2011年9月公共英语四级考试真题及答案Section I Listening Comprehension (30 minutes) 听力 1-20略Section II Use of English (15 minutes) 英语常识根据下列材料，回答1-20问题。
In the past decade, new scientific developments in communications have changed the way many people gather information about politics. The most important of these new 21 is the Internet. Recent research suggests the use of the Internet for political information increases the 22 of participation.While a (n) 23 relationship between Internet news and political participation has been found, a theoretical link as to why the Internetis 24 from other media forms is largely 25 This research is an attempt to 26 the "black-box" linking the Internet and political participation by building on two theoretical 27 . The first, surge and decline theory, comes out of political science and the second, media systems dependency theory, 28 from communications. Both explanations focus on individual costs and benefits of political participation. The media can 29 the "costs" by providing sufficient information to make 30 decisions about voting. Previousresearch 31 that the Internet benefits the public through the cost side of the equation. One of the media's greatest 32 is information and the public 33 on media to provide them with the in-formation theyneed. 34 the Internet is capable of providing information 35 , and from a multitude of sources, one would expect it to 36 political action through lowering the cost of information.Besides lowering participation costs, the media can 37 increase the benefits of participation. Intense media 38 of an event such as an election can 39 excitement that increases the perceived "benefit" of participating. The Internet may encourage a unique participation benefit 40 increased mobilization efforts.21、A．technologiesB．materialsC．conceptsD．devices22、A．practicabilityB．feasibilityC．probabilityD．stability23、A．criticalB．analytical C．empirical D．technical24、A．specific B．unique C．particular D．peculiar25、A．built B．losing C．missing D．connected26、A．unpack B．unroll C．untie D．unfold27、A．experiments B．comments C．approaches D．investigations28、A．orientates B．initiates C．correlates D．originates29、A．alter B．decrease C．induce D．cover30、A．informed B．acceptedC．understood D．diversified31、A．declares B．denies C．promises D．argues32、A．databanks B．resources C．sources D．costs33、A．baseB．actC．rely D．live34、A．Because B．WhileC．If D．Although35、A．casually B．objectively C．readily D．skillfully36、A．advertise B．popularize C．manage D．encourage37、A．alsoB．yetC．onlyD．just38、A．interferenceB．statementC．coverageD．image39、A．generateB．promoteC．installD．expose40、A．forB．viaC．atD．fromSection III Reading Comprehension (60 minutes) 阅读理解AText 1Paul Johnson's A History Of The American People is what we have come to expect from this productive writer--clear, colorful narrative, vivid character sketches, marvelous research, sweeping, confident statements, and an insistent conservative viewpoint which tempts him into serious omissions.He will not conceal his opinions, he tells us.Good.Then we can judge his history free of pretences to objectivity--his or ours.Almost at start, we notice something interesting: Johnson passes quickly over a defining moment in American history--the Columbus story--important because it is the first lesson every American schoolchild learns.How you treat that story--what you choose to tell of it--signals your view of the longer American experience, reaching to our time.In school textbooks, Columbus has always been presented as a hero.Only recently has a new set of facts--always available but ignored--begun to get into public attention: that Columbus, on landing, and desperate for gold, encountered native Americans who were peaceful and generous ( by his own admission) and tortured them,kidnapped them, enslaved them, murdered them.John-son, who goes into much detail about other matters (like Ronald Reagan's jokes) is silent on this.Among his numerous references there is none to Bartolome de las Casas, an eyewitness, who de-scribed in detail the horrifying evils committed by Columbus and his fellowmen against the Indians, which resulted in the native population of Hispaniola being wiped out--genocide is an appropriate term--by the year 1550.I suggest this is not an innocent omission.Johnson wants us to look positively on the history of the United States.Yes, he says, there were "severe wrongs" committed in "the dispossession of a native people" and in the institution of slavery.But has the U.S., he asks at the start of his book, "made up for its organic sins"? His whole book suggests that it has, and that in doing so it has be-come (he says at the end) "a human achievement without parallel...the first, best hope for the hu-man race".Since Johnson has decided that the U.S.is "the first, best hope for the human race", he has shaped its history accordingly.If we prefer to see that history as a complex and unfinished struggle of Americans for justice, against militarism, for economic, racial and sexual equality, we are badly served by a flattering admiration of those in power, pretending to be a history of "the people".41、The first paragraph shows that the author's opinion of the book A History Of The American People isA．