2019年12月大学英语四级考试模拟试卷及答案(21)

2019年12月四级参考答案完整版2019年12月四级参考答案完整版考证菌2019-12-14 23:03:46via星火英语四六级试卷采用多题多卷形式，大家核对答案时，找准具体选项内容，忽略套数。

写作（共三套，忽略套数，只核对内容）第一套Dear Tom,On hearing that you are planning to teach English in China and ask me to recommend a city, I'd like to recommend our capital city, Beijing, an international metropolis.The reasons why I recommend Beijing can be listed as follows. First of all, there are a lot ofEnglish-speaking foreigners in Beijing, which helps you adapt to life here very quickly. Furthermore, as the capital of several dynasties, Beijing has a profound cultural background, so you can better experience the extensive and profound traditional Chinese culture. Most importantly, parents in Beijing, an international metropolis with many multinational companies, attach great importance to their children's English learning and many people who work in multinational companies also need to learn English.I truly hope that you can come to Beijing to start your teaching life and I'm looking forward to your arrival. If you have any question about the city, please feel free to contact me for further information.Yours sincerely,Li Ming第二套Dear Tom,On hearing that you are planning to learn Chinese in China and ask me to recommend a place, I'd like to recommend our capital city, Beijing, an international metropolis.I recommend Beijing to you because of the following reasons. First of all, there are a lot ofEnglish-speaking foreigners in Beijing, which helps you adapt to life here very quickly. Furthermore, as the capital of several dynasties, Beijing has a profound cultural background, so you can better experience the extensive and profound traditional Chinese culture. Last but not least, with many people understand and master both Chinese and English, Beijing has a good bilingual atmosphere. It is good for you to improve your Chinese. You could communicate with local people in Chinese as much as possible because practice makes perfect.I truly hope that you can come to Beijing and learn Chinese here. I'm looking forward to your arrival. If you have any question about the city, please feel free to contact me for further information.Yours sincerely,-Dear Tom,I was so delighted to receive the letter from you. On hearing that you are planning to study in China, I decide to write you a letter to recommend a university. My recommendation is Xiamen University, which is one of the most outstanding universities in China.The reasons why I recommend this university can be listed asfollows. First of all, Xiamen University is located in a coastal city, Xiamen, which has beautiful and attractive seaside scenery. If you study here, you can have a walk and breathe the fresh air at the end of the day's study. How comfortable and enjoyable! More importantly, Xiamen University has a high reputation for its academic contributions to China and the world.I truly hope that you can come to Xiamen University to start your college life and I am looking forward to your arrival. If you are interested in my recommendation and want to know more detail about the university, please feel free to contact me.Yours sincerelyLI Ming听力（共两套，第三套仅顺序改变，忽略套数，只核对内容）第一套Section A: 1-71. D) A wandering cow was captured by the police.2. D) It was sent to the animal control department.3. B) It is going to be expanded4. C) Some ancient wall paintings from Australia5. A) Pick up trash.6. A) They are especially intelligent.7. B) Children may be tempted to drop litter.Section B: 8-158. C) It will cover different areas of science.9. C) It will be more entertaining.10. A) People interested in science.11. B) Provide financial support.12. D) Dissatisfied13. A) He is too concerned with being perfect。

2019年12月英语四级听力真题原文及答案News report 11）New York City police captured a cow on the loose in Prospect Park onTuesday after the animal became an attraction for tourists while walking along the streets and enjoying the park facilities. The confused creature and camera-holding humans stared at each other through a fence for several minutes. At other times the cow wandered around the 526 acre park and the artificial grass field normally used for human sporting events. Officers use soccer goals to fence the animal in. However, the cow then moved through one of the nets knocking down a police officer in the process. Police eventually trapped the cow between two vehicles parked on either side of a baseball field’s bench area. An officer then shot an arrow to put it t o sleep. Then officers waited for the drug to take effect. After it fell asleep they loaded the cow into a horse trailer. It was not clear where the cow came from or how it got lost. 2）Police turned it over to the animal control department after they caught it.一头奶牛于周二出现在公园里，警察最终抓住了它并将其送还至动物管理局。

2019年12月大学四级英语全真模考测评卷一Part I Writing(30minutes)Directions:For this part,you are allowed30minutes to write an essay on Studying Abroad.You should write at least120words but no more than180words.Part II Reading Comprehension(40minutes) 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 bankfollowing the passage.Read the passage through carefully before makingyour choices.Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter.Please markthe corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet2with a singleline through the centre.You may not use any of the words in the bankmore than once.Nowadays,is it possible to tell a person's class just by looking at him?Physical details__1__tell us about health,diet and type of work done.A hundred years ago the working class very often looked unhealthy,small and were either too thin or too fat. The upper classes were often__2__,sporting types who were used to a good diet and looked healthy.Today living and working conditions have improved,and such__3__ would no longer be so true.The clothes people choose to wear,however,do provide information about their__4__.The most obvious way in which is for the amount of money spent on them.Expensive clothes look expensive and show their wearer had money.Clothes can provide other__5__as well.The upper classes__6__to be less interested in fashion and wear good quality clothes in non-bright colors,made ofnatural material like wool,leather or cotton.Lower working class people often choose clothes in bright colors,made of man-made material.A sociological explanation for this would be that color and interest are missing from their lives,and therefore any opportunity to introduce this is__7__.Clothes are__8__at a price within most people's reach.New clothes make the wearer feel good,and show some__9__of wealth to the outside world.Today some new fashions are started by the lower working class people who want to look__10__and feel important.They want people to look at them.A)available B)background C)differentD)tall E)totally F)takenG)descriptions H)degree I)cluesJ)alone K)appear L)considerM)full N)hobby O)fetchedSection 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 Sheet2.Robot ManagementA.Robots have been the stuff of science fiction for so long that it is surprisingly hard to see them as the stuff of management fact.A Czech playwright,Karel Capek,gave them their name in1920(from the Slavonic word for"work").An American writer, Isaac Asimov,confronted them with their most memorable dilemmas.Hollywood turned them into superheroes and supervillains.When some film critics drew up lists of Hollywood's50greatest good guys and50greatest baddies,theonly character to appear on both lists was a robot,the Terminator.B.It is time for management thinkers to catch up with science-fiction writers.Robots have been doing auxiliary jobs on production lines since the1960s.The world already has more than lm industrial robots.There is now an acceleration in the rates at which they are becoming both cleverer and cheaper:an explosive combination.Robots are learning to interact with the world around them.Their ability to see things is getting ever closer to that of humans,as is their capacity to ingest information and act on it.Tomorrow's robots will increasingly take on delicate, complex tasks.And instead of being imprisoned in cages to stop them colliding with people,they will be free to wander.C.America's armed forces have blazed a trail here.They now have no fewer than 12,000robots serving in their ranks.Peter Singer,of the Brookings Institution,a think-tank(智囊团),says mankind's5,000-year monopoly on the fighting of war is breaking down.Recent additions to the battlefield include tiny"insects"that perform reconnaissance(侦查)missions and giant"dogs"to terrify enemies.The Pentagon is also working on the EATR,a robot that fuels itself by eating whatever biomass(生物量)it finds around it.D.But the civilian world cannot be far behind.Who better to clean sewers or suck up nuclear waste than these remarkable machines?The Japanese have made surprisingly little use of robots to clear up after the recent earthquake,given their world leadership in this area.They say that they had the wrong sort of robots in the wrong places.But they have issued a global call for robotic assistance and are likely to put more robots to work shortly.E.As robots advance into the service industries they are starting to look less like machines and more like living creatures.The Paro(made by AIST,a Japanese research agency)is shaped like a baby seal and responds to attention.Honda's robot, ASIMO,is humanoid and can walk,talk and respond to commands.F.Until now executives have largely ignored robots,regarding them as an engineering rather than a management problem.This cannot go on:robots are becoming toopowerful and ubiquitous(无处不在的).Companies may need to rethink their strategies as they gain access to these new sorts of workers.Do they really need to outsource production to China,for example,when they have clever machines that work ceaselessly without pay?They certainly need to rethink their human-resources policies--starting by questioning whether they should have departments devoted to purely human resources.G.The first issue is how to manage the robots themselves.Asimov laid down the basic rule in1942:no robot should harm a human.This rule has been reinforced by recent technological improvements:robots are now much more sensitive to their surroundings and can be instructed to avoid hitting people.But the Pentagon's plans make all this a bit more complicated:many of its robots will be,in essence,killing machines.H.A second question is how to manage the homo side of homo-robo relations. Workers have always worried that new technologies will take away their livelihoods, ever since the original Luddites'fears about mechanised looms.That worry takes on a particularly intense form when the machines come with a human face:Capek's play that gave robots their name depicted a world in which they initially brought lots of benefits but eventually led to mass unemployment and discontent.Now,the arrival of increasingly humanoid automatons in workplaces,in an era of high unemployment,is bound to provoke a reaction.I.So,companies will need to work hard to persuade workers that robots are productivity-enhancers,not just job-eating aliens.They need to show employees that the robot sitting alongside them can be more of a helpmate than a threat.Audi has been particularly successful in introducing industrial robots because the carmaker asked workers to identify areas where robots could improve performance and then gave those workers jobs overseeing the robots.Employers also need to explain that robots can help preserve manufacturing jobs in the rich world:one reason why Germany has lost fewer such jobs than Britain is that it has five times as many robots for every10,000workers.J.These two principles--don't let robots hurt or frighten people--are relatively simple.Robot scientists are tackling more complicated problems as robots become more sophisticated.They are keen to avoid hierarchies(层级)among rescue-robots (because the loss of the leader would render the rest redundant).So they are using game theory to make sure the robots can communicate with each other in egalitarian (平等)ways.They are keen to avoid duplication between robots and their human handlers.So they are producing more complicated mathematical formulae in order that robots can constantly adjust themselves to human intentions.This suggests that the world could be on the verge of a great management revolution:making robots behave like humans rather than the20th century's preferred option,making humans behave like robots.11.Tomorrow's robots will be free to move around rather than being locked up in cages so as not to hurt people.12.It is not easy for people to regard robots as management stuff,for the later are mostly seen in science fictions.13.Robots appear more like living creatures as they enter into the service industry.14.According to the Pentagon's plans,many of its robots will essentially become killing machines.15.The Japanese didn't use a lot of robots to clear up after the recent earthquake, considering their world leadership in the robot field.panies should show their workers that robots can be more of a helper rather than a threat to them.17.The fact that more and more human-like robots are used in workplaces will surely arouse reaction in a time of high unemployment.18.Robots,who are considered as an engineering instead of a management problem, have been largely neglected by executives.19.Scientists are trying to enable robots to constantly adjust themselves to people's intentions.20.The example that Germany has lost fewer manufacturing jobs than Britain shows that robots can help preserve manufacturing jobs in the rich world.Section CDirections:There are2passages in this section.Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements.For each of them there are fourchoices marked A),B),C)and D).You should decide on the best choiceand mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet2with a single linethrough the centre.Passage OneOne of the bitterest and most time-worm debates in student union bars up and down the country is resolved as academic research confirms that in financial terms at least,arts degrees are a complete waste of time.Getting through university boosts students’earnings by25%,on a weighted average,or$220,000over their lifetime, according to Professor Ian Walker of Warwick University-but if they study Shakespeare or the peasants’revolt instead of anatomy of contract law,those gains are likely to be completely wiped out.The government is about to allow universities to charge students up to$3,000a year for their degrees,arguing that it’s a small price to pay compared with the financial rewards graduates reap later in life.But Prof.Walker’s research shows there are sharp variations in returns according to which subject a student takes.Law,medicine and economics or business are the most lucrative choices,making their average earnings25%higher,according to the article,published in the office for national statistics’monthly journal.Scientists get10-15%extra.At the bottom of the list are arts subjects,which make only a“small”difference to earnings-a small negative one,in fact.Just ahead are degrees in education-which leave hard pressed teachers an average of5%better off a year than if they had left school at18.