2017年6月英语四级真题 (第1套)

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大学英语四级考试2024年6月真题(第一套)及答案解析

大学英语四级考试2024年6月真题(第一套)Part I Writing(30minutes) Directions:Suppose your university is seeking students'opinions on whether university libraries should be open to the public.You are now to write an essay to express your view.You will have30minutesfor the task.You should write at least120words but no more than180words.PartⅡListening Comprehension(25minutes) Section ADirections:In this section,you will hear three news reports.At the end ofeach news report,you will hear two or three questions.Both the news report and the questions will bespoken only once.Afier you hear a question,you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A),B),C)and D).Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet1with a single line through the centre.Questions1and2are based on the news report you have just heard.1.A)Due to a fire alarm in their apartments.B)Because of the smoke and heat damage2.A)Investigating the cause of the incident.B)Helping search for the suspect of the crime.C)Due to the water used to extinguish the flames.D)Becauseof the collapse of the three-story building.C)Rescuing the businessmen trapped in the building.D)Checking town records for the property developer.Questions3and4are based on the news report you have just heard.3.A)It plays a less important role in one's health than nutrient intake.B)It impacts people's health to a lesser degree than sun exposure.C)It is associated with people's mental health conditionsD)It is linked with older adults'symptoms ofdepression4.A)It was indefinite C)It was straightforward.B)It was systematic.D)It was insignificant. Questions5to7are based on the news report you have just heard.5.A)It has helped solve several murder cases.B)It has become a star police dog in Beijing6.A)To speed up investigation into criminal cases.B)To test the feasibility of cloning technology.7.A)Cloning is too complicated a processB)The technology is yet to be accepted C)It has surpassed its mother in performance.D)It has done better than naturally born dogs.C)To cut down training expensesD)To reduce their training time.C)Cloning is ethically controversial.D)The technology is too expensive.Section BDirections:In this section,you will hear two long conversations.At the end ofeach conversation,you will hear four questions.Both the conversation and the questions will bespoken only once.After you hear a question,you1·2024年6月四级真题(第一套)·must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A),B),C)and D).Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet I with a single line through the centre.Questions8to11are based on the conversation you have just heard.8.A)He read it somewhere online.B)He heard about it from a coworker.9.A)His publications.B)His first book.10.A)Collect a lot more data.B)Relax a bit less often.11.A)Find out the show's most interesting episodesB)Watch the series together with the woman.C)He read an article reviewing it.D)He watched a TV series based on it.C)His addressD)His name.C)Clarify many new conceptsD)Read more reference books.C)Get an e-Copy of the book to read.D)Check to see when the show starts.Questions12to15are based on the conversation you have just heard.12.A)To check the prices of his farm produce.B)To ask the way to the Newcastle City Hall.13.A)Bakers.B)Vendors14.A)The issuing of certificates to vendors.B)The completion of the baking task.15.A)The closing date of submission.C)To inquire about the vegetarian food festival.D)To seekthe man's help with her work on the farm.C)Vegetarians.D)OrganisersC)The festival they are organising.D)The deadline for application.C)The details of the ceremonyB)The website of his company.D)The organiser'saddressSection CDirections:In this section,you will hearthre passages.At the end ofeach passage,you will hear three or four questions.Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once.Afteryou hear a question,you must choose the bestanswer from the four choices marked A),B),C)and D).Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet I with a single line through the centreQuestions16to18are based on the passage you havejust heard.16.A)Most scenic sites have been closed.B)Access to official campsites is limited17.A)It is strongly opposed by nearby residentsB)It leads to much waste of public money18.A)Look for open land in ScotlandB)Leave no trace of their camping C)Health experts advise going outdoors.D)People have more time during the summer.C)It has caused environmental concernsD)It has created conflicts among campers.C)Avoid getting close to wilderness.D)Ask for permission from authorities.Questions19to21are based on the passage you have just heard.19.A)They outcompete mythical creatures.B)They usually mind their own business.·2024年6月四级真题(第一套)·C)They truly exist in the AmazonregionD)They resemble alarmingly large snakes 220.A)Scar tissue from dolphins'fighting.B)Skin infection from water pollution.21.A)It has been shrinking at an astonishing pace.C)Unhealed wounds from snake bites.D)Swimming along in seasonal floods.B)It has been placed under international protection.C)It has been appealing to both freshwater and sea dolphinsD)It has been abandoned as a battleground for male dolphins.Questions22to25are based on the passageyou have just heard.22.A)About58%of young adults call parental support the new normal.B)Most adult children enjoy increasing sources of financial supportC)A full70%of the young adults cannot afford to buy a car by themselves.D)Most early adults cannot sustain their lifestyles without parental support23.A)It renders them dependent.C)It makes them mentally immature.B)It causes them to lose dignity.D)It hinders them from getting ahead.24.A)It challenges one's willpower C)It calls for due assistance.B)It results from education.D)It defines adulthood.25.A)Current lifestyles C)College loansB)Poor budgeting.D)Emergency expensesPartⅢReading Comprehension(40minutes) Section ADirections:In this section,there is a passage with ten blanks.You are required to select one wordfor each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage.Read the passage through carefully before making your choices.Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter:Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet2with a single line through the centre.You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.It's well known that physical exercise is beneficial not just to physical health but also to mental health.Yet whereas most countries have26evidence-backed guidelines on the type and intensity of exercise27for various physical health benefits,such guidelines do not yet exist for exercise and mood. This is28due to a lack of necessary evidence.However,a new systematic review brings us usefully up-to-date on the current findings in this area.Before29into some of the key take-aways,an important30made in the review is between aerobic exercise and anaerobic.The former31such things as walking,jogging and cycling and means exercising in such a way that your body is able to use oxygen to burn fat for energy.In contrast,anaerobic exercise—such as lifting heavy weights—is of such32intensity that your body does not have time to use oxygen to create energy and so instead it breaksdown glucose(葡萄糖)in your blood or muscles.Beginning first with the influence of exercise intensity on the mood benefits of aerobic exercise,the researchers,led by John Chan at Shenzhen University,found33resultsfrom19relevant studies.Some3·2024年6月四级真题(第一套)·favoured higher intensity,others low,while seven studies found that intensity made no34_to mood benefits.In relation to the intensity of anaerobic exercise,however,the results were far clearer—the optimum (最佳选择)for improving mood is35intensity,perhaps because low intensity is too dull while high intensity is too unpleasantA)constitutesB)contradictoryC)decisionD)detailedE)differenceF)dippingG)distinctionH)falling I)involves J)moderate K)notified L)partlyM)required N)traditionally O)vigorousSection BDirections:In this section,you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it.Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs.Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived.You may choose a paragraph more than once.Each paragraph is marked with a letter.Answer the questions by markingthe corresponding letter on Answer Sheet2.Why DoAmericans Work So Much?A)How will we all keep busy when we only have to work15hours a week?That was the question that worriedthe British economist John Maynard Keynes when he wrote his short essay“Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren”in1930.Over the next century,he predicted,the economy would become so productive that people would barely need to work at all.For a while,it looked like Keynes was right.In1930the average working week was47hours in the United States.But by1970,the number of hours Americans worked on average had fallen to slightly less than39.B)But then something changed.Instead of continuing to decline,the duration of the working week remainedstable.It has stayed at just below40hours for nearly five decades.So what happened?Why are people working just as much today as in1970?C)There would be no mystery in this if Keynes had been wrong about the power of technology to increase theeconomy's productivity,which he thought would lead to a standard of living“between four and eight times as high as it is today.”But Keynes got that right:Technology has made the economy massively more productive.According to Benjamin M.Friedman,an economistat Harvard,the U.S.economy is right ontrack to reach Keynes's eight-fold(八倍)multiple by2029.That is a century after the last data Keynes wouldhave had access to.D)In a new paper,Friedman tries to figure out why that increased productivity has not translated into increasedleisure time.Perhaps people just never feel materially satisfied,always wanting more money to buy the next ·2024年6月四级真题(第一套)·4new thing.This is a theory that appeals to many economists.“This argument is,at best,far from sufficient,”he writes.If that were the case,why did the duration of the working week decline in the first place?E)Another theory Friedman considers is that,in an era of ever fewer settings that provide effectiveopportunitiesfor personal connections and relationships,people may place more value on the socializing that happens at work.There is support for this theory.Many people today consider colleagues as friends.But Friedman argues that the evidence for this theory is far from conclusive.Many workers report that they would like to spend more time with family,rather than at work.Furthermore,this theory cannot explain the change in trend in the U.S.working week in the1970s.F)A third possibility proves more convincing for Friedman.That is:American inequality means that the gainsof increasing productivity are not widely shared by everyone.In other words,most Americans are too poor to work less.Unlike the other two explanations Friedman considers,this one fits chronologically(按年代).Inequality declined in America during the period following World War II,along with the duration of the working week.But since the early1970s it has risen dramatically.G)Keynes's prediction of a shorter working week rests on the idea that the standard of living would continuerising for everyone.But Friedman says that this is not what has happened.Although Keynes's eight-fold figure holds up for the economy as a whole,it is not at all the case for the median(中位数的)American worker.For them,output by2029is likely to be around3.5times what it was when Keynes was writing.This is a bit below his four-to eight-fold predicted rangeH)This can be seen in the median worker's income over this time period,complete with a shift in1973that fitsin precisely with when the working week stopped shrinking.According to Friedman,between1947and1973 the average hourly wage for normal workers(those who were not in management roles)in private industries other than agriculture nearly doubled in terms of what their money could buy.But by2013the average hourly wage for ordinary workers had fallen5percent from the1973level in terms of actual purchasing power.Thus,though American incomes may have gone up since1973,the amount that American workers can actually buy with their money has gone down.For most Americans,then,the magic of increasing productivity stopped working around1973.Thus,they had to keep working just as much in order to maintain their standard of livingI)What Keynes predicted was a very optimistic version of what economists call technological unemployment.This is the idea that less labor will be necessary because machines can do somuch.In Keynes's vision,the resulting unemployment would be distributed more or less evenly across society in the form of increased leisure.But Friedman says that,for Americans,reality is much darker.Americans now have a labor market in which millions of people—those with fewer skills and less education—are seeking whatever poorly paid work they can get.This is confirmed by a recent poll that found that,for half of hourly workers,their top concern is not that they work too much but that they work too little.This is most likely not because they like their jobs so much.Rather,we can assume it is because they need the money.J)This explanation leaves an important question.If the very rich—the workers who have reaped above-average gains from the increased productivity since Keynes's time—can afford to work less,why do they continue to work so much?(Indeed,research has shown that the highest earners in America tend to work the most.)5·2024年6月四级真题(第一套)·Friedman believes that for many top earners,work is a labor of love.They are doing work they care about and are interested in,and doing more of it is not necessarily a burden.For them,it may even be a pleasure.These top earners derive meaning from their jobs and work is an important part of how they think of themselves.And,of course,they are compensated for it at a level that makes it worth their while.K)Friedman concludes that the prosperity(繁荣)Keynes predicted is here.After all,the economy as a whole has grown even more brilliantly than he expected.But for most Americans,that prosperity is nowhere to be seen.And,as a result,neither are those shorter working weeks.36.Some people view socializing at the workplace as a chance to develop personal relationships.37.As ordinary American workers'average hourly pay had decreased despite increasing productivity,they had towork just as manyhours as before to keep their living standards.38.American workers'average weekly workingtime has not changed for nearly half a century.39.Friedman believes inequality in the rgely explains why increasing productivity has not resulted inreduced working hours.40.Many economists assume people's thirst for material things has prevented them from enjoying more leisuretime.41.An economist'sprediction about a shorter average working week seemed to be correct for a time in the20thcentury.42.In the bor market,the primary concern of people with less schooling and fewer skills is to secure anyemployment even if it is low-paid.43.Keynes was right in predicting that technology would make the economy much more productive.44.Many of the highest earners have a keen interest in and love for what they are doing45.According to Keynes,there would be a shorter working week with everyone's standard of living continuingtorise.Section CDirections:There are2passages in this section.Eachpassage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements.For each of them there are four choices marked A),B),C)and D).You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet2with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions46to50are based on the following passage.Lao Zi once said,“Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner.”People-pleasing,or seeking self-worth through others'approval,is unproductive and an exhausting way to go through life.Why do we allow what others think of us to have so much power over how we feel about ourselves?If it's true that you can't please all people all of the time,wouldn't it make sense to stop trying?Unfortunately,sense often isn't driving our behavior.For social beings who desire love and belonging, wanting to be liked,and caring about the effect we have on others,is healthy and allows us to make connections.·2024年6月四级真题(第一套)·6However,where we get into trouble is when our self-worth is dependent upon whether we win someone's approval or not.This need to be liked can be traced back to when we were children and werecompletely dependent on others to take care of us:Small children are not just learning how to walk and communicate,they are alsotrying to learn how the world works.We learn about who we are and what is expected of us based on interactions with others so,to a four-year-old,if Mommy or Daddy doesn't like him or her,there is the danger that they will abandon them.We need to understand that when we desperately want someone to approveof us,it's being driven by that little kid part of us that is still terrified of abandonment.As you become more capable of providing yourself with the approval you seek,your need for external validation will start to vanish,leaving you stronger,more confident,and yes,happier in your life.Imagine how much time we lose each moment we restrainour authentic selves in an effort to be liked.If we base our worth on the opinions of others,we cheat ourselves of the power to shape our experiences and embrace life not only for others but also for ourselves,becauseultimately,there is no difference.So embrace the cliché(老话)and loveyourself as it's highly doubtful that you'll regret it.46.What can we conclude from Lao Zi's quotation?A)We should seethrough otherpeople's attempt to make a prisonerof us.B)We can never really please other people even if we try as hard as we can.C)We can never be truly free if taking to heart others'opinion of us.D)We should care about other people's view as much as they care about our own.47.What will happen if we base our self-worth on other people's approval?A)Our desire to be loved will be fulfilled.C)Our identity as social beings will be affected.B)Our life will be unfruitful and exhausting D)Our sense of self will be sharpened and enhanced.48.What may account for our need to be liked or approved of?A)Our desperate longing for interactions with others.C)Our knowledge about the pain of abandonment.B)Our understanding of the workings of the world.D)Our early childhood fear of being deserted.49.What can we do when we become better able to provide ourselves with the desired approval?A)Enjoy a happier life.C)Receive more external validation.B)Exercise self-restraint.D)Strengthen our power of imagination.50.What does the author advise us to do in the last paragraph?A)Embrace life for ourselves and for others.C)See our experiencesas assets.B)Base our worth on others'opinions.D)Love ourselves as we arePassage TwoQuestions51to55are based on the following passage.Some people have said aging is more a slide into forgetfulness than a journey towards wisdom.However,a growing body of research suggests that late-in-life learning is possible.In reality,education does an aging brain good.7·2024年6月四级真题(第一套)·Throughout life,people's brains constantly renovate themselves.In the late1960s,British brain scientist Geoffrey Raisman spied growth in damaged brain regions ofrats through an electron microscope; their brains were forging new connections.This meant brains may change every time a person learns something new.Of course,that doesn't mean the brain isn't affected by the effects of time.Just as height usually declines over the years,so does brain volume:Humans lose about4percent every decade starting in their40s.But that reduction doesn't necessarily make people think slower;as long as we are alive and functioning,we can alter our brains with new information and experiences.In fact,scientists now suspect accumulating novel experiences,facts,and skills can keep people's minds more flexible.New pathways can strengthen our ever-changing mental structure,even as the brain shrinks.Conventional fixes like word puzzles and brain-training apps can contribute to mental durability.Even something as simple as taking a different route to the grocery store or going somewhere new on vacation can keep the brain healthy.A desire for new life challenges can further boost brainpower.Research about aging adults who take on new enterprises shows improved function and memory as well as a reduced risk of mental disease.Openness—a characteristic defined by curiosity and a desire for knowledge—may also help folks pass brain tests.Some folks are born with this take-in-the-world atitude,but those who aren't as genetically gifted aren't necessarily out of luck.While genes can encourage an interest in doing new things,a2012study in the journal Psychology and Aging found completing reasoning tasks like puzzles and number games can enhance that desire for novel experiences,which can,in turn,refresh the brain.That's why brain scientist Richard Kennedy says“It's not that old dogs can't learn new tricks.It's that maybe old dogs don't realize why they should.”51.What do some people think of aging adults?A)Their wisdom grows as time goes by.C)They can benefit from late-in-life learning.B)Their memory gradually deteriorates D)They are likely to have mental health issues.52.What can we conclude from Geoffrey Raisman's finding?A)Brain damage seriously hinders one'slearning.C)Brains can refresh and improve with learning.B)Brain power weakens slower than we imagine D)Brains forge connections under new conditions53.What is one thing that helps maintain the health of our brain even as it shrinks?A)Doing daily routines by conventional means.C)Imitating old dogs'way of learning new tricksB)Avoiding worrying about our mental durability.D)Approaching everyday tasks in novel ways.54.What does the author say can contribute to the improvement of brain function?A)Being curious and desiring knowledge.C)Rising to life's challenges and avoiding risks.B)Being eager to pass brain tests at an old age.D)Boosting immunity to serious mental diseases55.What is the finding of the2012study in the journal Psychology and Aging?A)Wishing to solve puzzles enhances one's reasoning power.B)Playingnumber games unexpectedly stimulates one's memory.·2024年6月四级真题(第一套)·8C)Desiring new experiences can help to renovate thebrain.D)Learning new tricks shouldnot beconfined to old dogs only.Part IV Translation(30minutes) Directions:For this part,you are allowed30minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English.You should write your answer on AnswerSheet2.四合院(siheyuan)是中国一种传统的住宅建筑，其特点是房屋建造在一个院子的四周，将院子合围在中间。

