2012年12月考试真题

2012年12月B级真题及答案-正确2012年12月高等学校英语应用能力考试B级真题Part I Listening Comprehension（15 minutes）Directions: This part is to test your listening ability. It consists of 3 sections.Section ADirections:This section is to test your ability to give proper responses. There are 5 recorded questions in it.After each question, there is a pause. Thequestions will be spoken two times. When you hear a question, you shoulddecide on the correct answer from the 4 choices marked A), B), C) and D)given in your test paper. Then you should mark the corresponding letteron the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.Example: You will hear:You will read: A) I’m not sure.B) You’re right.C) Yes, c ertainly. D) That’s interesting.From the question we learn that the speaker is asking the listener to leave a message. Therefore, C) Yes, certainly is the correct answer. You should mark C) on the Answer Sheet.〔A〕〔B〕〔C〕〔D〕Now the test will begin.1. A) Here it is. B) I’m sorry to say so.C) Coffee, please. D) See you next time.2. A) Take it easy. B) It’s over there.C) This way, please. D) That’s fine.3. A) Very good. B) Not yet.C) That’s nice. D) It’s far away.4. A) Take your time. B) Yes, here you are.C) Never mind. D) That’s too large.5. A) That’s important.B) No problem.C) Yes, very much. D) No, thanks.Section BDirections: This section is to test your ability to understand short dialogues. There are 5 recorded dialogues in it. After each dialogue, there is a recordedquestion. Both the dialogues and questions will be spoken two time. Whenyou hear a question, you should decide on the correct answer from the 4choices marked A), B), C) and D) given in your test paper. Then you shouldmark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single linethrough the centre.6. A) Get off the bus. B) Book a ticket.C) Take a taxi. D) Buy a newspaper.7. A) It is comfortable. B) It is far away.C) It is large. D) It is expensive.8. A) Help the man. B) Sell a product.C) Make a plan. D) Write a report.9. A) He has lost his key. B) He’ll repair the bicycle.C) The woman can use the bicycle. D) The woman should return the key.10.A) Go to a party. B) Stay at home.C) Stay for dinner. D) Go shopping.Section CDirections: In this section you will hear a recorded short passage. The passage is printed in the test paper, but with some words or phrases missing. Thepassage will be read three times. During the second reading, you arerequired to put the missing words or phrases on the Answer Sheet inorder of the numbered blanks according to what you hear. The thirdreading is for you to check your writing. Now the passage will begin.Hi, I’m Brian Smith. Now I’ll11 some ideas with you for using a kind of new software. The software is designed and made by our company. It can help you to 12 the average salary for your job type.The software can be found online. Whether you 13 a new job, or moving to another area, it can be a 14 tool to get the necessary information.I hope you will find the software helpful when you check out your salary. For more information, 15 to check us out online or email us.Part II Vocabulary & Structure (15minutes)Directions: This part is to test your ability to use words and phrases correctly to construct meaningful and grammatically correct sentences. It consists of2 sections.Section ADirections:There are 10 incomplete sentences here. You are required to complete each statement by deciding choosing the appropriate answer from the 4choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should mark the correspondingletter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.16. Think over our proposal and let me know whether you agree _______ it.A) for B) in C) with D) at17. Could y ou please ________ w hy you can’t come to attend the meeting?A) explain B) understand C) give D) reach18.It is a fact ______ most deaths from lung cancer are caused by smoking.A) that B) how C) what D) which19.The manager’s reply ____ that he was not r eally interested in the project.A) offered B) showed C) advised D) described20.She didn’t tell the reason ___ she was absent from the important lecture.A) what B) which C) how D) why21. It was once a difficult time, but in the end everything ________ all right.A) turned out B) put up C) carried away D) gave in22. You can fly to London this evening ________ you don’t mind changing the flight in Paris.A) until B) if C) where D) before23. Food, clothing and shelter are the ________ needs for all of us.A) careful B) attractive C) strange D) basic24. I feel it is my responsibility ________ you of our decision.A) inform B) to inform C) informing D) informed25. The staff members were asked to arrive a few minutes earlier before the meeting ________ .A) will start B) starts C) started D) would startSection BDirections：There are also 10 incomplete statements here. You should fill in each blank with the proper form of the word given in brackets. Write the wordor words in the corresponding space on the Answer Sheet.26.They are now looking for a new way of (treat) the rare disease.27.I was (deep) ____ moved by what my boss had done for me.28.If you want to achieve your goal, you have to work (hard) than ever before.29.Our company has bought two pieces of (equip) for the lab.30.Up till now, he (work) ____ on software design for 10 years.31.They’re looking for an (experience) ______ manager to further improve the overseas business.32.The tour guide marked some places of interest on the map for us (visit) .33.I wonder whether there is any (different) _____ between these two projects.34.They didn’t follow the new rules (make) by the company.35.A water power station (build) in the area several years ago.Part ⅢReading Comprehension(40 minutes)Directions: This part is to test your reading ability. There are 5 tasks for you to fulfill.You should read the reading materials carefully and do the tasks as youare instructed.Task 1Directions:After reading the following passage, you will find 5 questions or unfinished statements, numbered 36 to 40. For each question or statementthere are 4 choices marked A) , B) , C) and D). You should make thecorrect choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheetwith a single line through the center.So, you love the Internet. It's a great place to find information or go shopping. It’s fun, but do you spend a lot of time online? Experts say 6% of Internet users are Internet addicts (上瘾的人) ——they are always online. “Internet addicts are often young people,” says one expert, “and they usually have problems with family, friends, work, and school.”Go through the following check list. If you answer yes to all these questions, maybe you are an Internet addict.1.Do you spend a lot of time on the Internet? □Yes □No2.Do you think or talk about the Internet all the time? □Yes □No3.Are all your friends“Internet friends”? □Yes □No4.Is the Internet your only hobby? □Yes □No5.Do you ever miss appointments (约会) because you are online? □Yes □NoSo, what do you do if you think you are an addict? Go to an advice service.Where is it? On the Internet, of course！