critical.B．objective.C．defensive.D．admiring.42、The way people have been treating Columbus story indicates their view of A．the American school education.B．great heroes in American history.C．the development of American history.D．the American society at present.43、The book makes no reference to Bartolome de las Casas probably because Paul JohnsonA．is a writer fond of omissions.B．isn't tempted to make references.C．bears an inborn hatred for horrifying evils.D．doesn't want to see the image of the U.S.stained.44、The word "genocide" ( Line 8, Paragraph 3) most probably meansA．killing of people of a particular race.B．driving-out of native inhabitants.C．extinction of a whole generation.D．assimilation of ethnic groups.45、The author would agree with the statement that the U.S.A．has compensated the natives for their earlier sufferings.B．has never committed serious evils to the natives in history.C．has not undone the wrongs committed in history.D．has become the best hope for the human race.Text 2In the 21 st century there's no doubt that frightening new infectious diseases will appear.Today new viruses are coming out of nature and "discovering" the human species.Just since 1994, at least 30 new viruses have appeared.Viruses are moving into the human species because there are more of us all the time.From a virus' point of view, we look like a free lunch that's getting bigger.In nature viral diseases tend to break out when populations increase rapidly and become densely packed.Then many deaths occur and the population drops.This is nature's population-control mechanism.There is no reason to think the human race is free from the laws of nature.Giving these laws an extra push will be the rise of megacities--huge densely packed cities in less developed nations.A United Nations study predicts that by the year 2015, there will be 26 ex-tremely big cities on the planet.By then, some megacities could have 30 million or more people.That is approximately the total population of California.Imagine all the people in California crowded together tightly into one vast city.Then remove most doctors and medical care, take away basic sanitation and hygiene, and you have a biological "time bomb".Now make eight or ten such "bombs" and plant them around the world.Also consider the biological weapons the world will be capable of producing in the future.The 20th century saw the creation of great and terrible weapons based on the principles of nuclear physics.The 21st century will see great and terrible weapons based on the knowledge of DNA and the genetic code.As biotechnology becomes more sophisticated and powerful, biologists will learn how to mix genes of different microbes to create unnatural strains that can be turned into deadly, effective weapons.Biological weapons are a disgrace to biology.Most biologists haven't wanted to talk or even think about them.The physicists lost their innocence when the first nuclear bomb went off in 1945.The biologists will lose their innocence when the first biological weapon spreads through the human species.Yet the 20th century survived despite the existence of the nuclear bomb.There was great economic and scientific progress and much human happiness.The same can be true in the next century.We may not completely win the 21st century microbe war, but I am confident that we won't lose it.46、Infectious diseases are more likely to occur whereA．different human races are mixed in living.B．many people live in crowded communities.C．population drops due to nature's control mechanism.D．new viruses appear for the first time.47、It can be seen from the text that the author views extremely large cities as a(n)A．possible control mechanism of the nature.B．terrible burden in terms of public sanitation and hygiene.C．potential biological threat to human health.D．inevitable outcome of the law of nature.48、The author implies in the text thatA．weapons now fall into quite different categories.B．biological war may break out any time.C．most scientists are against nuclear weapons.D．science is liable to be used to create great evils.49、As to the solution of the problems in the future, the author appears to be A．somewhat doubtful.B．much skeptical.C．moderately optimistic.D．extremely desperate.50、What does the text mainly discuss?A．Threats from the new microbes in the next century.B．How new viruses affect the human society.C．What megacities may bring to human species.D．