2013年12月大学英语四级考试长篇阅读原文
2013年12月英语四级作文题及范文
2013年12月英语四级作文题及范文English:In December 2013, the English CET-4 essay topic was "The Importance of Reading." Here is a sample essay:Reading is an indispensable part of our life. As the saying goes, “Books are the ladder of human progress.” It is through reading that we accumulate knowledge, broaden our horizons, and cultivate our thinking ability. First and foremost, reading equips us with knowledge. Books are reservoirs of human wisdom, and by reading, we can learn about history, acquire new skills, and gain insights into various subjects. Moreover, reading broadens our horizons. Through reading, we can travel to different times and places, experiencing different cultures and lifestyles without leaving our home. This not only enriches our inner world but also fosters empathy and understanding towards others. Additionally, reading enhances our thinking ability. It stimulates our imagination, improves our analytical skills, and encourages critical thinking. As we delve into a book, we are prompted to think, to question, and to form our own opinions,which is essential for personal growth and intellectual development.In conclusion, reading plays a vital role in our personal and intellectual development. It enriches our knowledge, broadens our horizons, and enhances our thinking ability, making us better equipped to face the challenges of the modern world.中文翻译:阅读是我们生活中不可或缺的一部分。
2013年12月大学英语四级考试阅读理解真题及答案详解(全套)
2013年12月大学英语四级考试阅读理解真题及答案(全套)幸福就好我亦安2013年12月大学英语四级考试阅读理解真题(一)【阅读】Sectio n CDirectio ns : There are 2 passages in this sect ion. Each passage is followed by some questi ons or unfini shed stateme nts. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresp onding letter on An swer Sheet 2 with a sin gle line through the cen tre.Passage OneQuesti ons 56 to 60 are based on the follow ing passage.In recent years, a growing body of research has shown that our appetite and food in take are in flue need by a large nu mber of factors besides our biological n eed forenergy, including our eating environment and our perception of the food in front of us.Studies have show n, for in sta nee, that eati ng in front of the TV (or a similardistract ion) can in crease both hun ger and the amount of food con sumed. Even simplevisual cues, like plate size and light ing, have bee n show n to affect portion size and con sumpti on.A new study suggested that our short-term memoryalso mayplay a role in appetite. Several hours after a meal, people's hunger levels were predicted not by how much they ' d eaten but rather by how much food they'd seen in front of them —in other words, how much they remembered eati ng.This disparity (盖弃) suggests the memory of our previous meal may have a bigger in flue nee on our appetite tha n the actual size of the meal, says Jeffrey M. Brun strom, a professor of experime ntal psychology at the Uni versity of Bristol."Hun ger isn't con trolled solely by the physical characteristics of a recent meal. Wehave identified an independent role for memory for that meal," Brunstrom says."This shows that the relati on ship betwee n hun ger and food in take is more complex than we thought."These findings echo earlier research that suggests our percepti on of food can sometimes trick our body' s response to the food itself. In a 2011 study, for instanee, people who drank the same3S0-calorie (卡路里)milkshake on two separate occasions produced different levels of hunger-related hormones (荷尔蒙),depending on whetherthe shake' s label said it contained 620 or 140 calories. Moreover, the participants reported feeling more full when they thought they'd consumed a higher-calorie shake.What does this mean for our eat ing habits? Although it hardly seems practical to trick ourselves into eati ng less, the new findings do highlight the ben efits offocus ing on our food and avoidi ng TV and multitask ing while eat ing.The so-called min dful-eat ing strategies can fight distract ions and help us con trol our appetite, Brun strom says.注意:此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
2013年12月四级作文
2013年12月四级作文英文回答:In the realm of education, the significance of liberal arts cannot be overstated. Embracing a multifaceted approach, liberal arts education cultivates critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, effective communication, and a profound understanding of humanhistory and culture. It empowers individuals to becomewell-rounded and adaptable in a rapidly evolving world.Firstly, liberal arts foster critical thinking and analytical skills. Through exposure to diverse perspectives and methodologies, students develop the ability to decipher complex information, evaluate arguments, and form informed opinions. This cognitive prowess is essential for navigating the intricate complexities of the modern world.Secondly, liberal arts enhance problem-solving capabilities. By tackling challenges from variousdisciplinary domains, students acquire the adaptability and creativity necessary to solve problems in both familiar and unfamiliar contexts. This ingenuity is vital for success in both professional and personal endeavors.Thirdly, liberal arts promote effective communication. Students engage in written and oral discourse, honing their ability to articulate their thoughts clearly and persuasively. This mastery of language is crucial for effective leadership, collaboration, and the dissemination of knowledge.Lastly, liberal arts provide a comprehensive understanding of human history and culture. By studying the works of great thinkers, artists, and writers, students gain insights into the human condition and its diverse manifestations. This knowledge fosters empathy, tolerance, and a deep appreciation for the richness of human civilization.In conclusion, liberal arts education plays a pivotal role in shaping well-rounded individuals equipped with theintellectual tools to thrive in an ever-changing world. Its enduring relevance lies in its ability to cultivatecritical thinking, problem-solving abilities, effective communication, and a profound understanding of humanhistory and culture.中文回答:自由艺术教育在教育领域中具有举足轻重的意义。
2013年12月英语四级作文真题及范文
2013年12月英语四级作文真题及范文As the drawing presents, there is a man walking across the street absorbedly focusing on his cell phone without noticing the surroundings. This sort of phenomenon is not uncommon and rare in some metropolis, especially among the youngsters.What the picture illustrates is the prevailing situation that has long existed in today's China. That is the mobile phone obsession. With the advent of information age, people are becoming increasingly fascinated on the electronic products, especially the cell phones. Not surprisingly, you could easily notice that most of us are obsessed in sending messages, playing online games with their mobile phones. It cannot be denied that this phenomenon may negatively impact the relationship among people, and therefore they will become estranged and isolated.Personally, in view of the overuse of mobile phones, I hold that we individuals should raise the necessary awareness that good relationship are reinforced by sincere and face-to-face communication.•作文预测:•作文模板:• CET4考试:•成绩查询:• CET4真题:• CET4答案:。
2013年12月英语四级阅读真题及答案kj140331103107
Part ⅢReading Comprehension (40 minutes)Section 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.Is College a Worthy Investment?A)Why are we spending so much money on college? And why are we so unhappy about it? We all seem to agree that a college education is wonderful, and yet strangely we worry when we see families investing so much in this supposedly essential good. Maybe it’s time to ask a question that seems almost sacrilegious (大不敬的):is all this investment in college education really worth it?B)The answer, I fear, is no. For an increasing number of kids, the extra time and money spent pursuing a college diploma will leave them worse off than they were before they set foot on campus.C)For my entire adult life, a good education has been the most important thing for middle-class households. My parents spent more educating my sister and me than they spent on their house, and they’re not the only ones…and, of course, for an increasing number of families, most of the cost of their house is actually the cost of living in a good school district. Questioning the value of a college education seems a bit like questioning the value of happiness, or fun.D)The average price of all goods and services has risen about 50 percent. But the price of a college education has nearly doubled in that time. Is the education that today’s students are getting twice as good? Are new workers twice as smart? Have they become somehow massively more expensive to educate?E)Perhaps a bit. Richard Vedder, an Ohio University economics professor, says, “I look at the data, and I see college costs rising faster than inflation up to the mid-1980s by 1 percent a year. Now I see them rising 3 to 4 percent a year over inflation. What has happened? The federal government has started dropping money out of airplanes.”Aid has increased, subsidized (补贴的)loans have become available, and “the universities have gotten the money.”Economist Bryan Caplan, who is writing a book about educa tion, agrees: “It’s a giant waste of resources that will continue as long as the subsidies continue.”F)Promotional literature for colleges and student loans often speaks of debt as an “investment in yourself.”But an investment is supposed to generate income to pay off the loans. More than half of all recent graduates are unemployed or in jobs that do not require a degree, and the amount of student-loan debt carried by households has increased more than five times since 1999. These graduates were told that a diploma was all they needed to succeed, but it won’t even get them out of the spare bedroom at Mom and Dad’s. For many, the most visible result of their four years is the loan payments, which now average hundreds of dollars a month on loan balances in the tens of thousands.G)It’s true about the money—sort of. College graduates now make 80 percent more than people who have only a high-school diploma, and though there are no precise estimates, the wage premium (高出的部分)for an outstanding school seems to be even higher. But th at’s nottrue of every student. It’s very easy to spend four years majoring in English literature and come out no more employable than you were before you went in. Conversely, chemical engineers straight out of school can easily make almost four times the wages of an entry-level high-school graduate.H)James Heckman, the Nobel Prize-winning economist, has examined how the returns on education break down for individuals with different backgrounds and levels of ability. “Even with these high prices, you’re still finding a high return for individuals wh o are bright and motivated,” he says. On the other hand, “if you’re not college ready, then the answer is no, it’s not worth it.” Experts tend to agree that for the average student, college is still worth it today, but they also agree that the rapid increase in price is eating up more and more of the potential return. For borderline students, tuition (学费)rise can push those returns into negative territory.I)Everyone seems to agree that the government, and parents, should be rethinking how we invest in higher education—and that employers need to rethink the increasing use of college degrees as crude screening tools for jobs that don’t really require college skills. “Employers seeing a surplus of college graduates and looking to fill jobs are just adding that requirement,”says Vedder. “In fact, a college degree becomes a job requirement for becoming a bar-tender.”J)We have started to see some change on the finance side. A law passed in 2007 allows many students to cap their loan payment at 10 percent of their income and forgives any balance after 25 years. But of course, that doesn’t control the cost of education; it just shifts it to taxpayers. It also encourages graduates to choose lower-paying careers, which reduces the financial return to education sti ll further. “You’re subsidizing people to become priests and poets and so forth,” says Heckman. “You may think that’s a good thing, or you may not.” Either way it will be expensive for the government.K)What might be a lot cheaper is putting more kids to work. Caplan notes that work also builds valuable skills—probably more valuable for kids who don’t naturally love sitting in a classroom. Heckman agrees wholeheartedly:“People are different, and those abilities can be shaped. That’s what we’ve learned, and public policy should recognize that.”L)Heckman would like to see more apprenticeship-style (学徒式)programs, where kids can learn in the workplace—learn not just specific job skills, but the kind of “soft skills,”like getting to work on time and getting along with a team, that are crucial for career success. “It’s about having mentors (指导者)and having workplace-based education,”he says. “Time and again I’ve seen examples of this kind of program working.”M)Ah, but how do we get there from here? With better public policy, hopefully, but also by making better individual decisions. “Historically markets have been able to handle these things,”says Vedder, “and I think eventually markets will handle this one. If it doesn’t improve soon, people are going to wake up and ask, ‘Why am I going to college?’”注意:此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
英语学习资料:2013年12月大学英语四级考试听力原文Passage3
