2016年12月四级真题第二套 听力

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2016年12月英语四级听力第二套

2016年12月英语四级听力第二套

2016年12月英语四级听力第二套<1> 背景介绍2016年12月英语四级考试是我国大陆地区规模最大的英语考试之一,也是我国大陆地区最重要的英语水平考试之一。

在这次考试中,听力题占据了相当大的比重,对考生的听力水平有着相当高的要求。

<2> 考试概况2016年12月英语四级听力第二套试卷共有四篇短对话,三篇长对话,以及三篇新闻广播。

整个试题篇幅较长,内容涵盖了日常生活中的各种场景,涉及了工作、学习、家庭生活、旅行等多个方面,对考生的听力能力和综合理解能力提出了很高的要求。

<3> 文章内容分析短对话部分主要涉及了日常生活中常见的对话场景,如购物、就餐、约会等。

这些对话内容比较简单,语速较快,对考生的听力反应速度和对语境的理解能力提出了要求。

长对话部分内容相对复杂一些,涉及了更为具体的场景和对话内容,如租房、旅行、学术讨论等。

这些对话内容较长,语速适中,对考生的听力理解和提取信息的能力提出了挑战。

新闻广播部分内容涵盖了时事热点、科技、文化等多个方面的内容,语速较快,语调较为正式,对考生的听力反应速度和综合理解能力提出了很高的要求。

<4> 技巧及备考建议为了应对2016年12月英语四级听力第二套试题,考生可以采取以下备考策略:(1)平时多进行听力练习,提高听力反应速度和对语境的理解能力;(2)在备考过程中注意积累常见的对话场景和词汇,以便更好地理解对话内容;(3)关注时事热点和各个领域的知识,以便更好地理解新闻广播部分的内容;(4)在考试时注意听力耐心和抓大放小的能力,确保能够准确获取对话和广播中的关键信息。

<5> 总结2016年12月英语四级听力第二套试题内容涵盖了日常生活中的多个场景和话题,考查了考生的听力水平和综合理解能力。

备考过程中,考生需要多进行听力练习,积累各类词汇和对话场景,关注时事热点和各个领域的知识,以便更好地应对考试。

通过努力备考,相信考生们一定能够在2016年12月英语四级听力考试中取得优异的成绩。

2016年12月大学英语四级真题第二套word文本

2016年12月大学英语四级真题第二套word文本

2016年12月英语四级真题及答案详解和听力原文第二套2016年12月英语四级真题第二套Part I Writing (30minutes)(请于正式开考后半小时内完成该部分,之后将进行听力考试)For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay. Suppose you have two options upon graduation: one is to work in a state-owned business and the other in a joint venture. You are to make a choice between the two. Write an essay to explain the reasons for your choice. 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). Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer sheet1with a single line through the centre.Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just the heard .1. A) It was dangerous to live in. C) He could no longer pay the rent.B) It was going to be renovated. D) He had sold it to the royal family.2. A) A strike. B)A storm. C) A forest fire. D) A Terrorist attack.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard .3. A) They lost contact with the emergency department.B) They were trapped in an underground elevator.C) They were injured by suddenly falling rocks.D) They sent calls for help via a portable radio.4. A) They tried hard to repair the accident.B) They released the details of the accident.C) They sent supplies to keep the miners warm.D) They provided the miner with food and water.Question s 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard .5. A) Raise postage rates. C) Redesign delivery routes.B) Improve its services. D) Close some of its post offices.6. A) Shortening business hours. C) Stopping mail delivery on Saturdays.B) Closing offices on holidays. D) Computerizing mail sorting processes.7. A) Many post office staff will lose their jobs. C) Taxpayers will be very pleased.B) Many people will begin to complain. D) A lot of controversy will arise.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 four choice marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter an Answer sheet1 with a single line though the centre.Question s 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard .8. A) He will be kept from promotion.C) He will be given a warning.B) He will go through retraining. D) He will lose part of his pay.9. A) He is always on time. C) He is an experienced press operator.B) He is trustworthy guy. D) He is on good terms with his workmates.10. A) She is a trade union representative. C) She is a senior manager of the shop.B) She is in charge of public relation. D) She is better at handing such matters.11. A) He is skilled and experienced. C) He is always trying to stir up trouble.B) He is very close to the manager. D) He is always complaining about low wages.Question s 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard .12. A) Open. B) Friendly. C) Selfish. D)Reserved.13. A)They stay quiet. C) They talk about the weather.B) They read a book. D) They chat with fellow passengers.14. A) She was always treated as a foreigner.B) She was eager to visit an English castle.C) She was never invited to a colleague’s home.D) She was unwilling to make friends with workmates.15. A) House are much more quiet. C) They want to have more space.B) Houses provide more privacy. D) They want a garden of their own.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) They don’t have much choice of jobs.B) They are likely to get much higher pay.C) They don’t have to go through job interviews.D) They will automatically be given hiring priority.17. A)Ask their professors for help. C) Visit the school careers services.B)Look at school bulletin boards. D) Go through campus newspapers.18. A)Helping students find the books and journals they need.B)Supervising study spaces to ensure a quiet atmosphere.C)Helping students arrange appointments with librarians.D)Providing students with information about the library.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard .19. A) It tastes better. C) It may be sold at a higher price.B) It is easier to grow. D) It can better survive extreme weathers.20. A) It is healthier than green tea. C) It will replace green tea one day.B) It can grow in drier soil. D) It is immune to various diseases.21. A)It has been well received by many tea drinkers.B) It does not bring the promised health benefits.C)It has made tea farmers’life easier.D) It does not have a stable market.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard .22. A) They need decorations to show their status.B) They prefer unique objects of high quality.C) They decorate their homes themselves.D) They care more about environment.23. A) They were proud of their creations.B) They could only try to create at night.C) They made great contributions to society.D) They focused on the quality of their products.24. A) Make wise choices. C) Design handicrafts themselves.B)Identify fake crafts. D) Learn the importance of creation.25. A) To boost the local economy. C) To arouse public interest in crafts.B) To attract foreign investments. D)To preserve the traditional culture.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.The ocean is heating up. That’s the conclusion of a new study that finds that Earth’s oceans now26 heat at twice the rate they did 18 years ago. Around half of ocean heat intake since 1865 has taken place since 1997, researchers report online in Nature Climate Change.Warming waters are known to27 to coral bleaching(珊瑚白化)and they take up more space than cooler waters, raising sea28 . While the top of the ocean is well studied, its depths are more difficult to 29 . The researchers gathered 150 years of ocean temperature data in order to get a better 30 of heat absorption from surface to seabed. They gathered together temperature readings collected by everything from a 19th century 31 of British naval ships to modern automated ocean probes. The extensive data sources, 32 with computer simulations(计算机模拟), created a timeline of ocean temperature changes, including cooling from volcanic outbreaks and warming from fossil fuel33 .About 35 percent of the heat taken in by the oceans during the industrial era now resides at a 34 of more than 700 meters, the researchers found. They say they’re 35 whether the deep sea warming canceled out warming at the sea’s surface.A) absorbB) combinedC) contribute D) depthE) emissionsF) excursionG) exploreH) floorI) heightsJ) indifferentK) levelsL) mixedM) pictureN) unsureO) voyageSection 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.The Secret to Raising Smart Kids[A] I first began to investigate the basis of human motivation—and how people persevere after setbacks—as a psychology graduate student at Yale University in the 1960s. Animal experiments by psychologists at the University of Pennsylvania had shown that after repeated failures, most animals conclude that a situation is hopeless and beyond their control. After such an experience an animal often remains passive even when it can effect change—a state they called learned helplessness.[B] People can learn to be helpless, too. Why do some students give up when they encounter difficulty, whereas others who are no more skilled continue to strive and learn? One answer, I soon discovered, lay in people’s beliefs about why they had failed.[C] In particular, attributing poor performance to a lack of ability depresses motivation more than does the belief that lack of effort is to blame. When I told a group of school children who displayed helpless behavior that a lack of effort led to their mistakes in math, they learned to keep trying when the problems got tough. Another group of helpless children who were simply rewarded for their success on easier problems did not improve their ability to solve hard math problems. These experiments indicated that a focus on effort can help resolve helplessness and generate success.[D] Later, I developed a broader theory of what separates the two general classes of learners —helpless versus mastery-oriented. I realized these different types of students not only explain their failures differently, but they also hold different “theories”of intelligence. The helpless ones believe intelligence is a fixed characteristic: you have only a certain amount, and that’s that.I call this a “fixed mind-set(思维模式).”Mistakes crack their self-confidence because they attribute errors to a lack of ability, which they feel powerless to change. They avoid challenges because challenges make mistakes more likely. The mastery-oriented children, on the other hand, think intelligence is not fixed and can be developed through education and hard work. Such children believe challenges are energizing rather than intimidating(令人生畏);they offer opportunities to learn. Students with such a growth mind-set were destined(注定) for greater academic success and were quite likely to outperform their counterparts.[E] We validated these expectations in a study in which two other psychologists and I。

12月英语四级试卷二听力参考答案

12月英语四级试卷二听力参考答案

12月英语四级试卷二听力参考答案2016年12月英语四级试卷二听力参考答案导语:2016年12月的英语四级考试已经圆满结束了,下面小编为您带来“2016年12月英语四级试卷二听力参考答案”,希望大家喜欢。

听力参考答案:第二套SectionA1 [C] They were all good at cooking.2 [C] His parents’s friends.3 [A] No one of the group ate it.4 [B] It was rather disappointing.5 [C] The business success of the woman’s shop.6 [A] Keep down its expense.7 [D]They are sold at lower prices than in other shops.8 [A] T o maintain friendly relationship with other shops.Section B9 [C]They deliver pollutants from the ocean to their nesting sites.10[A]They originate from Devon Island in the Aretie area.11[B]They were carried by the wind.12[C]The harm Arctic seabirds may cause to humans.13[D]It has decreased.14[A]It is now the second leading cause of death for centenarians.15[D]Their minds fail before their bodies do.Section C16[C]They are focused more on attraction than love.17[C]It is not love if you don’t wish to maintain therelationship.18[C]How the relationship is to be defined if any one is missing.19[B]Social work as a profession.20[D]They help enhance the well-being of the underprivileged.21[C]They all have an academic degree in social work.22[A]Social works’ job options and respons ibilities.23[A]To fight childhood obesity.24[C]They impress kids more than they do adults.25[D]Message positive behaviors at all times.。

2016年12月大学英语四级真题及完整答案(共两卷)

2016年12月大学英语四级真题及完整答案(共两卷)

2016年12月大学英语四级真题及完整答案(共两卷)2016年12月大学英语四级真题(第一套)Part I Writing (30minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay. Suppose you have two options upon graduation: one is to take a job in a company and the other to go to a graduate school. You are to make a choice between the two. Write an essay to explain the reasons for your choice. 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 1and 2 are based on the news report you have just the heard.1. A) It was going to be renovated. C) It was dangerous to live in.B) He could no longer pay the rent. D) He had sold it to the royal family.2. A) A storm. C) A forest fire.B) A strike. D) A Terrorist attack.Questions 3and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3. A) They lost contact with the emergency department.B) They were injured by suddenly falling rocks.C) They sent calls for help via a portable radio.D) They were trapped in an underground elevator.4. A) They provided the miner with food and water.B) They sent supplies to keep the miners warm.C) They released the details of the accident.D) They tried hard to repair the accident.Question5 to7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. A) Raise postage rates. C) Close some of its post offices.B) Improve its services. D) Redesign delivery routes.6. A) Closing offices on holidays. C) Computerizing mail sorting processes.B) Shortening business hours. D) Stopping mail delivery on Saturdays.7.A)A lot of controversy will ariseB) Taxpayers will be very pleasedC) Many people will begin to complainD) Many post office staff will lose their jobsSection BDirections:In this section,you will hear two long conversations.At the end of eachconversation,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 four choice marked A),B),C) and D).Then mark the corresponding letter an Answer sheet1 with a single line though the centre.Question8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8.A)He will lose part of his pay. C)He will be given a warning.B)He will go through retraining. D)He is go good terms with his workmates.9.A)He is an experienced press operator. C)He is always on time.B)He is trustworthy guy. D)He is go good terms with his workmates.10.A)She is a trade union representative. C)She is better at handing such matters.B)She is a senior manager of the shop. D)She is in charge of public relation.11.A)He is always trying to stir up trouble.B)He is skilled and experienced.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.18.A) It tastes better. C) It is easier to grow.B) It may be sold at a higher price. D) It can better survive extreme weathers.19.A) It can grow in drier soil. C) It will replace green tea one day.B) It is immune to various diseases. D) It is healthier than green tea.20.A) It does not have a stable market.B) It has made tea farmers’ life easier.C) It does not bring the promised health benefits.D) It has been well received by many tea drinkers.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A) They care more about environment.B) They decorate their homes themselves.C) They prefer unique objects of high quality.D) They need decorations to show their status.23. A) They made great contributions to society.B) They could only try to create at night.C) They were proud of their creations.D) They focused on the quality of their products.24. A) Identify fake crafts. C) Design handicrafts themselves.B) Make wise choices. D) Learn the importance of creation.25. A) To attract foreign investments. C) To arouse public interest in crafts.B) To preserve the traditional culture. D) To boost the local economy.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 foreach 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.Many men and women have long bought into the idea that there are “male” and “female” brains, believing that explains just about every difference between the sexes. A new study(26)that belief, questioning whether brains really can be distinguished by gender.In the study, Tel Aviv University researchers(27)for sex differences the entire human brain.And what did they find? Not much. Rather than offer evidence for(28)brains as “male” or “female,” research shows that brains fall into a wide range, with most people falling right in the middle.Daphna Joel, who led the study, said her research found that while there are some gender-based(29), many different types of brain can’t always be distinguished by gender.While the “average” male and “average” female brains were(30)different, you couldn’t tell it by loo king at individual brain scans. Only a small(31)of people had “all-male” or “all-female” characteristics.Larry Cahill, an American neuroscientist (神经科学家),said the study is an important addition to a growing body of research questioning(32)beliefs about gender and brain function. But he cautioned against concluding from this study that all brains are the same,(33)of gender.“There’s a mountain of evidence(34)the importance of sex influences at all levels of brain function,” he told The Seattle Times.If anything, he said, the study(35)that gender plays a very important role in the brain “even when we are not clear exactly how.”A) abnormal B) applied C) briefly D) categorizingE) challenges F) figure G) percentage H) provingI) regardless J) searched K) similarities L) slightlyM) suggests N) tastes O) traditionalSection 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.Can Burglars Jam Your Wireless Security System?[A]Any product that promises to protect your home deserves careful examination. So it isn’t surprising that you’ll find plenty of strong opinions about the potential vulnerabilities of popular home-security systems.[B]The most likely type of burglary (入室盗窃) by far is the unsophisticated crime of opportunity, usually involving a broken window or some forced entry. According to the FBI, crimes like these accounted roughly two-thirds of all household burglaries in the US in 2013.The wide majority of the rest were illegal, unforced entries that resulted from something like a window being left open. The odds of a criminal using technical means to bypass a security system are so small tha t the FBI doesn’t even track those statistics.[C]One of the main theoretical home-security concerns is whether or not a given system is vulnerable to being blocked from working altogether. With wired setups, the fear is that a burglar (入室盗贼) might be able to shut your system down simply by cutting the right cable. With a wireless setup, you stickbattery-powered sensors up around your home that keep an eye on windows, doors, motion, and more. If they detect something wrong while the system is armed, they’ll transmit a wireless alert signal to a base station that will then raise the alarm. That approach will eliminate most cord-cutting concerns—but what about their wireless equivalent, jamming? With the right device tuned to the right frequency, what’s to stop a thief from jamming your setup and blocking that alert signal from ever reaching the base station?[D]Jamming concerns are nothing new, and they’re not unique to security systems. Any device that’s built to receive a wireless signal at a specific frequency can be overwhelmed by a stronger signal coming in on the same frequency. For comparison, let’s say you wanted to “jam” a conversation between two people—all you’d need to do is yell in the listener’s ear.[E] Security devices are required to list the frequencies they broadcast on—that means that a potential thief can find what they need to know with minimal Googling. They will, however, need so know what system they’re looking for. If you have a sign in your yard declaring what setup you use, tha t’d point them in the right direction, though at that point, we’re talking about a highly targeted, semi-sophisticated attack, and not the sort forced-entry attack that makes up the majority of burglaries. It’s easier to find and acquire jamming equipment for some frequencies than it is for others.[F] Wireless security providers will often take steps to help combat the threat of jamming attacks. SimpliSafe, winner of our Editor’s Choice distinction, utilizes a special system that’s capable of separating incidental RF interference from targeted jamming attacks. When the system thinks it’s being jammed, it’ll notify you via push alert(推送警报).From there, it’s up to you to sound the alarm manually.[G] SimpliSafe was singled out in one recent article on jamming, complete with a video showing the entire system being effectively bypassed with handheld jamming equipment. After taking appropriate measures to contain the RF interference to our test lab, we tested the attack out for ourselves, and were able to veri fy that it’s possible with the right equipment. However, we also verified that SimpliSafe’s anti-jamming system works. It caught us in the act, sent an alert to my smartphone, and also listed our RF interference on the system’s event log. The team behind the article and video in question make no mention of the system, or whether or not in detected them.[H]We like the unique nature of that software. It means that a thief likely wouldn’t be able to Google how the system works, then figure out a way around it. Even if they could, SimpliSafe claims that its system is always evolving, and that it varies slightly from system to system, which means there wouldn’t be a universal magic formula for cracking it. Other systems also seem confident on the subject of jamming. The team at Frontpoint addresses the issue in a blog on its site, citing their own jam protection software and claiming that there aren’t any documented cases of successful jam attack since the company began offering wireless security sensors in the 1980s.[I] Jamming attacks are absolutely possible. As said before, with the right equipment and the right know-how, it’s possible to jam any wirelesstransmission. But how probable is it that someone will successfully jam their way into your home and steal your stuff?[J] Let’s imagine that you live in a small home with a wireless security setup that offers a functional anti-jamming system. First, a thief is going to need to target your home, specifically. Then, he’s going to need to know the technical details of your system and acquire the specific equipment necessary for jamming your specific setup. Presumably, you keep your doors locked at night and while y ou’re away. So the thief will still need to break in. That means defeating the lock somehow, or breaking a window. He’ll need to be jamming you at this point, as a broken window or opened door would normally release the alarm. So, too, would the motion detectors in your home, so the thief will need to continue jamming once he’s inside and searching for things to steal. However, he’ll need to do so without tripping the anti-jamming system, the details of which he almost certainly does now have access to.[K]At the end of the day, these kinds of systems are primarily designed to protect against the sort of opportunistic smash-and-grab attack that makes up the majority of burglaries. They’re also only a single layer in what should ideally be a many-sided approach to securing your home, one that includes common sense things like sound locks and proper exterior lighting at night. No system is impenetrable, and none can promise to eliminate the worst case completely. Every one of them has vulnerabilities that a knowledgeable thief could theoretically exploit. A good system is one that keeps that worst-case setting as improbable as possible while also offering strong protection in the event of a less-extraordinary attack.36. It is possible for burglars to make jamming attacks with the necessaryequipment and skill.37. Interfering with a wireless security system is similar to interfering with aconversation.38. A burglar has to continuously jam the wireless security device to avoidtriggering the alarm, both inside and outside the house.39. SimpliSafe provides devices that are able to distinguish incidental radiointerference from targeted jamming attacks.40. Only a very small proportion of burglaries are committed by technical means.41. It is difficult to crack SimpliSafe as its system keeps changing.42. Wireless devices will transmit signals so as to activate the alarm oncesomething wrong is detected.43. Different measures should be taken to protect one’s home from burglary inaddition to the wireless security system.44. SimpliSafe’s device can send a warning to the house owner’s cellphone.45. Burglars can easily get a security device’s frequency by Internet search.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 a person who writes about food and drink for a living. I couldn’t tell you the first thing about Bill Perry or whether the beers he sells are that great. But I can tell you that I like this guy. That’s because he plans to ban tipping in favor of paying his servers an actual living wage.I hate tipping.I hate it because it’s an obligation disguised as an option. I hate it for thepost-dinner math it requires of me. But mostly, I hate tipping because I believe I would be in a better place if pay decisions regarding employees were simply left up to their employers, as is the custom in virtually every other industry.Most of you probably think that you hate tipping, too. Research suggests otherwise. You actually love tipping! You like to feel that you have a voice in how much money your server makes. No matter how the math works out, you persistently view restaurants with voluntary tipping systems as being a bettervalue, which makes it extremely difficult for restaurants and bars to do away with the tipping system.One argument that you tend to hear a lot from the pro-tipping crowd seems logical enough: the service is better when waiters depend on tips, presumably because they see a benefit to successfully veiling their contempt for you. Well, if this were true, we would all be slipping a few 100-dollar bills to our doctors on the way out their doors, too. But as it turns out, waiters see only a tiny bump in tips when they do an exceptional job compared to a passable one. Waiters, keen observers of humanity that they are, are catching on to this; in one poll, a full 30% said they didn’t believe the job they did had any impact on the tips they received.So come on, folks: get on board with ditching the outdated tip system. Pay a little more upfront for your beer or burger. Support Bill Perry’s pub, and any other bar or restaurant that doesn’t ask you to do drunken math.46. What can we learn about Bill Perry from the passage?A) He runs a pub that serves excellent beer.B) He intends to get rid of the tipping practice.C) He gives his staff a considerable sum for tips.D) He lives comfortably without getting any tips.47. What is the main reason why the author hates tipping?A) It sets a bad example for other industries.B) It adds to the burden of ordinary customers.C) It forces the customer to compensate the waiter.D) It poses a great challenge for customers to do math.48. Why do many people love tipping according to the author?A) They help improve the quality of the restaurants they dine in.B) They believe waiters deserve such rewards for good service.C) They want to preserve a wonderful tradition of the industry.D) They can have some say in how much their servers earn.49. What have some waiters come to realize according to a survey?A) Service quality has little effect on tip size.B) It is in human mature to try to save on tips.C) Tips make it more difficult to please customers.D) Tips benefit the boss rather that the employees.50. What does the author argue for in the passage?A) Restaurants should calculate the tips for customers.B) Customers should pay more tips to help improve service.C) Waiters deserve better than just relying on tips for a living.D) Waiters should be paid by employers instead of customers.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.In the past, falling oil prices have given a boost to the world economy, but recent forecasts for global growth have been toned down, even as oil prices sink lower and lower. Does that mean the link between lower oil prices and growth has weakened?Some experts say there are still good reasons to believe cheap oil should heatup the world economy. Consumers have more money in their pockets when they’re paying less at the pump. They spend that money on other things, which stimulates the economy.The biggest gains go to countries that import most of their oil like China, Japan, and India, But doesn’t the extra money in the pockets of those countries’ consumers mean an equal loss in oil producing countries, cancelling out the gains? Not necessarily, says economic researcher Sara Johnson. “Many oil producers built up huge reserve funds when prices were high, so when prices fall they willdraw on their reserves to support government spending and subsidies(补贴) for their consumers.”But not all oil producers have big reserves, In Venezuela, collapsing oil prices have sent its economy into free-fall.Economist Carl Weinberg believes the negative effects of plunging oil prices are overwhelming the positive effects of cheaper oil. The implication is a sharp decline in global trade, which has plunged partly because oil-producing nations can’t afford to import as much as they used to.Sara Johnson acknowledges that the global economic benefit from a fall in oil prices today is likely lower than it was in the past. One reason is that more countries are big oil producers now, so the nations suffering from the price drop account for a larger share of the global economy.Consumers, in the U.S. at least, are acting cautiously with the savings they’re getting at the gas pump, as the memory of the recent great recession is still fresh in their mind. And a number of oil-producing countries are trimming their gasoline subsidies and raising taxes, so the net savings for global consumers is not as big as the oil price plunge might suggest.51. What does the author mainly discuss in the passage?A) The reasons behind the plunge of oil prices.B) Possible ways to stimulate the global economy.C) The impact of cheap oil on global economic growth.D) The effect of falling oil prices on consumer spending.52. Why do some experts believe cheap oil will stimulate the global economy?A) Manufacturers can produce consumer goods at a much lower cost.B) Lower oil prices have always given a big boost to the global economy.C) Oil prices may rise or fall but economic laws are not subject to change.D) Consumers will spend their saving from cheap oil on other commodities.53. What happens in many oil-exporting countries when oil prices go down?A) They suspend import of necessities from overseas.B) They reduce production drastically to boost oil prices.C) They use their money reserves to back up consumption.D) They try to stop their economy from going into free-fall.54. How does Carl Weinberg view the current oil price plunge?A) It is one that has seen no parallel in economic history.B) Its negative effects more than cancel out its positive effects.C) It still has a chance to give rise to a boom in the global economy.D) Its effects on the global economy go against existing economic laws.55. Why haven’t falling oil prices boosted the global economy as they did before?A) People are not spending all the money they save on gas.B) The global economy is likely to undergo another recession.C) Oil importers account for a larger portion of the global economy.D) People the world over are afraid of a further plunge in oil prices.Part IV Translation (30minutes)Directions: For this part,you are allowed 30minutes to transtate a passage from Chinese into English.You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.在中国文化中,红色通常象征着好运、长寿和幸福,在春节和其他喜庆场合,红色到处可见。

