2014年6月英语四级考试真题及答案(第1套)
2014年6月四级真题(第1套)Part IWriting(30minutes)minutes)Directions:For this part,.you are allowed30 minutes to write a short essay on the following question.You should w~te at least 120words but No more than180words.Suppose a foreign friend of yours is coming to visit your hometown,what is the most interestingplace you would like to take him/her to see and why?__________________________________________________________________________注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答Part HListening Comprehension(30minutes)Section ADirecti6ns:In Sis section,you will hear8short conversations and2long conversations.At the end ofeach conversation,one or more questions will be asked about what was said.Both theconversation and the questions will be spoken only onee. After each question there well be apause.During the pause,you must rectd the four choices marked A),E),C)and D),anddecide which is the best answer.Then mark the eorresponding letter on Answer Sheet1with a sinate line thougk the centre.1.A.See a doctor about her strained shoulder,e a ladder to help her reach the tea.C.Replace the cupboard with a new one.D.Place the tea on lower sheLf next time.2.A.At Mary johuson's.B.At a painter's studio.C.In an exhibition hall.D.Outside an art gallery.3.A.The teacher evaluated lacks teaching experience.B.She doesnot quite agree with what the man said.C.The man had better talk with the students himself.D.New students usually canno offer a fair evaiuation4.A.He helped Doris build up the furniture.B.Doris helped him arrange the furniture.C.Doris fixed up some of the bookshelves.D.He was good at assembling bookshelves.5.A.He doesn't get on with the others.B.He doesn't feel at ease m the firm.C.He hasbeen taken for a fool.D.He has found a better position.6.A.They should finish the work as soon as possible.B.He will continue to work in the garden himself.C.He is tired of doing gardeulng on weekends.D.They can hire a gardener to do the work.7.A.The man has to get rid of the used furniture.B.The man's apartment is ready for rentC.The furniture is covered with lots of dust.D)The furniture the man bought is inexpensive.8.A.The man will give the mechaulc a call.B.The woman is waiting for a call.C.The woman is doing some repairs.D.The man KNows the mechanic very well.Questions9to11are based on the conversation you have just heard.9.A.Shehad a job interview to attend.B.She was busy finishing her project.C.She had to attend an important meeting.D.She was in the middle of writing an essay.10.A.Accompany her roommate to the classroom.B.Hand in her roommate's application form.C.Submit her roommate's assignment.D.Help her roommate with her report.11.A.Where Dr.Ellis's office is located.B.When Dr.Ellis'leaves his office.C.Directions to the classroom building.D.Dr.Ellis's schedule for the afternoon.Questions12to15are based on the conversation you have just heard.12.A.He finds it rather stressful.B.He is thinking of quitting it.C.He can handle it quite well.D.He has to work extra hours.13.A.The6:00one.B.The6:30one.C.The7:00one.D.The7:30one.14.A.It is an awful waste of time.B.He finds it rather unbearable.C.The time on the train is enjoyable.D.It is something difficult to get used m.15.A.Reading newspapers.B.Chatting with friends.C.Listening to the daily news.D.Planning the day's work.Section BDirections:In this section,you will hear3short passages.At the end of each passage,you will hearsome questions.Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once.After youhear a question,you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A),B),C)and D).Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet I with a single line throughthe centre.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
Passage OneQuestions16to18are based on the passage you have just heard.16.A.Ignore small details while reading.B.Read at least several chapters at one sitting.C.Develop a habit of reading critically.D.Get key information by reading just once or twice.17.A.Choose one's own system of marking.B.Underline the key words and phrases.C.Make as few marks as possible.D)Highlight details in a red color.18.A.By reading the textbooks carefully again.B.By reviewing only the marked parts.C.By focusing on the notes in the margins.D.By comparing notes with their classmates.Passage TwoQuestions19to21are based on the passage you have just heard.19.A.The sleep a person needs varies from day to day.B.The amount of sleep for each person is similar.C.One can get by with a couple of hours of sleep.D.Everybody needs some sleep for survival.20.A.It is a made-up story.B.It is beyond cure.C.It is a rare exception.D.It is due to an accident.21.A.His extraordinary physical condition.B.His mother's injury just before his birth.C.The unique surroundings of his living place.D.The rest he got from sitting in a rocking chair.Passage ThreeQuestions22to25are based on the passage you have just heard.22.A.She invested in stocks and shares on Wall Street.B.She learned to write for financial newspapers.C.She developed a strong interest in finance.D.She tenderly looked after her sick mother23.A.She made a wise investment in real estate.B.She sold her restaurant with a substantial profit.C.She got7.5million dollars from her ex-husband.D.She inherited a big fortune from her father.24.A.She was extremely mean with.her money.B.She was dishonest in business dealings.C.She frequently ill-treated her employees.D.She abused animals including her pet dog.25.A.She made a big forttme from wise investment.B.She built a hospital with her mother's money.C.She made huge donations to charities.D.She carried on her family's tradition.Section CDirections:In this section,you will hoar a passage three times.When tho passage is read for tho firsttime,you should listen carefully for its general idea.When tho passage is read for thosecond time,you are required to fill in tho blanks with tho exact words you have justheard.Finally,when the passage is read for the third time,you should check what youhave written.Among the kinds of social gestures most significant.for second-language teachers are those whichare(26)in form but different.in meaning in the two cultures.For example,a Columbianwho wants someone to(27)him often signals with a hand movement in which all thefingers of one hand,Cupped,point dowriward as they move rapidly (28)Speakers ofEnglish have a similar gesture though the hand may not be cupped.and the fingers may be held moreloosely,but for them the gesture means goodbye or go away,quite the(29)of theColumbian gestare.Again,in Columbia,a~peaker of English would have to know that when he(30)height he must choose between different gestures depending on whether he is(31)ahumanbeingorananimal.Ifhekeepsthepalmofthehand(32) the floor,as he would in his own culture when making known the height of achild,forexample,hewillverylikelybegreetedbylaughter,inColumbiathisgestureis(3 3)for the description of animals.In order to describe human beings he should keepthe palm of his hand(34)to the floor.Substitutions of one gesture for the other oftencreate not only humorous but also(35)moments.In both of the examples above,speakers from two different cultures have the same gesture,physically,but its meaning differs sharply.Part lIIReading Comprehension(40minutes)Section ADirections:In this section,there is a passage with ten blanks.You are required to select one word foreach blank from a list of choices given in a word bahk following tho passage.Read thopassage through carefully before making your choices.Each choice in tho bank is identifiedby a.letter.Please mark tho corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet2with asingle line through tho centre.You may not use any of the words in tho bank more than once.Questions36to45are based on the following passage.Many Brazilians cannot read.In2000,a quarter of those aged15and older were functionallyilliterate(文盲）Many36do not want to.Only one literate adult in three reads book~The37Brazilian reads1.8non-academic books a year,less than half the figure in Europe and the United States.In a recent survey of reading habits,Brazilians came27th out of30countries. Argentines,theirneighbours,3818th.The government and businesses are all struggling in different ways to change this. On March13thegovernment39a National Plan for Books and Reading.This seeks to boost reading,by foundinglibraries and financing publishers among other hhings.One discouragement to reading is that books are40.Most books have small print-runs, pushing.up their price.But Brazilians'indifference to books has deeper roots.Centuries of slavery meantthe country'sleaders long41education.Primary schooling became universal only in the1990s. All this means Brazil's book market has the biggest growth42.in the western world. But reading is a difficult habit to form.Brazilians bought fewer books in2004, 89million,includingtextbooks43by the government,than they did st year the director of Brazil's nationallibrary44.He complained that he had haft the librarians he needed and termites(白蚁)had eatenmuch of the45.That ought to be a cause for national shame.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
2014年6月大学英语四级(CET-4)考试答案解析(第一套)
2014年6月大学英语六级考试真题(一)答案与详解Part Ⅰ Writing审题思路本次作文一改往年常考的三段式议论文、图表作文和名言评述作文题型,设定虚拟情景，要求考生描述某处景点，考生应该把重点放在说明选取这一景点的原因上，也就是说明其独特性上。
仔细分析可知,本文依旧可以分三部分展开。
考生首先应回答“what”的问题,即去什么地方游玩;其次，考生应回答“Why”的问题，即推荐该地点的缘由;最后, 考生需要做简要的总结。
写作提纲一、回答“what”，说明去某地游玩(take vacation, on the top of my list)二、回答“why”，描述某地的独特之处：1、以泰山为例(Mount Tai)2、泰山的独特之处(spectacularity, sacredness, hope and auspici ousness)三、简要总结：1、探访泰山很有意义（engagement in ancient culture and contemporaiy prosperity)2、表达愿望(wonderful experience)范文点评全文翻译泰山之旅欣闻我的外国朋友比尔要来我的家乡度假。
由于我在英国曾受到比尔的热情款待，我将带他四处看看家乡的风景。
在所有风景中，泰山无疑是首选之地。
几个世纪前，孔子登上泰山之巅，发出登泰山而小天下之感叹;在现代，每个人必定会去欣赏泰山的壮丽和神圣。
泰山不仅仅是一座山，她还象征着希望与祥瑞，体现了深厚的文化。
此外，泰山被看作是如此神圣，以至于几乎每位古代帝王都会到这里祭祀天地,祈求国家昌盛、国泰民安。
登泰山不仅是一次登山远足，还是一次亲身体验古代文化和现代繁荣的旅行。
因此，我向你保证你一定会喜欢这次美妙的旅行的。
PartⅡ Listening ComprehensionSection A1.W: I can’t seem to reach the tea at the back of the cupboard.M： Oh. Why don’t you use the ladder? You might strain your shoulder.Q： What does the man suggest the woman do?1. A)See a doctor about her strained shoulder. C)Replace the cupboard with a new one.B) Use a ladder to help her reach the tea.D)Place the tea on a lower shelf next time.【预测】四个选项都是动词短语，由此可推断该题会对建议或计划进行提问。
6月英语四级考试真题试卷及答案（第一套）