“It’s hard to resist the conclusion that what students learn does matter a lot;and some subject areas give more modest financial returns than others,”Prof.Walker said.As an economist,he was quick to point out that students might gain non-financial returns from arts degrees:“Studying economics might be very dull,for example,and studying post-modernism might be a lot of fun.”21.Universities charge students a rather high tuition mainly because_____A.they provide the students with very prosperous subjects to learnB.they assume that their graduates can earn much more than they had paidC.they don’t get financial support from the governmentD.they need much revenue to support the educational expenses22.The word“lucrative”(Line1,Para.4)most probably means_____A.sensibleB.creativeC.profitableD.reliablew,medical and business graduates could earn25%more than______cation graduatesB.arts graduatesC.those who had not studied at the universityD.the average income24.We can safely conclude that the author______A.regards arts degrees as meaninglessB.finds this result disappointing and unfairC.wants the students to think twice before they decide what to learn in collegeD.holds that arts degrees are still rewarding despite its scarce financial returns25.What is the best title for the passage?A.Professor Walker’s ResearchB.How to Make Big MoneyC.Differences Between Science and Arts DegreesD.Studying Arts Has Negative Financial OutcomePassage TwoEngineering students are supposed to be examples of practicality and rationality，but when it comes to my college education I am an idealist and a fool.In high school I wanted to be an electrical engineer and,of course,any sensible student with my aims would have chosen a college with a large engineering department，famous reputation and lots of good labs and research equipment.But that‘s not what I did.I chose to study engineering at a small liberal-arts university that doesn’t even offer a major in electrical engineering.Obviously,this was not a practical choice;I came here for more noble reasons.I wanted a broad education that would provide me with flexibility and a value system to guide me in my career.I wanted to open my eyes and expand my vision by interacting with people who weren’t studying science or engineering.My parents,teachers and other adults praised me for such a sensible choice.They told me I was wise and mature beyond my18years,and I believed them.I headed off to college sure I was going to have an advantage over those students who went to big engineering“factories”where they didn’t care if you have values or were flexible.I was going to be a complete engineer:technical genius and sensitive humanist all in one.Now I‘m not so sure.Somewhere along the way my noble ideals crashed into reality,as all noble ideals eventually do.After three years of struggling to balance math,physics and engineering courses with liberal-arts courses,I have learned there are reasons why few engineering students try to reconcile(协调)engineering with liberal-arts courses in college.The reality that has blocked my path to become the typical successful student is that engineering and the liberal arts simply don’t mix as easily as I assumed in high school.Individually they shape a person in very different ways;together they threaten to confuse.The struggle to reconcile the two fields of study is difficult.26.The author chose to study engineering at a small liberal-arts university because he_____________.A.intended to be a combination of engineer and humanistB.wanted to be an example of practicality and rationalityC.intended to be a sensible student with noble idealsD.wanted to coordinate engineering with liberal-arts courses in27.According to the author，by interacting with people who study liberal arts，engineering students can_____________.A.broaden their horizonsB.become noble idealistsC.receive guidance in their careersD.balance engineering and the liberal arts28.In the eyes of the author，a successful engineering student is expected_________.A.to be imaginative with a value system to guide himB.to be a technical genius with a wide visionC.to have an excellent academic recordD.to be wise and mature29.The author’s experience shows that he was_____________.A.creativeB.irrationalC.ambitiousD.unrealistic30.The word“they”in“together they threaten to confuse.”(Line3，Para.5)refers to______________.A.practicality and rationalityB.engineering and the liberal artsC.reality and noble idealsD.flexibility and a value systemPart IV Translation(30minutes)Directions:For this part,you are allowed30minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English.You should write your answer on Answer Sheet2.四大发明(the Four Great Inventions)是指中国古代对世界有巨大影响的四种发明。

2019年12月四级真题答案（第一套）Part I WritingHi Mark,I’m so glad that you have made up your mind to teach English in China.Before you make a decision aboutyour precise destination,let me introduce my hometown,Chongqing.Located in southwest China,Chongqing may not enjoy worldwide fame as much as Beijing or Shanghai,butit is a thriving metropolis with lower cost of living.Working and living here,you can achieve your career goalswithout feeling too much stress.The locals are known for being warm and hospitable,and you can teach in a waythat feels good for you.To be sure,teaching a foreign language in a city where residents speak a dialect all thetime can be very challenging.It takes time indeed to correct pronunciation mistakes each student makes.But sinceyou are always praised for your kindness and patience,it should hardly be an obstacle for you.Anyway,I will support and help you as much as possible,whichever city you go to.I believe living andteaching in China will be a pleasant and memorable experience for you.Best wishes,Li MingPart II Listening ComprehensionSection A1.D2.D3.В4.C5.А6.A7.BSection B8.C9.C10.A11.B12.D13.A14.C15.BSection C16.C17.D18.A19.C20.B21.D22.D23.A24.B25.CPart III Reading ComprehensionSection A26.B27.M28.I29.C30.K31.L32.O33.G34.E35.JSection B36.E37.I38.C39.G40.K41.F42.B43.J44.D45.HSection C46.B47.C48.A49.D50.C51.C52.B53.B54.A55.DPart IV TranslationChinese families attach great importance to their children’s education.Many parents hold that they shouldwork hard to ensure their children’s access to good education.Not only are they perfectly willing to invest in theirchildren’s education,but they also spend much time urging them to study.Most parents expect their children to getadmitted to elite universities.Owing to China’s reform and opening-up,an increasing number of parents can sendtheir children to study abroad or participate in international exchange programs to broaden their horizons.Throughthese efforts,they expect their children grow up strong and healthy and make a contribution to the nation’sdevelopment and prosperity.2019年12月四级真题答案（第二套）Part I WritingDear Mike,How’s everything going?Last time you said you felt inclined to learn Chinese but had no clue where to start.So I’m writing to recommend a place to you—the Confucius Institute,an established language center aimed topromote Chinese language and culture.The reasons for my recommendation are as follows.Firstly,this Chinese government-funded educationalinstitute is staffed by the most experienced,professional Chinese teachers,which ensures high-quality instruction.You can turn to them whenever you encounter difficulties in mastering the tones and the characters.Secondly,students there are encouraged to take part in activities ranging from making traditional food to learning calligraphy,as a means of exposing them to the appealing aspects of Chinese culture.Besides,the organization is now widelyembraced by more than two million students.That means you aren’t alone as a beginner and will probably forgedeep friendships with other learners.Learning a language from scratch won’t be easy.But I believe you’ll find yourself having fun whileimproving your Chinese proficiency.Best wishes,Li HuaPart II Listening ComprehensionSection A1.A2.D3.B4.C5.D6.A7.CSection B8.C9.A10.B11.A12.C13.D14.D15.BSection C16.D17.B18.A19.B20.D21.A22.C23.B24.C25.APart III Reading ComprehensionSection A26.B27.L28.K29.A30.O31.C32.E33.G34.D35.HSection B36.E37.I38.B39.G40.D41.J42.A43.F44.C45.HSection C46.C47.D48.A49.C50.B51.D52.A53.D54.C55.BPart IV TranslationChina’s family values are related to its cultural traditions.Harmonious extended families used to be veryenviable.It was not uncommon in the past for four generations of a family to live under the same roof.Accordingto the tradition,many young people continued to live with their parents after marriage.Today,that tradition ischanging.As housing conditions improve,more and more young couples are opting to live apart from their parents.But the connections between them still remain strong.Many old people still help to look after their grandchildren.And young couples take time to visit their parents,especially during important festivals such as the Spring Festivaland the Mid-Autumn Festival.2019年12月四级真题答案（第三套）Part I WritingHello Tom,I’m pretty excited to hear that you are going to pursue a postgraduate degree in economics in China.If youare still uncertain about which college to apply to,why not go to Renmin University of China(RUC)?I recommend it mainly because of its academic reputation.Today,it is widely recognized for its strengths inthe fields of humanities and social sciences.The School of Economics often invites distinguished scholars at home and abroad to academic forums orseminars.You will definitely gain new insights into various economic issues by attending them as a student.Another striking feature of this university is its vibrant campus life,as evidenced by activities such as Fun SportsGames,school orienteering competitions and the annual International Culture Festival.You will find them allhighly enjoyable.Moreover,RUC is conveniently situated close to bus stops and subway stations,so you canspend your spare time exploring the city of Beijing.Of course,it’s totally up to you.Let me know if you make a final decision.Anyway,welcome to China.Yours,Zhang LeiPart II Listening Comprehension(略)Part III Reading ComprehensionSection A26.O27.A28.D29.C30.G31.H32.K33.N34.E35.FSection B36.F37.I38.D39.G40.B41.E42.H43.A44.J45.CSection C46.B47.C48.D49.B50.A51.D52.A53.B54.A55.CPart IV TranslationThe full name of a Han Chinese consists of a family name and a given name.A distinctive feature of theChinese name is that the family name always comes first,followed by the given name.For thousands of years,Chinese family names have been passed down through the father.Nowadays,however,it is not uncommon for achild to adopt the mother’s family name.Generally,a given name is made up of one or two characters,usuallycarrying the parents’wishes for their child.It can be inferred from the name what kind of person the parents wanttheir child to be,or what kind of life they expect him or her to lead.Chinese parents attach great importance to thechoice of their child’s name,as the name tends to accompany the child for his or her entire life.。

2019年12月四级考试真题及答案第-套Part Writing (30 minutes) Directions: For this part, уоu are allowed 30 minutes to write а letter to а foreign friend who wants to teach English in China. Please recommend а cityto him. You should write at least 120 words but по more than 180 words.Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes) Section ADirections: In this section, уou will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, уоu will hear two or three questions. Both the news report andthen questions will be spoken only once. After уоu hear a question, уоumust choose the best answer. from the four choices markedA), В), C) andD). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet lwith а singleline through the centre. Questions l and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1. A) Many facilities were destroyed by a wandering cow.В) A wandering cow knocked down one of its fences.C) Some tourists were injured by a wandering cow.D) A wandering cow was captured by the police.2. A) It was shot to death by a police officer.B) It found its way back to the park' 's zoo.C) It became a great attraction for tourists.D) It was sent to the animal control department.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just hear d.3. A) It is the largest of its kind.B) It is going to be expanded.C) It is displaying more fossil specimens.D) It is staring an online exhibition.4. A) A collection of bird fossils from Australia.B) Photographs of certain rare fossil exhibits.C) Some ancient wall paintings from Australia.D) Pictures by winners of а wildlife photo contest.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. A) Pick up trash.В) Amuse visitors.C) Deliver messages.D) Play with children.6. A) They are especially intelligent.B) They are children 's favorite.C) They are quite easy to tame.D) They are clean and pretty.7. A) Children may be harmed by the rooks.B) Children may be tempted to drop litter.C) Children may contract bird diseases.D) Children may overfeed the rooks.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 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 l with a single linethrough the centre.Questions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.8. A) It will be produced at Harvard University.B) It will be hosted by famous professors.C) It will cover different areas of science.D) It will focus on recent scientific discoveries.9. A) It will be more futuristic.B) It will be more systematic.C) It will be more entertaining.D) It will be easier to understand.10. A) People interested in science.B) Youngsters eager to explore."C) Children in their early teens.D) Students majoring in science.11. A) Offer professional advice.B) Provide financial support.C) Help promote it on the Internet.D) Make episodes for its first season.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. A) Unsure.B) Helpless.C) Concerned.D) Dissatisfied.13. A) He is too concerned with being perfect.B) He loses heart when faced with setbacks.C) He is too ambitious in achieving goals.D) He takes on projects beyond his ability.14. A) Embarrassed.B) Unconcerned.C) Miserable.D) Resentful.15. A) Try to be optimistic whatever happens.B) Compare his present with his past only.C) Always learn from others' achievements.D) Treat others the way he would be treated.SectionCDirections: 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 questionswіll bеѕроkеn оnlу оnсе. Аftеr уоu hеаr а quеѕtіоn, уои muѕt сhооѕе thеbest answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then markthe corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through thecentre.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A) They have a stronger sense of social responsibility.B) They are more likely to succeed in the humanities.C) They are more likely to become engineers.D) They have greater potential to be leaders.17. A) Praise girls who like to speak up frequently.B) Encourage girls to solve problems on their own.C) Insist that boys and girls work together more.D) Respond more positively to boys' comments.18. A) Offer personalized teaching materials.OB) Provide a variety of optional courses.OC) Place great emphasis on test scores.D) Pay extra attention to top students.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A) It often rains cats' and dogs.B) It seldom rains in summer time.C) It does not rain as much as people think.D) It is one of the most rainy cities in the US.20. A) They drive most of the time.B) The rain is usually very light.C) They have got used to the rain.D) The rain comes mostly at night.21. A) It has a lot of places for entertainment.B) It has never seen thunder and lighting.C) It has fewer cloudy days than any other coastal city.D) It has mild weather both in summer and in winter .Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A) It occurs when people are doing a repetitive activity.B) It results from exerting one 's muscles continuously.C) It happens when people engage in an uncommon activity.D) It comes from staining one 's muscles in an unusual way.23. A) Blood flow and body heat increase in the affected area.B) Body movements in the affected area become difficult.C) They begin to make repairs immediately.D) They gradually become fragmented.24. A) About one week.B) About two days.C) About ten days.D) About four weeks.25. A) Apply muscle creams.B) Drink plenty of water.C) Have a hot shower.D) Take pain-killers..Part llI Reading Comprehension (40 minutes) Section ADirections: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required 1o select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bankfollowving the passage. Read the passage through carefuly before makingyour choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter: Pleasemark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with asingle 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.When travelling overseas, do you buy water in plastic bottles or take yourchances with tap water'? Imagine you are wandering about on a Thai island or_ 26the ruins of Angkor. It's hot so you grab a bottle of water from a local vendor. It's thesafe, sane thing to do, right? The bottle is_ 27, and the label says“pure water”but maybe what's inside is not so28-.Would you still be drinking it if you knewthat more than 90percent of all bottled water sold around the world_29microplastics?That's the conclusion of a recently__ 30_study, which analyzed 259 bottlesfrom ll brands sold in nine countries,-31 an average of 325 plastic particles per liter of water. These microplastics included a__ 32commonly known as PET and are widely used in the manufacture of clothing and food and_ 33_ containers. The study was conducted at the State University of New York on behalf of Orb Media, ajournalism organization. About a million bottles are bought every minute, not only bythirsty tourists but also by many of the 2.1 billion worldwide who live with unsafedrinking water.Confronted with this__ 34 several bottled-water manufacturers includingNestle and Coco-Cola undertook their own studies using the same methodology.These studies showed that their water did contain microplastics, but far less than thOrb study suggested. Regardless, the World Health Organization has now launched a review into the__ 35health risks of drinking water from plastic bottles.A) adequateB) admiringC) containsD) defendingE) evidenceF) instantG) liquidH) modifiedI) naturalJ) potentialK) releasedL) revealingM) sealedN) solvesO) substance :Section BDirections: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to each statement contains information given in one of theparagraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived.You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is markedwith a letter: Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letteron Answer Sheet 2.The Quiet Heroism of Mail Delivery'·[A] On Wednesday, a polar wind brought bitter cold to the Midwest. Overnight,Chicago reached a low of 21 degrees Fahrenheit below zero, making it slightly colderthan Antarctica, Alaska, and the North Pole. Wind chills were 64 degrees below zeroin Park Rapids, Minnesota, and 45 degrees below zero in Buffalo, North Dakota,according to the National Weather Service. Schools, restaurants, and businessesclosed, and more than l ,000 flights have been canceled.[B] Even the United States Postal Service (USPS) suspended mail deliverytemporarily. "Due to this arctic outbreak and concerns for the safety of USPSemployees," USPS announced Wednesday morning, the Postal Service is suspendingdelivery Jan. 30 in the following 3-digit ZIP Code locations." Twelve regions werelisted as unsafe on Wednesday; on Thursday, eight remained.[C] As global surface temperatures increase, so does the likelihood of extremeweather. In 2018 alone, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, mudslides, and othernatural disasters cost at least $49 billion in the United States. As my colleague VannNewkirk reported, Puerto Rico is still confronting economic and structural destructionand resource scarcity from 2017's Hurricane Maria. Natural disasters can wreck acommunity's infrastructure, disrupting systems for months or years. Some services,however, remind us that life will eventually return, in some form, to normal,[D] Days after the deadly 2017 wildfires in Santa Rosa, California, a dronecaught footage of a USPS worker, Trevor Smith, driving through burned homes in thatfamiliar white van, collecting mail in an affected area. The video is striking: The operation is familiar, but the scene looks like the end of the world. According to RaeAnn Haight, the program manager for the national-preparedness office at USPS,Smith was fulfilling a request made by some of the home owners to pick up any mailthat was left untouched. For Smith, this was just another day on the job. I followedmy route like I normally do," Smith told a reporter. As I'd come across a box thatwas up but with no house, I checked, and there was mail--outgoing mail--in it. Andso we picked those up and carried on.'[E] USPS has sophisticated emergency plans for natural disasters. Across thcountry, 285 emergency-management teams are devoted to crisis control. These teamsare trained annually using a framework known as the three Ps: people, property,product. After mail service stops due to weather, the agency 's top priority is ensuringthat employees are safe. Then it evaluates the health of infrastructure, such as theroads that mail carriers drive on. Finally, it decides when and how tore-openoperations. If the destruction is extreme, mail addressed to the area will get sentelsewhere. In response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, USPS redirected incoming NewOrleans mail to existing mail facilities in Houston. Mail that was already processed inNew Orleans facilities was moved to an upper floor so it would be protected fromwater damage.[F] As soon as it's safe enough to be outside,' couriers start distributingaccumulated mail on the still-accessible routes. USPS urges those without standingaddresses to file change-of- address forms with their new location. After HurricaneKatrina hit in 2005, mail facilities were set up in dozens of other locations across thecountry in the two weeks that USPS was unable to provide street delivery.[G] Every day, USPS processes, on average, 493.4 million pieces ofmail -anything from postcards to Social Security checks to medicine. Spokespeoplefrom both USPS and UPS told me all mail is important. But some mail can beextremely sensitive and timely. According to data released in January 2017, 56percent of bills are paid online, which means that just under half of payments still relyon delivery services to be completed.[H] It can be hard to identify which parcels are carrying crucial items such asSocial Security checks, but USPS and UPS try their best to prioritize sensitivematerial. They will coordinate with the Social Security Administration to make surethat Social Security checks reach the right people in a timely fashion. After HurricaneFlorence and Hurricane Michael last fall, USPS worked with state and local electionboards to make sure that absentee ballots were available and received on time.[I] Mail companies are logistics companies, which puts them in a special positionto help when disaster strikes. In a 2011 USPS case study, the agency emphasized itsmassive infrastructure as a unique federal asset" to be called upon in a disaster orterrorist attack. I think we're unique as a federal agency," USPS official MikeSwigart told me, because we're in literally every community in this countryWe' re obligated to deliver to that point on a daily basis.'[J] Private courier companies, which have more dollars to spend, use theirexpertise in logistics to help revitalize damaged areas after a disaster. For more than adecade, FedEx has supported the American Red Cross in its effort to get emergencysupplies to areas affected by disasters, both domestically and internationally. In 2012,the company distributed more than 1,200 MedPacks to Medical Reserve Corps groupsin California, and donated space for 3.1 million pounds of charitable shipping st October, the company pledged $1 million in cash and transportation support forHurricanes Florence and Michael. UPS's charitable arm, the UPS Foundation, usesthe company 's logistics to help disaster-struck areas rebuild. We realize that as acompany with people, trucks, warehouses, we needed to play a larger role," saidEduardo Martinez, the president of the UPS Foundation. The company employs it:trucks and planes to deliver food, medicine, and water. The day before I spoke toMartinez in November, he had been touring the damage fromHurricane Michael inFlorida with the American Red Cross. We have an obligation to make sure ourcommunities are thriving, prosperous," he said.[K] Rebuilding can take a long time, and even then, impressions of the disastermay still remain. Returning to a sense of normalcy can be difficult, but some smallroutines--mail delivery being one of them--may help residents remember that theircommunities are still their communities. When they see that carrier back out on thestreet," Swigart said, that's the first sign to them that life is starting to return tonormal."36. The United States Postal Service has a system to ensure its employees' safety.37. One official says USPS is unique in that it has more direct reach tccommunities compared with other federal agencies38. Natural disasters can have a long-lasting impact on community life.39. Mail delivery service i$ still responsible for the completion of almost half ofpayments.40. The sight of a mailman on the street is a reassuring sign of life becomingnormal again.41. After Hurricane Katrina interrupted routine delivery, temporary mail servicepoints were set up.42. Postal service in some regions in the U.S. was suspended due to extreme coldweather.43. Private postal companies also support disaster relief efforts by distributingurgent supplies.44. A dedicated USPS employee was on the job carrying out duties in spite ofextreme conditions.45. Postal services work hard to identify items that require priority treatment. 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 fourchoices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choiceand mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line 'through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.Professor Ashok Goel of Georgia Tech developed an artificially intelligentteaching assistant to help handle the enormous number of student questions in theonline class, Knowledge Based Artificial Intelligence. This online course is a corerequirement of Georgia Tech's online Master of Science in Computer Scienceprogram. Professor Goel already had 8 teaching assistants, but that wasn t enough todeal with the overwhelming number of questions from students.Many students drop out of online courses because of the lack of teaching support.When students feel isolated or confused and reach out with questions that gounanswered, their motivation to continue begins to fade. Professor Goel decided to dosomething to remedy this situation and his solution was to create a virtual assistantnamed Jill Watson, which is based on the IBM Watson platform.Goel and his team developed several versions of Jill W atson before releasing herto the online forums. At first, the virtual assistant wasnt too great. But Goel and histeam sourced the online discussion forum to find all 40,000 questions that had everbeen asked since the class was launched. Then they began to feed Jill the questionsand answers. After some adjustment and sufficient time, Jill was able to answer thestudents questions correctly 97% of the time. The L virtual assistant became soadvanced and realistic that the students didn t know she was a computer. The students,who were studying artificial intelligence, were interacting with artificial intelligenceand couldn't tell it apart from a real human being. Goel didn 't inform them about Jill'strue identity until April 26. The students were actually very positive about theexperience.The goal of Professor Goel's virtual assistant next year is to take over answering40% of all questions posed by students on the online forum. The name, Jill Watson,will of course, change to something else next semester. Professor Goel has a muchrosier outlook on the future of AI than say, Elon Musk, Stephen Hawking, Bill Gatesor Steve Wozniak.46. What do we learn about Knowledge-Based Artificial Intelligence?A) It is a robot that can answer students' questions.B) It is a course designed for students to learn online.C) It is a high-tech device that revolutionizes teaching.D) It is a computer program that aids student learning.47. What problem did Professor Goel meet with?A) His students were unsatisfied with the assistants.B) His course was too difficult for the students.C) Students questions were too many to handle.D) Too many students dropped out of his course.48. What do we learn about Jill Watson?A) She turned out to be a great success.B) She got along pretty well with students.C) She was unwelcome to students at first.D) She was released online as an experiment.10/23149. How did the students feel about Jill W atson?A) They thought she was a bit too artificial.B) They found her not as capable as expected.C) They could not but admire her knowledge.D) They could not tell her from a real person.50. What does Professor Goel plan to do next with Jill W atson?A) Launch different versions of her online.B) Feed her with new questions and answers.c) Assign her to answer more of students questions.D) Encourage students to interact with her more freely.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.Thinking small, being engaging, and having a sense of humor don' t hurt. Thoseare a few of the traits of successful science crowdfunding efforts that emerge from arecent study that examined nearly 400 campaigns. But having a large network andsome promotional skills may be more crucial.Crowdfunding, raising money for a project through online appeals, has taken offin recent years for everything from making movies to building water-saving gadgets.Scientists have tried to tap Internet donors, too, with mixed success. Some raisedmore than twice their goal, but others have fallen short of reaching more modesttargets.To determine what separates science crowdfunding triumphs from failures, ateam led by science communications scholar Mike Schäfer of the University of Zurichin Switzerland examined the content of the WebPages for 371 recent campaigns.Four traits stood out for those that achieved their goals, the researchers report inPublic Understanding of Science. For one, they use a crowdfunding platform thatspecializes in raising money for science, and not just any kind of project. Althoughsites like Kickstarter take all comers, platforms such as Experiment.com,, and Petridish. org only present scientific projects. For another, theypresent the project with a funny video because good visuals and a sense of humorimproved success. Most of them engage with potential donors since projects thatanswered questions from interested donors and posted lab notes fared better. And theytarget a small amount of money. The projects included in the study raised $4000 onaverage, with 30% of projects receiving less than $ 1000. The more money a projectsought, the lower the chance it reached its goal, the researchers found.Other factors may also significantly influence a project's success, most notably,the size of a scientist's personal and professional networks, and how muchresearcher promotes a project on his or her own. Those two factors are by far morecritical than the content on the page. Crowdfunding can be part of researchers effortsto reach the public, and people give because they feel a connection to the person"who is doing the fundraising--not necessarily to the science.11/3151. What do we learn about the scientists trying to raise money online for theirprojects?A) They did not raise much due to modest targets.B) They made use of mixed fundraising strategies.C) Not all of them achieved their anticipated goals.D) Most of them put movies online for the purpose.52. What is the purpose of Mike Schafer's research of recent crowdfundingcampaigns?A) To create attractive content for science websites.B) To identify reasons for their different outcomes.C) To help scientists to launch innovative projects.D) To separate science projects from general ones.53. What trait contributes to the success of a crowdfunding campaign?A) The potential benefit to future generations.为B) Its interaction with prospective donors.C) Its originality in addressing financial issues.D) The value of the proposed project.54. What did the researchers think of the financial targets of crowdfundingprojects?A) They should be small to be successful.B) They should be based on actual needs.C) They should be assessed with great care.D) They should be ambitious to gain notice.55. What motivates people to donate in a crowdfunding campaign?A) The ease of access to the content of the webpage.B) Their desire to contribute to the cause of science.C) The significance and influence of the project itself.D) Their feeling of connection to the scientists themselves.Part IV Translation (30 minutes) Directions: For this part, you cre allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from ( 'hinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.中国家庭十分重视孩子的教育。