36. According to the first paragraph, people find the Interneta great place to .A) become addicted B) get informationC) make money D) do office work37. Those who are always online are called .A) Internet users B) Internet expertsC) Internet addicts D) Internet providers38. According to one expert, Internet addicts are often young people who usually .A)e njoy a lot of hobbiesB)suffer from poor healthC)have problems with life and workD)t ake thorough medical examinations39.If you want to find out whether you are an Internet addict, you are advised to .A)g o through the check list providedB)take a special training courseC)ask a friend about itD)g o to see a doctor40.This passage is mainly about ___ .A)t he use of the InternetB)the types of Internet addictsC)the advantages of the InternetD)the signs of an Internet addictTask 2Directions：This task is the same as Task 1. The 5 questions or unfinished statements are numbered 41 to 45.Things you should know about your library cardLibrary cardsCards are free to all library users.Cards are renewed annually.Your library card enables you to register at other public libraries across the city. ResponsibilityUsers are responsible for returning all materials borrowed on their card by the date due (到期的) and for any charges on items that are overdue, lost or damaged. ?Please report your lost card immediately. Items borrowed on the card are still your responsibility.Charges for lost or damaged materials are based on the cost and include handling fees.Renewals (续借)Most items can be renewed twice unless someone has requested them.There are no renewals on DVDs, videos, or CD-Roms.FinesBorrowing is free if materials are returned by the due date. If your materials are returned late, fines (罚款) are charged：—30 cents per day for most adult items—10 cents per day for most junior materials—$ 1 per day for adult DVDs—50 cents for junior DVDs41.According to the passage, the library card can be registered at __ .A) the library only in your neighborhoodB) other public libraries in the cityC) college libraries only D) all online libraries/doc/b03296648.html,ers are required to pay charges on items that are _______ .A) due B) renewed C)damaged D) borrowed43.If you have lost your library card, you __ .A)a re still responsible for the items borrowed on that cardB)have only to pay the cost of the items borrowedC)cannot get a new card from the same libraryD)d on’t need to pay the handling fees44.According to the passage, you can renew most of the items you borrowed .A) once only B) three timesC) twice at most D) as often as you like45.If you don’t return the materials by the due date you will be __ .A) charged one dollar per day B) requested to return the cardC ) informed by an email D) charged a fineTask 3Directions:Read the following passage. After reading it, you should complete the information by filling in the blanks marked 46 to 50 (in no more thanthree words) in the table below.The late-night bus is back! Beginning Thursday, September 30, late-night traffic service is back! Available to all community members, the three late-night bus lines provide service to most of the community. This safe, low cost and convenient traffic service can provide rides to and from work, movies, shopping, or for evening pastimes (娱乐消遣). Service operates on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights from 8:45 p. m. to 2：45 a. m. from September 30 to June 11, 2012, except for Oregon State University winter holiday. The last buses leave downtown starting at 1:45 a. m. Come on board!Get current information on traffic-related events at our website (网址) or call 541-766- 6998. Pick up the map and schedule on all buses, at Corvallis and Philomath City Halls, the public Library, the Oregon State University Bookstore, and Snell Hall.Late-night Bus ServiceTotal number of bus lines provided: 46Features of the service: safe, 47 , and convenientTime of service operation：Thursday, Friday and 48 nights, from September 30 to June11, 2012Time of last buses leaving downtown: at 49Way of contact: visit the website or call 50Task 4Directions：The following is a list of words used in Holidays Requisition Form ( 事、病假记录表). After reading it, you are required to find the itemsequivalent to ( 与…等同) those given in Chinese in the table below.Then you should put the corresponding letters in the brackets on theAnswer Sheet, numbered 51 through 55.A—Position J—Annual LeaveB—Department K—Leaving TimeC—Type of Leave L—Signature of EmployeeD—Sick Leave M—Checking ResultE—Private Affair Leave N—AgreeF—Reason for Leave O—DenyG—Attach Medical Record P—Approved byH—No Medical Record Q—RemarkI—Paid HolidayExamples:(Q)备注(G)附病例51.( )同意( )带薪假期52.( )请假事由( )审核结果53.( )部门( )请假时间54.( )职位( )请假类别55.( )病假( )年假Task 5Directions：Read the following passage. After reading i t,you are required to complete the answers that follow the questions (No. 56 to No. 60). Youshould write your answers (in no more than 3 words) on the AnswerSheet correspondingly.You can get free, fair and expert advice about making your home more energy efficient from your local Energy Saving Trust advice centre.As they are experts in energy saving, they will be able to advise you on which energy saving measures are most suitable to your home. Our experts:Have good knowledge of your area and understand the local housingconditions—for example, they can help you find out whether or not your house has cavity walls (空心墙).Can advise you on any grants(拨款)and offers that may be available to help towards the cost of re-structuring measures.Know your local labor market and so can recommend suitable qualified workers.·Have experience of helping people like you take effective energy saving actions, from the start of the process to the end.56.What advice is given by the Energy Saving Trust advice centre?Expert advice about making our home _________________________ .57.What measures can the experts in the centre propose?The measures that are ____________________ to your home.58.What else can the experts do for you?Give advice on the grants and offers towards the cost of _________ .59.Why can the experts recommend suitable qualified workers?Because they are familiar with your local____________________.60.What experience have the experts got?Helping people take effective____________________.Part IV Translation—English into Chinese (25 minutes)Directions: This part, numbered 61 to 65, is to test your ability to translate English into Chinese. Each of the four sentences (No.61 to No. 64) is followed byfour choices of suggested translation marked A) , B) , C) and D). Makethe best choice and write the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet.Write your translation of the paragraph (No. 65) in the correspondingspace on the Translation/Composition Sheet.61.Customers from various countries are warmly welcome to establish and develop business contacts in China.A)在各国的中国客商都能适应当地的风俗习惯。

