2015年6月英语四级听力试题原文及解析

2015年6月英语四级考试听力原文【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 paragraphfrom 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.Essay-Grading Software Offers Professors a Break[A] Imagine taking a college exam, and, instead of handing in a blue book and getting a grade from a professor a few weeks later, clicking the “send” button when you are done and receiving a grade back instantly, your essay scored by a software program. And then, instead of being done with that exam, imagine that the system would immediately let you rewrite the test to try to improve your grade.[B]EdX, the nonprofit enterprise founded by Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT)to offer courses on the Internet, has just introduced such a system and will make its automated(自动的)software available free on the Web to any institution that wants to use it. The software uses artificial intelligence to grade student essays and short written answers, freeing professors for other tasks.[C] The new service will bring the educational consortium(联盟)into a growing conflict over the role of automation in education. Although automated grading systems for multiple-choice and true-false tests are now widespread, the use of artificial intelligence technology to grade essay answers has notyet received widespread acceptance by educators and has many critics.[D] Anant Agarwal, an electrical engineer who is president of EdX, predicted that theinstant-grading software would be a useful teaching tool, enabling students to take tests and write essays over and over and improve the quality of their answers. He said the technology would offer distinct advantages over the traditional classroom system, where students often wait days or weeks for grades. “There is a huge value in leaning with instant feedback,” Dr. Agarwal said. “Students are telling us they learn much better with instant feedback.”[E] But skeptics(怀疑者)say the automated system is no match for live teachers. One longtime critic, Les Perelman, has drawn national attention several times for putting together nonsense essays that have fooled software grading programs into giving high marks. He has also been highly critical of studies claiming that the software compares well to human graders.[F] He is among a group of educators who last month began circulating a petition(呼吁)opposing automated assessment software. The group, which calls itself Professsionals Against MachineScoring of Student Essays in High-Stakes Assessment, has collected nearly 2,000 signatures, including some from famous people like Noam Chomsky.[G] “Let’s face the realities of automatic essay scoring,” the group’s statement reads in part. “Computers cannot ‘read’.They cannot measure the essentials of effective written communication: accuracy, reasoning, adequacy of evidence, good sense, ethical(伦理的)position, convincing argument, meaningful organization, and clarity, among others.”.[H] But EdX expects its software to be adopted widely byschools and universities. It offers free online classes from Harvard, MIT and the University of Californian-Berkeley; this fall, it will add classes from Wellesley, Georgetown and the University of Texas. In all, 12 universities participate in EdX, which offers certificates for course completion and has said that it plans to continue to expand next year, including adding international schools.[I] The EdX assessment tool requires human teachers, or graders, to first grade 100 essays or essay questions. The system then uses a variety of machine-learning techniques to train itself to be able to grade any number of essays or answers automatically and almost instantly. The software will assign a grade depending on the scoring system created by the teacher, whether it is a letter grade or numerical(数字的)rank.[J] EdX is not the first to use the automated assessment technology, which dates to early computers in the 1960s. There is now a range of companies offering commercial programs to grade written test answers, and four states—Louisiana, North Dakota, Utah and West Virginia—are using some form of the technology in secondary schools. A fifth, Indiana, has experimented with it. In some cases the software is used as a “second reader,”to check the r eliability of the human graders.[K] But the growing influence of the EdX consortium to set standards is likely to give the technology a boost. On Tuesday, Stanford announced that is would work with EdX to develop a joint educational system that will make use of the automated assessment technology.[L] Two start-ups, Coursera and Udacity, recently founded by Stanford faculty members to create “massive open online courses,”or MOOCs, are also committed to automated assessment systems because of the value of i nstant feedback. “Itallows students to get immediate feedback on their work, so that learning turns into a game, with students naturally gravitating(吸引) toward resubmitting the work until they get it right,” said Daphne Koller, a computer scientist and a founder of Coursera.[M] Last year the Hewlett Foundation, a grant-making organization set up by one of the Hewlett-Packard founders and his wife, sponsored two $100,000 prizes aimed at improving software that grades essays and short answers. More than 150 teams entered each category. A winner of one of the Hewlett contests, Vik Paruchuri, was hired by EdX to help design its assessment software.[N] “One of our focuses is to help kids learn how to think critically,”said Victor Vuchic, a program officer at t he Hewlett Foundation. “It’s probably impossible to do that with multiple-choice tests. The challenge is that this requires human graders, and so they cost a lot more and they take a lot more time.”[O] Mark D. Shermis, a professor at the University of Akron in Ohio, supervised the Hewlett Foundation’s contest on automated essay scoring and wrote a paper about the experiment. In his view, the technology—though imperfect—has a place in educational settings.[P] With increasingly large classes, it is impossible for most teachers to give students meaningful feedback on writing assignments, he said. Plus, he noted, critics of the technology have tended to come from the nation’s best universities, where the level of teaching is much better than at most schools.[Q]“Often they come from very famous institutions where, in fact, they do a much better job of providing feedback than a machine ever could,”Dr. Shermis said. “There seems to be a lack of appreciation of what is actually going on in the real world.”注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

1.W: I am going to give up playing chess, I lost again today.M: Just because you lost? Is that any reason to quit?Q: What does the man imply?2.M: Do you know Shirley’s new address? She’s got some mail here and I’d like to fold it to her.W: Well, we’ve not been in touch for quit a while. Let’s see, Marry should know it?Q: What does the women mean?3.W: I missed the classes this morning could you please lent me your notes?M: My notes? You’ve never seem my hand writing, have you?Q: What does the man imply?4.M: I am taking my girlfriend to the fancy new restaurant for her birthday tonight.W: I went there last weekend and I found it rather disappointing.Q: What does the women mean?5.W: Winter is over at last, time to put away my gloves and boots.M: I ‘ve been waiting for this for months.Q: What does the man mean?6.W: Thank you for bringing the books back.M: I thought you need them over the weekend, many thanks for let me use them.Q: What do we learn from conversation?7.W: Are you working flexible hours?M: No I am not, The weather today is so nice, so I decided to walk to work and that meant I have to leave an hour earlier than usual.Q: What does the man decide to do?8.W: Our plane has been circling for a long time, we could delay.M: The airport was closed for a while this morning and things are still not back to normal.Q: What does the man mean?Long conversationConversation 1W: Morning, this is TGC!M: Good morning, Walter Barry here, calling from London. Could I speak to Mr. Grand, please?W: Who’s calling, please?M: Walter Barry, from London.W: What is it about, please?M: Well, I understand that your company has a chemical processing plant.My own company LCP, Liquid Control Products, is a leader in safety from leaks in the field of chemical processing. I’d like to speak to Mr. Grand to discuss ways in which we could help TGC to protect itself from such problems and save money at the same time.W: Yes, I see. Well, Mr. Grand is not available just now.M: Can you tell me when I could reach him?W: He’s very busy for the next few days. Then he’ll be away in New York. So it’s difficult to give you a time.M: Could I speak to someone else, perhaps?W: Who, in particular?M: A colleague, for example?W: You are speaking to his personal assistance. I can deal with calls for Mr. Grand.M: Yes, well, could I ring him tomorrow?W: No, I’m sorry, he won’t be free tomorrow.Listen, let me suggest so mething. You send us details of your products and services, together with references from other companies. And then we’ll contact you.M: Yes, that’s very kind of you. I have your address.M: Barry. Walter Barry, from LCP in London.W: Right, Mr. Barry. We look forward to hearing from you.M: Thank you, goodbye.W: Bye.Q9. What do we learn about the woman’s company?Q10. What do we learn about the man?Q11. What’s the woman’s position in her company?Q12. What does the woman suggest the man do?Conversation 2M: Miss Yamada, did you ever think that you would find yourself living and working in the western world?W: No, not really, although I’ve always listened to recordings of great orchestras from Europe.M: So you enjoyed classical music even when you were very young?W: Oh, yes. I was an only child.M: You were born in 1955, is that right?W: Yes, I began violin lessons at school when I was 6.M: As young as that, did you like it?W: Oh, yes, very much.M: When did you first play on your own? I mean, when did you give your first performance?W: I think I was 8…? No, Nine. I just had my birthday a week before, and my father had bought me a new violin. I played a small piece at the school concert.M: Did you know then that you would become a professional violinist?W: Yes, I think so. I enjoy playing the violin very much, and I didn’t mind practicing, sometimes three or four hours a day.M: And when did you first come to Europe?W: I was very lucky. When I was fifteen, I won a scholarship to a college in Paris. That was for a three-year course.M: How did your parents feel about that?W: I think they were pleased and worried at the same time. It was the chance of a lifetime. But of course I would be thousands of miles from home. Anyway, I studied in Paris for three years and then went back to Tokyo.Q13. What do we know about the woman before she went to Europe?Q14. What does the woman say about her music experience?Q15. What does the woman say about her study in Paris?Section B PassagePassage OneWhat makes a person famous? This is a mystery that many people have thought about. All kinds of myths surround the lives of well-known people. Most people are familiar with the works of William Shakespeare, one of the greatest English writers of the 16th and 17th centuries. Yet how many know Shakespeare, the person, the man behind the works? After centuries of research, scholars are still trying to discover Shakespeare’s personal history.It is not easily found in his writings. Authors of the time could not protect their works. An actingcompany, for example, could change the play if they wanted to. Nowadays, writers have copy rights to protect their work. Many myths arouse about Shakespeare. Some said he had no formal education. Others believe that he began his career by tending the horses of wealthy men. All of these myths are interesting, but are they true? Probably not.Shakespeare’s father was a respective man in Stratford-upon-Avon, a man of the town council.He sent young William to grammar school. Most people of Elizabethan times did not continue beyond grammar school. So Shakespeare did have at least average education. Some paths of Shakespeare’s life were always remain unknown. The great London fire arouses 1666 burned many important documents that could’ve been a source of clues. We were always be left with many questions and few facts.Q16. What does speaker say about William Shakespeare?答案：B) His personal history is little known.Q17. What does we learn about Shakespeare’s father?答案：D) He was a member of the town council.Q18. Why does the speaker say parts of Shakespeare’s life remain a mystery?答案：C) Possible sources of clues about him were lost in a fire.Passage TwoWherever you go and for whatever reason, it’s important to be safe. While the majority of people you meet in travelling are short to be friendly and welcoming, they are dangerous. First being the most common. Just as in your home country. Do not expect everyone you meet to be friendly and helpful. It’s important top repaired for your trip in advance and to take precautions while you are travelling. As you prepare for your trip, make sure your have the right paperwork.You don’t want to get to your destination, only to find you have the wrong visa, or worse, that your passport isn’t valid anymore. Also, make sure you travel with proper medical insurance. So that if you sick or injured during your travels, you will be able to get treatment. If you want to drive all year abroad, make sure you have a international driver’s license. When you get to your destination, use official transport. Always go to bus and taxi stands, don’t except r ights from strangers who offer you a lift. If there isn’t a meter in the taxi, agree on the price before you get in. If you prefer to stay in cheap hotels while travelling, make sure you can lock the door of your room from the inside. Finally, bear in mind to simile. It’s the friendly and the most sincere form of communication. And it sure to be understood in any part of the world.Q19What is mentioned as a most common danger when people go travelling abroad?答案：A) Do not expect everyone you meet to be friendly and helpful..Q20What is the most important thing to do when you prepare for your trip abroad?答案：B) Have the right documents.Q21What does the speaker suggest you do when you arrive at your destination?答案：B) Use official transport.Passage 3The British are supposed to be famous for laughing at themselves, but even their sense of humour has a limit,as the British retailer Gerald Ratner found out to his cost.When Ratner took over his father's chain of 130 jewelry shops in 1984, he introduced a very clear company policy. He decided that his shops should sell down market products at the lowest possible prices. It was a great success. The British public loved his cheap gold earringsand his tasteless silver ornaments. By 1991, Ratner's company had 2,400 shops and it was worth over 680 million pounds. But in April of that year, Gerald Ratner made a big mistake. At a big meeting of top British businesspeople, he suited up and explained the secret of his success.People say "How can we sell our goods for such a low price?" I say "Because they are absolute rubbish." His audience roared with laughter. But the British newspapers and the British public were not so amused. People felt insulted and stayed away from Ratner's shops. Sales fell and 6 months after his speech, Ratner's share price had fallen by 42%. The following year, things got worse and Gerald Ratner was forced to resign. By the end of 1992, he lost his company, his career and his house. Even worse, 25,000 of his employees had lost their jobs. It had been a very expensive joke.Q22 What did Gerald Ratner decide to do when he took over his father's shops?答案：C) Sell inexpensive products.Q23 On what occasion did Gerald Ratner explained the secret of his success?答案：A) At a meeting of top British businesspeople.Q24 How did people feel when they leaned of Gerald Ratner's remarks?答案：D) Insulted.Q25 What does the story of Gerald Ratner suggest?答案：B) There should be a limit to one's sense of humour.Section CLooking at the basic biological systems, the world is not doing very well. Yet, economic indicators show the world is prospering. Despite a slow start at the beginning of the 80s, global economic output increased by more than a fifth during the decade. The economy grew, trade increased, and millions of new jobs were created. How can biological indicators show the opposite of economic indicators? The answer is that the economic indicators have a basic fault. They show no difference between resource uses that sustain progress and those uses that will hurt it. The main measure of economic progress is the Gross National Products -- GNP. In simple terms, 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 establish a common way among countries of measuring change in economic output. For some time, this seemed to work reasonably well, but serious weaknessesare now appearing. As indicated earlier, GNP includes loss in value of factories and equipment, but it does not take into account the loss of natural resources, including non-renewable resources, such as oil, or renewable resources, such as forests. This basic fault can produce a misleading sense of national更多相关信息请访问芒果考试网(/),吾学网(/)。

