大学英语四级真题及答案

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大学英语四级考试真题及答案(三套全)

大学英语四级考试真题及答案(三套全)

2017年12月大学英语四级考试真题及答案(第一套)Part I Writing (25 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short easy on how to besthandle the relationship between doctors and patients. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1. A) Her friend Erika. C) Her grandfather.B) Her little brother. D) Her grandmother.2. A) By taking pictures for passers-by. C) By selling lemonade and pictures.B) By working part time at a hospital. D) By asking for help on social media.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3. A) Finding cheaper ways of highway construction.B) Generating electric power for passing vehicles.C) Providing clean energy to five million people.D) Testing the efficiency of the new solar panel.4. A) They can stand the wear and tear of natural elements.B) They can be laid right on top of existing highways.C) They are only about half an inch thick.D) They are made from cheap materials.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. A) Endless fighting in the region. C) Inadequate funding for research.B) The hazards from the desert. D) The lack of clues about the species.6. A) To observe the wildlife in the two national parks.B) To identify the reasons for the lions’ disappearance.C) To study the habitat of lions in Sudan and Ethiopia.D) To find evidence of the existence of the “lost lions”.7. A) Lions walking. C) Some camping facilities.B) Lions’ tracks. D) Traps set by local hunters.Section BDirections:In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C), and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8. A) Her ‘lucky birthday’. C) Her wedding anniversary.B) A call from her dad. D) A special gift from the man.9. A) Gave her a big model plane. C) Took her on a trip overseas.B) Bought her a good necklace. D) Threw her a surprise party.10. A) The gift her husband has bought.B) The trip her husband has planned.C) What has been troubling her husband.D) What her husband and the man are up to.11. A) He will be glad to be a guide for the couple’s holiday trip.B) He will tell the women the secret if her husband agrees.C) He is eager to learn how the couple’s holiday turns out.D) He wants to find out about the couple’s holiday plan.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. A) They are sensitive to the dynamics of a negotiation.B) They see the importance of making compromises.C) They know when to adopt a tough attitude.D) They take the rival’s attitude into account.13. A) They know how to adapt. C) They know when to make compromises.B) They know when to stop. D) They know how to control their emotion.14. A) They are patient. C) They learn quickly.B) They are good at expression. D) They uphold their principles.15. A) Make clear one's intentions. C) Formulate one's strategy.B) Clarify items of negotiation. D) Get to know the other side.Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you willhear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken onlyonce. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C), D). Then mark the corresponding letter on AnswerSheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A) When America's earliest space program started.B) When the International Space Station was built.C) How many space shuttle missions there will be.D) How space research benefits people on Earth.17. A) They accurately calculated the speed of the orbiting shuttles.B) They developed objects for astronauts to use in outer space.C) They tried to meet astronauts' specific requirements.D) They tried to make best use of the latest technology.18. A) They are extremely accurate. C) They were first made in space.B) They are expensive to make. D) They were invented in the 1970s.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A) It was when her ancestors came to America.B) People had plenty of land to cultivate then.C) It marked the beginning of something new.D) Everything was natural and genuine then.20. A) They believed in working for goals. C) They had all kinds of entertainment.B) They enjoyed living a living a life of ease. D) They were known to be creative.21. A) Chatting with her ancestors. C) Polishing all the silver work.B) Furnishing her country house. D) Doing needlework by the fire.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A) Use a map to identify your location. C) Sit down and try to calm yourself.B) Call your family or friends for help. D) Try to follow your footprints back.23. A) You may find a way out without your knowing it.B) You may expose yourself to unexpected dangers.C) You may get drowned in a sudden flood.D) You may end up entering a wonderland.24. A) Look for food. C) Start a fire.B) Wait patiently. D) Walk uphill.25. A) Inform somebody of your plan. C) Check the local weather.B) Prepare enough food and drink. D) Find a map and a compass.Part Ⅲ Reading Comprehension ( 40 minutes )Section ADirections: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.A rat or pigeon might not be the obvious choice to tend to someone who is sick, but these creatures have some 26 skills that could help the treatment of human diseases.Pigeons are often seen as dirty birds and an urban 27 , but they are just the latest in a long line of animals that have been found to have abilities to help humans. Despite having a brain no bigger than the 28 of your index finger, pigeons have a very impressive 29__ memory. Recently it was shown that they could be trained to be as accurate as humans at detecting breast cancer in images.Rats are often 30 with spreading disease rather than 31 it, but this long-tailed animal is highly 32 . Inside a rat's nose are up to 1,000 different types of olfactory receptors (嗅觉感受器), whereas humans only have 100 to 200 types. This gives rats the ability to detect __33 smells. As a result, some rats are being put to work to detect TB(肺结核). When the rats detect the smell, they stop and rub their legs to 34 a sample is infected.Traditionally, a hundred samples would take lab technicians more than two days to 35 , but for a rat it takes less than 20 minutes. This rat detection method doesn't rely on specialist equipment. It is also more accurate — the rats are able to find more TB infections and, therefore, save more lives.A) associated I) slightB) examine J) specifyC) indicate K) superiorD) nuisance L) suspiciousE) peak M) tipF) preventing N) treatedG) prohibiting O) visualH) sensitiveSection BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.Do In-Class Exams Make Students Study Harder?Research suggests they may study more broadly for the unexpected rather than search for answers.[A] I have always been a poor test-taker. So it may seem rather strange that I have returned to college to finish the degree I left undone some four decades ago. I am making my way through Columbia University, surrounded by students who quickly supply the verbal answer while I am still processing the question.[B] Since there is no way for me to avoid exams, I am currently questioning what kind are the most taxing and ultimately beneficial. I have already sweated through numerous in-class midterms and finals, and now I have a professor who issuestake-home ones. I was excited when I learned this, figuring I had a full week to do the research, read the texts, and write it all up. In fact, I was still rewriting my midterm the morning it was due. To say I had lost the thread is putting it mildly.[C] As I was suffering through my week of anxiety, overthinking the material and guessing my grasp of it, I did some of my own polling among students and professors. David Eisenbach, who teaches a popular class on U.S. presidents at Columbia, prefers the in-class variety. He believes students ultimately learn more and encourages them to form study groups. “That way they socialize over history outside the class, which wouldn’t happen without the pressure of an in-class exam,” he explained,“Furthermore, in-class exams force students to learn how to perform under pressure, and essential work skill.”[D] He also says there is less chance of cheating with the in-class variety. In 2012, 125 students at Harvard were caught up in a scandal when it was discovered they had cheated on a take-home exam for a class entitled “Introduction To Congress.”Some colleges have what they call an “honor code,” though if you are smart enough to get into these schools, you are either smart enough to get around any codes or hopefully, too ethical to consider doing so. As I sat blocked and clueless for two solid days, I momentarily wondered if I couldn’t just call an expert on the subject matter which I was tackling, or someone who took the class previously, to get me going.[E] Following the Harvard scandal, Mary Miller, the former dean of students at Yale, made an impassioned appeal to her school’s professors to refrain fromtake-hone exams. “Students risk health and well being, as well as performance in other end-of-term work, when faculty offers take-home exams without clear,time-limited boundaries,” she told me. “Research now shows that regular quizzes, short essays, and other assignments over the course of a term better enhance learning and retention.”[F] Most college professors agree the kind of exam they choose largely depends on the subject. A quantitative-based one, for example, is unlikely to be sent home, where one could ask their older brothers and sisters to help. Vocational-type classes, such as computer science or journalism, on the other hand, are often more research-oriented and lend themselves to take-home testing. Chris Koch, who teaches “History of Broadcast Journalism” at Montgomery Community College in Rockville, Maryland, points out that reporting is about investigation rather than the memorization of minute details. “In my field, it’s not what you know—it’s what you know how to find out,” says Koch. “There is way too much information, and more coming all the time, for anyone to remember. I want my students to search out the answers to questions by using all the resources available to them.[G] Students’ test-form preferences vary, too, often depending on the subject and course difficulty. “I prefer take-home essays because it is then really about the writing, so you have time to edit and do more research,” says Elizabeth Dresser, a junior at Barnard. Then there is the stress factor. Francesca Haass, a senior at Middlebury, says, “I find the in-class ones are more stressful in the short term, butthere is immediate relief as you swallow information like mad, and then you get to forget it all. Take-homes require thoughtful engagement which can lead to longer term stress as there is never a moment when the time is up.” Meanwhile, Olivia Rubin, a sophomore at Emory, says she hardly even considers take-homes true exams. “If you understand the material and have the ability to articulate (说出) your thoughts, they should be a breeze.”[H] How students ultimately handle stress may depend on their personaltest-taking abilities. There are people who always wait until the last minute, and make it much harder than it needs to be. And then there those who, not knowing what questions are coming at them, and having no resources to refer to, can freeze. And then there are we rare folks who fit both those descriptions.[I] Yes, my advanced age must factor into the equation (等式), in part because of my inability toaccess the information as quickly. As another returning student at Columbia, Kate Marber, toldme, “We are learning not only all this information, but essentially how to learn again. Ourfellow students have just come out of high school. A lot has changed since we were last inschool.”[J] If nothing else, the situation has given my college son and me something to share, When Iasked his opinion on this matter, he responded, “I like in-class exams because the time isalready reserved, as opposed to using my free time at home to work on a test,”he responded.It seems to me that a compromise would be receiving the exam questions a day or two inadvance, and then doing the actual test in class the ticking clock overhead.[K] Better yet, how about what one Hunter College professor reportedly did recently for her finalexam: She encouraged the class not to stress or even study, promising that, “It is going to be apiece of cake.” When the students came in, sharpened pencils in hand, there was not a bluebook in sight. Rather, they saw a large chocolate cake and they each were givena slice.36. Elderly students find it hard to keep up with the rapid changes in education.37. Some believe take-home exams may affect students' performance in other courses.38. Certain professors believe in-class exams are ultimately more helpful to students.39. In-class exams are believed to discourage cheating in exams.40. The author was happy to learn she could do some exams at home.41. Students who put off their work until the last moment often find the exams more difficult thanthey actually are.42. Different students may prefer different types of exams.43. Most professors agree whether to give an in-class or a take-home exam depends on type ofcourse being taught.44. The author dropped out of college some forty years ago.45. Some students think take-home exams will eat up their free time.Section CDirections: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 46 and 50 are based on the following passage.That people often experience trouble sleeping in a different bed in unfamiliar surroundings is a phenomenon known as the “first-night” effect. If a person stays in the same room the following night they tend to sleep more soundly. Yuka Sasaki and her colleagues at Brown University set out to investigate the origins of this effect.Dr. Sasaki knew the first-night effect probably has something to do with how humans evolved. The puzzle was what benefit would be gained from it whenperformance might be affected the following day. She also knew from previous work conducted on birds and dolphins that these animals put half of their brains to sleep at a time so that they can rest while remaining alert enough to avoid predators (捕食者). This led her to wonder if people might be doing the same thing. To take a closer look, her team studied 35 healthy people as they slept in the unfamiliar environment of the university’s Department of Psychological Sciences. The participants each slept in the department for two nights and were carefully monitored with techniques that looked at the activity of their brains. Dr. Sasaki found, as expected, the participants slept less well on their first night than they did on their second, taking more than twice as long to fall asleep and sleeping less overall. During deep sleep, the participants’ brains behaved in a similar manner seen in birds and dolphins. On the first night only, the left hemispheres (半球) of their brains did not sleep nearly as deeply as their right hemispheres did.Curious if the left hemispheres were indeed remaining awake to process information detected in the surrounding environment, Dr. Sasaki re-ran the experiment while presenting the sleeping participants with a mix of regularly timed beeps (蜂鸣声) of the same tone and irregular beeps of a different tone during the night. She worked out that, if the left hemisphere was staying alert to keep guard in a strange environment, then it would react to the irregular beeps by stirring people from sleep and would ignore the regularly timed ones. This is precisely what she found.46. What did researchers find puzzling about the first-night effect?A) To what extent it can trouble people. C) What circumstances may trigger it.B) What role it has played in evolution. D) In what way it can be beneficial.47. What do we learn about Dr. Yuka Sasaki doing her research?A) She found birds and dolphins remain alert while asleep.B) She found birds and dolphins sleep in much the same way.C) She got some idea from previous studies on birds and dolphinsD) She conducted studies on birds’ and dolphins’ sleeping patterns.48. What did Dr. Sasaki do when she first did her experiment?A) She monitored the brain activity of participants sleeping in a new environment.B) She recruited 35 participants from her Department of Psychological Sciences.C) She studied the differences between the two sides of participants’ brains.D) She tested her findings about birds and dolphins on human subjects.49. What did Dr. Sasaki do when re-running her experiment?A) She analyzed the negative effect of irregular tones on brains.B) She recorded participants’ adaptation to changed environment.C) She exposed her participants to two different stimuli.D) She compared the responses of different participants.50. What did Dr. Sasaki find about the participants in her experiment?A) They tended to enjoy certain tones more than others.B) They tended to perceive irregular beeps as a threat.C) They felt sleepy when exposed to regular beeps.D) They differed in their tolerance of irregular tones.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.It’s time to reevaluate how women handle conflict at work. Being overworked or over-committed at home and on the job will not get you where you want to be in life. It will only slow you down and hinder your career goals.Did you know women are more likely than men to feel exhausted? Nearly twice as many women than men ages 18-44 reported feeling “very tired” or “exhausted”, according to a recent study.This may not be surprising given that this is the age range when women have children. It's also the age range when many women are trying to balance careers and home. One reason women may feel exhausted is that they have a hard time saying "no." Women want to be able todo it all volunteer for school parties or cook delicious meals-and so their answer to any request is often “Yes, I can.”Women struggle to say “no” in the workplace for similar reasons, including the desire to be liked by their colleagues. Unfortunately, this inability to say "no" may be hurting women's heath as well as their career.At the workplace, men use conflict as a way to position themselves, while women often avoid conflict or strive to be the peacemaker, because they don't want to be viewed as aggressive or disruptive at work. For example, there’s a problem that needs to be addressed immediately, resulting in a dispute over should be the one to fix it. Men are more likely to face that dispute from the perspective of what benefitsthem most, whereas women may approach the same dispute from the perspective of what's the easiest and quickest way to resolve the problem-evenif that means doing the boring work themselves.This difference in handling conflict could be the deciding factor on who gets promoted to a leadership position and who does not. Leaders have to be able to delegate and manage resources wisely – including staff expertise. Shouldering more of the workload may not earn you that promotion. Instead, it may highlight your inability to delegate effectively.51. What does the author say is the problem with women?A) They are often unclear about the career goals to reach.B) They are usually more committed at home than on the job.C) They tend to be over-optimistic about how far they could go.D) They tend to push themselves beyond the limits of their ability.52. Why do working women of child-bearing age tend to feel drained of energy?A) They struggle to satisfy the demands of both work and home.B) They are too devoted to work and unable to relax as a result.C) They do their best to cooperate with their workmates.D) They are obliged to take up too many responsibilities.53. What may hinder the future prospects of career women?A) Their unwillingness to say “no”.B) Their desire to be considered powerful.C) An underestimate of their own ability.D) A lack of courage to face challenges.54. Men and woman differ in their approach to resolving workplace conflicts in that______.A) women tend to be easily satisfiedB) men are generally more persuasiveC) men tend to put their personal interests firstD) women are much more ready to compromise55. What is important to a good leader?A) A dominant personality. C) The courage to admit failureB) The ability to delegate. D) A strong sense of responsibility.Part Ⅳ Translation (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese intoEnglish. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.华山位于华阴市,据西安120公里。

大学英语四级考试真题试卷及答案

大学英语四级考试真题试卷及答案

大学英语四级考试真题试卷及答案第一部分听力(共两节,满分30分)第一节(共5小题;每小题1.5分,满分7.5分)听下面5段对话。

每段对话后有一个小题,从题中所给的A、B、C 三个选项中选出最佳选项,并标在试卷的相应位置。

听完每段对话后,你都有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。

每段对话仅读一遍。

1. What does the man suggest the woman do?A. Stay in bedB. Go for a walkC. Get exercise2. What do we learn about the speakers?A. They like the movieB. They have known each other for yearsC. They are going for a walk3. What is the woman going to do next?A. Make a planB. Talk with her friendC. Help the man4. What does the man mean?A. He wants the woman to sit downB. He prefers the woman to stand upC. He doesn't want to distract the woman5. Why is the man going to Cuba?A. For a jobB. For a holidayC. For further study第二节(共15小题;每小题1.5分,满分22.5分)听下面5段对话或独白。

每段对话或独白后有几个小题,从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项,并标在试卷的相应位置。

听每段对话或独白前,你将有时间阅读各个小题,每小题5秒钟;听完后,各小题将给出5秒钟的作答时间。

每段对话或独白读两遍。

大学英语四级考试真题试卷及答案

大学英语四级考试真题试卷及答案

大学英语四级考试真题试卷及答案Introduction大学英语四级考试(CET-4)是中国各大院校对英语水平进行评估的重要指标之一。

考试内容涵盖听力、阅读、写作和翻译四部分,是考生测试综合英语能力的重要途径。

本文将为您提供一份关于大学英语四级考试真题试卷及答案的综合介绍。

I. 听力部分(Listening Comprehension)听力部分是CET-4考试的第一部分,目的是测试考生对英语听力的理解和应用能力。

这一部分的试卷包括多个听力任务,如听短对话回答问题、听长对话回答问题、听独白回答问题等。

以下是一道CET-4听力部分的例题及答案:Question:What is the woman's excuse for being late?Options:A. A traffic jam.B. An alarm clock not ringing.C. Overslept.D. A flat tire.Answer: C. Overslept.II. 阅读部分(Reading Comprehension)阅读部分是CET-4考试的第二部分,目的是测试考生对英语文章的理解和阅读能力。

这一部分的试卷包括多篇短文,每篇短文后都有几道相关问题。

以下是一道CET-4阅读部分的例题及答案:Passage:Many people suffer from insomnia, or difficulty in sleeping. It is a common problem that can have serious effects on both physical and mental health. Fortunately, there are some strategies that can help improve sleep quality.Question:What is the main topic of the passage?Options:A. The effects of insomnia on health.B. Strategies for improving sleep quality.C. The causes of insomnia.D. Mental health issues related to insomnia.Answer: B. Strategies for improving sleep quality.III. 写作部分(Writing)写作部分是CET-4考试的第三部分,目的是测试考生的写作能力。

大学英语四级考试真题及答案(完整版)

大学英语四级考试真题及答案(完整版)