2012年12月英语四级真题及答案解析完整版Part I Writing【标准版】Nothing Succeeds Without a Strong WillNothing runs smoothly in our life. To achieve things successfully, a strong will is essential. Life is like a Marathon. Many people can’t get to the terminal. This is not because they are lack of vitality but because their will of success is not strong enough.To take quitting smoking as an example, some regard it as a piece of cake. They make up their minds to quit it in the morning, but in the evening they feel that the smell of cigarettes is tempting. Their throats are sore, their mouths are thirsty, and their hands are shaking. After the painful mental struggle, they tell themselves that “One cigarette is enough. Just take one, and the next day I will quit it.”By doing this, they surrender to their weak will. In the end, they have quitted smoking “a hundred times”, but in no time they succeed.Just like quitting smoking, nothing succeeds without a strong will. To be successful in one’s life, a strong will means that you kno w where you go and you will persist on the road you choose. Undoubtedly success belongs to those who overcome their weak will and who hang in there until the last minute.【文章点评】本文属于话题类作文，只看题目“Nothing Succeeds without a strong will”考生会觉得比较抽象，难以下手。

2012年12月大学英语六级（CET-6）真题试卷Part III Liste ning Comprehe nsion (35 minu tes)Sectio n ADirecti ons: In this sect ion, you will hear 8 short conv ersati ons and 2 long con versati ons. At the end of each conv ersatio n, one or more questi ons will be asked about what was said.Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each questionthere will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A ) , B),C) and D) , and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letteron Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.11. A) She can count on the man for help. C) She can lend the man a sleep ing bag.B) She has other pla ns for this weeke nd. D) She has got camp ing gear for rent.12. A) The man should keep his words. C) Karen always supports her at work.B) She regrets asking the man for help. D) Karen can take her to the airport13. A) He can't afford to go traveling yet. C) He usually checks his brakes before a tripB) His trip to Hawaii was not enjo yable. D) His trip to Hawaii has used up all his mon ey.14. A) There was no thi ng left except some pie. C) The woma n is going to prepare the dinner.B) The man has to find something else to eat. D) Julie has been invited for dinner.15. A) Submit no more tha n three letters. C) Apply to three graduate schools.B) Present a new letter of referenee. D) Send Professor Smith a letter.16. A) He decli nes to join the garde ning club.B) He is a professi onal garde ner in tow n.C) He prefers to keep his garde ning skills to himself.D) He wishes to receive formal trai ning in garde ning.17. A) Sculpture is not a typical form of modern art.B) Moder n art cannot express people's true feeli ngs.C) The rece nt sculpture exhibit was not well orga ni zed.D) Many people do not appreciate moder n art.18. A) Bob does not have much cha nee to win. C) Bob cannot count on her vote.B) She will vote for ano ther can didate. D) She knows the right pers on for the positi onQuestions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19. A) Poor man ageme nt of the hospital. C) Decisi ons made by the head tech nician.B) The health hazard at her work place. D) The outdated medical test ing procedures.20. A) Tran sfer her to ano ther departme nt. C) Cut dow n her workload.B) Repair the X-ray equipme nt. D) Allow her to go on leave for two mon ths.21 .A) They are virtually impossible to en force. C) Both of them have bee n subject to criticism.B) Neither is applicable to the woman's case. D) Their requirements may be difficult to meet.22. A) Organize a mass strike. C) Try to help her get it back.B) Compe nsate for her loss. D) Find her a better pay ing job.Questio ns 23 to 25 are based on the conv ersati on you have just heard.23. A) In giving con cessi ons. C) In stati ng your terms.B) In the con cludi ng part. D) In the preparatory phase.24. A) He behaves in a way con trary to his real inten ti on.B) He prese nts his argume nts in a straightforward way.C) He resp onds readily to the other party's proposals.D) He uses lots of gestures to help make his points clear.25. A) Both may fail when confronting experieneed rivals.B) The hon est type is more effective tha n the actor type.C) Both can succeed depe nding on the specific situati on.D) The actor type works better in tough n egotiatio ns.Sectio n BDirecti ons: In this sect ion, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After 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 2 with a single linethrough the cen tre.Passage OneQuesti ons 26 to 29 are based on the passage you have just heard.26. A) The shape of the cubes used. C) The number of times of repeating the process.B) The size of the objects show n. D) The weight of the boxes moving across the stage.27. A) Boys enjoy playing with cubes more than girls.B) Girls tend to get excited more easily tha n boys.C) Girls seem to start reas oning earlier tha n boys.D) Boys pay more atte nti on to moving objects tha n girls.28. A) It is a breakthrough in the study of the n erve system.B) It may stimulate scie ntists to make further studies.C) Its result helps understand babies' language ability.D) Its findings are quite contrary to previous research.29. A) The two sides of their brain develop simultaneously. C) Their bones mature earlier. B) They are better able to adapt to the surroundings. D) They talk at an earlier age.Passage TwoQuesti ons 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.30. A) The new security plan for the municipal building.B) The bluepri nt for the developme nt of the city.C) The con troversy over the new office regulati ons.D) The city's general budget for the coming year.31 .A) Whether the security checks were really n ecessary.B) How to cope with the huge crowds of visitors to the muni cipal build ingC) Whether the security checks would create long queues at peak hours.D) How to train the n ewly recruited security guards.32. A) Irrelevant. B) Straightforward. C) Ridiculous. D) Confrontational.Passage ThreeQuesti ons 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.33. A) He used to work as a miner in Nevada. C) He con siders himself a blessed man.B) He works hard to support his five kids. D) He once taught at a local high school34 .A) To be nearer to Zac's school. C) To cut their living expenses.B) To look after her gran dchildre n.D) To help with the household chores.35. A) Skeptical. B) Optimistic. C) Indifferent. D) Realistic.Sectio n CDirecti ons: In this sect ion, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for thefirst time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read forthe second time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43 with theexact words you have just heard. For bla nks nu mbered from 44 to 46 you are requiredto fill in the missing information. For these blanks, you can either use the exact wordsyou have just heard or write dow n the mai n poi nts in your own words. Fin ally, whe nthe passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have writte n.Mountain climb ing is beco ming popular sport, but it is also a (36) _____ dan gerous one. People can fall; they may also become ill. One of the most com mon dan gers to climbers is altitude sick ness, which can affect eve n very (37) _ climbers.Altitude sick ness usually begi ns whe n a climber goes above 8 000 or 9 000 feet. The higher one climbs, the less oxyge n there is in the air. Whe n people don't get eno ugh oxyge n, they ofte n beg in to (38) _____ for air. They may also feel (39) ______ and light-headed. Besides these symptoms of altitude sick ness, others such as headache and (40) ______ may also occur. At heights of over 18000 feet, people may be climbi ng in a (41) ______ d az(恍惚).This state of mi nd can have an (42) _______ effect on their judgme nt.A few (43)_______ can help most climbers avoid altitude sickness. The first is not to go too high too fast. If you climb to 10 000 feet, stay at that height for a day or two. (44) _______ .Or if you do climb higher sooner, come back dow n to a lower height whe n you sleep. Also, drink ple nty of liquids and avoid tobacco and alcohol. (45) _______ . You breathe less whe n you sleep, so you get less oxyge n.The most important warning is this: if you have severe symptoms and they don't go away, go down!(46) _______ .in 【听力】Sectio n A11.M: I ' d like to go camping with you this weekend, but I don ' t have a sleeping bag.W: No problem. You can count on me to get one for you. My family has tons of camp ing gear. Q: What does the woma n mean?答案：She can lend the man a sleeping bag.【解析】这是一道较为简单的推理题，前提是考生需知道 camping gear 表示野餐用具，露营装备”由此可知，camping gear 包括sleeping bag 即女士能借给男士一个睡袋，此题的 设置稍微绕了个小弯，为考生解题设置了一定难度。

2012年12月四级考试真题（第二套）作文及听力答案解析Part I WritingPart III Listening Comprehension Section A11. W: I just heard about a really beautiful park in theeast end of the town. There are a lot of rosesin bloom.M: Why don’t we walk over there and see for ourselves?Q: What will the speakers probably do? 11.【听前预测】选项描述的都是人的行为动作，由重复出现的to the park推测，本题可能考查去公园做某事。

【解析】选D)。

对话中女士说城市东头有一座漂亮的公园，很多玫瑰花正盛开，男士回答：“我们为什么不走过去欣赏一下呢”。

由此可知，男士和女士将去公园赏花，故答案为D)。

Why don’t we…?是提建议的常用句式。

12. M: My presentation is scheduled for 9:30tomorrow morning at the lecture hall. I hopeto see you there.W: Oh, sorry. I was about to tell you that I have an appointment with my dentist at 9:00o’clock tomorrow.Q: What do we learn about the woman? 12.【听前预测】选项中的talk和presentation提示，对话与演讲有关。

选项均以She开头，结合She is going to meet the man推测，本题考查的是女士的情况，女士的话为听音重点。

【解析】选C)。

Doctoral degree 1,550 1,272 1,038 712 626 444 Master Master’’s degree Bachelor Bachelor’’s degree Some college, no degree High school diploma Less than high school degree 2012年12月大学英语四级(CET-4)真题试卷Part Ⅰ Writing (30 minutes) 注意：此部分试题在答题卡1上，请在答题卡1上作答。