2015年6⽉四级真题及答案解析（三套全）2015年6⽉四级第⼀套Part II Listening ComprehensionSection A1. A) He is pleased to sit on the committee. B) He is willing to offer the woman a hand.C) He will tell the woman his decision later. D) He would like to become a club member.2. A) Their planned trip to V ancouver is obviously overpriced.B) They should borrow a guide book instead of buying one.C) The guide books in the library have the latest information.D) The library can help order guide books about Vancouver.3. A) He regrets having taken the history course.B) He finds little interest in the history books.C) He has trouble finishing his reading assignments.D) He has difficulty writing the weekly book report.4. A) The man had better choose another restaurant.B) The new restaurant is a perfect place for dating.C) The new restaurant caught her fancy immediately.D) The man has good taste in choosing the restaurant.5. A) He has been looking forward to spring. B) He has been waiting for the winter sale.C) He wi ll clean the woman’s boots for spring. D) He will help the woman put things away.6. A) At a tailor’s B) At Bob’s home.C) In a clothes store. D) In a theatre.7. A) His guests favor Tibetan drinks. B) His water is quite extraordinary.C) Mineral water is good for health. D) Plain water will serve the purpose.8. A) Report the result of a discussion. B) Raise some environmental issues.C) Submit an important document. D) Revise an environmental report.Questions 9 to 12 are based on the conversation you have just heard.9. A) They pollute the soil used to cover them. B) They are harmful to nearby neighborhoods.C) The rubbish in them takes long to dissolve. D) The gas they emit is extremely poisonous.10. A) Growing population. B) Packaging materials.C) Changed eating habits. D) Lower production cost.11. A) By saving energy. B) By using less aluminum.C) By reducing poisonous wastes. D) By making the most of materials.12.A) We are running out of natural resources soon.B) Only combined efforts can make a difference.C) The waste problem will eventually hurt all of us.D) All of us can actually benefit from recycling.Questions 13 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.13. A) Miami. B) Vancouver. C) Bellingham. D) Boston.14. A) To get information on one-way tickets to Canada.B) To inquire about the price of “Super Saver” seats.C) To get advice on how to fly as cheaply as possible.D) To inquire about the shortest route to drive home.15. A) Join a tourist group. B) Choose a major airline.C) Avoid trips in public holidays. D) Book tickets as early as possible.Section BPassage OneQuestions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A) There are mysterious stories behind his works.B) There are many misunderstandings about him.C) His works have no match worldwide.D) His personal history is little known.17. A) He moved to 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) It shows you have been ignoring you health.B) It can seriously affect your thinking process.C) It is an early warning of some illness.D) It is a symptom of too much pressure.20. A) Reduce our workload. B) Control our temper.C) Use painkillers for relief. D) Avoid masking symptoms.21. A) Lying down and having some sleep. B) Rubbing and pressing one’s back.C) Going out for a walk. D) Listening to light music.Passage ThreeQuestions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A) Depending heavily on loans. B) Having no budget plans at all.C) Spending beyond one’s means.D) Leaving no room for large bills.23. A) Many of them can be cut. B) Alt of them have to be covered.C) Their payment cannot be delayed. D) The eat up most of the family income.24. A) Rent a house instead of buying one. B) Discuss the problem in the family.C) Make a conservation plan. D) Move to a cheaper place.25. A) Financial issues plaguing a family. B) Difficulty in making both ends meet.C) Family budget problems and solutions. D) New ways to boost family income.Section CPerhaps because going to college is so much a part of the American dream, many people gofor no(26)_____reason. Some go because their parents expect it, others because it’s what their friends are doing. Then, there’s the belief that a college degree will(27)____ensure a good job and high pay.Some students (28)____ through for years ,attending classes, or skipping(逃课) them as the case may be, reading only what can’t be avoided, looking for less(29)_____courses, and never being touched or changed in any important way. For a few of these people, college provides no (30)____, yet because of parental or peer pressure, they cannot voluntarily leave. They stop trying in the hope that their teachers will make the decision for them by (31)____ them.To put it bluntly(直截了当地)，unless you’re willing to make your college years count, you might be (32)_____ doing something else. Not everyone should attend college, nor should everyone who does attend begin right after high school. Many college students (33)_____ taking a year or so off. A year out in the world helps some people to (34)_____their priorities and goals. If you’re really going to get something out of going to college, you have to make it mean something, and to do that you must have some idea why you’re there, what you hope to get out of it, and (35)_____even what you hope to become.Part III Reading ComprehensionSection AQuestions 36 to 45 are based on the following passage.It’s our guilty pleasure: Watching TV is the most common eve ryday activity, after work and sleep, in many parts of the world. Americans view five hours of TV each day, and while we know that spending so much time sitting 36 can lead to obesity(肥胖症) and other diseases, researchers have now quantified just how 37 being a couch potato can be.In an analysis of data from eight large 38 published studies, a Harvard-led group reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association that for every two hours per day spent channel 39 , the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes (糖尿病) rose 20% over 8.5 years, the risk of heart disease increased 15% over a 40 , and the odds of dying prematurely 41 13% during a seven-year follow-up. All of these 42 are linked to a lack of physical exercise. But compared with other sedentary(久坐的) activities, like knitting, viewing TV may be especially 43 at promoting unhealthy habits. For one, the sheer number of hours we pass watching TV dwarfs the time we spend on anything else. And other studies have found that watching ads for beer and popcorn may make you more likely to 44 them.Even so, the authors admit that they didn’t compare different sedentary activities to45 whether TV watching was linked to a greater risk of diabetes, heart disease or early deathSection BEssay-Grading Software Offers Professors a Break[A] Imagine taking a college exam, and, instead of handing in a blue book and getting a gradefrom a professor a few weeks later, clicking the “send” button when you are clone and receiving a grade back instantly, your essay scored by a software program. And then, instead of being clone with that exam, imagine that the system would immediately let you rewrite the test to try to improve your grade.[B] EdX, the nonprofit enterprise founded by Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology (MIT) to offer courses on the Internet, has just introduced such a system and will make its automated (⾃动的) software available free on the Web to any institution that wants to use it. The software uses artificial intelligence to grade student essays and short written answers, fleeing professors for other tasks.[C] The new service will bring the educational consortium (联盟) into a growing conflict over therole of automation in education. Although automated grading systems for multiple-choice and true-false tests are now widespread, the use of artificial intelligence technology to grade essay answers has not yet received widespread acceptance by educators and has many critics. [D] Anant Agarwal, an electrical engineer who is president of EdX, predicted that the instant-grading software would be a useful teaching tool, enabling students to take tests and write essays over and over and improve the quality of their answers. He said the technology would offer distinct advantages over the traditional classroom system, where students often wait days or weeks for grades. “There is a huge value in learning with instant feedback,” Dr. Agarwal said. “Students are telling us they learn much better with instant feedback.”[E] But skeptics (怀疑者) say the automated system is no match for live teachers. One longtimecritic, Les Perelman, has drawn national attention several times for putting together nonsense essays that have fooled software grading programs into giving high marks. He has also been highly critical of studies claiming that the software compares well to human graders.[F] He is among a group of educators who last month began circulating a petition (呼吁) opposingautomated assessment software. The group, which calls itself Professionals Against Machine Scoring of Student Essays in High-Stakes Assessment, has collected nearly 2,000 signatures, including some from famous people like Noam Chomsky.[G] “Let’s face the realities of automatic essay scoring,” the group’s statement reads in p art.“Computers cannot ‘read.’ They cannot measure the essentials of effective written communication: accuracy, reasoning, adequacy of evidence, good sense, ethical(伦理的) position, convincing argument, meaningful organization, and clarity, among others.”[H] But EdX expects its software to be adopted widely by schools and universities. It offers freeonline classes from Harvard, MIT and the University of California-Berkeley; this fall, it will add classes from Wellesley, Georgetown and the University of Texas. In all, 12 universities participate in EdX, which offers certificates for course completion and has said that it plans to continue to expand next year, including adding international schools.[I] The EdX assessment tool requires human teachers, or graders, to first grade 100 essays or essayquestions. The system then uses a variety of machine-learning techniques to train itself to be able to grade any number of essays or answers automatically and almost instantly. The software will assign a grade depending on the scoring system created by the teacher, whether it is a letter grade or numerical (数字的) rank.[J] EdX is not the first to use the automated assessment technology, which dates to early computers in the 1960s. There is now a range of companies offering commercial programs to grade written test answers, and four states—Louisiana, North Dakota, Utah and West Virginia—are using some form of the technology in secondary schools. A fifth, Indiana, has experimented with it. In some cases the software is used as a “second reader,” to check the reliability of the human graders.[K] But the growing influence of the EdX consortium to set standards is likely to give the technology a boost. On Tuesday, Stanford announced that it would work with EdX to developa joint educational system that will make use of the automated assessment technology.[L] Two start-ups, Coursera and Udacity, recently founded by Stanford faculty members to create “massive open online courses,” or MOOCs, are also committed to automated assessment systems because of the value of instant feedback. “It allows students to get immediate feedback on their work, so that learning turns into a game, with students naturally gravitating (吸引) to ward resubmitting the work until they get it right,” said Daphne Koller, a computer scientist and a founder of Coursera.[M]Last year the Hewlett Foundation, a grant-making organization set up by one of the Hewlett-Packard founders and his wife, sponsored two $100,000 prizes aimed at improving software that grades essays and short answers. More than 150 teams entered each category. A winner of one of the Hewlett contests, Vik Paruchuri, was hired by EdX to help design its assessment software.[N] “One of our focuses is to help kids learn how to think critically,” said Victor Vuchic, a program officer at the Hewlett Foundation. “It’s probably impossible to do that with multiple-choice tests. The challenge is that this requires human graders, and so they cost a lot more and they take a lot more time.”[O] Mark D. Shermis, a professor at the University of Akron in Ohio, supervised the Hewlett Foundation’s contest on automated essay scoring and wrote a paper about the experiment. I n his view, the technology—though imperfect—has a place in educational settings.[P] With increasingly large classes, it is impossible for most teachers to give students meaningful feedback on writing assignments, he said. Plus, he noted, critics of the technology have tended to come from the nation’s best universities, where the level of teaching is much better than at most schools.[Q] “Often they come from very famous institutions where, in fact, they do a much better job of providing feedback than a mac hine ever could,” Dr. Shermis said. “There seems to be a lack of appreciation of what is actually going on in the real world.”46. Some professionals in education are collecting signatures to voice their opposition toautomated essay grading.47. Using sof tware to grade students’ essays saves teachers time for other work.48. The Hewlett contests aim at improving essay grading software.49. Though the automated grading System is widely used in multiple-choice tests, automatedessay grading is still criticized by many educators.50. Some people don’t believe the software grading system can do as good a job as humangraders.51. Critics of automated essay scoring do not seem to know the true realities in less famousuniversities.52. Critics argue many important aspects of effective writing cannot be measured by computerrating programs.53. As class size grows, most teachers are unable to give students valuable comments as to how toimprove their writing.54. The automated assessment technology is sometimes used to double check the work of humangraders.Section CPassage OneQuestions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.Some of the world’s most significant problems never hit headlines. One example comes from agriculture. Food riots and hunger make news. But the trend lying behind these matters is rarely talked about. This is the decline in the growth in yieldsof some of the world’s major crops. A new study by the University of Minnesota and McGill University in Montreal looks at where, and how far, this decline is occurring.The authors take a vast number of data points for the four most important crops: rice, wheat, corn and soyabeans (⼤⾖). They find that on between 24% and 39% of all harvested areas, the improvement in yields that took place before the 1980s slowed down in the 1990s and 2000s.There are two worrying features of the slowdown. One is that it has been particularly sharp in the world’s most populous (⼈⼝多的) countries, India and China. Their ability to feed themselves has been an important source of relative stability both within the countries and on world food markets. That self-sufficiency cannot be taken for granted if yields continue to slow down or reverse.Second, yield growth has been lower in wheat and rice than in corn and soyabeans. This is problematic because wheat and rice are more important as foods, accounting for around half of all calories consumed. Com and soyabeans are more important as feed grains. The authors note that “we have preferentially focused our crop improvement efforts on feeding animals and cars rather than on crops that feed people and are the basis of food security in much of the world.”The report qualifies the more optimistic findings of another new paper which suggests that the world will not have to dig up a lot more land for farming in order to feed 9 billion people in 2050, as the Food and Agriculture Organisation has argued.Instead, it says, thanks to slowing population growth, land currently ploughed up for crops might be able to revert (回返) to forest or wilderness. This could happen. The trouble is that the forecast assumes continued improvements in yields, which may not actually happen.56. What does the author try to draw attention to?A) Food riots and hunger in the world. B) News headlines in the leading media.C) The decline of the grain yield growth. D) The food supply in populous countries.57. Why does the author mention India and China in particular?A) Their self-sufficiency is vital to the stability of world food markets.B) Their food yields have begun to decrease sharply in recent years.C) Their big populations are causing worldwide concerns.D) Their food self-sufficiency has been taken for granted.58. What does the new study by the two universities say about recent crop improvement efforts?A) They fail to produce the same remarkable results as before the 1980s.B) They contribute a lot to the improvement of human food production.C) They play a major role in guaranteeing the food security of the world.D) They focus more on the increase of animal feed than human food grains.59. What does the Food and Agriculture Organisation say about world food production in thecoming decades?A) The growing population will greatly increase the pressure on world food supplies.B) The optimistic prediction about food production should be viewed with caution.C) The slowdown of the growth in yields of major food crops will be reversed.D) The world will be able to feed its population without increasing farmland.60. How does the author view the argument of the Food and Agriculture Organisation?A) It is built on the findings of a new study.B) It is based on a doubtful assumption.C) It is backed by strong evidence.D) It is open to further discussion.Passage TwoQuestions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.The endless debate about “work-life balance” often contains a hopeful footnote about stay-at-home dads. If American society and business won’t make it easier on future female leaders who choose to have children, there is still the ray of hope that increasing numbers of full-time fathers will. But based on today’s socioeconomic trends, this hope is, unfortunately, misguided.It’s true that the number of men who have left work to do their thing as full-time parents has do ubled in a decade, but it’s still very small: only 0.8% of married couples where the stay-at-home father was out of the labor force for a year. Even that percentage is likely inflated by men thrust into their caretaker role by a downsizing. This is simply not a large enough group to reduce the social stigma (污名) and force other adjustments necessary to supporting men in this decision, even if only for a relatively short time.Even shorter times away from work for working fathers are already difficult. A study found that 85% of new fathers take some time off after the birth of a child—but for all but a few, it’s a week or two at most. Meanwhile, the average for women who take leave is more than 10 weeks.Such choices impact who moves up in the organization. While you’re away, someone else is doing your work, mak ing your sales, taking care of your customers. That can’t help you at work. It can only hurt you. Women, of course, face the same issues of returning after a long absence. But with many more women than men choosing to leave the workforce entirely to raise families, returning from an extended parental leave doesn’t raise as many eyebrows as it does for men.Women would make more if they didn’t break their earning trajectory (轨迹) by leaving the workforce, or if higher-paying professions were more family-friendly. In the foreseeable future, stay-at-home fathers may make all the difference for individual families, but their presence won’t reduce the numbers of high-potential women who are forced to choose between family and career.61. What gives women a ray of hope to achieve work-life balance?A) More men taking an extended parental leave.B) People’s changing attitudes towards family.C) More women entering business management.D) The improvement of their socioeconomic status.62. Why does the author say the hope for more full-time fathers is misguided?A) Women are better at taking care of children.B) Many men value work more than their family.C) Their number is too small to make a difference.D) Not many men have the chance to stay at home.63. Why do few men take a long parental leave?A) A long leave will have a negative impact on their career.B) They just have too many responsibilities to fulfill at work.C) The economic loss will be too much for their family to bear.D) They are likely to get fired if absent from work for too long.64. What is the most likely reaction to men returning from an extended parental leave?A) Jealousy. B) Surprise. C) Admiration. D) Sympathy.65. What does the author say about high-potential women in the not-too-distant future?A) They will benefit from the trend of more fathers staying at home.B) They will find high-paying professions a bit more family-friendly.C) They are unlikely to break their career trajectory to raise a family.D) They will still face the difficult choice between career and children.Part IV Translation (30 minutes)据报道，今年中国快递服务(courier service)将递送⼤约120亿包裹。