大学英语四级考试真题及答案(绝对完整)Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minute to write a shortessay on the topic of students selecting their lectures. You should writeat least 120 words following the outline given bellow:1. 越来越多的博物馆免费对外开放的目的是什么?2. 也会带来一些问题3. 你的看法?Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15minutes)Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go overthe passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1. Forquestions 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 informationgiven in the passage.How Do You See Diversity?As a manager, Tiffany is responsible for interviewing applicants for someof the positions with her company .During one interview, she noticed thatthe candidate never made direct eye contact. She was puzzled and somewhatdisappointed because she liked the individual otherwise. He had a perfect resume and gave good responses to her questions, but thefact that he never looked her in the eye said “untrustworthy,” so shedecided to offer the job to her second choice.“It wasn’t until I attended a diversity workshop that I realized theperson we passed over was the perfect person,” Tiffany confesses. Whatshe hadn’t known at the time of the interview was that the candidate’s“different”behavior was simply a cultural misunderstanding . He was an Asian-Americanraised in a household where respect for those in authority was shown byaverting(避开) your eyes.“I was just thrown off by the lack of ye contact; not realizing it wascultural,” Tiffany says. “I missed out ,but will not miss thatopportunity again.”Many of us have had similar encounters with behaviors we perceive asdifferent. As the world becomes smaller and our workplaces more diverse,it is becoming essential to expand our under-standing of others and toreexamine some of our false assumptions .Hire AdvantageAt a time when hiring qualified people is becoming moredifficult ,employers who can eliminate invalid biases(偏爱) from theprocess have a distinct advantage .My company, Mindsets LLC ,helpsorganizations and individuals see their own blind spots . A real estaterecruiter we worked with illustrates the positive difference suchtraining can make .“During my Mindsets coaching session ,I was taught how to recruit a diversified workforce. I recruited people from different cultures and skill sets .The agents were able to utilize their full potential and experiences to build up the company .When the real estate market began to change, it was because we had a diverse agent pool that we were able to stay in the real estate market much longer than others in the same profession.”Blinded by GenderDale is an account executive who attended one of my workshops onsu pervising a diverse workforce . “Through one of the sessions ,I discovered my personal bias ,” he recalls . “I learned I had not been looking at a person as a whole person , and being open to differences .” In his case , the blindness was not about culture but rather gender.“I had a management position open in my department ;and the two finalists were a man and a woman . Had I not attended this workshop , I would have automatically assumed the man was the best candidate because the position required quite a bit of extensive travel . My reasoning would have been that even though both candidates were great and could have been successful in the position , I assumed the woman would have wanted to be home with her children and not travel .”Dale’s assumptions are another example of the well-intentioned but incorrect thinking that limits an organization’s ability to tap into the full potential of a diverse workforce.“I learned from the class that instead of imposing my gender biases into the situation , I needed to present the full range of duties, responsibilities and expectations to all candidates and allow them to make an informed decision .” Dale credits the workshop , “because it helped me make decisions based on fairness .”Year of the Know-It-AllDoug is another supervisor who attended one of my workshops .He recalls a major lesson learned from his own employee.“One of my most embarrassing moments was when I had a Chinese-American employee put in a request to take time off to celebrate Chinese New Year . In my ignorance , I assumed he had his dates wrong , as the first of January had just passed . When I advised him of this , I gave him a long talking-to about turning in requests early with the proper dates .“He pati ently waited , then when I was done , he said he would like Chinese New Year did not begin January first , and that Chinese New Year ,which is tied to the lunar cycle ,is one of the most celebrated holidays on theChinese calendar . Needless to say , I felt very embarrassed in assuminghe had his dates mixed up . But I learned a great deal about assumptions ,and that the timing of holidays varies considerably from culture toculture .“Attending the diversity workshop helped me realize how much I couldlearn by simply asking questions and creating dialogues with my employees ,rather than making assumptions and trying to be a know-it-all ,” Dougadmits . “The biggest thing I took away from the workshop is learninghow to be more ‘inclusive’ to differences.A better Bottom LineAn open mind about diversity not only improves organizationsinternally , it is profitable as well . These comments from a customerservice representative show how an inclusive attitude can improvesales .”Most of my customers speak English as a second language . Oneof the best things my company has done is to contract with a languageservice that offers translations over the phone . It wasn’t until my bossreceived Mindsets’ training that she was able to understand how importantinclusiveness was to customer service . As result , our customer base hasincreased .”Once we start to see people as individuals . and discard thestereotypes , we can move positively toward inclusiveness for everyone .Diversity is about coming together and taking advantage of our differencesand similarities . It is about building better communities andorganizations that enhance us as individuals and reinforce our sharedhumanity .When we begin to question our assumptions and challenge what we think wehave learned from our past , from the media, peers , family , friends ,etc , we begin to realize that some of our conclusions are flawed(有缺陷的) or contrary to our fundamental values . We need to train our-selvesto think differently , shift our mindsets and realize that diversity opensdoors for all of us ,creating opportunities in organizations andcommunities that benefit everyone.1. What bothered Tiffany during an interview with her candidate?A) He just wouldn’t look her in the eye.B) He was slow in answering her questions.C) His answers to some of her questions were irrelevant.D) His answers to some of her questions were irrelevant.2. Tiffany’s misjudgment about the candidate stemmed from _____.A) Racial stereotypes. C) Racial stereotypes.B) Invalid personal bias . D) Emphasis on physical appearance3. What is becoming essential in the course of economic globalizationaccording to the author?A) Hiring qualified technical and management personnel.B) Increasing understanding of people of other cultures.C) Constantly updating knowledge and equipment.D) Expanding domestic and international markets.4. What kind of organization is Mindsets LLC?A) A real estate agency. C) A cultural exchange organization.B) A personnel training company. D) A hi-tech company5. After one of the workshops ,account executive Dale realized that _____.A) He had hired the wrong person.B) He could have done more for his company.C) He had not managed his workforce well.D) He must get rid of his gender bias.6. What did Dale think of Mindsets LLC’s workshop?A) It was well-intentioned but poorly conducted.B) It tapped into the executives’ full potential.C) It helped him make fair decisions.D) It met participants’ di verse needs.7. How did Doug, a supervisor, respond to a Chinese-American employee’srequest for leave?A) He told him to get the dates right. C)He flatly turned it downB) He demanded an explanation. D)He readily approved it.8. Doug felt _____ when he realized that his assumption was wrong.9. After attending Mindsets’ workshops, the participants came to knowthe importance of _____ to their business.10. When we view people as individuals and get rid of stereotypes , wecan achieve diversity and benefit from the _____ between us.Part III Listening Comprehension (35 Minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questionswill be asked about what was said .Both the conversation and the questionswill 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 letteron Answer sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.11. A) She expected more people at her party.B) She enjoys entertaining small children .C) She threw a surprise party for her friendD) She has always enjoyed great popularity.12. A) They are not used to living in a cold place.B) They feel lucky to live in Florida.C) They are going to have a holiday.D) They have not booked their air tickets yet.13. A) He was pleased to get the medal. C) He used to be a firefighter.(B) He was very courageous. D) He was accused of causing a fire.14。

英语四级考试真题试卷附答案

英语四级考试真题试卷附答案

英语四级考试真题试卷附答案(完整版第1套)Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a ne ws report to your campus newspaper on a visit to a local farm orga nized by your Student Union. You should write at least 120 words b ut no more than 180 words.______________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ __________________Part III Reading prehension (40 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You a re required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices g iven in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage throug h carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is i dentified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter on Answ er Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use a ny of the words in the bank more than once.The center of American automobile innovation has in the past dec ade moved 2,000 miles away. It has __26__ from Detroit to Silicon Valley, where self-driving vehicles are ing to life.In a __27__ to take production back to Detroit, Michigan lawmakers have introduced __28__ that could make their state the best place in the country, if not the world, to develop self-driving vehicles and put them on the road."Michigan's __29__ in auto research and development is under atta ck from several states and countries which desire to __30__ our lea dership in transportation. We can't let that happen," says Senator Mike Kowall, the lead __31__ of four bills recently introduced.If all four bills pass as written, they would __32__ a substantial u pdate of Michigan's 2013 law that allowed the testing of self-driving vehicles in limited conditions. Manufacturers would have nearly tot al freedom to test their self-driving technology on public roads. The y would be allowed to send groups of self- driving cars on cross-stat e road trips, and even set up on-demand __33__ of self-driving cars , like the one General Motors and Lyft are building.Lawmakers in Michigan clearly want to make the state ready for the mercial application of self-driving technology. In __34__ , Califor nia, home of Silicon Valley, recently proposed far more __35__ rule s that would require human drivers be ready to take the wheel, an d ban mercial use of self-driving technology.A) bidB) contrastC) deputyD) dominanceE) fleetsF) knotsG) legislationH) migratedI) replaceJ) representK) restrictiveL) rewardM) significantN) sponsorO) transmittedSection BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information gi ven in one of the paragraphs Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than onc e. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.How Work Will Change When Most of Us Live to 100A) Today in the United States there are 72,000 centenarians (百岁老人). Worldwide, probably 450,000. If current trends continue, then by 2050 there will be more than a million in the US alone. According to the work of Professor James Vaupel and his co-researchers, 50% of babies born in the US in 2007 have a life expectancy of 104 or more. Broadly the same holds for the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Canada, and for Japan 50% of 2007 babies can expect to live t o 107.B) Understandably, there are concerns about what this means for p ublic finances given the associated health and pension challenges. T hese challenges are real, and society urgently needs to address the m. But it is also important to look at the wider picture of what happ ens when so many people live for 100 years. It is a mistake to simpl y equate longevity (长寿) with issues of old age. Longer lives have implications for all of lif e, not just the end of it.C) Our view is that if many people are living for longer, and are heal thier for longer, then this will result in an inevitable redesign of wo rk and life. When people live longer, they are not only older for long er, but also younger for longer. There is some truth in the saying th at “70 is the new 60” or “40 the new 30.” If you age more slowly ov er a longer time period, then you are in some sense younger for lon ger.D) But the changes go further than that. Take, for instance, the age at which people make mitments such as buying a house, getting m arried, having children, or starting a career; These are all fundame ntal mitments that are now occurring later in life. In 1962,50% of Americans were married by age 21. By 2014, that mileston e (里程碑) had shifted to age 29.E) While there are numerous factors behind these shifts, one facto r is surely a growing realization for the young that they are going to live longer. Options are more valuable the longer they can be held . So if you believe you will live longer, then options bee more valua ble, and early mitment bees less attractive. The result is that the mitments that previously characterized the beginning of adulthood are now being delayed, and new patterns of behavior and a new st age of life are emerging for those in their twenties.F) Longevity also pushes back the age of retirement, and not only fo r financial reasons. Yes, unless people are prepared to save a lot mo re, our calculations suggest that if you are now in your mid-40s, the n you are likely to work until your early 70s; and if you are in your early 20s, there is a real chance you will need to work until your lat e 70s or possibly even into your 80s. But even if people are able to economically support a retirement at 65, over thirty years of poten tial inactivity is harmful to cognitive (认知地) and emotional vitality. Many people may simply not want to d o it.G) And yet that does not mean that simply extending our careers is appealing. Just lengthening that second stage of full-time work ma y secure the financial assets needed for a 100-year life, but such p ersistent work will inevitably exhaust precious intangible asset s such as productive skills, vitality, happiness, and friendship. H) The same is true for education. It is impossible that a single sh ot of education, administered in childhood and early adulthood, will be able to support a sustained,60-year career. If you factor in the projected rates of technologica l change, either your skills will bee unnecessary, or your industry outdated. That means that everyone will, at some point in their life , have to make a number of major reinvestments in their skills.I) It seems likely, then’ that the traditional three-stage life will ev olve into multiple stages containing two, three, or even more diffe rent careers. Each of these stages could potentially be different. In one the focus could be on building financial success and personal a chievement, in another on creating a better work/life balance, still another on exploring and understanding options more fully, or being an independent producer, yet another on making a social contri bution. These stages will span sectors, take people to different citi es, and provide a foundation for building a wide variety of skills. J) Transitions between stages could be marked with sabbaticals (休假) as people find time to rest and recharge their health, re-invest i n their relationships, or improve their skills. At times, these breaks and transitions will be self-determined, at others they will be force d as existing roles, firms, or industries cease to exist.K) A multi-stage life will have profound changes not just in how yo u manage your career, but also in your approach to life. An increas ingly important skill will be your ability to deal with change and eve n wele it. A three-stage life has few transitions, while a multi-stage l ife has many. That is why being self-aware, investing in broader wo rks of friends, and being open to new ideas will bee even more cruc ial skills.L) These multi-stage lives will create extraordinary variety across groups of people simply because there are so many ways of sequen cing the stages. More stages mean more possible sequences.M) With this variety will e the end of the close association of age and stage. In a three-stage life, people leave university at the same time and the same age, they tend to start their careers and family at the same age, they proceed through middle management all rou ghly the same time, and then move into retirement within a few yea rs of each other. In a multi-stage life, you could be an undergraduat e at 20, 40, or 60; a manager at 30,50, or 70; and bee an independent producer at any age.N) Current life structures, career paths, educational choices, and so cial norms are out of tune with the emerging reality of longer lifes pans. The three-stage life of full-time education, followed by contin uous work, and then plete retirement may have worked for our par ents or even grandparents, but it is not relevant today. We believethat to focus on longevity as primarily an issue of aging is to miss its full implications. Longevity is not necessarily about being older fo r longer. It is about living longer, being older later, and being young er longer.36. An extended lifespan in the future will allow people to have mo re careers than now.37. Just extending one's career may have both positive and negati ve effects.38. Nowadays, many Americans have on average delayed their mar riage by some eight years.39. Because of their longer lifespan» young people today no longer f ollow the pattern of life of their parents or grandparents.40. Many more people will be expected to live over 100 by the mid-21st century.41. A longer life will cause radical changes in people's approach to life.42. Fast technological change makes it necessary for one to consta ntly upgrade their skills.43. Many people may not want to retire early because it would do h arm to their mental and emotional well-being.44. The close link between age and stage may cease to exist in a m ulti-stage life.45. People living a longer and healthier life will have to rearrange t heir work and life.Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. Whe n the passage is read for the first time,you should listen carefully fo r its general idea.When the passage is read for the second time,you are required to fill in the blanks with the exact words you have just heard. Finally,when the passage is read for the third time,you shoul d check what you have written.Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.In the classic marriage vow (誓约), couples promise to stay together in sickness and in health. But a new study finds that the risk of divorce among older couples rises when the wife—not the husband— bees seriously ill."Married women diagnosed with a serious health condition may find themselves struggling with the impact of their disease while also ex periencing the stress of divorce," said researcher Amelia Karraker.Karraker and co-author Kenzie Latham analyzed 20 years of data on 2,717 marriages from a study conducted by Indiana University sinc e 1992. At the time of the first interview, at least one of the partn ers was over the age of 50.The researchers examined how the onset (发生) of four serious physical illnesses affected marriages. They foun d that, overall,31% of marriages ended in divorce over the period studied. The inc idence of new chronic (慢性地) illness onset increased over time as well, with more husbands t han wives developing serious health problems."We found that women are doubly vulnerable to marital break-up i n the face of illness," Karraker said."They're more likely to be widowed, and if they're the ones who bee ill, they're more likely to get divorced."While the study didn't assess why divorce is more likely when wive s but not husbands bee seriously ill, Karraker offers a few possible r easons."Gender norms and social expectations about caregiving may make it more difficult for men to provide care to sick spouses," Karraker said."And because of the imbalance in marriage markets, especially in o lder ages, divorced men have more choices among prospective part ners than divorced women."Given the increasing concern about health care costs for the aging p opulation, Karraker believes policymakers should be aware of the r elationship between disease and risk of divorce."Offering support services to spouses caring for their other halves m ay reduce marital stress and prevent divorce at older ages," she s aid."But it's also important to recognize that the pressure to divorce may be health-related and that sick ex-wives may need additional care and services to prevent worsening health and increased health costs."46. What can we learn about marriage vows from the passage?A) They may not guarantee a lasting marriage.B) They are as binding as they used to be.C) They are not taken seriously any more.D) They may help couples tide over hard times.47. What did Karraker and co-author Kenzie Latham find about elde rly husbands?A) They are generally not good at taking care of themselves.B) They can bee increasingly vulnerable to serious illnesses.C) They can develop different kinds of illnesses just like their wives.D) They are more likely to contract serious illnesses than their wiv es.48. What does Karraker say about women who fall ill?A) They are more likely to be widowed.B) They are more likely to get divorced.C) They are less likely to receive good care.D) They are less likely to bother their spouses.49. Why is it more difficult for men to take care of their sick spouse s according to Karraker?A) They are more accustomed to receiving care.B) They find it more important to make money for the family.C) They think it more urgent to fulfill their social obligations.D) They expect society to do more of the job.50. What does Karraker think is also important?A) Reducing marital stress on wives.C) Providing extra care for divorced women.B) Stabilizing old couples' relations.D) Making men pay for their wives, health costs.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.If you were like most children, you probably got upset when your mother called you by a sibling's (兄弟姐妹地) name. How could she not know you? Did it mean she loved you l ess?Probably not. According to the first research to tackle this topic hea d-on, misnaming the most familiar people in our life is a mon cogni tive (认知地) error that has to do with how our memories classify and store f amiliar names.The study, published online in April in the journal Memory and Cogn ition, found that the "wrong" name is not random but is invariably fished out from the same relationship pond: children, siblings, frie nds. The study did not examine the possibility of deep psychologic al significance to the mistake, says psychologist David Rubin, "but it does tell us who's in and who's out of the group."The study also found that within that group, misnamings occurred w here the names shared initial or internal sounds, like Jimmy and Joanie or John and Bob. Physical resemblance between people was not a factor. Nor was gender.The researchers conducted five separate surveys of more than 1,7 00 people. Some of the surveys included only college students; othe rs were done with a mixed-age population. Some asked subjects a bout incidents where someone close to them—family or friend—had called them by another person's name. The other surveys asked ab out times when subjects had themselves called someone close to th em by the wrong name. All the surveys found that people mixed up names within relationship groups such as grandchildren, friends and siblings but hardly ever crossed these boundaries.In general, the study found that undergraduates were almost as like ly as old people to make this mistake and men as likely as women. Older people and women made the mistake slightly more often, bu t that may be because grandparents have more grandchildren to mi x up than parents have children. Also, mothers may call on their chil dren more often than fathers, given traditional gender norms. The re was no evidence that errors occurred more when the misnamer was frustrated, tired or angry.51. How might people often feel when they were misnamed?A) Unwanted.B) Unhappy.C) Confused.D) Indifferent.52. What did David Rubin's research find about misnaming?A) It is related to the way our memories work.B) It is a possible indicator of a faulty memory.C) It occurs mostly between kids and their friends.D) It often causes misunderstandings among people.53. What is most likely the cause of misnaming?A) Similar personality traits.B) Similar spellings of names.C) Similar physical appearance.D) Similar pronunciation of names.54. What did the surveys of more than 1,700 subjects find about mi snaming?A) It more often than not hurts relationships.B) It hardly occurs across gender boundaries.C) It is most frequently found in extended families.D) It most often occurs within a relationship group.55. Why do mothers misname their children more often than fathers?A) They suffer more frustrations.B) They bee worn out more often.C) They municate more with their children.D) They generally take on more work at home.PartⅣTranslation (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.舞狮作为中国传统民间表演已有2000多年历史。

2024年6月大学英语四级考试真题和答案(第1套)

2024年6月大学英语四级考试真题和答案(第1套)

