2020年大学英语四级考试真题及答案(第一套)
大学英语四级考试真题（第一套）Part I Writing （30 minutes）Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the following question. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Suppose a foreign friend of yours is coming to visit your campus, what is the most interesting place you would like to take him/her to see and why?Part II Listening Comprehension （30 minutes）Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A）, B）, C）and D）, and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.1. A）They came in five different colors. C）They were a very good design.B）They were good value for money. D）They were sold out very quickly.2. A）Ask her roommate not to speak loudly on the phone.B）Ask her roommate to make her phone calls outside.C）Go and find a quieter place to review her lessons.D）Report her problem to the dorm management.3. A）The washing machine is totally beyond repair.B）He will help Wendy prepare her annual report.C）Wendy should give priority to writing her report.D）The washing machine should be checked annually.4. A）The man fell down when removing the painting.B）The wall will be decorated with a new painting.C）The woman likes the painting on the wall.D）The painting is now being reframed.5. A）It must be missing. C）The man took it to the market.B）It was left in the room. D）She placed it on the dressing table.6. A）Go to a play. C）Book some tickets.B）Meet Janet. D）Have a get-together.7. A）One box of books is found missing. C）Replacements have to be ordered.B）Some of the boxes arrived too late. D）Some of the books are damaged.8. A）The man will pick up Professor Johnson at her office.B）The man did not expect his paper to be graded so soon.C）Professor Johnson has given the man a very high grade.D）Professor Johnson will talk to each student in her office.Questions 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.9. A）To buy a present for his friend who is getting married.B）To find out the cost for a complete set of cookware.C）To see what he could ask his friends to buy for him.D）To make inquiries about the price of an electric cooker.10. A）To teach him how to use the kitchenware.B）To discuss cooking experiences with him.C）To tell him how to prepare delicious dishes.D）To recommend suitable kitchenware to him.11. A）There are so many different sorts of knives.B）Cooking devices are such practical presents.C）A mixer can save so much time in making cakes.D）Saucepans and frying pans are a must in the kitchen.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. A）Some new problems in her work. C）Her chance for promotion in the bank.B）Cooperation with an international bank. D）Her intention to leave her present job.13. A）The World Bank. C）A U.S. finance corporation.B）Bank of Washington. D）An investment bank in New York.14. A）Supervising financial transactions.B）Taking charge of public relations.C）Making loans to private companies in developing countries.D）Offering service to international companies in the United States.15. A）It is a first major step to realizing the woman’s dream.B）It is an honor for the woman and her present employer.C）It is a loss for her current company.D）It is really beyond his expectation.Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A）, B）, C）and D）. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A）Carry out a thorough checkup. C）Keep extra gas in reserve.B）Try to keep the gas tank full. D）Fill up the water tank.17. A）Attempting to leave your car to seek help.B）Opening a window a bit to let in fresh air.C）Running the engine every now and then.D）Keeping the heater on for a long time.18. A）It exhausts you physically. C）It causes you to lose body heat.B）It makes you fall asleep easily. D）It consumes too much oxygen.Passage TwoQuestions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A）They are very generous in giving gifts.B）They refuse gifts when doing business.C）They regard gifts as a token of friendship.D）They give gifts only on special occasions.20. A）They enjoy giving gifts to other people.B）They spend a lot of time choosing gifts.C）They have to follow many specific rules.D）They pay attention to the quality of gifts.21. A）Gift-giving plays an important role in human relationships.B）We must be aware of cultural differences in giving gifts.C）We must learn how to give gifts before going abroad.D）Reading extensively makes one a better gift-giver.Passage ThreeQuestions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A）It reflects American people’s view of French politics.B）It is first published in Washington and then in Paris.C）It explains American politics to the French public.D）It is popular among French government officials.23. A）Work on her column. C）Entertain her guests.B）Do housework at home. D）Go shopping downtown.24. A）To report to her newspaper. C）To visit her parents.B）To refresh her French. D）To meet her friends.25. A）She might be recalled to France. C）She might close her Monday column.B）She might change her profession. D）She might be assigned to a new post.Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks with the exact words you have just heard. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.According to American law, if someone is accused of a crime, he is considered （26）__________ until the court proves the person is guilty.To arrest a person, the police have to be reasonably sure that a crime has been （27）__________. The police must give the suspect the reasons why they are arresting him and tell him his rights under the law. Then the police take the suspect to the police station, where the name of the person and the （28）__________ against him are formally listed.The next step is for the suspect to go before a judge. The judge decides whether the suspect should be kept in jail or （29）__________. If the suspect has no previous criminal record and thejudge feels that he will return to court （30）__________ run away, he can go free. Otherwise, the suspect must put up bail （保释金）. At this time, too, the judge will （31）__________ a court lawyer to defend the suspect if he can’t afford one.The suspect returns to court a week or two later. A lawyer from the district attorney’s office presents a case against the suspect. The attorney may present （32）__________ as well as witnesses. The judge then decides whether there is enough reason to （33）__________.The American justice system is very complex and sometimes operates slowly. However, every step is （34）__________ to protect the rights of the people. These individual rights are the （35）__________ of the American government.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.Questions 36 to 45 are based on the following passage.Global warming is a trend toward warmer conditions around the world. Part of the warming is natural; we have experienced a 20,000-year-long warming as the last ice age ended and the ice ___36___ away. However, we have already reached temperatures that are in ___37___ with other minimum-ice periods, so continued warming is likely not natural. We are ___38___ to a predicted worldwide increase in temperatures ___39___ between 1℃and 6℃over the next 100 years. The warming will be more ___40___ in some areas, less in others, and some places may even cool off. Likewise, the ___41___ of this warming will be very different depending on where you are—coastal areas must worry about rising sea levels, while Siberia and northern Canada may become more habitable （宜居的）and ___42___ for humans than these areas are now.The fact remains, however, that it will likely get warmer, on ___43___, everywhere. Scientists are in general agreement that the warmer conditions we have been experiencing are at least in part the result of a human-induced global warming trend. Some scientists ___44___ that the changes we are seeing fall within the range of random （无规律的）variation—some years are cold, others warm, and we have just had an unremarkable string of warm years ___45___—but that is becoming an increasingly rare interpretation in the face of continued and increasing warm conditions.A）appealing I）meltedB）average J）persistC）contributing K）rangingD）dramatic L）recentlyE）frequently M）resolvedF）impact N）sensibleG）line O）shockH）maintainSection BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.The End of the Book?A） Amazon, by far the largest bookseller in the country, reported on May 19 that it is now selling more books in its electronic Kindle format than in the old paper-and-ink format. That is remarkable, considering that the Kindle has only been around for four years. E-books now account for 14 percent of all book sales in this country and are increasing far faster than overall book sales. E-book sales are up 146 percent over last year, while hardback sales increased 6 percent and paperbacks decreased 8 percent.B） Does this spell the doom of the physical book? Certainly not immediately, and perhaps not at all. What it does mean is that the book business will go through a transformation in the next decade or so more profound than any it has seen since Gutenberg introduced printing from moveable type in the 1450s.C） Physical books will surely become much rarer in the marketplace. Mass market paperbacks, which have been declining for years anyway, will probably disappear, as will hardbacks for mysteries, thrillers, “romance fiction,”etc. Such books, which only rarely end up in permanent collections, either private or public, will probably only be available as e-books within a few years. Hardback and trade paperbacks for “serious”nonfiction and fiction will surely last longer. Perhaps it will become the mark of an author to reckon with that he or she is still published in hard copy.D） As for children’s books, who knows? Children’s books are like dog food in that the purchasers are not the consumers, so the market （and the marketing）is inherently strange. E）For clues to the book’s future, let’s look at some examples of technological change and see what happened to the old technology.F）One technology replaces another only because the new technology is better, cheaper, or both. The greater the difference, the sooner and more thoroughly the new technology replaces the old. Printing with moveable type on paper dramatically reduced the cost of producing a book compared with the old-fashioned ones handwritten on vellum, which comes from sheepskin. A Bible—to be sure, a long book—required vellum made from 300 sheepskins and countless man-hours of labor. Before printing arrived, a Bible cost more than a middle-class house. There were perhaps 50,000 books in all of Europe in 1450. By 1500 there were 10 million.G） But while printing quickly caused the handwritten book to die out, hand writing lingered on （继续存在）well into the 16th century. Very special books are still occasionally produced on vellum, but they are one-of-a-kind show pieces.H） Sometimes a new technology doesn’t drive the old one out, but only parts of it while forcing the rest to evolve. The movies were widely predicted to drive live theater out of the marketplace, but they didn’t, because theater turned out to have qualities movies could not reproduce. Equally,TV was supposed to replace movies but, again, did not.I）Movies did, however, fatally impact some parts of live theater. And while TV didn’t kill movies, it did kill second-rate pictures, shorts, and cartoons.J）Nor did TV kill radio. Comedy and drama shows （”Jack Benny,”“Amos and Andy,”“The Shadow”）all migrated to television. But because you can’t drive a car and watch television at the same time, rush hour became radio’s prime time, while music, talk, and news radio greatly enlarged their audiences. Radio is today a very different business than in the late 1940s and a much larger one.K） Sometimes old technology lingers for centuries because of its symbolic power. Mounted cavalry （骑兵）replaced the chariot （二轮战车）on the battlefield around 1000 BC. But chariots maintained their place in parades and triumphs right up until the end of the Roman Empire 1,500 years later. The sword hasn’t had a military function for a hundred years, but is still part of an officer’s full-dress uniform, precisely because a sword always symbolized “an officer and a gentleman.”L）Sometimes new technology is a little cranky （不稳定的）at first. Television repairman was a common occupation in the 1950s, for instance. And so the old technology remains as a backup. Steamships captured the North Atlantic passenger business from sail in the 1840s because of its much greater speed. But steamships didn’t lose their sails until the 1880s, because early marine engines had a nasty habit of breaking down. Until ships became large enough （and engines small enough）to mount two engines side by side, they needed to keep sails. （The high cost of steam and the lesser need for speed kept the majority of the world’s ocean freight moving by sail until the early years of the 20th century.）M）Then there is the fireplace. Central heating was present in every upper- and middle-class home by the second half of the 19th century. But functioning fireplaces remain to this day a powerful selling point in a house or apartment. I suspect the reason is a deep-rooted love of fire. Fire was one of the earliest major technological advances for humankind, providing heat, protection, and cooked food （which is much easier to eat and digest）. Human control of fire goes back far enough （over a million years）that evolution could have produced a genetic leaning towards fire as a central aspect of human life.N） Books—especially books the average person could afford—haven’t been around long enough to produce evolutionary change in humans. But they have a powerful hold on many people nonetheless, a hold extending far beyond their literary content. At their best, they are works of art and there is a tactile （触觉的）pleasure in books necessarily lost in e-book versions. The ability to quickly thumb through pages is also lost. And a room with books in it induces, at least in some, a feeling not dissimilar to that of a fire in the fireplace on a cold winter’s night.O） For these reasons I think physical books will have a longer existence as a commercial product than some currently predict. Like swords, books have symbolic power. Like fireplaces, they induce a sense of comfort and warmth. And, perhaps, similar to sails, they make a useful backup for when the lights go out.46. Authors still published in printed versions will be considered important ones.47. Some people are still in favor of printed books because of the sense of touch they can provide.48. The radio business has changed greatly and now attracts more listeners.49. Contrary to many people’s prediction of its death, the film industry survived.50. Remarkable changes have taken place in the book business.51. Old technology sometimes continues to exist because of its reliability.52. The increase of e-book sales will force the book business to make changes not seen for centuries.53. A new technology is unlikely to take the place of an old one without a clear advantage.54. Paperbacks of popular literature are more likely to be replaced by e-books.55. A house with a fireplace has a stronger appeal to buyers.Section CDirections: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A）, B）, C）and D）. You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.The question of whether our government should promote science and technology or the liberal arts in higher education isn’t an either/or proposition（命题）, although the current emphasis on preparing young Americans for STEM （science, technology, engineering, maths）-related fields can make it seem that way.The latest congressional report acknowledges the critical importance of technical training, but also asserts that the study of the humanities （人文学科）and social sciences must remain central components of America’s educational system at all levels. Both areas are critical to producing citizens who can participate effectively in our democratic society, become innovative （创新的）leaders, and benefit from the spiritual enrichment that the reflection on the great ideas of mankind over time provides.Parents and students who have invested heavily in higher education worry about graduates’job prospects as technological advances and changes in domestic and global markets transform professions in ways that reduce wages and cut jobs. Under these circumstances, it’s natural to look for what may appear to be the most “practical”way out of the problem: “Major in a subject designed to get you a job”seems the obvious answer to some, though this ignores the fact that many disciplines in the humanities characterized as “soft”often, in fact, lead to employment and success in the long run. Indeed, according to surveys, employers have expressed a preference for students who have received a broadly-based education that has taught them to write well, think critically, research creatively and communicate easily.Moreover, students should be prepared not just for their first job, but for their 4th and 5th jobs, as there’s little reason to doubt that people entering the workforce today will be called upon to play many different roles over the course of their careers. The ones who will do the best in this new environment will be those whose educations have prepared them to be flexible. The ability to draw upon every available tool and insight—picked up from science, arts and technology—to solve the problems of the future, and take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves, will be helpful to them and the United States.56. What does the latest congressional report suggest?A）STEM-related subjects help students find jobs in the information society.B）The humanities and STEM subjects should be given equal importance.C）The liberal arts in higher education help enrich students’ spiritual life.D）Higher education should be adjusted to the practical needs of society.57. What is the main concern of students when they choose a major?A）Their interest in relevant subjects. C）The quality of education to receive.B）The academic value of the courses. D）Their chances of getting a good job.58. What does the author say about the so-called soft subjects?A）They benefit students in their future life.B）They broaden students’ range of interests.C）They improve students’ communication skills.D）They are essential to students’ healthy growth.59. What kind of job applicants do employers look for?A）Those who have a strong sense of responsibility.B）Those who are good at solving practical problems.C）Those who are likely to become innovative leaders.D）Those who have received a well-rounded education.60. What advice does the author give to college students?A）Seize opportunities to tap their potential.B）Try to take a variety of practical courses.C）Prepare themselves for different job options.D）Adopt a flexible approach to solving problems.Passage TwoQuestions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.Energy independence. It has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? If you think so, you’re not alone, because energy independence has been the dream of American presidents for decades, and never more so than in the past few years, when the most recent oil price shock has been partly responsible for kicking off the great recession.