大学英语四级考试试题及参考答案1月.doc

大学英语四级考试试题及参考答案1月

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1月8日四级试卷
Part I Listening Comprehension (20 minutes)
Section A
Directions: 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 the conversation and the question will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D), and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.

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 will start at 9 o’clock in the morning and have to finish at 2 in the afternoon. Therefore, A) “At the office” is the best answer. You should choose [A] on the Answer Sheet and mark it with a single line through the center.
Sample Answer [A] [B] [C] [D]
1. A) The man enjoys traveling by car.
B) The man lives far from the subway.
C) The man is good at driving.
D) The man used to own a car.
2. A) Tony should continue taking the course.
B) She approves of Tony’s decision.
C) Tony can choose another science course.
D) She can’t meet Tony so early in the morning.
3. A) She has to study for the exam.
B) She is particularly interested in plays.
C) She’s eager to watch the new play.
D) She can lend her notes to the man.
4. A) They will be replaced by on-line education sooner or later.
B) They will attract fewer kids as on-line education expands.
C) They will continue to exist along with on-line education.
D) They will limit their teaching to certain subjects only.
5. A) Most students would like to work for a newspaper.
B) Most students find a job by reading advertisements.
C) Most students find it hard to get a job after they graduate.
D) Most students don’t want jobs advertised in the newspapers.
6. A) Move the washing machine to the basement.
B) Turn the basement into a workshop.
C) Repair the washing machine.
D) Finish his assignment.
7. A) Some students at the back cannot hear the professor.
B) The professor has changed his reading assignment.
C) Some of the students are not on the professor’s list.
D) The professor has brought extra copies of his assignment.
8. A) She doesn’t want to talk about the contest.
B) She’s modest about her success in the contest.
C) She’s spent two years studying English in Canada.
D) She’s very proud of her success in the speech contest.
9. A) Talking about sports. C) Reading newspapers.
B) Writing up local news. D) Putting up advertisements.
10. A) They shouldn’t change their plan.
B) They’d better change their mind.
C) The tennis game won’t last long.
D) Weather forecasts are not reliable.

Section B Compound Dictation
Directions: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from SI to S7 with the exact words you have just heard. For blanks numbered from S8 to S10 you are required to fill in the missing information. You can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.
There are a lot of good cameras available at the moment – most of these are made in Japan but there are also good (S1) _____________ models from Germany and the USA. We have (S2)_____________ a range of different models to see which is the best (S3)_____________ for money. After a number of different tests and interviews with people who are (S4) ____________ with the different cameras being assessed, our researchers (S5) _____________ the Olympic BY model as the best auto-focus camera available at the moment. It costs $200 although you may well want to spend more – (S6) _____________as much as another $200 – on buying (S7) _____________ lenses and other equipment. It is a good Japanese camera, easy to use. (S8)____ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ whereas the American versions are considerably more expensive.
The Olympic BY model weighs only 320 grams which is quite a bit less than other cameras of a similar type. Indeed one of the other models we looked at weighed almost twice as much. (S9)________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________. All the people we interviewed expressed almost total satisfaction with it. (S10)_________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

Part II Reading Comprehension (35 minutes)
Direction: There are 4 passages in this part. 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 the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.

Passage One
Questions 11 to 15 are based on the following passage.
Scratchy throats, stuffy noses and body aches all spell misery, but being able to tell if the cause is a cold or flu（流感）may make a difference in how long the misery lasts.
The American Lung Association（ALA）has issued new guidelines on combating colds and the flu, and one of the keys is being able to quickly tell the two apart. That’s because the prescription drugs available for the flu need to be taken soon after the illness sets in. As for colds, the sooner a person starts taking over-the-counter remedy, the sooner relief will come.
The common cold and the flu are both caused by viruses. More than 200 viruses can cause cold symptoms, while the flu is caused by three viruses – flu A, B and C. There is no cure for either illness, but the flu can be prevented by the flu vaccine（疫苗）, which is, for most people, the best way to fight the flu, according to the ALA.
But if the flu does strike, quick action can help. Although the flu and common cold have many similarities, there are some obvious signs to look for.
Cold symptoms such as stuffy nose, runny nose and scratchy throat typically develop gradually, and adults and teens often do not get a fever. On the other hand, fever is one of the characteristic features of the flu for all ages. And in general, flu symptoms including fever and chills, sore throat and body aches come on suddenly and are more severe than cold symptoms.
The ALA notes that it may be particularly difficult to tell when infants and preschool age children have the flu. It advises parents to call the doctor if their small children have flu-like symptoms.
Both cold and flu symptoms can be eased with over-the-counter medications as well. However, children and teens with a cold or flu should not take aspirin for pain relief because of the risk of Reye syndrome（综合症），a rare but serious condition of the liver and central nervous system.
There is, of course, no vaccine for the common cold. But frequent hand washing and avoiding close contact with people who have colds can reduce the likelihood of catching one.
11. According to the author, knowing the cause of the misery will help _______.
A) shorten the duration of the illness
B) the patient buy medicine over the counter
C) the patient obtain cheaper prescription drugs
D) prevent people from catching colds and the flu
12. We learn from the passage that _______.
A) one doesn’t need to take any medicine if he has a cold or the flu
B) aspirin should not be included in over-the-counter medicines for the flu
C) delayed treatment of the flu will harm the liver and central nervous system
D) over-the-counter drugs can be taken to ease the misery caused by a cold or the flu
13. According to the passage, to combat the flu effectively, _______.
A) one should identify the virus which causes it
B) one should consult a doctor as soon as possible
C) one should take medicine upon catching the disease
D) one should remain alert when the disease is spreading
14. Which of the following symptoms will distinguish the flu from a cold?
A) A stuffy nose. C) A sore throat.
B) A high temperature. D) A dry cough.
15. If children have flu-like symptoms, their parents _______.
A) are advised not to give them aspirin
B) should watch out for signs of Reye syndrome
C) are encouraged to take them to hospital for vaccination
D) should prevent them from mixing with people running a fever