2024年06月大学英语四级考试真题和答案(第1套)Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions: Suppose your university is seeking students’ opinions on whether university libraries should be open to the public. You are now to write an essay to express your view. You will have 30 minutes for the task. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.PartⅡ Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)Section ADirections:In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D).Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1. A) Due to a fire alarm in their apartments.B) Because of the smoke and heat damage.C) Due to the water used to extinguish the flames.D) Because of the collapse of the three-story building.2. A) Investigating the cause of the incident.B) Helping search for the suspect of the crime.C) Rescuing the businessmen trapped in the building.D) Checking town records for the property developer.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3. A) It plays a less important role in one’s health than nutrient intake.B) It impacts people’s health to a lesser degree than sun exposure.C) It is associated with people’s mental health conditions.D) It is linked with older adults’ symptoms of depression.4. A) It was indefinite.B) It was systematic.C) It was straightforward.D) It was insignificant.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. A) It has helped solve several murder cases.B) It has become a star police dog in Beijing.C) It has surpassed its mother in performance.D) It has done better than naturally born dogs.6. A) To speed up investigation into criminal cases.B) To test the feasibility of cloning technology.C) To cut down training expenses.D) To reduce their training time.7. A) Cloning is too complicated a process.B) The technology is yet to be accepted.C) Cloning is ethically controversial.D) The technology is too expensive.Section BDirections:In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A),B),C)and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8. A) He read it somewhere online.B) He heard about it from a coworker.C) He read an article reviewing it.D) He watched a TV series based on it.9. A) His publications.B) His first book.C) His address.D) His name.10. A) Collect a lot more data.B) Relax a bit less often.C) Clarify many new concepts.D) Read more reference books.11. A) Find out the show’s most interesting episodes.B) Watch the series together with the woman.C) Get an e-copy of the book to read.D) Check to see when the show starts.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. A) To check the prices of his farm produce.B) To ask the way to the Newcastle City Hall.C) To inquire about the vegetarian food festival.D) To seek the man’s help with her work on the farm.13. A) Bakers.B) Vendors.C) Vegetarians.D) Organisers.14. A) The issuing of certificates to vendors.B) The completion of the baking task.C) The festival they are organising.D) The deadline for application.15. A) The closing date of submission.B) The website of his company.C) The details of the ceremony.D) The organiser’s address.Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A) Most scenic sites have been closed.B) Access to official campsites is limited.C) Health experts advise going outdoors.D) People have more time during the summer.17. A) It is strongly opposed by nearby residents.B) It leads to much waste of public money.C) It has caused environmental concerns.D) It has created conflicts among campers.18. A) Look for open land in Scotland.B) Leave no trace of their camping.C) Avoid getting close to wilderness.D) Ask for permission from authorities.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A) They outcompete mythical creatures.B) They usually mind their own business.C) They truly exist in the Amazon region.D) They resemble alarmingly large snakes.20. A) Scar tissue from dolphins’ fighting.B) Skin infection from water pollution.C) Unhealed wounds from snake bites.D) Swimming along in seasonal floods.21. A) It has been shrinking at an astonishing pace.B) It has been placed under international protection.C) It has been appealing to both freshwater and sea dolphins.D) It has been abandoned as a battleground for male dolphins.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A) About 58% of young adults call parental support the new normal.B) Most adult children enjoy increasing sources of financial support.C) A full 70% of the young adults cannot afford to buy a car by themselves.D) Most early adults cannot sustain their lifestyles without parental support.23. A) It renders them dependent.B) It causes them to lose dignity.C) It makes them mentally immature.D) It hinders them from getting ahead.24. A) It challenges one’s willpower.B) It results from education.C) It calls for due assistance.D) It defines adulthood.25. A) Current lifestyles.B) Poor budgeting.C) College loans.D) Emergency expenses.Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.It’s well known that physical exercise is beneficial not just to physical health but also to mental health. Yet whereas most countries have____26____, evidence-backed guidelines on the type and intensity of exercise____27____for various physical health benefits, such guidelines do not yet exist for exercise and mood.This is____28____due to a lack of necessary evidence. However, a new systematic review brings us usefully up-to-date on the current findings in this area.Before____29____into some of the key take-aways, animportant____30____made in the review is between aerobic exercise and anaerobic. The former____31____such things as walking, jogging and cycling and means exercising in such a way that your body is able to use oxygen to burn fat for energy. In contrast, anaerobic exercise—such as lifting heavy weights—is of such____32____intensity that your body does not have time to use oxygen to create energy and so instead it breaks down glucose (葡萄糖) in your blood or muscles.Beginning first with the influence of exercise intensity on the moodbenefits of aerobic exercise, the researchers, led by John Chan at Shenzhen University, found____33____results from 19 relevant studies. Some favoured higher intensity, others low, while seven studies found that intensity made no____34____to mood benefits.In relation to the intensity of anaerobic exercise, however, the results were far clearer—the optimum (最佳选择) for improving moodis____35____intensity, perhaps because low intensity is too dull while high intensity is too unpleasant.A) constitutesB) contradictoryC) decisionD) detailedE) differenceF) dippingG) distinctionH) fallingI) involvesJ) moderateK) notifiedL) partlyM) requiredN) traditionallyO) vigorousSection BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it.Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.Why Do Americans Work So Much?A) How will we all keep busy when we only have to work 15 hours a week? That was the question that worried the British economist John Maynard Keynes when he wrote his short essay “Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren” in 1930. Over the next century, he predicted, the economy would become so productive that people would barely need to work at all. For a while, it looked like Keynes was right. In 1930 the average working week was 47 hours in the United States. But by 1970, the number of hours Americans worked on average had fallen to slightly less than 39.B) But then something changed. Instead of continuing to decline, the duration of the working week remained stable. It has stayed at just below 40 hours for nearly five decades. So what happened? Why are people working just as much today as in 1970?C) There would be no mystery in this if Keynes had been wrong about the power of technology to increase the economy’s productivity, which he thought would lead to a standard of living “between four and eight times as high as it is today.” But Keynes got that right: Technology has made the economy massively more productive. According to Benjamin M. Friedman, an economist at Harvard, the U.S. economy is right on track to reach Keynes’s eight-fold (八倍) multiple by 2029. That is a century after the last data Keynes would have had access to.D) In a new paper, Friedman tries to figure out why that increased productivity has not translated into increased leisure time. Perhaps people just never feel materially satisfied, always wanting more money to buy the next new thing. This is a theory that appeals to many economists. “This argument is, at best, far from sufficient,” he writes. If that were the case, why did the duration of the working week decline in the first place?E) Another theory Friedman considers is that, in an era of ever fewer settings that provide effective opportunities for personal connections and relationships, people may place more value on the socializing that happens at work. There is support for this theory. Many people today consider colleagues as friends. But Friedman argues that the evidence for this theory is far from conclusive. Many workers report that they would like to spend more time with family, rather than at work. Furthermore, this theory cannot explain the change in trend in the U.S. working week in the 1970s.F) A third possibility proves more convincing for Friedman. That is: American inequality means that the gains of increasing productivity are not widely shared by everyone. In other words, most Americans are too poor to work less. Unlike the other two explanations Friedman considers, this one fits chronologically (按年代). Inequality declined in America during the period following World War II, along with the duration of the working week. But since the early 1970s it has risen dramatically.G) Keynes’s prediction of a shorter working week rests on the idea that the standard of living would continue rising for everyone. But Friedman says that this is not what has happened. Although Keynes’s eight-fold figure holds up for the economy as a whole, it is not at all the case for the median (中位数的) American worker. For them, output by 2029 is likely to be around 3.5 times what it was when Keynes was writing. This is a bit below his fourto eight-fold predicted range.H) This can be seen in the median worker’s income over this time period, complete with a shift in 1973 that fits in precisely with when the working week stopped shrinking. According to Friedman, between 1947 and 1973 the average hourly wage for normal workers (those who were not in management roles) in private industries other than agriculture nearly doubled in terms of what their money could buy. But by 2013 the average hourly wagefor ordinary workers had fallen 5 percent from the 1973 level in terms of actual purchasing power. Thus, though American incomes may have gone up since 1973, the amount that American workers can actually buy with their money has gone down. For most Americans, then, the magic of increasing productivity stopped working around 1973. Thus, they had to keep working just as much in order to maintain their standard of living.I) What Keynes predicted was a very optimistic version of what economists call technological unemployment. This is the idea that less labor will be necessary because machines can do so much. In Keynes’s vision, the resulting unemployment would be distributed more or less evenly across society in the form of increased leisure. But Friedman says that, for Americans, reality is much darker. Americans now have a labor market in which millions of people—those with fewer skills and less education —are seeking whatever poorly paid work they can get. This is confirmed by a recent poll that found that, for half of hourly workers, their top concern is not that they work too much but that they work too little. This is most likely not because they like their jobs so much. Rather, we can assume it is because they need the money.J) This explanation leaves an important question. If the very rich—the workers who have reaped above-average gains from the increased productivity since Keynes’s time—can afford to work less, why do they continue to work so much? (Indeed, research has shown that the highest earners in America tend to work the most.) Friedman believes that for many top earners, work is a labor of love. They are doing work they care about and are interested in, and doing more of it is not necessarily a burden. For them, it may even be a pleasure. These top earners derive meaning from their jobs and work is an important part of how they think of themselves. And, of course, they are compensated for it at a level that makes it worth their while.K) Friedman concludes that the prosperity (繁荣) Keynes predicted is here. After all, the economy as a whole has grown even more brilliantly than he expected. But for most Americans, that prosperity is nowhere to be seen. And, as a result, neither are those shorter working weeks.36. Some people view socializing at the workplace as a chance to develop personal relationships.37. As ordinary American workers’ average hourly pay had decreased despite increasing productivity, they had to work just as many hours as before to keep their living standards.38. American workers’ average weekly working time has not changed for nearly half a century.39. Friedman believes inequality in the U.S. largely explains why increasing productivity has not resulted in reduced working hours. 40. Many economists assume people’s thirst for material things has prevented them from enjoying more leisure time.41. An economist’s prediction about a shorter average working week seemed to be correct for a time in the 20th century.42. In the U.S. labor market, the primary concern of people with less schooling and fewer skills is to secure any employment even if it is low-paid.43. Keynes was right in predicting that technology would make the economy much more productive.44. Many of the highest earners have a keen interest in and love for what they are doing.45. According to Keynes, there would be a shorter working week with everyone’s standard of living continuing to rise.Section CDirections:There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.Lao Zi once said, “Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner.”People-pleasing, or seeking self-worth through others’ approval, is unproductive and an exhausting way to go through life. Why do we allow what others think of us to have so much power over how we feel about ourselves? If it’s true that you can’t please all people all of the time, wouldn’t it make sense to stop trying?Unfortunately, sense often isn’t driving our behavior. For social beings who desire love and belonging, wanting to be liked, and caring about the effect we have on others, is healthy and allows us to make connections. However, where we get into trouble is when our self-worth is dependent upon whether we win someone’s approval or not.This need to be liked can be traced back to when we were children and were completely dependent on others to take care of us: Small children are not just learning how to walk and communicate, they are also trying to learn how the world works. We learn about who we are and what is expected of us based on interactions with others, so, to a four-year-old, if Mommy or Daddy doesn’t like him or her, there is the danger that they will abandon them. We need to understand that when we desperately want someone to approve of us, it’s being driven by that little kid part of us that is still terrified of abandonment.As you become more capable of providing yourself with the approval you seek, your need for external validation will start to vanish, leaving youstronger, more confident, and yes, happier in your life. Imagine how much time we lose each moment we restrain our authenticselves in an effort to be liked.If we base our worth on the opinions of others, we cheat ourselves of the power to shape our experiences and embrace life not only for others but also for ourselves, because ultimately, there is no difference. So embrace the cliché(老话) and love yourself as it’s highly doubtfulthat you’ll regret it.46. What can we conclude from Lao Zi’s quotation?A) We should see through other people’s attempt to make a prisoner of us.B) We can never really please other people even if we try as hard as we can.C) We can never be truly free if taking to heart others’ opinion of us.D) We should care about other people’s view as much as they care about our own.47. What will happen if we base our self-worth on other people’s approval?A) Our desire to be loved will be fulfilled.B) Our life will be unfruitful and exhausting.C) Our identity as social beings will be affected.D) Our sense of self will be sharpened and enhanced.48. What may account for our need to be liked or approved of?A) Our desperate longing for interactions with others.B) Our understanding of the workings of the world.C) Our knowledge about the pain of abandonment.D) Our early childhood fear of being deserted.49. What can we do when we become better able to provide ourselves with the desiredapproval?A) Enjoy a happier life.B) Exercise self-restraint.C) Receive more external validation.D) Strengthen our power of imagination.50. What does the author advise us to do in the last paragraph?A) Embrace life for ourselves and for others.B) Base our worth on others’ opinions.C) See our experiences as assets.D) Love ourselves as we are.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.Some people have said aging is more a slide into forgetfulness than a journey towards wisdom. However, a growing body of research suggeststhat late-in-life learning is possible. In reality, education does an aging brain good.Throughout life, people’s brains constantly renovate themselves. In the late 1960s, British brain scientist Geoffrey Raisman spied growth in damaged brain regions of rats through an electron microscope; their brains were forging new connections. This meant brains may change every time a person learns something new.Of course, that doesn’t mean the brain isn’t affected by the effects of time. Just as height usually declines over the years, so does brain volume: Humans lose about 4 percent every decade starting in their 40s. But that reduction doesn’t necessarily make people think slower; as long as we are alive and functioning, we can alter our brains with new information and experiences.In fact, scientists now suspect accumulating novel experiences, facts, and skills can keep people’s minds more flexible. New pathways can strengthen our ever-changing mental structure, even as the brain shrinks.Conventional fixes like word puzzles and brain-training apps can contribute to mental durability. Even something as simple as taking a different route to the grocery store or going somewhere new on vacation can keep the brain healthy.A desire for new life challenges can further boost brainpower. Research about aging adults who take on new enterprises shows improved function and memory as well as a reduced risk of mental disease. Openness —a characteristic defined by curiosity and a desire for knowledge—may also help folks pass brain tests. Some folks are born with thistake-in-theworld attitude, but those who aren’t as genetically gifted aren’t necessarily out of luck. While genes can encourage an interest in doing new things, a 2012 study in the journal Psychology and Aging found completing reasoning tasks like puzzles and number games can enhance that desire for novel experiences, which can, in turn, refresh the brain. That’s why brain scientist Richard Kennedy says “It’s not that old dogs can’t learn new tricks. It’s that maybe old dogs don’t realize why they should. ”51. What do some people think of aging adults?A) Their wisdom grows as time goes by.B) Their memory gradually deteriorates.C) They can benefit from late-in-life learning.D) They are likely to have mental health issues.52. What can we conclude from Geoffrey Raisman’s finding?A) Brain damage seriously hinders one’s learning.B) Brain power weakens slower than we imagine.C) Brains can refresh and improve with learning.D) Brains forge connections under new conditions.53. What is one thing that helps maintain the health of our brain even as it shrinks?A) Doing daily routines by conventional means.B) Avoiding worrying about our mental durability.C) Imitating old dogs’ way of learning new tricks.D) Approaching everyday tasks in novel ways.54. What does the author say can contribute to the improvement of brain function?A) Being curious and desiring knowledge.B) Being eager to pass brain tests at an old age.C) Rising to life’s challenges and avoiding risks.D) Boosting immunity to serious mental diseases.55. What is the finding of the 2012 study in the journal Psychology and Aging?A) Wishing to solve puzzles enhances one’s reasoning power.B) Playing number games unexpectedly stimulates one’s memory.C) Desiring new experiences can help to renovate the brain.D) Learning new tricks should not be confined to old dogs only.Part Ⅳ Translation (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chineseinto English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.四合院(siheyuan)是中国一种传统的住宅建筑,其特点是房屋建造在一个院子的四周,将院子合围在中间。

英语四级考试真题试卷附答案第套

英语四级考试真题试卷附答案第套

英语四级考试真题试卷附答案第套英语四级考试真题试卷附答案第套一、写作部分写作部分是英语四级考试的第一部分,占总分的15%。

该部分要求考生根据给出的主题和提示,写出一篇不少于200字的短文。

二、听力部分听力部分是英语四级考试的第二部分,占总分的35%。

该部分包括短篇新闻、长对话和听力理解三部分,要求考生根据听到的内容完成相应的题目。

三、阅读部分阅读部分是英语四级考试的第三部分,占总分的35%。

该部分包括词汇理解、长篇阅读和仔细阅读三部分,要求考生根据文章内容完成相应的题目。

四、翻译部分翻译部分是英语四级考试的第四部分,占总分的15%。

该部分要求考生翻译一篇涉及文化、历史、经济等方面的文章。

五、答案及解析1、写作部分答案:主题:互联网对人们生活的影响提示:互联网在信息获取、交流沟通、娱乐生活等方面都给人们带来了便利,但也存在一些负面影响,比如沉迷于网络游戏等。

短文(仅供参考):The internet has greatly affected people's lives. On the one hand, the internet provides people with easy access to information and allows them to communicate and娱乐生活themselves through social media, online games, and other digital platforms. On the other hand, the excessive use of the internet can lead to problems such as addiction and negative impact on people's social lives and personal relationships.2、听力部分答案:短篇新闻:1-5 ACBAC;长对话:6-10 BACAB;听力理解:11-15 BACAB。

(完整版)大学英语四级真题及答案(多套题及详解)

(完整版)大学英语四级真题及答案(多套题及详解)

大学英语四级真题及答案(多套题及翻译)CET4 Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the following topic. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.题目一:Suppose a foreign friend of yours is coming to visit your campus, what is the most interesting place you would like to take him/her to see and why?假设你的一位外国朋友来参观你的校园,你最感兴趣的地方想带他/她去看?为什么?题目二:Suppose a foreign friend of yours is coming to visit your hometown, what is the most interesting place you would like to take him/her to see and why?假设你的一位外国朋友来参观你的家乡,你最感兴趣的地方想带他/她去看?为什么?题目三:Suppose a foreign friend of yours is coming to visit China, what is the most interesting place you would like to take him/her to see and why?假设你的一位外国朋友来参观中国,你最感兴趣的地方想带他/她去看?为什么?Part II Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D), and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.注意:此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。

大学英语四级真题阅读练习10套(附参考答案)

大学英语四级真题阅读练习10套(附参考答案)