上作答。

Direction: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a composition entitled E ducation Pays based on the statistics provided in the chart below (Weekly earnings of 2010). Please write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words. Education: A Worthy Investment Weekly earnings in 2010($) Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Education Pays Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes)Di rections: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), . For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.Should Sugar Be Regulated like Alcohol and Tobacco? Sugar Sugar poses poses enough enough health health health risks risks risks that that that it it it should should should be be be considered considered considered a a a controlled controlled controlled substance substance substance just just just like like like alcohol alcohol alcohol and and tobacco, argue a team of researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). In In an an an opinion opinion opinion piece piece piece called called called ““The T oxic (毒性的) ) Truth Truth Truth About About About Sugar Sugar Sugar”” published published Feb.1 Feb.1 Feb.1 in in in Nature, Nature, Nature, Robert Robert “There is nothing empty about these calories. A growing body of scientific evidence is showing that fructose (果糖) can trigger processes that lead to liver toxicity and a host of other chronic diseases. A little is not a problem, but a lot kills — slowly.”Almost Almost everyone everyone everyone’’s s heard heard heard of of of —— or or personally personally personally experienced experienced experienced —— the the well-known well-known well-known sugar sugar sugar high, high, high, so so so perhaps perhaps perhaps the the comparison between sugar and alcohol or tobacco shouldn ’t come as a surprise. But it ’s doubtful that Americans will will look look look favorably favorably favorably upon upon upon regulating regulating regulating their their their favorite favorite favorite vice. vice. vice. W e W e’’re re a a a nation nation nation that that that’’s s sweet sweet sweet on on on sugar: sugar: sugar: the the the average average average U.S. U.S. adult downs 22 teaspoons of sugar a day, according to the American Heart Association, and surveys have found that teens swallow 34 teaspoons. To counter our consumption, the authors advocate taxing sugary foods and controlling sales to kids under 17. Already, Already, 17% 17% 17% of of of U.S. U.S. U.S. children children children and and and teens teens teens are are obese (肥胖), ), and and and across across across the the the world world world the the the sugar sugar intake (摄入) ) has has increased three times in the past 50 years. The increase has helped create a global obesity plague that contributes to 35 million annual deaths worldwide from noninfectious diseases including cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Linda Matzigkeit, a senior vice president at Children ’s Healthcare, said “We have to do something about this or our country is in danger. It ’s not good if your state has the second-highest obesity rate. Obese children turn into obese adults.”“There are good calories and bad calories, just as there are good fats and bad fats, good amino acids (氨基氨基酸) and bad amino acids,” Lustig, director of the Weight Assessment for Teen and Child Health program at UCSF, said in a statement. “But sugar is toxic beyond its calories.” The food industry tries to imply that “a calorie is a calorie is a calorie,” says Kelly Brownell, director of the Rudd Rudd Center Center Center for for for Food Food Food Policy Policy Policy and and and Obesity Obesity Obesity at at at Y ale Y ale University. University. University. ““But But this this this and and and other other other research research research suggests suggests suggests there there there is is something different about sugar,” says Brownell. The UCSF report emphasizes the metabolic (新陈代谢新陈代谢) effects of sugar. Excess sugar can alter metabolism, raise blood pressure, affect the signaling of hormones and damage the liver — outcomes that sound suspiciously similar similar to to to what what what can can can happen happen happen after after after a a a person person person drinks drinks drinks too too too much much much alcohol. alcohol. alcohol. Schmidt, Schmidt, Schmidt, co-chair co-chair co-chair of of of UCSF UCSF UCSF’’s s Community Community Engagement and Health Policy program, noted on CNN: “When you think about it, this actually makes a lot of sense. Alcohol, after all, is simply made from sugar. Where does vodka come from? Sugar.”But there are also other areas of impact that researchers have investigated: the effect of sugar on the brain and and how how how liquid liquid liquid calories calories calories are are are interpreted interpreted interpreted differently differently differently by by by the the the body body body than than than solids. solids. solids. Research Research Research has has has suggested suggested suggested that that that sugar sugar activates the same reward pathways in the brain as traditional drugs of abuse like morphine or heroin. No one is claiming claiming the the the effect effect effect of of of sugar sugar sugar is is is quite quite quite that that that strong, strong, strong, but, but, but, says says says Brownell, Brownell, Brownell, ““it it helps helps helps confirm confirm confirm what what what people people people tell tell tell you you sometimes, that they hunger for sugar and have withdrawal symptoms when they stop eating it.”There There’’s also something particularly tricky about sugary drinks. “When calories come in liquids, the body doesn doesn’’t t feel feel feel as as as full,full,full,”” says says Brownell. Brownell. Brownell. ““People People are are are getting getting getting more more more of of of their their their calories calories calories than than than ever ever ever before before before from from from sugared sugared drinks.drinks.””Other Other countries, countries, countries, including including including France, France, France, Greece Greece Greece and and and Denmark, Denmark, Denmark, impose impose impose soda soda soda taxes, taxes, taxes, and and and the the the concept concept concept is is is being being considered in at least 20 U.S. cities and states. Last summer, Philadelphia came close to passing a 2-cents-per-ounce soda tax. The Rudd Center has been a strong advocate of a more modest 1-cent-per-punce tax. But But at at at least least least one one one study, study, study, from from from 2010, 2010, 2010, has has has raised raised raised doubts doubts doubts that that that soda soda soda taxes taxes taxes would would would result result result in in in significant significant significant weight weight weight loss: loss: apparently apparently people people people who who who are determined are determined to to eat eat eat —— and drink — unhealthily will will find find find ways ways ways to to to do do do it. it. it. Teens Teens Teens —— no surprise — are good at finding ways to get the things they can can’’t have, so state policies banning all sugar-sweetened drinks from public schools and providing only water, milk or 100% fruit juices haven ’t had the intended effect of steering kids away from drinking sugared drinks: the average teen consumes about 300 calories per day — that ’s nearly 15% of his daily calories — in sweetened drinks, and the food and drink industry is only too happy to feed this need. Ultimately, regulating sugar will prove particularly tricky because it goes beyond health concerns; sugar, for so many people, is love. A plate of cut-up vegetables just doesn ’t pack the same emotional a cupcake and not an 4. The food industry tries to relieve the public worry about sugar intake by suggesting that  .5. According to Brownell, liquid sugar . 7. Regulating sugar will prove tricky because . its . snack-bars selling high sugar products be . 10. A gentle way to steer people away from sugar is to make inexpensive, low-sugar foods . American today have different eating habits than they had in the past. There is a wide (36) of food available. They have a broader (37) (38) than ever before. At the same time, Americans (39) Statistics show that the way people live (40) There are now growing numbers of people who live alone, (41) food. (44) . Moreover, Americans eat out nearly four times a week on It is easy to study the amounts and kinds of food that people consume. (45) . This information not only tells us what people eating, but also tells us about the changes in attitudes and tastes. (46) . . Instead, You may not use any ofcenter.words in the bank more than once.47 at all. Seven of the 18 women who are 48 49 This role change is 50 52 51 a majority of jobs in the U.S., including 51.4 percent of managerial and professional 53 is more dramatic among younger people. Women 30 and under make more money, on 55 ended up caring for their children full-time while their wives are the the U.S. who 56 A) appealing I) occupations B) average J) occurring C) conflict K) positions D) currently L) primary E) elementary M) recession F) ensure N) regularly G) female O) unusual H) fill Try Try to to to imagine imagine imagine what what what it it it is is is like like like to to to live live live without without without electricity. electricity. electricity. It It It is is boring, 67 one one thing thing — no no television, television, television, on on on MP3 MP3 MP3 player, player, player, no no video games. And you feel 68 and disconnected as well — no computer, computer, no no no Internet, Internet, Internet, no no no mobile mobile mobile phone. phone. phone. Y ou Y ou can can can read read read books, books, books, of of course — 69 at at night night night you you you won won won’’t t have have have light, light, light, other other other than than than the the flicker (闪烁) ) of of of firewood. firewood. firewood. And And And about about about that that that firewood firewood — you you or or someone in your family had to 70 it during the day, taking you away from more 71 work or schooling, 67. [A] about [B] with [C] as [D] for 68. [A] lonely [B] tedious [C] ignored [D] tough 