历年英语四级作文真题题目（2016.6—2020.9）

历年英语四级作文真题题目（2016.6—2020.9）历年英语四级作文真题题目（2016.6—2020.9）2020. 9 第一套：online libraries are becoming increasingly popular 线上图书馆变得越来越流行Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay on online libraries. You can start your essay with the sentence “Online library is becoming increasingly popular.” You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.2020.9 第二套：online dictionaries are becoming increasingly popular线上词典变得越来越流行For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay on online dictionary. You can start your essay with the sentence “Online dictionary is becoming increasingly popular.” You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.2020.9第三套：The use of Power point is becoming increasingly popular in classPPT的使用在课堂中越来越流行For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay on the use of PowerPoint(PPT) in class. You can start your essay with the sentence "The use of PowerPoint is becoming increasingly popular in class". You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.2020.7 翻译软件Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay on the use of translation apps. You can start your essay with the sentence "The use of translation apps is becoming increasingly popular. " You should write at least 120 words but nomore than 180 words.2019年12月英语四级作文真题第3套:为外国友人推荐一所大学For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter to a foreign friend who wants to study in China. Please recommend a university to him. You should write at least 120 words but no more th...2019年12月英语四级作文真题第2套:为外国友人推荐学习汉语的地方For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter to a foreign friend who wants to learn Chinese. Please recommend a place to him. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180...2019年12月英语四级作文真题第1套:为外国友人推荐一座城市For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter to a foreign friend who wants to teach English in China. Please recommend a city to him. You should write at least 120 words but no more ...2019年6月英语四级作文真题第3套: 参观养老院Directions: For this part, you are allowed 80 minutes to write a news report to your campus newspaper on a volunteer activity organized by your Student Union to assist elderly people in the neighbo...2019年6月英语四级作文真题第2套:参观希望小学Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a news report to your campus newspaper on a visit to a Hope Elementary School organized by your Student Union. You should write at lea...2019年6月英语四级作文真题第1套:参观农场For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a news report to your campus newspaper on a visit to a local farmorganized by your Student Union. You should write at least 120 words but no more...2018年12月英语四级作文真题第3套:毕业后开启职业生涯的挑战For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the challenges of starting a career after graduation. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.2018年12月英语四级作文真题第2套:店铺的挑战For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the challenges of studying abroad. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.2018年12月英语四级作文真题范文第1套:生活在大城市里的挑战For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the challenges of living in a big city. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.2018年6月英语四级作文真题第3套:表达能力的重要性Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the importance of speaking ability and how to develop it. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.2018年6月英语四级作文真题第2套:写作能力的重要性Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the importance of writing ability and how to develop it. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.2018年6月英语四级作文真题第1套:阅读能力的重要性Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the importance of reading ability and how to develop it. You should write at least 120 words but no more than180 words.2017年12月英语四级作文真题第3套:老师与学生之间的关系Directions：For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on how to best handle the relationship between teachers and students. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.2017年12月英语四级作文真题第2套:医生与病患之间的关系Directions：For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on how to best handle the relationship between doctors and patients. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.2017年12月英语四级作文真题第1套:父母与子女之间的关系For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on how to best handle the relationship between parents and children. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.2017年6月英语四级作文真题第3套:卖书For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an advertisement on your campus website to sell a you used at college. Your advertisement may include its brand, specifications/features, conditio...2017年6月英语四级作文真题第2套:卖自行车For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an advertisement on your campus website to sell a bicycle you used at college. Your advertisement may include its brand, specifications/features, ...2017年6月英语四级作文真题第1套:卖电脑For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an advertisement on your campus website to sell a computer you used at college. Your advertisement may include its brand,specifications/features,...2016年12月英语四级作文真题第3套:国企or外企For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay. Suppose you have two options upon graduation: one is to work in a state-owned business and the other in a joint venture. You are to make...2016年12月英语四级作文真题第2套:工作or考研For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay. Suppose you have two options upon graduation: one is to take a job in a company and the other to go to a graduate school. You are to make….2016年12月英语四级作文真题第1套:就业or创业For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay. Suppose you have two options upon graduation: one is to find a job somewhere and the other to start a business of your own. You are to m...2016年6月英语四级作文真题第3套:写感谢老师的信For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter to express your thanks to one of your school teachers upon entering college.2016年6月英语四级作文真题第2套:写感谢家人的信For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter to express your thanks to your parents or any other family member upon making a memorable achievement.2016年6月英语四级作文真题第1套:写感谢朋友的信For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter to express your thanks to one of your friends who helped you most when you were in difficulty.。

英语四级真题2017年6月(第一套)试卷及答案解析

2017年6月四级考试真题（第一套）Part I Writing (30 minutes) ．．ou are a owe minutes to write an advertisement on your campus website to sell some of the D1rect10ns: 的r this part, y ll d 30·course books you used at college. Your advertisement may include a brief description of their content, theircondition and price, and your contact information. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180words.(25 minutes) Part II Listening ComprehensionSection A．Directions: In th· is section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you willhear two or three questions. Both the news report and the questions will be spoken onlyonce. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choicesmarked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet Iwith a single line through the centre.Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1.A) Human drivers become easily distracted or tired while driving.B)Most drivers have test driven cars with automatic braking features.C)Most drivers feel uncertain about the safety of self-driving cars.D)The majority of drivers prefer to drive and park themselves.2.A) Their drivers would feel safe after getting used to the automatic devices.B)They would be unpopular with drivers who only trust their own skills.C)Their increased comfort levels have boosted their sales.D)They are not actually as safe as automakers advertise.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3.A) Thefts of snowmobile dogs in Alaska.B)A series of injuries to snowmobile drivers.C)Attacks on some Iditarod Race competitors.D)A serious accident in the Alaska sports event.4.A) A) He stayed behind to look after his injured dogs.B)He has won the Alaska Iditarod Race four times.C)He received a minor injury in the Iditarod Race.D)He has quit the competition in Alaska for good.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5.A) It sank into the sea due to overloading.B)It ran into Nicaragua's Big Com Island.C)It disappeared between two large islands.D)It turned over because of strong winds.6.A) 13.C)30.7.A) He has helped with the rescue effort.B)He is being investigated by the police.C)He was drowned with the passengers.D)He is among those people missing. Section B B)25.D)32.．Directions: 1几th'i s section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, youmust choose the best answer from the four choices marked A) , B),C) and D) . Then mark thecorresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8.A) At a shopping centre.B)At a commumty college.C)At an accountancy firm.9.A) Helping out with data input.C)Sorting application forms.10.A) He enjoys using computers.C)He wants to work in the city centre.11.A) Purchase some business suits.C)Improve his programming skills.D)At an IT company.B)A盯anging interviews.D)Making phone calls.B)He needs the money badly.D)He has relevant working experience.B)Learn some computer language. D)Review some accountancy terms.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12.A) A) They are keen on high technology.B)They are poor at technology skills.C)They often listen to National Public Radio.D)They feel superior in science and technology.13.A) Japanese.C)Americans.14.A) Emailing.C)Science.15.A) It is undergoing a drastic reform.C)It has much room for improvement. Section C B)Poles.D)Germans.B)Texting.D)Literacy.B)It lays emphasis on creative thinking.D)It prioritizes training of practical skills.Directions: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage ,you will hear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you mustchoose the best answer from the four choices marked A) , B) , C) and D) . Then mark the correspondingletter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16.A) They have small roots.B)They grow white flowers.C)They taste like apples.D)They come from Central Africa.17.A) They turned from white to purple in color.B)They became popular on the world market.C)They became an important food for humans.D)They began to look like modem-day carrots.18.A) They were found quite nutritious.B)There were serious food shortages.C)People discovered their medicinal value.D)Farm machines helped lower their prices.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19.A) She could update her family any time she liked.B)She could call up her family whenever she liked.C)She could locate her friends wherever they were.D)She could download as many pictures as she liked.20.A) She liked to inform her friends about her success.B)She enjoyed reading her friends'status updates.C)She felt quite popular among them.D)She felt she was a teenager again.21.A) She could barely respond to all her 500 Facebook friends.B)She spent more time updating her friends than her family.C)She could barely balance Facebook updates and her work.D)She didn't seem to be doing as well as her Facebook friends.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22.A) They have strong muscles.C)They live a longer life than horses.B)They eat much less in winter.D)They can work longer than donkeys.23.A) It was a pet of a Spanish king.B)It was bought by George Washington.C)It was brought over from Spain.D)It was donated by a U.S. ambassador.24.A) They met and exchanged ideas on animal breeding.B)They participated in a mule-driving competition.C)They showed and traded animals in the market.D)They fed mules with the best food they could find.25.A) The wider use of horses.C)A shrinking animal trade.B)The arrival of tractors.D)A growing donkey population.Part ID Reading Comprehension (40 minutes) Section ADirections: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank f rom a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before makingyour choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the co汀esponding letter for eachitem on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bankmore than once.As if you needed another reason to hate the gym, it now turns out that exercise can exhaust not only your muscles, but also your eyes. Fear not, however, for coffee can stimulate them again. During26 exercise, our muscles tire as they run out of fuel and build up waste products. Muscle performance can also be affected by a 27 called "central fatigue," in which an imbalance in the body's chemical messengers prevents the central nervous system from directing muscle movements 28 . It was not known , however , whether central fatigue might also affect motor systems not directly 29 in the exercise itself, such as those that move the eyes. To find out, researchers gave 11 volunteer cyclists a carbohydrate (碳水化合物的）30 either with a moderate dose of caffeine (咖啡因），which is known to stimulate the central nervous system ,or as a placebo (安慰剂）without, during 3 hours of 31 . After exercising ,the scientists tested the cyclists with eye-tracking cameras to see how well their brains could still 32 their visual system. The team found that exercise reduced the speed of rapid eye movements by about 8%, 33 their ability to capture new visual information. The caffeine, the equivalent of two strong cups of coffee, was 34 to reverse this effect, with some cyclists even displaying 35 eye movement speeds. So it might be a good idea to get someone else to drive you home after that marathon.A)cautiously B)commit C)controlD)cycling E)effectively F)increasedG)involved H)limited I)phenomenonJ)preventing K)sensitive L)slowingM)solution N)sufficient O)vigorousSection Ba passage wit ten statements attac e to it. Each statement contains Directions: In讥is section ,you are going to read·h h d·information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived.You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questionsby marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.Team SpiritA)Teams have become the basic building blocks of organisations. Recruitment advertisements routinely call for"team players. " Business schools grade their students in part on their performance in group projects. Office managers knock down walls to encourage team building. Teams are as old as civilisation, of course: even Jesus had 12 co-workers. But a new report by Deloitte, "Global Human Capital Trends," based on a survey of more than 7,000 executives in over 130 countries, suggests that the fashion for teamwork has reached a new high.Almost half of those surveyed said their companies were either in the middle of restructuring or about to embark on (开始）it; and for the most part, restructuring meant putting more emphasis on teams.B)Companies are abandoning conventional functional departments and organising employees into cross-disciplinaryteams that focus on particular products, problems or customers. These teams are gaining more power to run their own affairs. They are also spending more time working with each other rather than reporting upwards. Deloitte argues that a new organisational form is on the rise: a network of teams is replacing the conventional hierarchy （等级体制）．C)The fashion for teams is driven by a sense that the old way of organising people is too rigid for both the modemmarketplace and the expectations of employees. Technological innovation places greater value on agility (灵活性）. John Chambers, chairman of Cisco Systems Inc. ,a worldwide leader in electronics products, says that "we compete against market transitions (过渡），not competitors. Product transitions used to take five or seven years; now they take one or two. "Digital technology also makes it easier for people to co-ordinate their activities without resorting to hierarchy. The "millennials" (千禧一代）who will soon make up half the workforce in rich countries were raised from nursery school onwards to work in groups.D)The fashion for teams is also spreading from the usual corporate suspects (such as GE and IBM) to some moreunusual ones. The Cleveland Clinic, a hospital operator, has reorganised its medical staff into teams to focus on particular treatment areas; consultants, nurses and others collaborate closely instead of being separated by speciality (专业）and rank. The US Army has gone the same way. In his book, Team of Teams ,General Stanley McChrystal describes how the army's hierarchicalstructure hindered its operations during the early stages of the Iraq war. His solution was to learn something from the rebels it was fighting: decentralising authority to self-organising teams.E)A good rule of thumb is that as soon as generals and hospital administrators jump on a management bandwagon（追随一种管理潮流），it is time to ask questions. Leigh Thompson of Kellogg School of Management in Illinois warns that, "Teams are not always the answer—teams may provide insight, creativity and knowledge ina way that a person working independently cannot; but teamwork may also lead to confusion, delay and poordecision-making." The late Richard Hackman of Harvard University once argued, "I have no question that when you have a team, the possibility exists that it will generate magic, producing something extraordinary. ..But don't count on it. "F)Hackman (who died in 2013) noted that teams are hindered by problems of co-ordination and motivation thatchip away at the benefits of collaboration. High-flyers (能干的人）who are forced to work in teams may be undervalued and free-riders empowered. Group-think may be unavoidable. In a study of旦Q teams of senior executives, he discovered that less than 10% of their supposed members agreed on who exactly was on the team.If it is hard enough to define a team's membership, agreeing on its purpose is harder still.G)Profound changes in the workforce are making teams trickier to manage. Teams work best if their members havea strong common culture. This is hard to achieve when, as is now the case in many big firms, a large proportionof staff are temporary contractors. Teamwork improves with time: America's National Transportation Safety Board found that 73% of the incidents in its civil-aviation database occurred on a crew's first day of flying together. However, as Amy Edmondson of Harvard points out, organisations increasingly use "team" as a verb rather than a noun: they form teams for specific purposes and then quickly disband them.H)The least that can be concluded from this research is that companies need to think harder about managing teams.They need to rid their minds of sentimentalism (感情用事）：the most successful teams have leaders who are able to set an overall direction and take immediate action. They need to keep teams small and focused: giving in to pressure to be more "inclusive" is a guarantee of dysfunction. Jeff Bezos, Amazon's boss, says that "If I see more than two pizzas for lunch, the team is too big. "They need to immunise teams against group-think: Hackman argued that the best ones contain "deviants" (离经叛道者）who are willing to do something that maybe upsetting to others.I) A new study of 12,000 workers in 17 countries by Steelcase, a furniture-maker which also does consulting, findsthat the best way to ensure employees are "engaged" is to give them more control over where and how they do their work—which may mean liberating them from having to do everything in collaboration with others.J)However, organisations need to learn something bigger than how to manage teams better: they need to be in the habit of asking themselves whether teams are the best tools for the job. Team-building skills are in short supply: Deloitte reports that only 12% of the executives they contacted feel they understand the way people work together in networks and only 21 %feel confident in their ability to build cross-functional teams. Loosely managed teams can become hotbeds of distraction—employees routinely complain that they can't get their work done because they are forced to spend too much time in meetings or compelled to work in noisy offices. Even in the age of openplan offices and social networks some work is best left to the individual.36.Successful team leaders know exactly where the team should go and are able to take prompt action.37.Decentralisation of authority was also found to be more effective in military operations.38.In many companies, the conventional form of organisation is giving way to a network of teams.39.Members of poorly managed teams are easily distracted from their work.40.Teamwork is most effective when team members share the same culture.41.According to a report by Deloitte, teamwork is becoming increasingly popular among companies.42.Some team members find it hard to agree on questions like membership and the team's purpose.43.Some scholars think teamwork may not always be reliable, despite its potential to work wonders.44.To ensure employees'commitment, it is advisable to give them more flexibility as to where and how they work.45.Product transitions take much less time now than in the past.Section CDirections: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A) ,B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice andmark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.Shoppers in the UK are spending less money on toilet paper to save money ,research has shown.Penny-pinching UK consumers choose cheaper products from discounters such as Aldi and Lidl rather than luxury alternatives.This has wiped 6% off the value of the soft tissue paper market in the UK. It has shrunk from£1. 19 billion in 2011 to£1. 12 billion in 2015, according to a new report from market research company Mintel. Furthermore, the future of the market looks far from rosy ,with sales expected to fall further to£1. 11 billion in 2016.In the last year alone ,despite an increase in the UK population and a subsequent rise in the number of households, sales of toilet paper fell by 2 % , with the average household reducing their toilet roll spending from£43 in 2014 to£41 in 2015.Overall, almost three in five people say they try to limit the让usage of paper—including facial tissue and kitchen roll—to save money. "Strength, softness and thickness remain the leading indicators of toilet paper quality, with just a small proportion of consumers preferring more luxurious alternatives, such as those with flower patterns or perfume, "said Mintel analyst Jack Duckett. " T hese extra features are deemed unnecessary by the majority of shoppers ,which probably reflects how these types of products are typically more expensive than regular toilet paper,even when on special offer."While consumers are spending less on toilet paper, they remain fussy—in theory at least—when it comes to paper quality. Top of Britons'toliet paper wish list is softness (57%) followed by strength (45%) and thickness (36%).One in 10 buyers rank toliet rolls made from recycled paper among their top considerations, highlighting how overall the environment is much less of a consideration for shoppers than product quality. In a challenge for manufacturers ,81 %of paper product users said they would consider buying recycled toilet tissue if it were comparable in quality to standard paper.46. The market sales of toilet paper have decreased because.A)Britons have cut their spending on itB)its prices have gone up over the yearsC)its quality has seen marked improvementD)Britons have developed the habit of saving4 7. What does the author think of the future of the tissue paper market in the UK?A)It will expand in time.B)It will remam gloomy.C)It will experience ups and downs.D)It will recover as population grows.48. What does Jack Duckett say about toilet paper?A)Special offers would promote its sales.B)Consumers are loyal to certain brands.C)Luxurious features add much to the price.D)Consumers have a variety to choose from.49. What do we learn about Britons concerning toilet paper?A)They are particular about the quality of toilet paper.B)They emphasize the strength of toilet paper the most.C)They prefer cheap toilet paper to recycled toilet paper.D)They reject using toilet paper with unnecessary features.50. What can we infer from the last paragraph?A)More and more Britons buy recycled toilet paper to protect the environment.B)Toilet paper manufacturers are facing a great challenge in promoting its sales.C)Toilet paper manufacturers compete with one another to improve product quality.D)Environmental protection is not much of a concern when Britons buy toilet paper.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage."One of the reasons I find this topic very interesting is because my mom was a smoker when I was younger, " says Lindson-Hawley, who studies tobacco and health at the University of Oxford.By studying about 700 adult smokers ,she found out that her mom quit the right way—by stopping abruptly and completely.In her study, participants were randomly (随机地）assigned to two groups. One had to quit abruptly on a given day, going from about a pack a day to zero. The other cut down gradually over the course of two weeks. People in both groups used nicotine (尼古丁）patches before they quit ,in addition to a second form of nicotine replacement , like gum or spray. They also had talk therapy with a nurse before and after quit day.Six months out, more people who had quit abruptly had stuck with it—more than one-fifth of them, comparedto about one-seventh in the other group. Although these numbers appear low, it is much higher than if people try without support.And the quit rates were particularly convincing given that before the study started, most of the people had said they'd rather cut down gradually before quitting. "If you're training for a marathon, you wouldn't expect to turn up and just be able to run it. And I think people see that for smoking as well. They think,'Well, if I gradually reduce, it's like practice,"'says Lindson-Hawley. But that wasn't the case. Instead of giving people practice, the gradual reduction likely gave them cravi ngs (瘾）and withdrawal symptoms before they even reached quit day, which could be why fewer people in that group actually made it to that point. "Regardless of your stated preference, if you're ready to quit, quitting abruptly is more effective," says Dr. Gabriela Ferre让a." W hen you can quote a specific number like a fifth of the patients were able to quit, that's compelling. It gives them the encouragement, I think, to really go for it," Ferreira says.People rarely manage to quit the first time they try. But at least, she says, they can maximize the odds of success.51. What does Lindson-Hawley say about her mother?A)She quit smoking with her daughter's help.B)She succeeded in quitting smoking abruptly.C)She was also a researcher of tobacco and health.D)She studied the smoking patterns of adult smokers.52. What kind of support did smokers receive to quit smoking in Lindson-Hawley's study?A)They were given physical training.B)They were looked after by physicians.C)They were encouraged by psychologists.D)They were offered nicotine replacements.53.How does Dr. Gabriela Ferreira view the result of Lindson-Hawley's experiment?A)It is idealized.B)It is unexpected.C)It is encouraging.D)It is misleading.54.The idea of "a marathon" (Line 2, Para. 5) illustrates the popular belief that quitting smoking.A)is something few can accomplish B)needs some practice firstC)requires a lot of patience D)is a challenge at the beginning55. What happens when people try to quit smoking gradually?A)They find it even more difficult.B)They are simply unable to make it.C)They show fewer withdrawal symptoms.D)They feel much less pain in the process.Part IV Translation (30 minutes) Directions : 的r this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage f rom Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.长江是亚洲最长、世界上第三长的河流。

