2015年12月大学英语四级考试真题及解析(卷一)
2015年12月大学英语四级考试真题及答案(三套全)
2015年12月大学英语四级考试真题（三套卷）一、在答题前，请认真完成以下内容：1. 请检查试题册背面条形码粘贴条、答题卡的印刷质量，如有问题及时向监考员反映，确认无误后完成以下两点要求。
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Section A Litstening Comprehension (30 minutes)Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation. one or more questions willbe asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions willbe spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. Duringthe pause, you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D), anddecide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter onAnswer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1 上作答1. A) They admire the courage of space explorersB) They enjoyed the movie on space explorationC) They were going to watch a wonderful movieD) They like doing scientific exploratron very much2. A)At a gift shopB) At a graduation ceremony.C) In the office of a travel agencyD) In a school library3. A) He used to work in the art galleryB) He does not have a good memoryC) He declined a job offer from the art galleryD) He is not interested in any part-time jobs4. A) Susan has been invited to give a lecture tomorrowB) He will go to the birthday party after the lectureC) The woman should have informed him earlierD) He will be unable to attend the birthday party5. A) Reward those having made good progressB) Set a deadline for the staff to meetC) Assign more workers to the project.D) Encourage the staff to work in Small groups6. A) The way to the visitor's parkingB) The rate for parking in Lot CC) How far away the parking lot is.D) Where she can leave her car.7. A) He regrets missing the classesB) He plans to take the fitness classes.C) He is looking forward to a better lifeD) He has benefited from exercise8. A) How to raise work efficiency.B) How to select secretariesC) The responsibilities of secretanesD) The secretaries in the man’s company.Questions 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.9 A) It Is more difficult to learn than EnglishB) It is used by more people than English.C) It will be as commonly used as EnglishD) It will eventually become a world language10. A) Its loan words from many languagesB) Its popularity with the common people.C) The influence of the British EmpireD) The effect of the Industrial Revolution11. A) It includes a lot of words from other languagesB) It has a growing number of newly coined wordsC) It can be easily picked up by overseas travellersD) It is the largest among all languages in the worldQuestions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. A) To return some goodsB) To apply for a job.C) To place an order.D) To make a complaint13. A) He has become somewhat impatient with the womanB) He is not familiar with the exact details of the goodssC) He has not worked in the sales department for long.D) He works on a part-time basis for the company14. A) it is not his responsibilityB) It will be free for large ordersC) It costs ￡15 more for express deliveryD) It depends on a number of factors15. A) Report the information to her superiorB) Pay a visit to the saleswoman in chargegeC) Ring back when she comes to a decisionD) Make inquiries with some other companiesSection BDirections: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questionswill be spoken only once.After you hear a queslion, you must choose thebest answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark thecorresponding leltert on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through thecentre注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1 上作答。
2015年12月大学英语四级考试真题(1+答案)
Part I Writing（30 minutes）Directions: For this part，you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay commenting on the saying “Listening is more important than talking.” You can cite examples to illustrate the importance of paying attention to others' opinions. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Part II Listening Comprehension（25 minutes）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 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.Questions 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.9. A) It is used by more people than English.B) It is more difficult to learn than English.C) It will be as commonly used as English.D) It will eventually become a world language.10. A）一Its popularity with the common people. C) The influence of the British Empire.B) The effect of the Industrial Revolution. D) Its loan words from many languages.11. A) It has a growing number of newly coined words.B) It includes a lot of words from other languages.C) It is the largest among all languages in the world.D) It can be easily picked up by overseas travellers.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. A) To place an order. C) To return some goods.B) To apply for a job. D) To make a complaint.13. A) He works on a part-time basis for the company.B) He has not worked in the sales department for long.C) He is not familiar with the exact details of the goods.D) He has become somewhat impatient with the woman.14. A) It is not his responsibility. C) It depends on a number of factors.B) It will be free for large orders. D) It costs￡15 more for express delivery.15. A) Make inquiries with some other companies.B) Report the information to her superior.C) Pay a visit to the saleswoman in charge.D) Ring back when she comes to a decision.Section CDirections:In this section，you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only. After youhear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A )，B)，C) and D)．Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A) No one knows for sure when they came into being.B) No one knows exactly where they were first made.C) No one knows for what purpose they were invented.D) No one knows what they will look like in the future.17. A) Measure the speed of wind. C) Pass on secret messages.B) Give warnings of danger. D) Carry ropes across rivers.18. A) To find out the strength of silk for kites. C) To prove that lightning is electricity.B) To test the effects of the lightning rod. D) To protect houses against lightning. Passage TwoQuestions 19 to 22 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A) She was born with a talent for languages. C) She can speak several languages.B) She was trained to be an interpreter. D) She enjoys teaching languages.20. A) They want to learn as many foreign languages as possible.B) They have an intense interest in cross-cultural interactions.C) They acquire an immunity to culture shock.D) They would like to live abroad permanently.21. A) She became an expert in horse racing.B) She learned to appreciate classical music.C) She was able to translate for a German sports judge.D) She got a chance to visit several European countries.22. A) Take part in a cooling competition. C) Teach vocabulary for food in English.B) Taste the beef and give her comment. D) Give cooking lessons on Western food. Passage ThreeQuestions 23 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.23. A) He had only a third-grade education.B) He once threatened to kill his teacher.C) He often helped his mother do housework.D) He grew up in a poor single-parent family.24. A) Stupid. B) Active. C) Brave. D) Careless.25. A) Watch educational TV programs only. C) Help with housework.B) Write two book reports a week. D) Keep a diary.Part IIII 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 thanonce.Questions 36 to 45 are based on the following passage.Scholars of the information society are divided over whether social inequality decreases or increases in an information-based society. However, they generally agree with the idea that inequality in the information society is 36 different from that of an industrial society. As informatization progresses in society, the cause and structural nature of social inequality changes as well.It seems that the information society 37 the quantity of information available to the members of a society by revolutionizing the ways of using and exchanging information. But such a view is a 38 analysis based on the quantity of information supplied by various forms of the mass media. A different 39 is possible when the actual amount of information 40 by the user is taken into account. In fact，the more information 41 throughout the entire society, the wider the gap becomes between "information haves" and "information have-nots"，leading to digital divide.According to recent studies, digital divide has been caused by three major 42：class, sex, and generation. In terms of class, digital divide exists among different types of workers and between the upper and middle classes and the lower class. With 43 to sex, digital divide exists between men and women. The greatest gap, however, is between the Net-generation，44Section 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.Joy: A Subject Schools LackBecoming educated should not require giving up pleasure.A) When Jonathan Swift proposed, in 1729，that the people of Ireland eat their children, heinsisted it would solve three problems at once：feed the hungry masses, reduce the population during a severe depression，and stimulate the restaurant business. Even as a satire（讽刺），it seems disgusting and shocking in America with its child-centered culture.But actually, the country is closer to his proposal than you might think.B) If you spend much time with educators and policy makers，you'll hear a lot of thefollowing words："standards，”" results,”" skill s，”" self-control，”" accountability,” and so on. I have visited some of the newer supposedly “effective" schools，where children shout slogans in order to learn self-control or must stand behind their desk when they can'tsit still.C) A look at what goes on in most classrooms these days makes it abundantly` clear thatwhen people think about education, they are not thinking about what it feels like to be a child, or what makes childhood an important and valuable stage of life in its own right. D) I'm a mother of three，a teacher, and a developmental psychologist. So I've watched a -lotof children-talking，playing, arguing, eating, studying, and being young. Here's what I've come to understand. The thing that sets children apart from adults is not their ignorance，nor their lack of skills. It's their enormous capacity for joy. Think of a 3-year-old lost in the pleasures of finding out what he can and cannot sink in the bathtub，a 5-year-old beside herself with the thrill of putting together strings of nonsensical words with her best friends, or an 11-year-old completely absorbed in a fascinating comic strip. A child's ability to become deeply absorbed in something，and derive intense pleasure from that absorption, is something adults spend the rest of their lives trying to return to.E) A friend told me the following story. One day, when he went to get his 7-year-old sonfrom soccer practice，his kid greeted him with a downcast face and a sad voice. The coach had criticized him for not focusing on his soccer drills. The little boy walked out of the school with his head and shoulders hanging down. He seemed wrapped in sadness. But just before he reached the car door, he suddenly stopped, crouching（蹲伏）down to peer at something on the sidewalk. His face went down lower and lower, and then，with complete joy he called out，“Dad. Come here. This is the strangest bug I've ever seen. It has, like, a million legs. Look at this. It's amazing.” He looked up at his father, his features overflowing with energy and delight. “Can't we stay here for just a minute? I want to find out what he does with all those legs. This is the coolest ever.”F) The traditional view of such moments is that they constitute a charming but irrelevantbyproduct of youth-something to be pushed aside to make room for more important qualities, like perseverance（坚持不懈），obligation, and practicality. Yet moments like this one are just the kind of intense absorption and pleasure adults spend the rest of their lives seeking. Human lives are governed by the desire to experience joy. Becoming educated should not require giving up joy but rather lead to finding joy in new kinds of things：reading novels instead of playing with small figures, conducting experiments instead of sinking cups in the bathtub，and debating serious issues rather than stringing together nonsense words, for example. In some cases, schools should help children find new, more grown-up ways of doing the same things that are constant sources of joy;making art，making friends，making decisions.G) Building on a child's ability to feel joy, rather than pushing it aside, wouldn't be that hard.It would just require a shift in the education world's mindset（思维模式）．Instead of trying to get children to work hard，why not focus on getting them to take pleasure in meaningful，productive activity, like making things，working with others, exploring ideas, and solving problems? These focuses are not so different from the things in which they delight.H) Before you brush this argument aside as rubbish, or think of joy as an unaffordable luxuryin a nation where there is awful poverty, low academic achievement，and high dropout rates, think again. The more horrible the school circumstances, the more important pleasure is to achieving any educational success.1) Many of the assignments and rules teachers come up with，often because they are pressuredby their administrators, treat pleasure and joy as the enemies of competence and responsibility. The assumption is that children shouldn't chat in the classroom because it hinders hard work; instead, they should learn to delay gratification（快乐）so that they can pursue abstract goals，like going to college.J) Not only is this a boring and awful way to treat children，it makes no sense educationally.Decades of research have shown that in order to acquire skills and real knowledge in school, kids need to want to learn. You can force a child to stay in his or her seat, fill out a worksheet, or practice division. But you can't force the child to think carefully，enjoy books, digest complex information, or develop a taste for learning. To make that happen, you have to help the child find pleasure in learning-to see school as a source of joy.K) Adults tend to talk about learning as if it were medicine: unpleasant, but necessary and good for you. Why not instead think of learning as if it were food-something so valuable to humans that they have evolved to experience it as a pleasure?L) Joy should not be trained out of children or left for after-school programs. The more difficult a child's life circumstances, the more important it is for that child to find joy in his or her classr oom. “Pleasure" is not a dirty word. And it doesn't run counter to the goals of public education. It is, in fact，the precondition.46. It will not be difficult to make learning a source of joy if educators change their way of thinking.47. What distinguishes children from adults is their strong ability to derive joy from what they are doing.48. Children in America are being treated with shocking cruelty.49. It is human nature to seek joy in life.50. Grown-ups are likely to think that learning to children is what medicine is to patients.51. Bad school conditions make it all the more important to turn learning into a joyful experience.52. Adults do not consider children's feelings when it comes to education.53. Administrators seem to believe that only hard work will lead children to their educational goals.54. In the so-called “effective" schools, children are taught self-control under a set of strict rules.55. To make learning effective，educators have to ensure that children want to learn. 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) andD)．You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter。
2015年12月四级真题第一套阅读理解及答案(word)
2015年12月四级真题第一套阅读理解及答案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 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.Could you reproduce Silicon Valley elsewhere, or is there something unique about it?It wouldn’t be surprising if it were hard to reproduce in other countries, because you couldn’t reproduce it in most of the US either. What does it take to make a Silicon Valley?It’s the right people. If you could get the right ten thousand people to move from Silicon Valley to Buffalo, Buffalo would become Silicon Valley.You only need two kinds of people to create a technology hub (中心): rich people and nerds (痴迷科研的人).Observation bears this out. Within the US, towns have become startup hubs if and only if they have both rich people and nerds. Few startups happen in Miami, for example, because although it’s full of rich people, it has few nerds. It’s not the kind of place nerds like.Whereas Pittsburgh has the opposite problem: plenty of nerds, but no rich people. The top US Computer Science departments are said to be MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, and Carnegie-Mellon. MIT yielded Route 128. Stanford and Berkeley yielded Silicon Valley. But what did Carnegie-Mellon yield in Pittsburgh? And what happened in Ithaca, home of Cornell University, which is also high on the list?I grew up in Pittsburgh and went to college at Cornell, so I can answer for both. The weather is terrible, particularly in winter, and there’s no interesting old city to make up for it, as there is in Boston. Rich people don’t want to live in Pittsburgh or Ithaca. So while there’re plenty of hackers (电脑迷) who could start startups, there’s no one to invest in them.Do you really need the rich people? Wouldn’t it work to have the government invest in the nerds? No, it would not. Startup investors are a distinct type of rich people. They tend to have a lot of experience themselves in the technology business. This helps them pick the right startups, and means they can supply advice and connections as well as money. And the fact that they have a personal stake in the outcome makes them really pay attention.56. What do we learn about Silicon Valley from the passage?A) Its success is hard to copy anywhere else.B) It is the biggest technology hub in the US.C) Its fame in high technology is incomparable.D) It leads the world in information technology.57. What makes Miami unfit to produce a Silicon Valley?A) Lack of incentive for investment. B) Lack of the right kind of talents.C) Lack of government support. D) Lack of famous universities.58. In what way is Carnegie-Mellon different from Stanford, Berkeley and MIT?A) Its location is not as attractive to rich people.B) Its science departments are not nearly as good.C) It does not produce computer hackers and nerds.D) It does not pay much attention to business startups.59. What does the author imply about Boston?A) It has pleasant weather all year round.B) It produces wealth as well as high-tech.C) It is not likely to attract lots of investors and nerds.D) It is an old city with many sites of historical interest.60. What does the author say about startup investors?A) They are especially wise in making investments.B) They have good connections in the government.C) They can do more than providing money.D) They are rich enough to invest in nerds.Passage TwoQuestions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.It’s nice to have people of like mind around. Agreeable people boost your confidence and allow you to relax and feel comfortable. Unfortunately, that comfort can hinder the very learning that can expand your company and your career.It’s nice to have people agree, but you need conflicting perspectives to dig out the truth. If everyone around you has similar views, your work will suffer from confirmation bias (偏颇).Take a look at your own network. Do your contacts share your point of view on most subjects? If yes, it’s time to shake things up. As a leader, it can be challenging to create an environment in which people will freely disagree and argue, but as the saying goes: From confrontation comes brilliance.It’s not easy for most people to actively seek conflict. Many spend their lives trying to avoid arguments. There’s no need to go out and find people you hate, but you need to do some self-assessment to determine where you have become stale in your thinking. You may need to start by encouraging your current network to help you identify your blind spots.Passionate, energetic debate does not require anger and hard feelings to be effective. But it does require moral strength. Once you have worthy opponents, set some ground rules so everyone understands responsibilities and boundaries. The objective of this debating game is not to win but to get to the truth that will allow you to move faster, farther, and better.Fierce debating can hurt feelings, particularly when strong personalities are involved. Make sure you check in with your opponents so that they are not carrying the emotion of the battles beyond the battlefield. Break the tension with smiles and humor to reinforce the idea that this is friendly discourse and that all are working toward a common goal.Reward all those involved in the debate sufficiently when the goals are reached. Let your sparring partners (拳击陪练) know how much you appreciate their contribution. The more they feel appreciated, the more they’ll be willing to get into the ring next time.61. What happens when you have like-minded people around you all the while?A) It will help your company expand more rapidly.B) It will create a harmonious working atmosphere.C) It may prevent your business and career from advancing.D) It may make you feel uncertain about your own decisions.62. What does the author suggest leaders do?A) Avoid arguments with business partners.B) Encourage people to disagree and argue.C) Build a wide and strong business network.D) Seek advice from their worthy competitors.63. What is the purpose of holding a debate?A) To find out the truth about an issue. B) To build up people’s moral strength.C) To remove misunderstandings. D) To look for worthy opponents.64. What advice does the author give to people engaged in a fierce debate?A) They listen carefully to their opponents’ views.B) They show due respect for each other’s beliefs.C) They present their views clearly and explicitly.D) They take care not to hurt each other’s feelings.65. How should we treat our rivals after a successful debate?A) Try to make peace with them. B) Try to make up the differences.C) Invite them to the ring next time. D) Acknowledge their contribution.答案56A57B58A59D60C61C62B63A64D65D。
