2016年12月英语四级真题 (第2套)

2016年 12月大学英语四级真题（第一套）Part I Writing (30minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay. Suppose youhave two options upon graduation: one is to take a job in a company and the other togo to a graduate school. You are to make a choice between the two. Write an essay toexplain the reasons for your choice. You should write at least 120 words but no morethan 180 words.Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each newsreport, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and the questions willbe spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answerfrom the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter onAnswer Sheet 1with a single line through the centre.Questions 1and 2 are based on the news report you have just the heard.C) A forest fire. D) A Terrorist attack.Questions 3and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard. 3. A) They lost contact with the emergency department.B) They were injured by suddenly falling rocks.C) They sent calls for help via a portable radio.D) They were trapped in an underground elevator.4. A) They provided the miner with food and water.1. A) It was going to be renovated.B) He could no longer pay the rent.C) It was dangerous to live in. D) He had sold it to the royal family.2. A) A storm.B) A strike.B) They sent supplies to keep the miners warm.C) They released the details of the accident.D) They tried hard to repair the accident.Question5 to7 are based on the news report you have just hea . rdC) Close some of its post offices. D) Redesign delivery routes.C) Computerizing mail sorting processes. D) Stopping maildelivery on Saturdays.7. A )A lot of controversy will ariseB) Taxpayers will be very pleasedC) Many people will begin to complainD) Many post office staff will lose their jobsSection BDirections:In this section,you will hear two long conversations.At the end of eachconversation,you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from four choice marked A),B),C) and D).Then mark the corresponding letter an Answer sheet1with a single line though the centre.Question8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8. A)He will lose part of his pay. C)He will be given a warning.B) He will go through retraining. D)He is go good terms with his workmates.9. A)He is an experienced press operator. C)He is always on time.B) He is trustworthy guy. D )He is go good terms with hisworkmates.10. A)She is a trade union representative. C)She is better at handing such matters.B) She is a senior manager of the shop. D)She is in charge of public relation.11. A)He is always trying to stir up trouble.B) He is skilled and experienced.C) He is very close to the manager.D) He is always complaining about low wages.Question12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.5. A) Raise postage rates.B) Improve its services. 6. A) Closing offices on holidays. B) Shortening business hours. 12. A)Open. B)Reserved. C)Selfish. D)Friendly.13. A)They read a book. C)They stay quiet.B) They talk about the weather D)They chat with fellow passengers.14. A)She was unwilling to make friends with workmates.B) She was never invited to a colleague ' s home.C) She was eager to visit an English castle.D) She was always treated as a foreigner.15. A) House are much more quiet. C) They want a garden of their own.B) They want to have more space. D) Houses provide more privacy.Section CDirections:In this section,you will hear three passages.At the end of each passage,you will hear three or four questions.Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once.After you hear a question,you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A),B),C) and D).Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A) They will automatically be given hiring priority.B) They don ' t have to go through job interviews.C) They are likely to get much higher pay.D) They don ' t have much choice of jobs.17. A) Visit the school careers services. C) Look at school bulletin boards.B) Ask their professors for help. D) Go through campus newspapers.18. A) Providing students with information about the library.B) Helping students arrange appointments with librarians.C) Supervising study spaces to ensure a quiet atmosphere.D) Helping students find the books and journals they need.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A) It tastes better. C) It is easier to grow.B) It may be sold at a higher price. D) It can better survive extreme weathers.20. A) It can grow in drier soil. C) It will replace green tea one day.B) It is immune to various diseases. D) It is healthier than green tea.21. A) It does not have a stable market.B) It has made tea farmers ' life easier.C) It does not bring the promised health benefits.D) It has been well received by many tea drinkers.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A) They care more about environment.B) They decorate their homes themselves.C) They prefer unique objects of high quality.D) They need decorations to show their status.23. A) They made great contributions to society.B) They could only try to create at night.C) They were proud of their creations.D) They focused on the quality of their products.Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passagethrough 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 2with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.Many men and women have long bought into the idea thatthere are “ male ” and“ female ” brains, believing that explains just about every differebnectweeen the sexes. A new stud (y 26)that belief, questioning whether brains really can be distinguished by gender.In the study, Tel Aviv University researchers (27)for sex differences the entire human brain.And what did they find? Not much. Rather than offer evidenee for( 28) brains as“ male ” or “ female, ” research shows that brains fall in to a wide ran ge, with most people falli ng right in the middle.Daph na Joel, who led the study, said her research found that while there aresome gender-base (29) , many different types of brain can' t always be distinguishedby gen der.While the “average ” male and “average ” female bfOiO S wefi e rent, you could n ' t tell it bydxk 24. A) Identify fake crafts.B) Make wise choices.25. A) To attract foreign investments.B) To preserve the traditional culture.C) Design handicrafts themselves. D) Learn the importance of creation. C) To arouse public interest in crafts. D) To boost the local economy.ing at in dividual brain sca ns. Only a small (31) of people had“ a-male” or -feallale ” characteristics.Larry Cahill, an American neuroscientist (神经科学家),said the study is animporta nt additi on to a grow ing body of research questi oning( 32) beliefs about gen der and brain fun cti on. But he cauti oned aga in st con clud ing from this study that all brains are the same,( 33) of gender.“ There' s a moun tai n of evide((34) the importa nee of sex in flue nces at alllevels of brain fun ctio n, ” he told The Seattle Times.If anything, he said, the stud(35) that gender plays a very important role in the brain “ eve n whe n we are not clear exactly how. ”Directi ons: In this secti on, you are going to read a passage with ten stateme nts attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more tha n on ce. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. An swer the questi ons by marki ng the corresp onding letter on Answer Sheet 2Can Burglars Jam Your Wireless Security System?[A] Any product that promises to protect your home deserves careful examination. So it isn' t surprising that you ' ll find plenty of strong opinions about the potential vulnerabilities of popular home-security systems.[B] T he most likely type of burglary （入室盗窃） by far is the unsophisticated crime of opportunity, usually involving a broken window or some forced entry. According to the FBI, crimes like these accounted roughly two-thirds of all household burglaries in the US in 2013.The wide majority of the rest were illegal, unforced entries that resulted from something like a window being left open. The odds of a criminal using technical means to bypass a security system are so small that the FBI doesn' t even track those statistics.[C] One of the main theoretical home-security concerns is whether or not a given system is vulnerable to being blocked from working altogether. With wired setups, the fear is that a burglar （入室盗贼） might be able to shut your system down simply by cutting the right cable. With a wireless setup, you stick battery-powered sensors up around your home that keep an eye on windows, doors, motion, and more. If they detect something wrong while the system is armed, they ' ll transmit a wireless alert signal to a base station that will then raise the alarm. That approach will eliminate most cord-cutting concerns—but what about their wireless equivalent, jamming? With the right device tuned to the right frequency, what ' s to stop a thief from jamming your setup and blocking that alert signal from ever reaching the base station?[D] Jamming concerns are nothing new, and they 'nirqeuneottousecuritysystems. Any device that ' s built to receive a wireless signal at a specific frequencycan be overwhelmed by a stronger signal coming in on the same frequency. For comparison, let ' s say you wanted to “jam” a conversation betweeanll two people —you'd need to do is yell in the listener ' s ear.[E] Security devices are required to list the frequencies they broadcast o—nthat means that a potential thief can find what they need to know with minimal Googling. They will, however, need so know what system they ' re looking for. If you have a sign in your yard declaring what setup you use, that ' d point them in the right direction,though at that point, we ' re talking about a highly targe-steodp,hsisetmicai ted attack,and not the sort forced-entry attack that makes up the majority of burglaries. It ' seasier to find and acquire jamming equipment for some frequencies than it is for others.[F] Wireless security providers will often take steps to help combat the threat of jamming attacks.SimpliSafe,winner of our Editor ' s Choice distinction, utilizes aspecial system that ' s capable of separating incidental RF interference from targetedjamming attacks. When the system thinks it ' s being jammed, it ' ll notify you via push alert（推送警报）.From there, it tOyo u pto sound the alarm manu ally.[G] SimpliSafe was singled out in one recent article on jamming, complete witha video showing the entire system being effectively bypassed with handheld jamming equipment. After taking appropriate measures to contain the RF interference to our test lab, we tested the attack out for ourselves, and were able to verify that it possible with the right equipment. However, we also verified that SimpliSafe 's anti-jamming system works. It caught us in the act, sent an alert to my smartphone, and also listed our RF interference on the system 's event log. The team behind the article and video in question make no mention of the system, or whether or not in detected them.[H] We like the unique nature of that software. It means that a thief likely wouldn 't be able to Google how the system works, then figure out a way around it. Even if they could, SimpliSafe claims that its system is always evolving, and that it varies slightly from system to system, which means there wouldn a universal 't be magic formula for cracking it. Other systems also seem confident on the subject of jamming. The team at Frontpoint addresses the issue in a blog on its site, citing theirown jam protection software and claiming that there aren ' tc a sneysd o fcumented successful jam attack since the company began offering wireless security sensors in the 1980s.[I] Jamming attacks are absolutely possible. As said before, with the right equipment and the right know-how, it 's possible to jam any wireless mtraisnssion. But how probable is it that someone will successfully jam their way into your home and steal your stuff?[J] Let 's imagine that you live in a small home with a wireless security setup thatoffers a functional anti-jamming system. First, a thief is going to need to target your home, specifically. Then, he 's going to need to know the technical details of yoursystem and acquire the specific equipment necessary for jamming your specific setup. Presumably, you keep your doors locked at night and wheil you 're away. So the thief will still need to break in. That means defeating the lock somehow, or breaking a window. He 'll need to be jamming you at this point, as a broken window or openeddoor would normally release the alarm. So, too, would the motion detectors in your home, so the thief will need to continue jamming once he ' s inside and searching for things to steal. However, he ' ll need to do so without trippin-jgamthme ianngtisystem,the details of which he almost certainly does now have access to.[K] A t the end of the day, these kinds of systems are primarily designed to protect against the sort of opportunistic smash-and-grab attack that makes up the majority of burglaries. They 're also only a single layer in what should ideally be -asimdeadny approach to securing your home, one that includes common sense things like sound locks and proper exterior lighting at night. No system is impenetrable, and none can promise to eliminate the worst case completely. Every one of them has vulnerabilities that a knowledgeable thief could theoretically exploit. A good system is one that keeps that worst-case setting as improbable as possible while also offering strong protection in the event of a less-extraordinary attack.36. It is possible for burglars to make jamming attacks with the necessary equipment and skill.37. Interfering with a wireless security system is similar to interfering with a conversation.38. A burglar has to continuously jam the wireless security device to avoid triggeringthe alarm, both inside and outside the house.39. SimpliSafe provides devices that are able to distinguish incidental radio interference from targetedjamming attacks.40. Only a very small proportion of burglaries are committed by technical means.41. It is difficult to crack SimpliSafe as its system keeps changing.42. Wireless devices will transmit signals so as to activate the alarm once something wrong isdetected.43. Different measures should be taken to protect one ' s home from burglary inaddition to the wireless security system.44. SimpliSafe ' s device can send a warning to the house owner ' s cellphone.45. Burglars can easily get a security device ' s frequency by Internet search.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 markedA) ,B),C) and D).You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.As a person who writes about food and drink for a living. I couldn first thing about Bill Perry or whether the beers he sells are that great. But I can tell servers an actual living wage.I hate tipping.I hate it because it ' s an obligation disguised as an option. I hate it for thepost-dinner math it requires of me. But mostly, I hate tipping because I believe I would be in a better place if pay decisions regarding employees were simply left up to their employers, as is the custom in virtually every other industry.Most of you probably think that you hate tipping, too. Research suggests otherwise. You actually love tipping! You like to feel that you have a voice in how much money your server makes. No matter how the math works out, you persistently view restaurants with voluntary tipping systems as being a better value, which makes it extremely difficult for restaurants and bars to do away with the tipping system.One argument that you tend to hear a lot from the pro-tipping crowd seems logical enough: the service is better when waiters depend on tips, presumably because they see a benefit to successfully veiling their contempt for you. Well, if this were true, we would all be slipping a few 100-dollar bills to our doctors on the way out their doors, too. But as it turns out, waiters see only a tiny bump in tips when they do an exceptional job compared to a passable one. Waiters, keen observers of humanity that they are, are catching on to this; in one poll, a full 30% said they didn' t believthey did had any impact on the tips they received.So come on, folks: get on board with ditching the outdated tip system. Pay a little more upfront for your beer or burger. Support Bill Perry' s pub, and any other bar or restaurant that doesn ' t ask you to do drunken math. 46. What can we learn about Bill Perry from the passage?A) He runs a pub that serves excellent beer. t tell you theyou that I like this guy. That use 'B) He intends to get rid of the tipping practice.C) He gives his staff a considerable sum for tips.D) He lives comfortably without getting any tips.47. What is the main reason why the author hates tipping?A) It sets a bad example for other industries.B) It adds to the burden of ordinary customers.C) It forces the customer to compensate the waiter.D) It poses a great challenge for customers to do math.48. Why do many people love tipping according to the author?A) They help improve the quality of the restaurants they dine in.B) They believe waiters deserve such rewards for good service.C) They want to preserve a wonderful tradition of the industry.D) They can have some say in how much their servers earn.49. What have some waiters come to realize according to a survey?A) Service quality has little effect on tip size.B) It is in human mature to try to save on tips.C) Tips make it more difficult to please customers.D) Tips benefit the boss rather that the employees.50. What does the author argue for in the passage?A) Restaurants should calculate the tips for customers.B) Customers should pay more tips to help improve service.C) Waiters deserve better than just relying on tips for a living.D) Waiters should be paid by employers instead of customers. Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.In the past, falling oil prices have given a boost to the world economy, but recent forecasts for global growth have been toned down, even as oil prices sink lower and lower. Does that mean the link between lower oil prices and growth has weakened?Some experts say there are still good reasons to believe cheap oil should heat up the world economy. Consumers have more money in their pockets when thye' re paying less at the pump. They spend that money on other things, which stimulates the economy.The biggest gains go to countries that import most of their oil like China, Japan, and India, But doesn 't the extra money in the pockets of those cocuo n tsriuems ers 'mean an equal loss in oil producing countries, cancelling out the gains? Not necessarily, says economic researcher Sara Johnson. “ Many oil producers built up huge reserve funds when prices were high, so when prices fall they will draw on their reserves to support gover nment spe nding and subsidies 占)for their con sumers. ”But not all oil producers have big reserves, In Venezuela, collapsing oil prices have sent its economy into free-fall.Economist Carl Weinberg believes the negative effects of plunging oil prices are overwhelming the positive effects of cheaper oil. The implication is a sharp decline in global trade, which has plunged partly because oilp-roducing nations can 't afford toimport as much as they used to.Sara Johnson acknowledges that the global economic benefit from a fall in oil prices today is likely lower than it was in the past. One reason is that more countries are big oil producers now, so the nations suffering from the price drop account for a larger share of the global economy.Consumers, in the U.S. at least, are acting cautiously with the savings they getting at the gas pump, as the memory of the recent great recession is still fresh in their mind. And a number of oil-producing countries are trimming their gasolinesubsidies and raising taxes, so the net savings for global consumers is not as big as the oil price plunge might suggest.51. What does the author mainly discuss in the passage?A) The reasons behind the plunge of oil prices.B) Possible ways to stimulate the global economy.C) The impact of cheap oil on global economic growth.D) The effect of falling oil prices on consumer spending.52. Why do some experts believe cheap oil will stimulate the global economy?A) Manufacturers can produce consumer goods at a much lower cost.B) Lower oil prices have always given a big boost to the global economy.C) Oil prices may rise or fall but economic laws are not subject to change.D) Consumers will spend their saving from cheap oil on other commodities.53. What happens in many oil-exporting countries when oil prices go down?A) They suspend import of necessities from overseas.B) They reduce production drastically to boost oil prices.C) They use their money reserves to back up consumption.D) They try to stop their economy from going into free-fall.54. How does Carl Weinberg view the current oil price plunge?A) It is one that has seen no parallel in economic history.B) Its negative effects more than cancel out its positive effects.C) It still has a chance to give rise to a boom in the global economy.D) Its effects on the global economy go against existing economic laws.55. Why haven ' t falling oil prices boosted the global economy as they did before?A) People are not spending all the money they save on gas.B) The global economy is likely to undergo another recession.C) Oil importers account for a larger portion of the global economy.D) People the world over are afraid of a further plunge in oil prices.Part IV Translation (30minutes)Directions: For this part,you are allowed 30minutes to transtate a passage from Chinese into English.You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.在中国文化中，红色通常象征着好运、长寿和幸福，在春节和其他喜庆场合，红色到处可见。

