从08年12月四级听力试卷精析
2008年12月大学英语四级听力原文及答案
2008年12月大学英语四级听力原文及答案Short Conversations11．M: I just received an Email from one of my former classmates. I was surprised, I hadn’t heard from him for ages.W: Well, I’ve been out of touch with most of my old friends, only one or two stil l drop me a line occasionally,Q: What does the woman mean?12. M: If you can make up your mind about the color, I can start on the outside of your house early next week.W: Well, right now I think I want white for the window frames and yellow for the w alls, but I’ll let you know tomorrow.Q: Who is the woman talking to?13. W: Excuse me, do you have any apartments available for under 500 dollars a month? I need to move in next week when my new job starts.M: The only vacant one I have is 600 dollars, have you inquired at the apartment complex down the street?Q: What does the man suggest the woman do?14. W: Y ou bought a pair of jeans yesterday, didn’t you? What are they like?M: Oh, they are pretty much like my other ones, except with a larger wai st. I guess I haven’t spent much time exercising lately.Q: What can we infer from the conversation about the man?15. W: I really like those abstract paintings we saw yesterday. What do you think?M: I guess it’s something I haven’t acquired a taste fo r yet.Q: What does the man imply?16. W: Y ou haven’t seen a blue notebook, have you? I hope I didn’t leave it in the reading room. M: Did you check that pile of journals you’ve borrowed from the library the other day?Q: What is the man trying to say to the woman?17. M: How about joining me for a cup of coffee?W: I’d love to, but I’m exhausted. I was up till 3 this morning, writing a paper for my literature class.Q: Why does the woman decline the man’s invitation?18. W: Y ou had a job interview yesterday, didn’t you? How did it go?M: Not too bad, I guess. There were about 20 candidates competing for the sales manager’s job. And finally it was down to three of us, but the other two seemed better qualified.Q: What does the man imply?听力长对话1F: Simon, how does it feel to be retired?M: Well, not so bad.F: How have you been spending your time?M: I have been spending more time with my family. I’ve also travelled a bit, you know, off season when everywhere is less crowded and hotels cost less.F: Great.M: Y ou know I ha ven’t stopped work completely.F: Yes, could you tell us more about this?M: I’m on a scheme that’s called phased retirement; I had a six-month break from work, after that I could apply for project work with the company I used to work for.F: How does the scheme work?M: Well, it’s a trial at the moment. Instead of hiring temporary stuff, the company advertises posts on its website that retired employees like myself can access.F: What sort of works advertised?M: Well, all sorts of things, really. Administrative work and more specialized work, the sort of thing I can do. Some of the projects can last five or six months, and others can just be a couple of days. I can decide more or less when to work. So I can manage my own time.F: I can see it’s good for you. What is your company get out of this?M: Well, I still have all my old contacts at work, so I know who to contact to get something done. The company gets flexibility, too. Once the job’s over, that’s it. I’m not on their books any more. Questions 19-21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19. Why does Simon find his retired life enjoyable?20. How does Simon get to know about the company’s available posts?21. Why does the company adopt the phased retirement scheme?长对话2W: Oh, where are we going?M: I want to show you something.W: I know, but what is it?M: A farm. It’s just down this road. It’s a small place, but at least it would be our own.W: A farm? How can we afford to buy a farm?M: It isn’t very large, only 40 acres. We wouldn’t have to pay very much right now.W: Is there a house on the place?M: A small one, two bedrooms, but it needs to be fixed up a little. I can do the job myself.W: OK. Is there enough space for a kitchen garden?M: There is about half an acre around the house. That’s plenty of space.W: Then we can grow our own fresh vegetables. And maybe kee p a few chickens, couldn’t we? M: Y es, and we can probably grow a lot of our own food.W: What are you thinking about growing, if we do take this place?M: Well, it really isn’t big enough for corn. I thought we might try to raise a crop of potatoes. W: Potatoes? There are a lot of work.M: We are used to hard work, aren’t we?W: Yes, we are, but the money. Do we have enough to get started? It seems like a dream.M: I think we’ve saved enough. We can pay a little on the farm and maybe put a few dollars down on the tractor, too.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.Q 22:What are the speakers going to do at the time of the conversation?Q 23:What does the man say about the farm?Q 24:Why does the man intend to grow potatoes rather than corn on the farm?Q 25:What is the woman’s greatest concern about the man’s plan?Passage OneMembers of the city council and distinguished guests, it is my privilege to introduce to you today Mr. Robert Washington, chief of our city’s police force. He will address us on the subject of the Community Policing Program. Most of you know that Mr. Washington has a distinguished record as head of our police force for more than ten years. However, you may not know that he also holds a master’s degree in criminology and studied abroad for a year with the international police force which deals with crimes around the world. Mr. Washington first introduced the Community Policing Program 8 years ago. The idea behind the program is to get the police officers out of their cars and into our neighborhoods where they can talk directly to merchants and residents about the real dynamics of our city. These officers do more than make arrests. They try to find ways to help solve the problems that contribute to crime in the first place. Often that means hooking people up with services offered by other city agencies, such as schools, hospitals, housing, drug treatment centers. And the program seems to be working: crime is down and our citizens report that they feel more secure. Today Mr. Washington is going to tell us more about this program. Now let’s welcome Mr. Robert Washington.26. What is the purpose of the speaker’s remarks?He will address us on the subject of community policing program.27. What does the speaker say about Mr. Robert Washington?Most of you know that Mr. Washington has a distinguished record as head of our police force for more than ten years. However, you may not know that he also holds a master’s degree in criminology and studied abroad for a year with the international police force which deals with crimes around the world. Mr. Washington first introduced the community policing program 8 years ago.28. What is the idea behind the Community Policing Program?The idea behind the program is to get the police officers out of their cars and into our neighborhoods where they can talk directly to merchants and residents about the real dynamics of our city.29. How has the Community Policing Program turned out to be?And the program seems to be working, crime is down and our citizens report that they feel more secure.四级篇章2There are between 3000 and 6000 public languages in the world, and we must add approximately 6 billion private languages since each one of us necessarily has one. Considering these facts, the possibilities for breakdowns in communication seem infinite in number. However, we do communicate successfully from time to time. And we do learn to speak languages. But learning to speak languages seems to be a very mysterious process. For a long time, people thought that we learned a language only by imitation and association. For example, a baby touches a hot pot and starts to cry. The mother says, “Hot, hot!” And the baby, when it stops crying, imitates the mother and says, “Hot, hot!” However, Noam Chomsky, a famous expert in language, pointed out that although children do learn some words by imitation and association, they also combine words to make meaningful sentences in ways that are unique, unlearned and creative. Because youngchildren can make sentences they have never heard before, Chomsky suggested that human infants are born with the ability to learn language. Chomsky meant that underneath all the differences between public and private languages, there is a universal language mechanism that makes it possible for us, as infants, to learn any language in the world. This theory explains the potential that human infants have for learning language. But it does not really explain how children come to use language in particular ways.Questions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.Question 30. Why does the speaker say there are great possibilities for communication breakdowns?There are numerous public and private languages.Question 31. What is Chomsky’s point on th e ability to learn a language?Human infants are born with the ability to learn language and the potential to learn any language in the world.Question 32. What does Chomsky’s theory fail to exp lain according to the speaker?It does not really explain how children come to use language in particular ways.四级听力Passage ThreeWhen US spacewoman Joan Higginbotham is not flying and working in space, she might be found somewhere on earth giving a speech. Higginbotham, who grew up in Chicago and became an engineer before joining NASA, that is the National Air and Space Administration, gives about a dozen speeches a year. Each speech is different because she tailors her remarks to each audience. Through interviews and E-mails, she finds out in advance her listeners' educational level and what information they want to know. On the subject of space walks, for example, audiences vary in their interests and how much complexity they can comprehend. To elementary school children, Higginbotham may discuss a problem that many kids want to know about. "How do spacemen in a spacesuit eat, drin k, and go to the bathroom?" Her answer is “the spacesuit is really a small spacecraft with room for food and water-containers, and a waste-collection system.” To a high school audience, she might satisfy a curiosity that often arises in her pre-speech interviews with students who obviously have seen many science fiction movies. “Do spacemen carry weapons in case they encounter enemies in space?” Her answer is "No". To scientists, she might provide technical details on such topics as the design of spacesuits that protects spacemen from the deadly temperature extremes of space. Just as elaborate preparation is required for success in space, Higginbotham says that it’s important for speakers to learn as much as possible about their listeners before a speech because every audience is different.33. What did Joan Higginbotham do before joining in NASA?34. How does Higginbotham prepare her speech on space walks?35. What does the high school audience want to know about space travel?Compound Dictation:Crime is increasing worldwide. There is every reason to believe the trend will continue through the next few decades. Crime rates have always been high in multi-cultural industrialized societies such as the United States. But a new phenomenon has appeared on the world scene: rapidly rising crime rates in nations that previously reported few offences. Street crimes such as robbery, rape, murder and auto theft are clearly rising, particularly in Eastern European countries, such as Hungary, and in Western European nations, such as the Untied Kingdom. What is driving this crime explosion? There are no simple answers. Still, there are certain conditions associated withrising crime. Increasing heterogeneity of population, greater cultural pluralism, higher immigration, democratization of governments, changing national borders, greater economic growth and the lack of accepted social ideas of right and wrong. These conditions are increasingly observable around the world. For instance, cultures that were previously isolated and homogenous, such as Japan, Denmark and Greece, are now facing the sort of cultural variety that has been common in America for most of its history. Multiculturalism can be a rewarding, enriching experience, but it can also lead to a clash of values. Heterogeneity in societies will be the rule in the 21st century, and failure to recognize and plan for such diversity can lead to serious crime problems.11. D) She has lost contact with most of her old friends.12. A) A painter.13. C) Make inquires elsewhere.14. C) He has gained some weight lately.15. D) He doesn't like abstract paintings.16. B) She may have put her notebook amid the journals.17. A) She wants to get some sleep.18. B) His chance of getting the job is slim.19. A He can manage his time more flexible.20. D Searching its website.21. D To utilize its retired employee's resources.22 C See a piece of property.23. B It is a small one with a two-bedroom house.24. C It may now be big enough for raising corn.25. A Finances.26. A) To introduce the chief of the city' police force.27. D) He holds a master's degree in criminology.28. B) To get police officers closer to the local people.29. C) Effective.30. B) There are numerous languages in existence.31. C) It is something we are born with.32. D) How children learn to use language.33. B) She was an engineer.34. C) Adjusting them to different audiences.35. A) Whether spacemen carry weapons.36. trend 37. phenomenon 38. scene 39. offenses 40. murder 41. particularly 42. explosion43.associated44. changing national borders, greater economic growth, and the lack of accepted social ideasof right and wrong45. are now facing the sort of cultural variety that has been common in America for most ofits history46. failure to recognize and plan for such diversity can lead to serious crime problems。
2008年12月英语四级听力答案
2008年12月英语四级听力答案：11~20 DACAA CCCAD 26~35 ADBCD CDBCA36 trend 37 phenomenon 38 scene 39 offences 40 murder 41 particularly 42 explosion43 associated44 changing national borders, greater economic growth and the lack of accepted social ideas ofright and wrong.45 are now facing the sort of cultural variety that has been common in America for most of itshistory.46 failure to recognize and plan for such diversity can lead to serious crime problems.原文真题答案原文：短对话Short Conversations11．M: I just received an Email from one of my former classmates. I was surprised, I hadn’t heard from him for ages.W: Well, I’ve been out of touch with most of my old friends, only one or two still drop me a line occasionally,Q: What does the woman mean?12. M: If you can make up your mind about the color, I can start on the outside of your house early next week.W: Well, right now I think I want white for the window frames and yellow for the walls, but I’ll let you know tom orrow.Q: Who is the woman talking to?13. W: Excuse me, doyou have any apartments available for under 500 dollars a month? I needto move in next week when my new job starts.M: The only vacant one I have is 600 dollars, have you inquired at the apartment complex down the street?Q: What does the man suggest the woman do?14. W: Y ou bought a pair of jeans yesterday, didn’t you? What are they like?M: Oh, they are prettymuch like my other ones, except with a larger waist. I guess I haven’tspen t much time exercising lately.Q: What can we infer from the conversation about the man?15. W: I really like those abstract paintings we saw yesterday. What do you think?M: I guess it’s something I haven’t acquired a taste for yet.Q: What does the man imply?16. W: Y ou haven’t seen a blue notebook, have you? I hope I didn’t leave it in the reading room.M: Did you check that pile of journals you’ve borrowed from the library the other day?Q: What is the man trying to say to the woman?17. M: How about joining me for a cup of coffee?W: I’d love to, but I’m exhausted. I was up till 3 this morning, writing a paper for my literature class.Q: Why does the woman decline the man’s invitation?18. W: Y ou had a job interview yesterday, didn’t you? How did it go?M: Not too bad, Iguess. There were about 20 candidates competing for the sales manager’sjob.And finally it was down to three of us, but the other two seemedbetter qualified.Q: What does the man imply?听力长对话1F: Simon, how does it feel to be retired?M: Well, not so bad.F: How have you been spending your time?M: I have been spending more time with my family. I’ve also travelled a bit, you know, off season when everywhere is less crowded and hotels cost less.F: Great.M: Y ou know I h aven’t stopped work completely.F: Yes, could you tell us more about this?M: I’m on a scheme that’s called phased retirement; I had a six-month break from work, after thatI could apply for project work with the company I used to work for.F: How does the scheme work?M: Well, it’s a trial at the moment. Instead of hiring temporary stuff, the company advertises posts on its website that retired employees like myself can access.F: What sort of works advertised?M: Well, all sorts of things, really. Administrative work and more specialized work, the sort of thing I can do. Some of the projects can last five or six months, and others can just be a couple of days. I can decide more or less when to work. So I can manage my own time.F: I can see it’s goo d for you. What is your company get out of this?M: Well, I still have all my old contacts at work, so I know who to contact to get something done.The company gets flexibility, too. Once the job’s over, that’s it. I’m not on their books any more.Questions 19-21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19. Why does Simon find his retired life enjoyable?20. How does Simon get to know about the company’s available posts?21. Why does the company adopt the phased retirement scheme?