2014年12月英语四级真题:阅读--信息匹配汇总及答案
2014年12月英语四级答案及解析(第2套)
2014年12月四级真题答案详解(第2套)Part IWritingThe Most Impressive Course in My College Life写作指南本年度的作文文体比较自由,不再局限于议论文。
题目要求考生介绍自己“印象最深刻的一门课”,并阐述原因。
根据题目要求,文章的结构可安排如下:第一段:引出话题,指出大学的课程各有各的作用,但是“我”个人印象最深刻的一门课程是“文学鉴赏”。
第二段:具体描述该门课,注意重点介绍其特别之处,如老师独特的阅读及讨论要求。
第三段:简要说明自己学习该门课程后的收获,如锻炼了分析能力和批判思维能力。
范文与译文万能句型1.Among….the one that has impressed me mostis………之中.令我印象最为深刻的是……2.Among…,the one that has left me the deepestimpression is………之中.令我印象最为深刻的是……3.Among…,…has been very impressive onme.……之中,……确实令我印象深刻。
1.I find…quite beneficial as well as impressive,because…我觉得……不仅令我印象深刻,同时还让我受益匪浅.因为……2….is not only very beneficial but also impres-sive in that....…..不仅令人印象深刻,同时还让人受益匪浅,原因在于……3.I anl very much impressed by…while at thesame time benefit a lot from it.because…我对……印象深刻,并且从中受益匪浅,因为……写作模板In college,we(引出话题).Some(某类事物lare meant to(发挥的作用);others are de- signed to(发挥的另一种作用).Among all those(相关事物),the one that has impressed me most is(印象最深刻的事物).(该事物)is unique in thatf概述该事物的独特之处).(分点详述该事物的独特之处).I find(该事物)quite beneficial as well as impressive,because it(阐述原因l).Thanks to(该事物),I am now(阐述原因2).Part HListening ComprehensionSection A1. W: I ran into Sally the other day. I could hardly recognize her. Do you remember her fromhigh school?M: Yeah. She was a little out of shape back then. Well, has she lost a lot of weight? Q: What does the man remember of Sally?[C]【解析】男士说Sally当时体形有点不成样子,随后问“她是不是减肥了”,说明她当时体重超重,即C。
2014年12月大学英语四级考试试卷真题(汇总版)来源文
2014年12月大学英语四级考试试卷真题(汇总版)来源:文都教育PartⅡListening Comprehension(30minutes)Section ADirections:In this section,you will hear8short conversations and2long 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 Sheet1with a single line through the centre.注意:此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
1.A)She will go purchase the gift herself.B)The gift should not be too expensive.C)The man is not good at balancing his budget.D)They are going to Jane’s house-warming party.【答案】B)The gift should not be too expensive.2.A)It takes patience to go through the statistics.B)He has prepared the statistics for the woman.C)The woman should take a course in statistics.D)He is quite willing to give the woman a hand.【答案】D)He is quite willing to give the woman a hand.3.A)The man wants to make some changes in the scripts.B)The woman does not take the recording seriously.C)They cannot begin their recording right away.D)Page55is missing from the woman’s scripts.【答案】C)They cannot begin their recording right away.4.A)A significant event in July.B)Preparations for a wedding.C)The date of Carl’s wedding.D)The birthday of Carl’s bride.【答案】B)Preparations for a wedding.5.A)The man was in charge of scheduling meetings.B)The man was absent from the weekly meeting.C)The woman was annoyed at the man’s excuse.D)The woman forgot to tell the man in advance.【答案】C)The woman was annoyed at the man’s excuse.6.A)The woman is a marvelous cook.B)The man cannot wait for his meal.C)The woman has just bought an oven.D)The man has to leave in half an hour.7.A)Whether the man can keep his job.B)Where the man got the bad news.C)What items sell well in the store.D)How she can best help the man.8.A)The woman can sign up for a swimming class.B)He would like to teach the woman how to swim.C)The woman has the potential to swim like a fish.D)He works in the physical education department.Questions9to11are based on the conversation you have just heard.9.A)He is a wonderful lecturer.B)He is a diplomat.C)He loves classical music.D)He teaches in a law school.【答案】B)He is a diplomat.10.A)Attended a dance.B)Went to see a play.C)Took some photos.D)Watched a soccer game.【答案】D)Watched a soccer game.11.A)She decided to get married in three years.B)She insisted that Eric pursue graduate studies.C)Her father said she could marry Eric right away.D)Her mother objected to Eric’s flying lessons.【答案】C)Her father said she could marry Eric right away. Questions12to15are based on the conversation you have just heard.12.A)Teacher.B)Journalist.C)Editor.D)Typist.【答案】A)Teacher.13.A)The beautiful Amazon rainforests.B)A new railway under construction.C)Some newly discovered scenic spot.D)Big changes in the Amazon valley.【答案】C)Some newly discovered scenic spot.14.A)In news weeklies.B)In a local evening paper.C)In newspapers’Sunday editions.D)In overseas editions of U.S.magazines.【答案】C)In newspapers’Sunday editions.15.A)To become a professional writer.B)To be employed by a newspaper.C)To get her life story published soon.D)To sell her articles to a news service.【答案】D)To sell her articles to a news service.【短对话原文】1.M:take a look at this cater.Maybe we can find some gifts for Jean’s new house.W:Ok,but remember we can afford a lot.Q:what does the woman mean?2.W:I am absolutely going nowhere about this statistics.M:How about going through them with you?Q:what does the man mean?3.M:are you just starting the record,aren’t you?Let’s begin on Page55.W:Sorry.I am afraid I can begin right now.Q:What mean from the conversation?4.W:remember.Carl’s arriving is at226W:thanks to reminding me.I thought it would be sometime in July.Q:what are the speakers talking about?5.M:please excuse me for not attending the meeting yesterday.I am afraid I forgot to check the schedule.W:that’s all right.We have to rearrange the meeting at weekend.And everything went wrong.Q:what does it mean from the conversation.6.W:I didn’t fall sleep at least to5tomorrow.Q:what do we learn from the conversation?7.,M:I got some bad news today.The star we are in is going to fallW:I am going to let you go.Q:What does the woman want to know?8W:what’s wrong?You smell like a fish.M:......Q:what’s man mean?【长对话原文】Conversation1M:That’s Marria’s families and we want to be engaged.W:It’s wonderful,Erik!Congratulations!M:I really like her families,too,very nice.Ms Comona speaks four languages and Mr. Comona a diplomat.In fact,he gives the speech at the Saturday morning.W:OH,that’s was N’s father?I heard the speech.M:You did?W:Well,I heard part of it and listened to it for ten minutes,and then I fell asleep.I saw it was in class.Anyway,tell me about your weekend.M:Saturday evening we saw a play.And Sunday afternoon we saw the soccer game.Then Sunday night we all went out for dinner.Marria,her parents,and me.That was the first chance we had to talk.W:Would you know this?M:That’s first I was.We didn’t say ona told some good stories about his experiences as a diplomat and he asked about my hobbies.W:And what did you say?M:Well,I didn’t tell him about my flying lessons.I told him about my chess play and my classical music collection.W:Good idea!Her parents really approval of you.Don’t they?M:I guess so.Marria called this morning and said,”My father told me he’ll like you sunny right now”W:That was great.M:Not exactly.I want to get married after I graduated school in about three years.Q9:what does the conversation about Marria’s father?Q10:What does Marria and Erik do last Sunday afternoon?Q11:What do we learn from Marria’s phone call this morning?Conversation2M:You’re going to wear out computer’s keyboard.W:Oh,hi!M:Do you have any idea what time it is?W:About ten or ten thirty?M:It’s merely midnight.W:Really?I didn’t know it was so late.M:Don’t you have an early class to teach tomorrow morning?W:Yes,at seven o’clock,my computer class.The students go to work right after their lesson.M:Then you ought to go to bed.What are you writing anyway?W:An article,I hope I can sell.M:Oh,another view of newspaper pieces.What’s this one about?W:Do you remember the trip I took last month?M:The one up to the Amazon?W:Well,that’s what I’m writing about.The new high-way and the changes is making in the Amazon valley.W:It should be interesting.W:It is.I guess that’s why I forgot all about the time.M:How many articles have you solve now?W:About a dozen so far.M:What kind of newspapers by them?W:The paper is carrying a lot of foreign news.They usually appear in the big Sunday editions where they need a lot background stories to help develop the space between the ads.M:Is there any future in it?W:I hope so.There’s a chance I may sell this article to a news service.M:Then your papers will be published in several papers winter.W:that’s the idea.And they might even be able to do other stories the on a regular basis.M:That would be great.Q12:what is the woman’s occupation?Q13:what is the woman writing about?Q14:where did the woman’s articles usually appear?Q15:what does the woman expect?【短文理解原文】Passage1Body language,especially gestures,varies among cultures.For example,a node of the head means“yes”to most of us.But in Bulgaria and Greece a node means“no”and a shake of the head means“yes”.Likewise,a sign for OK,forming a circle with our forefinger and thumb,means zero in France and money in Japan.Waving or pointing to an Arab business person would be considered rude because that is how Arabs call their dogs over.Folded arms signal pride in Finland,but disrespect in Fiji.The number of bows that the Japanese exchange on greeting each other,as well as the length and the depth of the bows,signals the social status each party feels towards each other.Italians might think your bored unless you use a lot of gestures during discussions.Many American men sit with their legs crossed with one ankle resting over the opposite knee.However,this would be considered an insult in Muslim countries,where one will never show the sole of the foot to a gust.Likewise,Americans consider eye contact very important, often not trusting someone who is afraid to look at you in the eye.But in Japan and many Latin American countries,keeping the eyes lowered is a sign of respect.To look apart in the eye is considered a sign of ill breeding and is felt to be annoying.Q16:What gesture do Bulgarians and Greeks use to express negative responses?Q17:What is likely to offend Arab business people?Q18:What is considered impolite in Muslim countries?Passage1New Yorkers,albeit many of them grudgingly,are gradually getting used to more pedaling passengers on those blazing blue Citi Bikes.But what about local bike shops?Is Citi Bike rolling up riders at their expense?At Gotham Bikes in Tribeca,a manager who gave his name as“Ben W.”said the shop has seen an increase in its overall sales due to the bike-share program.“It’s getting more people on the road,more people learning about the sport and getting involved,”he said.An employee at Danny’s Cycles in Gramercy said Citi Bike is a good option for people to ease into biking in a city famed for its vehicular congestion and aggressive drivers.“They can try out a bike without committing to buying one,”James Ryan said.“It makes a more comfortable biking environment in the city because there are a lot more bikes,too.”Business at Danny’s Cycles has increased as well since the advent of bike-share.“A lot of people come in for bike gear,and we’ve sold a lot of helmets,”he noted.Rentals are not a big part of the business at either Gotham Bikes or Danny’s Cycles.But for Frank’s Bike Shop,a small business that has been at its current Lower East Side location on Grand St.since1976,the bike-share program has been bad news.Owner Frank Arroyo said that his rental business has decreased by90percent since the Citi Bikes were rolled out last month.Arroyo’s main rental customers are European tourists,a demographic that has since been drawn away by Citi Bikes.Initially,a bike-share station was sited a few doors away from Frank’s Bike Shop on the corner of Grand and Henry Sts.But a petition to relocate the bike station gathered more than1,000signatures.The Citi Bike dock was eventually removed—but only temporarily,according to the Citi Bike Twitter account,for utility construction in the street.“I was grateful,and it was quite an honor to see how many people responded on my behalf,”Arroyo said of the petition effort.“It was really nice to see that people care.But they have flooded the place with them,”he said of the Department of Transportation,which installs the bike racks.Removing one station does little since the area is overloaded with Citi Bike stations,said Arroyo.“If you put it in front of a hotel,customers are going to walk of the hotel and use it,”he said.However,Ben said the bike-share is good for bike sales at his shop.“People have used the bike-share and realized how great it is to bike in the city,then decide that they want something nicer for themselves,”he noted.Christian Farrell of Waterfront Bicycle Shop,on West St.just north of Christopher St.,said initially he was concerned about bike-share,though,he admitted,“I was happy to see people on bikes.”Consisting of equal parts tourists and locals,his customers get a better rental deal at his shop because,despite charging only$10for a daily rental,the bike-share program requires cyclists to check their bikes in at a bike station every half hour.His store,on the other hand,charges$10for the first hour,$5for the second,and$2.50per hour after that.“Six hours with Waterfront Bicycle Shop will cost a customer$25,”he said.“With Citi Bike, a six-hour rental will cost$126[if the rider doesn’t re-dock his or her bike at a station every half hour].Our rentals always include a helmet,a basket and a lock.”Several dozen rental bikes were lined up on Weehawken st Sunday behind the store. Benny,who was watching over them,said another advantage over the Citi Bikes is that Waterfront’s bikes are all in good working order.Farrell’s early concerns were echoed by Andrew Crooks,owner of NYCVelo,at64Second Ave.“It seemed like a great idea,but one that would be difficult to implement,”Crooks said of Citi Bike.He said he worried about inexperienced riders’lack of awareness of biking rules and backlash from non-cyclists.However,he said,it’s still too early to tell if his business has been impacted.The actual Citi Bikes themselves have been criticized as“heavy,”“clunky,”even“ugly.”In comparison,Crooks said NYC Velo has bikes that are“lighter,faster and tend to be more comfortable.”Farrell of Waterfront also said his bikes are of“better quality”than the bike-share two-wheelers.While it’s possible bike-share will cause a drop in business in the long run,Crooks allowed that the idea,as a whole,is good for the city.[原文解读]该文节选自The Villager,原题目为Bike store owners put their spin on new bike-share,题材为议论文。
2014年12月全国大学英语四级考试答案及解析(完整版)
听力部分短对话1.B He has not cleared the apartment since his mother’s visit.2.C They might as well take the next bus.3.C She has to do extra work for a few days.4.A change her job.5.D He failed to do what he promised to do.6.B The woman does not like horror films.7.C The speakers share a common view on love.8.A Preparations for a forum.长对话9. B Scandinavia10. D More women will work outside the family11. D Spend more time changing women’s attitudes12. A In a restaurant13. C He is the Managing Director of Jayal Motors14. B To get a good import agent15. D His determination短文第一篇16. What are scientists trying to explain according to the passage?答案:(A) How being an identical twin influences one’s identify.【点评】:细节题。
本篇文章开头即指出‘they(scientists) are trying to explain how being half of the biological pair influences a twin’s identity.’由此可知科学家一直试图想要解释双胞胎的身份人格是如何受到影响的。
2014年12月年大学英语四级(CET-4)考试真题(第二套)