2016年12月四级真题（第2套）College English Test Band Four PartⅡListening ComprehensionSection A Directions: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.News Report OneNew York State plans to shut off the thundering waters of Niagara Falls—gain. At least, the American side of the falls. This "once in a lifetime" event actually may take place twice in some folks' lives. The New York State parks system wants to turn off the falls on the American side sometime in the next two to three years to replace two 115-year-old stone bridges that allow pedestrians, park vehicles and utilities access to Goat Island. The American side of the falls were shut off in 1969 to study the buildup of rock at the base of the falls. When that happened, people came from all over the world to see the falls turned off. People are curious by nature. They want to see what's underneath. In fact, those who first came to have a look did see something. They found millions of coins on the bottom.Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1. Why does New York State want to turn off Niagara Falls?2. What did people find when Niagara Falls were shut off in 1969?News Report TwoThe Tunisian government said Monday that 45 people have been killed after gunmen attacked a town near the border with Libya. The Interior and Defense ministries said that the Tunisian government has closed its two border crossings with Libya because of the attack. The Tunisian military has sent reinforcements and helicopters to the area, and authorities have been hunting several attackers who were still at large. The violence came amid increasing international concern about Islamic State extremists in Libya. Officials of the Tunisian government are especially worried after dozens of tourists were killed in the attacks in Tunisia last year. Defense Minister Farhat Horchani said last week that German and American security experts were expected to come to help Tunisia devise a new electronic video supervision system on its border with Libya. Tunisia was targeted last year by three attacks that left 70 people dead and were claimed by Islamic State.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3. What did the Tunisian government do after the gunmen's attack?4. What were German and American security experts expected to do in Tunisia?News Report ThreeThree university students in Santiago, Chile, have developed a plant-powered device to charge their mobile phones. The three engineering students got the idea for the device while sitting in their school's courtyard. Their invention is a small biological circuit they call E-Kaia.[05:02.76]It captures the energy which plants produce during photosynthesis—a process of converting sunlight into energy. A plant uses only a small part of the energy produced by that process. The rest goes into the soil. E-Kaia collects that energy. The device plugs into the ground and then into a mobile phone. The E-Kaia solved two problems for the engineering students. They needed an idea for a class project. They also needed an outlet to plug in their phones. One of the student inventors, Camila Rupcich, says the device changes the energy released from the plant into low-level power to charge phones. The E-Kaia is able to fully recharge a mobile phone in less than two hours.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. What did the three university students invent?6. When did they get the idea for the invention?7. What does the speaker say about the invention?Section B Directions: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Conversation OneM: Good morning. What can I do for you?W: Good morning. Could I talk to Jeffry Harding please?M: Speaking.W: Hello, Jeff. It's Helen. I got your message on the answering machine. What's the problem?M: Oh, Helen. Well, it's the Grimsby plant again, I'm afraid. The robots on Line 3 have gone wrong.And the line is at a standstill.W: Can't you replace them with the stand-ins?M: I'm afraid not. The stand-ins are already in use on Line 6. And the ones from Line 6 are being serviced.W: When did this happen, Jeff?M: Well, they've been making a low continuous sound for a day or two. But they finally went dead at 2:30 this afternoon.W: I see. What did you do? Have you tried the whole plant?M: Not yet, Helen. I thought I'd better get your OK first.W: OK. Get on the phone to Tom, and try to get their stand-ins over tonight. We have to be back at full capacity tomorrow morning. Is it a major job to repair our robots?M: About a week. That's what the maintenance engineer says.W: Right. Well, if you can get the ones from Tom, please ask Tom to inform Sheffield that he may need their stand-ins in case of emergency during the next week.M: OK. Thank you very much, Helen.W: You are most welcome.M: Sorry to spoil your day off.W: It doesn't matter.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8. What did the man do before the telephone conversation?9. What does the man say about line 3 in the Grimsby plant?10. What is the man's purpose in calling the woman?11. Where is the woman at the time of the conversation?Conversation TwoW: This is Kerry Burke from New York Daily News. I'm speaking to Delray Simmonds, an unemployed Brooklyn man who missed a job interview Tuesday for the best of reasons: He wassaving the life of a 9-month-old boy who was blown into the path of an oncoming subway train by a high wind.M: Everybody is making me out to be some sort of superhero. I'm just an ordinary person, and a father of two. Anybody in that situation would have done what I did.W: You were going to an interview when the incident occurred, right?M: Yes, I was on my way to apply for a maintenance position. I've been looking for a job for a year and more. I'm looking for something to support my family.W: Tell us what happened at the station.M: There was a strong wind. It had to be 30 to 40 miles an hour.There was a woman with four kids. One was in a pushchair. The wind blew the baby onto the tracks.W: Witnesses said people were looking on in horror as the child's mother, identified by sources as Maria Zamara, stood frozen in shock. In the distance, people could see the train rounding a bend, headed into the station. I guess you were not aware of any of these, right?M: No. I just jumped down and grabbed the baby. The train was coming around the corner as I lifted the baby from the tracks. I really wasn't thinking.W: What an amazing story. Thank you very much.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. What did Kerry Burke from New York Daily News say about the man?13. What do we learn about the man from the conversation?14. What caused the incident?15. How did the mother react when the incident occurred?Section C Directions: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneThere's one sound that gets a big reaction from kids on a hot day, the sound of an ice-cream truck. Maria McCartney has been in the mobile ice-cream business since 2005."When I was a little girl, I saw an ice-cream truck and knew I wanted to have one someday, "McCartney said.，During the hot days of summer, Maria and her daughter drive an ice-cream truck through neighborhoods and parks in Billings. It's not about making money for this former elementary school teacher. Rather, he wants to preserve the tradition of the neighborhood ice-cream truck. "Truly my favorite part is to see the kids jumping up and down and they just get so excited. It's great to build a memory for them too. There are not a lot of these ice-cream trucks around anymore. The parents come out barefoot and screaming, ready to buy ice-cream; they remember when they were kids and they saw a truck, "she said. While the treats may be ice cold, Maria has a warm heart for little faces. Her truck features a donation bucket for kids who don't have money for ice-cream. "When there are three kids and only two of them have money, I always make sure the third one gets something because I can't drive away and have that third one not have something," she said.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. What does the speaker say about Maria McCartney?17. Why does Maria go into the mobile ice-cream business?18. Why does Maria put a donation bucket in her truck?Passage TwoWe know we have to pay for what we get. If we buy food, we have to pay for it. If a doctor treats us, we know there will be a bill to pay. These are private bills. But there are also public bills to be paid. They are paid by the government. In turn we get the needed services. We pay for these services through taxes. What would happen if everyone stopped paying taxes? The water supply would stop; the streets might not be cleaned; schools would be closed. We would not want to live in such a city. The chief duty of every government is to protect persons and property. More than three-fourths of government expenses are used for this purpose. The next largest amount of public money goes to teach and train our citizens. Billions of dollars each year are spent on schools and libraries. Also, a large amount of public funds is spent on roads. Most of the needed funds is raised by taxes. The law orders us to pay taxes. We have no choice in the matter. Years ago the government made money by selling public lands. But most of the best public lands havenow been sold. There are still some public lands that contain oil, coal and other natural resources. They could be sold, but we want to save them for future years. So, we all must pay our share for the services that make our lives comfortable.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. What does the speaker mainly talk about?20. What is most of the government money used for?21. How did the government raise money to pay public bills in the past?Passage ThreeDid you know that, besides larger places like France and Germany, Europe is home to several extremely tiny countries? One of these countries contains less than a square mile of land. Another is surrounded on all sides by Italy. Yet each is an independent land, with its own government, trade, and customs. One of the best known of these small countries is Monaco. It is situated on the Mediterranean Sea and surrounded by France on three sides. Monaco became familiar to Americans when its ruler, Prince Rainier, married the American actress Grace Kelly. Rainier's family has ruled Monaco almost continuously since 1297. The land has been independent for over three hundred years. Andorra, with an area of some 200 square miles, is considerably larger than Monaco. This country is located in the Pyrenees Mountains, with France on one side and Spain on the other. Potatoes and tobacco are grown in Andorra's steep mountain valleys. One of the products it exports is clothing. Andorra is also known for its excellent skiing locations. Within the Alps in Central Europe is Liechtenstein, a tiny country of about 30,000 people who speak mostly German. Liechtenstein uses the same money as its neighbor Switzerland, but it has been an independent country since the 1860s. Taxes are low, so many businesses have their headquarters here. The country makes and exports a lot of machinery. Other small, independent states in Europe are San Marino and Luxembourg. Each of these has unique qualities as well.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. What does the speaker say about Monaco?23. Why did Monaco become familiar to Americans according to the speaker?24. What is one of the products Andorra exports?25. What does the speaker mainly talk about?This is end of listening comprehension.。

2016年12月大学英语四级真题（第一套）Part I Writing (30minutes)Directions:For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay. Suppose you have two options upon graduation: one is to take a job in a company and the other to go to a graduate school. You are to make a choice between the two. Write an essay to explain the reasons for your choice. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 1and 2 are based on the news report you have just the heard.1. A) It was going to be renovated. C) It was dangerous to live in.B) He could no longer pay the rent. D) He had sold it to the royal family.2. A) A storm. C) A forest fire.B) A strike. D) A Terrorist attack.Questions 3and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3. A) They lost contact with the emergency department.B) They were injured by suddenly falling rocks.C) They sent calls for help via a portable radio.D) They were trapped in an underground elevator.4. A) They provided the miner with food and water.B) They sent supplies to keep the miners warm.C) They released the details of the accident.D) They tried hard to repair the accident.Question5 to7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. A) Raise postage rates. C) Close some of its post offices.B) Improve its services. D) Redesign delivery routes.6. A) Closing offices on holidays. C) Computerizing mail sorting processes.B) Shortening business hours. D) Stopping mail delivery on Saturdays.7.A）A lot of controversy will ariseB) Taxpayers will be very pleasedC) Many people will begin to complainD) Many post office staff will lose their jobsSection BDirections:In this section,you will hear two long conversations.At the end of eachconversation,you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from four choice marked A),B),C) and D).Then mark the corresponding letter an Answer sheet1 with a single line though the centre.Question8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8.A)He will lose part of his pay. C)He will be given a warning.B)He will go through retraining. D)He is go good terms with his workmates.9.A)He is an experienced press operator. C)He is always on time.B)He is trustworthy guy. D）He is go good terms with his workmates.10.A)She is a trade union representative. C)She is better at handing such matters.B)She is a senior manager of the shop. D)She is in charge of public relation.11.A)He is always trying to stir up trouble.B)He is skilled and experienced.C)He is very close to the manager.D)He is always complaining about low wages.Question12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12.A)Open. C)Selfish.B)Reserved. D)Friendly.13.A)They read a book. C)They stay quiet.B)They talk about the weather D)They chat with fellow passengers.14.A)She was unwilling to make friends with workmates.B)She was never invited to a colleague’s home.C)She was eager to visit an English castle.D)She was always treated as a foreigner.15.A) House are much more quiet. C) They want a garden of their own.B) They want to have more space. D) Houses provide more privacy. Section CDirections:In this section,you will hear three passages.At the end of each passage,you will hear three or four questions.Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once.After you hear a question,you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A),B),C) and D).Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16.A) They will automatically be given hiring priority.B) They don’t have to go through job interviews.C) They are likely to get much higher pay.D) They don’t have much choice of jobs.17.A) Visit the school careers services. C) Look at school bulletin boards.B) Ask their professors for help. D) Go through campus newspapers.18.A) Providing students with information about the library.B) Helping students arrange appointments with librarians.C) Supervising study spaces to ensure a quiet atmosphere.D) Helping students find the books and journals they need.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19.A) It tastes better. C) It is easier to grow.B) It may be sold at a higher price. D) It can better survive extreme weathers.20.A) It can grow in drier soil. C) It will replace green tea one day.B) It is immune to various diseases. D) It is healthier than green tea.21.A) It does not have a stable market.B) It has made tea farmers’ life easier.C) It does not bring the promised health benefits.D) It has been well received by many tea drinkers.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A) They care more about environment.B) They decorate their homes themselves.C) They prefer unique objects of high quality.D) They need decorations to show their status.23. A) They made great contributions to society.B) They could only try to create at night.C) They were proud of their creations.D) They focused on the quality of their products.24. A) Identify fake crafts. C) Design handicrafts themselves.B) Make wise choices. D) Learn the importance of creation.25. A) To attract foreign investments. C) To arouse public interest in crafts.B) To preserve the traditional culture. D) To boost the local economy.Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)Section ADirections:In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.Many men and women have long bought into the idea that there are “male” and “female” brains, believing that explains just about every difference between the sexes.A new study（26）that belief, questioning whether brains really can be distinguished by gender.In the study, Tel Aviv University researchers（27）for sex differences the entire human brain.And what did they find? Not much. Rather than offer evidence for（28）brains as “male” or “female,” research shows that brains fall into a wide range, with most people falling right in the middle.Daphna Joel, who led the study, said her research found that while there are some gender-based（29）, many different types of brain can’t always be distinguished by gender.While the “average” male and “average” female brains were（30）different, you couldn’t tell it by lo oking at individual brain scans. Only a small（31）of people had “all-male” or “all-female” characteristics.Larry Cahill, an American neuroscientist (神经科学家),said the study is an important addition to a growing body of research questioning（32）beliefs about gender and brain function. But he cautioned against concluding from this study that all brains are the same,（33）of gender.“There’s a mountain of evidence（34）the importance of sex influences at all levels of brain function,” he told The Seattle Times.If anything, he said, the study（35）that gender plays a very important role in the brain “even when we are not clear exactly how.”Section BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.Can Burglars Jam Your Wireless Security System?[A]Any product that promises to protect your home deserves careful examination. So it isn’t surprising that you’ll find plenty of strong opinions about the potential vulnerabilities of popular home-security systems.[B]The most likely type of burglary (入室盗窃) by far is the unsophisticated crime of opportunity, usually involving a broken window or some forced entry. According to the FBI, crimes like these accounted roughly two-thirds of all household burglaries in the US in 2013.The wide majority of the rest were illegal, unforced entries that resulted from something like a window being left open. The odds of a criminal using technical means to bypass a security system are so small that the FBI doesn’t even track those statistics.[C]One of the main theoretical home-security concerns is whether or not a given system is vulnerable to being blocked from working altogether. With wired setups, the fear is that a burglar (入室盗贼) might be able to shut your system down simply by cutting the right cable. With a wireless setup, you stick battery-powered sensors up around your home that keep an eye on windows, doors, motion, and more. If they detect something wrong while the syste m is armed, they’ll transmit a wireless alert signal to a base station that will then raise the alarm. That approach will eliminate most cord-cutting concerns—but what about their wireless equivalent, jamming? With the right device tuned to the right frequ ency, what’s to stop a thief from jamming your setup and blocking that alert signal from ever reaching the base station?[D]Jamming concerns are nothing new, and they’re not unique to security systems. Any device that’s built to receive a wireless signal at a specific frequency can be overwhelmed by a stronger signal coming in on the same frequency. For comparison, let’s say you wanted to “jam” a conversation between two people—all you’d need to do is yell in the listener’s ear.[E] Security devices are required to list the frequencies they broadcast on—that means that a potential thief can find what they need to know with minimal Googling. They will, however, need so know what system they’re looking for. If you have a sign in your yard declaring what se tup you use, that’d point them in the right direction, though at that point, we’re talking about a highly targeted, semi-sophisticated attack, and not the sort forced-entry attack that makes up the majority of burglaries. It’s easier to find and acquire jamming equipment for some frequencies than it is for others.[F] Wireless security providers will often take steps to help combat the threat of jamming attacks. SimpliSafe, winner of our Editor’s Choice distinction, utilizes a special system that’s capable of separating incidental RF interference from targeted jamming attacks. When the system thinks it’s being jammed, it’ll notify you via push alert(推送警报).From there, it’s up to you to sound the alarm manually.[G] SimpliSafe was singled out in one recent article on jamming, complete with a video showing the entire system being effectively bypassed with handheld jamming equipment. After taking appropriate measures to contain the RF interference to our test lab, we tested the attack out for ourselves, and were able to verify that it’s possible with the right equipment. However, we also verified that SimpliSafe’santi-jamming system works. It caught us in the act, sent an alert to my smartphone, and also listed our RF interference on the system’s event log. The team behind the article and video in question make no mention of the system, or whether or not in detected them.[H]We like the unique nature of that software. It means that a thief likely wouldn’t be able to Google how the system works, then fig ure out a way around it. Even if they could, SimpliSafe claims that its system is always evolving, and that it varies slightly from system to system, which means there wouldn’t be a universal magic formula for cracking it. Other systems also seem confident on the subject of jamming. The team at Frontpoint addresses the issue in a blog on its site, citing their own jam protection software and claiming that there aren’t any documented cases of successful jam attack since the company began offering wireless security sensors in the 1980s.[I] Jamming attacks are absolutely possible. As said before, with the right equipment and the right know-how, it’s possible to jam any wireless transmission. But how probable is it that someone will successfully jam their way into your home and steal your stuff?[J] Let’s imagine that you live in a small home with a wireless security setup that offers a functional anti-jamming system. First, a thief is going to need to target your home, specifically. Then, he’s going to need to know the technical details of your system and acquire the specific equipment necessary for jamming your specific setup. Presumably, you keep your doors locked at night and while you’re away. So the thief will still need to break in. That means defeating the lock somehow, or breaking a window. He’ll need to be jamming you at this point, as a broken window or openeddoor would normally release the alarm. So, too, would the motion detectors in your home, so the thief will need to continue jamming once he’s inside and searching for things to steal. However, he’ll need to do so without tripping the anti-jamming system, the details of which he almost certainly does now have access to.[K]At the end of the day, these kinds of systems are primarily designed to protect against the sort of opportunistic smash-and-grab attack that makes up the majority of burglaries. They’re also only a single layer in what should ideally be a many-sided approach to securing your home, one that includes common sense things like sound locks and proper exterior lighting at night. No system is impenetrable, and none can promise to eliminate the worst case completely. Every one of them has vulnerabilities that a knowledgeable thief could theoretically exploit. A good system is one that keeps that worst-case setting as improbable as possible while also offering strong protection in the event of a less-extraordinary attack.36. It is possible for burglars to make jamming attacks with the necessary equipmentand skill.37. Interfering with a wireless security system is similar to interfering with aconversation.38. A burglar has to continuously jam the wireless security device to avoid triggeringthe alarm, both inside and outside the house.39. SimpliSafe provides devices that are able to distinguish incidental radiointerference from targeted jamming attacks.40. Only a very small proportion of burglaries are committed by technical means.41. It is difficult to crack SimpliSafe as its system keeps changing.42. Wireless devices will transmit signals so as to activate the alarm once somethingwrong is detected.43. Different measures should be taken to protect one’s home from burglary inaddition to the wireless security system.44. SimpliSafe’s device can send a warning to the house owner’s cellphone.45. Burglars can easily get a security device’s frequency by Internet search.Section CDirections:There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A),B),C) and D).You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.As a person who writes about food and drink for a living. I couldn’t tell you the first thing about Bill Perry or whether the beers he sells are that great. But I can tell you that I like this guy. That’s because he plans to ban tipping in favor of paying his servers an actual living wage.I hate tipping.I hate it because it’s an obligation disguised as an option. I hate it for thepost-dinner math it requires of me. But mostly, I hate tipping because I believe I would be in a better place if pay decisions regarding employees were simply left up to their employers, as is the custom in virtually every other industry.Most of you probably think that you hate tipping, too. Research suggests otherwise. You actually love tipping! You like to feel that you have a voice in how much money your server makes. No matter how the math works out, you persistently view restaurants with voluntary tipping systems as being a better value, which makes it extremely difficult for restaurants and bars to do away with the tipping system.One argument that you tend to hear a lot from the pro-tipping crowd seems logical enough: the service is better when waiters depend on tips, presumably because they see a benefit to successfully veiling their contempt for you. Well, if this were true, we would all be slipping a few 100-dollar bills to our doctors on the way out their doors, too. But as it turns out, waiters see only a tiny bump in tips when they do an exceptional job compared to a passable one. Waiters, keen observers of humanity that they are, are catching on to this; in one poll, a full 30% said they didn’t believe the job they did had any impact on the tips they received.So come on, folks: get on board with ditching the outdated tip system. Pay a little more upfront for your beer or burger. Support Bill Perry’s pub, and any other bar or restaurant that doesn’t ask you to do drunken math.46. What can we learn about Bill Perry from the passage?A) He runs a pub that serves excellent beer.B) He intends to get rid of the tipping practice.C) He gives his staff a considerable sum for tips.D) He lives comfortably without getting any tips.47. What is the main reason why the author hates tipping?A) It sets a bad example for other industries.B) It adds to the burden of ordinary customers.C) It forces the customer to compensate the waiter.D) It poses a great challenge for customers to do math.48. Why do many people love tipping according to the author?A) They help improve the quality of the restaurants they dine in.B) They believe waiters deserve such rewards for good service.C) They want to preserve a wonderful tradition of the industry.D) They can have some say in how much their servers earn.49. What have some waiters come to realize according to a survey?A) Service quality has little effect on tip size.B) It is in human mature to try to save on tips.C) Tips make it more difficult to please customers.D) Tips benefit the boss rather that the employees.50. What does the author argue for in the passage?A) Restaurants should calculate the tips for customers.B) Customers should pay more tips to help improve service.C) Waiters deserve better than just relying on tips for a living.D) Waiters should be paid by employers instead of customers.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.In the past, falling oil prices have given a boost to the world economy, but recent forecasts for global growth have been toned down, even as oil prices sink lower and lower. Does that mean the link between lower oil prices and growth has weakened?Some experts say there are still good reasons to believe cheap oil should heat up the world economy. Consumers have more money in their pockets when they’re paying less at the pump. They spend that money on other things, which stimulates the economy.The biggest gains go to countries that import most of their oil like China, Japan, and Ind ia, But doesn’t the extra money in the pockets of those countries’ consumers mean an equal loss in oil producing countries, cancelling out the gains? Not necessarily, says economic researcher Sara Johnson. “Many oil producers built up huge reserve funds when prices were high, so when prices fall they will draw on their reserves to support government spending and subsidies(补贴) for their consumers.”But not all oil producers have big reserves, In Venezuela, collapsing oil prices have sent its economy into free-fall.Economist Carl Weinberg believes the negative effects of plunging oil prices are overwhelming the positive effects of cheaper oil. The implication is a sharp decline in global trade, which has plunged partly because oil-producing nations can’t af ford to import as much as they used to.Sara Johnson acknowledges that the global economic benefit from a fall in oil prices today is likely lower than it was in the past. One reason is that more countries are big oil producers now, so the nations suffering from the price drop account for a larger share of the global economy.Consumers, in the U.S. at least, are acting cautiously with the savings they’re getting at the gas pump, as the memory of the recent great recession is still fresh in their mind. And a number of oil-producing countries are trimming their gasolinesubsidies and raising taxes, so the net savings for global consumers is not as big as the oil price plunge might suggest.51. What does the author mainly discuss in the passage?A) The reasons behind the plunge of oil prices.B) Possible ways to stimulate the global economy.C) The impact of cheap oil on global economic growth.D) The effect of falling oil prices on consumer spending.52. Why do some experts believe cheap oil will stimulate the global economy?A) Manufacturers can produce consumer goods at a much lower cost.B) Lower oil prices have always given a big boost to the global economy.C) Oil prices may rise or fall but economic laws are not subject to change.D) Consumers will spend their saving from cheap oil on other commodities.53. What happens in many oil-exporting countries when oil prices go down?A) They suspend import of necessities from overseas.B) They reduce production drastically to boost oil prices.C) They use their money reserves to back up consumption.D) They try to stop their economy from going into free-fall.54. How does Carl Weinberg view the current oil price plunge?A) It is one that has seen no parallel in economic history.B) Its negative effects more than cancel out its positive effects.C) It still has a chance to give rise to a boom in the global economy.D) Its effects on the global economy go against existing economic laws.55. Why haven’t falling oil prices boosted the glo bal economy as they did before?A) People are not spending all the money they save on gas.B) The global economy is likely to undergo another recession.C) Oil importers account for a larger portion of the global economy.D) People the world over are afraid of a further plunge in oil prices.Part IV Translation (30minutes)Directions: For this part,you are allowed 30minutes to transtate a passage from Chinese into English.You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.在中国文化中，红色通常象征着好运、长寿和幸福，在春节和其他喜庆场合，红色到处可见。