69. [A] so [B] but [C] since [D] if 70. [A] transfer [B] select [C] assemble [D] gather 71. [A] relative [B] massive [C] productive [D] extensive 72. [A] to [B] of [C] amid [D] under 73. [A] seeking out [B] giving up [C] throwing off [D] carrying away 74. [A] harmful [B] aggressive [C] visible [D] allergic 75. [A] although [B] whereas [C] while [D] because 76. [A]strength [B] power [C] source [D] force 77. [A] desperately [B] oddly [C] marvelously [D] vastly 78. [A] engage [B] insist [C] ensure [D] induce 79. [A] continent [B] location [C] territory [D] planet 80. [A] solemn [B] severe [C] compound [D] comparable 81. [A] that [B] which [C] those [D] ones 82. [A] Unless [B] Though [C] Until [D] Before 83. [A] global [B] fashionable [C] grand [D] famous 84. [A]commanded [B] withdrawn [C] offered [D] received 85. [A] solution [B] target [C] obstacle [D] retreat 86. [A] interrupts [B] affects and in more parts of the world, exposing you 72 danger. That same firewood is used to cook dinner, 73 smoke that can turn the air inside your home far more 74 than that breathed in an industrial city. You may lack access to modern drugs 75 the nearest hospital does not have continuous 76 to keep the medicine refrigerated. You are 77 poor — and the lack of electricity helps to 78 that you’ll stay that way. That is life for the 1.3 billion people around that 79 who lack access to the grid (电网电网). It is a 80 problem of the developing world and the countryside — more than 95% of 81 Without electricity are either in sub-Saharan Africa or developing Asia, and 84% live in rural areas. 82 it hasn hasn’’t gotten the attention that 83 problems like HIV/AIDS and water shortage have 84 in recent years, lack of power remains a major 85 to any progress in the world’s development. “Lacking Lacking access access access to to to electricity electricity 86 health, health, well-being well-being well-being and and and income,income,income,”” says says Fatih Fatih Fatih Birol, Birol, Birol, the the the chief chief economist of the International Energy Agency. “It It’’s a problem the world has to pay attention to.”[C] halts [D] suspends 87. David turned away and walked quickly down the street, s intellect 89. I read the book last week, but now it is 90. Hardly had John finished his introductory remark 91. If the reaction were to take place, 2012年12月大学英语四级(CET-4)参考答案作文范文Education Pay What is shown in the chart above is that those people with high degree earn more than those with lower. For example, staff with master’s degree receive a better payment than those with bachelor’s degree, according to a survey of the payment to the employee. These survey indicates that education degree does have a relationship with earnings, contrary to the recent theory of useless education. Recently, there is a heated discussion about the significance of the education. Some people hold a view view that that that higher higher higher education education education is is is useless useless useless since since since college college college education education education cannot cannot cannot mesh mesh mesh with with with the the the social social social needs. needs. Some think that higher education is indispensable if you want to go far in both your studies and life. Now that survey has proved which part is wiser. As for me, I definitely support the view that education is necessary for people’s life. Reading can not only make me survive well in this society with fierce competition but also help me make sense of life. I pursue for it for my whole life. 1-5 DCAAD 6-7 BC 8.hazards 9. tightened 10. comparatively easier to get 11-15 BADAA 16-20 DBBCA 21-25 DCDCA 26-30 BCDAC 31-35 DDBCB 36. selection 37. knowledge 38. vegetables 39. purchase 40. determines 41. single 42. responsible 43. rush 44. Partly as a result of this limited time, over half of all American homes now have microwave ovens 45. The United States Department of Agriculture and the food industry collect sales statistics and keep accurate records 46. 46. Red Red Red meat, meat, meat, which which which used used used to to to be be be the the the most most most popular popular popular choice choice choice for for for dinner dinner dinner ,is ,is ,is no no no longer longer longer an an an American American favorite. 47. O 48. D 49. G 50. J 51. H 52. K 53. B 54. M 55. L 56. N 57-61 BCBDA 62-66 CABBC 67-71 DABDC 72-76 ACADB 77-81 ACDBC 82-86 BADCB 87. completely ignoring her presence 88. that separate him from other higher animals 89. nowhere to find 90. when he was interrupted by the audience 91. a tremendous amount of energy would be releasedPart III Listening ComprehensionBill says he’s not working so hard on his biology project.W: But he spends a lot of time in the lab, doesn’t he?Q: What does the woman imply about Bill? 15.M: I have to say i find the new smoking regulations too strict. W: Well, they are for everyone’s health. I have no complaints.Q: What are the speakers talking about? He’s tight up in meetings all morning.16.W: Jack asked me to drop off this report. M: I was hoping he brings it in himself, I need to talk with him about it. M: Well ,did you enjoy it? W: Yes, I enjoy it much more that I thought I would. M: Really? W: Yes, I don’t usually go to science fiction films.I don’t think they are much better than comics on film, if you know what I mean. M : Yes, sure.And a few years ago,they were certainly like that. But they’ve got a lot better now.at I really like. I never miss a good film set in middle ages. Oh, and W: Yes, and historical films, that’s whlove stories, I never miss one on TV. M: Fondly enough, I don’t like those kinds of films at all. But to come back to this one, I personally didn’t ly wasn’t as good as other science fiction films I’ve ever seen.think it was very good . It certainW: Wasn’t it?M: No, not at all. Oh, the effects were very good. W: Yes, I thought they were marvelous. Especially the battle in space, incredable. M: Yes, but I was going to say I thought the acting was terrible. W: Yes. I suppose Jason was too good to be true. And what was the name of the Baddy? M: Cargon? W: Yeah. Cargon was really evil, wasn’t he? But I suppose that’s what these films are all about—good triumphing over evil. And the characters have to be black and white. M: Well ,yes, but not always. Worth the well wasn’t like for example. Anyway, you enjoy the film. That’s the most important. W: Yes, I did. Thanks for taking me. Q: 19. What does the man say about the science fiction films? 20. What opinion did the speakers share about the film they just seen? 21. What to be learned about Jason and Cargon? Long Conversation 2 M: Can I ask you about your evening class? What class do you go to? W: Car maintance. M: What night of the week it on? 22. What does the woman say about her evening class? 23. Why did the wman want to attend to the class? 24.What do the people who attend the class do in the first part of the lesson? 25. What do we learn about participants in the class? Passageswishes and feelings ,she says, “ it’s very important to me to carry my own weight. I’m not comfortable in any ake. ”relationship where all I do is tThe difficult situation finally changed when Aaron moved recently. Pat’s children were with their father, so she took a picnik lunch to her friends new plays, then spend the day helping her unpack and get settled. “ I was so grateful, ” Aarons says, “ but I persuaded Pat to let me return the favour in my own way with season tickets to our little theater group. I think she’s beginning to recognize that she contributes as much to our friendship, but I do”26. What do we learn about Pat? 27. What draws Aaron and Pat together? 28. What does Aaron do to return Pat’s favor?29. What do we learn friendship from the passage? Passage 2 Sun School in the town of Ashbert in England is a day school for children age 10 to 18.It is based on the value of social equality between students and stuff, and has few rules.Sun School believes that the healthy growth of the child is more important than academic success. It offers a variety of lessons and activities for students to choose from. In free time for children to follow their own interests.Classes are small,and based on the individual needs of each child. The timetable is fixed.But democratically decided and students are expected to attend.The weekly school meeting is at the center of the way sun school is orgnized.It mix all the decisions that affect theschool,including rules, the timetable and accepting or rejecting new students and teachers.Participating in thease meetings gives children an understand of democratic decision making and helps them develops their skills of argument and persuasion.The most import advantage of the school meeting is that it shows the children that the school is really their’s.They have the right to decide on changes. And the school’s success or failure depends on their decisions and their behavior.Sun School employs no cooking or cleaning stuff,these jobs are done by students and teachers.Decorating and simple repairs are also done by students, it is believed that school truly belongs to who use it, they must take responsibility for its maintenance. 30. what value is Sun School based on? 31. what is characteristic of the school decision making processur program? 32. why does sun school ask the students to do the maintainance? Passage 3 Well, to continue, as i mentioned earlier, there is also research that demonstrates that individuals perform worse, not better on tasks when other people are there. R.W.Harburt did an interesting experiment. He had his 35. What does Roberts think as a better way to learn new things? habits than they had in the past. There is have a broader knowledge of nutrition, so they buy more fresh fruit before. At the same time, Americans purchase increasing quantities of sweets and sodas. show that the way people live determines growing numbers of people who live families. These changing life styles are responsible for the incresing number of people who must rush meals or  全国英语四级历年真题21 / 21 longer an American favorite. Instead, chicken, turkey, and fish have become more popular. Sales of these foods have greatly increased in recent years. 。