2014年12月大学英语四级考试真题(第2套)Part I Writing (30 minutes) Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay about a course that has impressed you most in college. You should state the reasons and 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)The man is not good at balancing his budget.B)She will go purchase the gift herself.C)The gift should not be too expensive.D)They are going to Jane^ house-warming party.2.A)He is quite willing to give the woman a hand.B)It takes patience to go through the statistics.C)He has prepared the statistics for the woman.D)The woman should take a course in statistics.3.A)Page 55 is missing from the woman’s scripts.B)They cannot begin their recording right away.C)The woman does not take the recording seriously.D)The man wants to make some changes in the scripts.4.A)The date of Carl’s wedding.C) A significant event in July.B)The birthday of Carl’s bride.D) Preparations for a wedding.5.A)The woman forgot to tell the man in advance.B)The man was absent from the weekly meeting.C)The woman was annoyed at the man’s excuse.D)The man was in charge of scheduling meetings.6.A)The woman is a marvelous cook. C) The man has to leave in half an hour.B)The woman has just bought an oven. D) The man cannot wait for his meal.7.A)How she can best help the man. C) What items sell well in the store.B)Where the man got the bad news. D) Whether the man can keep his job.8.A)The woman can sign up for a swimming class.B)He works in the physical education department.C)The woman has the potential to swim like a fish.D)He would like to teach the woman how to swim.Questions 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.9.A) He teaches in a law school. C) He is a diplomat.B)He loves classical music. D) He is a wonderful lecturer.10. A) Went to see a play. C) Took some photos.B) Watched a soccer game. D) Attended a dance.11. A) She decided to get married in three years.B)Her mother objected to Eric’s flying lessons.C)She insisted that Eric pursue graduate studies.D)Her father said she could marry Eric right away.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12.A) Editor. C) Journalist.B)Teacher. D) Typist.13.A) The beautiful Amazon rainforests. C) Big changes in the Amazon valley.B) A new railway under construction. D) In a local evening paper.14.A) In news weeklies. C) In a local evening paper.B) In newspapers5 Sunday editions. D) In overseas editions of U. S. magazines.15.A) To be employed by a newspaper. C) To sell her articles to a news service.B) To become a professional writer. D) To get her life story published soon.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 1 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneSection 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.than a few years.[I] In a survey of older workers who were laid off during the recession, just one in six had found another job, and half of that group had accepted pay cuts. 14% of the re-employed said the pay in their new job was less than half what they earned in their previous job. “I just say to myself:‘ Why me? What have I done to deserve this?’ ’’ said John Agati, 56,whose last full-time job, as a product developer, ended four years ago when his employer went out of business. That position paid $90,000, and his resume lists jobs at companies like American Express, Disney and USA Networks. Since being laid off, though, he has worked a series of part-time, low-wage, temporary positions, including selling shoes at Lord & Taylor and making sales calls for a car company.[J] The last few years have taken a toll not only on his family’s finances, but also on his feelings of self- worth. “You just get sad,” Mr. Agati said. “I see people getting up in the morning, going out to their careers and going home. I just wish I was doing that. Some people don’t like their jobs, or they have problems with their jobs, but at least they’re working. I just wish I was in their shoes.” He said he cannot afford to go back to school, as many younger people without jobs have done. Even if he could afford it, economists say it is unclear whether older workers like him benefit much from more education.[K] “It just doesn’t make sense to offer retraining for people 55 and older,” said Daniel Hamermesh, an economics professor. “Discrimination by age, long-term unemployment, and the fact that they’ve now at the end of the hiring queue just don’t make it sensible to invest in them.”[L] Many displaced older workers are taking this message to heart and leaving the labor force entirely. The share of older people applying for Social Security early rose quickly during the recession as people sought whatever income they could find. The penalty they will pay is permanent, as retirees who take benefits at age 62 will receive as much as 30% less in each months check for the rest of their lives than they would if they had waited until full retirement age (66 for those born after 1942).[M] Those not yet qualified for Social Security are increasingly applying for another, comparable kind of income support that often goes to people who expect never to work again:disability benefits. More than one in eight people in their late 50 s is now on some form of federal disability insurance program, according to Professor Mark Duggan at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.[N] The very oldest Americans, of course, were battered by some of the same ill winds that tormented (折磨)those now nearing retirement, but at least the most senior were cushioned by a more readily available social safety net. More important, in a statistical twist, they may have actually benefited from the financial crisis in the most fundamental way: longer lives.[O] Death rates for people over 65 have historically fallen during recessions, according to a November 2011 study by economists at the University of California, Davis. Why? The researchers argue that weak job markets push more workers into accepting relatively undesirable work at nursing homes, leading to better care for residents.46.Greater mobility puts younger people at an advantage in seeking new jobs.47.Many of the older workers laid off during the recession had to accept lower pay in their new jobs.48.Those who lose their jobs shortly before retirement age live a shorter-than-average life.49.Seniors at nursing homes could benefit from the weak job market.50.Age discrimination in employment makes it pointless retraining older workers.51.According to recent reports and data analyses, boomers suffer most from the weak economy.52.Unemployed boomers are at a disadvantage in job-hunting because employers tend to hire younger workers.53.People in their fifties and early sixties bear the heaviest family burdens.54.People who take benefits from Social Security before official retirement age will get much less for the restof their lives.55.Older workers5 choice of jobs can be limited because of disability.Section CDirections:There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D).You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.New Yorkers are gradually getting used to more pedaling (骑车的) passengers on those shining blue Citi Bikes. But what about local bike shops? Is Citi Bike rolling up riders at their expense?At Gotham Bikes in Tribeca, manager W. Ben said the shop has seen an increase in its overall sales due to the bike-share program. “ It’s getting more people on the road,’’ he said. James Ryan, an employee at Danny’s Cycles in Gramercy also said Citi Bike is a good option for people to ease into biking in a city famed for its traffic jams and aggressive drivers. “They can try out a bike without committing to buying one,” he said.Rentals are not a big part of the business at either Gotham Bikes or Danny’s Cycles. But for Frank’s Bike Shop, a small business on Grand St. , the bike-share program has been bad news. Owner Frank Arroyo said his rental business has decreased by 90% since Citi Bike was rolled out last month. Arroyo’s main rental customers are European tourists, who have since been drawn away by Citi Bikes.However, Ben said the bike-share is good for bike sales at his shop. People have used the bike- share and realized how great it is to bike in the city, then decide that they want something nicer for themselves,’’ he noted.Christian Farrell of Waterfront Bicycle Shop, on West St. just north of Christopher St. , said initially he was concerned about bike-share, though, he admitted, “ I was happy to see people on bikes.”Farrell’s early concerns were echoed by Andrew Crooks, owner of NYC Velo, at 64 Second Ave. “It seemed like a great idea, but one that would be difficult to implement,” Crooks said of Citi Bike. He said he worried about inexperienced riders’ lack of awareness of biking rules and strong negative reaction from non-cyclists. However, he said, ifs still too early to tell if his business has been impacted.While it’s possible bike-share will cause a drop in business, Crooks allowed that the idea is a positive step forward for New York City.56.What is the author’s chief concern about the increasing use of Citi Bikes in New York?A)How non-cyclists will respond to it.B)Whether local bike shops will suffer.C)Whether local bike businesses will oppose it.D)How the safety of bike riders can be ensured.57.What happened to Gotham Bikes as a result of the bike-share program?A) It found its bike sales unaffected.C) It saw its bike sales on the rise.B) It shifted its business to rentals.D) It rented more bikes to tourists.58.Why is the bike-share program bad news for Franks Bike Shop?A)It cannot meet the demand of the bike-share program.B)Its customers have been drawn away by Citi Bikes.C)Its bike prices have to be lowered again and again.D)It has to compete with the city’s bike rental shops.59.Why did Andrew Crooks think that the bike-share program would be difficult to execute?A)Inexperienced riders might break biking rules.B)Conflicts might arise among bike rental shops.C)Traffic conditions might worsen in the downtown area.D)There are not enough lanes to accommodate the bikes.60.What is the general attitude of local bike shops towards Citi Bike?A) Wait-and-see. B) Negative.C) Indifferent.D) Approving.Passage TwoQuestions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.Various studies have shown that increased spending on education has not led to measurable improvements in learning. Between 1980 and 2008, staff and teachers at US public schools grew roughly twice as fast as students. Yet students showed no additional learning in achievement tests.Universities show similar trends of increased administration personnel and costs without greater learning, as documented in Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa’s recent book Academically Adrift:Limited Learning on College Campuses.A survey shows that 63% of employers say that recent college graduates don’t have the skills they need to succeed and 25% of employers say that entry-level writing skills are lacking.Some simplistically attribute the decline in our public education system to the drain of skilled students by private schools, but far more significant events were at work.Public schools worked well until about the 1970s. In fact, until that time, public schools provided far better education than private ones. It was the underperforming students who were thrown out of public schools and went to private ones.A prominent reason public schools did well was that many highly qualified women had few options for working outside the house other than being teachers or nurses. They accepted relatively low pay, difficult working conditions, and gave their very best.Having such a large supply of talented women teachers meant that society could pay less for their services. Womens liberation opened up new professional opportunities for women, and, over time, some of the best left teaching as a career option, bringing about a gradual decline in the quality of schooling.Also around that time, regulations, government, and unions came to dictate pay, prevent adjustments, and introduce bureaucratic (官僚的)standard for advancement. Large education bureaucracies and unions came to dominate the landscape, confusing activity with achievement. Bureaucrats regularly rewrite curriculums, talk nonsense about theories of education, and require ever more administrators. The end result has been that, after all the spending, students have worse math and reading skills than both their foreign peers and earlier generations spending far less on education— as all the accumulating evidence now documents.61.What do we learn from various studies on America’s public education?A)Achievement tests have failed to truly reflect the quality of teaching.B)Public schools lack the resources to compete with private schools.C)Little improvement in education has resulted from increased spending.D)The number of students has increased much faster than that of teachers.62.How do some people explain the decline in public education?A)Government investment does not meet schools’ needs.B)Skilled students are moving to private schools.C)Qualified teachers are far from adequately paid.D)Training of students, basic skills is neglected.63. What was a significant contributor to the past glory of public schools?A)Well-behaved students.C)Talented women teachers.B)Efficient administration.D)Generous pay for teachers.64.Why did some of the best women teachers leave teaching?A)New career opportunities were made available to them by women’s liberation.B)Higher academic requirements made it difficult for them to stay in their jobs.C)They were unhappy with the bureaucratic administration in their schools.D)The heavy teaching loads left them little time and energy for family life.65.What does the author think is one of the results of government involvement in education?A)Increasing emphasis on theories of education.B)Highly standardized teaching methods.C)Students’ improved academic performance.D)An ever-growing number of administrators.Part IV Translation (30 minutes) Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.中国的互联网社区是全世界发展最快的。
2014年12月英语四级真题答案及点评
2014年12月英语四级真题答案及点评(沪江版)新浪教育2014年12月20日全国大学英语四级考试已结束,本次考试为多题多卷,新浪外语第一时间收集整理不同版本试题,供考生参考,以下是新浪网教育频道第一时间收集整理不同版本试题,供考生参考,以下为沪江网校提供的四级试题及参考答案汇总:一、四级作文参考范文:大学里最难忘的课(沪江网校版)When talking about the course which impresses me the most, I will certainly choose Basic Chemical Experiment. As a student of science, I am always fascinated with the magic in test tubes, and from this course I gained more than pure knowledge。
To begin with, this course provides us opportunities to put theories into practices. The experiments helped us testify and better understand what we have learned in books. Besides, by designing experimental procedures of own, we became more flexible and innovative。
Moreover, I also developed other skills that required outside labs through this course. For example, to be focused and careful when proceeding a task, to be patient and calm when facing failures, and to communicate properly when you need someone else to cooperate. These can be very valuable assets to your life。
2014年12月英语四级真题及答案(二卷)(文字版)
2014年12月英语四级真题及答案(二卷) 2014年12月CET4真题及答案(二卷)(文字版)Part II Listening(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 I with a single line through the centre.Question 1A.At a groceryB.In a parking lotC.In a car showroomD.At a fast food restaurant2、A.Have a little nap after lunchB.Get up and take a short walkC.Change her position now and thenD.Stretch legs before standing up Question3A.The students should practice long-distance runningB.He doesn’t quite believe what the woman saysC.The students’ physical condition is not desirableD.He thinks the race is too hard for the studentsQuestion 4A.They do not want to have a baby at presentB.They cannot afford to get married right nowC.They are both pursuing graduate studiesD.They will get their degrees in two yearsQuestion 5A.Twins usually have a lot in commonB.He must have been mistaken for JackC.Jack is certainly not as healthy as he isD.He has not seen Jack for quite a few daysQuestion 6A.The man will take the woman wo the museumB.The man knows where the museum is locatedC.The woman is asking the way at the crossroadsD.The woman will attend the opening of the museumQuestion 7A.They cannot ask the guy to leaveB.The guy has been coming in for yearsC.They should not look down upon the guyD.The guy must be feeling extremely lonelyQuestion 8A.Collect timepiecesB.Become time-consciousC.Learn to mend locksD.Keep track of his daily activitiesQuestions 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard. Question 9A.It winds its way to the seaB.It is quickly risingC.It is eating into its banksD.It is wide and deepQuestion 10A.Get the trucks over to the other side of the riverB.Take the equipment apart before being ferriedC.Reduce the transport cost as much as possible.D.Try to speed up the operation by any meansQuestion 11A.Ask the commander to send a helicopterB.Halt the operation until further ordersC.Cut trees and build rowing boatsD.Find as many coats as possibleQuestions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard. Question 12A.Help him join an Indian expeditionB.Talk about his climbing experiencesC.Give up mountain climbing altogetherD.Save money to buy climbing equipmentQuestion 13A.He was very strict with his childrenB.He climbed mountains to earn a livingC.He had an unusual religious backgroundD.He was the first to conquer Mt. QomolangmaQuestion 14A.They are like humansB.They are sacred placesC.They are to be protectedD.They are to be conqueredQuestion 15A.It was his father’s training that pilled him throughB.It was a milestone in his mountain climbing careerC.It was his father who gave him the strength to succeedD.It helped him understand the Sherpa view of mountainsSection 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 OneQuestion 16A. By reviewing what he has said previouslyB.By comparing memorandums with lettersC.By showin g a memorandum’ s structureD.By analyzing the organization of a letterQuestion 17A.They spent a lot of time writing memorandumsB.They seldom read a memorandum through to the endC.They placed emphasis on the format of memorandumsD.They ignored many of the memorandums they received.Question 18A.Style and wordingB.Structure and lengthC.Directness and clarityD.Simplicity and accuracyPassage TwoQuestions 19 to 22 are based on the passage you have just heard. Question 19A.Accurate datingB.Professional lookC.Direct statement of purposeD.Inclusion of appropriate humorQuestion20A.They give top priority to their work efficiencyB.They make an effort to lighten their workloadC.They never change work habits unless forced toD.They try hard to make the best use of their timeQuestion 21A.Self-confidenceB.Sense of dutyC.Work efficiencyD.Passion for workQuestion 22A.They are addicted to playing online gamesB.They try to avoid work whenever possibleC.They find to pleasure in the work they doD.They simply have no sense of responsibilityPassage ThreeQuestions 23 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard. Question 23A.He lost all his propertyB.He was sold to a circusC.He was forced into slaveryD.He ran away from his familyQuestion 24A.A carpenterB.A businessmanC.A master of hisD.A black drummerQuestion 25A.It named its town hall after Solomon NorthupB.It declared July 24 Solomon Northup DayC.It freedom all blacks in the town from slaveryD.It hosted a reunion for the Northup familySection 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. Section CIntolerance is the art of ignoring any views that differ from your own. It(26)_____ itself a hatred. Stereotypes, prejudice, and(27)_____.Once it intensifies in people, intolerance is nearly impossible to overcome. But why would anyone want to be labeled intolerant. Why would people want to be (28)_____about the world around them? Why would one want to be part of the problem in America, instead of the solution?There are many explanations for intolerant attitudes, some (29)_____ childhood. It is likely that intolerant folks grew up (30)_____ intolerant parents and the cycle of prejudice has simply continued for (31)_____. Perhaps intolerant people are so set in their ways that they find it easier to ignore anything that might not (32)_____ their limited view of life. Or maybe intolerant students have simply never been (33)_____ to anyone different form themselves. But none of these reason is an excuse for allpwing the intolerance to continue. Intolerance should not be confused with disagreement.It is,of course,possible as diasgree with an opinion without being intolerant of it.If you understand a belief but still don't believe in that specific belief,that's fine.You are (34)_____ your opinion.As a matter offact.