2014年专业英语四级考试真题及答案
2014年12月大学英语四级考试试卷真题(汇总版)来源文
2014年12月大学英语四级考试试卷真题(汇总版)来源：文都教育PartⅡListening Comprehension(30minutes)Section ADirections:In this section,you will hear8short conversations and2long 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 Sheet1with a single line through the centre.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
1.A)She will go purchase the gift herself.B)The gift should not be too expensive.C)The man is not good at balancing his budget.D)They are going to Jane’s house-warming party.【答案】B)The gift should not be too expensive.2.A)It takes patience to go through the statistics.B)He has prepared the statistics for the woman.C)The woman should take a course in statistics.D)He is quite willing to give the woman a hand.【答案】D)He is quite willing to give the woman a hand.3.A)The man wants to make some changes in the scripts.B)The woman does not take the recording seriously.C)They cannot begin their recording right away.D)Page55is missing from the woman’s scripts.【答案】C)They cannot begin their recording right away.4.A)A significant event in July.B)Preparations for a wedding.C)The date of Carl’s wedding.D)The birthday of Carl’s bride.【答案】B)Preparations for a wedding.5.A)The man was in charge of scheduling meetings.B)The man was absent from the weekly meeting.C)The woman was annoyed at the man’s excuse.D)The woman forgot to tell the man in advance.【答案】C)The woman was annoyed at the man’s excuse.6.A)The woman is a marvelous cook.B)The man cannot wait for his meal.C)The woman has just bought an oven.D)The man has to leave in half an hour.7.A)Whether the man can keep his job.B)Where the man got the bad news.C)What items sell well in the store.D)How she can best help the man.8.A)The woman can sign up for a swimming class.B)He would like to teach the woman how to swim.C)The woman has the potential to swim like a fish.D)He works in the physical education department.Questions9to11are based on the conversation you have just heard.9.A)He is a wonderful lecturer.B)He is a diplomat.C)He loves classical music.D)He teaches in a law school.【答案】B)He is a diplomat.10.A)Attended a dance.B)Went to see a play.C)Took some photos.D)Watched a soccer game.【答案】D)Watched a soccer game.11.A)She decided to get married in three years.B)She insisted that Eric pursue graduate studies.C)Her father said she could marry Eric right away.D)Her mother objected to Eric’s flying lessons.【答案】C)Her father said she could marry Eric right away. Questions12to15are based on the conversation you have just heard.12.A)Teacher.B)Journalist.C)Editor.D)Typist.【答案】A)Teacher.13.A)The beautiful Amazon rainforests.B)A new railway under construction.C)Some newly discovered scenic spot.D)Big changes in the Amazon valley.【答案】C)Some newly discovered scenic spot.14.A)In news weeklies.B)In a local evening paper.C)In newspapers’Sunday editions.D)In overseas editions of U.S.magazines.【答案】C)In newspapers’Sunday editions.15.A)To become a professional writer.B)To be employed by a newspaper.C)To get her life story published soon.D)To sell her articles to a news service.【答案】D)To sell her articles to a news service.【短对话原文】1.M:take a look at this cater.Maybe we can find some gifts for Jean’s new house.W:Ok,but remember we can afford a lot.Q:what does the woman mean?2.W：I am absolutely going nowhere about this statistics.M:How about going through them with you?Q:what does the man mean?3.M:are you just starting the record,aren’t you?Let’s begin on Page55.W:Sorry.I am afraid I can begin right now.Q:What mean from the conversation?4.W:remember.Carl’s arriving is at226W:thanks to reminding me.I thought it would be sometime in July.Q:what are the speakers talking about?5.M：please excuse me for not attending the meeting yesterday.I am afraid I forgot to check the schedule.W:that’s all right.We have to rearrange the meeting at weekend.And everything went wrong.Q：what does it mean from the conversation.6.W:I didn’t fall sleep at least to5tomorrow.Q:what do we learn from the conversation?7.,M:I got some bad news today.The star we are in is going to fallW:I am going to let you go.Q:What does the woman want to know?8W:what’s wrong?You smell like a fish.M:......Q:what’s man mean?【长对话原文】Conversation1M:That’s Marria’s families and we want to be engaged.W：It’s wonderful,Erik!Congratulations!M:I really like her families,too,very nice.Ms Comona speaks four languages and Mr. Comona a diplomat.In fact,he gives the speech at the Saturday morning.W:OH,that’s was N’s father?I heard the speech.M:You did?W:Well,I heard part of it and listened to it for ten minutes,and then I fell asleep.I saw it was in class.Anyway,tell me about your weekend.M：Saturday evening we saw a play.And Sunday afternoon we saw the soccer game.Then Sunday night we all went out for dinner.Marria,her parents,and me.That was the first chance we had to talk.W:Would you know this?M:That’s first I was.We didn’t say ona told some good stories about his experiences as a diplomat and he asked about my hobbies.W:And what did you say?M:Well,I didn’t tell him about my flying lessons.I told him about my chess play and my classical music collection.W:Good idea!Her parents really approval of you.Don’t they?M:I guess so.Marria called this morning and said,”My father told me he’ll like you sunny right now”W:That was great.M:Not exactly.I want to get married after I graduated school in about three years.Q9:what does the conversation about Marria’s father?Q10:What does Marria and Erik do last Sunday afternoon?Q11:What do we learn from Marria’s phone call this morning?Conversation2M:You’re going to wear out computer’s keyboard.W:Oh,hi!M:Do you have any idea what time it is?W:About ten or ten thirty?M:It’s merely midnight.W:Really?I didn’t know it was so late.M:Don’t you have an early class to teach tomorrow morning?W:Yes,at seven o’clock,my computer class.The students go to work right after their lesson.M:Then you ought to go to bed.What are you writing anyway?W:An article,I hope I can sell.M:Oh,another view of newspaper pieces.What’s this one about?W:Do you remember the trip I took last month?M:The one up to the Amazon?W:Well,that’s what I’m writing about.The new high-way and the changes is making in the Amazon valley.W：It should be interesting.W：It is.I guess that’s why I forgot all about the time.M:How many articles have you solve now?W:About a dozen so far.M:What kind of newspapers by them?W:The paper is carrying a lot of foreign news.They usually appear in the big Sunday editions where they need a lot background stories to help develop the space between the ads.M：Is there any future in it?W:I hope so.There’s a chance I may sell this article to a news service.M:Then your papers will be published in several papers winter.W:that’s the idea.And they might even be able to do other stories the on a regular basis.M:That would be great.Q12:what is the woman’s occupation?Q13:what is the woman writing about?Q14:where did the woman’s articles usually appear?Q15:what does the woman expect?【短文理解原文】Passage1Body language,especially gestures,varies among cultures.For example,a node of the head means“yes”to most of us.But in Bulgaria and Greece a node means“no”and a shake of the head means“yes”.Likewise,a sign for OK,forming a circle with our forefinger and thumb,means zero in France and money in Japan.Waving or pointing to an Arab business person would be considered rude because that is how Arabs call their dogs over.Folded arms signal pride in Finland,but disrespect in Fiji.The number of bows that the Japanese exchange on greeting each other,as well as the length and the depth of the bows,signals the social status each party feels towards each other.Italians might think your bored unless you use a lot of gestures during discussions.Many American men sit with their legs crossed with one ankle resting over the opposite knee.However,this would be considered an insult in Muslim countries,where one will never show the sole of the foot to a gust.Likewise,Americans consider eye contact very important, often not trusting someone who is afraid to look at you in the eye.But in Japan and many Latin American countries,keeping the eyes lowered is a sign of respect.To look apart in the eye is considered a sign of ill breeding and is felt to be annoying.Q16:What gesture do Bulgarians and Greeks use to express negative responses?Q17:What is likely to offend Arab business people?Q18:What is considered impolite in Muslim countries?Passage1New Yorkers,albeit many of them grudgingly,are gradually getting used to more pedaling passengers on those blazing blue Citi Bikes.But what about local bike shops?Is Citi Bike rolling up riders at their expense?At Gotham Bikes in Tribeca,a manager who gave his name as“Ben W.”said the shop has seen an increase in its overall sales due to the bike-share program.“It’s getting more people on the road,more people learning about the sport and getting involved,”he said.An employee at Danny’s Cycles in Gramercy said Citi Bike is a good option for people to ease into biking in a city famed for its vehicular congestion and aggressive drivers.“They can try out a bike without committing to buying one,”James Ryan said.“It makes a more comfortable biking environment in the city because there are a lot more bikes,too.”Business at Danny’s Cycles has increased as well since the advent of bike-share.“A lot of people come in for bike gear,and we’ve sold a lot of helmets,”he noted.Rentals are not a big part of the business at either Gotham Bikes or Danny’s Cycles.But for Frank’s Bike Shop,a small business that has been at its current Lower East Side location on Grand St.since1976,the bike-share program has been bad news.Owner Frank Arroyo said that his rental business has decreased by90percent since the Citi Bikes were rolled out last month.Arroyo’s main rental customers are European tourists,a demographic that has since been drawn away by Citi Bikes.Initially,a bike-share station was sited a few doors away from Frank’s Bike Shop on the corner of Grand and Henry Sts.But a petition to relocate the bike station gathered more than1,000signatures.The Citi Bike dock was eventually removed—but only temporarily,according to the Citi Bike Twitter account,for utility construction in the street.“I was grateful,and it was quite an honor to see how many people responded on my behalf,”Arroyo said of the petition effort.“It was really nice to see that people care.But they have flooded the place with them,”he said of the Department of Transportation,which installs the bike racks.Removing one station does little since the area is overloaded with Citi Bike stations,said Arroyo.“If you put it in front of a hotel,customers are going to walk of the hotel and use it,”he said.However,Ben said the bike-share is good for bike sales at his shop.“People have used the bike-share and realized how great it is to bike in the city,then decide that they want something nicer for themselves,”he noted.Christian Farrell of Waterfront Bicycle Shop,on West St.just north of Christopher St.,said initially he was concerned about bike-share,though,he admitted,“I was happy to see people on bikes.”Consisting of equal parts tourists and locals,his customers get a better rental deal at his shop because,despite charging only$10for a daily rental,the bike-share program requires cyclists to check their bikes in at a bike station every half hour.His store,on the other hand,charges$10for the first hour,$5for the second,and$2.50per hour after that.“Six hours with Waterfront Bicycle Shop will cost a customer$25,”he said.“With Citi Bike, a six-hour rental will cost$126[if the rider doesn’t re-dock his or her bike at a station every half hour].Our rentals always include a helmet,a basket and a lock.”Several dozen rental bikes were lined up on Weehawken st Sunday behind the store. Benny,who was watching over them,said another advantage over the Citi Bikes is that Waterfront’s bikes are all in good working order.Farrell’s early concerns were echoed by Andrew Crooks,owner of NYCVelo,at64Second Ave.“It seemed like a great idea,but one that would be difficult to implement,”Crooks said of Citi Bike.He said he worried about inexperienced riders’lack of awareness of biking rules and backlash from non-cyclists.However,he said,it’s still too early to tell if his business has been impacted.The actual Citi Bikes themselves have been criticized as“heavy,”“clunky,”even“ugly.”In comparison,Crooks said NYC Velo has bikes that are“lighter,faster and tend to be more comfortable.”Farrell of Waterfront also said his bikes are of“better quality”than the bike-share two-wheelers.While it’s possible bike-share will cause a drop in business in the long run,Crooks allowed that the idea,as a whole,is good for the city.[原文解读]该文节选自The Villager，原题目为Bike store owners put their spin on new bike-share，题材为议论文。
2014年大学英语四级试题答案及其解析
2014年大学英语四级试题答案及其解析听力部分短对话1. D) providing good education for baby boomers。
2. D) Students’ performance declined。
3. D) They are mostly small in size。
4. D) Some large schools have split up into smaller ones。
5. C) their college-level test participation。
6. B) Their school performance was getting worse。
7. A) maintain closer relationships with their teachers。
8. Simplicity9. different measures10. tough subjects11.M: As you can see from the drawings, the kitchen has one door into the dining room, another into the family room and a third to the outside。
W: The door into the family room isn’t big enough. Could it be made wider?Q: What are the speakers doing?【答案】D) Discussing a housing plan。
【解析】此题为简单的推理题。
从drawing，kitchen等关键词可知，两人正在看房间的图纸，并讨论希望family room能够再大点。
12.M: I’m thinking about where to go for a bite tonight. Any suggestions, Barbara?W: Well, how about the French restaurant near the KFC? Frankly, I’ve had enough of our canteen food。
2014年英语专业四级真题及答案解析
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(1~3/共10题)Part II LISTENING COMPREHENSIONIn Sections A、B and C you will hear everything once only.Listen carefully and then answer the questions that follow. Mark the correct answer to each question on your ANSWER SHEET.SECTION A CONVERSATIONSIn this section you will hear several conversations. Listen to the conversations carefully and then answer the questions that follow.
A.Convenient parking.
B.More office space.
C.Fewer office workers.
D.A near-by train station.
第3题
Why is Jane worried about winter in the new location?
A.It is much colder there.
第15题
Where did he spend most of his teenage years?
A.In Mongolia.
B.In the Arab world.
C.In his hometown.
