2014年12月四级真题（第1套）

 

注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。

Part ⅡListening Comprehension (30 minutes)

Section A

Directions: 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． andD．, 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． The woman is fussy about the cleanness of the apartment.

B． He has not cleaned the apartment since his mother's visit.

C． He does not remember when his mother canoe over.

D． His mother often helps him to clean the apartment.

2. A． The bus stop is only two minutes' walk.

B． The nmning made him short of breath.

C． They might as well take the next bus.

D． The woman is late by a couple of minutes.

3. A． She is suffering a pain in her neck.

B． She is likely to replace Miss Smith.

C． She has to do extra work for a few days.

D． She is quite sick of working overtime.

4. A． Change her job.

B． Buy a dishwasher.

C． Open a flower shop.

D． Start her own business.

5. A． He forgot where he had left the package.

B． He slipped on his way to the post office.

C． He wanted to deliver the package himself.

D． He failed to do what he promised to do.

6. A． The speakers do not agree with each other.

B． The woman does not like horror films.

C． The man pays for the tickets as a rule.

D． The speakers happened" to meet in the cinema.

7. A． The woman is just as unlucky as the man.

B． The woman is more sensitive than the man.

C． The speakers share a common view on love.

D． The speakers are unhappy with their marriage.

8. A． Preparations for a forum.

B． Participants in the forum.

C． Organizers of a forum.

D． Expectations of the forum.

Questions 9 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

9. A． France.

B． Scandinavia.

C． Russia.

D． East Europe.

10. A． More women will be promoted in the workplace.

B． More women will overcome their inadequacies.

C． More women will receive higher education.

D． More women will work outside the family.

11. A． Try hard to protect women's rights.

B． Educate men to respect women more.

C． Help women acquire more professional skills.

D． Spend more time changing women's attitudes.

Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

12. A． In a restaurant.

B． In a hotel lobby.

C． At the man's office.

D． At the woman's place.

13. A． He is the chief designer of the latest bike model.

B． He has completed an overseas market survey.

C． He is the Managing Director of Jayal Motors.

D． He has just come back from a trip to Africa.

14. A． To select the right model.

B． To get a good import agent.

C． To convince the board members.

D． To cut down production costs.

15. A． His flexibility.

B． His vision.

C． His intelligence.

D． His determination.

Section B

Directions: In this section, you will hoar 3 short passages. At tho end of each passage, you will hoar some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose tho best answer from tho four choices marked A．, B．, C．andD．. Then mark tho corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through tho centre.

注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。

Passage One

Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.

16. A． How being an identical twin influences one's identity.

B． Why some identical twins keep their identities secret.

C． Why some identical twins were separated from birth.

D． How identical twins are born, raised and educated.

17. A． Their second wives were named Linda.

B． They grew up in different surroundings.

C． Their first children were both daughters.

D． They both got married when they were 39.

18. A． They want to fred out the relationship between environment and biology.

B． They want to see what characteristics distinguish one from the other.

C． They want to understand how twins communicate when far apart.

D． They want to know whether twins can feel each other's pain.

Passage Two

Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.

19. A． It is especially attractive to children and the young.

B． It is the first choice of vacationers on the Continent.

C． It is as comfortable as living in a permanent house.

D． It is an inexpensive way .of spending a holiday.

20. A． It has a solid plastic frame.

B． It consists of an inner and an outer tent.

C． It is very convenient to set up.

D． It is sold to many Continental countries.

21. A． A groundsheet.

B． A gas stove.

C． A kitchen extension.

D． A spare tent.

Passage Three

Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.

22. A． It covers 179 square "miles.

B． It is as big as New York City.

C． It covers 97 square kilometers.

D． It is only half the size of Spain.

23. A． Its geographic features attracted many visitors.

B． Its citizens enjoyed a peaceful, comfortable life.

C． It imported food from foreign countries.

D． It was cut off from the rest of the world.

24. A． The fast development of its neighboring countries.

B． The increasing investment by developed countries.

