2012年12月英语四级真题试卷(第二套)
2012年12月英语四级真题及答案
2012年12月英语四级真题及答案For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled Education PaysYou should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words. Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) Why Integrity Matters What is Integrity? "Integrity" is defined as "adherence to moral and ethical principles; honesty." The key to integrity is consistency--not only setting high personal standards for oneself (honesty, responsibility, respect for others, fairness) but also living up to those standards each day. One who has integrity is bound by and follows moral and ethical standards even when making life's hard choices, choices which may be clouded by stress, pressure to succeed, or temptation. What happens if we lie, cheat, steal, or violate other ethical standards? We feel disappointed in ourselves and ashamed. But a lapse of integrity also affects our relationships with others. Trust is essential in any important relationship, whether personal or professional. Who can trust someone who is dishonest or unfair? Thus, integrity must be one of our most important goals. Risky Business We are each responsible for our own decisions, even if the decision-making process has been undermined by stress or peer pressure. The real test of character is whether we can learn from our mistake, by understanding why we acted as we did, and then exploring ways to avoid similar problems in the future. Making ethical decisions is a critical part of avoiding future problems. We must learn to recognize risks, because if we can't see the risks we're taking, we can't make responsible choices. To identify risks, we need to know the rules and be aware of the facts. For example, one who doesn't know the rules about plagiarism may accidentally use words or ideas without giving proper credit, or one who fails to keep careful research notes may unintentionally fail to quote and cite sources as required. But the fact that such a violation is "unintentional" does not excuse the misconduct. Ignorance is not a defense. "But Everybody Does It" Most people who get in trouble do know the rules and facts, but manage to fool themselves about the risks they’re taking by using excuses: "Everyone else does it," "I'm not hurting anyone," or "I really need this grade." Excuses can get very elaborate: "I know I'm looking at another's exam, even though I'm supposed to keep my eyes on my own paper, but that's not cheating because I'm just checking my answers, not copying." We must be honest about our actions, and avoid excuses. If we fool ourselves into believing we're not doing anything wrong, we can't see the real choice we're making--and that leads to bad decisions. To avoid fooling yourself, watch out for excuses and try this test: Ask how you would feel if your actions were public, and anyone could be watching over yourshoulder. Would you feel proud or ashamed of your actions? If you'd rather hide your actions, that's a good indication that you're taking a risk and rationalizing it to yourself. Evaluating Risks To decide whether a risk is worth taking, you must examine the consequences, in the future as well as right now, negative as well as positive, and to others as well as to yourself. Those who take risks they later regret usually focus on immediate benefits ("what's in it for me"), and simply haven't considered what might go wrong. The consequences of getting caught are serious, and may include a "0" on a test or assignment; an "F" in the class; Suspension or Dismissal from school; transcript notation; and a tarnished reputation. In fact, when you break a rule or law, you lose control over your life, and give others the power to impose punishment: you have no control over what that punishment might be. This is an extremely precarious and vulnerable position. There may be some matters of life and death, or highest principle, which might justify such a risk, but there aren't many things that fall in this category. Getting Away With It--Or Not Those who don't get caught pay an even higher price. A cheater doesn't learn from the test, depriving him/herself of an education. Cheating undermines confidence and independence: the cheater is a fraud, and knows that without dishonesty, he/she would have failed. Cheating destroys self-esteem and integrity, leaving the cheater ashamed, guilty, and afraid of getting caught. Worst of all, a cheater who doesn't get caught the first time usually cheats again, not only because he/she is farther behind, but also because it seems "easier." This slippery slope of eroding ethics and bigger risks leads only to disaster. Eventually, the cheater gets caught, and the later he/she gets caught, the worse the consequences. Students have been dismissed from school because they didn't get this simple message: Honesty is the ONLY policy that works. Cheating Hurts Others, Too Cheaters often feel invisible, as if their actions "don't count" and don't really hurt anyone. But individual choices have a profound cumulative effect. Cheating can spread like a disease, and a cheater can encourage others just by being seen from across the room. Recent statistics suggest 30% or more of college students cheat. If a class is graded on a curve, cheating hurts others' grades. Even if there is no curve, cheating "poisons" the classroom, and others may feel pressured to join in. ("If I don't cheat, I can't compete with those who do.") Cheating also has a destructive impact on teachers. The real reward of good teaching is seeing students learn, but a cheater says, "I'm not interested in what you're trying to teach; all I care about is stealing a grade, regardless of the effect on others." The end result is a blatant and destructive attack on the quality of your education. Finally, cheating can hurt the reputation of the University, and harm those who worked hard for their degree. Why Integrity Matters If cheating becomes the norm, then we are in big trouble. We must rely on thehonesty and good faith of others every day. If not, we couldn't put money in the bank, buy food, clothing, or medicine from others, drive across a bridge, get on a plane, go to the dentist--the list is endless. There are many examples of the vast harm that is caused when individuals forget or ignore the effect their dishonesty can have. The savings and loan scandal, the stock market and junk bond swindles, and, of course, Watergate, have undermined the faith of many Americans in the integrity of political and economic leaders and society as a whole. Such incidents take a tremendous toll on our nation's economy and our individual well-being. For example, but for the savings and loan debacle, there might be funds available to reduce the national debt and pay for education. In sum, we all have a common stake in our school, our community, and our society. Our actions do matter. It is essential that we act with integrity in order to build the kind of world in which we want to live. 1. A person of integrity not only sets high moral and ethical standards but also _______. A) sticks to them in their daily life B) makes them known to others C) understands their true values D)sees that others also follow them 2. What role does integrity play in personal and professional relationships? A) It helps to create team spirit B) It facilitates communication C) It is the basis of mutual trust D) It inspires mutual respect 3. why must we learn to identify the risks we are going to take? A. To ensure we make responsible choices. B. To avoid being overwhelmed by stress. C. so that we don’t break any rules. D. so that we don’t run into trouble. 4. Violation of a rule is misconduct even if _______? A. it has caused no harm. B. it is claimed to be unintentional. C. it has gone unnoticed. D. it is committed with good intentions. 5. What should one do if he doesn’t wish to fool himself? A. Avoid making excuses. B. Listen to other people’s advice. C. Make his intensions public. D. Have others watch over his shoulder. 6. Those who take risks they regret later on _______. A. will often become more cautious B. are usually very aggressive C. value immediate benefits most. D. may lose everything in the end 7. According to the author, a cheater who doesn’t get caught right away will _______. A) pay more dearly B) become more confident C) be widely admired D) feel somewhat lucky 8. Cheaters at exam don’t care about their education, all they care about is how to _______ 9. Integrity matters in that all social activities rely on people’s _______ 10. Many Americans lost faith in the integrity of their political leaders asa result of _______. Part III Listening Comprehension Section A Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D), and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. 11. W: I just heard about a really beautiful park in the east end of the town. There are a lot of roses in bloom. M: Why don’t we walk over there and see for ourselves? Q: What will the speakers probably do? 12. M: My presentation is scheduled for 9:30 tomorrow morning at the lecture hall.I hope to see you there. W: Oh, sorry. I was about to tell you that I have an appointment with my dentist at 9:00 o’clock tomorrow. Q: What do we learn about the woman? 13. W: How long have you been running this company? M: Twenty years if you can believe that. I brought it from a small operation to what it is today. Q: What do we learn about the man? 14. M: Have you read the news on the campus net? Susan has won the scholarship for next year. W: I knew she would from the very beginning. Such a brilliant and diligent girl! She certainly deserves it. Q: What does the woman mean? 15. W: Taking a bus to Miami, it’s cheaper than going by train. M: That’s true. But I’d rather pay a little more for the added comfort andconvenience. Q: What does the man mean? 16. M: I think it’s time we got rid of all this old furniture. W: You’re right. We need to promote our image besides it’s not a real antique. Q: What do the speakers mean? 17. M: That was some storm yesterday. How was I afraid I couldn’t make it home. W: Yeah, most of the roads to my house were flooded. I didn’t get home from the lab until midnight. Q: What do we learn from the conversation? 18. W: My boys are always complaining that they’re bored. M: Why don’t you get them into some team sports? My son and daughter play soccer every Saturday. And they both look forward to it all week. Q: What does the man mean? Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard. W: I don’t know what to do. I can’t seem to get anyone in the hospital to listen to my complaints and this outdated equipment is dangerous. Just look at it. M: Hmm, uh, are you trying to say that it presents a health hazard? W: Yes, I am. The head technician in the lab tried to persuade the hospital administration to replace it, but they are trying to cut costs. M: You are pregnant, aren’t you? W: Yes, I am. I made an effort to get my supervisor to transfer me to another department, but he urged me not to complain too loudly. Because the administration is more likely to replace me than an X-ray equipment, I’m afraid to refuse to work. But I’m more afraid to expose my unborn child to the radiation. M: I see what you mean. Well, as your union representative, I have to warn you that it would take quite a while to force management to replace the old machines and attempt to get you transferred may or may not be successful. W: Oh, what am I supposed to do then? M: Workers have the legal right to refuse certain unsafe work assignments under two federal laws, the Occupation or Safety and Health Act and the National Labor Relations Act. But the requirements of either of the Acts may be difficult to meet. W: Do you think I have a good case? M: If you do lose your job, the union will fight to get it back for you along with back pay, your lost income. But you have to be prepared for a long wait, maybe after two years. Q19. What does the woman complain about? Q20. What has the woman asked her supervisor to do? Q21. What does the man say about the two federal laws? Q22. What will the union do if the woman loses her job Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard. W: Mr. Green, is it fair to say that negotiation is an art? M: Well, I think it’s both an art and science. You can prepare for a negotiation quite scientifically, but the execution of the negotiation has quite a lot to do with one’s artistic quality. The scientific part of a negotiation is in determining your strategy. What do you want out of it? What can you give? Then of course there are tactics. How do you go about it? Do you take an opening position in a negotiation which differs from the eventual goal you are heading for? And then of course there are the behavioral aspects. W: What do you mean by the behavioral aspects? M: Well, that’s I think where the art comes in. In your behavior, you can either be an actor. You can pretend that you don’t like things which you are actually quite pleased about. Or you can pretend to like things which you are quite happy to do without. Or you can be the honest type negotiator who’s known to his partners in negotiation and always plays everything straight. But the artistic part of negotiation I think has to do with responding immediately to cues one gets in the process of negotiation. These can be verbal cues or even body language. This is where the artistic quality comes in. W: So really, you see two types of negotiator then, the actor or the honest one. M: That’ right. And both can work. I would say the honest negotiator can be quite effective in some circumstances. In other circumstances you need an actor. Q23. When is a scientific approach best embodied in a negotiation according to the man? Q24. In what way is a negotiator like an actor according to the man? Q25. What does the man say about the two types of negotiator? Section B Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the center. Passage 1 Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard. Since I started working part-time at a grocery store, I have learned that a customer is more than someone who buys something. To me, a customer is a person whose memory fails entirely once he or she starts to push a shopping cart. One of the first things customers forget is how to count. There is no other way to explain how so many people get in their express line, which is clearly marked 15 items or less, with 20, 25 or even a cart load of items. Customers also forget why they came to the store in the first place. Just as I finish ringing up an order, a customer will say, “Oops, I forgot to pick up a fresh loaf of bread. I hope you don’t mind waiting while I go get it.” Five minutes later, he is back with the bread, a bottle of milk, and three rolls of paper towels. Strange as it seems, customers also seem to forget that they have to pay for their groceries. Instead of writing a check or looking for a credit card while I am ringing up the groceries, my customers will wait until I announce the total. Then, in surprise, she says, “Oh no, what did I do with mycheck book?” After 5 minutes of digging through her purse, she borrows my pen because she’s forgotten hers. But I have to be tolerant of customers because they pay my salary, and that’s something I can’t afford to forget. Q26. What does the speaker say about customers’ entering the grocery store? Q27. Which customers are supposed to be in the express line? Q28. What does the speaker say some customers do when they arrive at the check-out counter? Q29. What does the speaker say about his job at the end of the talk? Passage 2 Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard. The speech delivery style of Europeans and Asians tends to be very formal. Speakers of these cultures often read oral presentations from carefully written manuscripts. On the other hand, American speakers are generally more informal relative to speakers in other cultures. American audiences prefer natural, spontaneous delivery that conveys a lively sense of communication. They don’t relate well to speakers who read from a manuscript. If you use an outline of your ideas instead of a prepared text, your speech will not only sound more natural, but you will also be able to establish better relationship with your listeners and keep their attention. The language and style you use when making an oral presentation should not be the same as the language and style you use when writing. Well-written information, that is meant to be read, does not work as well when it is heard. It is, therefore, important for you to adapt written texts or outlines for presentations. Good speakers are much more informal when speaking than when writing. They also use their own words and develop their own speaking styles. Whenever possible, they use short words. Listeners appreciate it when speakers use simple, everyday words in a presentation. One advantage is that it’s much easier for speakers to pronounce short words correctly. Another is that long and sophisticated vocabulary choices make listening more difficult. Question 30 to 32 30. What does the speaker say American audiences prefer? 