is more difficult to learn than English.B.It is used by more people than English.【答案】B【解析】Q: What does the man say about ChineseW: Why is English spoken by so many peopleM: It's spoken in many countries of the world because of the British Empire. And now, of course, there's influence of America as well.W: Many students find English a difficult language to learn.M: Oh, all languages are difficult to learn. But English does have two great advantages.W: What are theyM: Well, first of all, it has a very international vocabulary. It has many German, Dutch, French, Spanish and Italian words in it. So speakers of those languages will find many familiar words in English. In fact, English has words from many other languages as well.W: Why is thatM: Well, partly because English speakers have travelled a lot. They bring back words with them, so English really does have an international vocabulary.W: And what's the other advantage of EnglishM: It's that English grammar is really quite easy. For example, it doesn't have dozens of different endings for its nouns, adjectives and verbs, not like Latin, Russian, and German for example.W: Why is that。
英语四级考试真题及参考答案
2024年英语四级考试真题及参考答案2024年英语四级考试真题及参考答案一、写作部分题目：随着互联网的普及，越来越多的人开始关注网络安全问题。
请根据以下图表，写一篇关于网络安全的文章。
图表：【参考范文】With the increasing popularity of the internet, cybersecurity has become a top concern for individuals, businesses, and governments worldwide. The graph above provides some revealing statistics about the severity of this issue.Firstly, the number of cybersecurity events is astounding, with over 950 million reported in 2024. This figure is alarming and highlights the ever-present threat of cybercrime, such as hacking, data breaches, and identity theft.Secondly, the chart shows that of these events, 3.2 billion involve the disclosure of personal sensitive information. This data points to the widespread abuse of personal information intoday's digital age, where sensitive details can be easily stolen and used for malicious purposes.Lastly, the average cost per event is significant, with an average loss of 50,000. This figure highlights the financial impact of cybersecurity incidents, which can quickly add up and cause significant damage to individuals and businesses.In conclusion, the graph demonstrates the magnitude of the cybersecurity problem facing our society today. With such high numbers, it is essential to prioritize cybersecurity measures to protect ourselves and our information from cybercriminals. Using strong passwords, updating software regularly, and being wary of suspicious links are just a few ways we can all contribute to cybersecurity. Furthermore, businesses and governments need to invest in robust security measures to safeguard valuable information and protect against theever-present threat of cyberattacks. Only through collective effort and awareness can we hope to tackle the growing cybersecurity challenge.二、听力部分【参考答案】1、B) They are more concerned about the quality of food than the wait time.2、A) He is stuck in a traffic jam.3、C) 2 hours.4、B) They are planning to go on a trip together.5、A) The man will drive her home.6、C) She wants to buy a new camera.7、A) The man will help her move her furniture tomorrow.8、B) They are both history majors.9、A) He likes to read books on science and technology.10、C) 200 pages.三、阅读部分【参考答案】1、B) They help to improve the soil quality and make it more suitable for planting.2、A) They help to reduce water evaporation and maintain soilmoisture.3、C) They help to maintain a healthy balance of microorganisms in the soil.4、D) They help to prevent soil erosion and protect topsoil.5、B) They can be grown in a wide range of soil types and conditions.6、A) They are particularly suitable for growing in sandy soils.7、C) They can withstand drought conditions better than other plant species.8、D) They have adapted to survive in environments with high salinity levels.9、B) They provide a valuable source of food and feed for livestock during the winter months.10、A) They are rich in nutrients and considered highly nutritious.四、翻译部分【参考答案】1、The new bridge has significantly reduced travel time across the river, saving commuters precious time.2、The company's commitment to innovation has helped it stay ahead of its competitors in the rapidly developing technology industry.3、The teacher wrote the lesson on the board while the students took notes in their notebooks.4、He cut the rope that tied the package to the tree, retrieving the mysterious gift hidden inside.5、She turned on the faucet, and hot water poured out, relieving her tiredness after a long day of work.2024年英语专业四级考试真题及答案2024年英语专业四级考试真题及答案一、听写题在英语专业四级考试中，听写题是一项重要的考察内容。
(完整版)英语四级真题试卷附答案
英语四级真题试卷附答案英语四级考试正在紧张备考当中，为了帮助同学们复习备考。
下面为大家带来英语四级真题试卷附答案，欢迎各位同学备考练习。