英语学习资料:2013年12月大学英语四级考试听力原文Passage32013年12月大学英语四级考试听力原文Passage 3Passage 3On March 13th, while on duty Charles Mclocklin, a very careless driver employed by the pany Lummis was involved in another accident. The accident occurred in Riverside California. Not paying attention to his driving, Mclocklin turned right on main street and 33rd street and hit Volkswagen rabbit. This caused minor damage to his truck and serious damage to the car. On the basis of the police report, the Lummis accident mittee correctly determined that Mclocklin had been quite careless. As a result of the mittee’s conclusion, the branch manager Mr. David Rossi reported that he had talked with Mclocklin about his extremely poor driving record. Further evidence of Mclocklin’s irresponsibility occurred on May 6th when he was returning from his shift. That day he ran into a roll-up door at the Lummis facility in Valero, causing significant damage to the door. Damage to the truck, however, was minor. Finally, on June 7th, Mclocklin once again demonstrated his carelessness by knocking down several mail boxes near the edge of the pany’s parking lot. There was damage to the mailboxes and minor damage to the truck. Mr. David Rossi stated that he had spoken with Mclocklin on several occasions about his driving record. He added that he had warned Mclocklin that three preventable accidents in one year could lead to his discharge, as indeed it should.23. What did the Lummis accident mittee find out about the accident that occurred on March 13th?24. What did Mclocklin do on June 7th near the edge of thepany’s parking lot?25. What is most probably going to happen to Mclocklin?。
四级资料(阅读) 2013年12月
It’s hard to get too worked up about dust. Yes, it’s a nuisance, but it’s hardly one that causes us much anxiety —and our language itself suggests as much. We call those clumps of the stuff under the bed dust bunnies after all, not, say, dust vermin.to get worked up 为某件事生气;不开心clumps of 一团一团的dust bunny 积尘;灰兔子(关于灰尘的比较萌的说法)But there’s a higher ick factor to dust than you might think. And there’s a science to how it gets around —a science that David Layton and Paloma Beamer, professors of environmental policy at the University of Arizona, are exploring.get around 传播;散播Layton and Beamer, whose latest study has been accepted for fall publication in the journal Environmental Science &Technology, knew a lot about their subject even before they set to work. Historically, everyone from chemists to homemakers has tried to figure out just what dust is made of, and the Arizona researchers drew their preliminary data mostly from two studies of household dust conducted in the Netherlands and the U.S. The American survey in particular was a big one, covering six Midwestern states. Layton and Beamer also included a localized study in Sacramento, Calif., that focused particularly on lead contamination. What all those surveys showed was decidedly unappetizing.figure out 理解;解决;计算The specific dust mix in any household differs according to climate, age of the house and the number of people who live in it —not to mention the occupants’cooking, cleaning and smoking habits. But nearly everywhere, dust consists of some combination of shed bits of human skin, animal fur, decomposing insects, food debris, lint and organic fibers from clothes, bedding and other fabrics, tracked-in soil, soot, particulate matter from smoking and cooking, and, disturbingly, lead, arsenic and even DDT."There are more [components]," Beamer says. "Dust is a hodgepodge of all sorts of things. It would probably be impossible to make a list of all the possible items."But dust’s ingredient label is not the whole story, since all of those flecks and bits behave differently and present different levels of health risk. To investigate those factors more closely, Layton and Beamer developed a computer algorithm that looked at the size, source and toxicity of dust particles as well as how easily they enter the house, if they ever exit and, if so, by what route. That information, by extension, can provide at least a rough sense of the dust load in your own home.As a general rule, the majority of household dust —about 60% —comes from outside, through windows, doors, vents and, significantly, on the soles of your shoes. Smaller dust particles —from 28 to 49 microns, or thousandths of a millimeter —tend to stay on your shoes. The rest is shaken off inside. A higher share of the dust that floats in the air gets deposited, but again, there’s a lot that determines how much any one home will get."Here in Arizona," says Beamer, "where we leave our windows open most of the year and have an arid climate, we would probably have a higher ratio." Industrial centers or sooty cities have plenty of dust too, though for different reasons.arid adj. 干旱的;不毛的ratio n. 比例There’s not much to fret about in simple particles of dirt or organic materials such as pollen(though they can trigger allergies), but lead, arsenic and DDT can be a more serious matter. About one-third of the arsenic in the atmosphere comes from natural sources —volcanoes principally. The rest comes from mining, smelting, burning fossil fuels and other industrial processes. Even in relatively low concentrations, arsenic is not without risk, especially to small children who play on the floor and routinely transfer things from their hands to their mouths. The same is true for lead, which comes less from wall paint —the source most people would expect —than from auto exhaust, smelting and soil deposits. "Lead loading on floors is a key determinant of blood-lead levels in children," Layton and Beamer wrote in their paper.fret about 因……焦急;为……烦恼particle n. 颗粒;微粒pollen n. 花粉low concentration 低浓度determinant adj. 决定性的n. 决定因素The fact that DDT is still in house dust is a surprise to most people, since the pesticide was banned in the U.S. in 1972. But a house is a little like a living organism: once it absorbs a contaminant, it may never purge it completely. "Dust in our homes," says Beamer, "especially deep dust in our carpets and furniture, is a conglomerate of substances over the life of the home and can provide a historical record of chemicals that have entered it."contaminant n. 污染物;致污物purge v. 净化;清除The mess that originates within the home is a lot easier to measure and control. The more people who live there, the more skin that’s going to be shed, the more pets, the more animal fur. And, as Mom always warned, the more you walk around the house while eating, the more food debris you’ll drop on the floor —which also attracts more insects that will die, decompose and add their own special zest to your dust. Cooking smoke and tobacco smoke, which are the most obvious contributors when they’re being produced, actually make only a small contribution to what winds up on floors and surfaces. The tiny size of the particles makes them likelier to rise and adhere to other surfaces or simply remain in the air than to settle.shed v. 散发;流出wind up 卷起;扬起It goes without saying that your home will never be dust-free, but there are ways to reduce your own dust loading —and it’s important that you try. Dust mites, which feed on shed skin, produce allergens that are known triggers for people suffering from asthma. Same goes for cockroach dust, especially in cities. No one needs much convincing about the wisdom of getting rid of arsenic, and the good news is that about 80% of it can be removed simply by cleaning floor dust regularly.it goes without saying 不言而喻;不消说allergen 过敏原;反应原None of this means that dust poses a clear and present danger or that you need to take any extraordinary measures. Just clean regularly, don’t smoke, eat at the table —and try not to freak out. Dust bunnies are still only bunnies; you may just want fewer of them.freak out 吓坏了;崩溃Question time:1. How does dust come into our houses?2. What’s the key factor of blood-lead levels in children according to Layton and Beamer’papaer?3. How to get rid of the dust in house?参考答案1. Generally, the majority of household dust —about 60% —comes from outside, through windows, doors, vents and on the soles ofour shoes.2. Lead loading on floors.3. It’s important that you try, just clean regularly, don’t smoke, eat at the table —and try not to freak out.Americans get wiser with age. Japanese are wise from the start.ONE stereotype of wisdom is a wizened Zen-master smiling benevolently at the antics of his pupils, while referring to them as little grasshoppers or some such affectation, safe in the knowledge that one day they, too, will have been set on the path that leads to wizened masterhood. But is it true that age brings wisdom? A study two years ago in North America, by Igor Grossmann of the University of Waterloo, in Canada, suggested that it is. In as much as it is possible to quantify wisdom, Dr Grossmann found that elderly Americans had more of it than youngsters. He has, however, now extended his investigation to Asia—the land of the wizened Zen-master—and, in particular, to Japan. There, he found, in contrast to the West, that the grasshoppers are their masters’equals almost from the beginning.stereotype n. 刻板印象;老套benevolent adj. 仁慈的;亲切的;仁爱的quantify v. 量化;为……定量Dr Grossmann’s study, just published in Psychological Science, recruited 186 Japanese from various walks of life and compared them with 225 Americans. Participants were asked to read a series of pretend newspaper articles. Half described conflict between groups, such as a debate between residents of an impoverished Pacific island over whether to allow foreign oil companies to operate there following the discovery of petroleum. (Those in favour viewed it as an opportunity to get rich; those against feared the disruption of ancient ways and potential ecological damage.) The other half took the form of advice columns that dealt with conflicts between individuals: siblings, friends and spouses. After reading each article, participants were asked “What do you think will happen after that?”and “Why do you think it will happen this way?”Their responses were recorded and transcribed.walks of life 各界;各行各业impoverished adj. 穷困的;用尽了的,无创造性的in favor 赞同;偏向disruption n. 破坏;毁坏sibling n. 兄弟姐妹spouse n. 配偶transcribe v. 转录;抄写Dr Grossmann and his colleagues removed age-related information from the transcripts, and also any clues to participants’nationalities, and then passed the edited versions to a group of assessors. These assessors were trained to rate transcribed responses consistently, and had beentested to show that their ratings were statistically comparable with one another.The assessors scored participants’responses on a scale of one to three. This attempted to capture the degree to which they discussed what psychologists consider five crucial aspects of wise reasoning: willingness to seek opportunities to resolve conflict; willingness to search for compromise; recognition of the limits of personal knowledge; awareness that more than one perspective on a problem can exist; and appreciation of the fact that things may get worse before they get better.compromise n. 妥协perspective n. 观点A score of one on any aspect indicated a participant gave no consideration to it. A score of two indicated some consideration. A score of three indicated a great deal of consideration. Each participant’s scores were then added up and mathematically transformed to create an overall value within a range of zero to 100 for both interpersonal and intergroup wisdom.The upshot was that, as Dr Grossmann had found before, Americans do get wiser with age. Their intergroup wisdom score averaged 45 at the age of 25 and 55 at 75. Their interpersonal score similarly climbed from 46 to 50. Japanese scores, by contrast, hardly varied with age. Both 25-year-olds and 75-year-olds had an average intergroup wisdom of 51. For interpersonal wisdom, it was 53 and 52.Taken at face value, these results suggest Japanese learn wisdom faster than Americans. One up, then, to the wizened Zen-masters. But they also suggest a paradox. Generally, America is seen as an individualistic society, whereas Japan is quite collectivist. Yet Japanese have higher scores than Americans for the sort of interpersonal wisdom you might think would be useful in an individualistic society. Americans, by contrast—at least in the maturity of old age—have more intergroup wisdom than the purportedly collectivist Japanese. Perhaps, then, you need individual skills when society is collective, and social ones when it is individualistic. All of which goes to show that the real root of wisdom is this: do not assume, little grasshopper, that your prejudices are correct.paradox n. 悖论;似是而非的观点Question time:1. What’s the finding of Dr Grossmann’s research?2. What are the crucial aspects of wise reasoning?