2016年12月大学英语四级真题及完整答案(共两卷)2016年12月大学英语四级真题（第一套）Part I Writing (30minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay. Suppose you have two options upon graduation: one is to take a job in a company and the other to go to a graduate school. You are to make a choice between the two. Write an essay to explain the reasons for your choice. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 1and 2 are based on the news report you have just the heard.1. A) It was going to be renovated. C) It was dangerous to live in.B) He could no longer pay the rent. D) He had sold it to the royal family.2. A) A storm. C) A forest fire.B) A strike. D) A Terrorist attack.Questions 3and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3. A) They lost contact with the emergency department.B) They were injured by suddenly falling rocks.C) They sent calls for help via a portable radio.D) They were trapped in an underground elevator.4. A) They provided the miner with food and water.B) They sent supplies to keep the miners warm.C) They released the details of the accident.D) They tried hard to repair the accident.Question5 to7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. A) Raise postage rates. C) Close some of its post offices.B) Improve its services. D) Redesign delivery routes.6. A) Closing offices on holidays. C) Computerizing mail sorting processes.B) Shortening business hours. D) Stopping mail delivery on Saturdays.7.A）A lot of controversy will ariseB) Taxpayers will be very pleasedC) Many people will begin to complainD) Many post office staff will lose their jobsSection BDirections:In this section,you will hear two long conversations.At the end of eachconversation,you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from four choice marked A),B),C) and D).Then mark the corresponding letter an Answer sheet1 with a single line though the centre.Question8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8.A)He will lose part of his pay. C)He will be given a warning.B)He will go through retraining. D)He is go good terms with his workmates.9.A)He is an experienced press operator. C)He is always on time.B)He is trustworthy guy. D）He is go good terms with his workmates.10.A)She is a trade union representative. C)She is better at handing such matters.B)She is a senior manager of the shop. D)She is in charge of public relation.11.A)He is always trying to stir up trouble.B)He is skilled and experienced.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.18.A) It tastes better. C) It is easier to grow.B) It may be sold at a higher price. D) It can better survive extreme weathers.19.A) It can grow in drier soil. C) It will replace green tea one day.B) It is immune to various diseases. D) It is healthier than green tea.20.A) It does not have a stable market.B) It has made tea farmers’ life easier.C) It does not bring the promised health benefits.D) It has been well received by many tea drinkers.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A) They care more about environment.B) They decorate their homes themselves.C) They prefer unique objects of high quality.D) They need decorations to show their status.23. A) They made great contributions to society.B) They could only try to create at night.C) They were proud of their creations.D) They focused on the quality of their products.24. A) Identify fake crafts. C) Design handicrafts themselves.B) Make wise choices. D) Learn the importance of creation.25. A) To attract foreign investments. C) To arouse public interest in crafts.B) To preserve the traditional culture. D) To boost the local economy.Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter foreach item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.Many men and women have long bought into the idea that there are “male” and “female” brains, believing that explains just about every difference between the sexes. A new study（26）that belief, questioning whether brains really can be distinguished by gender.In the study, Tel Aviv University researchers（27）for sex differences the entire human brain.And what did they find? Not much. Rather than offer evidence for（28）brains as “male” or “female,” research shows that brains fall into a wide range, with most people falling right in the middle.Daphna Joel, who led the study, said her research found that while there are some gender-based（29）, many different types of brain can’t always be distinguished by gender.While the “average” male and “average” female brains were（30）different, you couldn’t tell it by loo king at individual brain scans. Only a small（31）of people had “all-male” or “all-female” characteristics.Larry Cahill, an American neuroscientist (神经科学家),said the study is an important addition to a growing body of research questioning（32）beliefs about gender and brain function. But he cautioned against concluding from this study that all brains are the same,（33）of gender.“There’s a mountain of evidence（34）the importance of sex influences at all levels of brain function,” he told The Seattle Times.If anything, he said, the study（35）that gender plays a very important role in the brain “even when we are not clear exactly how.”A) abnormal B) applied C) briefly D) categorizingE) challenges F) figure G) percentage H) provingI) regardless J) searched K) similarities L) slightlyM) suggests N) tastes O) traditionalSection BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.Can Burglars Jam Your Wireless Security System?[A]Any product that promises to protect your home deserves careful examination. So it isn’t surprising that you’ll find plenty of strong opinions about the potential vulnerabilities of popular home-security systems.[B]The most likely type of burglary (入室盗窃) by far is the unsophisticated crime of opportunity, usually involving a broken window or some forced entry. According to the FBI, crimes like these accounted roughly two-thirds of all household burglaries in the US in 2013.The wide majority of the rest were illegal, unforced entries that resulted from something like a window being left open. The odds of a criminal using technical means to bypass a security system are so small tha t the FBI doesn’t even track those statistics.[C]One of the main theoretical home-security concerns is whether or not a given system is vulnerable to being blocked from working altogether. With wired setups, the fear is that a burglar (入室盗贼) might be able to shut your system down simply by cutting the right cable. With a wireless setup, you stickbattery-powered sensors up around your home that keep an eye on windows, doors, motion, and more. If they detect something wrong while the system is armed, they’ll transmit a wireless alert signal to a base station that will then raise the alarm. That approach will eliminate most cord-cutting concerns—but what about their wireless equivalent, jamming? With the right device tuned to the right frequency, what’s to stop a thief from jamming your setup and blocking that alert signal from ever reaching the base station?[D]Jamming concerns are nothing new, and they’re not unique to security systems. Any device that’s built to receive a wireless signal at a specific frequency can be overwhelmed by a stronger signal coming in on the same frequency. For comparison, let’s say you wanted to “jam” a conversation between two people—all you’d need to do is yell in the listener’s ear.[E] Security devices are required to list the frequencies they broadcast on—that means that a potential thief can find what they need to know with minimal Googling. They will, however, need so know what system they’re looking for. If you have a sign in your yard declaring what setup you use, tha t’d point them in the right direction, though at that point, we’re talking about a highly targeted, semi-sophisticated attack, and not the sort forced-entry attack that makes up the majority of burglaries. It’s easier to find and acquire jamming equipment for some frequencies than it is for others.[F] Wireless security providers will often take steps to help combat the threat of jamming attacks. SimpliSafe, winner of our Editor’s Choice distinction, utilizes a special system that’s capable of separating incidental RF interference from targeted jamming attacks. When the system thinks it’s being jammed, it’ll notify you via push alert(推送警报).From there, it’s up to you to sound the alarm manually.[G] SimpliSafe was singled out in one recent article on jamming, complete with a video showing the entire system being effectively bypassed with handheld jamming equipment. After taking appropriate measures to contain the RF interference to our test lab, we tested the attack out for ourselves, and were able to veri fy that it’s possible with the right equipment. However, we also verified that SimpliSafe’s anti-jamming system works. It caught us in the act, sent an alert to my smartphone, and also listed our RF interference on the system’s event log. The team behind the article and video in question make no mention of the system, or whether or not in detected them.[H]We like the unique nature of that software. It means that a thief likely wouldn’t be able to Google how the system works, then figure out a way around it. Even if they could, SimpliSafe claims that its system is always evolving, and that it varies slightly from system to system, which means there wouldn’t be a universal magic formula for cracking it. Other systems also seem confident on the subject of jamming. The team at Frontpoint addresses the issue in a blog on its site, citing their own jam protection software and claiming that there aren’t any documented cases of successful jam attack since the company began offering wireless security sensors in the 1980s.[I] Jamming attacks are absolutely possible. As said before, with the right equipment and the right know-how, it’s possible to jam any wirelesstransmission. But how probable is it that someone will successfully jam their way into your home and steal your stuff?[J] Let’s imagine that you live in a small home with a wireless security setup that offers a functional anti-jamming system. First, a thief is going to need to target your home, specifically. Then, he’s going to need to know the technical details of your system and acquire the specific equipment necessary for jamming your specific setup. Presumably, you keep your doors locked at night and while y ou’re away. So the thief will still need to break in. That means defeating the lock somehow, or breaking a window. He’ll need to be jamming you at this point, as a broken window or opened door would normally release the alarm. So, too, would the motion detectors in your home, so the thief will need to continue jamming once he’s inside and searching for things to steal. However, he’ll need to do so without tripping the anti-jamming system, the details of which he almost certainly does now have access to.[K]At the end of the day, these kinds of systems are primarily designed to protect against the sort of opportunistic smash-and-grab attack that makes up the majority of burglaries. They’re also only a single layer in what should ideally be a many-sided approach to securing your home, one that includes common sense things like sound locks and proper exterior lighting at night. No system is impenetrable, and none can promise to eliminate the worst case completely. Every one of them has vulnerabilities that a knowledgeable thief could theoretically exploit. A good system is one that keeps that worst-case setting as improbable as possible while also offering strong protection in the event of a less-extraordinary attack.36. It is possible for burglars to make jamming attacks with the necessaryequipment and skill.37. Interfering with a wireless security system is similar to interfering with aconversation.38. A burglar has to continuously jam the wireless security device to avoidtriggering the alarm, both inside and outside the house.39. SimpliSafe provides devices that are able to distinguish incidental radiointerference from targeted jamming attacks.40. Only a very small proportion of burglaries are committed by technical means.41. It is difficult to crack SimpliSafe as its system keeps changing.42. Wireless devices will transmit signals so as to activate the alarm oncesomething wrong is detected.43. Different measures should be taken to protect one’s home from burglary inaddition to the wireless security system.44. SimpliSafe’s device can send a warning to the house owner’s cellphone.45. Burglars can easily get a security device’s frequency by Internet search.Section CDirections: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A),B),C) and D).You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.As a person who writes about food and drink for a living. I couldn’t tell you the first thing about Bill Perry or whether the beers he sells are that great. But I can tell you that I like this guy. That’s because he plans to ban tipping in favor of paying his servers an actual living wage.I hate tipping.I hate it because it’s an obligation disguised as an option. I hate it for thepost-dinner math it requires of me. But mostly, I hate tipping because I believe I would be in a better place if pay decisions regarding employees were simply left up to their employers, as is the custom in virtually every other industry.Most of you probably think that you hate tipping, too. Research suggests otherwise. You actually love tipping! You like to feel that you have a voice in how much money your server makes. No matter how the math works out, you persistently view restaurants with voluntary tipping systems as being a bettervalue, which makes it extremely difficult for restaurants and bars to do away with the tipping system.One argument that you tend to hear a lot from the pro-tipping crowd seems logical enough: the service is better when waiters depend on tips, presumably because they see a benefit to successfully veiling their contempt for you. Well, if this were true, we would all be slipping a few 100-dollar bills to our doctors on the way out their doors, too. But as it turns out, waiters see only a tiny bump in tips when they do an exceptional job compared to a passable one. Waiters, keen observers of humanity that they are, are catching on to this; in one poll, a full 30% said they didn’t believe the job they did had any impact on the tips they received.So come on, folks: get on board with ditching the outdated tip system. Pay a little more upfront for your beer or burger. Support Bill Perry’s pub, and any other bar or restaurant that doesn’t ask you to do drunken math.46. What can we learn about Bill Perry from the passage?A) He runs a pub that serves excellent beer.B) He intends to get rid of the tipping practice.C) He gives his staff a considerable sum for tips.D) He lives comfortably without getting any tips.47. What is the main reason why the author hates tipping?A) It sets a bad example for other industries.B) It adds to the burden of ordinary customers.C) It forces the customer to compensate the waiter.D) It poses a great challenge for customers to do math.48. Why do many people love tipping according to the author?A) They help improve the quality of the restaurants they dine in.B) They believe waiters deserve such rewards for good service.C) They want to preserve a wonderful tradition of the industry.D) They can have some say in how much their servers earn.49. What have some waiters come to realize according to a survey?A) Service quality has little effect on tip size.B) It is in human mature to try to save on tips.C) Tips make it more difficult to please customers.D) Tips benefit the boss rather that the employees.50. What does the author argue for in the passage?A) Restaurants should calculate the tips for customers.B) Customers should pay more tips to help improve service.C) Waiters deserve better than just relying on tips for a living.D) Waiters should be paid by employers instead of customers.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.In the past, falling oil prices have given a boost to the world economy, but recent forecasts for global growth have been toned down, even as oil prices sink lower and lower. Does that mean the link between lower oil prices and growth has weakened?Some experts say there are still good reasons to believe cheap oil should heatup the world economy. Consumers have more money in their pockets when they’re paying less at the pump. They spend that money on other things, which stimulates the economy.The biggest gains go to countries that import most of their oil like China, Japan, and India, But doesn’t the extra money in the pockets of those countries’ consumers mean an equal loss in oil producing countries, cancelling out the gains? Not necessarily, says economic researcher Sara Johnson. “Many oil producers built up huge reserve funds when prices were high, so when prices fall they willdraw on their reserves to support government spending and subsidies(补贴) for their consumers.”But not all oil producers have big reserves, In Venezuela, collapsing oil prices have sent its economy into free-fall.Economist Carl Weinberg believes the negative effects of plunging oil prices are overwhelming the positive effects of cheaper oil. The implication is a sharp decline in global trade, which has plunged partly because oil-producing nations can’t afford to import as much as they used to.Sara Johnson acknowledges that the global economic benefit from a fall in oil prices today is likely lower than it was in the past. One reason is that more countries are big oil producers now, so the nations suffering from the price drop account for a larger share of the global economy.Consumers, in the U.S. at least, are acting cautiously with the savings they’re getting at the gas pump, as the memory of the recent great recession is still fresh in their mind. And a number of oil-producing countries are trimming their gasoline subsidies and raising taxes, so the net savings for global consumers is not as big as the oil price plunge might suggest.51. What does the author mainly discuss in the passage?A) The reasons behind the plunge of oil prices.B) Possible ways to stimulate the global economy.C) The impact of cheap oil on global economic growth.D) The effect of falling oil prices on consumer spending.52. Why do some experts believe cheap oil will stimulate the global economy?A) Manufacturers can produce consumer goods at a much lower cost.B) Lower oil prices have always given a big boost to the global economy.C) Oil prices may rise or fall but economic laws are not subject to change.D) Consumers will spend their saving from cheap oil on other commodities.53. What happens in many oil-exporting countries when oil prices go down?A) They suspend import of necessities from overseas.B) They reduce production drastically to boost oil prices.C) They use their money reserves to back up consumption.D) They try to stop their economy from going into free-fall.54. How does Carl Weinberg view the current oil price plunge?A) It is one that has seen no parallel in economic history.B) Its negative effects more than cancel out its positive effects.C) It still has a chance to give rise to a boom in the global economy.D) Its effects on the global economy go against existing economic laws.55. Why haven’t falling oil prices boosted the global economy as they did before?A) People are not spending all the money they save on gas.B) The global economy is likely to undergo another recession.C) Oil importers account for a larger portion of the global economy.D) People the world over are afraid of a further plunge in oil prices.Part IV Translation (30minutes)Directions: For this part,you are allowed 30minutes to transtate a passage from Chinese into English.You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.在中国文化中，红色通常象征着好运、长寿和幸福，在春节和其他喜庆场合，红色到处可见。