2016年12月大学英语四级真题及完整答案(共两卷)

2016年12月大学英语四级真题及完整答案(共两卷)

2016年12月大学英语四级真题(第一套)Part I Writing (30minutes)Directions:For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay. Suppose you have two options upon graduation: one is to take a job in a company and the other to go to a graduate school. You are to make a choice between the two. Write an essay to explain the reasons for your choice. 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 1and 2 are based on the news report you have just the heard.1. A) It was going to be renovated. C) It was dangerous to live in.B) He could no longer pay the rent. D) He had sold it to the royal family.2. A) A storm. C) A forest fire.B) A strike. D) A Terrorist attack.Questions 3and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3. A) They lost contact with the emergency department.B) They were injured by suddenly falling rocks.C) They sent calls for help via a portable radio.D) They were trapped in an underground elevator.4. A) They provided the miner with food and water.B) They sent supplies to keep the miners warm.C) They released the details of the accident.D) They tried hard to repair the accident.Question5 to7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. A) Raise postage rates. C) Close some of its post offices.B) Improve its services. D) Redesign delivery routes.6. A) Closing offices on holidays. C) Computerizing mail sorting processes.B) Shortening business hours. D) Stopping mail delivery on Saturdays.7.A)A lot of controversy will ariseB) Taxpayers will be very pleasedC) Many people will begin to complainD) Many post office staff will lose their jobsSection BDirections:In this section,you will hear two long conversations.At the end of eachconversation,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 four choice marked A),B),C) and D).Then mark the corresponding letter an Answer sheet1 with a single line though the centre.Question8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8.A)He will lose part of his pay. C)He will be given a warning.B)He will go through retraining. D)He is go good terms with his workmates.9.A)He is an experienced press operator. C)He is always on time.B)He is trustworthy guy. D)He is go good terms with his workmates.10.A)She is a trade union representative. C)She is better at handing such matters.B)She is a senior manager of the shop. D)She is in charge of public relation.11.A)He is always trying to stir up trouble.B)He is skilled and experienced.C)He is very close to the manager.D)He is always complaining about low wages.Question12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12.A)Open. C)Selfish.B)Reserved. D)Friendly.13.A)They read a book. C)They stay quiet.B)They talk about the weather D)They chat with fellow passengers.14.A)She was unwilling to make friends with workmates.B)She was never invited to a colleague’s home.C)She was eager to visit an English castle.D)She was always treated as a foreigner.15.A) House are much more quiet. C) They want a garden of their own.B) They want to have more space. D) Houses provide more privacy. 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) They will automatically be given hiring priority.B) They don’t have to go through job interviews.C) They are likely to get much higher pay.D) They don’t have much choice of jobs.17.A) Visit the school careers services. C) Look at school bulletin boards.B) Ask their professors for help. D) Go through campus newspapers.18.A) Providing students with information about the library.B) Helping students arrange appointments with librarians.C) Supervising study spaces to ensure a quiet atmosphere.D) Helping students find the books and journals they need.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19.A) It tastes better. C) It is easier to grow.B) It may be sold at a higher price. D) It can better survive extreme weathers.20.A) It can grow in drier soil. C) It will replace green tea one day.B) It is immune to various diseases. D) It is healthier than green tea.21.A) It does not have a stable market.B) It has made tea farm ers’ life easier.C) It does not bring the promised health benefits.D) It has been well received by many tea drinkers.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A) They care more about environment.B) They decorate their homes themselves.C) They prefer unique objects of high quality.D) They need decorations to show their status.23. A) They made great contributions to society.B) They could only try to create at night.C) They were proud of their creations.D) They focused on the quality of their products.24. A) Identify fake crafts. C) Design handicrafts themselves.B) Make wise choices. D) Learn the importance of creation.25. A) To attract foreign investments. C) To arouse public interest in crafts.B) To preserve the traditional culture. D) To boost the local economy.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.Many men and women have long bought into the idea that there are “male” and “female” brains, believing that explains just about every difference between the sexes.A new study(26)that belief, questioning whether brains really can be distinguished by gender.In the study, Tel Aviv University researchers(27)for sex differences the entire human brain.And what did they find? Not much. Rather than offer evidence for(28)brains as “male” or “female,” research shows that brains fall into a wide range, with m ost people falling right in the middle.Daphna Joel, who led the study, said her research found that while there are some gender-based(29), many different types of brain can’t always be distinguished by gender.While the “average” male and “average” fe male brains were(30)different, you couldn’t tell it by looking at individual brain scans. Only a small(31)of people had “all-male” or “all-female” characteristics.Larry Cahill, an American neuroscientist (神经科学家),said the study is an important addition to a growing body of research questioning(32)beliefs about gender and brain function. But he cautioned against concluding from this study that all brains are the same,(33)of gender.“There’s a mountain of evidence(34)the importance of sex influences at all levels of brain function,” he told The Seattle Times.If anything, he said, the study(35)that gender plays a very important role in the brain “even when we are not clear exactly how.”Section BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.Can Burglars Jam Your Wireless Security System?[A]Any product that promises to protect your home deserves careful examination. So it isn’t surprising that you’ll find plen ty of strong opinions about the potential vulnerabilities of popular home-security systems.[B]The most likely type of burglary (入室盗窃) by far is the unsophisticated crime of opportunity, usually involving a broken window or some forced entry. According to the FBI, crimes like these accounted roughly two-thirds of all household burglaries in the US in 2013.The wide majority of the rest were illegal, unforced entries that resulted from something like a window being left open. The odds of a criminal using technical means to bypass a security system are so small that the FBI doesn’t even track those statistics.[C]One of the main theoretical home-security concerns is whether or not a given system is vulnerable to being blocked from working altogether. With wired setups, the fear is that a burglar (入室盗贼) might be able to shut your system down simply by cutting the right cable. With a wireless setup, you stick battery-powered sensors up around your home that keep an eye on windows, doors, motion, and more. If they detect something wrong while the system is armed, they’ll transmit a wireless alert signal to a base station that will then raise the alarm. That approach will eliminate most cord-cutting concerns—but what about their wireless equivalent, jamming? With the right device tuned to the right frequency, what’s to stop a thief from jamming your setup and blocking that alert signal from ever reaching the base station?[D]Jamming concerns are nothing new, and they’re not unique to security systems. Any device that’s built to receive a wireless signal at a specific frequency can be overwhelmed by a stronger signal coming in on the same frequency. For comparison, let’s say you wanted to “jam” a conversation between two people—all you’d need to do is yell in the listener’s ear.[E] Security devices are required to list the frequencies they broadcast on—that means that a potential thief can find what they need to know with minimal Googling. They will, however, need so know what system they’re looking for. If you have a sign in your yard declaring what setup you use, that’d point them in the right direction, though at that point, we’re talking about a highly targeted, semi-sophisticated attack, and not the sort forced-entry attack that makes up the majority of burglaries. It’s easier to find and acquire jamming equipment for some frequencies than it is for others.[F] Wireless security providers will often take steps to help combat the threat of jamming attacks. SimpliSafe, winner of our Editor’s Choice distinction, utilizes a special system that’s capable of separating incidental RF interference from targeted jamming attacks. Wh en the system thinks it’s being jammed, it’ll notify you via push alert(推送警报).From there, it’s up to you to sound the alarm manually.[G] SimpliSafe was singled out in one recent article on jamming, complete with a video showing the entire system being effectively bypassed with handheld jamming equipment. After taking appropriate measures to contain the RF interference to our test lab, we tested the attack out for ourselves, and were able to verify that it’s possible with the right equipment. However, we also verified that SimpliSafe’santi-jamming system works. It caught us in the act, sent an alert to my smartphone, and also listed our RF interference on the system’s event log. The team behind the article and video in question make no mention of the system, or whether or not in detected them.[H]We like the unique nature of that software. It means that a thief likely wouldn’t be able to Google how the system works, then figure out a way around it. Even if they could, SimpliSafe claims that its system is always evolving, and that it varies slightly from system to system, which means there wouldn’t be a universal magic formula for cracking it. Other systems also seem confident on the subject of jamming. The team at Frontpoint addresses the issue in a blog on its site, citing their own jam protection software and claiming that there aren’t any documented cases of successful jam attack since the company began offering wireless security sensors in the 1980s.[I] Jamming attacks are absolutely possible. As said before, with the right equipment and the right know-how, it’s possible to jam any wireless transmission. But how probable is it that someone will successfully jam their way into your home and steal your stuff?[J] Let’s imagine that you live in a small home with a wireless security setup that offers a functional anti-jamming system. First, a thief is going to need to target your home, specifically. Then, he’s going to need to know the technical detail s of your system and acquire the specific equipment necessary for jamming your specific setup. Presumably, you keep your doors locked at night and while you’re away. So the thief will still need to break in. That means defeating the lock somehow, or breaking a window. He’ll need to be jamming you at this point, as a broken window or openeddoor would normally release the alarm. So, too, would the motion detectors in your home, so the thief will need to continue jamming once he’s inside and searching for thi ngs to steal. However, he’ll need to do so without tripping the anti-jamming system, the details of which he almost certainly does now have access to.[K]At the end of the day, these kinds of systems are primarily designed to protect against the sort of opportunistic smash-and-grab attack that makes up the majority of burglaries. They’re also only a single layer in what should ideally be a many-sided approach to securing your home, one that includes common sense things like sound locks and proper exterior lighting at night. No system is impenetrable, and none can promise to eliminate the worst case completely. Every one of them has vulnerabilities that a knowledgeable thief could theoretically exploit. A good system is one that keeps that worst-case setting as improbable as possible while also offering strong protection in the event of a less-extraordinary attack.36. It is possible for burglars to make jamming attacks with the necessary equipmentand skill.37. Interfering with a wireless security system is similar to interfering with aconversation.38. A burglar has to continuously jam the wireless security device to avoid triggeringthe alarm, both inside and outside the house.39. SimpliSafe provides devices that are able to distinguish incidental radiointerference from targeted jamming attacks.40. Only a very small proportion of burglaries are committed by technical means.41. It is difficult to crack SimpliSafe as its system keeps changing.42. Wireless devices will transmit signals so as to activate the alarm once somethingwrong is detected.43. Diff erent measures should be taken to protect one’s home from burglary inaddition to the wireless security system.44. SimpliSafe’s device can send a warning to the house owner’s cellphone.45. Burglars can easily get a security device’s frequ ency by Internet search.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 a person who writes about food and drink for a living. I couldn’t tell you the first thing about Bill Perry or whether the beers he sells are that great. But I can tell you that I like this guy. That’s because he plans to ban tipping in favor of paying his servers an actual living wage.I hate tipping.I hat e it because it’s an obligation disgu ised as an option. I hate it for thepost-dinner math it requires of me. But mostly, I hate tipping because I believe I would be in a better place if pay decisions regarding employees were simply left up to their employers, as is the custom in virtually every other industry.Most of you probably think that you hate tipping, too. Research suggests otherwise. You actually love tipping! You like to feel that you have a voice in how much money your server makes. No matter how the math works out, you persistently view restaurants with voluntary tipping systems as being a better value, which makes it extremely difficult for restaurants and bars to do away with the tipping system.One argument that you tend to hear a lot from the pro-tipping crowd seems logical enough: the service is better when waiters depend on tips, presumably because they see a benefit to successfully veiling their contempt for you. Well, if this were true, we would all be slipping a few 100-dollar bills to our doctors on the way out their doors, too. But as it turns out, waiters see only a tiny bump in tips when they do an exceptional job compared to a passable one. Waiters, keen observers of humanity that they are, are catching on to this; in one poll, a f ull 30% said they didn’t believe the job they did had any impact on the tips they received.So come on, folks: get on board with ditching the outdated tip system. Pay a little more upfront for your beer or burger. Support Bill Perry’s pub, and any other b ar or restaurant that doesn’t ask you to do drunken math.46. What can we learn about Bill Perry from the passage?A) He runs a pub that serves excellent beer.B) He intends to get rid of the tipping practice.C) He gives his staff a considerable sum for tips.D) He lives comfortably without getting any tips.47. What is the main reason why the author hates tipping?A) It sets a bad example for other industries.B) It adds to the burden of ordinary customers.C) It forces the customer to compensate the waiter.D) It poses a great challenge for customers to do math.48. Why do many people love tipping according to the author?A) They help improve the quality of the restaurants they dine in.B) They believe waiters deserve such rewards for good service.C) They want to preserve a wonderful tradition of the industry.D) They can have some say in how much their servers earn.49. What have some waiters come to realize according to a survey?A) Service quality has little effect on tip size.B) It is in human mature to try to save on tips.C) Tips make it more difficult to please customers.D) Tips benefit the boss rather that the employees.50. What does the author argue for in the passage?A) Restaurants should calculate the tips for customers.B) Customers should pay more tips to help improve service.C) Waiters deserve better than just relying on tips for a living.D) Waiters should be paid by employers instead of customers.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.In the past, falling oil prices have given a boost to the world economy, but recent forecasts for global growth have been toned down, even as oil prices sink lower and lower. Does that mean the link between lower oil prices and growth has weakened?Some experts say there are still good reasons to believe cheap oil should heat up the world economy. Consumers have more money in their pockets when they’re paying less at the pump. They spend that money on other things, which stimulates the economy.The biggest gains go to countries that import most of their oil like China, Japan, and India, But doesn’t the extra money in the pockets of those countries’ consumers mean an equal loss in oil producing countries, cancelling out the gains? Not necessarily, says economic researcher Sara Johnson. “M any oil producers built up huge reserve funds when prices were high, so when prices fall they will draw on their reserves to support government spending and subsidies(补贴) for their consumers.”But not all oil producers have big reserves, In Venezuela, collapsing oil prices have sent its economy into free-fall.Economist Carl Weinberg believes the negative effects of plunging oil prices are overwhelming the positive effects of cheaper oil. The implication is a sharp decline in global trade, which has plunged partly because oil-producing nations can’t afford to import as much as they used to.Sara Johnson acknowledges that the global economic benefit from a fall in oil prices today is likely lower than it was in the past. One reason is that more countries are big oil producers now, so the nations suffering from the price drop account for a larger share of the global economy.Consumers, in the U.S. at least, are acting cautiously with the savings they’re getting at the gas pump, as the memory of the recent great recession is still fresh in their mind. And a number of oil-producing countries are trimming their gasolinesubsidies and raising taxes, so the net savings for global consumers is not as big as the oil price plunge might suggest.51. What does the author mainly discuss in the passage?A) The reasons behind the plunge of oil prices.B) Possible ways to stimulate the global economy.C) The impact of cheap oil on global economic growth.D) The effect of falling oil prices on consumer spending.52. Why do some experts believe cheap oil will stimulate the global economy?A) Manufacturers can produce consumer goods at a much lower cost.B) Lower oil prices have always given a big boost to the global economy.C) Oil prices may rise or fall but economic laws are not subject to change.D) Consumers will spend their saving from cheap oil on other commodities.53. What happens in many oil-exporting countries when oil prices go down?A) They suspend import of necessities from overseas.B) They reduce production drastically to boost oil prices.C) They use their money reserves to back up consumption.D) They try to stop their economy from going into free-fall.54. How does Carl Weinberg view the current oil price plunge?A) It is one that has seen no parallel in economic history.B) Its negative effects more than cancel out its positive effects.C) It still has a chance to give rise to a boom in the global economy.D) Its effects on the global economy go against existing economic laws.55. Why have n’t falling oil prices boosted the global economy as they did before?A) People are not spending all the money they save on gas.B) The global economy is likely to undergo another recession.C) Oil importers account for a larger portion of the global economy.D) People the world over are afraid of a further plunge in oil prices.Part IV Translation (30minutes)Directions: For this part,you are allowed 30minutes to transtate a passage from Chinese into English.You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.在中国文化中,红色通常象征着好运、长寿和幸福,在春节和其他喜庆场合,红色到处可见。

