2015年12月大学英语四级考试——阅读真题解析
2015年12月大学英语四级考试——阅读真题解析
新东方在线唐迟
2015年12月四级考试如期进行。
从笔者拿到的套题的阅读部分来看，整体难度适中，较往年趋于平稳。
选词填空部分（关于《children’s cognitive abilities儿童认知能力》）
首先从选项设计上看，四大词性（名、动、形、副）考查数量分布均匀（3233），不确定形式（Ving和Ved）共4个，另外只有advocate一个词属于一词多性的情况，相对选项设计总体难度属于中等偏易。
再看文章部分，谈论的是关于儿童认知（children’s cognitive abilities）方面的知识的话题，属于小冷门，但文章语言表达适中，且短句占主体，平衡了话题生僻对考试带来的解题障碍。
其中cognitive还给出了中文注解，也正好应验了在新东方在线课程中反复强调的中文重要性的应试知识要点。
同时，空格设置处的词性相对比较容易判断，例如，名词前给出了单复数的区别的代词those作为提示，又例如，非谓语动词只考查了一个正在进行时，而做后置定语或状语的高难度应用本篇没有涉及。
段落匹配部分（The Perfect Essay）
首先看备选的十个小标题，均无长难句，同时出现大量重复信息，例如除了与文章title 本身密切相关的essay，flaw，flawless，perfection以外，还有mother，criticism，从而能顺利预测出文章谈及的是通过母亲的有建设性的批评，提升作者的写作能力。
这也是在新东方在线课程当中要求的先题后文解决段落匹配的技巧。
从长文章的段落设计上看，一共11段（K），属于段落数量适中的情况，也为匹配选择降低难度。
但对于所谓长阅读文章只看开头结尾的谬论，用真题再次给予回击，十道匹配中至少3题涉及段落中间部分，2题涉及对全段进行总结。
仔细阅读部分
保持一贯的难易结合（即一篇相对简单，另一篇略有难度），第一篇文章（Silicon Valley）相对容易，文章讨论为何在其他地方无法复制硅谷（Silicon Valley）成功的原因。
纵观后面的五道问题，定位点非常清楚，前四题均有明确的大写（1、Silicon Valley2、Miami3、Carnegie-Mellon MIT4、Boston）同时根据出题顺序与行文顺序一致的原则，不难确定第5题对应最后一段。
第二篇文章谈论争论或不同意见对决策的帮助（debate，identify your blind spots，get to the truth），相比上篇文章，五道问题虽然没有包含大写单词，并出现信息重复的现象（debate）但也定位信息相对容易识别，都具有特殊性的特点如like-minded people, leaders。
并且在选项中出现了十考九对的may。
新东方在线致力于打造立体化的四六级学习社区，欢迎各位小伙伴加入我们——新东方CET官方交流群⑤（群号：458448407），有你想不到的惊喜体验。
新东方在线四六级微信公众平台（微信号：xdf-cet46）。
2015年6月大学英语四级真题及答案解析(二)
2015年6月大学英语四级考试真题及答案解析（第2套)Part I Writing (30minutes)Dire cti ons ：For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay based on the picture below. You should start your essay with a brief description of the picture and then comment on this kind of modem life. Youshould write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.THIS MODERN LIFEWORK HOME PLAY SLEEPPart II Listening Comprehension (30minutes)Section ADire cti ons：In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and thequestions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, youmust read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D), and decide which is the best answer. Then markthe corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.1.A) He is pl eas ed t o sit on th e co m mitt ee.B) He is w illi ng t o of fer t he w om an a ha nd.C) He wil l te ll the wo man h is d eci sion l at er.D) He wo uld like to b eco me a c lu b mem ber.2.A) Their planne d tri p to V an cou v er is o bvious ly ov erpriced.B) The y sho uld bor row a gui de b o ok ins te ad of buy ing o ne.C) The guid e bo oks i n th e lib rar y hav e the lat est inf orm ation.D) The libr ary c an h elp ord er g uide book s ab out Van cou ver.3.A) He re gr ets h avi ng t ake n the his t ory c our se.B) He fin ds li ttl e in ter est in th e hist ory b ook s.C) He has tro ubl e fi nish ing his read ing ass ign men ts.D) He ha s di ffi cul ty w rit ing t he w e ekly book rep ort.4.A) T he m an h ad be tte r ch oos e an o ther res tau ran t.B) The ne w res tau ra nt is a per fect pla ce f or d ating.C) The ne w res tau ra nt ca ugh t her f anc y imm ediately.D) The ma n ha s goo d taste in ch o osin g the restau ran t.5. A) H e ha s bee n lo oki ng fo rw ar d to sp rin g. C) He w ill cle an t he wo ma n’s b oots for sp rin g.B) He has be en w ait ing f or t he w in ter s ale.D) He will help th e wom an p ut th in gs aw ay.6. A) At a tai lor’s. C) In a cl oth es st ore.B) At Bob’s hom e. D) In a th eatre.7. A) His guest s fa vor Tib etan dri nks. C) Mineral wat er is goo d fo r hea lth.B) At Bob’s h ome.D) Plain water will serv e the purpose.8. A) Repor t th e res ult of a d isc us sion. C) Submit an im portant doc ume nt.B) Rais e so me en vir onm ent al i ssue s. D) Revise an en vi ronm ental repo rt.Questio ns 9 t o 12 a re b ase d on t he c onve rsa tio n yo u hav e ju st heard.9.A) Th ey po llute t he so il u sed t o co v er th em. C) The ru bbi sh in th em takes lon g to d issolv e.B) The y ar e ha rmf ul t o nea rby nei g hbor hoo ds. D) The g as th ey em it is extrem ely poi sono us.10.A) Gr owi ng po pul ati on. C) Changed eating hab it s.B) Pac kag ing mat eri als. D) Lower pro duction co st.11.A) By s avi ng e ner gy. C) By redu ci ng po iso nou s wast es.B) By us ing les s al umi num. D) By mak ing the m ost of ma te ria ls.12.A) We are run nin g out o f na tur al r es ourc es soon.B) On ly co mbi ned eff ort s ca n make a diff erence.C) Th e wa ste p rob lem wil l ev entu al ly hu rt all of u sD) Al l of u s ca n act ual ly b ene fit fro m rec ycling.Questio ns 13 to 15 are bas ed o n the conv ers ati on y ou have just h eard.13.A) Mi ami.B) Va nco uver.C) Bellin gh am.D) Bo sto n.14.A) To g et i nfo rma tio n on o ne-wa y ti cket s to C anada.B) To i nquire abo ut th e pr ice of “ S uper Sav er” seats.C) To g et a dvi ce o n how to fl y as ch eapl y as p ossible.D) To i nqu ire abo ut th e sh ort est rou t e to dr ive hom e.15.A) Jo in a t our ist g rou p.C) Av oid t rip s in p ubl ic h olid ays.B) Choos e a ma jor air lin e. D) Bo ok ti cke ts a s early a s po ssi ble.Section BDire cti ons：In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions.Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you mustchoose the best answer from the four choices marked A),B),C),and D). Then mark the correspondingletter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Pass age OneQuestions 16 to 18 are bas ed o n the pass age you h ave just heard.16.A) Th ere are mys ter iou s sto rie s be hi nd his works.B) Th ere are man y mis und ers tan din gs ab out h im.C) Hi s wor ks h ave no ma tch wor ld wide.D) Hi s pe rson al h ist ory i s li ttl e kno w n.17.A) He mov ed to S tr atf ord-on-Av on in his chi ldh ood.B) He f ai led t o go b eyo nd g ram mar scho ol.C) He w as a mem ber of th e to wn c ounc il.D) He o nc e wor ke d in a w ell-kn ow n act ing comp any.18.A) Wr ite rs o f his tim e ha d no m ean s to pro tect th eir works.B) Pos sib le s our ces of cl ues abo ut hi m wer e lost in a fire.C) Hi s wor ks w ere ada pte d be yon d reco gnitio n.D) Pe opl e of his ti me h ad li ttl e in ter e st in h im.Pass age TwoQuestio ns 19 to 21 are bas ed o n the pass age you h ave jus t heard.19.A) It s how s you hav e be en i gno rin g your health.B) It c an s eri ous ly a ffe ct y our t hin ki ng pr ocess.C) It i s an e ar ly wa rni ng o f so me il ln ess.D) It i s a sy mpt om o f to o muc h pr es sure.20. A) Redu ce ou r wo rkl oad. C) Use painkillers f or relief.B) Contro l ou r tem pe r. D) Avoid mas kin g sym pto ms.21. A) Lyi ng do wn a nd h avi ng so me sl eep. C) Goin g out for a wa lk.B) Rubbi ng an d pr ess ing one’s bac k. D) List ening to lig ht mu sic.Pass age Thr eeQuestio ns 22 to 25 are bas ed o n the pass age you have just heard.22. A) Depe ndi ng he avi ly o n loa ns. C) Spend ing beyond one’s m ean s.B) Havin g no b udg et p lan s at a ll. D) Leavi ng n o roo m for lar ge b ills.23. A) Ma ny of the m ca n be c ut. C) They eat up most of the fami ly i nco me.B) All of t hem hav e to b e co ver e d. D) They eat up mo st o f the fam ily inco me.24. A) Re nt a hous e ins tead of buy i ng on e. C) Make a con se rva tio n pla n.B) Discu ss th e pr obl em i n the fa mily. D) Move to a ch eap er p lac e.25. A) Fi nan cia l iss ues pla gui ng a f amil y. C) Family budg et p rob lem s an d sol utions.B) Diffi cul ty i n mak ing bot h end s mee t. D) New ways to bo ost fam ily i nco me.Section CDire cti ons ：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 arerequired to fill in the blanks with the exact words you have just heard. Finally, when the passage isread for the third time, you should check what you have written.Perh aps bec aus e go ing t o co lle ge is so mu ch a p art o f th e Am eri can dre a m, many peo ple g o fo r no 26 r eas on. Some go be cause t hei r pa ren ts e xpect it, o the rs be cause ifs w hat their fr iends a re do ing. Then, the re’s th e bel ie f tha t a co llege degree w ill 27 ens ure a goo d job a nd hig h pa y.Some s tud ent s 28 th rou gh fo ur y e ars, at ten din g classes, or skipping (逃课) th em as the case ma y be, rea ding o nly what can’t b e avo ide d, loo kin g fo r le ss 29 cour ses, and n ever being to uche d or c ha nge d in any im por tan t way. Fo r a fewof these peop le, c oll ege p rov ides no 30 , yet be ca use o f paren tal or p eer pressure, th ey ca nno t vo lun tarily l eave. The y st op tryi ng in the hop e tha t th eir t ea che rs will mak e the decisi on f or th em b y 31 them.To put it b lun tly/(直截了当地）,u nle ss you’re w illing to make you r colleg e yea rs cou nt, you mig ht be 32 doing some thi ng e lse. N ot e ver yon e sh ou ld at ten d col lege, no r sh ould every one w ho do es atte nd b egin ri ght a fter h igh scho ol. Many col leg e st ude nts 33 t akin g a yea r or so o ff. A year ou t in the w orld hel ps some peo ple to 34 their prioriti es a nd goal s. If you’r e re all y going to g et s omet hin g out of going to colleg e, you have to ma ke it mean som eth in g, and to do that you must h ave som e ide a wh y yo u’r e th ere, w hat you h ope to get ou t of it, and 35 even wha t yo u hop e to b ecom e.PartⅢReading Comprehension (40 minutes)Sect ion ADire cti ons：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 Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. Youmay not use any of the words in the bank more than once.Questio ns 36 to 45 are bas ed o n the foll owi ng p assage.Ifs our g uil ty p lea sur e： W atchin g TV is the mos t co mmo n ev ery day a ctiv ity, aft er w ork and sle ep, in ma n y parts o f the w orl d. Ame ric ans vie w fiv e ho u rs of T V ea ch d ay, an d while w e kn ow th at sp end ing so mu ch time s itti ng 36 can l ea d to obesit y/(肥胖症）a nd ot her dis e ases, r es ear chers h ave n ow q uan tified just how 37 b ein g a co uch pot at o can b e.In a n a nal ysi s o f da ta fr om e igh t l arg e 38 .pu blished studies, a Harv ar d-le d g rou p r epo rte d in th e that fo r e very tw o hour s per day sp ent c han nel 39 , the ris k of dev elop ing Ty pe 2 diabetes Journal of the Am eri can M e dica l Aso c ia t ion (糖尿病）ro se 20% ov er 8. 5 ye ars, the ri sk o f heart d isease increased 15% ove r a 40 , and t he od ds o f dyin g pre maturely 41 13% d uri ng a s eve n-yea r f oll o w-up. Al l o f t hes e 42 are linked to a lac k o f p hysical exerci se. But com par ed wi thSection BDire cti ons ：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 theinformation is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked witha letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.Essa y-G ra ding Sof tware Offers P ro fessors a BreakA)Imag ine t aki ng a col leg e exam, an d, inste ad of h andi ng in a blue bo o k and get tin g a gra de fro m a pro fe ssor a fewweeks lat er, cl ick ing t he “s end” but t on whe n you are do ne an d receivin g a grad e back instan tly, y our e ssa y scored by a soft war e pr ogr am. An d th en, ins tea d of bei ng do ne w ith that exam, ima g ine th at the sy ste m wo uld i mme dia t ely let yo u rewrit e the tes t to t ry to imp rov e you r grade.B)EdX, the no npr ofi t ente rpr is e foun ded by Harvard and th e Massach usetts Instit ute of T ech nol ogy (M IT) to offercour ses on the In ter net, h as j ust i ntr o duce d su ch a syst em and will make its a uto mat ed(自动的）so ftw are av aila ble fre e on the W eb t o an y in sti tut ion tha t want s to use it. The s oftware u ses a rtif ici al inte lligen ce to g rad e student essays and shor t wr itt en an sw ers, f ree ing pro fes sors for o ther tasks.C)The n ew s er vic e wi ll b rin g th e ed u cati onal consortium(联盟)int o a g rowin g co nfl ict ove r th e role of automation ineduc ati on. Alt hough auto ma ted gr a ding sy stems for mu lti ple-ch oice an d true-false te sts are n ow wid esp read, the use o f arti fic ial int ell ige nc e te chn olog y to g rade essay answers has not yet received w ide spread ac cep tan ce b y ed u cato rs a nd has m any c rit ics.D)Anan t Aga rw al, an e lectri cal e ngi ne er who is presiden t of Ed X, predicted that t he in sta nt-gradin g so ftw are would be ausef ul tea chi ng too l, enab lin g s tud ents to tak e t est s and write essays o ver and ov er and im prove th e q ual ity of the ir answ ers. H e said t he te chn olo gy wo uld of fer d isti nct advantages o ver t h e trad itiona l cla ssroom sy ste m, whe re stud ents ofte n wa it da ys or wee ks fo r gr ade s. “There is a hug e value in learning with ins tan t feedb ack,” Dr. Ag arwa l said.“Studen ts a re te lli ng u s the y learn m uch b ett er with instant feedback.”E)But skeptics (怀疑者) th e aut oma ted sy stem is n o match fo r live teac hers. O ne lo ngtime cri tic , Le s Per elman, h asdrawn nat ion al at ten tio n sev er al ti m es for p utting t ogether non sen se essa ys tha t hav e foo led s oft ware gradi ng programs into g ivi ng h igh m ark s. He h as a lso been hig hly critical of stu dies cla imi ng th at th e so ftw are com pares w ell t o hum a n graders.F)He is amon g a grou p of educato rs who last month beg an circulating a petition(呼吁) opp osing a utom ate dasse ssm ent s oft ware. The gr oup, whic h calls its elf P rofession als Ag ains t Mac hin e Scoring o f Stud ent Essay s in High-St ake s Ass ess men t, has co lle cted n ear ly 2,000 sig natures, inc lu ding some from f amo us pe ople li ke Noa m Chom sky.G)“Let’s f ac e the re ali tie s of aut oma ti c ess ay scoring,” th e gr oup’s s tate ment rea ds in part.“Com puters ca nnot ‘read’.They ca nnot me asu re t he ess ent ial s of e ffe ctive written co mmu nication:a ccu rac y, re aso nin g, ad equ acy of evid ence, good s ens e, ethical( 伦理的) po sit ion, co nvincing argu men t, meanin g ful o rga niz ation, an d clari ty, am ong othe rs. H)But EdX exp ect s its so ftw ar e to b e adop ted w idely by schoo ls an d univ ersities. It offe rs free onlin e classes fromHarvar d, MIT and the Uni ver sit y of Cali fornia-Berk eley; th is f all, it w ill add c lasses fro m W ell esl ey, G eorge town an d the Univ er sit y of Te xas. In a ll, 12 u nive rsi ties p artici pate in Ed X, wh ic h of fers ce rti ficates for cou rse co mp leti on a nd has s aid t hat it pl ans to co nti nue to ex pand nex t year, in clu ding add ing i nt erna tio nal sch ools.I)The E dX as ses sme nt to ol r equ ire s h uman t eachers, or g rad er s, to first g rade 100 essay s or essa y que stions. T he sys temthen us es a v ari ety of ma chi ne-le ar ning te chn iqu es to train itself to be able to gra de any nu mbe r o f e ssa ys or a nsw ers auto mat ica lly a nd al mos t inst ant ly. The so ftw are will assig n a grade depend ing on t he sc ori ng sys tem c re a ted by th e teac he r, whe the r it i s a le tte r gr ade or nume rical（数字的）ran k.J)EdX i s n ot t he f irs t t o us e th e auto m ated as sessment tech nol ogy, which date s to early com puter s in the 1960s. The re is now a range of c omp ani es of fer ing commercial pr ograms to g rad e wri tten test an swe rs, an d four stat es—Loui sia na, Nort h Dakota, U tah a nd We st Vi rgi nia—are u sin g some form of th e tec hnology in sec ond ary scho ols. A fifth, Indiana, has experi men ted wi th i t. In so m e c ases th e so ftware is used as a “seco n d re ader,” to c hec k the r eliabi lity o f t he h uman graders.K)But the gr owi ng inf luence of the Ed X conso rtium to set stan dar ds is lik el y to give the te ch nolo gy a boo st. On Tues day, Stanfor d a nno unc ed tha t i t w oul d work wi th EdX to develop a join t educ ationa l system tha t w ill ma ke use of th e auto mat ed a sse ssm ent tec hno log y.L)Two sta rt-ups, Co urs era an d U da cit y, re cen tly fo und ed by Stanfo rd fac ulty me mbe rs to create “massiv e o pen onlin e cour ses,” or MOO Cs, ar e also c om mitt e d to au tomated assessmen t sys tems b eca use o f the va lue o f inst ant feed ba ck.