大学英语4级真题Passage 1The endless debate about “work-life balance’’ often contains a hopeful footnote about stay-at-home dads. If American society and business won5t make it easier on future female leaders who choose to have children, there is still the ray of hope that increasing numbers of full-time fathers will. But based on today’s socioeconomic trends, this hope is, unfortunately, misguided.It’s true that the number of men who have left work to do their thing as full-time parents has doubled in a decade, but ifs still very small:only 0. 8% of married couples where the stay-at-home father was out of the labor force for a year. Even that percentage is likely inflated by men thrust into their caretaker role by a downsizing. This is simply not a large enough group to reduce the social stigma(污名)and force other adjustments necessary to supporting men in this decision, even if only for a relatively short time.Even shorter times away from work for working fathers are already difficult. A study found that 85% of new fathers take some time off after the birth of a child—but for all but a few, it’s a week or two at most. Meanwhile, the average for women who take leave is more than 10 weeks. Such choices impact who moves up in the organization. While you’re away, someone else is doing your work, making your sales, taking care of your customers. That can’t help you at work. It can only hurt you. Women, of course, face the same issues of returning after a long absence. But with many more women than men choosing to leave the workforce entirely to raise families, returning from an extended parental leave doesn’t raise as many eyebrows as it does for men.Women would make more if they didn't break their earning trajectory (轨迹)by leaving the workforce, or if higher-paying professions were more family-friendly. In the foreseeable future, stay- at-home fathers may make all the difference for individual families, but their presence won’t reduce the numbers of high-potential women who are forced to choose between family and career.56.What gives women a ray of hope to achieve work-life balance?A)More men taking an extended parental leave.B)Peopled changing attitudes towards family.C)More women entering business management.D)The improvement of their socioeconomic status.57.Why does the author say the hope for more full-time fathers is misguided?A)Women are better at taking care of children.B)Many men value work more than their family.C)Their number is too small to make a difference.D)Not many men have the chance to stay at home.58.Why do few men take a long parental leave?A)A long leave will have a negative impact on their career.B)They just have too many responsibilities to fulfill at work.C)The economic loss will be too much for their family to bear.D)They are likely to get fired if absent from work for too long.59.What is the most likely reaction to men returning from an extended parental leave?A) Jealousy. C) Admiration. B) Surprise.D) Sympathy.60.What does the author say about high-potential women in the not-too-distant future?A)They will benefit from the trend of more fathers staying at home.B)They will find high-paying professions a bit more family-friendly.C)They are unlikely to break their career trajectory to raise a family.D)They will still face the difficult choice between career and children.答案:BCABDPassage 2Some of the world’s most significant problems never hit headlines. One example comes from agriculture. Food riots and hunger make news. But the trend lying behind these matters is rarely talked about. This is the decline in the growth in yields of some of the world’s major crops. A new study by the University of Minnesota and McGill University in Montreal looks at where, and how far, this decline is occurring.The authors take a vast number of data points for the four most important crops :rice, wheat, com and soyabeans (大豆).They find that on between 24% and 39% of all harvested areas, the improvement in yields that took place before the 1980s slowed down in the 1990s and 2000s. There are two worrying features of the slowdown. One is that it has been particularly sharp in the world’s most(人口多的)countries, India and China. Their ability to feed themselves has been an important source of relative stability both within the countries and on world food markets. That self-sufficiency cannot be taken for granted if yields continue to slow down or reverse.Second, yield growth has been lower in wheat and rice than in com and soyabeans. This is problematic because wheat and rice are more important as foods, accounting for around half of all calories consumed. Com and soyabeans are more important as feed grains. The authors note that “we have preferentially focused our crop improvement efforts on feeding animals and cars rather than on crops that feed people and are the basis of food security in much of the world. ”, The report qualifies the more optimistic findings of another new paper which suggests that the world will not have to dig up a lot more land for farming in order to feed 9 billion people in 2050, as the Food and Agriculture Organisation has argued.Instead, it says, thanks to slowing population growth, land currently ploughed up for crops might be able to revert (回返)to forest or wilderness. This could happen. The trouble is that the forecast assumes continued improvements in yields, which may not actually happen.61.What does the author try to draw attention to?A) Food riots and hunger in the world.C) The decline of the grain yield growth.B) News headlines in the leading media.D) The food supply in populous countries.62.Why does the author mention India and China in particular?A)Their self-sufficiency is vital to the stability of world food markets.B)Their food yields have begun to decrease sharply in recent years.C)Their big populations are causing worldwide concerns.D)Their food self-sufficiency has been taken for granted.63.What does the new study by the two universities say about recent crop improvement efforts?A)They fail to produce the same remarkable results as before the 1980s.B)They contribute a lot to the improvement of human food production.C)They play a major role in guaranteeing the food security of the world.D)They focus more on the increase of animal feed than human food grains.64.What does the Food and Agriculture Organisation say about world food production in thecoming decades?A)The growing population will greatly increase the pressure on world food supplies.B)The optimistic prediction about food production should be viewed with caution.C)The "slowdown of the growth in yields of major food crops will be reversed.D)The world will be able to feed its population without increasing farmland.65.How does the author view the argument of the Food and Agriculture Organisation?A)It is built on the findings of a new study.B)It is based on a doubtful assumption.C)It is backed by strong evidence.D)It is open to further discussion.答案:CADDBPassage 3Junk food is everywhere. We’re eating way too much of it. Most of us know what we’re doing and yet we do it anyway.So here’s a suggestion offered by two researchers at the Rand Corporation : Why not take a lesson from alcohol control policies and apply them to where food is sold and how it’s displayed?“Many policy measures to control obesity(肥胖症)assume that people consciously and rationally choose what and how much they eat and therefore focus on providing information and more access to healthier foods,” note the two researchers.“In contrast,” the researchers continue, “ many regulations that don’t assume people make rational choices have been successfully applied to control alcohol, a substance—like food—of which immoderate consumption leads to serious health problems. ’’The research references studies of peopled behavior with food and alcohol and results of alcohol restrictions, and then lists five regulations that the researchers think might be promising if applied to junk foods. Among them:Density restrictions:licenses to sell alcohol aren’t handed out unplanned to all comers but are allotted (分配) based on the number of places in an area that already sell alcohol. These make alcohol less easy to get and reduce the number of psychological cues to drink.Similarly, the researchers say, being presented with junk food stimulates our desire to eat it. So why not limit the density of food outlets, particularly ones that sell food rich in empty calories? And why not limit sale of food in places that aren5t primarily food stores?Display and sales restrictions: California has a rule prohibiting alcohol displays near the cash registers in gas stations, and in most places you can’t buy alcohol at drive-through facilities. At supermarkets, food companies pay to have their wares in places where they’re easily seen. One could remove junk food to the back of the store and ban them from the shelves at checkout lines. The other measures include restricting portion sizes, taxing and prohibiting special price deals for junk foods, and placing warning labels on the products.56.What does the author say about junk food?A)People should be educated not to eat too much.B)It is widely consumed despite its ill reputation.C)Its temptation is too strong for people to resist.D)It causes more harm than is generally realized.57.What do the Rand researchers think of many of the policy measures to control obesity?A) They should be implemented effectively.C) They are based on wrong assumptions.B) They provide misleading information.D) They help people make rational choices.58.Why do policymakers of alcohol control place density restrictions?A)Few people are able to resist alcohol’s temptations.B)There are already too many stores selling alcohol.C)Drinking strong alcohol can cause social problems.D)Easy access leads to customers’ over-consumption.59.What is the purpose of California’s rule about alcohol display in gas stations?A)To effectively limit the density of alcohol outlets.B)To help drivers to give up the habit of drinking.C)To prevent possible traffic jams in nearby areas.D)To get alcohol out of drivers’ immediate sight.60.What is the general guideline the Rand researchers suggest about junk food control?A)Guiding people to make rational choices about food.B)Enhancing people’s awareness of their own health.C)Borrowing ideas from alcohol control measures.D)Resorting to economic, legal and psychological means.答案:CCDDCPassage 4Kodak’s decision to file for bankruptcy (破产)protection is a sad, though not unexpected, turning point for a leading American corporation that pioneered consumer photography and dominated the film market for decades, but ultimately failed to adapt to the digital revolution.Although many attribute Kodak’s downfall to “complacency ( 自满)”that explanation doesn’t acknowledge the lengths to which the company went to reinvent itself. Decades ago, Kodak anticipated that digital photography would overtake film—and in fact, Kodak invented the first digital camera in 1975—but in a fateful decision, the company chose to shelf its new discovery to focus on its traditional film business.It wasn’t that Kodak was blind to the future, said Rebecca Henderson, a professor at Harvard Business School, but rather that it failed to execute on a strategy to confront it. By the time the company realized its mistake, it was too late.Kodak is an example of a firm that was very much aware that they had to adapt, and spent a lot of money trying to do so, but ultimately failed. Large companies have a difficult time switching to new markets because there is a temptation to put existing assets into the new businesses.Although Kodak anticipated the inevitable rise of digital photography, its corporate(企业的)culture was too rooted in the successes of the past for it to make the clean break necessary to fully embrace the future. They were a company stuck in time. Their history was so important to them. Now their history has become a liability.Kodak’s downfall over the last several decades was dramatic. In 1976, the company commanded 90% of the market for photographic film and 85% of the market for cameras. But the 1980s brought new competition from Japanese film company Fuji Photo, which undermined Kodak by offering lower prices for film and photo supplies. Kodak’s decision not to pursue the role of official film for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics was a major miscalculation. The bid went instead to Fuji, which exploited its sponsorship to win a permanent foothold in the marketplace.61.What do we learn about Kodak?A)It went bankrupt all of a sudden.B)It is approaching its downfall.C)It initiated the digital revolution in the film industry.D)It is playing the dominant role in the film market.62.Why does the author mention Kodak’s invention of the first digital camera?A)To show its early attempt to reinvent itself.B)To show its effort to overcome complacency.C)To show its quick adaptation to the digital revolution.D)To show its will to compete with Japan’s Fuji Photo.63.Why do large companies have difficulty switching to new markets?A)They find it costly to give up their existing assets.B)They tend to be slow in confronting new challenges.C)They are unwilling to invest in new technology.D)They are deeply stuck in their glorious past.64.What does the author say Kodak’s history has become?A) A burden.B) A mirror.C) A joke.D) A challenge.65.What was Kodak’s fatal mistake?A) Its blind faith in traditional photography.C) Its refusal to sponsor the 1984 Olympics.B) Its failure to see Fuji Photo’s emergence.D) Its overconfidence in its corporate culture.答案:BADACPassage 5When it’s five o’clock, people leave their office. The length of the workday, for many workers, is defined by time. They leave when the clock tells them they’re done.These days, the time is everywhere: not just on clocks or watches, but on cell-phones and computers. That may be a bad thing, particularly at work. New research shows that clock-based work schedules hinder morale (士气) and creativity.Clock-timers organize their day by blocks of minutes and hours. For example:a meeting from 9 a. m. to 10 a. m. , research from 10 a. m. to noon, etc. On the other hand, task-timers have a list of things they want to accomplish. They work down the list, each task starts when the previous task is completed. It is said that all of us employ a mix of both these types of planning.What, then, are the effects of thinking about time in these different ways? Does one make us more productive? Better at the tasks at hand? Happier? In experiments conducted by Tamar Avnet and Anne-Laure Sellier, they had participants organize different activities—from project planning, holiday shopping, to yoga —by time or to-do list to measure how they performed under “clock time vs “task time.” They found clock timers to be more efficient but less happy because they felt little control over their lives. Task timers are happier and more creative, but less productive. They tend to enjoy the moment when something good is happening, and seize opportunities that come up.The researchers argue that task-based organizing tends to be undervalued and under-supported in business culture. Smart companies, they believe, will try to bake more task-based planning into their strategies.This might be a small change to the way we view work and the office, but the researchersargue that it challenges a widespread characteristic of the economy: work organized by dock time. While most people will still probably need, and be, to some extent, clock-timers, task-based timing should be used when perfoming a job that requires more creativity. It’ll make those tasks easier, arid the task- doers will be happier.56.What does the author think of time displayed everywhere?A)It makes everybody time-conscious.B)It is a convenience for work and life.C)It may have a negative effect on creative work.D)It clearly indicates the fast pace of modem life.57.How do people usually go about their work according to the author?A)They combine clock-based and task-based planning.B)They give priority to the most urgent task on hand.C)They set a time limit for each specific task.D)They accomplish their tasks one by one.58.What did Tamar Avnet and Anne-Laure Sellier find in their experiments about clocks timers?A) They seize opportunities as they come up.C) They have more control over their lives.B) They always get their work done in time.D) They tend to be more productive.59.What do the researchers say about today’s business culture?A)It does not support the strategies adopted by smart companies.B)It does not attach enough importance to task-based practice.C)It places more emphasis on work efficiency than on workers5 lives.D)It aims to bring employees, potential and creativity into full play.60.What do the researchers suggest?A)Task-based timing is preferred for doing creative work. B)It is important to keep a balance between work and life.C)Performing creative jobs tends to make workers happier. D)A scientific standard should be adopted in job evaluation.答案:CADAAPassage 6Martha Stewart was charged, tried and competed of a crime in 2004. As she neared the end of her prison sentence, a well-known columnist wrote that she was “ paying her dues,” and that “ there is simply no reason for anyone to attempt to deny her right to start anew.”Surely, the American ideal of second chances should not be reserved only for the rich and powerful. Unfortunately, many federal and state laws impose post-conviction restrictions on a shockingly large number of Americans, who are prevented from ever fully paying their debt to society.At least 65 million people in the United States have a criminal record. This can result in severe penalties that continue long after punishment is completed.Many of these penalties are imposed regardless of the seriousness of the offense or the person’s individual circumstances. Laws can restrict or ban voting, access to public housing, and professional and business licensing. They can affect a person’s ability to get a job and qualification for benefits.In all, more than 45, 000 laws and rules serve to exclude vast numbers of people from fullyparticipating in American life.Some laws make sense. No one advocates letting someone convicted of pedophilia(恋童癖)work in a school. But too often collateral(附随的)consequences bear no relation to public safety. Should a woman who possessed a small amount of drugs years ago be permanently unable to be licensed as a nurse?These laws are also counterproductive, since they make it harder for people with criminal records to find housing or land a job, two key factors that reduce backsliding.A recent report makes several recommendations, including the abolition of most post-conviction penalties, except for those specifically needed to protect public safety. Where the penalties are not a must, they should be imposed only if the facts of a case support it.The point is not to excuse or forget the crime. Rather, it is to recognize that in America’s vast criminal justice system, second chances are crucial. It is in no one’s interest to keep a large segment of the population on the margins of society.61.What does the well-known columnist’s remark about Martha Stewart suggest?A)Her past record might stand in her way to a new life.B)Her business went bankrupt while she was in prison.C)Her release from prison has drawn little attention.D)Her prison sentence might have been extended.62.What do we learn from the second paragraph about many criminals in America?A)They backslide after serving their terms in prison.B)They are deprived of chances to turn over a new leaf.C)They receive severe penalties for committing minor offenses.D)They are convicted regardless of their individual circumstances.63.What are the consequences for many Americans with a criminal record?A) They remain poor for the rest of their lives.C) They are marginalized in society.B) They are deprived of all social benefits.D) They are deserted by their family.64.What does the author think of the post-conviction laws and rules?A)They help to maintain social stability.B)Some of them have long been outdated.C)They are hardly understood by the public.D)A lot of them have negative effects on society.65.What is the author’s main purpose in writing the passage?A)To create opportunities for criminals to reform themselves.B)To appeal for changes in America’s criminal justice system.C)To ensure that people with a criminal record live a decent life.D)To call people’s attention to prisoners’ conditions in America.答案:ABCDBPassage 7The wallet is heading for extinction. As a day-to-day essential,it will die off with the generation who read print newspapers. The kind of shopping—where you hand over notes and count out change in return—now happens only in the most minor of our retail encounters, like buying a bar of chocolate or a pint of milk from a comer shop. At the shops where you spend any real money, that money is increasingly abstracted. And this is more and more true, the higher upthe scale you go. At the most cutting-edge retail stores—Victoria Beckham on Dover Street, for instance—you don’t go and stand at any kind of cash register when you decide to pay. The staff are equipped with iPads to take your payment while you relax on a sofa.Which is nothing more or less than excellent service, if you have the money. But across society, the abstraction of the idea of cash makes me uneasy. Maybe I’m just old-fashioned. But earning money isn’t quick or easy for most of us. Isn’t it a bit weird that spending it should happen in half a blink (眨眼)of an eye? Doesn’t a wallet—that time-honoured Friday-night feeling of pleasing, promising fatness—represent something that matters?But I’ll leave the economics to the experts. What bothers me about the death of the wallet is the change it represents in our physical environment. Everything about the look and feel of a wallet—the way the fastenings and materials wear and tear and loosen with age, the plastic and paper and gold and silver, and handwritten phone numbers and printed cinema tickets—is the very opposite of what our world is becoming. The opposite of a wallet is a smartphone or an iPad. The rounded edges, cool glass,smooth and unknowable as a pebble (鹅卵石). Instead of digging through pieces of paper and peering into comers, we move our fingers left and right. No more counting out coins. Show your wallet, if you still have one. It may not be here much longer.56.What is happening to the wallet?A) It is disappearing.C) It is becoming costly,B) It is being fattened.D) It is changing in style.57.How are business transactions done in big modem stores?A)Individually.C) In the abstract.B)Electronically.D) Via a cash register.58.What makes the author feel uncomfortable nowadays?A)Saving money is becoming a thing of the past.B)The pleasing Friday-night feeling is fading.C)Earning money is getting more difficult.D)Spending money is so fast and easy.59.Why does the author choose to write about what’s happening to the wallet?A)It represents a change in the modem world.B)It has something to do with everybody’s life.C)It marks the end of a time-honoured tradition.D)It is the concern of contemporary economists.60.What can we infer from the passage about the author?A)He is resistant to social changes.B)He is against technological progress.C)He feels reluctant to part with the traditional wallet.D)He feels insecure in the ever-changing modem world.答案:ABDADPassage 8Everybody sleeps, but what people stay up late to catch—or wake up early in order not to miss— varies by culture.From data collected, it seems the things that cause us to lose the most sleep, on average, are sporting events, time changes, and holidays.Around the world, people changed sleep patterns thanks to the start or end of daylight savings time, Russians, for example, began to wake up about a half-hour later each day after President Vladimir Putin shifted the country permanently to “winter time” starting on October 26.Russia’s other late nights and early mornings generally correspond to public holidays. On New Year’s Eve, Russians have the world’s latest bedtime,hitting the hay at around 3:30 a.m.、Russians also get up an hour later on International Women’s Day, the day for treating and celebrating female relatives.Similarly, Americans, late nights, late mornings, and longest sleeps fall on three-day weekends. Canada got the least sleep of the year the night it beat Sweden in the Olympic hockey (冰球). The World Cup is also chiefly responsible for sleep deprivation(剥夺).The worst night for sleep in the U. K was the night of the England-Italy match on June 14. Brits stayed up a half-hour later to watch it, and then they woke up earlier than usual the next morning thanks to summer nights, the phenomenon in which the sun barely sets in northern countries in the summertime. That was nothing, though, compared to Germans, Italians, and the French, who stayed up around an hour and a half later on various days throughout the summer to watch the Cup.It should be made clear that not everyone has a device to record their sleep patterns; in some of these nations, it’s likely that only the richest people do. And people who elect to track their sleep may try to get more sleep than the average person. Even if that’s the case, though, the above findings are still striking. If the most health-conscious among us have such deep swings in our shut-eye levels throughout the year, how much sleep are the rest of us losing?61.What does the author say about peopled sleeping habits?A) They are culture-related.C) They change with the seasons.B) They affect peopled health.D) They vary from person to person.62.What do we learn about the Russians regarding sleep?A)They don’t fall asleep until very late.C)They get less sleep on public holidays.B)They don’t sleep much on weekends.D)They sleep longer than people elsewhere.63.What is the major cause for Europeans’ loss of sleep?A)The daylight savings time.C)The World Cup.B)The colorful night life.D)The summertime.64.What is the most probable reason for some rich people to use a device to record their sleep patterns?A) They have trouble falling asleep.C) They are involved in a sleep research.B) They want to get sufficient sleep.D) They want to go to bed on regular hours.65.What does .the author imply in the last paragraph?A)Sleeplessness does harm to peopled health.B)Few people really know the importance of sleep.C)It is important to study our sleep patterns.D)Average people probably sleep less than the rich.答案:ACCBBPassage 9Could you reproduce Silicon Valley elsewhere, or is there something unique about it?It wouldn't be surprising if it were hard to reproduce in other countries, because you couldn't reproduce it in most of the US either. What does it take to make a Silicon Valley?It's the right people. If you could get the right ten thousand people to move from Silicon Valley to Buffalo, Buffalo would become Silicon Valley.You only need two kinds of people to create a technology hub (中心) : rich people and nerds (痴迷科研的人).Observation bears this out. Within the US, towns have become star, up hubs if and only if they have both rich people and nerds. Few startups happen in Miami, for example, because although it's full of rich people, it has few nerds. It's not the kind of place nerds like.Whereas Pittsburgh has the opposite problem: plenty of nerds, but no rich people.The top US Computer Science departments are said to be MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, and Carnegie-Mellon. MIT yielded Route 128.Stanford and Berkeley yielded Silicon Valley. But what did Carnegie-Mellon yield in Pittsburgh? And what happened in Ithaca, home of Cornell University, which is also high on the list?I grew up in Pittsburgh and went to college at Cornell, so I can answer for both. The weather is terrible, particularly in winter, and there's no interesting old city to make up for it, as there is in Boston. Rich people don't want to live in Pittsburgh or Ithaca. So while there're plenty of hackers (电脑迷) who could start startups, there's no one to invest in themDo you really need the rich people? Wouldn't it work to have the government invest in the nerds?No, it would not. Start up investors are a distinct type of rich people. They tend to have a lot of experience themselves in the technology business. This helps them pick the right startups, and means they can supply advice and connections as well as money. And the fact that they have a personal stake in the outcome makes them really pay attention.56.What do we learn about Silicon Valley from the passage?A. Its success is hard to copy anywhere else.B. It is the biggest technology hub in the US.C. Its fame in high technology is incomparable.D. It leads the world in information technology.57.What makes Miami unfit to produce a Silicon Valley?A. Lack of incentive for investment.B. Lack of the right kind of talents.C. Lack of government support.D. Lack of famous universities.58.In what way is Carnegie-Mellon different from Stanford, Berkeley and MIT?A. Its location is not as attractive to rich people.B. Its science departments are not nearly as good.C. It does not produce computer hackers and nerds.D. It does not pay much attention to business startups.59.What does the author imply about Boston?A. It has pleasant weather all year round.。