2012年12月全国大学英语四级等级考试Part I Writing (30 minutes)注意：此部分试题在答题卡1上。

Directions: For this part,you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short easy entitled How Will Our Life Go on without Internet. You should write at least 120wordsfollowing the outline given below in Chinese:1. 网络提供给了人们丰富多彩和便捷的生活2. 很多人开始感觉离开网络寸步难行3. 你对网络依赖症的看法How Will Our Life Go on without Internet_________________________________________________________________________ __________________Part II Reading Comprehension (skimming and scanning)Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answerfrom the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). For questions 8-10, completethe sentences with the information given in the passage.Time Off from Work Gains in ImportanceAmerican workers are saying they need a break. As their number of hours clocked on the job has crept higher, more time off has become a bigger priority. In the past few years, human resources experts say time off has consistently placed among the top three employee concerns, along with compensation and staffing levels, whereas it used to be farther down the list. In a poll taken online in November 2004, 39% of workers said if given the choice, they would choose time off over the equivalent in additional base salary. Of course, most of the 4,600 respondents are still opting for the bigger paycheck, but the desire for time off is up almost 20% from just three years ago when conducted a similar poll.The reasons for this shift are many and varied. Some have to do with the way a new generation is thinking about work, while others are driven by how companies are responding to recent economic pressures.A New GenerationThe results may in part represent the needs of a new breed of workers. The average American is working one month (160 hours) more each year than a generation ago. According to recruiting and human capital management expert John Sumser, younger workers work for meaning first and money second. He goes on to warn employers that these are the people who are the foundation for the next workforce and they may not buy the existing paradigm (范例). A study released in late 2004 by the New York-based Families and Work Institute concludes that the new brand of young workers is rejecting thework-centric style of their parents’ generation. The study, which examines changes in the workforce over the past 25 years, found that younger workers are more likely to be “family-centric” or “dual-centric” (with equal priorities on both career and family) rather than “work-centric” when compared to members of the Boomer Generation.September 11th and the End of the Roaring NinetiesThe impact of the terrorist attacks of September 11th cut across all age groups of the workforce. We collectively entered a new era, reevaluating life’s priorities and making changes in our attitude toward time spent at work versus hobbies and family. “I started looking at things completely differently. I’ve been far less willing to put in the 14-hour days necessary to get noticed and climb the corporate ladder,” said Tony Jackson, a 43-year-old employee of a New York City-based financial services company. “Frankly, I can’t see that changing.”Even before September 11th, some experts say the slow shift in worker attitudes was already underway due to the end of the roaring 1990’s, when hours were long and significant personal wealth was created. For those who fared well financially, some opted for careers of contract work where they could call more of the shots pertaining to (与……有关的) time off, or new occupations with greater personal rewards. For others, even if their bank accounts were not spilling over from America’s economic heyday (全盛时期), their own energy had been depleted due to unrelenting (毫不松懈的) years of work hours and high stress. They were ready for something less taxing.Families and Work Institute President and co-founder Ellen Galinsky agrees. She says the poll numbers show evidence of an increase in need for time off and a shift in thinking due to the fact that workers have been pushed to their limit in recent years. “This new generation of workers is at the edge of how long they can work. It just feels like too much. They are not slackers (懒虫); they just don’t want more,” says Galinsky.Monetary Needs Less Intense Due to Dual Income Households“We’ve decided we prefer to have more time to ourselves,” says Carol Kornhaber, a New England software programmer in her late twenties. Kornhaber and her husband are both working but have sought out jobs where they are not pressed to put in long hours. Instead, they have insisted upon eight-hour days and having enough vacation time to travel, a major interest they share. Financial pressures are eased by both of them working and keeping a careful watch on their expenses. “We are lucky in a lot of ways to have found bosses who understand our needs.”BurnoutTrying to squeeze more productivity out of workers may be nothing new, but it has become particularly acute in recent years. This has been due in large measure torecession-induced layoffs and other trends such as the rising cost of healthcare benefits. After a layoff, workers who remain behind are often asked to pick up most or even all the load of the people who were let go, requiring more and more hours at the office. As new corporate initiatives are planned, the inverse is also true. As Sumser observe s, “the additional workload, which runs across the economy from the office worker to the manufacturing line, seems to be a function of the cost of benefits. The regulations make it cheaper to add workload for existing employees than to hire new players.” T he Families and Work Institute reports that nearly one third of U.S. employees often or very often feel overworked or overwhelmed by how much work they have to do. Nearly three out of four report that they frequently dream about doing something different from their current job.Show Me the MoneyOverworked or not, the majority in the poll still chose to fatten their paycheck if given the choice. For many, it was a practical matter. Says Peggy Jones, an accountant in a Boston area business services company, “I already get three weeks a year that I can’t use up because I’m so busy. I’d definitely go for the extra money to pay some bills or make a big purchase I’ve been holding off on.” For Jones, the realities of running a household and saving up for college for her children simply need to take precedence over extra free time.Companies Are Already RespondingTo many human resources experts it is inevitable that, given the growing health of the economy and the upcoming population-driven labor shortages as the Boomer Generation moves into retirement, the pendulum of control in the employee-employer relationship will swing back to the employee side. That is expected to begin in just a few years. According to human resources expert, Larry Schumer, at , “since most companies succeed based on a motivated and capable workforce, they have offered and will continue to offermore paid flexibility, whether it be through tried and tested time-off programs or the next great idea.” Where will that new balance of employer versus employee needs lie? Time, or perhaps time off, surely will tell.1. Which of the following has been rising in importance in the past few years?A) Compensation. B) Time off. C) Right to vote. D) Staffing levels.2. According to the passage, we know that the Boomer Generation is concerned ________.A) about family and work equally B) more about workC) more about family D) about neither work nor family3. What can be inferred about Tony Jackson?A) He is 43 years old.B) He works in a financial services company.C) He has changed his life and work attitude.D) He spends 14 hours a day on his work.4. When did American workers gradually begin to change their attitudes towards work?A) After September 11. B) In November 2004.C) In late 2004. D) At the end of the roaring 1990’s.5. According to Ellen Galinsky, why did workers change their mind about work?A) They have been pushed to the limit of their working hours.B) They increased their need to enjoy life.C) They have more rights than before.D) They don’t want to work for a living.6. Carol Kornhaber and her husband don’t have too much financial pressure because ___________.A) they have parents who are richB) they don’t have children to feedC) they both have a high salaryD) they both have work and they are thrifty7. After a layoff, the employees who keep their jobs usually have to ___________.A) find another job in case they are firedB) do what their bosses tell them toC) work longer hours to avoid being firedD) do the work left by the laid-off workers8. According to , compared with three years ago, the desire for time off is up almost ________________________.9. According to the poll from , the majority of employees preferred to ________________________ if they had the choice.10. Larry Schumer said that most companies succeeded based on a motivated and capable __________________________.Part ⅢListening Comprehension (35 minutes)Section A注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