2016年12，月大学英语四级，考试真题附答案，（第二套.）Part IWriting(30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay. Suppose you have twooptions upon graduation: one is to take a job in a company and the other to go to agraduate school. You are to make a choice between the two. Write an essay to explain thereasons for your choice. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180words.Part ⅡListening Comprehension(25 minutes )Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each newsreport, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and thequestions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you mustchoose the best answer from the four choices marked A, B, C and D .Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet I with a single linethrough the centre.Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1. A. To satisfy the curiosity of tourists.B. To replace two old stone bridges.C. To enable tourists to visit Goat Island.D. To improve utility services in the state.2. A. Countless tree limbs.B. A few skeletons.C. Lots of wrecked boats and ships.D. Millions of coins on the bottom.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3. A. It suspended diplomatic relations with Libya.B. It urged tourists to leave Tunisia immediately.C. It shut down two border crossings with Libya.D. It launched a fierce attack against Islamic State.4. A. Advise Tunisian civilians on how to take safety precautions.B. Track down the organization responsible for the terrorist attack.C. Train qualified security personnel for the Tunisian government.D. Devise a monitoring system on the Tunisian border with Libya.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. A. An environment-friendly battery.B. An energy-saving mobile phone.C. A plant-powered mobile phone charger.D. A device to help plants absorb sunlight.6. A. While sitting in their school's courtyard.B. While playing games on their phones.C. While solving a mathematical problem.D. While doing a chemical experiment.7. A. It increases the applications of mobile phones.B. It speeds up the process of photosynthesis.C. It improves the reception of mobile phones.D. It collects the energy released by plants.Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation,you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken onlyonce. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choicesmarked A, B, C and D. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1with a single line through the centre.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8. A. He visited the workshops in the Grimsby plant.B. He called the woman and left her a message.C. He used stand-ins as replacements on all lines.D. He asked a technician to fix the broken production line.9. A. It is the most modern production line.B. It assembles super-intelligent robots.C. It has stopped working completely.D. It is going to be upgraded soon.10. A. To seek her permission.B. To place an order for robots.C. To request her to return at once.D. To ask for Tom's phone number.11. A. She is on duty.B. She is having her day off.C. She is on sick leave.D. She is abroad on business.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. A. He saved a baby boy's life.B. He wanted to be a superhero.C. He prevented a train crash.D. He was a witness to an accident.13. A. He has a 9-month-old boy.B. He is currently unemployed.C. He enjoys the interview.D. He commutes by subway.14. A. A rock on the tracks.B. A misplaced pushchair.C. A strong wind.D. A speeding car.15. A. She stood motionless in shock.B. She cried bitterly.C. She called the police at once.D. She shouted for help.Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you will hearthree or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once.After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices markedA, B, C and D. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet I with asingle line through the centre.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A. She inherited her family ice-cream business in Billings.B. She loved the ice-cream business more than teaching primary school.C. She started an ice-cream business to finance her daughter's education.D. She wanted to have an ice-cream truck when she was a little girl.17. A. To preserve a tradition.B. To amuse her daughter.C. To help local education.D. To make some extra money.18. A. To raise money for business expansion.B. To make her truck attractive to children.C. To allow poor kids to have ice-cream too.D. To teach kids the value of mutual support.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A. The reasons for imposing taxes.B. The various services money can buy.C. The various burdens on ordinary citizens.D. The function of money in the modem world.20. A. Educating and training citizens.B. Improving public transportation.C. Protecting people's life and property.D. Building hospitals and public libraries.21. A. By asking for donations.B. By selling public lands.C. By selling government bonds.D. By exploiting natural resources.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A. It is located at the center of the European continent.B. It relies on tourism as its chief source of revenues.C. It contains less than a square mile of land.D. It is surrounded by France on three sides.23. A. Its beauty is frequently mentioned in American media.B. Its ruler Prince Rainier married an American actress.C. It is where many American movies are shot.D. It is a favorite place Americans like to visit.24. A. Tobacco.B. Potatoes.C. Machinery.D. Clothing.25. A. European history.B. European geography.C. Small countries in Europe.D. Tourist attractions in Europe.Part ⅢReading Comprehension(40 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one wordfor each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read thepassage through carefully before making your choices.Each choice in the bank isidentified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on AnswerSheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in thebank more than once.Questions 26 to 35 are based on the following passage.The ocean is heating up. That's the conclusion of a new study that finds that Earth's oceans now26heat at twice the rate they did 18 years ago. Around half of ocean heat intake since 1865 hastaken place since 1997, researchers report online in Nature Climate Change.Warming waters are known to27 to coral bleaching (珊瑚白化) and they take up more spacethan cooler waters, raising sea28While the top of the ocean is well studied, its depths are moredifficult to 29The researchers gathered 150 years of ocean temperature data in order to get abetter30 of heat absorption from surface to seabed. They gathered together temperature readingscollected by everything from a 19th century31 of British naval ships to modem automated oceanprobes. The extensive data sources,32 with computer simulations ( 计算机模拟), created atimeline of ocean temperature changes, including cooling from volcanic outbreaks and warming fromfossil fuel33About 35 percent of the heat taken in by the oceans during the industrial era now resides at a34 of more than 700 meters, the researchers found. They say they're35whether the deep-seawarming canceled out warming at the sea's surface.A. absorbB. CombinedC. ContributeD. depthE. emissionsF. excursionG. exploreH. floorI. heightsJ. indifferentK. levelsL. mixedM. pictureN. unsureO. voyageSection BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Eachstatement 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 thecorresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.The Secret to Raising Smart KidsA) I first began to investigate the basis of human motivation--and how people persevere aftersetbacks--as a psychology graduate student at Yale University in the 1960s. Animal experiments bypsychologists at the University of Pennsylvania had shown that after repeated failures, most animalsconclude that a situation is hopeless and beyond their control. After such an experience an animaloften remains passive even when it can effect change--a state they called learned helplessness.B) People can learn to be helpless, too. Why do some students give up when they encounter difficulty,whereas others who are no more skilled continue to strive and learn? One answer, I soondiscovered, lay in people's beliefs about why they had failed.C) In particular, attributing poor performance to a lack of ability depresses motivation more than doesthe belief that lack of effort is to blame. When I told a group of school children who displayedhelpless behavior that a lack of effort led to their mistakes in math, they learned to keep tryingwhen the problems got tough. Another group of helpless children who were simply rewarded fortheir success on easier problems did not improve their ability to solve hard math problems. Theseexperiments indicated that a focus on effort can help resolve helplessness and generate success.D) Later, I developed a broader theory of what separates the two general classes of learners--helplessversus mastery-oriented. I realized these different types of students not only explain their failuresdifferently, but they also hold different "theories" of intelligence.The helpless ones believeintelligence is a fixed characteristic: you have only a certain amount, and that's that. I call this a"fixed mind-set (思维模式). " Mistakes crack their self-confidence because they attribute errors toa lack of ability, which they feel powerless to change. They avoid challenges because challengesmake mistakes more likely. The mastery-oriented children, on the other hand, think intelligence isnot fixed and can be developed through education and hard work. Such children believe challengesare energizing rather than intimidating (令人生畏); they offer opportunities to learn. Studentswith such a growth mind-set were destined (注定) for greater academic success and were quitelikely to outperform their counterparts.E) We validated these expectations in a study in which two other psychologists andI monitored 373students for two years during the transition to junior high school, when the work gets more difficultand the grading more strict, to determine how their mind-sets might affect their math grades. At thebeginning of seventh grade, we assessed the students' mind-sets by asking them to agree or disagreewith statements such as "Your intelligence is something very basic about you that you can't reallychange. " We then assessed their beliefs about other aspects of learning and looked to see whathappened to their grades.F) As predicted, the students with a growth mind-set felt that learning was a more important goal thangetting good grades. In addition, they held hard work in high regard. They understood that evengeniuses have to work hard. Confronted by a setback such as a disappointing test grade, studentswith a growth mind-set said they would study harder or try a different strategy. The students whoheld a fixed mind-set, however, were concerned about looking smart with less regard for learning.They had negative views of effort, believing that having to work hard was a sign of low ability.They thought that a person with talent or intelligence did not need to work hard to do well.Attributing a bad grade to their own lack of ability, those with a fixed mind-set said that they wouldstudy less in the future, try never to take that subject again and consider cheating on future tests.G) Such different outlooks had a dramatic impact on performance. At the start of junior high, the mathachievement test scores of the students with a growth mind-set were comparable to those ofstudents who displayed a fixed mind-set. But as the work became more difficult, the students witha growth mind-set showed greater persistence. As a result, their math grades overtook those of theother students by the end of the first semester--and the gap between the two groups continued towiden during the two years we followed them.H) A fixed mind-set can also hinder communication and progress in the workplace and discourage orignore constructive criticism and advice. Research shows that managers who have a fixed mind-setare less likely to seek or welcome feedback from their employees than are managers with a growthmind-set.I) How do we transmit a growth mind-set to our children? One way is by telling stories aboutachievements that result from hard work. For instance, talking about mathematical geniuses whowere more or less born that way puts students in a fixed mind-set, but descriptions of greatmathematicians who fell in love with math and developed amazing skills produce a growth mind-set.J) In addition, parents and teachers can help children by providing explicit instruction regarding themind as a learning machine. I designed an eight-session workshop for 91 students whose mathgrades were declining in their first year of junior high.Forty-eight of the students receivedinstruction in study skills only, whereas the others attended a combination of study skills sessionsand classes in which they learned about the growth mind-set and how to apply it to schoolwork. Inthe growth mind-set classes, students read and discussed an article entitled "You Can Grow YourBrain. " They were taught that the brain is like a muscle that gets stronger with use and thatlearning prompts the brain to grow new connections. From such instruction, many students beganto see themselves as agents of their own braindevelopment. Despite being unaware that there weretwo types of instruction, teachers reported significant motivational changes in 27% of the childrenin the growth mind-set workshop as compared with only 9% of students in the control group. K) Research is converging (汇聚) on the conclusion that great accomplishment and even genius istypically the result of years of passion and dedication and not something that flows naturally from agift.36. The author's experiment shows that students with a fixed mind-set believe having to work hard is an indication of low ability.37. Focusing on effort is effective in helping children overcome frustration and achieve success.38. We can cultivate a growth mind-set in children by telling success stories that emphasize hard work and love of learning.39. Students' belief about the cause of their failure explains their attitude toward setbacks.40. In the author's experiment, students with a growth mind-set showed greater perseverance in solving difficult math problems.41. The author conducted an experiment to find out about the influence of students' mind-sets on math learning.42. After failing again and again, most animals give up hope.43. Informing students about the brain as a learning machine is a good strategy to enhance their motivation for learning.44. People with a fixed mind-set believe that one's intelligence is unchangeable.45. In the workplace, feedback may not be so welcome to managers with a fixed mind-set.Section CDirections: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions orunfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A., B., C. AndD . You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on AnswerSheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage."Sugar, alcohol and tobacco," economist Adam Smith once wrote," are commodities which arenowhere necessaries of life, which have become objects of almost universal consumption, and whichare, therefore, extremely popular subjects of taxation. " Two and a haft centuries on, most countries impose some sort of tax on alcohol and tobacco. Withsurging obesity levels putting increasing strain on public health systems, governments around the worldhave begun to toy with the idea of taxing sugar as well.Whether such taxes work is a matter of debate. A preliminary review of Mexico's taxation found afall in purchases of taxed drinks as well as a rise in sales of untaxed and healthier drinks. By contrast,a Danish tax on foods high in fats was abandoned a year after its introduction, amid claims thatconsumers were avoiding it by crossing the border to Germany to satisfy their desire for cheaper, fattierfare.The food industry has, in general, been firmly opposed to such direct governmentaction.Nonetheless, the renewed focus on waistlines means that industry groups are under pressure todemonstrate their products are healthy as well as tasty.Over the past three decades, the industry has made some efforts to improve the quality of itsofferings. For example, some drink manufacturers have cut the amount of sugar in their beverages.Many of the reductions over the past 30 years have been achieved either by reducing the amount ofsugar, salt or fat in a product, or by finding an alternative ingredient. More recently, however, somecompanies have been investing money in a more ambitious undertaking: learning how to adjust thefundamental make-up of the food they sell. For example, having salt on the outside, but none on theinside, reduces the salt content without changing the taste.While reformulating recipes ( 配方) is one way to improve public health, it should be part of amulti-sided approach. The key is to remember that there is not just one solution. To deal with obesity,a mixture of approaches--including reformulation, taxation and adjusting portion sizes--will beneeded. There is no silver bullet.46. What did Adam Smith say about sugar, alcohol and .tobacco?A. They were profitable to manufacture.B. They were in ever-increasing demand.C. They were subject to taxation almost everywhere.D. They were no longer considered necessities of life.47. Why have many countries started to consider taxing sugar?A. They are under growing pressure to balance their national budgets.B. They find it ever harder to cope with sugar-induced health problems.C. The practice of taxing alcohol and tobacco has proved both popular and profitable.D. The sugar industry is overtaking alcohol and tobacco business in generating profits.48. What do we learn about Danish taxation on fat-rich foods?A. It did not work out as well as was expected.B. It gave rise to a lot of problems on the border.C. It could not succeed without German cooperation.D. It met with firm opposition from the food industry.49. What is the more recent effort by food companies to make foods and drinks both healthy and tasty?A. Replacing sugar or salt with alternative ingredients.B. Setting a limit on the amount of sugar or salt in their products.C. Investing in research to find ways to adapt to consumers' needs.D. Adjusting the physical composition of their products.50. What does the author mean by saying, at the end of the passage, "There is no silver bullet" ( Line 4, Para.7)?A. There is no single easy quick solution to the problem.B. There is no hope of success without public cooperation.C. There is no hurry in finding ways to solve the obesity problem.D. There is no effective way to reduce people's sugar consumption.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.You may have heard some of the fashion industry horror stories: models eating tissues or cottonballs to hold off hunger, and models collapsing from hunger-induced heart attacks just seconds afterthey step off the runway.Excessively skinny models have been a point of controversy for decades, and two researchers saya model's body mass should be a workplace health and safety issue. In an editorial released Monday inthe American Journal of Public Health, Katherine Record and Bryn Austin made their case forgovernment regulation of the fashion industry.The average international runway model has a body mass index (BMI) under 16--low enough toindicate starvation by the World Health Organization's standard. And Record and Austin are worried notjust about the models themselves, but about the vast number of girls and women their images influence."Especially girls and teens," says Record. "Seventy percent of girls aged 10 to 18 report that theydefine perfect body image based on what they see in magazines. " That's especially worrying, she says,given that anorexia (厌食症) results in more deaths than does any other mental illness, according tothe National Institute of Mental Health.It's commonly known that certain diseases are linked with occupations like lung disease in coalminers. Professional fashion models are particularly vulnerable to eating disorders resulting fromoccupational demands to maintain extreme thinness. Record's suggestion is to prohibit agents from hiring models with a BMI below 18. In April, France passed a law setting lower limits for a model's weight. Agents and fashion houseswho hire models with a BMI under 18 could pay $ 82,000 in fines and spend up to 6 months in jail.Regulating the fashion industry in the United States won't be easy, Record says. But with the new rulesin France, U.S. support could make a difference. "A designer can't survive without participating inParis Fashion Week", she says, adding," Our argument is that the same would be true of New YorkFashion Week. "51. What do Record and Austin say about fashion models' body mass?A. It has caused needless controversy.B. It is but a matter of personal taste.C. It is the focus of the modeling business.D. It affects models' health and safety.52. What are Record and Austin advocating in the Monday editorial?A. A change in the public's view of female beauty.B. Government legislation about models' weight.C. Elimination of forced weight loss by models.D. Prohibition of models eating non-food stuff.53. Why are Record and Austin especially worried about the low body mass index of models?A. It contributes to many mental illnesses.B. It defines the future of the fashion industry.C. It has great influence on numerous girls and women.D. It keeps many otherwise qualified women off the runway.54. What do we learn about France's fashion industry?A. It has difficulty hiring models.B. It has now a new law to follow.C. It allows girls under 18 on the runway.D. It has overtaken that of the United States.55. What does Record expect of New York Fashion Week?A. It will create a completely new set of rules.B. It will do better than Paris Fashion Week.C. It will differ from Paris Fashion Week.D. It will have models with a higher BMI.Part ⅣTranslation( 30 minutes )Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese intoEnglish. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.在中国文化中，黄颜色是一种很重要的颜色，因为它具有独特的象征意义。

