2016年_英语专业四级听力真题__(听力文本)
2016年专四真题听力原文
听写Think Positive and Feel PositiveAre you confident or insecure in a difficult situation? Do you react positively or negatively? The answer may depend in part on whom you're around.A study found that negative thinking can be contagious in some cases. For example, the researchers studied 103 college roommates. They measured each roommate's tendency towards negative thinking. It was found that thinking patterns can be contagious.Students with a negative-thinking roommate became more depressed themselves. And students with more positive-thinking roommates were more likely to become more positive as well.TalkWhat Is Grit?Good afternoon, everyone. （1）Today, I would like to talk about my research project concerning the key to success. I would like to start my topic with my own story.When I was 27 years old, I left for a demanding job: teaching seventh graders math in the New York City public schools. And like any teacher, I made quizzes and tests. I gave out homework assignments. When the work came back, I calculated grades.What struck me was that IQ was not the only difference between my best and my worst students. Some of my strongest performers did not have super IQ scores. Some of my smartest kids weren't doing so well.Then I felt very interested in knowing the reason why the students' math performance is not that closely related to their IQ scores. （2）I started studying kids and adults in all kinds of challenging settings, and in every study my question was, who is successful here and why.My research team and I went to West Point Military Academy. We tried to predict which students would stay in military training and which would drop out. (3)We went to the National Spelling Contest and tried to predict which children would advance furthest in competition. We worked with private companies, asking, which of these salespeople is going to keep their jobs? And who's going to earn the most money.We went to many places, and finally one characteristic emerged as a significant predictor of success. And it wasn't social intelligence. It wasn't good looks, physical health, and it wasn't IQ. It was grit.What is grit?(4)Well, grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. (5)Grit is sticking with your future, day in, day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but foryears, and working really hard to make future a reality.(6) Grit is living your life like it's a marathon, not a sprint.A few years ago, I started studying grit in the Chicago public schools. I asked thousands of high school juniors to take grit questionnaires, and then waited around more than a year to see who would graduate. (7)It turned out that grittier kids were significantly more likely to graduate, even when I matched them on every characteristic I could measure, things like family income, test scores and so on.To me, the most shocking thing about grit is how little we know, how little science knows, about building it. Every day, parents and teachers ask me, "How do I build grit in kids? How do I keep them motivated for the long run? "Our data shows very clearly that there are many talented individuals who simply do not follow through on their commitment. (8)In fact, in our data, grit is usually unrelated to measures of talent.So far, the best idea I've heard about building grit in kids is something called "growth mindset." (9)Growth mindset is the belief that the ability to learn is not fixed, that it can change with your effort.(10) Kids with grit are much more likely to persevere when they fail, because they don't believe that failure is a permanent condition.So growth mindset is a great idea for building grit. But we need more. And that's where I'm going to end my talk, because that's where we are. That's the work that stands before us. We have to be willing to fail, to be wrong, to start over again with lessons learned.As a conclusion, we need to be gritty about getting our kids grittier.Next time, I would like to share with you my experience in building up students' grit.CONVERSATION ONEW: Hello, This is Kate Smith, I'm calling from ABC Company.M: Oh, hello, Kate. Great to hear from you.W: You've already been told that you've been shortlisted for interview...M: Oh, yes...W: Well, we're very excited about meeting you. （1）OK, I just want to talk you through the procedure for the day. Someone will meet you when you arrive, and then bring you up to meet myself and Arthur Miller, the CEO.M: OK, sounds good. So will you be the only members of the interview panel there then?W: Yes, it'll be just me and Arthur who will talk to you. The interview will be in three parts---first of all we'll ask you some general questions about yourself and your educational and professional background, and then we'll move on to specifics.M: Oh, um, specifics? Well er, what kind of questions will you be asking?W: Well, it'll be very similar to the personal statement you submitted with your CV — we'll be expecting you to... to give actual examples of problems you've faced and solved, and of what you feel are the major successes in your career so far.M: OK. Well, yeah, that sounds great — can't wait!W:（2） Then there'll be a chance for you to ask us any questions — about the job itself, or ABC Company in general...M: Oh, um, OK... I'll think of something!W:（3/4）After that, we'd like you to give a short presentation on how you see ABC Company as a company progressing, and how you see yourself taking us there.M: OK, so will I be expected to give like a formal style presentation?W: It can be as formal or informal as you like. There'll be a computer and a data projector there available. If you need anything else, just let us know.M: Oh, um... OK, a presentation! I'll think of something. I haven't done one of those in a while... W: Is that all clear?M: Yes.W:（5）Great! So, Daniel, I'll see you at 11 a.m., Thursday next week.M: OK, great. I look forward to meeting you! Thanks, bye.W: Bye.Questions 1 to 5 are based on Conversation One.1. Why does the woman call the man?2. What kind of questions can the man ask in the interview?3. Which is the last part of the interview?4. What might be expected from the man's presentation?5. When is the interview scheduled?CONVERSATION TWOW: It says a growing number of students are making a major hole from the minute they enter the real world because they are already, some of them, more than 100, 000 dollars in debt. With usnow is Mark Spencer, he is the senior financial analyst for SBC Bank. Welcome to you.M: Thank you. Nice to be with you.W: Now I guess there are two kinds of debts: good debt and bad debt. Where does this go?M: (7)Well, student loan debt is traditionally considered good debt, but the problem for many students and their families is that the cost of colleges has been going up at 6 to 8% a year, far faster than the income, far faster than the standard of living. That means debt's taking on a bigger and bigger role in financing education.W: (6-1)How much debt is too much debt for, for one student?M: (8)Well, one guideline is that you look at the first year's salary in your field after graduation, and use that as a barometer, but even then...W: Is that right?M: Well, you are talking big payments even in that instance, for example, 30, 000 dollars worth of debt. If you are gonna repay that over 10 years, you are talking more than 300 dollars a month at, in payments every month for 10 years.W: (6-2)But there is surely more than one way to get a loan for college. There are government programs. There are so many kinds of grants. What's, what's the best advice for people who are looking for these loans to try to keep themselves from going under.M: I understand that loans are just one way of college finance. Take advantage of the other opportunities. (9)Things like a college savings plan, let, let you save on a tax advantage basis. So you can put money away in these accounts and withdraw tax-free to pay for that education.W: So it's important to start early and that really reduces that reliance on debt later.M: (6-3)Another thing, leave no stone unturned, looking at grants, scholarships, even on-campus jobs. I mean every dollar you get that way is seen as another dollar you don't have to borrow later.W: (10-1)The kinds of jobs that so many students, the fresh off students, like to go into, er, charity stuff, volunteer work. This debt is eliminating a lot of that, isn't it?M:(10-2) I think that's the social cost. Really, I mean, you know, when you consider that, you know, people may pass up a rewarding career in charitable work, or non-profit organization because they have to get a higher salary someplace else to pay off that debt.W: Yeah, that's for sure. Mark Spencer, senior financial analyst from SBC Bank.Mark, good you could be here.M: Thank you.6. What is the interview mainly about?7. How does the cost of college education change every year?8. What is used to measure student loan debt as a guideline?9. What is the advantage of joining a college savings plan?10. What is the possible social cost of a college loan?。
专四2016年英语专业四级真题和答案
专四2016年英语专业四级真题和答案2016年英语专业四级考试真题试卷（含听力和原文）第一部分：真题试卷TEST FOR ENGLISH MAJORS(2016)-GRADE FOUR-TIME LIMIT: 130 MIN PART ⅠDICTATION [10 MIN] Listen to the following passage. Altogether the passage will be read to you four times. During the first reading, which will be done at normal speed, listen and try to understand the meaning. For the second and third reading, the passage will be read sentence by sentence, or phrase by phrase, with intervals of 15 seconds. The last reading will be done at normal speed again and during this time you should check your work. You will then be given ONE minute to check through your work once more.Please write the whole passage on ANSWER SHEET ONE.音频：关注公众号“超能资料库”回复关键词“专四”获取免费音频PART ⅡLISTENING COMPERHESION [20 MIN] SECTION A TALKIn this section you will hear a talk. You will hear the talk ONCE ONLY. While listening, you may look at the task on ANSWER SHEET ONE and write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each gap. Make sure what you fill in is both grammatically and semantically acceptable. You may use the blank sheet for note-taking.You have THIRTY seconds to preview the gap-filling task.Now listen to the talk. When it is over, you will be given TWO minutes to check your work.SECTION B CONVERSATINSIn this section you will hear two conversations. At the end of each conversation, five questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversations and the questions will be spoken ONCE ONLY. After each question there will be a ten-second pause. During the pause, you should read the four choices of [A], [B], [C] and [D], and mark the best answer to each question on ANSWER SHEET TWO.You have THIRTY seconds to preview the questions.Now listen to the conversations.Conversation One1.[A] To tell the man that he has been shortlisted for interview.[B]To ask the man a few questions about his interview.[C]To explain to the man how to make a presentation.[D]T o tell the man the procedure of the interview.2.[A] Questions related to the job.[B]General questions about himself.[C]Specific questions about his CV.[D]Questions about his future plan.3.[A] Questions from the interviewers.[B]Questions from the interviewee.[C]Presentation from the interviewee.[D]Requests from the interviewee.4.[A] Educational and professional background.[B]Problems be has faced and solved.[C]Major successes in his career so far.[D]Company future and his contribution.5.[A] 11 a. m., next Tuesday. [B] 11 a. m., next Thursday.[C] 9 a. m., this Tuesday. [D] 9 a. m., this Thursday.Conversation Two6.[A] The disadvantages of college loans.[B]Government financing in college education.[C]How to handle the problem of college loans.[D]How college students pay for their education.7.[A] It has increased by 6 to 8%.[B]It has increased by 8 to 10%.[C]It has decreased by 6 to 8%.[D]It has decreased by 8 to 10%.8.[A] Student’s family income.[B]First year salary after graduation.[C]A fixed amount of 30,000 dollars.[D]Payment in the next ten years.9.[A] Students can borrow money first.[B]Students pay no tax on savings.[C]Students pay less tax after graduation.[D]Students withdraw without paying tax.10.[A] Giving up charitable or volunteer work.[B]Neglecting their study at college.[C]Giving up further education.[D]Neglecting high salary in job-seeking.PART ⅢLANGUAGE USAGE [10 MIN] There are twenty sentences in this section. Beneath each sentence there are four options marked [A]. [B], [C] and [D]. Choose one word phrase that best completes the sentence.Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET TWO.11.How can I concentrate if you continually me with silly questions?[A] have… interrupted [B] had… inter rupted[C] are… interrupting[D] were… interrupting12.A mong the four sentences below, Sentence express the highest degree of possibility.[A]It may take a long time to find a solution to the problem.[B]It might take a long time to find a solution to the problem.[C]It could take a long time to find a solution to the problem.[D]It should take a long time to find a solution to the problem.13.She is a better speaker than in the class.[A] any boy [B] the other boys [C] other any girl [D] all the girls14.Nobody heard him sing, ?[A] did one [B] did he [C] didn’t they [D] did they15.I can’t put up with .[A]that friend of you [B] that friend of yours[C] the friend of you [D] the friend of yours16.There has been an increasing number of in primary schools in past few years.[A]man teacher [B] men teacher [C] man teachers [D] men teachers17.This is one of the issues that deserve .[A] being mentioned [B] mentioning [C] to mention [D] for mention18.The audience excited on seeing favorite star glide onto the stage.[A] were… their [B] were… its [C] was… their [D] was… one’s19. your advice, I would have made the wrong decision.A. ample F. genuinely K. scantB. combinationsG. insteadL. shapedC. directlyD. disseminatedH. lists I. promulgatedM. sophisticated N. transplantedE. generationsJ. publicizedO. virtual[A] Hadn’t it been for [B] Had it not been for[C] Had it been for [D] Had not it been for20.The sentence I wish I had been more careful in spending money express the speaker’s.[A]hope [B] joy [C] regret [D] relief21.T he Attorney General ordered a federal autopsy of Brown’s body, seeking to the family and community there would be a thorough investigation into his death.[A]ensure [B] insure [C] assure [D] ascertain22.T he police department came under strong criticism for both the death of an unarmed and its handling of the .[A]consequence [B] outcome [C] result [D] aftermath23.The Foreign Secretary tried to doubts about his handling of the crisis.[A] dispel [B] expel [C] repel [D] quell24.Mutual funds are thus best for investors who don’t want to take the time to study stocks in detail or whothe resources to build a portfolio.[A]deprive [B] lack [C] yearn [D] attain25.Chris ran John at a sporting-goods trade show and the two quickly struck an easy rapport.[A]into…up[B] on…into[C] across…on[D] against…into26.“I’m leaving the country soon,” he told a convened group of reporters.[A] especially [B] particularly [C] specially [D] specifically27.Israel and Hamas had reached a deal on extending the ceasefire by an extra 24 hours until Tuesday at midnight.[A]contemporary [B] makeshift [C] spontaneous [D] temporary28.to unplugging the alarm clock and trusting your ability to wake on time on your own, you should probably ease yourself into the new arrangement by keeping a very regular schedule for several weeks.[A]Due [B] Prior [C] Related [D] Thanks29.I f you are an athlete, strong abdominal muscles help you ensure a strong back and freedom from injury during upper-body movement.[A]valiant [B] variable [C] vigilant [D] vigorous30.F inning is a cruel in which the shark’s fins are lopped off, and the live shark is thrown back to sea.[A]reality [B] truth [C] practice [D] skillPART ⅣCLOZE [10 MIN] Decide which of the words given in the box below would best complete the passage if inserted in the corresponding blank. The words can be used ONCE ONLY. Mark the letter for each word on ANSWER SHEET TWO.Imagine a world without writing. Obviously there would be no books: no novels, no encyclopedias, no cookbooks, no textbooks, no telephone books, no scriptures, no diaries, no travel guides. There would be no ball-points, no typewriters, no computers, no Internet, no magazines, no movie credits, no shopping lists, no newspapers, no tax returns. But such (31) of subjects almost miss the point. The world we live in has been indelibly marked by the written word, (32) by the technology of writing over thousands of years. Ancient kingsproclaimed their authority and (33) their laws in writing. Scribes administered great empires by writing, their knowledge of recording and retrieving information essential to governing complex societies. Religious traditions were passed on through (34) , and spread to others, in writing. Scientific and technological progress was achieved and (35) through writing. Accounts in trade and commerce could be kept because of writing. Nearly every step of civilization has been mediated through writing. A world without writing would bear (36) resemblance to the one we now live in. Writing is a (37) necessity to the societies anthropologists call civilizations. A civilization is distinguished from other societies by the complexity of its social organization, by its construction of cities and large public buildings, and by the economic specialization of its members, many of whom are not (38) involved in food procurement or production. A civilization, with its taxation and tribute systems, its trade and its public works, requires a (39) system of record keeping. And so the early civilizations of Egypt, China, and (probably) India all developed a system of writing. Only the Peruvian civilization of the Incas and their predecessors did not use writing but (40) invented a system of keeping records on knotted color-coded strings known as quipu.PART ⅤREADING COMPREHENSION [35MIN] SECTION A MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONSIn this section there are three passages followed by ten multiple choice questions. For each multiple choice question, there are four suggested answers marked [A], [B], [C] and [D]. Choose the one that you think is the best answer and mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET TWO.PASSAGE ONE(1)When I was twenty-seven years old, I was a mining-broker’s cle rk in San Francisco, and an expert in all the details of stock traffic. I was alone in the world, and had nothing to depend upon but my wits and a clean reputation; but these were setting my feet in the road to eventual fortune, and I was content with the prospect. My time was my own after the afternoon board, Saturdays, and I was accustomed to putting it in on a little sail-boat on the bay. One day I ventured too far, and was carried out to sea. Just at nightfall, when hope was about gone, I was picked up by a small ship which was bound for London. It was a long and stormy voyage, and they made me work my passage without pay, as a common sailor. When I stepped ashore in London my clothes were ragged and shabby, and I had only a dollar in my pocket. This money fed and sheltered me twenty-four hours. During the next twenty-four I went without food and shelter.(2)About ten o’clock on the following morning, dirty and hungry, I was dragging myself along Portland Place, when a child that was passing, towed by a nurse-maid, tossed a big pear—minus one bite—into the gutter. I stopped, of course, and fastened my desiring eye on that muddy treasure. My mouth watered for it, my stomach craved it, my whole being begged for it. But every time I made a move to get it some passing eye detected my purpose, and of course I straightened up then, and looked ind ifferent and pretended that I hadn’t been thinking about the pear at all. This same thing kept happening and happening, and I couldn’t get the pear.