2012年12月英语四级真题答案
2012年12月大学英语四级考试真题第一套（答案详解）
2012年12月大学英语四级考试真题第一套Part I Writin g【标准版点评】这次四级作文出了图表题，可能让大家有些意外，但是四六级考察图表作文已经并不是第一次，早在2002年的时候就已经出现过，是图表+提纲的形式，图表反应的是大学生使用计算机的情况。
由于备考时大家只是关注近几年的题型，可能没有关注到以往考察过图表作文。
我们在备考作文的时候，一般会从以下几个方面着手准备，如何描述现象、如何分析原因、如何分析影响、如何给出解决措施、如何进行观点论战等。
其实，图表作文也是从这几个方面展开，只是将第一段的描述现象改为描述图表即可。
可见，无论是考察哪种作文题，我们都可以将它转化为我们熟悉的提纲式。
这次作文题目有两个版本。
题目都是Ed ucati onalPays（教育回报），一个版本的图表显示的是教育水平越高，收入越高，另一个版本的图表显示的是教育水平越高，失业率越低。
虽然图表描述的具体内容不同，但主题是一致的：教育是值得投资的。
写作思路也是一致的。
两篇范文都是采取三段式的描述方法。
第一段：描述图表。
先一句话引出图表总体内容Theabovebar chartclearl y showsus…然后具体描述现象Weseethat…。
最后用for instan ce引出一些具体数据来例证现象。
第二段：分析原因。
先写一个引出原因的句子，然后具体列举一到两个原因即可。
由于字数限制，原因不必列太多。
第三段：给出建议。
先是总结这个现象Thi s phenom enontellsus that educat ion is a worthy invest ment.（教育值得投资）。
然后是建议国家增大教育投资，以及个人要努力学习。
2012年12月英语四级真题及答案解析
2012年12月英语四级真题答案解析Part I Writing标准版：The above bar chart clearly shows us education pays in 2010. We see that one with higher education background earns more money weekly than those with lower ones. For instance, the college students with no degree get paid$712 per week whereas those with a Bachelor’s degree can earn $1038.Several reasons, in my opinion, can be identified to account for this phenomenon. To begin with, compared with those with comparatively lower education degree, people who have received higher education possess considerably wider knowledge, more remarkable learning and research ability, greater innovation and most of all, resourceful social network, all of which are essential to a high-income work. Also, the higher one’s education degree is, the bigger platform he will have to show his ability. For example, his college, university, or research institute will organize various job fairs for them to communicate face to face with employers.This phenomenon tells us that education is a worthy investment. Therefore, substantial education investment should be strengthened while we, as college students, should study harder to build our country and strive for a better life for ourselves.高分版：Education PaysJudging from the table, we can see that people’s income increases along with their education levels. Above all，the average college graduates earn much more than the typical high-school graduates.The fact revealed by these data is obvious: a degree does bring distinctive financial benefits to its holders. But is it true that a degree alone can ensure a bright future? I don’t think so because, on the one hand, the financial value of high education depends heavily on what skills graduates can gain from it instead of the degree itself. After all, an employer only pays for your ability and performance, not for your certificate. On the other hand, the most valuable bless high education brings to graduates is the ability to learn quickly and efficiently. People received more education tend to keep lifelong learning habits after their graduation, which would help them gain more opportunities in their career path.In conclusion, what accounts for education pays is not the degree alone, but the graduate’s ability and leaning habit.作文B：标准版：Education PaysThe above bar chart clearly shows us education pays in 2010. We see that unemployment rate of those with higher education background is much lower than those with lower education degree. For instance, the unemployment rate of college students with no degree is as high as 14.9% while that of those with doctoral degree is only 1.9%.The followingreason, in my opinion, is the most important one to account for this phenomenon. Compared with those with comparatively lower education degree, people who have received higher education possess considerably wider knowledge, more remarkable learning and research ability, greater innovation and most of all, resourceful social network, all of which make them more qualified and competent for their task. Thus, they are less likely to lose their jobs.This phenomenon tells us that education is a worthy investment. Therefore, education investment should be strengthened while we, as college students, should study harder to avoid unemployment.高分版：Education PaysAs is shown in the table, the unemployment rate decreases steadily as the education level increases. The fact revealed by the statistics is obvious: graduates with a degree are less likely to be unemployed.What has brought about this effect? I believe there are three main reasons. To begin with, the education level is still the top factor that employers would take into account when selecting job candidates. It is believed that people with a college degree tend to be more intelligent and qualified. In addition, as a result of good learning habit formed during college, job hunters with high education background are also more efficient in acquiring and processing job hunting information. Finally, college education equips graduates with specialized skills, leading to greater attachment to the company they are employed and higher possibility to be reemployed even if they leave their previous company.In conclusion, it is the qualifications, learning habit and specialized skills that high education equip a graduate that make one distinctive in labor market.【标准版点评】这次四级作文出了图表题，可能让大家有些意外，但是四六级考察图表作文已经并不是第一次，早在2002年的时候就已经出现过，是图表+提纲的形式，图表反应的是大学生使用计算机的情况。
2012年12月英语四级考试真题及答案(第2套)
2012年12月英语四级考试真题及答案(第2套)Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay. You should start your essay with a brief account of the increasing use of the mobile phone in people's life and then explain the consequences of overusing it. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes)Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.Should Sugar Be Regulated like Alcohol and Tobacco?Sugar poses enough health risks that it should be considered a controlled substance just like alcohol and tobacco, argue a team of researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).In an opinion piece called "The Toxic (毒性的) Truth About Sugar" published Feb. 1 in Nature, Robert Lustig, Laura Schmidt and Claire Brindis argue that it's wrong to consider sugar just "empty calories." They write: "There is nothing empty about these calories. A growing body of scientific evidence is showing that fructose (果糖) can trigger processes that lead to liver toxicity and a host of other chronic diseases. A little is not a problem, but a lot kills-slowly."Almost everyone's heard of-or personally experienced-the well-known sugar high, so perhaps the comparison between sugar and alcohol or tobacco shouldn't come as a surprise. But it's doubtfulthat Americans will look favorably upon regulating their favorite vice. We're a nation that's sweet on sugar: the average US adult downs 22 teaspoons of sugar a day, according to the American Heart Association, and surveys have found that teens swallow 34 teaspoons.To counter our consumption, the authors advocate taxing sugary foods and controlling sales to kids under 17. Already, 17% of US children and teens are obese (肥胖的), and across the world the sugar intake (摄入) has increased three times in the past 50 years. The increase has helped create a global obesity plague that contributes to 35 million annual deaths worldwide from noninfectious diseases including cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Linda Matzigkeit, a senior vice president at Children's Healthcare, said "We have to do something about this or our country is in danger. It's not good if your state has the second-highest obesity rate. Obese children turn into obese adults. ""There are good calories and bad calories, just as there are good fats and bad fats, good amino acids (氨基酸) and bad amino acids," Lustig, director of the Weight Assessment for Teen and Child Health program at UCSF, said in a statement. "But sugar is toxic beyond its calories."The food industry tries to imply that "a calorie is a calorie," says Kelly Brownell, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University. "But this and other research suggests there is something different about sugar," says Brownell.The UCSF report emphasizes the metabolic (新陈代谢的) effects of sugar. Excess sugar can alter metabolism, raise blood pressure, affect the signaling of hormones and damage the liver-outcomes that sound suspiciously similar to what can happen after a person drinks too much alcohol. Schmidt, co-chair of UCSF's Community Engagement and Health Policy program, noted on CNN: "When you think about it, this actually makes a lot of sense. Alcohol, after all, is simply made from sugar. Where does vodka come from? Sugar. "But there are also other areas of impact that researchers have investigated: the effect of sugar on the brain and how liquid calories are interpreted differently by the body than solids. Research has suggested that sugar activates the same reward pathways in the brain as traditional drugs of abuse like morphine or heroin. No one is claiming the effect of sugar is quite that strong, but, says Brownell, "it helps confirm what people tell you sometimes, that they hunger for sugar and have withdrawal symptoms when they stop eating it."There's also something particularly tricky about sugary drinks. "When calories come in liquids, the body doesn't feel as full," says Brownell. "People are getting more of their calories than ever before from sugared drinks."Other countries, including France, Greece and Denmark, impose soda taxes, and the concept is being considered in at least 20 US cities and states. Last summer, Philadelphia came close to passing a 2-cents-per-ounce soda tax. The Rudd Center has been a strong advocate of a more modest 1-cent-per-ounce tax. But at least one study, from 2010, has raised doubts that soda taxes would result in significant weight loss: apparently people who are determined to eat- anddrink-unhealthily will find ways to do it. Teens-no surprise-are good at finding ways to get the things they can't have, so state policies banning all sugar-sweetened drinks from public schools and providing only water, milk or 100% fruit juices haven't had the intended effect of steering kids away from drinking sugared drinks: the average teen consumes about 300 calories per day-that's nearly 15% of his daily calories-in sweetened drinks, and the food and drink industry is only too happy to feed this need.Ultimately, regulating sugar will prove particularly tricky because it goes beyond health concerns; sugar, for so many people, is love. A plate of cut-up vegetables just doesn't pack the same emotional punch as a tin of home-made chocolate chip cookies (饼干), which is why I took my daughter out for a cupcake and not an apple as an after-school treat today. We don't do that regularly-it's the first time this school year, actually-and that's what made it special. As a society, could we ever reach the point where we'd think apples-not a cupcake-are something to get excited over? Says Brindis, one of the report's authors and director of UCSF's Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies: "We recognize that there are cultural and celebratory aspects of sugar. Changing these patterns is very complicated."For inroads (进展) to be made, say the authors in their statement, people have to be better educated about the hazards of sugar and agree that something's got to change:Many of the interventions (干预) that have reduced alcohol and tobacco consumption can be models for addressing the sugar problem, such as imposing special sales taxes, controlling access, and tightening licensing requirements on vending machine (自动售货机) and snack-bars that sell high sugar products in schools and workplaces."We're not talking prohibition," Schmidt said. "We're not advocating a major imposition of the government into people's lives. We're talking about gentle ways to make sugar consumption slightly less convenient, thereby moving people away from the concentrated dose. What we want is to actually increase people's choices by making foods that aren't loaded with sugar comparatively easier and cheaper to get."注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
2012年12月大学英语四级考试真题及答案
2012年12月大学英语四级考试真题Part I Writing （30 minutes）Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled Education Pays based on the statistics provided in the chart below（Unemployment rate in 2010）. Please give a brief description of the chart first and then make comments on it. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Part II Listening Comprehension （30 minutes）Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D), and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.1. ［A］He needs another week for the painting.［B］The painting was completed just in time.［C］The building won’t open until next week.［D］His artistic work has been well received.2. ［A］Go camping.［B］Rent a tent.［C］Decorate his house.［D］Organize a party.3. ［A］She talked with Mr. Wright on the phone.［B］She is about to call Mr. Wright’s secretary.［C］She will see Mr. Wright at lunch time.［D］She failed to reach Mr. Wright.4. ［A］He is actually very hardworking.［B］He has difficulty finishing his project.［C］He needs to spend more time in the lab.［D］He seldom tells the truth about himself.5. ［A］Rules restricting smoking. ［C］Smokers’ health problems.［B］Ways to quit smoking. ［D］Hazards of passive smoking.6. ［A］He is out of town all morning. ［C］He has been writing a report.［B］He is tied up in family matters. ［D］He has got meetings to attend.7. ［A］He is not easy-going. ［C］He is not at home this weekend.［B］He is the speakers’ boss. ［D］He seldom invites people to his home.8. ［A］Take a break.［B］Refuel his car.［C］Ask the way.［D］Have a cup of coffee.Questions 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.9. ［A］They are as good as historical films. ［C］They have greatly improved.［B］They give youngsters a thrill. ［D］They are better than comics on film. 10. ［A］The effects were very good. ［C］The plot was too complicated.［B］The acting was just so-so. ［D］The characters were lifelike.11. ［A］They triumphed ultimately over evil in the battle.［B］They played the same role in War of the Worlds.［C］They are popular figures among young people.［D］They are two leading characters in the film.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. ［A］It is scheduled on Thursday night. ［C］It takes place once a week.［B］It is supposed to last nine weeks. ［D］It usually starts at six.13. ［A］To make good use of her spare time in the evening.［B］To meet the requirements of her in-service training.［C］To improve her driving skills as quickly as possible.［D］To get some basic knowledge about car maintenance.14. ［A］Participate in group discussions. ［C］Listen to the teacher’s explanation.［B］Take turns to make presentations. ［D］Answer the teacher’s questions.15. ［A］Most of them are female. ［C］They plan to buy a new car.［B］Some have a part-time job. ［D］A few of them are old chaps.Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 16 to 19 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. ［A］She is not good at making friends. ［C］She enjoys company.［B］She is not well off. ［D］She likes to go to concerts alone.17. ［A］Their similar social status. ［C］Their common interest.［B］Their interdependence. ［D］Their identical character.18. ［A］Invite Pat to a live concert. ［C］Help take care of Pat’s kids.［B］Buy some gifts for Pat’s kids. ［D］Pay for Pat’s season tickets.19. ［A］It can develop between people with a big difference in income.［B］It can be maintained among people of different age groups.［C］It cannot last long without similar family background.［D］It cannot be sustained when friends move far apart.Passage TwoQuestions 20 to 22 are based on the passage you have just heard.20. ［A］Priority of students’ academic achievements.［B］Equal education opportunities to all children.［C］Social equality between teachers and students.［D］Respect for students’ individuality.21. ［A］Efficient.［B］Complicated.［C］Lengthy.［D］Democratic.22. ［A］To help them acquire hands-on experience.［B］To try to cut down its operational expenses.［C］To provide part-time jobs for needy students.［D］To enable them to learn to take responsibility.Passage ThreeQuestions 23 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.23. ［A］The best way to work through a finger maze.［B］Individuals doing better in front of an audience.［C］Researchers having contributed greatly to psychology.［D］Improvements on the classification of human behavior.24. ［A］When you feel encouraged by the audience.［B］When you try to figure out a confusing game.［C］When you already know how to do something.［D］When you complete with other people in a group.25. ［A］Practicing constantly.［B］Working by oneself.［C］Learning by doing.［D］Using proven methods.Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the secondtime, you are required to fill in the blanks with the exact words you have just heard. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.Americans today have different eating habits than they had in the past. There is a wide （26）__________ of food available. They have a broader knowledge of nutrition （营养）, so they buy more fresh fruit and vegetables than ever before. At the same time, Americans （27）__________ increasing quantities of sweets and sodas.Statistics show that the way people live （28）__________ the way they eat. American lifestyles have changed. There are now growing numbers of people who live alone, （29）__________ parents and children, and double-income families. These changing lifestyles are responsible for the increasing number of people who must rush meals or sometimes simply （30）__________ them. Many Americans have less time than ever before to spend preparing food. （31）__________ as a consequence of this limited time, over half of all American homes now have microwave ovens. Moreover, Americans eat out nearly four times a week （32）__________.It is easy to study the amounts and kinds of food that people （33）__________. The United States Department of Agriculture and the food industry collect sales statistics and （34）__________. This information not only tells us what people are eating, but also tells us about the changes in attitudes and tastes. Red meat, which used to be the most popular choice for dinner, is no longer an American （35）__________. Instead, chicken, turkey, and fish have become more popular. Sales of these foods have greatly increased in recent years.Part III Reading Comprehension （40minutes）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.French fries, washed down with a pint of soda, are a favorite part of fast-food lunches and dinners for millions of American youngsters. But ___36___ a cue from health experts, a group of 19 restaurant companies are pledging to offer more-healthful menu options for children at a time when ___37___ is growing over the role of fast food in childhood obesity （肥胖症）.Burger King, the nation’s second-largest fast food chain, for instance, will ___38___ automatically including French fries and soda in its kids’ meals starting this month, although they will still be ___39___. Instead, the company said Tuesday, its employees will ask parents whether they ___40___ such options as milk or sliced apples before assembling the meals.”We’re asking the customers to ___41___ what they want,”said Craig Prusher, the chain’s vice president of government relations. Other participating chains, with a ___42___ of menu options, including Denny’s, Chili’s, Friendly’s and Chevy’s.As part of the Kids Live Well campaign—expected to be announced ___43___ Wednesday—participating restaurants must promise to offer at least one children’s meal that has fewer than 600 calories （卡路里）, no soft drinks and at least two ___44___ from the following food groups:fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins or low-fat dairy. Among other requirements, they must offer a side dish that meets similar ___45___, with fewer than 200 calories and less than 35% of its calories from sugar.［A］adapt ［D］concern ［G］nationwide ［J］recommending ［M］stop ［B］available ［E］criteria ［H］possible ［K］species ［N］taking［C］begin ［F］items ［I］prefer ［L］specify［O］varietySection 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.Seven Ways to Save the WorldA） Forget the old idea that conserving energy is a form of self-denial—riding bicycles, dimming the lights, and taking fewer showers. These days conservation is all about efficiency: getting the same—or better—results from just a fraction of the energy. When a slump in business travel forced Ulrich Ramer to cut costs at his family-owned hotel in Germany, he replaced hundreds of the hotel’s wasteful light bulbs, getting the same light for 80 percent less power. He bought a new water boiler with a digitally controlled pump, and wrapped insulation around the pipes. Spending about 100,000 on these and other improvements, he slashed his 90,000 fuel and power bill by 60,000. As a bonus, the hotel’s lower energy needs have reduced its annual carbon emissions by more than 200 metric tons. “For us, saving energy has been very, very profitable,”he says. “And most importantly, we’re not giving up a single comfort for our guests.”B） Efficiency is also a great way to lower carbon emissions and help slow global warming. But the best argument for efficiency is its cost—or, more precisely, its profitability. That’s because quickly growing energy demand requires immense investment in new supply, not to mention the drain of rising energy prices. The good news is that the world is full of proven, cheap ways to save energy. Here are the seven that could have the biggest impact:InsulateC）Space heating and cooling eats up 36 percent of all the world’s energy. There’s virtually no limit to how much of that can be saved, as prototype “zero-energy homes”in Switzerland and Germany have shown. There’s been a surge in new ways of keeping heat in and cold out （or vice versa）. The most advanced insulation follows the law of increasing returns: if you add enough, you can scale down or even eliminate heating and air-conditioning equipment, lowering costs even before you start saving on utility bills. Studies have shown that green workplaces （ones that don’t constantly need to have the heater or air-conditioner running）have higher worker productivity and lower sick rates.Change BulbsD）Lighting eats up 20 percent of the world’s electricity, or the equivalent of roughly 600,000 tons of coal a day. Forty percent of that powers old-fashioned incandescent light bulbs—a 19th-century technology that wastes most of the power it consumes on unwanted heat. Compactfluorescent lamps, or CFLs, not only use 75 to 80 percent less electricity than incandescent bulbs to generate the same amount of light, but they also last 10 times longer. Phasing old bulbs out by 2030 would save the output of 650 power plants and avoid the release of 700 million tons of carbon into the atmosphere each year.Comfort ZoneE）Water boilers, space heaters and air conditioners have been notoriously inefficient. The heat pump has altered that equation. It removes heat from the air outside or the ground below and uses it to supply heat to a building or its water supply. In the summer, the system can be reversed to cool buildings as well. Most new residential buildings in Sweden are already heated with ground-source heat pumps. Such systems consume almost no conventional fuel at all. Several countries have used subsidies to jump-start the market, including Japan, where almost 1 million heat pumps have been installed in the past two years to heat water for showers and hot tubs. Remake FactoriesF）From steel mills to paper factories, industry eats up about a third of the world’s energy. The opportunities to save are vast. In Ludwigshafen, German chemicals giant BASF runs an interconnected complex of more than 200 chemical factories, where heat produced by one chemical process is used to power the next. At the Ludwigshafen site alone, such recycling of heat and energy saves the company 200 million a year and almost half its CO2 emissions. Now BASF is doing the same for new plants in China. “Optimizing（优化）energy efficiency is a decisive competitive advantage,”says BASF CEO Jürgen Hambrecht.Green DrivingG）A quarter of the world’s energy—including two thirds of the annual production of oil—is used for transportation. Some savings come free of charge: you can boost fuel efficiency by 6 percent simply by keeping your car’s tires properly inflated（充气）. Gasoline-electric hybrid（混合型的）models like the Toyota Prius improve mileage by a further 20 percent over conventional models.A Better FridgeH）More than half of all residential power goes into running household appliances, producing a fifth of the world’s carbon emissions. And that’s true even though manufacturers have already hiked the efficiency of refrigerators and other white goods by as much as 70 percent since the 1980s. According to an International Energy Agency study, if consumers chose those models that would save them the most money over the life of the appliance, they’d cut global residential power consumption （and their utility bills）by 43 percent.Flexible PaymentI）Who says you have to pay for all your conservation investments? “Energy service contractors”will pay for retrofitting（翻新改造）in return for a share of the client’s annual utility-bill savings. In Beijing, Shenwu Thermal Energy Technology Co. specializes in retrofitting China’s steel furnaces. Shenwu puts up the initial investment to install a heat exchanger that preheats the air going into the furnace, slashing the client’s fuel costs. Shenwu pockets a cut of those savings, so both Shenwu and the client profit.J）If saving energy is so easy and profitable, why isn’t everyone doing it? It has to do with psychology and a lack of information. Most of us tend to look at today’s price tag more than tomorrow’s potential savings. That holds double for the landlord or developer, who won’t actually see a penny of the savings his investment in better insulation or a better heating system might generate. In many people’s minds, conservation is still associated with self-denial. Manyenvironmentalists still push that view.K）The most powerful incentives, of course, will come from the market itself. Over the past year, sky-high fuel prices have focused minds on efficiency like never before. Ever-increasing pressure to cut costs has finally forced more companies to do some math on their energy use. Will it be enough? With global demand and emissions rising so fast, we may not have any choice but to try. Efficient technology is here now, proven and cheap. Compared with all other options, it’s the biggest, easiest and most profitable bang for the buck.46. According to the research, a green workplace which doesn’t need to be constantly heated or air-conditioned, contributes to workers’ productivity and health.47. 36% of all the energy in the world has been consumed by space heating and cooling.48. As an unexpected result, over 200 metric tons of carbon emissions have been reduced thanks to the lower energy demands of the hotel every year.49. Compared with conventional models, such gasoline-electric mixed models as Toyota Prius show an increase in mileage by 20%.50. Just in Ludwigshafen, the company saves 200 million and about 50% of CO2 emissions every year by reusing heat and energy.51. It is well-known that, air conditioners, water boilers and space heaters have had a reputation for inefficiency.52. Every day 20% of the world’s electricity is used by lighting, which amounts to what burning about 600,000 tons of coal could generate.53. At last, under growing pressure, more companies have to budget carefully to reduce their energy consumption.54. Using domestic appliances eats up over 50% of all household power, which produces 20% of the world’s carbon emissions.55. Shenwu wins a share of those savings from the client’s fuel costs, which benefits both Shenwu and the client.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.As you are probably aware, the latest job markets news isn’t good: Unemployment is still more than 9 percent, and new job growth has fallen close to zero. That’s bad for the economy, of course. And it may be especially discouraging if you happen to be looking for a job or hoping to change careers right now. But it actually shouldn’t matter to you nearly as much as you think.That’s because job growth numbers don’t matter to job hunters as much as job turnover （人员更替）data. After all, existing jobs open up every day due to promotions, resignations, terminations（解雇）, and retirements. （Yes, people are retiring even in this economy.）In bothgood times and bad, turnover creates more openings than economic growth does. Even in June of 2007, when the economy was still moving ahead, job growth was only 132,000, while turnover was 4.7 million!And as it turns out, even today—with job growth near zero—over 4 million job hunters are being hired every month.I don’t mean to imply that overall job growth doesn’t have an impact on one’s ability to landa job. It’s true that if total employment were higher, it would mean more jobs for all of us to choose from (and compete for). And it’s true that there are currently more people applying for each available job opening, regardless of whether it’s a new one or not.But what often distinguishes those who land jobs from those who don’t is their ability to stay motivated. They’re willing to do the hard work of identifying their valuable skills; be creative about where and how to look; learn how to present themselves to potential employers; and keep going, even after repeated rejections. The Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that 2.7 million people who wanted and were available for work hadn’t looked within the last four weeks and were no longer even classified as unemployed.So don’t let the headlines fool you into giving up. Four million people get hired every month in the U.S. You can be one of them.56. The author tends to believe that high unemployment rate ______.［A］deprives many people of job opportunities［B］prevents many people from changing careers［C］should not stop people from looking for a job［D］does not mean the U.S. economy is worsening57. Where do most job openings come from?［A］Job growth. ［C］Improved economy.［B］Job turnover. ［D］Business expansion.58. What does the author say about overall job growth?［A］It doesn’t have much effect on individual job seekers.［B］It increases people’s confidence in the economy.［C］It gives a ray of hope to the unemployed.［D］It doesn’t mean greater job security for the employed.59. What is the key to landing a job according to the author?［A］Education. ［C］Persistence.［B］Intelligence. ［D］Experience.60. What do we learn from the passage about the unemployment figures in the U.S.?［A］They clearly indicate how healthy the economy is.［B］They provide the public with the latest information.［C］They warn of the structural problems in the economy.［D］They exclude those who have stopped looking for a job.Passage TwoQuestions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.Our risk of cancer rises dramatically as we age. So it makes sense that the elderly should be routinely screened for new tumors—or doesn’t it?While such vigilant（警觉的）tracking of cancer is a good thing in general, researchers are increasingly questioning whether all of this testing is necessary for the elderly. With the percentage of people over age 65 expected to nearly double by 2050, it’s important to weigh the health benefits of screening against the risks and costs of routine testing.In many cases, screening can lead to surgeries to remove cancer, while the cancers themselves may be slow-growing and may not pose serious health problems in patients’ remaining years. But the message that everyone must screen for cancer has become so deep-rooted that when health care experts recommended that women under 50 and over 74 stop screening for breast cancer, it caused a riotous reaction among doctors, patients and advocacy groups.It’s hard to uproot deeply held beliefs about cancer screening with scientific data. Certainly, there are people over age 75 who have had cancers detected by routine screening, and gained several extra years of life because of treatment. And clearly, people over age 75 who have other risk factors for cancer, such as a family history or prior personal experience with the disease, should continue to get screened regularly. But for the remainder, the risk of cancer, while increased at the end of life, must be balanced with other factors like remaining life expectancy （预期寿命）.A recent study suggests that doctors start to make more objective decisions about who will truly benefit from screening— especially considering the explosion of the elderly that will soon swell our population.It’s not an easy calculation to make, but one that makes sense for all patients. Dr. Otis Brawley said, “Many doctors are ordering screening tests purely to cover themselves. We need to think about the rational use of health care.”That means making some difficult decisions with elderly patients, and going against the misguided belief that when it comes to health care, more is always better.61. Why do doctors recommend routine cancer screening for elderly people?［A］It is believed to contribute to long life.［B］It is part of their health care package.［C］The elderly are more sensitive about their health.［D］The elderly are in greater danger of tumor growth.62. How do some researchers now look at routine cancer screening for the elderly?［A］It adds too much to their medical bills.［C］It helps increase their life expectancy.［B］They are doubtful about its necessity.［D］They think it does more harm than good.63. What is the conventional view about women screening for breast cancer?［A］It applies to women over 50. ［C］It is optional for young women.［B］It is a must for adult women. ［D］It doesn’t apply to women over 74.64. Why do many doctors prescribe routine screening for cancer?［A］They want to protect themselves against medical disputes.［B］They want to take advantage of the medical care system.［C］They want data for medical research.［D］They want their patients to suffer less.65. What does the author say is the general view about health care?［A］The more, the better. ［C］Better early than late.［B］Prevention is better than cure. ［D］Better care, longer life.Part IV Translation （30 minutes）Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.通货膨胀（inflation）指的是某一经济体的商品和服务的总体价格在一段时期内持续上涨的状态。
2012年12月英语四级真题及参考答案
2012年12月英语四级真题（完整版）Part I Writing【标准版】Nothing Succeeds Without a Strong WillNothing runs smoothly in our life. To achieve things successfully, a strong will is essential. Life is like a Marathon. Many people can’t get to the terminal. This is not because they are lack of vitality but because their will of success is not strong enough.To take quitting smoking as an example, some regard it as a piece of cake. They make up their minds to quit it in the morning, but in the evening they feel that the smell of cigarettes is tempting. Their throats are sore, their mouths are thirsty, and their hands are shaking. After the painful mental struggle, they tell themselves that “One cigaretteis enough. Just take one, and the next day I will quit it.” By doing this, they surrender to their weak will. In the end, they have quitted smoking “a hundred times”, but in no time they succeed.Just like quitting smoking, nothing succeeds without a strong will. To be successful in one’s life, a strong will means that you know where you go and you will persist on the road you choose. Undoubtedly success belongs to those who overcome their weak will and who hang in there until the last minute.【文章点评】本文属于话题类作文，只看题目“Nothing Succeeds without a strong will”考生会觉得比较抽象，难以下手。
2012年12月英语四级真题及答案解析完整版