“It all ows st ude nts to get im med iat e fee dba ck on their work, so th at lean turn s into a gam e, wi th stu den ts nat ural ly(吸引) to war d res ubm itt ing th e wo rk unti l the y get it righ t,” said Dap hne Rolle r, a comp uter scient ist a nd a found er o f Courser a.M)Last y ear t he He wlett Fou nd atio n, a gran t-making organ izatio n set u p by one of the H ewlett- Pac kard fou nde rs and hi s wife, s pon sor ed tw o $100,000 p riz es aim ed at impr ovi ng so ftw are t ha t grad es essay s and s hor t ans wers. More t ha n 150 te ams ent ere d ea ch ca teg or y. A winne r of o ne o f the Hewlet t con tests, Vi k Par uch uri, w as h ired by Ed X to hel p desi gn it s as ses sme nt s oft war e.N)“One of our foc use s is to help ki ds l earn ho w to think critically,”said Victor Vu chic, a prog ram officer at th e Hewl ett Foun dat ion. “ I t’s p rob abl y imp oss i ble to d o that with mul tip le-cho ice t ests. T he ch alleng e is th at th is re qui res hum an graders, and s o th ey co st a l ot mo re and t hey take a lot mor e time. ”O)Mark D. Sherm is, a pro fe sso r at th e Univ ers ity o f Akron in Oh io, su perv ised the H ewlett Found at ion’s cont est o n automat ed ess ay s cor ing an d wr ote a paper ab out the exp er ime nt. In his vi ew, th e t ech nol ogy—tho ug h impe rfe ct—ha s a pl ace in ed uc atio n al se tti ngs.P)With in cr eas ingl y lar ge cla sse s, it is impos sib le for mo st teach ers to g ive stu den ts mea nin gfu l fee dback on writ in g assi gnm ent s, he said. Pl us, he not ed, criti cs of th e tech nology have tende d to come from th e nation’s best un iver sities, where th e le vel o f te ach ing is mu ch bett er t han at mo st schoo ls.Q)Ofte n the y come f rom v ery fa mou s instit uti ons wh ere, in fact, th ey do a much b ett er job o f prov iding fe edb a ck than a mach ine eve r cou ld,”Dr. Sh erm is s aid. “ Th er e seems to be a lack o f appre cia tio n of w hat i s actua lly g oin g on in the real wor ld.”46.Some p ro fes sio nal s in educ ati on a re coll ect ing sig natures to v oice th eir o pposition to automa ted essay gradin g.ing so ftw are t o gr ade stu den ts’ es says sav es teacher s tim e fo r other w ork.48.The H ewl ett con tes ts ai m at i mp rovi ng es say g rad ing sof tware.49.Thou gh th e aut om ate d gradin g sy stem i s wid ely used in mu lti ple-c hoic e tests, au tom ate d essay g rad i ng is stillcrit ici zed by m any e duc ato rs.50.Some p eo ple d on’t be lie ve th e so ft ware gra din g sy stem can do as goo d a job a s hum an g rad ers.51.Crit ics of autom ate d es say sco rin g d o not s eem to kn ow the tr ue realities in le ss famou s un ive rsitie s.52.Crit ics argue m any i mpo rta nt a spe ct s of ef fective writing cann ot b e me asured by co mpu te r rating pro gra ms.53.As cl ass s ize gro ws, mo st t eac her s a re un able to g ive stud ent s valuable c omme nts as to how t o im pro ve th eir writing.54.The a uto mat ed a sse ssm ent t ech nol o gy is s ometim es u sed to do uble chec k the w ork of hu ma n graders.55.Student s find in sta nt f eed bac k hel ps impr ove their lear nin g con sid er ably.Section CDire cti ons：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 onthe best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through thecentre.Pass age OneQuestio ns 56 to 60 are bas ed o n the foll owi ng p assage.The e ndl ess de bat e ab out “wo rk-l ife b al ance ’’ often con tains a ho pefu l fo otn ote ab out stay-at- h om e dad s. If Amer ic an s oci ety and bu sin ess wo n5t m ake it eas ier on fut ure femal e leade rs who cho ose to hav e ch ild ren, there is st ill th eray of h ope tha t i ncr eas ing num be rs o f fu ll-tim e f ath ers wil l. Bu t bas ed on to d ay’s s ocioec ono mic tren ds, th is h ope is,unfo rtu nat ely, m isguid ed.I t’s t ru e tha t the num ber o f me n wh o hav e lef t wo rk to d o their thin g as full-ti me p are nts h as d oubled in a d ecad e, butifs s til l very sma ll： o nly0. 8% o f marr ied co upl es w here the s tay-at-h ome father was ou t of th e la bor fo rc e fo r a y ea r. Ev enthat perc ent ag e is li kel y inf lat ed by men th rus t int o their caretak er ro le by a dow nsi zin g. Thi s is sim ply n ot a large eno ughgrou p t o re duc e t he soc ial stigma(污名)an d f orce o ther adju stm ents nece ssa ry to sup porting men i n th is dec isi on, e ven ifonly for a rel ati vel y sh ort t ime.Even sho rt er t ime s aw ay fro m wo r k for working f ath ers are al ready difficu lt. A stu dy f oun d th at 85% of n e w fa the rs take some tim e off aft er th e bi rth o f a chil d—b ut fo r all b ut a f ew, i t’s a week o r two a t mo st. Mea nw hil e, the av erage forwome n wh o tak e le ave is mo re t han 10 wee ks.Such choi ce s imp act who mov es up in t he o rganization. Wh ile you’re aw ay, so meo ne e lse is do ing yo ur wo rk, maki ng your sal es, t aki ng car e of yo ur cu sto mers. Th at can’t h elp you at work. It c an o nly hu rt y ou. Wo men, of co ur se, fac ethe s ame iss ues of ret urn ing aft er a l ong a bse nce. But with many m ore wome n th an m en cho osin g to le av e the wor kforceenti rel y to rais e fa mil ies, ret urn ing f r om an e xte nded paren tal leave d oesn’t raise as m any eye bro ws a s it d oes for m en.Wome n wou ld ma ke mo re if t he y didn't break th eir earn ing trajectory (轨迹）by leavi ng th e workforce, o r if higher-pay ing pro fes sio ns w ere m ore f ami ly-fr ien dly. In th e fo res eeable futu re, st ay- at-ho me fath ers m ay ma ke a ll thediff erenc e fo r in div idu al f ami lies, b ut th eir pre sen ce w on’t redu ce t he n umbe rs o f hi gh-pot ential wom en w ho are fo rc ed t ochoose betw een fam ily a nd c are er.56.What giv es wo me n a ray of h ope to achi eve wor k-life balance?A)More men t aki ng a n ex ten ded p ar en tal leav e.B)Peop led cha ngi ng at tit udes to war ds fami ly.C)More wom en e nte rin g bus ine ss m anagemen t.D)The i mpr ove men t of t hei r so cio eco nomi c st atu s.57.Why d oes t he a uth or s ay th e ho pe f or mo re full-time fath ers is mi sgui de d?A)Wome n ar e be tte r at t aki ng c are of c hild ren.B)Many men v alu e wo rk m ore t han th eir family.C)Thei r number is t oo sm al l to m ake a diff erence.D)Not m any m en h ave the c han ce t o s tay at hom e.58.Why d o fe w men tak e a lo ng p are nt al le ave?A) A long lea ve w ill h av e a ne gat ive im pact on th eir car eer.B)They jus t hav e to o man y re spo nsi bil ities to f ulf ill at wo rk.C)The e conomi c los s wi ll b e too muc h for th eir fam ily to bear.D)They are lik ely t o ge t fir ed i f ab sen t f rom work for too long.59.What is th e mo st li kel y re act ion to men r etu rni ng f rom an ex ten ded parenta l le ave?A) Jea lou sy.C) Ad mirati on.B) Surpri se.D) Sy mpa thy.60.What doe s the aut hor say a bou t hi gh-pot ential wom en in the n ot-too-dist ant f utu re?A)They wil l ben efi t fr om t he tr en d of more fat hers stayi ng at hom e.B)They wil l fin d hi gh-pay ing p rof es si ons a b it m ore f amily-fr ien dly.C)They are unli ke ly to b re ak th ei r car e er tr ajecto ry to raise a fam ily.D)They wil l sti ll f ace the d iff icu lt c hoi c e bet ween career an d ch ild ren.Pass age TwoQuestio ns 61 to 65 are bas ed o n the foll owi ng p assage.Some of t he wor ld’s most s ign ifi cant prob lem s nev er hit h ead lin es. On e exam ple co mes f rom ag ric ulture. Food ri ots and hunge r make n ews. But t he tre nd lyin g behind th ese matters is rarely talk ed ab out. Th is is the d ecl ine i n the gro wth i nyiel ds of som e of t he wo rld’s m ajo r crop s. A ne w stu dy by the Univ ersity of Mi nnesot a and McG ill U niv ersity in Montre a llooks at w her e, and how far, t his dec line is occur rin g.The aut hor s t ake a vas t n umb er of d ata poi nts fo r the fou r m ost importa nt crop s :ric e, wh ea t, co m a nd soyabeans (大豆).The y find th at on b et wee n 24% an d 39% of all harvested areas, t he impr ove men t in y iel ds tha t t ook plac e b efo re th e1980s slowed dow n in t he 1990s an d 2000s.Ther e ar e tw o wo rry ing f ea tur es of t he sl owd own. One is that it h as b een particu larly sh arp in t he wo rld’s m o st(人口多的）c oun tri es, In dia and Ch in a. Thei r abi lit y to f eed them selves h as been an i mpo rtant so urc e of r ela ti ve sta bility b ot hwithin t he c ountri es a nd on wor ld f ood m ark ets. That self-sufficien cy canno t be tak en for g ran ted if yi eld s continu e to slo wdown or re ve rse.Seco nd, yie ld gr owt h has be en lo wer in w heat and rice th an in co m and soya be ans. Th is is probl ema tic beca use whea t a nd ric e a re m or e im por tan t as f ood s, ac cou nting for ar oun d half of a ll calories con sum ed. C om and soy abeans aremore im por tan t a s f ee d g rai ns. T h e au tho rs not e that “w e h ave pr ef erent ial ly focuse d o ur cro p i mprov e ment efforts onfeeding ani mal s an d car s ra the r th an on cr ops t hat feed people and are the basis of food secu rity in muc h of the world. ”, The r eport qu ali fi es th e mo re op tim i stic find ing s of another new p ap er whic h sug ge sts t hat the w orl d wil l n ot hav e to dig u p a lo t mo re l and for far min g i n ord er t o fe ed 9 b illion peo ple in 2050, as the Food and Agr icu ltu re O rgan isa tio n hasargued.Inst ead, i t says, tha nks t o slo win g po pula tio n gro wth, l and curr en tly p lou ghed u p fo r cro ps might b e ab le to r eve rt (回返）to for est or wi lde rne ss. Thi s co uld hap pen. The troub le is that the f orec ast as sum es con tin ued im pro ve ments i n y ields,whic h ma y not act ual ly h app en.61.What doe s the aut hor try t o dr aw att enti on to?A) Fo od ri ots and h ung er i n the wor l d. C) Th e de clin e of the g ra in yield gro wth.B) Ne ws headlin es in the l ead ing m edia.D) Th e fo od su ppl y in p opu lou s cou ntri es.62.Why d oes t he a uth or m ent ion I ndi a and C hin a in p articu lar?A)Thei r se lf-suf fic ien cy i s vit al t o th e st abil ity o f wo rld foo d marke ts.B)Thei r fo od yi eld s ha ve b egu n to d ec rease sh arp ly in recen t years.C)Thei r bi g pop ula tio ns are c aus ing w orld wid e co ncerns.D)Thei r fo od se lf-su ffi ciency has b een taken fo r gr anted.63.What doe s the new stu dy by the t w o univ ersities say abou t recen t cro p impro vem ent efforts?A)They fai l to p rod uce the s am e rem ar kable results as bef ore the 1980s.B)They con tri but e a lo t to t he i mpr ove ment of hu man foo d pr odu ctio n.C)They pla y a ma jor rol e in g uar ant eei ng th e foo d security o f th e wo rld.D)They foc us mo re o n th e inc rease o f animal feed than hum an f ood g rains.64.What doe s the Foo d and Agr icu ltu r e Org anisation s ay abou t wo rld food prod uct ion in th e com ing dec ade s? aA)The g row ing p opu lat ion wil l greatl y incr ease th e pressu re o n wo rld food supp lies.B)The o pti mis tic p red ict ion abo ut fo od prod uction shou ld b e viewed wit h c auti on.C)The "slo wdo wn o f th e gro wth in yi e lds o f major f ood cro ps will b e rev ersed.D)The w orl d wil l be abl e to f eed its p o pulatio n wit hou t in creasi ng f arm lan d.65.How d oes t he a uth or vi ew t he a rgu ment of th e Fo od an d Ag riculture O rgan isa tio n?A)It is b uil t on t he f ind ings of a n ew s tu dy.B)It is b ase d on a dou btf ul as sum pti on.C)It is b ack ed b y str ong evi den ce.D)It is o pen to fu rth er d isc uss ion.Part IV Translation (30minutes)Dire cti ons：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.据报道，今年中国快递服务（c ouri er s erv ices)将递送大约120亿件包裹。
英语4级星火真题答案解析
英语4级星火真题答案解析近年来，越来越多的学生将英语四级考试视为自己大学生活中的一项重要任务。
为了帮助同学们更好地准备考试，我将对最近一次的英语四级星火真题进行解析和讲解。
听力部分是考试的第一大题，它包含了一系列听力理解的问题，考察学生对于英语听力材料的理解能力。
在这次的星火真题中，听力部分包含了短对话、长对话和短文听力。
短对话部分共有10道题目，主要考察学生对于简短对话的理解能力。
在听短对话时，同学们应该着重抓住对话中的关键信息，如人名、时间、地点等。
另外，注意解析对话中的隐含信息也是非常重要的。
例如，在这次的星火真题中，有一个问题是问第一位女士什么时候买电脑的，这是一个隐含信息的问题，需要同学们通过推理找到答案。
长对话部分共有5道题目，主要考察学生对于较长对话的综合理解和推理能力。
在听长对话时，同学们应该注意对话的主题和内容要点，并能够从对话中找到答案所需的信息。
此外，同学们还需要能够根据对话中的线索进行推理，从而找到更隐含的答案。
短文听力部分共有5道题目，主要考察学生对于短文的整体理解能力。
在听短文时，同学们应该学会抓住短文的主旨和重要信息，并能够根据短文内容回答问题。
在这次的星火真题中，有一篇短文讲述的是关于减肥的方法，同学们需要注意听并理解短文中的减肥建议，以便正确回答问题。
阅读部分是考试的第二大题，它包含了长篇阅读和短篇阅读两部分。
在这次的星火真题中，长篇阅读共有3篇文章，短篇阅读共有5篇文章。
长篇阅读部分主要考察学生对于较长文章的整体理解和综合分析能力。
同学们需要仔细阅读文章并理解文章的主题和结构，同时注意文章中的细节和推理信息。
在作答时，同学们应根据问题的要求在文章中找到相应的信息，并进行推理分析来选择正确答案。
短篇阅读部分主要考察学生对于较短文章的细节理解和推理能力。
同学们应该学会快速阅读，并迅速抓住文章的重点和细节信息。
在作答时，同学们应尽量通过直接引用文中的信息来回答问题，同时进行必要的推理分析。
2015年12月大学英语四级考试真题及解析(卷二
2015年12月大学英语四级考试真题及解析(卷二) Part I Writing1.【题干】Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay commenting on the saying "Learning is a daily experience and a lifetime mission." You can cite examples to illustrate the importance of lifelong learning. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Part II Listening ComprehensionPartⅢReading ComprehensionSection AScholars of the information society are divided over whether social inequality decreases or increases in an information-based society. However, they generally agree with the idea that inequality in the information society is_____(37)different from that of an industrial society. As informatization progress in society, the cause and structural nature of social inequality changes as well.It seems that the information society_____(38)the quantity of information available to the members of a society by revolutionizing the ways of using and exchanging information. But such a view as a_____(39)analysis based on the quantity of information supplied by various forms of the mass media. A different_____(40)is possible when the actual amount of information_____(41)by the user is taken into account. In fact, the more information_____(42)throughout the entire society, the wider the gap becomes between "information haves" and "information have-nots," leading to digital divide.According to recent studies, digital divide has been caused by three major_____(43): class, sex, and generation. In terms of class, digital divide exists among different types of workers and between the upper and middle classes and the lower class. With_____(44)to sex, digital divide exists between men and women. The greatest gap, however, is between the Net-generation, _____(45)with personal computers and the Internet, and the older generation,_____(46)to an industrial society.37.【题干】_____【选项】A.accustomed习惯的通常的B.acquired 取得C.assembly 集合D.attribute 把…归于E.champions 冠军F.elements 原理，元素G.expands 扩大H.familiar 熟悉的I.flows 流动J.fundamentally 从根本上地K.interpretation 解释L.passive 被动的M.regard 把..看作，与…有关N.respectively 分别地O.superficial 表面的，肤浅的【答案】J38.【答案】G39.【答案】O40.【答案】K 41. 【答案】B 42.I 43.F 44.M 45.A 46.DSection BJoy：A Subject Schools LackBecoming educated should not require giving up pleasureA)When Jonathan Swift proposed, in 1729, that the people of Ireland eat their children, he insisted it would solve three problems at once: feed the hungry masses, reduce the population during a severe depression, and stimulate the restaurant business. Evan as a satire(讽刺), it seems disgusting and shocking in America with its child-centered culture. But actually, the country is closer to his proposal than you might think.B)If you spend much time with educators and policy makers, you'll hear a lot of the following words: "standards,""results,""skills,""self-control,""accountability," and so on. I have visited some of the newer supposedly "effective" schools, where children shout slogans in order to learn self-control or must stand behind their desk when they can't sit still.C)A look at what goes on in most classrooms these days makes it abundantly clear that when people think about education, they are not thinking about what it feels like to be a child, or what makes childhood an important and valuable stage of life in its own right.D)I'm a mother of three, a teacher, and a developmental psychologist. So I've watched a lot of children-talking, playing, arguing, eating, studying, and being young. Here's what I've come to understand. The thing that sets children apart from adults is not their ignorance, nor their lack of skills. It's their enormous capacity for joy. Think of a 3-year-old lost in the pleasures of finding out what he can and cannot sink in the bathtub, a 5-year-old beside herself with the thrill of putting together strings of nonsensical words with her best friends, or an 11-year-old completely absorbed in a fascinating comic strip. A child's ability to become deeply absorbed in something, and derive intense pleasure from that absorption, is something adults spend the rest of their lives trying to return to.E)A friend told me the following story. One day, when he went to get his 7-year-old son from soccer practice, his kid greeted him with a downcast face and a sad voice. The coach had criticized him for focusing on his soccer drills. The little boy walked out of the school with his head and shoulders hanging down. He seemed wrapped in sadness. But just before he reached the car door, he suddenly stopped, crouching(蹲伏)down to peer at something on the sidewalk.His face went down lower and lower, and then, with complete joy he called out," Dad. Come here. This is the strangest bug I've ever seen. It has, like a million legs. Look at this. It's amazing." He looked up at his father, his features overflowing