(3)I was just getting desperate enough to brave all the shame, and to seize it, when a window behind me was raised, and a gentleman spoke out of it, saying: “ Step in here,please.”(4)I was admitted by a man servant, and shown into a sumptuous room where a couple of elderly gentlemen were sitting. They sent away the servant, and made me sit down. They had just finished their breakfast, and the sight of the remains of it almost overpowered me. I could hardly keep my wits together in the presence of that food, but as I was not asked to sample it,I had to bear my trouble as best as I could.(5)Now, something had been happening there a little before, which I did not know anything about until a good many days afterwards, but I will tell you about it now. Those two old brothers had been having a pretty hot argument a couple of days before, and had ended by agreeing to decide it by a bet, which is the English way ofsettling everything.(6)You will remember that the Bank of England once issued two notes of a million pounds each, to be used for a special purpose connected with some public transaction with a foreign country. For some reason or other only one of these had been used and canceled; the other still lay in the vaults of the Bank. Well, the brothers chatting along, happened to get to wondering what might be the fate of a perfectly honest and intelligent stranger who should be turned adrift in London without a friend, and with no money but that million-pound bank-note, and no way to account for his being in possession of it. Brother A said he would starve to death; Brother B said he wouldn’t. Brother A said he coul dn’t offer it at a bank or anywhere else, because he would be arrested on t he spot. So they went on disputing till Brother B said he would bet twenty thousand pounds that the man would live thirty days, anyway, on that million, and keep out of jail, too. Brother A took him up. Brother B went down to theBank and bought that note. Then he dictated a letter, which one of his clerks wrote out in a beautiful round hand, and then the two brothers sat at the window a whole day watching for the right man to give it to.(7)I finally became the pick of them.41.In Para. 1, the phrase “set my feet” probably means .A. put me asideB. prepare meC. let me walkD. start my journey42.It can be concluded from Para. 2 that .A.the man wanted to maintain dignity though starvedB.the man could not get a proper chance to eat the pearC.the man did not really want the pear since it was dirtyD.it was very difficult for the man to get the pear/doc/5615631332.html,pared with Brother A, Brother B was more towards the effect of the one-million-pound bank-note on a total strange.A.neutralB. negativeC. reservedD. positivePASSAGE TWO(1)The concept of peace is a very important one in cultures all over the world. Think about how we greet people. In some language, the phrases for greetings contain the word for peace. In some cultures we greet people by shaking hands or with another gesture to show that we are not carrying weapons —that we come in peace. And there are certain symbols which people in very different cu ltures recognize as representing peace. Let’slook at a few of them.The dove(2)The dove has been a symbol of peace and innocence for thousands of years in many different cultures. In ancient Greek mythology it was a symbol of love and the renewal of life. In ancient Japan a dove carrying a sword symbolized the end of war.(3)There was a tradition in Europe that if dove flew around a house where someone was dying then their soul would be at peace. And there are legends which say that devil can turn himself into any bird except for a dove. In Christian art, the dove was used to symbolized the Holy Ghost and was often p ainted above Christ’s head.(4)But it was Pablo Picasso who made the dove a modern symbol of peace when he used it on a poster for the World Peace Congress in 1949.The rainbow(5)The rainbow is another ancient and universal symbol, often representing the connection between human beings and their gods. In Greek mythology it was associated with Iris, the goddess who brought messages from the gods on Mount Olympus. In Scandinavian mythology the rainbow was a bridge between the gods and the earth. In the Bible a rainbow showed Noah that the Biblical flood was finally over, and that God had forgiven his people. In the Chinese tradition, the rainbow is a common symbol for marriage because the colours represent the union of yin and yang. Nowadays the rainbow is used by many popular movements for peace and the environment, representingthe possibility of a better world in the future and promising sunshine after rain.Mistletoe(6)This plant was sacred in many cultures, generally representing peace and love. Most people know of the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe at Christmas time, which probably comes from Scandinavian mythology. The goddess Freya’s son was killed by an arrow made of mistletoe, so, in honour of him, she declared that it would always be a symbol of peace. It was often hung in doorways as a sign of friendship.(7)The ancient Druids believed that hanging mistletoe in your doorway could protect you from evil spirits. Tribes would stop fighting for a period of time if they found a tree with mistletoe. But you will never see mistletoe in a Christian church —it is banned because of its associations with pagan religion and superstition.The olive branch(8)The olive tree has always been a valuable source of food and oil. In Greek mythology, the goddess Athena gave the olive tree to the people of Athens, who showed their gratitude by naming the city after her. But no one knows for sure when or why it began to symbolize peace. There is probably a connection with ancient Greece. Wars between states were suspended during the Olympics Games, and the winners were given crowns of olive branches. The symbolism may come from the fact that the olive tree takes a long time to produce fruit, so olives could only be cultivated successfully in long periods of peace. Whatever the history, the olive branch is a part of many modern flags symbolizing peace and unity. One well-known example is the United Nations symbol.The ankh(9)The ankh is an ancient symbol which was adopted by thehippie movement in the 1960s to represent peace and love. It was found in many Asian cultures, but is generally associated with ancient Egypt. It represented life and immortality. Egyptians were buried with an ankh, so that they could continue to live in the “afterworld”. The symbol was also found alon g the sides of the Nile, which gave life to the people. They believed that the ankh could control the flow of the river and make sure that there was always enough water.44.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?A.Concept of Peace.B. Popular Peace Symbols.C. Origin of Peace Symbols.D. Cultural Difference of Peace.45.The rainbow represents the connection between human beings and their gods in all the following countries EXCEPT .A.SwedenB. GreeceC. FinlandD. China46.In North Europe mistletoe was often hung in doorways to indicate .A.friendshipB. loveC. kinshipD. honour47.The origin of the ankh can date back to .A.the NileB. the “afterword”C. the hippie movementD. ancient EgyptPASSAGE THREE(1)Two sides almost never change: That you can manipulate people into self-sufficiency and that you can punish them into good citizenship.(2)The first manifests itself in our tireless search for the magical level at which welfare grants are big enough to meet basic needs but small enough to make low-paid work attractive. The second has us looking to the criminal justice system to cure behavior that is as much as anything the result of despair.(3)The welfare example is well known. We don’t want poor people to live in squalor or their children to be malnourished. But we also don’t want to subsidize the indolence of people who are too lazy to work. The first impulse leads us to provide housing, food stamps, medical care and a cash stipend for families in need. The second gets us to think abo ut “workforce”.(4)We’ve been thinking about it for two reasons: the “nanny” pro blems of two high-ranking government officials (who hired undocumented foreigners as household helpers, presumably because they couldn’t findAmericans to do the work) and Pre sident Clinton’s proposal to put a two-year limit on welfare.(5)Maybe something useful will come of Clinton’s idea, but I’m not all that hopeful. It looks to me like one more example of trying to manipulate people into taking care of themselves.(6)On the criminal justice side, we hope to make punishment tough enough to discourage crime but not so tough as to clog our prisons with relatively minor offenders. Too short a sentence, we fear, will create contempt for the law. Too long a sentence will take up costly space better used for the violent and unremorseful.(7)Not only can we never find the “perfect” punishment,our search for optimum penalties is complicated by our desire for fairness: to let the punishment fit the crime. The problem is that almost any punishment—even the disgrace of being charged with a crime—is sufficient to deter the middle class, while for members of the underclass, probation may be translated as “I beat it”.(8)So how can you use the system —welfare or criminal justice —to produce the behavior we want? The answer, I suspect is: You can’t.(9)We keep trying to use welfare and prison to change people—to make them think and behave the way we do —when the truth is the incentives work only for those who already think the way we do: who view today’s action with an eye on the future.(10)We will take lowly work (if that is all that’s available) because we believe we can make bad jobs work for us. We avoid crime not because we are better people but because we see getting caught as a future-wrecking disaster. We are guided by a belief that good things will happen for us in the future if we take proper care of the present. Even under the worst of circumstances, we believe we are in control of our lives.(11)And we have trouble understanding that not everybody believes as we believe. The welfare rolls, the prison and the mean street of our cities are full of people who have given up on their future. Without hope for the future, hard work at a low-paid job makes no sense. Working hard in school, or pleasing a boss, or avoiding pregnancy makes no sense. The deadly disease is hopelessness. The lawlessness and poverty are only the obvious symptoms.(12)I’m not advocating that we stop looking for incentivesto move poor people toward self-sufficiency or that we stop punishing people for criminal behavior. There will always be some people who need help and some who deserve to be in jail.(13)All I’m saying is that the long-term answer both to welfare and the crime that plagues our communities is not to fine tune the welfare and criminal justice systems but to prevent our children from getting the disease of despair.(14)If we encourage our young people to believe in the future, and give them solid evidence for believing, we’ll find both crime and poverty shrinking to manag eable proportions.48.What is the author’s attitude towards Clinton’s proposal to welfare?A.Pessimistic.B. Optimistic.C. Suspicious.D. Sarcastic.49.It can be inferred from Para. 7 that optimum penalties are to the underclass.A.hopelessB. uselessC. frighteningD. humiliating50.Which of the following is the most appropriate title for the passage?A. Lawlessness and Poverty.B. Criminal Justice System.C. Welfare Grants.D. Disease of Despair.SECTION B SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONSIn this section there are five short answer questions based onthe passages in Section A. Answer the questions with NO more than TEN words in the space provided on ANSWER SHEET TWO.PASSAGE ONE51.In Para. 4, what does the man mean by saying “I had to bear my trouble”?52.What can be inferred from the last sentence of the passage?PASSAGE TWO53.Why does the UN use the olive branch in its symbol?PASSAGE THREE54.According to the author, what balance should we keep in welfare?55.What does the author mean b y saying “Even under the worst of circumstances, we believe we are in control of our lives” (Para.10)?PART ⅥWRITING [45MIN]Read carefully the following excerpt on term-time holiday arguments in the UK, and then write your response in NO LESS THAN 200 words, in which you should:summarize the main message of the excerpt, and thencomment on whether parents should take children out of school for holiday during term time in order to save money.You should support yourself with information from the excerpt.Marks will be awarded for content relevance, content sufficiency, organization and language quality. Failure to follow the above instructions may result in a loss of marks.Term-time holidays will be bannedParents are to be banned by Michael Gove, UK’s Edu cation Secretary, from taking their children out of school to save moneyon holidays.He is to abolish the right of head teacher to “authorise absence” from the classroom, which has been used to let families take term-time breaks, and will warn them they face fines for their children not being at school.“Any time out of school has the potential to damage a child’s education,” a senior source at the Department for Education said this weekend. “That is why the government will end the distinction between authorised and unauthorised absence.”“This is part of the government’s wider commitment to bring down truancy levels in our schools. There will also be stricter penalties for parents and schools.”The tough measures on truancy are part of a wider attempt by Mr. Gove to make education more academically rigorous and to tackle a cultu re in the educational establishment which he believes has accepted “excuses for failure”.Russell Hobby, the general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said the measure would discourage parents from trying to put pressure on heads to sanction term-time holiday. “ The high cost of holidays outside of term time is still an issue but ultimately a child’s education is more important than a holiday,” he said.Write your response on ANSWER SHEET THREE.—THE END—PART ⅡLISTENING COMPRENSIONSECTION A TALK下列各题必须使用黑色字迹签字笔在答题区域内作答，超出红色矩形边框限定区域的答案无效。
2016专四真题及完整答案
2016专四真题及完整答案2016专四真题及完整答案TEST FOR ENGLISH MAJORS (2016)-GRADE FOURTIME LIMIT: 130 MIN PART I DICTATION [10 MIN]Listen to the following passage. Altogether the passage will be read to you four times. During the first reading, which will be done at normal speed, listen and try to understand the meaning. For the second and third readings, the passage will be read sentence by sentence, or phrase by phrase, with intervals of 15 seconds. The last reading will be done at normal speed again and during this time you should check your work. You will then be given ONE minute to check through your work once more.Please write the whole passage on Answer Sheet OnePART II LISTENING COMPREHENSION [20MIN]SECTION A TALKIn this section you will hear a talk You will hear the talk ONCE ONLY. While listening, you may look at the task on ANSWER SHEET ONE and write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each gap. Make sure what you fill in is both grammatically and semantically acceptable. You may use the blank sheet for note-taking.You have THIRTY seconds to preview the gap-filling task.Now listen to the talk. When it is over, you will be given TWO minutes to check your workWhat Is Grit?My questions●Why isn't I.Q. the only difference between students?●What is the key to (1) __________.My Research●investigation of all kinds of (2) __________, including:—West Point Military Academy.— (3) __________.— private companies.My finding: grit as predictor of success●Grit is (4) __________ for very long-term goals.●Grit is working hard for years to make (5) __________.●Grit is living your life like a (6) __________.My survey●high school juniors took grit questionnaires.●(7) __________kids were more likely to graduate.Grit-building●little is known about how to build grit in students.●data show grit is unrelated to (8) __________.●growth mindset is the belief that the ability to learn is (9) __________.●kids with grit believe failure is (10) __________.ConclusionWe need to be gritty about getting our kids grittier.SECTION B CONVERSATIONSIn this section you will hear two conversations. At the end of each conversation, five questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken ONCE ONLY. After each question there will be a ten-second pause. During the pause, you should read the four choices of A, B, C and D, and mark the best answer to each question on ANSWER SHEET TWO.You have THIRTY seconds to preview the questions.Now, listen to the conversations.Conversation OneQuestions 1 to 5 are based on Conversation One.1. A. To tell the man that he has been shortlisted for interview.B. To ask the man a few questions about his interview.C. To tell the man the procedure of the interview.D. To explain to the man how to make a presentation.2. A. Questions related to the job.B. General questions about himself.C. Specific questions about his CV.D. Questions about his future plan.3. A. Questions from the interviewers.B. Questions from the interviewee.C. Presentation from the interviewee.D. Requests from the interviewee.4. A. Educational and professional background.B. Problems he has faced and solved.C. Major successes in his career so far.D. Company future and his contribution.5. A. 11 a.m., next Tuesday.B. 11 a.m., next Thursday.C. 9 a.m., this Tuesday.D. 9 a.m., this Thursday.Conversation TwoQuestions 6 to 10 are based on Conversation Two6. A. How college students pay for their education.B. How to handle the problem of college loans.C. The disadvantages of college loans.D. Government financing in college education.7. A. It has increased by 6 to 8 %.B. It has increased by 8 to 10 %.C. It has decreased by 6 to 8%.D. It has decreased by 8 to 10%.8. A. Student's family income.B. First year salary after graduation.C. A fixed amount of 30,000 dollars.D. Payment in the next ten years.9. A. Students can borrow money first.B. Students pay no tax on savings.C. Students pay less tax after graduation.D. Students withdraw without paying tax.10. A. Giving up charitable or volunteer work.B. Neglecting their study at college.C. Giving up further education.D. Neglecting high salary in job-seeking.PART III LANGUAGE USAGE [10 MIN]There are twenty sentences in this section. Beneath each sentence there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Choose one word or phrase that best completes the sentence. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET TWO.11. How can I concentrate if you ___________ continually ___________ me with silly questions?A. have... interruptedB. had...interruptedC. are...interruptingD. were...interrupting12. Among the four sentences below, Sentence ___________ expresses the highest degree of possibility.A. It may take a long time to find a solution to the problem.B. It might take a long time to find a solution to the problem.C. It could take a long time to find a solution to the problem.D. It should take a long time to find a solution to the problem.13. She is a better speaker than___________in the class.A. all the girlsB. the other boysC. other any girlD. any boy14. Nobody heard him sing,___________.A. did theyB. did heC. didn't theyD. did one15. I can't put up with___________.A. that friend of youB. that friend of yoursC. the friend of youD. the friend of yours16. There has been an increasing number of ___________ in primary schools in the past few years.A. man teacherB. men teacherC. man teachersD. men teachers17. This is one of the issues that deserve___________.A. mentioningB. being mentionedC. to mentionD. for mention18. The audience ___________ excited on seeing ___________favorite star glide onto the stage.A. were ... itsB. were...theirC. was...theirD. was...one's19. ___________your advice, I would have made the wrong decision.A. Hadn't it been forB. Had it not been forC. Had it been forD. Had not it been for20. The sentence I wish I had been more careful in spending money expresses the speaker's_____.A. hopeB. joyC. regretD. relief21. The Attorney General ordered a federal autopsy of Brown's body, seekingto___________ the family and community there would be a thorough investigation into his death.A. ensureB. assureC. insureD. ascertain22. The police department came under strong criticism for both the death of an unarmed man andits handling of the___________.A. consequenceB. outcomeC. resultD. aftermath23. The Foreign Secretary tried to ___________ doubts about his handling of the crisis.A. dispelB. expelC. repelD. quell24. Mutual funds are thus best for investors who don't want to take the time to study stocks in detail or who ___________ the resources to build a portfolio.A. depriveB. lackC. yearn25. Chris ran ___________ John at a sporting-goods trade show and the two quickly struck ___________an easy rapport.A. into...upB. on...intoC. across...onD. against...into26. "I am leaving the country soon," he told a ___________ convened group of reporters.A. especiallyB. particularlyC. speciallyD. specifically27. Israel and Hamas had reached a deal on extending the _______ ceasefire by an extra 24 hours until Tuesday at midnight.A. contemporaryB. makeshiftC. spontaneousD. temporary28. ___________to unplugging the alarm clock and trusting your ability to wake on time on your own, you should probably ease yourself into the new arrangement by keeping a very regular schedule for several weeks.A. DueC. RelatedD. Thanks29. If you are an athlete, strong abdominal muscles help you ensure a strong back and freedom from injury during ___________ upper-body movement.A. valiantB. variableC. vigorousD. vigilant30. Finning is a cruel ___________ in which the shark's fins are lopped off, and the live shark is thrown back to sea.A. realityB. truthC. skillD. practicePART IV CLOZE [10 MIN]Decide which of the words given in the box below would best complete the passage if inserted in the corresponding blank. The words can be used ONCE ONLY. Mark the letter for each word on ANSWER SHEET TWO.I A. ampleB. combinationsC. directlyD. disseminatedE. generationsF. genuinelyG . instead H. lists I. promulgated J. publicized K. scant L. shaped M. sophisticated N. transplanted O. virtualmagine a world without writing. Obviously there would be no books: no novels, no encyclopedias, no cookbooks, no textbooks, no telephone books, no scriptures, no diaries, no travel guides. There would be no ball-points, no typewriters, no computers, no Internet, no magazines, no movie credits, no shopping lists, no newspapers, no tax returns. But such___________(31) of objects almost miss the point. The world we live in has been indelibly marked by the written word, ___________ (32) by the technology of writing over thousands of years. Ancient kings proclaimed their authority and ___________ (33) their laws in writing. Scribes administered great empires by writing, their knowledge of recording and retrieving information essential to governing complex societies. Religious traditions were passed on through ___________ (34), and spread to others, in writing. Scientific and technological progress was achieved and___________(35) through writing. Accounts in trade and commerce could be kept because of writing. Nearly every step of civilization has been mediated through writing. A world without writing would bear ___________(36) resemblance to the one we now live in. Writing is a___________ (37) necessity to the societies anthropologists call civilizations. A civilization is distinguished from other societies by the complexity of its social organization, by its construction of cities and large public buildings, and by the economic specialization of its members, many of whom are not___________(38) involved in food procurement or production. A civilization, with its taxation and tribute systems, its trade, and its public works, requires a ___________ (39) system of record keeping.And so the early civilizations of Egypt, China, and (probably) India all developed a system of writing. Only the Peruviancivilization of the Incas and their predecessors did not use writing but___________(40) invented a system of keeping records on knotted color-coded strings known asquipu.PART V READING COMPREHENSION [35 MIN]SECTION A MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONSIn this section there are three passages followed by ten multiple choice questions. For each multiple choice question, there are four suggested answers marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that you think is the best answer and mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET TWO.PASSAGE ONE(1)When I was twenty-seven years old, I was a mining-broker's clerk in SanFrancisco, and an expert in all the details of stock traffic. I was alone in the world, and had nothing to depend upon but my wits and a clean reputation; but these were setting my feet in the road to eventual fortune, and I was content with the prospect. My time was my own after the afternoon board, Saturdays, and I was accustomed to putting it in on a little sail-boat on the bay. One day I ventured too far, and was carried out to sea. Just at nightfall, when hope was about gone, I was picked up by a small ship which was bound for London. It was a long and stormy voyage, and they made me work my passage without pay, as a common sailor.When I stepped ashore in London my clothes were ragged and shabby, and I had only a dollar in my pocket. This money fedand sheltered me twenty-four hours.During the next twenty-four I went without food and shelter.(2)About ten o'clock on the following morning, dirty and hungry, I was dragging myself along Portland Place, when a child that was passing, towed by a nurse-maid, tossed a big pear -minus one bite - into the gutter. I stopped, of course, and fastened my desiring eye on that muddy treasure. My mouth watered for it, my stomach craved it, my whole being, begged for it. But every time I made a move to get it some passing eye detected my purpose, and of course I straightened up then, and looked indifferent and pretended that I hadn't been thinking about the pear at all. This same thing kept happening and happening, and I couldn't get the pear. (3)I was just getting desperate enough to brave all the shame, and to seize it, when a window behind me was raised, and a gentleman spoke out of it, saying: "Step in here, please."(4)I was admitted by a man servant, and shown into a sumptuous room where a couple of elderly gentlemen were sitting. They sent away the servant, and made me sit down. They had just finished their breakfast, and the sight of the remains of it almost overpowered me. I could hardly keep my wits together in the presence of that food, but as I was not asked to sample it,I had to bear my trouble as best as I could.(5)Now, something had been happening there a little before, which I did not know anything about until a good many days afterwards, but I will tell you about it now. Those two old brothers had been having a pretty hot argument a couple of days before, and had ended by agreeing to decide it by a bet, which is the English way of settling everything.(6)You will remember that the Bank of England once issuedtwo notes of amillion pounds each, to be used for a special purpose connected with some public transaction with a foreign country. For some reason or other only one of these had been used and canceled; the other still lay in the vaults of the Bank. Well, the brothers, chatting along, happened to get to wondering what might be the fate of a perfectly honest and intelligent stranger who should be turned adrift in London without a friend, and with no money but that million-pound bank-note, and no way to account for his being in possession of it. Brother A said he would starve to death; Brother B said he wouldn't. Brother A said he couldn't offer it at a bank or anywhere else, because he would be arrested on the spot. So they went on disputing till Brother B said he would bet twenty thousand pounds that the man would live thirty days, anyway, on that million, and keep out of jail, too. Brother A took him up. Brother B went down to the Bank and bought that note. Then he dictated a letter, which one of his clerks wrote out in a beautiful round hand, and then the two brothers sat at the window a whole day watching for the right man to give it to.(7)I finally became the pick of them.41. In Para. 1, the phrase "set my feet" probably means___________.A. put me asideB. start my journeyC. prepare meD. let me walk42. It can be concluded from Para. 2 that___________.A. the man wanted to maintain dignity though starvedB. the man could not get a proper chance to eat the pearC. the man did not really want the pear since it was dirtyD. it was very difficult for the man to get the pear43. Compared with Brother A, Brother B was more ___________ towards the effect of the one-million-pound bank-note on a total stranger.A. neutralB. negativeC. reservedD. positivePASSAGE TWO(1)The concept of peace is a very important one in cultures all over the world.Think about how we greet people. In some languages, the phrases for greetings contain the word for peace. In some cultures we greet people by shaking hands or with another gesture to show that we are not carrying weapons—that we come in peace. And there are certain symbols which people in very different cultures recognize as representing peace. Let's look at a few of them.The dove(2)The dove has been a symbol of peace and innocence for thousands of years inmany different cultures. In ancient Greek mythology it was a symbol of love and the renewal of life. In ancient Japan a dove carrying a sword symbolized the end of war.(3)There was a tradition in Europe that if a dove flew arounda house wheresomeone was dying then their soul would be at peace. And there are legends which say that the devil can turn himself into any bird except for a dove. In Christian art, the dove was used tosymbolize the Holy Ghost and was often painted above Christ's head.(4)But it was Pablo Picasso who made the dove a modern symbol of peace when he used it on a poster for the World Peace Congress in 1949.The rainbow(5)The rainbow is another ancient and universal symbol, often representing the connection between human beings and their gods. In Greek mythology it was associated with Iris, the goddess who brought messages from the gods on Mount Olympus. In Scandinavian mythology the rainbow was a bridge between the gods and the earth. In the Bible a rainbow showed Noah that the Biblical flood was finally over, and that God had forgiven his people. In the Chinese tradition, the rainbow is a common symbol for marriage because the colours represent the union of yin and yang. Nowadays the rainbow is used by many popular movements for peace and the environment, representing the possibility of a better world in the future and promising sunshine after the rain.Mistletoe(6)This plant was sacred in many cultures, generally representing peace and love. Most people know of the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe at Christmas time, which probably comes from Scandinavian mythology. The goddess Freya's son was killed by an arrow made of mistletoe, so, in honour of him, she declared that it would always be a symbol of peace. It was often hung in doorways as a sign offriendship.(7)The ancient Druids believed that hanging mistletoe in your doorway protected you from evil spirits. Tribes would stopfighting for a period of time if they found a tree with mistletoe. But you will never see mistletoe in a Christian church - it is banned because of its associations with pagan religion and superstition.The olive branch(8)The olive tree has always been a valuable source of food and oil. In Greek mythology, the goddess Athena gave the olive tree to the people of Athens, who showed their gratitude by naming the city after her. But no one knows for sure when or why it began to symbolize peace. There is probably a connection with ancient Greece. Wars between states were suspended during the Olympic Games, and the winners were given crowns of olive branches. The symbolism may come from the fact that the olive tree takes a long time to produce fruit, so olives could only be cultivated successfully in long periods of peace. Whatever the history, the olive branch is a part of many modern flags symbolizing peace and unity. One well-known example is the United Nations symbol.The ankh(9)The ankh is an ancient symbol which was adopted by the hippie movement in the 1960s to represent peace and love. It was found in many Asian cultures, but is generally associated with ancient Egypt. It represented life and immortality. Egyptians were buried with an ankh, so that they could continue to live in the "afterworld". The symbol was also found along the sides of the Nile, which gave life to the people. They believed that the ankh could control the flow of the riverand make sure that there was always enough water.44. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?A. Concept of Peace.B. Origin of Peace Symbols.C. Popular Peace Symbols.D. Cultural Difference of Peace.45. The rainbow represents the connection between human beings and their gods in all the following countries EXCEPT___________.A. SwedenB. GreeceC. FinlandD. China46. In North Europe mistletoe was often hung in doorways to indicate___________.A. friendshipB. loveC. kinshipD. honour47. The origin of the ankh can date back to___________.A. the NileB. the "afterworld"C. the hippie movementD. ancient EgyptPASSAGE THREE(1)Two sides almost never change: That you can manipulate people intoself-sufficiency and that you can punish them into good citizenship.(2)The first manifests itself in our tireless search for the magical level at whichwelfare grants are big enough to meet basic needs but small enough to make low-paid work attractive. The second has uslooking to the criminal justice system to cure behavior that is as much as anything the result of despair.(3)The welfare example is well known. We don't want poor people to live in squaloror their children to be malnourished. But we also don't want to subsidize the indolence of people who are too lazy to work. The first impulse leads us to provide housing, food stamps, medical care and a cash stipend for families in need. The second gets us to think about "workforce".(4)We've been thinking about it for two reasons: the "nanny" problems of twohigh-ranking government officials (who hired undocumented foreigners as household helpers, presumably because they couldn't find Americans to do the work) and President Clinton's proposal to put a two-year limit on welfare.(5)Maybe something useful will come of Clinton's idea, but I'm not all that hopeful.It looks to me like one more example of trying to manipulate people into taking care of themselves.(6)On the criminal justice side, we hope to make punishment tough enough todiscourage crime but not so tough as to clog our prisons with relatively minor offenders. T oo short a sentence, we fear, will create contempt for the law. Too longa sentence will take up costly space better used for the violent and unremorseful.。
2016英语专四听力原文
2016年英语专业四级考试答案ListeningPART I DICTATIONThink Positively and Feel PositivelyAre you confident or insecure in a difficult situation? Do you react positively or negatively? The answer may depend in part on whom you are around.A study found that negative thinking can be contagious in some cases. For example, the researchers studied 103 college roommates. They measured each roommate’s tendency towards negative thinking. It was found that thinking patterns can be contagious. Students with a negative thinking roommate became more depressed themselves and students with more positive thinking roommates were more likely to become more positive as well.PART II LISTENING COMPREHENSIONSECTION A TALK1. success2. challenging settings3. National Spelling Contest4. passion and perseverance5. future a reality6. marathon7. grittier8. measures of talent9. not fixed10. not permanentSECTION B CONVERSATIONS1. C. procedure2. A. job3. C. presentation4. D. company5. B. 11 Thursday6. B. Handle7. A. increased by 6 to8. B. first9. D. withdraw10. A. charitablePART III LANGUAGE USAGE11-20: ADABB DBABC 21-30: ADABA CDBDCPART IV CLOZE31-40: HLIED KOCMGPART V READING COMPREHENSION41-50: BADBD ADCBD51. Keep wits together in the presence of that food.52. The author was given the million-pound bank-note.53. It symbolizes peace and unity.54. Meeting basic needs and making low-paid work.55. Good things will happen by taking care of the present.PART VI WRITING参考范文When it comes to whether parents should take their children to spend holidays during term-time, views on the issue vary from person to person. Parents claim that by doing so, they can save a lot of money born of busy school holidays. Educational officials strongly oppose this tendency on the gr ound that it encourages truancy, which in turn damages a child’s education. From my perspective, the merits of banning term-time holidays outweigh its demerits.To begin with, taking tough measures on this kind of truancy is conducive to the normal teaching process, one of the key elements to guarantee kid’s academic performance. As we know, currently, teachers have the discretion to approve a certain time of absence from school for each child, which is supposed to be for illness and is not supposed to be granted for holidays. By definitely abolishing the right of head teachers to “authorize absence” from the classroom, those teachers can rarely be pestered by parents who want to take children to go on a holiday just to save money, which severely disrupts te aching process. What ‘s more, without strict penalties imposed on the parents who lead to their kid’s playing truant, those parents can gradually view asking for holiday leave as a right. Once this cultural expectation is formed, the level of truancy will dramatically increase.Accordingly, the growing trend of term-time holidays should be banned with no delay. In this way, teachers can impart knowledge without disturbance and parents will be deterred from saving money at the expense of sacrificing their kid’s education.2016专四听力原文PART I DICTATIONThink Positively and Feel PositivelyAre you confident or insecure in a difficult situation? Do you react positively or negatively? The answer may depend in part on whom you are around.A study found that negative thinking can be contagious in some cases. For example, the researchers studied 103 college roommates. They measured each roommate’s tendency towards negative thinking. It was found that thinking patterns can be contagious. Students with a negative thinking roommate became more depressed themselves and students with more positive thinking roommates were more likely to become more positive as well.PART II LISTENING COMPREHENSIONSECTION A TALKWhat is Grit?Good morning, everyone. Today I would like to talk about my recent research project, concerning the key to success. I would like to start my topic with my own story.When I was 27 years old, I left for a demanding job - teaching seventh graders math in the New York City public schools. And like any teacher, I made quizzes and tests. I gave out homework assignments. When the work came back, I calculated grades.What struck me was that I.Q. was not the only difference between my best and my worst students. Some of my strongest performers did not have super I.Q. scores. Some of my smartest kids weren't doing so well.And I felt interested in knowing the reason why the students’ math