2012年12月英语四级真题及答案解析完整版Part I Writing【标准版】Nothing Succeeds Without a Strong WillNothing runs smoothly in our life. To achieve things successfully, a strong will is essential. Life is like a Marathon. Many people can’t get to the terminal. This is not bec ause they are lack of vitality but because their will of success is not strong enough.To take quitting smoking as an example, some regard it as a piece of cake. They make up their minds to quit it in the morning, but in the evening they feel that the smell of cigarettes is tempting. Their throats are sore, their mouths are thirsty, and their hands are shaking. After the painful mental struggle, they tell themselves that “One cigarette is enough. Just take one, and the next day I will quit it.” By doing this, they surrender to their weak will. In the end, they have quitted smoking “a hundred times”, but in no time they succeed.Just like quitting smoking, nothing succeeds without a strong will. To be successful in one’s life, a strong will means that you know where you go and you will persist on the road you choose. Undoubtedly success belongs to those who overcome their weak will and who hang in there until the last minute.【文章点评】本文属于话题类作文，只看题目“Nothing Succeeds without a strong will”考生会觉得比较抽象，难以下手。
2012年12月英语四级真题及答案(二)
201212Part Writing(30minutes)11上作答。
Direction:For this part,you are allowed30minutes to write a composition entitled E ducation Pays based on the statistics provided in the chart below(Weekly earnings of2010).Please write at least120words but no more than180words.Education:A Worthy InvestmentWeekly earnings in2010($)Doctoral degree 1,550Master’s degree 1,272Bachelor’s degree 1,038 Some college, no degree 712High school diploma 626Less than high school degree 444Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsEducation PaysPartIn this part,you will have15minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer thequestions on Answer sheet1.For questions1-7,choose the best answer from the four choices marked A),B),C)and D).For questions8-10,complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.The MagicianThe revolution that Steve Jobs led is onlyjust beginningWhen it came to putting on a show,nobody else in the computer industry,or any other industry for that matter,could match Steve Jobs.His product launches,at which he would stand alone on a black stage and produce as if by magic an “incredible” new electronic gadget (小器具) in front of an amazed crowd,were the performances of a master showman.All computers do is fetch and work with numbers,he once explained,but do it fast enough and “the results appear tobe magic” . Mr Jobs, who died recently aged 56, spent his life packaging that magic into elegantly designed, easy-to-use products.The reaction to his death,with people leaving candles and flowers outside Apple stores and politicians singing praises on the internet,is proof that Mr Jobs had become something much more significant than just a clever money-maker.He stood out in three ways-as a technologist,as a corporate ( 公司的) leader and as somebody who was able to make people love what had previously been impersonal,functional gadgets.Strangely,it is this last quality that may have the deepest effect on the way people live. The era of personal technology is in many ways just beginning.As a technologist,Mr Jobs was different because he was not an engineer-and that was his great strength.Instead he was keenly interested in product design and aesthetics(美学),and in making advanced technology simple to use. He repeatedly took an existing but half-formed idea-the mouse-driven computer,the digital music player,the smartphone,the tablet computer(平板电脑) —and showed the rest of the industry how to do it properly. Rival firms competed with each other to follow where he led.In the process he brought about great changes in computing, music,telecoms and the news business that were painful for existing firms but welcomed by millions of consumers.Within the wider business world,a man who liked to see himself as a hippy(嬉皮士), permanently in revolt against big companies,ended up being hailed by many of those corporate giants as one of the greatest chief executives of his time.That was partly due to his talents: showmanship,strategic vision,an astonishing attention to detail and a dictatorial management style which many bosses must have envied.But most of all it was the extraordinary trajectory(轨迹)of his life.His fall from grace in the 1980s,followed by his return to Apple in 1996after a period in the wilderness,is an inspiration to any businessperson whose career has taken a turn for the worse. The way in which Mr Jobs revived the failing company he had co-founded and turned it into the world’s biggest tech firm (bigger even than Bill Gates’s Microsoft,the company that had outsmarted Apple so dramatically in the 1980s), sounds like something from a Hollywood movie.But what was perhaps most astonishing about Mr Jobs was the absolute loyalty he managed to inspire in customers.Many Apple users feel themselves to be part of a community,with Mr Jobs as its leader.And there was indeed a personal link.Apple’s products were designed to accord with the boss’s tastes and to meet his extremely high standards.Every iPhone or MacBook has his fingerprints all over it.His great achievement was to combine an emotional spark with computer technology,and make the resulting product feel personal.And that is what put Mr Jobs on the right side of history,as technological innovation(创新)has moved into consumer electronics over the past decade.As our special report in this issue (printed before Mr Jobs’s death)explains,innovation used to spill over from military and corporate laboratories to the consumer market, but lately this process has gone into reverse.Many people’s homes now have more powerful,and more flexible, devices than their offices do;consumer gadgets and online services are smarter and easier to use than most companies’ systems. Familiar consumer products are being adopted by businesses, government and the armed panies are employing in-house versions of Facebook and creating their own “app stores”to deliver software to employees.Doctors use tablet computers for their work in hospitals.Meanwhile,the number of consumers hungry for such gadgets continues to swell.Apple’s products are now being snapped up in Delhi and Dalian just as in Dublin andDallas.Mr Jobs had a reputation as a control freak(怪人),and his critics complained that the products and systems he designed were closed and inflexible,in the name of greater ease of use. Yet he also empowered millions of people by giving them access to cutting-edge technology.His insistence on putting users first,and focusing on elegance and simplicity,has become deep-rooted in his own company,and is spreading to rival firms too. It is no longer just at Apple that designers ask: “What would Steve Jobs do?”The gap between Apple and other tech firms is now likely to narrow. This week’s announcement of a new iPhone by a management team led by Tim Cook,who replaced Mr Jobs as chief executive in August,was generally regarded as competent but uninspiring.Without Mr Jobs to shower his star dust on the event,it felt like just another product launch from just another technology firm.At the recent unveiling of a tablet computer by Jeff Bezos of Amazon,whose company is doing the best job of following Apple’s lead in combining hardware,software,content and services in an easy-to-use bundle, there were several attacks at Apple. But by doing his best to imitate Mr Jobs, Mr Bezos also flattered (抬举)him. With Mr Jobs gone, Apple is just one of many technology firms trying to arouse his uncontrollable spirit in new products.Mr Jobs was said by an engineer in the early years of Apple to emit a “reality distortion(扭曲)field”,such were his powers of persuasion.But in the end he created a reality of his own, channeling the magic of computing into products that reshaped entire industries.The man who said in his youth that he wanted to “put a ding in the universe” did just that.注意: 1上作答。
2012年12月大学英语四级考试真题第一套(答案详解)
2012年12月大学英语四级考试真题第一套Part I Writing【标准版点评】这次四级作文出了图表题，可能让大家有些意外，但是四六级考察图表作文已经并不是第一次，早在2002年的时候就已经出现过，是图表+提纲的形式，图表反应的是大学生使用计算机的情况。
由于备考时大家只是关注近几年的题型，可能没有关注到以往考察过图表作文。
我们在备考作文的时候，一般会从以下几个方面着手准备，如何描述现象、如何分析原因、如何分析影响、如何给出解决措施、如何进行观点论战等。
其实，图表作文也是从这几个方面展开，只是将第一段的描述现象改为描述图表即可。
可见，无论是考察哪种作文题，我们都可以将它转化为我们熟悉的提纲式。
这次作文题目有两个版本。
题目都是Educational Pays（教育回报），一个版本的图表显示的是教育水平越高，收入越高，另一个版本的图表显示的是教育水平越高，失业率越低。
虽然图表描述的具体内容不同，但主题是一致的：教育是值得投资的。
写作思路也是一致的。
两篇范文都是采取三段式的描述方法。
第一段：描述图表。
先一句话引出图表总体内容The above bar chart clearly shows us … 然后具体描述现象We see that…。
最后用for instance引出一些具体数据来例证现象。
第二段：分析原因。
先写一个引出原因的句子，然后具体列举一到两个原因即可。
由于字数限制，原因不必列太多。
第三段：给出建议。
先是总结这个现象This phenomenon tells us that education is a worthy investment.（教育值得投资）。
然后是建议国家增大教育投资，以及个人要努力学习。
这种三段式的写作模式容易掌握，在考场中比较实用，建议大家仿写。
【高分版点评】本次四级作文围绕着同一个话题，education pay（教育回报），出现了两个版本，一个是教育和失业率的关系，另一个是教育和收入的关系。
2012年12月大学英语四级考试真题答案解析版
2012年12月大学英语四级考试真题答案解析Part I Writing标准版：标准版：The above bar chart clearly shows us education pays in 2010. We see that one with higher education background earns earns more more more money money money weekly weekly weekly than than than those those those with with with lower lower lower ones. ones. ones. For For For instance, instance, instance, the the the college college college students students students with with with no no no degree degree degree get get paid$712 per week whereas those with a Bachelor‟s degree can earn $1038.Several reasons, in my opinion, can be identified to account for this phenomenon. To begin with, compared with those with comparatively lower education degree, people who have received higher education possess considerably wider knowledge, more remarkable learning and research ability, greater innovation and most of all, resourceful social network, all of which are essential to a high-income work. Also, the higher one‟s education degree is, the bigger platform he will have to show his ability. For example, his college, university, or research institute will organize various job fairs for them to communicate face to face with employers. This This phenomenon phenomenon phenomenon tells tells tells us us us that that that education education education is is is a a a worthy worthy worthy investment. investment. investment. Therefore, Therefore, Therefore, substantial substantial substantial education education education investment investment should be strengthened while we, as college students, should study harder to build our country and strive for a better life for ourselves. 高分版：Education Pays Judging from the table, we can see t hat people‟s income increases along with their education levels. Above all ，the average college graduates earn much more than the typical high-school graduates. The fact revealed by these data is obvious: a degree does bring distinctive financial benefits to its holders. But is it true that a degree alone can ensure a bright future? I don‟t think so because, on the one hand, the financial value of high education depends heavily on what skills graduates can gain from it instead of the degree itself. After all, an employer employer only only only pays pays pays for for for your your your ability ability ability and and and performance, performance, performance, not not not for for for your your your certificate. certificate. certificate. On On On the the the other other other hand, hand, hand, the the the most most valuable bless high education brings to graduates is the ability to learn quickly and efficiently. People received more more education education education tend tend tend to to to keep keep keep lifelong lifelong lifelong learning learning learning habits habits habits after after after their their their graduation, graduation, graduation, which which which would would would help help help them them them gain gain gain more more opportunities in their career path. In In conclusion, conclusion, conclusion, what what what accounts accounts accounts for for for education education education pays pays pays is is is not not not the the the degree degree degree alone, but alone, but the graduate‟s a bility ability ability and and and leaning leaning habit. 作文B ：标准版：标准版：Education PaysThe above bar chart clearly shows us education pays in 2010. We see that unemployment rate of those with higher education background is much lower than those with lower education degree. For instance, the unemployment rate of college students with no degree is as high as 14.9% while that of those with doctoral degree is only 1.9%. The followingreason, in my opinion, is the most important one to account for this phenomenon. Compared with those with comparatively lower education degree, people who have received higher education possess considerably wider knowledge, more remarkable learning and research ability, greater innovation and most of all, resourceful social network, all of which make them more qualified and competent for their task. Thus, they are less likely to lose their jobs. This This phenomenon phenomenon phenomenon tells tells tells us us us that that that education education education is is is a a a worthy worthy worthy investment. investment. investment. Therefore, Therefore, Therefore, education education education investment investment investment should should should be be strengthened while we, as college students, should study harder to avoid unemployment. 高分版：高分版：Education Pays As As is is is shown shown shown in in in the the the table, table, table, the the the unemployment unemployment unemployment rate rate rate decreases decreases decreases steadily steadily steadily as as as the the the education education education level level level increases. increases. increases. The The The fact fact revealed by the statistics is obvious: graduates with a degree are less likely to be unemployed. What has brought about this effect? I believe there are three main reasons. To begin with, the education level is still the top factor that employers would take into account when selecting job candidates. It is believed that people with with a a a college college college degree degree degree tend tend tend to to to be be be more more more intelligent intelligent intelligent and and and qualified. qualified. qualified. In In In addition, addition, addition, as as as a a a result result result of of of good good good learning learning learning habit habit formed formed during during during college, college, college, job job job hunters hunters hunters with with with high high high education education education background background background are are are also also also more more more efficient efficient efficient in in in acquiring acquiring acquiring and and processing job hunting information. Finally, college education equips graduates with specialized skills, leading to greater attachment to the company they are employed and higher possibility to be reemployed even if they leave their previous company. In conclusion, it is the qualifications, learning habit and specialized skills that high education equip a graduate that make one distinctive in labor market. 【标准版点评】这次四级作文出了图表题，可能让大家有些意外，但是四六级考察图表作文已经并不是第一次，早在2002年的时候就已经出现过，是图表+提纲的形式，图表反应的是大学生使用计算机的情况。
2012年12月英语四级考试真题及答案(第2套)
2012年12月英语四级考试真题及答案(第2套)Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay. You should start your essay with a brief account of the increasing use of the mobile phone in people's life and then explain the consequences of overusing it. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes)Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.Should Sugar Be Regulated like Alcohol and Tobacco?Sugar poses enough health risks that it should be considered a controlled substance just like alcohol and tobacco, argue a team of researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).In an opinion piece called "The Toxic (毒性的) Truth About Sugar" published Feb. 1 in Nature, Robert Lustig, Laura Schmidt and Claire Brindis argue that it's wrong to consider sugar just "empty calories." They write: "There is nothing empty about these calories. A growing body of scientific evidence is showing that fructose (果糖) can trigger processes that lead to liver toxicity and a host of other chronic diseases. A little is not a problem, but a lot kills-slowly."Almost everyone's heard of-or personally experienced-the well-known sugar high, so perhaps the comparison between sugar and alcohol or tobacco shouldn't come as a surprise. But it's doubtfulthat Americans will look favorably upon regulating their favorite vice. We're a nation that's sweet on sugar: the average US adult downs 22 teaspoons of sugar a day, according to the American Heart Association, and surveys have found that teens swallow 34 teaspoons.To counter our consumption, the authors advocate taxing sugary foods and controlling sales to kids under 17. Already, 17% of US children and teens are obese (肥胖的), and across the world the sugar intake (摄入) has increased three times in the past 50 years. The increase has helped create a global obesity plague that contributes to 35 million annual deaths worldwide from noninfectious diseases including cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Linda Matzigkeit, a senior vice president at Children's Healthcare, said "We have to do something about this or our country is in danger. It's not good if your state has the second-highest obesity rate. Obese children turn into obese adults. ""There are good calories and bad calories, just as there are good fats and bad fats, good amino acids (氨基酸) and bad amino acids," Lustig, director of the Weight Assessment for Teen and Child Health program at UCSF, said in a statement. "But sugar is toxic beyond its calories."The food industry tries to imply that "a calorie is a calorie," says Kelly Brownell, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University. "But this and other research suggests there is something different about sugar," says Brownell.The UCSF report emphasizes the metabolic (新陈代谢的) effects of sugar. Excess sugar can alter metabolism, raise blood pressure, affect the signaling of hormones and damage the liver-outcomes that sound suspiciously similar to what can happen after a person drinks too much alcohol. Schmidt, co-chair of UCSF's Community Engagement and Health Policy program, noted on CNN: "When you think about it, this actually makes a lot of sense. Alcohol, after all, is simply made from sugar. Where does vodka come from? Sugar. "But there are