参考答案1. Americans get wiser with age. Japanese are wise from the start.2. willingness to seek opportunities to resolve conflict; willingness to search for compromise; recognition of the limits of personal knowledge; awareness that more than one perspective on a problem can exist; and appreciation of the fact that things may get worse before they get betterDo today’s kids make terrible entry-level workers? That’s a question much on employers’minds as graduation season kicks off and young adults begin their first full-time jobs. We’ve all heard the stories: assistants who won’t assist, new workers who can’t set an alarm, employees who can’t grasp institutional hierarchies.Bosses who toiled in the pre-self-esteem era salt mines have little patience for these upstarts.A popular advice columnist had some choice words last week for a young employee who dismissively waved her sandwich at a superior requesting backup during a critical meeting; the young woman explained that she was on her lunch break and was merely “setting boundaries”with a “disrespectful colleague who sorely needs them.”Moreover, she noted, being “errand girl”wasn’t in her job description.It’s easy to laugh off these anecdotes, but there are some complex reasons for the lack of familiarity with work norms. For one thing, many 20-something adults have never held a menial summer job, once considered training wheels for adult life in the American middle class.It was once common to see teenagers mowing lawns, waiting tables, digging ditches and bagging groceries for modest wages in the long summer months. Summer employment was a social equalizer, allowing both affluent and financially strapped teenagers to gain a foothold on adulthood, learning the virtues of hard work, respect and teamwork in a relatively low-stakes atmosphere. But youth employment has declined precipitously over the years, and young people are losing a chance to develop these important life skills in the process.In 2010, the latest year for which numbers are available, less than half of the nation’s youths (ages 16 to 24) were employed during the month of July, traditionally the peak of summer employment, the lowest percentage since the Bureau of Labor Statistics started collecting data in 1948 and almost 20 points lower than the peak in 1989. There’s little indication of that number improving. Teenagers and 20-somethings are the least skilled and most expendable members of the workforce, so it’s not surprising that they would be edged out in a recession by more reliable full-time workers such as senior citizens, immigrants and other adults who need those jobs.But other long-term factors are at play. Life is more competitive than ever before, and kids —or perhaps their parents —worry about wasting time on jobs that won’t yield career dividends. On Harvard’s campus, where I work, students feel crushing pressure to build their résumés the instant they arrive, eschewing unskilled summer jobs for unpaid internships with nonprofit organizations, political campaigns and research labs. Others spend the summer studying foreign languages or preparing for grueling graduate-admissions exams.The same pattern is found at the secondary-school level, where teen employment has been on a downward trend since 2000. Tougher graduation standards have created a threefold increase in summer-school attendance over the past 20 years. And students feel the need to pad their college applications with unique life experiences as the admissions process has grown more selective. High schools also now routinely require public service —surely a good thing —that can further limit the available hours to work for pay.Many of these social changes are a sign of a healthy, and upwardly mobile, society. But there’s a problem when more than 50% of the nation’s young workforce has never held a basic, paying job. We may be postponing their entry into adulthood. One paradox of contemporary life is that the lengthening of adolescence has not better prepared young people for what comes next. Despite unprecedented technological and cultural sophistication, this generation’s 20-year-olds lack some of the soft skills that are necessary to move up the professional ladder: perseverance, humility, flexibility and commitment.In the end, though, it’s their elders who are responsible, and we shouldn’t demonize young people for our own failings. Most graduates embarking on their first job are eager to perform well and desperately need the income. It’s grownups, not teenagers, who have honed the values, expectations and opportunities from which our nation’s youth develop their work habits. If wewant a more respectful and industrious workforce, we need to do a better job creating one. What’s the benefits of summer jobs according to the author?2. What are the soft skills necessary for work?Be happy. Live longer.No, it’s not that simple, but new research says happy lives are longer —by 35%.The study, published today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that those who reported feeling happiest had a 35% reduced risk of dying compared with those who reported feeling least happy.Rather than rely on recollections about their feelings of happiness as in earlier studies, this British study of 3,853 participants ages 52-79 rated their feelings at different times on one particular day. Five years later, researchers recorded the number who died and controlled for a variety of factors, including age, gender, health, wealth, education and marital status.rely on 依靠;依赖This approach "gets closer to measuring how people actually feel" rather than relying on recollections or general questions about well-being, says epidemiologist Andrew Steptoe, a psychology professor at University College in London, who co-authored the study.epidemiologist n. 流行病学家How happy a person is at any point in time, he says, is a product of "some background disposition; some people tend to be happier than others," but also "what they are doing, who they are with, and other features of that point in time. Both are important.""It’s perfectly true that someone’s happiness over a single day will be affected by what happens to them over that period," Steptoe says. "However, survey experts and psychologists have come to the view that in many ways, this is a better approach to understanding how people actually feel than asking them general questions about how happy they are. Responses to general questions are influenced strongly by personality, by what people think they ’ought’to say and by recollections that might not be quite accurate," Steptoe says.What’s not clear, he says, is whether happy feelings are the key to longevity or if it’s something else that causes extended life. "We can’t draw the kind of final conclusion that the happiness is leading directly to better survival," he says.longevity n. 长寿;寿命draw a conclusion 下结论Others who have done research in this area but haven’t read the study say this link between a one-day measure and mortality is important."The fact that positive emotions in one day predicted survival is pretty amazing," says Sonja Lyubomirsky, a psychology professor at the University of California, Riverside."We do know that happiness is associated with an extended life span," she says. If we can get people to be happier, would that extend the lifespan? We don’t know that yet. Future research can definitely try to show that."Arthur Stone, a professor of psychiatry and psychology at Stony Brook University in New York, who has used measurements over the course of a day in his research, says the fact that the researchers "got a relationship with mortality means that the relationship must be fairly robust because they only had 3,800 people and they were only measuring the one day."psychiatry n. 精神病学robust adj. 强健的;健康的And what if some who were measured on that one day were just having a bad day?"A ’bad day’should weaken the relationship," Stone says. "What it’s saying is there are enough people here that people having odd days didn’t really matter very much. Some people had bad days and some had good days. If they had been able to measure several days with these techniques, one would guess that the relationship would be even stronger."Laura Kubzansky, an associate professor in the Department of Society, Human Development and Health, at Harvard’s School of Public Health in Boston, says there’s a "burgeoning body of work that suggests positive psychological functioning benefits health," and this study is significant because it "adds to the arsenal.""It could say to people, you should take your mood seriously," Kubzansky says. "I think people sort of undervalue emotional life anyway. This highlights the idea that if you are going through a period where you’re consistently distressed, it’s probably worth paying attention to how you feel —it matters for both psychological and physical health."sort of 有点儿;稍稍highlight v. 突出;强调;使显著distressed adj. 痛苦的;忧虑的This study asked participants to rate how happy, excited and content they felt at four points during a single day —7 a.m., 7 p.m. and a half-hour after each. They used a rating scale from 1 ("not at all") to 4 ("extremely")."Generally, they were less happy when they woke up and most happy at 7 p.m.," Steptoe says.Question time:1. What matters to how happy a person is?2. When do people feel happiest during a single day?参考答案1. Some background disposition; some people tend to be happier than others, And what they are doing, who they are with, and other features of that point in time.2. 7 p.m.The future of out-of-home advertising is rosy, and digital.ROADSIDE billboards, posters on buses and subway escalators, ads in airport terminals—a type of publicity known as out-of-home advertising—used to be the dull end of the industry. No more. The falling price and improving quality of flat-screen displays mean that static posters printed on paper are being replaced by snazzy digital commercials with moving pictures, sound and sometimes interactive features. As some advertising media, especially newspapers, see their audiences fade, streets, airports and other public spaces are becoming crowded with more potential viewers than ever, as people continue moving to cities and travel more.MagnaGlobal, a media researcher, predicts that worldwide spending on out-of-home advertising will expand by 8.3% in 2011 to about $26.4 billion, faster growth than that seen for other non-internet forms of advertising. Spending on digital billboards and posters is expected to double in the next five years, to $5.2 billion. William Eccleshare, who runs the international operations of Clear Channel, an American firm which is one of the largest out-of-home adcompanies, thinks that in some countries more than 90% of its business will be digital by the decade’s end.His arch-rival, Jean-Charles Decaux, the boss of France’s JCDecaux, agrees that there will be a significant switch to digital, but mainly inside airports, railway stations, shopping malls and other controlled environments. Ads in bus shelters and other outdoor spots at risk of vandalism will take a lot longer to move away from paper, Mr Decaux thinks. Digital displays already account for about one-quarter of his company’s sales in transport hubs, but for less than 5% in street furniture and billboards.The pace of the switch to digital is but the least of several areas of disagreement between the two men. JCDecaux boasted in February that it had overtaken Clear Channel to become the world’s largest out-of-home ad company, with revenues of €2.4 billion ($3.2 billion) last year. “It is rare that a European media company is bigger than an American one,”says Mr Decaux. Because his group is less indebted than the others, Mr Decaux says it could consider buying the American operations of CBS Outdoor, the world number three, or indeed those of Clear Channel itself, if the opportunity arose.Mr Eccleshare dismisses such provocative talk, noting that Mr Decaux has repeatedly talked of big acquisitions in America—where it is a weak number four in the market—without anything happening. He acknowledges that there will be consolidation in the highly fragmented industry, though he expects it to take place within, rather than across, national borders. For instance, China has 60,000 out-of-home advertising firms, many of them microbusinesses with one or two signs, and is clearly ripe for rationalisation.Clear Channel is so optimistic about digital posters because it believes they offer enormous potential for making advertisements more effective. Advertisers can tailor their pitch to the time of day: McDonald’s can advertise its sausage and egg McMuffin at breakfast time, change to its regular Big Mac fare at lunch and follow that with ads for apple pie and ice cream during teatime. They can also react to events as they happen: when Spain won the football World Cup last year, digital billboards in Madrid, sponsored by Nike, showed the result within seconds.Advertisers constantly talk about wanting to “engage”with consumers, so they are taking great interest in the potential for interactivity that digital technology will bring. JCDecaux, for example, is offering a free iPhone application called U snap: when a consumer sees a poster (paper or digital) for something that attracts his interest and takes a photo of it on his phone, the app recognises it, gives him product information and discount vouchers and directs him to the nearest retailer.Then there is “gladvertising”and “sadvertising”, a rather sinister-sounding idea in which billboards with embedded cameras, linked to face-tracking software, detect the mood of each consumer who passes by, and change the advertising on display to suit it. The technology matches movements of the eyes and mouth to six expression patterns corresponding to happiness, anger, sadness, fear, surprise and disgust. An unhappy-looking person might be rewarded with ads for a sun-drenched beach or a luscious chocolate bar while those wearing an anxious frown might be reassured (some might say exploited) with an ad for insurance.Such Big Brotherish software would no doubt detect a satisfied grin on the faces of out-of-home advertising bosses as they contemplate the next 18 months, in which a string of big events will boost their business: the Rugby World Cup, the American presidential election, the Euro 2012 football championship and the London Olympics. Wherever you go—the street, thesubway, the airport or the bus station—there will be no escape from ads linked to these events, and the out-of-home advertising firms will be raking it in.Question time:1. What is out-of-home advertising?2. Why Clear Channel takes a positive attitude for digital posters?Nature photography appeals to our nostalgia for a time when we were more in harmony with the planet.The old adage "a picture is worth a thousand words" needs to be rethought. More importantly, a picture can have the power to move a thousand hearts and change a thousand minds. Often, photographs bring to our eyes what we may have seen many times before, but not noticed. They can shed new light on the everyday and the ordinary. They can redirect the course of our vision, so that we see, think, imagine and even, perhaps, act differently.No doubt, one of the most pressing campaigns of our times is that for sustainability and environmental awareness. In the ruthless course of modernity, our approach to nature has been one of extraction and use. We urgently need to alter how we relate to the world around us and to re-educate ourselves in terms of the larger planetary scheme, hung, as it is, on a delicate ecological balance that is being dangerously disturbed by our many modern machinations in the name of science, technology, development and progress –and, dare I say it, capital.Nature photography has become a potent tool in this struggle. Through it, we learn of the many others –the wondrous diversity of flora and fauna –with whom we cohabit on this planet. It is also, as the Guardian’s nature photography project reveals, a medium taken up by professionals and amateurs alike. So, what role does photography play in defining our relationship with nature? What do images of nature and wildlife tell us and why do we feel compelled to view them? Who among us has never been moved to snap a sunset on the horizon, a flowing river, a blossom in spring?Our zeal for visually representing nature has a long and complex history. The advent of photography was celebrated as a milestone in the modernist quest to capture nature better. For early photography was largely devoted to documentary purposes and, in the apparent fidelity of its representations, the camera in the 19th century exceeded the naturalist drives of painters who, during the Renaissance and early modern period, tried to explore, and so tame, nature by rendering it into art.Photography, however, is poised on a fine borderline between documentary and art. Never just one or the other, photographs can exceed the set frame. Moreover, the photographic frame can reveal the unsettling ability to extend and include us in its space. Photography is inclusive in its mediatory role. It extends covenants.Often, nature photography calls on modern humanity’s sense of nostalgia for a harmony between man and the environment. As John Berger has rightly stated, the way we see is conditioned by our history, and so it is that we may look at nature in terms of loss. As with the many images of the recent oil spill off the coast of Florida, this can be founded in fact and so provoke a sense of culpability, a sudden awareness or questioning of our precepts and actions.。