大学英语四级真题及答案

大学英语四级真题及答案

大学英语四级真题及答案大学英语四级考试是中国大学生英语能力的重要标准之一。

每年有大量的学生参加这一考试,以期望能够达到一定的英语水平要求。

为了帮助考生熟悉四级考试的题型和内容,以下是一篇关于大学英语四级真题及答案的综合整理。

第一部分:听力听力是大学英语四级考试的第一部分,主要测试考生的听力理解能力。

听力考试共有两节,每节20个小题。

第一节:对话理解在这一部分,考生将会听到一些简短的对话,然后根据听到的内容选择正确的答案。

对话内容涵盖了日常生活、学习和工作等方面的话题。

示例题目:1. What does the woman want to do?A. Buy a book.B. Borrow a book.C. Return a book.答案:B2. Where does the conversation take place?A. In a restaurant.B. At the airport.C. In a hotel.答案:C第二节:短文理解在这一部分,考生将会听到两篇较长的短文,然后根据听到的内容回答相应的问题。

短文涉及的话题广泛,包括校园生活、旅行、社会问题等。

示例题目:3. What does the speaker mainly talk about?A. Career development.B. Time management.C. Study skills.答案:B4. When did the speaker first meet the famous author?A. In his childhood.B. In high school.C. In college.答案:C第二部分:阅读理解阅读理解是大学英语四级考试的第二部分,主要测试考生的阅读理解能力。

本部分共有三篇短文,每篇短文后面跟有几个问题需要回答。

示例题目:Passage 15. What is the main purpose of the passage?A. To introduce a new task management method.B. To compare two different task management methods.C. To analyze the advantages of a traditional task management method.答案:APassage 26. What do we learn about the character Bob in the passage?A. He has a strong determination to succeed.B. He often has trouble making decisions.C. He regrets his past decisions.答案:APassage 37. What does the passage say about smartphones?A. They can be addictive.B. They have replaced traditional computers.C. They are only used for social media.答案:A第三部分:完形填空完形填空是大学英语四级考试的第三部分,主要测试考生的词汇和语法运用能力。

英语四级考试真题及参考答案

英语四级考试真题及参考答案

2024年英语四级考试真题及参考答案2024年英语四级考试真题及参考答案一、写作部分题目:随着互联网的普及,越来越多的人开始关注网络安全问题。

请根据以下图表,写一篇关于网络安全的文章。

图表:【参考范文】With the increasing popularity of the internet, cybersecurity has become a top concern for individuals, businesses, and governments worldwide. The graph above provides some revealing statistics about the severity of this issue.Firstly, the number of cybersecurity events is astounding, with over 950 million reported in 2024. This figure is alarming and highlights the ever-present threat of cybercrime, such as hacking, data breaches, and identity theft.Secondly, the chart shows that of these events, 3.2 billion involve the disclosure of personal sensitive information. This data points to the widespread abuse of personal information intoday's digital age, where sensitive details can be easily stolen and used for malicious purposes.Lastly, the average cost per event is significant, with an average loss of 50,000. This figure highlights the financial impact of cybersecurity incidents, which can quickly add up and cause significant damage to individuals and businesses.In conclusion, the graph demonstrates the magnitude of the cybersecurity problem facing our society today. With such high numbers, it is essential to prioritize cybersecurity measures to protect ourselves and our information from cybercriminals. Using strong passwords, updating software regularly, and being wary of suspicious links are just a few ways we can all contribute to cybersecurity. Furthermore, businesses and governments need to invest in robust security measures to safeguard valuable information and protect against theever-present threat of cyberattacks. Only through collective effort and awareness can we hope to tackle the growing cybersecurity challenge.二、听力部分【参考答案】1、B) They are more concerned about the quality of food than the wait time.2、A) He is stuck in a traffic jam.3、C) 2 hours.4、B) They are planning to go on a trip together.5、A) The man will drive her home.6、C) She wants to buy a new camera.7、A) The man will help her move her furniture tomorrow.8、B) They are both history majors.9、A) He likes to read books on science and technology.10、C) 200 pages.三、阅读部分【参考答案】1、B) They help to improve the soil quality and make it more suitable for planting.2、A) They help to reduce water evaporation and maintain soilmoisture.3、C) They help to maintain a healthy balance of microorganisms in the soil.4、D) They help to prevent soil erosion and protect topsoil.5、B) They can be grown in a wide range of soil types and conditions.6、A) They are particularly suitable for growing in sandy soils.7、C) They can withstand drought conditions better than other plant species.8、D) They have adapted to survive in environments with high salinity levels.9、B) They provide a valuable source of food and feed for livestock during the winter months.10、A) They are rich in nutrients and considered highly nutritious.四、翻译部分【参考答案】1、The new bridge has significantly reduced travel time across the river, saving commuters precious time.2、The company's commitment to innovation has helped it stay ahead of its competitors in the rapidly developing technology industry.3、The teacher wrote the lesson on the board while the students took notes in their notebooks.4、He cut the rope that tied the package to the tree, retrieving the mysterious gift hidden inside.5、She turned on the faucet, and hot water poured out, relieving her tiredness after a long day of work.2024年英语专业四级考试真题及答案2024年英语专业四级考试真题及答案一、听写题在英语专业四级考试中,听写题是一项重要的考察内容。

2024年英语四级真题及参考答案

2024年英语四级真题及参考答案

2024年英语四级真题及参考答案听力原文:第一套【Section A】News Report 1A police officer in the U. S. stopped a large SUV car that was going very slowly and drifting across lanes on a highway. He expected to find a driver who was either very drunk or having a medical emergency. Instead, the officer discovered a five year old boy sat on the edge of the driver's seat. His feet could barely reach the brake, and his head was only just high enough to see out of the windows. The child had taken the keys to the family car while his teenage sister was napping. He then drove three kilometers across town before getting on the highway. The boy later told confused officers that he was planning to travel to California and buy a Lamborghini sports car. Although he only had 3 dollar in his wallet, at least he was driving in the right direction.Q1: Why did the police officer stop the SUV car?Q2:What did the boy tell the police officers he was planning to do?News Report 2Mobile phones have changed the way we live, how we read, work, communicate, and shop. But we already know this. What we have not yet understood is the way the tiny machines in front of us are changing our skeletons. Possibly altering not just the way we behave but even the very shape of our bodies. New scientific research at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia suggests that young people are developing extra pieces of bone at the backs of their heads. These pieces of bone are caused by the way people bend their heads when they use the phone. This shifts weight onto the muscles at the back of the head and causes the bone to grow in a way that is not normal. This process can be compared to the way the skin hardens in response to constant rubbing or pressure. The result is a piece of bone like a horn that sticks out from the head by the neck.Q3:What does the report say we have not yet understood about mobile phones? Q4:What happens to the skin when rubbed or pressed constantly?News Report 3A village is going to throw a birthday party for an orange cat named Wilbur, who has become famous for making a regular appearance at local shops. Wilbur has his own internet pages as he approaches his 10th birthday on July 7.Wilbur is both bold and friendly.He spends most of his time in shops and businesses around the village.He'll just take himself into any shop, anywhere.There was one time when the doctor's receptionist came back and he was sitting on her chair.Among his favorite haunts are a local hairdresser, two pubs, and the Nottingham Primary School.Leslie Harper, who runs one of the pubs, said the cat has been a big hit with their customers.“He's been a regular visitor for most of this year”, she told the Press Association.“He's a very relaxed cat, happy for customers and villagers young and old to come in and say hello. She also said he is a cat of expensive tastes, who likes his high priced cat food. ”Sarah Godfrey, who is organizing Wilbur's party, told the local newspaper, “Wilbur is part of our lives, as he is for everyone who lives in the village. “Q5:What does the report say the village is going to do for the cat Wilbur?Q6:What do we learn from the report about the cat?Q7: What does the pub owner, Leslie Harper, say about the cat?【Section B】Conversation 1M: So, where do you want to go for lunch?W:I don't know. Do you have anything in mind?M: What about the sandwich place on Camden Street?W:Um, no, sorry. I don't feel like sandwiches today. It's a great place, but I think we go there too often.M: That's true. Remember, that's where we saw Bridget Clark, the famous movie star.W:Of course. How could I ever forget? There were crowds of people around her, asking for a photo with her.M: What about hamburgers, then? There's that American style diner on the way to the mall.W:I like that place. Their chips are great, but their service takes a long time, and I need to get back by 2.:30 for a conference call. How about trying something new? We could try Mario's, the new Italian restaurant on the corner. It looks alright. Have you been there?M: No, I haven't, but I've noticed that it has great reviews on the internet. It's supposed to be one of the best Italians in town. I think Jeremy has been there and said it was amazing. I'm up for that.W: Cool. Have you asked Jeremy if he would like to come with us?M: I already have. He says he can't. He has brought his own lunch today, so he will stay in. I think his wife made him soup.W: Poor Jeremy. His wife is a terrible cook. He should throw that soup in the bin and join us.Q8: What are the speakers talking about in this conversation?Q9: Where did the speakers see Bridget Clarke, the famous movie star?Q10: Why does the woman say she needs to get back by 2:30?Q11:Why does the woman say Jeremy should throw his soup in the bin? Conversation 2W: Hi there, how are you today? Do you have a reservation with us already? M:Good afternoon. Yes, we reserved our rooms yesterday morning on your website for three nights. The name's Patterson.W:Okay, let me have a look. Yes, we have it here. You brought the whole family with you, I see.M:Yes, the two kids, my wife and I, and her parents too.W:Great. So, we have a family room for you and your wife and the kids. And another double room for your parents in law. They are right next to each other on the ground floor, since you mentioned in your message that they have trouble with stairs.M:That's wonderful. My father in law has had terrible problems getting up and down stairs since his knee operation last April.W:I'm sorry to hear that, and if you need any help to find transportation for the whole family, we can definitely recommend someone for you.M:We were thinking of renting a car, but we will explore all the options available for sure. So yes, that would be very helpful in comparing prices. We're also wondering what tours and day trips are available.W:We have bunches of brochures here. I would recommend getting out on a boat trip. The kids will love it, and there are so many islands nearby to explore. There's also a great night market further into town that has all kinds of food and cool little shops selling souvenirs and local jewelry and clothing made by hand.M:That all sounds marvelous.W:Now, all I need is to photocopy your passports, and then I can get you all checked in and show you to your rooms.Q12: Who is the man talking to in the conversation?Q13: What do we learn about the man's father in law from the conversation?Q14: Why does the man say they will explore all the options available?Q15: What does the woman suggest the man and his family do close to the end of the conversation?【Section C】Passage 1Artificial intelligence agents play ever more influential roles in our lives. They do everything from suggesting new friends to recommending purchases.They're even beginning to drive our cars. Another role that they are expected to take over is negotiating on our behalf in commercial transactions or legal disputes.So, it's important to know whether using an artificial intelligence agent might affect how we negotiate. Research indicates that it does. In a new study, participants were told to imagine that they were negotiating for something important to them, like a house. Next, they were told either that they would negotiate for themselves, or they would program an artificial intelligence agent to negotiate for them.Participants then completed a survey indicating how tough, deceptive, and pleasant or otherwise they wanted to be, or wanted their agent to be, in the negotiations. For example, participants could choose to be tough by making an opening demand far greater than what they'd be willing to accept. They could also choose to express sympathy with their opponent, to appear pleasant. But they could also indicate that they, or their agent, Would strategically express anger toward the opponent to gain advantage, or they could opt to convey dissatisfaction with the encounter so that the other party would think they were losing interest. These are both examples of deceptive strategies. Participants were more willing to employ deceptive strategies when assigned an agent to negotiate on their behalf.Q16: What does the passage say about artificial intelligence agents?Q17: What does the new study want to find out about using an artificial intelligence agent?Q18: What did participants tend to do when assigned an AI agent to negotiate on their behalf?Passage 2New research has studied the effects of a seven week healthy cooking course. Academics measured the program's effect on cooking confidence and self perceived mental health. Researchers also measured participants overall satisfaction around cooking and diet related behaviors. What were the findings?Course participants saw significant improvements in general health. They also reported improved mental health and subjective vitality immediately after the program. These benefits remained six months after the completion of the course. What caused these improvements? Researchers have previously found a link between eating more fruits and vegetables and improved longer term mental health.This would imply that the participants in the current study may have felt better due to improved diet. However, the study showed participants mental health improved even if their reported diet did not change after completing the program. Also, the mental health benefits were equal among participants who were overweight or obese and those in a healthy weight range.This suggests a link between cooking confidence and satisfaction around cooking and mental health benefits. Who benefits most from learning to cook? Gender plays a part. At the start of the program, 77 percent of female participants were confident about cooking, but just 23 percent of males were confident.At the end of the program, cooking confidence and skills were equal ac ross both counterparts. This change in confidence could lead to a gender balance in home cooking. This, in turn, could reduce consumption of unhealthy, high calorie processed meals.Q19: What do we learn about the benefits the participants gained from the healthy cooking course?Q20: What do the new research findings suggest about mental health benefits?Q21:What plays a role in determining who benefits most from learning to cook?Passage 3What is personal space? We often think of it as an invisible bubble of space surrounding us that others can't enter, without causing discomfort.Research shows, however, that we actually have bubbles of different sizes.Each of these bubbles applies to a different set of people. The smallest zone, called intimate space, extends outward from our bodies 18 inches in every direction.Only family, pets and one's closest friends may enter it. A mere acquaintance entering our intimate space makes us uncomfortable.Next is the bubble called personal space, extending fr om 1.5 feet to 4 feet away. Friends and acquaintances can comfortably occupy this zone, especially during informal conversations, but strangers are forbidden. Extending from 4 to 12 feet away from us is social space. Here, people feel comfortable conducting routine social interactions with new acquaintances or total strangers.Those are the average sizes of Americans personal bubbles, anyway. It is important to keep in mind that personal space varies depending on culture and context.Furthermore, there are significant individual differences. As we all know, cultural or individual differences in personal bubble diameters are all too often the cause of discomfort.How did these personal bubbles arise? According to research, we begin to develop our individual sense of personal space around age 3 or 4.The sizes of our bubbles are fixed by our teens. These bubbles are constructed and monitored by the brain region involved in fear.Q22:What does research show about our personal space?Q23:What happens if a mere acquaintance enters our intimate space?Q24:Where do people feel comfortable interacting with new acquaintances or strangers?Q25:When are the sizes of our bubbles fixed?第二套【Section A】News Report 1Have you noticed how similar you are to your friends? It may be because your brains operate in harmony with each other. We know that friends are more likely to be the same age, gender, and ethnic background as each other. Now it seems their brains are alike too. Researchers at the University of California scanned 42 classmates while they watched videos intended to provoke varying responses. Some people might find a romantic scene touching, for instance, while others would feel it was embarrassing. The activity of friends brains was more similar than that of people who didn't know each other, particularly in regions involved in attention, emotion, and language. This similarity was strong enough that it could be used to predict whether two people were already friends or not. Therelationship probably goes two ways. We are drawn to people who think like us. We then influence their thoughts over time, which may push their brain activity into more closely resembling our own.Q1: What may be the reason that friends are similar to each other, according to the recent research?Q2: What does the news report say about the relationship between friends?News Report 2Two men who have been best friends for 60 years have just realized they are actually brothers. It's reported that Alan Robinson and Walter McDonald met in the 6th grade at a school in Hawaii. They have been best friends ever since. Alan was given away for adoption soon after he was born, and Walter never knew his father.So recently, They made separate attempts on DNA matching we bsites to discover more about their ancestry. Walter was astonished to find thathe matched with website user Robbie737. He knew immediately that this was his best friend, Alan, whose friends call him Robbie, and flew 737 airplanes when he was a pilot.The pair were born to the same mother 15 months apart.Q3: What did both Alan Robinson and Walter McDonald attempt to do on DNA matching websites?Q4: What did the news report say about Alan Robinson and Walter McDonald?News Report 3Amid all the election drama, air pollution problems and disease outbreaks, five tourists good work is being spread online.Yesterday, 2 male and 3 female tourists were spotted walking the kilometer long beach, picking up trash. One of the male tourists from Austra lia commented that although there was a lot of trash, nobody was doing anything. The beach was not as nice or beautiful as it should be. He felt so sad to see such a gorgeous place littered with so much trash. Thus, he and his friends decided to grab a few trash bags and clean it all up. A man passing by decided to video their good deed and put it on the internet. It was unclear where the rest of the group was from, but they were most likely traveling together.One local woman commented on being embarrassed that tourists were cleaning up their beach. Another mentioned that it was actually the natives who brought food and drinks, then left trash all along the island.Q5: Why did one of the male tourists feel sad?Q6: Who put the good deed video on the internet?Q7: Why did one local woman say she was embarrassed?【Section B】Conversation 1W: Hello Benjamin, Dan and I will be going for a run along the canal Saturday morning. Would you like to join us?M:I'd love to, but I hurt my ankle last weekend playing football with work colleagues.W: Oh dear, is it serious?M: No, not at all. I landed badly during a fall and twisted it a little, but it's no big deal. It's just a little swollen and I should be fine for next Saturday if you still want to go for a jog then.W: I won't be here next Saturday. I'm going to the zoo.M:The zoo?W: Yeah. My little nephew turns six, and he loves the zoo. So the whole family is going.M: Oh, okay then. I haven't been to a zoo since I was a kid.W: They are nowhere near as popular as they used to be when we were children. I personally feel sorry for the poor animals stuck in cages. But there's no denying they are fun and educational for children.M: Do you know if Dan will be around next Saturday?W: Yeah, I think he will. Just send him a text message. He's always keen on physical activities.M: That's true. Dan is extremely fit and healthy. He goes to the gym most days, plus tennis two or three times a week.W: So, what have you been doing to stay busy while you've had that swollen ankle?M: I've been catching up on some reading. I was given three books over Christmas, and I'm only now getting around to reading them.Q8: Why can't the man go for a run Saturday morning?Q9:Why is the woman's whole family going to the zoo next Saturday?Q10:What do we learn about Dan from the man's description?Q11: What has the man been doing since last weekend?Conversation 2W: Our guest on today's book talk is John Black, the author of the new bestseller, Retire Early.M:Thanks for having me on the show, Lisa.W: John, your book is getting a lot of attention, partly because you write that most people can retire by 40. Is that realistic?M:Definitely. When researching this book, I interviewed hundreds of people who retired by 40.W: Okay, but how much money does a person need to retire? I've read articles recommending one million dollars as a good figure for retirement. M:While most financial planners do give numbers, I don't think that's useful, as people are living in different areas with different costs of living, and have different needs and wants, which is why I suggest that people aim for financial independence.W: What do you mean by financial independence?M:Having investment income that's greater than monthly expenses.W: That sounds risky to me. What if an accident happens? Or you get ill and need medical treatment? Shouldn't people have extra cash for emergencies?M:Too many people spend their lives working on jobs they hate because they're afraid. So I counsel people to take risks. Retirement doesn't have to be permanent, and if people need to, they can go back to work.W: But it's not always easy to get back into the workforce after an extended absence.M:True, but if you keep current with your skills, you will be attracted to employers.W: Maybe, but how can anyone save enough to retire by 40 when most people can't retire at 60?M:Simple, by cutting housing, food, and transport expenses and investing half your monthly income.W: That sounds impossible.M:I admit it's difficult, but it has worked for thousands.Q12: What do we learn about the man's book published recently?Q13: What do the articles the woman read recommend?Q14:What does the man say about retirement?Q15:How does the man say his proposal about retirement can be carried out?【Section C】Passage 1New research from America studies the role that the presence of individuals from different social or racial groups has in influencing consumers food choices. This research found college students were more likely to choose healthy food in the presence of an observer of a differentrace, as opposed to an observer from their own race. The same was true when they were with someone from a different university compared to someone from their own. Researchers say this was because participants anticipated more negative judgment from an outsider group. In contrast, they felt less judged by members of their own group. In one experiment, participants were offered the choice between candy and fruit as a snack. When in the presence of an unknown student from their own university, only 12 percent of students selected the healthier option. However, this number was 31 percent when in the presence of an unknown student from another university. Other experiments showed similar results based on racial group. What's the reason for this pattern? The study found that people feel judged to a larger extent by members of other groups. Because of this, they strategically use healthy food choices to make a positive impression. There have been many attempts to help consumers make healthier choices, but consumers often struggle to maintain a healthy diet. This research finds that one way to promote a healthy diet could be to advertise the social benefits of healthy choices.Q16: What was the finding of the new research from America about consumers food choices?Q17: When did 31 percent of students in the experiment select the healthier option?Q18:How could a healthy diet be promoted according to the findings of the new research?Passage 2For college students under pressure, a dog may be the best stress fighter around, according to the finding of a recent study. It's a really powerful finding, said Patricia Pendry, who led the study. Universities are doing a lot of great work trying to help students succeed academically, especially those who may be at risk due to a history of mental health issues or academic and learning issues.This study shows that traditional stress management approaches are n't as effective for this population compared with programs that focus on providing opportunities to interact with therapy dogs. The researchers measured executive functioning in the students involved in the study. Executive function is a term for the skills one needs to plan, organize, motivate, concentrate, and memorize.These are skills students need to succeed in college. The research has found that students who were most at risk had the most improvements in executive functioning after interacting with therapy dogs. These results remained when researchers followed up six weeks later. Many universities provide academic stress management programs and workshops.These are traditionally very similar to college classes. They often talk about ways to get more sleep, set goals, or manage stress or anxiety. Hendry acknowledges that these are really important topics and these workshops help typical students succeed. But they're less helpful for struggling students.Hendry believes those students may experience the programs as another lecture and feel even more stressed.Q19: What does the recent study led by Patricia Pendry aim to examine? Q20: What did the new study measure in the participants?Q21: What does Patricia Pendry think traditional stress man agement programs may do?Passage 3Taking risks in business does not mean going into business blindly and then expecting great results. On the contrary, taking risks in entrepreneurship involves careful planning and hard work. Nobody can really be sure if risks will be met with success, no matter how calculated they may be. But this should not stop you from taking risks, as risks are necessary if you want your business to succeed.Some risks may not work out, but an optimistic risk taker will always lo ok at failure as an opportunity to learn. The willingness to experiment with new ideas is key to business growth. As the old saying goes, nothing ventured nothing gained.Failure will teach you how to think and plan strategically. But just remember that not all risks are good ones, and when you fail, learn from it and move forward. Since most people tend to avoid risk, businesses that are brave enough to take risks already have a competitive advantage. They are the ones setting the standard with new ideas, fresh offers and bold inventions.Risk takers are best at adapting in difficult times. Simply put, when most individuals stay away from risk, it means less competition for risk takers. We don't know if you'll achieve what these risk takers have achieved, butfor as long as you want to stay safe, and for as long as you are content with where your business is right now, you will never find out.Q22: What do entrepreneurs have to do when taking risks according to the passage?Q23: What does the passage say is key to business growth?Q24: What are we advised to do when we fail?Q25: What does it mean to risk taking businesses when most people tend to avoid risk?参考答案翻译部分1.中国政府十分重视人民的饮食健康中国政府十分重视人民的健康饮食(diet )。