with energy and delight. "Can't we stay here for just a minute? I want to find out what he does with all those legs. This is the coolest ever."F)The traditional view of such moments is that they constitute a charming but irrelevant byproduct of youth-something to be pushed aside to make room for more important qualities, like perseverance(坚持不懈), obligation, and practicality. Yet moments like this one are just the kind of intense absorption and pleasure adults spend the rest of their lives seeking. Human lives are governed by the desire to experience joy. Becoming educated should not require giving up joy but rather lead to finding joy in new kinds of things: reading novels instead to playing with small figures, conducting experiments instead of sinking cups in the bathtub, and debating serious issues rather than stringing together nonsense words, for example. In some cases, schools should help children find new, more grown-up ways of doing the same things that are constant sources of joy: making art, making friends, making decisions.G)Building on a child's ability to joy, rather than pushing it aside, wouldn't be that hard. It would just require a shift in the education word's mindset(思维模式). Instead of trying to get children to work hard, why not focus on getting them to take pleasure in meaningful, productive activity, like making things, working with others, exploring ideas, and solving problems? These focuses are not so different from the things in which they delight.H)Before you brush this argument aside as rubbish, or think of joy as an unaffordable luxury in a nation where there is awful poverty, low academic achievement, and high dropout rates, think again. The more horrible the school circumstances, the more important pleasure is to achieving any educational success.I)Many of the assignments and rules teachers come up with, often because they are pressured by their administrators, treat pleasure and joy as the enemies of competence and responsibility. The assumption is that children shouldn't chat in the classroom because it hinders hard work; instead, they should learn to delay gratification(快乐)so that can pursue abstract goals, like going to college.J)Not only is this a boring and awful way to treat children, it makes no sense educationally, Decades of research have shown that in order to acquire skills and real knowledge in school, kids need to want to learn. You can force a child to stay in his or her seat, fill out a worksheet, or practice division. But you can't force the child to think carefully, enjoy books, digest complex information, or develop a taste for learning. To make that happen, you have to help the child find pleasure in learning-to see school as a source of joy.K)Adults tend to talk about learning as if it were medicine: unpleasant, but necessary and good for you. Why not instead think of learning as if it were food-something so valuable to humans that they have evolved to experience it as a pleasure?L)Joy should not be trained out of children or left for after-school programs. The more difficult a child's life circumstances, the more important it is for that child to find joy in his or her classroom. "Pleasure" is not a dirty word. And it doesn't run counter to the goals of public education. It is, in fact, the precondition.47.【题干】It will not be difficult to make learning a source of joy if educators change their way of thinking.【答案】G【解析】Building on a child's ability to joy, rather than pushing it aside, wouldn't be that hard. It would just require a shift in the education word's mindset(思维模式).48.【题干】What distinguishes children from adults is their strong ability to derive joy from what they are doing.【答案】D【解析】The thing that sets children apart from adults is not their ignorance, nor their lack of skills. It's their enormous capacity for joy49.【题干】Children in America are being treated with shocking cruelty.【答案】A50.【题干】It is human nature to seek joy in life.【答案】F【解析】Human lives are governed by the desire to experience joy.51.【题干】Grown-ups are likely to think that learning to children is what medicine is to patients.【答案】K【解析】Adults tend to talk about learning as if it were medicine: unpleasant, but necessary and good for you.52.【题干】Bad school conditions make it all the more important to turn learning into a joyful experience.【答案】L【解析】The more difficult a child's life circumstances, the more important it is for that child to find joy in his or her classroom.53.【题干】Adults do not consider children's feelings when it comes to education.【答案】C【解析】A look at what goes on in most classrooms these days makes it abundantly clear that when people think about education, they are not thinking about what it feels like to be a child, or what makes childhood an important and valuable stage of life in its own right.54.【题干】Administrators seem to believe that only hard work will lead children to their educational goals.【答案】I【解析】Many of the assignments and rules teachers come up with, often because they are pressured by their administrators, treat pleasure and joy as the enemies of competence and responsibility.55.【题干】In the so-called "effective" schools, children are taught self-control under a set ofstrict rules.【答案】B【解析】I have visited some of the newer supposedly "effective" schools, where children shout slogans in order to learn self-control or must stand behind their desk when they can't sit still.56.【题干】To make learning effective, educators have to ensure that children want to learn.【答案】J【解析】You can force a child to stay in his or her seat, fill out a worksheet, or practice division. But you can't force the child to think carefully, enjoy books, digest complex information, or develop a taste for learning. To make that happen, you have to help the child find pleasure in learning-to see school as a source of joy.Passage OneQuestions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.When it's five o'clock, people leave their office. The length of the workday, for many workers, is defined by time. They leave when the clock tells them they're done.These days, the time is everywhere: not just on clocks or watches, but on cell-phones and computers. That may be a bad thing, particularly at work. New research shows that clock-based word schedules hinder morale(士气)and creativity.Clock-timers organize their day by blocks of minutes and hours. For example: a meeting from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., research from 10 a.m. to noon, etc. On the other hand, task-timers have a list of things they want to accomplish. They work down the list, each task starts when the previous task is completed. It is said that all of us employ a mix of both these types of planning.What, then, are the effects of thinking about time in these different ways? Does one make us more productive? Better at the tasks at hand? Happier? In experiments conducted by Tamar Avnet and Anne-Laure Sellier, they had participants organize different activities-from project planning, holiday shopping, to yoga-by time or to-do list to measure how they performed under "clock time" vs "task time". They found clock timers to be more efficient but less happy because they felt little control over their lives. Task timers are happier and more creative, but less productive. They tend to enjoy the moment when something good is happening, and seize opportunities that come up.The researchers argue that task-based organizing tends to be undervalued and under-supported in the business culture. Smart companies, they believe, will try to bake more task-based planning into their strategies.This might be a small change to the way we view work and the office, but the researchers argue that it challenges a widespread characteristic of the economy: work organized by clock time. While most people will still probably need, and be, to some extent, clock-timers, task-based timing should be used when performing a job that requires more creativity. It'll make those tasks easier, and the task-doers will be happier.57.【题干】What does the author think of time displayed everywhere?【选项】A.It makes everybody time-conscious.B.It is a convenience for work and life.C.It may have a negative effect on creative work.D.It clearly indicates the fast pace of modern life.【答案】C【解析】2 New research shows that clock-based word schedules hinder morale(士气)and creativity.58.【题干】How do people usually go about their work according to the author?【选项】A.They combine clock-based and task-based planning.B.They give priority to the most urgent task on hand.C.They set a time limit for each specific task.D.They accomplish their tasks one by one.【答案】A【解析】3 They work down the list, each task starts when the previous task is completed. It is said that all of us employ a mix of both these types of planning. It is said that all of us employ a mix of both these types of planning.59.【题干】What did Tamar Avnet and Anne-Laure Sellier find in their experiments about clock-timers?【选项】A.They seize opportunities as they come up.B.They always get their work done in time.C.They have more control over their lives.D.They tend to be more productive.【答案】D【解析】They found clock timers to be more efficient but less happy because they felt little control over their lives. Task timers are happier and more creative, but less productive.60.【题干】What do the researchers say about today's business culture?【选项】A.It does not support the strategies adopted by smart companies.B.It does not attach enough importance to task-based practice.C.It places more emphasis on work efficiency than on workers' lives.D.It aims to bring employees' potential and creativity into full play.【答案】B【解析】The researchers argue that task-based organizing tends to be undervalued and under-supported in the business culture.61.【题干】What do the researchers suggest?【选项】A.Task-based timing is preferred for doing creative work.B.It is important to keep a balance between work and life.C.Performing creative jobs tends to make workers happier.D.A scientific standard should be adopted in job evaluation.【答案】D【解析】最后段the researchers argue that it challenges a widespread characteristic of the economy: work organized by clock time. While most people will still probably need, and be, to some extent, clock-timers, task-based timing should be used when performing a job that requires more creativity. It'll make those tasks easier, and the task-doers will be happier.Passage TwoQuestion 62 to 66 are based on the following passage.Martha Stewart was charged, tried and convicted of a crime in 2004. As she neared the end of her prison sentence, a well-known columnist wrote that she was "paying her dues," and that "there is simply no reason for anyone to attempt to deny her right to start anew."Surely, the American ideal of second chances should not be reserved only for the rich and powerful. Unfortunately, many federal and state laws impose post-conviction restrictions on a shockingly large number of Americans, who are prevented form ever fully paying their debt to society.At least 65 million people in the United States have a criminal record. This can result in severe penalties that continue long after punishment is completed.Many of these penalties are imposed regardless of the seriousness of the offense or the person's individual circumstances. Laws can restrict or ban voting, access to public housing, and professional and business licensing. They can affect a person's ability to get a job and qualification for benefits.In all, more than 45,000 laws and rules serve to exclude vast numbers of people from fully participating in American life.Some laws make sense. No one advocates letting someone convicted of pedophilia(恋童癖)work in a school. But too often collateral(附随的)consequences bear no relation to public safety. Should a woman who possessed a small amount of drugs years ago be permanently unable to be licensed as a nurse?These laws are also counterproductive, since they make it harder for people with criminal records to find housing or land a job, two key factors that reduce backsliding.A recent report makes several recommendations, including the abolition of most post-conviction penalties, except for those specifically needed to protect public safety. Where the penalties are not a must, they should be imposed only if the facts of a case support it.The point is not to excuse or forget the crime. Rather, it is to recognize that in America's vast criminal justice system, second chances are crucial. It is in no one's interest to keep a large segment of the population on the margins of society.62.【题干】What does the well-known columnist's remark about Martha Stewart suggest?【选项】A.Her past record might stand in her way to a new life.B.Her business went bankrupt while she was in prison.C.Her release from prison has drawn little attention.D.Her prison sentence might have been extended.【解析】第一段a well-known columnist wrote that she was "paying her dues," and that "there is simply no reason for anyone to attempt to deny her right to start anew."63.【题干】What do we learn from the second paragraph about many criminals in America?【选项】A.They backslide after serving their terms in prison.B.They are deprived of all social benefits.C.They receive severe penalties for committing minor offenses.D.They are convicted regardless of their individual circumstances.【答案】B【解析】第二段Unfortunately, many federal and state laws impose post-conviction restrictions on a shockingly large number of Americans, who are prevented form ever fully paying their debt to society.64.【题干】What are the consequences for many Americans with a criminal record?【选项】A.They remain poor for the rest of their lives.B.They are deprived of all social benefits.C.They are marginalized in society.D.They are deserted by their family.【答案】C【解析】第四段Many of these penalties are imposed regardless of the seriousness of the offense or the person's individual circumstances. Laws can restrict or ban voting, access to public housing, and professional and business licensing. They can affect a person's ability to get a job and qualification for benefits.65.【题干】What does the author think of the post-conviction laws and rules?【选项】A.They help to maintain social stability.B.Some of them have long been outdated.C.They are hardly understood by the public.D.A lot of them have negative effects on society.【答案】D【解析】倒数第二段These laws are also counterproductive, since they make it harder for people with criminal records to find housing or land a job, two key factors that reduce backsliding.66.【题干】What is the author's main purpose in writing the passage?【选项】A.To create opportunities for criminals to reform themselves.B.To appeal for changes in America's criminal justice system.C.To ensure that people with a criminal record live a decent life.D.To call people's attention to prisoner's conditions in America.【解析】呼吁美国司法体系的改革。
2015年12月英语四级作文真题解析——写作范文(二篇)
2015年12月英语四级作文真题解析——写作范文(二篇)第一篇题目是：Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay commenting on the saying Never go out there to see what happens, go out there to make something happen You can cite examples to illustrate the importance of being creative rather than mere onlookers in life. You should write at least 120 words, no more than 180 words.第二篇作文题目是：Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay commenting on the saying Learning is a daily experience and a lifetime mission. You can cite examples to illustrate the importance of lifelong learning. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.第三篇作文题目是：WritingDirections: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay commenting on the saying Listening is more important than talking. You can cite examples to illustrate the importance of listening. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Listening is more important than talkingIt is no exaggeration to say that listening is more important than talking. For instance, without listening, a baby won t know how to speak; without enough listening, we cannot speak English fluently; without listening carefully in classroom, we cannot follow our teachers.There are several reasons to account for the importance of listening. First and foremost, only by listening to others carefully can we understand their points of views. Secondly, more listening can not only broaden our horizons, but also helps us absorb others wisdom. Last but not least, listening is an input and talking is an output. It is unwise to voice our opinions in those topics that we are unfamiliar with.As an old Chinese old saying goes, silence is gold. Therefore, in my humble opinion, it is of great significance for us to spend more time in listening instead of rushing to speak.。
