2019年12月英语四级听力50篇：38 “How to” Books
2019年12月大学英语四级真题试卷（题后附答案及解析）（一）
2019年12月大学英语四级真题试卷（题后附答案及解析）（一）2019年12月大学英语四级真题试卷(题后附答案及解析)（一）全部题型1. Writing2. Listening Comprehension3. Reading Comprehension4. TranslationPart I Writing1．For this part you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter to a foreign friend who wants to teach English in China. Please recommend a city to him. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.您的答案是：正确答案： Dear TomOn hearing that you are planning to teach English in China and inquire which city to work in I'd like to recommend our capital city Beijing to you which is an international metropolis.The reasons why I recommend Beijing can be listed as follows. First of all there are a lot of English-speaking foreigners in Beijing which could help you adapt to life here very quickly. Furtherm ore as the capital of several dynastiesBeijing has a profound cultural background so you can better experience the extensive and profound traditional Chinese culture in Beijing. Most importantly parents in Beijing attach great importanceto their children's English learning and many people who work in multinational companies also need to learn English.I truly hope that you can come to Beijing to start your teaching life and I'm looking forward to your arrival. If you have any question about the city pl ease feel free to contact me for further information.Yours sincerelyLi MingPart II Listening ComprehensionSection A听力原文：New York City police captured a cow on the loose in Prospect Park on Tuesday after the animal became an attraction for tourists while walking along the streets and enjoying the park facilities. The confused creature and camera-holding humans stared at each other through a fence for several minutes. At other times the cow wandered around the 526-acre park and the artificial grass field normally used for human sporting events. Officers used soccer goals to fence the animal in. However the cow then moved through one of the nets knocking down a police officer in the process. Policeeventually trapped the cow between two vehicles parked on either side of a baxxxxseball field's bench area. An officer then shot an arrow to put it to sleep. Then officers waited for the drug to take effect. After it fell asleep they loaded the cow into a horse trailer. It was not clear where the cow came from or how it got lost. Police turned it over to the animal control department after they caught it.Questions 1 and 2 are baxxxxsed on the news report you have just heard.1. What happened in New York's Prospect Park on Tuesday?2. What do we learn about the cow from the end of the news report? 2．A．Many facilities were destroyed by a wandering cow.B．A wandering cow knocked down one of its fences.C．Some tourists were injured by a wandering cow.D．A wandering cow was captured by the police.您的答案是：正确答案：D解析：事实细节题。
2019年12月英语四级听力真题及答案(文字完整版)
2019年12月英语四级听力真题及答案（文字完整版）“考试采取“多题多卷”模式，试题顺序不统一，请依据试题实行核对。
”PartⅡ Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)Section ADirections： In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and the questions willbe spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D) .Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.News 1：A 9-year-old girl in New Mexico has raised more than$500 for her little brother who needs heart surgery inHouston Texas this July. Addison Witulski's grandmother Kim Allred said Addison probably overheard a conversation between family members talking about the funds needed to get herlittle brother to treatment." I guess she overheard her grandfather and me talking about how we’re worried about how we’re going to get to Houston, for my grandson’s heart surgery,” said Allred. She decided to go outside and have a lemonade stand and make some drawings and pictures and sell them.”That’s when Addis on and her friends Erika and Emily Borden decided to sell lemonade for 50 cents a cup and sell pictures for 25 cents each.Before Allred knew it, New Mexico State Police Officers were among the many stopping by helping them reach a total of $568.The family turned to social media expressing their gratitude saying, “From the bottom of our hearts, we would like to deeply thank each & every person that stopped by!Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.Q1： Who did Addison raise money for?A)Her friend Erika.B)Her little brother.C)Her grandfather.D)Her grandmother.答案：B) Her little brother.Q2： How did Addison raise money?A)By taking pictures for passers-by.B)By working part time at a hospital.C)By selling lemonade and pictures.D)By asking for help on social media.答案：C) By selling lemonade and pictures.News 2：Last week, France announced that the country will pave 621 miles of road with solar panels over the next five years, with the goal of providing cheap, renewable energy to five million people.Called “the Wattway,” the roads will be built through joint efforts with the French road-building company Colas and the National Institute of Solar Energy. The company spent the last five years developing solar panels that are only about a quarter of an inch thick and are strong enough to stand up to heavy highway traffic without breaking or making the roads more slippery. The panels are also designed so that they can be installed directly on top of existing roadways, making them relatively cheap and easy to install.France isn’t the first country to kick around the idea of paving its roads with solar panels. In November 2015, the Netherlands completed a 229-foot-long bike path paved with solar panels as a test for future projects. However, this is the first time a panel has been designed to be laid directly on top of existing roads and the first project to install the panels on public highways.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.Q3： What was France's purpose of constructing the Wattway?A)Finding cheaper ways of highway construction.B)Generating electric power for passing vehicles.C)Providing clean energy to five million people.D)Testing the efficiency of the new solar panel.答案：C) Providing clean energy to five million people.Q4： What is special about the solar panels used in the Wattway?A)They can stand the wear and tear of natural elements.B)They can be laid right on top of existing highways.C)They can only about half an inch thick.D)They are made from cheap materials.答案：B) They can be laid right on top of existing highways.News 3：Lions have disappeared from much of Africa, but for the past few years scientists have wondered if the big cats were hanging on in remote parts of Sudan and Ethiopia. Continuous fighting in the region has made surveys difficult.But scientists released a report Monday documenting, with hard evidence, the discovery of "lost lions."A team with Oxford University’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, supported by a charity organization, spent two nights in November camping in the National Park in northwest Ethiopia, on the Ethiopia-Sudan border. The researchers set out six camera traps capturing images of lions, and they identified lion tracks.The scientists concluded that lions are also likely to live in the neighbouring National Park across the border in Sudan. The International Union for Conservation of Nature had previously considered the area a "possible range" for the species, and local people had reported seeing lions in the area, but no one presented convincing evidence.Questions 5 and 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.Q5： What has made it difficult to survey lions in remote parts in Sudan and Ethiopia?A)Endless fighting in the region.B)The hazards from the desert.C)Inadequate funding for research.D)The lack of clues about the species.答案：A) Endless fighting in the region.Q6： What was the main purpose of the research?A)To observe the wildlife in the two national parks.B)To identify the reasons for the lions’ disappearance.C)To study the habitat of lions in Sudan and Ethiopia.D)To find evidence of the existence of the “lost lions”.答案：D) To find evidence of the existence of the "lost lions".Q7： What did the researchers find in the National Park?A) Lions walking. C) Some camping facilities.B) Lion’s tracks. D) Traps set by local hunters.答案：B) Lions' tracks.Section BDirections： In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Passage 1M： I bet you're looking forward to the end of this month. Are you?W： Yes, I am. How did you know?M： David told me you had a special birthday coming up.W：Oh…yeah that's right. This year will be my golden birthday.M： What does that mean? I've never heard of a golden birthday.W： I've actually just learnt this concept myself. Fortunately, just in time to celebrate. A golden or lucky birthday is when one turns the age of their birth date. So,for example, my sister's birthday is December 9th and her golden birthday would have been the year she turned nineyears old. Come to think of it, my parents did throw her a surprise party that year.M： Interesting. Too bad I missed mine. My golden birthday would've been four years ago. I assume you got big plans then.W： Actually yes. My husband is planning a surprise holiday for the two of us next week. I have no idea what he's got in mind, but I'm excited to find out. Has he mentioned anything to you?M： He might have.W： Anything you'd like to share? I'm dying to know what kind of trip he has planned on where we're going.M： You know nothing at all?W：Not a clue. Hard to imagine, isn’t it? Though I must say I think he's been having even more fun keeping the secret from me in the past few weeks.M： I'm sure both of you will have a fantastic time. Happy golden birthday! I can't wait to hear all about it when you get back.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.Q8. What is the woman looking forward to?A) Her ‘lucky birthday’ C) Her wedding anniversary.B) A call from her dad. D) A special gift from the man.答案：A) Her 'lucky birthday'.Q9. What did the woman's parents do on her sister'slucky birthday?A) Gave her a big model plane. C) Took her on a trip overseas.B) Bought her a gold necklace. D) Threw her a surprise party.答案：D) Threw her a surprise party.Q10. What is the woman eager to find out about?A) The gift her husband has bought.B) The trip her husband has planned.C) What has been troubling her husband.D) What her husband and the man are up to.答案：B) The trip her husband has planned.Q11. What does the man say at the end of the conversation?A) He will be glad to be a guide for the couple’s holiday trip.B) He will tell the woman the secret if her husband agrees.C) He is eager to learn how the couple’s holiday turns out.D) He wants to find out about the couple’s holiday plan.答案： C) He is eager to learn how the couple's holiday turns out.Passage 2W： Mr. Green, what do you think makes a successful negotiator?M：Well, that’s hard to define. But I think successful negotiators have several things in common. They are always polite and rational people. They are firm but flexible. They can recognize power and know how to use it. They aresensitive to the dynamics of the negotiation. The way ofrises and falls and how it may change direction. They project the image of confidence, and perhaps most importantly, they know when to stop.W： And, what about an unsuccessful negotiator?M： Well, this is probably all of us when we start out. We are probably immature and over-trusting. Too emotional or aggressive. We are unsure of ourselves and we want to beliked by everyone. Good negotiators learn fast. Poor negotiators remain like that and go on losing negotiations.W： In your opinion, can the skills of negotiation be taught?M： Well, you can teach someone how to prepare for a negotiation. There are perhaps six stages in every negotiation. Get to know the other side. State your goals. Start the process. Clarify areas of disagreement or conflict. Reassess your position. Making acceptable compromises. And finally, reach some agreement in principle. These stages canbe studied. And strategies to be used in each can be planned beforehand. But I think, the really successful negotiator is probably born with six sense about responding appropriatelyto the situation at hand.W：The artistic sense you’ve just described?M：Yes. That’s rig ht.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.Q12： What does the man say about good negotiators?A) They are sensitive to the dynamics of a negotiation.B) They see the importance of making compromises.C) They know when to adopt a tough attitude.D) They take the rival’s attitude into account.答案：A) They are sensitive to the dynamics of a negotiation.Q13： What does the man say may be the most important thing to a successful negotiator?A) They know how to adapt. C) They know when to make compromises.B) They know when to stop. D) They know how to control their emotion.答案：B) They know when to stop.Q14： How is a good negotiator different from a poor one?A) They are patient. C) They learn quickly.B) They are good at expression. D) They uphold their principles.答案： C) They learn quickly.Q15： What is the first stage of negotiation according to the man?A) Make clear one’s intentions. C) Formulate one’s strategy.B) Clarify items of negotiation. D) Get to know the other side.答案：D) Get to know the other side.Section CDirections： In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C), D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Passage 1Some people wonder why countries spend millions of dollars on space projects. They want to know how space research helps people on Earth. Actually space technology helps people on Earth every day. This is called "spin-off technology."Spin-off technology is space technology that is now used on Earth.In early space programs, such as the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 1970s, and in the Space Shuttle missions today, scientists developed objects for the astronauts to use on the moon and in space. We now use some of these objects every day.For example, we have Quartz crystal clocks and watches accurate to within one minute a year. We purify the water we drink with a water filter designed for the astronauts' use in space.The cordless, hand-held tools we use in our homes, such as vacuum cleaners, flashlights, drills and saws came fromthe technology of these early space programs.On cold winter days we can stay warm with battery-operated gloves and socks, and specially made coats and jackets. All of these clothes are similar to the spacesuit designs that kept astronauts comfortable in the temperatures of the moon, and are spin-offs from space technology.These products are only a few examples of the many ways space technology helps us in our everyday lives. No one knows how new spin-off technology from the International Space Station will help us in the future.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you havejust heard.Q16： What do some people want to know about space exploration?A) When America’s earliest space program started.B) When the International Space Station was built.C) How many space shuttle missions there will be.D) How space research benefits people on Earth.答案： D) How space research benefits people on Earth.Q17： What did scientists do for the space shuttle missions?A) They accurately calculated the speed of the orbiting shuttles.B) They developed objects for astronauts to use in outer space.C) They tried to meet astronauts’ specific requirements.D) They tried to make best use of the latest technology.答案：B) They developed objects for astronauts to use in outer space.Q18： What does the speaker say about Quartz crystal clocks and watches?A) They are extremely accurate. C) They were first made in space.B) They are expensive to make. D) They were invented in the 1970s.答案：A) They are extremely accurate.Passage 2Well, if I could go back in history and live, I'd like to go back to the 18th century and perhaps in colonial America in Yankee, New England, where one of my ancestors lived, because it was the beginning of something.By the 18th century, there was a feeling of community that had grown. My ancestor was a preacher, traveling around the countryside. People lived in small communities. There were fishermen and farmers who provided fresh food that tasted and looked like food, unlike that in today's supermarkets, and there were small towns, and New York wasn't that far away. I'm deeply attached to the Puritan tradition, not in a religious sense, but they believed in working for something, working for goals, and I like that.They worked hard at whatever they did, but they had a sense of achievement. They believed in goodness in community and helping one another. I love the colonial fabrics, all the silver work, the furnishings, the combination of elegance and simplicity. I love it. The printing, the books, I'm very attached to all that kind of thing that may not all be very entertaining in the modern sense of the world. But I would have enjoyed spending my evenings in that environment, discussing new ideas, building a new world. And I can see myself sitting on a small chair by the fire doing needlework.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you havejust heard.Q19： Why does the speaker say she would like to go back and live in the 18th century America?A) It was when her ancestors came to America.B) People had plenty of land to cultivate then.C) It marked the beginning of something new.D) Everything was natural and genuine then.答案：C) It marked the beginning of something new.Q20： What does the speaker say about the Puritans?A) They believed in working for goals. C) They had all kinds of entertainment.B) They enjoyed living a life of ease. D) They were known to be creative.20. A) They believed working for goals.答案：What would the speaker like doing if she could go back to the past?21.What would the speaker like doing if she could go back to the past?A)Chatting with her ancestors.B)Furnishing her country house.C)Polishing all the silver work.D)Doing needlework by the fire.答案：D) Doing needlework by the fire.Passage 3If you are lost in the woods, a little knowledge can turn what some people call a hardship into an enjoyable stay away from the troubles of modern society. When you think youare lost, sit down on a log, or a rock, or lean against a tree, and recite something that you have memorized, to bring you mind to a point where it’s under control. Don’t run blindly. If you must move, don’t follow a stream unless you know it, and in that case, you are not lost. Streams, normally flow through wetland before they reach a lake or a river. Though there are more eatable plants, there may also be wild animals, poisonous snakes, and other hazards. Many experts feel that it’s wisest to walk uphill. At the top of most hills and mountains, are trails leading back to civilization. If there are no trails, you are much easier to be seen on top of a hill, and you may even spot a highway, or a railroad from this point. Nowadays, the first way someone will search for you is by air. In a wetland, or in dense growth, you are very hard to spot. Anytime you go into the woods, somebody should know where you are going, and when you expect to return. Also, when someone comes looking, you should be able to signal to them.Questions 22-25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. What does the speaker advise you to do first if you are lost in the woods?A)Use a map to identify your location.B)Call your family or friends for help.C)Sit down and try to calm yourself.D)Try to follow your footprints back.答案：C) Sit down and try to calm yourself23. What will happen if you follow an unknown stream in the woods?A)You may find a way out without your knowing it.B)You may expose yourself to unexpected dangers.C)You may get drowned in a sudden flood.D)You may end up entering a wonderland.答案： B)You may expose yourself to unexpected dangers.24. What do many experts think is the wisest thing to do if you are lost in the woods?A)Look for food.B)Wait patiently.C)Start a fire.D)Walk uphill.答案：D)Walk uphill.25. What should you do before you go into the woods?A)Inform somebody of your plan.B)Prepare enough food and drink.C)Check the local weather.D)Find a map and a compass.答案：A) Inform somebody of your plan.12月四六级真题答案去哪找？12月16日锁定###四六级频道，超全四级真题及答案考试结束后免费供应，想第一时间查答案的小朋友快来查看！！！！更多四级真题答案请见>>>。
2019年12月英语四级试卷及答案