6月英语四级考试真题试卷及答案（第一套）

6月英语四级考试真题试卷及答案（第一套）2015年6月英语四级考试真题试卷及答案(第一套)Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay based on the picture below. You should start your essay with a brief description of the picture and then comment on the kid's understanding of going to school. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.注意：此部分试题在答题卡1上________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________1.A) He will give the woman some tips on the game.B) The woman has good reason to quit the game.C) He is willing to play chess with the woman.D) The woman should go on playing chess.2.A) The man can forward the mail to Mary.B) She can call Maiy to take care of the mail.C) Mary probably knows Sally's new address.D) She would like to resume contact with Sally.3.A) His handwriting has a unique style.B) His notes are not easy to read.C) He did not attend today's class.D) He is very pleased to be able to help.4.A) The man had better choose another restaurant.B) The new restaurant is a perfect place for dating.C) The new restaurant caught her fancy immediately.D) The man has good taste in choosing the restaurant.5.A) He has been looking forward to spring.B) He has been waiting for the winter sale.C) He will clean the woman's boots for spring.D) He will help the woman put things away.6.A) The woman is rather forgetful.B) The man appreciates the woman's help.C) The man often lends books to the woman.D) The woman often works overtime at weekends.7.A) Go to work on foot.B) Take a sightseeing trip.C) Start work earlier than usual.D) Take a walk when the weather is nice.8.A) The plane is going to land at another airport.B) All flights have been delayed due to bad weather.C) Temporary closing has disturbed the airport's operation.D) The airport's management is in real need of improvement.Questions 9 to 12 are based on the conversation you have just heard.9.A) It specializes in safety from leaks.B) It is headquartered in London.C) It has a partnership with LCP.D) It has a chemical processing plant.10.A) He is Mr. Grand's Mend.B) He is a safety inspector.C) He is a salesman.D) He is a chemist.11.A) Director of the safety department.B) Mr. Grand's personal assistant.C) Head of the personnel department.D) The public relations officer.12.A) Wait for Mr. Grand to call back.B) Leave a message for Mr. Grand.C) Provide details of their products and services.D) Send a comprehensive description of their work.Questions 13 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.13.A) She learned playing the violin from a famous French musician.B) She dreamed of working and living in a European country.C) She read a lot about European musicians and their music.D) She listened to recordings of many European orchestras.14.A) She began taking violin lessons as a small child.B) She was a pupil of a famous European violinist.C) She gave her first performance with her father.D) She became a professional violinist at fifteen.15.A) It gave her a chance to explore the city.B) It was the chance of a lifetime.C) It was a great challenge to her.D) It helped her learn classical French music.Passage OneQuestions 16 to 18 are based on the conversation you have just heard.16.A) There are mysterious stories behind his works.B) There are many misunderstandings about him.C) His works have no match worldwide.D) His personal history is little known.17.A) He moved to Stratford-on-Avon in his childhood.B) He failed to go beyond grammar school.C) He was a member of the town council.D) He once worked in a well-known acting company.18.A) Writers of his time had no means to protect their works.B) Possible sources of clues about him were lost in a fire.C) His works were adapted beyond recognition.D) People of his time had little interest in him.Passage TwoQuestions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19.A) Theft.B) Cheating.C) Air crash.D) Road accidents.20.A) Leam the local customs.B) Make hotel reservations.C) Book tickets well in advance.D) Have the right documents.21.A) Contact your agent.B) Get a lift if possible.C) Use official transport.D) Have a friend meet you.Passage ThreeQuestions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22.A) Cut down production cost.B) Sell inexpensive products.C) Specialise in gold ornaments.D) Refine the taste of his goods.23.A) At a national press conference.B) During a live television interview.C) During a local sales promotion campaign.D) At a meeting of top British businesspeople.24.A) Insulted.B) Puzzled.C) Distressed.D) Discouraged.25.A) The words of some businesspeople are just rubbish.B) He who never learns from the past is bound to fail.C) There should be a limit to one's sense of humour.D) He is not laughed at, that laughs at himself first.Looking at the basic biological systems, the world is not doing very well. Yet economic indicators show the world is __26__ . Despite a slow start at the beginning of the eighties, global economic output increased by more than a fifth during the __27__ . The economy grew, trade increased, and millions of new jobs were created. How can biological indicators show the __28__ of economic indicators?The answer is that the economic indicators have a basic fault: they show no difference between resource uses that __29__ progress and those uses that will hurt it. The main measure of economic progress is the gross national product (GNP). __30__ , this totals the value of all goods and services produced and subtracts loss in value of factories and equipment. Developed a half-century ago, GNP helped __31__ a common way among countries of measuring change in economic output. For some time, this seemed to work __32__ well, but serious weaknesses are now appearing. As indicated earlier, GNP includes loss in value of factories and equipment, but it does not __33__ the loss of natural resources, including nonrenewable resources such as oil or renewable resources such as forests.This basic fault can produce a __34__ sense of national economic health. According to GNP, for example, countries that overcut forests actually do better than those that preserve their forests. The trees cut down are counted as income is made for __35__ the forests.参考答案：26. prospering27. decade28. opposite29. sustain30. In simple terms31. establish32. reasonably33. take into account34. misleading35. using upQuestions 36 to 45 are based on the following passage.The U. S. Department of Education is making efforts to ensure that all students have equal access to a quality education. Today it is __36__ the launch of the Excellent Educators for All Initiative. The initiative will help states and school districts support great educators for the students who need them most."All children are __37__ to a high-quality education regardless of their race, zip code or family income. It is __38__ important that we provide teachers and principals the support they need to help students reach their full __39__ ," U. S. Secretary of Education Ame Duncan said. " Despite the excellent work and deep __40__ of our nation's teachers and principals, students in high-poverty, high-minority schools are unfairly treated across our country. We have to do better. Local leaders and educators will __41__ their own creative solutions, but we must work together to __42__ our focus on how to better recruit, support and __43__ effective teachers and principals for all students, especially the kids who need them most. "Today's announcement is another important step forward inimproving access to a quality education, a __44__ of President Obama's year of action. Later today, Secretary Duncan will lead a roundtable discussion with principals and school teachers from across the country about the __45__ of working in high-need schools and how to adopt promising practices for supporting great educators in these schools.A) announcingB) beneficialC) challengesD) commitmentE) componentF) contestsG) criticallyH) developI) distributingJ) enhanceK) entitledL) potentialM) properlyN) qualifiedO) retain参考答案：AKGLD HJOECThe Changes Facing Fast FoodA) Fast-food firms have to be a thick-skinned bunch. Health experts regularly criticise them severely for selling food that makes people fat. Critics even complain that McDonald's, whose logo symbolises calorie excess, should not have been allowed to sponsor the World Cup. These are things fast-food firms have leamt to cope with. But not perhaps for much longer. The burger business faces more pressure from regulators at a time when it isalready adapting strategies in response to shifts in the global economy.B) Fast food was once thought to be recession-proof. When consumers need to cut spending, the logic goes, cheap meals like Big Macs and Whoppers become even more attractive. Such "trading down" proved true for much of the latest recession, when fast-food companies picked up customers who could no longer afford to eat at casual restaurants. Traffic was boosted in America, the home of fast food, with discounts and promotions, such as $1 menus and cheap combination meals.C) As a result, fast-food chains have weathered the recession better than their more expensive competitors. In 2009 sales at full-service restaurants in America fell by more than 6% , but total sales remained about the same at fast-food chains. In some markets, such as Japan, France and Britain, total spending on fast food increased. Same-store sales in America at McDonald's, the world's largest fast-food company, did not decline throughout the downturn. Panera Bread, an American fast-food chain known for its fresh ingredients, performed well, too, because it offers higher-quality food at lower prices than restaurants.D) But not all fast-food companies have been as fortunate. Many, such as Burger King, have seen sales fall. In a severe recession, while some people trade down to fast food, many others eat at home more frequently to save money. David Palmer, an analyst at UBS, a bank, says smaller fast-food chains in America, such as Jack in the Box and Carl's Jr., have been hit particularly hard in this downturn because they are competing with the global giant McDonald's, which increased spending on advertising by more than 7% last year as others cut back.E) Some fast-food companies also sacrificed their own profitsby trying to give customers better value. During the recession companies set prices low, hoping that once they had tempted customers through the door they would be persuaded to order more expensive items. But in many cases that strategy did not work. Last year Burger King franchisees (特许经营人) sued (起诉) the company over its double-cheeseburger promotion, claiming it was unfair for them to be required to sell these for $1 when they cost $1.10 to make. In May a judge ruled in favour of Burger King. Nevertheless, the company may still be cursing its decision to promote cheap choices over more expensive ones because items on its "value menu" now account for around 20% of all sales, up from 12% last October.F) Analysts expect the fast-food industry to grow modestly this year. But the downturn is making companies rethink their strategies. Many are now introducing higher-priced items to entice (引诱) consumers away from $1 specials. KFC, a division of Yum! Brands, which also owns Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, has launched a chicken sandwich that costs around $5. And in May Burger King introduced barbecue (烧烤) pork ribs at $7 for eight.G) Companies are also trying to get customers to buy new and more items, including drinks. McDonald's started selling better coffee as a challenge to Starbucks. Its "McCafe" line now accounts for an estimated 6% of sales in America. Starbucks has sold rights to its Seattle's Best coffee brand to Burger King, which will start selling it later this year.H) As fast-food companies shift from "super size" to "more buys" , they need to keep customer traffic high throughout the day. Many see breakfast as a big opportunity, and not just for fatty food. McDonald's will start selling porridge (粥) in America next year. Breakfast has the potential to be very profitable, saysSara Senatore of Bernstein, a research firm, because the margins can be high. Fast-food companies are also adding midday and late-night snacks, such as blended drinks and wraps. The idea is that by having a greater range of tilings on the menu, "we can sell to consumers products they want all day," says Rick Carucci, the chief financial officer of Yum! Brands.I) But what about those growing waistlines? So far, fast-food firms have cleverly avoided government regulation. By providing healthy options, like salads and low-calorie sandwiches, they have at least given the impression of doing something about helping to fight obesity (肥胖症) . These offerings are not necessarily loss-leaders, as they broaden the appeal of outlets to groups of diners that include some people who don't want to eat a burger. But customers cannot be forced to order salads instead of fries.J) In the future, simply offering a healthy option may not be good enough. "Every packaged-food and restaurant company I know is concerned about regulation right now," says Mr. Palmer of UBS. America's health-reform bill, which Congress passed this year, requires restaurant chains with 20 or more outlets to put the calorie-content of items they serve on the menu. A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research, which tracked the effects on Starbucks of a similar calorie-posting law in New York City in 2007, found that the average calorie-count per transaction fell 6% and revenue increased 3% at Starbucks stores where a Dunkin Donuts outlet was nearby-a sign, it is said, that menu-labelling could favour chains that have more healthy offerings.K) In order to avoid other legislation in America and elsewhere, fast-food companies will have to continue innovating (创新). Walt Riker of McDonald's claims the change it has madein its menu means it offers more healthy items than it did a few years ago. " We probably sell more vegetables, more milk, more salads, more apples than any restaurant business in the world," he says. But the recent proposal by a county in California to ban McDonald's from including toys in its high-calorie "Happy Meals" , because legislators believe it attracts children to unhealthy food, suggests there is a lot more left to do.46. Some people propose laws be made to stop McDonald's from attaching toys to its food specials for children.47. Fast-food firms may not be able to cope with pressures from food regulation in the near future.48. Burger King will start to sell Seattle's Best coffee to increase sales.49. Some fast-food firms provide healthy food to give the impression they are helping to tackle the obesity problem.50. During the recession, many customers turned to fast food to save money.51. Many people eat out less often to save money in times of recession.52. During the recession, Burger King's promotional strategy of offering low-priced items often proved ineffective.53. Fast-food restaurants can make a lot of money by selling breakfast.54. Many fast-food companies now expect to increase their revenue by introducing higher-priced items.55. A newly-passed law asks big fast-food chains to specify the calorie count of what they serve on the menu.参考答案：KAGIB DEHFJPassage OneQuestions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.If you think a high-factor sunscreen (防晒霜) keeps you safe from harmful rays, you may be wrong. Research in this week's Nature shows that while factor 50 reduces the number of melanomas (黑瘤) and delays their occurrence, it can't prevent them. Melanomas are the most aggressive skin cancers. You have a higher risk if you have red or blond hair, fair skin, blue or green eyes, or sunburn easily, or if a close relative has had one. Melanomas are more common if you have periodic intense exposure to the sun. Other skin cancers are increasingly likely with long-term exposure.There is continuing debate as to how effective sunscreen is in reducing melanomas-the evidence is weaker than it is for preventing other types of skin cancer. A 2011 Australian study of 1,621 people found that people randomly selected to apply sunscreen daily had half the rate of melanomas of people who used cream as needed. A second study, comparing 1,167 people with melanomas to 1,101 who didn't have the cancer, found that using sunscreen routinely, alongside other protection such as hats, long sleeves or staying in the shade, did give some protection. This study said other forms of sun protection-not sunscreen-seemed most beneficial. The study relied on people remembering what they had done over each decade of their lives, so it's not entirely reliable. But it seems reasonable to think sunscreen gives people a false sense of security in the sun.Many people also don't use sunscreen properly-applying insufficient amounts, failing to reapply after a couple of hours and staying in the sun too long. It is sunburn that is most worrying-recent research shows five episodes of sunburn in the teenage years increases the risk of all skin cancers.The good news is that a combination of sunscreen andcovering up can reduce melanoma rates, as shown by Australian figures from their slip-slop-slap campaign. So if there is a heat wave this summer, it would be best for us, too, to slip on a shirt, slop on (抹上) sunscreen and slap on a hat.56. What is people's common expectation of a high-factor sunscreen?A) It will delay the occurrence of skin cancer.B) It will protect them from sunburn.C) It will keep their skin smooth and fair.D) It will work for people of any skin color.57. What does the research in Nature say about a high-factor sunscreen?A) It is ineffective in preventing melanomas.B) It is ineffective in case of intense sunlight.C) It is ineffective with long-term exposure.D) It is ineffective for people with fair skin.58. What do we learn from the 2011 Australian study of 1,621 people?A) Sunscreen should be applied alongside other protection measures.B) High-risk people benefit the most from the application of sunscreen.C) Irregular application of sunscreen does women more harm than good.D) Daily application of sunscreen helps reduce the incidence of melanomas.59. What does the author say about the second Australian study?A) It misleads people to rely on sunscreen for protection.B) It helps people to select the most effective sunscreen.C) It is not based on direct observation of the subjects.D) It confirms the results of the first Australian study.60. What does the author suggest to reduce melanoma rates?A) Using both covering up and sunscreen.B) Staying in the shade whenever possible.C) Using covering up instead of sunscreen.D) Applying the right amount of sunscreen.Passage TwoQuestions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.Across the rich world, well-educated people increasingly work longer than the less-skilled. Some 65% of American men aged 62 - 74 with a professional degree are in the workforce, compared with 32% of men with only a high-school certificate. This gap is part of a deepening divide between the well-educated well-off and the unskilled poor. Rapid technological advance has raised the incomes of the highly skilled while squeezing those of the unskilled. The consequences, for individuals and society, are profound.The world is facing an astonishing rise in the number of old people, and they will live longer than ever before. Over the next 20 years the global population of those aged 65 or more will almost double, from 600 million to 1.1 billion. The experience of the 20th century, when greater longevity (长寿) translated into more years in retirement rather than more years at work, has persuaded many observers that this shift will lead to slower economic growth, while the swelling ranks of pensioners will create government budget problems.But the notion of a sharp division between the working young and the idle old misses a new trend, the growing gap between the skilled and the unskilled. Employment rates arefalling among younger unskilled people, whereas older skilled folk are working longer. The divide is most extreme in America, where well-educated baby-boomers (二战后生育高峰期出生的.美国人) are putting off retirement while many less-skilled younger people have dropped out of the workforce.Policy is partly responsible. Many European governments have abandoned policies that used to encourage people to retire early. Rising life expectancy (预期寿命), combined with the replacement of generous defined-benefit pension plans with less generous defined-contribution ones, means that even the better-off must work longer to have a comfortable retirement. But the changing nature of work also plays a big role. Pay has risen sharply for the highly educated, and those people continue to reap rich rewards into old age because these days the educated elderly are more productive than the preceding generation. Technological change may well reinforce that shift: the skills that complement computers, from management knowhow to creativity, do not necessarily decline with age.61. What is happening in the workforce in rich countries?A) Younger people are replacing the elderly.B) Well-educated people tend to work longer.C) Unemployment rates are rising year after year.D) People with no college degree do not easily find work.62. What has helped deepen the divide between the well-off and the poor?A) Longer life expectancies.B) A rapid technological advance.C) Profound changes in the workforce.D) A growing number of the well-educated.63. What do many observers predict in view of theexperience of the 20th century?A) Economic growth will slow down.B) Government budgets will increase.C) More people will try to pursue higher education.D) There will be more competition64. What is the result of policy changes in European countries?A) Unskilled workers may choose to retire early.B) More people have to receive in-service training.C) Even wealthy people must work longer to live comfortably in retirement.D) People may be able to enjoy generous defined-benefits from pension plans.65. What is characteristic of work in the 21st century?A) Computers will do more complicated work.B) More will be taken by the educated young.C) Most jobs to be done will be the creative ones.D) Skills are highly valued regardless of age.中国是世界上最古老的文明之一。