2013年12月全国大学英语四级真题及答案解析
2013年12月份全国大学英语四级考试试卷一:中餐【真题原文】许多人喜欢中餐,在中国,烹饪不仅被视为一种技能,而且也被视为一 种艺术。
精心准备的中餐既可口又好看,烹饪技艺和配料在中国各地差别很大。
但好的烹 饪都有一个共同点,总是要考虑到颜色、味道、口感和营养(nutrition)。
由于食物对健康至 关重要,好的厨师总是努力在谷物、肉类和蔬菜之间取得平衡,所以中餐既味美又健康。
【翻译答案】Most people like Chinese food. In China, cooking is considered as not only a skill but also an art. The well-prepared Chinese food is both delicious and good-looking. Although cooking methods and food ingredient vary wildly in different places of China, it is common for good cuisine to take color, flavor, taste and nutrition into account. Since food is crucial to health, a good chef is insistently trying to seek balance between cereal, meat and vegetable, and accordingly Chinese food is delicious as well as healthy.试卷二:信息技术【真题原文】信息技术(Information Technology),正在飞速发展,中国公民也越来越 重视信息技术,有些学校甚至将信息技术作为必修课程,对这一现象大家持不同观点。
2013年12月英语四级真题答案及解析完整版
作文部分:范文一: The modern technology has greatly altered the mode of communication among people. With the help of the Internet, people can easily contact each other anytime anywhere. However, the side effect is that many people have become over-dependent on the Internet and neglected face-to-face communication.As far as I'm concerned, electronic communication cannot fully replace the direct contact among people. Although it seems to bring everyone together, it actually estranges people and decreases the effectiveness of communication. A typical example is that, traditionally, people working in the same office simply walk to others and talk. Today, however, co-workers tend to send e-mails or instant messages through the Internet even when they are sitting next to each other. As words can never convey the full message, it usually takes much more time and rounds of conversation than face-to-face communication, in which people can discuss more directly with less loss of information.To conclude, the Internet enables more effective communication in some situations, but over-dependence on it actually pulls people apart.范文二:It is frequently observed that many people keep looking down at their mobile phones whatever they are doing. It is true that mobile phones have brought great convenience to us as we can send short messages, check e-mails, surf the Internet, or watch videos almost anywhere. However, the overuse of mobile phones also leads to some serious problems.The over-dependence on mobile phones can harm the relationship among friends and family. With mobile phones, people do not talk as much as before. For example, sometimes at dinner tables, instead of chatting and laughing with each other, many people choose to chat with other friends online. In other words, mobile phones help people contacting friends far away more easily at the expense of reducing the communication with those who are sitting right next to them.In conclusion, mobile phone can be a useful tool in modern life, but overusing it damages interpersonal relationship. There is no point to lose our intimacy with friends and family to modern technology.范文三:The impact of the Internet on learningExplain why education doesn’t simply mean learning to obtain informationIn the age of knowledge explosion, the Internet opens a magical portal for leaners to get access to seemingly incessant information. But is information equal to knowledge? “Once I learn how to use google, isn't that all the education I really need?” This question fully embodies the prejudiced opinion that as long as people acquire abundant information, they will get proper education.The rea son why education doesn’t simply mean learning to obtain information is that education is not limited to the hard facts or theories students can learn from their textbooks or the Internet. It relates to a wider scope ranging from the obtainment of practical skills to the development of characters, which are hard for students to learn simply by googling. Consequently, comprehensive learning in schools that includes learning knowledge, conducting experiments and communicating with peers is what true education is.In a word, the Internet does provide valuable information for learners, but people should be fully conscious of the essence of education and learn to tell the right from the wrong.听力部分:1. C. Consult a travel agent.2. A. They are on a long trip by car.3. C. He is unwilling to speak in public.4. B. Purse further education.5. A. He would not be available to start the job in time.6. B. Mechanic.7. D. Ask Laura to put off the cleaning until another week.8. A. A problem caused by the construction.9. C. To place an order for some products.10. A. The person in charge is not in the office.11. B. 0734, 21653 extension 51.12. B. Since he took to heavy smoking.13. A. He is getting too fat.14. D. They dislike doing physical exercise.15. C. To find a girlfriend.16-19音频无。
2013年12月大学英语四级阅读理解(附答案解析)
2014年6月大学英语四级阅读理解新题型匹配练习题练习1Part ⅢReading Comprehension (40 minutes)Section B(原快速阅读理解调整为长篇阅读理解,篇章长度和难度不变。
篇章后附有10个句子,每句一题。
每句所含的信息出自篇章的某一段落,要求考生找出与每句所含信息相匹配的段落.)Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it。
Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs。
Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter。
Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.How to Make Peace with Your Workload[A] Swamped (忙碌的),under the gun, just struggling to stay above water...; whatever office cliche you employ to depict it,we”ve all been in that situation where we feel like we might be swallowed up by our workload. Nonetheless many a way may be used to manage your to—do list to prevent feeling overwhelmed。
2013年12月英语四级作文真题范文一(文都版3)
The impact of the Internet on the way people communicateAs to this picture above, an interesting dialogue happens between the parents and their child on the Internet. The parents, sitting in front of a computer, say “...we look forward to seeing you again the next time your computer crashes...” Funny as it shows, which naturally leads us to be associated with the impact of the Internet on the way people communicate. It is no dout that face-to-face contact is inevitably impaired by electronic communication in the era of Internet.Some suggest that the net brings about changes in interpersonal communication. With the net, we could contact people to share a great deal of information from anywhere at anytime. What’s more, we could learn a large amount of knowledge from different persons on such an opening flat. However, others insist that the internet has a bad influence on interpersonal communication. Even worse, some people are addicted to surfing the net so much as to isolate themselves from their families and friends, which is not beneficial to further interpersonal relationship and promote the feeling of harmony.From my point of view, every coin has two sides. When we enjoy the benefit that the net brings us, we need to realize that the virtual net could never take place of the face-to-face communication among human beings. After all, we all live in a real world. Therefore, it is advisable for us to have a more face to face communication with our families, friends and acquaintances in real life instead of merely through the Internet.。
2013年12月四级考试试题、原文翻译及答案解析
第一张Section ADirections: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks。
You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage。
Read the passage through carefully before making your choices。
Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter, Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once。
Questions 36 to 45 are based on the following passage。
What does it take to be a well—trained nurse? The answer used to be two—year associate's or four—year bachelor’s degree programs。
But as the nursing shortage 36 , a growing number of schools and hospitals are establishing ”fast—track programs" that enable college graduates with no nursing 37 to become registered nurses with only a year or so of 38 training。
2013年12月大学英语四级真题答案及解析(详解)
2013年英语四级完整版答案作文部分:范文一:The modern technology has greatly altered the mode of communication among p eople. With the help of the Internet, people can easily contact each other anytime any where. However, the side effect is that many people have become over-dependent on t he Internet and neglected face-to-face communication.As far as I'm concerned, electronic communication cannot fully replace the direct contact among people. Although it seems to bring everyone together, it actually estra nges people and decreases the effectiveness of communication. A typical example is t hat, traditionally, people working in the same office simply walk to others and talk. To day, however, co-workers tend to send e-mails or instant messages through the Interne t even when they are sitting next to each other. As words can never convey the full me ssage, it usually takes much more time and rounds of conversation than face-to-face c ommunication, in which people can discuss more directly with less loss of informatio n.To conclude, the Internet enables more effective communication in some situatio ns, but over-dependence on it actually pulls people apart.范文二:It is frequently observed that many people keep looking down at their mobile ph ones whatever they are doing. It is true that mobile phones have brought great conveni ence to us as we can send short messages, check e-mails, surf the Internet, or watch vi deos almost anywhere. However, the overuse of mobile phones also leads to some seri ous problems.The over-dependence on mobile phones can harm the relationship among friends and family. With mobile phones, people do not talk as much as before. For example, s ometimes at dinner tables, instead of chatting and laughing with each other, many peo ple choose to chat with other friends online. In other words, mobile phones help peopl e contacting friends far away more easily at theexpense of reducing the communicatio n with those who are sitting right next to them.In conclusion, mobile phone can be a useful tool in modern life, but overusing it damages interpersonal relationship. There is no point to lose our intimacy with friends and family to modern technology.范文三:The impact of the Internet on learningExplain why education doesn’t simply mean learning to obtain information In the age of knowledge explosion, the Internet opens a magical portal for leaner s to get access to seemingly incessant information. But is information equal to knowle dge? “Once I learn how to use google, isn't that all the education I really need?” This question fully embodies the prejudiced opinion that as long as people acquire abundan t information, they will get proper education.The reason why education doesn’t simply mean learning to obtain information is that education is not limited to the hard facts or theories students can learn from their t extbooks or the Internet. It relates to a wider scope ranging from the obtainment of pra ctical skills to the development of characters, which are hard for students to learn sim ply by googling. Consequently, comprehensive learning in schools that includes learni ng knowledge, conducting experiments and communicating with peers is what true ed ucation is.In a word, the Internet does provide valuable information for learners, but people should be fully conscious of the essence of education and learn to tell the right from t he wrong.听力部分:1. C. Consult a travel agent.2. A. They are on a long trip by car.3. C. He is unwilling to speak in public.4. B. Purse further education.5. A. He would not be available to start the job in time.6. B. Mechanic.7. D. Ask Laura to put off the cleaning until another week.8. A. A problem caused by the construction.9. C. To place an order for some products.10. A. The person in charge is not in the office.11. B. 0734, 21653 extension 51.12. B. Since he took to heavy smoking.13. A. He is getting too fat.14. D. They dislike doing physical exercise.15. C. To find a girlfriend.16-19音频无。
2013年大学英语四级考试阅读精读文章