2012年12月英语四级考试真题及答案(第2套)Part I Writing (30 minutes)Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay. You should start your essay with a brief account of the increasing use of the mobile phone in people's life and then explain the consequences of overusing it. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes)Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.Should Sugar Be Regulated like Alcohol and Tobacco?Sugar poses enough health risks that it should be considered a controlled substance just like alcohol and tobacco, argue a team of researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).In an opinion piece called "The Toxic (毒性的) Truth About Sugar" published Feb. 1 in Nature, Robert Lustig, Laura Schmidt and Claire Brindis argue that it's wrong to consider sugar just "empty calories." They write: "There is nothing empty about these calories. A growing body of scientific evidence is showing that fructose (果糖) can trigger processes that lead to liver toxicity and a host of other chronic diseases. A little is not a problem, but a lot kills-slowly."Almost everyone's heard of-or personally experienced-the well-known sugar high, so perhaps the comparison between sugar and alcohol or tobacco shouldn't come as a surprise. But it's doubtfulthat Americans will look favorably upon regulating their favorite vice. We're a nation that's sweet on sugar: the average US adult downs 22 teaspoons of sugar a day, according to the American Heart Association, and surveys have found that teens swallow 34 teaspoons.To counter our consumption, the authors advocate taxing sugary foods and controlling sales to kids under 17. Already, 17% of US children and teens are obese (肥胖的), and across the world the sugar intake (摄入) has increased three times in the past 50 years. The increase has helped create a global obesity plague that contributes to 35 million annual deaths worldwide from noninfectious diseases including cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Linda Matzigkeit, a senior vice president at Children's Healthcare, said "We have to do something about this or our country is in danger. It's not good if your state has the second-highest obesity rate. Obese children turn into obese adults. ""There are good calories and bad calories, just as there are good fats and bad fats, good amino acids (氨基酸) and bad amino acids," Lustig, director of the Weight Assessment for Teen and Child Health program at UCSF, said in a statement. "But sugar is toxic beyond its calories."The food industry tries to imply that "a calorie is a calorie," says Kelly Brownell, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University. "But this and other research suggests there is something different about sugar," says Brownell.The UCSF report emphasizes the metabolic (新陈代谢的) effects of sugar. Excess sugar can alter metabolism, raise blood pressure, affect the signaling of hormones and damage the liver-outcomes that sound suspiciously similar to what can happen after a person drinks too much alcohol. Schmidt, co-chair of UCSF's Community Engagement and Health Policy program, noted on CNN: "When you think about it, this actually makes a lot of sense. Alcohol, after all, is simply made from sugar. Where does vodka come from? Sugar. "But there are also other areas of impact that researchers have investigated: the effect of sugar on the brain and how liquid calories are interpreted differently by the body than solids. Research has suggested that sugar activates the same reward pathways in the brain as traditional drugs of abuse like morphine or heroin. No one is claiming the effect of sugar is quite that strong, but, says Brownell, "it helps confirm what people tell you sometimes, that they hunger for sugar and have withdrawal symptoms when they stop eating it."There's also something particularly tricky about sugary drinks. "When calories come in liquids, the body doesn't feel as full," says Brownell. "People are getting more of their calories than ever before from sugared drinks."Other countries, including France, Greece and Denmark, impose soda taxes, and the concept is being considered in at least 20 US cities and states. Last summer, Philadelphia came close to passing a 2-cents-per-ounce soda tax. The Rudd Center has been a strong advocate of a more modest 1-cent-per-ounce tax. But at least one study, from 2010, has raised doubts that soda taxes would result in significant weight loss: apparently people who are determined to eat- anddrink-unhealthily will find ways to do it. Teens-no surprise-are good at finding ways to get the things they can't have, so state policies banning all sugar-sweetened drinks from public schools and providing only water, milk or 100% fruit juices haven't had the intended effect of steering kids away from drinking sugared drinks: the average teen consumes about 300 calories per day-that's nearly 15% of his daily calories-in sweetened drinks, and the food and drink industry is only too happy to feed this need.Ultimately, regulating sugar will prove particularly tricky because it goes beyond health concerns; sugar, for so many people, is love. A plate of cut-up vegetables just doesn't pack the same emotional punch as a tin of home-made chocolate chip cookies (饼干), which is why I took my daughter out for a cupcake and not an apple as an after-school treat today. We don't do that regularly-it's the first time this school year, actually-and that's what made it special. As a society, could we ever reach the point where we'd think apples-not a cupcake-are something to get excited over? Says Brindis, one of the report's authors and director of UCSF's Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies: "We recognize that there are cultural and celebratory aspects of sugar. Changing these patterns is very complicated."For inroads (进展) to be made, say the authors in their statement, people have to be better educated about the hazards of sugar and agree that something's got to change:Many of the interventions (干预) that have reduced alcohol and tobacco consumption can be models for addressing the sugar problem, such as imposing special sales taxes, controlling access, and tightening licensing requirements on vending machine (自动售货机) and snack-bars that sell high sugar products in schools and workplaces."We're not talking prohibition," Schmidt said. "We're not advocating a major imposition of the government into people's lives. We're talking about gentle ways to make sugar consumption slightly less convenient, thereby moving people away from the concentrated dose. What we want is to actually increase people's choices by making foods that aren't loaded with sugar comparatively easier and cheaper to get."注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。

2012年12月大学英语四级考试真题第一套Part I Writing【标准版点评】这次四级作文出了图表题，可能让大家有些意外，但是四六级考察图表作文已经并不是第一次，早在2002年的时候就已经出现过，是图表+提纲的形式，图表反应的是大学生使用计算机的情况。

由于备考时大家只是关注近几年的题型，可能没有关注到以往考察过图表作文。

我们在备考作文的时候，一般会从以下几个方面着手准备，如何描述现象、如何分析原因、如何分析影响、如何给出解决措施、如何进行观点论战等。

其实，图表作文也是从这几个方面展开，只是将第一段的描述现象改为描述图表即可。

可见，无论是考察哪种作文题，我们都可以将它转化为我们熟悉的提纲式。

这次作文题目有两个版本。

题目都是Educational Pays（教育回报），一个版本的图表显示的是教育水平越高，收入越高，另一个版本的图表显示的是教育水平越高，失业率越低。

虽然图表描述的具体内容不同，但主题是一致的：教育是值得投资的。

写作思路也是一致的。

两篇范文都是采取三段式的描述方法。

第一段：描述图表。

先一句话引出图表总体内容The above bar chart clearly shows us … 然后具体描述现象We see that…。

最后用for instance引出一些具体数据来例证现象。

第二段：分析原因。

先写一个引出原因的句子，然后具体列举一到两个原因即可。

由于字数限制，原因不必列太多。

第三段：给出建议。

先是总结这个现象This phenomenon tells us that education is a worthy investment.（教育值得投资）。

然后是建议国家增大教育投资，以及个人要努力学习。

这种三段式的写作模式容易掌握，在考场中比较实用，建议大家仿写。

【高分版点评】本次四级作文围绕着同一个话题，education pay（教育回报），出现了两个版本，一个是教育和失业率的关系，另一个是教育和收入的关系。

Doctoral degree1,550 1,272 1,038712 626 444 Master ’s degreeBachelor ’s degreeSome college, no degreeHigh school diplomaLess than high school degree 2012年12月大学英语四级真题及答案(3) Part Ⅰ Writing (30 minutes) 注意：此部分试题在答题卡1上，请在答题卡1上作答。