2019年12月英语四级考试真题及答案【卷二】作文Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions:For this part,you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter to a foreign friend who wants to learn e recommend a university to should write at least 120words but no more than 180words.听力Part ⅡListening 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 l and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.1. A)Many facilities were destroyed by a wandering cow.B) A wandering cow knocked down one of its fences.C) Some tourists were injured by a wandering cow.D) A wandering cow was captured by the police.2. A) It was shot to death by a police officer.B) It found its way back to the park’s zoo.C) It became a great attraction for tourists.D) It was sent to the animal control department.Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.3. A) It is the largest of its kind.B) It is going to be expanded.C) It is displaying more fossil specimens.D) It is staring an online exhibition.4. A)A collection of bird fossils from Australia.B) Photographs of certain rare fossil exhibits.C) Some ancient wall paintings from Australia.D) Pictures by winners of a wildlife photo contest.Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.5. A) Pick up trash.B) Amuse visitors.C) Deliver messages.D) Play with children.6. A) They are especially intelligent.B) They are children’s favorite.C They are quite easy to tame.D) They are clean and pretty.7. A) Children may be harmed by the rooks.B) Children may be tempted to drop litter.C) Children may contract bird diseases.D) Children may overfeed the rooks.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) It will be produced at Harvard University.B) It will be hosted by famous professors.C) It will cover different areas of science.D) It will focus on recent scientific discoveries.9. A)It will be more futuristic.B) It will be more systematic.C) It will be more entertaining.D) It will be easier to understand.10. A) People interested in science.B) Youngsters eager to explore.C) Children in their early teens.D) Students majoring in science.11. A) Offer professional advice.B) Provide financial support.C) Help promote it on the Internet.D) Make episodes for its first season.Questions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.12. A) Unsure.B) Helpless.C) Concerned.D) Dissatisfied.13. A) He is too concerned with being perfect.B) He loses heart when faced with setbacks.C) He is too ambitious in achieving goals.D) He takes on projects beyond his ability.14. A) Embarrassed.B) Unconcerned.C) Miserable.D) Resentful.15. A) Try to be optimistic whatever happens.B) Compare his present with his past only.C) Always learn from others’achievements.D) Treat others the way he would be treated.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 youhear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre. Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A) They have a stronger sense of social responsibility.B) They are more likely to succeed in the humanities.C) They are more likely to become engineers.D) They have greater potential to be leaders.17. A) Praise girls who like to speak up frequently.B) Encourage girls to solve problems on their own.c) Insist that boys and girls work together more.D) Respond more positively to boys’comments.18. A) Offer personalized teaching materials.B) Provide a variety of optional courses.C) Place great emphasis on test scores.D) Pay extra attention to top students.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.19. A) It often rains cats and dogs.B) It seldom rains in summer time.C) It does not rain as much as people think.D) It is one of the most rainy cities in the US.20. A) They drive most of the time.B) The rain is usually very light.C) They have got used to the rain.D) The rain comes mostly at night.21. A) It has a lot of places for entertainment.B) It has never seen thunder and lighting.C) It has fewer cloudy days than any other coastal city.D) It has mild weather both in summer and in winter.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.22. A) It occurs when people are doing a repetitive activity.B) It results from exerting one’s muscles continuously.C) It happens when people engage in an uncommon activity.D) It comes from staining one’s muscles in an unusual way.23. A) Blood flow and body heat increase in the affected area.B) Body movements in the affected area become difficult.C) They begin to make repairs immediately.D) They gradually become fragmented.24. A) About one week.B) About two days.C) About ten days.D) About four weeks.25. A) Apply muscle creams.B) Drink plenty of water.C) Have a hot shower.D) Take pain-killers.阅读理解选词填空Section AFinally, some good news about airplane traverl. If you are on a plane with a sick passenger, you are unlikely to get sick. That is the 26 of a new study that looked at how respiratory(呼吸道)viruses 27 on airplanes. Researchers found that only people who were seated in individual –had a high risk of catching the illness. All other passengers had only a very 28 chance of getting sick ,according to the findings. Media reports have not necessarily presented 29 information about the risk of getting infected on an airplane in the past. Therefore , these new findings should help airplane passengers to feel less 30 to catching respiratory infections while traveling by air. Prior to the new study, litter was known about the risks of getting 31 infected by common respiratory viruses, such as the flu or common cold, on an airplane, the researchers said. So, to 32 the risks of infection, the study team flew on 10 different 33 in the U.S. 34 side of a person infected with flu, as well as those sitting one roe in front of or behind this individual, had about an 80 person chance of getting sick. But other passengers were 35 safe from infection. They had a less than 3 percent chance of catching the flu.A) accurateB) conclusionC) directlyD) eitherE) evaluateF) explorationsG) flightsH) largelyI) nearbyJ) respondK) slimL) spreadM) summitN) vividlyO) vulnerableSection 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 Sheet2.A South Korean city designed for the future takes on a life of its ownA) Getting around a city is one thing —and then there’s the matter of getting from one city to another. One vision of the perfect city of the future: a place that offers easy access to air travel. In 2011, a University of North Carolina business professor named John Kasarda published a book called Aerotropolis: The Way We’ll Live Next. Kasarda says future cities should be built intentionally around or near airports. The idea, as he has put it, is to offer businesses “rapid,long-distance connectivity on a massive scale.”B) “The 18th century really was a waterborne (水运的) century, the 19th century a rail century. the 20th century a highway, car, truck century一and the 21st century will increasingly be an aviation century, as the globe becomes increasingly connected by air,”Kasarda says. Songdo, a city built from scratch in South Korea, is one of Kasarda’s prime examples. It has existed for just a few years.“From the get-go, it was designed on the basis of connectivity and competitiveness,”says Kasada. “The government built the bridge directly from the airport to the Songdo International Business District. And the surface infrastructure was built in tandem with the new airport.”C) Songdo is a stone’s throw from South Korea’s Incheon Airport, its main international hub (枢纽). But it takes a lot more than a nearby airport to be a city of the future. Just building a place as an “international business district”doesn’t mean it will become one. Park Yeon Soo conceived (构想) this city of the future back in 1986. He considers Songdo his baby. “I am a visionary,”he says. Thirty years after he imagined the city, Park’s baby is close to 70 percent built, with 36.000 people living in the business district and 90,000 residents in greater Songdo. It’s about an hour outside Seoul, built on reclaimed tidal flats along the Yellow Sea, There’s a Coast Guard building and a tall trade tower, as well as a park, golf course and university.D) Chances are you’ve actually seen this place. Songdo appears in the most famous music video ever to come ou of South Korea. “Gangnam Style”refers to the fashionable Gangnam district in Seoul. But some of the video was filmed in Songdo.“I don’t know if you remember, there was a scene in a subway station. That was not Gangnam. That was actually Songdo,”says Jung Won Son, a professor of urban development at London’s Bartlett School of Planning, “Part of the reason to shoot there is that it’s new and nice.”E) The city was supposed to be a hub for global companies, with employees from all over the world. But hat’s not how it has turned out. Songdo’s reputation is as a futuristic ghost town. But the reality is more complicated. A bridge with big, light-blue loops leads into the business district. In the center of the main road, there’s a long line of flags of the world. On the corner, there’s a Starbucks and a 7-Eleven--all of the international brands that you see all over the world nowadays.F) The city is not empty. There are mothers pushing strollers, old women with walkers -- even in the middle of the day. when it’s 90 degrees out. Byun Young-Jin chairs the Songdo real estate association and started selling property here when the first phase of the city opened in 2005. He says demand has boomed in the past couple of years. Most of his clients are Korean. In fact, the developer says, 99 percent of the homes here are sold to Koreans. Young families move here because the schools are great. And that’s the problem: Songdo has become a popular Korean city 一more popular as a residential area than a business one. It’s not yet the futuristic international business hub that planners imagined. “It’s a great place to live. And it’s becoming a great place to work,”says Scott Summers, the vice president of Gale International, the developer of the city. The floor-to-ceiling windows of his company’s offices overlook Songdo Central Park, with a canal full of kayaks and paddle boats. Shimmering (闪烁的)glass towers line the canal’s edge.G) “What’s happened is, because we focused on creating that quality of life first, which enabled the residents to live here, what has probably missed the mark is for companies to locate here,”he says. “There needs to be strong economic incentives.”The city is still unfinished, and it feelsa bit like a theme park. It doesn’t feel all that futuristic. There’s a high-tech underground trash disposal system. Buildings are environmentally friendly. Everybody’s television set is connected to a system that streams personalized language or exercise classes.H) But Star Trek this is not. And to some of the residents, Songdo feels hollow. “I’m, like, in prison for weekdays. That’s what we call it in the workplace,”says a woman in her 20s. She doesn’t want to use her name for fear of being fired from her job. She goes back to Seoul every weekend. “I say I’m prison-breaking on Friday nights.”But she has to make the prison break in her own car. There’s no high-speed train connecting Songdo to Seoul, just over 20 miles away.I) The man who first imagined Songdo feels frustrated. too. Park says he built South Korea a luxury vehicle, “like Mercedes or BMW. It’s a good car now. But we’re waiting for a good driver to accelerate.”But there are lots of other good cars out there, too. The world is dotted with futuristic, high-tech cities trying to attract the biggest international companiesJ) Songdo’s backers contend that it’s still early, and business space is filling up—about 70 percent of finished offices are now occupied. Brent Ryan, who teaches urban design at MIT, says Songdo proves a universal principle. “There have been a lot of utopian (乌托邦的) cities in history. And the reason we don’t know about a lot of them is that a lot of them have vanished entirely.”In other words, when it comes to cities—or anything else—it is hard to predict the future.36. Songdo’s popularity lies more in its quality of life than its business attraction.37. The man who conceives Songdo feels disappointed because it has fallen short of his expectations.38. A scene in a popular South Korean music video was shot in Songdo.39. Songdo still lacks the financial stimulus for businesses to set up shop there.40. Airplanes will increasingly become the chief means of transportation, according to a professor.41. Songdo has ended up different from the city it was supposed to be.42. Some of the people who work in Songdo complain about boredom in the workplace.43. A business professor says that a future city should have easy access to international transportation.44. Acording to an urban design professor, it is difficult for city designers to foresee what happen in the future.45. Park Yeon So. Who envisioned Songdo, feels a parental connection with the city.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.The fifth largest city in the US passed a significant soda tax proposal that will levy (征税)1.5 cents per liquid ounce on distributors.Philadelphia’s new measure was approved by a 13 to 4 city council vote. It sets a new bar for similar initiatives across the county. It is proof that taxes on sugary drinks can win substantialsupport outside super-liberal areas. Until now, the only city to successfully pass and implement a soda tax was Berkeley, California, in 2014.The tax will apply to regular and diet sodas, as well as other drinks with added sugar, such as Gatorade and iced teas. It’s expected to raise $410 million over the next five years, most of which will go toward funding a universal pre-kindergarten program for the city.While the city council vote was met with applause inside the council room, opponents to the measure, including soda lobbyists made sharp criticisms and a promise to challenge the tax in court.