2013年大学英语四级考试阅读精读文章Imagining being asked to spend twelve or so years of your life in a society which consisted only of members of own sex. How would you react? Unless there was something definitely wrong with you, you wouldn't be too happy about it, to say the least. It is all the more surprising therefore that so many parents in the world choose to impose such abnormal conditions on their children –conditions which they themselves wouldn't put up with for one minute!Any discussion of this topic is bound to question the aims of education. Stuffing children's heads full of knowledge is far from being foremost among them. One of the chief aims of educations is to equip future citizens with all they require to take their place in adult society. Now adult society is made up of men and women, so how can a segregated school possibly offer the right sort of preparation for it? Anyone entering adult society after years of segregation can only be in for a shock.A co-educational school offers children nothing less than a true version of society in miniature. Boys and girls are given the opportunity to get to know each other, to learn to live together from their earliest years. They are put in a position where they can compare themselves with each other in terms of academic ability, athletic achievement and many of the extra-curricular activities which are part of school life. What a practical advantage it is (to give just a small example )to be able to put on a school play in which the male parts will be taken by boys and the female parts by girls! What nonsense co-education makes of the argument that boys are cleverer than girl or vice-versa. When segregated, boys and girls are made to feel that they are a race apart. Rivalry between the sexes is fostered. In a coeducational school, everything falls into its proper place.But perhaps the greatest contribution of co-education is the healthy attitude to life it encourages. Boys don't grow up believing that women are mysterious creatures – airy goddesses, more like book-illustrations to a fairy-tale, than human beings. Girls don't grow up imagining that men are romantic heroes. Years of living together at school dispel illusions of this kind. There are no goddesses with freckles, pigtails, piercing voices and inky fingers. There are no romantic heroes with knobbly knees, dirty fingernails and unkempt hair. The awkward stage of adolescence brings into sharp focus some of the physical and emotional problems involved in growing up. These can better be overcome in a co-educational environment. Segregated schools sometimes provide the right conditions for sexual deviation. This is hardly possible under a co-educational system. When the time comes for the pupils to leave school, they are fully prepared to enter society as well-adjusted adults. They have already had years of experience in coping with many of the problems that face men and women.Although the top men in smuggling business must work together, most of a syndicate's small fry, especially the mules, know only their immediate contacts. If caught there is little they can give away. A mule probably will not even know the name of the person who gives him his instructions, nor how to get in touch with him. Usually he even does not know the person to whom he has to make delivery. He will be told just to sit tight in a certain hotel or bar until someone contacts him.In this way if he is blown, coming through airport customs he cannot unwittingly lead agents to the next link in the chain. All the persons at the receiving end do is to hang around the airport among the waiting crowd, and see that the mule comes through safely. If he does not, he is dimply written off as a loss. To make identification of mules easier, several syndicates have devised their own “club ties” so tha t a mule wearing one can immediately be picked out.Mules often receive careful training before embarking on their first journey. One Beirut organization, for example, uses a room with three airline seats in it. There the trainee mules sit for hours on end wearing weighted smuggling vests beneath their clothes, so that they become accustomed to standing up after a long flight in a natural way, and without revealing what they are carrying. An outfit in Brussels maintained a comfortable apartment where the mules could relax and get a firm grip on themselves on the night before their first journey; they were helped to dress before setting out for the airport in the morning. More often than not a courier will not know precisely where he is going or what flight number is until he is actually handed his tickets at the airport. This prevents the careless boast in some bar or to a girl friend the night before.Mules occasionally run off with the goods to keep the profit themselves. As insurance against this, a syndicate often sends a high-up on the same plane to keep a wary eye on couriers, particularly new ones. Even then things can go badly wrong. One international currency smuggler who was having trouble getting money out of Britain was offered help by a group of men who said they were in a position to “fix thing” – for a fee of course. Foolishly, the smuggler agreed to accept their help. When he got to London's Heathrow Airport, he handed over to one of the men a black suitcase containing nearly $90,000 in cash, destined for Frankfurt. Just to keep an eye on things, the smuggler went along on the same plane. When they landed at Frankfurt he was handed back his suitcase. He beat a straight path to the men's toilet, opened the case, and found only old clothes. The courier had switched suitcase en route, but the smuggler could hardly run to the police and complain that “the man who was smuggling money out of England for me has stolen it.”President Arling has put his long awaited economic restructuring program before the Congress. It provides a coordinated program of investment credits, research grants, education reforms, and tax changes designed to make American industry more competitive. This is necessary to reverse the economic slide into unemployment, lack of growth, and trade deficits that have plagued the economy for the past six years.The most liberal wing of the President's party has called for stronger and more direct action. They want an incomes policy to check inflation while federal financing helps rebuild industry behind a wall of protective tariffs.The Republicans, however, decry even the modest, graduated tax increases in the President's program. They want tax cuts and more open market. They say if federal money has to be injected into the economy, let it through defence spending.Both these alternatives ignore the unique nature of the economic problem before us. It is not simply a matter of markets or financing. The new technology allows vastly increased production for those able to master it. But it also threatens those who fail to adopt it with permanentsecond-class citizenship in the world economy. If an industry cannot lever itself up to the leading stage of technological advances, then it will not be able to compete effectively. If it cannot do this, no amount of government protectionism or access to foreign markets can keep it profitable for long. Without the profits and experience of technological excellence to reinvest, that industry can only fall still further behind its foreign competitors.So the crux is the technology and that is where the President's program focused. The danger is not that a plan will not be passed, it is that the ideologues of right and left will distort the bill with amendments that will blur its focus on technology. The economic restructuring plan should be passed intact. If we fail to restructure our economy now, we may not get a second chance.Yes, but what did we use to do before there was television? How often we hear statements like this! Television hasn't been with us all that long, but we are already beginning to forget what the world was like without it. Before we admitted the one-eyed monster into our homes, we never fond it difficult to occupy our spare time. We used to enjoy civilized pleasures. For instance, we used to have hobbies, we used to entertain our friends and be entertained by them, we used to go outside for our amusements to theatres, cinemas, restaurants and sporting events. We even used to read books and listen to music and broadcast talks occasionally. All that belongs to the past. Now all our free time is regulated by the goggle box. We rush home or gulp down our meals to be in time for this or that programme. We have even given up sitting at table and having a leisurely evening meal, exchanging the news of the day. A sandwich and a glass of beer will do – anything, providing it doesn't interfere with the programme. The monster demands and obtains absolute silence and attention. If any member of the family dares to open his mouth during a programme, he is quickly silenced.Whole generations are growing up addicted to the telly. Food is left uneaten, homework undone and sleep is lost. The telly is a universal pacifier. It is now standard practice for mother to keep the children quiet by putting them in the living-room and turning on the set. It doesn't matter that the children will watch rubbishy commercials or spectacles of sadism and violence – so long as they are quiet.There is a limit to the amount of creative talent available in the world. Every day, television consumes vast quantities of creative work. That is why most of the programmes are so bad: it is impossible to keep pace with the demand and maintain high standards as well. When millions watch the same programmes, the whole world becomes a village, and society is reduced to the conditions which obtain in preliterate communities. We become utterly dependent on the two most primitive media of communication: pictures and the spoken word.Television encourages passive enjoyment. We become content with second-hand experiences. It is so easy to sit in our armchairs watching others working. Little by little, television cuts us off from the real world. We get so lazy, we choose to spend a fine day in semi-darkness,glued to our sets, rather than go out into the world itself. Television may be s splendid medium of communication, but it prevents us from communicating with each other. We only become aware how totally irrelevant television is to real living when we spend a holiday by the sea or in the mountains, far away from civilization. In quiet, natural surroundings, we quickly discover how little we miss the hypnotic tyranny of King Telly.。
2013年12月大学英语四级真题及答案解析汇总
2013年12月大学英语四级真题及答案解析汇总2013年12月14日15:21 来源:搜狐教育∙正文∙我来说两句(281人参与)手机客户端| 扫描到手机第1页 :2013年12月大学英语四级作文答案解析一、作文【作文(一)】The Impact of the Mobile Phone in People’s Life The thought-provoking drawing mirrors a common phenomenon in contemporary society that there is the negative influence of mobile phone. As is subtly shown in the picture,so many people are too much addicted to cell phones that they use walking sticks to see the road. What a meaningful cartoon!It is to me that indulging in mobile phones produces native influences on body and mind. First and foremost, overusing mobile phones is detrimental to physical health for watching mobiles for a long stretch definitely impairs one’s eyesight. Suppose that a man is addicted in cell phones in whatever situation, it will be very disadvantageous for him to concentrate on his work, learning, or daily life and is very likely to hurt him. Furthermore, overusing cell phones adversely affects state of mind. An addict may stay inside his bubble instead of pursuing other endeavors, which eventually prevents the growth of think skills.It is high time that we took effective measures to curb this trend.I cherish a belief that cell phones themselves are not good or bad and we can benefit a lot from it as long as we take a good control over them.【作文(二)】The Impact of the Internet on the Way People Communicate网络对人们沟通产生的影响Internet does exert such a profound effect on our life that it revolutionizes the way of people’s living and thinking. As is subtly revealed in the portrayal,there are two parents sitting in the front of computer,who are chatting with their child on the internet. What a meaningful picture!From my perspective, the electronic contact cannot replace face to face communication owing to the following factors. To begin with,over-reliance on electronic contact will damage the interpersonal relationship, for the cold machine never replaces a warm-hearted greeting face to face. For example, the aged parents would like their only son who works far away home to come back home more often rather than to talk with him on the internet occasionally. What’s more, face to face communication is preferable because it is beneficial to build a harmonious society, for it attaches more importance on human affection and feelings instead of convenience and speed.Hence, it is necessary for us to use Internet in a reasonable way. After all, Internet is invented to connect you and me, and to bring conveniences to our life rather than set a barrier to keep people beyond reach. If we want to keep our interpersonal relationship more effectively, we should spend more time with them face to face in real life. Only in this way can we not only make full use of the communication tool on the net but also make our relationship tighter.