2017年6月四级真题

2017年06月大学英语四级考试真题(第1套)Part ⅠWriting (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an advertisement on your campus website to sell a computer you used at college. Your advertisement may include its brand, specifications/features, condition and price, and your contact information. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Part ⅡListening Comprehension (25 minutes)Section A Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1.A. The man in the car was absent-minded.B. The test driver made a wrong judgement.C. The self-driving system was faulty.D. The car was moving at a fast speed.2.A. They have done better than conventional.B. They have caused several severe crashes.C. They have posed a threat to other drivers.D. They have generally done quite well.3.A. He works at a national park.B. He is a queen bee specialist.C. He removed the beyond from the boot.D. He drove the bees away from his car.4.A. They were looking after the queen.B. They were making a lot of noise.C. They were looking for a new box to live in.D. They were dancing in a unique way.5.A. The discovery of a new species of snake.B. The second trip to a small remote island.C. The finding of 2 new species of frog.D. The latest test on a rare animal species.6.A. A poisonous snake attacked him on this field trip.B. He discovered a rare fog on a deserted island.C. A snake crawled onto his head in his sleep.D. He fell from a tall palm tree by accident.7.A. From its genes.B. From its length.C. From its origin.D. From its colour.8.A. The security check takes time.B. He has to check a lot of luggage.C. His flight is leaving in less than 2 hours.D. The airport is a long way from the hotel.9.A. In cash.B. By credit card.C. With a traveler’s check.D. With his smart phone.10.A. Give him a receipt.B. Confirm his flight.C. Look after his luggage.D. Find a porter for him.11.A. Signing up for membership of S Hotel.B. Staying in the same hotel next time he comes.C. Loading her luggage onto the airport shuttle.D. Posting a comment on the hotel’s webpage.12.A. He is the only boy in his family.B. He becomes tearful in wind.C. He has stopped making terrible faces.D. He is his teacher’s favorite student.13.A. Tell him to play in her backyard.B. Do something funny to amuse him.C. Give him some cherry stones to play with.D. Warn him of danger by making up a story.14.A. They could break pp’s legs.B. They could sometimes terrify adults.C. They could fly against a strong wind.D. They could knock pp unconscious.15.A. One would get a spot on their tongues if they told a lie deliberately.B. One would have to shave their head to remove a bat in their hair.C. One would go to prison if they put a stamp on upside down.D. One would have curly hair if they ate too much stale bread.16.A. Everything seemed to be changing.B. People were formal and disciplined.C. People were excited to go traveling overseas.D. Things from the Victorian era came back alive.17.A. Watching TV at home.B. Meeting people.C. Drinking coffee.D. Trying new foods.18.A. He was interested in stylish dresses.B. He was able to make a lot of money.C. He was a young student in the 1960s.D. He was a man full of imagination.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19.A. They avoid looking at them.B. They run away immediately.C. They show anger on their faces.D. They make threatening sounds.20.A. It turns to its owner for help.B. It turns away to avoid conflict.C. It looks away and gets angry too.D. It focuses its eyes on their mouths.21.A. By observing their facial features carefully.B. By focusing on a particular body movement.C. By taking in their facial expressions as a whole.D. by interpreting different emotions in different ways.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22.A. They have to look for food and shelter underground.B. They take little notice of the changes in temperature.C. They resort to different means to survive the bitter cold.D. They have difficulty adapting to the changed environment.23.A. They have their weight reduced to the minimum.B. They consume energy stored before the long sleep.C. They can maintain their heart beat at the normal rate.D. They can keep their body temperature warm and stable.24.A. By staying in hiding places and eating very little.B. By seeking food and shelter in people’s houses.C. By growing thicker hair to stay warm.D. By storing enough food beforehand.25.A. To stay safe.B. To save energy.C. To keep company.D. To protect the young.Part ⅢReading Comprehension (40 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the center. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.Questions 26 to 35 are based on the following passage.The method for making beer has changed over time. Hops, for example, which give many a modern beer its bitter flavor, are a _____(26)recent addition to the beverage. This was mentioned in reference to brewing in the ninth century. Now, researchers have found a _____(27)ingredient in residue(残留物) from 5000-year-old beer brewing equipment. While excavating two pits at a site in the central plains of China, scientists discovered fragments from pots, funnels, amphorae, and stoves (stove fragment pictured). The different shapes of the containers _____(28)they were used to brew, filter, and store beer. They may be ancient “beer-making toolkits,”and the earliest _____(29)evidence of beer brewing in China, the researchers report online today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. To _____(30)that hypothesis, the team examined the yellowish, dried _____(31)inside the vessels. The majority of the grains, about 80%, were from cereal crops like millet and barley(大麦), and about 10% were bits of roots, _____(32)likely, would have made the beer sweeter, the scientists say. Barley was an unexpected find: The crop was domesticated in western Eurasia and didn’t become a _____(33)food in central China until about 2000 years ago, according to the researchers. Based on that timing, they suggest barley may have _____(34)in the region not as food, but as_____(35)material for beer brewing.A. arrivedB. consumingC. directD. exclusivelyE. includingF. informG. rawH. reachedI. relativelyJ. remainsK. resourcesL. stapleM. surprisingN. suggestO. testSection BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking thecorresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.The Blessing and Curse of the People Who Never ForgetA handful of people can recall almost every day of their lives in enormous detail—and after years of research, neuroscientists are finally beginning to understand how they do it. A. For most of us, memory is a mess of blurred and faded pictures of our lives. As much as we would like to cling on to our past, even the saddest moments can be washed away with time.B. Ask Nima Verseh what he was doing for any day in the past 15years, however, and he will give you the details of the weather, what he was wearing, or even what side of the train he was sitting on his journey to work. “My memory is like a library of video tapes, walk-throughs of every day of my life from waking to sleeping,”he explains.C. Veiseh can even put a date on when those tapes started recording: 15 December 2000, when he met his first girlfriend at his best friend’s16th birthday party. He had always had a good memory, but the thrill of young love seems to have shifted a gear in his mind: from now on, he would start recording his whole life in detail. “I could tell you everything about every day after that.”D. Needless to say, people like Veiseh are of great interest to neuroscientists (神经科学专家) hoping to understand the way the brain records our lives. A couple of recent papers have finally opened a window on these people’s extraordinary minds. And such research might even suggest ways for us all to relive our past with greater clarity.E. ‘Highly superior autobiographical memory’(or HSAM for short) , first came to light in the early 2000s, with a young woman named Jill Price, Emailing the neuroscientist and memory researcher Jim McGaugh one day, she claimed that she could recall every day of her life since the age of 12. Could he help explain her experiences?F. McGaugh invited her to his lab, and began to test her: he would give her a date and ask her to tell him about the world events on that day. True to her word, she was correct almost every time.G. It didn’t take long for magazines and documentary film-makers to come to understand her “total recall”,and thanks to the subsequent media interest, a few dozen other subjects (including Verseh) have since come forward and contacted the team at the University of California, Irvine.H. Interestingly, their memories are highly self-centred: although they can remember “autobiographical”life events in extraordinary detail, they seem to be no better than average at recalling impersonal information, such as random (任意选取的) lists of words. Nor are they necessarily better at remembering a round of drinks, say. And although their memories are vast, they are still likely to suffer from “false memories”.Clearly, there is no such thing as a “perfect”memory—their extraordinary minds are still using the same flawed tools that the rest of us rely on. The question is, how?I. Lawrence Patihis at the University of Southern Mississippi recently studied around 20 people with HSAM and found that they scored particularly high on two measures: fantasy proneness (倾向) and absorption. Fantasy proneness could be considered a tendency to imagine and daydream, whereas absorption is the tendency to allow yur mind to become fully absorbed in an activity—to pay complete attention to the sensations (感受) and theexperiences. “I’m extremely sensitive to sounds, smells and visual detail,”explains Nicole Donohue, who has taken part in many of these studies. “I definitely feel things more strongly than the average person.”J. The absorption helps them to establish strong foundations for recollection, says Patihis, and the fantasy proneness means that they revisit those memories again and again in the coming weeks and months. Each time this initial memory trace is “replayed”,it becomes even stronger. In some ways, you probably go through that process after a big event like your wedding day—but the difference is that thanks to thir other psychological tendencies, the HSAM subjects are doing it day in, day out, for the whole of their lives.K. Not everyone with a tendency to fantasies will develop HSAM, though, so Patihis suggests that something must have caused them to think so much about their past. “Maybe some experience in their childhood meant that they became obsessed (着迷) with calendars and what happened to them,”says Patihis.L. The people with HSAM I’ve interviewed would certainly agree that it can be a mixed blessing. On the plus side, it allows you to relive the most transformative and enriching experiences. Verseh, for instance, travelled a lot in his youth. In his spare time, he visited the local art galleries, and the paintings are now lodged deep in his autobiographical memories.M. “Imagine being able to remember every painting, on every wall, in every gallery space, between nearly 40 countries,”he says. “That’s a big education in art by itself.”With this comprehensive knowledge of the history of art, he has since become a professional painter. N. Donohue, now a history teacher, agrees that it helped during certain parts of her education: “I can definitely remember what I learned on certain days at school. I could imagine what the teacher was saying or what it looked life in the book.”O. Not everyone with HSAM has experienced these benefits, however. Viewing the past in high definition can make it very difficult to get over pain and regret. “It can be very hard to forget embarrassing moments,”say Donohue. “You feel the same emotions—it is just as raw, just as fresh…You can’t turn off that stream of memories, no matter how hard you try.”Veiseh agrees: “It is like having these open wounds—they are just a part of you,”he says.P. This means they often have to make a special effort to lay the past to res. Bill, for instance, often gets painful “flashbacks”,in which unwanted memories intrude into his consciousness, but overall he has chosen to see it as the best way of avoiding repeating the same mistakes. “Some people are absorbed in the past but not open to new memories, but that’s not the case for me. I look forward to each day and experiencing something new.”36. People with HSAM have the same memory as ordinary people when it comes to impersonal information.37. Fantasy proneness will not necessarily cause people to develop HSAM.38. V erseh began to remember the details of is everyday experiences after he met his first young love.39. Many more people with HSAM started to contact researchers due to the mass media.40. People with HSAM often have to make efforts to avoid focusing on the past.41. Most people do not have clear memories of past events.42. HSAM can be both a curse and a blessing.43. A young woman sought explanation from a brain scientist when she noticed her unusual memory.44. Some people with HSAM find it very hard to get rid of unpleasant memories.45. A recent study of people with HSAM reveals that they are liable to fantasy and full absorption in an activity.Section CDirections: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the center.Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.The phrase almost completes itself: midlife crisis. It’s the stage in the middle of the journey when people feel youth vanishing, their prospects narrowing and death approaching.There’s only one problem with the cliché(套话) . It isn’t true.“In fact, there is almost no hard evidence for midlife crisis other than a few smallpilot studies conducted decades ago,”Barbara Hagerty writes in her new book, Life Reimagined. The bulk of the research shows that there may be a pause, or a shifting of gears in the 40s or 50s, but this shift “can be exciting, rather than terrifying.”Barbara Hagerty looks at some of the features of people who turn midlife into a rebirth. They break routines, because “autopilot is death.”They choose purpose over happiness—having a clear sense of purpose even reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. They give priority to relationships, as careers often recede (逐渐淡化).Life Reimagined paints a picture of middle age that is far from gloomy. Midlife seems life the second big phase of decision—making. Your identity has been formed; you’ve built up your resources; and now you have the chance to take the big risks precisely because your foundation is already secure.Karl Barth described midlife precisely this way. At middle age, he wrote, “the sowingis behind; now is the time to reap. The run has been taken; now is the time to leap. Preparation has been made; now is the time for the venture of the work itself.”The middle-aged person, Barth continued, can see death in the distance, but moves with a “measured haste”to get big new things done while there is still time.What Barth wrote decades ago is even truer today. People are healthy and energetic longer. We have presidential candidates running for their first term in office at age 68, 69 and 74. A longer lifespan is changing the narrative structure of life itself. What could have been considered the beginning of a descent is now a potential turning point—the turning point you are most equipped to take full advantage of.46. What does the author think of the phrase “midlife crisis”?A. It has led to a lot of debate.B. It is widely acknowledged.C. It is no longer fashionable.D. It misrepresents real life.47. How does Barbara hagerty view midlife?A. It may be the beginning of a crisis.B. It can be a new phase of one’s life.C. It can be terrifying for the unprepared.D. It may see old-age diseases approaching.48. How is midlife pictured in the book Life Reimagined?A. It can be quite rosy.B. It can be burdensome.C. It undergoes radical transformation.D. It makes for the best part of one’s life.49. According to Karl Barth, midlife is the time .A. to relaxB. to matureC. to harvestD. to reflect50. What does the author say about midlife today?A. It is more meaningful than other stages of life.B. It is likely to change the narrative of one’s life.C. It is more important to those with a longer lifespan.D. It is likely to be a critical turning point in one’s life.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.In sprint, chickens start laying again, bringing a welcome source of protein at winter’s end. So it’s no surprise that cultures around the world celebrate spring by honoring the egg.Some traditions are simple, like the red eggs that get baked into Greek Easter breads. Others elevate the egg into a fancy art, like the heavily jewel-covered “eggs”that were favored by the Russians starting in the 19th century.One ancient form of egg art comes to us from Ukraine. For centuries, Ukrainians have been drawing complicated patterns on eggs. Contemporary artists have followed this tradition to create eggs that speak to the anxieties of our age: Life is precious, and delicate. Eggs are, too.“There’s something about their delicate nature that appeals to me,”says New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast. Several years ago, she became interested in eggs and learned the traditional Ukrainian technique to draw her very modern characters. “I’ve broken eggs at every stage of the process—from the very beginning to the very, very end.But there’s an appeal in that vulnerability. “There’s part of this sickening horror of knowing you’re walking on the edge with this, that I kind of like, knowing that it could all fall apart at any second.”Chast’s designs, such as a worried man alone in a tiny rowboat, reflect that delicateness.Traditional Ukrainian decorated eggs also spoke to those fears. The elaborate patternswere believed to offer protection against evil.“There’s an ancient legend that as long as these eggs are made, evil will not prevail in the world,”says Joan Brander, a Canadian egg-painter who has been painting eggs for over 60 years, having learned the art from her Ukrainian relatives.The tradition, dating back to 300 B.C., was later incorporated into the Christian church. The old Symbols, however, still endure. A decorate egg with a bird on it, given to a young married couple, is a wish for children. A decorated egg thrown into the field would be a wish for a good harvest.51. Why do people in many cultures prize the egg?A. It is a welcome sign of the coming of spring.B. It is their major source of protein in winter.C. It can easily be made into a work of art.D. It can bring wealth and honor to them.52. What do we learn about the decorated “eggs”in Russia?A. They are shaped like jewel cases.B. They are cherished by the rich.C. They are heavily painted in red.D. They are favored as a form of art.53. Why have contemporary artists continued the egg art tradition?A. Eggs serve as an enduring symbol or new life.B. Eggs have an oval shape appealing to artists.C. Eggs reflect the anxieties of people today.D. Eggs provide a unique surface to paint on.54. Why does Chast enjoy the process of decorating eggs?A. She never knows if the egg will break before the design is completed.B. She can add multiple details to the design to communicate her idea.C. She always derives great pleasure from designing something new.D. she is never sure what the final design will look like until the end.55. What do we learn from the passage about egg-painting?A. It originated in the eastern part of Europe.B. It has a history of over two thousand years.C. It is the most time-honored form of fancy artD. It is especially favored as a church decoration.Part IV Translation (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.黄河是亚洲第三、世界第六长的河流。

6月第一套大学英语四级真题试卷及答案（2）

6月第一套大学英语四级真题试卷及答案（2）2017年6月第一套大学英语四级真题试卷及答案Section BDirections： In this section， you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it。

Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs。

Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived。

You may choose a paragraph more than once。

Each paragraph is marked with a letter。

Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2。

Finding the Right Home—and Contentment， Too[A] When your elderly relative needs to enter some sort of long-term care facility—a moment few parents or children approach without fear—what you would like is to have everything made clear。

[B] Does assisted living really mark a great improvement over a nursing home， or has the industry simply hired better interior designers? Are nursing homes as bad as people fear， or is that an out-moded stereotype (固定看法)? Can doing one’s homework really steer families to the best places? It is genuinely hard to know。

2019年6月大学英语四级真题(第1-3套)试卷及答案

大学英语四级真题及答案(第一套)minutes)(请于正式开考后半小时内完成该部分，之后将进行听力考试) Directions:For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an advertisement on your campus website to sell a computer you used at college. Your advertisement may include its brand, specifications/features, condition and price, and your contact information.You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Part II Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)Section ADirections:In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and questions will be spoken only once. After you hear questions, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。

大学英语四级考试2024年6月真题(第一套)