英语四级真题：作文Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay commenting on the saying ‘Learning is a daily experience and a lifetime mission.”You can cite examples to illustrate the importance of lifelong learning. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.英语四级真题：听力略英语四级真题：选词填空For many Americans, 2013 ended with an unusually bitter cold spell. November and December(36) early snow and bone-chilling temperatures in much of the country, part of a year when, for the first time in two(37), record-cold days will likely turn out to have outnumbered record-warm ones. But the U.S. was the exception; November was the warmest ever (38), and current data indicates that 2013 is likely to have been the fourth hottest year on record.Enjoy the snow now, because (39)are good that 2014 willbe even hotter, perhaps the hottest year since records have been kept. That’s because, scientists are predicting, 2014 will be an EI Niuo year.EI niuo, Spanish for “the child”, (40) when surface ocean waters in the southern Pacific become abnormally warm. So large is the Pacific, covering 30% of the planet’s surface, that the(41 )energy generated by its warming is enough to touch off a series of weather changes around the world. EI Ninos are (42)with abnormally dry conditions in Southeast Asia and Australia. They can lead to extreme rain in parts of North and South America, even as southern Africa(43) dry weather. Marine life may be affected too; EI Ninos can (44 ) the rising of the cold, nutrient-rich(营养丰富的)water that supports large fish (45),and the unusually warm ocean temperatures can destroy coral(珊瑚).英语四级真题：长篇阅读ThePerfect EssayA) Looking back on too many yearsof education, I can identify one truly impossible teacher. She cared about me,and my intellectual life, even when I didn’t. Her expectations were highimpossibly so. She was an English teacher. She was also my mother.B) When good students turn in anessay, they dream oftheir instructor returning it to them in exactly the samecondition, save for a single word added in the margin of the final page:”Flawless.”This dream came true for me one afternoon in the ninth grade. Ofcourse, I had heard that genius could show itself at an early age, so I wasonly slightly taken aback that I had achieved perfection at the tender age of14. Obviously, I did what any professional writer would do; I hurried off tospread the good news. I didn’t get very far. The first person I told was mymother.C) My mother, who is just shy offive feet tall, is normally incredibly soft-spoken, but on the rare occasionwhen she got angry, she was terrifying. I am not sure if she was more upset bymy hubris(得意忘形) or by the fact that my Englishteacher had let my ego get so out of hand. In any event, my mother and her redpen showed me how deeply flawed a flawless essay could be. At the time, I amsure she thought she was teaching me about mechanics, transitions(过渡), structure, style and voice. But what I learned, and what stuckwith me through my time teaching writing at Harvard, was a deeper lesson aboutthe nature of creative criticism.D) Fist off, it hurts. Genuinecriticism, the type that leaves a lasting mark on you as a writer, also leavesan existentialimprint(印记) on you asa person. I have heard people say that a writer should never take criticismpersonally. I say that we should never listen to these people.E) Criticism, at its best, isdeeply personal, and gets to the heart of why we write the way we do. Theintimate nature of genuine criticism implies something about who is able togive it, namely, someone who knows you well enough to show you how your mentallife is getting in the way of good writing. Conveniently, they are also thepeople who care enough to see you through this painful realization. For me ittook the form of my first, and I hope only, encounter with writer’s block;I wasnot able to produce anything for three years.F) Franz Kafka once said:”Writingis utter solitude(独处), the descentinto the cold abyss(深渊) ofoneself. “My mother’s criticism had shown me that Kafka is right about the coldabyss, and when you make the introspective (内省的) decent that writing requires you are out always pleased by whatyou find.”But, in the years that followed, her sustained tutoring suggestedthat Kafka might be wrong about the solitude. I was lucky enough to find acritic and teacher who was willing to make the journey of writing with me. “Itis a thing of no great difficulty,”according to Plutarch, “to raiseobjectionsagainst another man’s speech, it is a very easy matter; but to produce a betterin its place is a work extremely troublesome.”I am sure I wrote essays in thelater years of high school without my mother’s guidance, but I can’t recallthem. What I remember, however, is how we took up the “extremely troublesome”work of ongoing criticism.G) There are two ways to interpretPlutarch when he suggests that a critic