C． The building of roads connecting it with neighboring countries.

D． The establishing of diplomatic relations with France and Spain.

25. A． They work on their farms.

B． They work in the tourist industry.

C． They raise domestic animals.

D． They make traditional handicrafts.

Section C

Directions: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks 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。

"Don't take many English courses; they won't help you get a decent job." "Sign up for management

classes, so you'll be ready to join the family business when you graduate."

Sound (26)__________? Many of us have heard suggestions like these(27) __________by parents or others close to us. Such comments often seem quite reasonable.

Why, then, should suggestions like these be taken with (28) __________? The reason isthey relate to decisions you should make. You are the one who must (29)__________their consequences.

One of the worst reasons to follow a particular path in life is that other people want you to.

Decisions that affect your life should be your decisions--decisions you make after you've considered various (30)__________ and chosen the path that suits you best.

Making your own decisions does not mean that you should (31) __________ the suggestions of others. For instance, your parents do have their own unique experiences that may make their advice helpful, and having (32)__________in a great deal of your personal history, they may have a clear view of your strengths and weaknesses. Still, their views are not necessarily accurate.

They may still see you as a child, (33) __________care and protection. Or they may see only your strengths. Or, in some unfortunate cases, they may (34)__________ your flaws and shortcomings.

People will always be giving you advice.Ultimately, though, you have to make your own(35)__________

Part IIIReading Comprehension (40 minutes)

Section A

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 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.

For decades, Americans have taken for granted the United States' leadership position in the development of new technologies. The innovations (创新) that resulted from research and development during World War Ⅱ and afterwards were36to the prosperity of the nation in the second half of the 20th century. Those innovations, upon which virtually all aspects of37society now depend,were possible because the United States then38the world in mathematics and science education.

Today, however, despite increasing demand for workers with strong skills in mathematics and science,the39of degrees awarded in science, math, and engineering are decreasing.

The decline in degree production in what are called the STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering, and math) seems to be40related to the comparatively weak performance by U.S.schoolchildren on international assessments of math and science. Many students entering college have weak skills in mathematics. According to the 2005 report of the Business-Higher Education Forum,22percent of college freshmen must take remedial (补习的) math41, and less than half of the students who plan to major in science or engineering42complete a major in those fields.

The result has been a decrease in the number of American college graduates who have the skills,43in mathematics, to power a workforce that can keep the country at the forefront (前沿)of innovation and maintain its standard of living. With the44performance of American students in math and science has come increased competition from students from other countries that have strongly supported education in these areas. Many more students earn45in the STEM disciplines in developing countries than in the United States. 

注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

A． accelerating

B． actually

C． closely

D． contemporary

E． courses

F． critical

G． declining

H． degrees

I． especially

J． future

K． led

L． met

M． procedures

N． proportions

O． spheres

Section B

Directions: 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.

Ban sugary drinks--

that will add fuel to the obesity war

[A] On a train last Thursday, I sat opposite a man who was so fat he filled more than one seat. He was pale and disfigured and looked sick to death, which he probably was: obesity (肥胖症) leads to many nasty ways of dying. Looking around the carriage, I saw quite a few people like him, including a couple of fatty children with swollen cheeks pressing against their eyes. These people are part of what is without exaggeration an epidemic (流行病) of obesity.

[B] But it is quite unnecessary: there is a simple idea--far from new--that could spare millions of such people a lifetime of chronic (长期病 ) ill health, and at the same time save the National Health Service (NHS) at least ￡14 billion a year in England and Wales. There would, you might think, be considerable public interest in it. This simple idea is that sugar is as good--or as bad--as poison and should be avoided. It is pure, white and deadly, as Professor John Yudkin described it 40 years ago in a revolutionary book of that name. The subtitle was How Sugar Is Killing Us.