6月英语四级考试真题试卷及答案（第一套）2015年6月英语四级考试真题试卷及答案(第一套)Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay based on the picture below. You should start your essay with a brief description of the picture and then comment on the kid's understanding of going to school. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.注意：此部分试题在答题卡1上________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________1.A) He will give the woman some tips on the game.B) The woman has good reason to quit the game.C) He is willing to play chess with the woman.D) The woman should go on playing chess.2.A) The man can forward the mail to Mary.B) She can call Maiy to take care of the mail.C) Mary probably knows Sally's new address.D) She would like to resume contact with Sally.3.A) His handwriting has a unique style.B) His notes are not easy to read.C) He did not attend today's class.D) He is very pleased to be able to help.4.A) The man had better choose another restaurant.B) The new restaurant is a perfect place for dating.C) The new restaurant caught her fancy immediately.D) The man has good taste in choosing the restaurant.5.A) He has been looking forward to spring.B) He has been waiting for the winter sale.C) He will clean the woman's boots for spring.D) He will help the woman put things away.6.A) The woman is rather forgetful.B) The man appreciates the woman's help.C) The man often lends books to the woman.D) The woman often works overtime at weekends.7.A) Go to work on foot.B) Take a sightseeing trip.C) Start work earlier than usual.D) Take a walk when the weather is nice.8.A) The plane is going to land at another airport.B) All flights have been delayed due to bad weather.C) Temporary closing has disturbed the airport's operation.D) The airport's management is in real need of improvement.Questions 9 to 12 are based on the conversation you have just heard.9.A) It specializes in safety from leaks.B) It is headquartered in London.C) It has a partnership with LCP.D) It has a chemical processing plant.10.A) He is Mr. Grand's Mend.B) He is a safety inspector.C) He is a salesman.D) He is a chemist.11.A) Director of the safety department.B) Mr. Grand's personal assistant.C) Head of the personnel department.D) The public relations officer.12.A) Wait for Mr. Grand to call back.B) Leave a message for Mr. Grand.C) Provide details of their products and services.D) Send a comprehensive description of their work.Questions 13 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.13.A) She learned playing the violin from a famous French musician.B) She dreamed of working and living in a European country.C) She read a lot about European musicians and their music.D) She listened to recordings of many European orchestras.14.A) She began taking violin lessons as a small child.B) She was a pupil of a famous European violinist.C) She gave her first performance with her father.D) She became a professional violinist at fifteen.15.A) It gave her a chance to explore the city.B) It was the chance of a lifetime.C) It was a great challenge to her.D) It helped her learn classical French music.Passage OneQuestions 16 to 18 are based on the conversation you have just heard.16.A) There are mysterious stories behind his works.B) There are many misunderstandings about him.C) His works have no match worldwide.D) His personal history is little known.17.A) He moved to Stratford-on-Avon in his childhood.B) He failed to go beyond grammar school.C) He was a member of the town council.D) He once worked in a well-known acting company.18.A) Writers of his time had no means to protect their works.B) Possible sources of clues about him were lost in a fire.C) His works were adapted beyond recognition.D) People of his time had little interest in him.Passage TwoQuestions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19.A) Theft.B) Cheating.C) Air crash.D) Road accidents.20.A) Leam the local customs.B) Make hotel reservations.C) Book tickets well in advance.D) Have the right documents.21.A) Contact your agent.B) Get a lift if possible.C) Use official transport.D) Have a friend meet you.Passage ThreeQuestions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22.A) Cut down production cost.B) Sell inexpensive products.C) Specialise in gold ornaments.D) Refine the taste of his goods.23.A) At a national press conference.B) During a live television interview.C) During a local sales promotion campaign.D) At a meeting of top British businesspeople.24.A) Insulted.B) Puzzled.C) Distressed.D) Discouraged.25.A) The words of some businesspeople are just rubbish.B) He who never learns from the past is bound to fail.C) There should be a limit to one's sense of humour.D) He is not laughed at, that laughs at himself first.Looking at the basic biological systems, the world is not doing very well. Yet economic indicators show the world is __26__ . Despite a slow start at the beginning of the eighties, global economic output increased by more than a fifth during the __27__ . The economy grew, trade increased, and millions of new jobs were created. How can biological indicators show the __28__ of economic indicators?The answer is that the economic indicators have a basic fault: they show no difference between resource uses that __29__ progress and those uses that will hurt it. The main measure of economic progress is the gross national product (GNP). __30__ , this totals the value of all goods and services produced and subtracts loss in value of factories and equipment. Developed a half-century ago, GNP helped __31__ a common way among countries of measuring change in economic output. For some time, this seemed to work __32__ well, but serious weaknesses are now appearing. As indicated earlier, GNP includes loss in value of factories and equipment, but it does not __33__ the loss of natural resources, including nonrenewable resources such as oil or renewable resources such as forests.This basic fault can produce a __34__ sense of national economic health. According to GNP, for example, countries that overcut forests actually do better than those that preserve their forests. The trees cut down are counted as income is made for __35__ the forests.参考答案：26. prospering27. decade28. opposite29. sustain30. In simple terms31. establish32. reasonably33. take into account34. misleading35. using upQuestions 36 to 45 are based on the following passage.The U. S. Department of Education is making efforts to ensure that all students have equal access to a quality education. Today it is __36__ the launch of the Excellent Educators for All Initiative. The initiative will help states and school districts support great educators for the students who need them most."All children are __37__ to a high-quality education regardless of their race, zip code or family income. It is __38__ important that we provide teachers and principals the support they need to help students reach their full __39__ ," U. S. Secretary of Education Ame Duncan said. " Despite the excellent work and deep __40__ of our nation's teachers and principals, students in high-poverty, high-minority schools are unfairly treated across our country. We have to do better. Local leaders and educators will __41__ their own creative solutions, but we must work together to __42__ our focus on how to better recruit, support and __43__ effective teachers and principals for all students, especially the kids who need them most. "Today's announcement is another important step forward inimproving access to a quality education, a __44__ of President Obama's year of action. Later today, Secretary Duncan will lead a roundtable discussion with principals and school teachers from across the country about the __45__ of working in high-need schools and how to adopt promising practices for supporting great educators in these schools.A) announcingB) beneficialC) challengesD) commitmentE) componentF) contestsG) criticallyH) developI) distributingJ) enhanceK) entitledL) potentialM) properlyN) qualifiedO) retain参考答案：AKGLD HJOECThe Changes Facing Fast FoodA) Fast-food firms have to be a thick-skinned bunch. Health experts regularly criticise them severely for selling food that makes people fat. Critics even complain that McDonald's, whose logo symbolises calorie excess, should not have been allowed to sponsor the World Cup. These are things fast-food firms have leamt to cope with. But not perhaps for much longer. The burger business faces more pressure from regulators at a time when it isalready adapting strategies in response to shifts in the global economy.B) Fast food was once thought to be recession-proof. When consumers need to cut spending, the logic goes, cheap meals like Big Macs and Whoppers become even more attractive. Such "trading down" proved true for much of the latest recession, when fast-food companies picked up customers who could no longer afford to eat at casual restaurants. Traffic was boosted in America, the home of fast food, with discounts and promotions, such as $1 menus and cheap combination meals.C) As a result, fast-food chains have weathered the recession better than their more expensive competitors. In 2009 sales at full-service restaurants in America fell by more than 6% , but total sales remained about the same at fast-food chains. In some markets, such as Japan, France and Britain, total spending on fast food increased. Same-store sales in America at McDonald's, the world's largest fast-food company, did not decline throughout the downturn. Panera Bread, an American fast-food chain known for its fresh ingredients, performed well, too, because it offers higher-quality food at lower prices than restaurants.D) But not all fast-food companies have been as fortunate. Many, such as Burger King, have seen sales fall. In a severe recession, while some people trade down to fast food, many others eat at home more frequently to save money. David Palmer, an analyst at UBS, a bank, says smaller fast-food chains in America, such as Jack in the Box and Carl's Jr., have been hit particularly hard in this downturn because they are competing with the global giant McDonald's, which increased spending on advertising by more than 7% last year as others cut back.E) Some fast-food companies also sacrificed their own profitsby trying to give customers better value. During the recession companies set prices low, hoping that once they had tempted customers through the door they would be persuaded to order more expensive items. But in many cases that strategy