2015年6月大学英语六级考试真题(一)答案与详解Part ⅠWriting审题思路这是一篇四级考试中常见的议论文。

此次通过漫画所呈现出的话题phone (手机）是考生日常生活中熟悉的话题，因此写起来并不难。

考生应该将重点放在第二段阐述手机与日常学习的关系上。

联系实际分析可知二者关系为:手机为日常学习带来了便利条件，但不能完全取代校园学习。

写作提纲一、提出观点：提出观点:手机在学习中虽然重要但并非必不可少(play an important but not indispensable role)二、论证观点：1、学生自身应具有很好的知识储备(have a good command of)2、我们的个人知识（personal knowledge)促进了手机的发展三、总结观点：l、过度依赖手机弊大于利（over-dependence on phones does more harm than good)2、要平衡好手机与知识学习的关系（balance the relationship between phones and study)范文点评全文翻译手机在学习中的作用漫画生动地描述了一个小学生问他的母亲，既然他的手机已经无所不知，为什么还要去上学。

这幅漫画揭示了这样一个现象:一些学生高度依赖手机,而忽视了个人学习的重要性。

然而，我认为，手机在学生们的学习中虽然重要但并非必不可少。

1毫无疑问，手机给我们带来了很多便利，但是在学习过程中，我们不应该过度依赖手机。

首先,我们自身应该具有很好的知识储备以应对没有手机在手边时的各种情况。

其次，正是我们的个人知识促进了手机的发展。

如果没有学校的基础教育，就没有手机的问世。

总而言之，过度依赖手机弊大于利。

因此，我们应该合理地平衡手机与学习的关系。

只有这样我们才能够从学习过程中获得最大的收益。

PartⅡListening ComprehensionSection A1.听力原文：W：Fin going to give up playing chess. I lost again today.M：Just because you lost? Is that any reason to quit?Q ：What does the man imply?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.【预测】选项中多次出现game和play chess，可以推测对话内容和下象棋有关。

201 5年6月英语四级听力试题及解析Short conversation1.W: Tom, would you be interested in serving on the membership committee this year? M: Can I get back to you on that in a few day?Q: What does the man mean?解析：关注男士说的get back to you on that.2.W: We should buy a good guidebook and study it before I trip to Vancouver.M: We could, but they are over priced. What about the library?Q: What does the man mean?解析：男士意味guidebook are overpriced，不准备买，而是去library.3.W: You took a history course this term, didn’t you? What can you say about it?M: Well, the trouble is that I never get through the weekly readinglist, though some books are quite interesting.Q: What does the man mean?解析；男士认为some books are quite interesting，但是他I never get through the weekly reading list。

4 M: I’m taking my girlfriend to the fancy new restaurant for her birthday tonight.W: I went there last weekend. I found it rather disappointing.Q: What does the woman mean?解析：女士上周去过了那家新餐厅，认为disappointing。

Part I Writing(30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay based on the picture should start your essay with a brief description of the picture and then comment on the kid's understanding of going to should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.“Why am I going to school if my phone already knows everything?”Part II Listening Comprehension(30 minutes)Section ADirections : In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long the end ofeach conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was theconversation and the questions will be spoken only each question there will bea the pause, you must read the four choices marked A., B), D),and decide which is the best mark the corresponding letter on AnswerSheet 1 with a single line through the centre.1. will give the woman some tips on the game.woman has good reason to quit the game.is willing to play chess with the woman.woman should go on playing chess.2. man can forward the mail to Mary.can call Mary to take care of the mail.probably knows Sally's new address.would like to resume contact with Sally.3. handwriting has a unique style.notes are not easy to read.did not attend today's class.is very pleased to be able to help.man had better choose another restaurant.new restaurant is a perfect place for dating.new restaurant caught her fancy immediately.man has good taste in choosing the restaurant.5. has been looking forward to spring.has been waiting for the winter sale.will clean the woman's boots for spring.will help the woman put things away.6. woman is rather forgetful.man appreciates the woman's help.man often lends books to the woman.woman often works overtime at weekends.7. to work on foot.a sightseeing trip.work earlier than usual.a walk when the weather is nice.plane is going to land at another airport.flights have been delayed due to bad weather.closing has disturbed the airport's operation.airport's management is in real need of improvement.Questions 9 to 12 are based on the conversation you have just heard.9. specializes in safety from leaks.is headquartered in London.has a partnership with LCP.has a chemical processing plant.10. is 's friend.is a safety inspector.is a salesman.is a chemist.11. of the safety department.'s personal assistant.of the personnel department.public relations officer.12. for to call back.a message for .details of their products and services.a comprehensive description of their work.Questions 13 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.learned playing the violin from a famous French musician.dreamed of working and living in a European country.read a lot about European musicians and their music.listened to recordings of many European orchestras.began taking violin lessons as a small child.was a pupil of a famous European violinist.gave her first performance with her father.became a professional violinist at fifteen.gave her a chance to explore the city.was the chance of a lifetime.was a great challenge to her.helped her learn classical French music.Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear 3 short the end of each passage, you will hearsome the passage and the questions will be spoken only youhear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A., B), D ).Then markthe corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single linethrough the centre. Passage OneQuestions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.are mysterious stories behind his works.are many misunderstandings about him.works have no match worldwide.personal history is little known.moved to Stratford-on-Avon in his childhood.failed to go beyond grammar school.was a member of the town council.once worked in a well-known acting company.18. of his time had no means to protect their works.sources of clues about him were lost in a fire.works were adapted beyond recognition.of his time had little interest in him.Passage TwoQuestions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19...crash.accidents.20. the local customs.hotel reservations.tickets well in advance.the right documents.21. your agent.a lift if possible.official transport.a friend meet you.Passage ThreeQuestions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. down production cost.inexpensive products.in gold ornaments.the taste of his goods.a national press conference.a live television interview.a local sales promotion campaign.a meeting of top British businesspeople.24.....words of some businesspeople are just rubbish.who never learns from the past is bound to fail.should be a limit to one's sense of humour.is not laughed at, that laughs at himself first.Section CDirections:In this section, you will hear a passage three the passage is read for the firsttime, you should listen carefully for its general the passage is read for thesecond time, you are required to fill in the blanks with the exact words you have , when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what youhave written. Looking at the basic biological systems, the world is not doing very 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 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 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 a half-century ago, GNP helped 31 a common way among countries of measuring change in economic some time, this seemed to work 32 well, but serious weaknesses are now 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 to GNP, for example, countries that overcut forests actually do better than those that preserve their trees cut down are counted as income but no subtraction is made for 35 the forests. Part Ⅲ Reading Comprehension ( 40 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, there is a passage with ten are required to select one word foreach blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the the passage through carefully before making your choice in the bank is identified by a mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet2 with a single line through the may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.Questions 36 to 45 are based on the following passage.The of Education is making efforts to ensure that all students have equal access to a quality it is 36 the launch of the Excellent Educators for All initiative will help states and school districts support great educators for the students whoneed them most."All children are 37 to a high-quality education regardless of their race, zip code or family is 38 important that we provide teachers and principals the support they need to help students reach their full 39 ," of Education Arne 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 have to do 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 in improving access to a quality education, a 44 of President Obama's year of 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.AnnouncingSection BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to contains information given in one of the the paragraph from which the information is may choose a paragraph more than paragraph is marked with a the questions by marking thecorresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.The Changes Facing Fast Foodfirms have to be a thick-skinned experts regularly criticise them severelyfor selling food that makes people even complain that McDonald's, whose logosymbolises calorie excess, should not have been allowed to sponsor the World arethings fast-food firms have learnt to cope not perhaps for much burgerbusiness faces more pressure from regulators at a time when it is already adapting strategies inresponse to shifts in the global economy.B)Fast food was once thought to be consumers need to cut spending, the logicgoes, cheap meals like Big Macs and Whoppers become even more "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 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 2009 sales at full-service restaurants in America fell by more than 6% , but total sales remained about the same at fast-food some markets, such as Japan, France and Britain, total spending on fast food sales in America at McDonald's, the world's largest fast-food company, did not decline throughout the 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 , such as Burger King, have seen salesa severe recession, while some people trade down to fast food, many others eat at home more frequently to save 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.fast-food companies also sacrificed their own profits by trying to give customers better the recession companies set prices low, hoping that once they had tempted customers through the door they would be persuaded to order more expensive in many cases that strategy did not 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 repuired to sell these for $1 when they cost$ to May a judge ruled in favour of Burger , 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, upfrom 12% last October.expect the fast-food industry to grow modestly this the downturn is makingcompanies rethink their are now introducing higher-priced items to entice (引诱)consumers away from $1 , a division of Yum! Brands, which also owns Taco Belland Pizza Hut, has launched a chicken sandwich that costs around $ in May Burger Kingintroduced barbecue (烧烤)pork ribs at $7 for eight.are also trying to get customers to buy new and more items, including 's started selling better coffee as a challenge to " McCafe" line nowaccounts for an estimated 6% of sales in has sold rights to its Seattle's Bestcoffee brand to Burger King, which will start selling it later this year.fast-food companies shift from "super size" to "more buys", they need to keep customer traffichigh throughout the see breakfast as a big opporttmity, and not just for fatty 's will start selling porridge (粥)in America next has the potentialto bevery profitable, says Sara Senatore of Bernstein, a research firm, because the margins can be companies are also adding midday and late-night snacks, such as blended drinks idea is that by having a greater range of things on the menu, "we can sell to consumersproducts they want all day," says Rick Carucci., the .chief financial officer of Yum ! Brands.what about those growing waistlines? So far, fast-food firms have cleverly avoided providing healthy options, like salads and low-calorie sandwiches, they have at leastgiven the impression of doing something about helping to fight obesity (肥胖症).These offeringsare not necessarily loss-leaders, as they broaden the appeal of outlets to groups of diners thatinclude some people who don't want to eat a customers cannot be forced to ordersalads instead of fries.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 of 's health-reform bill, which Congress passed this year, requires restaurant chains with 20 ormore outlets to put the calorie-content of items they serve on the study by the NationalBureau of Economic Research, which tracked the effects on Starbucks of a similar calorie-postinglaw in New York City in 2007, found that the average calorie-count per transaction fell 6% andrevenue increased 3% at Starbucks stores where a Dunldn Donuts outlet was nearby--a sign, it issaid, that menu-labelling could favour chains that have more healthy offerings.order to avoid other legislation in America and elsewhere, fast-food companies will have tocontinue innovating (创新).Walt Riker of McDonald's claims the change it has made in its menumeans 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 therecent 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 isa lotmore left to do.people propose laws be made to stop McDonald's from attaching toys to its food specials for children.finns may not be able to cope with pressures from food regulation in the near future. King will start to sell Seattle's Best coffee to increase sales.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.people eat out less often to save money in times of recession.the recession, Burger King's promotional strategy of offering low-priced items often proved ineffective.restaurants can make a lot of money by selling breakfast.fast-food companies now expect to increase their revenue by introducing higher-priced items.newly-passed law asks big fast-food chains to specify the calorie count of what they serve on the menu.Section CDirections: There are 2 passages in this passage is followed by some questions orunfinished each of them there are four choices marked A., B), ).You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on AnswerSheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage 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 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 are the most aggressive skin have a higher risk if you have red or blond hair, fair skin, blueor green eyes, or sunburn easily, or if a close relative has had are more common if you have periodic intense exposure to the 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 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 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 study said other forms of sun protection not sunscreen seemed most study relied on people remembering what they had done over each decade of their lives, so it's not entirely 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 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 and covering up can reduce melanoma rates, as shown by Australian figures from their slip-slop-slap 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.is people's common expectation of a high-factor sunscreen?will delay the occurrence of skin cancer.will protect them from sunburn.will keep their skin smooth and fair.will work for people of any skin color.does the research in Nature say about a high-factor sunscreen?is ineffective in preventing melanomas.is ineffective in case of intense sunlight.is ineffective with long-term exposure.is ineffective for people with fair skin.do we learn from the 2011 Australian study of 1,621 people?should be applied alongside other protection measures.people benefit the most from the application of sunscreen.application of sunscreen does women more harm than good.application of sunscreen helps reduce the incidence of melanomas.does the author say about the second Australian study?misleads people to rely on sunscreen for protection.helps people to select the most effective sunscreen.is not based on direct observation of the subjects.confirms the results of the first Australian study.does the author suggest to reduce melanoma rates?both covering up and sunscreen.in the shade whenever possible.covering up instead of sunscreen.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 % of American men aged 62 -74 with a professional degree are in the workforce, compared with32% of men with only a high-school gap is part of a deepening divide between the well-educated well-off and the unskilled technological advance has raised the incomes of the highly skilled while squeezing those of 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 the next 20 years the global population of those aged 65 or more will almost double, from 600 million to 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 rates are falling among younger unskilled people, whereas older skilled folk are working 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 European governments have abandoned policies that used to encourage people to retire life expectancy (预期寿命), combined with the replacement of generous defmed-benefit pension plans with less generous defined-contribution ones, means that even the better-off must work longer to have a comfortable the changing nature of work also plays a big 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 change may well reinforce that shift: the skills that complement computers, from management knowhow to creativity, do not necessarily decline with age.is happening in the workforce in rich countries?people are replacing the elderly.people tend to work longer.rates are rising year after year.with no college degree do not easily find work.has helped deepen the divide between the well-off and the poor?life expectancies.rapid technological advance.changes in the workforce.growing number of the well-educated.do many observers predict in view of the experience of the 20th century?growth will slow down.budgets will increase.people will try to pursue higher education.will be more competition in the job market.is the result of policy changes in European countries?workers may choose to retire early.people have to receive in-service training.wealthy people must work longer to live comfortably in retirement.may be able to enjoy generous defined-benefits from pension plans.is characteristic of work in the 21st century?will do more complicated work.will be taken by the educated young.jobs to be done will be the creative ones.are highly valued regardless of age.Part Ⅳ Translation ( 30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.中国是世界上最古老的文明之一。