“Energy independence”and its rhetorical （修辞的）companion “energy security”are, however, slippery concepts that are rarely thought through. What is it we want independence from, exactly?Most people would probably say that they want to be independent from imported oil. But there are reasons that we buy all that oil from elsewhere.The first reason is that we need it to keep our economy running. Yes, there is a trickle （涓涓细流）of biofuel（生物燃料）available, and more may become available, but most biofuels cause economic waste and environmental destruction.Second, Americans have basically decided that they don’t really want to produce all their own oil. They value the environmental quality they preserve over their oil imports from abroad. Vast areas of the United States are off-limits to oil exploration and production in the name of environmental protection. To what extent are Americans really willing to endure the environmental impacts of domestic energy production in order to cut back imports?Third, there are benefits to trade. It allows for economic efficiency, and when we buy thingsfrom places that have lower production costs than we do, we benefit. And although you don’t read about this much, the United States is also a large exporter of oil products, selling about 2 million barrels of petroleum products per day to about 90 countries.There is no question that the United States imports a great deal of energy and, in fact, relies on that steady flow to maintain its economy. When that flow is interrupted, we feel the pain in short supplies and higher prices. At the same time, we derive massive economic benefits when we buy the most affordable energy on the world market and when we engage in energy trade around the world.61. What does the author say about energy independence for America?A）It sounds very attractive. C）It will bring oil prices down.B）It ensures national security. D）It has long been everyone’s dream.62. What does the author think of biofuels?A）They keep America’s economy running healthily.B）They prove to be a good alternative to petroleum.C）They do not provide a sustainable energy supply.D）They cause serious damage to the environment.63. Why does America rely heavily on oil imports?A）It wants to expand its storage of crude oil.B）Its own oil reserves are quickly running out.C）It wants to keep its own environment intact.D）Its own oil production falls short of demand.64. What does the author say about oil trade?A）It proves profitable to both sides.B）It improves economic efficiency.C）It makes for economic prosperity.D）It saves the cost of oil exploration.65. What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?A）To justify America’s dependence on oil imports.B）To arouse Americans’ awareness of the energy crisis.C）To stress the importance of energy conservation.D）To explain the increase of international oil trade.Part IV Translation （30 minutes）Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.中国应进一步发展核能，因为核电目前只占其总发电量的2%。
2020年9月大学英语四级考试真题及答案(第1套)
2020年9月大学英语四级考试真题及答案（第1套）听力答案：1.A) Ship traffic in the Atlantic.2.D) They may be affecting the world’s climate.3.C) To call for a permanent security guard.4.A) It had already taken strong action.5.B) The road was blocked.6.D) A track hit a barrier and overturned.7.B) It was a hard task to removing the spilled substance.8.A) She wanted to save for a new phone.9.D) They are less aware of the value of their money.10.B) More non-essential things.11.C) It may lead to excessive spending.12.C) He had a problem with the furniture delivered.13.B) Describe the furniture he received.14.A) Correct their mistake.15. с) She apologized to the man once more.16. B) Tidying up one's home.17. A) Things that make one happy.18. C) It received an incredibly large number of donated books.19. A) Give free meals to the homeless.20. D) Follow his example.21. C) Sending him had-made bags.22. A) To solve word search puzzles.23. B) They could no longer concentrate on their task.24. C) A reduction in the amount of sleep.25. C) Realize the disruptive effects of technology.PART I WritingDirections: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay on online dictionaries. You can start your essay with the sentence "O nline dictionaries are becoming increasingly popular. "You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.参考范文：With the growing popularity of smart phones and the high coverage rate of wireless network, online dictionaries are becoming increasingly popular for students in daily study. It seems to be a trend that online dictionaries would replace paper ones. However, just as the saying goes, “different strokes for different folks.”Some students are more prone to use online dictionaries and have two points to support it. First, online dictionaries are more portable, and make it possible to look up any new words that we met anytime and anywhere only via a small phone in our hands. Second, we can improve both written and oral skills, as online dictionaries allow us to hear the native pronunciation of each word clearly. Whereas others hold differently. They are still in favor of use print ones. For one thing, paper dictionaries can protect our eyesight better than online ones as digital devices may emit radiation if we watch the electronic screen for a long time. For another, using the print dictionary can prevent us from being distracted by reminders of irrelevant information.As far as I’m concerned, although the content of paper dictionaries is authoritative, its lexicon is not updated as quickly as online ones. After all, we live in an informationage and can have access to many hot words on the Internet every day.【选词填空第1套】26. H integrate27. B coincidence28. A associated29. L recognizable30. I maximizes31. N stressful32. K principal33. J natural34. M simply35. O symbolized【信息匹配第1套】Doctor’s orders: Let children just play36. H 段落第一句Another playtime thief37. E 段落第一句The trends have been a long time coming.38. L 段落第一句Play may not be a hard sell to kids.39.G 段落第一句Predictions aren’t the only ones who have noticed.40. D段落第一句“play is not silly behavior,”41. I 段落第一句“I respect that parents have busy lives and it’s easy to hand a child a iPhone”42.C 段落第一句The advice, issued Monday by the American Academy of Pediatrics43. K 段落第一句Yogman also worries about the pressures that squeeze playtime for more affluent kids.44. F 段落第一句By 200945. B 段落第一句“This may seem old-fashioned, but there are skills to be leaned when kids aren’t told what to do”【仔细阅读第1套】Text 1 ：Diets46.What does the author say may have an adverse impact on people?A.Under going plastic surgeries in pursuit of beauty.B.Imitating the life styles of heroes and role models.C.Striving to achieve perfection regardless of financial cost.D.Attempting to meet society’s expectation of appearance47.What have researchers found out about people’ s earnings?A.They are closely related to people’s social status.B.They have to do with people’s body weight and shapeC.They seem to matter much less to men than to womenD.They may not be equal to people’s contributions48.What does the author’ s recent study focus on?A.Previous literature on indicators of competitiveness in the work place.B.Traits that matter most in one’s pursuit of success in the labor market.C.Whether self-perception of body image impacts one’s work place successD.How bosses’ perception of body image impacts employees’ advancement.49.What is the finding of the author’s recent research?A.Being over weight actually does not do much harm to the overall well-being of employees.B.People are not adversely affected in the workplace by false self-perception of body weightC.Self-esteem helps to combat gender in equality in the work place.D.Gender in equality continues to frustrate a lot of female employees.50.What does the author think would help improve the condition in the labor market?A.Banning discrimination on the bass of employees’ body imageB.Expanding protection of women against gender discrimination.C.Helping employees change their own perception of beauty.D.Excluding body shape as a category in the labor contract.答案：46.D 47.B 48.C 49.B 50.AText 2 ：Work-life balance51.What does the author suggest by saying"The work-life balance is dead”?A.the hope of achieving a thriving life is impossible to realize.B.the pursuit of a fulfilling career involves personal sacrificeC.the imbalance between work and life simply doesn’t exist anymore.D.the concept of work-life balance contributes little to a fulfilling life.52. What does the author say about our use of language?A. it impacts how we think and behave.B.it changes with the passage of time..C. it reflects how we communicate.D. it differs from person to person.53.What does the author say we do in an ideal world?A.we do work that betters the lives of our families and friends.B. we do work that gives us bursts of joy each new day.C. we do meaningful work that contributes to society.D. we do demanding work that brings our capacity into full play.54. What does the author say about life?A. it is cyclicalB.it is dynamicC.it is fulfillingD. it is risky.55. what does the author advise us to do?A.make life as simple as possibleB.talk about balance in simpler termsC. balance life and work in a new wayD.strive for a more fulfilling life.答案：51. D 52. A 53. C 54. B 55. D翻译茅台(Moutai)是中国最有名的白酒，在新中国成立前夕，被选为国宴用酒。
2020年英语四级考试真题及答案(卷一完整版)
英语四级考试真题及答案(卷一完整版)范文：Writing：家长角色There are several possible reasons accountable for this phenomenon(中心句). To begin with, family in growing numbers has only one child; therefore, parents oftentimes focus all their attentions on that child and exert much pressure on him or her(原因一). Moreover, numerous parents intend to realize their unfulfilled dreams by letting their children learn what they failed to learn and apply for the college by which they failed to be accepted, because they have become richer and they believe that they have the power to make what they wanted and want come true now(原因二). For instance, my uncle used to be a poor man and his dream that one day he would become a violinist was broken because of lack of money. But he made a fortune by selling coals, and then forced his son, my younger brother to practice playing violin. My brother was a huge fan of sports, but now he has to play violin everyday unwillingly and ofter quarrels with their parents(举例：原来-然后-结局).To sum up, it is unreasonable for parents to control their children’s life(总结句). In order to help them grow happilyand healthily, parents are supposed to communicate with their kids about what they are really interested in(建议一，目的句型). Meanwhile, it is about time that parents let their kids make their own choices(建议二，“是时候”句型). Only in these ways will children grow in a psychologically happy environment and realize their own dreams.1．W: I am going to give up playing chess, I lost again today.M: Just because you lost? Is that any reason to quit?Q: What does the man imply?2．M: Do you know Shirley’s new address? She’s got some mail here and I’d like to fold it to her.W: Well, we’ve not been in touch for quit a while. Let’s see, Marry should know it? Q: What does the women mean?3.W: I missed the classes this morning could you please lent me your notes?M: My notes? You’ve never seem my hand writing, have you?Q: What does the man imply?4.M: I am taking my girlfriend to the fancy new restaurant for her birthday tonight.W: I went there last weekend and I found it rather disappointing.Q: What does the women mean?5.W: Winter is over at last, time to put away my gloves and boots.M: I ‘ve been waiting for this for months.Q: What does the man mean?6.W: Thank you for bringing the books back.M: I thought you need them over the weekend, many thanks for let me use them. Q: What do we learn from conversation？7.W: Are you working flexible hours?M: No I am not, The weather today is so nice, so I decided to walk to work and that meant I have to leave an hour earlier than usual.Q: What does the man decide to do?8.W: Our plane has been circling for a long time, we could delay.M: The airport was closed for a while this morning and things are still not back to normal.Q: What does the man mean?短对话答案解析（孙祥喆）【总评】：8 个短对话总体来说比以往四级听力要难，但是考察水平令人叹服。
2020年9月英语四级真题及答案第一套