2016年12月大学英语四级真题（第一套）Part I Writing (30minutes)Directions:For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay. Suppose you have two options upon graduation: one is to take a job in a company and the other to go to a graduate school. You are to make a choice between the two. Write an essay to explain the reasons for your choice. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 1and 2 are based on the news report you have just the heard.1. A) It was going to be renovated. C) It was dangerous to live in.B) He could no longer pay the rent. D) He had sold it to the royal family.2. A) A storm. C) A forest fire.B) A strike. D) A Terrorist attack.Questions 3and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3. A) They lost contact with the emergency department.B) They were injured by suddenly falling rocks.C) They sent calls for help via a portable radio.D) They were trapped in an underground elevator.4. A) They provided the miner with food and water.B) They sent supplies to keep the miners warm.C) They released the details of the accident.D) They tried hard to repair the accident.Question5 to7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. A) Raise postage rates. C) Close some of its post offices.B) Improve its services. D) Redesign delivery routes.6. A) Closing offices on holidays. C) Computerizing mail sorting processes.B) Shortening business hours. D) Stopping mail delivery on Saturdays.7.A）A lot of controversy will ariseB) Taxpayers will be very pleasedC) Many people will begin to complainD) Many post office staff will lose their jobsSection BDirections:In this section,you will hear two long conversations.At the end of eachconversation,you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from four choice marked A),B),C) and D).Then mark the corresponding letter an Answer sheet1 with a single line though the centre.Question8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8.A)He will lose part of his pay. C)He will be given a warning.B)He will go through retraining. D)He is go good terms with his workmates.9.A)He is an experienced press operator. C)He is always on time.B)He is trustworthy guy. D）He is go good terms with his workmates.10.A)She is a trade union representative. C)She is better at handing such matters.B)She is a senior manager of the shop. D)She is in charge of public relation.11.A)He is always trying to stir up trouble.B)He is skilled and experienced.C)He is very close to the manager.D)He is always complaining about low wages.Question12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12.A)Open. C)Selfish.B)Reserved. D)Friendly.13.A)They read a book. C)They stay quiet.B)They talk about the weather D)They chat with fellow passengers.14.A)She was unwilling to make friends with workmates.B)She was never invited to a colleague’s home.C)She was eager to visit an English castle.D)She was always treated as a foreigner.15.A) House are much more quiet. C) They want a garden of their own.B) They want to have more space. D) Houses provide more privacy. Section CDirections:In this section,you will hear three passages.At the end of each passage,you will hear three or four questions.Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once.After you hear a question,you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A),B),C) and D).Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16.A) They will automatically be given hiring priority.B) They don’t have to go through job interviews.C) They are likely to get much higher pay.D) They don’t have much choice of jobs.17.A) Visit the school careers services. C) Look at school bulletin boards.B) Ask their professors for help. D) Go through campus newspapers.18.A) Providing students with information about the library.B) Helping students arrange appointments with librarians.C) Supervising study spaces to ensure a quiet atmosphere.D) Helping students find the books and journals they need.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19.A) It tastes better. C) It is easier to grow.B) It may be sold at a higher price. D) It can better survive extreme weathers.20.A) It can grow in drier soil. C) It will replace green tea one day.B) It is immune to various diseases. D) It is healthier than green tea.21.A) It does not have a stable market.B) It has made tea farm ers’ life easier.C) It does not bring the promised health benefits.D) It has been well received by many tea drinkers.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A) They care more about environment.B) They decorate their homes themselves.C) They prefer unique objects of high quality.D) They need decorations to show their status.23. A) They made great contributions to society.B) They could only try to create at night.C) They were proud of their creations.D) They focused on the quality of their products.24. A) Identify fake crafts. C) Design handicrafts themselves.B) Make wise choices. D) Learn the importance of creation.25. A) To attract foreign investments. C) To arouse public interest in crafts.B) To preserve the traditional culture. D) To boost the local economy.Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)Section ADirections:In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.Many men and women have long bought into the idea that there are “male” and “female” brains, believing that explains just about every difference between the sexes.A new study（26）that belief, questioning whether brains really can be distinguished by gender.In the study, Tel Aviv University researchers（27）for sex differences the entire human brain.And what did they find? Not much. Rather than offer evidence for（28）brains as “male” or “female,” research shows that brains fall into a wide range, with m ost people falling right in the middle.Daphna Joel, who led the study, said her research found that while there are some gender-based（29）, many different types of brain can’t always be distinguished by gender.While the “average” male and “average” fe male brains were（30）different, you couldn’t tell it by looking at individual brain scans. Only a small（31）of people had “all-male” or “all-female” characteristics.Larry Cahill, an American neuroscientist (神经科学家),said the study is an important addition to a growing body of research questioning（32）beliefs about gender and brain function. But he cautioned against concluding from this study that all brains are the same,（33）of gender.“There’s a mountain of evidence（34）the importance of sex influences at all levels of brain function,” he told The Seattle Times.If anything, he said, the study（35）that gender plays a very important role in the brain “even when we are not clear exactly how.”Section BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.Can Burglars Jam Your Wireless Security System?[A]Any product that promises to protect your home deserves careful examination. So it isn’t surprising that you’ll find plen ty of strong opinions about the potential vulnerabilities of popular home-security systems.[B]The most likely type of burglary (入室盗窃) by far is the unsophisticated crime of opportunity, usually involving a broken window or some forced entry. According to the FBI, crimes like these accounted roughly two-thirds of all household burglaries in the US in 2013.The wide majority of the rest were illegal, unforced entries that resulted from something like a window being left open. The odds of a criminal using technical means to bypass a security system are so small that the FBI doesn’t even track those statistics.[C]One of the main theoretical home-security concerns is whether or not a given system is vulnerable to being blocked from working altogether. With wired setups, the fear is that a burglar (入室盗贼) might be able to shut your system down simply by cutting the right cable. With a wireless setup, you stick battery-powered sensors up around your home that keep an eye on windows, doors, motion, and more. If they detect something wrong while the system is armed, they’ll transmit a wireless alert signal to a base station that will then raise the alarm. That approach will eliminate most cord-cutting concerns—but what about their wireless equivalent, jamming? With the right device tuned to the right frequency, what’s to stop a thief from jamming your setup and blocking that alert signal from ever reaching the base station?[D]Jamming concerns are nothing new, and they’re not unique to security systems. Any device that’s built to receive a wireless signal at a specific frequency can be overwhelmed by a stronger signal coming in on the same frequency. For comparison, let’s say you wanted to “jam” a conversation between two people—all you’d need to do is yell in the listener’s ear.[E] Security devices are required to list the frequencies they broadcast on—that means that a potential thief can find what they need to know with minimal Googling. They will, however, need so know what system they’re looking for. If you have a sign in your yard declaring what setup you use, that’d point them in the right direction, though at that point, we’re talking about a highly targeted, semi-sophisticated attack, and not the sort forced-entry attack that makes up the majority of burglaries. It’s easier to find and acquire jamming equipment for some frequencies than it is for others.[F] Wireless security providers will often take steps to help combat the threat of jamming attacks. SimpliSafe, winner of our Editor’s Choice distinction, utilizes a special system that’s capable of separating incidental RF interference from targeted jamming attacks. Wh en the system thinks it’s being jammed, it’ll notify you via push alert(推送警报).From there, it’s up to you to sound the alarm manually.[G] SimpliSafe was singled out in one recent article on jamming, complete with a video showing the entire system being effectively bypassed with handheld jamming equipment. After taking appropriate measures to contain the RF interference to our test lab, we tested the attack out for ourselves, and were able to verify that it’s possible with the right equipment. However, we also verified that SimpliSafe’santi-jamming system works. It caught us in the act, sent an alert to my smartphone, and also listed our RF interference on the system’s event log. The team behind the article and video in question make no mention of the system, or whether or not in detected them.[H]We like the unique nature of that software. It means that a thief likely wouldn’t be able to Google how the system works, then figure out a way around it. Even if they could, SimpliSafe claims that its system is always evolving, and that it varies slightly from system to system, which means there wouldn’t be a universal magic formula for cracking it. Other systems also seem confident on the subject of jamming. The team at Frontpoint addresses the issue in a blog on its site, citing their own jam protection software and claiming that there aren’t any documented cases of successful jam attack since the company began offering wireless security sensors in the 1980s.[I] Jamming attacks are absolutely possible. As said before, with the right equipment and the right know-how, it’s possible to jam any wireless transmission. But how probable is it that someone will successfully jam their way into your home and steal your stuff?[J] Let’s imagine that you live in a small home with a wireless security setup that offers a functional anti-jamming system. First, a thief is going to need to target your home, specifically. Then, he’s going to need to know the technical detail s of your system and acquire the specific equipment necessary for jamming your specific setup. Presumably, you keep your doors locked at night and while you’re away. So the thief will still need to break in. That means defeating the lock somehow, or breaking a window. He’ll need to be jamming you at this point, as a broken window or openeddoor would normally release the alarm. So, too, would the motion detectors in your home, so the thief will need to continue jamming once he’s inside and searching for thi ngs to steal. However, he’ll need to do so without tripping the anti-jamming system, the details of which he almost certainly does now have access to.[K]At the end of the day, these kinds of systems are primarily designed to protect against the sort of opportunistic smash-and-grab attack that makes up the majority of burglaries. They’re also only a single layer in what should ideally be a many-sided approach to securing your home, one that includes common sense things like sound locks and proper exterior lighting at night. No system is impenetrable, and none can promise to eliminate the worst case completely. Every one of them has vulnerabilities that a knowledgeable thief could theoretically exploit. A good system is one that keeps that worst-case setting as improbable as possible while also offering strong protection in the event of a less-extraordinary attack.36. It is possible for burglars to make jamming attacks with the necessary equipmentand skill.37. Interfering with a wireless security system is similar to interfering with aconversation.38. A burglar has to continuously jam the wireless security device to avoid triggeringthe alarm, both inside and outside the house.39. SimpliSafe provides devices that are able to distinguish incidental radiointerference from targeted jamming attacks.40. Only a very small proportion of burglaries are committed by technical means.41. It is difficult to crack SimpliSafe as its system keeps changing.42. Wireless devices will transmit signals so as to activate the alarm once somethingwrong is detected.43. Diff erent measures should be taken to protect one’s home from burglary inaddition to the wireless security system.44. SimpliSafe’s device can send a warning to the house owner’s cellphone.45. Burglars can easily get a security device’s frequ ency by Internet search.Section CDirections:There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A),B),C) and D).You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.As a person who writes about food and drink for a living. I couldn’t tell you the first thing about Bill Perry or whether the beers he sells are that great. But I can tell you that I like this guy. That’s because he plans to ban tipping in favor of paying his servers an actual living wage.I hate tipping.I hat e it because it’s an obligation disgu ised as an option. I hate it for thepost-dinner math it requires of me. But mostly, I hate tipping because I believe I would be in a better place if pay decisions regarding employees were simply left up to their employers, as is the custom in virtually every other industry.Most of you probably think that you hate tipping, too. Research suggests otherwise. You actually love tipping! You like to feel that you have a voice in how much money your server makes. No matter how the math works out, you persistently view restaurants with voluntary tipping systems as being a better value, which makes it extremely difficult for restaurants and bars to do away with the tipping system.One argument that you tend to hear a lot from the pro-tipping crowd seems logical enough: the service is better when waiters depend on tips, presumably because they see a benefit to successfully veiling their contempt for you. Well, if this were true, we would all be slipping a few 100-dollar bills to our doctors on the way out their doors, too. But as it turns out, waiters see only a tiny bump in tips when they do an exceptional job compared to a passable one. Waiters, keen observers of humanity that they are, are catching on to this; in one poll, a f ull 30% said they didn’t believe the job they did had any impact on the tips they received.So come on, folks: get on board with ditching the outdated tip system. Pay a little more upfront for your beer or burger. Support Bill Perry’s pub, and any other b ar or restaurant that doesn’t ask you to do drunken math.46. What can we learn about Bill Perry from the passage?A) He runs a pub that serves excellent beer.B) He intends to get rid of the tipping practice.C) He gives his staff a considerable sum for tips.D) He lives comfortably without getting any tips.47. What is the main reason why the author hates tipping?A) It sets a bad example for other industries.B) It adds to the burden of ordinary customers.C) It forces the customer to compensate the waiter.D) It poses a great challenge for customers to do math.48. Why do many people love tipping according to the author?A) They help improve the quality of the restaurants they dine in.B) They believe waiters deserve such rewards for good service.C) They want to preserve a wonderful tradition of the industry.D) They can have some say in how much their servers earn.49. What have some waiters come to realize according to a survey?A) Service quality has little effect on tip size.B) It is in human mature to try to save on tips.C) Tips make it more difficult to please customers.D) Tips benefit the boss rather that the employees.50. What does the author argue for in the passage?A) Restaurants should calculate the tips for customers.B) Customers should pay more tips to help improve service.C) Waiters deserve better than just relying on tips for a living.D) Waiters should be paid by employers instead of customers.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.In the past, falling oil prices have given a boost to the world economy, but recent forecasts for global growth have been toned down, even as oil prices sink lower and lower. Does that mean the link between lower oil prices and growth has weakened?Some experts say there are still good reasons to believe cheap oil should heat up the world economy. Consumers have more money in their pockets when they’re paying less at the pump. They spend that money on other things, which stimulates the economy.The biggest gains go to countries that import most of their oil like China, Japan, and India, But doesn’t the extra money in the pockets of those countries’ consumers mean an equal loss in oil producing countries, cancelling out the gains? Not necessarily, says economic researcher Sara Johnson. “M any oil producers built up huge reserve funds when prices were high, so when prices fall they will draw on their reserves to support government spending and subsidies(补贴) for their consumers.”But not all oil producers have big reserves, In Venezuela, collapsing oil prices have sent its economy into free-fall.Economist Carl Weinberg believes the negative effects of plunging oil prices are overwhelming the positive effects of cheaper oil. The implication is a sharp decline in global trade, which has plunged partly because oil-producing nations can’t afford to import as much as they used to.Sara Johnson acknowledges that the global economic benefit from a fall in oil prices today is likely lower than it was in the past. One reason is that more countries are big oil producers now, so the nations suffering from the price drop account for a larger share of the global economy.Consumers, in the U.S. at least, are acting cautiously with the savings they’re getting at the gas pump, as the memory of the recent great recession is still fresh in their mind. And a number of oil-producing countries are trimming their gasolinesubsidies and raising taxes, so the net savings for global consumers is not as big as the oil price plunge might suggest.51. What does the author mainly discuss in the passage?A) The reasons behind the plunge of oil prices.B) Possible ways to stimulate the global economy.C) The impact of cheap oil on global economic growth.D) The effect of falling oil prices on consumer spending.52. Why do some experts believe cheap oil will stimulate the global economy?A) Manufacturers can produce consumer goods at a much lower cost.B) Lower oil prices have always given a big boost to the global economy.C) Oil prices may rise or fall but economic laws are not subject to change.D) Consumers will spend their saving from cheap oil on other commodities.53. What happens in many oil-exporting countries when oil prices go down?A) They suspend import of necessities from overseas.B) They reduce production drastically to boost oil prices.C) They use their money reserves to back up consumption.D) They try to stop their economy from going into free-fall.54. How does Carl Weinberg view the current oil price plunge?A) It is one that has seen no parallel in economic history.B) Its negative effects more than cancel out its positive effects.C) It still has a chance to give rise to a boom in the global economy.D) Its effects on the global economy go against existing economic laws.55. Why have n’t falling oil prices boosted the global economy as they did before?A) People are not spending all the money they save on gas.B) The global economy is likely to undergo another recession.C) Oil importers account for a larger portion of the global economy.D) People the world over are afraid of a further plunge in oil prices.Part IV Translation (30minutes)Directions: For this part,you are allowed 30minutes to transtate a passage from Chinese into English.You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.在中国文化中，红色通常象征着好运、长寿和幸福，在春节和其他喜庆场合，红色到处可见。

2016年12月四级真题（第二套）Part I WritingDirections: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay. Suppose you have two options upon graduation: one is to take a job in a company and the other to go to a graduate school. You are to make a choice between the two. Write an essay to explain the reasons for your choice. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Part II Listening ComprehensionSection ADirections: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1.A) To satisfy the curiosity of tourists.B) To replace two old stone bridges.C) To enable tourists to visit Goat Island.D) To improve utility services in the state.2.A) Countless tree limbs.B) A few skeletons.C) Lots of wrecked boats and ships.D) Millions of coins on the bottom.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.A) It suspended diplomatic relations with Libya.B) It urged tourists to leave Tunisia immediately.C) It shut down two border crossings with Libya.D) It launched a fierce attack against Islamic State.4.A) Advise Tunisian civilians on how to take safety precautions.B) Track down the organization responsible for the terrorist attack.C) Train qualified security personnel for the Tunisian government.D) Devise a monitoring system on the Tunisian border with Libya.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5.A) An environment-friendly battery.B) An energy-saving mobile phone.C) A plant-powered mobile phone charger.D) A device to help plants absorb sunlight.6.A) While sitting in their school's courtyard.B) While playing games on their phones.C) While solving a mathematical problem.D) While doing a chemical experiment.7.A) It increases the applications of mobile phones.B) It speeds up the process of photosynthesis.C) It improves the reception of mobile phones.D) It collects the energy released by plants.Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8.A) He visited the workshops in the Grimsby plant.B) He called the woman and left her a message.C) He used stand-ins as replacements on all lines.D) He asked a technician to fix the broken production line.9.A) It is the most modern production line.B) It assembles super-intelligent robots.C) It has stopped working completely.D) It is going to be upgraded soon.10.A) To seek her permission.B) To place an order for robots.C) To request her to return at once.D) To ask for Tom's phone number.11.A) She is on duty.B) She is having her day off.C) She is on sick leave.D) She is abroad on business.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12.A) He saved a baby boy's life.B) He wanted to be a superhero.C) He prevented a train crash.D) He was a witness to an accident.13.A) He has a 9-month-old boy.B) He is currently unemployed.C) He enjoys the interview.D) He commutes by subway.14.A) A rock on the tracks.B) A misplaced pushchair.C) A strong wind.D) A speeding car.15.A) She stood motionless in shock.B) She cried bitterly.C) She called the police at once.D) She shouted for help.Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16.A) She inherited her family ice-cream business in Billings.B) She loved the ice-cream business more than teaching primary school.C) She started an ice-cream business to finance her daughter's education.D) She wanted to have an ice-cream truck when she was a little girl.A) To preserve a tradition.B) To amuse her daughter.C) To help local education.D) To make some extra money.18.A) To raise money for business expansion.B) To make her truck attractive to children.C) To allow poor kids to have ice-cream too.D) To teach kids the value of mutual support.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19.A) The reasons for imposing taxes.B) The various services money can buy.C) The various burdens on ordinary citizens.D) The function of money in the modern world.20.A) Educating and training citizens.B) Improving public transportation.C) Protecting people's life and property.D) Building hospitals and public libraries.21.A) By asking for donations.B) By selling public lands.C) By selling government bonds.D) By exploiting natural resources.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.A) It is located at the center of the European continent.B) It relies on tourism as its chief source of revenues.C) It contains less than a square mile of land.D) It is surrounded by France on three sides.23.A) Its beauty is frequently mentioned in American media.B) Its ruler Prince Rainier married an American actress.C) It is where many American movies are shot.D) It is a favorite place Americans like to visit.24.A) Tobacco.B) Potatoes.C) Machinery.D) Clothing.25.A) European history.B) European geography.C) Small countries in Europe.D) Tourist attractions in Europe.Part III Reading ComprehensionSection ADirections: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.The ocean is heating up. That's the conclusion of a new study that finds that Earth's oceans now 26 heat at twice the rate they did 18 years ago. Around half of ocean heat intake since 1865 has taken place since 1997, researchers report online in Nature Climate Change.Warming waters are known to 27 to coral bleaching (珊瑚白化) and they take up more space than cooler waters, raising sea 28 . While the top of the ocean is well studied, its depths are more difficult to 29 . The researchers gathered 150 years of ocean temperature data in order to get a better 30 of heat absorption from surface to seabed. They gathered together temperature readings collected by everything from a 19th century 31 of British naval ships to modern automated ocean probes. The extensive data sources, 32 with computer simulations (计算机模拟), created a timeline of ocean temperature changes, including cooling from volcanic outbreaks and warming from fossil fuel 33 .About 35 percent of the heat taken in by the oceans during the industrial era now resides at a 34 of more than 700 meters, the researchers found. They say they're 35 whether the deep-sea warming canceled out warming at the sea's surface.A) absorbB) combinedC) contributeD) depthE) emissionsF) excursionG) exploreH) floor I) heights J) indifferent K) levels L) mixed M) picture N) unsure O) voyageSection BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.The Secret to Raising Smart KidsA) I first began to investigate the basis of human motivation – and how people persevere after setbacks – as a psychology graduate student at Yale University in the 1960s. Animal experiments by psychologists at the University of Pennsylvania had shown that after repeated failures, most animals conclude that a situation is hopeless and beyond their control. After such an experience an animal often remains passive even when it can effect change – a state they called learned helplessness.B) People can learn to be helpless, too. Why do some students give up when they encounter difficulty, whereas others who are no more skilled continue to strive and learn? One answer, I soon discovered, lay in people's beliefs about why they had failed.C) In particular, attributing poor performance to a lack of ability depresses motivation more than does the belief that lack of effort is to blame. When I told a group of school children who displayed helpless behavior that a lack of effort led to their mistakes in math, they learned to keep trying when the problems got tough. Another group of helpless children who were simply rewarded for their success on easier problems did not improve their ability to solve hard math problems. These experiments indicated that a focus on effort can help resolve helplessness and generate success.D) Later, I developed a broader theory of what separates the two general classes of learners – helpless versus mastery-oriented. I realized these different types of students not only explain their failures differently, but they also hold different “theories” of intelligence. The helpless ones believe intelligence is a fixed characteristic: you have only a certain amount, and that's that. I call this a “fixed mind-set (思维模式).” Mistakes crack their self-confidence because they attribute errors to a lack of ability, which they feel powerless to change. They avoid challenges because challenges make mistakes more likely. The mastery-oriented children, on the other hand, think intelligence is not fixed and can be developed through education and hard work. Such children believe challenges are energizing rather than intimidating (令人生畏); they offer opportunities to learn. Students with such a growth mind-set were destined (注定) for greater academic success and were quite likely to outperform their counterparts.E) We validated these expectations in a study in which two other psychologists and I monitored 373 students for two years during the transition to junior high school, when the work gets more difficult and the grading more strict, to determine how their mind-sets might affect their math grades. At the beginning of seventh grade, we assessed the students' mind-sets by asking them to agree or disagree with statements such as “Your intelligence is something very basic about you that you can't really change.” We then assessed their beliefs about other aspects of learning and looked to see what happened to their grades.F) As predicted, the students with a growth mind-set felt that learning was a more important goal than getting good grades. In addition, they held hard work in high regard. They understood that even geniuses have to work hard. Confronted by a setback such as a disappointing test grade, students with a growth mind-set said they would study harder or try a different strategy. The students who held a fixed mind-set, however, were concerned about looking smart with less regard for learning. They had negative views of effort, believing that having to work hard was a sign of low ability. They thought that a person with talent or intelligence did not need to work hard to do well. Attributing a bad grade to their own lack of ability,those with a fixed mind-set said that they would study less in the future, try never to take that subject again and consider cheating on future tests.G) Such different outlooks had a dramatic impact on performance. At the start of junior high, the math achievement test scores of the students with a growthmind-set were comparable to those of students who displayed a fixed mind-set. But as the work became more difficult, the students with a growth mind-set showed greater persistence. As a result, their math grades overtook those of the other students by the end of the first semester – and the gap between the two groups continued to widen during the two years we followed them.H) A fixed mind-set can also hinder communication and progress in the workplace and discourage or ignore constructive criticism and advice. Research shows that managers who have a fixed mind-set are less likely to seek or welcome feedback from their employees than are managers with a growth mind-set.I) How do we transmit a growth mind-set to our children? One way is by telling stories about achievements that result from hard work. For instance, talking about mathematical geniuses who were more or less born that way puts students in a fixed mind-set, but descriptions of great mathematicians who fell in love with math and developed amazing skills produce a growth mind-set.J) In addition, parents and teachers can help children by providing explicit instruction regarding the mind as a learning machine. I designed an eight-session workshop for 91 students whose math grades were declining in their first year of junior high. Forty-eight of the students received instruction in study skills only, whereas the others attended a combination of study skills sessions and classes in which they learned about the growth mind-set and how to apply it to schoolwork. In the growth mind-set classes, students read and discussed an article entitled “You Can Grow Your Brain.” They were taught that the brain is like a muscle that gets stronger with use and that learning prompts the brain to grow new connections. From such instruction, many students began to see themselves as agents of their own brain development. Despite being unaware that there were two types of instruction, teachers reported significant motivational changes in 27% of the children in the growth mind-set workshop as compared with only 9% of students in the control group.K) Research is converging (汇聚) on the conclusion that great accomplishment and even genius is typically the result of years of passion and dedication and not something that flows naturally from a gift.36. The author's experiment shows that students with a fixed mind-set believe having to work hard is an indication of low ability.37. Focusing on effort is effective in helping children overcome frustration and achieve success.38. We can cultivate a growth mind-set in children by telling success stories that emphasize hard work and love of learning.39. Students’ belief about the cause of their failure explains their attitude toward setbacks.40. In the author's experiment, students with a growth mind-set showed greater perseverance in solving difficult math problems.41. The author conducted an experiment to find out about the influence of students' mind-sets on math learning.42. After failing again and again, most animals give up hope.43. Informing students about the brain as a learning machine is a good strategy to enhance their motivation for learning.44. People with a fixed mind-set believe that one's intelligence is unchangeable.45. In the workplace, feedback may not be so welcome to managers with a fixed mind-set.Section CDirections: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.“Sugar, alcohol and tobacco,” economist Adam Smith once wrote, “are commodities which are nowhere necessaries of life, which have become objects of almost universal consumption, and which are, therefore, extremely popular subjects of taxation.”Two and a half centuries on, most countries impose some sort of tax on alcohol and tobacco. With surging obesity levels putting increasing strain on public health systems, governments around the world have begun to toy with the idea of taxing sugar as well.Whether such taxes work is a matter of debate. A preliminary review of Mexico's taxation found a fall in purchases of taxed drinks as well as a rise in sales of untaxed and healthier drinks. By contrast, a Danish tax on foods high in fats was abandoned a year after its introduction, amid claims that consumers were avoiding it by crossing the border to Germany to satisfy their desire for cheaper, fattier fare.The food industry has, in general, been firmly opposed to such direct government action. Nonetheless, the renewed focus on waistlines means that industry groups are under pressure to demonstrate their products are healthy as well as tasty.Over the past three decades, the industry has made some efforts to improve the quality of its offerings. For example, some drink manufacturers have cut the amount of sugar in their beverages.Many of the reductions over the past 30 years have been achieved either by reducing the amount of sugar, salt or fat in a product, or by finding an alternative ingredient. More recently, however, some companies have been investing money in a more ambitious undertaking: learning how to adjust the fundamental make-up of the food they sell. For example, having salt on the outside, but none on the inside, reduces the salt content without changing the taste.While reformulating recipes (配方) is one way to improve public health, it should be part of a multi-sided approach. The key is to remember that there is not just one solution. To deal with obesity, a mixture of approaches – including reformulation, taxation and adjusting portion sizes – will be needed. There is no silver bullet.46. What did Adam Smith say about sugar, alcohol and tobacco?A) They were profitable to manufacture.B) They were in ever-increasing demand.C) They were subject to taxation almost everywhere.D) They were no longer considered necessities of life.47. Why have many countries started to consider taxing sugar?A) They are under growing pressure to balance their national budgets.B) They find it ever harder to cope with sugar-induced health problems.C) The practice of taxing alcohol and tobacco has proved both popular and profitable.D) The sugar industry is overtaking alcohol and tobacco business in generating profits.48. What do we learn about Danish taxation on fat-rich foods?A) It did not work out as well as was expected.B) It gave rise to a lot of problems on the border.C) It could not succeed without German cooperation.D) It met with firm opposition from the food industry.49. What is the more recent effort by food companies to make foods and drinks both healthy and tasty?A) Replacing sugar or salt with alternative ingredients.B) Setting a limit on the amount of sugar or salt in their products.C) Investing in research to find ways to adapt to consumers' needs.D) Adjusting the physical composition of their products.50. What does the author mean by saying, at the end of the passage, “There is no silver bullet” (Line 4, Para. 7)？A) There is no single easy quick solution to the problem.B) There is no hope of success without public cooperation.C) There is no hurry in finding ways to solve the obesity problem.D) There is no effective way to reduce people's sugar consumption.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.You may have heard some of the fashion industry horror stories: models eating tissues or cotton balls to hold off hunger, and models collapsing fromhunger-induced heart attacks just seconds after they step off the runway.Excessively skinny models have been a point of controversy for decades, and two researchers say a model's body mass should be a workplace health and safety issue. In an editorial released Monday in the American Journal of Public Health, Katherine Record and Bryn Austin made their case for government regulation of the fashion industry.The average international runway model has a body mass index (BMI) under 16 – low enough to indicate starvation by the World Health Organization's standard. And Record and Austin are worried not just about the models themselves, but about the vast number of girls and women their images influence.“Especially girls and teens,” says Record. “Seventy percent of girls aged 10 to 18 report that they define perfect body image based on what they see in magazines.” That's especially worrying, she says, given that anorexia (厌食症) results in more deaths than does any other mental illness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.It's commonly known that certain diseases are linked with occupations like lung disease in coal miners. Professional fashion models are particularly vulnerable to eating disorders resulting from occupational demands to maintain extreme thinness.Record's suggestion is to prohibit agents from hiring models with a BMI below 18.In April, France passed a law setting lower limits for a model's weight. Agents and fashion houses who hire models with a BMI under 18 could pay $82,000 in fines and spend up to 6 months in jail. Regulating the fashion industry in the United States won't be easy, Record says. But with the new rules in France, U.S. support could make a difference. “A designer can't survive without participating in Paris Fashion Week”, she says, adding, “Our argument is that the same would be true of New York Fashion Week.”51. What do Record and Austin say about fashion models' body mass?A) It has caused needless controversy.B) It is but a matter of personal taste.C) It is the focus of the modeling business.D) It affects models' health and safety.52. What are Record and Austin advocating in the Monday editorial?A) A change in the public's view of female beauty.B) Government legislation about models' weight.C) Elimination of forced weight loss by models.D) Prohibition of models eating non-food stuff.53. Why are Record and Austin especially worried about the low body mass index of models?A) It contributes to many mental illnesses.B) It defines the future of the fashion industry.C) It has great influence on numerous girls and women.D) It keeps many otherwise qualified women off the runway.54. What do we learn about France's fashion industry?A) It has difficulty hiring models.B) It has now a new law to follow.C) It allows girls under 18 on the runway.D) It has overtaken that of the United States.55. What does Record expect of New York Fashion Week?A) It will create a completely new set of rules.B) It will do better than Paris Fashion Week.C) It will differ from Paris Fashion Week.D) It will have models with a higher BMI.Part IV TranslationDirections: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.在中国文化中，黄颜色是一种很重要的颜色，因为它具有独特的象征意义。