二、听力测试【四级听力短对话】Question 1M: After high school, I’d like to go to college and major in business administration.W: But I’d rather spend my college days finding out how children learn.Q: What do we learn from the conversation?Question 2W: Is everything ready for the conference?M: The only thing left to do is set up the microphones and speakers. They'll be here in a few minutes.Q: What preparations have yet to be made?Question 3W: Is it almost time to go home now? I'm so tired. I can hardly see straight.M: Just a few more minutes, then we can go.Q: What is the woman’s problem?Question 4W: I'm not sure what I’m in a mood for. Ice-cream or sandwiches? They are both really good here.M: The movie starts in an hour. And we still have to get there and park. So just make a decision.Q: What does the man mean?Question 5W: Tom said he would come to repair our solar heater when he has time.M: He often says he is willing to help, but he never seems to have time.Q: What does the man imply about Tom?Question 6W: So you know that Sam turns down the job offered by the travel agency.M: Yes. The hours were convenient. But if he had accepted it, he wouldn’t be able to make ends meet.Q: What do we learn from the conversation?Question 7M: Could you tell me a bit about the business your company is doing?W: We mainly deal with large volume buyers from western countries and our products have been well received.Q: What business is the woman’s company doing?Question 8W: Yesterday I made reservations for my trip to Miami next month.M: You must really be looking forward to it. You haven’t had any time off for at least two years.Q: What is the woman going to do?【四级听力长对话原文1】M: Excuse me, I need some information about some of the towns near here.W: What would you like to know?M: Well, first, I'd like directions to go to Norwalk. I believe there is an interesting museum there. It isn't far, is it?W: No, not at all. Norwalk is about eighteen miles east of here on Route 7. And you're right. It's a wonderful little museum.M: Oh good. Now what about Amitsville? I have some friends. I'd like to visit there and I also want to get to Newton. They are near each other, aren't they?W: Hmm... well, they are actually in opposite directions. Amitsville is northeast. It's about thirty five miles northeast of here.M: Huh-uh, thirty five miles northeast. And how about Newton?W: Well, Newton is in the other direction. It's southwest, so it isn't really very close to Amitsville at all and it's a long drive. It's about fifty five miles southwest from here and the road is not at all straight.M: Fifty five miles southwest! Well, maybe I won't go there this time.W: I'd recommend visiting Westfield or Great Town. They are both very close. Westfield is just seven miles west of here and Great Town is about five miles south. They are really pretty little towns with lots of old houses and beautiful tree-lined streets.M: I see. Seven miles west to Westfield and five miles south to Great Town. Good. Well, I think that's all the information I need for a while. Thank you. You've been very helpful.W: You're welcome, sir. I hope you enjoy your stay.Q9: What does the man know about Norwalk?Q10: What does the woman say about Amitsville and Newton?Q11: What do we learn about Westfield and Great Town?【四级听力长对话原文2】M: Err... Sandra, I've finished with Mr. Gordon now. Do you think you could pop through in bringing me up-to-date on their arrangements for the Italian trip?W: Certainly, Mr. Wilkinson. I'll bring everything with me.M: Right, take a seat. Now my first meeting is when?W: Your first meeting is on Monday the 21st at 9a.m. with Dr. Gucci of Bancos en Piedra in Milan.M: OK, so can I fly out early Monday morning?W: Well, there is a flight to Lenarty Airport which leaves at six thirty London time and gets in at eight thirty Italian time.M: Yeah, but that only leaves me thirty minutes to clear customs in getting to the city center and it means I have to check in by five thirty, which means leaving home at about four fifteen.W: I'm afraid so.M: Hmm... not so keen on that. What's the program for the rest of that day?W: It's quite full, I'm afraid. At eleven, you're seeing Jeana Rivard at Meg Star and then you'll have a lunch engagement with Gaven from the Chamber of Commerce at one.M: Where's that?W: You're meeting him at his office and then he's taking you somewhere.M: Good, that sounds fine. What about the afternoon?W: Well, at three thirty, you're seeing our sales representative there and then you're free till evening.M: I see. I seem to remember that I'm having a dinner with someone from Bergamo.W: That's right. And Mr. Betty from SAP Industries at eight.Q12: What would the man like the woman to do?Q13: At what time is Mr. Wilkinson going to leave home for the airport?Q14: Who is Mr. Wilkinson going to have a lunch with on Monday?Q15: What is most probably the woman's job?【听力短文】Listening Passage 1Donna Fredrick’s served with the Peace Corps for two years in Brazil. She joined the Peace Corps after she graduated from the college because she wanted to do something to help other people. She had been brought up on a farm, so the Peace Corps assigned her to a agricultural project. Before she went to Brazil, she studied Portuguese for three months. She also learnt a great deal about its history and culture. During her twoyears with the Peace Corps, Donna lived in a village in northeast Brazil. That part of Brazil is very dry and farming is often difficult there. Donna helped the people of the village to organise an arrigation project, and she also advised them on planting corps. They didn’t require much water. When Donna returned to the States, she couldn’t settle down. She tried several jobs, but they seemed very boring to her. She couldn’t get Brazil out of her mind. Finally, one day she got on an plane and went back to Brazil. She wasn’t sure what she’s going to do. She just wanted to be there. After a few weeks, Donna found a job as an English teacher, teaching five classes a day. Like most of the teachers, she doesn’t make much money. She shares a small apartment with another teacher. And she makes a little extra money by sending stories to newspapers in the States. Eventually she wants to quit teaching and work as a full-time journalist.Question 16Why did Donna join the Peace Corps after she graduated from college?Question 17What was Donna assigned to do in Brazil?Question 18Why did Donna go back to Brazil once again?Question 19How did Donna make extra money to support herself?Listening Passage 2Results of a recent Harry’s pool on free time showed that the average work week for many Americans is 50 hours. With the time spent eating, sleeping and taking care of the household duties, there’s little time left for leisure activities for many Americans. However, having free time to relax and pursue hobbies is important. People need time away from the pressures of study or work to relax and enjoy time with friends and family. In many countries free time is spent in different ways. The results of a Harry’s pool showed that reading was the most popular spare time activity in the US. This was followed by watching TV. In a UK survey on leisure time activities, watching TV and videos was the most popular. Listening to the radio came second. In a similar survey conducted in Japan, the most popular free time activity was eating out. The second most popular activity was driving. There were also differences in the mostpopular outdoor pursuits between the three countries. The most popular outdoor activity for Americans was gardening. In the UK, it was going to the pub. In Japan, going to bars ranked eighth in popularity and gardening ranked ninth. Although people around the world may enjoy doing similar things in their free time, there’s evidence to suggest that these interests are changing. In the US, for example, the popularity of computer activities is increasing. Many more people in the States are spending their free time surfing the web, emailing friends or playing games online.Question 20What is the recent Harry Pole about?Question 21What was the most popular leisure activity in the US?Question 22What was the most popular outdoor pursuit in the UK?Listening Passage 3On March 13th, while on duty Charles Mclaughlin, a very careless driver employed by the company Lummis was involved in another accident. The accident occurred in Riverside California. Not paying attention to his driving, Mclaughlin turned right on main street and 33rd street and hit Volkswagen rabbit. This caused minor damage to his truck and serious damage to the car. On the basis of the police report, the Lummis accident committee correctly determined that Mclaughlin had been quite careless. As a result of the committee’s conclusion, the branch manager Mr. David Rossi reported that he had talked with Mclaughlin about his extremely poor driving record. Further evidence of Mclaughlin's irresponsibility occurred on May 6th when he was returning from his shift. That day he ran into a roll-up door at the Lummis facility in Valero, causing significant damage to the door. Damage to the truck, however, was minor. Finally, on June 7th, Mclaughlin once again demonstrated his carelessness by knocking down several mail boxes near the edge of the company’s parking lot. There was damage to the mailboxes and minor damage to the truck. Mr. David Rossi stated that he had spoken with Mclaughlin on several occasions about his driving record. He added that he had warned Mclaughlin that three preventable accidents in one year could lead to his discharge, as indeed it should.23. What did the Lummis accident committee find out about the accident that occurred on March 13th?24. What did Mclaughlin do on June 7th near the edge of the company’s parking lot?25. What is most probably going to happen to Mclaughlin?【听力填空】:When Captain Cook asked the chiefs in Tahiti why they always ate apart and alone, they replied, “Because it is right.” If we ask Americans why they eat with knives and forks, or why their men wear pants instead of skirts or why they may be married to only one person at a time, we are likely to get similar and very uninformative answers because it’s right, because that’s the way it’s done, because it’s the custom or even I don’t know. The reason for these and countless other patterns of social behavior is that they are controlled by social norms shared rules or guide lines which prescribe the behavior that is appropriate in a given situation. Norms define how people ought to behave under particular circumstances in a particular society. We conform to norms so readily that we are hardly aware they exist. In fact we are much more likely to notice departures from norms than conformity to them. You will not be surprised if a stranger tried to shake hands when you were introduced, but you might be a little startled if they bowed, started to stroke you or kissed you on both cheeks. Yet each of these other forms of greeting is appropriate in other parts of the world. When we visit another society whose norms are different, we quickly become aware that things we do this way, they do that way.听力参考答案1-8 CACBA BDA9-11 CAB12-15 DADC16-19 暂无20-22 DAC23-25 ABD26-35 In addition; software; available; individuals; technological; manufacture; In short; By contrast; scientific; quantity三、选词填空【版本一】36. worsens37. experience38. specialized39. additional40.qualifies41. graduates42. trained43. demand44. tension45. view【版本二】36-45 N site、L rare、I honoring、F different、D current、C covers、J hope、M realistic、H fast四、阅读理解【长篇阅读】46-55 kcebh djclf【仔细阅读】第一篇56-60 cadcd 第二篇61-65abdbc五、翻译【翻译原文一】信息技术(Information Technology),正在飞速发展,中国公民也越来越重视信息技术,有些学校甚至将信息技术作为必修课程,对这一现象大家持不同观点。
2013年12月四级仔细阅读 Passage One
A recent global survey of 2,000 high-net-worth individuals found that 60 percent were not planning on a traditional retirement. Among U.S. respondents, 75% expected to continue working in some capacity even after stepping away from full-time jobs. “Many of these people made their wealth by doing something they’re passionate about,” says Daniel Egan, head of behavioral finance for Barclays Wealth Americas. “G iven the choice, they prefer to continue working.” Barclays calls these people “nevertirees.”Unlike many Americans compelled into early retirement by company restrictions, the average nevertiree often has no one forcing his hand. If 106-year-old investor Irving Kahn, head of his own family firm, wants to keep coming to work every day, who’s going to stop him? Seventy-eight-year-old Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s job security is guaranteed in the Constitution.It may seem that these elderly people are trying to cheat death. In fact, they are. And it’s working. Howard S. Friedman, a professor at UC Riverside, found in his research that those who work hardest and are successful in their careers often live the longest lives. “People are generally being given bad advice to slow down, take it easy, stop worrying, and retire to Florida,” he says. He described one study participant, still working at the age of 100, who was recently disappointed to see his son retire.“We’re beginning to see a change in how people view retirement,” says George Leeson, codirector of the Institute of Population Ageing at Oxford. Where once retirement was seen as a brief reward after a long slog through some miserable job, it is now akin(近似) to being cast aside. What Lees on terms “the Buffett effect” is becoming more broadly appealing as individuals come to “view retirement as not simply being linked to economic productivity but also about contribution.Observers are split on whether this is a wholly good thing. On the one hand, companies and financial firms can benefit from the wisdom of a resilient chief. On the other, a glut at the top can make it difficult for a new generation to advance—an argument that typically holds little sway to a nevertiree.56. What do we learn about the so-called “nevertirees”?A. They are passionate about making a fortune.B. They have no choice but to continue working.C. They love what they do and choose not to retire.D. They will not retire unless they are compelled to.57. What do Irving Kahn and Ruth Bader Ginsburg have in common?A. Neither of them is to ?retirement.B. Neither of them desires reward for their work.C. Both cling to their positions despite opposition.D. Both are capable of coping with heavy workloads.58. What is the finding of Howard S. Friedman’s research?A. The harder you work, the bigger your fortune will be.B. The earlier you retire, the healthier you will be.C. The elderly people have to slow down to live longer.D. Working at an advanced age lengthens people’s life.59. What is the traditional view of retirement according to the passage?A. It means a burden to the younger generation.B. It is a symbol of a mature and civilized society.C. It is a congratulation for one’s life-long hard work.D. It helps increase a nation’s economic productivity.60. What do critics say about “nevertirees”?A. They are anobstacle to a company’s development.B. They lack the creativity of the younger generation.C. They cannot work as efficiently as they used to.D. They prevent young people from getting ahead.。