2015年6月英语四级听力真题及答案Short conversations1.W: I’m going to give up playing chess. I lost again today.M: Just because you lost? Is that any reason to quit?Q: What does the man imply?2.M: Do you know Sally’s new address? She’s got some mail here, and I’d like to forward it to her.W: Well, we’ve not been in touch for quite a while. Let’s see. Mary should know i t.Q: What does the woman mean?3.W: I missed classes this morning. Could you please lend me your notes?M: My notes? You’ve never see my handwriti ng, have you?Q: What does the man imply?4.M: I’m taking my girlfriend to the fancy new restaurant for her birthday tonight.W: I went there last weekend, I found it rather disappointing.Q: What does the woman mean?5.W: Winter is over at last. Time to put away my gloves and boots.M: I’ve been waiting for this for mon ths.Q: What does the man mean?6.W: Thank you for bringing the books back.M: I thought you need them over the weekend. Many thanks fo r letting me use them. Q: What do we learn from the conversation?thank和选项中的appreciate为同义词7.W: Are you working flexible hours?M: No, I’m not. The weather today is so nice, so I decided to walk to work, and that meant I had to leave an hour earlier than usual.Q: What did the man decided to do?walk to work.和选项中的Go on foot. 为同义表达8.W: Our plane has been circling for a long time. Why the delay?M: The airport is closed for a while this morning, and things are still not back to normal.Q: What does the man mean?closed for a while和选项中的Temporary closing同义长对话一Woman: Morning, this is TGC!Man: Good morning, Walter Barry here, calling from London. Could I speak to Mr. Grand, please?Woman: Who’s calling, please?Man: Walter Barry, from London.Woman: What is it about, please?Man: Well, I understand that your company has a chemical processing plant. My own company LCP, Liquid Control Products, is a leader in safety from leaks in the field ofchemical processing. I’d like to speak to Mr. Grand to discuss ways in which we could help TGC to protect itself from such problems and save money at the same time. Woman: Yes, I see. Well, Mr. Grand is not available just now.Man: Can you tell me when I could reach him?Woman: He’s very busy for the next few days. Then he’ll be away in New York. So it’s difficult to give you a time.Man: Could I speak to someone else, perhaps?Woman: Who, in particular?Man: A colleague, for example?Woman: You are speaking to his personal assistance. I can deal with calls for Mr. Grand. Man: Yes, well, could I ring him tomorrow?Woma n: No, I’m sorry, he won’t be free tomorrow. Listen, let me suggest something. You send us details of your products and services, together with references from other companies.And then we’ll contact you.Man: Yes, that’s very kind of you. I have your addr ess.Woman: Very good, Mr…?Man: Barry. Walter Barry, from LCP in London.Woman: Right, Mr. Barry. We look forward to hearing from you.Man: Thank you, goodbye.Woman: Bye.9. What do we learn about the woman’s company?10. What do we learn about the man?11. What’s the woman’s position in her company?12. What does the woman suggest the man do?长对话二Man: Miss Yamada, did you ever think that you would find yourself living and working in the western world?Woman: No, not really, although I’ve always listened to recordings of great orchestras from Europe.Man: So you enjoyed classical music even when you were very young?Woman: Oh, yes. I was an only child.Man: You were born in 1955, is that right?Woman: Yes, I began violin lessons at school when I was 6.Man: As young as that, did you like it?Woman: Oh, yes, very much.Man: When did you first play on your own? I mean, when did you give your first performance?Woman: I think I was 8…? No, Nine. I just had my birthday a week before, and my father had bought me a new violin. I played a small piece at the school concert.Man: Did you know then that you would become a professional violinist?Woman: Yes, I think so. I enjoy playing the violin very much, and I didn’t mind practicing, sometimes three or four hours a day.Man: And when did you first come to Europe?Woman: I was very lucky. When I was fifteen, I won a scholarship to a college in Paris. That was for a three-year course.Man: How did your parents feel about that?Woman: I think they were pleased and worried at the same time. It was the chance of a lifetime. But of course I would be thousands of miles from home. Anyway, I studied in Paris for three years and then went back to Tokyo.13. What do we know about the woman before she went to Europe?14. What does the woman say about her music experience?15. What does the woman say about her study in Paris?短文点评Passage OneWhat makes a person famous? This is a mystery that many people have carefully thought about. All kinds of myths surround the lives of well-known people.Most people are familiar with the works of William Shakespeare, one of the greatest English writers of the 16th and 17th centuries. Yet how many know Shakespeare the person, the man behind the works?After centuries of research, scholars are still trying to discover Shakespeare's personal history. It is not easily found in his writings. Authors of the time could not protect their works. An acting company, for example, could change a play if they wanted to. Nowadays, writers have copyrights that protect their work.Many myths arose about Shakespeare. Some said he had no formal education. Others believe that he began his career by tending the horses of wealthy men. All of these myths are interesting, but are they true? Probably not. Shakespeare's father was a respected man in Stratford-on-Avon, a member of the town council. He sent young William to grammar school. Most people of Elizabethan times did not continue beyond grammar school; so, Shakespeare did have, at least, an average education.Some parts of Shakespeare's life will always remain unknown. The Great London Fire of l666 burned many important documents that could have been a source of clues. We will always be left with many questions and few facts.Question16 What does the speaker say about William Shakespeare?Question 17 What do we learn about Shakespeare's father?Question 18Wherever you go and for whatever reason, it’s important to be safe. While the majority of people you meet in travelling are short to be friendly and welcoming, they are dangerous. Theft being the most common. Just as in your home country. Do not expect everyone you meet to be friendly and helpful. It’s important top prepared for your trip in advance and to take precautions while you are travelling. As you prepare for your trip, make sure your have the right paperwork.You don’t want to get to your destination, only to find you have the wrong visa, or worse, that your passport isn’t valid anymore. Also, make sure you travel with proper medical insurance. So that if you sick or injured during your travels, you will be able to get treatment. If you want to drive all year abroad, make sure you have a international driver’s license. When you get to your destination,use official transport. Always go to bus and t axi stands, don’t except rights from strangers who offer you a lift. If there isn’t a meter in the taxi, agree on the price before you get in. If you prefer to stay in cheap hotels while travelling, make sure you can lock the door of your room from the inside. Finally, bear in mind to simile. It’s the friendly and the most sincere form of communication. And it sure to be understood in any part of the world.Passage 3The British are supposed to be famous for laughing at themselves, but even their sense of humour has a limit, as the British retailer Gerald Ratner found out to his cost. When Ratner took over his father's chain of 130 jewelry shops in 1984, he introduced a very clear company policy. He decided that his shops should sell down market products at the lowest possible prices. It was a great success. The British public loved his cheap gold earrings and his tasteless silver ornaments. By 1991, Ratner's company had 2,400 shops and it was worth over 680 million pounds. But in April of that year, Gerald Ratner made a big mistake. At a big meeting of top British businesspeople, he suited up and explained the secret of his success. People say "How can we sell our goods for such a low price?" I say "Because they are absolute rubbish." His audience roared with laughter. But the British newspapers and the British public were not so amused. People felt insulted and stayed away from Ratner's shops. Sales fell and 6 months after his speech, Ratner's share price had fallen by 42%. The following year, things got worse and Gerald Ratner was forced to resign. By the end of 1992, he lost his company, his career and his house. Even worse, 25,000 of his employees had lost their jobs. It had been a very expensive joke.Question 22 What did Gerald Ratner decide to do when he took over his father's shops? Question 23 On what occasion did Gerald Ratner explained the secret of his success? Question 24 How did people feel when they leaned of Gerald Ratner's remarks? Question 25 What does the story of Gerald Ratner suggest?Spot DictationLooking at the basic biology systems, the world is not doing very well. Yet economic indicators show the world is prospering. Despite a slow start at the beginning of the eighties, global economic output increased by more than a fifth during the decade. The economy grew, trade increased, and millions of new jobs were created. How can biological indicators show the opposite of economic indicators?The answer is that the economic indicators have a basic fault: they show no difference between resources uses that sustain progress and those uses that will hurt it. The main measure of economic progress is the gross national product (GNP). In simple terms, 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 establish a common way among countries of measuring change in economic output. For some time, this seemed to work reasonably well, but serious weakness are now appearing. As indicated earlier, GNP includes loss in value of factories and equipment, but it does not take into account the loss of natural resources, including nonrenewable resources such as oil or renewable resources such as forests.This basic fault can produce a misleading sense of national economic health. According to GNP, for example, countries that overcut forest actually do better than those that preserve their forest. The trees cut down are counted as income but no subtraction is made for using up the forests.。