The disastrous effect of nuclear and biological weapons.Text 3Given the fact that each person is only one of approximately 90 million voters in this country, does it make sense to believe that one person's participation, one vote, will have any impact on a major election? Simply to raise the question "What if everyone felt the same way?" does not re-move the lingering impression that a single person is made to feel insignificant by the enormous number of people who do go to the polls, especially in a national election.Supporters of the ruling elite theory insist that even though voters are given a choice among candidates, their choice is restricted to a narrow range of similar-minded individuals approved by the ruling elite.Elections do not express what most people want or need, nor do they provide guidance for politicians (evenif they want it) on what policies to enact.In this view, elections are primarily just rituals that perform a symbolic function for society.Still, since most people continue to show faces at the polls at one time or another, what argu-ments can be made in favor of voting? One argument is that voting does have significance, if not in individual impact, then in group pressure.Because citizens collectively have the power to give or withhold votes, they directly control the term in office of elected officials.Even if the choice is between Tweedledee and Tweedledum, Tweedledee knows that one must be accountable and this is fixed by law, and that minimally he or she must strive to avoid displeasing the constituents to lose the job.But perhaps political effectiveness and impact in voting are not the only consideration anyway.People do not vote only to influence lions go to the effort to register and vote for a variety of other reasons as well.Some people may participate just to avoid feeling guilty about not voting.They may have been taught that is their patriotic duty to vote and that they have no right to complain about the outcome if they stay at home.Still others may vote to derive satisfaction from feeling that they are somehow participants, not just spectators, in an exciting electoral contest.Even if their one vote may not be crucial to the outcome, it nevertheless affirms their role in and support for the political process.Indeed, perhaps it is this final need that fuels the desire for full democratic participation among people in many nations of the world.51、What is the true nature of elections according to the ruling elite theory? A．They are routine practices in a modern society.B．They are political gathering for a small number of people.C．They are deceptive schemes manipulated by the ruling party.D．They are chances for those who want to utter their wishes.52、According to Paragraph 3, people go to the polls because theyA．believe it's their responsibility to vote.B．believe their collective power makes a difference.C．want to show the strength and impact of each individual.D．don't want to risk losing their jobs.53、"Tweedledee and Tweedledum" (Line 5, Paragraph 3 ) is used to refer to A．two voting individuals in an election.B．whatever parties in office.C．whichever candidates in an election.D．supporters in different constituencies.54、What can be learnt from the last two paragraphs?A．The end result is decided by every step in the process.B．Democracy is more of a practice than of a theory.C．Participation will rid voters of any guilty conscience.D．Supporting the winner may bring great excitement.55、Which of the following is the best title for the text?A．Why Vote?B．How to Vote?C．Whom to Vote for?D．Do Elections Work?Text 4As time goes on, how to do good critical thinking is increasingly marginalized or even left out of the modem educational process.Critical thinking involves a mental process that is highly disciplined and therefore requires most practitioners to be trained in it.This training is best begun in the formative years, and it is best taught by energetic, motivated teachers who continually challenge, and debate, and demand increasingly rigorous thinking of their young students.However, as in all things, it is never too late to begin.Critical thinking is the process of evaluating and analyzing a proposition or an argument that has been offered to the thinker, for criticism, as being true.There follows a process of reasoning, evaluation of the offered evidence, and reflection, always begun from a point of skepticism.A proper critique of the offered argument involves more than direct observation.Besides reasoning, cognition and experience, proper critical thinking also involves intellectual values that go beyond the specific argument or object being critically examined.These intellectual values involve objective truth.Objective truth is that truth which comes from somewhere outside of our minds.Subjective truth is that truth which comes from within us; that which we feel, or sense, or believe to be true.Objective truth stands alone, and does not depend upon us to remain true; it's completely independent of the mind of man.No matter what we think a-bout it, how we think about it, or even if we think about it, objective truth remains objective truth, unchanged, and impervious.Objective truth must always be taken into consideration in order to do good critical thinking.There are different forms of objective truth, ranging from solid to ephemeral.In the "hard science" fields, such as mathematics, physics and chemistry, the most recognized objective truths involve proven mathematical formulae, or recognized scientific laws, or widely recognized and as yet unrefuted scientific theories.These "hard" objective truths are taken by the critical thinker to be axioms or givens, and thus, useful tools to help in the critical thinking process.The process thereby builds upon a foundation of previously proven truth.No matter how technically advanced we ever become, we are all, individually and collectively, called to think about things.It is our human nature.56、It is suggested that the training of critical thinking in the formative yearsis best conducted by teachersA．