长对话2W: Oh, where are we going?M: I want to show you something.W: I know, but what is it?M: A farm. It’s just down this road. It’s a small place, but at least it would be our own.W: A farm? How can we afford to buy a farm?M: It isn’t very large, only 40 acres. We wouldn’t have to pay very much right now.W: Is there a house on the place?M: A small one, two bedrooms, but it needs to be fixed up a little. I can do the job myself.W: OK. Is there enough space for a kitchen garden?M: There is about half an acre around the house. That’s plenty of space.W: Then we can grow our own fresh vegetables. And maybe keep a few chickens, couldn’t we? M: Y es, and we can probably grow a lot of our own food.W: What are you thinking about growing, if we do take this place?M: Well, it really isn’t big enough for corn. I thought we might try to raise a crop of potatoes.W: Potatoes? There are a lot of work.M: We are used to hard work, aren’t we?W: Yes, we are, but the money. Do we have enough to get started? It seems like a dream.M: I think we’ve saved enough. We can pay a little on the farm and maybe put a few dollars down on the tractor, too.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.Q 22:What are the speakers going to do at the time of the conversation?Q 23:What does the man say about the farm?Q 24:Why does the man intend to grow potatoes rather than corn on the farm?Q 25:What is the woman’s greatest concern about the man’s plan?篇章1Members of the city council and distinguished guests, it is my privilege to introduce to you today Mr. Robert Washington, chief of our city’s police force. He will address us on the subject of the Community Policing Program. Most of you know that Mr. Washington has a distinguished record as head of our police force for more than ten years. However, you may not know that he also holds a master’s degree in criminology and studied abroad for a year with the international police force which deals with crimes around the world. Mr. Washington first introduced the Community Policing Program 8 years ago. The idea behind the program is to get the police officers out of their cars and into our neighborhoods where they can talk directly to merchants and residents about the real dynamics of our city. These officers do more than make arrests. They try to find ways to help solve the problems that contribute to crime in the first place. Often that means hooking people up with services offered by other city agencies, such as schools, hospitals, housing, drug treatment centers. And the program seems to be working: crime is down and our citizens report that they feel more secure. Today Mr. Washington is going to tell us more about this program. Now let’s welcome Mr. Robert Washington.26. What is the p urpose of the speaker’s remarks?27. What does the speaker say about Mr. Robert Washington?28. What is the idea behind the Community Policing Program?29. How has the Community Policing Program turned out to be?篇章2There are between 3000 and 6000 public languages in the world, and we must add approximately 6 billion private languages since each one of us necessarily has one. Considering these facts, the possibilities for breakdowns in communication seem infinite in number. However, we do communicate successfully from time to time. And we do learn to speak languages. But learning to speak languages seems to be a very mysterious process. For a long time, people thought that we learned a language only by imitation and association. For example, a baby touches a hot pot and starts to cry. The mother says, “Hot, hot!” And the baby, when it stops crying, imitates the mother and says, “Hot, hot!” However, Noam Chomsky, a famous expert in language, pointed out that although children do learn some words by imitation and association, they alsocombine words to make meaningful sentences in ways that are unique, unlearned and creative. Because young children can make sentences they have never heard before, Chomsky suggested that human infants are born with the ability to learn language. Chomsky meant that underneath all the differences between public and private languages, there is a universal language mechanism that makes it possible for us, as infants, to learn any language in the world. This theory explains the potential that human infants have for learning language. But it does not really explain how children come to use language in particular ways.Questions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.30. Why does the speaker say there are great possibilities for communication breakdowns?31. What is Chomsky’s point on the ability to learn a language?32. What does Chomsky’s theory fail to explain according to the speaker?复合式听写Compound Dictation:Crime is increasing world wide. There is every reason to believe the trend will continue through the next few decades. Crime rates have always been high in multi-cultural industrialized societies such as the United States. But a new phenomenon has appeared on the world scene: rapidly rising crime rates in nations that previously reported few offences. Street crimes such as robbery, rape, murder and auto theft are clearly rising, particularly in Eastern European countries, such as Hungary, and in Western European nations, such as the Untied Kingdom. What is driving this crime explosion? There are no simple answers. Still, there are certain conditions associated with rising crime. Increasing heterogeneity of population, greater cultural pluralism, higher immigration, democratization of governments, changing national borders, greater economic growth and the lack of accepted social ideas of right and wrong. These conditions are increasingly observable around the world. For instance, cultures that were previously isolated and homogenous, such as Japan, Denmark and Greece, are now facing the sort of cultural variety that has been common in America for most of its history. Multiculturalism can be a rewarding, enriching experience, but it can also lead to a clash of values. Heterogeneity in societies will be the rule in the 21st century, and failure to recognize and plan for such diversity can lead to serious crime problems.。
2008年12月大学英语四级考试听力真题及答案
2008年12月大学英语四级考试听力真题及答案Part III Listening ComprehensionSection 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.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
11.A) Only true friendship can last long.B) Letter writing is going out of style.C) She keeps in regular touch with her classmates.D) She has lost contact with most of her old friends.12. A) A painter. C) A porter.B) A mechanic. D) A carpenter.13. A) Look for a place near her office. C) Make inquiries elsewhere.B) Find a new job down the street. D) Rent the $600 apartment.14.A) He prefers to wear jeans with a larger waist.B) He has been extremely busy recently.C) He has gained some weight lately.D) He enjoyed going shopping with Jane yesterday.15.A)The woman possesses a natural for art.B) Women have a better artistic taste than men.C) He isn’t good at abstract thinking.D) He doesn’t like abstract paintings.16.A) She couldn’t have left her notebook in the library.B) she may have put her notebook amid the journals.C) she should have made careful notes while doing reading.D) she shouldn’t have read his notes without his knowing it.17. A)she wants to get some sleep C) she has a literature class to attendB) she needs time to write a paper D)she is troubled by her sleep problem18.A)He is confident he will get the job.B)His chance of getting the job is slim.C)It isn’t easy to find a qualified sales manager.D)The interview didn’t go as well as he expected.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19.A)He can manage his time more flexibly.B)He can renew contact with his old friends.C)He can concentrate on his own projects.D)He can learn to do administrative work.20.A)Reading its ads in the newspapers.B)Calling its personnel department.C)Contacting its manager.D)Searching its website.21.A)To cut down its production expenses.B)To solve the problem of staff shortage.C)To improve its administrative efficiency.D)To utilize its retired employees’resources.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.22.A)Buy a tractor.B)Fix a house.C)See a piece of property.D)Sing a business contract.23.A)It is only forty miles form where they live.B)It is a small one with a two-bedroom house.C)It was a large garden with fresh vegetables.D)It has a large garden with fresh vegetables.24.A)Growing potatoes will involve less labor.B)Its soil may not be very suitable for corn.C)It may not be big enough for raising corn.D)Raising potatoes will be more profitable.25 A)FinancesB)EquipmentC)LaborD)ProfitsSection 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 One26 A)To introduce the chief of the city’s police forceB)To comment on a talk by a distinguished guestC)To address the issue of community securityD)To explain the functions of the city council27 A)He has distinguished himself in city managementB)He is head of the International Police ForceC)He completed his higher education abroadD)He holds a master’s degree in criminology28 A)To coordinate work among police departmentsB)To get police officers closer to the local peopleC)To help the residents in times of emergencyD)To enable the police to take prompt action29 A)PopularB)discouragingC)effectiveD)controversialPassage Two30 A)people differ greatly in their ability to communicateB)there are numerous languages in existenceC)Most public languages are inherently vagueD)Big gaps exist between private and public languages31 A)it is a sign of human intelligenceB)in improves with constant practiceC)it is something we are born withD)it varies from person to person32 A)how private languages are developedB)how different languages are relatedC)how people create their languagesD)how children learn to use languagePassage Three33 A)she was a tailorB)she was an engineerC)she was an educatorD)she was a public speaker34.A)Basing them on science-fiction movies.B) Including interesting examples in themC) Adjusting them to different audiencesD) Focusing on the latest progress in space science35.A) Whether spacemen carry weaponsB) How spacesuits protect spacemenC) How NASA trains its spacemenD) What spacemen cat and drinkSection CDirections : In this section .you will hear a passage three time. When the passage is read for first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. when the passage is read for the first time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36to43 with the exact words you have just heard. For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
英语四级听力真题
2008年12月英语四级听力真题四级听力短对话Short Conversations11．M: I just received an Email from one of my former classmates. I was surprised, I hadn’t heard from him for ages.W: Well, I’ve been out of touch with most of my old friends, only one or two still drop me a line occasionally,Q: What does the woman mean?12. M: If you can make up your mind about the color, I can start on the outside of your house early next week.W: Well, right now I think I want white for the window frames and yellow for the wal ls, but I’lllet you know tomorrow.Q: Who is the woman talking to?13. W: Excuse me, do you have any apartments available for under 500 dollars a month? I need to move in next week when my new job starts.M: The only vacant one I have is 600 dollars, have you inquired at the apartment complex down the street?Q: What does the man suggest the woman do?14. W: You bought a pair of jeans yesterday, didn’t you? What are they like?M: Oh, they are pretty much like my other ones, except with a larg er waist. I guess I haven’t spent much time exercising lately.Q: What can we infer from the conversation about the man?15. W: I really like those abstract paintings we saw yesterday. What do you think?M: I guess it’s something I haven’t acquired a taste for yet.Q: What does the man imply?16. W: You haven’t seen a blue notebook, have you? I hope I didn’t leave it in the reading room.M: Did you check that pile of journals you’ve borrowed from the library the other day?Q: What is the man trying to say to the woman?17. M: How about joining me for a cup of coffee?W: I’d love to, but I’m exhausted. I was up till 3 this morning, writing a paper for my literature class.Q: Why does the woman decline the man’s invitation?18. W: You had a job interview yesterday, didn’t you? How did it go?M: Not too bad, I guess. There were about 20 candidates competing for the sales manager’s job. And finally it was down to three of us, but the other two seemed better qualified.Q: What does the man imply?长对话1F: Simon, how does it feel to be retired?M: Well, not so bad.F: How have you been spending your time?M: I have been spending more time with my family. I’ve also travelled a bit, you know, off season when everywhere is less crowded and hotels cost less.F: Great.M: You know I haven’t stopped work completely.F: Yes, could you tell us more about this?M: I’m on a scheme that’s called phasedretirement; I had a six-month break from work, after that I could apply for project work with the company I used to work for.F: How does the scheme work?M: Well, it’s a trial at the moment. Instead of hiring temporary stuff, the company advertises posts on its website that retired employees like myself can access.F: What sort of works advertised?M: Well, all sorts of things, really. Administrative work and more specialized work, the sort of thing I can do. Some of the projects can last five or six months, and others can just be a couple of days. I can decide more or less when to work. So I can manage my own time.F: I can see it’s good for you. What is your company get out of this?M: Well, I still have all my old contacts at work, so I know who to contact to get something done. The company gets flexibility, too. Once t he job’s over, that’s it. I’m not on their books any more.Questions 19-21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19. Why does Simon find his retired life enjoyable?20. How does Simon get to know about the company’s available posts?21. Why does the company adopt the phased retirement scheme?长对话2W: Oh, where are we going?M: I want to show you something.W: I know, but what is it?M: A farm. It’s just down this road. It’s a small place, but at least it would be our own.W: A farm? How can we afford to buy a farm?M: It isn’t very large, only 40 acres. We wouldn’t have to pay very much right now.W: Is there a house on the place?M: A small one, two bedrooms, but it needs to be fixed up a little. I can do the job myself.W: OK. Is there enough space for a kitchen garden?M: There is about half an acre around the house. That’s plenty of space.W: Then we can grow our own fresh vegetables. And maybe keep a few chickens, couldn’t we?M: Yes, and we can probably grow a lot of our own food.W: What are you thinking about growing, if we do take this place?M: Well, it really isn’t big enough for corn. I thought we might try to raise a crop of potatoes.W: Potatoes? There are a lot of work.M: We are used to hard work, aren’t we?W: Yes, we are, but the money. Do we have enough to get started? It seems like a dream.M: I think we’ve saved enough. We can pay a little on the farm and maybe put a few dollars down on the tractor, too.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.Q 22:What are the speakers going to do at the time of the conversation?Q 23:What does the man say about the farm?Q 24:Why does the man intend to grow potatoes rather than corn on the farm?Q 25:What is the woman’s greatest concern about the man’s plan?2008年12月大学英语四级听力Passage One 20分11秒——23分36秒Members of the city council and distinguished guests, it is my privilege to introduce to you today Mr. Robert Washington, chief of our city’s police force. He will address us on the subject of the Community Policing Program. Most of you know that Mr. Washington has a distinguished record as head of our police force for more than ten years. However, you may not know that he also holds a master’s degree in criminology and studied abroad for a year with the international police force which deals with crimes around theworld. Mr. Washington first introduced the Community Policing Program 8 years ago. The idea behind the program is to get the police officers out of their cars and into our neighborhoods where they can talk directly to merchants and residents about the real dynamics of our city. These officers do more than make arrests. They try to find ways to help solve the problems that contribute to crime in the first place. Often that means hooking people up with services offered by other city agencies, such as schools, hospitals, housing, drug treatment centers. And the program seems to be working: crime is down and our citizens report that they feel more secure. Today Mr. Washington is going to tell us more about this program. Now let’s welcome Mr. Robert Washington.26. What is the purpose of the speaker’s remarks?He will address us on the subject of community policing program.27. What does the speaker say about Mr. Robert Washington?Most of you know that Mr. Washington has a distinguished record as head of our police force for more than ten years. However, you may not know that he also holds a master’s degree in criminology and studied abroad for a year with the international police force which deals with crimes around the world. Mr. Washington first introduced the community policing program 8 years ago.28. What is the idea behind the CommunityPolicing Program?The idea behind the program is to get the police officers out of their cars and into our neighborhoods where they can talk directly to merchants and residents about the real dynamics of our city.29. How has the Community Policing Program turned out to be?And the program seems to be working, crime is down and our citizens report that they feel more secure.