(35)_____ disseniers(持异议者)are important for any belief.If we all believed the same things.we would never grow,and we would never learn about the world around us,does not stem frim disagreement.It stems from fear,And fear stems from fear.And fear stems from ignorance.答案:26.manifests27.discrimination28.uninformed29.dating back to30.imitating31.generations32.conform to33.exposed34.entitled to35.knowledgeablePart III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)Section AHis future subjects have not always treated the Prince of Wales with the respect one XXXX expect. They laughed aloud in 1986 when the heir to the British(36)_____ told a TV reporter that he talked to his plants at his country house, Highgrove, to stimulate their growth. The Prince was being humorous- “My sense of humor will get me into trouble one day”, he said to his aids(随从)-but listening to Charles Windsor can indeed prove stimulating. The royal(37)_____ has been promoting radical ideas for most of his adult life. Some of his(38)_____, which once sounded a bit weird, were simply ahead of their time. Now, finally, the world seems to be catching up with him. Take his views on farming. Prince Charles’ Duchy Home Farm went(39)_____ back in 1986. When most shoppers cared only about the low price tag on suspiciously blemish-free(无瑕疵的) vegetablesand(40)_____ large chickens piled high in supermarkets.His warnings on climate change proved farsighted,too.Charles began(41)_____ action in warming in 1990 and says he has been worried about the(42)_____ of man on the environment same be was a teenger.Although he was gradually gained international(43)_____ as one of the world's lending conservationists,many British people still think of him as an(44)_____ person who talks to plants.This year,as it happens,South Korean scientists proved that plants reallydo(45)_____ to round.So Charles was ahead of the game there,too.A.conformB.eccentricC.environmentalistD.expeditionsE.impactF.notionsanicH.originallyI.recognitionJ.respondK.subordinateL.suppressingM.throneN.unnaturallyO.urgingSection 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. High School Sports Aren’t Killing AcademicsA)In this month’s Atlantic cover article, “The Case Against High-School Sports,” Amanda Ripley argues that school-sponsored sports programs should be seriously cut. She writes that, unlike most countries that outperform the United States on international assessments, American schools put too much of an emphasis on athletics, “ Sports are embedded in American schools in a way they are not al most anywhere else,” she writes, “Yet this difference hardly ever comes up in domestic debates about America’s international mediocrity(平庸)in education.”B)American student-athletes reap many benefits from participating in sports, but the costs to the schools could outweigh their benefits, she argues, In particular, Ripley contends that sports crowd out the academic missions of schools: America should learn from South Korea and Finland and every other country at the top level of international test scores, all of whom emphasize athletics far less in school. ”Even in eighth grade, American kids spend more than twice the time Korean kids spend playing sports,” she writes, citing a 2010 study published in the Journal of Advanced Academics.C)It might well be true that sports are far more rooted in American high schools than in other countries. But our reading of international test scores finds no support for the argument against school athletics. Indeed, our own research and that of others lead us tomake the opposite case. School-sponsored sports appear to provide benefits that seem to increase, not detract(减少)from, academic success.D)Ripley indulges a popular obsession(痴迷)with international test score comparisons, which show wide and frightening gaps between the United States and other countries. She ignores, however, the fact that states vary at least as much in test scores as do developed countries. A 2011 report from Harvard University shows that Massachusetts produces math scores comparable to South Korea and Finland, while Mississippi scores are closer to Trinidad and Tobago. Ripley’s thesis about sports falls apart in light of this fact. Schools in Massachusetts provide sports programs while schools in Finland do not. Schools in Mississippi may love football while in Tobago interscholastic sports are nowhere near as prominent. Sports cannot explain these similarities in performance. They can’t explain international differences either.E)If it is true that sports undermine the academic mission of American schools, we would expect to see a negative relationship between the commitment to athletics and academic achievement. However, the University of Arkansas’s Daniel Bowen and Jay Greene actually find the opposite. They examine this relationship by analyzing schools’ sports winning percentages as well as student-athletic participation rates compared to graduation rates and standardized test score achievement over a five-year period for all public high schools in Ohio. Controlling for student poverty levels, demographics(人口统计状况), and district financial resources, both measures of a school’s commitment to athletics are significantly and positively related to lower dropout rates as well as higher test scores.F)On-the-field success and high participation in sports is not random-it requires focus and dedication to athletics. One might think this would lead schools obsessed with winning to deemphasize academics. Bowen and Greene’s results contradict that argument. A likely explanation for this seemingly counterintuitive(与直觉相反的)result is that success in sports programs actually facilitates or reflects greater social capital within a school’s community.G)Ripley cites the writings of renowned sociologist James Coleman, whose research in education was groundbreaking. Coleman in his early work held athletics in contempt, arguing that they crowded out schools’ academic missions. Ripley quotes his 1961 study, The Adolescent Society, where Coleman writes, “Altogether, the trophy(奖品)case wouldsuggest to the innocent visitor that he was entering an athletic club, not an educational institution.”H)However, in later research Coleman would show how the success of schools is highly dependent on what he termed social capital, “the social networks, and the relationships between adul ts and children that are of value for the child’s growing up.”I)According to a 2013 evaluation conducted by the Crime Lab at the University of Chicago,a program called Becoming a Man-Sports Edition creates lasting improvements in the boys’ study habits a nd grade point averages. During the first year of the program, students were founds to be less likely to transfer schools or be engaged in violent crime. A year after the program, participants were less likely to have had an encounter with the juvenile justice system.J)If school-sponsored sports were completely eliminated tomorrow, many American students would still have opportunities to participate in organized athletics elsewhere, much like they do in countries such as Finland, Germany, and South Korea. The same is not certain when it comes to students from more disadvantaged backgrounds. In an overview of the research on non-schoolbased after-school programs, researchers find that disadvantaged children participate in these programs at significantly lower rates. They find that low-income students have less access due to challenges with regard to transportation, non-nominal fees, and off-campus safety. Therefore, reducing or eliminating these opportunities would most likely deprive disadvantaged students of the benefits from athletic participation, not least of which is the opportunity to interact with positive role models outside of regular school hours.K)Another unfounded criticism that Ripley makes is bringing up the stereotype that athletic XX are typically lousy(蹩脚的)classroom teachers. “American principals, unlike the XX XX of principals around the world, make many hiring decisions with their sports teams in mind, which does not always end well for students,” she writes. Educators who seek employme nt at schools primarily for the purpose of coaching are likely to shirk(推卸)teaching responsibilities, the argument goes. Moreover, even in the cases where the employee is a teacher first and athletic coach second, the additional responsibilities that come with coaching likely comes at the expense of time otherwise spent on planning, grading, and communicating with parents and guardians.L)The data, however, do not seem to confirm this stereotype. In the most rigorous study on the classroom results of high s chool coaches, the University of Arkansas’s Anna Egalite finds that athletic coaches in Florida mostly tend to perform just as well as their non-coaching counterparts, with respect to raising student test scores. We do not doubt that teachers who also coach face serious tradeoffs that likely come at the expense of time they could dedicate to their academic obligations. However, as with sporting events, athletic coaches gain additional opportunities for communicating and serving asmentors(导师)that potentially help students succeed and make up for the costs of coaching commitments.M)If schools allow student-athletes to regularly miss out on instructional time for the sake of traveling to athletic competitions, that’s bad. However, such issues would be better addressed by changing school and state policies with regard to the scheduling of sporting events as opposed to total elimination. If the empirical evidence points to anything, it points towards school sponsored sports providing assets that are well worth the costs.N)Despite negative stereotypes about sports culture and Ripley’s presumption that academics and athletics are at odds with one another, we believe that the greater body of evidence shows that school-sponsored sports programs appear to benefit students. Successes on the playing field can carry over to the classroom and vice versa(反之亦然). More importantly, finding ways to increase school communities’ social capital is imperative to the success of the school as whole, not just the athletes.46.Stunets from low-income families have less access to off-campus sports programs.47.Amanda Ripley argues that America should learn from other countries that rank high in international tests and lay less emphasis on athletics.48.According to the author,Amanda Ripley fails to note that stunents'performance in exams varies from state to state.49.Amanda Ripley thinks that athletic coaches are poor at classroom instruction.50.James Coleman's later resrarch make an argument for a school's social capital.51.Reaearchers find that there is a ppsitive relationship between a school's commitment to athletics and academic achievements.52.Aa rigorous study finds that athletic coaches also do well in raising students'test scores.53.According to an evaluation,spograms contribute to students's academic preformance and character building.54.Amanda Ripley believes the emphasis on school sports shuold be brought up when trying to understand why Aamerican students are mediocre.55.James Coleman suggests in his earlier writings that school athletics would undermine a school's image.Section CDirections: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. . You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage oneIt is easy to miss amid the day-to-day headlines of global economic recession, but there is a less conspicuous kind of social upheaval(剧变)underway that is fast altering both the face of the planet and the way human beings live. That change is the rapid acceleration of urbanization. In 2008, for the first time in human history, more than half the world’s population was living in towns and cities. And as a recently published paper shows, the process of urbanization will only accelerate in the decades to come—with an enormous impact on biodiversity and potentially on climate change.As Karen Seto, the led author of the paper, points out, the wave of urbanization isn’t just about the migration of people into urban environments, but about the environments themselves becoming bigger to accommodate all those people. The rapid expansion of urban areas will have a huge impact on biodiversity hotspots and on carbon emissions in those urban areas.Humans are the ultimate invasive species—when the move into new territory, the often displace the wildlife that was already living there. And as land is cleared for those new cities—especially in the dense tropical forests—carbon will be released into the atmosphere as well. It’s true that as people in developing nations move from the countryside to the city, the shift may reduce the pressure on land, which could in turn be good for the environment. This is especially so in desperately poor countries, where residents in the countryside slash and burn forests each growing season to clear space for farming. But the real difference is that in developing nations, the move from rural areas to cities often leads to an accompanying increase in income — and that increase leads to an increase in the consumption of food and energy, which in turn causes a rise in carbon emissions. Getting enough to eat and enjoying the safety and comfort of living fully on the grid is certainly a good thing — but it does carry an environmental price. The urbanization wave can’t be stopped —and it shouldn’t be. But Seto’s paper does underscore the importance of managing that transition. If we do it the right way, we can reduceurb anization’s impact on the environment. “There’s an enormous opportunity here, and a lot of pressure and responsibility to think about how we urbanize,” says Seto. “One thing that’s clear is that we can’t build cities the way we have over the last couple of hundredyears. The scale of this transition won’t allow that.” We’re headed towards an urban planet no matter what, but whether it becomes heaven or hell is up to us.56. What issue does the author try to draw people’s attention to?A. The shrinking biodiversity worldwide.B. The rapid increase of world population.C. The ongoing global economic recession.D. The impact of accelerating urbanization.57. In what sense are humans the ultimate invasive species?A. They are much greedier than other species.B. They are a unique species born to conquer.C. They force other species out of their territories.D. They have an urge to expand their living space.58. In what way is urbanization in poor countries good for the environment?A. More land will be preserved for wildlife.B. The pressure on farmland will be lessened.C. Carbon emissions will be considerably reduced.D. Natural resources will be used more effectively.59. What does the author say about living comfortably in the city?A. It incurs a high environmental price.B. It brings poverty and insecurity to an end.C. It causes a big change in people’s lifestyle.D. It narrows the gap between city and country.60. What can be done to minimize the negative impact of urbanization according to Seto?A. Slowing down the speed of transition.B. Innovative use of advanced technology.C. Appropriate management of the process.D. Enhancing people’s sense of responsibility.Passage TwoWhen Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg launched in Feb. 2004, even he could not imagine the forces it would let loose. His intent was to connect college students. Facebook, which is what this website rapidly evolved into, ended up connecting the world. To the children of this connected era, the world is one giant social network. They are not bound — as were previous generations of humans — by what they were taught. They are only limited by their curiosity and ambition. During my childhood, all knowledge was local. You learned everything you knew from your parents, teachers, preachers, and friends.With the high-quality and timely information at their fingertips, today’s children are rising normally tame middle class is speaking up against social ills. Silicon Valley executives are being shamed into adding women to their boards. Political leaders are marshalling the energy of millions for elections and political causes. All of this is being done with social media technologies that Facebook and its competitors set free.As does every advancing technology, social media has created many new problems. It is commonly addictive and creates risks for younger users. Social media is used by extremists in the Middle East and elsewhere to seek and brainwash recruits. And it exposes us and our friends to disagreeable spying. We may leave our lights on in the house when we are on vacation, but through social media we tell criminals exactly where we are, when we plan to return home, and howtoblackmail(敲诈)us.;Governmentsdon’tneedinfo;Themarketersarealsoseein;Regardlessofwhatsocialme;61.WhatwasthepurposeofFa;A.Tohelpstudentsconnectw;B.Tobringuniversitystude;C.Tohelphow to blackmail(敲诈)us.Governments don’t need informers any more. Social media allows government agencies to spy on their own citizens. We record our thoughts, emotions, likes and dislikes on Facebook; we share our political views, social preferences, and plans. We post intimate photographs of ourselves. No spy agency or criminal organization could actively gather the type of data that we voluntarily post for them.The marketers are also seeing big opportunities. Amazon is trying to predict what we will order. Google is trying to judge our needs and wants based on our social-media profiles. We need to be aware of the risks and keep working to alleviate the dangers.Regardless of what social media people use, one thing is certain: we are in a period of accelerating change. The next decade will be even more amazing and unpredictable than the last. Just as no one could predict what would happen with social media in the last decade, no one can accurately predict where this technology will take us. I am optimistic, however, that a connected humanity will find a way to uplift itself.61. What was the purpose of Facebook when it was first created?A. To help students connect with the outside world.B. To bring university students into closer contact.C. To help students learn to live in a connected era.D. To combine the world into an integral whole.62. What difference does social media make to learning?A. Local knowledge and global knowledge will merge.B. Student will become more curious and ambitious.C. People are able to learn wherever they travel.D. Sources of information are greatly expanded.63. What is the author’s greatest concern with social media technology?A. Individuals and organizations may use it for evil purposes.B. Government will find it hard to protect classified information.C. People may disclose their friends’ information unintentionally.D. People’s attention will be easily distractedfrom their work in hand.64. What do businesses use social media for?A. Creating a good corporate image.B. Conducting large-scale market surveys.C. Anticipating the needs of customers.D. Minimizing possible risks and dangers.65. What does the author think of social media as a whole?A. It will enable human society to advance at a faster pace.B. It will pose a grave threat to our traditional ways of life.C. It is bound to bring about another information revolution.D. It breaks down the final barriers in human communication.Part IV Translation (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.翻译题一:自从1978年启动改革以来,中国已从计划经济转为以市场为基础的经济,经历了经济和社会的快速发展。