31. What should one pay attention to when making an oral presentation? 32. What does the speaker focus on in the talk? Passage 3 Questions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard. Let children learn to judge their own work. A child learning to talk does not learn by being corrected all the time. If corrected too much, he will stop talking. He compares a thousand times a day the difference between language as he uses it and language as those around him use it. Bit by bit, he makes the necessary changes to make his language like other people’s. In the same way, kids learning to do all the other things they learn without adult teachers, to walk, run, climb, ride a bike, play games, compare their own performance with what more skilled people do, and slowly make the needed changes. But in school we never give a child a chance to detect his mistakes. We do it all for him. We act as if we thought he would never notice a mistake unless it was pointed out to him. Soon he becomes dependent on the expert.We should let him do it himself. Let him figure out, with the help of other children if he wants it, what this word says, what is the answer to that problem, whether this is a good way of saying or doing this or that. If right answers need to be given, as in mathematics or science, give him the answer book. Let him correct his own papers. Why should we teachers waste time on such tedious work? Our job should be to help children when they tell us that they can’t find a way to get the right answer. Question 33 to 35 33. How does a child learn to do something according to the speaker? 34. What belief do teachers commonly hold according to the speaker? 35. What does the speaker imply about the current way of teaching? Section C Directions: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to43 with the exact words you have just heard. For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are required to fill in the missing information. For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written. (听力原文)Time is, for the average American, of utmost importance. To the foreign visitor, Americans seem to be more concerned with getting things accomplished on time (according to a predetermined schedule) than they are with developing deep interpersonal relations. Schedules, for the American, are meant to be planned and then followed in the smallest detail. It may seem to you that most Americans are completely controlled by the little machines they wear on their wrists, cutting their discussions off abruptly to make it to their next appointment on time. Americans’ language is filled with references to time, giving a clear indication of how much it is valued. Time is something to be “on,” to be “kept,” “filled,” “saved,” “wasted,” “gained,” “planned,” “given,” “made the most of,” even “killed.” The international visitor soon learns that it is considered very rude to be late -- even by 10 minutes -- for an appointment in America. Time is so valued in America, because by considering time to be important one can clearly achieve more than if one “wastes” time and doesn’t keep busy. This philosophy has proven its worth. It has enabled Americans to be extremely productive, and productivity itself is highly valued in America. Many American proverbs stress the value of guarding time, using it wisely, and setting and working toward specific goals. Americans believe in spending their time and energy today so that the fruits of their labor may be enjoyed at a later time. Part IV Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth) Section A 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 letterfor each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once. Questions 47 to 56 is based on the following passage. So many people use the cell phone so frequantly every day,But ___47__little is certain adout he health effects of its use.Macufacturers___48___that cell phones meet government standards for safe radio- frequency radiation omission,but enough studies are beginning to document a possible ___49___in rare brain tumour(肿瘤)：bendaches and behavioral disorders in children to cause coneem.So far,the avidence isn't___50___on whether the use of cell phones __51__to any uncased risk of cancer.In a new trial,researchers asked 47 yolunteers to ___52__in a project to measure glucose(葡萄糖)consurnption in the brain by scanning the brain to see how cells use energy.For both 50- minute scans,the volunteers had a cell phone __53__to each ear.During be first scan,the devices were turned off,but for the second scan,the phone on the right ear as___54____on and received a recorded- message call,although the yolume was muted(消毒) so the dise wouldn't bias the results.The results of the second scan abowed that the__55__of the brain rarest to the device had higher rales of glucose consumption than the rest of the brain.The study ows that cell phones can change brain activity,and __56__a whole new avenue for scientific quiry,tuough it doesn't say anything about whether cell-phone radiation can cause cancer. 注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
2012年12月英语四级真题及答案解析
2012年12月英语四级真题答案解析Part I Writing标准版：The above bar chart clearly shows us education pays in 2010. We see that one with higher education background earns more money weekly than those with lower ones. For instance, the college students with no degree get paid$712 per week whereas those with a Bachelor’s degree can earn $1038.Several reasons, in my opinion, can be identified to account for this phenomenon. To begin with, compared with those with comparatively lower education degree, people who have received higher education possess considerably wider knowledge, more remarkable learning and research ability, greater innovation and most of all, resourceful social network, all of which are essential to a high-income work. Also, the higher one’s education degree is, the bigger platform he will have to show his ability. For example, his college, university, or research institute will organize various job fairs for them to communicate face to face with employers.This phenomenon tells us that education is a worthy investment. Therefore, substantial education investment should be strengthened while we, as college students, should study harder to build our country and strive for a better life for ourselves.高分版：Education PaysJudging from the table, we can see that people’s income increases along with their education levels. Above all，the average college graduates earn much more than the typical high-school graduates.The fact revealed by these data is obvious: a degree does bring distinctive financial benefits to its holders. But is it true that a degree alone can ensure a bright future? I don’t think so because, on the one hand, the financial value of high education depends heavily on what skills graduates can gain from it instead of the degree itself. After all, an employer only pays for your ability and performance, not for your certificate. On the other hand, the most valuable bless high education brings to graduates is the ability to learn quickly and efficiently. People received more education tend to keep lifelong learning habits after their graduation, which would help them gain more opportunities in their career path.In conclusion, what accounts for education pays is not the degree alone, but the graduate’s ability and leaning habit.作文B：标准版：Education PaysThe above bar chart clearly shows us education pays in 2010. We see that unemployment rate of those with higher education background is much lower than those with lower education degree. For instance, the unemployment rate of college students with no degree is as high as 14.9% while that of those with doctoral degree is only 1.9%.The followingreason, in my opinion, is the most important one to account for this phenomenon. Compared with those with comparatively lower education degree, people who have received higher education possess considerably wider knowledge, more remarkable learning and research ability, greater innovation and most of all, resourceful social network, all of which make them more qualified and competent for their task. Thus, they are less likely to lose their jobs.This phenomenon tells us that education is a worthy investment. Therefore, education investment should be strengthened while we, as college students, should study harder to avoid unemployment.高分版：Education PaysAs is shown in the table, the unemployment rate decreases steadily as the education level increases. The fact revealed by the statistics is obvious: graduates with a degree are less likely to be unemployed.What has brought about this effect? I believe there are three main reasons. To begin with, the education level is still the top factor that employers would take into account when selecting job candidates. It is believed that people with a college degree tend to be more intelligent and qualified. In addition, as a result of good learning habit formed during college, job hunters with high education background are also more efficient in acquiring and processing job hunting information. Finally, college education equips graduates with specialized skills, leading to greater attachment to the company they are employed and higher possibility to be reemployed even if they leave their previous company.In conclusion, it is the qualifications, learning habit and specialized skills that high education equip a graduate that make one distinctive in labor market.【标准版点评】这次四级作文出了图表题，可能让大家有些意外，但是四六级考察图表作文已经并不是第一次，早在2002年的时候就已经出现过，是图表+提纲的形式，图表反应的是大学生使用计算机的情况。
2012年英语四级阅读真题及答案解析(12月).
2012年英语四级阅读真题及答案解析（12月）Part II (15 minutes)1、根据以下内容，回答1-11题。
The Magician The revolution that Steve Jobs led is only just beginning． When it came to putting on a show,nobody else in the computer industry,or any other industry for that matter，could match Steve Jobs．His product launches，at which he would stand alone on a black stage and produce as if by magic an“incredible”new electronic gadget(小器具)in front of an amazed crowd，were the peril,rmances of a master showman．All computers do is fetch and work with numbers，he once exp lained，but do it fast enough and “the results appear to be magic”．Mr．Jobs，who died recently aged 56，spenthis life packaging that magic into elegantly designed，easy-to-use products． The reaction to his death，with people leaving candles and flowers outside Apple stores and politicians singing praises on the internet，is proof that Mr．Jobs had become something much more significant than just a clever money-maker．He stood out in three ways-as a technologist，as a corporate(公司的)leader and as somebody who was able to make people love what had previously been impersonal，functional gadgets．Strangely,it is this last qualitythat may have the deepest effect on the way people live．The era of personal technology is in many ways just beginning． As a technologist，Mr．Jobs was different because he was not an engineer-and that was his great strength．Instead he was keenly interested in product design and aesthetics(关学)，and in making advanced technology simple to use．He repeatedly took an existing but half-formed idea-the mouse-driven computer,the digital musicplayer,the smart phone，the tablet computer(平板电脑)-and showed the rest of the industry how to do it properly．Rival firms competed with each other to follow where he led. In the process he brought about great changes in computing，music，telecoms and the news businessthat were painful for existing firms but welcomed by millions of consumers．Within the wider business world，a man who liked to see himself as fl hippy(嬉皮士)，permanently in rev(It against big companies，ended up being hailed by many of those corporate giants as one of the greatest chief executives of his time．That was partly due to his talents：showmanship，strategic vision，an astonishing attention to detailand，a dictatorial management style which many bosses must have envied，But most of all it was the extraordinary trajectory(轨迹)of his life．His fall from grace in the 1980s followed by his return to Apple in l 996 after a period in the wilderness，is an inspiration to any business sperson whose career has taken a turn for the worse．The way in which Mr．Jobs revived the failing company he had co—founded and turned it into the world’s biggest tech firm (bigger even thanBill Gates’sMicrosoft，the company that had outsmarted Apple so-dramatically in the l980s)，sounds like something from a Hollywood movie． But what was perhaps most astonishing about Mr．Jobs was the absolute loyalty he managed to inspire in customers．Many Apple users feel themselves to be part of a community，with Mr．Jobs as its leader．And there was indeed a personal link．Apple’s products were designed to accord with the boss，s tastes and to meet his extremely high standards．Every iPhone or MacBook has his fingerprints all over it．H is great achievement was to combine an emotional spark with computer technology,and make the resulting product feel personal．And that is what put Mr．Jobs on the right side of history,as technological innovation(创新)has moved into consumer electronics over the past decade. As our special report in this issue(printed before Mr．Jobs’s death)explains，innovation used to spill over from military and corporate laboratories to the consumer market，but lately this process has gone into reverse．Many people’s homes now have more powerful，and more flexible，devices than their offices do；consumer gadgets and online services are smarter and easier to use than most companies’ systems．Familiar consumer products are being adopted by businesses，government and the armed forces．Companies are employing in．house versions of Facebook and creating their own“app stores”to deliver software to employees．Doctors use tablet computers for their work in hospitals．Meanwhile，the number of consumers hungry for such gadgets continues to swell．Apple’s products are now being snapped up in Delhi and Dalian just as in Dublin and Dallas． Mr．Jobs had a reputation as a control freak(怪人)，and hiscritics complained that the products and systems he designed were closed and inflexible，in the name of greater ease of use.Yet he also empowered millions of people by giving them access to cutting-edge technology. His insistence onputting users first，and focusing on elegance and simplicity，has become deep。