2020年9月大学英语四级考试真题（一）Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions：For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay on online libraries. You can start your essay with the sentence "Online libraries are becoming increasingly popular". You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.PartⅡListening Comprehension (25 minutes)Section ADirections：In this section，you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report，you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question，you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1. A) Ship traffic in the Atlantic.B) Warm currents in the ocean.C)Exhaust from cars in Europe.D)Particles emitted by power plants.2.A) They need to be taken seriously.B)They have a huge effect on fishery.C)They might be causing trouble to air flights.D)They may be affecting the world’s climate.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3.A) To appeal for higher wages.B)To demand better health care.C)To call for a permanent security guard.D)To dismiss the bad-tempered supervisor.4.A) It had already taken strong action.B)It would put customers9 needs first.C)It would take their appeal seriously.D)It was seeking help from the police.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5.A) The road was flooded.C) The road was frozen with snow.B)The road was blocked. D) The road was covered with spilled gas.6.A) A truck plunged into a pool of liquid chocolate.B)The heavy snow made driving very difficult.C)The truck driver dozed off while driving.D) A truck hit a barrier and overturned.7.A) It was a long time before the cleanup was finished.B)It was a hard task to remove the spilled substance.C)It was fortunate that no passenger got injured.D)It was difficult to contact the manufacturer.Section BDirections：In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A) , B) , C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8.A) She wanted to save for a new phone.C) She could enjoy discounts with cash.B)She found it much safer to use cash.D) She had been cheated using phone apps.9.A) They can save a lot more time and trouble.B)They find it less difficult to make purchases.C)They derive greater pleasure from buying things.D)They are less aware of the value of their money.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12.A) He wanted to order some wooden furniture.B)He had to change the furniture delivery time.C)He had a problem with the furniture delivered.D)He wanted the furniture store to give him a refund.13.A) Send the furniture back to the store.B)Describe the furniture he received.C)Collect the furniture he ordered.D)Buy another brand of furniture.14.A) Correct their mistake.B)Improve their service.C)Apologize to his wife.D)Give the money back.15. A) She recommended a new style.B)She offered some gift to the mail.C)She apologized to the man once more.D)She checked all the items with the man.Section CDirections：In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre. Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A)Reading books of wisdom.C)Sharing with others.B)Tidying up one’s home.D)Donating to charity.17. A)Things that make one happy.C)Things that occupy little space.B)Things that are becoming rare.D)Things that cost a lot of money.18. A) It joined the city’s clean-up campaign.B)It sold as many as fifty boxes of books.C)It received an incredibly large number of donated books.D)It did little business because of the unusual cold weather.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22.A) To solve word search puzzles.B)To send smartphone messages.C)To test their eyesight using a phone app.D)To install some audio equipment in a lab.23.A) They could not go on until the ringing stopped.B)They could no longer concentrate on their task.C)They grabbed the phone and called back right away.D)They asked their experimenter to hang up the phone.24.A) A rise in emotional problems.C) A reduction in the amount of sleep.B) A decline in sports activities.D) A decline in academic performance.25. A) Protect the eyesight of the younger generation.B)Take effective measures to raise productivity.C)Realize the disruptive effects of technology.D)Ensure they have sufficient sleep every day.PartⅢReading 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.There’re three main types of financial stress people encounter. The first type is apparent in people being stressed about the 26 ups and downs of investment markets actually not so much the ups, but 27 the downs. These people are usually unable or unprepared to endure the long haul. The next common type of financial stress is that caused by debt. In a 28 percentage of cases of debt-induced financial stress, credit cards and loans will be a central element. Often there'll be a car loan and perhaps a mortgage, but credit cards often seem to be the gateway to debt-related financial difficulties for many.The third type of stress and 29 the least known is inherited financial stress, which is the most destructive. It is experienced by those who have grown up in households where their parents regularly 30 and fought about money. Money therefore becomes a stressful topic, and so the thought of sitting down and planning is an unattractive 31.Those suffering inherited financial anxiety32 to follow one of two patterns. Either they put their head in the sand: they would 33examining their financial statements, budgeting, and discussing financial matters with those closest to them. Alternatively, they would go to the other 34，and micro-analyze everything, to the point of complete 35 . They're convinced that whatever decision they make will be the wrong one.Section 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.Doctor’s orders：Let children just playA)Imagine a drug that could enhance a child's creativity and critical thinking. Imagine that this drug were simple to make, safe to take, and could be had for free. The nation’s leading pediatricians (儿科医生) say this miracle compound exists. In a new clinical report, they are urging doctors to prescribe it liberally to the children in their care,B)“This may seem old-fashioned, but there are skills to be learned when kids aren’t told what to do,“ said Dr. Michael Yogman, a Harvard Medical School pediatrician who led the drafting of the call to arms. Whether it’s rough physical play, outdoor play or pretend play, kids derive important lessons from the chance to make things up as they go, he said.C)The advice, issued Monday by the American Academy of Pediatrics, may come as a shock to some parents. After spending years fretting (烦恼)over which toys to buy, which apps to download and which skill-building programs to send their kids to after school, letting them simply play or better yet, playing with them could seem like a step backward. The pediatricians insist that it's not. The academy，s guidance does not include specific recommendations for the dosing of play. Instead, it asks doctors to advise parents before their babies turn two that play is essential to healthy development.D)“Play is not silly behavior,” the academy’s report declares. It fosters children’s creativity,cooperation, and problem-solving skills all of which are critical for a 21st-century workforce. When parents engage in play with their children, it builds a wall against the harmful effects of all kinds of stress, including poverty, the academy says. In the pediatricians9 view, essentially every life skill that’s valued in adults can be built up with play. “Collaboration, negotiation, decision-making, creativity, leadership, and increased physical activity are just some of the skills and benefits children gain through play,” they wrote. The pediatricians5 appeal comes as kids are being squeezed by increasing academic demands at school and the constant invasion of digital media.E)The trends have been a long time coming. Between 1981 and 1997, detailed time-use studies showed that the time children spent at play declined by 25 percent. Since the adoption of sweeping education reforms in 2001, public schools have steadily increased the amount of time devoted to preparing for standardized tests. The focus on academic “skills and drills” has cut deeply into recess (课间休息)and other time for free play.F)By 2009, a study of Los Angeles kindergarten classrooms found that five-year-olds were so burdened with academic requirements that they were down to an average of just 19 minutes per day of "choice time," when they were permitted to play freely with blocks, toys or other children. One in four Los Angeles teachers reported there was no time at all for “free play.” Increased academic pressures have left 30 percent of U.S. kindergarten classes without any recess .Such findings prompted the American Academy of Pediatrics to issue a policy statement in 2013 on the “crucial role of recess in school.”G)Pediatricians aren’t the only ones who have noticed. In a report titled "Crisis in the Kindergarten,” a group of educators, health professionals and child advocates called the loss of play in early childhood “a tragedy, both for the children themselves and for our nation and the world.” Kids in play-based kindergartens “end up equally good or better at reading and other intellectual skills, and they are more likely to become well-adjusted healthy people,” the Alliance for Childhood said in 2009. Indeed, new research demonstrates why playing with blocks might have been time better spent, Yogman said. The trial assessed the effectiveness of an early mathematics intervention(干预) aimed at preschoolers. The results showed almost no gains in math achievement.H)Another playtime thief：the growing proportion of kids' time spent in front of screens and digital devices, even among preschoolers. Last year, Common Sense Media reported that children up through age eight spent an average of two hours and 19 minutes in front of screens each day, including an average of 42 minutes a day for those under two. This increase of digital use comes with rising risks of obesity, sleep deprivation and cognitive (认知的)，language and social-emotional delays, the American Academy of Pediatrics warned in 2016.I)“I respect that parents have busy lives and it，s easy to hand a child an iPhone,” Yogman said. “But there’s a cost to that. For young children, it’s much too passive. And kids really learn better when they’re actively engaged and have to really discover things.”J)The decline of play is a special hazard for the roughly 1 in 5 children in the United Stateswho live in poverty. These 14 million children most urgently need to develop the resilience (韧劲)that is cultivated with play. Instead, Yogman said, they are disproportionately affected by some of the trends that are making play scarce：academic pressures at schools that need to improve test scores, outside play areas that are limited or unsafe, and parents who lack the time or energy to share in playtime・K)Yogman also worries about the pressures that squeeze playtime for more affluent kids. ^The notion that as parents we need to schedule every minute of their time is not doing them a great service,” he said. Even well-meaning parents may be u robbing them of the opportunity to have that joy of discovery and curiosity the opportunity to find things out on their own. ”L)Play may not be a hard sell to kids. But UCLA pediatrician Carlos Lerner acknowledged that the pediatricians’s new prescription may meet with skepticism(怀疑) from parents, who are anxious for advice on how to give their kids a leg up in the world. They should welcome the simplicity of the message, Lerner said. “It's liberating to be able to offer them this advice：that you spending time with your child and letting him play is one of the most valuable things you can do,” he said. “It doesn't have to involve spending a lot of money or time, or joining a parenting group. It’s something we can offer that’s achievable. They just don't recognize it right now as particularly valuable.”36 .Increased use of digital devices steals away children's playtime.37. Since the beginning of this century, an increasing amount of time has been shifted in public schools from recess to academic activities.38.It has been acknowledged that while kids may welcome pediatricians5 recommendation, their parents may doubt its feasibility.39.According to some professionals, deprivation of young children^ playtime will do harm not only to children themselves but to the country and the world.40. By playing with children, parents can prevent them from being harmed by stress.41. Playing with digital devices discourages kids from active discovery, according to pediatrician Dr. Michael Yogman.42. The suggestion of letting children simply play may sound like going backwards to parents who want to help build their children’s skills.43. Dr. Michael Yogman believes the idea that parents should carefully schedule children's time may not be helpful to their growth.44 .One quarter of teachers in an American city said that children in kindergartens had no time for playing freely.45. According to a pediatrician, no matter what kind of play children engage in, they are learning how to create things.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).Youshould decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.Americans spend billions of dollars each year trying to change their weight with diets, gym memberships and plastic surgery.Trying to live up to the images of “perfect” models and movie heroes has a dark side: anxiety, depression, as well as unhealthy strategies for weight loss or muscle gain. It also has a financial cost. Having an eating disorder boosts annual health care costs by nearly US $ 2,000 per person. Why is there both external and internal pressure to look “perfect”？One reason is that society rewards people who are thin and healthy-looking .Researchers have shown that body mass index is related to wages and income. Especially for women, there is a clear penalty at work for being overweight or obese. Some studies have also found an impact for men, though a less noticeable one.While the research literature is clear that labor market success is partly based on how employers and customers perceive your body image, no one had explored the other side of the question. Does a person's own perception of body image matter to earnings and other indicators of success in the workplace?Our recently published study answered this question by tracking a large national random sample of Americans over a critical time period when bodies change from teenage shape into adult form and when people build their identities.As in other research, women in our sample tend to over-perceive their weight they think they’re heavier than they are while men tend to under-perceive theirs.We found no relationship between the average person’s self-perception of weight and labor market outcomes, although self-perceived weight can influence self-esteem (自尊心)，mental health and health behaviors .While the continued gender penalty in the labor market is frustrating, our finding that misperceived weight does not harm workers is more heartening.Since employers’ perception of weight is what matters in the labor market, changing discrimination laws to include body type as a category would help. Michigan is the only state that prohibits discrimination on the basis of weight and height. We believe expanding such protections would make the labor market more fair and efficient.46What does the author say may have an adverse impact on people?A)Undergoing plastic surgeries in pursuit of beauty.B)Imitating the lifestyles of heroes and role models.C)Striving to achieve perfection regardless of financial cost.D)Attempting to meet society，s expectation of appearance.47What have researchers found out about peopled earnings?A)They are closely related to people's social status.B)They have to do with peopled body weight and shape.C)They seem to matter much less to men than to women.D)They may not be equal to peopled contributions.48What does the author’s recent study focus on?A)Previous literature on indicators of competitiveness in the workplace.B)Traits that matter most in one’s pursuit of success in the labor market.C)Whether self-perception of body image impacts one’s workplace success.D)How bosses5 perception of body image impacts employees’ advancement.49What is the finding of the author's recent research?A)Being overweight actually does not do much harm to the overall well-being of employees.B)People are not adversely affected in the workplace by false self-perception of body weight.C)Self-esteem helps to combat gender inequality in the workplace・D)Gender inequality continues to frustrate a lot of female employees.50What does the author think would help improve the situation in the labor market?A)Banning discrimination on the basis of employees5 body image.B)Expanding protection of women against gender discrimination.C)Helping employees change their own perception of beauty.D)Excluding body shape as a category in the labor contract.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.The work-life balance is dead. By this, I’m not advocating that you should give up your pursuit of having a fulfilling career and a thriving personal life, and I'm definitely not saying that you have to give up one to have the other. I also acknowledge that we have a work-life problem, but I’m arguing that the concept of balance has never been helpful, because it，s too limiting. You see, our language makes a difference, and how we refer to things matters because it affects our thinking and therefore our actions.At the minimum, most of us work because we want to be able to support ourselves, our families, and the people around us. In the ideal world, we're all doing work that we’re proud of and that provides meaning and purpose to us. But even if your job doesn’t give you shivers of joy each new day, working is a part of what each of us does and the contribution we make to society. When you separate work and life, it’s a little bit harder to make that connection. But when you think of work as part of a full life and a complete experience, it becomes easier to see that success in one aspect often supports another.Losing your balance and falling isn't pleasant. A goal to balance suggests that things could quickly get off balance, and that causes terrible outcomes. It's more constructive to think of solutions that continue to evolve over shifts in life and work. Rather than falling or failing, you may have good days or better days or not-so-good days. These variations are normal, and it’s more useful to think of life as something that is ever evolving and changing, rather than a high-risk enterprise where things could go wrong with one misstep.How we talk to ourselves matters, and how we talk about issues makes a difference. Let's bury “work-life balance” and think bigger and better about work-life fulfillment to do a little less balancing and a lot more living.51What does the author suggest by saying “The work-life balance is dead”？A)The hope of achieving a thriving life is impossible to realize,B)The pursuit of a fulfilling career involves personal sacrifice.C)The imbalance between work and life simply doesn’t exist anymore.D)The concept of work-life balance contributes little to a fulfilling life.52. What does the author say about our use of language?A)It impacts how we think and behave.C) It reflects how we communicate・B)It changes with the passage of time.D) It differs from person to person.53 What does the author say we do in an ideal world?A)We do work that betters the lives of our families and friends.B)We do work that gives us bursts of joy each new day.C)We do meaningful work that contributes to society.D)We do demanding work that brings our capacity into full play.Part ⅣTranslation(30 minutes)Directions：For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.茅台（Moutai）是中国最有名的白酒，在新中国成立前夕，被选为国宴用酒。