2016年12月四级真题（第2套）College English Test Band Four PartⅡListening ComprehensionSection A Directions: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre. News Report OneNew York State plans to shut off the thundering waters of Niagara Falls—gain. At least, the American side of the falls. This "once in a lifetime" event actually may take place twice in some folks' lives. The New York State parks system wants to turn off the falls on the American side sometime in the next two to three years to replace two 115-year-old stone bridges that allow pedestrians, park vehicles and utilities access to Goat Island. The American side of the falls were shut off in 1969 to study the buildup of rock at the base of the falls. When that happened, people came from all over the world to see the falls turned off. People are curious by nature. They want to see what's underneath. In fact, those who first came to have a look did see something. They found millions of coins on the bottom.Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1. Why does New York State want to turn off Niagara Falls?2. What did people find when Niagara Falls were shut off in 1969?News Report TwoThe Tunisian government said Monday that 45 people have been killed after gunmen attacked a town near the border with Libya. The Interior and Defense ministries said that the Tunisian government has closed its two border crossings with Libya because of the attack. The Tunisian military has sent reinforcements and helicopters to the area, and authorities have been hunting several attackers who were still at large. The violence came amid increasing international concern about Islamic State extremists in Libya. Officials of the Tunisian government are especially worried after dozens of tourists were killed in the attacks in Tunisia last year. Defense Minister Farhat Horchani said last week that German and American security experts were expected to come to help Tunisia devise a new electronic video supervisionsystem on its border with Libya. Tunisia was targeted last year by three attacks that left 70 people dead and were claimed by Islamic State.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3. What did the Tunisian government do after the gunmen's attack?4. What were German and American security experts expected to do in Tunisia?News Report ThreeThree university students in Santiago, Chile, have developed a plant-powered device to charge their mobile phones. The three engineering students got the idea for the device while sitting in their school's courtyard. Their invention is a small biological circuit they call E-Kaia.[05:02.76]It captures the energy which plants produce during photosynthesis—a process of converting sunlight into energy. A plant uses only a small part of the energy produced by that process. The rest goes into the soil. E-Kaia collects that energy. The device plugs into the ground and then into a mobile phone. The E-Kaia solved two problems for the engineering students. They needed an idea for a class project. They also needed an outlet to plug in their phones. One of the student inventors, Camila Rupcich, says the device changes the energy released from the plant into low-level power to charge phones. The E-Kaia is able to fully recharge a mobile phone in less than two hours.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. What did the three university students invent?6. When did they get the idea for the invention?7. What does the speaker say about the invention?Section B Directions: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Conversation OneM: Good morning. What can I do for you?W: Good morning. Could I talk to Jeffry Harding please?M: Speaking.W: Hello, Jeff. It's Helen. I got your message on the answering machine. What's the problem?M: Oh, Helen. Well, it's the Grimsby plant again, I'm afraid. The robots on Line 3 have gone wrong. And the line is at a standstill.W: Can't you replace them with the stand-ins?M: I'm afraid not. The stand-ins are already in use on Line 6. And the ones from Line 6 are being serviced.W: When did this happen, Jeff?M: Well, they've been making a low continuous sound for a day or two. But they finally went dead at 2:30 this afternoon.W: I see. What did you do? Have you tried the whole plant?M: Not yet, Helen. I thought I'd better get your OK first.W: OK. Get on the phone to Tom, and try to get their stand-ins over tonight. We have to be back at full capacity tomorrow morning. Is it a major job to repair our robots? M: About a week. That's what the maintenance engineer says.W: Right. Well, if you can get the ones from Tom, please ask Tom to inform Sheffield that he may need their stand-ins in case of emergency during the next week.M: OK. Thank you very much, Helen.W: You are most welcome.M: Sorry to spoil your day off.W: It doesn't matter.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8. What did the man do before the telephone conversation?9. What does the man say about line 3 in the Grimsby plant?10. What is the man's purpose in calling the woman?11. Where is the woman at the time of the conversation?Conversation TwoW: This is Kerry Burke from New York Daily News. I'm speaking to Delray Simmonds, an unemployed Brooklyn man who missed a job interview Tuesday for the best of reasons: He was saving the life of a 9-month-old boy who was blown into the path of an oncoming subway train by a high wind.M: Everybody is making me out to be some sort of superhero. I'm just an ordinary person, and a father of two. Anybody in that situation would have done what I did. W: You were going to an interview when the incident occurred, right?M: Yes, I was on my way to apply for a maintenance position. I've been looking for a job for a year and more. I'm looking for something to support my family.W: Tell us what happened at the station.M: There was a strong wind. It had to be 30 to 40 miles an hour.There was a woman with four kids. One was in a pushchair. The wind blew the baby onto the tracks.W: Witnesses said people were looking on in horror as the child's mother, identified by sources as Maria Zamara, stood frozen in shock. In the distance, people could see the train rounding a bend, headed into the station. I guess you were not aware of any of these, right?M: No. I just jumped down and grabbed the baby. The train was coming around the corner as I lifted the baby from the tracks. I really wasn't thinking.W: What an amazing story. Thank you very much.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. What did Kerry Burke from New York Daily News say about the man?13. What do we learn about the man from the conversation?14. What caused the incident?15. How did the mother react when the incident occurred?Section C Directions: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneThere's one sound that gets a big reaction from kids on a hot day, the sound of an ice-cream truck. Maria McCartney has been in the mobile ice-cream business since 2005."When I was a little girl, I saw an ice-cream truck and knew I wanted to have one someday, "McCartney said.，During the hot days of summer, Maria and her daughter drive an ice-cream truck through neighborhoods and parks in Billings. It's not about making money for this former elementary school teacher. Rather, he wants to preserve the tradition of the neighborhood ice-cream truck. "Truly my favorite part is to see the kids jumping up and down and they just get so excited. It's great to build a memory for them too. There are not a lot of these ice-cream trucks around anymore. The parents come out barefoot and screaming, ready to buy ice-cream; they remember when they were kids and they saw a truck, "she said. While the treats may be ice cold, Maria has a warm heart for little faces. Her truck features a donation bucket for kids who don't have money for ice-cream. "When there are three kids and only two of them have money, I always make sure the third one gets something because I can't drive away and have that third one not have something," she said.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. What does the speaker say about Maria McCartney?17. Why does Maria go into the mobile ice-cream business?18. Why does Maria put a donation bucket in her truck?Passage TwoWe know we have to pay for what we get. If we buy food, we have to pay for it. If a doctor treats us, we know there will be a bill to pay. These are private bills. But there are also public bills to be paid. They are paid by the government. In turnwe get the needed services. We pay for these services through taxes. What would happen if everyone stopped paying taxes? The water supply would stop; the streets might not be cleaned; schools would be closed. We would not want to live in such a city. The chief duty of every government is to protect persons and property. More than three-fourths of government expenses are used for this purpose. The next largest amount of public money goes to teach and train our citizens. Billions of dollars each year are spent on schools and libraries. Also, a large amount of public funds is spent on roads. Most of the needed funds is raised by taxes. The law orders us to pay taxes. We have no choice in the matter. Years ago the government made money by selling public lands. But most of the best public lands have now been sold. There are still some public lands that contain oil, coal and other natural resources. They could be sold, but we want to save them for future years. So, we all must pay our share for the services that make our lives comfortable.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. What does the speaker mainly talk about?20. What is most of the government money used for?21. How did the government raise money to pay public bills in the past? Passage ThreeDid you know that, besides larger places like France and Germany, Europe is home to several extremely tiny countries? One of these countries contains less than a square mile of land. Another is surrounded on all sides by Italy. Yet each is an independent land, with its own government, trade, and customs. One of the best known of these small countries is Monaco. It is situated on the Mediterranean Sea and surrounded by France on three sides. Monaco became familiar to Americans when its ruler, Prince Rainier, married the American actress Grace Kelly. Rainier's family has ruled Monaco almost continuously since 1297. The land has been independent for over three hundred years. Andorra, with an area of some 200 square miles, is considerably larger than Monaco. This country is located in the Pyrenees Mountains, with France on one side and Spain on the other. Potatoes and tobacco are grown in Andorra's steep mountain valleys. One of the products it exports is clothing. Andorrais also known for its excellent skiing locations. Within the Alps in Central Europe is Liechtenstein, a tiny country of about 30,000 people who speak mostly German. Liechtenstein uses the same money as its neighbor Switzerland, but it has been an independent country since the 1860s. Taxes are low, so many businesses have their headquarters here. The country makes and exports a lot of machinery. Other small, independent states in Europe are San Marino and Luxembourg. Each of these has unique qualities as well.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. What does the speaker say about Monaco?23. Why did Monaco become familiar to Americans according to the speaker?24. What is one of the products Andorra exports?25. What does the speaker mainly talk about?This is end of listening comprehension.。