2014年12月英语四级仔细阅读真题(总三套题)及问题详解
2014年12月四级真题(第1套)第一套:Passage OneQuestions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.The rise of the Internet has been one of the most transformative developments in human history,comparable in impact to the invention of the printing press and the telegraph. Over two billion people worldwide now have access to vastly more information than ever before, and can communicate with each other instantly, often using Web-connected mobile devices they carry everywhere. But the Internet's tremendous impact has only just begun."Mass adoption of the Internet is driving one of the most exciting social, cultural, and political transformations in history, and unlike earlier periods of change, this time the effects are fully global,"Schmidt and Cohen write in their new book, The New Digital Age.Perhaps the most profound changes will come when the five billion people worldwide who currently lack Internet access get online. The authors do an excellent job of examining the implications of the Internet revolution for individuals, governments, and institutions like the news media. But ff the book has one major shortcoming, it's that the authors don't spend enough time applying a critical eye to the role of Internet businesses in these sweeping changes.In their book, the authors provide the most authoritative volume to date that describes--and more importantly predicts--how the Internet will shape our lives in the coming decades. They paint a picture of a world in which individuals, companies, institutions, and governments must deal with two realities,one physical, and one virtual.At the core of the book is the idea that"technology is neutral, but people aren't." By using this concept as a starting point, the authors aim to move beyond the now familiar optimist vs. pessimist dichotomy (对立观点) that has characterized many recent debates about whether the rise of the Internet will ultimately be good or bad for society. In an interview with TIME earlier this week, Cohen said although he and his co-author are optimistic about many aspects of the Internet, they're also realistic about the risks and dangers that lie ahead when the next five billion people come online, particularly with respect to personal privacy and state surveillance (监视).注意:此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
2014年12月大学英语四级考试备考资料《阅读理解-长篇阅读(匹配)》最新练习题及答案
2014年12月大学英语四级考试备考资料《阅读理解-长篇阅读(匹配)》最新练习题及答案Part Ⅲ Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)Section B(原快速阅读理解调整为长篇阅读理解,篇章长度和难度不变。
篇章后附有10个句子,每句一题。
每句所含的信息出自篇章的某一段落,要求考生找出与每句所含信息相匹配的段落。
有的段落可能对应两题,有的段落可能不对应任何一题。
)Directions: 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.Beauty and Body Image in the Media[A] Images of female bodies are everywhere. Women—and their body parts —sell everything from food to cars. Popular film and television actresses are becoming younger, taller and thinner. Some have even been known to faint on the set from lack of food. Women’s magazines are full of articles urging that if they can just lose those last twenty pounds, they’ll have it all—the perfect marriage, loving children, great sex, and a rewarding career.[B] Why are standards of beauty being imposed on women, the majority of whom are naturally larger and more mature than any of the models? The roots, some analysts say, are economic. By presenting an ideal difficult to achieve and maintain, the cosmetic and diet product industries are assured of growth and profits. And it’s 6no accident that youth is increasingly promoted, along with thinness, as an essential criterion of beauty. If not all women need to lose weight,for sure they’re all aging, says the Quebec Action Network for Women’s Health in its 2001 report. And, according to the industry, age is a disaster that needs to be dealt with.[C] The stakes are huge. On the one hand, women who are insecure about their bodies are more likely to buy beauty products, new clothes, and diet aids. It is estimated that the diet industry alone is worth anywhere between 40 to 100 billion (U.S.) a year selling temporary weight loss (90% to 95% of dieters regain the lost weight). On the other hand, research indicates that exposure to images of thin, young, air-brushed female bodies is linked to depression, loss of self-esteem and the development of unhealthy eating habits in women and girls.[D ] The American research group Anorexia Nervosa & Related Eating Disorders, Inc. says that one out of every four college-aged women uses unhealthy methods of weight control—including fasting, skipping meals, excessive exercise, laxative (泻药)abuse, and self-induced vomiting. The pressure to be thin is also affecting young girls: the Canadian Women’s Health Network warns that weight control measures are now being taken by girls as young as 5 and 6. American statistics are similar. Several studies, such as one conducted by Marika Tiggemann and Levina Clark in 2006 titled “Appearance Culture in 9- to 12-Year-Old Girls: Media and Peer Influences on Body Dissatisfaction,” indicate that nearly half of all preadolescent girls wish to be thinner, and as a result have engaged in a diet or are aware of the concept of dieting. In 2003, Teen magazine reported that 35 percent of girls 6 to 12 years old have been on at least one diet, and that 50 to 70 percent of normal weight girls believe they are overweight. Overall research indicates that 90% of women are dissatisfied with their appearance in some way. Media activist Jean Kilbourne concludes that, “Women are sold to the diet industry by the magazines we read and the television programs we watch, almost all of whichmake us feel anxious about our weight.”[ E] Perhaps the most disturbing is the fact that media images of female beauty are unattainable for all but a very small number of women. Researchers generating a computer model of a woman with Barbie-doll proportions, for example, found that her back would be too weak to support the weight of her upper body, and her body would be too narrow to contain more than half a liver and a few centimeters of bowel.A real woman built that way would suffer from chronic diarrhea (慢性腹泻)and eventually die from malnutrition. Jill Barad, President of Mattel (whichmanufactures Barbie), estimated that 99% of girls aged 3 to 10 years old own at least one Barbie doll. Still, the number of real life women and girls who seek a similarlyunderweight body is epidemic, and they can suffer equally devastating health consequences. In 2006 it was estimated that up to 450, 000 Canadian women were affected by an eating disorder.[F ] Researchers report that women’s magazines have ten and one-half times more ads and articles promoting weight loss than men’s magazines do, and overthree-quarters of the covers of women’s magazines include at least one message about how to change a woman’s bodily appearance—by diet, exercise or cosmetic surgery. Television and movies reinforce the importance of a thin body as a measure of a woman’s worth. Canadian researcher Gregory Fouts reports that over three-quarters of the female characters in TV situation comedies are underweight, and only one in twenty are above average in size. Heavier actresses tend to receive negative comments from male characters about their bodies (“How about wearing a sack?,,),and 80 percent of these negative comments are followed by canned audience laughter.[G] There have been efforts in the magazine industry to buck (才氐制,反抗)the trend. For several years the Quebec magazine Coup de Pouce has consistently included full-sized women in their fashion pages and Chatelaine has pledged not to touch up photos and not to include models less than 25 years of age. In Madrid, one of the world’s biggest fashion capitals, ultra-thin models were banned from the runway in 2006. Furthermore Spain has recently undergone a project with the aim to standardize clothing sizes through using a unique process in which a laser beam is used to measure real life women’s bodies in order to find the most true to life measurement.[ H] Another issue is the representation of ethnically diverse women in the media.A 2008 study conducted by Juanita Covert and Travis Dixon titled “A Changing View: Representation and Effects of the Portrayal of Women of Color in Mainstream Women’s Magazines” found that although there was an increase in the representation of women of colour, overall white women were overrepresented in mainstream women’s magazines from 1999 to 2004.[I] The barrage of messages about thinness, dieting and beauty tells“ordinary” women that they are always in need of adjustment—and that the female body is an object to be perfected. Jean Kilbourne argues that the overwhelming presence of media images of painfully thin women means that real women’s bodies have become invisible in the mass media. The real tragedy, Kilbourne concludes, is that many women internalize these stereotypes, and judge themselves by the beauty industry’s standards. Women learn to compare themselves toother women, and to compete with them for male attention. This focus on beauty and desirability “effectively destroys any awareness and action that might help to change that climate.”46. A report in Teen magazine showed that 50% to 70% girls with normal weight think that they need to lose weight.47. On the whole, for 6 years white women had been occupying much more space in mainstream women’s magazines since 1999.48. Some negative effects such as depression and unhealthy eating habits in females are related to their being exposed to images of thin and young female bodies.49. The mass media has helped boost the cosmetic and the diet industries.50. It is reported that there is at least one message about the methods for women to change their bodily appearance on more than three-quarters of the covers of women’s magazines.51. Some film and television actresses even faint on the scene due to eating too little.52. Too much concern with appearance makes it impossible to change such abnormal trend.53. Researchers found that a real woman with Barbie-doll proportions would eventually die from malnutrition.54. The Quebec magazine Coup (e Pouce resists the trend by consistently including full-sized women in their fashion pages for several years.5 5. According to some analysts, the fundamental reason of imposing standards of beauty on women is economic profits.PartⅢ Reading ComprehensionSection B46. [D]47. [H]48. [C]49. [B]50. [F]51. [A]52. [I]53. [E]54. [G]55. [B]A: Pizza Hut was started in 1958, by two brothers in Wichita, Kansas. Frank and Dan Carney had the idea to open a pizza parlor. They borrowed $600 from their mother, and opened the very first Pizza Hut. In 1959, the first franchise unit opened in Topeka, Kansas. Almost a decade later, Pizza Hut would be serving one million customers a week in their 310 locations. In 1970, Pizza Hut was put on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PIZ.B: In 1986, Pizza Hut introduced delivery service, something no other restaurant was doing. By the 1990's Pizza Hut sales had reached $4 billion worldwide. In 1998, Pizza Hut celebrated their 40th anniversary, and launched their famous campaign "The Best Pizzas Under One Roof." In 1996, Pizza Hut sales in the United States were over $5 million. Out of all the existing pizza chains, Pizza Hut had the largest market share, 46.4%. However, Pizza Hut's market share has slowly eroded because of intense competition from their rivals Domino's, Little Caesar's and newcomer Papa John's. Home delivery was a driving force for success, especially for Pizza Hut and Domino's.C: However, this forced competitors to look for new methods of increasing their customer bases. Many pizza chains decided to diversify and offer new non-pizza items such as buffalo wings, and Italian cheese bread. The current trend in pizza chains today is the same. They all try to come up with some newer, bigger, better, pizza for a low price. Offering special promotions and new pizza variations are popular today as well. For example, chicken is now a common topping found on pizzas.D: In the past, Pizza Hut has always had the first mover advantage. Their marketing strategy in the past has always been to be first. One of their main strategies that they still follow today is the diversification of the products they offer. Pizza Hut is always adding something new to their menu, trying to reach new markets. For example, in 1992 the famous buffet was launched in Pizza Hut restaurants worldwide. They were trying to offer many different food items for customers who didn't necessarily want pizza.E: Another strategy they used in the past and are still using is the diversification of their pizzas. Pizza Hut is always trying to come up with some innovative way to make a pizza into something slightly different - different enough that customers will think it’s a whole new product. For example, let's look at some of the pizzas Pizza Hut has marketed in the past. In 1983, Pizza Hut introduced their Pan Pizza, which had a guarantee of being ready to eat in 5 minutes when dining at Pizza Hut restaurants. In 1993, they introduced the "BigFoot," which was two square feet of pizza cut into 21 slices. In 1995, they introduced "Stuffed Crust Pizza," where the crust would be filled with cheese. In 1997, they marketed "The Edge," which had cheese and toppings all the way to the edge of the pizza. Currently, they are marketing "The Big NewYorker," trying to bringthe famous New York style pizza to the whole country.F: Another opportunity that Pizza Hut has is their new ordering online system. Anyone with Internet access can order whatever they wish and get it delivered to their house without even speaking to someone. This program has just been started, so we do not have any numbers to support whether or not it will be a success.G: Lastly, Pizza Hut has always valued customer service and satisfaction. In 1995, Pizza Hut began two customer satisfaction programs: a 1-800 number customer hotline, and a customer call-back program. These were implemented to make sure their customers were happy, and always wanted to return. In our plan, we will first give a situation analysis of current and relevant environmental conditions that affect our plan. Next, we will give a brief analysis of the current fast food industry, and any trends or changes that might occur in the future.H: However, the fact that Pizza Hut does have a restaurant to run is also a weakness. Pizza Hut has higher overhead costs, due to the restaurant that other competitors don't have to deal with. Another result of higher overhead costs is higher prices Pizza Hut must charge. Obviously, Pizza Hut is not the low cost producer. They rely on their quality pizza and good service to account for their higher prices.I: An indirect weakness that Pizza Hut has is that they have lost a lot of their customers and market share due to such intense competition with competitors. Pizza Hut's opportunities are almost endless. They can increase revenue with their new innovative pizzas, and increase brand loyalty with good customer service.J: Pizza Hut's number one threats are from their competitors. Currently, their closest competitor is Domino's Pizza. Domino's main competitive advantage over Pizza Hut is their price. It is generally lower than Pizza Hut. Also, Domino's was very profitable when they ran the promotional deal of delivering a pizza within 30 minutes. However, many lawsuits have been filed against Domino's in the past for reckless driving by their drivers, so Domino's withdrew the promotion. Little Caesar's is another one of Pizza Hut's competitors, right behind Domino's in market share. Little Caesar's is famous for offering large quantities of pizza for less money. Other competitors include Papa John's, Sbarro, and Pizza Inn.K: A problem facing all of the pizza chains is that each of their individual competitive advantages are pretty much everyone's competitive advantages. Most if not all the top pizza chains offer free delivery, and always have some sort of promotional deal offering large pizzas at reduced prices. Other competitors to take into consideration are frozen pizzas and make-it-yourself pizzas that are purchased in grocery stores. Some examples of these are Tombstone Pizzas, Boboli, and Di'Gornio pizzas.1. Pizza Hut expanded its business into many parts of the country by the time of 1969.2. Pizza Hut has not always dominated the market.3. buffalo wings, and Italian cheese bread are now commonly served at pizza restaurants.4. The diversification strategy is not to be the first mover.5. In Pizza Hut, a Pan Pizza was guaranteed to serve in 5 minutes.6. If you want a pizza from Pizza Hut delivered directly to your house, you have to have Internet access in the first place.7. In order to make sure their customers were happy, Pizza Hutintroduced two customer satisfaction programs.8. The higher overhead costs of Pizza Hut obviously accounted for higher prices of their pizzas.9. The reason why Domino’s withdrew their promotion was that they suffered legally from reckless driving by their drivers.10. Major pizza makers have to face the problem that their competitive advantages are the same.