did not work. Last year Burger King franchisees (特许经营人) sued (起诉) the company over its double-cheeseburger promotion, claiming it was unfair for them to be required to sell these for $1 when they cost $1.10 to make. In May a judge ruled in favour of Burger King. Nevertheless, the company may still be cursing its decision to promote cheap choices over more expensive ones because items on its "value menu" now account for around 20% of all sales, up from 12% last October.F) Analysts expect the fast-food industry to grow modestly this year. But the downturn is making companies rethink their strategies. Many are now introducing higher-priced items to entice (引诱) consumers away from $1 specials. KFC, a division of Yum! Brands, which also owns Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, has launched a chicken sandwich that costs around $5. And in May Burger King introduced barbecue (烧烤) pork ribs at $7 for eight.G) Companies are also trying to get customers to buy new and more items, including drinks. McDonald's started selling better coffee as a challenge to Starbucks. Its "McCafe" line now accounts for an estimated 6% of sales in America. Starbucks has sold rights to its Seattle's Best coffee brand to Burger King, which will start selling it later this year.H) As fast-food companies shift from "super size" to "more buys" , they need to keep customer traffic high throughout the day. Many see breakfast as a big opportunity, and not just for fatty food. McDonald's will start selling porridge (粥) in America next year. Breakfast has the potential to be very profitable, saysSara Senatore of Bernstein, a research firm, because the margins can be high. Fast-food companies are also adding midday and late-night snacks, such as blended drinks and wraps. The idea is that by having a greater range of tilings on the menu, "we can sell to consumers products they want all day," says Rick Carucci, the chief financial officer of Yum! Brands.I) But what about those growing waistlines? So far, fast-food firms have cleverly avoided government regulation. By providing healthy options, like salads and low-calorie sandwiches, they have at least given the impression of doing something about helping to fight obesity (肥胖症) . These offerings are not necessarily loss-leaders, as they broaden the appeal of outlets to groups of diners that include some people who don't want to eat a burger. But customers cannot be forced to order salads instead of fries.J) In the future, simply offering a healthy option may not be good enough. "Every packaged-food and restaurant company I know is concerned about regulation right now," says Mr. Palmer of UBS. America's health-reform bill, which Congress passed this year, requires restaurant chains with 20 or more outlets to put the calorie-content of items they serve on the menu. A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research, which tracked the effects on Starbucks of a similar calorie-posting law in New York City in 2007, found that the average calorie-count per transaction fell 6% and revenue increased 3% at Starbucks stores where a Dunkin Donuts outlet was nearby-a sign, it is said, that menu-labelling could favour chains that have more healthy offerings.K) In order to avoid other legislation in America and elsewhere, fast-food companies will have to continue innovating (创新). Walt Riker of McDonald's claims the change it has madein its menu means it offers more healthy items than it did a few years ago. " We probably sell more vegetables, more milk, more salads, more apples than any restaurant business in the world," he says. But the recent proposal by a county in California to ban McDonald's from including toys in its high-calorie "Happy Meals" , because legislators believe it attracts children to unhealthy food, suggests there is a lot more left to do.46. Some people propose laws be made to stop McDonald's from attaching toys to its food specials for children.47. Fast-food firms may not be able to cope with pressures from food regulation in the near future.48. Burger King will start to sell Seattle's Best coffee to increase sales.49. Some fast-food firms provide healthy food to give the impression they are helping to tackle the obesity problem.50. During the recession, many customers turned to fast food to save money.51. Many people eat out less often to save money in times of recession.52. During the recession, Burger King's promotional strategy of offering low-priced items often proved ineffective.53. Fast-food restaurants can make a lot of money by selling breakfast.54. Many fast-food companies now expect to increase their revenue by introducing higher-priced items.55. A newly-passed law asks big fast-food chains to specify the calorie count of what they serve on the menu.参考答案：KAGIB DEHFJPassage OneQuestions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.If you think a high-factor sunscreen (防晒霜) keeps you safe from harmful rays, you may be wrong. Research in this week's Nature shows that while factor 50 reduces the number of melanomas (黑瘤) and delays their occurrence, it can't prevent them. Melanomas are the most aggressive skin cancers. You have a higher risk if you have red or blond hair, fair skin, blue or green eyes, or sunburn easily, or if a close relative has had one. Melanomas are more common if you have periodic intense exposure to the sun. Other skin cancers are increasingly likely with long-term exposure.There is continuing debate as to how effective sunscreen is in reducing melanomas-the evidence is weaker than it is for preventing other types of skin cancer. A 2011 Australian study of 1,621 people found that people randomly selected to apply sunscreen daily had half the rate of melanomas of people who used cream as needed. A second study, comparing 1,167 people with melanomas to 1,101 who didn't have the cancer, found that using sunscreen routinely, alongside other protection such as hats, long sleeves or staying in the shade, did give some protection. This study said other forms of sun protection-not sunscreen-seemed most beneficial. The study relied on people remembering what they had done over each decade of their lives, so it's not entirely reliable. But it seems reasonable to think sunscreen gives people a false sense of security in the sun.Many people also don't use sunscreen properly-applying insufficient amounts, failing to reapply after a couple of hours and staying in the sun too long. It is sunburn that is most worrying-recent research shows five episodes of sunburn in the teenage years increases the risk of all skin cancers.The good news is that a combination of sunscreen andcovering up can reduce melanoma rates, as shown by Australian figures from their slip-slop-slap campaign. So if there is a heat wave this summer, it would be best for us, too, to slip on a shirt, slop on (抹上) sunscreen and slap on a hat.56. What is people's common expectation of a high-factor sunscreen?A) It will delay the occurrence of skin cancer.B) It will protect them from sunburn.C) It will keep their skin smooth and fair.D) It will work for people of any skin color.57. What does the research in Nature say about a high-factor sunscreen?A) It is ineffective in preventing melanomas.B) It is ineffective in case of intense sunlight.C) It is ineffective with long-term exposure.D) It is ineffective for people with fair skin.58. What do we learn from the 2011 Australian study of 1,621 people?A) Sunscreen should be applied alongside other protection measures.B) High-risk people benefit the most from the application of sunscreen.C) Irregular application of sunscreen does women more harm than good.D) Daily application of sunscreen helps reduce the incidence of melanomas.59. What does the author say about the second Australian study?A) It misleads people to rely on sunscreen for protection.B) It helps people to select the most effective sunscreen.C) It is not based on direct observation of the subjects.D) It confirms the results of the first Australian study.60. What does the author suggest to reduce melanoma rates?A) Using both covering up and sunscreen.B) Staying in the shade whenever possible.C) Using covering up instead of sunscreen.D) Applying the right amount of sunscreen.Passage TwoQuestions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.Across the rich world, well-educated people increasingly work longer than the less-skilled. Some 65% of American men aged 62 - 74 with a professional degree are in the workforce, compared with 32% of men with only a high-school certificate. This gap is part of a deepening divide between the well-educated well-off and the unskilled poor. Rapid technological advance has raised the incomes of the highly skilled while squeezing those of the unskilled. The consequences, for individuals and society, are profound.The world is facing an astonishing rise in the number of old people, and they will live longer than ever before. Over the next 20 years the global population of those aged 65 or more will almost double, from 600 million to 1.1 billion. The experience of the 20th century, when greater longevity (长寿) translated into more years in retirement rather than more years at work, has persuaded many observers that this shift will lead to slower economic growth, while the swelling ranks of pensioners will create government budget problems.But the notion of a sharp division between the working young and the idle old misses a new trend, the growing gap between the skilled and the unskilled. Employment rates arefalling among younger unskilled people, whereas older skilled folk are working longer. The divide is most extreme in America, where well-educated baby-boomers (二战后生育高峰期出生的.美国人) are putting off retirement while many less-skilled younger people have dropped out of the workforce.Policy is partly responsible. Many European governments have abandoned policies that used to encourage people to retire early. Rising life expectancy (预期寿命), combined with the replacement of generous defined-benefit pension plans with less generous defined-contribution ones, means that even the better-off must work longer to have a comfortable retirement. But the changing nature of work also plays a big role. Pay has risen sharply for the highly educated, and those people continue to reap rich rewards into old age because these days the educated elderly are more productive than the preceding generation. Technological change may well reinforce that shift: the skills that complement computers, from management knowhow to creativity, do not necessarily decline with age.61. What is happening in the workforce in rich countries?A) Younger people are replacing the elderly.B) Well-educated people tend to work longer.C) Unemployment rates are rising year after year.D) People with no college degree do not easily find work.62. What has helped deepen the divide between the well-off and the poor?A) Longer life expectancies.B) A rapid technological advance.C) Profound changes in the workforce.D) A growing number of the well-educated.63. What do many observers predict in view of theexperience of the 20th century?A) Economic growth will slow down.B) Government budgets will increase.C) More people will try to pursue higher education.D) There will be more competition64. What is the result of policy changes in European countries?A) Unskilled workers may choose to retire early.B) More people have to receive in-service training.C) Even wealthy people must work longer to live comfortably in retirement.D) People may be able to enjoy generous defined-benefits from pension plans.65. What is characteristic of work in the 21st century?A) Computers will do more complicated work.B) More will be taken by the educated young.C) Most jobs to be done will be the creative ones.D) Skills are highly valued regardless of age.中国是世界上最古老的文明之一。