Passage Two
Questions 16 to 20 are based on the following passage:
In a time of low academic achievement by children in the United States, many Americans are turning to Japan, a country of high academic achievement and economic success, for possible answers. However, the answers provided by Japanese preschools are not the ones Americans expected to find. In most Japanese preschools, surprisingly little emphasis is put on academic instruction. In one investigation, 300 Japanese and 210 American preschool teachers, child development specialists, and parents were asked about various aspects of early childhood education. Only 2 percent of the Japanese respondents（答问卷者）listed “to give children a good start academically” as one of their top three reasons for a society to have preschools. In contrast, over half the American respondents chose this as one of their top three choices. To prepare children for successful careers in first grade and beyond, Japanese schools do not teach reading, writing, and mathematics, but rather skills such as persistence, concentration, and the ability to function as a member of a group. The vast majority of young Japanese children are taught to read at home by their parents.
In the recent comparison of Japanese and American preschool education, 91 percent of Japanese respondents chose providing children with a group experience as one of their top three reasons for a society to have preschools. Sixty-two percent of the more individually oriented（强调个性发展的）Americans listed group experience as one of their top three choices. An emphasis on the importance of the group seen in Japanese early childhood education continues into elementary school education.
Like in America, there is diversity in Japanese early childhood education. Some Japanese kindergartens have specific aims, such as early musical training or potential development. In large cities, some kindergartens are attached to universities that have elementary and secondary schools. Some Japanese parents believe that if their young children attend a university-based program, it will increase the children’s chances of eventually being admitted to top-rated schools and universities. Several more progressive programs have introduced free play as a way out for the heavy intellectualizing in some Japanese kindergartens.
16. We learn from the first paragraph that many Americans believe _______.
A) Japanese parents are more involved in preschool education than American parents
B) Japan’s economic success is a result of its scientific achievements
C) Japanese preschool education emphasizes academic instruction
D) Japan’s higher education is superior to theirs
17. Most Americans surveyed believe that preschools should also attach importance to _______.
A) problem solving C) parental guidance
B) group experience D) individually-oriented development
18. In Japan’s preschool education, the focus is on _______.
A) preparing children academically
B) developing children’s artistic interests
C) tapping children’s potential
D) shaping children’s character
19. Free play has been introduced in some Japanese kindergartens in order to _______.
A) broaden children’s horizon C) lighten children’s study load
B) cultivate children’s creativity D) enrich children’s knowledge
20. Why do some Japanese parents send their children to university-based kindergartens?
A) They can do better in their future studies.
B) They can accumulate more group experience there.
C) They can be individually oriented when they grow up.
D) They can have better chances of getting a first-rate education.

Passage Three
Questi0ns 21 to 25 are based on the following passage.
Lead deposits, which accumulated in soil and snow during the 1960’s and 70’s, were primarily the result of leaded gasoline emissions originating in the United States. In the twenty years that the Clean Air Act has mandated unleaded gas use in the United States, the lead accumulation worldwide has decreased significantly.
A study published recently in the journal Nature shows that air-borne leaded gas emissions from the United States were the leading contributor to the high concentration of lead in the snow in Greenland. The new study is a result of the continued research led by Dr. Charles Boutron, an expert on the impact of heavy metals on the environment at the National Center for Scientific Research in France. A study by Dr. Boutron published in 1991 showed that lead levels in arctic（北极的）snow were declining.
In his new study, Dr. Boutron found the ratios of the different forms of lead in the leaded gasoline used in the United States were different from the ratios of European, Asian and Canadian gasolines and thus enabled scientists to differentiate（区分）the lead sources. The dominant lead ratio found in Greenland snow matched that found in gasoline from the United States.
In a study published in the journal Ambio, scientists found that lead levels in soil in the Northeastern United States had decreased markedly since the introduction of unleaded gasoline.
Many scientists had believed that the lead would stay in soil and snow for a longer period.
The authors of the Ambio study examined samples of the upper layers of soil taken from the same sites of 30 forest floors in New England, New York and Pennsylvania in 1980 and in 1990. The forest environment processed and redistributed the lead faster than the scientists had expected.
Scientists say both studies demonstrate that certain parts of the ecosystem（生态系统）respond rapidly to reductions in atmospheric pollution, but that these findings should not be used as a license to pollute.
21. The study published in the journal Nature indicates that _______.
A) the Clean Air Act has not produced the desired results
B) lead deposits in arctic snow are on the increase
C) lead will stay in soil and snow longer than expected
D) the US is the major source of lead pollution in arctic snow
22. Lead accumulation worldwide decreased significantly