2015年12月四级真题第1套
2015年12月大学英语四级考试真题（第一套）Part I Writing(30minutes) Directions:For this part,you are allowed30minutes to write an essay commenting on the saying“Listening is more important than talking.”You can citeexamples to illustrate the importance of paying attention to others’opinions.You should write at least120words,but no more than180words.Part II Listening Comprehension(25minutes) Section ADirection: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 thequestions will be spoken only once.After you hear a question,you mustchoose the best answer from the four choices marked A),B),C).and D).Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet1with a single linethrough the centre.Questions1and2will be based on the following news item.1.A)Dismissing employees without giving advance notice.B)Checking employees’online private messages at work.C)Monitoring employees’performance on weekends.D)Closing employees’social media during work hours.2.A)He did well in handling his clients’queries.B)He created a private account for his fiancée.C)He won the case against his employer recently.D)He was fired because of breaking company rules.Questions3and4will be based on the following news item.3.A)It is widely used in Kenya.B)It has been increasing in value.C)It makes poor people’s life easier.D)It lowers the buying power of the rich.4.A)It is a non-profit group located in Nairobi,Kenya.B)It works hard on replacing the national currency system.C)It introduced a community currency to a village in Kenya.D)It makes a series of investigations on trade and jobs in Kenya.Questions5and6will be based on the following news item.5.A)Several states declared an economic emergency.B)Many women are too old to get pregnant.C)Some babies were born with brain defects.D)Birth rates have fallen down greatly.6.A)10B)29C)2,400D)3,1007.A)A mosquito-borne virus.B)A severe chest infection.C)The shortage of medicine.D)Bacteria from Latin America.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 thequestions will be spoken only once.After you hear a question,you mustchoose the best answer from the four choices marked A),B),C),and D).Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet1with a single linethrough the centre.Conversation OneQuestions8to11are based on the conversation you have just heard.8.A)It is used by more people than English.B)It is more difficult to learn than English.C)It will be as commonly used as English.D)It will eventually become a world language.9.A)Its popularity with the common people.B)The effect of the Industrial Revolution.C)The influence of the British Empire.D)Its loan words from many languages.10.A)It has a growing number of newly coined words.B)It includes a lot of words from other languages.C)It is the largest among all languages in the world.D)It can be easily picked up by overseas travelers.11.A)The English grammar is quite easy.B)It is greatly influenced by French.C)It could be pronounced easily.D)It is attractive to England beginners.Questions12to15are based on the conversation you have just heard.12.A)To place an order.B)To apply for a job.C)To return some goods.D)To make a complaint.13.A)He works on a part-time basis for the company.B)He has not worked in the sales department for long.C)He is not familiar with the exact details of the goods.D)He has become somewhat impatient with the woman.14.A)It is not his responsibility.B)It will be free for large orders.C)It depends on a number of factors.D)It costs￡15more for express delivery.15.A)Make inquiries with some other companies.B)Report the information to her superior.C)Pay a visit to the saleswoman in charge.D)Ring back when she comes to a decision.Section CDirections:In this section,you will hear three passage.At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions.Both the passage and the questions will bespoken only once.After you hear a question,you must choose the bestanswer from the four choices marked A),B),C),and D).Then mark thecorresponding letter on Answer Sheet1with a single line through thecentre.Passage OneQuestions16to18are based on the passage you have just heard.16.A)No one knows for sure when they came into being.B)No one knows exactly where they were first made.C)No one knows for what purpose they were invented.D)No one knows what they will look like in the future.17.A)Measure the speed of wind.B)Give warnings of danger.C)Pass on secret messages.D)Carry ropes across rivers.18.A)To find out the strength of silk for kites.B)To test the effects of the lightning rod.C)To prove that lightning is electricity.D)To protect houses against lightning.Passage TwoQuestions19to22are based on the passage you have just heard.19.A)She was born with a talent for languages.B)She was tainted to be an interpreter.C)She can speak several languages.D)She enjoys teaching languages.20.A)They want to learn as many foreign languages as possible.B)They have an intense interest in cross-cultural interactions.C)They acquire an immunity to culture shock.D)They would like to live abroad permanently.21.A)She became an expert in horse racing.B)She learned to appreciate classical music.C)She was able to translate for a German sports judge.D)She got a chance to visit several European countries.22.A)Take part in a cooking competition.B)Taste the beef and give her comment.C)Teach vocabulary for food in English.D)Give cooking lessons on Western food.Passage ThreeQuestions23to25are based on the passage you have just heard.23.A)He had only a third-grade education.B)He once threatened to kill his teacher.C)He often helped his mother do housework.D)He grew up in a poor single-parent family.24.A)Careless.B)Stupid.C)Brave.D)Active.25.A)Watch educational TV programs only.B)Write two book reports a week.C)Help with housework.D)Keep a diary.PartⅢReading Comprehension(40minutes) 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 wordbank following the passage.Read the passage through carefully beforemaking your choices.Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter.Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet2with a single line through the center.You may not use any of the wordsin the bank more than once.Questions26to35are based on the following passage.Scholars of the information society are divided over whether social inequality decreases or increases in an information-based society.However,they generally agree with the idea that inequality in the information society is26different from that of an industrial society.As information progresses in society,the cause and structural nature of social inequality changes as well.It seems that the information society27the quantity of information available to the members of a society by revolutionizing the ways of using and exchanging information.But such a view is a28analysis based on the quantity of information supplied by various forms of the mass media.A different29is possible when the actual amount of information30by the user is taken into account.In fact,the more information31throughout the entire society,the wider the gap becomes between“information haves”and“information have-mots”,leading to digital divide.According to recent studies,digital divide has been caused by three major32 class,sex,and generation.In terms of class,digital divide exists among different types of workers and between the upper and middle classes and the lower class.With 33to sex,digital divide exists between men and women.The greatest gap,however, is between the Net-generation,34with personal computers and the Internet,and the older generation,35to an industrial society.A)accustomedB)acquiredC)assemblyD)attribute I)flowsJ)fundamentally K)interpretation L)passiveE)championsF)elementsG)expandsH)familiar M)regard N)respectively O)superficialSection 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 theparagraphs.Identify the paragraph from which the information isderived.You may choose a paragraph more than once.Each paragraphis marked with a letter.Answer the question by marking thecorresponding letter on Answer Sheet2.Joy:A Subject Schools LackBecoming educated should not require giving up pleasure.[A]When Jonathan Swift proposed,in1729,that the people of Ireland eat theirchildren,he insisted it would solve three problems at once:feed the hungry masses,reduce the population during a severe depression,and stimulate the restaurant business.Even as a satire(讽刺),it seems disgusting and shocking in America with its child-centered culture.But actually,the country is closer to his proposal than you might think.[B]If you spend much time with educators and policy makers,you'll hear a lot of thefollowing words:“standards”,“results”,“skills”,“self-control”,“accountability”, and so on.I have visited some of the newer supposedly“effective”schools,where children shout slogans in order to learn self-control or must stand behind their desk when they can’t sit still.[C]A look at what goes on in most classrooms these days makes it abundantly clearthat when people think about education,they are not thinking about what it feels like to be a child,or what makes childhood an important and valuable stage of life in its own right.[D]I’m a mother of three,a teacher,and a developmental psychologist.So I’vewatched a lot of children-talking,playing,arguing,eating,studying,and being young.Here’s what I’ve come to understand.The thing that sets children apart from adults is not their ignorance,nor their lack of skills.It’s their enormous capacity for joy.Think of a3-year-old lost in the pleasures of finding out what hecan and cannot sink in the bathtub,a5-year-old beside herself with the thrill of putting together strings of nonsensical words with her best friends,or an 11-year-old completely absorbed in a fascinating comic strip.A child’s ability to become deeply absorbed in something,and derive intense pleasure from that absorption,is something adults spend the rest of their lives trying to return to. [E]A friend told me the following story.One day,when he went to get his7-year-oldson from soccer practice,his kid greeted him with a downcast face and a sad voice.The coach had criticized him for not focusing on his soccer drills.The little boy walked out of the school with his head and shoulders hanging down.He seemed wrapped in sadness.But just before he reached the car door,he suddenly stopped, crouching(蹲伏)down to peer at something on the sidewalk.His face went down lower and lower,and then,with complete joy he called out,“e here.This is the strangest bug I’ve ever seen.It has,like,a million legs.Look at this.It’s amazing.”He looked up at his father,his features overflowing with energy and delight.Can’t we stay here for just a minute?I want to find out what he does with all those legs.This is the coolest ever.[F]The traditional view of such moments is that they constitute a charming butirrelevant byproduct of youth-something to be pushed aside to make room for more important qualities,like perseverance(坚持不懈),obligation,and practicality.Yet moments like this one are just the kind of intense absorption and pleasure adults spend the rest of their lives seeking.Human lives are governed by the desire to experience joy.Becoming educated should not require giving up joy but rather lead to finding joy in new kinds of things:reading novels instead of playing with small figures,conducting experiments instead of sinking cups in the bathtub,and debating serious issues rather than stringing together nonsense words, for example.In some cases,schools should help children find new,more grown-up ways of doing the same things that are constant sources of joy:making art,making friends,making decisions.[G]Building on a child’s ability to feel joy,rather than pushing it aside,wouldn't bethat hard.It would just require a shift in the education world’s mindset(思维模式).Instead of trying to get children to work hard,why not focus on getting them to take pleasure in meaningful,productive activity,like making things,working with others,exploring ideas,and solving problems?These focuses are not so different from the things in which they delight.[H]Before you brush this argument aside as rubbish,or think of joy as anunaffordable luxury in a nation where there is awful poverty,low academic achievement,and high dropout rates,think again.The more horrible the school circumstances,the more important pleasure is to achieving any educational success.[I]Many of the assignments and rules teachers come up with,often because they arepressured by their administrators,treat pleasure and joy as the enemies of competence and responsibility.The assumption is that children shouldn’t chat in the classroom because it hinders hard work;instead,they should learn to delay gratification(快乐)so that they can pursue abstract goals,like going to college.[J]Not only is this a boring and awful way to treat children,it makes no sense educationally.Decades of research have shown that in order to acquire skills and real knowledge in school,kids need to want to learn.You can force a child to stay in his or her seat,fill out a worksheet,or practice division.But you can’t force the child to think carefully,enjoy books,digest complex information,or develop a taste for learning.To make that happen,you have to help the child find pleasure in learning-to see school as a source of joy.[K]Adults tend to talk about learning as if it were medicine:unpleasant,but necessary and good for you.Why not instead think of learning as if it were food—something so valuable to humans that they have evolved to experience it asa pleasure?[L]Joy should not be trained out of children or left for after-school programs.The more difficult a child’s life circumstances,the more important it is for that child to find joy in his or her classroom.“Pleasure”is not a dirty word.And it doesn’t run counter to the goals of public education.It is,in fact,the precondition.36.It will not be difficult to make learning a source of joy if educators change theirway of thinking.37.What distinguishes children from adults is their strong ability to derive joy fromwhat they are doing.38.Children in America are being treated with shocking cruelty.39.It is human nature to seek joy in life.40.Grown-ups are likely to think that learning to children is what medicine is topatients.41.Bad school conditions make it all the more important to turn learning into a joyfulexperience.42.Adults do not consider children’s feelings when it comes to education.43.Administrators seem to believe that only hard work will lead children to theireducational goals.44.In the so-called“effective”schools,children are taught self-control under a set ofstrict rules.45.To make learning effective,educators have to ensure that children want to learn. Section CDirections:There are2passages in this section.Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements.For each of them there are fourchoices marked A),B),C)and D).You should decide on the best choiceand mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet2with a single linethrough the centre.Passage OneQuestions46to50are based on the following passage.When it’s five o’clock,people leave their office.The length of the workday,for many workers,is defined by time.They leave when the clock tells them they’re done.These days,the time is everywhere:not just on clocks or watches,but on cell-phones and computers.That may be a bad thing,particularly at work.New research shows that clock-based work schedules hinder morale(士气)and creativity.Clock-timers organize their day by blocks of minutes and hours.For example:a meeting from9a.m.to10a.m.research from10a.m.to noon,etc.On the other hand, task-timers have a list of things they want to accomplish.They work down the list, each task starts when the previous task is completed.It is said that all of us employ a mix of both these types of planning.What,then,are the effects of thinking about time in these different ways?Does one make us more productive?Better at the tasks at hand?Happier?In experiments conducted by Tamar Avnet and Anne-Laure Sellier,they had participants organize different activities-from project planning,holiday shopping,to yoga-by time or to-do list to measure how they performed under“clock time”vs“task tinge.”They found clock timers to be more efficient but less happy because they felt little control over their lives.Task timers are happier and more creative,but less productive.They tendto enjoy the moment when something good is happening,and seize opportunities that come up.The researchers argue that task-based organizing tends to be undervalued and under-supported in business culture.Smart companies,they believe,will try to bake more task-based planning into their strategies.This might be a small change to the way we view work and the office,but the researchers argue that it challenges a widespread characteristic of the economy:work organized by clock time.While most people will still probably need,and be,to some extent,clock-timers,task-based timing should be used when performing a job that requires more creativity.It’ll make those tasks easier,and the task-doers will be happier.46.What does the author think of time displayed everywhere?A)It makes everybody time-conscious.B)It is a convenience for work and life.C)It may have a negative effect on creative work.D)It clearly indicates the fast pace of modern life.47.How do people usually go about their work according to the author?A)They combine clock-based and task-based planning.B)They give priority to the most urgent task on hand.C)They set a time limit for each specific task.D)They accomplish their tasks one by one.48.What did Tamar Avnet and Anne-Laure Sellier find in their experiments aboutclock-timers?A)They seize opportunities as they come up.B)They always get their work done in time.C)They have more control-over their lives.D)They tend to be more productive.49.What do the researchers say about today’s business culture?A)It does not support the strategies adopted by smart companies.B)It does not attach enough importance to task-based practice.C)It places more emphasis on work efficiency than on workers’lives.D)It aims to bring employees’potential and creativity into full play.50.What do the researchers suggest?A)Task-based timing is preferred for doing creative work.B)It is important to keep a balance between work and life.C)Performing creative jobs tends to make workers happier.D)A scientific standard should be adopted in job evaluation.Passage TwoQuestions51to55are based on the following passage.Martha Stewart was charged,tried and convicted of a crime in2004.As she neared the end of her prison sentence,a well-known columnist wrote that she was “paying her dues,”and that“there is simply no reason for anyone to attempt to deny her right to start anew.”Surely,the American ideal of second chances should not be reserved only for the rich and powerful.Unfortunately,many federal and state laws impose post-conviction restrictions on a shockingly large number of Americans,who are prevented from ever fully paying their debt to society.At least65million people in the United States have a criminal record.This can result in severe penalties that continue long after punishment is completed.Many of these penalties are imposed regardless of the seriousness of the offense or the person’s individual ws can restrict or ban voting,access to public housing,and professional and business licensing.They can affect a person’s ability to get a job and qualification for benefits.In all,more than45,000laws and rules serve to exclude vast numbers of people from fully participating in American life.Some laws make sense.No one advocates letting someone convicted of pedophilia(恋童癖)work in a school.But too often collateral(随附的) consequences bear no relation to public safety.Should a woman who possessed a small amount of drugs years ago be permanently unable to be licensed as a nurse?These laws are also counterproductive,since they make it harder for people with criminal records to find housing or land a job,two key factors that reduce backsliding.A recent report makes several recommendations,including the abolition of most post-conviction penalties,except for those specifically needed to protect public safety. Where the penalties are not a must,they should be imposed only if the facts of a case support it.The point is not to excuse or forget the crime.Rather,it is to recognize that in America’s vast criminal justice system,second chances are crucial.It is in no one’s interest to keep a large segment of the population on the margins of society.51.What does the well-known columnist’s remark about Martha Stewart suggest?A)Her past record might stand in her way to a new life.B)Her business went bankrupt while she was in prison.C)Her release from prison has drawn little attention.D)Her prison sentence might have been extended.52.What do we learn from the second paragraph about many criminals in America?A)They backslide after serving their terms in prison.B)They are deprived of chances to turn over a new leaf.C)They receive severe penalties for committing minor offenses.D)They are convicted regardless of their individual circumstances.53.What are the consequences for many Americans with a criminal record?A)They remain poor for the rest of their lives.B)They are deprived of all social benefits.C)They are marginalized in society.D)They are deserted by their family.54.What does the author think of the post-conviction laws and rules?A)They help to maintain social stability.B)Some of them have long been outdated.C)They are hardly understood by the public.D)A lot of them have negative effects on society.55.What is the author’s main purpose in writing the passage?A)To create opportunities for criminals to reform themselves.B)To appeal for changes in America’s criminal justice system.C)To ensure that people with a criminal record live a decent life.D)To call people’s attention to prisoners’conditions in America.PartⅣTranslation(30minutes) Directions:For this part,you are allowed30minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English.You should,write your answer on Answer Sheet2.中国父母往往过于关注孩子的学习，以至于不要他们帮忙做家务。