2020年大学英语四级考试试题及答案解析
2020年大学英语四级考试试题及答案解析（一）1. Nowadays, cycling, along with jogging and swimming, _______ as one of the best all-round forms of exercise.A. regardB. is regardedC. are regardedD. regards【答案】B解析：句意：现在骑自行车，慢跑和游泳被认为是最全面的锻炼方式之一。
根据动词短语regard...as...把...看作...和句意确定应该用被动语态排除A和D，再根据主语部分是由介词短语along with连接的三个动名词做主语，应该谓语动词应该就前一致，即用单数，排除C，故选B。
2. Try to understand what's actually happening instead of acting on the _______ you've made.A. assignmentB. associationC. acquisitionD. assumption【答案】D解析：考察名词词义辨析及语境理解。
句意：试着去理解实际发生的事情，而不是按照你所做的假设行事。
A 分配B交往C 获得D 假设，故选择D 【解题指导】本题考查名词辨析。
本题抓住句中的关键词actually happening实际发生和instead of而不是，可知是假设，从而选出正确答案。
3. It is important to pay your electricity bill on time , as late payments may affect your ______.A. conditionB. incomeC. creditD. status【答案】C试题分析：句意：准时付电费很重要，因为付晚了会影响你的信用。
condition 条件; income 收入; credit 学分，信用(卡);根据句意故选C.4. The weather forecast says it will be cloudy with a slight _____ of rain later tonight.A. effectB. senseC. changeD. chance【答案】D【解析】试题分析：句意：天气预报说今天会是多云，后半夜可能有雨。
(电子版第1套)20年12月4级答案+PDF版真题解析
听力原文：1. C) Herclaim has been completely disregarded.2. A)The ground floor of their cottage was flooded.3. D) Thewoman’s failure to pay her house insurance in time.4. A) Filea lawsuit against the insurance company.5. B) Theydisagree about the future of AI technology.6. C) Lesstime-consuming and focusing on creation.7. B) Digitallife could be replace human civilization.8. D) Itwill be smarter than human beings.9. B) Saveone fifth of their net monthly income.10. A)Start by doing something small.11. C) Aproper mindset.12. B) Shefound her outfit inappropriate.13. A) Tosave the trouble of choosing a unique outfit every day.14. C) Itmatters a lot in jobs involving interaction with others.15 D) Dowhatever is possible to look smart.16. A) Theirobsession with consumption.17. B) Thingsthat cost less money.18. A) They serve multiple purposes.19. C) Over 10% of the respondents lied about the distancethey drove.20. C) Theywanted to protect their reputation.21.B) They seem intuitive.22. D)Older people's aversion to new music.23 A)They no longer listen to new music.24.D) The more you experience sth, the better you'll appreciate it.25.D) Teenagers are much more sentimental.Conversation11. C) Herclaim has been completely disregarded.听力原文：I'm getting a little fed up with my calls about my claimbeingcompletely disregarded.考点：视听一致2. A) Theground floor of their cottage was flooded.听力原文：The entire ground floor of our cottage was submerged in water.考点：视听一致3. D) Thewoman’s failure to pay her house insurance in time.听力原文：the bizarre technical detail that you mentioned refers to the fact thatyou hadn't paid house insurance the month before the incident考点：视听一致+同义替换4. A) Filea lawsuit against the insurance company.听力原文：and that your company has a lawsuit on its hand. You will be hearing frommy lawyer考点：视听一致M: Goodmorning, safe house insurance. My name is Paul. How can I helpyou today?W: Morning? I wouldn't say that it's a good from where I am standing.This is Ms. Wilson, and this is the third time I've called this week sincereceiving your letter about our insurance claim. (1) I'm getting a littlefed up with my calls about my claim being completely disregarded.M: Ms. Wilson, thank you for calling back. Can I take some details tohelp me look at your claim?W: It's Ms. May Wilson of 15 South sea road in Cornwall. And the detailsare that our village was extensively flooded two months ago. (2) The entireground floor of our cottage was submerged in water. And five of us havebeen living in a caravan ever since. Y oupeople are still with holding the money we are entitled to over a bizarretechnical detail and it's not acceptable, Paul.M: Ms. Wilson, according to the notes on your account, (2) the bizarretechnical detail that you mentioned refers to the fact that you hadn't paidhouse insurance the month before the incident.W: That money left our account. And now that you should be paying out,you are suddenly saying that you didn't receive it on time. I'm reallyskeptical about this claim.M: Thecontract does say that any missed payment in a year will affect the terms andconditions of the insurance contract and may affect claims. Of course, I canpause you onto my manager to talk to you more about this. W: I've already spoken to him and you can tell him I'm furious now,andthat your company has a lawsuit on it hand. You will be hearing from my lawyer.Goodbye.1.What is the womancomplaining about?2. What is theproblem the woman's family encountered?3. What has caused theso-called bizarre technical detail according to the man?4. What's woman say she willdo at the end of the conversation?Conversation25. B) Theydisagree about the future of AI technology.听力原文：W: How doyou feel about the future of the artificial intelligence.Personally, I feelquite optimistic about it.M: AI, I'm not so optimistic actually.考点：同义替换6. C) Lesstime-consuming and focusing on creation.听力原文：which would require less of our time and allow us to be centered oncreative tasks考点：视听一致+同义替换7. B) Digitallife could be replace human civilization.听力原文：There's a risk that human civilization could be replaced by a superiortype of digital life考点：视听一致8. D) Itwill be smarter than human beings.Once it'sfully developed, AI will become tired of trying to communicate with humans aswe would be much slower thinkers in comparison考点：同义替换W: How doyou feel about the future of the artificial intelligence. (5)Personally, Ifeel quite optimistic about it.M: AI, I'm not so optimistic actually. In fact, it's something weshould be concerned about.W: Well, it will help us humans understand ourselves better. And when wehave a better understanding of ourselves, we can improve world.M: Well,one thing is for sure, technology is evolving faster than our ability tounderstand it. And in the future AI will make jobs kind of pointless.W: I think artificial intelligence will actually help create new kinds ofjobs, (6) which would require less of our time and allow us to be centeredon creative tasks.M: I doubt that very much. Probably the last job that will remain will bewriting AI software. And then eventually AI will just write its own software.W: At that time we are going to have a lot of jobs, which nobody willwant to do. So we will need artificial intelligence for the robots to take careof the old guys like us.M: I don't know. (7) There's a risk that human civilization could be replacedby a superior type of digital life. AI will be able to completely simulatea person in every way possible. In fact, some people think we're in asimulation right now. W: That's impossible. Humans can't even make a mosquito. Computers only have chips. People have brains.And that's where the wisdom comes from.M: (8) Once it's fully developed, AI will become tired of trying tocommunicate with humans as we would be much slower thinkers in comparison.W: Well, I'm not so sure. A computer is a computer and a computer is justa toy.M: Computers can easily communicate incredibly fast. So the computer willjust get impatient talking to humans. It'll be barely getting any informationout.W: Well, I believe there's a benevolent future with AI. I also think youwatch too many science-fiction films.Q5: What did we learn about the speakers from the conversation?Q6: Whatwill new kinds of jobs be like according to the woman?Q7: What is the risk the mananticipates?Q8: What is the man's concernabout AI technology?PASSAGE 1To achieve financial security, how much yousave is always more important than the amount you earn or how shrewdly youinvest. If you're under 30 years old, (9) your goal should be to save 20% ofyour monthly income after tax deductions. This is irrespective of how muchyou earn approximately 50% should be reserved for essentials like food andaccommodation.The remaining 30% is for recreation andentertainment, but for many young people, it will be difficult to designatesuch a large proportion of the income for savings. If you find it hard to saveany money at all, (10) start by cutting all unnecessary spending, allocatethe tiny amount of one or 2% for savings and gradually increase that amount.Always keep that 20% goal in mind, preventyourself from becoming complacent. It can be challenging to stick to such astrict plan, but ifyou adopt the right mindset, you should be able tomake it work for you. So what should you be doing with the money that you aresaving? Some must be (11) kept easily accessible in case you need some cashin an emergency.The lodge has proportion should be investedin retirement plans. Either through your employer or privately, and you can keepsome money for high risk, but potentially lucrative investments. Dividends canbe reinvested or use to purchase something you like. Byfollowing this plan, you shouldhopefully be able to enjoy your life nowand still be financially secure in the future.Q9: What are people under 30 advise to do, toachieve financial security?Q10: What should people do if they find itdifficult to follow the speaker's advice on their financial plan?Q11: What does the speaker think is importantfor achieving financial security?PASSAGE 2I work in advertising and I like to keep upwith current trends mainly because I'm aware that we live in an image obsessedworld. However, when I first started my job, occasionally I'd catch a glimpseof obniol in the lifts and find youdao myself thinking (12) that I looked atotal mess. Was I being held back by my choice of clothing?Theshort answer is yes, especially when clients are quick to judge you on yourstyle rather than your work. (13) But no one can be unique with their outfitevery day. I mean, that's why uniforms were invented. So here's what I did.I created my own uniform. To do this, I chose an appropriate outfit. Then Ibought multiple items of the same style in different shades.NowI never worry about what I'm wearing in the morning, even if I do get a bittired of just wearing the same classic pieces. Overall, when it comes to work,you have to ask yourself: (14) Will looking smarter enhance my abilityto domy job? For some, this question may not be an issue at all. Especially ifyou work remotely and rarely see your colleagues or clients face to face, butif your job involves interacting with other people, the answer to thisis often yes.Sorather than fighting the system, I think we should just (15) do whateverhelps us to achieve our goals at work. If that means playing it safe withyour image, then let's face it. It's probably worth it.Q12: What do we learn about the speaker whenshe first started her job?Q13:Why were uniforms invented according to the speaker?Q14: Whatdoes the Loinbo say about looking smarter?Q15: Whatdoes the speaker advise people to do in an image obsessed world?LECTURE 116.A) Their obsession with consumption.听力原文：This phenomenon has resulted in significant creditcarddebt, enormous environmental footprints. And perhaps notcoincidentally or happiness levels have failed to increase over the same halfcentury.考点：同义替换17. B) Thingsthat cost less money.听力原文：I propose the less staff and less space can not only helpyou economize, but also simplify your life. I immediately saved $200,000. Smallerspace leads to reduced utility bills and also asmaller carbon footprint.考点：同义替换18. A) They serve multiple purposes.听力原文：Finally, we need multi-functional spaces in housewares.考点：视听一致+同义替换Did you knowthat Americans were approximately three times the amount of space we had 50years ago. Therefore, you'd think would have sufficient room for all of ourpossessions on the country. The postal storage business is now a growingindustry. We've got triple the space, but we've become such enthusiasticconsumers that we require even more. (16) This phenomenonhas resulted insignificant credit card debt, enormous environmental footprints. And perhapsnot coincidentally or happiness levels have failed to increaseover the samehalf century. I'm here to suggest an alternative that having less mightactually be a preferable decision. Many of us have experienced at some stage,the pleasure of possessing less. (17) I propose the less staff and lessspace can not only help you economize, but also simplify your life. Irecently started an innovative project to discover some creative solutions thatoffered me everything I required, by purchasing an apartment that was 40 squaremeters instead of 60. (17) I immediately saved $200,000. Smaller space leadsto reduced utility bills and also a smaller carbon footprint, because it'sdesigned around an edited collection and possessions limited to my favoritestuff. I'm really excited to live there. How can we live more basically?Firstly, we must ruthlessly cut the unnecessary objects out of our lives. ToSTEM consumption, we should think before we buy and ask ourselves, will ittruly make me happier? Obviously, we should possess some great stuff, but wewant belongings that we're going to love for years.Secondly, we requirespace efficiency. We want appliances that are designed for use most of thetime, not for occasional use. Why own a six-burner stove when you rarely useeven three burners?(19) Finally, we need multi-functional spaces in housewares. I combined amovable wall with transforming furniture to get more out of my limited space,consider my coffee table. It increases in size to accommodate 10. My office istucked away, easily hidden. My bed simply pops out of the wall. For guests, Ican relocate the movable wall and utilize the foldable guest beds I installed.I'm not saying we should all live in tiny apartments, but consider the benefitsof an edited life.When you returnhome and walk through your front door, take a moment to ask yourselves. Could Ido with a little live editing? Would that give me more freedom and more time?16. What hasprevented American's happiness levels from increasing?17. What thingsshould we possess according to the speaker?18. What do welearn about the items in the speaker's home?LECTURE 2Now believe itor not, people sometimes lie in order to maintain a good, honest reputation,even if it hurts them to do so. At least this is what a team of scientists issuggesting with evidence to prove it. Picture this scenario. You often drivefor work and can be compensated for up to 400 miles per month.Most people at your company drive about 300 miles eachmonth. But this month you drove 400 miles. How many miles do you think you'dclaim in your expense report? The scientists asked this exact question as partof the study, we're discussing today with surprising results. Q19 (19) Theyfound that 12% of respondents reported the distance.They drove as less than the actual figure, giving anaverage answer of 384 miles. (19) In other words, they lied about the numberof miles, even though they would forfeit money they were owed. Theresearchers believe this was to seem honest with the assumption being thatothers would be suspicious of a high expense claim, but why would peoplefabricate numbers to their own detriment?The researchers explained that (20) many people care agreat deal about their reputation and how they'll be judged by others. Ifthey care enough,they're concerned about appearing, honest and not losing therespect of others, maybe greater than their desire to actually be honest. Theresearchers assert that the findings suggest that when people obtain veryfavorable outcomes, they anticipate other people's suspicious reactions andprefer lying and appearing honest to telling the truth loinbo and appearing asselfish liars.So why is this research important? Well, experts generallyagree there are two main types of lie, selfish lies, and lies that are meant tobenefit others. The first, as you may predict is for selfish gain such assubmitting afraudulent claim to an insurance company while the second involveslying to help others or not offend others.For example, telling a friend whose outfit you don't likethat they look great. But the researchers are suggesting a third type of line:line to maintain a good reputation. Now, this hypothesis is new and someskeptics argue that thisisn't a whole new category of lie, (21) but thefindings seem intuitive tome.After all, one of the main motivations forlying is to increase our worth in the eyes of others. So it seemshighly likely that people will lie to seem honest.Q19: What did the team of scientists find in this study?Q20: Why would people fabricate numbers to their owndetriment according to the Loinbos？