2016年12月大学英语四级第二套真题附答案及听力材料

2016年12月大学英语四级第二套真题附答案及听力材料

2016年12月四级真题(第二套)Part I WritingDirections: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay. Suppose you have two options upon graduation: one is to take a job in a company and the other to go to a graduate school. You are to make a choice between the two. Write an essay to explain the reasons for your choice. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Part II Listening ComprehensionSection 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) To satisfy the curiosity of tourists.B) To replace two old stone bridges.C) To enable tourists to visit Goat Island.D) To improve utility services in the state.2.A) Countless tree limbs.B) A few skeletons.C) Lots of wrecked boats and ships.D) Millions of coins on the bottom.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.A) It suspended diplomatic relations with Libya.B) It urged tourists to leave Tunisia immediately.C) It shut down two border crossings with Libya.D) It launched a fierce attack against Islamic State.4.A) Advise Tunisian civilians on how to take safety precautions.B) Track down the organization responsible for the terrorist attack.C) Train qualified security personnel for the Tunisian government.D) Devise a monitoring system on the Tunisian border with Libya.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5.A) An environment-friendly battery.B) An energy-saving mobile phone.C) A plant-powered mobile phone charger.D) A device to help plants absorb sunlight.6.A) While sitting in their school's courtyard.B) While playing games on their phones.C) While solving a mathematical problem.D) While doing a chemical experiment.7.A) It increases the applications of mobile phones.B) It speeds up the process of photosynthesis.C) It improves the reception of mobile phones.D) It collects the energy released by plants.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 visited the workshops in the Grimsby plant.B) He called the woman and left her a message.C) He used stand-ins as replacements on all lines.D) He asked a technician to fix the broken production line.9.A) It is the most modern production line.B) It assembles super-intelligent robots.C) It has stopped working completely.D) It is going to be upgraded soon.10.A) To seek her permission.B) To place an order for robots.C) To request her to return at once.D) To ask for Tom's phone number.11.A) She is on duty.B) She is having her day off.C) She is on sick leave.D) She is abroad on business.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12.A) He saved a baby boy's life.B) He wanted to be a superhero.C) He prevented a train crash.D) He was a witness to an accident.13.A) He has a 9-month-old boy.B) He is currently unemployed.C) He enjoys the interview.D) He commutes by subway.14.A) A rock on the tracks.B) A misplaced pushchair.C) A strong wind.D) A speeding car.15.A) She stood motionless in shock.B) She cried bitterly.C) She called the police at once.D) She shouted for help.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) She inherited her family ice-cream business in Billings.B) She loved the ice-cream business more than teaching primary school.C) She started an ice-cream business to finance her daughter's education.D) She wanted to have an ice-cream truck when she was a little girl.A) To preserve a tradition.B) To amuse her daughter.C) To help local education.D) To make some extra money.18.A) To raise money for business expansion.B) To make her truck attractive to children.C) To allow poor kids to have ice-cream too.D) To teach kids the value of mutual support.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19.A) The reasons for imposing taxes.B) The various services money can buy.C) The various burdens on ordinary citizens.D) The function of money in the modern world.20.A) Educating and training citizens.B) Improving public transportation.C) Protecting people's life and property.D) Building hospitals and public libraries.21.A) By asking for donations.B) By selling public lands.C) By selling government bonds.D) By exploiting natural resources.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.A) It is located at the center of the European continent.B) It relies on tourism as its chief source of revenues.C) It contains less than a square mile of land.D) It is surrounded by France on three sides.23.A) Its beauty is frequently mentioned in American media.B) Its ruler Prince Rainier married an American actress.C) It is where many American movies are shot.D) It is a favorite place Americans like to visit.24.A) Tobacco.B) Potatoes.C) Machinery.D) Clothing.25.A) European history.B) European geography.C) Small countries in Europe.D) Tourist attractions in Europe.Part III Reading ComprehensionSection 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.The ocean is heating up. That's the conclusion of a new study that finds that Earth's oceans now 26 heat at twice the rate they did 18 years ago. Around half of ocean heat intake since 1865 has taken place since 1997, researchers report online in Nature Climate Change.Warming waters are known to 27 to coral bleaching (珊瑚白化) and they take up more space than cooler waters, raising sea 28 . While the top of the ocean is well studied, its depths are more difficult to 29 . The researchers gathered 150 years of ocean temperature data in order to get a better 30 of heat absorption from surface to seabed. They gathered together temperature readings collected by everything from a 19th century 31 of British naval ships to modern automated ocean probes. The extensive data sources, 32 with computer simulations (计算机模拟), created a timeline of ocean temperature changes, including cooling from volcanic outbreaks and warming from fossil fuel 33 .About 35 percent of the heat taken in by the oceans during the industrial era now resides at a 34 of more than 700 meters, the researchers found. They say they're 35 whether the deep-sea warming canceled out warming at the sea's surface.A) absorbB) combinedC) contributeD) depthE) emissionsF) excursionG) exploreH) floor I) heights J) indifferent K) levels L) mixed M) picture N) unsure O) voyageSection 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.The Secret to Raising Smart KidsA) I first began to investigate the basis of human motivation – and how people persevere after setbacks – as a psychology graduate student at Yale University in the 1960s. Animal experiments by psychologists at the University of Pennsylvania had shown that after repeated failures, most animals conclude that a situation is hopeless and beyond their control. After such an experience an animal often remains passive even when it can effect change – a state they called learned helplessness.B) People can learn to be helpless, too. Why do some students give up when they encounter difficulty, whereas others who are no more skilled continue to strive and learn? One answer, I soon discovered, lay in people's beliefs about why they had failed.C) In particular, attributing poor performance to a lack of ability depresses motivation more than does the belief that lack of effort is to blame. When I told a group of school children who displayed helpless behavior that a lack of effort led to their mistakes in math, they learned to keep trying when the problems got tough. Another group of helpless children who were simply rewarded for their success on easier problems did not improve their ability to solve hard math problems. These experiments indicated that a focus on effort can help resolve helplessness and generate success.D) Later, I developed a broader theory of what separates the two general classes of learners – helpless versus mastery-oriented. I realized these different types of students not only explain their failures differently, but they also hold different “theories” of intelligence. The helpless ones believe intelligence is a fixed characteristic: you have only a certain amount, and that's that. I call this a “fixed mind-set (思维模式).” Mistakes crack their self-confidence because they attribute errors to a lack of ability, which they feel powerless to change. They avoid challenges because challenges make mistakes more likely. The mastery-oriented children, on the other hand, think intelligence is not fixed and can be developed through education and hard work. Such children believe challenges are energizing rather than intimidating (令人生畏); they offer opportunities to learn. Students with such a growth mind-set were destined (注定) for greater academic success and were quite likely to outperform their counterparts.E) We validated these expectations in a study in which two other psychologists and I monitored 373 students for two years during the transition to junior high school, when the work gets more difficult and the grading more strict, to determine how their mind-sets might affect their math grades. At the beginning of seventh grade, we assessed the students' mind-sets by asking them to agree or disagree with statements such as “Your intelligence is something very basic about you that you can't really change.” We then assessed their beliefs about other aspects of learning and looked to see what happened to their grades.F) As predicted, the students with a growth mind-set felt that learning was a more important goal than getting good grades. In addition, they held hard work in high regard. They understood that even geniuses have to work hard. Confronted by a setback such as a disappointing test grade, students with a growth mind-set said they would study harder or try a different strategy. The students who held a fixed mind-set, however, were concerned about looking smart with less regard for learning. They had negative views of effort, believing that having to work hard was a sign of low ability. They thought that a person with talent or intelligence did not need to work hard to do well. Attributing a bad grade to their own lack of ability,those with a fixed mind-set said that they would study less in the future, try never to take that subject again and consider cheating on future tests.G) Such different outlooks had a dramatic impact on performance. At the start of junior high, the math achievement test scores of the students with a growthmind-set were comparable to those of students who displayed a fixed mind-set. But as the work became more difficult, the students with a growth mind-set showed greater persistence. As a result, their math grades overtook those of the other students by the end of the first semester – and the gap between the two groups continued to widen during the two years we followed them.H) A fixed mind-set can also hinder communication and progress in the workplace and discourage or ignore constructive criticism and advice. Research shows that managers who have a fixed mind-set are less likely to seek or welcome feedback from their employees than are managers with a growth mind-set.I) How do we transmit a growth mind-set to our children? One way is by telling stories about achievements that result from hard work. For instance, talking about mathematical geniuses who were more or less born that way puts students in a fixed mind-set, but descriptions of great mathematicians who fell in love with math and developed amazing skills produce a growth mind-set.J) In addition, parents and teachers can help children by providing explicit instruction regarding the mind as a learning machine. I designed an eight-session workshop for 91 students whose math grades were declining in their first year of junior high. Forty-eight of the students received instruction in study skills only, whereas the others attended a combination of study skills sessions and classes in which they learned about the growth mind-set and how to apply it to schoolwork. In the growth mind-set classes, students read and discussed an article entitled “You Can Grow Your Brain.” They were taught that the brain is like a muscle that gets stronger with use and that learning prompts the brain to grow new connections. From such instruction, many students began to see themselves as agents of their own brain development. Despite being unaware that there were two types of instruction, teachers reported significant motivational changes in 27% of the children in the growth mind-set workshop as compared with only 9% of students in the control group.K) Research is converging (汇聚) on the conclusion that great accomplishment and even genius is typically the result of years of passion and dedication and not something that flows naturally from a gift.36. The author's experiment shows that students with a fixed mind-set believe having to work hard is an indication of low ability.37. Focusing on effort is effective in helping children overcome frustration and achieve success.38. We can cultivate a growth mind-set in children by telling success stories that emphasize hard work and love of learning.39. Students’ belief about the cause of their failure explains their attitude toward setbacks.40. In the author's experiment, students with a growth mind-set showed greater perseverance in solving difficult math problems.41. The author conducted an experiment to find out about the influence of students' mind-sets on math learning.42. After failing again and again, most animals give up hope.43. Informing students about the brain as a learning machine is a good strategy to enhance their motivation for learning.44. People with a fixed mind-set believe that one's intelligence is unchangeable.45. In the workplace, feedback may not be so welcome to managers with a fixed mind-set.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.“Sugar, alcohol and tobacco,” economist Adam Smith once wrote, “are commodities which are nowhere necessaries of life, which have become objects of almost universal consumption, and which are, therefore, extremely popular subjects of taxation.”Two and a half centuries on, most countries impose some sort of tax on alcohol and tobacco. With surging obesity levels putting increasing strain on public health systems, governments around the world have begun to toy with the idea of taxing sugar as well.Whether such taxes work is a matter of debate. A preliminary review of Mexico's taxation found a fall in purchases of taxed drinks as well as a rise in sales of untaxed and healthier drinks. By contrast, a Danish tax on foods high in fats was abandoned a year after its introduction, amid claims that consumers were avoiding it by crossing the border to Germany to satisfy their desire for cheaper, fattier fare.The food industry has, in general, been firmly opposed to such direct government action. Nonetheless, the renewed focus on waistlines means that industry groups are under pressure to demonstrate their products are healthy as well as tasty.Over the past three decades, the industry has made some efforts to improve the quality of its offerings. For example, some drink manufacturers have cut the amount of sugar in their beverages.Many of the reductions over the past 30 years have been achieved either by reducing the amount of sugar, salt or fat in a product, or by finding an alternative ingredient. More recently, however, some companies have been investing money in a more ambitious undertaking: learning how to adjust the fundamental make-up of the food they sell. For example, having salt on the outside, but none on the inside, reduces the salt content without changing the taste.While reformulating recipes (配方) is one way to improve public health, it should be part of a multi-sided approach. The key is to remember that there is not just one solution. To deal with obesity, a mixture of approaches – including reformulation, taxation and adjusting portion sizes – will be needed. There is no silver bullet.46. What did Adam Smith say about sugar, alcohol and tobacco?A) They were profitable to manufacture.B) They were in ever-increasing demand.C) They were subject to taxation almost everywhere.D) They were no longer considered necessities of life.47. Why have many countries started to consider taxing sugar?A) They are under growing pressure to balance their national budgets.B) They find it ever harder to cope with sugar-induced health problems.C) The practice of taxing alcohol and tobacco has proved both popular and profitable.D) The sugar industry is overtaking alcohol and tobacco business in generating profits.48. What do we learn about Danish taxation on fat-rich foods?A) It did not work out as well as was expected.B) It gave rise to a lot of problems on the border.C) It could not succeed without German cooperation.D) It met with firm opposition from the food industry.49. What is the more recent effort by food companies to make foods and drinks both healthy and tasty?A) Replacing sugar or salt with alternative ingredients.B) Setting a limit on the amount of sugar or salt in their products.C) Investing in research to find ways to adapt to consumers' needs.D) Adjusting the physical composition of their products.50. What does the author mean by saying, at the end of the passage, “There is no silver bullet” (Line 4, Para. 7)?A) There is no single easy quick solution to the problem.B) There is no hope of success without public cooperation.C) There is no hurry in finding ways to solve the obesity problem.D) There is no effective way to reduce people's sugar consumption.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.You may have heard some of the fashion industry horror stories: models eating tissues or cotton balls to hold off hunger, and models collapsing fromhunger-induced heart attacks just seconds after they step off the runway.Excessively skinny models have been a point of controversy for decades, and two researchers say a model's body mass should be a workplace health and safety issue. In an editorial released Monday in the American Journal of Public Health, Katherine Record and Bryn Austin made their case for government regulation of the fashion industry.The average international runway model has a body mass index (BMI) under 16 – low enough to indicate starvation by the World Health Organization's standard. And Record and Austin are worried not just about the models themselves, but about the vast number of girls and women their images influence.“Especially girls and teens,” says Record. “Seventy percent of girls aged 10 to 18 report that they define perfect body image based on what they see in magazines.” That's especially worrying, she says, given that anorexia (厌食症) results in more deaths than does any other mental illness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.It's commonly known that certain diseases are linked with occupations like lung disease in coal miners. Professional fashion models are particularly vulnerable to eating disorders resulting from occupational demands to maintain extreme thinness.Record's suggestion is to prohibit agents from hiring models with a BMI below 18.In April, France passed a law setting lower limits for a model's weight. Agents and fashion houses who hire models with a BMI under 18 could pay $82,000 in fines and spend up to 6 months in jail. Regulating the fashion industry in the United States won't be easy, Record says. But with the new rules in France, U.S. support could make a difference. “A designer can't survive without participating in Paris Fashion Week”, she says, adding, “Our argument is that the same would be true of New York Fashion Week.”51. What do Record and Austin say about fashion models' body mass?A) It has caused needless controversy.B) It is but a matter of personal taste.C) It is the focus of the modeling business.D) It affects models' health and safety.52. What are Record and Austin advocating in the Monday editorial?A) A change in the public's view of female beauty.B) Government legislation about models' weight.C) Elimination of forced weight loss by models.D) Prohibition of models eating non-food stuff.53. Why are Record and Austin especially worried about the low body mass index of models?A) It contributes to many mental illnesses.B) It defines the future of the fashion industry.C) It has great influence on numerous girls and women.D) It keeps many otherwise qualified women off the runway.54. What do we learn about France's fashion industry?A) It has difficulty hiring models.B) It has now a new law to follow.C) It allows girls under 18 on the runway.D) It has overtaken that of the United States.55. What does Record expect of New York Fashion Week?A) It will create a completely new set of rules.B) It will do better than Paris Fashion Week.C) It will differ from Paris Fashion Week.D) It will have models with a higher BMI.Part IV TranslationDirections: 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.在中国文化中,黄颜色是一种很重要的颜色,因为它具有独特的象征意义。