2014年6月大学英语四级真题试卷第一套+详细解答+听力原文
2014年6月大学英语四级真题试卷（一）全部题型 1.Writing2.Listening Comprehension3. 4.Reading Com prehension5.TranslationPart I Writing1．For this part,you are allowed30minutes to write a short essay on the following question.You should write at least120words but no more than180 words.Suppose a foreign friend of yours is coming to visit your hometown,what is the most interesting place you would like to take him/her to see and why?Part II Listening ComprehensionSection A2．A．See a doctor about her strained shoulder.B．Use a ladder to help her reach the tea.C．Replace the cupboard with a new one.D．Place the tea on a lower shelf next time.3．A．At Mary Johnson's.B．At a painter's studio.C．In an exhibition hall.D．Outside an art gallery.4．A．The teacher evaluated lacks teaching experience.B．She does not quite agree with what the man said.C．The man had better talk with the students himself. D．New students usually cannot offer a fair evaluation.5．A．He helped Doris build up the furniture. B．Doris helped him arrange the furniture.C．Doris fixed up some of the bookshelves.D．He was good at assembling bookshelves.6．A．He doesn't get on with the others.B．He doesn't feel at ease in the firm.C．He has been taken for a fool.D．He has found a better position.7．A．They should finish the work as soon as possible. B．He will continue to work in the garden himself.C．He is tired of doing gardening on weekends.D．They can hire a gardener to do the work.8．A．The man has to get rid of the used furniture. B．The man's apartment is ready for rent.C．The furniture is covered with lots of dust.D．The furniture the man bought is inexpensive.9．A．The man will give the mechanic a call. B．The woman is waiting for a call.C．The woman is doing some repairs.D．The man knows the mechanic very well.10．A．She had a job interview to attend.B．She was busy finishing her project.C．She had to attend an important meeting.D．She was in the middle of writing an essay. 11．A．Accompany her roommate to the classroom. B．Hand in her roommate's application form. C．Submit her roommate's assignment. D．Help her roommate with her report.12．A．Where Dr.Ellis's office is located. B．When Dr.Ellis leaves his office. C．Directions to the classroom building. D．Dr.Ellis's schedule for the afternoon.13．A．He finds it rather stressful.B．He is thinking of quitting it.C．He can handle it quite well.D．He has to work extra hours.14．A．The6:00one.B．The6:30one.C．The7:00one.D．The7:30one.15．A．It is an awful waste of time.B．He finds it rather unbearable.C．The time on the train is enjoyable.D．It is something difficult to get used to.16．A．Reading newspapers.B．Chatting with friends.C．Listening to the daily news.D．Planning the day's work.Section B17．A．Ignore small details while reading.B．Read at least several chapters at one sitting. C．Develop a habit of reading critically.D．Get key information by reading just once or twice.18．A．Choose one's own system of marking. B．Underline the key words and phrases.C．Make as few marks as possible.D．Highlight details in a red color.19．A．By reading the textbooks carefully again. B．By reviewing only the marked parts.C．By focusing on the notes in the margins.D．By comparing notes with their classmates.20．A．The sleep a person needs varies from day to day. B．The amount of sleep for each person is similar. C．One can get by with a couple of hours of sleep. D．Everybody needs some sleep for survival.21．A．It is a made-up story.B．It is beyond cure.C．It is a rare exception.D．It is due to an accident.22．A．His extraordinary physical condition.B．His mother's injury just before his birth.C．The unique surroundings of his living place.D．The rest he got from sitting in a rocking chair.23．A．She invested in stocks and shares on Wall Street.B．She learned to write for financial newspapers.C．She developed a strong interest in finance.D．She tenderly looked after her sick mother.24．A．She made a wise investment in real estate.B．She sold her restaurant with a substantial profit.C．She got7.5million dollars from her ex-husband.D．She inherited a big fortune from her father.25．A．She was extremely mean with her money.B．She was dishonest in business dealings.C．She frequently ill-treated her employees.D．She abused animals including her pet dog.26．A．She made a big fortune from wise investment.B．She built a hospital with her mother's money.C．She made huge donations to charities.D．She carried on her family's tradition.Section CAmong the kinds of social gestures most significant for second-language teachers are those which are【B1】______in form but different in meaning in the two cultures.For example,a Colombian who wants someone to【B2】______him often signals with a hand movement in which all the fingers of one hand, cupped,point downward as they move rapidly【B3】______.Speakers of English have a similar gesture though the hand may not be cupped and the fingers may be held more loosely,but for them the gesture means goodbye or go away,quite the【B4】______of the Colombian gesture.Again,in Colombia,a speaker of English would have to know that when he【B5】______height he must choosebetween different gestures depending on whether he is【B6】______a human being or an animal.If he keeps the palm of the hand【B7】______the floor,as he would in his own culture when making known the height of a child,for example,he will very likely be greeted by laughter;in Colombia this gesture is 【B8】______for the description of animals.In order to describe human beings he should keep the palm of his hand【B9】______to the floor.Substitutions of one gesture for the other often create not only humorous but also【B10】______moments.In both of the examples above,speakers from two different cultures have the same gesture,physically,but its meaning differs sharply.27．【B1】28．【B2】29．【B3】30．【B4】31．【B5】32．【B6】33．【B7】34．【B8】35．【B9】36．【B10】Part III Reading ComprehensionSection AMany Brazilians cannot read.In2000,a quarter of those aged15and older were functionally illiterate(文盲).Many【C1】______do not want to.Only one literate adult in three reads books.The【C2】______Brazilian reads1.8non-academic books a year,less than half the figure in Europe and the United States.In a recent survey of reading habits,Brazilians came27th out of30 countries.Argentines,their neighbors,【C3】______18th.The government and businesses are all struggling in different ways to change this.On March13the government【C4】______a National Plan for Books and Reading.This seeks to boost reading,by founding libraries and financing publishers among other things.One discouragement to reading is that books are【C5】______.Most books have small print-runs,pushing up their price.But Brazilians'indifference to books has deeper roots.Centuries of slavery meant the country's leaders long【C6】______education.Primary schooling became universal only in the1990s.All this means Brazil's book market has the biggest growth【C7】______in the western world.But reading is a difficult habit to form.Brazilians bought fewer books in 2004,89million,including textbooks【C8】______by the government,than they did st year the director of Brazil's national library【C9】______.He complained that he had half the librarians he needed and termites(白蚁)had eaten much of the【C10】______.That ought to be a cause for national shame.A)average I)normalB)collection J)particularlyC)distributed K)potentialD)exhibition L)quitE)expensive M)rankedF)launched N)simplyG)named O)treasuredH)neglected37．【C1】38．【C2】39．【C3】40．【C4】41．【C5】42．【C6】43．【C7】44．【C8】45．【C9】46．【C10】Section BThe Touch-Screen GenerationA)On a chilly day last spring,a few dozen developers of children's apps(应用程序)for phones and tablets(平板电脑)gathered at an old beach resort in Monterey,California,to show off their games.The gathering was organized by Warren Buckleitner,a longtime reviewer of interactive children's media.Buckleitner spent the breaks testing whether his own remote-control helicopter could reach the hall's second story,while various children who had come with their parents looked up in awe(敬畏)and delight.But mostly they looked down, at the iPads and other tablets displayed around the hall like so many open boxesof candy.I walked around and talked with developers,and several quoted a famous saying of Maria Montessori's,"The hands are the instruments of man's intelligence."B)What,really,would Maria Montessori have made of this scene?The30or so children here were not down at the shore poking(戳)their fingers in the sand or running them along stones or picking seashells.Instead they were all inside, alone or in groups of two or three,their faces a few inches from a screen,their hands doing things Montessori surely did not imagine.C)In2011,the American Academy of Pediatrics updated its policy on very young children and media.In1999,the group had discouraged television viewing for children younger than2,citing research on brain development that showed this age group's critical need for"direct interactions with parents and other significant care givers."The updated report began by acknowledging that things had changed significantly since then.In2006,90%of parents said that their children younger than2consumed some form of electronic media. Nevertheless,the group took largely the same approach it did in1999, uniformly discouraging passive media use,on any type of screen,for these kids.(For older children,the academy noted,"high-quality programs"could have"educational benefits.")The2011report mentioned"smart cell phone" and"new screen"technologies,but did not address interactive apps.Nor did it bring up the possibility that has likely occurred to those90%of American parents that some good might come from those little swiping(在电子产品上刷)fingers.D)I had come to the developers'conference partly because I hoped that this particular set of parents,enthusiastic as they were about interactive media, might help me out of this problem,that they might offer some guiding principle for American parents who are clearly never going to meet the academy's ideals, and at some level do not want to.Perhaps this group would be able to express clearly some benefits of the new technology that the more cautious doctors weren't ready to address.E)I fell into conversation with a woman who had helped develop Montessori Letter Sounds,an app that teaches preschoolers the Montessori methods of spelling.She was a former Montessori teacher and a mother of four.I myself have three children who are all fans of the touch screen.What games did her kids like to play,I asked,hoping for suggestions I could take home."They don't play all that much."Really?Why not?"Because I don't allow it.We have a rule of no screen time during the week, unless it's clearlyeducational."No screen time?None at all?That seems at the outer edge of restrictive,even by the standards ofovercontrolling parents."On the weekends,they can play.I give them a limit of half an hour and then stop.Enough."F)Her answer so surprised me that I decided to ask some of the other developers who were also parents what their domestic ground rules for screen time were. One said only on airplanes and long car rides.Another said Wednesdays and weekends,for half an hour.The most permissive said half an hour a day,which was about my rule at home.At one point I sat with one of the biggest developers of e-book apps for kids,and his family.The small kid was starting to fuss in her high chair,so the mom stuck an iPad in front of her and played a short movie so everyone else could enjoy their lunch.When she saw me watching,she gave me the universal tense look of mothers who feel they are being judged."At home," she assured me,"I only let her watch movies in Spanish."G)By their reactions,these parents made me understand the problem of our age: as technology becomes almost everywhere in our lives,American parents are becoming more,not less,distrustful of what it might be doing to their children. Technological ability has not,for parents,translated into comfort and ease.On the one hand,parents want their children to swim expertly in the digital stream that they will have to navigate(航行)all their lives;on the other hand,they fear that too much digital media,too early,will sink them.Parents end up treating tablets as precision surgical(外科的)instruments,devices that might perform miracles for their child's IQ and help him win some great robotics competition—but only if they are used just so.Otherwise,their child could end up one of those sad,pale creatures who can't make eye contact and has a girlfriend who lives only in the virtual world.H)Norman Rockwell,a20th-century artist,never painted Boy Swiping Finger on Screen,and our own vision of a perfect childhood has never been adjusted to accommodate that now-common scene.Add to that our modern fear that every parenting decision may have lasting consequences—that every minute of enrichment lost or mindless entertainment indulged(放纵的)will add up to some permanent handicap(障碍)in the future—and you have deep guilt and confusion.To date,no body of research has proved that the iPad will make your preschooler smarter or teach her to speak Chinese,or alternatively that it will rust her nervous system—the device has been out for only three years,not much more than the time it takes some academics to find funding and gather research subjects.So what is a parent to do?47．The author attended the conference,hoping to find some guiding principles for parenting in the electronic age.48．American parents are becoming more doubtful about the benefits technology is said to bring to their children.49．Some experts believe that human intelligence develops by the use of hands.50．The author found a former Montessori teacher exercising strict control over her kids'screen time.51．Research shows interaction with people is key to babies'brain development.52．So far there has been no scientific proof of the educational benefits of iPads.53．American parents worry that overuse of tablets will create problems with their kids'interpersonal relationships.54．The author expected developers of children's apps to specify the benefits of the new technology.55．The kids at the gathering were more fascinated by the iPads than by the helicopter.56．The author permits her children to use the screen for at most half an hour a day.Section CWhen young women were found to make only82percent of what their male peers do just one year out of college,many were at a loss to explain it.All the traditional reasons put forward to interpret the pay gap—that women fall behind when they leave the workforce to raise kids,for example,or that they don't seek as many management roles—failed to justify this one. These young women didn't have kids yet.And because they were just one year removed from their undergraduate degrees,few of these women yet had the chance to go after(much less decline)leadership roles.But there are other reasons why the pay gap remains so persistent.The first is that no matter how many women may be getting college degrees,the university experience is still an unequal one.The second is that our higher education system is not designed to focus on the economic consequences of our students'years on campus.Now that women are the majority of college students and surpass men in both the number of undergraduate and advanced degrees awarded,one might think the college campus is a pretty equal place.It is not.Studies show that while girls do better than boys in high school,they start to trail off during their college years.They enroll in different kinds of classes,tend to major in less rigorous(非常严格的)subjects,and generally head off with less ambitious plans.As a result,it's not surprising that even the best educated young women enter the workplace with a slight disadvantage.Their college experience leaves them somewhat confused,still stumbling(栽倒)over the dilemmas their grandmothers'generation sought to destroy.Are they supposed to be pretty or smart?Strong or sexy(性感的)?All their lives,today's young women have been pushed to embrace both perfection and passion—to pursue science and sports, math and theater—and do it all as well as they possibly can.No wonder they are not negotiating for higher salaries as soon as they get out of school.They are too exhausted,and too scared of failing.57．Traditionally,it is believed that women earn less than men because______. A．they have failed to take as many rigorous coursesB．they do not feel as fit for management rolesC．they feel obliged to take care of their kids at homeD．they do not exhibit the needed leadership qualities58．What does the author say about America's higher education system?A．It does not offer specific career counseling to women.B．It does not consider its economic impact on graduates.C．It does not take care of women students'special needs.D．It does not encourage women to take rigorous subjects.59．What does the author say about today's college experience?A．It is different for male and female students.B．It is not the same as that of earlier generations.C．It is more exhausting than most women expect.D．It is not so satisfying to many American students.60．What does the author say about women students in college?A．They have no idea how to bring out their best.B．They drop a course when they find it too rigorous.C．They are not as practical as men in choosing courses.D．They don't perform as well as they did in high school.61．How does the author explain the pay gap between men and women fresh from college?A．Women are too worn out to be ambitious.B．Women are not ready to take management roles.C．Women are caught between career and family.D．Women are not good at negotiating salaries.Reading leadership literature,you'd sometimes think that everyone has the potential to be an effective leader.I don't believe that to be true.In fact,I see way fewer truly effective leaders than I see people stuck in positions of leadership who are sadly incompetent and seriously misguided about their own abilities.Part of the reason this happens is a lack of honest self-assessment by those who aspire to(追求)leadership in the first place.We've all met the type of individual who simply must take charge.Whether it's a decision-making session,a basketball game,or a family outing,they can't help grabbing the lead dog position and clinging on to it for dear life.They believe they're natural born leaders.Truth is,they're nothing of the sort.True leaders don't assume that it's their divine(神圣的)right to take charge every time two or more people get together. Quite the opposite.A great leader will assess each situation on its merits,and will only take charge when their position,the situation,and/or the needs of the moment demand it.Many business executives confuse leadership with action.They believe that constant motion somehow generates leadership as a byproduct.Faced withany situation that can't be solved by the sheer force of activity,they generate a dust cloud of impatience.Their one leadership tool is volume:if they think you aren't working as hard as they think you should,their demands become increasingly louder and harsher.True leaders understand the value of action,of course,but it isn't their only tool.In fact,it isn't even their primary tool.Great leaders see more than everyone else:answers,solutions,patterns,problems,opportunities.They know it's vitally important to do,but they also know that thinking,understanding, reflection and interpretation are equally important.If you're too concerned with outcomes to the extent that you manipulate and intimidate others to achieve those outcomes,then you aren't leading at all, you're dictating.A true leader is someone who develops his or her team so that they can and do hit their targets and achieve their goals.62．What does the author think of the leaders he knows?A．Many of them are used to taking charge.B．Few of them are equal to their positions.C．Many of them fail to fully develop their potential.D．Few of them are familiar with leadership literature.63．Why are some people eager to grab leadership positions?A．They believe they have the natural gift to lead.B．They believe in what leadership literature says.C．They have proved competent in many situations.D．They derive great satisfaction from being leaders.64．What characterizes a great leader according to the author?A．Being able to take prompt action when chances present themselves. B．Having a whole-hearted dedication to their divine responsibilities. C．Having a full understanding of their own merits and weaknesses. D．Being able to assess the situation carefully before taking charge. 65．How will many business executives respond when their command fails to generate action?A．They reassess the situation at hand.B．They become impatient and rude.C．They resort to any tool available.D．They blame their team members.66．What is the author's advice to leaders?A．Concentrate on one specific task at a time.B．Use different tools to achieve different goals.C．Build up a strong team to achieve their goals.D．Show determination when faced with tough tasks.PartⅣTranslation67．中国应进一步发展核能，因为核电目前只占其总发电量的2％。