历年英语四级考试真题及答案Word版
历年英语四级考试真题及答案Word版历年英语四级考试真题及答案（2007.6—2012.6 共十一套）2007年6月英语四级真题及答案Part I Writing (30 minutes)注意：此部分试题在答题卡1上。
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the topic of Welcom to our club. You should write at least 120 words following the outline given bellow: 欢迎辞，欢迎加入俱乐部。
标题：Welcome to our club书写提纲：1. 表达你的欢迎；2. 对你们俱乐部作一个简要介绍。
Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes)Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the question on Answer Sheet 1.For questions 1-7, markY (for YES) if the statement agrees with the information given in the passage;N (for NO) if statement contradicts the information given in the passage;NG (for NOT GIVEN) if the information is not given in the passage.For question 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.Protect Your Privacy When Job-hunting OnlineIdentity theft and identity fraud are terms used to refer to all types of crime in which someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person’s personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception typically for economic gain.The numbers associated with identity theft are beginning to add up fast these days. A recent Genera Accounting Office report estimates that as many as 750,000 Americans are victims of identity theft everyear. And that number may be low, as many people choose not to report the crime even if they know the have been victimized.Identity theft is “an absolute epidemic,” states Robert Ellis Smith, a respected author and advocat of privacy. “It’s certainly picked up in the last four or fi ve years. It’s worldwide. It affects everybod and there’s very little you can do to prevent it and, worst of all, you can’t detect it until it’s probabl too late.”Unlike your fingerprints, which are unique to you and cannot be given to someone else for their use you personal data, especially your social security number, your bank account or credit card number, you telephone calling card number, and other valuable identifying data, can be used, if they fall into th wrong hands, to personally profit at your expense. In the United States and Canada, for example, many peopl have reported that unauthorized persons have taken funds out of their bank or financial accounts, or, i the worst cases, taken over their identities altogether, running up vast debts and committing crimes whil using the victims’ names. In many cases, a victim’s losses may included not only out-of-pocket financia losses, but substantial additional financial costs associated with trying to restore his reputation i the community and correcting erroneous information for which the criminal is responsible.According to the FBI, identity theft is the number one fraud committed on the Internet. So how do jo seekers protect themselves while continuing to circulate their resumes online?The key to a successfu online job search is learning to manager the risks. Here are some tips for staying safe while conductin a job search on the Internet.1. Check for a privacy policy.If you are considering posting your resume online, make sure the job search site your are considerin has a privacy policy, like /doc/798333515.html,. The policy should spell out how your information will b used, stored and whether or not it will be shared. You may want to think twice about posting your resum on a site that automatically shares your information with others. You could be opening yourself up to unwanted calls from solicitors (推销员).When reviewing the site’s privacy policy, you’ll be able to delete your resume just as easily a you posted it. You won’t necessarily want your resume to remain out there on the Internet once you lan a job. Remember, the longer your resume remains posted on a job board, the more exposure, both positiv and not-so-positive, it will receive.2. Take advantage of site features.Lawful job search sites offer levels of privacy protection. Before posting your resume, carefully consider your job search objective and the level of risk you are willing to assume./doc/798333515.html,, for example, offers three levels of privacy from which job seekers can choose. Th first is standard posting. This option gives job seekers who post their resumes the most visibility t the broadest employer audience possible.The second is anonymous (匿名的) posting. This allows job seekers the same visibility as those in th standard posting category without any of their contact information beingdisplayed. Job seekers who wis to remain anonymous but want to share some other information may choose which pieces of contact informatio to display.The third is private posting. This option allows a job seeker to post a resume without having it searche by employers. Private posting allows job seekers to quickly and easily apply for jobs that appear on /doc/798333515.html, without retyping their information.3. Safeguard your identity.Career experts say that one of the ways job seekers can stay safe while using the Internet to searc out jobs is to conceal their identities. Replace your name on your resume with a generic (泛指的) identifier such as “Intranet Developer Candidate,” or “Experienced Marketing Representative.”You should also consider eliminating the name and location of your current employer. Depending on you title, it may not be all that difficult to determine who you are once the name of your company is provided Use a general description of the company such as “Major auto manufacturer,” or “International package goods supplier.”If your job title is unique, consider using the generic equivalent instead of the exact title assigne by your employer.4. Establish and email address for your search.Another way to protect your privacy while seeking employment online is to open up an email accoun specifically for your online job search. This will safeguard your existing email box in the event someon you don’t know gets hold of your email address and shares it with others.Using an email address specifically for you job search also eliminates the possibility that you wil receive unwelcome emailsin your primary mailbox. When naming your new email address, be sure that it doesn’t contain references to your name or other information that will give away your identity. The bes solution is an email address that is relevant to the job you are seeking such as salesmgr2004@/doc/798333515.html,5. Protect your reference.If your resume contains a section with the names and contact information of your references, take i out. There’s no sense in safeguarding your information while sharing private contact information of you references.6. Keep confidential (机密的) information confidential.Do not, under any circumstances, share your social security, driver’s license, and bank account number or other personal information, such as race or eye color. Honest employers do not need this informatio with an init ial application. Don’t provide this even if they say they need it in order to conduct a background check. This is one of the oldest tricks in the book –don’t fall for it.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
2018年6月大学生英语四级真题试卷及答案(第一套)
2018年6月大学生英语四级真题试卷及答案(第一套)2018年6月大学生英语四级真题试卷及答案Part I：Writing(30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay on the importance of financial management for college students. You should write at least 150 words, and base your composition on the outline (given in Chinese) below:1. 现代大学生面临着很多经济压力。
2. 科学合理地管理个人财务的重要性。
3. 我的建议。
参考范文：As college students in the modern era, we face various financial pressures. Tuition fees, living expenses, and personal desires all contribute to the overwhelming monetary burden. Therefore, it is of great importance for us to manage our personal finances scientifically and reasonably.First and foremost, effective financial management can alleviate the financial stress we experience. By organizing our income and expenses, we are able to prioritize our spending and make sure our basic needs are met without excessive borrowing or overdependence on our parents. It enables usto develop a sense of financial independence, which is essential for our personal growth.Moreover, financial management helps cultivate essential life skills. By tracking our expenses and setting budgets, we learn about the necessity of saving and prioritizing our expenditures. These skills not only benefit our current circumstances but also lay the foundation for our future financial stability. It instills in us a sense of responsibility and perseverance, which are valuable qualities necessary for success in any aspect of life.In conclusion, in order to better cope with the financial pressures we face as college students, it is vital that we learn and practice effective financial management. By doing so, we can reduce the burden, develop independence, and acquire essential skills for a prosperous future. It is therefore crucial for each of us to make financial management a priority in our lives.Part II：Listening ComprehensionSection ADirections: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A, B, C and D. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the center.News Report 1Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1. A) A report on the water quality of US cities.B) Suggestions on how to improve water quality.C) The reasons behind the widespread water contamination.D) The importance of clean water to human beings.2. A) Improving water treatment facilities.B) Holding companies accountable for pollution.C) Banning the use of industrial chemicals.D) Better protecting the sources of clean water.News Report 2Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3. A) Allow children to make independent choices.B) Encourage children to play with gadgets.C) Offer guidance to children on gadget use.D) Create a gadget-free environment for children.4. A) They want to protect children's privacy.B) They want to limit children's screen time.C) They believe children should exercise daily.D) They think gadgets can be educational.News Report 3Questions 5 and 6 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. A) Many startups are eager to enter the Asian market.B) The Asian market is slowly expanding its presence worldwide.C) Corporate giants are facing fierce competition from Asian companies.D) The Asian market is becoming increasingly important globally.6. A) Prize offers by the Chinese government.B) Export restrictions by the Asian governments.C) The huge number of Asian consumers.D) The low cost of production in Asian countries.... (The rest of the article is omitted due to exceeding the requested word count.)。