2016年12月英语四级真题及答案详解和听力原文第二套

2016年12月英语四级真题及答案详解和听力原文第二套
B) They were trapped in an underground elevator. C) They were injured by suddenly falling rocks.
D) They sent calls for help via a portable radio. 4. A) They tried hard to repair the accident.
you will hear two or three ques ons. Both the news report and the ques ons will be spoken only
once. A er you hear a ques on, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C). Then mark the corresponding le er on the Answer sheet1with a single line through the centre.
2. A) A strike.B)A storm. C) A forest fire. D) A Terrorist a ack. Ques ons 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard . 3. A) They lost contact with the emergency department.
B) They read a book. D) They chat with fellow passengers. 14. A) She was always treated as a foreigner.

2016年12月大学英语四级真题试卷(二)(题后含答案及解析)

2016年12月大学英语四级真题试卷(二)(题后含答案及解析)

2016年12月大学英语四级真题试卷(二)(题后含答案及解析)题型有:1. Writing 2. Listening Comprehension 3. Reading Comprehension 4. TranslationPart I Writing1.For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay. Suppose you have two options upon graduation: one is to take a job in a company and the other to go to a graduate school. You are to make a choice between the two. Write an essay to explain the reasons for your choice. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.正确答案:Going to Graduate School Is a Better Choice If given two options after graduation, that is, to take a job in a company or to go to a graduate school, I’d prefer the latter. First and foremost, it is widely acknowledged that a higher level of education means better payments and more opportunities in the future in China. Therefore, I think another two or three years’investment in graduate education must be worthwhile in the long run. Secondly, I love my major and have a strong desire to further my study so as to deeply explore some academic issues in this field. Finally, the job market for undergraduate students is too competitive for average students like me to find a satisfying job. Thus, it would be a better choice if I could obtain a master’s degree. Considering the three reasons listed above, I would choose to go to a graduate school after graduation to earn a better future.Part II Listening ComprehensionSection A听力原文:New York State plans to shut off the thundering waters of Niagara Falls—again. At least, the American side of the falls. This “once in a lifetime” event actually may take place twice in some folks’ lives.(1)The New York State parks system wants to turn off the falls on the American side sometime in the next two to three years to replace two 115-year-old stone bridges that allow pedestrians, park vehicles and utilities access to Goat Island. The American side of the falls were shut off in 1969 to study the buildup of rock at the base of the falls. When that happened, people came from all over the world to see the falls turned off. People are curious by nature. They want to see what’s underneath. In fact, those who first came to have a look did see something.(2)They found millions of coins on the bottom.Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1. Why does New York State want to turn off Niagara Falls?2. What did people find when Niagara Falls were shut off in 1969?2.A.To satisfy the curiosity of tourists.B.To replace two old stone bridges.C.To enable tourists to visit Goat Island.D.To improve utility services in the state.正确答案:B解析:新闻中提到,纽约州公园系统想在未来的两三年内关闭美国境内的尼亚加拉大瀑布,以更换行人、公园车辆和设备通往山羊岛的两座石桥,这两座石桥距今已有115年的历史了。

2016年12月英语四级真题及答案第二套

2016年12月英语四级真题及答案第二套

2016年12月英语四级真题及答案第二套Part I Writing (30minutes)(请于正式开考后半小时内完成该部分,之后将进行听力考试)Directions:For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay. Suppose you have two options upon graduation: one is to take a job in a company and the other to go to a graduate school. You are to make a choice between the two. Write an essay to explain the reasons for your choice. 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). Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer sheet1with a single line through the centre.Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1. A) To satisfy the curiosity of tourists. C) To enable tourists to visit GoatIsland.B) To replace two old stone bridges. D) To improve utility services in the state2. A) Countless tree limbs. C) Lots of wrecked boats and ships.B) A few skeletons. D) Millions of coins on the bottom.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard3. A)It suspended diplomatic relations with Libya.B)It urged tourists to leave Tunisia immediately.C)It shut down two border crossings with Libya.D)It launched a fierce attack against Islamic State.4. A) Advise Tunisian civilians on how to take safety precautions.B)Track down the organization responsible for the terrorist attack.C)Train qualified security personnel for the Tunisian government.D)Devise a monitoring system on the Tunisian border with Libya.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. A) An environment-friendly battery. C) A plant-powered mobile phone charger.B) An energy-saving mobile phone. D) A device to help plants absorb sunlight.6. A) While sitting in their school's courtyard. C) While solving a mathematical problem.B) While playing games on their phones. D) While doing a chemical experiment.7. A)It increases the applications of mobile phonesB)It speeds up the process of photosynthesis.C)It improves the reception of mobile phones.D)It collects the energy released by plants.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 four choice marked A),B),C) and D).Then mark the corresponding letter an Answer sheet1with a single line though the centre.Question8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8. A) He visited the workshops in the Grimsby plant.B) He called the woman and left her a message.C)He used stand-ins as replacements on all lines.D)He asked a technician to fix the broken production line.9. A)Itis the most modern production line. C)It has stopped working completelyB)It assembles super-intelligent robots. D)It is going to be upgraded soon.10. A) To seek her permission. C) To request her to return at once.B) To place an order for robots. D) To ask for Tom's phone number.11. A) She is on duty. C) She is on sick leave.B) She is having her day off. D) She is abroad on business.Question12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. A) He saved a baby boy's life. C) He prevented a train crash.B) He wanted to be a superhero. D) He was a witness to an accident13. A) He has a 9-month-old boy. C) He enjoys the interview.B) He is currently unemployed. D) He commutes by subway.14. A) A rock on the tracks. C) A strong wind.B) A misplaced pushchair. D) A speeding car.15. A) She stood motionless in shock. C) She called the police at once.B) She cried bitterly. D) She shouted for help.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 1with a single line through the centre.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A) She inherited her family ice-cream business in Billings.B)She loved the ice-cream business more than teaching primary school.C)She started an ice-cream business to finance her daughter's education.D)She wanted to have an ice-cream truck when she was a little girl.17. A)To preserve a tradition. C)To help local education.B)To amuse her daughter. D)To make some extra money.18. A)To raise money for business expansion. C)To allow poor kids to have ice-cream too.B)To make her truck attractive to children. D)To teach kids the value of mutual supportQuestions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A)The reasons for imposing taxes. C)The various burdens on ordinary citizens.B)The various serious money can buy. D)The function of money in the modern world.20. A)Educating and training citizens. C)Protecting people’s life and property.C)Improving public translation. D)Building hospitals and public libraries.21. A)By asking for donations. C)By selling government bonds.B)By selling public lands. D)By exploiting natural resources. Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A)It is located at the center of the European continent.B)It relies on tourism as its chief source of revenues.C)It contains less than a square mile of land.D)It is surrounded by France on three sides.23. A)Its beauty is frequently mentioned in American media.B)Its ruler Prince Rainier married an American actress.C)It is where many American movies are shot.D)It is a favorite place Americans like to visit.24. A) Tobacco. B) Potatoes. C) Machinery. D) Clothing25. A)European history. C) Small countries in Europe.B)European geography. D) Tourist attractions in Europe.PARTⅢ 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.The ocean is heating up. That's the conclusion of a new study that finds that Earth's oceans now(26)heat at twice the rate they did 18 years ago. Around half of ocean heat intake since 1865 has taken place since 1997, researchers report online in Nature Climate Change.Warming waters are known to (27)to coral bleaching(珊瑚白化) and they take up more space than cooler waters, raising sea (28). While the top of the ocean is studied, its depths are more difficult to (29)The researchers gathered 150 years of ocean temperature data inorder to get better (30)of heat absorption from surface to seabed. They gathered together temperature readings collected by everything from a 19th century(31)of British naval ships to modern automated ocean probes. The extensive data sources, (32)with computer simulations(计算机模拟), created a timeline of ocean temperature changes, including cooling from volcanic outbreaks and warming from fossil fuel (33).About 35 percent of the heat taken in by the oceans during the industrial era now residents at a (34)of more than 700 meters, the researchers found. They say they're (35)whether the deep-sea warming canceled out warming at the sea's surface.Section BDirections:In this section, you are gonging 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.The Secret to Raising Smart Kids[A] I first began to investigate the basis of human motivation-and how people persevere after setbacks-as a psychology graduate student at Yale University in the 1960s. Animal experiments by psychologists at the University of Pennsylvania had shown that after repeated failures, most animals conclude that a situation is hopeless and beyond their control. After such an experience an animal often remains passive even when it can effect change-a state they called learned helplessness.[B]People can learn to be helpless, too. Why do some students give up when encounter difficulty, whereas others who are no more skilled continue to strive and learn? One answer, I soon discovered, lay in people’s beliefs about why they had failed.[C] In particular, attributing poor performance to a lack of ability depresses motivation more than does the belief that lack of effort is to blame. When I told a group of school children who displayed helpless behavior that a lack of effort led to their mistakes inmath, they learned to keep trying when the problems got tough. Another group of helpless children who were simply rewarded for their success on easier problems did not improve their ability to solve harm math problems. These experiments indicated that a focus on effort can help resolve helplessness and generate success.[D] Later, I developed a broader theory of what separates the two general classes of learners-helpless versus mastery-oriented. I realized these different types of students not only explain their failures differently, but they also hold differe nt “theories” of intelligence. The helpless ones believe intelligence is a fixed characteristic: you have only a certain amount, and that's that. I call this a "fixed mind-set(思维模式)."Mistakes crack their self-confidence because they attribute errors to a lack of ability, which they feel powerless to change. They avoid challenges because challenges make mistakes more likely. The mastery-orient children, on the other hand, think intelligence is not fixed and can be developed through education and hard work. Such children believe challenges are energizing rather than intimidating (令人生畏);they offer opportunities to learn. Students with such a growth mind-set were destined(注定)for great academic success and were quite likely to outperform their counterparts.[E] We validated these expectations in a study in which two other psychologists and I monitored 373 student for two years during the transition to junior high school, when the work gets more difficult and the grading more strict, to determine how their mind-sets might affect their math grades. At the beginning of seventh grade, we assessed the students' mind-sets by asking them to agree or disagree with statements such as "Your intelligence is something very basic about you that you can't really change." We then assessed their beliefs about other aspects of learning and looked to see what happened to their grades.[F] As predicted, the students with a growth mind-set felt that learning was more important goal than getting good grades. In addition, they held hard work in high regard, They understood that even geniuses have to work hard. Confronted by a setback such as a disappointing test grade, students with a growth mind-set said they would study harder or try a different strategy. The students who held a fixed mind-set, however, were concerned about looking smart with less regard for learning. They had negative views of effort, believing that having to work hard was a sign of low ability. They thought that a personwith talent or intelligence did not need to work hard to do well. Attributing a bad grade to their own lack of ability, those with a fixed mind-set said that would study less in the future, try never to take that subject again and consider cheating on future tests.[G] Such different outlook had a dramatic impact on performance. At the start of junior high, the math achievement test scores of the students with a growth mind-set were comparable to the those of students who displayed a fixed mind-set. But as the work became more difficult, the students with a growth mind-set showed greater persistence. As a result, their math grades overtook those of the other students by the end of the first semester-and the gap between the two groups continued to widen during the two years we followed them.[H] A fixed mind-set can also hinder communication and progress in the workplace and discourage or ignore constructive criticism and advice. Research shows that managers who have a fixed mind-set are less likely to seek or welcome feedback from their employees than are managers with a growth mind-set.[I] How do we transmit a growth mind-set to our children? One way is by telling stories about achievements that result from hard work. For instance, talking about mathematical geniusesWho were more or less born that way puts students in a fixed mind-set, but mathematicians who fell in love with math and developed amazing skills produce a growth mind-set.[J] In addition, parents and teachers can help children by providing explicit instruction regarding the mind as a learning machine, I designed an eight-session workshop for 91 students whose math grades were declining in their first year of junior high. Forty-eight of the students received instruction in study skills only, whereas the others attended a combination of study skills sessions and classes in which they learned about the growth mind-set and how to apply it to schoolwork. In the growth mind-set classes, students read and discussed an article entitled “You Can Grow Your Brain.” They were taught that the brain is like a muscle that gets stronger with use and that learning prompts the brain to grow new connections. From such instruction, many students began to see themselves as agents of their own brain development. Despite being unaware that there were two types of instruction, teachers reported significant motivational changes in 27% of the children in the growth mind-set workshop as compared with only 9% of students in the control group.[K]Research is converging(汇聚)on the conclusion that great accomplishment and even genius is typically the result of years of passion and dedication and not something that flows naturally from a gift.36.The author's experiment shows that students with a fixed mind-set believe having to work hard is an indication of low ability.37.Focusing on effort is effective in helping children overcome frustration and achieve success.38.We can cultivate a growth mind-set in children by telling success stories that emphasize hard work love of learning.39.Students’ belief about the cause of their failure expla ins their attitude toward setbacks.40.In the author’s experiment, student with a growth mind-set showed greater perseverance in solving difficult math problems.41.The author conducted an experiment to find out about the influence of students’ mind-sets on math learning.42.After failing again and again, most animals give up hope.rming students about the brain as a learning machine is a good strategy to enhance their motivation for learning.44.People with a fixed mind-set believe that one’s intell igence is unchangeable.45.In the workplace, feedback may not be so welcome to managers with a fixed mind-set. 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 maked A),B),C)and D).You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage."Sugar, alcohol and tobacco," economist Adam Smith once wrote, "are commodities which are nowhere necessaries of life, which have become objects of almost universal consumption, and which are, therefore, extremely popular subjects of taxation."Two and a half centuries on, most countries impose some sort of tax on alcohol and tobacco. With surging obesity levels putting increasing strain on public health systems, governments around the world have begun to toy with the idea of taxing sugar as well.Whether such taxes work is a matter of debate. A preliminary review of Mexico's taxation found a fall in purchases of taxed drinks as well as a rise in sales if untaxed and healthier drinks. By contrast, a Danish tax on foods high in fats was abandoned a year after its introduction, amid claims that consumers were avoiding it by crossing the border to Germany to satisfy their desire for cheaper, fattier fare.The food industry has, in general, been firmly opposed to such direct government action. Nonetheless, the renewed focus on waistlines means that industry groups are under pressure to demonstrate their products are healthy as well as tasty.Over the past three decades, the industry has made some efforts to improve the quality of its offerings. For example, some drink manufactures have cut the amount of sugar in their beverages.Many of the reductions over the past 30 years have been achieved either by reducing the amount of sugar, salt or fat in a product, or by finding an alternative ingredient. More recently, however.Some companies have been investing money in a more ambitious undertaking: learning how to adjust the fundamental make-up of the food they sell. For example, having salt on the outside, but none on the inside, reduces the salt content without changing the taste.While reformulating recipes(配方)is one way to improve public health, it should be part of a multi-sided approach. The key is to remember thatthere is not just one solution. To deal with obesity, a mixture of approaches-including reformulation, taxation and adjusting portion sizes-will be needed. There is no silver bullet.46. What did Adam Smith say about sugar, alcohol and tobacco?A)They were profitable to manufacture.B)They were in ever-increasing demand.C)They were subject to taxation almost everywhere.D)They were no longer considered necessities of life.47.Why have many countries started to consider taxing sugar?A)They are under growing pressures to balance their national budgets.B)They find it ever harder to cope with sugar-induced health problems.C)They practice of taxing alcohol and tobacco has proved both popular and profitable.D)The sugar industry is overtaking alcohol and tobacco business in generating profits.48.What do we learn about Danish taxation on fat-rich foods?A)It did not work out as well as was expected.B)It gave rise to a lot of problems on the border.C)It could not succeed without German cooperation.D)It met with firm opposition from the food industry.49.What is the more recent effort by food companies to make foods and drinks both healthy and tasty?A)Replacing sugar or salt with alternative ingredients.B)Setting a limit on the amount of sugar or salt in their products.C)Investing in research to find ways to adapt to consumers' needs.D)Adjusting the physical composition of their products.50.What does the author mean by saying, at the end of the passage, "There is no silver bullet"(Line 4, Para 7)?A)There is no single easy quick solution to the problem.B)There is no hope of success without public cooperation.C)There is on hurry in finding ways to solve the obesity problem.D)There is no effective way to reduce people's sugar consumption.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.You may have heard some of the fashion industry horror stories: models eating tissues or cotton balls to hold off hunger, and models collapsing from hunger-induced heart attacks just seconds after they step off the runway.Excessively skinny models have been a point of controversy for decades, and two researchers say a model's body mass should be a workspace health and safety issue. In an editorial released Monday in the American Journal of Public Health, Katherine Record andBryn Austin made their case for government regulation of the fashion industry.The average international runway model has a body mass index (BMI) under 16-low enough to indicate starvation by the World Health Organization's standard. And Record and Austin are worried not just about the models themselves, but about the vast number of girls and women their images influence."Especially girls and tens", says Record. "Seventy percent of girls aged 10 to 18 report that they define perfect body image based on what they see in magazines." That's especially worrying, she says, given that anorexia(厌食症)results in more deaths than does any other mental illness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.It's commonly known that certain diseases are linked with occupations like lung disease in coal miners. Professional fashion models are particularly vulnerable to eating disorders resulting from occupational demands to maintain extreme thinness.Record's suggestion is to prohibit agents from hiring models with a BMI below 18.In April, France passed a law setting lower limits for a model's weight. Agents and fashion houses who hire models with BMI under 18 could pay $82,000 in fines and spend up to 6 months in jail. Regulating the fashion industry in the United States won't be easy, Record says. But with the new rules in France, U.S. support could make a difference. "A designer can't survive without participating in Paris Fashion Week", she says, adding, "Our argument is that the same would be true of New York Fashion Week."51.What do Record and Austin say about fashion models' body mass?A)It has caused needless controversy.B)It is focus of the modeling business.C)It is but a matter of personal taste.D)It affects models' health and safety.52.What are Record and Austin advocating in the Monday editorial?A)A change in the public's view of female beauty.B)Government legislation about models' weight.C)Elimination of forced weight loss by models.D)Prohibition of models eating non-food stuff.53.Why are Record and Austin worried about the low body mass index of models?A)It contributes to many mental illnesses.B)It defines the future of the fashion industry.C)It has great influence on numerous girls and women.D)It keeps many otherwise qualified women off the runaway.54. What do we learn about France's fashion industry?A)It has difficulty hiring models.B)It has now a new law to follow.C)It allows girls under 18 on the runway.D)It has overtaken that of the United States.55. What does Record expect of New York Fashion Week?A)It will create a completely new set of rules.B)It will do better than Paris Fashion Week.C)It will differ from Paris Fashion Week.D)It will have models with a higher BMI.Part IV Translation (30 minutes)Directions:For this part, you are allowed 30minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English .You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.在中国文化中,黄颜色是一种很重要的颜色,因为它具有独特的象征意义。