2015年12月四级真题第一套阅读理解及答案(word)
2015年12月四级真题第一套阅读理解及答案Section CDirections: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.Could you reproduce Silicon Valley elsewhere, or is there something unique about it?It wouldn’t be surprising if it were hard to reproduce in other countries, because you couldn’t reproduce it in most of the US either. What does it take to make a Silicon Valley?It’s the right people. If you could get the right ten thousand people to move from Silicon Valley to Buffalo, Buffalo would become Silicon Valley.You only need two kinds of people to create a technology hub (中心): rich people and nerds (痴迷科研的人).Observation bears this out. Within the US, towns have become startup hubs if and only if they have both rich people and nerds. Few startups happen in Miami, for example, because although it’s full of rich people, it has few nerds. It’s not the kind of place nerds like.Whereas Pittsburgh has the opposite problem: plenty of nerds, but no rich people. The top US Computer Science departments are said to be MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, and Carnegie-Mellon. MIT yielded Route 128. Stanford and Berkeley yielded Silicon Valley. But what did Carnegie-Mellon yield in Pittsburgh? And what happened in Ithaca, home of Cornell University, which is also high on the list?I grew up in Pittsburgh and went to college at Cornell, so I can answer for both. The weather is terrible, particularly in winter, and there’s no interesting old city to make up for it, as there is in Boston. Rich people don’t want to live in Pittsburgh or Ithaca. So while there’re plenty of hackers (电脑迷) who could start startups, there’s no one to invest in them.Do you really need the rich people? Wouldn’t it work to have the government invest in the nerds? No, it would not. Startup investors are a distinct type of rich people. They tend to have a lot of experience themselves in the technology business. This helps them pick the right startups, and means they can supply advice and connections as well as money. And the fact that they have a personal stake in the outcome makes them really pay attention.56. What do we learn about Silicon Valley from the passage?A) Its success is hard to copy anywhere else.B) It is the biggest technology hub in the US.C) Its fame in high technology is incomparable.D) It leads the world in information technology.57. What makes Miami unfit to produce a Silicon Valley?A) Lack of incentive for investment. B) Lack of the right kind of talents.C) Lack of government support. D) Lack of famous universities.58. In what way is Carnegie-Mellon different from Stanford, Berkeley and MIT?A) Its location is not as attractive to rich people.B) Its science departments are not nearly as good.C) It does not produce computer hackers and nerds.D) It does not pay much attention to business startups.59. What does the author imply about Boston?A) It has pleasant weather all year round.B) It produces wealth as well as high-tech.C) It is not likely to attract lots of investors and nerds.D) It is an old city with many sites of historical interest.60. What does the author say about startup investors?A) They are especially wise in making investments.B) They have good connections in the government.C) They can do more than providing money.D) They are rich enough to invest in nerds.Passage TwoQuestions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.It’s nice to have people of like mind around. Agreeable people boost your confidence and allow you to relax and feel comfortable. Unfortunately, that comfort can hinder the very learning that can expand your company and your career.It’s nice to have people agree, but you need conflicting perspectives to dig out the truth. If everyone around you has similar views, your work will suffer from confirmation bias (偏颇).Take a look at your own network. Do your contacts share your point of view on most subjects? If yes, it’s time to shake things up. As a leader, it can be challenging to create an environment in which people will freely disagree and argue, but as the saying goes: From confrontation comes brilliance.It’s not easy for most people to actively seek conflict. Many spend their lives trying to avoid arguments. There’s no need to go out and find people you hate, but you need to do some self-assessment to determine where you have become stale in your thinking. You may need to start by encouraging your current network to help you identify your blind spots.Passionate, energetic debate does not require anger and hard feelings to be effective. But it does require moral strength. Once you have worthy opponents, set some ground rules so everyone understands responsibilities and boundaries. The objective of this debating game is not to win but to get to the truth that will allow you to move faster, farther, and better.Fierce debating can hurt feelings, particularly when strong personalities are involved. Make sure you check in with your opponents so that they are not carrying the emotion of the battles beyond the battlefield. Break the tension with smiles and humor to reinforce the idea that this is friendly discourse and that all are working toward a common goal.Reward all those involved in the debate sufficiently when the goals are reached. Let your sparring partners (拳击陪练) know how much you appreciate their contribution. The more they feel appreciated, the more they’ll be willing to get into the ring next time.61. What happens when you have like-minded people around you all the while?A) It will help your company expand more rapidly.B) It will create a harmonious working atmosphere.C) It may prevent your business and career from advancing.D) It may make you feel uncertain about your own decisions.62. What does the author suggest leaders do?A) Avoid arguments with business partners.B) Encourage people to disagree and argue.C) Build a wide and strong business network.D) Seek advice from their worthy competitors.63. What is the purpose of holding a debate?A) To find out the truth about an issue. B) To build up people’s moral strength.C) To remove misunderstandings. D) To look for worthy opponents.64. What advice does the author give to people engaged in a fierce debate?A) They listen carefully to their opponents’ views.B) They show due respect for each other’s beliefs.C) They present their views clearly and explicitly.D) They take care not to hurt each other’s feelings.65. How should we treat our rivals after a successful debate?A) Try to make peace with them. B) Try to make up the differences.C) Invite them to the ring next time. D) Acknowledge their contribution.答案56A57B58A59D60C61C62B63A64D65D。
2015年6月大学英语四级考试真题及解析第二套
2015年6月大学英语四级考试真题(第2套)Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions：for this part，you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay based on the picture below．You should start your essay with a brief description of the picture and then comment on this kind of modern life．Y ou should write at least l20 words but no more than l80wordsPart II Listening Comprehension(30 minutes)Section ADirections：In this section，you will hear 8 shortconversations and 2 long conversations．At theend of each conversation，one or more questionswill be asked about what Was said．Both theconversation and the questions will be spokenonly once．After each question there will be a pause．During the pause，you must read the four choices marked A.，B)，C)and D)．and decide which is the best answer．Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet l with a single line through the center．1．A.He is pleased to sit on the committee．B.He is willing to offer the woman a hand．C.He will tell the woman his decision later．D.He would like to become a club member．2．A.Their planned trip to Vancouver is obviously overpriced．B.They should borrow a guide book instead of buying one．C.The guide books in the library have the latest information．D.The library Can help order guide books about V ancouver．3．A.He regrets having taken the history course．B.He finds little interest in the history books．C.He has trouble finishing his reading assignments．D.He has difficulty writing the weekly book report．4．A.The man had better choose another restaurant．B.The new restaurant is a perfect place for dating．C.The new restaurant caught her fancy immediately．D.The man has good taste in choosing the restaurant．5．A.He has been looking forward to spring．B.He has been waiting for the winter sale．C.He will clean the woman，s boots for spring．D.He will help the woman put things away．6．A.At a tailor’s．B.At Bob’s home．C.In a clothes store．D.In a theatre．7．A.His guests favor Tibetan drinks．B.His water is quite extraordinary．C.Mineral water is good for health．D.Plain water will serve the purpose．8．A.Report the result of a discussion．B.Raise some environmental issues．C.Submit an important document．D.Revise an environmental report．Questions 9 t0 12 are based on the conversation you have just heard．9．A.They pollute the soil used to cover them．B.They are harmful to nearby neighborhoods．C.The rubbish in them takes long to dissolve．D.The gas they emit is extremely poisonous．10．A.Growing population．B.Packaging materials．C.Changed eating habits．D.Lower production cost．11．A.By saving energy．B.By using less aluminum．C.By reducing poisonous wastes．D.By making the most of materials．12．A.We are running out of natural resources soon．B.Only combined efforts can make a difference．C.The waste problem will eventually hurt all of us．D.All of us can actually benefit from recyclin9．Questions l3 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard．13．A.Miami．B.V ancouver．C.Belling ham．D.Boston．14．A.To get information on one—way tickets to Canada．B.To inquire about the price of“Super Saver”seats．C.To get advice on how to fly as cheaply as possible．D.To inquire about the shortest route to drive home．15．A.Join a tourist group．B.Choose a major airline．C.Avoid trips in public holidays．D.Book tickets as early as possible．Section BDirections：in this section，you will hear 3 short passages．At the end of each passage，you will hear some questions．Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once After you hear a question，youmust choose 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 line through the center．Passage OneQuestions l6 t0 18 are based on the passage you have just heard．16．A.There are mysterious stories behind his works．B.There are many misunderstandings about him．C.His works have no match worldwide．D.His personal history is little known．17．A.He moved to Strat ford—on—Avon in his childhood．B.He failed to go beyond grammar sch001．C.He was a member of the town council．D.He once worked in a well—known acting company．18．A.Writers of his time had no means to protect their works．B.Possible sources of clues about him were lost in a fire．C.His works were adapted beyond recognition．D.People of his time had little interest in him．Passage TwoQuestions l9 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard 19．A.It shows you have been ignoring your healthB. It can seriously affect your thinking processC.It is an early warning of some illness．D.It is a symptom of too much pressure．20．A.Reduce our workload．B.Control our temper．e painkillers for reliefD.Avoid masking syrup toms_21．A. Lying down and having some sleep．B.Rubbing and pressing one’s back．C.Going out for a walkD.Listening to light musicPassage ThreeQuestions 22 t0 25 are based on the passage you have just heard 22．A.Depending heavily on loans．B.Having no budget plans at all．C.Spending beyond one's meansD.Leaving no room for large bills23．A.Many of them can be cut．B. All of them have to be covered．C.Their payment cannot be delayedD.They eat up most of the family income24．A.Rent a house instead of buying one．B. Discuss the problem in the family．C.Make a conservation planD.Move to a cheaper Place25．A.Financial issues plaguing a family．B.Difficulty in making both ends meet．C.Family budget problems and solutionsD.New ways to boost family incomeSection CDirections：In this section，you will hear a passage three times．When the passage is read for the first time,you should listen carefully for its general idea．When the passage Its read for the second time,you are required to fill in the blanks with the exact words you have just heard．Finally，when the passage is read for the third time，you should check what you have written．Perhaps because going to college is so much a part of the American dream，many people go for no 26 reason．Some go because their parents expect it，others because it's what their friends are doing.Then，there，s the belief that a college degree will27 ensure a good job and high pay.Some students 28 through four years，attending classes，or skipping(逃课)them as the case may be，reading only what can’t be avoided，looking for less 29courses，and never being touched or changed in any important way．For a few of these people，college provides no 30，y et because of parental or peer pressure, they cannot voluntarily leave. They stop tryingin the hope that their teachers will make the decision for them by31_them．To put it bluntly (直截了当地)，unless you’re willing to make your college years count，You might be32 doing something else．Not everyone should attend college，nor should everyone who does．attend begin right after high school．Many college students 33 taking a year or so off.A year out m the world helps some people to 34 their priorities and goals．If you’re really going to get something out of going to college，you have to make it mean something，and to do that you must have some idea why you're there，what you hope to get out of it，and35 even what you hope to become.Part HI Reading Comprehension(40 minutes)Section ADirections：in this section，there is a passage with ten blanks．You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices．Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter．Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the center．You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once．Questions 36 t0 45 are based on the following passage．It’s our guilty pleasure：Watching TV is the most comtion everyday activity，after work and sleep，in many parts of the world．Americans view five hours of TV each day，and while we know that spending so much time sitting36 can lead to obesity(肥胖症)and other diseases，researchers have now quantified just how 37 being a couch potato can be．In an analysis of data from eight large 38 published studies，a Harvard—led group reported in the that for every two hours per day spent channel 39 ，the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes Journal of the American Medical Association(糖尿病)rose 20％over 8．5 years，the risk of heart disease increased l5％over a 40 ，and the odds of dying prematurely 41 13％during a seven— year follow—up．All of these 42 are linked to a lack of physical exercise．But compared with other sedentary(久坐的)activities，like knitting，viewing TV may be especially 43 at promoting unhealthy habits．For one，the sheer number of hours we pass watching TV dwarfs the time we spend on anything else．And other studies have found that watching ads for beer and popcorn may make you more likely to 44 them．Even so．the authors admit that they didn’t compare different sedentary activities to 45 whether TV watching was linked to a greater risk of diabetes，heart disease or early death compared with，say，reading．A.climbedB.consumeC.decadeD.determineE.effectiveF.harmfulG.outcomesH.passivelyI.previouslyJ.resumeK.sufferedL.surfingM.termN.terminals0.twistingSection 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．Y ou 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．Essay．Grading Software Offers Professors a BreakA.Imagine taking a college exam，and，instead of handing in a blue book and getting a grade from a professor a few weeks later，clickingthe“send”button when you are done and receiving a grade back instantly，your essay scored by a software program．And then，instead of being done with that exam，imagine that the system would immediately let you rewrite the test to try to improve your grade．B.EDX，the nonprofit enterprise founded by Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT)to offer courses on the Internet，has just introduced such a system and will make its automated(自动的)software available free on the Web to any institution that wants to use it．