四级篇章2There are between 3000 and 6000 publiclanguages in the world, and we must add approximately 6 billion private languages since each one of us necessarily has one. Considering these facts, the possibilities for breakdowns in communication seem infinite in number. However, we do communicate successfully from time to time. And we do learn to speak languages. But learning to speak languages seems to be a very mysterious process. For a long time, people thought that we learned a language only by imitation and association. For example, a baby touches a hot pot and starts to cry. The mother says, “Hot, hot!” And the baby, when it stops crying, imitates the mother and says, “Hot, hot!” However, Noam Chomsky, a famous expert in language, pointed out that although children do learn some words by imitation and association, they also combine words to make meaningful sentences in ways that are unique, unlearned and creative. Because young children can make sentences they have never heard before, Chomsky suggestedthat human infants are born with the ability to learn language. Chomsky meant that underneath all the differences between public and private languages, there is a universal language mechanism that makes it possible for us, as infants, to learn any language in the world. This theory explains the potential that human infants have for learning language. But it does not really explain how children come to use language in particular ways.Questions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.Question 30. Why does the speaker say there are great possibilities for communication breakdowns?There are numerous public and private languages.Question 31. What is Chomsky’s point on theability to learn a language?Human infants are born with the ability to learn language and the potential to learn any language in the world.Question 32. What does Chomsky’s theory fail to explain according to the speaker?It does not really explain how children come to use language in particular ways.四级听力Passage ThreeWhen US spacewoman Joan Higginbotham is not flying and working in space, she might be found somewhere on earth giving a speech. Higginbotham, who grew up in Chicago and became an engineer before joining NASA, that is the National Air and Space Administration, gives about a dozen speeches a year. Eachspeech is different because she tailors her remarks to each audience. Through interviews and E-mails, she finds out in advance her listeners' educational level and what information they want to know. On the subject of space walks, for example, audiences vary in their interests and how much complexity they can comprehend. To elementary school children, Higginbotham may discuss a problem that many kids want to know about. "How do spacemen in a spacesuit eat, drink, and go to the bathroom?" Her answer is “the spacesuit is really a small spacecraft with room for food and water-containers, and a waste-collection system.” To a high school audience, she might satisfy a curiosity that often arises in her pre-speech interviews with students who obviously have seen many science fiction movies. “Do spacemen carry weapons in case they encounter enemies in space?” H er answer is "No". To scientists, she might provide technical details on such topics as the design of spacesuitsthat protects spacemen from the deadly temperature extremes of space. Just as elaborate preparation is required for success in space, Higginbot ham says that it’s important for speakers to learn as much as possible about their listeners before a speech because every audience is different.33. What did Joan Higginbotham do before joining in NASA?34. How does Higginbotham prepare her speech on space walks?35. What does the high school audience want to know about space travel?2008.12 CET-4 Listening ScriptCompound Dictation: (31’43’’-33’55’’)Crime is increasing worldwide. There is every reason to believe the trend will continue through the next few decades. Crime rates have always been high in multi-cultural industrialized societies such as the United States. But a new phenomenon has appeared on the world scene: rapidly rising crime rates in nations that previously reported few offences. Street crimes such as robbery, rape, murder and auto theft are clearly rising, particularly in Eastern European countries, such as Hungary, and in Western European nations, such as the Untied Kingdom. What is driving this crime explosion? There are no simple answers. Still, there are certain conditions associated with rising crime. Increasing heterogeneity of population, greater cultural pluralism, higher immigration, democratization of governments, changing national borders, greater economic growth and the lack of accepted social ideas of right and wrong. These conditions are increasinglyobservable around the world. For instance, cultures that were previously isolated and homogenous, such as Japan, Denmark and Greece, are now facing the sort of cultural variety that has been common in America for most of its history. Multiculturalism can be a rewarding, enriching experience, but it can also lead to a clash of values. Heterogeneity in societies will be the rule in the 21st century, and failure to recognize and plan for such diversity can lead to serious crime problems.。
2008年12月至2009年12月英语四级听力试题及答案
CET4 2008.1211.A) Only true friendship can last long.B) Letter writing is going out of style.C) She keeps in regular touch with her classmates.D) She has lost contact with most of her old friends.12. A) A painter. C) A porter.B) A mechanic. D) A carpenter.13. A) Look for a place near her office. C) Make inquiries elsewhere.B) Find a new job down the street. D) Rent the $600 apartment.14.A) He prefers to wear jeans with a larger waist.B) He has been extremely busy recently.C) He has gained some weight lately.D) He enjoyed going shopping with Jane yesterday.15.A)The woman possesses a natural for art.B) Women have a better artistic taste than men.C) He isn’t good at abstract thinking.D) He doesn’t like abstract paintings.16.A) She couldn’t have left her notebook in the library.B) she may have put her notebook amid the journals.C) she should have made careful notes while doing reading.D) she shouldn’t have read his notes without his knowing it.17. A)she wants to get some sleep C) she has a literature class to attendB) she needs time to write a paper D)she is troubled by her sleep problem18.A)He is confident he will get the job.B)His chance of getting the job is slim.C)It isn’t easy to find a qualified sales manager.D)The interview didn’t go as well as he expected.19.A) He can manage his time more flexibly.B) He can renew contact with his old friends.C) He can concentrate on his own projects.D) He can learn to do administrative work.20.A) Reading its ads in the newspapers.B) Calling its personnel department.C) Contacting its manager.D) Searching its website.21.A) To cut down its production expenses.B) To solve the problem of staff shortage.C) To improve its administrative efficiency.D) To utilize its retired employees’ resources.22.A) Buy a tractor. B) Fix a house.C) See a piece of property. D) Sing a business contract.23.A) It is only forty miles form where they live.B) It is a small one with a two-bedroom house.C) It was a large garden with fresh vegetables.D) It has a large garden with fresh vegetables.24. A)Growing potatoes will involve less labor.B) Its soil may not be very suitable for corn.C) It may not be big enough for raising corn.D) Raising potatoes will be more profitable.25.A) Finances B) EquipmentC) Labor D) Profits26.A) To introduce the chief of the city’s police forceB) To comment on a talk by a distinguished guestC) To address the issue of community securityD) To explain the functions of the city council27 A) He has distinguished himself in city managementB) He is head of the International Police ForceC) He completed his higher education abroadD) He holds a master’s degree in criminology28 A) To coordinate work among police departmentsB) To get police officers closer to the local peopleC) To help the residents in times of emergencyD) To enable the police to take prompt action29 A) Popular B) discouragingC) effective D) controversialPassage Two30 A) people differ greatly in their ability to communicateB) there are numerous languages in existenceC) Most public languages are inherently vagueD) Big gaps exist between private and public languages31 A) it is a sign of human intelligenceB) in improves with constant practiceC) it is something we are born withD) it varies from person to person32 A) how private languages are developedB) how different languages are relatedC) how people create their languagesD) how children learn to use language33 A) she was a tailor B) she was an engineerC) she was an educator D) she was a public speaker34. A) Basing them on science-fiction movies.B) Including interesting examples in themC) Adjusting them to different audiencesD) Focusing on the latest progress in space science35.A) Whether spacemen carry weaponsB) How spacesuits protect spacemenC) How NASA trains its spacemenD) What spacemen cat and drink11-15DACCD 16-20BBBAD 21-25DCBCA 26-30ADBCB 31-35CDBCA36 trend37 phenomenon38 scene39 offences40 murder41 particularly42 explosion43 associated44 changing national borders, greater economic growth and the lack of accepted social ideas of right and wrong.45 are now facing the sort of cultural variety that has been common in America for most of its history.46 failure to recognize and plan for such diversity can lead to serious crime problems.CET4 2000.0611. A) She expected more people at her party.B) She enjoys entertaining small children.C) She threw a surprise party for her friendD) She has always enjoyed great popularity.12. A) They are not used to living in a cold place.B) They feel lucky to live in Florida.C) They are going to have a holiday.D) They have not booked their air tickets yet.13. A) He was pleased to get the medal. C) He used to be a firefighter.B) He was very courageous. D) He was accused of causing a fire.14. A) Make a profitable investment. C) Get parts for the machine from Japan.B) Buy a new washing machine D) Have the old washing machine fixed.15. A) He is pleased with his exciting new job.B) He finds the huge workload unbearable.C) He finds his office much too big for him.D) He is not so excited about his new position.16. A) The woman is going to hold a big party tomorrow.B) The man has no idea what the right thing to do is.C) The woman doesn’t know how to get to the party.D) The man offers to drive the woman to the party.17. A) Drawing up a business plan. C) Finalizing a contract.B) Discussing a term paper. D) Reviewing a co-authored article.18. A) She ordered some paper. C) She chatted online with a friendB) She had the printer repaired. D) She filled in an application form19. A) His health is getting worse. C) His past life upsets hima good deal.B) He can no longer work at sea. D) He has not got the expected pension.20. A) She passed away years ago. C) She has been working at a clinic.B) She used to work as a model. D) She has been seriously ill for years.21. A) She has made lots of money as a doctor.B) She is going to take care of her old dad.C) She has never got on with her father.D) She is kind and generous by nature.22. A) He dines out with his wife every weekend.B) He is excellent but looks had-tempered.C) He does not care about his appearance.D) He is not quite popular with his patients.23. A) The man has sent the order to the woman by mistakeB) Some of the telephone systems don’t work properlyC) Some of the packs do not contain any manuals.D) The quality of the goods is not up to the standard.24. A) Send a service engineer to do the repairs.B) Consult her boss about the best solution.C) Pass the man’s order to the right person.D) The quality of the goods is not up to the standard.25. A) Ideal. C) PartialB) Temporary D) Creative26. A) It is entertaining. C) It takes lots of time.B) It is a costly hobby. D) It requires training.27. A) They can harm nearby plants. C) They fight each other for food.B) They may catch some disease. D) They may pollute the environment.28. A) Place the food on warmer spots. C) Avoid using any contaminated food.B) Use prepared feed mixtures only. D) Continue the feeding till it gets warm.29. A) He will betray even his best friends.B) He is able to make up good excuses.C) He will lie whenever he wants.D) He tries to achieve his goal at any cost30. A) She made him apologize C) She broke up with him.B) She readily forgave him D) She refused to answer his calls.31. A) Buy her a new set of tires. C) Lend her his batteries.B) Help clean her apartment. D) Move furniture for her.32. A) The atmosphere they live in is rather unreal.B) Their parents put too much pressure on them.C) It’s hard for them to get along with other kids.D) They have to live in the shadow of their parents.33. A) He always boasts about his rich father.B) He will grow up to be good for nothing.C) He has too much to know the value of things.D) He is too young to manage his inherited property.34. A) She wants Amanda to get professional care.B) She has no experience in raising children.C) She wants to show off her wealth.D) She has no time to do it herself.35. A) The lifestyle depicted in Hollywood movies.B) The worship of money, beauty and pleasure.C) The attention the media focuses on them.D) The pursuing of perfection in performance.Around 120 years ago, Ebbinghaus began his study of memory. He(36).on studying how quickly the human mind can remember (37). One result of his research is known as the total time hypothesis(假设), which simply means the amount you learn (38)on the time you spend trying to learn it . This can be taken as our first rule of learning.Although it is usually true that studying for four hours is better than studying for one, there is still the question of how we should use the four hours. For example, is it better to study for four hours (39)or to study for one hour a day for four days in a (40)?. The answer, as you may have (41) , is that it is better to spread out the study times. This (42) , through which we can learn more (43).by dividing our practice time, is known as the distribution of practice effect. Thus, (44) . But we’re not finished yet. We haven’t considered how we should study over very short periods of time. (45) .Should you look at the same word in rapid succession, or look at the word and then have some delay before you look at it again ?(46) .11. She has always enjoyed great popularity 12. They are going to have a holiday13. He was very courageous 14. Buy a new washing machine15. He is not excited about his new position 16. The man offers to drive the women to the party17. Finalizing a contract 18. She ordered some paper19 He can no longer work at sea 20 She passed away years ago21 She has never got on with her father 22 He is excellent but looks bad-tempered23 Some of the packs do not contain manuals 24 solve the problem at her company’s cost25 Ideal 26 C it’s entertaining 27C they may catch some disease28D continue the feeding till it get warm 29C he will lie whenever he wants30A she made him apologize 31D move furniture for her32A the atmosphere they live in is rather unreal 33D he has too much to know the value of things34D she has no time to do it herself 35D the lifestyle depicted in Hollywood movies36 concentrated 40 row37 information 41 suspected38 depends 42 phenomenon (现象)39 straight 43 efficiently44 our second rule of learning is this: it is better to study fairly briefly but often。
2008年12月英语四级预测试卷：听力理解（1）
Section A Directions: 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. 11. A） He should start to find a new apartment right now. B） He should buy an apartment right away. C） He should start to find a new apartment in a few weeks. D） He should buy an apartment near the campus. 12. A） He's surprised she chose that agency. B） He wonders why she is still keeping the job. C） He doesn't know when her classes started. D） He doubts if she makes much money now. 13. A） Writing an essay. B） Studying for a test. C） Shopping for shoes. D） Reading a magazine. 14. A） Because she can't watch TV. B） Because her ears were hurt. C） Because she can't hear the words on the telephone. D） Because her eyes were hurt. 15. A） William is just starting the violin lessons. B） William can't play the violin. C） William is very modest about his performance. D） William is very proud of his performance. 16. A） Children learn by example. B） Children must not tell lies. C） Children don't like discipline. D） Children must control their temper. 17. A） At the Computer Center. B） At home. C） At company. D） At the Oak Street. 18. A） He has refused another dinner appointment. B） He doesn't eat out very often. C） He knows the way to the restaurant. D） He does not like to eat out either. Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard. 19. A） How to arrange for a trip. B） How to book a satisfactory room. C） When the shop will be closed. D） What the weather is like. 20. A） Because there is an excellent bus service. B） Because there is an excellent railway service. C） Because there is an excellent subway system. D） Because taxi system there isn't convenient. 21. A） Usually warm but sometimes very cold and wet. B） Always warm. C） Usually cold and wet but sometimes warm. D） Always cold. 22. A） At once. B） Fifteen days later. C） By the 15th of this month. D） In the middle of this year. Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard. 23. A） He will return to his hometown. B） He will play tennis. C） He will join the woman for dinner. D） He will go to a coffee shop with the woman. 24. A） Because she doesn't drink coffee. B） Because she has a plane to catch. C） Because she has to go to a lesson. D） Because she doesn't like the man. 25. A） He will postpone the trip. B） He will marry the woman. C） He will cook dinner for the woman. D） He will take tennis lessons. Section B Directions: 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 One Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard. 26. A） To drink as much as possible each day. B） To drink as actually needed. C） To drink eight glasses of water daily. D） To drink no more than eight glasses daily. 