2014年12月大学英语四级考试真题及答案(第一套)
2014年12月大学英语四级考试真题及答案（第一套）Passage OneQuestions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage。
The rise of the Internet has been one of the most transformative developments in human history, comparable in impact to the invention of the printing press and the telegraph。
Over two billion people worldwide now have access to vastly more information than ever before, and can communicate with each other instantly , often using Web—connected mobile devices they carry everywhere。
But the Internet’s tremendous impact has only just begun。
"Mass adoption of the Internet is driving one of the most exciting social, cultural，and political transformations in history，and unlike earlier periods of change, this time the effects are fully global，" Schmidt and Cohen write in their new book The New Digital Age.Perhaps the most profound changes will come when the five billion people worldwide who currently lack Internet access get online。
英语四级考试真题附答案2014年6月（2）
英语四级考试真题附答案 2014年6月(2)Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, there is a passage withten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in aword bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making yourchoices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letteron Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words inthe bank more than once.Questions 36 to 45 are based on the following passage.Many Brazilians cannot read. In 2000, a quarter of those aged 15 and older were functionallyilliterate (文盲). Many 36 do not want to. Only one literate adult in three reads books. The 37Brazilian reads 1.8 non-academic books a year, less than half the figure in Europe and theUnited States. In a recent survey .of reading habits, Brazilians came 27th out of 30 countries.Argentines, their neighbors, 38 18th.The government and businesses are all struggling in different ways to change this. On March 13the government 39 a National Plan for Books and Reading. This seeks to boost reading, byfounding libraries and financing publishers among other things.One discouragement to reading is that books are 40 . Most books have small print-runs,pushing up their price.But Brazilians' indifference to books has deeper roots. Centuries of slavery meant thecounties leaders long 41 education. Primary schooling became universal only in the 1990s.All this me Brazil’s book market has the biggest growth 42 in the western world.But reading is a difficult habit to form. Brazilians bought fewer books in 2004, 89 million,including textbooks 43 by the government, than they did in 1991. Last year the director ofBrazil's national library 44 . He complained that he had half the librarians he needed andtermites (白蚁) had eaten much of the 45 . That ought to be a cause for national shame.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
2014年12月大学英语四级考试真题及答案(第一套)
2014年12月大学英语四级考试真题及答案(第一套）Passage OneQuestions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.The rise of the Internet has been one of the most transformative developments in human history，comparable in impact to the invention of the printing press and the telegraph。
Over two billion people worldwide now have access to vastly more information than ever before, and can communicate with each other instantly , often using Web—connected mobile devices they carry everywhere. But the Internet's tremendous impact has only just begun.”Mass adoption of the Internet is driving one of the most exciting social，cultural，and political transformations in history，and unlike earlier periods of change，this time the effects are fully global，” Schmidt and Cohen w rite in their new book The New Digital Age。
Perhaps the most profound changes will come when the five billion people worldwide who currently lack Internet access get online。
2014年英语专四真题与答案
2014年英语专四真题与答案DA. Ben wants to visit Mongolia when the weather is warm.B. Ben considers the travel expense reasonable.C. The trip today is expensive considering inflation.D. Ben was unable to travel to Mongolia in 1971.Questions 18 to 20 are based on the following passage. At the end of the passage, you will be given 15 seconds to answer the questions. Now, listen to the passage.18. Which is the height of towers at Sky Greens vertical farm?A. 9 meters.B. 20 meters.C. 100 meters.D. 40 meters.19. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?A. The farm sells its vegetables to a local supermarket.B. The farm uses less water and energy to grow vegetables.C. The farm causes less pollution in its production.D. The farm sells at the same price as imported produce20. According to the passage, one particular advantage of the Sky Green is _______.A. local climateB. local supportC. plan for expansionD. closeness to the city SECTION C NEWS BROADCASTIn this section, you will hear several news items. Listen to them carefully and then answer the questions that follow.Questions 21 and 22 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 10 seconds to answer the questions. Now. listen to the news.21. According to the passage, Turkish police were unsure about _______.A. when the woman was killedB. the main cause of the deathC. the woman’s identityD. why she failed to return home22. How many people had been detained by Turkish police?A. 9.B. 19.C.22.D. 33.Questions 23 and 24 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 10 seconds to answer the questions. Now, listen to the news.23. What is the situation now in Kidal according to the news?A. Islamist militants are still in control of the town.B. French forces have entered the town.C. French are going to land at the airport.D. Islamist militants are attacking the airport.24. Why did the French launch the military operation?A. To control Kidal airport.B. To protect the town.C. To protect the capital Bamako.D. To fight against Islamist militants.Questions 25 and 26 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 10 seconds to answer the questions. Now, listen to the news.25. Which of the following is TRUE about the immigration reform?A. It was proposed by a group of senators.B. Mr Obama had carried out the reform.C. Illegal immigrants would soon be given citizenship.D. The reform failed to improve the current system.26. According to Obama’s 2011 blueprint, how long would it take for illegal immigrants to gain citizenship?A. Eight years.B. Five years.C. Thirteen years.D. Eleven years.Questions 27 and 28 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 10 seconds to answer the questions. Now, listen to the news.27. What is Lorraine Melvill’s business?A. Running a plastic surgery clinic.B. Arranging for surgery and safaris.C. Providing consultancy to local people.D. Organizing trips to UK and American.28. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the news item?A. Local African clients helped keep her business going.B. Her clients were unable to pay her the money.C. Her business was affected by the global financial crisis.D. She still had as many European clients as before.Questions 29 is based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 5 seconds to answer the question. Now, listen to the news.29. What is the main idea of the news item?A. Foreign investment in unstable regions.B. BP’s presence in North Africa.C. Security concerns in risky countries.D. Protection for foreign oil workers.Questions 30 is based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 5 seconds to answer the question. Now, listen to the news.30. What is the main message of the news item?A. London attracts shoppers from all over the world.B. Most people in Nigeria live in poverty.C. Wealthier Nigerians become a big spender.D. People from the Middle East are the most wealthy.PART III CLOZE [15 MIN]Decide which of the choices given below would best complete the passage if inserted in the corresponding blanks. Mark the best choice for each blank on ANSWER SHEET TWO.The Victorians had become addicted to speed and they wanted to go ever faster. Time was money and efficiency became(31)____ important. Although divisions of labour had been (32)____ by Adam Smith and illustrated by a pin factory in The Wealth of Nations in 1776, (33)____ could now become fully realised. This specialization of labour was in (34)____ contrast to the rural means of production, in (35)____ the family was the means of production, consumption and socialization. (36)____ greater speed came a greater need for industries and businesses to make more and make it quicker. Steam made this (37)____ and changed working life forever (38)____ were the days when work was (39)____ by natural forces: steam engines were servant (40)____ neither season nor sunshine. Factories had foremen and life became correspondingly more (41)____. The clocking-on machine was (42)____ in 1885 and time and motion studies to increase efficiency would be introduced only(43)____ twenty years later. (44)____ it was not all bad news. Agricultural incomes depended on variable harvests and weather. Factories provided (45)____ and predictable income, but long hours.Working life was becoming increasingly regulated, and the working (46)____ was reorganised to promote ever-greater efficiency. The old (47)____ St. Monday - when no work was done - was (48)____, work stopped around midday on Saturday and did not resume (49)____ Monday morning. A new division between “work” and “leisure” emerged, and this new block of weekend leisure time coincided with the development of spectator sports like cricket and football, and the (50)____ of music hall entertainment for the new working classes.31. A. increasingly B. surprisingly C. slowly D. obviously32. A. contributed B. informed C. spread D. conceived33. A. he B. it C. these D. those34. A. clear B. marked C. apparent D. firm35. A. that B. what C. where D. which 36. A. UponB. OverC. WithD. For37. A. possible B. practical C. worthwhile D. useful38. A. Passed B. Lost C. Gone D. Missed39. A. defined B. controlled C. limited D. dictated40. A. over B. on C. by D. to41. A. standard B. controlled C. difficult D. dreadful42. A. designed B. created C. invented D. bought43. A. some B. certain C. these D. those44. A. For B. But C. Consequently D. Accordingly45. A. safe B. good C. continuous D. secure46. A. week B. period C. pattern D. practice47. A. culture B. behaviour C. custom D. habit48. A. repair B. compensate C. mend D. moderate49. A. before B. until C. on D. after50. A. raise B. increase C. trend D. presentPART IV GRAMMAR & VOCABULARY [15 MIN]There are thirty sentences in this section. Beneath each sentence there are four words, phrases or statements marked A, B, C and D. Choose one word, phrase or statement that best completes the sentence. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET TWO.51. It is essential that he ________ all the facts first.A. is examiningB. will examineC. examinesD. examine52. Which of the following sentences expresses a future action?A. Lucy is continually finding fault with her sister.B. We are meeting the visitors after the performance.C. The coach is now crossing the Gard en Bridge.D. I’m hoping that you’ll give us some advice.53. Which of the following italicized parts is used as an object complement?A. The front door remained locked.B. The boy looked disappointed.C. Nancy appeared worried.D. He seemed to have no money left.54. Which of the following sentences is INCORRECT?A. Physics is an important school subject.B. The Niagara Falls is in North America.C. The United States borders Canada.D. Mumps is a kind of infectious disease.55. Which of the following sentences indicates POSSIBILITY?A. The moon cannot always be at the full.B. You cannot smoke inside the building.C. He cannot come today.D. She cannot play the piano.56. The boys in the family are old enough for ________.A. schoolsB. schoolC. the schoolD. the schools57. Which of the following italicized parts indicates a predicate-object relationship?A. He was reading Mary’s letter in the room.B. You can buy men’s shoes in this shop.C. Mrs. Black’s passport was lost.D. The enemy’s defeat brought th e war to an end.58. Please pardon ________ you.A. my disturbingB. disturbing meC. to disturbD. that I disturb59. Which of the following tag questions is INCORRECT?A. Carry this parcel for me, will you?B. Nobody wants to go there, does he?C. Few people know him, don’t they?D. Everything is ready, isn’t it?60. Which of the following reflexive pronouns（反身代词）is used as an object?A. I spoke to the president himself.B. Frank is not quite himself today.C. Linda herself will play the violin.D. You must pull yourself together.61. The research team can handle ________ needs to be handled.A. wheneverB. whicheverC. whereverD. whatever62. Which of the following italicized parts modifies an adverb?A. I rather like my teacher.B. That was a very funny film.C. Do it right now.D. We walked about 6 miles.63. When the sentence “They had made a mess of the house” is turned into passive voice, which of the following is CORRECT?A. A mess had been made in the house.B. A mess had been made by them.C. The house had been made a mess of.D. The house had been made a mess.64. Fool ________ Michael is, he could not have done such a thing.A. asB. whoC. thatD. like65. When the sentence “Shall I drive you to the airport first?” is turned into indirect speech, which of the following is most appropriate?A. He agreed to drive me to the airport first.B. He offered to drive me to the airport first.C. He advised me to go to the airport first.D. He suggested that I drive to the airport first.66. The interviewers were impressed by the high of the applicants for the job. The underlined part means ________.A. criterionB. qualityC. qualificationD. level67. Her career has ________ a number of activities — composing, playing and acting.A. heldB. producedC. embracedD. combined68. The operation could ________ her life by two or three years.A. prolongB. increaseC. expandD. continue69.A. fineB. darkC. thickD. light70.A. sickB. inactiveC. dizzyD. drowsy71.A. tolerateB. keepC. faceD. hold72. The chief of surgery became committee chairman by virtue of ________.A. seniorityB. serviceC. ageD. rank73.A. criticizedB. ignoredC. betrayedD. deceived74. Our school did not ________ for Christmas until mid-December.A. break outB. break downC. break upD. break in75. The flags in the stadium ________ in the wind.A. flappedB. movedC. shookD. stirred76.A. despiteB. withC. according toD. because of77. The whole country was in ________ over the result of the elections.A. suspensionB. suspenseC. suspendingD. suspender78. replaced by all the following EXCEPT ________.A. thinkableB. imaginableC. possibleD. observable79. The employers prepared, with all due ________ for a conference with the Trade Unions.A. cautionB. concernC. certaintyD. consideration80.A. perfectB. properC. possibleD. proposedPART V READING COMPREHENSION [25 MIN]In this section there are four passages followed by questions or unfinished statements, each with four suggested answers marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that you think is the best answer. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET TWOTEXT AAfter breakfast the boys wandered out into the play-ground. Here the day-boys were gradually assembling. They were sons of the local clergy, of the officers at the Depot, and of such manufacturers or men of business as the old town possessed. Presently a bell rang, and they all trooped into school. This consisted of a large, long room at opposite ends of which two under masters conducted the second and third forms, and of a smaller one, leading out of it, used by Mr. Watson, who taught the first form. To attach the preparatory to the senior school these three classes were known officially, on speech days and in reports, as upper, middle, and lower second. Philip was put in the last. The master, a red-faced man with a pleasant voice, was called Rice; he had a jolly manner with boys, and the time passed quickly. Philip was surprised when it was quarter to eleven and they were let out for ten minutes' rest.The whole school rushed noisily into the play-ground. The new boys were told to go into the middle, while the others stationed themselves along opposite walls. They began to play Pig in the Middle. The old boys ran from wall to wall while the new boys tried to catch them: when one was seized and the mystic words said - one, two, three, and a pig for me - he became a prisoner and, turning sides, helped to catch those who were still free. Philip saw a boy running past and tried to catch him, but his limp gave him no chance; and the runners, taking their opportunity, made straight for the ground he covered. Then one of them had the brilliant idea of imitating Philip’s clumsy run. Other boys saw it and began to laugh; then they all copied the first; and they ran round Philip, limping grotesquely, screaming with shrill laughter. They lost their heads with the delight of their new amusement, and choked with helpless merriment. One of them tripped Philip up and he fell, heavily as he always fell, and cut his knee. They laughed all the louder when he got up. A boy pushed him from behind, and he would have fallen again if another had not caught him. The game was forgotten in the entertainment of Philip’s deformity. Philip was completely scared. He could not make out why they were laughing at him. His heart beat so that he could hardly breathe, and he was more frightened than he had ever been in his life. He stood still stupidly while the boys ran round him, mimicking and laughing; they shouted to him to try and catch them; but he did not move. He did not want them to see him run any more. He was using all his strength to prevent himself from crying.81. From the beginning of the passage we learn that ________.A. some pupils came from the local areaB. the school only accepted day-boysC. the school had only three classesD. Philip’s class was part of the senior school82. What was Philip’s reaction to his class?A. He thought class was too short.B. He found his class surprising.C. He seemed to have enjoyed it.D. He wanted to change class.83. In the game Philip lost his ground because ________.A. the game wasn’t fit for new boys like himB. the playground wasn’t big enough for the gameC. he did not know the rules of the gameD. he could not run as quickly as other boys84. What did the boys do after Philip lost his ground?A. They continued with the game.B. They stopped to make fun of him.C. They changed to another game.D. They stopped and went inside.85. How did Philip feel in the end?A. He was ashamed of himself.B. He was very nervous.C. He was really horrified.D. He felt himself stupid. TEXT BFor parents who send their kids off to college saying, “These will be the best years of your life,” it would be very appropriate to add, “If you can handle the stress of coll ege life.”Freshmen are showing up already stressed out, according to the latest research study that reported students’ emotional health levels at their lowest since the survey started in 1985. While in school, more students are working part-time and near-full-time jobs. At graduation, only 29 percent of seniors have jobs lined up.Pressure to excel often creates stress, and many students are not learning how to effectively handle this stress. Let me show five facts that I believe every college student should know about stress.First, stress can make smart people do stupid things. Stress causes what brain researchers call “cortical inhibition.” In simple terms, stress inhibits a part of the brain responsible for decision-making and reaction time and can adversely affect other mental abilities as well.Second, the human body doesn’t discriminate between a big stressful event and a little one. Any stressful experience will create about 1,400 biochemical events in your body. If any amount of stress is left unchecked, many things can occur within the body, including premature aging, impaired cognitive function and energy drain.Third, stress can become your new pattern. When you regularly experience negative feelings and high amounts of stress, your brain recognizes this as your normal state. This then becomes the new norm, or baseline for your emotional state.Fourth, stress can be controlled. Countless studies demonstrate that people can restructure their emotional state using emotion-refocusing techniques. Thesetechniques help you recognize how you are feeling and shift to a more positive emotional, mental and physical state.One technique involves slowing your thoughts and focusing on your heartbeat, breathing slowly and deeply, and focusing on the positive feeling that you receive.Finally, stress can be lessened by loving what you study. Barbara Frederickson, a leading international authority on the importance of positive emotions, says humans are genetically programmed to seek positive emotions such as love and joy. It's suggested to choose a major or career path you love and enjoy. Otherwise, you could end up fighting against your own biology.86. The author cites the latest research study in order to show that ________.