2012年12月英语四级真题及答案。
2012年12月英语四级真题及答案。
Doctoral degree1,550 1,272 1,038712 626 444 Master ’s degreeBachelor ’s degreeSome college, no degreeHigh school diplomaLess than high school degree 2012年12月大学英语四级(CET-4)真题试卷Part Ⅰ Writing (30 minutes)注意：此部分试题在答题卡1上，请在答题卡1上作答。
Direction: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a composition entitled E ducation Pays basedon the statistics provided in the chart below (Weekly earnings of 2010). Please write atleast 120 words but no more than 180 words.Education: A Worthy InvestmentWeekly earnings in 2010($)Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsEducation PaysPart Ⅱ Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes)Di rections: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions onAnswer sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B),C) and D). For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.Should Sugar Be Regulated like Alcohol and T obacco?Sugar poses enough health risks that it should be considered a controlled substance just like alcohol andtobacco, argue a team of researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).In an opinion piece called “The T oxic (毒性的) Truth About Sugar ” published Feb.1 in Nature, Robert“There is nothing empty about these calories. A growing body of scientific evidence is showing that fructose (果糖) can trigger processes that lead to liver toxicity and a host of other chronic diseases. A little is not a problem, but a lot kills —slowly.”Almost everyone’s heard of —or personally experienced —the well-known sugar high, so perhaps the comparison between sugar and alcohol o r tobacco shouldn’t come as a surprise. But it’s doubtful that Americans will look favorably upon regulating their favorite vice. We’re a nation that’s sweet on sugar: the average U.S. adult downs 22 teaspoons of sugar a day, according to the American Heart Association, and surveys have found that teens swallow 34 teaspoons.To counter our consumption, the authors advocate taxing sugary foods and controlling sales to kids under 17. Already, 17% of U.S. children and teens are obese (肥胖), and across the world the sugar intake(摄入) has increased three times in the past 50 years. The increase has helped create a global obesity plague that contributes to 35 million annual deaths worldwide from noninfectious diseases including cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Li nda Matzigkeit, a senior vice president at Children’s Healthcare, said “We have to do something about this or our country is in danger. It’s not good if your state has the second-highest obesity rate. Obese children turn into obese adults.”“There are good calories and bad calories, just as there aregood fats and bad fats, good amino acids (氨基酸) and bad amino acids,” Lustig, director of the Weight Assessment for Teen and Child Health program at UCSF, said in a statement. “But sugar is toxic beyond its calo ries.”The food industry tries to imply that “a calorie is a calorie is a calorie,” says Kelly Brownell, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University. “But this and other research suggests there is something different about su gar,” says Brownell.The UCSF report emphasizes the metabolic (新陈代谢) effects of sugar. Excess sugar can alter metabolism, raise blood pressure, affect the signaling of hormones and damage the liver —outcomes that sound suspiciously similar to what can happen after a person drinks too much alcohol. Schmidt, co-chair of UCSF’s Community Engagement and Health Policy program, noted on CNN: “When you think about it, this actually makes a lot of sense. Alcohol, after all, is simply made from sugar. Where does vo dka come from? Sugar.”But there are also other areas of impact that researchers have investigated: the effect of sugar on the brain and how liquid calories are interpreted differently by the body than solids. Research has suggested that sugar activates the same reward pathways in the brain as traditional drugs of abuse like morphine or heroin. No one is claiming the effect of sugar is quite that strong, but, says Brownell, “it helps confirm what people tell you sometimes, that they hunger for sugar and have withdrawal symptoms when they stop eating it.”There’s also something particularly tricky about sugary drinks. “When calories come in liquids, the body doesn’t feel as full,”says Brownell. “People are getting more of their caloriesthan ever before from sugared drinks.”Other countries, including France, Greece and Denmark, impose soda taxes, and the concept is being considered in at least 20 U.S. cities and states. Last summer, Philadelphia came close to passing a 2-cents-per-ounce soda tax. The Rudd Center has been a strong advocate of a more modest 1-cent-per-punce tax. But at least one study, from 2010, has raised doubts that soda taxes would result in significant weight loss: apparently people who are determined to eat — and drink — unhealthily will find ways to do it. Teens — no surprise —are good at finding ways to get the things they can’t have, so state policies banning all sugar-sweetened drinks from public schools and providing only water, milk or 100% fruit juices haven’t had the intended effect of steering kids away from drinking sugared drinks: the average teen consumes about 300 calories per day —that’s nearly 15% of his daily calories —in sweetened drinks, and the food and drink industry is only too happy to feed this need.Ultimately, regulating sugar will prove particularly tricky because it goes beyond health concerns; sugar, forapple as an after-school treat today. We don’t do that regularly —it’s the first time this school year, actually —and that’s what made it special. As a society, could we ever reach the point where we’d think apples —not a cupcake —are something to get excited over? Says Brindis, one of the report’s authors and director of UCSF’s Philip R.Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies: “We recognize that there are cult ural and celebratory aspects of sugar. Changing these patterns is very complicated.”For inroads (进展) to be made, say the authors in their statement, people have to be better educated about the hazardsof sugar and agree that something’s got to change: Many of the interventions (干预) that have reduced alcohol and tobacco consumption can be models for addressing the sugar problem, such as imposing special sales taxes, controlling access, and tightening licensing requirements on vending machines(自动售货机) and snack-bars sell high sugar products in schools and workplaces.“We’re not talking prohibition,” Schmidt said. “We’re not advocating a major imposition of the government into people’s lives. We’re talking about gentle ways to make sugar consumption slightly less convenient, thereby moving people away from the concentrated does. What we want is to actually increase people’s choices by making foods that aren’t loaded with sugar comparatively easier and cheaper to get.”注意: 此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
2012年12月大学英语四级真题试卷(第2套)(题后含答案及解析)
2012年12月大学英语四级真题试卷（第2套）(题后含答案及解析)题型有：1. Writing 2. Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) 3. Listening Comprehension 4. Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth) 5. Cloze 8. TranslationPart I Writing (30 minutes)1．For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled Education Pays based on the statistics provided in the chart below (Unemployment rate in 2010). Please give a brief description of the chart first and then make comments on it. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words. Education Pays正确答案：Education Pays The bar chart given by US Bureau of Labor Statistics reflects the unemployment rate in 2010 among people with different educational background. From these statistics, it can be seen that the higher degree one possesses, the less likely he is to be unemployed. Generally speaking, two factors have contributed to this phenomenon. For one thing, the advancement of technology and the adjustment of industrial structure lead to a dramatic demand of workforces with high educational degrees. Therefore, it is natural for people with higher educational degrees to enjoy a more steady and well-paid job. For another, those with lower educational degrees tend to be dismissed and substituted more frequently because their jobs usually feature low technologies which can be done by anybody. As far as I am concerned, education is always a worthy investment. So, as individuals, first we should attach great importance to education. Second, the government and authorities should adopt relevant measures to ensure the equity of education. Only in this way can more people get the tickets to a much more comfortable life.Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes)Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions attached to the passage. For questions 1-7, mark：Y (for YES) if the statement agrees with the information given in the passage;N (for NO) if the statement contradicts the information given in the passage;NG (for NOT GIVEN)if the information is not given in the passage.Should Sugar Be Regulated like Alcohol and Tobacco? Sugar poses enough health risks that it should be considered a controlled substance just like alcohol and tobacco, argue a team of researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). In an opinion piece called “The Toxic (毒性的) Truth About Sugar”published Feb. 1 in Nature, Robert Lustig, Laura Schmidt and Claire Brindis argue that it’s wrong to consider sugar just “empty calories. “They write:“ There is nothing empty about these calories. A growing body of scientific evidence is showing that fructose (果糖) can trigger processes that lead to liver toxicity and a host of other chronic diseases. A little is not a problem, but a lot kills—slowly. “Almost everyone’s heard of—or personally experienced—the well-known sugar high, so perhaps the comparison between sugar and alcohol or tobacco shouldn’t come as a surprise. But it’s doubtful that Americans will look favorably upon regulating their favorite vice. We’re a nation that’s sweet on sugar: the average US adult downs 22 teaspoons of sugar a day, according to the American Heart Association, and surveys have found that teens swallow 34 teaspoons. To counter our consumption, the authors advocate taxing sugary foods and controlling sales to kids under 17. Already, 17% of US children and teens are obese (肥胖的), and across the world the sugar intake (摄入) has increased three times in the past 50 years. The increase has helped create a global obesity plague that contributes to 35 million annual deaths worldwide from noninfectious diseases including cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Linda Matzigkeit, a senior vice president at Children’s Healthcare, said “ We have to do something about this or our country is in danger. It’s not good if your state has the second-highest obesity rate. Obese children turn into obese adults. ““ There are good calories and bad calories, just as there are good fats and bad fats, good amino acids (氨基酸) and bad amino acids,” Lustig, director of the Weight Assessment for Teen and Child Health program at UCSF, said in a statement. “But sugar is toxic beyond its calories. “The food industry tries to imply that “a calorie is a calorie,” says Kelly Brownell, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University. “But this and other research suggests there is something different about sugar,”says Brownell. The UCSF report emphasizes the metabolic (新陈代谢的) effects of sugar. Excess sugar can alter metabolism, raise blood pressure, affect the signaling of hormones and damage the liver—outcomes that sound suspiciously similar to what can happen after a person drinks too much alcohol. Schmidt, co-chair of UCSF’s Community Engagement and Health Policy program, noted on CNN: “ When you think about it, this actually makes a lot of sense. Alcohol, after all, is simply made from sugar. Where does vodka come from? Sugar. “But there are also other areas of impact that researchers have investigated: the effect of sugar on the brain and how liquid calories are interpreted differently by the body than solids. Research has suggested that sugar activates the same reward pathways in the brain as traditional drugs of abuse like morphine or heroin. No one is claiming the effect of sugar is quite that strong, but, says Brownell, “ it helps confirm what people tell you sometimes, that they hunger for sugar and have withdrawal symptoms when they stop eating it. “There’s also something particularly tricky about sugary drinks. “ When calories come in liquids, the body doesn’t feel as full,” says Brownell. “People are getting more of their calories than ever before from sugared drinks. “Other countries, including France, Greece and Denmark, impose soda taxes, and the concept is being considered in at least 20 US cities and states. Last summer, Philadelphia came close to passing a 2-cents-per-ounce soda tax. The Rudd Center has been a strong advocate of a more modest 1 -cent-per-ounce tax. But at least one study, from 2010, has raised doubts that soda taxes would result in significant weight loss:apparently people who are determined to eat—and drink—unhealthily will find ways to do it. Teens—no surprise—are good at finding ways to get the things they can’t have, so state policies banning all sugar-sweetened drinks from public schools and providing only water, milk or 100% fruit juices haven’t had the intended effect of steering kids away from drinking sugared drinks: the average teen consumes about 300 calories per day—that’s nearly 15% of his daily calories—in sweetened drinks, and the food and drink industry is only too happy to feed this need. Ultimately, regulating sugar will prove particularly tricky because it goes beyond health concerns; sugar, for so many people, is love. A plate of cut-up vegetables just doesn’t pack the same emotional punch as a tin of home-made chocolate chip cookies (饼干) , which is why I took my daughter out for a cupcake and not an apple as an after-school treat today. We don’t do that regularly—it’s the first time this school year, actually—and that’s what made it special. As a society, could we ever reach the point where we’d think apples—not a cupcake—are something to get excited over? Says Brindis, one of the report’s authors and director of UCSF’s Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies: “We recognize that there are cultural and celebratory aspects of sugar. Changing these patterns is very complicated. “For inroads (进展) to be made, say the authors in their statement, people have to be better educated about the hazards of sugar and agree that something’s got to change: Many of the interventions (干预) that have reduced alcohol and tobacco consumption can be models for addressing the sugar problem, such as imposing special sales taxes, controlling access, and tightening licensing requirements on vending machines (自动售货机) and snack-bars that sell high sugar products in schools and workplaces. “ We’re not talking prohibition,”Schmidt said. “We’re not advocating a major imposition of the government into people’s lives. We’re talking about gentle ways to make sugar consumption slightly less convenient, thereby moving people away from the concentrated dose. What we want is to actually increase people’s choices by making foods that aren’t loaded with sugar comparatively easier and cheaper to get. “2．Why do some researchers think sugar should be considered “a controlled substance” ?A．It contains nothing but empty calories.B．It is as harmful as morphine and heroin.C．It works the same way as alcohol and tobacco in the human body.D．Excessive intake of sugar results in liver toxicity and various diseases,正确答案：D解析：文章第一段提出将糖归为管制品，是因为其会造成健康风险，第二段引用评论文章来列举糖带来的健康风险：果糖会诱发肝毒性和许多其他慢性疾病的进程，少量的糖不会出问题，但是大量的糖会慢慢导致死亡。