答案:1.A2. B3. C4. D5. E6. F7. G8. H9. J10. KHow to Make Attractive and Effective PowerPoint PresentationsA) Microsoft PowerPoint has dramatically changed the way in which academic and business presentations are made. This article outlines few tips on making more effective and attractive PowerPoint presentations.The TextB) Keep the wording clear and simple. Use active, visual language. Cut unnecessary words—a good rule of thumb is to cut paragraphs down to sentences, sentences into phrases, and phrases into key words.Limit the number of words and lines per slide. Try the Rule of Five-five words per line, five lines per slide. If too much text appears on one slide, use the AutoFit feature to split it between two slides. Click within the placeholder to display the AutoFit Options button (its symbol is two horizontal lines with arrows above and below), then click on the button and choose Split Text between Two Slides from the submenu.C) Font size for titles should be at least 36 to 40, while the text body should not be smaller than e only two font styles per slide —one for the title and the other for the text. Choose two fonts that visually contrast with each other. Garamond Medium Condensed and Impactare good for titles, while Garamond or Tempus Sans can be used for the text body.D) Embed the fonts in your presentation, if you are not sure whether the fonts used in the presentation are present in the computer that will be used for the presentation. To embed the fonts: (1) On the File menu, click Save As. (2) On the toolbar, click Tools, click Save Options, select the Embed TrueType Fonts check box, and then select Embed characters in use only.E) Use colors sparingly; two to three at most. You may use one color for all the titles and another for the text body. Be consistent from slide to slide. Choose a font color that contrasts well with the background.F) Capitalizing the first letter of each word is good for the title of slides and suggests a more formal situation than having just the first letter of the first word capitalized. In bullet point lines, capitalize the first word and no other words unless they normally appear capped. Upper and lower case lettering is more readable than all capital letters. Moreover, current styles indicate that using all capital letters means you are shouting. If you have text that is in the wrong case, select the text, and then click Shift+F3 until it changes to the case style that you like. Clicking Shift+F3 toggles the text case between ALL CAPS, lower case, and Initial Capital styles.G) Use bold or italic typeface for emphasis. Avoid underlining, it clutters up the presentation.Don’t center bulleted lists or text. It is confusing to read. Left align unless you have a good reason not to. Run ‚spell check‛ on your show when finished.The BackgroundH) Keep the background consistent. Simple, light textured backgrounds work well. Complicated textures make the content hard to read. If you are planning to use many clips in your slides, select a white background. Ifthe venue of your presentation is not adequately light-proof, select a dark-colored background and use any light color for text. Minimize the use of ‚bells and whistles‛ such as sound effects, ‚flying words‛ and multiple transitions. Don’t use red in any fonts or backgrounds. It is an emotionally overwhelming color that is difficult to see and read.The ClipsI) Animations are best used subtly; too much flash and motion can distract and annoy viewers. Do not rely too heavily on those images that were originally loaded on your computer with the rest of Office. You can easily find appropriate clips on any topic through Google Images. While searching for images, do not use long search phrases as is usually done while searching the web-use specific words.J) When importing pictures, make sure that they are smaller than two megabytes and are in a .jpg format. Larger files can slow down your show. Keep graphs, charts and diagrams simple, if possible. Use bar graphs and pie charts instead of tables of data. The audience can then immediately pick up the relationships.The PresentationK) If you want your presentation to directly open in the slide show view, save it as a slide show file using the following steps. Open the presentation you want to save as a slide show. On the File menu, click Save As. In the Save as type list, click PowerPoint Show. Your slide show file will be saved with a ppt file extension. When you double-click on this file, it will automatically start your presentation in slide show view. When you’re done, PowerPoint automatically closes and you return to the desktop. If you want to edit the slide show file, you can always open it from PowerPoint by clicking Open on the File menu.L) Look at the audience, not at the slides, whenever possible. If using a laser pointer, don’t move it too fast. For example, if circling a numberon the slide, do it slowly. Never point the laser at the audience. Black out the screen (use ‚B‛ on the keyboard) after the point has been made, to put the focus on you. Press the key again to continue your presentation.M) You can use the shortcut command [Ctrl]P to access the Pen tool during a slide show. Click with your mouse and drag to use the Pen tool to draw during your slide show. To erase everything you’ve drawn, press the E key. To turn off the Pen tool, press [Esc] once.MiscellaneousN) Master Slide Set-Up: The ‚master slide‛ will allow you to make changes that are reflected on every slide in your presentation. You can change fonts, colors, backgrounds, headers, and footers at the ‚master slide‛ level. First, go to the ‚View‛ menu. Pull down the ‚Master‛menu. Select the ‚slide master‛ menu. You may now make changes at this level that meet your presentation needs.1. The ways in which academic and business presentations are made have been changed by Microsoft PowerPoint.2. When making the PowerPoint, the wording of the text should not be complicated.3. In each slide, the font styles for the title and the text should contrast with each other.4. A more formal situation is capitalizing the first letter of the first word.5. Centering bulleted lists or text can not help to read.6. Sound effects should be used as less frequently as possible.7. When importing pictures, make sure that they are smaller than two megabytes.8. When making the presentation, you should look at the audience as possible as you can.9. Pressing the E key can help you to erase everything you've drawn.10. In order to meet your presentation needs, you can make changes at the ‚slide master‛ level.答案:1.A2.B3.C4.F5.G6.H7.J8.L9.M10.NPaper--More than Meets the EyeA)We are surrounded by so much paper and card that it is easy to forget just how complex it is. There are many varieties and grades of paper materials, and whilst it is fairly easy to spot the varieties, it is far more difficult to spot the grades.B)It needs to be understood that most paper and card is manufactured for a specific purpose, so that whilst the corn-flake packet may look smart, it is clearly not something destined for the archives. It is made to look good, but only needs a limited life span. It is also much cheaper to manufacture than high grade card.C)Paper can be made from an almost endless variety of cellulose-based material which will include many woods, cottons and grasses or which papyrus is an example and from where we get the word "paper". Many of theseare very specialized, but the preponderance of paper making has been from soft wood and cotton or rags, with the bulk being wood-based.Paper from WoodD) In order to make wood into paper it needs to be broken down into fine strands. Firstly by powerful machinery and then boiled with strong alkalies such as caustic soda, until a fine pulp of cellulose fibers is produced. It is from this pulp that the final product is made, relying on the bonding together of the cellulose into layers. That, in a very small nutshell, is the essence of paper making from wood. However, the reality is rather more complicated. In order to give us our white paper and card, the makers will add bleach and other materials such as china clay and additional chemicals.E) A further problem with wood is that it contains a material that is not cellulose. Something called lignin. This is essential for the tree since it holds the cellulose fibres together, but if it is incorporated into the manufactured paper it presents archivists with a problem. Lignin eventually breaks down and releases acid products into the paper. This will weaken the bond between the cellulose fibers and the paper will become brittle and look rather brown and careworn. We have all seen this in old newspapers and cheap paperback books. It has been estimated that most paper back books will have a life of not greater than fifty years. Not what we need for our archives.F)Since the lignin can be removed from the paper pulp during manufacture, the obvious question is "why is it left in the paper?" The answer lies in the fact that lignin makes up a considerable part of the tree. By leaving the lignin in the pulp a papermaker can increase his paper yield from a tree to some 95%. Removing it means a yield of only 35%. It is clearly uneconomic to remove the lignin for many paper and card applications.G) It also means, of course, that lignin-free paper is going to be more expensive, but that is nevertheless what the archivist must look for in his supplies. There is no point whatsoever in carefully placing our valuable artifacts in paper or card that is going to hasten their demise. Acid is particularly harmful to photographic materials, causing them to fade and is some cases simply vanish!H)So, how do we tell a piece of suitable paper or card from one that is unsuitable? You cannot do it by simply looking, and rather disappointingly, you cannot always rely on the label. "Acid-free" might be true inasmuch as a test on the paper may indicate that it is a neutral material at this time. But lignin can take years before it starts the inevitable process of breaking down, and in the right conditions it will speed up enormously.I)Added to this, as I have indicated earlier, paper may also contain other materials added during manufacture such as bleach, china clay, chemical whiteners and size. This looks like a bleak picture, and it would be but for the fact that there are suppliers who will guarantee the material that they sell. If you want to be absolutely sure that you are storing in, or printing on, the correct material then this is probably the only way.J)Incidentally, acids can migrate from material to material. Lining old shoe boxes with good quality acid-free paper will do little to guard the contents. The acid will get there in the end.Paper from RagK) Paper is also commonly made from cotton and rag waste. This has the advantage of being lignin-free, but because there is much less cotton and rag than trees, it also tends to be much more expensive than wood pulp paper. You will still need to purchase from a reliable source though, since even rag paper and card can contain undesirable additives.L) A reliable source for quality rag papers is a recognized art stockiest. Many water color artists insist on using only fine quality rag paper and board.M) The main lesson to learn from this information is that you cannot rely on purchasing archival materials from the high street. The only safe solution is to purchase from specialist suppliers. It may cost rather more, but in the end you will know that your important and valuable data and images have the best home possible.1. The corn-flake packet is cheaper than high grade card.2. There are a lot of materials which can be used for making paper, but the superiority ones are soft wood, cotton and rags.3. During the whole manufacturing process, the final product is made from a pulp of cellulose fibres.4. In order to make white paper and card, the makers will add bleach.5. Liguin is essential for the tree but it will make paper easy to break.6. Many paper producers will preserve lignin during manufacture, because leaving the lignin will make more paper from a tree.7. Acid is particularly harmful to photographic materials.8. If the lignin is removed from the paper, the paper will be more。
2014年12月英语四级考试真题以及答案(第1套)
2014年12月四级真题(第1套)注意:此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
Part ⅡListening 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. andD., and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.注意:此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
1. A. The woman is fussy about the cleanness of the apartment.B. He has not cleaned the apartment since his mother's visit.C. He does not remember when his mother canoe over.D. His mother often helps him to clean the apartment.2. A. The bus stop is only two minutes' walk.B. The nmning made him short of breath.C. They might as well take the next bus.D. The woman is late by a couple of minutes.3. A. She is suffering a pain in her neck.B. She is likely to replace Miss Smith.C. She has to do extra work for a few days.D. She is quite sick of working overtime.4. A. Change her job.B. Buy a dishwasher.C. Open a flower shop.D. Start her own business.5. A. He forgot where he had left the package.B. He slipped on his way to the post office.C. He wanted to deliver the package himself.D. He failed to do what he promised to do.6. A. The speakers do not agree with each other.B. The woman does not like horror films.C. The man pays for the tickets as a rule.D. The speakers happened" to meet in the cinema.7. A. The woman is just as unlucky as the man.B. The woman is more sensitive than the man.C. The speakers share a common view on love.D. The speakers are unhappy with their marriage.8. A. Preparations for a forum.B. Participants in the forum.C. Organizers of a forum.D. Expectations of the forum.Questions 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.9. A. France.B. Scandinavia.C. Russia.D. East Europe.10. A. More women will be promoted in the workplace.B. More women will overcome their inadequacies.C. More women will receive higher education.D. More women will work outside the family.11. A. Try hard to protect women's rights.B. Educate men to respect women more.C. Help women acquire more professional skills.D. Spend more time changing women's attitudes.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. A. In a restaurant.B. In a hotel lobby.C. At the man's office.D. At the woman's place.13. A. He is the chief designer of the latest bike model.B. He has completed an overseas market survey.C. He is the Managing Director of Jayal Motors.D. He has just come back from a trip to Africa.14. A. To select the right model.B. To get a good import agent.C. To convince the board members.D. To cut down production costs.15. A. His flexibility.B. His vision.C. His intelligence.D. His determination.Section BDirections: In this section, you will hoar 3 short passages. At tho end of each passage, you will hoar some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose tho best answer from tho four choices marked A., B., C.andD.. Then mark tho corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through tho centre.注意:此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
2014年12月大学英语四级考试样题及答案
2014年12月大学英语四级考试样题及答案2014年12月大学英语四级考试样题及答案Part I Writing (30 minutes) Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay. You should start your essay with a brief description of the picture and then expressyour views on the importance of learning basic skills. You should write atleast 120 words but no more than 180 words. Write your essay onAnswer Sheet 1.注意:此部分试题请在答题卡1 上作答。