2015年12月大学英语四级考试真题答案（完整版）
2015年12⽉⼤学英语四级考试真题答案(完整版） 对有关问题所作的解答的'结果；对提出的问题所做的解答，练习的答案。
以下是店铺为⼤家收集的2015年12⽉⼤学英语四级考试真题答案(完整版），欢迎⼤家借鉴与参考，希望对⼤家有所帮助。
Part IWriting(30 minutes) Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay commenting on the saying “Learning is a daily experience and lifetime mission.”You can cite examples to illustrate the importance of lifelong learning. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words. 参考范⽂： It is widely accepted that to live and learn is a creed of many centuries. Even in contemporary society,life-long learning still carries great importance to personal happiness. To begin with, hardly can anyone achieve genuine success in his career without learning . As competition in all lines of work grows increasingly fierce, we must defeat our rivals through learning. Furthermore, according to a latest survey conducted by an authority on the Internet, 95 percent of people interviewed answered that individual happiness and success cannot exist without life-long learning. In addition, an increasing number of people come to realize the value of persistent learning. A case in point is those aged citizens having been retried from work , who seek to learning Chinese drawing, calligraphy and Peking drama, so that their life after retirement can be meaningful, full of colors. Taking into account the analysis above, we can safely draw a conclusion that where there is leaning , there is life-long happiness. Part IIListening Comprehension(30 minutes) Section A Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D), and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre. 1. A) They admire the courage of space explorers. B) They enjoyed the movie on space exploration. C) They were going to watch a wonderful movie. D) They like doing scientific exploration very much. 2. A)At a gift shop. B) At a graduation ceremony. C) In the office of a travel agency. D) In a school library. 3. A) He used to work in the art gallery. B) He does not have a good memory. C) He declined a job offer from the art gallery. D) He is not interested in any part-time jobs. 4. A) Susan has been invited to give a lecture tomorrow. B) He will go to the birthday party after the lecture. C) The woman should have informed him earlier. D) He will be unable to attend the birthday party. 5. A) Reward those having made good progress. B) Set a deadline for the staff to meet. C) Assign more workers to the project. D) Encourage the staff to work in small groups. 6. A) The way to the visitor5s parking. B) The rate for parking in Lot C. C) How far away the parking lot is. D) Where she can leave her car. 7. A) He regrets missing the classes. B) He plans to take the fitness classes. C) He is looking forward to a better life. D) He has benefited form exercise. 8. A) How to work efficiency. B) How to select secretaries. C) The responsibilities of secretaries. D) The secretaries in the man5s company. 参考答案： 1. B. They enjoyed the movie on space exploration. 2. A.At a gift shop. 3. C.He declined ajob offer from the art gallery. 4. D. He will be unable to attend the birthday party. 5. B. Seta deadline for the staff to meet. 6. A. Theway to the visitor’s parking. 7. D. He has benefited from exercise. 8. D. The secretaries in the man’s company. Conversation One Questions 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you havejust heard. 9. A) It is more difficult to learn than English. B) It is used by more people than English. C) It will be as commonly used as English. D) It will eventually become a world language. 10. A) It has words words from many languages, B) Its popularity with the common people. C) The influence ofthe British Empire. D) The effect of the Industrial Revolution. 11. A) It includes a lot of words form other languages.。
2015年12月四级英语考试真题与答案解析(全套)
2015年12月四级英语考试真题与答案解析作文（一）周思远题目：For this part，you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay commenting on the saying “Learning is a daily experience and a lifelong mission。
” You can cite examples to illustrate the importance of lifelong learning。
You should write at least 120 words，no more than 180 words。
参考范文：Currently in this constantly changing world，learning becomes a seemingly convenient but actually more complex matter。
As an old saying goes，” Learning is a daily experience a nd a lifetime mission”。
Apparently，the meaning of this saying is that if we truly desire to learn something，we are supposed to devote our life to it。
There are several reasons accounting for this viewpoint。
For one thing，learning itself is an actually complicated and painful matter，and as a result，it is advisable for us to commit much more time even our whole life to it。
2015年12月大学英语四级真题试卷(一)(题后含答案及解析)
2015年12月大学英语四级真题试卷（一）(题后含答案及解析)题型有：1. Writing 2. Listening Comprehension 3. 4. Reading Comprehension 5. TranslationPart I Writing1．For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay commenting on the saying “Listening is more important than talking. “You can cite examples to illustrate the importance of paying attention to others’ opinions. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.正确答案：Listening Is More Important than Talking Nowadays an old saying, “Listening is more important than talking” , comes into vogue. The saying tells us the true essence of communication with others in the society, which means paying attention to others’opinions is much more important than expressing one’s own words. As for me, there are two reasons accounting for the correctness of this principle. To start with, listening shows your respect for others. In such a competitive society, willingness to listen can make you gain trust and friendship, which is the basic rule of socialization. A talkative person without ear is doomed to be alienated. Furthermore, listening can really benefit yourself. There is no denying that you are the one to make choices in your life. However, a variety of ideas from others will definitely enrich your mind and present some enlightenment to your future actions. According to what is said above, listening truly outweighs talking on many occasions. In modern society, we need to master some communication skills. Only when we realize the importance of listening can we lead a better life.Part II Listening ComprehensionSection A听力原文：M: Do you remember the wonderful film on space exploration we watched together last month? W: Sure. It’s actually the most impressive one I’ve seen on that topic. Q: What do we learn about the speakers?2．A．They admire the courage of space explorers.B．They were going to watch a wonderful movie.C．They enjoyed the movie on space exploration.D．They like doing scientific exploration very much.正确答案：C解析：男士询问女士是否还记得他们上个月看的那部关于太空探险的精彩电影，女士表示这是她看过的关于太空探险题材的印象最深的一部电影。
2015年12月英语四级考试真题(第一套)带详细解析
2015年12月大学英语四级考试真题(第1套)PartⅠ Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay commenting on the saying"Listening is more important than talking." You can cite examples to illustrate theimportance of paying attention to others' opinions.You should write at least 120 words, but no more than 180 words.Part Ⅱ Listening Comprehension ( 30 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations.At the end ofeach conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said.Both theconversation and the questions will be spoken only once.After each question there will bea pause.During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A, B, C,and D.and decide which is the best answer.Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer .Sheet I with a single line through the center.1.A.They admire the courage of space explorers.B.They were going to watch a wonderful movie.C.They enjoyed the movie on space exploration.D.They like doing scientific exploration very much.2.A.In a school library.B.At a gift shop.C.In the office of a travel agency.D.At a graduation ceremony.3.A.He used to work in the art gallery.B.He does not have a good memory.C.He is not interested in any part-time jobs.D.He declined a job offer from the art gallery.4.A.He will be unable to attend the birthday party.B.The woman should have informed him earlier.C.He will go to the birthday party after the lecture.D.Susan has been invited to give a lecture tomorrow.5.A.Set a deadline for the staff to meet.B.Assign more workers to the project.C.Reward those having made good progress.D.Encourage the staff to work in small groups.6.A.Where she can leave her car.B.The rate for parking in LotC.C.How far away the parking lot is.D.The way to the visitor's parking.7.A.He regrets missing the classes.B.He has benefited from exercise.C.He plans to take the fitness classes.D.He is looking forward to a better life.8.A.How to select secretaries.B.How to raise work efficiency.C.The responsibilities of secretaries.D.The secretaries in the man's company.Questions 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.9.A.It is used by more people than English.B.It is more difficult to learn than English.C.It will be as commonly used as English.D.It will eventually become a world language.10.A.Its popularity with the common people.B.The effect of the Industrial Revolution.C.The influence of the British Empire.D.Its loan words from many languages.11.A.It has a growing number of newly coined words.B.It includes a lot of words from other languages.C.It is the largest among all languages in the world.D.It can be easily picked up by overseas travelers.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12.A.To place an order.B.To apply for a job.C.To return some goods.D.To make a complaint.13.A.He works on a part-time basis for the company.B.He has not worked in the sales department for long.C.He is not familiar with the exact details of the goods.D.He has become somewhat impatient with the woman.14.A.It is not his responsibility.B.It will be free for large orders.C.It depends on a number of factors.D.It costs￡15 more for express delivery.15.A.Make inquiries with some other companies.B.Report the information to her superior.C.Pay a visit to the saleswoman in charge.D.Ring back when she comes to a decision.Section BDirections ...In this section, you will hear 3 short passages.At the end of each passage, you will hearsome questions.Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once.After youhear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A, B,C.and D .Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single linethrough the center.Passage OneQuestions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16.A.No one knows for sure when they came into being.B.No one knows exactly where they were first made.C.No one knows for what purpose they were invented.D.No one knows what they will look like in the future.17.A.Measure the speed of wind.B.Give warnings of danger.C.Pass on secret messages.D.Carry ropes across rivers.18.A.To find out the strength of silk for kites.B.To test the effects of the lightning rod.C.To prove that lightning is electricity.D.To protect houses against lightning.Passage TwoQuestions 19 to 22 are based on the passage you have just heard.19.A.She was born with a talent for languages.B.She was tainted to be an interpreter.C.She can speak several languages.D.She enjoys teaching languages.20.A.They want to learn as many foreign languages as possible.B.They have an intense interest in cross-cultural interactions.C.They acquire an immunity to culture shock.D.They would like to live abroad permanently.21.A.She became an expert in horse racing.B.She learned to appreciate classical music.C.She was able to translate for a German sports judge.D.She got a chance to visit several European countries.22.A.Take part in a cooking competition.B.Taste the beef and give her comment.C.Teach vocabulary for food in English.D.Give cooking lessons on Western food.Passage ThreeQuestions 23 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.23.A.He had only a third-grade education.B.He once threatened to kill his teacher.C.He often helped his mother do housework.D.He grew up in a poor single-parent family.24.A.Stupid.B.Active.C.Brave.D.Careless.25.A.Watch educational TV programs only.B.Write two book reports a week.C.Help with housework.D.Keep a diary.Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear a passage three times.When the passage is read for the firsttime, you should listen carefully for its general idea.Whenthe passage is read for thesecond time, you are required to fill in the blanks with the exact words you have justheard.Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what youhave written.When you look up at the night sky, what do you see? There are other26 bodies out therebesides the moon and stars.One of the most27 of these is a comet (彗星). Comets were formed around the same time the Earth was formed.They are28 ice and otherfrozen liquids and gases.29these "dirty snowballs" begin to orbit the sun, just as the planets do.As a comet gets closer to the sun, some gases in it begin to unfreeze.They30dust particlesfrom the comet to form a huge cloud.As the comet gets even nearer to the sun, a solar wind blows thecloud behind the comet, thus forming its tail.The tall and the31fuzzy (模糊的) atmospherearound a comet are32that can help identify this33in the night sky.In any given year, about a dozen known comets come close to the sun in their orbits.The averageperson can't see them all, of ually there is only one or two a year bright enough to be seenwith the34 et Hale-Bopp, discovered in 1995, was an unusually bright comet.Its orbitbrought it35close to the Earth, within 122 million miles of it.But Hale-Bopp came a long way onits earthly visit.It won't be back for another four thousand years or so.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 foreach blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage.Read thepassage through carefully before making your choices.Each choice in the bank isidentified by a letter.Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2with a single line through the center.You may not use any of the words in the bank morethan once.Questions 36 to 45 are based on the following passage.Scholars of the information society are divided over whether social inequality decreases orincreases in an information-based society.However, they generally agree with the idea that inequalityin the information society is36different from that of an industrial society.As informationprogresses in society, the cause and structural nature of social inequality changes as well.It seems that the information society37 the quantity of information available to the membersof a society by revolutionizing the ways of using and exchanging information.But such a view is a38 analysis based on the quantity of information supplied by various forms of the mass media.Adifferent39 is possible when the actual amount of information40 by the user is taken intoaccount.In fact, the more information41 throughout the entire society, the wider the gapbecomes between "information haves" and "information have-mots", leading to digital divide. According to recent studies, digital divide has been caused by three major42class, sex, andgeneration.In terms of class, digital divide exists among different types of workers and between theupper and middle classes and the lower class.With43 tosex, digital divide exists between menand women.The greatest gap, however, is between the Net-generation, 44with personalcomputers and the Internet, and the older generation, 45 to an industrial society.A.accustomedB.acquiredC.assemblyD.attributeE.championsF.elementsG.expandsH.familiarI.flowsJ.fundamentallyK.interpretationL.passiveM.regardN.respectivelyO.superficialSection BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it.Eachstatement contains information given in one of the paragraphs.Identify the paragraphfrom 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.Joy: A Subject Schools LackBecoming educated should not require giving up pleasure.A.When Jonathan Swift proposed, in 1729, that the people of Ireland eat their children, he insisted itwould solve three problems at once : feed the hungry masses, reduce the population during a severedepression, and stimulate the restaurant business.Even as a satire (讽刺), it seems disgusting andshocking in America with its child-centered culture.But actually, the country is closer to hisproposal than you might think.B.If you spend much time with educators and policy makers, you'll hear a lot of the following words :"standards,""results,""skills,""self-control,""accountability," and so on.I have visited someof the newer supposedly "effective" schools, where children shout slogans in order to learn self-control or must stand behind their desk when they can't sit still.C.A look at what goes on in most classrooms these days makes it abundantly clear that when peoplethink about education, they are not thinking about what it feels like to be a child, or what makeschildhood an important and valuable stage of life in its own right.D.I'm a mother of three, a teacher, and a developmental psychologist.So I've watched a lot ofchildren-talking, playing, arguing, eating, studying, and beingyoung.Here's what I've come tounderstand.The thing that sets children apart from adults is not their ignorance, nor their lack ofskills.It's their enormous capacity for joy.Think of a 3-year-old lost in the pleasures of finding outwhat he can and cannot sink in the bathtub, a 5-year-old beside herself with the thrill of putting together strings of nonsensical words with her best friends, or an 11-year-old completely absorbedin a fascinating comic strip.A child's ability to become deeply absorbed in something, and deriveintense pleasure from that absorption, is something adults spend the rest of their lives trying toreturn to.E.A friend told me the following story.One day, when he went to get his 7-year-old son from soccerpractice, his kid greeted him with a downcast face and a sad voice.The coach had criticized himfor not focusing on his soccer drills.The little boy walked out of the school with his head andshoulders hanging down.He seemed wrapped in sadness.But just before he reached the car door,he suddenly stopped, crouching (蹲伏) down to peer at something on the sidewalk.His face wentdown lower and lower, and then, with complete joy he called out, "e here.This is thestrangest bug I've ever seen.It has, like, a million legs.Look at this.It's amazing." He looked upat his father, his features overflowing with energy and delight."Can't we stay here for just aminute? I want to find out what he does with all those legs.This is the coolest ever."F.The traditional view of such moments is that they constitute a charming but irrelevant byproduct ofyouth-something to be pushed aside to make room for more important qualities, like perseverance(坚持不懈), obligation, and practicality.Yet moments like this one are just the kind of intenseabsorption and pleasure adults spend the rest of their lives seeking.Human lives are governed bythe desire to experience joy.Becoming educated should not require giving up joy but rather lead tofinding joy in new kinds of things: reading novels instead of playing with small figures, conductingexperiments instead of sinking cups in the bathtub, and debating serious issues rather than stringingtogether nonsense words, for example.In some cases, schools should help children find new,more grown-up ways of doing the same things that are constant sources of joy: making art, makingfriends, making decisions:G. Building on a child's ability to feel joy, rather than pushing it aside, wouldn't be that hard.It wouldjust require a shift in the education world's mindset (思维模式).Instead of trying to get children towork hard, why not focus on getting them to take pleasure in meaningful, productive activity, likemaking things, working with others, exploring ideas, and solving problems? These focuses are notso different from the things in which they delight.H. Before you brush this argument aside as rubbish, or think of joy as an unaffordable luxury in anation where there is awful poverty, low academic achievement, and high dropout rates, thinkagain.The more horrible the school circumstances, the more important pleasure is to achieving anyeducational success.I.Many of the assignments and rules teachers come up with, often because they are pressured bytheir administrators, treat pleasure and joy as the enemies of competence and responsibility.Theassumption is that children shouldn't chat in theclassroom because it hinders hard work; instead,they should learn to delay gratification (快乐) so that they can pursue abstract goals, like going to college.J.Not only is this a boring and awful way to treat children, it makes no sense educationally.Decadesof research have shown that in order to acquire skills and real knowledge in school, kids need towant to learn.You can force a child to stay in his or her seat, fill out a worksheet, or practicedivision.But you can't force the child to think carefully, enjoy books, digest complex information,or develop a taste for learning.To make that happen, you have to help the child find pleasure inlearning-to see school as a source of joy.K.Adults tend to talk about learning as if it were medicine: unpleasant, but necessary and good foryou.Why not instead think of learning as if it were food--something so valuable to humans thatthey have evolved to experience it as a pleasure ?L.Joy should not be trained out of children or left for after-school programs.The more difficult achild's life circumstances, the more important it is for that child to find joy in his or her classroom."Pleasure" is not a dirty word.And it doesn't run counter to the goals of public education.It is, infact, the precondition. 