performance is not that closely related to their IQ scores. I started studying kids and adults in all kinds of challenging settings, and in every study my question was, who is successful here and why? My research team and I went to West Point Military Academy. We tried to predict which students would stay in military training and which would drop out. We went to the National Spelling Contest and tried to predict which children would advance furthest in competition. We worked with private companies, asking, which of these sales people is going to keep their jobs? And who's going to earn the most money? We went to many places. And finally, one characteristic emerged as a significant predictor of success. And it wasn't social intelligence. It wasn't good looks, physical health, and it wasn't I.Q. It was grit. What is grit?Well, grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. Grit is sticking with your future, day in, day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years, and working really hard to make future a reality. Grit is living your life like it's a marathon, not a sprint.A few years ago, I started studying grit in the Chicago public schools. I asked thousands of high school juniors to take grit questionnaires, and then waited around more than a year to see who would graduate. It turned out that grittier kids were significantly more likely to graduate, even when I matched them on every characteristic I could measure, things like family income, test scores, and so on. To me, the most shocking thing about grit is how little we know, how little science knows, about building it. Every day, parents and teachers asked me, "How do I build grit in kids? How do I keep them motivated for the long run?" Our data show very clearly that thereare many talented individuals who simply do not follow through on their commitment. In fact, in our data, grit is usually unrelated to measures of talent.So far, the best idea I've heard about building grit in kids is something called "growth mindset." Growth mindset is the belief that the ability to learn is not fixed, that it can change with your effort. Kids with grit are much more likely to persevere when they fail, because they don't believe that failure is a permanent condition.So growth mindset is a great idea for building grit. But we need more. And that's where I'm going to end my talk, because that's where we are. That's the work that stands before us. We have to be willing to fail, to be wrong, to start over again with lessons learned.As a conclusion, we need to be gritty about getting our kids grittier. Next time, I would like to share with you my experience in bui lding up students’ grit.Section BConversation OneW:Hello, this is Kate Smith. I’m calling from ABC Company.M: Oh, hello, Kate. Great to hear from you.W:You’ve already been told that you’ve been short-listed for interview.M: Oh, yes.W: W ell we’re very excited about meeting you. Ok, I just want to talk you through the procedure for the day. Someone will meet you when you arrive, and then bring you up to meet myself and Arthur Miller, the CEO.M: Ok sounds good. So will you be the only members of the interview panel there then?W:Yes, it’ll be just me and Arthur who will talk to you. The interview will be in three parts – first of all we’ll ask you some general questions about yourself and your educational andprofessional background, and then we’l l move on to specifics.M: Oh, er, Specifics? Well er, what kind of questions will you be asking?W:Well, it’ll be very similar to the personal statement you submitted with your CV - we’ll be expecting you to to give actual examples of problems you’ve f aced and solved, and of what you feel are the major successes in your career so far.M: Ok well yeah, that sounds great –can’t wait!W:Then there’ll be a chance for you to ask us any questions - about the job itself, or ABC Company in general...M: Oh, erm, ok...I’ll think of something!W:After that, we’d like you to give a short presentation on how you see ABC as a company progressing, and how you see yourself taking us there.M: Ok so will I be expected to give like a formal style presentation?W:It can be as formal or informal as you like. There’ll be a computer and a data projector there available. If you need anything else, just let us know.M:Oh, erm ok, a presentation! I’ll think of something. I haven’t done one of those in a while... W: Is that all clear?M: Yes.W:Great, so, Daniel, I’ll see you at 11am, Thursday, next week.M: Ok, great. I look forward to meeting you! Thanks, bye.W: Bye.Questions 1 to 5 are based on Conversation One.Question 1: Why does the woman call the man?Question 2: What kind of questions can the man ask in an interview?Question 3: Which is the last part of the interview?Question 4: What might be expected from the man’s presentation?Question 5: When is the interview scheduled?Conversation TwoW: It says a growing number of students are making a major hole from the minute they enter the real world, because they are already some of them, more than 100,000 dollars in debt. With us now is Mark Spencer. He is the senior financial analyst from SBC Bank. Welcome to you.M: Thank you, nice to be with you.W: Now, I guess there are two kinds of debts, good debt and bad debt. Where does this go?M: Well, student loan debt is traditionally considered good debt, but the problem for many students and their families is that the cost of colleges has been going up at 6-8% a year, far faster than the income, far faster than the standard of living. That means debt’s taking on a bigger and bigger role in financing education.W: How much debt is too much debt for-for one student?M: Well, one guideline is that you look at the first-year salary in your field after graduation, and use that as a barometer, but even then…W: Is that right?M: Well, you are talking big payments even in that instance. For example, 30,000 dollars’ wo rth of debt, if you are gonna repay that over 10 years, you are talking more than 300 dollars a month’s debt in payments every month for 10 years.W: But there are surely more than one way to get a loan for college. There are government programs, there are so many kinds of grants. What’s-what’s the best advice for people who are looking for these loans to try to keep themselves from going under?M: I understand that loans are just one way of college finance. Take advantage of the other opportunities, things like a college savings’ plan. Let-let you save on a tax advantage basis, so you can put money away in these accounts and withdraw tax-free to pay for that education. W: So it’s important to start early and that really reduces their reliance on debt later.M: Another thing. Leave no stone unturned, looking at grants, scholarships, even on campus jobs.I mean every dollar you get that way is seen as another dollar you don’t have to borrow later. W: The kinds of jobs that so many students, fresh off students, like to go into, eh——charity stuff, volunteer work. This debt is eliminating a lot of that, isn’t it?M: I think that’s the social cost, really, I mean, you know, when you consider that, you know, people may pass up a rewarding career and charitable work or a non-profit organization, because they have to get a higher salary some places else to pay off that debt.W: Yeah, that’s for sure. Mark Spencer, senior financial analyst from SBC Bank, Mark, good you could be here.M: Thank you.Questions 6 to 10 are based on Conversation TwoQuestion 6: What is the interview mainly about?Question 7: How does the cost of education change every year? Question 8: What is used to measure student loan debt as a guideline? Question 9: What is the advantage of joining a college savings’ plan? Question 10: What is the possible social cost of college loan?。
专四2016年英语专业四级真题和答案
2016年英语专业四级考试真题试卷（含听力和原文）第一部分：真题试卷TEST FOR ENGLISH MAJORS(2016)-GRADE FOUR-TIME LIMIT: 130 MIN PART ⅠDICTATION [10 MIN] Listen to the following passage. Altogether the passage will be read to you four times. During the first reading, which will be done at normal speed, listen and try to understand the meaning. For the second and third reading, the passage will be read sentence by sentence, or phrase by phrase, with intervals of 15 seconds. The last reading will be done at normal speed again and during this time you should check your work. You will then be given ONE minute to check through your work once more.Please write the whole passage on ANSWER SHEET ONE.音频：关注公众号“超能资料库”回复关键词“专四”获取免费音频PART ⅡLISTENING COMPERHESION [20 MIN] SECTION A TALKIn this section you will hear a talk. You will hear the talk ONCE ONLY. While listening, you may look at the task on ANSWER SHEET ONE and write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each gap. Make sure what you fill in is both grammatically and semantically acceptable. You may use the blank sheet for note-taking.You have THIRTY seconds to preview the gap-filling task.Now listen to the talk. When it is over, you will be given TWO minutes to check your work.SECTION B CONVERSATINSIn this section you will hear two conversations. At the end of each conversation, five questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversations and the questions will be spoken ONCE ONLY. After each question there will be a ten-second pause. During the pause, you should read the four choices of [A], [B], [C] and [D], and mark the best answer to each question on ANSWER SHEET TWO.You have THIRTY seconds to preview the questions.Now listen to the conversations.Conversation One1.[A] To tell the man that he has been shortlisted for interview.[B]To ask the man a few questions about his interview.[C]To explain to the man how to make a presentation.[D]To tell the man the procedure of the interview.2.[A] Questions related to the job.[B]General questions about himself.[C]Specific questions about his CV.[D]Questions about his future plan.3.[A] Questions from the interviewers.[B]Questions from the interviewee.[C]Presentation from the interviewee.[D]Requests from the interviewee.4.[A] Educational and professional background.[B]Problems be has faced and solved.[C]Major successes in his career so far.[D]Company future and his contribution.5.[A] 11 a. m., next Tuesday. [B] 11 a. m., next Thursday.[C] 9 a. m., this Tuesday. [D] 9 a. m., this Thursday.Conversation Two6.[A] The disadvantages of college loans.[B]Government financing in college education.[C]How to handle the problem of college loans.[D]How college students pay for their education.7.[A] It has increased by 6 to 8%.[B]It has increased by 8 to 10%.[C]It has decreased by 6 to 8%.[D]It has decreased by 8 to 10%.8.[A] Student’s family income.[B]First year salary after graduation.[C]A fixed amount of 30,000 dollars.[D]Payment in the next ten years.9.[A] Students can borrow money first.[B]Students pay no tax on savings.[C]Students pay less tax after graduation.[D]Students withdraw without paying tax.10.[A] Giving up charitable or volunteer work.[B]Neglecting their study at college.[C]Giving up further education.[D]Neglecting high salary in job-seeking.PART ⅢLANGUAGE USAGE [10 MIN] There are twenty sentences in this section. Beneath each sentence there are four options marked [A]. [B], [C] and [D]. Choose one word phrase that best completes the sentence.Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET TWO.11.How can I concentrate if you continually me with silly questions?[A] have… interrupted [B] had… interrupted[C] are… interrupting[D] were… interrupting12.A mong the four sentences below, Sentence express the highest degree of possibility.[A]It may take a long time to find a solution to the problem.[B]It might take a long time to find a solution to the problem.[C]It could take a long time to find a solution to the problem.[D]It should take a long time to find a solution to the problem.13.She is a better speaker than in the class.[A] any boy [B] the other boys [C] other any girl [D] all the girls14.Nobody heard him sing, ?[A] did one [B] did he [C] didn’t they [D] did they15.I can’t put up with .[A]that friend of you [B] that friend of yours[C] the friend of you [D] the friend of yours16.There has been an increasing number of in primary schools in past few years.[A]man teacher [B] men teacher [C] man teachers [D] men teachers17.This is one of the issues that deserve .[A] being mentioned [B] mentioning [C] to mention [D] for mention18.The audience excited on seeing favorite star glide onto the stage.[A] were… their [B] were… its [C] was… their [D] was… one’s19. your advice, I would have made the wrong decision.A. ample F. genuinely K. scantB. combinationsG. insteadL. shapedC. directlyD. disseminatedH. lists I. promulgatedM. sophisticated N. transplantedE. generationsJ. publicizedO. virtual[A] Hadn’t it been for [B] Had it not been for[C] Had it been for [D] Had not it been for20.The sentence I wish I had been more careful in spending money express the speaker’s.[A]hope [B] joy [C] regret [D] relief21.T he Attorney General ordered a federal autopsy of Brown’s body, seeking to the family and community there would be a thorough investigation into his death.[A]ensure [B] insure [C] assure [D] ascertain22.T he police department came under strong criticism for both the death of an unarmed and its handling of the.[A]consequence [B] outcome [C] result [D] aftermath23.The Foreign Secretary tried to doubts about his handling of the crisis.[A] dispel [B] expel [C] repel [D] quell24.Mutual funds are thus best for investors who don’t want to take the time to study stocks in detail or whothe resources to build a portfolio.[A]deprive [B] lack [C] yearn [D] attain25.Chris ran John at a sporting-goods trade show and the two quickly struck an easy rapport.[A]into…up[B] on…into[C] across…on[D] against…into26.“I’m leaving the country soon,” he told a convened group of reporters.[A] especially [B] particularly [C] specially [D] specifically27.Israel and Hamas had reached a deal on extending the ceasefire by an extra 24 hours until Tuesday at midnight.[A]contemporary [B] makeshift [C] spontaneous [D] temporary28.to unplugging the alarm clock and trusting your ability to wake on time on your own, you should probably ease yourself into the new arrangement by keeping a very regular schedule for several weeks.[A]Due [B] Prior [C] Related [D] Thanks29.I f you are an athlete, strong abdominal muscles help you ensure a strong back and freedom from injury duringupper-body movement.[A]valiant [B] variable [C] vigilant [D] vigorous30.F inning is a cruel in which the shark’s fins are lopped off, and the live shark is thrown back to sea.[A]reality [B] truth [C] practice [D] skillPART ⅣCLOZE [10 MIN] Decide which of the words given in the box below would best complete the passage if inserted in the corresponding blank. The words can be used ONCE ONLY. Mark the letter for each word on ANSWER SHEET TWO.Imagine a world without writing. Obviously there would be no books: no novels, no encyclopedias, no cookbooks, no textbooks, no telephone books, no scriptures, no diaries, no travel guides. There would be no ball-points, no typewriters, no computers, no Internet, no magazines, no movie credits, no shopping lists, no newspapers, no tax returns. But such (31) of subjects almost miss the point. The world we live in hasbeen indelibly marked by the written word, (32) by the technology of writing over thousands of years. Ancient kings proclaimed their authority and (33) their laws in writing. Scribes administered great empires by writing, their knowledge of recording and retrieving information essential to governing complex societies. Religious traditions were passed on through (34) , and spread to others, in writing. Scientific and technological progress was achieved and (35) through writing. Accounts in trade and commerce could be kept because of writing. Nearly every step of civilization has been mediated through writing. A world without writing would bear (36) resemblance to the one we now live in. Writing is a (37) necessity to the societies anthropologists call civilizations. A civilization is distinguished from other societies by the complexity of its social organization, by its construction of cities and large public buildings, and by the economic specialization of its members, many of whom are not (38) involved in food procurement or production. A civilization, with its taxation and tribute systems, its trade and its public works, requires a (39) system of record keeping. And so the early civilizations of Egypt, China, and (probably) India all developed a system of writing. Only the Peruvian civilization of the Incas and their predecessors did not use writing but (40) invented a system of keeping records on knotted color-coded strings known as quipu.PART ⅤREADING COMPREHENSION [35MIN] SECTION A MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONSIn this section there are three passages followed by ten multiple choice questions. For each multiple choice question, there are four suggested answers marked [A], [B], [C] and [D]. Choose the one that you think is the best answer and mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET TWO.PASSAGE ONE(1)When I was twenty-seven years old, I was a mining-broker’s cle rk in San Francisco, and an expert in all the details of stock traffic. I was alone in the world, and had nothing to depend upon but my wits and a clean reputation; but these were setting my feet in the road to eventual fortune, and I was content with the prospect. My time was my own after the afternoon board, Saturdays, and I was accustomed to putting it in on a little sail-boat on the bay. One day I ventured too far, and was carried out to sea. Just at nightfall, when hope was about gone, I was picked up by a small ship which was bound for London. It was a long and stormy voyage, and they made me work my passage without pay, as a common sailor. When I stepped ashore in London my clothes were ragged and shabby, and I had only a dollar in my pocket. This money fed and sheltered me twenty-four hours. During the next twenty-four I went without food and shelter.(2)About ten o’clock on the following morning, dirty and hungry, I was dragging myself along Portland Place, when a child that was passing, towed by a nurse-maid, tossed a big pear—minus one bite—into the gutter. I stopped, of course, and fastened my desiring eye on that muddy treasure. My mouth watered for it, my stomach craved it, my whole being begged for it. But every time I made a move to get it some passing eye detected my purpose, and of course I straightened up then, and looked indifferent and pretended that I hadn’t been thinking about the pear at all. This same thing kept happening and happening, and I couldn’t get the pear.(3)I was just getting desperate enough to brave all the shame, and to seize it, when a window behind me was raised, and a gentleman spoke out of it, saying: “ Step in here,please.”(4)I was admitted by a man servant, and shown into a sumptuous room where a couple of elderly gentlemen were sitting. They sent away the servant, and made me sit down. They had just finished their breakfast, and the sight of the remains of it almost overpowered me. I could hardly keep my wits together in the presence of that food, but as I was not asked to sample it, I had to bear my trouble as best as I could.(5)Now, something had been happening there a little before, which I did not know anything about until a good many days afterwards, but I will tell you about it now. Those two old brothers had been having a pretty hot argument a couple of days before, and had ended by agreeing to decide it by a bet, which is the English way ofsettling everything.