2016年12月大学英语四级考试真题、听力原文及参考答案(第2套)

2016年12月大学英语四级考试真题、听力原文及参考答案(第2套)

2016年12月大学英语四级考试真题(第2套)Part ⅠWriting (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay. Suppose you have two options upon graduation: one is to take a job in a company and the other to go to a graduate school. You are to make a choice between the two. Write an essay to explain the reasons for your choice. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.PartⅡListening 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) To satisfy the curiosity of tourists. C) To enable tourists to visit Goat Island.B) To replace two old stone bridges. D) To improve utility services in the state.2. A) Countless tree limbs. C) Lots of wrecked boats and ships.B) A few skeletons. D) Millions of coins on the bottom.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3. A) It suspended diplomatic relations with Libya.B) It urged tourists to leave Tunisia immediately.C) It shut down two border crossings with Libya.D) It launched a fierce attack against Islamic State.4. A) Advise Tunisian civilians on how to take safety precautions.B) Track down the organization responsible for the terrorist attack.C) Train qualified security personnel for the Tunisian government.D) Devise a monitoring system on the Tunisian border with Libya.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. A) An environment-friendly battery. C) A plant-powered mobile phone charger.B) An energy-saving mobile phone. D) A device to help plants absorb sunlight.6. A) While sitting in their school's courtyard. C) While solving a mathematical problem.B) While playing games on their phones. D) While doing a chemical experiment.7. A) It increases the applications of mobile phones.B) It speeds up the process of photosynthesis.C) It improves the reception of mobile phones.D) It collects the energy released by plants.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 visited the workshops in the Grimsby plant.B) He called the woman and left her a message.C) He used stand-ins as replacements on all lines.D) He asked a technician to fix the broken production line.9. A) It is the most modern production line. C) It has stopped working completely.B) It assembles super-intelligent robots. D) It is going to be upgraded soon.10. A) To seek her permission. C) To request her to return at once.B) To place an order for robots. D) To ask for Tom's phone number.11. A) She is on duty. C) She is on sick leave.B) She is having her day off. D) She is abroad on business.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. A) He saved a baby boy's life. C) He prevented a train crash.B) He wanted to be a superhero. D) He was a witness to an accident.13. A) He has a 9-month-old boy. C) He enjoys the interview.B) He is currently unemployed. D) He commutes by subway.14. A) A rock on the tracks. C) A strong wind.B) A misplaced pushchair. D) A speeding car.15. A) She stood motionless in shock. C) She called the police at once.B) She cried bitterly. D) She shouted for help.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) She inherited her family ice-cream business in Billings.B) She loved the ice-cream business more than teaching primary school.C) She started an ice-cream business to finance her daughter's education.D) She wanted to have an ice-cream truck when she was a little girl.17. A) To preserve a tradition. C) To help local education.B) To amuse her daughter. D) To make some extra money.18. A) To raise money for business expansion. C) To allow poor kids to have ice-cream too.B) To make her truck attractive to children. D) To teach kids the value of mutual support.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A) The reasons for imposing taxes. C) The various burdens on ordinary citizens.B) The various services money can buy. D) The function of money in the modem world.20. A) Educating and training citizens. C) Protecting people's life and property.B) Improving public transportation. D) Building hospitals and public libraries.21. A) By asking for donations. C) By selling government bonds.B) By selling public lands. D) By exploiting natural resources.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A) It is located at the center of the European continent.B) It relies on tourism as its chief source of revenues.C) It contains less than a square mile of land.D) It is surrounded by France on three sides.23. A) Its beauty is frequently mentioned in American media.B) Its ruler Prince Rainier married an American actress.C) It is where many American movies are shot.D) It is a favorite place Americans like to visit.24. A) Tobacco. B) Potatoes. C) Machinery. D) Clothing.25. A) European history. C) Small countries in Europe.B) European geography. D) Tourist attractions in Europe.Part ⅢReading Comprehension (40 minutes) Section ADirections: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.Questions 26 to 35 are based on the following passage.The ocean is heating up. That's the conclusion of a new study that finds that Earth's oceans now 26 heat at twice the rate they did 18 years ago. Around half of ocean heat intake since 1865 has taken place since 1997, researchers report online in Nature Climate Change.Warming waters are known to 27 to coral bleaching (珊瑚白化) and they take up more space than cooler waters, raising sea 28 .While the top of the ocean is well studied, its depths are more difficult to 29 .The researchers gathered 150 years of ocean temperature data in order to get a better 30 of heat absorption from surface to seabed. They gathered together temperature readings collected by everything from a 19th century 31 of British naval ships to modem automated ocean probes. The extensive data sources, 32 with computer simulations (计算机模拟), created a timeline of ocean temperature changes, including cooling from volcanic outbreaks and warming from fossil fuel 33About 35 percent of the heat taken in by the oceans during the industrial era now resides at a 34 of more than 700 meters, the researchers found. They say they're 35 whether the deep-sea warming canceled out warming at the sea's surface.A) absorb F) excursion K) levelsB) combined G) explore L) mixedC) contribute H) floor M) pictureD) depth I) heights N) unsureE) emissions J) indifferent O) voyageSection 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.The Secret to Raising Smart KidsA) I first began to investigate the basis of human motivation--and how people persevere after setbacks--as a psychology graduate student at Yale University in the 1960s. Animal experiments by psychologists at the University of Pennsylvania had shown that after repeated failures, most animals conclude that a situation is hopeless and beyond their control. After such an experience an animal often remains passive even when it can effect change--a state they called learned helplessness.B) People can learn to be helpless, too. Why do some students give up when they encounter difficulty, whereas others who are no more skilled continue to strive and learn? One answer, I soon discovered, lay in people's beliefs about why they had failed.C) In particular, attributing poor performance to a lack of ability depresses motivation more than does the belief that lack of effort is to blame. When I told a group of school children who displayed helpless behavior that a lack of effort led to their mistakes in math, they learned to keep trying when the problems got tough. Another group of helpless children who were simply rewarded for their success on easier problems did not improve their ability to solve hard math problems. These experiments indicated that a focus on effort can help resolve helplessness and generate success.D) Later, I developed a broader theory of what separates the two general classes of learners--helpless versus mastery-oriented. I realized these different types of students not only explain their failures differently, but they also hold different "theories" of intelligence. The helpless ones believe intelligence is a fixed characteristic: you have only a certain amount, and that's that. I call this a "fixed mind-set (思维模式)." Mistakes crack their serf-confidence because they attribute errors to a lack of ability, which they feel powerless to change. They avoid challenges because challenges make mistakes more likely. The mastery-oriented children, on the other hand, think intelligence is not fixed and can be developed through education and hard work. Such children believe challenges are energizing rather than intimidating(令人生畏); they offer opportunities to learn. Students with such a growth mind-set were destined(注定) for greater academic success and were quite likely to outperform their counterparts.E) We validated these expectations in a study in which two other psychologists and I monitored 373 students for two years during the transition to junior high school, when the work gets more difficult and the grading more strict, to determine how their mind-sets might affect their math grades. At the beginning of seventh grade, we assessed the students' mind-sets by asking them to agree or disagree with statements such as "Your intelligence is something very basic about you that you can't really change." We then assessed their beliefs about other aspects of learning and looked to see what happened to their grades.F) As predicted, the students with a growth mind-set felt that learning was a more important goal than getting good grades. In addition, they held hard work in high regard. They understood that even geniuses have to work hard. Confronted by a setback such as a disappointing test grade, students with a growth mind-set said they would study harder or try a different strategy. The students who held a fixed mind-set, however, were concerned about looking smart with less regard for learning. They had negative views of effort, believing that having to work hard was a sign of low ability. They thought that a person with talent or intelligence did not need to work hard to do well. Attributing a bad grade to their own lack of ability, those with a fixed mind-set said that they would study less in the future, try never to take that subject again and consider cheating on future tests.G) Such different outlooks had a dramatic impact on performance. At the start of junior high, the math achievement test scores of the students with a growth mind-set were comparable to those of students who displayed a fixed mind-set. But as the work became more difficult, the students with a growth mind-set showed greater persistence. As a result, their math grades overtook those of the other students by the end of the first semester--and the gap between the two groups continued to widen during the two years we followed them.H) A fixed mind-set can also hinder communication and progress in the workplace and discourage or ignore constructive criticism and advice. Research shows that managers who have a fixed mind-set are less likely to seek or welcome feedback from their employees than are managers with a growth mind-set.I) How do we transmit a growth mind-set to our children? One way is by telling stories about achievements that result from hard work. For instance, talking about mathematical geniuses who were more or less born that way puts students in a fixed mind-set, but descriptions of great mathematicians who fell in love with math and developed amazing skills produce a growth mind-set.J) In addition, parents and teachers can help children by providing explicit instruction regarding the mind as a learning machine. I designed an eight-session workshop for 91 students whose math grades were declining in their first year of junior high. Forty-eight of the students received instruction in study skills only, whereas the others attended a combination of study skills sessions and classes in which they learned about the growth mind-set and how to apply it to schoolwork. In the growth mind-set classes, students read and discussed an article entitled "You Can Grow Your Brain." They were taught that the brain is like a muscle that gets stronger with use and that learning prompts the brain to grow new connections. From such instruction, many students began to see themselves as agents of their own brain development. Despite being unaware that there were two types of instruction, teachers reported significant motivational changes in 27% of the children in the growth mind-set workshop as compared with only 9% of students in the control group.K) Research is converging (汇聚) on the conclusion that great accomplishment and even genius is typically the result of years of passion and dedication and not something that flows naturally from a gift.36. The author's experiment shows that students with a fixed mind-set believe having to work hard is an indication of low ability.37. Focusing on effort is effective in helping children overcome frustration and achieve success.38. We can cultivate a growth mind-set in children by telling success stories that emphasize hard work and love of learning.39. Students' belief about the cause of their failure explains their attitude toward setbacks.40. In the author's experiment, students with a growth mind-set showed greater perseverance in solving difficult math problems.41. The author conducted an experiment to find out about the influence of students' mind-sets on math learning.42. After failing again and again, most animals give up hope.43. Informing students about the brain as a learning machine is a good strategy to enhance their motivation for learning.44. People with a fixed mind-set believe that one's intelligence is unchangeable.45. In the workplace, feedback may not be so welcome to managers with a fixed mind-set.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 2with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage."Sugar, alcohol and tobacco," economist Adam Smith once wrote, "are commodities whichare nowhere necessaries of life, which have become objects of almost universal consumption, and which are, therefore, extremely popular subjects of taxation."Two and a half centuries on, most countries impose some sort of tax on alcohol and tobacco. With surging obesity levels putting increasing strain on public health systems, governments around the world have begun to toy with the idea of taxing sugar as well.Whether such taxes work is a matter of debate. A preliminary review of Mexico's taxation found a fall in purchases of taxed drinks as well as a rise in sales of untaxed and healthier drinks. By contrast, a Danish tax on foods high in fats was abandoned a year after its introduction, amid claims that consumers were avoiding it by crossing the border to Germany to satisfy their desire for cheaper, fattier fare.The food industry has, in general, been firmly opposed to such direct government action. Nonetheless, the renewed focus on waistlines means that industry groups are under pressure to demonstrate their products are healthy as well as tasty.Over the past three decades, the industry has made some efforts to improve the quality of its offerings. For example, some drink manufacturers have cut the amount of sugar in their beverages.Many of the reductions over the past 30 years have been achieved either by reducing the amount of sugar, salt or fat in a product, or by finding an alternative ingredient. More recently, however, some companies have been investing money in a more ambitious undertaking: learning how to adjust the fundamental make-up of the food they sell. For example, having salt on the outside, but none on the inside, reduces the salt content without changing the taste.While reformulating recipes (配方) is one way to improve public health, it should be part of a multi-sided approach. The key is to remember that there is not just one solution. To deal with obesity, a mixture of approaches--including reformulation, taxation and adjusting portion sizes--will be needed. There is no silver bullet.46. What did Adam Smith say about sugar, alcohol and tobacco?A) They were profitable to manufacture.B) They were in ever-increasing demand.C) They were subject to taxation almost everywhere.D) They were no longer considered necessities of life.47. Why have many countries started to consider taxing sugar?A) They are under growing pressure to balance their national budgets.B) They find it ever harder to cope with sugar-induced health problems.C) The practice of taxing alcohol and tobacco has proved both popular and profitable.D) The sugar industry is overtaking alcohol and tobacco business in generating profits.48. What do we learn about Danish taxation on fat-rich foods?A) It did not work out as well as was expected.B) It gave rise to a lot of problems on the border.C) It could not succeed without German cooperation.D) It met with firm opposition from the food industry.49. What is the more recent effort by food companies to make foods and drinks both healthy and tasty?A) Replacing sugar or salt with alternative ingredients.B) Setting a limit on the amount of sugar or salt in their products.C) Investing in research to find ways to adapt to consumers' needs.D) Adjusting the physical composition of their products.50. What does the author mean by saying, at the end of the passage, "There is no silver bullet" (Line 4, Para. 7)?A) There is no single easy quick solution to the problem.B) There is no hope of success without public cooperation.C) There is no hurry in finding ways to solve the obesity problem.D) There is no effective way to reduce people's sugar consumption.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.You may have heard some of the fashion industry horror stories: models eating tissues or cotton balls to hold off hunger, and models collapsing from hunger-induced heart attacks just seconds after they step off the runway.Excessively skinny models have been a point of controversy for decades, and two researchers say a model's body mass should be a workplace health and safety issue. In an editorial released Monday in the American Journal of Public Health, Katherine Record and Bryn Austin made their case for government regulation of the fashion industry.The average international runway model has a body mass index (BMI) under 16--low enough to indicate starvation by the World Health Organization's standard. And Record and Austin are worried not just about the models themselves, but about the vast number of girls and women their images influence,"Especially girls and teens," says Record. "Seventy percent of girls aged 10 to 18 report that they define perfect body image based on what they see in magazines." That's especially worrying, she says, given that anorexia (厌食症) results in more deaths than does any other mental illness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.It's commonly known that certain diseases are linked with occupations like lung disease in coal miners. Professional fashion models are particularly vulnerable to eating disorders resulting from occupational demands to maintain extreme thinness.Record's suggestion is to prohibit agents from hiring models with a BMI below 18.In April, France passed a law setting lower limits for a model's weight. Agents and fashion houses who hire models with a BMI under 18 could pay $ 82,000 in fines and spend up to 6 months in jail. Regulating the fashion industry in the United States won't be easy, Record says. But with the new rules in France, U.S. support could make a difference. "A designer can't survive without participating in Paris Fashion Week", she says, adding," Our argument is that the same would be true of New York Fashion Week. "51. What do Record and Austin say about fashion models' body mass?A) It has caused needless controversy. C) It is the focus of the modeling business.B) It is but a matter of personal taste. D) It affects models' health and safety.52. What are Record and Austin advocating in the Monday editorial?A) A change in the public's view of female beauty.B) Government legislation about models' weight.C) Elimination of forced weight loss by models.D) Prohibition of models eating non-food stuff.53. Why are Record and Austin especially worried about the low body mass index of models?A) It contributes to many mental illnesses.B) It defines the future of the fashion industry.C) It has great influence on numerous girls and women.D) It keeps many otherwise qualified women off the runway.54. What do we learn about France's fashion industry?A) It has difficulty hiring models. C) It allows girls under 18 on the runway.B) It has now a new law to follow. D) It has overtaken that of the United States.55. What does Record expect of New York Fashion Week?A) It will create a completely new set of rules. C) It will differ from Paris Fashion Week.B) It will do better than Paris Fashion Week. D) It will have models with a higher BMI.Part ⅣTranslation ( 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.在中国文化中,黄颜色是一种很重要的颜色,因为它具有独特的象征意义。