46.It will not be difficult to make learning a source of joy if educators change their way of thinking.47.What distinguishes children from adults is their strong ability to derive joy from what they aredoing.48.Children in America are being treated with shocking cruelty.49.It is human nature to seek joy in life.50.Grown-ups are likely to think that learning to children is what medicine is to patients.51.Bad school conditions make it all the more important to turn learning into a joyful experience.52.Adults do not consider children's feelings when it comes to education.53.Administrators seem to believe that only hard work will lead children to their educational goals.54.In the so-called "effective" schools, children are taught self-control under a set of strict rules.55.To make learning effective, educators have to ensure that children want to learn. Section CDirections: There are 2 passages in this section.Each passage is followed by some questions orunfinished statements.For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C.andD .You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer.Sheet 2 with a single line through the center.Passage OneQuestions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.When it's five o'clock, people leave their office.The length of the workday, for many workers, isdefined by time.They leave when the clock tells them they're done.These days, the time is everywhere: not just on clocks or watches, but on cell-phones andcomputers.That may be a bad thing, particularly at work.New research shows that clock-based workschedules hinder morale (士气) and creativity.Clock-timers organize their day by blocks of minutes and hours.For example: a meeting from9 a.m.to 10 a.m.research from 10 a.m.to noon, etc.On the other hand, task-timers have a list ofthings they want to accomplish.They work down the list, each task starts when the previous task iscompleted.It is said that all of us employ a mix of both these types of planning.What, then, are the effects of thinking about time in these different ways? Does one make us moreproductive? Better at the tasks at hand? Happier? In experiments conducted by Tamar Avnet andAnne-Laure Sellier, they had participants organize different activities-from project planning, holidayshopping, to yoga-by time or to-do list to measure how they performed under "clock time" vs "tasktinge." They found clock timers to be more efficient but less happy because they felt little control overtheir lives.Task timers are happier and more creative, but less productive.They tend to enjoy themoment when something good is happening, and seize opportunities that come up.The researchers argue that task-based organizing tends to be undervalued and under-supported inbusiness culture.Smart companies, they believe, will try to bake more task-based planning into theirstrategies.This might be a small change to the way we view work and the office, but the researchers arguethat it challenges a widespread characteristic of the economy: work organized by clock time.Whilemost people will still probably need, and be, to some extent, clock-timers, task-based timing shouldbe used when performing a job that requires more creativity.It'll make those tasks easier, and the task-doers will be happier.56.What does the author think of time displayed everywhere?A.It makes everybody time-conscious.B.It is a convenience for work and life.C.It may have a negative effect on creative work.D.It clearly indicates the fast pace of modern life.57.How do people usually go about their work according to the author?A.They combine clock-based and task-based planning.B.They give priority to the most urgent task on hand.C.They set a time limit for each specific task.D.They accomplish their tasks one by one.58.What did Tamar Avnet and Anne-Laure Sellier find in their experiments about clock-timers?A.They seize opportunities as they come up.B.They always get their work done in time.C.They have more control-over their lives.D.They tend to be more productive.59.What do the researchers say about today's business culture?A.It does not support the strategies adopted by smart companies.B.It does not attach enough importance to task-based practice.C.It places more emphasis on work efficiency than on workers' lives.D.It alms to bring employees' potential and creativity into full play.60.What do the researchers suggest?A.Task-based timing is preferred for doing creative work.B.It is important to keep a balance between work and life.C.Performing creative jobs tends to make workers happier.D.A scientific standard should be adopted in job evaluation.Passage TwoQuestions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.Martha Stewart was charged, tried and convicted of a crime in 2004.As she neared the end of herprison sentence, a well-known columnist wrote that she was "paying her dues," and that "there issimply no reason for anyone to attempt to deny her right to start anew."Surely, the American ideal of second chances should not be reserved only for the rich andpowerful.Unfortunately, many federal and state laws impose post-conviction restrictions on ashockingly large number of Americans.who are prevented from ever fully paying their debt to society.At least 65 million people in the United States have a criminal record.This can result in severepenalties that continue long after punishment is completed.Many of these penalties are imposed regardless of the seriousness of the offense or the person'sindividual ws can restrict or ban voting, access to public housing, and professionaland business licensing.They can affect a person's ability to get a job and qualification for benefits.In all, more than 45.000 laws and rules serve to exclude vast numbers of people from fullyparticipating in American life.Some laws make sense.No one advocates letting someone convicted of pedophilia (恋童癖) workin a school.But too often collateral (随附的) consequences bear no relation to public safety.Should awoman who possessed a small amount of drugs years ago be permanently unable to be licensed as anurse?These laws are also counterproductive, since they make it harder for people with criminal recordsto find housing or land a job, two key factors that reduce backsliding.A recent report makes several recommendations, including the abolition of most post-convictionpenalties, except for those specifically needed to protect public safety.Where the penalties are not amust, they should be imposed only if the facts of a case support it.The point is not to excuse or forget the crime.Rather, it is to recognize that in America's vastcriminal justice system, second chances are crucial.It is in no one's interest to keep a large segment ofthe population on the margins of society.61.What does the well-known columnist's remark about Martha Stewart suggest?A.Her past record might stand in her way to a new life.B.Her business went bankrupt while she was in prison.C.Her release from prison has drawn little attention.D.Her prison sentence might have been extended.62.What do we learn from the second paragraph about many criminals in America?A.They backslide after serving their terms in prison.B.They are deprived of chances to turn over a new leaf.C.They receive severe penalties for committing minor offenses.D.They are convicted regardless of their individual circumstances.63.What are the consequences for many Americans with a criminal record?A.They remain poor for the rest of their lives.B.They are deprived of all social benefits.C.They are marginalized in society.D.They are deserted by their family.64.What does the author think of the post-conviction laws and rules?A.They help to maintain social stability.B.Some of them have long been outdated.C.They are hardly understood by the public.D.A lot of them have negative effects on society.65.what is the author's main purpose in writing the passage?A.To create opportunities for criminals to reform themselves.B.To appeal for changes in America's criminal justice system.C.To ensure that people with a criminal record live a decent life.D.To call people's attention to prisoners' conditions in America.Part Ⅳ Translation( 30 minutes )Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese intoEnglish.You should, write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.中国父母往往过于关注孩子的学习，以至于不要他们帮忙做家务，他们对孩子的首要要求就是努力学习，考得好，能上名牌大学.他们相信这是为孩子好，因为在中国这样竞争激烈的社会里，只有成绩好才能保证前途光明.中国父母还认为，如果孩子能在社会上取得大的成就，父母就会受到尊敬.因此，他们愿意牺牲自己的时间、爱好和兴趣，为孩子提供更好的条件.2015年12月大学英语四级考试真题答案与详解(第1套)Part Ⅰ Writing这是一篇四级考试中常见的议论文.要求考生就一句格苦进行论述.这句格言Listening is more importantthantalking．“倾听比谈论更重要”措辞简单．意思明了，考生比较容易把握．因此写起来并不难.写作时．考生应该将重点放在第二段举例阐释倾听比谈论更重要的原因上．联系实际分析可知，其原因主要有：倾听是交际之规则．只有善于倾听于能表达刘别人的尊重．同时倾昕对听者自身也不无裨益.一、阐述“倾听比谈论更重要”的内涵：倾听别人的意见比表达自己的想法重要得多(paying attention to others’opinions is much more important than expressing one’s own words)倾听比谈论更重要如今，“倾听比谈论更重要”这一格言流行起来.这句格言道出了在社会中与人交往的真谛：倾听别人的意见比表达自己的想法重要得多就我而言，有两个原因可以解释该准则的正确性.首先，倾听可以表达对他人的尊重?在这样一个竞争激烈的社会，乐于倾听可以为自己赢得信任和友谊，而这恰恰是我们社交的基本准则一个夸夸其谈而不善于倾听的人注定要孤立，此外，倾听可以使自己受益．毋庸置疑．你是自己命运的主宰然而，他人的不同观点肯定会丰富你的头脑，并为今后的行动带来启迪综上所述，在很多场合，倾听确实比谈论更重要，在现代社套中，我们需要掌握一些沟通技巧，我们只有认识到倾听的重要性，才能过上更好的生活．Part ⅡListening, Comprehension1.M: Do you remember the wonderful film on space exploration we watched together last month?W: Sure.It's actually the most impressive one I've seen on that topic.Q: What do we learn about the speakers?C.四个选项的主语均为they．且选项动词多表达情感．通过选项中的spaceexplorers，movie，space exploration等间可以判断．本题意在考查说话者对太空探险或电影的评价.男士询问女士是否还记得他们上个月看的那部关于太空探险的精彩电影，女士表示这是她看过的关于太空探险题材的印象最深的一部电影.通过对话中的wonderful film和the most impressiveone等关键词可知，他们非常喜欢男士所提及的那部关于太空探险的电影．故答案为C.2.W: Are you looking for anything in particular?M : Yes.My son is graduating from high school, and I want to get him something special. Q: Where does the conversation most probably take place?B.四个选项中出现了school library．gift shop．travel agency和graduation ceremony等表示地点或场合的词汇，可以推测对话旨在考查事件发生的地点.女士询问男士是否在找什么特别之物．男士说他儿子即将高中毕业．他想送给孩子一件有意义的东西.由此可知，对话可能发生在礼品店.男士准备买件特别的礼物送给儿子，故答案为B.3.M : Mike told me yesterday that he had been looking in vain for a job in the art gallery.W: Really? If I remember right, he had a chance to work there, but he turned it down. Q: What does the woman say about Mike'?D.四个选项均以he开头，且出现了work，part．joblessness，ajob offer 等词，由此可以推测本题考查的内容与男士的工作有关.男士说麦克告诉他在美术馆找工作的事无果而终．女士表示怀疑，因为她听说麦克曾有机会在那里工作，但是被他拒绝了.由此呵知．麦克放弃了在美术馆的工作，并非是无果而终，declined一词是原文turned down的同义转换．故答案为D..4.W: Would you like to come to Susan's birthday party tomorrow evening'?M: I'm going to give a lecture tomorrow.I wish I could be in two places at the same time.Q: What does the man mean?A.四个选项中两次出现birthday party，町以推测对话与生日派对有关.各选项的主语为he，the woman，Susan，听音时应特别注意主语与birthday party的关系.女士询问男士明天晚上能否参加苏珊的生日派对，男士说自己明天有个讲座，因此无法分身，也就是无法参加苏珊的生日派对，故答案为A..5.W: Aren't you discouraged by the slow progress your staff is making?M: Yes.I think I will give them a deadline and hold them to it.Q: What is the man probably going to do?A.四个选项均为动词短语，且出现了deadline，staff，workers，project，work等与工作相关的词汇，故而推测本题考查的内容与员工或工作有关.女士询问男士对员工的工作进度慢是否感到不满，男士表示赞同，并打算给员工设定期限并让他们遵守，故答案为A..6.W: Excuse me.Could you tell me where the visitor's parking is? I left my car there. M: Sure.It's in Lot C.Over that way.Q: What does the woman want to know?D.四个选项中出现了car，parking，lot等词，由此可知，本题考查的内容与停车场有关.女士问男士访客停车场在哪里，她的车停那里了，男士说就在那边的C区停车场.由此可推断，女士想知道如何去访客停车场，故答案为D.7.W: You look great! Now that you've taken those fitness classes.M: Thanks.I've never felt better in my life.Q: What does the man mean?B.四个选项均以he作主语，且出现了classes，exercise，fitness classes 等词，可以推测对话内容与男士的健身有关.女士夸赞男士自从上健身课以来气色不错，男士说他从未感觉像现在这样好.由此可以推测，男士认为自己在健身活动中获益匪浅，故答案为B..8.W: I really admire the efficiency of your secretaries.。
大学英语四级考试真题及解析
大学英语四级考试真题及解析The document was finally revised on 20212015年12月大学英语四级考试真题及解析Part I Writing1.【题干】Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay commenting on the saying "Learning is a daily experience and a lifetime mission." You can cite examples to illustrate the importance of lifelong learning. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Part II Listening ComprehensionSection A2.【题干】Question 1【选项】admire the courage of space explorers.enjoyed the movie on space exploration.were going to watch a wonderful movie.like doing scientific exploration very much.【答案】B【解析】M: Do you remember the wonderful film on space exploration wewatched together last month?W: Sure. It's actually the most impressive one I've seen on that topic.Q: What do we learn about the speakers?3.【题干】Question 2【选项】a gift shop.a graduation ceremony.the office of a travel agency.a school library.【答案】A【解析】W: Are you looking for anything in particular?M: Yes. My son is graduating from high school and I want to get him something special.Q: Where does the conversation most probably take place?4.【题干】Question 3【选项】used to work in the art gallery.does not have a good memory.declined a job offer form the art gallery.is not interested in any part-time jobs.【答案】C【解析】M: Mike told me yesterday that he'd been looking in vain for a job inthe art gallery.W: Really If I remember right, he had a chance to work there but he turned it down.Q: What does the woman say about Mike?5.【题干】Question 4【选项】has been invited to give a lecture tomorrow.will go to the birthday party after the lecture.woman should have informed him earlier.will be unable to attend the birthday party.【答案】D【解析】W: Would you like to come to Susan's birthday party tomorrowevening?M: I'm going to give a lecture tomorrow. I wish I could be in two places at the same time.Q: What does the man mean?6.【题干】Question 5【选项】those having made good progress.a deadline for the staff to meet.more workers to the project.the staff to work in small groups.【答案】B【解析】W: Aren't you discouraged by the slow progress your staff is making?M: Yes. I think I'll give them a deadline and hold them to it.Q: What is the man probably going to do?7.【题干】Question 6【选项】way to the visitor’s parking.rate for parking in Lot C.far away the parking lot is.she can leave her car.【答案】A【解析】W: Excuse me, could you tell me where the visitor's parking is I leftmy car there.M: Sure. It's in Lot C, over that way.Q: What does the woman want to know?8.【题干】Question 7【选项】regrets missing the classes.plans to take the fitness classes.is looking forward to a better life.has benefited form exercise.【答案】D【解析】W: You look great now that you've taken those fitness classes.M: Thanks. I've never thought better in my life.Q: What does the man mean?9.【题干】Question 8【选项】to work efficiency.to select secretaries.responsibilities of secretaries.secretaries in the man’s company.【答案】D【解析】W: I really admire the efficiency of your secretaries.M: Our company selects only the best. They have a heavy workload and we give them a lot of responsibilities.Q: What are the speakers talking about?10.【题干】Questions 9 to 12 are based on the conversation you have just heard.Question 9【选项】is more difficult to learn than English.is used by more people than English.will be as commonly used as English.will eventually become a world language.【答案】B【解析】Q: What does the man say about Chinese?W: Hi, Leo. Why do you say English will become the world language?M: Well, for one thing, it's so commonly used. The only language that is used by more people is Chinese.W: Why is English spoken by so many people?M: It's spoken in many countries of the world because of the British Empire. And now, of course, there's influence of America as well.W: Many students find English a difficult language to learn.M: Oh, all languages are difficult to learn. But English does have two great advantages.W: What are they?M: Well, first of all, it has a very international vocabulary. It has many German, Dutch, French, Spanish and Italian words in it. So speakers of those languages will find many familiar words in English. In fact, English has words from many other languages as well.W: Why is that?M: Well, partly because English speakers have travelled a lot. They bring back words with them, so English really does have an international vocabulary.W: And what's the other advantage of English?M: It's that English grammar is really quite easy. For example, it doesn't have dozens of different endings for its nouns, adjectives and verbs, not like Latin, Russian, and German for example.W: Why is that?M: Well, it's quite interesting actually. It's because of the French. When the French ruled England, French was the official language and only the common people spoke English. They try to make the language as simple as possible, so they made the grammar easier.11.【题干】Question 10【选项】has words from many languages.popularity with the common people.influence of the British Empire.effect of the Industrial Revolution.【答案】C【解析】Q: What made English a widely used language?W: Hi, Leo. Why do you say English will become the world language?M: Well, for one thing, it's so commonly used. The only language that is used by more people is Chinese.W: Why is English spoken by so many people?M: It's spoken in many countries of the world because of the British Empire. And now, of course, there's influence of America as well.W: Many students find English a difficult language to learn.M: Oh, all languages are difficult to learn. But English does have two great advantages.W: What are they?M: Well, first of all, it has a very international vocabulary. It has many German, Dutch, French, Spanish and Italian words in it. So speakers of those languages will find many familiar words in English. In fact, English has words from many other languages as well.W: Why is that?M: Well, partly because English speakers have travelled a lot. They bring back words with them, so English really does have an international vocabulary.W: And what's the other advantage of English?M: It's that English grammar is really quite easy. For example, it doesn't have dozens of different endings for its nouns, adjectives and verbs, not like Latin, Russian, and German for example.W: Why is that?M: Well, it's quite interesting actually. It's because of the French. When the French ruled England, French was the official language and only the common people spoke English. They try to make the language as simple as possible, so they made the grammar easier.12.【题干】Question 11【选项】includes a lot of words form other languages.has a growing number of newly coined words.can be easily picked up by overseas travellers.is the largest among all languages in the world.【答案】A【解析】Q: What is said to be special about English vocabulary?W: Hi, Leo. Why do you say English will become the world language?M: Well, for one thing, it's so commonly used. The only language that is used by more people is Chinese.W: Why is English spoken by so many people?M: It's spoken in many countries of the world because of the British Empire. And now, of course, there's influence of America as well.W: Many students find English a difficult language to learn.M: Oh, all languages are difficult to learn. But English does have two great advantages.W: What are they?M: Well, first of all, it has a very international vocabulary. It has many German, Dutch, French, Spanish and Italian words in it. So speakers of those languages willfind many familiar words in English. In fact, English has words from many other languages as well.W: Why is that?M: Well, partly because English speakers have travelled a lot. They bring back words with them, so English really does have an international vocabulary.W: And what's the other advantage of English?M: It's that English grammar is really quite easy. For example, it doesn't have dozens of different endings for its nouns, adjectives and verbs, not like Latin, Russian, and German for example.W: Why is that?M: Well, it's quite interesting actually. It's because of the French. When the French ruled England, French was the official language and only the common people spoke English. They try to make the language as simple as possible, so they made the grammar easier.13.【题干】Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have justheard.Question 12【选项】return some goods.apply for a job.place an order.make a complaint.