Q21: What does the speaker think of other researcher'sfindings?LECTURE 3Why do old people dislike new music? As I've grown older, Ioften hear people my age say things like they just don't make good music likethey used to. Why does this happen? Luckily, psychology can give us someinsights into this puzzle. Musical tastes begin to crystallize as early as age13 or 14.By the time we're in our early twenties, these tastes getlocked into place pretty firmly. In fact, studies have found that by the timewe turn 33, (23) most of us have stopped listening to new music.Meanwhile, popular songs released when you're in your early teens are likely toremain quite popular among your age group, the rest of your life. That could bea biological explanation for this.As there's evidence that the brain's ability to make subtledistinctions between different chords, rhythms, and melodies deteriorates withage. So to olderpeople, newer, less familiar songs might all sound the same,but there may be some simpler reasons for older people's aversion to new music.One of the most researched laws of social psychology is something called (24) themere exposure effect, which in essence.It means that the more we're exposed to something, the morewe tend to like it, this happens with people. We know the advertisements wesee, and the songs we listen to when you're in your early teens, you probablyspend a fair amount of time listening to music or watching music videos, yourfavorite songs and artists become familiar, comforting parts of your routine.For many people over 30 job and family obligationsincreases. So there's less time to spend discovering new music instead manualsimply listened to old familiar favorites from that period of their lives whenthey had more free time. Of course, those teen years weren't necessarilycarefree. They're famously confusing, which is why so many TV shows and moviesrevolve around high school turmoil.Psychology research has shown that (25) the emotionsthat we experience as teens seem more intense than those that come later.And we also know that intense emotions are associated with stronger memoriesand preferences. Both of these might explain why the songs we listened toduring this period become so memorable and beloved.So there's nothing wrong with your parents because theydon't like your music. Rather. It's old part of the natural order of things.Q22: What does the speaker mainly discuss in this talk?Q23: What have studies found about most people by the timethey turn 33?Q24: What do we learn from one of the most researched lawsof social psychology?Q25: What might explain the fact that songs people listento in their teen years are memorable and beloved.作文WritingDirections：For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write on the topic Changes in the Way of Education. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.范文：Changes in the way of educationAs the internet is developing so rapidly, the way of education keeps changing and new forms of education emerge surprisingly. Especially during the pandemic of corona virus, online education has become one of the most important ways of education throughout the world.The changes in the way of education can be listed as follows.First of all, compared with traditional offline teaching activities, online education gives students the opportunity to study wherever they want, at home or in the park.Moreover, the cost of attending online courses is normally lower than that of offline ones. Besides, students can choose the perfect time when they are available to attend classes,instead of stubbornly fixing the time required without the possibility of doing any other important thing.From my perspective, the changes in the way of education mainly lie in the good respects. As one of the fortunate students who live in the age of internet and can get access to onlin e courses, I can’ t help exclaiming: it is the best of times.选词填空Section A（第1套）Directions:In this section, there is a passage with ton blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a listof choices given in a word bank following the passage Read the passage through carefully before making your choices.Each choice in the bank is identifi ed by a letter:Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 witha single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.W hen my son completes a task, I can’t help but praise him. It’s only natural to give praise where praise is due,right? But is there such a thing as too much praise?According to psychologist Katherine Phillip, children don’t benefit from 26 praise as much as we’d like to think.“Parents often praise, believing they are building their child’s self-confidence.However,over-praising can have a 27 effect,” says Phillip.“W hen we use the same praise 28 , it may become emptyand no longer valued by the child. It can also become anexpectation that anything th ey do must be 29 with praise.This may lead to the child avoiding taking risks due to fear of 30 their parents.”Docs this mean we should do away with all the praise? Phillip says no,“The key to healthy praise is 1o focus on the process rather than the 31 it is the recognition of a chi ld’s attempt, or the process in which they achieved something, that is essential,”she says, “Parents should encourage their child to take the risks needed to learn and grow.”So how do we break the 32 of praise we’re all so acc ustomed to? Phillip says it’s important to 33 between “person praise”and “process raise”.“Person praise is 34 saying how great someone is. It’s a form personal approval. Process praise s acknowledgement of the efforts te person has just 35 . Children who r eceive person praise are more likely to feel shame after losing,” says Phillip.A) chooseB) constantC) disappointingD) distinguishE) exhaustingF) experiencedG) negativeH) outcomeI ) patternJ) pluralK) repeatedlyL) rewardedM) separatelyN) simplyO) undertaken答案：26.B 27.G 28.K 29.L 30.C 31.H 32.I 33.D 34.N 35.O信息匹配Poverty is a story about us,not them36. [E] That comment,says Mothering Justice director Danielle Atkinson,"was meant to shame"37. [H] But the fact that 4 in 10 Americans can't come up with$400 in an emergency is a commonly cited statistic for good reason：economic instability strerches across race,gen?der,and geography.38. [M]According to the General Social Survey, 71 percent of respondents believe the country is spending too Little on "assistance to the poor."39. [J] The Frame Works Institute^ research group that focuses on public framing of issues,has studied what sustains stereotypes and narratives of poverty in the United Kingdom40. [D] If these are the central characters of our story about poverty,what layers of perceptions,myths,and realities must we unearth to find meaningful solutions and support?41 .[F] How many of us are poor in the U.S.?42. [N] "Poverty has been interchangeable with people of color - specifically black women and” bl ack mothers, "says Atkinson of Mothering Justice.43. [I] Negative images remain of who is living in poverty as well as what is needed to move out of it.44. [E] That comment,says Mothering Justice director Danielle Atkinson,"was meant to shame"45. [L] Those external factors include the difficulties accompanying low-wage work or structural discrimination based on race,gender,or ability仔细阅读P146. C They did not become popular until the emergence of improved batteries.47. B The falling prices of ebike batteries,48. D It will make a difference in people* s daily lives49. A Retailers'refusal to deal in ebikes.50 D The younger generatio n’ s pursuit of comfortable ridingP251 A To sway public opinion of the impact of human activities on Earth52 C it covers more phenomena53 D Deliberate choice of words54 B For greater precision55 C Human activities have serious effects on Earth翻译生活在中国不同地区的人们饮食多种多样。
2020年大学英语四级考试真题及答案
2020年大学英语四级考试真题及答案大学英语四级考试真题及答案（第一套）Part I Writing （25 minutes）Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short easy on how to besthandle the relationship between doctors and patients. You should write at least120 words but no more than 180 words.Part II Listening Comprehension （25 minutes）Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1. A) Her friend Erika. C) Her grandfather.B) Her little brother. D) Her grandmother.2. A) By taking pictures for passers-by. C) By selling lemonade and pictures.B) By working part time at a hospital. D) By asking for help on social media.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3. A) Finding cheaper ways of highway construction.B) Generating electric power for passing vehicles.C) Providing clean energy to five million people.D) Testing the efficiency of the new solar panel.4. A) They can stand the wear and tear of natural elements.B) They can be laid right on top of existing highways.C) They are only about half an inch thick.D) They are made from cheap materials.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. A) Endless fighting in the region. C) Inadequate funding for research.B) The hazards from the desert. D) The lack of clues about the species.6. A) To observe the wildlife in the two national parks.B) To identify the reasons for the lions’ disappearance.C) To study the habitat of lions in Sudan and Ethiopia.D) To find evidence of the existence of the “lost lions”.7. A) Lions walking. C) Some camping facilities.B) Lions’ t racks. D) Traps set by local hunters.Section BDirections：In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C), and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8. A) Her ‘lucky birthday’. C) Her wedding anniversary.B) A call from her dad. D) A special gift from the man.9. A) Gave her a big model plane. C) Took her on a trip overseas.B) Bought her a good necklace. D) Threw her a surprise party.10. A) The gift her husband has bought.B) The trip her husband has planned.C) What has been troubling her husband.D) What her husband and the man are up to.11. A) He will be glad to be a guide for the couple’s holiday trip.B) He will tell the women the secret if her husband agrees.C) He is eager to learn how the couple’s holiday turns out.D) He wants to find out about the couple’s holiday plan.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. A) They are sensitive to the dynamics of a negotiation.B) They see the importance of making compromises.C) They know when to adopt a tough attitude.D) They take the rival’s attitude into account.13. A) They know how to adapt. C) They know when to make compromises.B) They know when to stop. D) They know how to control their emotion.14. A) They are patient. C) They learn quickly.B) They are good at expression. D) They uphold their principles.15. A) Make clear one's intentions. C) Formulate one's strategy.B) Clarify items of negotiation. D) Get to know the other side.Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear three passages. Atthe end of each passage, you willhear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken onlyonce. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C), D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A) When America's earliest space program started.B) When the International Space Station was built.C) How many space shuttle missions there will be.D) How space research benefits people on Earth.17. A) They accurately calculated the speed of the orbiting shuttles.B) They developed objects for astronauts to use in outer space.C) They tried to meet astronauts' specific requirements.D) They tried to make best use of the latest technology.18. A) They are extremely accurate. C) They were first made in space.B) They are expensive to make. D) They were invented in the 1970s.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A) It was when her ancestors came to America.B) People had plenty of land to cultivate then.C) It marked the beginning of something new.D) Everything was natural and genuine then.20. A) They believed in working for goals. C) They had allkinds of entertainment.B) They enjoyed living a living a life of ease. D) They were known to be creative.21. A) Chatting with her ancestors. C) Polishing all the silver work.B) Furnishing her country house. D) Doing needlework by the fire.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A) Use a map to identify your location. C) Sit down and try to calm yourself.B) Call your family or friends for help. D) Try to follow your footprints back.23. A) You may find a way out without your knowing it.B) You may expose yourself to unexpected dangers.C) You may get drowned in a sudden flood.D) You may end up entering a wonderland.24. A) Look for food. C) Start a fire.B) Wait patiently. D) Walk uphill.25. A) Inform somebody of your plan. C) Check the local weather.。
2020年12月英语四级第一套真题及答案
2020年12月英语四级第一套真题及答案2020年12月英语四级第一套真题及答案一、四级听力部分：1 . D)A deadly fish has been spotted in the Mediterranean waters2. B)lt could pose a threat to other marine species3. C)About half of its city center will be closed to cars4. D)The rising air pollution in Paris5. A)His house was burnt down in a fire6. C)Sell the pearl he had kept for years7. B) His monstrous pearl was extremely valuable.8. A)lt boasts a fairly long history.9. D)lt is a family business.1 0. B) Loss the competitive edge1 1 . D)Conducting a financial analysis for it.1 2. B)She is really impressed by the mans house1 3. C)From home design magazines1 4. A)The cost was affordable1 5. D)She wants him to share his renovation experience with her1 6. C)Removing objects from patients noses and ears.1 7. B)Five*to nineyearolds are the most likely to put things in their ears1 8. D)They are curious about these body parts1 9. A)lt gave her a used bicycle.20. AjExpanding bikeriding lessons21 . D)lt is a charity organization.22. A)How animals deal with lack of gravity.23. C)They were not used to the lowgravity environment.24. B)They already felt at home in the new environment.25. C)They behaved as if they were on Earth.二、四级选词填空部分：The things people make, and the way they make them...26. K. matters27. G. flexible28. M. promised29. C. enormously30.O. spared31 .F. feature32. H. inevitably33. A. automation34. D. fantastic35. N. shape三、四级信息匹配部分：Poverty is a story about us,not them36. [E] That comment,says Mothering Justice director Danielle Atkinson,"was meant to shame"37. [H] But the fact that 4 in 1 0 Americans cant come up with$400 in an emergency is a commonly cited statistic for good reason： economic instability strerches across race,gen? der,and geography.38. [M]According to the General Social Survey, 71 percent of respondents believe the country is spending too Little on "assistance to the poor."39. [J] The Frame Works Institute^ research group that focuses on public framing of issues,has studied what sustains stereotypes and narratives of poverty in the United Kingdom40. [D] If these are the central characters of our story about poverty,what layers of perceptions,myths,and realities must we unearth to find meaningful solutions and support?41 .[F] How many of us are poor in the U.S.?42. [N] "Poverty has been interchangeable with people of colorspecifically black women and” black mothers, "says Atkinson of Mothering Justice.43. [I] Negative images remain of who is living in poverty as well as what is needed to move out of it.44. [E] That comment,says Mothering Justice director Danielle Atkinson,"was meant to shame"45. [L] Those external factors include the difficulties accompanying lowwage work or structural discrimination based on race,gender,or ability 四、四级仔细阅读部分：P146. C They did not become popular until the emergence of improved batteries.47. B The falling prices of ebike batteries,48. D It will make a difference in people* s daily lives49. A Retailersrefusal to deal in ebikes.50 D The younger generation’ s pursuit of comfortable ridingP251 A To sway public opinion of the impact of human activities on Earth52 C it covers more phenomena53 D Deliberate choice of words54 B For greater precision55 C Human activities have serious effects on Earth五、四级作文部分：WritingDirections： For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write on the topic Changes in the Way of Education. You should write at least 1 20 words but no more than 1 80 words.范文：Changes in the way of education As the internet is developing so rapidly, the way of education keeps changing and new forms of education emerge surprisingly. Especially during the pandemic of corona virus, online education has become one of the most important ways of education throughout the world.The changes in the way of education can be listed as follows.First of all, compared with traditional offline teaching activities, online education gives students the opportunity to study wherever they want, at home or in the park.Moreover, the cost of attending online courses is normally lower than that of offline ones. Besides, students can choose the perfect time when they are available to attend classes,instead of stubbornly fixing the time required without the possibility of doing any other important thing.From my perspective, the changes in the way of education mainly lie in the good respects. As one of the fortunate students who live in the age of internet and can get access to online courses, I can’ t help exclaiming: it is the best of times.六、四级翻译部分：生活在中国不同地区的人们饮食多种多样。