第5 / 9页A. students are studying harder in collegeB. most students have part-time job nowC. stress continues to the time of graduationD. students only feel stressed while in school87. According to the passage, stress might cause all the following negative effects EXCEPT ________.A. socialB. mentalC. emotionalD. physical88. In the author’s opinion, stress can be controlled by ________.A. doing what you preferB. identifying your present emotional state firstC. finding a more positive feeling firstD. focusing on your emotional state89. According to the context, what does “your own biology” mean in the last paragraph?A. Your current major.B. Your future job.C. Your future research.D. Your preference.90. Which of the following is the best as the title of the passage?A. Causes of Stress.B. Type of Stress. CollegeC. Life and Stress.D. Stress and Control Methods.TEXT CFor anyone who doubts that the texting revolution is upon us, consider this: The average 13- to 17-year-old sends and receives 3,339 texts a month—more than 100 per day, according to the Nielsen Co., the media research firm. Adults are catching up. People from ages 45 to 54 sent and received 323 texts a month in the second quarter of 2010, up 75% from a year ago, Nielsen says.Behind the texting explosion is a fundamental shift in how we view our mobile devices. That they are phones is increasingly beside the point.Part of what's driving the texting surge among adults is the popularity of social media. Sites like Twitter, with postings of no more than 140 characters, are creating and reinforcing the habit of communicating in micro-bursts.Economics has much to do with texting’s popularity. Text messages cost carriers less than traditional mobile voice transmissions, and so they cost users less. Sprint Nextel has reconceived its Virgin Mobile brand to cater to heavy texters in a difficult economy. For $25 per month, users get unlimited texting, email, social networking and 300 talk minutes; for another $15, they get an additional 900 talk minutes. The name of the brand's new wireless plan: “Beyond Talk.”Texting’s rise over conversation is changing the way we interact, social scientists and researchers say. We are now inclined to text to relay difficult information. We stare at our phone when we want to avoid eye contact. Rather than make plans in advance, we engage in what research have named “micro-coordination”—”I’ll txt u in 10mins when I know wh/ restrnt.”Texting saves us time, but it steals from quiet reflection. “When people have a mobile device and have even a little extra time, they will communicate with someone in their life,” says Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project. And the phone conversation will never be completely obsolete. Deal makers and other professionals still spend much of the day on the phone. Researchers say people are more likely to use text-based communications at the preliminary stages of projects. The phone comes into play when there are multiple options to consider or important decisions to be made.91. At the beginning of the passage, the author uses figures for the purpose of ________.A. introductionB. comparisonC. explanationD. transition92. According to the context, which of the following is closest in meaning to “beside the point”?A. Unimportant.B. Unacknowledged.C. Underestimated.D. Undeniable.93. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a cause for texting’s popularity?A. Promotion of cheaper wireless packages.B. Increase in the number of adult texters.C. Redesign of mobile devices.D. Rise of social media.94. According to the passage, texting can help people to ________.A. face difficult situationsB. make appointments in advanceC. communicate wish strangersD. avoid awkward situations95. What is the passage mainly about?A. Texting’s p opularity and effect.B. Role of texting in business.C. Preference to texting over thinking.D. Innovation of mobile devices.TEXT DThe healthy adolescent boy or girl likes to do the real things in life, to do the things that matter. He would rather be a plumber’s mate and do a real job that requires doing than learn about hydrostatics sitting at a desk, without understanding what practical use they are going to be. A girl would rather look after the baby than learn about child care. Logically we should learn about things before doing them and that is presumably why the pundits enforce this in our educational system. But it is not the natural way-nor, I venture to think, the best way. The adolescent wants to do things first for only then does he appreciate the problems involved and want to learn more about them.They do these things better in primitive life, for there at puberty the boy joins his father in making canoes, patching huts, going out fishing or hunting. He is serving his apprenticeship in the actual accomplishments of life. It is not surprising that anthropologists(人类学家) find that the adolescents of primitive communities do not suffer from the same neurotic(神经质的) “difficulties” as those of civilized life. This is not, as some assume, because they are permitted more sexual freedom, but because they are given more natural outlets for thei-rnative interests and powers and are allowed to grow up freely into a full lif-e of responsibility in the community.In the 19th century this was recognized in the apprenticeship system, which allowed the boy to go out with the master carpenter, or ploughman, to engage in the actual work of carpentry or roof-mending, and so to learn his trade. In some agricultural colleges at the present time young men have to do a ye-ar’s work on a farm before their theoretical training at college. The great advantage of this system is that it lets the apprentice see the practical problems before he sets to work learning how to solve them, and he can therefore take a more intelligent interest in his theoretical work.Since more knowledge of more things is now required in order to cope with the adult world, the period of growing-up to independence takes much longer than it did in a more primitive community, and the responsibility for such education, which formerly was in the hands of the parents, is now necessarily undertaken by experts at school. But that should not make us lose sight of the basic principle, namely the need and the desire of the adolescent to engage responsibly in the real pursuits of life and then to learn how — to learn through responsibility, not to learn before responsibility.96. According to the author, what is the natural way of education?A. Doing things while learning.B. Doing things as an apprentice.C. Doing things before learning.D. Learning practical knowledge first.97. The main advantage of the natural way of education, whether in primitive or modern times, is that learners ________.A. can learn the trade through solving problems at workB. can work with their masters throughout their learningC. are given more freedom in doing things and learningD. are given opportunities to develop their interest first98. According to the context, “this” in the third paragraph refers to ________.A. the way of learning in primitive communitiesB. the difficulties modern adolescents experienceC. the amount of freedom in learning in primitive lifeD. the kind of skills boys learned from their father99. According to the author, learning should now be done in school for all the following reasons EXCEPT that ________.A. more subjects are to be coveredB. more parents should be involved in teachingC. there should be a deeper understanding of a subjectD. more time is needed for becoming independent 100. Which of the following best sums up the author’s main point?A. The apprenticeship system was effective in learning.B. Students should be given mire freedom in learning.C. Students develop their interest through learning.D. Learning to solve problem is learning through responsibility.PART VI WRITING [45 MIN]SECTION A COMPOSITION [35 MIN]An undergraduate of English at a university, in a recent letter to the university’s president, complained about the mandatory maths classes he had to take. He said that because a language major has little use for maths, he would forget all of his maths lessons soon after taking the required exams. What do you think of this opinion?Write on ANSWER SHEET THREE a composition of about 200 words on the following topic: Should English Majors Study Maths?You are to write in three parts.In the first part, state specifically what your opinion is.In the second part, provide one or two reasons to support your opinion.In the last part, bring what you have written to a natural conclusion or make a summary.Marks will be awarded for content, organization, language and appropriateness. Failure to follow the instructions may result in a loss of marks.SECTION B NOTE-WRITING [10 MIN]Write on ANSWER SHEET THREE a note of about 50-60 words based on the following situation:As you are taking an exam, you do not have time to meet a former schoolmate of years at the railway station. Write a note to your friend Mark/Lily, politely asking him/her to meet your schoolmate for you and describing briefly what your schoolmate looks like.Marks will be awarded for content, organization, language and appropriateness.—THE END—TEST FOR ENGLISH MAJORS (2014)-GRADE FOUR-2014年英语专业四级参考答案PART I DICTATIONLimiting the growth of technology throughout history man has changed his physical environment to improve his way of life. With the tools of technology man has altered many physical features of the earth. He has transformed wood lands into farmland: He has modified the face of the earth by cutting through mountains to build roads and railways. However these changes in the physical environment have not always had beneficial results. Today, pollution of the planet. Each day, thousands of tons of gases come out of the vehicles: smoke from factories pollutes the air of industrialized areas and the surrounding countryside. The air in cities is becoming increasingly unhealthy. The pollution of water is equally harmful. In the sea, pollution from oil is killing a lot of sea plant and fish. It is now necessary for man to limit the growth of technology in order to survive on the earth.PART II LISTENING COMPREHENSIONSECTION A1-5. CBBBD 6-10. CCDBC;SECTION B。
2014年英语专业四级真题及答案(阅读理解)
TEXT AAfter breakfast the boys wandered out into the play-ground. Here the day-boys were gradually assembling. They were sons of the local clergy, of the officers at the Depot, and of such manufacturers or men of business as the old town possessed. Presently a bell rang, and they all trooped into school. This consisted of a large, long room at opposite ends of which two under-masters conducted the second and third forms, and of a smaller one, leading out of it, used by Mr. Watson, who taught the first form. To attach the preparatory to the senior school these three classes were known officially, on speech days and in reports, as upper, middle, and lower second. Philip was put in the last. The master, a red-faced man with a pleasant voice, was called Rice; he had a jolly manner with boys, and the time passed quickly. Philip was surprised when it was a quarter to eleven and they were let out for ten minutes' rest.The whole school rushed noisily into the play-ground. The new boys were told to go into the middle, while the others stationed themselves along opposite walls. They began to play Pig in the Middle. The old boys ran from wall to wall while the new boys tried to catch them: when one was seized and the mystic words said - one, two, three, and a pig for me - he became a prisoner and, turning sides, helped to catch those who were still free. Philip saw a boy running past and tried to catch him, but his limp gave him no chance; and the runners, taking their opportunity, made straight for the ground he covered. Then one of them had the brilliant idea of imitating Philip's clumsy run. Other boys saw it and began to laugh; then they all copied the first; and they ran round Philip, limping grotesquely, screaming in their treble voices with shrill laughter. They lost their heads with the delight of their new amusement, and choked with helpless merriment. One of them tripped Philip up and he fell, heavily as he always fell, and cut his knee. They laughed all the louder when he got up. A boy pushed him from behind, and he would have fallen again if another had not caught him. The game was forgotten in the entertainment of Philip's deformity. One of them invented an odd, rolling limp that struck the rest as supremely ridiculous, and several of the boys lay down on the ground and rolled about in laughter: Philipwas completely scared. He could not make out why they were laughing at him. His heart beat so that he could hardly breathe, and he was more frightened than he had ever been in his life. He stood still stupidly while the boys ran round him, mimicking and laughing; they shouted to him to try and catch them; but he did not move. He did not want them to see him run any more. He was using all his strength to prevent himself from crying.TEXT BFor parents who send thei r kids off to college saying, “These will be the best years of your life,〞it would be very appropriate to add, “If you can handle the stress of college life.〞Freshmen are showing up already stressed out, according to the latest CIRP Freshman Survey that reported students' emotional health levels at their lowest since the survey started in 1985. While in school, more students are working part-time and near-full-time jobs. At graduation, only 29 percent of seniors have jobs lined up.Pressure to excel often creates stress, and many students are not learning how to effectively handle this stress.1) Stress can make smart people do stupid things: Stress causes what brain researchers call “cortical inhibition.〞In simple terms, stress inhibits a part of the brain responsible for decision-making and reaction time and can adversely affect other mental abilities as well.2) The human body doesn't discriminate between a big stressful event and a little one: Any stressful experience will create a cascade of 1,400 biochemical events in your body. If any amount of stress is left unchecked, many things can occur within the body, including premature aging, impaired cognitive function and energy drain.3) Stress can become your new norm: When you regularly experience negative feelings and high amounts of stress, your brain recognizes this as yournormal state. This then becomes the new norm, or baseline for your emotional state.4) Stress can be controlled: Countless studies demonstrate that people can restructure their emotional state using emotion-refocusing techniques. These techniques help you recognize how you are feeling and shift to a more positive emotional, mental and physical state.5) Stress less by loving what you study: Barbara Frederickson, a leading international authority on the importance of positive emotions, says humans are genetically programmed to seek positive emotions such as love and joy. It's suggested to choose a major or career path you love and enjoy. Otherwise, you could end up fighting against your own biology.TEXT CFor anyone who doubts that the texting revolution is upon us, consider this: The average 13- to 17-year-old sends and receives 3,339 texts a month—more than 100 per day, according to the Nielsen Co., the media research firm. Adults are catching up. People from ages 45 to 54 sent and received 323 texts a month in the second quarter of 2021, up 75% from a year ago, Nielsen says.Behind the texting explosion is a fundamental shift in how we view our mobile devices. That they are phones is increasingly beside the point.Part of what's driving the texting surge among adults is the popularity of social media. Sites like Twitter, with postings of no more than 140 characters, are creating and reinforcing the habit of communicating in micro-bursts. And these sites also are pumping up sheer volume. Many Twitter and Facebook devotees create settings that alert them, via text message, every time a tweet or message is earmarked for them. In October 2021, 400 million texts alerted social-media users to such new messages across AT&T's wireless network, says Mark Collins, AT&T senior vice president for data and voice products; by September 2021, the number had more than doubled to one billion. (Twitter reports more than two billion tweets are sent each month.)。
稿件2014年英语专四真题与答案.doc