【关键字】英语2016年12月大学英语四级真题（第一套）Part I Writing (30minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay. Suppose you have two options upon graduation: one is to take a job in a company and the other to go to a graduate school. You are to make a choice between the two. Write an essay to explain the reasons for your choice. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 1and 2 are based on the news report you have just the heard.1. A) It was going to be renovated. C) It was dangerous to live in.B) He could no longer pay the rent. D) He had sold it to the royal family.2. A) A storm. C) A forest fire.B) A strike. D) A Terrorist attack.Questions 3and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3. A) They lost contact with the emergency department.B) They were injured by suddenly falling rocks.C) They sent calls for help via a portable radio.D) They were trapped in an underground elevator.4. A) They provided the miner with food and water.B) They sent supplies to keep the miners warm.C) They released the details of the accident.D) They tried hard to repair the accident.Question5 to7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. A) Raise postage rates. C) Close some of its post offices.B) Improve its services. D) Redesign delivery routes.6. A) Closing offices on holidays. C) Computerizing mail sorting processes.B) Shortening business hours. D) Stopping mail delivery on Saturdays.7.A）A lot of controversy will ariseB) Taxpayers will be very pleasedC) Many people will begin to complainD) Many post office staff will lose their jobsSection BDirections:In this section,you will hear two long conversations.At the end of eachconversation,you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from four choice marked A),B),C) and D).Then mark the corresponding letter an Answer sheet1 with a single line though the centre.Question8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8.A)He will lose part of his pay. C)He will be given a warning.B)He will go through retraining. D)He is go good terms with his workmates.9.A)He is an experienced press operator. C)He is always on time.B)He is trustworthy guy. D）He is go good terms with his workmates.10.A)She is a trade union representative. C)She is better at handing such matters.B)She is a senior manager of the shop. D)She is in charge of public relation.11.A)He is always trying to stir up trouble.B)He is skilled and experienced.C)He is very close to the manager.D)He is always complaining about low wages.Question12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12.A)Open. C)Selfish.B)Reserved. D)Friendly.13.A)They read a book. C)They stay quiet.B)They talk about the weather D)They chat with fellow passengers.14.A)She was unwilling to make friends with workmates.B)She was never invited to a colleague’s home.C)She was eager to visit an English castle.D)She was always treated as a foreigner.15.A) House are much more quiet. C) They want a garden of their own.B) They want to have more space. D) Houses provide more privacy.Section CDirections:In this section,you will hear three passages.At the end of each passage,you will hear three or four questions.Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once.After you hear a question,you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A),B),C) and D).Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16.A) They will automatically be given hiring priority.B) They don’t have to go through job interviews.C) They are likely to get much higher pay.D) They don’t have much choice of jobs.17.A) Visit the school careers services. C) Look at school bulletin boards.B) Ask their professors for help. D) Go through campus newspapers.18.A) Providing students with information about the library.B) Helping students arrange appointments with librarians.C) Supervising study spaces to ensure a quiet atmosphere.D) Helping students find the books and journals they need.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19.A) It tastes better. C) It is easier to grow.B) It may be sold at a higher price. D) It can better survive extreme weathers.20.A) It can grow in drier soil. C) It will replace green tea one day.B) It is immune to various diseases. D) It is healthier than green tea.21.A) It does not have a stable market.B) It has made tea farmers’ life easier.C) It does not bring the promised health benefits.D) It has been well received by many tea drinkers.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A) They care more about environment.B) They decorate their homes themselves.C) They prefer unique objects of high quality.D) They need decorations to show their status.23. A) They made great contributions to society.B) They could only try to create at night.C) They were proud of their creations.D) They focused on the quality of their products.24. A) Identify fake crafts. C) Design handicrafts themselves.B) Make wise choices. D) Learn the importance of creation.25. A) To attract foreign investments. C) To arouse public interest in crafts.B) To preserve the traditional culture. D) To boost the local economy.Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)Section ADirections:In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.Many men and women have long bought into the idea that there are “male” and “female” brains, believing that explains just about every difference between the sexes.A new study（26）that belief, questioning whether brains really can be distinguished by gender.In the study, Tel Aviv University researchers（27）for sex differences the entire human brain.And what did they find? Not much. Rather than offer evidence for（28）brains as “male” or “female,” research shows that brains fall into a wide range, with most people falling right in the middle.Daphna Joel, who led the study, said her research found that while there are some gender-based（29）, many different types of brain can’t always be distinguished by gender.While the “average” male and “average” female brains were（30）different, you cou ldn’t tell it by looking at individual brain scans. Only a small（31）of people had “all-male” or “all-female” characteristics.Larry Cahill, an American neuroscientist (神经科学家),said the study is an important addition to a growing body of research questioning（32）beliefs about gender and brain function. But he cautioned against concluding from this study that all brains are the same,（33）of gender.“There’s a mountain of evidence（34）the importance of sex influences at all levels of brain function,” he told The Seattle Times.If anything, he said, the study（35）that gender plays a very important role in the brain “even when we are not clear exactly how.”Section BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.Can Burglars Jam Your Wireless Security System?[A]Any product that promises to protect your home deserves careful examination. So it i sn’t surprising that you’ll find plenty of strong opinions about the potential vulnerabilities of popular home-security systems.[B]The most likely type of burglary (入室盗窃) by far is the unsophisticated crime of opportunity, usually involving a broken window or some forced entry. According to the FBI, crimes like these accounted roughly two-thirds of all household burglaries in the US in 2013.The wide majority of the rest were illegal, unforced entries that resulted from something like a window being left open. The odds of a criminal using technical means to bypass a security system are so small that the FBI doesn’t even track those statistics.[C]One of the main theoretical home-security concerns is whether or not a given system is vulnerable to being blocked from working altogether. With wired setups, the fear is that a burglar (入室盗贼) might be able to shut your system down simply by cutting the right cable. With a wireless setup, you stick battery-powered sensors up around your home that keep an eye on windows, doors, motion, and more. If they detect something wrong while the system is armed, they’ll transmit a wireless alert signal to a base station that will then raise the alarm. That approach will eliminate most cord-cutting concerns—but what about their wireless equivalent, jamming? With the right device tuned to the right frequency, what’s to stop a thief from jamming your setup and blocking that alert signal from ever reaching the base station?[D]Jamming concerns are nothing new, and they’re not u nique to security systems. Any device that’s built to receive a wireless signal at a specific frequency can be overwhelmed by a stronger signal coming in on the same frequency. For comparison, let’s say you wanted to “jam” a conversation between two people—all you’d need to do is yell in the listener’s ear.[E] Security devices are required to list the frequencies they broadcast on—that means that a potential thief can find what they need to know with minimal Googling. They will, however, need so know wha t system they’re looking for. If you have a sign in your yard declaring what setup you use, that’d point them in the right direction, though at that point, we’re talking about a highly targeted, semi-sophisticated attack, and not the sort forced-entry atta ck that makes up the majority of burglaries. It’s easier to find and acquire jamming equipment for some frequencies than it is for others.[F] Wireless security providers will often take steps to help combat the threat of jamming attacks. SimpliSafe, win ner of our Editor’s Choice distinction, utilizes a special system that’s capable of separating incidental RF interference from targeted jamming attacks. When the system thinks it’s being jammed, it’ll notify you via push alert(推送警报).From there, it’s up to you to sound the alarm manually.[G] SimpliSafe was singled out in one recent article on jamming, complete with a video showing the entire system being effectively bypassed with handheld jamming equipment. After taking appropriate measures to contain the RF interference to our test lab, we tested the attack out for ourselves, and were able to verify that it’s possible with the right equipment. However, we also verified that SimpliSafe’santi-jamming system works. It caught us in the act, sent an alert to my smartphone, and also listed our RF interference on the system’s event log. The team behind the article and video in question make no mention of the system, or whether or not in detected them.[H]We like the unique nature of that software. It means that a thief likely wouldn’t be able to Google how the system works, then figure out a way around it. Even if they could, SimpliSafe claims that its system is always evolving, and that it varies slightly from system to system, which means there wouldn’t be a u niversal magic formula for cracking it. Other systems also seem confident on the subject of jamming. The team at Frontpoint addresses the issue in a blog on its site, citing their own jam protection software and claiming that there aren’t any documented ca ses of successful jam attack since the company began offering wireless security sensors in the 1980s.[I] Jamming attacks are absolutely possible. As said before, with the right equipment and the right know-how, it’s possible to jam any wireless transmis sion. But how probable is it that someone will successfully jam their way into your home and steal your stuff?[J] Let’s imagine that you live in a small home with a wireless security setup that offers a functional anti-jamming system. First, a thief is going to need to target your home, specifically. Then, he’s going to need to know the technical details of your system and acquire the specific equipment necessary for jamming your specific setup. Presumably, you keep your doors locked at night and while y ou’re away. So the thief will still need to break in. That means defeating the lock somehow, or breaking a window. He’ll need to be jamming you at this point, as a broken window or openeddoor would normally release the alarm. So, too, would the motion detectors in your home, so the thief will need to continue jamming once he’s inside and searching for things to steal. However, he’ll need to do so without tripping the anti-jamming system, the details of which he almost certainly does now have access to.[K]At the end of the day, these kinds of systems are primarily designed to protect against the sort of opportunistic smash-and-grab attack that makes up the majority of burglaries. They’re also only a single layer in what should ideally be a many-sided approach to securing your home, one that includes common sense things like sound locks and proper exterior lighting at night. No system is impenetrable, and none can promise to eliminate the worst case completely. Every one of them has vulnerabilities that a knowledgeable thief could theoretically exploit. A good system is one that keeps that worst-case setting as improbable as possible while also offering strong protection in the event of a less-extraordinary attack.36. It is possible for burglars to make jamming attacks with the necessary equipmentand skill.37. Interfering with a wireless security system is similar to interfering with aconversation.38. A burglar has to continuously jam the wireless security device to avoid triggeringthe alarm, both inside and outside the house.39. SimpliSafe provides devices that are able to distinguish incidental radiointerference from targeted jamming attacks.40. Only a very small proportion of burglaries are committed by technical means.41. It is difficult to crack SimpliSafe as its system keeps changing.42. Wireless devices will transmit signals so as to activate the alarm once somethingwrong is detected.43. Different measures should be taken to protect one’s home from burglary inaddition to the wireless security system.44. SimpliSafe’s device can send a warning to the house owner’s cellphone.45. Burglars can easily get a security device’s frequency by Internet search.Section CDirections:There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A),B),C) and D).You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.As a person who writes about food and drink for a living. I couldn’t tell you the first thing about Bill Perry or whether the beers he sells are that great. But I can tell you that I like this guy. That’s because he plans to ban tipping in favor of paying his servers an actual living wage.I hate tipping.I hate it because it’s an obligation disguised as an option. I hate it for thepost-dinner math it requires of me. But mostly, I hate tipping because I believe I would be in a better place if pay decisions regarding employees were simply left up to their employers, as is the custom in virtually every other industry.Most of you probably think that you hate tipping, too. Research suggests otherwise. You actually love tipping! You like to feel that you have a voice in how much money your server makes. No matter how the math works out, you persistently view restaurants with voluntary tipping systems as being a better value, which makes it extremely difficult for restaurants and bars to do away with the tipping system.One argument that you tend to hear a lot from the pro-tipping crowd seems logical enough: the service is better when waiters depend on tips, presumably because they see a benefit to successfully veiling their contempt for you. Well, if this were true, we would all be slipping a few 100-dollar bills to our doctors on the way out their doors, too. But as it turns out, waiters see only a tiny bump in tips when they do an exceptional job compared to a passable one. Waiters, keen observers of humanity that they are, are catching on to this; in one poll, a full 30% said they didn’t believe the job they did had any impact on the tips they received.So come on, folks: get on board with ditching the outdated tip system. Pay a little more upfront for your beer or burger. Support Bill Perry’s pub, and any other bar or restaurant that doesn’t ask you to do drunken math.46. What can we learn about Bill Perry from the passage?A) He runs a pub that serves excellent beer.B) He intends to get rid of the tipping practice.C) He gives his staff a considerable sum for tips.D) He lives comfortably without getting any tips.47. What is the main reason why the author hates tipping?A) It sets a bad example for other industries.B) It adds to the burden of ordinary customers.C) It forces the customer to compensate the waiter.D) It poses a great challenge for customers to do math.48. Why do many people love tipping according to the author?A) They help improve the quality of the restaurants they dine in.B) They believe waiters deserve such rewards for good service.C) They want to preserve a wonderful tradition of the industry.D) They can have some say in how much their servers earn.49. What have some waiters come to realize according to a survey?A) Service quality has little effect on tip size.B) It is in human mature to try to save on tips.C) Tips make it more difficult to please customers.D) Tips benefit the boss rather that the employees.50. What does the author argue for in the passage?A) Restaurants should calculate the tips for customers.B) Customers should pay more tips to help improve service.C) Waiters deserve better than just relying on tips for a living.D) Waiters should be paid by employers instead of customers.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.In the past, falling oil prices have given a boost to the world economy, but recent forecasts for global growth have been toned down, even as oil prices sink lower and lower. Does that mean the link between lower oil prices and growth has weakened?Some experts say there are still good reasons to believe cheap oil should heat up the world ec onomy. Consumers have more money in their pockets when they’re paying less at the pump. They spend that money on other things, which stimulates the economy.The biggest gains go to countries that import most of their oil like China, Japan, and India, But doesn’t the extra money in the pockets of those countries’ consumers mean an equal loss in oil producing countries, cancelling out the gains? Not necessarily, says economic researcher Sara Johnson. “Many oil producers built up huge reserve funds when prices were high, so when prices fall they will draw on their reserves to support government spending and subsidies(补贴) for their consumers.”But not all oil producers have big reserves, In Venezuela, collapsing oil prices have sent its economy into free-fall.Economist Carl Weinberg believes the negative effects of plunging oil prices are overwhelming the positive effects of cheaper oil. The implication is a sharp decline in global trade, which has plunged partly because oil-producing nations can’t afford to import as much as they used to.Sara Johnson acknowledges that the global economic benefit from a fall in oil prices today is likely lower than it was in the past. One reason is that more countries are big oil producers now, so the nations suffering from the price drop account for a larger share of the global economy.Consumers, in the U.S. at least, are acting cautiously with the savings they’re getting at the gas pump, as the memory of the recent great recession is still fresh in their mind. And a number of oil-producing countries are trimming their gasolinesubsidies and raising taxes, so the net savings for global consumers is not as big as the oil price plunge might suggest.51. What does the author mainly discuss in the passage?A) The reasons behind the plunge of oil prices.B) Possible ways to stimulate the global economy.C) The impact of cheap oil on global economic growth.D) The effect of falling oil prices on consumer spending.52. Why do some experts believe cheap oil will stimulate the global economy?A) Manufacturers can produce consumer goods at a much lower cost.B) Lower oil prices have always given a big boost to the global economy.C) Oil prices may rise or fall but economic laws are not subject to change.D) Consumers will spend their saving from cheap oil on other commodities.53. What happens in many oil-exporting countries when oil prices go down?A) They suspend import of necessities from overseas.B) They reduce production drastically to boost oil prices.C) They use their money reserves to back up consumption.D) They try to stop their economy from going into free-fall.54. How does Carl Weinberg view the current oil price plunge?A) It is one that has seen no parallel in economic history.B) Its negative effects more than cancel out its positive effects.C) It still has a chance to give rise to a boom in the global economy.D) Its effects on the global economy go against existing economic laws.55. Why haven’t falling oil prices boosted the global economy as the y did before?A) People are not spending all the money they save on gas.B) The global economy is likely to undergo another recession.C) Oil importers account for a larger portion of the global economy.D) People the world over are afraid of a further plunge in oil prices.Part IV Translation (30minutes)Directions: For this part,you are allowed 30minutes to transtate a passage from Chinese into English.You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.在中国文化中，红色通常象征着好运、长寿和幸福，在春节和其他喜庆场合，红色到处可见。

2016年12月大学英语四级考试真题及详解（第二套）Part I Writing(30minutes)Directions:F or this part,you are allowed30minutes to write an essay.Suppose you have two options upon graduation:one is to take a job in a company and the other to go to agraduate school.You are to make a choice between the two.Write an essay toexplain the reasons for your choice.You should write at least120words but no morethan180words.【审题构思】本篇作文考察情景作文——正反对比型情景作文。

题目要求考生就与大学生生活极为紧密的话题——大学毕业后的选择：工作还是读研，进行讨论，并说明原因。

构思本题可以从以下思路入手：首先开篇明确自己的选择；中间具体阐述自己做出这样选择的原因；结尾得出结论，总结全文。

【参考范文】Take a Job or Go to a Graduate School?(1)As a large number of undergraduates do not balance with a limited number of jobs,it is really tough for undergraduates to make a choice between taking a job and going to a graduate school(2)From a personal perspective,I prefer pursuing the latter.It can(3)be attributed to the following two driving forces.On one hand,I want to(4)continue my studies for their own sake because further study can equip me with more solid and profound knowledge for my future work.In fact,having a passion for my subject is possibly the best reason to go into postgraduate education.On the other hand, the increasingly competitive job market is gradually raising its standards for job hunters.(5)Specializing at postgraduate level can make you a stronger job applicant.Actually,(6)when it comes time for university graduates to decide what to do next,there is no right or wrong choice but more proper.(7)Rather,each student must reach his or her own conclusion.【行文点评】(1)陈述事实，引出话题。

2016年12月大学英语四级考试真题(第2套)Part IWriting(30 mi nu tes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minu tes to write an essay. Suppose you have twoopti ons upon graduati on: one is to take a job in a compa ny and the otherto go to agraduate school. You are to make a choice betwee n the two. Write an essayto explain thereasons for your choice. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Part nListe ning Comprehe nsion(25 mi nu tes )Section ADirections: In this sect ion, you will hear three n ews reports. At the end of each newsreport, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and thequestions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you mustchoosethe best answer from the four choices marked A, B, C and D .Then mark the corresp onding letter on An swer Sheet I with a sin gle lin ethrough the cen tre.Questi ons 1 and 2 are based on the n ews report you have just heard.1. A. To satisfy the curiosity of tourists.B. To replace two old stone bridges.C. To en able tourists to visit Goat Isla nd.D. To improve utility services in the state.2. A. Countless tree limbs.B. A few skeletons.C. Lots of wrecked boats and ships.D. Millions of coins on the bottom.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard .3. A. It suspended diplomatic relations with Libya.B. It urged tourists to leave Tunisia immediately.C. It shut down two border crossings with Libya.D. It launched a fierce attack against Islamic State.4. A. Advise Tunisian civilians on how to take safety precautions.B. Track down the organization responsible for the terrorist attack.C. Train qualified security personnel for the Tunisian government.D. Devise a monitoring system on the Tunisian border with Libya.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. A. An environment-friendly battery.B. An energy-saving mobile phone.C. A plant-powered mobile phone charger.D. A device to help plants absorb sunlight.6. A. While sitting in their school's courtyard.B. While playing games on their phones.C. While solving a mathematical problem.D. While doing a chemical experiment.7. A. It increases the applications of mobile phones.B. It speeds up the process of photosynthesis.C. It improves the reception of mobile phones.D. It collects the energy released by plants.Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation,you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken onlyonce. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choicesmarked A, B, C and D. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1with a single line through the centre.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8. A. He visited the workshops in the Grimsby plant.B. He called the woman and left her a message.C. He used stand-ins as replacements on all lines.D. He asked a technician to fix the broken production line.9. A. It is the most modern production line.B. It assembles super-intelligent robots.C. It has stopped working completely.D. It is going to be upgraded soon.10. A. To seek her permission.B. To place an order for robots.C. To request her to return at once.D. To ask for T om's phone number.11. A. She is on duty.B. She is having her day off.C. She is on sick leave.D. She is abroad on business.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. A. He saved a baby boy's life.B. He wanted to be a superhero.C. He prevented a train crash.D. He was a witness to an accident.13. A. He has a 9-month-old boy.B. He is currently unemployed.C. He enjoys the interview.D. He commutes by subway.14. A. A rock on the tracks.B. A misplaced pushchair.C. A strong wind.D. A speeding car.15. A. She stood motionless in shock.B. She cried bitterly.C. She called the police at once.D. She shouted for help.Section CDirections: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you will hearthree or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once.After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices markedA, B, C and D. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet I with asingle line through the centre.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A. She inherited her family ice-cream business in Billings.B. She loved the ice-cream business more than teaching primary school.C. She started an ice-cream business to finance her daughter's education.D. She wanted to have an ice-cream truck when she was a little girl.17. A. To preserve a tradition.B. To amuse her daughter.C. To help local education.D. To make some extra money.18. A. To raise money for business expansion.B. To make her truck attractive to children.C. To allow poor kids to have ice-cream too.D. To teach kids the value of mutual support.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A. The reasons for imposing taxes.B. The various services money can buy.C. The various burdens on ordinary citizens.D. The function of money in the modem world.20. A. Educating and training citizens.B. Improving public transportation.C. Protecting people's life and property.D. Building hospitals and public libraries.21. A. By asking for donations.B. By selling public lands.C. By selling government bonds.D. By exploiting natural resources.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A. It is located at the center of the European continent.B. It relies on tourism as its chief source of revenues.C. It contains less than a square mile of land.D. It is surrounded by France on three sides.23. A. Its beauty is frequently mentioned in American media.B. Its ruler Prince Rainier married an American actress.C. It is where many American movies are shot.D. It is a favorite place Americans like to visit.24. A. T obacco.B. Potatoes.C. Machinery.D. Clothing.25. A. European history.B. European geography.C. Small countries in Europe.D. Tourist attract ions in Europe.Part 川Read ing Comprehe nsion（40 mi nu tes）Section ADirections: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one wordfor each bla nk from a list of choices give n in a word bank followi ngthe passage. Read thepassage through carefully before making your choices.Each choice in the bank isidentified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter foreach item on An swerSheet 2 with a sin gle line through the cen tre. You may not use any of the words in theba nk more tha n once.Questio ns 26 to 35 are based on the follow ing passage.The ocean is heating up. That's the conclusion of a new study that finds that Earth's ocea ns no w26heat at twice the rate they did 18 years ago. Around half of ocea n heatin take since 1865 hastake n place since 1997, researchers report on li ne in Nature Climate Chan ge.Warming waters are known to27 to coral bleaching （珊瑚白化）and they take up more spacetha n cooler waters, rais ing sea28While the top of the ocea n is well studied, its depths are moredifficult to 29The researchers gathered 150 years of ocean temperature data in order to get abetter30 of heat absorption from surface to seabed. They gathered together temperaturereadi ngscollected by everyth ing froma 19th century31 of British naval ships to modem automated oceanprobes. The extensive data sources,32 with computer simulations （计算机模拟）,created atimeli ne of ocea n temperature cha nges, in cludi ng cooli ng from volca nic outbreaksand warmi ng fromfossil fuel33 _About 35 perce nt of the heat take n in by the ocea ns duri ng the in dustrial era now resides at a _of more tha n 700 meters, the researchers found. They saythey're35whether the deep-seawarm ing can celed out warm ing at the sea's surface.A. absorbB. Comb inedC. Co ntributeD. depthE. emissi onsF. excurs ionG. exploreH. floorI. heightsJ. in differe nt。