大学英语四级2013年12月真题作文
大学英语四级2013年12月真题作文全文共10篇示例,供读者参考篇1Hey guys, do you remember that time I had to take the English 4th Grade Test in December 2013? Oh boy, let me tell you all about it!The test had a lot of different parts, like listening, reading, writing, and speaking. It was super long, but I did my best to finish everything on time.For the listening part, they played some recordings of people talking and I had to answer questions about what they said. Some of it was pretty tricky, but I tried to stay focused and pay attention.Next up was the reading section. They gave us some passages to read and then asked us questions about them. Some of the passages were really interesting, but others were kind of boring. I just had to keep reading carefully and make sure I understood everything.Then came the writing part, where I had to write an essay about a certain topic. I had to use a lot of different words and phrases to show my English skills. It was tough, but I tried my best to write as clearly as I could.Finally, there was the speaking test. I had to talk about a given topic for a couple of minutes. I was really nervous because I had to speak in front of the teacher, but I just took a deep breath and started talking. I think I did okay, but it was definitely the hardest part of the whole test.After all that hard work, I finally finished the test and felt pretty good about it. I knew I had tried my best, and that's all I could do. I just had to wait for the results and see how I did.Overall, the English 4th Grade Test was a challenging experience, but it helped me improve my English skills a lot. I'm proud of myself for taking on the challenge and giving it my all. I can't wait to see how I did and keep getting better at English in the future!篇2Title: My Experience in the College English TestHey guys, do you know that I recently took the College English Test, also known as CET-4? It was a big deal for me because it's a test that all college students in China have to take to prove their English proficiency. I want to tell you all about my experience!First of all, I had to study really hard for the test. I spent hours each day practicing my listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills. I made sure to review all the grammar rules and vocabulary words that might come up on the test. It was a lot of work, but I knew I had to do my best.On the day of the test, I was super nervous. The room was full of students all sitting quietly, waiting for the exam to start. When the test began, I tried to stay calm and focused. The listening section was first, and it was really challenging. I had to listen carefully to the recordings and answer the questions quickly.Next was the reading section, where I had to read passages and answer questions about them. This part was tough too, but I tried my best to understand the main ideas and details. Then came the writing section, which was the hardest for me. I had to write an essay on a given topic, and I had to make sure my grammar and vocabulary were perfect.Finally, there was the speaking section. I had to talk to a computer and answer questions about various topics. I was a bit nervous speaking out loud, but I tried to speak clearly and confidently.After the test was over, I felt relieved but also worried about how I did. It was a tough exam, but I knew I had given it my all. Now, I'm waiting for the results to come out, and I hope I passed with flying colors!In conclusion, taking the CET-4 was a challenging but important experience for me. It pushed me to improve my English skills and showed me that hard work pays off. I'm proud of myself for doing my best, and I can't wait to see the results. Wish me luck, guys!篇3Hey guys! Today I'm gonna talk about the English writing test for the College English Test Band 4 in December 2013. So, like, let's get started!The essay topic was "Should College Students Participate in Social Activities?" and we had to write a 2000-word essay about it. I was kinda nervous at first because I wasn't sure if I could write that much, but I just went for it!In my essay, I talked about how joining social activities can help us make new friends and improve our social skills. I also mentioned how it can make us more well-rounded individuals and help us grow as people.I gave examples of different social activities that college students can participate in, like volunteering, joining clubs, and organizing events. I also talked about the benefits of these activities, like building leadership skills, gaining valuable experience, and making a positive impact in our community.I made sure to include my own experiences and opinions in the essay, like how joining the school band helped me make friends and discover my love for music. I also talked about how organizing a charity fundraiser taught me the importance of giving back and helping those in need.Overall, I had a lot of fun writing the essay and sharing my thoughts on the topic. I hope my essay will inspire others to get involved in social activities and make a difference in their own way.So yeah, that's my essay for the College English Test Band 4 in December 2013. I hope you guys enjoyed reading it! Thanks for listening!篇4Title: My Thoughts on the 2013 December CET-4 ExamHi guys! Today I want to talk about the 2013 December CET-4 exam. Some of you might be feeling nervous about it, but don't worry, I'll share my thoughts to give you some ideas about what to expect.First of all, the reading section was not too bad. It had a variety of topics like history, science, and even some stories. I found the questions quite easy to understand, so make sure you read carefully and take your time to answer them.The listening part was a bit tricky for me. There were some fast speakers and unfamiliar accents, which made it hard to catch everything they were saying. My tip for you is to practice listening to different accents before the exam, so you can get used to them.As for the writing section, I struggled a bit with the essay topic. It was about the importance of teamwork and how it benefits both individuals and groups. I had to think of some examples to support my points, so remember to brainstorm some ideas before you start writing.Lastly, the vocabulary and grammar section was challenging for me. There were some words and structures that I had never seen before, so I had to guess the meanings based on context. Make sure you review your vocabulary and grammar rules before the exam to avoid any surprises.Overall, the 2013 December CET-4 exam was a good experience for me. It helped me improve my English skills and taught me how to manage my time effectively during the test. So don't stress out too much, just do your best and trust in your abilities.Good luck to all of you taking the exam! Remember to stay calm, focus, and keep a positive attitude. You got this!篇5Hi there! Today I'm going to talk about the English writing test that I took in the December 2013 College English Test Level Four. It was super hard but also super fun!The first part of the test was the writing section, where you had to write a short essay about a given topic. The topic for my test was about the advantages and disadvantages of using social media. I had to write about how social media can help us stayconnected with friends and family, but also how it can be a big time-waster if we're not careful.I started off my essay by talking about all the cool things you can do on social media, like sharing photos and videos with your friends, chatting with people from all over the world, and even finding out about events happening in your area. It's so neat how social media can bring people together and make the world feel like a smaller place.But then I also mentioned some of the not-so-great things about social media, like how addictive it can be and how it can sometimes make people feel bad about themselves if they see too many perfect-looking photos or posts from others. It's important to remember that social media is just a part of our lives, not the whole thing!After writing about both the good and bad sides of social media, I wrapped up my essay by saying that it's all about finding a balance. We should enjoy using social media to connect with others and have fun, but also make sure we're not spending too much time on it and missing out on real-life experiences.Overall, I think I did a pretty good job on the writing test. It was a little challenging to come up with ideas and organize my thoughts, but I felt proud of myself for completing the essay andgetting my point across. I can't wait to see how I did on the test when the results come back!So that's my experience with the writing test in the December 2013 College English Test Level Four. It was tough, but I had a blast writing my essay and expressing my thoughts on social media. I hope you enjoyed hearing about it!篇6Oh wow, I have to write a super long essay just like a big kid for the College English Test Level 4 in December 2013. It's like a really big deal! I have to write at least 2000 words, so that means I have to write a LOT of stuff. It's gonna be hard but I'm gonna try my best!The topic for the essay is "The Influence of Internet on People’s Study and Life." That sounds pretty cool! The internet is like such a big part of our lives now, so it's gonna be really interesting to write about.First of all, the internet is like so important for studying. We can find information for our homework really quickly and easily. It's like having a huge library right at our fingertips. We can also watch videos and take online classes to learn new things. It's like having a cool teacher on the internet!But the internet is also like a big distraction. Sometimes I just wanna play games or watch videos instead of doing my homework. It's so tempting! And there's also like a lot of fake news and bad stuff on the internet that can be really misleading.In addition to studying, the internet also has a huge impact on our daily lives. We can chat with our friends and family on social media, which is really nice. We can also do online shopping, watch movies, and listen to music. It's like having a whole world inside our computer!But sometimes, we can spend too much time on the internet and not go outside or exercise. That's not good for our health. And there's also like cyberbullying and online scams that we have to be careful about.Overall, the internet has both positive and negative effects on our study and life. It's like a double-edged sword. We have to use it wisely and not let it control us. We have to balance our time on the internet and in the real world. It's like a challenge, but I know we can do it!Okay, I think I wrote more than 2000 words now. I hope my essay is good enough for the College English Test Level 4. I'm gonna keep practicing my writing so I can get even better. I'm gonna be a real big kid soon!Oh my gosh, guys! I had to write this super long essay for the college English test, and it was crazy! The topic was like about technology or something, but I totally nailed it!I talked about how technology is like everywhere now, and how it's changing our lives in so many ways. Like, I can't even imagine living without my phone or laptop - they're like my best friends! But, I also mentioned how we need to be careful with all this tech stuff, you know? Like, not get too addicted or let it take over our lives.I also talked about how technology is making the world smaller, because now we can talk to people from all over the world with just a click. It's so cool! But, at the same time, it's kinda scary how much information is out there about us. We need to be careful about what we share online and stuff.Overall, I think technology is like a double-edged sword - it can be super helpful, but also kinda dangerous if we're not careful. We just need to find a balance and use it wisely. Anyway, that's my little essay about technology for the English test. I think I did pretty good, don't you?Hey guys, today I want to tell you about the English 4 test I took in December 2013. It was super duper hard, but I managed to pass it with flying colors! Let me tell you all about it.So, for the test, I had to write an essay about a topic. The topic was about whether parents should limit the amount of time their kids spend on the internet. I thought it was a super interesting topic because I love going online to play games and watch videos.In my essay, I said that parents should definitely limit the time their kids spend on the internet. I mean, it's important for us to go outside and play and hang out with friends, right? Plus, too much screen time isn't good for our brains. We need to use our imaginations and be creative!I also had to answer some multiple-choice questions about grammar and vocabulary. Those were pretty easy because I've been studying English for a long time. But there were a few tricky ones that made me scratch my head!Finally, I had to do a listening section where I had to listen to people talking and answer questions about what they said. Thatwas the hardest part for me because sometimes they spoke so fast! But I did my best and tried to listen carefully.In the end, I got my test results back and I was so happy to see that I passed. I was jumping up and down with joy! I know I need to keep practicing my English so I can get even better, but I'm really proud of how I did on the test.So that's my story about the English 4 test I took in December 2013. It was challenging, but I worked hard and did my best. I hope you guys enjoyed hearing about my experience! Stay tuned for more exciting stories about my adventures in English learning. Bye for now!