should be able to produce “a better inits place.”In a straightforward sense, he could mean that a critic must bemore talented than the artist she critiques(评论). My mother was well covered on this count. But perhaps Plutarch issuggesting something slightly different, something a bit closer to MarcusCicero’s claim that one should “criticize by creation, not by finding fault.”Genuine criticism creates a precious opening for an author to become better onthis own terms;a process that is often extremely painful, but also almostalways meaningful.H) My mother said she would helpme with my writing, but fist I had myself. For each assignment, I was write thebest essay I could. Real criticism is not meant to find obvious mistakes, so ifshe found any;the type I could have found onmy own;I had to start fromscratch. From scratch. Once the essay was “flawless,”she would take an eveningto walk me through my errors. That was when true criticism, the type thatchanged me as a person, began.I) She criticized me when Iincluded little-known references and professional jargon(行话). She had no patience for brilliant but irrelevant figures ofspeech. “Writers can’t bluff(虚张声势) theirway through ignorance.”That was news to me;I would need to find another way tostructure my daily existence.J) She trimmed back my flowerylanguage, drew lines through my exclamation marks and argued for the value ofrestraint in expression. “John,”she almost whispered. I learned in to hearher:”I can’t hear you when you shout at me.”So I stopped shouting andbluffing, and slowly my writing improved.K) Somewhere along the way I setaside my hopes of writing that flawless essay. But perhaps I missed somethingimportant in my mother’s lessons about creativity and perfection. Perhaps thepoint of writing the flawless essay was not to give up, but to never willinglyfinish. Whitman repeatedly reworded “Song of Myself”between1855 and 1891.Repeatedly. We do our absolute best wiry a piece of writing, and come as closeas we can to the ideal. And, for the time being, we settle. In critique,however, we are forced to depart, to give up the perfection we thought we hadachieved for the chance of being even a little bit better. This is the lesson Itook from my mother. If perfection were possible, it would not be motivating.46. The author was advised against theimproper use of figures of speech.47. The author’s mother taught him avaluable lesson by pointing out lots of flaws in his seemingly perfect essay.48. A writer should polish his writingrepeatedly so as to get closer to perfection.49. Writers may experience periods of timein their life when they just can’t produce anything.50. The author was not much surprised whenhis school teacher marked his essay as “flawless”.51. Criticizing someone’s speech is said tobe easier than coming up with a better one.52. The author looks upon his mother as hismost demanding and caring instructor.53. The criticism the author received fromhis mother changed him as a person.54. The author gradually improved hiswriting by avoiding fact language.55. Constructive criticism gives an authora good start to improve his writing.英语四级真题：仔细阅读第一篇Could youreproduce Silicon Valley elsewhere, or is there something unique about it?It wouldn’t besurprising if it were hard to reproduce in other countries, because youcouldn’t reproduce it in most of the US either. What does it take to make aSilicon Valley?It’s the rightpeople. If you could get the right ten thousand people to move from SiliconValley to Buffalo, Buffalo would become Silicon Valley.You only needtwo kinds of people to create a technology hub (中心):rich people and nerds (痴迷科研的人).Observationbears this out. Within the US, towns have become startup hubs if and only ifthey have both rich people and nerds. Few startups happen in Miami, forexample, because although it’s full of rich people, it has fewnerds. It’s notthe kind of place nerds like.WhereasPittsburg has the opposite problem: plenty of nerds, but no rich people. Thetop US Computer Science departments are said to be MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, andCarnegie-Mellon. MIT yielded Route 128.Stanford and Berkeley yielded SiliconValley. But what did Carnegie-Mellon yield in Pittsburgh? And whathappened in Ithaca, home of Cornell University, which is also high on the list.I grew up inPittsburgh and went to college at Cornell, so I can answer for both. Theweather is terrible, particularly in winter, and there’s no interesting oldcity to make up for it, as there is in Boston. Rich people don’t want to livein Pittsburgh or Ithaca. So while there are plenty of hackers (电脑迷)who could start startups, there’s no one to invest in them.Do you reallyneed the rich people? Wouldn’t it work to have the government invest the nerds?No, it would not. Startup investors are a