[C] In its countless hidden forms, in ready meals, junk food and sweet drinks, sugar leads to addiction(瘾), to hormonal upsets to the appetite, to metabolic (新陈代谢的) maffunctions and obesity and from there to type 2 d/abetes (糖尿病) and its many horrible complications, ff people really grasped that, they would try to kick the habit, particularly as Britain is the "fat man of Europe". They might even feel driven to support government measures to prevent people from consuming this deadly stuff. Yet so far this idea has met little but resistance.

[D] It is not difficult to imagine the vested interests (既得利益集团) lined up against any sugar control--all the food and drink manufacturers, processors, promoters and retailers who make such easy pickings out of the magic powers of sugar. Then there are the liberals, with whom I would normally side, who protest that government regulation would be yet another instance of interference in our lives.

[E] That is true, but people should realise that you cannot have a welfare state without a nanny state(保姆国家), to some degree. If we are all to be responsible for one another's health insurance,through socialised medicine, then' we are all closely involved in one another's health, including everyone's eating and drinking. That has already been admitted, finally, with smoking. But it has yet to be admitted with overeating, even though one in four adults in this country is obese and that number is predicted to double by the year 2050. Quite apart from anything else, obesity will cripple the NHS.

[F] Recently, though, there have been signs that the medical establishment is trying to sound the alarm.Last month the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AMRC． published a report saying that obesity is the greatest public health issue affecting the UK and urging government to do something.

[G] The report offers 10 recommendations, of which the first is imposing a tax of 20 percent on sugary drinks for at least a year, on top of the existing 20 percent value-added tax. That at least would be'an excellent start. The amounts of sugar in soft drinks are horrifying, and turn straight to fat. As Professor Terence Stephenson, head of the AMRC, has said, sugary soft drinks are "the ultimate bad food. You are just consuming neat sugar. Your body didn't evolve to handle this kind of thing."

[H] Precisely. The risks of eating too much fat or salt(which are very different) pale into insignificance compared with the harm done by sugar. And it is everywhere.

[I ] It is difficult to buy anything in a supermarket, other than plain, unprepared meat, fish or vegetables,that doesn't have a large amount of sugar in it. This has come about because the prevailing scientific views of the 1960s and 1970s ignored the evidence about sugar, and instead saw fat as the really serious risk, both to the heart and other organs, as well as the cause of obesity.

[J] The fashion was to avoid fat. But finding that food with much of its fat removed is not very appetising, food producers turned to sugar as a magic alternative flavour enhancer, often in the forms of syrups (糖浆) that had recently been developed from corn, and put it generously into most prepared foods and soft drinks.

[K] This stuff is not just fattening. It is addictive. It interferes with the body's metabolism, possibly via the activity of an appetite-controlling hormone. There's plenty of evidence for this, for those who will accept the troth.

[L] Theoretically, people ought to make"healthy choices" and avoid overeating. But sugar additives are not easy to identify and are hard to avoid. So the snacking, over-drinldng and over-eating that makes people fat is not really their own fault: obesity is in large part something that is being done to them. It should be stopped, or rather the government should stop it.

[M] Going round my local supermarket, I am constantly astonished that it is still legal to sell all the poisons stacked high on the shelves. The problem is that they are worse than useless. They are poisonous. They are known to be addictive. They are known to make people obese. And giving small children sweet drinks or bottles of fake juice all day long is nothing less than child abuse.

[N] Clearly, the sale of such stuff ought to be illegal. I hate to think of yet more government regulation,But a bit of tax on sweet soda and a little more health education, a bit of cooking in schools and banning vending machines (自动售货机) here and there--as suggested by the AMRC report--is not going to achieve very much. Labelling is quite inadequate. What is needed is legislation banning high levels of sugary syrups used in foods and drinks.

[O] In June 2012, the then minister for public health said the government was not scared of the food industry and had not ruled out legislation, because of the costs of obesity to the NHS. However,nothing has happened yet. Why not have another Jammie Dodger biscuit and forget about it.