2019年12月四级考试真题及答案第-套Part Writing (30 minutes) Directions: For this part, уоu are allowed 30 minutes to write а letter to а foreign friend who wants to teach English in China. Please recommend а cityto him. You should write at least 120 words but по more than 180 words.Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes) Section ADirections: In this section, уou will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, уоu will hear two or three questions. Both the news report andthen questions will be spoken only once. After уоu hear a question, уоumust choose the best answer. from the four choices markedA), В), C) andD). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet lwith а singleline through the centre. Questions l and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1. A) Many facilities were destroyed by a wandering cow.В) A wandering cow knocked down one of its fences.C) Some tourists were injured by a wandering cow.D) A wandering cow was captured by the police.2. A) It was shot to death by a police officer.B) It found its way back to the park' 's zoo.C) It became a great attraction for tourists.D) It was sent to the animal control department.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just hear d.3. A) It is the largest of its kind.B) It is going to be expanded.C) It is displaying more fossil specimens.D) It is staring an online exhibition.4. A) A collection of bird fossils from Australia.B) Photographs of certain rare fossil exhibits.C) Some ancient wall paintings from Australia.D) Pictures by winners of а wildlife photo contest.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. A) Pick up trash.В) Amuse visitors.C) Deliver messages.D) Play with children.6. A) They are especially intelligent.B) They are children 's favorite.C) They are quite easy to tame.D) They are clean and pretty.7. A) Children may be harmed by the rooks.B) Children may be tempted to drop litter.C) Children may contract bird diseases.D) Children may overfeed the rooks.Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and thequestions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you mustchoose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D).Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet l with a single linethrough the centre.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8. A) It will be produced at Harvard University.B) It will be hosted by famous professors.C) It will cover different areas of science.D) It will focus on recent scientific discoveries.9. A) It will be more futuristic.B) It will be more systematic.C) It will be more entertaining.D) It will be easier to understand.10. A) People interested in science.B) Youngsters eager to explore."C) Children in their early teens.D) Students majoring in science.11. A) Offer professional advice.B) Provide financial support.C) Help promote it on the Internet.D) Make episodes for its first season.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. A) Unsure.B) Helpless.C) Concerned.D) Dissatisfied.13. A) He is too concerned with being perfect.B) He loses heart when faced with setbacks.C) He is too ambitious in achieving goals.D) He takes on projects beyond his ability.14. A) Embarrassed.B) Unconcerned.C) Miserable.D) Resentful.15. A) Try to be optimistic whatever happens.B) Compare his present with his past only.C) Always learn from others' achievements.D) Treat others the way he would be treated.SectionCDirections: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage,you will hear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questionswіll bеѕроkеn оnlу оnсе. Аftеr уоu hеаr а quеѕtіоn, уои muѕt сhооѕе thеbest answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then markthe corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through thecentre.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A) They have a stronger sense of social responsibility.B) They are more likely to succeed in the humanities.C) They are more likely to become engineers.D) They have greater potential to be leaders.17. A) Praise girls who like to speak up frequently.B) Encourage girls to solve problems on their own.C) Insist that boys and girls work together more.D) Respond more positively to boys' comments.18. A) Offer personalized teaching materials.OB) Provide a variety of optional courses.OC) Place great emphasis on test scores.D) Pay extra attention to top students.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A) It often rains cats' and dogs.B) It seldom rains in summer time.C) It does not rain as much as people think.D) It is one of the most rainy cities in the US.20. A) They drive most of the time.B) The rain is usually very light.C) They have got used to the rain.D) The rain comes mostly at night.21. A) It has a lot of places for entertainment.B) It has never seen thunder and lighting.C) It has fewer cloudy days than any other coastal city.D) It has mild weather both in summer and in winter .Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A) It occurs when people are doing a repetitive activity.B) It results from exerting one 's muscles continuously.C) It happens when people engage in an uncommon activity.D) It comes from staining one 's muscles in an unusual way.23. A) Blood flow and body heat increase in the affected area.B) Body movements in the affected area become difficult.C) They begin to make repairs immediately.D) They gradually become fragmented.24. A) About one week.B) About two days.C) About ten days.D) About four weeks.25. A) Apply muscle creams.B) Drink plenty of water.C) Have a hot shower.D) Take pain-killers..Part llI Reading Comprehension (40 minutes) Section ADirections: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required 1o select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bankfollowving the passage. Read the passage through carefuly before makingyour choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter: Pleasemark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with asingle line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in thebank more than once.Questions 26 to 35 are based on the following passage.When travelling overseas, do you buy water in plastic bottles or take yourchances with tap water'? Imagine you are wandering about on a Thai island or_ 26the ruins of Angkor. It's hot so you grab a bottle of water from a local vendor. It's thesafe, sane thing to do, right? The bottle is_ 27, and the label says“pure water”but maybe what's inside is not so28-.Would you still be drinking it if you knewthat more than 90percent of all bottled water sold around the world_29microplastics?That's the conclusion of a recently__ 30_study, which analyzed 259 bottlesfrom ll brands sold in nine countries,-31 an average of 325 plastic particles per liter of water. These microplastics included a__ 32commonly known as PET and are widely used in the manufacture of clothing and food and_ 33_ containers. The study was conducted at the State University of New York on behalf of Orb Media, ajournalism organization. About a million bottles are bought every minute, not only bythirsty tourists but also by many of the 2.1 billion worldwide who live with unsafedrinking water.Confronted with this__ 34 several bottled-water manufacturers includingNestle and Coco-Cola undertook their own studies using the same methodology.These studies showed that their water did contain microplastics, but far less than thOrb study suggested. Regardless, the World Health Organization has now launched a review into the__ 35health risks of drinking water from plastic bottles.A) adequateB) admiringC) containsD) defendingE) evidenceF) instantG) liquidH) modifiedI) naturalJ) potentialK) releasedL) revealingM) sealedN) solvesO) substance :Section BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to each statement contains information given in one of theparagraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived.You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is markedwith a letter: Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letteron Answer Sheet 2.The Quiet Heroism of Mail Delivery'·[A] On Wednesday, a polar wind brought bitter cold to the Midwest. Overnight,Chicago reached a low of 21 degrees Fahrenheit below zero, making it slightly colderthan Antarctica, Alaska, and the North Pole. Wind chills were 64 degrees below zeroin Park Rapids, Minnesota, and 45 degrees below zero in Buffalo, North Dakota,according to the National Weather Service. Schools, restaurants, and businessesclosed, and more than l ,000 flights have been canceled.[B] Even the United States Postal Service (USPS) suspended mail deliverytemporarily. "Due to this arctic outbreak and concerns for the safety of USPSemployees," USPS announced Wednesday morning, the Postal Service is suspendingdelivery Jan. 30 in the following 3-digit ZIP Code locations." Twelve regions werelisted as unsafe on Wednesday; on Thursday, eight remained.[C] As global surface temperatures increase, so does the likelihood of extremeweather. In 2018 alone, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, mudslides, and othernatural disasters cost at least $49 billion in the United States. As my colleague VannNewkirk reported, Puerto Rico is still confronting economic and structural destructionand resource scarcity from 2017's Hurricane Maria. Natural disasters can wreck acommunity's infrastructure, disrupting systems for months or years. Some services,however, remind us that life will eventually return, in some form, to normal,[D] Days after the deadly 2017 wildfires in Santa Rosa, California, a dronecaught footage of a USPS worker, Trevor Smith, driving through burned homes in thatfamiliar white van, collecting mail in an affected area. The video is striking: The operation is familiar, but the scene looks like the end of the world. According to RaeAnn Haight, the program manager for the national-preparedness office at USPS,Smith was fulfilling a request made by some of the home owners to pick up any mailthat was left untouched. For Smith, this was just another day on the job. I followedmy route like I normally do," Smith told a reporter. As I'd come across a box thatwas up but with no house, I checked, and there was mail--outgoing mail--in it. Andso we picked those up and carried on.'[E] USPS has sophisticated emergency plans for natural disasters. Across thcountry, 285 emergency-management teams are devoted to crisis control. These teamsare trained annually using a framework known as the three Ps: people, property,product. After mail service stops due to weather, the agency 's top priority is ensuringthat employees are safe. Then it evaluates the health of infrastructure, such as theroads that mail carriers drive on. Finally, it decides when and how tore-openoperations. If the destruction is extreme, mail addressed to the area will get sentelsewhere. In response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, USPS redirected incoming NewOrleans mail to existing mail facilities in Houston. Mail that was already processed inNew Orleans facilities was moved to an upper floor so it would be protected fromwater damage.[F] As soon as it's safe enough to be outside,' couriers start distributingaccumulated mail on the still-accessible routes. USPS urges those without standingaddresses to file change-of- address forms with their new location. After HurricaneKatrina hit in 2005, mail facilities were set up in dozens of other locations across thecountry in the two weeks that USPS was unable to provide street delivery.[G] Every day, USPS processes, on average, 493.4 million pieces ofmail -anything from postcards to Social Security checks to medicine. Spokespeoplefrom both USPS and UPS told me all mail is important. But some mail can beextremely sensitive and timely. According to data released in January 2017, 56percent of bills are paid online, which means that just under half of payments still relyon delivery services to be completed.[H] It can be hard to identify which parcels are carrying crucial items such asSocial Security checks, but USPS and UPS try their best to prioritize sensitivematerial. They will coordinate with the Social Security Administration to make surethat Social Security checks reach the right people in a timely fashion. After HurricaneFlorence and Hurricane Michael last fall, USPS worked with state and local electionboards to make sure that absentee ballots were available and received on time.[I] Mail companies are logistics companies, which puts them in a special positionto help when disaster strikes. In a 2011 USPS case study, the agency emphasized itsmassive infrastructure as a unique federal asset" to be called upon in a disaster orterrorist attack. I think we're unique as a federal agency," USPS official MikeSwigart told me, because we're in literally every community in this countryWe' re obligated to deliver to that point on a daily basis.'[J] Private courier companies, which have more dollars to spend, use theirexpertise in logistics to help revitalize damaged areas after a disaster. For more than adecade, FedEx has supported the American Red Cross in its effort to get emergencysupplies to areas affected by disasters, both domestically and internationally. In 2012,the company distributed more than 1,200 MedPacks to Medical Reserve Corps groupsin California, and donated space for 3.1 million pounds of charitable shipping st October, the company pledged $1 million in cash and transportation support forHurricanes Florence and Michael. UPS's charitable arm, the UPS Foundation, usesthe company 's logistics to help disaster-struck areas rebuild. We realize that as acompany with people, trucks, warehouses, we needed to play a larger role," saidEduardo Martinez, the president of the UPS Foundation. The company employs it:trucks and planes to deliver food, medicine, and water. The day before I spoke toMartinez in November, he had been touring the damage fromHurricane Michael inFlorida with the American Red Cross. We have an obligation to make sure ourcommunities are thriving, prosperous," he said.[K] Rebuilding can take a long time, and even then, impressions of the disastermay still remain. Returning to a sense of normalcy can be difficult, but some smallroutines--mail delivery being one of them--may help residents remember that theircommunities are still their communities. When they see that carrier back out on thestreet," Swigart said, that's the first sign to them that life is starting to return tonormal."36. The United States Postal Service has a system to ensure its employees' safety.37. One official says USPS is unique in that it has more direct reach tccommunities compared with other federal agencies38. Natural disasters can have a long-lasting impact on community life.39. Mail delivery service i$ still responsible for the completion of almost half ofpayments.40. The sight of a mailman on the street is a reassuring sign of life becomingnormal again.41. After Hurricane Katrina interrupted routine delivery, temporary mail servicepoints were set up.42. Postal service in some regions in the U.S. was suspended due to extreme coldweather.43. Private postal companies also support disaster relief efforts by distributingurgent supplies.44. A dedicated USPS employee was on the job carrying out duties in spite ofextreme conditions.45. Postal services work hard to identify items that require priority treatment. Section CDirections: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are fourchoices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choiceand mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line 'through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.Professor Ashok Goel of Georgia Tech developed an artificially intelligentteaching assistant to help handle the enormous number of student questions in theonline class, Knowledge Based Artificial Intelligence. This online course is a corerequirement of Georgia Tech's online Master of Science in Computer Scienceprogram. Professor Goel already had 8 teaching assistants, but that wasn t enough todeal with the overwhelming number of questions from students.Many students drop out of online courses because of the lack of teaching support.When students feel isolated or confused and reach out with questions that gounanswered, their motivation to continue begins to fade. Professor Goel decided to dosomething to remedy this situation and his solution was to create a virtual assistantnamed Jill Watson, which is based on the IBM Watson platform.Goel and his team developed several versions of Jill W atson before releasing herto the online forums. At first, the virtual assistant wasnt too great. But Goel and histeam sourced the online discussion forum to find all 40,000 questions that had everbeen asked since the class was launched. Then they began to feed Jill the questionsand answers. After some adjustment and sufficient time, Jill was able to answer thestudents questions correctly 97% of the time. The L virtual assistant became soadvanced and realistic that the students didn t know she was a computer. The students,who were studying artificial intelligence, were interacting with artificial intelligenceand couldn't tell it apart from a real human being. Goel didn 't inform them about Jill'strue identity until April 26. The students were actually very positive about theexperience.The goal of Professor Goel's virtual assistant next year is to take over answering40% of all questions posed by students on the online forum. The name, Jill Watson,will of course, change to something else next semester. Professor Goel has a muchrosier outlook on the future of AI than say, Elon Musk, Stephen Hawking, Bill Gatesor Steve Wozniak.46. What do we learn about Knowledge-Based Artificial Intelligence?A) It is a robot that can answer students' questions.B) It is a course designed for students to learn online.C) It is a high-tech device that revolutionizes teaching.D) It is a computer program that aids student learning.47. What problem did Professor Goel meet with?A) His students were unsatisfied with the assistants.B) His course was too difficult for the students.C) Students questions were too many to handle.D) Too many students dropped out of his course.48. What do we learn about Jill Watson?A) She turned out to be a great success.B) She got along pretty well with students.C) She was unwelcome to students at first.D) She was released online as an experiment.10/23149. How did the students feel about Jill W atson?A) They thought she was a bit too artificial.B) They found her not as capable as expected.C) They could not but admire her knowledge.D) They could not tell her from a real person.50. What does Professor Goel plan to do next with Jill W atson?A) Launch different versions of her online.B) Feed her with new questions and answers.c) Assign her to answer more of students questions.D) Encourage students to interact with her more freely.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.Thinking small, being engaging, and having a sense of humor don' t hurt. Thoseare a few of the traits of successful science crowdfunding efforts that emerge from arecent study that examined nearly 400 campaigns. But having a large network andsome promotional skills may be more crucial.Crowdfunding, raising money for a project through online appeals, has taken offin recent years for everything from making movies to building water-saving gadgets.Scientists have tried to tap Internet donors, too, with mixed success. Some raisedmore than twice their goal, but others have fallen short of reaching more modesttargets.To determine what separates science crowdfunding triumphs from failures, ateam led by science communications scholar Mike Schäfer of the University of Zurichin Switzerland examined the content of the WebPages for 371 recent campaigns.Four traits stood out for those that achieved their goals, the researchers report inPublic Understanding of Science. For one, they use a crowdfunding platform thatspecializes in raising money for science, and not just any kind of project. Althoughsites like Kickstarter take all comers, platforms such as Experiment.com,, and Petridish. org only present scientific projects. For another, theypresent the project with a funny video because good visuals and a sense of humorimproved success. Most of them engage with potential donors since projects thatanswered questions from interested donors and posted lab notes fared better. And theytarget a small amount of money. The projects included in the study raised $4000 onaverage, with 30% of projects receiving less than $ 1000. The more money a projectsought, the lower the chance it reached its goal, the researchers found.Other factors may also significantly influence a project's success, most notably,the size of a scientist's personal and professional networks, and how muchresearcher promotes a project on his or her own. Those two factors are by far morecritical than the content on the page. Crowdfunding can be part of researchers effortsto reach the public, and people give because they feel a connection to the person"who is doing the fundraising--not necessarily to the science.11/3151. What do we learn about the scientists trying to raise money online for theirprojects?A) They did not raise much due to modest targets.B) They made use of mixed fundraising strategies.C) Not all of them achieved their anticipated goals.D) Most of them put movies online for the purpose.52. What is the purpose of Mike Schafer's research of recent crowdfundingcampaigns?A) To create attractive content for science websites.B) To identify reasons for their different outcomes.C) To help scientists to launch innovative projects.D) To separate science projects from general ones.53. What trait contributes to the success of a crowdfunding campaign?A) The potential benefit to future generations.为B) Its interaction with prospective donors.C) Its originality in addressing financial issues.D) The value of the proposed project.54. What did the researchers think of the financial targets of crowdfundingprojects?A) They should be small to be successful.B) They should be based on actual needs.C) They should be assessed with great care.D) They should be ambitious to gain notice.55. What motivates people to donate in a crowdfunding campaign?A) The ease of access to the content of the webpage.B) Their desire to contribute to the cause of science.C) The significance and influence of the project itself.D) Their feeling of connection to the scientists themselves.Part IV Translation (30 minutes) Directions: For this part, you cre allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from ( 'hinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.中国家庭十分重视孩子的教育。
2019年12月英语四级听力50篇：24 Great Depression in the U.S.