2015年6月大学英语四级考试真题(第2套)Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions：for this part，you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay based on the picture below．You should start your essay with a brief description of the picture and then comment on this kind of modern life．Y ou should write at least l20 words but no more than l80wordsPart II Listening Comprehension(30 minutes)Section ADirections：In this section，you will hear 8 shortconversations and 2 long conversations．At theend of each conversation，one or more questionswill be asked about what Was said．Both theconversation and the questions will be spokenonly once．After each question there will be a pause．During the pause，you must read the four choices marked A.，B)，C)and D)．and decide which is the best answer．Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet l with a single line through the center．1．A.He is pleased to sit on the committee．B.He is willing to offer the woman a hand．C.He will tell the woman his decision later．D.He would like to become a club member．2．A.Their planned trip to Vancouver is obviously overpriced．B.They should borrow a guide book instead of buying one．C.The guide books in the library have the latest information．D.The library Can help order guide books about V ancouver．3．A.He regrets having taken the history course．B.He finds little interest in the history books．C.He has trouble finishing his reading assignments．D.He has difficulty writing the weekly book report．4．A.The man had better choose another restaurant．B.The new restaurant is a perfect place for dating．C.The new restaurant caught her fancy immediately．D.The man has good taste in choosing the restaurant．5．A.He has been looking forward to spring．B.He has been waiting for the winter sale．C.He will clean the woman，s boots for spring．D.He will help the woman put things away．6．A.At a tailor’s．B.At Bob’s home．C.In a clothes store．D.In a theatre．7．A.His guests favor Tibetan drinks．B.His water is quite extraordinary．C.Mineral water is good for health．D.Plain water will serve the purpose．8．A.Report the result of a discussion．B.Raise some environmental issues．C.Submit an important document．D.Revise an environmental report．Questions 9 t0 12 are based on the conversation you have just heard．9．A.They pollute the soil used to cover them．B.They are harmful to nearby neighborhoods．C.The rubbish in them takes long to dissolve．D.The gas they emit is extremely poisonous．10．A.Growing population．B.Packaging materials．C.Changed eating habits．D.Lower production cost．11．A.By saving energy．B.By using less aluminum．C.By reducing poisonous wastes．D.By making the most of materials．12．A.We are running out of natural resources soon．B.Only combined efforts can make a difference．C.The waste problem will eventually hurt all of us．D.All of us can actually benefit from recyclin9．Questions l3 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard．13．A.Miami．B.V ancouver．C.Belling ham．D.Boston．14．A.To get information on one—way tickets to Canada．B.To inquire about the price of“Super Saver”seats．C.To get advice on how to fly as cheaply as possible．D.To inquire about the shortest route to drive home．15．A.Join a tourist group．B.Choose a major airline．C.Avoid trips in public holidays．D.Book tickets as early as possible．Section BDirections：in this section，you will hear 3 short passages．At the end of each passage，you will hear some questions．Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once After you hear a question，youmust choose the best answer from the four choices marked A.，B)，C.and D)．Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet l with a single line through the center．Passage OneQuestions l6 t0 18 are based on the passage you have just heard．16．A.There are mysterious stories behind his works．B.There are many misunderstandings about him．C.His works have no match worldwide．D.His personal history is little known．17．A.He moved to Strat ford—on—Avon in his childhood．B.He failed to go beyond grammar sch001．C.He was a member of the town council．D.He once worked in a well—known acting company．18．A.Writers of his time had no means to protect their works．B.Possible sources of clues about him were lost in a fire．C.His works were adapted beyond recognition．D.People of his time had little interest in him．Passage TwoQuestions l9 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard 19．A.It shows you have been ignoring your healthB. It can seriously affect your thinking processC.It is an early warning of some illness．D.It is a symptom of too much pressure．20．A.Reduce our workload．B.Control our temper．e painkillers for reliefD.Avoid masking syrup toms_21．A. Lying down and having some sleep．B.Rubbing and pressing one’s back．C.Going out for a walkD.Listening to light musicPassage ThreeQuestions 22 t0 25 are based on the passage you have just heard 22．A.Depending heavily on loans．B.Having no budget plans at all．C.Spending beyond one's meansD.Leaving no room for large bills23．A.Many of them can be cut．B. All of them have to be covered．C.Their payment cannot be delayedD.They eat up most of the family income24．A.Rent a house instead of buying one．B. Discuss the problem in the family．C.Make a conservation planD.Move to a cheaper Place25．A.Financial issues plaguing a family．B.Difficulty in making both ends meet．C.Family budget problems and solutionsD.New ways to boost family incomeSection CDirections：In this section，you will hear a passage three times．When the passage is read for the first time,you should listen carefully for its general idea．When the passage Its read for the second time,you are required to fill in the blanks with the exact words you have just heard．Finally，when the passage is read for the third time，you should check what you have written．Perhaps because going to college is so much a part of the American dream，many people go for no 26 reason．Some go because their parents expect it，others because it's what their friends are doing.Then，there，s the belief that a college degree will27 ensure a good job and high pay.Some students 28 through four years，attending classes，or skipping(逃课)them as the case may be，reading only what can’t be avoided，looking for less 29courses，and never being touched or changed in any important way．For a few of these people，college provides no 30，y et because of parental or peer pressure, they cannot voluntarily leave. They stop tryingin the hope that their teachers will make the decision for them by31_them．To put it bluntly (直截了当地)，unless you’re willing to make your college years count，You might be32 doing something else．Not everyone should attend college，nor should everyone who does．attend begin right after high school．Many college students 33 taking a year or so off.A year out m the world helps some people to 34 their priorities and goals．If you’re really going to get something out of going to college，you have to make it mean something，and to do that you must have some idea why you're there，what you hope to get out of it，and35 even what you hope to become.Part HI Reading Comprehension(40 minutes)Section ADirections：in this section，there is a passage with ten blanks．You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices．Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter．Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the center．You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once．Questions 36 t0 45 are based on the following passage．It’s our guilty pleasure：Watching TV is the most comtion everyday activity，after work and sleep，in many parts of the world．Americans view five hours of TV each day，and while we know that spending so much time sitting36 can lead to obesity(肥胖症)and other diseases，researchers have now quantified just how 37 being a couch potato can be．In an analysis of data from eight large 38 published studies，a Harvard—led group reported in the that for every two hours per day spent channel 39 ，the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes Journal of the American Medical Association(糖尿病)rose 20％over 8．5 years，the risk of heart disease increased l5％over a 40 ，and the odds of dying prematurely 41 13％during a seven— year follow—up．All of these 42 are linked to a lack of physical exercise．But compared with other sedentary(久坐的)activities，like knitting，viewing TV may be especially 43 at promoting unhealthy habits．For one，the sheer number of hours we pass watching TV dwarfs the time we spend on anything else．And other studies have found that watching ads for beer and popcorn may make you more likely to 44 them．Even so．the authors admit that they didn’t compare different sedentary activities to 45 whether TV watching was linked to a greater risk of diabetes，heart disease or early death compared with，say，reading．A.climbedB.consumeC.decadeD.determineE.effectiveF.harmfulG.outcomesH.passivelyI.previouslyJ.resumeK.sufferedL.surfingM.termN.terminals0.twistingSection BDirections：in this section，you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it.Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs．Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived．Y ou may choose a paragraph more than once．Each paragraph is marked with a letter．Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2．Essay．Grading Software Offers Professors a BreakA.Imagine taking a college exam，and，instead of handing in a blue book and getting a grade from a professor a few weeks later，clickingthe“send”button when you are done and receiving a grade back instantly，your essay scored by a software program．And then，instead of being done with that exam，imagine that the system would immediately let you rewrite the test to try to improve your grade．B.EDX，the nonprofit enterprise founded by Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT)to offer courses on the Internet，has just introduced such a system and will make its automated(自动的)software available free on the Web to any institution that wants to use it．The software uses artificial intelligence to grade student essays and short written answers，freeing professors for other tasks．C.The new service will bring the educational consortium(联盟)into a growing conflict over the role of automation in education．Although automated grading systems for multiple—choice and true—false tests are now widespread，the use of artificial intelligence technology to grade essay answers has not yet received widespread acceptance by educators and has many critics.D.Anant Agarwal，an electrical engineer who is president of EDX，predicted that the instant—grading software would be a useful teaching tool enabling students to take tests and write essays over and over andimprove the quality of their answers．He said the technology would offer distinct advantages over the traditional classroom system，where students often wait days or weeks for grades．“There is a huge value in learning with instant feedback，”Dr．Agarwal said．“Students are telling us they learn much better with instant feedback．”E.But skeptics(怀疑者)say the automated system is no match for live teachers．One longtime critic，Les Perelman，has drawn national attention several times for putting together nonsense essays that have fooled software grading programs into giving high marks．He has also been highly critical of studies claiming that the software compares well to human graders．F.He is among a group of educators who last month began circulating a petition(呼吁)opposing automated assessment software．The group．which calls itself Professionals Against Machine Scoring of Student Essays in High—Stakes Assessment，has collected nearly 2，000 signatures，including some from famous people like Noanl Chomsky．G．“Let’s face the realities of automatic essay scorin9，”the group’s statement reads in part. “Computers cannot‘read．’They cannot measure the essentials of effective written communication：accuracy．reasonin9，adequacy of evidence，good sense，ethical(伦理的)position，convincing argument，meaningful organization，and clarity，among others．”