注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

46. Avoiding over-consumption of sugar can improve people's health as well as save medical expenses.

47. Laws should be passed to make it illegal to produce overly sweet foods or drinks.

48. Giving small children sweet juices to drink all the time is equal to child abuse.

49. Looking around, the author found obesity quite widespread.

50. The number of obese people is expected to increase quickly in the next few decades.

51. ff people really understood the horrible consequences of sugary foods and drinks, they would support government measures against sugar consumption.

52. It would be a very good beginning to impose an additional tax on.sugary drinks.

53. The government has not yet taken any action to regulate sugar consumption although it indicated its intention to do so some time ago.

54. Sugar is far more harmful to health than fat and salt.

55. Consumers of sweet foods are not really to blame because they cannot tell what food is sugary.

Section C

Directions: 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． andD．.You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2

with a single line through the centre.

Passage One

Questions 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. The authors do an excellent job of examining the implications of the Internet revolution for individuals, governments, and institutions like the news media. But ff the book has one major shortcoming, it's that the authors don't spend enough time applying a critical eye to the role of Internet businesses in these sweeping changes.

In their book, the authors provide the most authoritative volume to date that describes--and more importantly predicts--how the Internet will shape our lives in the coming decades. They paint a picture of a world in which individuals, companies, institutions, and governments must deal with two realities,one physical, and one virtual.

At the core of the book is the idea that"technology is neutral, but people aren't." By using this concept as a starting point, the authors aim to move beyond the now familiar optimist vs. pessimist dichotomy (对立观点) that has characterized many recent debates about whether the rise of the Internet will ultimately be good or bad for society. In an interview with TIME earlier this week, Cohen said although he and his co-author are optimistic about many aspects of the Internet, they're also realistic about the risks and dangers that lie ahead when the next five billion people come online, particularly with respect to personal privacy and state surveillance (监视).

注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

56. In what way is the rise of the Internet similar to the invention of the printing press and the telegraph?

A． It transforms human history.

B． It facilitates daily communication.

C． It is adopted by all humanity.

D． It revolutionizes people's thinking.

57. How do Schmidt and Cohen describe the effects of the Internet?

A． They are immeasurable.

B． They are worldwide.

C． They are unpredictable.

D． They are contaminating.

58. In what respect is the book The New Digital Age considered inadequate?

A． It fails to recognize the impact of the Internet technology.

B． It fails to look into the social implications of the Internet.

C． It lacks an objective evaluation of the role of Internet businesses.

D． It does not address the technical aspects of Internet communication.

59. What will the future be like when everybody gets online?

A． People will be living in two different realities.

B． People will have equal access to information.

C． People don't have to travel to see the world.

D． People don't have to communicate face to face.

60. What does the passage say about the authors of The New Digital Age?

A． They leave many questions unanswered concerning the Internet.

B． They are optimistic about the future of the Internet revolution.

C． They have explored the unknown territories of the virtual world.

D． They don't take sides in analyzing the effects of the Internet.

Passage Two

Questions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.

In 1950, a young man would have found it much easier than it is today to get and keep a job in the auto industry. And in that year the average autoworker could meet monthly mortgage (抵押贷款)payments on an average home with just 13.4 percent of his take-home pay. Today a similar mortgage would claim more than twice that share of his monthly earnings.

Other members of the autoworker's family, however, might be less inclined to trade the present for the past. His retired parents would certainly have had less economic security back then. Throughout much of the 1960s, more than a quarter of men and women age 65 and older lived below the poverty level, compared to less than 10 percent in 2010.

In most states, his wife could not have taken out a loan or a credit card in her own name. In 42 states, a homemaker had no legal claim on the earnings of her husband. And nowhere did a wife have legal protection against family violence.

Most black workers would not want to return to a time when, on average, they earned 40 percent less than their white counterparts (职位相对的人), while racially restrictive agreements largely prevented them from buying into the suburban neighborhoods being built for white working-class families.

Today, new problems have emerged in the process of resolving old ones, but the solution is not to go back to the past. Some people may long for an era when divorce was still hard to come by. The spread of no-fault divorce has reduced the bargaining power of whichever spouse is more interested in continuing the relationship. And the breakup of such marriages has caused pain for many families.