“The tax passed today unfairly singles out beverages—including low- and no-calorie choices,”said Lauren Kane, spokeswoman for the American Beverage Association. “But most importantly, it is against the law. So we will side with the majority of the people of Philadelphia who oppose this tax and take legal action to stop it.”An industry backed anti-tax campaign has spent at least $4 million on advertisements. The ads criticized the measure. characterizing it as a“grocery tax.”Public health groups applauded the approved tax as a step toward fixing certain lasting health issues that plague Americans. “The move to recapture a small part of the profits from an industry that pushes a product that contributes to diabetes, obesity and heart disease in poorer communities in order to reinvest in those communities will sure be inspirational to many other places,”said Jim Krieger, executive director of Healthy Food America. “Indeed, we are already hearing from some of them. It’s not just Berkeley’anymore.”Similar measures in California’s Albany, Oakland, San Francisco and Colorado’s Boulder are becoming hot-button issues Health advocacy groups have hinted that even more might be coming.46. What does the passage say about the newly-approved soda tax in Philadelphia?A) It will change the lifestyle of many consumers.B) It may encourage other US cities to follow suit.C) It will cut soda consumption among low-income communities.D)It may influence the marketing strategies of the soda business.47. What will the opponents probably do to respond to the soda tax proposal?A) Bargain with the city council.B) Refuse to pay additional tax.C) Take legal action against it.D) Try to win public support.48. What did the industry-backed anti-tax campaign do about the soda tax proposal?A) It tried to arouse hostile feelings among consumers.B) It tried to win grocers’support against the measure.C) It kept sending letters of protest to the media.D) It criticized the measure through advertising.49. What did public health groups think the soda tax would do?A) Alert people to the risk of sugar-induced diseases.B) Help people to fix certain long-time health issues.C) Add to the fund for their research on diseases.D) Benefit low-income people across the country.50. What do we learn about similar measures concerning the soda tax in some other cities?A) They are becoming rather sensitive issues.B) They are spreading panic in the soda industry.C) They are reducing the incidence of sugar-induced diseases.D)They are taking away lot of profit from the soda industry.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.Popping food into the microwave for a couple of minutes may seem utterly harmless, but Europe’s stock of these quick-cooking ovens emit as much carbon as nearly 7 million cars, a new study has found. And the problem is growing. With costs falling and kitchen appliances becoming “status”items, owners are throwing away microwaves after an average of eight years. This is pushing sales of new microwaves which are expected to reach 135 million annually in the EU by the end of the decade.A study by the University of Manchester calculated the emissions of CO2—the main greenhouse gas responsible for climate change—at every stage of microwaves, from manufacture to waste disposal. “It is electricity consumption by microwaves that has the biggest impact on the environment,”say the authors. The authors also calculate that the emissions from using 19 microwaves over a year are the same as those from using a car. According to the same study, efforts to reduce consumption should focus on improving consumer awareness and behaviour. For example, consumers could use appliances in a more efficient way by adjusting the time of cooking to the type of food.However, David Reay, professor of carbon management, argues that, although microwaves use a great deal of energy, their emissions are minor compared to those from cars. In the UK alone, there are around 30 million cars. These cars emit more than all the microwaves in the EU. Backing this up, recent data show that passenger cars in the UK emitted 69 million tons of CO2 in 2015. This is 10 times the amount this new microwave oven study estimates for annual emissions for all the microwave ovens in the EU. Further, the energy used by microwaves is lower than any other from of cooking. Among common kitchen appliances used for cooking, microwaves are the most energy efficient, followed by a stove and finally a standard oven. Thus, rising microwave sales could be seen as a positive thing.51. What is the finding of the new study?A) Quick-cooking microwave ovens have become more popular.B) The frequent use of microwaves may do harm to our health.C) CO2 emissions constitute a major threat to the environment.D) The use of microwaves emits more CO2 than people think.52. Why are the sales of microwaves expected to rise?A) They are becoming more affordable.B) They have a shorter life cycle than other appliances.C) They are getting much easier to operate.D) They take less time to cook than other appliances.53. What recommendation does the study by the University of Manchester make?A) Cooking food of different varieties.B) Improving microwave users’habits.C) Eating less to cut energy consumption.D) Using microwave ovens less frequently.54. What does Professor David Reay try to argue?A) There are far more emissions from cars than from microwaves.B) People should be persuaded into using passenger cars less often.C) The UK produces less CO2 than many other countries in the EU.D) More data are needed to show whether microwaves are harmful.55. What does Professor David Reay think of the use of microwaves?A) It will become less popular in the coming decades.B) It makes everyday cooking much more convenient.C) It plays a positive role in environmental protection.D) It consumes more power than conventional cooking.翻译Part ⅣTranslation (30 minutes)Directions:For this part,you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.中国家庭十分重视孩子的教育。

2019年12月大学英语四级(CET-4)真题试卷Part I Listening Comprehension (20 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, you will hear 10 short conversations. At the end of each conversation, a question will be asked about what was said. Both theconversation and the question will be spoken only once. After eachquestion there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the fourchoices marked A), B), C) and D), and decide which is the best answer.Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a singleline through the centre.Example:You will hear:You will read:A) At the office.B) In the waiting room.C) At the airport.D) In a restaurant.From the conversation we know that the two were talking about some work they had to finish in the evening. This conversation is most likely to have taken place at the office. Therefore, A) “At the office” is the best answer. You should choose [A] on the Answer Sheet and mark it with a single line through the centre.Sample Answer [A] [B] [C] [D]1. A) The man could come some time later.B) The size the man wants will arrive soon.C) The size of the skirt is ail right for the man.D) The man could buy a shirt of a different color.2. A) The woman is filming the lake.B) The woman is running toward the lake.C) The woman can’t take a photo of the man.D) The woman is watching an exciting film with the man.3. A) It’s quiet in the restaurant.B) The restaurant is too far from their school.C) The price is high in the restaurant.D) The restaurant serves good food.4. A) On a busy street.B) In a Hong Kong hotel.C) At an airport.D) At a booking office.5. A) The woman should confirm her appointment with the doctor.B) The woman should have seen the doctor earlier.C) The woman’s headache will go away by itself.D) The woman has been complaining too much.6. A) Put off his appointment with Mr. Johnson.B) Help move things to Mr. Johnson’s office.C) Help the woman move the items.D) Hurry to Mr. Johnson’s office.7. A) The man didn’t practice hard enough.B) The man should find a new partner.C) The man should not give up.D) The man should not dream of being a superstar.8. A) It doesn’t appeal to her.B) It’s incredibly delicious.C) She has already tasted it.D) There is no more left.9. A) The man is a diligent student.B) The man has bad study habits.C) The man has made a mess of his midterm exam.D) The man is usually the last to hand in his test paper.10. A) The man has finished Ms assignment.B) The man is willing to help the woman.C) The man will drive the woman to school.D) The man is losing patience with the woman.Section BDirections: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage,you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will bespoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the bestanswer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark thecorresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through thecentre.Passage OneQuestions 11 to 13 are based on the passage you have just heard.11. A) The importance of good manners.B) The art of saying thank you.C) The secret of staying pretty.D) The difference between elegance and good manners.12. A) They were willing to spend more money on clothes.B) They paid more attention to their appearance.C) They were more aware of changes in fashion.D) They were nicer and gentler.13. A) By putting on a little make-up.B) By decorating our homes.C) By being kind and generous.D) By wearing fashionable clothes.Passage TwoQuestions 14 to 16 are based on the passage you have just heard.14. A) Children don’t get enough education in safety.B) The playgrounds are in poor condition.C) The playgrounds are overcrowded.D) Children are keen on dangerous games.15. A) They should help maintain the equipment.B) They should teach their children how to use the equipment.C) They should stop their children from climbing ladders.D) They should keep a watchful eye on their children.16. A) They can be creative when they feel secure.B) They may panic in front of high playground equipment.C) They should be aware of the potential risks in the playground.D) They tend to stay within shouting or running distance of their parents.Passage ThreeQuestions 17 to 20 are based on the passage you have just heard.17. A) It’s admired worldwide.B) It takes skill.C) It pays well.D) It’s a full-time job.18. A) An old lady carrying a handbag on the left.B) A mother with a baby in her arms.C) A woman whose bag is hanging in front.D) A lone female with a handbag at her right side.19. A) A side pocket of his jacket.B) The top pocket of his jacket.C) A side pocket of his trousers.D) The back pocket of his tight trousers.20. A) Clothing stores where people are relaxed and off guard.B) Hotels and restaurants in southeast London.C) Airports where people carry a lot of luggage.D) Theater lobbies with uniformed security guards.Part II Reading Comprehension (35 minutes)Directions: There are 4 passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choicesmarked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and markthe corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through thecentre.Passage OneQuestions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage.I’m usually fairly skeptical about any research that concludes that people are either happier or unhappier or more or less certain of themselves than they were 50 years ago. While any of these statements might be true, they are practically impossible to prove scientifically. Still, I was struck by a report which concluded that today’s children aresignificantly more anxious than children in the 1950s. In fact, the analysis showed, normal children ages 9 to 17 exhibit a higher level of anxiety today than children who were treated for mental illness 50 years ago.Why are America’s kids so stressed? The report cites two main causes: increasing physical isolation—brought on by high divorce rates and less involvement in community, among other things—and a growing perception that the world is a more dangerous place.Given that we can’t turn the clock back, adults can still do plenty to help the next generation cope.At the top of the list is nurturing (培育) a better appreciation of the limits of individualism. No child is an island. Strengthening social ties helps build communities and protect individuals against stress.To help kids build stronger connections with others, you can pull the plug on TVs and computers. Your family will thank you later. They will have more time for face-to-face relationships, and they will get more sleep.Limit the amount of virtual (虚拟的) violence your children are exposed to. It’s not just video games and movies; children see a lot of murder and crime on the local news.Keep your expectations for your children reasonable. Many highly successful people never attended Harvard or Yale.Make exercise part of your daily routine. It will help you cope with your own anxieties and provide a good model for your kids. Sometimes anxiety is unavoidable. But it doesn’t have to ruin your life.21. The author thinks that the conclusions of any research about people’s state of mindare ________.A) surprisingB) confusingC) illogicalD) questionable22. What does the author mean when he says, “we can’t turn the clock back” (Line 1,Para. 3)?A) It’s impossible to slow down the pace of change.B) The social reality children are facing cannot be changed.C) Lessons learned from the past should not be forgotten.D) It’s impossible to forget the past.23. According to an analysis, compared with normal children today, children treated asmentally ill 50 years ago ________.A) were less isolated physicallyB) were probably less self-centeredC) probably suffered less from anxietyD) were considered less individualistic24. The first and most important thing parents should do to help their children is________.A) to provide them with a safer environmentB) to lower their expectations for themC) to get them more involved sociallyD) to set a good model for them to follow25. What conclusion can be drawn from the passage?A) Anxiety, though unavoidable, can be coped with.B) Children’s anxiety has been enormously exaggerated.C) Children’s anxiety can be eliminated with more parental care.D) Anxiety, if properly controlled, may help children become mature.Passage TwoQuestions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.It is easier to negotiate initial salary requirement because once you are inside, the organizational constraints (约束) influence wage increases. One thing, however, is certain: your chances of getting the raise you feel you deserve are less if you don’t at least ask for it. Men tend to ask for more, and they get more, and this holds true with other resources, not just pay increases. Consider Beth’s story:I did not get what I wanted when I did not ask for it. We had cubicle (小隔间) offices and window offices. I sat in the cubicles with several male colleagues. One by one they were moved into window offices, while I remained in the cubicles, several males who were hired after me also went to offices. One in particular told me he was next in line for an office and that it had been part of his negotiations for the job. I guess they thought me content to stay in the cubicles since I did not voice my opinion either way.It would be nice if we all received automatic pay increases equal to our merit, but “nice” isn’t a quality attributed to most organizations. If you feel you deserve a significant raise in pay, you’ll probably have to ask for it.Performance is your best bargaining chip (筹码) when you are seeking a raise. You must be able to demonstrate that you deserve a raise. Timing is also a good bargaining chip. If you can give your boss something he or she needs (a new client or a sizable contract, for example) just before merit pay decisions are being made, you are more likely to get the raise you want.Use information as a bargaining chip too. Find out what you are worth on the open market.What will someone else pay for your services?Go into the negotiations prepared to place your chips on the table at the appropriate time and prepared to use communication style to guide the direction of the interaction.26. According to the passage, before taking a job, a person should ________.A) demonstrate his capabilityB) give his boss a good impressionC) ask for as much money as he canD) ask for the salary he hopes to get27. What can be inferred from Beth’s story?A) Prejudice against women still exists in some organizations.B) If people want what they deserve, they have to ask for it.C) People should not be content with what they have got.D) People should be careful when negotiating for a job.28. We can learn from the passage that ________.A) unfairness exists in salary increasesB) most people are overworked and underpaidC) one