also other areas of impact that researchers have investigated: the effect of sugar on the brain and how liquid calories are interpreted differently by the body than solids. Research has suggested that sugar activates the same reward pathways in the brain as traditional drugs of abuse like morphine or heroin. No one is claiming the effect of sugar is quite that strong, but, says Brownell, "it helps confirm what people tell you sometimes, that they hunger for sugar and have withdrawal symptoms when they stop eating it."There's also something particularly tricky about sugary drinks. "When calories come in liquids, the body doesn't feel as full," says Brownell. "People are getting more of their calories than ever before from sugared drinks."Other countries, including France, Greece and Denmark, impose soda taxes, and the concept is being considered in at least 20 US cities and states. Last summer, Philadelphia came close to passing a 2-cents-per-ounce soda tax. The Rudd Center has been a strong advocate of a more modest 1-cent-per-ounce tax. But at least one study, from 2010, has raised doubts that soda taxes would result in significant weight loss: apparently people who are determined to eat- anddrink-unhealthily will find ways to do it. Teens-no surprise-are good at finding ways to get the things they can't have, so state policies banning all sugar-sweetened drinks from public schools and providing only water, milk or 100% fruit juices haven't had the intended effect of steering kids away from drinking sugared drinks: the average teen consumes about 300 calories per day-that's nearly 15% of his daily calories-in sweetened drinks, and the food and drink industry is only too happy to feed this need.Ultimately, regulating sugar will prove particularly tricky because it goes beyond health concerns; sugar, for so many people, is love. A plate of cut-up vegetables just doesn't pack the same emotional punch as a tin of home-made chocolate chip cookies (饼干), which is why I took my daughter out for a cupcake and not an apple as an after-school treat today. We don't do that regularly-it's the first time this school year, actually-and that's what made it special. As a society, could we ever reach the point where we'd think apples-not a cupcake-are something to get excited over? Says Brindis, one of the report's authors and director of UCSF's Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies: "We recognize that there are cultural and celebratory aspects of sugar. Changing these patterns is very complicated."For inroads (进展) to be made, say the authors in their statement, people have to be better educated about the hazards of sugar and agree that something's got to change:Many of the interventions (干预) that have reduced alcohol and tobacco consumption can be models for addressing the sugar problem, such as imposing special sales taxes, controlling access, and tightening licensing requirements on vending machine (自动售货机) and snack-bars that sell high sugar products in schools and workplaces."We're not talking prohibition," Schmidt said. "We're not advocating a major imposition of the government into people's lives. We're talking about gentle ways to make sugar consumption slightly less convenient, thereby moving people away from the concentrated dose. What we want is to actually increase people's choices by making foods that aren't loaded with sugar comparatively easier and cheaper to get."注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
2012年12月大学英语四级考试真题第一套(答案详解)
2012年12月大学英语四级考试真题第一套Part I Writing【标准版点评】这次四级作文出了图表题，可能让大家有些意外，但是四六级考察图表作文已经并不是第一次，早在2002年的时候就已经出现过，是图表+提纲的形式，图表反应的是大学生使用计算机的情况。
由于备考时大家只是关注近几年的题型，可能没有关注到以往考察过图表作文。
我们在备考作文的时候，一般会从以下几个方面着手准备，如何描述现象、如何分析原因、如何分析影响、如何给出解决措施、如何进行观点论战等。
其实，图表作文也是从这几个方面展开，只是将第一段的描述现象改为描述图表即可。
可见，无论是考察哪种作文题，我们都可以将它转化为我们熟悉的提纲式。
这次作文题目有两个版本。
题目都是Educational Pays（教育回报），一个版本的图表显示的是教育水平越高，收入越高，另一个版本的图表显示的是教育水平越高，失业率越低。
虽然图表描述的具体内容不同，但主题是一致的：教育是值得投资的。
写作思路也是一致的。
两篇范文都是采取三段式的描述方法。
第一段：描述图表。
先一句话引出图表总体内容The above bar chart clearly shows us … 然后具体描述现象We see that…。
最后用for instance引出一些具体数据来例证现象。
第二段：分析原因。
先写一个引出原因的句子，然后具体列举一到两个原因即可。
由于字数限制，原因不必列太多。
第三段：给出建议。
先是总结这个现象This phenomenon tells us that education is a worthy investment.（教育值得投资）。
然后是建议国家增大教育投资，以及个人要努力学习。
这种三段式的写作模式容易掌握，在考场中比较实用，建议大家仿写。
【高分版点评】本次四级作文围绕着同一个话题，education pay（教育回报），出现了两个版本，一个是教育和失业率的关系，另一个是教育和收入的关系。
2012年12月四级考试真题及答案
Doctoral degree1,550 1,272 1,038712 626 444 Master ’s degreeBachelor ’s degreeSome college, no degreeHigh school diplomaLess than high school degree 2012年12月大学英语四级真题及答案(3) Part Ⅰ Writing (30 minutes) 注意：此部分试题在答题卡1上，请在答题卡1上作答。
Direction: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write acomposition entitled Education Pays based on the statistics providedin the chart below (Weekly earnings of 2010). Please write at least120 words but no more than 180 words.Education: A Worthy InvestmentWeekly earnings in 2010($)Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsEducation PaysPartⅡ Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes)Di rections: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.Suffering in silenceDespite a law designed to protect them, many people with disabling conditions are unaware of their rights. Carole Concha-Bell tells of her experiences.Being diagnosed with a disabling condition is always a shock. Learning to live without the guarantee of health is like having to unlearn a previous life. The implications for your working life may seem intimidating.There is the disability Discrimination Act (DDA), of course. But does it really provide the protection in the workplace that parliamentintended? Are employers merely paying lip service to the DDA? Or are they even aware of an employer’s legal duties and responsibilities?In my experience, it is the latter. I have received little support from employers to whom I have revealed my condition. This has often left me feeling at a disadvantage and wondering why I bothered doing so in the first place.I had been struggling with illness long before I was diagnosed. In practical terms the diagnosis did little to aid me. Of course, it enabled me to understand my body, my limitations and set me on a course to stabilize my symptoms. But it brought a new dilemma. Where I had previously struggled to work while ill, ignorant of why my body was misbehaving, I now had a name for my daily struggle: Lupus (狼疮). This is a chronic (慢性的), auto-immune disorder that can affect virtually any system in the body. It also leaves a huge, dark question hanging over my head when seeking employment: should I tell my employers I have a condition? It is a dilemma that continues to be a root cause of anxiety both for myself and for thousands of other UK employees.The rocky road to my unfortunate enlightenment about work and disability began just after graduation when I’d set my sights on a career in communications and landed my dream job with a respected public relations consultancy (咨询公司) in Bristol. But while I was learning the art of media relations, my body wasn’t quite making it in health terms. Ioften went to work with swollen limbs and fevers. At my first and last performance review, my boss was amazed that, despite my many capabilities, I hadn’t quite taken control of my responsibilities. A few months later, my contract wasn’t renewed and I plunged further into new depths of ill health.However, I was determined not to be beaten and returned to the interview trail. My next job was in publishing. But despite a shining performance at the interview, I felt like a fraud. How long would it be before I sank into ill health and depression again?The job was to end with a monumental bang when I became so poorly I could no longer function. A few feverish weeks in bed ended in a specialist appointment, where I was diagnosed with Lupus and rushed into hospital for fear that it may have attacked my internal organs.The next 12 months were filled with confusion. I had no idea about benefits, felt alienated(被视为另类) by the medical establishment and lived off my savings until I was broke. I realized I needed help from my family and moved to London.As soon as I felt better, I marched into a marketing recruitment consultancy and, within 10 minutes, I had impressed the interviewer enough to be offered a job with the agency. We agreed on a decent salary and I told him had arthritis (关节炎) and would need to work a four-day week.Things went well at the start but soon the client meetings began to fall on my day off, and I rarely left the office on time. I began to slip both in health and professional terms. The 10-hour days crashed around my head; no amount of make-up could disguise my ill health as I battled against the odds to prove to myself that I cold still make it in the business world. I often cried on the bus on the way back from work.Not long before my contract was due to be made permanent, I was called to the boss’s office and given the “talk” abut how my performance was slipping, how awful I looked. I felt too weak to fight back and agreed to leave. No attempts to offer adjustments to my job, such as being able to work from home, were ever made. I had a case for unfair dismissal under the DDA, but was ignorant of this at the time.An estimated 10 million people in UK, or 17% of the population, qualify for disability status under the DDA. I have encountered a number of them: the liver-diseased boss; the co-worker with a heart condition; and my asthmatic(哮喘的) trainee-teacher friend. None had disclosed (透露) their conditions to employers, and all were feeling the strain of not doing so.To access your rights under the DDA and to request “reasonable adjustments”to your working conditions or your workplace requires disclosure. I had warned my former employer about my condition but it served little purpose. They were ignorant about their obligations to theirdisabled staff.However, there are plenty of forward-thinking organizations that have inclusive recruitment policies; are more likely to employ a worker with a disability; and are more aware of their legal duties. The public sector out-performs the private, but not always the voluntary, according to studies for the Disabilities Rights Commission.I decided to give the voluntary sector a go and was surprised to be offered flexible working conditions and other solutions to meet my needs as an employee. But given the choice, I would still prefer a career in the private sector, which for me is more dynamic, has more attractive salaries and offers better prospects than the voluntary or public sectors.Despite the advances of the DDA, there will always be an army of workers who will soldier on, maybe aware of their rights but choosing to remain silent for personal reasons. It is important, though, to recognize the significance of the act, the protection it affords and the obligations that employers have to us as employees and as human beings.注意: 此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
2012年12月英语四级真题及答案(完整版)
2012年12月英语四级真题及答案（完整版）2012年下半年英语四级考试作文真题及答案From the bar chart given above, we can observe that it reflects the statistics of income among people of different educational background. Those who possess a doctoral degree earn 1,551dollars median weekly, ranking first among people of other education level. The median weekly earnings of people with associate degree and below cannot reach the average of 797 dollars, ranking from 768 dollars to 451 dollars. As for the unemployment rate, 2.5 % of people with doctoral degree will suffer form unemployment. However, the unemployment rate of people with some college, no degree and lower degree surpass the mean value of 7.6%, ranking from 8.7% to 14.1%.The bar chart of Education Pays reveals a phenomenon that there exits some difference in incomes and unemployment rate among people with different educational level. Quite a few reasons can account for this phenomenon: for one thing, with the advancement of technology and the adjustment of industrial structure, quite a few high-tech industries emerge overnight, which leads to a soar demand of workforces with high educational degree, thus, it is natural that graduates with bachelor’ and higher degree get a high pay-packet and enjoy a stable job. Additionally, those with educational background under associate degree are easily dismissed and paid by low salary. They can be replaced any time due to the fact that their jobs are easy and can be finished by average people.Definitely, the higher education degree you get, the more likely you are to enjoy a competitive edge in the employment market. Thus, the authorities should enforce some policies to ensure the equity of education. Only in this way can more people lead a stable and comfortable life. 2012年英语四级答案：12月四级快速阅读答案第一套英语四级快速阅读答案1. A.soil erosion, landslides and floods。
2012年12月大学英语四级真题(含答案)-1
Doctoral degree1,550 1,272 1,038712 626 444 Master ’s degreeBachelor ’s degreeSome college, no degreeHigh school diplomaLess than high school degree 2012年12月大学英语四级真题(1)Part Ⅰ Writing (30 minutes) 注意：此部分试题在答题卡1上，请在答题卡1上作答。
Direction: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to writea composition entitled Education Pays based on thestatistics provided in the chart below (Weekly earnings of2010). Please write at least 120 words but no more than 180words.Education: A Worthy InvestmentWeekly earnings in 2010($)Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsEducation PaysPart ⅡReading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes)Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer sheet1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the fourchoices marked A), B), C) and D). For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.Should Sugar Be Regulated like Alcohol and Tobacco?Sugar poses enough health risks that it should be considered a controlled substance just like alcohol and tobacco, argue a team of researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).In an opinion piece called “The Toxic (毒性的) Truth About Sugar” published Feb.1 in Nature, Robert Lustig, LauraSchmidt and Claire Brindis argue that it’s wrong to consider sugar just “empty calories.” They write: “There is nothing empty about these calories. A growing body of scientific evidence is showing that fructose(果糖) can trigger processes that lead to liver toxicity and a host of other chronic diseases.A little is not a problem, but a lot kills — slowly.”Almost everyone’s heard of —or personally experienced —the well-known sugar high, so perhaps the comparison between sugar and alcohol or tobacco shouldn’t come as a surprise. But it’s doubtful that Americans will look favorably upon regulating their favorite vice. We’re a nation that’s sweet on sugar: the average U.S. adult downs 22 teaspoons of sugar a day, according to the American Heart Association, and surveys have found that teens swallow 34 teaspoons.To counter our consumption, the authors advocate taxing sugary foods and controlling sales to kids under 17. Already, 17% of U.S. children and teens are obese (肥胖), and across the world the sugar intake(摄入) has increased three times in the past 50 years. The increase has helped create a global obesity plague that contributes to 35 million annual deaths worldwide from noninfectious diseases including cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Linda Matzigkeit, a senior vice president atChildren’s Healthcare, said “We have to do something about this or our country is in danger. It’s not good if your state has the second-highest obesity rate. Obese children turn into obese adults.”“There are good calories and bad calories, just as there are good fats and bad fats, good amino acids (氨基酸) and bad amino acids,” Lustig, director of the Weight Assessment for Teen and Child Health program at UCSF, said in a statement. “But sugar is toxic beyond its calories.”The food industry tries to imply that “a calorie is a calorie is a calorie,” says Kelly Brownell, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University. “But this and other research suggests there is something different about sugar,” says Brownell.The UCSF report emphasizes the metabolic(新陈代谢) effects of sugar. Excess sugar can alter metabolism, raise blood pressure, affect the signaling of hormones and damage the liver — outcomes that sound suspiciously similar to what can happen after a person drinks too much alcohol. Schmidt, co-chair of UCSF’s Community Engagement and Health Policy program, noted on CNN: “When you think about it, this actually makes a lot of sense. Alcohol, after all, is simply made fromsugar. Where does vodka come from? Sugar.”But there are also other areas of impact that researchers have investigated: the effect of sugar on the brain and how liquid calories are interpreted differently by the body than solids. Research has suggested that sugar activates the same reward pathways in the brain as traditional drugs of abuse like morphine or heroin. No one is claiming the effect of sugar is quite that strong, but, says Brownell, “it helps confirm what people tell you sometimes, that they hunger for sugar and have withdrawal symptoms when they stop eating it.”There’s also something particularly tricky about sugary drinks. “When calories come in liquids, the body doesn’t feel as full,” says Brownell. “People are getting more of their calories than ever before from sugared drinks.”Other countries, including France, Greece and Denmark, impose soda taxes, and the concept is being considered in at least 20 U.S. cities and states. Last summer, Philadelphia came close to passing a 2-cents-per-ounce soda tax. The Rudd Center has been a strong advocate of a more modest 1-cent-per-punce tax. But at least one study, from 2010, has raised doubts that soda taxes would result in significant weight loss: apparently people who are determined to eat — and drink — unhealthilywill find ways to do it. Teens — no surprise — are good at finding ways to get the things they can’t have, so state policies banning all sugar-sweetened drinks from public schools and providing only water, milk or 100% fruit juices haven’t had the intended effect of steering kids away from drinking sugared drinks: the average teen consumes about 300 calories per day — that’s nearly 15% of his daily calories —in sweetened drinks, and the food and drink industry is only too happy to feed this need.Ultimately, regulating sugar will prove particularly tricky because it goes beyond health concerns; sugar, for so many people, is love. A plate of cut-up vegetables just doesn’t pack the same emotional a cupcake and not an apple as an after-school treat today. We don’t do that regularly —it’s the first time this school year, actually — and that’s what made it special. As a society, could we ever reach the point where we’d think apples — not a cupcake — are something to get excited over? Says Brindis, one of the report’s authors and director of UCSF’s Philip R.Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies: “We recognize that there are cultural and celebratory aspects of sugar. Changing these patterns is very complicated.”For inroads (进展) to be made, say the authors in their statement, people have to be better educated about the hazards of sugar and agree that something’s got to change: Many of the interventions(干预) that have reduced alcohol and tobacco consumption can be models for addressing the sugar problem, such as imposing special sales taxes, controlling access, and tightening licensing requirements on vending machines(自动售货机) and snack-bars sell high sugar products in schools and workplaces.“We’re not talking prohibition,”Schmidt said. “We’re not advocating a major imposition of the government into people’s lives. We’re talking about gentle ways to make sugar consumption slightly less convenient, thereby moving people away from the concentrated does. What we want is to actually increase people’s choices by making foods that aren’t loaded with sugar comparatively easier and cheaper to get.”注意: 此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