大学英语四级历年真题及答案(经典版

大学英语四级历年真题及答案(经典版

大学英语四级历年真题及答案英语四级Part ⅠWriting (30minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled Excessive Packaging following the outline given below. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.1.目前许多商品存在过度包装的现象2.出现这一现象的原因3.我对这一现象的看法和建议On Excessive PackagingPart ⅡReading Comprehension(Skimming and Scanning)(15minutes) 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.Small Schools RisingThis year's list of the top 100 high schools shows that today, those with fewer students are flourishing.Fifty years ago, they were the latest thing in educational reform: big, modern, suburban high schools with students counted in the thousands. As baby boomers(二战后婴儿潮时期出生的人) came of high-school age, big schools promised economic efficiency.A greater choice of courses, and, of course, better football teams. Only years later did we understand the trade-offs this involved: the creation of excessive bureaucracies(官僚机构),the difficulty of forging personal connections between teachers and students.SAT scores began dropping in 1963;today,on average,30% of students do not complete high school in four years, a figure that rises to 50% in poor urban neighborhoods. While the emphasis on teaching to higher, test-driven standards as set in No Child Left Behind resulted in significantly better performance in elementary(and some middle)schools, high schools for a variety of reasons seemed to have made little progress.Size isn't everything, but it does matter, and the past decade has seen a noticeable countertrend toward smaller schools. This has been due ,in part ,to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has invested $1.8 billion in American high schools, helping to open about 1,000 small schools-most of them with about 400 kids each with an average enrollment of only 150 per grade, About 500 more are on the drawing board. Districts all over the country are taking notice, along with mayors in cities like New York, Chicago and San Diego. The movement includes independent public charter schools, such as No.1 BASIS in Tucson, with only 120 high-schoolers and 18 graduates this year. It embracesdistrict-sanctioned magnet schools, such as the Talented and Gifted School, with 198 students, and the Science and Engineering Magnet,with383,which share a building in Dallas, as well as the City Honors School in Buffalo, N.Y., which grew out of volunteer evening seminars for students. And it includes alternative schools with students selected by lottery(抽签),such as H-B Woodlawn in Arlington, Va. And most noticeable of all, there is the phenomenon of large urban and suburban high schools that have split up into smaller units of a few hundred, generally housed in the same grounds that once boasted thousands of students all marching to the same band.Hillsdale High School in San Mateo, Calif, is one of those, ranking No.423-among the top 2% in the country-on Newsweek's annual ranking of America's top high schools. The success of small schools is apparent in the listings. Ten years ago, when the first Newsweek list based on college-level test participation was published, only three of the top 100 schools had graduating Classes smaller than 100 students. This year there are 22. Nearly 250 schools on the full ,Newsweek list of the top 5% of schools nationally had fewer than 200 graduates in 2007.Although many of Hillsdale's students came from wealthy households, by the late 1990 average test scores were sliding and it had earned the unaffectionate nickname (绰号) "Hillsjail. " Jeff Gilbert. A Hillsdale teacher who became principal last year, remembers sitting with other teachers watching students file out of a graduation ceremony and asking one another in astonishment, "How did that student graduate?"So in 2003 Hillsdale remade itself into three "houses," romantically named Florence, Marrakech and Kyoto. Each of the 300 arriving ninth graders are randomly(随机地) assigned to one of the houses. Where they will keep the same four core subject teachers for two years, before moving on to another for 11th and 12th grades. The closeness this system cultivates is reinforced by the institution of "advisory" classes Teachers meet with students in groups of 25, five mornings a week, for open-ended discussions of everything from homework problems to bad Saturday-night dates. The advisers also meet with students privately and stay in touch with parents, so they are deeply invested in the students' success."We're constantly talking about one another's advisers," says English teacher Chris Crockett. "If you hear that yours isn't doing well in math, or see them sitting outside the dean's office, it's like a personal failure." Along with the new structure came a more demanding academic program, the percentage of freshmen taking biology jumped from 17 to 95."It was rough for some. But by senior year, two-thirds have moved up to physics," says Gilbert "Our kids are coming to school in part because they know there are adults here who know them and care for them."But not all schools show advances after downsizing, and it remains to be seen whether smaller schools will be a cure-all solution.The Newsweek list of top U.S. high schools was made this year, as in years past, according to a single metric, the proportion of students taking college-level exams. Overthe years this system has come in for its share of criticism for its simplicity. But that is also its strength: it's easy for readers to understand, and to do the arithmetic for their own schools if they'd like.Ranking schools is always controversial, and this year a group of 38 superintendents(地区教育主管)from five states wrote to ask that their schools be excluded from the calculation."It is impossible to know which high schools are 'the best' in the nation, "their letter read. in part. "Determining whether different schools do or don't offer a high quality of education requires a look at man different measures, including students' overall academic accomplishments and their subsequent performance in college. And taking into consideration the unique needs of their communities."In the end, the superintendents agreed to provide the data we sought, which is, after all, public information. There is, in our view, no real dispute here, we are all seeking the same thing, which is schools that better serve our children and our nation by encouraging students to tackle tough subjects under the guidance of gifted teachers. And if we keep working toward that goal, someday, perhaps a list won't be necessary.注意:此部分试题请在答卡1上作答.1.Fifty years ago. big. Modern. Suburban high schools were established in the hope of __________.A) ensuring no child is left behindB) increasing economic efficiencyC) improving students' performance on SA TD)providing good education for baby boomers2. What happened as a result of setting up big schools?A)Teachers' workload increased.B)Students' performance declined.C)Administration became centralized.D)Students focused more on test scores.3.What is said about the schools forded by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation?A)They are usually magnet schools.B)They are often located in poor neighborhoods.C)They are popular with high-achieving students.D)They are mostly small in size.4.What is most noticeable about the current trend in high school education?A)Some large schools have split up into smaller ones.B)A great variety of schools have sprung up in urban and suburban areas.C)Many schools compete for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funds.D)Students have to meet higher academic standards.5.Newsweek ranked high schools according to .A)their students' academic achievementB)the number of their students admitted to collegeC)the size and number of their graduating classesD)their college-level test participation6.What can we learn about Hillsdale's students in the late 1990s?A)They were made to study hard like prisoners.B)They called each other by unaffectionate nicknames.C)Most of them did not have any sense of discipline,D)Their school performance was getting worse.7.According to Jeff Gilbert, the "advisory" classes at Hillsdale were set up so that students could .A)tell their teachers what they did on weekendsB)experience a great deal of pleasure in learningC)maintain closer relationships with their teachersD)tackle the demanding biology and physics courses8.________is still considered a strength of Newsweek's school ranking system in spite of the criticism it receives.9.According to the 38 superintendents, to rank schools scientifically, it is necessary to use________.10.To better serve the children and our nation, schools students to take________.Part ⅢListening Comprehension (35minutes)Section ADirections: in this section you will hear 8 short conversations, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A)、B)、C)and D)、and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.注意:此部分试题请在答案卡2上作案。

大学英语四级听力真题及参考答案

大学英语四级听力真题及参考答案

大学英语四级听力真题及参考答案大学,是我们报考英语四级和六级的一个阶段,我们可以在这期间训练好自己的英语听力。

下面是店铺给大家整理的大学英语四级听力真题及参考答案,供大家参阅!大学英语四级听力真题及参考答案1听力真题:Conversation One19.A. She wants him to review the lessons before finals.B. She wants him to have her car repaired.C. She wants to borrow his camping equipment.D. She wants him to go canoeing with theirclassmates.20.A. They won't have another break until after the final exams.B. It'll be very exciting as the river has some rapids this time of the year.C. If it gets too hot they can swim.D. Many students will go so he can know more people.21.A. Drinks.B. Food.C. A bathing suit.D. A Tent.22.A. The specific time they'll set out.B. What he needs to bring.C. Whether he has to drive his car or not.D. Whether he has decided to go or not.听力原文:Conversation OneW: [19]Hey Neal, now that the midterms are over abunch of us are getting away for the weekend to gocanoeing. You want to come along?M: Well, uhm, it'd be great to get away, but I'venever done it before.W: None of the others have either except for me. Iwent once last fall. But there'll be an instructor ineach canoe the first day.M: I don't know.W: Oh, come on. [20]This is our last chance to take a break before finals. The scenery isbeautiful, and if it gets too hot we can dive in whenever we feel like it. The river's really calm thistime of the year, no rapids to deal with.M: That's a relief. What would I have to bring?W: Let's see. Tom's bringing food for the Friday night cookout for everyone. [21]And thepeople who run the trip have tents set up and they supply food and drinks for all daySaturday. On the way back Sunday morning we'll stop somewhere for breakfast.[21]So, youhave to bring a bathing suit and a sleeping bag.M: Well, I do love camping and sleeping out. Where is this place?W: Well, it's about an hour and a half to the place where we meet the trip leaders. We leave ourcar there and they drive us and the canoes upriver to the place where we start canoeing.M: And who's driving us to the meeting place?W: Well, I was hoping we could take your car. Mine's in the shop again.M: Oh, I see.It's not me you want, it's my car.W: Don't be silly.So what would you say?M: Oh, why not!W: Great! [22]I'll give you a call when I find out when everyone wants to leave on Friday.答案解析:Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19. What is the main reason the woman calls the man?[D]解析:对话开始,女士说:“既然期中考试结束了,我们有几个人打算周末出去划独木舟。

2024年英语四级考试真题及参考答案

2024年英语四级考试真题及参考答案

2024年英语四级考试真题及参考答案Introduction:The 2024 English CET-4 (College English Test Band 4) examination is a highly anticipated event for students across the country. As one of the most widely taken English proficiency exams in China, CET-4 serves as an important benchmark in testing students' English language skills. In this article, we will explore the content and structure of the 2024 CET-4 exam, as well as provide reference answers for some sample questions.Section 1: Listening Comprehension1. Sample Question:You will hear a dialogue between a student and a professor. Listen carefully and answer the following question: What is the professor's opinion about online learning?Reference Answer: The professor believes that online learning provides flexibility and convenience for students, but it should not replace traditional classroom teaching entirely.2. Sample Question:You will hear a news report about an upcoming music festival. Listen carefully and answer the following question: What is the main purpose of the music festival?Reference Answer: The main purpose of the music festival is to promote cultural exchange and enhance international understanding through music.Section 2: Reading Comprehension1. Sample Question:Read the following passage and answer the questions below: (Passage about environmental pollution)Question 1: What are the major causes of water pollution?Reference Answer: The major causes of water pollution include industrial waste discharge, agricultural runoff, and improper disposal of household chemicals.Question 2: According to the passage, what can individuals do to help reduce air pollution?Reference Answer: Individuals can help reduce air pollution by using public transportation, conserving energy, and planting more trees.Section 3: Cloze Test1. Sample Question:Read the following passage and fill in the blanks with the appropriate words: (Passage about the importance of reading)Reference Answer: The importance of reading cannot be overstated. It not only expands our knowledge and vocabulary but also enhances our critical thinking and communication skills. Therefore, reading should be encouraged from an early age.Section 4: Writing1. Sample Question:Write an essay of about 200 words on the following topic: Advantages and Disadvantages of Internet Shopping.Reference Answer: Internet shopping has revolutionized the way we shop, offering convenience and a wide range of choices. However, it also poses risks such as fraud and lack of physical interaction. Despite the drawbacks, internet shopping is likely to continue growing in popularity due to its convenience and competitive prices.Conclusion:The 2024 English CET-4 examination covers various language skills, including listening, reading, and writing. By familiarizing ourselves with the structure and content of the exam, we can better prepare for it. Remember, consistent practice and a solid understanding of English language principles are key to success in the CET-4 exam. Good luck to all the test takers!。

大学英语四级真题及答案

大学英语四级真题及答案

2016年6月英语四级考试真题及答案Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter to express your thanks to one of your friends who helped you most when you were in difficulty。