27. A） To drink according to the exercises you have done. B） To drink according to the need of your body. C） To drink according to the seasons. D） To drink according to the World Health Organization's recommendation. 28. A） Because the rule is out of date. B） Because the rule is made for sick people. C） Because the rule is based on the studies under extraordinary conditions. D） Because the rule is based on the need of soldiers and patients. Passage Two Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard. 29. A） They share certain traditional customs. B） They share the traditional costumes. C） They share certain traditional foods. D） They share the traditional music. 30. A） They will exchange rings. B） They will exchange presents. C） They will exchange promises. D） They will exchange flowers. 31. A） To hold a reception party. B） To have a big dinner. C） To congratulate on the couple. D） To shower the couple with rice. Passage Three Questions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard. 32. A） It resembles the biological virus. B） It works the same way as the human virus. C） It influences the human as the biological viruses do. D） It spreads to people who use the infected computers. 33. A） They invade the computer and make it a place for manufacturing. B） They spread throughout the whole system by quickly copying themselves. C） They infect the hard disc and the whole system. D） They spread viruses inside the computer system. 34. A） It is a virus that causes great damage. B） It is a virus that once infected the IBM's computer system. C） It is a virus that carries a Christmas greeting. D） It is a virus that causes no harm to the computer systems. 35. A） It can cause no damages at all. B） It can cause damages to the computer systems. C） It can copy your files in computers. D） It can format your hard drive. Section C Directions: 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 second time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43 with the exact words you have just heard. For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are required to fill in the missing information. For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written. All that we really need to plot out the future of our universe are a few good measurements. This does not mean that we can sit down today and （36） the future course of the universe with anything like （37） . There are still too many things we do not know about the way the universe is put together. But we do know （38） what information we need to fill in our knowledge, and we have a pretty good （39） of how to go about getting it. Perhaps the best way to think of our present situation is to （40） a train coming into a switchyard. All of the switches are set before the train arrives, so that its path is completely （41） . Some switches we can see, others we cannot. There is no doubt if we can see the setting of a switch: we can say with confidence that some （42） futures will not be realized and others will. At the unseen （43） , however, there is no such certainty about it. （44） .The unseen switches are the true decision points in the future, and what happens when we arrive at them determines the entire subsequent course of events. （45） , but after that there are decision points to be dealt with and possible fates to consider. （46） .。
2008年12月大学英语四级真题解析+听力原文(1)
2008年12月大学英语四级考试试题解析Part I Writing* 解题思路1. 审解题目：本文为问题解决类作文。
首先提出一种社会现象；然后对这一现象所带来的问题进行分析和阐述；最后对解决这一问题的方法进行论述：赞成或反对。
2. 写作步骤：本文为提纲式作文，写作应按照试卷上给出的汉语提纲进行，分三段将所涉及内容论述清楚：第一段：引出一次性塑料袋在人们生活中广泛使用的现象；第二段：列举使用一次性塑料袋带来的问题；第三段：对限制使用一次性塑料袋这一政策阐述自己的观点：可以支持以上观点，并进行总结强调；也可以否定以上观点，并提出反对理由。
范文：Limiting the Use of Disposable Plastic BagsPlastic bags have been an indispensable part of our daily life for many years. But recently the problems of using disposable plastic bags have been brought into people’s concern.Although plastic bags have brought great convince to people, it has also caused a lot of problems. First of all, the use of disposable plastic bags causes great harm to our environment. As these bags can not be discomposed, they pollute the field and water. Besides, plastic bags do harm to people’s health as well, because they are made of chemical materials which may contamin ate our food. What’s more, the over use of plastic bags is also a kind of waste of resources.Therefore, limiting the use of disposable plastic bags is of great significance. This policy not only enhances people’s awareness of environmental protection, but also reduce the waste of resources. In short, we should do our best to limit the use of plastic bags for ourselves and for the next generation.经典句式:1. Recently, the problem of … has become the focus of the public concern.2. It is important to poin t out that…3. On one hand, … . On the other hand, …4. Obviously, if we don’t control the problem, the chances are that …5. First of all, … . Besides, …. What’s more, …6. … is of great significance.7. It is high time that we put an end to …Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning)* 解题思路1. 【答案】 A【解析】本题的定位信息是Stella Bianchi, 答案来自第三段第一句Stella says, “I thought she was coming over to apologize, but instead she started shouting at me for ‘disciplinin g her child’”. 意思是：Stella说：“我原以为她是过来是要道歉的，但是相反由于我“教育她的孩子”，她却冲我大喊大叫。
2008年12月大学英语四级真题A卷及答案解析
2008年12月大学英语四级真题A 卷及答案解析卷及答案解析Part I Writing (30minutes) 注意：此部分试题在答题卡1上。
上。
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. That‟s enough, kidsIt was a lovely day at the park and Stella Bianchi was enjoying the sunshine with her two children when a young boy, aged about four, approached her two-year-old son and pushed him to the ground. “I‟d watched him for a little while and my son was the fourth or fifth child he‟d shoved,” she says.” I went over to them, picked up my son, turned to the boy and said, firmly, ‟No, we don‟t push,” What happened next was unexpected.“The The boy‟s boy‟s mother mother ran ran ran toward toward toward me me me from from from across across across the the the park,” park,” park,” Stella Stella Stella says,” says,” says,” I I I thought thought thought she she she was was coming over to apologize, but instead she started shouting at me for disciplining her child, All I did was let him know his behavior was unacceptable. Was I supposed to sit back while her kid did whatever he wanted, hurting other children in the process?”Getting Getting your your your own own own children children children to to to play play play nice nice nice is is is difficult difficult difficult enough. enough. enough. Dealing Dealing Dealing with with with other other other people‟s people‟s children has become a minefield. In my house, jumping on the sofa is not allowed. In my sister‟s house it‟s encouraged. For her, it‟s about kids being kids:”If you can‟t do it at three, when can you do it?”Each Each of of of these these these philos philos philosophies ophies ophies is is valid valid and, and, and, it it it has has has to to to be be said, said, my my my son son son loves loves loves visiting visiting visiting his his his aunt‟s aunt‟s house. But I find myself saying “no” a lot when her kids are over at mine. That‟s OK between sisters sisters but but but becomes becomes becomes dangerous dangerous dangerous territory territory territory when when when you‟re you‟re you‟re talking talking talking to to to the the the children children children of of of friends friends friends or or acquaintances. “Kids Kids aren‟t aren‟t all all raised raised raised the the the same,” same,” same,” agrees agrees agrees Professor Professor Professor Naomi Naomi Naomi White White White of of of Monash Monash Monash University.” University.” But there is still an idea that they‟re the property of the parent. We see our children as an extension of ourselves, so if you‟re saying that my child isbehaving inappropriately, then that‟s somehow a criticism of me.”In In those those those circumstances, circumstances, circumstances, it‟s it‟s difficult difficult to to to know know know whether whether whether to to to approach approach approach the the the child child child directly directly directly or or or the the parent first. There are two schools of thought. “I ’d go to the child first,” says Andrew Fuller, author of Tricky Kids. Usually a quiet reminder that ’we don ’t do that here ’ is enough. Kids nave finely tuned antennae (直觉) for how to behave in different settings.”He points out bringing it up with the parent first may make them feel neglectful, which could cause problems. Of course, approaching the child first can bring its own headaches, too. This is why White recommends that you approach the parents first. Raise your concerns with the parents if they‟re there and ask them to deal with it,” she says. Asked how to approach a parent in this situation, psychologist Meredith Fuller answers:”Explain your needs as well as stressing the importance of the friendship. Preface your remarks with something like: ‟I know you‟ll think I‟m silly but in my house I do n ’t want…‟”When it comes to situations where you‟re caring for another child, white is straightforward: “common sense must prevail. If things don‟t go well, then have a chat.”There‟re a couple of new grey areas. Physical punishment, once accepted from an y adult, is no no longer longer longer appropriate. appropriate. appropriate. “A “A “A new new new set set set of of of considerations considerations considerations has has has come come come to to to the the the fore fore fore as as as part part part of of of the the the debate debate about how we handle children.”For Andrew Fuller, the child-centric nature of our society has affected everyone:” The rules are are different different different now now now from from from wh wh when en en today‟s today‟s parents parents were were were growing growing growing up,” up,” up,” he he he says, says, says, “Adults “Adults “Adults are are are scared scared scared of of saying: ‟don‟t swear‟, or asking a child to stand up on a bus. They‟re worried that there will be conflict if they point these things out ? either from older children, or their parents.”He sees it as a loss of the sense of common public good and public courtesy (礼貌), and says that adults suffer form it as much as child. Meredith Fuller agrees: “A code of conduct is hard to create when you‟re living in a world in which everyone is exhausted from overwork and lack of sleep, and a world in which nice people are perce ived to finish last.”“it‟s about about what what what I‟m I‟m doing doing and and and what what what I I I need,” need,” need,” Andrew Andrew Andrew Fuller Fuller Fuller says. says. says. ”the ”the ”the days days days when when when a a a kid kid came home from school and said, “I got into trouble”. And dad said, …you probably deserved it‟. Are over. Now the parents are charging up to the sch ool to have a go at teachers.”This jumping to our children ’s defense is part of what fuels the “walking on eggshells ”feeling feeling that that that surrounds surrounds surrounds our our our dealings dealings dealings with with with other other other people people ’s s children. children. children. Y Y ou know know that that that if if if you you remonstrate(劝诫) with the child, you ’re going to have to deal with the parent. it ’s admirable to be protective of our kids, but is it good? “Children have to learn to negotiate the world on their own, within reasonable boundaries,” White White says. says. says. “I “I “I suspect suspect suspect that that that it‟s it‟s only certain certain sectors sectors sectors of of of the the the population population population doing doing doing the the the running running running to to to the the school ?better ?educated parents are probably more likely to be too involved.”White believes our notions of a more child-centred, it ’s a way of talking about treating our children like commodities(商品). We ’re centred on them but in ways that reflect positively on us. We treat them as objects whose appearance and achievements are something we can be proud of, rather than serve the best interests of the children.”One way over-worked, under-resourced parents show commitment to their children is to leap to their defence. Back at the park, Bianchi ’s intervention(干预) on her son ’s behalf ended in an undignified exchange of insulting words with the other boy ’s mother. As Bianchi approached the park bench whe re she‟d been sitting, other mums came up to her and congratulated her on taking a stand. “Apparently the boy had a longstanding reputation for bad behaviour and his mum for even worse behaviour if he was challenged.”Andrew Fuller doesn‟t believe that we should be afraid of dealing with other people‟s kids. “look at kids that aren‟t your own as a potential minefield,” he says. He recommends that we don‟t stay silent over inappropriate behaviour, particularly with regular visitors. 注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
2008年12月英语四级真题及答案
2008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 Limiting the Use of Disposable Plastic Bag.You should write at least 150 words following the outline given below.1.一次性塑料袋的使用2.使用一次性塑料袋带来的问题3.限制一次性塑料袋的意义Limiting the Use of Disposable Plastic Bag________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 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.That’s enough, kidsIt was a lovely day at the park and Stella Bianchi was enjoying the sunshine with her two children when a young boy, aged about four, approached her two-year-old son and pushed him to the ground.“I‟d watched him for a little while and my son was the fourth or fifth child he‟d shoved,” she says.” I went over to them, picked up my son, turned to the boy and said, firmly, ‟No, we don‟t push,” What happened next was unexpected.“The boy‟s mother ran toward me from across the park,” Stella says,” I thought she was coming over to apologize, but instead she started shouting at me for disciplining her child, All I did was let him know his behavior was unacceptable. Was I supposed to sit back while her kid did whatever he wanted, hurting other children in the process?”Getting your own children to play nice is difficult enough. Dealing with other people‟s children has become a minefield.In my house, jumping on the sofa is not allowed. In my sister‟s house it‟s encouraged. For her, it‟s about kids being kids: “If you can‟t do it at three, when can you do it?”Each of these philosophies is valid and, it has to be said, my son loves visiting his aunt‟s house. But I find myself saying “no” a lot when her kids are over at mine. That‟s OK between sisters but becomes dangerous territory when yo u‟re talking to the children of friends or acquaintances.“Kids aren‟t all raised the same,” agrees Professor Naomi White of Monash University.” But there is still an idea that they‟re the property of the parent. We see our children as an extension of ourselves, so if you‟re saying that my child is behaving inappropriately, then that‟s somehow a criticism of me.”In those circumstances, it‟s difficult to know whether to approach the child directly or the parent first. There are two schools of thought.“I’d go to the child first,”says Andrew Fuller, author of Tricky Kids. Usually a quiet reminder that ’we don‟t do that here‟ is enough. Kids nave finely tuned antennae (直觉) for how to behave in different settings.”He points out bringing it up with the parent first may make them feel neglectful, which could cause problems. Of course, approaching the child first can bring its own headaches, too.This is why White recommends that you approach the parents first. Raise your concerns with the parents if they‟re there and ask them to deal with it,” she says.Asked how to approach a parent in this situation, psychologist Meredith Fuller answers: “Explain your needs as well as stressing the importance of the friendship. Preface your remarks with something like: ‟I know you‟ll think I‟m silly but in my house I don’t want…‟”When it comes to situations where you‟re caring for another child, white is straightforward: “common sense must prevail. If things don‟t go well, then have a chat.”There‟re a couple of new grey areas. Physical punishment, once accepted from any adult, is no longer appropriate. “A new set of considerations has come to the fore as part of the debate about how w e handle children.”For Andrew Fuller, the child-centric nature of our society has affected everyone:” The rules are different now from when today‟s parents were growing up,” he says, “Adults are scared of saying: ‟don‟t swear‟, or asking a child to stand up on a bus. They‟re worried that there will be conflict if they point these things out – either from older children, or their parents.”He sees it as a loss of the sense of common public good and public courtesy (礼貌), and says that adults suffer form it as much as child.Meredith Fuller agrees: “A code of conduct is hard to create when you‟re living in a world in which everyone is exhausted from overwork and lack of sleep, and a world in which nice people are perceived to finish last.”“I t‟s about what I‟m doing and what I need,” Andrew Fuller says. ”the days when a kid came home from school and said, “I got into trouble”. And dad said, …you probably deserved it‟. Are over. Now the parents are charging up to the school to have a go at teachers.”This jumping to our children‟s defense is part of what fuels the “walking on eggshells”feeling that surrounds our dealings with other people‟s children. Y ou know that if you remonstrate(劝诫) with the child, you’re going to have to deal with the parent. It‟s admirable to be protective of our kids, but is it good?