2020年9月四级真题
2020年9月英语四级真题+答案公布注：2020年9月份大学英语四级考试作文和翻译有三套题，阅读有两套题，听力有一套题。
一、四级写作部分作文（第一套）PART I WritingDirections: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay on online dictionaries. You can start your essay with the sentence “Online dictionaries are becoming increasingly popular”. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.范文：Online dictionaries are becoming increasingly popular. We can see lots of students consulting different online dictionaries in their computers or other portable digital devices instead of taking out a very cumbersome book and looking up a certain word in millions of vocabularies. What a fantastic age it is!The reasons why we enjoy online dictionaries lie in the following three respects. To begin with, looking up a word in an online dictionary cansave us plenty of time. Furthermore, consulting online dictionaries is so convenient for us that we can effortlessly and rapidly find the exact vocabulary we need through just several taps at the keyboard. Besides, online dictionaries can normally be updated timely.ll in all, online dictionaries are one of the greatest inventions in the modern world. We can not only enhance our efficiency of acquiring knowledge of words but also promote the widespread use of a language. 作文（第二套）PART I WritingDirections: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay on the use of PowerPoint (PPT) in class. You can start your essay with the sentence “The use of PowerPoint is becoming increasingly popular in class”. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.范文：The use of PowerPoint is becoming increasingly popular in class. We can see many teachers presenting to their students necessary teaching materials with the help of PowerPoint, which has become the most common subsidiary teaching method throughout the globe.The reasons why teachers enjoy using PowerPoint while teaching instead of writing on those traditional and old-fashioned blackboards lie in the following three respects. To begin with, using PowerPoint to present knowledge can save both teachers and students plenty of time in class. Furthermore, teaching through PowerPoint is so convenient for lecturers that they can effortlessly and rapidly show the knowledge that needs learning through just several taps at the remote-controller. Besides, PowerPoint generally has more storage of information because, theoretically, there is almost no limit of digital space for this slide show presentation program on computers.All in all, PowerPoint is one of the greatest inventions in such a digital world. With it, teachers can not only enhance their efficiency of imparting knowledge in class but also promote the enjoyment of modern classes through presenting more vivid materials.作文（第三套）Part I WritingDirections: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay on online libraries. You can start your essay with the sentence “Online libraries are becoming increasingly popular”. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.范文：Online libraries are becoming increasingly popular. We can see many passengers reading online books in tubes merely with a cellphone and lots of students scrolling down their computers’ screens to search for information necessary for their essays. What a fantastic age it is!The reasons why we enjoy online libraries for reading instead of traditional offline libraries lie in the following three respects. To begin with, reading online can save us plenty of time. Furthermore, reading through online libraries is so convenient for us that we can effortlessly and rapidly find the books we need through just several taps at the keyboard. Besides, online libraries generally have more collection of books because there is no limit of space on the Internet.All in all, online libraries are one of the greatest inventions in the modern world. We can not only enhance our efficiency of acquiring knowledge and information but also promote the spreading of fresh ideas and innovative thoughts without being burdened by the limit of time and space.二、四级听力部分◆【News report one】A NASA satellite orbiting over Portugal took photographs that reveal the effects of pollution from ships. One of the photos shows a thin film of clouds above the brilliant blue of the north Atlantic, cut by white lines ofthicker clouds that look like scars. (1) NASA officials explained those thicker clouds are signs of ship traffic below when ships power their way through the ocean, they pump exhaust into the atmosphere. Just as cars do.And those massive amounts of particles can cause clouds to form, get enough of those particles in one place as from the exhaust of a ship. And they can lead to the creation of new clouds easily visible from space. These clouds can be huge. Some of them stretch hundreds of kilometers from end to end. (2) NASA officials said it's likely that these sorts of clouds are having some effect on the global climate, according to NASA officials.But scientists aren't yet sure what effect it has. questions one and two are based on the news report you have just heard.Question 1 What has caused the thick clouds in the photos taken by a NASA satellite?Question 2 What do NASA officials think about the thick clouds?◆【解析】第一题出题句较长，一般会出现部分词的同义替换，大部分关键词会原词重现，用视听一致方法即可选出正确答案第二题抓住信号词“...said”和“according to”定位出题句，该句中“global climate”是专有名词，一般不会替换，用视听一致方法即可选出正确答案◆【News report two】Staff at a suburban supermarket in Melbourne say they feel unsafe at work after security guards were removed. This came after a series of physical attacks and verbal abuse by customers. (3) More than 50 workers at the store have signed a letter calling for a permanent security guard following a series of incidents, including a customer threatening to attack a supervisor with a knife. A security worker had guard at the storm each night from seven pm until 12 am.But that had stopped suddenly on Monday, employees said. One worker said an angry customer had thrown a chicken at his head after complaining about how long she had waited to be served. Another worker said the lack of protection at the storm made her feel uncomfortable at work. (4) However, the spokesman of the supermarket said the store had taken strong action in response to incidents. We have found very few instances of bad customer behavior at our store in the past year. In the rare cases, we have seen bad behavior. We have taken strong action in response, including banning a customer from the store.Question 3 For what purpose did this staff at a supermarket in Melbourne sign a letter?Question 4 What did the spokesman of the supermarkets say regarding the employees demand?◆【解析】第一题考察形容词+名词词组，这类选项注意形容词的同义替换，名词一般不替换。
2020年大学英语四级考试真题及答案
大学英语四级考试真题及答案（第一套）Part I Writing （25 minutes）Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short easy on how to besthandle the relationship between doctors and patients. You should write at least120 words but no more than 180 words.Part II Listening Comprehension （25 minutes）Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1. A) Her friend Erika. C) Her grandfather.B) Her little brother. D) Her grandmother.2. A) By taking pictures for passers-by. C) By selling lemonade and pictures.B) By working part time at a hospital. D) By asking for help on social media.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3. A) Finding cheaper ways of highway construction.B) Generating electric power for passing vehicles.C) Providing clean energy to five million people.D) Testing the efficiency of the new solar panel.4. A) They can stand the wear and tear of natural elements.B) They can be laid right on top of existing highways.C) They are only about half an inch thick.D) They are made from cheap materials.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. A) Endless fighting in the region. C) Inadequate funding for research.B) The hazards from the desert. D) The lack of clues about the species.6. A) To observe the wildlife in the two national parks.B) To identify the reasons for the lions’ disappearance.C) To study the habitat of lions in Sudan and Ethiopia.D) To find evidence of the existence of the “lost lions”.7. A) Lions walking. C) Some camping facilities.B) Lions’ t racks. D) Traps set by local hunters.Section BDirections：In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C), and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8. A) Her ‘lucky birthday’. C) Her wedding anniversary.B) A call from her dad. D) A special gift from the man.9. A) Gave her a big model plane. C) Took her on a trip overseas.B) Bought her a good necklace. D) Threw her a surprise party.10. A) The gift her husband has bought.B) The trip her husband has planned.C) What has been troubling her husband.D) What her husband and the man are up to.11. A) He will be glad to be a guide for the couple’s holiday trip.B) He will tell the women the secret if her husband agrees.C) He is eager to learn how the couple’s holiday turns out.D) He wants to find out about the couple’s holiday plan.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. A) They are sensitive to the dynamics of a negotiation.B) They see the importance of making compromises.C) They know when to adopt a tough attitude.D) They take the rival’s attitude into account.13. A) They know how to adapt. C) They know when to make compromises.B) They know when to stop. D) They know how to control their emotion.14. A) They are patient. C) They learn quickly.B) They are good at expression. D) They uphold their principles.15. A) Make clear one's intentions. C) Formulate one's strategy.B) Clarify items of negotiation. D) Get to know the other side.Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you willhear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken onlyonce. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C), D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A) When America's earliest space program started.B) When the International Space Station was built.C) How many space shuttle missions there will be.D) How space research benefits people on Earth.17. A) They accurately calculated the speed of the orbiting shuttles.B) They developed objects for astronauts to use in outer space.C) They tried to meet astronauts' specific requirements.D) They tried to make best use of the latest technology.18. A) They are extremely accurate. C) They were first made in space.B) They are expensive to make. D) They were invented in the 1970s.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A) It was when her ancestors came to America.B) People had plenty of land to cultivate then.C) It marked the beginning of something new.D) Everything was natural and genuine then.20. A) They believed in working for goals. C) They had all kinds of entertainment.B) They enjoyed living a living a life of ease. D) They were known to be creative.21. A) Chatting with her ancestors. C) Polishing all the silver work.B) Furnishing her country house. D) Doing needlework by the fire.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A) Use a map to identify your location. C) Sit down and try to calm yourself.B) Call your family or friends for help. D) Try to follow your footprints back.23. A) You may find a way out without your knowing it.B) You may expose yourself to unexpected dangers.C) You may get drowned in a sudden flood.D) You may end up entering a wonderland.24. A) Look for food. C) Start a fire.B) Wait patiently. D) Walk uphill.25. A) Inform somebody of your plan. C) Check the local weather.B) Prepare enough food and drink. D) Find a map and a compass.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.A rat or pigeon might not be the obvious choice to tend to someone who is sick, but these creatures have some 26 skills that could help the treatment of human diseases.Pigeons are often seen as dirty birds and an urban 27 , but they are just the latest in a long line of animals that have been found to have abilities to help humans. Despite having a brain no bigger than the 28 of your index finger, pigeons have a very impressive 29__ memory. Recently it was shown that they could be trained to be as accurate as humans at detecting breast cancer in images.Rats are often 30 with spreading disease rather than 31 it, but this long-tailed animal is highly 32 . Inside a rat's nose are up to 1,000 different types of olfactory receptors （嗅觉感受器）, whereas humans only have 100 to 200 types. This gives rats the ability to detect __33 smells. As a result, some rats are being put to work to detect TB（肺结核）. When the rats detect the smell, they stop and rub their legs to 34 a sample is infected.Traditionally, a hundred samples would take lab technicians more than two days to 35 , but for a rat it takes less than 20 minutes. This rat detection method doesn't rely on specialist equipment. It is also more accurate — the rats are able to find more TB infections and, therefore, save more lives.A) associated I) slightB) examine J) specifyC) indicate K) superiorD) nuisance L) suspiciousE) peak M) tipF) preventing N) treatedG) prohibiting O) visualH) sensitiveSection 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.Do In-Class Exams Make Students Study Harder?Research suggests they may study more broadly for the unexpected rather than search for answers.[A] I have always been a poor test-taker. So it may seem rather strange that I have returned to college to finish the degree I left undone some four decades ago. I am making my way through Columbia University, surrounded by students who quickly supply the verbal answer while I am still processing the question.[B] Since there is no way for me to avoid exams, I am currently questioning what kind are the most taxing and ultimately beneficial. I have already sweated through numerous in-class midterms and finals, and now I have a professor who issuestake-home ones. I was excited when I learned this, figuring I had a full week to do the research, read the texts, and write it all up. In fact, I was still rewriting my midterm the morning it was due. To say I had lost the thread is putting it mildly.[C] As I was suffering through my week of anxiety, overthinking the material and guessing my grasp of it, I did some of my own polling among students and professors. David Eisenbach, who teaches a popular class on U.S. presidents at Columbia, prefers the in-class variety. He believes students ultimately learn more and encourages them to form study groups. “That way they socialize over history outside the class, which wouldn’t happen without the pressure of an in-class exam,” he explained, “Furthermore, in-class exams force students to learn how to perform under pressure, and essential work skill.”[D] He also says there is less chance of cheating with the in-class variety. In 2012, 125 students at Harvard were caught up in a scandal when it was discovered they had cheated on a take-home exam for a class entitled “Introduction To Congress.” Some colleges have what they call an “honor code,” though if you are smart enough to get into these schools, you are either smart enough to get around any codes or hopefully, too ethical to consider doing so. As I sat blocked and clueless for two solid days, I momentarily wondered if I couldn’t just call an expert o n the subject matter which I was tackling, or someone who took the class previously, to get me going.[E] Following the Harvard scandal, Mary Miller, the former dean of students at Yale, made an impassioned appeal to her school’s professors to refrain fr omtake-hone exams. “Students risk health and well being, as well as performance in other end-of-term work, when faculty offers take-home exams without clear,time-limited boundaries,” she told me. “Research now shows that regular quizzes, short essays, and other assignments over the course of a term better enhance learning and retention.”