2017年6月四级考试真题参考答案和听力原文

2017年6月英语四级真题第一套参考答案参考范文Do you need a computer in the new semester? Still depressed for not being able to afford a new computer? Good news for you! My computer may be an available option for you to take into consideration.To begin with, it’s an Apple laptop which was bought two years ago at the price of 10,000 RMB. It is now in good condition and fully functional. Besides, my laptop is portable so that you can take it to anywhere you want. The storage space is big enough for you to do any assignments, including editing and drawing. Finally, with the dual-core processor and high-performance video card, it can be unimpeded when you play online games and watch videos.So if you are eager to have a computer of your own, please do not hesitate to call me at 1234567. I will offer you a 50% discount!答案速查1-5. CACBD 6-10. DBCAB 11-15. DBADC 16-20. ADBAB 21-25. DACCB26-30. JCGMA 31-35. FIKHB 36-40. GDLBF 41-45. CHAKE 46-50. BCCDB51-55. DCBAC听力原文News Report OneAutomakers and tech companies are working hard to offer the first true self-driving car, but 75% of drivers say they wouldn’t feel safe in such a vehicle. Still, 60% of drivers would like to get some kind of self-driving feature, such as automatic braking or self-parking, the next time they buy a new car. The attitudes are published in a new AAA (Triple A) survey of 1,800 drivers.Advocates of self-driving cars argue they would be safer than cars driven by humans because they wouldn’t get distracted or drive when tired. But those surveyed by AAA say they trust their own driving skills. Many feel the technology is too new and unproven.John Nielsen, AAA’s managing director of automotive engineering and repair, said tests suggest drivers may be overestimating their own abilities. He also believes they will be more likely to trust self-driving cars as they become more familiar with features such as automatic braking or parking. He estimated that the “comfort level” will increase considerably in five to ten years.1.What is the finding of the AAA survey?2.What does John Nielsen say about self-driving cars?News Report TwoOne dog has been killed and multiple dogs have been injured by a snowmobile driver in what appears to be an intentional attack on competitors in the Iditarod Race in Alaska.Aliy Zirkle was the first to report an attack. A snowmobile driver had repeatedly attempted to harm her and her team, and one of Zirkle’s dogs had received a non-life-threatening injury. Zirkle reported the attack when she arrived in Nulato, Alaska, in the early hours of the morning. Then Jeff King, a four-time champion, reported a similar attack. His team was hit by a snowmobile driver, injuring several dogs and killing a 3-year-old male dog. Reporter Zachariah Hughes says that neither King nor Zirkle was injured. Although this incident very much alters the race of the two participants competing for a win, both are going to continue on their way toward the finishingline.Alaska State Troopers released a statement saying they’ve arrested Arnold Demoski, 26. He faces a trial on several charges.3.What is the news report mainly about?4.What do we learn about Jeff King?News Report ThreeA tour boat turned over off the coast of Nicaragua, killing at least 13 people and leaving more passengers missing, officials said.The boat was carrying 32 people — 25 Costa Ricans, four Americans and three Nicaraguans. The 13 dead were all Costa Rican, the foreign ministry said. The boat, traveling between Nicaragua’s Big Corn Island and Little Corn Island, turned over Saturday near the larger island. Some passengers remain missing, the Costa Rican foreign ministry said, but did not specify how many. A local radio said an unspecified number of people were rescued, including the tour boat’s owner, Hilario Blandon. Nicaraguan naval authorities had banned sea travel in the area because of bad weather and strong winds, but the tour boat proceeded anyway.Blandon, the boat’s owner, has been arrested by Nicaraguan authorities, the state-run news agency said. 7Both he and a crew member, are being investigated for unintentional murder and exposing people to danger, according to police.5. What happened to the tour boat sailing off the Nicaraguan coast?6. How many people was the boat carrying?7. What do we know about the owner of the boat?Section BConversation OneM: Hi, Susan! You’re looking very smart today.W: I always look smart, James. Actually I’m on my way to a job interview.M: What job? Oh, you mean for the summer holidays?W: Yeah, there is only two weeks to go. I’ve got a second interview with that big foreign accountancy firm in the city center. You know the one.M: That’s fantastic!W: The work is just helping out with the data input, you know, but the pay isn’t too bad. It might suit you too. I know they hav e released two temporary positions available. And I don’t think they have anyone else yet.M: Um, if they take you on, tell them you know a friend who’d be really good too. I really need the money, and the experience will look good on my resume. Maybe we’ll be working together, the dream team.W: OK, we’ll do. If the boss likes me, I’ll mention it. It will be good to have someone around who I know. I’ll phone you afterwards. But perhaps you should put in an application anyway.M: Thanks, Susan. That’s great! Listen, do you want a lift to the city? I have my dad’s car today and nothing else to do this morning.W: Sure. Thanks, James.M: Let’s go then. The car is over there.W: By the way, how is your knowledge of accountancy? The interviewer may ask you about it.M: No problem. I think I can survive. 11I might just have to review a few accountancy terms. Maybe you can give me a practicing interview first.W: Of course. Let’s go then. Don’t want to be late!8. Where will Susan probably get a job?9. What will Susan’s future job involve?10. Why did James want the job in that company?11. What did James say he’ll have to do to prepare for the interview?Conversation TwoW: There is new data out today the confirms that many Americans are not good at math. And when it comes to everyday technology skills, we are did last compared to other developed countries. Here is Gabriele Emannuel of National Public Radio.M: Let’s start with the bad news that Americans are terr ible at technology skills, using email, naming a file on the computer, using the link on a webpage or just texting someone.W: No country scored below the US.M: Only one country, Poland performed as poorly as we did. Who came out the first? Japan did the best and then Finland. If you look at data about reading and math, you’ll notice something interesting: Young adults who went to college or graduate school were doing pretty well. In literacy, they were actually doing better than the peers in any other countries.W: So that’s a bit of good news!M: But when you look at Americans who have a high school diploma, they look a lot like other countries’ high school dropouts. We have a lot of work to do. That’s especially true when it comes to math. You go to the store and there is a sale. Buy one, get the second one, half off. You decide to buy two, how much you pay?W: You mean high school graduates cannot do this task in general?M: You are right. What does that tell us about our education system? Well, it tells us that we need to think about the preparedness of our students as they are leaving high school.W: Right. And schools, employers, in fact, we all need to do something about it. Thank you, Gabriele.12. What does the man say about Americans?13. Who performs the best in technology skills according to the man?14. In what aspect did American college students perform well?15. What do we learn from the conversation about American high school education?Section CPassage OneWild carrots probably evolved with the other flowering plants, about 360 million years ago. Like apples, carrots are native to Central Asia. That’s why horses, which also come from Central Asia, like both apples and carrots so much. With wild carrots, the roots are white, small and skinny, so we have to pick a lot of wild carrots to get enough to eat. Doctors used carrot seeds and roots as medicine, on the theory that foods that taste bad must be good for you.Around 800 AD, people in Central Asia, managed to develop a new kind of carrot—a purple carrot—thatattracted more interest from international traders. Then in the late 1500s, food scientists in the Netherlands cultivated large, straight, sweet, red carrots like the ones we eat today. But people still mostly fed carrots to horses, donkeys and pigs, and didn’t eat them themselves. In the 1600, people in China used carrots as medicine, but they also ate carrots boiled in soup. The red color was popular for Chinese New Year celebrations.But carrots got their biggest boost during the two World Wars, when food shortages force people to eat them, and governments told everyone how healthy carrots were. Today, cooler countries grow most of the world’s carrots. Mac hines do most of the planting and picking, and carrots are easy to store and ship, so they are cheap almost everywhere.16. What do we learn from the talk about wild carrots?17. What does the speaker say about carrots in the late 1500s?18. Why did people turn to carrots for food during the two World Wars?Passage TwoKatherine loved Facebook. With Facebook she could stay connected with her family no matter how far away they were. She could see their photos and read their status updates. With Facebook she could keep her relatives up to date on what she was doing. Another thing Katherine loved about Facebook was that she didn’t have to think about time zones when updating family. Whenever she called her parents or other relatives, she always had to think about the time difference so that she wouldn’t wake someone up or call when she knew they were in church.Facebook was so convenient. When Katherine joined Facebook, some of her classmates at high school started to add her as a friend. At first, this didn’t bother her. She loved learning about the success of people she knew when she was just a teenager. She loved finding out people were getting married, having babies and traveling. Soon however, Katherine found herself comparing herself with the people she was reading about on Facebook. It began to make her feel bad that some people seemed to be doing so much better than she was. She was also spending a lot of time on Facebook. It took a lot of time and energy to keep up with everyone’s status updates. Katherine started to think. She looked at the list of over 500 friends she had on Facebook and realized some of them were not really friends at all.19. What was one particular convenience Katherine loved about Facebook?20. How did Katherine feel when her classmates added her as a Facebook friend?21. What made Katherine feel bad about herself later on?Passage ThreeDo you know where a mule comes from? It is the child of a donkey and a horse. Mules have strong muscles like horses but they eat less, can work longer, and are gentler, like donkeys. George Washington was the first person in the United States to own mules. He had heard that mules made good farm animals. And he contacted the US ambassador in Spain to ask about them. In 1785, King Charles III of Spain sent Washington a male donkey as a gift. That male donkey became the father of the mule industry in the US.Every April, Maury County holds a Mule Day celebration. Held in Columbia, Tennessee, Mule Day had its beginning as “Breeders’ Day” in the 1840s. Farmers and farm animal breeders would bring their animals to market every April to show, buy, and trade. This was an important business before the days of tractors, when many families made a living from farming and mules were used as work animals. Eventually, tractors began to replace mules, making them less in demand.A parade was added to Mule Day in 1934 to attract more people. Over the years other activities have beenadded, and today more than 200,000 people show up each year to watch and participate. If you visit the Mule Day celebrations, you might see mule-driving contests, square dances or shows, or even a lumberjack competitions.22. What does the speaker say about mules?23. What do we learn about the donkey which is said to be the father of the US mule industry?24. What did farmers usually do on Mule Day in the 1840s?25. What made mules less in demand in America?【参考译文】The Pearl River, an extensive river system in southern China, flows through Guangzhou City. It is China’s third-longest river, only after the Yangtze River and the Yellow River. The Pearl River Delta (PRD) is one of the most developed regions in China with an area of about 11,000 square kilometers. It is the largest urban area in the world in both size and population. The nine largest cities of PRD have a combined population of over 57 million. Since the reform and opening up was adopted by the Chinese government in the late 1970s, the Delta has become one of the leading economic regions and a major manufacturing center of China and the world.。

2017年6月英语四级听力答案（第一套）

2017年6⽉英语四级听⼒答案（第⼀套） SectionA News 1 B The test driver made a wrong judgement 2 D They have generally done quite well. 3 A He works at a national park. 4 B They were making a lot of noise. 5 A The discovery of a new species of snake. 6 C A snake crawled onto his head in his sleep. 7 D From its colour. SectionB Conversation conversation1 8 A The security check takes time. 9 B By credit card. 10 A Give him a receipt. 11 D Posting a comment on the hotel’s webpage. conversation2 12 C He has stopped making terrible faces. 13 D Warn him of danger by making up a story. 14 A They could break pp’s legs. 15 B One would have to shave their head to remove a bat in their hair. SectionC Passage Passage1 16 C Everything seemed to be changing. 17 A Meeting people. 18 D He was a young student in the 1960s. Passage3 22 D They resort to different means to survive the bitter cold. 23 C They consume the energy stored before the long sleep. 24 A By storing enough food beforehand 25 C To stay safe6⽉四六级真题答案去哪找？6⽉17⽇锁定⽆忧考四六级频道，超全四六级真题及答案考试结束后免费供应，想第⼀时间查答案的⼩朋友快来查看更多四级真题答案请见>>>。

2017年大学英语四级真题试卷及答案

2017年6月大学英语四级真题及答案(第一套)Part I Writing (25 minutes)(请于正式开考后半小时内完成该部分，之后将进行听力考试) Directions:For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an advertisement on your campus website to sell a computer you used at college. Your advertisement may include its brand, specifications/features, condition and price, and your contact information.You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Part II Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)Section ADirections:In this section, you will hear three news reports. Atthe end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Boththe news report and questions will be spoken only once. After you hear questions, you must choose the best answer from the four choices markedA), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet1 with a single line through the centre.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。