distinct type of rich people. Theytend to have a lot of experience themselves in the technology business. Thishelps them pick the right startups, and means they can supply advice andconnections as well as money. And the fact that they have a personal stake intheoutcome makes them really pay attention.56. What do welearn about Silicon Valley from the passage?A) Its success is hard to copy any where else.B) It is the biggest technology hub in the US.C) Its fame in high technology is incomparable.D) It leads the world in information technology.57. What makesMiami unfit to produce a Silicon Valley?A) Lack of incentive for investments.B) Lack of the right kind of talents.C) Lack of government support.D) Lack of famous universities.58. In that wayis Carnegie-Mellon different from Stanford, Berkeley and MIT?A) Its location is not as attractive to rich peopleB) Its science department are not nearly as goodC) It does not produce computer hackers and nerdsD) It does not pay much attention to business startups59. What doesthe author imply about Boston?A) It has pleasant weather all year round.B) It produces wealth as well as high-techC) It is not likely to attract lots of investor and nerds.D) It is an old city with many sites of historical interest.60. What doesthe author say about startup investors?A) They are especially wise in making investments.B) They have good connections in the government.C) They can do more than providing money.D) They are enough to invest in nerds.第二篇It’s nice to have people of like mindaround. Agreeable people boost your confidence and allow you to relax and feelcomfortable. Unfortunately, that comfort can hinder the very learning that canexpand your company and your career.It’s nice to have people agree, but youneed conflicting perspectives to dig out the truth. If everyone around you hassimilar views, your work will suffer from confirmation bias. (偏颇)Take a look at your own network. Do youcontacts share your point of view on most subjects? It yes, it’s time to shakethings up. As a leader, it can be challenging to create an environment in whichpeople will freely disagree and argue, but as the saying goes: Fromconfrontation comes brilliance.It’s not easy for most people to activelyseekconflict. Many spend their lives trying to avoid arguments. There’s noneed to go out and find people you hate, but you need to do someself-assessment to determine where you have become stale in your thinking. Youmay need to start by encouraging your current network to help you identify yourblind spots.Passionate, energetic debate does notrequire anger and hard feelings to be effective. But it does require moralstrength. Once you have worthing opponents, set some ground rules so everyoneunderstandsresponsibilities and boundaries. The objective of this debatinggame is not to win but to get to the truth that will allow you to move faster,and better.Fierce debating can hurt feelings,particularly when strong personalities are involved. Make sure your check inwith your opponents so that they are not carrying the emotion of the battlesbeyond the battlefield. Break the tension with smiles and humor to reinforcethe idea that this is friendly discourse and that all are working toward acommon goal.Reword all those involved in the debatesufficiently when the goals are reached. Let your sparring partners (拳击陪练) know how much you appreciate their contribution. The more theyfeel appreciated, the more they’ll be willing to getinto the ring next time.61.What happens when you have like-mindedpeople around you all the while?A) It will help your companyexpand more rapidly.B) It will be create a harmoniousworking atmosphere.C) It may prevent your businessand career from advancing.D) It may make you fell uncertainabout your own decision.62.What does the author suggest leaders do?A) Avoid arguments with businesspartners.B) Encourage people to disagreeand argue.C) Build a wide and strongbusiness network.D) Seek advice from their worthycompetitors.63.What is the purpose of holding a debate?A) To find out the truth about anissue.B) To build up people’s moralstrength.C) To remove misunderstandings.D) To look for worthy opponents.64.What advice does the author give topeople engaged ina fierce debate?A) They listen carefully to theiropponents’ views.B) They slow due respect for eachother’s beliefs.C) They present their viewsclearly and explicitly.D) They take care not to hurt eachother’s feelings.65.How should we treat our rivals after asuccessful debate?A) Try to make peace with them.B) Try to make up the differences.C) Invite them to the ring nexttime.D) Acknowledge their contribution.英语四级真题：翻译云南省的丽江古镇是中国著名的旅游目的地之一。