2012年12月大学英语四级考试真题与答案完整版
Part II Reading comprehension (skimming and scanning)Universities Branch OutAs never before in their long history, universities have become instruments of national competition as well as instruments of peace. They are the place of the scientific discoveries that move economies forward, and the primary means of educating the talent required to obtain and maintain competitive advantage. But at the same time, the opening of national borders to the flow of goods, services, information and especially people has made universities a powerful force for global integration, mutual understanding and geopolitical stability.In response to the same forces that have driven the world economy, universities have become more self-consciously global: seeking students from around the world who represent the entire range of cultures and values, sending their own students abroad to prepare them for global careers,offering course of study that address the challenges of an interconnected world and collaborative (合作的)research programs to advance science for the benefit of all humanity.Of the forces shaping higher education none is more sweeping than the movement across borders. Over the past three decades the number of students leaving home each year to study abroad has grown at an annual rate of 3.9 percent, from 800,000 in 1975 to 2.5 million in 2004.Most travel from one developed nation to another, but the flow from developing to developed countries is growing rapidly. The reverse flow, from developed to developing countries, is on the rise, too. Today foreign students earn 30 percent of the doctoral degrees awarded in the United States and 38 percent of those in the United Kingdom. And the number crossing borders for undergraduate study is growing as well, to 8 percent of the undergraduates at America‘s best institutions and 10 percent of all undergraduates in the U.K.In the United States,20 percent of the newly hired professors in science and engineering are foreign-born, and in China many newly hired faculty members at the top research universities received their graduate education abroad.Universities are also encouraging students to spend some of their undergraduate years in another country. In Europe, more than 140,000 students participate in the Erasmus program each year, taking courses for credit in one of 2,200 participating institutions across the continent. And in the United States, institutions are helping place students in the summer internships (实习)abroad to prepare them for global careers. Yale and Harvard have led the way, offering every undergraduate at least oneinternational study or internship opportunity—and providing the financial resources to make it possible.Globalization is also reshaping the way research is done. One new trend involves sourcing portions of a research program to another country. Yale professor and Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator Tian Xu directs a research center focused on the genetics of human disease at Shanghai‘s Fudan University, in collaboration with faculty colleagues from both schools. The Shanghai center has 95 employees and graduate students working in a 4,300-square-meter laboratory seminars with scientists from both campuses. The arrangement benefits both countries; Xu’s Yale lab is more productive, thanks to t he lower costs of conducting research in China, and Chinese graduate students, postdoctors and faculty get on-the-job training from a world -class scientist and his U.S. team.As a result of its strength in science, the United States has consistently led the world in the commercialization of major new technologies, from the mainframe computer and the integrated circuit of the 1960s to the Internet infrastructure (基础设施)and applications software of the 1990s.the link between university-based science and industrial application is often indirect but sometimes highly visible: Silicon Valley was intentionally created by Stanford University, and Route 128 outside Boston has long housed companies spun off from MIT and Harvard. Around the world, governments have encouraged copying of this model, perhaps most successfully in Cambridge, England, where Microsoft and scores of other leading software and biotechnology companies have set up shop around the university.For all its success, the United States remains deeply hesitant about sustaining the research -university model. Most politicians recognize the link between investment in science and national economic strength, but support for research funding has been unsteady. The budget of the National Institutes of Health doubled between 1998 and 2003,but has risen more slowly than inflation since then. Support for the physical sciences and engineering barely kept pace with inflation during that same period. The attempt to make up lost ground is welcome, but the nation would be better served by steady, predictable increases in science funding at the rate of long-term GDP growth, which is on the order of inflation plus 3 percent per year.American politicians have great difficult recognizing that admitting more foreign students can greatly promote the national interest by increasing international understanding. Adjusted for inflation, public funding for international exchanges and foreign-language study is well below the levels of 40 years ago, in the wake ofSeptember 11,changes in the visa process caused a dramatic decline in the number of foreign students seeking admission to U.S. universities, and a corresponding surge in enrollments in Australia, Singapore and the U.K. Objections from American university and the business leaders led to improvements in the process and reversal of the decline, but the United States is still seen by many as unwelcoming to international students.Most Americans recognize that universities contribute to the nation‘s well-being through their scientific research, but many fear that foreign students threaten American competitiveness by taking their knowledge and skills back home. They fail to grasp that welcoming foreign students to the United States has two important positive effects: first, the very best of them stay in the States and—like immigrants throughout history—strengthen the nation; and second, foreign students who study in the United States become ambassadors for many of its most cherished (珍视)values when they return home. Or at least they understand them better. In America as elsewhere, few instruments of foreign policy are as effective in promoting peace and stability as welcoming international university students.1. From the first paragraph we know that present-day universities have become ________.A)more popularized than ever beforeB)in-service training organizationsC)a powerful force for global integrationD)more and more research-oriented2. Over the past decades, the enrollment of overseas students has increased ________.A)at an annual rate of 8 percentB)at an annual rate of 3.9 percentC)by 800,000D)by 2.5 million3. In the United States, how many of the newly hired professors in science and engineering are foreign-born?A)38% B)10% C)30% D)20%4. How do Yale and Harvard prepare their undergraduates for global careers?A)They give them chances for international study or internship.B)They arrange for them to participate in the Erasmus program.C)They offer them various courses in international politics.D)They organize a series of seminars on world economy.5. An example illustrating the general trend of universities ‘globalization is ________.A)Yale‘s establishing branch campuses throughout the worldB)Yale‘s student exchange program with E uropean institutionsC)Yale‘s helping Chinese universities to launch research projectsD)Yale‘s collaboration with Fudan University on genetic research.6. What do we learn about Silicon Valley from the passage?A)It is known to be the birthplace of Microsoft Company.B)It was intentionally created by Stanford University.C)It is where the Internet infrastructure was built up.D)It houses many companies spun off from MIT and Harvard.7. What is said about the U.S. federal funding for research?A)It has increased by 3 percent.B)It doubled between 1998 and 2003.C)It has been unsteady for years.D)It has been more than sufficient.8. The dramatic decline in the enrollment of foreign students in the U.S. after September 11 was caused by ________.9. Many Americans fear that American competitiveness may be threatened by foreign students who will ________.10. The policy of welcoming foreign students can benefit the U.S. in that the very best of them will stay and ________.PartⅢ Reading Comprehension （Skimming and Scanning）（15 minutes）Section A11.A) He has proved to be a better reader than the woman.B) He has difficulty understanding the book.C) He cannot get access to the assigned book.D) He cannot finish his assignment before the deadline.12.A) She will drive the man to the supermarket.B) The man should buy a car of his own.C) The man needn't go shopping every week.D) She can pick the man up at the grocery store.13.A) Get more food and drinks.B) Ask his friend to come over.C) Tidy up the place.D) Hold a party.14.A) The talks can be held any day except this Friday.B) He could change his schedule to meet John Smith.C) The first-round talks should start as soon as possible.D) The woman should contact John Smith first.15.A) He understands the woman's feelings.B) He has gone through a similar experience.C) The woman should have gone on the field trip.D) The teacher is just following the regulations.16.A) She will meet the man halfway.B) She will ask David to talk less.C) She is sorry the man will not come.D) She has to invite David to the party.17.A) Few students understand Prof. Johnson's lectures.B) Few students meet Prof. Jonson's requirements.C) Many students find Prof. Johnson's lectures boring.D) Many students have dropped Prof. Johnson's class.18.A) Check their computer files.B) Make some computations.C) Study a computer program.D) Assemble a computer.Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19.A) It allows him to make a lot of friends.B) It requires him to work long hours.C) It enables him to apply theory to practice.D) It helps him understand people better.20.A) It is intellectually challenging.B) It requires him to do washing-up all the time.C) It exposes him to oily smoke all day long.D) It demands physical endurance and patience.21.A) In a hospital.B) At a coffee shop.C) At a laundry.D) In a hotel.22.A) Getting along well with colleagues.B) Paying attention to every detail.C) Planning everything in advance.D) Knowing the needs of customers.Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.23.A) The pocket money British children get.B) The annual inflation rate in Britain.C) The things British children spend money on.D) The rising cost of raising a child in Britain.24.A) It enables children to live better.B) It goes down during economic recession.C) It often rises higher than inflation.D) It has gone up 25% in the past decade.25.A) Save up for their future education.B) Pay for small personal things.C) Buy their own shoes and socks.D) Make donations when necessary. 来源:考试大-英语四级考试Section BPassage OneQuestions 26 to 29 are based on the conversation you have just heard.26.A) District managers.B) Regular customers.C) Sales directors.D) Senior clerks.27.A) The support provided by the regular clients.B) The initiative shown by the sales representatives.C) The urgency of implementing the company's plans.D) The important part played by district managers.28.A) Some of them were political-minded.B) Fifty percent of them were female.C) One third of them were senior managers.D) Most of them were rather conservative.29.A) He used too many quotations.B) He was not gender sensitive.C) He did not keep to the point.D) He spent too much time on details.Passage TwoQuestions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.30.A) State your problem to the head waiter.B) Demand a discount on the dishes ordered.C) Ask to see the manager politely but firmly.D) Ask the name of the person waiting on you.31.A) You problem may not be understood correctly.B) You don't know if you are complaining at the right time.C) Your complaint may not reach the person in charge.D) You can't tell how the person on the line is reacting.32.A) Demand a prompt response.B) Provide all the details.C) Send it by express mail.D) Stick to the point.Passage ThreeQuestions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.33.A) Fashion designerB) Architect.C) City planner.D) Engineer.34.A) Do some volunteer work.B) Get a well-paid part-time job.C) Work flexible hours.D) Go back to her previous post.35.A) Few baby-sitters can be considered trustworthy.B) It will add to the family's financial burden.C) A baby-sitter is no replacement for a mother.D) The children won't get along with a baby-sitter.Section CAlmost every child, on the first day he sets foot in a school building, is smarter, more (36)______, less afraid of what he doesn't know, better at finding and (37) ______ things out, more confident, resourceful (机敏的), persistent and (38) ______ than he will ever be again in his schooling – or, unless he is very (39) ______ and very lucky, for the rest of his life. Already, by paying close attention to and (40) ______ with the world and people around him, and without any school-type (41)______ instruction, he has done a task far more difficult, complicated and (42)______ than anything he will be asked to do in school, or than any of his teachers has done for years. He has solved the (43) ______ of language. He has discovered it – babies don't even know that language exists –and (44) ________________________________________________. He has done it by exploring, by experimenting, by developing his own model of the grammar of language, (45) ________________________________________________ until it does work. And while he has been doing this, he has been learning other things as well, (46) ________________________________________________, and many that are more complicated than the ones they do try to teach him.Part ⅣReading Comprehension（Reading in Depth）（25 minutes）Section AQuestions 47 to 56 are based on the following passage.If our society ever needed a reading renaissance（复兴）, it's now. The National Endowment for the Arts released “Reading at Risk” last year, a study showing that adult reading47 have dropped 10 percentage points in the past decade, with the steepest drop among those 18 to 24. “Only one half of young people read a book of any kind in 2002. We set the bar almost on the ground. If you read one short story in a teen—ager magazine, that would have 48 ,” laments a director of research and analysis. He49 the loss of readers to the booming world of technology, which attracts would—be leisure readers to E—mail, IM chats, and video games and leaves them with no time to cope with a novel.“These new forms of media undoubtedly have some benefits,” says Steven Johnson, author of Everything Bad Is Good for You.Video games50 problem—solving skills; TV shows promote mental gymnastics by 51 viewers to follow complex story lines. But books offer experience that can't be gained from these other sources, from52 vocabulary to stretching the imagination. “If they're not reading at all,” says Johnson, “that's a huge problem.”In fact, fewer kids are reading for pleasure. According to data53 last week from the National Center for Educational Statistic's long—term trend assessment, the number of 17—year—olds who reported never or hardly ever reading for fun54 from 9 percent in 1984 to 19 percent in 2004. At the same time, the55 of 17—year—olds who read daily dropped from 31 to 22.This slow but steady retreat from books has not yet taken a toll on reading ability. Scores for the nation's youth have56 constant over the past two decades with an encouraging upswing among 9—year—olds. But given the strong apparent correlation between pleasure reading and reading skills, this means poorly for the future.A. percentB. remainedC. roseD. ratesE. percentageF. countedG. relievedH. presentI. BelievingJ. releasedK. forcing L. improve M. Styles N. building O. attributesSection BPassage OneQuestions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.There is a new type of small advertisement becoming increasingly common in newspaper classified columns. It is sometimes placed among “situations vacant”, alth ough it does not offer anyone a job, and sometimes it appears among “situations wanted”, although it is not placed by someone looking for a job, either. What it does is to offer help in applying for a job.