篇9Hey guys, today I'm going to tell you about the English writing test for the college students. It's called the College English Test Band Four or CET-4 for short. Every college student in China needs to pass this test in order to graduate.In the December 2013 exam, we were asked to write an essay about the impact of the Internet on traditional media. It was a hot topic back then because the Internet was becoming more and more popular. People started to read news online ratherthan in newspapers, and they watched videos on websites instead of on TV.I think the Internet has a big impact on traditional media. On the one hand, traditional media, such as newspapers and TV, have to compete with the Internet for readers and viewers. They need to update their content quickly and attract more audience. On the other hand, the Internet provides a platform for traditional media to reach a larger audience. Many newspapers and TV stations have their own websites now.In my essay, I wrote about how the Internet has changed the way we get information. We no longer rely on traditional media to tell us what's happening in the world. We can search for news online, watch videos on social media, and talk to people on forums. The Internet has made information more accessible and convenient for us.Overall, I think the Internet is a double-edged sword for traditional media. It challenges them to innovate and adapt to the digital age, but it also provides them with new opportunities to reach a wider audience. It's an interesting topic to think about, don't you think?That's all for today! Thank you for listening. Peace out!篇10Oh my gosh, like writing an essay in the style of afourth-grader for the 2013 December CET-4 exam? That's so cool!So, like, the topic is about "My Favorite Season". And I totally love summer, 'cause you know, no school and it's so hot and I can swim all day long! And there's ice cream and popsicles, yum!First, summer is super awesome because there's no school! Like, no homework, no exams, just chillin' and hangin' out with my friends. I can stay up late and sleep in all day, it's the best feeling ever!Next, it's super hot in summer, which means I can go swimming anytime I want! I love splashing in the pool and playing tag with my friends in the water. We have so much fun and it's the best way to cool off on a hot day.And let's not forget about all the delicious treats in summer! Ice cream, popsicles, BBQs, oh my gosh, my mouth is watering just thinking about it! I love going to the ice cream truck and picking out my favorite flavor.In conclusion, summer is definitely my favorite season because there's no school, I can swim all day long, and there's so many yummy treats to enjoy. I can't wait for summer to come back again!So, like, that's my essay on my favorite season. I hope you liked it! Summer forever, woohoo!。
2013年英语四级阅读真题及答案解析(12月)
2013年英语四级阅读真题及答案解析(12月)作文请于正式开考后半小时内完成该部分,之后将进行听力考试作文一:For this part,you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essaybased on the picture below.You should start your essay with a briefaccount of the impact of the Internet on the way people communicate and thenexplain whether electronic communication can replace face-to-face contact.Youshould write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.“Dear Andy-How are you? Your mother and I are fine.We both miss youand hope you are doing well.We look forward to seeing you again the nest timeyour computer crashes and you come down-stairs for something to eat,Love,Momand Dad.”作文二:For this part,you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essaybased on the picture below.You should start your essay with a briefaccount of the impact of the Internet on learning and then explain whydoesn’t simply mean learning to obtaininformation. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.“Once I learn how to use Google,isn’t thatall the education I really need?”作文三:For this part,you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essaybased on the picture below.You should start your essay with a brief account of theincreasin,use of the mobile phone in people’s life and explain theConsequence of overusing it. You should write at least 120 words butno more than 180 words.People are crossing the street looking at their cell phones andusing walking sticks in order to see.Part II Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)Section ADirections:In this section,you will hear 8short conversations and 2 long conversations.At the end of eachconversation,one or more questionswill be asked about what was said.Both theconversation and the questions will be spoken only once.After each questionthere will be a pause.During the pause,you must read the four choices markedA),B),C)and D),and decide which is the best answer,Then mark the correspondingletter 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。
2013年12月大学英语四级考试阅读理解真题及答案详解(全套)
2013年12月大学英语四级考试阅读理解真题及答案详解(全套)2013年12月大学英语四级考试阅读理解真题及答案(全套)——幸福就好我亦安2013年12月大学英语四级考试阅读理解真题(一)【阅读】Section CDirections:There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.In recent years, a growing body of research has shown that our appetite and food intake are influenced by a large number of factors besides our biological need for energy, including our eating environment and our perception of the food in front of us.Studies have shown, for instance, that eating in front of the TV (or a similar distraction) can increase both hunger and the amount of food consumed. Even simple visual cues, like plate size and lighting, have been shown to affect portion size and consumption.A new study suggested that our short-term memory also may play a role in appetite. Several hours after a meal, people's hunger levels were pre dicted not by how much they’d eaten but rather by how much food they'd seen in front of them—in other words, how much they remembered eating.This disparity (盖弃)suggests the memory of our previous meal may have a bigger influence on our appetite than the actual size of the meal, says Jeffrey M. Brunstrom, a professor of experimental psychology at the University of Bristol."Hunger isn't controlled solely by the physical characteristics of a recent meal. We have identified an independent role for memory for that meal," Brunstrom says."This shows that the relationship between hunger and food intake is more complex than we thought."These findings echo earlier research that suggests our perception of food can sometimes trick our body’s response to the food itself. In a 2011 study, for instance, people who drank the same 3S0-calorie (卡路里)milkshake on two separate occasions produced different levels of hunger-related hormones (荷尔蒙),depending on whether the shake’s label said it contained 620 or 140 calories. Moreover, the participants reported feeling more full when they thought they'd consumed a higher-calorie shake.What does this mean for our eating habits? Although it hardly seems practical to trick ourselves into eating less, the new findings do highlight the benefits of focusing on our food and avoiding TV and multitasking while eating.The so-called mindful-eating strategies can fight distractions and help us control our appetite, Brunstrom says.注意:此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
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2013年12月大学英语四级考试长篇阅读原文Peer-to-peer rental: The rise of the sharing economyLAST night 40,000 people rented accommodation from a service that offers 250,000 rooms in 30,000 cities in 192 countries. They chose their rooms and paid for everything online. But their beds were provided by private individuals, rather than a hotel chain. Hosts and guests were matched up by Airbnb, a firm based in San Francisco. Since its launch in 2008 more than 4m people have used it—2.5m of them in 2012 alone. It is the most prominent example of a huge new “sharing economy”, in which people rent beds, cars, boats and other assets directly from each other, co-ordinated via the internet.You might think this is no different from running a bed-and-breakfast, owning a timeshare or participating in a car pool. But technology has reduced transaction costs, making sharing assets cheaper and easier than ever—and therefore possible on a much larger scale. The big change is the availability of more data about people and things, which allows physical assets to be disaggregated and consumed as services. Before the internet, renting a surfboard, a power tool or a parking space from someone else was feasible, but was usually more trouble than it was worth. Now websites such as Airbnb, RelayRides and SnapGoods match up owners and renters; smartphones with GPS let people see where the nearest rentable car is parked; social networks provide a way to check up on people and build trust; and online payment systems handle the billing. What…s mine is yo urs, for a feeJust as peer-to-peer businesses like eBay allow anyone to become a retailer, sharing sites let individuals act as an ad hoc taxi service, car-hire firm or boutique hotel as and when it suits them. Just go online or download an app. The model works for items that are expensive to buy and are widely owned by people who do not make full use of them. Bedrooms and cars are the most obvious examples, but you can also rent camping spaces in Sweden, fields in Australia and washing machines in France. As proponents of the sharing economy like to put it, access trumps ownership.Rachel Botsman, the author of a book on the subject, says the consumer peer-to-peer rental market alone is worth $26 billion. Broader definitions of the sharing economy include peer-to- peer lending (though cash is hardly a spare fixed asset) or putting a solar panel on your roof and selling power back to the grid (though that looks a bit like becoming a utility). And it is not just individuals: the web makes it easier for companies to rent out spare offices and idle machines, too. But the core of the sharing economy is people renting things from each other.Such “collaborative consumption” is a good thing for several reasons. Owners make money from underused assets. Airbnb says hosts in San Francisco who rent out their homes do so for an average of 58 nights a year, making $9,300. Car owners who rent their vehicles to others using RelayRides make an average of $250 a month; some make more than $1,000. Renters, meanwhile, pay less than they would if they bought the item themselves, or turned to a traditional provider such as a hotel or car-hire firm. (It is not surprising that many sharing firms got going during the financial crisis.) And there are environmental benefits, too: renting a car when you need it, rather than owning one, means fewer cars are required and fewer resources must be devoted to making them.For sociable souls, meeting new people by staying in their homes is part of the charm. Curmudgeons who imagine that every renter is Norman Bates can still stay at conventional hotels. For others, the web fosters trust. As well as the background checks carried out by platform owners, online reviews and ratings are usually posted by both parties to each transaction, which makes it easy to spot lousy drivers, bathrobe-pilferers and surfboard-wreckers. By using Facebook and other social networks, participants can check each other out and identify friends (or friends of friends) in common. An Airbnb user had her apartment trashed in 2011. But the remarkable thing is how well the system usually works. Peering into the futureThe sharing economy is a little like online shopping, which started in America 15 years ago. At first, people were worried about security. But having made a successful purchase from, say, Amazon, they felt safe buying elsewhere. Similarly, using Airbnb or a car-hire service for the first time encourages people to try other offerings. Next, consider eBay. Having started out as a peer-to-peer marketplace, it is now d ominated by professional “power sellers” (many of whom started out as ordinary eBay users). The same may happen with the sharing economy, which also provides new opportunities for enterprise. Some people have bought cars solely to rent them out, for example.Incumbents are getting involved too. Avis, a car-hire firm, has a share in a sharing rival. So do GM and Daimler, two carmakers. In future, companies may develop hybrid models, listing excess capacity (whether vehicles, equipment or office space) on peer-to-peer rental sites. In the past, new ways of doing things online have not displaced the old ways entirely. But they have often changed them. Just as internet shopping forced Walmart and Tesco to adapt, so online sharing will shake up transport, tourism, equipment-hire and more. The main worry is regulatory uncertainty (see Technology Quarterly article). Will room-renters be subject to hotel taxes, for example? In Amsterdam officials are using Airbnb listings to track down unlicensed hotels. In some American cities, peer-to-peer taxi services have been banned after lobbying by traditional taxi firms. The danger is that although some rules need to be updated to protect consumers from harm, incumbents will try to destroy competition. People who rent out rooms should pay tax, of course, but they should not be regulated like a Ritz-Carlton hotel. The lighter rules that typically govern bed-and-breakfasts are more than adequate.The sharing economy is the latest example of the internet…s value to consumers (see Free exchange). This emerging model is now big and disruptive enough for regulators and companies to have woken up to it. That is a sign of its immense potential. It is time to start caring about sharing.。