(6)You will remember that the Bank of England once issued two notes of a million pounds each, to be used for a special purpose connected with some public transaction with a foreign country. For some reason or other only one of these had been used and canceled; the other still lay in the vaults of the Bank. Well, the brothers chatting along, happened to get to wondering what might be the fate of a perfectly honest and intelligent stranger who should be turned adrift in London without a friend, and with no money but that million-pound bank-note, and no way to account for his being in possession of it. Brother A said he would starve to death; Brother B said he wouldn’t. Brother A said he couldn’t offer it at a bank or anywhere else, because he would be arrested on t he spot. So they went on disputing till Brother B said he would bet twenty thousand pounds that the man would live thirty days, anyway, on that million, and keep out of jail, too. Brother A took him up. Brother B went down to the Bank and bought that note. Then he dictated a letter, which one of his clerks wrote out in a beautiful round hand, and then the two brothers sat at the window a whole day watching for the right man to give it to.(7)I finally became the pick of them.41.In Para. 1, the phrase “set my feet” probably means .A. put me asideB. prepare meC. let me walkD. start my journey42.It can be concluded from Para. 2 that .A.the man wanted to maintain dignity though starvedB.the man could not get a proper chance to eat the pearC.the man did not really want the pear since it was dirtyD.it was very difficult for the man to get the pearpared with Brother A, Brother B was more towards the effect of the one-million-pound bank-note on a total strange.A.neutralB. negativeC. reservedD. positivePASSAGE TWO(1)The concept of peace is a very important one in cultures all over the world. Think about how we greet people. In some language, the phrases for greetings contain the word for peace. In some cultures we greet people by shaking hands or with another gesture to show that we are not carrying weapons —that we come in peace. And there are certain symbols which people in very different cultures recognize as representing peace. Let’s look at a few of them.The dove(2)The dove has been a symbol of peace and innocence for thousands of years in many different cultures. In ancient Greek mythology it was a symbol of love and the renewal of life. In ancient Japan a dove carrying a sword symbolized the end of war.(3)There was a tradition in Europe that if dove flew around a house where someone was dying then their soul would be at peace. And there are legends which say that devil can turn himself into any bird except for a dove. In Christian art, the dove was used to symbolized the Holy Ghost and was often p ainted above Christ’s head.(4)But it was Pablo Picasso who made the dove a modern symbol of peace when he used it on a poster for the World Peace Congress in 1949.The rainbow(5)The rainbow is another ancient and universal symbol, often representing the connection between human beings and their gods. In Greek mythology it was associated with Iris, the goddess who brought messages from the gods on Mount Olympus. In Scandinavian mythology the rainbow was a bridge between the gods and the earth. In the Bible a rainbow showed Noah that the Biblical flood was finally over, and that God had forgiven his people. In the Chinese tradition, the rainbow is a common symbol for marriage because the colours represent the union of yin and yang. Nowadays the rainbow is used by many popular movements for peace and the environment, representingthe possibility of a better world in the future and promising sunshine after rain.Mistletoe(6)This plant was sacred in many cultures, generally representing peace and love. Most people know of the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe at Christmas time, which probably comes from Scandinavian mythology. The goddess Freya’s son was killed by an arrow made of mistletoe, so, in honour of him, she declared that it would always be a symbol of peace. It was often hung in doorways as a sign of friendship.(7)The ancient Druids believed that hanging mistletoe in your doorway could protect you from evil spirits. Tribes would stop fighting for a period of time if they found a tree with mistletoe. But you will never see mistletoe in a Christian church —it is banned because of its associations with pagan religion and superstition.The olive branch(8)The olive tree has always been a valuable source of food and oil. In Greek mythology, the goddess Athena gave the olive tree to the people of Athens, who showed their gratitude by naming the city after her. But no one knows for sure when or why it began to symbolize peace. There is probably a connection with ancient Greece. Wars between states were suspended during the Olympics Games, and the winners were given crowns of olive branches. The symbolism may come from the fact that the olive tree takes a long time to produce fruit, so olives could only be cultivated successfully in long periods of peace. Whatever the history, the olive branch is a part of many modern flags symbolizing peace and unity. One well-known example is the United Nations symbol.The ankh(9)The ankh is an ancient symbol which was adopted by the hippie movement in the 1960s to represent peace and love. It was found in many Asian cultures, but is generally associated with ancient Egypt. It represented life and immortality. Egyptians were buried with an ankh, so that they could continue to live in the “afterworld”. The symbol was also found along the sides of the Nile, which gave life to the people. They believed that the ankh could control the flow of the river and make sure that there was always enough water.44.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?A.Concept of Peace.B. Popular Peace Symbols.C. Origin of Peace Symbols.D. Cultural Difference of Peace.45.The rainbow represents the connection between human beings and their gods in all the following countries EXCEPT .A.SwedenB. GreeceC. FinlandD. China46.In North Europe mistletoe was often hung in doorways to indicate .A.friendshipB. loveC. kinshipD. honour47.The origin of the ankh can date back to .A.the NileB. the “afterword”C. the hippie movementD. ancient EgyptPASSAGE THREE(1)Two sides almost never change: That you can manipulate people into self-sufficiency and that you can punish them into good citizenship.(2)The first manifests itself in our tireless search for the magical level at which welfare grants are big enough to meet basic needs but small enough to make low-paid work attractive. The second has us looking to the criminal justice system to cure behavior that is as much as anything the result of despair.(3)The welfare example is well known. We don’t want poor people to live in squalor or their children to be malnourished. But we also don’t want to subsidize the indolence of people who are too lazy to work. The first impulse leads us to provide housing, food stamps, medical care and a cash stipend for families in need. The second gets us to think about “workforce”.(4)We’ve been thinking about it for two reasons: the “nanny” pro blems of two high-ranking government officials (who hired undocumented foreigners as household helpers, presumably because they couldn’t findAmericans to do the work) and President Clinton’s proposal to put a two-year limit on welfare.(5)Maybe something useful will come of Clinton’s idea, but I’m not all that hopeful. It looks to me like one more example of trying to manipulate people into taking care of themselves.(6)On the criminal justice side, we hope to make punishment tough enough to discourage crime but not so tough as to clog our prisons with relatively minor offenders. Too short a sentence, we fear, will create contempt for the law. Too long a sentence will take up costly space better used for the violent and unremorseful.(7)Not only can we never find the “perfect” punishment, our search for optimum penalties is complicated by our desire for fairness: to let the punishment fit the crime. The problem is that almost any punishment—even the disgrace of being charged with a crime—is sufficient to deter the middle class, while for members of the underclass, probation may be translated as “I beat it”.(8)So how can you use the system —welfare or criminal justice —to produce the behavior we want? The answer, I suspect is: You can’t.(9)We keep trying to use welfare and prison to change people—to make them think and behave the way we do —when the truth is the incentives work only for those who already think the way we do: who view today’s action with an eye on the future.(10)We will take lowly work (if that is all that’s available) because we believe we can make bad jobs work for us. We avoid crime not because we are better people but because we see getting caught as a future-wrecking disaster. We are guided by a belief that good things will happen for us in the future if we take proper care of the present. Even under the worst of circumstances, we believe we are in control of our lives.(11)And we have trouble understanding that not everybody believes as we believe. The welfare rolls, the prison and the mean street of our cities are full of people who have given up on their future. Without hope for the future, hard work at a low-paid job makes no sense. Working hard in school, or pleasing a boss, or avoiding pregnancy makes no sense. The deadly disease is hopelessness. The lawlessness and poverty are only the obvious symptoms.(12)I’m not advocating that we stop looking for incentives to move poor people toward self-sufficiency or that we stop punishing people for criminal behavior. There will always be some people who need help and some who deserve to be in jail.(13)All I’m saying is that the long-term answer both to welfare and the crime that plagues our communities is not to fine tune the welfare and criminal justice systems but to prevent our children from getting the disease of despair.(14)If we encourage our young people to believe in the future, and give them solid evidence for believing, we’ll find both crime and poverty shrinking to manag eable proportions.48.What is the author’s attitude towards Clinton’s proposal to welfare?A.Pessimistic.B. Optimistic.C. Suspicious.D. Sarcastic.49.It can be inferred from Para. 7 that optimum penalties are to the underclass.A.hopelessB. uselessC. frighteningD. humiliating50.Which of the following is the most appropriate title for the passage?A. Lawlessness and Poverty.B. Criminal Justice System.C. Welfare Grants.D. Disease of Despair.SECTION B SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONSIn this section there are five short answer questions based on the passages in Section A. Answer the questions with NO more than TEN words in the space provided on ANSWER SHEET TWO.PASSAGE ONE51.In Para. 4, what does the man mean by saying “I had to bear my trouble”?52.What can be inferred from the last sentence of the passage?PASSAGE TWO53.Why does the UN use the olive branch in its symbol?PASSAGE THREE54.According to the author, what balance should we keep in welfare?55.What does the author mean by saying “Even under the worst of circumstances, we believe we are in control of our lives” (Para.10)?PART ⅥWRITING [45MIN]Read carefully the following excerpt on term-time holiday arguments in the UK, and then write your response in NO LESS THAN 200 words, in which you should:•summarize the main message of the excerpt, and then•comment on whether parents should take children out of school for holiday during term time in order to save money.You should support yourself with information from the excerpt.Marks will be awarded for content relevance, content sufficiency, organization and language quality. Failure to follow the above instructions may result in a loss of marks.Term-time holidays will be bannedParents are to be banned by Michael Gove, UK’s Education Secretary, from taking their children out of school to save money on holidays.He is to abolish the right of head teacher to “authorise absence” from the classroom, which has been used to let families take term-time breaks, and will warn them they face fines for their children not being at school.“Any time out of school has the potential to damage a child’s education,” a senior source at the Department for Education said this weekend. “That is why the government will end the distinction between authorised and unauthorised absence.”“This is part of the government’s wider commitment to bring down truancy levels in our schools. There will also be stricter penalties for parents and schools.”The tough measures on truancy are part of a wider attempt by Mr. Gove to make education more academically rigorous and to tackle a cultu re in the educational establishment which he believes has accepted “excuses for failure”.Russell Hobby, the general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said the measure would discourage parents from trying to put pressure on heads to sanction term-time holiday. “ The high cost of holidays outside of term time is still an issue but ultimately a child’s education is more important than a holiday,” he said.Write your response on ANSWER SHEET THREE.—THE END—PART ⅡLISTENING COMPRENSIONSECTION A TALK下列各题必须使用黑色字迹签字笔在答题区域内作答，超出红色矩形边框限定区域的答案无效。
2016年全国英语专业四级考试真题
2016年全国英语专业四级考试真题2016 National English Proficiency Test Level 4 (CET-4) was held on June 18, 2016. The test was taken by hundreds of thousands of students across China. The following is a summary of the test paper for your reference.Part 1: Listening Comprehension (30 points)The listening comprehension section consisted of four parts, including dialogues, monologues, and news reports. It tested students' ability to understand spoken English in various situations. Questions included listening for specific information, understanding main ideas, and inferring the speaker's attitude or purpose.Part 2: Reading Comprehension (40 points)The reading comprehension section consisted of four passages, each followed by a set of questions. The passages covered a range of topics, including business, culture, history, and science. Questions tested students' ability to identify main ideas, details, and implicit information in the text. Students were also required to demonstrate their vocabulary and grammar comprehension skills.Part 3: Cloze Test (20 points)The cloze test section consisted of a passage with several blanks. Students had to choose the most appropriate word from the given options to fill in each blank. This section tested students' ability to understand context and use appropriate vocabulary and grammar structures.Part 4: Writing (30 points)The writing section required students to write an essay of about 200 words on a given topic. Topics varied from personal experiences to social issues. Students were expected to demonstrate their ability to present ideas clearly, organize them logically, and use appropriate language and vocabulary.Overall, the 2016 National English Proficiency Test Level 4 was considered by many students to be challenging but fair. It tested a wide range of English language skills, including listening, reading, vocabulary, grammar, and writing. Students who prepared well and practiced consistently were more likely to succeed in the test.。
2016专四真题及完整答案
2016专四真题及完整答案2016专四真题及完整答案TEST FOR ENGLISH MAJORS (2016)-GRADE FOURTIME LIMIT: 130 MIN PART I DICTATION [10 MIN]Listen to the following passage. Altogether the passage will be read to you four times. During the first reading, which will be done at normal speed, listen and try to understand the meaning. For the second and third readings, the passage will be read sentence by sentence, or phrase by phrase, with intervals of 15 seconds. The last reading will be done at normal speed again and during this time you should check your work. You will then be given ONE minute to check through your work once more.Please write the whole passage on Answer Sheet OnePART II LISTENING COMPREHENSION [20MIN]SECTION A TALKIn this section you will hear a talk You will hear the talk ONCE ONLY. While listening, you may look at the task on ANSWER SHEET ONE and write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each gap. Make sure what you fill in is both grammatically and semantically acceptable. You may use the blank sheet for note-taking.You have THIRTY seconds to preview the gap-filling task.Now listen to the talk. When it is over, you will be given TWO minutes to check your workWhat Is Grit?My questions●Why isn't I.Q. the only difference between students?●What is the key to (1) __________.My Research●investigation of all kinds of (2) __________, including:—West Point Military Academy.— (3) __________.— private companies.My finding: grit as predictor of success●Grit is (4) __________ for very long-term goals.●Grit is working hard for years to make (5) __________.●Grit is living your life like a (6) __________.My survey●high school juniors took grit questionnaires.●(7) __________kids were more likely to graduate.Grit-building●little is known about how to build grit in students.●data show grit is unrelated to (8) __________.●growth mindset is the belief that the ability to learn is (9) __________.●kids with grit believe failure is (10) __________.ConclusionWe need to be gritty about getting our kids grittier.SECTION B CONVERSATIONSIn this section you will hear two conversations. At the end of each conversation, five questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken ONCE ONLY. After each question there will be a ten-second pause. During the pause, you should read the four choices of A, B, C and D, and mark the best answer to each question on ANSWER SHEET TWO.You have THIRTY seconds to preview the questions.Now, listen to the conversations.Conversation OneQuestions 1 to 5 are based on Conversation One.1. A. To tell the man that he has been shortlisted for interview.B. To ask the man a few questions about his interview.C. To tell the man the procedure of the interview.D. To explain to the man how to make a presentation.2. A. Questions related to the job.B. General questions about himself.C. Specific questions about his CV.D. Questions about his future plan.3. A. Questions from the interviewers.B. Questions from the interviewee.C. Presentation from the interviewee.D. Requests from the interviewee.4. A. Educational and professional background.B. Problems he has faced and solved.C. Major successes in his career so far.D. Company future and his contribution.5. A. 11 a.m., next Tuesday.B. 11 a.m., next Thursday.C. 9 a.m., this Tuesday.D. 9 a.m., this Thursday.Conversation TwoQuestions 6 to 10 are based on Conversation Two6. A. How college students pay for their education.B. How to handle the problem of college loans.C. The disadvantages of college loans.D. Government financing in college education.7. A. It has increased by 6 to 8 %.B. It has increased by 8 to 10 %.C. It has decreased by 6 to 8%.D. It has decreased by 8 to 10%.8. A. Student's family income.B. First year salary after graduation.C. A fixed amount of 30,000 dollars.D. Payment in the next ten years.9. A. Students can borrow money first.B. Students pay no tax on savings.C. Students pay less tax after graduation.D. Students withdraw without paying tax.10. A. Giving up charitable or volunteer work.B. Neglecting their study at college.C. Giving up further education.D. Neglecting high salary in job-seeking.PART III LANGUAGE USAGE [10 MIN]There are twenty sentences in this section. Beneath each sentence there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Choose one word or phrase that best completes the sentence. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET TWO.11. How can I concentrate if you ___________ continually ___________ me with silly questions?A. have... interruptedB. had...interruptedC. are...interruptingD. were...interrupting12. Among the four sentences below, Sentence ___________ expresses the highest degree of possibility.A. It may take a long time to find a solution to the problem.B. It might take a long time to find a solution to the problem.C. It could take a long time to find a solution to the problem.D. It should take a long time to find a solution to the problem.13. She is a better speaker than___________in the class.A. all the girlsB. the other boysC. other any girlD. any boy14. Nobody heard him sing,___________.A. did theyB. did heC. didn't theyD. did one15. I can't put up with___________.A. that friend of youB. that friend of yoursC. the friend of youD. the friend of yours16. There has been an increasing number of ___________ in primary schools in the past few years.A. man teacherB. men teacherC. man teachersD. men teachers17. This is one of the issues that deserve___________.A. mentioningB. being mentionedC. to mentionD. for mention18. The audience ___________ excited on seeing ___________favorite star glide onto the stage.A. were ... itsB. were...theirC. was...theirD. was...one's19. ___________your advice, I would have made the wrong decision.A. Hadn't it been forB. Had it not been forC. Had it been forD. Had not it been for20. The sentence I wish I had been more careful in spending money expresses the speaker's_____.A. hopeB. joyC. regretD. relief21. The Attorney General ordered a federal autopsy of Brown's body, seekingto___________ the family and community there would be a thorough investigation into his death.A. ensureB. assureC. insureD. ascertain22. The police department came under strong criticism for both the death of an unarmed man andits handling of the___________.A. consequenceB. outcomeC. resultD. aftermath23. The Foreign Secretary tried to ___________ doubts about his handling of the crisis.A. dispelB. expelC. repelD. quell24. Mutual funds are thus best for investors who don't want to take the time to study stocks in detail or who ___________ the resources to build a portfolio.A. depriveB. lackC. yearn25. Chris ran ___________ John at a sporting-goods trade show and the two quickly struck ___________an easy rapport.A. into...upB. on...intoC. across...onD. against...into26. "I am leaving the country soon," he told a ___________ convened group of reporters.A. especiallyB. particularlyC. speciallyD. specifically27. Israel and Hamas had reached a deal on extending the _______ ceasefire by an extra 24 hours until Tuesday at midnight.A. contemporaryB. makeshiftC. spontaneousD. temporary28. ___________to unplugging the alarm clock and trusting your ability to wake on time on your own, you should probably ease yourself into the new arrangement by keeping a very regular schedule for several weeks.A. DueC. RelatedD. Thanks29. If you are an athlete, strong abdominal muscles help you ensure a strong back and freedom from injury during ___________ upper-body movement.A. valiantB. variableC. vigorousD. vigilant30. Finning is a cruel ___________ in which the shark's fins are lopped off, and the live shark is thrown back to sea.A. realityB. truthC. skillD. practicePART IV CLOZE [10 MIN]Decide which of the words given in the box below would best complete the passage if inserted in the corresponding blank. The words can be used ONCE ONLY. Mark the letter for each word on ANSWER SHEET TWO.I A. ampleB. combinationsC. directlyD. disseminatedE. generationsF. genuinelyG . instead H. lists I. promulgated J. publicized K. scant L. shaped M. sophisticated N. transplanted O. virtualmagine a world without writing. Obviously there would be no books: no novels, no encyclopedias, no cookbooks, no textbooks, no telephone books, no scriptures, no diaries, no travel guides. There would be no ball-points, no typewriters, no computers, no Internet, no magazines, no movie credits, no shopping lists, no newspapers, no tax returns. But such___________(31) of objects almost miss the point. The world we live in has been indelibly marked by the written word, ___________ (32) by the technology of writing over thousands of years. Ancient kings proclaimed their authority and ___________ (33) their laws in writing. Scribes administered great empires by writing, their knowledge of recording and retrieving information essential to governing complex societies. Religious traditions were passed on through ___________ (34), and spread to others, in writing. Scientific and technological progress was achieved and___________(35) through writing. Accounts in trade and commerce could be kept because of writing. Nearly every step of civilization has been mediated through writing. A world without writing would bear ___________(36) resemblance to the one we now live in. Writing is a___________ (37) necessity to the societies anthropologists call civilizations. A civilization is distinguished from other societies by the complexity of its social organization, by its construction of cities and large public buildings, and by the economic specialization of its members, many of whom are not___________(38) involved in food procurement or production. A civilization, with its taxation and tribute systems, its trade, and its public works, requires a ___________ (39) system of record keeping.And so the early civilizations of Egypt, China, and (probably) India all developed a system of writing. Only the Peruviancivilization of the Incas and their predecessors did not use writing but___________(40) invented a system of keeping records on knotted color-coded strings known asquipu.PART V READING COMPREHENSION [35 MIN]SECTION A MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONSIn this section there are three passages followed by ten multiple choice questions. For each multiple choice question, there are four suggested answers marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that you think is the best answer and mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET TWO.PASSAGE ONE(1)When I was twenty-seven years old, I was a mining-broker's clerk in SanFrancisco, and an expert in all the details of stock traffic. I was alone in the world, and had nothing to depend upon but my wits and a clean reputation; but these were setting my feet in the road to eventual fortune, and I was content with the prospect. My time was my own after the afternoon board, Saturdays, and I was accustomed to putting it in on a little sail-boat on the bay. One day I ventured too far, and was carried out to sea. Just at nightfall, when hope was about gone, I was picked up by a small ship which was bound for London. It was a long and stormy voyage, and they made me work my passage without pay, as a common sailor.When I stepped ashore in London my clothes were ragged and shabby, and I had only a dollar in my pocket. This money fedand sheltered me twenty-four hours.During the next twenty-four I went without food and shelter.(2)About ten o'clock on the following morning, dirty and hungry, I was dragging myself along Portland Place, when a child that was passing, towed by a nurse-maid, tossed a big pear -minus one bite - into the gutter. I stopped, of course, and fastened my desiring eye on that muddy treasure. My mouth watered for it, my stomach craved it, my whole being, begged for it. But every time I made a move to get it some passing eye detected my purpose, and of course I straightened up then, and looked indifferent and pretended that I hadn't been thinking about the pear at all. This same thing kept happening and happening, and I couldn't get the pear. (3)I was just getting desperate enough to brave all the shame, and to seize it, when a window behind me was raised, and a gentleman spoke out of it, saying: "Step in here, please."(4)I was admitted by a man servant, and shown into a sumptuous room where a couple of elderly gentlemen were sitting. They sent away the servant, and made me sit down. They had just finished their breakfast, and the sight of the remains of it almost overpowered me. I could hardly keep my wits together in the presence of that food, but as I was not asked to sample it,I had to bear my trouble as best as I could.(5)Now, something had been happening there a little before, which I did not know anything about until a good many days afterwards, but I will tell you about it now. Those two old brothers had been having a pretty hot argument a couple of days before, and had ended by agreeing to decide it by a bet, which is the English way of settling everything.(6)You will remember that the Bank of England once issuedtwo notes of amillion pounds each, to be used for a special purpose connected with some public transaction with a foreign country. For some reason or other only one of these had been used and canceled; the other still lay in the vaults of the Bank. Well, the brothers, chatting along, happened to get to wondering what might be the fate of a perfectly honest and intelligent stranger who should be turned adrift in London without a friend, and with no money but that million-pound bank-note, and no way to account for his being in possession of it. Brother A said he would starve to death; Brother B said he wouldn't. Brother A said he couldn't offer it at a bank or anywhere else, because he would be arrested on the spot. So they went on disputing till Brother B said he would bet twenty thousand pounds that the man would live thirty days, anyway, on that million, and keep out of jail, too. Brother A took him up. Brother B went down to the Bank and bought that note. Then he dictated a letter, which one of his clerks wrote out in a beautiful round hand, and then the two brothers sat at the window a whole day watching for the right man to give it to.(7)I finally became the pick of them.41. In Para. 1, the phrase "set my feet" probably means___________.A. put me asideB. start my journeyC. prepare meD. let me walk42. It can be concluded from Para. 2 that___________.A. the man wanted to maintain dignity though starvedB. the man could not get a proper chance to eat the pearC. the man did not really want the pear since it was dirtyD. it was very difficult for the man to get the pear43. Compared with Brother A, Brother B was more ___________ towards the effect of the one-million-pound bank-note on a total stranger.A. neutralB. negativeC. reservedD. positivePASSAGE TWO(1)The concept of peace is a very important one in cultures all over the world.Think about how we greet people. In some languages, the phrases for greetings contain the word for peace. In some cultures we greet people by shaking hands or with another gesture to show that we are not carrying weapons—that we come in peace. And there are certain symbols which people in very different cultures recognize as representing peace. Let's look at a few of them.The dove(2)The dove has been a symbol of peace and innocence for thousands of years inmany different cultures. In ancient Greek mythology it was a symbol of love and the renewal of life. In ancient Japan a dove carrying a sword symbolized the end of war.(3)There was a tradition in Europe that if a dove flew arounda house wheresomeone was dying then their soul would be at peace. And there are legends which say that the devil can turn himself into any bird except for a dove. In Christian art, the dove was used tosymbolize the Holy Ghost and was often painted above Christ's head.(4)But it was Pablo Picasso who made the dove a modern symbol of peace when he used it on a poster for the World Peace Congress in 1949.The rainbow(5)The rainbow is another ancient and universal symbol, often representing the connection between human beings and their gods. In Greek mythology it was associated with Iris, the goddess who brought messages from the gods on Mount Olympus. In Scandinavian mythology the rainbow was a bridge between the gods and the earth. In the Bible a rainbow showed Noah that the Biblical flood was finally over, and that God had forgiven his people. In the Chinese tradition, the rainbow is a common symbol for marriage because the colours represent the union of yin and yang. Nowadays the rainbow is used by many popular movements for peace and the environment, representing the possibility of a better world in the future and promising sunshine after the rain.Mistletoe(6)This plant was sacred in many cultures, generally representing peace and love. Most people know of the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe at Christmas time, which probably comes from Scandinavian mythology. The goddess Freya's son was killed by an arrow made of mistletoe, so, in honour of him, she declared that it would always be a symbol of peace. It was often hung in doorways as a sign offriendship.(7)The ancient Druids believed that hanging mistletoe in your doorway protected you from evil spirits. Tribes would stopfighting for a period of time if they found a tree with mistletoe. But you will never see mistletoe in a Christian church - it is banned because of its associations with pagan religion and superstition.The olive branch(8)The olive tree has always been a valuable source of food and oil. In Greek mythology, the goddess Athena gave the olive tree to the people of Athens, who showed their gratitude by naming the city after her. But no one knows for sure when or why it began to symbolize peace. There is probably a connection with ancient Greece. Wars between states were suspended during the Olympic Games, and the winners were given crowns of olive branches. The symbolism may come from the fact that the olive tree takes a long time to produce fruit, so olives could only be cultivated successfully in long periods of peace. Whatever the history, the olive branch is a part of many modern flags symbolizing peace and unity. One well-known example is the United Nations symbol.The ankh(9)The ankh is an ancient symbol which was adopted by the hippie movement in the 1960s to represent peace and love. It was found in many Asian cultures, but is generally associated with ancient Egypt. It represented life and immortality. Egyptians were buried with an ankh, so that they could continue to live in the "afterworld". The symbol was also found along the sides of the Nile, which gave life to the people. They believed that the ankh could control the flow of the riverand make sure that there was always enough water.44. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?A. Concept of Peace.B. Origin of Peace Symbols.C. Popular Peace Symbols.D. Cultural Difference of Peace.45. The rainbow represents the connection between human beings and their gods in all the following countries EXCEPT___________.A. SwedenB. GreeceC. FinlandD. China46. In North Europe mistletoe was often hung in doorways to indicate___________.A. friendshipB. loveC. kinshipD. honour47. The origin of the ankh can date back to___________.A. the NileB. the "afterworld"C. the hippie movementD. ancient EgyptPASSAGE THREE(1)Two sides almost never change: That you can manipulate people intoself-sufficiency and that you can punish them into good citizenship.(2)The first manifests itself in our tireless search for the magical level at whichwelfare grants are big enough to meet basic needs but small enough to make low-paid work attractive. The second has uslooking to the criminal justice system to cure behavior that is as much as anything the result of despair.(3)The welfare example is well known. We don't want poor people to live in squaloror their children to be malnourished. But we also don't want to subsidize the indolence of people who are too lazy to work. The first impulse leads us to provide housing, food stamps, medical care and a cash stipend for families in need. The second gets us to think about "workforce".(4)We've been thinking about it for two reasons: the "nanny" problems of twohigh-ranking government officials (who hired undocumented foreigners as household helpers, presumably because they couldn't find Americans to do the work) and President Clinton's proposal to put a two-year limit on welfare.(5)Maybe something useful will come of Clinton's idea, but I'm not all that hopeful.It looks to me like one more example of trying to manipulate people into taking care of themselves.(6)On the criminal justice side, we hope to make punishment tough enough todiscourage crime but not so tough as to clog our prisons with relatively minor offenders. T oo short a sentence, we fear, will create contempt for the law. Too longa sentence will take up costly space better used for the violent and unremorseful.。
2016年全国英语专业四级考试真题
2016年全国英语专业四级考试真题全文共3篇示例，供读者参考篇12016 National English Majors Band Four ExaminationPart I Writing (45 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay. You should start your essay with a brief description of the picture and then express your views on the importance of creativity. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Part II Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question, there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D), and decide whichis the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.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 2 with a single line through the centre.Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, there is a passage with 10 blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Section BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement containsinformation 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.Section CDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten questions attached to it. Each question contains a statement given in the passage. For each question, choose the best answer from the options given. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.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.Part V Cloze (15 minutes)Directions: There are 20 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are four words or phrases marked A), B), C), and D). You should choose the ONE that best fits into the passage. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Part VI Writing (45 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 45 minutes to write a composition on the topic Building a Harmonious Society. You should write at least 300 words, and base your composition on the outline (given in Chinese) below:1. 目前和谐社会建设面临的问题;2. 构建和谐社会的重要性;3. 我的建议。
2016年6月大学英语四级考试真题、听力原文及参考答案(第3套)
2016年6月大学英语四级考试真题（第3套）Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions:For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter to express your thanks to one of your school teachers upon entering college. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)说明：由于2016年6月四级考试全国共考了两套听力，本套听力内容与前两套内容完全一样，只是选项的顺序不同而已，故在本套中不再重复给出。