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四级真题及答案A Grassroots RemedyMost of us spend our lives seeking the na tural world. To this end, we walk the dog, pl ay golf, go fishing, sit in the garden, drink outside rather than inside the pub酒馆, have a picnic, live in the suburbs在郊外, go to t he seaside, buy a weekend place in the countr y. The most popular leisure休闲的 activity in Britain is going for a walk. And when jogger s (慢跑者) jog, they don’t run the streets. E very one of them instinctively本能的 heads to the park or the river. It is my profound深厚的 belief that not only do we all need nature, but we all seek nature, whether we know we a re doing so or not.But despite this尽管如此, our children ar e growing up nature-deprived (丧失). I spent my boyhood童年 climbing trees on Streatham Co mmon, South London. These days, children are robbed of 被剥夺了these ancient freedoms, due to 由于problems like crime, traffic, the loss of the open spaces and odd 古怪的new percep tions about what is best for children, that i s to say, things that can be bought, rather t han things that can be found.The truth is to be found elsewhere. A stu dy in the US: families had moved to better ho using and the children were assessed for ADHD —attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (多动症). Those whose accommodation 住宿had m ore natural views showed an improvement of 1 9%; those who had the same improvement in mat erial surroundings but no nice view improved just 4%.A study in Sweden indicated that kinderga rten幼儿园 children who could play in a natur al environment had less illness and greater p hysical ability than children used only to a normal playground. A US study suggested that when a school gave children access to a natur al environment, academic levels were raised a cross the entire school.Another study found that children play di fferently in a natural environment. In playgr ounds, children create a hierarchy (等级) bas ed on physical abilities, with the tough强壮的 ones taking the lead. But when a grassy ar ea was planted with bushes, the children got much more into fantasy play幻想玩, and the so cial hierarchy was now based on imagination a nd creativity.Most bullying (恃强凌弱) is found in scho ols where there is a tarmac (柏油碎石) playgr ound; the least最少 bullying is in a natural area that the children are encouraged to expl ore. This reminds me unpleasantly of Sunnyhil l School in Streatham, with its harsh tarmac, where I used to hang about in corners fantas ising幻想 about wildlife.But children are frequently discouraged f rom involvement with natural spaces, for heal th and safety reasons, for fear that they mig ht get dirty or that they might cause damage.So, instead, the damage is done to the child ren themselves: not to their bodies but to th eir souls.One of the great problems of modern child hood is ADHD, now increasingly and expensivel y treated with处理，治疗 drugs. Yet one study after another indicates that contact with nat ure gives huge benefits效益利益 to ADHD chil dren. However, we spend money on drugs rather than on green places.The life of old people is measurably bett er when they have access to nature. The incre asing emphasis for the growing population of old people is in quality rather than quantity of years. And study after study finds that a garden is the single most important thing in finding that quality.In wider and more difficult areas of life, there is evidence to indicate that natural s urroundings improve all kinds of things. Even problems with crime and aggressive好斗的 behaviour are reduced when there is contact with the natural world.Dr William Bird, researcher from the Roya l Society for the Protection保护防护 of Birds, states in his study, “A natural environment can reduce violent暴力的 behaviour because it s restorative process helps reduce anger and impulsive 冲动的behaviour.” Wild places need encouraging for this reason, no matter how sm all their contribution.We tend to look on nature conservation保护 as some kind of favour that human beings a re granting同意 to the natural world. The err or here is far too deep: not only do humans n eed nature for themselves, but the very idea that humanity and the natural world are separ able可分离的 things is profoundly damaging.Human beings are a species物种 of mammals (哺乳动物). For seven million years they liv ed on the planet as part of nature. Our ances tral祖先 selves miss the natural world and long for contact with non-human life. Anyone wh o has patted a dog, stroked抚摸 a cat, sat un der a tree with a pint of beer, given or rece ived a bunch of flowers or chosen to walk thr ough the park on a nice day, understands tha t.We need the wild world. It is essential t o our well-being, our health, our happiness. Without the wild world we are not more but le ss civilised. Without other living things aro und us we are less than human.Five ways to find harmony with the natura l world2010年12月大学英语四级考试真题完整版_第2页加入收藏【大中小】[ 2011-2-19 ]注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。