“Contact us before writing your application”, or “Make use of our long experience in preparing your curriculum vitae or job history”, is how it is usually expressed. The growth and apparent success of such a specialized service is, of course, a reflection on the current high levels of unemployment. It is also an indication of the growing importance of the curriculum vitae （or job history）, with the suggestion that it may now qualify as an art form in its own right.There was a time when job seekers simply wrote letters of application. “Just put down your n ame, address, age and whether you have passed any exams”, was about the average level of advice offered to young people applying for their first jobs when I left school. The letter was really just for openers, it was explained, everything else could and should be saved for the interview. And in those days of full employment the technique worked. The letter proved that you could write and were available for work. Your eager face and intelligent replies did the rest.Later, as you moved up the ladder, something slightly more sophisticated was called for. The advice then was to put something in the letter which would distinguish you from the rest. It might be the aggressive approach. “Your search is over. I am the person you are looking for”, was a widely used trick that occasionally succeeded. Or it might be some special feature specially designed for the job interview.There is no doubt, however, that it is increasing number of applicants with university education at all points in the process of engaging staff that has led to the greater importance of the curriculum vitae.57. The new type of advertisement which is appearing in newspaper columns.A）informs job hunters of the opportunities availableB）promises to offer useful advice to those looking for employmentC）divides available jobs into various typesD）informs employers of the people available for work58. Nowadays a demand for this specialized type of service has been created because. A）there is a lack of jobs available for artistic peopleB）there are so many top level jobs availableC）there are so many people out of workD）the job history is considered to be a work of art59. In the past it was expected that first job hunters would.A）write an initial letter giving their life historyB）pass some exams before applying for a jobC）have no qualifications other than being able to read and writeD）keep any detailed information until they obtained an interview60. Later, as one went on to apply for more important jobs, one was advised to include in the letter.A）something that would distinguish one from other applicantsB）hinted information about the personality of the applicantC）one's advantages over others in applying for the jobD）an occasional trick with the aggressive approach61. The curriculum vitae has become such an important document because.A）there has been an increase in the number of jobs advertisedB）there has been an increase in the number of applicants with degreesC）jobs are becoming much more complicated nowadaysD）the other processes of applying for jobs are more complicatedPassage TwoQuestions 62 to 66 are based on the following passage.In cities with rent control, the city government sets the maximum rent that a landlord can charge for an apartment. Supporters of rent control argue that it protects people who are living in apartments. Their rent cannot increase; therefore, they are not in danger of losing their homes. However, the critics say that after a long time,rent control may have negative effects. Landlords know that they cannot increase their profits. Therefore, they invest in other businesses where they can increase their profits. They do not invest in new buildings which would also be rent—controlled. As a result, new apartments are not built. Many people who need apartments cannot find any. According to the critics, the end result of rent control is a shortage of apartments in the city.Some theorists argue that the minimum wage law can cause problems in the same way. The federal government sets the minimum that an employer must pay workers. The minimum helps people who generally look for unskilled, low—paying jobs. However, if the minimum is high, employers may hire fewer workers. They will replace workers with machinery. The price, which is the wage that employers must pay, increases. Therefore, other things being equal, the number of workers that employers want decreases. Thus, critics claim, an increase in the minimum wage may cause unemployment. Some poor people may find themselves without jobs instead of with jobs at the minimum wage.Supporters of the minimum wage say that it helps people keep their dignity. Because of the law, workers cannot sell their services for less than the minimum. Furthermore, employers cannot force workers to accept jobs at unfair wages. Economic theory predicts the results of economic decisions such as decisions about farm production, rent control, and the minimum wage. The predictions may be correct only if “other things are equal”. Economists do not agree on some of the predictio ns. They also do not agree on the value of different decisions. Some economists support a particular decision while others criticize it. Economists do agree, however, that there are no simple answers to economic questions.62. There is the possibility that setting maximum rent may.A）cause a shortage of apartmentsB）worry those who rent apartments as homesC）increase the profits of landlordsD）encourage landlords to invest in building apartment63. According to the critics, rent control.A）will always benefit those who rent apartmentsB）is unnecessaryC）will bring negative effects in the long runD）is necessary under all circumstances64. The problem of unemployment will arise.A）if the minimum wage is set too highB）if the minimum wage is set too lowC）if the workers are unskilledD）if the maximum wage is set65. The passage tells us.A）the relationship between supply and demandB）the possible results of government controlsC）the necessity of government controlD）the urgency of getting rid of government controls66. Which of the following statements is NOT true?A）The results of economic decisions can not always be predicted.B）Minimum wage can not always protect employees.C）Economic theory can predict the results of economic decisions if other factors are not changing.D）Economic decisions should not be based on economic theory.Part ⅤCloze （15 minutes）Rumor is the most ___67___way of spreading stories—by passing them on from mouth___68___mouth. But civilized countries in normal times have better ___69___ of news than rumor. They have radio, television, and newspapers. In times of stress and___70___, ___71___, rumor ___72__ and becomes widespread. At such ___73___ the different kinds of news are in___74___,the press, television, and radio versus the grapevine.Especially ___75___ rumors spread when war requires censorship(审查，检查) on many important matters. The customary news sources no longer ___76___ enough information. Since the people cannot learn ___77___ legitimate(合法的，正规的) channel s all ___78___ they are anxious to learn, they pick up “news”___79___they can and when this ___80___, rumor thrives.Rumors are often repeated ___81___ by those who do not believe the tales. There is a fascination about them. The reason is ___82___the cleverly designed rumor gives expression to something deep in the hearts of the victims—the fears, suspicions, forbidden hopes, or daydreams which they hesitate to___83___directly. Pessimistic(悲观的) rumors about defeat and disasters show that the people who repeat them are___84___and anxious. ___85___rumors about record production orpeace soon coming point to complacency(满足，自得) or confidence—and often to ___86___.67. A) primitive B) important C) impossible D) outstanding68. A) till B) to C) for D) by69. A) means B) ways C) sources D) resource70. A) confusion B) peace C) prosperity D) worried71. A) and B) however C) so D) therefore72. A) emerges B) immerge C) immerse D) immense73. A) time B) the times C) times D) the time74. A) compete B) competition C) common D)harmony75. A) do B) did C) are D) were76. A) give up B) give off C) give out D) send off77. A) through B) by C) in D) across78. A) what B) why C) which D) that79. A) wherever B) where C) whatever D) what80. A) happened B) would happen C) happens D) happen81. A) ever B) even C) forever D) much82. A) that B) what C) why D) how83. A) act B) voice C) behave D) do84. A) happy B) relieved C) crazy D) worried85. A) Bad B) Pessimistic C) Optimistic D) Good86. A) overconfidence B) overweight C) overconsiderate D) overproducePart ⅥTranslation （5 minutes）Direction:Complete the sentences on Answer Sheet 2 by translating into English the Chinese given in brackets.87.There are so many kinds of tape-recorders on sale that __________________________ (我都拿不定主意买哪一种).88. The light in the office is still on._________________________ (他忘记关了).89. His composition was so confusing that _____________________________ (我简直看不懂).90.As the saying goes, reading without reflecting is like __________________________ (吃饭不消化).91._______________________ (他的回答是这样) that he didn’t say yes and he didn’t say no.。
2012年12月英语四级真题及答案(二)
201212Part Writing(30minutes)11上作答。
Direction:For this part,you are allowed30minutes to write a composition entitled E ducation Pays based on the statistics provided in the chart below(Weekly earnings of2010).Please write at least120words but no more than180words.Education:A Worthy InvestmentWeekly earnings in2010($)Doctoral degree 1,550Master’s degree 1,272Bachelor’s degree 1,038 Some college, no degree 712High school diploma 626Less than high school degree 444Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsEducation PaysPartIn this part,you will have15minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer thequestions on Answer sheet1.For questions1-7,choose the best answer from the four choices marked A),B),C)and D).For questions8-10,complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.The MagicianThe revolution that Steve Jobs led is onlyjust beginningWhen it came to putting on a show,nobody else in the computer industry,or any other industry for that matter,could match Steve Jobs.His product launches,at which he would stand alone on a black stage and produce as if by magic an “incredible” new electronic gadget (小器具) in front of an amazed crowd,were the performances of a master showman.All computers do is fetch and work with numbers,he once explained,but do it fast enough and “the results appear tobe magic” . Mr Jobs, who died recently aged 56, spent his life packaging that magic into elegantly designed, easy-to-use products.The reaction to his death,with people leaving candles and flowers outside Apple stores and politicians singing praises on the internet,is proof that Mr Jobs had become something much more significant than just a clever money-maker.He stood out in three ways-as a technologist,as a corporate ( 公司的) leader and as somebody who was able to make people love what had previously been impersonal,functional gadgets.Strangely,it is this last quality that may have the deepest effect on the way people live. The era of personal technology is in many ways just beginning.As a technologist,Mr Jobs was different because he was not an engineer-and that was his great strength.Instead he was keenly interested in product design and aesthetics(美学),and in making advanced technology simple to use. He repeatedly took an existing but half-formed idea-the mouse-driven computer,the digital music player,the smartphone,the tablet computer(平板电脑) —and showed the rest of the industry how to do it properly. Rival firms competed with each other to follow where he led.In the process he brought about great changes in computing, music,telecoms and the news business that were painful for existing firms but welcomed by millions of consumers.Within the wider business world,a man who liked to see himself as a hippy(嬉皮士), permanently in revolt against big companies,ended up being hailed by many of those corporate giants as one of the greatest chief executives of his time.That was partly due to his talents: showmanship,strategic vision,an astonishing attention to detail and a dictatorial management style which many bosses must have envied.But most of all it was the extraordinary trajectory(轨迹)of his life.His fall from grace in the 1980s,followed by his return to Apple in 1996after a period in the wilderness,is an inspiration to any businessperson whose career has taken a turn for the worse. The way in which Mr Jobs revived the failing company he had co-founded and turned it into the world’s biggest tech firm (bigger even than Bill Gates’s Microsoft,the company that had outsmarted Apple so dramatically in the 1980s), sounds like something from a Hollywood movie.But what was perhaps most astonishing about Mr Jobs was the absolute loyalty he managed to inspire in customers.Many Apple users feel themselves to be part of a community,with Mr Jobs as its leader.And there was indeed a personal link.Apple’s products were designed to accord with the boss’s tastes and to meet his extremely high standards.Every iPhone or MacBook has his fingerprints all over it.His great achievement was to combine an emotional spark with computer technology,and make the resulting product feel personal.And that is what put Mr Jobs on the right side of history,as technological innovation(创新)has moved into consumer electronics over the past decade.As our special report in this issue (printed before Mr Jobs’s death)explains,innovation used to spill over from military and corporate laboratories to the consumer market, but lately this process has gone into reverse.Many people’s homes now have more powerful,and more flexible, devices than their offices do;consumer gadgets and online services are smarter and easier to use than most companies’ systems. Familiar consumer products are being adopted by businesses, government and the armed panies are employing in-house versions of Facebook and creating their own “app stores”to deliver software to employees.Doctors use tablet computers for their work in hospitals.Meanwhile,the number of consumers hungry for such gadgets continues to swell.Apple’s products are now being snapped up in Delhi and Dalian just as in Dublin andDallas.Mr Jobs had a reputation as a control freak(怪人),and his critics complained that the products and systems he designed were closed and inflexible,in the name of greater ease of use. Yet he also empowered millions of people by giving them access to cutting-edge technology.His insistence on putting users first,and focusing on elegance and simplicity,has become deep-rooted in his own company,and is spreading to rival firms too. It is no longer just at Apple that designers ask: “What would Steve Jobs do?”The gap between Apple and other tech firms is now likely to narrow. This week’s announcement of a new iPhone by a management team led by Tim Cook,who replaced Mr Jobs as chief executive in August,was generally regarded as competent but uninspiring.Without Mr Jobs to shower his star dust on the event,it felt like just another product launch from just another technology firm.At the recent unveiling of a tablet computer by Jeff Bezos of Amazon,whose company is doing the best job of following Apple’s lead in combining hardware,software,content and services in an easy-to-use bundle, there were several attacks at Apple. But by doing his best to imitate Mr Jobs, Mr Bezos also flattered (抬举)him. With Mr Jobs gone, Apple is just one of many technology firms trying to arouse his uncontrollable spirit in new products.Mr Jobs was said by an engineer in the early years of Apple to emit a “reality distortion(扭曲)field”,such were his powers of persuasion.But in the end he created a reality of his own, channeling the magic of computing into products that reshaped entire industries.The man who said in his youth that he wanted to “put a ding in the universe” did just that.注意: 1上作答。
2012年12月全国大学英语四级等级考试试题及答案(详解) 2