2014年12月大学英语四级考试真题及答案(第一套)
2014年12月大学英语四级考试真题及答案（第一套）Passage OneQuestions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage。
The rise of the Internet has been one of the most transformative developments in human history, comparable in impact to the invention of the printing press and the telegraph。
Over two billion people worldwide now have access to vastly more information than ever before, and can communicate with each other instantly , often using Web—connected mobile devices they carry everywhere。
But the Internet’s tremendous impact has only just begun。
"Mass adoption of the Internet is driving one of the most exciting social, cultural，and political transformations in history，and unlike earlier periods of change, this time the effects are fully global，" Schmidt and Cohen write in their new book The New Digital Age.Perhaps the most profound changes will come when the five billion people worldwide who currently lack Internet access get online。
6月大学英语四级考试真题及答案完整版「第一套」
XX年6月大学英语四级考试真题及答案完整版「第一套」xx上半年大学已正式落下帷幕，以下是为大家搜索的xx年6月大学英语四级考试真题及答案完整版【第一套】，希望能给大家带来帮助!更多精彩内容请及时关注我们!翻译：黄河是亚洲第三、世界第六长的河流。
“黄”这个字描述的是其河水浑浊的颜色。
黄河发源于青海，流经九个省份，最后注入渤海。
黄河是中国赖以生存的几条河流之一。
黄河流域(river basin)是中国古代文明的诞生地，也是中国早期历史上最繁荣的地区。
然而，由于极具破坏力的洪水频发，黄河曾造成屡次灾害。
在过去几十年里，政府采取了各种措施防止灾害发生。
The Yellow River ranks the third longest in Asia and the sixth longest in the world. The word “yellow” describes the muddy water of the river. The Yellow River，one of several rivers for China to live on，originates from Qinghai，flows through nine provinces, and finally pours into the Bohai Sea. The river basin is not only the birthplace of ancient Chinese civilization，but also the most prosperous region in the early history of China. However,due to the frequent devastating floods, it has caused many disasters. In the past few decades,the government has taken various measures to prevent disasters.SectionA News1 B The test driver made a wrong judgement2 D They have generally done quite well.3 A He works at a national park.4 B They were making a lot of noise.5 A The discovery of a new species of snake.6 C A snake crawled onto his head in his sleep.7 D From its colour.SectionB Conversationconversation18 A The security check takes time.9 B By credit card.10 A Give him a receipt.11 D Posting a ment on the hotel’s webpage.conversation212 C He has stopped making terrible faces.13 D Warn him of danger by making up a story.14 A They could break pp’s legs.15 B One would have to shave their head to remove a bat in their hair.SectionC PassagePassage116 C Everything seemed to be changing.17 A Meeting people.18 D He was a young student in the 1960s.Passage219 B They avoid looking at them.20 C It focuses its eyes on their mouths.21 B By taking in their facial expressions as a whole.Passage322 D They resort to different means to survive the bitter cold.23 C They consume the energy stored before the long sleep.24 A By storing enough food beforehand25 C To stay safe选词填空答案26.O vigorous27.I phenomenon28.E effectively29.G involved30.M solution31.D cycling32.C control33. J preventing34. N sufficient35. F increased【原文】As if you needed another reason to hate the gym, it now turns out that exercise can exhaust not only your muscles, but also your eyes. Fear not, however, for coffee can perk them right up again. During vigorous exercise, our muscles tire as they run out of fuel and build up waste products.Muscle performance can also be affected by a phenomenon called “central fatigue,” in which an imbalance in the body’s chemical messengers prevents the central nervous system from directing muscle movements effectively. It was not known, however, whether central fatigue might also affect motor systems not directly involved in the exercise itself—such as those that move the eyes. To find out, researchers gave 11 volunteers a carbohydrate solution either with a moderate dose of caffeine—which is known to stimulate the central nervous system—or as a placebo without, during 3 hours of cycling. After exercising, the scientists tested the cyclists with eye-tracking cameras to see how well their brains could still control their visual system. The team found that exercise reduced the speed of rapid eye movements by about 8%, preventing their ability to capture new visual information. The caffeine—the equivalent of two strong cups of coffee—was sufficient to counteract this effect, with some cyclists even displaying increased eye movement speeds, the team reports today in Scientific Reports. So it might be a good idea to get someone else to drive you home after that marathon.段落信息匹配36 [H] 题干：Suessful team leaders know exactly where the team should go and are able to take promptaction.37 [D] 题干：Decentralisation of authority was also found to be more effective in military operations.38 [B] 题干：In many panies,the conventional form of organisation is giving way to a work of teams.39 [J] 题干：Members of poorly managed teams are easily distracted from their work.40 [G] 题干：Teamwork is most effective when team members share the same culture.41 [A] 题干：Aording to a report by Deloitte,teamwork is being increasingly popular among panies.42 [F] 题干：Some team members find it hard to agree on questions like membership and the team's purpose.43 [E] 题干：Some scholars think teamwork may not always be reliable,despite its potential to work wonders.44 [I] 题干：To ensure employee's mitment,it is advisable to give them more flexibility as to where and how they work.45 [C] 题干： Product transitions take much less time now than in the past.仔细阅读146 D Britons have developed the habit of saving.47 B It will remain gloomy.48 C Luxurious features add much to the price.49 A They are particular about the quality of toilet paper.50 D Environmental protection is not much of a concern when Britons buy toilet paper.仔细阅读251 B She sueeded in quitting smoking abruptly.52 D They were offered nicotine replacements.53 C It is encouraging.54 B needs some practice first.55 A They find it even more difficult.写作：Directions：For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an advertisement on your campus website to sell a puter you used at college. Your advertisement may include its brand, specifications/features, condition and price, and your contact information. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.With the development of the Inter and the popularization of puters, shopping on the Inter has bee a monplace in our life. Here consumers can buy almost everything they need. People don't have to waste a lot of their energy and precious time to go from one shop to another to choose the modities they like. This isespecially desirable to the old, the sick and the busy people who cannot go to the shops in person. All they need to do is to sit in front of their puters and click themousses. The modities they order will be delivered to them promptly.。
2014年6月英语四级真题及答案第一套
Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questionswill be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and thequestions will be spoken only once. After each question there will bea 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 thecorresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line throughthe centre.1.A) See a doctor about her trained shoulder. B) Use a ladder to help her reachthe tea.C). Replace the cupboard with a new one. D) Place the tea on a lower shelfnext time.2.A) At Mary Johnson’s. B)At a painter’s studio.C)In an exhibition hall. D)Outside an art gallery.3.A)The teacher evaluated lacks teaching experience.B)She does not quite agree with what the man said.C)The man had better talk with the students himself.D)New students usually cannot offer a fair evaluation.4.A)He helped Doris build up the furniture. B)Doris helped him arrange thefurniture.C)Doris fixed up some of the bookshelves. D)He was good at assemblingbookshelves.5.A)He doesn’t get on with the others. B)He doesn’t feel at ease in thefirm.C)He has been taken for fool. D)He has found a better position.6.A)They should finish the work as soon as possible.B)He will continue to work in the garden himself.C)He is tired of doing gardening on weekends.D)They can hire a gardener to do the work.7.A)The man has to get rid of the used furniture.B)The man’s apartment is ready for rent.C)The furniture is covered of lot’s of dust.D)The furniture the man bought is inexpensive.8.A)The man will give the mechanic a call. B)The woman is waiting for a call.C)The woman is doing some repairs. D)The man knows the mechanic very well. Questions 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.9.A)She had a job interview to attend. B)She was busy finishing her project.C)She had to attend an important meeting. D)She was in the middle of Writingan essay.10.A)Accompany her roommate to the classroom.B).Hand in her roommate’s application formC)Submit her roommate’s assignment.D)Help her roommate with her report.11.A)Where Dr.Elli’s office is located. B)When Dr.Ellis leaves his office.C)Directions to the classroom building. D)Dr.Ellis’s schedule for the afternoon.