You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words。

Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.Questions 26 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.Physical activity does the body good,and there’s growing evidence that it helps the brain too. Researchers in the Netherlands report that children who get more exercise, whether at school or on their own,26 to have higher GPAs and better scores on standardized tests. In a 27of 14 studies that looked at physical activity and academic 28 , investigators found that the more children moved, the better their grades were in school,29 in the basic subjects of math, English and reading.The data will certainly fuel the ongoing debate over whether physical education classes should be cut as schools struggle to 30 on smaller budgets. The arguments against physical education have included concerns that gym time may be taking away from study time. With standardized test scores in the . 31 in recent years, some administrators believe students need to spend more time in the classroom instead of on the playground. But as these findings show,exercise and academics may not be 32exclusive. Physical activity can improve blood 33 to the brain, fueling memory,attention and creativity,which are 34to learning. And exercise releases hormones that can improve 35 and relieve stress, which can also help learning. So while it may seem as if kids are just exercising their bodies when they’re running around,they may actually be exercising their brains as well.注意:此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答. A)attendanceB)consequentlyC)currentD)depressingE)droppingF)essentialG)feasibleH)flowI)moodJ)mutuallyK)particularlyL)performanceM)reviewN)surviveO)tendSection BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.Finding the Right Home—and Contentment, Too[A] When your elderly relative needs to enter some sort of long-term care facility—a moment few parents or children approach without fear—what you would like is to have everything made clear.[B] Does assisted living really mark a great improvement over a nursing home, or has the industry simply hired better interior designers? Are nursing homes as bad as people fear, or is that an out-moded stereotype (固定看法)?Can doing one’s homework really steer families to the best places? It is genuinely hard to know.[C] I am about to make things more complicated by suggesting that what kind of facility an older person lives in may matter less than we have assumed. And that the characteristics adult children look for when they begin the search are not necessarily the things that make a difference to the people who are going to move in. I am not talking about the quality of care, let me hastily add. Nobody flourishes in a gloomy environment with irresponsible staff and a poor safety record. But an accumulating body of research indicates that some distinctions between one type of elder care and another have little real bearing on how well residents do.[D] The most recent of these studies, published in The journal of Applied Gerontology, surveyed 150 Connecticut residents of assisted living, nursing homes and smaller residential care homes (known in some states as board and care homes or adult care homes). Researchers from the University of Connecticut Health Center asked the residents a large number of questions about their quality of life, emotional well-being and social interaction, as well as about the quality of the facilities.[E] “We thought we would see differences based on the housing types,” said the lead author of the study, Julie Robison, an associate professor of medicine at the university. A reasonableassumption—don’t families struggle to avoid nursing homes and suffe r real guilt if they can’t?[F] In the initial results, assisted living residents did paint the most positive picture. They were less likely to report symptoms of depression than those in the other facilities, for instance,and less likely to be bored or lonely. They scored higher on social interaction.[G] But when the researchers plugged in a number of other variables, such differences disappeared. It is not the housing type,they found,that creates differences in residents’ responses. “It is the characteristics of the specific environment they are in, combined with their own personal characteristics—how healthy they feel they are, their age and marital status,” Dr. Robison explained. Whether residents felt involved in the decision to move and how long they had lived there also proved significant.[H] An elderly person who describes herself as in poor health,therefore, might be no less depressed in assisted living (even if her children preferred it) than in a nursing home. A person who bad input into where he would move and has had time to adapt to it might do as well in a nursing home as in a small residential care home, other factors being equal. It is an interaction between theperson and the place, not the sort of place in itself, that leads t o better or worse experiences. “You can’t just say,‘Let’s put this person in a residential care home instead of a nursing home—she will be much better off,” Dr. Robison said. What matters,she added,“is a combination of what people bring in with them,an d what they find there.”[I] Such findings, which run counter to common sense, have surfaced before. In a multi-state study of assisted living, for instance, University of North Carolina researchers found that a host of variables—the facility’s type, size or age; whether a chain owned it;how attractive the neighborhood was—had no significant relationship to how the residents fared in terms of illness, mental decline, hospitalizations or mortality. What mattered most was the residents’ physical health and mental status. What people were like when they came in had greater consequence than what happened one they were there.[J] As I was considering all this, a press release from a respected research firm crossed my desk,announcing that the five-star rating system that Medicare developed in 2008 to help families compare nursing home quality also has little relationship to how satisfied its residents or their family members are. As amatter of fact, consumers expressed higher satisfaction with the one-star facilities, the lowest rated, than with the five-star ones. (More on this study and the star ratings will appear in a subsequent post.)[K] Before we collectively tear our hair out—how are we supposed to find our way in a landscape this confusing?—here is a thought from Dr. Philip Sloane, a geriatrician(老年病学专家)at the University of North Carolina:“In a way, that could be liberating for families.”[L] Of course, sons and daughters want to visit the facilities,talk to the administrators and residents and other families, and do everything possible to fulfill their duties. But perhaps they don’t have to turn themselves into private investigators or Congressional subcommittees. “Families can look a bit more for where the residents are going to be happy,” Dr. S loane said. And involving the future resident in the process can be very important.[M] We all have our own ideas about what would bring our parents happiness. They have their ideas, too. A friend recently took her mother to visit an expensive assisted living/nursing home near my town. I have seen this place—it is elegant, inside and out. But nobody greeted the daughter and mother when they arrived, thoughthe visit had been planned; nobody introduced them to the other residents. When they had lunch in the dining room, they sat alone at a table.[N] The daughter feared her mother would be ignored there, and so she decided to move her into a more welcoming facility. Based on what is emerging from some of this research, that might have been as rational a way as any to reach a decision.36. Many people feel guilty when they cannot find a place other than a nursing home for their parents.it helps for children to investigate care facilities,involving their parents in the decision-making process may prove very important.is really difficult to tell if assisted living is better than a nursing home.a resident feels depends on an interaction between themselves and the care facility they live in.author thinks her friend made a rational decision in choosing a more hospitable place over an apparently elegant assisted living home.system Medicare developed to rate nursing home quality is of little help to finding a satisfactory place.first the researchers of the most recent study found residents in assisted living facilities gave higher scores on social interaction.kind of care facility old people live in may be less important than we think.findings of the latest research were similar to an earlier multi-state study of assisted living.resident’s satisfaction with a care facility has much to do with whether they had participated in the decision to move in and how long they had stayed there.Section CDirections: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A),B),C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage oneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.As Artificial Intelligence(AI)becomes increasingly sophisticated, there are growing concerns that robots could become a threat. This danger can be avoided, according to computer science professor Stuart Russell, if we figure out how to turn human values into a programmable code.Russell argues that as robots take on more complicated tasks,it’s necessary to translate our morals into AI language.For example, if a robot does chores around the house, you would n’t want it to put the pet cat in the oven to make dinner for the hungry children. “You would want that robot preloaded with a good set of values,” said Russell.Some robots are already programmed with basic human values. For example, mobile robots have been programmed to keep a comfortable distance from humans. Obviously there are cultural differences,but if you were talking to another person and they came up close in your personal space,you wouldn’t think that’s the kind of thing a properly brought-up person would do.It will be possible to create more sophisticated moral machines,if only we can find a way to set out human values as clear rules.Robots could also learn values from drawing patterns from large sets of data on human behavior. They are dangerous only if programmers are careless.The biggest concern with robots going against human values is that human beings fail to so sufficient testing and they’ve produced a system that will break some kind of taboo(禁忌).One simple check would be to program a robot to check the correct course of action with a human when presented with an unusual situation.If the robot is unsure whether an animal is suitable for the microwave, it has the opportunity to stop, send out beeps(嘟嘟声), and ask for direc tions from a human. If we humans aren’t quite sure about a decision, we go and ask somebody else.The most difficult step in programming values will be deciding exactly what we believe in moral, and how to create a set of ethical rules. But if we come up with an answer, robots could be good for humanity.does the author say about the threat of robots?A)It may constitute a challenge to computer progranmers.B)It accompanies all machinery involving high technology.C)It can be avoided if human values are translated into their language.D)It has become an inevitable peril as technology gets more sophisticated.would we think of a person who invades our personal space according to the author?A)They are aggressive.B)They are outgoing.C)They are ignorant.D)They are ill-bred.do robots learn human values?A)By interacting with humans in everyday life situations.B)By following the daily routines of civilized human beings.C)By picking up patterns from massive data on human behavior.D)By imitating the behavior of property brought-up human beings.will a well-programmed robot do when facing an unusual situation?A)keep a distance from possible dangers.B)Stop to seek advice from a human being.C)Trigger its built-in alarm system at once.D)Do sufficient testing before taking action.is most difficult to do when we turn human values into a programmable code?A)Determine what is moral and ethical.B)Design some large-scale experiments.C)Set rules for man-machine interaction.D)Develop a more sophisticated program.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.Why do some people live to be older than others? You know the standard explanations:keeping a moderate diet,engaging in regular exercise, etc. But what effect does your personality haveon your longevity(长寿)?Do some kinds of personalities lead to longer lives? A new study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society looked at this question by examining the personality characteristics of 246 children of people who had lived to be at least 100.The study shows that those living the longest are more outgoing,more active and less neurotic (神经质的) than other people. Long-living women are also more likely to be sympathetic and cooperative than women with a normal life span. These findings are in agreement with what you would expect from the evolutionary theory: those who like to make friends and help others can gather enough resources to make it through tough times.Interestingly, however, other characteristics that you might consider advantageous had no impact on whether study participants were likely to live longer. Those who were more self-disciplined,for instance, were no more likely to live to be very old. Also,being open to new ideas had no relationship to long life, which might explain all those bad-tempered old people who are fixed in their ways.Whether you can successfully change your personality as an adult is the subject of a longstanding psychological debate. But the newpaper suggests that if you want long life, you should strive to be as outgoing as possible.Unfortunately,another recent study shows that your mother’s personality may also help determine your longevity. That study looked at nearly 28,000 Norwegian mothers and found that those moms who were more anxious, depressed and angry were more likely to feed their kids unhealthy diets. Patterns of childhood eating can be hard to break when we’re adults, which may mean that kids of depressed moms end up dying younger.Personality isn’t destiny(命运), and everyone knows that individuals can learn to change. But both studies show that long life isn’t just a matter of your physical health but of your mental health.51. The aim of the study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society is____.A)to see whether people’s personality affects their life span B)to find out if one’s lifestyle has any effect on their health C)to investigate the role of exercise in living a long life D)to examine all the factors contributing to longevity52. What does the author imply about outgoing and sympathetic people?A)They have a good understanding of evolution.B)They are better at negotiating an agreement.C)They generally appear more resourceful.D)They are more likely to get over hardship.53. What finding of the study might prove somewhat out of our expectation?A)Easy-going people can also live a relatively long life.B)Personality characteristics that prove advantageous actually vary with times.C)Such personality characteristics as self-discipline have no effect on longevity.D)Readiness to accept new ideas helps one enjoy longevity.54. What does the recent study of Norwegian mothers show?A)Children’s personality characteristics are invariably determined by their mothers.B)People with unhealthy eating habits are likely to die sooner.C)Mothers’ influence on children may last longer than fathers’.D)Mothers’ negative personality characteristics may affect the ir children’s life spans.can we learn from the findings of the two new studies?A)Anxiety and depression more often than not cut short one’s life span.B)Longevity results from a combination of mental and physical health.C)Personality plays a decisive role in how healthy one is.D)Health is in large part related to one’s lifestyle.Part IV Translation (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on the ANSWER SHEET 2.功夫(Kong Fu)是中国武术(martial arts)的俗称.中国武术的起源可以追溯到自卫的需要,狩猎活动以及古代中国的军士训练.它是中国传统体育运动的一种,年轻人和老年人都练.它已逐渐演变成了中国文化的独特元素.作为中国的国宝,武术有上百种不同的风格,是世界上练得最多的武术形式.有些风格模仿了动物的动作,还有一些则受到了中国哲学思想,神话和传说的启发四级写作:第一版For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter to express your thanks to one of your friends who helped you most when you were in difficulty. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.第一段: 写出写信目的. (表达感谢)第二段: 阐述感谢的原因.第三段:再次表达感谢,并可表述希望有机会可以给对方回报.Dear Mary,I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude to you for your help when I was in difficulty. You have been very kind and helpful since we knew each other.Last week, I caught a bad cold and had to stay at home for a week. When I was worrying about the lessons, you came to my home after school and helped me with every subject. With your help, I didn’t fall behind others.Again, thanks so much for your enthusiastic help. Even though you are to about to go abroad for further education I know that I will always stay in touch with you. I wish you every success in the future and I hope we can exchange more viewpoints on study.Please keep in touch, and drop in and visit us whenever you are in this part of the world.Very sincerelyPeter第二版For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter to express your thanks to one of your school teachers upon entering college. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.第一段: 写出写信目的. (表达感谢)第二段: 阐述感谢的原因.第三段:再次表达感谢,并可表述希望有机会可以给对方回报.Dear sir,I am writing to you to express my thanks for your help in learning English. You are one of the best teachers who I have ever met .There are many good points that I learn from you.During these days in your class, I have acquired much knowledge from you and it really helps me a lot. Firstly, you let me know what the west thinking pattern is —straight thinking pattern. As an English learner, it is important for me to understand the difference between them. There is no denying the fact that this can help me with my examination and interaction with foreigners. What’s more, I’m glad to be your student, and I am very happy to learn the course under your guidance. English is an important tool, through whichwe can share our experience with the world. I treasure the chance of learning English, and I enjoy the happiness from your course.The last not the least, please forgive those mistakes I have made which may upset you. What I have learned from you will help me pass the coming examinations and also be useful for my further education in abroad. It is not only a progress of learning, but also a cultivation of my ability.May everything go well around you.Your student,Li ling第三版For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter to express your thanks to your parents or any family members upon making memorable achievement. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.第一段: 写出写信目的. (表达感谢)第二段: 阐述感谢的原因.第三段:再次表达感谢,并可表述希望有机会可以给对方回报.Dear parents,This letter is to tell you my true feelings from the bottom of my heart. Although we can keep in virtual touch every day, I still feel it not enough to let you know how much I love you and how much I’ve appreciated what you’ve done for me.In the past 20 years, you have done a lot for me. Firstly, thank you so much for bringing me up. I know how hard you've being working in the past. I can imagine how many difficulties and obstacles you've conquered. Second, I want to thank you for your good education on me. There is an old saying goes like this “parents are the first teachers to their children”. Both of you are the typical ones. The most important thing that I want to say “thank you” is for your great admiration on my own freedom. You told me to look over the horizons and to pursuit my own dreams without hesitation.I really feel that my pen fails me when I am writing this thank you letter. The only thing I hope you can do for me is to take good care of yourselves and you will be always proud of me.Yours belovedSon四级翻译(功夫):功夫(Kung Fu)是中国武术(martial arts)的俗称.中国武术的起源可以追溯自卫的需要,狩猎活动以及古代中国的军事训练,它是中国传统体育运动的一种.年轻人,老年人都练,它已逐渐演变成了中国文化的独特元素,作为中国的国宝,功夫有上百种的风格,是世界上练得最多的艺术形式,有些风格模仿了动物的动作.还有一些则受到中国哲学思想,神话和传说的启发.Kung Fu is the folk name of Chinese martial arts, which dates back to the need of self-defense, hunting, and military drill in ancient China. It is one of China’s traditional sports, and all people, old and young, would participate in. It has gradually evolved into a unique element of the Chinese culture. As a national treasure of China, it has hundreds of styles. Meanwhile, it is also the most practiced art form in the world. Some styles imitate the movements of animals, while others are inspired by Chinese philosophy, myth and legend.四级翻译(木匠):在山东省潍坊市,风筝不仅仅是玩具,而且还是这座城市文化的标志.潍坊以“风筝之都”而闻名,已有将近2400年放飞风筝的历史.传说中国古代哲学家墨子用了三年时间在潍坊制作了世界上首个风筝,但放飞的第一天风筝就坠落并摔坏了,也有人相信风筝是中国古代木匠鲁班发明的.据说他的风筝用木头和竹子制作,飞了三天后才落地.In Weifang, Shandong, kites are not only for entertainment. It also symbolizes the culture of the city. Weifang is known as the “capital of kites” with a history of nearly 2,400 years in flying kites. It is said that the ancient Chinese philosopher Motze took three years to make the first kite right in Weifang. It fell and broke, however, on its first day of flying. Some also belives that it was the carpenter LuBan that fist invented the kite. It’s said that his kite was made of wood and bamboo and it landed after three days’ flying.四级翻译(乌镇)乌镇是浙江的一座古老水镇,坐落在京杭大运河畔.这是一处迷人的地方,有许多古桥、中式旅店和餐馆.在过去一千年里,乌镇的水系和生活方式并未经历多少变化,是一座展现古文明的博物馆.乌镇所有房屋都用石木建造.数百年来,当地人沿着河边建起了住宅和集市.无数宽敞美丽的庭院藏身于屋舍之间,游客们每到一处都会有惊喜的发现.Wuzhen, an ancient water town of Zhejiang province, is located near the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. It is a charming place. Many ancient bridges, Chinese style hotels and restaurants dwell there.In the past one thousand years, the water system and the way of life there haven't changed much, so it is a museum of ancient civilizations. All rooms in Wuzhen are made of stone and wood. Over hundreds of years, the locals have built houses and markets along the riverbank. Numerous spacious and pretty courtyards hide in those houses, serving as surprises and waiting to be found by the tourists.四级阅读选词填空26. 正确选项 O tend27. 正确选项 M review28. 正确选项 L performance29. 正确选项 K particularly30. 正确选项 N survive31. 正确选项 E dropping32. 正确选项 J mutually33. 正确选项 H flow34. 正确选项 F essential35. 正确选项 I mood段落匹配36. 正确选项 E37. 正确选项 L38. 正确选项 B39. 正确选项 H40. 正确选项 N41. 正确选项 J42. 正确选项 F43. 正确选项 C44. 正确选项 I45. 正确选项 G仔细阅读Passage one46. 正确选项C. It can be avoided if human values are translated into their language.47. 正确选项 D. They are ill-bred.48. 正确选项 C. By picking up patterns from massive data on human behavior.49. 正确选项 D. Do sufficient testing before taking action.50. 正确选项 A. Determine what is moral and ethical.Passage Two51. 正确选项 A. to see whether people’s personality affects their life span52. 正确选项 D. They are more likely to get over hardship.53. 正确选项 C. Such personality characteristics as self-discipline have no effect on longevity.54. 正确选项 D. Mothers’ negative personality characteristics may affect their children’s life spans..55. 正确选项 B. Longevity results form a combination of mental and physical health.听力部分1. C) Rising unemployment worldwide.2. C) Few countries have realized the seriousness of the current crisis.3. B) Put calorie information on the menu.4. A) They will be fined.5. D) Failure to integrate innovation into their business.6. B) It is the creation of something new.7. C) Its innovation culture.12. A) He wants to change his job assignment.13. A) His workload was much too heavy.14. C) His boss has a lot of trust in him.15. D) Talk to his boss in person first.16 A) The importance of sleep to a healthy life17 C) They get less and less sleep18 D) Their blood pressure will rise19. B) What course you are going to choose20. D) The personal statement21. C) Indicate they have reflected and thought about the subject22 B) It was built in the late 19th century.23 D) They often broke down.24 A) They were produced on the assembly line.25 C) It marked a new era in motor travel.。

大学英语四级考试真题与及答案(3套)

大学英语四级考试真题与及答案(3套)