should avoid overstating one’s performanceD) most organizations give their staff automatic pay raises29. To get a pay raise, a person should ________.A) advertise himself on the job marketB) persuade his boss to sign a long-term contractC) try to get inside information about the organizationD) do something to impress his boss just before merit pay decisions30. To be successful in negotiations, one must ________.A) meet his boss at the appropriate timeB) arrive at the negotiation table punctuallyC) be good at influencing the outcome of the interactionD) be familiar with what the boss likes and dislikesPassage ThreeQuestions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage.When families gather for Christmas dinner, some will stick to formal traditions dating back to Grandma’s generation. Their tables will be set with the good dishes andsilver, and the dress code will be Sunday-best.But in many other homes, this china-and-silver elegance has given way to a stoneware (粗陶)-and-stainless informality, with dresses assuming an equally casual-Friday look. For hosts and guests, the change means greater simplicity and comfort. For makers of fine china in Britain, it spells economic hard times.Last week Royal Doulton, the largest employer in Stoke-on-Trent, announced that it is eliminating 1,000 jobs—one-fifth of its total workforce. That brings to more than 4,000 the number of positions lost in 18 months in the pottery (陶瓷) region. Wedgwood and other pottery factories made cuts earlier.Although a strong pound and weak markets in Asia play a role in the downsizing, the layoffs in Stoke have their roots in earthshaking social shifts. A spokesman for Royal Doulton admitted that the com pany “has been somewhat slow in catching up with the trend” toward casual dining. Families eat together less often, he explained, and more people eat alone, either because they are single or they eat in front of television;Even dinner parties, if they happen at all, have gone casual. In a time of long work hours and demanding family schedules, busy hosts insist, rightly, that it’s better to share a takeout pizza on paper plates in the family room than to wait for the perfect moment or a “real” dinner party. Too often, the perfect moment never comes. Iron a fine-patterned tablecloth? Forget it. Polish the silver? Who has time?Yet the loss of formality has its down side. The fine points of etiquette (礼节) that children might once have learned at the table by observation or instruction from parents and grandparents (“Chew with your mouth closed.” “Keep your elbows off the table.”) must be picked up elsewhere. Some companies now offer etiquette seminars for employees who may be competent professionally but clueless socially.31. The trend toward casual dining has resulted in ________.A) bankruptcy of fine china manufacturersB) shrinking of the pottery industryC) restructuring of large enterprisesD) economic recession in Great Britain32. Which of the following may be the best reason for casual dining?A) Family members need more time to relax.B) Busy schedules leave people no time for formality.C) People want to practice economy in times of scarcity.D) Young people won’t follow the etiquette of the older generation.33. It can be learned from the passage that Royal Doulton is ________.A) a retailer of stainless steel tablewareB) a dealer in stonewareC) a pottery chain storeD) a producer of fine china34. The main cause of the layoffs in the pottery industry is ________.A) the increased value of the poundB) the economic recession in AsiaC) the change in people’s way of lifeD) the fierce competition at home and abroad35. Refined table manners, though less popular than before in current social life________.A) are still a must on certain occasionsB) axe bound to return sooner or laterC) are still being taught by parents at homeD) can help improve personal relationshipsPassage FourQuestions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage.Some houses are designed to be smart. Others have smart designs. An example of the second type of house won an Award of Excellence from the American Institute of Architects.Located on the shore of Sullivan’s Island off the coast of South Carolina, th e award-winning cube-shaped beach house was built to replace one smashed to pieces by Hurricane (飓风) Hugo 10 years ago. In September 1989, Hugo struck South Carolina, killing 18 people and damaging or destroying 36,000 homes in the state.Before Hugo, many new houses built along South Carolina’s shoreline were poorly constructed, and enforcement of building codes wasn’t strict, according to architect Ray Huff, who created the cleverly-designed beach house. In Hugo’s wake, all new shoreline houses are required to meet stricter, better-enforced codes. The new beach house on Sullivan’s Island should be able to withstand a Category 3 hurricane with peak winds of 179 to 209 kilometers per hour.At first sight, the house on Sullivan’s Island looks anything but hur ricane-proof. Its redwood shell makes it resemble “a large party lantern (灯笼)” at night, according to one observer. But looks can be deceiving. The house’s wooden frame is reinforced with long steel rods to give it extra strength.To further protect the house from hurricane damage, Huff raised it 2.7 meters off the ground on timber pilings—long, slender columns of wood anchored deep in the sand. Pilings might appear insecure, but they are strong enough to support the weight of the house. They also elevate the house above storm surges. The pilings allow the surges to run under the house instead of running into it. “These swells of water come ashore attremendous speeds and cause most of the damage done to beach-front buildings,” said Huff.Huff designed the t imber pilings to be partially concealed by the house’s ground-to-roof shell. “The shell masks the pilings so that the house doesn’t look like it’s standing with its pant legs pulled up,” said Huff. In the event of a storm surge, the shell should break apart and let the waves rush under the house, the architect explained.36. After the tragedy caused by Hurricane Hugo, new houses built along SouthCarolina’s shore line are required ________.A) to be easily reinforcedB) to look smarter in designC) to meet stricter building standardsD) to be designed in the shape of cubes37. The award-winning beach house is quite strong because ________.A) it is strengthened by steel rodsB) it is made of redwoodC) it is in the shape of a shellD) it is built with timber and concrete38. Huff raised the house 2.7 meters off the ground on timber pilings in order to________.A) withstand peak winds of about 200 km/hrB) anchor stronger pilings deep in the sandC) break huge sea waves into smaller onesD) prevent water from rushing into the house39. The main function of the shell is ________.A) to strengthen the pilings of the houseB) to give the house a better appearanceC) to protect the wooden frame of the houseD) to slow down the speed of the swelling water40. It can be inferred from the passage that the shell should be ________.A) fancy-lookingB) waterproofC) easily breakableD) extremely strongPart III Vocabulary (20 minutes)Directions: There are 30 incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Choose the ONE answer that bestcompletes the sentence. Then mark the corresponding letter on the AnswerSheet with a single line through the centre.41. He asked us to ________ them in carrying through their plan.A) provideB) arouseC) assistD) persist42. A good many proposals were raised by the delegates, ________ was to be expected.A) thatB) whatC) soD) as43. He was such a ________ speaker that he held our attention every minute of thethree-hour lecture.A) specificB) dynamicC) heroicD) diplomatic44. Arriving home, the boy told his parents about all the ________ which occurred inhis dormitory.A) occasionsB) mattersC) incidentsD) issues45. The opening between the rocks was very narrow, but the boys managed to ________through.A) pressB) squeezeC) stretchD) leap46. They are trying to ________ the waste discharged by the factory for profit.A) exposeB) exhaustC) exhibitD) exploit47. The manager urged his staff not to ________ the splendid opportunity.A) dropB) missC) escapeD) slide48. ________ I admire David as a poet, I do not like him as a man.A) Much asB) Only ifC) If onlyD) As much49. Because of a ________ engagement, Lora couldn’t attend my birthday party lastSaturday.A) pioneerB) prematureC) priorD) past50. The continuous rain ________ the harvesting of the wheat crop by two weeks.A) set backB) set offC) set outD) set aside51. Not having a good command of English can be a serious ________ preventing youfrom achieving your goals.A) obstacleB) faultC) offenseD) distress52. It’s very ________ of you not to talk aloud while the baby is asleep.A) concernedB) carefulC) considerableD) considerate53. Many a player who had been highly thought of has ________ from the tennis scene.A) disposedB) disappearedC) discouragedD) discarded54. She’s fainted. Throw some water on her face and she’ll ________.A) come roundB) come alongC) come onD) come out55. All their attempts to ________ the child from the burning building were in vain.A) regainB) recoverC) rescueD) reserve56. Computer technology will ________ a revolution in business administration.A) bring aroundB) bring aboutC) bring outD) bring up57. The university has launched a research center to develop new ways of ________bacteria which have become resistant to drug treatments.A) regulatingB) haltingC) interruptingD) combating58. The ________ goal of the book is to help bridge the gap between research andteaching, particularly the gap between researchers and teachers.A) jointB) intensiveC) overallD) decisive59. The rapid development of communications technology is transforming the________ in which people communicate across time and space.A) routeB) transmissionC) visionD) manner60. When I go out in the evening I use the bike ________ the car if I can.A) rather thanB) regardless ofC) in spite ofD) other than61. There is no ________ evidence that people can control their dreams, at least inexperimental situations in a lab.A) rigidB) solidC) smoothD) harsh62. Every culture has developed ________ for certain kinds of food and drink, andequally strong negative attitudes toward others.A) preferencesB) expectationsC) fantasiesD) fashions63. It is reported that Uruguay understands and ________ China on human rights issues.A) grantsB) changesC) abandonsD) backs64. Only a few people have ________ to the full facts of the incident.A) accessB) resortC) contactD) path65. His trousers ________ when he tried to jump over the fence.A) crackedB) splitC) brokeD) burst66. So far, ________ winds and currents have kept the thick patch of oil southeast of theAtlantic coast.A) governingB) blowingC) prevailingD) ruling67. The author was required to submit an ________ of about 200 words together withhis research paper.A) editionB) editorialC) articleD) abstract68. As the old empires were broken up and new states were formed, new officialtongues began to ________ at an increasing rate.A) bring upB) build upC) spring upD) strike up69. Many patients insist on having watches with them in hospital, ________ they haveno schedules to keep.A) even thoughB) forC) as if70. Some plants are very ________ to light; they prefer the shade.A) sensibleB) flexibleC) objectiveD) sensitivePart IV Cloze (15 minutes)Directions: There are 20 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D) on the right side of the paper. You shouldchoose the ONE that best fits into the passage. Then mark thecorresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through thecentre.It’s an annual back-to-school routine. One morning you wave goodbye, and that __71__ evening you’re burning the late-night oil in sympathy. In the race to improve educational standards, __72__ are throwing the books at kids. __73__ elementary school students are complaining of homework __74__. What’s a well-meaning parent to do?As hard as __75__ may be, sit back and chill, experts advise. Though you’ve got to get them to do it, __76__ helping too much, or even examining __77__ too carefully, you may keep them __78__ doing it by themselves. “I wouldn’t advise a parent to check every __79__ assignment,” says psychologist John Rosemond, author Of Ending the Tough Homework. “There’s a __80__ of appreciation for trial and error. Let your children __81__ the grade they deserve.”Many experts believe parents should gently look over the work of younger children and ask them to rethink their __82__. But “you don’t want them to feel it has to be __83__,” she says.That’s not to say parents should __84__ homework—first, they should monitor how much homework their kids __85__. Thirty minutes a day in the early elementary years and an hour in __86__ four, five, and six is standard, says Rosemond. For junior-high students it should be “__87__ mom than an hou r and a half,” and two for high-school students. If your child __88__ has mom homework than this, you may want to check __89__ other parents and then talk to the teacher about __90__ assignment71. A) veryB) exactC) rightD) usual72. A) officialsB) parentsD) schools73. A) AlsoB) EvenC) ThenD) However74. A) fatigueB) confusionC) dutyD) puzzle75. A) thereB) weC) theyD) it76. A) viaB) underC) byD) for77. A) questionsB) answersC) standardsD) rules78. A) offB) withoutC) beyondD) from79. A) singleB) pieceC) pageD) other80. A) dropC) cutD) lack81. A) acquireB) earnC) gatherD) reach82. A) exercisesB) defectsC) mistakesD) tests83. A) perfectB) betterC) unusualD) complete84. A) forgetB) refuseC) missD) ignore85. A) haveB) prepareC) makeD) perform86. A) classesB) groupsC) gradesD) terms87. A) aboutB) noC) muchD) few88. A) previouslyB) rarelyC) merelyD) consistently89. A) withB) inC) outD) up90. A) finishingB) loweringC) reducingD) decliningPart V Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter in reply to a friend’s inquiry about applying for admission to your college o r university.You should write at least 120 words according to the outline given below inChinese:1. 建议报考的专业及理由2. 报考该专业的基本条件3. 应当如何备考A Letter in Reply to a FriendDecember 27th, 2019 Dear,___________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________2019年12月四级参考答案Part IPart IIPart IIIPart IV。