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12.A)He finds it rather stressful. B)He is thinking of quitting it.C)He can handle it quite well. D)He has to work extra hours.13.A)The 6:00 one. B)The 6:30 one.C)The 7:00 one. D)The 7:30 one.14.A)It is an awful waste of time. B)He finds it rather unbearable.C)The time on the train is enjoyable. D)It is something difficult to getused to.15.A)Reading newspapers. B)Chatting with friends.C).Listening to the daily news. D).Planning the day’s work.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 thequestions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you mustchoose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D).Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a singleline through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16.A)Ignore small details while reading.B)Read at least several chapters at one sitting.C)Develop a habit of reading critically.D)Get key information by reading just once or twice.17.A)Choose one’s own system of marking.B)Underline the key words and phrases.C)Make as few marks as possible.D)Highlight details in a red color.18.A)By reading the textbooks carefully again.B)By reviewing only the marked parts.C)By focusing on the notes in the margins.D)By comparing notes with their classmates.Passage TwoQuestions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19.A)The sleep a person needs varies from day to day.B)The amount of sleep for each person is similar.C)One can get by with a couple of hours of sleep.D)Everybody needs some sleep survival.20.A)It is a made-up story. B)It is beyond cure.C)It is rare exception. D)It is due to an accident.21.A)His extraordinary physical condition.B)His mother’s injury just before his birth.C)The unique surroundings of his living place.D)The rest he got from sitting in a rocking chair.Passage ThreeQuestions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22.A)She invested in stocks and shares on Wall Street.B)She learned to write for financial newspapers.C).She developed a strong interest in finance.D)She tenderly looked after her sick mother.23.A)She made a wise investment in real estate.B)She sold her restaurant with a substantial profit.C)She got 7.5 million dollars from her ex-husband.D)She inherited a big investment in real estate.24.A)She was extremely mean with her money.B)She was dishonest in business dealings.C)She frequently ill-treated her employees.D)She abused animals including her pet dog.25.A)She made a big fortune from wise investment.B)She built a hospital with her mother’s money.C)She made huge donations to charities.D)She carried on her family’s tradition.Directions: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its generalidea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are requiredto 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 youhave written.Among the kinds of social gestures most significant for second –language teachers are those which are 26 in form but different in meaning in the two cultures. For example, a Colombian who wants someone to 27 him often signals with a hand movement in which all the fingers of one hand, cupped, point downward as they move rapidly 28 .Speakers of English have a similar gesture means goodbye or go away,Directions: 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 wordbank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully beforemaking your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter.Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of thewords 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 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 1C and 6C 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.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 theparagraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information isderived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph ismarked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the correspondingletter on Answer Sheet 2.The End Of The Book?A)Amazon, by far the largest booksellers in the country, reported on May 19 thatis 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)Dose this spell the doom of the physical book? Certainly not immediately, andperhaps not at all. What it does mean is that the book business will go througha transformation in the next decade or some profound than any it has been sinceGutenberg introduced printing from moveable type in the 1450s.C)Physical books will surely become much rarer in the marketplace. Mass marketpaperbacks, 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 thatthe purchasers are not the consumers, so the market ( and the marking ) is inherently strange.E)For clues to the book’s future, let’s look at some examples of technologicalchange and see what happened to the old technology.F)One technology replaces another only because the new technology is better,chapter, 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 thana middle-class house. Three 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, handwritinglingered 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 ofit 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 TVdidn’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 drivea car and watch television at the same time, rush hour become radio’s primetime, 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 Roman Empire 1,500 years later. The sword hasn’t had a military function for 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 passengers 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 percent 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 earliestmajor 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 an 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 fire place 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 fireplace, 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.Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are fourchoices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choiceand mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single linethrough 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 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. B)The academic value of the courses.C)The quality of education to receive. 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 you 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 to our economy running. Yes, there is a trickle 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 impacts of domestic energy production in order to cut back impacts?Third, there are benefits to trade, It allows for economic efficiency, and when we buy things from 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 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. B)It ensures national security.C)It will bring oil prices down. 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 this passage?A)To justify America’s dependence on oil imports.B)To arouse America’s awareness of the energy crisis.C)To stress the importance of energy conservation.D)To explain the increase of international oil trade.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.为了促进教育公平，中国已投入360亿元。
2014年6月年大学英语四级考试真题(卷二)
2014年6月大学英语四级考试真题（二）梦想不会辜负每一个努力的人2014年6月大学英语四级考试真题（第2套）Part I Writing(30minutes) Directions：Forthispart,youareallowed30minutestowriteashort essayonthefollowingquestion.Youshouldwriteatleast120wordsbut no morethan180words.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(30minutes) SectionADirections：Inthissection,youwillhear8shortconversationsand2longconversations.Attheendofeachconversation,oneormorequestionswill beaskedaboutwhatwassaid.Both theconversation andthequestionswillbespokenonlyonce.Aftereachquestiontherewill bea pause.During the pause,you must read the four choices marked A),B),C)and D),and decide which is the best answer.Thenmarkthecorrespondingletter on Answer Sheet1witha singleline throughthecentre.1.A)They came in five different colors.C)They were a very good design.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.Ask her roommate to make her phone calls outside.Go and find a quieter place to review her lessons.Report her problem to the dorm management.3.A)The washing machine is totally beyond repair.He will help Wendy prepare her annual report.Wendy should give priority to writing her report.The washing machine should be checked annually.4.A)The man fell down when removing the painting.The wall will be decorated with a new painting.The woman likes the painting on the wall.The painting is now being refrained.5.A)It must be missing.C)The man took it to the market.It was left in the room.D)She placed it on the dressing table.6.A)Go to a play.C)Book some tickets.Meet Janet.D)Have a get-together.7.A)One box of books is found missing.C)Replacements have to be ordered.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.The man did not expect his paper to be graded so soon.Professor Johnson has given the man a very high grade.Professor Johnson will talk to each student in her office.Questions9to11arebased ontheconversation youhavejust heard.9.A)To buy a present for his friend who is getting married.To find out the cost for a complete set of cookware.To see what he could ask his friends to buy for him.梦想不会辜负每一个努力的人To make inquiries about the price of an electric cooker.10.A)To teach him how to use the kitchenware.To discuss cooking experiences with him.To tell him how to prepare delicious dishes.)To recommend suitable kitchenware to him.11.A)There are so many different sorts of knives.Cooking devices are such practical presents.A mixer can save so much time in making cakes.)Saucepans and frying pans are a must in the kitchen.Questions12to15arebased ontheconversation you havejust heard.12.A)Some new problems in her work.C)Her chance for promotion in the bank.Cooperation with an international bank.D)Her intention to leave her present job.13.A)The World Bank.C)A US finance corporation.Bank of Washington.D)An investment bank in New York.14.A)Supervising financial transactions.Taking charge of public relations.Making loans to private companies in developing countries.)Offering service to international companies in the United States.15.A)It is a first major step to realizing the woman’s dream.It is an honor for the woman and her present employer.It is a loss for her current company.)It is really beyond his expectation.Section BDirections：In this section,you will hear3short 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),andD).Then mark thecorresponding letteron Answer Sheet1witha singlelinethrough thecentre.PassageOneQuestions16to18are 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.C)Running the engine every now and then.B)Opening a window a bit to let in fresh air.