【答案】C【解析】Q: What is the woman's purpose in making the phone call?M: Hello. Yes?W: Hello. Is that the sales department?M: Yes, it is.W: Oh, well, my name's Jane Kingsbury of GPF Limited. Hmm, we need some supplies for our design office.M: Uh, what's sort?W: Well, first of all, we need one complete new drawing board.M: A DO44 or DO45?W: Uh, I don't know. What's the difference?M: Well, the 45 costs 15 pounds more.W: Hmm, so what's the total price then?M: It's 387 pounds.W: Does that include value added tax?M: Oh, I'm not sure, most of the prices do. Yes, I think it does.W: Hmm, what are the boards actually made of?M: Oh, I don't know. I think it's a sort of plastic stuff these days. It's white anyway.W: Hmm, and how long does it take to deliver?M: Oh, I couldn't really say. It depends on how much work we've got and how many other orders there are to send out, you know.W: Ok. Now we also want some drawing pens, ink and rulers and some drawing paper.M: Oh, dear, the girl that takes orders for supplies isn't here this morning, so I can't take those orders for you. I only do the equipment, you see.W: OK. Well, perhaps I'll ring back tomorrow.M: So do you want the drawing board then?W: I'll have to think about it. Thanks very much. I'll let you know. Goodbye.M: Thank you. Goodbye.14.【题干】Question 13【选项】has become somewhat impatient with the woman.is not familiar with the exact details of goods.has not worked in the sales department for long.works on a part-time basis for the company.【答案】B【解析】Q: What do we learn about the man from the conversation?M: Hello. Yes?W: Hello. Is that the sales department?M: Yes, it is.W: Oh, well, my name's Jane Kingsbury of GPF Limited. Hmm, we need some supplies for our design office.M: Uh, what's sort?W: Well, first of all, we need one complete new drawing board.M: A DO44 or DO45?W: Uh, I don't know. What's the difference?M: Well, the 45 costs 15 pounds more.W: Hmm, so what's the total price then?M: It's 387 pounds.W: Does that include value added tax?M: Oh, I'm not sure, most of the prices do. Yes, I think it does.W: Hmm, what are the boards actually made of?M: Oh, I don't know. I think it's a sort of plastic stuff these days. It's white anyway.W: Hmm, and how long does it take to deliver?M: Oh, I couldn't really say. It depends on how much work we've got and how many other orders there are to send out, you know.W: Ok. Now we also want some drawing pens, ink and rulers and some drawing paper.M: Oh, dear, the girl that takes orders for supplies isn't here this morning, so I can't take those orders for you. I only do the equipment, you see.W: OK. Well, perhaps I'll ring back tomorrow.M: So do you want the drawing board then?W: I'll have to think about it. Thanks very much. I'll let you know. Goodbye.M: Thank you. Goodbye.15.【题干】Question 14【选项】is not his responsibility.will be free for large orders.costs 15 more for express delivery.depends on a number of factors.【答案】D【解析】Q: What does the man say about delivery?M: Hello. Yes?W: Hello. Is that the sales department?M: Yes, it is.W: Oh, well, my name's Jane Kingsbury of GPF Limited. Hmm, we need some supplies for our design office.M: Uh, what's sort?W: Well, first of all, we need one complete new drawing board.M: A DO44 or DO45?W: Uh, I don't know. What's the difference?M: Well, the 45 costs 15 pounds more.W: Hmm, so what's the total price then?M: It's 387 pounds.W: Does that include value added tax?M: Oh, I'm not sure, most of the prices do. Yes, I think it does.W: Hmm, what are the boards actually made of?M: Oh, I don't know. I think it's a sort of plastic stuff these days. It's white anyway.W: Hmm, and how long does it take to deliver?M: Oh, I couldn't really say. It depends on how much work we've got and how many other orders there are to send out, you know.W: Ok. Now we also want some drawing pens, ink and rulers and some drawing paper.M: Oh, dear, the girl that takes orders for supplies isn't here this morning, so I can't take those orders for you. I only do the equipment, you see.W: OK. Well, perhaps I'll ring back tomorrow.M: So do you want the drawing board then?W: I'll have to think about it. Thanks very much. I'll let you know. Goodbye.M: Thank you. Goodbye.16.【题干】Question 15【选项】the information to her superior.a visit to the saleswoman in charge.back when she comes to a decision.inquiries with some other companies.【答案】C【解析】Q: What does the woman say she will possibly do tomorrow?M: Hello. Yes?W: Hello. Is that the sales department?M: Yes, it is.W: Oh, well, my name's Jane Kingsbury of GPF Limited. Hmm, we need some supplies for our design office.M: Uh, what's sort?W: Well, first of all, we need one complete new drawing board.M: A DO44 or DO45?W: Uh, I don't know. What's the difference?M: Well, the 45 costs 15 pounds more.W: Hmm, so what's the total price then?M: It's 387 pounds.W: Does that include value added tax?M: Oh, I'm not sure, most of the prices do. Yes, I think it does.W: Hmm, what are the boards actually made of?M: Oh, I don't know. I think it's a sort of plastic stuff these days. It's white anyway.W: Hmm, and how long does it take to deliver?M: Oh, I couldn't really say. It depends on how much work we've got and how many other orders there are to send out, you know.W: Ok. Now we also want some drawing pens, ink and rulers and some drawing paper.M: Oh, dear, the girl that takes orders for supplies isn't here this morning, so I can't take those orders for you. I only do the equipment, you see.W: OK. Well, perhaps I'll ring back tomorrow.M: So do you want the drawing board then?W: I'll have to think about it. Thanks very much. I'll let you know. Goodbye.M: Thank you. Goodbye.Section B17.【题干】Passage OneQuestions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.Question 16【选项】one knows exactly where they were.one knows for sure when they came into being.one knows for what purpose they were.one knows what they will.【答案】B【解析】Q: What does the speaker say about kites?No one knows for sure just how old kites are. In fact, they have been in use for centuries. 25 centuries ago, kites were well-known in China. These first kites were probably made of wood. They may even have been covered with silk, because silk was used a lot at that time.Early kites were built for certain uses. In ancient China, they were used to carry ropes across rivers. Once across, the ropes were tied down and wooden bridges were hung from them. Legend tales of one general who flew musical kites over the enemy’s camp. The enemy fled, believing the sounds to be the warning voices of angels. By the 15th centuries, many people flew kites in Europe. Marco Polo may have brought the kite back from his visit to China. The kite has been linked to great names and events. For instance, Benjamin Franklin used the kite to prove that lightening is electricity. He flew the kite in a storm. He did this in order to draw lightening from the clouds. He tied a metal key and a strip of silk to the kite line. The silk ribbonwould stop the lightening from passing through his body. Benjamin’s idea was firstlaughed at, but later on it led to the invention of the lightening rod.With such grand history, kite flying is sure to remain an entertaining and popular sport.18.【题干】Question 17【选项】ropes across rivers.the speed of wind.on secret messages.warnings of danger.【答案】A【解析】Q: What did ancient Chinese use kites to do?No one knows for sure just how old kites are. In fact, they have been in use for centuries. 25 centuries ago, kites were well-known in China. These first kites were probably made of wood. They may even have been covered with silk, because silk was used a lot at that time.Early kites were built for certain uses. In ancient China, they were used to carry ropes across rivers. Once across, the ropes were tied down and wooden bridges were hung from them. Legend tales of one general who flew musical kites over the enemy’s camp. The enemy fled, believing the sounds to be the warning voices of angels. By the 15th centuries, many people flew kites in Europe. Marco Polo may have brought the kite back from his visit to China. The kite has been linked to great names and events. For instance, Benjamin Franklin used the kite to prove that lightening is electricity. He flew the kite in a storm. He did this in order to draw lightening from the clouds. He tied a metal key and a strip of silk to the kite line. The silk ribbonwould stop the lightening from passing through his body. Benjamin’s idea was firstlaughed at, but later on it led to the invention of the lightening rod.With such grand history, kite flying is sure to remain an entertaining and popular sport.19.【题干】Question 18【选项】protect houses against lightning.test the effects of the lightning rod.find out the strength of silk for kites.prove that lightning is electricity.【答案】D【解析】Q: Why did Benjamin Franklin fly a kite in a storm?No one knows for sure just how old kites are. In fact, they have been in use for centuries. 25 centuries ago, kites were well-known in China. These first kites were probably made of wood. They may even have been covered with silk, because silk was used a lot at that time.Early kites were built for certain uses. In ancient China, they were used to carry ropes across rivers. Once across, the ropes were tied down and wooden bridges werehung from them. Legend tales of one general who flew musical kites over the enemy’s camp. The enemy fled, believing the sounds to be the warning voices of angels. By the 15th centuries, many people flew kites in Europe. Marco Polo may have brought the kite back from his visit to China. The kite has been linked to great names and events. For instance, Benjamin Franklin used the kite to prove that lightening is electricity. He flew the kite in a storm. He did this in order to draw lightening from the clouds. He tied a metal key and a strip of silk to the kite line. The silk ribbonwould stop the lightening from passing through his body. Benjamin’s idea was firstlaughed at, but later on it led to the invention of the lightening rod.With such grand history, kite flying is sure to remain an entertaining and popular sport.20.【题干】Passage TwoQuestions 19 to 22 are based on the passage you have just heard.Question 19【选项】enjoys teaching languages.can speak several languages.was trained to be an interpreter.was born with a talent for languages.【答案】B【解析】Q: What does the speaker say about herself?I have learned many languages, but I have not mastered them the way a professional interpreter or translator has. Still, they have opened doors for me. They have allowed me the opportunity to seek jobs in international contexts and help me get those jobs. Like many people who have lived overseas for a while, I simply got crazy about it. I can’t imagine living my professional or social life withoutinternational interactions. Since 1977, I have spent much more time abroad than in the United States. I like going to new places, eating new foods and experiencing new cultures. If you can speak the language, it’s easier to get to know the country and its people. If I had the time and money, I would live for a year in as many countries as possible.Beyond my career, my facility with languages has given me a few rare opportunities. Once just after I returned from my year in Vienna, I was asked to translate for a German judge at an Olympic level horse event. I learned a lot about the sport. In Japan, once when I was in the studio audience of a TV cooking show, I was asked to go up on the stage and taste the beef dish that was being prepared and tell what I thought. They asked, "Was it as good as American beef" It was very exciting for me to be on Japanese TV speaking in Japanese about how delicious the beef was.21.【题干】Question 20【选项】acquire an immunity to culture shock.would like to live abroad permanently.want to learn as many foreign languages as possible.have an intense interest in cross-cultural interactions.【答案】D【解析】Q: What does the speaker say about many people who have livedoverseas for a while?I have learned many languages, but I have not mastered them the way a professional interpreter or translator has. Still, they have opened doors for me. They have allowed me the opportunity to seek jobs in international contexts and help me get those jobs. Like many people who have lived overseas for a while, I simply got crazy about it. I can’t imagine living my professional or social life withoutinternational interactions. Since 1977, I have spent much more time abroad than in the United States. I like going to new places, eating new foods and experiencing new cultures. If you can speak the language, it’s easier to get to know the country and itspeople. If I had the time and money, I would live for a year in as many countries as possible.Beyond my career, my facility with languages has given me a few rare opportunities. Once just after I returned from my year in Vienna, I was asked to translate for a German judge at an Olympic level horse event. I learned a lot about the sport. In Japan, once when I was in the studio audience of a TV cooking show, I was asked to go up on the stage and taste the beef dish that was being prepared and tell what I thought. They asked, "Was it as good as American beef"It was very exciting for me to be on Japanese TV speaking in Japanese about how delicious the beef was.22.【题干】Question 21【选项】became an expert in horse racing.got a chance to visit several European countries.was able to translate for a German sports judge.learned to appreciate classical music.【答案】C【解析】Q: How does the speaker’s experience of living in Vienna benefit her?I have learned many languages, but I have not mastered them the way a professional interpreter or translator has. Still, they have opened doors for me. They have allowed me the opportunity to seek jobs in international contexts and help me get those jobs. Like many people who have lived overseas for a while, I simply got crazy about it. I can’t imagine living my professional or social life withoutinternational interactions. Since 1977, I have spent much more time abroad than in the United States. I like going to new places, eating new foods and experiencing new cultures. If you can speak the language, it’s easier to get to know the country and its people. If I had the time and money, I would live for a year in as many countries aspossible.Beyond my career, my facility with languages has given me a few rare opportunities. Once just after I returned from my year in Vienna, I was asked to translate for a German judge at an Olympic level horse event. I learned a lot about the sport. In Japan, once when I was in the studio audience of a TV cooking show, I was asked to go up on the stage and taste the beef dish that was being prepared and tell what I thought. They asked, "Was it as good as American beef"It was very exciting for me to be on Japanese TV speaking in Japanese about how delicious the beef was.23.【题干】Question 22【选项】the beef and give her comment.part in a cooking competition.vocabulary for food in.cooking lessons on.【答案】A【解析】Q: What was the speaker asked to do in a Japanese studio?I have learned many languages, but I have not mastered them the way a professional interpreter or translator has. Still, they have opened doors for me. They have allowed me the opportunity to seek jobs in international contexts and help me get those jobs. Like many people who have lived overseas for a while, I simply got crazy about it. I can’t imagine living my professional or social life withoutinternational interactions. Since 1977, I have spent much more time abroad than in the United States. I like going to new places, eating new foods and experiencing new cultures. If you can speak the language, it’s easier to get to know the country and its people. If I had the time and money, I would live for a year in as many countries aspossible.Beyond my career, my facility with languages has given me a few rare opportunities. Once just after I returned from my year in Vienna, I was asked to translate for a German judge at an Olympic level horse event. I learned a lot about the sport. In Japan, once when I was in the studio audience of a TV cooking show, I was asked to go up on the stage and taste the beef dish that was being prepared and tell what I thought. They asked, "Was it as good as American beef"It was very exciting for me to be on Japanese TV speaking in Japanese about how delicious the beef was.24.【题干】Passage ThreeQuestions 23 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.Question 23【选项】had only a third-grade education.once threatened to kill his teacher.grew up in a poor single-parent household.often helped his.【答案】B【解析】Q: What do we learn about Ben Carson?Doctor Ben Carson grew up in a poor single parent household in Detroit. His mother, who had only a third-grade education, worked two jobs cleaning bathrooms. To his classmates and even to his teachers, he was thought of as the dumbest kid in the class, according to his own not so fond memories. He had a terrible temper, and once threatened to kill another child. Doctor Carson was headed down a path of self-destruction until a critical moment in his youth. His mother, convinced that she had to do something dramatic to prevent him from leading a life of failure, laid down some rules. He could not watch television except for two programs a week, could not play with his friends after school until he finished his homework, and had to read two books a week and write book reports about them. His mother’s strategy worked. "Ofcourse, I didn’t know she couldn’t read, so there I was submitting these reports." He said. "She would put check marks on them like she had been reading them. As I began to read about scientists, economists and philosophers, I started imaging myself in their shoes. As he got in the habit of hard work, his grades began to soar. Ultimately, he received a scholarship to attend Yale University. And later, he was admitted to the University of Michigan Medical School. He is now a leading surgeon at John’sHopkins Medical School, and he’s also the author of three books.25.【题干】Question 24【选项】....【答案】B。
2015年12月英语四级考试真题试卷及答案【三套全】
2015年12月英语四级考试真题及答案【三套全】Part I Writing （30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay commenting on the saying "Listening is more important than talking？" You can cite examples to illustrate the importance of paying attention to others' opinions。
You should write at least 120words but no more than 180words。
注意：此部分试题在答题卡1上________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1。
A）They admire the courage of space explorers.B）They were going to watch a wonderful movie.C）They enjoyed the movie on space exploration。
D）They like doing scientific exploration very much。
2。
A）In a school library。
B）At a gift shop。
2015年12月大学英语四级阅读真题及答案(一套)
2015年12月大学英语四级阅读真题及答案（一套）答案：GMBOI，DFJHNICKEB，FAHJGABACC，CBADDGMBOI，DFJHNICKEB，FAHJGABACC，CBADD2015年12月四级考试如期进行。
从笔者拿到的套题的阅读部分来看，整体难度适中，较往年趋于平稳。
选词填空部分(关于《children s cognitive abilities儿童认知能力》)首先从选项设计上看，四大词性(名、动、形、副)考查数量分布均匀(3233)，不确定形式(Ving 和Ved)共4个，另外只有advocate一个词属于一词多性的情况，相对选项设计总体难度属于中等偏易。
再看文章部分，谈论的是关于儿童认知(children s cognitive abilities)方面的知识的话题，属于小冷门，但文章语言表达适中，且短句占主体，平衡了话题生僻对考试带来的解题障碍。
其中cognitive还给出了中文注解，也正好应验了我们反复强调的中文重要性的应试知识要点。
同时，空格设置处的词性相对比较容易判断，例如，名词前给出了单复数的区别的代词those作为提示，又例如，非谓语动词只考查了一个正在进行时，而做后置定语或状语的高难度应用本篇没有涉及。
段落匹配部分(The Perfect Essay)首先看备选的十个小标题，均无长难句，同时出现大量重复信息，例如除了与文章title 本身密切相关的essay ，flaw，flawless，perfection以外，还有mother，criticism，从而能顺利预测出文章谈及的是通过母亲的有建设性的批评，提升作者的写作能力。
这也是我们要求的先题后文解决段落匹配的技巧。
从长文章的段落设计上看，一共11段(K)，属于段落数量适中的情况，也为匹配选择降低难度。
但对于所谓长阅读文章只看开头结尾的谬论，用真题再次给予回击，十道匹配中至少3题涉及段落中间部分，2题涉及对全段进行总结。
201512月大学英语四级考试真题(1+答案解析)