2019年12月大学四级英语全真模考测评卷一Part I Writing(30minutes) Directions:For this part,you are allowed30minutes to write an essayon Studying Abroad.You should write at least120words but no more than180words.Part II Reading Comprehension(40minutes) Section ADirections:In this section,there is a passagewith ten blanks.You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bankfollowing the passage.Read the passagethrough carefully before makingyour choices.Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter.Pleasemarkthe corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet2with a singleline through the centre.You may not use any of the words in the bankmore than once.Nowadays,is it possible to tell a person'sclass just by looking at him?Physical details__1__tell us about health,diet and type of work done.A hundred yearsagothe working class very often looked unhealthy,small and were either too thin or too fat. The upper classeswere often__2__,sporting types who were used to a good diet and looked healthy.Today living and working conditions have improved,and such__3__ would no longer be so true.The clothes people chooseto wear,however,do provide information about their__4__.The most obvious way in which is for the amount of money spent on them.Expensive clothes look expensiveand show their wearer had money.Clothes can provide other__5__as well.The upper classes__6__to be less interested in fashion and wear good quality clothes in non-bright colors,made ofnatural material like wool,leatheror cotton.Lower working classpeople often choose clothes in bright colors,made of man-made material.A sociological explanation for this would be that color and interest are missing from their lives,and therefore any opportunity to introduce this is__7__.Clothes are__8__at a price within most people's reach.New clothes make the wearer feel good,and show some__9__of wealth to the outside world.Today some new fashions are started by the lower working classpeople who want to look__10__and feel important.They want people to look at them.A)available B)background C)differentD)tall E)totally F)takenG)descriptions H)degree I)cluesJ)alone K)appear L)considerM)full N)hobby O)fetchedSection 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 questionsby marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet2.Robot ManagementA.Robots have beenthe stuff of sciencefiction for so long that it is surprisingly hard to seethem as the stuff of managementfact.A Czech playwright,Karel Capek,gave them their name in1920(from the Slavonic word for"work").An American writer, IsaacAsimov,confronted them with their most memorabledilemmas.Hollywood turned them into superheroesand supervillains.When some film critics drew up lists of Hollywood's50greatestgood guys and50greatestbaddies,theonly characterto appearon both lists wasa robot,the Terminator.B.It is time for managementthinkers to catch up with science-fiction writers.Robots have beendoing auxiliary jobs on production lines since the1960s.The world already has more than lm industrial robots.There is now an accelerationin the ratesat which they arebecoming both cleverer andcheaper:an explosive combination.Robots are learning to interact with the world around them.Their ability to see things is getting ever closer to that of humans,as is their capacity to ingest information and act on it.Tomorrow's robots will increasingly take on delicate, complex tasks.And instead of being imprisoned in cagesto stop them colliding with people,they will be free to wander.C.America's armed forces have blazed a trail here.They now have no fewer than 12,000robots serving in their ranks.Peter Singer,of the Brookings Institution,a think-tank(智囊团),says mankind's5,000-year monopoly on the fighting of war is breaking down.Recent additions to the battlefield include tiny"insects"that perform reconnaissance(侦查)missions and giant"dogs"to terrify enemies.The Pentagonis also working on the EATR,a robot that fuels itself by eating whatever biomass(生物量)it finds aroundit.D.But the civilian world cannot be far behind.Who better to clean sewersor suck up nuclear waste than theseremarkablemachines?The Japanese have made surprisingly little useof robots to clear up after the recentearthquake,given their world leadership in this area.They say that they had the wrong sort of robots in the wrong places.But they have issueda global call for robotic assistanceand are likely to put more robots to work shortly.E.As robots advance into the service industries they are starting to look less like machines and more like living creatures.The Paro(made by AIST,a Japanese researchagency)is shapedlike a baby seal and respondsto attention.Honda's robot, ASIMO,is humanoid andcanwalk,talk andrespondto commands.F.Until now executiveshave largely ignored robots,regarding them asan engineering rather than a management problem.This cannot go on:robots are becoming toopowerful and ubiquitous(无处不在的).Companies may need to rethink their strategiesas they gain accessto these new sorts of workers.Do they really need to outsource production to China,for example,when they have clever machines that work ceaselesslywithout pay?They certainly need to rethink their human-resources policies--starting by questioning whether they should have departmentsdevoted to purely humanresources.G.The first issueis how to managethe robots themselves.Asimov laid down the basic rule in1942:no robot should harm a human.This rule hasbeen reinforced by recent technological improvements:robots are now much more sensitive to their surroundings and can be instructed to avoid hitting people.But the Pentagon'splans make all this a bit more complicated:many of its robots will be,in essence,killing machines.H.A second question is how to manage the homo side of homo-robo relations. Workers have always worried that new technologies will take away their livelihoods, ever since the original Luddites'fearsabout mechanisedlooms.That worry takeson a particularly intense form when the machines come with a human face:Capek'splay that gave robots their name depicted a world in which they initially brought lots of benefits but eventually led to massunemployment and discontent.Now,the arrival of increasingly humanoid automatonsin workplaces,in an era of high unemployment,is bound to provoke a reaction.I.So,companies will need to work hard to persuade workers that robots are productivity-enhancers,not just job-eating aliens.They need to show employeesthat the robot sitting alongside them can be more of a helpmate than a threat.Audi has been particularly successful in introducing industrial robots because the carmaker asked workers to identify areas where robots could improve performance and then gave those workers jobs overseeing the robots.Employers also need to explain that robots can help preserve manufacturing jobs in the rich world:one reason why Germany haslost fewer such jobs than Britain is that it hasfive times asmany robots for every10,000workers.J.Thesetwo principles--don't let robots hurt or frighten people--arerelatively simple.Robot scientists are tackling more complicated problems as robots become more sophisticated.They are keen to avoid hierarchies(层级)among rescue-robots (becausethe loss of the leader would render the rest redundant).So they are using game theory to make sure the robots can communicate with each other in egalitarian (平等)ways.They are keen to avoid duplication between robots and their human handlers.So they are producing more complicated mathematical formulae in order that robots canconstantly adjust themselvesto humanintentions.This suggests that the world could be on the verge of a great management revolution:making robots behavelike humansrather than the20th century's preferred option,making humansbehavelike robots.11.Tomorrow's robots will be free to move around rather than being locked up in cagessoasnot to hurt people.12.It is not easy for people to regard robots as managementstuff,for the later are mostly seenin sciencefictions.13.Robotsappearmore like living creaturesasthey enter into the serviceindustry.14.According to the Pentagon's plans,many of its robots will essentially become killing machines.15.The Japanesedidn't use a lot of robots to clear up after the recent earthquake, considering their world leadershipin the robot field.panies should show their workers that robots can be more of a helper rather than a threat to them.17.The fact that more and more human-like robots are usedin workplaces will surely arousereaction in a time of high unemployment.18.Robots,who areconsidered as an engineering instead of a managementproblem, havebeenlargely neglectedby executives.19.Scientists are trying to enable robots to constantly adjust themselvesto people's intentions.20.The example that Germany haslost fewer manufacturing jobs than Britain shows that robots canhelp preservemanufacturing jobs in the rich world.Section CDirections:There are2passagesin this section.Each passageis followed by somequestions or unfinished statements.For each of them there are fourchoices marked A),B),C)and D).You should decide on the best choiceand mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet2with a single linethrough the centre.PassageOneOne of the bitterest and most time-worm debatesin student union bars up and down the country is resolved as academicresearchconfirms that in financial terms atleast,arts degrees are a complete waste of time.Getting through university boostsearnings by25%,on a weighted average,or$220,000over their lifetime, students’according to Professor Ian Walker of Warwick University-but if they studyrevolt insteadof anatomyof contract law,thosegains are Shakespeare or the peasants’likely to be completely wiped out.The government is about to allow universities to chargestudentsup to$3,000aa small price to pay compared with the year for their degrees,arguing that it’ｓresearchshowsthere financial rewards graduatesreap later in life.But Prof.Walker’ｓaresharpvariations in returns according to which subject astudent takes.Law,medicine and economicsor businessare the most lucrative choices,makingtheir averageearnings25%higher,according to the article,published in the office formonthly journal.Scientists get10-15%extra.At the bottom of the national statistics’difference to earnings-a small list are arts subjects,which make only a“small”negative one,in fact.Just aheadare degreesin education-which leave hard pressedteachersanaverageof5%better off ayear than if they hadleft schoolat18.“It’ｓhard to resist the conclusion that what studentslearn does matter a lot;andProf.Walker said. somesubject areasgive more modestfinancial returns than others,”As an economist,he was quick to point out that studentsmight gain non-financial returns from arts degrees:“Studying e conomicsmight be very dull,for example,and studying post-modernismmight be a lot of fun.”21.Universities chargestudentsa ratherhigh tuition mainly because_____A.they provide the studentswith very prosperoussubjectsto learnB.they assumethat their graduatescanearnmuch more than they had paidget financial supportfrom the governmentC.they don’ｔD.they needmuch revenueto support the educational expenses1,Para.4)most probably means_____22.Theword“lucrative”(LineA.sensibleB.creativeC.profitableD.reliablew,medical and businessgraduatescould earn25%more than______cation graduatesB.arts graduatesC.thosewho hadnot studiedat the universityD.the averageincome24.Wecansafely concludethat the author______A.regardsarts degreesas meaninglessB.finds this result disappointing and unfairC.wants the studentsto think twice before they decidewhat to learn in collegeD.holds that artsdegreesarestill rewarding despiteits scarcefinancial returns25.What is the best title for the passage?ResearchA.ProfessorWalker’ｓB.How to Make Big MoneyC.Differences Between ScienceandArts DegreesD.Studying Arts HasNegative Financial OutcomePassageTwoEngineering studentsare supposedto be examplesof practicality and rationality，but when it comesto my college educationI am anidealist and a fool.In high schoolI wanted to be an electrical engineer and,of course,anysensiblestudent with my aims would have chosena college with a large engineering department，famous reputationnot what I did.and lots of good labs andresearchequipment.But that‘ｓevenI chose to study engineering at a small liberal-arts university that doesn’ｔoffer a major in electrical engineering.Obviously,this was not a practical choice;I camehere for more noble reasons.I wanted a broad education that would provide me with flexibility and a value systemto guide me in my career.Iwanted to openmy eyesstudying science or and expand my vision by interacting with people who weren’ｔengineering.My parents,teachers and other adults praised me for such a sensible choice.They told me I was wise and maturebeyond my18years,andI believedthem.I headedoff to college sureI was going to have an advantageover thosestudentscare if you have values or who went to big engineering“factories”where they didn’ｔwere flexible.I was going to be a complete engineer:technical genius and sensitive humanistall in one.Now I‘ｍnot so sure.Somewhere along the way my noble ideals crashed into reality,as all noble ideals eventually do.After three years of struggling to balance math,physics and engineering courses with liberal-arts courses,I have learned there are reasonswhy few engineering students try to reconcile(协调)engineering with liberal-arts coursesin college.The reality that has blocked my path to become the typical successfulstudent ismix as easily as I assumedin high that engineering and the liberal arts simply don’ｔschool.Individually they shapea personin very different ways;together they threaten to confuse.The struggle to reconcile the two fields of study is difficult.26.The author choseto study engineering at a small liberal-arts university becausehe_____________.A.intendedto be acombination of engineerandhumanistB.wantedto be anexample of practicality andrationalityC.intendedto be asensiblestudentwith noble idealsD.wanted to coordinateengineeringwith liberal-arts coursesin27.According to the author，by interacting with people who study liberal arts，engineeringstudentscan_____________.A.broadentheir horizonsB.becomenoble idealistsC.receiveguidancein their careersD.balanceengineeringand the liberal arts28.In the eyesof the author，a successfulengineeringstudentis expected_________.A.to be imaginative with a value systemto guide himB.to be a technical geniuswith a wide visionC.to havean excellent academicrecordD.to be wise andmatureexperienceshows that he was_____________.29.The author’ｓA.creativeB.irrationalC.ambitiousD.unrealistic(Line3，Para.5)refers to 30.The word“they”in“together they threatento confuse.”______________.A.practicality andrationalityB.engineeringandthe liberal artsC.reality and noble idealsD.flexibility and a value systemPart IV Translation(30minutes) Directions:For this part,you are allowed30minutesto translate a passagefrom Chineseinto English.You should write your answer on Answer Sheet2.四大发明(the Four Great Inventions)是指中国古代对世界有巨大影响的四种发明。