H)But EdX expects its software to be adopted widely by schools and universities．It offers free online classes from Harvard．MIT and the University of California—Berkeley；this fall，it will add classes from Well else．Georgetown and the University of Texas．In all，12 universities participate in EDX，which offers certificates for course completion and has said that it plans to continue to expand next year，including adding international schools．I.The EDX assessment tool requires human teachers，or graders，to first grade l00 essays or essay questions．The system then uses a variety of machine—learning techniques to train itself to be able to grade any number of essays or answers automatically and almost instantly．The software will assign a grade depending on the scoring system created by the teacher，whether it is a letter grade or numerical(数字的)rank．J . EDX is not the first to use the automated assessment technology，which dates to early computers in the l960s．There is now a range of companies offering commercial programs to grade written test answers，and four states--Louisiana，North Dakota，Utah and West Virginia--are using some formof the technology in secondary schools．A fifth，Indiana，has experimented with it．In some cases the software is used as a“second reader．”to check the reliability of the human graders．K.But the growing influence of the EDx consortium to set standards is likely to give the technology a boost．On Tuesday，Stanford announced that it would work with EDX to develop a joint educational system that will make use of the automated assessment technology．L.Two start．ups．Coursera and Udacity，recently founded by Stanford faculty members to create“massive open online courses，”or MOOCs，are also committed to automated assessment systems because of the value of instant feedback．‘‘It allows students to get immediate feedback on their work．so that learning turns into a game，with students naturally gravitating(吸引)toward resubmitting the work until they get it right，”said Daphne Koller，a computer scientist and a founder of Coursera．M．Last year the Hewlett Foundation， a grant—malting organization set up by one of the Hewlett Packard founders and his wife．sponsored two$100，000 prizes aimed at improving software that grades essays and short answers．More than l50 teams entered each category．A winner of one of the Hewlett contests．Vik Paruchuri，was hired by E(Ⅸto help design its assessment software．N．“One of our focuses is to help Mds learn how to think critically，”said Victor Vuchic，a program officer at the Hewlett Foundation．“It’s probably impossible to do that with multiple—choice tests The challenge is that this requires human graders，and so they cost a lot more and they take a lot more time．“O．Mark D．Shermis，a professor at the University of Akron inOhi0．supervised the Hewlett Foundation’s contest on automated essay scoring and wrote a paper about the experiment．In his view，the technology--though imperfect--has a place in educational settings．P．With increasingly large classes，it is impossible for most teachers to give students meaningful feedback on writing assignments，he said．Plus，he noted，critics of the technology have tended to come from the nation’s best universities，where the level of teaching is much better than at n lost schools．Q)“Often they come from very famous institutions where，in fact，they do a much better．job of providing feedback than a machine ever could，”Dr．Shermis said．“There seems to be a lack of appreciation of what is actually going on in the real world．”46．Some professionals in education are collecting signatures to voice their opposition to an to mated essay grading．47．Using software to grade students’ essays saves teachers time for other work．48．The Hewlett contests aim at improving essay grading software．49．Though the automated grading system is widely used in multiple—choice tests．automated essay grading is still criticized by many educators．50．Some people don’t believe the software grading system can do as good a job as human graders．51．Critics of automated essay scoring do not seem to know the true realities in less famous universities．52．Critics argue many important aspects of effective writing cannot be measured by computer rating programs．53．As class size grows，most teachers are unable to give students valuable comments as to how to improve their writin9．54．The automated assessment technology is sometimes used to double check the work of human graders．55．Students find instant feedback helps improve their learning considerably．Section CDirections：There are 2 passages in this section．Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements．For each of them there are four choices marked A.，B)，C)and D.Y ou should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Sheet 2 with a single line through the center．Passage On eQuestions 56 t0 60 are based on the following passage．The endless debate about“work—life balance”often contains a hopeful footnote about stay at home dads．If American society and business won’tmake it easier on future female leaders who choose to have children，there is still the ray of hope that increasing numbers of full—time fathers will．But based on today’s socioeconomic trends，this hope is，unfortunately，misguided．It’s true that the number of men who have left work to do their thing as full—time parents has doubled in a decade，but it’s still very small：only 0．8％of married couples where the stay—at—hone father was out of the labor force for a year．Even that percentage is likely inflated by men thrust into their caretaker role by a downsizing．This is simply not a large enough group to reduce the social stigma(污名)and force other adjustments necessary to supporting men in this decision．even if only work more than their family．Even shorter times away from work for working fathers are already difficult．A study found that 85％of new fathers take some time off after the birth of a child—but for all but a few．it’s a week or two at most．Meanwhile，the average for women who take leave is more than lo weeks．Such choices impact who moves up in the organization．While you’re away，someone else is doing your work，making your sales，taking care of your customers．That can’t help you at work．It can only hurt you．Women，of course，face the same issues of returning after a long absence．But with many more women than men choosing to leave theworkforce entirely to raise families，returning from an extended parental leave doesn’t raise as many eyebrows as it does for men．Women would make more if they didn’t break their earning trajectory(轨迹)by leaving the workforce，or if higher-paying professions were more family friendly．In the foreseeable future，Stay at home fathers may make all the difference for individual families．but their presence won’t reduce the numbers of high potential women who are forced to choose between family and career．56．What gives women a ray of hope to achieve work life balance?A.More men taking an extended parental leave．B.People’s changing attitudes towards family．C.More women entering business management．D.The improvement of their socioeconomic status．57．Why does the author say the hope for more full—time fathers is misguided?A.Women are better at taking care of children．B.Many men value work more than their family．C.Their number is too small to make a difference．D.Not many men have the chance to stay at home．58．Why do few men take a long parental leave?A.A long leave will have a negative impact on their career．B.They just have too many responsibilities to fulfill at work．C.The economic loss will be too much for their family to bear．D.They are likely to get fired if absent from work for too lon9．59．What is the most likely reaction to men returning from an extended parental leave?A.Jealousy．B.SurpriseC.AdmirationD.Sympathy．60．What does the author say about high-potential women in the not—too-distant future?A.They will benefit from the trend of more fathers staying at home．B.They will find high—paying professions a bit more family—friendly．C.They are unlikely to break their career trajectory to raise a family．D.They will still face the difficult choice between career and children．Passage TwoQuestions 61 to65 are based on the following passage．Some of the world’s most significant problems never hit headlines．One example comes from agriculture．Food riots and hunger make news．But the trend lying behind these matters is rarely talked about．This is the decline in the growth in yields of some of the world’s major crops．A new study by the University of Minnesota and McGill University in Montreal looks at where．and how far．this decline is occurring．The authors take a vast number of data points for the four most important crops：rice，wheat，corn and soyabeans(大豆)．They find that on between 24％and 39％of all harvested areas，the improvement in yields that took place before the l980s slowed down in the l990s and 2000s．There are two worrying features of the slowdown．One is that it has been particularly sharp in the world’s most populous(人口多的)countries，India and China．Their ability to feed themselves has been an important source of relative stability both within the countries and on world food markets．That self-sufficiency cannot be taken for granted if yields continue to slow down or reverse．Second，yield growth has been lower in wheat and rice than in coll and soyabeans．This is problematic because wheat and rice are more important as foods，accounting for around half of all calories consumed．Corn and soyabeans are more important as feed grains．The authors note that“we have preferentially focused our crop improvement efforts on feeding animals and cars rather than on crops that feed people and are the basis of food security in much of the world．” The report qualifies the more optimistic findings of another new paper which suggests that the world will not have to dig up a lot more land for farming in order to feed 9 billion people in 2050，as the Food and Agriculture Organisation has argued．Instead，it says，thanks to slowing population growth，land currently ploughed up for crops might be able torevert(回返)to forest or wilderness．This could happen．The trouble is that the forecast assumes continued improvements in yields which may not actually happen61．What does the author try to draw attention to?A.Food riots and hunger in the world．B.News headlines in the leading media．C.The decline of the grain yield growth．D.The food supply in populous countries．62．Why does the author mention India and China in particular?A.Their self-sufficiency is vital to the stability of world food markets．B.Their food yields have begun to decrease sharply in recent years．C.Their big populations are causing worldwide concerns．D 1 Their food self-sufficiency has been taken for granted．63．What does the new study by the two universities say about recent crop improvement efforts?A. They fail to produce the same remarkable results as before the l980s．B.They contribute a lot to the improvement of human food production．C.They play a major role in guaranteeing the food security of the world．D.They focus more on the increase of animal feed than human food grains．64．What does the Food and Agriculture Organisation say about world food production in the coming decades?A.The growing population will greatly increase the pressure on world food supplies．B.The optimistic prediction about food production should be viewed with caution．C. The slowdown of the growth in yields of major food crops will be"reversed．D.The world will be able to feed its population without increasing farmland．65．How does the author view the argument of the Food and Agriculture Organisation?A.It is built on the findings of a new study．B.It is based on a doubtful assumption．C.It is backed by strong evidence．D. It is open to further discussion．Part IV Translation(30 minutes)Directions：For this part，you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English．Y ou should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2．据报道，今年中国快递服务(courier services)将递送大约120亿件包裹。