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 TwoQuestions19to21are based on the passage you have just heard.19.A)They are very generous in giving gifts.C)They regard gifts as a token of friendship.B)They refuse gifts when doing business.D)They give gifts only on special occasions.20.A)They enjoy giving gifts to other people.C)They have to follow many specific rules.)They spend a lot of time choosing gifts.D)They pay attention to the quality of gifts.21A)Gift-giving plays an important role in human relationships.)We must be aware of cultural differences in giving gifts.)We must learn how to give gifts before going abroad.22014年6月大学英语四级考试真题（二）)Reading extensively makes one a better gift-giver.Part ⅢReading Comprehension (40minutes)Section ADirections ：Inthissection ,thereisapassagewithtenblanks.Youarerequiredtoselectonewordforeachblankfromalistofchoicesgiveninawordbankfollowingthepassage.Readthepassagethroughcarefullybeforemakingyourchoices.Eachchoiceinthebankisidentifiedby a letter.Pleasemarkthecorrespondingletterforeachitemon Answer Sheet 2witha singlelinethroughthecentre.Youmaynot useanyof the wordsinthebank morethan once.梦想不会辜负每一个努力的人Section BDirections：In thissection,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.Eachparagraph ismarked witha letter.Answer thequestions bymarkingthecorresponding letter on Answer Sheet2.TheEnd of theBook?A)Amazon,by far the largest bookseller in the country,reported on May19that it is now selling more books in its electronicKindle 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 for14percent of all book sales in this country and are increasing far faster than overall book sales.E-book sales are up146percent over last year,while hardback sales increased6percent and paperbacks decreased8percent.B)Does this spell the doom of the physical book?Certainly not immediately,and perhaps not at all.What it does mean is thatthe 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 the1450s.C)Physical books will surely become much rarer in the marketplace.Mass market paperbacks,which have been declining foryears 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 themarket(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 oldtechnology.F)One technology replaces another only because the new technology is better,cheaper,or both.The greater the difference,thesooner 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 from300sheepskins and countless man-hours of labor.Before printing arrived,a Bible cost more than a middle-class house.There were perhaps50,000books in all of Europe in 1450.By1500there were10million.42014年6月大学英语四级考试真题（二）梦想不会辜负每一个努力的人G)But while printing quickly caused the handwritten book to die out,handwriting lingered on(继续存在)well into the16thcentury.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 movieswere 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-ratepictures,shorts,and cartoons.J)Nor did TV kill edy 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 late1940s 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 around1000BC.But chariots maintained their place in parades and triumphs right up until the end of the Roman Empire1,500years 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 the1840s because of its much greater speed.But steamships didn’t lose their sails until the1880s, 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 the20th 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.Authors still published in printed versions will be considered important ones.Some people are still in favor of printed books because of the sense of touch they can provide.The radio business has changed greatly and now attracts more listeners.Contrary to many peopled prediction of its death,the film industry survived.Remarkable changes have taken place in the book business.Old technology sometimes continues to exist because of its reliability.The increase of e-book sales will force the book business to make changes not seen for centuries.A new technology is unlikely to take the place of an old one without a clear advantage.Paperbacks of popular literature are more likely to be replaced by e-books.A house with a fireplace has a stronger appeal to buyers.梦想不会辜负每一个努力的人Section CDirections：Thereare2passagesin thissection.Each passage isfollowed by somequestions or unfinishedstatements.For each of them thereare four choices marked A),B),C)and D).You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on AnswerSheet2witha singlelinethrough thecentre.PassageOneQuestions56to60are 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 their4th and5th 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.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.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.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.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.What advice does the author give to college students?A)Seize opportunities to tap their potential.C)Prepare themselves for different job options.62014年6月大学英语四级考试真题（二）梦想不会辜负每一个努力的人B)Try to take a variety of practical courses.D)Adopt a flexible approach to solving problems. PassageTwoQuestions61to65are 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 things from 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 about2million barrels of petroleum products per day to about90countries.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.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.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.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.What does the author say about oil trade?A)It proves profitable to both sides.C)It makes for economic prosperity.B)It improves economic efficiency.D)It saves the cost of oil exploration.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.梦想不会辜负每一个努力的人Part IV Translation(30minutes) Directions：Forthispart,youareallowed30minutestotranslateapassagefromChineseintoEnglish.Youshouldwriteyouransweron Answer Sheet2.中国教育工作者早就认识到读书对于国家的重要意义。
2014年6月大学英语四级考试真题及答案(第1套)
2014年6月英语四级考试真题试卷（1）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 hometown, what is the most interesting place you would like to take him/her to see and why?注意：此部分试题在答题卡1上_______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________Part ⅡListening 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.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答.1. A) See a doctor about her strained shoulder.B) Use a ladder to help her reach the tea.C) Replace the cupboard with a new one.D) Place the tea on a lower shelf next time.2. A) At Mary Johnson's.B) At a painter's studio.C) In an exhibition hall.D) Outside an art gallery.3. A) The teacher evaluated lacks teaching experience.B) She does not quite agree with what the man said.C) The man had better talk with the students himself.D) New students usually cannot offer a fair evaluation.4. A) He helped Doris build up the furniture.B) Doris helped him arrange the furniture.C) Doris fixed up some of the bookshelves.D) He was good at assembling bookshelves.5. A) He doesn't get on with the others.B) He doesn't feel at ease in the firm.C) He has been taken for a fool.D) He has found a better position.6. A) They should finish the work as soon as possible.B) He will continue to work in the garden himself.C) He is tired of doing gardening on weekends.D) They can hire a gardener to do the work.7. A) The man has to get rid of the used furniture.B) The man's apartment is ready for rent.C) The furniture is covered with lots of dust.D) The furniture the man bought is inexpensive.8. A) The man will give the mechanic a call.B) The woman is waiting for a call.C) The woman is doing some repairs.D) The man knows the mechanic very well.Questions 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.9. A) She had a job interview to attend.B) She was busy finishing her project.C) She had to attend an important meeting.D) She was in the middle of writing an essay.10. A) Accompany her roommate to the classroom.B) Hand in her roommate's application form.C) Submit her roommate's assignment.D) Help her roommate with her report.11. A) Where Dr. Ellis's office is located.B) When Dr. Ellis leaves his office.C) Directions to the classroom building.D) Dr. Ellis's schedule for the afternoon.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. A) He finds it rather stressful.B) He is thinking of quitting it.C) He can handle it quite well.D) He has to work extra hours.13. A) The 6:00 one.B) The 6:30 one.C) The 7:00 one.D) The 7:30 one.14. A) It is an awful waste of time.B) He finds it rather unbearable.C) The time on the train is enjoyable.D) It is something difficult to get used to.15. A) Reading newspapers.B) Chatting with friends.C) Listening to the daily news.D) Planning the day's work.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, Cand D.Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答.Passage OneQuestions 16 to 18 are based on the conversation you have just heard.16. A) Ignore small details while reading.B) Read at least several chapters at one sitting.C) Develop a habit of reading critically.D) Get key information by reading just once or twice.17. A) Choose one's own system of marking,B) Underline the key words and phrases.C) Make as few marks as possible.D) Highlight details in a red color.18. A) By reading the textbooks carefully again.B) By reviewing only the marked parts.C) By focusing on the notes in the margins.D) By comparing notes with their classmates.Passage TwoQuestions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A) The sleep a person needs varies from day to day.B) The amount of sleep for each person is similar.C) One can get by with a couple of hours of sleep.D) Everybody needs some sleep for survival.20. A) It is a made-up story.B) It is beyond cure.C) It is a rare exception.D) It is due to an accident.21. A) His extraordinary physical condition.B) His mother's injury just before his birth.C) The unique surroundings of his living place.D) The rest he got from sitting in a rocking chair.Passage ThreeQuestions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A) She invested in stocks and shares on Wall Street.B) She learned to write for financial newspapers.C) She developed a strong interest in finance.D) She tenderly looked after her sick mother.23. A) She made a wise investment in real estate.B) She sold her restaurant with a substantial profit.C) She got 7.5 million dollars from her ex-husband.D) She inherited a big fortune from her father.24. A) She was extremely mean with her money.B) She was dishonest in business dealings.C) She frequently ill-treated her employees.D) She abused animals including her pet dog.25. A) She made a big fortune from wise investment.B) She built a hospital with her mother's money.C) She made huge donations to charities.D) She carried on her family's tradition.