Part I Writing（30 minutes）Directions: For this part，you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay commenting on the saying “Listening is more important than talking.” You can cite examples to illustrate the importance of paying attention to others' opinions. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Part II Listening Comprehension（25 minutes）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 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard. Questions 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.9. A) It is used by more people than English.B) It is more difficult to learn than English.C) It will be as commonly used as English.D) It will eventually become a world language.10. A）一Its popularity with the common people. C) The influence of the British Empire.B) The effect of the Industrial Revolution. D) Its loan words from many languages.11. A) It has a growing number of newly coined words.B) It includes a lot of words from other languages.C) It is the largest among all languages in the world.D) It can be easily picked up by overseas travellers.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. A) To place an order. C) To return some goods.B) To apply for a job. D) To make a complaint.13. A) He works on a part-time basis for the company.B) He has not worked in the sales department for long.C) He is not familiar with the exact details of the goods.D) He has become somewhat impatient with the woman.14. A) It is not his responsibility. C) It depends on a number of factors.B) It will be free for large orders. D) It costs￡15 more for express delivery.15. A) Make inquiries with some other companies.B) Report the information to her superior.C) Pay a visit to the saleswoman in charge.D) Ring back when she comes to a decision.Section CDirections:In this section，you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only. 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.Passage OneQuestions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A) No one knows for sure when they came into being.B) No one knows exactly where they were first made.C) No one knows for what purpose they were invented.D) No one knows what they will look like in the future.17. A) Measure the speed of wind. C) Pass on secret messages.B) Give warnings of danger. D) Carry ropes across rivers.18. A) To find out the strength of silk for kites. C) To prove that lightning is electricity.B) To test the effects of the lightning rod. D) To protect houses againstPassage TwoQuestions 19 to 22 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A) She was born with a talent for languages. C) She can speak several languages.B) She was trained to be an interpreter. D) She enjoys teaching languages.20. A) They want to learn as many foreign languages as possible.B) They have an intense interest in cross-cultural interactions.C) They acquire an immunity to culture shock.D) They would like to live abroad permanently.21. A) She became an expert in horse racing.B) She learned to appreciate classical music.C) She was able to translate for a German sports judge.D) She got a chance to visit several European countries.22. A) Take part in a cooling competition. C) Teach vocabulary for food in English.B) Taste the beef and give her comment. D) Give cooking lessons on Western food.Passage ThreeQuestions 23 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.23. A) He had only a third-grade education.B) He once threatened to kill his teacher.C) He often helped his mother do housework.D) He grew up in a poor single-parent family.24. A) Stupid. B) Active. C) Brave. D) Careless.25. A) Watch educational TV programs only. C) Help with housework.B) Write two book reports a week. D) Keep a diary.Part IIII Reading Comprehension（40 minutes）Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once. Questions 36 to 45 are based on the following passage.Scholars of the information society are divided over whether social inequality decreases or increases in an information-based society. However, they generally agree with the idea that inequality in the information society is 36 different from that of an industrial society. As informatization progresses in society, the cause and structural nature of social inequality changes as well.It seems that the information society 37 the quantity of information available to the members of a society by revolutionizing the ways of using and exchanging information. But such a view is a 38 analysis based on the quantity of information supplied by various forms of the mass media. A different 39 is possible when the actual amount of information 40 by the user is taken into account. In fact，the more information 41 throughout the entire society, the wider the gap becomes between "information haves" and "information have-nots"，leading to digital divide.According to recent studies, digital divide has been caused by three major 42：class, sex, and generation. In terms of class, digital divide exists among different types of workers and between the upper and middle classes and the lower class. With 43 to sex, digital divide exists between men and women. The greatest gap, however, is between the Net-generation，44 with personal computers and the Internet, and the older generation，45 to an industrial society.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.Joy: A Subject Schools LackBecoming educated should not require giving up pleasure.A) When Jonathan Swift proposed, in 1729，that the people of Ireland eat theirchildren, he insisted it would solve three problems at once：feed the hungry masses, reduce the population during a severe depression，and stimulate the restaurant business. Even as a satire（讽刺），it seems disgusting and shocking in America with its child-centered culture. But actually, the country is closer to his proposal than you might think.B) If you spend much time with educators and policy makers，you'll hear a lot ofthe following words："standards，”" results,”" skills，”" self-control，”"accountability,”and so on. I have visited some of the newer supposedly “effective" schools，where children shout slogans in order to learn self-control or must stand behind their desk when they can't sit still.C) A look at what goes on in most classrooms these days makes it abundantly`clear that when people think about education, they are not thinking about what it feels like to be a child, or what makes childhood an important and valuable stage of life in its own right.D) I'm a mother of three，a teacher, and a developmental psychologist. So I'vewatched a -lot of children-talking，playing, arguing, eating, studying, and being young. Here's what I've come to understand. The thing that sets children apart from adults is not their ignorance，nor their lack of skills. It's their enormous capacity for joy. Think of a 3-year-old lost in the pleasures of finding out what he can and cannot sink in the bathtub，a 5-year-old beside herself with the thrill of putting together strings of nonsensical words with her best friends, or an 11-year-old completely absorbed in a fascinating comic strip. A child's ability to become deeply absorbed in something，and derive intense pleasure from that absorption, is something adults spend the rest of their lives trying to return to.E) A friend told me the following story. One day, when he went to get his7-year-old son from soccer practice，his kid greeted him with a downcast face and a sad voice. The coach had criticized him for not focusing on his soccer drills. The little boy walked out of the school with his head and shoulders hanging down. He seemed wrapped in sadness. But just before he reached the car door, he suddenly stopped, crouching（蹲伏）down to peer at something on the sidewalk. His face went down lower and lower, and then，with complete joy he called out，“Dad. Come here. This is the strangest bug I've ever seen. It has, like, a million legs. Look at this. It's amazing.” He looked up at his father, his features overflowing with energy and delight.“Can't we stay here for just a minute? I want to find out what he does with all those legs. This is the coolest ever.”F) The traditional view of such moments is that they constitute a charming butirrelevant byproduct of youth-something to be pushed aside to make room for more important qualities, like perseverance（坚持不懈），obligation, and practicality. Yet moments like this one are just the kind of intense absorption and pleasure adults spend the rest of their lives seeking. Human lives are governed by the desire to experience joy. Becoming educated should not require giving up joy but rather lead to finding joy in new kinds of things：reading novels instead of playing with small figures, conducting experiments instead of sinking cups in the bathtub，and debating seriousissues rather than stringing together nonsense words, for example. In some cases, schools should help children find new, more grown-up ways of doing the same things that are constant sources of joy; making art，making friends，making decisions.G) Building on a child's ability to feel joy, rather than pushing it aside, wouldn'tbe that hard. It would just require a shift in the education world's mindset（思维模式）．Instead of trying to get children to work hard，why not focus on getting them to take pleasure in meaningful，productive activity, like making things，working with others, exploring ideas, and solving problems? These focuses are not so different from the things in which they delight.H) Before you brush this argument aside as rubbish, or think of joy as anunaffordable luxury in a nation where there is awful poverty, low academic achievement，and high dropout rates, think again. The more horrible the school circumstances, the more important pleasure is to achieving any educational success.1) Many of the assignments and rules teachers come up with，often becausethey are pressured by their administrators, treat pleasure and joy as the enemies of competence and responsibility. The assumption is that children shouldn't chat in the classroom because it hinders hard work; instead, they should learn to delay gratification（快乐）so that they can pursue abstract goals，like going to college.J) Not only is this a boring and awful way to treat children，it makes no sense educationally. Decades of research have shown that in order to acquire skills and real knowledge in school, kids need to want to learn. You can force a child to stay in his or her seat, fill out a worksheet, or practice division. But you can't force the child to think carefully，enjoy books, digest complex information, or develop a taste for learning. To make that happen, you have to help the child find pleasure in learning-to see school as a source of joy. K) Adults tend to talk about learning as if it were medicine: unpleasant, but necessary and good for you. Why not instead think of learning as if it were food-something so valuable to humans that they have evolved toexperience it as a pleasure?L) Joy should not be trained out of children or left for after-school programs.The more difficult a child's life circumstances, the more important it is for that child to find joy in his or her classroom. “Pleasure" is not a dirty word.And it doesn't run counter to the goals of public education. It is, in fact，the precondition.46. It will not be difficult to make learning a source of joy if educators change their way of thinking.47. What distinguishes children from adults is their strong ability to derive joy from what they are doing.48. Children in America are being treated with shocking cruelty.49. It is human nature to seek joy in life.50. Grown-ups are likely to think that learning to children is what medicine is to patients.51. Bad school conditions make it all the more important to turn learning into a joyful experience.52. Adults do not consider children's feelings when it comes to education.53. Administrators seem to believe that only hard work will lead children to their educational goals.54. In the so-called “effective" schools, children are taught self-control under a set of strict rules.55. To make learning effective，educators have to ensure that children want to learn.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。
2015年12月英语四级考试真题试卷
2015年12月英语四级考试真题试卷（第一套）Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay commenting on the saying "Listening is more important than talking?" You can cite examples to illustrate the importance of paying attention to others' opinions. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.注意：此部分试题在答题卡1上____________________________________________________________________________________听力在线下载：/OcSvvYvfYE8MvF 访问密码b9801.gif1.A) They admire the courage of space explorers.B) They were going to watch a wonderful movie.C) They enjoyed the movie on space exploration.D) They like doing scientific exploration very much.2.A) In a school library.B) At a gift shop.C) In the office of a travel agency.D) At a graduation ceremony.3.A) He used to work in the art gallery.B) He does not have a good memoiy.C) He is not interested in any part-time jobs.D) He declined a job offer from the art gallery.4.A) He will be unable to attend the birthday party.B) The woman should have informed him earlier.C) He will go to the birthday party after the lecture.D) Susan has been invited to give a lecture tomorrow.5.A) Set a deadline for the staff to meet.B) Assign more workers to the project.C) Reward those having made good progress.D) Encourage the staff to work in small groups.6.A) Where she can leave her car.B) The rate for parking in Lot C.C) How far away the parking lot is.D) The way to the visitor's parking.7.A) He regrets missing the classes.B) He has benefited from exercise.C) He plans to take the fitness classes.D) He is looking forward to a better life.8.A) How to select secretaries.B) How to raise work efficiency.C) The responsibilities of secretaries.D) The secretaries in the man's company.Questions 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.9.A) It is used by more people than English.B) It is more difficult to learn than English.C) It will be as commonly used as English.D) It will eventually become a world language.10.A) Its popularity with the common people.B) The effect of the Industrial Revolution.C) The influence of the British Empire.D) Its loan words from many languages.11.A) It has a growing number of newly coined words.B) It includes a lot of words from other languages.C) It is the largest among all languages in the world.D) It can be easily picked up by overseas travellers.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12.A) To place an order.B) To apply for a job.C) To return some goods.D) To make a complaint.13.A) He works on a part-time basis for the company.B) He has not worked in the sales department for long.C) He is not familiar with the exact details of the goods.D) He has become somewhat impatient with the woman.14.A) It is not his responsibility.B) It win be free for large orders.C) It depends on a number of factors.D) It costs ￡15 more for express delivery.15.A) Make inquiries with some other companies.B) Report the information to her superior.C) Pay a visit to the saleswoman in charge.D) Ring back when she comes to a decision.Passage OneQuestions 16 to 18 are based on the conversation you have just heard.16.A) No one knows for sure when they came into being.B) No one knows exactly where they were first made.C) No one knows for what purpose they were invented.D) No one knows what they will look like in the future.17.A) Measure the speed of wind.B) Give warnings of danger.C) Pass on secret messages.D) Carry ropes across rivers.18.A) To find out the strength of silk for kites.B) To test the effects of the lightning rod.C) To prove that lightning is electricity.D) To protect houses against lightning.Passage TwoQuestions 19 to 22 are based on the passage you have just heard.19.A) She was born with a talent for languages.B) She was trained to be an interpreter.C) She can speak several languages.D) She enjoys teaching languages.20.A) They want to learn as many foreign languages as possible.B) They have an intense interest in cross-cultural interactions.C) They acquire an immunity to culture shock.D) They would like to live abroad permanently.21.A) She became an expert in horse racing.B) She learned to appreciate classical music.C) She was able to translate for a German sports judge.D) She got a chance to visit several European countries.22.A) Take part in a cooking competition.B) Taste the beef and give her comment.C) Teach vocabulary for food in English.D) Give cooking lessons on Western food.Passage ThreeQuestions 23 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.23.A) He had only a third-grade education.B) He once threatened to kill his teacher.C) He often helped his mother do housework.D) He grew up in a poor single-parent family.24.A) Stupid.B) Active.C) Brave.D) Careless.25.A) Watch educational TV programs only.B) Write two book reports a week.C) Help with housework.D) Keep a diary.When you look up at the night sky, what do you see? There are other __26__ bodies out there besides the moon and stars. One of the most __27__ of these is a comet (彗星).Comets were formed around the same time the Earth was formed. They are __28__ ice and other frozen liquids and gases. __29__ these "dirty snowballs" begin to orbit the sun, just as the planets do.As a comet gets closer to the sun, some gases in it begin to unfreeze. They __30__ dust particles from the comet to form a huge cloud. As the comet gets even nearer to the sun, a solar wind blows the cloud behind the comet, thus forming its tail. The tail and the __31__ fuzzy (模糊的) atmosphere around a comet are __32__ that can help identify this __33__ in the night sky.In any given year, about a dozen known comets come close to the sun in their orbits. The average person can't see them all, of course. Usually there is only one or two a year bright enough to be seen with the __34__ eye. Comet Hale-Bopp, discovered in 1995, was an unusually brightcomet. Its orbit brought it __35__ close to the Earth, within 122 million miles of it. But Hale-Bopp came a long way on its earthly visit. It won't be back for another four thousand years or so.Questions 36 to 45 are based on the following passage.Scholars of the information society are divided over whether social inequality decreases or increases in an information-based society. However, they generally agree with the idea that inequality in the information society is __36__ different from that of an industrial society. As informatization progresses in society, the cause and structural nature of social inequality changes as well.It seems that the information society __37__ the quantity of information available to the members of a society by revolutionizing the ways of using and exchanging information. But such a view is a __38__ analysis based on the quantity of information supplied by various forms of the mass media. A different __39__ is possible when the actual amount of information __40__ by the user is taken into account. In fact, the more information __41__ throughout the entire society, the wider the gap becomes between "information haves" and "information have-nots" , leading to digital divide.According to recent studies, digital divide has been caused by three major __42__: class, sex, and generation. In terms of class, digital divide exists among different types of workers and between the upper and middle classes and the lower class. With __43__ to sex, digital divide exists between men and women. The greatest gap, however, is between the Net-generation, __44__ with personal computers and the Internet, and the older generation, __45__ to an industrial society.A) accustomedB) acquiredC) assemblyD) attributeE) championsF) elementsG) expandsH) familiarI) flowsJ) fundamentallyK) interpretationL) passiveM) regardN) respectivelyO) superficialJoy: A Subject Schools LackBecoming educated should not require giving up pleasure.A) When Jonathan Swift proposed, in 1729, that the people of Ireland eat their children, he insisted it would solve three problems at once: feed the hungry masses, reduce the population during a severe depression, and stimulate the restaurant business. Even as a satire (讽刺), it seems disgusting and shocking in America with its child-centered culture. But actually, the country is closer to his proposal than you might think.B) If you spend much time with educators and policy makers, you'll hear a lot of the following words: "standards,“”results,“”skills,“”self-control,“”accountability," and so on. I have visited some of the newer supposedly "effective" schools, where children shout slogans in order to leam self-control or must stand behind their desk when they can't sit still.C) A look at what goes on in most classrooms these days makes it abundantly clear that when people think about education, they are not thinking about what it feels like to be a child, or what makes childhood an important and valuable stage of life in its own right.D) I'm a mother of three, a teacher, and a developmental psychologist. So I've watched a lot of children—talking, playing, arguing, eating, studying, and being young. Here's what I've come to understand. The thing that sets children apart from adults is not their ignorance, nor their lack of skills. It's their enormous capacity for joy. Think of a 3-year-old lost in the pleasures of finding out what he can and cannot sink in the bathtub, a 5-year-old beside herself with the thrill of putting together strings of nonsensical words with her best friends, or an 11-year-old completely absorbed in a fascinating comic strip. A child's ability to become deeply absorbed in something, and derive intense pleasure from that absorption, is something adults spend the rest of their lives trying to return to.E) A friend told me the following story. One day, when he went to get his 7-year-old son from soccer practice, his kid greeted him with a downcast face and a sad voice. The coach had criticized him for not focusing on his soccer drills. The little boy walked out of the school with his head and shoulders hanging down. He seemed wrapped in sadness. But just before he reached the car door, he suddenly stopped, crouching (蹲伏) down to peer at something on the sidewalk. His face went down lower and lower, and then, with complete joy he called out, "Dad. Come here. This is the strangest bug I've ever seen. It has, like, a million legs. Look at this. It's amazing. " He looked up at his father, his features overflowing with energy and delight. "Can't we stay here for just a minute? I want to find out what he does with all those legs. This is the coolest ever. "F) The traditional view of such moments is that they constitute a charming but irrelevantbyproduct of youth—something to be pushed aside to make room for more important qualities, like perseverance (坚持不懈), obligation, and practicality. Yet moments like this one are just the kind of intense absoiption and pleasure adults spend the rest of their lives seeking. Human lives are governed by the desire to experience joy. Becoming educated should not require giving up joy but rather lead to finding joy in new kinds of things: reading novels instead of playing with small figures, conductingexperiments instead of sinking cups in the bathtub, and debating serious issues rather than stringing together nonsense words, for example. In some cases, schools should help children find new, more grown-up ways of doing the same things that are constant sources of joy: making art, making friends, making decisions.G) Building on a child's ability to feel joy, rather than pushing it aside, wouldn't be that hard. It would just require a shift in the education world's mindset (思维模式). Instead of trying to get children to work hard, why not focus on