2015年6月大学英语四级考试真题听力（二）Part IISection 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) and D), and decide which is the best answer.1. A) He is pleased to sit on the committee.B) He is willing to offer the woman a hand.C) He will tell the woman his decision later.D) He would like to become a club member.2. A) Their planned trip to Vancouver is obviously overpriced.B) They should borrow a guide book instead of buying one.C) The guide books in the library have the latest information.D) The library can help order guide books about Vancouver.3. A) He regrets having taken the history course.B) He finds little interest in the history books.C) He has trouble finishing his reading assignments.D) He has difficulty writing the weekly book report.4. A) The man had better choose another restaurant.B) The new restaurant is a perfect place for dating.C) The new restaurant caught her fancy immediately.D) The man has good taste in choosing the restaurant.5. A) He has been looking forward to spring.B) He has been waiting for the winter sale.C) He will clean the woman’s boots for spring.D) He will help the woman put things away.6. A) At a tailor’s B) At Bob’s home.C) In a clothes store. D) In a theatre.7. A) His guests favor Tibetan drinks. C) Mineral water is good for health.B) His water is quite extraordinary. D) Plain water will serve the purpose.8. A) Report the result of a discussion. C) Submit an important document.B) Raise some environmental issues. D) Revise an environmental report.Questions 9 to 12 are based on the conversation you have just heard.9. A) They pollute the soil used to cover them. C) The rubbish in them takes long to dissolve.B) They are harmful to nearby neighborhoods. D) The gas they emit is extremely poisonous.10. A) Growing population. C) Changed eating habits.B) Packaging materials. D) Lower production cost.11. A) By saving energy. C) By reducing poisonous wastes.B) By using less aluminum. D) By making the most of materials.12. A) We are running out of natural resources soon. C) The waste problem will eventually hurt all of us.B) Only combined efforts can make a difference. D) All of us can actually benefit from recycling. Questions 13 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.13. A) Miami. B) Vancouver. C) Bellingham. D) Boston.14. A) To get information on one-way tickets to Canada.B) To inquire about the price of “Super Saver”seats.C) To get advice on how to fly as cheaply as possible.D) To inquire about the shortest route to drive home.15. A) Join a tourist group. C) Avoid trips in public holidays.B) Choose a major airline. D) Book tickets as early as possible.Section B Directions: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).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 Two: Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19. A) It shows you have been ignoring you health.B) It can seriously affect your thinking process.C) It is an early warning of some illness.D) It is a symptom of too much pressure.20. A) Reduce our workload. C) Use painkillers for relief.B) Control our temper. D) Avoid masking symptoms.21. A) Lying down and having some sleep. C) Going out for a walk.B) Rubbing and pressing one’s back. D) Listening to light music.Passage Three: Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.22. A) Depending heavily on loans. C) Spending beyond one’s means.B) Having no budget plans at all. D) Leaving no room for large bills.23. A) Many of them can be cut. C) Their payment cannot be delayed.B) Alt of them have to be covered. D) The eat up most of the family income.24. A) Rent a house instead of buying one. C) Make a conservation plan.B) Discuss the problem in the family. D) Move to a cheaper place.25. A) Financial issues plaguinga family. C) Family budget problems and solutions.B) Difficulty in making both ends meet. D) New ways to boost family income.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.Perhaps because going to college is so much a part of the American dream, many people go for no (26)_________ reason. Some go because t heir parents expect it, others because it’s what their friends are doing. Then, there’s the belief that a college degree will (27)__________ ensure a good job and high pay.Some students(28) _________ through four years, attending classes, or skipping(逃课)them as the case may be, reading only what can’t be avoided, looking for less(29)_________ courses, and never being touched or changed in any important way. For a few of these people, college provides no(30)__________, yet because of parental or peer pressure, they cannot voluntarily leave. They stop trying in the hope that their teachers will make the decision for them by (31)______ them.To put it bluntly(直截了当地)，unless you’re willing to make your college years count, you might be (32)_________ doing something else. Not everyone should attend to college, nor should everyone who does attend begin right after high school. Many college students (33)________ taking a year or so off. A year out in the world helps some people to (34)_________ their priorities and goals. If you’re really going to get something out of going to college, you have to make it mean something, and to do that you must have some idea why you’re there, what you hope to get out of it, and (35)_________ even what you hope to become.。