2012月12月四级考试真题(第二套)作文及听力答案解析
2012年12月四级考试真题（第二套）作文及听力答案解析Part I WritingPart III Listening Comprehension Section A11. W: I just heard about a really beautiful park in theeast end of the town. There are a lot of rosesin bloom.M: Why don’t we walk over there and see for ourselves?Q: What will the speakers probably do? 11.【听前预测】选项描述的都是人的行为动作，由重复出现的to the park推测，本题可能考查去公园做某事。
【解析】选D)。
对话中女士说城市东头有一座漂亮的公园，很多玫瑰花正盛开，男士回答：“我们为什么不走过去欣赏一下呢”。
由此可知，男士和女士将去公园赏花，故答案为D)。
Why don’t we…?是提建议的常用句式。
12. M: My presentation is scheduled for 9:30tomorrow morning at the lecture hall. I hopeto see you there.W: Oh, sorry. I was about to tell you that I have an appointment with my dentist at 9:00o’clock tomorrow.Q: What do we learn about the woman? 12.【听前预测】选项中的talk和presentation提示，对话与演讲有关。
选项均以She开头，结合She is going to meet the man推测，本题考查的是女士的情况，女士的话为听音重点。
【解析】选C)。
2012年12月四级考试真题（第二套）作文及听力试题
2012年12⽉四级考试真题（第⼆套）作⽂及听⼒试题2012年12⽉四级考试真题（第⼆套）作⽂及听⼒试题Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions:For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled Education Pays based on the statistics provided in the chart below (Unemployment rate in 2010). Please give a brief description of the chart first and then make comments on it. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Education PaysPart III Listening Comprehension (35 minutes) Section ADirections:In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked [A], [B], [C] and [D], and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.11. [A] Find a shortcut to the park.[B] Buy some roses from the market.[C] Plant trees in the east end of town.[D] Go to the park to enjoy the flowers.12. [A] She has been invited to give a talk.[B] She is going to meet the man at 9:30.[C] She cannot attend the presentation.[D] She cannot work because of her toothache.13. [A] He is a very successful businessman.[B] He has changed his business strategy.[C] He is making plans to expand his operation.[D] He was twenty when he took over the company.14. [A] She has every confidence in Susan.[B] She has not read the news on the Net.[C] She is a little bit surprised at the news.[D] She is not as bright and diligent as Susan.15. [A] It is more comfortable and convenient to take a bus.[B] It is worth the money taking a train to Miami.[C] It is not always cheaper going by bus.[D] It is faster to go to Miami by train.16. [A] Antiques can improve their image.[B] Preservation of antiques is important.[C] The old furniture should be replaced.[D] They should move into a new office.17. [A] All roads were closed because of the flood.[B] The man stayed at the lab the whole night.[C] The man got home late due to the storm.[D] The storm continued until midnight.18. [A] Many children feel bored when left alone.[B] The woman?s sons might enjoy team sports.[C] The woman?s kids can play soccer with his son.[D] Children should play sports at least once a week.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19. [A] Make phone calls to promote sales.[B] Arrange business negotiations.[C] Handle complaints from customers.[D] Take orders over the phone.20. [A] They had different business strategies.[B] Customers often mistook one for the other.[C] Conflicts between them could not be properly solved.[D] Customers? questions could not be answered on the same day.21. [A] They each take a week.[B] They like to spend it together.[C] They have to take it by turns.[D] They are given two weeks each.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.22. [A] At a road crossing.[B] Outside a police station.[C] Near a school.[D] In front of a kindergarten.23. [A] He drove too fast to read it.[B] He did not notice it.[C] It says 45 miles an hour.[D] It is not clearly visible.24. [A] It should have been renewed two months ago.[B] It actually belongs to somebody else.[C] It is no longer valid.[D] It is not genuine.25. [A] He got a ticket.[B] He was fined $ 35.[C] He had his driver?s license canceled.[D] He had to do two weeks? community service.Section BDirections:In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked [A], [B], [C] and [D]. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 26 to 29 are based on the passage you have just heard.26. [A] They care more about an item?s price than its use.[B] They grab whatever they think is a good bargain.[C] They become excited as if they had never been there.[D] They behave as if their memories have failed totally.27. [A] Those with a VIP card.[B] Those with 15 items or less.[C] Those needing assistance.[D] Those paying in cash.28. [A] Go back and pick up more items.[B] Take out some unwanted purchases.[C] Change the items they have picked up.[D] Calculate the total cost of the groceries.29. [A] It calls for carefulness.[B] It requires tolerance.[C] It needs a good knowledge of math.[D] It involves communication skills.Passage TwoQuestions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.30. [A] A package of ideas formally presented.[B] A short presentation clearly delivered.[C] A natural and spontaneous style of speech.[D] A clever use of visual aids in presentation.31. [A] The skillful use of gestures and facial expressions.[B] Differences in style between writing and speaking.[C] Different preferences of audiences.[D] The importance of preparation.32. [A] The differences between American and Asian cultures.[B] The significance of cross-cultural communication.[C] The increasing importance of public speaking.[D] The key to becoming a good speaker.Passage ThreeQuestions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.33. [A] By comparing his performance with others?.[B] By being repeatedly corrected by adults.[C] By observing what their teachers do.[D] By being given constant praise.34. [A] The best students are usually smart by nature.[B] It is only natural for children to make errors.[C] Children cannot detect their own mistakes.[D] All children should have equal opportunities.35. [A] It is favorable to knowledge accumulation.[B] It is beneficial to independent children.[C] It is unhealthy to students? upbringing.[D] It is unhelpful to students? learning.Section CDirections:In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43 with the exact words you have just heard. For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are required to fill in the missing information. For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.Time is, for the average American, of utmost importance. To the (36) _______ visitor, Americans seem to be more concerned with getting things (37) _______ on time (according to a predetermined schedule) than they are with developing deep (38) _______ relations. Schedules, for the American, are meant to be planned and then followed in the smallest (39) _______.It may seem to you that most Americans are completely (40) _______ by the little machines they wear on their wrists, cutting their discussions off (41) _______ to make it to their next appointment on time.Americans? language is filled with (42) _______ to time, giving a clear (43) _______ of how much it is valued. Time is something to be “on,” to be “kept,”“filled,”“saved,”“wasted,”…gained,”“planned,”“given,”“made the most of,” even …killed. “The international visitor soon learns that (44)____________________________________________________________________________________.Time is so valued in America because by considering time to be important one can clearly achieve more than if one “wastes”time and doesn?t keep busy. This philosophy has proven its worth. (45)____________________________________________________________________________________. Many American proverbs (谚语) stress the value of guarding time, using it wisely and setting and working toward specific goals. (46)____________________________________________________________________________________.。
2012年12月CET4-英语四级参考答案2
2012年12月大学英语四级(CET-4)参考答案作文范文Education PayWhat is shown in the chart above is that those people with high degree earn more than those with lower. For example, staff with master’s degree receive a better payment than those with bachelor’s degree, according to a survey of the payment to the employee. These survey indicates that education degree does have a relationship with earnings, contrary to the recent theory of useless education.Recently, there is a heated discussion about the significance of the education. Some people hold a view that higher education is useless since college education cannot mesh with the social needs. Some think that higher education is indispensable if you want to go far in both your studies and life. Now that survey has proved which part is wiser.As for me, I definitely support the view that education is necessary for people’s life. Reading can not only make me survive well in this society with **petition but also help me make sense of life. I pursue for it for my whole life.1-5 BCBAD 6-7 CD 8. closed and inflexible 9. combined 10. creating a reality of his own11-15 BADAA 16-20 DBBCA 21-25 DCDCA 26-30 BCDAC 31-35 DDBCB36. selection 37. knowledge 38. vegetables 39. purchase 40. determines41. single 42. responsible 43. rush44. Partly as a result of this limited time, over half of all American homes now havemicrowave ovens45. The United States Department of Agriculture and the food industry collect salesstatistics and keep accurate records46. Red meat, which used to be the most popular choice for dinner ,is no longer anAmerican favorite.47. N 48. D 49. M 50 B 51. I 52. L 53. O 54. G 55. F 56. E57-61 CBACD 62-66 DCBAA67-71 DBCAC 72-76 BADCB 77-81ACADB 82-86 CBDAD87. had I felt so excited88. would have said something she would regret later89. (in) concentrating on reviewing / going over my lessons90. have heard **municating / talking in French91. available for free听力原文Part III Listening ComprehensionSection A ConversationsShort Conversations11.- W:Have you finished that painting for the new student center?M: Just this morning, I’ve been working extra hours all week, you know the building opens tomorrow.Q: What does the man mean?12. M: Do you sell camping gear?W: Yes, we have tents, sleeping bags, just about everything you might need, including stoves.Q: What is the man probably going to do?13. M: Hi Jenny have you talked to Mr Wright about the new sports program?W: well, I contacted his office half an hour ago, and his secretary said he was out for lunch until 2:00.Q: What does the woman mean?14.M：Bill says he’s not working so hard on his biology project.W: But he spends a lot of time in the lab, doesn’t he?Q: What does the woman imply about Bill?15.M: I have to say i find the new smoking regulations too strict.W: Well, they are for everyone’s health. I have no complaints.Q: What are the speakers talking about?16.W: Jack asked me to drop off this report. He’s tight up in meetings all m orning.M: I was hoping he brings it in himself, I need to talk with him about it.Q: Why can’t **e in person?17.M: Should we invite Mr.Smith to join us for dinner this weekend,he has **e back from England.W: You can have a try, but as far as i know,he seldom accepts invitations from his employeesQ: What can we infer about Mr.Smith?18.W: This place doesn’t look familiar at all, we must be lost.M：Yes，it seems so. Let’s pull in here, while i’m filling in the tank,you go ask the way and get me something to drink please.Q: What does the man going to do first?Long Conversation 1M: Well ,did you enjoy it?W: Yes, I enjoy it much more that I thought I would.M: Really?W: Yes, I don’t usually go to science fiction films.I don’t think they are much better **ics on film, if you know what I mean.M : Yes, sure.And a few years ago,they were certainly like that. But they’ve got a lot better now.W: Yes, and historical films, that’s what I really like. I never miss a good film set in middle ages. Oh, and love stories, I never miss one on TV.M: Fondly enough, I don’t like those kinds of films at all. But to come back to this one, I personally didn’t think it was very good . It certainly wasn’t as good as other science fiction films I’ve ever seen.W: Wasn’t it?M: No, not at all. Oh, the effects were very good.W: Yes, I thought they were marvelous. Especially the battle in space, incredable.M: Yes, but I was going to say I thought the acting was terrible.W: Yes. I suppose Jason was too good to be true. And what was the name of the Baddy?M: Cargon?W: Yeah. Cargon was really evil, wasn’t he? But I suppose that’s what these films are all about—good triumphing over evil. And the characters have to be black and white.M: Well ,yes, but not always. Worth the well wasn’t like for example. Anyway, you enjoy the film. That’s the most important.W: Yes, I did. Thanks for taking me.Q:19. What does the man say about the science fiction films?20. What opinion did the speakers share about the film they just seen?21. What to be learned about Jason and Cargon?Long Conversation 2M: Can I ask you about your evening class? What class do you go to?W: Car maintance.M: What night of the week it on?W: Wednesday night.M: And how long does it last?M: Well, it supposed to start at 6, but that’s a bit of problem because people have difficulty getting through the traffic. So we start at 6: 30 and then it goes on until the 9 o’clock.M: And what was your reason for wanting to do the class?W: Well, I just bought my first car and I don’t know anything about cars. So I thought it was a good opportunity to learn. I guess most of the peole in the class are in the same situation.M: Um, and what do you actually do? Do you bring the car along to the class?W: Yes, we do. And in the first part of the lesson, the first half hour, the man who runs the class will go though some particular part of the car, and we’ll learn about it. And then we spend the rest of the time, actually working on my own cars, the same problem.M: And how many people are there in the class?W: Mm, I think 16, but 3 quarters of them are women. It’s quite interesing because the man is obiously used to teaching man. And he always starts his sentence by saying, ” Wow, your chops were slow.” And then he stops and says “Oh, any woman, you ladies, but...ur..”M: Mm..sounds funny.Q:22. What does the woman say about her evening class?23. Why did the wman want to attend to the class?24.What do the people who attend the class do in the first part of the lesson?25. What do we learn about participants in the class?Section B PassagesPassage 1We don’t choose friends on the basis of how much money they have, of course, but lots of differences can be disturbing to both sides. Aaron, for example,was single, and earns a very good salary. Her friend, Pat, the divorced mother of three, is struggli ng to make ends meet. “We are both frequent theater-goers,” Aaron explains, “ and I’ll glad ly pay for two tickets, just to have **pany it plays in concerts , but she won’t go anywhere unless she can pay herown way. I hate to go alone, so we both stay home. It all seems so silly.” Pat sees the situation differently. After her unhappy marrige to a man who was trying to control her without considering her wishes and feelings ,she says, “ it’s very important to me to carry my own weight. I’m **fortable in any relationship where all I do is take. ”The difficult situation finally changed