2019年12月英语四级听力50篇：24 GreatDepression in the U.S.2018年12月英语四级听力50篇汇总英语四级听力50篇：24 Great Depression in the U.S.In 1929, the bills started to come in. American industry had produced too many goods. Americans could not afford to buy all of them. So factories had to cut down on their production. Many workers lost their jobs. Investors tried to get their money back. But businesses did not have enough money to pay them. Banks tried to get their money back from investors. But the investors could not pay, either. Too many people owed money. And few of them could pay their bills.During the next few years, business got worse and worse. By 1932, banks all over the country were closing.People without money could not buy goods. So more businesses closed. More and more people lost their jobs. By 1932, more than 12 million Americans were jobless. Millions more were earning barely enough to live on. The country wasin a great depression they had never experienced before.Useful Words and Expressions：1. bill 帐单，票据foot the bill付账，负责2. cut down on 减少3. depression 沮丧，萧条Great Depression大萧条2018年12月英语四级听力50篇汇总。
2019年12月四级真题第二套附答案及听力材料
2019年12⽉四级真题第⼆套附答案及听⼒材料2019年12⽉四级真题（第⼆套）答案附后⾯Part I WritingDirections: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter to a foreign friend who wants to learn Chinese. Please recommend a place to him. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Part II Listening ComprehensionSection ADirections: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1.A) The number of nurses has dropped to a record low.B) There is a growing shortage of medical personnel.C) There is discrimination against male nurses.D) The number of male nurses has gone down.2.A) Cultural bias.B) Inadequate pay.C) Educational system.D) Working conditions.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3.A) He fell out of a lifeboat.B) He lost his way on a beach.C) He was almost drowned.D) He enjoyed swimming in the sea.4.A) The beach is a popular tourist resort.B) The emergency services are efficient.C) The beach is a good place to watch the tide.D) The lifeboats patrol the area round the clock.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5.A) It became an online star.B) It broke into an office room.C) It escaped from a local zoo.D) It climbed 25 storeys at one go.6.A) Send it back to the zoo.B) Release it into the wild.C) Return it to its owner.D) Give it a physical checkup.7.A) A racoon can perform acts no human can.B) A racoon can climb much higher than a cat.C) The raccoon became as famous as some politicians.D) The racoon did something no politician could.Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8.A) She got a well-paying job in a bank.B) She received a bonus unexpectedly.C) She received her first monthly salary.D) She got a pay raise for her performance.9.A) Several years ago.B) Two decades ago.C) Right after graduation.D) Just last month.10.A) He sent a small check to his parents.B) He took a few of his friends to a gym.C) He immediately deposited it in a bank.D) He treated his parents to a nice meal.11.A) Buy some professional clothes.B) Budget her salary carefully.C) Join her colleagues for gym exercise.D) Visit her former university campus.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12.A) He has a difficult decision to make.B) He has been overworked recently.C) He has just quarreled with his girlfriend.D) He has just too many things to attend to.13.A) Give priority to things more urgent.B) Turn to his girlfriend for assistance.C) Think twice before making the decision.D) Seek advice from his family and advisor.14.A) His parents and advisor have different opinions.B) He is not particularly keen on the job offered.C) He lacks the money for his doctoral program.D) His girlfriend does not support his decision.15.A) They need time to make preparations.B) They need to save enough money for it.C) They haven’t started their careers yet.D) They haven’t won their parents’ approval.Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16.A) Acquiring information and professional knowledge.B) Using information to understand and solve problems.C) Enriching social and intellectual lives.D) Expressing ideas and opinions freely.17.A) Improving mind-reading strategies.B) Reading classic scientific literature.C) Playing games that challenge one’s mind.D) Traveling to different places in the world.18.A) Give others freedom to express themselves.B) Expose themselves to different cultures.C) Discard personal biases and prejudices.D) Participate in debates or discussions.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19.A) The nature of relationships between dogs.B) The reason a great many people love dogs.C) Why dogs can be faithful friends of humans.D) How dogs feel about their bonds with humans.20.A) They have an unusual sense of responsibility.B) They can respond to humans’ questions.C) They can fall in love just like humans.D) They behave like other animals in many ways.21.A) They have their own joys and sorrows.B) They experience true romantic love.C) They help humans in various ways.D) They stay with one partner for life.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22.A) A cow bone.B) A rare animal.C) A historical site.D) A precious stone.23.A) Measuring it.B) Preserving it.C) Dating it.D) Identifying it.24.A) The site should have been protected.B) The boy’s family had acted correctly.C) The boy should have called an expert.D) The channel needs to interview the boy.25.A) Search for similar fossils elsewhere.B) Ask the university to reward Jude.C) Conduct a more detailed search.D) Seek additional funds for the search.Part III Reading ComprehensionSection ADirections: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.Finally, some good news about airplane travel. If you are on a plane with a sick passenger, you are unlikely to get sick. That is the 26 of a new study that looked at how respiratory (呼吸道) viruses 27 on airplanes. Researchers found that only people who were seated in the same row as a passenger with the flu, for example – or one row in front of or behind that individual –had a high risk of catching the illness. All other passengers had only a very 28 chance of getting sick, according to the findings. Media reports have not necessarily presented 29 information about the risk of getting infected on an airplane in the past. Therefore, these new findings should help airplane passengers to feel less 30 to catching respiratory infections while traveling by air.Prior to the new study, little was known about the risks of getting 31 infected by common respiratory viruses, such as the flu or common cold, on an airplane, the researchers said. So,to 32 the risks of infection, the study team flew on 10 different 33 in the U.S. during the flu season. The researchers found that passengers sitting within two seats on 34 side of a person infected with the flu, as well as those sitting one row in front of or behind this individual, had about an 80 percent chance of getting sick. But other passengers were 35 safe from infection. They had a less than 3 percent chance of catching the flu.A) accurateB) conclusionC) directlyD) eitherE) evaluateF) explorationsG) flightsH) largely I) nearbyJ) respond K) slimL) spread M) summit N) vividly O) vulnerableSection 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 correspondingletter on Answer Sheet 2.Is Breakfast Really the MostImportant Meal of the Day?A) Along with old classics like “carrots give you night vision” and “Santa doesn’t bring toys to misbehaving children”, one of the most well-worn phrases of tired parents everywhere is that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Many of us grow up believing that skipping breakfast is a serious mistake, even if only two thirds of adults in the UK eat breakfast regularly, according to the British Dietetic Association, and around three-quarters of Americans.B) “The body uses a lot of energy stores for growth and repair through the night,” explains diet specialist Sarah Elder. “Eating a balanced breakfast helps to up our energy, as well as make up for protein and calcium used throughout the night.” But there’s widespread disagreement over whether breakfast should keep its top spot in the hierarchy (等级) of meals. There have been concerns around the sugar content of cereal and the food indust ry’s involvement in pro-breakfast research –and even one claim from an academic that breakfast is “dangerous”.C) What’s the reality? Is breakfast a necessary start to the day or a marketing tactic by cereal companies? The most researched aspect of breakfast (and breakfast-skipping) has been its links to obesity. Scientists have different theories as to why there’s a relationship between the two. In one US study that analysed the health data of 50,000 people over seven years, researchers found that those who made breakfast the largest meal of the day were more likely to have a lower body mass index (BMI) than those who ate a large lunch or dinner. The researchers argued that breakfasthelps reduce daily calorie intake and improve the quality of our diet – since breakfast foods are often higher in fibre and nutrients.D) But as with any study of this kind, it was unclear if that was the cause – or if breakfast-skippers were just more likely to be overweight to begin with. To find out, researchers designed a study in which 52 obese women took part in a 12-week weight loss programme. All had the same number of calories over the day, but half had breakfast, while the other half did not. What they found was that it wasn’t breakfast itself that caused the participa nts to lose weight: it was changing their normal routine.E) If breakfast alone isn’t a guarantee of weight loss, why is there a link between obesity and breakfast -skipping? Alexandra Johnstone, professor of appetite research at the University of Aberdeen, argues that it may simply be because breakfast-skippers have been found to be less knowledgeable about nutrition and health. “There are a lot of studies on the relationship between breakfast eating and possible health outcomes, but this may be because those who eat breakfast choose to habitually have health-enhancing behaviours such as regular exercise and not,” she says.F) A 2016 review of 10 studies looking into the relationship between breakfast and weight management concluded there is “limited evidence” supporting or refuting (反驳) the argument that breakfast influences weight or food intake, and more evidence is required before breakfast recommendations can be used to help prevent obesity.G) Researchers from the University of Surrey and University of Aberdeen are halfway through research looking into the mechanisms behind how the time we eat influences body weight. Early findings suggest that a bigger breakfast is beneficial to weight control. Breakfast has been found to affect more than just weight. Skipping breakfast has been associated with a 27% increased risk of heart disease, a 21% higher risk of type 2 diabetes in men, and a 20% higher risk of type 2 diabetes in women. One reason may be breakfast’s nutritional value – partly because cereal is fortified (增加营养价值) with vitamins. In one study on the breakfast habits of 1,600 young people in the UK, researchers found that the fibre and micronutrient intake was better in those who had breakfast regularly. There have been similar findings in Australia, Brazil, Canada and the US.H) Breakfast is also associated with improved brain function, including concentration and language.A review of 54 studies found that eating breakfast can improve memory, though the effects on other brain functions were inconclu sive. However, one of the review’s researchers, Mary Beth Spitznagel, says there is “reasonable” evidence breakfast does improve concentration – there just needs to be more research. “Looking at studies that tested concentration, the number of studies show ing a benefit was exactly the same as the number that found no benefit,” she says. “And no studies found that eating breakfast was bad for concentration.”I) What’s most important, some argue, is what we eat for breakfast. High-protein breakfasts have been found particularly effective in reducing the longing for food and consumption later in the day, according to research by the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. While cereal remains a firm favourite among breakfast consumers in the UK and US, a recent investigation into the sugar content of ‘adult’ breakfast cereals found that some cerealscontain more than three-quarters of the recommended daily amount of free sugars in each portion, and sugar was the second or third highest ingredient in cereals.J) But some research suggests if we’re going to eat sugary foods, it’s best to do it early. One study recruited 200 obese adults to take part in a 16-week-long diet, where half added dessert to their breakfast, and half didn’t. Those who added dessert lost an average of 40 pounds more – however, the study was unable to show the long-term effects. A review of 54 studies found that there is no consensus yet on what type of breakfast is healthier, and concluded that the type of breakfast doesn’t matter as much as simply eating something.K) While there’s no conclusive evidence on exactly what we should be eating and when, the consensus is that we should listen to our own bodies and eat when we’re hungry. “Breakfast is most importan t for people who are hungry when they wake up,” Johnstone says. “Each body starts the day differently –and those individual differences need to be researched more closely,” Spitznagel says. “A balanced breakfast is really helpful, but getting regular meal s throughout the day is more important to leave blood sugar stable through the day, which helps control weight and hunger levels,” says Elder. “Breakfast isn’t the only meal we should be getting right.”36. According to one professor, obesity is related to a lack of basic awareness of nutrition and health.37. Some scientists claim that people should consume the right kind of food at breakfast.38. Opinions differ as to whether breakfast is the mist important meal of the day.39. It has been found that not eating breakfast is related to the incidence of certain diseases in some countries.40. Researchers found it was a change in eating habits rather than breakfast itself that induced weight loss.41. To keep oneself healthy, eating breakfast is more important than choosing what to eat.42. It is widely considered wrong not to eat breakfast.43. More research is needed to prove that breakfast is related to weight loss or food intake.44. People who prioritise breakfast tend to have lower calorie but higher nutritional intake.45. Many studies reveal that eating breakfast helps people memorise and concentrate.Section CDirections: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.Textbooks represent an 11 billion dollar industry, up from $8 billion in 2014. Textbook publisher Pearson is the largest publisher – of any kind – in the world.It costs about $1 million to create a new textbook. A freshman textbook will have dozens of contributors, from subject-matter experts through graphic and layout artists to expert reviewers and classroom testers. Textbook publishers connect professors, instructors and students in ways that alternatives, such as open e-textbooks and open educational resources, simply do not. This connection happens not only by means of collaborative development, review and testing, but also at conferences where faculty regularly decide on their textbooks and curricula for the coming year.It is true that textbook publishers have recently reported losses, largely due to students renting or buying used print textbooks. But this can be chalked up to the excessively high cost of their books –which has increased over 1,000 percent since 1977. A restructuring of the textbook industry may well be in order. But this does not mean the end of the textbook itself.While they may not be as dynamic as an iPad, textbooks are not passive or lifeless. For example, over the centuries. they have simulated (模拟) dialogues in a number of ways. From 1800 to the present day, textbooks have done this by posing questions for students to answer inductively (归纳性地). That means students are asked to use their individual experience to come up with answers to general questions. Today’s psychology texts, for example, ask: “How much of your personality do you think you inherited?” while ones in physics say: “How can you predict where the ball you tossed will land?”Experts observe that “textbooks come in layers, something like an onion.” For an active learner, engaging with a textbook can be an interactive experience. Readers proceed at their own pace. They “customize” their books by engaging with different layers and linkages. Highlighting, Post-It notes, dog-ears and other techniques allow for further customization that students value in print books over digital forms of books.46. What does the passage say about open educational resources?A) They contribute to teaching as much as to learning.B) They don’t profit as much as traditional textbooks do.C) They can’t con nect professors and students as textbooks do.D) They compete fiercely for customers with textbook producers.47. What is the main cause of the publishers’ losses?A) Failure to meet student need.B) Industry restructuring.C) Emergence of e-books.D) Falling sales.48. What does the textbook industry need to do?A) Reform its structures.B) Cut its retail prices.C) Find replacements for printed textbooks.D) Change its business strategy periodically.49. What are students expected to do in the learning process?A) Think carefully before answering each question.B) Ask questions based on their own understanding.C) Answer questions using their personal experience.D) Give answers showing their respective personality.50. What do experts say about students using textbooks?A) They can digitalize the prints easily.B) They can learn in an interactive way.C) They can purchase customized versions.D) They can adapt the material themselves.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.When we think of animals and plants, we have a pretty good way of dividing them into two distinct groups: one converts sunlight into energy and the other has to eat food to make its energy.Well, those dividing lines come crashing down with the discovery of a sea slug (海蛞蝓) that’s truly half animal and half plant. It’s pretty incredible how it has managed to hijack the genes of the algae (藻类) on which it feeds.The slugs can manufacture chlorophyll, the green pigment (⾊素) in plants that captures energy from sunlight, and hold these genes within their body. The term kleptoplasty is used to describe the practice of using hijacked genes to create nutrients from sunlight. And so far, this green sea slug is the only known animal that can be truly considered solar-powered, although some animals do exhibit some plant-like behaviors. Many scientists have studied the green sea slugs to confirm that they are actually able to create energy from sunlight.In fact, the slugs use the genetic material so well that they pass it on to their future generations. Their babies retain the ability to produce their own chlorophyll, though they can’t generate energy from sunlight until they’ve eaten enough algae to steal the necessary genes, which they can’t yet produce on their own.“There’s no way on earth that genes from an alga should work inside an animal cell,” says Sidney Pierce from the University of South Florida. “And yet here, they do. They allow the animal to rely on sunshine for its nutrition. So if something happens to their food source, they have a way of not starving to death until they find more algae to eat.The sea slugs are so good at gathering energy from the sun that they can live up to nine months without having to eat any food. They get all their nutritional needs me t by the genes that they’ve hijacked from the algae51. What is the distinctive feature of a sea slug?A) It looks like both a plant and an animal.B) It converts some sea animals into plants.C) It lives half on animals and half on plantsD) It gets energy from both food and sunlight.52. What enables the sea slug to live like a plant?A) The genes it captures from the sea plant algae.B) The mechanism by which it conserves energy.C) The nutrients it hijacks from other species.D) The green pigment it inherits from its ancestors.53. What does the author say about baby sea slugs?A) They can live without sunlight for a long time.B) They can absorb sunlight right after their birth.C) They can survive without algae for quite some time.D) They can produce chlorophyll on their own.54. What does Sidney Pierce say about genes from an alga?A) They are stolen from animals like the sea slug.B) They can’t function unless exposed to sunlight.C) They don’t usually function inside animal cells.D) They can readily be converted to sea slug genes.55. What do we learn about sea slugs from the passage?A) They behave the way most plant species do.B) They can survive for months without eating.C) They will turn into plants when they mature.D) They will starve to death without sunlight.Part IV TranslationDirections: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.中国的家庭观念与其⽂化传统有关。
2019年12月四级真题及答案
2019年12月四级真题及答案一、听力（听力原文见文末哟~）温馨提示：听力答案直接看内容哦~不用在意前面的ABCD选项！News 11. A，A wandering cow was captured by the police.2. D，It was sent to the animal control department. News 23. C，It is going to be expanded.4. B，Some ancient wall paintings from Australia. News 35. C，Pick up trash.6. B，They are especially intelligent.7. D，Children may be tempted to drop litter.Conversation18. A，It will cover different areas of science.9. B，It will be more entertaining.10. D，People interested in science.11. A，Provide financial support. Conversation212. D，Dissatisfied13. B，He is too concerned with being perfect.14. D，Miserable15. A，Compare his present with his past only.Passage116. C，They are more likely to become engineers.17. C，Respond more positively to boys' comments.18. D，Offer personalized teaching materials.Passage219. C，It does not rain as much as people think.20. A，The rain is usually very light.21. B，It has mild weather both in summer and in winter.Passage322. D，It comes from straining one's muscles in an uncommon way.23. D，Blood flow and body heat increase in the affected area.24. A，About two days.25. B，Have a hot shower.二、阅读1. 第一套选词填空26-30 BMICK31-35 LOGEJ26. B admiring27. M sealed28. I natural29. C contains30. K released31. L revealing32. O substance33. G liquid34. E evidence35. J potential 段落匹配36-40 EICGK41-45 FBJDH36.E The United States Postal Service has a system to ensure...37.I One official says USPS is unique in that it has more direct...38.C Natural disasters can have a long-lasting impact on...39.G Mail delivery service is still responsible for the completion...40.K The sight of a mailman on the street is a reassuring sign of life...41.F After Hurricane Katrina interrupted routine delivery，temporary...42.B Postal service in some regions in the U.S. was suspended due to...43.J Private postal companies also support disaster relief efforts by...44.D A dedicated USPS employee was on the job carrying out duties...45.H Postal services work hard to identify items that require priority...仔细阅读46-50 DCADC51-55 CBBAD46.D It is a computer program that aids student learning.47.C Students' questions were too many to handle.48.A She turned out to be a great success.49.D They could not tell her from a real person.50.C Assign her to answer more of students' questions.51.C Not all of them achieved their anticipated goals.52.B To identify reasons for their different outcomes.53.B Its interaction with prospective donors.54.A They should be small to be successful.55.D Their feeling of connection to the scientists themselves..2. 第二套选词填空26-30 BLKAO31-35 CEGDH26. B conclusion27. L spread28. K slim2. A accurate30. O vulnerable31. C directly32. E evalte33. G flights34. D either35. H largely段落匹配36-40 FIDGB41-45 EHAJC36.F Songdo's popularity lies more in its quality of life than business...37.I The man who conceived Songdo feels disappointed because it...38.D A scene in a popular South Korean music video was shot in...39.G Songdo still lacks the financial stimulus for businesses to...40.B Airplanes will increasingly become the chief means of transportation...41.E Songdo has ended up different from the city it was supposed...42.H Some of the people who work in Songdo complain about boredom...43.A A business professor says that a future city should have easy access...44.J According to an urban design professor, it is difficult for city designers to foresee...45.C Park Yeon Soo，who envisioned Songdo, feels a parental connection ...仔细阅读46-50 BCDBA51-55 DABAC46.B It may encourage other US cities to follow suit.47.C Take legal action against it.48. D It criticized the measure through advertising.49. B Help people to fix certain long-time health issues.50. A They are becoming rather sensitive issues.51.D The use of microwaves emits more CO2 than people think52.A They are becoming more affordable53.B Improving microwave users' habits54.A There are far more emissions from cars than from microwaves55.C It plays a positive role in environment protection.3. 第三套选词填空26-30 OADCG31-35 HKNEF26.O unpleasant27.A adjusted28.D experience29.C equivalent30.G individuals31.H originally32.K reduce33.N thrive34.E filters35.F frequently段落匹配36-40 EIBGD41-45 JAFCH36.E According to one professor, obesity is related to a lack...37.I Some scientists claim that people should consume right...38.B Opinions differ as to whether breakfast is the meal important...39. G It has been found that not eating breakfast is related to ...40. D Researchers found it was a change in eating habits rather ...41. J To keep oneself healthy, eating breakfast is more important...42.A It is widely considered wrong not to eat breakfast.43. F More research is needed to prove that breakfast is related to ...44.C People who priorities breakfasts tend to have lower calorie but higher...45.H Many studies reveal that eating breakfast helps people concentrate.仔细阅读46-50 CDACB51-55 DBDCB46.C They can't connect professors and students as textbooks do.47.D Falling sales.48.A Reform its structures.49.C Answer questions using their personal experience.50. B They can learn in an interactive way51.D It gets energy from both food and sunlight.52.B The mechanism by which it conserves energy.53.D They can produce chlorophyll on their own.54.C They don‘t usually function inside animal cells.55.B They can survive for months without eating.三、写作1. 第一套Directions：For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter to a foreign friend who wants to teach English in China. Please recommend a city to him. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.。
2019年12月英语四级听力50篇：41 Apology Helps
2019年12月英语四级听力50篇：41 ApologyHelps2018年12月英语四级听力50篇汇总英语四级听力50篇：41 Apology HelpsIt is never easy to admit you are in the wrong. Being human, we all need to know the art of apologizing. Look back with honesty and think how often you have judged roughly, you said unkind things, and pushed yourself ahead at the expense of a friend. Then count the occasions when you indicated clearly and truly that you were so sorry. A bit frightening, isn’t it? It is frightening, isn’t it? It is frightening because some deep wisdom in us knows that when even a small wrong has been committed, some mysterious moral feeling is disturbed; and it stays out of balance until fault is acknowledged and regret expressed.A heartfelt apology can not only heal a damaged relationship but also make it stronger. If you can think of someone who deserves an apology from you, someone you have wronged, or judged too roughly, or just neglected, do something about it right now.Useful Words and Expressions：1. push ahead 捉紧实行2. at the expense of 在损害……的情况下3. mysterious神秘的4. moral 道德的5. disturbed 扰乱的6. stay out of 不参与……，置身于……之外7. heartfelt 衷心的，真心真意的8. roughly粗糙地，概略地2018年12月英语四级听力50篇汇总本文关键字：英语四级听力四级听力备考。
2019年12月英语四级考试听力真题及答案
2019年12月英语四级考试听力真题及答案2015年12月英语四级考试听力真题及答案Part 1 短对话Question 1- M： Do you remember the wonderful film on space exploration we watched together last month?- W： Sure。
It’s actually the most impressive oneI’ve seen on that topic。
Q：What do we learn about the speakers?Question 2- W： Are you looking for anything in particular?- M： Yes。
My son is graduating from high school， and I want to get him something special。
Q：Where does the conversation most probably take place?Question 3- M： Mike told me yesterday that he had been looking in vain for a job in the art gallery。
- W： Really? If I remember right， he had a chance to work there， but he turned it down。
Q：What does the woman say about Mike?Question 4- W：Would you like to come to Susan’s birthday party tomorrow evening?- M：I’m going to give a lecture tomorrow。
I wish I could be in two places at the same time。
2019年12月大学英语四级真题试卷(题后附答案及解析)(二)
1． For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter to a foreign friend who wants to learn Chinese. Please recommend a place to him. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.