“Children have to learn to negotiate the world on their own, within reasonable boundaries,” White says. “I suspect that it‟s only certain sectors of the population doing the running to the school –better –educated parents are probably more likely to be too involved.”White believes our notions of a more child-centered, it‟a way of talking about treating our children like commodities(商品). We‟re centered on them but in ways that reflect positively on us. We treat them as objects whose appearance and achievements are something we can be proud of, rather than serve the best interests of the children.”One way over-worked, under-resourced parents show commitment to their children is to leap to their defence. Back at the park, Bianchi‟intervention(干预) on her son‟behalf ended in an undignified exchange of insulting words with the other boy‟ mother.As Bianchi approached the park bench where she‟d been sitting, other mums came up to her and congratulated her on taking a stand. “Apparently the boy had a longstanding reputation for bad behaviour and his mum for even worse behaviour if he was challenged.”Andrew Fuller doesn‟t believe that we should be afraid of dealing with other people‟s kids. “look at kids that aren‟t your own as a potential minefield,” he says. He recommends that we don‟t stay silent over inappropriate behaviour, particularly with regular visitors.1. What did Stella Bianchi expect the young boy‟s mother to do when she talked to him?A) make an apologyB) come over to interveneC) discipline her own boyD) take her own boy away2. What does the author say about dealing with other people‟s children?A) it‟s important not to hur t them in any wayB) it‟s no use trying to stop their wrongdoingC) it‟s advisable to treat them as one‟s own kidsD) it‟s possible for one to get into lots of trouble3. According to professor Naomi white of Monash university, when one‟s kids are criticiz ed, their parents will probably feel___________________________A) discouragedB) hurtC) puzzledD) overwhelmed4. What should one do when seeing other people‟s kids misbehave according to Andrew fuller?A) talk to them directly in a mild wayB) complain to their parents politelyC) simply leave them aloneD) punish them lightly5. Due to the child-centric nature of our society, ______________________A) parents are worried when their kids swear at themB) people think it improper to criticize kids in publicC) people are reluctant to point our kids‟ wrongdoingsD) many conflicts arise between parents and their kids6. In a world where everyone is exhausted from over work and lack of sleep,____________________________A) it‟s easy for people to become impat ientB) it‟s difficult to create a code of conductC) it‟s important to be friendly to everybodyD) it‟s hard for people to admire each other7. How did people use to respond when their kids got into trouble at school?A) they‟d question the teachersB) th ey‟d charge up to the schoolC) they‟d tell the kids to clam downD) They‟d put the blame on their kids8. Professor white believes that the notions of a more child-centred society should be____________________9. According to professor white, today‟s pare nts treat their children as something they___________________10. Andrew fuller suggests that , when kids behave inappropriately, people should not______________________ Part III Listening Comprehension (35 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.11. A)Only true friendship can last long.B)Letter writing is going out of style.C)She keeps in regular touch with her classmates.D)She has lost contact with most of her old friends.12. A) A painter. C) A porter.B) A mechanic. D) A carpenter.13. A) Look for a place near her office. C) Make inquiries elsewhere.B) Find a new job down the street. D) Rent the $600 apartment.14. A) He prefers to wear jeans with a larger waist.B) He has been extremely busy recently.C) He has gained some weight lately.D) He enjoyed going shopping with Jane yesterday.15. A)The woman possesses a natural for art.B) Women have a better artistic taste than men.C) He isn‟t good at abstract thinking.D) He doesn‟t like abstract paintings.16. A) She couldn‟t have left her notebook in the library.B) she may have put her notebook amid the journals.C) she should have made careful notes while doing reading.D) she shouldn‟t have read his notes without his knowing it.17. A)she wants to get some sleep C) she has a literature class to attendB) she needs time to write a paper D)she is troubled by her sleep problem18. A)He is confident he will get the job.B)His chance of getting the job is slim.C)It isn‟t easy to find a qualified sales manager.D)The interview didn‟t go as well as he expected.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19. A)He can manage his time more flexibly.B)He can renew contact with his old friends.C)He can concentrate on his own projects.D)He can learn to do administrative work.20. A)Reading its ads in the newspapers.B)Calling its personnel department.C)Contacting its manager.D)Searching its website.21. A)To cut down its production expenses.B)To solve the problem of staff shortage.C)To improve its administrative efficiency.D)To utilize its retired employees‟ resources.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.22. A)Buy a tractor.B)Fix a house.C)See a piece of property.D)Sing a business contract.23. A)It is only forty miles form where they live.B)It is a small one with a two-bedroom house.C)It was a large garden with fresh vegetables.D)It has a large garden with fresh vegetables.24. A)Growing potatoes will involve less labor.B)Its soil may not be very suitable for corn.C)It may not be big enough for raising corn.D)Raising potatoes will be more profitable.25. A)FinancesB)EquipmentC)LaborD)ProfitsSection 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 26 to 29 are based on the passage you have just heard.26 A) To introduce the chief of the city‟s police forceB)To comment on a talk by a distinguished guestC)To address the issue of community securityD)To explain the functions of the city council27 A)He has distinguished himself in city managementB)He is head of the International Police ForceC)He completed his higher education abroadD)He holds a master‟s degree in criminology28 A)To coordinate work among police departmentsB)To get police officers closer to the local peopleC)To help the residents in times of emergencyD)To enable the police to take prompt action29 A)PopularB)discouragingC)effectiveD)controversialPassage TwoQuestions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.30 A)people differ greatly in their ability to communicateB)there are numerous languages in existenceC)Most public languages are inherently vagueD)Big gaps exist between private and public languages31 A)it is a sign of human intelligenceB)in improves with constant practiceC)it is something we are born withD)it varies from person to person32 A)how private languages are developedB)how different languages are relatedC)how people create their languagesD)how children learn to use languagePassage ThreeQuestions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.33 A)she was a tailorB)she was an engineerC)she was an educatorD)she was a public speaker34.A)Basing them on science-fiction movies.B) Including interesting examples in themC) Adjusting them to different audiencesD) Focusing on the latest progress in space science35.A) Whether spacemen carry weaponsB) How spacesuits protect spacemenC) How NASA trains its spacemenD) What spacemen cat and drinkSection 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 second time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43 with the exact words you have just heard. For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are required to fill in the missing information. For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.Crime is increasing world wide. There is every reason to believe the (36)____will continue through the next few decades.Crime rates have always been high in multicultural, industrialized societies such as the United States, but a new (37) ____has appeared on the world (38)____rapidly rising crime rates in nations that previously reported few(39)____. Street crimes such as robbery, rape (40) ___and auto theft are clearly rising (41)___in eastern European countries such as Hungary and in western European nations such as the united Kingdom.What is driving this crime (42)____?There are no simple answers. Still，there are certain conditions(43) _______with rising crime increasing heterogeneity (混杂) of populations, greater cultural pluralism, higher immigration, democratization of government,(44) _________________________________________________.These conditions are increasingly observable around the world. For instance, cultures that were previously isolated and homogeneous(同种类的) ,such as Japan, Denmark and Greece (45)_______________________.Multiculturalism can be a rewarding, enriching experience, but it can also lead to a clash of values. Heterogeneity in societies will be the rule in the twenty-first century, and (46)_______________________ Part IV Reading Comprehension （Reading in Depth）（25 minutes）Section AQuestion 47-56A bookless life is an incomplete life. Books influence the depth and breadth of life. They meet the natural______47_____for freedom, for expression, for creativity and beauty of life. Learners, therefore, must have books, and the right type of book, for the satisfaction of their need. Readers turn______48_____ to books becausetheir curiosity concerning all manners of things, their eagerness to share in the experiences of others and their need to ____49 _____ from their own limited environment lead them to find in books food for the mind and the spirit. Through their reading they find a deeper significance to life as books acquaint them with life in the world as it was and it is now. They are presented with a __50 _____ of human experiences and come to ___51 ____ other ways of thought and living. And while ____52 ____ their own relationships and responses to life , the readers often find that the ___53__ in their stories are going through similar adjustments, which help to clarify and give significance to their own.Books provide ___54 ____ material for readers‟ imagination to grow. Imagination is a valuable quality and a motivating power, and stimulates achievement. While enriching their imagination, books __55 ____their outlook, develop a fact-finding attitude and train them to use leisure ___56 ___. The social and educational significance of the readers‟ books cannot be overestimated in an academic library.A. AbundantB. CharactersC. CommunicatingD. CompletelyE. DeriveF. DesireG. DiversityH. EscapeI. EstablishingJ. NarrowK. NaturallyL. PersonnelM. ProperlyN. RespectO. WidenSection BDirections: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 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.If you are a male and you are reading this ,congratulations: you are a survivor .According to statistics .you are more than twice as likely to die of skin cancer than a woman ,and nine times more likely to die of AIDS. Assuming you make it to the end of your natural term, about 78 years for men in Australia, you will die on average five years before a woman.There are many reasons for this-typically, men take more risks than woman and are more likely to drink and smoke but perhaps more importantly, men don‟t go to the doctor.“Men aren‟t seeing doctors as often as they should, ” says Dr. Gullotta, “This is particularly so for the over-40s,when diseases tend to strike.”Gullotta says a healthy man should visit the doctor every year or two. For those over 45,it should be at least once a year.Two months ago Gullotta saw a 50-year-old ma who had delayed doing anything about his smoker‟s cough for a year.“When I finally saw him it had already spread and he has since died from lung cancer” he says, “Earlier detection and treatment may not have cured him, but it would have pr olonged this life”According to a recent survey, 95%of women aged between 15 and early 40s see a doctor once a year, compared to 70% of men in the same age group.“A lot of men think they are invincible （不可战胜的）”Gullotta says “They only come in when a friend drops dead on the golf course and they think”Geez, if it could happen to him.Then there is the ostrich approach,” some men are scared of what might be there and would rather not know, ” says Dr. Ross Cartmill.“Most men get their cars serviced more reg ularly than they service their bodies,” Cartmill says .He believes most diseases that commonly affect men could be addressed by preventive check-ups.Regular check-ups for men would inevitably place strain on the public purse, Cartmill says.” But preventio n is cheaper in the long run than having to treat the diseases. Besides, the ultimate cost is far greater: it is called premature death.”57.Why does the author congratulate his male readers at the beginning of the passage?A. They are more likely to survive serious diseases today.B. Their average life span has been considerably extended.C. They have lived long enough to read this article.D. They are sure to enjoy a longer and happier live.58.What does the author state is the most important reason men die five years earlier on average than women?A. men drink and smoke much more than womenB. men don‟t seek medical care as often as womenC. men aren‟t as cautions as women in face of dangerD. men are more likely to suffer from fatal diseases59. Which of the following best completes the sentence “Geez, if it could happen to him…‟(line2,para,8)?A. it could happen to me, tooB. I should avoid playing golfC. I should consider myself luckyD. it would be a big misfortune60what does Dr. Ross Cartmill mean b y “the ostrich approach”(line q para.9)A. a casual attitude towards one‟s health conditionsB. a new therapy for certain psychological problemsC. refusal to get medical treatment for fear of the pain involvedD. unwillingness to find out about one‟s dise ase because of fear61. What does Cartmill say about regular check-ups for men?A.They may increase public expensesB.They will save money in the long runC.They may cause psychological strains on menD.They will enable men to live as long as womenPassage TwoQuestions 62 to 66 are based on the following passage.High-quality customer service is preached(宣扬) by many ,but actually keeping customers happy is easier said than doneShoppers seldom complain to the manager or owner of a retail store, but instead will alert their friends, relatives, co-workers, strangers-and anyone who will listen.Store managers are often the last to hear complaints, and often find out only when their regular customersdecide t frequent their competitors, according to a study jointly conducted by V erde group and Wharton school “Storytelling hurts retailers and entertains consumers,” said Paula Courtney, President of the V erde group.” the store loses the customer, but the shopper must also find a replacement.”On average, every unhappy customer will complain to at least four other, and will no longer visit the specific store for every dissatisfied customer, a store will lose up to three more due to negative reviews. The resulting “snowball effect” can be disastrous to retailers.According to the research, shoppers who purchased clothing encountered the most problems. ranked second and third were grocery and electronics customers.The most common complaints include filled parking lots, cluttered (塞满了的) shelves, overloaded racks, out-of-stock items, long check-out lines, and rude salespeople.During peak shopping hours, some retailers solved the parking problems by getting moonlighting（业余兼职的）local police to work as parking attendants. Some hired flag wavers to direct customers to empty parking spaces. This guidance eliminated the need for customers to circle the parking lot endlessly, and avoided confrontation between those eyeing the same parking space.Retailers can relieve the headaches by redesigning store layouts, pre-stocking sales items, hiring speedy and experienced cashiers, and having sales representatives on hand to answer questions.Most importantly, salespeople should be diplomatic and polite with angry customers.“Retailers who‟re responsive and friendly are more likely to smooth over issues than those who aren‟t so friendly.” said Professor Stephen Hoch. “Maybe something as simple as a greeter at the store entrance would help.”Customers can also improve future shopping experiences by filing complaints to the retailer, instead of complaining to the rest of the world. Retailers are hard-pressed to improve when they have no idea what is wrong. 注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答62. Why are store managers often the last to hear complaints?A Most customers won‟t bother to complain even if they have had unhappy experiences.B Customers would rather relate their unhappy experiences to people around them.C Few customers believe the service will be improved.D Customers have no easy access to store managers.63. What does Paula Courtney imply by saying “ … the shopper must also find a replacement” (Line 2, Para. 4)?A New customers are bound to replace old ones.B It is not likely the shopper can find the same products in other stores.C Most stores provide the sameD Not complaining to the manager causes the shopper some trouble too.64. Shop owners often hire moonlighting police as parking attendants so that shoppers_____A can stay longer browsing in the storeB won‟t have trouble parking their carsC won‟t have any worries about securityD can find their cars easily after shopping65. What contributes most to smoothing over issues with customers?A Manners of the salespeopleB Hiring of efficient employeesC Huge supply of goods for saleD Design of the store layout.66. To achieve better shopping experiences, customers are advised to _________.A exert pressure on stores to improve their serviceB settle their disputes with stores in a diplomatic wayC voice their dissatisfaction to store managers directlyD shop around and make comparisons between storesPart V Cloze （15 minutes）Directions: There are 20 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are four choices marked [A], [B], [C]and [D] on the right side of the paper. You should choose the ONE that best fits into the passage. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Playing organized sports is such a common experience in the United States that many children and teenagers that them for granted. This is especially true__67__children from families and communities that have the resources needed to organize and__68__sports programs and make sure that there is easy__69__to participation opportunities. Children in low-income families and poor communities are__70__likely to take organized youth sports for granted because they often__71__the resources needed to pay for participation__72__, equipment, and transportation to practices and games__73__ their communities do not have resources to build and__74__sports fields and facilities.Organized youth sports__75__appeared during the early 20th century in the United States and other wealthy nations. They were originally developed__76__some educators and developmental experts__77__that the behavior and character of children were__78__influenced by their social surrounding and everyday experiences. This__79__many people to believe that if you could organize the experiences of children in__80__ways, you could influence the kinds of adults that those children would become.This belief that the social__81__influenced a person‟s overall development was very__82__to people interested in progress and reform in the United States__83__the beginning of the 20th century. It caused them to think about__84__they might control the experiences of children to__85__responsible and productive adults. They believed strongly that democracy depended on responsibility and that a__86__capitalist economy depended on the productivity of worker.67. A. among B. within C. on D. towards68. A. spread B. speed C. spur D. sponsor69. A. access B. entrance C. chance D. route70 A. little B. less C. more D. much71. A. shrink B. tighten C. limit D. lack72. A. bill B accounts C. fees D. fare73. A. so B. as C. and D. but74. A. maintain B. sustain C. contain D. entertain75.A. last B. first C. later D. finally76.A. before B. while C. until D. when77.A. realized B. recalled C. expected D. exhibited78.A. specifically B. excessively C. strongly D. exactly79. A. moved B. conducted C. put D. led80. A. precise B. precious C. particular D. peculiar81.A. engagement B. environment C. state D. status82.A. encouraging B. disappointing C. upsetting D. surprising83.A. for B. with C. over D. at84.A. what B. how C. whatever D. however85.A. multiply B. manufacture C. produce D. provide。