Direction: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write acomposition entitled Education Pays based on the statistics providedin the chart below (Weekly earnings of 2010). Please write at least120 words but no more than 180 words.Education: A Worthy InvestmentWeekly earnings in 2010($)Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsEducation PaysPartⅡ Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes)Di rections: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.Suffering in silenceDespite a law designed to protect them, many people with disabling conditions are unaware of their rights. Carole Concha-Bell tells of her experiences.Being diagnosed with a disabling condition is always a shock. Learning to live without the guarantee of health is like having to unlearn a previous life. The implications for your working life may seem intimidating.There is the disability Discrimination Act (DDA), of course. But does it really provide the protection in the workplace that parliamentintended? Are employers merely paying lip service to the DDA? Or are they even aware of an employer’s legal duties and responsibilities?In my experience, it is the latter. I have received little support from employers to whom I have revealed my condition. This has often left me feeling at a disadvantage and wondering why I bothered doing so in the first place.I had been struggling with illness long before I was diagnosed. In practical terms the diagnosis did little to aid me. Of course, it enabled me to understand my body, my limitations and set me on a course to stabilize my symptoms. But it brought a new dilemma. Where I had previously struggled to work while ill, ignorant of why my body was misbehaving, I now had a name for my daily struggle: Lupus (狼疮). This is a chronic (慢性的), auto-immune disorder that can affect virtually any system in the body. It also leaves a huge, dark question hanging over my head when seeking employment: should I tell my employers I have a condition? It is a dilemma that continues to be a root cause of anxiety both for myself and for thousands of other UK employees.The rocky road to my unfortunate enlightenment about work and disability began just after graduation when I’d set my sights on a career in communications and landed my dream job with a respected public relations consultancy (咨询公司) in Bristol. But while I was learning the art of media relations, my body wasn’t quite making it in health terms. Ioften went to work with swollen limbs and fevers. At my first and last performance review, my boss was amazed that, despite my many capabilities, I hadn’t quite taken control of my responsibilities. A few months later, my contract wasn’t renewed and I plunged further into new depths of ill health.However, I was determined not to be beaten and returned to the interview trail. My next job was in publishing. But despite a shining performance at the interview, I felt like a fraud. How long would it be before I sank into ill health and depression again?The job was to end with a monumental bang when I became so poorly I could no longer function. A few feverish weeks in bed ended in a specialist appointment, where I was diagnosed with Lupus and rushed into hospital for fear that it may have attacked my internal organs.The next 12 months were filled with confusion. I had no idea about benefits, felt alienated(被视为另类) by the medical establishment and lived off my savings until I was broke. I realized I needed help from my family and moved to London.As soon as I felt better, I marched into a marketing recruitment consultancy and, within 10 minutes, I had impressed the interviewer enough to be offered a job with the agency. We agreed on a decent salary and I told him had arthritis (关节炎) and would need to work a four-day week.Things went well at the start but soon the client meetings began to fall on my day off, and I rarely left the office on time. I began to slip both in health and professional terms. The 10-hour days crashed around my head; no amount of make-up could disguise my ill health as I battled against the odds to prove to myself that I cold still make it in the business world. I often cried on the bus on the way back from work.Not long before my contract was due to be made permanent, I was called to the boss’s office and given the “talk” abut how my performance was slipping, how awful I looked. I felt too weak to fight back and agreed to leave. No attempts to offer adjustments to my job, such as being able to work from home, were ever made. I had a case for unfair dismissal under the DDA, but was ignorant of this at the time.An estimated 10 million people in UK, or 17% of the population, qualify for disability status under the DDA. I have encountered a number of them: the liver-diseased boss; the co-worker with a heart condition; and my asthmatic(哮喘的) trainee-teacher friend. None had disclosed (透露) their conditions to employers, and all were feeling the strain of not doing so.To access your rights under the DDA and to request “reasonable adjustments”to your working conditions or your workplace requires disclosure. I had warned my former employer about my condition but it served little purpose. They were ignorant about their obligations to theirdisabled staff.However, there are plenty of forward-thinking organizations that have inclusive recruitment policies; are more likely to employ a worker with a disability; and are more aware of their legal duties. The public sector out-performs the private, but not always the voluntary, according to studies for the Disabilities Rights Commission.I decided to give the voluntary sector a go and was surprised to be offered flexible working conditions and other solutions to meet my needs as an employee. But given the choice, I would still prefer a career in the private sector, which for me is more dynamic, has more attractive salaries and offers better prospects than the voluntary or public sectors.Despite the advances of the DDA, there will always be an army of workers who will soldier on, maybe aware of their rights but choosing to remain silent for personal reasons. It is important, though, to recognize the significance of the act, the protection it affords and the obligations that employers have to us as employees and as human beings.注意: 此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。

试卷一,目前最为准确的一套.Part I Writing (30 minutes)Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes)Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.The MagicianThe revolution that Steve Jobs led is only just beginningWhen it came to putting on a show, nobody else in the computer industry, or any other industry for that matter, could match Steve Jobs. His product launches, at which he would stand alone on a black stage and produce as if by magic an “incredible”new electronic gadget (小器具)in front of an amazed crowd, were the performances of a master showman. All computers do is fetch and work with numbers, he once explained, but do it fast enough and “the results appear to be magic”. Mr Jobs, who died recently aged 56, spent his life packaging that magic into elegantly designed, easy-to-use products.The reaction to his death, with people leaving candles and flowers outside Apple stores and politicians singing praises on the internet, is proof that Mr Jobs had become something much more significant than just a clever money-maker. He stood out in three ways-as a technologist, as a corporate (公司的)leader and as somebody who was able to make people love what had previously been impersonal, functional gadgets. Strangely, it is this last quality that may have the deepest effect on the way people live. The era of personal technology is in many ways just beginning.As a technologist, Mr Jobs was different because he was not an engineer-and that was his great strength. Instead he was keenly interested in product design and aesthetics (美学), and in making advanced technology simple to use. He repeatedly took an existing but half-formed idea-the mouse-driven computer, the digital music player, the smartphone, the tablet computer(平板电脑)-and showed the rest of the industry how to do it properly. Rival firms competed with each other to follow where he led. In the process he brought about great changes in computing, music, telecomsand the news business that were painful for existing firms but welcomed by millions of consumers.Within the wider business world, a man who liked to see himself as a hippy (嬉皮士), permanently in revolt against big companies, ended up being hailed by many of those corporate giants as one of the greatest chief executives of his time. That was partly due to his talents: showmanship, strategic vision, an astonishing attention to detail and a dictatorial management style which many bosses must have envied. But most of all it was the extraordinary trajectory (轨迹)of his life. His fall from grace in the 1980s, followed by his return to Apple in 1996 after a period in the wilderness, is an inspiration to any businessperson whose career has taken a turn for the worse. The way in which Mr Jobs revived the failing company he had co-founded and turned it into the world’s biggest tech firm (bigger even than Bill Gates’s Microsoft, the company that had outsmarted Apple so dramatically in the 1980s), sounds like something from a Hollywood movie.But what was perhaps most astonishing about Mr Jobs was the absolute loyalty he managed to inspire in customers. Many Apple users feel themselves to be part of a community, with Mr Jobs as its leader. And there was indeed a personal link. Apple’s products were designed to accord with the boss’s tastes and to meet his extremely high standards. Every iPhone or MacBook has his fingerprints all over it. His great achievement was to combine an emotional spark with computer technology, and make the resulting product feel personal. And that is what put Mr Jobs on the right side of history, as technological innovation (创新)has moved into consumer electronics over the past decade.As our special report in this issue (printed before Mr Jobs’s death) explains, innovation used to spill over from military and corporate laboratories to the consumer market, but lately this process has gone into reverse. Many people’s homes now have more powerful, and more flexible, devices than their offices do; consumer gadgets and online services are smarter and easier to use than most companies’systems. Familiar consumer products are being adopted by businesses, government and the armed forces. Companies are employing in-house versions of Facebook and creating their own “app stores” to deliver software to employees. Doctors use tablet computers for their work in hospitals. Meanwhile, the number of consumers hungryfor such gadgets continues to swell. Apple’s products are now being snapped up in Delhi and Dalian just as in Dublin and Dallas.Mr Jobs had a reputation as a control freak (怪人), and his critics complained that the products and systems he designed were closed and inflexible, in the name of greater ease of use. Yet he also empowered millions of people by giving them access to cutting-edge technology. His insistence on putting users first, and focusing on elegance and simplicity, has become deep-rooted in his own company, and is spreading to rival firms too. It is no longer just at Apple that designers ask: “What would Steve Jobs do?”The gap between Apple and other tech firms is now likely to narrow. This week’s announcement of a new iPhone by a management team led by Tim Cook, who replaced Mr Jobs as chief executive in August, was generally regarded as competent but uninspiring. Without Mr Jobs to shower his star dust on the event, it felt like just another product launch from just another technology firm. At the recent unveiling of a tablet computer by Jeff Bezos of Amazon, whose company is doing the best job of following Apple’s lead in combining hardware, software, content and services in an easy-to-use bundle, there were several attacks at Apple. But by doing his best to imitate Mr Jobs, Mr Bezos also flattered (抬举)him. With Mr Jobs gone, Apple is just one of many technology firms trying to arouse his uncontrollable spirit in new products.Mr Jobs was said by an engineer in the early years of Apple to emit a “reality distortion (扭曲)field”, such were his powers of persuasion. But in the end he created a reality of his own, channeling the magic of computing into products that reshaped entire industries. The man who said in his youth that he wanted to “put a ding in the universe” did just that.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。