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 willbe asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questionswill be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause.During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) andD), and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the correspondingletter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.注意:此部分试题请在答题卡1 上作答。
2014年12月英语四级真题及答案(word版)
2014年12月英语四级真题及答案(文字版)考试采取“多题多卷”模式,试题顺序不统一,请依据试题进行核对Part I WritingDirections: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the following topic. You shoul d write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.作文题一:印象最深的活动AA campus activity that has benefited most.作文题二:印象最深的课程A course that has impressed you most in college.作文题三:印象最深的同学A classmate of yours who has influenced you most in college.Part II ListeningSection ADirections:In this section,you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the en d 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. Th en mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet I with a single line through the centre.Question 1A.The man is not good at balancing his budget.B.She will go purchase the gift herself.C.The gift should not be too expensive.D.They are gonging to Jane's house-warming party.Question 2A.He is quite willing to give the woman a hand.B.It takes patience to go through the statistics.C.He has prepared the statistics for the woman.D.The woman should take a course in statistics.Question 3A.Page 55 is missing from the woman's scripts.B.They cannot begin their recording right away.C.The woman does not take the recording seriously.D.The man wants to make some changes in the scripts.-Question 4A.The date of Carl's wedding.B.The birthday of Carl's bride.C.A significant event in July.D.Preparation for a wedding.Question 5A.The woman forgot to tell the man in advance.B.The man was absent from the weekly meeting.C.The woman was annoyed at the man's excuse.D.The man was in charge of scheduling meetings.Question 6A.The woman is a marvelous cook.B.The woman has just bought an oven.C.The man has to leave in half an hour.D.The man cannot want for his meal.Question 7A.How she can best help the man.B.Where the man got the bad news.C.What items sell well in the store.D.Whether the man can keep his job.Question 8A.The woman can sign up for a swimming class.B.He works in the physical education department.C.The woman has the potential to swim like a fish.D.He would like to teach the woman how to swim.Questions 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.Question 9A.He teaches in a law school.B.He loves classical music.C.He is a diplomat.D.He is a wonderful lecturer.Question 10A.Went to see a play.B.Watched a soccer game.C.Took some photos.D.Attended a dance.Question 11-A.She decided to get married in three years.B.Her mother objected to Eric’s flying lessons.C.She insisted that Eric pursue graduate studies.D.Her father said she could marry Eric right away.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.Question 12A.Editor.B.Teacher.C.JournalistD.Typist.Question 13A.The beautiful Amazon rainforests.B.A new railway under construction.C.Big changes in the Amazon valley.D.Some newly discovered scenic spot.Question 14A.In news weeklies.B.In newspapers' Sunday editions.C.In a local evening paper.D.In overseas editions of U.S. magazines.Question 15A.To be employed by a newspaper.B.To become a professional writer.C.To sell her articles to a news service.D.To get her life story published soon.Section BDirections:In this section,you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage,you will he ar some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a questi on,you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the c orresponding 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.Question 16A.Nodding one's head.B.Waving one's hand.C.Holding up the forefinger.-D.Turning the right thumb down.Question 17A.Looking away from them.B.Forming a circle with fingers.C.Bowing one's head them.D.Waving or pointing to them.Question 18A.Looking one's superior in the eye.B.Keeping one's arms folded while talking.C.Showing the sole of one's foot to a guest.ing a lot of gestures during a conversation.Passage TwoQuestions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.Question 19A.They had to beg for foot after the harvest.B.They grew wheat and corn on a small farm.C.They shared a small flat with their relatives.D.The children walked to school on dirt roads.Question 20A.Tour Ecuador's Andes Mountains.B.Earn an annual income of $2800.C.Purchase a plot to build a home on.D.Send their children to school.Question 21A.The achievements of the Trickle Up Program.B.A new worldwide economic revolution.C.Different forms of assistance to the needy.D.The life of poor people in developing countries.Passage ThreeQuestions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.Question 22A.They are highly sensitive to cold.B.They are vitally important to our life.C.They are a living part of our body.D.They are a chief source of our pain.Question 23A.It has to be removed in time by a dentist.B.It is a rare oral disease among old people.C.It contains many nerves and blood vessels.D.It is sticky and colorless film on the teeth.Question 24A.It can change into acids causing damage to their outer covering.B.It greatly reduces their resistance to the attacks of bacteria.C.It makes their nerves and blood vessels more sensitive to acid food.D.It combines with food particles to form a film on their surface.Question 25A.Food particles.B.Gum disease.C.Unhealthy living habits.D.Chemical crosion.Section CStunt people(替身演员) are not movie stars, but they are the hidden heroes of many movies.They were around long before films. Even Shakespeare may have used them in fight scenes. To be good, a fight scene has to look real. Punches must (26)______ enemies' jaws. Sword fights must be foug ht with(27)______ swords. Several actors are usually in a fight scene. Their moves must be set up so tha t no one gets hurt. It is almost like planning a dance performance.If a movie scene is dangerous, stun people usually(28)______the stars. You may think you see Tom Cruise running along the top of a train. But it is(29)______ his stunt double. Stunt people must(30)_____ _ the stars they stand in for. Their height and build should be about the same. But when close-ups are n eeded, the film(31)______ the star.Some stunt people(32)______ in certain kinds of scenes. For instance, a stunt woman named Jan Dav is does all kinds of jumps. She has leapt from planes and even off the top of a waterfall. Each jump req uired careful planning and expert(33)______.Yakima Canutt was a famous cowboy stunt man. Among other stunts, he could jump from a second story window onto a horse's back. He(34)______ the famous trick of sliding under a moving stagecoach. Canutt also(35)______ a new way to make a punch look real. He was the only stunt man ever to get an Oscar.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 f or each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage throu gh carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark th e corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may n ot use any of the words in the bank more than once.For decades, Americans have taken for granted the XXXX development of new technologies. The inn ovations(创新)XXXX opment during World War II and afterwards were(36)_____ to the prosperity of the nation in the second half of the 20th century. Those innovations, upon which virtually all aspects of(37)_ ____ society now depend, were possible because the United States then(38)_____ the world in mathematic s and science education. Today, however, despite increasing demand for workers with strong skills in mat hematics and science, the(39)_____ of degrees awarded in science, math, and engineering are decreasing.The deeling in degree production in what are called the STEM disciplines(science, technology, engine ering, and math.)seems to be(40)_____related to the comparatively weak performance by U.S. schoolchildr en on international assessments of math and science. Many students entering college have weak skills in mathematics. According to the 2005 report of the Business Higher Education Forum, 22 percent of colleg e freshmen must take remediat(补习的)math(41)_____, and less than half of the students who plan to maj or in science or engineering(42)_____complete a major in those fields.The result has been a decrease in the number of American college graduates who have the skills, (4 3)_____ in mathematics, to power a workforce that can keep the country at the forefront(前言)of innovati on and maintain its standard of living. With the(44)_____ performance of American students in math and science has come increased competition from students from other countries that have strongly supported e ducation in these areas. Many more students earn(45)_____ in the STEM disciplines in developing countri es than in the United States.A.acceleratingB.actuallyC.closelyD.contemporaryE.coursesF.criticalG.decliningH.degreesI.especiallyJ.futureK.ledL.metM.proceduresN.proportionsO.sphetesSection 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 info rmation 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.Ban sugary drinks that will add fuel to the obesity war[A] On a train last Thursday, I sat opposite a man who was so fat he filled more than one seat. He was pale and disfigured and looked sick to death, which he probably was: obesity(肥胖的)leads to many nasty ways of dying. Looking around the carriage, I saw quite a few people like him, including a coupl e of fatty children with swollen checks pressing against their eyes. These people are part of what is with out exaggeration an epidemic(流行病)of obesity.[B] But it is quite unnecessary: there is a simple idea- far from new- that could spare millions of su ch people a lifetime of chronic(长期的)ill health, and at the same time save the National Health Service (NHS)at least £14 billion a year in England and Wales. There would, you might think, be considerable public interest in it. This simple idea is that sugar is as good- or as bad- as poison and should be avoid ed. It is pure, white and deadly, as Professor John Yudkin described it 40 years ago in a revolutionary b ook of that name. The subtitle was How Sugar Is Killing Us.[C] In its countless hidden forms, in ready meals, junk food and sweet drinks, sugar leads to addicti on(瘾), to hormonal upsets to the appetite, to metabolic(新陈代谢的)malfunctions and obesity and from th ere to type 2 diabetes(糖尿病)and its many horrible complication. If people really grasped that, they woul d try to kick the habit, particularly as Britain is the “ fat man of Europe” . They might even feel driven to support government measures to prevent people from consuming this deadly stuff. Yet so far this idea has met little but resistance.[D] It is not difficult to imagine the vested interests(既得利益集团)lined up against any sugar control - all the food and drink manufacturers, processors, promoters and retailers who make such easy pickings out of the magic powers of sugar. Then there are the liberals, with whom I would normally side, who pr otest that government regulation would be yet another instance of interference in our lives.[E]That is true, but people should realize that you cannot have a welfare state without a nanny state (保姆国家), to some degree. If we are all to be responsible for one another’s health insurance, through so cialized medicine, then we are all closely involved in one another’s health, including everyone’s eating and drinking. That has already been admitted, finally, with smoking. But it has yet to be admitted with ove reating, even though one in four adults in this country is obese and that number is predicted to double b y the year 2050.Quite apart from anything else, obesity will cripple the NHS.[F]Recently, though, there have been signs that the medical establishment is trying to sound the alar m. Last month the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges(AMRC)published a report saying that obesity is t he greatest public health issue affecting the UK and urging government to do something.[G]The report offers 10 recommendations, of which the first is imposing a tax of 20 percent on suga ry drinks for at least a year, on top of the existing 20 percent value-added tax. That at least would be a n excellent start. The amounts of sugar in soft drinks are horrifying, and turn straight to fat. As Professor Terence Stephenson, head of the AMRC, has said, sugary soft drinks are “the ultimate bad food. You ar e just consuming neat sugar. Your body didn’t evolve to handle this kind of thing.”[H]Precisely. The risks of eating too much fat or salt(which are very different)pale into insignificant compared with the harm done by sugar. And it is everywhere.[I]It is difficult to buy anything in a supermarket, other than plain, unprepared meat, fish or vegetabl es, that doesn’t have a large amount of sugar in it. This has come about because the prevailing scientific views of the 1960s and 1970s ignored the evidence about sugar, and instead saw fat as the really seriou s risk, both to the heart and other organs, as well as the cause of obesity.[J]The fashion was to avoid fat. But finding that food with much of its fat removed is not very app etizing, food producers turned to sugar as a magic alternative flavor enhancer, often in the forms of syrup s(糖浆)that had recently been developed from corn, and put it generously into most prepared foods and so ft drinks.[K]This stuff is not just fattening. It is addictive. It interferes with the body’s metabolism, possibly v ia the activity of an appetite-controlling hormone. There’s plenty of evidence for this, for those who will accept the truth.[L]Theoretically, people ought to make “healthy choices” and avoid overeating. But sugar additives ar e not easy to identify and are hard to avoid. So the snacking, over-drinking and over eating that makes p eople fat is not really their own fault: obesity is in large part something that is being done to them. It s hould be stopped, or rather the government should stop it.[M]Going round my local supermarket, I am constantly astonished that it is still legal to sell all the poisons stacked high on the shelves. The problem is that they are worse than useless. They are poisonous. They are known to be addictive. They are known to make people obese. And giving small children swe et drinks or bottles of fake juice all day long is nothing less than child abuse.[N]Clearly, the sale of such stuff ought to be illegal. I hate to think of yet more government regulati on. But a bit of tax on sweet soda and a little more health education, a bit of cooking in schools and b anning vending machines(自动售货机)here and there —as suggested try the AMRC report —is not goin g to achieve very much. Labelling is quite inadequate. What is needed is legislation banning high levels of sugary syrups used in foods and drinks.[O]In June 2012, the then minister for public health said the government was not scared of the food industry and had not ruled out legislation, because of the costs of obesity to the NHS. However, nothing has happened yet. Why not have another Jammie Dodger biscuit and forget about it.46、Avoiding over-consumption of sugar can improve peo ple’s health as well as save medical expenses.47、Laws should be passed to make it illegal to produce overly sweet foods or drinks.48、Giving small children sweet juices to drink all the time is equal to child abuse.59、Looking around, the author found obesity quite widespread.50、The number of obese people is expected to increase quickly in the next few decades.51、If people really understood the horrible consequences of sugary foods and drinks, they would support government measures against sugar consumption.52、It would be a very good beginning wo improve an additional tax on sugary drinks.53、The government has not yet taken any action to regulate sugar consumption although it indicated its i ntention to do so some time ago.54、Sugar is far more harmful to health than fat and salt.55、Consumers of sweet foods are not really to blame because they cannot tell what food is sugary.Section CDirections:There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfi nished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C)and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the c entre.The rise of the Internet has been one of the most transformative developments in human history, co mparable in impact to the invention of the printing press and the telegraph. Over two billion people worl dwide now have access to vastly more information than ever before, and can communicate with each othe r instantly, often using Web-connected mobile devices they carry everywhere. But the Internet’s tremendou s impacts has only just begun.