2008年12月大学英语四级考试试题及答案
Part Ⅰ WritingDirections: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled Limiting the Use of Disposable Plastic Bags. You should write at least 120 words following the outline given below:1. 一次性塑料袋曾广为使用2. 由此带来的问题3. 限制使用一次性塑料袋的意义Limiting the Use of Disposable Plastic Bags范文点评Limiting the Use of Disposable Plastic BagsRecently, limiting the use of disposable plastic bags has been brought to popular attention in China. No one would deny that they once gained great popularity in our daily life.However, what would our society be like with the excessive use? In the past few years, there has been a sharp growth in using plastic bags, which has given a rise to such a series of problems as more serious environmental pollution. What’s worse, some bags are of poor-quality, and even harmful to health.Awareness of the matter in question is one thing, but more important to us is the step of how to cope with it. From June 1st this year, using of disposable plastic bags in supermarkets is limited strictly. As a result, people come to raise more awareness of environment protection and the business cost in supermarkets is cut down as well. In this way, we can achieve the sustainable development of our country.Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) 标准时间实际用时15 minDirections: 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.That’s enough, kidsIt was a lovely day at the park and Stella Bianchi was enjoying the sunshine with her two children when a young boy, aged about four, approached her two-year-old son and pushed him to the ground.“I’d watched him for a little while and my son was the fourth or fifth child he’d shoved,” she says. “I went overto them, picked up my son, turned to the boy and said, firmly, ‘No, we don’t push.’” What happened next was unexpected.“The boy’s mother ran toward me from across the park,” Stella says. “I thought she was coming over to apologise, but instead she started shouting at me for ‘disciplining her child. All I did was let him know his behavior was unacceptable. Was I supposed to sit back while her kid did whatever he wanted, hurting other children in the process?”Getting your own children to play nice is difficult enough. Dealing with other people’s children has become a minefield.In my house, jumping on the sofa is not allowed. In my sister’s house it’s encouraged. For her, it’s about kids being kids: “If you can’t do it at three, when can you do it?”Each of these philosophies is valid and, it has to be said, my son loves vis iting his aunt’s house. But I find myself saying “no” a lot when her kids are over at mine. That’s OK between sisters but becomes dangerous territory when you’re talking to the children of friends or acquaintances.“Kids aren’t all raised the same,” agrees Professor Naomi White of Monash University.“ But there’s still an idea that they’re the property of the parents. We see our children as an extension of ourselves, so if you’re saying that my child is behaving inappropriately, then that’s somehow a criticism of me.”In those circumstances, it’s difficult to know whether to approach the child directly or the parent first.“I’d go to the child first,” says Andrew Fuller, author of Tricky Kids. “Usually a quiet reminder that ‘we don’tdo that here is enough. Kids have finely tuned antennae (直觉) for how to behave in different settings.”He points out that bringing it up with the parent first may make them feel neglectful, which could causeproblems. Of course, approaching the child first can bring its own headaches, too.This is why White recommends that you approach the parents first. “Raise your concerns with the parents if they’re there and ask them to deal with it,” she says.Asked how to approach a parent in this situation, psychologist Meredith Fuller answers: “Explain your needs as well as stressing the importance of the friendship. Preface your remarks with something like: ‘I know you’ll think I’m silly but in my house I don’t want...”When it comes to situations where you’re caring for another child, White is straightforward: “Common sense must prevail. If things don’t go well, then have a chat.”There’re a couple of new grey areas. Physical punishment, once accepted from any adult, is no longer appropriate. “Now you can’t do it without feeling uneasy about it,” White says.Men might also feel uneasy about dealing with other people’s children. “Men feel nervous,” White says. “A new set of considerations has come to the fore as part of the debate about how we handle children.”For Andrew Fuller, the child-centric nature of our society has affected everyone.“The rules are different now from when today’s parents were growing up,” he says, “Adults are scared of saying, ‘Don’t swear, or asking a child to stand up on a bus. They’re worried that there will be conflict if they point these things out—either from older children, or their parents.”He sees it as a loss of the sense of common public good and public courtesy (礼貌), and says that adults suffer form it as much as children.Meredith Fuller agrees. “A code of conduct is hard to create when you’re living in a world in which everyone is exhausted from overwork and lack of sleep, and a world in which nice people are pe rceived to finish last.”“It’s about what I’m doing and what I need,” Andrew Fuller says. “The days when a kid came home from school and said, ‘I got into trouble,’ and dad said, ‘you probably deserved it,’ are over. Now the parents are charging up to the school to have a go at teachers.”This jumping to our children’s defense is part of what fuels the “walking on eggshells” feeling that surrounds our dealings with other people’s children. You know that if you remonstrate (劝诫) with the child, you’re going to have to deal with the parent. It’s admirable to be protective of our kids, but is it good?“Children have to learn to negotiate the world on their own, within reasonable boundaries,” White says. “I suspect that it’s only certain sectors of the population doing the running to the school-better-educated parents are probably more likely to be too involved.”White believes our notions of a more child-centred society should be challenged. “Today we have a situation where, in m any families, both parents work, so the amount of time children get from parents has diminished,” she says.“Also, sometimes when we talk about being child-centred, it’s a way of talking about treating our children like commodities (商品). We’re centred on them but in ways that reflect positively on us. We treat them as objects whose appearance and achievements are something we can be proud of, rather than serve the best interests of the children.”One way over-worked, under-resourced parents show commitment to their children is to leap to their defence. Back at the park, Bianchi’s intervention (干预) on her son’s behalf ended in an undignified exchange of insulting words with the other boy’s mother.As Bianchi approached the park bench wh ere she’d been sitting, other mums came up to her and congratulated her on taking a stand. “Apparently the boy had a longstanding reputation for bad behaviour and his mum for even worse behaviour if he was challenged.”Andrew Fuller doesn’t believe that we should be afraid of dealing with other people’s kids. “Look at kids that aren’t your own as a potential minefield,” he says. He recommends that we don’t stay silent over inappropriate behaviour, particularly with regular visitors.1. What did Stella Bianc hi expect the young boy’s mother to do when she talked to him?A) Make an apology. B) Come over to intervene.C) Discipline her own boy. D) Take her own boy away.2. What does the author say about dealing with other people’s children?A) It’s important not to hurt them in any way.B) It’s no use trying to stop their wrongdoing.C) It’s advisable to treat them as one’s own kids.D) It’s possible for one to get into lots of trouble.3. According to Professor Naomi White of Monash University, when one’s kids a re criticised, their parents will probably feel .A) discouraged B) hurt C) puzzled D) overwhelmed4. What should one do when seeing other people’s kids misbehave according to Andrew Fuller?A) Talk to them directly in a mild way. B) Complain to their parents politely.C) Simply leave them alone. D) Punish them lightly.5. Due to the child-centric nature of our society, .A) parents are worried when their kids swear at themB) people think it improper to criticise kids in publicC) people are relucta nt to point our kids’ wrongdoingsD) many conflicts arise between parents and their kids6. In a world where everyone is exhausted from overwork and lack of sleep, .A) it’s easy for people to become impatientB) it’s difficult to create a code of conduc tC) it’s important to be friendly to everybodyD) it’s hard for people to admire each other7. How did people use to respond when their kids got into trouble at school?A) They’d question the teachers. B) They’d charge up to the school.C) They’d tell the kids to calm down. D) They’d put the blame on their kids.8. Professor White believes that the notions of a more child-centred society should be .9. According to Professor White, today’s parents treat their children as something they .10. Andrew Fuller suggests that, when kids behave inappropriately, people should not .参考答案：1.A)2.D)3.B)4.A)5.C)6.B)7.D)8.challenged 9.can be proud of 10.stay silentPart Ⅲ Listening Comprehension 标准时间实际用时35 minSection 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.11. A) Only true friendship can last long.B) Letter writing is going out of style.C) She keeps in regular touch with her classmates.D) She has lost contact with most of her old friends.12. A) A painter. B) A mechanic. C) A porter. D) A carpenter.13. A) Look for a place near her office. B) Find a new job down the street.C) Make inquiries elsewhere. D) Rent the $600 apartment.14. A) He prefers to wear jeans with a larger waist.B) He has been extremely busy recently.C) He has gained some weight lately.D) He enjoyed going shopping with Jane yesterday.15. A)The woman possesses a natural talent for art. B) Women have a better artistic taste than men.C) He isn’t good at abstract thinking. D) He doesn’t like abstract paintings.16. A) She couldn’t have left her notebook in the library.B) She may have put her notebook amid the journals.C) She should have made careful notes while doing reading.D) She shouldn’t have read his notes without his knowing it.17. A) She wants to get some sleep. B) She needs time to write a paper.C) She has a literature class to attend. D) She is troubled by her sleep problem.18. A) He is confident he will get the job.B) His chance of getting the job is slim.C) It isn’t easy to find a qualified sales manager.D) The interview didn’t go as well as he expected.Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19. A) He can manage his time more flexibly. B) He can renew contact with his old friends.C) He can concentrate on his own projects. D) He can learn to do administrative work.20. A) Reading its ads in the newspapers. B) Calling its personnel department.C) Contacting its manager. D) Searching its website.21. A) To cut down its production expenses. B) To solve the problem of staff shortage.C) To improve its administrative efficiency. D) To utilize its retired employees’ resources.Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.22. A) Buy a tractor. B) Fix a house.C) See a piece of property. D) Sign a business contract.23. A) It is only forty miles form where they live. B) It is a small one with a two-bedroom house.C) It was bought at a price lower than expected. D) It has a large garden with fresh vegetables.24. A) Growing potatoes will involve less labor. B) Its soil may not be very suitable for corn.C) It may not be big enough for raising corn. D) Raising potatoes will be more profitable.25. A) Finances. B) Labor. C) Equipment. D) Profits.参考答案：11.D) 12.A) 13.C) 14.C) 15.D) 16.B) 17.A) 18.B) 19.A) 20.D) 21.D) 22.C) 23.B) 24.C) 25.A)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 26 to 29 are based on the passage you have just heard.26. A) To introduce the chief of the city’s police force.B) To comment on a talk by a distinguished guest.C) To address the issue of community security.D) To explain the functions of the city council.27. A) He has distinguished himself in city management.B) He is head of the International Police Force.C) He completed his higher education abroad.D) He holds a master’s degree in criminology.28. A) To coordinate work among police departments.B) To get police officers closer to the local people.C) To help the residents in times of emergency.D) To enable the police to take prompt action.29. A) Popular. B) Discouraging. C) Effective. D) Controversial.Passage TwoQuestions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.30. A) People differ greatly in their ability to communicate.B) There are numerous languages in existence.C) Most public languages are inherently vague.D) Big gaps exist between private and public languages.31. A) It is a sign of human intelligence. B) It improves with constant practice.C) It is something we are born with. D) It varies from person to person.32. A) How private languages are developed. B) How different languages are related.C) How people create their languages. D) How children learn to use language.Passage ThreeQuestions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.33. A) She was a tailor. B) She was an engineer.C) She was an educator. D) She was a public speaker.34. A) Basing them on science fiction movies. B) Including interesting examples in them.C) Adjusting them to different audiences. D) Focusing on the latest progress in space science.35. A) Whether spacemen carry weapons. B) How spacesuits protect spacemen.C) How NASA trains its spacemen. D) What spacemen eat and drink.参考答案：26.A) 27.D) 28.B) 29.C) 30.B) 31.C) 32.D) 33.B) 34.C) 35.A)Section CDirections: In this section. you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43 with the exact words you have just heard. For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are required to fill in the missing information. For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.Crime is increasing worldwide. There is every reason to believe the (36) will continue through the next few decades.Crime rates have always been high in multicultural, industrialized societies such as the United States, but a new (37) has appeared on the world (38) —rapidly rising crime rates in nations that previously reported few (39). Street crimes such as robbery, rape, (40), and auto theft are clearly rising, (41) in eastern European countries such as Hungary and in western European nations such as the United Kingdom.What is driving this crime (42)? There are no simple answers. Still，there are certain conditions (43) with rising crime: increasing heterogeneity (混杂) of populations, greater cultural pluralism, higher immigration, democratization of government, (44).These conditions are increasingly observable around the world. For instance, cultures that were previously isolated and homogeneous (同种类的), such as Japan, Denmark and Greece (45).Multiculturalism can be a rewarding, enriching experience, but it can also lead to a clash of values. Heterogeneity in societies will be the rule in the twenty-first century, and (46).