getting them to take pleasure in meaningful, productive activity, like making things, working with others, exploring ideas, and solving problems? These focuses are not so different from the things in which they delight.H) Before you brush this argument aside as rubbish, or think of joy as an unaffordable luxury in a nation where there is awful poverty, low academic achievement, and high dropout rates, think again. The more horrible the school circumstances, the more important pleasure is to achieving any educational success.I) Many of the assignments and rules teachers come up with, often because they are pressured by their administrators, treat pleasure and joy as the enemies of competence and responsibility. The assumption is that children shouldn't chat in the classroom because it hinders hard work; instead, they should leain to delay gratification (快乐) so that they can pursue abstract goals, like going to college.J) Not only is this a boring and awful way to treat children, it makes no sense educationally. Decades of research have shown that in order to acquire skills and real knowledge in school, kids need to want to learn. You can force a child to stay in his or her seat, fill out a worksheet, or practice division. But you can't force the child to think carefully, er\joy books, digest complex information, or develop a taste for learning. To make that happen, you have to help the child find pleasure inlearning—to see school as a source of joy.K) Adults tend to talk about learning as if it were medicine; unpleasant, but necessary and good for you. Why not instead think of learning as if it were food—something so valuable to humans that they have evolved to experience it as a pleasure?L) Joy should not be trained out of children or left for after-school programs. The more difficult a child's life circumstances, the more important it is for that child to find joy in his or her classroom. "Pleasure" is not a dirty word. And it doesn't run counter to the goals of public education. It is, in fact, the precondition.46. It will not be difficult to make learning a source of joy if educators change their way of thinking.47. What distinguishes children from adults is their strong ability to derive joy from what they are doing.48. Children in America are being treated with shocking cruelty.49. It is human nature to seek joy in life.50. Grown-ups are likely to think that learning to children is what medicine is to patients.51. Bad school conditions make it all the more important to turn learning into a joyful experience.52. Adults do not consider children's feelings when it comes to education.53. Administrators seem to believe that only hard work will lead children to their educational goals.54. In the so-called "effective" schools, children are taught self-control under a set of strict rules.55. To make learning effective, educators have to ensure that children want to leam.Passage OneQuestions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.When it's five o'clock, people leave their office. The length of the workday, for many workers, is defined by time. They leave when the clock tells them they're done.These days, the time is everywhere-, not just on clocks or watches, but on cell-phones and computers. That may be a bad thing, particularly at work. New research shows that clock-based work schedules hinder morale (士气) and creativity.Clock-timers organize their day by blocks of minutes and hours. For example: a meeting from 9 a. m. to 10 a. m. , research from 10 a. m. to noon, etc. On the other hand, task-timers have a list of things they want to accomplish. They work down the list, each task starts when the previous task is completed. It is said that all of us employ a mix of both these types of planning.What, then, are the effects of thinking about time in these different ways? Does one make us more productive? Better at the tasks at hand? Happier? In experiments conducted by Tamar Avnet and Anne-Laure Sellier, they had participants organize different activities—from project planning, holiday shopping, to yoga—by time or to-do list to measure how they performed under "clock time" vs "task time. " They found clock timers to be more efficient but less happy because they felt little control Over their lives. Task timers are happier and more creative, but less productive. They tend to enjoy the moment when something good is happening, and seize opportunities that come up.The researchers argue that task-based organizing tends to be undervalued and under-supported in business culture. Smart companies, they believe, will try to bake more task-based planning into their strategies.This might be a small change to the way we view work and the office, but the researchers argue that it challenges a widespread characteristic of the economy: work organized by clock time. While most people will still probably need, and be, to some extent, clock-timers, task-based timing should be used when performing a job that requires more creativity. It'll make those tasks easier, and the task-doers will be happier.56. What does the author think of time displayed everywhere?A) It makes everybody time-conscious.B) It is a convenience for work and life.C) It may have a negative effect on creative work.D) It clearly indicates the fast pace of modem life.57. How do people usually go about their work according to the author?A) They combine clock-based and task-based planning.B) They give priority to the most urgent task on hand.C) They set a time limit for each specific task.D) They accomplish their tasks one by one.58. What did Tamar Avnet and Anne-Laure Sellier find in their experiments about clock-timers?A) They seize opportunities as they come up.B) They always get their work done in time.C) They have more control over their lives.D) They tend to be more productive.59. What do the researchers say about today's business culture?A) It does not support the strategies adopted by smart companies.B) It does not attach enough importance to task-based practice.C) It places more emphasis on work efficiency than on workers' lives.D) It aims to bring employees' potential and creativity into full play.60. What do the researchers suggest?A) Task-based timing is preferred for doing creative work.B) It is important to keep a balance between work and life.C) Performing creative jobs tends to make workers happier.D) A scientific standard should be adopted in job evaluation.Passage TwoQuestions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.Martha Stewart was charged, tried and convicted of a crime in 2004. As she neared the end of her prison sentence, a well-known columnist wrote that she was " paying her dues," and that " there is simply no reason for anyone to attempt to deny her right to start anew. "Surely, the American ideal of second chances should not be reserved only for the rich and powerful. Unfortunately, many federal and state laws impose post-conviction restrictions on a shockingly large number of Americans, who are prevented from ever fully paying their debt to society.At least 65 million people in the United States have a criminal record. This can result in severe penalties that continue long after punishment is completed.Many of these penalties are imposed regardless of the seriousness of the offense or the person's individual circumstances. Laws can restrict or ban voting, access to public housing, and professional and business licensing. They can affect a person's ability to get a job and qualification for benefits.In all, more than 45,000 laws and rules serve to exclude vast numbers of people from fully participating in American life.Some laws make sense. No one advocates letting someone convicted of pedophilia(恋童癖) work in a school. But too often collateral (附随的) consequences bear no relation to public safety. Should a woman who possessed a small amount of drugs years ago be permanently unable to be licensed as a nurse?These laws are also counterproductive, since they make it harder for people with criminal records to find housing or land a job, two key factors that reduce backsliding.A recent report makes several recommendations, including the abolition of most post-conviction penalties, except for those specifically needed to protect public safety. Where the penalties are not a must, they should be imposed only if the facts of a case support it.The point is not to excuse or forget the crime. Rather, it is to recognize that in America's vast criminal justice system, second chances are crucial. It is in no one's interest to keep a large segment of the population on the margins of society.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
2015年12月英语四级题目与答案解析
2015年12月英语四级题目与答案解析第一部分：写作写作第一版：For this part， you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essaycommenting on the saying Learning is a daily experience and alifetime mission. You can cite examples to illustrate theimportance of lifelong learning. You should write at least 120words but no more than 180 words.破题思路:第一段: 解释引言内容. 提出文章的主旨 : 学习的重要性第二段: 分析原因此处可以结合例子.第三段: 得出结论此文章写作时可以全面参照有道考神四级写作课程中功能句的讲解。
参考范文:Learning is a daily experience and a lifetimemission. This is a proverb full of logic. Inother words, learning is significant in our whole life. Indeed, wecan learn many things from it. If you understand it and apply it toyour study or work, you’ll necessarily benefit a lot from it.There are many reasons which can explain this phenomenon and thefollowing are the typical ones. The first reason is that learningcan light our road in the coming future. There is no denying thefact that the society is developing increasingly fast and we areoften easily surpassed by the people around. The only way to avoidthis is to learn to improve ourselves. As an illustration, I’d liketo take myself as an example. After graduation from college, mylife has been full of working pressure, which contributes to mydecision of pursuing further education. That’s why I can make myown way in such a competitive society.The effect of learning can be boiled down to two major ones. First,with the spirit of learning, we are more capable of overcoming thedifficulties in the future. More importantly, we can enrich ourspare time life by learning. No matter who you are, you mustremember that learning is the basic skill in our life.写作第二版：For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essaycommenting on the saying Listening is more important thantalking. You can cite examples to illustrate the importance ofpaying attention to others' opinions. You should write at least120 words but no more than 180 words.破题思路:第一段: 解释引言内容. 提出文章的主旨 : 倾听重要性第二段: 分析原因此处可以结合例子.第三段: 得出结论此文章写作时可以全面参照有道考神四级写作课程中功能句的讲解。
2015年12月英语四级考试真题试卷及答案【三套全】
2015年12月英语四级考试真题及答案【三套全】Part I Writing （30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay commenting on the saying ”Listening is more important than talking？”You can cite examples to illustrate the importance of paying attention to others' opinions。
You should write at least 120words but no more than 180words。
注意:此部分试题在答题卡1上________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1.A) They admire the courage of space explorers.B）They were going to watch a wonderful movie.C) They enjoyed the movie on space exploration.D) They like doing scientific exploration very much.2。
A) In a school library。
B) At a gift shop。
2015年12月英语四级真题试卷一
2015年12月英语四级真题试卷一Part I Writing ( 30 minutes)For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay commenting on the saying “Learning is a daily experience and lifetime mission.”You can cite examples to illustrate the importance of lifelong learning. You should write at least 120 words but no more than180 words.Part Ш 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 givenin 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 36 to 45 are based on the following passage.For many Americans, 2013 ended with an unusually bitter cold spell. November and December 36 early snow and bone-chilling temperatures in much of the country, part of a year when, for the first time in two 37 , record-cold days will likely turn out to have outnumbered record-warm ones. But the U.S. was the exception; November was the warmest ever 38 , and current data indicates that 2013 is likely to have been the fourth hottest year on record.Enjoy the snow now, bec ause 39 are good that 2014 will be even hotter, perhaps the hottest year since records have been kept. That’s because, scientists are predicting, 2014 will be an EI Niuo year.EI niuo, Spanish for “the child”, 40 when surface ocean waters in the southern Pacific become abnormally warm. So large is the Paci fic, covering 30% of the planet’s surface, that the 41 energy generated by its warming is enough to touch off a series of weather changes around the world. EI Ninos are 42 with abnormally dry conditions in Southeast Asia and Australia. They can lead to extreme rain in parts of North and South America, even as southern Africa 43 dry weather. Marine life may be affected too; EI Ninos can 44 the rising of the cold, nutrient-rich（营养丰富的）water that supports large fish 45 ,and the unusuallywarm ocean temperatures can destroy coral(珊瑚).注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
2015年12月四级真题共3套
2015年12月大学英语四级考试真题（第一套）Part I Writing (30 minutes) Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay commenting on the saying “Listening is more important than talking.” You can citeexamples to illustrate the importance of paying attention to others’opinions. You should write at least 120words, but no more than 180words.Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes) Section ADirection: 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 thequestions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you mustchoose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C).and D).Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single linethrough the centre.Questions 1 and 2 will be based on the following news item.1. A) Dismissing employees without giving advance notice.B) Checking employees’ online private messages at work.C) Monitoring employees’ performance on weekends.D) Closing employees’ social media during work hours.2. A) He did well in handling his clients’ queries.B) He created a private account for his fiancée.C) He won the case against his employer recently.D) He was fired because of breaking company rules.Questions 3 and 4 will be based on the following news item.3. A) It is widely used in Kenya.B) It has been increasing in value.C) It makes poor people’s life easier.D) It lowers the buying power of the rich.4. A) It is a non-profit group located in Nairobi, Kenya.B) It works hard on replacing the national currency system.C) It introduced a community currency to a village in Kenya.D) It makes a series of investigations on trade and jobs in Kenya.Questions 5 and 6 will be based on the following news item.5. A) Several states declared an economic emergency.B) Many women are too old to get pregnant.C) Some babies were born with brain defects.D) Birth rates have fallen down greatly.6. A) 10B) 29C) 2,400D) 3,1007. A) A mosquito-borne virus.B) A severe chest infection.C) The shortage of medicine.D) Bacteria from Latin America.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 thequestions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you mustchoose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C), and D).Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single linethrough the centre.Conversation OneQuestions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8. A) It is used by more people than English.B) It is more difficult to learn than English.C) It will be as commonly used as English.D) It will eventually become a world language.9. A) Its popularity with the common people.B) The effect of the Industrial Revolution.C) The influence of the British Empire.D) Its loan words from many languages.10. A) It has a growing number of newly coined words.B) It includes a lot of words from other languages.C) It is the largest among all languages in the world.D) It can be easily picked up by overseas travelers.11. A) The English grammar is quite easy.B) It is greatly influenced by French.C) It could be pronounced easily.D) It is attractive to England beginners.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. A) To place an order.B) To apply for a job.C) To return some goods.D) To make a complaint.13. A) He works on a part-time basis for the company.B) He has not worked in the sales department for long.C) He is not familiar with the exact details of the goods.D) He has become somewhat impatient with the woman.14. A) It is not his responsibility.B) It will be free for large orders.C) It depends on a number of factors.D) It costs￡15 more for express delivery.15. A) Make inquiries with some other companies.B) Report the information to her superior.C) Pay a visit to the saleswoman in charge.D) Ring back when she comes to a decision.Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear three passage. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will bespoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the bestanswer from the four choices marked A), B), C), and D). Then mark thecorresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1with a single line through thecentre.Passage OneQuestions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A) No one knows for sure when they came into being.B) No one knows exactly where they were first made.C) No one knows for what purpose they were invented.D) No one knows what they will look like in the future.17. A) Measure the speed of wind.B) Give warnings of danger.C) Pass on secret messages.D) Carry ropes across rivers.18. A) To find out the strength of silk for kites.B) To test the effects of the lightning rod.C) To prove that lightning is electricity.D) To protect houses against lightning.Passage TwoQuestions 19 to 22 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A) She was born with a talent for languages.B) She was tainted to be an interpreter.C) She can speak several languages.D) She enjoys teaching languages.20. A) They want to learn as many foreign languages as possible.B) They have an intense interest in cross-cultural interactions.C) They acquire an immunity to culture shock.D) They would like to live abroad permanently.21. A) She became an expert in horse racing.B) She learned to appreciate classical music.C) She was able to translate for a German sports judge.D) She got a chance to visit several European countries.22. A) Take part in a cooking competition.B) Taste the beef and give her comment.C) Teach vocabulary for food in English.D) Give cooking lessons on Western food.Passage ThreeQuestions 23 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.23. A) He had only a third-grade education.B) He once threatened to kill his teacher.C) He often helped his mother do housework.D) He grew up in a poor single-parent family.24. A) Careless.B) Stupid.C) Brave.D) Active.25. A) Watch educational TV programs only.B) Write two book reports a week.C) Help with housework.D) Keep a diary.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 wordbank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully beforemaking your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter.Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2with a single line through the center. You may not use any of the wordsin the bank more than once.Questions 26 to 35 are based on the following passage.Scholars of the information society are divided over whether social inequality decreases or increases in an information-based society. However, they generally agree with the idea that inequality in the information society is 26 different from that of an industrial society. As information progresses in society, the cause and structural nature of social inequality changes as well.It seems that the information society 27 the quantity of information available to the members of a society by revolutionizing the ways of using and exchanging information. But such a view is a 28 analysis based on the quantity of information supplied by various forms of the mass media. A different 29 is possible when the actual amount of information 30 by the user is taken into account. In fact, the more information 31 throughout the entire society, the wider the gap becomes between “information haves” and “information have-mo ts”, leading to digital divide.According to recent studies, digital divide has been caused by three major 32 class, sex, and generation. In terms of class, digital divide exists among different types of workers and between the upper and middle classes and the lower class. With 33 to sex, digital divide exists between men and women. The greatest gap, however, is between the Net-generation, 34 with personal computers and the Internet, and the older generation, 35 to an industrial society.A) accustomedB) acquiredC) assemblyD) attribute I) flowsJ) fundamentally K) interpretation L) passiveE) championsF) elementsG) expandsH) familiar M) regardN) respectively O) superficialSection 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 theparagraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information isderived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraphis marked with a letter. Answer the question by marking thecorresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.Joy: A Subject Schools LackBecoming educated should not require giving up pleasure.