when Aaron moved recently. Pat’s children were with their father, so she took a picnik lunch to her friends new plays, then spend the day helping her unpack and get settled. “ I was so grateful, ” Aarons says, “ but I persuaded Pat to let me return the favour in my own way with season tickets to our little theater group. I think she’s beginning to recognize that she contributes as much to our friendship, but I do”26. What do we learn about Pat?27. What draws Aaron and Pat together?28. What does Aaron do to re turn Pat’s favor?29. What do we learn friendship from the passage?Passage 2Sun School in the town of Ashbert in England is a day school for children age 10 to 18.It is based on the value of social equality between students and stuff, and has few rules.Sun School believes that the healthy growth of the child is more important than academic success. It offers a variety of lessons and activities for students to choose from. In free time for children to follow their own interests.Classes are small,and based on the individual needs of each child. The timetable is fixed.But democratically decided and students are expected to attend.The weekly school meeting is at the center of the way sun school is orgnized.It mix all the decisions that affect theschool,including rules, the timetable and accepting or rejecting new students and teachers.Participating in thease meetings gives children an understand of democratic decision making and helps them develops their skills of argument and persuasion.The most import a dvantage of the school meeting is that it shows the children that the school is really their’s.Theyhave the right to decide on changes. And the school’s success or failure depends on their decisions and their behavior.Sun School employs no cooking or cleaning stuff,these jobs are done by students and teachers.Decorating and simple repairs are also done by students, it is believed that school truly belongs to who use it, they must take responsibility for its maintenance.30. what value is Sun School based on?31. what is characteristic of the school decision making processur program?32. why does sun school ask the students to do the maintainance?Passage 3Well, to continue, as i mentioned earlier, there is also research that demonstrates that individuals perform worse, not better on tasks when other people are there. R.W.Harburt did an interesting experiment. He had his sujects learn a finger maze. This is a game in which you indicate with your finger the way through a complex system of passages or paths.The subjects who had an audience did worse than the subjects who did alone.Now how can we explain these very different results? It seemed very confusing for a long time. Social psychologist, John Roberts, finally cleared up the confusion about why people sometimes perform better and sometimes worse in front of an audience. Roberts found that the presence of an audience facilitates what you already know how to do. That is, if you know what you are doing, having an audience helps you do it bette r.But if you don’t already know how to do something, you will probably make some mistakes and you will make mistakes for a longer time if you have an audience. That’s exactly what happened to the subjects who were learning the finger maze.So, if you were doing well, having an audience increases the chances that you will continue to do well. If you were doing badly, having an audience increases the chances that you will continue to do badly. Roberts cleverly pointed out that when you are first learning something, you are better off working alone than practicing with other people.33. What did the speaker probably discuss **ing to this part of the talk?34. When does the presence of an audience facilitate your performance according to Roberts?35. What does Roberts think as a better way to learn new things?Section C Compound DictationAmericans today have different eating habits than they had in the past. There is a wide selection of food available. They have a broader knowledge of nutrition, so they buy more fresh fruit and vegetables than ever before. At the same time, Americans purchase increasing quantities of sweets and sodas.Statistics show that the way people live determines the way they eat. American life-styles have changed. There are now growing numbers of people who live alone, single parents and children, and double-income families. These changing life styles are responsible for the incresing number of people who must rush meals or sometimes simply go without them. Many Americans have less time than ever before to spend preparing food. Partly as a consequence of this limited time, over half of all American homes now have microwave ovens. Moreover, Americans eat out nearly four times a week on average. It is easy to study the amounts and kinds of food that people consume. The United States Department of Agriculture and the food industry collect sales statistics and keep accurate records. This information not only tells us what people are eating but also tells us about the changes in attitudes and tastes. Red meat, which used to be the most popular choice for dinner, is no longer an American favorite. Instead, chicken, turkey, and fish have become more popular. Sales of these foods have greatly increased in recent years.。
2012年12月英语四六级真题答案及详解（完整版）
2012年12月英语六级试题答案(完整版)Part ⅠWritingMy View on University RankingIn recent years, all kinds of University Ranking Lists can be found on some educational websites, or newspapers. The ranking standards also vary. These lists have great influence on students. They are even becoming the only scale to evaluate the colleges and universities.People hold different views toward this phenomenon. Some believe that these lists help the students a lot, especially for those who will choose their university. While some other protest vigorously. In their points, the list is really ridiculous and harmful. In my view, the university ranking may have its own reference values, but its disadvantages overweigh its values.For those university-students-to-be, they are supposed to choose the school according to his or her own situation, but not the so-called Ranking List. What’s more, how about the university students? How do they feel about themselves when they see the ranking? The list may become some intangible shackles for them if their own school ranks poorly.In a nutshell, there is no easy method to rank these universities, but the Ranking, only helps students ignore the essentials, namely, their ninety-nine percent perspiration.此次六级作文的自由度很大，看似给出了提纲，实际上具体的观点全靠个人发挥。
2012年12月英语四级考试真题汇总2
作文B：标准版：Education PaysThe above bar chart clearly shows us education pays in 2010. We see that unemployment rate of those with higher education background is much lower than those with lower education degree. For instance, the unemployment rate of college students with no degree is as high as 14.9% while that of those with doctoral degree is only 1.9%.The followingreason, in my opinion, is the most important one to account for this phenomenon. Compared with those with comparatively lower education degree, people who have received higher education possess considerably wider knowledge, more remarkable learning and research ability, greater innovation and most of all, resourceful social network, all of which make them more qualified and competent for their task. Thus, they are less likely to lose their jobs.This phenomenon tells us that education is a worthy investment. Therefore, education investment should be strengthened while we, as college students, should study harder to avoid unemployment.高分版：Education PaysAs is shown in the table, the unemployment rate decreases steadily as the education level increases. The fact revealed by the statistics is obvious: graduates with a degree are less likely to be unemployed.What has brought about this effect? I believe there are three main reasons. To begin with, the education level is still the top factor that employers would take into account when selecting job candidates. It is believed that people with a college degree tend to be more intelligent andqualified. In addition, as a result of good learning habit formed during college, job hunters with high education background are also more efficient in acquiring and processing job hunting information. Finally, college education equips graduates with specialized skills, leading to greater attachment to the company they are employed and higher possibility to be reemployed even if they leave their previous company.In conclusion, it is the qualifications, learning habit and specialized skills that high education equip a graduate that make one distinctive in labor market.“成千上万人疯狂下载。
2012年12月英语四级考试真题及答案(第2套)
2012年12月英语四级考试真题及答案(第2套)Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay. You should start your essay with a brief account of the increasing use of the mobile phone in people's life and then explain the consequences of overusing it. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes)Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.Should Sugar Be Regulated like Alcohol and Tobacco?Sugar poses enough health risks that it should be considered a controlled substance just like alcohol and tobacco, argue a team of researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).In an opinion piece called "The Toxic (毒性的) Truth About Sugar" published Feb. 1 in Nature, Robert Lustig, Laura Schmidt and Claire Brindis argue that it's wrong to consider sugar just "empty calories." They write: "There is nothing empty about these calories. A growing body of scientific evidence is showing that fructose (果糖) can trigger processes that lead to liver toxicity and a host of other chronic diseases. A little is not a problem, but a lot kills-slowly."Almost everyone's heard of-or personally experienced-the well-known sugar high, so perhaps the comparison between sugar and alcohol or tobacco shouldn't come as a surprise. But it's doubtfulthat Americans will look favorably upon regulating their favorite vice. We're a nation that's sweet on sugar: the average US adult downs 22 teaspoons of sugar a day, according to the American Heart Association, and surveys have found that teens swallow 34 teaspoons.To counter our consumption, the authors advocate taxing sugary foods and controlling sales to kids under 17. Already, 17% of US children and teens are obese (肥胖的), and across the world the sugar intake (摄入) has increased three times in the past 50 years. The increase has helped create a global obesity plague that contributes to 35 million annual deaths worldwide from noninfectious diseases including cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Linda Matzigkeit, a senior vice president at Children's Healthcare, said "We have to do something about this or our country is in danger. It's not good if your state has the second-highest obesity rate. Obese children turn into obese adults. ""There are good calories and bad calories, just as there are good fats and bad fats, good amino acids (氨基酸) and bad amino acids," Lustig, director of the Weight Assessment for Teen and Child Health program at UCSF, said in a statement. "But sugar is toxic beyond its calories."The food industry tries to imply that "a calorie is a calorie," says Kelly Brownell, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University. "But this and other research suggests there is something different about sugar," says Brownell.The UCSF report emphasizes the metabolic (新陈代谢的) effects of sugar. Excess sugar can alter metabolism, raise blood pressure, affect the signaling of hormones and damage the liver-outcomes that sound suspiciously similar to what can happen after a person drinks too much alcohol. Schmidt, co-chair of UCSF's Community Engagement and Health Policy program, noted on CNN: "When you think about it, this actually makes a lot of sense. Alcohol, after all, is simply made from sugar. Where does vodka come from? Sugar. "But there are also other areas of impact that researchers have investigated: the effect of sugar on the brain and how liquid calories are interpreted differently by the body than solids. Research has suggested that sugar activates the same reward pathways in the brain as traditional drugs of abuse like morphine or heroin. No one is claiming the effect of sugar is quite that strong, but, says Brownell, "it helps confirm what people tell you sometimes, that they hunger for sugar and have withdrawal symptoms when they stop eating it."There's also something particularly tricky about sugary drinks. "When calories come in liquids, the body doesn't feel as full," says Brownell. "People are getting more of their calories than ever before from sugared drinks."Other countries, including France, Greece and Denmark, impose soda taxes, and the concept is being considered in at least 20 US cities and states. Last summer, Philadelphia came close to passing a 2-cents-per-ounce soda tax. The Rudd Center has been a strong advocate of a more modest 1-cent-per-ounce tax. But at least one study, from 2010, has raised doubts that soda taxes would result in significant weight loss: apparently people who are determined to eat- anddrink-unhealthily will find ways to do it. Teens-no surprise-are good at finding ways to get the things they can't have, so state policies banning all sugar-sweetened drinks from public schools and providing only water, milk or 100% fruit juices haven't had the intended effect of steering kids away from drinking sugared drinks: the average teen consumes about 300 calories per day-that's nearly 15% of his daily calories-in sweetened drinks, and the food and drink industry is only too happy to feed this need.Ultimately, regulating sugar will prove particularly tricky because it goes beyond health concerns; sugar, for so many people, is love. A plate of cut-up vegetables just doesn't pack the same emotional punch as a tin of home-made chocolate chip cookies (饼干), which is why I took my daughter out for a cupcake and not an apple as an after-school treat today. We don't do that regularly-it's the first time this school year, actually-and that's what made it special. As a society, could we ever reach the point where we'd think apples-not a cupcake-are something to get excited over? Says Brindis, one of the report's authors and director of UCSF's Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies: "We recognize that there are cultural and celebratory aspects of sugar. Changing these patterns is very complicated."For inroads (进展) to be made, say the authors in their statement, people have to be better educated about the hazards of sugar and agree that something's got to change:Many of the interventions (干预) that have reduced alcohol and tobacco consumption can be models for addressing the sugar problem, such as imposing special sales taxes, controlling access, and tightening licensing requirements on vending machine (自动售货机) and snack-bars that sell high sugar products in schools and workplaces."We're not talking prohibition," Schmidt said. "We're not advocating a major imposition of the government into people's lives. We're talking about gentle ways to make sugar consumption slightly less convenient, thereby moving people away from the concentrated dose. What we want is to actually increase people's choices by making foods that aren't loaded with sugar comparatively easier and cheaper to get."注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
2012年12月英语四级真题及答案