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 Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.Physical activity does the body good, and there's growing evidence that it helps the brain too. Researchers in the Netherlands report that children who get more exercise, whether at school or on their own, 26 to have higher GPAs and better scores on standardized tests. In a 27 of 14 studies that looked at physical activity and academic 28 , investigators found that the more children moved, the better their grades were in school, 29 in the basic subjects of math, English and reading.The data will certainly fuel the ongoing debate over whether physical education classes should be cut as schools struggle to 30 on smaller budgets. The arguments against physical education have included concerns that gym time may be taking away from study time. With standardized test scores in the U.S. 31 in recent years, some administrators believe students need to spend more time in the classroom instead of on the playground. But as these findings show, exercise and academics may not be 32 exclusive. Physical activity can improve blood 33 to the brain, fueling memory, attention and creativity, which are 34 to learning. And exercise releases hormones that can improve 35 and relieve stress, which can also help learning. So while it may seem as if kids are just exercising their bodies when they're running around, theySection 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.Finding the Right Home -- and Contentment, TooA) When your elderly relative needs to enter some sort of long-term care facility --a moment few parents or children approach without fear --what you would like is to have everything made clear.B) Does assisted living really mark a great improvement over a nursing home, or has the industry simply hired better interior designers? Are nursing homes as bad as people fear, or is that an out-moded stereotype (固定看法)? Can doing one's homework really steer families to the best places? It is genuinely hard to know.C) I am about to make things more complicated by suggesting that what kind of facility an older person lives in may matter less than we have assumed. And that the characteristics adult children look for when they begin the search are not necessarily the things that make a difference to the people who are going to move in. I am not talking about the quality of care, let me hastily add. Nobody flourishes in a gloomy environment with irresponsible staff and a poor safety record. But an accumulating body of research indicates that some distinctions between one type of elder care and another have little real bearing on how well residents do.D) The most recent of these studies, published in The Journal of Applied Gerontology, surveyed 150 Connecticut residents of assisted living, nursing homes and smaller residential care homes (known in some states as board and care homes or adult care homes). Researchers from the University of Connecticut Health Center asked the residents a large number of questions about their quality of life, emotional well-being and social interaction, as well as about the quality of the facilities.E) "We thought we would see differences based on the housing types," said the lead author of the study, Julie Robison, an associate professor of medicine at the university. A reasonable assumption -- don't families struggle to avoid nursing homes and suffer real guilt if they can't?F) In the initial results, assisted living residents did paint the most positive picture. They were less likely to report symptoms of depression than those in the other facilities, for instance, and less likely to be bored or lonely. They scored higher on social interaction.G) But when the researchers plugged in a number of other variables, such differences disappeared. It is not the housing type, they found, that creates differences in residents' responses. "It is the characteristics of the specific environment they are in, combined with their own personal characteristics --how healthy they feel they are, their age and marital status," Dr. Robison explained. Whether residents felt involved in the decision to move and how long they had lived there also proved significant.H) An elderly person who describes herself as in poor health, therefore, might be no less depressed in assisted living (even if her children preferred it) than in a nursing home. A person who had input into where he would move and has had time to adapt to it might do as well in anursing home as in a small residential care home, other factors being equal. It is an interaction between the person and the place, not the sort of place in itself, that leads to better or worse experiences. "You can't just say, 'Let's put this person in a residential care home instead of a nursing home -- she will be much better off,'" Dr. Robison said. What matters, she added, "is a combination of what people bring in with them, and what they find there."I) Such findings, which run counter to common sense, have surfaced before. In a multi-state study of assisted living, for instance, University of North Carolina researchers found that a host of variables --the facility's type, size or age; whether a chain owned it; how attractive the neighborhood was -- had no significant relationship to how the residents fared in terms of illness, mental decline, hospitalizations or mortality. What mattered most was the residents' physical health and mental status. What people were like when they came in had greater consequence than what happened once they were there.J) As I was considering all this, a press release from a respected research firm crossed my desk, announcing that the five-star rating system that Medicare developed in 2008 to help families compare nursing home quality also has little relationship to how satisfied its residents or their family members are. As a matter of fact, consumers expressed higher satisfaction with the one-star facilities, the lowest rated, than with the five-star ones. (More on this study and the star ratings will appear in a subsequent post.)K) Before we collectively tear our hair out -- how are we supposed to find our way in a landscape this confusing? -- here is a thought from Dr. Philip Sloane, a geriatrician (老年病学专家) at the University of North Carolina: "In a way, that could be liberating for families."L) Of course, sons and daughters want to visit the facilities, talk to the administrators and residents and other families, and do everything possible to fulfill their duties. But perhaps they don't have to turn themselves into private investigators or Congressional subcommittees. "Families can look a bit more for where the residents are going to be happy," Dr. Sloane said. And involving the future resident in the process can be very important.M) We all have our own ideas about what would bring our parents happiness. They have their ideas, too. A friend recently took her mother to visit an expensive assisted living/nursing home near my town. I have seen this place -- it is elegant, inside and out. But nobody greeted the daughter and mother when they arrived, though the visit had been planned; nobody introduced them to the other residents. When they had lunch in the dining room, they sat alone at a table.N) The daughter feared her mother would be ignored there, and so she decided to move her into a more welcoming facility. Based on what is emerging from some of this research, that might have been as rational a way as any to reach a decision.36. Many people feel guilty when they cannot find a place other than a nursing for their parents.37. Though it helps for children to investigate care facilities, involving their parents in the decision-making process may prove very important.38. It is really difficult to tell if assisted living is better than a nursing home.39. How a resident feels depends on an interaction between themselves and the care facility they live in.40. The author thinks her friend made a rational decision in choosing a more hospitable placeover an apparently elegant assisted living home.41. The system Medicare developed to rate nursing home quality is of little help to finding a satisfactory place.42. At first the researchers of the most recent study found residents in assisted living facilities gave higher scores on social interaction.43. What kind of care facility old people live in may be less important than we think.44. The findings of the latest research were similar to an earlier multi-state study of assisted living.45. A resident's satisfaction with a care facility has much to do with whether they had participated in the decision to move in and how long they had stayed there.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 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.As Artificial Intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly sophisticated, there are growing concerns that robots could become a threat. This danger can be avoided, according to computer science professor Stuart Russell, if we figure out how to turn human values into a programmable code.Russell argues that as robots take on more complicated tasks, it's necessary to translate our morals into AI language.For example, if a robot does chores around the house, you wouldn't want it to put the pet cat in the oven to make dinner for the hungry children. "You would want that robot preloaded with a good set of values," said Russell.Some robots are already programmed with basic human values. For example, mobile robots have been programmed to keep a comfortable distance from humans. Obviously there are cultural differences, but if you were talking to another person and they came up close in your personal space, you wouldn't think that's the kind of thing a properly brought-up person would do.It will be possible to create more sophisticated moral machines, if only we can find a way to set out human values as clear rules.Robots could also learn values from drawing patterns from large sets of data on human behavior. They are dangerous only if programmers are careless.The biggest concern with robots going against human values is that human beings fail to do sufficient testing and they've produced a system that will break some kind of taboo (禁忌).One simple cheek would be to program a robot to check the correct course of action with a human when presented with an unusual situation.If the robot is unsure whether an animal is suitable for the microwave, it has the opportunityto stop, send out beeps (嘟嘟声), and ask for directions from a human. If we humans aren't quite sure about a decision, we go and ask somebody else.The most difficult step in programming values will be deciding exactly what we believe is moral, and how to create a set of ethical rules. But if we come up with an answer, robots could be good for humanity.46. What does the author say about the threat of robots?A) It may constitute a challenge to computer programmers.B) It accompanies all machinery involving high technology.C) It can be avoided if human values are translated into their language.D) It has become an inevitable peril as technology gets more sophisticated.47. What would we think of a person who invades our personal space according to the author?A) They are aggressive. C) They are ignorant.B) They are outgoing. D) They are ill-bred.48. How do robots learn human values?A) By interacting with humans in everyday life situations.B) By following the daily routines of civilized human beings.C) By picking up patterns from massive data on human behavior.D) By imitating the behavior of properly brought-up human beings.49. What will a well-programmed robot do when facing an unusual situation?A) Keep a distance from possible dangers.B) Stop to seek advice from a human being.C) Trigger its built-in alarm system at once.D) Do sufficient testing before taking action.50. What is most difficult to do when we turn human values into a programmable code?A) Determine what is moral and ethical.B) Design some large-scale experiments.C) Set rules for man-machine interaction.D) Develop a more sophisticated program.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.Why do some people live to be older than others? You know the standard explanations: keeping a moderate diet, engaging in regular exercise, etc. But what effect does your personality have on your longevity(长寿)? Do some kinds of personalities lead to longer lives? A new study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society looked at this question by examining the personality characteristics of 246 children of people who had lived to be at least 100.The study shows that those living the longest are more outgoing, more active and lessneurotic (神经质的) than other people. Long-living women are also more likely to be sympathetic and cooperative than women with a normal life span. These findings are in agreement with what you would expect from the evolutionary theory: those who like to make friends and help others can gather enough resources to make it through tough times.Interestingly, however, other characteristics that you might consider advantageous had no impact on whether study participants were likely to live longer. Those who were more self-disciplined, for instance, were no more likely to live to be very old. Also, being open to new ideas had no relationship to long life, which might explain all those bad-tempered old people who are fixed in their ways.Whether you can successfully change your personality as an adult is the subject of a longstanding psychological debate. But the new paper suggests that if you want long life, you should strive to be as outgoing as possible.Unfortunately, another recent study shows that your mother's personality may also help determine your longevity. That study looked at nearly 28,000 Norwegian mothers and found that those moms who were more anxious, depressed and angry were more likely to feed their kids unhealthy diets. Patterns of childhood eating can be hard to break when we're adults, which may mean that kids of depressed moms end up dying younger. Personality isn't destiny(命运), and everyone knows that individuals can learn to change. But both studies show that long life isn't justa matter of your physical health but of your mental health.51. The aim of the study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society is ________.A) to see whether people's personality affects their life spanB) to find out if one's lifestyle has any effect on their healthC) to investigate the role of exercise in living a long lifeD) to examine all the factors contributing to longevity52. What does the author imply about outgoing and sympathetic people?A) They have a good understanding of evolution.B) They are better at negotiating an agreement.C) They generally appear more resourceful.D) They are more likely to get over hardship.53. What finding of the study might prove somewhat out of our expectation?A) Easy-going people can also live a relatively long life.B) Personality characteristics that prove advantageous actually vary with times.C) Such personality characteristics as self-discipline have no effect on longevity.D) Readiness to accept new ideas helps one enjoy longevity.54. What does the recent study of Norwegian mothers show?A) Children's personality characteristics are invariably determined by their mothers.B) People with unhealthy eating habits are likely to die sooner.C) Mothers' influence on children may last longer than fathers'.D) Mothers' negative personality characteristics may affect their children's life spans.55. What can we learn from the findings of the two new studies?A) Anxiety and depression more often than not cut short one's life span.B) Longevity results from a combination of mental and physical health.C) Personality plays a decisive role in how healthy one is.D) Health is in large part related to one's lifestyle.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.乌镇是浙江的一座古老水镇，坐落在京杭大运河畔。
2016年 英语专业四级听力真题 (听力文本)
TEST FOR ENGLISH MAJORS (2016)-GRADE FOUR-PART ⅠDICTATIONListen to the following passage.Altogether the passage will be read to you four times. During the first reading,which will be done at normal speed,listen and try to understand the meaning.For the second and third readings,the passage will be read sentence by sentence,or phrase by phrase,with intervals of 15 seconds.The last reading will be done at normal speed againand during this timeyou should check your work.You will then be given 1 minuteto check through your work once more.Please write the whole passage on ANSWER SHEET ONE. Now listen to the passage.Think Positive and Feel PositiveAre you confidentor insecure in a difficult situation? /Do you react positively or negatively? /The answer may depend in parton whom you’re around. /A study foundthat negative thinking can be contagious in some cases. /For example, the researchers studied 103 college roommates. / They measured each roommate’s tendencytowards negative thinking. /It was found that thinking patterns can be contagious. / Students with a negative thinking roommatebecame more depressed themselves, /and students with more positive thinking roommates /were more likely to become more positive as well.The second and third readings.You should begin writing now.Are you confidentor insecure in a difficult situation? /Are you confidentor insecure in a difficult situation? /Do you react positively or negatively? /Do you react positively or negatively? /The answer may depend in parton whom you’re around. /The answer may depend in parton whom you’re around. /A study foundthat negative thinking can be contagious in some cases. /A study foundthat negative thinking can be contagious in some cases. /For example, the researchers studied 103 college roommates. / For example, the researchers studied 103 college roommates. / They measure d each roommate’s tendencytowards negative thinking. /They measured each roommate’s tendencytowards negative thinking. /It was found that thinking patterns can be contagious. /It was found that thinking patterns can be contagious. / Students with a negative thinking roommatebecame more depressed themselves, /Students with a negative thinking roommatebecame more depressed themselves, /and students with more positive thinking roommates /and students with more positive thinking roommates /were more likely to become more positive as well.were more likely to become more positive as well.The last reading.Are you confidentor insecure in a difficult situation? /Do you react positively or negatively? /The answer may depend in parton whom you’re around. /A study foundthat negative thinking can be contagious in some cases. /For example, the researchers studied 103 college roommates. / They measured each roommate’s tendencytowards negative thinking. /It was found that thinking patterns can be contagious. / Students with a negative thinking roommatebecame more depressed themselves, /and students with more positive thinking roommates /were more likely to become more positive as well.Now, you have one minute to check through your work.This is the end of Part I Dictation.PART ⅡLISTENING COMPREHENSIONSECTION A TALKIn this section you will hear a talk.You will hear the talk ONCE ONLY.While listening,you may look at the task on ANSWER SHEET ONEand write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each gap. Make sure what you fill inis both grammatically and semantically acceptable.You may use the blank sheet for note-taking.You have THIRTY seconds to preview the gap-filling task. Now listen to the talk.When it is over,you will be given TWO minutes to check your work.What Is Grit?Good afternoon, everyone.Today, I would like to talk about my research project concerning the key to success.I would like to start my topic with my own story.When I was 27 years old,I left for a demanding job-teaching seventh graders mathin the New York City public schools.And like any teacher,I made quizzes and tests.I gave out homework assignments.When the work came back,I calculated grades.What struck me was thatI.Q. was not the only differencebetween my best and my worst students.Some of my strongest performersdid not have super I.Q. scores.Some of my smartest kids weren’t doing so well.Then, I felt very interestedin knowing the reason why the students’ math performance is not that closely related to their I.Q. scores.I started studying kids and adultsin all kinds of challenging settings,and in every study my question was,who is successful here and why.My research team and Iwent to West Point Military Academy.We tried to predictwhich students would stay in military trainingand which would drop out.We went to the National Spelling Contestand tried to predictwhich children would advance furthest in competition.We worked with private companies,asking which of these salespeople is going to keep their jobs,and who’s going to earn the most money.We went to many places and finally,one characteristic emerged as a significant predictor of success. And it wasn’t social intelligence.It wasn’t good looks, physical health,and it wasn’t I.Q. It was grit.What is grit?Well, grit is passion and perseverancefor very long-term goals.Grit is sticking with your future,day in, day out,not just for the week,not just for the month, but for years,and working really hard to make future a reality.Grit is living your life like it’s a marathon, not a sprint.A few years ago,I started studying grit in the Chicago public schools.I asked thousands of high school