The software uses artificial intelligence to grade student essays and short written answers，freeing professors for other tasks．C.The new service will bring the educational consortium(联盟)into a growing conflict over the role of automation in education．Although automated grading systems for multiple—choice and true—false tests are now widespread，the use of artificial intelligence technology to grade essay answers has not yet received widespread acceptance by educators and has many critics.D.Anant Agarwal，an electrical engineer who is president of EDX，predicted that the instant—grading software would be a useful teaching tool enabling students to take tests and write essays over and over andimprove the quality of their answers．He said the technology would offer distinct advantages over the traditional classroom system，where students often wait days or weeks for grades．“There is a huge value in learning with instant feedback，”Dr．Agarwal said．“Students are telling us they learn much better with instant feedback．”E.But skeptics(怀疑者)say the automated system is no match for live teachers．One longtime critic，Les Perelman，has drawn national attention several times for putting together nonsense essays that have fooled software grading programs into giving high marks．He has also been highly critical of studies claiming that the software compares well to human graders．F.He is among a group of educators who last month began circulating a petition(呼吁)opposing automated assessment software．The group．which calls itself Professionals Against Machine Scoring of Student Essays in High—Stakes Assessment，has collected nearly 2，000 signatures，including some from famous people like Noanl Chomsky．G．“Let’s face the realities of automatic essay scorin9，”the group’s statement reads in part. “Computers cannot‘read．’They cannot measure the essentials of effective written communication：accuracy．reasonin9，adequacy of evidence，good sense，ethical(伦理的)position，convincing argument，meaningful organization，and clarity，among others．”H)But EdX expects its software to be adopted widely by schools and universities．It offers free online classes from Harvard．MIT and the University of California—Berkeley；this fall，it will add classes from Well else．Georgetown and the University of Texas．In all，12 universities participate in EDX，which offers certificates for course completion and has said that it plans to continue to expand next year，including adding international schools．I.The EDX assessment tool requires human teachers，or graders，to first grade l00 essays or essay questions．The system then uses a variety of machine—learning techniques to train itself to be able to grade any number of essays or answers automatically and almost instantly．The software will assign a grade depending on the scoring system created by the teacher，whether it is a letter grade or numerical(数字的)rank．J . EDX is not the first to use the automated assessment technology，which dates to early computers in the l960s．There is now a range of companies offering commercial programs to grade written test answers，and four states--Louisiana，North Dakota，Utah and West Virginia--are using some formof the technology in secondary schools．A fifth，Indiana，has experimented with it．In some cases the software is used as a“second reader．”to check the reliability of the human graders．K.But the growing influence of the EDx consortium to set standards is likely to give the technology a boost．On Tuesday，Stanford announced that it would work with EDX to develop a joint educational system that will make use of the automated assessment technology．L.Two start．ups．Coursera and Udacity，recently founded by Stanford faculty members to create“massive open online courses，”or MOOCs，are also committed to automated assessment systems because of the value of instant feedback．‘‘It allows students to get immediate feedback on their work．so that learning turns into a game，with students naturally gravitating(吸引)toward resubmitting the work until they get it right，”said Daphne Koller，a computer scientist and a founder of Coursera．M．Last year the Hewlett Foundation， a grant—malting organization set up by one of the Hewlett Packard founders and his wife．sponsored two$100，000 prizes aimed at improving software that grades essays and short answers．More than l50 teams entered each category．A winner of one of the Hewlett contests．Vik Paruchuri，was hired by E(Ⅸto help design its assessment software．N．“One of our focuses is to help Mds learn how to think critically，”said Victor Vuchic，a program officer at the Hewlett Foundation．“It’s probably impossible to do that with multiple—choice tests The challenge is that this requires human graders，and so they cost a lot more and they take a lot more time．“O．Mark D．Shermis，a professor at the University of Akron inOhi0．supervised the Hewlett Foundation’s contest on automated essay scoring and wrote a paper about the experiment．In his view，the technology--though imperfect--has a place in educational settings．P．With increasingly large classes，it is impossible for most teachers to give students meaningful feedback on writing assignments，he said．Plus，he noted，critics of the technology have tended to come from the nation’s best universities，where the level of teaching is much better than at n lost schools．Q)“Often they come from very famous institutions where，in fact，they do a much better．job of providing feedback than a machine ever could，”Dr．Shermis said．“There seems to be a lack of appreciation of what is actually going on in the real world．”46．Some professionals in education are collecting signatures to voice their opposition to an to mated essay grading．47．Using software to grade students’ essays saves teachers time for other work．48．The Hewlett contests aim at improving essay grading software．49．Though the automated grading system is widely used in multiple—choice tests．automated essay grading is still criticized by many educators．50．Some people don’t believe the software grading system can do as good a job as human graders．51．Critics of automated essay scoring do not seem to know the true realities in less famous universities．52．Critics argue many important aspects of effective writing cannot be measured by computer rating programs．53．As class size grows，most teachers are unable to give students valuable comments as to how to improve their writin9．54．The automated assessment technology is sometimes used to double check the work of human graders．55．Students find instant feedback helps improve their learning considerably．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.Y ou should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Sheet 2 with a single line through the center．Passage On eQuestions 56 t0 60 are based on the following passage．The endless debate about“work—life balance”often contains a hopeful footnote about stay at home dads．If American society and business won’tmake it easier on future female leaders who choose to have children，there is still the ray of hope that increasing numbers of full—time fathers will．But based on today’s socioeconomic trends，this hope is，unfortunately，misguided．It’s true that the number of men who have left work to do their thing as full—time parents has doubled in a decade，but it’s still very small：only 0．8％of married couples where the stay—at—hone father was out of the labor force for a year．Even that percentage is likely inflated by men thrust into their caretaker role by a downsizing．This is simply not a large enough group to reduce the social stigma(污名)and force other adjustments necessary to supporting men in this decision．even if only work more than their family．Even shorter times away from work for working fathers are already difficult．A study found that 85％of new fathers take some time off after the birth of a child—but for all but a few．it’s a week or two at most．Meanwhile，the average for women who take leave is more than lo weeks．Such choices impact who moves up in the organization．While you’re away，someone else is doing your work，making your sales，taking care of your customers．That can’t help you at work．It can only hurt you．Women，of course，face the same issues of returning after a long absence．But with many more women than men choosing to leave theworkforce entirely to raise families，returning from an extended parental leave doesn’t raise as many eyebrows as it does for men．Women would make more if they didn’t break their earning trajectory(轨迹)by leaving the workforce，or if higher-paying professions were more family friendly．In the foreseeable future，Stay at home fathers may make all the difference for individual families．but their presence won’t reduce the numbers of high potential women who are forced to choose between family and career．56．What gives women a ray of hope to achieve work life balance?A.More men taking an extended parental leave．B.People’s changing attitudes towards family．C.More women entering business management．D.The improvement of their socioeconomic status．57．Why does the author say the hope for more full—time fathers is misguided?A.Women are better at taking care of children．B.Many men value work more than their family．C.Their number is too small to make a difference．D.Not many men have the chance to stay at home．58．Why do few men take a long parental leave?A.A long leave will have a negative impact on their career．B.They just have too many responsibilities to fulfill at work．C.The economic loss will be too much for their family to bear．D.They are likely to get fired if absent from work for too lon9．59．What is the most likely reaction to men returning from an extended parental leave?A.Jealousy．B.SurpriseC.AdmirationD.Sympathy．60．What does the author say about high-potential women in the not—too-distant future?A.They will benefit from the trend of more fathers staying at home．B.They will find high—paying professions a bit more family—friendly．C.They are unlikely to break their career trajectory to raise a family．D.They will still face the difficult choice between career and children．Passage TwoQuestions 61 to65 are based on the following passage．Some of the world’s most significant problems never hit headlines．One example comes from agriculture．Food riots and hunger make news．But the trend lying behind these matters is rarely talked about．This is the decline in the growth in yields of some of the world’s major crops．A new study by the University of Minnesota and McGill University in Montreal looks at where．and how far．this decline is occurring．The authors take a vast number of data points for the four most important crops：rice，wheat，corn and soyabeans(大豆)．They find that on between 24％and 39％of all harvested areas，the improvement in yields that took place before the l980s slowed down in the l990s and 2000s．There are two worrying features of the slowdown．One is that it has been particularly sharp in the world’s most populous(人口多的)countries，India and China．Their ability to feed themselves has been an important source of relative stability both within the countries and on world food markets．That self-sufficiency cannot be taken for granted if yields continue to slow down or reverse．Second，yield growth has been lower in wheat and rice than in coll and soyabeans．This is problematic because wheat and rice are more important as foods，accounting for around half of all calories consumed．Corn and soyabeans are more important as feed grains．The authors note that“we have preferentially focused our crop improvement efforts on feeding animals and cars rather than on crops that feed people and are the basis of food security in much of the world．” The report qualifies the more optimistic findings of another new paper which suggests that the world will not have to dig up a lot more land for farming in order to feed 9 billion people in 2050，as the Food and Agriculture Organisation has argued．Instead，it says，thanks to slowing population growth，land currently ploughed up for crops might be able torevert(回返)to forest or wilderness．This could happen．The trouble is that the forecast assumes continued improvements in yields which may not actually happen61．What does the author try to draw attention to?A.Food riots and hunger in the world．B.News headlines in the leading media．C.The decline of the grain yield growth．D.The food supply in populous countries．62．Why does the author mention India and China in particular?A.Their self-sufficiency is vital to the stability of world food markets．B.Their food yields have begun to decrease sharply in recent years．C.Their big populations are causing worldwide concerns．D 1 Their food self-sufficiency has been taken for granted．63．What does the new study by the two universities say about recent crop improvement efforts?A. They fail to produce the same remarkable results as before the l980s．B.They contribute a lot to the improvement of human food production．C.They play a major role in guaranteeing the food security of the world．D.They focus more on the increase of animal feed than human food grains．64．What does the Food and Agriculture Organisation say about world food production in the coming decades?A.The growing population will greatly increase the pressure on world food supplies．B.The optimistic prediction about food production should be viewed with caution．C. The slowdown of the growth in yields of major food crops will be"reversed．D.The world will be able to feed its population without increasing farmland．65．How does the author view the argument of the Food and Agriculture Organisation?A.It is built on the findings of a new study．B.It is based on a doubtful assumption．C.It is backed by strong evidence．D. It is open to further discussion．Part IV Translation(30 minutes)Directions：For this part，you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English．Y ou should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2．据报道，今年中国快递服务(courier services)将递送大约120亿件包裹。
2015年12月英语四级第二套阅读真题答案【完整版】
2015年12月英语四级第二套阅读真题答案【完整版】新东方&新东方在线联合发布For many American, 2013 ended with an unusually bitter cold spell. Late November and December 36 early snow and bone-chilling temperatures in much of the country, part of a year when, for the first time in two 37 , record-cold days will likely turn out to have outnumbered record-warm ones. But the U.S. was the exception: November was the warmest ever 38 , and current data indicates that 2013 is likely to have been the fourth hottest year on record.Enjoy the snow now, because 39 are good that 2014 will be even hotter, perhaps the hottest year since records have been kept. That’s because, scientists are predicting, 2014 will be an El Niño year.El Niño, Spanish for “the child”,40 when surface ocean waters in the southern Pacific become abnormally warm. So large is the Pacific, covering 30% of the planet’s surface, that the41 energy generated by its warming is enough to touch off a series of weather changes around the world.El Niño are 42 with abnormally dry conditions in Southern Asia and Australia. They can lead to extreme rain in parts of North and South America, even as southern Africa 43 dry weather. Marine life maybe affected too: EI Ninos can 44 the rising of the cold,mutrient-rich(营养丰富的) water that supports large fish 45 , and the unusually warm ocean temperature can destroy coral(珊瑚).A) additional I) logicallyB) associated J) occursC) bore K) populationsD) chances L) realizeE) communicated M) reduceF) decades N) sawG) experiences O) specificH) globally答案：NFHDJ ABGMKHow to Eat WellA)Why do so many Americans eat tons of processed food, the stuff thatis correctly called junk(垃圾) and should really carry warning labels?B)I t’s not because fresh ingredients are hard to come by Supermarketsoffer more variety than ever, and there are over four times as manyfamers’ markets in the U.S. as there were 20 years ago. Nor is it for lack of available information. There are plenty of recipes(食谱), how-to videos and cooking classes available to anyone who has a computer, smartphone or television. If anything the information isoverwhelming.C)And yet we aren’t cooking. If you eat three meals a day and behavelike most Americans, you probably get at least a third of your daily calories(卡路里) outsides the home. Nearly two-thirds of us grab fast food once a week, and we get almost 25% of our daily calories from snacks. So we’re eating out or taking in, and we don’t sit down—or we do, but hurry.D)Shouldn’t preparing—and consuming—food be a source of comfort,pride, health, well-being, relaxation, sociability? Something thatconnects us to other humans? Why should we want to outsource(外包) this basic task, especially when outsourcing it is so harmful?E)When I talk about cooking,I’m not talking about creating elaboratedinner parties or three-day science projects. I’m talking aboutsimple, easy, everyday meals. My mission is to encourage greenhands and those lacking time or money to feed themselves. Thatmeans we need modest, realistic expectation, and we need to teachpeople to cook food that’s good enough to share with family and friends.F)Perhaps a return to real cooking needn’t be far off. A recent Harrispoll revealed that 79% of Americans say they enjoy cooking and 30% “love it”; 14% admit to not enjoying kitchen work and just 7%won’t go near the stove at all. But this doesn’t necessarily translate to real cooking and the result of this survey shouldn’t surpriseanyone; 52% of those 65 or older cook at home five or more times per week; only a third of young people do.G)Back in the 1950s most of us grew up in households where Momcooked virtually every night. The intention to put a home-cooked meal on the table was pretty much universal. Most p eople couldn’t afford to do otherwise.H)Although frozen dinners were invented in the 40s, their popularitydidn’t boom until televisions became popular a decade or so later.Since then packaged, pre-prepared meals have been what’s fordinner. The microwave and fast-food chains were the biggestcatalysts(催化剂),but the big food companies—which want to sellanything except the raw ingredients that go into cooking—made the home cook an endangered species.I)Still, I find it strange that only a third of young people reportpreparing meals at home regularly. Isn’t this the same crowd that rails against processed junk and champions craft cooking？