2012年12月英语四级真题及答案Passage OneQuestions 11 to 15 are based on the following passage.The predictability of our mortality rates is something that has long puzzled social scientists. After all, there is no natural reason why 2,500 people should accidentally shoot themselves each year or why 7,000 should drown or 55,000 die in their cars. No one establishes a quota for each type of death. It just happens that they follow a consistent pattern year after year.A few years ago a Canadian psychologist named Gerald Wilde became interested in this phenomenon. He noticed that mortality rates for violent and accidental deaths throughout the Western world have remained oddly static throughout the whole of the century, despite all the technological advances and increases in safety standards that have happened in that time. Wilde developed an intriguing theory called “risk homeostasis”. According to this theory, people instinctively live with a certain level of risk. When something is made safer, people willget around the measure in some way to reassert the original level of danger. If, for instance, they are required to wear seat belts, they will feel safer and thus will drive a little faster and a little more recklessly, thereby statistically canceling out the benefits that the seat belt confers. Other studies have shown that where an intersection is made safer, the accident rate invariably falls there but rises to a compensating level elsewhere along the same stretch of road. It appears, then, that we have an innate need for danger.In all events, it is becoming clearer and clearer to scientists that the factors influencing our lifespan are far more subtle and complex than had been previously thought. It now appears that if you wish to live a long life, it isn’t simply a matter of adhering to certain precautions … eating the right foods, not smoking, driving with care. You must also have the right attitude. Scientists at the Duke University Medical Center made a 15-year study of 500 persons personalities and found, somewhat to their surprise, that people with a suspicious or mistrustful nature die prematurely far more often than。
2012年12月英语四级真题及答案(完整版)
2012年12月英语四级真题及答案（完整版）2012年下半年英语四级考试作文真题及答案From the bar chart given above, we can observe that it reflects the statistics of income among people of different educational background. Those who possess a doctoral degree earn 1,551dollars median weekly, ranking first among people of other education level. The median weekly earnings of people with associate degree and below cannot reach the average of 797 dollars, ranking from 768 dollars to 451 dollars. As for the unemployment rate, 2.5 % of people with doctoral degree will suffer form unemployment. However, the unemployment rate of people with some college, no degree and lower degree surpass the mean value of 7.6%, ranking from 8.7% to 14.1%.The bar chart of Education Pays reveals a phenomenon that there exits some difference in incomes and unemployment rate among people with different educational level. Quite a few reasons can account for this phenomenon: for one thing, with the advancement of technology and the adjustment of industrial structure, quite a few high-tech industries emerge overnight, which leads to a soar demand of workforces with high educational degree, thus, it is natural that graduates with bachelor’ and higher degree get a high pay-packet and enjoy a stable job. Additionally, those with educational background under associate degree are easily dismissed and paid by low salary. They can be replaced any time due to the fact that their jobs are easy and can be finished by average people.Definitely, the higher education degree you get, the more likely you are to enjoy a competitive edge in the employment market. Thus, the authorities should enforce some policies to ensure the equity of education. Only in this way can more people lead a stable and comfortable life. 2012年英语四级答案：12月四级快速阅读答案第一套英语四级快速阅读答案1. A.soil erosion, landslides and floods。
2012年12月英语四级真题及答案解析完整版
2012年12月英语四级真题及答案解析完整版2012年12月英语四级真题及答案解析完整版Part I Writing【标准版】Nothing Succeeds Without a Strong WillNothing runs smoothly in our life. To achieve things successfully, a strong will is essential. Life is like a Marathon. Many people can’t get to the t erminal. This is not because they are lack of vitality but because their will of success is not strong enough.To take quitting smoking as an example, some regard it as a piece of cake. They make up their minds to quit it in the morning, but in the evening they feel that the smell of cigarettes is tempting. Their throats are sore, their mouths are thirsty, and their hands are shaking. After the painful mental struggle, they tell themselves that “One cigarette is enough. Just take one, and the next day I will quit it.” By doing this, they surrender to their weak will. In the end, they have quitted smoking “a hundred times”, but in no time they succeed.在论述上，叙述略显罗嗦。
2012年12月英语四级完整版真题
2012年12月英语四级完整版真题2012年12月英语四级完整版真题:第二套Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19. A) Make phone calls to promote sales.B) Arrange business negotiations.C) Handle complaints from customers.D) Take orders over the phone.20. A) They had different business strategies.B) Customers often mistook one for the other.C) Conflicts between them could not be properly solved.D) Customers' questions could not be answered on the same day.21. A) They each take a week.B) They like to spend it together.C) They have to take it by turns.D) They are given two weeks each.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.22. A) At a road crossing.B) Outside a police station.C)D) In front of a kindergarten.23. A) He drove too fast to read it.B) He did not notice it.C) It says 45 miles an hour.D) It is not clearly visible. 24. A) It should have been renewed two months ago.B) It actually belongs to somebody else.C) It is no longer valid.D) It is not genuine.25. A) He got a ticket.B) He was fined $35.C) He had his driver's license canceled.D) He had to do two weeks' community service.Section BPassage OneQuestions 26 to 29 are based on the conversation you have just heard.26. A) They care more about an item's price than its use.B) They grab whatever they think is a good bargain.C) They become excited as if they had never been there.D) They behave as if their memories have failed totally.27. A) Those with a VIP card. C) Those needing assistance.B) Those with 15 items or less. D) Those paying in cash.28. A) Go back and pick up more items. C) Change the items they have picked up.B) Take out some unwanted purchases. D) Calculate the total cost of the groceries.29. A) It calls for carefulness. C) It needs a good knowledge of math.B) It requires tolerance. D) It involves communication skills.Passage TwoQuestions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.30. A) A package of ideas formally presented.B) A short presentation clearly delivered.C) A natural and spontaneous style ot speech.D) A clever use of visual aids in presentation.31. A) The skillful use of gestures and facial expressions.B) Differences in style between writing and speaking.C) Different preferences of audiences.D) The importance of preparation.32. A) The differences between American and Asian cultures.B) The significance of cross-cultural communication.C) The increasing importance of public speaking.D) The key to becoming a good speaker.Passage ThreeQuestions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.33. A) By comparing his performance with others'.B) By being repeatedly .C) By observing what their teachers do. D) By being given constant praise.34. A) The best students are usually smart by nature.B) It is only natural for children to make errors.C) Children cannot detect their own mistakes.D) All children should have equal opportunities.35. A) It is favorable to knowledge accumulation.B) It is beneficial to independent children.C) It is unhealthy to students' upbringing.D) It is unhelpful to students' learning.Passage OneQuestions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.I've worked in the factories surrounding my hometown every summer since I graduated from high school. but making the transition（转变）between school and full-time blue-collar work during the break never gets any easier. For a student like me who considers any class before noon to be uncivilized, getting to afactory by 6 o'clock each morning is torture. My friends never seem to understand why I'm so relieved to be back at school or that my summer vacation has been anything but a vacation.There're few people as self-confident as a college student who has never been out in the real world. People my age always seem to overestimate the value of their time and knowledge. In fact, all the classes did not prepare me for my battles with the machine 1 ran in the plant, which would jam whenever I absent-mindedly put in a part backward .The most stressful thing about blue-collar life is knowing your jobcould disappear overnight. Issues like downsizing（裁员）and overseas relocation had always seemed distant to me until my co-workers told methat the unit I was working in would shut down within six months and move to Mexico, where people would work for 60 cents an hour.After working 12-hour shifts in a factory, the other options have become only too clear. When I'm back at the university, skipping classes and turning in lazy re-writes seems too irresponsible after seeing what I would be doing without school. All the advice and public-service announcements about the value of an education that used to sound stale now ring true.These lessons I'm learning, however valuable, are always tinged（带有）with a sense of guilt. Many people pass their lives in the places I briefly work, spending 30 years where I spend only two months at a time. "Thisjob pays well, but it's hell on the body," said one co-worker. "Study hardand keep reading," she added.My experiences in the factories have inspired me to make the most of my college years before I enter the real world for good.57. How did the author look back on his summer days while at college?A) They brought him nothing but torture.B) They were no holiday for him at all.C) They were a relief from his hard work at school.D) They offered him a chance to know more people.58. What does the author say about college students?A) They expect too much from the real world.B) They have little interest in blue-collar life.C) They think too highly of themselves. D) They are confident of their future.59. What, according to the author, is most frustrating for blue-collar workers?A) They do not get decent pay.B) They do not have job security.C) They have to work 12-hour shifts.D) They have to move from place to place.60. In what important way has the author's work experience changed him?A) He learned to be more practical.B) He acquired a sense of urgency.C) He came to respect blue-collar workers.D) He came to appreciate his college education61. Why does the author feel somewhat guilty?A) He realizes there is a great divide between his life and that of blue-collar workers.B) He looks down upon the mechanical work at the assemblyline.C) He has not done much to help his co-workers at the factory.D) He has stayed at school just for the purpose of escaping from the real world.Passage TwoQuestions 62 to 66 are based on the following passage.Are people suffering from gadget（小器具）overload? Are theyexhausted by the consumer equivalent of the brain fatigue-information overload that is caused by constant updates of devices and online media?Underwriters Laboratories issued a report last week that found 48%of consumers "feel high-tech manufacturers bring new products to market faster than people need them."There are two possible explanations. The first, obvious one is that the pace of innovation（创新）is too fast for consumers. The second less obvious one is that, in fact, innovation is too slow. That is, the new offerings companies are pushing out the door every six months or so areme-too products or ones with just a couple of new features. Marketing schedules, not product innovation, are driving the corporate（公司的）train. Manufacturers in America valued "speed to market" more than in other countries, the report found.Sara Greenstein, Underwriters Laboratories' chief strategy officer, offered her interpretation of the survey results. "Innovation is too fast onlyif corners are cut."For the high-tech sector, there are a few other interestingfindings. Consumers are less concerned about safety in high-tech products than categories like fresh and processed food. But their top safety concerns are emissions and wireless radio waves. Many people, it seems, are uneasy living in a thickening cloud of radio waves from mobile phone towers andthe gadgets they communicate with.A finding that was a hit surprising is that to consumers, the inner parts of high-tech devices do apparently matter. Some 55% of consumers, according to the report, said they are "more concerned about where high-tech components come from than where the product was assembled."The report doesn't really say how that information would affect consumer buying decisions. It could be complicated. Manufacturing companies on average rely on more than 35 contract suppliers around the world to create a single product. That number would be higher for a laptop.But maybe some sort of supply-chain labeling showing where parts come from in a product? "We're working on it," Ms. Greenstein said.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
2012年12月英语四级真题及答案(二)
201212Part Writing(30minutes)11上作答。