2023.06英语英语四级真题第1套

6Part I Writing(30 minutes)Directions: Suppose your university is conducting a survey to collect students' opinions of online classes. You are to write a response to the survey about their advantages and disadvantages, and what improvements can be made. You will have 30 minutes for the task. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B),C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the center.Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1. A) She was involved in a conflict with bird lovers.B) She was charged with mistreating animals.C) She was on bad terms with her neighbors.D) She was accused of violating a city law.2. A) It will take time to solve the rat problem.B) All wild animals should be well protected.C) The woman was not to blame for the situation.D) No one should go unpunished for violating law.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard,3. A) Communicate with astronauts in Mars Dune Alpha.B) Work in an environment resembling Mars.C) Build a Martian habitat in Houston.D) Send in applications before Friday.4. A) Ready-made food. C) Food they grow.B) Food that is organic. D) Potatoes mostly.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. A) He apologized for scratching an athlete's gold medal.B) He was asked to present a gold medal to Miu Goto.C) He bit a softball player's Olympic gold medal.D) He attracted public attention at a media event.6. A) Have another picture taken with the Olympic medalist.B) Apologize to the International Olympic Committee.C) Get the damaged medal repaired.D) Pay for the cost of a new medal.7. A) Allow no one to touch them. C) Treat them as treasures.B) See them as symbols of honor. D) Keep them in a safe place.2023 年6 月四级真题第1 套第1 页，共8 页Directions: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversations and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark thecorresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the center.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8. A) She covered its screen with a plastic sheet.B) She connected it with her smartphone.C) She decorated it with colorful stickers.D) She bought some new software for it.9. A) It may not be simply blue. C) It is more harmful to young people.B) It includes unnatural light. D) It induces people to fall asleep.10. A) He has had much trouble falling asleep.B) He has had some sort of health problems.C) He has stayed up playing computer games.D) He has been burdened with excessive work.11. A) Exposure to blue light is the chief cause of obesity.B) Sleep may be more important than people assumed.C) Sleep may also be negatively affected by natural light.D) Overuse of electronic devices may cause heart disease.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. A) What they wanted to be when grown up.B) What their favorite cartoon character was.C) What they learned from computer games.D) What they liked to do most after school.13. A) A stockbroker. C) A mechanical engineer.B) A pop singer. D) A basketball player.14. A) Ambitious. C) Imaginative.B) Sensible. D) Practical.15. A) Relax their strict control of their kids.B) Help their kids understand themselves.C) Impose their own dreams on their kids.D) Dismiss their high expectations of their kids.Directions: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear three or four questions. Both the passages and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answerfrom the f our choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the correspondingletter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the center.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A) Set up company branches. C) Introduce iPhones into its markets.B) Improve its infrastructure. D) Promote Internet-ready phones.17. A) They cater to Africans' needs. C) They are more powerful and capable.B) They are more expensive models. D) They boast the longest battery life.18. A) A large touchscreen. C) A voice-response device.B) An old-school keypad. D) A digitally-designed system.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A) It ensured sustainable economic growth.B) It was strongly opposed by manufacturers.C) It was cheaper than using fossil fuel plastic.2023 年6 月四级真题第1 套第2 页，共8 页D) It satisfied consumer demands on the whole.20. A) The capacity to mass produce it.B) The U.S. federal government's regulations.C) A boom in market demand for clear plastic bottles.D) A rapid increase in U.S. petroleum chemical production.21. A) Require companies to use 30% of new plastic.B) Increase the supply of new plastic in the market.C) Reduce the amount of plastic pollution in local areas.D) Take measures to promote the use of recycled plastic.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A) It studies dreams. C) It is a hotel for businesspeople.B) It rents a place for nap-takers. D) It is a nap research institute.23. A) To find out creative people's work performance.B) To see how many people can go without napping.C) To understand the obvious importance of napping.D) To feel how difficult it is to get his idea across.24. A) They decline due to pointless meetings.B) They depend on his ability to concentrate.C) They enable him to enjoy a creative career.D) They are affected by the overuse of social media.25. A) Some bosses associate napping with laziness.B) Many office workers nap during work hours.C) Some bosses can concentrate without napping.D) Many of his friends daydream in the office.Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)Section ADirection s: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word f or each blank f rom a list of choices given in a word bank f ollowing the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.You probably haven't taken the time to think of all the work that went into creating the shirt on your back. I mean, how hard it could be to create fabric and ___26___ it into a shirt shape. Don't machines do all that? Well, creating fabric from cotton, which is the most ___27___ clothing material, is actually a process that involves a lot of water, 2,700 liters per shirt to be ___28___.Take a look at the video below from National Geographic for some more mind-blowing ___29___ about cotton clothing production.Clean water is ___30___ becoming one of the most sought-after resources in the world. Given how large the ___31___ and cotton industries are, they take up a lot of our fresh water demands across the world, according to The Huffington Post. The video from National Geographic was created to spread ___32___ of how environmentally harmful cotton is. But the situation can be made better. Through better water management and farming practices, water usage in cotton production can be cut down by33 40 percent.Called "Better Cotton", this environmentally conscious product will save millions of liters of water a year simply from ___34___ the demands of cotton production. Cotton doesn't have to go, since it is,2023 年6 月四级真题第1 套第3 页，共8 页after all, one of the most useful cash crops across the globe. However, as water supplies ___35___, farmers and consumers need to be more conscious of the effect that these products have on the environment as a whole.Section BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by making the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.The spoken webA) We're growing more used to chatting to our computers, phones and smart speakers through voiceassistants like Amazon's Alexa, Apple's Siri and Microsoft's Cortana. Blind and partially sighted people have been using text-to-speech converters for decades.B) Out of these assistants, Siri is the most well-known. The assistant uses voice inquiries and anatural-language user interface ( 界面) to answer questions. The software adapts to users' individual language usages, searches, and preferences, with continuing use.C) Some think voice could soon take over from typing and clicking as the main way to interact online. Butwhat are the challenges of moving to "the spoken web"?D) What use is written online content if you can't read? That is the situation facing illiterate ( 不识字的)African farmers. They are often denied crucial information the web offers many others. With a literacy rate in some parts of Africa at only 22.6%, farmers are often "underpaid for their produce because they might be unaware of the prevailing prices," says Francis Dittoh, a researcher behind Mr Meteo, a speech-based weather information service.E) "The most frequently heard complaint is about rainfall predictions," says Mr Dittoh, who lives in Tamale,northern Ghana. "They tell us the methods their forefathers used to predict the weather don't seem to work as well these days." This is down to climate change, he believes. Yet knowing when it's going to rain is vital for farmers wanting to sow seeds, irrigate crops or take their animals out to the fields to feedon grass.F) Mr Dittoh says the idea of converting online weather reports into speech came from the farmersthemselves, after a workshop in the village of Guabuligah. "They came up with this," he says. Mr Meteo takes the online weather forecast, converts it to a short recording in the appropriate language and makes it available on a basic phone. Farmers ring up to receive the information. The local language Dagbani is spoken by 1.2 million people but is not served by any online translation applications. The service was designed to be cheap and easy to run, says Mr Dittoh. He plans to begin field tests this month, working2023 年6 月四级真题第1 套第4 页，共8 页with Tamale's Savanna Agricultural Research Institute.G) The spoken web could also help the one-in-five adults in Europe and the U.S. with poor reading skills.But building the spoken web—web-to-voice and voice-to-web—isn't straightforward. For software to understand pizza is served at Italian restaurants is easy. To cover multiple domains and to be able to havea conversation with users on every single topic is still a long way off.H) So although many computer assistants can answer simple questions about the weather and play music forus, anything resembling a wide-ranging human conversation is decades away. Artificial intelligence just isn't smart enough yet. Even turning your voice into text—automatic speech recognition—is one of the hardest problems to solve, as there are as many ways to pronounce things as there are people on the planet.I) Siri has often been praised for its ability to interpret our casual language and deliver very specific andaccurate results, sometimes even providing additional information. But it is still somewhat restricted, particularly when the language moves away from stiffer commands into more human interactions. In one example, the phrase "Send a text to Jason, Clint, Sam, and Lee saying we're having dinner at Silver Cloud restaurant" was interpreted as sending a message to Jason only, containing the text "Clint Sam and Lee saying we're having dinner at Silver Cloud restaurant". It has also been noted that Siri lacks a proper editing function, as saying "Edit message to say: we're at Silver Cloud restaurant and you should come find us" generates "Clint Sam and Lee saying we're having dinner at Silver Cloud restaurant to say we're at Silver Cloud restaurant and you should come find us".J) Using voice interaction feels far more intimate than surfing the net the old-fashioned way. This is intentional as the informal tone of the assistant helps create an emotional attachment. But if something speaks, it must also listen. Our phones are always near us and they are collecting data about us all the time. This has already raised privacy concerns. The American Civil Liberties Union has stated that digital assistants create a threat to privacy from hackers. Some people have other concerns. They worry assistants will one day be used to deliver advertising directly to us.K) But digital voices need more personality to make them popular. Robots are not yet witty, Siri is boring.The benefits of using voice instead of tapping fingers obviously depend on the context. Doctors completing online forms about their patients by speech, for example, can dictate 150 words a minute, three times faster than typing on a keyboard. This enables them to spend less time on administration and more time with patients.L) Last year, speech recognition company Nuance helped a doctors' surgery in Dukinfield, near Manchester, set up a speech system for the practice's six doctors. Now they can dictate notes on a patient's health condition and treatment and a smart assistant automatically enters the information into the right fields ona web form. Previously, the doctors made voice recordings that were then transcribed by secretaries—aprocess that was costly and likely to cause delays. The new system means letters to patients now have more detail.M) Using voice also makes sense when you're doing other things with your hands. Think about when you're cooking, and you just want to know what the next step in the recipe is. Your hands are covered with oil;you're not going to get on the iPad, so it's a lot more natural to talk. And speech obviously makes sense when you're driving. In the U.S., 29% of drivers admit they surf behind the wheel, according to insurance firm State Farm. This is up from 13% in 2009. No wonder using mobile phones while driving causes more crashes a year than drink driving, says the U.S. National Safety Council.2023 年6 月四级真题第1 套第5 页，共8 页36. According to Francis Dittoh, their speech-based weather information service was meant to beinexpensive and easy to use.37. Using voice instead of typing enables doctors to spend more time taking care of patients.38. It is extremely difficult to convert voice into text because of different pronunciations.39. African farmers unable to read often don't have access to important information conveyed online.40. Some phone users worry advertisers will take advantage of voice assistants to send ads directly to them.41. The spoken web is helpful when one's hands are occupied.42. Some people believe online interaction would soon depend mainly on voice.43. Setting up a spoken web is by no means an easy task.44. Weather information is extremely important to farmers.45. Some people are concerned about privacy because their phones are constantly collecting their personalinformation.Section CDirections: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A),B),C)and D).You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.The United States is facing a housing crisis: Affordable housing is inadequate, while luxury homes abound （充裕), and homelessness remains a persistent problem. Despite this, popular culture and the housing industry market happiness as living with both more space and more amenities ( 便利设施). Big houses are advertized as a reward for hard work and diligence, turning housing from a basic necessity into a luxury.This is reflected in our homes. The average single-family home built in the United States before 1970was less than 1,500 square feet in size. By 2016, the average size of a new, single-family home was 2,422 square feet. What's more, homes built in the 2000s were more likely than earlier models to have more of all types of spaces; bedrooms, bathrooms, living rooms, dining rooms, recreation rooms and garages.There are consequences of living big. As middle-class houses have grown larger, two things have happened. First, large houses take time to maintain, so cleaners and other low-wage service workers are required to keep these houses in order. Second, once-public spaces, where people from diverse backgrounds used to come together, have increasingly become privatized, leading to a reduction in the number of public facilities available to all, and a reduced quality of life for many. Take swimming pools. While in 1950, only 2,500 U.S. families owned pools, by 1999 this number was 4 million. At the same time, public municipal pools were often closed, leaving low-income people nowhere to swim.The trend for bigger housing thus poses ethical questions. Should Americans accept a system in which the middle and upper classes enjoy a luxurious lifestyle, using the low-wage labor of others? Are we willing to accept a system in which an increase in amenities purchased by the affluent means a reduction in amenities for the poor?I believe neither is acceptable. We must change the way we think: living well does not need to mean having more private spaces; instead, it could mean having more public spaces. A better goal than buildingbigger houses for some is to create more publicly accessible spaces and amenities for all.46. What are big houses promoted to be in the United States?2023 年6 月四级真题第1 套第6 页，共8 页A) A luxury for the homeless. C) An abundant source of comforts.B) A reward for industriousness. D) An absolute necessity for happiness.47. What is one of the consequences of living big?A) Many Americans' quality of life has become lower.B) People from diverse backgrounds no longer socialize.C) People no longer have access to public swimming pools.D) Many Americans' private life has been negatively affected.48. What questions arise from living big?A) Questions related to moral principles.B) Questions having to do with labor cost.C) Questions about what lifestyle to promote.D) Questions concerning housing development.49. What kind of social system does the author think is unacceptable?A) One in which the wealthy exploit the low-wage laborers building their houses.B) One in which the rich purchase amenities at an increasingly unjustifiable price.C) One in which the upper classes deprive the lower classes of affordable housing.D) One in which the affluent enjoy a more comfortable life at the expense of the poor.50. What does the author advocate for people to live well?A) Finding ways to turn private spaces into public ones.B) Building more houses affordable to those less affluent.C) More public spaces created for everyone to enjoy.D) All amenities made accessible to the rich and the poor alike.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.Most of us in the entrepreneurial community are blessed—or cursed—with higher-than-average ambition. Ambitious people strongly desire accomplishments and are willing to take more risks and spend more effort to get them.Overall, this is a positive quality, especially for people trying to build their own businesses. Apparently, if you're more naturally driven to set goals, you are more likely to succeed.Actually, this isn't always the case. In fact, in some cases, extreme ambition may end up doing more harm than good.One major side effect of excessive ambition is the tendency to focus too determinedly on one particular vision or end goal. This is problematic because it hinders your ability to adapt to new circumstances, which is vital ifyou want to be a successful entrepreneur. If a new competitor emerges tothreaten your business, you may need to change direction, even if that means straying from your original vision. If you have too much ambition, you'll find this hard, if not impossible.Few people are successful when they try to build their first brand. Unfortunately, for the most ambitious entrepreneurs, a failure is seen as disastrous, and impossible to recover from.It's a clear departure from the intended plan toward the intended goal. For people with limited ambition, however, failure is viewed as something closer to reality. Remember, failure is inevitable, and every failure you survive is a learning experience.Ambitious people tend to be more materialistically successful than their non-ambitious2023 年6 月四级真题第1 套第7 页，共8 页counterparts. However, they're only slightly happier than their less-ambitious counterparts, and tend to live significantly shorter lives. This implies that even though ambitious people are more likely to achieve conventional "success," such success means nothing for their health and happiness-and if you don't have health and happiness, what else could possibly matter?Clearly, some amount of ambition is good for your motivation. Without any ambition, you wouldn't start your own business, set or achieve goals and get far in life. But an excess of ambition can also be dangerous,putting you at risk of burnout, stubbornness and even a shorter life.51. What does the author think of most entrepreneurs?A) They are more willing to risk their own lives.B) They are more ambitious than ordinary people.C) They achieve greater nonconventional success.D) They have more positive qualities than most of us.52. What does the author imply by saying "this isn't always the case" (Line 1, Para. 3)?A) Ambitious people may not have a greater chance of success.B) Ambitious people may not have more positive qualities.C) Entrepreneurs' ambition does as much good as harm.D) Entrepreneurs are more naturally driven to success.53. What does the author say is of extreme importance for one to become a successful entrepreneur?A) Holding on to one's original vision.B) Being able to adapt to new situations.C) Focusing determinedly on one particular goal.D) Avoiding radical change in one's career direction.54. How do the most ambitious entrepreneurs regard failure in their endeavor?A) It will awaken them to reality.B) It is a lesson they have to learn.C) It means the end of their career.D) It will result in a slow recovery.55. What does the author advise us to do concerning ambition?A) Distinguish between conventional success and our life goal.B) Follow the example of the most ambitious entrepreneurs.C) Avoid taking unnecessary risks when starting a business.D) Prioritize health and happiness over material success.Part IVTranslation(30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage f rom Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.中国越来越重视终身教育,发展继续教育是构建终身教育体系的有效途径。

2017年6月大学英语四级答案及解析第一套【完整版】

2017年6月大学英语四级答案及解析第一套【完整版】2017年6月大学英语四级答案及解析第一套【完整版】新东方在线四六级Part I WritingComputer for SaleAs I am about to graduate and leave the campus, I am going to sell my personal laptop at a low price.It is a Lenovo ThinkPad that I bought in June, 2015. It is not big, but very functional. It has a four-core CPU, an independent display card of 2G, a hard disk of 500G and a screen of 15.6 inches.For the last two years, the laptop has served as my faithful aid and helped me finish most of my assignments and my thesis. There has appeared no fault in the process. I owe so much to it. But as my workplace has already offered me a more advanced working laptop, I find there is no necessity for me to have two. And Iknow that there must be some of my schoolmates who are more in need of the ThinkPad. Therefore, I determined to sell it.I bought the laptop as the price of 3500 yuan. Now I will sell it at 1500 yuan or less. Anyone interested can contact me via email, and my mailbox is ***@.这次的四级作文属于应用文，是近年来不多见的题型。

2017年6月大学英语四级考试真题与答案解析(共三套)

2017年6月大学英语四级考试真题及答案解析（第一套完整版）Part I WritingDirections: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an advertisement on your campus website to sell some of the course books you used at college. Your advertisement may include a brief description of their content, their condition and price, and your contact information. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.【参考范文】My Books, Your Helper!Are you still worrying about your English learning? Still in want of good learning materials? Now’s your chance!This is a set of superb course books for English learners, gently used, the contents of which cover English listening, speaking, reading, writing and translation. These books will equip you with necessary knowledge for CET-4, CET-6, IELTS, TOFEL and so on. Besides, I sell the books here only at half price, which means you can save a great amount of money and use the savings on other important items. Last but not the least, there are many useful notes at the back of these books for your reference, which will allow you to yield twice the result with half the effort.Sowhatareyouwaitingfor?Moveon!********************************* 12345678 if you are interested.【解析】“half price”意思为“半价”；“yield twice the result with half the effort”意思为“事半功倍”。

2017年6月大学英语四级真题(三套全)及答案

2017年6月大学英语四级真题及答案(第一套)Part ⅢReading Comprehension (40 minutes) Section AQuestions 26 to 35 are based on the following passage.The method for making beer has changed over time. Hops (啤酒花)，for example, which give many a modem beer its bitter flavor, are a (26)_______ recent addition to the beverage. This was first mentioned in reference to brewing in the ninth century. Now, researchers have found a (27)_______ingredient in residue (残留物）from 5,000-year-old beer brewing equipment. While digging two pits at a site in the central plains of China, scientists discovered fragments from pots and vessels. The different shapes of the containers (28)_______they were used to brew, filter, and store beer. They may be ancient “beer-making tools,” and the earliest (29_______evidence of beer brewing in China, the researchers reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. To (30)_______that theory, the team examined the yellowish, dried (31)_______inside the vessels. The majority of the grains, about 80%, were from cereal crops like barley (大麦),and about 10% were bits of roots, (32)_______lily,which would have made the beer sweeter, the scientists say. Barley was an unexpected find: the crop was domesticated in Western Eurasia and didn't become a (33)_______food in central China until about 2,000 years ago, according to the researchers. Based on that timing, they indicate barley may have (34)_______ in the region not as food, but as (35)_______material for beer brewing.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

2017年6月大学英语四级真题及答案详解

2017年6月大学英语四级真题及答案详解(第一套)Part I Writing (25 minutes)(请于正式开考后半小时内完成该部分，之后将进行听力考试)Directions:For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an advertisement on your campus website to sell a computer you used at college. Your advertisement may include its brand, specifications/features, condition and price, and your contact information.You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Part II Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)Section ADirections:In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and questions will be spoken only once. After you hear questions, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。

2017年6月大学英语四级考试真题第一套听力

2017年6月大学英语四级考试真题第一套听力2017年6月大学英语四级真题答案(第一套) 翻译：黄河是亚洲第三、世界第六长的河流。

“黄”这个字描述的是其河水浑浊的颜色。

黄河发源于青海，流经九个省份，最后注入渤海。

黄河是中国赖以生存的几条河流之一。

黄河流域(river basin)是中国古代文明的诞生地，也是中国早期历史上最繁荣的地区。

然而，由于极具破坏力的洪水频发，黄河曾造成多次灾害。

在过去几十年里，政府采取了各种措施防止灾害发生。

The Yellow River ranks the third longest in Asia and the sixth longest in the world. The word “yellow”describes the muddy water of the river. The Yellow River，one of several rivers for China to live on，originates from Qinghai，flows through nine provinces, and finally pours into the Bohai Sea. The river basin is not only the birthplace of ancient Chinese civilization，but also the most prosperous region in the early history of China. However,due to the frequent devastating floods, it has caused many disasters. In the past few decades,the government has taken various measures to prevent disasters. 听力：SectionA News 1 B The test driver madea wrong judgement 2 D They have generally done quite well.3 A He works at a national park.4 B They were making a lot of noise.5 A The discovery of a new species of snake.6 C A snake crawled onto his head in his sleep.7 D From its colour. SectionB Conversation conversation18 A The securitycheck takes time. 9 B By credit card. 10 A Give him a receipt. 11 D Posting a comment on the hotel’s webpage. conversation2 12 C He has stopped making terrible faces.13 D Warn him of danger by making up a story. 14 A They could break pp’s legs. 15 B One would have to shave their head to remove a bat in their hair. SectionC Passage Passage1 16 C Everything seemed to be changing. 17 A Meeting people.18 D He was a young student in the 1960s. Passage2 19 B They avoid looking at them. 20 C It focuses its eyes on their mouths. 21 B By taking in their facial expressions as a whole. Passage3 22 D They resort to different means to survive the bitter cold. 23 C They consume the energy stored before the long sleep.24 A By storing enough food beforehand 25 C To stay safe 选词填空部分：26.O vigorous 27.I phenomenon 28.E effectively 29.G involved 30.M solution 31.D cycling 32.C control 33. J preventing 34. N sufficient 35. F increased 【原文】As if you needed another reason to hate the gym, it now turns out that exercise can exhaust not only your muscles, but also your eyes. Fear not, however, for coffee can perk them right up again. During vigorous exercise, our muscles tire as they run out of fuel and build up waste products. Muscle performance can also be affected by a phenomenon called “central fatigue,” in which animbalance in the body’s chemical messengers prevents the central nervous system from directing muscle movements effectively. It was not known, however, whether central fatigue might also affect motor systems not directly involved in the exercise itself—such as those that move the eyes. To find out, researchers gave 11 volunteers a carbohydrate solution either with a moderate dose of caffeine—which is known to stimulate the central nervous system—or as a placebo without, during 3 hours of cycling. After exercising, the scientists tested the cyclists with eye-tracking cameras to see how well their brains could still control their visual system. The team found that exercise reduced the speed of rapid eye movements by about 8%, preventing their ability to capture new visual information. The caffeine—the equivalent of two strong cups of coffee—was sufficient to counteract this effect, with some cyclists even displaying increased eye movement speeds, the team reports today in Scientific Reports. So it might be a good idea to get someone else to drive you home after that marathon. 段落信息匹配：36 [H] 题干：Successful team leaders know exactly where the team should go and are able to take promptaction. 37 [D] 题干：Decentralisation of authority was also found to be more effective in military operations. 38 [B] 题干：In many companies,the conventional form of organisation is giving way to a network of teams.39 [J] 题干：Members of poorly managed teams are easily distractedfrom their work. 40 [G] 题干：Teamwork is most effective when team members share the same culture. 41 [A] 题干：According to a report by Deloitte,teamwork is becoming increasingly popular among companies. 42 [F] 题干：Some team members find it hard to agree on questions like membership and the team's purpose. 43 [E] 题干：Some scholars think teamwork may not always be reliable,despite its potential to work wonders. 44 [I] 题干：To ensure employee's commitment,it is advisable to give them more flexibility as to where and how they work. 45 [C] 题干：Product transitions take much less time now than in the past. 仔细阅读1：46 D Britons have developed the habit of saving. 47 B It will remain gloomy. 48 C Luxurious features add much to the price.49 A They are particular about the quality of toilet paper. 50 D Environmental protection is not much of a concern when Britons buy toilet paper. 仔细阅读2：51 B She succeeded in quitting smoking abruptly. 52 D They were offered nicotine replacements.53 C It is encouraging. 54 B needs some practice first. 55 A They find it even more difficult. 写作：Directions：For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an advertisement on your campus website to sell a computer you used at college. Your advertisement may include its brand, specifications/features, condition and price, and your contact information. You should write at least 120words but no more than 180 words. 参考范文：With the development of the Internet and the popularization of computers, shopping on the Internet has become a commonplace in our life. Here consumers can buy almost everything they need. People don't have to waste a lot of their energy and precious time to go from one shop to another to choose the commodities they like. This is especially desirable to the old, the sick and the busy people who cannot go to the shops in person. All they need to do is to sit in front of their computers and click the mousses. The commodities they order will be delivered to them promptly. 资料来源于网络。

6月英语四级真题及答案第一套

6月英语四级真题及答案第一套6月英语四级真题及答案汇总（第一套）转眼2017下半年英语四级考试即将来临，不少同学也正在准备2017下半年英语四级考试，但也有不少同学表示在网上买的没有历年真题，下面yjbys网店铺将英语四级考试的历年真题都进行汇总。