4．
A．He fell out of a lifeboat.
B．He lost his way on a beach.
C．He was almost drowned.
D．He enjoyed swimming in the sea.
正确答案：C
解析：事实细节题。新闻开头提到，一位来自利比亚的男士正在南港海滩上散步，在离码头大约半英里远的地方，他感觉有点累，所以就躺下来睡着了。但潮水很快袭来并完全包围了他，将他与岸边隔离。幸运的是，海滩救生员发现了他，在他溺水前救了他。
5．
A．The beach is a popular tourist resort.
B．The emergency services are efficient.
C．The beach is a good place to watch the tide.
D．The lifeboats patrol the area round the clock.
Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.
3. What does the news report say about the Libyan man?
英语四级听力50篇
Passage 1Town and Country Life in EnglandThere is a big difference between town life and country life in England. In the country, everybody knows everybody else. They know what time you get up, what time you go to bed and what you have for dinner. If you want help, you will always get it and you will be glad to help others.In a large town like London, however, it can sometimes happen that you have never seen your next door neighbor and you do not know his name or anything about him. People in London are often very lonely. This is because people go to different places in the evenings and at weekends. If you walk through the streets in the centre of London on Sunday, it is like a town without people. One is sorry for old people living on their own .They could die in their homes and would not be discovered for weeks or even months. (154 words)Passage 2A Change in Women's LifeThe important change in women's life-pattern has only recently begun to have its full effect on women's economic position. Even a few years ago most girls left school at the first opportunity, and most of them took a full-time job. However, when they married, they usually left work at once and never returned to it. Today the school-leaving age is sixteen, many girls stay at school after that age, and though women tend to marry younger, more married women stay at work at least until shortly before their first child is born. Very many more afterwards return to full-time or part-time work. Such changes have led to a new relationship in marriage, with the husband accepting a greater share of the duties and satisfactions offamily life and with both husband and wife sharing more equally in providing the money, and running the home, according to the abilities and interests of each of them. (154 words)Useful Words and Expressions:Passage 3A Popular Pastime of the English PeopleOne of the best means of understanding the people of any nation is watching what they do with their non-working time. Most English men, women and children love growing things, especially flowers. Visitors to England in spring, summer, or autumn are likely to see gardens all the way along the railway lines. There are flowers at the airports and flowers infactory grounds, as well as in gardens along the roads. Each English town has at least one park with beautifully kept flower beds. Public buildings of every kind have brilliant window boxes and sometimes baskets of flowers are hanging on them.But what the English enjoy most is growing things themselves, If it is impossible to have a garden, then a window box or something growing in a pot will do.Looking at each other's gardens is a popular pastime with the English. (144 words)Passage 4British and American Police OfficersReal policemen, both in Britain and the U. S., hardly recognize any common points between their lives and what they see on TV---if they ever get home in time.Some things are almost the same, of course, but the policemen do not think much of them.The first difference is that a policeman's real life deals with the law. Most of what he learns is the law. He has to know actually what actions are against the law and what facts can be used to prove them in court. He has to know nearly as much law as a lawyer, and what's more, he has to put it into practice on his feet, in the dark and, running down a narrow street after someone he wants to talk to.Little of his time is spent in talking with beautiful girls or in bravely facing cruel criminals. He will spend most of his working life arranging millions of words on thousands of forms about hundreds of sad, ordinary people who are guilty-or not of stupid, unimportant crimes. (177 words)Useful Words and Expressions:think much of 重视，尊重in court 在法庭上criminal n．罪犯，犯罪者guilty adj．犯罪的，有罪的gulty look内疚的神色the guilty party犯罪一方a guilty conscience犯罪感have a guilty conscience问心有愧；做贼心虚be found gulty被判决有罪be guilty of a crime犯了罪Passage 5Living SpaceHow much living space does a person need? What happens when his space needs are not met? Scientists are doing experiments on rats to try to determine the effects of overcrowded conditions on man. Recent studies have shown that thebehaviour of rats is greatly affected by space. If rats have enough living space, they eat well, sleep well and producetheir young well. But if their living conditions become too crowded, their behaviour and even their health change obviously. They can not sleep and eat well, and signs of fear and worry become clear. The more crowded they are, the morethey tend to bite each other and even kill each other. Thus,for rats, population and violence are directly related. Isthis a natural law for human society as well? Is enough space not only satisfactory, but necessary for human survival? These are in teresting questions. (147 words)Useful Words and Expressions:determine V．测定；决心；决意determine the velocity测定速度He determined to go．他决意要去。
2019年12月大学英语四级-20页word资料
2019年12月大学英语四级(CET-4)真题试卷Part I Listening Comprehension (20 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear 10 short conversations. At the end of each conversation, a question will be asked about what was said. Both theconversation and the question will be spoken only once. After eachquestion there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the fourchoices marked A), B), C) and D), and decide which is the best answer.Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a singleline through the centre.Example:You will hear:You will read:A) At the office.B) In the waiting room.C) At the airport.D) In a restaurant.From the conversation we know that the two were talking about some work they had to finish in the evening. This conversation is most likely to have taken place at theanswer. You should choose [A] on the office. Therefore, A) “At the office” is the bestAnswer Sheet and mark it with a single line through the centre.Sample Answer [A] [B] [C] [D]1. A) The man could come some time later.B) The size the man wants will arrive soon.C) The size of the skirt is ail right for the man.D) The man could buy a shirt of a different color.2. A) The woman is filming the lake.B) The woman is running toward the lake..C) The woman can’t take a photo of the manD) The woman is watching an exciting film with the man.3. A) It’s quiet in the restaurant.B) The restaurant is too far from their school.C) The price is high in the restaurant.D) The restaurant serves good food.4. A) On a busy street.B) In a Hong Kong hotel.C) At an airport.D) At a booking office.5. A) The woman should confirm her appointment with the doctor.B) The woman should have seen the doctor earlier..C) The woman’s headache will go away by itselfD) The woman has been complaining too much.6. A) Put off his appointment with Mr. Johnson.B) Help move things to Mr. Johnson’s office.C) Help the woman move the items.D) Hurry to Mr. Johnson’s office.7. A) The man didn’t practice hard enough.B) The man should find a new partner.C) The man should not give up.D) The man should not dream of being a superstar.8. A) It doesn’t appeal to her.B) It’s incredibly delicious.C) She has already tasted it.D) There is no more left.9. A) The man is a diligent student.B) The man has bad study habits.C) The man has made a mess of his midterm exam.D) The man is usually the last to hand in his test paper.10. A) The man has finished Ms assignment.B) The man is willing to help the woman.C) The man will drive the woman to school.D) The man is losing patience with the woman.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 bespoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the bestanswer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark thecorresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through thecentre.Passage OneQuestions 11 to 13 are based on the passage you have just heard.11. A) The importance of good manners.B) The art of saying thank you.C) The secret of staying pretty.D) The difference between elegance and good manners.12. A) They were willing to spend more money on clothes.B) They paid more attention to their appearance.C) They were more aware of changes in fashion.D) They were nicer and gentler.13. A) By putting on a little make-up.B) By decorating our homes.C) By being kind and generous.D) By wearing fashionable clothes.Passage TwoQuestions 14 to 16 are based on the passage you have just heard.14. A) Children don’t get enough education in safety.B) The playgrounds are in poor condition.C) The playgrounds are overcrowded.D) Children are keen on dangerous games.15. A) They should help maintain the equipment.B) They should teach their children how to use the equipment.C) They should stop their children from climbing ladders.D) They should keep a watchful eye on their children.16. A) They can be creative when they feel secure.B) They may panic in front of high playground equipment.C) They should be aware of the potential risks in the playground.D) They tend to stay within shouting or running distance of their parents.Passage ThreeQuestions 17 to 20 are based on the passage you have just heard.17. A) It’s admired worldwide.B) It takes skill.C) It pays well.-time job.D) It’s a full18. A) An old lady carrying a handbag on the left.B) A mother with a baby in her arms.C) A woman whose bag is hanging in front.D) A lone female with a handbag at her right side.19. A) A side pocket of his jacket.B) The top pocket of his jacket.C) A side pocket of his trousers.D) The back pocket of his tight trousers.20. A) Clothing stores where people are relaxed and off guard.B) Hotels and restaurants in southeast London.C) Airports where people carry a lot of luggage.D) Theater lobbies with uniformed security guards.Part II Reading Comprehension (35 minutes)Directions: There are 4 passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choicesmarked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and markthe corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through thecentre.Passage OneQuestions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage.I’m usually fairly skeptical about any research that concludes that people are either happier or unhappier or more or less certain of themselves than they were 50 years ago. While any of these statements might be true, they are practically impossible to provechildren are scientifically. Still, I was struck by a report which concluded that today’ssignificantly more anxious than children in the 1950s. In fact, the analysis showed,normal children ages 9 to 17 exhibit a higher level of anxiety today than children whowere treated for mental illness 50 years ago.Why are America’s kids so stressed? The report cites two main causes: increasingphysical isolation—brought on by high divorce rates and less involvement in community,among other things—and a growing perception that the world is a more dangerous place.Given that we can’t turn the clock back, adults can still do plenty to help the nextgeneration cope.At the top of the list is nurturing (培育) a better appreciation of the limits of individualism. No child is an island. Strengthening social ties helps build communitiesand protect individuals against stress.To help kids build stronger connections with others, you can pull the plug on TVsand computers. Your family will thank you later. They will have more time forface-to-face relationships, and they will get more sleep.Limit the amount of virtual (虚拟的) violence your children are exposed to. It’s not just video games and movies; children see a lot of murder and crime on the local news.Keep your expectations for your children reasonable. Many highly successfulpeople never attended Harvard or Yale.Make exercise part of your daily routine. It will help you cope with your ownanxieties and provide a good model for your kids. Sometimes anxiety is unavoidable. Butit doesn’t have to ruin your life.21. The author thinks that the conclusions of any research about people’s state of mare ________.A) surprisingB) confusingC) illogicalD) questionable22. What does the author mean when he says, “we can’t turn the clock back” (LinePara. 3)?A) It’s impossible to slow down the pace of change.B) The social reality children are facing cannot be changed.C) Lessons learned from the past should not be forgotten.D) It’s impossible to forget the past.23. According to an analysis, compared with normal children today, children treated asmentally ill 50 years ago ________.A) were less isolated physicallyB) were probably less self-centeredC) probably suffered less from anxietyD) were considered less individualistic24. The first and most important thing parents should do to help their children is________.A) to provide them with a safer environmentB) to lower their expectations for themC) to get them more involved sociallyD) to set a good model for them to follow25. What conclusion can be drawn from the passage?A) Anxiety, though unavoidable, can be coped with.B) Children’s anxiety has been enormously exaggerated.C) Children’s anxiety can be eliminated with more parental care.D) Anxiety, if properly controlled, may help children become mature.Passage TwoQuestions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.It is easier to negotiate initial salary requirement because once you are inside, the organizational constraints (约束) influence wage increases. One thing, however, is certain: your chances of getting the raise you feel you deserve are less if you don’t at least ask for it. Men tend to ask for more, and they get more, and this holds true with other resources, not just pay increases. Consider Beth’s story:I did not get what I wanted when I did not ask for it. We had cubicle (小隔间) offices and window offices. I sat in the cubicles with several male colleagues. One by one they were moved into window offices, while I remained in the cubicles, several males who were hired after me also went to offices. One in particular told me he was next in line for an office and that it had been part of his negotiations for the job. I guess they thought me content to stay in the cubicles since I did not voice my opinion either way.It would be nice if we all received automatic pay increases equal to our merit, but isn’t a quality attributed to most organizations. If you feel you deserve a “nice” significant raise in pay, you’ll probably have to ask for it.Performance is your best bargaining chip (筹码) when you are seeking a raise. You must be able to demonstrate that you deserve a raise. Timing is also a good bargaining chip. If you can give your boss something he or she needs (a new client or a sizable contract, for example) just before merit pay decisions are being made, you are more likely to get the raise you want.Use information as a bargaining chip too. Find out what you are worth on the open market.What will someone else pay for your services?Go into the negotiations prepared to place your chips on the table at the appropriate time and prepared to use communication style to guide the direction of the interaction.26. According to the passage, before taking a job, a person should ________.A) demonstrate his capabilityB) give his boss a good impressionC) ask for as much money as he canD) ask for the salary he hopes to get27. What can be inferred from Be th’s story?A) Prejudice against women still exists in some organizations.B) If people want what they deserve, they have to ask for it.C) People should not be content with what they have got.D) People should be careful when negotiating for a job.28. We can learn from the passage that ________.A) unfairness exists in salary increasesB) most people are overworked and underpaidC) one should avoid overstating one’s performanceD) most organizations give their staff automatic pay raises29. To get a pay raise, a person should ________.A) advertise himself on the job marketB) persuade his boss to sign a long-term contractC) try to get inside information about the organizationD) do something to impress his boss just before merit pay decisions30. To be successful in negotiations, one must ________.A) meet his boss at the appropriate timeB) arrive at the negotiation table punctuallyC) be good at influencing the outcome of the interactionD) be familiar with what the boss likes and dislikesPassage ThreeQuestions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage.When families gather for Christmas dinner, some will stick to formal traditions dating back to Grandma’s generation. Their tables will be set with the good dishes andsilver, and the dress code will be Sunday-best.But in many other homes, this china-and-silver elegance has given way to astoneware (粗陶)-and-stainless informality, with dresses assuming an equallycasual-Friday look. For hosts and guests, the change means greater simplicity andcomfort. For makers of fine china in Britain, it spells economic hard times.Last week Royal Doulton, the largest employer in Stoke-on-Trent, announced that itis eliminating 1,000 jobs—one-fifth of its total workforce. That brings to more than4,000 the number of positions lost in 18 months in the pottery (陶瓷) region. Wedgwoodand other pottery factories made cuts earlier.Although a strong pound and weak markets in Asia play a role in the downsizing,the layoffs in Stoke have their roots in earthshaking social shifts. A spokesman for RoyalDoulton admitted that the company “has been somewhat slow in catching up with the toward casual dining. Families eat together less often, he explained, and moretrend” people eat alone, either because they are single or they eat in front of television;Even dinner parties, if they happen at all, have gone casual. In a time of long workhours and demanding family schedules, busy hosts insist, rightly, that it’s better takeout pizza on paper plates in the family room than to wait for the perfect moment or a dinner party. Too often, the perfect moment never comes. Iron a fine-patterned“real” tablecloth? Forget it. Polish the silver? Who has time?Yet the loss of formality has its down side. The fine points of etiquette (礼节) thatchildren might once have learned at the table by observation or instruction from parentsand grandparents (“Chew with your mouth closed.”“Keep your elbows off the table. must be picked up elsewhere. Some companies now offer etiquette seminars foremployees who may be competent professionally but clueless socially.31. The trend toward casual dining has resulted in ________.A) bankruptcy of fine china manufacturersB) shrinking of the pottery industryC) restructuring of large enterprisesD) economic recession in Great Britain32. Which of the following may be the best reason for casual dining?A) Family members need more time to relax.B) Busy schedules leave people no time for formality.C) People want to practice economy in times of scarcity.D) Young people won’t follow the etiquette of the older generation.33. It can be learned from the passage that Royal Doulton is ________.A) a retailer of stainless steel tablewareB) a dealer in stonewareC) a pottery chain storeD) a producer of fine china34. The main cause of the layoffs in the pottery industry is ________.A) the increased value of the poundB) the economic recession in AsiaC) the change in people’s way of lifeD) the fierce competition at home and abroad35. Refined table manners, though less popular than before in current social life________.A) are still a must on certain occasionsB) axe bound to return sooner or laterC) are still being taught by parents at homeD) can help improve personal relationshipsPassage FourQuestions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage.Some houses are designed to be smart. Others have smart designs. An example ofthe second type of house won an Award of Excellence from the American Institute of Architects.Island off the coast of South Carolina, the Located on the shore of Sullivan’saward-winning cube-shaped beach house was built to replace one smashed to pieces byHurricane (飓风) Hugo 10 years ago. In September 1989, Hugo struck South Carolina,killing 18 people and damaging or destroying 36,000 homes in the state.Before Hugo, many new houses built along South Carolina’s shoreline were poorly constructed, and enforcement of building codes wasn’t strict, according to architect Ray Huff, who created the cleverly-designed beach house. In Hugo’s wake, all new shoreline houses are required to meet stricter, better-enforced codes. The new beach house onSullivan’s Island should be able to withstand a Category 3 hurricane with peak winds of179 to 209 kilometers per hour.