[A] When Jonathan Swift proposed, in 1729, that the people of Ireland eat theirchildren, he insisted it would solve three problems at once: feed the hungry masses, reduce the population during a severe depression, and stimulate the restaurant business. Even as a satire (讽刺), it seems disgusting and shocking in America with its child-centered culture. But actually, the country is closer to his proposal than you might think.[B] If you spend much time with educators and policy makers, you'll hear a lot of thefollowing words: “standards”,“results”,“skills”,“self-control”,“accountability”, and so on. I have visited some of the newer supposedly “effective” schools, where children shout slogans in order to learn self-control or must stand behind their desk when they can’t sit still.[C] A look at what goes on in most classrooms these days makes it abundantly clearthat when people think about education, they are not thinking about what it feels like to be a child, or what makes childhood an important and valuable stage of life in its own right.[D] I’m a mother of three, a teacher, and a developmental psychologist. So I’vewatched a lot of children-talking, playing, arguing, eating, studying, and being young. Here’s what I’ve come to understand. The thing that sets children apart from adults is not their ignorance, nor their lack of skills. It’s their enormous capacity for joy. Think of a 3-year-old lost in the pleasures of finding out what hecan and cannot sink in the bathtub, a 5-year-old beside herself with the thrill of putting together strings of nonsensical words with her best friends, or an 11-year-old completely absorbed in a fascinating comic strip. A child’s ability to become deeply absorbed in something, and derive intense pleasure from that absorption, is something adults spend the rest of their lives trying to return to.[E] A friend told me the following story. One day, when he went to get his 7-year-oldson from soccer practice, his kid greeted him with a downcast face and a sad voice.The coach had criticized him for not focusing on his soccer drills. The little boy walked out of the school with his head and shoulders hanging down. He seemed wrapped in sadness. But just before he reached the car door, he suddenly stopped, crouching (蹲伏) down to peer at something on the sidewalk. His face went down lower and lower, and then, with com plete joy he called out, “e here.This is the strangest bug I’ve ever seen. It has, like, a million legs. Look at this.It’s amazing.”He looked up at his father, his features overflowing with energy and delight. Can’t we stay here for just a minut e? I want to find out what he does with all those legs. This is the coolest ever.[F] The traditional view of such moments is that they constitute a charming butirrelevant byproduct of youth-something to be pushed aside to make room for more important qualities, like perseverance (坚持不懈), obligation, and practicality. Yet moments like this one are just the kind of intense absorption and pleasure adults spend the rest of their lives seeking. Human lives are governed by the desire to experience joy. Becoming educated should not require giving up joy but rather lead to finding joy in new kinds of things: reading novels instead of playing with small figures, conducting experiments instead of sinking cups in the bathtub, and debating serious issues rather than stringing together nonsense words, for example. In some cases, schools should help children find new, more grown-up ways of doing the same things that are constant sources of joy: making art, making friends, making decisions.[G] Building on a child’s abil ity to feel joy, rather than pushing it aside, wouldn't bethat hard. It would just require a shift in the education world’s mindset (思维模式). Instead of trying to get children to work hard, why not focus on getting them to take pleasure in meaningful, productive activity, like making things, working with others, exploring ideas, and solving problems? These focuses are not so different from the things in which they delight.[H] Before you brush this argument aside as rubbish, or think of joy as anunaffordable luxury in a nation where there is awful poverty, low academic achievement, and high dropout rates, think again. The more horrible the school circumstances, the more important pleasure is to achieving any educational success.[I] Many of the assignments and rules teachers come up with, often because they arepressured by their administrators, treat pleasure and joy as the enemies of competence and responsibility. The assumption is that children shouldn’t chat in the classroom because it hinders hard work; instead, they should learn to delay gratification (快乐) so that they can pursue abstract goals, like going to college.[J] Not only is this a boring and awful way to treat children, it makes no sense educationally. Decades of research have shown that in order to acquire skills and real knowledge in school, kids need to want to learn. You can force a child to stay in his or her seat, fill out a worksheet, or practice division. But you can’t force the child to think carefully, enjoy books, digest complex information, or develop a taste for learning. To make that happen, you have to help the child find pleasure in learning-to see school as a source of joy.[K] Adults tend to talk about learning as if it were medicine: unpleasant, but necessary and good for you. Why not instead think of learning as if it were food—something so valuable to humans that they have evolved to experience it asa pleasure?[L] Joy should not be trained out of children or left for after-school programs. The more difficult a child’s life circumstances, the more important it is for that child to find joy in his or her classroom. “Pleasure” is not a dirty word. And it doesn’t run counter to the goals of public education. It is, in fact, the precondition.36. It will not be difficult to make learning a source of joy if educators change theirway of thinking.37. What distinguishes children from adults is their strong ability to derive joy fromwhat they are doing.38. Children in America are being treated with shocking cruelty.39. It is human nature to seek joy in life.40. Grown-ups are likely to think that learning to children is what medicine is topatients.41. Bad school conditions make it all the more important to turn learning into a joyfulexperience.42. Adults do not consider children’s feelings when it comes to education.43. Administrators seem to believe that only hard work will lead children to theireducational goals.44. In the so-called “effective” schools, children are taught self-control under a set ofstrict rules.45. To make learning effective, educators have to ensure that children want to learn.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 fourchoices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choiceand mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single linethrough the centre.Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.When it’s five o’clock, people leave their office. The length of the workday, for many workers, is defined by time. They leave when the clock tells them they’re done.These days, the time is everywhere: not just on clocks or watches, but on cell-phones and computers. That may be a bad thing, particularly at work. New research shows that clock-based work schedules hinder morale (士气) and creativity.Clock-timers organize their day by blocks of minutes and hours. For example: a meeting from9 a.m.to 10 a.m. research from 10 a.m.to noon, etc. On the other hand, task-timers have a list of things they want to accomplish. They work down the list, each task starts when the previous task is completed. It is said that all of us employ a mix of both these types of planning.What, then, are the effects of thinking about time in these different ways? Does one make us more productive? Better at the tasks at hand? Happier? In experiments conducted by Tamar Avnet and Anne-Laure Sellier, they had participants organize different activities-from project planning, holiday shopping, to yoga-by time or to-do list to measure how they performed under “clock time” vs “task tinge.” They found clock timers to be more efficient but less happy because they felt little control over their lives. Task timers are happier and more creative, but less productive. They tendto enjoy the moment when something good is happening, and seize opportunities that come up.The researchers argue that task-based organizing tends to be undervalued and under-supported in business culture. Smart companies, they believe, will try to bake more task-based planning into their strategies.This might be a small change to the way we view work and the office, but the researchers argue that it challenges a widespread characteristic of the economy: work organized by clock time. While most people will still probably need, and be, to some extent, clock-timers, task-based timing should be used when performing a job that requires more creativity. It’ll make those tasks easier,and the task-doers will be happier.46. What does the author think of time displayed everywhere?A) It makes everybody time-conscious.B) It is a convenience for work and life.C) It may have a negative effect on creative work.D) It clearly indicates the fast pace of modern life.47. How do people usually go about their work according to the author?A) They combine clock-based and task-based planning.B) They give priority to the most urgent task on hand.C) They set a time limit for each specific task.D) They accomplish their tasks one by one.48. What did Tamar Avnet and Anne-Laure Sellier find in their experiments aboutclock-timers?A) They seize opportunities as they come up.B) They always get their work done in time.C) They have more control-over their lives.D) They tend to be more productive.49. What do the researchers say about today’s business culture?A) It does not support the strategies adopted by smart companies.B) It does not attach enough importance to task-based practice.C) It places more emphasis on work efficiency than on workers’ lives.D) It aims to bring employees’ potential and creativity into full play.50. What do the researchers suggest?A) Task-based timing is preferred for doing creative work.B) It is important to keep a balance between work and life.C) Performing creative jobs tends to make workers happier.D) A scientific standard should be adopted in job evaluation.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.Martha Stewart was charged, tried and convicted of a crime in 2004. As she neared the end of her prison sentence, a well-known columnist wrote that she was “paying her dues,” and that “there is simply no reason for anyone to attem pt to deny her right to start anew.”Surely, the American ideal of second chances should not be reserved only for the rich and powerful. Unfortunately, many federal and state laws impose post-conviction restrictions on a shockingly large number of Americans, who are prevented from ever fully paying their debt to society.At least 65 million people in the United States have a criminal record. This can result in severe penalties that continue long after punishment is completed.Many of these penalties are imposed regardless of the seriousness of the offense or the person’s individual circumstances. Laws can restrict or ban voting, access to public housing, and professional and business licensing. They can affect a person’s ability to get a job and qualification for benefits.In all, more than 45,000 laws and rules serve to exclude vast numbers of people from fully participating in American life.Some laws make sense. No one advocates letting someone convicted of pedophilia(恋童癖) work in a school. But too often collateral (随附的) consequences bear no relation to public safety. Should a woman who possessed a small amount of drugs years ago be permanently unable to be licensed as a nurse?These laws are also counterproductive, since they make it harder for people with criminal records to find housing or land a job, two key factors that reduce backsliding.A recent report makes several recommendations, including the abolition of most post-conviction penalties, except for those specifically needed to protect public safety. Where the penalties are not a must, they should be imposed only if the facts of a case support it.The point is not to excuse or forget the crime. Rather, it is to recognize that in America’s vast criminal justice system, second chances are crucial. It is in no one’s interest to keep a large segment of the population on the margins of society.51. What does the well-known columnist’s remark about Martha Stewart suggest?A) Her past record might stand in her way to a new life.B) Her business went bankrupt while she was in prison.C) Her release from prison has drawn little attention.D) Her prison sentence might have been extended.52. What do we learn from the second paragraph about many criminals in America?A) They backslide after serving their terms in prison.B) They are deprived of chances to turn over a new leaf.C) They receive severe penalties for committing minor offenses.D) They are convicted regardless of their individual circumstances.53. What are the consequences for many Americans with a criminal record?A) They remain poor for the rest of their lives.B) They are deprived of all social benefits.C) They are marginalized in society.D) They are deserted by their family.54. What does the author think of the post-conviction laws and rules?A) They help to maintain social stability.B) Some of them have long been outdated.C) They are hardly understood by the public.D) A lot of them have negative effects on society.55. What is the author’s main purpose in writing the passage?A) To create opportunities for criminals to reform themselves.B) To appeal for changes in America’s criminal justice system.C) To ensure that people with a criminal record live a decent life.D) To call people’s attention to prisoners’ conditions in America.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.中国父母往往过于关注孩子的学习，以至于不要他们帮忙做家务。
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2015年12月大学英语四级考试真题及解析(卷一) Part I Writing ( 30 minutes)For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay commenting on the saying “Learning is a daily experience and lifetime mission.”You can cite examples to illustrate the importance of lifelong learning. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Part II Listening Comprehension ( 30 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D), and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.1.A) They admire the courage of space explorers.B) They enjoyed the movie on space exploration.C) They were going to watch a wonderful movie.D) They like doing scientific exploration very much.2. A) At a gift shop.B) At a graduation ceremony.C) In the office of a travel agency.D) In a school library.3. A) He used to work in the art gallery.B) He does not have a good memory.C) He declined a job offer form the art gallery.D) He is not interested in any part-time jobs.4.A) Susan has been invited to give a lecture tomorrow.B) He will go to the birthday party after the lecture.C) The woman should have informed him earlier.D) He will be unable to attend the birthday party.5.A) Reward those having made good progress.B) Set a deadline for the staff to meet.C) Assign more workers to the project.D) Encourage the staff to work in small groups.6. A) The way to the visitor’s parking.B) The rate for parking in Lot C.C) How far away the parking lot is.D) Where she can leave her car.7. A) He regrets missing the classes.B) He plans to take the fitness classes.C) He is looking forward to a better life.D) He has benefited form exercise.8.A) How to ? work efficiency.B) How to select secretaries.C)The responsibilities of secretaries.D) The secretaries in the man’s company.Conversation OneQuestions 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.9.A) It is more difficult to learn than English.B) It is used by more people than English.C) It will be as commonly used as English.D) It will eventually become a world language.10.A) It has words words from many languages,B) Its popularity with the common people.C) The influence of the British Empire.D) The effect of the Industrial Revolution.11.A) It includes a lot of words form other languages.B) It has a growing number of newly coined words,C) It can be easily picked up by overseas travelers.D) It is the largest among all languages in the world.Conversation 2Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12.A) To return some goods.B) To apply for a job.C) To place an order.D) To make a complaint.13. A) He has become somewhat impatient with the woman.B) He is not familiar with the exact details of goods.C) He has not worked in the sales department for long.D) He works on a part-time basis for the company.14. A) It is not his responsibility.B) It will be free for large orders.C) It costs 15 more for express delivery.D) It depends on a number of factors.15.A) Report the information to her superior.B) Pay a visit to the saleswoman in charge.C) Ring back when she comes to a decision.D) Make inquiries with some other companies.Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D ). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet I with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A) No one knows exactly where they were ??B) No one knows for sure when thy came into being.C) No one knows for what purpose they were ?D) No one knows what they will17. A) Carry ropes across rivers.B) Measure the speed of wind.C) Pass on secret messages.D) Give warnings of danger.18. A) To protect houses against lightning.B) To test the effects of the lightning rod.C) To find out the strength of silk for kites.D) To prove the lightning is electricity.Passage TwoQuestions 19 to 22 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A) She enjoys teaching languages.B) She can speak several languages.C) She was trained to be an interpreter.D) She was born with a talent for languages.20. A) They acquire an immunity to culture shock.B) They would like to live abroad permanently.C) They want to learn as many foreign languages as possible.D) They have an intense interest in cross-cultural interactions.21.A) She became an expert in horse racing.B) She got a chance to visit several European countries.C) She was able to translate for a German sports judge.D) She learned to appreciate classical music.22. A) Taste the beef and give her comment.B) Take part in a cooking competition.C) Teach vocabulary for food in ??D) Give cooking lessons onPassage ThreeQuestions 23 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.23. A) He had only a third-grade education.B) He once threatened to kill his teacher.C) He grew up in a poorD) He often helped his24.A) Careless.B) Stupid.C) Brave.D) Active.25.A) Write two book reports a week.B) Keep a diary.C) Help with housework.D) Watch education?Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks with the exact words you have just heard. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.When you look up at the night sky, what do you see? There are other bodies out there besides the moon and stars. One of the most of this is a comet. Comets were formed around the same the earth was formed. They are made up of ice and other frozen liquids and gasses. these dirty snow balls begin to orbit the sun just as the planets do. As a comet gets closer to the sun, some gasses in it begin to unfreeze. They combine with dust particles from the comet to form a huge cloud. As the comet gets even nearer to the sun and solar wind blows the cloud behind the comet thus forming its tail. The tail and generally fuzzy atmosphere around the comet are that can help this phenomenon in the night sky. In any given year，about dozen known comets come close to the sun in their orbits. The average person can’t see them all of course. Usually there is only one or two a year bright enough to be seen with the _________eye. Comet Hale-Bopp discovered in 1995 was an unusually bright comet. Its orbit bought it _________to the earthwithin 122 million miles of it. But Hale-Bopp came a long way on its earthly visit. It won’t be back for another 4 thousand years or so.Part ШReading 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 36 to 45 are based on the following passage.For many Americans, 2013 ended with an unusually bitter cold spell. November and December 36 early snow and bone-chilling temperatures in much of the country, part of a year when, for the first time in two 37 , record-cold days will likely turn out to have outnumbered record-warm ones. But the U.S. was the exception; November was the warmest ever 38 , and current data indicates that 2013 is likely to have been the fourth hottest year on record.Enjoy the snow now, because 39 are good that 2014 will be even hotter, perhaps the hottest year since records have been kept. That’s because, scientists are predicting, 2014 will be an EI Niuo year.EI niuo, Spanish for “the child”, 40 when surface ocean waters in the southern Pacific become abnormally warm. So large is the Pacific, covering 30% of the planet’s surface, that the 41 energy generated by its warming is enough to touch off a series of weather changes around the world. EI Ninos are 42 with abnormally dry conditions in Southeast Asia and Australia. They can lead to extreme rain in parts of North and South America, even as southern Africa 43 dry weather. Marine life may be affected too; EI Ninos can 44 the rising of the cold, nutrient-rich(营养丰富的)water that supports large fish 45 ,and the unusually warm ocean temperatures can destroy coral(珊瑚).注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。