[F] Most college professors agree the kind of exam they choose largely depends on the subject. A quantitative-based one, for example, is unlikely to be sent home, where one could ask their older brothers and sisters to help. Vocational-type classes, such as computer science or journalism, on the other hand, are often moreresearch-oriented and lend themselves to take-home testing. Chris Koch, who teaches “History of Broadcast Journalism” at Montgomery Community College in Rockville, Maryland, points out that reporting is about investigation rather than the memorization of minute details. “In my field, it’s not what you know—it’s what you know how to find out,” says Koch. “There is way too much information, and morecoming all the time, for anyone to remember. I want my students to search out the answers to questions by using all the resources available to them.[G] Students’ test-form preferences vary, too, often depending on the subject and course difficulty. “I prefer take-home essays because it is then really about the writing, so you have time to edit and do more research,” says Elizabeth Dresser, a junior at Barnard. Then there is the stress factor. Francesca Haass, a senior at Middlebury, says, “I find the in-class ones are more stressful in the short term, but there is immediate relief as you swallow information like mad, and then you get to forget it all.Take-homes require thoughtful engagement which can lead to longer term stress as there is never a moment when the time is up.” Meanwhile, Olivia Rubin, a sophomore at Emory, says she hardly even considers take-homes true exams. “If you understand the material and have the ability to articulate (说出) your thoughts, they should be a breeze.”[H] How students ultimately handle stress may depend on their personaltest-taking abilities. There are people who always wait until the last minute, and make it much harder than it needs to be. And then there those who, not knowing what questions are coming at them, and having no resources to refer to, can freeze. And then there are we rare folks who fit both those descriptions.[I] Yes, my advanced age must factor into the equation (等式), in part because of my inability toaccess the information as quickly. As another returning student at Columbia, Kate Marber, toldme, “We are learning not only all this information, but essentially how to learn again. Ourfellow students have just come out of high school. A lot has changed since we were last inschool.”[J] If nothing else, the situation has given my college son and me something to share, When Iasked his opinion on this matter, he responded, “I like in-class exams because the time isalready reserved, as opposed t o using my free time at home to work on a test,” he responded.It seems to me that a compromise would be receiving the exam questions a day or two inadvance, and then doing the actual test in class the ticking clock overhead.[K] Better yet, how about what one Hunter College professor reportedly did recently for her finalexam: She encouraged the class not to stress or even study, promising that, “It is going to be apiece of cake.” When the students came in, sharpened pencils in hand, there was not a bluebook in sight. Rather, they saw a large chocolate cake and they each were given a slice.36. Elderly students find it hard to keep up with the rapid changes in education.37. Some believe take-home exams may affect students' performance in other courses.38. Certain professors believe in-class exams are ultimately more helpful to students.39. In-class exams are believed to discourage cheating in exams.40. The author was happy to learn she could do some exams at home.41. Students who put off their work until the last moment often find the exams more difficult thanthey actually are.42. Different students may prefer different types of exams.43. Most professors agree whether to give an in-class or a take-home exam depends on type ofcourse being taught.44. The author dropped out of college some forty years ago.45. Some students think take-home exams will eat up their free time.Section CDirections: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 46 and 50 are based on the following passage.That people often experience trouble sleeping in a different bed in unfamiliar surroundings is a phenomenon known as the “first-night” effect. If a person stays in the same room the following night they tend to sleep more soundly. Yuka Sasaki and her colleagues at Brown University set out to investigate the origins of this effect.Dr. Sasaki knew the first-night effect probably has something to do with how humans evolved. The puzzle was what benefit would be gained from it when performance might be affected the following day. She also knew from previous work conducted on birds and dolphins that these animals put half of their brains to sleep at a time so that they can rest while remaining alert enough to avoid predators (捕食者). This led her to wonder if people might be doing the same thing. To take a closer look, her team studied 35 healthy people as they slept in the unfamiliar environment of the university’s Department of Psychological Sciences. The part icipants each slept in the department for two nights and were carefully monitored with techniques that looked at the activity of their brains. Dr. Sasaki found, as expected, the participants slept less well on their first night than they did on their second, taking more than twice as longto fall asleep and sleeping less overall. During deep sleep, the participants’ brains behaved in a similar manner seen in birds and dolphins. On the first night only, the left hemispheres (半球) of their brains did not sleep nearly as deeply as their right hemispheres did.Curious if the left hemispheres were indeed remaining awake to process information detected in the surrounding environment, Dr. Sasaki re-ran the experiment while presenting the sleeping participants with a mix of regularly timed beeps (蜂鸣声) of the same tone and irregular beeps of a different tone during the night. She worked out that, if the left hemisphere was staying alert to keep guard in a strange environment, then it would react to the irregular beeps by stirring people from sleep and would ignore the regularly timed ones. This is precisely what she found.46. What did researchers find puzzling about the first-night effect?A) To what extent it can trouble people. C) What circumstances may trigger it.B) What role it has played in evolution. D) In what way it can be beneficial.47. What do we learn about Dr. Yuka Sasaki doing her research?A) She found birds and dolphins remain alert while asleep.B) She found birds and dolphins sleep in much the same way.C) She got some idea from previous studies on birds and dolphinsD) She conducted studies on birds’ and dolphins’ sleeping patterns.48. What did Dr. Sasaki do when she first did her experiment?A) She monitored the brain activity of participants sleeping in a new environment.B) She recruited 35 participants from her Department of Psychological Sciences.C) She studied the differences between the two sides of participants’ brains.D) She tested her findings about birds and dolphins on human subjects.49. What did Dr. Sasaki do when re-running her experiment?A) She analyzed the negative effect of irregular tones on brains.B) She recorded participants’ adaptation to changed environment.C) She exposed her participants to two different stimuli.D) She compared the responses of different participants.50. What did Dr. Sasaki find about the participants in her experiment?A) They tended to enjoy certain tones more than others.B) They tended to perceive irregular beeps as a threat.C) They felt sleepy when exposed to regular beeps.D) They differed in their tolerance of irregular tones.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.It’s time to reevaluate how women handle conflict at w ork. Being overworked or over-committed at home and on the job will not get you where you want to be in life. It will only slow you down and hinder your career goals.Did you know women are more likely than men to feel exhausted? Nearly twice as many women than men ages 18-44 reported feeling “very tired” or “exhausted”, according to a recent study.This may not be surprising given that this is the age range when women have children. It's also the age range when many women are trying to balance careers and home. One reason women may feel exhausted is that they have a hard time saying "no." Women want to be able todo it all volunteer for school parties or cook delicious meals-and so their answer to any request is often “Yes, I can.”Women struggle to sa y “no” in the workplace for similar reasons, including the desire to be liked by their colleagues. Unfortunately, this inability to say "no" may be hurting women's heath as well as their career.At the workplace, men use conflict as a way to position themselves, while women often avoid conflict or strive to be the peacemaker, because they don't want to be viewed as aggressive or disruptive at work. For example, there’s a problem that needs to be addressed immediately, resulting in a dispute over should be the one to fix it. Men are more likely to face that dispute from the perspective of what benefits them most, whereas women may approach the same dispute from the perspective of what's the easiest and quickest way to resolve the problem-evenif that means doing the boring work themselves.This difference in handling conflict could be the deciding factor on who gets promoted to a leadership position and who does not. Leaders have to be able to delegate and manage resources wisely – including staff expertise. Shouldering more of the workload may not earn you that promotion. Instead, it may highlight your inability to delegate effectively.51. What does the author say is the problem with women?A) They are often unclear about the career goals to reach.B) They are usually more committed at home than on the job.C) They tend to be over-optimistic about how far they could go.D) They tend to push themselves beyond the limits of their ability.52. Why do working women of child-bearing age tend to feel drained of energy?A) They struggle to satisfy the demands of both work and home.B) They are too devoted to work and unable to relax as a result.C) They do their best to cooperate with their workmates.D) They are obliged to take up too many responsibilities.53. What may hinder the future prospects of career women?A) Their unwillingness to say “no”.B) Their desire to be considered powerful.C) An underestimate of their own ability.D) A lack of courage to face challenges.54. Men and woman differ in their approach to resolving workplace conflicts in that______.A) women tend to be easily satisfiedB) men are generally more persuasiveC) men tend to put their personal interests firstD) women are much more ready to compromise55. What is important to a good leader?A) A dominant personality. C) The courage to admit failureB) The ability to delegate. D) A strong sense of responsibility.Part Ⅳ Translation (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese intoEnglish. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.华山位于华阴市，据西安120公里。
2020年大学英语四级考试真题及答案(第一套)
大学英语四级考试真题（第一套）Part I Writing （30 minutes）Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the following question. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Suppose a foreign friend of yours is coming to visit your campus, what is the most interesting place you would like to take him/her to see and why?Part II Listening Comprehension （30 minutes）Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A）, B）, C）and D）, and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.1. A）They came in five different colors. C）They were a very good design.B）They were good value for money. D）They were sold out very quickly.2. A）Ask her roommate not to speak loudly on the phone.B）Ask her roommate to make her phone calls outside.C）Go and find a quieter place to review her lessons.D）Report her problem to the dorm management.3. A）The washing machine is totally beyond repair.B）He will help Wendy prepare her annual report.C）Wendy should give priority to writing her report.D）The washing machine should be checked annually.4. A）The man fell down when removing the painting.B）The wall will be decorated with a new painting.C）The woman likes the painting on the wall.D）The painting is now being reframed.5. A）It must be missing. C）The man took it to the market.B）It was left in the room. D）She placed it on the dressing table.6. A）Go to a play. C）Book some tickets.B）Meet Janet. D）Have a get-together.7. A）One box of books is found missing. C）Replacements have to be ordered.B）Some of the boxes arrived too late. D）Some of the books are damaged.8. A）The man will pick up Professor Johnson at her office.B）The man did not expect his paper to be graded so soon.C）Professor Johnson has given the man a very high grade.D）Professor Johnson will talk to each student in her office.Questions 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.9. A）To buy a present for his friend who is getting married.B）To find out the cost for a complete set of cookware.C）To see what he could ask his friends to buy for him.D）To make inquiries about the price of an electric cooker.10. A）To teach him how to use the kitchenware.B）To discuss cooking experiences with him.C）To tell him how to prepare delicious dishes.D）To recommend suitable kitchenware to him.11. A）There are so many different sorts of knives.B）Cooking devices are such practical presents.C）A mixer can save so much time in making cakes.D）Saucepans and frying pans are a must in the kitchen.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. A）Some new problems in her work. C）Her chance for promotion in the bank.B）Cooperation with an international bank. D）Her intention to leave her present job.13. A）The World Bank. C）A U.S. finance corporation.B）Bank of Washington. D）An investment bank in New York.14. A）Supervising financial transactions.B）Taking charge of public relations.C）Making loans to private companies in developing countries.D）Offering service to international companies in the United States.15. A）It is a first major step to realizing the woman’s dream.B）It is an honor for the woman and her present employer.C）It is a loss for her current company.D）It is really beyond his expectation.Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A）, B）, C）and D）. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A）Carry out a thorough checkup. C）Keep extra gas in reserve.B）Try to keep the gas tank full. D）Fill up the water tank.17. A）Attempting to leave your car to seek help.B）Opening a window a bit to let in fresh air.C）Running the engine every now and then.D）Keeping the heater on for a long time.18. A）It exhausts you physically. C）It causes you to lose body heat.B）It makes you fall asleep easily. D）It consumes too much oxygen.Passage TwoQuestions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A）They are very generous in giving gifts.B）They refuse gifts when doing business.C）They regard gifts as a token of friendship.D）They give gifts only on special occasions.20. A）They enjoy giving gifts to other people.B）They spend a lot of time choosing gifts.C）They have to follow many specific rules.D）They pay attention to the quality of gifts.21. A）Gift-giving plays an important role in human relationships.B）We must be aware of cultural differences in giving gifts.C）We must learn how to give gifts before going abroad.D）Reading extensively makes one a better gift-giver.Passage ThreeQuestions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A）It reflects American people’s view of French politics.B）It is first published in Washington and then in Paris.C）It explains American politics to the French public.D）It is popular among French government officials.23. A）Work on her column. C）Entertain her guests.B）Do housework at home. D）Go shopping downtown.24. A）To report to her newspaper. C）To visit her parents.B）To refresh her French. D）To meet her friends.25. A）She might be recalled to France. C）She might close her Monday column.B）She might change her profession. D）She might be assigned to a new post.Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks with the exact words you have just heard. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.According to American law, if someone is accused of a crime, he is considered （26）__________ until the court proves the person is guilty.To arrest a person, the police have to be reasonably sure that a crime has been （27）__________. The police must give the suspect the reasons why they are arresting him and tell him his rights under the law. Then the police take the suspect to the police station, where the name of the person and the （28）__________ against him are formally listed.The next step is for the suspect to go before a judge. The judge decides whether the suspect should be kept in jail or （29）__________. If the suspect has no previous criminal record and thejudge feels that he will return to court （30）__________ run away, he can go free. Otherwise, the suspect must put up bail （保释金）. At this time, too, the judge will （31）__________ a court lawyer to defend the suspect if he can’t afford one.The suspect returns to court a week or two later. A lawyer from the district attorney’s office presents a case against the suspect. The attorney may present （32）__________ as well as witnesses. The judge then decides whether there is enough reason to （33）__________.The American justice system is very complex and sometimes operates slowly. However, every step is （34）__________ to protect the rights of the people. These individual rights are the （35）__________ of the American government.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.Questions 36 to 45 are based on the following passage.Global warming is a trend toward warmer conditions around the world. Part of the warming is natural; we have experienced a 20,000-year-long warming as the last ice age ended and the ice ___36___ away. However, we have already reached temperatures that are in ___37___ with other minimum-ice periods, so continued warming is likely not natural. We are ___38___ to a predicted worldwide increase in temperatures ___39___ between 1℃and 6℃over the next 100 years. The warming will be more ___40___ in some areas, less in others, and some places may even cool off. Likewise, the ___41___ of this warming will be very different depending on where you are—coastal areas must worry about rising sea levels, while Siberia and northern Canada may become more habitable （宜居的）and ___42___ for humans than these areas are now.The fact remains, however, that it will likely get warmer, on ___43___, everywhere. Scientists are in general agreement that the warmer conditions we have been experiencing are at least in part the result of a human-induced global warming trend. Some scientists ___44___ that the changes we are seeing fall within the range of random （无规律的）variation—some years are cold, others warm, and we have just had an unremarkable string of warm years ___45___—but that is becoming an increasingly rare interpretation in the face of continued and increasing warm conditions.A）appealing I）meltedB）average J）persistC）contributing K）rangingD）dramatic L）recentlyE）frequently M）resolvedF）impact N）sensibleG）line O）shockH）maintainSection BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.The End of the Book?A） Amazon, by far the largest bookseller in the country, reported on May 19 that it is now selling more books in its electronic Kindle format than in the old paper-and-ink format. That is remarkable, considering that the Kindle has only been around for four years. E-books now account for 14 percent of all book sales in this country and are increasing far faster than overall book sales. E-book sales are up 146 percent over last year, while hardback sales increased 6 percent and paperbacks decreased 8 percent.B） Does this spell the doom of the physical book? Certainly not immediately, and perhaps not at all. What it does mean is that the book business will go through a transformation in the next decade or so more profound than any it has seen since Gutenberg introduced printing from moveable type in the 1450s.C） Physical books will surely become much rarer in the marketplace. Mass market paperbacks, which have been declining for years anyway, will probably disappear, as will hardbacks for mysteries, thrillers, “romance fiction,”etc. Such books, which only rarely end up in permanent collections, either private or public, will probably only be available as e-books within a few years. Hardback and trade paperbacks for “serious”nonfiction and fiction will surely last longer. Perhaps it will become the mark of an author to reckon with that he or she is still published in hard copy.D） As for children’s books, who knows? Children’s books are like dog food in that the purchasers are not the consumers, so the market （and the marketing）is inherently strange. E）For clues to the book’s future, let’s look at some examples of technological change and see what happened to the old technology.F）One technology replaces another only because the new technology is better, cheaper, or both. The greater the difference, the sooner and more thoroughly the new technology replaces the old. Printing with moveable type on paper dramatically reduced the cost of producing a book compared with the old-fashioned ones handwritten on vellum, which comes from sheepskin. A Bible—to be sure, a long book—required vellum made from 300 sheepskins and countless man-hours of labor. Before printing arrived, a Bible cost more than a middle-class house. There were perhaps 50,000 books in all of Europe in 1450. By 1500 there were 10 million.G） But while printing quickly caused the handwritten book to die out, hand writing lingered on （继续存在）well into the 16th century. Very special books are still occasionally produced on vellum, but they are one-of-a-kind show pieces.H） Sometimes a new technology doesn’t drive the old one out, but only parts of it while forcing the rest to evolve. The movies were widely predicted to drive live theater out of the marketplace, but they didn’t, because theater turned out to have qualities movies could not reproduce. Equally,TV was supposed to replace movies but, again, did not.I）Movies did, however, fatally impact some parts of live theater. And while TV didn’t kill movies, it did kill second-rate pictures, shorts, and cartoons.J）Nor did TV kill radio. Comedy and drama shows （”Jack Benny,”“Amos and Andy,”“The Shadow”）all migrated to television. But because you can’t drive a car and watch television at the same time, rush hour became radio’s prime time, while music, talk, and news radio greatly enlarged their audiences. Radio is today a very different business than in the late 1940s and a much larger one.K） Sometimes old technology lingers for centuries because of its symbolic power. Mounted cavalry （骑兵）replaced the chariot （二轮战车）on the battlefield around 1000 BC. But chariots maintained their place in parades and triumphs right up until the end of the Roman Empire 1,500 years later. The sword hasn’t had a military function for a hundred years, but is still part of an officer’s full-dress uniform, precisely because a sword always symbolized “an officer and a gentleman.”L）Sometimes new technology is a little cranky （不稳定的）at first. Television repairman was a common occupation in the 1950s, for instance. And so the old technology remains as a backup. Steamships captured the North Atlantic passenger business from sail in the 1840s because of its much greater speed. But steamships didn’t lose their sails until the 1880s, because early marine engines had a nasty habit of breaking down. Until ships became large enough （and engines small enough）to mount two engines side by side, they needed to keep sails. （The high cost of steam and the lesser need for speed kept the majority of the world’s ocean freight moving by sail until the early years of the 20th century.）M）Then there is the fireplace. Central heating was present in every upper- and middle-class home by the second half of the 19th century. But functioning fireplaces remain to this day a powerful selling point in a house or apartment. I suspect the reason is a deep-rooted love of fire. Fire was one of the earliest major technological advances for humankind, providing heat, protection, and cooked food （which is much easier to eat and digest）. Human control of fire goes back far enough （over a million years）that evolution could have produced a genetic leaning towards fire as a central aspect of human life.N） Books—especially books the average person could afford—haven’t been around long enough to produce evolutionary change in humans. But they have a powerful hold on many people nonetheless, a hold extending far beyond their literary content. At their best, they are works of art and there is a tactile （触觉的）pleasure in books necessarily lost in e-book versions. The ability to quickly thumb through pages is also lost. And a room with books in it induces, at least in some, a feeling not dissimilar to that of a fire in the fireplace on a cold winter’s night.O） For these reasons I think physical books will have a longer existence as a commercial product than some currently predict. Like swords, books have symbolic power. Like fireplaces, they induce a sense of comfort and warmth. And, perhaps, similar to sails, they make a useful backup for when the lights go out.46. Authors still published in printed versions will be considered important ones.47. Some people are still in favor of printed books because of the sense of touch they can provide.48. The radio business has changed greatly and now attracts more listeners.49. Contrary to many people’s prediction of its death, the film industry survived.50. Remarkable changes have taken place in the book business.51. Old technology sometimes continues to exist because of its reliability.52. The increase of e-book sales will force the book business to make changes not seen for centuries.53. A new technology is unlikely to take the place of an old one without a clear advantage.54. Paperbacks of popular literature are more likely to be replaced by e-books.55. A house with a fireplace has a stronger appeal to buyers.Section CDirections: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A）, B）, C）and D）. You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.The question of whether our government should promote science and technology or the liberal arts in higher education isn’t an either/or proposition（命题）, although the current emphasis on preparing young Americans for STEM （science, technology, engineering, maths）-related fields can make it seem that way.The latest congressional report acknowledges the critical importance of technical training, but also asserts that the study of the humanities （人文学科）and social sciences must remain central components of America’s educational system at all levels. Both areas are critical to producing citizens who can participate effectively in our democratic society, become innovative （创新的）leaders, and benefit from the spiritual enrichment that the reflection on the great ideas of mankind over time provides.Parents and students who have invested heavily in higher education worry about graduates’job prospects as technological advances and changes in domestic and global markets transform professions in ways that reduce wages and cut jobs. Under these circumstances, it’s natural to look for what may appear to be the most “practical”way out of the problem: “Major in a subject designed to get you a job”seems the obvious answer to some, though this ignores the fact that many disciplines in the humanities characterized as “soft”often, in fact, lead to employment and success in the long run. Indeed, according to surveys, employers have expressed a preference for students who have received a broadly-based education that has taught them to write well, think critically, research creatively and communicate easily.Moreover, students should be prepared not just for their first job, but for their 4th and 5th jobs, as there’s little reason to doubt that people entering the workforce today will be called upon to play many different roles over the course of their careers. The ones who will do the best in this new environment will be those whose educations have prepared them to be flexible. The ability to draw upon every available tool and insight—picked up from science, arts and technology—to solve the problems of the future, and take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves, will be helpful to them and the United States.56. What does the latest congressional report suggest?A）STEM-related subjects help students find jobs in the information society.B）The humanities and STEM subjects should be given equal importance.C）The liberal arts in higher education help enrich students’ spiritual life.D）Higher education should be adjusted to the practical needs of society.57. What is the main concern of students when they choose a major?A）Their interest in relevant subjects. C）The quality of education to receive.B）The academic value of the courses. D）Their chances of getting a good job.58. What does the author say about the so-called soft subjects?A）They benefit students in their future life.B）They broaden students’ range of interests.C）They improve students’ communication skills.D）They are essential to students’ healthy growth.59. What kind of job applicants do employers look for?A）Those who have a strong sense of responsibility.B）Those who are good at solving practical problems.C）Those who are likely to become innovative leaders.D）Those who have received a well-rounded education.60. What advice does the author give to college students?A）Seize opportunities to tap their potential.B）Try to take a variety of practical courses.C）Prepare themselves for different job options.D）Adopt a flexible approach to solving problems.Passage TwoQuestions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.Energy independence. It has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? If you think so, you’re not alone, because energy independence has been the dream of American presidents for decades, and never more so than in the past few years, when the most recent oil price shock has been partly responsible for kicking off the great recession.“Energy independence”and its rhetorical （修辞的）companion “energy security”are, however, slippery concepts that are rarely thought through. What is it we want independence from, exactly?Most people would probably say that they want to be independent from imported oil. But there are reasons that we buy all that oil from elsewhere.The first reason is that we need it to keep our economy running. Yes, there is a trickle （涓涓细流）of biofuel（生物燃料）available, and more may become available, but most biofuels cause economic waste and environmental destruction.Second, Americans have basically decided that they don’t really want to produce all their own oil. They value the environmental quality they preserve over their oil imports from abroad. Vast areas of the United States are off-limits to oil exploration and production in the name of environmental protection. To what extent are Americans really willing to endure the environmental impacts of domestic energy production in order to cut back imports?Third, there are benefits to trade. It allows for economic efficiency, and when we buy thingsfrom places that have lower production costs than we do, we benefit. And although you don’t read about this much, the United States is also a large exporter of oil products, selling about 2 million barrels of petroleum products per day to about 90 countries.There is no question that the United States imports a great deal of energy and, in fact, relies on that steady flow to maintain its economy. When that flow is interrupted, we feel the pain in short supplies and higher prices. At the same time, we derive massive economic benefits when we buy the most affordable energy on the world market and when we engage in energy trade around the world.61. What does the author say about energy independence for America?A）It sounds very attractive. C）It will bring oil prices down.B）It ensures national security. D）It has long been everyone’s dream.62. What does the author think of biofuels?A）They keep America’s economy running healthily.B）They prove to be a good alternative to petroleum.C）They do not provide a sustainable energy supply.D）They cause serious damage to the environment.63. Why does America rely heavily on oil imports?A）It wants to expand its storage of crude oil.B）Its own oil reserves are quickly running out.C）It wants to keep its own environment intact.D）Its own oil production falls short of demand.64. What does the author say about oil trade?A）It proves profitable to both sides.B）It improves economic efficiency.C）It makes for economic prosperity.D）It saves the cost of oil exploration.65. What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?A）To justify America’s dependence on oil imports.B）To arouse Americans’ awareness of the energy crisis.C）To stress the importance of energy conservation.D）To explain the increase of international oil trade.Part IV Translation （30 minutes）Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.中国应进一步发展核能，因为核电目前只占其总发电量的2%。