-proof. Its At fi rst sight, the house on Sullivan’s Island looks anything but hurricaneredwood shell makes it resemble “a large partylantern (灯笼)” at night, according to one observer. But looks can be deceiving. The house’s wooden frame is reinforced with long steel rods to give it extra strength.To further protect the house from hurricane damage, Huff raised it 2.7 meters off theground on timber pilings—long, slender columns of wood anchored deep in the sand.Pilings might appear insecure, but they are strong enough to support the weight of thehouse. They also elevate the house above storm surges. The pilings allow the surges torun under the house instead of running into it. “These swells of water come ashore attremendous speeds and cause most of the damage done to beach-front buildings,” saidHuff.Huff designed the timber pilings to be partially concealed by the house’sground-to-roof shell. “The shell masks the pilings so that the house doesn’t look lik standing with its pant legs pulled up,” saidHuff. In the event of a storm surge, the shellshould break apart and let the waves rush under the house, the architect explained.36. After the tragedy caused by Hurricane Hugo, new houses built along SouthCarolina’s shore line are required ________.A) to be easily reinforcedB) to look smarter in designC) to meet stricter building standardsD) to be designed in the shape of cubes37. The award-winning beach house is quite strong because ________.A) it is strengthened by steel rodsB) it is made of redwoodC) it is in the shape of a shellD) it is built with timber and concrete38. Huff raised the house 2.7 meters off the ground on timber pilings in order to________.A) withstand peak winds of about 200 km/hrB) anchor stronger pilings deep in the sandC) break huge sea waves into smaller onesD) prevent water from rushing into the house39. The main function of the shell is ________.A) to strengthen the pilings of the houseB) to give the house a better appearanceC) to protect the wooden frame of the houseD) to slow down the speed of the swelling water40. It can be inferred from the passage that the shell should be ________.A) fancy-lookingB) waterproofC) easily breakableD) extremely strongPart III Vocabulary (20 minutes)Directions: There are 30 incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Choose the ONE answer that bestcompletes the sentence. Then mark the corresponding letter on the AnswerSheet with a single line through the centre.41. He asked us to ________ them in carrying through their plan.A) provideB) arouseC) assistD) persist42. A good many proposals were raised by the delegates, ________ was to be expected.A) thatB) whatC) soD) as43. He was such a ________ speaker that he held our attention every minute of thethree-hour lecture.A) specificB) dynamicC) heroicD) diplomatic44. Arriving home, the boy told his parents about all the ________ which occurred inhis dormitory.A) occasionsB) mattersC) incidentsD) issues45. The opening between the rocks was very narrow, but the boys managed to ________through.A) pressB) squeezeC) stretchD) leap46. They are trying to ________ the waste discharged by the factory for profit.A) exposeB) exhaustC) exhibitD) exploit47. The manager urged his staff not to ________ the splendid opportunity.A) dropB) missC) escapeD) slide48. ________ I admire David as a poet, I do not like him as a man.A) Much asB) Only ifC) If onlyD) As muchattend my birthday party last 49. Because of a ________ engagement, Lora couldn’tSaturday.A) pioneerB) prematureC) priorD) past50. The continuous rain ________ the harvesting of the wheat crop by two weeks.A) set backB) set offC) set outD) set aside51. Not having a good command of English can be a serious ________ preventing youfrom achieving your goals.A) obstacleB) faultC) offenseD) distress52. It’s very ________ of you not to talk aloud while the baby is asleep.A) concernedB) carefulC) considerableD) considerate53. Many a player who had been highly thought of has ________ from the tennis scene.A) disposedB) disappearedC) discouragedD) discarded_.54. She’s fainted. Throw some water on her face and she’ll _______A) come roundB) come alongC) come onD) come out55. All their attempts to ________ the child from the burning building were in vain.A) regainB) recoverC) rescueD) reserve56. Computer technology will ________ a revolution in business administration.A) bring aroundB) bring aboutC) bring outD) bring up57. The university has launched a research center to develop new ways of ________bacteria which have become resistant to drug treatments.A) regulatingB) haltingC) interruptingD) combating58. The ________ goal of the book is to help bridge the gap between research andteaching, particularly the gap between researchers and teachers.A) jointB) intensiveC) overallD) decisive59. The rapid development of communications technology is transforming the________ in which people communicate across time and space.A) routeB) transmissionC) visionD) manner60. When I go out in the evening I use the bike ________ the car if I can.A) rather thanB) regardless ofC) in spite ofD) other than61. There is no ________ evidence that people can control their dreams, at least inexperimental situations in a lab.A) rigidB) solidC) smoothD) harsh62. Every culture has developed ________ for certain kinds of food and drink, andequally strong negative attitudes toward others.A) preferencesB) expectationsC) fantasiesD) fashions63. It is reported that Uruguay understands and ________ China on human rights issues.A) grantsB) changesC) abandonsD) backs64. Only a few people have ________ to the full facts of the incident.A) accessB) resortC) contactD) path65. His trousers ________ when he tried to jump over the fence.A) crackedB) splitC) brokeD) burst66. So far, ________ winds and currents have kept the thick patch of oil southeast of theAtlantic coast.A) governingB) blowingC) prevailingD) ruling67. The author was required to submit an ________ of about 200 words together withhis research paper.A) editionB) editorialC) articleD) abstract68. As the old empires were broken up and new states were formed, new officialtongues began to ________ at an increasing rate.A) bring upB) build upC) spring upD) strike up69. Many patients insist on having watches with them in hospital, ________ they haveno schedules to keep.A) even thoughB) forC) as if70. Some plants are very ________ to light; they prefer the shade.A) sensibleB) flexibleC) objectiveD) sensitivePart IV Cloze (15 minutes)Directions: There are 20 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are fourchoices marked A), B), C) and D) on the right side of the paper. You shouldchoose the ONE that best fits into the passage. Then mark thecorresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through thecentre.an annual back-to-school routine. One morning you wave goodbye, and that It’s__71__ evening you’re burning the late-night oil in sympathy. In the race to improveeducational standards, __72__ are throwing the books at kids. __73__ elementary school-meaning parent to do?students are complaining of homework __74__. What’s a wellAs hard as __75__ m ay be, sit back and chill, experts advise. Though you’ve got to get them to do it, __76__ helping too much, or even examining __77__ too carefully, youmay keep them __78__ doing it by themselves. “I w ouldn’t advise a parent to checksays psychologist John Rosemond, author Of Ending theevery __79__ assignment,” a __80__ of appreciation for trial and error. Let yourTough Homework. “There’schildren __81__ the grade they deserve.”Many experts believe parents should gently look over the work of younger childrenand ask them to rethink their __82__. But “you don’t want them to feel it has to be__83__,” she says.__84__ homework—first, they should monitor how That’s not to say parents shouldmuch homework their kids __85__. Thirty minutes a day in the early elementary yearsand an hour in __86__ four, five, and six is standard, says Rosemond. For junior-highstudents it should be “-school__87__ mom than an hour and a half,” and two for highstudents. If your child __88__ has mom homework than this, you may want to check__89__ other parents and then talk to the teacher about __90__ assignment71. A) veryB) exactC) rightD) usual72. A) officialsB) parentsD) schools73. A) AlsoB) EvenC) ThenD) However74. A) fatigueB) confusionC) dutyD) puzzle75. A) thereB) weC) theyD) it76. A) viaB) underC) byD) for77. A) questionsB) answersC) standardsD) rules78. A) offB) withoutC) beyondD) from79. A) singleB) pieceC) pageD) other80. A) dropC) cutD) lack81. A) acquireB) earnC) gatherD) reach82. A) exercisesB) defectsC) mistakesD) tests83. A) perfectB) betterC) unusualD) complete84. A) forgetB) refuseC) missD) ignore85. A) haveB) prepareC) makeD) perform86. A) classesB) groupsC) gradesD) terms87. A) aboutB) noC) muchD) few88. A) previouslyB) rarelyC) merelyD) consistently89. A) withB) inC) outD) up90. A) finishingB) loweringC) reducingD) decliningPart V Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter in reply to a s inquiry about applying for admission to your college or uni versity.friend’You should write at least 120 words according to the outline given below inChinese:1. 建议报考的专业及理由2. 报考该专业的基本条件3. 应当如何备考A Letter in Reply to a FriendDecember 27th, 2019 Dear,___________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________2019年12月四级参考答案Part I1. A2. B3. A4. D5. C6. B7. D8. B9. C 10. D 11. C 12. A 13. B 14. C 15. B 16. D 17. A 18. C 19. A 20. BPart II21. D 22. B 23. C 24. C 25. C 26. D 27. B 28. A 29. D 30. C 31. B 32. B 33. D 34. C 35. A 36. C 37. A 38. D 39. B 40. CPart III41. C 42. D 43. B 44. C 45. B 46. D 47. B 48. A 49. C 50. A 51. A 52. D 53. B 54. A 55. C 56. B 57. D 58. C 59. D 60. A 61. B 62. A 63. D 64. A 65. B 66. C 67. D 68. C 69. A 70. DPart IV71. A 72. B 73. B 74. A 75. D 76. C 77. B 78. D 79. A 80. D 81. B 82. C 83. A 84. D 85. A 86. C 87. B 88. D 89. A 90. C。
2019年12月英语四级试卷及答案
2019年12月四级考试真题及答案第-套Part Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, уоu are allowed 30 minutes to write а letter to а foreignfriend who wants to teach English in China. Please recommend а cityto him. You should write at least 120 words but по more than 180 words.Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)Section A、Directions:In this section, уou will hear three news reports. At the end of each newsreport, уоu will hear two or three questions. Both the news report andthen questions will be spoken only once. After уоu hear a question, уоumust choose the best answer. from the four choices markedA), В), C) andD). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet lwith а singleline through the centre.Questions l and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard. 1. A) Many facilities were destroyed by a wandering cow.В) A wandering cow knocked down one of its fences.C) Some tourists were injured by a wandering cow.D) A wandering cow was captured by the police.2. A) It was shot to death by a police officer.￥B) It found its way back to the park' 's zoo.C) It became a great attraction for tourists.D) It was sent to the animal control department.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just hear d.3. A) It is the largest of its kind.B) It is going to be expanded.C) It is displaying more fossil specimens.D) It is staring an online exhibition.&4. A) A collection of bird fossils from Australia.B) Photographs of certain rare fossil exhibits.C) Some ancient wall paintings from Australia.D) Pictures by winners of а wildlife photo contest.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. A) Pick up trash.В) Amuse visitors.C) Deliver messages.$D) Play with children.6. A) They are especially intelligent.B) They are children 's favorite.C) They are quite easy to tame.D) They are clean and pretty.7. A) Children may be harmed by the rooks.B) Children may be tempted to drop litter.C) Children may contract bird diseases.*D) Children may overfeed the rooks.Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of eachconversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and thequestions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you mustchoose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D).Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet l with a single linethrough the centre.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8. A) It will be produced at Harvard University.B) It will be hosted by famous professors.C) It will cover different areas of science.(D) It will focus on recent scientific discoveries.9. A) It will be more futuristic.B) It will be more systematic.C) It will be more entertaining.D) It will be easier to understand.10. A) People interested in science.B) Youngsters eager to explore."C) Children in their early teens.~D) Students majoring in science.11. A) Offer professional advice.B) Provide financial support.C) Help promote it on the Internet.D) Make episodes for its first season.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. A) Unsure.B) Helpless.…C) Concerned.D) Dissatisfied.13. A) He is too concerned with being perfect.B) He loses heart when faced with setbacks.C) He is too ambitious in achieving goals.D) He takes on projects beyond his ability.14. A) Embarrassed.B) Unconcerned.…C) Miserable.D) Resentful.15. A) Try to be optimistic whatever happens.B) Compare his present with his past only.C) Always learn from others' achievements.D) Treat others the way he would be treated.SectionCDirections: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage,】you will hear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questionswіll bе ѕроkеn оnlу оnсе. Аftеr уоu hеаr аquеѕtіоn, уои muѕt сhооѕе thеbest answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then markthe corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through thecentre.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A) They have a stronger sense of social responsibility.B) They are more likely to succeed in the humanities.C) They are more likely to become engineers.D) They have greater potential to be leaders.17. A) Praise girls who like to speak up frequently.B) Encourage girls to solve problems on their own.{C) Insist that boys and girls work together more.D) Respond more positively to boys' comments.18. A) Offer personalized teachingB) Provide a variety of optionalC) Place great emphasis on test scores.D) Pay extra attention to top students.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A) It often rains cats' and dogs.·B) It seldom rains in summer time.C) It does not rain as much as people think.D) It is one of the most rainy cities in the US.20. A) They drive most of the time.B) The rain is usually very light.C) They have got used to the rain.D) The rain comes mostly at night.21. A) It has a lot of places for entertainment.$B) It has never seen thunder and lighting.C) It has fewer cloudy days than any other coastal city.D) It has mild weather both in summer and in winter .Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A) It occurs when people are doing a repetitive activity.B) It results from exerting one 's muscles continuously.C) It happens when people engage in an uncommon activity.D) It comes from staining one 's muscles in an unusual way.，23. A) Blood flow and body heat increase in the affected area.B) Body movements in the affected area become difficult.C) They begin to make repairs immediately.D) They gradually become fragmented.24. A) About one week.B) About two days.C) About ten days.D) About four weeks.￥25. A) Apply muscle creams.B) Drink plenty of water.C) Have a hot shower.D) Take pain-killers..Part llI Reading Comprehension (40 minutes) Section ADirections: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required 1oselect one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bankfollowving the passage. Read the passage through carefuly before makingyour choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter: Pleasemark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with asingle line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in thebank more than once.~Questions 26 to 35 are based on the following passage.When travelling overseas, do you buy water in plastic bottles or take yourchances with tap water' Imagine you are wandering about on a Thai island or_ 26the ruins of Angkor. It's hot so you grab a bottle of water from a local vendor. It's thesafe, sane thing to do, right The bottle is_ 27, and the label says“pure water”but maybe what's inside is not you still be drinking it if you knewthat more than 90percent of all bottled water sold around the world_29microplasticsThat's the conclusion of a recently__ 30_study, which analyzed 259 bottlesfrom ll brands sold in nine countries,-31an average of 325 plastic particles per liter of water. These microplastics included a__ 32commonly known as PET and are widely used in the manufacture of clothing and food and_ 33_ containers. The study was conducted at the State University of New York on behalf of Orb Media, ajournalism organization. About a million bottles are bought every minute, not only bythirsty tourists but also by many of the billion worldwide who live with unsafedrinking water.Confronted with this__ 34 several bottled-water manufacturers includingNestle and Coco-Cola undertook their own studies using the same studies showed that their water did contain microplastics, but far less than thOrb study suggested. Regardless, the World Health Organization has now launched a review into the__ 35health risks of drinking water from plastic bottles.A) adequateB) admiringC) containsD) defending%E) evidenceF) instantG) liquidH) modifiedI) naturalJ) potentialK) releasedL) revealing(M) sealedN) solvesO) substance :Section BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statementsattached to each statement contains information given in one of theparagraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is markedwith a letter: Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letteron Answer Sheet 2.The Quiet Heroism of Mail Delivery'·[A] On Wednesday, a polar wind brought bitter cold to the Midwest. Overnight,Chicago reached a low of 21 degrees Fahrenheit below zero, making it slightly colderthan Antarctica, Alaska, and the North Pole. Wind chills were 64 degrees below zeroin Park Rapids, Minnesota, and 45 degreesbelow zero in Buffalo, North Dakota,according to the National Weather Service. Schools, restaurants, and businessesclosed, and more than l ,000 flights have been canceled.【[B] Even the United States Postal Service (USPS) suspended mail deliverytemporarily. "Due to this arctic outbreak and concerns for the safety of USPSemployees," USPS announced Wednesday morning, the Postal Service is suspendingdelivery Jan. 30 in the following 3-digit ZIP Code locations." Twelve regions werelisted as unsafe on Wednesday; on Thursday, eight remained.[C] As global surface temperatures increase, so does the likelihood of extremeweather. In 2018 alone, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, mudslides, and othernatural disasters cost at least $49 billion in the United States. As my colleague VannNewkirk reported, Puerto Rico is still confronting economic and structural destructionand resource scarcity from 2017's Hurricane Maria. Natural disasters can wreck acommunity's infrastructure, disrupting systems for months or years. Some services,however, remind us that life will eventually return, in some form, to normal,[D] Days after the deadly 2017 wildfires in Santa Rosa, California, a dronecaught footage of a USPS worker, Trevor Smith, driving through burned homes in thatfamiliar white van, collecting mail in an affected area. The video is striking: Theoperation is familiar, but the scene looks like the end of the world. According to RaeAnn Haight, the program manager for thenational-preparedness office at USPS,Smith was fulfilling a request made by some of the home owners to pick up any mailthat was left untouched. For Smith, this was just another day on the job. I followedmy route like I normally do," Smith told a reporter. As I'd come across a box thatwas up but with no house, I checked, and there was mail- -outgoing mail- -in it. Andso we picked those up and carried on.'[E] USPS has sophisticated emergency plans for natural disasters. Across thcountry, 285 emergency-management teams are devoted to crisis control. These teamsare trained annually using a framework known as the three Ps: people, property,product. After mail service stops due to weather, the agency 's top priority is ensuringthat employees are safe. Then it evaluates the health of infrastructure, such as theroads that mail carriers drive on. Finally, it decides when and how to re-openoperations. If the destruction is extreme, mail addressed to the area will get sentelsewhere. In response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, USPS redirected incoming NewOrleans mail to existing mail facilities in Houston. Mail that was already processed inNew Orleans facilities was moved to an upper floor so it would be protected fromwater damage.[F] As soon as it's safe enough to be outside,' couriers start distributingaccumulated mail on the still-accessible routes. USPS urges those without standingaddresses to file change-of- address forms with their new location. After HurricaneKatrina hit in 2005, mail facilities were set up in dozens of other locations across thecountry in the two weeks that USPS was unable to provide street delivery.[G] Every day, USPS processes, on average, million pieces ofmail -anything from postcards to Social Security checks to medicine. Spokespeoplefrom both USPS and UPS told me all mail is important. But some mail can beextremely sensitive and timely. According to data released in January 2017, 56percent of bills are paid online, which means that just under half of payments still relyon delivery services to be completed.[H]It can be hard to identify which parcels are carrying crucial items such asSocial Security checks, but USPS and UPS try their best to prioritize sensitivematerial. They will coordinate with the Social Security Administration to make surethat Social Security checks reach the right people in a timely fashion. After HurricaneFlorence and Hurricane Michael last fall, USPS worked with state and local electionboards to make sure that absentee ballots were available and received on time.^[I] Mail companies are logistics companies, which puts them in a special positionto help when disaster strikes. In a 2011 USPS case study, the agency emphasized itsmassive infrastructure as a unique federal asset" to be called upon in a disaster orterrorist attack. I think we're unique as a federal agency," USPS official MikeSwigart told me, because we're in literally every community in this countryWe' re obligated to deliver to that point on a daily basis.'[J]Private courier companies, which have more dollars to spend, use theirexpertise in logistics to help revitalize damaged areas after a disaster. For more than adecade, FedEx has supported the American Red Cross in its effort to get emergencysupplies to areas affected by disasters, both domestically and internationally. In 2012,the company distributed more than 1,200 MedPacks to Medical Reserve Corps groupsin California, and donated space for million pounds of charitable shipping October, the company pledged $1 million in cash and transportation support forHurricanes Florence and Michael. UPS's charitable arm, the UPS Foundation, usesthe company 's logistics to help disaster-struck areas rebuild. We realize that as acompany with people, trucks, warehouses, we needed to play a larger role," saidEduardo Martinez, the president of the UPS Foundation. The company employs it:trucks and planes to deliver food, medicine, and water. The day before I spoke toMartinez in November, he had been touring the damage from Hurricane Michael inFlorida with the American Red Cross. Wehave an obligation to make sure ourcommunities are thriving, prosperous," he said.