And isn’t this the generation who say they’re concerned about their health and the wee-being of the planet? If these are truly the values of many young people, then tier behavior doesn’t match their beliefs.J)There have been half-hearted but well-publicized efforts by some food campaigns to reduce calories in their processed foods, but the Standard American Diet is still the polar opposite of the healthy,mostly plant-based diet that just about every expert says we should be eating. Considering that the governments standards are not nearly ambitious enough, the picture is clear: by nor cooking at home,we’re not eating the right t hings, and the consequences are hard to overstate.K)To help quantify(量化) the costs of a poor diet, I recently tried to estimate this impact in terms of a most famous food, the burger(汉堡包). I concluded that the profit from burgers is more than offset(抵消) by the damage they cause in health problems and environmental harm.L)Cooking real food is the best defense —not to mention that any meal you’re likely to eat at home contains about 200 fewer calories than one you would cat in a restaurant.M)To those Americans for whom money is a concern, my advice is simple;Buy what you can afford, and cook it yourself. The commonprescription is to primarily shop the grocery store, since that’s where fresh produce, meat and seafood, and dairy are. And to save money and still e at well you don’t need local organic ingredients; all you need is real food. I’m not saying local food isn’t better, it is. But there is plenty of decent food in the grocery stores.N)The other sections you should get to know are the frozen foods and the canned goods. Frozen produce is still produce; canned tomatoes are still tomatoes. Just make sure you’re getting real food without tons of added salt or sugar. Ask yourself, Would Grandma consider this food? Does it look like something that might occur in nature?It’s pretty much common sense: you want to buy food, notunidentifiable hoodlike objects.O)You don’t have to hit the grocery store daily, nor do you need an abundance of skill. Since fewer than half of Americans say they cook at an intermediate level and only 20% describe their cooking skills as advanced, the crisis is one of confidence. And the only remedy forthat is practice. There’s nothing mysterious about cooking theevening meal. You just have to do a little thinking ahead and redefine what qualifies as dinner. Like any skill, cooking gets easier as you do it more; every time you cook, you advance your level of skills,. Someday you won’t even need recipes. My advice is that you not payattention to the number of steps and ingredients, because they can be deceiving.P)Time, I realize, is the biggest obstacle to cooking for most people. You must adjust you priorities to find time to cook. For instance, you can move a TV to the kitchen and watch your favorite shows whileyou’re standing at the sink. No one is asking you to give upactivities you like, but if you’re watching food shows on TV, trycooking instead.46. Cooking benefits people in many ways and enables them to connect with one another.47. Abundant information about cooking is available either online or on TV.48. Young people do less cooking at home than the elderly these days.49. Cooking skills can be improved with practice.50. In the mid-20th century, most families ate dinner at home instead of eating out.51. Even those short of time or money should be encouraged to cook for themselves and their family.52. Eating food not cooked by ourselves can cause serious consequences53. To eat well and still save money, people should buy fresh food and cook it themselves.54. We get a fairly large portion of calories from fast food and snacks.55. The popularity of TV led to the popularity of frozen food.答案：DBFOG EJMCHThe wallet is heading for extinction. As a day-to-day essential, it will die off with the generation who read print newspapers. The kind of shopping — where you hand over notes and count out change on return — now happens only in the most minor of our retail encounters, like buying a bar of chocolate or a pint of milk from a corner shop. At the shops where you spend any real money, that money is increasingly abstracted. And this is more and more true, the higher up the scale you go. At the most cutting-edge retail stores —Victoria Beckham on Dover Street, forinstance —you don’t go and stand at any kind of cash register when you decide to pay. The staff are equipped with iPads to take your payment while you relax on a sofa.Which is nothing more or less than excellent service, if you have the money. But across society, the abstraction of the idea of cash makes me uneasy. Maybe I’m just old-fashioned. But earning money isn’t quick or easy for most of us. Isn’t it a bit weird that spending it should happen in half a blink （眨眼）of an eye? Doesn’t a wallet —that time-honoured Friday-night feeling of pleasing, promising fatness —represent something that matters?But I’ll leave the economics to the experts. What bothers me about the death of the wallet is the change it represents in our physical environment. Everything about the look and feel of a wallet — the way the fastenings and materials wear and tear and loosen with age, the plastic and paper and gold and silver, and handwritten phone numbers and printed cinema tickets — is the very opposite of what our world is becoming. The opposite of a wallet is a smartphone or an iPad. The rounded edges, cool glass, smooth and unknowable as a pebble （鹅卵石）. Instead of digging through pieces of paper and peering into corners,we move our gingers left and right. No more counting out coins. Show your wallet, if you still have one. It may not be here much longer.56. What is happening to the wallet?A) It is disappearing. C) It is becoming costly.B) It is being fattened. D) It is changing in style.57. How are business transactions done in big modern stores?A) Individually. C) In the abstract.B) Electronically. D) Via a cash register.58. What makes the author feel uncomfortable nowadays?A) Saving money is becoming a thing of the past.B) The pleasing Friday-night feeling is fading.C) Earning money is getting more difficult.D) Spending money is so fast and easy.59. Why does the author choose to write about what’s happening to the wallet?A) It represents a change in the modern world.B) It has something to do with everybody’s life.C) It marks the end of a time-honoured tradition.D) It is the concern of contemporary economists.60. What can we infer from the passage about the author?A) He is resistant to social changes.B) He is against technological progress.C) He feels reluctant to part with the traditional wallet.D) He feels insecure in the ever-changing modern world.Passage TwoEverybody sleeps, but what people stay up late to catch—or wake up early in order not to miss—varies by culture.From data collected, it seems the things that cause us to love the most sleep, on average, are sporting events, time changes, and holidays.Around the world, people changed sleep patterns thanks to the start orend of daylight savings time. Russians, for example, began to wake up about a half-hour later each day after President Vladimir Putin shifted the country permanently to “winter time” starting on October 26.Russia’s other late nights and early mornings generally correspond to public holidays. On New Year’s Eve, Russians have the world’s latest bedtime, hitting the hay at around 3:30 a.m.Russians also get up an hour later on International Women’s Day, the day for treating and celebrating female relatives.Similarly, Americans’ late nights, late mornings, and longest sleeps fall on three-day weekends.Canada got the least sleep of the year the night it beat Sweden in the Olympic hockey ( 冰球) final.The World Cup is also chiefly responsible for sleep deprivation (剥夺). The worst night for sleep in the U.K. was the night of the England-Italy match on June 14. Brits stayed up a half-hour later to watch it, and then they woke up earlier than usual the next morning thanks to summer nights,the phenomenon in which the sun barely sets in northern countries in the summertime. That was nothing though, compared to German, Italians, and the French, who stayed up around an hour and a half later on various days throughout the summer to watch the Cup.It should be made clear that not everyone has a device to record their sleep patterns; in some of these nations, it’s like ly that only the richest people do. And people who elect to track their sleep may try to get more sleep than the average person. Even if that’s the case, though, the above findings are still striking. If the most health-conscious among us have such deep swings in our shut-eye levels throughout the year, how much sleep are the rest of us losing.61.What does the author say about people’s sleeping habits?A)They are culture-related.B)They affect people’s health.C)They change with the seasons.D)They vary from person to person.62.What do we learn about the Russians regarding sleep?A)They don’t fall asleep until very late.E)They don’t sleep much on weekends.F)They get less sleep on public holidays.G)They sleep longer than people elsewhere.63.What is the major cau se for Europeans’s loss of sleep?A)The daylight savings time.H)The colorful night life.I)The World Cup.J)The summertime.64.What is the most probable reason for some rich people to use a device to record their sleep patterns?A)They have trouble falling asleep.K)They want to get sufficient sleep.L)They are involved in a sleep research.M)They want to go to bed on regular hours.65.What does the author imply in the last paragraph?A)Sleeplessness does harm to people’s health.N)Few people really know the importance of sleep.O)It is important to study our sleep patterns.P)Average people probably sleep less than the rich. 答案：ABDAC ACCBB。
2015年12月大学英语四级真题及解析
2015年12月英语四级(CET4)真题试卷PartI Writing (30 minutes)For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay commenting on the saying ‚Learning is a daily experience and lifetime mission.‛You can cite examples to illustrate the importance of lifelong learning. You should write atleast 120 words but no more than180words.Part II Listening Comprehension ( 30 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear 8 short conver sat ions and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D), and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.A) They admire the courage of space explorers.B) They enjoyed the movie on space exploration.C) They were going to watch a wonderful movie.D) They like doing scientific exploration very much.2. A) At a gift shop.B) At a graduation ceremony.C) In the office of a travel agency.D) In a school library.3. A) He used to work in the art gallery.B) He does not have a good memory.C) He declined a job offer form the art gallery.D) He is not interested in any part-time jobs.4.A) Susan has been invited to give a lecture tomorrow.B) He will go to the birthday party after the lecture.C) The woman should have informed him earlier.D) He will be unable to attend the birthday party.5.A) Reward those having made good pro gre ss.B) Set a deadline for the staff to meet.C) Assign more workers to the project.D) Encourage the staff to work in small groups.6. A) The way to the visitor’s parking.B) The rate for parking in Lot C.C) How far away the parking lot is.D) Where she can leave her car.7. A) He regrets missing the classes.B) He plans to take the fitness classes.C) He is looking forward to a better life.D) He has benefited form exercise.8.A) How to ? work efficiency.B) How to select secretaries.C)The responsibilities of secretaries.D) The secretaries in the man’s company.Conver sat ion OneQuestions 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.9.A) It is more difficult to learn than English.B) It is used by more people than English.C) It will be as commonly used as English.D) It will eventually bec ome a world language.10.A) It has words words from many languages,B) Its popularity with the common people.C) The influence of the British Empire.D) The effect of the Industrial Revolution.11.A) It includes a lot of words form other languages.B) It has a growing number of newly coined words,C) It can be easily picked up by overseas travelers.D) It is the largest among all languages in the world. Conversation 2Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12.A) To return some goods.B) To apply for a job.C) To place an order.D) To make a complaint.13. A) He has become somewhat impatient with the woman.B) He is not familiar with the exact details of goods.C) He has not worked in the sales department for long.D) He works on a part-time basis for the company.14. A) It is not his responsibility.B) It will be free for large orders.C) It costs 15 more for express delivery.D) It depends on a number of factors.15.A) Report the information to her superior.B) Pay a visit to the saleswoman in charge.C) Ring back when she comes to a decision.D) Make inquiries with some other companies.Section BDirections:In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D ). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet I with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A) No one knows exactly where they were ??B) No one knows for sure when thy came into being.C) No one knows for what purpose they were ?D) No one knows what they will ?????17. A) Carry ropes across rivers.B) Measure the speed of wind.C) Pass on secret messages.D) Give warnings of danger.18. A) To protect houses against lightning.B) To test the effects of the lightning rod.C) To find out the strength of silk for kites.D) To prove the lightning is electricity.Passage TwoQuestions 19 to 22 are based on the passage you have just heard.19.A) She enjoys teaching languages.B) She can speak several languages.C) She was trained to be an interpreter.D) She was born with a talent for languages.20. A) They acquire an immunity to culture shock.B) They would like to live abroad permanently.C) They want to learn as many foreign languages as possible.D) They have an intense interest in cross-cultural interactions.21.A) She bec ame an expert in horse racing.B) She got a chance to visit several European countries.C) She was able to translate for a German sports judge.D) She learned to appreciate classical music.22. A) Taste the beef and give her comment.B) Take part in a cooking competition.C) Teach vocabulary for food in ??D) Give cooking lessons on ????Passage ThreeQuestions 23 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.23. A) He had only a third-grade education.B) He once threatened to kill his teacher.C) He gre w up in a poor ???D) He often helped his ???24.A) Careless.B) Stupid.C) Brave.D) Active.25.A) Write two book reports a week.B) Keep a diary.C) Help with housework.D) Watch education??Section CDirections:In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks with the exact words you have just heard. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.When you look up at the night sky, what do you see？There areother bodies out there besides the moon and stars. One of the most of this is a comet. Comets were formed around the same the earth was formed. They are made up of ice and other frozen liquids and gasses. these dirty snow balls begin to orbit the sun just as the planets do. As a comet gets closer to the sun, some gasses in it begin to unfreeze. They combine with dust particles from the comet to form a huge cloud. As the comet gets even nearer to the sun and solar wind blows the cloud behind the comet thus forming its tail. The tail and generally fuzzy atmosphere around the cometare that can help this phenomenon in the night sky. In any given year，about dozen known comets come close to the sun in their orbits. The average person can’t see them all of course. Usually there is only one or two a year bright enough to be seen with the _________eye. Comet Hale-Bopp discovered in 1995 was an unusually bright comet. Its orbit bought it _________to the earth within 122 million miles of it. But Hale-Bopp came a long way on its earthly visit. It won’t be back for another 4 thousand years or so.Part Ш Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices givenin a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please markthe corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.Questions 36 to 45 are based on the following passage.For many Americans, 2013 ended with an unusually bitter cold spell. November and December 36 early snow and bone-chilling temperatures in much of the country, part of a year when, for the first time in two 37 , record-cold days will likely turn out to have outnumbered record-warm ones. But the U.S. was the exception; November was the warmest ever 38 , and current data indicates that 2013 is likely to have been the fourth hottest year on record.Enjoy the snow now, bec ause 39 are good that 2014 will be even hotter, perhaps the hottest year since records have been kept. That’s because, scientists are predicting, 2014 will be an EI Niuo year.EI niuo, Spanish for ‚the child‛, 40 when surface ocean waters in the southern Pacific become abnormally warm. So large is the Pacific, covering 30% of the planet’s surface, that the 41 energy generated by its warming is enough to touch off a series of weather changes around the world. EI Ninos are 42 with abnormally dry conditions in Southeast Asia and Australia. They can lead to extreme rain in parts of North and South America, even as southern Africa 43 dry weather. Marine life may be affected too; EI Ninos can 44 the rising of the cold, nutrient-rich（营养丰富的）water that supports large fish 45 ,and the unusually warm ocean temperatures can destroy coral(珊瑚).注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
2015年12月大学英语四级考试真题及答案(第三套)
2015年12月大学英语四级考试真题及答案(第3套)Part Ⅰ Writing ( 30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay commenting on the saying" Never go out there to see what happens, go out there to make things happen." You can cit examples to illustrate the importance of being participants rather than mere onlookers in life. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Part Ⅱ Listening Comprehension ( 30 minutes)Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.1 A. Children should be taught to be more careful.B. Children shouldn't drink so much orange juice.C. There is no need for the man to make such a fuss.D. Timmy should learn to do things in the right way.2. A. Fitness training. B. The new job offer.C. Computer programming.D. Directorship of the club.3. A. He needs to buy a new sweater.B. He has got to save on fuel bills.C. The fuel price has skyrocketed.D. The heating system doesn't work.4. A. Committing theft. B. Taking pictures.C. Window shopping.D. Posing for the camera.5. A. She is taking some medicine.B. She has not seen a doctor yet.C. She does not trust the man's advice.D. She has almost recovered from the cough.6. A. Pamela's report is not finished as scheduled.B. Pamela has a habit of doing things in a hurry.C. Pamela is not good at writing research papers.D. Pamela's mistakes could have been avoided.7. A. In the left-luggage office. B. At the hotel reception.C. In a hotel room.D. At an airport.8. A. She was an excellent student at college.B. She works in the entertainment business.C. She is fond of telling stories in her speech.D. She is good at conveying her message.Questions 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.9. A. Arranging the woman's appointment with Mr. Romero.B. Fixing the time for the designer's latest fashion show.C. Talking about an important gathering on Tuesday.D. Preparing for the filming on Monday morning.10.A. Her travel to Japan.B. The awards ceremony.C. The proper hairstyle for her new role.D. When to start the make-up session.11.A. He is Mr. Romero's agent.B. He is an entertainment journalist.C. He is the woman's assistant.D. He is a famous movie star.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12.A. Make an appointment for an interview.B. Send in an application letter.C. Fill in an application form.D. Make a brief self-introduction on the phone.13.A. Someone having a college degree in advertising.B. Someone experienced in business management.C. Someone ready to take on more responsibilities.D. Someone willing to work beyond regular hours.14.A. Travel opportunities. B. Handsome pay.C. Prospects for promotion.D. Flexible working hours.15.A. It depends on the working hours.B. It is about 500 pounds a week.C. It will be set by the Human Resources.D. It is to be negotiated.Section BDirections..In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A., B, C and D..Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the center.Passage OneQuestions 16 to 19 are based on the passage you have just heard.16.A. To give customers a wider range of choices.B. To make shoppers see as many items as possible.C. To supply as many varieties of goods as it can.D. To save space for more profitable products.17.A. On the top shelves. B. On the bottom shelves.C. On easily accessible shelves.D. On clearly marked shelves.18.A. Many of them buy things on impulse.B. A few of them are fathers with babies.C. A majority of them are young couples.D. Over 60% of them make shopping lists.19.A. Sales assistants promoting high margin goods.B. Sales assistants following customers around.C. Customers competing for good bargains.D. Customers losing all sense of time.Passage TwoQuestions 20 to 22 are based on the passage you have just heard.20.A. Teaching mathematics at a school.B. Doing research in an institute.C. Studying for a college degree.D. Working in a hi-tech company21.A. He studied the designs of various clocks.B. He did experiments on different materials.C. He bought an alarm clock with a pig face.D. He asked different people for their opinions.22.A. Its automatic mechanism.B. Its manufacturing process.C. Its way of waking people up.D. Its funny-looking pig face.Passage ThreeQuestions 23 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.23.A. It is often caused by a change of circumstances.B. It actually doesn't require any special treatment.C. It usually appears all of a sudden.D. It generally lasts for several years.24.A. They cannot mix well with others.B. They irrationally annoy their friends.C. They depend heavily on family members.D. They blame others for ignoring their needs.25.A. They lack consistent support from peers.B. They doubt their own popularity.C. They were born psychologically weak.D. They focus too much on themselves.Part Ⅲ Reading Comprehension(40 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given, in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each. choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet2 with a single line through the center. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.Questions 36 to 45 are based on the following passage.Children do not think the way adults do. For most of the first year of life, if something is out of sight, it's out of mind. If you cover a baby's36toy with a piece of cloth, the baby thinks the toyhas disappeared and stops looking for it. A 4-year-old may 37 that a sister has more fruit juice when it is only the shapes of the glasses that differ, not the38 of juice.Yet children are smart in their own way. Like good little scientists, children are always testing their child-sized39 about how things work. When your child throws her spoon on the floor for the sixth time as you try to feed her, and you say, "That's enough! I will not pick up your spoon again!" the child will 40 test your claim. Are you serious? Are you angry? What will happen if she throws the spoon again? She is not doing this to drive you41; rather, she is learning that her desires and yours can differ, and that sometimes those42 are important and sometimes they are not.How and why does children's thinking change? In the 1920s, Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget proposed that children's cognitive (认知的) abilities unfold 43, like the blooming of a flower, almost independent of what else is44in their lives. Although many of his specific conclusions havebeen45 or modified over the years, his ideas inspired thousands of studies by investigators all over the world. A. advocate B. amount C. confirmed D. crazy E. definiteF. differencesG. favoriteH. happeningI. ImmediatelyJ. NaturallyK. Obtaining L. Primarily M. Protest N. Rejected O. theoriesSection BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with, ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.The Perfect EssayA. Looking back on too many years of education, I can identify one truly impossible teacher. She cared about me, and my intellectual life, even when I didn't. Her expectations were high--impossibly so. She was an English teacher. She was also my mother.B. When good students turn in an essay, they dream of their instructor returning it to them in exactly the same condition, save for a single word added in the margin of the final page : "Flawless." This dream came true for me one afternoon in the ninth grade. Of course, I had heard that genius could show itself at an early age, so I was only slightly taken aback that I had achieved perfection at the tender age of 14.Obviously, I did what any professional writer would do; I hurried off to spread the good news. I didn't get very far. The first person I told was my mother.C. My mother, who is just shy of five feet tall, is normally incredibly soft-spoken, but on the rare occasion when she got angry, she was terrifying. I am not sure if she was more upset by my hubris(得意忘形) or by the fact that my English teacher had let my ego get so out of hand. In any event, my mother and her red pen showed me how deeply flawed a flawless essay could be. At the time, I am sure she thought she was teaching me about mechanics, transitions (过渡), structure, style and voice. But what I learned, and what stuck with me through my time teaching writing at Harvard, was a deeper lesson about the nature of creative criticism.D. First off, it hurts. Genuine criticism, the type that leaves a lasting mark on you as a writer, also leaves an existential imprint (印记) on you as a person. I have heard people say that a writer should never take criticism personally. I say that we should never listen to these people.E. Criticism, at its best, is deeply personal, and gets to the heart of why we write the way we do. The intimate nature of genuine criticism implies something about who is able to give it, namely, someone who knows you well enough to show you how your mental life is getting in the way of good writing. Conveniently, they are also the people who care enough to see you through this painful realization. For me it took the form of my first, and I hope only, encounter with writer's block--I was not able to produce anything for three years.F. Franz Kafka once said: "Writing is utter solitude (独处), the descent into the cold abyss (深渊) of oneself." My mother's criticism had shown me that Kafka is right about the cold abyss, and when you make the introspective (内省的) descent that writing requires you are not always pleased by what you find. But, in the years that followed, her sustained tutoring suggested that Kafka might be wrong about the solitude. I was lucky enough to find a critic and teacher who was willing to make the journey of writing with me."It is a thing of no great difficulty," according to Plutarch, "to raise objections against another man's speech, it is a very easy matter; but to produce a better in its place is a work extremely troublesome." I am sure I wrote essays in the later years of high school without my mother's guidance, but I can't recall them. What I remember, however, is how she took up the "extremely troublesome" work of ongoing criticism.G. There are two ways to interpret Plutarch when he suggests that a critic should be able to produce "a better in its place." In a straightforward sense, he could mean that a critic must be more talented than the artist she critiques (评论).My mother was well covered on this count. But perhaps Plutarch is suggesting something slightly different, something a bit closer to Marcus Cicero's claim that one should "criticize by creation, not by finding fault." Genuine criticism creates a precious opening for an author to become better on his own terms--a process that is often extremely painful, but also almost always meaningful.H. My mother said she would help me with my writing, but first I had to help myself. For each assignment, I was to write the best essay I could. Real criticism is not meant to find obvious mistakes, so if she found any--the type I could have found on my own--I had to start from scratch. From scratch. Once the essay was "flawless," she would take an evening to walk me through my errors. That was when true criticism, the type that changed me as a person, began.I. She criticized me when I included little-known references and professional jargon (行话).Shehadno patience for brilliant but irrelevant figures of speech."Writers can't bluff (虚张声势) their way through ignorance." That was news to me--I would need to freed another way to structure my daily existence.J. She trimmed back my flowery language, drew lines through my exclamation marks and argued for the value of restraint in expression."John," she almost whispered. I leaned in to hear her: "I can't hear you when you shout at me." So I stopped shouting and bluffing, and slowly my writing improved.K. Somewhere along the way I set aside my hopes of writing that flawless essay. But perhaps I missed something important in my mother's lessons about creativity and perfection. Perhaps the point of writing the flawless essay was not to give up, but to never willingly finish. Whit man repeatedly reworked "Song of Myself' between 1855 and 1891.Repeatedly.We do our absolute best with a piece of writing, and come as close as we can to the ideal. And, for the time being, we settle. In critique, however, we are forced to depart, to give up the perfection we thought we had achieved for the chance of being even a little bit better. This is the lesson I took from my mother: If perfection were possible, it would not be motivating.46.The author was advised against the improper use of figures of speech.47.The author's mother taught him a valuable lesson by pointing out lots of flaws in his seemingly perfect essay.48.A writer should polish his writing repeatedly so as to get closer to perfection.49.Writers may experience periods of time in their life when they just can't produce anything.50.The author was not much surprised when his school teacher marked his essay as "flawless".51.Criticizing someone's speech is said to be easier than coming up with a better one.52.The author looks upon his mother as his most demanding and caring instructor.53.The criticism the author received from his mother changed him as a person.54.The author gradually improved his writing by avoiding fancy language.55.Constructive criticism gives an author a good start to improve his writing.