2012年12月全国大学英语四级等级考试试题及答案(详解)Part II Reading Comprehension (skimming and scanning)(15 minutes)Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choicesmarked A), B), C) and D). For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the informationgiven in the passage.Time Off from Work Gains in ImportanceAmerican workers are saying they need a break. As their number of hours clocked on the job has crept higher, more time off has become a bigger priority. In the past few years, human resources experts say time off has consistently placed among the top three employee concerns, along with compensation and staffing levels, whereas it used to be farther down the list. In a poll taken online in November 2004, 39% of workers said if given the choice, they would choose time off over the equivalent in additional base salary. Of course, most of the 4,600 respondents are still opting for the bigger paycheck, but the desire for time off is up almost 20% from just three years ago when conducted a similar poll.The reasons for this shift are many and varied. Some have to do with the way a new generation is thinking about work, while others are driven by how companies are responding to recent economic pressures.A New GenerationThe results may in part represent the needs of a new breed of workers. The average American is working one month (160 hours) more each year than a generation ago. According to recruiting and human capital management expert John Sumser, younger workers work for meaning first and money second. He goes on to warn employers that these are the people who are the foundation for the next workforce and they may not buy the existing paradigm (范例). A study released in late 2004 by the New York-based Families and Work Institute concludes that the new brand of young workers is rejecting the work-centric style of their parents’ generation. The study, which examines changes in the workforce over the past 25 years, found that younger workers are more likely to be “family-centric” or “dual-centric” (with equal priorities on both career and family) rather than “work-c entric” when compared to members of the Boomer Generation.September 11th and the End of the Roaring NinetiesThe impact of the terrorist attacks of September 11th cut across all age groups of the workforce. We collectively entered a new era, reevaluatin g life’s priorities and making changes in our attitude toward time spent at work versus hobbies and family. “I started looking at things completely differently. I’ve been far less willing to put in the 14-hour days necessary to get noticed and climb the co rporate ladder,” said Tony Jackson, a 43-year-old employee of a New York City-based financial services company. “Frankly, I can’t see that changing.”Even before September 11th, some experts say the slow shift in worker attitudes was already underway due to the end of the roaring 1990’s, when hours were long and significant personal wealth was created. For those who fared well financially, some opted for careers of contract work where they could call more of the shots pertaining to (与……有关的) time off, or new occupations with greater personal rewards. For others, even if their bank accounts were not spilling over from America’s economic heyday (全盛时期), their own energy had been depleted due to unrelenting (毫不松懈的) years of work hours and high stress. They were ready for something less taxing.Families and Work Institute President and co-founder Ellen Galinsky agrees. She says the poll numbers show evidence of an increase in need for time off and a shift in thinking due to the fact that workers have been pushed to their limit in recent years. “This new generation of workers is at the edge of how long they can work. It just feels like too much. They are not slackers (懒虫); they just don’t want more,” says Galinsky.Monetary Needs Less Intense Due to Dual Income Households“We’ve decided we prefer to have more time to ourselves,” says Carol Kornhaber, a New England software programmer in her late twenties. Kornhaber and her husband are both working but have sought out jobs where they are not pressed to put in long hours. Instead, they have insisted upon eight-hour days and having enough vacation time to travel, a major interest they share. Financial pressures are eased by both of them working and keeping a careful watch on their expenses. “We are lucky in a lot of ways to have found bosses who understand our needs.”BurnoutTrying to squeeze more productivity out of workers may be nothing new, but it has become particularly acute in recent years. This has been due in large measure to recession-induced layoffs and other trends such as the rising cost of healthcare benefits. After a layoff, workers who remain behind are often asked to pick up most or even all the load of the people who were let go, requiring more and more hours at the office. As new corporate initiatives are planned, the inverse is also true. As Sumser observes, “the additional workload, which runs across the economy from the office worker to the manufacturing line, seems to be a function of the cost of benefits. The regulations make it cheaper to add workload for existing employees than to hire new players.” The Families and Work Institute reports that nearly one third of U.S. employees often or very often feel overworked or overwhelmed by how much work theyhave to do. Nearly three out of four report that they frequently dream about doing something different from their current job.Show Me the MoneyOverworked or not, the majority in the poll still chose to fatten their paycheck if given the choice. For many, it was a practical matter. Says Peggy Jones, an accountant in a Boston area business services company, “I already get three weeks a year that I can’t use up because I’m so busy. I’d definitely go for the extra money to pay some bills or make a big purchase I’ve been holding off on.” For Jones, the realities of running a household and saving up for college for her children simply need to take precedence over extra free time.Companies Are Already RespondingTo many human resources experts it is inevitable that, given the growing health of the economy and the upcoming population-driven labor shortages as the Boomer Generation moves into retirement, the pendulum of control in the employee-employer relationship will swing back to the employee side. That is expected to begin in just a few years. According to human resources expert, Larry Schumer, at , “since most companies succeed based on a motivated and capable workforce, they have offered and will continue to offer more paid flexibility, whether it be through tried and tested time-off programs or the next great idea.” Where will that new balance of employer versus employee needs lie? Time, or perhaps time off, surely will tell.1. Which of the following has been rising in importance in the past few years?A) Compensation. B) Time off. C) Right to vote. D) Staffing levels.2. According to the passage, we know that the Boomer Generation is concerned ________.A) about family and work equally B) more about workC) more about family D) about neither work nor family3. What can be inferred about Tony Jackson?A) He is 43 years old.B) He works in a financial services company.C) He has changed his life and work attitude.D) He spends 14 hours a day on his work.4. When did American workers gradually begin to change their attitudes towards work?A) After September 11. B) In November 2004.C) In late 2004. D) At the end of the roaring 1990’s.5. According to Ellen Galinsky, why did workers change their mind about work?A) They have been pushed to the limit of their working hours.B) They increased their need to enjoy life.C) They have more rights than before.D) They don’t want to work for a living.6. Carol Kornhaber and her husband don’t have too much financial p ressure because ___________.A) they have parents who are richB) they don’t have children to feedC) they both have a high salaryD) they both have work and they are thrifty7. After a layoff, the employees who keep their jobs usually have to ___________.A) find another job in case they are firedB) do what their bosses tell them toC) work longer hours to avoid being firedD) do the work left by the laid-off workers8. According to , compared with three years ago, the desire for time off is up almost ________________________.9. According to the poll from , the majority of employees preferred to ________________________ if they had the choice.10. Larry Schumer said that most companies succeeded based on a motivated and capable __________________________.Part ⅣReading Comprehension (Reading in Depth)(25 minutes)Section AQuestions 47 to 56 are based on the following passage.Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Its 47____ lie mainly in blues, rhythm and blues, country, folk, gospel, and jazz. The style subsequently spread to the rest of the world and developed further, leading ultimately to 48 ____rock music.The term “rock and roll” now cov ers at least two different meanings, both in common usage. The American Heritage Dictionary and the Merriam-Webster Dictionary both 49____ rock and roll as synonymous with rock music.50____ , defines the term as referring specifically to the music of the 1950s.Classic rock and roll is 51____ played with one or two electric guitars, a string bass or an electric bass guitar, and a drum kit. In the 52 ____rock and roll styles of the late 1940s, either the piano or saxophone was often the lead instrument, but these were generally 53____ or supplemented by the guitar in the middle to late 1950s.The massive popularity and eventual worldwide view of rock and roll gave it a 54____ social impact. Far beyond simply a musical style, rock and roll, as seen in movies and in the new medium of television, 55____ lifestyles, fashion, attitudes, and language. It went on to spawn various sub-genres, often without the initially 56____ backbeat, that are now more commonly called simply “rock music” or “rock”.A) define I) followedB) characteristic J) modernC) unique K) explanationD) roots L) ConverselyE) usually M) replacedF) Basically N) prepareG) earliest O) seldom H) influencedSection BPassage OneQuestions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.According to a report, around 30,000 pupils started secondary school last year with the math skills of a seven-year-old. MPs (国会议员) warned that many young people would need “expensive” remedial lessons in later life to get a job — posing major problems for the economy. The findings came just months after Ofsted(教育标准办公室)claimed almost half of math lessons in English schools were not good enough. It said many teachers relied on textbooks and mundane exercises to make sure pupils passed exams at the expense of a proper understanding of the subject. MPs backed the conclusions, saying too many pupils found lesso ns “boring”. They insisted improvements had been made under Labor but achievement had “leveled off” in recent years.In 2008, 79 percent of pupils met the Government’s expected standard at the end of primary school, well short of the 85 percent target set for 2006. Around five percent moved to secondary school with the math skills of a seven- year-old, said the committee. In 2006, ￡2.3 billion was spent teaching the subject. It equates to around a quarter of the ￡10 billion total budget for primary teaching and support staff.The report said the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) needed to “radically rethink its strategy for improving pupil attainment; otherwise we seriously doubt that the department will meet its 2011 target”. The targ et demands that 84.5 percent of pupils will make the necessary progress between 7 and 11.Last year, the DCSF published a major review of math education in England to boost standards. It called for a math specialist in every primary school within 10 years and more emphasis on mathematical “play” in nursery schools. Mr. Leigh said, “The department’s 10-year program to train 13,000 specialist math teachers will not benefit some primary schools for another decade. That’s far too long; the department needs to look for ways to accelerate the program.” Sarah McCarthy Fry, the Schools Minister,said, “We have already accepted the main recommendation from a recent independent review of primary math that every school should have a specialist math teacher and have pledged ￡24 million over the next three years for a training program for teachers.”Nick Gibb, the Tory shadow schools secretary, said, “The Government is not getting value for the money they have piled into education and the country is falling behind in international league tables as a result. The Government has failed to replace methods of teaching which have failed with tried and tested methods used in countries that have much higher levels of math achievement.”57. What do we learn from the first paragraph?A) 30,000 pupils started secondary school with poor math skills.B) MPs insist more improvements should be made under Labor.C) Young people need medical lessons to get a job.D) Half of English schools were not good enough.58. According to the passage, what happened in 2006?A) 21% of pupils didn’t meet the Government’s expected standard.B) The target set for 2006 was 87 percent.C) ￡2.3 billion was spent on math teaching.D) The total budget for primary teaching and support staff was ￡5 billion in 2006.59. What will people probably do to improve math education in England?A) Spend money on training specialist math teachers.B) Hire a math specialist for every primary school.C) Allow pupils to have more mathematical “play”.D) Spend more time on math education.60. What do Nick Gibb’s words mean?A) The British government should put more money into math education.B) Britain is falling behind in the international knowledge competition.C) The British government should learn from other countries’ failures.D) The British government should change their teaching methods every few years.61. What’s the passage mainly talking about?A) There aren’t enough math teachers in British primary schools.B) The British govern ment didn’t spend enough money on math education.C) British pupils are not good at math.D) Math lessons in British primary schools need to be improved.Passage TwoQuestions 62 to 66 are based on the following passage.Conservationists call them hot spots —habitats that cover just 1.4 percent of the earth’s land surface but are so rich in biological diversity that preserving them could keep an astonishing number of plant and animal species off the endangered list.Since 1988, when Dr. Norman Myers and his colleagues began describing these hot spots in a series of scientific papers and arguing for their protection, they have become a focus of worldwide conservation efforts. Private organizations and government agencies, including the World Bank, have made preserving 25 such ecological arks a top priority for financing and protective legislation. But a growing chorus of scientists is warning that directing conservation funds to hot spots may be a recipe for major losses in the future. Of species that live on land, nearly half of all plants and more than a third of all animals are found only in the hot spots. But they do not include many rare species and major animal groups that live in less biologically rich regions (“cold spots”). And the hot-spot concept does not factor in the importance of some ecosystems to human beings, the scientists argue.This debate has been simmering quietly among biologists for years; however, it is coming to a boil now with the publication of an article in the current iss ue of American Scientist arguing that “calls to direct conservation funding to the world’s biodiversity hot spots may be bad investment advice.” “The hot-spot concept has grown so popular in recent years within the larger conservation community that it now risks eclipsing all other approaches,” write the authors of the paper. “The officers and directors of all too many foundations, non-governmental organizations and international agencies have been seduced by the simplicity of the hot spot idea,” they go on. “We worry that the initially appealing idea of getting the most species per unit area is, in fact, a thoroughly misleading strategy.”But hot spots have their ardent defenders, notably Dr. Norman Myers and Dr. Russell Mittermeier. Dr. Myers says hot spots have been successful at attracting attention and financing for conservation intropical countries. “And that has been good,” he said. “No one is suggesting that one invest solely in hot spots, but if you want to avoid extinctions, you have to invest in them.”62. The best title for this passage would be ________.A) A Debate on Preserving Hot Spots B) An Introduction to Hot SpotsC) Hot Spots vs. Cold Spots D) How to Finance Hot Spots63. Hot spots occupy a small percentage of the eart h’s land surface with _____________.A) a third of all plantsB) many major animal groups living in cold spotsC) rich biological diversityD) many rare species living in cold spots64. Critics of hot spots hold the opinion that ________.A) hot spots are always as important as cold spotsB) it is unwise to invest largely in hot spotsC) governments should choose the best time to invest in hot spotsD) the hot-spot approach is a misleading strategy from the very beginning65. According to Dr. Norman Myers, _________.A) protecting and investing in hot spots can save species from extinctionB) conservation efforts should not center on hot spotsC) governments should invest most in cold spotsD) the hot-spot approach now is not as good as it was in the past66. What is the writer’s attitude towards the hot-spot approach?A) Critical. B) Neutral. C) Supportive. D) Doubtful.Part V Cloze (15 minutes)Directions:There are 20 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are four choices markedA), B), C) and D) on the right side of the paper. You should choose the ONE that best fits intothe passage. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single linethrough the centre.Everyone knows hand washing is important. But a new study shows how washing your hands _67_ , and at the right time, can have a big impact on your family’s risk of getting sick.Most studies on hand washing focus on _68_ and food service workers. But this m onth’s American Journal of Infection Control focuses on washing hands at _69_ as a way to stop infections from _70_. Several studies show hands are the single most important _71_ route for all types of infections.Even though most people know to wash their hands after using the toilet or handling a diaper (尿布), studies_72_ many people are still ending up with germs on their hands.One study looked in homes of _73_recently vaccinated against polio (脊髓灰质炎). After vaccination, the virus is_74_ to be she d in the baby’s feces (粪便). Researchers found the virus on 13 percent of bathroom, living room and kitchen surfaces. _75_ the virus from the vaccine didn’t pose a health risk, feces-borne viruses can _76_through the home.Doorknobs and toilet flush handl es are key _77_ of germ transmission in the home. That’s why people should focus on cleaning such surfaces _78_ and always wash their hands after touching them. In one study, a _79_ touched a door handle contaminated with a virus. He then shook hands _80_ other volunteers, and spread the virus to six people.The study authors note that the timing of hand washing is key. It’s _81_to wash hands after using the toilet, before eating or handling food. Other crucial times for hand washing are after _82_ a diaper or cleaning up after a pet, or after touching garbage cans, dish rags and utensils that may have come _83_ contact with raw food.While it may be hard to _84_ that something as simple as regular hand washing can make a difference in your 7family’s heal th, consider what happened during the 2003 outbreak of SARS. The outbreak _85_ extensive public and community health measures, including regular hand washing. Not only was the SARS outbreak contained, _86_ other cases of illnesses dropped sharply.67. A) occasionally B) often C) sometimes D) repeatedly68. A) chemical B) physical C) medical D) mental69. A) home B) clinics C) hospitals D) school70. A) living B) spreading C) surviving D) going71. A) transmit B) transfer C) transferring D) transmission72. A) claim B) agree C) suggest D) object73. A) parents B) teachers C) adults D) infants74. A) known B) said C) moved D) added75. A) When B) While C) Why D) Which76. A) travel B) go C) fly D) float77. A) questions B) opportunities C) ideas D) sources78. A) always B) frequently C) regularly D) actually79. A) volunteer B) baby C) worker D) person80. A) in B) on C) with D) through81. A) useless B) obvious C) interesting D) thankful82. A) taking B) using C) changing D) bringing83. A) of B) for C) from D) into84. A) dream B) know C) figure D) believe85. A) triggered B) started C) helped D) saved86. A) yet B) while C) but D) sincePart Ⅵ Translation (5 minutes)87. _____________________________( 只要每个中国人) works to his capacity in the construction ofChina’s economy, the rise of Chinese nation is round the corner.88. With a special train ticket you can ___________________________________(任何国家旅行)inEurope for just over 100 pounds.89. In spite of the fact that hotel prices have risen sharply, the number oftourists_________________________ (和以前一样多).90. The hotel manager, ________________________(我向他投诉过) about the service，refunded part ofour bill.91. The Tower of London, _____________________________________________ (在里面曾有许多人丧命) is now a tourist attraction.。