because it requires well-organized mental activity.B．because it has been stressed in modern education.C．who marginalize the traditional idea of education.D．who can direct students towards rigorous thinking.57、A good critical thinker alwaysA．involves more direct observations than pure reasoning.B．takes an argument for granted at the beginning.C．begins with a skeptical attitude towards an argument.D．puts more emphasis on intellectual v alues.58、Objective truth is regarded asA．indispensable in the critical thinking process.B．unchanged human beliefs.C．unrefuted in scientific theories.D．outcomes of "hard science".59、What can be inferred from the last paragraph?A．Technology has little to do with critical thinking.B．Critical thinking is a process of trial and error.C．Scientific theories are developed from scientific laws.D．Scientific truth is a foundation for critical thinking.60、Which of the following best summarizes the text?A．Patterns of critical thinking.B．Essence of critical thinking.C．Methods of critical thinking.D．Criteria of critical thinking.阅读理解BIn his lectures at the Lyceum, a school that remained for centuries one of the great centers of learning in Greece, Aristotle defined the basic concepts and principles of many of the sciences.61 ) In the first place, Aristotle criticized Plato's theory of Forms by arguing that forms could not exist by themselves but existed only in particular things, which are composed of both form and matter. He understood substances as matter organized by a particular form.Nature, for Aristotle, is an organic system of things whose forms make it possible to arrange them into classes comprising species and genera. Each species, he believed, has a form, purpose, and mode of development in terms of which it canbe defined. 62) The aim of science is to define the essential forms, purposes, and modes of development of all species and to arrange them in their natural order in accordance with their complexities of form. The main levels are the inanimate, the vegetative, the animal, and the rational. 63) The soul is the form of the body, and humans, whose rational soul is a higher form than the souls of other species on earth, are the highest species of perishable things. The heavenly bodies, composed of an imperishable substance, or ether, and moved eternally in perfect circular motion by God, are still higher in the order of nature.Aristotle's political and ethical philosophy similarly developed out of a critical examination of Plato's principles. 64) The standards of personal and social behavior, according to Aristotle, must be found in the scientific study of the natural tendencies of individuals and societies rather than in abstract realm of pure forms. Less insistent therefore than Plato on a rigorous conformity to absolute principles, Aristotle regarded ethical rules as practical guides to a happy and well-rounded life. His emphasis on happiness, as the active fulfillment of natural capacities, expressed the attitude toward life held by cultivated Greeks of his time. In political theory, Aristotle agreed with Plato that a monarchy ruled by a wise king would be the ideal political structure, but he also recognized that societies differ in their needs and traditions and believed that a limited democracy is usually the best compromise. 65) In his theory of knowledge, Aristotle rejected the Platonic doctrine that knowledge is innate and insisted that it can be acquired only by generalization from experience. He interpreted art as a means of pleasure and intellectual enlightenment rather than an instrument of moral education.61、______________________________________________________________________62、______________________________________________________________________63、______________________________________________________________________64、______________________________________________________________________65、______________________________________________________________________写作Study the following picture carefully and write an essay on ft. In your esssay, you should(1) describe the picture briefly,(2) analyze this situation, and(3) give your comments.You should write 160 ~ 200 words neatly on ANSWER SHEET 2.部分听力理解 1～20略 第二部分英语知识运用 参考译文 在过去十年间，通信交流方面新的科学发展已经改变了许多人获取政治方面信息的方式。