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 center.Passage OneQuestions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.Could you reproduce Silicon Valley elsewhere, or is there something unique about it?It wouldn't be surprising if it were hard to reproduce in other countries, because you couldn't reproduce it in most of the US either. What does it take to make a Silicon Valley?It's the right people. If you could get the right ten thousand people to move from Silicon Valley to Buffalo, Buffalo would become Silicon Valley.You only need two kinds of people to create a technology hub (中心) : rich people and nerds (痴迷科研的人).Observation bears this out. Within the US, towns have become star, up hubs if and only if they have both rich people and nerds. Few startups happen in Miami, for example, because although it's full of rich people, it has few nerds. It's not the kind of place nerds like.Whereas Pittsburgh has the opposite problem: plenty of nerds, but no rich people.The top US Computer Science departments are said to be MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, and Carnegie-Mellon. MIT yielded Route 128.Stanford and Berkeley yielded Silicon Valley. But what did Carnegie-Mellon yield in Pittsburgh? And what happened in Ithaca, home of Cornell University, which is also high on the list?I grew up in Pittsburgh and went to college at Cornell, so I can answer for both. The weather isterrible, particularly in winter, and there's no interesting old city to make up for it, as there is in Boston. Rich people don't want to live in Pittsburgh or Ithaca. So while there're plenty of hackers (电脑迷) who could start startups, there's no one to invest in themDo you really need the rich people? Wouldn't it work to have the government invest in the nerds?No, it would not. Start up investors are a distinct type of rich people. They tend to have a lot of experience themselves in the technology business. This helps them pick the right startups, and means they can supply advice and connections as well as money. And the fact that they have a personal stake in the outcome makes them really pay attention.56.What do we learn about Silicon Valley from the passage?A. Its success is hard to copy anywhere else.B. It is the biggest technology hub in the US.C. Its fame in high technology is incomparable.D. It leads the world in information technology.57.What makes Miami unfit to produce a Silicon Valley?A. Lack of incentive for investment.B. Lack of the right kind of talents.C. Lack of government support.D. Lack of famous universities.58.In what way is Carnegie-Mellon different from Stanford, Berkeley and MIT?A. Its location is not as attractive to rich people.B. Its science departments are not nearly as good.C. It does not produce computer hackers and nerds.D. It does not pay much attention to business startups.59.What does the author imply about Boston?A. It has pleasant weather all year round.B. It produces wealth as well as high-tech.C. It is not likely to attract lots of investors and nerds.D. It is an old city with many sites of historical interest.60.What does the author say about startup investors?A. They are especially wise in making investments.B. They have good connections in the government.C. They can do more than providing money.D. They are rich enough to invest in nerds.Passage TwoQuestions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.It's nice to have people of like mind around. Agreeable people boost your confidence and allow you to relax and feel comfortable. Unfortunately, that comfort can hinder the very learning that can expand your company and your career.It's nice to have people agree, but you need conflicting perspectives to dig out the truth .If everyone around you has similar views, your work will suffer from confirmation bias (偏颇).Take a look at your own network. Do your contacts share your point of view on most subjects? If yes, it's time to shake things up .As a leader, it can be challenging to create an environment in which people will freely disagree and argue, but as the saying goes: From confrontation comes brilliance.It's not easy for most people to actively seek conflict. Many spend their lives trying to avoid arguments. There's no need to go out and find people you hate, but you need to do some self-assessment to determine where you have become stale in your thinking. You may need to start by encouraging your current network to help you identify your blind spots.Passionate, energetic debate does not require anger and hard feelings to be effective. But it does require moral strength. Once you have worthy opponents, set some ground rules so everyone understands responsibilities and boundaries. The objective of this debating game is not to win but to get to the truth that will allow you to move faster, farther, and better.Fierce debating can hurt feelings, particularly when strong personalities are involved. Make sure you check in with your opponents so that they are not carrying the emotion of the battles beyond the battlefield. Break the tension with smiles and humor to reinforce the idea that this is friendly discourse and that all are working toward a common goal.Reward all those involved in the debate sufficiently when the goals are reached. Let your sparring partners (拳击陪练) know how much you appreciate their contribution. The more they feel appreciated, the more they'll be willing to get into the ring next time.61.What happens when you have like-minded people around you all the while?A. It will help your company expand more rapidly.B. It will create a harmonious working atmosphere.C. It may prevent your business and career from advancing.D. It may make you feel uncertain about your own decisions.62.What does the author suggest leaders do?A. Avoid arguments with business partners.B. Encourage people to disagree and argue.C. Build a wide and strong business network.D. Seek advice from their worthy competitors.63.What is the purpose of holding a debate?A. To find out the truth about an issue.B. To build up people's moral strength.C. To remove misunderstandings.D. To look for worthy opponents.64.What advice does the author give to people engaged in a fierce debate?A. They listen carefully to their opponents' views.B. They show due respect for each other's beliefs.C. They present their views clearly and explicitly.D. They take care not to hurt each other's feelings.65.How should we treat our rivals after a successful debate?A. Try to make peace with them.B. Try to make up the differences.C. Invite them to the ring next time.D. Acknowledge their contribution.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.今年在长沙举行了一年一度的外国人汉语演讲比赛.这项比赛证明是促进中国和世界其他地区文化交流的好方法.它为世界各地的年轻人提供了更好地了解中国的机会.来自87个国家共计126位选手聚集在湖南省省会参加了从7月6日到8月5日进行的半决赛和决赛.比赛并不是唯一的活动.选手们还有机会参观了中国其他地区的著名景点和历史名胜.2015年12月大学英语四级考试真题答案与详解(第3套)Part ⅠWriting这是一篇四级考试中常见的议论文.话题围绕“Never go out there to see what happens，go out there to make things happen.”这句话展开，要求考生进行评论，同时在题目要求中也明确给出了作文主题the importance of being participants rather than mere onlookers in life.考生应该明确这一主题，并围绕其展开论述.一、点明主题：不做看客，要做实践者(being participants instead of onlookers in life)二、分析原因三、提出问题和建议主题词汇put…into practice将……付诸实践carry out执行；实现gain获得accumulate积累gradually逐渐地make a progress取得进步theory理论action行动would rather…than比起……更情愿……stand by袖手旁观句式拓展1.For some people, watching what happens to others is good enough to learn a lesson, while for others, only practicing by themselves can finally make them get the real skills in对一些人而言，看发生在别人身上的事情足以让他们吸取教训，而对于其他人而言，他们只有亲身实践才能最终得到生活中的真正技能.2.No matter how many authentic theories you've got before,nothing will happen until you put them into practice.无论你曾经接受了多少权威的理论，若不付诸实践，一切都无济于事.Part ⅡListening ComprehensionM: I don't know what to do with Timmy. This morning I found orange juice spilled all over the kitchen floor.W: Don't be so hard on him. He's only four.Q: What does the woman mean?C.四个选项中出现了children，careful，juice和Timmy等词，故推测本题考查的内容与孩子的行为相关.对话中，男士抱怨说他都不知道该拿蒂米怎么办了，今天早上，他发现桔子汁在厨房洒了一地，而女士则说，别对蒂米太严厉了，他才四岁.由此可见，女士认为男士不用小题大做，故答案为C..2.W: Excuse me, sir. I would like to know about the fitness training program in your club.M: I'll have you speak with the director in charge of new accounts.Q: What is the woman interested in?A.四个选项均为名词短语，且出现了fitness，job，computer和club等词，故推测本题考查的内容与健身或者工作相关.对话中，女士向男士询问俱乐部健身锻炼的事情，男士则说他会带着女士去找专门负责新会员的经理.由此可知，女士是对俱乐部健身锻炼感兴趣，故答案为A..3.W: It's really cold in this apartment. Can we turn up the heat a little bit?M: Sorry. I've run out of money and can hardly pay the fuel bill. Maybe you'd better put on a sweater. Q: what does the man mean?B.四个选项中出现了sweater，save，fuel bills和heating等词，故推测本题考查的内容与寒冷天气以及取暖相关.对话中，女士说她觉得很冷，问能不能把暖气开大一点，而男士则表示抱歉，说自己没钱了，都快付不起燃料费账单了，建议女士穿上毛衣.由此可知，男士想要节省燃料费，故答案为B.4.M: I'm sorry, Miss. But you have to come with me to the security office. The video cameras in our shop have recorded everything you did.W: No, no. I...I didn't do anything. I'll call the police if you dare insult me.Q: What does the man think the woman was doing?A.四个选项均为动名词短语，且出现了theft，pictures，shopping和camera等词，故推测本题考查的内容与商店里发生的事情相关.对话中，男士要将女士带到保安室去，并说商店里的摄像头已经把女士所做的事都录下来了，而女士则表示自己什么都没有做，如果男士敢侮辱她的话，她就报警.由此可知，男士认为女士偷了商店里的东西，故答案为A.5.M: I think you ought to see a doctor right away about that cough.W: Well, I'll wait a few more days.I'm sure I'll get over it soon.Q: What do we learn about the woman?B.选项均以she开头，且出现了medicine，doctor和cough等词，故推测本题考查的内容与女士的健康状况相关.男士说女士应该马上去看医生，而女士则说再等几天，她相信自己的咳嗽很快就会好的.由此可知，直到本对话发生时，女士都还没有去看医生，故答案为B..6.M: I've heard that Pamela made quite a few mistakes in her lab report.W: Well, she wouldn't have if she hadn't been in such a hunt to get it done.Q: What does the woman imply?D.四个选项均提到了Pamela，且出现了report，hurry，writing和mistakes等词，故推测本题考查的内容与帕米拉的报告相关.对话中，男士说他听说帕米拉的实验报告出了很多错，而女士则说，如果她不是那么急着做完的话，就不会出这么多的错.由此可知，帕米拉实验报告中的错误本来是可以避免的，故答案为D..7.M: We'd better check out before 12 o'clock, Marry. And now there are only 30 minutes left.W: Let's hurry up. You go pay the bill and I'll call the reception to have our luggage taken downstairs. Q : Where did this conversation most probably take place?C.四个选项均是表示地点的介词短语，故推测本题考查的内容与对话发生的地点相关.对话中，男士说他们最好能在中午l2点之前退房，现在只剩半小时了，女士建议加快速度，并让男士去付账，她自己给前台打电话，叫人把行李送到楼下.由此可知，对话发生的时候，两人还没有开始办理退房手续，还在宾馆的房间里，故答案为C..8.W: Have you ever heard this speaker before?M: Yeah. She's excellent. She gets her point across and it's entertaining at the same time.Q: what does the man say about the speaker?D.四个选项均以she开头，且出现了college，works，speech和message等词，可以推测本题考查的内容与女士的情况相关.对话中，女士问男士以前是否听过这个演讲者的讲座，男士说他听过，并认为这位演讲的女士很棒，她不仅将自己的观点表达得很清楚，而且讲得很有趣.由此可知，这位女演讲者擅长传达自己想要传达的信息，故答案为D..Conversation OneM: (8) What should I do about Mr. Romero? Remember? He said it was important and couldn't wait. I think he may want you for that new movie he's directing.W: That's absolutely correct.(9) Now, we have to fit him in somewhere. Uh...what does Monday morning look like?M: That doesn't look so good. You have a make-up session starting at 6:00, then filming starts at 8:00, and that's going to take the whole morning.W: Well, what's after that?M: (10) You have lunch with your agent to discuss the awards ceremony and you'll have to meet him at one o'clock at the restaurant.W: Oh, terrific! Listen. I cannot miss that. But I still have to make time for Mr. Romero.M: Well, now, don't forget you got a three-o'clock appointment with your fashion designer.W: That's right. You know he's showing the latest fashions from Japan? You know that loose-fitting look?Those clothes are so in this year.M: At 4:30 you have an appointment with your hairdresser. Then at 7:00, you have dinner with a journalist. Now remember, be nice to that guy.W: Do I have to? That won't be easy and it's likely to run late. How does Tuesday look?M: Well, you have to spend the whole morning at the photographer's. They are taking photos to publicize your new movie.W: What about the afternoon? Am I free then?M: Let me see...Yes, you are free after 3:30.W: Then you can set up a meeting with Mr. Romero at 4:00.M: OK.(11) I'll get on it right away.预览三道题各选项，其中出现了the woman’s appointment，her travel，awards ceremony和make-up session等词，因此推测对话内容可能与女士的工作安排相关.9.What are the speakers doing?A.对话开头男士说罗梅罗先生急着见女士，可能是想让女士出演他导演的新电影，女士说一定得把他安排进来.由此可以推断，对话中的两人正在安排女士的时间，好让她能够与罗梅罗先生见面，故答案为A..10.What is the woman going to discuss with her agent over lunch on Monday?B.对话中，男士告诉女士她周一需要和自己的经纪人吃午饭，讨论一下关于颁奖仪式的事情，故答案为B..11.What do we learn from the conversation about the man?C.对话中，男士和女士一起讨论女士的日程安排，从第一句罗梅罗先生想要让女士出演他导演的新电影可知，女士是位电影演员，而男士对女士的日程安排非常了解，并且由最后一句可知，男士服从女士的安排.综合这些内容可以推断出，男士是女士的助理，故答案为C.. Conversation TwoM: I'm phoning up about this job you advertised in the paper. This...er...young sales manager?W: Oh, yes.M: I'd like to apply for it. Would you send me an application form?W: (12) No. You simply send in a written application, a letter.M: Can you tell me a bit more about the job?W: (13) Well, we are very looking for someone who isn't too concerned about working fairly long hours.M: What do you mean by long hours?W: (13) This is a job which does, as the advertisement says, have travel possibilities, and very often, one would be away at weekends, for instance.M: Oh, I thought you meant working in the evenings and working overtime.W: Well, it could also mean working in the evenings. But for a managerial post, I'm afraid we don't pay over time. Um...that's for other grades.M: Oh. What kind of money are you paying then?W: (15) Well, this is to be negotiated. Uh, it depends partly on your experience and education. Perhaps you can tell me briefly what that is?M: I've just left school and got A level in geography.。
大学英语四级考试真题（四）
大学英语四级考试真题（四）大学英语四级考试真题（四）Passage FourQuestions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage.Why does cram go bad faster than butter? Some researchers think they have the a nswer, and it comes down to the structure of the food, not its chemical composition—a finding that could help rid some processed foods of chemical preservatives.Cream and butter contain pretty much the same substances, so why cream should sour much faster has been a mystery. Both are emulsions—tiny globules (小球体) of one liquid evenly distributed throughout another. The difference lies in what’s in the globules and what’s in the surrounding liquid, says Brocklehurst, who led the investigation.In cream, fatty globules drift about in a sea of water. In butter, globules of a wate ry solution are locked away in a sea of fat. The bacteria which make the food go bad prefer to live in the watery regions of the mixture. “This means that in crea m, the bacteria are free to grow throughout the mixture,” he says.When the situation is reversed, the bacteria are locked away in compartments (隔仓室) buried deep in the sea of fat. Trapped in this way, individual colonies cannot sprea d and rapidly run out of nutrients (养料). They also slowly poison themselves with their waste products. “In butter, you g et a self-limiting system which stops the bacteria growing,” says Brocklehurst.The researchers are already working with food companieskeen to see if their pro ducts can be made resistant to bacterial attack through alterations to the food’s structure. Brocklehurst believes it will be possible to make the emulsions used in sal ad cream, for instance, more like that in butter. The key will be to do this while keeping the salad cream liquid and not turning it into a solid lump.36. The significance of Brocklehurst’s research is that ________.A) it suggested a way to keep some foods fresh without preservatives B) it disco vered tiny globules in both cream and butterC) it revealed the secret of how bacteria multiply in cream and butter D) it found that cream and butter share the same chemical composition37. According to the researchers, cream sours fast than butter becausebacteria ________.A) are more evenly distributed in cream B) multiply more easily in cream than in butter C) live on less fat in cream than in butter D) produce less waste in cream than i n butter38. According to Brocklehurst, we can keep cream fresh by ________.A) removing its fat B) killing the bacteria C) reducing its water content D) altering its structure39. The word “colonies” (Line 2, Para. 4) refers to ________.A) tiny globules B) watery regions C) bacteria communitiesD) little compartme nts40. Commercial application of the research finding will be possible ifsalad cream can be made resistant to bacterial attack ________.A) by varying its chemical composition B) by turning it into a solid lump C) whil e keeping its structure unchanged D) while retaining its liquid form大学英语四六级考试让很多同学痛苦不已，几次三番无法通过，四六级考试难度增加了不少。