2012年12月大学英语四级真题答案与解析
2012 年 12 月大学英语四级真题答案与解析Part I Writing参考范文：第一种图表（即我们试题部分的图表）Education PaysThe bar graph describes the unemployment rates in 2010 for social groups with different education degrees in theUnited States. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics，the better you are educated， the more likely you are to get employed. For example，there are only about1.9% and 4% of people with doctoral degree and master degree respectively who are unemployed，while people with only a high school diploma or less suffer a much higher unemployment rate （ 14.9% and 10.3% respectively ） .These data clearly indicate that education pays in the long run and it is a worthy investment.In this IT age especially ， when knowledge of science and technology is power ， people need tobe well equipped with knowledge and skills in order to be competitive in job hunting and be better paid. A higher degree is definitely an advantage in the first place in the job market.It must be added ， however ， a high degree alone is not enough. It will not ensure a better employment opportunity. In order to succeed in the career ， people must also develop practical skills and techniques as well as good communication ， teamwork and social experience.第二种图表（这也是本次考试的另一份试卷的图表）（见图表2）Education PaysAs is shown in the bar chart above ， the social groups with higher degree are not only more likely to be employed in the first place，but they are also better paid later in the workplace. Thosewith doctoral and professional degrees enjoy a much higher weekly median earning（$1551 and1665 respectively） and suffer a much lower unemployment rate （ 2.5% and 2.4% ）. On the other hand， those with less education suffer a considerably higher unemployment rate and have a muchlower weekly income. For example， there are a total of 23.5% （ 9.4%+14.1% ） of people unemployed with high school diploma or less ， who have only a median weekly income of $545 ，as compared with the average $797.These data clearly indicate that education pays in the long run and it is a worthy investment.In this IT age especially ， when knowledge of science and technology is power ， people need tobe well equipped with knowledge and skills in order to be competitive in job hunting and be better paid. A higher degree is definitely an advantage in the first place in the job market and a competitive edge for workplace promotions.It must be added， however ， a high degree alone is not enough. It will not ensure a better employment opportunity and higher salary. In order to succeed in the career， people must also develop practical skills and techniques as well as good communication ， teamwork and socialexperience.概述四级考试主要的作文命题形式是图表作文，图表作文曾在1991“文示”提纲作文，但不时也考应用文（书信、演讲词等）和年 6 月（表格： Changes in People Diet）和 2002 年 6 月（柱状图： Student Use of Computers），似乎是 10 年考一次，但不排除今后会更频繁地考到。
- 1、下载文档前请自行甄别文档内容的完整性，平台不提供额外的编辑、内容补充、找答案等附加服务。
- 2、"仅部分预览"的文档,不可在线预览部分如存在完整性等问题,可反馈申请退款(可完整预览的文档不适用该条件!)。
- 3、如文档侵犯您的权益，请联系客服反馈,我们会尽快为您处理(人工客服工作时间：9:00-18:30)。
2012年12月英语四级真题答案一、作文Education PayFrom the bar chart given above, we can observe that it reflects the statistics of income among people of different educational background. Those who possess a doctoral degree earn 1,551dollars median weekly, ranking first among people of other education level. The median weekly earnings of people with associate degree and below can not reach the average of 797 dollars, ranking from 768 dollars to 451 dollars. As for the unemployment rate, 2.5 % of people with doctoral degree will suffer form unemployment. However, the unemployment rate of people with some college, no degree and lower degree surpass the mean value of 7.6%，ranking from 8.7% to 14.1%。
The bar chart of Education Pays reveals a phenomenon that there exits some difference in incomes and unemployment rate among people with different educational level. Quite a few reasons can account for this phenomenon: for one thing, with the advancement of technology and the adjustment of industrial structure, quite a few high-tech industries emerge overnight, which leads to a soar demand of workforces with high educational degree, thus, it is natural that graduates with bachelor’ and higher degree get a h igh pay-packet and enjoy a stable job. Additionally, those with educational background under associate degree are easily dismissed and paid by low salary. They can be replaced any time due to the fact that their jobs are easy and can be finished by average people。
Definitely, the higher education degree you get, the more likely you are to enjoy a competitive edge in the employment market. Thus, the authorities should enforce some policies to ensure the equity of education. Only in this way can more people lead a stable and comfortable life。
二、快速阅读三、听力理解Part III Listening ComprehensionSection A11.W: I just heard about a really beautiful park in the east end of the town. There are a lot of roses in bloom.M:Why don’t we walk over there and see for oursel ves?Q:What will the speakers probably do?12.M: My presentation is scheduled for 9:30 tomorrow morning at the lecture hall. I hope to see you there.W: Oh, sorry. I was about to tell you that I have an appointment with my dentist at 9:00 o’clock tomorrow.Q:What do we learn about the woman?13.W: How long have you been running this company?M: Twenty years if you can believe that. I brought it from a small operation to what it is today. Q:What do we learn about the man?14.M: Have you read the news on the campus net? Susan has won the scholarship for next year.W: I knew she would from the very beginning. Such a brilliant and diligent girl! She certainly deserves it.Q:What does the woman mean?15.W: Taking a bus to Miami, it’s cheaper than going by train.M: That’s true. But I’d rather pay a little more for the added comfort and convenience.Q: What does the man mean?16.M: I think it’s time we got rid of all this old furniture.W: You’re right. We need to promote our image besides it’s not a real antique.Q: What do the speakers mean?17.M: That was some storm yesterday. How was I afraid I couldn’t make it home.W: Yeah, most of the roads to my house were flooded. I didn’t get home from the lab until midnight.Q: What do we learn from the conversation?18.W: My boys are always complaining that they’re bored.M: Why don’t you get them into some team sports? My son and daughter play soccer every Saturday. And they both look forward to it all week.Q: What does the man mean?Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heardW: So John, I hear you and Arthur share a job, don’t you?M: Yes. We’ve shared a sales job at Sonatech for about two years now.W: Well, how do you divide up your schedule?M: You know we are both sales representatives, and we take orders over the phone. When we started job sharing it was difficult, because we both worked all day Monday. I worked Tuesday and Thursday and Arthur worked Wednesday and Friday. The problem was that when I was in the office on Tuesday. I would talk to people, then they would call back on Wednesday with a question. But Arthur couldn’t answer the question and he couldn’t ask me about it because I wasn’t in the office. So he had to ask the people to call me back the next day, Thursday. Of course,they didn’t like to wait until the next day to have their questions answered.W: Yes, that sounds like a problem.M: So, finally we decided that Arthur would work in the mornings and I would work in the afternoons. Now if someone calls with the question for me in the morning, Arthur tells them to call me in the afternoon. This way, people get their questions answered the same day.W:What do you do about vacations?M: Well, Sonatech gives the usual two weeks of vacation to full-time employees, I take a week and Arthur takes a week.W: It sounds like job sharing has worked out well for you.M: Yes, it has. We are both happy with it.Q19. What do John and author do at Sonatech?Q20. What problem did John and Arthur have when they started job sharing?Q21. What does John say about their annual vacation?Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heardW: May I see your license, please?M: But officer, did I do something wrong?W: Do you mean to say you didn’t see the speed limit sign back there?M: Um, no, madam, I guess I didn’t.W: In other words, you drove by too fast to read it. The sign says 35m/h. A school is just nearby, you know?M: Don’t get me wrong, but my speedometer didn’t read much faster than that.W: Then, why is it that my radar s howed you are going 45? Let me put it another way. I’m going to give you a ticket. Again, may I see your license, please?M: Here it is, officer. But let me explain. I was late for an important appointment and I was worried that I wouldn’t make it on time. So...W: Uha, just a minute, here. Your license is no longer valid. You should have renewed it two weeks ago. I’m going to have to write you up for that, too.M:What? Really?W: Your license becomes invalid on your birthday and that was two weeks ago according to the date here. You are in violation of the law—driving without a valid license.M: I’m sorry, madam. I hadn’t realized that.W: Here’s the ticket for not having a valid license. But I’m only going to give you a warning about exceeding the speed limit. Be careful next time.M: Yes, madam, officer, I will. Thank you.Q22. Where was the man stopped by the police officer?Q23. What did the man claim about the speed limit sign?Q24. What did the woman say about the man’s driving license?Q25. What was t he man’s penalty?Section BPassage 1Since I started working part-time at a grocery store, I have learned that a customer is more than someone who buy something. To me, a customer is a person whose memory fails entirely once he or she starts to push a shopping card. One of the first things customers forget is how to count. There is no other way to explain how so many people get in their express line, which is clearly marked 15 items or less, with 20, 25 or even a cart load of items. Customers also forget why they came to the store in the first place. Just as I finish ringing up an order, a customer will say, “Oops, I forgot to pick up a fresh loaf of bread. I hope you don’t mind waiting while I go get it.” Five minutes later, he’s back with the bread, a bot tle of milk, and three rolls of paper towels. Strange is that seems customers also seem to forget that they have to pay for their groceries. Instead of writing a check or looking for a credit card while I am ringing up the groceries, my customers will wait until I announce the total. Then, in surprise, she says, “Oh no, what did I do with my check book?” After 5 minutes of digging through her purse, she borrows my pen because she’s forgotten hers. But I have to be tolerant of customers because they pay my s alary, and that’s something Ican’t afford to forget.Q26. What does the speaker say about customers’ entering the grocery store?Q27. Which customers are supposed to be in the express line?Q28. What does the speaker say some customers do when they arrive at the check-out counter? Q29. What does the speaker say about his job at the end of the talk?Passage 2The speech delivery style of Europeans and Asians tends to be very formal. Speakers of thesecultures often read oral presentations from carefully retain manual scripts. On the other hand, American speakers are generally more informal relative to speakers and other cultures. American audiences prefer natural, spontaneous delivery that conveys a lively sense of communication. They don’t relay well to spea kers who read from a manual script. If you use an outline of your ideas instead of a prepare text, your speech will not only sound more natural, but you will also be able to establish better relationship with your listeners and keep their attention. The language and style you use when making an oral presentation should not be the same as the language in style you use when writing. Well retain information, that is meant to be read, does not work as well when it is heard. It is, therefore, important for you to adapt retain texts or outlines for presentations. Good speakers are much more informal when speaking than when writing. They also use their own words and develop their own speaking styles. Whenever possible, they use short words. Listeners are appreciated when speakers use simple, everyday words in a presentation. One advantage is that it is much easier for speakers to pronounce short words correctly. Another is that long and sophisticated vocabulary choices make listening more difficult. Question 30 to 3230. What does the speaker sayAmerican audiences prefer?31. What should one pay attention to when making an oral presentation?32. What does the speaker focus on in the talk?Passage 3Let children learn to judge their own work ，A child learning to talk does not learn by being corrected all the time. If corrected too much, hewill stop talking. He compares a thousand times a day the difference between language as he uses it and language as those around him use it. Bit by bit, he makes the necessary changes to make his language like other people’s. In the same way, kids learning to do all the other things they learn without adult teachers, to walk, run, climb, ride a bike, play games, compare their own performance with what more skilled people do, and slowly make the needed changes. But in school we never give a child a chance to detect his mistakes. We do it all for him. We act as if we thought he would never notice a mistake unless it was pointed out to him. Soon he becomes dependent on the expert. We should let him do it himself. Let him figure out, with the help of other children if he wants it, what this word says, what is the answer to that problem, whether thisis a good way of saying or doing this or that. If right answers need to be given, as in mathematics or science, give him the answer book. Let himcorrect his own papers. Why should we teachers waste time on such tedious work? Our job should be to help the children when they tell us that they can’t find the way to get the right answer.Question 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.Q33 How does a child learn to do something according to the speaker?Q34What belief do teachers commonly hold according to the speaker?Q35What does the speaker imply about the current way of teaching?SectionCTime is, for the average American, of utmost importance. To the foreign visitor, Americans seem to be more concerned with getting things accomplished on time (according to a predetermined schedule) than they are with developing deep interpersonal relations. Schedules, for theAmerican, are meant to be planned and then followed in the smallest detail. It may seem to you that most Americans are completely controlled by the little machines they wear on their wrists, cutting their discussions off abruptly to make it to their next appointment on time. Americans’ language is filled with references to time, giving a clear indication of how much it is valued. Time is something to be “on,” to be “kept,”“filled,”“saved,”“wasted,”“gained,”“planned,” “given,” “made the most of,”even“killed.”The international visitor soon learns that it is considered very rude to be late -- even by 10 minutes -- for an appointment in America.Time is so valued in America, because by considering time to be important one can clearly achieve more than if one “wastes” time and doesn’t keep busy. This philosophy has proven its worth. It has enabled Americans to be extremely productive, and productivity itself is highly valued in America. Many American proverbs stress the value of guarding time, using it wisely, and setting and working toward specific goals. Americans believe in spending their time and energy today so that the fruits of their labor may be enjoyed at a later time.四、选词填空仔细阅读六、完形填空七、汉译英翻译题1、你才能申请驾驶执照can you apply for a driving license2、保持事业和家庭之间的平衡keep the balance between career and family3、本来可以避免犯这个愚蠢的错误could have avoided making stupid mistakes4、安顿下来，开始创业Settling down to start a business5、发现自己在排长队等候find yourselves in a queue。