2019年12月大学英语四级考试真题及答案解析(1/1)Part ⅠWriting（30 minutes）Directions : For this part,you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter to a foreign friend who wants to learn Chinese. Please recommend a place to him. You should write at least 120words but no more than 180words.______________下一题(1~2/共25题)Part ⅡListening 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.News report onePlay00:0003:28VolumeQuestions l and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.第1题A.A wandering cow was captured by the police.B.Some tourists were injured by a wandering cow.C.A wandering cow knocked down one of its fences.D.Many facilities were destroyed by a wandering cow.第2题A.It became a great attraction for tourists.B.It found its way back to the park’s zoo.C.It was shot to death by a police officer.D.It was sent to the animal control department.上一题下一题(3~4/共25题)Part ⅡListening Comprehension(25 minutes)News report twoPlay00:0001:50VolumeQuestions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard.第3题A.It is the largest of its kind.B.It is staring an online exhibition.C.It is going to be expanded.D.It is displaying more fossil specimens.第4题A.A collection of bird fossils from Australia.B.Some ancient wall paintings from Australia.C.Photographs of certain rare fossil exhibits.D.Pictures by winners of a wildlife photo contest.上一题下一题(5~7/共25题)Part ⅡListening Comprehension(25 minutes)News report threePlay00:0002:32VolumeQuestions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard.第5题A.Amuse visitors.B.Deliver messages.C.Pick up trash.D.Play with children.第6题A.They ar e children’s favorite.B.They are especially intelligent.C.They are clean and pretty.D.They are quite easy to tame.第7题A.Children may overfeed the rooks.B.Children may contract bird diseases.C.Children may be harmed by the rooks.D.Children may be tempted to drop litter.上一题下一题(8~11/共25题)Part ⅡListening Comprehension(25 minutes)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.Conversation 1Play00:0003:32VolumeQuestions 8 to 11 are based on the conversation you have just heard.第8题A.It will cover different areas of science.B.It will be hosted by famous professors.C.It will be produced at Harvard University.D.It will focus on recent scientific discoveries.第9题A.It will be more futuristic.B.It will be more entertaining.C.It will be more systematic.D.It will be easier to understand.第10题A.Youngsters eager to explore.B.Students majoring in science.C.Children in their early teens.D.People interested in science.第11题A.Provide financial support.B.Offer professional advice.C.Help promote it on the Internet.D.Make episodes for its first season.上一题下一题(12~15/共25题)Part ⅡListening Comprehension(25 minutes)Conversation 2Play00:0003:11VolumeQuestions 12 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.第12题A.Unsure.B.Helpless.C.Dissatisfied.D.Concerned.第13题A.He loses heart when faced with setbacks.B.He is too concerned with being perfect.C.He takes on projects beyond his ability.D.He is too ambitious in achieving goals.第14题A.Embarrassed.B.Unconcerned.C.Resentful.D.Miserable.第15题pare his present with his past only.B.Try to be optimistic whatever happens.C.Always learn from others’ achievements.D.Treat others the way he would be treated.上一题下一题(16~18/共25题)Part ⅡListening Comprehension(25 minutes)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 marked A）, B）, C）and D）. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.Passage onePlay00:0003:52VolumeQuestions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.第16题A.They have greater potential to be leaders.B.They are more likely to become engineers.C.They are more likely to succeed in the humanities.D.They have a stronger sense of social responsibility.第17题A.Praise girls who like to speak up frequently.B.Insist that boys and girls work together more.C.Respond more positively to boys’ comments.D.Encourage girls to solve problems on their own.第18题A.Pay extra attention to top students.B.Provide a variety of optional courses.C.Place great emphasis on test scores.D.Offer personalized teaching materials.上一题下一题(19~21/共25题)Part ⅡListening Comprehension(25 minutes)Passage twoPlay00:0002:40VolumeQuestions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.第19题A.It seldom rains in summer time.B.It does not rain as much as people think.C.It often rains cats and dogs.D.It is one of the most rainy cities in the US.第20题A.The rain is usually very light.B.They have got used to the rain.C.The rain comes mostly at night.D.They drive most of the time.第21题A.It has fewer cloudy days than any other coastal city.B.It has mild weather both in summer and in winter.C.It has never seen thunder and lighting.D.It has a lot of places for entertainment.上一题下一题(22~25/共25题)Part ⅡListening Comprehension(25 minutes)Passage threePlay00:0003:49VolumeQuestions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.第22题A.It results from exerting one s muscles continuously.B.It oceurs when people are doing a repetitive activity.C.It happens when people engage in an uncommon activity.D.It comes from straining one´s muscles in an unusual way第23题A.They gradually become fragmented.B.They begin to make repairs immediately.C.Body movements in the affected area become difficult.D.Blood flow and body heat increase in the affected area.第24题A.About one week.B.About ten days.C.About four weeks.D.About two days.第25题A.Take pain-killers.B.Have a hot shower.C.Drink plenty of water.D.Apply muscle creams.上一题下一题(26~35/共30题)Part ⅢReading Comprehension(40 minutes)Section ADirections: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.Questions 26 to 35 are based on the following passage.Finally, some good news about airplane travel. If you are on a plane with a sick passenger, you are unlikely to get sick. That is the 26 of a new study that looked at how respiratory (呼吸道) viruses 27 on airplanes. Researchers found that only people who were seated in individual - had a high risk of catching the illness. All other passengers had only a very 28 chance of getting sick according to the findings. Media reports have not necessarily presented. 29 informationabout the risk of getting infected on an airplane in the past. Therefore , these new findings should help airplane passengers to feel less 30 to catching respiratory infections while traveling by air.Prior to the new study. litter was known about the risks of getting 31 infected by common respiratory viruses, such as the flu or common cold, on an airplane, the researchers said. So, to 32 the risks of infection, the study team flew on 10 different 33 in the US. 34 side of a person infected with flu, as well as those sitting one roe in font of or behind this individual, had about an 80 person chance of getting sick. But other passengers were 35 safe from infection. They had a less than 3 percent chance of catching the flu.A) accurate B) conclusion C) directly D) eitherE) evaluate F) explorations G) flights H) largelyI) nearby J) respond K) slim L) spreadM) summit N) vividly O) vulnerable第26题【26】____第27题【27】____第28题【28】____第29题【29】____第30题【30】____第31题【31】____第32题【32】____第33题【33】____第34题【34】____第35题【35】____上一题下一题(36~45/共30题)Part ⅢReading Comprehension(40 minutes)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 Sheet2.A South Korean city designed for the future takes on a life of its ownA) Getting around a city is one thing - and then there’s the matter of getting from one city toanother. One vision of the perfect city of the future: a place that offers easy access to air travel.In 2011, a University of North Carolina business professor named John Kasarda published a book called Aerotropolis: The Way We’ll Live Next. Kasarda says future cities should be built intentionally around or near airports. The idea, as he has put it, is to of fer businesses “rapid, long-distance connectivity on a massive scale.”B) “The 18th century really was a waterborne (水运的) century, the 19th century a rail century. the 20th century a highway, car, truck century一and the 21st century will increasingly be an aviation century, as the globe becomes increasingly connected by air,”Kasarda says. Songdo, a city built from scratch in South Korea, is one of Kasarda’s prime examples. It has existed for just a few years.“ From the get-go, it was designed on the basis of connectivity and competitiveness,”says Kasada. “The government built the bridge directly from the airport to the Songdo International Business District. And the surface infrastructure was built in tandem with the new airport.”C) Songdo is a stone’s throw from South Korea’s Incheon Airport, its main international hub (枢纽). But it takes a lot more than a nearby airport to be a city of the future. Just building a place as an “international business district”doesn’t mean it will become one. Park Yeon Soo conceived (构想) this city of the future back in 1986. He considers Songdo his baby. “I am a visionary,”he says. Thirty years after he imagined the city, Park’s baby is close to 70 percent built, with 36.000 people living in the business district and 90,000 residents in greater Songdo. It’s about an hour outside Seoul, built on reclaimed tidal flats along the Yellow Sea, There’s a Coast Guard building and a tall trade tower, as well as a park, golf course and university.D) Chances are you’ve actually se en this place. Songdo appears in the most famous music video ever to come ou of South Korea. “Gangnam Style” refers to the fashionable Gangnam district in Seoul. But some of the video was filmed in Songdo.“I don’t know if you remember, there was a scene in a subway station. That was not Gangnam. That was actually Songdo,” says Jung Won Son, a professor of urban development at London’s Bartlett School of Planning, “Part of the reason to shoot there is that it’s new and nice.”E) The city was supposed to be a hub for global companies, with employees from all over the world. But hat’s not how it has turned out. Songdo’s reputation is as a futuristic ghost town. But the reality is more complicated. A bridge with big, light-blue loops leads into the business district. In the center of the main road, there’s a long line of flags of the world. On the corner, there’s a Starbucks and a 7-Eleven--all of the international brands that you see all over the world nowadays.F) The city is not empty. There are mothers pushing strollers, old women with walkers -- even in the middle of the day. when it’s 90 degrees out. Byun Young-Jin chairs the Songdo real estate association and started selling property here when the first phase of the city opened in 2005. He says demand has boomed in the past couple of years. Most of his clients are Korean. In fact, the developer says, 99 percent of the homes here are sold to Koreans. Young families move here because the schools are great. And that’s the problem: Songdo has become a popular Koreancity 一more popular as a residential area than a business one. It’s not yet the futuristic international business hub that planners imagined. “It’s a great place to live. And it’s becoming a great place to work,”says Scott Summers, the vice president of Gale International, the developer of the city. The floor-to-ceiling windows of his company’s offices overlook Songdo Central Park, with a canal full of kayaks and paddle boats. Shimmering (闪烁的) glass towers line the canal’s edge.G) “What’s happen ed is, because we focused on creating that quality of life first, which enabled the residents to live here, what has probably missed the mark is for companies to locate here,” he says. “There needs to be strong economic incentives.” The city is still unfin ished, and it feels a bit like a theme park. It doesn’t feel all that futuristic. There’s a high-tech underground trash disposal system. Buildings are environmentally friendly. Everybody’s television set is connected to a system that streams personalized language or exercise classes.H) But Star Trek this is not. And to some of the residents, Songdo feels hollow. “I’m, like, in prison for weekdays. That’s what we call it in the workplace,” says a woman in her 20s. She doesn’t want to use her name for fear of being fired from her job. She goes back to Seoul every weekend. “I say I’m prison-breaking on Friday nights.” But she has to make the prison break in her own car. There’s no high-speed train connecting Songdo to Seoul, just over 20 miles away.I) The man who first imagined Songdo feels frustrated. too. Park says he built South Korea a luxury vehicle, “like Mercedes or BMW. It’s a good car now. But we’re waiting for a good driver to accelerate.” But there are lots of other good cars out there, too. The world is dotted with futuristic, high-tech cities trying to attract the biggest international companiesJ) Songdo’s backers contend that it’s still early, and business space is filling up-about 70 percent of finished offices are now occupied. Brent Ryan, who teaches urban design at MIT, says Songdo proves a universal principle. “There have been a lot of utop ian (乌托邦的) cities in history. And the reason we don’t know about a lot of them is that a lot of them have vanished entirely.”In other words, when it comes to cities-or anything else-it is hard to predict the future.第36题Songdo’s popularity lies more in its quality of life than its business attraction._______第37题The man who conceives Songdo feels disappointed because it has fallen short of his expectations._______第38题A scene in a popular South Korean music video was shot in Songdo._______第39题Songdo still lacks the financial stimulus for businesses to set up shop there._______第40题Airplanes will increasingly become the chief means of transportation, according to a professor._______第41题Songdo has ended up different from the city it was supposed to be._______第42题Some of the people who work in Songdo complain about boredom in the workplace. _______第43题A business professor says that a future city should have easy access to international transportation._______第44题Acording to an urban design professor, it is difficult for city designers to foresee what happen in the future._______第45题Park Yeon So. Who envisioned Songdo, feels a parental connection with the city._______上一题下一题(46~50/共30题)Part ⅢReading Comprehension(40 minutes)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.The fifth largest city in the US passed a significant soda tax proposal that will levy (征税)1.5 cents per liquid ounce on distributors.Philadelphia’s new measure was approved by a 13 to 4 city council vote. It sets a new bar for similar initiatives across the county. It is proof that taxes on sugary drinks can win substantial support outside super-liberal areas. Until now, the only city to successfully pass and implement a soda tax was Berkeley, California, in 2014.The tax will apply to regular and diet sodas, as well as other drinks with added sugar, such as Gatorade and iced teas. It’s expected to raise $410 million over the next five years, most of which will go toward funding a universal pre-kindergarten program for the city.While the city council vote was met with applause inside the council room, opponents to the measure, including soda lobbyists made sharp criticisms and a promise to challenge the tax in court.“The tax passed today unfairly singles out beverages-including low- and no-calorie choices,” said Lauren Kane, spokesw oman for the American Beverage Association. “But most importantly, it is against the law. So we will side with the majority of the people of Philadelphia who oppose this tax and take legal action to stop it.”An industry backed anti-tax campaign has spent at least $4 million on advertisements. The ads criticized the measure. characterizing it as a“grocery tax.”Public health groups applauded the approved tax as a step toward fixing certain lasting health issues that plague Americans. “The move to recapture a small part of the profits from an industry that pushes a product that contributes to diabetes, obesity and heart disease in poorer communities in order to reinvest in those communities will sure be inspirational to many other places,” said Jim Krieger, executive director of Healthy Food America. “Indeed, we are alreadyhearing from some of them. It’s not just Berkeley’ anymore.”Similar measures in California’s Albany, Oakland, San Francisco and Colorado’s Boulder are becoming hot-button issues Health advocacy groups have hinted that even more might be coming.第46题What does the passage say about the newly-approved soda tax in Philadelphia?A.It will change the lifestyle of many consumers.B.It may encourage other US cities to follow suit.C.It will cut soda consumption among low-income communities.D.It may influence the marketing strategies of the soda business.第47题What will the opponents probably do to respond to the soda tax proposal?A.Bargain with the city council.B.Refuse to pay additional tax.C.Take legal action against it.D.Try to win public support.第48题What did the industry-backed anti-tax campaign do about the soda tax proposal?A.It tried to arouse hostile feelings among consumers.B.It tried to win grocers’ support against the measure.C.It kept sending letters of protest to the media.D.It criticized the measure through advertising.第49题What did public health groups think the soda tax would do?A.Alert people to the risk of sugar-induced diseases.B.Help people to fix certain long-time health issues.C.Add to the fund for their research on diseases.D.Benefit low-income people across the country.第50题What do we learn about similar measures concerning the soda tax in some other cities?A.They are becoming rather sensitive issues.B.They are spreading panic in the soda industry.C.They are reducing the incidence of sugar-induced diseases.D.They are taking away lot of profit from the soda industry.上一题下一题(51~55/共30题)Part ⅢReading Comprehension(40 minutes)Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.Popping food into the microwave for a couple of minutes may seem utterly harmless, but Europe’s stock of these quick-cooking ovens emit as much carbon as nearly 7 million cars, a new study has found. And the problem is growing. With costs falling and kitchen appliances becoming “status” items, owners are throwing away microwaves after an average of eight years. This is pushing sales of new microwaves which are expected to reach 135 million annually in the EU by。