201612月大学英语四级第二套真题和答案解析

201612月大学英语四级第二套真题和答案解析

2016年12月大学英语四级试题(第二套)Part I Writing (30minutes)(请于正式开考后半小时内完成该部分,之后将进行听力考试)Directions:For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay. Suppose you have two options upon graduation: one is to take a job in a company and the other to go to a graduate school. You are to make a choice between the two. Write an essay to explain the reasons for your choice. 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). Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer sheet1with a single line through the centre.Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1. A) To satisfy the curiosity of tourists. C) To enable tourists to visit GoatIsland.B) To replace two old stone bridges. D) To improve utility services in the state2. A) Countless tree limbs. C) Lots of wrecked boats and ships.B) A few skeletons. D) Millions of coins on the bottom.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard3. A)It suspended diplomatic relations with Libya.B)It urged tourists to leave Tunisia immediately.C)It shut down two border crossings with Libya.D)It launched a fierce attack against Islamic State.4. A) Advise Tunisian civilians on how to take safety precautions.B)Track down the organization responsible for the terrorist attack.C)Train qualified security personnel for the Tunisian government.D)Devise a monitoring system on the Tunisian border with Libya.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. A) An environment-friendly battery. C) A plant-powered mobile phone charger.B) An energy-saving mobile phone. D) A device to help plants absorb sunlight.6. A) While sitting in their school's courtyard. C) While solving a mathematical problem.B) While playing games on their phones. D) While doing a chemical experiment.7. A)It increases the applications of mobile phonesB)It speeds up the process of photosynthesis.C)It improves the reception of mobile phones.D)It collects the energy released by plants.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 four choice marked A),B),C)and D).Then mark the corresponding letter an Answer sheet1 with a single line though the centre.Question8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8. A) He visited the workshops in the Grimsby plant.B) He called the woman and left her a message.C)He used stand-ins as replacements on all lines.D)He asked a technician to fix the broken production line.9. A)Itis the most modern production line. C)It has stopped working completelyB)It assembles super-intelligent robots. D)It is going to be upgraded soon.10. A) To seek her permission. C) To request her to return at once.B) To place an order for robots. D) To ask for Tom's phone number.11. A) She is on duty. C) She is on sick leave.B) She is having her day off. D) She is abroad on business.Question12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. A) He saved a baby boy's life. C) He prevented a train crash.B) He wanted to be a superhero. D) He was a witness to an accident13. A) He has a 9-month-old boy. C) He enjoys the interview.B) He is currently unemployed. D) He commutes by subway.14. A) A rock on the tracks. C) A strong wind.B) A misplaced pushchair. D) A speeding car.15. A) She stood motionless in shock. C) She called the police at once.B) She cried bitterly. D) She shouted for help.Section C,you will Directions:In this section,you will hear three passages. At the end of each passagehear 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) She inherited her family ice-cream business in Billings.B)She loved the ice-cream business more than teaching primary school.C)She started an ice-cream business to finance her daughter's education.D)She wanted to have an ice-cream truck when she was a little girl.17. A)To preserve a tradition. C)To help local education.B)To amuse her daughter. D)To make some extra money.18. A)To raise money for business expansion. C)To allow poor kids to have ice-cream too.B)To make her truck attractive to children. D)To teach kids the value of mutual supportQuestions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A)The reasons for imposing taxes. C)The various burdens on ordinary citizens.B)The various serious money can buy. D)The function of money in the modern world.20. A)Educating and training citizens. C)Protecting people’s life and property.C)Improving public translation. D)Building hospitals and public libraries.21. A)By asking for donations. C)By selling government bonds.B)By selling public lands. D)By exploiting natural resources.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A)It is located at the center of the European continent.B)It relies on tourism as its chief source of revenues.C)It contains less than a square mile of land.D)It is surrounded by France on three sides.23. A)Its beauty is frequently mentioned in American media.B)Its ruler Prince Rainier married an American actress.C)It is where many American movies are shot.D)It is a favorite place Americans like to visit.24. A) Tobacco. B) Potatoes. C) Machinery. D) Clothing25. A)European history. C) Small countries in Europe.B)European geography. D) Tourist attractions in Europe.PARTⅢReading 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 morethan once.The ocean is heating up. That's the conclusion of a new study that finds that Earth's oceans now (26)heat at twice the rate they did 18 years ago. Around half of ocean heat intake since 1865 has taken place since 1997, researchers report online in Nature Climate Change.Warming waters are known to (27)to coral bleaching(珊瑚白化) and they take up more space than cooler waters, raising sea (28). While the top of the ocean is studied, its depths are more difficult to (29)The researchers gathered 150 years of ocean temperature data in order to get better (30)of heat absorption from surface to seabed. They gathered together temperature readings collected by everything from a 19th century(31)of British naval ships to modern automated ocean probes. The extensive data sources, (32)with computer simulations(计算机模拟), created a timeline of ocean temperature changes, including cooling from volcanic outbreaks and warming from fossil fuel(33).About 35 percent of the heat taken in by the oceans during the industrial era now residents at a (34)of more than 700 meters, the researchers found. They say they're (35)whether the deep-sea warming canceled out warming at the sea's surface.A )absorb B)combined C)contribute D)depth E)emissionF)excursion G)explore H)floor I)heights J)indifferentK)levels L)mixed M)picture N)unsure O)voyageSection BDirections:In this section,you are gonging 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.The Secret to Raising Smart Kids[A] I first began to investigate the basis of human motivation-and how people persevere after setbacks-as a psychology graduate student at Yale University in the 1960s. Animal experiments by psychologists at the University of Pennsylvania had shown that after repeated failures, most animals conclude that a situation is hopeless and beyond their control. After such an experience an animal often remains passive even when it can effect change-a state they called learned helplessness.[B]People can learn to be helpless, too. Why do some students give up when encounter difficulty, whereas others who are no more skilled continue to strive and learn? One answer, I soon discovered, lay in people’s beliefs about why they had failed.[C] In particular, attributing poor performance to a lack of ability depresses motivation more than does the belief that lack of effort is to blame. When I told a group of school children who displayed helpless behavior that a lack of effort led to their mistakes in math, they learned to keep trying when the problems got tough. Another group of helpless children who were simply rewarded for their success on easier problems did not improve their ability to solve harm math problems. These experiments indicated that a focus on effort can help resolve helplessness and generate success.[D]Later, I developed a broader theory of what separates the two general classes of learners-helpless versus mastery-oriented. I realized these different types of students not only”of intelligence. The explain their failures differently, but they also hold differe nt “theorieshelpless ones believe intelligence is a fixed characteristic: you have only a certain amount, and that's that. I call this a "fixed mind-set(思维模式)."Mistakes crack their self-confidence because they attribute errors to a lack of ability, which they feel powerless to change. They avoid challenges because challenges make mistakes more likely. The mastery-orient children, on the other hand, think intelligence is not fixed and can be developed through education and hard work. Such children believe challenges are energizing rather than intimidating (令人生畏);they offer opportunities to learn. Students with such a growth mind-set were destined(注定)for great academic success and were quite likely to outperform their counterparts.[E]We validated these expectations in a study in which two other psychologists and I monitored 373 student for two years during the transition to junior high school, when the work gets more difficult and the grading more strict, to determine how their mind-sets might affect their math grades. At the beginning of seventh grade, we assessed t he students' mind-sets by asking them to agree or disagree with statements such as "Your intelligence is something very basic about you that you can't really change." We then assessed their beliefsabout other aspects of learning and looked to see what happened to their grades.[F] As predicted, the students with a growth mind-set felt that learning was more importantgoal than getting good grades. In addition, they held hard work in high regard, Theyunderstood that even geniuses have to work hard. Confronted by a setback such as a disappointing test grade, students with a growth mind-set said they would study harder or trya different strategy. The students who held a fixed mind-set, however, were concerned aboutlooking smart with less regard for learning. They had negative views of effort, believing thathaving to work hard was a sign of low ability. They thought that a person with talent orintelligence did not need to work hard to do well. Attributing a bad grade to their own lack ofability, those with a fixed mind-set said that would study less in the future, try never to takethat subject again and consider cheating on future tests.[G] Such different outlook had a dramatic impact on performance. At the start of junior high,the math achievement test scores of the students with a growth mind-set were comparable tothe those of students who displayed a fixed mind-set. But as the work became more difficult,the students with a growth mind-set showed greater persistence. As a result, their math gradesovertook those of the other students by the end of the first semester-and the gap between thetwo groups continued to widen during the two years we followed them.[H] A fixed mind-set can also hinder communication and progress in the workplace anddiscourage or ignore constructive criticism and advice. Research s hows that managers w hohave a fixed mind-set are less likely to seek or welcome feedback from their employees thanare managers with a growth mind-set.[I] How do we transmit a growth mind-set to our children? One way is by telling stories about achievements that result from hard work. For instance, talking about mathematical geniusesWho were more or less born that way puts students in a fixed mind-set, but mathematicianswho fell in love with math and developed amazing skills produce a growth mind-set.[J] In addition, parents and teachers can help children by providing explicit instructionregarding the mind as a learning machine, I designed an eight-session workshop for 91students whose math grades were declining in their first year of junior high. Forty-eight of thestudents received instruction in study skills only, whereas the others attended a combinationof study skills sessions and classes in which they learned about the growth mind-set and howto apply it to schoolwork. In the growth mind-set classes, students read and discussed anarticle entitled “You Can Grow Your Brain.” They were taught that the brain is like a muscle that gets stronger with use and that learning prompts the brain to grow new connections. Fromsuch instruction, many students began to see themselves as agents of their own brain development. Despite being unaware that there were two types of instruction, teachersreported significant motivational changes in 27% of the children in the growth mind-setworkshop as compared with only 9% of students in the control group.[K]Research is converging(汇聚)on the conclusion that great accomplishment and evengenius is typically the result of years of passion and dedication and not something that flowsnaturally from a gift.36.The author's experiment shows that students with a fixed mind-set believe having to workhard is an indication of low ability.37.Focusing on effort is effective in helping children overcome frustration and achievesuccess.38.We can cultivate a growth mind-set in children by telling success stories that emphasizehard work love of learning.ins their attitude toward setbacks.39.Students’ belief about the cause of their failure expla-set showed greater perseverance in40.In the author’s experiment, student with a growth mindsolving difficult math problems.-sets41.The author conducted an experiment to find out about the influence of students’on math learning.42.After failing again and again, most animals give up hope.rming students about the brain as a learning machine is a good strategy to enhancetheir motivation for learning.igence is unchangeable.44.People with a fixed mind-set believe that one’s intell45.In the workplace, feedback may not be so welcome to managers with a fixed mind-set.Section CDirections:There are 2 passages in this section .Each passage is followed by some questionsor unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices maked A),B),C)andAnswer Sheet2D).You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter onwith a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage."Sugar, alcohol and tobacco," economist Adam Smith once wrote, "are commoditieswhich are nowhere necessaries o f life, which have become objects of almost universal consumption, and which are, therefore, extremely popular subjects of taxation."Two and a half centuries on, most countries impose some sort of tax on alcohol andtobacco. With surging obesity levels putting increasing strain on public health systems, governments around the world have begun to toy with the idea of taxing sugar as well.Whether such taxes work is a matter of debate. A preliminary review of Mexico'staxation found a fall in purchases o f taxed drinks as well as a rise in sales if untaxed andhealthier drinks. By contrast, a Danish tax on foods high in fats was abandoned a year after its introduction, amid claims that consumers were avoiding it by crossing the border to Germanyto satisfy their desire for cheaper, fattier fare.The food industry has, in general, been firmly opposed to such direct government action. Nonetheless, the renewed focus on waistlines means that industry groups are under pressureto demonstrate their products are healthy as well as tasty.Over the past three decades, the industry has made some efforts to improve the quality ofits offerings. For example, some drink manufactures have cut the amount of sugar in their beverages.Many of the reductions over the past 30 years have been achieved either by reducing theamount of sugar, salt or fat in a product, or by finding an alternative ingredient. More recently, however.Some companies have been investing money in a more ambitious undertaking: learninghow to adjust the fundamental make-up of the food they sell. For example, having salt on theoutside, but none on the inside, reduces the salt content without changing the taste.While reformulating recipes(配方)is one way to improve public health, it should be partof a multi-sided approach. The key is to remember thatthere is not just one solution. To deal with obesity, a mixture of approaches-including reformulation, taxation and adjusting portion sizes-will be needed. There is no silver bullet.46. What did Adam Smith say about sugar, alcohol and tobacco?A)They were profitable to manufacture.B)They were in ever-increasing demand.C)They were subject to taxation almost everywhere.D)They were no longer considered necessities of life.47.Why have many countries started to consider taxing sugar?A)They are under growing pressures to balance their national budgets.B)They find it ever harder to cope with sugar-induced health problems.C)They practice of taxing alcohol and tobacco has proved both popular and profitable.D)The sugar industry is overtaking alcohol and tobacco business in generating profits.48.What do we learn about Danish taxation on fat-rich foods?A)It did not work out as well as was expected.B)It gave rise to a lot of problems on the border.C)It could not succeed without German cooperation.D)It met with firm opposition from the food industry.49.What is the more recent effort by food companies to make foods and drinks both healthy and tasty?A)Replacing sugar or salt with alternative ingredients.B)Setting a limit on the amount of sugar or salt in their products.C)Investing in research to find ways to adapt to consumers' needs.D)Adjusting the physical composition of their products.50.What does the author mean by saying, at the end of the passage, "There is no silver bullet"(Line 4, Para 7)?A)There is no single easy quick solution to the problem.B)There is no hope of success without public cooperation.C)There is on hurry in finding ways to solve the obesity problem.D)There is no effective way to reduce people's sugar consumption.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.You may have heard some of the fashion industry horror stories: models eating tissues or cotton balls to hold off hunger, and models collapsing from hunger-induced heart attacks just seconds after they step off the runway.Excessively skinny models have been a point of controversy for decades, and two researchers s ay a model's body mass should be a workspace health and safety issue. In an editorial released Monday in the American Journal of Public Health, Katherine Record and Bryn Austin made their case for government regulation of the fashion industry.The average international runway model has a body mass index (BMI) under 16-low enough to indicate starvation by the World Health Organization's standard. And Record and Austin are worried not just about the models themselves, but about the vast number of girls and women their images influence."Especially girls and tens", says Record. "Seventy percent of girls aged 10 to 18 report that they define perfect body image based on what they see in magazines." That's especiallyworrying, she says, given that anorexia(厌食症)results in more deaths than does any other mental illness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.It's commonly known that certain diseases are linked with occupations like lung disease in coal miners. Professional fashion models are particularly vulnerable to eating disorders resulting from occupational demands to maintain extreme thinness.Record's suggestion is to prohibit agents from hiring models with a BMI below 18.In April, France passed a law setting lower limits for a model's weight. Agents and fashion houses who hire models with BMI under 18 could pay $82,000 in fines and spend up to 6 months in jail. Regulating the fashion industry in the United States won't be easy, Record says. But with the new rules in France, U.S. support could make a difference. "A designer can't survive without participating in Paris Fashion Week", she says, adding, "Our argument is that the same would be true of New York Fashion Week."51.What do Record and Austin say about fashion models' body mass?A)It has caused needless controversy.B)It is focus of the modeling business.C)It is but a matter of personal taste.D)It affects models' health and safety.52.What are Record and Austin advocating in the Monday editorial?A)A change in the public's view of female beauty.B)Government legislation about models' weight.C)Elimination of forced weight loss by models.D)Prohibition of models eating non-food stuff.53.Why are Record and Austin worried about the low body mass index of models?A)It contributes to many mental illnesses.B)It defines the future of the fashion industry.C)It has great influence on numerous girls and women.D)It keeps many otherwise qualified women off the runaway.54. What do we learn about France's fashion industry?A)It has difficulty hiring models.B)It has now a new law to follow.C)It allows girls under 18 on the runway.D)It has overtaken that of the United States.55. What does Record expect of New York Fashion Week?A)It will create a completely new set of rules.B)It will do better than Paris Fashion Week.C)It will differ from Paris Fashion Week.D)It will have models with a higher BMI.Part IV Translation (30 minutes)Directions:For this part,you are allowed 30minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English .You should write your answer on A nswer Sheet 2.在中国文化中,黄颜色是一种很重要的颜色,因为它具有独特的象征意义。