参考答案：36. trend 37.phenomenon 38.scene 39.offences 40.murder41. particularly 42.explosion 43.associated44. changing national borders, greater economic growth and the lack of accepted social ideas of right and wrong45. are now facing the sort of cultural variety that has been common in America for most of its history.46. failure to recognize and plan for such diversity can lead to serious crime problemsPart Ⅳ Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth) 标准时间实际用时25 minSection 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 47 to 56 are based on the following passage.A bookless life is an incomplete life. Books influence the depth and breadth of life. They meet the natural 47 desire F for freedom, for expression, for creativity and beauty of life. Learners, therefore, must have books, and the right type of book, for the satisfaction of their need. Readers turn 48 naturally K to books because their curiosity concerning all manners of things, their eagerness to share in the experiences of others and their need to 49 escape H from their own limited environment lead them to find in books food for the mind and the spirit. Through their reading they find a deeper significance to life as books acquaint them with life in the world as it was and it is now. They are presented with a 50 diversity G of human experiences and come to 51 respect N other ways of thought and living. And while 52 establishing I their own relationships and responses to life, the readers often find that the 53 charactersB in their stories are going through similar adjustments, which help to clarify and give significance to their own.Books provide 54 A) abundant material for readers imagination to grow. Imagination is a valuable quality and a motivating power, and stimulates achievement. While enriching their imagination, books 55 O) widen their outlook, develop a fact finding attitude and train them to use leisure 56 M) properly. The social and educational significance of the readers books cannot be overestimated in an academic library.A) abundant F) desire K) naturallyB) characters G) diversity L) personnelC) communicating H) escape M) properlyD) completely I) establishing N) respectE) derive J) narrow O) widen参考答案：47.F) 48.K) 49.H) 50.G) 51.N) 52.I)(D?) 53.B) 54.A) 55.O) 56.M)Section BDirections: 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 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.If you’re a male and you’re reading this, congratulati ons: you’re a survivor. According to statistics, you are more than twice as likely to die of skin cancer than a woman, and nine times more likely to die of AIDS. Assuming youmake it to the end of your natural term, about 78 years for men in Australia, you’ll die on average five years before a woman.You’re many reasons for this—typically, men take more risks than woman and are more likely to drink and smoke—but perhaps more importantly, men don’t go to the doctor.“Men aren’t seeing doctors as often as the y should,” says Dr. Gullotta, “This is particularly so for the over 40s, when diseases tend to strike.”Gullotta says a healthy man should visit the doctor every year or two. For those over 45, it should be at least once a year.Two months ago Gullotta saw a 50-year-old man who had delayed doing anything about his smoker’s cough for a year.“When I finally saw him it had already spread and he has since died from lung cancer,” he says. “Earlier detection and treatment may not have cured him, but it would have prolonged (延长) his life.”According to a recent survey, 95% of women aged between 15 and early 40s see a doctor once a year, compared to 70% of men in the same age group.“A lot of men think they are invincible （不可战胜的）,” Gullotta says. “They only come in when a frien d drops dead on the golf course and they think, ‘Geez, if it could happen to him,...”Then there’s the ostrich approach. “Some men are scared of what might be there and would rather not know,” says Dr. Ross Cartmill.“Most men get their cars serviced more regularly than they service their bodies,” Cartmill says. He believes most diseases that commonly affect men could be addressed by preventive check ups.Regular check-ups for men would inevitably place strain on the public purse, Cartmill says. “But preve ntion is cheaper in the long run than having to treat the diseases. Besides, the ultimate cost is far greater: it’s called premature death.”57. Why does the author congratulate his male readers at the beginning of the passage?A) They are more likely to survive serious diseases today.B) Their average life span has been considerably extended.C) They have lived long enough to read this article.D) They are sure to enjoy a longer and happier life.58. What does the author state is the most important reason men die five years earlier on average than women?A) Men drink and smoke much more than women.B) Men don’t seek medical care as often as women.C) Men aren’t as cautions as women in face of danger.D) Men are more likely to suffer from fatal diseases.59. Which of the following best completes the sentence ‘Geez, if it could happen to him,... (line 2, Para.8)?A) it could happen to me, too B) I should avoid playing golfC) I should consider myself lucky D) it would be a big misfortune60. What does Dr. Ross Cartmill mean by “the ostrich approach” (line 1, Para.9)?A) A casual attitude toward s one’s health conditions.B) A new therapy for certain psychological problems.C) Refusal to get medical treatment for fear of the pain involved.D) Unwillingness to find out about one’s disease because of fear.61. What does Cartmill say about regular check-ups for men?A) They may increase public expenses.B) They will save money in the long run.C) They may cause psychological strains on men.D) They will enable men to live as long as women.Passage TwoQuestions 62 to 66 are based on the following passage.High-quality customer service is preached (宣扬) by many, but actually keeping customers happy is easier said than done.Shoppers seldom complain to the manager or owner of a retail store, but instead will alter their friends, relatives, co-workers, strangers—and anyone who will listen.Store managers are often the last to hear complaints, and often find out only when their regular customers decide to frequent their competitors, according to a study jointly conducted by Verde Group and Wharton School. “Storytelling hurts retailers and entertains consumers,” said Paula Courtney, President of the Verde Group. “The store loses the customer, but the shopper must also find a replacement.”On average, every unhappy customer will complain to at least four others, and will no longer visit the specific store. For every dissatisfied customer, a store will lose up to three more due to negative reviews. The resulting “snowball effect” can be disas trous to retailers.According to the research, shoppers who purchased clothing encountered the most problems. Ranked second and third were grocery and electronics customers.The most common complaints include filled parking lots, cluttered (塞满了的) shelves, overloaded racks,out-of-stock items, long check-out lines, and rude salespeople.During peak shopping hours, some retailers solved the parking problems by getting moonlighting (业余兼职的) local police to work as parking attendants. Some hired flag wavers to direct customers to empty parking spaces. This guidance eliminated the need for customers to circle the parking lot endlessly, and avoided confrontation between those eyeing the same parking space.Retailers can relieve the headaches by redesigning store layouts, pre-stocking sales items, hiring speedy and experienced cashiers, and having sales representatives on hand to answer questions.Most importantly, salespeople should be diplomatic and polite with angry customers.“Retailers who’re responsive and friendly are more likely to smooth over issues than those who aren’t so friendly,” said Professor Stephen Hoch. “Maybe something as simple as a greeter at the store entrance would help.”Customers can also improve future shopping experiences by filing complaints to the retailer, instead of complaining to the rest of the world. Retailers are hard-pressed to improve when they have no idea what is wrong.62. Why are store managers often the last to hear complaints?A) Most customers won’t bother to complain even if they have had unhappy experiences.B) Customers would rather relate their unhappy experiences to people around them.C) Few customers believe the service will be improved.D) Customers have no easy access to store managers.63. What does P aula Courtney imply by saying “... the shopper must also find a replacement” (Line 2, Para. 4)?A) New customers are bound to replace old ones.B) It is not likely the shopper can find the same products in other stores.C) Most stores provide the same kind of service.D) Not complaining to the manager causes the shopper some trouble too.64. Shop owners often hire moonlighting police as parking attendants so that shoppers .A) can stay longer browsing in the store B) won’t have trouble parking their carsC) won t have any worries about security D) can find their cars easily after shopping65. What contributes most to smoothing over issues with customers?A) Manners of the salespeople. B) Hiring of efficient employees.C) Huge supply of goods for sale. D) Design of the store layout.66. To achieve better shopping experiences, customers are advised to .A) exert pressure on stores to improve their serviceB) settle their disputes with stores in a diplomatic wayC) voice their dissatisfaction to store managers directlyD) shop around and make comparisons between stores参考答案：57.C) 58.B) 59.A) 60.D) 61.B) 62.B) 63.D) 64.B) 65.A) 66.C)Part Ⅴ Cloze 标准时间实际用时15 minDirections: There are 20 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D) on the right side of the paper. You should choose the ONE that best fits into the passage. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Playing organized sports is such a common experience in the United States that many children and teenagers take them for granted. This is especially true 67 A) among children from families and communities that have the resources needed to organize and 68 D) sponsor sports programs and make sure that there is easy 69A) access to participation opportunities. Children in low-income families and poor communities are 70B) less likely to take organized youth sports for granted because they often 71 D) lack the resources needed to pay for participation 72 C) fees, equipment, and transportation to practices and games 73 B) as their communities do not have resources to build and 74 A) maintain sports fields and facilities.Organized youth sports 75B) first appeared during the early 20th century in the United States and other wealthy nations. They were originally developed 76 D) when some educators and developmental experts 77 A) realized that the behavior and character of children were 78 C) strongly influenced by their social surrounding and everyday experiences. This 79 D) led many people to believe that if you could organize the experiences of children in 80 C) particular ways, you could influence the kinds of adults that those children would become.This belief that the social 81B) environment influenced a person’s overall development was very 82 A) encouraging to people interested in progress and reform in the United States 83 D) at the beginning of the 20th century. It caused them to think about 84 B) how they might control the experiences of children to 85 C) produce responsible and productive adults. They believed strongly that democracy depended on responsibility and that a 86 A) growing capitalist economy depended on the productivity of worker.67. A) among B) withinC) on D) towards68. A) spread B) speedC) spur D) sponsor69. A) access B) entranceC) chance D) route70. A) little B) lessC) more D) much71. A) shrink B) tightenC) limit D) lack72. A) bill B) accountsC) fees D) fare73. A) so B) asC) and D) but74. A) maintain B) containC) sustain D) entertain75. A) last B) firstC) later D) finally76. A) before B) whileC) until D) when77. A) realized B) recalledC) expected D) exhibited78. A) specifically B) excessivelyC) strongly D) exactly79. A) moved B) conductedC) put D) led80. A) precise B) preciousC) particular D) peculiar81. A) engagement B) environmentC)state D) status82. A) encouraging B) disappointingC) upsetting D) surprising83. A) for B) withC) over D) at84. A) what B) howC) whatever D) however85. A) multiply B) manufactureC) produce D) provide。
2008年12月真题听力作文快速阅读
cultural pluralism 文化混杂 variety 多样化 diversity 多样性
写作：Limiting the Use of Disposable Plastic Bags
1.
overuse of plastic bags 2. the problem 3. the meaning of limiting the use of plastic bags
Section B
Passage One
city council
市议会
It’s my privilege/honor to …很荣幸…
chief of city’s police force 市检察机关检察长 address sb. on…发表关于…的演讲 Master’s degree 硕士学位 criminology 犯罪学 dynamic 动态的 hook up 以钩钩住，围绕 drug treat centers 戒毒所
Section B
Passage Two
approximately 大约的，近似的 necessarily 一定，必须 breakdown 崩溃 infinite 无限的 Imitation 模仿 association 联想 combine 组合 unique 独一无二的 Infant 幼儿，婴儿 underneath 在下面
14. Jeans 牛仔裤 waist 腰身 infer from 推断
Section A
15. abstract painting 抽象画 taste 喜好
16. Check 检查； a pile of journals 一堆/一大堆杂志/刊物 17. exhausted 筋疲力尽； I was up till… decline 取消，拒绝
2008年12月英语四级听力考试长对话设题点解密
⼀、对话的开头 对话的开头部分⼀般都会引出谈话的主题，⽐较容易设主旨题，主要考查对谈话主题或所涉及场景的把握。
【例1】(新06-6-19) [A] To make a business report to the woman. [B]To be interviewed for a job in the woman's company. [C] To resign from his position in the woman's company. [D] To exchange stock market information with the woman. W: Please have a seat, Mr. Thunders. I received your job resume last week, and was very impressed. M: Thank you! W: We are a small financial company trading mostly stocks and bonds. May I ask why you are interested in working for us? 19. What's the purpose of Mr. Thunder's visit? 【解析】主旨题。
问候之后的⾸句往往引出谈话的主题，也经常是长对话第⼀道问题的设题点。
请到访者就座后，⼥⼠直接进⼊正题，上周受到你的⼯作简历，表明对话是围绕男⼠申请⼯作这⼀话题展开的，故答案为[B]。
⼆、对话的结尾 对话结尾往往会涉及对话双⽅的态度、建议或决定等总结性的内容，⽽且经常能够进⼀步体现对话的主题及场景，也是出题者设题时考虑的重点。
【例6】(新06-6-25) [A] Changing her major. [B]Spending less of her parents' money. [C]Getting transferred to the English Department. [D]Leaving the university. …… W: ……They would be so disappointed though if I told them I was quitting. 25. What is Karen thinking of doing? 【解析】细节题。
2008年12月大学英语四级听力试题版
CET4 2008.12Part III Listening ComprehensionSection 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.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
11.A) Only true friendship can last long.B) Letter writing is going out of style.C) She keeps in regular touch with her classmates.D) She has lost contact with most of her old friends.12.A) A painter. C) A porter.B) A mechanic. D) A carpenter.13.A) Look for a place near her office. C) Make inquiries elsewhere.B) Find a new job down the street. D) Rent the $600 apartment.14.A) He prefers to wear jeans with a larger waist.B) He has been extremely busy recently.C) He has gained some weight lately.D) He enjoyed going shopping with Jane yesterday.15.A)The woman possesses a natural for art.B) Women have a better artistic taste than men.C) He isn’t good at abstract thinking.D) He do esn’t like abstract paintings.16.A) She couldn’t have left her notebook in the library.B) she may have put her notebook amid the journals.C) she should have made careful notes while doing reading.D) she shouldn’t have read his notes without his knowin g it.17.A)she wants to get some sleep C) she has a literature class to attendB) she needs time to write a paper D)she is troubled by her sleep problem18.A)He is confident he will get the job.B)His chance of getting the job is slim.C)It isn’t easy to find a qualified sales manager.D)The interview didn’t go as well as he expected.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19.A) He can manage his time more flexibly.B) He can renew contact with his old friends.C) He can concentrate on his own projects.D) He can learn to do administrative work.20.A) Reading its ads in the newspapers.B) Calling its personnel department.C) Contacting its manager.D) Searching its website.21.A) To cut down its production expenses.B) To solve the problem of staff shortage.C) To improve its administrative efficiency.D) To utilize its retired employees’ resources.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.22.A) Buy a tractor.B) Fix a house.C) See a piece of property.D) Sign a business contract.23.A) It is only forty miles form where they live.B) It is a small one with a two-bedroom house.C) It was a large garden with fresh vegetables.D) It has a large garden with fresh vegetables.24. A)Growing potatoes will involve less labor.B) Its soil may not be very suitable for corn.C) It may not be big enough for raising corn.D) Raising potatoes will be more profitable.25A) FinancesB) EquipmentC) LaborD) ProfitsSection 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 One26A) To introduce the chief of the city’s police forceB) To comment on a talk by a distinguished guestC) To address the issue of community securityD) To explain the functions of the city council27A) He has distinguished himself in city managementB) He is head of the International Police ForceC) He completed his higher education abroadD) He holds a master’s degree in criminology28A) To coordinate work among police departmentsB) To get police officers closer to the local peopleC) To help the residents in times of emergencyD) To enable the police to take prompt action29A) PopularB) discouragingC) effectiveD) controversialPassage Two30A) people differ greatly in their ability to communicateB) there are numerous languages in existenceC) Most public languages are inherently vagueD) Big gaps exist between private and public languages31A) it is a sign of human intelligenceB) in improves with constant practiceC) it is something we are born withD) it varies from person to person32A) how private languages are developedB) how different languages are relatedC) how people create their languagesD) how children learn to use languagePassage Three33A) she was a tailorB) she was an engineerC) she was an educatorD) she was a public speaker34.A) Basing them on science-fiction movies.B) Including interesting examples in themC) Adjusting them to different audiencesD) Focusing on the latest progress in space science35.A) Whether spacemen carry weaponsB) How spacesuits protect spacemenC) How NASA trains its spacemenD) What spacemen cat and drinkSection CDirections: In this section .you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the first time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36to43 with the exact words you have just heard. For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