听力真题原文Short conversations1.W: I’m going to give up playing chess. I lost again today.M: Just because you lost? Is that any reason to quit?Q: What does the man imply?2.M: Do you know Sally’s new address? She’s got some mail here, and I’d like to forward it to her.W: Well, we’ve not been in touch for quite a while. Let’s see. Mary should know it.Q: What does the woman mean?3.W: I missed classes this morning. Could you please lend me your notes?M: My notes? You’ve never see my handwriting, have you?Q: What does the man imply?4.M: I’m taking my girlfriend to the fancy new restaurant for her birthday tonight. W: I went there last weekend, I found it rather disappointing.Q: What does the woman mean?5.W: Winter is over at last. Time to put away my gloves and boots.M: I’ve been waiting for this for months.Q: What does the man mean?6.W: Thank you for bringing the books back.M: I thought you need them over the weekend. Many thanks for letting me usethem.Q: What do we learn from the conversation?7.W: Are you working flexible hours?M: No, I’m not. The weather today is so nice, so I decided to walk to work, and that meant I had to leave an hour earlier than usual.Q: What did the man decided to do?8.W: Our plane has been circling for a long time. Why the delay?M: The airport is closed for a while this morning, and things are still not back to normal.Q: What does the man mean?Long conversation长对话一Woman: Morning, this is TGC!Man: Good morning, Walter Barry here, calling from London. Could I speak to Mr. Grand, please?Woman: Who’s calling, please?Man: Walter Barry, from London.Woman: What is it about, please?Man: Well, I understand that your company has a chemical processing plant. My own company LCP, Liquid Control Products, is a leader in safety from leaks in the field of chemical processing. I’d like to speak to Mr. Grand to discuss ways in which we could help TGC to protect itself from such problems and save money at the same time.Woman: Yes, I see. Well, Mr. Grand is not available just now.Man: Can you tell me when I could reach him?Woman: He’s very busy for the next few days. Then he’ll be away in New York. So it’s difficult to give you a time.Man: Could I speak to someone else, perhaps?Woman: Who, in particular?Man: A colleague, for example?Woman: You are speaking to his personal assistance. I can deal with calls for Mr. Grand.Man: Yes, well, could I ring him tomorrow?Woman: No, I’m sorry, he won’t be free tomorrow. Listen, let me suggest something. You send us details of your products and services, together with references from other companies. And then we’ll contact you.Man: Yes, that’s very kind of you. I have your address.Woman: Very good, Mr…?Man: Barry. Walter Barry, from LCP in London.Woman: Right, Mr. Barry. We look forward to hearing from you.Man: Thank you, goodbye.Woman: Bye.9. What do we learn about the woman’s company?10. What do we learn about the man?11. W hat’s the woman’s position in her company?12. What does the woman suggest the man do?Long conversation长对话二Man: Miss Yamada, did you ever think that you would find yourself living and working in the western world?Woman: No, not really, although I’ve always listened to recordings of great orchestras from Europe.Man: So you enjoyed classical music even when you were very young? Woman: Oh, yes. I was an only child.Man: You were born in 1955, is that right?Woman: Yes, I began violin lessons at school when I was 6.Man: As young as that, did you like it?Woman: Oh, yes, very much.Man: When did you first play on your own? I mean, when did you give your first performance?Woman: I think I was 8…? No, Nine. I just had my birthday a week before, and my father had bought me a new violin. I played a small piece at the school concert.Man: Did you know then that you would become a professional violinist? Woman: Yes, I think so. I enjoy playing the violin very much, and I didn’t mind practicing, sometimes three or four hours a day.Man: And when did you first come to Europe?Woman: I was very lucky. When I was fifteen, I won a scholarship to a college in Paris. That was for a three-year course.Man: How did your parents feel about that?Woman: I think they were pleased and worried at the same time. It was the chance of a lifetime. But of course I would be thousands of miles from home. Anyway, I studied in Paris for three years and then went back to Tokyo.13. What do we know about the woman before she went to Europe?14. What does the woman say about her music experience?15. What does the woman say about her study in Paris?Spot DictationLooking at the basic biology systems, the world is not doing very well. Yet economic indicators show the world is prospering. Despite a slow start at the beginning of the eighties, global economic output increased by more than a fifth during the decade. The economy grew, trade increased, and millions of new jobs were created. How can biological indicators show the opposite of economic indicators?The answer is that the economic indicators have a basic fault: they show no difference between resources uses that sustain progress and those uses that will hurt it. The main measure of economic progress is the gross national product (GNP). In simple terms, this totals the value of all goods and services produced and subtracts loss in value of factories and equipment. Developed ahalf-century ago, GNP helped establish a common way among countries of measuring change in economic output. For some time, this seemed to work reasonably well, but serious weakness are now appearing. As indicated earlier, GNP includes loss in value of factories and equipment, but it does not take into account the loss of natural resources, including nonrenewable resources such as oil or renewable resources such as forests.This basic fault can produce a misleading sense of national economic health. According to GNP, for example, countries that overcut forest actually do better than those that preserve their forest. The trees cut down are counted as income but no subtraction is made for using up the forests.Passage OneWhat makes a person famous? This is a mystery that many people have carefully thought about. All kinds of myths surround the lives of well-known people.Most people are familiar with the works of William Shakespeare, one of the greatest English writers of the 16th and 17th centuries. Yet how many know Shakespeare the person, the man behind the works?After centuries of research, scholars are still trying to discover Shakespeare's personal history. It is not easily found in his writings. Authors of the time could not protect their works. An acting company, for example, could change a play if they wanted to. Nowadays, writers have copyrights that protect their work.Many myths arose about Shakespeare. Some said he had no formal education. Others believe that he began his career by tending the horses of wealthy men. All of these myths are interesting, but are they true? Probably not. Shakespeare's father was a respected man in Stratford-on-Avon, a member of the town council. He sent young William to grammar school. Most people of Elizabethan times did not continue beyond grammar school; so, Shakespeare did have, at least, an average education.Some parts of Shakespeare's life will always remain unknown. The Great London Fire of l666 burned many important documents that could have been a source of clues. We will always be left with many questions and few facts.Question16 What does the speaker say about William Shakespeare? Question 17 What do we learn about Shakespeare's father?Question 18 Why does the speaker say parts of Shakespeare's life will remain a mystery?Passage TwoWherever you go and for whatever reason, it's important to be safe. While the majority of people you will meet when travelling are sure to be friendly and welcoming, there are dangers-theft being the most common.Just as in your home country, do not expect everyone you meet to be friendly and helpful. It's important to prepare for your trip in advance and to take precautions while you are travelling. As you prepare for your trip, make sure you have the right paperwork. You don't want to get to your destination only to find you have the wrong visa, or worse, that your passport isn't valid any more. Also, make sure you travel with proper medical insurance, so that if you are sick or injured during your travels, you will be able to get treatment. If you want to drive while you are abroad, make sure you have an international driver's license.When you get to your destination, use official transport. Always go to bus and taxi stands. Don't accept rides from strangers who offer you a lift. If there is no meter in the taxi, agree on a price before you get in. If you prefer to stay in cheap hotels while travelling, make sure you can lock the door of your room from the inside. Finally, remember to smile. It's the friendliest and most sincere form of communication, and is sure to be understood in any part of the world!Question 19 What is mentioned as a most common danger when people go travelling abroad?Question 20 What is the most important thing to do when you prepare for your trip abroad?Question 21 What does the speaker suggest you do when you arrive at your destination?Passage 3The British are supposed to be famous for laughing at themselves, but even their sense of humour has a limit, as the British retailer Gerald Ratner found out to his cost. When Ratner took over his father's chain of 130 jewelry shops in 1984, he introduced a very clear company policy. He decided that his shops should sell down market products at the lowest possible prices. It was a great success. The British public loved his cheap gold earrings and his tasteless silver ornaments. By 1991, Ratner's company had 2,400 shops and it was worth over 680 million pounds. But in April of that year, Gerald Ratner made a big mistake. At a big meeting of top British businesspeople, he suited up and explained the secret of his success. People say "How can we sell our goods for such a low price?" I say "Because they are absolute rubbish." His audience roared with laughter. But the British newspapers and the British public were not so amused. People felt insulted and stayed away from Ratner's shops. Sales fell and 6 months after his speech, Ratner's share price had fallen by 42%. The following year, things got worse and Gerald Ratner was forced to resign. By the end of 1992, he lost his company, his career and his house. Even worse, 25,000 of his employees had lost their jobs. It had been a very expensive joke.Question 22 What did Gerald Ratner decide to do when he took over his father's shops?Question 23 On what occasion did Gerald Ratner explained the secret of his success?Question 24 How did people feel when they leaned of Gerald Ratner's remarks? Question 25 What does the story of Gerald Ratner suggest?听力链接: /s/1hq6bdK4。