Direction:For this part,you are allowed30minutes to write a composition entitled E ducation Pays based on the statistics provided in the chart below(Weekly earnings of2010).Please write at least120words but no more than180words.Education:A Worthy InvestmentWeekly earnings in2010($)Doctoral degree 1,550Master’s degree 1,272Bachelor’s degree 1,038 Some college, no degree 712High school diploma 626Less than high school degree 444Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsEducation PaysPartIn this part,you will have15minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer thequestions on Answer sheet1.For questions1-7,choose the best answer from the four choices marked A),B),C)and D).For questions8-10,complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.The MagicianThe revolution that Steve Jobs led is onlyjust beginningWhen it came to putting on a show,nobody else in the computer industry,or any other industry for that matter,could match Steve Jobs.His product launches,at which he would stand alone on a black stage and produce as if by magic an “incredible” new electronic gadget (小器具) in front of an amazed crowd,were the performances of a master showman.All computers do is fetch and work with numbers,he once explained,but do it fast enough and “the results appear tobe magic” . Mr Jobs, who died recently aged 56, spent his life packaging that magic into elegantly designed, easy-to-use products.The reaction to his death,with people leaving candles and flowers outside Apple stores and politicians singing praises on the internet,is proof that Mr Jobs had become something much more significant than just a clever money-maker.He stood out in three ways-as a technologist,as a corporate ( 公司的) leader and as somebody who was able to make people love what had previously been impersonal,functional gadgets.Strangely,it is this last quality that may have the deepest effect on the way people live. The era of personal technology is in many ways just beginning.As a technologist,Mr Jobs was different because he was not an engineer-and that was his great strength.Instead he was keenly interested in product design and aesthetics(美学),and in making advanced technology simple to use. He repeatedly took an existing but half-formed idea-the mouse-driven computer,the digital music player,the smartphone,the tablet computer(平板电脑) —and showed the rest of the industry how to do it properly. Rival firms competed with each other to follow where he led.In the process he brought about great changes in computing, music,telecoms and the news business that were painful for existing firms but welcomed by millions of consumers.Within the wider business world,a man who liked to see himself as a hippy(嬉皮士), permanently in revolt against big companies,ended up being hailed by many of those corporate giants as one of the greatest chief executives of his time.That was partly due to his talents: showmanship,strategic vision,an astonishing attention to detail and a dictatorial management style which many bosses must have envied.But most of all it was the extraordinary trajectory(轨迹)of his life.His fall from grace in the 1980s,followed by his return to Apple in 1996after a period in the wilderness,is an inspiration to any businessperson whose career has taken a turn for the worse. The way in which Mr Jobs revived the failing company he had co-founded and turned it into the world’s biggest tech firm (bigger even than Bill Gates’s Microsoft,the company that had outsmarted Apple so dramatically in the 1980s), sounds like something from a Hollywood movie.But what was perhaps most astonishing about Mr Jobs was the absolute loyalty he managed to inspire in customers.Many Apple users feel themselves to be part of a community,with Mr Jobs as its leader.And there was indeed a personal link.Apple’s products were designed to accord with the boss’s tastes and to meet his extremely high standards.Every iPhone or MacBook has his fingerprints all over it.His great achievement was to combine an emotional spark with computer technology,and make the resulting product feel personal.And that is what put Mr Jobs on the right side of history,as technological innovation(创新)has moved into consumer electronics over the past decade.As our special report in this issue (printed before Mr Jobs’s death)explains,innovation used to spill over from military and corporate laboratories to the consumer market, but lately this process has gone into reverse.Many people’s homes now have more powerful,and more flexible, devices than their offices do;consumer gadgets and online services are smarter and easier to use than most companies’ systems. Familiar consumer products are being adopted by businesses, government and the armed panies are employing in-house versions of Facebook and creating their own “app stores”to deliver software to employees.Doctors use tablet computers for their work in hospitals.Meanwhile,the number of consumers hungry for such gadgets continues to swell.Apple’s products are now being snapped up in Delhi and Dalian just as in Dublin andDallas.Mr Jobs had a reputation as a control freak(怪人),and his critics complained that the products and systems he designed were closed and inflexible,in the name of greater ease of use. Yet he also empowered millions of people by giving them access to cutting-edge technology.His insistence on putting users first,and focusing on elegance and simplicity,has become deep-rooted in his own company,and is spreading to rival firms too. It is no longer just at Apple that designers ask: “What would Steve Jobs do?”The gap between Apple and other tech firms is now likely to narrow. This week’s announcement of a new iPhone by a management team led by Tim Cook,who replaced Mr Jobs as chief executive in August,was generally regarded as competent but uninspiring.Without Mr Jobs to shower his star dust on the event,it felt like just another product launch from just another technology firm.At the recent unveiling of a tablet computer by Jeff Bezos of Amazon,whose company is doing the best job of following Apple’s lead in combining hardware,software,content and services in an easy-to-use bundle, there were several attacks at Apple. But by doing his best to imitate Mr Jobs, Mr Bezos also flattered (抬举)him. With Mr Jobs gone, Apple is just one of many technology firms trying to arouse his uncontrollable spirit in new products.Mr Jobs was said by an engineer in the early years of Apple to emit a “reality distortion(扭曲)field”,such were his powers of persuasion.But in the end he created a reality of his own, channeling the magic of computing into products that reshaped entire industries.The man who said in his youth that he wanted to “put a ding in the universe” did just that.注意: 1上作答。
2012年12月全国大学英语四级等级考试试题及答案(详解) 2
2012年12月全国大学英语四级等级考试试题及答案(详解)Part II Reading Comprehension (skimming and scanning)(15 minutes)Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choicesmarked A), B), C) and D). For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the informationgiven in the passage.Time Off from Work Gains in ImportanceAmerican workers are saying they need a break. As their number of hours clocked on the job has crept higher, more time off has become a bigger priority. In the past few years, human resources experts say time off has consistently placed among the top three employee concerns, along with compensation and staffing levels, whereas it used to be farther down the list. In a poll taken online in November 2004, 39% of workers said if given the choice, they would choose time off over the equivalent in additional base salary. Of course, most of the 4,600 respondents are still opting for the bigger paycheck, but the desire for time off is up almost 20% from just three years ago when conducted a similar poll.The reasons for this shift are many and varied. Some have to do with the way a new generation is thinking about work, while others are driven by how companies are responding to recent economic pressures.A New GenerationThe results may in part represent the needs of a new breed of workers. The average American is working one month (160 hours) more each year than a generation ago. According to recruiting and human capital management expert John Sumser, younger workers work for meaning first and money second. He goes on to warn employers that these are the people who are the foundation for the next workforce and they may not buy the existing paradigm (范例). A study released in late 2004 by the New York-based Families and Work Institute concludes that the new brand of young workers is rejecting the work-centric style of their parents’ generation. The study, which examines changes in the workforce over the past 25 years, found that younger workers are more likely to be “family-centric” or “dual-centric” (with equal priorities on both career and family) rather than “work-c entric” when compared to members of the Boomer Generation.September 11th and the End of the Roaring NinetiesThe impact of the terrorist attacks of September 11th cut across all age groups of the workforce. We collectively entered a new era, reevaluatin g life’s priorities and making changes in our attitude toward time spent at work versus hobbies and family. “I started looking at things completely differently. I’ve been far less willing to put in the 14-hour days necessary to get noticed and climb the co rporate ladder,” said Tony Jackson, a 43-year-old employee of a New York City-based financial services company. “Frankly, I can’t see that changing.”Even before September 11th, some experts say the slow shift in worker attitudes was already underway due to the end of the roaring 1990’s, when hours were long and significant personal wealth was created. For those who fared well financially, some opted for careers of contract work where they could call more of the shots pertaining to (与……有关的) time off, or new occupations with greater personal rewards. For others, even if their bank accounts were not spilling over from America’s economic heyday (全盛时期), their own energy had been depleted due to unrelenting (毫不松懈的) years of work hours and high stress. They were ready for something less taxing.Families and Work Institute President and co-founder Ellen Galinsky agrees. She says the poll numbers show evidence of an increase in need for time off and a shift in thinking due to the fact that workers have been pushed to their limit in recent years. “This new generation of workers is at the edge of how long they can work. It just feels like too much. They are not slackers (懒虫); they just don’t want more,” says Galinsky.Monetary Needs Less Intense Due to Dual Income Households“We’ve decided we prefer to have more time to ourselves,” says Carol Kornhaber, a New England software programmer in her late twenties. Kornhaber and her husband are both working but have sought out jobs where they are not pressed to put in long hours. Instead, they have insisted upon eight-hour days and having enough vacation time to travel, a major interest they share. Financial pressures are eased by both of them working and keeping a careful watch on their expenses. “We are lucky in a lot of ways to have found bosses who understand our needs.”BurnoutTrying to squeeze more productivity out of workers may be nothing new, but it has become particularly acute in recent years. This has been due in large measure to recession-induced layoffs and other trends such as the rising cost of healthcare benefits. After a layoff, workers who remain behind are often asked to pick up most or even all the load of the people who were let go, requiring more and more hours at the office. As new corporate initiatives are planned, the inverse is also true. As Sumser observes, “the additional workload, which runs across the economy from the office worker to the manufacturing line, seems to be a function of the cost of benefits. The regulations make it cheaper to add workload for existing employees than to hire new players.” The Families and Work Institute reports that nearly one third of U.S. employees often or very often feel overworked or overwhelmed by how much work theyhave to do. Nearly three out of four report that they frequently dream about doing something different from their current job.Show Me the MoneyOverworked or not, the majority in the poll still chose to fatten their paycheck if given the choice. For many, it was a practical matter. Says Peggy Jones, an accountant in a Boston area business services company, “I already get three weeks a year that I can’t use up because I’m so busy. I’d definitely go for the extra money to pay some bills or make a big purchase I’ve been holding off on.” For Jones, the realities of running a household and saving up for college for her children simply need to take precedence over extra free time.Companies Are Already RespondingTo many human resources experts it is inevitable that, given the growing health of the economy and the upcoming population-driven labor shortages as the Boomer Generation moves into retirement, the pendulum of control in the employee-employer relationship will swing back to the employee side. That is expected to begin in just a few years. According to human resources expert, Larry Schumer, at , “since most companies succeed based on a motivated and capable workforce, they have offered and will continue to offer more paid flexibility, whether it be through tried and tested time-off programs or the next great idea.” Where will that new balance of employer versus employee needs lie? Time, or perhaps time off, surely will tell.1. Which of the following has been rising in importance in the past few years?A) Compensation. B) Time off. C) Right to vote. D) Staffing levels.2. According to the passage, we know that the Boomer Generation is concerned ________.A) about family and work equally B) more about workC) more about family D) about neither work nor family3. What can be inferred about Tony Jackson?A) He is 43 years old.B) He works in a financial services company.C) He has changed his life and work attitude.D) He spends 14 hours a day on his work.4. When did American workers gradually begin to change their attitudes towards work?A) After September 11. B) In November 2004.C) In late 2004. D) At the end of the roaring 1990’s.5. According to Ellen Galinsky, why did workers change their mind about work?A) They have been pushed to the limit of their working hours.B) They increased their need to enjoy life.C) They have more rights than before.D) They don’t want to work for a living.6. Carol Kornhaber and her husband don’t have too much financial p ressure because ___________.A) they have parents who are richB) they don’t have children to feedC) they both have a high salaryD) they both have work and they are thrifty7. After a layoff, the employees who keep their jobs usually have to ___________.A) find another job in case they are firedB) do what their bosses tell them toC) work longer hours to avoid being firedD) do the work left by the laid-off workers8. According to , compared with three years ago, the desire for time off is up almost ________________________.9. According to the poll from , the majority of employees preferred to ________________________ if they had the choice.10. Larry Schumer said that most companies succeeded based on a motivated and capable __________________________.Part ⅣReading Comprehension (Reading in Depth)(25 minutes)Section AQuestions 47 to 56 are based on the following passage.Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Its 47____ lie mainly in blues, rhythm and blues, country, folk, gospel, and jazz. The style subsequently spread to the rest of the world and developed further, leading ultimately to 48 ____rock music.The term “rock and roll” now cov ers at least two different meanings, both in common usage. The American Heritage Dictionary and the Merriam-Webster Dictionary both 49____ rock and roll as synonymous with rock music.50____ , defines the term as referring specifically to the music of the 1950s.Classic rock and roll is 51____ played with one or two electric guitars, a string bass or an electric bass guitar, and a drum kit. In the 52 ____rock and roll styles of the late 1940s, either the piano or saxophone was often the lead instrument, but these were generally 53____ or supplemented by the guitar in the middle to late 1950s.The massive popularity and eventual worldwide view of rock and roll gave it a 54____ social impact. Far beyond simply a musical style, rock and roll, as seen in movies and in the new medium of television, 55____ lifestyles, fashion, attitudes, and language. It went on to spawn various sub-genres, often without the initially 56____ backbeat, that are now more commonly called simply “rock music” or “rock”.A) define I) followedB) characteristic J) modernC) unique K) explanationD) roots L) ConverselyE) usually M) replacedF) Basically N) prepareG) earliest O) seldom H) influencedSection BPassage OneQuestions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.According to a report, around 30,000 pupils started secondary school last year with the math skills of a seven-year-old. MPs (国会议员) warned that many young people would need “expensive” remedial lessons in later life to get a job — posing major problems for the economy. The findings came just months after Ofsted(教育标准办公室)claimed almost half of math lessons in English schools were not good enough. It said many teachers relied on textbooks and mundane exercises to make sure pupils passed exams at the expense of a proper understanding of the subject. MPs backed the conclusions, saying too many pupils found lesso ns “boring”. They insisted improvements had been made under Labor but achievement had “leveled off” in recent years.In 2008, 79 percent of pupils met the Government’s expected standard at the end of primary school, well