2016年12月四级真题（第2套）College English Test Band Four PartⅡListening ComprehensionSection A Directions: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.News Report OneNew York State plans to shut off the thundering waters of Niagara Falls—gain. At least, the American side of the falls. This "once in a lifetime" event actually may take place twice in somefolks' lives. The New York State parks system wants to turn off the falls on the American side sometime in the next two to three years to replace two 115-year-old stone bridges that allow pedestrians, park vehicles and utilities access to Goat Island. The American side of the falls were shut off in 1969 to study the buildup of rock at the base of the falls. When that happened, people came from all over the world to see the falls turned off. People are curious by nature. They wantto see what's underneath. In fact, those who first came to have a look did see something. They found millions of coins on the bottom.Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1. Why does New York State want to turn off Niagara Falls?2. What did people find when Niagara Falls were shut off in 1969?News Report TwoThe Tunisian government said Monday that 45 people have been killed after gunmen attacked a town near the border with Libya. The Interior and Defense ministries said that the Tunisian government has closed its two border crossings with Libya because of the attack. The Tunisian military has sent reinforcements and helicopters to the area, and authorities have been hunting several attackers who were still at large. The violence came amid increasing international concern about Islamic State extremists in Libya. Officials of the Tunisian government are especially worried after dozens of tourists were killed in the attacks in Tunisia last year. Defense Minister Farhat Horchani said last week that German and American security experts were expected to come to help Tunisia devise a new electronic video supervision system on its border with Libya. Tunisia was targeted last year by three attacks that left 70 people dead and were claimed by Islamic State.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3. What did the Tunisian government do after the gunmen's attack?4. What were German and American security experts expected to do in Tunisia?News Report ThreeThree university students in Santiago, Chile, have developed a plant-powered device to charge their mobile phones. The three engineering students got the idea for the device while sitting intheir school's courtyard. Their invention is a small biological circuit they call E-Kaia.[05:02.76]It captures the energy which plants produce during photosynthesis—a process of converting sunlight into energy. A plant uses only a small part of the energy produced by that process. The rest goes into the soil. E-Kaia collects that energy. The device plugs into the ground and then into a mobile phone. The E-Kaia solved two problems for the engineering students. They needed an idea for a class project. They also needed an outlet to plug in their phones. Oneof the student inventors, Camila Rupcich, says the device changes the energy released from the plant into low-level power to charge phones. The E-Kaia is able to fully recharge a mobile phonein less than two hours.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. What did the three university students invent?6. When did they get the idea for the invention?7. What does the speaker say about the invention?Section B Directions: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Conversation OneM: Good morning. What can I do for you?W: Good morning. Could I talk to Jeffry Harding please?M: Speaking.W: Hello, Jeff. It's Helen. I got your message on the answering machine. What's the problem?M: Oh, Helen. Well, it's the Grimsby plant again, I'm afraid. The robots on Line 3 have gone wrong.And the line is at a standstill.W: Can't you replace them with the stand-ins?M: I'm afraid not. The stand-ins are already in use on Line 6. And the ones from Line 6 are being serviced.W: When did this happen, Jeff?M: Well, they've been making a low continuous sound for a day or two. But they finally went dead at 2:30 this afternoon.W: I see. What did you do? Have you tried the whole plant?M: Not yet, Helen. I thought I'd better get your OK first.W: OK. Get on the phone to Tom, and try to get their stand-ins over tonight. We have to be backat full capacity tomorrow morning. Is it a major job to repair our robots?M: About a week. That's what the maintenance engineer says.W: Right. Well, if you can get the ones from Tom, please ask Tom to inform Sheffield that he may need their stand-ins in case of emergency during the next week.M: OK. Thank you very much, Helen.W: You are most welcome.M: Sorry to spoil your day off.W: It doesn't matter.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8. What did the man do before the telephone conversation?9. What does the man say about line 3 in the Grimsby plant?10. What is the man's purpose in calling the woman?11. Where is the woman at the time of the conversation?Conversation TwoW: This is Kerry Burke from New York Daily News. I'm speaking to Delray Simmonds, an unemployed Brooklyn man who missed a job interview Tuesday for the best of reasons: He wassaving the life of a 9-month-old boy who was blown into the path of an oncoming subway train bya high wind.M: Everybody is making me out to be some sort of superhero. I'm just an ordinary person, and a father of two. Anybody in that situation would have done what I did.W: You were going to an interview when the incident occurred, right?M: Yes, I was on my way to apply for a maintenance position. I've been looking for a job for a year and more. I'm looking for something to support my family.W: Tell us what happened at the station.M: There was a strong wind. It had to be 30 to 40 miles an hour.There was a woman with four kids. One was in a pushchair. The wind blew the baby onto the tracks.W: Witnesses said people were looking on in horror as the child's mother, identified by sources as Maria Zamara, stood frozen in shock. In the distance, people could see the train rounding a bend, headed into the station. I guess you were not aware of any of these, right?M: No. I just jumped down and grabbed the baby. The train was coming around the corner as I lifted the baby from the tracks. I really wasn't thinking.W: What an amazing story. Thank you very much.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. What did Kerry Burke from New York Daily News say about the man?13. What do we learn about the man from the conversation?14. What caused the incident?15. How did the mother react when the incident occurred?Section C Directions: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneThere's one sound that gets a big reaction from kids on a hot day, the sound of an ice-cream truck. Maria McCartney has been in the mobile ice-cream business since 2005."When I was a little girl, I saw an ice-cream truck and knew I wanted to have one someday, "McCartney said.，During the hot days of summer, Maria and her daughter drive an ice-cream truck through neighborhoods and parks in Billings. It's not about making money for this former elementary school teacher. Rather, he wants to preserve the tradition of the neighborhood ice-cream truck. "Truly my favorite part is to see the kids jumping up and down and they just get so excited. It's great to build a memory for them too. There are not a lot of these ice-cream trucks around anymore. The parents come out barefoot and screaming, ready to buy ice-cream; they remember when theywere kids and they saw a truck, "she said. While the treats may be ice cold, Maria has a warmheart for little faces. Her truck features a donation bucket for kids who don't have money for ice-cream. "When there are three kids and only two of them have money, I always make sure the third one gets something because I can't drive away and have that third one not have something," she said.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. What does the speaker say about Maria McCartney?17. Why does Maria go into the mobile ice-cream business?18. Why does Maria put a donation bucket in her truck?Passage TwoWe know we have to pay for what we get. If we buy food, we have to pay for it. If a doctor treats us, we know there will be a bill to pay. These are private bills. But there are also public bills to be paid. They are paid by the government. In turn we get the needed services. We pay for these services through taxes. What would happen if everyone stopped paying taxes? The water supply would stop; the streets might not be cleaned; schools would be closed. We would not want tolive in such a city. The chief duty of every government is to protect persons and property. Morethan three-fourths of government expenses are used for this purpose. The next largest amount of public money goes to teach and train our citizens. Billions of dollars each year are spent on schools and libraries. Also, a large amount of public funds is spent on roads. Most of the needed funds is raised by taxes. The law orders us to pay taxes. We have no choice in the matter. Years ago the government made money by selling public lands. But most of the best public lands havenow been sold. There are still some public lands that contain oil, coal and other natural resources. They could be sold, but we want to save them for future years. So, we all must pay our share forthe services that make our lives comfortable.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. What does the speaker mainly talk about?20. What is most of the government money used for?21. How did the government raise money to pay public bills in the past?Passage ThreeDid you know that, besides larger places like France and Germany, Europe is home to several extremely tiny countries? One of these countries contains less than a square mile of land. Another is surrounded on all sides by Italy. Yet each is an independent land, with its own government, trade, and customs. One of the best known of these small countries is Monaco. It is situated on the Mediterranean Sea and surrounded by France on three sides. Monaco became familiar to Americans when its ruler, Prince Rainier, married the American actress Grace Kelly. Rainier's family has ruled Monaco almost continuously since 1297. The land has been independent for over three hundred years. Andorra, with an area of some 200 square miles, is considerably larger than Monaco. This country is located in the Pyrenees Mountains, with Franceon one side and Spain on the other. Potatoes and tobacco are grown in Andorra's steep mountain valleys. One of the products it exports is clothing. Andorra is also known for its excellent skiing locations. Within the Alps in Central Europe is Liechtenstein, a tiny country of about 30,000 people who speak mostly German. Liechtenstein uses the same money as its neighbor Switzerland, but it has been an independent country since the 1860s. Taxes are low, so many businesses have their headquarters here. The country makes and exports a lot of machinery. Other small, independent states in Europe are San Marino and Luxembourg. Each of these has unique qualities as well.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. What does the speaker say about Monaco?23. Why did Monaco become familiar to Americans according to the speaker?24. What is one of the products Andorra exports?25. What does the speaker mainly talk about?This is end of listening comprehension.。

2016年12月大学英语四级真题试卷（二）(题后含答案及解析)题型有：1. Writing 2. Listening Comprehension 3. Reading Comprehension 4. TranslationPart I Writing1．For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay. Suppose you have two options upon graduation: one is to take a job in a company and the other to go to a graduate school. You are to make a choice between the two. Write an essay to explain the reasons for your choice. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.正确答案：Going to Graduate School Is a Better Choice If given two options after graduation, that is, to take a job in a company or to go to a graduate school, I’d prefer the latter. First and foremost, it is widely acknowledged that a higher level of education means better payments and more opportunities in the future in China. Therefore, I think another two or three years’investment in graduate education must be worthwhile in the long run. Secondly, I love my major and have a strong desire to further my study so as to deeply explore some academic issues in this field. Finally, the job market for undergraduate students is too competitive for average students like me to find a satisfying job. Thus, it would be a better choice if I could obtain a master’s degree. Considering the three reasons listed above, I would choose to go to a graduate school after graduation to earn a better future.Part II Listening ComprehensionSection A听力原文：New York State plans to shut off the thundering waters of Niagara Falls—again. At least, the American side of the falls. This “once in a lifetime” event actually may take place twice in some folks’ lives.(1)The New York State parks system wants to turn off the falls on the American side sometime in the next two to three years to replace two 115-year-old stone bridges that allow pedestrians, park vehicles and utilities access to Goat Island. The American side of the falls were shut off in 1969 to study the buildup of rock at the base of the falls. When that happened, people came from all over the world to see the falls turned off. People are curious by nature. They want to see what’s underneath. In fact, those who first came to have a look did see something.(2)They found millions of coins on the bottom.Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1. Why does New York State want to turn off Niagara Falls?2. What did people find when Niagara Falls were shut off in 1969?2．A．To satisfy the curiosity of tourists.B．To replace two old stone bridges.C．To enable tourists to visit Goat Island.D．To improve utility services in the state.正确答案：B解析：新闻中提到，纽约州公园系统想在未来的两三年内关闭美国境内的尼亚加拉大瀑布，以更换行人、公园车辆和设备通往山羊岛的两座石桥，这两座石桥距今已有115年的历史了。

2016年12月四级真题（第2套）College English Test Band Four PartⅡListening ComprehensionSection A Directions: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.News Report OneNew York State plans to shut off the thundering waters of Niagara Falls—gain. At least, the American side of the falls. This "once in a lifetime" event actually may take place twice in some folks' lives. The New York State parks system wants to turn off the falls on the American side sometime in the next two to three years to replace two 115-year-old stone bridges that allow pedestrians, park vehicles and utilities access to Goat Island. The American side of the falls were shut off in 1969 to study the buildup of rock at the base of the falls. When that happened, people came from all over the world to see the falls turned off. People are curious by nature. They want to see what's underneath. In fact, those who first came to have a look did see something. They found millions of coins on the bottom.Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1. Why does New York State want to turn off Niagara Falls?2. What did people find when Niagara Falls were shut off in 1969?News Report TwoThe Tunisian government said Monday that 45 people have been killed after gunmen attacked a town near the border with Libya. The Interior and Defense ministries said that the Tunisian government has closed its two border crossings with Libya because of the attack. The Tunisian military has sent reinforcements and helicopters to the area, and authorities have been hunting several attackers who were still at large. The violence came amid increasing international concern about Islamic State extremists in Libya. Officials of the Tunisian government are especially worried after dozens of tourists were killed in the attacks in Tunisia last year. Defense Minister Farhat Horchani said last week that German and American security experts were expected to come to help Tunisia devise a new electronic video supervision system on its border with Libya. Tunisia was targeted last year by three attacks that left 70 people dead and were claimed by Islamic State.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3. What did the Tunisian government do after the gunmen's attack?4. What were German and American security experts expected to do in Tunisia?News Report ThreeThree university students in Santiago, Chile, have developed a plant-powered device to charge their mobile phones. The three engineering students got the idea for the device while sitting in their school's courtyard. Their invention is a small biological circuit they call E-Kaia.[05:]It captures the energy which plants produce during photosynthesis—a process of converting sunlight into energy. A plant uses only a small part of the energy produced by that process. The rest goes into the soil. E-Kaia collects that energy. The device plugs into the ground and then into a mobile phone. The E-Kaia solved two problems for the engineering students. They needed an idea for a class project. They also needed an outlet to plug in their phones. One of the student inventors, Camila Rupcich, says the device changes the energy released from the plant into low-level power to charge phones. The E-Kaia is able to fully recharge a mobile phone in less than two hours.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. What did the three university students invent?6. When did they get the idea for the invention?7. What does the speaker say about the invention?Section B Directions: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Conversation OneM: Good morning. What can I do for you?W: Good morning. Could I talk to Jeffry Harding please?M: Speaking.W: Hello, Jeff. It's Helen. I got your message on the answering machine. What's the problem?M: Oh, Helen. Well, it's the Grimsby plant again, I'm afraid. The robots on Line 3 have gone wrong.And the line is at a standstill.W: Can't you replace them with the stand-ins?M: I'm afraid not. The stand-ins are already in use on Line 6. And the ones from Line 6 are being serviced.W: When did this happen, Jeff?M: Well, they've been making a low continuous sound for a day or two. But they finally went dead at 2:30 this afternoon.W: I see. What did you do? Have you tried the whole plant?M: Not yet, Helen. I thought I'd better get your OK first.W: OK. Get on the phone to Tom, and try to get their stand-ins over tonight. We have to be back at full capacity tomorrow morning. Is it a major job to repair our robots?M: About a week. That's what the maintenance engineer says.W: Right. Well, if you can get the ones from Tom, please ask Tom to inform Sheffield that he may need their stand-ins in case of emergency during the next week.M: OK. Thank you very much, Helen.W: You are most welcome.M: Sorry to spoil your day off.W: It doesn't matter.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8. What did the man do before the telephone conversation?9. What does the man say about line 3 in the Grimsby plant?10. What is the man's purpose in calling the woman?11. Where is the woman at the time of the conversation?Conversation TwoW: This is Kerry Burke from New York Daily News. I'm speaking to Delray Simmonds, an unemployed Brooklyn man who missed a job interview Tuesday for the best of reasons: He wassaving the life of a 9-month-old boy who was blown into the path of an oncoming subway train by a high wind.M: Everybody is making me out to be some sort of superhero. I'm just an ordinary person, and a father of two. Anybody in that situation would have done what I did.W: You were going to an interview when the incident occurred, right?M: Yes, I was on my way to apply for a maintenance position. I've been looking for a job for a year and more. I'm looking for something to support my family.W: Tell us what happened at the station.M: There was a strong wind. It had to be 30 to 40 miles an hour.There was a woman with four kids. One was in a pushchair. The wind blew the baby onto the tracks.W: Witnesses said people were looking on in horror as the child's mother, identified by sources as Maria Zamara, stood frozen in shock. In the distance, people could see the train rounding a bend, headed into the station. I guess you were not aware of any of these, right?M: No. I just jumped down and grabbed the baby. The train was coming around the corner as I lifted the baby from the tracks. I really wasn't thinking.W: What an amazing story. Thank you very much.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. What did Kerry Burke from New York Daily News say about the man?13. What do we learn about the man from the conversation?14. What caused the incident?15. How did the mother react when the incident occurred?Section C Directions: In this section, you will hear three passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneThere's one sound that gets a big reaction from kids on a hot day, the sound of an ice-cream truck. Maria McCartney has been in the mobile ice-cream business since 2005."When I was a little girl, I saw an ice-cream truck and knew I wanted to have one someday, "McCartney said.，During the hot days of summer, Maria and her daughter drive an ice-cream truck through neighborhoods and parks in Billings. It's not about making money for this former elementary school teacher. Rather, he wants to preserve the tradition of the neighborhood ice-cream truck. "Truly my favorite part is to see the kids jumping up and down and they just get so excited. It's great to build a memory for them too. There are not a lot of these ice-cream trucks around anymore. The parents come out barefoot and screaming, ready to buy ice-cream; they remember when they were kids and they saw a truck, "she said. While the treats may be ice cold, Maria has a warm heart for little faces. Her truck features a donation bucket for kids who don't have money for ice-cream. "When there are three kids and only two of them have money, I always make sure the third one gets something because I can't drive away and have that third one not have something," she said.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. What does the speaker say about Maria McCartney?17. Why does Maria go into the mobile ice-cream business?18. Why does Maria put a donation bucket in her truck?Passage TwoWe know we have to pay for what we get. If we buy food, we have to pay for it. If a doctor treats us, we know there will be a bill to pay. These are private bills. But there are also public bills to be paid. They are paid by the government. In turn we get the needed services. We pay for these services through taxes. What would happen if everyone stopped paying taxes? The water supply would stop; the streets might not be cleaned; schools would be closed. We would not want to live in such a city. The chief duty of every government is to protect persons and property. More than three-fourths of government expenses are used for this purpose. The next largest amount of public money goes to teach and train our citizens. Billions of dollars each year are spent on schools and libraries. Also, a large amount of public funds is spent on roads. Most of the needed funds is raised by taxes. The law orders us to pay taxes. We have no choice in the matter. Years ago the government made money by selling public lands. But most of the best public lands havenow been sold. There are still some public lands that contain oil, coal and other natural resources. They could be sold, but we want to save them for future years. So, we all must pay our share for the services that make our lives comfortable.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. What does the speaker mainly talk about?20. What is most of the government money used for?21. How did the government raise money to pay public bills in the past?Passage ThreeDid you know that, besides larger places like France and Germany, Europe is home to several extremely tiny countries? One of these countries contains less than a square mile of land. Another is surrounded on all sides by Italy. Yet each is an independent land, with its own government, trade, and customs. One of the best known of these small countries is Monaco. It is situated on the Mediterranean Sea and surrounded by France on three sides. Monaco became familiar to Americans when its ruler, Prince Rainier, married the American actress Grace Kelly. Rainier's family has ruled Monaco almost continuously since 1297. The land has been independent for over three hundred years. Andorra, with an area of some 200 square miles, is considerably larger than Monaco. This country is located in the Pyrenees Mountains, with France on one side and Spain on the other. Potatoes and tobacco are grown in Andorra's steep mountain valleys. One of the products it exports is clothing. Andorra is also known for its excellent skiing locations. Within the Alps in Central Europe is Liechtenstein, a tiny country of about 30,000 people who speak mostly German. Liechtenstein uses the same money as its neighbor Switzerland, but it has been an independent country since the 1860s. Taxes are low, so many businesses have their headquarters here. The country makes and exports a lot of machinery. Other small, independent states in Europe are San Marino and Luxembourg. Each of these has unique qualities as well.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. What does the speaker say about Monaco?23. Why did Monaco become familiar to Americans according to the speaker?24. What is one of the products Andorra exports?25. What does the speaker mainly talk about?This is end of listening comprehension.。

2016年12月大学英语四级真题答案（第2套）大学考试的主要对象是根据教育大纲修完四级的在校大学本科生或研究生。

考试目的是推动大学英语教学大纲的贯彻执行，对大学生的英语能力进行客观、准确的测量。

下面是店铺整理的2016年12月大学英语四级第2套真题答案，欢迎阅读!写作参考答案Stated-owned business or Joint ventureUpon graduation, virtually all college students will confront the problem of the career choice，which is truly a tough choice. Students' opinions differ greatly on this issue. Some hold that there is no better way to get a decent job than working in a stated-owned business which will guarantee my life after retirement, but others take the attitude that a joint venture outweighs any other jobs as it may provide higher income for employees.As to myself, I prefer the latter view. A joint venture, especially a high-salary joint venture, exerts a tremendous fascination on a great number of people, with no exception to me. Although it might be impossible to make sure my retirement pension is good enough, high-salary is exactly what I need just now. In my view, our career choices largely depend on where we want to stay for the rest of life. For me, metropolis is the place where I can grasp loads of opportunities and achieve my personal dreams. As I hold the view that live in the moment, not the future, and also in order to finance myself in some aspects such as the transportation, the house-renting, or social activities, a joint venture can satisfy my needs for the consumption I mentioned above.In short, a joint venture is the first and only consideration inmy choice of career.听力参考答案：Section A News report1 [C] They were all good at cooking.2 [C] His parents’s friends.3 [A] No one of the group ate it.4 [B] It was rather disappointing.5 [C] The business success of the woman’s shop.6 [A] Keep down its expense.7 [D]They are sold at lower prices than in other shops.8 [A] T o maintain friendly relationship with other shops.Section B Conversations9 [C]They deliver pollutants from the ocean to their nesting sites.10[A]They originate from Devon Island in the Aretie area.11[B]They were carried by the wind.12[C]The harm Arctic seabirds may cause to humans.13[D]It has decreased.14[A]It is now the second leading cause of death for centenarians.15[D]Their minds fail before their bodies do.Section C Passages16[C]They are focused more on attraction than love.17[C]It is not love if you don’t wish to maintain the relationship.18[C]How the relationship is to be defined if any one is missing.19[B]Social work as a profession.20[D]They help enhance the well-being of the underprivileged.21[C]They all have an academic degree in social work. 22[A]Social works’ job options and responsibilities. 23[A]To fight childhood obesity.24[C]They impress kids more than they do adults.25[D]Message positive behaviors at all times.。