以下是2015年6月英语四级真题及答案(第一套)，提前助大家顺利备考、复习。

作文：Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay based on the picture below.You should start your essay with a brief description of the picture and then comment on the kid's understanding of going to school.You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.“Why am I going to school if my phone already knows everything?”Section A——听力选择题Directions : In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations.At the end ofeach 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 bea 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 AnswerSheet 1 with a single line through the centre.1.A.He will give the woman some tips on the game.B.The woman has good reason to quit the game.C.He is willing to play chess with the woman.D.The woman should go on playing chess.2.A.The man can forward the mail to Mary.B.She can call Mary to take care of the mail.C.Mary probably knows Sally's new address.D.She would like to resume contact with Sally.3.A.His handwriting has a unique style.B.His notes are not easy to read.C.He did not attend today's class.D.He is very pleased to be able to help.4.A.The man had better choose another restaurant.B.The new restaurant is a perfect place for dating.C.The new restaurant caught her fancy immediately.D.The man has good taste in choosing the restaurant.5.A.He has been looking forward to spring.B.He has been waiting for the winter sale.C.He will clean the woman's boots for spring.D.He will help the woman put things away.6.A.The woman is rather forgetful.B.The man appreciates the woman's help.C.The man often lends books to the woman.D.The woman often works overtime at weekends.7.A.Go to work on foot.B.Take a sightseeing trip.C.Start work earlier than usual.D.Take a walk when the weather is nice.8.A.The plane is going to land at another airport.B.All flights have been delayed due to bad weather.C.Temporary closing has disturbed the airport's operation.D.The airport's management is in real need of improvement.Questions 9 to 12 are based on the conversation you have just heard.9.A.It specializes in safety from leaks.B.It is headquartered in London.C.It has a partnership with LCP.D.It has a chemical processing plant.10.A.He is Mr.Grand's friend.B.He is a safety inspector.C.He is a salesman.D.He is a chemist.11.A.Director of the safety department.B.Mr.Grand's personal assistant.C.Head of the personnel department.D.The public relations officer.12.A.Walt for Mr.Grand to call back.B.Leave a message for Mr.Grand.C.Provide details of their products and services.D.Send a comprehensive description of their work.Questions 13 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.13.A.She learned playing the violin from a famous French musician.B.She dreamed of working and living in a European country.C.She read a lot about European musicians and their music.D.She listened to recordings of many European orchestras.14.A.She began taking violin lessons as a small child.B.She was a pupil of a famous European violinist.C.She gave her first performance with her father.D.She became a professional violinist at fifteen.15.A.It gave her a chance to explore the city.B.It was the chance of a lifetime.C.It was a great challenge to her.D.It helped her learn classical French music.Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages.At the end of each passage, you will hearsome questions.Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once.After youhear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A., B),C.and D ).Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single linethrough the centre.Passage OneQuestions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16.A.There are mysterious stories behind his works.B.There are many misunderstandings about him.C.His works have no match worldwide.D.His personal history is little known.17.A.He moved to Stratford-on-Avon in his childhood.B.He failed to go beyond grammar school.C.He was a member of the town council.D.He once worked in a well-known acting company.18.A.Writers of his time had no means to protect their works.B.Possible sources of clues about him were lost in a fire.C.His works were adapted beyond recognition.D.People of his time had little interest in him.Passage TwoQuestions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19.A.Theft.B.Cheating.C.Air crash.D.Road accidents.20.A.Learn the local customs.B.Make hotel reservations.C.Book tickets well in advance.D.Have the right documents.21.A.Contact your agent.B.Get a lift if possible.e official transport.D.Have a friend meet you.Passage ThreeQuestions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22.A.Cut down production cost.B.Sell inexpensive products.C.Specialise in gold ornaments.D.Refine the taste of his goods.23.A.At a national press conference.B.During a live television interview.C.During a local sales promotion campaign.D.At a meeting of top British businesspeople.24.A.Insulted.B.Puzzled.C.Distressed.D.Discouraged.25.A.The words of some businesspeople are just rubbish.B.He who never learns from the past is bound to fail.C.There should be a limit to one's sense of humour.D.He is not laughed at, that laughs at himself first.Section C——听力填空题Directions: In this section, you will hear a passage three times.When the passage is read for the firsttime, you shouldlisten carefully for its general idea.When the passage is read for thesecond time, you are required to fill in the blanks with the exact words you have justheard.Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what youhave written.Looking at the basic biological systems, the world is not doing very well.Yet economic indicators show the world is (26) Despite a slow start at the beginning of the eighties, global economic output increased by more than a fifth during the (27) The economy grew, trade increased, and millions of new jobs were created.How can biological indicators show the 28 of economic indicators?The answer is that the economic indicators have a basic fault: they show no difference between resource uses that( 29) progress and those uses that will hurt it.The main measure of economic progress is the gross national product (GNP). (30) , this totals the value of all goods and services produced and subtracts loss in value of factories and equipment.Developed a half-century ago, GNP helped (31) a common way among countries of measuring change in economic output.For some time, this seemed to work (32 )well, but serious weaknesses are now appearing.As indicated earlier, GNP includes loss in value of factories and equipment, but it does not( 33 )the loss of natural resources, including nonrenewable resources such as oil or renewable resources such as forests.This basic fault can produce a( 34 )sense of national economic health.According to GNP, for example, countries that overcut forests actually do better than those that preserve their forests.The trees cut down are counted as income but no subtraction is made for (35 )the forests.Section A：选词填空Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks.You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage.Read the passage through carefully before making your choices.Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter.Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet2 with a single line through the centre.You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.Questions 36 to 45 are based on the following passage.The U.S.Department of Education is making efforts to ensure that all students have equal access to a quality education.T oday it is(36) the launch of the Excellent Educators for All Initiative.The initiative will help states and school districts support great educators for the students who need them most."All children are(37 )to a high-quality education regardless of their race, zip code or family income.It is (38 )important that we provide teachers and principals the support they need to help students reach their full (39) ," U.S.Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said." Despite the excellent work and deep( 40 )of our nation's teachers and principals, students in high-poverty, high- minority schools are unfairly treated across our country.We have to do better.Local leaders and educators will (41 )their own creative solutions, but we must work together to (42) our focus on how to better recruit, support and(43) effective teachers and principals for all students, especially the kids who need them most."Today's announcement is another important step forward in improving access to a quality education, a (44 )of President Obama's year of ter today, Secretary Duncan will lead a roundtable discussion with principals and school teachers fromacross the country about the (45 )of working in high-need schools and how to adopt promising practices for supporting great educators in these schools.A.AnnouncingB.beneficialC.challengesmitmentponentF.contestsG.criticallyH.developI.distributingJ.enhanceK.entitledL.potentialM.properlyN.qualifiedO.retainSection B——长篇阅读Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it.Eachstatement contains information given in one of the paragraphs.Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived.You may choose a paragraph more than once.Each paragraph is marked with a letter.Answer the questions by marking thecorresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.The Changes Facing Fast FoodA)Fast-food firms have to be a thick-skinned bunch.Health experts regularly criticise them severelyfor selling food that makes people fat.Critics even complain that McDonald's, whoselogosymbolises calorie excess, should not have been allowed to sponsor the World Cup.These arethings fast-food firms have learnt to cope with.But not perhaps for much longer.The burgerbusiness faces more pressure from regulators at a time when it is already adapting strategies inresponse to shifts in the global economy.B)Fast food was once thought to be recession-proof.When consumers need to cut spending, the logicgoes, cheap meals like Big Macs and Whoppers become even more attractive.Such "trading down"proved true for much of the latest recession, when fast-food companies picked up customers who could no longer afford to eat at casual restaurants.Traffic was boosted in America, the home of fast food, with discounts and promotions, such as $1 menus and cheap combination meals.C)As a result, fast-food chains have weathered the recession better than their more expensive competitors.In 2009 sales at full-service restaurants in America fell by more than 6% , but total sales remained about the same at fast-food chains.In some markets, such as Japan, France and Britain, total spending on fast food increased.Same-store sales in America at McDonald's, the world's largest fast-food company, did not decline throughout the downturn.Panera Bread, an American fast-food chain known for its fresh ingredients, performed well, too, because it offers higher-quality food at lower prices than restaurants.D)But not all fast-food companies have been as fortunate.Many, such as Burger King, have seen sales fall.In a severe recession, while some people trade down to fast food, many others eat at home more frequently to save money.David Palmer, an analyst at UBS, a bank, says smaller fast- food chains in America, such as Jack in the Box and Carl's Jr., have been hitparticularly hard in this downturn because they are competing with the global giant McDonald's, which increased spending on advertising by more than 7% last year as others cut back.E)Some fast-food companies also sacrificed their own profits by trying to give customers better value.During the recession companies set prices low, hoping that once they had tempted customers through the door they would be persuaded to order more expensive items.But in many cases that strategy did not st year Burger King franchisees (特许经营人)sued (起诉)the company over its double-cheeseburger promotion, claiming it was unfair for them to be repuired to sell these for $1 when they cost$1.10 to make.In May a judge ruled in favour of Burger King.Nevertheless, the company may still be cursing its decision to promote cheap choices over more expensive ones because items on its "value menu" now account for around 20% of all sales, upfrom 12% last October.F)Analysts expect the fast-food industry to grow modestly this year.But the downturn is makingcompanies rethink their strategies.Many are now introducing higher-priced items to entice (引诱)consumers away from $1 specials.KFC, a division of Yum! Brands, which also owns Taco Belland Pizza Hut, has launched a chicken sandwich that costs around $5.And in May Burger Kingintroduced barbecue (烧烤)pork ribs at $7 for eight.G)Companies are also trying to get customers to buy new and more items, including drinks.McDonald's started selling better coffee as a challenge to Starbucks.Its " McCafe" line nowaccounts for an estimated 6% of sales in America.Starbucks has sold rights to its Seattle's Bestcoffee brand to Burger King, which will start selling it later this year.H)As fast-food companies shift from "super size" to "morebuys", they need to keep customer traffichigh throughout the day.Many see breakfast as a big opporttmity, and not just for fatty food.McDonald's will start selling porridge (粥)in America next year.Breakfast has the potential to bevery profitable, says Sara Senatore of Bernstein, a research firm, because the margins can be high.Fast-food companies are also adding midday and late-night snacks, such as blended drinks andwraps.The idea is that by having a greater range of things on the menu, "we can sell to consumersproducts they want all day," says Rick Carucci., the .chief financial officer of Yum ! Brands.I)But what about those growing waistlines? So far, fast-food firms have cleverly avoided governmentregulation.By providing healthy options, like salads and low-calorie sandwiches, they have at leastgiven the impression of doing something about helping to fight obesity (肥胖症).These offeringsare not necessarily loss-leaders, as they broaden the appeal of outlets to groups of diners thatinclude some people who don't want to eat a burger.But customers cannot be forced to ordersalads instead of fries.J)In the future, simply offering a healthy option may not be good enough."Every packaged-food and restaurant company I know is concerned about regulation right now," says Mr.Palmer of UBS.America's health-reform bill, which Congress passed this year, requires restaurant chains with 20 ormore outlets to put the calorie-content of items they serve on the menu.A study by the NationalBureau of Economic Research, which tracked the effects on Starbucks of a similar calorie-postinglaw in New York City in 2007, found that the average calorie-count per transaction fell 6% andrevenue increased 3% at Starbucks stores where a Dunldn Donuts outlet was nearby--a sign, it issaid, that menu-labellingcould favour chains that have more healthy offerings.K)In order to avoid other legislation in America and elsewhere, fast-food companies will have tocontinue innovating (创新).Walt Riker of McDonald's claims the change it has made in its menumeans it offers more healthy items than it did a few years ago."We probably sell more vegetables,more milk, more salads, more apples than any restaurant business in the world," he says.But therecent proposal by a county in California to ban McDonald's from including toys in its high-calorie"Happy Meals", because legislators believe it attracts children to unhealthy food, suggests there isa lot more left to do.46.Some people propose laws be made to stop McDonald's from attaching toys to its food specials for children.47.Fast-food finns may not be able to cope with pressures from food regulation in the near future.48.Burger King will start to sell Seattle's Best coffee to increase sales.49.Some fast-food firms provide healthy food to give the impression they are helping to tackle the obesity problem.50.During the recession, many customers turned to fast food to save money.51.Many people eat out less often to save money in times of recession.52.During the recession, Burger King's promotional strategy of offering low-priced items often proved ineffective.53.Fast-food restaurants can make a lot of money by selling breakfast.54.Many fast-food companies now expect to increase their revenue by introducing higher-priced items.55.A newly-passed law asks big fast-food chains to specifythe calorie count of what they serve on the menu.Section CDirections: There are 2 passages in this section.Each passage is followed by some questions orunfinished statements.For each of them there are four choices marked A., B), C.andD ).You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on AnswerSheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.If you think a high-factor sunscreen (防晒霜)keeps you safe from harmful rays, you may be wrong.Research in this week's Nature shows that while factor 50 reduces the number of melanomas(黑瘤)and delays their occurrence, it can't prevent them.Melanomas are the most aggressive skin cancers.You have a higher risk if you have red or blond hair, fair skin, blue or green eyes, or sunburn easily, or if a close relative has had one.Melanomas are more common if you have periodic intense exposure to the sun.Other skin cancers are increasingly likely with long-term exposure.There is continuing debate as to how effective sunscreen is in reducing melanomas the evidence is weaker than it is for preventing other types of skin cancer.A 2011 Australian study of 1,621 people found that people randomly selected to apply sunscreen daily had half the rate of melanomas of people who used cream as needed.A second study, comparing 1,167 people with melanomas to 1,101 who didn't have the cancer, found that using sunscreen routinely, alongside other protection such as hats,long sleeves or staying in the shade, did give some protection.This study said other forms of sun protection not sunscreen seemed most beneficial.The study relied on peopleremembering what they had done over each decade of their lives, so it's not entirely reliable.But it seems reasonable to think sunscreen gives people a false sense of security in the sun.Many people also don't use sunscreen properly applying insufficient amounts, failing to reapply after a couple of hours and staying in the sun too long.It is sunburn that is most worrying recent research shows five episodes of sunburn in the teenage years increases the risk of all skin cancers.The good news is that a combination of sunscreen and covering up can reduce melanoma rates, as shown by Australian figures from their slip-slop-slap campaign.So if there is a heat wave this summer, it would be best for us, too, to slip on a shirt, slop on (抹上)sunscreen and slap on a hat.56.What is people's common expectation of a high-factor sunscreen?A.It will delay the occurrence of skin cancer.B.It will protect them from sunburn.C.It will keep their skin smooth and fair.D.It will work for people of any skin color.57.What does the research in Nature say about a high-factor sunscreen?A.It is ineffective in preventing melanomas.B.It is ineffective in case of intense sunlight.C.It is ineffective with long-term exposure.D.It is ineffective for people with fair skin.58.What do we learn from the 2011 Australian study of 1,621 people?A.Sunscreen should be applied alongside other protection measures.B.High-risk people benefit the most from the application ofsunscreen.C.Irregular application of sunscreen does women more harm than good.D.Daily application of sunscreen helps reduce the incidence of melanomas.59.What does the author say about the second Australian study?A.It misleads people to rely on sunscreen for protection.B.It helps people to select the most effective sunscreen.C.It is not based on direct observation of the subjects.D.It confirms the results of the first Australian study.60.What does the author suggest to reduce melanoma rates?ing both covering up and sunscreen.B.Staying in the shade whenever possible.ing covering up instead of sunscreen.D.Applying the right amount of sunscreen.Passage Two——仔细阅读Questions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.Across the rich world, well-educated people increasingly work longer than the less-skilled.Some65% of American men aged 62 -74 with a professional degree are in the workforce, compared with32% of men with only a high-school certificate.This gap is part of a deepening divide between the well-educated well-off and the unskilled poor.Rapid technological advance has raised the incomes of the highly skilled while squeezing those of the unskilled.The consequences, for individuals and society, are profound.The world is facing an astonishing rise in the number of old people, and they will live longer than ever before.Over the next 20 years the global population of those aged 65 or more willalmost double, from 600 million to 1.1 billion.The experience of the 20th century, when greater longevity (长寿)translated into more years in retirement rather than more years at work, has persuaded many observers that this shift will lead to slower economic growth, while the swelling ranks of pensioners will create government budget problems.But the notion of a sharp division between the working young and the idle old misses a new trend, the growing gap between the skilled and the unskilled.Employment rates are falling among younger unskilled people, whereas older skilled folk are working longer.The divide is most extreme in America, where well-educated baby-boomers (二战后生育高峰期出生的美国人)are putting off retirement while many less-skilled younger people have dropped out of the workforce.Policy is partly responsible.Many European governments have abandoned policies that used to encourage people to retire early.Rising life expectancy (预期寿命), combined with the replacement of generous defmed-benefit pension plans with less generous defined-contribution ones, means that even the better-off must work longer to have a comfortable retirement.But the changing nature of work also plays a big role.Pay has risen sharply for the highly educated, and those people continue to reap rich rewards into old age because these days the educated elderly are more productive than the preceding generation.Technological change may well reinforce that shift: the skills that complement computers, from management knowhow to creativity, do not necessarily decline with age.61.What is happening in the workforce in rich countries?A.Younger people are replacing the elderly.B.Well-educated people tend to work longer.C.Unemployment rates are rising year after year.D.People with no college degree do not easily find work.62.What has helped deepen the divide between the well-off and the poor?A.Longer life expectancies.B.A rapid technological advance.C.Profound changes in the workforce.D.A growing number of the well-educated.63.What do many observers predict in view of the experience of the 20th century?A.Economic growth will slow down.ernment budgets will increase.C.More people will try to pursue higher education.D.There will be more competition in the job market.64.What is the result of policy changes in European countries?A.Unskilled workers may choose to retire early.B.More people have to receive in-service training.C.Even wealthy people must work longer to live comfortably in retirement.D.People may be able to enjoy generous defined-benefits from pension plans.65.What is characteristic of work in the 21st century?puters will do more complicated work.B.More will be taken by the educated young.C.Most jobs to be done will be the creative ones.D.Skills are highly valued regardless of age.翻译：Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English.You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.中国是世界上最古老的文明之一。

2017年6月大学英语四级考试真题(完整版)及答案

2017年6月大学英语四级真题及答案(第一套)Part I Writing (25 minutes)(请于正式开考后半小时内完成该部分，之后将进行听力考试) Directions:For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an advertisement on your campus website to sell a computer you used at college.Your advertisement may include its brand, specifications/features, condition and price, and your contact information.You should write at least120 words but no more than 180 words.Part II Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)Section ADirections:In this section, you will hear three news reports. At theend of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both thenews report and questions will be spoken only once. After you hear questions,you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C)and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a singleline through the centre.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。

历年英语四级作文真题题目(2016.6—2020.9)