大学英语四级考试真题与及答案(第一套)Part I Writing (25 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short easy on how to besthandle the relationship between doctors and patients. You should write at least120 words but no more than 180 words.Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1. A) Her friend Erika. C) Her grandfather.B) Her little brother. D) Her grandmother.2. A) By taking pictures for passers-by. C) By selling lemonade and pictures.B) By working part time at a hospital. D) By asking for help on social media.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3. A) Finding cheaper ways of highway construction.B) Generating electric power for passing vehicles.C) Providing clean energy to five million people.D) Testing the efficiency of the new solar panel.4. A) They can stand the wear and tear of natural elements.B) They can be laid right on top of existing highways.C) They are only about half an inch thick.D) They are made from cheap materials.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. A) Endless fighting in the region. C) Inadequate funding for research.B) The hazards from the desert. D) The lack of clues about the species.6. A) To observe the wildlife in the two national parks.B) To identify the reasons for the lions’ disappearance.C) To study the habitat of lions in Sudan and Ethiopia.D) To find evidence of the existence of the “lost lions”.7. A) Lions walking. C) Some camping facilities.B) Lions’ tracks. D) Traps set by local hunters.Section BDirections:In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C), and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8. A) Her ‘lucky birthday’. C) Her wedding anniversary.B) A call from her dad. D) A special gift from the man.9. A) Gave her a big model plane. C) Took her on a trip overseas.B) Bought her a good necklace. D) Threw her a surprise party.10. A) The gift her husband has bought.B) The trip her husband has planned.C) What has been troubling her husband.D) What her husband and the man are up to.11. A) He will be glad to be a guide for the couple’s holiday trip.B) He will tell the women the secret if her husband agrees.C) He is eager to learn how the couple’s holiday turns out.D) He wants to find out about the couple’s holiday plan.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. A) They are sensitive to the dynamics of a negotiation.B) They see the importance of making compromises.C) They know when to adopt a tough attitude.D) They take the rival’s attitude into account.13. A) They know how to adapt. C) They know when to make compromises.B) They know when to stop. D) They know how to control their emotion.14. A) They are patient. C) They learn quickly.B) They are good at expression. D) They uphold their principles.15. A) Make clear one's intentions. C) Formulate one's strategy.B) Clarify items of negotiation. D) Get to know the other side.Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you willhear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken onlyonce. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the fourchoices marked A), B), C), D). Then mark the corresponding letter on AnswerSheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A) When America's earliest space program started.B) When the International Space Station was built.C) How many space shuttle missions there will be.D) How space research benefits people on Earth.17. A) They accurately calculated the speed of the orbiting shuttles.B) They developed objects for astronauts to use in outer space.C) They tried to meet astronauts' specific requirements.D) They tried to make best use of the latest technology.18. A) They are extremely accurate. C) They were first made in space.B) They are expensive to make. D) They were invented in the 1970s.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A) It was when her ancestors came to America.B) People had plenty of land to cultivate then.C) It marked the beginning of something new.D) Everything was natural and genuine then.20. A) They believed in working for goals. C) They had all kinds of entertainment.B) They enjoyed living a living a life of ease. D) They were known to be creative.21. A) Chatting with her ancestors. C) Polishing all the silver work.B) Furnishing her country house. D) Doing needlework by the fire.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A) Use a map to identify your location. C) Sit down and try to calm yourself.B) Call your family or friends for help. D) Try to follow your footprints back.23. A) You may find a way out without your knowing it.B) You may expose yourself to unexpected dangers.C) You may get drowned in a sudden flood.D) You may end up entering a wonderland.24. A) Look for food. C) Start a fire.B) Wait patiently. D) Walk uphill.25. A) Inform somebody of your plan. C) Check the local weather.B) Prepare enough food and drink. D) Find a map and a compass.Part Ⅲ Reading Comprehension ( 40 minutes )Section ADirections: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.A rat or pigeon might not be the obvious choice to tend to someone who is sick, but these creatures have some 26 skills that could help the treatment of human diseases.Pigeons are often seen as dirty birds and an urban 27 , but they are just the latest in a long line of animals that have been found to have abilities to help humans. Despite having a brain no bigger than the 28 ofyour index finger, pigeons have a very impressive 29__ memory. Recently it was shown that they could be trained to be as accurate as humans at detecting breast cancer in images.Rats are often 30 with spreading disease rather than 31 it, but this long-tailed animal is highly 32 . Inside a rat's nose are up to 1,000 different types of olfactory receptors (嗅觉感受器), whereas humans only have 100 to 200 types. This gives rats the ability to detect __33 smells. As a result, some rats are being put to work to detect TB(肺结核). When the rats detect the smell, they stop and rub their legs to 34 a sample is infected.Traditionally, a hundred samples would take lab technicians more than two days to 35 , but for a rat it takes less than 20 minutes. This rat detection method doesn't rely on specialist equipment. It is also more accurate — the rats are able to find more TB infections and, therefore, save more lives.A) associated I) slightB) examine J) specifyC) indicate K) superiorD) nuisance L) suspiciousE) peak M) tipF) preventing N) treatedG) prohibiting O) visualH) sensitiveSection BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once.Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.Do In-Class Exams Make Students Study Harder?Research suggests they may study more broadly for the unexpected rather than search for answers.[A] I have always been a poor test-taker. So it may seem rather strange that I have returned to college to finish the degree I left undone some four decades ago. I am making my way through Columbia University, surrounded by students who quickly supply the verbal answer while I am still processing the question.[B] Since there is no way for me to avoid exams, I am currently questioning what kind are the most taxing and ultimately beneficial. I have already sweated through numerous in-class midterms and finals, and now I have a professor who issues take-home ones. I was excited when I learned this, figuring I had a full week to do the research, read the texts, and write it all up. In fact, I was still rewriting my midterm the morning it was due. To say I had lost the thread is putting it mildly.[C] As I was suffering through my week of anxiety, overthinking the material and guessing my grasp of it, I did some of my own polling among students and professors. David Eisenbach, who teaches a popular class on U.S. presidents at Columbia, prefers the in-class variety. He believes students ultimately learn more and encourages them to form study groups. “That way they socialize over history outside the class, which wouldn’t happen without the pressure of an in-class exam,” he explained, “Furthermore, in-class exams force students to learn how to perform under pressure, and essential work skill.”[D] He also says there is less chance of cheating with the in-class variety. In 2012, 125 students at Harvard were caught up in a scandalwhen it was discovered they had cheated on a take-home exam for a class entitled “Introduction To Congress.” Some colleges have what they call an “honor code,” though if you are smart enough to get into these schools, you are either smart enough to get around any codes or hopefully, too ethical to consider doing so. As I sat blocked and clueless for two solid days, I momentarily wondered if I couldn’t just call an expert on the subject matter which I was tackling, or someone who took the class previously, to get me going.[E] Following the Harvard scandal, Mary Miller, the former dean of students at Yale, made an impassioned appeal to her school’s professors to refrain from take-hone exams. “Students risk health and well being, as well as performance in other end-of-term work, when faculty offerstake-home exams without clear, time-limited boundaries,” she told me. “Research now shows that regular quizzes, short essays, and other assignments over the course of a term better enhance learning and retention.”[F] Most college professors agree the kind of exam they choose largely depends on the subject. A quantitative-based one, for example, is unlikely to be sent home, where one could ask their older brothers and sisters to help. Vocational-type classes, such as computer science or journalism, on the other hand, are often more research-oriented and lend themselves to take-home testing. Chris Koch, who teaches “History of Broadcast Journalism” at Montgomery Community College in Rockville, Maryland, points out that reporting is about investigation rather than the memorization of minute details. “In my field, it’s not what you know—it’s what you know how to find out,” says Koch. “There is way too much information, and more coming all the time, for anyone toremember. I want my students to search out the answers to questions by using all the resources available to them.[G] Students’ test-form preferences vary, too, often depending on the subject and course difficulty. “I prefer take-home essays because it is then really about the writing, so you have time to edit and do more research,” says Elizabeth Dresser, a junior at Barnard. Then there is the stress factor. Francesca Haass, a senior at Middlebury, says, “I find thein-class ones are more stressful in the short term, but there is immediate relief as you swallow information like mad, and then you get to forget it all. Take-homes require thoughtful engagement which can lead to longer term stress as there is never a moment when the time is up.” Meanwhile, Olivia Rubin, a sophomore at Emory, says she hardly even considerstake-homes true exams. “If you understand the material and have the ability to articulate (说出) your thoughts, they should be a breeze.”[H] How students ultimately handle stress may depend on their personal test-taking abilities. There are people who always wait until the last minute, and make it much harder than it needs to be. And then there those who, not knowing what questions are coming at them, and having no resources to refer to, can freeze. And then there are we rare folks who fit both those descriptions.[I] Yes, my advanced age must factor into the equation (等式), in part because of my inability toaccess the information as quickly. As another returning student at Columbia, Kate Marber, toldme, “We are learning not only all this information, but essentially how to learn again. Ourfellow students have just come out of high school. A lot has changed since we were last inschool.”[J] If nothing else, the situation has given my college son and me something to share, When Iasked his opinion on this matter, he responded, “I like in-class exams because the time isalready reserved, as opposed to using my free time at home to work on a test,” he responded.It seems to me that a compromise would be receiving the exam questions a day or two inadvance, and then doing the actual test in class the ticking clock overhead.[K] Better yet, how about what one Hunter College professor reportedly did recently for her finalexam: She encouraged the class not to stress or even study, promising that, “It is going to be apiece of cake.” When the students came in, sharpened pencils in hand, there was not a bluebook in sight. Rather, they saw a large chocolate cake and they each were given a slice.36. Elderly students find it hard to keep up with the rapid changes in education.37. Some believe take-home exams may affect students' performance in other courses.38. Certain professors believe in-class exams are ultimately more helpful to students.39. In-class exams are believed to discourage cheating in exams.40. The author was happy to learn she could do some exams at home.41. Students who put off their work until the last moment often find the exams more difficult thanthey actually are.42. Different students may prefer different types of exams.43. Most professors agree whether to give an in-class or atake-home exam depends on type ofcourse being taught.44. The author dropped out of college some forty years ago.45. Some students think take-home exams will eat up their free time.Section CDirections: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 46 and 50 are based on the following passage.That people often experience trouble sleeping in a different bed in unfamiliar surroundings is a phenomenon known as the “first-night”effect. If a person stays in the same room the following night they tend to sleep more soundly. Yuka Sasaki and her colleagues at Brown University set out to investigate the origins of this effect.Dr. Sasaki knew the first-night effect probably has something to do with how humans evolved. The puzzle was what benefit would be gained from it when performance might be affected the following day. She also knew from previous work conducted on birds and dolphins that these animals put half of their brains to sleep at a time so that they can rest while remaining alert enough to avoid predators (捕食者). This led her towonder if people might be doing the same thing. To take a closer look, her team studied 35 healthy people as they slept in the unfamiliar environment of the university’s Department of Psychological Sciences. The participants each slept in the department for two nights and were carefully monitored with techniques that looked at the activity of their brains. Dr. Sasaki found, as expected, the participants slept less well on their first night than they did on their second, taking more than twice as long to fall asleep and sleeping less overall. During deep sleep, the participants’ brains behaved in a similar manner seen in birds and dolphins. On the first night only, the left hemispheres (半球) of their brains did not sleep nearly as deeply as their right hemispheres did.Curious if the left hemispheres were indeed remaining awake to process information detected in the surrounding environment, Dr. Sasaki re-ran the experiment while presenting the sleeping participants with a mix of regularly timed beeps (蜂鸣声) of the same tone and irregular beeps of a different tone during the night. She worked out that, if theleft hemisphere was staying alert to keep guard in a strange environment, then it would react to the irregular beeps by stirring people from sleep and would ignore the regularly timed ones. This is precisely what she found.46. What did researchers find puzzling about the first-night effect?A) To what extent it can trouble people. C) What circumstances may trigger it.B) What role it has played in evolution. D) In what way it can be beneficial.47. What do we learn about Dr. Yuka Sasaki doing her research?A) She found birds and dolphins remain alert while asleep.B) She found birds and dolphins sleep in much the same way.C) She got some idea from previous studies on birds and dolphinsD) She conducted studies on birds’ and dolphins’ sleeping patterns.48. What did Dr. Sasaki do when she first did her experiment?A) She monitored the brain activity of participants sleeping in a new environment.B) She recruited 35 participants from her Department of Psychological Sciences.C) She studied the differences between the two sides of participants’ brains.D) She tested her findings about birds and dolphins on human subjects.49. What did Dr. Sasaki do when re-running her experiment?A) She analyzed the negative effect of irregular tones on brains.B) She recorded participants’ adaptation to changed environment.C) She exposed her participants to two different stimuli.D) She compared the responses of different participants.50. What did Dr. Sasaki find about the participants in her experiment?A) They tended to enjoy certain tones more than others.B) They tended to perceive irregular beeps as a threat.C) They felt sleepy when exposed to regular beeps.D) They differed in their tolerance of irregular tones.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.It’s time to reevaluate how women handle conflict at work. Being overworked or over-committed at home and on the job will not get you where you want to be in life. It will only slow you down and hinder your career goals.Did you know women are more likely than men to feel exhausted? Nearly twice as many women than men ages 18-44 reported feeling “very tired” or “exhausted”, according to a recent study.This may not be surprising given that this is the age range when women have children. It's also the age range when many women are trying to balance careers and home. One reason women may feel exhausted is that they have a hard time saying "no." Women want to be able todo it all volunteer for school parties or cook delicious meals-and so their answer to any request is often “Yes, I can.”Women struggle to say “no” in the workplace for similar reasons, including the desire to be liked by their colleagues. Unfortunately, this inability to say "no" may be hurting women's heath as well as their career.At the workplace, men use conflict as a way to position themselves, while women often avoid conflict or strive to be the peacemaker, because they don't want to be viewed as aggressive or disruptive at work. For example, there’s a problem that needs to be addressed immediately, resulting in a dispute over should be the one to fix it. Men are more likely to face that dispute from the perspective of what benefits them most, whereas women may approach the same dispute from the perspective of what's the easiest and quickest way to resolve the problem-evenif that means doing the boring work themselves.This difference in handling conflict could be the deciding factor on who gets promoted to a leadership position and who does not. Leaders have to be able to delegate and manage resources wisely – including staff expertise. Shouldering more of the workload may not earn you that promotion. Instead, it may highlight your inability to delegate effectively.51. What does the author say is the problem with women?A) They are often unclear about the career goals to reach.B) They are usually more committed at home than on the job.C) They tend to be over-optimistic about how far they could go.D) They tend to push themselves beyond the limits of their ability.52. Why do working women of child-bearing age tend to feel drained of energy?A) They struggle to satisfy the demands of both work and home.B) They are too devoted to work and unable to relax as a result.C) They do their best to cooperate with their workmates.D) They are obliged to take up too many responsibilities.53. What may hinder the future prospects of career women?A) Their unwillingness to say “no”.B) Their desire to be considered powerful.C) An underestimate of their own ability.D) A lack of courage to face challenges.54. Men and woman differ in their approach to resolving workplace conflicts in that______.A) women tend to be easily satisfiedB) men are generally more persuasiveC) men tend to put their personal interests firstD) women are much more ready to compromise55. What is important to a good leader?A) A dominant personality. C) The courage to admit failureB) The ability to delegate. D) A strong sense of responsibility.Part Ⅳ Translation (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese intoEnglish. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.华山位于华阴市,据西安120公里。

大学英语四级真题试卷及答案

大学英语四级真题试卷及答案

大学英语四级真题试卷及答案文件排版存档编号:[UYTR-OUPT28-KBNTL98-UYNN208]Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter to express your thanks to one of your friends who helped you most when you were in difficulty. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Part Ⅱ Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer fromthe four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1. A)The International Labor Organization’s key objective.B)The basic social protection for the most vulnerable.C)Rising unemployment worldwide.D)Global economic recovery.2. A)Many countries have not taken measures to create enough jobs.B)Few countries know how to address the current economic crisis.C)Few countries have realized the seriousness of the current crisis.D)Many countries nee d support to improve their people’s livelihood.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3. A)Serve standardized food nationwide.B)Put calorie information on the menu.C)Increase protein content in the food.D)Offer convenient food to customers.4. A)They will be fined.B)They will be closed.C)They will get a warning.D)They will lose customers.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. A)Inability to implement their business plans.B)Inability to keep turning out novel products.C)Lack of a successful business model of their own.D)Failure to integrate innovation into their business.6. A)It is the secret to business success.B)It is the creation of something new.C)It is a magic tool to bring big rewards.D)It is an essential part of business culture.7. A)Its hardworking employees.B)Its flexible promotion strategy.C)Its innovation culture.D)Its willingness to make investments.Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversations you will hear four questions.Both the conversations and the question-s will be spoken only once. After you hear a question. You must choose the best answer fromthe four choices marked A),B),C)and D). Then mark thecorresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8. A)He’s got addicted to technology.B)He is not very good at socializing.C)He is crazy about text-messaging.D)He does not talk long on the phone.9. A)Talk big.B)Talk at length.C)Gossip a lot.D)Forget herself.10. A)He thought it was cool.B)He needed the practice.C)He wanted to stay connected with them.D)He had an urgent message to send.11. A)It poses a challenge to seniors.B)It saves both time and money.C)It is childish and unprofessional.D)It is cool and convenient.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. A)He wants to change his job assignment.B)He is unhappy with his department manager.C)He thinks he deserves extra pay for overtime.D)He is often singled out for criticism by his boss.13. A)His workload was much too heavy.B)His immediate boss did not trust him.C)His colleagues often refused to cooperate.D)His salary was too low for his responsibility.14. A)He never knows how to refuse.B)He is always ready to help others.C)His boss has a lot of trust in him.D)His boss has no sense of fairness.15. A)Put all his complaints in writing.B)Wait and see what happens next.C)Learn to say no when necessary.D)Talk to his boss in person first.Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A),B),C)and D).Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre. Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A)The importance of sleep to a healthy life.B)Reasons for Americans’ decline in sleep.C)Some tips to improve the quality of sleep.D)Diseases associated with lack of sleep.17. A)They are more health-conscious.B)They are changing their living habits.C)They get less and less sleep.D)They know the dangers of lack of sleep.18. A)Their weight will go down.B)Their mind function will deteriorate.C)Their work efficiency will decrease.D)Their blood pressure will rise.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A)How much you can afford to pay.B)What course you are going to choose.C)Which university you are going to apply to.D)When you are going to submit your application.20. A)The list of courses studied.B)The full record of scores.C)The references from teachers.D)The personal statement.21. A)Specify what they would like to do after graduation.B)Describe in detail how much they would enjoy studying.C)Indicate they have reflected and thought about the subject.D)Emphasize that they admire the professors in the university. Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A)It was equipped with rubber tyres.B)It was built in the late 19th century.C)It was purchased by the Royal family.D)It was designed by an English engineer.23. A)They consumed lots of petrol.B)They took two passengers only.C)They were difficult to drive.D)They often broke down.24. A)They were produced on the assembly line.B)They were built with less costly materials.C)They were modeled after British cars.D)They were made for ordinary use.25. A)It made news all over the world.B)It was built for the Royal family.C)It marked a new era in motor travel.D)It attracted large numbers of motorists.Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.Questions 26 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.Physical activity does the body good, and there’s growingevidence that it helps the brain too. Researchers in the Netherlands report that children who get more exercise, whether at school or on their own, 26 to have higher GPAs and betterscores on standardized tests. In a 27 of 14 studies thatlooked at physical activity and academic 28 , investigatorsfound that the more children moved, the better their grades werein school, 29 in the basic subjects of math, English and reading.The data will certainly fuel the ongoing debate over whether physical education classes should be cut as schools struggle to30 on smaller budgets. The arguments against physical education have included concerns that gym time may be taking away from study time. With standardized test scores in the U.S. 31 in recent years, some administrators believe students need to spend moretime in the classroom instead of on the playground. But as these findings show, exercise and academics may not be 32 exclusive. Physical activity can improve blood 33 to the brain, fueling memory, attention and creativity, which are 34 to learning.And exercise releases hormones that can improve 35 and relieve stress, which can also help learning. So while it may seem as if kids are just exercising their bodies when they’re running around, they may actually be exercising their brains as well.注意:此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

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2016年6月英语四级考试真题及答案
Part I Writing ( 30 minutes)
Directions:For this part,you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter to express your thanks to one of your friends who helped you most when you were in difficulty 。

You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 word。

s
Part Ⅱ Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)
Section A
Directions:In this section,you will hear three news reports。

At the end of each news repor,t you will hear two or three questions。

Both the news report and the questions will be spoken only once。

After you hear a question,you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B ),C) and D)。

Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the cent。

re
Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.
1. A)The International Labor Organization 's key objective.
B) The basic social protection for the most vulnerable.
C) Rising unemployment worldwide.
D) Global economic recovery.
2. A)Many countries have not taken measures to create enough jobs.
B) Few countries know how to address the current economic crisis.
C) Few countries have realized the seriousness of the current crisis.
D) Many countries need support to improve their people 's livelihood.
Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.
3. A)Serve standardized food nationwide.
B) Put calorie information on the menu.
C) Increase protein content in the food.
D) Offer convenient food to customers.
4. A)They will be fined.
B) They will be closed.
C) They will get a warning.
D) They will lose customers.
Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.
5. A) Inability to implement their business plans.
B) Inability to keep turning out novel products.
C) Lack of a successful business model of their own.
D) Failure to integrate innovation into their business.
6. A)It is the secret to business success.
B) It is the creation of something new.
C) It is a magic tool to bring big rewards.
D) It is an essential part of business culture.
7. A)Its hardworking employees.
B) Its flexible promotion strategy.
C) Its innovation culture.
D )Its willingness to make investments.
Section B
Directions:In this section,you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversations you will hear four questions. Both the conversations and the question-s will be spoken only once. After you hear a question. You must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A),B),C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.
Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
8. A)He's got addicted to technology.
B) He is not very good at socializing.
C) He is crazy about text-messaging.
D) He does not talk long on the phone.
9. A)Talk big.
B) Talk at length.
C) Gossip a lot.
D) Forget herself.
10. A)He thought it was cool.
B) He needed the practice.
C) He wanted to stay connected with them.
D) He had an urgent message to send.
11. A) It poses a challenge to seniors.
B) It saves both time and money.
C)It is childish and unprofessional.
D) It is cool and convenient.
Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
12. A)He wants to change his job assignment.
B)He is unhappy with his department manager.。

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