TEST FOR ENGLISH MAJORS (2014)-GRADE FOUR-TIME LIMIT: 135 MINPART I DICTATION [15 MIN] Listen to the following passage. Altogether the passage will be read to you four times. During the first reading, which will be done at normal speed, listen and try to understand the meaning. For the second and third readings, the passage will be read sentence by sentence, or phrase by phrase, with intervals of 15 seconds. The last reading will be done at normal speed again and during this time you should check your work. You will then be given 2 minutes to check through your work once more. Please write the whole passage on ANSWER SHEET ONE.PART II LISTENING COMPREHENSION [20 MIN] In Sections A, B and C you will hear everything ONCE ONLY. Listen carefully and then answer the questions that follow. Mark the best answer to each question on Answer Sheet Two.SECTION A CONVERSATIONSIn this section you will hear several conversations. Listen to the conversations carefully and then answer the questions that follow.Questions 1 to 3 are based on the following conversation. At the end of the conversation, you will be given 15 seconds to answer the questions. Now, listen to the conversation.1. What are they mainly talking about in the conversation?A. Transport.B. Customers.C. Relocation.D. Restaurants.2. Which of the following is mentioned by Tim as a good reason for moving?A. More office space.B. Convenient parking.C. Fewer office workers.D. A near-by train station.3. Why is Jane worried about winter in the new location?A. It is much colder there.B. There are few activities.C. There are no good restaurants.D. There is no cinema or theatre.Questions 4 to 7 are based on the following conversation. At the end of the conversation, you will be given 20 seconds to answer the questions. Now, listen to the conversation.4. Miss Parkinson became interested in her own business _______.A. before she worked for the media companyB. when she was on holiday five years agoC. after she went to therapists and classesD. after her friend recommended it to her5. Why did she ask her teachers to teach her at home?A. She was busier than before.B. It was more convenient.C. She liked to exercise at home.D. She was given a promotion.6. Which of the following is NOT true according to the conversation?A. She recommended people to take classes.B. She was willing to pay more for classes at home.C. She left her job immediately after her promotion.D. She regarded the business as a pastime at first.7. Why did she finally leave her job?A. She got bored with her job.B. She saw an opportunity.C. She needed the money.D. She was forced to leave. Questions 8 to 10 are based on the following conversation. At the end of the conversation, you will be given 15 seconds to answer the questions. Now listen to the conversation.8. Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the single-lens reflex?A. Different lenses can be used.B. Focusing is easier.C. You can see what you are taking.D. It is cheaper and lighter.9. According to the shop assistant, the main difference between the two types of cameras lies in _______.A. lensB. priceC. weightD. size10. It can be inferred from the conversation that the customer is more likely to buy _______ in the end.A. a single-lens cameraB. nothingC. a rangefinder cameraD. several lenses instead SECTION B PASSAGESIn this section, you will hear several passages. Listen to the passages carefully and then answer the questions that follow. Questions 11 to 13 are based on the following passage. At the end of the passage, you will be given 15 seconds to answer the questions. Now, listen to the passage.11. Which of the following details about the front of the house is CORRECT?A. The front is pink.B. The curtain is drawn.C. No window can be seen.D. There are two doors.12. What is to the immediate left side of the house?A. A washing line.B. Another house.C. A flat area.D. A chimney.13. Where is the small town in the picture?A. Between two hills.B. Further to the left of the house.C. At the back of the house.D. At the side of a hill.Questions 14 to 17 are based on the following passage. At the end of the passage, you will be given 20 seconds to answer the questions. Now, listen to the passage14. When did Ben first become interested in Mongolia?A. When he grew up.B. When he learned Mongolian.C. When he returned home.D. When he was nine years old.15. Where did he spend most of his teenage years?A. In Mongolia.B. In the Arab world.C. In his hometown.D. In some other regions.16. W e learn from the passage that Ben _______ while doing his master’s degree.A. became interested in classical MongolianB. learned classical and modern MongolianC. gave up modern MongolianD. mastered modern Mongolian17. Which of the following details is NOT true according to the passage?A. Ben wants to visit Mongolia when the weather is warm.B. Ben considers the travel expense reasonable.C. The trip today is expensive considering inflation.D. Ben was unable to travel to Mongolia in 1971.Questions 18 to 20 are based on the following passage. At the end of the passage, you will be given 15 seconds to answer the questions. Now, listen to the passage.18. Which is the height of towers at Sky Greens vertical farm?A. 9 meters.B. 20 meters.C. 100 meters.D. 40 meters.19. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?A. The farm sells its vegetables to a local supermarket.B. The farm uses less water and energy to grow vegetables.C. The farm causes less pollution in its production.D. The farm sells at the same price as imported produce20. According to the passage, one particular advantage of the Sky Green is _______.A. local climateB. local supportC. plan for expansionD. closeness to the city SECTION C NEWS BROADCASTIn this section, you will hear several news items. Listen to them carefully and then answer the questions that follow.Questions 21 and 22 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 10 seconds to answer the questions. Now. listen to the news.21. According to the passage, Turkish police were unsure about _______.A. when the woman was killedB. the main cause of the deathC. the woman’s identityD. why she failed to return home22. How many people had been detained by Turkish police?A. 9.B. 19.C.22.D. 33.Questions 23 and 24 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 10 seconds to answer the questions. Now, listen to the news.23. What is the situation now in Kidal according to the news?A. Islamist militants are still in control of the town.B. French forces have entered the town.C. French are going to land at the airport.D. Islamist militants are attacking the airport.24. Why did the French launch the military operation?A. To control Kidal airport.B. To protect the town.C. To protect the capital Bamako.D. To fight against Islamist militants.Questions 25 and 26 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 10 seconds to answer the questions. Now, listen to the news.25. Which of the following is TRUE about the immigration reform?A. It was proposed by a group of senators.B. Mr Obama had carried out the reform.C. Illegal immigrants would soon be given citizenship.D. The reform failed to improve the current system.26. According to Obama’s 2011 blueprint, how long would it take for illegal immigrants to gain citizenship?A. Eight years.B. Five years.C. Thirteen years.D. Eleven years.Questions 27 and 28 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 10 seconds to answer the questions. Now, listen to the news.27. What is Lorraine Melvill’s business?A. Running a plastic surgery clinic.B. Arranging for surgery and safaris.C. Providing consultancy to local people.D. Organizing trips to UK and American.28. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the news item?A. Local African clients helped keep her business going.B. Her clients were unable to pay her the money.C. Her business was affected by the global financial crisis.D. She still had as many European clients as before.Questions 29 is based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 5 seconds to answer the question. Now, listen to the news.29. What is the main idea of the news item?A. Foreign investment in unstable regions.B. BP’s presence in North Africa.C. Security concerns in risky countries.D. Protection for foreign oil workers.Questions 30 is based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 5 seconds to answer the question. Now, listen to the news.30. What is the main message of the news item?A. London attracts shoppers from all over the world.B. Most people in Nigeria live in poverty.C. Wealthier Nigerians become a big spender.D. People from the Middle East are the most wealthy.PART III CLOZE [15 MIN]Decide which of the choices given below would best complete the passage if inserted in the corresponding blanks. Mark the best choice for each blank on ANSWER SHEET TWO.The Victorians had become addicted to speed and they wanted to go ever faster. Time was money and efficiency became(31)____ important. Although divisions of labour had been (32)____ by Adam Smith and illustrated by a pin factory in The Wealth of Nations in 1776, (33)____ could now become fully realised. This specialization of labour was in (34)____ contrast to the rural means of production, in (35)____ the family was the means of production, consumption and socialization. (36)____ greater speed came a greater need for industries and businesses to make more and make it quicker. Steam made this (37)____ and changed working life forever (38)____ were the days when work was (39)____ by natural forces: steam engines were servant (40)____ neither season nor sunshine. Factories had foremen and life became correspondingly more (41)____. The clocking-on machine was (42)____ in 1885 and time and motion studies to increase efficiency would be introduced only(43)____ twenty years later. (44)____ it was not all bad news. Agricultural incomes depended on variable harvests and weather. Factories provided (45)____ and predictable income, but long hours.Working life was becoming increasingly regulated, and the working (46)____ was reorganised to promote ever-greater efficiency. The old (47)____ St. Monday - when no work was done - was (48)____, work stopped around midday on Saturday and did not resume (49)____ Monday morning. A new division between “work” and “leisure” emerged, and this new block of weekend leisure time coincided with the development of spectator sports like cricket and football, and the (50)____ of music hall entertainment for the new working classes.31. A. increasingly B. surprisingly C. slowly D. obviously32. A. contributed B. informed C. spread D. conceived33. A. he B. it C. these D. those34. A. clear B. marked C. apparent D. firm35. A. that B. what C. where D. which 36. A. UponB. OverC. WithD. For37. A. possible B. practical C. worthwhile D. useful38. A. Passed B. Lost C. Gone D. Missed39. A. defined B. controlled C. limited D. dictated40. A. over B. on C. by D. to41. A. standard B. controlled C. difficult D. dreadful42. A. designed B. created C. invented D. bought43. A. some B. certain C. these D. those44. A. For B. But C. Consequently D. Accordingly45. A. safe B. good C. continuous D. secure46. A. week B. period C. pattern D. practice47. A. culture B. behaviour C. custom D. habit48. A. repair B. compensate C. mend D. moderate49. A. before B. until C. on D. after50. A. raise B. increase C. trend D. presentPART IV GRAMMAR & VOCABULARY [15 MIN]There are thirty sentences in this section. Beneath each sentence there are four words, phrases or statements marked A, B, C and D. Choose one word, phrase or statement that best completes the sentence. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET TWO.51. It is essential that he ________ all the facts first.A. is examiningB. will examineC. examinesD. examine52. Which of the following sentences expresses a future action?A. Lucy is continually finding fault with her sister.B. We are meeting the visitors after the performance.C. The coach is now crossing the Garden Bridge.D. I’m hoping that you’ll give us some advice.53. Which of the following italicized parts is used as an object complement?A. The front door remained locked.B. The boy looked disappointed.C. Nancy appeared worried.D. He seemed to have no money left.54. Which of the following sentences is INCORRECT?A. Physics is an important school subject.B. The Niagara Falls is in North America.C. The United States borders Canada.D. Mumps is a kind of infectious disease.55. Which of the following sentences indicates POSSIBILITY?A. The moon cannot always be at the full.B. You cannot smoke inside the building.C. He cannot come today.D. She cannot play the piano.56. The boys in the family are old enough for ________.A. schoolsB. schoolC. the schoolD. the schools57. Which of the following italicized parts indicates a predicate-object relationship?A. He was reading Mary’s letter in the room.B. You can buy men’s shoes in this shop.C. Mrs. Black’s passport was lost.D. The enemy’s defeat brought the war to an end.58. Please pardon ________ you.A. my disturbingB. disturbing meC. to disturbD. that I disturb59. Which of the following tag questions is INCORRECT?A. Carry this parcel for me, will you?B. Nobody wants to go there, does he?C. Few people know him, don’t they?D. Everything is ready, isn’t it?60. Which of the following reflexive pronouns（反身代词）is used as an object?A. I spoke to the president himself.B. Frank is not quite himself today.C. Linda herself will play the violin.D. You must pull yourself together.61. The research team can handle ________ needs to be handled.A. wheneverB. whicheverC. whereverD. whatever62. Which of the following italicized parts modifies an adverb?A. I rather like my teacher.B. That was a very funny film.C. Do it right now.D. We walked about 6 miles.63. When the sentence “They had made a mess of the house” is turned into passive voice, which of the following is CORRECT?A. A mess had been made in the house.B. A mess had been made by them.C. The house had been made a mess of.D. The house had been made a mess.64. Fool ________ Michael is, he could not have done such a thing.A. asB. whoC. thatD. like65. When the sentence “Shall I drive you to the airport first?” is turned into indirect speech, which of the following is most appropriate?A. He agreed to drive me to the airport first.B. He offered to drive me to the airport first.C. He advised me to go to the airport first.D. He suggested that I drive to the airport first.66. The interviewers were impressed by the high of the applicants for the job. The underlined part means ________.A. criterionB. qualityC. qualificationD. level67. Her career has ________ a number of activities — composing, playing and acting.A. heldB. producedC. embracedD. combined68. The operation could ________ her life by two or three years.A. prolongB. increaseC. expandD. continue69.A. fineB. darkC. thickD. light70.A. sickB. inactiveC. dizzyD. drowsy71.A. tolerateB. keepC. faceD. hold72. The chief of surgery became committee chairman by virtue of ________.A. seniorityB. serviceC. ageD. rank73.A. criticizedB. ignoredC. betrayedD. deceived74. Our school did not ________ for Christmas until mid-December.A. break outB. break downC. break upD. break in75. The flags in the stadium ________ in the wind.A. flappedB. movedC. shookD. stirred76.A. despiteB. withC. according toD. because of77. The whole country was in ________ over the result of the elections.A. suspensionB. suspenseC. suspendingD. suspender78. replaced by all the following EXCEPT ________.A. thinkableB. imaginableC. possibleD. observable79. The employers prepared, with all due ________ for a conference with the Trade Unions.A. cautionB. concernC. certaintyD. consideration80.A. perfectB. properC. possibleD. proposedPART V READING COMPREHENSION [25 MIN]In this section there are four passages followed by questions or unfinished statements, each with four suggested answers marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that you think is the best answer. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET TWOTEXT AAfter breakfast the boys wandered out into the play-ground. Here the day-boys were gradually assembling. They were sons of the local clergy, of the officers at the Depot, and of such manufacturers or men of business as the old town possessed. Presently a bell rang, and they all trooped into school. This consisted of a large, long room at opposite ends of which two under masters conducted the second and third forms, and of a smaller one, leading out of it, used by Mr. Watson, who taught the first form. To attach the preparatory to the senior school these three classes were known officially, on speech days and in reports, as upper, middle, and lower second. Philip was put in the last. The master, a red-faced man with a pleasant voice, was called Rice; he had a jolly manner with boys, and the time passed quickly. Philip was surprised when it was quarter to eleven and they were let out for ten minutes' rest.The whole school rushed noisily into the play-ground. The new boys were told to go into the middle, while the others stationed themselves along opposite walls. They began to play Pig in the Middle. The old boys ran from wall to wall while the new boys tried to catch them: when one was seized and the mystic words said - one, two, three, and a pig for me - he became a prisoner and, turning sides, helped to catch those who were still free. Philip saw a boy running past and tried to catch him, but his limp gave him no chance; and the runners, taking their opportunity, made straight for the groundhe covered. Then one of them had the brilliant idea of imitating P hilip’s clumsy run. Other boys saw it and began to laugh; then they all copied the first; and they ran round Philip, limping grotesquely, screaming with shrill laughter. They lost their heads with the delight of their new amusement, and choked with helpless merriment. One of them tripped Philip up and he fell, heavily as he always fell, and cut his knee. They laughed all the louder when he got up. A boy pushed him from behind, and he would have fallen again if another had not caught him. The game was forgotten in the entertainment of Philip’s deformity. Philip was completely scared. He could not make out why they were laughing at him. His heart beat so that he could hardly breathe, and he was more frightened than he had ever been in his life. He stood still stupidly while the boys ran round him, mimicking and laughing; they shouted to him to try and catch them; but he did not move. He did not want them to see him run any more. He was using all his strength to prevent himself from crying.81. From the beginning of the passage we learn that ________.A. some pupils came from the local areaB. the school only accepted day-boysC. the school had only three classesD. Philip’s class was part of the senior school82. What was Philip’s reaction to his class?A. He thought class was too short.B. He found his class surprising.C. He seemed to have enjoyed it.D. He wanted to change class.83. In the game Philip lost his ground because ________.A. the game wasn’t fit for new boys like himB. the playground wasn’t big enough for the gameC. he did not know the rules of the gameD. he could not run as quickly as other boys84. What did the boys do after Philip lost his ground?A. They continued with the game.B. They stopped to make fun of him.C. They changed to another game.D. They stopped and went inside.85. How did Philip feel in the end?A. He was ashamed of himself.B. He was very nervous.C. He was really horrified.D. He felt himself stupid. TEXT BFor parents who send their kids off to college saying, “These will be the best years of your life,” it would be very appropriate to add, “If you can handle the stress of college life.”Freshmen are showing up already stressed out, according to the latest research study that reported students’ emotional healt h levels at their lowest since the survey started in 1985. While in school, more students are working part-time and near-full-time jobs. At graduation, only 29 percent of seniors have jobs lined up.Pressure to excel often creates stress, and many students are not learning how to effectively handle this stress. Let me show five facts that I believe every college student should know about stress.First, stress can make smart people do stupid things. Stress causes what brain researchers call “cortical inhibition.” In simple terms, stress inhibits a part of the brain responsible for decision-making and reaction time and can adversely affect other mental abilities as well.Second, the human body doesn’t discriminate between a big stressful event and a little one. Any stressful experience will create about 1,400 biochemical events in your body. If any amount of stress is left unchecked, many things can occur within the body, including premature aging, impaired cognitive function and energy drain.Third, stress can become your new pattern. When you regularly experience negative feelings and high amounts of stress, your brain recognizes this as your normal state. This then becomes the new norm, or baseline for your emotional state.Fourth, stress can be controlled. Countless studies demonstrate that people can restructure their emotional state using emotion-refocusing techniques. These techniques help you recognize how you are feeling and shift to a more positive emotional, mental and physical state.One technique involves slowing your thoughts and focusing on your heartbeat, breathing slowly and deeply, and focusing on the positive feeling that you receive.Finally, stress can be lessened by loving what you study. Barbara Frederickson, a leading international authority on the importance of positive emotions, says humans are genetically programmed to seek positive emotions such as love and joy. It's suggested to choose a major or career path you love and enjoy. Otherwise, you could end up fighting against your own biology.86. The author cites the latest research study in order to show that ________.