short of the 85 percent target set for 2006. Around five percent moved to secondary school with the math skills of a seven- year-old, said the committee. In 2006, ￡2.3 billion was spent teaching the subject. It equates to around a quarter of the ￡10 billion total budget for primary teaching and support staff.The report said the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) needed to “radically rethink its strategy for improving pupil attainment; otherwise we seriously doubt that the department will meet its 2011 target”. The targ et demands that 84.5 percent of pupils will make the necessary progress between 7 and 11.Last year, the DCSF published a major review of math education in England to boost standards. It called for a math specialist in every primary school within 10 years and more emphasis on mathematical “play” in nursery schools. Mr. Leigh said, “The department’s 10-year program to train 13,000 specialist math teachers will not benefit some primary schools for another decade. That’s far too long; the department needs to look for ways to accelerate the program.” Sarah McCarthy Fry, the Schools Minister,said, “We have already accepted the main recommendation from a recent independent review of primary math that every school should have a specialist math teacher and have pledged ￡24 million over the next three years for a training program for teachers.”Nick Gibb, the Tory shadow schools secretary, said, “The Government is not getting value for the money they have piled into education and the country is falling behind in international league tables as a result. The Government has failed to replace methods of teaching which have failed with tried and tested methods used in countries that have much higher levels of math achievement.”57. What do we learn from the first paragraph?A) 30,000 pupils started secondary school with poor math skills.B) MPs insist more improvements should be made under Labor.C) Young people need medical lessons to get a job.D) Half of English schools were not good enough.58. According to the passage, what happened in 2006?A) 21% of pupils didn’t meet the Government’s expected standard.B) The target set for 2006 was 87 percent.C) ￡2.3 billion was spent on math teaching.D) The total budget for primary teaching and support staff was ￡5 billion in 2006.59. What will people probably do to improve math education in England?A) Spend money on training specialist math teachers.B) Hire a math specialist for every primary school.C) Allow pupils to have more mathematical “play”.D) Spend more time on math education.60. What do Nick Gibb’s words mean?A) The British government should put more money into math education.B) Britain is falling behind in the international knowledge competition.C) The British government should learn from other countries’ failures.D) The British government should change their teaching methods every few years.61. What’s the passage mainly talking about?A) There aren’t enough math teachers in British primary schools.B) The British govern ment didn’t spend enough money on math education.C) British pupils are not good at math.D) Math lessons in British primary schools need to be improved.Passage TwoQuestions 62 to 66 are based on the following passage.Conservationists call them hot spots —habitats that cover just 1.4 percent of the earth’s land surface but are so rich in biological diversity that preserving them could keep an astonishing number of plant and animal species off the endangered list.Since 1988, when Dr. Norman Myers and his colleagues began describing these hot spots in a series of scientific papers and arguing for their protection, they have become a focus of worldwide conservation efforts. Private organizations and government agencies, including the World Bank, have made preserving 25 such ecological arks a top priority for financing and protective legislation. But a growing chorus of scientists is warning that directing conservation funds to hot spots may be a recipe for major losses in the future. Of species that live on land, nearly half of all plants and more than a third of all animals are found only in the hot spots. But they do not include many rare species and major animal groups that live in less biologically rich regions (“cold spots”). And the hot-spot concept does not factor in the importance of some ecosystems to human beings, the scientists argue.This debate has been simmering quietly among biologists for years; however, it is coming to a boil now with the publication of an article in the current iss ue of American Scientist arguing that “calls to direct conservation funding to the world’s biodiversity hot spots may be bad investment advice.” “The hot-spot concept has grown so popular in recent years within the larger conservation community that it now risks eclipsing all other approaches,” write the authors of the paper. “The officers and directors of all too many foundations, non-governmental organizations and international agencies have been seduced by the simplicity of the hot spot idea,” they go on. “We worry that the initially appealing idea of getting the most species per unit area is, in fact, a thoroughly misleading strategy.”But hot spots have their ardent defenders, notably Dr. Norman Myers and Dr. Russell Mittermeier. Dr. Myers says hot spots have been successful at attracting attention and financing for conservation intropical countries. “And that has been good,” he said. “No one is suggesting that one invest solely in hot spots, but if you want to avoid extinctions, you have to invest in them.”62. The best title for this passage would be ________.A) A Debate on Preserving Hot Spots B) An Introduction to Hot SpotsC) Hot Spots vs. Cold Spots D) How to Finance Hot Spots63. Hot spots occupy a small percentage of the eart h’s land surface with _____________.A) a third of all plantsB) many major animal groups living in cold spotsC) rich biological diversityD) many rare species living in cold spots64. Critics of hot spots hold the opinion that ________.A) hot spots are always as important as cold spotsB) it is unwise to invest largely in hot spotsC) governments should choose the best time to invest in hot spotsD) the hot-spot approach is a misleading strategy from the very beginning65. According to Dr. Norman Myers, _________.A) protecting and investing in hot spots can save species from extinctionB) conservation efforts should not center on hot spotsC) governments should invest most in cold spotsD) the hot-spot approach now is not as good as it was in the past66. What is the writer’s attitude towards the hot-spot approach?A) Critical. B) Neutral. C) Supportive. D) Doubtful.Part V Cloze (15 minutes)Directions:There are 20 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are four choices markedA), B), C) and D) on the right side of the paper. You should choose the ONE that best fits intothe passage. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single linethrough the centre.Everyone knows hand washing is important. But a new study shows how washing your hands _67_ , and at the right time, can have a big impact on your family’s risk of getting sick.Most studies on hand washing focus on _68_ and food service workers. But this m onth’s American Journal of Infection Control focuses on washing hands at _69_ as a way to stop infections from _70_. Several studies show hands are the single most important _71_ route for all types of infections.Even though most people know to wash their hands after using the toilet or handling a diaper (尿布), studies_72_ many people are still ending up with germs on their hands.One study looked in homes of _73_recently vaccinated against polio (脊髓灰质炎). After vaccination, the virus is_74_ to be she d in the baby’s feces (粪便). Researchers found the virus on 13 percent of bathroom, living room and kitchen surfaces. _75_ the virus from the vaccine didn’t pose a health risk, feces-borne viruses can _76_through the home.Doorknobs and toilet flush handl es are key _77_ of germ transmission in the home. That’s why people should focus on cleaning such surfaces _78_ and always wash their hands after touching them. In one study, a _79_ touched a door handle contaminated with a virus. He then shook hands _80_ other volunteers, and spread the virus to six people.The study authors note that the timing of hand washing is key. It’s _81_to wash hands after using the toilet, before eating or handling food. Other crucial times for hand washing are after _82_ a diaper or cleaning up after a pet, or after touching garbage cans, dish rags and utensils that may have come _83_ contact with raw food.While it may be hard to _84_ that something as simple as regular hand washing can make a difference in your 7family’s heal th, consider what happened during the 2003 outbreak of SARS. The outbreak _85_ extensive public and community health measures, including regular hand washing. Not only was the SARS outbreak contained, _86_ other cases of illnesses dropped sharply.67. A) occasionally B) often C) sometimes D) repeatedly68. A) chemical B) physical C) medical D) mental69. A) home B) clinics C) hospitals D) school70. A) living B) spreading C) surviving D) going71. A) transmit B) transfer C) transferring D) transmission72. A) claim B) agree C) suggest D) object73. A) parents B) teachers C) adults D) infants74. A) known B) said C) moved D) added75. A) When B) While C) Why D) Which76. A) travel B) go C) fly D) float77. A) questions B) opportunities C) ideas D) sources78. A) always B) frequently C) regularly D) actually79. A) volunteer B) baby C) worker D) person80. A) in B) on C) with D) through81. A) useless B) obvious C) interesting D) thankful82. A) taking B) using C) changing D) bringing83. A) of B) for C) from D) into84. A) dream B) know C) figure D) believe85. A) triggered B) started C) helped D) saved86. A) yet B) while C) but D) sincePart Ⅵ Translation (5 minutes)87. _____________________________( 只要每个中国人) works to his capacity in the construction ofChina’s economy, the rise of Chinese nation is round the corner.88. With a special train ticket you can ___________________________________(任何国家旅行)inEurope for just over 100 pounds.89. In spite of the fact that hotel prices have risen sharply, the number oftourists_________________________ (和以前一样多).90. The hotel manager, ________________________(我向他投诉过) about the service，refunded part ofour bill.91. The Tower of London, _____________________________________________ (在里面曾有许多人丧命) is now a tourist attraction.。
2012年12月大学英语四级真题答案与解析
2012 年 12 月大学英语四级真题答案与解析Part I Writing参考范文：第一种图表（即我们试题部分的图表）Education PaysThe bar graph describes the unemployment rates in 2010 for social groups with different education degrees in theUnited States. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics，the better you are educated， the more likely you are to get employed. For example，there are only about1.9% and 4% of people with doctoral degree and master degree respectively who are unemployed，while people with only a high school diploma or less suffer a much higher unemployment rate （ 14.9% and 10.3% respectively ） .These data clearly indicate that education pays in the long run and it is a worthy investment.In this IT age especially ， when knowledge of science and technology is power ， people need tobe well equipped with knowledge and skills in order to be competitive in job hunting and be better paid. A higher degree is definitely an advantage in the first place in the job market.It must be added ， however ， a high degree alone is not enough. It will not ensure a better employment opportunity. In order to succeed in the career ， people must also develop practical skills and techniques as well as good communication ， teamwork and social experience.第二种图表（这也是本次考试的另一份试卷的图表）（见图表2）Education PaysAs is shown in the bar chart above ， the social groups with higher degree are not only more likely to be employed in the first place，but they are also better paid later in the workplace. Thosewith doctoral and professional degrees enjoy a much higher weekly median earning（$1551 and1665 respectively） and suffer a much lower unemployment rate （ 2.5% and 2.4% ）. On the other hand， those with less education suffer a considerably higher unemployment rate and have a muchlower weekly income. For example， there are a total of 23.5% （ 9.4%+14.1% ） of people unemployed with high school diploma or less ， who have only a median weekly income of $545 ，as compared with the average $797.These data clearly indicate that education pays in the long run and it is a worthy investment.In this IT age especially ， when knowledge of science and technology is power ， people need tobe well equipped with knowledge and skills in order to be competitive in job hunting and be better paid. A higher degree is definitely an advantage in the first place in the job market and a competitive edge for workplace promotions.It must be added， however ， a high degree alone is not enough. It will not ensure a better employment opportunity and higher salary. In order to succeed in the career， people must also develop practical skills and techniques as well as good communication ， teamwork and socialexperience.概述四级考试主要的作文命题形式是图表作文，图表作文曾在1991“文示”提纲作文，但不时也考应用文（书信、演讲词等）和年 6 月（表格： Changes in People Diet）和 2002 年 6 月（柱状图： Student Use of Computers），似乎是 10 年考一次，但不排除今后会更频繁地考到。
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I've worked in the factories n. 工厂，车厂（factory复数形式）surrounding my hometown every summer since I
graduated from high school, but making the transition (转变) between school and full-time blue-collar work
during the break never gets any easier. For a student like me who considers any class before noon to be
uncivilized adj. 未开化的，不文明的, getting to a factory by 6 o'clock each morning is torture n. 折磨；拷问；歪曲. My friends
never seem to understand why I'm so relieved v. 减轻；解除（relieve的过去分词）to be back at school or that my summer
vacation has been anything but a vacation.
There're few people as self-confident as a college student who has never been out in the real
world. People my age always seem to overestimate n. 估计，估价；判断，看法the value of their time and knowl
edge. In fact, all the classes did not prepare me for my battles with the machine I ran in the plant,
which would jam n. 果酱；拥挤；困境；扣篮whenever I absent-mindedly adv. 心不在焉地；茫然地put in a part backward o
r upside down.
The most stressful adj. 紧张的；有压力的thing about blue-collar life is knowing your job could disappear
overnight. Issues n. 议题，问题；. 发行（issue的第三人称单数）；分发；like downsizing (裁员) and overseas relocation n. 重新安置；再布置，变换布置had always seemed distant adj. 遥远的；冷漠的；远隔的；不友好的，冷淡的to me until my co-workers told me that the unit I was working in would shut down within six months and move to Mexico, where peopl
e would work for 60 cents an hour.
After working 12-hour shifts in a factory, the other options have become only too clear. When
I'm back at the university, skipping classes翘课and turning in lazy re-writes seems too irresponsib
le adj. 不负责任的；不可靠的after seeing what I would be doing without school. All the advice and public-servic
e announcements about the value o
f an education that used to sound stale n. 尿adj. 陈腐的；不新鲜的now rin
g tr
ue.
These lessons I'm learning, however valuable, are always tinged (带有) with a sense of guilt. Many
people pass their lives in the places I briefly adv. 短暂地；简略地；暂时地work, spending 30 years where I spend only two
months at a time. "This job pays well, but it's hell on the body," said one co-worker. "Study hard and keep
reading," she added.
My experiences in the factories have inspired me to make the most of my college years before I enter
the real world for good.。