历年英语四级作文真题题目（2016.6—2020.9）2020. 9 第一套：online libraries are becoming increasingly popular 线上图书馆变得越来越流行Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay on online libraries. You can start your essay with the sentence “Online library is becoming increasingly popular.” You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.2020.9 第二套：online dictionaries are becoming increasingly popular线上词典变得越来越流行For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay on online dictionary. You can start your essay with the sentence “Online dictionary is becoming increasingly popular.” You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.2020.9第三套：The use of Power point is becoming increasingly popular in classPPT的使用在课堂中越来越流行For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay on the use of PowerPoint(PPT) in class. You can start your essay with the sentence "The use of PowerPoint is becoming increasingly popular in class". You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.2020.7 翻译软件Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay on the use of translation apps. You can start your essay with the sentence "The use of translation apps is becoming increasingly popular. " You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.2019年12月英语四级作文真题第3套:为外国友人推荐一所大学For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter to a foreign friend who wants to study in China. Please recommend a university to him. You should write at least 120 words but no more th...2019年12月英语四级作文真题第2套:为外国友人推荐学习汉语的地方For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter to a foreign friend who wants to learn Chinese. Please recommend a place to him. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180...2019年12月英语四级作文真题第1套:为外国友人推荐一座城市For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter to a foreign friend who wants to teach English in China. Please recommend a city to him. You should write at least 120 words but no more ...2019年6月英语四级作文真题第3套: 参观养老院Directions: For this part, you are allowed 80 minutes to write a news report to your campus newspaper on a volunteer activity organized by your Student Union to assist elderly people in the neighbo...2019年6月英语四级作文真题第2套:参观希望小学Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a news report to your campus newspaper on a visit to a Hope Elementary School organized by your Student Union. You should write at lea...2019年6月英语四级作文真题第1套:参观农场For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a news report to your campus newspaper on a visit to a local farm organized by your Student Union. You should write at least 120 words but no more...2018年12月英语四级作文真题第3套:毕业后开启职业生涯的挑战For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the challenges of starting a career after graduation. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.2018年12月英语四级作文真题第2套:出国留学的挑战For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the challenges of studying abroad. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.2018年12月英语四级作文真题范文第1套:生活在大城市里的挑战For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the challenges of living in a big city. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.2018年6月英语四级作文真题第3套:表达能力的重要性Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the importance of speaking ability and how to develop it. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.2018年6月英语四级作文真题第2套:写作能力的重要性Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the importance of writing ability and how to develop it. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.2018年6月英语四级作文真题第1套:阅读能力的重要性Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the importance of reading ability and how to develop it. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.2017年12月英语四级作文真题第3套:老师与学生之间的关系Directions：For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on how to best handle the relationship between teachers and students. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.2017年12月英语四级作文真题第2套:医生与病患之间的关系Directions：For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on how to best handle the relationship between doctors and patients. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.2017年12月英语四级作文真题第1套:父母与子女之间的关系For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on how to best handle the relationship between parents and children. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.2017年6月英语四级作文真题第3套:卖书For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an advertisement on your campus website to sell a you used at college. Your advertisement may include its brand, specifications/features, conditio...2017年6月英语四级作文真题第2套:卖自行车For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an advertisement on your campus website to sell a bicycle you used at college. Your advertisement may include its brand, specifications/features, ...2017年6月英语四级作文真题第1套:卖电脑For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an advertisement on your campus website to sell a computer you used at college. Your advertisement may include its brand, specifications/features,...2016年12月英语四级作文真题第3套:国企or外企For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay. Suppose you have two options upon graduation: one is to work in a state-owned business and the other in a joint venture. You are to make...2016年12月英语四级作文真题第2套:工作or考研For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay. Suppose you have two options upon graduation: one is to take a job in a company and the other to go to a graduate school. You are to make….2016年12月英语四级作文真题第1套:就业or创业For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay. Suppose you have two options upon graduation: one is to find a job somewhere and the other to start a business of your own. You are to m...2016年6月英语四级作文真题第3套:写感谢老师的信For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter to express your thanks to one of your school teachers upon entering college.2016年6月英语四级作文真题第2套:写感谢家人的信For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter to express your thanks to your parents or any other family member upon making a memorable achievement.2016年6月英语四级作文真题第1套:写感谢朋友的信For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter to express your thanks to one of your friends who helped you most when you were in difficulty.。

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2017年12月英语四级真题第一套Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions：For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on how to best handle the relationship between doctors and patients. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words._____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1.A) Her grandfather. C) Her friend Erika.B) Her grandmother. D) Her little brother.2. A) By taking pictures for passers-by. C) By selling lemonade and pictures.B) By working part time at a hospital. D) By asking for help on social media. Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3. A) Finding cheaper ways of highway construction.B) Generating electric power for passing vehicles.C) Providing clean energy to five million people.D) Testing the efficiency of the new solar panel.4. A) They can stand the wear and tear of natural elements.B) They can be laid right on top of existing highways.C) They are only about half an inch thick.D) They are made from cheap materials.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. A) Endless fighting in the region. C) Inadequate funding for research.B) The hazards from the desert. D) The lack of clues about the species.6. A) To observe the wildlife in the two national parks.B) To identify the reasons for the lions’ disappearance.C) To study the habitat of lions in Sudan and Ethiopia.D) To find evidence of the existence of the “lost lions”.7. A) Lions walking. C) Some camping facilities.B) Lions’ tracks. D) Traps set by local hunters.Section BDirections:In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8. A) Her ‘lucky birthday’. C) Her wedding anniversary.B) A call from her dad. D) A special gift from the man.9. A) Gave her a big model plane. C) Took her on a trip overseas.B) Bought her a good necklace. D) Threw her a surprise party.10. A) The gift her husband has bought.B) The trip her husband has planned.C) What has been troubling her husband.D) What her husband and the man are up to.11. A) He will be glad to be a guide for the couple’s holiday trip.B) He will tell the women the secret if her husband agrees.C) He is eager to le arn how the couple’s holiday turns out.D) He wants to find out about the couple’s holiday plan.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. A) They are sensitive to the dynamics of a negotiation.B) They see the importance of making compromises.C) They know when to adopt a tough attitude.D) They take the rival’s attitude into account.13. A) They know how to adapt. C) They know when to make compromises.B) They know when to stop. D) They know how to control their emotion.14. A) They are patient. C) They learn quickly.B) They are good at expression. D) They uphold their principles.15. A) Make clear one's intentions. C) Formulate one's strategy.B) Clarify items of negotiation. D) Get to know the other side.Section CDirections:In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A) When America's earliest space program started.B) When the International Space Station was built.C) How many space shuttle missions there will be.D) How space research benefits people on Earth.17. A) They accurately calculated the speed of the orbiting shuttles.B) They developed objects for astronauts to use in outer space.C) They tried to meet astronauts' specific requirements.D) They tried to make best use of the latest technology.18. A) They are extremely accurate. C) They were first made in space.B) They are expensive to make. D) They were invented in the 1970s. Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A) It was when her ancestors came to America.B) People had plenty of land to cultivate then.C) It marked the beginning of something new.D) Everything was natural and genuine then.20. A) They believed in working for goals. C) They had all kinds of entertainment.B) They enjoyed living a life of ease. D) They were known to be creative.21. A) Chatting with her ancestors. C) Polishing all the silver work.B) Furnishing her country house. D) Doing needlework by the fire. Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A) Use a map to identify your location. C) Sit down and try to calm yourself.B) Call your family or friends for help. D) Try to follow your footprints back.23. A) You may find a way out without your knowing it.B) You may expose yourself to unexpected dangers.C) You may get drowned in a sudden flood.D) You may end up entering a wonderland.24. A) Look for food. C) Start a fire.B) Wait patiently. D) Walk uphill.25. A) Inform somebody of your plan. C) Check the local weather.B) Prepare enough food and drink. D) Find a map and a compass.Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes) Section ADirections:In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the blank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.A rat or pigeon might not be the obvious choice to tend to someone who is sick, but these creatures have some (26) skills that could help the treatment of human diseases.Pigeons are often seen as dirty birds and an urban (27) , but they are just the latest in a long line of animals that have been found to have abilities to help humans. Despite having a brain no bigger than the (28) of your index finger, pigeons have a very impressive (29) memory. Recently it was shown that they could be trained to be as accurate as humans at detecting breast cancer in images.Rats are often (30) with spreading disease rather than (31) it, but this long-tailed animal is highly (32) . Inside a rat’s nose are up to 1,000 different types of olfactory receptors (嗅觉感受器), whereas humans only have 100 to 200 types. This gives rats the ability to detect (33) smells. As a result, some rats are being put to work to detect TB (肺结核). When the rats detect the smell, they stop and rub their legs to (34) a sample is infected.Traditionally, a hundred samples would take lab technicians more than two days to (35) , but for a rat it takes less than 20 minutes. This rat detection method doesn’t rely on specialist equipment. It is also more accurate — the rats are able to find more TB infections and, therefore, save more lives.Section BDirections:In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.Do In-Class Exams Make Students Study Harder?Research suggests they may study more broadly for the unexpected rather than search for answers.[A] I have always been a poor test-taker. So it may seem rather strange that I havereturned to college to finish the degree I left undone some four decades ago. I am making my way through Columbia University, surrounded by students who quickly supply the verbal answer while I am still processing the question.[B] Since there is no way for me to avoid exams, I am currently questioning what kindare the most taxing and ultimately beneficial. I have already sweated through numerous in-class midterms and finals, and now I have a professor who issues take-home ones. I was excited when I learned this, figuring I had a full week to do the research, read the texts, and write it all up. In fact, I was still rewriting my midterm the morning it was due. To say I had lost the thread is putting it mildly.[C] As I was suffering through my week of anxiety, overthinking the material andguessing my grasp of it, I did some of my own polling among students and professors. David Eisenbach, who teaches a popular class on U.S. presidents at Columbia, prefers the in-class variety. He believes students ultimately learn more and encourages them to form study groups. “That way they socialize over history outside the class, which wouldn’t happen without the pressu re of an in-class exam,”he explained, “Furthermore, in-class exams force students to learn how to perform under pressure, an essential work skill.”[D] He also says there is less chance of cheating with the in-class variety. In 2012, 125students at Harvard were caught up in a scandal when it was discovered they hadcheated on a take-home exam for a class entitled “Introduction To Congress.”Some colleges have what they call an “honor code,” though if you are smart enough to get into these schools, you are either smart enough to get around any codes or hopefully, too ethical to consider doing so. As I sat blocked and clueless for two solid days, I momentarily wondered if I couldn’t just call an expert on the subject matter which I was tackling, or someone who took the class previously, to get me going.[E] Following the Harvard scandal, Mary Miller, the former dean of students at Yale,made an impassioned appeal to her school’s pro fessors to refrain from take-home exams. “Students risk health and well being, as well as performance in other end-of-term work, when faculty offers take-home exams without clear, time-limited boundaries,” she told me. “Research now shows that regular quizzes, short essays, and other assignments over the course of a term better enhance learning and retention.”[F] Most college professors agree the kind of exam they choose largely depends on thesubject. A quantitative-based one, for example, is unlikely to be sent home, where one could ask their older brothers and sisters to help. Vocational-type classes, such as computer science or journalism, on the other hand, are often more research-oriented and lend themselves to take-home testing. Chris Koch, who teaches “History of Broadcast Journalism” at Montgomery Community College in Rockville, Maryland, points out that reporting is about investigation rather than the memorization of minute details. “In my field, it’s not what you know—it’s what you know how to find out,” says Koch. “There is way too much information, and more coming all the time, for anyone to remember. I want my students to search out the answers to questions by using all the resources available to them.[G] Students’ test-form preferences vary, too, often depending on the subject and coursedifficulty. “I prefer take-home essays because it is then really about the writing, so you have time to edit and do more research,” says Elizabeth Dresser, a junior at Barnard. Then there is the stress factor. Francesca Haass, a senior at Middlebury, says, “I find the in-class ones are more stressful in the short term, but there is immediate relief as you swallow information like mad, and then you get to forget it all. Take-homes require thoughtful engagement which can lead to longer term stress as there is never a moment when the time is up.” Meanwhile, Olivia Rubin,a sophomore at Emory, says she hardly even considers take-homes true exams. “Ifyou understand the material and have the ability to articulate (说出) your thoughts, they should be a breeze.”[H] How students ultimately handle tests may depend on their personal test-takingabilities. There are people who always wait until the last minute, and make it much harder than it needs to be. And then there are those who, not knowing what questions are coming at them, and having no resources to refer to, can freeze. And then there are we rare folks who fit both those descriptions.[I] Yes, my advanced age must factor into the equation (等式), in part because of myinability to access the information as quickly. As another returning student at Columbia, Kate Marber, told me, “We are learning not only all this information, but essentially how to learn again. Our fellow students have just come out of high school. A lot has changed since we were last in school.”[J] If nothing else, the situation has given my college son and me something to share, When I asked his opinion on this matter, he responded, “I like in-class exams because the time is already reserved, as opposed to using my free time at home to work on a test,” he responded. It seems to me that a compromise would be receivingthe exam questions a day or two in advance, and then doing the actual test in class with the ticking clock overhead.[K] Better yet, how about what one Hunter College professor reportedly did recently for her final exam: She encouraged the class not to stress or even study, promising that, “It is going to be a piece of cake.” When the students came in, sharpened pencils in hand, there was not a blue book in sight. Rather, they saw a large chocolate cake and they each were given a slice.36. Elderly students find it hard to keep up with the rapid changes in education.37. Some believe take-home exams may affect students' performance in other courses.38. Certain professors believe in-class exams are ultimately more helpful to students.39. In-class exams are believed to discourage cheating in exams.40. The author was happy to learn she could do some exams at home.41. Students who put off their work until the last moment often find the exams more difficult than they actually are.42. Different students may prefer different types of exams.43. Most professors agree whether to give an in-class or a take-home exam depends on the type of course being taught.44. The author dropped out of college some forty years ago.45. Some students think take-home exams will eat up their free time.Section CDirections:There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.That people often experience trouble sleeping in a different bed in unfamiliar surroundings is a phenomenon known as the “first-night” effect. If a person stays in the same room the following night they tend to sleep more soundly. Yuka Sasaki and her colleagues at Brown University set out to investigate the origins of this effect.Dr. Sasaki knew the first-night effect probably has something to do with how humans evolved. The puzzle was what benefit would be gained from it when performance might be affected the following day. She also knew from previous work conducted on birds and dolphins that these animals put half of their brains to sleep at atime so that they can rest while remaining alert enough to avoid predators (捕食者). This led her to wonder if people might be doing the same thing. To take a closer look, her team studied 35 healthy people as they slept in the unfamiliar environment of the university’s Department of Psychological Sciences. The participants each slept in the department for two nights and were carefully monitored with techniques that looked at the activity of their brains. Dr. Sasaki found, as expected, the participants slept less well on their first night than they did on their second, taking more than twice as long to fall asleep and sleeping less overall. During deep sleep, the participants’ brains behaved in a similar manner seen in birds and dolphins. On the first night only, the left hemispheres (半球) of their brains did not sleep nearly as deeply as their right hemispheres did.Curious if the left hemispheres were indeed remaining awake to process information detected in the surrounding environment, Dr. Sasaki re-ran the experiment while presenting the sleeping participants with a mix of regularly timed beeps (蜂鸣声) of the same tone and irregular beeps of a different tone during the night. She worked out that, if the left hemisphere was staying alert to keep guard in a strange environment, then it would react to the irregular beeps by stirring people from sleep and would ignore the regularly timed ones. This is precisely what she found.46. What did researchers find puzzling about the first-night effect?A) To what extent it can trouble people. C) What circumstances may trigger it.B) What role it has played in evolution. D) In what way it can be beneficial.47. What do we learn about Dr. Yuka Sasaki doing her research?A) She found birds and dolphins remain alert while asleep.B) She found birds and dolphins sleep in much the same way.C) She got some idea from previous studies on birds and dolphinsD) She conducted studies on birds’ and dolphins’ sleeping patterns.48. What did Dr. Sasaki do when she first did her experiment?A) She monitored the brain activity of participants sleeping in a new environment.B) She recruited 35 participants from her Department of Psychological Sciences.C) She studied the differences between the two sides of participants’ brains.D) She tested her findings about birds and dolphins on human subjects.49. What did Dr. Sasaki do when re-running her experiment?A) She analyzed the negative effect of irregular tones on brains.B) She recorded participants’ adaptation to changed environment.C) She exposed her participants to two different stimuli.D) She compared the responses of different participants.50. What did Dr. Sasaki find about the participants in her experiment?A) They tended to enjoy certain tones more than others.B) They tended to perceive irregular beeps as a threat.C) They felt sleepy when exposed to regular beeps.D) They differed in their tolerance of irregular tones.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.It’s time to reevaluate how wome n handle conflict at work. Being overworked or over-committed at home and on the job will not get you where you want to be in life. It will only slow you down and hinder your career goals.Did you know women are more likely than men to feel exhausted? Nearly twice as many women than men ages 18-44 reported feeling “very tired” or “exhausted”, according to a recent study.This may not be surprising given that this is the age range when women have children. It’s also the age range when many women are trying to balance careers and home. One reason women may feel exhausted is tha t they have a hard time saying “no.”Women want to be able to do it all— volunteer for school parties or cook delicious meals—and so their answer to any request is often “Yes, I can.”Women struggle to say “no” in the workplace for similar reasons, including the desire to be liked by their colleagues. Unfort unately, this inability to say “no” may be hurting women’s heath as well as their career.At the workplace, men use conflict as a way to position themselves, while women often avoid conflict or strive to be the peacemaker, because they don’t want to be viewed as aggressive or disruptive at work. For example, there’s a problem that needs to be addressed immediately, resulting in a dispute over who should be the one to fix it. Men are more likely to face that dispute from the perspective of what benefits them most, whereas women may approach the same dispu te from the perspective of what’s the easiest and quickest way to resolve the problem — even if that means doing the boring work themselves.This difference in handling conflict could be the deciding factor on who gets promoted to a leadership position and who does not. Leaders have to be able to delegate and manage resources wisely —including staff expertise. Shouldering more of the workload may not earn you that promotion. Instead, it may highlight your inability to delegate effectively.51. What does the author say is the problem with women?A) They are often unclear about the career goals to reach.B) They are usually more committed at home than on the job.C) They tend to be over-optimistic about how far they could go.D) They tend to push themselves beyond the limits of their ability.52. Why do working women of child-bearing age tend to feel drained of energy?A) They struggle to satisfy the demands of both work and home.B) They are too devoted to work and unable to relax as a result.C) They do their best to cooperate with their workmates.D) They are obliged to take up too many responsibilities.53. What may hinder the future prospects of career women?A) Their unwillingness to say “no”.B) Their desire to be considered powerful.C) An underestimate of their own ability.D) A lack of courage to face challenges.54. Men and woman differ in their approach to resolving workplace conflicts in that___.A) women tend to be easily satisfiedB) men are generally more persuasiveC) men tend to put their personal interests firstD) women are much more ready to compromise55. What is important to a good leader?A) A dominant personality. C) The courage to admit failureB) The ability to delegate. D) A strong sense of responsibility.Part IV Translation (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheets 2.华山位于华阴市，据西安120公里。