“Mass adoption of the Internet is driving one of the most exciting social, cultural, and political trans formations in history, and unlike earlier periods of change, this time the effects are fully global,” Schmidt and Cohen write in their new book. The New Digital Age.Perhaps the most profound changes will come when the five billion people worldwide who currentlylack Internet access get online. The authors do an excellent job of examining the implications of the Inter net revolution for individuals, governments, and institutions like the news media. But if the book has one major shortcoming, it’s that authors don’t spend enough time applying a critical eye to the role of Intern et businesses in these weeping changes.In their book, the authors provide the most authoritative volume to date that describes —and more i mportantly predicts —how the Internet will shape our lives in the coming decades. They paint a picture of a world in which individuals, companies, institutions, and governments must deal with two realities, on e physical, and one virtual.At the core of the book is the idea that “technology is neutral, but people aren’t.” By using this con cept as a starting point, the authors aim to move beyond the now familiar optimist vs. pessimist dichotom y(对立观点)that has characterized many recent debates about whether the rise of the Internet will ultimatel y be good or bad for society. In an interview with TIME earlier this week, Cohen said although he and his co-author are optimistic about many aspects of the Internet, they’re also realistic about the risks and d angers that lie ahead when the next five billion people come online, particularly with respect to personal privacy and state surveillance(监视).56、In what way is the rise of the Internet similar to the invention of the printing press and the tele graph?A.It transforms human history.B.It facilitates daily communication.C.It is adopted by all humanity.D.It revolutionizes people's thinking.57、How do Schmidt and Cohen describe the effects of the Internet?A.They are immeasurable.B.They are worldwide.C.They are unpredictable.D.They are contaminating.58、In what respect is the book The New Digital Age considered inadequate?A.It fails to recognize the impact of the Internet technology.B.It fails to look into the social implications of the Internet.C.It lacks an objective evaluation of the role of Internet businesses.D.It does not address the technical aspects of Internet communication.59、What will the future be like when everybody gets online?A.People will be living in two different realities.B.People will have equal access to information.C.People don’t have to travel to see the world.D.People don’t have to communicate face to face.60、What does the passage say about the authors of The New Digital Age?A.They leave many questions unanswered concerning the Internet.B.They are optimistic about the future of the Internet revolution.C.They have explored the unknown territories of the virtual world.D.They don’t take sides in analyzing the effects of the Internet.In 1950, a young man would have found it much easier than it is today to get and keep a job in th e auto industry. And in that year the average autoworker could meet monthly mortgage(抵押贷款)payment s on an average home with just 13.4 percent of his take-home pay. Today a similar mortgage would clai m more than twice that share of his monthly eamings.Other members of the autoworker’s family, however might be less inclined to tried the present for th e past. His retired parents would certainly have had less economic security back then. Through-out much of the 1960s,more than a quarter of men and women and women age 65 and older lived below the pover ty level, compared to less than 10 percent in 2010.In most stales, his wife could not have taken out a loan or a card in her own name. In 42 states, a homemaker had no legal claim on the earnings of her husband. And nowhere did a wife have legal prot ection against family violence.Most black workers would not want to return to a time when, on average they earned 40 percent les s than their white counterparts(职位相当的人),white racially restrictive agreements largely prevented them f rom buying into the suburban neighborhoods being built for white working –class families.Today, new problems have emerged in the process of resolving old ones, but the solution is not to go ba ck to the past. Some people may long for an era when divorce was still hard to come by. The spread of no -fault divorce has reduced the bargaining power of whichever spouse is more interested in continuing the relationship. And the breakup of such marriages has caused pain for many families.The growing diversity of family life comes with new possibilities as well as new challenges. Accordi ng to a recent poll, more than 80 percent of Americans believe that their current family is as close as th e one in which they grew up, or closer. Finding ways to imaginary golden age.61、What do we learn about American autoworkers in 1950?A.They had less job security than they do today.B.It was not too difficult for them to buy a house.C.Their earnings were worth twice as much as today.D.They were better off than workers in other industries.62、What does the author about retired people today?A.They invariably long to return to the golden past.B.They do not depend so much on social welfare.C.They feel more secure economically than in the past.D.They are usually unwilling to live with their children.63、Why couldn’t black workers buy a house in a whitc suburban neighborhood ?A.They lacked the means of transportation.B.They were subjected to racial inequality.C.They were afraid to break the law.D.They were too poor to afford it.64、What is the result of no-fault divorce ?A.Divorce is easier to obtain.B.Domestic violence is lessened.C.It causes little pain to either side.D.It contributes to social unrest.65 、What does the author suggest society do?A.Get prepared to face any new challenges.B.Try to better the current social security.C.Narrow the gap between blacks and whites.D.Improve the lives of families with problemsPart IV TranslationDirections: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into Englis h. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.翻译题一:大熊猫是一种温顺的动物,长着独特的黑白皮毛。
2014年12月大学英语四级考试真题(第3套)
2014年12月大学英语四级考试真题及答案(第3套)Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay about a campus activity that has benefited you most. You should state the reasons and write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.注意:此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
Part II Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)Section ADirections:In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D), and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.注意:此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
2014年12月英语四级真题:阅读--信息匹配汇总及答案
1. Ban sugary drinks that will add fuel to the obesity war[A] On a train last Thursday, I sat opposite a man who was so fat he filled more than one seat. He was pale and disfigured and looked sick to death, which he probably was: obesity(肥胖的)leads to many nasty ways of dying. Looking around the carriage, I saw quite a few people like him, including a couple of fatty children with swollen checks pressing against their eyes. These people are part of what is without exaggeration an epidemic(流行病)of obesity.[B] But it is quite unnecessary: there is a simple idea- far from new- that could spare millions of such people a lifetime of chronic(长期的)ill health, and at the same time save the National Health Service(NHS)at least £14 billion a year in England and Wales. There would, you might think, be considerable public interest in it. This simple idea is that sugar is as good- or as bad- as poison and should be avoided. It is pure, white and deadly, as Professor John Yudkin described it40 years ago in a revolutionary book of that name. The subtitle was How Sugar Is Killing Us.[C] In its countless hidden forms, in ready meals, junk food and sweet drinks, sugar leads to addiction(瘾), to hormonal upsets to the appetite, to metabolic(新陈代谢的)malfunctions and obesity and from there to type 2 diabetes(糖尿病)and its many horrible complication. If people really grasped that, they would try to kick the habit, particularly as Britain is the ―fat man of Europe. They might even feel driven to support government measures to prevent people from consuming this deadly stuff. Yet so far this idea has met little but resistance.[D] It is not difficult to imagine the vested interests(既得利益集团)lined up against any sugar control- all the food and drink manufacturers, processors, promoters and retailers who make such easy pickings out of the magic powers of sugar. Then there are the liberals, with whom I would normally side, who protest that government regulation would be yet another instance of interference in our lives.[E]That is true, but people should realize that you cannot have a welfare state without a nanny state(保姆国家), to some degree. If we are all to be responsible for one another’s health insurance, through socialized medicine, then we are all closely involved i n one another’s health, including everyone’s eating and drinking. That has already been admitted, finally, with smoking. But it has yet to be admitted with overeating, even though one in four adults in this country is obese and that number is predicted to double by the year 2050.Quite apart from anything else, obesity will cripple the NHS.[F]Recently, though, there have been signs that the medical establishment is trying to sound the alarm. Last month the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges(AMRC)published a report saying that obesity is the greatest public health issue affecting the UK and urging government to do something.[G]The report offers 10 recommendations, of which the first is imposing a tax of 20 percent on sugary drinks for at least a year, on top of the existing 20 percent value-added tax. That at least would be an excellent start. The amounts of sugar in soft drinks are horrifying, and turn straight to fat. As Professor Terence Stephenson, head of the AMRC, has said, sugary soft drinks are ―the ultimate bad food. You are just consuming neat sugar. Your body didn’t evolve to handle this kind of thing.[H]Precisely. The risks of eating too much fat or salt(which are very different)pale into insignificant compared with the harm done by sugar. And it is everywhere.[I]It is difficult to buy anything in a supermarket, other than plain, unpre pared meat, fish or vegetables, that doesn’t havea large amount of sugar in it. This has come about because the prevailing scientific views of the 1960s and 1970s ignored the evidence about sugar, and instead saw fat as the really serious risk, both to the heart and other organs, as well as the cause of obesity.[J]The fashion was to avoid fat. But finding that food with much of its fat removed is not very appetizing, food producers turned to sugar as a magic alternative flavor enhancer, often in the forms of syrups(糖浆)that had recently been developed from corn, and put it generously into most prepared foods and soft drinks.[K]This stuff is not just fattening. It is addictive. It interferes with the body’s metabolism, possibly via the activity of an appetite-cont rolling hormone. There’s plenty of evidence for this, for those who will accept the truth.[L]Theoretically, people ought to make ―healthy choices and avoid overeating. But sugar additives are not easy to identify and are hard to avoid. So the snacking, over-drinking and over eating that makes people fat is not really their own fault: obesity is in large part something that is being done to them. It should be stopped, or rather the government should stop it.[M]Going round my local supermarket, I am constantly astonished that it is still legal to sell all the poisons stacked high on the shelves. The problem is that they are worse than useless. They are poisonous. They are known to be addictive. They are known to make people obese. And giving small children sweet drinks or bottles of fake juice all day long is nothing less than child abuse.[N]Clearly, the sale of such stuff ought to be illegal. I hate to think of yet more government regulation. But a bit of tax on sweet soda and a little more health education, a bit of cooking in schools and banning vending machines(自动售货机)here and there —as suggested try the AMRC report —is not going to achieve very much. Labelling is quite inadequate. What is needed is legislation banning high levels of sugary syrups used in foods and drinks.[O]In June 2012, the then minister for public health said the government was not scared of the food industry and had not ruled out legislation, because of the costs of obesity to the NHS. However, nothing has happened yet. Why not have another Jammie Dodger biscuit and forget about it.46、Avoiding over-consumption of sugar can improve people’s health as well as save medical expenses.47、Laws should be passed to make it illegal to produce overly sweet foods or drinks.48、Giving small children sweet juices to drink all the time is equal to child abuse.49、Looking around, the author found obesity quite widespread.50、The number of obese people is expected to increase quickly in the next few decades.51、If people really understood the horrible consequences of sugary foods and drinks, they would support government measures against sugar consumption.52、It would be a very good beginning to improve an additional tax on sugary drinks.53、The government has not yet taken any action to regulate sugar consumption although it indicated its intention to do so some time ago.54、Sugar is far more harmful to health than fat and salt.55、Consumers of sweet foods are not really to blame because they cannot tell what food is sugary.46—50 BNMAE 51—55 CGCHL2. Growing Up Colored[A] You wouldn't know Piedmont anymore—my Piedmont, I mean—the town in West Virginia where I learned to be a colored boy.[B] The 1950s in Piedmont was a time to remember, or at least to me. People were always proud to be from Piedmont—lying at the foot of a mountain, on the banks of the mighty Potomac. We know God gave America no more beautiful location. I never knew colored people anywhere who were crazier about mountains and water, flowers and trees, fishing and hunting. For as long as anyone could remember, we could outhunt, outshoot, and outswim the white boys in the valley.[C] The social structure of Piedmont was something we know like the back of our hands. It was an immigrant town; white Piedmont was Italian and Irish, with a handful of wealthy WASPs (盎格鲁撒克逊人的白人新教徒) on East Hampshire Street, and “ethnic”neighborhoods of working-class people everywhere else, colored and white.[D] For as long as anyone can remember. Piedmoent's character has been completely bound up with the Westvaco paper mill: its prosperous past and doubtful future. At first glance, the town is a typical dying mill center. Many once beautiful buildings stand empty, evidencing a bygone time of spirit and pride. The big houses on East Hampshire Street are no longer proud, as they were when I was a kid.[E] Like the Italians and the Irish, most of the colored people migrated to Piedmont at the turn of the 20th century to work at the paper mill, which opened in 1888. All the colored men at the paper mill worked on “the platform”—loading paper into tricks until the craft unions were finally integrated in 1968. Loading is what Daddy did every working day of his life. That's what almost every colored grown—up I knew did.[F] Colored people lived in three neighborhoods that were clearly separated. Welcome to the Colored Zone, a large stretched banner could have said. And it felt good in there, like walking around your house in bare feet and underwear, orsnoring (打制) night out loud on the couch in front of the TV—enveloped by the comforts of home, the warmth of those you love.[G] Of course, the colored world was not so much a neighborhood as a condition of existence. And though our own world was seemingly self-contained, it impacted on the white world of Piedmont in almost every direction. Certainly, the borders of our world seeped to be impacted on when some white man or woman showed up where he or the did not belong, such as at the black Legion Hall. Our space was violated when one of them showed up at a dance or a party. The rhythms would be off. The music would sound not quite right. Everybody would leave early.[I] “It's no disgrace to be colored,”the black entertainer Bert Williams famously observed early in the century, “but it is awfully inconvenient.” For most of my childhood, we couldn't eat in restaurants or sleep in hotels, we couldn't use certain bathrooms or try on clothes in stores. Mama insisted that we dress up when we went to shop. She was carefully dressed when she went to clothing stores, and wore white pads called shields under her arms so her dress or blouse would show no sweat. “We'd like to try this on,”she'd say carefully, uttering her words precisely and properly. “We don't buy clothes we can't try on,”she'd say when they declined, and we'd walk out in Mama's dignified (有尊严的) manner. She preferred to shop where we had an account and where everyone knew who she was.[J] At the Cut-Rate Drug Store, no one colored was allowed to sit down at the counter or tables, with one exception: my father. I don't know for certain why Carl Dadisman, the owner, wouldn't stop Daddy from sitting down. But I believe it was in part because Daddy was so light-colored, and in part because, during his shift at the phone company, be picked up orders for food and coffee for the operators. Colored people were supposed to stand at the counter, get their food to go, and leave. Even when Young Doc Bess would set up the basketball team with free Cokes after one of many victories, the colored players had to stand around and drink out of paper cups while the white players and cheerleaders set down in comfortable chairs and drank out of glasses.[K] I couldn't have been much older than five or six as I sat with my father at the Cut-Rate one afternoon, enjoying ice cream. Mr. Wilson, a stony-faced Irishman, walked by.“Hello, Mr. Wilson,” my father said.“Hello, George.”[L] I was genuinely puzzled. Mr. Wilson must have confused my father with somebody else, but who? There weren't any Georges among the colored people in Piedmont. “Why don't you tell him your name, Daddy?” I asked loudly. “Your name isn't George.”“He knows my name, boy,” my father said after a long pause. “He calls all colored people George.”[M] I knew we wouldn't talk about it again; even at that age, I was given to understand that there were some subjects it didn't do to worry to death about. Now that I have children, I realize that what distressed my father wasn't so much the Mr. Wilsons of the world as the painful obligation to explain the racial facts of life to someone who hadn't quite learned them yet. Maybe Mr. Wilson couldn't hurt my father by calling him George; but I hurt him by asking to know why.注意:此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