第5 / 9页A. students are studying harder in collegeB. most students have part-time job nowC. stress continues to the time of graduationD. students only feel stressed while in school87. According to the passage, stress might cause all the following negative effects EXCEPT ________.A. socialB. mentalC. emotionalD. physical88. In the author’s opinion, stress can be controlled by ________.A. doing what you preferB. identifying your present emotional state firstC. finding a more positive feeling firstD. focusing on your emotional state89. According to the context, what does “your own biology” mean in the last paragraph?A. Your current major.B. Your future job.C. Your future research.D. Your preference.90. Which of the following is the best as the title of the passage?A. Causes of Stress.B. Type of Stress. CollegeC. Life and Stress.D. Stress and Control Methods.TEXT CFor anyone who doubts that the texting revolution is upon us, consider this: The average 13- to 17-year-old sends and receives 3,339 texts a month—more than 100 per day, according to the Nielsen Co., the media research firm. Adults are catching up. People from ages 45 to 54 sent and received 323 texts a month in the second quarter of 2010, up 75% from a year ago, Nielsen sa y s.Behind the texting explosion is a fundamental shift in how we view our mobile devices. That they are phones is increasingly beside the point.Part of what's driving the texting surge among adults is the popularity of social media. Sites like Twitter, with postings of no more than 140 characters, are creating and reinforcing the habit of communicating in micro-bursts.Economics has much to do with texting’s popularity. Text messages cost carriers less than traditional mobile voice transmissions, and so they cost users less. SprintNextel has reconceived its Virgin Mobile brand to cater to heavy texters in a difficult economy. For $25 per month, users get unlimited texting, email, social networking and 300 talk minutes; for another $15, they get an additional 900 talk minutes. The name of the brand's new wireless plan: “Beyond Talk.”Texting’s rise over conversation is changing the way we interact, social scientists and researchers say. We are now inclined to text to relay difficult information. We stare at our phone when we want to avoid eye contact. Rather than make plans in advance, we engage in what research have named “micro-coordination”—”I’ll txt u in 10mins when I know w h/ restrnt.”Texting saves us time, but it steals from quiet reflection. “When people have a mobile device and have even a little extra time, they will communicate with someone in their life,” says Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project. And the phone conversation will never be completely obsolete. Deal makers and other professionals still spend much of the day on the phone. Researchers say people are more likely to use text-based communications at the preliminary stages of projects. The phone comes into play when there are multiple options to consider or important decisions to be made.91. At the beginning of the passage, the author uses figures for the purpose of ________.A. introductionB. comparisonC. explanationD. transition92. According to the context, which of the following is closest in meaning to “beside the point”?A. Unimportant.B. Unacknowledged.C. Underestimated.D. Undeniable.93. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a cause for texting’s popularit y?A. Promotion of cheaper wireless packages.B. Increase in the number of adult texters.C. Redesign of mobile devices.D. Rise of social media.94. According to the passage, texting can help people to ________.A. face difficult situationsB. make appointments in advanceC. communicate wish strangersD. avoid awkward situations95. What is the passage mainly about?A. Texting’s popularity and effect.B. Role of texting in business.C. Preference to texting over thinking.D. Innovation of mobile devices.TEXT DThe healthy adolescent boy or girl likes to do the real things in life, to do the things that matter. He would rather be a plumber’s mate and do a real job that requires doing than learn about hydrostatics sitting at a desk, without understanding what practical use they are going to be. A girl would rather look after the baby than learn about child care. Logically we should learn about things before doing them and that is presumably why the pundits enforce this in our educational system. But it is not the natural way-nor, I venture to think, the best way. The adolescent wants to do things first for only then does he appreciate the problems involved and want to learn more about them.They do these things better in primitive life, for there at puberty the boy joins his father in making canoes, patching huts, going out fishing or hunting. He is serving his apprenticeship in the actual accomplishments of life. It is not surprising that anthropologists(人类学家) find that the adolescents of primitive communities do not suffer from the same neurotic(神经质的) “difficulties” as those of civilized life. This is not, as some assume, because they are permitted more sexual freedom, but because they are given more natural outlets for thei-r native interests and powers and are allowed to grow up freely into a full lif-e of responsibility in the community.In the 19th century this was recognized in the apprenticeship system, which allowed the boy to go out with the master carpenter, or ploughman, to engage in the actual work of carpentry or roof-mending, and so to learn his trade. In some agricultural colleges at the present time young men have to do a ye-ar’s work on a farm before their theoretical training at college. The great advantageof this system is that it lets the apprentice see the practical problems before he sets to work learning how to solve them, and he can therefore take a more intelligent interest in his theoretical work.Since more knowledge of more things is now required in order to cope with the adult world, the period of growing-up to independence takes much longer than it did in a more primitive community, and the responsibility for such education, which formerly was in the hands of the parents, is now necessarily undertaken by experts at school. But that should not make us lose sight of the basic principle, namely the need and the desire of the adolescent to engage responsibly in the real pursuits of life and then to learn how — to learn through responsibility, not to learn before responsibility.96. According to the author, what is the natural way of education?。
2014年专业四级考试试题及答案解析（一）
2014年专业四级考试试题及答案解析（一）专业四级考试试题及答案解析(一)一、Writing (composition)（本大题1小题．每题15.0分，共15.0分。
Writea composition of about 150-200 words on the following topic:）第1题Now a few countries in the world intend to develop their own nuclear weapons. Some people think that every country has its right to do whatever to ensure their own safety. Others argue that the development of nuclear weapons poses serious threats to the security of human life. What is your opinion?Write a composition of about 200 words on the following topic.Should Existing Nuclear Weapons Be Abolished?You are to write in three parts.In the first part, state specifically what your opinion is.In the second part, provide one or two reasons to support your opinion. In the last part, bring what you have written to a natural conclusion or make a summary.Marks will be awarded for content, organization, language and appropriateness. Failure to follow, the instructions may result in a loss of marks.【正确答案】：答案:Should Nuclear Weapons Be Abolished?Now a few countries intend to develop their own nuclear weapons, thinking that if they do have such destructive equipments, no other country would nuke them. Other countries appeal to banning the development of nuclear weapons, thinkingit would endanger the safety 0f the whole world. For my own part, nuclear weapons should be abolished. My idea is grounded in the following two points.One point is that the result of having nuclear weapons cannot be good in any situation. Nuclear weapons are too destructive, not only to human beings, but to the entire planet. No country will actually use a nuclear weapon because they all know what the outcome will be: everyone and everything will be destroyed. The cases of Hiroshima and Nagasaki should be enough to make us think how destructive nuclear weapons can be. The other point is that nuclear weapons are no longer the threat that they used to be at the time of their inception—nearly every country in the world either possesses a nuclear weapon or is the close ally of a nation that does. Nuclear weapons currently pose more of a threat as a tool of disaster by accident than by war.To conclude，nuclear weapons have been shown too destructive and not tobe effective as a deterrent. They should be abolished so that countries can work towards solving their conflicts and accomplish peace.二、Writing(Note-Writing)（本大题1小题．每题10.0分，共10.0分。
2014年6月14日大学英语4级真题与答案详解完整版
2014年6月14日大学英语4级真题与答案详解完整版Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the following topic. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Suppose a foreign friend of yours is coming to visit your hometown, what is the most interesting place you would like to take him/her to see and why?注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
Part II Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D), and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
2014年4月英语专业四级真题完形填空及答案解析
2014年4月英语专业四级真题完形填空及答案解析PART III CLOZE [15 MIN] Decide which of the choices given below would best complete the passage if inserted in the corresponding blanks. Mark the best choice for each blank on Answer Sheet Two.The Victorians had become addicted to speed and they wanted to go ever faster. Time was money and efficiency became (31)__ important. Although division of labour had been(32)______ by Adam Smith and illustrated by a pin factory in The Wealth of Nations in 1776,(33)______ could now become fully realised. This specialisation of labour was in (34)______contrast to the rural means of production, in (35)______ the family was the means of production, consumption and socialisation. (36)______ greater speed came a greater need for industries and businesses to make more and make it quicker. Steam made this (37)______ and changed working life forever. (38)______ were the days when work was (39)______ by natural forces: steam engines were servant(40)______ neither season nor sunshine. Factories had foremen and life became correspondingly more (41)______ . The clocking-on machine was (42)______ in 1885 and time and motion studies to increase efficiency would be introduced only (43)______ twenty years later. (44)______ it was not all bad news. Agricultural incomes depended on variable harvests and weather. Factories provided (45)______ and predictable income, but long hours.Working life was becoming increasingly regulated, and the working (46)______ was reorganised to promote ever greater efficiency. The old (47)______ of St. Monday - when no work was done – was gradually phased out and to (48)______ , work stopped around midday on Saturday and did not resume (49)______ Monday morning. Anew division between "work" and "leisure" emerged, and this new block of weekend leisure time coincided with the development of spectator sports like cricket and football, and the (50)______ of music hall entertainment for the new working classes.31. A. surprisingly B. increasingly C. slowly D. obviously32. A. contributed B. informed C. spread D. conceived33. A. it B. he C. these D. those34. A. clear B. marked C. apparent D. firm35. A. that B. what C. where D. which36. A. Upon B. Over C. With D. For37. A. possible B. practical C. worthwhile D. useful38. A. Passed B. Lost C. Gone D. Missed39. A. defined B. dictated C. limited D. controlled40. A. over B. on C. by D. to41. A. controlled B. standard C. difficult D. dreadful42. A. designed B. created C. invented D. bought43. A. certain B. some C. these D. those44. A. For B. But C. Consequently D. Accordingly45. A. safe B. good C. continuous D. secure46. A. week B. period C. pattern D. practice47. A. culture B. behavior C. custom D. habit48. A. repair B. compensate C. mend D. moderate49. A. before B. after C. on D. until50. A. rise B. increase C. trend D. presence答案：31.A.increasingly 。
2014年6月英语四级考试真题及答案（完整版）
2014年6⽉英语四级考试真题及答案(完整版): Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the following topic. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Suppose a foreign friend of yours is coming to visit your hometown, what is the most interesting place you would like to take him/her to see and why?注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
Part II Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D), and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
2014年6月英语四级考试真题试卷附答案
2014年6月英语四级考试真题试卷附答案2014年6月英语四级考试真题试卷附答案2014年6月英语四级考试真题试卷附答案Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the followingtopic. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Suppose a foreign friend of yours is coming to visit your hometown, what is the mostinteresting place you would like to take him/her to see and why?注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
Part II Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At theend of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both theconversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be apause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D), and decidewhich is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a singleline through the centre.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
2014年英语专业四级真题及答案(阅读理解).doc
TEXT AAfter breakfast the boys wandered out into the play-ground. Here the day-boys were gradually assembling. They were sons of the local clergy, of the officers at the Depot, and of such manufacturers or men of business as the old town possessed. Presently a bell rang, and they all trooped into school. This consisted of a large, long room at opposite ends of which two under-masters conducted the second and third forms, and of a smaller one, leading out of it, used by Mr. Watson, who taught the first form. To attach the preparatory to the senior school these three classes were known officially, on speech days and in reports, as upper, middle, and lower second. Philip was put in the last. The master, a red-faced man with a pleasant voice, was called Rice; he had a jolly manner with boys, and the time passed quickly. Philip was surprised when it was a quarter to eleven and they were let out for ten minutes' rest.The whole school rushed noisily into the play-ground. The new boys were told to go into the middle, while the others stationed themselves along opposite walls. They began to play Pig in the Middle. The old boys ran from wall to wall while the new boys tried to catch them: when one was seized and the mystic words said - one, two, three, and a pig for me - he became a prisoner and, turning sides, helped to catch those who were still free. Philip saw a boy running past and tried to catch him, but his limp gave him no chance; and the runners, taking their opportunity, made straight for the ground he covered. Then one of them had the brilliant idea of imitating Philip's clumsy run. Other boys saw it and began to laugh; then they all copied the first; and they ran round Philip, limping grotesquely, screaming in their treble voices with shrill laughter. They lost their heads with the delight of their new amusement, and choked with helpless merriment. One of them tripped Philip up and he fell, heavily as he always fell, and cut his knee. They laughed all the louder when he got up. A boy pushed him from behind, and he would have fallen again if another had not caught him. The game was forgotten in the entertainment of Philip's deformity. One of them invented an odd, rolling limp that struck the rest as supremely ridiculous, and several of the boys lay down on the ground and rolled about in laughter: Philipwas completely scared. He could not make out why they were laughing at him. His heart beat so that he could hardly breathe, and he was more frightened than he had ever been in his life. He stood still stupidly while the boys ran round him, mimicking and laughing; they shouted to him to try and catch them; but he did not move. He did not want them to see him run any more. He was using all his strength to prevent himself from crying.TEXT BFor parents who send thei r kids off to college saying, “These will be the best years of your life,” it would be very appropriate to add, “If you can handle the stress of college life.”Freshmen are showing up already stressed out, according to the latest CIRP Freshman Survey that reported students' emotional health levels at their lowest since the survey started in 1985. While in school, more students are working part-time and near-full-time jobs. At graduation, only 29 percent of seniors have jobs lined up.Pressure to excel often creates stress, and many students are not learning how to effectively handle this stress.1) Stress can make smart people do stupid things: Stress causes what brain researchers call “cortical inhibition.” In simple terms, stress inhibits a part of the brain responsible for decision-making and reaction time and can adversely affect other mental abilities as well.2) The human body doesn't discriminate between a big stressful event and a little one: Any stressful experience will create a cascade of 1,400 biochemical events in your body. If any amount of stress is left unchecked, many things can occur within the body, including premature aging, impaired cognitive function and energy drain.3) Stress can become your new norm: When you regularly experience negative feelings and high amounts of stress, your brain recognizes this as yournormal state. This then becomes the new norm, or baseline for your emotional state.4) Stress can be controlled: Countless studies demonstrate that people can restructure their emotional state using emotion-refocusing techniques. These techniques help you recognize how you are feeling and shift to a more positive emotional, mental and physical state.5) Stress less by loving what you study: Barbara Frederickson, a leading international authority on the importance of positive emotions, says humans are genetically programmed to seek positive emotions such as love and joy. It's suggested to choose a major or career path you love and enjoy. Otherwise, you could end up fighting against your own biology.TEXT CFor anyone who doubts that the texting revolution is upon us, consider this: The average 13- to 17-year-old sends and receives 3,339 texts a month—more than 100 per day, according to the Nielsen Co., the media research firm. Adults are catching up. People from ages 45 to 54 sent and received 323 texts a month in the second quarter of 2010, up 75% from a year ago, Nielsen says.Behind the texting explosion is a fundamental shift in how we view our mobile devices. That they are phones is increasingly beside the point.Part of what's driving the texting surge among adults is the popularity of social media. Sites like Twitter, with postings of no more than 140 characters, are creating and reinforcing the habit of communicating in micro-bursts. And these sites also are pumping up sheer volume. Many Twitter and Facebook devotees create settings that alert them, via text message, every time a tweet or message is earmarked for them. In October 2009, 400 million texts alerted social-media users to such new messages across AT&T's wireless network, says Mark Collins, AT&T senior vice president for data and voice products; by September 2010, the number had more than doubled to one billion. (Twitter reports more than two billion tweets are sent each month.)赠送以下资料考试知识点技巧大全一、考试中途应饮葡萄糖水大脑是记忆的场所，脑中有数亿个神经细胞在不停地进行着繁重的活动,大脑细胞活动需要大量能量。
2014专四部分真题参考答案