The growing diversity of family life comes with new possibilities as well as new challenges. Accord-ing to a recent poll, more than 80 percent of Americans believe that their current family is as close as the one in which they grew up, or closer. Finding ways to improve the lives of the remaining 20 percent seems more realistic than trying to restore an imaginary golden age.

注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答

61. What do we learn about American autoworkers in 1950?

A． They had less job security than they do today.

B． It was not too difficult for them to buy a house.

C． Their earnings were worth twice as much as today.

D． They were better off than workers in other industries.

62. What does the author say about retired people today?

A． They invariably long to return to the golden past.

B． They do not depend so much on social welfare.

C． They feel more secure economically than in the past.

D． They are usually unwilling to live with their children.

63. Why couldn't black workers buy a house in a white suburban neighborhood?

A． They lacked the means of transportation.

B． They were subjected to racial inequality.

C． They were afraid to break the law.

D． They were too poor to afford it.

64. What is the result of no-fault divorce?

A． Divorce is easier to obtain.

B． Domestic violence is lessened.

C． It causes little pain to either side.

D． It contributes to social unrest.

65. What does the author suggest society do?

A． Get prepared to face any new challenges.

B． Try to better the current social security net.

C． Narrow the gap between blacks and whites.

D． Improve the lives of families with problems.

Part IVTranslation (30 minutes)

Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English.You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.

大熊猫(giant pandA．是一种温顺的动物，长着独特的黑白皮毛。因其数量极少，大熊猫已被列为濒危物种。大熊猫对于世界自然基金会(WWF)有着特殊意义。自1961年该基金会成立以来，大熊猫就一直是它的徽标。大熊猫是熊科中最稀有的成员，主要生活在中国西南部的森林里。目前。世界上大约有1000只大熊猫。这些以竹为食的动物正面临许多威胁。因此，确保大熊猫的生存比以往更重要。

注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

 2014年12月四级真题答案详解(第1套)

Part IWriting

 The Most Beneficial Campus Activity

写作指南

 本年度的作文文体比较自由，不再局限于议论文。题目要求考生介绍让自己“收获最大的校园活动”，并阐述原因。根据题目要求，文章的结构可安排如下：

第一段：引出话题，指出校园活动虽多，但个人觉得收获最大的活动是为农民工义教。

第二段：简要描述该义教活动的一些基本情况，如义教的目的、过程以及效果等。

第三段：简明扼要地阐述收获最大的原因，如让自己明白到大学生也可以为社会作出大改变。

范文与译文

范文

译文

Students in the university are no strangers to a wealth of activities，such as English speech contests，calligraphy exhibitions and sports meets．I myself have been involved in many campns activities，among which I find volunteering to teach migrant workers the most beneficial．  The activity was launched to offer free evening courses to migrant workers who want to acquire more employable  skills．I was in charge of teaching them computer skills．In class I demonstrated how each computer skill would increase their efficiency in their career．When the course was over．one of the students told me that he got promoted，because he was now able to use the Excel to manage the inventory．I was so happy to hear that!  I value this experience the most，because it makes me realize that universities could contribute a lot to the como munity．With small gestures，even coHege students are able to make a big difference for the disadvantaged．

大学生对学校丰富多彩的活动并不 会感到陌生，比如：英语演讲比赛、书法展览和校园运动会。我自己也参加了很多校园活动，其中我觉得为农民工义教使我收获最大。  该活动在晚上为农民工授课，让他 们能获得更多的职业技能。我负责教授他们电脑技巧。在课堂上我给他们展示了每一个电脑技巧可以如何帮助他们提高工作效率。课程结束时，一名学员告诉我他升职了，原因是他现在可以用Excel软件来管理库存。我听到后十分高兴!  我很珍视这次经历，因为这次经历 使我认识到大学是可以为社区作出很大贡献的。而只要我们采取一些小措施，即便是大学生也可以为弱势群体作出很大的改变!