2008年12月大学英语四级真题试卷(题后含答案及解析)
2008年12月大学英语四级真题试卷(题后含答案及解析)题型有：1. Writing 2. Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) 3. Listening Comprehension 4. Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth) 5. Cloze 8. TranslationPart I Writing (30 minutes)1．For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled Limiting the Use of Disposable Plastic Bags. You should write at least 120 words following the outline given below in Chinese:1. 一次性塑料袋曾被广泛使用。
2. 使用一次性塑料袋带来的问题。
3. 限制使用一次性塑料袋的意义。
Limiting the Use of Disposable Plastic Bags _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ ________________正确答案：Limiting the Use of Disposable Plastic Bags There was a time when disposable plastic bags obtained great popularity among people on the rungs of social ladder, for they definitely brought convenience to people who went shopping at supermarkets or department stores. Yet, recently, there is a growing voice against the wide use of disposable plastic bags. The voice arises from several problems caused by such plastic bags. To begin with, as it is not easy to decompose, disposable plastic bags may pollute our environment for a relatively long time. Worse still, it poses tremendous harm to people’s health. In such a society with quick pace of life, it is not uncommon for people to have instant food wrapped in disposable plastic bags. Logically, people will absorb some poisonous chemical material while enjoying such convenience. Accordingly, owing to the above harms, it will benefit humans greatly, if we spare no effort to ban the use of disposable plastic bags. The threats from such plastic material will gradually and eventually vanish and perish. And the manufacturing of new substitute products of this kind of bags can also create more job opportunities and promote economy development positively.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 attached to the passage. For questions 1-7, mark：Y (for YES) if the statement agrees with the information given in the passage;N (for NO) if the statement contradicts the information given in the passage;NG (for NOT GIVEN)if the information is not given in the passage.That’s enough, kids It was a lovely day at the park and Stella Bianchi was enjoying the sunshine with her two children when a young boy, aged about four, approached her two-year-old son and pushed him to the ground. “I’dwatched him for a little while and my son was the fourth or fifth child he’d shoved,”she says. “I went over to them, picked up my son, turned to the boy and said, firmly, ‘No, we don’t push.’” What happened next was unexpected. “The boy’s mother ran toward me from across the park,” Stella says. “I thought she was coming over to apologise, but instead she started shouting at me for ‘ disciplining her child’. All I did was let him know his behaviour was unacceptable. Was I supposed to sit back while her kid did whatever he wanted, hurting other children in the process?”Getting your own children to play nice is difficult enough. Dealing with other people’s children has become a minefield. In my house, jumping on the sofa is not allowed. In my sister’s house it’s encouraged. For her it’s about kids being kids: “If you can’t do it at three, when can you do it?”Each of these philosophies is valid and, it has to be said, my son loves visiting his aunt’s house. But I find myself saying “no” a lot when her kids are over at mine. That’s OK between sisters but becomes dangerous territory when you’re talking to the children of friends or acquaintances. “Kids aren’t all raised the same,” agrees Professor Naomi White of Monash University. “But there’s still an idea that they’re the property of the parents. We see our children as an extension of ourselves, so if you’re saying that my child is behaving inappropriately, then that’s somehow a criticism of me.”In those circumstances, ifs difficult to know whether to approach the child directly or the parent first. There are two schools of thought, “I’d go to the child first,” says Andrew Fuller, author of Trick).’ Kids. “Usually a quiet reminder that ‘we don’t do that here’is enough. Kids have finely tuned antennae (直觉) for how to behave in different settings.”He points out that bringing it up with the parent first may make them feel neglectful, which could cause problems. Of course, approaching the child first can bring its own headaches, too. This is why White recommends that you approach the parents first. “Raise your concerns with the parents if they’re there and ask them to deal with it,”she says. Asked how to approach a parent in this situation, psychologist Meredith Fuller answers: “Explain your needs as well as stressing the importance of the friendship. Preface your remarks with something like: ‘I know you will think I’m silly but in my house I don’t want...’”When it comes to situations where you’re caring for another child, White is straightforward: “Common sense must prevail. If things don’t go well then have a chat.”There’re a couple of new grey areas. Physical punishment, once accepted from any adult, is no longer appropriate. “Now you can’t do it without feeling uneasy about it,”White says. Men might also feel uneasy about dealing with other people’s children. “Men feel nervous,” White says. “A new set of considerations has come to the fore as part of the debate about how we handle children.”For Andrew Fuller, the child-centric nature of our society has affected everyone. “The rules are different now from when today’s parents were growing up,”he says. “Adults are scared of saying, ‘Don’t swear’, or asking a child to stand up on a bus. They’re worried that there will be conflict if they point these things out--either from older children, or their parents.”He sees it as a loss of the sense of common public good and public courtesy(礼貌), and says that adults suffer from it as much as children. Meredith Fuller agrees. “A code of conduct is hard to create when you’re living in a world in which everyone is exhausted from overwork and lack ofsleep, and a world in which nice people are perceived to finish last.”“It’s about what I’m doing and what I need,” Andrew Fuller says. “The days when a kid came home from school and said, ‘I got into trouble’, and dad said, ‘You probably deserved it’, are over. Now the parents are charging up to the school to have a go at teachers.”This jumping to our children’s defence is part of what fuels the “walking on eggshells” feeling that surrounds our dealings with other people’s children. You know that if you remonstrate(劝诫) with the child, you’re going to have to deal with the parent. It’s admirable to be protective of our kids, but is it good? “Children have to learn to negotiate the world on their own, within reasonable boundaries,”White says. “I suspect that it’s only certain sectors of the population doing the running to the school--better-educated parents are probably more likely to be too involved.”White believes our notions of a more child-centred society should be challenged. “Today we have a situation where, in many families, both parents work, so the amount of time children get from parents has diminished,”she says. “Also, sometimes when we talk about being child-centred, it’s a way of talking about treating our children like commodities (商品). We’re centred on them but in ways that reflect positively on us. We treat them as objects whose appearance and achievements are something we can be proud of, rather than serve the best interests of the children.”One way over-worked, under-resourced parents show commitment to their children is to leap to their defence. Back at the park, Bianchi’s intervention(干预) on her son’s behalf ended in an undignified exchange of insulting words with the other boy’s mother. As Bianchi approached the park bench where she’d been sitting, other mums came up to her and congratulated her on taking a stand. “Apparently the boy had a longstanding reputation for bad behaviour and his mum for even worse behaviour if he was challenged.”Andrew Fuller doesn’t believe that we should be afraid of dealing with other people’s kids. “Look at kids that aren’t your own as a potential minefield,”he says. He recommends that we don’t stay silent over inappropriate behaviour, particularly with regular visitors.2．What did Stella Bianchi expect the young boy’s mother to do when she talked to him?A．Make an apology.B．Come over to intervene.C．Discipline her own boy.D．Take her own boy away.正确答案：A解析：根据题干信息定位到文章第三段中Stella的话的后半部分：“I thought she was coming over to apologise”，题干中expect一词与原文的thought构成同义替换，故答案选[A]本题的难点在于定位。
2008年12月大学英语四级考试听力真题及答案
2008年12月大学英语四级考试听力真题及答案Part III Listening ComprehensionSection 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.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
11.A) Only true friendship can last long.B) Letter writing is going out of style.C) She keeps in regular touch with her classmates.D) She has lost contact with most of her old friends.12. A) A painter. C) A porter.B) A mechanic. D) A carpenter.13. A) Look for a place near her office. C) Make inquiries elsewhere.B) Find a new job down the street. D) Rent the $600 apartment.14.A) He prefers to wear jeans with a larger waist.B) He has been extremely busy recently.C) He has gained some weight lately.D) He enjoyed going shopping with Jane yesterday.15.A)The woman possesses a natural for art.B) Women have a better artistic taste than men.C) He isn’t good at abstract thinking.D) He doesn’t like abstract paintings.16.A) She couldn’t have left her notebook in the library.B) she may have put her notebook amid the journals.C) she should have made careful notes while doing reading.D) she shouldn’t have read his notes without his knowing it.17. A)she wants to get some sleep C) she has a literature class to attendB) she needs time to write a paper D)she is troubled by her sleep problem18.A)He is confident he will get the job.B)His chance of getting the job is slim.C)It isn’t easy to find a qualified sales manager.D)The interview didn’t go as well as he expected.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19.A)He can manage his time more flexibly.B)He can renew contact with his old friends.C)He can concentrate on his own projects.D)He can learn to do administrative work.20.A)Reading its ads in the newspapers.B)Calling its personnel department.C)Contacting its manager.D)Searching its website.21.A)To cut down its production expenses.B)To solve the problem of staff shortage.C)To improve its administrative efficiency.D)To utilize its retired employees’resources.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.22.A)Buy a tractor.B)Fix a house.C)See a piece of property.D)Sing a business contract.23.A)It is only forty miles form where they live.B)It is a small one with a two-bedroom house.C)It was a large garden with fresh vegetables.D)It has a large garden with fresh vegetables.24.A)Growing potatoes will involve less labor.B)Its soil may not be very suitable for corn.C)It may not be big enough for raising corn.D)Raising potatoes will be more profitable.25 A)FinancesB)EquipmentC)LaborD)ProfitsSection 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 One26 A)To introduce the chief of the city’s police forceB)To comment on a talk by a distinguished guestC)To address the issue of community securityD)To explain the functions of the city council27 A)He has distinguished himself in city managementB)He is head of the International Police ForceC)He completed his higher education abroadD)He holds a master’s degree in criminology28 A)To coordinate work among police departmentsB)To get police officers closer to the local peopleC)To help the residents in times of emergencyD)To enable the police to take prompt action29 A)PopularB)discouragingC)effectiveD)controversialPassage Two30 A)people differ greatly in their ability to communicateB)there are numerous languages in existenceC)Most public languages are inherently vagueD)Big gaps exist between private and public languages31 A)it is a sign of human intelligenceB)in improves with constant practiceC)it is something we are born withD)it varies from person to person32 A)how private languages are developedB)how different languages are relatedC)how people create their languagesD)how children learn to use languagePassage Three33 A)she was a tailorB)she was an engineerC)she was an educatorD)she was a public speaker34.A)Basing them on science-fiction movies.B) Including interesting examples in themC) Adjusting them to different audiencesD) Focusing on the latest progress in space science35.A) Whether spacemen carry weaponsB) How spacesuits protect spacemenC) How NASA trains its spacemenD) What spacemen cat and drinkSection CDirections : In this section .you will hear a passage three time. When the passage is read for first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. when the passage is read for the first time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36to43 with the exact words you have just heard. For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
2008年12月四级听力真题解析
2008年12月四级听力真题解析
赵建昆
【期刊名称】《新东方英语（中英文版）》
【年(卷),期】2009(000)006
【摘要】2008年12月的四级考试依然延续着由技巧考查到能力考查过渡的特征，时事、热点、文化、生活以及英语语言本身都在题目中一一体现。
作为四级的重要环节，听力部分永远是最生活化和最实用的题目。
每次考试结束，考生都会喟叹听力题目的难度不断加大，规律性题目不断减少。
那么，本次考试的听力部分到底出现了什么特征？2009年6月份的听力考试又会有什么样的新趋势？笔者将以2008年12月四级听力题目为纲为考生逐一解惑。
【总页数】2页(P4-5)
【作者】赵建昆
【作者单位】无
【正文语种】中文
【中图分类】G633.41
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特质关键词：高难度
今年以文化多元性和犯罪率关系为主题的复合式听写，创造出一个很高的难度，令考生措手不及。考生在疲于应付单词和句子的时候，根本无法顾及也无心顾及文章在说些什么。整个文章曲折的逻辑关系和高难度的词汇句式结构最终导致很多人在本环节失分。
在单词考点方面：第37题的phenomenon（现象）第43题的associated （联系，联结）难度较大。难度一般的，大家之前一定见过的有第38题的scene（图景，景象），第40题的murder（谋杀），第42题的explosion（爆炸）。而2006年12月份考过的particular,在今年的第41题中变身为particularly。
24题 C) It may not be big enough for raising corn.
原文：M: It really isn’t big enough for corn.
26题 A) To introduce the chief of the city’s police force.
我们可以看看inquire在这几年是怎么考的：
2007年12月：长对话部分 第25题. A lively personality and enquiring mind
2007年6月：听写部分 第43题原文Inquire why John or Mary…
2003年6月： 小对话部分 第6题原文. I haven’t got my GRE test yet, do you think I should call to make inquiries?
长对话、短文听力部分：（占总比例17%，共17题）
特质关键词：视听基本一致原则
视听基本一致原则是指当选项中的主要单词和短语（尤其是谓语和宾语位置）能够在所听材料中出现，那么本项成为准确选项的可能性很大。
有接近半数的题目都可以按照此原则进行破解。请看例题：
23题 D) It has a large garden with fresh vegetables.
原文：he also holds a master’s degree in criminology
30题 B) There are numerous languages in existence
原文：There are between 3000 and 6000 public languages in the world
建议：长对话和短文听力的做题方法非常相似。除了视听基本一致的方式之外，首末句，转折关系等传统考点一直都是主流方式。在平时，我们可以经常进行 “视听”的训练，即使用边放音边看原文的方式，加强对于单词和短语发音的感知。眼睛和耳朵同时运作一直是很多人的弱项。
复合式听写部分：（占总比例10%，共11题）
另外，多次出现的高频场景以及词汇，应该为善于总结的考生增加成功的砝码。
第13题的准确答案是：C. Make inquiries elsewhere. （去别处问问）, 其原文对应点为：Have you inquired the apartment complex down the street?
第45题：Are now facing the sort of cultural variety that has been common in America for most of its history.（正在面对某种在美国漫长历史中很常见的文化多样性）
第46题：And failure to recognize and plan for such diversity can lead to serious crime problems.（无法辨识或对此种多样性没有准备，将导致严重的犯罪问题）
其实，即便把以上的题目按照阅读或者翻译的方法出考题，也不简单，更何况是考生最为恐慌的听写。所以即便没有写出或只写出部分，也属于正常情况。
建议：听写的难度在近两年没有下降的趋势。似乎出题人希望把它作为区分考生能力的标准题目，以此拉开考分的水平。听写是所有听力题目中最需要训练和能力的题目，是一个需要长期实力积累的题目。考生可以把做过的真题中听力短文作为听写的练习文本。用反复播放的方式，直到将全文全部写出。我们建议这样的训练至少在考前做十篇。此方法需要耐力和毅力，很多英语专业的同学正是依靠这样的训练法来准备英语专业四级中的全文听写题目。
原文：W: OK. Is there enough space for a kitchen garden?
M: There is about half an acre around the house. That’s plenty of space.
W: Then we can grow our own fresh vegetables.
类似习语还有：五星级难度的“I guess it's something I haven't acquired a taste for (喜欢)yet?”高级难度的“I was up till 3 this morning（忙到凌晨3点）”中等难度的“make up your mind about sth（决定）”等等。
(2009-06-04 16:50:15)
转载标签： 四级考试四级听力新东方考前冲刺教育 分类： 英语学习
2008年12月份的四级考试依然延续着由技巧到能力的过渡特征。时事、热点、文化、生活以及英语的本质，都在题目中淋漓体现。作为比例庞大的环节，听力部分永远都是最生活化和最实际的题目。每次考试结束，考生都会喟叹听力题目的难度不断加大，规律性题目不断减少。本次考试的听力部分到底出现了什么特质？2009年6月份的听力考试又会有什么样新的趋势？笔者将以12月份题目为纲，结合五年题目讲解心得，为考生逐一解惑。
原文：But it does not really explain how children come to use language in particular ways.
以上题目，只要在听力进行的同时，在选项上进行标记，即可成功选出。而在剩余题目中，运用综合的能力，以及对信息进行简单的标记的方法，题目的难度就会减小。
…….
至于校园作业话题和找工作话题，各位如果是有心人，应该不会被这样的单词拦住吧？
第17题. I was up till 3 this morning writing a paper for my literature class.
（为了文学课的论文，我一直写到凌晨三点）
第18题. There were about 20 candidates competing for the sales manager job.
原文：It is my privilege to introduce to you today Mr. Robert Washington, chief of our city’s police force.
27题 D) He holds a master’s degree in criminology.
四、反复对照原始材料练习跟读，以校正发音；
五、去背那些听力题目中总出现但总记不住的单词。
（温馨提醒：请同学先找到08年12月份四级听力题目与原文，再阅读本文会有更大收获）
小对话部分：（占总比例8%，共8题）
特质关键词：习语、高频词、高频场景
本次考试中，正是太多的习惯用语导致各位听力出现“滞涨”。请看以下例题的听力原文：
第11题原文. A: I just received an email from one of my former classmates. I was surprised, I hadn't heard from him for ages.
综述
面对即将进行的6月的四级考试，针对听力部分，你需要做到以下几点：
一、确认2005年到2008年12月份的所有听力题目都能够做两到三遍，并且保证大部分单词短语能够在没有书本的情况下听懂；
二、将听力题目选项和原文中重复较多的词汇和短语进行总结；
三、练习整篇文章的全文听写，为复合式听写做最充足准备；
（有20个候选人在竞争销售经理的职位）
凡此种种，正在说明“温故而知新，可以为师矣”道理。
建议：小对话的题目，第二句出答案，以及“听到的词汇或短语在选项中出现，则该选项更易为错误”的道理依然适用。只是，对于常见词汇和惯用语的准备将成为学习的重点。对于重考多次的词语更加需要注意。
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B: Well, I've been out of touch with most of my old friends, only one or two drop me a line occasionally.
其中，Hear from: N多人听到本短语时都会先想到是“听说”的含义，而非“得到消息或信件”。而之后的drop me a line在之前的考试时也仅仅是give sb a phone call等类似说法。在这么多习语的密集攻势下，第一题难免沦陷。
31题 C) It is something we are born with.
原文：Chomsky suggested that human infants are born with the ability to learn language.
32题 D) How children learn to use language.
在句子考点方面，难度已经到达四级考生能够承受的极限。请看准确答案：
第44题：Changing national borders, greater economic growth and the lack of accepted social ideas of right and wrong （改变国界，更快的经济增长以及缺乏对正反社会观点的接受）