2014年12月大学英语四级考试真题及答案
2014年12月大学英语四级考试真题Part I Writing (30 minutes) Directions:For this part, .you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay about a campus activity that has benefited you most.You should write at least 120 words but No more than 180 words.注意:此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
Part ⅡListening 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 questionthere 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 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。
2014年12月四级阅读真题点评及解析
2014年12月四级阅读真题点评及解析作者:王长胤来源:《新东方英语》2015年第03期2014年12月的四级考试已经落下帷幕。
从阅读部分来看,本次四级考试的命题方式比较稳定,没有多少意料之外的考法,和往年的命题思路相比基本没有变化。
阅读部分不论是从文章题材、体裁还是考查的题型来看,依旧沿用了老套路。
此次四级考试实行“多题多卷”的考试形式,笔者目前收集到了其中一套真题,现主要针对这套真题的阅读部分作简单点评,并对一些典型题目进行命题分析和题型解析。
选词填空部分选词填空部分会给出一篇短文,其中有十个空格。
考生要从文后提供的十五个备选词中选择合适的单词填在空格内,每个空格只填一个单词。
从选项角度分析,本次四级考试选词填空部分的备选词有难有易,主要考查动词、名词和形容词三种词性,同时还考查了少量副词。
选项中较难的动词是demonstrated,该词的动词原形是demonstrate,是个多义词,常见意思包括“证明”“演示”和“示威游行(或集会)”。
此外,在选项中还有个很难的词,即habitually,这是个生僻词,从构词可以看出是个副词,表示“习惯性地,惯常地”,其同义词是usually。
但从这套试题来看,最难的这两个词都没有成为正确选项。
因此笔者提醒考生,在平时备考时还是应侧重于基础词汇的学习,不要在难词或者生僻词上钻牛角尖。
从解题的角度来看,本次考试的选词填空仍然重点考查词性、词义和语法搭配。
考生需要特别注意选项中某些词兼有多种词性的情况。
典型的例子是本套试题中出现的survey (表示“调查”,既可以作动词,又可以作名词)和trace (名词表示“痕迹”,动词表示“追踪”)。
本套试题选词填空部分的第36题就考查了这种情况,原文句子如下:“But in early 2007, June agreed to take part in a 36 of 35 Americans from seven states.”从空格前的冠词和空格后的介词短语可以判断出,空格处应当填入名词。
2014年12月英语四级仔细阅读真题(总三套题)及答案
2014年12月四级真题(第1套)第一套:Passage OneQuestions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.The rise of the Internet has been one of the most transformative developments in human history,comparable in impact to the invention of the printing press and the telegraph. Over two billion people worldwide now have access to vastly more information than ever before, and can communicate with each other instantly, often using Web-connected mobile devices they carry everywhere. But the Internet's tremendous impact has only just begun. "Mass adoption of the Internet is driving one of the most exciting social, cultural, and political transformations in history, and unlike earlier periods of change, this time the effects are fully global,"Schmidt and Cohen write in their new book, The New Digital Age.Perhaps the most profound changes will come when the five billion people worldwide who currently lack Internet access get online. The authors do an excellent job of examining the implications of the Internet revolution for individuals, governments, and institutions like the news media. But ff the book has one major shortcoming, it's that the authors don't spend enough time applying a critical eye to the role of Internet businesses in these sweeping changes.In their book, the authors provide the most authoritative volume to date that describes--and more importantly predicts--how the Internet will shape our lives in the coming decades. They paint a picture of a world in which individuals, companies, institutions, and governments must deal with two realities,one physical, and one virtual. At the core of the book is the idea that"technology is neutral, but people aren't." By using this concept as a starting point, the authors aim to move beyond the now familiar optimist vs. pessimist dichotomy (对立观点) that has characterized many recent debates about whether the rise of the Internet will ultimately be good or bad for society. In an interview with TIME earlier this week, Cohen said although he and his co-author are optimistic about many aspects of the Internet, they're also realistic about the risks and dangers that lie ahead when the next five billion people come online, particularly with respect to personal privacy and state surveillance (监视).注意:此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
2014年12月英语四级阅读练习及答案
2014年12月英语四级阅读练习及答案第一篇:2014年12月英语四级阅读练习及答案Passage OneQuestions 56 t0 60 are based on the following passage.It was once thought that air pollution affected only the area immediately around large cities with factories and heavy automobile traffic.Today, we know that although these are the areas with the worst air pollution,the problem is literally worldwide.On several occasions over the past decade,a heavy cloud of air pollution has covered the entire eastern half of the United States and led to health warnings even in rural areas away from any major concentration of manufacturing and automobile traffic.In fact,the very climate of the entire earth may be affected by air pollution.Some scientists feel that the increasing concentration of carbon dioxide in the air resulting from the burning of fossil fuels(coal and oil)is creating a“greenhouse effect”-holding in heat reflected from the earth and raising the world’s average temperature.If this view is correct and the world’s temperature is raised only a few degrees。
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1. Ban sugary drinks that will add fuel to the obesity war[A] On a train last Thursday, I sat opposite a man who was so fat he filled more than one seat. He was pale and disfigured and looked sick to death, which he probably was: obesity(肥胖的)leads to many nasty ways of dying. Looking around the carriage, I saw quite a few people like him, including a couple of fatty children with swollen checks pressing against their eyes. These people are part of what is without exaggeration an epidemic(流行病)of obesity.[B] But it is quite unnecessary: there is a simple idea- far from new- that could spare millions of such people a lifetime of chronic(长期的)ill health, and at the same time save the National Health Service(NHS)at least £14 billion a year in England and Wales. There would, you might think, be considerable public interest in it. This simple idea is that sugar is as good- or as bad- as poison and should be avoided. It is pure, white and deadly, as Professor John Yudkin described it40 years ago in a revolutionary book of that name. The subtitle was How Sugar Is Killing Us.[C] In its countless hidden forms, in ready meals, junk food and sweet drinks, sugar leads to addiction(瘾), to hormonal upsets to the appetite, to metabolic(新陈代谢的)malfunctions and obesity and from there to type 2 diabetes(糖尿病)and its many horrible complication. If people really grasped that, they would try to kick the habit, particularly as Britain is the ―fat man of Europe. They might even feel driven to support government measures to prevent people from consuming this deadly stuff. Yet so far this idea has met little but resistance.[D] It is not difficult to imagine the vested interests(既得利益集团)lined up against any sugar control- all the food and drink manufacturers, processors, promoters and retailers who make such easy pickings out of the magic powers of sugar. Then there are the liberals, with whom I would normally side, who protest that government regulation would be yet another instance of interference in our lives.[E]That is true, but people should realize that you cannot have a welfare state without a nanny state(保姆国家), to some degree. If we are all to be responsible for one another’s health insurance, through socialized medicine, then we are all closely involved i n one another’s health, including everyone’s eating and drinking. That has already been admitted, finally, with smoking. But it has yet to be admitted with overeating, even though one in four adults in this country is obese and that number is predicted to double by the year 2050.Quite apart from anything else, obesity will cripple the NHS.[F]Recently, though, there have been signs that the medical establishment is trying to sound the alarm. Last month the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges(AMRC)published a report saying that obesity is the greatest public health issue affecting the UK and urging government to do something.[G]The report offers 10 recommendations, of which the first is imposing a tax of 20 percent on sugary drinks for at least a year, on top of the existing 20 percent value-added tax. That at least would be an excellent start. The amounts of sugar in soft drinks are horrifying, and turn straight to fat. As Professor Terence Stephenson, head of the AMRC, has said, sugary soft drinks are ―the ultimate bad food. You are just consuming neat sugar. Your body didn’t evolve to handle this kind of thing.[H]Precisely. The risks of eating too much fat or salt(which are very different)pale into insignificant compared with the harm done by sugar. And it is everywhere.[I]It is difficult to buy anything in a supermarket, other than plain, unpre pared meat, fish or vegetables, that doesn’t havea large amount of sugar in it. This has come about because the prevailing scientific views of the 1960s and 1970s ignored the evidence about sugar, and instead saw fat as the really serious risk, both to the heart and other organs, as well as the cause of obesity.[J]The fashion was to avoid fat. But finding that food with much of its fat removed is not very appetizing, food producers turned to sugar as a magic alternative flavor enhancer, often in the forms of syrups(糖浆)that had recently been developed from corn, and put it generously into most prepared foods and soft drinks.[K]This stuff is not just fattening. It is addictive. It interferes with the body’s metabolism, possibly via the activity of an appetite-cont rolling hormone. There’s plenty of evidence for this, for those who will accept the truth.[L]Theoretically, people ought to make ―healthy choices and avoid overeating. But sugar additives are not easy to identify and are hard to avoid. So the snacking, over-drinking and over eating that makes people fat is not really their own fault: obesity is in large part something that is being done to them. It should be stopped, or rather the government should stop it.[M]Going round my local supermarket, I am constantly astonished that it is still legal to sell all the poisons stacked high on the shelves. The problem is that they are worse than useless. They are poisonous. They are known to be addictive. They are known to make people obese. And giving small children sweet drinks or bottles of fake juice all day long is nothing less than child abuse.[N]Clearly, the sale of such stuff ought to be illegal. I hate to think of yet more government regulation. But a bit of tax on sweet soda and a little more health education, a bit of cooking in schools and banning vending machines(自动售货机)here and there —as suggested try the AMRC report —is not going to achieve very much. Labelling is quite inadequate. What is needed is legislation banning high levels of sugary syrups used in foods and drinks.[O]In June 2012, the then minister for public health said the government was not scared of the food industry and had not ruled out legislation, because of the costs of obesity to the NHS. However, nothing has happened yet. Why not have another Jammie Dodger biscuit and forget about it.46、Avoiding over-consumption of sugar can improve people’s health as well as save medical expenses.47、Laws should be passed to make it illegal to produce overly sweet foods or drinks.48、Giving small children sweet juices to drink all the time is equal to child abuse.49、Looking around, the author found obesity quite widespread.50、The number of obese people is expected to increase quickly in the next few decades.51、If people really understood the horrible consequences of sugary foods and drinks, they would support government measures against sugar consumption.52、It would be a very good beginning to improve an additional tax on sugary drinks.53、The government has not yet taken any action to regulate sugar consumption although it indicated its intention to do so some time ago.54、Sugar is far more harmful to health than fat and salt.55、Consumers of sweet foods are not really to blame because they cannot tell what food is sugary.46—50 BNMAE 51—55 CGCHL2. Growing Up Colored[A] You wouldn't know Piedmont anymore—my Piedmont, I mean—the town in West Virginia where I learned to be a colored boy.[B] The 1950s in Piedmont was a time to remember, or at least to me. People were always proud to be from Piedmont—lying at the foot of a mountain, on the banks of the mighty Potomac. We know God gave America no more beautiful location. I never knew colored people anywhere who were crazier about mountains and water, flowers and trees, fishing and hunting. For as long as anyone could remember, we could outhunt, outshoot, and outswim the white boys in the valley.[C] The social structure of Piedmont was something we know like the back of our hands. It was an immigrant town; white Piedmont was Italian and Irish, with a handful of wealthy WASPs (盎格鲁撒克逊人的白人新教徒) on East Hampshire Street, and “ethnic”neighborhoods of working-class people everywhere else, colored and white.[D] For as long as anyone can remember. Piedmoent's character has been completely bound up with the Westvaco paper mill: its prosperous past and doubtful future. At first glance, the town is a typical dying mill center. Many once beautiful buildings stand empty, evidencing a bygone time of spirit and pride. The big houses on East Hampshire Street are no longer proud, as they were when I was a kid.[E] Like the Italians and the Irish, most of the colored people migrated to Piedmont at the turn of the 20th century to work at the paper mill, which opened in 1888. All the colored men at the paper mill worked on “the platform”—loading paper into tricks until the craft unions were finally integrated in 1968. Loading is what Daddy did every working day of his life. That's what almost every colored grown—up I knew did.[F] Colored people lived in three neighborhoods that were clearly separated. Welcome to the Colored Zone, a large stretched banner could have said. And it felt good in there, like walking around your house in bare feet and underwear, orsnoring (打制) night out loud on the couch in front of the TV—enveloped by the comforts of home, the warmth of those you love.[G] Of course, the colored world was not so much a neighborhood as a condition of existence. And though our own world was seemingly self-contained, it impacted on the white world of Piedmont in almost every direction. Certainly, the borders of our world seeped to be impacted on when some white man or woman showed up where he or the did not belong, such as at the black Legion Hall. Our space was violated when one of them showed up at a dance or a party. The rhythms would be off. The music would sound not quite right. Everybody would leave early.[I] “It's no disgrace to be colored,”the black entertainer Bert Williams famously observed early in the century, “but it is awfully inconvenient.” For most of my childhood, we couldn't eat in restaurants or sleep in hotels, we couldn't use certain bathrooms or try on clothes in stores. Mama insisted that we dress up when we went to shop. She was carefully dressed when she went to clothing stores, and wore white pads called shields under her arms so her dress or blouse would show no sweat. “We'd like to try this on,”she'd say carefully, uttering her words precisely and properly. “We don't buy clothes we can't try on,”she'd say when they declined, and we'd walk out in Mama's dignified (有尊严的) manner. She preferred to shop where we had an account and where everyone knew who she was.[J] At the Cut-Rate Drug Store, no one colored was allowed to sit down at the counter or tables, with one exception: my father. I don't know for certain why Carl Dadisman, the owner, wouldn't stop Daddy from sitting down. But I believe it was in part because Daddy was so light-colored, and in part because, during his shift at the phone company, be picked up orders for food and coffee for the operators. Colored people were supposed to stand at the counter, get their food to go, and leave. Even when Young Doc Bess would set up the basketball team with free Cokes after one of many victories, the colored players had to stand around and drink out of paper cups while the white players and cheerleaders set down in comfortable chairs and drank out of glasses.[K] I couldn't have been much older than five or six as I sat with my father at the Cut-Rate one afternoon, enjoying ice cream. Mr. Wilson, a stony-faced Irishman, walked by.“Hello, Mr. Wilson,” my father said.“Hello, George.”[L] I was genuinely puzzled. Mr. Wilson must have confused my father with somebody else, but who? There weren't any Georges among the colored people in Piedmont. “Why don't you tell him your name, Daddy?” I asked loudly. “Your name isn't George.”“He knows my name, boy,” my father said after a long pause. “He calls all colored people George.”[M] I knew we wouldn't talk about it again; even at that age, I was given to understand that there were some subjects it didn't do to worry to death about. Now that I have children, I realize that what distressed my father wasn't so much the Mr. Wilsons of the world as the painful obligation to explain the racial facts of life to someone who hadn't quite learned them yet. Maybe Mr. Wilson couldn't hurt my father by calling him George; but I hurt him by asking to know why.注意:此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。