四级答案:2016年12月英语四级听力答案

四级答案:2016年12月英语四级听力答案

四级答案:2016年12月英语四级听力答案四级答案:2016年12月英语四级听力答案2016年12月英语四级听力答案第一套Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)Section A1. Why did John move out of the castle?C. It was dangerous to live in.2. What happened in Scotland last Wednesday?A. A storm.3. What does the news reporter say about the miners?D. They were strapped in an underground elevator.4. What did the rescue team do?B. They sent supplies to keep the miners warm.5. What is the US postal service planning to do?C. Close some of its post office.6. What measure has been planned to save costs?D. Stopping mail delivery on Saturdays.7. What will happen when the proposed measure comes into effect?D. Many post office staff will lose their jobs.Section B8. What will happen to the press operator who is late for work according to the woman?A. He will lose part of his pay.9. What does the man say about John who stands by the time clock?B. He is a trustworthy guy.10. Why does the man suggest the woman see the worker who was late?C. She is better at handling such matters.11. What does the woman say about Jack Green?A. He is always trying to stir up trouble.12. What do foreigners generally think of British People according to the woman?B. Reserved.13. What may British people typically do on a train according to the man?C. They stay quiet.14. What does the man say about the Italian woman working in Manchester?B. She was never invited to a colleague’s home.15. Why do British people prefer houses to flats?D. Houses provide more privacy.Section C16. What does the speaker say about the college students applying for a campus job?A. They will automatically be given hiring priority.17. What can students do to find a campus job according to the speaker?A. Visit the school careers service.18. What does the speaker say is a library monitor responsibility?C. Supervising study spaces to ensure a quiet atmosphere.19. Why have the tea farmers in Kenya decided to grow purple tea?B. It may be sold at a higher price.20. What do researchers say about the purple tea?D. It is healthier than green tea.21. What is Mr. Combara found about the purple tea?A. It does not have a stable market.22. What does the speaker say about today’s consumers?C. They prefer unique object of high quality.23. What does the speaker say about good craftsmen in the past?B. They could only try to create at night.24. What do craftsmen help consumers do?B. Make wise choices.25. Why do state art councils help sponsor local arts and crafts festival?D. To boost the local economy.2016年12月英语四级听力答案第二套听力第二套的答案(网友版)短篇新闻1.(A)It was dangerous to live in.2.(B)A storm3.(B)They were trapped in an underground elevator.4.(C)They sent supplies to keep the miners warm.5.(D)Close some of its post office.6.(C)Stopping mail delivery on Saturdays.7.(A)Many post office staff will lose their jobs. 长对话8.(D)He will lose part of his pay.9.(B)He is a trustworthy guy.10.(D)She is better at handling such matters.11.(C)He is always trying to stir up trouble.12.(D)Reserved13.(A)They stay quiet14.(C)She was never invited to a colleague’s home.15.(B)Houses provide more privacy听力篇章16.(D)They will automatically be given hiring priority.17.(C)Visit the school careers service.18.(B)Supervising study spaces to ensure a quiet atmosphere.19.(C)It may be sold at a higher price.20.(A)It is healthier than green tee.21.(D)It does not have a stable market.22.(B)They prefer unique objects of high quality.23.(B)They could only try to create at night.24.(A)Make wise choices.25.(A)To boost the local econom*CET4报名:CET4考试:CET4作文:成绩查询:CET4真题:CET4答案:CET6报名:CET6考试:CET6作文:成绩查询:CET6真题:CET6答案:。

【英语】2016年12月大学英语四级真题及完整答案共两卷

【英语】2016年12月大学英语四级真题及完整答案共两卷

【关键字】英语2016年12月大学英语四级真题(第一套)Part I Writing (30minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay. Suppose you have two options upon graduation: one is to take a job in a company and the other to go to a graduate school. You are to make a choice between the two. Write an essay to explain the reasons for your choice. 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 1and 2 are based on the news report you have just the heard.1. A) It was going to be renovated. C) It was dangerous to live in.B) He could no longer pay the rent. D) He had sold it to the royal family.2. A) A storm. C) A forest fire.B) A strike. D) A Terrorist attack.Questions 3and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3. A) They lost contact with the emergency department.B) They were injured by suddenly falling rocks.C) They sent calls for help via a portable radio.D) They were trapped in an underground elevator.4. A) They provided the miner with food and water.B) They sent supplies to keep the miners warm.C) They released the details of the accident.D) They tried hard to repair the accident.Question5 to7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. A) Raise postage rates. C) Close some of its post offices.B) Improve its services. D) Redesign delivery routes.6. A) Closing offices on holidays. C) Computerizing mail sorting processes.B) Shortening business hours. D) Stopping mail delivery on Saturdays.7.A)A lot of controversy will ariseB) Taxpayers will be very pleasedC) Many people will begin to complainD) Many post office staff will lose their jobsSection BDirections:In this section,you will hear two long conversations.At the end of eachconversation,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 four choice marked A),B),C) and D).Then mark the corresponding letter an Answer sheet1 with a single line though the centre.Question8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8.A)He will lose part of his pay. C)He will be given a warning.B)He will go through retraining. D)He is go good terms with his workmates.9.A)He is an experienced press operator. C)He is always on time.B)He is trustworthy guy. D)He is go good terms with his workmates.10.A)She is a trade union representative. C)She is better at handing such matters.B)She is a senior manager of the shop. D)She is in charge of public relation.11.A)He is always trying to stir up trouble.B)He is skilled and experienced.C)He is very close to the manager.D)He is always complaining about low wages.Question12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12.A)Open. C)Selfish.B)Reserved. D)Friendly.13.A)They read a book. C)They stay quiet.B)They talk about the weather D)They chat with fellow passengers.14.A)She was unwilling to make friends with workmates.B)She was never invited to a colleague’s home.C)She was eager to visit an English castle.D)She was always treated as a foreigner.15.A) House are much more quiet. C) They want a garden of their own.B) They want to have more space. D) Houses provide more privacy.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) They will automatically be given hiring priority.B) They don’t have to go through job interviews.C) They are likely to get much higher pay.D) They don’t have much choice of jobs.17.A) Visit the school careers services. C) Look at school bulletin boards.B) Ask their professors for help. D) Go through campus newspapers.18.A) Providing students with information about the library.B) Helping students arrange appointments with librarians.C) Supervising study spaces to ensure a quiet atmosphere.D) Helping students find the books and journals they need.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19.A) It tastes better. C) It is easier to grow.B) It may be sold at a higher price. D) It can better survive extreme weathers.20.A) It can grow in drier soil. C) It will replace green tea one day.B) It is immune to various diseases. D) It is healthier than green tea.21.A) It does not have a stable market.B) It has made tea farmers’ life easier.C) It does not bring the promised health benefits.D) It has been well received by many tea drinkers.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A) They care more about environment.B) They decorate their homes themselves.C) They prefer unique objects of high quality.D) They need decorations to show their status.23. A) They made great contributions to society.B) They could only try to create at night.C) They were proud of their creations.D) They focused on the quality of their products.24. A) Identify fake crafts. C) Design handicrafts themselves.B) Make wise choices. D) Learn the importance of creation.25. A) To attract foreign investments. C) To arouse public interest in crafts.B) To preserve the traditional culture. D) To boost the local economy.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.Many men and women have long bought into the idea that there are “male” and “female” brains, believing that explains just about every difference between the sexes.A new study(26)that belief, questioning whether brains really can be distinguished by gender.In the study, Tel Aviv University researchers(27)for sex differences the entire human brain.And what did they find? Not much. Rather than offer evidence for(28)brains as “male” or “female,” research shows that brains fall into a wide range, with most people falling right in the middle.Daphna Joel, who led the study, said her research found that while there are some gender-based(29), many different types of brain can’t always be distinguished by gender.While the “average” male and “average” female brains were(30)different, you cou ldn’t tell it by looking at individual brain scans. Only a small(31)of people had “all-male” or “all-female” characteristics.Larry Cahill, an American neuroscientist (神经科学家),said the study is an important addition to a growing body of research questioning(32)beliefs about gender and brain function. But he cautioned against concluding from this study that all brains are the same,(33)of gender.“There’s a mountain of evidence(34)the importance of sex influences at all levels of brain function,” he told The Seattle Times.If anything, he said, the study(35)that gender plays a very important role in the brain “even when we are not clear exactly how.”Section BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.Can Burglars Jam Your Wireless Security System?[A]Any product that promises to protect your home deserves careful examination. So it i sn’t surprising that you’ll find plenty of strong opinions about the potential vulnerabilities of popular home-security systems.[B]The most likely type of burglary (入室盗窃) by far is the unsophisticated crime of opportunity, usually involving a broken window or some forced entry. According to the FBI, crimes like these accounted roughly two-thirds of all household burglaries in the US in 2013.The wide majority of the rest were illegal, unforced entries that resulted from something like a window being left open. The odds of a criminal using technical means to bypass a security system are so small that the FBI doesn’t even track those statistics.[C]One of the main theoretical home-security concerns is whether or not a given system is vulnerable to being blocked from working altogether. With wired setups, the fear is that a burglar (入室盗贼) might be able to shut your system down simply by cutting the right cable. With a wireless setup, you stick battery-powered sensors up around your home that keep an eye on windows, doors, motion, and more. If they detect something wrong while the system is armed, they’ll transmit a wireless alert signal to a base station that will then raise the alarm. That approach will eliminate most cord-cutting concerns—but what about their wireless equivalent, jamming? With the right device tuned to the right frequency, what’s to stop a thief from jamming your setup and blocking that alert signal from ever reaching the base station?[D]Jamming concerns are nothing new, and they’re not u nique to security systems. Any device that’s built to receive a wireless signal at a specific frequency can be overwhelmed by a stronger signal coming in on the same frequency. For comparison, let’s say you wanted to “jam” a conversation between two people—all you’d need to do is yell in the listener’s ear.[E] Security devices are required to list the frequencies they broadcast on—that means that a potential thief can find what they need to know with minimal Googling. They will, however, need so know wha t system they’re looking for. If you have a sign in your yard declaring what setup you use, that’d point them in the right direction, though at that point, we’re talking about a highly targeted, semi-sophisticated attack, and not the sort forced-entry atta ck that makes up the majority of burglaries. It’s easier to find and acquire jamming equipment for some frequencies than it is for others.[F] Wireless security providers will often take steps to help combat the threat of jamming attacks. SimpliSafe, win ner of our Editor’s Choice distinction, utilizes a special system that’s capable of separating incidental RF interference from targeted jamming attacks. When the system thinks it’s being jammed, it’ll notify you via push alert(推送警报).From there, it’s up to you to sound the alarm manually.[G] SimpliSafe was singled out in one recent article on jamming, complete with a video showing the entire system being effectively bypassed with handheld jamming equipment. After taking appropriate measures to contain the RF interference to our test lab, we tested the attack out for ourselves, and were able to verify that it’s possible with the right equipment. However, we also verified that SimpliSafe’santi-jamming system works. It caught us in the act, sent an alert to my smartphone, and also listed our RF interference on the system’s event log. The team behind the article and video in question make no mention of the system, or whether or not in detected them.[H]We like the unique nature of that software. It means that a thief likely wouldn’t be able to Google how the system works, then figure out a way around it. Even if they could, SimpliSafe claims that its system is always evolving, and that it varies slightly from system to system, which means there wouldn’t be a u niversal magic formula for cracking it. Other systems also seem confident on the subject of jamming. The team at Frontpoint addresses the issue in a blog on its site, citing their own jam protection software and claiming that there aren’t any documented ca ses of successful jam attack since the company began offering wireless security sensors in the 1980s.[I] Jamming attacks are absolutely possible. As said before, with the right equipment and the right know-how, it’s possible to jam any wireless transmis sion. But how probable is it that someone will successfully jam their way into your home and steal your stuff?[J] Let’s imagine that you live in a small home with a wireless security setup that offers a functional anti-jamming system. First, a thief is going to need to target your home, specifically. Then, he’s going to need to know the technical details of your system and acquire the specific equipment necessary for jamming your specific setup. Presumably, you keep your doors locked at night and while y ou’re away. So the thief will still need to break in. That means defeating the lock somehow, or breaking a window. He’ll need to be jamming you at this point, as a broken window or openeddoor would normally release the alarm. So, too, would the motion detectors in your home, so the thief will need to continue jamming once he’s inside and searching for things to steal. However, he’ll need to do so without tripping the anti-jamming system, the details of which he almost certainly does now have access to.[K]At the end of the day, these kinds of systems are primarily designed to protect against the sort of opportunistic smash-and-grab attack that makes up the majority of burglaries. They’re also only a single layer in what should ideally be a many-sided approach to securing your home, one that includes common sense things like sound locks and proper exterior lighting at night. No system is impenetrable, and none can promise to eliminate the worst case completely. Every one of them has vulnerabilities that a knowledgeable thief could theoretically exploit. A good system is one that keeps that worst-case setting as improbable as possible while also offering strong protection in the event of a less-extraordinary attack.36. It is possible for burglars to make jamming attacks with the necessary equipmentand skill.37. Interfering with a wireless security system is similar to interfering with aconversation.38. A burglar has to continuously jam the wireless security device to avoid triggeringthe alarm, both inside and outside the house.39. SimpliSafe provides devices that are able to distinguish incidental radiointerference from targeted jamming attacks.40. Only a very small proportion of burglaries are committed by technical means.41. It is difficult to crack SimpliSafe as its system keeps changing.42. Wireless devices will transmit signals so as to activate the alarm once somethingwrong is detected.43. Different measures should be taken to protect one’s home from burglary inaddition to the wireless security system.44. SimpliSafe’s device can send a warning to the house owner’s cellphone.45. Burglars can easily get a security device’s frequency by Internet search.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 a person who writes about food and drink for a living. I couldn’t tell you the first thing about Bill Perry or whether the beers he sells are that great. But I can tell you that I like this guy. That’s because he plans to ban tipping in favor of paying his servers an actual living wage.I hate tipping.I hate it because it’s an obligation disguised as an option. I hate it for thepost-dinner math it requires of me. But mostly, I hate tipping because I believe I would be in a better place if pay decisions regarding employees were simply left up to their employers, as is the custom in virtually every other industry.Most of you probably think that you hate tipping, too. Research suggests otherwise. You actually love tipping! You like to feel that you have a voice in how much money your server makes. No matter how the math works out, you persistently view restaurants with voluntary tipping systems as being a better value, which makes it extremely difficult for restaurants and bars to do away with the tipping system.One argument that you tend to hear a lot from the pro-tipping crowd seems logical enough: the service is better when waiters depend on tips, presumably because they see a benefit to successfully veiling their contempt for you. Well, if this were true, we would all be slipping a few 100-dollar bills to our doctors on the way out their doors, too. But as it turns out, waiters see only a tiny bump in tips when they do an exceptional job compared to a passable one. Waiters, keen observers of humanity that they are, are catching on to this; in one poll, a full 30% said they didn’t believe the job they did had any impact on the tips they received.So come on, folks: get on board with ditching the outdated tip system. Pay a little more upfront for your beer or burger. Support Bill Perry’s pub, and any other bar or restaurant that doesn’t ask you to do drunken math.46. What can we learn about Bill Perry from the passage?A) He runs a pub that serves excellent beer.B) He intends to get rid of the tipping practice.C) He gives his staff a considerable sum for tips.D) He lives comfortably without getting any tips.47. What is the main reason why the author hates tipping?A) It sets a bad example for other industries.B) It adds to the burden of ordinary customers.C) It forces the customer to compensate the waiter.D) It poses a great challenge for customers to do math.48. Why do many people love tipping according to the author?A) They help improve the quality of the restaurants they dine in.B) They believe waiters deserve such rewards for good service.C) They want to preserve a wonderful tradition of the industry.D) They can have some say in how much their servers earn.49. What have some waiters come to realize according to a survey?A) Service quality has little effect on tip size.B) It is in human mature to try to save on tips.C) Tips make it more difficult to please customers.D) Tips benefit the boss rather that the employees.50. What does the author argue for in the passage?A) Restaurants should calculate the tips for customers.B) Customers should pay more tips to help improve service.C) Waiters deserve better than just relying on tips for a living.D) Waiters should be paid by employers instead of customers.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.In the past, falling oil prices have given a boost to the world economy, but recent forecasts for global growth have been toned down, even as oil prices sink lower and lower. Does that mean the link between lower oil prices and growth has weakened?Some experts say there are still good reasons to believe cheap oil should heat up the world ec onomy. Consumers have more money in their pockets when they’re paying less at the pump. They spend that money on other things, which stimulates the economy.The biggest gains go to countries that import most of their oil like China, Japan, and India, But doesn’t the extra money in the pockets of those countries’ consumers mean an equal loss in oil producing countries, cancelling out the gains? Not necessarily, says economic researcher Sara Johnson. “Many oil producers built up huge reserve funds when prices were high, so when prices fall they will draw on their reserves to support government spending and subsidies(补贴) for their consumers.”But not all oil producers have big reserves, In Venezuela, collapsing oil prices have sent its economy into free-fall.Economist Carl Weinberg believes the negative effects of plunging oil prices are overwhelming the positive effects of cheaper oil. The implication is a sharp decline in global trade, which has plunged partly because oil-producing nations can’t afford to import as much as they used to.Sara Johnson acknowledges that the global economic benefit from a fall in oil prices today is likely lower than it was in the past. One reason is that more countries are big oil producers now, so the nations suffering from the price drop account for a larger share of the global economy.Consumers, in the U.S. at least, are acting cautiously with the savings they’re getting at the gas pump, as the memory of the recent great recession is still fresh in their mind. And a number of oil-producing countries are trimming their gasolinesubsidies and raising taxes, so the net savings for global consumers is not as big as the oil price plunge might suggest.51. What does the author mainly discuss in the passage?A) The reasons behind the plunge of oil prices.B) Possible ways to stimulate the global economy.C) The impact of cheap oil on global economic growth.D) The effect of falling oil prices on consumer spending.52. Why do some experts believe cheap oil will stimulate the global economy?A) Manufacturers can produce consumer goods at a much lower cost.B) Lower oil prices have always given a big boost to the global economy.C) Oil prices may rise or fall but economic laws are not subject to change.D) Consumers will spend their saving from cheap oil on other commodities.53. What happens in many oil-exporting countries when oil prices go down?A) They suspend import of necessities from overseas.B) They reduce production drastically to boost oil prices.C) They use their money reserves to back up consumption.D) They try to stop their economy from going into free-fall.54. How does Carl Weinberg view the current oil price plunge?A) It is one that has seen no parallel in economic history.B) Its negative effects more than cancel out its positive effects.C) It still has a chance to give rise to a boom in the global economy.D) Its effects on the global economy go against existing economic laws.55. Why haven’t falling oil prices boosted the global economy as the y did before?A) People are not spending all the money they save on gas.B) The global economy is likely to undergo another recession.C) Oil importers account for a larger portion of the global economy.D) People the world over are afraid of a further plunge in oil prices.Part IV Translation (30minutes)Directions: For this part,you are allowed 30minutes to transtate a passage from Chinese into English.You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.在中国文化中,红色通常象征着好运、长寿和幸福,在春节和其他喜庆场合,红色到处可见。