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.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答.Among the kinds of social gestures most significant for second-language teachers are those which are __26__ in form but different in meaning in the two cultures. For example, a Colombian who wants someone to __27__ him often signals with a hand movement in which all the fingers of one hand, cupped, point downward as they move rapidly __28__. Speakers of English have asimilar gesture though the hand may not be cupped and the fingers may be held more loosely, but for them the gesture means goodbye or go away, quite the __29__ of the Colombian gesture. Again, in Colombia, a speaker of English would have to know that when he __30__ height he must choose between different gestures depending on whether he is __31__ a human being or an animal. If he keeps the palm of the hand __32__ the floor, as he would in his own culture when making known the height of a child, for example, he will very likely be greeted by laughter; in Colombia this gesture is __33__ for the description of animals. In order to describe human beings he should keep the palm of his hand __34__ to the floor. Substitutions of one gesture for the other often create not only humorous but also __35__ moments. In both of the examples above, speakers from two different cultures have the same gesture, physically, but its meaning differs sharply.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.Many Brazilians cannot read. In 2000, a quarter of those aged 15 and older were functionally illiterate (文盲). Many __36__ do not want to. Only one literate adult in three reads books. The __37__ Brazilian reads 1.8 non-academic books a year, less than half the figure in Europe and the United States. In a recent survey of reading habits, Brazilians came 27th out of 30 countries. Argentines, their neighbors, __38__ 18th.The government and businesses are all struggling in different ways to change this. On March 13 the government __39__ a National Plan for Books and Reading. This seeks to boost reading, by founding libraries and financing publishers among other things.One discouragement to reading is that books are __40__. Most books have small print-runs, pushing up their price.But Brazilians' indifference to books has deeper roots. Centuries of slavery meant the country's leaders long __41__ education. Primary schooling became universal only in the 1990s.All this means Brazil's book market has the biggest growth __42__ in the western world.But reading is a difficult habit to form. Brazilians bought fewer books in 2004, 89 million, including textbooks __43__ by the government, than they did in 1991. Last year the director of Brazil's national library __44__. He complained that he had half the librarians he needed and termites (白蚁) had eaten much of the __45__. That ought to be a cause for national shame.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答.A）average B）collection C）distributed D）exhibitionE）expensive F）launched G）named H）neglectedI）normal J）particularly K）potential L）quitM）ranked N）simply O）treasuredSection 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 Touch-Screen GenerationA) On a chilly day last spring, a few dozen developers of children's apps (应用程序) for phones and tablets (平板电脑) gathered at an old beach resort in Monterey, California, to show off their games. The gathering was organized by Warren Buckleitner, a longtime reviewer of interactive children's media. Buckleitner spent the breaks testing whether his own remote-control helicopter could reach the hall's second story, while various children who had come with their parents looked up in awe (敬畏) and delight. But mostly they looked down, at the iPads and other tablets displayed around the hall like so many open boxes of candy. I walked around and talked with developers, and several quoted a famous saying of Maria Montessori's, "The hands are the instruments of man's intelligence."B) What, really, would Maria Montessori have made of this scene? The 30 or so children here were not down at the shore poking (戳) their fingers in the sand or running them along stones or picking seashells. Instead they were all inside, alone or in groups of two or three, their faces a few inches from a screen, their hands doing things Montessori surely did not imagine.C) In 2011, the American Academy of Pediatrics updated its policy on very young children and media. In 1999, the group had discouraged television viewing for children younger than 2, citing research on brain development that showed this age group's critical need for " direct interactions with parents and other significant care givers. " The updated report began by acknowledging that things had changed significantly since then. In 2006, 90% of parents said that their children younger than 2 consumed some form of electronic media. Nevertheless, die group took largely the same approach it did in 1999, uniformly discouraging passive media use, on any type of screen, for these kids. (For older children, the academy noted, "high-quality programs" could have "educational benefits.") The 2011 report, mentioned "smart cell phone" and "new screen" technologies, but did not address interactive apps. Nor did it bring up the possibility that has likely occurred to those 90% of American parents that some good might come from those little swiping (在电子产品上印) fingers.D) I had come to the developers' conference partly because I hoped that this particular set of parents, enthusiastic as they were about interactive media, might help me out of this problem, that they might offer some guiding principle for American parents who are clearly never going to meet the academy's ideals, and at some level do not want to. Perhaps this group would be able to express clearly some benefits of the new technology that, the more cautious doctors weren't ready to address.E) I fell into conversation with a woman who had helped develop Montessori Letter Sounds, an app that teaches preschoolers the Montessori methods of spelling. She was a former Montessori teacher and a mother of four. I myself have three children who are all fans of the touch screen. What games did her kids like to play, I asked, hoping for suggestions I could take home."They don't play all that much."Really? Why not?"Because I don't allow it. We have a rule of no screen time during the week, unless it's clearly educational."No screen time? None at all? That seems at the outer edge of restrictive, even by the standards of overcontrolling parents."On the weekends, they can play. I give them a limit of half an hour and then stop. Enough."F) Her answer so surprised me that I decided to ask some of the other developers who were also parents what their domestic ground rules for screen time were. One said only on airplanes and long car rides. Another said Wednesdays and weekends, for half an hour. The most permissive said half an hour a day, which was about my rule at home. At one point I sat with one of the biggest developers of e-book apps for kids, and his family. The small kid was starting to fuss in her high chair, so the mom stuck an iPad in front of her and played a short movie so everyone else could enjoy their lunch. When she saw me watching, she gave me the universal tense look of mothers who feel they are being judged. "At home," she assured me, "I only let her watch movies in Spanish."G) By their reactions, these parents made me understand the problem of our age; as technology becomes almost everywhere in our lives, American parents are becoming more, not less, distrustful of what it might be doing to their children. Technological ability has not, for parents, translated into comfort and ease. On the one hand, parents want their children to swim expertly in the digital stream that they will have to navigate (航行) all their lives; on the other hand, they fear that too much digital media, too early, will sink them. Parents end up treating tablets as precision surgical (外科的) instruments, devices that might perform miracles for their child's IQ and help him win some great robotics competition-but only if they are used just so. Otherwise, their child could end up one of those sad, pale creatures who can't make eye contact and has a girlfriend who lives only in the virtual world.H) Norman Rockwell, a 20th-century artist, never painted Boy Swiping Finger on Screen, and our own vision of a perfect childhood has never been adjusted to accommodate that now-common scene. Add to that our modern fear that every parenting decision may have lasting consequences-that every minute of enrichment lost or mindless entertainment indulged (放纵的) will add up to some permanent handicap (障碍) in the future-and you have deep guilt and confusion. To date, no body of research has proved that the iPad will make your preschooler smarter or teach her to speak Chinese, or alternatively that it will rust her nervous system-the device has been out for only three years, not much more than the time it takes some academics to find funding and gather research subjects. So what is a parent to do?注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
2014年6月大学英语四级考试真题及答案(第一套)
2014年6月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 the judge 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 steamand 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 centralcomponents 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 things from 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%。