juniorsto take grit questionnaires,and then waited around more than a yearto see who would graduate.It turned out thatgrittier kids were significantly more likely to graduate,even when I matched them on every characteristic I could measure, things like family income, test scores, and so on.To me, the most shocking thing about grit is how little we know, how little science knows, about building it.Every day, parents and teachers ask me,“How do I build grit in kid s?How do I keep them motivated for the long run?”Our data shows very clearlythat there are many talented individualswho simply do not follow through on their commitment.In fact, in our data,grit is usually unrelated to measures of talent.So fa r, the best idea I’ve heard about building grit in kidsis something called “growth mindset.”Growth mindset is the beliefthat the ability to learn is not fixed,that it can change with your effort.Kids with grit are much more likely to persevere when they fail, because they don’t believe that failure is a permanent condition. So growth mindset is a great idea for building grit.But we need more.And that’s where I’m going to end my talk,because that’s where we are.That’s the work that stands before us.We have to be willing to fail,to be wrong, to start over again with lessons learned.As a conclusion,we need to be gritty about getting our kids grittier.Next time, I would like to share with youmy experience in building up students’ grit.Now, you have TWO minutesto check your work.THIS IS THE END OF SECTION A TALK.SECTION B CONVERSATIONSIn this section you will hear two conversations.At the end of each conversation,five questions will be asked about what was said.Both the conversation and the questionswill be spoken ONCE ONLY.After each question there will be a ten-second pause.During the pause,you should read the four choices of A), B), C) and D),and mark the best answer to each questionon ANSWER SHEET TWO.You have THIRTY seconds to preview the questions.Now listen to the conversations.Conversation OneQuestions 1 to 5 are based on Conversation oneW: Hello, this is Kate Smith.I’m calling from ABC Company.M: Oh, hello, Kate. Great to hear from you.W: You’ve already been toldthat you’ve been shortlisted for interview.M: Oh, yes.W: Well, we are very excited about meeting you.OK. I just want to talk you through the procedure for the day. Someone will meet you when you arrive,and then bring you up to meet myself and Arthur Miller, the CEO. M: OK, sounds good.So will you be the only members of the interview panel there then? W: Yes, it’ll be just me and Arthur who will talk to you.The interview will be in three parts.First of all, we’ll ask you some general questions about yourself and your educational and professional background,and then we’ll move on to specifics.M: Oh, er, specifics?Well, er...what kind of questions will you be asking?W: Wel l, it’ll be very similar to the personal statementyou submitted with your CV.We’ll be expecting you to...to give actual examples of problemsyou’ve faced and solved,and of what you feel are the major successes in your career so far. M: OK, well. Yeah, that sounds great. Can’t wait!W: Then there’ll be a chance for you to ask us any questions-about the job itself, or ABC Company in general.M: Oh, um...OK. I’ll think of something!W: After that, we’d like you to give a short presentationon how you see ABC as a company progressing,and how you see yourself taking us there.M: OK, so will I be expected to give like a formal style presentation? W: It can be as formal or informal as you like.There’ll be a computer and a data projector there availa ble.If you need anything else, just let us know.M: Oh, um...OK, a presentation! I’ll think of something.I haven’t done one of those in a while.W: Is that all clear?M: Yes.W: Great. So, Daniel,I’ll see you at 11 a.m., Thursday next week.M: OK, great. I look forward to meeting you! Thanks, bye.W: Bye.Questions 1 to 5 are based on Conversation One.1. Why does the woman call the man?2. What kind of questions can the man ask in the interview?3. Which is the last part of the interview?4. What migh t be expected from the man’s presentation?5. When is the interview scheduled?This is the end of Conversation OneConversation TwoQuestions 6 to 10 are based on Conversation Two.W: It says a growing number of studentsare making a major holefrom the minute they enter the real worldbecause they are already, some of them,more than 100,000 dollars in debt.With us now is Mark Spenser.He is the senior financial analyst from SBC Bank.Welcome to you.M: Thank you. Nice to be with you.W: Now, I guess there are two kinds of debts,good debt and bad debt. Where does this go?M: Well, student loan debt is traditionally considered good debt, but the problem for many students and their familiesis that the cost of collegeshas been going up at 6 to 8 percent a year,far faster than the income,far faster than the standard of living.That means debt’s taking on a bigger and bigger rolein financing education.W: How much debt is too much debt for...for one student?M: Well, one guideline isthat you look at the first year salaryin your field after graduation,and use that as a barometer, but even then...W: Is that right?M: Well, you are talking big payments even in that instance,for example, 30,000 dollars worth of debt.If you are gonna repay that over 10 years,you are talking more than 300 dollars a month that,in payments every month for 10 years.W: But there is surely more than one wayto get a loan for college.There are government programs.There are so many kinds of grants.What’s...what’s the best advice for peoplewho are looking for these loansto try to keep themselves from going under?M: I understand that loans are just one way of college finance. Take advantage of the other opportunities.Things like a college savings plan let...let you save on a tax advantage basis.So you can put money away in these accountsand withdraw tax-free to pay for that education.W: So, it’s important to start earlyand that really reduces that reliance on debt later.M: Another thing, leave no stone unturned,looking at grants, scholarships, even on-campus jobs.I mean every dollar you get that wayis seen as another dollar you don’t have to borrow later.W: The kinds of jobs that so many students, fresh off students,like to go into, er, charity stuff, volunteer work.This debt is eliminating a lot of that, isn’t it?M: I think that’s the social cost.Really, I mean...you know, when you consider that,you know, people may pass up a rewarding careerin charitable work, or non-profit organizationbecause they have to get a higher salary someplace elseto pay off that debt.W: Yeah, that’s for sure.Mark Spenser, senior financial analyst from SBC Bank.Mark, good you could be here.M: Thank you.Questions 6 to 10 are based on Conversation Two.6. What is the interview mainly about?7. How does the cost of college education change every year?8. What is used to measure student loan debt as a guideline?9. What is the advantage of joining a college savings plan?10. What is the possible social cost of a college loan?This is the end of Conversation Two.THIS IS THE END OF PART ⅡLISTENING COMPREHENSION.。
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TEST FOR ENGLISH MAJORS (2016)-GRADE FOUR-PART ⅠDICTATIONListen to the following passage.Altogether the passage will be read to you four times. During the first reading,which will be done at normal speed,listen and try to understand the meaning.For the second and third readings,the passage will be read sentence by sentence,or phrase by phrase,with intervals of 15 seconds.The last reading will be done at normal speed againand during this timeyou should check your work.You will then be given 1 minuteto check through your work once more.Please write the whole passage on ANSWER SHEET ONE. Now listen to the passage.Think Positive and Feel PositiveAre you confidentor insecure in a difficult situation? /Do you react positively or negatively? /The answer may depend in parton whom you’re around. /A study foundthat negative thinking can be contagious in some cases. /For example, the researchers studied 103 college roommates. / They measured each roommate’s tendencytowards negative thinking. /It was found that thinking patterns can be contagious. / Students with a negative thinking roommatebecame more depressed themselves, /and students with more positive thinking roommates /were more likely to become more positive as well.The second and third readings.You should begin writing now.Are you confidentor insecure in a difficult situation? /Are you confidentor insecure in a difficult situation? /Do you react positively or negatively? /Do you react positively or negatively? /The answer may depend in parton whom you’re around. /The answer may depend in parton whom you’re around. /A study foundthat negative thinking can be contagious in some cases. /A study foundthat negative thinking can be contagious in some cases. /For example, the researchers studied 103 college roommates. / For example, the researchers studied 103 college roommates. / They measure d each roommate’s tendencytowards negative thinking. /They measured each roommate’s tendencytowards negative thinking. /It was found that thinking patterns can be contagious. /It was found that thinking patterns can be contagious. / Students with a negative thinking roommatebecame more depressed themselves, /Students with a negative thinking roommatebecame more depressed themselves, /and students with more positive thinking roommates /and students with more positive thinking roommates /were more likely to become more positive as well.were more likely to become more positive as well.The last reading.Are you confidentor insecure in a difficult situation? /Do you react positively or negatively? /The answer may depend in parton whom you’re around. /A study foundthat negative thinking can be contagious in some cases. /For example, the researchers studied 103 college roommates. / They measured each roommate’s tendencytowards negative thinking. /It was found that thinking patterns can be contagious. / Students with a negative thinking roommatebecame more depressed themselves, /and students with more positive thinking roommates /were more likely to become more positive as well.Now, you have one minute to check through your work.This is the end of Part I Dictation.PART ⅡLISTENING COMPREHENSIONSECTION A TALKIn this section you will hear a talk.You will hear the talk ONCE ONLY.While listening,you may look at the task on ANSWER SHEET ONEand write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each gap. Make sure what you fill inis both grammatically and semantically acceptable.You may use the blank sheet for note-taking.You have THIRTY seconds to preview the gap-filling task. Now listen to the talk.When it is over,you will be given TWO minutes to check your work.What Is Grit?Good afternoon, everyone.Today, I would like to talk about my research project concerning the key to success.I would like to start my topic with my own story.When I was 27 years old,I left for a demanding job-teaching seventh graders mathin the New York City public schools.And like any teacher,I made quizzes and tests.I gave out homework assignments.When the work came back,I calculated grades.What struck me was thatI.Q. was not the only differencebetween my best and my worst students.Some of my strongest performersdid not have super I.Q. scores.Some of my smartest kids weren’t doing so well.Then, I felt very interestedin knowing the reason why the students’ math performance is not that closely related to their I.Q. scores.I started studying kids and adultsin all kinds of challenging settings,and in every study my question was,who is successful here and why.My research team and Iwent to West Point Military Academy.We tried to predictwhich students would stay in military trainingand which would drop out.We went to the National Spelling Contestand tried to predictwhich children would advance furthest in competition.We worked with private companies,asking which of these salespeople is going to keep their jobs,and who’s going to earn the most money.We went to many places and finally,one characteristic emerged as a significant predictor of success. And it wasn’t social intelligence.It wasn’t good looks, physical health,and it wasn’t I.Q. It was grit.What is grit?Well, grit is passion and perseverancefor very long-term goals.Grit is sticking with your future,day in, day out,not just for the week,not just for the month, but for years,and working really hard to make future a reality.Grit is living your life like it’s a marathon, not a sprint.A few years ago,I started studying grit in the Chicago public schools.I asked thousands of high school juniorsto take grit questionnaires,and then waited around more than a yearto see who would graduate.It turned out thatgrittier kids were significantly more likely to graduate,even when I matched them on every characteristic I could measure, things like family income, test scores, and so on.To me, the most shocking thing about grit is how little we know, how little science knows, about building it.Every day, parents and teachers ask me,“How do I build grit in kid s?How do I keep them motivated for the long run?”Our data shows very clearlythat there are many talented individualswho simply do not follow through on their commitment.In fact, in our data,grit is usually unrelated to measures of talent.So fa r, the best idea I’ve heard about building grit in kidsis something called “growth mindset.”Growth mindset is the beliefthat the ability to learn is not fixed,that it can change with your effort.Kids with grit are much more likely to persevere when they fail, because they don’t believe that failure is a permanent condition. So growth mindset is a great idea for building grit.But we need more.And that’s where I’m going to end my talk,because that’s where we are.That’s the work that stands before us.We have to be willing to fail,to be wrong, to start over again with lessons learned.As a conclusion,we need to be gritty about getting our kids grittier.Next time, I would like to share with youmy experience in building up students’ grit.Now, you have TWO minutesto check your work.THIS IS THE END OF SECTION A TALK.SECTION B CONVERSATIONSIn this section you will hear two conversations.At the end of each conversation,five questions will be asked about what was said.Both the conversation and the questionswill be spoken ONCE ONLY.After each question there will be a ten-second pause.During the pause,you should read the four choices of A), B), C) and D),and mark the best answer to each questionon ANSWER SHEET TWO.You have THIRTY seconds to preview the questions.Now listen to the conversations.Conversation OneQuestions 1 to 5 are based on Conversation oneW: Hello, this is Kate Smith.I’m calling from ABC Company.M: Oh, hello, Kate. Great to hear from you.W: You’ve already been toldthat you’ve been shortlisted for interview.M: Oh, yes.W: Well, we are very excited about meeting you.OK. I just want to talk you through the procedure for the day. Someone will meet you when you arrive,and then bring you up to meet myself and Arthur Miller, the CEO. M: OK, sounds good.So will you be the only members of the interview panel there then? W: Yes, it’ll be just me and Arthur who will talk to you.The interview will be in three parts.First of all, we’ll ask you some general questions about yourself and your educational and professional background,and then we’ll move on to specifics.M: Oh, er, specifics?Well, er...what kind of questions will you be asking?W: Wel l, it’ll be very similar to the personal statementyou submitted with your CV.We’ll be expecting you to...to give actual examples of problemsyou’ve faced and solved,and of what you feel are the major successes in your career so far. M: OK, well. Yeah, that sounds great. Can’t wait!W: Then there’ll be a chance for you to ask us any questions-about the job itself, or ABC Company in general.M: Oh, um...OK. I’ll think of something!W: After that, we’d like you to give a short presentationon how you see ABC as a company progressing,and how you see yourself taking us there.M: OK, so will I be expected to give like a formal style presentation? W: It can be as formal or informal as you like.There’ll be a computer and a data projector there availa ble.If you need anything else, just let us know.M: Oh, um...OK, a presentation! I’ll think of something.I haven’t done one of those in a while.W: Is that all clear?M: Yes.W: Great. So, Daniel,I’ll see you at 11 a.m., Thursday next week.M: OK, great. I look forward to meeting you! Thanks, bye.W: Bye.Questions 1 to 5 are based on Conversation One.1. Why does the woman call the man?2. What kind of questions can the man ask in the interview?3. Which is the last part of the interview?4. What migh t be expected from the man’s presentation?5. When is the interview scheduled?This is the end of Conversation OneConversation TwoQuestions 6 to 10 are based on Conversation Two.W: It says a growing number of studentsare making a major holefrom the minute they enter the real worldbecause they are already, some of them,more than 100,000 dollars in debt.With us now is Mark Spenser.He is the senior financial analyst from SBC Bank.Welcome to you.M: Thank you. Nice to be with you.W: Now, I guess there are two kinds of debts,good debt and bad debt. Where does this go?M: Well, student loan debt is traditionally considered good debt, but the problem for many students and their familiesis that the cost of collegeshas been going up at 6 to 8 percent a year,far faster than the income,far faster than the standard of living.That means debt’s taking on a bigger and bigger rolein financing education.W: How much debt is too much debt for...for one student?M: Well, one guideline isthat you look at the first year salaryin your field after graduation,and use that as a barometer, but even then...W: Is that right?M: Well, you are talking big payments even in that instance,for example, 30,000 dollars worth of debt.If you are gonna repay that over 10 years,you are talking more than 300 dollars a month that,in payments every month for 10 years.W: But there is surely more than one wayto get a loan for college.There are government programs.There are so many kinds of grants.What’s...what’s the best advice for peoplewho are looking for these loansto try to keep themselves from going under?M: I understand that loans are just one way of college finance. Take advantage of the other opportunities.Things like a college savings plan let...let you save on a tax advantage basis.So you can put money away in these accountsand withdraw tax-free to pay for that education.W: So, it’s important to start earlyand that really reduces that reliance on debt later.M: Another thing, leave no stone unturned,looking at grants, scholarships, even on-campus jobs.I mean every dollar you get that wayis seen as another dollar you don’t have to borrow later.W: The kinds of jobs that so many students, fresh off students,like to go into, er, charity stuff, volunteer work.This debt is eliminating a lot of that, isn’t it?M: I think that’s the social cost.Really, I mean...you know, when you consider that,you know, people may pass up a rewarding careerin charitable work, or non-profit organizationbecause they have to get a higher salary someplace elseto pay off that debt.W: Yeah, that’s for sure.Mark Spenser, senior financial analyst from SBC Bank.Mark, good you could be here.M: Thank you.Questions 6 to 10 are based on Conversation Two.6. What is the interview mainly about?7. How does the cost of college education change every year?8. What is used to measure student loan debt as a guideline?9. What is the advantage of joining a college savings plan?10. What is the possible social cost of a college loan?This is the end of Conversation Two.THIS IS THE END OF PART ⅡLISTENING COMPREHENSION.。