[K] Rebuilding can take a long time, and even then, impressions of the disastermay still remain. Returning to a sense of normalcy can be difficult, but some smallroutines- -mail delivery being one of them- -may help residents remember that theircommunities are still their communities. When they see that carrier back out on thestreet," Swigart said, that's the first sign to them that life is starting to return tonormal."36. The United States Postal Service has a system to ensure its employees' safety.37. One official says USPS is unique in that it has more direct reach tccommunities compared with other federal agencies38. Natural disasters can have a long-lasting impact on community life.39. Mail delivery service i$ still responsible for the completion of almost half ofpayments.！40. The sight of a mailman on the street is a reassuring sign of life becomingnormal again.41. After Hurricane Katrina interrupted routine delivery, temporary mail servicepoints were set up.42. Postal service in some regions in the . was suspended due to extreme coldweather.43. Private postal companies also support disaster relief efforts by distributingurgent supplies.44. A dedicated USPS employee was on the job carrying out duties in spite ofextreme conditions.45. Postal services work hard to identify items that require priority treatment.Section CDirections: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some;questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are fourchoices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choiceand mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line 'through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.Professor Ashok Goel of Georgia Tech developed an artificially intelligentteaching assistant to help handle the enormous number of student questions in theonline class, Knowledge Based Artificial Intelligence. This online course is a corerequirement of Georgia Tech's online Master of Science in Computer Scienceprogram. Professor Goelalready had 8 teaching assistants, but that wasn t enough todeal with the overwhelming number of questions from students.Many students drop out of online courses because of the lack of teaching students feel isolated or confused and reach out with questions that gounanswered, their motivation to continue begins to fade. Professor Goel decided to dosomething to remedy this situation and his solution was to create a virtual assistantnamed Jill Watson, which is based on the IBM Watson platform.Goel and his team developed several versions of Jill W atson before releasing herto the online forums. At first, the virtual assistant wasnt too great. But Goel and histeam sourced the online discussion forum to find all 40,000 questions that had everbeen asked since the class was launched. Then they began to feed Jill the questionsand answers. After some adjustment and sufficient time, Jill was able to answer thestudents questions correctly 97% of the time. The L virtual assistant became soadvanced and realistic that the students didn t know she was a computer. The students,who were studying artificial intelligence, were interacting with artificial intelligenceand couldn't tell it apart from a real human being. Goel didn 't inform them about Jill'strue identity until April 26. The students were actually very positive about theexperience.The goal of Professor Goel's virtual assistant next year is to take over answering40% of all questions posed by students on the online forum. The name, Jill Watson,will of course, change to something else next semester. Professor Goel has a muchrosier outlook on the future of AI than say, Elon Musk, Stephen Hawking, Bill Gatesor Steve Wozniak.46. What do we learn about Knowledge-Based Artificial Intelligence】A) It is a robot that can answer students' questions.B) It is a course designed for students to learn online.C) It is a high-tech device that revolutionizes teaching.D) It is a computer program that aids student learning.47. What problem did Professor Goel meet withA) His students were unsatisfied with the assistants.B) His course was too difficult for the students.C) Students questions were too many to handle.】D) Too many students dropped out of his course.48. What do we learn about Jill WatsonA) She turned out to be a great success.B) She got along pretty well with students.C) She was unwelcome to students at first.D) She was released online as an experiment.10/23149. How did the students feel about Jill W atson）A) They thought she was a bit too artificial.B) They found her not as capable as expected.C) They could not but admire her knowledge.D) They could not tell her from a real person.50. What does Professor Goel plan to do next with Jill W atsonA) Launch different versions of her online.B) Feed her with new questions and answers.c) Assign her to answer more of students questions.&D) Encourage students to interact with her more freely.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.Thinking small, being engaging, and having a sense of humor don' t hurt. Thoseare a few of the traits of successful science crowdfunding efforts that emerge from arecent study that examined nearly 400 campaigns. But having a large network andsome promotional skills may be more crucial.Crowdfunding, raising money for a project through online appeals, has taken offin recent years for everything from making movies to building water-saving have tried to tap Internet donors, too, with mixed success. Some raisedmore than twice their goal, but others have fallen short of reaching more modesttargets.To determine what separates science crowdfunding triumphs from failures, ateam led by science communications scholar Mike Schäfer of the University of Zurichin Switzerland examined the content of the WebPages for 371 recent campaigns.Four traits stood out for those that achieved their goals, the researchers report inPublic Understanding of Science. For one, they use a crowdfunding platform thatspecializes in raising money for science, and not just any kind of project. Althoughsites like Kickstarter take all comers, platforms such as Experiment. com,, and Petridish. org only present scientific projects. For another, theypresent the project with a funny video because good visuals and a sense of humorimproved success. Most of them engage with potential donors since projects thatanswered questions from interested donors and posted lab notes fared better. And theytarget a small amount of money. The projects included in the study raised $4000 onaverage, with 30% of projects receiving less than $ 1000. The more money a projectsought, the lower the chance it reached its goal, the researchers found.Other factors may also significantly influence a project's success, most notably,the size of a scientist's personal and professional networks, and how muchresearcher promotes a project on his or her own. Those two factors are by far morecritical than the content on the page. Crowdfunding can be part of researchers effortsto reach the public, and people givebecause they feel a connection to the person"who is doing the fundraising- -not necessarily to the science."11/3151. What do we learn about the scientists trying to raise money online for theirprojectsA) They did not raise much due to modest targets.B) They made use of mixed fundraising strategies.C) Not all of them achieved their anticipated goals.D) Most of them put movies online for the purpose.52. What is the purpose of Mike Schafer's research of recent crowdfundingcampaignsA) To create attractive content for science websites.^B) To identify reasons for their different outcomes.C) To help scientists to launch innovative projects.D) To separate science projects from general ones.53. What trait contributes to the success of a crowdfunding campaignA) The potential benefit to future generations.为B) Its interaction with prospective donors.C) Its originality in addressing financial issues.$D) The value of the proposed project.54. What did the researchers think of the financial targets of crowdfundingprojectsA) They should be small to be successful.B) They should be based on actual needs.C) They should be assessed with great care.D) They should be ambitious to gain notice.55. What motivates people to donate in a crowdfunding campaignA) The ease of access to the content of the webpage.：B) Their desire to contribute to the cause of science.C) The significance and influence of the project itself.D) Their feeling of connection to the scientists themselves.Part IV Translation (30 minutes) Directions: For this part, you cre allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from( 'hinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.中国家庭十分重视孩子的教育。
2019年12月英语四级听力50篇：43 Our Concern
2019年12月英语四级听力50篇：43 OurConcern2018年12月英语四级听力50篇汇总英语四级听力50篇：43 Our ConcernThe history of life on earth has been a history of interaction between living things and their surroundings. To a large extent, the physical fomp3 and the habits of the earth’s vegetation and its animal life have been molded by the environment. Only in the present century has one species of man acquired significant power to alter the nature of his world.The rapidity of change follows the pace of man rather than the pace of nature. Radiation is now the unnatural creation of man’s tampering with the at om. The chemicals are the creations of man’s inventive mind, having no counterparts in nature.We have put poisonous and biologically potent chemicals into the hands of persons largely ignorant of theirpotentials for hamp3. We have subjected enomp3ous numbers of people to contact with these enomp3ous numbers of people to contact with these poisons, without their consent and often without their knowledge. We have allowed these chemicals to be used with little or no advance investigation of their effect. Future generations are unlikely to forgive our lack of concern.Useful Words and Expressions：1. interaction 交互作用，交感2. vegetation 植被3. mold 塑造，浇铸4. species 种类5. unnatural 不自然的6. temper with 损害，影响7. counterpart 配对物8. poisonous 有毒的9. potent 有力的，有效的10. consent 同意，赞成2018年12月英语四级听力50篇汇总本文关键字：英语四级听力四级听力备考。
2019年12月英语四级听力50篇：40 How High Can You Jump？
2019年12月英语四级听力50篇：40 How HighCan You Jump？2018年12月英语四级听力50篇汇总英语四级听力50篇：40 How High Can You Jump?Fleas trainers have observed a strange habit of fleas while training them.Fleas are trained by putting them in a cardboard box with a top on it. The fleas will jump up and hit the top of the cardboard box over and over and over again. As you watch them jump and hit the lid, something very interesting becomes obvious. The fleas continue to jump, but they are no longer jumping high enough to hit the top.When you take off the lid, the fleas continue to jump, but they will not jump out of the box. They will not jump out because they cannot jump out. Why? The reason is simple. They have conditioned themselves to jump just so high. Once they have conditioned themselves to jump just so high. Once they have conditioned themselves to jump just so high, that is all they can do!Many times, people do the same thing. They restrict themselves and never reach their potential. Just like the fleas, they fail to jump higher, thinking they are doing al they can do.Useful Words and Expressions：1. cardboard 纸板2. lid 盖子3. conditioned 有条件的，习惯于……的4. restrict 限制，约束be restricted within narrow limits 限于狭窄的范围内be restricted in one’s movements 行动受限制2018年12月英语四级听力50篇汇总本文关键字：英语四级听力四级听力备考。
2019年12月大学英语四级真题试卷及答案(三套全)
2019年12月四级真题及答案（全三套）第一套Part I Writing (30 minutes) Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter to a foreign friend who wants to teach English in China. Please recommend a city to him. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Part ⅡListening Comprehension (25 minutes) Section ADirections:In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and then questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D).Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1with a single line through the centre.Questions l and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1. A) Many facilities were destroyed by a wandering cow.B) A wandering cow knocked down one of its fences.C) Some tourists were injured by a wandering cow.D) A wandering cow was captured by the police.2. A) It was shot to death by a police officer. B) It found its way back to the park’s zoo.C) It became a great attraction for tourists. D) It was sent to the animal control department. Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3. A) It is the largest of its kind. B) It is going to be expanded.C) It is displaying more fossil specimens. D) It is staring an online exhibition.4. A) A collection of bird fossils from Australia. B) Photographs of certain rare fossil exhibits.C) Some ancient wall paintings from Australia. D) Pictures by winners of a wildlife photo contest. Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. A) Pick up trash. B) Amuse visitors.C) Deliver messages. D) Play with children.6. A) They are especially intelligent. B) They are children’s favorite.C) They are quite easy to tame. D) They are clean and pretty.7. A) Children may be harmed by the rooks. B) Children may be tempted to drop litter.C) Children may contract bird diseases. D) Children may overfeed the rooks.Section BDirections:In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8. A) It will be produced at Harvard University. B) It will be hosted by famous professors.C) It will cover different areas of science. D) It will focus on recent scientific discoveries.9. A) It will be more futuristic. B) It will be more systematic.C) It will be more entertaining. D) It will be easier to understand.10. A) People interested in science. B) Youngsters eager to explore.C) Children in their early teens. D) Students majoring in science.11. A) Offer professional advice. B) Provide financial support.C) Help promote it on the Internet. D) Make episodes for its first season.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. A) Unsure. B) Helpless. C) Concerned. D) Dissatisfied.13. A) He is too concerned with being perfect. B) He loses heart when faced with setbacks.C) He is too ambitious in achieving goals. D) He takes on projects beyond his ability.14. A) Embarrassed. B) Unconcerned. C) Miserable. D) Resentful.15. A) Try to be optimistic whatever happens. B) Compare his present with his past only.C) Always learn from others’ achievements.D) Treat others the way he would be treated.Section CDirections:In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A) They have a stronger sense of social responsibility.B) They are more likely to succeed in the humanities.C) They are more likely to become engineers.D) They have greater potential to be leaders.17. A) Praise girls who like to speak up frequently.B) Encourage girls to solve problems on their own.C) Insist that boys and girls work together more.D) Respond more positively to boys’ comments.18. A) Offer personalized teaching materials. B) Provide a variety of optional courses.C) Place great emphasis on test scores. D) Pay extra attention to top students. Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A) It often rains cats and dogs. B) It seldom rains in summer time.C) It does not rain as much as people think. D) It is one of the most rainy cities in the US.20. A) They drive most of the time. B) The rain is usually very light.C) They have got used to the rain. D) The rain comes mostly at night.21. A) It has a lot of places for entertainment.B) It has never seen thunder and lighting.C) It has fewer cloudy days than any other coastal city.D) It has mild weather both in summer and in winter.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A) It occurs when people are doing a repetitive activity.B) It results from exerting one’s muscles continuously.C) It happens when people engage in an uncommon activity.D) It comes from staining one’s muscles in an unusual way.23. A) Blood flow and body heat increase in the affected area.B) Body movements in the affected area become difficult.C) They begin to make repairs immediately.D) They gradually become fragmented.24. A) About one week. B) About two days.C) About ten days. D) About four weeks.25. A) Apply muscle creams. B) Drink plenty of water.C) Have a hot shower. D) Take pain-killers..Part ⅢReading Comprehension (40 minutes) Section ADirections:In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.Questions 26 to 35 are based on the following passage.When travelling overseas, do you buy water in plastic bottles or take your chances with tap water? Imagine you are wandering about on a Thai island or 26 the ruins of Angkor. It’s hot so you grab a bottle of water from a local vendor. It’s the safe, sane thing to do, right? The bottle is27 , and the label says “pure water”, but maybe what’s inside is not so28 . Would you still be drinking it if you knew that more than 90 percent of all bottled water sold around the world 29 microplastics?That’s the conclusion of a recently 30 study, which analyzed 259 bottles from 11 brands sold in nine countries, 31 an average of 325 plastic particles per liter of water. These microplastics included a 32 commonly known as PET and are widely used in the manufacture of clothing and food and 33 containers. The study was conducted at the State University of New York on behalf of Orb Media, a journalism organization. About a million bottles are bought every minute, not only by thirsty tourists but also by many of the 2.1 billion worldwide who live with unsafe drinking water.Confronted with this 34 , several bottled-water manufacturers including Nestle and Coco-Cola undertook their own studies using the same methodology. These studies showed that their water did contain microplastics, but far less than the Orb study suggested. Regardless, the World Health Organization has now launched a review into the 35 health risks of drinking water from plastic bottles.Section BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.The Quiet Heroism of Mail Delivery[A] On Wednesday, a polar wind brought bitter cold to the Midwest. Overnight, Chicago reached a low of 21 degrees Fahrenheit below zero, making it slightly colder than Antarctica, Alaska, and the North Pole. Wind chills were 64 degrees below zero in Park Rapids, Minnesota, and 45 degrees below zero in Buffalo, North Dakota, according to the National Weather Service. Schools, restaurants, and businesses closed, and more than 1,000 flights have been canceled.[B] Even the United States Postal Service (USPS) suspended mail delivery temporarily. “Due to this arctic outbreak and concerns for the safety of USPS employees,” USPS announced Wednesday morning, “the Postal Service is suspending delivery Jan. 30 in the following 3-digit ZIP Code locations.” Twelve regions were listed as unsafe on Wednesday; on Thursday, eight remained.[C] As global surface temperatures increase, so does the likelihood of extreme weather. In 2018 alone, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, mudslides, and other natural disasters cost at least $49 billion in the United States. As my colleague V ann Newkirk reported, Puerto Rico is still confronting economic and structural destruction and resource scarcity from 2017’s Hurrican e Maria. Natural disasters can wreck a community’s infrastructure, disrupting systems for months or years. Some services, however, remind us that life will eventually return, in some form, to normal.[D] Days after the deadly 2017 wildfires in Santa Rosa, California, a drone caught footage of a USPS worker, Trevor Smith, driving through burned homes in that familiar white van, collecting mail in an affected area. Thevideo is striking: The operation is familiar, but the scene looks like the end of the world. According to Rae Ann Haight, the program manager for the national-preparedness office at USPS, Smith was fulfilling a request made by some of the home owners to pick up any mail that was left untouched. For Smith, this was just another day on the job. “I followed my route like I normally do,” Smith told a reporter. “As I’d come across a box that was up but with no house, I checked, and there was mail—outgoing mail—in it. And so we picked those up and carried on.”[E] USPS has sophisticated emergency plans for natural disasters. Across the country, 285 emergency-management teams are devoted to crisis control. These teams are trained annually using a framework known as the three Ps: people, property, product. After mail service stops due to weather, the agen cy’s top priority is ensuring that employees are safe. Then it evaluates the health of infrastructure, such as the roads that mail carriers drive on. Finally, it decides when and how to re-open operations. If the destruction is extreme, mail addressed to the area will get sent elsewhere. In response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, USPS redirected incoming New Orleans mail to existing mail facilities in Houston. Mail that was already processed in New Orleans facilities was moved to an upper floor so it would be protected from water damage.[F] As soon as it’s safe enough to be outside, couriers start distributing accumulated mail on the still-accessible routes. USPS urges those without standing addresses to file change-of-address forms with their new location. After Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, mail facilities were set up in dozens of other locations across the country in the two weeks that USPS was unable to provide street delivery.[G] Every day, USPS processes, on average, 493.4 million pieces of mail—anything from postcards to Social Security checks to medicine. Spokespeople from both USPS and UPS told me all mail is important. But some mail can be extremely sensitive and timely. According to data released in January 2017, 56 percent of bills are paid online, which means that just under half of payments still rely on delivery services to be completed. [H] It can be hard to identify which parcels are carrying crucial items such as Social Security checks, but USPS and UPS try their best to prioritize sensitive material. They will coordinate with the Social Security Administration to make sure that Social Security checks reach the right people in a timely fashion. After Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Michael last fall, USPS worked with state and local election boards to make sure that absentee ballots were available and received on time.