2014专四部分真题参考答案听写Throughout history man has changed his physical environment in order to improve his way of life.With the tools of technology he has altered many physical features of the earth. He has transformed woodland into farmland, and made lakes and reservoirs out of rivers for irrigation purposes or hydroelectric power. Man has also modified the face of the earth by draining marshes and cutting through mountains to build roads and railways.However, man’s changes to the physical environment have no t always had beneficial results. Today, pollution of the air and water is an increasing danger to the health of the planet. Each day thousands of tons of gases come out of the exhausts of motor vehicles; smoke from factories pollutes the air of industrialized areas and the surrounding areas of countryside. The air in cities is becoming increasingly unhealthy.The pollution of water is equally harmful. In the sea, pollution from oil is increasing and is killing enormous numbers of algae(水藻), fish and birds. The whole ecological balance of the sea is being changed. The same problem exists in rivers. Industrial wastes have already made many rivers lifeless.Conservationists believe that it is now necessary for man to limit the growth of technology in order to survive on earth.完形真题原文：The Victorians had become addicted to speed and, like all speed crazy kids, they wanted to go ever faster. Time was money and efficiency became increasingly important. Although division of labour had been conceived by Adam Smith and illustrated by a pin factory in The Wealth of Nations in 1776, it could now become fully realised. This specialisation and - by implication - individualisation of labour was in marked contrast to the rural means of production, in which the family was the means of production, consumption and socialisation.With greater speed came a greater need for industries and businesses to make more and make it quicker. Steam made this possible and changed working life forever. Gone were the days when work was dictated by natural forces: steam engines were servant to neither season nor sunshine. Factories had foremen and life became correspondingly more regimented. The clocking-on machine was invented in 1885 and time and motion studies to increase efficiency would be introduced only some twenty years later. But it was not all bad news. Agricultural incomes depended on variable harvests and weather. Factories provided secure and predictable income, but long hours.Working life was becoming increasingly regulated, and the working week was reorganised to promote ever-greater efficiency. The old custom of St. Monday - when no work was done - was gradually phased out and to compensate, work stopped around midday on Saturday and did not resume until Monday morning. A new division between 'work' and 'leisure' emerged, and this new block of weekend leisure time coincided with the development of spectator sports like cricket and football, and the rise of music hall entertainment for the new working classes.注：黑体字为每个空格的答案阅读理解Text A来自Of Human Bondage（人性的枷锁）第十一章Philip noticed that 'extras' gave boys a certain consideration and made up his mind, when he wrote to Aunt Louisa, to ask for them.After breakfast the boys wandered out into the play-ground. Here the day-boys were gradually assembling. They were sons of the local clergy, of the officers at the Depot, and of such manufacturers or men of business as the old town possessed. Presently a bell rang, and they all trooped into school. This consisted of a large, long room at opposite ends of which two under-masters conducted the second and third forms, and of a smaller one, leading out of it, used by Mr. Watson, who taught the first form. To attach the preparatory to the senior school these three classes were known officially, on speech days and in reports, as upper, middle, and lower second. Philip was put in the last. The master, a red-faced man with a pleasant voice, was called Rice; he had a jolly manner with boys, and the time passed quickly. Philip was surprised when it was a quarter to eleven and they were let out for ten minutes' rest.The whole school rushed noisily into the play-ground. The new boys were told to go into the middle, while the others stationed themselves along opposite walls. They began to play Pig in the Middle. The old boys ran from wall to wall while the new boys tried to catch them: when one was seized and the mystic words said--one, two, three, and a pig for me--he became a prisoner and, turning sides, helped to catch those who were still free. Philip saw a boy running past and tried to catch him, but his limp gave him no chance; and therunners, taking their opportunity, made straight for the ground he covered. Then one of them had the brilliant idea of imitating Philip's clumsy run. Other boys saw it and began to laugh; then they all copied the first; and they ran round Philip, limping grotesquely, screaming in their treble voices with shrill laughter. They lost their heads with the delight of their new amusement, and choked with helpless merriment. One of them tripped Philip up and he fell, heavily as he always fell, and cut his knee. They laughed all the louder when he got up. A boy pushed him from behind, and hewould have fallen again if another had not caught him. The gamewas forgotten in the entertainment of Philip's deformity. One ofthem invented an odd, rolling limp that struck the rest as supremely ridiculous, and several of the boys lay down on the ground androlled about in laughter: Philip was completely scared. He could not make out why they were laughing at him. His heart beat so that he could hardly breathe, and he was more frightened than he had ever been in his life. He stood still stupidly while the boys ran round him, mimicking and laughing; they shouted to him to try and catch them; but he did not move. He did not want them to see him run any more. He was using all his strength to prevent himself from crying.Text BFor parents who send their kids off to college saying, “These will be thebest years of your life,” it would be very appropriate to add, “If you can handle the stress of college life.”Freshmen are showing up already stressed out, according to the latest CIRP Freshman Survey that reported students' emotional health levels at their lowest since the survey started in 1985. While in school, more students are working part-time and near-full-time jobs. At graduation, only 29 percent of seniors have jobs lined up.Pressure to excel often creates stress, and many students are not learning how to effectively handle this stress.1) Stress can make smart people do stupid things: Stress causes what brain researchers call “cortical inhibition.”In simple terms, stress inhibits a part of the brain responsible for decision-making and reaction time and can adversely affect other mental abilities as well.2) The human body doesn't discriminate between a big stressful event and a little one: Any stressful experience will create a cascade of 1,400 biochemical events in your body. If any amount of stress is left unchecked, many things can occur within the body, including premature aging, impaired cognitive function and energy drain.3) Stress can become your new norm: When you regularly experience negative feelings and high amounts of stress, your brain recognizes this as your normal state. This then becomes the new norm, or baseline for your emotional state.4) Stress can be controlled: Countless studies demonstrate that people can restructure their emotional state using emotion-refocusing techniques. These techniques help you recognize how you are feeling and shift to a more positive emotional, mental and physical state.5) Stress less by loving what you study: Barbara Frederickson, a leading international authority on the importance of positive emotions, says humans are genetically programmed to seek positive emotions such as love and joy. It's suggested to choose a major or career path you love and enjoy. Otherwise, you could end up fighting against your own biology.选自：华盛顿邮报Text CFor anyone who doubts that the texting revolution is upon us, consider this: The average 13- to 17-year-old sends and receives 3,339 texts a month—more than 100 per day, according to the Nielsen Co., the media research firm. Adults are catching up. People from ages 45 to 54 sent and received 323 texts a month in the second quarter of 2010, up 75% from a year ago, Nielsen says.Behind the texting explosion is a fundamental shift in how we view our mobile devices. That they are phones is increasingly beside the point.Part of what's driving the texting surge among adults is the popularity of social media. Sites like Twitter, with postings of no morethan 140 characters, are creating and reinforcing the habit of communicating in micro-bursts. And these sites also are pumping up sheer volume. Many Twitter and Facebook devotees create settings that alert them, via text message, every time a tweet or message is earmarked for them. In October 2009, 400 million texts alerted social-media users to such new messages across AT&T's wireless network, says Mark Collins, AT&T senior vice president for data and voice products; by September 2010, the number had more than doubled to one billion. (Twitter reports more than two billion tweets are sent each month.)Text D （/reading/exercise/ess2/hadfield.htm）Relation to life. The healthy adolescent boy or girl likes to do the real things in life, to do the things that matter. He would rather be a plumber's mate and do a real job that requires doing than learn about hydrostatics sitting at a desk, without understanding what practical use they are going to be. A girl would rather look after the baby than learn about child care.Logically we should learn about things before doing them and that is presumably why the pundits enforce this in our educational system. But it is not the natural way-nor, I venture to think, the best way. The adolescent wants to do things first for only then does he appreciate the problems involved and want to learn more about them.They do these things better in primitive life, for there at puberty the boy joins his father in making canoes, patching huts, going out fishing or hunting, and preparing weapons of war. He is serving his apprenticeship in the actual accomplishments of life. It is not surprising that anthropologists find that the adolescents of primitive communities do not suffer from the same neurotic 'difficulties' as those of civilized life. This is not, as some assume, because they are permitted more sexual freedom, but because they are given more natural outlets for their native interests and powers and are allowed to grow up freely into a full life of responsibility in the community.In the last century this was recognized in the apprenticeship system, which allowed the boy to go out with the master carpenter, thatcher, or ploughman, to engage in the actual work of carpentry, roof-mending, or ploughing, and so to learn his trade. It was the same in medicine, in which a budding young doctor of sixteen learnt his job by going round with the general practitioner and helping with the blood-letting and physic. In our agricultural colleges at the present time young men have to do a year's work on a farm before their theoretical training at college. The great advantage of this system is that it lets the apprentice see the practical problems before he sets to work learning how to solve them, and he can therefore take a more intelligent interest in his theoretical work. That is also why a girl should be allowed to give expression to her naturaldesire to look after children, and then, when she comes up against difficulties, to learn the principles of child care.Since more knowledge of more things is now required in order to cope with the adult world, the period of growing-up to independence takes much longer than it did in a more primitive community, and the responsibility for such education, which formerly was in the hands of the parents, is now necessarily undertaken by experts at school. But that should not make us lose sight of the basic principle, namely the need and the desire of the adolescent to engage responsibly in the 'real' pursuits of life and then to learn how-to learn through responsibility, not to learn before responsibility.。
2014年6月英语四级考试真题及答案（完整版）
2014年6⽉英语四级考试真题及答案(完整版): Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the following topic. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Suppose a foreign friend of yours is coming to visit your hometown, what is the most interesting place you would like to take him/her to see and why?注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
Part II Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D), and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
2014年英语专四真题与答案
TEST FOR ENGLISH MAJORS (2014)-GRADE FOUR-TIME LIMIT: 135 MINPART I DICTATION [15 MIN] Listen to the following passage. Altogether the passage will be read to you four times. During the first reading, which will be done at normal speed, listen and try to understand the meaning. For the second and third readings, the passage will be read sentence by sentence, or phrase by phrase, with intervals of 15 seconds. The last reading will be done at normal speed again and during this time you should check your work. You will then be given 2 minutes to check through your work once more. Please write the whole passage on ANSWER SHEET ONE.PART II LISTENING COMPREHENSION [20 MIN] In Sections A, B and C you will hear everything ONCE ONLY. Listen carefully and then answer the questions that follow. Mark the best answer to each question on Answer Sheet Two.SECTION A CONVERSATIONSIn this section you will hear several conversations. Listen to the conversations carefully and then answer the questions that follow.Questions 1 to 3 are based on the following conversation. At the end of the conversation, you will be given 15 seconds to answer the questions. Now, listen to the conversation.1. What are they mainly talking about in the conversation?A. Transport.B. Customers.C. Relocation.D. Restaurants.2. Which of the following is mentioned by Tim as a good reason for moving?A. More office space.B. Convenient parking.C. Fewer office workers.D. A near-by train station.3. Why is Jane worried about winter in the new location?A. It is much colder there.B. There are few activities.C. There are no good restaurants.D. There is no cinema or theatre.Questions 4 to 7 are based on the following conversation. At the end of the conversation, you will be given 20 seconds to answer the questions. Now, listen to the conversation.4. Miss Parkinson became interested in her own business _______.A. before she worked for the media companyB. when she was on holiday five years agoC. after she went to therapists and classesD. after her friend recommended it to her5. Why did she ask her teachers to teach her at home?A. She was busier than before.B. It was more convenient.C. She liked to exercise at home.D. She was given a promotion.6. Which of the following is NOT true according to the conversation?A. She recommended people to take classes.B. She was willing to pay more for classes at home.C. She left her job immediately after her promotion.D. She regarded the business as a pastime at first.7. Why did she finally leave her job?A. She got bored with her job.B. She saw an opportunity.C. She needed the money.D. She was forced to leave. Questions 8 to 10 are based on the following conversation. At the end of the conversation, you will be given 15 seconds to answer the questions. Now listen to the conversation.8. Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the single-lens reflex?A. Different lenses can be used.B. Focusing is easier.C. You can see what you are taking.D. It is cheaper and lighter.9. According to the shop assistant, the main difference between the two types of cameras lies in _______.A. lensB. priceC. weightD. size10. It can be inferred from the conversation that the customer is more likely to buy _______ in the end.A. a single-lens cameraB. nothingC. a rangefinder cameraD. several lenses instead SECTION B PASSAGESIn this section, you will hear several passages. Listen to the passages carefully and then answer the questions that follow. Questions 11 to 13 are based on the following passage. At the end of the passage, you will be given 15 seconds to answer the questions. Now, listen to the passage.11. Which of the following details about the front of the house is CORRECT?A. The front is pink.B. The curtain is drawn.C. No window can be seen.D. There are two doors.12. What is to the immediate left side of the house?A. A washing line.B. Another house.C. A flat area.D. A chimney.13. Where is the small town in the picture?A. Between two hills.B. Further to the left of the house.C. At the back of the house.D. At the side of a hill.Questions 14 to 17 are based on the following passage. At the end of the passage, you will be given 20 seconds to answer the questions. Now, listen to the passage14. When did Ben first become interested in Mongolia?A. When he grew up.B. When he learned Mongolian.C. When he returned home.D. When he was nine years old.15. Where did he spend most of his teenage years?A. In Mongolia.B. In the Arab world.C. In his hometown.D. In some other regions.16. We learn f rom the passage that Ben _______ while doing his master’s degree.A. became interested in classical MongolianB. learned classical and modern MongolianC. gave up modern MongolianD. mastered modern Mongolian17. Which of the following details is NOT true according to the passage?A. Ben wants to visit Mongolia when the weather is warm.B. Ben considers the travel expense reasonable.C. The trip today is expensive considering inflation.D. Ben was unable to travel to Mongolia in 1971.Questions 18 to 20 are based on the following passage. At the end of the passage, you will be given 15 seconds to answer the questions. Now, listen to the passage.18. Which is the height of towers at Sky Greens vertical farm?A. 9 meters.B. 20 meters.C. 100 meters.D. 40 meters.19. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?A. The farm sells its vegetables to a local supermarket.B. The farm uses less water and energy to grow vegetables.C. The farm causes less pollution in its production.D. The farm sells at the same price as imported produce20. According to the passage, one particular advantage of the Sky Green is _______.A. local climateB. local supportC. plan for expansionD. closeness to the city SECTION C NEWS BROADCASTIn this section, you will hear several news items. Listen to them carefully and then answer the questions that follow.Questions 21 and 22 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 10 seconds to answer the questions. Now. listen to the news.21. According to the passage, Turkish police were unsure about _______.A. when the woman was killedB. the main cause of the deathC. the woman’s identityD. why she failed to return home22. How many people had been detained by Turkish police?A. 9.B. 19.C.22.D. 33.Questions 23 and 24 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 10 seconds to answer the questions. Now, listen to the news.23. What is the situation now in Kidal according to the news?A. Islamist militants are still in control of the town.B. French forces have entered the town.C. French are going to land at the airport.D. Islamist militants are attacking the airport.24. Why did the French launch the military operation?A. To control Kidal airport.B. To protect the town.C. To protect the capital Bamako.D. To fight against Islamist militants.Questions 25 and 26 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 10 seconds to answer the questions. Now, listen to the news.25. Which of the following is TRUE about the immigration reform?A. It was proposed by a group of senators.B. Mr Obama had carried out the reform.C. Illegal immigrants would soon be given citizenship.D. The reform failed to improve the current system.26. According to Obama’s 2011 blueprint, how long would it take for illegal immigrants to gain citizenship?A. Eight years.B. Five years.C. Thirteen years.D. Eleven years.Questions 27 and 28 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 10 seconds to answer the questions. Now, listen to the news.27. What is Lorraine Melvill’s business?A. Running a plastic surgery clinic.B. Arranging for surgery and safaris.C. Providing consultancy to local people.D. Organizing trips to UK and American.28. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the news item?A. Local African clients helped keep her business going.B. Her clients were unable to pay her the money.C. Her business was affected by the global financial crisis.D. She still had as many European clients as before.Questions 29 is based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 5 seconds to answer the question. Now, listen to the news.29. What is the main idea of the news item?A. Foreign investment in unstable regions.B. BP’s presence in North Africa.C. Security concerns in risky countries.D. Protection for foreign oil workers.Questions 30 is based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 5 seconds to answer the question. Now, listen to the news.30. What is the main message of the news item?A. London attracts shoppers from all over the world.B. Most people in Nigeria live in poverty.C. Wealthier Nigerians become a big spender.D. People from the Middle East are the most wealthy.PART III CLOZE [15 MIN]Decide which of the choices given below would best complete the passage if inserted in the corresponding blanks. Mark the best choice for each blank on ANSWER SHEET TWO.The Victorians had become addicted to speed and they wanted to go ever faster. Time was money and efficiency became(31)____ important. Although divisions of labour had been (32)____ by Adam Smith and illustrated by a pin factory in The Wealth of Nations in 1776, (33)____ could now become fully realised. This specialization of labour was in (34)____ contrast to the rural means of production, in (35)____ the family was the means of production, consumption and socialization. (36)____ greater speed came a greater need for industries and businesses to make more and make it quicker. Steam made this (37)____ and changed working life forever (38)____ were the days when work was (39)____ by natural forces: steam engines were servant (40)____ neither season nor sunshine. Factories had foremen and life became correspondingly more (41)____. The clocking-on machine was (42)____ in 1885 and time and motion studies to increase efficiency would be introduced only(43)____ twenty years later. (44)____ it was not all bad news. Agricultural incomes depended on variable harvests and weather. Factories provided (45)____ and predictable income, but long hours.Working life was becoming increasingly regulated, and the working (46)____ was reorganised to promote ever-greater efficiency. The old (47)____ St. Monday - when no work was done - was (48)____, work stopped around midday on Saturday and did not resume (49)____ Monday morning. A new division between “work” and “leisure” emerged, and this new block of weekend leisure time coincided with the development of spectator sports like cricket and football, and the (50)____ of music hall entertainment for the new working classes.31. A. increasingly B. surprisingly C. slowly D. obviously32. A. contributed B. informed C. spread D. conceived33. A. he B. it C. these D. those34. A. clear B. marked C. apparent D. firm35. A. that B. what C. where D. which 36. A. UponB. OverC. WithD. For37. A. possible B. practical C. worthwhile D. useful38. A. Passed B. Lost C. Gone D. Missed39. A. defined B. controlled C. limited D. dictated40. A. over B. on C. by D. to41. A. standard B. controlled C. difficult D. dreadful42. A. designed B. created C. invented D. bought43. A. some B. certain C. these D. those44. A. For B. But C. Consequently D. Accordingly45. A. safe B. good C. continuous D. secure46. A. week B. period C. pattern D. practice47. A. culture B. behaviour C. custom D. habit48. A. repair B. compensate C. mend D. moderate49. A. before B. until C. on D. after50. A. raise B. increase C. trend D. presentPART IV GRAMMAR & VOCABULARY [15 MIN]There are thirty sentences in this section. Beneath each sentence there are four words, phrases or statements marked A, B, C and D. Choose one word, phrase or statement that best completes the sentence. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET TWO.51. It is essential that he ________ all the facts first.A. is examiningB. will examineC. examinesD. examine52. Which of the following sentences expresses a future action?A. Lucy is continually finding fault with her sister.B. We are meeting the visitors after the performance.C. The coach is now crossing the Garden Bridge.D. I’m hoping that you’ll give us some advice.53. Which of the following italicized parts is used as an object complement?A. The front door remained locked.B. The boy looked disappointed.C. Nancy appeared worried.D. He seemed to have no money left.54. Which of the following sentences is INCORRECT?A. Physics is an important school subject.B. The Niagara Falls is in North America.C. The United States borders Canada.D. Mumps is a kind of infectious disease.55. Which of the following sentences indicates POSSIBILITY?A. The moon cannot always be at the full.B. You cannot smoke inside the building.C. He cannot come today.D. She cannot play the piano.56. The boys in the family are old enough for ________.A. schoolsB. schoolC. the schoolD. the schools57. Which of the following italicized parts indicates a predicate-object relationship?A. He was reading Mary’s letter in the room.B. You can buy men’s shoes in this shop.C. Mrs. Black’s passport was lost.D. The enemy’s defeat brought the war to an end.58. Please pardon ________ you.A. my disturbingB. disturbing meC. to disturbD. that I disturb59. Which of the following tag questions is INCORRECT?A. Carry this parcel for me, will you?B. Nobody wants to go there, does he?C. Few people know him, don’t they?D. Everything is ready, isn’t it?60. Which of the following reflexive pronouns（反身代词）is used as an object?A. I spoke to the president himself.B. Frank is not quite himself today.C. Linda herself will play the violin.D. You must pull yourself together.61. The research team can handle ________ needs to be handled.A. wheneverB. whicheverC. whereverD. whatever62. Which of the following italicized parts modifies an adverb?A. I rather like my teacher.B. That was a very funny film.C. Do it right now.D. We walked about 6 miles.63. When the sentence “They had made a mess of the house” is turned into passive voice, which of the following is CORRECT?A. A mess had been made in the house.B. A mess had been made by them.C. The house had been made a mess of.D. The house had been made a mess.64. Fool ________ Michael is, he could not have done such a thing.A. asB. whoC. thatD. like65. Wh en the sentence “Shall I drive you to the airport first?” is turned into indirect speech, which of the following is most appropriate?A. He agreed to drive me to the airport first.B. He offered to drive me to the airport first.C. He advised me to go to the airport first.D. He suggested that I drive to the airport first.66. The interviewers were impressed by the high of the applicants for the job. The underlined part means ________.A. criterionB. qualityC. qualificationD. level67. Her career has ________ a number of activities — composing, playing and acting.A. heldB. producedC. embracedD. combined68. The operation could ________ her life by two or three years.A. prolongB. increaseC. expandD. continue69.A. fineB. darkC. thickD. light70.A. sickB. inactiveC. dizzyD. drowsy71.A. tolerateB. keepC. faceD. hold72. The chief of surgery became committee chairman by virtue of ________.A. seniorityB. serviceC. ageD. rank73.A. criticizedB. ignoredC. betrayedD. deceived74. Our school did not ________ for Christmas until mid-December.A. break outB. break downC. break upD. break in75. The flags in the stadium ________ in the wind.A. flappedB. movedC. shookD. stirred76.A. despiteB. withC. according toD. because of77. The whole country was in ________ over the result of the elections.A. suspensionB. suspenseC. suspendingD. suspender78. replaced by all the following EXCEPT ________.A. thinkableB. imaginableC. possibleD. observable79. The employers prepared, with all due ________ for a conference with the Trade Unions.A. cautionB. concernC. certaintyD. consideration80.A. perfectB. properC. possibleD. proposedPART V READING COMPREHENSION [25 MIN]In this section there are four passages followed by questions or unfinished statements, each with four suggested answers marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that you think is the best answer. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET TWOTEXT AAfter breakfast the boys wandered out into the play-ground. Here the day-boys were gradually assembling. They were sons of the local clergy, of the officers at the Depot, and of such manufacturers or men of business as the old town possessed. Presently a bell rang, and they all trooped into school. This consisted of a large, long room at opposite ends of which two under masters conducted the second and third forms, and of a smaller one, leading out of it, used by Mr. Watson, who taught the first form. To attach the preparatory to the senior school these three classes were known officially, on speech days and in reports, as upper, middle, and lower second. Philip was put in the last. The master, a red-faced man with a pleasant voice, was called Rice; he had a jolly manner with boys, and the time passed quickly. Philip was surprised when it was quarter to eleven and they were let out for ten minutes' rest.The whole school rushed noisily into the play-ground. The new boys were told to go into the middle, while the others stationed themselves along opposite walls. They began to play Pig in the Middle. The old boys ran from wall to wall while the new boys tried to catch them: when one was seized and the mystic words said - one, two, three, and a pig for me - he became a prisoner and, turning sides, helped to catch those who were still free. Philip saw a boy running past and tried to catch him, but his limp gave him no chance; and the runners, taking their opportunity, made straight for the groundhe covered. Then one of them had the brilliant idea of imitating Philip’s clumsy run. Other boys saw it and began to laugh; then they all copied the first; and they ran round Philip, limping grotesquely, screaming with shrill laughter. They lost their heads with the delight of their new amusement, and choked with helpless merriment. One of them tripped Philip up and he fell, heavily as he always fell, and cut his knee. They laughed all the louder when he got up. A boy pushed him from behind, and he would have fallen again if another had not caught him. The game was forgotten in the entertainment of Philip’s deformity. Philip was completely scared. He could not make out why they were laughing at him. His heart beat so that he could hardly breathe, and he was more frightened than he had ever been in his life. He stood still stupidly while the boys ran round him, mimicking and laughing; they shouted to him to try and catch them; but he did not move. He did not want them to see him run any more. He was using all his strength to prevent himself from crying.81. From the beginning of the passage we learn that ________.A. some pupils came from the local areaB. the school only accepted day-boysC. the school had only three classesD. Philip’s class was part of the senior school82. What was Philip’s reaction to his class?A. He thought class was too short.B. He found his class surprising.C. He seemed to have enjoyed it.D. He wanted to change class.83. In the game Philip lost his ground because ________.A. the game wasn’t fit for new boys like himB. the playground wasn’t big enough for the gameC. he did not know the rules of the gameD. he could not run as quickly as other boys84. What did the boys do after Philip lost his ground?A. They continued with the game.B. They stopped to make fun of him.C. They changed to another game.D. They stopped and went inside.85. How did Philip feel in the end?A. He was ashamed of himself.B. He was very nervous.C. He was really horrified.D. He felt himself stupid. TEXT BFor parents who send their kids off to college saying, “These will be the best years of your life,” it would be very appropriate to add, “If you can handle the stress of college life.”Freshmen are showing up already stressed out, according to the latest research study that reported students’ emotional health levels at their lowest since the surve y started in 1985. While in school, more students are working part-time and near-full-time jobs. At graduation, only 29 percent of seniors have jobs lined up.Pressure to excel often creates stress, and many students are not learning how to effectively handle this stress. Let me show five facts that I believe every college student should know about stress.First, stress can make smart people do stupid things. Stress causes what brain researchers call “cortical inhibition.” In simple terms, stress inhibits a part of the brain responsible for decision-making and reaction time and can adversely affect other mental abilities as well.Second, the human body doesn’t discriminate between a big stressful event and a little one. Any stressful experience will create about 1,400 biochemical events in your body. If any amount of stress is left unchecked, many things can occur within the body, including premature aging, impaired cognitive function and energy drain.Third, stress can become your new pattern. When you regularly experience negative feelings and high amounts of stress, your brain recognizes this as your normal state. This then becomes the new norm, or baseline for your emotional state.Fourth, stress can be controlled. Countless studies demonstrate that people can restructure their emotional state using emotion-refocusing techniques. These techniques help you recognize how you are feeling and shift to a more positive emotional, mental and physical state.One technique involves slowing your thoughts and focusing on your heartbeat, breathing slowly and deeply, and focusing on the positive feeling that you receive.Finally, stress can be lessened by loving what you study. Barbara Frederickson, a leading international authority on the importance of positive emotions, says humans are genetically programmed to seek positive emotions such as love and joy. It's suggested to choose a major or career path you love and enjoy. Otherwise, you could end up fighting against your own biology.86. The author cites the latest research study in order to show that ________.第5 / 9页A. students are studying harder in collegeB. most students have part-time job nowC. stress continues to the time of graduationD. students only feel stressed while in school87. According to the passage, stress might cause all the following negative effects EXCEPT ________.A. socialB. mentalC. emotionalD. physical88. In the author’s opinion, stress can be controlled by ________.A. doing what you preferB. identifying your present emotional state firstC. finding a more positive feeling firstD. focusing on your emotional state89. According to the context, what does “your own biology” mean in the last paragraph?A. Your current major.B. Your future job.C. Your future research.D. Your preference.90. Which of the following is the best as the title of the passage?A. Causes of Stress.B. Type of Stress. CollegeC. Life and Stress.D. Stress and Control Methods.TEXT CFor anyone who doubts that the texting revolution is upon us, consider this: The average 13- to 17-year-old sends and receives 3,339 texts a month—more than 100 per day, according to the Nielsen Co., the media research firm. Adults are catching up. People from ages 45 to 54 sent and received 323 texts a month in the second quarter of 2010, up 75% from a year ago, Nielsen says.Behind the texting explosion is a fundamental shift in how we view our mobile devices. That they are phones is increasingly beside the point.Part of what's driving the texting surge among adults is the popularity of social media. Sites like Twitter, with postings of no more than 140 characters, are creating and reinforcing the habit of communicating in micro-bursts.Economics has much to do with texting’s popularity. Text messages cost carriers less than traditional mobile voice transmissions, and so they cost users less. SprintNextel has reconceived its Virgin Mobile brand to cater to heavy texters in a difficult economy. For $25 per month, users get unlimited texting, email, social networking and 300 talk minutes; for another $15, they get an additional 900 talk minutes. The name of the brand's new wireless plan: “Beyond Talk.”Texting’s rise over conversation is changing the way we interact, social scientists and researchers say. We are now inclined to text to relay difficult information. We stare at our phone when we want to avoid eye contact. Rather than make plans in advance, we engage in what research have named “micro-coordination”—”I’ll txt u in 10mins when I know wh/ restrnt.”Texting saves us time, but it s teals from quiet reflection. “When people have a mobile device and have even a little extra time, they will communicate with someone in their life,” says Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project. And the phone conversation will never be completely obsolete. Deal makers and other professionals still spend much of the day on the phone. Researchers say people are more likely to use text-based communications at the preliminary stages of projects. The phone comes into play when there are multiple options to consider or important decisions to be made.91. At the beginning of the passage, the author uses figures for the purpose of ________.A. introductionB. comparisonC. explanationD. transition92. According to the context, which of the following is closest in meaning to “beside the point”?A. Unimportant.B. Unacknowledged.C. Underestimated.D. Undeniable.93. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a cause for texting’s popularity?A. Promotion of cheaper wireless packages.B. Increase in the number of adult texters.C. Redesign of mobile devices.D. Rise of social media.94. According to the passage, texting can help people to ________.A. face difficult situationsB. make appointments in advanceC. communicate wish strangersD. avoid awkward situations95. What is the passage mainly about?A. Texting’s popularity and effect.B. Role of texting in business.C. Preference to texting over thinking.D. Innovation of mobile devices.TEXT DThe healthy adolescent boy or girl likes to do the real things in life, to do the things that matter. He would rather be a plumber’s mate and do a real job that requires doing than learn about hydrostatics sitting at a desk, without understanding what practical use they are going to be. A girl would rather look after the baby than learn about child care. Logically we should learn about things before doing them and that is presumably why the pundits enforce this in our educational system. But it is not the natural way-nor, I venture to think, the best way. The adolescent wants to do things first for only then does he appreciate the problems involved and want to learn more about them.They do these things better in primitive life, for there at puberty the boy joins his father in making canoes, patching huts, going out fishing or hunting. He is serving his apprenticeship in the actual accomplishments of life. It is not surprising that anthropologists(人类学家) find that the adolescents of primitive communities do not suffer from the same neurotic(神经质的) “difficulties” as those of civilized life. This is not, as some assume, because they are permitted more sexual freedom, but because they are given more natural outlets for thei-r native interests and powers and are allowed to grow up freely into a full lif-e of responsibility in the community.In the 19th century this was recognized in the apprenticeship system, which allowed the boy to go out with the master carpenter, or ploughman, to engage in the actual work of carpentry or roof-mending, and so to learn his trade. In some agricultural colleges at the present time young men have to do a ye-ar’s work on a farm before their theoretical training at college. The great advantageof this system is that it lets the apprentice see the practical problems before he sets to work learning how to solve them, and he can therefore take a more intelligent interest in his theoretical work.Since more knowledge of more things is now required in order to cope with the adult world, the period of growing-up to independence takes much longer than it did in a more primitive community, and the responsibility for such education, which formerly was in the hands of the parents, is now necessarily undertaken by experts at school. But that should not make us lose sight of the basic principle, namely the need and the desire of the adolescent to engage responsibly in the real pursuits of life and then to learn how — to learn through responsibility, not to learn before responsibility.96. According to the author, what is the natural way of education?。