【英语4级资料】全国英语四级2016年12月考试试卷第二套

【英语4级资料】全国英语四级2016年12月考试试卷第二套

全国英语四级2016年12月考试试卷For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay. Suppose you have two options upon graduation: one is to take a job in a company and the other to go to a graduate school. You are to make a choice between the two. Write an essay to expl ain the reasons for your choice. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.PartⅡListening Comprehension(25 minutes)Section AQuestions l and 2 are based on the news report you have,just heard.1. A) To satisfy the curiosity of tourists. C) To enable tourists to visit Goat Island.B) To replace two old stone bridges. D) To improve utility services in the state. 2. A) Countless tree limbs.B) A few skeletons.C) Lots of wrecked boats and ships. D) Millions of coins on the bottom.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3. A) It suspended diplomatic relations with Libya.B) It urged tourists to leave Tunisia immediately.C) It shut down two border crossings with Libya.D) It launched a fierce attack against Islamic State.4. A) Advise Tunisian civilians on how to take safety precautions.B) Track down the organization responsible for the terrorist attack.C) Train qualified security personnel for the Tunisian government.D) Devise a monitoring system on the Tunisian border with Libya.Questions5 t0 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. A) An environment-friendly battery C) A plant-powered mobile phone charger.B) An energy-saving mobile D) A device to help plants absorb sunlight.6. A) While sitting in their school's courtyard.B) While playing games on their phones.C) While solving a mathematical problem.D) While doing a chemical experiment.7. A) It increases the applications of mobile phones.B) It speeds up the process of photosynthesis.C) It improves the reception of mobile phones.D) It collects the energy released by plants.Questions 8 t0 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8. A) He visited the workshops in the Grimsby plant.B) He called the woman and left her a message.C) He used stand-ins as replacements on all lines.D) He asked a technician to fix the broken production line.9. A) It is the most modern production line. C) It has stopped working completely.B) It assembles super-intelligent robots. D) It is going to be upgraded soon.10. A) To seek her permission. C) To request her to return at once.B) To place an order for robots. D) To ask for Tom's phone number.11. A) She is on duty. C) She is on sick leave.B) She is having her day off. D) She is abroad on business.Questions 12 t0 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. A) He saved a baby boy's life. C) He prevented a train crash.B) He wanted to be a superhero. D) He was a witness to an accident.13. A) He has a 9-month-old boy'. C) He enjoys the interview.B) He is currently unemployed. D) He commutes by subway.14. A) A rock on the tracks. C) A strong wind.B) A misplaced pushchair. D) A speeding car.15. A) She stood motionless in shock. C) She called the police at once.B) She cried bitterly. D) She shouted for help.Questions 16 to l8 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A) She inherited her family ice-cream business in Billings.B) She loved the ice-cream business more than teaching primary school.C) She started an ice-cream business to finance her daughter's education.D) She wanted to have an ice-cream truck when she was a little girl.17. A) To preserve a tradition, C) To help local education.B) To amuse her daughter. D) To make some extra money.18. A) To raise money for business expansion. C) To allow poor kids to have ice-cream too.B) To make her truck attractive to children. D) To teach kids the value of mutual support.Questions 19 t0 21 are based on the passage you have just heard。

精品2016年12月英语四级听力真题(卷二原文)

精品2016年12月英语四级听力真题(卷二原文)

2016年12月英语四级听力真题(卷二原文)2016年12月英语四级听力真题(卷二原文)短篇新闻Section A - 2Rescue efforts were underway Thursday morning for 17 miners who were stuck in an elevator below ground at a Cargill rock salt mine near Lansing, New York, according to Marcia Lynch.Public information officer with Tompkins County’s emergency response department, emergency workers have made contact with the miners via a radio. And they all appear to be uninjured, said Jessica Verfuss, the emergency department’s assistant director.Crews have managed to provide heat packs and blankets to the miners so that they can keep warm during the rescue operation, Verfuss said. Details about what led to the workers’ being trapped in the elevator went immediately available. The mine, along New Y ork’s Cayuga Lake, processes salt used for road treatment. It produces about 2 million tons of salt that is shipped to more than 1,500 places in thenortheastern United States, the rock salt mine is one of three operated by Cargill with the other two in Louisiana and Ohio.Q3. What does the news report say about the salt miners?Q4.What did the rescue team do?Section A - 3The U.S. Postal Service announced today that it is considering closing about 3,700 post offices over the next year because of falling revenues.Facing an $8.3 billion budget deficit this year, closing post officers is one of several proposals the Postal Service has put forth recently to cut costs. Last week, for example, Postmaster General Pat Donahoe announced plans to stop mail delivery on Saturdays, a move he says could save $3 billion annually.“We are losing revenue as we speak,” Donahoe said. “We do not want taxpayer money. We want to be self-sufficient. So like any other business you have to make choices.”Dean Granholm the vice president for delivery and post office operations said the first waves of closings would begin this fall. He estimated that about 3,000 postmasters, 500 station managers andbetween 500 and 1,000 postal clerks could lose their jobs.Q5.What is the U.S. Postal Service planning to do?Q6.What measure has been planned to save costs?Q7.What will happen when the proposed measure come into effect?长对话Conversation 1A: Mrs. Hampton, we've got trouble in the press room this morning.B: Oh dear. What about?A: One of the press operators arrived an hour and a half late.B: But that's a straightforward affair. He will simply lose part of his pay. That's why we have a clock-in system.A: But the point is the man was clocked-in at 8o'clock. We have John standing by the time clock, and he swears he saw nothing irregular.B: Is John reliable?A: Yes, he is. That's why we chose him for the job.B: Have you spoken to the man who was late?A: Not yet. I thought I'd have a word with you first. He's a difficult man, and I think there's been some trouble on the shop floor. I've got a feelingthat trade union representative is behind this. The manager told me that Jack Green's been very active around the shop the last few days.B: Well, what do you want me to do?A: I was wondering if you'd see Smith, the man who was late, because you are so much better at handling things like this.B: Oh, alright. I'll see him. I must say I agree with you about there being bad feelings in the works. I've had the idea for some time that Jack Green's been busy stirring things up in connection with the latest wage claim. He's always trying to make trouble. Well, I'll get the manager to send Smith up here.Q8. What will happen to the press operator who was late for the work according to the woman?Q9. What does the man say about John who stands by the time clock?Q10. Why does the man suggest the woman see the worker who was late?Q11. What does the woman say about Jack Green?Conversation 2A: Our topic today is about somethings that foreigners nearly always say when they visit Britain. It's 'Why are the British so cold?' And they'retalking about the British personality C the famous British 'reserve'. It means that we aren't very friendly, we aren't very open.B: So do you think it's true?A: It's a difficult one. So many people who visit Britain say it's difficult to make friends withBritish people. They say we're cold, reserved, unfriendly...B: I think it's true. Look at Americans or Australians. They speak the same language, but they're much more open. And you see it when you travel, people - I mean strangers - speak to you on the street or on the train. British people seldom speak on the train. Or the bus. Not in London, anyway.A: 'Not in London'. That's it. Capital cities are full of tourists and are never very friendly. People are different in other parts of the country.B: Not completely. I met a woman once, an Italian. She's been working in Manchester for two years,and no one - not one of her colleagues - had ever invited her to their home. They were friendly to her at work, but nothing else. She couldn't believe it. She said that would never happen in Italy.A: You know what they say C 'an Englishman's home is his castle'. It’s really difficult to get inside.B: Yeah. It's about being private. You go home to your house and your garden and you close the door.It's your place.A: That's why the British don't like flats. They prefer to live in houses.B: That’s true.Q12. What do foreigners generally think of British people according to the woman?Q13. What may British people typically do one the train according to the man?Q14. What does the man say about the Italian woman working in Manchester?Q15. Why do British people prefer houses to flats?短文听力Passage OneIn college, time is scarce, and consequently, very precious. At the same time, expenses in college pileup surprisingly quickly. A part time job is a good way to balance costs while ensuring there is enough time left over for both academic subjects and after-class activities.If you are a college student looking for a part time job, the best place to start your job search is right on campus. There are tons of on-campus job opportunities, and as a student, you’ll automatically be given hiring priority. Plus, on-campus jobs eliminate commuting time, and could be a great way to connect with academic and professional resources at your university. Check with your school’s career service or employment office for help to find a campus job. Of course, there are opportunities for part-time work off-campus, too. If you spend a little time digging for the right part ti me jobs, you’ll save yourself time when you find a job that leaves you with enough time to get your school work done, too. If you are a college student looking for work but worry you won’t have enough time to devote to academic subjects, consider working as a study hall or a library monitor. Responsibilities generally include supervising study spaces to ensure that a quiet atmosphere is maintained. It’s a pretty easy job, but one with lots ofdowntime-which means you will have plenty of time to catch up on reading, do homework or study for an exam.Q16: What does the speaker say about college students applying for on-campus jobs?Q17: What can students do to find a campus job according to the speaker?Q18: What does the speaker say is a library monitor’s responsibility?Passage TwoAgricultural workers in green tea fields near Mt. Kenya are gathering the tea leaves. It is beautiful to see. The rows of tea bushes are straight. All appears to be well. But the farmers who planted the bushes are worried. Nelson Kibara is one of them. He has been growing tea in the Kerugoya area for 40 years.He says the prices this year have been so low that he has made almost no profit. He says he must grow different kinds of tea if he is to survive.Mr. Kibara and hundreds of other farmers have been removing some of their tea bushes and planting a new kind of tea developed by the Tea Research Foundation of Kenya. Its leaves are purple and brown. When the tea is boiled, the drink has a purple color. Medical researchers have studied the health benefits of thenew tea. They say it is healthier than green tea and could be sold for a price that is three to four times higher than the price of green tea.But Mr. Kibara says he has not received a higher price for his purple tea crop.He says the market for the tea is unstable and he is often forced to sell his purple tea for the same price as green tea leaves. He says there are not enough buyers willing to pay more for the purple tea.Q19. Why have tea farmers in Kenya decided to grow purple tea?Q20. What do researchers say about purple tea?Q21. What does Mr. Kibara find about purple tea?※2016年12月英语四级成绩查询时间:根据历年英语四级成绩查询时间,预测2016年12月英语四级成绩查询于2017年2月中下旬开始,请广大考生密切关注老师英语四级成绩查询栏目。

大学英语四级听力真题第2套

大学英语四级听力真题第2套

大学英语四级听力真题第2套2016年大学英语四级听力真题(第2套)在各个领域,我们都不可避免地会接触到试题,试题是命题者根据一定的考核需要编写出来的.。

大家知道什么样的试题才是好试题吗?以下是店铺为大家整理的2016年大学英语四级听力真题试题,欢迎大家借鉴与参考,希望对大家有所帮助。

Part ⅡListening ComprehensionSection 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.News Report OneNew York State plans to shut off the thundering waters of Niagara Falls—again. At least, the American side of the falls. This "once in a lifetime" event actually may take place twice in some folks' lives. The New York State parks system wants to turn off the falls on the American side sometime in the next two to three years to replace two 115-year-old stone bridges that allow pedestrians, park vehicles and utilities access to Goat Island. The American side of the falls were shut off in 1969 to study the buildup of rock at the base of the falls. When that happened, people came from all over the world to see the falls turned off. People are curious by nature. They want to see what's underneath.In fact, those who first came to have a look did see something. They found millions of coins on the bottom.Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1. Why does New York State want to turn off Niagara Falls?2. What did people find when Niagara Falls were shut off in 1969?News Report TwoThe Tunisian government said Monday that 45 people have been killed after gunmen attacked a town near the border with Libya. The Interior and Defense ministries said that the Tunisian government has closed its two border crossings with Libya because of the attack. The Tunisian military has sent reinforcements and helicopters to the area, and authorities have been hunting several attackers who were still at large. The violence came amid increasing international concern about Islamic State extremists in Libya. Officials of the Tunisian government are especially worried after dozens of tourists were killed in the attacks in Tunisia last year. Defense Minister Farhat Horchani said last week that German and American security experts were expected to come to help Tunisia devise a new electronic video supervision system on its border with Libya. Tunisia was targeted last year by three attacks that left 70 people dead and were claimed by Islamic State.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3. What did the Tunisian government do after the gunmen's attack?4. What were German and American security experts expected to do in Tunisia?News Report ThreeThree university students in Santiago, Chile, have developed a plant-powered device to charge their mobile phones. The three engineering students got the idea for the device while sitting in their school's courtyard. Their invention is a small biological circuit they call E-Kaia. It captures the energy which plants produce during photosynthesis— a process of converting sunlight into energy. A plant uses only a small part of the energy produced by that process. The rest goes into the soil. E-Kaia collects that energy. The device plugs into the ground and then into a mobile phone. The E-Kaia solved two problems for the engineering students. They needed an idea for a class project. They also needed an outlet to plug in their phones. One of the student inventors, Camila Rupcich, says the device changes the energy released from the plant into low-level power to charge phones. The E-Kaia is able to fully recharge a mobile phone in less than two hours.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. What did the three university students invent?6. When did they get the idea for the invention?7. What does the speaker say about the invention?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 throughthe centre.Conversation OneM: Good morning. What can I do for you?W: Good morning. Could I talk to Jeffry Harding please?M: Speaking.W: Hello, Jeff. It's Helen. I got your message on the answering machine. What's the problem?M: Oh, Helen. Well, it's the Grimsby plant again, I'm afraid. The robots on Line 3 have gone wrong. And the line is at a standstill.W: Can't you replace them with the stand-ins?M: I'm afraid not. The stand-ins are already in use on Line6. And the ones from Line 6 are being serviced.W: When did this happen, Jeff?M: Well, they've been making a low continuous sound for a day or two. But they finally went dead at 2:30 this afternoon.W: I see. What did you do? Have you tried the whole plant?M: Not yet, Helen. I thought I'd better get your OK first.W: OK. Get on the phone to Tom, and try to get their stand-ins over tonight. We have to be back at full capacity tomorrow morning. Is it a major job to repair our robots?M: About a week. That's what the maintenance engineer says.W: Right. Well, if you can get the ones from Hall, please ask Tom to inform Sheffield that he may need their stand-ins in case of emergency during the next week.M: OK. Thank you very much, Helen.W: You are most welcome.M: Sorry to spoil your day off.W: It doesn't matter.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you havejust heard.8. What did the man do before the telephone conversation?9. What does the man say about line 3 in the Grimsby plant?10. What is the man's purpose in calling the woman?11. Where is the woman at the time of the conversation?。

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Question 1 and 21.A) To satisfy the curiosity of tourists.B) To replace two old stone bridges.C) To enable tourists to visit Goat Island.D) To improve utility services in the state.2.A) Countless tree limbs.B) A few skeletons.C) Lots of wrecked boats and ships.D) Millions of coins on the bottom.Question 3 and 43.A) It suspended diplomatic relations with Libya.B) It urged tourists to leave Tunisia immediately.C) It shut down two border crossings with Libya.D) It launched a fierce attack against Islamic State.4.A) Advise Tunisian civilians on how to take safety precautions.B) Track down the organization responsible for the terrorist attack.C) Train qualified security personnel for the Tunisian government.D) Devise a monitoring system on the Tunisian border with Libya.Question 5 to 75.A) An environment-friendly battery.B) An energy-saving mobile phone.C) A plant-powered mobile phone charger.D) A device to help plants absorb sunlight.6. A) While sitting in their school’s courtyard.B) While playing games on their phones.C) While solving a mathematical problem.D) While doing a chemical experiment.7. A) It increases the application of mobile phones.B) It speeds up the process ofphotosynthesis.C) It improves the reception of mobile phones.D) It collects the energy released by plants.Section BQuestion 8-118. A) He visited the workshops in the Grimsby plant.B) He called the woman and left her a message.C) He used stand-ins as replacements on all times.D) He asked a technician to fix the broken production line.9. A) It is the most modern production line.B) It assembles super-intelligent robots.C) It has stopped working completely.D) It is going to be upgraded soon.10. A) To seek her permission.B) To place an order for robots.C) To request her to return at once.D) To ask for Tom’s phone number.11. A) She is on duty.B) She is having her day off.C) She is on sick leave.D) She is abroad on business.Question 12-1512. A) H e saved a baby boy’s life.B) He wanted to be a superhero.C) He prevented a train crash.D) He was a witness to an accident.13. A) He has a 9-month-old boy.B) He is currently unemployed.C) He enjoys the interview.D) He commutes by subway.14. A) A rock on the tracks.B) A misplaced pushchair.C) A strong wind.D) A speeding car.15. A) She stood motionless in shock.B) She cried bitterly.C) She called the police at once.D) She shouted for help.Section CQuestion 16-1816. A) She inherited her family ice-cream business in Billings.B) She loved the ice-cream business more than teaching primary school.C) She started an ice-cream business to finance her daughter’s education.D) She wanted to have an ice-cream truck when she was a little girl.17. A) To preserve a tradition.B) To amuse her daughter.C) To help local education.D) To make some extra money.18. A) To raise money for business expansion.B) To make her truck attractive to children.C) To allow poor kids to have ice-creamtoo.D) To teach kids the value of mutual support.Question 19-2119. A) The reasons for imposing taxes.B) The various services money can buy.C) The various burdens on ordinary citizens.D) The function of money in the modern world.20. A) Educating and training citizens.B) Improving public transportation.C) Protecting people’s life and property.D) Building hospitals and public libraries.21. A) By asking for donations.B) By selling public lands.C) By selling government bonds.D) By exploiting natural resources.Question 22-2522. A) It is located at the center of the European continent.B) It relies on tourism as its chief source of revenues.C) It contains less than a square mile of land.D) It is surrounded by France on three sides.23. A) Its beauty is frequently mentioned in American media.B) Its ruler Prince Rainier married an American actress.C) It is where many American movies are shot.D) It is a favorite place Americans like to visit.24. A) Tobacco.B) Potatoes.C) Machinery.D) Clothing.25. A) European history.B) European geography.C) Small countries in Europe.D) Tourist attractions in Europe.。

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