[I] Mail companies are logistics companies, which puts them in a special position to help when disaster strikes. In a 2011 USPS case study, the agency emphasized its massive in frastructure as a “unique federal asset” to be called upon in a disaster or terrorist attack. “I think we’re unique as a federal agency,” USPS official MikeSwigart told me, “because we’re in literally every community in this country … We’re obligated to d eliver to that point on a daily basis.”[J] Private courier companies, which have more dollars to spend, use their expertise in logistics to help revitalize damaged areas after a disaster. For more than a decade, FedEx has supported the American Red Cross in its effort to get emergency supplies to areas affected by disasters, both domestically and internationally. In 2012, the company distributed more than 1,200 MedPacks to Medical Reserve Corps groups in California, and donated space for 3.1 million pounds of charitable shipping globally. Last October, the company pledged $1 million in cash and transportation support for Hurricanes Florence and Michael. UPS’s charitable arm, the UPS Foundation, uses the company’s logistics to help disaster-struck areas rebu ild. “We realize that as a company with people, trucks, warehouses, we needed to play a larger role,” said Eduardo Martinez, the president of the UPS Foundation. The company employs its trucks and planes to deliver food, medicine, and water. The day before I spoke to Martinez in November, he had been touring the damage from Hurricane Michael in Florida with the American Red Cross. “We have an obligation to make sure our communities are thriving, prosperous,” he said.[K] Rebuilding can take a long time, and even then, impressions of the disaster may still remain. Returning to a sense of normalcy can be difficult, but some small routines—mail delivery being one of them—may help residents remember that their communities are still their communities. “When they see that carrier back out on the street,” Swigart said, “that’s the first sign to them that life is starting to return to normal.”36. The United States Postal Service has a system to ensure its employees’ safety.37. One official says USPS is unique in that it has more direct reach to communities compared with other federal agencies38. Natural disasters can have a long-lasting impact on community life.39. Mail delivery service i$ still responsible for the completion of almost half of payments.40. The sight of a mailman on the street is a reassuring sign of life becoming normal again.41. After Hurricane Katrina interrupted routine delivery, temporary mail service points were set up.42. Postal service in some regions in the U.S. was suspended due to extreme cold weather.43. Private postal companies also support disaster relief efforts by distributing urgent supplies.44. A dedicated USPS employee was on the job carrying out duties in spite of extreme conditions.45. Postal services work hard to identify items that require priority treatment.Section CDirections: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.Professor Ashok Goel of Georgia Tech developed an artificially intelligent teaching assistant to help handle the enormous number of student questions in the online class, Knowledge Based Artificial Intelligence. This online course is a core requirement of Georgia Tech’s online Master of Science in Computer Science program. Professor G oel already had 8 teaching assistants, but that wasn’t enough to deal with the overwhelming number of questions from students.Many students drop out of online courses because of the lack of teaching support. When students feel isolated or confused and reach out with questions that go unanswered, their motivation to continue begins to fade. Professor Goel decided to do something to remedy this situation and his solution was to create a virtual assistant named Jill Watson, which is based on the IBM Watson platform.Goel and his team developed several versions of Jill Watson before releasing her to the online forums. At first, the virtual assistant wasn’t too great. But Goel and his team sourced the online discussion forum to find all 40,000 questions that had ever been asked since the class was launched. Then they began to feed Jill the questions and answers. After some adjustment and sufficient time, Jill was able to answer the students’ questions correctly 97% of the time. The virtual assistant became so advanced and realistic that the students didn’t know she was a computer. The students, who were studying artificial intelligence, were interacting with artificial intelligence and couldn’t tell it apart from a real human being. Goel didn’t inform them about Jill’s true identity until April 26. The students were actually very positive about the experience.The goal of Professor Goel’s virtual assistant next year is to take over answering 40% of all questions posed by students on the online forum. The name, Jill Watson, will of course, change to something else next semester. Professor Goel has a much rosier outlook on the future of AI than say, Elon Musk, Stephen Hawking, Bill Gates or Steve Wozniak.46. What do we learn about Knowledge-Based Artificial Intelligence?A) It is a robot that can answer students’ questions.B) It is a course designed for students to learn online.C) It is a high-tech device that revolutionizes teaching.D) It is a computer program that aids student learning.47. What problem did Professor Goel meet with?A) His students were unsatisfied with the assistants.B) His course was too difficult for the students.C) Students’ questions were too many to handle.D) Too many students dropped out of his course.48. What do we learn about Jill Watson?A) She turned out to be a great success. B) She got along pretty well with students.C) She was unwelcome to students at first. D) She was released online as an experiment.49. How did the students feel about Jill Watson?A) They thought she was a bit too artificial. B) They found her not as capable as expected.C) They could not but admire her knowledge. D) They could not tell her from a real person.50. What does Professor Goel plan to do next with Jill Watson?A) Launch different versions of her online.B) Feed her with new questions and answers.C) Assign her to answer more of students’ questions.D) Encourage students to interact with her more freely.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.Thinking small, being enga ging, and having a sense of humor don’t hurt. Those are a few of the traits of successful science crowdfunding efforts that emerge from a recent study that examined nearly 400 campaigns. But having a large network and some promotional skills may be more crucial.Crowdfunding, raising money for a project through online appeals, has taken off in recent years for everything from making movies to building water-saving gadgets. Scientists have tried to tap Internet donors, too, with mixed success. Some raised more than twice their goal, but others have fallen short of reaching more modest targets.To determine what separates science crowdfunding triumphs from failures, a team led by science communications scholar Mike Schäfer of the University of Zurich in Switzerland examined the content of the WebPages for 371 recent campaigns.Four traits stood out for those that achieved their goals, the researchers report in Public Understanding of Science. For one, they use a crowdfunding platform that specializes in raising money for science, and not just any kind of project. Although sites like Kickstarter take all comers, platforms such as , , and only present scientific projects. For another, they present the project with a funny video because good visuals and a sense of humor improved success. Most of them engage with potential donors since projects that answered questions from interested donors and posted lab notes fared better. And they target a small amount of money. The projects included in the study raised $4000 on average, with 30% of projects receiving less than $1000. The more money a project sought, the lower the chance it reached its goal, the researchers found.Other factors may also significantly influence a project’s s uccess, m ost notably, the size of a scientist’s personal and professional networks, and how much a researcher promotes a project on his or her own. Those two factors are by far more critical than the content on the page. Crowdfunding can be part of researc hers’ efforts to reach the public, and people give because “they feel a connection to the person” who is doing the fundraising—not necessarily to the science.51. What do we learn about the scientists trying to raise money online for their projects?A) They did not raise much due to modest targets.B) They made use of mixed fundraising strategies.C) Not all of them achieved their anticipated goals.D) Most of them put movies online for the purpose.52. What is the purpose of Mike Schäfer’s research of recent crowdfunding campaigns?A) To create attractive content for science websites.B) To identify reasons for their different outcomes.C) To help scientists to launch innovative projects.D) To separate science projects from general ones.53. What trait contributes to the success of a crowdfunding campaign?A) The potential benefit to future generations. B) Its interaction with prospective donors.C) Its originality in addressing financial issues. D) The value of the proposed project.54. What did the researchers think of the financial targets of crowdfunding projects?A) They should be small to be successful. B) They should be based on actual needs.C) They should be assessed with great care. D) They should be ambitious to gain notice.55. What motivates people to donate in a crowdfunding campaign?A) The ease of access to the content of the webpage.B) Their desire to contribute to the cause of science.C) The significance and influence of the project itself.D) Their feeling of connection to the scientists themselves.Part ⅣTranslation (30 minutes) Directions:For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.中国家庭十分重视孩子的教育。
2019年12月大学英语四级考试真题完整版(第三套)
2019年12月大学英语四级考试真题完整版（第三套）Part Ⅰ Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter to a foreign friend who wants to learn Chinese. Please recommend a city to him. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Part Ⅱ Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions l and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1.A) The number of male nurses has gone down.B) There is discrimination against male nurses.C) There is a growing shortage of medical personnel.D) The number of nurses has dropped to a record low.2. A) Working conditions.B) Educational system.C) Inadequate pay.D) Cultural bias.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3. A) He fell out of a lifeboat.B) He was almost drowned.C) He lost his way on a beach.D) He enjoyed swimming in the sea.4. A) The lifeboats patrol the area round the clock.B) The beach is a good place to watch the tide.C) The emergency services are efficient.D) The beach is a popular tourist resort.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. A) It climbed 25 storeys at one go.B) It broke into an office room.C) It escaped from a local zoo.D) It became an online star.6. A) Release it into the wild.B) Return it to its owner.C) Send it back to the zoo.D) Give it a physical checkup.7. A) A racoon can perform acts no human can.B) A racoon can climb much higher than a cat.C) The racoon did something no politician could.D) The raccoon became as famous as some politicians.Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8. A) She received a bonus unexpectedly.B) She got a well-paying job in a bank.C She received her first monthly salary.D) She got a pay raise for her performance.9. A) Two decades ago.B) Several years ago.C) Just last month.D) Right after graduation.10. A) He sent a small check to his parents.B) He treated his parents to a nice meal.C) He took a few of his friends to a gym.D) He immediately deposited it in a bank.11. A) Join her colleagues for gym exercise.B) Visit her former university campus.C) Buy some professional clothes.D) Budget her salary carefully.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. A) He has just too many things to attend to.B) He has been overworked recently.C) He has a difficult decision to make.D) He has just quarreled with his girlfriend.13. A) Turn to his girlfriend for assistance.B) Give priority to things more urgent.C) Think twice before making the decision.D) Seek advice from his family and advisor.14. A) His girlfriend does not support his decision.B) He is not particularly keen on the job offered.C) He lacks the money for his doctoral program.D) His parents and advisor have different opinions.15. A)They need time to make preparations.B) They haven’ t started their careers yet.C) They need to save enough money for it.D) They haven’t won their parents’ approval.Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A) Expressing ideas and opinions freely.B) Enriching social and intellectual lives.C) Acquiring information and professional knowledge.D) Using information to understand and solve problems.17. A) Traveling to different places in the world.B) Playi ng games that challenge one’s mind.C) Improving mind-reading strategies.D) Reading classic scientific literature.18. A) Participate in debates or discussions.B) Expose themselves to different cultures.C) Discard personal biases and prejudices.D) Give others freedom to express themselves.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A) Why dogs can be faithful friends of humans.B) The nature of relationships between dogs.C) The reason a great many people love dogs.D) How dogs feel about their bonds with humans.20. A) They behave like other animals in many ways.B) They have an unusual sense of responsibility.C) They can respond to humans’ questions.D) They can fall in love just like humans.21. A) They stay with one partner for life.B) They have their own joys and sorrows.C) They experience true romantic love.D) They help humans in various ways.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A) A rare animal.B) A historical site.C) A cow bone.D) A precious stone.23. A) Dating it.B) Preserving it.C) Measuring it.D) Identifying it.24. A) The channel needs to interview the boy.B) The boy should have called an expert.C) The boy's family had acted correctly.D) The site should have been protected.25. A) Conduct a more detailed search.B) Ask the university to reward Jude.C) Search for similar fossils elsewhere.D) Seek additional funds for the search.Part III. Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)Section AFinally, some good news about airplane traverl. If you are on a plane with a sick passenger, you are unlikely to get sick. That is the 26 of a new study that looked at how respiratory(呼吸道)viruses 27 on airplanes. Researchers found that only people who were seated in individual – had a high risk of catching the illness. All other passengers had only a very 28 chance of getting sick ,according to the findings. Media reports have not necessarily presented 29 information about the risk of getting infected on an airplane in the past. Therefore , these new findings should help airplane passengers to feel less 30 to catching respiratory infections while traveling by air.Prior to the new study, litter was known about the risks of getting 31 infected by common respiratory viruses, such as the flu or common cold, on an airplane, the researchers said. So, to 32 the risks of infection, the study team flew on 10 different 33 in the U.S. 34 side of a person infected with flu, as well as those sitting one roe in front of or behind this individual, had about an 80 person chance of getting sick. But other passengers were 35 safe from infection. They had a less than 3 percent chance of catching the flu.A) accurateB) conclusionC) directlyD) eitherE) evaluateF) explorationsG) flightsH) largelyI) nearbyJ) respondK) slimL) spreadM) summitN) vividlyO) vulnerableSection B暂无真题Section C暂无真题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.中国汉族人的全名由姓和名组成。
2019年12月英语四级听力真题及答案
2019年12月英语四级听力真题及答案Section A11. A. Read the notice on the window B. Get a new bus scheduleC. Go and ask the staffD. Board the bus to Cleveland12. A. He was looking forward to seeing the giraffes.B. He enjoyed watching the animal performance.C. He got home too late to see the TV specialD. He fell asleep in the middle of the TV program.13. A. She wants to take the most direct way.B. She may be late for the football game.C. She is worried about missing her flight.D. She is currently caught in a traffic jam.14. A. At a restaurant B. In a fish shop C. At a clinic D. On a fishing boat15. A. He is an experienced sales manager.B. He is being interviewed for a job.C. He is a close friend of the woman.D. He is good at answering tricky questions.16. A. The man should consider his privacy first.B. The man will choose a low-rent apartment.C. The man is not certain if he can find a quieter placeD. The man is unlikely to move out of the dormitory.17. A. The woman is going to make her topic more focused.B. The man and woman are working on a joint project.C. One should choose a broad topic for a research paper.D. It tool a lot of time to get the man on the right track.18. A. They went camping this time last year.B. They d idn’t quite enjoy their last picnic.C. They learned to cooperate under harsh conditions.D. They weren’t experienced in organizing picnics.Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19. A. H e likes Sweden better than England.B. He prefers hot weather to cold weather.C. He is an Englishman living in Sweden.D. He visits London nearly every winter.20. A. The bad weather B. The gloomy winter C. The cold houses D. The long night21. A. Delightful B. Painful C. Depressing D. Refreshing22. A. They often stay up late reading B. They work hard and play hardC. They like to go camping in summerD. They try to earn more and spend moreQuestions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.23. A. English Literature B. Management C. French D. Public Administration24. A. English teaching B. Staff trainingC. Careers guidanceD. Psychological counseling25. A. Its generous scholarships B. Its worldwide fameC. Its well-designed coursesD. Its pleasant environment参考答案Go and ask the staff。
2019年大学英语四级考试听力真题及听力原文(全三套答案)
大学英语四级考试听力真题及听力原文第一套Part III Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)Section ADirections:In this section,you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. Atthe end of each conversation,one or more questions will be asked about what was sa id.Boththe conversation and the questions will be spoken only once.After each questio n there will be apause.During the pause,you must read the four choices marked A),B), C)and D),and decidewhich is the best answer,Then mark the corresponding letter on A nswer Sheet 1 with a singleline through the centre.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
11.A) The woman is the manager's secretary.B) The manfound himself in a wrong place.C) The manis the manager's business associate.D) The woman was putting up a sign on the wall.12.A) He needs more time for the report.B) He needs help to interpret the data.C) He is sorry not to have helped the woman.D) He does not have sufficient data to go on.13.A) A friend from New York.B) A message from Tony.C) A postal delivery.D) A changein the weather.14.A) She is not available until the end of next week.B) She is not a reliable source of information.C) She does not like taking exams.D) She does not like psychology.15.A) He will help the woman carry the suitcase.B) The woman'swatch is twenty minutes fast.C) The woman shouldn't make such a big fuss.D) There is no need for the woman to be in a hurry.16.A) Mary isnot so easygoing as her.B) Mary and she have a lot in common.C) She finds it hard to get along with Mary.D) She does not believe what her neighbors said.17.A) At an information service.B) At a car wash point.C) At a repair shop.D) At a dry cleaner's.18.A) The woman came to the concert at the man's request.B) The manis already fed up with playing the piano.C) The piece of music the man played is very popular.D) The man's unique talents are the envy of many people.Questions 19 to 22 are based on theconversation you have just heard.19.A) He has taught Spanish for a couple of years at a local school.B) He worked at the Brownstone Company for several years.C) He owned a small retail business in Michigan years ago.D) He has been working part-time in a school near Detroit.20.A) He prefers a full-time job with more responsibility.B) He iseager to find a job with an increased salary.C) He likes to work in a company close to home.D) He would rather get a less demanding job.21.A) Sports.B) Travel.C) Foreign languages.D)Computer games22.A) When he is supposed to start work.B) What responsibilities he would have.C) When he will be informed about his application.D) What career opportunities her company can offer.Questions 23 to 25 are based on theconversation you have just heard.23.A) She is pregnant.B) She is over 50.C) She has just finished her project.D) She is a good saleswoman.24.A) Hetakes good care of Lisa.B) He isthe CEO of a giant company.C) He is good at business management.D) He works as a sales manager.25.A) It is in urgent need of further development.B) It produces goods popular among local people.C) It has been losing market share in recent years.D) It is well positioned to compete with the giants.Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, youwill hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. Afteryou hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choice s marked A), B), C)and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 wit h a single line through thecentre.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
2019年12月四级真题及答案
2019年12月四级考试真题（第一套）Part I Writing(30minutes)Directions:For this part,you are allowed30minutes to write a letter to a foreign friend who wants to teach English in China.Please recommend a city to him.You should write at least120words but no more than180words.PartⅡListening Comprehension(25minutes) Section ADirections:In this section,you will hear three news reports.At the end of each news report,you will hear two or three questions.Both the news report and the questions will be spoken only once.Afteryou 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 Sheet1with a single line through thecentre.Questions l and2are based on the news report you have just heard.1.A)Many facilities were destroyed by a wandering cow.B)A wandering cow knocked down one of its fences.C)Some tourists were injured by a wandering cow.D)A wandering cow was captured by the police.2.A)It was shot to death by a police officer.B)It found its way back to the park’s zoo.C)It became a great attraction for tourists.D)It was sent to the animal controlQuestions3and4are based on the news report you have just heard.3.A)It is the largest of its kind.B)It is going to be expanded.C)It is displaying more fossil specimens.D)It is starting an online exhibition.4.A)A collection of bird fossils from Australia.B)Photographs of certain rare fossil exhibits.C)Some ancient wall paintings from Australia.D)Pictures by winners of a wildlife photo contest.Questions5to7are based on the news report you have just heard.5.A)Pick up trash.B)Amuse visitors.C)Deliver messages.D)Play with children.6.A)They are especially intelligent.B)They are children’s favorite.C)They are quite easy to tame.D)They are clean and pretty.7.A)Children may be harmed by the rooks.B)Children may be tempted to drop litter.C)Children may contract bird diseases.D)Children may overfeed the rooks.Section BDirections:In this section,you will hear two long conversations.At the end of each conversation,you will hear four questions.Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once.After you hear a question,you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A),B),C)and D).Then mark thecorresponding letter on Answer Sheet1with a single line through the centre.Questions8to11are based on the conversation you have just heard.8.A)It will be produced at Harvard University.B)It will be hosted by famous professors.C)It will cover different areas of science.D)It will focus on recent scientific discoveries.9.A)It will be more futuristic.B)It will be more systematic.C)It will be more entertaining.D)It will be easier to understand.10.A)People interested in science.B)Youngsters eager to explore.C)Children in their early teens.D)Students majoring in science.11.A)Offer professional advice.B)Provide financial support.C)Help promote it on the Internet.D)Make episodes for its first season.Questions12to15are based on the conversation you have just heard.12.A)Unsure.B)Helpless.C)Concerned.D)Dissatisfied.13.A)He is too concerned with being perfect.B)He loses heart when facing with setbacks.C)He is too ambitious in achieving goals.D)He takes on projects beyond his ability.14.A)Embarrassed.B)Unconcerned.C)Miserable.D)Resentful.15.A)Try to be optimistic whatever happens.B)Compare his present with his past only.C)Always learn from others’achievements.D)Treat others the way he would be treated.Section CDirections:In this section,you will hear three passages.At the end of each passage,you will hear three or four questions.Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once.After you hear a question,youmust choose the best answer from the four choices marked A),B),C)and D).Then mark thecorresponding letter on Answer Sheet1with a single line through the centre.Questions16to18are based on the passage you have just heard.16.A)They have a stronger sense of social responsibility.B)They are more likely to succeed in the humanities.C)They are more likely to become engineers.D)They have greater potential to be leaders.17.A)Praise girls who like to speak up frequently.B)Encourage girls to solve problems on their own.C)Insist that boys and girls work together more.D)Respond more positively to boy’s comments.18.A)Offer personalized teaching materials.B)Provide a variety of optional courses.C)Place great emphasis on test scores.D)Pay extra attention to top students.Questions19to21are based on the passage you have just heard.19.A)It often rains cats and dogs.B)It seldom rains in summer time.C)It does not rain as much as people think.D)It is one of the most rainy cities in the US.20.A)They drive most of the time.B)The rain is usually very light.C)They have got used to the rain.D)The rain comes mostly at night.21.A)It has a lot of places for entertainment.B)It has never seen thunder and lightning.C)It has fewer cloudy days than any other coastal city.D)It has mild weather both in summer and in winter.Questions22to25are based on the passage you have just heard.22.A)It occurs when people are doing a repetitive activity.B)It results from exerting one’s muscles continuously.C)It happens when people engage in an uncommon activity.D)It comes from straining one’s muscles in an unusual way.23.A)Blood flow and body heat increase in the affected area.B)Body movements in the affected area become difficult.C)They begin to make repairs immediately.D)They gradually become fragmented.24.A)About one week.B)About two days.C)About ten days.D)About four weeks.25.A)Apply muscle creams.B)Drink plenty of water.C)Have a hot shower.D)Take pain-killers.PartⅢReading Comprehension(40minutes) Section ADirections:In this section,there is a passage with ten blanks.You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage.Read the passage through carefullybefore making your choices.Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter.Please mark thecorresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet2with a single line through the centre.You may notuse any of the words in the bank more than once.Millions of people travel by plane every single day.If you’re planning on being one of them soon,you might not be looking forward to the26feeling air travel often leaves you with.Besides the airport crowds and stress,traveling at a high altitude has real effects on the body.Although the pressure of the cabin is27to prevent altitude sickness,you could still28sleepiness or a headache.The lower oxygen pressure found in an aircraft cabin is29to that at6,000-8,000feet of altitude.A drop in oxygen pressure can cause headaches in certain30.To help prevent headaches,drink plenty of water,and avoid alcohol and coffee.Airplane food might not really be as tasteless as you31thought.The air you breathe in a plane dries out your mouth and nose,which can affect your sense of taste.Perception of sweet and salty foods dropped by almost30 percent in a simulation of air travel.However,you can make your taste buds active again by drinking water.A dry mouth may32taste sensitivity,but taste is restored by drinking fluids.Although in-flight infections33in dry environments like airplanes,your risk of getting sick from an airplane is actually low because of the air34used.Unless you’re sitting next to someone who is coughing or sneezing,you shouldn’t worry too much about getting sick.However,bacteria have been shown to live on cabin surfaces,so wash your hands35.A)adjusted I)particularB)channels J)primarilyC)equivalent K)reduceD)experience L)renovatedE)filters M)smoothF)frequently N)thriveG)individuals O)unpleasantH)originallySection 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 informationis 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 Sheet2.Is Breakfast Really the Important Meal of the Day?A)Along with old classics like“carrots give you night vision”and“Santa doesn’t bring toys to misbehaving children”,one of the most well-worn phrases of tired parents everywhere is that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.Many of us grow up believing that skipping breakfast is a serious mistake,even if only two thirds of adults in the UK eat breakfast regularly,according to the British Dietetic Association,and around three-quarters of Americans.B)“The body uses a lot of energy stores for growth and repair through the night,”explains diet specialist Sarah Elder.“Eating a balanced breakfast helps to up our energy,as well as make up for protein and calcium used throughoutthe night.”But there’s widespread disagreement over whether breakfast should keep its top spot in the hierarchy （等级）of meals.There have been concerns around the sugar content of cereal and the food industry’s involvement in pro-breakfast research—and even one claim from an academic that breakfast is“dangerous”.C)What’s the reality?Is breakfast a necessary start to the day or a marketing tactic by cereal companies?The most researched aspect of breakfast(and breakfast-skipping)has been its links to obesity.Scientists have different theories as to why there’s a relationship between the two.In one US study that analysed the health data of50,000 people over seven years,researchers found that those who made breakfast the largest meal of the day were more likely to have a lower body mass index(BMI)than those who ate a large lunch or dinner.The researchers argued that breakfast helps reduce daily calorie intake and improve the quality of our diet—since breakfast foods are often higher in fibre and nutrients.D)But as with any study of this kind,it was unclear if that was the cause—or if breakfast-skippers were just more likely to be overweight to begin with.To find out,researchers designed a study in which52obese women took part in a12-week weight loss programme.All had the same number of calories over the day,but half had breakfast,while the other half did not.What they found was that it wasn’t breakfast itself that caused the participants to lose weight:it was changing their normal routine.E)If breakfast alone isn’t a guarantee of weight loss,why is there a link between obesity and breakfast-skipping? Alexandra Johnstone,professor of appetite research at the University of Aberdeen,argues that it may simply be because breakfast-skippers have been found to be less knowledgeable about nutrition and health.“There are a lot of studies on the relationship between breakfast eating and possible health outcomes,but this may be because those who eat breakfast choose to habitually have health-enhancing behaviours such as regular exercise and not smoking,”she says.F)A2016review of10studies looking into the relationship between breakfast and weight management concluded there is“limited evidence”supporting or refuting（反驳）the argument that breakfast influences weight or food intake,and more evidence is required before breakfast recommendations can be used to help prevent obesity.G)Researchers from the University of Surrey and University of Aberdeen are halfway through research looking into the mechanisms behind how the time we eat influences body weight.Early findings suggest that a bigger breakfast is beneficial to weight control.Breakfast has been found to affect more than just weight.Skipping breakfast has been associated with a27%increased risk of heart disease,a21%higher risk of type2diabetes in men,and a20%higher risk of type2diabetes in women.One reason may be breakfast’s nutritional value—partly because cereal is fortified（增加营养价值）with vitamins.In one study on the breakfast habits of1,600young people in the UK,researchers found that the fibre and micronutrient intake was better in those who had breakfast regularly.There have been similar findings in Australia,Brazil,Canada and the US.H)Breakfast is also associated with improved brain function,including concentration and language use.A review of54studies found that eating breakfast can improve memory,though the effects on other brain functions were inconclusive.However,one of the review’s researchers,Mary Beth Spitznagel,says there is“reasonable”evidence breakfast does improve concentration—there just needs to be more research.“Looking at studies that tested concentration,the number of studies showing a benefit was exactly the same as the number that found no benefit,”she says.“And no studies found that eating breakfast was bad for concentration.”I)What’s most important,some argue,is what we eat for breakfast.High-protein breakfasts have been found particularly effective in reducing the longing for food and consumption later in the day,according to research by the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.While cereal remains a firm favourite among breakfast consumers in the UK and US,a recent investigation into the sugar content of‘adult’breakfast cereals found that some cereals contain more than three-quarters of the recommended daily amount of free sugars in each portion,and sugar was the second or third highest ingredient in cereals.J)But some research suggests if we’re going to eat sugary foods,it’s best to do it early.One study recruited200 obese adults to take part in a16-week-long diet,where half added dessert to their breakfast,and half didn’t.Those who added dessert lost an average of40pounds more—however,the study was unable to show the long-term effects.A review of54studies found that there is no consensus yet on what type of breakfast is healthier,and concluded that type of breakfast doesn’t matter as much as simply eating something.K)While there’s no conclusive evidence on exactly what we should be eating and when,the consensus is what we should listen to our own bodies and eat when we’re hungry.“Breakfast is most important for people who are hungry when they wake up,”Johnstone says.“Each body starts the day differently—and those individual differences need to be researched more closely,”Spitznagel says.“A balanced breakfast is really helpful,but getting regular meals throughout the day is more important to leave blood sugar stable through the day,which helps control weight and hunger levels,”says Elder.“Breakfast isn’t the only meal we should be getting right.”36.According to one professor,obesity is related to a lack of basic awareness of nutrition and health.37.Some scientists claim that people should consume the right kind of food at breakfast.38.Opinions differ as to whether breakfast is the most important meal of the day.39.It has been found that not eating breakfast is related to the incidence of certain diseases in some countries.40.Researchers found it was a change in eating habits rather than breakfast itself that induced weight loss.41.To keep oneself healthy,eating breakfast is more important than choosing what to eat.42.It is widely considered wrong not to eat breakfast.43.More research is needed to prove that breakfast is related to weight loss or food intake.44.People who prioritise breakfasts tend to have lower calorie but higher nutritional intake.45.Many studies reveal that eating breakfast helps people memorise and concentrate.Section CDirections:There are2passages in this section.Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinishedstatements.For each of them there are four choices marked A),B),C)and D).You should decide onthe best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet2with a single line through thecentre.Passage OneQuestions46to50are based on the following passage.Textbooks represent an11billion dollar industry,up from$8billion in2014.Textbook publisher Pearson is the largest publisher-of any kind-in the world.It costs about$1million to create a new textbook.A freshman textbook will have dozens of contributors,from subject-matter experts through graphic and layout artists to expert reviewers and classroom testers.Textbook publishers connect professors,instructors and students in ways that alternatives,such as open e-textbooks and open educational resources,simply do not.This connection happens not only by means of collaborative development, review and testing,but also at conferences where faculty regularly decide on their textbooks and curricula for the coming year.It is true that textbook publishers have recently reported losses,largely due to students renting or buying used print textbooks.But this can be chalked up to the excessively high cost of their books—which has increased over 1,000percent since1977.A restructuring of the textbook industry may well be in order.But this does not mean the end of the textbook itself.While they may not be as dynamic as an iPad,textbooks are not passive or lifeless.For example,over the centuries,they have simulated（模拟）dialogues in a number of ways.From1800to the present day,textbooks have done this by posing questions for students to answer inductively（归纳性地）.That means students are asked to use their individual experience to come up with answers to general questions.Today’s psychology texts,for example,ask:“How much of your personality do you think you inherited?”while ones in physics say:“How can you predict where the ball you tossed will land?”Experts observe that“textbooks come in layers,something like an onion.”For an active learner,engaging with a textbook can be an interactive experience.Readers proceed at their own pace.They“customize”their books by engaging with different layers and linkages.Highlighting,Post-It notes,dog-ears and other techniques allow for further customization that students value in print books over digital forms of books.46.What does the passage say about open educational resources?A)They contribute to teaching as much as to learning.B)They don’t profit as much as traditional textbooks do.C)They can’t connect professors and students as textbooks do.D)They compete fiercely for customers with textbook producers.47.What is the main cause of the publisher’s losses?A)Failure to meet student need.B)Industry restructuring.C)Emergence of e-books.D)Falling sales.48.What does the textbook industry need to do?A)Reform its structures.B)Cut its retail prices.C)Find replacements for printed textbooks.D)Change its business strategy periodically.49.What are students expected to do in the learning process?A)Think carefully before answering each question.B)Ask questions based on their own understanding.C)Answer questions using their personal experience.D)Give answers showing their respective personality.50.What do experts say about students using textbooks?A)They can digitalize the prints easily.B)They can learn in an interactive way.C)They can purchase customized versions.D)They can adapt the material themselves.Passage TwoQuestions51to55are based on the following passage.When we think of animals and plants,we have a pretty good way of dividing them into two distinct groups:one converts sunlight into energy and the other has to eat food to make its energy.Well,those dividing lines come crashing down with the discovery of a sea slug（海蛞蝓）that’s truly half animal and half plant.It’s pretty incredible how it has managed to hijack the genes of the algae（藻类）on which it feeds.The slugs can manufacture chlorophyll,the green pigment（色素）in plants that captures energy from sunlight, and hold these genes within their body.The term kleptoplasty is used for describe the practice of using hijacked genes to create nutrients from sunlight.And so far,this green sea slug is the only known animal that can be truly considered solar-powered,although some animals do exhibit some plant-like behaviors.Many scientists have studied the green sea slugs to confirm that they are actually able to create energy from sunlight.In fact,the slugs use the genetic material so well that they pass it on to their future generations.Their babies retain the ability to produce their own chlorophyll,though they can’t generate energy from sunlight until they’ve eaten enough algae to steal the necessary genes,which they can’t yet produce on their own.“There’s no way on earth that genes from an alga should work inside an animal cell,”says Sidney Pierce from the University of South Florida.“And yet here,they do.They allow the animal to rely on sunshine for its nutrition. So if something happens to their food source,they have a way of not starving to death until they find more algae to eat.”The sea slugs are so good at gathering energy from the sun that they can live up to nine months without havingto eat any food.They get all their nutritional needs met by the genes that they’ve hijacked from the algae.51.What is the distinctive feature of a sea slug?A)It looks like both a plant and an animal.B)It converts some sea animals into plants.C)It lives half on animals and half on plants.D)It gets energy from both food and sunlight.52.What enables the sea slug to live like a plant?A)The genes it captures from the sea plat algae.B)The mechanism by which it conserves energy.C)The nutrients it hijacks from other species.D)The green pigment it inherits from its ancestors.53.What does the author say about baby sea slugs?A)They can live without sunlight for a long time.B)They can absorb sunlight right after their birth.C)They can survive without algae for quite some time.D)They can produce chlorophyll on their own.54.What does Sidney Pierce say about genes from an alga?A)They are stolen from animals like the sea slug.B)They can’t function unless exposed to sunlight.C)They don’t usually function inside animal cells.D)They can readily be converted to sea slug genes.55.What do we learn about sea slugs from the passage?A)They behave the way most plant species do.B)They can survive for months without eating.C)They will turn into plants when they mature.D)They will starve to death without sunlight.Part IV Translation(30minutes)Directions:For this part,you are allowed30minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English.You should write your answer on Answer Sheet2.中国汉族人的全名由姓和名组成。
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2019年12月英语四级听力50篇：38 “How to”
Books
2018年12月英语四级听力50篇汇总
英语四级听力50篇：38 “How to” Books
Books which give instructions on how to do things are popular in the United States today. Thousands of these “how to” books are available. In fact, there are about four thousand books with titles that begin with the words “how to’.
Many “how to” book s give advice on careers. They tell you how to choose a career and how to succeed in it. Many of these books help people to use their free time better. Some people want book which will give them useful information about sports, hobbies and travel. Other people use their free time to make repairs and improvements on their homes. They prefer books which give step-by-step instructions on how to repair things like plumbing and electrical wiring or on how to redecorate or enlarge a house.
Why have “how to” bo oks become so popular? Probably because life has become more complex. Today people have far more free to use, more choices to make, and more problems to solve, “how to” books help people to deal with modern life.
Useful words and Expressions：
1. step-by-step 按部就班的
2. redecorate 重新装饰，再装饰
3. complex 复杂的，综合的
2018年12月英语四级听力50篇汇总本文关键字：英语四级听力四级听力备考。